If you're anything like us, you're probably pretty discerning about what makes the cut in your makeup bag(s). Only the best makeup will do. So we painted our faces with all kinds of products (from BB creams and lipsticks to bronzers and primers) to find the best of the best makeup: the mascara that gave us lashes a mile long, the foundation that made our skin look flawless and the concealer that hid all traces of a late-night Netflix binge session.
There's something about the words 'limited edition' and 'Nars' that when put together, completely throw us into a frenzy. So of course, the new Nars summer makeup collection, Adult Swim, has me lusting after lime green (yes, I said it, lime green) eyeshadow. Adult Swim launches in store April 15, and combines the best of all facets of summer makeup -- pastels, neons, metallics -- and somehow makes it all work together.
Let's face it: Despite our best intentions, getting a solid night's sleep just doesn't happen all the time. Whether it's a work deadline or a "House of Cards" binge-watching spree that's robbing you of Zzz's, the result is still the same: puffy, tired-looking eyes. When you're already sleepwalking through your morning routine, the last thing you want to deal with is a complicated camouflaging strategy. Slathering on eye cream and a concealer? That's just way too much work. Which is why we're obsessed with the latest crop of concealers. Instead of merely hiding the problem, they contain skin care ingredients that help reduce dark circles, fine lines and wrinkles in the long run, while instantly brightening, de-puffing and covering dark circles (so you don't have to wait for the long-term results to kick in). So leave the raccoon eyes to, well, the raccoons and start fighting dark circles and fine lines as you cover them up.
Nothing brings me to my childhood happy place quite like the fresh colors of spring. Pastel blues that remind me of eating flossy cotton candy in amusement park lines, or light pinks and greens that take me right back to the first sunny beach days of the season -- strolling the boardwalk with a dripping ice cream cone of strawberry and mint chocolate chip. Now, I'm itching to add these colors to my beauty routine -- embracing the pastel eyeshadow trend.
If you woke up this morning and dabbled on your eye makeup the same way you do every day, we've got a little treat for you. The next time you have a spare five (or 10) minutes, try one of these amazing eyeliner looks. Unlike the smoky eye (which, let's be honest, takes a bit of brilliance in blending artistry), the only thing these looks require is a steady hand. And maybe a little glitter. And, oh yeah, the right brushes and tools.
If you have dark circles, you know how irritating it is to hear, "You look tired." That's why some of us of us would rather walk out of the house in our bras and underwear than go sans concealer. As a matter of fact, a poll of TotalBeauty.com readers indicates that dark circles are your biggest beauty concern.
Step away from the highlighter: After years of gleaming, shimmery skin being in fashion, matte face makeup is finally in vogue again. But this isn't a retro, I-was-assaulted-with-a-loaded-powderpuff matte face; the modern matte look demands that skin looks flawlessly airbrushed, but still completely natural -- no easy feat. Rimmel London updates its best-selling Stay Matte makeup line with new Stay Matte Liquid Mousse Foundation, a feather-light formula designed to deliver a matte look without a cake-y texture. We asked top bloggers and TotalBeauty.com reviewers to try Stay Matte Liquid Mousse Foundation and give us their honest feedback: Is this their matte makeup match? Read on to find out.
It's a fact of life: Our bodies aren't perfect. We're not talking about muffin tops and love handles, but those other annoying body blemishes that make us want to run for cover -- bruises, spider veins, stretch marks and scars. You don't have to give up showing a little skin just because you have a regrettable tattoo or unplanned tan lines on your body. Just take a tip from the flawless-seeming Victoria's Secret models: When they strut down the runway, those amazing bodies are thanks, in part, to layers and layers of body makeup. We're not suggesting you spend all day contouring a six-pack that isn't there, but there are a few tricks you can steal to hide a tattoo from your in-laws or cover up bruises for a big event. Ready for a flawless finish? We've got you covered.
When we heard music artist Santigold was collaborating on a summer 2014 makeup collection for Smashbox, we couldn't wait to get our hands on it. Santigold began designing the limited edition makeup collection in 2012 with the help of makeup artist Lori Taylor, when end-of-the-world hype was running rampant. You recall that an ancient Mayan prophecy predicted the world would end on December 21, when a planet was scheduled to crash into Earth. Santigold's inspiration came from imagining post-2012, a time when aliens would coexist with humans. OK, so it sounds a little crazy, but that doesn't mean the vibrant colors and graphic makeup packaging aren't completely out of this world. "I wanted to create a collection that looks good on all skin colors ... products that stayed in place and looked the same as they did in the pot," Santigold told New York Magazine of the Smashbox collection (in stores April 1). We'll be snapping up, oh, just about every piece.
