This morning at 5 am, when everyone else was still slumbering peacefully, I was getting ready to work. I'm decidedly NOT a morning person, so I sacrificed 30 minutes of getting-ready time for some much needed sleep. The result: a quick, low-key natural eye with just a splash of color.



Products used:

Sephora Nano Eyeliner in Pure White (base)
Lorac Starry-Eyed Baked Eyeshadow Trio in Movie Star (the light gold color)
Lancome Colour Focus Palette in 4Style
Make Up For Ever Eyeliner in #4
Urban Decay Lush Lash Mascara

I get a lot of people asking me for an eye look that will take them from day to night. Usually I do a nice natural look with a subtle splash of color, or a light smoky eye that they can add drama to later with a bit of eyeliner.

And then I thought: what if the phrase "day to night" was taken literally?



Sephora Nano Eyeliner in Pure White (base)
Manly Palette 10, 2, 3, 17, 15, 100, 101, 86, 43
Buxom Lashliner in Leatherette
Urban Decay Lush Lash Mascara

A client asked me today how I get my shadow so precise. The trick is to use an eyeliner brush to apply shadow when you want detailed and precise application. So I don't wear out my eyeliner brush, I keep two on hand: one specifically for eyeliner, and one specifically for shadow.

Today's eye is pretty ironic, considering that here in "Minnesnowta," there's not a flake on the ground. It was forty-eight degrees today in my neck of the woods, and sixty in the southern part of the state, which are record highs. Golf courses are open. I didn't wear a coat today. And perhaps most disturbing, there's no pond hockey being played. So I thought I'd bring a little winter of my own, with a lot of help from Buxom.



Products used:

Sephora Nano Liner in Pure White (base)
Buxom Stay There Eyeshadow in Husky, Chihuahua, Sheepdog, and Bulldog
Make Up For Ever Aqua Black (which I mixed with Bulldog for the crease)
Make Up For Ever Aqua Cream #2 (used in the inner corner for eyeliner on the bottom)
Buxom Lash Liner in Leatherette
Urban Decay Lush Lash Mascara

It's no secret to those who know me that Too Faced is one of my favorite brands. (In fact, the only brand I love more is Make Up For Ever.) I always look forward to Too Faced's holiday palettes, and I'm always waiting to get my hands on their latest collection.

For spring, they've launched the Natural Beauty Collection, a collection of seven mostly new products for a natural face. The three I'm most eager to get my hands on:

1.) Natural Face Natural Radiance Face Palette, $39



Ah, Too Faced palettes <3 Their powders are always so wonderfully selected, and this is no exception. The range of colors is neither too pink nor too golden, ensuring that the shades will work well on almost any skintone. The palette packs a punch, with seven products: bronzer, cream blush, powder blush, concealer, luminizer, and brightener. At $39, it's an amazing price for a kit full of face essentials. For anyone just starting out with makeup, this palette paired with a foundation is going to start them off on the right foot. For seasoned makeup junkies, this is a great palette to travel with. Not to mention, it's got the great Get The Look cards we all know and love, with three different complexion strategies.

2.) Natural At Night Sexy & Sultry Neutral Eye Shadow Collection, $36



Another palette! I love these clever little boxes. They come with nine shadows in three prearranged combinations, and a card which tells you how to apply each combination.

The other thing I love about Too Faced eyeshadow is the texture. It's velvety and decadent and oh so blendable. The shades in the new palette are a bit darker than the shades in their current Natural Eye palette, and I like a little drama, so I'm looking forward to this one!

3.) Tinted Beauty Balm Multi-Benefit Skin Care Makeup, $32



Historically, Too Faced has some pretty cutting-edge makeup. Their Primed and Poreless powder is unmatched when it comes to erasing pores, and the Tanning Bed in a Tube is a head above most other self-tanners. So, with their track record of excellence, I am excited to see them jump on the BB cream bandwagon.

Too Faced tells us that this adds tint and radiance; prevents sun damage with SPF 20; moisturizes with oil-free hydration; soothes and nourishes with vitamins A and E; helps prevent aging; and can be used as a primer or a complexion perfector. Whew!

