I admit I’ve never tried a lash primer before.  I have long, thick lashes – the curly, tangly kind.   I love mascara because it’s instant drama -  but I never though about using a primer.  Then came Lancôme’s Ôscillation Powerbooster, a primer with a vibrating wand: “Feel the vibration.  See the growth.”  It’s supposed to make your lashes “visibly stronger, fuller, longer day after day.”  Even those with long lashes would want to try that, right?

So I decided to give it a whirl.  I really like it!  At first I was a little taken aback by the vibration, and I am pretty sure you have to hold down the button the entire time to make that work.  However, it really did a great job at separating my lashes.  When I put my regular mascara on over it, it didn’t get all clumpy and my lashes didn’t stick together.  That alone is success!

Lancôme’s Ôscillation Powerbooster contains conditioners to fortify and strengthen lashes and boost the appearance of natural lash growth.  It primes lashes, separating and defining your lashes, making mascara application easier.  It helps your mascara last longer – mine definitely didn’t flake off, even after partying!

I’ve been obsessed with eyebrows since I was in junior high. And I do mean eyebrows in general, not just my own. I mean yours, the guy who held the door for me this morning, and the young woman who rang me up at the Vitamin Shoppe yesterday afternoon.

Brows can do a lot for your face, and then can also do a lot to take away. Just last night I noticed how I looked more “awake” when I cleaned up my eyebrows. I may advocate waxing for other areas, but when it comes to my eyebrows, I am a whiz with tweezers.

A couple of things I notice right away are the over-waxed brow, the over-tweezed brow, and the drawn-on brow. For over-waxers: your brows should not be in a straight line; Over-tweezers: you shouldn’t always look surprised, and your brows should be more than one hair wide; Drawn-ons: In some cases this can’t be helped, but make the extra effort to put your eyebrows where they should grow naturally and not too far above (or sometimes below) the brow bone. Another tip is to avoid looking like you used a Sharpie on your face. Even the darkest-haired girls don’t all have black eyebrows, and drawn-on black can be so harsh. Go for a softer brown tone.

THE ARCH: In any case, brows should follow a slight arch. Anything that looks like an upside-down V or the St. Louis arch is probably not a natural look.

Some general guidelines:

1) Get something straight like a pencil or a ruler and line it up starting at the outside edge of your nostril. Going in a straight line upwards, your brow should start at this point, in line with the outer edge of the nostril. Each inner edge of your brow should match the corresponding outer edge of your nose to reduce the appearance of a unibrow (no one likes a unibrow).
2) Going outward from the middle, the highest part of your arch should match up with the outer edge of your nostril (make sure you are looking straight ahead).
3) The end of your brow should be aligned at about a 45 degree angle, starting from the outer edge or your nostril and crossing the outer corner of your eye.

To make it easier, you can even take an eyeliner or eyebrow pencil and mark the spots. It gets easier each time you do it!

THROUGH THICK AND THIN: While trends change, I find that a too-thin brow can make you look tired, and a too-thick brow can throw off your facial proportions. If you have very thick brows, you may want to try a professional, but tell them that you want to keep the look natural to minimize the risk of ending up with a pencil-thin brow!

FILLING IN THE BLANKS: Some of us have sparse brows, or they are very light. Filling in which pencil can work for some, but I prefer an angled brush with some powder. Lots of companies make brow filling powders, but eyeshadows work just as well. An added bonus? Eyeshadows are available in way more shades! Keep in mind your brows should match your hair and skin tone, but they don’t have to match your hair exactly. I like mine to be just a little darker. Be careful not to go too dark, or you get that “Sharpie marker effect.”

TOOLS OF THE TRADE: In addition to tweezers, there is a huge selection of styling tools out there made specifically for brows. You can brush them up or down, or you can trim them (DO NOT try this if you are shaky or clumsy, you don’t want to cut yourself OR your lashes). Brow wax will hold them in place, but mascara (clear or in a color close to your brows) works just as well.

Want to make them stand out more? Try a highlighting shade of eyeshadow just below the brow across the brow bone. Voila! You’re done. Don’t be surprised if you catch people gazing into your eyes all night long!

The New Makeup Tool Trend: Myrabelle Mascara Shield

Applying mascara to your own face or someone else can be intimidating. It goes without saying that the eye area is extremely sensitive and any products or application techniques of shadows or mascara should be executed safely. If only there was a tool to help us achieve the perfect lashes or tight eye liner we crave!

One main trend observed at The Makeup Show NYC 2009 was tight eyeliner and emphasis on the lashes. In order to perform a tight line on the upper and lower rim of the eye, you need to gently pull the eye upwards (top liner) or downwards (bottom liner) with your finger to expose the membrane and shade the area precisely. The same technique can be used for applying mascara to the root of the lashes for both top and bottom.

