Check out Rachel’s tidbits below and if you have any questions or comments, please share!

Rachel says:

• I feel a great mascara can open the eye and instantly make you look as though you’ve have a good night’s sleep, even when that is not the case.  I use 2-3 coats of Lancome Fatale on the top, bottom, and also on the back of the top lashes.
• Because of my Indian ancestry, I love darkly rimmed eyes – a messy eye adds a sexy yet natural look to a classic outfit.  To make the eyes smoky, I use Revlon’s Luxurious Color Kohl eyeliner in Black Truffle on the inside of the lids.
• Bright lipstick is a way to quickly pop an outfit and freshen up a look a la Ava Gardner in “The Barefoot Contessa.”  My favorite bright is MAC’s Morange lipstick – it’s a great way to add a twist to a classic look.
• Another way to make your face pop is to fill in the eyebrows.  I use Bobbi Brown’s eye shadow in Navajo.

Post from: Makeup Minute

While I have my brows tweezed regularly (love the precision of tweezing!), I still need a little something to add control and polish to my everyday look, so recently, I began shopping around for a clear brow gel.

I started in the aisles of the drugstore and found nada (Revlon, Cover Girl, Almay, are you listening?). Then I went to beauty Mecca – Sephora.  After cruising the aisles for a few minutes aimlessly, an employee recommended that I try Sephora’s own clear Lash & Eyebrow Mascara.

This cheap thrill (it’s just $8, less expensive than many drugstore mascaras these days) delivers hold without the crunch and adds a little bit of gloss to my brows. It’s the perfect finishing touch!

Post from: Makeup Minute

Brett Freedman, Makeup Artist & Founder of Vanitymark Cosmetics

Next up in our series of Makeup Minute How To’s are tips on making foundation last.  Foundation is an essential for women who want coverage but getting your makeup to last the duration of the day can be a challenge.

Celebrity makeup artist Brett Freedman (who keeps stars like Reba McIntyre and Jenna Fischer looking gorgeous) gave us his top three tips for foundation with staying power:

1. My first trick to getting a foundation that holds up is to find a long wear formulation. I LOVE Revlon’s ColorStay Active Light Foundation. It’s super sheer, comes in an amazing color range and has SPF 25.  That’s  not even the best part. The stuff STAYS. Oh, it won’t come off till you take it off. It’s so lightweight it lets the skin breath. Very important in the warmer months.

2. Switch to an oil free moisturizer. Apply while face is still damp. Denser moisturizers can sometimes  ‘break down’ foundation. Lock in moisture right after cleansing and allow your moisturizer to dry completely. You’ll use less foundation and it will really absorb and adhere to skin. This trick is all about timing. Origins Plantidote Mega-Mushroom Face Lotion (an oil free moisturizer) is one of my faves!

3. Set with loose powder and a big fluffy brush. A compact is good for touch ups but for a solid, diffused finish to just applied foundation there is nothing better than loose powder. Finely milled powder works best to really get in there and ’set’ every little area. A big fluffy brush insures even distribution. NARS Loose Powder has an amazing feel and ultra soft on the skin. 

For more info on Brett or to check out his line, Vanitymark, visit www.vanitymark.com .

Post from: Makeup Minute

I bought mine in Sandstone, which is a beautiful goldenfleck color. Although on Revlon’s website, they make it appear brown (it doesn’t look like the color shown at all). The picture here to the left is Jade, which is a light green color.

The directions say you’ll see the globlets after 10 full twists, but it was more like 20. Once the color pops through, you simply take the tube and swipe it across your lids. I tried it immediately when I got home. It was about 85 degrees out still and I found that after a few hours it rubbed off.

I used it again today, this time with Lemon Aid on my lids and this made a big difference in keeping the product in place. It did feel “wet” for a few hours, but then became less so as time went on. I can’t say that it has a “powdery feel” as it describes on the package.

Despite all of this, I really like Revlon’s Eyeglide. So simple to apply and the Sandstone makes my hazel eyes look gorgeous. Its gold color really brings out the flecks of gold in my eyes. Today I wore it on my lids and along my brow bone. Then I applied Lumiere Mineral Makeup’s Driftwood color in my crease, tarte’s Lights Camera Lashes on my eyelashes along with their Mineral Powder Bronzer on my face and I had that sunkissed look going on.

While this is a great product, I do recommend wearing a primer on your lids to keep it in place.

Post from: Makeup Minute

When I had first saw the Sugar Sugar, I thought it looked like a great idea, but after reading some reviews, it sounds really messy and like it doesn’t live up to expectations. The print ads also make it look like your sprinkling baby bottle pop on your lips and that it might not be so fun to smack your lips together.

Midnight Swirl is created with black pearls and has a port wine fragrance. If they made lighter colors that would be great, as I’m sure for most of us fair skinned girls, these deep colors won’t look so good. I also don’t like the smell of wine, which I’m sure the fragrance was meant to make you feel luxurious.

Just Bitten is a lip stain made with real fruit extracts and each color has it’s own scent (Plum Wicked, Cherry Tart, etc). This stain appears to come in a tube with a rollerball applicator, something you see more of for glosses. Revlon doesn’t make any claims as to how long the stain is meant to last for. I’m also not sure why it is called “Just Bitten” since it doesn’t claim to be a lip plumper. Am I wrong that the name implies that it would plump your lips?

Crushed Velvet Lip Creme has black micro-pearls to deliver a moist-matte finish

that I think is inherently sexy. The colors offered appear a little dark, but I would say that these are more Fall colors than something I would be wearing in Spring.

Have you used any of these products, what did you think of them?

Post from: Makeup Minute