Hasta La Ideas

Fashion Week may be over, but that doesn’t mean the beautiful makeup looks should be forgotten! I love going backstage to get the scoop on the makeup looks because usually, the products used are already available in stores, so while we have to wait for the clothes to hit the rack, we can recreate the beauty looks right now! To capture the soft, feminine styles and clean lines of the Brian Reyes Fall 2009 collection, makeup artist Nicolas Degennes for Givenchy Le Makeup created a fresh look with clean, matte skin and dramatic, captivating eyes. This presentation was actually the first time Givenchy was the featured makeup line for runway show. According to Nicolas, who also created the line, “This collaboration with Brian was appealing to me because his clothes capture the sophistication, modernity, and luxurious feeling of Le Makeup.” The makeup look was soft and feminine, with just the right dose of intensity and the best part is that it’s pretty easy to re-create on your own!

Get the Look:
Face: Keep the skin clean and matte using using Subli’Mine Fluid Foundation, $40 for a natural complexion (Note: PhotoPerfexion Fluid Foundation was the actual foundation used and will be available in April).
Cheeks: Dust Prisme Again! Blush, $40, in Smiling Brown onto the cheeks for neutral skin that has a bit of life to it.
Eyes: Heavily line the eyes with Magic Kajal Intense Eye Pencil, $21.50. Apply Shadow Show, $23, in Must-Have Beige and Khaki to the lids. To create a smoky effect, apply Shadow Show in Dressy Black on the crease. Finish with Phenomen’Eyes Mascara, $28, for dramatic lashes.
Lips: Keep the lips natural and simple with Rouge Interdit, $27 in Rose Desire a shade of pink that matches the natural color of the lips.

I am never one to pass on the chance to help out a good cause and I am also never one to resist a fabulous new beauty product which is why I’m super excited about this limited edition eye-shadow created from theBalm. To help support the National Multiple Sclerosis Education and Awareness Month, theBalm has created a limited edition KISS MS GOODBYE version of their best-selling “You Buy, I’ll Fly” Overshadow Eye Shadow; a 100% pure mineral, shimmery copper shadow that adds a luxe look to the lid.

During the entire month of March, theBalm.com will donate 25% of proceeds from the sale of the Limited Edition Overshadow to the cause. As a special thank you for purchasing the shadow, you will also receive 25% off of any additional purchases you make on the site!

Buy It: KISS MS GOODBYE Overshadow, $15

Who says the only way to dress at the beach is skimpy? Well, you can still be skimpy, but wait ’til we get to the beach, alright? We’re not in Europe, you know. For the sake of style and sensibility alike, choose a tunic to cover up with this summer! The light, airy, boho-like style should already be part of our spring and summer wardrobes, so slipping on a tunic is a great way to perfect your beach-going look. The assortment of colors and styles, and even price ranges, make these worry-free wraps a must-have summer accessory. Pair with a pair of shades and gladiator sandals and you can even transform some of these slideshow picks into out-and-about wear after a day in the sun!

This winter season may be trudging along as slow as ever, giving us only minute peeks at what we have in store for springtime, but that doesn’t mean that you should have to live in limbo like the weather seems to be! The signs insist that spring will be here before we know it (you didn’t lose an hour of sleep for nothing!) so you might as well kiss the “blahs” goodbye and forge ahead into festive florals and bright colors fit for the (hopefully) sunny weather ahead! And while summery clothing may not be the wisest way to kick the season into gear (it is still a little too cold for flip-flops and tank tops), there’s no reason why your beauty regime can’t be warmth-inspired to channel the blue skies ahead! You’d be surprised at how easy it is to perk up your mood (and your look) with springy eye-brightening liners and highlighters, complexion buffers, and even scents! Pisces can spread the spring fever with a peppy floral perfume by Marc Jacobs, Virgos can play up their peepers with some stylishly long lashes, and Cancers will learn how to fake a golden glow with Smashbox shimmery bronzer! Check out the slideshow to see what beauty boosts your sign has in store this week!

I know times are tough and money is tight, and I must applaud you hivers that have been cutting back on your shopping sprees and behaving yourself in the face of tempting designer labels and reduced (but still pricey!) price tags. And although I admire self-discipline and thriftiness, many inexperienced yet determined smart shoppers aren’t always the most well-informed, and in their attempt to take better care of their cash flow will sacrifice quality to save a few cents, fall for disguised deals that really just put them further into debt, and overall just end up not getting the real bang for their buck. One of the biggest frugal faux pas when it comes to shopping is the idea that drugstore makeup is the way to save. True, drugstores, mainly Walgreens and Rite Aid, carry loads of great brands for even greater prices, all conveniently in the same adjacent aisles for easy browsing and comparison, and don’t get me wrong — I’m all about the thrifty beauty finds, especially given all the products I compulsively buy on a regular basis. With that in mind, I know by experience as a makeup junkie that not all drugstore brands are a save, especially when it comes to quality. For example, ninety-nine cent eyeliner is a great idea in theory, but have you actually tried skidding it across your lids? And on the opposite end of the spectrum, while many L’Oreal products are on the high end of cosmetics aisle quality, have you checked out the price tag? Some of the products look beautiful but aren’t a bargain in the least, more than breaking the $10 barrier and verging into high-end line prices. While this might seem like I’m just trying to depress you, or perhaps just discourage you enough to throw your financial saving out the window and succumb to your inner shopaholic like me, I assure you, it’s not all bad news! The point to all this drugstore myth-busting is that smart beauty shopping doesn’t mean you must limit yourself to Longs when it comes to buying makeup, especially with climbing product costs — In fact, Sephora carries plenty of affordable brands (and not-so-affordable ones that go on sale!) that rival and even beat drugstore prices, and often provide better quality when it comes to beauty basics that you shouldn’t skimp on. Check out the slideshow for some of the the priciest drugstore products exposed, matched with rival cheaper products from more upscale lines found at Sephora!