The eccentric Dutch design team of Viktor & Rolf recently collaborated with revered cosmetics company Shu Uemura to create a collection of fake eyelashes combining "Viktor & Rolf’s artistic and conceptual approach to design with Shu Uemura’s avant-garde vision." The results, featured below, are basically little pieces of art that you can wear on your eyelids.

From the top:

*Rhombus Couture: "Inspired by both fashion and form, this upper and lower luxe brown set with sparkling gold rhombus pieces adds dramatic flare to any make-up look."

*Wing Couture: "Beautiful, artistic and intricate, these lashes are delicate black and as light as a wing. Handcrafted one by one to form graduating layers of scales, they are the ultimate luxury of ‘beauty fashion’ accessories." [also pictured on model, upper left]

*Swirl Couture: "Voluminous black flare adds a dramatic feel to these cute and rich lashes. The long, outer eyelashes are accentuated with an airy curl taking the ordinary blink to an extraordinary level."

The downside? Each set of lashes is an incredible $95 each! Hey, no one ever said couture comes cheap (quite the opposite, actually). I think they’re gorgeous, particularly the Rhombus lashes, which would be perfect for some sort of high-fashion harlequin Halloween costume! What do you think?

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Read an interesting tip in Self:

"Forming an O with your mouth makes putting on mascara a cinch, says Allyson Murray, a makeup artist in NYC for Jane Iredale. When you hold your mouth like this, you relax your eyes and blink less." (pg. 66, June issue)

Makes sense to me. Are you sitting at your computer with your mouth in the shape of an "O" testing it out? Because I totally did that too.

I love the look of bronzer. It makes my skin glow. Seriously. I used bronzer at my wedding last year and it quickly became part of my "staple makeup products". People kept saying to me, "Oh you must be so happy to be a newlywed, you are literally glowing!" Sometimes I’d do the, awe-gee-shucks thing and thank them. But if I knew the person better, I’d say, awe-gee-shucks-thanks but…really it’s my bronzer. I mean, of course I was ecstatic to be married to my Prince Charming, but I couldn’t give my bridal glow all the credit. Plus, I’m not one to not pass on a beauty tip! There are a lot of fancy bronzers out there, sure to do the job, but I use Cover Girl’s Cheekers Bronzer. It gives a very natural glow, without looking too obvious. I like to dust it over my blush to give a glowing, flushed look. Or use it alone on "no-makeup" days. I just apply it to my cheekbones and if I’m feeling crazy I’ll do a clean sweep of my forehead, down my nose. I never use it all over my face. Nothing looks more unnatural than bronzer on your chin. Use bronzer as a highlighter and you can’t go wrong.

Tips:

1. Keep your "staple makeup products" in a separate makeup bag or place in your drawer so that they are always easily accessible. This can help cut time in your morning routine.

2. Invest in a good blush brush and don’t use the brush that comes with the blush. Using the right brush makes all the difference in achieving a fresh, natural look. Especially with bronzer. You can find good, affordable brush options at Target (Sonia Kashuk has a great line there) or you can spend a little more at places like MAC and get a great brush that will last you years. (To extend the life of your brush, clean it with soap and water every few weeks)

3. Don’t think of bronzer as self-tanner. It’s not. It’s a highlighter. With this in mind, don’t be afraid to use bronzer on skin that is on either end of the color spectrum - light or dark. Bronzer is a highlighter than can make your skin glow if used correctly.

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When it comes to eye makeup, my routine usually goes a little something like this: Apply black eyeliner. Smudge with Q-tip. Add mascara. Voila. When it’s a special occasion, I might add a little eye shadow (just one color, all over the lid - nothing fancy). But my recent discovery of the highlighting pencil has really turned my routine upside down. I’m a changed woman! New routine: Apply black eyeliner (something thick and easy to smudge is ideal, like my favorite, Benefit’s Bad Gal pencil) to the top and bottom lids, leaving space at the inner corners of the eye but connecting the lines at the outer corner (optional: angle the line upwards for a subtle cat’s eye effect). Add a white or light-colored highlighter to the inner corners of the eyes, drawing a "V" right around the tear duct area (I prefer a pencil, because it’s easier to apply, and a product with a bit of creamy shimmer, like Benefit’s Gilded). Add mascara. Marvel at how instantly awake and lovely you now look. Easiest eye tip ever, right?! I think this highlighted eye works best when paired with a rosy flush to the cheeks and a clear balm or gloss on the lips. Keep it simple!

Oh, and if you don’t want to spend $18 each on the Benefit pencils, you can pick up this Eyeliner Duet in Mockingbird by N.Y.C. New York Color for a mere $1.99. It has black liner on one end and an opalescent white pencil on the other, which increases the portability factor to boot. Woo!

