Pair A Top Knot And Bright Lips For An Easy Statement Look

Photo via: Ulta

A top knot and red-orange lips come together for a bold and easy statement look.

Get the look:
+ Laura Mercier Faux Lash Mascara
+ Nars Heat Wave Lipstick
+ J.D.Y Matt Leather Look Biker Jacket
+ Club Monaco Kaisle Cashmere Sweater

2 Stylish Holiday Party Looks To Try This Season

Photos by Jenn Camp

'Tis the season for holiday parties, so whether you're looking to make a siren statement or keep it subtle, yet cool, let these two looks with my top beauty picks from Dolce & Gabbana be the inspiration for your next party...

For a high-impact look, pair a classic bright red lip with a matching clutch and nail polish. Add some dimension by contouring your face with bronzing powder, then apply a metallic gold eyeshadow for the final festive touch.

If you want something more low-key, but equally stylish, keep it simple by highlighting your face with a shimmery illuminator for a pretty glow. Try a textured white clutch, silver watch, and chic ring to keep with the cool, understated feel.

Complete both looks with an edgy pearl choker and a quick spritz of Light Blue fragrance before you head out the door. This fresh scent is always uplifting, plus it's a guaranteed conversation starter since I always get asked what I'm wearing when I have it on.

Disclosure: This was sponsored by Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue. The opinions, as always, are my own.

NYE party makeup tutorial // Bronze smoldery eyes

Dress the Population Zoe dress XS in "antique gold," plunge front bra (cups run small)

For today's beauty post I'm sharing a more amped up holiday party look with Sephora, which will be perfect for New Year's Eve parties! It's a little dramatic for daytime wear but looks great for a night out and is long-lasting based on the products used. Rather than my usual festive red lip, I went with a more neutral shade to accompany dark bronze smoldery eyes. Sidenote on this sequin dress (here's a similar pretty option w/ higher neckline) - I thought it was a smashing style but wasn't planning on keeping it due to the scandalous super plunge neckline on me. Turns out the V-neck is very easy to stitch up a little by hand to a point you're comfortable with, so I closed it up here about 1 inch. The dress is high quality with thick & sturdy material which helps "hold" everything in, and an XS fit me well.

Here's the products I used for today's look...there's some longtime favorites, and also a few new discoveries I've been enjoying. A gift idea I love for beauty-loving friends is to pick a few of your favorite products or palettes and package in a cute, functional makeup bag. I thought this pebbled clutch-sized one (comes in 2 colors) was adorable and can fit quite a bit! Alright, let's get started...

Bare faced here, with problem areas including undereye circles and splotchy skin

NARS' radiant creamy concealer in "Custard"

Concealer. This NARS concealer is one of my current top favorite products, which came highly recommended to me by a makeup artist. A little really goes a long way, so even my travel-sized tube has lasted me for some time. The formula is very creamy and brightening with good coverage, and blends seamlessly into my skin without looking cakey. You can already see a big difference compared to the bare faced shot. For everyday makeup, I can usually just apply this to my problem areas and skip foundation if I'm running short on time.

While concealer shopping, I was told on more than one occasion by SAs that I should apply eye cream before makeup due to a visibly dry undereye area...yikes! I don't have a go-to one so would love any recommendations!

Laura Mercier Flawless Fluide in "Linen"

Foundation. I usually dot on foundation with my fingers then buff lightly using a brush in a circular manner. My skin started getting too dry for my favorite powder foundation (MUFE duo mat) so I went back to liquids. I've been toggling between using Bobbi Brown moisture rich and Laura Mercier Flawless Fluide, and sometimes mix the two. I'm not a fan of the Flawless Fluide packaging which gets a little messy by the opening, yet still repurchased just due to the dewy, natural-looking finish and great color match on my skin.

Online reviews for most foundations tend to be all over the place, which is understandable since everyone's skin is different, and how you apply the product can make a big difference. My best suggestion for finding a good foundation is to go into a store and consult a makeup artist, then ask for samples to try back at home!

