Not Worth The Hype: Maybelline New York Baby Lips

I feel like I might be standing alone when I say this because I see so many people loving this product, but I don't think that Maybelline's Baby Lips are worth all the hype. Or the $3.30 you pay for it. Now before people start marching over to my house with pitchforks and clubs, I just have to say that I tried so hard to like this. I was so excited when I found this at my local Target, and summer had just started and these looked fun and colorful, so I picked it up in Pink Punch (the bright pink one on the far right in the photo above). I used this for four months even though I didn't like it, pushing myself to try to love it like everyone else! But now it's been more than eight months, and I can honestly accept that this product just didn't ring a bell with me.

First, while the packaging is absolutely adorable and really drew me in, it feels really cheap in my hands, like if I were to throw it in my beach bag and walk down the boardwalk for a long, sunny day at the beach, the plastic might not hold up. Like the packaging, the scent is really pretty, like a tropical smoothie, but it smells synthetic. Very, very synthetic. I'm not sensitive to that kind of thing, but just a heads up for people who might not enjoy scents that don't smell like the real thing.

The product itself is very smooth (slippery even) going on and it feels good, but the moisture does not last past twenty minutes, and I haven't noticed any improvement in my lips over long-term use. Also, this lack of lasting moisture also makes the color patch in any crack or dry area, which is not flattering. Of course, my first thought was to try to make it work by applying more often, but that is an absolutely horrible idea. The color is very, very bright for all of the colors, so every time you reapply, the color just builds on and accumulates in dry patches or cracks even more. So while I started with a bright but subtle pink flush on my lips, after about three applications I looked like Nicki Minaj.

I also found that I can't layer this under lipstick or lipgloss because 1) the slipperiness of this makes the color on top slide around 2) the moisture doesn't last.

So, in conclusion, as much as I've tried for eight months to love this, I just don't like it and I don't think it's worth all the hype.

How to Look Good In Your Driver's License Photo

The dreaded driver's license photo. Notorious for making people look lifeless and dreary in the most unflattering of ways. And it seems inevitable with the drab white background, cranky employees, bright fluorescent lights, and generally boring atmosphere. While your driver's license photo isn't a glamour shot for a fashion magazine- rather it is a serious form of identification- gosh, that thing is going to be around for a long time. Ten years to be exact, a decade if you want to call it that. So who can blame us for wanting to look a little better with some tips?

1) Look like you. So ditch the bright red lips and Hollywood-ready smokey eyes. Again, a driver's license is a serious form of identification used for official, important matters, so it is important to look like yourself, and not like Angelina Jolie or Nicole Kidman just before the Oscars (though they are absolutely gorgeous!).

2) Embrace your natural hair texture. Again, try to look like yourself, so if the case ever arises that a police officer or some other official person (sorry, it's late at night, my vocabulary left the office at 6 o'clock), they will know what you actually look like.

3) Pull hair out of the way. Obviously, if your fringe is covering your eyes, they can't see your face clearly, but also if you pull all of your hair over one shoulder, it will unbalance how your face looks in the picture, make the picture more cluttered, and look like your hair is one giant glop. Pull it out of the way, or split the hair into two sections and put one over one shoulder, and the other over the second. However, don't go for the slicked-back, strict-as-a-corset, "Russian" ballerina bun either, because that's a bit more severe.

4) Add some color back into your face. Now this doesn't mean that we should go out and buy clown makeup. The fluorescent lights and bleak background will wash your face out, regardless of skin tone. Unless the hungover zombie look is desired, blush and bronzer will be your best friend. Use bronzer that is a few shades darker than your natural skin tone, and a natural, healthy-looking blush.

5) Find a good angle. If you take selfies a lot, I'm sure this is something you already have an idea of. Straight-on shots are not always flattering, so if you can find an angle that makes you look great without blocking the view of any of your features, you're golden.

6) Don't pile on a store-full of luminizer or highlighter, and don't overdo the shimmer/sparkle. Yes, I love sparkle, shimmer, and highlighter as much as the next person, but using too much of these products will backfire and make your face look wet or shiny. Use these with a light hand and caution in mind.

7) Look friendly. Some states have banned smiling in photos, and we can't really do anything about that then, but if you are allowed to smile, then go ahead and look friendly and happy with a little, cute, closed-mouthed smile, or a Tyra Banks-approved "smize".