Everyone always loves to pick my brain about how to do their eyes, especially smoky, and I don’t mind at all, in fact i’m flattered. Most women are interested in enhancing their eyes and making sure that the colors they choose are best for them. Especially when enhancing the eyes to make them look bigger, brighter and more noticeable.

Eyes That Get You Noticed

The idea to creating sexy, sultry, eye-popping eyes is to pick eyeshadow shades that are the opposite of your natural eye color. This will give your eyes a look that is more intense, and vibrant. For example if you have green eyes, a purple eyeshadow in lavender, violet, or amethyst will bring out the green of your eyes even more. To avoid going too heavy, apply the color in layers. This way you can control the intensity and desired look. For eyeliner you can use a color in the same color scheme like a dark plum, or go with a deep charcoal or dark brown.

Blue eyes look beautiful in warm coppers, burnished gold, taupes, and rich brown eye shadows, shimmers or mattes will do. An eyeliner in dark brown looks great, and a gel eyeliner in dark brown, even better.

Brown eyes like mine, look good in colors like amethyst, violet, teal, warm bronze, rose-gold, and taupe. An eyeliner in a blue-charcoal, dark green, or deep burgundy all look good. Wear it as a liquid liner by using an eyeliner sealant and mixing with your shadow. It will stay on for hours, and still look as good.

With all of these colors it’s always best to apply in layers so you don’t put on more than you want. If you just want a wash of color on the lids, use your fingers to apply the color. For a more dramatic eye, a medium size eyeshadow brush, or blender brush works perfectly. Get a couple of your girl friends together and have a makeup party. Bring your makeup, brushes, and be open to trying something new. You can play with colors, get honest opinions, and most importantly have a blast.

xx

image credit: beth bender beauty

Not every cheek color is suitable for all complexions, and it can sometimes be a bit overwhelming when choosing a color that is right for you. Smashbox has taken care of this problem and their Untamed High lights Cheek Luminizer looks beautiful on everyone.

Smashbox Untamed High Lights Cheek Luminizer

Not a blusher, but a highlighter that is designed to be used to give your cheekbones that naturally high, sculpted look. One that so many of us would love to have, me included. If it’s true and it really is able to do this, it will be worth every penny. Who doesn’t love a little shimmer on the cheekbones? I wear my DoubleGlow7 everyday, and I mean everyday. I just love it! The look is so pretty and gives the skin a radiant glow that once you have you won’t be able to live without.

This Untamed High Lights Cheek Luminizer from Smashbox is $24 and available exclusively at Sephora

image credit: Smashbox Cosmetics for Sephora

Oh how I just love NARS and all of the beautiful eyeshadows. I have a separate case just for all of my NARS products and now I need to make a little more room for this “I can’t live without eyeshadow palette.” All of my favorite colors for creating the perfect natural look, or something a bit more eye-defining and edgy like a smoky eye.

This gorgeous palette from NARS is called The Modern Love Palette and contains six shades ranging from matte black to shimmery browns, and a gorgeous metallic rose. Each shade was picked for its ability to complement the
others, allowing you to mix and match, and create endless looks of subtle or
dramatic eyes. Create various day-to-night looks effortlessly with six shadows to accentuate the lashline, eyelid, crease and browbone.

Gorgeous isn’t just coming ladies, gorgeous is here! So grab one of these quickly before they are gone for good. This Modern Love Palette is an exclusive to Nordstrom, and will go on sale this Friday, May 1st for $50.00.

xx

Source: Beautiful Makeup Search

Perfectly shaped brows can give you and your face an instant face lift without the nip and tuck. Just a little snip here, and a tweeze there can take years off your age, and make your eyes appear larger and more open. Giving your brows a little grooming will also highlight your bone structure and open your face. No downtime either and the result is beautiful. Debra Messing seen here, is a die-hard brow devotee and has hers done by celebrity groomer Anastasia, who also happens to have the best eyebrow stencils evah!

If you’re unsure of what to remove and what to leave alone, I suggest using an eyebrow stencil to help with the plucking. Once you have filled the brow in with color and have the desired shape, anything outside of the shape should be tweezed, and trimmed. I am not a fan of waxing since the skin around the eye area is extremely delicate and after lots of tugging your eyes pay the price. This goes for above and under the eyebrow.
A LITTLE EXTRA TIP: To get Debra’s perfectly manicured arches, comb brows upward using a fine-tooth eyebrow comb, and then lay the stencil over the eye and fill in with color. Once you’ve done this remove the stencil and carefully trim any hairs that poke above your browline. If you want a very clean line above the brow you can use an eyebrow trimmer, which will get rid of the tiniest hairs in a flash.

xx

image credit: newscom.com

My sister and I love anything having to do with beauty and fashion. One of reasons we love blogging so much is that we get to share all of our amazing finds, and not so great finds, and keep everyone in the loop. On Wednesday of next week we will be live on the radio in Los Angeles as guests of Gina Hendrix, who has a popular radio show about “Love Life Makeovers”. In Bender Sister style we will be sharing our hottest fashion & beauty tips, as well as our latest must have products for both Aging Fabulous and BSW.  There will be a few surprises, and let’s not forget, lots of laughs! So mark your calendars and join us on Wednesday.

The show airs at 11:00am (pacific standard time) Wednesday April 29th. To call in and speak with us directly just dial: 323-203-0815 at the start of the show. To listen live click on this link:

www.latalkradio.com/live.shtmland or you can sign up and download

the podcast using this link:  ghendrix.podhoster.com/index.php?sid=1699.

