Kristen Stewart Smokey Eyes

Kristen Stewart has perfected the 'messy smokey eye'. It is perfectly imperfect and smudged, making it modern and easy to recreate! Here is a quick video showing you how to get the look!

Click HERE to watch this video on Youtube in higher quality.

"Desk to Drinks" Interview & A Look into My Makeup Bag

My interview with Sugar Salon for their series: Beauty from Desk to Drinks is out today! Click on over and have a listen (the password is: Sugar), I let you know what to focus on if you only have 5 minutes to get ready in the morning and share some tips on how to look fresh and natural.

In the video, I mentioned a few of my must-have products, so I thought I'd give you a quick peek at the staple items that never leave my makeup bag!

Bite Beauty Agave Lip Mask: This lip mask is great on its own or over lipstick, it is extremely nourishing and smells delicious!
Kat Von D Tattoo Liquid Liner: This is my favorite liquid liner for a cat-eye, its firm tip is precise and the color comes out super black.
Anastasia Brow Wiz: This pencil is the easiest way to fill in brows! It takes only seconds to use and your brows never look overdone.
Caudalie Beauty Elixir: This refreshing mist is a toner, setting spray and serum, it tingles, smells divine and really wakes me up while making my skin glow!
Dior Lip Glow: This tinted balm changes color to suit your skin tone and revives any lipstick shade that has began to wear off. 
Beauty Blender: This sponge is my favorite way to apply foundation and concealer, it gives a flawless, streak-free coverage every time!

What are some of your beauty essentials?

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And if you are interested in learning how to get out the door with minimal time, effort and products (but still look fresh and pulled together) check out my quick 5 step tutorial for this glowy, natural makeup look HERE.

Happy 4th of July!

Here is my take on some patriotic makeup, I hope you all had a great holiday!

My Eyebrow Routine

Eyebrows are big news these days, thankfully we have moved away from the super thin tweezed brow to a more natural full shape. Everyone wants to know how to get the perfect brow and fortunately it is a lot easier to achieve than one might realize. I have always had full brows, so I just need to fill in certain areas, but these techniques will work on anyone.

Click HERE to watch on Youtube with better quality.

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1. Tweeze & trim your brows into the shape you want, neat brows are much easier to fill in. If you have never groomed your brows, go to a professional for your first time around.
2. Always comb through your brows before you start filling them in so you know exactly where to place the color.
3. Use a powder to place a subtle shadow throughout your brow. 
4. Use a pencil to draw in small hair-like strokes that mimic the growth of the hair, then blend. 
5. Finish with a tinted brow gel to add hold and definition.

The Technique
When filling in the brows, it is always best to start at the arch and work down towards the tail; then fill in towards the front of the brow to finish the shape. If you begin your color placement at the front, it can tend to go on too dark making you look angry.

Choosing the Right Color
The basic rule about choosing the right color for your brows is fairly simple: if you have light hair go 1 shade darker, if you have dark hair go 1 shade lighter. Redheads can use shades of auburns or taupey-browns depending on what they like.

What I Use
On a day-to-day basis I will usually pick either the pencil or the powder and then set it with the gel. If I am doing a 'perfect' brow then I will use all of the items below.

Make Up For Ever Brush #274

Anastasia Brow Powder in 'Taupe'

Anastasia Brow Wiz in 'Medium Ash'

Anastasia Tinted Brow Gel in 'Caramel'






Other Products I Love

Hourglass Arch Sculpting Pencil
(unique powder/pencil/wax formula)

Anastasia Clear Brow Gel
(has a super firm hold to keep hairs in place)

Benefit Gimme Brow
(fiber-gel formula great for those with little hair)

June Favorites

Smashbox Full Exposure Palette - $49
At first I hated this palette because I was having a major fallout problem with the shimmer shades, they were way too messy and didn't stick, but my friend Leila would always use it at work and she loved it, so I played around with it a little bit more, wetting the shadows and using the brush that comes with the palette and now I can say that I like it as a whole. My favorite part is still all of the matte shades, I love that they come in warm and cool versions and that they're easy to blend and layer. The brush it comes with is AWESOME. Use it... really!

Stila Magnificent Metals Foil Finish Shadow in 'Pixie Dust' - $32
This pigment/glitter/eyeshadow is beautiful! I have been using it daily and it spices up any look. The way that it catches the light is unbelievable, it creates a glowy iridescence that is just stunning! I layer it over my finished eyeshadow look to give a bit of extra shine and drama. Pro Tip: I would advise to pat it on your eye with your finger, mixing it with the liquid primer that comes with the shadow has never worked out very well for me, it just gets sticky and clumpy and very unattractive.

Peter Thomas Roth Glycolic Acid 10% Moisturizer - $45
This moisturizer improved my cell turnover rate and my skin became clearer and smoother. I started seeing results after the first use, so I immediately fell in love with this product. I experienced some minor stinging, but it was not unpleasant and it just made me feel like it was working. This product will help clear pores, soften lines & wrinkles and improve the brightness and clarity of the skin.

Peter Thomas Roth AHA/BHA Acne Clearing Gel - $54
This advanced treatment worked wonders for my skin. I paired it 
with the PTR moisturizer to get the results I wanted, and it left me with softer, smoother skin and more clarified pores. You will see blemishes appear while using these two products because they pull out the congestion in the skin but it's so worth it because once your skin decongests it looks flawless!

Here are some of the ingredients and what they do: 

-Salicylic Acid 2% (Beta Hydroxy Acid): Reduces the appearance of blemishes, and discourages the formation of blackheads and blemishes by minimizing pore size. 

-Glycolic Acid Complex 10% (Alpha Hydroxyl Acid): Supports natural cell turnover. 

-Licorice: Helps ease irritation and even skintone. 

-Retinyl Palmitate: Helps reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. 

To watch this video on Youtube, click HERE.