Make Your Face Fabulous With Highlighter

A great way to make your face stand out front and center is by using a highlighting product placed strategically in all the right places.

One great application technique is using your fan brush with a powder highlighter product. Dip your brush in the product. Now, you will basically create a C shape. Starting at the inner corner of your eye, swoop over the brow bone and on to the cheekbone. Repeat on the other eye. Now, apply a little of the product down the center of your nose, on the bridge area.

As discussed in previous articles on the blog, these are areas where light would naturally hit because they are raised areas on your face. You can read about about contouring and highlighting to sculpt your face in some of our previous articles.

To get the rest of the look shown in the photo of Diane Agron, play up your eyes with some great lashes. You can apply full false lashes, or just apply the little clusters of lashes to the outside corners of your eyes. Then, apply a coat or two of mascara to complete a fabulous eye look.

Then, to create clean and crisp lips, apply a liner and lipstick in a pretty pink or coral shade to complete the look.

If you have not experimented with highlighter, it is really a great makeup tool to give your overall look a bit of extra wattage!

The photo is courtesy of Steve Granitz/Wire Image

Cute Looks With Bangs

When considering your new Spring hairstyle, think about changing it up a little bit by adding bangs to your cut! Bangs can range from long and wispy to short and sassy. Depending on your face shape and hair texture, your stylist can suggest the best bangs look for you.

One really cute look is shown here on Hayden Pannettiere. Her bangs are swept to the side, and a root lifting product was used to add height. A look like this would work with short or long bangs. Hayden's hair has natural wave and a lot of volume, but this look could work on straight hair, too.

For girls with thick coarse hair, a look featuring a thin fringe of bangs is shown on Kerry Washington. This is a great look when the length of the bangs frames the eye just right!

So if you are thinking of trying a totally new look for Spring, consider bangs!

A Tonal Look For Dark Complexions

We always hear that our other makeup should not compete with a red lipstick, right? Well, it appears there are exceptions to this rule! Who would think that a gorgeous red lips would look great with an eye color with red undertones? Well, it looks pretty great, if you have the right complexion for it.

The gorgeous Ethiopian model, Liya Kebede, recently appeared at a charity event with this look, and she looked very pretty! She wore a brown shade of eye shadow with red undertones from her lash line to her brow. Then, a dark liner was used to line her eyes. A coat or two of mascara on the top lashes finished the eyes off perfectly. A glossy red-brown lipstick completed this tonal look. Her cheeks appear to be bare, which looks great with her coloring and bone structure.

A lighter skin tone probably could not carry of this look without looking a bit garish, but on a darker complexion it's quite pretty. On a lighter skin the reddish shadow would look too red, but a darker complexion somehow mutes the red hue down to a pretty shade that is very wearable.

If you have a similar coloring to Liya, you might want to find an eye color with a reddish undertone and see how this look can work on you. Perhaps it will take some experimenting, but if you end up looking this stunning, it's worth the time it takes to try this look!

Variations On Updos!

The chignon and the bun, both timeless and classic, look good high on the head and low on the head. Brunettes, blondes and redheads all look chic and pretty with these hairstyles. If you want to try something a little different, grab your kabuki brush and try these looks!

Try a low chignon that is made with a side part in your hair. Apply some gel for a sleek and slicked back look. The side part is a great way to do something a bit different with the chignon.

Here is where the kabuki brush comes in! For a different look, pile your hair on top of your head like a ballerina. Then rough it up a bit so it's not so neat. Next, spray your kabuki brush (yes, it's a makeup brush used for face powder) with hairspray. Run the brush back and forth all over your hair. This will create a sort of fuzz.

Take your hair dryer and use it to re-direct the fuzz upwards.

You know have created a halo look with your bun!

Tried and trued classics are always in style and always stunning, but new trends and ideas by stylists keep them always new and modern!

The photos of these two looks are by Mark Liebowitz.

A Dramatic Evening Cheek Look

Playing up your cheekbones is a great way to get some drama into your evening makeup. Makeup artist, Matthew Nigara, of NYC New York Color, has a great technique for getting a look that emphasizes your cheek in a fabulous retro way (think 1980s):

To make the look updated and current, use a cream blush. Apply it with an angled blush brush by sucking in your cheeks and applying the blush into the hollows under your cheeks. Pull the blush back towards your ears.

Here is a great tip he provides for getting even more pop from this look: Put tape on each cheek to establish the angle you want for your blush. Apply the blush on top of and over the tape to get a very strong edge. Now, remove the tape and blend the blush in. This method will create sort of a punk rock, glam look.

Because it is night time makeup, you can go a shade or so darker, or go really bold with a bright and fabulous fuchsia blush.

The next time you are ready for a night out on the town, why not give this cheek look a try?

Romantic Hair Look For Spring

If you love the look of long flowing waves, this look can be achieved easily by following these basic guidelines:

Start with damp hair, and spritz the roots with a volumizing spray.

Blow dry your hair using a round brush.

Separate your hair into small sections.

Curl with a medium barrel curling iron, leaving the ends out.

Put a small amount of pomade in your hands, rub together and scrunch you hair.

Use a wide-toothed comb to finish the look.

