I am re-publishing this post today, both because I am feeling lazy, and because I just went over this technique with a friend this morning.  Actually, the REAL reason is to “ick” out Tracy because this picture looks like I am jabbing out my eye with a liner brush!  Enjoy.

Earlier this year, I mentioned one of my favorite eyeliner techniques using a flat eyeliner brush with a gel or liquid liner to create a very thin or tight line on your lashline.   The “tightline” is a fabulous technique for individuals who want to naturally enhance their lashes.

I use Laura Mercier’s flat liner brush with Bleu Marine and it stays on great and looks fabulous. If you have thin or sparse lashes this is an awesome way to define your eyes and make your lashes look thicker!

“with my Laura Mercier’s Flat Liner Brush I dot Bleu Marine eye liner above and below the lashes, to thicken my lash line and add some Oomph!  I think it turned out pretty cool, imho!  The brush in this position probably makes you cringe, and you need to be careful with it.  This liner technique just needs a steady hand and some practice.”

An excellent video to help demonstrate how to apply the tight eyeliner or “tightliner” technique in detail is found at:  http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=487834.

Kate from Megsmakeup.com mentioned that a thin eyeliner, like Tarte’s emphasEYES (that comes in chocolate, plum, green or black) is another way to create the tightline look.

No matter which eyeliner you choose, the tightliner technique is something you must try!

In 2002, Suki Kramer started her own skincare company, Suki, Inc., and has recently branched out in making a cosmetics line as well, Sukicolor. I first heard of Suki’s skincare line through my friends at Megsmakeup.com. If you haven’t had the chance, you can read my enthusiastic reviews of two of her products: Suki’s Lemongrass Cleanser, and her Sukicolor Tinted Active Moisturizer.  Most recently I have fallen in love with a new sukispa product which I will be reviewing in detail soon,  sukispa’s renewal bio-resurfacing facial peel!

The only thing that is better than finding an amazing skincare line, is getting to interview the phenomenal people that are behind these companies.

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Eye Treatments!  Many of us cannot afford the $50+ eye cream and would prefer to be able to pick up a product from the drug store.  Here are some of my suggestions for selecting an effective drug store brand eye cream. 

1.  Read carefully through the product ingredient list.  A good eye formula should have no strong fragrance or color, absorb quickly into your skin and contain beneficial ingredients like:

• Peptides. Only certain peptides are considered effective like Palmitoyl pentapeptide-4 (Matrixyl), and copper peptides should not be combined with retinoids, AHA’s or Vitamin C (in a nutshell, they cancel eachother out).
  Antioxidants. Vitamin C, E, green tea
  Caffeine. As strange as it may seem, caffeine diminishes inflammation and fluid retention around the eye.
  Sodium Hyaluronate. highly effective moisturizer
  retinyl palmitate (vitamin A). Speeds up cell turnover rate and has anti-aging benefits.

For example, L’Oreal’s Advanced RevitaLift Eye Cream contains shea butter, caffeine, and Retinyl Palmitate. I would say this might be a promising formula, but you might not like the fact that it has a strong fragrance or added color.  Another product like “Yes to Carrots” Eye can C Cleary Now Eye Contour Cream has cucumber water, carrot oil, Retinyl Palmitate, and vitamin c, also contains fragrance, but seems to list more natural recognizable ingredients. Whenever you venture buying any product read the ingredients carefully and keep your receipt. 

2.  Eye creams should never sting or cause your eyes to tear-up.  Eye creams should soothe not irritate your eyes.

3.  Your eyes should feel moisturized, but not greasy.

4.  Results take time.  Most eye treatments will take consistent use for 6 to 8 weeks before you can start noticing improvements.

