While many of you love wearing makeup and search your couch cushions and the bottom of all your purses for loose money so you can buy new products, there are a lot of you out there who actually hate wearing makeup. Trust me when I say that I get it; I used to be one of those girls!

Makeup can sometimes be a hassle, especially if you don’t know what products to use or how to use them. Plus, sometimes you just don’t want to stand in front of a mirror and put on your face, dammit. But the honest truth: you don’t have to! Having a polished face doesn’t have to mean 35 products and 30 minutes putting them on. Read More »

[Disclaimer: This product was provided to me for review purposes.]

What It Is:
BECCA Bombora Palette

Why This Should Be in Your Bag:
I don’t know about you, but in the dead of winter, I always appreciate a pick-me-up. Whether it’s a cup of hot chocolate, a warm bath or even a colorful makeup look, something bright and warm is a sure-fire way to light up your day. And that’s where the BECCA Bombora Palette comes in.

This palette features 5 products that together create an entire makeup look. Two punchy eyeliners (in Raffia and Sunburst), a highlighting creme (Mazu), lip and cheek creme (Bougainvillea) and lipgloss (Mai Tai), all in bright, summery shades, are sure to brighten your darkest winter day.

How To Use It:
For a total look using the palette, start by applying the eyeliners in whatever combination you like! I like to use them wet, with the turquoise on top and the golden green on the lower lashline. Next, smudge the lip and cheek creme on the apples of your cheeks and your lips. Add some highlighting creme along your cheekbones and under your brow for definition and top off your lips with the sheer, sparkly gloss! All done! Read More »

Ever look at pictures of Angelina Jolie or Megan Fox and get caught up in their sultry stares? I do! They are definitely gorgeous ladies and girl crush worthy, but most of that sexy stare down comes from their eyeliner. Yes, you know what that means: you too can channel these sex icons and land a man as fine as Brad Pitt! (Leave those Brian Austin Greens behind.)

Follow the steps in the video and you’ll have a hot look in no time! All you need is a little eyeliner and you’re good to go.

Is it just me or is there another “revolutionary” new makeup product introduced every freaking day?! Just walking into Ulta or Sephora (or even Walgreens!) sends many chicas into fits of hysteria, reaching for the nearest brown bag to regulate their breathing. It’s all so overwhelming.

So how can you know which product – among the sea of thousands – is the best? Which does what you need it to do? Which ones are worth the extra money? Let me help. I don’t know every beauty product out there, but I’ve tested a lot of them and I’ll let you know which are worth the money and which are not.

(Disclaimer: This product provided to me for review purposes.)

What it is: Make Up For Ever Aqua Creams in #1, #6, #15 & #21

Why this should be in your bag: Waterproof makeup is a summer essential! Hot temperatures + humidity = makeup running down your face and disappearing in a matter of minutes! However, if you’re like me, I still like to sport a little bit of makeup in the summer and this is where Aqua Creams come in. They’re invincible and require quite a bit of scrubbing to remove at the end of a long day. They’re also seriously crease-resistant and require no base or primer. You can even take a dip in the pool or partake in that neighborhood water-fight with these suckers on! Read More »

Is it just me or is there another “revolutionary” new makeup product introduced every freaking day?! Just walking into Ulta or Sephora (or even Walgreens!) sends many chicas into fits of hysteria, reaching for the nearest brown bag to regulate their breathing. It’s all so overwhelming.

So how can you know which product – among the sea of thousands – is the best? Which does what you need it to do? Which ones are worth the extra money? Let me help. I don’t know every beauty product out there, but I’ve tested a lot of them and I’ll let you know which are worth the money and which are not.

(Disclaimer: This product was purchased by me for review purposes. Because I can never have too much makeup!)

What it is: Sephora Collection Colorful Mono Eyeshadow

Why this should be in your bag: This is THE BEST wet/dry shadow I’ve ever tried! A versatile product like this is a necessity, especially for travel. You can bring a few of these and do completely different eye looks, mixing and matching which ones you use as liners, all-over washes and highlights. All you need is a little water to totally transform the product.

