A woman’s eyes tell a great deal about her. They are the window to her soul, and a man can instantly become entranced by a woman’s lovely eyes. Her eyelashes also contribute to the loveliness of her eyes and their mesmerizing effect. The Egyptians were the first ones who realized the powerful effect that enhancing one’s eyelashes could have on the opposite sex. With oil, they curled eyelashes so that lashes would appear darker and longer.

Now, take a look at any celebrity, and you will notice that the enhancement of eyelashes continues to be a strong force in the world of cosmetics. Jennifer Lopez has donned fox hair to make her lashes appear longer, while Kim Kardashian is also known for using gels to enhancer her lashes.

The most popular look for eyelashes right now is full, dark and long. Defined lashes are essential, whether one is wearing jeans out for the day or an evening gown on the red carpet. A woman looks gorgeous when she has lashes that look healthy and full.

To enhance one’s eyelashes, women have a variety of options. False eyelashes are still on the market, and they remain a strong competitor with the new gels on the market that can enhance eyelashes. False eyelashes are difficult to apply, however, and they require a very steady hand. If a woman misapplies the glue, she can suffer severe injury to her eye or cornea. If one wants false eyelashes and does not want to apply them herself, she can find a makeup artist who will apply them for her.

Another popular eyelash enhancer is extensions. Extensions are not the same as false eyelashes because they do not contain the same length. Extensions are just tips of hair that are applied to the ends of lashes. Most extensions have an adhesive already placed on them so that application is made easy for a woman. One can find extensions that are made from real human hair, fox hair or even bunny hair. One of the growing trends is to use extensions that have a unique color, such as magenta or aqua blue.

One more option that women have is to use a gel enhancer. A gel enhances is applied every night in order to help lashes grow faster. Some women have found these gels to be incredibly effective. The reason they can be so effective is because they contain polypeptides that active the growth hormone for lashes. This helps women achieve a gorgeous set of full lashes.

If you want to shine, why not add a little sparkle to your daily makeup routine without having to go to beauty school. Get ready to take a step back in time; a few of the hottest trends of the ’80s have been reborn and are being seen everywhere we look. One of those trends is glitter.

Glitterlicious is one of the trending looks and if you need evidence, consider the brilliant blue lips Katy Perry displayed during her performance at the Grammy Awards.

So, if you want to ‘make a glitterlicious entrance,’ follow this recipe and create your own glittery look:

• Hair

Use water to lightly mist your hair and then sprinkle the glitter (6NYX multi-purpose glitter on-the-go) over it. You can use any color glitter that you like, do not limit your choices!

• Lips

To add pizzazz to your lips, use the GlitzyLips foil. It is easy to apply. This foil can actually be used almost anywhere. There are temporary tattoos as well. Other brands to consider are Violent Lips and Trendy Lips.

• Cheeks

To give your cheeks the luscious shine you are looking for you need to use cream blush. Put the blush on and then gently dab multi-purpose colored glitter over your cheeks.

• Eyes

Use glitter eyeliner to outline your eyes. Then apply some glittery false eyelashes and eyeshadow on your eyelids. Now, apply multi-purpose glitter over your eyeshadow by patting it on with your makeup brush. Do not rub it onto your eyelid. Now, watch as your eyes shine.

• Body

Moisten your skin with body. This will make your glitter stick. Then, sprinkle the multi-purpose glitter all over your cleavage and neck.

You are now ready to make your entrance. Just remember to be glamorous as you show how glitterlicious you really are!

If You are Not into Glitterlicious, Consider Adding a Gentle Moondust Glow

If you are not ready to take the leap to the glitterlicious side, maybe you could just give yourself a beautifully elegant moondust glow. You can do this quickly and easily by adding a little shimmer to your makeup. Even the slightest bit of glitter will give your style a sparkly boost. However, in a case like this, do not overdo the glitter.

