Watching Sunday nights Golden Globes I was thrilled to see many of the actresses wearing makeup looks that can be easily interpreted for real life. From Kate Hudson‘s perfectly bronzed skin, Sandra Bullock‘s use of color and Monique’s lovely lashes, there were many looks that any woman could wear for a fabulous dinner or a great night out. If you are fair try Kate’s romantic makeup over bronzed skin.

Start off by applying foundation, concealer and powder then filling in the brows slightly. Next strategically sweep bronzer on the temples, along the sides of the face and under the cheekbones. Now swirl on rose pink blush along the cheekbones. Sweep an opal highlight shimmer across the entire lid from lash line to under the brow bone, on the inner corners of the eyes and on top of the cheekbones. Apply a purpley quartz shade across the crease and smudge it under the lower lash line. Line the upper lash line with a thin black pencil getting as close to the roots as possible and line the inside rim of the eyes in a deep plum eyeliner. Apply a few individual lashes at the outer corners of the eyes and then use black mascara on top and bottom lashes. Finish with a pinky nude lipgloss.

For medium skinned ladies channel your inner Sandra Bullock by applying the usual face of foundation, concealer and powder then sweeping on rosy pink blush to just the apples of the cheeks. Apply champagne shimmer highlighter under the brow and sweep a lavender hue across the lid. Line eyes with a deep plum eyeliner and use a dark purple shadow in the crease. Apply a ½ set of false lashes at the outer corners of the eyes. Sweep on black mascara on top and the bottom and polish off the lips with a rosy pink lipstick and gloss.

For dark skinned women, check out Monique for her monochromatic beauty and fun flirty lashes. Begin with foundation, concealer and powder and sweep bronzer along the temples, sides of the face and under the cheekbones. Blend on raisin blush along the cheekbones and back into the hairline. Apply gold highlighter across the entire lid from lash line to crease and sweep a deep brown into the crease and at the outer corners of the eyes. Use 1 whole set of lashes and line the upper lash line with a thin line of liquid eyeliner and apply black mascara on the upper lash line only. Slick on a moisturizing mocha lipstick and your gorgeous and ready to win!

I’m currently in breathtaking Bali on vacation and fascinated by how incredibly gorgeous everything here is. The colors and the scenery look as if everything is in Technicolor and the people here are kind and lovely. Everything they do here is constructed to be beautiful and appeasing to the gods and therefore a stunning feast for your eyes as well.

I was so excited to see some local women perform the traditional Legong Balinese dance in Ubud the other evening. This is a classical dance in which three female dancers in colorful costumes act out an ancient story about an arrogant king desiring an unwilling princess. The makeup was so bright and dramatic I just had to know what went on in the dancers dressing room. I was lucky enough to spot a Balinese male actor going backstage to get ready and I asked if I could tag along and get a inside peak on how these beautiful people get painted up each night.

It was a real treat as a makeup artist to get an insider look on Balinese makeup tips and tricks. I watched them use old grease paints in small square tins to flawlessly draw on their character and create the extreme beauty for the stage. I must say they sure love a red lip and know how to slick one on with ease. They carefully wrapped one another in yards of hand-woven fabric while taking turns at the mirror touching up their makeup. They use pancake foundation to even out the skin and black greasy pencils to elongate their eyes. They highlight under the brow bone with white (a fave trick of mine by the way) and play with royal blue and pinky purple on the lids in layers.

They are very good at shading their faces to give a look of severity on stage and place pretty bindis on their foreheads and sides of the eyes. After they so graciously allowed me to photograph them I ran back out into the audience to watch these fascinating women dance. They truly are lovely and magic to watch and I feel lucky to have been privy to a backstage pass.

Hello everyone and happy new year! I’m on holiday and currently down under in gorgeous Sydney, Australia, where I’m discovering some totally cool beauty products. Some local beauty junkies have been bringing me around some hip spots and I’m so excited by the amazing products and designs I’m seeing.