Chime in: Which spring item are you looking forward to?

Do I spend all day trying to figure out names for these things? Yes. Yes I do. And to think, it's only been six days! My friend Kellie and I were chatting last night, and we came up with some cool themes for the months ahead. I'll be doing some Disney princess inspired looks, and some hockey team inspired looks, and all sorts of other themes. So at least the names of those looks will actually make a bit more sense. :)

Enough rambling, here's the makeup:



Products used:

Sephora Nano Eyeliner in Pure White (highlight)
Manly Palette #105, #100, #85, #86
Lorac Front of the Line PRO
Urban Decay Lush Lash Mascara

Tomorrow: a '20s flapper look I've been dying to try!

Here is the post I promised-- when I refer to "Manly #__," this is the number system I'm going off of. I've made my own since the colors are not labelled in the palette.

So last night, I was sitting in front of my computer and a shoebox full of nail polish, trying to decide what I wanted to do with my nails. And then my Twitter feed exploded with the news that Benedict Cumberbatch, the actor who plays Sherlock Holmes in BBC's Sherlock, had landed the role of the main villain in the next Star Trek movie.

So, of course, I did what any self-respecting fan of Sherlock and Star Trek would do: flailed about wildly for a moment, then got down to business with a celebratory manicure.



Clearly, if I have an injury to my hand this week, it will be the index finger that will suffer the most. Redshirt!

I should tell you all that I currently have quite a bit of eyeshadow in my vanity that hasn't been used. I have a nice big Too Faced palette that's only had three colors used as of yet, a handful of Nyx pigments, and some other goodies. So today, naturally, when I sat down to do my eye look, what did I use?

Blush and bronzer. Well, and a few other things.



Products used:

Too Faced Shadow Insurance
Lorac blush in Hollywood
Lorac Tantalizer bronzer
Urban Decay 24/7 Shadow Pencils in Sin (highlight), Juju (crease), and Rehab (liner)
Urban Decay Lush Lash Mascara

Okay, though. I solemnly swear to use the heck out of that Too Faced palette next week. A purple smoky eye is calling my name.

Every now and then, I run across a product I just can't live without. More often than not, it's an expensive one that I have to splurge on. But sometimes I'll find a reasonably priced beauty item that wows me.

With my job, I sanitize my hands a lot, so they get dried out quickly. I'm constantly hunting for a good lotion or hand cream, and I've tried nearly everything. Currently, I use the Hemp Hand Protector (The Body Shop, $18.50) which really moisturizes my hands-- even after handwashing and hand sanitizing-- however, it's got sort of a funky smell to it, and it is a little greasier than I'd like.

On a whim, I tried Sephora by OPI's Restorative Hand Moisturizer. First of all, it's only $5 (and it was on sale for $1.97 at the time!) It has a mild fresh, citrus-y scent, and packs a lot of moisturizing power without being greasy. This one is available in stores, but not via Sephora's website.

The Daily Hand Moisturizer is also a dream. It smells like fields full of white flowers and makes your hands feel amazing... for just $5? $9? (it's $5 in stores... Sephora's website lists the price as $9.)

I don't think I'll be able to be sans these lotions again. I'm devoted. And the price leaves me with more money to spend on eyeshadow! Ha.

Chime in: what's your most reasonably priced must-have?

Oh, my friends in the Midwest will love me or hate me for this one.

I stopped by Ulta to pick up some cleanser the other day, and couldn't resist snagging a couple of things from NYX. And, since they were shiny and new and sitting on my vanity, I had to use them all together! Which resulted in me unintentionally creating a look that would be perfect for Super Bowl Sunday... if the Vikings ever made it there.



Too Faced Shadow Insurance
NYX Ultra Pearl Mania in Oro
NYX Ultra Pearl Mania in True Purple
NYX Studio Liquid Liner in Extreme Purple
Urban Decay Lush Lash Mascara

I will now shelter my head from the cheese which will inevitably be thrown my way by the friends in my life who are rabid Packer fans. See you tomorrow!