Blushing Beauty!

Okay, so here's my pet peeve about blush, well, one of them anyway...blush is meant to ENHANCE your cheekbones and give your skin a healthy, flush of color. It is NOT meant to look like war paint. So often I see young women and even older women who have no clue how to apply blush correctly and it ends up looking like two bright stripes. Not attractive. Your cheeks aren't meant to look like apples-you're just supposed to apply it to the apples of your cheeks. Here are a few tips to apply great, natural looking blush: Use a blush brush and start at the mid-point of your cheek. Not sure where this is? Place the brush on your cheek, lining it up with the middle of your eye. Sweep the brush upwards towards and into your hairline just above the top of your ear, keeping the majority of your color on the apples of your cheeks. BLEND the color by pulling the brush down slightly toward your jawline to soften the edges and diffuse the color evenly. When using two colors, be sure to use the darker color first and keep it under the apple of the cheek, blending it well. Use the darker colors sparingly! Then apply the lighter color to the top of the cheek and concentrate it on the apples only. Makeup Artist Tip: Use a tiny bit of blush on the center of the forehead and the chin to brighten the skin and give it uniformity! Watch for my instructional how-to videos to come!

Setting Your Eye Makeup

Smeared and smudgy eyes are a cool, edgy look...unless it wasn't intentional. A common complaint I from hear women is trying to deal with fading, flaking, runny looking makeup that won't stay put. Here are some tips to give your eyes some well-deserved attention for the right reasons: Start with clean skin! Residual makeup left over from the night before is not only dangerous for the health of your eyes, it also makes applying fresh coats of eye products difficult and can cake together. Use an eye primer. Just as you use foundation for the rest of your skin, your eyelids NEED a primer. It provides a surface for powders and shadows to adhere to. Primers also enhance and intensify shadow colors, meaning you use less shadow and get better color. DO NOT use foundation on your eyelids-the coverage is too wet and your shadows will come off-FAST! Brushes are best. Yes, some eyeshadows come with those sweet little sponge applicators and they are great in a jam, but ditch them fast. They are breeding grounds for bacteria and they actually cause you to burn through your shadows much faster. Instead, opt for natural hair brushes (good quality, cruelty-free brushes are available in higher-end department stores, ULTA or Sephora). Washing them weekly with a mild soap, such as Dove, can extend the life and performance of your brushes, not to mention stopping bacteria growth in its tracks. Don't forget powder! Once you have your desired look, be sure to set it with a light dusting of face powder to help hold it all in place. Using a large powder brush, dust a very small amount over the entire eye area once. Lastly, add a coating of mascara and feel confident that your eye makeup will last as long as you want it to!

Moisturizer...What's the Big Deal?

We've all heard it-"Moisturize your skin!" As women, we've been hearing this little tidbit of advice from the moment we hit puberty. And rightfully so! Our mothers, grandmothers, dermatologists and make-up artists weren't just spouting a bunch of rhetoric. "Moisturize your skin" should become every woman's mantra. But why is it so darned important? Well, for starters, your skin-just like any other part of your body-needs hydration and nourishment. Heck, it's practically begging for it. Your skin is made up of several layers of dermis and thousands of pores. Those pores deliver hydration, absorb humectants and air and expel toxins and dead cells in the form of sweat and natural exfoliation of the top layer of skin. Moisturizers and toners provide skin with essential oils, alpha-hydroxys, rejuvenators, hydrators, protection from free-radicals and harsh chemicals, most even contain built-in SPF protection. Moisturized skin is supple, soft, and dewey. Moisturizers reduce the appearance of fine lines and creases caused by sun damage and aging by plumping and firming the skin. They also aid in the application of cosmetics by improving skin's texture and tone. The only way to protect your skin and retain a youthful, healthy glow is by applying moisturizer and SPF protection DAILY. There are several well-formulated products on the market today. Many of them have added benefits such as anti-aging, sun damage reversal, fine line reducers, etc. A good way to see which one is right for you is to ask for samples at your local beauty supply store. Don't be afraid to ask for more than one! Sometimes it takes several "test drives" before you find the right fit. Remember, if you take care of your skin it will take care of you!

Re-Launch!

Carrie Underwood

Nina Dobrev

Kate Winslet

Halle Berry

After (ahem) some time away from my blog, it's time to jumpstart this thing back in to high gear. Please feel free to browse through the blog and offer comments, suggestions and questions. For this re-launch of the blog, I am looking to all of you out there in the blogosphere for your suggestions. Over the next several months this blog will be completely re-vamped and re-invented in order to cover all aspects of the beauty scene and give all my current and future followers plenty of advice, variety and instruction. Speaking of instruction...above are four of the most beautiful women working in Hollywood and music today, while attempting to look just like them is next to impossible, that doesn't mean you can't have their fabulous style and learn their make-up breakdown. Leave a comment (one per person please) and vote for the beauty breakdown you would like to see! Then stay tuned for an instructional how-to video on how to re-create the look yourself!