Category Archives: Eyes

snap, crackle & pop!

brow highlighter is an often over-looked and under-utilized tool by make-up users everywhere. at a young age, i learned about the magic of “opening up” my eyes by using a light shadow (usually some shade on the white/pale pink spectrum) at the inner corners of my eyes as well as under the brow. i was a dancer and then, yes, a cheerleader and the importance of making my eyes POP was essential for center stage. i’m not talking clown make-up, ladies, but a little swipe (don’t forget to blend) of highlighter under your arch adds so much life to your eyes. it’s as simple as that!

i’m currently loving the BENEFIT HIGH BROW PEN…

high brow

and a little brow highlighter in action…

high brow

xo, b

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what’s in my bag?

my bag

clearly i had a little fun at sephora today! after spending 2 hours in one of my favorite stores (and with the help of a lovely make-up specialist to teach me about the new MJB line!) , i left with an assortment of goodies to brighten, heighten and enhance! i thought i’d give my ladies a sneak peek of what’s currently in my beauty bag…

1. sephora brand, transparent brow gel – *for taming unruly eyebrows

2. benefit, high brow (lightening pencil) – *to add lift to your brow line and widen/brighten the look of your eye

3. marc jacobs beauty, bronzer – *contouring is essential and good bronzer is key!

4. smashbox, eye shadow palette in sepia – *3 shadows, sans-shimmer, for the perfect every day look

5. deborah lippmann, nail polish, “happy birthday” – *because you can never go wrong with glitter!

6. benefit, fake up (concealer) – *anti-crease concealer with staying power

happy saturday!

xo, b

It Ain’t Easy Being Green

      But Vincent Longo can make it a little easier for you…

In honor of St. Patrick’s Day (though I’m sitting at a desk rather than out at a bar celebrating), I present you  with VL Vibrant Eye Waterproof Liner.

Vincent Longo’s philosophy is to create products that don’t yet exist but he wishes they did. How nice of him, right? No, I think it more like “thanks for doing your job, Beauty Product Line CREATOR.” Sorry, bitchy moment.

ANYWAY… what VL does do is give you the greatest palette of colors to work with! All of VL colors are bold, beautiful and definitely make a statement. I think they are fabulous and oh so fun!

I own VL’s green liner and it is such an easy product to work with! The brush is itty-bitty to give you precision lines and it definitely has all day (and all night) staying power.

Thus, I guess I would warn you that that’s the only thing I don’t totally love about the product . You seriously have to work to get this baby off — no easy access here.

Try it at your own risk and have fun!

Girl on Top Shows You Here!

Vincent Longo is available online or at Sephora.

Make Em Pop

I promise you, if you add a little somethin’ somethin’ to your brows, your eyes will go POP! And that little somethin’ somethin’ is a little color. You don’t need much to seal the deal. But a word to the wise, be careful in choosing your color / brand. Using the wrong color will make you pop in another way…and that would be the way you don’t want!

As your how to be a Girl on Top expert, I say that Anastasia Brow Powder Duo is your answer. We’ve talked about this before. Anastasia is the Queen of Brows, so trust her (if not me) on this one.

How do I know what color works for me, you ask? There are several ways. To give you an idea, my natural hair color is a dark dark dark brown, practically black. My brow color is a bit lighter and I use the ash/blonde palette. Anastasia has created six different palettes for you to choose from. So I promise you, you will find your color!

To find your color, you can go to Anastasia and have one of the experts help you out. OR you can go to a reputable makeup specialist to seek their expertise. Here’s a hint: only talk to a makeup specialist whose makeup looks good / is something you like, i.e. if you like a natural look, don’t go to M.A.C.

Girl on Top Shows You Here!

Everybody Loves a Ginger

      Isn’t it funny that getting a “natural” look can often take longer than putting on a smokey eye for a night on the town? OK, it’s not funny. It’s frustrating to be honest. 

 And what’s even more frustrating is not being able to find that perfect shade. I’ve tried a lot of “natural” eye shadows and have used everything from beige to soft browns by Stila, Clinique, MAC, you name it. Don’t get me wrong, these lines made great shadows, but nothing seemed to do exactly what I wanted. Until I Laura Mercier Matte Eye Colour in Ginger. LM Ginger is the best natural eye shadow I have found to this day.

It’s velvety and a nice, simple tint for your lids. Don’t worry about overdosing on color with this one. It won’t happen. For a softer, barely there look, don’t prime your lids before adding shadow.

This color looks especially nice on red heads (myself being one for the last few months). Like I said…everybody loves a ginger.

Go get ’em girls!

Girl on Top Shows You Here!

*LM can be found at Nordstrom and Sephora.

Love at First Touch

    You think you’ve felt smooth. I’ve even told you about smooth. But I can’t even begin to describe to you the heaven that Dior HydrAction Visible Defense Eye Creme is.

OK, well I’m going to try…

This eye cream is like none other I’ve ever used. It literally feels like butter. It is so silky and so smooth that you won’t know what to do with yourself. You’ll be dying for the next time you get to put it under your eyes.

