As the New Year approaches at lightning speed, I’ve recently found myself rummaging through the mess I call my makeup bag and tossing out old items.

As you all know, I love makeup…buying it, applying it, and learning new techniques. So now that 2009 is only a couple of days away, it seems like a great time to say “out with the old, in with the new!”

What about everyone else? Have you noticed some not-so-hot items in your makeup arsenal?

Take a look at the Total Beauty Quiz and find out if you’re in need of some new bits and pieces. More »

L’Oreal Double Extend Beauty Tubes Mascara makes your lashes so glamorous that they look like falsies…seriously! I don’t like the glue or the process of putting on false lashes, but I do love the dramatic look I get from them.

L’Oreal has taken false lashes and put them in a bottle, which requires only two simple steps to apply:

• First, apply the nourishing base coat.  No need to let it dry!
• Second apply the lash extending top coat.  That’s it!

I have received so many compliments on how long and full my lashes look…bonus!

It does not get smudgy or flake off; even tears can’t phase this stuff.  When it comes to remove your makeup, you don’t even have to use soap. The warm shower water takes it off easily, without leaving those black circles under your eyes. 

Go to your local beauty supply store and give it a try.  Let us know what you think.

Photo Credit: Ulta.com

Are you running low on your favorite beauty product but can’t afford to restock? With the holidays just around the corner, it’s even harder to replenish. So what’s a gal to do?

The ladies of Beauty Chat and PlasticSurgery.com have come up with some great budget beauty tips! Check them out below: More »

Thanks to everyone who entered our contest, we got some wonderful comments and tips. We’ve picked our winners for Carmindy’s new book, Get Positively Beautiful, and they are…

• Stinkerella
• Laddie
• Faith
• Lauren
• Ashley Baugh

Congratulations to our winners!

Hope you enjoy the book as much as I did J.

I’m completely hooked on Lifetime’s new television series, Blush! It’s a competition looking for “The Next Great Makeup Artist.” Hosted by Vanessa Marcil, the series consists of makeup artists from all over the country, who are chosen to live under one roof in Los Angeles and participate in different competitions that test their skills and persona with clients.  Each episode, a contestant is eliminated and sent home, which is decided by judges, Joanna Schlip and Hal Rubenstein. On last night’s episode, Maura “Mo” Lewitts was eliminated. 

All of the participants are competing for the grand prize that includes a contract as a professional makeup artist for Max Factor, $100,000 in cash and the opportunity to be the makeup artist for a future photo shoot for InStyle magazine. 

Blush airs Tuesday nights at 10 pm ET/PT.  I would definitely suggest everyone, especially you “makeup junkies” out there, to tune in and cheer on your favorite artist.  Go Todd!!! He’s my favorite.  Who’s yours??   

Photo Credit: Lifetime.com

Thank you for all who entered to win Cosmo’s Sexiest Beauty Secrets: The Ultimate Guide to Looking Gorgeous. All of your beauty secrets were impressive; however, we can only pick one lucky reader and we choose Sherry B, who said:

“My favorite tip is for those of you with oily skin. Forget all those high-end mattifiers and get yourself a bottle of plain old milk of magnesia! Yes, the LAXATIVE! Dab it on your face lightly using a cotton ball before applying your makeup and I promise you— no oily break-through! Sounds crazy, I know, but I’ve tried every primer and mattifier out there, at every price, and this is the only thing that has ever really worked for me! No joke!”

Congratulations Sherry!

You all know that I’m all about feeling beautiful from the inside out, which is why I am absolutely in love with Carmindy’s new book, Get Positively Beautiful – The Ultimate Guide to Looking and Feeling Gorgeous. I must admit that I’ve never actually watched TLC’s What Not to Wear, so I didn’t know very much about their makeup artist. However, after reading this book, I am a Carmindy fan!

This book is all about playing up your own individual assets, whether it be your lips, eyes, or prominent chin. Carmindy tells readers to be positive about their unique assets and forget about those so-called flaws we see in the mirror.

In Get Positively Beautiful, readers are given tips on how to use “Carmindy Vision” to pinpoint their best features and make them shine. There are even examples of makeovers done by Carmindy that show just how beautiful anyone can be. More »

Want to learn how to shrink a zit instantly? Or get the shiniest hair imaginable? All your beauty answers may be among the pages of this recently released book…

If you are an avid fan of Cosmopolitan magazine, you are going to love this! Recently released by Hearst Books imprint at Sterling Publishing is Cosmo’s Sexiest Beauty Secrets: The Ultimate Guide to Looking Gorgeous, brought to you by the editors of Cosmopolitan Magazine.

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As I typically do where trends are concerned, I came a little late to the mineral pigments party. My foray into this brave, not-so-new world was long overdue – so recently, I opted to finally give pigments a try. Skin care obsessive that I am, I already knew that ColoreScience, which is popular with dermatologists and plastic surgeons because of the company’s focus on skin protection, was the right brand to start out with.

 I picked up the ColoreScience Skin Perfecting Kit, which contains their Line Tamer (a really good nighttime skin care product), Corrector Kit, “Sunforgettable” loose translucent powder, and a calming aromatherapy gem spritzer. Now, I know what you’re thinking: “Um, ok…where’s the mineral pigment?” Read on, my lovelies…this is the important part!

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Couture Carrie gets Argylicious! The preppy look is fashion forward, as displayed in this post.

This week, Mythbuster Beauty gives advice on Choosing the right mineral makeup for you. It’s very helpful for those interested in various cosmetics brands.

Feel like you need a vacation, but can’t afford it? The Jet Set Girls have provided awesome Budget Travel Tips that may be useful for you.

Check out Earrings according to your face shape over at Beauty and Personal Grooming. You can learn how to accessorize with you in mind! More »