Eyeliner is one of the trickiest cosmetics to master. It’s also the one piece of makeup that will intimidate novices and masters alike.  All it takes is one wrong move to mess you up and force you to start from scratch. The real trick to eyeliner success is all in the hand(which comes with practice)…and a great eyeliner. Lo and behold, I found five fabulous eyeliners that are easy to use and fun to wear. Check them out below!

1- Too Faced Lava Gloss Eyeliner in extreme black gloss $16.50 at Beauty.com

I’m not a fan of most pencil eyeliner but Too Faced Lava Gloss is so soft and easy to use. It’s not the kind of liner that will cause you to tug on your eyelids during the application, it’s the kind of liner that goes on smooth.  I love it but there is one small caveat, its real easy to smudge. While I realize that this is actually a plus, for me it makes it a little easier to mess everything up.

Hot Beauty Tip: don’t draw the liner on your eyes, instead you should create small dots right above your lash line and then blend it with an eyeliner brush.

2- Tokidoki Perfetto Eyeliner $16.00 at Sephora

What looks like a cute little artsy pen is actually a waterproof liquid eyeliner. Tokidoki Perfetto Eyeliner features a perfectly pointed tip that only makes the application process more precise and virtually fool-proof. It also comes in a wide array of fun colors like Rodine Love(white), Donutella, (medium pink), SANDy(dark green), Ciao Ciao(periwinkle), Carina(eggplant), Sabochan(black), Arlecchino(dark blue), and the exclusive Captain Banana(rich chocolate).

Hot Beauty Tip: Here are three eyeliner tips from  Sephora:

-Thin: use the point of the tip for a slender, exact line

-Medium: hold pen at a slight angle to create a bold, thicker line

-Heavy:hold the pen horizontally and color over the eyelid area for an eyeshadow like coverage.

3- L’Oreal HiP Studio Secrets Professional Kohl Eyeliner($6.60 at eCrater)

This eyeliner is a little different than anything else I have tried before but I can’t really categorize it. It’s not liquid, it’s not pencil, it’s not even a cake eyeliner but it works great. Unlike a lot of liners, this features loose kohl to create an iridescent shimmer.  It comes in a small plastic container and features a slightly pointed applicator. L’Oreal HiP Studio Secrets Professional Kohl Eyeliner comes in six amazing shades including Black Kohl, Brown Kohl, Gold Kohl, Burgundy Kohl, Teal Kohl, and Navy Kohl.

Hot Beauty Tip: Apply the black or brown kohl eyeliner as usual on your upper and lower lines, and apply the gold kohl liner in the inner-rim to open up your eyes.

4- Urban Decay Heavy Metal Glitter Liner($18.00 at Sephora)

Love glitter? Paint yourself pretty with Urban Decay’s glitter liner. This liner is a mix of glam and punk rocker- it’s the perfect choice for the nights(or days) you want to really stand out! It also comes in a variety of fun colors like Air Guitar(blue), Baked(gold bronze glitter), Catfight(bright pink), Distortion(opalescent pearl), Glam Rock(silver), Groupie(pale pink), Metalhead(dark purple), Midnight Cowboy(beige), Mullet(green), Spandex(pewter), and Stagedive(bright turquoise).

Hot Beauty Tip: Electrify your look by applying an ultra-thin line on your upper eyelid starting at your inner-corner then taking it just past the outer-corner to create a line that goes just past the corner of your eye to create the cat-eye effect. Then apply another thin line on your waterline.

5- Bobbi Brown Ink Liner($24.00 at Bobbi Brown)

Have you tried Bobbi Brown’s latest eyeliner?  It’s an awesome product that’s essentially just a liquid liner in a pen. The amazing thing about this one is that it features a soft felt tip applicator which makes it go on smoothly. The only downside to this product? It comes in one color: Really Black.  I’m hoping that Bobbi will create a collection of Ink Liners in more colors like gold, brown, and blue.

Hot Beauty Tip: Take the eyeliner pen and press it gently on your upper eyelid starting at the inner-corner and glide it over to the outer-corner. Repeat that step to create a thicker line, then take an flat liner brush and gently smudge it to meet your eyeshadow, apply mascara, and you’re done!

Seasons may change but two things remain the same- everyone wants to save money and to look their best at all times. This is why I do my weekly roundup of beauty deals and special offers from the 3 main drug stores Walgreens, Rite Aid, and CVS.

