Back to School.... Back to School...

...or work.



What's genius about my back to school tips is that they are the SAME ones I would give for the working gal. So give this one a chance.

I'm totally guilty of overlooking these "back to school" type videos myself, just because, well... I'm not in school anymore.

But these tips are really great for everyone because it's all about creating a quick, easy, and long-wearing look that will take you through the day.



I get so many requests for a "back to school" makeup tutorial. Which to me, is kind of tricky because there are so many possibilities for a specific "back to school" look.

Even trickier, because in high school and college, girls are just beginning to really define their style. Some may be more comfortable wearing more makeup than others. Some may even go to schools with rules and restrictions on what kind and how much makeup can be worn.

That's when I realized that "back to school" makeup isn't defined by a specific look, but should really be all about ease and results.

In other words, something that will get you out the door fast and stay on all day.



Because at school, the last thing you should be worried about is touching up your makeup.



So here are some of my favorite tips for long-wearing makeup that is super easy and quick to apply. So whether you're a mascara and lip gloss gal, or if you love your eyeliner (like I did...every. single. day.), you can adjust these tips and the tutorial to suit you.



Yeah, you read that right. Come on, I was in to makeup. It was my thing.



Check out my video below for all my tips and the tutorial.





Then stop reading my blog and go do your homework.



xoxo, Tiffany

Enchanting Teal Makeup Tutorial

Products Used:
Sigma Flare Palette
colors used: Crush, Oversee, Define, Publicize
MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack
Benefit They're Real mascara
Tarte Amazonian Clay blush in Peaceful
MAC Lipglass in Nymphette

not shown:
Make Up For Ever Mat Velvet+ liquid foundation
Revlon Brow Fantasy in Dark Blonde

Glowing Colorful Summer Makeup Tutorial (MAC Semi Precious)

Products Used:
MAC Rubenesque Paint Pot
MAC Faux Gold mineralized eye shadow
MAC Mineral Mode mineralized eye shadow
MAC Rare Find mineralized eye shadow
MAC Gilded White pencil liner
Urban Decay 24/7 liner in Lucky
Cover Girl Lashblast mascara
MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack
MAC False Lashes #36
MAC Pressed Amber mineralized blush
MAC Semi Precious Crystal Pink mineralize skinfinish
Make Up For Ever Lab Shine lipgloss in #52

Pretty Little Liars Makeup Tutorial: Aria (Sigma Bare Palette)

I LOOOVE Pretty Little Liars. The book series, the show.... everything. This look is based on Aria, the character played by Lucy Hale in the show.

Products Used:
Smashbox Photo Finish lid primer
Sigma Beauty Bare Palette
MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack
Cover Girl Lashblast mascara
MAC lipstick in Fabby
MAC lipglass in Electric Fuchsia














my silly attempt at the opening "shh" of the show....

How to Make Colorful Liner Wearable!

If you're like me, somewhere in your makeup collection, you're probably hoarding a shameful stash of gorgeous, colorful eye liners that don't get much love.

The months pass...
Your gorgeous rainbow of little liquid pretties in the drawer begin to expire. aaaaand you don't have the heart to throw them out because they've only been touched once. I feel ya. I have one of those stashes too.

So one day a couple weeks back I found a really easy and flattering way to incorporate colorful liner into your everyday makeup routine when you want to have a little fun!
Don't be afraid to use color where eye liner is concerned! It can be done in a way that looks grown-up and flattering.

Highlighting 101

There are SOOOO many different facial highlighting products out there. Cream, liquid, primers, powders... it can get confusing. How to use them can seem even trickier.

...because with highlighting products, there is a fine line between glowy and disco ball.

We want to make sure "disco ball" never happens. Unless, of course, it's intentional.

Summer Pink Day/Night Makeup Tutorial

Products Used:
Urban Decay Primer Potion
MAC eye shadows:
Da Bling
Vapour
Sable
Urban Decay Deluxe eye shadow in Scratch
MAC Fluidline in Dipdown (brown)
MAC False Lashes Mascara
NARS Laguna Bronzer
NARS Orgasm Blush
MAC Sheen Supreme lipstick in Behave Yourself

Not shown in video:
Make Up For Ever Mat Velvet+ liquid foundation

Summer Self-Tanning and Bronzing How-to and Fav Products

Yep...it's that time of year again!

I absolutely LOVE this time of year because of the warmer weather. With warmer weather comes smaller outfits which equal more skin... Which usually leads to a self-tanning routine that is an absolute hassle.

I don't like to have more of a tan in the summer because it's "trendy" or because I feel I have to. I personally like a bit of a glow because it's what I personally prefer and feel more comfortable with. Some people prefer just the opposite, and that's perfectly fine!

But if you are like me and love a bit of a natural glow, but don't have a the time or patience to mess with complicated and messy self-tanning products, check out my video below for the awesome new products I've discovered that do the trick!

Happy Summer!
xoxo
Tiffany

Summer Yellow Makeup Tutorial *Feature Flattering*

Let's be honest. Yellow is a tricky eye shadow color.
It's super easy to slap on bright yellow eye shadow and call it a day, but whenever I do makeup, I like it to bring out my features-- Make my eye lashes look thicker, make my eyes look brighter, make me look like I actually put some thought into this super bright color on my lids.