I recently noticed an ad for Garnier Nutritioniste’s Skin Renew “Anti-Puff Eye Roller” that contains caffeine, Vitamin b-5 and “exclusive skin nutrients.” This looks like it might hold some promise for the puffiness issues and I would be curious exactly how it works to diminish the dark undereye circles.  In the *small print you will read that results were seen “after 8 weeks of use.” The women at Megsmakeup.com recently gave this product mixed reviews at, “GARNIER NUTRITIONISTE SKIN RENEW ANTI-PUFF EYE ROLLER! DRUGSTORE DEAL THURSDAYS!” (more…)

Now that title is a mouthful!  A weekend isn’t complete without mentioning some fabulous beauty reads from around the Internet:

• Products That Work For Every Woman! - Jami from Bionic Beauty shares her list of basic beauty items that are universally great for all women.
• Fall 2008 Trends: The Color Purple - Raging Rouge delves into several ways to go purple this season.
• Carnivore & Creme de Violet FOTD – Decorative Diva puts together another fabulous look using violet and wine red eye shadows.
• Apparently, Spoiled Pretty is a Snoozefest – I had to laugh reading this post.  Yeah Daneen, your totally rocking and wonderful beauty blog is a real snoozer! ;)
• Lash Stash is Back - Makeup Moxie reports that while the original Lash Stash had only seven mascaras, the new version now comes with ten mini mascaras for you to test out.  How awesome, I want!
• JESSICURL TOO SHEA CONDITIONER! HUMP DAY HAIR DAY! - My favorite group of beauty mavens at Megsmakeup.com test out Jessicurl, and guess what?  They love it!
• HOLIDAYS ARE HERE! SATURDAYS AT SEPHORA! - Kate at Megsamakeup.com talks about some amazing traincases filled with cosmetics that are being auctioned for charity.  Go check them out, and bid away.  
• Fitness Friday:  Don’t Skimp on Stretching – My favorite beauty gals from Girl-Woman-Beauty-Brains-Blog discuss the benefits of stretching!   
• Comments for a Cure:  This weekend Only - Face Candy gives a touching tribute to her parents and supports BCA by contributing $4 for every comment made at this post!
• lancome oscillation mascara launches today! - Jenn and Christine at Beauty in Real Life review Lancome’s newly released vibrating mascara applicator.  Does it work and tips on how to use it.

Want an instant pop of brilliant red color on those lips, but a little leery of wearing a full colored red lipstick shade?  I highly recommend trying a sheer red lip gloss.  My favorite fun look for summer has been to wear Becca’s Glossy Lip Tint in Cherrybomb.   It adds a bright, pure shade of red to my lips and lots of long lasting shine, and I don’t feel like this gloss is overpowering and screams to everyone, “Hey look, I am wearing my Mom’s red lipstick!”

For you who can boldly wear the bright red lipstick, I envy you!  But for those like myself who are feeling timid about wearing red lipstick, but are still craving the ”little red corvette” color to your lip palette, Becca’s sheer bright red Cherrybomb lip gloss is a great alternative.  I usually think of a red lipstick as a winter shade, but picture this, how nice a red lip compliments a tan (or sunless tan) complexion?  

I gave Becca’s Glossy Lip Tint a “9 out of 10″ stars on the Total Beauty site.  I gave this product a “9″ simply because of its price.  $23 is a little steep for even a fabulous lip gloss.

Stila has a deep red lip and cheek stain called “Cherry Crush” which I have heard wonderful things about.  You can also try Stila’s limited edition “Rock the vote Red” lipstick.  Wearing red lipstick to the polls seems like a very patriotic thing to do.  

Check out my friend Kate’s picks for fabulous fall red lip color at her post, “That time of year again:  Saturdays at Sephora,” at Megsmakeup.com.

Which ever way you choose; have fun with some red!

