Putting Together Your Pre-Wedding Beauty Arsenal

The time between when you get engaged and when you get married can be the most exciting, exhilarating and stressful time of your life. There's so much to plan and so many events and opportunities to celebrate with your loved ones. Between all the engagement parties, bridal showers, bachelorette weekends and photo shoots, you'll want to look your best. The memories and photos will last forever and you'll definitely want to look back at that time fondly, not stressed over your appearance.  

Unfortunately, it's not always possible to have a professional makeup artist or beauty advisor on hand for each event. Sometimes it's hard to know what you need and what's gonna be essential to your beauty routine. Luckily, you CAN have a celebrity makeup artist dispensing some helpful advice on what products to put together for your pre-wedding beauty arsenal.    

Celebrity makeup artist Julie Harris has worked with some of the most beautiful celebrities around. From Anne Hathaway and Julianne Moore to Eva Mendes and Jessica Alba. I spoke to her about the products and tools every bride should use to get ready for the all events surrounding the big day. There's no better time to revamp your makeup wardrobe than immediately after you get engaged. Restock your favorites and find out here what new gems you're gonna need to look your most glamorous.  

Beauty Tools:

Harris recommends investing in a great set of brushes. She has three favorite brands: M.A.C., Shu Uemura and Sephora brand. 

She recommends the following brushes:

-A large powder brush and blush brush that are soft and full. 

-A fluff brush for blending in the crease.

-A small fluff or shading brush for close to the lashes to give a soft shadow line. 

-An angle brush for applying shadow close to the top lashes or shading the eye brows to give more arch. 

-A lip brush.

-A liquid liner brush, which you want to be thin and pointy.

Skin Products:

"Bridal makeup should be natural and have a healthy glow," says Harris. She recommends using a cleanser, toner, and moisturizer such as Fresh Soy Cleanser, Rose Marigold Floral Water and Soy Face Cream. Harris also loves their Black Tea Eye Cream because it's soothing and moisturizing.  

Makeup-Foundation: 

Harris says to use a foundation that will work well to combat shine and smooth out your pores. 

She recommends: 

-Make Up For Ever Foundation. Celebrities love their HD formulas because they look great on camera and make your skin look flawless.

-Giorgio Armani Foundation. Another celebrity favorite because of its creamy formula and full coverage. 

Makeup-Primer

"I would also recommend using a primer to keep the skin looking flawless all day and to make your foundation last," says Harris.

She recommends: 

-Giorgio Armani Fluid Primer, a luxe liquid solution and makeup artist favorite.

-Lancome LA BASE PRO Perfecting Makeup Primer, a light formula with a velvety texture.

-Tarte Clean Slate Primer, an all-natural and paraben-free option.

-Jouer Mattifier, which works well under makeup or over top of your foundation to combat shine in the T-Zone.  

Makeup-Powder:

"I love Laura Mercier powders," she says.  She prefers their translucent formula because it's finer and lighter on the skin and likes the color tone selections available. Their brightening powder is great for under the eyes to make you look like you've had a good night's sleep.

Other powder recommendation:

-Make Up For Ever's HD Microfinish Powder which look great on camera and video (a bridal must). 

Makeup-Blush:

"For blushers I would recommend softer colors for wedding events," says Harris.

She likes:

-Cargo, which has an HD line with a great, subtle blush hue that goes on soft. 

-Bobbi Brown, which has a nice collection of pretty, punchy colors that make you look like you've just come back from a workout. 

Makeup-Concealer:"My favorite concealer is Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage because it has the two tones that are great for mixing to get a perfect skin tone match. The warmer is good for blue undertones and to match the skin's depth of color and the lighter is meant to match your undertone," says Harris. Harris loves the blendable concealer palette so a bride can mix her perfect shade depending on the day and her current skin tone.  You're skin tone might be lighter one month and darker the next depending on your sun exposure and time of year. 

Makeup-Mascara:

Harris recommends using both waterproof and non-waterproof mascaras. She uses a non-waterproof mascara first to get the fullness of the lashes and then seals it with a waterproof mascara for the last coat so the formula won't run if you cry. 

Her favorite: -Lancome Custom Volume Hypnose. 

