Image: Drugstore.com

So…with all this mascara loving going on in my life, you can bet that when I had the opportunity to try the new Maybelline Lash Stiletto, I just about died and went to heaven. But would this much-hyped new product make my lashes smile…or would it be a flop?

The verdict: I LOVE IT!

This mascara is absolutely fab. It’s even better when you realize you’re only going to have to shell out about $7-$8 for your own tube!

The wand, I think, is one of the better wands I’ve used in a while. It really promotes the lengthening aspect of this stuff and makes your lashes separate without any clumping – no small feat for any mascara, for sure.

It comes in the standard colors (Soft Black, Black/Brown, Very Black, etc) and the tube itself is a total riot – it looks like a stiletto heel!

The formula is silky, not sticky, and I experienced no problems with smudging, flaking or irritation. The little bit I did manage to get on my eyelid during application easily wiped off with a Q-Tip dipped in good old fashioned saliva. Fantastic!

Overall, I rate this mascara a total keeper. It’s definitely worth a try and definitely deserves a spot in your makeup drawer. Check it out!

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• Step 1. Prepare your lips by using warm water, a wash cloth and a lip mask (or another safe, grainy cleanser). Apply the mask or cleanser directly to moist lips. Allow to set while you prepare the warm cloth. Rub the mask/cleanser off by using circular motions. This will help work most of the dead, dry skin off, revealing smoother, plumper lips. This step should be done once or twice per week.


Image: Drugstore.com

• Step 2. Line lips. Choose a liner two shades or so darker than your lipstick, and trace your natural lipline, paying special attention to your Cupid’s Bow (the “V” part of your top lip). Once lips are lined, color in the remainder of the lip with the liner as well. This gives a nice base color in case your lipstick later does the slide.
• Step 3. Add color. Now it’s time to slather on your lipstick. After your first coat, grab a lint-free tissue and blot by placing the tissue between your upper and lover lips, and pressing down. Next, swipe on another coat. If possible, separate a 2-ply tissue so it’s one-ply, then place the tissue gently over lips and dab with loose powder. The tissue acts as a filter, allowing just enough of the powder to get through to set the lipstick without changing the lip’s color or texture.
• Step 4. Choose a gloss to highlight and plump. With gloss, you want to dab, rather than slick. A small dab of a shimmery or light-grabbing gloss in the center of your bottom lip will plump up your pout in an instant. That one small move adds dimension and a shot of light to your lips, drawing attention right where you want it.
• Step 5. Blot. Place your index finger between your lips and pucker up. See the lipstick left on your skin? That could’ve been on your teeth. Do it again, just to be safe.

So, that’s it. Remember to change up colors to suit your moods, but to also have one “constant” color in your handbag, desk or car for emergencies. Investing in a lip mask is a great idea, but if you’re too cheap, just be sure to work that warm wash cloth around your lips.

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Here’s what’s on tap:

* Maybelline Stiletto Mascara

* Products by Prescriptives, including a Face Primer, Blush, Eye Cream and more

* DEX loose mineral pigments

* The newest formula of Crest Whitestips

Exciting stuff, huh? I can hardly wait to dig into all this stuff and share my impressions with you.

Have you tried any of these products? Care to give us a sneak peek of what I can expect? If so, let us know. If not, stay tuned for the whole scoop.

Have a great weekend!

Image: Drugstore.com

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Congratulations! You’ve found the perfect lipstick shade. That’s Major Accomplishment #1. Now, to tackle Major Accomplishment #2 – keeping that glorious lipstick off of your teeth!

Not to worry, it’s actually quite easy to do. Here, a few tips to keep your new shade on your pout and not on your chompers:

• Use a lipstick primer before you slather on your color. This quick tip helps keep lipstick in place and eliminates bleeding and the color migration.
• Dust lipstick with a loose powder to set the color. Just grab a facial tissue and separate it into 1-ply. Place the tissue over your lips, then dust on the powder. Voila! A set look without the powder showing through.
• And finally, after applying lipstick (particularly when you’re on the go and don’t have time to utilize the first two tips), place your index finger between your lips and slide it out. Any extraneous color will go there instead of on your teeth.