There is this fabulous nail polish line called Miss Frou Frou that boasts the fiercest shades ever. I was so taken with the Purple Rain color that I painted it on my nails on the spot. With everyone ooohing and aahhing, I helped them sell a bunch. The other seriously sexy shade is called Green Envy and it’s a very cool alternative to dark winter nails.Instead of the same old Vixen hue, it is a deep shimmering green that is very luxe-looking. Check out their insanely chic shade range at missfroufrou.com.au and see which one jumps out at you.

I was then taken to the Napoleon Perdis makeup store to browse through this line of makeup. Started by an Australian makeup artist, these products are available in the U.S. and are good for the makeup maven who is not afraid to play with crazy shades and heavier textures.

At a beachside health food store, I was told that all Aussies swear by their Papaw Ointment, which is supposed to be a cure-all for issues like dry skin, mosquito bites, even acne. I found a new version that’s petroleum-free and contains the famous Papaw Tree ferment as well as all kinds of natural Australian secret ingredients. After a day at Bondi Beach with too little sunscreen, I applied this ointment at night and it soothed the burn magically. This product by far has my vote as best Aussie buy when visiting.

Many of you may have just returned from your winter vacation or maybe you are on your way to relax before 2010 gets under way. No matter how diligently you pack your beauty basics for a trip, you may find you have forgotten something and can’t easily pick one up at your vacation destination.

A few forgotten products can be easily remedied in a pinch, so you will look your best by using what you did bring. If your body seems to be getting tanner even though you are applying your sunscreen every day and your foundation is starting to look too light just use bronzer to even the skin out. After applying your foundation and powder dust on your bronzer all over your face and a little down the neck to create a uniform tan.

If your cream blush didn’t make it into your bag, use your lipstick on the apples of your cheeks for a quick flush of color. If your lipstick did not make it in but your blush didm you can reverse the order and pink up your pout with a little cream blush. If you packed powder blush, you can use it on your lips and add a lip balm over top for moisture.

If eyeliner was left behind mascara can be used to define the lash line. Use an angle brush, Q-Tip or even a toothpick (dull the tip first) to pick up a little color from the mascara wand and then trace it along the upper lash line for a slight smudge.

If you forgot your highlighter use a lip balm under the brow, on the inner corners of the eyes and on top of the cheekbones to illuminate the skin with a clear glow.

If you did not bring your concealer try using a Q-Tip dipped in the cap or the nozzle of the foundation bottle to pick up the slightly thicker left-overs. Then lay this over a spot to get rid of any redness or blemish you may have.

See so if you get creative you will look beautiful on your get-away and not have to worry about what was left behind.

This New Year’s Eve why not ring in the new year with fun flirty party lashes? I have been getting a ton of emails about what party looks women should try on this big night and a glamorous way to go is by having the most fabulous fringe you can find!

Falsies are a cheap and easy way to play and can be found in all kinds of lengths, thicknesses and styles. Some are very natural and look just like your own lashes but better and some are super bedazzled with rhinestones, jewels and glitter. The right way to apply a false lash is to hold up the strip along your lash line first and see if it is too long. If it is, simply snip off a little section so it will fit perfectly along your lash line.

Now apply a little glue to the back of your hand and drag the lash base through it. Blow on it a bit so it begins to get just slightly tacky then apply it along your upper lash line. Hold for a few beats and open up your eyes.

Now apply a little black mascara under the lashes so yours and the falsies blend together. If you find a full lash a bit hard to do you can snip the false lashes in half and apply one section at a time making it easier to handle. You can also use only one section at the ends of your lashes for a really natural look or try adding just a few individuals. For individual lashes use tweezers to drop the root of the lash into a little glue then place it along the lash line where you would like the lash to go. Remember to always use waterproof glue so if your eyes water you won’t have little spiders crawling down your cheeks after midnight.

