A mini version of Clarisonic's famous deep pore cleansing brush, you can take the Mia with you on all life's adventures. Clinically proven to remove six times more makeup and twice as much dirt and oil then your hands alone, this is perfect for the gal who can't get enough of the spa.

Her skin will glow like never before when using these luxurious skincare products. This 14-day travel set is an absolute necessity for the jetsetter who refuses to sacrifice her beauty routine.

Different from every other skincare brand we know, Tata Harper manufactures her 100% natural and non-toxic products on a 1,200 acre farm in Vermont. Formulated to instantly moisturize, these essentials will keep skin hydrated all winter long.

Described as "holy water" by many religious SK-II users, this special limited edition bottle features a gold cap, Rochas lace detailing and a box signed by Cate Blanchett. And as always, it can improve the five dimensions of aging skin when used in a daily skincare regimen.

Good oils fight bad oils, something iconic makeup artist Shu Uemura discovered in the 60s. This shampoo helps draw out impurities on the scalp while cleansing without stripping hair of its natural fibers.

Give her the gift of beautiful, shiny, healthy hair. Damaged ends instantly absorb this formula, infused with Inchi Oil which is rich in omega-3. And it protects against heat styling for the gal who loves her curling iron.

My sister, who has very beautiful but particularly fine hair, swears by this heat styling tool. For the first time in her life, her curls stay perfectly bouncy from morning to night. Ideal for your friend who's bored with her stick straight mane.

For the girl who has piles upon piles of palettes, this is the only one she'll actually need. With 56 Photo Op Eye Shadows, four Brow Tech Powders, one Brow Tech Wax, eight cream eyeliners, two blushes, three Soft Lights & four lip glosses, she'll never get bored with her makeup routine.

Perfect for the diva who is all about her eyes. This clever set comes with a black mascara, crayon intense eyeliner in stromboli and a gold, branded eyelash curler. It's all a girl needs.

Need a tan for one night but not a fan of commitment? Your gal pal won't be afraid to use this beautiful bronzer - not only does it wash off with one shower, the formula dries instantly and will not stain clothing.

Masks

This hauntingly elegant black satin mask by NYC accessories designer Jade Chiu is just enough to make a statement on Halloween without a full-fledged costume.

Dolce & Gabbana Ultra-Shine Lip Gloss $29 – Pat McGrath, Creative Advisor for Dolce&Gabbana The Make Up, offers her wise words about this ultra-luxurious gloss:  “The golden pearl and iridescent shades can be used to highlight the centre of lips for a fuller looking pout.”

Jo

sie Maran Magic Marker Lip & Cheek Stain $19 – Available in nine luscious colors, this lip/cheek stain combo comes in the form of a conveniently portable marker.

Green eyes - If you have glistening green eyes, you want to work with colors that will make them sparkle like emeralds. Purples and golds will highlight your color and make your eyes stand out against your complexion. A plum shadow like Dior 2-Colour Eyeshadow in Purple Look is great for everyday while a bright purple, shimmery shadow like Kat Von D True Romance Pigments in Torment is perfect for a fun weekend look. A metallic gold cream shadow will bring out the warm tones in your green eyes when used on your lids and along the bottom lash line. Illamasqua Liquid Metal in Solstice is a good option that stays put through anything.

Brown eyes - Deep and mysterious, beautiful brown eyes look amazing with warm or bright colors. Try a simple pink shadow for your everyday makeup routine like NARS Single Eyeshadow in Nepal. Just don’t overdo the pigment, or it could look like you have pink eye. If you’re a little braver, blue eyeshadow is a great way to make brown eyes really pop. Yves Saint Laurent‘s OMBRES 5 LUMIÈRES in Riviera has light, medium and dark tones so you can experiment with the level of drama you’re comfortable with. Right in line with the bright eyes trend this spring, orange eyeliner will highlight your brown eyes in just the right way; try M.A.C. Chromaline in Genuine Orange.

Blue eyes - You’ve got the baby blues, but what could you do to make them brighter? Bronze tones are a must to bring out the bluest of blues, and the Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick in Bronze is the perfect palette. A light coral is perfect for everyday wear like Smashbox Single Eyeshadow in Flamingo. If you’re looking to bring out the sea green tones in your peepers, a purple eyeliner like Clinique Quickliner for Eyes in Grape is a fun alternative.

Hazel eyes - Between brown, green and grey, your unique eye color is a cosmetic chameleon. Blue eyeshadow will bring out the gold tones in your eyes. Sephora Collection Colorful Mono Eyeshadow in It-Blue 72 is bold and bright while Shiseido Luminizing Satin Eye Color Trio in Punky Blues is chic and mysterious. If you want to play up the greener side of your eyes, purple mascara like Benefit BADgal Lash Mascara in Plum will do the job.