The impact of the '60s is still leaving its mark on today's trends and styles. Rimmel London is celebrating the defining '60s mod style in its new video series that showcases mod culture and its lasting impression. In the latest episode, "Original Mod," one of the biggest models on 1960s London, Jill Kennington, shares with us a bit about what it was like being a part of the original swinging London scene, and how today's styles are inspired by the looks she introduced to the world. Her enthusiasm on what mod means today proves there's no stopping this iconic trend.
What happens when your skin tone is too fair for foundation shades with names like "Alabaster" and "Siberia?" If you have a vampire-like pallor like I do, you know how frustrating it is to think you've found the Holy Grail foundation shade for your fair skin, only to have it turn orangey-pink in natural light.
Nothing gets our hearts racing faster than the phrase "limited edition." Those two words can transform a product from one we're thinking about purchasing to one we need to have in our hands that very instant. Because once they're gone, they're gone. From the Derek Lam Estee Lauder collaboration to bling-y, spring-y palettes and fabulous gifts-with-purchases, these spring makeup kits would be covet-worthy even without the limited-edition status. But since they're only going to be around for so long ... you'll want to snap them up before they're gone for good.
The real beauty in Laura Geller's spring collection (besides the covet-worthy colors) lies in the fact they are virtually foolproof. The refreshing cream eye shadows glide on with ease and allow for buildable color, while the lip liners go on without tugging for an easy application. And don't be afraid of the baked shadows -- these made-in-Italy palettes may be highly pigmented, but the bold shimmer and spring-ready colors go on silky smooth. But our favorite part of the collection has to be the lip crayons, which come in six hydrating shades and make getting the perfect pop of color easy, thanks to the chubby size and smooth formula.
We get it: Winter can suck the glow right out of your skin. But that's no excuse to settle for dull skin. That's where highlighter comes in. Applied correctly, highlighter can give you luminous, radiant skin in practically an instant. Put it on wrong, and you'll look like you're sweating glitter. When walking such a fine line between gorgeous and crazy, it's best to turn to the experts for advice. We promise these tips will help you look like you just chugged a gallon of water and spent the weekend on a juice cleanse (minus the hunger pangs).
If you flew through the "Divergent" series (guilty) and now you're holding your breath until the movie to hit theaters tomorrow, here's your perfect fix: the Divergent makeup collection from Sephora. Because really, the only thing that rivals a good book is a complementary makeup collection complete with nail polish, of course. Whether you see yourself as a badass member of Dauntless, a peace loving Amity gal, or Divergent (we won't tell anyone), Sephora's new limited edition collection has got you covered.
I'm always on the hunt for drugstore products that work just as well as their prestige counterparts. Because -- to be totally honest -- glamorous logos and gold lacquered lipstick tubes may be part of my job, but they're not in my budget.
You spend years and a good chunk of change searching for the perfect lipstick -- the one that complements your skin tone, stays on and doesn't run -- and you find it. Two tubes in, it vanishes, and you discover the brand discontinued that particular shade. It's my nightmare. I buy in bulk and hoard my favorite beauty products in fear of my violet eyeliner or date night perfume being discontinued. And apparently, I'm not alone. When brands discontinued these beauty products, fans and loyal customers lost it. They launched e-mail campaigns, begged and threatened boycotts. They did everything in their power to let the cosmetic company know just how much they loved these beauty products. And their efforts paid off. These discontinued beauty products saw so much love the brands brought 'em back.
Move over, dewy skin. Matte makeup has been all over the runways and red carpet, leaving the shimmery look popular in years past in, well, the past. But this isn't your '80s pancake makeup or the kind of spackle that you'd see on a Broadway performer. This season, the matte look is all about getting a velvety-smooth finish that doesn't look heavy. Sound like a tall order? We got the scoop from Rimmel London makeup artist Kirstin Piggott about just how to master the matte finish.
Smoky eye makeup is a standard look for a night out, a special occasion, or hey, just because you're feeling sexy. However there's a fine line between a masterfully smudged and blurred smoky eye and an eye makeup look that's simply a mess.
Illamasqua has a rep for producing vibrant, theatrical makeup looks, and believe it or not, they actually toned things down a bit for the new Glamore collection. But you wouldn't know it by looking at these bright, color-saturated lipsticks and grownup-glittery polishes. Not only are the colors brand-spanking-new, the formulas have been changed up, too. Instead of the signature matte lipstick, the new shades come in a satin finish that is creamier and less drying, but still highly pigmented. And those glimmer-packed polishes? Well, see for yourself.