This is a very pretty and romantic look that you can wear day or evening. This is a great way to add movement and texture to your hair, and you'll probably have a few heads turning your way, too!

A Quick Easy Eye Look!

If you are still wondering about the popular smoky eye look, but you are afraid it will be too difficult to do yourself, MAC makeup artist, Gordon Espinet, created the look in the photo for the Just Cavalli model in the photo with these easy steps!

1. Coat your bottom inner lash line with a black liner pencil. If the tip’s too sharp, dab on to a tissue first. Next, prep lids with a balm-like eye cream for easy blending, and rim the top and bottom lash lines with the same pencil.

2. Layer a denim-colored pencil over the black on the bottom lash line. Then, blend the two shades up and over the lid and along the bottom lash line with a fluffy shadow brush.

3. For more drama, apply a navy cream shadow in the crease and blend. Finish with a coat or two mascara.

So quick and easy steps to a great eye look! You definitely should try this one!

Spring Lip Tutorial

With Spring right around the corner comes the arrival of all the bright pink lip colors we've written about. This seems like a perfect time to provide you with the basics for great lip color application again.

Prepping the Lips:

Healthy and soft lips are the base for gorgeous lips. Chapped lips are the enemy of the glamorous lip look! Make sure you hydrate your body properly. Drink a lot of water and quit smoking and drinking alcohol to excess. If you get dehydrated, your lips will also get dry and cracked. Scrub them once in a while with your dry toothbrush to remove the dead skin cells. If you have a habit of licking your lips, try to break it! Use lip balm instead; it will nourish and protect your lips. Use lip balm as often as you feel like, but be sure to change to one with an SPF factor during the summer months. Once you have your lips soft, healthy and nourished, you are ready to apply your lipstick.

Priming and Lining the Lips:

Apply a foundation or primer to make your lips neutral. Then, use a lipstick pencil to line and fill in the lip area.Make this a nude pencil or a color that closely matches your lipstick. If you have a pink lipstick, for instance, you can use a darker pink lip liner all over your lips to change the color of your lipstick by a shade or two. Generally, the lip liner and lip color should be similar a similar shade.

Applying Lip Color:

Now, you are ready to apply your actual lip color. There are literally hundred of shades out there, so finding one to match your skin tone or mood will not be a problem! You will also find several formulas out there ranging from crème to long last to matte. See which formula is best for your use and lifestyle.

If you are selecting a color for daytime wear, be sure to check the shade in natural sunlight! HINT: Remember that if you choose a strong lip color, you'll want to go easy on the eye makeup. You do not want two strong elements on your face at once. Depending on where you will be wearing the makeup, you risk looking over done. HINT: A lipstick brush is a great way to control your lipstick application.

Many people like to take a tissue in between their top and bottom lip and gently press down to remove any excess lip product. We call this blotting. Also, if you want to oomph up your look a bit, you can add touch of lip gloss to the center of your lips, and this will make a fuller and pouty look instantly.

Now, go try some great Spring lip colors, and especially some of the pinks out there that are going to be so on trend this season, like neon pink, watermelon and poppy!

Faking It With A Faux Bob

If you love the short and sassy look of the Bob hairstyle, but you are not quite ready to take the dramatic plunge and cut your hair, you can "fake it till you make it" with a faux Bob. Try the Bob out with this look before you commit to it! Basically, you will be pinning your hair up in the back to give the illusion that you have short hair. How easy is that?

This is optional, but you can set your hair with a curling iron with a one-inch barrel before you start styling the faux Bob. This will give your Bob a textured and fuller look. If you do not curl your hair, then you will have a more sleek Bob. For the look described here, you will need a hair sponge that is close in color to your own hair and some bobby pins. You can get hair sponges at your local beauty supply store.

To begin, section the top layers of your hair.

Next, use your comb to make a part from the top of your ear across the back of your head. Pin this hair up on top of your head.

Take the remainder of the hair as if you were going to make a low ponytail.

Roll your hair up in the hair sponge in the same way you would if you were using hair rollers. Start at the end of your hair and roll until you reach your neck. Use bobby pins to secure the sponge.

Next, unpin the top layer of your hair. This layer should fall over the sponge and conceal the bottom layers. If your top layer is too long, secure some the top layer hair to the hair sponge with bobby pins.

Lastly, spray your hair brush with an extra hold hairspray, and lightly brush over the top layer of your hair to set it in place.

You can now see how you will look in the real Bob and decide if you want to commit to this style. In the meantime, just have fun with this temporary look while you think it over.

You can see the faux Bob on Eva Longoria in the photograph above.

Dressing Up Your Eyes With Metallic Shadows

A great way to dress up your eyes is with a metallic shadow. Some of the more popular metallics include cool silver, warm gold and shimmering bronze and copper shades, but you will also see blue, green and gray metallic hues, too.

You can apply these shadows in the same you apply your other colors, but the look of these shimmery shiny shadows is really stunning. Here are some simple steps to get a nice look with a gold metallic shadow.

To start, apply a beige liquid shadow over your eye area, or a primer/concealer made specifically for the eyes. This will create a neutral canvas for your shadow. If you use the liquid shadow, blot the excess with a tissue and allow the area to set and dry completely.

