Recently in Brows Category

It seems all of my bffs are doing something to themselves. Smart lipos, boob jobs, injections, tucks and lifts, etc. Even Kelly had the Thermage done last fall and is now contemplating all kinds of other fun stuff.  I have nothing against "help" but just have not braved them myself.  But trust me, when it comes time, I'll be right there in line for that face lift!  Luckily, right now, all I need is the proper tools-- like the Make Up Face Lift Collection from Bobbi Brown.  She designed the items to allow women to look well rested and bright-eyed in five minutes flat.  Brighten your face and play up your eyes with just a few simple tweaks.

New Extra Eye Repair Cream

This is an amazingly rich concentrated cream that visibly revives eyes by targeting wrinkles and dark circles.  Once cream is absorbed, follow with Tinted Eye Brightener or Concealer.  Price: $65.00

Tinted Eye Brightener

Bobbi's Tinted Eye Brightener, now in a NEW portable pen! Back-of-cab makeup artists (you know who you are)- with just a quick twist and a click, this lightweight Concealer instantly brightens under-eye circles and refreshes your makeup. Available in eight shades.  Price: $38.00 

New Brow Pencils

Instantly give your eyes a "lift" with defined eyebrows. These creamy, blendable pencils give you the natural look of eyebrow powder with the precision of a pencil and come with their own sharpener. Available in five shades.  Price: $20.00

Brightening Lip Gloss

Introducing two new shades of Brightening Lip Gloss. This sheer, reflective formula wakes up your face and helps create the illusion of fuller lips. Wear alone or on top of your favorite Bobbi Brown lipstick. Price: $20.00

All items are at BobbiBrown.com

The limited edition Penultimate Brow Marker ($16.50 on counters starting Jan 7th) is the ultimate tool for the busy girl on the go. It has a liquid texture with fine calligraphy brush applicator that you sweep along the brows in a neutral brown tone that looks as normal with my black hair as it does on my girlfriend with blonde hair. It's almost foolproof as it will wipe off while wet should you make a mistake.  Once it's dry, it will not budge until you wash it off!  With brow pencils and shadows I'm always blending so the lines aren't harsh and but this liquid version glides on and fills in easily.  This is a definite must have for your make up bag and I'd get two while you're at it cuz it's limited edition.  I got mine compliments of MAC for review but I plan to buy a few more at MAC.com when it hits counters this Thursday. I promise you will love it, go test it out this week!

Christi Harris is pretty much the Anastacia of Houston, so it was only a matter of time before the brow expert came-out with her own branded product. Brows are a tough thing for me. Wax on my face is too scary as is someone else plucking or threading, so for the most part I shape and style my brows myself which is why I was intrigued by the Brow Planning System ($39.95)...since as we all know when it comes to brows DIY isn't really the best way to go (brows do shape your face after-all and that does require expert precision!).  Basically this is a kit that comes with everything you need (and in my case more), to shape and shade your brows if you're not into going to a salon, but not an expert yourself. The key tool is the Precision Brow Planer which basically is a tweezer replacement that factors in styling. It makes the whole process of eyebrow grooming a lot more precise by giving you a "Brow Map" to match-up to. It looks somewhat like a blade-cutter which you place flat on your skin and carefully move up from the bottom of your brow line and then carefully move down from the top of your brow line. Very smooth and fairly easy to grasp concept-wise. The kit comes with a host of other things to help you fill-in and touch-up your brows..didn't use any of the extra stuff (my brows are pretty full as is and I'm happy with the color), but given that this kit isn't that much more expensive than a basic pair of Tweezerman tweezers, would definitely suggest considering this for anyone interested in revamping their brows at home.

Do you go DIY with your brows?

There is so much talk about lash enhancers, but what about the brows? In my opinion, brows are what frame the rest of your face. I have a full shape to my brows, but the hairs are on the sparse and thin side. I usually fill them in, but at the ends of the brows, since its so thin, not much product is picked up into them making them look kind of wimpy. I've heard about Anastasia Brow Enhancing Serum for quite some time now and over the summer finally decided to get it. I used it religiously, applying it day and night. After the 2nd week I noticed the hairs getting longer, faster, but didn't really see any new hairs growing. After about 4 weeks, that's when I noticed some stray hairs growing in. My brows did feel fuller, and the end of my brows did seem more pronounced, so I think this product was a success. I stopped using it for about a month to see if it would stay that same thickness, but just like lash conditioners, if you stop using it, your hairs will grow back the way that they were. You can get it at Nordstroms.com for $36.