According to Rea Ann Silva, a makeup artist quoted in the latest issue of Self, the average woman uses about 40 strokes to apply mascara. Craziness! Piling on that much mascara will only increase clumpiness, waste money (the more you apply, the more you’ll buy) and set you up for a case of raccoon eyes. Instead, Silva recommends a simpler approach that only involves dipping the brush in the tube twice (once per eye) and using fewer than 10 strokes to apply. First, "Place the brush at the base of your upper lash line; draw it through your outer lashes. Without redipping, tilt the brush toward your nose; brush through the inner half of the lashes." Next, "Close one eye; hold a tissue under it, [and] without redipping, roll the wand down over the outer lashes to smooth mascara. Repeat on inner lashes." Then all you have to do is duplicate the process on your other eye, and you’re good to go.  Although Silva calls this second step a "declumper," I’m a bit skeptical and would recommend that you keep a lash comb around just in case additional declumping is required. I like metal ones, because the bristles are less likely to weaken and break off like they do with plastic combs.

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I just found this little 3-step tutorial on repairing a broken eyeshadow on Bella Sugar, and I can’t remember the last time I was so excited about such a simple tip! Have you ever dropped an eyeshadow not long after purchasing it? Well, I have, and it’s so frustrating. You can still use the shadow, of course, but it’s a complete pain and you have to worry about the particles falling all over the place everytime you open the compact, plus you can’t just toss it in your makeup bag anymore…argh. Well, stop suffering! It’s an easy problem to fix.

Step one: Use a clean mascara wand or Q-tip to gently scrape away any loose bits of shadow.

Step two: Place a Kleenex on top of the broken shadow, then use your index finger to press down on it. Use a series of small pressing motions rather than a few big ones.

Step three: Remove the Kleenex, and you should have an intact shadow once again.

That’s all there is to it. Basically, you just gently press the shadow into place. Why didn’t I think of that? I’ve had a broken shadow (NARS Night Fever) sitting in my medicine cabinet for like a year. Now I can finally start using it again without fear of littering my bathroom counter with sparkly shadow particles! Thank you, Bella Sugar!

With all the new mascaras out there to try, from Givenchy to Spinlash, sometimes it’s hard to make a decision and invest in one good lash product.  Which is why The Lash Stash at Sephora gets you the most bang for your buck.  For $28 you can get seven small tubes of the best mascaras on the market, including Too Faced Lash Injection and brands like Stila, Lorac and Benefit.  So if you like to test drive products or switch up your routine now and then, this is the way to go.  And to make yourself feel even better about your purchase, consider this:  All the mascaras in the stash come in around $20 for a regular-sized tube.  This is a bargain!

You already know how much I love my Smith’s Rosebud Salve, that affordable lil’ multitasker in the endearingly old-fashioned tin. I also adore the Rosebud Salve’s Strawberry sister balm, with its delicately fruity scent, light pink color and golden tin. Now I have a new balm to covet: This Brambleberry Rose Lip Balm, also by the Rosebud Perfume Company. Reasons to pick up a tin right this minute:

1. "Rosebud Brambleberry Rose Lip Balm is scented with the delicious aroma of freshly baked berry pie." Yes, please!
2. Has the same use-anywhere appeal as the original Rosebud Salve.
3. The packaging is just as cute as ever.
4. Brambleberry Rose will only be available at Sephora through September, so hurry!

Have you registered to vote yet? If you haven’t, Stila wants to make sure you do - and they’ve created a new shade of lipstick, Rock the Vote Red, just to inspire you to hit the polls this November. Fortunately, the lipstick will be available well before then; in fact, you can score a tube online starting tomorrow. But hurry, because the shade is a limited edition, which means when it’s gone, it’s gone. Just click the link to order yours and register to vote!  Love that one-stop shopping. 

When it comes to mascara, it seems like there’s always something new to try - but the innovations usually relate to the formula of the mascara itself, not the applicator. Apart from the rubber-bristled brush popularized by Cover Girl’s Lash Blast (and, more recently, set in motion by Spinlash), I can’t remember the last time the humble mascara wand got a proper makeover. Well, that’s all about to change when Givenchy unveils its Phenomen’Eyes mascara in America next month.

Already available on French Sephora and set to debut stateside in August, Phenomen’Eyes boasts the world’s first spherical mascara brush. You hold the wand vertically and coat each lash individually with the spiky ball, which dispenses a polymer-based formula to really coat and define lashes. It’s safe to say that I’ve truly never seen anything like this. It’ll be interesting to see how easy this applicator is to use, and whether it’ll eventually catch on and become the new mascara sensation, filtering down to drugstore brands. And, hey, if it’s a flop, we always have the new vibrating mascaras by Lancome and Estee Lauder to look forward to!

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I know, I know - it’s July! You’re still dreaming about beaches and BBQs, maxi dresses and neon nails…well, enjoy it while it lasts, because the beauty gurus at Smashbox and Lancome are already looking forward to fall. Both companies recently unveiled their new autumn ‘08 makeup lines: The sugar-and-spice Wicked Lovely by Smashbox, and the Indian-inspired Maharani Jewels by Lancome.