Next, take your large eyeshadow brush and brush your shadow on to your eye, starting in the center of the eye and extending from crease to lash line. Pull the shadow out to a point on the outside corner of each eye.

Apply a very thin line of brown or bronze eyeliner to your upper and lower lashes. For night time wear, you can add some gold liner to the lower lash line for some extra pop.

Finish the look off with a couple of coats of volumizing mascara.

The next time you are shopping for makeup, try a few of these metallic shadows and create a stunning look that will bring your eyes center stage.

Boudoir Look From The Runway To You

Some of the best makeup and hair trends come straight from the runways of the fashion shows in Milan and Paris, and the recent show in Milan is no exception. One very striking makeup look was seen on the Giorgio Armani models. Makeup artist, Linda Cantello, create a great boudoir type look using nude mauve colors and black eyeliner. Here is how she achieved the look seen on the model in the photograph so you can try this look yourself.

A very dewy and natural foundation was applied using a brush. Next, two mauve lipstick colors were blended together and used on both the lips and eyelids. For the lips, a light brown pencil and gloss were also applied. To create a languid look for the eyes, the artist rimmed the top and bottom lashes with a cream liner. Next, she went over the liner with a wet liner brush dipped in black eye shadow. The top line is extended out past the outer corner approximately a quarter of an inch. Starting in the middle and extending outward, a second line was traced under the bottom lashes.

A boudoir is described as a woman's private sitting room, dressing room or bedroom, but this look is so pretty that you should definitely wear it outside of the bedroom, too! Some of the major cosmetic companies have a "boudoir collection" so you should try this look the next time you are at your favorite department store.

Getting A Great Lip Look With Lip Stain

If you want to get a sheer wash of color on your lips that will last for hours, you may want to try a lip stain. Most cosmetic lines, along with their glosses and lip sticks, also offer a lip stain. A stain is a pigment contained in a gel or water base. For application, you can find them in brush on, marker or pen-like tips, pumps and pots.

Before applying your stain, be sure to exfoliate your lips with a dry toothbrush. Apply a balm or other product designed for moisturizing your lips.

Lining your lips before applying your stain is optional. If you use a brand with the marker tip, you can use the stain as a liner by lining your natural lip line with it and then filling in the rest of your lips. Depending on whether you want a sheer wash of natural looking color or a deep dramatic look, apply one coat of stain for a natural pop of color, or as many coats as you want to achieve the desired depth of color .

If you want a dewy and moist look, you can apply a sheer gloss over the stain. If you want a more natural "flush of color" look then no gloss is the way to go. Examples of stain with and without gloss applied are shown in the photographs above.

The next time you want to try something different for your lips, consider the lip stain.

A Glam Look For Brown Eyes

If you are looking for a fun way to glam up your brown eyes, these are the steps makeup artist, Chris Colbeck, used to create a fabulous look for Leighton Meester in a recent magazine shoot.

Start by lining just the top and bottom of the outer eyes, creating a sideways “V” shape, with a dark purple gel liner. Then, sweep it out to create a sexy cat eye shape.

To soften the look, add a layer of violet shadow across the middle of the lids and into the inner corners of the eye.

Use a green shade along the lower lash line and on top of the lids from the middle to the outer edges.

Intensify the look and rock it up bit by lining the inner rim with a soft black pencil. Add a coat of black mascara to the top and bottom lashes.

With a strong vibrant eye look like this one, you want the rest of your makeup to subtle and not over the top. Try this eye look with a light pink or rose blush and a nude pink lipstick. You definitely will have heads turning on your next night out with eyes that look like this!

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Orange And Sugar Scrub For A Glowing Complexion

A regular part of your skincare should include a facial scrub to remove dead skin cells that can cause your complexion to look less than glowing. When we are very young skin cells turn over very quickly, and this is why babies and young children have such gorgeous vibrant skin. As we age, the cells turn over at a slower rate. As the dead skin cells accumulate on our face, the complexion looks dull and tired. Using a facial scrub with alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) once per week will help remove the dead cells allowing the fresh new cells to emerge.

I found a great natural scrub recipe that you can easily make to exfoliate your skin at home. You will need:

2 oz white sugar

5 to 6 drops of essential orange oil

1 tsp vegetable glycerin (optional)

Enough *carrier oil to make a thick paste

*Carrier oil can be: olive oil, sweet almond oil, jojoba oil, sunflower oil or apricot oil. It is suggested that you use certified organic carrier oils, and you can find these in a health food store or online. You want to put high quality ingredients on your skin.

Mix your essential orange oil and your carrier oil with the sugar to form a thick paste. If you are going to use glycerin, combine it with the sugar before adding the oils. Glycerin helps to moisturize your skin. You can also add honey to this mixture; it is a great moisturizing ingredient. Store your mixture in a clean glass jar with a cover.

When you are ready to use the scrub, apply it all over your face and then gently scrub for about a minute or so. Rinse your face with warm water until all of the scrub is cleaned away, and then follow with a quick splash of cold water.

This mixture contains nourishing ingredients that are good for your skin, and you should be left with a very soft and glowing complexion after you are done. Sugar is rich in AHAs, and orange refines and revitalizes skin. What's not to love?

