Make-up Monday - The Perfect Feathered Eyebrow

The Toolkit
Slant Tweezers
Small Cuticle Scissors to Trim
An antibacterial gel that prevents redness and irritation after plucking.

Step 1: Hurry Up and WaitAllow your brows to grow for 3-4 months in order to see their natural shape. Tame sprouting hair in the meantime with a brow gel to keep unruly hair in place.

Step 2: Find Your Natural ArchDraw an invisible line from the corner of the nose straight up towards the forehead, this is where the eyebrows should start. The arch should fall just outside the pupil and should extend all the way across the brow bone. See the picture below

Step 3: Create the ShapeUse your bone structure and hair texture as a guide for your eyebrows. Softer facial features look best with a slightly thinner eyebrow, while a stronger bone structure is the perfect for a thicker brow. Tweeze hair in a comfortable, well and natural lit space. Get a pair of good tweezers with sharp slanted edges and pull hairs in the direction of growth. Hold skin taut while you are plucking. The arch should fall just beyond the the middle of the brow toward the outter tip. This creates an immediate opening and lifting quality for the whole face.

Not confident enough to tweeze your own brow? Find an eyebrow guru, and ask them to follow these tips to a perfect brow.

Makeup Monday: No-Makeup Makeup

We've all seen the "Stars Without Makeup" photos. Celebs cruising grocery stores, salons and coffee shops without a stitch of Stila or CoverGirl. But the new "bare-faced" is different. Instead of unaltered realism it offers glowing perfection. And recently celebrities have been rocking the look on red carpets (See gallery at left). New York City makeup artist Victor Amos explains the appeal:  "Natural makeup is youthful and glowing," he says. "It's an aesthetic we all find attractive." But don't let the radiance fool you, the look is far from au naturel. Amos breaks down the steps to achieving "the new nude" below.

Step 1: Moisturize

"This look is all about radiance so the more you hydrate your skin the better off you'll be. Pat on a dime-sized amount of (Malin + Gotez) SPF 15 Face Moisturizer. It absorbs quickly and protects your skin from sun damage with SPF and anti-oxidants."

Step 2: Prime

"So often women skip this step, but primer is a must because it helps makeup last all day, sops up oil, and minimizes the appearance of pores. Try Whip Hand Cosmetics Set the Stage Primer: It's super light weight so if you're not typically a primer wearer, you won't feel like you're wearing an extra layer of product."

Step 3: Even Out Skin Tone

"Apply concealer under eyes to buff out dark circles then use aBeauty Blender or your fingers to work in liquid foundation. Temptu S/B Foundation contains silicone, which locks in moisture and gives skin a natural glow."

Step 4: Bronze

"Bronzer contours your face while still looking natural. Dust Givenchy Cruise Healthy Glow Powder in Extrême on the apples of your cheeks, forehead, and chin—anywhere the sun would hit."

Step 5: Highlight

"A brownish highlighter, like MAC Cream Colour Base in Improper Copper reflects light to accentuate your features, but looks natural, like you simply have lit-from-within skin. Tap this powder on the bridge of your nose, cupid's bow, and tops of cheekbones."

Step 6: Set It

"A lot of my clients have oily skin, so I've tried just about every transluscent powder on the market. Jurlique Citrus Silk Finishing Powder is by far my favorite. It goes on completely sheer. I promise it won't leave your skin looking ashy. And it helps makeup stay put all day long. I love it!"

Step 7: Emphasize Your Eyes

"This Tom Ford Eyeshadow Quad (in Golden Mink) is pricey, but if you're a natural makeup girl, you'll never need another shade. Plus the pigments are so saturated, a little goes a long way! Sweep the dark brown shade on your lid and blend up to the crease. Pop the champagne color on the arch of your brow to define it—but don't get heavy handed. Too much shimmer in this area looks unnatural, not to mention tacky." Beauty Editor Insight: New nude doesn't mean boring. Swipe on black liner to create beautifully contrasted eyes. I've found the most natural looking liner is a black gel applied with a teeny, tiny brush, like Sephora Pro Bent Liner Brush #23.

Step 8: Hydrate Lips

"Dior Addict Lip Glow is a flattering pink that adjusts to suit your lip shade perfectly. Plus its moisture-rich formula leaves your lips soft and smooth."

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Makeup Monday: Quick Fix Beauty For The Mommy On The Go!

Maybelline New York Great Lash Mascara

This classic black mascara opens and brightens eyes with a few simple swipes. A great quick mini-makeover tool for moms.

Bobbi Brown Dark Brow Kit

Defined brows take just a little effort but go the distance in pulling together your look. Use the two shades of powder in this kit to fill in your brows and tweeze errant hairs with the the included mini-pluckers.

IMAN Corrective Concealer

Cover tiny imperfections quickly with this concealer pen. Available is a wide variety of shades, this product works well for all of our skin tones.

Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado

Eye cream is certainly more of a long-term play, but the Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado ultra-rich, creamy formula does seem to have to quick fix benefits too. Gently tapping it below the eyes gives the area a fine-line blurring radiance, plus the moisture is a refreshing boost to that super delicate skin.

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Makeup Monday: Contour like a Pro

Ever wonder how to minimize your forehead, sculpt your cheekbones or create a jawline—minus the surgery? Celebrity makeup artist Jai Williams shares his step-by-step guide to creating a close-up-worthy face.

By Aretha M. Busby

Six Steps to a Great Face

1 Prep the skin with a pore-minimizing primer for a lasting look.

2 Decide which formulation is best for you: Liquid or cream? Matte or glossy? For seamless blending, select products that are the same type.

3 Choose both a lighter shade and a darker shade of foundation, concealer or a foundation/concealer combo.

4 Apply the lighter hue to the areas to be highlighted, then follow with the darker hue for the areas to be contoured.

5 Combine with your fingers, a makeup brush or a sponge—whatever you feel most comfortable using.

6 Finish with a talc-free translucent setting powder or bronzer to avoid an ashy appearance.

What is Contouring?

Contouring is strategically applying a combination of foundations and/or concealers—one that is slightly lighter and another that is slightly darker than your skin tone—to fool the eye. "Using a lowlight [the darker shade] and a highlight [the lighter shade], you can easily shrink a forehead, create fuller lips, refine a nose and bring out the cheekbones," explains Williams.

FOLLOW OUR LOWLIGHT/HIGHLIGHT KEY TO CREATE YOUR FACE
Lowlight: Shape the hairline and reduce the forehead.
Highlight: Define the forehead.
Lowlight: Reduce puffy eyelids.
Highlight: Mask puffiness and dark circles under the eyes.
Lowlight: Alter the width of the nose.
Highlight: Lengthen the bridge of the nose.
Lowlight: Enhance cheekbones.
Lowlight: Sculpt a jawline.
Hightlight: Create a chin.

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Makeup Monday: Smokey Eye How-To

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Makeup Monday: Well Defined Eyebrow How To

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