On Wednesdays We Wear Pink: Too Faced Chocolate Bon Bons Eye Shadow Collection

This palette smells like chocolate. Let me repeat that. THIS PALETTE SMELLS LIKE CHOCOLATE. From the first moment I gazed upon the Too Faced Chocolate Bon Bons Eye Shadow Collection, I was already in love ... but discovering that IT SMELLS LIKE CHOCOLATE? How could I resist? (Um, I couldn't.)

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Get Gilded: Maybelline Eye Studio Color Tattoo 24Hr Eyeshadow in Bold Gold

I love a good cream eyeshadow. If I don't need an eyeshadow primer and it stays in place all night long? Even better. Enter Maybelline Eye Studio Color Tattoo 24Hr Eyeshadow in Bold Gold.

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Throwback Thursday: That Time I Went a Little Crazy with the Eye Makeup

Fun fact about me ... I was in my high school show choir, Soundsation. (We were better than the choir on Glee. And cooler. I swear.) Well, being in Show Choir meant many things, but one thing it DEFINITELY meant was that I wore a boatload of eye makeup in every performance. The more grey eyeshadow and black eyeliner, the better.

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My 5 Favorite Beauty Products

I have one burning question for every person I interview in the beauty industry:

What are your 5 favorite beauty products?

I realized lately that I have never answered this question myself! And, I must admit, picking only 5 is extremely difficult. But, lo and behold, I present my 5 favorite beauty products for you.

Bonne Bell Lip Smackers
Maybe you'll think I'm acting like a tween for liking these. But I don't care how old I get, or how many lip balms I try ... these are the absolute best! I've been known to buy out the supply of Lip Smackers at Target, to keep them in every purse and every room of my apartment, to recommend them to every single person who asks me about lip balm. It's difficult for me to pick a favorite flavor, but if hard pressed, I would say Watermelon ... although Vanilla is pretty tasty, too. I love the myriad flavors, and I love that they keep my lips moisturized better than any other balm I've tried. Ever.
$1.99 at drugstore.com

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Pretty in Purple: Givenchy Le Prisme Purple Show Eyeshadow Quad

I love makeup palettes and I love purple. So when I came across the Givenchy Le Prisme Purple Show Eyeshadow Quad, I was immediately drawn to it.

This palette is simply a match made in heaven! The four shimmery shades, ranging from light lavender to dark violet, are perfect from day to night. The top of the palette, inlaid with blue G's, is sophisticated and chic. And the three brushes in the pullout drawer beneath the shadows make this palette perfect for travel -- no extra brushes required!

The Givenchy Le Prisme Purple Show Eyeshadow Quad retails for $56 at sephora.com.

A Sparkle in Your Eye: Bobbi Brown Black Velvet Sparkle Eye Shadow

Glistening. Glittering. Twinkling. Glinting. Shining. Gleaming. No matter how many synonyms I list, I just can't get enough of Bobbi Brown Black Velvet Sparkle Eye Shadow.

This eyeshadow garners so many compliments upon each wearing, it's quickly become one of my makeup bag staples. A combination of shimmery pearls and fine glitter create a gorgeous shimmery shadow that, amazingly, doesn't crease, smudge or fade no matter how many hours it's worn. And that's without a primer!

So sparkle to your heart's content.

Unfortunately, this product is no longer available.

Obsession of the Moment: Stila Jewel Eye Shadow Palette

If you're into eyeshadow and you're into palettes, you simply must -- and I mean must -- check out my latest video post! My latest obsession of the moment is the Stila Jewel Eye Shadow Palette. Check out my thoughts in the video below!



This palette includes the following four shades:

Golden Topax (shimmery taupe)
Amethyst (dark glittery purple)
Black Diamond (glistening black)
Rose Quartz (sparkly pale pink)

The Stila Jewel Eye Shadow Palette retails for $32.

Disclosure: This product was furnished by a PR representative for Stila.

Wild at Heart: M.A.C Eyeshadow in Banshee

I have to admit, when I first looked at the name of this eyeshadow and the corresponding color, I thought something was a bit off. The word banshee calls to mind a screaming, shrieking lunatic -- and M.A.C Eyeshadow in Banshee, a gorgeously light and shimmery taupeish rose, is anything but crazy. It’s quite airy and calm, as a matter of fact.

So I decided to just set my original thoughts aside and try it out. Lo and behold, I fell in love instantly. This eyeshadow, which is part of the All Ages, All Races, All Sexes Collection, is one of the most flattering shades I’ve tried in quite some time. The combination of pink, nude and taupe hues that are swirled into the concoction really work to create a color that looks good on everyone -- including pale faces like me! And I love the subtle hint of shimmer -- it’s not so overpowering that it won’t work for daytime on its own, but it would also look fantastic swept over another color for added drama at night.

All in all, this is a color that’s become a new staple in my makeup bag. All praises be to M.A.C!

M.A.C Eyeshadow in Banshee retails for $14.50.

