How do I make my Eye Liner Stay?

Good question! It's simple, but it's something we all struggle with! First I'd like to tell you a story. There once was a girl named Angela who was a pro hair and makeup artist who worked at wonderful salon! She opened the salon on week days and was the only person there for the first hour it was open. She woke up late for work one day and rushed to the salon. Once there she realized she forgot her makeup bag at home! When her boss came in she pulled Angela aside and said "you know I love you, but you need makeup. Please go to the mall and get some." Since we worked only a few blocks away from the mall Angela obliged. When she got there she realized the only options she had were $2 eye liners that she knew simply wouldn't work for her, or an expensive $18 one. She grit her teeth and spent the full $18 on a high end eye liner. She put it on feeling like it was nothing special. Then that night before she went to bed she looked in the mirror (8 hours later) and it was still perfect! She was converted!

It's no secret that I am that girl. I was a die hard drug-store brand user until this day. Since then I began working at Ulta Beauty. I have tried so many eye liners I can't even tell you. Everyone has their favorite brands, everyone's eyes and skin are different, but what I have learned is that you usually get what you pay for. Some of the most love brands for eye liner at Ulta were Stila, Urban Decay, and Bare Minerals. Bare Minerals Lasting Line was not only the eye liner I tried that day when I was sent to the mall to buy something, but the eye liner I still love and use today, so obviously I recommend it.

So I supposed step one is to use a good eye liner in the first place, but if you still have problems getting your liner to stay put I recommend setting it with a translucent powder. You just need to take a small eye shadow brush, dip it in a little translucent powder and then tap it off (so you don't have a ton) and dab it directly on your waterline or where ever you have eye liner. It will look lighter at first but after 5-10 minutes it will look just as black as before you set it with the powder. I recommend Mary Kay's Translucent Powder.

***thanks to Krista for asking this question***

Lip Exfolioation

Especially during the winter having dry, cracked, and/or chapped lips is a big problem! So what do you do? I mean we can always pile on the chapstick for instant relief but what about after that? How do you heal it? Lip exfoliation is where it is at!

You can either buy a set or kit or make it at home! I recommend either Mary Kay's Satin Lips set or the Bliss Fabulips Treatment set! Both are great, high quality and will leave your lips feeling wonderful. but if you are more industrious and trying to ave the cash, then making it is an easy simple option. The recipe is seriously super easy!

Step One:
Get an airtight container for storage, this can either be a Tupperware container, a baby food jar, or a an old, empty and cleaned, moisturizer, face scrub, or lip balm jar/pot. Just make sure that whatever it is isn't to big (you shouldn't have it less than halfway full), closes tightly, is cleaned and sanitized, and is safe to be placed in the refrigerator.

Step Two:Cut up and eight of an avocado. Dice it into small and thin pieces. an eight of an avocado is best seen as cutting the avocado in half lengthwise, and then cutting up a fourth of one of the halves.




Step Three:
Choose and oil and measure a 1/4 cup of it. You can use olive oil, avocado oil, or a personal favorite coconut oil. You can not use vegetable oil or canola oil.

Step Four:
Mix the avocado pieces into the oil. Mash it and mix it until they are blended smoothly. You can also add a small amount of vanilla, coconut, or almond extract at this time to make the scrub taste and smell the way you'd prefer.

Step Five:
Add Sugar! add 1/4 cup of granulated sugar into the mix. The mix should become smooth yet grainy. If it becomes to stiff (like a ball of dough) then add a small amount of oil into the mix.

Step Six:
Use this mixture by putting a small amount on your lips, rubbing them together gently for about 2 minutes, and then washing the mixture off with water. After using this (or any other) lip scrub make sure you apply a healthy amount of lip balm. My favorite is the Bliss Fabulips Softening Lip Balm.

Step Seven: 
Close the container tightly and store it in your refrigerator. Use 1-3 times a week.

This scrub is not intended for or appropriate for use anywhere but the lips. It is not meant to be a scrub for the face at all! Please do not use it as a facial exfoliant!