For longer wearing amazing lashes run out and get custom matched lash extensions. This trend is all the rage and looks totally natural when trained professionals add length and thickness lash by lash. If you want to check out awesome before and after photos and read up on how it’s done, check out Ebenezereyelash.com. This is one of the best lash salons in New York. The site gives you full details of how to wear and care for your new extensions.

With these babies you can wear them for weeks after you pop the champagne and continue the party.

Okay, we are all in the same boat at the moment: Bloated, tired, dehydrated and a little rough after all the holiday madness. Now is the time to detox our bodies so we feel better and our skin, hair and nails will look better as well. We can all get an early jumpstart on this so by New Years Eve we will look smashing!

The first thing to do is to start drinking tons of water. Flush out all the bad stuff by drinking at least 8 glasses of water during the day. Drink about 4 ounces of pure unsweetened cranberry juice from the health food store each day to clean out that liver. All this fluid will help re-hydrate you and clean your system.

Get back on your healthy eating regime and daily exercise right away so you can erase the evidence of the holiday feast fest. Now it’s supplement time. If you are like me the healthy diet went out the window this week and the amount of sugar and carbohydrates ingested is starting to show with dull puffy skin. Start each morning with a few good anti oxidant and pretty skin supporting vitamins like grape seed extract, omega 3′s, vitamin C and coenzyme Q10. These are skin’s little helpers and can get you on the fast track to radiance.

Now scrub away the sin in the shower with a good cleanser and a handful of white sugar. When I was home for the holidays I discovered a great cleanser in a local health food store by Alba called Sea Mineral Cleansing Gel. This kept my skin squeaky clean and did not leave a residue. The sugar will buff away any dry skin you may have leaving your face nice and smooth.

Deep condition your hair to keep it silky and shiny and diminish the dryness from the dryer and irons you may have over used for all of those holiday parties. After the shower, moisturizer your face, body, hands and feet with a rich cream to keep it supple. Make an appointment to get a mani/pedi asap so you will feel sparkly and new again.

Now by New Years Eve, you will feel amazing and be able to face 2010 beautifully!

So at a recent spa event at the Soho House in New York City I fell in love with the fun line of skincare called Cowshed. These products are a great holiday gift that will definitely get a laugh when the wrapping comes off. A British company with a fantastic sense of humor has been selling soaps, oils, lotions, creams, candles and gels to fit all your moods. The packaging is absolutely gorgeous and so are all the scents and textures.

The collections include all the products you need to deal with the problems at hand like Grumpy Cow Uplifting Collection for the woman who needs to slow down and unwind with essential oils of grapefruit and mandarin red.

Knackered Cow Relaxing Collection containing oils of lavender and eucalyptus to restore harmony and relax your tired muscles.

Lazy Cow Soothing Collection with jasmine, chamomile and sandalwood to peacefully ease your senses. Moody Cow Balancing Collection to restore your inner harmony with rose geranium, linden blossom and frankincense that regulate emotions and hormones.

Wild Cow Invigorating Collection with essential oils of lemongrass, ginger and rosemary to help stimulate and sharpen your mind.

Last and most people’s favorite for lovers the Horny Cow Seductive Collection. Enjoy the aphrodisiac properties to heighten your excitement with patchouli and cinnamon that arouses desire.

You can mix and match because really a woman goes through each of these moods many times per week so it is a great excuse to purchase something from every collection.

I love the metallics, but my total addiction this year is to the chrome and silver end of the metallic spectrum.

I have been painting my fingers and toes with M2M Platinum Plus nail polish, which turns your nails into instant accessories.

Besides the bling on my hands I am also kind of blown away by the Bobbi Brown Chrome Palette which hosts a bevy of shimmery silvery shades and the lip colors that pair best with them. You can play with all kinds of hues in this chrome family and look holiday ready for any party.

For a sheer and more natural version of steely grey shimmer try the Sally Hansen Natural Beauty Inspired By Carmindy Instant Defintion Eye Shadow Palette in Storm. The contour shade in this perfect palette is the most universal and wearable version of silver around. It has a hint of brown in it so it does not look too disco and you can be en point with the trend, but still feel comfortable.

