Hi all

Every once in a while I find beauty or fashion coupons online. Here are the few that I found today that I would like to share with you:

10% off Handbags at Overstock.com! Offer valid 8.27 to 8.28

10% off Jewelry & Watches at Overstock.com! Offer valid 8.18 to 8.24

10% off Disney Brisa Hannah Montana Girls’ Pink Leather Watch at Overstock.com! Offer valid 8.18 to 8.24

Buy $75 of Ted Gibson and get a free Transformation Body Shampoo and Conditioner ($22 value) at Beauty.com. While supplies last.

Spend $40 on tarte and get a free Sin City Eyelining Stain ($18 value) at Beauty.com. While supplies last.

Smashbox Face Forward Beauty Kit - Beauty.com Exclusive! This great kit is valued at $130, but is yours for only $64! While supplies last.

$10 off $60 at Beauty.com!

7 FREE eye samples with any $25 order on Sephora.com. Just enter code EYESAMPLES at checkout.

FREE sample of Bare Escentuals’ RareMinerals Skin Revival Treatment. Enter code BESAMPLE at checkout. *While supplies last.

Get FREE SHIPPING over $50 at Sephora.com. Just enter SHIPPING50 at checkout. Valid for a limited time only.

Enjoy!

Writing this blog is something I’m really passionate about. And it’s not just because I enjoy writing the beauty reviews (I do), or that I get to test some really great products (I do), or because I think looks are the most important thing in the world (I don’t). I like sampling skincare products, makeup and cosmetics because I believe that these things can be used to create inner strength and meaningful beauty.

If you’ve ever suffered from constant breakouts, or are at an age where wrinkles and spots start to appear- you know how this can undermine your confidence. Some of the biggest surges in my personal confidence were at points in my life when I finally got control over an appearance issue that was really plaguing me.

And you know what? I realized that I’m really good at searching out solutions to skincare problems and unearthing effective products. That’s why I started this blog. So that I can help you do the same thing. Meaningful beauty to me means feeling good about yourself. So I really try to make sure my beauty reviews offer you something that will improve your life in a concrete way.

Don’t worry- I won’t sign off today without offering my latest find from the field of skincare and beauty. Here is one of my favorite tips for completely upgrading your appearance- and no one will know why you look so much better!

Shape those eyebrows! Whether you have them waxed at a salon or use an at-home kit like the Bare Escentuals A-List Brows ($50 Value) A-List Brows, this simple act will instantly make your face look cleaner and more beautiful. And it’s so easy. What a gift to yourself to immediately look well-groomed and more elegant. Part of meaningful beauty comes from knowing that you are in control of your appearance. Here’s one easy way to take control. And you know I’ll be back with more!

Sincerely,

Caterina Christakos - founder of stillagirl.com - a positive place for women and girls

Before you tumble into bed after a long day- how diligent are you about removing your makeup? Don’t mumble and groan! I know, it can be the last thing you want to think about; but your health and beauty depend on it. Leaving crusty eye makeup on overnight can spur nasty infections and accelerate the aging process of your oh-so-delicate eye area. Unfortunately, a lot of beauty reviews skip the how to remove eye makeup lesson to squeeze in more of the glitz and glamor stuff. Well, I love that too. But first and foremost this site is about you taking great care of you. So…

1. Choose a product specifically designed for removing eye makeup. Anything else can be too harsh for the fragile skin surrounding your eyes. Try Bare Bare Escentuals i.d. bareEyes - Eye Makeup Remover 4 oz. This is only available online, but it has everything you need to do the job.

2. Shake the bareEyes bottle until the product turns a frothy white color.

3. Apply to a cotton ball, close eyes (duh!) and remove any mascara, shadow or liner you’ve use. Keep going until the cotton ball shows no residue.

That’s it for how to remove eye makeup- easy as pie. A breeze. A walk in the park. Well, you get the picture. But here’s the bigger picture. Beauty reviews aren’t just about making you look good on the outside. Beauty reviews should focus on getting into the habit of taking really good care of yourself overall. Because when you pay good attention to health issues like how to remove eye makeup, you’ll look better and feel better.

Sincerely,

Caterina Christakos - founder of stillagirl.com - a positive place for women and girls

So you have a beautiful new compact full of eye shadow colors that compliment your complexion to a tee. But you don’t know what to do with them! Does the dark shade go on the top or the bottom of your lid? Do you start at the inner or outer part of your eye? Well, you’re not alone. How to apply multi color eye makeup is a skill that most women just try to figure out as they go. The whole point of using more than one eye shadow color is to create shadows and contours in just the right places. But where are those places- you ask?

