The Top 5 Tools For Your Makeup Bag

There are just some supplemental tools that every girl needs in her makeup bag. Here are the top five products that you should always consider having on hand when doing your makeup. Every makeup professional is bound to have these tools in her makeup bag!

The Q-tip - mistakes happen and sometimes you need to make a tiny adjustment to a beautiful job you have just completed on your lids. Don't mess up your job with your fingers - use a Q-tip to correct a liquid liner gone wrong or to even apply some eyeshadow primer that doesn't have an applicator, like Benefit's F-Y-Eye, to your lids.

Brushes - it is an excellent idea to invest in a good set of brushes. Although they may be quite pricey, they will certainly last you a long time, especially if you properly care for them and clean them frequently with brush cleanser. In fact, there are lots of brush sets that are available at Sephora and other department stores, especially around holiday time. This can help keep the cost down. The only thing you need to keep in mind with a set is that these brushes are factory processed, rather than put together by hand (as is the case with single, more expensive brushes), but still work just fine!

Wedges - these are perfect to help spread any liquid product, like foundation or primer, evenly onto the skin. Oftentimes, as you spread a product with your fingers, it will get stuck in the crevices of your fingerprints, leaving a lot of your product wasted and washed away. Additionally, the natural oils from your fingers can easily be transferred on to your face, unnecessarily greasing up your clean face. Save time, money, and frustration with these friendly sponges.

Tweezers - even if you get waxed, you'll still find some unfriendly strays growing in prematurely. To keep up with your brows in between waxing appointments, pluck the few strays you've got. But be very careful not to mess with the shape of the brow - that means don't go above the brow or attempt to get a hair that might mean plucking more than needed. Only obvious ones should be tweezed.

Lash Curler - on days when I'm barely wearing makeup, I still manage to use my lash curler to give my lashes a boost. Of course, I think the best one out there is the shu uemura curler, hands down. Use before and after applying mascara so that you really get the fullest and most voluminous-looking lashes possible. And although lash curlers may be intimidating to some, it really makes a difference in your face - promise!

What are some of YOUR fave tools for your makeup bag?

-A

Makeup Police

Despite the disaster of a show that was the Emmys last night, I managed to make a few observations on the faces of some of TV's finest. Some were good and some were bad. Welcome to the Makeup Police.

Despite all the speculation of the Desperate Housewives star being pregnant, Eva Longoria Parker swears she's just fat. But this doesn't mean she needs to look like a crazy person. Personally, I love Eva. She's great in her role as Gabrielle Solis and she's cute as a button. And I loved when she got her bob (I have one myself). But what was with her makeup? Her raccoon eyes were so jarring, matched by her feathery short number. She was lost in the glamour that was her Desperate Housewives co-stars.

What Eva should have done was dialed down the eyes just a little. While stage makeup needs to be a bit heavier to be seen, she wasn't performing. In fact most of the night she was sitting down. I am the number one fan of the smoky eye, but on Eva last night it was not flattering. It almost looked like she couldn't get all her eye makeup off from the night before!

I loved Lauren Conrad's makeup. She usually gets that right. Our favorite The Hills actress was glowing and had just the right amount of makeup to go with her look. I've always been a fan of the way she lines the top of her eyes. Now if only I could perfect that on myself!

A quick mention of Christina Applegate and America Ferrera. Though they both looked stunning in their gowns, I was not really a fan of their makeup. Christina needed a different color on her lips and maybe a different bronzer. She also should carry some kind of oil blotting sheets or perhaps Smashbox's Anti-Shine compact for touch-ups. America's lipstick was far too bold for my taste. However, if we're going to go light on the eyes, we should have one part pop - and that was the lips for America. She just looked kind of young to me.

Finally, we have Tina Fey. She looked fresh-faced and ready to accept her Best Actress and Best Writing awards! And she was Sarah-Palin-glasses free! Though she may have benefited from some eyeliner and some more color, she looked great and let her dress and humor shine through for her big wins. I'll call Tiny Fey the anti-Eva Longoria.

