Nobody wants their makeup to wear off early, especially on a Thirsty Thursday like tonight. Unfortunately, that’s what often happens when you pile on the party makeup and the results are, well, messy. Droopy lashes, smeared liner and lip-gloss on your chin are definitely not good accessories for your party look.

Lucky for you, I’m going to share a few tricks to keep your makeup on your face so you can dance to Brit without lookin’ like (old) Brit.

First, make sure your face is completely clean, a good exfoliating scrub like this one from Clinique will get rid of dead skin that could ruin your look. Moisturizing your skin thoroughly with an unscented lotion will help makeup stick to your skin. Perfume also absorbs well when skin is damp and moisturized, so apply your scent now. Powder foundation on your face will also stick great when skin is moisturized so swipe that on now and dab some concealer under your eyes.

To keep your lashes big and beautiful throughout the night start with an eyelash curler. Just like with hair, heat helps maintain your lashes, so heat up your curler with a hair dryer on low for a few seconds. Then curl your lashes starting at the base and pressing down three times working your way up to the tips of your lashes. Once your lashes are curled with heat apply a few coats of mascara that won’t clump. Try Bad Gal Mascara from Benefit. This lash brush is huge and doesn’t leave your lashes sticky or hard. Read More »

You’ve spent so much time giving this season, why not spend a little time on yourself? New Year’s eve is just around the corner and you need to look hot. We got you covered on the dress front, but what about your makeup?

We brought in the experts to help you out. Tis the season for a holiday makeover at Sephora and CollegeCandy is bringing it all to you!

Want a professional makeover at home? Just visit Mistletoe Makeover, a fun and fabulous new site from Sephora, to virtually try on this season’s hottest makeup trends from “Smokey Sugar Plum” to “Santa’s Little Temptress.” You just upload a photo of yourself, choose a makeup trend, and “try it on.” (They even give you a little outfit to wear that accentuates the look. I did it 4 times…I’m kind of obsessed.)

Following the makeover, you can send your new look to all of your friends to see if Merry Berry is really the look for you… or as a cute and unique holiday eCard with custom message.

Or, you can send it to us at CollegeCandy and we will vote to see who has the best makeover look. If it’s you, you will win a $50 gift card to Sephora.com to treat yourself to some of the real products from your virtual makeover. We will be accepting submissions sent to Lauren@CollegeCandy.com from now until 11:59pm on December 31st, 2008, so head over there now to try on some new beauty looks.

Can’t wait to see your makeovers!

[The holiday site, “Mistletoe Makeover,” was created by digital ad agency, EVB San Francisco, using makeover technology from TAAZ. Enjoy!]

There are thousands of makeup products out there, but the truth is that most of us fall into a rut and wear pretty much the same thing every day. There are so many fabulous things to try and the holidays are the perfect excuse to try something unique and daring. Parties with friends, family get-togethers, or wild New Year’s all nighters are the perfect time to try something bold and festive!

False Lashes

Oh so fun and glamorous but a little too drag queeny 11 months out of the year, December is the perfect time to have fun with false lashes. Make Up For Ever has dozens of styles to play with. If you want something subtle, try the individual lashes to add a little fullness and fill in sparse areas. If you are feeling extra festive, MUFE has really over-the-top lashes with red or green tips, or even white feathers!

Make Up For Ever Eyelashes - $14 sephora.com Read More »

What you use to put your makeup on is just as important as what kind of makeup you are using. When you apply makeup with the wrong brush, or one of poor quality, it can ruin your entire beauty queen look. Whether you’re preparing a rockstar look for a night out, a daytime look for class, or just trying to cover up your hangover, your brush’s shape, texture and quality is vital. Here are a few types of brushes that should be on every girl’s vanity (or wish list, hint-hint).

Kabuki Face Brush: Kabuki brushes are huge and perfect for all over face coverage, whether you are applying foundation or bronzer. This kabuki brush is from Too Faced and is made with “teddy bear hair bristles” so it’s soft on sensitive faces. Yes, it’s a little pricey but the texture and longevity make it worth the splurge. If your’re looking for something a little cheaper but still quality you can check out The Balm’s mini version of the kabuki brush.

Concealer Brush: When applying concealer to cover up your blemishes or under eye marks, it can be tempting to skip the brush. But by getting a concealer brush like this one from Bare Escentuals you are keeping your skin clean and getting a fully blended look.

Angled Blush Brush: Using round brushes for blush can create a Bozo-like look, but angled brushes make the cheek color look more natural. A soft angled blush brush like this one from Benefit works best when applied on the apples of the cheeks in an upward sweeping motion. Read More »

Is there anything better than makeup? All those brushes, colors and products that take you from “Oy Vey” to “Hot Damn!” I love makeup (LOVE it), so I can think of nothing I want more this year than lots and lots of it.

