Smokey & Seductive (Meet Your New Year's Eve Eye)

It's hard to believe that yet another year has come to a close and 2014 is right around the bend. I'm still in the process of thinking through resolutions for the New Year, though let's be honest, FIRST, it's time to party.

This New Year's Eve, I'll be enjoying a nice group dinner before my friend's annual bash. And to spice up a simple silk mini dress from DVF, I'm planning to rock out a SERIOUS smokey eye in lieu of my standard red lip. After all, New Year's Eve is on par with Vegas in terms of required ‘beauty escalation’.

For smokey eyed perfection:

Prime, prime, prime -  I can't stress it enough. For makeup that stands the test of New Year’s Eve, a great primer is essential. I like both the adorable packaging AND, more importantly, the efficacy of theBalm Put a Lid on It Eyelid Primer, $17

Next, curl your lashes to open up your eyes and set the stage for mascara. I’m currently loving the Rockin’ Red Hot Lashes gift set from LORAC ($23), which includes both a spicy red studded eyelash curler (yes!) AND a tube of volumizing PRO Mascara, all for just $23 (which is what the mascara alone generally retails for – deal alert!)

Define your lash line and add drama with a smudgy dark eyeliner (try Pur Minerals Eye Defining Pencil Eyeliner with Smudger in Onyx or Graphite, $17) on both your upper and lower lashlines. 

With four foolproof shades embossed with suggestions of exactly where to wear, CARGO’s Essential Eye Shadow Palette in Smokey Grey ($34) is both easy and essential to building a smoldering eye. Pro tip: try using any of the shades as liner as well, by dipping an eyeliner brush into saline solution (this’ll hold the pigment more effectively than water).

Shop these products and more in the Beauty Departments now found in over 250 Kohl’s stores nationwide or online, here.

While all opinions expressed are my own, this post was produced in partnership with SheKnows Experts Among Us and Kohl’s Beauty.

Choose Your Own Adventure: MAC Haute & Naughty Too Black Lash

TOO is a quality that I enjoy all too much, if we're being entirely honest with one another. And one of my favorite places to embrace the all-encompassing TOO much - too much intense color, too much length, or too much volume  - are my lashes. Perhaps it's the Lafayette in me...you feel me, True Blood fans?

MAC's new Haute & Naughty Too Black Lash delivers on essentially ALL of the above with it's clever dual-opening mascara. Simply pull the brush through the narrow opening (left) for lash definition or through the wider opening (right) for insane volume. Either way, the intensely-pigmented formula delivers length for DAYS. 

Formerly a Nordstrom exclusive (and still available here), you can also snag MAC Haute & Naughty Too Black Lash on the MAC site tomorrow for $20 - while you're there, I'd also suggest picking up Jete and Moth Brown, both from the fan-selected #MACBYREQUEST collection.

Don't Call It a Comeback: Prescriptives

$42.00 at Prescriptives

It, quite literally, BROKE MY HEART two years ago when beloved beauty brand Prescriptives announced that it would cease distribution to department stores. The decision felt inexplicably final, so though they continued to sell via Prescriptives.com, I stocked up on my faves (including the Custom Blend Foundation, Vibrant-C Skin Brightening Moisturizer & Eye Cream Set, False Eyelashes Plush Mascara and Lip Specialist Triple Action Therapy) and then went on my merry way, replacing what felt like IRREPLACEABLE products with sad, subpar substitutes from other brands.

But thankfully, not EVERY woman in the world took the brand's news sitting down. In fact, a passionate group of women, numbering in the tens of THOUSANDS, petitioned Prescriptives' parent company, The Estee Lauder Companies, via mail, e-mail, Facebook, Twitter, and presumably carrier pigeon, to bring back Px...and guess what? It actually WORKED. Now sold exclusively at Prescriptives.com - so mod, the digital girl in me loves it - the NEW Prescriptives boasts the tagline, "Established 1979. Refreshed 2011."

Learn more about the passionate women - #PxPassionistas if you will - that are responsible for relaunch of Prescriptives below,  and check out the site now for some beautiful inspiration, to explore old faves and discover new.

Summer Makeup: Minimal Effort, Maximum Impact

Memorial Day is coming to a close, and it's got me thinking incessantly about the beauty of summer. I don't know about you, but I can't WAIT to soak up the sun in Montauk, to ride the Cyclone at Coney Island, to picnic during Philharmonic in the Park, to eat my way through one of New York's many street festivals, etc. etc.

But just as the seasonal transition impacts the clothing we wear, it necessitates a major change in makeup as well. And after thinking long and hard for approximately 3 seconds, I've landed on my mantra for the season, namely: Minimal Effort, Maximum Impact.

I start first with a strong foundation - or in this case, Urban Decay's new Urban Defense Tinted Moisturizer SPF 20, which came highly recommended by the lovely Kristin from Fashion Style Beauty (and bless her for it). This lightly tinted moisturizer provides *just* enough cover, and protects my precious skin from the hellish death rays of the sun.

Next up (a step I only WISH I could skip) is Make Up For Ever's amaze Full Cover Concealer. If we're being candid, I give thanks EVERYDAY that I'm a woman and it's socially acceptable for me to wear concealer, and this is among the BEST. The full coverage formula is waterproof and sweatproof - in fact, today it lasted through a HELLISH Physique 57 class without a crease.