If only there was an easier way to accomplish a clean line and be able to paint the entire lash? One vendor at the show had a solution, and a tool! Myrabelle Mascara Shield is a wand-style tool designed to assist with tight liner or mascara applications. By placing the shield under top and bottom lashes, it exposes the membrane as well as those pesky eye lash roots so that you may get the most precise eye makeup application! It’s simple, easy to use, and wipes clean in an instant with soap and water or eye make-up remover.

Application techniques using a Myrabelle Shield for mascara and tight eye liner (perfect for smoky eyes!):

• Place the shield along the top lash line and gently press. The entire lash from root to tip is now exposed. Apply mascara as usual.

• For a smoky eye look, take a brown or black eye liner and gently rim the exposed membrane of the eye. Wipe the shield clean before moving on to the bottom lashes.

• The same techniques of application are used for the bottom lashes. After gently pressing underneath the bottom lash line, exposing the bottom membrane and lash roots, follow the previous steps for both mascara and tight eye liner.

For more information on Myrabelle Mascara Shields, visit http://www.myrabellemascarashield.com

Say goodbye to plastic looking lashes and the messy application that came with them and hello to my easy step-by-step guide to false lashes!

How to choose your next set of flirty false lashes:

1. I suggest spending the extra few dollars and purchase a pair of natural hair lashes. My favorite brand for false lashes is Shu Uemura; you can wear them more than once, but I’ll go into that later. I know it sounds funny to wear natural hair false lashes (it’s almost like an oxymoron) but they look very real and flow more naturally with your own lashes than plastic drug store brands.
2. Get wild and check out different styles, then choose one that you feel comfortable with. Shu Uemura’s new line, Tokyo Lash Bar, is delectable and perfect for the holiday season! For a less dramatic look try Retro Graphic. To kick up the drama go for Dazzling Sapphire Diamante or Dazzling Topaz Diamante!
3. If this is your first time working with false lashes, go ahead and get a spare set – just in case.

Fitting the false lashes to your lash line:

1. 1. Gently remove the lashes from the container by taking your index finger and press down on the entire lash the roll it out of the case on your fingertip. If you pull on the lash ends you can easily break the lash strip in half or distort the shape of the lash.
2. Before applying any type of adhesive to your lashes, place them on your lash lines as if you’re applying them to see if the lash strip is too long for your eyes. Trim any excess with manicure scissors by cutting the longest point of the lash removing part of the strip.

How to apply your false lashes:

1. Start by placing a hand mirror or compact flat on a table. To make it even easier, pull up a chair and have a seat! This will help give you a bit of leverage.
2. One awesome feature of the Shu Uemura False Eyelashes is that they all come with their own glue. If, for some reason, you decide on a separate adhesive, try Duo in either clear or black. The Shu Uemura glue has an easy wand applicator so you can gently paint the glue on to the strip. Try not to get any glue on the actual lashes- just the strip.
3. Let the glue set for approximately 30 seconds. This allows the glue to get tacky so it adheres easily to your lash line as you apply them.
4. Once the glue is tacky, choose which side you feel most comfortable applying first. For me, I like my right side first! Pro Tip: The longest side of the false lashes goes in the outer corner of the eyes. This is how you can tell which side is which!
5. With the lash in hand, look down into your mirror and apply starting with the outer corner and pressing your way in towards your tear duct. Just a reminder, you are applying the lash just slightly above your natural lashes along the lash line, try not to attach them to your own lashes.
6. You can use the end of a cue tip or a stiff angle brush to help press the lash down.

To finish off the look, apply a thin line of liquid liner along your lash line. This helps give a more natural look to the false lashes and helps to conceal any access adhesive. As far as eye shadow, you can either apply before or after the lash application. I prefer to have my entire face done before I apply my false lashes.

At the end of the night, remember to gently remove the lashes when you arrive home for the evening. Before washing your face, grip the outer corner of the lash and slightly pull the lash across and off. Trust me, this does not hurt! To save for another night out on the town, peel any access glue from the lash strip and place back into the container they came in. In my experience, If I’m careful, I have been able to get at least 3 uses out of one pair of lashes!

Congratulations! You’re ready to flutter your way into any holiday party and score some time under the mistletoe! Happy Holidays!

The brisk weather of fall typically brings heavier clothing and makeup. The first sign of a fallen leaf rings an internal signal to break out our deepest darkest black eye liner. For Fall 2008, the trend remains smokey but with a surprise twist of vivid color. Brace yourself for the change of season and as the leaves turn color so should you! The classic grey and black smokey eye is a thing of the past. Welcome this fall with bold smokey eyes of indigo blue!