Below are just a few of the things on top of my holiday wish list. Yeah, we’re in a major recession but what’s the point of making a wish list if you are going to be practical about it? A girl can dream can’t she?

Flowerbomb by Viktor & Rolf - $150 Saks Fifth Ave

This obviously floral perfume is extremely sexy and opulent. It’s wearable but so rich that, well, it even smells expensive.

Clarisonic Skincare Brush - $195 Sephora.com

If you are serious about skincare this facial brush is definitely worth the investment. It’s truly luxury meets practicality. Nothing cleans your face more gently and effectively. Perfect for all skin types, and can even combat stubborn cystic acne.

Fredderic Fekkai Advanced Overnight Hair Repair - $195 Saks Fifth Ave

This product is hair magic in a bottle. It has smart technology that actually seeks out and targets weak and damaged sections of the hair shaft and rebuilds them. You might want to make some extra batches of cookies for Santa if you’re hoping for this in your stocking. Read More »

So you just got in from a great night out, your aching head and tired feet are telling you to hit the sheets, but your makeup-covered face is screaming “wash me!” I know this is the last thing you want to do right now, but removing makeup is really important for your skin, and let’s not forget the risk of getting harmful mascara in your eye!

In order to keep your skin clean, glowing and moisturized it is vital to wash off your makeup. If that’s not convincing enough, makeup removal will at least keep your pillowcase clean, and who doesn’t love a clean pillow?

Below are some great products to help you keep clean.

L’oreal Eye Makeup Remover- $6.99. This remover is not greasy (like many products are) and it gets all makeup off (including waterproof liners and mascaras). It’s a drugstore brand so it’s fairly inexpensive, and, best of all, it smells like roses!

Clinique Rinse-off Eye Makeup Solvent: $16.50. This remover is not sudsy or soapy, and leaves behind no residue. Quick and easy (perfect for those late nights). This remover is a tad on the expensive side, but I think it’s worth it. While I love this Clinique remover, I’d stay away from Clinique’s Take the Day Off remover as it tends to leave skin oily and gross.

Bare Escentuals: bareEyes: $14 This remover is enriched with copper to make skin around the eyes soft. It is safe for contact users and is great for moisturizing and cleansing. Read More »

It’s the Holidays! Time for giving fabulous gifts to everyone in your life. But, crap, we’re in a recession and we’re poor college students to boot. So here’s a trick to put a little glamour in your loved ones’ lives without breaking your piggy bank.

Holiday season means beauty gift sets – a box jammed packed with fabulous high end makeup at a deep discount. So here’s a list of great gift sets that make a great gift, even when you break them up. You can cross a bunch of people of your list just by splitting up these sets and giving one product to each person on your list. Or group two or three items to give a whole look for just a little dough.

Bare Escentuals Bare Pleasures Eye Shadow Set - Sephora.com
9 Gifts for $48 ($99 value)

Bare Essentuals has fantastic loose eye shadows that women of all ages adore. This set has NINE different shades. You can give one to your mom, aunts, suitemates, and nieces still leaving a few shades leftover to keep for yourself. You can even pair the colors off to create custom eye shadow duos to add a personal touch. Read More »

[Make-up is wonderful, but it can also be confusing. There are so many shades and colors and sheens and reasons to wear it, that a girl can get completely lost attempting to find what fits her face best. What’s the best blush color for a redhead? How do you really put on lip-liner? Is there such a thing as too much eyeshadow?

In this weekly series, makeup expert Ali will use her makeup know-how to teach us all how to look flawless in class, out at a party, or grabbing coffee with that cutie from Psych 101.]

In order for makeup to keep you looking fresh and beautiful you need to keep up with fresh products. Yes, it can be a sad day to throw out your favorite MAC eyeshadow because its time has expired, but it is necessary for your skin and your overall look (and feel). Below is some important information about how long your makeup should last, and how to stretch out its shelf life. And don’t worry - we won’t judge you if you hold a moment of silence for your favorite products whose time has come.

Mascara: With such close contact to your eyes, mascara is likely to acquire bacteria and, as a result, should be thrown out after 3 months. Don’t believe me? Smell it. Go on, do it. If the mascara is ready to go you’ll notice a different smell, not to mention the mascara will likely not go on as well. Throw it out!
Foundation: Liquid and condensed powder foundations will likely become cakey or cracked after 6 months to a year and then it’s time to toss em. Loose powder foundation will likely last a little longer. Similar rules apply to blush. Read More »