To see the entire advertisements or to download/print out coupons, click on the according links. Some deals are only valid with a special card(such as the Extra Care Bucks Program from CVS). If you have yet to sign up, you can sign up online or in-store for free.

Am I missing any good deals? Let me(and other readers) know –comment today!

Walgreens

Buy 1 Get 1 50% Off Maybelline Cosmetics

Garnier Nutrisse or Herbashine Haircolor Just $5.99

Get $1.00 Register Award with Purchases Of Pantene, Head & Shoulders, Herbal Essence, or Aussie Family Size Hair Care Products(regular price $5.99)

Buy 1 Get 1 50% Off Garnier Fructis Hair Care Products

Select Revlon Hair Styling Appliances Just $12.99

Buy 1 Get 1 50% Off Select John Frieda Hair Care Products

Get $1.00 Register Award Off Clairol Nice-n-Easy Foam Hair Color

L’Oreal Healthy Look Cream Hair Color Just $6.99

L’Oreal Feria Hair Color Just $7.99

Get $3.00 In Register Rewards With Purchase of $12 or more of select L’Oreal products

Buy 1 Get 1 Free Gillette Disposable Razors

Buy 1 Get 1 50% Off Australian Gold Suncare Products

Get $5.00 Register Rewards With the Purchase Of 2 Select Jergens Skincare Products

Save 20% Off Select RoC Multi-Correction Products And Get $5.00 in Register Rewards

Buy 1 Get 1 50% Off Cover Girl Lip and Eye Cosmetics

Buy 1 Get 1 50% off Almay Cosmetics

CVS/Pharmacy

Get $3.00 ECB(Extra Reward Bucks) With All Revlon Nail Lacquers

Get $4.00 ECB With Revlon Eye or Lip Cosmetics

Buy 1 Get 1 50% Off All Sally Hansen Cosmetics

Buy 1 Get 1 50% Off All L’Oreal Cosmetics

Get $4.00 ECB With Any Purchase Of Almay Cosmetics

Buy 1 Get 1 50% Off Select Lash Products From Andrea Mod Lash, Ardell, or Duo

Buy 1 Olay ProX Advanced Cleansing System And Get 1 Free Olay Skincare Product

Buy 1 Neutrogena Wave Sonic Spinning Power Cleanser And Get 1 Free Neutrogena Wave Deep Clean Foaming Pad Refills

Save 20% Off Select Aveeno Skincare Products

Buy 2 Get 1 Free Essence Of Beauty Hand or Body Lotions

All L’Oreal Sublime Bronze or Sublime Glow Skincare Products Just $7.00

Rite Aid

Save 40% off Select Cover Girl Cosmetics

Get 2 for $5.00 Select Garnier Hair Care Products

Buy 1 Get 1 50% Off Select Maybelline Cosmetics

Crest 3D Whitestrips Advanced Vivid Whitening Just $34.99

Get $5.00 Reward With Select Jergens Purchases Of $15 or More

Get $5.00 Reward With Select Biore Purchase Of $15 or More

Matte is so out. Glossy shine is in. I love a lip color that produces pure color and a lot of shine. I am not keen of dry lipsticks that just make your lips look cracked and crusty. Perhaps this is because I have extremely dry lips. Either way, lip gloss is one of my mandatory beauty essentials along with fragrance and eyeliner. Read below for my list of 4 lip glosses you gotta try! Stock up on these in your favorite colors and you may find yourself saying au revoir to your boring matte lipsticks. One small note, click on the image to get a better look at the products.

NatureLuxe Gloss Balm $5.99 at Drugstore.com

1- NatureLuxe Gloss Balm Its lip gloss and balm in one. It also has the mandatory SPF(sun protection factor) 15. Moreover, these hydrating lip balms feature nourishing ingredients like shea butter and mango.

M-A-C Lipglass $14.50 at M-A-C Cosmetics

2- M-A-C Lipglass A cult favorite, M-A-C- Lipglass comes in a large variety of shades(many of which are limited edition) and goes on super smooth to create a glass-like finish.

Posietint and Benetint $28 each at Benefit

3- Benetint & Posietint These versatile lip glosses go on your lips and cheek for coordinating color. One color is a light pink shade and the other is a deep red shade that looks simply gorgeous!