What tricks do you use when playing up your eye color?

Young woman applying eyeshadow with brush, portrait, close-up

Girl Applying Make-Up

Eyelashes, blue eyes, and contacts

Woman putting on eye make-up, cropped view of face, close-up

Spring 2011 brights: Derek Lam, Christian Dior & Nina Ricca

Start with a primer: There are a few different ways to pull-off this cheery look, but always start with an eyelid primer before trying any of them. Benefit Stay Don’t Stray will guarantee your concealer, shadow and eyeliner won’t bleed no matter how hot it gets.

The Double Bright: Vivid colors on both the lips and eyes can work if done strategically. Start with a neutral base shadow from the lash line to the brow bone like Bare Escentuals bareMinerals Eyecolor in Vanilla Sugar. Use a cool-colored eyeliner to draw a thin line from the inner to outer corners of eyes. Make Up For Ever Aqua Eyes in Turquoise 7L is the perfect shade to master this look. Finish with a warm lip color that will complement your ultra cool eyes like Hourglass Femme Rouge Velvet Crème Lipstick in Muse.

Mellow Yellow: If you wear yellow eyeshadow from lashes to brow bone, you could look like you have jaundice. Using an eyeliner brush, like Sephora Collection Professionnel Angled Liner/Eyeliner Brush #15, apply yellow liner from the middle of the pupil to the outer corners on both the top and bottom lash lines. M.A.C. Chromaline in Primary Yellow is one of the brightest you can get. Finish with the simplest gloss you can find like Michael Kors Rollerball.

Light bright all over: If you love that smudged, all-over bright look, make sure to use a lighter bright instead of something super electric. Start with a grey eyeliner from the start of your lashes to the outer corners on top lids and along the inner rim of bottom lashes. Try Smashbox Limitless Eyeliner in Smoke for the correct look. Then smudge a lightly colored cream shadow across the lid from the inner corners past the outer corners on both the top and bottom lids, creating an ethereal halo around the eyes. We swear by Illamasqua Cream Pigment in Dab. Turn up the drama and finish with two coats of Buxom Lash Mascara in Blackest Black.

The colorful cat eye: Creating less drama then the bright all over look, you can use any color your heart desires for this modern twist on the cat eye. Just like the classic method, swoop your color of choice from the inner corner of eyes past the outer corner in a light, upward motion. There are two great ways to achieve this look. Use a cream shadow for a richer color, like Make Up For Ever Aqua Cream in Turquoise. If you want that shimmery, sparkling look, try a glittery pressed powder like TARINA TARANTINO Eye Dream Hypershadow in Sweetzer.

What are your favorite eyeshadow hues for spring? Will you be trying these runway-inspired looks?

Spring 2011 brights: Derek Lam, Christian Dior & Nina Ricca

When I walked in, Karen Desouza was clad in itty-bitty rolled over blue piercing gym shorts and torn fishnet… everywhere. And she was getting it on a fitness ball with the smoking hot Ben Bellucci in black swishy pants and nothing else. While Karen and Ben stood, limbs entwining in some tantric sex-fighting charade, the venerable Gilles Bensimon sat low on his stool announcing direction to the sounds of Aerosmith’s Love in an Elevator: “Extend your back leg.” “Strong hands.” “Chin down.” “Chin down.”

In the back end, another model, Allison Meiresonne is in prep. Makeup artist Dana James is responsible for the flawlessly blocked gym ready skin. Since the clothes are super basic, hair and makeup needed to be insane, yet purposefully proactive like the clothing itself. Thus, she shaded the eyes smoky with Smashbox shadow and airbrushed on the line of blinding color.Up top, Damon Alfonso worked the hair, teasing it huge like she’s been windblown on a treadmill for an hour followed by tai chi with a hot instructor.

Blonde beauty Alison arrives from the abyss ready and dressed for a jog in heels. And it’s war. I had just heard her say during the ready process that she wasn’t feeling sexy with the types of songs Gilles was playing. And if she was to look her damn sexiest, it had better change. Whelllll then. I gingerly pass along word to the people in charge, and they recommend I put on some different music. But then I turn to the owner of the iPhone connected to the speaker. It was Gilles’ assistant. When I mentioned a music change, she glared slightly and told me that “Gilles will not shoot to their music.” Okay. Might have just stepped on a toe or three. Time to step away from this situation and let it play out as it may. They switched to Karen’s iPod for approximately three down ass workout worthy rap songs when it was switched back to Gilles more rockin’ repertoire. Lesson learned. If you’re Gilles Bensimon, your needs outweigh that of the models.