-A

Photos: JustJared.BuzzNet.com

Consulting on Makeup

I had my first makeup consultation the other night. It was so much fun!! I worked with Chanel makeup (which blends in such an amazing way!), did some smoky eyes for the mother of the groom, and booked myself a job for the day of the wedding! Hopefully this is just the beginning of a great side job!

M had had surgery on her eyes a while back, so without any makeup they are a bit red. But never fear! We used Prescriptives Flawless Skin concealer on her eyes and in no time, they were just the same color as the rest of her face, which gave me a fresh canvas to work on.

I used the new Chanel palette - Quadra Eye Shadow. It has white, silver, charcoal, and black in it. The colors blended beautifully. I used M's liner (I think it was Lancome), but I suggested she switch to the Prescriptives Softlining pencil. It goes on much better and darker, which is perfect for the smoky look. I also used her three Estee Lauder mascaras, along with shu uemura curler.

For her face, I did my typical combo with her products. Bobbi Brown tinted moisturizer, Laura Mercier primer, Prescriptives foundation, Chanel Bronzer, and Chanel blush. Her face makeup looked awesome and I really think it was due to the bronzer and blush - the must-have finishing touches.

We worked on a few things and now know exactly what we'll do for the big day. Can't wait to show you pictures!

-A

Can't Live Without This: Product Survey

I did a little survey to see what the girls out there are using and what their three cant-live-without-these-products would be. JH, SV, JL, KS, and of course your other MLA girl S were all asked what they must have daily if they're just running out of the house and need a quick face.

It seems there is an overwhelming consensus among the girls in using concealer. This definitely makes sense since concealer can really get you out of a bind within seconds. That's why it's definitely worthwhile to invest in a good concealer. The cheap kind probably won't blend as well and may leave your face looking cakey. Although, don't be too quick to dismiss the good old drugstore makeup. S says that her fave concealer is none other than L'Oreal's True Match Concealer.

Three out of these five makeup lovers say that they need their lip gloss. It's about conditioning their lips and ensuring they don't end up with those nasty chapped, peeling lips - ick! S and I aren't ones to use lip balm regularly (sometimes I'll use the Softlips remember), but on occasion it's necessary for these girls to use their lip gloss or lip balm to keep their lips colored and conditioned.

Mascara and eyeliner were also on the girls' lists - to give the appearance of brighter, fuller eyes. They like to use these eye products to finish off their looks and make themselves look more alive. However, S prefers Smashbox's Photo Op Eye Brightener over all else.

Finally, blush appeared on SV's list (like me) and I found bronzer on JL and and S' lists - S likes Benefit's Hoola bronzer. These are the products that can really finish off a look because they add color and pizazz to each girl's face.

As you can see, each girl has a different take on their favorite products. It's all about trial and error and seeing what works for you. Remember, no two people are alike so it's really up to you to find what suits your skin the best. But until then and even when you find your fave three, MLA is here to help you along the way!

-A

Photo: Sephora.com

Making Up an Appointment

A makeup appointment is something that can really help you understand what you should be using daily. For my cousin's engagement party last year, we went to Smashbox to get our makeup done and that was my chance to really talk to the makeup artist about what I needed for my face or her suggestions on what to use if I was unsure. In fact it was there that she told me I should be using a moisturizer daily despite the fact that I had such oily skin!

Of course I walked out of the makeup appointment with a lip gloss (which I liked at the time) and the Photo Finish Color Correcting Foundation Primer (which I actually don't use anymore because after a while I didn't think it did much). But it's really good to get a sense of what a professional thinks of your face and the products you use.

It's a great opportunity because although they tend to coax you into buying products, you'll learn more about yourself and you'll get a nice makeup face out of it - so make sure you've got somewhere to go afterwards!

Some common places* to get your makeup done:
- Sephora only does half your face, as a consultation, but you'll still get some expert tips and tricks
- MAC in Macy's does your whole face, as long as you buy $50 worth of products (but that's also totally worth it)
- Smashbox in Nordstrom did my face for free and I bought a few products

*You usually do need to buy a product or two to get your makeup done. Also, check with your local store to see what they do because they may or may not have the same stipulations. These were just a few examples.

-A

Photo: TooFaced.com