L'Oreal Paris Infallible Never Fail Plumping Lipgloss $8.47 at Walmart

4- L’Oreal Paris Infallible Never Fail Plumping Lipgloss Don’t have a sexy looking, full pout? No problem, you can just fake it with L’Oreal Paris Infallible Never Fail Plumping Lipgloss! These long-lasting lip colors give you high-gloss color and an incredible pout.

To see the entire advertisements or to download/print out coupons, click on the according links. Some deals are only valid with a special card(such as the Extra Care Bucks Program from CVS). If you have yet to sign up, you can sign up online or in-store for free.

Am I missing any good deals? Let me(and other readers) know–comment today!

Walgreens

Buy 1 Get 1 50% Off L’Oreal cosmetics

Eucerin Body Moisturizers Just $9.99

Buy 2 Revlon Nail Colors Get 1 Free

Buy 1 Get 1 50% Off Rimmel Cosmetics

Earn Register Rewards On Select Products From Dove, Ponds, and Degree

Earn Register Rewards On Gilette Venus Razor Systems

Earn Register Reward On Clairol Natural Instincts Hair Color Kits

Save 25% Off L’Oreal Skin Care and Sublime Bronze Products

Buy 1 Get 1 50% Off Yes To Skin Care Products

Save 20% Off Borba Beauty Products And Supplements

CVS/Pharmacy

Buy 1 Get 1 50% Off Lumene Skin Care Products

Olay ProX Advanced Cleansing System Just $29.99

Garnier Nutrioniste Eye Rollers Just $9.99

Save $4.00 Off Select Roc Skin Care Products

L’Oreal Youth Code Just $21.99

Buy 1 Get 1 50% Off AcneFree Skin Care Products

All Zeno Devices Just $34.99

Earn $2.00 ECB(Extra Care Bucks) On Revlon Custom Eyes Cosmetics

Buy 1 Get 50% Off L’Oreal Paris Skin Care and Cosmetics

Buy 1 Get 1 5o% Off Select Designer Fragrances For Women and Men

Earn 2.00 ECB On Select Designer Fragrances

Earn $7.00 ECB On Physicians Formula Cosmetics

Rite Aid

Buy Select Pantene or Head & Shoulders Hair For Just $5.99

Buy Select L’Oreal Moisturizers For Just $16.99-$17.99

Earn Single Check Rebate On Select Cosmetics From Almay, L’Oreal, and Revlon

Buy Aussie Hair Care Products For Just $3.99-$4.99

Buy 1 Get 1 50% Off Sally Hansen Lip/Nail Cosmetics

Buy Herbal Essences Hair Care Products For Just $3.99-$4.99

Buy Crest 2 Hour Express or Crest 3D White Professional Effects Dental Whitening For Just $47.99

Here is this week’s roundup of beauty deals you can’t miss! The following deals are good through Sunday January 9 to Saturday January 15. To see the entire advertisements or to download/print out coupons, click on the according links. Some deals are only valid with a special card(such as the Extra Care Bucks Program from CVS). If you have yet to sign up, you can sign up online or in-store for free.

Am I missing any good deals? Let  me(and other readers) know–comment today!

Walgreens

Buy 1 Get 1 50% Off Maybelline Cosmetics

Buy 1 Get 1 50% Off Revlon Cosmetics

Buy 1 Get 1 50% Select Cover Girl Cosmetics-includes foundation, concealer, powder, blush, or lip product.

Buy 2 Pantene Haircare Products and Get $2 Register Rewards Back

Buy1 Get 1 50% Off Select Skincare Products(includes Aveeno, Lubriderm, Clean & Clear, RoC, and Purpose

Save 30% Off Select L’oreal Skincare Products

Save 30% Off Select L’oreal Cosmetics

L’oreal EverSleek, EverStrong, or EverPure Haircare Products Just $6.00 Each.