Back to the visuals now. Place a plaited rope between two models and watch the battle go down. Sam shows them where to stand.

No, this is where it needs to be. Gilles explains just how much space he needs between them for spatial perfection.

And PULL.

Stylist duty calls. Time for Sam to fix a shoe.

Now here’s where my genius kicks in. I’m looking at this scenario in front of me, and Ben is in a shirt. Now, the shirt has to stay in the shot because it is after all a shoot for Equinox’s new line of clothing. But those abs! We daren’t shield them from vision! The wheels in my brain are cranking and turning, so I nudge Sam and say, “What if the girls were tearing off his shirt…..”

Done and DONE. Sam shows the girls how it’s done.

Yes. PERFECT. Brilliant.

Okay, wardrobe change. This could be a bit tricky. Seeing as Sam used a fishnet sock as Karen’s top for the first take, we may be facing a challenge. Equinox has amazing workout gear, engineered specifically to breathe in certain curves along the body, and look super fly for an actual gym sesh. However, at this photo shoot, the selection is a touch slim. Though actually not slim enough for Karen – the tight stretch tank is actually slightly baggy on her. So we play. Yes, ropes quite rightly work as a top, when strategically censoring.

Next shot: Ben in the middle, ladies – fight over him. Go!

Hmm, no that’s not quite enough. And though it would seem like it in the picture above, this was not the model’s brilliant idea: “Let’s get out that elastic band and tie him up in the middle. The two girls can pull on the band and fight over him that way.” It was not mine either, but not surprisingly it was Creative Director Bianca Kosoy that thought of this dynamite pose. There was only one snag – the elastic band had gone missing! So we searched, and I swear it was no where. Almost the entire crew and I looked up and down, under every jacket, every article of clothing, by the other gym equipment, around Gille’s dog (maybe it had become a chew toy?), maybe the front desk dude saw it just walk out?? NO! I couldn’t find it.

I finally gave up, and walked back into the thick of the shoot and there Sam was… with the elastic band slung around her neck. WHEW! Thank GAGA someone had found it.

Because if they hadn’t, this could never have happened:

Wait. TIME OUT! Dana needs to reapply the sweat. She’s been lathering up the models with this glycerin/acetone potion that reads like beads of sweat on the skin. Best. Job. Ever.

From before – can’t hold out on you. Even Karen can’t help but smirk.

Sam Lim is now on constant style watch for that top she tied herself. Needs a quick fix.

AND WORK IT. This is how Gilles Bensimon does it.

It’s a WRAP!

Photos by Jessica Lapidos

From left: Oscar de la Renta Fall '11, DVF Fall '11 & Nina Ricci Spring '11

1. Start with an eye primer to create a perfect canvas. Eye shadow and liner can crease or stray after a few hours of wear. Apply a good primer all over your lid, from lash line to eyebrow, and underneath the eye before using concealer. My oily skin causes shadow to crease without fail, but Benefit Stay Don’t Stray keeps it looking fresh all day. Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion is another great product and comes in an adorable genie bottle.

2. Line your eyes with a dark shade. Whether black, charcoal, eggplant or any other smoky hue, eyeliner creates the drama for this sultry look. Line your top lashes from the inner to outer corners, dot in between your bottom lashes and line the inner rim. Smudge with an eyeliner brush for more drama. I swear by Benefit BADgal Waterproof Liner because it stays put and is equipped with a blending tip. The M.A.C. Eye Pencil provides rich, consistent color and the Sephora Professional Smudge Brush #14 is both precise and a great value.

3. Apply a medium powder shadow from top lashes to crease. Blend the shadow from the lid to the crease, using upward and outward motions. The matte, dark grey hue of Make Up For Ever Eyeshadow in Anthracite 40 is perfect for all complexions. If you want to try something funkier, Smashbox Eye Shadow in Cabernet is a deep wine shade with a touch of shimmer.

4. Dust a light neutral shadow along your brow bone. This will highlight your eyes and make them pop. Bobbi Brown Shimmer Wash Eye Shadow in Champagne is great if you want a touch of sparkle, and Bare Escentuals bareMinerals Eyecolor in Vanilla Sugar is perfect for everyday wear.

5. Add a light pearly shadow to the inner corners of your eyes. Doing this makes eyes appear larger and brighter. It’s not a necessary step but creates a gorgeous illusion if you have the time. Too Faced Glamour Dust in Pink Fire can also be used on the cheekbones for added drama.

