Wow. I can’t believe it’s been so long.

How’ve you been?!

I am feeling fierce these days. Here’s why:

LASH BLAST .

CoverGirl’s newest mascara is rocking my world. I usually don’t try mascaras that aren’t waterproof because—like my "the dog ate my homework" excuses—they never seem to work.

Funny thing about LashBlast is that I actually thought it was waterproof.

A few weeks ago, I spotted the orange tube in my mom’s Makeup Bag which set off a few sirens in my head because 1) I’d seen the Drew Barrymore LashBlast commercials and was dying to try it, and 2) when my mom doesn’t immediately tell me about a new beauty product she’s trying it means only one thing: SHE’S HIDING IT FROM ME!

Of course, I had to assume the LashBlast was waterproof because my mother would have no need to hide it if it wasn’t. (Just so you know, she hides her spearmint Orbit from us, too!)

The brush on this mascara is the chubbiest ever, with TONS of teensy little plastic bristles. At first glance I thought I would hate it, but I soooo do not. Somehow, this chubby orange mascara makes my lashes thicker and darker and longer than any other mascara I’ve used.

Which is why I was shocked to find out the tube we have isn’t waterproof— it doesn’t smudge or smear or flake AT ALL. For someone who wears contacts, this is huge.

The thing that sucks is that I can’t buy it anywhere—it’s completely sold out of every drugstore near my house.

This means that between me, my mom and my sister (it didn’t take Bailey long to catch on) we play musical chairs with the LashBlast every morning. Bailey even yelled at me this morning for applying an extra coat that she felt I wasn’t entitled to. The nerve!

If you find one of these chubby orange tubes in the CoverGirl aisle of your local drugstore, do yourself a favor and pick one (or twenty seven) up. You won’t regret it.

Hey, friends!

I can’t believe I’m already thinking about Back-to-School… it seems like summer just started.

For me, high school volleyball tryouts start in less than two weeks, and then school starts two weeks after that. NOOOO!

Some of my friends will be seniors this year, which means they’re getting ready for Senior Portraits. This can be totally overwhelming as there’s a zillion different things to think about: choosing a location, what to wear, how to pose, and most importantly HAIR AND MAKEUP.

Being the super-helpful friend that I am, I took it upon myself to check out some local photography studios for some senior portrait tips. (After all, no one wants to look back on their senior portrait and cringe .)

In addition to the basics of 1) wear solid colors to keep the focus on you and not your outfit, 2) schedule outdoor photo shoots during the hour before sundown for the best lighting, and 3) relax and be natural–I also learned a few makeup tips for looking your best in pictures:

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• As much as you’ll be tempted to go all Prom with your makeup, please refrain. If you don’t normally wear blood-red lipstick and feather-tipped-falsies, it’s not a good idea to wear them in your senior portrait.
• Powder is your best friend. While natural, dewy skin is lovely in real life, it can translate to OIL SLICK in pictures. Not good. I like CoverGirl Clean Pressed Powder .
• Shimmer and sparkles can reflect light and cause the same I-didn’t-wash-my-face-today look. Step away from the sparkles!
• Too much gloss can look as if you’re drooling. Ew. But a little blue-tinged gloss like Benefit California Kissin’ Smile Brightening Lip Shine can make your teeth appear whiter. (This one also has a minty fresh scent!)
• Lightly dust the apples of your cheeks with peach blush. (If you’re like me and my friends, you probably don’t take the time to wear blush, but trust me–it makes a HUGE difference. Try L’Oreal Light Softening Blush in Charmed Peach.)

So there it is. Simple, easy, natural.

Happy posing!

Drew Barrymore is CoverGirl’s newest spokesmodel!

In her very first major beauty campaign, Drew will not only be the face of new product launches, but she’ll also be behind the camera as co-creative director of her first CoverGirl TV commercial.

Way to go, Drew.

We’ve told you before about our unfortunately skimpy, stick straight lashes, and how we’re forever trying to improve on their short, sad state.

Last week we got our hands on a tube of CoverGirl’s new VolumeExact mascara and in it, we found exactly what our lashes were looking for. We haven’t opened the mascara section of our makeup bag since.

Much like its popular cousin LashExact, this mascara has a special brush formation that detangles and separates lashes allowing for a clump free, smooth application EVERY TIME.

But here’s the kicker: 4x the volume.

Let us repeat that for you.

FOUR TIMES THE VOLUME.

If you’re lucky, you might find this in your local drugstore but it won’t be available at mass-market retail outlets until January. (In case you didn’t know this: Good things come to those who wait.)

CoverGirl VolumeExact Mascara, $6.99