We see our fair share of makeup at Total Beauty headquarters, and truth be told, it takes a lot to get all of us excited about a single product. But when the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powders, $45, were passed around for TotalBeauty.com Award nominations, we spent a little too much time oohing and aahing about the way they made us glow. And not a disco shimmer kind of glow. The powders are made with "photoluminescent technology" designed to mimic your skin's best qualities in the most flattering light (think diffused light, candlelight and dim light). We loved the silky texture and perfect amount of shimmer in these finishing powders.   read more

Imagine a world without makeup tools. Scary, right? I'm sure we could probably survive -- plus, these celebrities show that sometimes being tweezer-less is a good thing. But a simple tool like a foundation brush or eyelash curler can make all the difference in your makeup routine. Reviewers agree that these makeup tools do the job.   See tools

Beauty bloggers make a living showing us new and gorgeous ways to apply makeup and style hair. They produce a goldmine of makeup tutorials and beauty how-tos that teach and inspire. (Because, let's be honest, can you ever recreate that perfect smoky eye or flawless face after a stint in the makeup chair at Sephora?) So what happens when a beauty blogger takes it all off? Every last bit of makeup ... gone. And not the Saturday morning, just rolled out of bed "no makeup" makeup look. We're talking washed clean, photographed and posted -- for the whole world to see.   read more

The Oscars are always filled with glamorous celebrity moments, and this year was no exception. The designer gowns, tear-jerking acceptance speeches and host Ellen DeGeneres's celeb selfie that broke the record for number of retweets (and briefly broke Twitter!) were just a few highlights. But as always, it was the beauty looks we couldn't get enough of -- and we'll be turning to them for inspiration for months to come. Since we could never pick just one, we gathered our celeb favorites in hair, makeup and nails at the 2014 Academy Awards, and included expert tips and get-the-look details.   read more

What are the best foundations? The hottest lipstick shades? Here's your handy hot list   read more

I used to furiously flip through my favorite fashion magazines in search of makeover stories. They're just so gratifying -- with a little hair and makeup magic, someone transforms on the page.   read more

We're suckers for pretty palettes with hints of shimmer and bright lipsticks that practically beg to be worn poolside with oversized sunglasses and wide-brimmed hats. But what makes these new spring makeup picks really special is packaging that's just as stunning as the makeup inside. These prestige products look just as glamorous in your makeup bag as they do on your skin, and they're all launching right now. Buying one (or all) is a no-brainer. The hard part will be deciding which sun-kissed bronzer or creamy pastel shadow to wear first.   read more

Fun fact: Back in the day, supermodel Iman toted her homemade foundations along to her fashion gigs for 14 years. Why? Makeup artists didn't have anything in their expansive kits to match her darker complexion. Fast-forward to the present and lines like L'Oréal and YSL have added darker shades to their signature products, but black women are still struggling to find the perfect match. Behind all of the "Caramel" and "Coffee" foundation tones, there's a basic lack of knowledge about dark skin tones. Many cosmetic companies only produce one or two dark shades with one or two undertones -- and this is one category where "one or two sizes fits all" doesn't work. At all.   read more

Along with scouting what's vogue in shoes and scoping out "it" new hairstyles, we turn to fashion week runways and celebrities to wrap our head around new makeup trends and color palettes. And nothing gets us going like a hot new lip color trend. This spring's most daring color of choice is orange (and we love it!), but if you're too pragmatic to be an early adopter, we've got the next best thing: berry.   read more