Makeup-Eyeliner:

Harris swears by Kanebo Sensai Liquid Eyeliner because it has a great felt tip liner that is so exact and fine, you can get really close to the lashes. "I can't live without it and use it all the time," says Harris. 

She also likes Smashbox Waterproof Cream Liner because it doesn't smudge and gives a great line that makes the lashes look fuller. 

Makeup-Lips:

Harris recommends applying a lip balm like Fresh Sugar Balm first to moisturize the lips.

She says to use a soft liner color depending on the lip color you chose and recommends shading the lip first with a pencil, then applying a lip color and finally blotting the lips with a tissue and then applying again. Smashbox The Nude Lipliner is great liner option and YSL lipsticks are luxurious, pigmented and have a great satin finish. "I would stay away from too much gloss, frosted lipsticks or glittery colors. They don't photograph as well. The more matte the lips the better it will stay and the better it will look in photographs," she says. 

Final Touches:

For evening weddings or candlelight settings, Harris recommends applying a little highlighter on the cheek bones or in the inner corner of the eye which will reflect nice in the lighting. Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick, NARS The Multiple or Benefit High Beam are all great options. She also recommends investing in blotting papers to help keep the shine at bay for pictures and help from keeping the foundation from looking too powdery. 

Holiday Gift Giving Ideas-Oprah's Hope In a Jar

For many people Oprah Winfrey is a religion and way of life. What Oprah recommends to read, buy, and wear, they do. I might not be that fanatical but I definitely trust her taste and value her opinion. As I watched her "Ultimate Favorite Things" episode I couldn't help being a tad/ton jealous. Wow those people walked away with a lot of loot! A CAR for Pete's sake! I was also intrigued by all her favorite things.   

My beauty radar went into overdrive when Ms. Winfrey started talking about the "hands down the best moisturizer I've ever used". Oprah can use any moisturizer in the WORLD! She could grind up diamonds every day and smooth them over her face if she wanted to! Sounds painful but somehow still plausible. She doesn't do that because she's not a crazy person but she does indulge in philosophy's Hope in a Jar moisturizer and considers it her all time favorite moisturizer. 

Seems like philosophy loves their famous fan as much as she loves them. In honor of Miss O, philosophy has created a commerative, limited-edition Hope in a Jar moisturizer featuring their favorite gal pre-world-dominating media mogul days in her little school girl pig tails on the box. So cute and such a great gift giving idea!

This holiday season wrap up a cutie-sized box of this cult-classic moisturizer and pop it under the tree or in your loved one's stocking. The special jars are available on philosophy.com, sephora.com and in Sephora stores in three sizes: 2 oz ($38), 4 oz ($60) and 8 oz ($105)

Lucky for you, if you order from philosophy.com today thru December 13th you'll get 30% off your entire order by using promo code: holidaysparkle. Uh yeah that's a good deal!

So get your beauty-lovers an Oprah-approved moisturizer must-have this season! Enjoy lovelies!

Keep The Spirit of Summer Alive With Faux Glows and Beachy Blues

Summer may be winding down but you don't need the warm weather to look post-vaycay bronzed and beautiful. In my mind (and technically speaking), September still falls under summer and I like to take full advantage of that. Don't be afraid to rock warm weather-inspired shades all month long and keep a faux glow going on as long as you need to.

Here is a summer-inspired, multi-hued look I've been sporting lately as I desperately cling to the ephemeral  notion of beach days and flip flops. I've been testing out several new products in the beauty laboratory and come to the conclusion that they're awesome and great makeup for any season.

Disclaimer: Please excuse the fact that I look like a total loser in these photos. All in the name of beauty right!? I guess I'm comfortable looking like a massive tool with my super serious "makeup model" face on. Err… Whatevs! Just go with it.

Here are the products I used to create my multi-color summer face:

Sephora created the Beauty In A Box Summer Goddess Palette ($36, Sephora) to help you master stunning summer makeup. The palette comes with a gorgeous bronzer, turquoise eye pencil, two eyeshadows (in Swimming Pool Blue and Coppery Summer), black mascara, a powder brush, and a slanted eyeshadow brush. Plus there are easy-to-follow instructions with great visuals to help you achieve the summer skin you're after. I definitely had a  J.Lo moment after using it. I give the bronzers two thumbs up and love how the blue and copper shadows brings out the brown in my eyes. I brushed the copper shadow all over my lid and smudged up into my brow bone, applied the blue shadow like a liner on my lower lash liner and added the turquoise eye pencil in the corners of both lids. I then swept the bronzer all of my face in a very non-sparingly manner. I love me some bronzer.