How to use it: Just like Sephora says – “apply your color dry for a natural vibe or dampen your brush and apply wet for an all-out sophisticated stare.” Personally, I use shade 06 Must Have for my daily liner. It’s a matte black (see swatches). First, get your eyeliner brush wet and rub it in the shadow, moistening it and getting some on your brush. Using a steady hand, apply to your upper lash line. If you’re feeling sassy, finish with a cat-eye by flicking your wrist up at the edge of your eyelid! (Learn how to do the perfect cat-eye right here.) Read More »

Who or what inspires your style? Many of us use T.V characters (like Joan Holloway) or celebrities (like Courtney Love) as style inspiration, even though, most of the time, they are being dressed from head to toe by the best stylists. Which we don’t have. And sometimes it’s damn near impossible to work their Hollywood looks into our not-so-Hollywood lives. I’ve made it my mission to tap into the mind of a fashion stylist and show you how to take your style inspiration – whatever it may be – and make it more you!

The Royal Tenenbaums is one of Wes Anderson’s many dysfunctional-family masterpieces he is infamous for. Besides portraying one of the strangest and most awkward families known to humanity, the main characters in The Royal Tenenbaums each have an extremely specific style, much like cartoons, that they hardly ever drift from.

Exhibit A:  Margot Tenenbaum.

The adopted daughter of Royal Tenenbaum is a prodigy playwright at the tender age of 14… which happens to be two years AFTER she starts smoking cigarettes. She’s one messed up lady, but still, somehow, inspiring to me in more ways than one. Read More »

If there’s one question I get asked (as the resident beauty expert in my group of friends) it’s, “What colors can I wear during the day?” I’ve heard this question A LOT and my answer is always the same:

Wear any color you want!

If you feel like wearing green, do it! Blue, do it (carefully – you don’t want to channel the 80s here)! Honestly, whatever color you want to use during the day, you can. As long as you do it right. And with my help, doing it right and looking good will be easy.

In this video, I’ve outlined some ways to incorporate color into your daytime makeup without looking like you’re going out (or coming home…..). I definitely encourage the use of fun colors to spice up your look, so don’t be afraid to try it! Read More »

Usually I hate when things happen ahead of season, like when Halloween stuff starts popping up in August, or when Christmas decorations are everywhere in September.  In general it is just plain wrong.  I don’t need a blow up outdoor Santa snow globe before Halloween has even passed.  Actually, I don’t need one of those at all.  Ever.

However, there’s one thing that I don’t mind arriving a wee bit early, and that’s next season’s makeup trends (or any fashion for that matter); it’s never too early to look into/play around with the new fall colors.

Now’s the time to get your makeup bag ready for fall and I’m here to help. You should be glad I’m not actually there with you, because I’d be trying on every lip gloss you got and curling my eyelashes instead of really helping. But I digress. I’ll tell you what to keep, what to toss, and what to buy for Back To School season.

You don’t have to do it right now (obviously), but just keep your eye out for the colors of fall and prepare yourself to part with the makeup of the summer. Read More »

So you just spent ten minutes of your morning de-puffing your eyes with spoons fresh from your freezer, but they still look tired and small. What’s a girl to do? No fear, just use these super simple tricks to make your eyes appear bigger, brighter, and more awake!

If only everything else were so simple.

In middle school I thought the best way to apply eyeliner was heavily; preferably in black or teal.  I was terribly misguided, in the matter of eyeliner, boys, and jumpers. While I have certainly overcome most of these problems, eyeliner can still be tricky.  It can be hard to determine which eyeliner is appropriate for each occasion, and what colors are off limits.  So below is some information on different eyeliner types and what is best for your day or night.

Powder Liner – Best for: daytime use/work.  Use a soft eyeliner brush like this one from Bare Escentuals and swipe a powder liner as close to the upper and lower lash lines as you can get.   Only apply one coat so that the liner is soft. The good thing about applying a daytime powder is that you can use regular powder eye shadows, mineral makeup, or specific eyeliner colors.  Try this liner powder in Coffee Bean.

Liquid Liner – Best for: nights out.  Apply a more dramatic color to your lids and add extra color to the outer corners.  Try Urban Decay’s  liquid liner in Crash, a cool metallic purple.  Then use a smudge-stick like this one from Smashbox, to blend the corners while they are still wet.  This will make the line less harsh and more smokey.  Another option is to liquefy your favorite loose powder shadow with this liner sealer and a fine tipped brush. Read More »