Recently in Tools Category

While everyone was oohing and ahhing over Sandra's super-shiny hair at the Oscars, we were busy obsessing over J Lo's  perfect eyebrows! Yes, there are many salons that can shape similar brows, but remember the recession?! Not everyone can afford a trip to the brow Dr every month. The best advice is to lighten your brows a shade with dye, but it isn't safe to recommend any at home kits, because the trick is to know how light to go. Worst case scenario you end up with no eyebrows, or disproportionate eyebrows...it can get scary. Second to dye, brow shaping kits are a must-have and the best way to perfect your arch. 

And the nominees for best eyebrow shaping kits are:



1. Tweezerman Mini Brow Kit, Sephora $25 2. Cle de Peau Beaute Eyebrow and Eyeliner Compact, Neiman Marcus $70 3. Too Faced Brow Envy Shaping and Defining Kit, Sephora $35 4. Benefit Cosmetics Brow Zings, Benefit Cosmetics $30 5. Anastasia All About Brows Kit, Sephora $75 6. Sephora Collection Arch it Brow Kit, Sephora $35

While Hollywood is prepping for the Oscars, we've been thinking about all the work that goes into making our favorite celebs look so damn glamorous on this big night. How do they (or their makeup artists -- yes they have help) get that amazing red carpet glow? If you have a big Oscar-like event coming up...maybe even the Oscars who knows?...make sure you're covered with these red carpet must-haves:

Lip Plumper:
The makeup world got a lot more exciting after the invention of lip plumper. What's better? A good limp plumper + a good gloss all in one.

Our suggestion: Givenchy Pop Gloss. Sephora, $24.50.












Fake Eyelashes:
Talk about an optical illusion. Fake lashes are the best way to illuminate your eyes and add a dash of intensity.

Our suggestion: Andrea Perma Lash Starter Kit. Sally Beauty Supply, $9.99.
 















Eye Shadow Palette:
The best way to get a modern, glamorous eye is to layer the right colors and eye shadow palettes make it relatively easy.

Our suggestion: Sephora Colorful Artist Palette. Sephora, $32.











Body Shimmer:
Shimmer, shimmer and more shimmer. But we're not talking just the face. You need a good illuminating powder to apply all over the body.

Our Suggestion: Urban Decay Flavored Body Powder. Sephora, $26.

If you have medium length hair, hot rollers or a curling iron will kick your style up a notch. Give your hair some curls in the morning before work and pull it back to a low, slightly loose bun during the day. When it's time to hit the town, remove the bun, shake out your hair and you'll you'll be "set" to go.

Our love for beauty products is never ending-- we can't get enough. We do, however, use products that, no matter what, we have with us at all times. From a mascara that makes our lashes look like falsies, to a powder that eliminates shine without making our skin look cakey and fake, to a creamy blush that can be applied without a mirror (it's flush looks sheer and natural) -- these are our makeup bag must-haves, and yes, they're that good.

Take a look:

 

 

 

Gillette Venus Embrace is the best razor for women we have used in some time. Sure, we have others we like, but this one is the absolute best. Its five blades deliver the closest, smoothest shave without leaving our legs with nicks, cuts or razor burn, and comes with a convenient in-shower holder for extra refills- our inner neat freak can appreciate that fabulous detail. $12.99, drugstore.com

We all love to have that bright, wide-eye look, and curling the lashes can really help achieve this. Lashes that have been curled open up the eyes, even out stubborn lashes, and short, puny lashes take on thickness and appear longer. While lash curlers can give us the ultimate, glammed-up look, they can sometime cause breakage or create a dent that looks unnatural.

Thankfully, we've discovered the Skinn Professional No Damage Lash Curler that bends lashes for an all day lash lift without kinking them or causing damage. Plus, the soft silicone strip is laced with protein, so it helps reinforce lashes at the stress point for less breakage! The spring-loaded style gives us better control while curling, and the silicone pad ensures just the right amount of pressure, with no pinching or crimping. We think we're in lash curling heaven...

$14 at skinn.com

With office parties, holiday parties and New Year's Eve added to your already-busy schedule of lunches with BFF's, sports practices, family dinners and playdates, it's no wonder the holiday season gets hectic!

Thankfully, you can still get glam hair for each event or occasion in no time. Start with dry hair, a flat iron and a styling product and you can create virtually any style, from sleek and straight to romantic waves and bouncy curls. We like the new Sedu Revolution Professional Nano Touramline Ionic Styler ($139.95, folica.com) with its unique curved edge plates that give you more flexibility and control for creating a multitude of looks.

 

 

 

 

 

For that office party, you want to look fabulous, and all you need is a quick refresher to look your best. Style your hair in the morning and touch it up later for a chic, polished look to keep you looking great throughout the evening.

*Set the styling iron to desired heat.

*Section hair into four sections and focus on one at a time.

*Take a one-inch section of dry hair and place in between the plates starting at the roots.

*Run the hair through the iron in a straight downward motion to the tip.

*Spritz with a light-hold hair spray like Bumble and Bumble Spray de Mode (from $15, bumbleandbumble.com) to lock-in the look all night!

 

 

 

Who doesn't want to look great while ringing in the New Year? Do it in style with sultry, natural looking curls. Here's how to create soft and bouncy curls perfect for your big night out:

 

*Work a tiny bit of mousse (try Warren-Tricomi Salon Mousse, $17, beauty.com) into hair to provide additional volume and hold.

*Take a one-inch section of dry hair and wrap it once around the bottom iron.

*Roll the styler as you run it through the length of your hair.

 

 

Be the center of attention at all of your holiday parties! Create silky, bombshell hair that's big on body:

*Take a one-inch section of dry hair and place in between the plates starting at the roots. 

*Run the styler through each sections vertically and twist out at the tips.

*For even more body flip head over and spritz volumizing hair spray (try Herbal Essences Body Envy Volumizing Hair Spray, $3.59, drugstore.com).

 

 

 

Wow your in-laws at that family dinner with beautiful, natural-looking waves. Sedu's lightweight design makes it easy to create waves and its adjustable heat feature makes it the perfect tool for any hair type.

 

*Take a one-inch section of dry hair and wrap it once around the  bottom iron .

*Run the styler through hair rolling outward once.

*Spray hair with texturizing spray like Oscar Blandi Tocco Finale Sculpting Pomade, $22, folica.com, for a piecier look.

 

 

 

Some of us here battle acne, and find that we will do anything tho keep it at bay. Most of our efforts work, however, there is always that pesky little blemish that comes up when we least expect it. So what do we do? We zap it with our new Zeno Mini!

Perfect for your pocket or purse, Zeno Mini works just like the original to help most pimples improve in 24 to 48 hours. It works by applying precisely controlled low-level heat to a pimple, causing the bacteria within the pimple to self-destruct (take that zits!). Each treatment takes just two and a half minutes, and most pimples clear up within just two to three treatments. The installed Treatment Tip Cartridge contains 45 treatment cycles and is easily replaced once you've used them all. $89, drugstore.com