These have been tried and true tips I’ve used for years. Do you have any to add? We’re all ears (eyes)…

Image: Drugstore.com

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Let’s face it, ladies. Even in the winter our fabulous selves can end up shiny, leaving a mess of the makeup we so diligently applied that very morning.

So what’s a girl to do? Grab some of these Clean & Clear Oil Absorbing Sheets, that’s what!

For only $4.76 on Drugstore.com, you can get yourself some of these awesome little sheets to stuff everywhere from your handbag to your car’s glove compartment, to your desk at work to wherever. Any time you glance in the mirror and see a little oil slick forming, grab a sheet and dab it over the shiny areas to restore your beautiful finish.

I use these daily and promise you your makeup will remain in tact, but the grease will be gone. They’re handy and easy and completely economical. Easily one of my favorite face-saving products of all time.

Have you tried these (or another brand)? Let us know what you think in the comments below…

Image: Drugstore.com

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The other day, I asked you what you were getting yourself for V-Day and suggested the uber-cute Candy Hearts Lip Duos. But just in case yummy tasting lip gloss isn’t your thing (huh?!?), here are a few other items you can pick up for yourself on the cheap. And, of course, since this is Love Day and all, everything here is a truly fantastic girly pink!

Treat your nails with Black Radiance Bold & Sexy Salon Lacquer in Provocative. This lovely pink hue boasts a long-lasting salon formula which withstands anything your busy life throws at it. The best part? You can snag this polish for only $3.99 at Wal-Mart!

Keep your pout kissable (and pink!) with Tropez Ultra Glaze Lip Gloss in Perfectly Pink. This gloss gives a glassy sheen that keeps lips looking amazing, as the ultra-shiny formula glazes lips with rich creamy color while giving them high-shine. Get this awesome stuff for only $2.99 at www.Walgreens.com.

And finally, if you need somewhere to put all these pink goodies, look no further than the Modella Pretty In Pink 3 Piece Weekender Set. This set is perfect for packing all the essentials for a weekend getaway with your Valentine (or the girls) and can be found for only $12.47 at Wal-Mart!

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So Valentine’s Day is a mere two days away, and I can’t help but wonder: What have you gotten yourself? That’s right, I mean what have you gotten you? Because you totally deserve something wonderful and who loves you more than you, right? Right.

If you haven’t gotten yourself anything yet, may I suggest the fabulous Candy Hearts Lip Duo from Philosophy?

This super fun set comes with two different flavored glosses including Luv U Angel Food Cake Flavored Lip Shine and Smooch Pinkly Bubbly Flavored Lip Shine. Yum! Talk about showing your lips some love!

The formula is smooth and glossy which excels at moisturizing your kisser and provides a sheer sheen. They’re high shine and high flavor – and they’re utterly delicious!

Sounds like a great treat, doesn’t it? And at only $20 a set, you can even snag one for a friend or other lip gloss lover as well.

Enjoy – and Happy Valentine’s Day!

Image: Sephora.com

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Question: Is your face prepared?

Maybe it is, and if so, that’s great. Good for you for being on a skin care regimen and sticking with it. But if you need any help at all (or even if you’re just curious to see what else is out there in the vast and sometimes scary world of skin care), let me introduce you to a hot new site called BeautyStat.com .

BeautyStat.com was founded by Ron Robinson, a one-time research and development executive for some of the world’s top beauty firms, including Estee Lauder, Avon and Revlon. Mr. Robinson realized that his job as a scientist, developing product after product to market to us unsuspecting and oh-so-eager beauty addicts, was actually doing a disservice to the very people he wanted to help. So to eliminate the confusion, Mr. Robinson began BeautyStat.com, a community where members join (for free!) and receive customized product recommendations based on their skin care types and needs. There are forums for chatting and asking questions, opportunities to create blog posts, articles on all the latest beauty buzz, chances to win prizes and more. It’s a super cool place I spend a lot of time at and find very useful.

