Shop With Style

Holiday season = party season! With the holidays upon us, you’ll no doubt be planning your outfits for more than one festive get-together. Hair, shoes, jewelery, makeup…all planned. But you best not forget the most important piece…the shapeware! Before there was Spanx, there were girdles, but shapewear has evolved well past both now! So we’ve got 5 of your must-have pieces for the holidays, and beyond, right here!

Before we get to the list, there are some important things to know about picking out shapewear:

• Stay with your size – Don’t think, “Well, I wear a large in everything else, so I’ll go with a medium in shapewear to really suck things in!” Nope. It doesn’t work like that. A smaller size won’t make you look smaller. Shapewear cannot make extra pounds disappear. As much as we might like it to be magic, it’s still governed by science. Choosing a smaller size will only relocate that fat to other, even less flattering places. So stick with your size, and let the shapewear do the rest!
• Know the difference between medium and strong construction – If your shapewear doesn’t have a “performance level,” look at the label. The higher then nylon/Lycra content, the more dramatically it can change your shape. Just keep in mind the above rule…shapewear can smooth out bulges, but it does not “disappear” extra pounds.
• High waist=smooth lines – There is nothing worse (or more uncomfortable) than the waistband of a girdle cutting into you or rolling down. That’s why you should be looking for pieces with higher waists. They will ensure a smooth, curvy waist. Some pieces are even designed to hook to your bra to ensure the waist won’t roll down!

5 key pieces of shapewear every woman needs:

• Wear-Your-Own-Bra Torsette tank – This amazing little tank can smooth out your waist, tummy, and back while allowing your bra to keep your boobs full and shapely, not flattened and smooshed. The hem of it can also be used as a layering piece, as you would any other tank top.
• WYOB Singlet – This is the piece you will want if you’re wearing a body-con dress or pants. As with the above, it will allow your bra to do its job while keeping your entire mid torso, from your waist to your thighs, seamlessly smooth and toned looking.
• High-waisted Shaping Mid-Thigh – Perfect for under dress pants or a longer skirt. The high waist will keep your torso smooth, while the longer line keeps your butt/thighs toned and looking cellulite-free.
• Half-slip with Built-in Panties – This is such a versatile and perfect piece! Worn under any body-con skirt or dress, the built-in panties help keep it in place, and your tummy, thighs, and butt looking fab.
• Waist-Cincher – If you’re looking for a little extra oompfh in the “hourglass” department, this piece of shapewear is a must-have. Yes, its more restrictive version has recently been made famous by Kim Kardashian, getting the credit for “waist training” her figure back into shape after childbirth…but this version is much more wearable. The hook-and-eye closures and strong “boning” will nip you in, in just the perfect spot for creating an hourglass look to go gaga for!

Not all of us were blessed with gorgeous, full, Angelina Jolie-esque lips… some of us have had to struggle with constantly “drawing in” an upper lip. But there just so happens to be some nifty little tricks you can use to help make your lips look fuller…and only you will ever know you needed them!

• Exfoliate – Exfoliating is not just for your body and face. Our bodies are daily sloughing off the dull, dead skin cells for fresh, new skin cells underneath, and exfoliating aides in that. If your lips are rough, dry, or flaky, a gentle exfoliation will help to remove the dead, dry skin and soften the newer healthy skin underneath. More importantly, it will also make the lips more able to draw in necessary moisture, which in itself can help lips look fuller. Smooth lips will also not only look healthier, but will make any lip product you apply look better.

Since the skin on your lips is thinner and more delicate that that on most other parts of your body, the key to exfoliation here is to think gentle…both in what you put on your lips to exfoliate, and how you do it. A simple mixture of olive oil and sugar, applied to lips with a finger or a washcloth, will do beautifully. Rub in small circles for a minute or two on each lip, then rinse with warm water and pat dry. You can also use Vaseline on a toothbrush, applied in a similar way. Just remember to be gentle!

• Moisturize – Our skin can temporarily absorb moisture (think how much easier body lotion goes on after a warm shower or bath), but without something to help lock it in, the moisture will evaporate throughout the day. Try to avoid those with ingredients such as lanolin and glycerine, as they can sometimes leave lips feeling “waxy,” as if the product hasn’t absorbed into your skin. Also try to avoid moisturizers with a lot of oils; a higher oil content won’t allow the product to be absorbed (think of oil and water in a bottle). When in doubt, opt for natural, like Yes to Coconuts Naturally Smooth lip balm. It’s all natural and absorbs beautifully into your lips.