Let’s start by choosing a color palette that includes 3 eye shadow shades and an eyeliner that you like. For explanation, we’ll use the Bare Escentuals iQuad Eyeshadow Compact Quad.

Start with the olive (or your chosen color) eyeliner. Use your hand to pull skin taut and gently line from the inner corner of the eye outward. Use the included buffing brush to apply the lightest of your three tones (ivory) to your lid area, up to its natural crease. Use your next lightest color (citrus twist) to cover from your crease to just below your brow. Brush outwards, in an attempt to let the color flow, rather than stop abruptly. Finally, use your darkest shade (bronze) to emphasize the back corner of your eyelid. Take care to blend your colors. The goal is to add depth, and draw attention in a subtle way.

This is just one example of how to apply multi color eye makeup. The possibilities are truly endless.

Sincerely,

Caterina Christakos - founder of stillagirl.com - a positive place for women and girls

So you have a drawer full of lipstick colors that you just can’t use? Maybe melon burst looked great in the department store mirror, but once you got it home, it just looks like you attacked a cantaloupe. You’re not alone. I get a lot of mail from girls who are baffled by the whole concept of undertones and how to pick lipstick that suits your complexion. While there is some truth to the fact that finding perfect makeup matches involves a lot of trial and error, there are also some easy guidelines to follow that will point you in the right direction.

Understanding Undertones

It’s true that your skin has undertones of either blue or yellow. But don’t despair. Here’s an easy test I stumbled across years ago to help you figure it out. Most of us prefer either gold or silver jewelry because it looks better on us. If you don’t know, hold a piece of each next to your face. One is bound to compliment your skin tone better than the other. If it’s the silver, then you likely have blue undertones and will look best in cool colors. If it’s gold, chances are you have yellow undertones and will look best in warmer tones.

Lipstick Colors Demystified

Now you may be thinking- that’s all well and good, but I’m not sure I’d know a warm lipstick shade if it sat next to me on the subway. Never fear. A key step of how to pick lipstick that suits your complexion is knowing who to ask. (That would be me!)

Warm shades include coral, peach, amber, melon, and brick red. Cooler shades include mauve, cherry, plum, rose and crimson. Look at the Bare Escentuals Lipstick Cat’s Meow lipstick to get an idea. This is a warm coral tone. Now contrast that to the Nars Lipstick Flaming Dust. This is a cool cherry tone.

These are just the basics. But the basics are exactly where you need to start when learning hot to pick lipstick that suits your complexion.

Sincerely,

Caterina Christakos - founder of stillagirl.com - a positive place for women and girls

Summer weddings, vacations, parties- all great opportunities to show off those flirty windows to your soul. (Your eyes, of course.) So here are a few tips on how to do eye makeup for the summertime.

1. Start with a great matte concealer- Whether you are worried about fine lines, or creases from the summertime heat, a foundation like the i.d. Bare Escentuals i.d. bareMinerals Multi-Tasking Minerals 0.03 oz Bisque is your answer. A matte concealer created for the eyelid area prepares a smooth surface for your eye shadow. It’s the perfect beginning.
2. Then find an array of summertime tones that will compliment your eye color- This is a lot smarter than trying to match your outfit. And notice I said compliment your eye color-not match it. That’s like having your picture taken in a blue shirt in front of a blue wall. You want your eyes to pop out, not blend in! If you want to find an array of fun and festive summertime colors try the Sephora Summer Blockbuster Palette. It’s got 24 different eye shadow shades, including soft golden champagne shimmer and deep dusty plum shimmer.
3. 

   Buy a good brush- Do not use those silly little sponge applicators! That is a mandate from beauty central. Buy a good eye shadow brush, preferably two. Try the Bare Escentuals Tapered Shadow Brush Tapered Eye Shadow Brush. In my humble opinion, a brush does a far superior job of both applying and blending shades. Hey- that’s why the pros use them.

Finally, when you are thinking about how to do eye makeup, it’s usually best to start with your lighter shade, and think about what you want to emphasize from there. I’ve talked about how to make your eyes look wider or closer together in other posts. Just remember that lighter colors open up spaces, and darker colors attract attention. Figuring out how to do eye makeup is a combination of common sense, a willingness to play around and see what works for you, and finding the right tools and advice.

Sincerely,

Caterina Christakos - founder of stillagirl.com - a positive place for women and girls