Maybe the title of this post should read, “Why in the world would I want to wear green eyeshadow?”  The hesitation is understandable–green is trendy, it feels young, and it doesn’t exactly go hand-in-hand with quiet sophistication.  Would Audrey Hepburn wear green?  Methinks not!

However!  Take it from ol’ Jolie: a few swipes of green in the right places will liven, brighten and freshen up your face, without making you look garish or silly.  It’s an easy way to have a little fun with your makeup, especially when your clothes, for whatever reason, are on the more conservative side.  I created this look for a friend who needed to wear a basic black dress, but still wanted her makeup to pop.

Let’s do this thing!

Step 1: Create a smokey base
Green goes best with a slightly more dramatic eye.  Keeping your makeup dead simple and then adding, say, a random ka-boom! of green all over your lids will only accentuate the fact that you are dipping into the Crayola.  By sliding green into an already sexy eye, you’ll actually get away with the unexpected color more easily.  I’m a fan of the smokey eye combo of bronze plus rusty brown.  (There really is no wrong with it comes to smokey–experiment and see what works for you.)

Step 2: Line your eyes in black, brown or grey
Create an anchor with your eyeliner.  We’ll be adding the green later. Stay as close to the lash line as possible, using a well-sharpened pencil, or a brush dipped into either powder or gel liner.  Avoid liquid liner; it will steal the show.

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Beauty trends cycle in waves–a few years ago, it was all about peptides.  Now, lashes are king.

Look-at-me! lashes are easily achievable with any of the excellent mascaras on the market (Lancôme Definicils, Cover Girl Lash Blast and Too Faced Lash Injection Pin Point are personal favorites), but there are a few key tricks you can rely on for extra volume and definition:

1) Keep your mascara fresh by tossing every three months and never pumping the wand back and forth into the tube.  This traps air and encourages the breeding of bacteria.  Stale mascara equals clumps and flakes: not the look you’re going for!

2) Use a lash curler before applying mascara.  Shu Uemura is the gold standard, but Shiseido’s is better for rounded or Asian eyes (like mine!)  I don’t always believe more expensive equals better, but in the case of lash curlers, this is true.  You’ll find so-so drugstore versions, but if you can swing it, invest in a Shu or Shiseido.  Five seconds of gentle pressure on each lash, walking “up” the lash from the base to tip, is all you need.

3) Apply a lash primer before mascara for thickness and drama–it coats the lashes, prepping them for mascara (think of it as volumizing mousse, but for your lashes!).  The primer I’m currently obsessing over and using daily is Lancôme Ôscillation Powerbooster, a top-quality conditioning primer with a vibrating wand that has 7000 micro-vibrations per minute. (Lest you think this is just marketing baloney, Ôscillation Powerbooster works better than any primer I’ve ever tried, and I’ve tried a lot!)

People often ask me why I namecheck Lancôme time and again when it comes to mascaras and lashes, and it comes down to this: Lancôme’s mascaras are the best in the business, and Jolie gives credit where credit is due!  The actual formula of the mascara (or primer) is important, but what truly influences the quality is the sophistication of and science behind the wand–and Lancôme’s wands are top notch.

 One of the most frequent questions I get is: “What should I splurge on and how can I save?”

I think only with hair do you really get what you pay for.  Splurge on a gorgeous cut and artful highlights and your hair will be easier to style, will grow out more evenly and you’ll be more likely to love what you see in the mirror every morning.Is this a hard and fast rule?  No.  You can get nice color from a box–although from-a-box highlights truly are dicey–and you can get a good cut from Susie Q at the local salon.  The more complex the style and intricate the color, however, the more you’ll benefit from a pro.  If you have the same color God blessed you with, rarely blowdry your hair because it airdries perfectly!, and haven’t the foggiest why everybody moans about frizz and damage, then Supercuts and Feria away!  For the rest of us–you know, us split-ended, monthly root-touch-up requiring, coarse-stranded, thick-haired gals with cowlicks?–you’d better believe we’ll see results from a great stylist.  (”Great” means, say, $100 - $200…not $1000.  We are not Billionaires here, people.)

