These 4 looks are key elements to look fabulous for a night out. They work well alone or in conjunction with one another. False lashes or loads of mascara instantly make your eyes look bigger. Sculpted cheeks bring added dimension to the face, which is essential for looking your best in low lit rooms and for taking photos. Dark lips or crimson lips are obviously a huge trend this season, and always look glamorous. A vampy manicure will complete any party outfit.

Armani’s latest edition to their foundation line is the Designer Lift Smoothing Firming Foundation SPF 20. Perfect for anyone who wants their skin to look tighter and firmer. Especially formulated complex of emollients and velvet filters contribute to a smoother looking complexion.What I also like about this product is the blue pearl pigment that gives a gorgeous luminosity to the skin.

The foundation is available in 10 shades online and in-store.

Love the dramatic eyes at Roberto Cavalli. The matte black with the metallic shadow is gorgeous. The trick to recreating the look is to encase the metallic colour with the black. The inner and outer corners need to be dark and well blended and the centre of the lid should be shimmery. Smudge a metallic shade under the eyes also, along with black eyeliner.

When working with very dark and frosty shadows I recommend doing your eye makeup before your base. That way any fall out can be easily cleaned up without removing your foundation. Finish the look with a few coats of mascara, and dab on a matte nude lip.

1. MAC Kohl Power in feline 2. Gosh lipstick in 134 darling 3. Lorac little black palette 4. Laura Mercier matte eyeshadow in noir 5. Giorgio Armani eyes to kill stretch mascara

Just days after the royal wedding party wowed in McQueen, the Met Gala For 2011 Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty, was last night. Anyone who didn’t know who McQueen was before, most definitely knows now.

Diane Kruger, Emma Stone, and Rihanna all went for a strong lip. Blake Lively and her new red hued hair, wore metallic eyes which looked pretty with her tan skin. I loved Leighton in black Louis Vuitton, sleek hair and winged outliner looked tres chic. Though I wasn’t totally into Rosie’s rose coloured satin Burberry dress, her makeup and hair was flawless.

Images from justjared.com

This Spring is all bright pops of colour. Here are our top tips for getting the trend right when it comes to the eyes:

1. Apply your shadow on top of a cream shadow or coloured pencil to increase the intensity.

2. Use a flat stiff brush to pack the colour on the eyelids, and blend the edges out towards the crease with a soft brush.

3. Combine textures of shadow for more dimension–use a frost on the eyelids and a matte in the crease of the same shade.

4. To create more drama at night, pair your coloured eyeshadow with a black eyeliner in the waterline.

5. For a more subtle version of the trend just rim your eye with a blue, purple or green eye pencil.

6. Contour cheeks with bronzer or use a peach blush on the cheeks to keep the look modern.

7. Unless you’re on the cover of Italian Vogue keep your lip colour neutral.

Images from models.com

Today is the first full day of Spring, and we celebrate with our first post of the new season! So it’s quite obvious that one major trend we all need is brights. Everything from neon to electric shades and hues are a must for Spring. Runways were lit up with hot pink lips, chartreuse eyes and tangerine nails. Bright bold makeup and clothes should be on every girls shopping list for SS11.

1. Illamasqua Gamma nail varnish 2. Nars Burn it Blue duo cream shadow 3. Nars Celebrate soft touch shadow pencil 4. Revlon Party Pops customeyes 5. Topshop Ablaze lipgloss stick 6. Estee Lauder Electric  Pink lip gelee 7.YSL Fuchsia Temptation Creme de Blush 8. Topshop Neon Rose blush

Eyeliner is the one product I generally don’t leave the house without. I’m not big into eyeshadow on a day to day basis. The quickest way for my eyes to look done is to line them. These 5 are some of the best for creating a variety of looks.

1. MAC eye kohl is super rich in colour, and creamy in texture. Smolder, which is the black is a very dark black. The only other black that I’ve found that is better would be Feline. Also a MAC kohl, but annoyingly it’s only available as a limited edition. Kohl is the best for smudging around the eyes to get a fast smoky look. I also love this for lining the water line.