After exfoliating and before you go to bed, simply smooth the moisturizer over your lips. Since you won’t be talking/eating/drinking it will give your lips the time they need to sit with the moisturizer. When you wake, you’ll be amazed at how your lips look fuller.

• Highlight – Contouring is all the rage now, and your lips definitely need to get in on the trend… especially if you want to make your lips look fuller. A general rule of thumb to remember for make-up is that dark colors recede, or make things look smaller, and lighter colors highlight, or bring to the foreground. A bit of strategically placed highlight will make your lips look fuller and more “three dimensional.” You can use a shimmery vanilla or white colored eye shadow for this, but it works best with a highlighting pencil, like Benefit High Brow Glow.
  1. After applying your desired lip color, lightly run the highlighter over just the cupid’s bow (the center V of your top lip). Blend gently with your finger or a clean shadow brush.
  2. Apply highlighter to the center section of your bottom lip, just outside the natural lip line. Blend gently.
  3. If desired, highlight the two creases running from the bottom of your nose to your cupid’s bow. Blend gently.

Now, simply sit back and admire your perfect pout (but don’t forget to smile too…smiling always helps anyone to look beautiful)!

Just as a painter requires different brushes of all sizes and shapes to create a masterpiece, so too will the right choice in eye makeup brushes make your face shine like the work of art it is! There’s no need to break the bank buying fancy brushes, though (and trust us, you could easily break the bank with some makeup brushes on the market today)… we’ve got a list of your absolute ש-have eye makeup brushes right here!

• All-Over Shadow Brush (similar to a MAC 239, SEPHORA COLLECTION Pro Allover Shadow Brush #12 ) – This will be your eye makeup brush workhorse (and it was probably the first real brush many of us bought when learning how to do eye make up). A great all-around brush, the flattened head, dense bristles, and medium length head works well for the general goal of applying eye shadow. Pressed eye shadow, pigment eyeshadow, baked eyeshadow… this brush can handle it.
• Blending Brush (similar to a MAC 217) – This is one of those eye makeup brushes that will save almost any heavy-handed eye makeup application. Fluffy, soft, long bristles can gently diffuse any dark or harsh lines, and blend even the most contrasting shades seamlessly. Best used through the crease and into the outer v.
• Eyeliner Brush (similar to MAC 219 Pencil Brush, MAKE UP FOR EVER 258 Large Precision Eyeliner Brush) – The fine, pointed tip is perfect for applying cream or gel liner, or precisely applying shadow either on top of, or in lieu of, gel liner.
• Stiff Dome Brush (similar to SEPHORA COLLECTION Classic Crease Shadow Brush #73, SEPHORA COLLECTION PRO Tapered Crease #19) – Useful in any number of eyeshadow application techniques, this is also known as a crease brush. The bristles are longer and stiffer than a regular shadow brush, which creates a nice crisp area of definition with shadow through the crease. You can also easily work it into the outer v to really elongate the shape of the eye. (Another contender for the best crease brush is the SEPHORA COLLECTION Pro Angled Shadow Brush #13… the angle of the bristles fits so nicely in the crease area!)
• Short Angled Brush (similar to a MAC 266) – Not only is this brush great for applying gel and shadow liner, it is a must-have for filling in and defining eyebrows! And if you need to go in and fill any bare patches missing liner after adding falsies over liner, you can dip the point of the brush into some gel or liquid, then dab the bare spots. (This is one of those fake eyelashes tips you probably won’t remember until you have it happen to you).
• Short Smudge Brush (similar to a MAC 214) – One of our favorite eye makeup brushes…ever! This brush has short, stiff, rounded bristles and it’s perfect for smoking out a lash line. It also works wonders to smudge out pencil liner, providing that smoldering look you long for with dark eye makeup or a smokey eye.

And there you have it! The most comprehensive list of must-have eye makeup brushes for any woman’s beauty arsenal. If you add a foundation brush, a powder brush, a blush brush, and a concealer brush, you will have a great basic set of tools capable of creating any makeup look you can imagine!  Now go make your masterpiece!