Foundation

I had the wonderful opportunity to spend a nice long week in Vieques, Puerto Rico this past week. Even though I got sick while I was there, I was able to really relax and spend quality time with friends.

Of course, when you head to an island or a beach you don't really pack much other than comfortable clothes and bathing-suits. So, my husband and I did the whole carry-on thing to make travel easier. BUT it sure did make the whole 3 oz liquid thing hard because I couldn't bring all of the makeup I usually wear.

So, in preparation for the trip I decided to buy a drugstore foundation that wouldn't clog my pores, that fit the 3 oz. requirement, that had a decent SPF and was cheap. Almay's Smart Shade Anti-Aging Makeup was my choice and boy did I choose a winner. Forget Makeup Forever and Lorac! This is now my foundation of choice. It has an SPF of 20, it changed color as my skin tanned slightly and didn't clog my pores.

I HIGHLY recommend it if you're looking to save money and if you want a GREAT foundation. You can buy it at any Walgreens or CVS.

Cheeky

I'm a blush girl. Other than well defined eye brows, blush is that item that I never walk out of the house without. There are many days when I don't put a thing on my lips, but I can't think of a day when I didn't brush on some blush.

I'm not talking scary doll face like above.

I'm talking the "it's cold outside cheeks just pinched look." Anyone else with me? NARS and Benefit have been my brand of choice for the past two years. Does anyone out there have a favorite blush they recommend?

Painted Red

Whenever I see red lips I just stare. Don't you?! The color just draws me in. A great pop of lip color with minimal makeup is GORGE in my book. So, here's some red inspiration for you ladies to go grab those lip stains and lipstick and paint away!

Kate Spade Glitter

Kate Spade just launched a new ad campaign involving a glitter cake and resulting in glitter lips.

Watch the video above and then enjoy some glitter inspiration below. I'm thinking I may need to include some sparkle in my next photo shoot. You agree?

Top Ten Beauty Tips

We all have heard the phrase, "It's the little things that make a big difference." That phrase is definitely true in your beauty routine. Just adding a dollop of moisturizer to your face over the years can prevent sun damage. Just a tiny, dime size drop. Crazy, huh?

Well, I thought I'd share the top ten things I've learned so far, you guys could share yours too AND then we would have a good chunk of knowledge that could save us a lot of trial and error.

Here we go...

1. Always use moisturizer with SPF

2. Wait two minutes to let your moisturizer set before applying any makeup

3. Wait two minutes for your foundation to set before applying any blush, bronzer, etc.

4. Never use conditioner on your roots

5. Always go over your toe and finger nails with rubbing alcohol before applying nail polish because oil on top of the nail bed prevents the base coat from sticking really well.

6. Never pull out  your ponytail holder. Always unwrap it.

7. Never towel dry curls.

8. Always use eyebrow pencil or eyebrow gel in your beauty routine

9. Exfoliate, Exfoliate, Exfoliate

10. Crest White Strips. Genius!

Makeup artist Martin Wieser