Next and NEVER to be forgotten is a strong bronzer. My latest love is the latest from MAC's oh-so-seasonally-approp Surf, Baby! collection, which delivers a natural looking glow SLASH nothing short of LIFE to my face.

As a Leo, I eat compliments for dinner, and one of my favorite recent comps was def "Are those your REAL lashes?" This, you see, meant that I'd done my job effectively as a woman for the day. My secret (no longer) is Dior's iconic Diorshow Mascara, and in the summer, the waterproof formula keeps me lashlicious in the surf.

Last, but never least is a spectacular bold lippie - nothing will make your face look "finished' faster. New to my makeup bag is Cover Girl's ultra-moisturizing Lip Perfection Lipstick. With 44 shades to choose from, you're BOUND to find one that you love, but my favorites for the season are easily Hot (a bright orange red) and Coquette (a bold, look-at-me pink). Best of all, these babies smell like cotton candy - one of my fave summer treats, be it at the boardwalk or the ball game.

So, there you have it, peeps - my min effort, max impact makeup routine. Which begs the question, what's in your makeup bag this season?

Cheap Thrill: L'Oreal Double Extend Eye Illuminator Mascara

L'Oreal Double Extend Eye Illuminator Mascara, Black Bronze

My quest for the perfect mascara is a lot like Monty Python's quest for the Holy Grail or Giuliana Rancic's quest for a sandwich. Arduous, hilarious and seemingly never-ending. But just when I've come close to GIVING UP ENTIRELY, a dark horse comes up from behind and takes the lead. In this case, L'Oreal's new Double Extend Eye Illuminator Mascara.

This NEW mascara boasts a double-ended barrel that houses a one-two punch for lashes; an ultra-lengthening (no clumps to be seen here, yo!) formula in classic black on one end, and a specially-formulated, eye-illuminating hue on the other. The illuminating top coat is infused with "light-reflecting pearls" (I know, I know...) that highlight your eye color, thanks to a a clever sphere tip brush that makes it oh-so-simple to hit just the tips of lashes.

As of late, I've embraced the Black/Bronze duo seen above, which was specifically created to make green eyes like mine look even greener. It works, homies, it works.

If longer lashes and an "illuminated" eye color sounds appealing to you, snag L'Oreal Double Extend Eye Illuminator Mascara for $10.95 at drugstore.com or at a drugstore or mass market retailer near you.

FTC Disclosure: I attended a L'Oreal press event, where I received product samples for editorial consideration.

 

Reviewed, Approved: Blinc Mascara

If you’ve ever been a bride, you may have heard of Blinc mascaras.  Currently only available online (and therefore primarily used by professionals, and the #1 mascara choice of brides everywhere) and in dermatological and cosmetic surgery offices, Blinc is hopefully the mascara of the future.

$24.00 by Blinc at Beauty.com

I am an admitted “mascara junkie,” and am always looking for new ways to lengthen, separate, and plump.  I’m also fair-ly colored, and enjoy brown mascara for a natural, everyday look.  Blinc offers dark brown, blue, green, medium brown, black, and purple – so many wonderful options for any style!  But the real delight lies in its “tube” technology, now commonly found in products like L’Oreal Double Extend Beauty Tubes. Unlike these more mass-produced brands, Blinc mascaras are acrylic-polymer based, and contain no adhesives – they are easily removed with warm water, and certainly won’t take any of your natural lashes with them.  They’re also vegan-friendly and cruelty-free, so rest assured that Blinc products are good for your karma, too. For more info, visit www.blincinc.com

-West Coast Contributor Lalla Robinson

Get the Look: Jessica Szohr's Fashion & Beauty Faves

Like any good New York woman, I la-la-love Gossip Girl. And while I can't survive without a little S and B on my Monday nights, I'm also a huge fan of Brooklynite Vanessa Abrams, played by Jessica Szohr.  Jessica's really a natural knock out, so when the folks at Dove shared the following fashion & beauty must-haves from their spokesperson, I knew I had to share.

 

• Growing up in Wisconsin, jeans were my wardrobe staple. This summer I’m living in jean shorts because I can wear them so many different ways. I can either wear them casually with a button down and sandals during the day or dress them up with heels at night.
• The stylists I’ve worked with have really opened my eyes to fashion trends and experimenting with accessories. This summer boho headbands are my go-to accessory because they keep my hair off my face when it gets sticky out
• People don’t realize this, but we are filming the show all summer long in NYC. To help relieve the hot city heat, I’m constantly jumping in the shower to freshen up and stay cool. I love Dove go fresh Burst Body Wash. The nectarine and white ginger scent smells so good and invigorates me at any time of day! (Jessica's not exaggerating - this is one of my very fave shower gels. It's moisturizing too - and SO cheap.)
• Filming days can be long and brutal – especially in the heat of summer – so I make sure to stay hydrated and have lots of healthy snacks to keep my energy level up. But don’t get me wrong, I definitely stray sometimes – my favorite splurge is Cheetos!
• On a warm summer day, no need to cake on the makeup! I like to keep it simple. One of my favs is Napoleon Perdis mascara – it’s all I need in the summer!

 

Top Mascaras for Length & Volume

Top Mascaras for Length & Volume

What clumped, what ran and what truly transformed our real-woman testers

We had 12 beauty-junkie members of our Total Beauty Squad test out so-called lengthening and volumizing mascaras. Their verdict: You could spend a fortune on the best -- but you don't have to. See what was tops. Their findings