6. Apply two coats of the deepest, darkest mascara you can find. This is like the icing on the cake… it is an absolute must to finish the look. Wiggle the wand from bottom to top so each lash is coated completely. Dior DiorShow 360 Mascara features a spinning wand and the most gorgeous, intricate brush you’ve ever seen. I’m a huge fan of Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes! which is clinically proven to increase the appearance of lash volume by 424 percent.

I hope you found our How To guide for smoky eyes helpful. Will you be rocking this look over the weekend?

Fendi Spring 2011

1. Moisturized lips are happy lips. If you want color to cooperate, you must make sure you’re lips are hydrated. What happens when you rub foundation into dry skin? It flakes and makes a mess. The same will happen with your lipstick – it will crack on dry lips and look a mess. Try a matte lip balm like Burt’s Bees Beeswax Lip Balm before you apply the hue.

Hakaan Fall 2011

2. Use a neutral lip pencil to define lips. Don’t worry about matching your lip liner to lipstick. It’s an unnecessary expense and can look weird when your lipstick fades first. Stick to a neutral pencil like Smashbox The Nude Lipliner. It will give you an outline to work with and ensure your lipstick will stay in place and not stray outside the lines.

Giles Fall 2011

3. Apply lipstick with a brush to ensure it stays. Think of putting lipstick on with the tube as just scratching the surface. Applying color with a brush will really get the shade to sink into you skin. The Sephora Collection Professionnel Lip Brush #61 is a great tool with an even better price.

Ralph Lauren Fall 2011

4. Create the richest color possible by finishing with the tube. After applying color with a brush, go over your lips with the tube to create the boldest, richest, brightest shade possible. Some of my favorites that I’ve been wearing almost every single day are M.A.C. Lipstick in Rebel, Benefit Cosmetics Full-Finish Lipstick in Flirt Alert and Make Up For Ever Rouge Artist Intense #40, modeled by moi below:

I never thought I’d be wearing bright orange lipstick, but my dear friend Lauren over at Corvus Noir totally got me hooked on this hue.

What is your favorite color of the season?

Model Photos: Style.com

Fendi Spring 2011

Hakaan Fall 2011

Giles Fall 2011

Ralph Lauren Fall 2011

Just when you’re about to scream “fuck the recession” at the top of your lungs, BeautyTicket.com appears out of left field BECAUSE of the recession. The two beauty-savvy founders didn’t see the need for people to trade down to drugstore brands during a credit crunch (or ever, for that matter) so they pooled their life savings and launched this online beauty mecca.

So, here it is in a nutshell: Premium beauty brands (like Smashbox, YSL, Pop Beauty, etc.) at deep discounts. How do they do it? They buy overstocks of products from current collections and closeouts of products from the previous season. It’s all unopened, fresh, and dirt cheap. There’s only one catch — if you see a deal you like, snag it because it probably won’t be there the next time you check back! (And, to make sure you don’t miss out on what’s coming down the pipeline, be sure to sign up for their weekly email and Twitter announcements.)

SOURCE: BeautyTicket.com: Can You Say “Dirt Cheap Premium Cosmetics”?

Although the only time I’ve ever looked at an issue of Marie Claire was offhandedly in the doctor’s waiting area, I am totally enthralled by this fashion-soaked reality show. It’s an entertaining, if not accurate depiction of what it’s like to work as an intern at a mainstream glossy. This show has done for me what Stylista didn’t—instead of nonsensical challenges and novelty, weekly eliminations (that by the way took place on a made for TV set) we see three, couldn’t-be-more-different fashion industry hopefuls tackle real (?) assignments and frenetically run around NYC in their respective heels all in an effort to please the dry, yet endearing editor-in-chief Joanna Coles.

With four episodes down, the characters are well in place. Samantha, who is by far my favorite, is the small-town, doe-eyed optimist whose positive attitude more than makes up for her naiveté. Despite some seeming body image issues—an ill-fitting sample size garment results in a teary breakdown—her sweet and carefree nature makes her stand out amidst the I-take-myself-way-too-seriously ilk. Talita is the opportunistic diva who definitely rocks the best outfits, and speaks with a deep, self-assured cadence. With a degree from the eponymous FIDM, she’s a little tense, but driven. Then there’s the deplorable wretch that is Ashley, who’s “bring the other girls down to make myself look good” approach will really get her far in this industry (insert sarcastic tone here). Instead of letting her experience speak for itself, which she’s failed to do thus far, she flagrantly whines and complains about the other girls getting more glamorous assignments while she gets stuck running mundane errands. Um, hello…that’s what interns do. Secondly, a negative disposition will only perpetuate a less than desirable situation; you get what you put out and being a hater gets you nowhere.

If you haven’t yet, I highly recommend checking it out. It’s as mind-numbingly addictive as Top Model reruns on Oxygen, but better.