Please note these links will be activated on the day of the broadcast.

The Fabulous Gina Hendrix:

Gina is a celebrity stylist whose work can be seen on TV, as well as film, and video. She decided to start Selective and Single because of necessity and demand, and over the years has had great success with introducing friends to other friends. Many of her introductions have led to long-term relationships and marriage.

What sets Selective and Single apart from many matchmaking services is that Gina combines all of her passions and expertise in fashion, music, Art, dining, and what’s hot, with each new client. Dolly Levy has nothing on Gina Hendrix. She will go to the ends of the earth to help someone find true love, and has.

For anyone out there who is single and looking for love, you can sign up for      Gina’s new tele-coaching program “Into the Heads and Hearts of Men.” It starts the first week of May, and Gina has a special gift for the first few people who sign up right away. For more information click on the link below.

www.selectiveandsingle.com/coaching.php

Looking forward to speaking with you on Wednesday!

xx

image credit: Jim Hershleder Photography

There’s nothing worse than someone who over does it with the self tanners and bronzing powders. You want the look to be natural and to get it, it’s always best to do it in layers. Yes, it may take a few extra minutes but the result will have you feeling fabulous. The key is to add balance, like a blush  on top of your bronzer for an instant lift, and to avoid anything that is too sparkly. I don’t know anyone who comes off of the beach sparkling like that.

To get the look, start by applying a liquid bronzer, which has a natural sheen for a more refined tanned look. Focus on the high points of your face, cheekbones, bridge of nose, chin, and forehead. I like to use a sponze when applying a liquid bronzer for a more even application. You can add another layer if you desire a deeper color. Once it feels dry, add a powder blush and dust it on your cheek bones blending up towards the hairline.

Bronze Goddess SunBlush Illuminator From Estee Lauder

Bronze Goddess SunBlush Illuminator from Estee Lauder is the perfect shade and looks really beautiful on most complexions. You can use the center color for blush, or swirl both colors together and apply to your face. Now that’s what I call the perfect sunkissed look without the sun damage

xx

image credits: newscom.com & Estee Lauder

Need a little encouragement when it comes to putting on your make-up?  Then you don’t want to miss out on this great opportunity to learn from the Master, Daniel McFadden. Every Monday starting April 20, 2009 from 6-8:30 pm Daniel McFadden from Prive Salon on Beverly Blvd. in Hollywood, Ca. will be holding “The Daniel McFadden Master Class.”

This fabulous class will teach women the correct way to apply make-up as well as the proper colors for their skin type.  Wine & cheese will be served and women are encouraged to kick back and relax.  Daniel suggests bringing your slippers along.  It’s going to be that comfortable!

Class size is limited to 10 since each person will have their very own station to work at.  All information pertaining to this class including registration forms can be found at www.danielmcfadden.com. Daniel also mentioned that his workshop will include a “make-up exchange program.” Bring in all of your make-up you no longer use and receive 15 % off Daniel’s line…ie,  a lipstick for a lipstick, an eye shadow for an eye shadow, etc.  What a great incentive for Spring.

Check out Daniel at DanielMcfadden.

xo,

b

image credit:  Daniel McFadden

Eyebrows for some are like a pair of your favorite pants. Sometimes a fuller, more natural style is best, and sometimes the skinny, skinny look is most flattering. Charlize Theron is not one who has to worry either way, and she shows us that a trim line works beautifully on her face. However if her eyes were larger, then a thicker, more pronounced eyebrow would be best. Think Brook Shields, whose eyebrows are almost as famous as she is.

Charlize Theron in Madrid, Spain for 'The Burning Plain'

If you are craving a thin brow don’t forget that they require extra careful care. So take it slow with the tweezers, and if you have to, remove only a few hairs at a time. An eyebrow stencil works great, and shows you exactly which hairs to remove. If you don’t, you may end up with brows that look overdone. Try a pigmented brow gel which looks like a mascara and swipes on to define and set your brows in place.

image credit: newscom.com

Spring is almost here and with that comes all of the trends straight off the runways and into the pages of beauty magazines everywhere. We all know that a wash of a shimmery shadow on your top eyelids is pretty, and that’s all there is to it. But the latest trend that makeup pros are doing for spring is sweeping the same shade beneath the eyes for a look that is extremely feminine and glowy 24/7.

Jennifer Aniston At The Vanity Fair Party on Oscar Night

Called the quintessential California glamour girl, but a New Yorker at heart  Jennifer Aniston got a sun-kissed glow for the Academy Awards from makeup artist Angela Levin. Together Jennifer and Angela decided to create a look that screamed modern glamour. “Days before the Oscars she had returned from vacation and had a relaxed and glowing look, so it was perfect to go bronze and radiant” says Levin.

To get Jennifer’s look, Angela applied foundation using a brush over Jen’s already moisturized skin. Instead of a traditional blush, she dabbed a bit of Red creme lipstick on the apples of Aniston’s cheeks. A great back up when you don’t have a blush handy. And for extra radiance she used a shimmery bronze lotion and blended it onto the very top of her cheekbones and finished this gorgeous sun-kissed look with a dusting of loose bronzing powder.

I just loved her braid too. I know there were some fashionista’s were on the fence about her braided do, but I thought she looked great, and very fabulous at 40.

xx

image credit: Newscom