Supernatural Botanicals

Tired of inconsistently sharpened lip and eye pencils each time you try to sharpen pointy new tips on them?  Chances are good that it’s your sharpener, not your pencil.

Try these tips to get the most consistent, perfectly sharpened pencil.

1. Always use the proper sized sharpener for the pencil.  Don’t sharpen a small pencil in a large sharpener….you’ll get a crooked edge on the pencil.
2. Use good quality sharpeners from an art store.  Purchase several sizes for your various pencil sizes.  Even good quality sharpeners are fairly inexpensive, and you’ll only need to purchase these about twice in your lifetime….it’s a good deal, go with it.  It’s worth it.
3. Maintenance.  Keep your tools clean.  They’ll perform better and it eliminates any entry point for bacteria.  Use a Q-Tip to gently clean our the sharpening barrel.  Never use alcohol or water on your blades…it will make them rust.

Everything you wanted to know about applying eyeliner, by Tiffany D.

There is one Golden Rule for using an eyebrow pencil, which seems obvious, but is broken remarkably frequently.  Use the pencil in gentle, broken movements to create a natural looking sweep.  One continuous motion creates a scary, cartoon-rainbow effect.

How many beautiful towels do you suppose you’ve ruined with your mascara?  Hundreds?  Thousands?

What’s a girl to do?  We all wear makeup and we all have to take it off at the end of the day.  The issue with makeup removal is that is stains your beautiful washcloths.

Not to worry, we can save your towels and your budget with one simple fix.  Consider trekking over to the baby aisle the next time you are at the grocery store.

As it turns out, baby wipes are multitaskers.  They are great for babies, obviously, but also great to get that mascara off of your eyes without destroying your entire linen closet.  They contain oils that help make the mascara slide right off of your eyes when removing makeup.

If you have sensitive skin, use the baby wipes marked “gentle, for sensitive skin.”

After you have removed your mascara with the baby wipe, which is the major culprit for black marks all over your washcloths, you can wash the rest of your face with the washcloth.

Make the switch.  Save your washcloths and keep your linen closet looking beautiful.

Our favorite “housewife” from the OC shows us how to work that Gretchen-flip-bang.  It’s a gorgeous look for long hair.  Watch and learn, BBs. 

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_TNehgEg3A

I am love, love, loving the new Studio Secrets Magic Perfecting Base by Loreal.  My normal makeup routine has never consisted of a primer…not even a concealer.   But it caught my eye in the makeup aisle and curiosity got the best of me and it’s now in my makeup bag! 

It retails for $12.99 per 0.5 ounce.  Pricey for the amout of product you receive?  Maybe, but the plus side of that argument is that very, very little product is needed to be effective.  It’s a bit like Chinese food in that you feel you’ll never get to the bottom of the container. 

The texture is almost sponge-like, although the overall consistency is a cream.  The jar can be tricky if you have long nails like I do, but you can use a small makeup spatula or makeup brush to get the product from the jar. 

Rub a very small amount on your face in areas that need some TLC.  It minimizes the appearance of pores instantly.  And I really mean instantly.  The fine lines on your forehead…kiss them goodbye.  It smooths uneven surfaces on the face and leaves your face feeling velvety soft. 

It can be worn alone or under your makeup for a flawless appearance.  What I love about this product is that it’s immediately effective.  There’s no waiting “over time” to watch the product develop.  It’s instantly apparent.  It makes your skin look younger, and keeps that oily T zone at bay. 

It also gives you a perfect velvety base in which to apply foundation.  It’s fantastic if you want your skin to look 20 years younger, but want to skip makeup for the day.  It blends into the skin crystal clear and plumps out imperfections. 

The one caveat I have is that this product is not all natural, and I’ve grown accustom to using organic and natural products (think Supernatural Botanicals), but beyond that, this product, in my book, gets Five Stars across the board!  Love, love, love it!

Win a trip to NYC for an eye-opening peek at fashion week, including two (2) tickets to an exclusive ELLE fashion event, and a total makeover from a Maybelline New York makeup artist and ELLE stylist! Enter for your chance to win.

Experience acne as an adult?  It could be your mineral makeup.  Talc-containing power makeup is made up of tiny crystals that can clog pores.  If you are experiencing acne, check out the ingredients label on your mineral makeup to be sure your makeup is talc-free.