When it comes to loose silver shimmer, I like to play with the NYX Loose Ultra Pearl Mania Eyeshadow in Silver. It’s like molten platinum on the eyes and really adds the extra glam. Try applying just a dot of it on the inner corners of the eyes and on the center of the eyelid. This is a very modern futuristic look and brings all the attention to your sexy stare.

For silver fringe try Volturi Twilight Crown Metallic Mascara in Silver Plated painted on lashes. This looks super cool with a slick of black liquid liner and just a hint of highlight on the lids.

Holiday time is when you can be a bit experimental, so try something fun and silvery.

With all of the holiday parties this season makeup is just as important as the LBD and a sexy pair of stilettos. Glam it up now while you have the chance and play with the magic of metallic.The eyes are the best feature to accentuate, and there are so many options to choose from.

If you like a sleek and chic look, use just a metallic eyeliner pencil in silver, bronze, gold or gunmetal. Simply apply a highlight eye shadow across the entire lid and then line the upper lids in a thick line of metallic adding a little upswept wing at the end of the eyes. Try Make Up For Ever Aqua Eyes in Silver 8L, Bronze 10L, Gold 9L or Dark Grey 21L for a waterproof glitzy line that glides on with ease and stays in place. Pair this with Luna Twilight ‘Gleam’ Metallic Mascara in Panther for the full sparkling effect.

If you go with a smokey eye for your festive evening out try a fast magic metal trick by adding just a spot of pure silver or gold right on the center of the lid for a flash of fabulosity. Try L’Oreal Metallic Eyeshadow Duo in Platinum or Gilded.

For a more intense metallic eye, apply a highlight under the brow and on the inner corners of the eyes and then sweep a metallic eye shadow shade across the lid from the lash line to the crease and smudge it under the lower lashes. Try one of Urban Decay‘s many rich metallic eye shadow shades like Smog or Gunmetal that will always deliver the glamour. Line the upper lid with black liquid eyeliner and finish off with black mascara on top and bottom.

‘Tis the season to bewitch the people around you with a little makeup magic.

This holiday season try some quick gift ideas that will keep the girls in your inner circle looking lovely and feeling good in the dead of winter. Little beauty treats will always go over big, because everyone wants to look good in the frigid weather.

In the cold months we may feel a little pasty so give your girlfriends a little summertime glow with a fab self-tanner. I love the fun can from Urban Decay called Santa Tanita Body Bronzer. The can is dressed up like a prayer candle dedicated to the imaginary saint of everything bronze and beachy.

For dry parched lips give the gift of hydration and color with Burt’s Bees Lip Shimmer. At $5, and with 13 gorgeous shades to choose from, you can buy three different shades and tie a pretty bow around them for a perfect gift.

Cream eye shadows work well on dry winter lids so give the universal shade of pink champagne shimmer like Nars Soft Touch Shadow Pencil in Goddess.

For the glossy posse, give them Sally Hansen Natural Beauty Inspired By Carmindy Natural Shine Lip Gloss. This sleek gloss is filled with good-for-you ingredients like sweet almond oil and cocoa butter so lips will be luscious. The Bronze Berry shade works on everyone.

If you really love someone go all the way and give them the ultimate beauty gift of Crème De La Mer, my personal favorite, hint hint mom. This rich luxurious cream will keep skin super moist and supple and you’ll score big points.

Happy holidays everyone, and best beauty wishes for all!

I’m sure you are all gearing up for the shopaholic days ahead as the holidays rapidly approach and might not be sure what to get for many of your favorite friends. I have a fantastic holiday gift idea that will make your female loved ones happy and keep your bank account nice and full. Now that’s what I call a gift!