Holiday Gift Guide and Giveaway: M.A.C Sexpot Smoky Mini Pigments/Glitter Gift Set

Throughout the month of December, The Beauty of Life will be featuring a Holiday Gift Guide. Each gift is one I'd like to give AND get this season.

If you're like this beauty chick, you love M.A.C Pigments. I can't get enough ... I have them lined up in every color inside my vanity. So when I found out that there was a limited-edition set released in the M.A.C Mischief Makers Collection, I simply had to get my hands on it immediately.

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Go for the Bronze and Silver Medals with M.A.C Mineralize Eye Shadow Duo in Mayhem

Ever since I started using M.A.C Mineralize Eye Shadow Duo in Mayhem, my eyes have been getting noticed. Seriously, people have stopped me everywhere from the halls at work to the security line at the airport asking what's on my lids.

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Rags to Riches: M.A.C Mineralize Eye Shadow in Cinderfella

I think I've died and gone to eyeshadow heaven. Ever since I started wearing M.A.C Mineralize Eye Shadow in Cinderfella, the compliments just haven't stopped coming. It's absolutely perfect for creating a smoky eye with a little bit of spice and bite.

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Is It Wearable? NARS Single Eyeshadow in Tropic

 
Introducing a new feature on The Beauty of Life: Is It Wearable?. It's about those colors you'd love to try but are afraid to wear out of the house. From turquoise eyeshadow to gold blush, we try it all. But the real catch? We're wearing these crazy colors DURING THE DAY.

Wow, talk about an eyeshadow that’s packed with color! NARS Single Eyeshadow in Tropic is a richly pigmented TEAL blue loaded with silver glitter. A word to the wise? It's not for the faint of heart. I actually LOVE this color and got used to the intensity pretty quickly, but when I met my friend at a café, she exclaimed how “dressed up” I looked. We broke it down.

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Trend-Filled Thursdays: Swirled Eyeshadow

I'm a big fan of layering eyeshadows. Yes, one is great -- but two or three are so much better! So I'm totally excited about the newest trend hitting the eyeshadow world -- swirled eyeshadow. The best thing about this type of shadow is that you can either sweep your brush across one shade, or you can really sweep across all of them to create a color that's all your own. Brands like M.A.C, Avon and Too Faced have all gotten in on the trend -- just check out the Too Faced Baked Eyeshadow above ($19.50 at toofaced.com). Get even more options after the jump.

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Trend-Filled Thursdays: Pink Products

Now, I'll be the first to admit it. I don't like Valentine's Day. Seriously. In high school, my BFF Katie and I declared it "stupid day." We walked around in grey sweatpants, grey sweatshirts and talked about how stupid the holiday was from start to finish. (We also sent each other Candygrams, but that was just to give us a sugar rush in the middle of biology.)

But you know what? I'm getting into the spirit a bit this year. Because tons of companies have come out with some of the cutest, prettiest pink products around ... and when that happens, you just have to say, "It's okay, Valentine's Day! I heart you!" Check out my favorite pink products after the jump.

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Two-For Tuesdays: Tarte Lock & Roll Creaseless Cream & Powder Eyeshadow Duo

Powder or cream? Why not both? You can get the best of both worlds when you play around with the Tarte Lock & Roll Creaseless Cream & Powder Shadow Duo.

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Hey, Bright Eyes! Check Out the Bobbi Brown Brights Eye Palette!

I heart makeup palettes. I really and truly do. There’s something so fun and exciting about opening one up and having choices. Red or purple? Green or blue? Pink or grey? And the list goes on and on. So when the new Bobbi Brown Brights Eye Palette came my way, I quite literally jumped for joy. (Seriously, I jumped up and down like a little schoolgirl.)

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Two-For Tuesdays: Urban Decay Sustainable Shadow Box

Ten eyeshadows, complete with shadow brush, reside within a totally gorgeous palette from Urban Decay. The Sustainable Shadow Box might just be one of my new favorite things. But you know what makes it even better? The fact that it doesn't stand alone. No, this palette comes complete with its own miniature UDPP! (That's Urban Decay Primer Potion for anyone who hasn't been fortunate enough to hear about it ad nauseum from this beauty chick.)

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Lusts of the Week

I am super excited today ... because this weekend I'm taking in a showing of Avenue Q on Broadway. But in the meantime, I simply must tell you about my lusts!

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Lusts of the Week

Is there anything worse than an internet connection that refuses to work, no matter how many times you refresh your browser? This beauty chick thinks not. So this week has been anything but fun with the internet outage in my apartment. Luckily, this affords me a lot of extra time to play with beauty products ... which means I have of course fallen in love with some new ones! Check out what I'm loving this week.

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Lusts of the Week

I am beat this week. I'm not sure whether it's from the craziness of Fashion Week, or the fact that I've basically been running around for the last three weeks straight, or that I'm still getting settled in my new job. But whatever it is, I'm totally jonesing for some relaxation ... not that I'm going to get any, with my high school reunion coming up this weekend! (Where did the last 10 years go?) In any case, I've worked a bit of time into my schedule to come up with a few Lusts of the Week for you!

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