Q: Hi, I'm a make-up newbie - my daily morning routine consists of Vaseline on the lips and mascara on the eyelashes (when I want to be "fancy"!). I'm trying to venture more into the world of make-up, but there's so much stuff out there!!! What's the diff between a lip balm, a lip conditioner and a lip gloss?

A: Both lip balm and lip conditioner are built to lock in moisture for the lips and protect the lips from the external environment. Once applied, they both provide minimal to sheer coverage. Depending on the formula, you can also have moderate to wet-looking shine from either product.

Gloss is primarily more of a cosmetic product, rather than a maintenance product like lip balm and lip conditioner. Gloss can be clear, sheer, or opaque. It can have moisturizing ingredients, or be purely intended for a shiny aesthetic with a sticky like feel. You can build up gloss more than you can a balm and conditioner, and the look is more finished overall versus when you use just a balm.

Now, which to choose? It's good to always have a lip balm/conditioner handy to help maintain soft and supple lips. Remember, make-up always starts with a good base and any lip products you apply will look better on moisturized, non-chapped lips! Yet, nothing beats the look of a high-shine gloss: light-reflecting effects can create the illusion of larger lips and an instant glamourous look.

Go to your local drugstore to score deals on lip balms (i.e. you don't have to spend much on a balm - think Chapstick, Carmex). Save the majority of your pretty pennies for lovely lip glosses - great finds are available both at the drug store and department store level.

(Yes, choose both!)

What a fab, but busy, weekend! Saturday kicked off with my first wedding of the season with the gorgeous bride-to-be Libby. Libby was after a classic 40s glam look for her wedding day (think a la Veronica Lake). The result was a look that was definitely red-carpet worthy (and wedding-aisle ready)! Here are the key elements to Libby's Wedding Day Look:
1. Balance the skin out with foundation.
Skin without foundation can be especially noticeable on camera. Foundation gives the skin a flawless and glowing finish, so you're ready for all those flashing lights!

2. Polished brows.
Libby has naturally perfect shaped brows. To polish the look, I filled sparse areas of the brow with a brow pencil and brushed the brows into place.

3. Strong eyeliner concentrated on the top lash line.
Focusing eyeliner application mainly on the top gives a polished look without looking overdone. Eyeliner that encompasses the whole eye can look too strong, especially when paired with bold red lips. I used a combination of gel liner and liquid liner on Libby's eyes to help give it longevity throughout the day.

4. False eyelashes.
Falsies are like the icing on a cake! Every make-up application looks better with a full set of lashes. When done properly, falsies will not only make the lash line look fuller, but will also make the eyes look larger. Love it!

5. Knock 'em dead red lips.
I used Make-up Forever Blue Red #205 to complete Libby's classic glam look. For tips on how to apply red lips, see this post.

Check out www.artistrhi.com to see more of the behind the scenes photos of Libby's Big Day. Congratulations, Libby!!

Related posts:
WEDDING | All Weddings
GET THE LOOK | Red Lips
Q & A | Choosing the Right Eyeliner Product for You

While recently perusing my local Wal-mart*, I happily came across one of my favourite eyebrow pencils in a never-before-seen colour! I discovered Rimmel London's Professional Eyebrow Pencil available in Black #004. Previous to this find, Rimmel's eyebrow pencils in Hazel and Dark Brown have been long-time staples in my kit (with Dark Brown being my personal daily go-to eyebrow pencil).

Rimmel London's Eyebrow Pencils are a steal at a pricepoint of only $6.99 CDN! I have yet to see the Rimmel Eyebrow Pencil in Black available at Shoppers Drug Mart (my other frequent drugstore make-up hang-out).

Whether it be from the lower drugstore end of the spectrum or a higher end department store choice, check out these tips for choosing an eyebrow pencil :

1. Choose a colour that is closest to your hair colour.
For blondes, choose a taupe. Redheads, go for an auburn to hazel. Brunette beauties can try out a hazel to dark brown. For ladies with black hair, opt for a pencil between the dark brown to black range.

2. Choose a pencil that has a waxy (rather than creamy) texture.
A waxy texture will last longer against the skin, and will prevent you from drawing on that "tattoed" eyebrow look.