Adding a Light Moondust Glow (All these products are available from the majority of makeup companies)

• Lips

Sheer lip-gloss with glitter

• Eyes

Shimmery cream eyeshadow

• Nails

Nude polish with shimmer

• Cheeks

Powder blush that has shimmer

Now, you shine just like Taylor Swift and whether you choose to shine a little or a lot, you will be glamorous!

Featureflash / Shutterstock.com

Thinking of a future in cosmetology? Most people only think of working from home, going to cosmetology school, then proceeding to a salon. And it’s true that many cosmetologists go this route. But did you know that cosmetology can lead you into the exciting world of fashion, the heat of a political race, or even the set of of a movie? If you keep an open mind and seek opportunities, there are lots of ways to use your craft! Let’s take a look at a few “big-time” cosmetologists who have found another route to success:

Oribe Canales is so successful that he needs only go by one name. The stylist does hair and make up for photo shoots for models and magazines around the world, including Vogue. Supermodels and celebrities are his clients. He has his own product line. Oribe is at the pinnacle of his profession.

James Cornwell is the make-up artist for Nancy Pelosi, the House Minority Leader. Helping a major national politician get ready for appearances on national television, at press conferences, and on the campaign trail is no easy task, but Cornwell is up to it. Through this exciting and rewarding profession, a future cosmetologist like yourself just might help determine our future president!

Andre Walker is the personal hair and make-up artist for Oprah Winfrey, trusted for many years with the task of getting Oprah looking good for her many public appearances. Is there any job in this profession better than having one of the most famous women on the planet as your client?

Mary Ann Valdes reached the pinnacle of her profession when she received an Emmy nomination for her styling work in the comedy Ugly Betty. She started in television working on the set of the iconic 1980′s hit Miami Vice.

As you can see, there is plenty of room for excitement, variety, and advancement in your career as a cosmetologist. While you may start in a salon, continuing to work there is only one of a number of options. Through hard work and skill, you might find yourself doing make-up for magazine covers, or wearing that new dress on Oscar night for your “make-up effects” nomination!

It’s important to remember that few celebrity stylists become successful overnight. Most, if not all, of them have a strong work ethic and a willingness to learn and try new things. These are the keys to making it big!

Angelina, Cameron and Adele. We love them for their flawless face and envy them for their team of stylists. But don’t despair. You don’t have to be a celebrity to have a flawless face. With a little know-how and a few tricks of the trade, you can transform your everyday look from fair to fabulous using these professional make-up tips.

1. Build A Strong Foundation
The first step to a flawless face is a strong foundation. Create the perfect base for your face with a custom-mixed foundation. If you are looking for more coverage, try a highly pigmented cream foundation. If you prefer a foundation that is a little more sheer, try mixing your cream foundation with primer. The primer-foundation mix will provide sheer coverage but will also provide the long-lasting wear that cannot be achieved with other sheer covers like liquid and powder foundations.

2. Camouflage Tired Eyes
If you, like many of us, struggle with under eye bags, use this trick of the trade for the perfect camouflage. Professional stylists use the “Hollywood V” method to hide unsightly under eye bags. This technique involves applying a color-correcting concealer under the eye in a “V” shape. Blend the concealer, working from the outer corner of the eye to the inner corner. Be sure to select a color-correcting concealer that is the right shade for your skin tone. The general rule for picking the right color-correcting concealer is to choose a color that is opposite of the blemish you are trying to cover up. For instance, if you need to cover up red irritated areas, try a green-pigmented concealer. To camouflage the blueish, purplish areas around the under eye, use an orange-tone concealer.

3. Eye Catching Details
A flawless face means focusing on your best assets and camouflaging your problem areas. Have small eyes? Then make them pop using simple make-up techniques. Make your eyes wider and brighter with a little bronzer strategically brushed over the crease of the eye. You can easily change the shape of your eyes using eyeliner. To elongate your eyes, apply black liner to only the outer corners of your upper and lower lash line. If you prefer to enhance your entire lash line, apply your eye liner in two smooth strokes. Begin by drawing a line from the inside corner to the center of your lashes and then from the center to the outer corner of the eye.