2. If you need something that does not move, smudge, or fade then I like Makeup Forever Aqua Eyes eyeliner, it’s a great water proof pencil.

3. Nars Soft Touch shadow pencils are a nice alternative to an eyeshadow. Larger than a pencil you can quickly cover your eyelid, and the texture is smooth so you can blend it out with a brush. Shadow pencil is less creamy than a kohl so it will wear longer.

4. The only liquid eyeliner I even bother with on myself, or in my kit is the felt tip applicator type. Liquid liner pens are far more convenient. I particularly like Armani Maestro liner. The felt tip applicator is firm enough that you get excellent control, and the end is pointy enough for the details of your liner. The liner flows through the tip quite well, and if it feels like it’s drying out as you work just give it a shake, and the liquid starts to flow again.

5. Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Gel liner is really easy to use, and the best alternative to liquid eyeliner. Gel is always more forgiving in that you can correct any little mistakes before it dries, without ruining the entire line. You also have your choice of tool. Anything from a super skinny liner brush, to a flat edge brush or an angle. Use whichever works best for you. Gel eyeliner can start to dry out over time so keep the lid on tight after use. While using flip the jar upside down.

Image from Svend Lindbaek Photography

Sometimes brush cleaner is not enough to get emollient products like lipstick, or silicone products, like gel eyeliner out of your brushes. The best thing to break down the left over product is to use a small amount of soap. Squirt either dish soap or hand soap in the palm of your hand, and run the brush through it. The soap will bust through the emollients, making it easy to rinse away with water. Then follow up with brush cleaner to disinfect the brush.

Unfortunately I missed the Oscars last night. I have them recorded but it’s just not the same. From what I can see these were probably the best looking ladies of the evening. However, not all got it right from head to toe.

For example Cate Blanchett in Givenchy Couture was quite spectacular. Her hair and make up were not. Imagine how amazing she would have been if the entire look was pulled together! Scarlett’s dress and make up were good, but the hair was lacking. Jennifer Lawrence had beautiful hair and make up, and the Calvin Klein Collection dress was nice but could have been a bit more exciting. Mila Kunis, Anne Hathaway, and Natalie Portman were probably the best for overall look.

What do you think?

Images from justjared.com

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Mila Kunis looking stunning on the cover of Los Angeles Times magazine. She has beautiful features and the neutral makeup just enhances them. Her eyes look amazing, perfect eyebrows and the contouring right down to the hair – it’s all gorgeous.

At any given time my makeup bag is stuffed with lip products. Right now I have 9 lip glosses and 10 lipsticks in my makeup bag, and I wonder why my purse is so heavy all the time! The truth is, of those 10 lipsticks I probably wear about 2 on a regular basis. It’s the gloss I always reach for, for a few reasons. The first being on a busy morning it’s easy to throw on a gloss, no lipliner and no mirror are required. The second reason is that I love shiny lips. Even if I wear lipstick I find myself putting a bit of gloss on top.

This is why the 5 above are my go to glosses:

1. MAC Cremesheen glass Of all the MAC glosses this one is the least sticky and has virtually no frost particles. I don’t like gloss that has too much glitter it looks too sparkly. Cremesheen feels very lightweight and smooth on the lips, and has a perfect amount of shine. I like the majority of the colour selection too. Because the colours are not very opaque or sticky in texture, you do have to touch up more often.

2. Burberry Lip Glow lip gloss nude beige Similar in texture to cremesheen, Burberry lipgloss in nude beige is the perfect wear everyday colour. it’s a really great neutral pinky beige.

3. Revlon Super Lustrous lipgloss lilac pastelle I love this colour! There used to be a cremesheen in a similar colour but it was limited. This Revlon gloss is more opaque so it lasts quite well. The texture is smooth, not sticky but you can feel it on your lips.

4. Dior Addict Ultra Gloss little red dress For those times when I want my lips to really stand out I will go for something bright and shiny. The Dior gloss in little red dress is a super bright red with a frost particle. It’s pigmented enough that you can wear it alone and get a vibrant lip.