Times have been a-changing over at my favorite beauty webiste, including a new group of beauty reviewers.  Here is a great read for this week from Kate at Megsmakeup.com:

“July is always Skin Solutions month at Sephora.  It has really come to be one of my favorite animations over the years. Because as fun as makeup is – It’s important to take care of your canvas and there are some fabulous products that can make you look whiter, brighter, younger, more awake in just a couple steps –whether skincare or color or even fragrances! The mantra this month in our stores is “Truth or bare: Dare to bare your skin” and they’ve highlighted this little philosophy to go with it:

No more hiding your face behind oversized sunglasses or your legs in capri pants. We dare you to bare your skin (every last inch of it!) with solutions to your biggest bare-it-all beauty dilemmas–sun damage, short lashes, wrinkles, bikini lines, pale legs, no-makeup makeup; they’re all fair game here. So pick your beauty poison and peal off those layers to reveal skin that looks better in the buff. C’mon, we dare you.”

If you are looking for some new suggestions for some awesome skincare solutions take a walk on over to this post at Megs:   SKIN SECRETS! SATURDAYS AT SEPHORA! 

Two items that have caught my attention at Sephora are:

In Skincare, MD Skincare Skin Happens-Clear Up! Kit ($100 Value for $45)

Included are 15 applications of the Alpha Beta Daily Face Peel, a 1.7 oz Powerful Sun Protection SPF 30 Sunscreen Lotion, a 1.7 oz All-in-one Cleaning Form, a Tinted Moisturizer Sunscreen SPF 15 sample, a 0.17 oz Correct & Perfect Spot Treatment deluxe sample, and a 0.5 oz All-Over Blemish Solution deluxe sample.

(This kit comes in three combinations:  Clear Up!, Calm Down!, and Even Out!)

In Makeup, Korres Mediterranean Sun Color Collection Kit ($62 Value for $35)

The kit includes a Illuminating Bronzing Powder (0.39 oz), a Deep Colour Mascara in Black (0.30 oz), and a Cherry Full Colour Lip Gloss in Fuchsia (0.20 oz ), in a reusable makeup bag.

Just so you know, my favorite beauty forum is Megsmakeup.com. Meg is looking for a new addition to her reviewing team for the weekly Thursday post, “Drugstore Deals Thursday.”

If you have reviewing experience, a burning desire to share your drugstore cosmetic obsession, and gift for writing, just GO FOR IT! This is a wonderful opportunity to expand your horizons and receive some amazing free makeup. The deadline is tomorrow, so there is no time to waste! Here is Meg’s invitation:

WE NEED A NEW TESTER & CREST WHITE TEETH STRIPS! DRUGSTORE DEAL THURSDAYS!

We’re looking for a new Drugstore Deal writer. What we need.. Do you laugh in uncomfortable situations? Have you ever stalked a man? Sometimes do you wake up in a cold sweat over an inappropriate text message you’d sent the night before after too many cocktails? Do you like dogs? Do people say to you “OMG I can’t believe you just said that?” Then start to giggle in agreement? Are you cool? Are you unable to leave a Walgreens/CVS/Duane Reade without a beauty item? Can you write descriptive/funny/tear-jerking posts? DO YOU LOVE MEGSMAKEUP? Can I rely on you to send me a review due once a week by Wednesday night 8pm? Hmmm.. Can I?

What’s in it for you? Not only love, appreciation and my soul BUT FREE HIGH END BEAUTY PRODUCTS DELIVERED TO YOUR MAILBOX Just because you write the DD doesn’t mean that you are not sent the pricey items. I just need to know you’re committed to leaving a thorough, honest comment on what you’ve been sent. This gig gives you thousands of dollars of the most elusive and upscale items out there. Plus, I throw in a DD item for your own post that goes up every Thursday.

Who gets the gig? We believe in democracy at Megsmakeup.com so here’s the deal. My teeth are looking stank. They look old and coffee, red wine and cigged out. I just bought for the first time, some Crest Tooth Whitening Strips, the 7 day to whiter teeth version. Does this work? Have you tried it? What have you gotten from the local drugstore chain that really works if these don’t. What led you to buy a tooth whitener? Talk to us! Oh yeah, you start Sunday. That’s when we decide!