Nail Colors To Try Now

If you have been wearing the same nail polish color for years, or maybe even decades, you are really missing out on some modern and fun colors. Here are just a few examples of what is on trend in nail polish colors today.

Ruby and vibrant reds really pop against pale winter skin, and you can quickly glam up any black outfit with a coat of red polish and a tube of red lipstick.

Burnt orange polish is a nice alternative to gold. These rusty oranges are a great pairing with heavier winter fabrics, like tweed and wool.

Maybe it's the popularity of the the movie, The Black Swan, but it seems everything now has a ballet slant to it. Ballerina pink polish is very pretty. This is pretty much a classic color in polish, and it is wearable for just about any occasion.

Chrome nail polish was seen at many recent runway shows. The most popular in this color family seems to look almost like aluminum. A matte top coat will add some texture to this look.

Have you heard of greige? This cleverly named color is a cross between gray and beige, and this color has been extremely popular and worn in the most popular runway shows, like Marc Jacobs.

Similar to the ballerina pink, peach is another very wearable shade. If you are wearing dramatic eye makeup, for example, a light peachy color would be a great. For evening, the contrast between the dramatic makeup and light nails is very "in" right now.

If you have tried some of the midnight blue and black polishes and felt they were too garish for you, consider a plum shade. Plums can give you the dark and edgy look, but the plums tend to be more flattering on a variety of skin tones.

A very pretty nail look is a neutral bone or cream color polish. This color looks particularly crisp and modern with pink lipstick and blush.

It seems wine is not just for drinking anymore! Wine and deep Bordeaux nail colors are a great way to update your look. There are a variety of shades to choose from in this color spectrum.

As you can see, there are so many new and different shades to update your look. The next time you go for a manicure, try one of the new shades, like greige or chrome.

The model in the photo is wearing a greige nail color with a nude lip look.

A Ponytail Look Straight From The Runway

Hairstylist Matthew Monzon created a great side ponytail look that is very 60's inspired. This look was recently seen at the 2011 Kate Spade Fall show. Here is how you can get this look for your own runway appearance!

Start with damp hair. Apply a golf ball size dollop of styling mousse to your hair.

Rough dry your hair with your hands. This will help create lasting volume.

Using a medium barrel curling iron, create waves from the ear level down. Leave the hair from the roots to the ears smooth and flat.

Leave the last inch and a half uncurled so the wave won't be too "springy."

Now, you are ready to make your pony tail. Gather the hair to one side and secure with a coated elastic. Do not pull the top too flat. For a more finished look, wrap a section of hair around the elastic and pin it in place.

Rake your fingers through the ponytail to create loose waves. Do this while misting a light coat of styling spray over the ponytail.

You are done. This is a very polished and neat look for day wear, and some pretty hair accessories will really dress this look up for evening and special events wear. The next time you decide to wear a ponytail, try this look!

Makeup Tips For Office Lighting

If you work in an office with florescent lighting you have probably noticed that this type of lighting is quite unflattering. Do not despair! There are ways of applying your makeup that will make you look as lovely in this lighting as you do everywhere else.

Because these lights can make your skin look almost green or sallow, you want to offset this by using warm and golden makeup colors. Stay clear of pink in this light because it can tend to look muddy and almost orange under the harsh cast of the florescent lights.

Your blush should be in the rose or apricot shades because, again, pink or anything reddish will appear too harsh in this lighting.

For you lips, anything in an earth tone color, like browns, taupes or brick reds, will look almost dirty under florescent lights. Try a nice peach or nearly nude gloss or lipstick instead for the office.

The same guidelines apply for your eye makeup at the office. This is not the place for the dark brown, smoky eye. Blue and gray shadows will also not be right in this light. Rose, peach and gold will look best in this lighting because they will offset the sallow and greenish cast of the lighting. Black mascara and liner will play much colder and harsher in office lighting than anywhere else, so you may want to experiment with brown mascara and liners for work.

There are makeup mirrors available with settings for various types of lighting, and florescent lighting is a setting available on most models of these mirrors. The lighting mimics what you would have in an office, and you can apply the makeup as if you are already in that lighting. You may want to pick up a mirror like this, if you do not own one already.

These minor adjustments will allow you to wear your makeup in unflattering light and still look great. If you must be in an office all day, you might as well look your best while you're at it!

The "Dewy" Look - How To Get It

You have seen the glowing and youthful dewy look on television, in magazines and maybe in your own circle of friends. How do they achieve this look? Actually, it is easier than you think! The good news is there are some quick and easy steps you can take to have this look today.

A clean and exfoliated face is the starting canvas for this look!

Once you have cleaned and moisturized your face, building this look with layers of moisture is key. You actually must have well moisturized and moist skin to get this moist look. One thing you can do is mist your face each morning with a homemade spritz that you can make yourself. One quick spritz you can use is rose water (hydrates) with glycerin (locks in moisture) and witch hazel. Both of these products are readily available. Mix two ounces of each and put them is your spray bottle. You can further customize this mix by adding a few drops of essential oil, like rose, lavender, ylang ylang or whatever you like.

