It’s the Holidays! Time for giving fabulous gifts to everyone in your life. But, crap, we’re in a recession and we’re poor college students to boot. So here’s a trick to put a little glamour in your loved ones’ lives without breaking your piggy bank.

Holiday season means beauty gift sets – a box jammed packed with fabulous high end makeup at a deep discount. So here’s a list of great gift sets that make a great gift, even when you break them up. You can cross a bunch of people of your list just by splitting up these sets and giving one product to each person on your list. Or group two or three items to give a whole look for just a little dough.

Bare Escentuals Bare Pleasures Eye Shadow Set – Sephora.com

9 Gifts for $48 ($99 value)

Bare Essentuals has fantastic loose eye shadows that women of all ages adore. This set has NINE different shades. You can give one to your mom, aunts, suitemates, and nieces still leaving a few shades leftover to keep for yourself. You can even pair the colors off to create custom eye shadow duos to add a personal touch. Read More »

[Make-up is wonderful, but it can also be confusing. There are so many shades and colors and sheens and reasons to wear it, that a girl can get completely lost attempting to find what fits her face best. What’s the best blush color for a redhead? How do you really put on lip-liner? Is there such a thing as too much eyeshadow?

In this weekly series, makeup expert Ali will use her makeup know-how to teach us all how to look flawless in class, out at a party, or grabbing coffee with that cutie from Psych 101.]

In order for makeup to keep you looking fresh and beautiful you need to keep up with fresh products. Yes, it can be a sad day to throw out your favorite MAC eyeshadow because its time has expired, but it is necessary for your skin and your overall look (and feel). Below is some important information about how long your makeup should last, and how to stretch out its shelf life. And don’t worry – we won’t judge you if you hold a moment of silence for your favorite products whose time has come.

Mascara: With such close contact to your eyes, mascara is likely to acquire bacteria and, as a result, should be thrown out after 3 months. Don’t believe me? Smell it. Go on, do it. If the mascara is ready to go you’ll notice a different smell, not to mention the mascara will likely not go on as well. Throw it out!

Foundation: Liquid and condensed powder foundations will likely become cakey or cracked after 6 months to a year and then it’s time to toss em. Loose powder foundation will likely last a little longer. Similar rules apply to blush. Read More »

[Every Saturday I wake up early, brush on some much needed concealer, and come here to bring you the best beauty products, tips and ideas. I've changed your life with some awesome makeup innovations, so now I'm back with more beauty finds that will enhance your eyes...and your life.]

The Smoky Eye. It’s one of the most powerful make up maneuvers a woman can use. It’s sexy and seductive, but do it wrong and you can look like you took a swift fist to the eye. Or like a crack whore. Thank God that some very clever brands took all the mystery out of the smoky eye. They’ve made it simple for us. So if you want a fool-proof smoky eye, try one of these fantastic products.

Stila Smoky Eye Talking Pallet ($40 sephora.com)

This little pallet could be called “Smoky Eye for Dummies.” It comes with 4 shades perfectly suited for a smoky eye, but the really crazy thing is that it actually talks you through the steps. You press a button, and it plays an audio recording taking you step by step through the process. Stila has some of the best eye shadows around, so you get the best of both worlds: quality product and technical instruction all in one little box! Plus is comes in 5 different color collections so you can pick the perfect shades for you.

Too- Faced Smoky Eye Pallet ($32 sephora.com)

So it may not talk to you, but the Too Faced Pallet does have a step by step instruction card. The thing that makes this pallet special is that is comes with NINE colors. They are divided up into three different looks – a soft brown for day, a classic black for evening, and a bold color combo. It keeps things simple and organized and gives you plenty of options for whatever mood you are in! Read More »

[Make-up is wonderful, but it can also be confusing. There are so many shades and colors and sheens and reasons to wear it, that a girl can get completely lost attempting to find what fits her face best. What’s the best blush color for a redhead? How do you really put on lip-liner? Is there such a thing as too much eyeshadow?

In this weekly series, actress / model and fabulous CC blogger, Jen, will be using her makeup know-how to teach us all how to look flawless in class, out at a party, or grabbing coffee with that cutie from Psych 101.]

Got a big nose? An ugly birth mark? Something else on your body that you just really, really hate? Have you ever asked yourself why?

This week, instead of focusing on products and tips to enhance our beauty, we want to stop for a moment and be thankful for the beauty we all already possess. No advice for bronzer here. No tips for the perfect bun. Just you. As you are.

[Make-up is wonderful, but it can also be confusing. There are so many shades and colors and sheens and reasons to wear it that a girl can get completely lost attempting to find what fits her face best. What’s the best blush color for a redhead? How do you really put on lip-liner? Is there such a thing as too much eyeshadow?

In this weekly series, actress / model and fabulous CC blogger, Jen, will be using her make-up know how to teach us all how to look flawless in class, out at a party, or grabbing coffee with that cutie from Psych 101.]

So, you woke up late and didn’t have time to wash your hair. No one will notice, right? Yeah right. That sh*t is greasy. Pulling it into a ponytail won’t help, wearing a hat is just not cute, and lookin’ greasy is not an option. What are you supposed to do?

According to Jen, it’s all about the baby powder.

[Make-up is wonderful, but it can also be confusing. There are so many shades and colors and sheens and reasons to wear it, that a girl can get completely lost attempting to find what fits her face best. What’s the best blush color for a redhead? How do you really put on lip-liner? Is there such a thing as too much eyeshadow?In this weekly series, actress / model and fabulous CC blogger, Jen, will be using her makeup know-how to teach us all how to look flawless in class, out at a party, or grabbing coffee with that cutie from Psych 101.]Makeup usually tends to focus on the exterior, but there are some products out there that can enhance your beauty from the inside out. A body spray that can help you live your best life? It exists, and Jen found it.

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[Make-up is wonderful, but it can also be confusing. There are so many shades and colors and sheens and reasons to wear it that a girl can get completely lost attempting to find what fits her face best. What’s the best blush color for a redhead? How do you really put on lip-liner? Is there such a thing as too much eyeshadow?

In this weekly series, actress / model and fabulous CC blogger, Jen, will be using her make-up know how to teach us all how to look flawless in class, out at a party, or grabbing coffee with that cutie from Psych 101.]

I don’t know about you, but I tend to leave my eyebrows up to the professionals. I either overpluck, underpluck, or somehow end up with brows resembling my dad’s. But eyebrow waxes/threading/professional maintenance gets expensive! That is why this week Jen is here to tell us everything we need to know about getting our brows looking perfect without weekly trips to the spa.

[Make-up is wonderful, but it can also be confusing. There are so many shades and colors and sheens and reasons to wear it that a girl can get completely lost attempting to find what fits her face best. What’s the best blush color for a redhead? How do you really put on lip-liner? Is there such a thing as too much eyeshadow?

In this weekly series, actress / model and fabulous CC blogger, Jen, will be using her make-up know how to teach us all how to look flawless in class, out at a party, or grabbing coffee with that cutie from Psych 101.]

Everyone is always talking about long, luxurious lashes, but how do we get em without getting clumps? And do we really have to spend $40 on a tube of mascara to get that sexy lash we covet? This week Jen gives her expert advice on the best mascaras on the market (in all price ranges) that are sure to get you lookin’ like a Cover Girl.