Another great tip: don’t be afraid to use color. You don’t need to rely on a professional for expert color advice, just use the color wheel. Try finding a shade that contrasts with your natural eye color for a perfect match. For instance, if you have blue eyes, look for orange and coral shades. Green-eyed beauties will benefit from pink, maroon and other red tones, while brown-eyed girls can pull off almost any shade with ease.

4. Lip Service
Looking for a tip for lasting and even-toned lip color? Here’s the secret: apply foundation to your lips as well as your face. Next, line the lips and fill in the rest of your mouth using a lipstick brush. If you want your lips to appear fuller, apply the lip liner outside of the lip line. For a more dainty mouth, apply liner inside of the lip line. You may also want to use color to increase or decrease the appearance of your kisser. Lighter lipstick shades will provide a fuller appearance, while darker shades will minimize.

With wavy hair, subtle nude lips, and dramatic eyes, Lana Del Rey is a vision of ethereal beauty. Her beautiful look has become the fantasy of both men and women. As an American singer and songwriter, Lana Del Rey enthralls audiences with her unique voice and stunning appearances. Her music video, “Video Game,” has received over 30 million hits on YouTube. She is poised to become the next hottest pop star in America.

Del Rey has already made her debut on the cover of the world’s leading fashion magazine Vogue. She will be appearing on the March 2012 cover of British Vogue. It is no wonder why the fashion mogul magazine chose to feature Lana Del Rey on its cover. Her lovely hair filled with bouncy curls is the look of the moment. Look at any fashion runway, and you will see models who have a similar look. Women on city streets try to emulate this look with big curling irons and hot rollers.

Lana Del Rey Hair

If you want to add this touch of Hollywood Glamour to your look, you can achieve it too. The easiest way to get this look with bouncy curls is by using curling tongs that have a large barrel. Curling tongs are not like a traditional curling iron. Curling tons differ, because they do not have a clasp on them. This allows you to achieve a more natural curled look in your hair. No “dents” will be noticeable in your hair with this type of curling tool.

After curling one-inch sections of your hair with curling tongs, the next step is to brush lightly through your hair once or twice. Do not completely brush through all of your curls. Rather, only touch a brush lightly to the curls that you have created. This will give you a softer and more feminine look akin to Lana Del Ray’s look.

Lana Del Rey Natural Make-up

The ethereal beauty of Lana Del Rey is not complete without some natural makeup, of course. You can achieve this look as well. In addition to making your look more feminine with soft and bouncy curls, you can also achieve a feminine look through your makeup. Simply use black eyeliner to create a defined eye. Creating a “smoky eye” look is the easiest way to emulate Lana Del Rey‘s beauty. Simply cover your lid with gray or charcoal shadow. Smudge eyeliner on the edges of your eyelids. This will give you a sexy and seductive look. For the lips, you can use either a nude lip-gloss or red lipstick. If you are feeling more daring, then go for the red lipstick. If you like a more innocent look, then choose the nude lip-gloss.

The look is then perfected with a touch of coral powder on the cheekbones. Adding a touch of blush to your cheekbones will make you look like an angel. You may even be mistaken for Lana Del Rey the next time you are out and about!

Lana Del Rey continues to inspire millions with her music and her unbelievably gorgeous sense of fashion.

Celebrity A-listers showed us at the 2012 Golden Globes that the only way to go is au natural … makeup, that is! Forget the sultry smokey eyes and fake tans, this year stars like Charlize Theron, Reese Witherspoon and Michelle Williams kept it simple this year when it came to beauty.

Of course, there was the occasional bold red (and if we had lips like Angelina, we wouldn’t be able to resist the call of color either!), but most stars chose a nude lipstick with a little touch of gloss for their red carpet look. As for the eyes, again, stars chose to keep it simple with shades of peach, pink and tan, complemented by a light application of eyeliner. Blush was also used to give a natural and light sun-kissed look by applying a light shimmery pink, peach, or even a little bronzer to the cheeks. Many celebrities also embraced their natural hair, and instead of fighting the waves or curls they chose to accentuate them.