Now that you are clean, exfoliated and misted, follow these steps to achieve your glowing dewy look:

Spray your skin with your facial mist. A light layer of visible moisture should remain on your skin. The proceeding layers of moisturizers will lock in the moisture this facial spray offers.

This step may seem silly, but it makes a noticeable difference in the final look of your skin. Cleanse your hands. Then rub on a deep moisturizing hand cream to your hands. This step matters because you are using your hands to apply a moisturizer to your face. If your hands are dry and cracked, your fingers will absorb much of the moisturizer intended for your face.

Next, if it's daytime, smooth on your sunscreen (even if your makeup foundation has a sunscreen). If it is nighttime, smooth on a light facial cream instead.

Spray your face once more with the facial mist, but use a lighter layer than you did earlier. This spray does not need to be visible.

Next, mix a pea-sized amount of your liquid foundation with a pea-sized amount of your facial moisturizer.

Smooth on the foundation and moisturizer combination onto your face.

Well, take a look in the mirror and see how you look. You should be all aglow and ready to continue with the rest of your makeup application.

Fixes For Over Tweezed Eyebrows

Your eye brows frame your eyes and are a major part of your look overall, and when you get a bit too zealous with the plucking of your eyebrows you can end up with a look that is not too pleasing. Do not panic! While you wait for your brows to grow in there are some cosmetic fixes to correct your brows.

One thing you can try is a brow powder to use as a filler. The most important thing here is to make sure it closely matches your natural brow color. Put the product on the brush, and then shake off any excess powder. You can do this easily by blowing on the brush. Your best tool for application is your angled eye brush. Apply the product by brushing upward and following the natural arch of your brow. This should provide you with a somewhat fuller look for your thin brows.

In the event you do not have a brow filler on hand, an eye shadow will work in a pinch. Follow the same rules as far as color and application guidelines that your would for the brow filler.

You can also achieve the same effect with an eyebrow pencil. Work a similar shade into your brows and brush upwards with a brow brush to distribute the pencil through your existing brows.

There are also products known as brow extenders, and these are formulas, usually a gel, that contain tiny microscopic fibers that cling to your eyebrows. You apply the product to your brow, and it really plumps up your brow.

Patience is a virtue, as they say, and you will need some patience when waiting for the missing brows to grow back. You may want to try a hair and skin supplement and see if this can speed up the process.

For those of you who have nice full brows, you can avoid a brow disaster by investing in a visit to a salon to have your brows professionally shaped and trimmed. Then, only pluck the occasional stray hair outside of the shape that your technician has built for you. Do not attempt to tweeze out the hairs and change the shape of your brow with tweezers on your own unless you are very skilled at this craft.

Minx Nails - A Fun Green Polish Alternative

Minx nails are a trendy look for fingernails, especially in the celebrity circle. Minx nails are a heated polymer that is applied to the nail like a sticker. They are easy to apply, and they are a green alternative to nail polish and fake nail tips.

Minx makes over 100 designs, and some of the most popular are the chrome and other metallic designs. The same effect simply can not be created with nail polish. Minx can also create a custom design for you, and you can even have your own photograph used to make a nail covering!

The method of application is quite simple. First, a basic manicure is performed. The nails must be clean of all oils and residues for a smooth application. The coatings are heated under a lamp or hair dryer; this makes the coatings flexible and warms the adhesive. The nail tech then lines up the rounded edge with your cuticle and drags and presses the coating into place on your nail. A hair dryer may be used after the coatings are applied to further help the adhesive adhere to the nails. Think of this like shrink wrapping your nails, as the method for applying the coverings is similar to that process. Finally, a glass nail file is used to remove the excess coating material.

If you'd like to try Minx nails, they provide a salon locator on their site.

The Nude Lip

The nude lip look is a classic and clean look that became popular during the 1960's decade, and it has remained as a staple in makeup since that time. Besides being clean and pretty, this lip look also allows you to really show up your eyes and other features.

Make sure your lips are nice and smooth. You can remove any dead skin by rubbing a soft dry toothbrush over your lips. Moisturize with a lip balm or a bit of Vaseline. Apply a concealer and lip primer before you put your lip color on. Some girls use their liquid foundation as a concealer to even out the lip tone to neutral. You can do this, but be sure not to glob on too much foundation. Your lip color will meld with the foundation, and you could end up with a gloppy muddy mess.

If you are using a lip liner with the nude lip look, you want it to be a very neutral liner. The purpose of the liner is only to keep the color within your lip line, and you do not want to get that look of the dark liner with the lighter color on your lips. Not only is that look dated, but the whole idea of the nude lip look is to look natural.

If you have pale skin, you can pick nude shades that are peachy, pink or totally beige or nude. Your light skin will only enhance any of these hues. For olive-skinned girls, stay away from a true beige, cream or whitish color. Because of your rich skin tone, you want something that will compliment you and not wash you out and look ghost like on your lips. You want a nice, warm nude color, not a cool tone.

Keeping your lips simple will allow you to really play up your eyes. Put on a few extra coats of mascara. If your heading out to a party or event, you can really play up your smoky or cat eye look and let your eyes be the stars of the show while your pretty nude lips just take a break from the spotlight for the night.

