Luscious Lashes

My fave tricks to maximizing your lashes:

1.Start by curling them with an eyelash curler.

My top pick:

"Shu Uemura" Eyelash Curler $19 at Sephora & Nordstrom

Clamp over the base of the lashes & hold for 3-5 seconds,

move up to center of lashes, reclamp & hold for another 3-5 seconds.

2. Apply 2-3 coats of lengthening mascara.

My top pick:

"Cover Girl" Lash Exact in 'Very Black' $6 at Target & drugstore.com

Start at base of lashes & wiggle the wand back & forth going

upward towards the tops of your lashes.

3. Apply 2 coats of thickening mascara.

My top pick:

"Cover Girl" Volume Exact in 'Very Black' $6 at Target & drugstore.com

Again start at base of the lashes & comb through to tops of lashes.

4.Apply a dark eyeliner right up against lashes (makes them appear fuller/thicker).

My top pick:

MAC Fluidline in 'Blacktrack' $15 at Nordstrom & maccosmetics.com

Use a slanted eyeliner brush to apply.

My top pick:

MAC 266 Small Angle Brush $19.50 at Nordstrom & maccosmetics.com

5. I personally hardly ever wear mascara on my bottom lashes, but if you like to

then my tips for that are:

*Just apply one coat evenly over lashes in a waterproof formula.(I only like

waterproof for bottom lashes, NOT top. And I only like it for the bottom ones so

that you don't get the smudging issue under your eyes)

My top pick would be any of the above mentioned mascara's but in a waterproof formula.

So, go on.....LASH OUT!!!

Inspired

My first "Inspired" post, so but of course I had to start it off with a bang. I give you, my personal fave, the beautimus Jennifer Aniston! I am always so inspired by celebrities/models makeup. It definetly gives me inspiration when I need to add a little omph into my own makeup routine. Jennifer A. epitomizes that laid back, california chic look, from her hair to the way she dresses to her, wait for it, make-up. So I have found some of my fave shots of her. Hopefully she will inspire you as much as she has me!

I love how the smokey blue eye shadow totally brings out her bright blue eyes.

Add a little peach shimmer to the cheecks & lips, and whamo, perfection!

So soft & nuetral. A bit of a smoked out bronzy eye, a sheer

wash of coral to the cheeks & finished of with a pale pink lip. LOVES!

Now I do realize that the coloring was played around with for this effect on the cover (photo

shop plays a part in most every pic I draw inspiration from, so let's all be a

little realistic here, we are not actually going to look like Jen Aniston, cause in

real life, she doesn't even look like this. Sorry to burst your bubble). My inspiration

that I pull from this photo is the GLOW factor. All bronzied up, all um... GLOWY.

Love this one as well, it's almost like perfection dirtied up or something. Which I dig!

The major smolderage you get from the black heavily lined & then smoked out eye.

Basically bare skin with a hint of highlighter. And then again, a pale pink lip!

You all know how I'm a sucker for a pale-anything-lip. Especially

when paired with a strong eye!

*More to come from my "Inspired" catagory!
Who inspires you?


*Some of mine in the works & still to come: Jennifer Lopez, Keri Russell, Charlize Theron, Miranda Kerr etc, etc, etc.....

Perfumed

I am a bit obsessed with anything yummy smelling. I have always thought of my perfume as a part of my actual wardrobe. Kind of like it's the last accessory I put on before I step out the door. I just don't feel "ready" unless I have spritzed myself. And yes, I do have different techniques, they are: if it is a heavier Eau de Parfum than I spritz just on my wrists & then 1 spritz in the air & then I walk through it. If it an Eau de Toilette, I will spritz my neck, wrists & spray 2 times & walk through it. A lighter body splash literally gets sprayed ALL Over my bod & I always do a body lotion as a base for my fragrance to 'cling to' & last longer. Sometimes it is a lotion in the same scent as what perfume I am wearing, but sometimes it is just a complimenting scent & then I just sort of mix & match my fragrance & then it's like I have my own one of a kind fragrance just for mua. So, just play with it, I even will do a perfume & then spritz a body spray (say a yummy fruity one from Victoria's Secret or something) over it. Mixing is a good thing, as long as you do complimentary 'notes' in the fragrance.

Here are some of my go to perfumes....

Miss Marisa by Ebba $60 at luckyscent.com

Notes in this scent: plum blossom, cassis, fresh mint & waterlily.

LOVE this one for Summer!

Amazing Grace by Philosophy $40, sold at Sephora, Nordstrom & philosophy.com

This one has very light very clean floral notes.

This is totally an EVERYDAY fragrance! Great for those of you out there that are almost anti-fragrance. This is so clean & soft, it'll just be like you naturally smell great, not like "Oh, what kind of perfume do you have on?"

Child Perfume $53 at beautyhabit.com

This is a roll on oil formula, so a little goes a long way.

This is a very 'SEXY' fragrance, has floral notes.

I honestly save this one for a night out with my huzzy.

Little, silly back story with this one:

Back when I had just graduated from High School, I read an interview that Jenny Garth had done in 'In Style' Magazine & they told her she smelled so good & asked her what she was wearing? Her response, "Child perfume oil, it drives men wild". Well, of course, from that comment alone I was like 'I need that!!!' But alas, I didn't buy it until a few years later, after Mike & I were already married. So I can't tell you that it will drive ALL men wild, but I can say that Mike loves it when I wear it & always compliments me on it.
Angel by Thierry Mugler $75 at Sephora & Nordstrom
Has notes of: Honey, Dewberry, Red Berries, Vanilla, Carmel & Chocolate.
I wear this one year round as well, but seem to apply it more when it starts getting cold outside.

Now, on a completely different 'note', I got another question in my 'Comments'. Cute Katee asked me to recommend an eyeshadow that would be good for green eyes. Well, my love, of course I love MAC's eye shadows, they are $14.50 each & some of my fave colors (especially for your gorgeous greens) are: Cranberry, Trax, Sketch, Bronze & Antiqued. Another thing that I LOVE & that is less expensive is the Almay Intense I-color, the one shown below is made specifically for green eyes. This line takes all of the guess work out of 'What eyeshadow colors will work with MY eye color?' You just find the one that is made for your eyes (be them blue, hazel, brown, green...) & buy the pallet that is made for you. I like that this one comes with 3 shades that mix well together. In this line they also sell coordinating eye liner pencils, mascara etc... Love this line, genius!

Almay Inense I-color around $5 at Walmart & Target

Hope this helps Katee! And ladies, trust me on the perfumed thing, work it into your daily 'get ready' routine. Not only do you smell fab, but, for me at least, it puts me in a better mood! Spritz on!