I am launching my new amazing foolproof kits from Sally Hansen Natural Beauty Inspired By Carmindy. What you get is me and my expertise captured in a convenient box and there is something for everyone on your holiday list. I have taken all the guess work out of it for you by creating kits based on some of my favorite looks like my famous 5 Minute Face. Just like in my eponymous top selling book, I keep it simple and easy and provide everything you need to create that flawless natural you in minutes. I have included perfectly coordinated products with easy-to-follow tips and have three skin tone collections to choose from. There are versions for light, medium and deep skin, so the colors are guaranteed to work with your complexion.

I have also created The Perfect Smoky Eyes Kit. Now you can attain this elusive sexy look in 5 simple steps with my streamlined kit. Each shadow is marked so you know exactly where they go on the lids and the final results will look smokin’ every time.

Last, is my Super Balm Kit. Don’t get daunted by endless lip color options, with my colored lip balms you will get 3 universally flattering shades of sheer wearable moist color. Perfect for daytime and great for the drier months these balms will keep lips hydrated and plump. They contain yummy good-for-you ingredients like shea butter, avocado soy extract and licorice extract for naturally lush lips.

The best part: These stellar sets only cost $13 and can be found at CVS stores nationwide.

Now that’s just good gift giving!

This week, art lovers from all over the world converged on Miami to experience Art Basel. It’s a fabulous art scene that takes place every December that inspires many of us to new heights of creativity.

I was incredibly inspired by color this year and came up with many ideas for eye, lip and cheeks shades I want to create in the future. Sometimes looking at a painting, sculpture or sketch gives me ideas on how I can transform the feeling I get into makeup. I was also impressed to see many women making bold makeup statements as they attended the parties and gallery openings. A bright opaque fuchsia lip on a beautiful Asian woman looked super chic. I saw a mocha-skinned beauty rocking gilded eyelids that made me happy to be a part of all the creative craziness. The art world attracts people who are not afraid to be themselves and I found that refreshing.

Deep shimmering green smoky eyes was my look of choice that I easily creating by rimming my inner lids with Sally Hansen Natural Beauty Inspired By Carmindy Forever Stay Eyeliner in Jade. I then swept Duwop Green Eyes Eye Shadow Sets across the upper lash line and smudged under the lower. I kept the rest of my lids nude with a touch of shimmer and applied loads of black mascara. Inspiration can come from everywhere so don’t be afraid to experiment every once and a while and use makeup to create a buzz about your beauty.

You only live once!

Hey ladies, now is the time for powering up your makeup with purple passion. This sizzling shade is all the rage and is actually very universal, as it looks great on pretty much any skin tone.

For a natural look, you want to play with a palette of sheer hues to highlight and contour your eyes. Try my Sally Hansen Natural Beauty Inspired By Carmindy Instant Definition Eye Shadow Palette in Amethyst that allows you to create flirty plum eyes with three self-explanatory, marked shadows of highlight, lid and contour colors that glide on like watercolor and stay put all day. The colors in this collection work on all skin tones.

For a more disco diva approach to playing with purple, try Mac Pigment shadows in Violet. It’s a super shimmery loose powder that looks hot layered on the lid and smudged under the lower lashes. Pair it with black liner to look ultra rocking.

If it’s a hint of color you are going for, try lining your pretty peepers with a grape or eggplant eyeliner. For a soft finish use a pencil and for a little more magnetism, liquids work well. I love the liquid liner from Urban Decay in Crash or Ecstasy.

So go forth and bring out your inner Barney.

As an established makeup artist, many beauty brands send me samples of their latest products for consideration. I only write about the items that I truly love and I always abide by Daily Makeover’s Editorial Ethics Pledge in each of my Positively Beautiful posts.

Eyeliner is so right now, but there is a new twist on an old favorite when it comes to wearing it. The thinner the better is a chic way to play up the eyes. There has been so much heavy thick liner and dark smoky eyes. So, it’s now time to lighten up and go skinny.