5. MAC Lipglass c-thru I’ve been wearing this colour since it came out in the early 00′s. In my opinion it’s the best nude colour on most skin tones. You can wear it alone, it is sticky but that’s what keeps it on longer. It’s the best on top of peachy lipsticks for the perfect nude lip.

27 year old Cheryl Cole is the on the cover of February’s Elle UK. Looking beautifully sculpted and wearing smoky cat eyes. Here are our tips for getting this look:

Even out your complexion with a natural matte foundation. Shade and highlight your cheekbones, and highlight under your eyes to create ultimate dimension. Then wrap the blackest pencil you have around the entire eye but don’t connect the inner corner. Smudge the line out with black eyeshadow, and blend out towards the temples and up towards the crease. Load on tons of mascara to top and bottom lashes. Finish by dabbing a creamy texture, beige lipstick on. Skip the lip liner.

1. Bobbi Brown creamy eye pencil jet 2. Face Atelier ultra foundation 3. Armani eyes to kill mascara excess 4. Make Up Forever sculpting kit 5. Dior smoky mania eyeshadow 6. Givenchy rouge interdit only beige

The advantage of loose pigment is that it’s so versatile. Often used only as an eyeshadow here are our top 8 ways to work with pigment:

1. Add to nail polish to change the colour or create your own by mixing pigment into a clear polish.
2. Iridescent pigment can be mixed with body lotion and applied to arms and legs for customized sheen.
3. Use a mixing medium to turn the pigment into a cream form and use as eyeliner
4. Use for body painting on top of cream products to add dimension
5. Mix with water based mixing medium turning pigment into paint for body painting
6. Use as blush or highlighter
7. Add to clear lipgloss for customized colours
8. Mix into clear mascara or mascara mixing medium

*For mixing mediums go to maccosmetics.com

Throughout the year certain celebs caught our eye on the red carpet. These six stood out for both their makeup and style.

Lea Michele made her mark with the hit show Glee, and started to become a fave on the red carpet too. Often wearing neutral eyes and lips. When she goes for a bright lip it really makes a great statement.

Blake Lively never disappoints. She has everything going for her: good hair, pretty face, fab body. Throw her in anything and it looks good. Often seen in Chanel, one of her best moments was the grey and brown Lanvin number she wore. Topped off with super sleek hair, and terra-cotta lips. A winning look.

Drew may not have had as many shining moments on the red carpet this year. With the exception of the Golden Globes. What Drew has going for her is her fabulous hair. We love her two tone grunge look. Definitely one of the best colors of 2010.

Kim Kardashian upped her fashion game over the past year. Her stylist Monica Rose has been outfitting her in a lot of high end ensembles. Not one to wear minimal makeup and hair, my favorite looks on Kim are when she pulls it back a bit. I like her hair wavy instead of curls. When it comes to smokey eyes and light lips no one does it better.

Diane Kruger owns the classy look. She has more hits than misses when it comes to special events. Her neutral eyes and lip combo works, because often it’s the dress that stands out.

Although not making lots of appearances this year, Jessica Alba certainly made the most of the ones she did. Always flawless hair and makeup, and dresses that wow.

These 4 looks are perfect for any party this winter. Dark lips make a statement when paired with an otherwise low key look. Flawless skin, groomed brows, and black mascara is really all you need.

Metallics in gold, copper and bronze look stunning. Pick two features that will shimmer to avoid looking like a disco ball. Wear with natural matte foundation.

Make your eyes stand out with thick dark lashes. Strip lashes are an easy way to get this look. If you have the patience though, lots of individual lashes placed close together along the lashline look amazing.

Of course the faithful stand by for any occasion is the dark eye. What I love about this particular smoky liner on Zoe Saldana, is the texture, and worn in look. Try using an eyekohl and smudge it out. Tap a very small amount of Vaseline or Elizabeth Arden 8 hour cream on top. This will give your liner a sheen. It will move the makeup too, creating an imperfect more worn in look.