Two nude lip looks are shown above - one for a pale skin tone and one for a rich skin tone.

Spring Eye Trends

Just like lips will pop with pretty pinks on lips, you will see some bright spring looks in eye makeup, too.

Try yellow on your eyes for a pretty spring look. Yes, yellow! This looks great as both a shadow all over the eye and as a liner. Be sure to coat your eyelids with a coat of concealer and primer made for the eye area. This will provide a great canvas for the yellow color, and this will also help your yellowness to last all day long!

You can see the yellow on the models in the photographs used as a shadow and a liner.

Very colorful eyelids will be seen all over the fashion world this Spring. One extremely popular color will be vibrant lilac. One tip to make the color a bit opaque looking is to put a white eyeliner on your lids as a primer. This will create a really interesting and pretty look. If you want a bit more of a dramatic look, then use eyeliner and extend it out a bit. A vibrant eye like this can't take much competition, and a nude lipstick or gloss would be your best option.

You can see this lovely lilac look in the photograph.

So when you revamp your makeup collection for the new season, don't be afraid to venture away from your browns and greens and into some vibrant and daring Spring colors.

Thinking Pink - Spring Lip Trend

With Spring right around the corner, it is time to start thinking about new clothes, new hair and new lipstick that will help celebrate the new season. One of the hot makeup trends that will come in with Spring 2011 is pink lipstick! Pink has always been a favorite color for women because it is the one color so closely tied with femininity. As an added bonus, just about everybody looks good in pink and can find a perfect pink lip color that pops on their pout. Pink lips can be flirty and fun or downright glamorous.

A great way to wear pink for the daytime is by getting a darker pink color and applying it as a stain. Then, take a shiny clear gloss and apply it on top of the stain. So pretty! This natural look is best without a lip liner, but if you must, make sure it is very neutral. If you want a more natural look, choose a pink that enhances the natural color of your lips just slightly, skip the gloss and go.

For pink at night, you can be a little more daring with a very bright fuchsia or orchid color. Put some concealer on your lips to even out the color. Line your lips with a lip pencil in a similar shade, then apply the lipstick. A dab of shimmery gloss in the center of the lips will add some fullness and shine and make your lips the center of attention. There are great glosses for nighttime wear with gold or silver shimmer in them, and these will really amp up your hot pink lip colors.

So when you see the tulips and crocuses making their Spring appearance, think about how pretty these pinks shades will look on you! Think pink!

How To Use Those Pink Sponge Rollers

Pink sponge rollers seem to have been around forever! You may even have some of them around in a drawer somewhere in your home. The best thing about these rollers is they are comfortable enough to sleep in. You can create some great waves and curls with these pink spongy wonders, too.

As we've discussed previously, all styling is more effective if your hair is a bit dirty. So instead of washing your hair before styling with these rollers, mist your hair with water from a spray bottle.

Part your hair where your natural part falls. Decide if you want tight or loose curls, and this is how you will determine how much hair to put in each roller. A little bit of hair yields a tighter curl, and more hair will produce a looser curl.

Take a section of your hair and apply a small amount of hairspray or curling creme. For the sections of hair on top of your head, you will roll under the roller. Go all the way around your head rolling all the sections there under your roller. Next, roll the bottom layers of your hair by rolling the hair over the roller for all these sections. Continue until all your hair is in a roller.

To get the best results with these rollers, sleep in them over night to allow air drying while you sleep. The curls will be more pronounced and longer lasting if you use this technique as opposed to using a hair dryer.

When you get up the next morning, carefully unroll your hair from each curler. Once you have removed all the curlers, gently separate the curls with your fingers and style. Spraying a bit of hairspray over your entire head when you are finished will help the curls last a long time.

The pink foam roller - your new friend!

The look in the photo was achieved with the largest size pink sponge rollers.

Three Shades of Shadow

In your adventures up and down cosmetic aisle at your drugstore or favorite department store, you have no doubt seen the kits with a palette of three colors of eyes shadow. The manufacturers do this to take the guess work out of finding three hues in the same color family – light, medium and dark. You can certainly use one color for your entire eye area for simple and clean look, but once you know how to apply all three colors you may be surprised at the gorgeous eyes you will see looking back at you!

Apply eye primer to clean eyelids; this will prevent your makeup from creasing throughout the day. Over the primer, apply a flesh tone eye shadow or concealer from lash line to brow bone. The concealer serves as a base that allows the colors you use to start with flawless skin in the eye area.

Apply the medium color from lash line to crease. You may use the applicator that comes with the kit, or if you have brushes, use the eye brush with a larger flat head.

Take your crease eye shadow brush (or clean the end of applicator you just used) and press the darkest color onto the crease. Those who do not have an evident crease can stipple the color onto the outer corner of the eye in a V shape. The darkest color is generally used to contour the eye so that it appears to have more depth and dimension.

Swirl a larger eye shadow brush in the lightest color. Tap off excess and apply the product to your brow bone. If you like the doe-eyed look, apply the lightest color on the inner corners of your eyes by the bridge of the nose. If the color has a shimmer to it, and you want to give your eyes additional sparkle for a night out, pat some on the center of your top eyelid. When the light catches the shimmer, your eyes will be the focus.