To add extra drama to my eyes and because sometimes I just want to keep playing with colors,  I added one of my favorite new shadow duos: L'Oréal Paris Studio Secrets Professional Metallic Shadow Duos in shade Ignited ($8, drugstores). The plummy purple and luxe gold shadows complimented the blue and copper shades I had on surprisingly well. L'Oreal's latest metallic shadows come in really beautiful shades and don't crease at all.  I love the collection and highly recommend throwing a few in your shopping basket the next time you're at the drugstore.

To add volume to my lashes and make my eyes pop I swiped on a coat of SENSAI 38ºC Eyelash Base ($38, Bergdorf Goodman) and Mascara ($25, Bergdorf Goodman) in black. By adding the base primer, my lashes were coated with a formula that makes mascara look even longer and thicker on. It's sort of genius. I also like the size of SENSAI's mascara wand as it makes it easy to get the hard to reach-barely there lashes in the inner corner of your eye.The humidity and tear resistant formula doesn't budge but washes off easily with water at 38°C or higher. Love it.

Finally, I added SENSAI's Deep Moisture Shine Rouge in #104 KURENAI TSUTSUJI ($40, kanebo.com) to draw some attention to my pout. SENSAI's latest lip line is super soft and creamy on my lips and I loved the neutral-pink shade. I tend to usually go for more dusty-rose pinks but really liked how the lighter hue worked with the myriad of colors on my eyes.

For me, my colorfully eclectic eyes, super bronzed skin and pouty pink lips evoke the bright, cheerful feelings of summer. I love experimenting and mixing together different eye colors and I absolutely adore any and all shades of blue. Blue is one of the most versatile shades and blends easily with many other colors. If you don't have at least one shade of blue, make sure you put that on the top of your beauty to-do list.

I'm also a big fan of mixing department store makeup with drugstore brands. There are so many great products out there in both categories. To recreate a similar look pick up some of these great finds in shades that work for you! Don't forget summer isn't over yet! Keep wearing bright summer shades as long as you possibly can! 

Working Wednesdays-Speedy Smoky Eyes Courtesy of Tina T!

Many of us have fun, fabulous evening plans but are on serious time crunches and can't seamlessly transition day/work makeup or no makeup into a sultry smoky eye without some seriously concentrated time and effort spent at home. Or perhaps you think you need a drawer full of cosmetics to really look like you're ready for a night out on the town. Not the case. You simply need a few beauty basics that you can toss into any purse or clutch to look like the most glamorous version of yourself.

Mariska Hargitay had amazing smoky eyes at the Oscars this year but she also had amazing celebrity makeup artist Tina Turnbow on hand to give her a flawless face and gorgeous glare.

Since Turnbow can't get us glammed up for all of our evenings out, she doled out some fantastic tips and recommendations for throwing together an easy, but unmistakably gorgeous smoky eye. Portability is key and the makeup artist recommends carrying a variety of blendable, lasting and eye intensifying pencils.

Turnbow suggests smudging 2-3 different pencils together instead of dealing with shadows that tend to fall on your skin and are messy to carry around. Pencils have a smudgier effect and a more deep, intense color. You'll want a matte pencil (usually in the darkest shade) to accentuate your eye, a super smudgey pencil that acts like a shadow, a highlighting pencil with a shimmery finish to blend the dark edges and brighten the whole look and a kohl pencil to line the inner rims of your eye if you're feeling particularly dramatic.

Smoky eyes can seem intimidating but what they do is enhance your natural eye shape using dark and light shades to play up one part and darken another. Turnbow says, "You want to emphasize darkness around the lash line and then diffuse that color out with a complimentary highlighting shade to make the eye pop. A soft metallic shade will give your eye dimension and depth."

