Here are few easy tips….

Keep It Simple
When going with something new and bold, keep it simple. Chose one feature to highlight. For example, when wearing a red lip color, keep the rest of your makeup neutral – warm and natural. If you are going to wear a heavily lined eye, keep the rest of your makeup soft and subdued.

Use Brow Powder
Strong, defined brows are in. The trick is to keep your brows looking as natural as possible. Start with the correct shape and fill in with a slightly lighter color brow powder if you are brunette and slightly darker if you are blonde or a red head.  Even if you’ve got dark hair, don’t go with a dark brow color. I’m a medium brunette and I use a blond/light brown brow powder. You want to enhance what you’ve got, not draw on brand-new brows.

Experiment with Metallics
Glamour magazine likes a Metallic Lid for Fall – a metallic bronze, metallic green, a bit of gold. They suggest lining the lids with shadow  in an exaggerated “V” formation.  Try a fuller line than usual, heavier on top, closer to lash line at the bottom,  just beyond the eye corner a bit, with a slight up-tilt at the far outward edge.

Do Your Eyes First
An eye makeup look like this has a tendency to travel down the face a bit, specks of powder can get everywhere. I suggest switching up your usual application order up. Do your eyes first. Apply base, then line with shadow, fill in your “V” shape, clean up the edges, then go back and apply foundation, powder, blush, and so on. Putting the makeup on in this order helps to keep the rest of your face neutral and fresh. This order also works well when you are doing a smokey eye.

Get a Colorful Yet Smokey Eye
Speaking of a smokey eye, the September 2009 Issue of InStyle featured actress Amanda Seyfried with a twist on the classic black smokey eye look. They show the green-eyed Seyfriend (she really has lovely eyes) with 3 different looks – teal, metallic, and brown. Mariel Barrera, the makeup artist who created the looks says that the most important thing is to blend, blend, blend, thus the colors “melt together.” Another tip, when using the metallics, keep the brow bone clear, because using metallic shadow “too high, can look harsh.”

Image credit: Sephora.com

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Best of Korres Natural Wonders
Only $45 for an $88 value

*Provitamin B5 and Rice Bran Mascara in Black
*Cherry Full Color Gloss in Light Purple 23 (mauve pink shimmer)
*Evening Primrose Eyeshadow in White (silvery white shimmer)
*Soft Eyeliner Pencil in Black
*Guava Lipstick in Natural Pink 13 (warm neutral pink)

These are soft, universally flattering shades that go great with Summer-warmed skin. Each product is formulated without Parabens, Sulfates, Phthalates. The mascara and eyeliner are free from Synthetic Dyes or Fragrances.

Image credit: Sephora.com

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Here’s a complete list of products:

- 0.338 oz Korres Silicone-Free Vitamin E Face Primer
- 0.0005 oz Tarte EmphasEYES in Black
- 0.1 oz Tarte Lash Hugger
- 0.5 oz Ole Henriksen Truth Serum
- 0.08 oz Bare Escentuals 100% Natural Lip Gloss in Rose
- 100 Sheets Boscia Green Tea Blotting Linens
- 0.17 Skyn Iceland Icelandic Relief Eye Cream
- 0.1 oz Plant Love Blush in Peony
- 0.13 oz Josie Maran 100% Organic Argan Oil

Image credit: Sephora.com

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The line includes personal bath and body products, as well as makeup. I had the opportunity to try some of the line including Sunflower Body wash, Rejuvenating Moisturizer, Body Cream, Liquid Foundation and Mineral Makeup Blusher. 

I liked the products that I tried, although I do prefer a powdered mineral foundation over a liquid. I really liked the mineral blush powder. I used it as both a blusher and an eyeshadow – the color is Desert Rose. Really a great product and very adaptable.

I also liked the Berry Shimmer Creme. I used it as a lip gloss and on my cheeks. I think that it would be a great product to use for a simple Summer face – to add a little something extra to a natural day look.

My favorite product was the Jaffa Lip Balm. It contains shea butter, avocado, sunflower oil, orange, and vanilla. It has a great smell and feel. I’m a lip balm girl, so this product is perfect for me.

Colette works on behalf of Ascending Above Autism selling organic Miessence products. Twenty percent of all sales go directly to the group. For more information about Collette Evangelista, take a look at Health and Hope Organics.