Clean off the same brush (or applicator) with a tissue and use the brush to blend away any hard lines in your eye makeup so where one color ends and the next one begins is seamless.

So with a few easy steps and few extra minutes of your time, you have created an eye look that gorgeous and glamorous.

Makeup Brushes - What You Need

We discuss a lot of different makeup looks and techniques on this blog, and having the correct tools to apply your makeup is a definite plus. Of course, you do not have to own every single makeup brush that is out there, but you should have a few good ones on hand. Here are some of the basic brushes for your, powders, shadows, lips and blushes!

Powder brush. If you wear powder, you should have one. This is usually a large fluffy brush that helps to properly lightly distribute your finishing powder. An alternative could be a powder puff or sponge sponge that you can place into your powder compact.

Blush brush. If you wear blushes and bronzers, you need a blush brush! The miniature brushes that come with the blush are not adequate for great application of these products. The head of your brush should be about the size of the apples of your cheeks, and it is smaller than the powder brush. Using a brush that is too small will make your blush look like little stripes, and you don't want that look!

Angled eyeliner brush. This is very useful for lining your eyes with a darker shadow, and you can also smudge your eyeliner with this brush. In a pinch, a Q-tip can take the place of this brush.

Shadow brush. Eye shadow brushes come in a few different sizes. If you are covering your whole eyelid with one color, use one of the larger brushes. To apply your darker shadow to the crease of your eye, you want a smaller head on the shadow brush. An optional brush you can use on your eyes is a smudging brush to seamlessly blend it all together.

Foundation brush. If you have not tried using a brush to apply your foundation, you should try it sometime. The brush really helps to blend your foundation properly on your skin. Some people use foam wedges to blend, and this is fine, too.

Lash comb/brow groomer. This is great tool for keeping your look polished, especially if you wear mascara. You can comb out the clumps. For brows, just dot a little Vaseline or lip balm onto your brows and comb your brows outward.

Lip brush. This is great brush to have if you wear lip gloss or lipstick. Using a small lip brush gives you great control in the application of your lip color.

If you want to experiment with brushes, you can find most of the basic brushes packaged together. Just like makeup, brushes come in a variety of price points, depending on what they are made of and who they are made by, Buying one of the "pre-packaged" sets is a great way to experiment with the brushes and see which ones you really would use on a daily basis before you invest in more expensive brushes.

A Bun On The Side

An elegant and fun way to wear your hair is in a side bun. This is a fairly simple style that you can create at home. Here are the easy steps for getting the look!

It is best not to wash your hair because dirtier hair has more texture and creates a better look for this style. Yes, it's true! If you have very limp or fine hair, you can spray your hair with a volumizing spray and use a curling iron before you start the styling process.

Create a side part directly over the middle of your eyebrow on which ever side you prefer, and then sweep your hair over your ear. Secure with bobby pins.

Brush hair back into an off-center ponytail on the opposite side from the part. Take a section of hair from underneath the ponytail and wrap it loosely around the elastic. Secure with bobby pins, allowing the ends to be exposed. You could also move straight to the next step, pinning up pieces of hair without creating a ponytail.

Pin one-inch sections of hair, twirling and wrapping them to create a messy and current chignon. To create a soft natural look, do not comb or smooth any of the sections. For an extra undone look, tease the ends.

Finish with a styling spray to tame any loose hair or fly aways.

If you want to glam this up a little, try adding some jeweled bobby pins or flowers. Also, this look is versatile. You can make it slicked back and neat, or you can leave it looser and "messy on purpose" looking with wisps of hair left purposely out of place.

Tinted Moisturizer - A Foundation Alternative

If you don't want to apply a foundation, but you still want a bit of coverage, you should try a tinted moisturizer. A tinted moisturizer is a moisturizer with some pigment added to it. As an added bonus, most of these products also contain a sunscreen. If you plan to be outside for a good part of the day, buy a product with at least an SPF of 15.

Tinted moisturizer is applied in much the same way as your every day moisturizer. Start with a clean and dry face. Use your concealer under your eyes or anywhere else where you have shadows or discoloration. Keep in mind that the tinted moisturizer is more sheer than your foundation; it will not do as good of a job as your foundation at covering up blemishes.

Apply a small amount of the product to your fingertips and apply by blending from the center of your face outward. Some people like to apply the product with a foam wedge sponge, and this is a matter of preference. Make sure you completely blend the product along your hairline at your forehead and at the jaw line. In the same way you apply your foundation, you also want your tinted moisturizer to look natural and not like you are wearing a mask. Blending of the product is essential for a seamless look.

You can dust some face powder over your face when you are finished to give it staying power and help avoid any oily shine, if you have oily skin, or you can just skip this step completely.

You can find a variety of tinted moisturizers in your local drug store starting at around $10, and several of the department store brands also make tinted moisturizers ranging in price from $25 to $50.

The model shown above is wearing a tinted moisturizer by Kiss My Face.

How To Get A Red Carpet Look For Your Hair

At the recent SAG awards show, Mila Kunis' hair looked gorgeous! Long and loose waves in her gorgeous chocolate brown hair proved to be the perfect look for her! If you are wondering how that look was achieved, here is how it was done.