To recreate Hargitay's sultry stare, Turnbow recommends starting with a solid matte pencil in a midnight blue hue. Try Sue Devitt Eye Intensifier Pencil in Victoria Falls or Stila Kajal Eye Liner in Sapphire. Both pencils blend easily, glide on smooth and are long lasting. Take the dark shade and follow the shape of your eye closest to your lash lines. Trace the pencil around your eye into an almond shape, which is the ideal shape for smoky eyes. Take another soft color like Stila Convertible Color in Indigo (a dual-ended color wand that has a pencil on one end and a complimenting highlighting shadow with a blending applicator on the other) and smudge the hue in the crease of your eye as a background to the darker color.

                                                      
                                                                               Then add in a shimmery metallic color like Sephora Collection Nano Eyeliner in Precious Silver or Pure Beige. Take the iridescent pencil and use it to highlight the shape of the eye to give it a luminescent look. Highlight the center of the lid (above the dark liner) and add a touch to your inner eye corners. Let the darker color graduate to the shimmery edge, so the lines are blurred and cloudy. Blend, blend, blend! Make sure there are no defined edges or lines. Turnbow says a harsh line will make your eyes look smaller.

For an even more dramatic look, focus a darker kohl pencil on the inside of your eyes to bump up the look. Try Almay Blendable Eye Pencil in Brown or Black.

Hargitay's smoky eyes looked stunning and the beauty's smooth chocolate brown pupils melted against the blue hues. You can easily achieve a similar look with Turnbow's amazing suggestions! Blue smoky eyes are perfection for the Spring and look amazing on every skin tone.

So grab a few of these pencils, store them in your bag and whip them out when you're ready to boost your look to the next level. Enjoy!!

Also check out the amazing Flower Child collection from Tarte inspired by eco-friendly makeup Goddess Tina T! Available at Sephora for a limited time!


Check out Makeover Momma for my Working Wednesdays columns!

Sephora Samples!

If you spend $25.00 or more online at Sephora use promo code: 4STEPS at check out. You'll be eligible for a goodie bag filled with skin care samples that best suit your skin type: Dry, Oily or Normal. So if you were already thinking about restocking your beauty supplies or trying something new out (their return policy states that you can test out a product and return it if you don't like the color) use this code and receive some fabulous new products to experiment with!

Samples Include:

Oily Skin-Juice Beauty Cleansing Gel, Ole Henriksen Visual Truth Eye Creme, MD Skincare Hydra-Pure Vitamin C Serum, Juice Beauty Oil-Free Moisturizer, Shiseido Ultimate Sun Protection Cream SPF 55

Normal Skin-Philosophy Purity Made Simple, Caudalie Pulpe Vitaminee Eye and Lip Cream, Bare Escentuals Rare Minerals Purely Nourishing Facial Moisturizer, Shiseido Ultimate Sun Protection Cream SPF 55

Dry Skin-Perricone MD Gentle Cleanser, Shiseido Benefiance Concentrated Anti-Wrinkle Eye Cream, Dior HydrAction Hydra-Protective Light Cream, Murad Perfecting Day Cream SPF 30

Calorie-Free Vending Machines Courtesy of Sephora

Sephora has always been all about making beauty convenient and accessible. So their latest venture should come as no surprise: Vending Machines!

When I think of vending machines I immediately think of all the loose change I have lying around at home (and not with me when needed) and huff in frustration that if I had just one more quarter I could nab that trail mix I've been craving all morning. Ok, you caught me, it's not trail mix, it's TGIF Bacon and Cheddar Chips and yes I have a hankering for them at ten in the morning!

The Sephora Vending Machines, however, feature makeup, skincare and fragrance items from some of the beauty mecca's most popular brands such as Dior Beauty, Bare Escentuals, Smashbox, Philosophy, Murad, Peter Thomas Roth, Korres, Juicy Couture, and StriVectin. The mini makeup counters are featured, past security, in several airports across the country (BNA in Nashville, TN; LAS in Las Vegas, NV; IND in Indianapolis, IN; DFW in Dallas, TX; JFK in Queens, NY; or IAH in Houston, TX). Those know-it-alls know how vulnerable we are lollygagging about by our gate, waiting around (sometimes endlessly) for flights! It's the perfect place to purchase any of the topical treats you might have forgotten en route to Land That Is Not Your Home.

If you are in a rush, they're quick and easy to use with touchscreen menus that divulge pertinent product info and pricing. Plus no need to scrounge for change or crisp dollar bills as your plastic of choice is readily accepted. Although, I really do protest that vending machines don't take pennies. Is there a petition sheet I can sign up for to reverse this annoying ruling? Tangent, I apologize.