When I was eighteen years old, I was in the Saks Fifth Avenue on none other than…you guessed it…Fifth Avenue. I was speaking with a makeup rep from Prada (cue G-d like music here), she was in her forties and let me tell you, she looked great! Her secret? Eye cream. Everyday. She told me she started using an eye cream at the ripe age of only sixteen. And what did I think to myself? Shoot, I was already two years behind…

After that makeup session, I set out to find the best eye cream. And I found some pretty great stuff — Ahava, L’Occitane, the goods — but nothing, and I mean nothing compared to the day that I tried Dior Visible Defense for the first time. I can remember it now…

It was a cold day (OK, that could be a lie, but just imagine it), and I was at Sephora. I saw the bottle, experienced the wonder, and it was practically love at first sight.

And are you ready to turn your back on love? I didn’t think so…

Dior HydrAction Visible Defense defies wrinkles and black circles, feels amazing and has SPF. What more do you need? At the very least, go to Sephora and try it out if you’re not ready to commit. How scary can a sample be?

Girl on Top Shows You Here!

Morning Madness

       These easy-to-use, ready-to-go eye makeup remover pads are the greatest thing to hit a working girl’s vanity. I, for one, relied on them just this very morning. I woke up late, didn’t have time to wash my face, had to throw on my clothes and get going! And I say I love staying busy…

So what did I do about the residue from my mascara of yesterday that made its way under my eye? I’ll tell you what I did. I grabbed my mini container of ALMAY Eye Makeup Remover Pads and my Too Faced makeup kit and made a mad dash for the door.

Almay EMRP is a no-mess, hassle-free product. And, for the most part, it does the trick. But I’m not going to throw my tried-and-true Clinique Take the Day Off under the bus here. Take the Day Off gets all of your makeup off and I will say that it is still the best product I have used to this day. HOWEVER, for an easier, quicker, less hassle-y way of taking off your makeup (like in the car, for instance), Almay is the way to go!

Girl on Top Shows You Here!

You can buy the larger container for $4.99 or a sample size for $1 at Target.

Two Faced…

        How dare you call me such a thing! Just kidding. How perfect is that name for a beauty line, though?

Too Faced has learned that we all don’t have time to spend 10-15 minutes on our makeup each day and has created a shadow palette to make your life much simpler!

 This Too Face Natural Eye Kit is perfect for the girl-on-the-go!

Equipped with 3 all over colors, 3 lid shades, 3 crease shadows, and 1 shadow brush, this kit allows you to create a natural look just the way you want it! And for those of you who wouldn’t consider eye-makeup your forte, the kit comes with three instruction cards to help you achieve your goal.

Whether you want a matte day look, a shimmery evening or somewhere in between, Too Faced has got you covered. This palette will be your secret weapon to staying fresh and beautiful all day long. People with ask, how does she do it?

I bought this palette a few months ago and absolutely love it. It’s perfect for my fast-paced, never stopping lifestyle. Even my mother recently bought it to help her master eye-makeup application. It’s a dummy proof kit (I love you, Mom).

Girl on Top Shows You Here!

*Too Faced is sold at Sephora and Beauty Collection.

Gold Is The New Black

Gold is where it is at this season. And Smashbox shimmer eyeshadow in 24K should be the newest addition to your palette. You can play with this color in an assortment of ways to give you exactly the look you are going for!

Be careful when choosing your golds, though. Some may be too yellow-y or too orange. If you don’t want to spend a few extra bucks for a gold shadow, I’d say check out 24K, try to get a sample and then find something that matches it or is pretty close to. 24K is a great gold.

HOW TO GET THE LOOK:

1. Daily wear: brush the gold shadow across your lids for a lightening shimmer. For a subtle glow, only use one or two strokes.

2. For the night effect: use primer on your lids first (M.A.C. prep+primer does the trick or you can always go with Vaseline). Then apply 24K. You will get a fabulous metallic-y shine for a night on the town.

24K can be found wherever Smashbox is sold. Check out your local ULTA or Sephora for Smashbox products!

Curling Power!

        You’ve seen her work on almost every celebrity. You might have even seen her products at Sephora. But do you know her name? Anastasia. Remember it. Hit memory save. This is a must. Anastasia is the eyebrow goddess. A wonder-worker. A beauty maker.

I happen to be fortunate enough to have my eyebrows done at her Beverly Hills salon…for all you city gals, she just opened a salon in NYC, too. So, if you have the chance (and the extra cash because her magic doesn’t come cheap), definitely check out the shaping power of the specialists at Anastasia.

Enough about that for now and on to today’s product, Anastasia Lash Lifting Mascara. You won’t need a lash curler with this mascara because it does all the work for you! It lifts, curls and volumizes your lashes all on its own. You can also feel safe from clumping and spidery eyes.

I mean, I’d trust an eye expert to make a great mascara. Wouldn’t you?

Girl on Top Shows You Here!

*You can purchase Anastasia at any Sephora store for $22.