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If you’ve got hooded eyes, then you know what a challenge applying eye makeup can be. While everyone else seems to just sweep on a fierce cat-eye, you’re trying to figure out how to keep it on, let alone apply it. Sure, some of the most popular young celebrities today, like Blake Lively, Taylor Swift, and Jennifer Lawrence, have hooded eyes, and their eye makeup manages to look fabulous all the time, but they also have the benefit of countless makeup artists at their beck-and-call. Lucky for you though, there are some simple tips you can use to make your hooded eyes really pop!

• Primer is your best friend – This is the single most important element of applying makeup for hooded eyes! Since your upper lid tends to fold over and hide your lower lid, any eye makeup you apply there is likely to be rubbed off quickly by the friction, so primer (like Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion, or Benefit Stay Don’t Stray) will provide your products with loads more staying power. Apply from base of lashes to just below the brow bone and blend in, then allow to dry before applying any other products.
• Brows – You might not realize it, but unkempt brows can actually make your hooded lid look even heavier. Likewise, an over-plucked brow creates the appearance of more lid space, which draws attention to your hood. If you are unsure about the best shape for your face, go to a salon. They can help you get the basic shape established, so then all you will have to do is maintain. To keep them filled in, the best eyebrow makeup is usually powder, applied with a stiff angled brush. Powder often looks more natural than pencil, but the best brows usually combine both! Try a combo of Anastasia of Beverly Hills Brow Wiz and Smashbox Brow Tech.
• Use smudge-proof, water-proof liner and mascara – Again, if you constantly wrestle with disappearing eye makeup, the formulation of your products could be the culprit. You might have shied away from “smudge-proof” or “water-proof” before, but there are such great products out there, like the Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil, that go on smoothly, blend effortlessly, and, most importantly, stay on! If it’s the removal of those smudge-proof and water-proof liners and mascaras that has you fretting, a product like Neutrogena Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover will quickly and gently wipe your eyes completely clean.
• Shadow placement – This is probably the second most important element in hooded eyes makeup, right behind using primer. With the sagging skin of hooded eyes, typical eye makeup tutorials often don’t apply to you. But don’t lose heart! You just need a slightly different placement technique. The goal is to camouflage the hooded skin to create the illusion of a more balanced, open eye using light and dark color placement (light colors bring forward, and dark colors recede). So, after your lid primer is dry, sweep a light, shimmery shade all over the lower lid. Next, apply a darker, matte shadow into the outer V (extending it a bit up and out). And now for the real magic…looking forward, with your eyes relaxed (so you can clearly see the hood), sweep a darker matte shadow in and slightly above your crease (yes, onto the lower part of the hood). In a light, windshield-wiper motion, bring the shadow about half way in, then connect it with the shadow in the outer V. The darker shadow will help to recede the skin of the hood. Always remember, if you’ve got hooded eyes, always have a matte shadow pallet handy!

As women, we like choices (we pretty much demand them). And in terms of makeup choices, there are literally thousands of makeup products on the market. One of the most popular today is cream eyeshadow. I’m sure you’re more than familiar with its predecessor, powder eyeshadow, and cream shadow is not meant as a replacement for it. But they are obviously very different formulations, and best suited for different individuals and occasions. So what is it and how is it different?

Not only is cream shadow obviously a different formulation from powder eye shadow, it is more versatile. Cream shadow can actually sometimes double as a shadow base or lid primer, as long as you check the label (it will specify use as a base). This is perfect, especially if you are attempting makeup for hooded eyes. Since the hooded eye has a slight overlap of skin onto the lid, ordinary powder shadow and regular kohl liner can often be rubbed off within a matter of minutes after applying. Talk about frustrating! The best way to utilize cream shadow as a base is to pick a color complimentary to the powder shade you will be using. For instance, if you’re going for a simple smokey eye in browns, start with a shimmery taupe cream eye shadow (some excellent picks would be Clinique Touch Base for Eyes in Uplighting, Make Up For Ever Aqua Cream in 15 Taupe, and Maybelline Eye Studio Color Tattoo in Tough as Taupe. But if you really want to pop your eyeshadow color, choose a white cream base for the lid. Any color will look bold and vibrant over that.

Cream shadows also come in very matte colors that mimic various skin tones (such as Laura Mercier Eye Canvas, Lancome Aquatique Waterproof Eyecolour Base, and L’Oreal Magic De-Crease Eyelid Primer). Such creams are mainly used as eyelid “primers,” which act to smooth out the eye area, and provide an even canvas on which to create your eye makeup masterpiece. These matte skin tone finishes can be used to anchor any color powder eyeshadow to make the powder shadow “read true,” as opposed to the bolder or vibrant examples with colored primer bases above.

Cream eye shadow in a darker color can also be used alone to create wonderful smokey eye looks. They are easy to blend, easy to drag down under the lower lash line, and easy to smudge, for the ultimate in smoked-out sexiness. And as long as the formulation is long-wear, your smoky eye should last all night!

Powder eye shadow, on the other hand, is like a comfy pair of jeans. The ones you could never do without. You know just how they will fit, and just how to work them. You also know their limitations. Matte, shimmer, glitter, holographic, baked, loose, and pigment…powder eye shadow has come a long way, in the past 10 years alone. But basically, it is what it is. You know how you can use it, and you also know how long it usually lasts on your lids (All through the work day? What about a humid summer afternoon? A party night of dancing?). So yes, powder shadow, when worn alone, does have its limits. But one thing powder shadow can do is double as some of the best brow powder around! MAC shadows, in particular, have dozens of suitable “brow shades” of eye shadow (such as MAC Charcoal Brown, MAC Omega, and MAC Brun).

Basically, what you’ll find is that it’s impossible to say that one is better than the other when comparing powder to cream eye shadow. They are both amazing and useful in their own ways. And when used together…they create an unstoppable, unyielding, undeniable eye makeup tour de force! In the end, you’re the one who wins, since you get to use them both!

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!