Look for the beauty boxes at some of your local malls or JCPenny stores (especially the ones without a full service Sephora counter).

This is so exciting; I can't wait for them to pop up everywhere, perhaps even replacing the vending machines at work. That way I'd look fabulous every morning and not be so tempted by TGIF's chip offerings!

Let me know if you've seen a Sephora Vending Machine at an airport or mall recently.
Follow Sephora (@Sephora) on Twitter! You can follow them right after you've started following me (@beautybuffblog)!

Boxed Beauty Kits

I know it seems like I'm on a Sephora binge with all the accolades they've received from me lately but I feel like it's my civic duty to a) vote and b) tell you when I find something deliciously fabulous that gets me kid in a candy store excited.

So here's another way they're making our lives easier and more fun: Boxed Kits of customer favorite products. Each kit has travel size versions of different skin and beauty products for your lips, eyes, skin and face. Some of my favorite products are featured in each set such as Duwop Private Red (in the Lip Service Kit), Guerlain Powder Pearls for the Face bronzer (in the Glitz & Glam Shimmer and Shine Kit) and Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion (in the Radiant Skin Regimen Kit).

This sounds like the perfect little holiday stocking stuffer (hint, hint). Since I'm such a beauty junkie, the brand variety is enticing and lets be honest I'm not sure I'd be able to afford the regular size version of some of these fine products! Take a look at all the miniature sets here: Sephora Favorites



Sephora Favorites Glitz & Glam Shimmer and Shine Deluxe Sampler$38.00 at Sephora

Sephora Favorites My First Makeup Kit Deluxe Sampler
$32.00 at Sephora

Sephora Favorites LashStash Mascara Deluxe Sampler
$39.00 at Sephora

Sephora Favorites Lip Service Deluxe Sampler
$38.00 at Sephora

Sephora Favorites Radiant Skin Regimen Deluxe Sampler
$38.00 at Sephora

Sephora's Halloween Makeup Ideas & Solutions

As usual Sephora has come up with a simple yet ingenious way to make all of our lives easier. With Halloween a week away, everyone's scrambling to put together a costume that’s funny, sexy, relevant, timely and oh yeah makes you look AWESOME. With people posting (what has now become their annual) Halloween party pix on Facebook almost instantaneously, don't we all feel the added pressure to one-up our previous costumes and have friends comment on how creative and fabulous we look!? C'mon admit it!

Well, our favorite megastore is now helping us achieve and (perhaps inspire) the look that will complete your costume and new alluring persona. Each Sephora Brand Halloween Kit ($19, sephora.com) has the essentials to conjure up three different looks. The looks include a vampire, witch and rock star or doll, fairy and angel or Cleopatra, peacock or Greek goddess. After experimenting with these kits the costume possibilities will be endless and you'll be the Facebook Halloween superstar you know you are! A big thanks goes out to one of my favorite blogs, Makeup Bag, for keeping us all in the know about this amazing find!

Be A Confident Online Beauty Buyer

Although regular excursions to your local makeup counter is the ideal way to scoop up and test out new finds, not everyone has the time or energy to carve out what inevitably becomes hours of joyous product scavenging. Isn't that always the case? You go to buy one thing and somehow always end up finding two other items you never knew you needed to have! It's wonderful to have an expert eye navigating which colors and compacts you'll radiate in isn't it? And you yourself can always tell whether that teal shadow you just tried on gives you a modern day smoky eye sparkle or conjures up a striking resemblance to Mimi from The Drew Carey Show.

That's why online makeup shopping seems so daunting for so many people. How can you really tell whether you'll like how a shade of lipstick looks or if an eye shadow palette compliments your skin tone? Once you buy it and open the packaging are you stuck with it forever? Those fears would turn anyone away from making your beauty buys a one-click process.

However, places like Sephora.com and Beauty.com have already anticipated your apprehension and adjusted accordingly. At Beauty.com many of the store's makeup products have a 100% Color Guarantee. This allows you to buy makeup online and if you're not happy with the color, return it for a full refund. Although this only applies to products that have the 100% Color Guarantee logo and you won't get a refund for any shipping costs you incurred that ends up encompassing a lot of different products and hues!