One of my best friend's mother was unfortunately diagnosed with colon cancer a few years ago. It has been an uphill battle of ups and downs ever since. When it happened we were all completely floored that this woman who was only in her early forties and a poster for good health and beauty could be faced with such an awful diagnosis. She's a constant reminder for me that no matter what happens we all must be grateful for our health (I don't know where  this came from, but I once read that "health is a gift only the sick can see" and it's a truth I tell myself often when I'm panicking about one frivolous thing or another). When my friend's mother was faced with the arduous task of undergoing chemotherapy and seeing her hair fall out there was one product, ModelCo's More Brows, that become an essential part of her beauty arsenal. More after the jump!

I use not one but THREE of the Dior Show mascara series. I start with the Dior Show Blackout (it thickens every lash!), followed by the Iconic (acts like a curler and separates any clumpiness from the Blackout) and end with a coat of the original Dior Show mascara. So yes, when it comes to eye make up, Dior is king! I'm so excited about the launch of the Fall 2009 Dior Brow Styler, Dior's latest breakthrough product. It has a retractable brow pencil featuring an applicator brush to lift and sculpt the brow, available in one easy-to-wear shade: Universal Brown. I just got this in my inbox so I have yet to try it, will head to a Dior counter after lunch today and give you a full report! Availability: July 2009 @ Nordstrom, August 2009 @ Dior Beauty Counters Nationwide. Retail: $28.00

Throw out every single brow pencil, brow powder, brow gel and any other products you depend on for a full set of brows.  All you need is Brow Master Cees Pennings.  I first featured him two years ago when he did my brows. Yup, I'm coming out of the brow closet-- permanent make up has such a negative stigma to it (created mostly by un-trained technicians who has left a trail of blue brows behind them) that I've been reluctant to talk about it.  But so many of my friends have commented on my brows that I decided to share my little secret and they are now addicted to Cees!  Heidi looked like she had a brow lift after he did hers as did another friend who looked instantly younger as he filled in her overplucked brows.  He is an artist and will look at your face shape and age and treat you accordingly.

As I told you before, Cees was the man whom cosmetic companies such as Shiseido and Dior depended on-- as one of the top photo re-touchers in the world-- to arch the brows, sharpen the noses, chisel the cheekbones, and curve the lips of models to make them picture perfect.  That is, until digital re-touching took over his industry. (Jump for more)

One of my all time favorite celebs is Jennifer Aniston. She has amazing skin and a body to die for (if you must know, I always tell my trainer Lara to "Make my body rock like Jennifer Aniston!). Jen works hard for that body (with a mix of yoga, pilates and running) and despite turmoil in her personal life, she's always carried herself with grace and dignity. She's Vogue's cover girl this month and we found the products that Gucci Westman used on her for that carefree California girl glow.  Have to say I am not crazy about the photo they chose for the cover (red dress upper right).  I prefer the more casual one below right (in shorts sitting with knee up- tres sexy!).  To get Jen's beach chic look:
 

Brows- L'Oréal Brow Stylist 3-in-1 in medium dark brown, $12.99 ($9.99 at drugstore.com)

Eyes- Physicians Formula Organic Wear Origin Eyeshadow Duo in Brown Eyes, $7.95
 
Face- L'Oréal Glam Bronze bronzing powder in Seductive Sunset, $12.99 and Dior Bronze Matte Sunshine SPF 20 Honey Matte 002, $40
 
Lips- L'Oréal HiP Jelly Balm in Luscious, $9

Images via Vogue.com

When iconic desig house Ungaro collaborates with iconic cosmetic house MAC, the result is nothing short of spectacular.   Live from backstage at the Fall 2008 Collections, It-Boy designer, Esteban Cortazar, and M·A·C have come together to create a special colour collection as dreamy, refined, and, well, Parisienne as anything this side of the Avenue Georges V, exclusively ours! A limited edition for lips, eye and cheeks chez Ungaro.... only for MAC. At Maccosmetics.com on October 9th. (Jump to see entire line!)

When I was on TV, I learned many tricks from my make up artist, all of which I still use today!  One of my favorite tricks is highlighting my brows both under the browbone, and above the brows.  This gives depth to the brows and makes you look youthful and we can all use a hefty dose of looking younger can't we?  I usually use a shadow to highlight those areas but discovered Anastasia's Brow highlighter pen, which is so much easier to use and control!  Shadows inevitably end up on my brows which is annoying but this pencil allows me to highlight without a mess!  Even better that you can also use it as eyeliner or anywhere you want to highlight on your face!  I keep this in my make up bag for instant pick me up when I'm feeling haggardly.  $21 at Anastasia's boutique in Beverly Hills or order it online!