Spend $15 or More On Select L’oreal Beauty Products and get $5.00 Register Rewards

All Wet-N-Wild Cosmetics 50% Off At Walgreens

Buy 1 Get 1 50% Off Neutrogena Cosmetics or Skincare Products

Suave Body Wash Just $2.00 Each

Buy 1 Get 1 50% Off Pond’s Skincare

Get 3 TRESemme Haircare Products for $10.00

CVS/Pharmacy

Save 50% Off Select Fragrance Gift Sets For Women or Men

Buy 1 Get 1 Select Mariah Carey Fragrance $7.50 off

Save 50% to 75% Off Select Cosmetics

Spend $10+ On Any L’oreal Cosmetics Get $3.00 ECB(Extra Care Bucks)

Buy 1 Get 1 50% Off All Sally Hansen Cosmetics and La Cross Beauty Tools

Buy 1 Get 1 50% Off  All Neutrogena Cosmetics

Get $10 ECB With RapidLash Purchase

Zeno Hot Spot or Heat Treat Just $34.99

CoverGirl LashBlast Mascara Just $7.99

Neutrogena Clinical Products Just $34.99

Buy 1 Get 1 50% Off Clean & Clear Skincare Products

RiteAid

Garnier Nutrisse or HerbaShine Hair Color Kit Just $5.99

Buy 1 Get 1 50% Off Maybelline Eye Cosmetics

Buy 1 Get 50% Off All Artificial Nail or Eyelash Kits

Buy 1 Get 1 50% Off John Frieda Hair Care Products

Buy 1 Get 1 Free Revlon Cosmetics and Beauty Tools

Coupons for Johnson, RoC, Clean & Clear, Neutrogena, and more.

This year’s New Year resolution? Never pay full price for beauty products that you can score for cheap! Here is this week’s roundup of beauty deals at your favorite drug stores(Walgreens, CVS/Pharmacy, and RiteAid) that you won’t want to miss! These deals are good throughout the entire week of January 2-8 2011 unless otherwise indicated. I’ve also located the links so you can check out the full ad. Some deals require a coupon(which you can print out from the website) or require you to sign up for their discount card. Happy shopping~

Walgreens(see the whole ad and restrictions here)

Coupon for 2 for 12 L’oreal Excellence or Excellence-to-Go hair color

Get Pantene Haircare products for $7.00, get $2.00 register rewards back

Buy 3 Select Garnier Fructis Haircare Products for $10.00

Buy 3 Select Dove Haircare products for just $2.99 each

Buy 1 Shick Cartridge and Get 1 Free Skintimate or Shick Shave Gel For Free

Buy 1 bioFusion Haircare Product and Get 1 Free

Coupon for L’oreal Healthy Look or Root Rescue Hair Color for just $6.99

Coupon for  Clairol Natural Instincts Hair Color  for just $5.99

Buy 1 Get 1 Free Select Nivea Skincare or Lip Product

Buy 2 Select Ivory or Zest Soap Products for $7.00

Buy $15 or more of select L’oreal Skincare or Cosmetics and recieve $5.00 on your next Walgreens purchase

Buy 1 Get 1 50% off select Eucurin Skincare

Buy 1 Get 1 50% off select Studio35 Beauty  Tools

Select Olay Skincare Products Just $9.99

Buy 1 Get 1 50% off select Cover Girl and Revlon Cosmetics

CVS/Pharmacy(see the whole ad and restrictions here)

Buy 1, Get 1 50% off select Almay cosmetics

Save 50% off select fragrance gift sets  for women and men

Buy 2 select Revlon cosmetics or beauty tools and receive $7 ECB(extra care bucks)

Buy 1 Get 1 50% off Garnier Nutritioniste Skincare Products

Select Vaseline Moisturizers 50% off

Buy 1 Get 1 50% off all L’oreal Cosmetics

Buy select Cover Girl LipPerfection or NatureLuxe products and receive $2.00 ECB

Buy Crest Whitestrips and get $10 in ECB

Buy any Conair hair styling appliance and get $5.00 in ECB

Buy $20 worth of Nexus hair care products, and get $10 in ECB

Buy 1, Get 1 50% off Got2Be hair styling products

Rite Aid(see the whole ad and restrictions here)

Buy 1, Get 1 50% off Revlon cosmetics

Buy 1, Get 1 50% off select Nail Enamel products(excludes L’Oreal, Revlon, and WetNWild)

Save 25% off Olay Age Defying Skin Care Products

Buy 1, Get 1 50% off Maybelline Lip products(plus get $5.00 up reward with $20 Maybelline cosmetics purchase)

Buy 1, Get 1 50% off select Garnier Skincare products

Buy 1, Get 1 50% off all WetNWild cosmetic

Buy 1, Get 1 50% off Infusium Hair Care products

For most of us, the New Year is all about reinvention. And we all know that reinventions are often the catalyst of starting something great! A new color leads to an extra dose of confidence, and who couldn’t use some of that? Confidence leads to energy which leads to activity which leads to success.  This is not to say that coloring your hair a new shade of auburn is going to lead to world peace, but hair dye can make all the difference!