Apply mousse to your hair while it is wet.

Put a part in your hair that is slightly off center. Blow dry your hair with a medium round brush.

Now, curl your hair in sections using a curling iron. A one-inch barrel will work best for this look.

After you are done curling your hair, break up the curls with your fingers. This will give you nice unstructured waves.

To keep your waves from falling flat, mist your entire head with hairspray. Don't be afraid to use an extra hold hairspray.

These are the steps that celebrity hairstylist Mara Roszak used to create the look. Try thus simple and quick technique for getting tousled wavy hair and your own red carpet look! Ask your hairstylist to suggest the products that will work best on your hair for this look.

The Cat Eye Look

You may have seen the cat eye on models and celebrities and wondered how it would look on you. More importantly, you've probably wondered if you could achieve this look yourself. Although it is not the easiest eye look to create, you can definitely master it with some practice.

Once you know how to apply a perfect cat line, you'll find yourself applying this sexy technique whenever a flirtatious or mischievous mood strikes.

For this fun and flirty look, you will need: liquid eyeliner (black or brown), an eyelash curler, black mascara, concealer, beige or neutral shadow, eye makeup remover, Q-tips and tweezers.

Note:you can use an eye pencil, but you will get more of a retro and precise look with the liquid liner.

Application steps:

• Remove any stray hairs with your tweezers.
• Pat on concealer to the under eye area to cover any darkness or imperfections.
• Curl your eyelashes. This adds to the "lifted" look of the cat eye.
• Next, pull eyelid taut and lift at outer end of your eye. With a steady hand, draw a line starting right above the iris, and extend out, lifting and thickening the line to the outer eye. With a sweeping motion, flare line upward, thickening the line as you continue and ending with a sharp point.
• Apply your neutral beige directly above the cat eye extending to the brow bone.
• Apply two or three coats of black mascara.
• Touch up any smudges with your Q-tips saturated in eye makeup remover.

If you did not get it exactly right on your first try, don't be discouraged. With a bit of practice and patience, you'll have the "purrfect" look in no time.

Natural Facial Treatments

All the beautiful makeup in the world applied by the most skilled hand won't mean a thing if you are not starting with a great canvas – your skin! Last week, we offered some natural "recipes" for hair care, and today we wanted to share some well known natural facial masks and cleansers.

Avocado Facial

Avocado is a naturally rich moisturizer, and this is a great mask for dry skin. Remove the pit and then mash the meat of the avocado into a creamy texture. Massage into the face and neck. Leave the avocado on for 15 minutes and gently rinse off with warm water.

Lemon and Egg White Mask

Squeeze the juice of one half of a lemon into one beaten egg white. Apply a thin layer of the mixture over your entire face. You can either leave this on overnight while you sleep or just for 15 minutes when you need a quick "pick-me-up." Splash your face with to rinse and pat dry. Egg white will help nurture and tighten your skin, and the lemon juice is helpful in lightening blotches.

Under Eyes

To lighten dark circles under your eyes, wrap a grated raw potato in cheesecloth and apply over the eyes for 15-20 minutes. Wipe off any residue and rinse. Follow with eye cream of your choice

Yogurt & Honey Mask Recipe

Mix together 1 tablespoon honey, 1 egg yolk, 1/2 teaspoon almond oil and 1 tablespoon yogurt. Honey stimulates and moisturizes the skin. Egg and almond oil penetrate and moisturize, and the yogurt helps refine and tightens pores.

Egg, Avocado and Clay Mask

Clay is available in powder form at any health food store. Mix together 1 tablespoon dry clay with 1 egg yolk, 1/4 of a mashed avocado and enough witch hazel to create a smooth mixture. Apply this mask to your skin. Leave on for 20 minutes and rinse well with warm water. Pat dry. The clay dries excess sebum, and the egg yolk and avocado replenish lost moisture. Witch hazel is an excellent toner.

Facial Exfoliator Recipe

Mix together 2 heaping teaspoons of fine oatmeal and 1 teaspoon of baking soda tsp. baking soda. Add enough water to make a paste. Apply to skin and rub gently. Rinse and gently pat dry. Natural exfoliators can be less harsh on skin than synthetic ingredients.

Banana Wrinkle Fighter Recipe

Banana is wonderful as an anti-wrinkle treatment. Mash 1/4 banana until it's very creamy. Spread it all over your face and leave for 15-20 minutes before rinsing off with warm water. Follow with a quick splash of cold water to close your pores. Gently pat dry.

Grape Cleanser Recipe

Grape juice makes an excellent cleanser for any skin type. Simply split one or two large grapes, remove the seeds and rub the flesh over face and neck. Rinse off with cool water and pat dry.

Oily Skin Mask Recipe

Mix 1 tsp. brewer’s yeast with enough plain yogurt to make a thin mixture. Pat this thoroughly into all the oily areas and allow it to dry on the skin. After 15 or 20 minutes, rinse off with warm water. Follow with a rinse with cool water and pat dry.

The next time you want to treat yourself to a mask or facial treatment, why not take a look around your own kitchen and "feed" your face while making it gorgeous!