What It Is:

Why This Should Be in Your Bag:

Eyebrows are probably the most overlooked part of the average woman’s makeup routine. After applying eyeshadow, foundation, lipstick and blush, many girls don’t have the time to fix up their brows too. However, since I started tidying my eyebrows, I’ve noticed that my face looks a lot more “pulled together” and am a total convert to the practice.

Anastasia Soare is Hollywood’s brow guru, grooming the eyebrows of almost every celebrity you can think of. She’s sharing her knowledge with the general public through her cosmetics brand, Anastasia Beverly Hills. I tried out her Beauty Express for Brows and Eyes kit, with a sampling of her best products for grooming your brows and looking wide awake.

How To Use It:
This kit comes with killer instructions, so I’m not going to go too in depth. Basically, you choose one of the 5 brow stencils from the palette and tweeze your brows accordingly. Then, use the brow wax to set your brows in place. Use the 2 shades of brow powder and included brush to mix a color that matches your brows and fill in any patchy spots. Finally, brighten your eyes with the 2 shades of neutral eyeshadows, highlighting your inner corner and under your browbone!

(L-R: darker powder, lighter powder, shimmery shadow, matte shadow)

CC Rating: A

This kit is truly and utterly fantastic. Seriously, you can be a complete brow newbie or an expert and still benefit from this palette. The wax, powder and eyeshadows are great quality and I’ve barely made a dent in any because you need so little to achieve a perfectly shaped brow. The 5 stencils will definitely cover most brow shapes, however, if yours isn’t in the kit, you can still use the wax, powder and shadows.

The only downside may be if your brows are a really unique color that can’t be achieved with any of the powders. The kit does come in Blonde and Brunette, with 2 distinct shades in each, so hopefully most can find a match! The price is also on the higher end as far as brow products go, but you are not only getting the products, but stencils and a how-to guide for tidying up your brows. You would also have to factor in how long the kit lasts for you to assess it’s worth.

I highly recommend checking out the Anastasia Beauty Express for Brows and Eyes palette. It’s available at Sephora and Anastasia’s website.

[Need some new makeup but not sure what to buy? Check out Alex's other beauty reviews here.]

How to tell your friend her BF sucks

Can open relationships work?

Celeb couples that could actually work

7 tips for perfectly styled eyebrows

The art of self-control

10 people you should be following on Twitter

Whatever, Kendra Wilkinson

Funny photo of the day

Is Miley’s new video hot or inappro?

Atheists find their place at college

Today marks the 140th birthday of our good and loyal friend, Vaseline.  Here is to all of those good times we’ve had when we’ve needed you most. I keep you by my bed, in my bag, and in the car. I pick you up, dip my finger in your gooey residue and primp and prime to my utmost pleasure. You’re cheap, you’re handy, and you’re my BFF.

Cheers.

Seriously, after finding out it was Vaseline’s 140th birthday today, I went to find my own container and rubbed that shiz all over my elbows in celebration. This stuff is the best and, like any cheap vodka, it’s a college girl’s BFF.

Why, you ask?  Let us list the ways.

1. It makes your eyelashes grow: As long as you aren’t shacking up with the cutie you’ve been studying with, lather Vaseline all over your purty eyelashes overnight and watch them thicken and grow like a Chia pet come morning!

2. To Soften your weines [pronounced: wee*niss]: Vaseline is a great pick-me-up for dry elbows.

3. To Pimp out your cuticles: Store a mini-Vaseline container in your purse and utilize for emergency dry cuticle moments. And if you just really want an excuse to not take notes in lecture.

4. For kissable, luscious lips: Fall is a beast for drying out summary, dewy lips. Vaseline is there for you and your irresistible pout. Muah! P.S. You can mix Vaseline with Kool-Aid powder and make a colored (and flavored) lip gloss.

5. To Help your scent stick: Softly rub Vaseline all over your perfume points (i.e. the cleav, behind the ear, neck, wrist) and your scent will last longer!

6. Take it from JWWOW: It is a misconception that Vaseline clogs pores, so smear it all over your face, neck and arms whenever some bitch gets up in your shiz. Let’s see her try to grab hold of you now!

7. Say See Ya Never, Lipstick Smudges: Spread a little Vaseline over your teeth and lipstick smudges be gone!

8. For a moonlight massage with your man: Umm, hellooo. Vaseline is slippery. It ain’t no mint scent Aveda lotion, but it’s cheap and gets the job done after a long day trucking that North Face backpack from the library and back. Warm it up for an extra soothing effect. Saucy.

9.To remove last nights battlefield makeup: Apply some to a Q-tip and have a hay day.

10. Perfect for an eyeshadow/blush boost: Apply some under your eye shadow for a glossy affect. Apply on the apples of your cheeks for a dewy glow. Mix with lipstick for a cream blusher!

11. Lube: Whether you need it to get your friend’s engagement ring off your finger, or you want to ‘get it on’, Vaseline has you covered. And slippery.