Something tells me you guys like that too. :)

Here is how I wear yellow and make it flattering--

Products used:
Urban Decay Primer Potion
NYX Jumbo Eye Shadow Pencil in Milk -matte white cream eye shadow
MAC eye shadows:
Gesso -matte white
Chrome Yellow -matte bright primary yellow
Crest the Wave -lighter frosted yellow (limited edition shade- If you don't have something similar, mix the white with the other yellow you use to make a brighter shade)
Print -satin dark gray
MAC Eye Kohl in Fascinating -white liner for waterline
MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack -jet black gel liner
Covergirl Lashblast mascara
Tarte Amazonian Clay blush in Dollface -bright pink
MAC Sheen Supreme lipstick in Behave Yourself
YSL Golden Gloss in #10

Perfect Eyebrows from a Kit- Anastasia Beauty Express

I have a bit of a fascination with eyebrows...

Weird that I often neglect my own. But because I'm always a sucker for kits and palettes of any kind (especially ones with super cool stencils included), I figured I'd give this one a whirl.

It's got everything you need for perfect brows- five stencils (there's one for every brow shape, I promise), two shades of shadow to fill brows, wax (to keep brows in place and help powder adhere), and two highlight shades. Oh, and a little cheapo angled brow brush. It's really not the best brush in the world to fill brows (I use mine for the wax only), but you can get a great brow brush from Sigmabeauty.com. My favorite, and the one I feature in the video, is the E65.
The only thing it's missing...tweezers. Not that I would expect great ones to be included in a kit like this, but I definitely have started keeping mine inside of it as tweezing is a step to include at least once a week or so in the whole process.

While I've always been skeptical about the whole "stenciled brow" concept, it's actually quite amazing when you try it out. It turned me into a brow stencil believer. ...and actually shocked me that I didn't end up looking like this:

*I had the most epic awful brow picture for this post. But didn't have the heart to actually post it because if someone recognized their brows on here I would die. Use your imagination. Or just Google "chola brows" for some entertainment.

Check out my video below for a step-by-step tutorial using this kit and a review of this product (I use the Blonde shade).
The Anastasia Beauty Express kit can be purchased at Ulta, Sephora, and anywhere Anastasia Beverly Hills products are sold.

Mila Kunis Inspired Makeup Tutorial

Products Used:
MAC Paint Pot in Constructivist
Lancome eye shadow in Volcano
Urban Decay eye shadow in Ruthless
MAC eye shadow in Soft Brown
MAC eye shadow in Brule
MAC eye shadow in Carbon
Laura Mercier Tightline Cake Liner
Stila Eye Kajal liner in Onyx
Lancome Definicils Precious Cells mascara
MAC lipstick in Politely Pink
MAC lipglass in Pink Lemonade
NARS bronzer in Laguna
Smashbox blush in Flush

Mila Kunis image credit: Getty Images

Spring Natural, Glowy Makeup: New Fav Palette

Just a super-easy, natural, fun look for spring using one of my favorite eye shadow palettes I've recently discovered. Hope you guys love it!
*Click here for photos and swatches of the palette.

Products Used:
Cargo eye shadow quad in Baja
MAC Fluidline in Dipdown (brown)
Covergirl Lashblast Volume mascara
NARS Laguna powder bronzer
NARS Orgasm powder blush
NARS Easy Lover lipgloss

not shown in video:
Make Up For Ever Mat Velvet+ liquid foundation with Beautyblender

Eyeliner Howto: Tightlining Technique, the Waterline & Favorite Products

Eyeballs make me cringe. Seriously. I can sometimes just imagine getting poked in the eye or something crazy happening to my eyes and I almost throw up. True story.

Because of this, lining the waterline and tightlining were always something I stayed away from up until a couple years ago. It just seemed dangerous, unnecessary, and gross.

I'm so glad I gave it a shot, practiced, and have discovered some great fool-proof products over the past few years because I absolutely love the results.
So to show you what "tightlining" and lining the waterline really mean, and how to get great results, I figured I'd make a handy dandy little video tutorial.

...One that didn't make it seem dangerous, unnecessary, and gross.
Because I still cringe whenever I see someone else do it.

If you have sensitive eyes and want to try this technique, make sure you stick to the tips I give in the video and choose safe products that are safe for use in that area. Also, maybe just skip the waterline and start with tightlining.
Check out the video below for a description of both and a tutorial/demonstration of these lining techniques.

Updated Foundation Routine (BeautyBlender)

So during my last skincare haul video, I mentioned the BeautyBlender sponge makeup applicator at some length. I had gone to the store looking for a generic makeup-removing facial cleanser to clean it with which then inspired the whole change in my skincare routine.

Which then inspired a long ramble in that video about my love for the BeautyBlender...

So as promised in that video, here is my updated foundation routine using this product.