As the peak of winter slowly approaches us, it’s the perfect time of the year to give your skin a little bit of a break and go lighter on the makeup. This season, don’t worry that your summer glow has faded and embrace your lighter skin tone. Put the curling iron and straightner away and let your hair have a break from the heat. It’s time for your beauty to go au natural!

Learn more about makeup artistry on and off the red carpet by checking out makeup artist schools in your area today.

You’ve seen them out there making headlines, raising eyebrows and perking paparazzi. It’s a simple pleasure we take in life by seeing celebrities in their “not-so fine” moments, especially when those moments are fashion and makeup mishaps. You know, when the celebrity in question looks more like they just got out of a stint in the slammer than off the red carpet. Well, today ladies and gentlemen (more so ladies) is your lucky day because this is a list of top celebrity fashion disasters. Enjoy!

Nicole Kidman
This one’s tough because Nicole Kidman typically radiates beauty and she does so subtly – never flaunting the vibe that she’s 1,000 times prettier than you like some celebrities do. But, this makeup mishap is just too hard to ignore. Next time Nicole, make sure you check your makeup in different lighting before you grace the presence of hundreds of flashing cameras.

See For Yourself: http://bit.ly/sq4jIp

Lindsay Lohan
Remember when it was semi-funny to make fun of Lohan’s absurd run-ins with the press? Well, it’s far past the road of funny and the car has really just taken the path to pitifully sad. Talk about a celebrity fallout. Well, despite the massive amounts of negative comments she already receives, Lindsay so eloquently lands on this list as well. In fact, finding a picture to encapsulate Lohan’s fashion disasters was probably easier than beating a 4-year-old in a spelling bee.

See For Yourself: http://bit.ly/u4OAeh

Christina Aguilera
Remember when Christina first hit the music scene with her “Genie in a Bottle” hit? Then you probably also remember her looking cute and innocent and not…well, like this. Although Christina has finally gone back to emphasizing her true beauty look as of late, the above picture really displays that whole drag look-alike phase that she went through during her “Dirty” period.

See For Yourself: http://bit.ly/v5zHjp

Mischa Barton
Mischa Barton is beautiful, there’s no denying that. But, sometimes even the most beautiful women can look straight up scary if their makeup application shares a closer resemblance to the aftermath of a fight than a trip to the salon. In this particular case, it looks like Barton just got double punched in the eyes. Is that black bruising or eye shadow?

See For Yourself: http://bit.ly/svJcxm

Carrot Top
This is believed to be comedian Carrot Top… in drag? Nope, just Carrot Top being himself. There is so many things wrong here that this picture should be in one of those children’s activity magazines (like Highlights) where you have to circle everything that is out of place in the picture. Although, this picture would probably only have one circle – the entire image.

See For Yourself: http://bit.ly/tggnMC

…..aka Hollywood glamour for a drugstore price tag!

Our favorite celebrities always seem so put together—perfect hair and glowing, flawless complexions. We’d all like to replicate their look but most of us aren’t willing to shell out the big bucks that they do to look that good.  How can you be red-carpet worthy without spending a fortune on spa treatments and blowouts at the salon?  We’ve picked out a few celebrity make-up artist tips that won’t break the bank.  In fact, these items can all be purchased at your local drugstore.  No need for a shopping trip to Rodeo Drive!

Here are Our Five Inexpensive Hollywood Beauty Tricks:

Inexpensive Hollywood Beauty Trick #1: Primer – Okay, some stars really are born with perfect skin.  But most of them have a little secret called skin primer.  Most skin primers are silicone-based and act as a thin layer that fills in fine lines, large pores and acne scars. The result? A smooth, flawless complexion! Give skin primer a try and you’ll understand why Hollywood make-up artists call it the under-make-up make-up.

Inexpensive Hollywood Beauty Trick #2: Skin Illuminator - Where do all the stars get their glow? Skin illuminators!  Most skin illuminators are pearlized shimmer creams that you put under your foundation or mix with your foundation for a fresh, glowing complexion.   Celebrity make-up artists warn that skin illuminators should not be confused with shimmery powder, which can end up looking like a sparkle-overdose.

