Photo Credit: sephora.com

Choosing a brow fix when your hair is now “blonde” and your brows are darker, is not an easy task. Most shades are either too dark, leaning on the reddish side, or too ashy. Believe me, I have tried way too many brow fixatives, pencils, powders, creams and gels. My theory is that if a brand can get blonde brows right, brown shades are so much easier to master.

So after a lot of trial and error, these are my personal top 3 picks for great looking blonde brows:

Dior Powder Brow Pencil – $28

You can softly define brows with this long wearing powder brow pencil. Excellent for warm weather wear because it is a light powder and stays put. It allows you to shape your brows with leaving marks or lines that show. This is the best eye pencil I have ever used! Natural color and simple to use.  *Purchased

Dior Diorshow Brow Styler Ultra-Fine Precision Brow Pencil- $28

Super fine tip like the kind you get with quality mechanical pencils – with a spiral brow brush on the opposite end. This pencil is perfect for making individual strokes. I found it slower to use and you need to be very precise and just fill in bald spots. It also does not last long and you will have to replenish often because the pencil is delicate and can easily break off if you apply too much pressure. However, the look is incredibly natural and the universal shade worked for me and seems very neutral except for black or dark, dark brown brows. At $28 this is a high maintenance brow fix.  * Purchased

Clinique Instant Lift For Brows $15

Double duty brow pencil paired with a pearlized highlighter to give brows more definition and open up eyes.  The highlighter is designed to give brows a boost to accentuate the shape and contour of the eyes – kind of like what BOTOX can do for you. The pencil goes on very naturally and comes in 3 neutral shades – Deep Brown, Soft Brown, Soft Blonde. The combination is a handy time saver, a clever multi-tasker that is perfect for travel and for carrying around to get ready for day to evening makeup.  *Gifted

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PHOTO CREDIT: sephora.com

On this second night of Hanukkah I’m hoping for a fabulous haul of lip plumpers.  Here at BITB there is no shortage of information regarding luscious lips, injectables, and the bevy of topical plumpers out there today.

The first plumping gloss to hit the market was DuWop Lip Venom.  I remember rushing out to buy it back in 2003, giddy with anticipation of a beauty adventure/science experiment.  Reasonable price?  Sure, $16.  Cute packaging?  Check!  Fuller lips?  Check!  Truth in advertising?  Um, yes.  Lip Venom actually feels sort of venomous.  It delivers “bee stung” lips with a combination of essential oils including cinnamon, wintergreen and ginger, increasing circulation in the lips.  Looks good, kinda hurts.  For ladies who want the look without the burn, DuWop developed Lip Venom 2^nd Sin for a kinder, gentler plumper.  Caveat emptor: you pay a premium to ditch the sting, $27.

Too Faced Lip Injection is the best-selling lip plumper today.  Like Lip Venom, a plumper pout comes with a bit of a tingle, lasting about five minutes.  The result is up to 20% increased fullness lasting up to four hours per application.  Lip Injection can be applied then wiped off for a bare lip or matte lipstick application, or it can be layered with other products.  The gloss comes in Clear, Bronze and three shades of Pink, each available for $18.50.  Too Faced also makes Lip Injection Extreme, a product that promises long term effects with regular use.  Recommended application is 5-10 minutes daily, and a tube will set you back $27.50.

Finally, Dior, gold standard for all things fabulous, has entered the fray with Dior Addict Lip Maximizer.  Dr. Neil Sadick, Dior’s Global Medical Advisor explains the magic behind the maximizer, which “contains a collagen active stimulating complex composed of hyaluronic acid and marine based fillers which have the ability to plump up the lip in a filler like fashion.”  If hyaluronic acid had a Facebook page, I would become a fan.  It delivers lasting hydration like nothing else, and in the case of Lip Maximizer, the proof is in the pout.  The initial tingle is more, “oh, this stuff is working,” than “ow,” and a light vanilla-mint scent leaves lips tasting as good as they look.  Lip Maximizer retails for $29.50.

Whether you’re playing Spin the Dreidel or Spin the Bottle, any of these options are fabulous bets for fuller lips.

Batwings or Lashes?

Photo Credit: Shuuemura-usa.com

I’ve always thought of Halloween as the perfect evening for that bold eye makeup that you’ve wanted to try all year, but never dared because you were too scared of sending the wrong message. Ladies, we know (or think we know) the fine line between sexy smoky eyes and looking like a lady of the night, but on Halloween all bets are off! Even the most conservative ladies are expected to transform on Halloween. I suggest you put down your cardigan and pick up this bold arsenal of high-impact eye makeup.

Here are my go-to products:

- YSL Touche Eclat #2 ($40.00)

- Shu Uemura False Eyelashes in Smoky Layers ($25.00)

- Shu Uemura Eyelash Adhesive ($8.50)

- Chanel Eye Shadow Quad in Les Folies Noires ($60.00)

- Chanel Le Crayon Khol in Noir ($27.00)

Start by applying the black eye shadow to your entire eyelid while shading a bit lighter around the brow bone. Think cat-like eye to guide the shape. Once you have achieved just the right shade of opaque black, run a Q-tip under each eye to remove the excess shadow that has fallen during application. After all the extra eye shadow has been removed, apply Touche Eclat under and around your eyes, but be careful not to rub it in too much. I find that Touche Eclat has a way of disappearing into the skin easily, so maybe tap a bit more than rub.

Follow this by applying black liner to both the top and bottom rim of each eye. Use the side of your finger, sponge or makeup applicator to smudge the outer corners of each eye. Now for the hard part – applying false eyelashes! Before I explain how I approach this, I must mention that if, like me, you’re not a pro at applying false eyelashes, Bergdorf’s has a Shu Uemura Lash Bar where skilled staff will apply even the largest and most difficult sets.

If you can’t make the trek to a nearby lash bar, here is how to get Lucille Ball lashes: Carefully take the lashes out of their package and place them on a slick surface or tin foil. Hold them up to your own lashes. Are they too long? If so, trimto fit. Have a good pair of tweezers on hand (I like Tweezerman travel tweezers). Squeeze a bit of glue onto your slick surface to get the feel of how fast it comes out of the tube. You now have two choices: either try to squeeze the glue onto the uber-thin eyelash application strip, or take a needle, dip it into the glob of glue and dab it onto each false eyelash. At this point you’re ready for application.

Use the tweezers to pick up the lashes (lash end first) and gently lay them on top of your real lashes, press gently and wait for the glue to dry. If you do not get the eyelashes on properly on your first try, make sure you still have enough glue on the eyelash and try again. The only thing to make sure of is that wet glue hasn’t moved your black eye makeup. Once the false eyelashes are on, your eyelids will feel very heavy and awkward, but you’ll get used to it. A word of caution: once dry, do not attempt to use Shu Uemura’s fantastic eyelash curler because the adhesive cannot withstand the squeeze, and you’ll be back at go with fake eyelashes dangling into your eye.

Voila! Now you’re ready to do the rest of your makeup as usual, grab your broomstick or other costume items and head into the night…