12. It eases eyebrow plucking: Tame your eyebrows and lube up the under-skin so you can pluck with ease.

13. Prevent hair dye from seeping onto your forehead: Softly dab all over your hairline and keep that box hair dye from dying your forehead orange/brown/black/purple (we don’t judge).

14. To make your accessories look brand spankin’ new: New job interview? Scuff the crap-ol-la out of your patent leather heals thanks to pitcher night? Put a small dab on your shoes and shine away!

15. Hide Split Ends: Haven’t had a haircut since your mother made you go to Great Clips for a quickie? Hide damaged ends with the ‘V’ (what I’m now calling it).

16. Remove those stains on your clothes: And by stains, I mean makeup stains, sillies!

17. To Prevent spray-tan streaks: Rub all over the backs of your knees, ankles and hands to prevent seriously frightening spray tan lines. (You listening, Snooks?!)

18. To heal a new tat: No, Vaseline won’t undo that lame ass “I-have-star-tattoos-on-my-feet” situation a la Kristin Cavallari, but it can help the wound heal a little bit faster.

19. To get those O.P.I. nail polish bottles open: Is it just me or do I always try to get those babies open after I shower. Make it easier for next time and rub Vaseline under the cap. Then go ahead and do a D.I.Y manicure.

20. It’s your new exfoliating body wash: Mix with sea salt and come out of the shower feeling like Zac Efron’s face. Soft. And sexy.

Is it just me, or after reading this article, do your lips feel dry? Now go give your Vaseline some well deserved attention.

Every day we’re bombarded with a million different messages about what we are supposed to look like. And tell you what, our not-so-scientific-yet-totally-accurate visual research proves that 99% of girls out there don’t fit the mold. So instead of telling you how to wear your hair, or how much weight to lose, or which one of Heidi Montag’s many surgeries to get, we’re going to celebrate these so-called beauty flaws with beautiful women every single week.

Last week we raised the roof for the A-cup ladies of Hollywood, and this week’s “flaw”? The bushy brow.

Plucking, waxing, and threading your eyebrows is far from an enjoyable process. Some might even go as far as to say it hurts like a bitch is painful.  But it’s worth it to many to get that perfectly arched, perfectly thinned out brow. But why? These gorgeous women prove that skipping out on the monthly (or in my case, weekly) upkeep and going for a more natural look is the way to go.

So today let’s celebrate the beautiful celebrities who keep their brows looking bushy and bold.

Oy.

We ladies spend a lot of our time making ourselves beautiful. Between the haircuts, the tweezing, the manicures, the bronzers… it’s exhausting. And it could all be a waste of time, according to a poll over at Glamour Magazine. They asked some guys what they thought of our beauty tricks and the boys let it all out.

Turns out they’re not fans of super thin eyebrows, over-tanning, claw fingernails, and caked on makeup.  To most women, this seems fairly obvious, but since there were pictures accompanying this article (i.e. photo evidence that these beauty blunders actually happen), it might not be as obvious as I thought.

Being a lady who writes for ladies, I thought I’d do everyone a service and break down beauty’s seven deadliest sins and share why you might wanna put the breaks on that daily GTL.

OVER-TANNING is like nails on a chalkboard for my eyes, but yet, as I live and breathe, I see bronzer accidents all over the place.  Guys are not really that interested in your tan’s status, and for most, that’s a good thing.  I have friends who are gorgeous and fair but they still use the self-tanner, which inevitably either turns them orange or streaks something fierce, or (gasp) turn to tanning beds.  What could possibly be less attractive than a leathery oompa-loompa coming up to you in a bar?  I have never met a guy who turned down a girl because she was too pale.  I have, however, known guys who turn down these scary “bronzed” creatures.

CAKED ON MAKEUP.  If a guy can see where your makeup ends and your face begins, it not only looks bad, but it could make most men wonder what it is you’re hiding under that 3 inches of powder.

SUPER THIN EYEBROWS.  I don’t even know how looking like a surprised RuPaul can seem like a good idea to anyone.

CLAW FINGERNAILS.  People declaw cats for a reason – because they hurt. You think lady-nails are any different? I’m not surprised these things turn guys off; who wants to end a date rubbing Neosporin all over their bodies?

INSANE EYE MAKEUP.  The neon Cleopatra look may fly on Mardi Gras or the NYFW ruwnays, but on a regular Saturday, not so much.  A guy who looks at the Gaga-like sparkle-fest happening on your face will likely completely dismiss you as super high maintenance… or a drag queen.

REFLECTIVE LIPS.  People shouldn’t be able to check their makeup in yours.

BIG HAIR.  Guys like hair that looks like they can run their fingers through it, not hair that will swallow their hands whole. Just like most girls can’t stand a guy with Pauly D levels of gel and product in their hair, guys can’t deal with the whole extensions, hairspray, volumizer, pouf deal either.