If you are using a liquid liner, hold a mirror and gaze downward at it while applying the thin brush as close to the roots of the upper lashes as possible. Begin at the inside corners and draw a barely-there sketch all the way across ending in a little wing at the outer corners. A very good liner with a comfortable to apply brush is  Lancôme Artliner.

If pencil is your liner of choice, make sure the tip is incredibly sharpened so you can draw on a fine line with precision. Choose a waterproof formula that will stay in place like Sally Hansen Natural Beauty Inspired By Carmindy Forever Stay Eye Pencil. You may also want to try a thinner tipped eyeliner for the exact fine line like NYC Automatic Eyeliner.

Powder liner is a great option as well and very easy to apply. Simply use a flat angled brush and dip it into a little water so that it’s moist, but not dripping. Now drag it across a dark eye shadow like black or chocolate brown and make small connecting dashes across the upper lash line. I like to use Urban Decay Deluxe Eye Shadow in Zero. If the line turns out thicker then you’d like, take a fine tipped concealer brush with a little foundation on it and erase what you don’t want. When you keep the line fine, you can play up lips with a bright bold shade.

Perfect for a holiday bash.

As an established makeup artist, many beauty brands send me samples of their latest products for consideration. I only write about the items that I truly love and I always abide by Daily Makeover’s Editorial Ethics Pledge in each of my Positively Beautiful posts.

Every year, I get together with a few friends to go on an all-girls deep fishing trip in the Dry Tortugas. It is a great way to relax, fish, have some fun and share beauty secrets. Just because you are on vacation does not give you an excuse to lay around like a manatee scarfing up all you can eat and never applying lip gloss. Beauty needs to be approached from all sides and at all times, even on holiday.

The four of us who attend this trip each year live active lifestyles and we include a healthy diet and plenty of exercise into our daily routines. When we get together, it is a great way for all of us to share our favorite tips, as each one of us is an expert in our own respective areas.

My friend Eden is a great chef so when it comes to eating healthy she shows us how we can improve our dietary ways. When she caught a Spanish mackerel she instantly had it made into a sashimi with ponzu sauce that was nutritious and delicious and, as we all know, fish is a skin-friendly food.

Stacy is our fitness fanatic so she brought sets of bands and bungees for us to work out with every morning while we were out at sea keeping us bikini ready even after a few pina coladas.

Monique is our resident fisherwoman, so she taught us how to reel ‘em in with ease and how to identify each fish we caught.

I, of course, kept everyone covered head to toe in sunscreen and gave personalized makeup lessons for each of the ladies to keep them glowing and gorgeous. This will also ensure you look great in your vacation photos! When you keep up your beauty routine even while you are away, you will feel better about yourself. The new things you learned can even be incorporated into your life back home.

Girlfriends are the most precious beauty tool you have so let’s all help each other stay gorgeous!

There is shimmer, glitter, glow, dew, sparkle, glitz and glam, but where and when do they make sense? I’ll break down what each one is and what is right for you depending on the look you’re trying to achieve.

Day and night highlighters vary, as do the ones designed for oily skin and dry skin. Highlighters come in powders, bricks, sprays, creams and liquids, so there is a lot to choose from. If it’s a daytime look you are going for, the best highlighters are shimmers, glows and dews.These girly adjectives just describe the effect they’ll have on the skin after applying them. In the daylight, you want to apply these more subtle highlighters that will illuminate the skin and create a radiant effect without looking too overdone. They have a more pearlescent finish and don’t scream disco ball.

For daytime, if you have dry skin, go for my Sally Hansen Natural Beauty Inspired By Carmindy Natural Highlighters in Pink Luster or Gold Luster. Tap these cream highlighters on top of cheekbones and on the brow bone as well as on the inner corners of the eyes for a very natural shimmer.

Make Under Compact Dew is another fab cream highlighter that is great for normal to dry skin and is so sheer is looks like your skin is dewy fresh. You can actually apply this along the bridge of your nose and on top of cheeks for an almost-moist look.