Click here for more information about Ascending Above Autism. 

Image credit:  Health and Hope Organics.com

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Josie Maran’s award-winning makeup line features natural products that are free of Parabens, Sulfates, Sythetic Fragrance, and Phthalates.  All products are full-size, except for the Organic Argan oil. This  kit is the perfect introduction to the line and a great way to celebrate Earth Day every day.

Josie Maran Earth Day Essentials Green-On-the-Go Kit
A $98 for $48 at Sephora.com
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This is how I clean my own makeup brushes….

*First get your gear together – gather your tools, a clean towel, some mugs, and baby shampoo or baby bath.

*Clean the brushes one at a time. Wet the brush then work a small  bead of baby shampoo gently through the brush by squeezing the bristles up and down with your fingers,  don’t scrub or you could damage the fragile strands.

*Rinse the brush by running the water down through the strands from the base to the tips. Squeeze the strands the same way you did when shampooing to work the water through.

*Blot the rinsed brush with a towel, shape, then stand the brush, bristles upward in the cup. Make sure that the brushes aren’t bunched together – the air needs to flow around them in order for them to dry in a timely manner.

Your eyelash curler is also an easy fix. Replace the rubber pads on your eyelash curler frequently. Even when you are diligent about taking off your eye makeup, some mascara will remain on the lashes and it will adhere to the curler pad. If this happens, then your lashes stick to the residue and that will pull them out. Time deepens the crease where the edge of the curler hits, as well. If you aren’t careful, fragile lashes can be broken off.

Extra eyelash curler pads are located in the same store department where you find the curler. They are inexpensive and well worth the money.  A little maintenance goes a long way.

Image credit: Sephora.com

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The long-wearing, all-natural formula is made with lash conditioning ingredients, antioxidants and fruit pigments to make lashes healthy, lengthened, thickened and glossy with beautiful color. So you look fabulous and your lashes aren’t getting damaged.

The Duo set includes two 0.24 oz. mascaras. Available in three shades: Black Tea, Blueberry or Blackberry. Retail priced at $42, the QVC price is $27.50. Right now, there’s a mark down to an introductory price of just $25.20 at QVC.com.

Photo credit: QVC

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MyChelle uses only natural ingredients, which is ideal for those with sensitive skin and acne. Their mineral cosmetic line features:

Cream Foundation
Blush stick
Eye Shimmer
Lip balm/lipstick
Lip gloss

They also have a line of skin products and other items. Their gift sets are terrific bargains because you get multiple products for one low price.

Key ingredients include:

Camellia Oleifera Seed Oil: Antioxidant and skin brightener; a deeply penetrating light oil which gives skin a beautiful texture and glow; helps reduce appearance of wrinkles, spots, freckles, and acne.

Silica: Helps reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and controls sebum for a smooth matte finish.

Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Oil: Quickly penetrates the skin; powerful antioxidant; rich in flavonoids; inhibits allergic reactions; protects the skin’s own collagen, elastin, & hyaluronic acid.

Brassica Campestris/Aleurites Fordii Oil Copolymer: Two vegetable oils flash heated in a vacuum to create a copolymer that gives natural shine and body without chemicals or petroleum derived ingredients.

Castor Isostearate Beeswax Succinate: Eco-cert ingredient; a castor oil derived copolymer that moisturizes and increases wear time.

MAXI-LIP: Lip plumping peptide clinically proven to increase lip volume and reduce fine lines around lips over the course of 30 days use.

Lauroyl Lysine: A molasses derived amino acid that promotes lip health and has been shown to fight cold sores.

You can check out the MyChelle line at mychelleusa.com. Right now you can get 15% OFF all products through January 31, 2009.

Photo credit: MyChelle Dermaceuticals

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Another great place for Holiday Gift ideas is Sephora. Of course Sephora. They have tons of gift options and limited collections from your favorite brands. I personally love samplers because you get to try out lots of products without the commitment of a full size and it saves packaging. Cargo’s Plant Love Collections are always a hit. I recommend the Green Goddess Collection that comes with four eye shadows and two blushes. The Plant Love Collection is free of parabens, sulfates, synthetic fragrance, dyes, petro- chemicals and phthalates. Did I mention the packaging is also compostable. Plus since there are so many options you will get a lot of use out of it.

Via Sephora

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Via 100 Percent Pure

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