Now.  As for pretty much everything else …with the exception of powders (more on that below)…more expensive does not equal better!  Cleanser, face moisturizer/serum, nail polish, intensive conditioner…you can find genuinely amazing buys for all at the drugstore!  Below, my all-time favorites (all of which are currently carving out real-estate in my bathroom).

Moisturizer/Serum/Sunscreen: Neutrogena Ultra-Sheer Dry Touch SPF 55, Olay Regenerist, Purpose Dual Treatment Moisture Lotion SPF 15 

Cleanser: Check out Cetaphil, Purpose Gentle Cleansing Wash, Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Wash

 Nail polish: OPI will do just fine, thanks!

Intensive Conditioner: VO5 Hot Oil, Infusium Leave-In Treatment, Aussie Three Minute Miracle

 Mascara: Cover Girl Lash Blast, Max Factor Lash Perfection, Maybelline Great Lash (if that’s your thing)

The only thing besides hair I will voluntarily splurge on until the day I die is Bare Escentuals Bare Minerals foundation, because those drugstore imitations just do not compete.  Why?  More expensive powders are more finely milled; your NARS blush will produce less streaks than the Rite-Aid version; it’s not your imagination–those MAC eyeshadows really are more pigmented than the corner knock-off.So, shop at the drugstore and remain confident that–as long as you’re picking the right products–you can still equip yourself with the best…all while saving money for those expensive highlights!  Or for rent.  Toss up.

It’s rare for a beauty product to make me sit up and take notice–most are okay, many are good, but few are great.  The ones below have made it into my personal hall of fame–run, don’t walk!

Living Proof No Frizz: Sold out everywhere, and for good reason.  This silicone-free anti-frizz line was created by scientists using a new molecule (PolyfluoroEster) that’s smaller and more efficient at coating than frizz solutions of days past.  The more you use, the better it works–and, trust me, it works like magic.

Cover Girl Lash Blast: Better than many mascaras three times the price; it volumizes, lengthens and makes every single lash look-at-me gorgeous.

Tom Ford Black Orchid Finishing Oil: With something as delicate and nuanced as fragrance, the devil is in the details.  Every offering from Tom Ford is a standout, but this sexy, musky, animalistic body oil (only available online, and frequently sold-out) is in a divine league of its own.

Nude Skincare Cleansing Oil: Completely removes makeup, leaves skin silky and soft without causing breakouts, and full of good-for-you ingredients like omega-3 and vitamin E.  I cannot properly explain how much I adore this cleanser.

M. writes: Love your blog and the book… I just have a little question regarding mascara… I know you love Lancome Definicils but you occasionally mention Max Factor Lash Perfection. I am always looking to try new mascaras, so what about the Definicils is better than the Lash Perfection to justify the $18 price difference? Thanks love!

Hi M.!  Thanks for your message! You won’t go wrong with Max Factor Lash Perfection—or Cover Girl Lash Blast, which is my new favorite drugstore offering. (One caveat; as much as I love Lash Blast, I’ve noticed it does have the occasional tendency to flake.  Combat this by running the closed tube under hot water.) Lancome Definicils is an all-time favorite because of the brush, which does a spectacular job at lengthening and defining. Lash Perfection, on the other hand, has a comb brush, which grabs all your lashes and thoroughly pulls the mascara formula through. Both are excellent in their own ways (Max Factor is great for lush, fat lashes, whereas Lancome excels at long and spidery) so in the end, it comes down to whether you feel like spending a few extra bucks for a tube that says Lancome on it!  (Yup, it’s all about marketing.)

By the way, two new mascaras I’m really digging—just in case I didn’t already give you enough options—are Too Faced Lash Injection Pin Point (gets every…single…lash!) and Loose Lips Ultimate Volume Mascara (for crazy volume).