So while I’ll talk my head off about makeup every single day at this site, I’ll also harp on the importance of skin care, since whipping your skin into shape will make the most fabulous blush even more fabulous and the most amazing concealer that much better. The two definitely go hand in hand.

Do you have any skin care tips you’d like to share? Feel free to do so here in the comments and/or join BeautyStat.com and share (and learn) over there as well. While you’re there, “Friend” me (my Username is – no surprise! – Liberty). See you there!

In the interest of full disclosure, I do work closely with Mr. Robinson and the EIC of BeautyStat, contributing articles and other writing goodies. However, BeautyStat.com would be a favorite haunt of mine regardless of whether I had anything professional to do with them or not, and that’s a promise. It’s just an amazing community that I know you’ll love!

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* One problem many face during the winter is dry skin so remember to keep your skin moisturized during these harsh months. I recommend Prescriptives All You Need Moisturizers. They provide continuous moisturization for 24 hours to refuel skin throughout the day for softer, more healthy-looking skin. I also recommend Prescriptives All You Need + For Eyes to help keep the eye area hydrated, smooth and radiant during the cold winter season.

* To keep your skin extra fresh, try Prescriptives Instant Gratification Skin Renewal Peel. This luxurious self-heating treatment exfoliates while resurfacing beads sweep away dry patches and dead skin cells for smooth, beautiful skin.

* In addition to keeping your skin hydrated, I also recommend adding some color to your look to help beat the winter blues and jump start into spring. Try a beautiful pink lip like Prescriptives Limited Edition LipShine in Tulip or Zinnia – both are the perfect pop shades for spring!

* And don’t forget to pay special attention to cheeks this spring! I love Prescriptives Limited Edition In Bloom Cheek Color Duo in Warm or Cool. These cheek duos are the perfect combination of color and radiance and provide a natural, flushed glow.

*Photo Credit: Prescriptives

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The sweetheart look:

Eyes- Sweep a soft shimmer beige brown shadow on entire lid extending up to the crease.
Suggested product: DEX’s Mineral Loose Pigment in City Brass Center

Next- use a soft chocolate brown eye pencil on top and wedging between lashes, making a thicker line on outer corner, then blend top line with a soft brush.
Suggested product: DEX’s Luxe Cream Eyeliner

Cheeks- Use a blush in a red or pink color and apply softly with finger tips on the apple’s of cheeks.
Suggested product: DEX’s Mineral Pressed Blush in Hell’s Kitchen

Lips- apply any color in the pink or red family in a tinted sparkly shinny gloss.
Suggested product: DEX’s Lip Gloss in Christopher St. Orchid or Mott St. Cherry

So you want to be sexy and seductive:

Eyes-apply a chocolate shimmer or mat color on lid extending up to the crease, next apply a shade darker in a metallic metal or dark brown on lid only.
Suggested product: DEX’s Mineral Pressed Powder in Grand Central Coffee and Dakota Spice

Next- take a black eye liner pencil and rim inside entire eye top and bottom, then with the same eye pencil apply on top lash line extending thicker on outer corners.
Suggested product: DEX’s Powder Eye Liner in Coal

Next- apply false eye lashes on top lashes in a edgy style depending on personal taste. Make sure you measure and cut the lashes accordingly to your eye shape.

Cheeks-using a cream blush with finger tips apply in a pink or red tone on apple’s of cheeks, then follow with the same color in a powder blush and apply on top of cream blush for a hot sexy blushing cheek.
Suggested product: DEX’s Mineral Pressed Blush in Soho Plum Wine

Lips- use a hot pink or vibrant red lip pencil and fill in entire lip, follow with a lip stick color to match, last apply a sparkly shinny lip gloss over entire lip, don’t be shy about the gloss.
Suggested product: DEX’s Slimline Lip Pencil and Lipstick in Broadway Cranberry

All products mentioned can be found at DEX New York.

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