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!