Anastasia powder contour palette (also in a cream formula) in "light/medium"

Contour (optional). I'm using my Anastasia contour palette, but you can also use a matte bronzer. I suck in my cheeks and apply an initial streak along the hollows that appear, then draw that color out both upwards (scooping from my temples to around my upper cheekbone) as well as down along the chin at an angle.

For the nose, I use an eyeshadow brush to lightly draw two light lines from each brow down to my nostrils, then blend outwards away from the center.

Face Color. I've gone back to one of my favorite products back when I just started using makeup - good ole' BareMinerals "Warmth." I swear, a little goes far so you'll never run out of this, and I don't see mineral powder going bad. Make sure to tap just the smallest amount onto the lid then swirl with a light and fluffy brush, tapping off the excess. I go a little heavier at the apples of my cheeks, then do a light dusting over the rest of my face and down the neck.

Eyshadow. Be sure to prime your lids for a smokey eye look since it will make a notable difference in the pigmentation and staying power of your shadows. I'm using my everyday staple Laura Mercier caviar eye stick as a base color. I can't live without this thing! A few tips to get the best application: a room-temperature stick will swipe on more fluidly than a cold stick (If needed, I usually warm mine up in my back pocket or bra real quick), and if you want a smoldery line, you have to blend immediately with fingers after applying to your eyelid, otherwise the creamy formula will set.

Urban Decay eyeshadow primer, Laura Mercier caviar eye stick in "Khaki"

You can actually continue layering the caviar stick for a full smokey eye, but I wanted to add more dimension and a little more shimmer for the holidays. I patted on a dark taupe eyeshadow (UD Darkhorse) to the outer uppers of my lids, and then a lighter copper brown (UD Half Baked) on the inner corners to brighten up that area. Next, use a small fluffy blending brush and sweep outwards to blend. Lastly, I applied a little black shadow (UD Creep) to the outer corners of my eyes for some smolder.

Eyeliner. I love a clean, dark black wing-tipped line to really make the eyes pop. I'm using Stila Stay All Day liner and also love Lorac Front of the Line.

Fill in brows. My brows are the bane of my existence - as you can see from all the pics above, they're coarse, spotty, and grow in all different directions. I've yet to find a good brow person in Boston that makes them look any better. I filled them in here with medium brown eyeshadow, and would love to hear any favorite products from those with similar troublesome brows!

Stila Stay All Day liner in Black, Too Faced Better than Sex mascara

Mascara. I mentioned back in this post my eyelash extensions experience, but I haven't gotten refills in a while so they're a little sparse. Typically you should not curl your lashes nor need to apply mascara with extensions on. I'm using Too Faced mascara here which came with one of my eye palettes. I've asked several ladies with amazing lashes what their secret is, and the answer has often been this mascara!

Lipcolor: Ever since my beloved MAC Charismatic lipstick got discontinued, I've been shopping around for similar, reddish-brown neutral shades that flatter my skin tone. This Smashbox lipstick in "Cognac" is pretty close, with less orangey tones than Charismatic. The formula is creamy and easy to glide on my usually dry lips. I resisted a bolder lip since I went heavy on the eyes here, but think a berry would also be pretty!

Summary of products used, in order of application:
Concealer: NARS' radiant creamy concealer in "Custard"
Foundation: Laura Mercier Flawless Fluide in "Linen"
Contour: Anastasia contour palette in "light/medium"
Blush/bronzer: BareMinerals in "Warmth"
Eyeshadow primer: Urban Decay
Eye colors: Laura Mercier caviar eye stick in "Khaki," Urban Decay Naked palette
Eyeliner: Stila Stay All Day in Black
Mascara: Too Faced Better than Sex
Lip color: Smashbox Be Legendary Lipstick in "Cognac"
Thank you Sephora for partnering on this post!