Sephora.com provides similar services to accommodate its customers. If you order a product, try it on and don't like it you can return the item and get a full refund if its sent back within 60 days of purchase. So if an item is slightly used they'll take it back and pay for shipping costs.

These two sites are in my opinion the best place to get the most variety, quality and reliability in customer service. So if you've ever hesitated about buying a blush or foundation shade this tid bit of information is for you! Click AWAY beauty lovers!

Look and Feel Posh-Spice Airport-Ready No Matter Where You Are

Out of Office Reply up? You're in Vacation-Mode!

Gain your world traveler wings with this season’s most skin suitable and smart to use products on-the-go.

Pack the tools that optimize space, time and effectiveness.

Summer has finally arrived! Shielding yourself from the bitter temperatures in your faux-fur parka and face wrap was mildly amusing, but now you're more than ready for warm weather and sunny beach days. You may not have the means to fund a Tahitian vacation-extraordinaire right now but wherever you decide to journey, (surf and sand at the Jersey Shore or poolside in Miami) you'll need the right accoutrement to make you're travels easy and skin effortlessly glowing. The fun of vacations is their sometimes unexpected nature. While spontaneity might work for your itinerary, it won't for your skincare routine. Packing products that are either multi-purpose or compact is a great start, but too often people compromise quality for travel ready. There's nothing worse than being in your dream location, ready to drink in the culture and night life but instead stressing over an inopportune zit or frizzy hair day (since your without your favorite products).

Carry-on in style!

Dress your liquids up in packaging as stylish as your airport outfit.

Conveniently varied in style and size, Japonesque's Gotta Go Weekend Travel Bag ($20, amazon.com) comes with identification labels so you don't confuse your toner for mouthwash. This bag is perfect for all those obscure but necessary fluids that you must journey with.


Identifying adhesive labels make storing liquids easy.

Skin Solutions for Every Surface

“Hand-ie” for your face.

While this bottle may not appear travel-friendly, it is! Satin Soaps by Jason Natural Products ($6.75, jason-natural.com) is all natural and so gentle on your skin you can use it on your hands and face. We love the one infused with Herbal Extracts. It has avocado oil to moisturize and aloe vera to soothe the skin. Use this multi-faceted wash to cleanse your exterior and enjoy the satin smooth hydration you’ll experience. Throw some in one of your newly acquired airport-ready bottles.

The foaming solution will keep your hands and face soft to the touch.


It's summer so wearing thongs (sandals that is) is a given.

Outdoor activities can be rough on your feet. Having dry, calloused and cracked feet takes away from the beauty of your tanned, freshly manicured (in neon pink of course) toes. Tips 'N Toes Hands & Feet Kit by Burt's Bees ($8.50, burtsbees.com) includes a pumice stone, miniature peppermint lotion and creams in coconut and lemon butter. The concoctions smell delicious and are enriched with ultra moisturizing cocoa butter.



I Can See Clearly Now

Topical treats that allow your summer skin to be as clean and makeup free as possible. Don’t waste time on vacation doing prep-work when you can be squeezing in back to back activities. Sometimes, that means jumping from beach to bar without much time for touch-ups. Unfortunately, heat and humidity increases the activity in your oil glands causing pores to clog and creating breakouts. Try AcneRecovery's System Kit ($99, acnerecovery.com). These powerful treatments contain benzoyl-peroxide and salicylic-acid and come in convenient packaging. Additionally, their special "dial-in" technology allows you to adjust the amount of active ingredients you use depending on your needs. The clearer your skin, the less time you’ll spend applying makeup and the more confident you’ll feel in your new locale.



Other Travel Favorites Include: Solid perfume roll on sticks by Crazylibellule and the Poppies ($18, Poule de Luxe Vanilla Lemon Pie is my favorite), Yu-be Moisturizing Skin Cream To Go ($15), Smashbox’s Photo Finish Foundation Primer To Go SPF 15 Dermaxyl Complex ($17) -all available sephora.com- and Oscar Blandi’s Proteine di Jasmine Protein Mist for Restyling Hair To Go ($8, drugstore.com)







Tip: Use the spray bottle for rosewater if you're on a plane. Spritz on your face after you land to rehydrate your moisture-thirsty skin. Try Pure Persian Rose Water by Julie Hewett ($24, thebeautymark.com)