If you're pregnant, you're likely bombarded with so many do's and don'ts according to everyone's opinions -- from your great aunt Susie's to your yoga teacher's to your co-worker's. Not to mention that you have to read about how everyone from Gisele to Kourtney Kardashian lost their baby weight in a few short weeks after giving birth and look better than ever post-baby.
By now most fair-skinned women are well versed in the beauty of bronzer. After all, it's an easy way to add a boost of the color their skin naturally lacks. But the value of bronzer doesn't end there. Women with dark, caramel and olive skin stand to gain just as much from this makeup wonder.
Beauty is pain -- anyone who has gotten anything waxed or walked for longer than five minutes in heels knows that. But you know what else beauty is? Expensive. The powers that be know that we'll fork over big money for services and products that make us look and feel great. We've put together some tips and tricks so you can make those beauty treatments you love last -- without breaking the bank.
Primer is a magical step that creates a smooth, even canvas for your makeup. Adding another step to your already-rushed morning routine may seem like a hassle, but it's time well-invested. Because it keeps your makeup on longer, there are no need for touchups throughout the day, says celebrity makeup artist Mai Quynh.
Forever turning out bold, eye-catching colors, Nars is the perfect accomplice for neon enthusiast and Brit "It" boy Christopher Kane. Case in point? The unexpected eye, lip and cheek pigments of their new summer line.
You can't get the lashes you want without the right tool. But with all the wand shapes to choose from, picking out the perfect mascara can feel a bit like 9th grade geometry class (and nobody wants to relive high school, especially when it comes to something that's supposed to be fun like makeup). So how exactly does one go about deciphering all of the hourglass, spherical and wavy shapes to find the right mascara for your lashes? We're here to break it down for you &mdash: with a little help from the experts, of course.
At TotalBeauty.com, we're (surprise!) total beauty-hoarding junkies. While this means we're constantly running out of counter space (and under-the-sink space, and medicine cabinet space, and pretty much every other space our roommates and significant others allow us), it also means we know what we like. And when we really like something, we find it hard to live without it. Case in point: One member of our editorial team recently bought an entire case of mascara on eBay after she found out it had been discontinued. Turns out, we all have a product we'd secretly like to stockpile in a beauty fallout shelter. Do you have a product you can't live without? Let us know in the comments below, and click ahead to see the one product we just won't give up.
Sure, "Mad Men" has received critical acclaim since the moment it debuted, but more than the show's office politics and relationship dramas, it's the glamorous sixties beauty styles that keep us glued to our TVs season after season. From Betty's classic glamour to Megan's mod ensembles, the women of "Mad Men" never fail to bring it with their hair and makeup. In honor of the show's final season, we rounded up its best beauty moments. Read on to see our favorite "Mad Men" styles and the makeup tips to help you recreate them.
Choosing a lipstick that works with dark skin tones can feel like a challenge. It may seem easier to stick to the plum and berry shades you know look fantastic with your complexion, instead of worrying about whether you can pull off an orange lip. (Spoiler alert: you definitely can.) But makeup --and lipstick especially, in our opinion -- should be fun, and more about what makes you feel gorgeous than sticking to a set of rules.
There's no better harbinger of spring-ready skin than flushed cheeks and just-bitten lips. But as the weather heats up, even the most perfectly applied blush and lipstick can start cruising down your face. These new multi-tasking lip and cheek colors pack a punch in the pigment department, blend easily and impart a long-lasting flush. But here's the kicker: In this new crop of lip and cheek tints, you'll find a few that give your skin that classic luminous, dewy glow, but if you're looking for something with a little less shine, check out the new formulations with a mattified satin finish.
Foundation has come a long way in the last 10 years. BB creams and CC creams have taken over the category, and even traditional liquids now pack good-for-your-skin ingredients. However, compact foundations have seriously lagged behind. They're notoriously drying and tend to look flat and unnatural — that is, until now.
Every 15 seconds, seven tubes of Maybelline Baby Lips are sold. Maybe it's Maybelline, or maybe it's that the best tinted lip balms offer complexion-brightening, unfussy color plus tons of moisture. While we don't dispute the amazingness of Baby Lips, we wonder how other, new tinted lip balms stack up against the most popular brand. These eight new lip balms -- which deliver a kiss of color, a heaping dose of moisture plus long-term benefits including age-fighting antioxidants -- are about to up your tinted-balm game, big time.
Dirty little secret: I wear mascara to the gym. Without it, my blonde lashes disappear, which makes me feel freakish. What I've learned is: Not all waterproof mascaras live up to their claims -- and a sweaty workout can leave me with smudges around my eyes (a dead giveaway that I'm high-maintenance).
Sure, the clothes and accessories of New York Fashion Week have us drooling, but we can't get our hands on those without time traveling into next season (and forking over a month's rent). For us beauty editors, the best part of New York Fashion Week is the gorgeous makeup looks. Our favorite accessory isn't a pair of Loubs or a darling clutch -- it's these of-the-minute beauty looks. Here, the trendy, fresh, need-it-now makeup looks from New York Fashion Week that you can get right this instant.
If our mascara review section is any indication, the majority of you have found your mascara soul mate: the can't-live-without-it, life-changing product that gives you the fluttery lashes of your dreams. In beauty-speak, we call this a Holy Grail product (HG, for short). But if your HG mascara isn't waterproof, that makes situations that call for budge-proof makeup (e.g. your wedding day, the series finale of "Parks and Rec") pretty tricky. And that's where these waterproof topcoats come in.
I am obsessed with makeup brushes. Case in point: I have to set aside at least an hour to clean my entire arsenal. Buzzing foundation brushes, egg-shaped sponges... I've swiped, blended and dusted with just about every type of brush out there. So naturally, when I saw the gorgeous, toothbrush-shaped brushes from Artis, which claim to revolutionize how we apply makeup, I had to get my hands (and makeup) on them. to see if they were more than pretty designs and clever marketing.
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.