Here are some BeautyBlender basics to remember:
-Always use the sponge damp. It expands to almost twice it's size and makes it much softer and springy..er. :) Dampening it really is what makes the product worthwhile and keeps it from soaking up (and wasting) most of your foundation like most other sponges.
-Apply your foundation using bouncy motions. (I demo this in the video)
-Clean it every 3 or 4 times using a gentle cleanser.

BeautyBlenders are available at sephora.com.

Dark & Dramatic "Going-Out" Eyes- Naked Palette

Products Used:
Urban Decay 24/7 Eye Shadow Pencil in Sin
Urban Decay Naked Eye Shadow Palette Colors:
Buck
Toasted
Hustle
Darkhorse
Creep
Virgin
Smog
Sidecar
MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack
Covergirl Lashblast mascara
MAC lipstick in Ravishing
MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in So Ceylon (as bronzer)
Tarte Amazonian Clay blush in Exposed
*Don't forget your Sigma Makeup brushes! Click here to get some of your own!

Silver & Tan Sparkle * J.Lo Inspired

Products Used:
MAC Paint Pot in Vintage Selection
Urban Decay 24/7 Eye Shadow Pencil in Wasteland
Urban Decay Deluxe Eye Shadow in Ruthless
MAC eye shadows:
Swiss Chocolate
Bronze
Electra
Tarina Tarantino Sparklicity Pure Sparkle Powder
MAC Fluidline in Dipdown
Covergirl Lashblast Volume Mascara
MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in So Ceylon
Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Exposed
MAC Lipstick in Ravishing
MAC Lipglass in Nymphette

Lucky Green Makeup Tutorial

Products Used:
Urban Decay cream eye shadow in Weeds
Urban Decay eye shadow in Graffiti
MAC eye shadow in Humid
MAC eye shadow in All that Glitters
MAC eye shadow in Ricepaper
Urban Decay 24/7 eye liner in Zero
Loreal Carbon Black Liner Intense liquid liner
Maybelline Full N' Soft mascara
NARS Orgasm blush
MAC Nymphette lipglass
MAC Fix+

Scarlett's Oscar Makeup Tutorial- Red Carpet Coral

Products Used:
Urban Decay Primer Potion in Eden
MAC power point eye liner in Grey Utility
MAC eye shadows:
Print
Rule
Red Brick
Carbon
Grain
Gesso
NARS Laguna Bronzer
NARS Madly powder blush
Maybelline One By One Mascara
MAC lipstick in Fabby
MAC Viva Glam VI Special Edition Lipglass
(not shown in video) Make Up For Ever Mat Velvet+ liquid foundation





Photo Credit: Getty Images

Full-Face, Defined Makeup in 5 Minutes

I absolutely hate being late. I also absolutely hate running late. That rushed feeling of waking up knowing you have only a few minutes to get yourself together and out the door. Most of the time, we put our hair in a ponytail, throw on some lipgloss (maybe) and some face powder (...if I even remember to bring it). Most of the time, that will cut it.
What really freaks me out is if I'm running late for something important. Where a ponytail and lipgloss alone just won't do. Maybe you have a special event at work or you're meeting someone important. Or you just want to actually leave the house looking extra polished and put-together.
Simple makeup in 5 minutes? Simple. Easy. It can totally be done. Take a few shortcuts, skip defined eye makeup (multiple eye shadow colors, heavier liner) and you're done.
But if you're like me, you like a little something extra. A more defined eye and no skimping on the eye liner.
Let me tell you, this video almost drove me crazy while I was filming. My heart was racing! I had my stopwatch feature on my iPhone ticking away in front of me knowing I couldn't edit, restart, or most importantly, go beyond 5 minutes.
Foundation, concealer, bronzer, blush, eye primer, shadow (more defined), liner, mascara, brows, lips.... All done within 5 minutes with a little time to fluff your hair left over. ;)
Hope you enjoy!

Products Used:
Make Up For Ever Mat Velvet+ liquid foundation
MAC Studio Finish Concealer
Garnier Anti-Dark Circle Eye Roller
MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural, Sigma F30 Brush
NARS Laguna Bronzer, Sigma F20
NARS Orgasm Blush, Sigma F40
Urban Decay Naked Palette
Urban Decay Virgin, Sigma E40
Urban Decay Darkhorse, Sigma E40
Urban Decay Buck, Sigma E40
Sigma E50 for blending
Urban Decay Darkhorse, Sigma E30
Urban Decay 24/7 Liner in Whiskey
Urban Decay 24/7 Liner in Zero
Maybelline One-By-One Mascara
Maybelline Great Lash Mascara in Clear
MAC Lustreglass in Star Nova

*Click here to get the Sigma brushes I used in the video.

Naked Palette: Everyday Fresh Faced Makeup

Products used:
Urban Decay Primer Potion in Eden
Urban Decay Naked Palette eye shadows:
Buck, Naked, Virgin, Darkhorse
Urban Decay 24/7 liners in Whiskey and Zero
MAC Mineralized Skinfinish in So Ceylon
Benefit Bella Bamba blush
MAC Lustreglass in Morning Glory
Anastasia Brow Powder in Ash Blonde
Maybelline One by One mascara