Blonde

Lighten up and give your hair a sunny makeover! Unfortunately for most of us, going blonde is a little bit harder than going darker. Many women with medium brown to black hair(such as myself) have to result to using bleach-based products to see real results.  And unless your hair is dark blonde or light brown, the boxed hair dyes won’t work so much. If you have really dark hair but you want to really lighten up, you’ve got two choices. You could go to a salon and get your hair lightened by a professional, or you could buy a box of hair bleach from Sally Beauty Supply and do it yourself. I do the latter. Of course, my sister helps with the actual hair coloring process, but it works for me! If your going to follow my lead,  I would recommend the following.

1- Have a friend help you. They don’t need to be a professional colorist, they just need to follow instructions.

2- Do not attempt to bleach hair that  previously colored. This rule does not apply if you’re just touching up your roots.  True story: many years ago when I went to a salon to get my hair bleached and because my hair was previously colored(I really forget the color and brand) months ago, my fresh roots were lightening up but my colored ends were turning black! To make the long story short, she had to color my hair a shade of dark brown.  Yeah, just don’t go there!

If you do end up going to a salon to get your hair colored, I would highly recommend bringing a picture or two to the colorist so he knows exactly what you want. Also, don’t forget to use the proper lingo when it comes to selecting your perfect shade. Check this link from Stylelist for the most common terms.

Going blonde? Try these products

Clairol Herbal Essences Color Me Vibrant in 16 Knockout Blonde, Feria Multi-Faceted Highlights C100 Star Lights, and Beyond The Zone On/Off Radical Bleach Kit

Brunette

Virtually anyone can go brunette with the right hair color products. As a bonus, many of your favorite hair color brands(including Garnier and Clairol) have a variety of nourishing hair color products.  So if you crave a new look and long to pamper your hair, going brunette could be just the thing for you!

The next step to make after your decision to color your hair is to find the perfect shade. It does not matter if you’re going a little lighter or a little darker, you want a color that is going to make you look and feel terrific. Take a cue from your natural skin tone, are you warm or cool? You obviously won’t want to try a new color only to end up shocked because it doesn’t complement your skintone. Also, try to stick within 2 to 3 shades of your natural haircolor.

Dare to go darker with these haircolor kits.

Garnier Nutrisse in 30 Darkest Brown, L’oreal Paris Healthy Look in 5G Medium Gold Brown, and L’oreal Paris Excellence-to-Go 6G Light Golden Brown.

Red

Thinking about going for a ravishing red color? Or maybe your hair is naturally auburn or chestnut and you want to enhance the redness. Either way, when it comes to selecting the right shade of red, you’re going to want to pay attention to the same rules as above. If you have naturally light hair, try a warm strawberry blonde; if you have naturally black hair, consider a rich burgundy or mahogany. Another thing to consider should you consider when it comes to dying your hair red is the maintenance factor. The redder the shade you have, the more time you will have to spend on protecting the shade.  Red hair fades fast! Invest your money in a quality shampoo, conditioner, and color glaze. If you don’t have the patience or money to deal with the upkeep, I suggest getting reddish highlights or choosing a shade of red that is closer to brunette. While you’ll still have some color upkeep, it will be more manageable.

Perk up your look with a fresh shade of red.

L’oreal Paris Couleur Experte in 5.5 Cinnamon Stick, Garnier 100% Color Vibrant Colors by Nutrisse in 660 Intense Auburn, and Garnier HerbaShine in 426 Dark Burgundy.

Black

For most people, particularly those with lighter hair and paler complexions, black hair seems so drastic! But when you look at celebrities like Dita von Teese or Megan Fox, black hair suddenly becomes a glamorous temptation. If your up for the challenge, you could try one of the following products below. If you want to try black hair but your not sure its for keeps, then I suggest using Manic Panic NYC(also below) which is semi-permanent.

From rock star to fashionista, black has never looked more glam.

L’oreal Paris Feria Multi-faceted Shimmery Color in 21 Starry Night, Clairol Natural Instincts in 36 Neutral Black, and Manic Panic NYC Classic Cream Formula in Raven