3. Test the pencil out on your hand - it shouldn't allow you to draw the lines too dark!
Remember the key to natural looking brows is to use "light, feathery strokes". An eyebrow pencil that doesn't glide on too creamy is key!

For more brow power, check out these posts:
BEAUTY 101 | Arch Nemesis: The Power of Good Brows
PRODUCT REVIEW | Rimmel Eyebrow Pencil

*where no matter how far they "roll back the prices", I always end up spending way too much! Let's just say I'm doing my share to help our disparaging economy - ummm, right!

I was away last week when MAC officially launched their Hello Kitty make-up collection (so this post is a little overdue!). The special limited edition collection consists of two lines: Hello Kitty Mild and Hello Kitty Wild.

I popped into my local MAC store earlier this week to try out some items from the collection first-hand. Of course, I couldn't leave the store empty-handed! I scooped up a gorgeous pigment in Deep Blue Green, glitter in Reflects Pink along with She Loves Candy lipglass (detailed reviews and photos to follow later this week). There were many other great pieces to this collection--all made more enticing with the Hello Kitty branding--but I did my best to restrain my inner kid-in-a-candy-store tendency!

I grew up with Hello Kitty stationery, so I admit I have a slight affinity for the cartoon kitten, even though I’m a grown woman! I love the idea of Hello Kitty marked MAC products, and think that MAC has truly done a wonderful job in combining the two worlds. It reminds me what make-up is all about – looking good, but having fun!

MAC does Hello Kitty. The cat’s definitely outta the bag on this one! More to come!

We've been discussing warm-weather make-up looks since my return from vacation, but you don't necessarily need to book a winter getaway to achieve that coveted bronze glow! There are some fabulous bronzer products in every price range, available both at your local drug or department store. Check out these tried and tested bronzer finds:

1. NARS Bronzing Powder (Casino) $30 USD
NARS is an all-around industry favourite for the line's high quality and pigmented products. The universally flattering and coyly named blush, Orgasm, has won several beauty awards and is at the top of many of an editor list. NARS bronzers follow in the same lead, with creamy and pigmented textures that are easy to blend, but leave your skin with an effortless glow. NARS bronzer is highly potent - use sparingly with a large dusting brush and distribute well all over the face. Once you run your fingers through the pigmented product, you'll see why one to two layers of this bronzer is more than enough to achieve that glowing look!

2. Tarte Mineral Powder Bronzer (Park Avenue Princess) $28 USD
This shimmery powder bronzer is made with good-for-your-skin mineral make-up ingredients! Tarte's Bronzer is free of unnecessary make-up synthetics and is oil and talc free. The bronzer is also infused with vitamins A and E that help rid the skin of toxins. The chic mock-croc container makes Tarte's bronzer a fun addition to your make-up stash.

3. MAC Mineralize $30 CAD
MAC's Mineralize collection is the brand's series of mineral make-up with products ranging from powders to eyeshadows to blushes. I have raved of MAC's Mineralize collection many-a-time before - the powders are essential for any make-up artist kit. Mineralize powders come in matte and shimmer textures and flatter the skin like a dream. Even the matte textures are multi-dimensional, and work great to deepen your skin tone with a bronzer without all the usual shimmer.

4. Physicians Formula Multi-Coloured Face Powder (Bronzer) $19.99 CAD
When mixed altogether, this mosaic of bronzer colours gives a natural tan finish to the skin. The coverage is sheer and without shimmer. The hypoallergenic formula is also oil-free, making it a great option for those with problematic skin.

5. Bonne Belle Powder Bronze (Golden Tan) $9 CAD
Bonne Belle's Bronzer is great value for product. The under-$10 priced bronzer, comes in several different shades to help you narrow in on one that's right for you. My favourite is Golden Tan, as I find it the most versatile across skin tones. For my fellow Canadian readers only, I was at Shopppers Drug Mart earlier this week and this bronzer was on sale for $3.99 (until the end of February). Super deal!

Either way you choose--splurge or steal--these prices are an easy way to get the bronzed look, without having to spend the price tag of that vacation!