Who will be the next Drugstore Deal Thursday Diva?!  This is very exciting and cannot wait to find out who gets picked.

You read correctly.   Click over to the SPA WEEK website to enter for several spa product giveaways.  One is even giving away 10 of Alison Raffaele’s newly designed and highly praised Face Forward Primers - in their Age Response formula!

What are you waiting for?!    Get over there and enter! 

Meg at megsmakeup.com just pointed out that on the same Spa Week website, you can sign up for $50  Jane Iredale Spa Sessions at over 400 participating locations around the US.   Yeah, I already checked and Utah doesn’t have any spas registered…bummer! 

If you are or are not familiar with the Prescriptives cosmetic line.  Now is your chance to get 25% off your entire purchase using their Friends and Family Code:  FFSP8 at checkout.  This code is valid until 3.21.08 and is available online only.

Megsmakeup.com just announced this code and several gals will be suggesting their favorite Prescriptive items.  I for one purchased their Flawless Face Foundation and foundation brush earlier this year.   I highly recommend this foundation for those with sensitive skin, or skin that is difficult to match, and want natural coverage.  I have also heard very good things, but have yet to try, their Vibrant C skincare lotion. 

One thing that is very unique about the Prescriptives line is their unique way of determining your skin’s undertone.  Until I had had this done, I never knew how cool/blue my actual skin undertone was.  Once your skin tone is determined, they can recommend foundations and shades in color groups specifically formulated to look best with your complexion.  Genius!

As Indiana Farmer Wife said at Meg’s, Prescriptives are like “Garanimals for Grrls.”  Cosmetics that make you look your best, but don’t stand out and scream, “I have makeup on!”  That is a big plus for me as well! 

Makeup Lingerie \mæk-ˌkəp lɑn-jə-ˈre\ n.  1. The beauty products that you cannot live without.  2.  The beauty items you always go to, the essentials, the must use them or I would feel wacky ones.  3.  The “bra and panties” that provide the foundation before you put on the rest of your daily “makeup wardrobe.”

(As in:  “I consider my makeup lingerie my mascara and my eyeliner, without them,  my eyes would be completely nondescript.”)  

- “Kate2004Rock’s Unabridged Dictionary“

After reading Kate’s post, I asked myself, what does my “makeup lingerie” consist of?  So, I decided to share with you some of my “intimates.”  Let’s start with skincare shall we?   I know skincare isn’t technically “makeup,” but your skin IS your canvas.  Beautiful and healthy skin is best way to assure everything else you put on will look its best.

A great cleanser:  Suki’s Lemongrass Cleanser.   Yeah, it is a broken record, I cannot live without it.  This was my #1 beauty find for 2007.  It is a gentle exfoliator and leaves my skin feeling clean but not over-stripped.  I use this once a day, usually in the AM.

A toner:  Suki’s White Willow Toner.   Removes any remaining cleanser product, and leaves my skin feeling refreshed and balanced.   Look what Suki put in this remarkable toner!  A must for acne prone or sensitive skin.  The ingredients in this toner are:

organic rose petal, chamomile, calendula & tea tree infused in purified, filtered water, standardized white willow & chamomile extracts, white willow bark extracts distilled in fermented sugars, chamomile & rose, witch hazel distillate, pure, organic, food grade aloe vera, natural vitamin liposomes c & retinol, seaweed extracts & pure, premium, steam distilled essential oils.

A Treatment/Serum:  Caudalie Vinoperfect Radiance Serum: 

If you haven’t heard me mention Caudalie before, stop and make note.  This is a fantastic skincare line.  The smell alone, Oooh la la! Vineyard grape goodness.  Rich in antioxidants, this serum really feeds and moisturizes your skin.  Please Kate make any comments below!

This is a very good start, and I am feeling a little bit exposed right now.   Feel free to share some of your favorite “lingerie” items, and remember we’re talking about beauty products here.