Edie Sedgwick, best known for being one of Andy Warhol’s muses, is my muse for this week. In addition to being a quadruple threat (actress, model, heiress and socialite), she was also known to be a major style icon.  Although she is no longer with us today, her style still continues to appear as fashion inspiration from runways to sidewalks.

We are all shaped and fashioned by what we love to do and Edie exhibited that in her style.  Many hours of her day would be spent practicing ballet and other types of dance, which would require tights and a leotard.  Instead of changing after dance into a more typical outfit her time, Edie was known (and infamous) for throwing on a large (most likely fur) coat and going about her business. And thus it became her signature style.

Besides her very mod-styled outfits, she was also one of the first to spark the pixie hairstyle trend and was a pro at “cutting the crease” with her eye-makeup and seriously intense eyebrows. Now, it would be pretty difficult in today’s day-and-age to walk out of your dorm/apartment with black lines across your eyelids, over-drawn eyebrows and a leotard without getting some gnarly looks, but if you go for a more subtle version of Edie’s signature look, it can be achieved. And tres cute.

I like this outfit because it’s a very modern and inexpensive version of Edie’s legendary style.  The fitted striped dress with the tights and the “shoulder-dusters” (or dangly earrings) are so typically Edie, yet can totally work on you. The Andy Warhol bag is thrown in for some novelty, and if you’re bold enough to fill in your eyebrows like Edie, then Amen sister.

Earrings – Forever 21, $5.80; Black tights – American Apparel, $15.00; Striped dress -Forever 21, $12.80; Mary-Jane pumps -Wet Seal, $15.00;  Milani eyebrow kit-Walgreens, $5.99; Andy Warhol bag- Beograund, $27.99

ABC hates Adam Lambert.

Dude, I’d stay with Tiger Woods for $60 million!

Who has the worst album covers of 2009?

Quick fixes for perfect brows.

Jersey Shore is totes legit, says one NJ Italiano.

Lady Gaga is more than a pretty face (behind a veil of lace).

Everyone knows that a unibrow is about as attractive as a muffin top. But many girls don’t know that having two distinct brows isn’t enough to fix your face.

The shape of a brow can really make or break you, so it’s crucial to do ‘em right. I’m covering all bases in this video from how to grow, fill, and shape them to give you some bangin’ brows!

Now sweep those bangs off your face and show off those brows.

Ryan Reynolds getting his own X-Men movie!

Would you wear eyebrow bling?

Will heat ruin your hair products?

Victoria Beckham looks really good in undies.

Gay marriage is legalized in Maine!

It seems like purse strings are pretty tight these days, and it can be pretty hard to choose what to spend money on. A manicure or dinner? A new pair of shoes or gas? A night at the bar or books for class? Pretty tricky. But there are some luxuries that you can skip in favor of doin’ it on your own, like your brows.

Yeah, they always seem great when you get them waxed, but if you use the right products and know the right tricks you can do it in your very own home…and spend the $15 on a long island iced tea instead!

Step 1: It’s much easier to tweeze your brows when your skin is soft, so the hair will come out easier. So hold a hot facecloth on your face for a couple of minutes first.

Step 2: Pick the shape that you want to create with your brows. Go with a natural arch; don’t create an extreme arch if you don’t have one (you can tell). If you need some guidelines, you can use brow stencils, like these ones from Anastasia. As a general rule: eyebrows are supposed to match up with the corners of your eyes, so draw a line with your finger from the inner corner of your eye up to your brow. That’s where they should begin and they should taper off at the outer corner of your eye. You can begin to tweeze by plucking the ends of the brows.

As for products, Tweezerman tweezers are great because they are sharp and have slanted tips. These tweezers come in fun animal prints too! Or you can try this floral tweezer kit that contains slanted tweezers as well as a pointed pair. Or there is also this awesome mini polka dotted pair – perfect for your purse or travel. (All of these are so cute that you will almost forget that tweezing hurts!)

Step 3: Use an eyebrow comb to brush your brow hairs upwards to get a better idea of where the hair roots are. Then pluck underneath the arches. Go slowly and brush them out every few minutes to see how much you have plucked. You don’t want to be that girl that overplucked. (We had a girl that pretty much plucked her whole brows off in the 8th grade. It’s been 8 years and we all still remember. Lesson learned.)

Step 4: Comb your brows back upwards and use the cuticle scissors to snip against the natural hair flow. These ones from LaCross are really cheap and work great. By using cuticle scissors for the top of the brows you eliminate the need to tweeze too much above the brows. When you are done tweezing and cutting, apply unscented lotion with a cotton ball to pick up extra hairs and soothe redness.

Step 5: If you need to fill in some areas that are uneven, use a pencil or powder that will blend really naturally. Then use an angled brush to sweep and blend in the color. This Dior pencil is a little pricey but it’s a pencil and a brush in one! Plus it includes a sharpener.

Step 6: To set your newly perfect brows in place for a night out try this Smashbox tech wax. It’s clear and long lasting so that all your hard work won’t go to waste!