Happy Holidays

My favorite thing to do is over purchase gift sets. But this Christmas, the gift sets are actually really economical and filled with products you will actually use. I have listed some of my favorites.

These Benefit lipsticks are a must for every woman and this is a great deal.
I buy this Stila set every year for my friend- they change the colors every Christmas.
And these glosses are an amazing deal from Benefit.
And this fragrance set includes a voucher to redeem for a full size fragrance at Sephora.
There are amazing sets at Smashbox and Sephora this year so be sure to check them out!
I am sure you have seen this, but it is an incredible gift for a teenager... or me.
It's Stila's makeup player and you use it with your ipod. Very cute. I would like a couple.

I had no idea that Smashbox.com had great treats like freebies if you purchase on Tuesdays and Thursdays and lots of other suprises. By the way, Smashbox has the best brushes and fantastic foundations.

Oh, Benefit, You Come Through Again

I often discuss on here a favorite company of mine, Benefit because they accomplish what many cannot- cute products that are actually quality. Well, cute strikes again with their new blog I think I am going to upload a couple videos of myself trying to use as many Benefit products as I can in OHM... what do you think?

Be Blue

Brides, step it up. There is no such thing as "bridal makeup". There is makeup and the woman wearing it is getting married. There are things to keep in mind of course. She needs a lot of blush because pictures can wash her out and blush seems to be the first to fade as the night wears on. I love Benetint and Dallas as I have said plenty of times before. And you also need a lipstick that stains. I like MAC's For Keeps. But instead of that eggshell shadow, try some color! I have used blue as shown and purple plenty of times and it is always a big hit. My friend once lined her eyes in a powder blue for her wedding with nothing else and it was gorgeous. Come on, try some color at your trial!

The Claw

I don't write about hair usually because I don't do hair (and believe me you don't want me to!) But I saw this amazing product and had to know if anyone out there had ever used it? It looks hilarious and yet amazingly effective as a diffuser for curly hair. Although my hair is only wavy, I feel like I need one as a bathroom decoration. Have any of you had experience with this fun thing?

Brusha, Brusha, Brusha

Lots of people ask me about cleaning their brushes. It's easy! First, make sure you are always using great brushes. They are expensive, believe me, but so absolutely worth it. I can tell you first hand that you can make any makeup look fantastic as long as you are using great brushes. And don't worry about the price because you will never have to replace a great brush (unless they are stolen from you like mine were last year..yikes!) The best brushes in the industry are by Smashbox. They are absolutely the best.

To give brushes a surface clean, I use Cinema Secret's Brush Cleaner. Simply pour it onto a paper towel then wipe the brush over the towel.

Every once and a while, you need to give them a deep clean with a very gentle shampoo. Pour the shampoo into a jar of warm water, plunge the brushes into the water and rinse really well under cool water. Make sure all the soap is completely out! Squeeze the excess water gently. Shape the brushes and lay them on the edge of the sink to dry. Don't let your brushes soak in the water, it will make the handle deteriorate over time.

Seeing Green

So I have been seeing tons of green eyeshadow lately on everyone from Bethenny Frankel to just about anyone on So You Think You Can Dance. This proves that anyone can wear green eyeshadow! I love it. My favorites are Humid and Sprout from MAC. When you wear a bold color like this, pack it onto the entire lid then use a fluffy brush and blend the crease (do not add more color) using windshield wiper motions back and forth. Easy!

Hairspray For Wizards

Have you heard of Davines Wizards No. 9 Structuring Mist? Now I am not a hair person, but I recently did a wedding and saw this hairspray and noted the phrase on the can "Hairspray For Wizards". I just had to take a picture of it, and I also have to say that the phrase on the can makes me want to buy 10 cans for myself. I googled it, but cannot find any explanation for the term Wizards. I may be coming out from under a rock with this, but would love for someone to school me on this. Judging from the reviews online, it is an amazing product.

Lovely Lashes

I have blogged before about mascara, so you may know that my favorite is Exceptionnel de Chanel, but you also may know that I adore the drugstore, and I do love Cover Girl's Lash Blast mascara. I use Loreal Voluminous for most jobs, but for some reason, on myself I prefer the Lash Blast. Now, it can get a little "gummy" if you are using the waterproof which is why I prefer Voluminous for weddings and such. The waterproof formula of Voluminous wears amazingly well all day whereas Lash Blast is good for going out, but requires a little work to remove. Above all, don't forget to curl your lashes with a Shu Uemura lash curler (blast it with a hair dryer for a couple seconds to get the most curl).

Their Name's Not Mud

I love a good mask when my skin is feeling really oily and troubled. Usually, when you pick a drying mask, you want to pick a product with sulfur in it, but the mask I love the most does not have that ingredient and is still amazingly effective. It is Astara Bio Genic Skincare's Blue Flame Purification Mask. It doesn't suck your face dry, to that completely uncomfortable point, it simply whisks away the oil and dirt that gets in the way of letting your new layer of skin glow.

So I Had A Baby....

Allow me to post my super cute kid here, though he doesn't have any products on. Jaxon Riley Bartok was born March 17th at 7am. What have I learned since then? Lots of people come to say hi and see the baby, well, they also see you. And then it's documented in pictures for the rest of your lives. The nurse rolled her eyes and I think grunted something about how lame I was when I asked my husband for my makeup bag. But I am after all a makeup artist and I know how to put on makeup so it doesn't look like I have makeup on.
Here is how....

1. Benefit Playsticks on anything that is uneven.
2. Benetint on your cheeks and lips
3. MAC Dazzle Lash Mascara (don't do the bottom lashes!)
4. One swipe of MAC Cream Color Base in a color like Hush or Pearl- something eggshell in color, peachy or taupe-y.

I mean really, it's not that big of a deal, takes two seconds and you can do it after you have a baby, or even after a one night stand while he is making the coffee. No one can tell you put any effort into looking so natural...