I don’t really need a particular occasion to dress up — I just love to do it. I do have a few go to makeup looks: smoky eyes with light lips or neutral eyes with strong lips. This season I’ve been achieving these looks with metallic eyeshadows, and deep dark lipstick. Of course a pair of lashes and a flick of liquid eyeliner always amps your makeup for a night out look. The beauty of these makeup looks is that they look hot on everyone and they’ll pretty much go with any outfit you choose. So while you may find yourself surrounded by discarded dresses that didn’t make the cut, you won’t have to keep changing your makeup!

1. Revlon nail enamel all fired up 2. Shu Uemura slant eyelashes 3. MAC pigment copper sparkle 4. Topshop glaze frostbite 5. Bobbi Brown sparkle glamour quad 6. Dolce and Gabbana lip jewels 7. Topshop lipstick beguiled 8. BeautiControl liquid eyeliner 9. Dolce and Gabbana sicillian lace bronzer 10. Shu Uemura neo sparkle lashes

These ladies represent our top picks from last nights AMA’s. I loved Jessica Alba’s over all look. Sleek hair, perfect brows, structured eye make up, and fitted black dress, it all worked seamlessly. As I’ve mentioned before Taylor Swift looks 100% better without the curls. Straight hair with long bangs is a super sexy look. I’m becoming quite a Katy Perry fan these days. Her great big eyes, and glowy cheeks were a winning combination last night. Keri Hilson’s hair and makeup was flawless. Miley’s neutral make up and polished hair was a softer look than usual. As much as I liked Rihanna’s makeup and dress, I’m over the red hair, especially this new curly version!

Who was your favourite at the AMA’s?

This Fall pick your look-pretty and polished or bold and glam. The main focus of the natural look is skin. So what ever you have to do to get it looking perfect, do it! Liquid luminzer will enhance your complexion. Try a few drops mixed in with liquid foundation. Soft peach/pink blush will add colour to the cheeks. Of course lips are nude. Use lip balm and a bare looking lipstick.

The glam look is all about being made up. Your must have products are eye kohl and crimson lipstick. Yes you can wear them at the same time. Go dark and intense, wrap the kohl around your eyes and smudge it out with shadow. The Bobbi Brown cool palette will give you a DVF like look. Or try the warm palette for a more Cavalli version.

1. Armani Shine Lipstick #11 2.Smash Box Artificial Luminizing Lotion 3. Dolce and Gabbana Cheek Colour Nude 4. Cover Girl Natural Lash Mascara 5. Bobbi Brown Day to Night Cool Eye Palette Bobbi Brown Day to Night Warm Eye Palette 6. Revlon Matte Luxurious Kohl Eyeliner 7. Nars Pure Matte Lipstick Vesuvio

The stained lip is a not only a modern take on the dark lip, but for many it’s an easier way to wear the trend. There are a few ways to achieve this new dark lip here are some key tips:

1. Use a lip primer or a bit of lip balm to prep the lips.

2. Press the colour into your lips with your fingers rather than directly from the lipstick tube. You can use a pencil to touch up the cupids bow.

3. Blot with a tissue in between applications of lipstick, and brush on a bit of loose powder to seal the colour in.

4. For a stain with a sheen apply lipstick first then blend the colour out with lip balm.

5. For the deep dark berry look of Dior, start in the centre of the lips with the lipstick and brush out towards the edges. The intensity will be be in the centre and the edges are left kind of imperfect

BeautiControl Shadow Control Creme isn’t new but it is new to me and I have to say it works amazingly well. It works like a eye primer that helps eyeshadow to last longer without creasing or fading. Unlike some silicone products, this one is very sheer and creamy in texture. Which is why I wasn’t sure it would actually keep my eyeshadow from moving, since my eyelids are super oily. I applied a normal amount to my eyes and then put a powder eyeshadow on top. 15 hours later my eye make up looked like I’d just applied it. It did not budge. No creasing, no fading just perfect looking eyes! This will stay on until you take it off.