For the new vivid indigo look, try Givenchy’s Magic Kohl Eye Liner Pencil in Indigo Blue (Sephora.com $21.50). Start off lining the upper lids with this soft pencil and smudge the color up to the crease using a sponge tip applicator or firm blending brush. For an extra boost of radiant color, try Yaby’s World of Paint in Butterfly Blue (Yabycosmetics.com $3.15/palette fill) swept gently over the eyelid. For depth, blend a deeper shade of blue in the crease and along the bottom lash line like Nars eye shadow in Night Flight (NarsCosmetics.com $22.00), a blue-black shade with cobalt pearl. Add even more depth and definition by lining the upper and lower rim of eyes with Cargo’s Eye Pencil in Black (Sephora.com $14). Finish off the look with a fiber building mascara for extra length and drama like Fiberwig Mascara in Pure Black (FiberWig.com $22.00).

This trend is a high intensity eye shadow look. Maintain focus around the eyes by keeping the face soft and natural. Smokey indigo eyes is the hottest trend for this fall season! Break the vicious cycle and don’t make this fall just another carbon copy!

Photo: Nicholas Jbara

The movie “Wanted“ has hit the movies scene and has become a blockbuster sensation overnight! I just HAVE to watch any movie that Angelina Jolie plays a role in– and believe me, you will not be disappointed. This is an incredible summer hit! I loved the action! I loved the drama! I loved the special effects! But most importantly, I loved Angelina’s incredible makeup the entire movie. Her smokey eye look was consistent throughout the movie and it only made for an even sexier look than she has ever played before!

I know what you all are thinking, how do I get those seductive and sexy smokey eyes like Angelina? Believe it or not, it is actually one of the easiest looks to do yourself. When you are going for the smokey eye, all you need are three basic none shimmer eye shadows, a waterproof eyeliner, and your favorite mascara. Oh, and don’t forget a little foundation, blush, and nude lip-gloss.

1. First, you want to work from the lash line up. So, you want to place your darkest color first. I love MAC Swiss Chocolate as my darkest color. This is a dark brown with a deep red tone to really help smoke out the eye without using black.
2. Next, use a shade lighter in the crease to help blend up the smokey brown. Always use a light highlighter along the brow line to give a contrast of light and dark of the smokey eye.
3. Then, be sure to use a waterproof black liner all around the eye, top and bottom. You can smudge out the corner of the eye along the bottom to give the true smokey eye effect. Two coats of mascara is a must!

Remember, your focus is on the eye so the rest of the face is minimal. Just a soft foundation to even out your skin tone and a wash of color on the cheeks is all you need. And don’t forget the perfect nude lip-gloss. I love LipFusion Velvet Bling Fusion.
Not only will you get the perfect nude lip, but you also can plump up with Lip Fusion technology to give you fuller more kissable lips.

The smokey eye look can be achieved with any color combo and if you need extra help, you can always try Smashbox eye shadow trios.

This way, you will always have a blend of three colors that work well together to achieve the perfect smokey eye.

Have fun! Remember, your makeup is an extension of your personality and we all want to look sexy and seductive some time! Especially like Angelina Jolie!

Don’t Walk, Run to your nearest Chanel counter for the Fall season’s two Quadra Eye Shadow collections. The Garden Party (shown) is very pretty on and has great pigment content in each of the four colors. The Sequoia is one of my favorites (out of all the brands I’ve seen this season). It has the beautiful warm tones that I like to use on almost everyone. You can use them all together (as they come) or with other colors you may already have that need some warming.

Both collections are in limited quantities, so don’t wait.

$55.00
Available at Nordstrom.com and all specialty department stores

I was looking for a highlighter yesterday and ran across these fabulous eyeliners. The colors are amazing. Out of the fifteen colors, there are at least seven that are unlike any other luxury brand (and I can’t wait to try). I used the pale yellow as a highlighter on the top lid above a liquid liner; it looked beautiful. The pencils have a very nice consistency and SET into place. You’ll need a waterproof make-up remover if you want to get it off.

$18.00

Available at Bergdorf Goodman and select Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom stores.

I was watching someone (poorly) attempting to apply her make-up with the applicators that came with her drug-store compact. First of all, the compact was almost empty and the mirror inside was so dirty that I don’t know how she saw what she was doing anyway. Secondly, if she didn’t get pink-eye from the filthy applicator she was using, she will shortly.
Please, throw away the tiny applicators that come with your shadows. They’re for the novice that has no decent brushes.

Even if you like the convenience of that small size, you can buy travel brushes that are miniscule from Trish McEvoy (unfortunately, the set that I really like is only available around the Christmas holiday season. They have another set that’s bigger with more brushes now for $275.00 at Nordstrom.com)

that still have the same shaped brush on the end with a smaller handle. If you want everything all together, Trish also sells all different sized planners to travel with that you custom fill with all color products and brushes that you need.

Prices range depending on size and what you fill your planner with.

Available at Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman and Saks