Holiday gift guide: Beauty under $50

J.Crew Factory dress, Talbots necklace (last worn here)

Today I'm sharing a few picks from Ulta Beauty's holiday gift guide that are each a great value, perfect for holiday exchanges with your girlfriends or a small present-to-self to get ready for this season's parties! First up on my list is the Tarte Dressed to the Nines LipSurgence Lip Creme set with nine mini tubes of color. They're super creamy and easy to glide on, and the colors range from light & buildable to bold - I'm testing 4 of the limited edition shades up above!

Ann Taylor bow heels (last worn here)

I like that they're packaged in sets of 3, so you can gift as a whole set or break it up. I own a full-size lip creme from them which is $24 a piece, so thought the variety set was an awesome value for $34. I see this set just sold out online, but was told Ulta Beauty stores should have it in stock.

Another product on my gifting list is one that I started using this year at the recommendation of a friend - the popular Anastasia contour palette. I use the "light to medium" powder palette and would love to hear anyone's thoughts on how it compares to the cream version! My daytime makeup routine is pretty minimal so I usually reserve this for going out at night, or times when I know I'll be in a lot of photos. Here's a before and after:

After applying foundation, I just do a little contouring along my nose and cheekbones to give them more definition. You can use a variety of brushes, but a denser one like this Real Techniques flat contouring brush works well for precision shading along the cheekbones. And for the nose bridge I simply use a small eyeshadow brush. Definitely start with a light hand and just accentuate your natural features; a little bit goes a long way - it's easy to be overzealous with shading and end up looking like a patient on "Botched" ; )

Next up is this cute TOO FACED "La Petite Maison" eyeshadow palette with a good mix of smokey neutrals and highlighting shades. I made one of my first smokey eye tutorials with my other Too Faced palette which lasted me for years. This one comes nestled in an Parisian-inspired box along with a small tube of their "Better than Sex" mascara, which a few of my friends swear by.

Last but not least, I love a good mini polish kit, especially with holiday colors that you're not likely to use up a full bottle of. My tip is to search on Google images for swatches beforehand, so there's no surprises of how polishes look when applied! The OPI All-Stars 4-piece mini set has a nice variety for this season ranging from a true festive red to a deep, rich plum and two metallics. The champagne silver is probably my favorite, esp. with a coat of Essie Luxe Effects glitter topcoat layered on.

(left) "Love is in my Cards" and (right) "Press * for Silver," both with glitter topcoat

Thank you to Ulta Beauty for partnering on this post! Would love to get some more ideas for my makeup-loving friends...please share some of your favorite beauty gifts to give (or receive)!

Beauty Inspiration: Nicole Richie's Bronzed Metallic Eye Look

Photo via: Harper's Bazaar

Nicole Richie's makeup game is on point with this bronzed metallic eye look.

Get the look:
+ ALTERNA Haircare Bamboo Volume Weightless Whipped Mousse
+ MAKE UP FOR EVER Artist Shadow in Copper Red
+ ASOS Sterling Silver Ear Cuff Chain and Stud Single Earring
+ Jane Iredale PureGloss Lip Gloss
+ NastyGal Camilla Chain Choker

Rosy Lips And A White Coat Make For A Romantic Fall Look

Photos via: Elle Hungary

Romantic rosy lips and a sleek white coat are a perfect mix for fall.

Get the look:
+ Clinique Moisturizing Lip Color
+ Forever 21 Classic Boucl� Topcoat
+ Rebecca Minkoff Three Band Ring Set

How To Put Together A Stylish Open Closet

Photos by Jenn Camp

It's no secret that I'm a huge fun of open closets, and this sleek gold clothing rack from Urban Outfitters is perfect for pulling one off. Start by adding a small selection of your favorite pieces from your wardrobe like classic tops, jackets, jeans and pants. Next, drape a mix of your go-to accessories including a selection of hats, bags and scarves. The key is to make sure that all your picks compliment each other to some extent for a more cohesive look. To complete the space, add simple storage trays to showcase your best jewelry, a few fashion books for inspiration, and an interesting rug where you can line up your top shoe picks. Oh, and don't forget to keep an instant camera handy, so that you can capture and keep track of all of your best looks for easier dressing in the future!

Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Shopstyle & Urban Outfitters. The opinions, as always, are my own.