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I keep spotting ads for Cover Girl’s Blast Collection Eye Enhancers every time I flip through a magazine lately, and I keep wondering if anyone actually wears eye makeup so shockingly bright.

On one hand, accenting your eyes with big, bold swatches of neon color is definitely one way to call attention to them. But on the other hand, it seems more than a little hard to pull off. And is this look actually flattering, or just outlandish?

Are you a fan of bright eyeshadow?

• Definitely! It's attention-grabbing and it makes me feel hot.
• Not in the least. I prefer my eye makeup soft or smoky, not fluorescent!
• I like the way it looks but I'm too scared to try it. Maybe if I had step-by-step instructions...

View Results

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Here’s a cool new makeup line specifically for making eye makup easy, professional and beautiful:  Eyes by Design.  If you’re not too keen on applying eye shadow stickers to your lids, then this is the next best way to achieve a flawless eye.  You choose a shadow palette based on your eye color (green, blue, brown or hazel) and the shadows are numbered for perfected application and blending.  There are instructions - like paint by numbers - to achieve the perfect smoky eye, natural eye, etc.  And even the brushes are numbered for ideal application. I’m particularly interested in the brush set!  You can get Eyes by Design on HSN.com and you can tune for the premiere on HSNtv TODAY (July 10) to learn all about getting "gorgeous eyes" everyday.  I love the idea of taking the guess work out of eye makeup application!

Here’s a good makeup tool to add to your arsenal:  Revlon’s Makeup Erase Pen.  I think we’ve all been there:  You just finished painstakingly applying your eye makeup.  You’ve perfectly blended your shadow, your liner looks just right, you’ve got just enough mascara on and….you blink.  And suddenly your mascara is all over your perfectly shaded lid and the only choice you have is to take a Q-tip or wet tissue and try to erase your makeup that has gone awry.  And of course, when you do that then your perfectly blended shadow goes away with it.  Well, if you had a makeup erase pen then you wouldn’t have to start all over because it takes away just the smudged makeup, not anything underneath it.  Perfect for goofs like blinking or perfect for makeup smudges when you’re on the go and can’t reapply all your makeup.  If you had this in your bag, you would be all fixed up in a snap.  I particularly like that it even removes waterproof makeup because no matter how well I wash my face, there always seems to be leftover waterproof makeup for a day or two.

After watching the Bachelorette finale last night, two questions keep rolling through my mind:

1.  What lip color was Deanna wearing at the proposal ceremony??

and

2.  Jesse? Really?  Didn’t see that coming…you editing gurus at ABC have fooled me again!

 The most important question here is, of course, #1.  And while I don’t have the official word on the exact color, I found one that comes close.  Sephora’s Ultra Shine Lip Gloss in Hot Pink looks very similar to the girly and flattering shade Deanna was wearing last night.  And it looked like Shayne, the last Bachelor’s pick, was wearing a very similar shade in the After the Final Rose special.  Which is important to note because Deanna is Greek with darker, olive features, while Shayne is, well Lorenzo Lamas’s daughter, so she is a blond California girl.  The fact that this appeared to be a universally flattering shade has put me into full on hunting mode.  Pink lips, here I come!   

Have you been dying to apply camoflauge eye shadow or even zebra print eye shadow?  Well your wait is over!  Basically eye shadows that you apply by sticker, ColorOn EyeEnvy allows you to "flawlessly" apply even the craziest designs.  And ok, maybe I’m mocking this a little, but it actually would be kind of cool for Halloween.  And their "basics" collection would let you achieve the perfect smoky eye without all the time and labor.  So I’m curious, are you curious?

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If you are looking for a new powder, I’d suggest checking out Clinique’s Almost Powder Makeup.  It has SPF 15, comes in 8 different shades and is formulated for long-wear, which means it won’t clog your pores.  What I like about it is the texture:  It is so silky and feels so light on your skin.  

And, if you decide to get it from Lord and Taylor, they are providing an 8-piece gift set with your $25 or more purchase.  I love those kind of bonuses!  The powder is only $22.50, so stock up on your favorite self-tanner too so you can get the set.  

The original objective of lip color was to make the wearer look pretty - healthier, younger, more vibrant. To that end, most traditional lipsticks and glosses come in shades of red, pink, mauve and nude, all intended to improve upon or accentuate the natural color of the lip. But I’ve noticed a recent gloss trend that really breaks with convention, daring women to try something new in the name of beauty: Blue lips. Are you game?

The Kevyn Aucoin cosmetics line, Benefit and the aforementioned Bourjois each offer their own take on the blue gloss phenomenon. All three promise to go on sheer and shimmery, not matte and scary, and supposedly blue lip color even creates the illusion of whiter teeth. Plus, it’s July, and my heat-addled brain is automatically drawn to anything that looks like a swimming pool. If blue lips still sound too crazy, you could always try layering the gloss over red lipstick for a more subtle effect. So what do you think?

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