If you have oily skin, stick with powder highlights and try sweeping on any of the highlight shades in my Sally Hansen Natural Beauty Inspired By Carmindy Instant Definition Eyes Shadow Palettes, which will leave the skin and eyes perfectly glowing.

At night, you can take it up a notch and use loose powders on dry or oily skin to kick up the sparkle factor. Try La Femme Sparkle Dust in numbers 5, 9 or 14, which will spark instant attraction. For a bit more glitz, try the Bobbi Brown Shimmer Bricks. These have a bit more of a metallic finish and will definitely make a statement.

Try the Era Rayz 24 Karat Body Spray for a glitzy take on body sparkle that won’t rub off on your clothes. Hardcore disco divas should try Scott Barnes Body Bling for limbs that radiate. This is not for the faint of heart and be careful with your light colored clothing. If you are really young (like under 21), you can play with glitter but don’t go crazy or you will look certifiable. Keep the glitter on one area of the face at a time try Make Up For Ever Glitters. These fun pots of jazz will keep you looking fun and festive.

So there you go, all highlighters may not be created equal, but they all will get you noticed!

As an established makeup artist, many beauty brands send me samples of their latest products for consideration. I only write about the items that I truly love and I always abide by Daily Makeover’s Editorial Ethics Pledge in each of my Positively Beautiful posts.

We have all been there: Blurry red eyes, dark circles, greyish complexion and a pounding headache. All in the name of fun! But it was worth it, wasn’t it? Now it’s time to face the music because you need to get up, pull it together and get your sorry butt to work. Here are some fast fixes to make it look like you went to bed at 8pm and drank nothing but herbal tea.

First thing you want to do is take a shower and blast yourself with a bit of cold water. It may be brutal, but it will shock your system and wake you up. After drying off, moisturize your face and body to replenish your skin and reinstate that hydration. Get out the eye drops and eliminate the tell tale signs of the party last night and then apply a luminizing face primer. Blend on foundation and dab Sally Hansen Natural Beauty Inspired By Carmindy Fast Fix Concealer All Over Brightener under your eyes. This fast fix concealer will immediately wake up your eyes and brighten up your entire face.

Line your upper lashline with a navy blue eyeliner to make the white of your eyes look whiter. The color will also draw attention away from your not-so-fresh face. Sweep on a champagne highlighter across your lids, on top of cheekbones and on the inner corners of the eyes. Apply black mascara to top lashes only then swirl on a pop of bright cream blush to the apples of your cheeks. This is a quick way to freshen your look in a flash. Slick on a pink gloss and voila. Fresh as a daisy! Now drink tons of water, take two Advil and swear you will never drink again!

As an established makeup artist, many beauty brands send me samples of their latest products for consideration. I only write about the items that I truly love and I always abide by Daily Makeover’s Editorial Ethics Pledge in each of my Positively Beautiful posts.

I’m sure you have seen a lot of beauty products on the market being advertised as paraben-free, but many women don’t really have any idea what parabens actually are. They are a chemical preservative found in everything from shampoos to makeup and are used to keep products from going bad by preventing the growth of bacteria.

There is a debate about the safety of parabens because there are many conflicting studies, some of which link this additive to breast cancer. The chemical is thought to mimic estrogen, which plays a role in the development of this type of disease. They are also thought to disrupt the immune system, so many women who may be pregnant or who already have children may want to avoid using paraben products.

There are also many studies claiming in their defense that the low levels used in products have no harmful effect at all on the body and can’t be proven to cause anything. I decided to go totally paraben-free when I created Sally Hansen Natural Beauty Inspired By Carmindy, because if you can avoid a potential threat, do it! There are plenty of safe ingredients that will do the same job as parabens and keep your products from going bad. This way you can be worry-free and look totally fabulous. A few other great paraben-free products on the market are Bare Escentuals, Josie Maran and Korres. Check out Korres’ Lip Butter, pictured at left.