Inexpensive Hollywood Beauty Trick #3: Fast Lash by Tweezerman - Medication to make your eyelashes grow? Expensive.  Fake eyelashes? Messy and inconvenient.  The trick to get quick Hollywood lashes?  A secret to the stars—Fast Lash by Tweezerman.  In fact, it’s one of the most requested products for celebrity photo shoots and special events.  You first coat your lashes with regular mascara, then use Fast Lash which looks like a normal mascara tube but really contains dry white flakes.  These pieces of harmless polyester fiber act as a lash builder when you add another coat of regular mascara.  You’ll end up with thick, luscious lashes!

Inexpensive Hollywood Beauty Trick #4: Blue, yellow or orange concealer - You may not believe us, but putting these colors of concealer under your eyes will actually make them look better– trust us!  Blue-based concealer helps reflect light and makes eyes look brighter.  For even darker under-eye circles use yellow or orange concealer which will neutralize the darkness beneath the eyes.

Inexpensive Hollywood Beauty Trick #5: Shampoo with dimethicone copolyol – Ya, we can’t pronounce it either. What we do know though is that shampoo that contains this ingredient has a little extra “oomph!”  Next time you need to purchase shampoo, make sure it has this volume booster in it.

There you have it. Now take our inexpensive Hollywood beauty tricks and make yourself GLAM!

Check out our follow-up piece on the Hollywood-worthy beauty products you never knew you had right in your own home!

Sarah Hunt is a professional freelance makeup artist based in Omaha, Nebraska who has styled a variety of clients from U.S. Senators, to sports legends, to actors and actresses.

I am a professional freelance make-up artist in the second half of my 30s. I’ve been working as a make-up artist in the film and print industry for 14 years. I have had the pleasure of styling a wide spectrum of personalities – U.S. Senators, sports legends, journalists, CEOs, billionaires, actors, actresses, and everyday people. Two years ago I approached my local YWCA about their domestic violence awareness campaign. I wanted to donate my talent to the women in need at the YWCA – a need I recognize, because I myself am a survivor of sexual assault.

Here are some startling statistics that illustrate the growing epidemic of violence:

• 1 in 6 women and 1 in 33 men are victims of sexual violence in their lifetime.
• College women are 6 times more likely to be a victim of sexual assault.
• In 2007 248,300 people reported a sexual assault in the U.S. That’s 1 person every 2 minutes.
• 60% of sexual assaults are not reported to the police.
• Approximately 73% of victims know their assailants.
• Only 6% of rapists spend even a day in jail.

The YWCA provides help to women, including survivors of rape and domestic violence, in times of crisis. They work to eliminate racism and empower women through counseling, career training, health and fitness, and childcare. This is how I met Felicia, the most beautiful person I have had the chance to style. She is my age, married young and raised five children with her husband – who beat and raped her repeatedly for more than a decade. Eventually, she made the decision to rise up and free herself and her children from this violence with the help of the YWCA. He is now in jail.

For one of their domestic violence awareness campaigns, I was asked to re-create the injuries she sustained the last time he beat her using makeup techniques. Law enforcement would not release the actual injury documentation photos because they were considered state evidence and could only be obtained by paying a fee. Because the cost was too much for the not-for-profit YWCA to pay, and they still needed to make a graphic statement about their awareness campaign, I was presented with a perfect opportunity. I used several products to re-create her injuries:

• Ben Nye EW-4 master bruise wheel
• Ben Nye CK-5 FX burns and blisters color wheel
• Modeling putty/wax
• Fake blood
• Neutral setting powder
• Dappling sponge, and my favorite brushes

Felicia handled the experience with strength and grace. I applied the bruises and gashes as she explained to me each injury and how it happened. In the span of 30 minutes we traveled back to the darkest time of her life. My work complete, I asked her if she wanted to see – she picked up the hand mirror and looked deeply at her reflection, nodding with approval as she looked back at me with satisfaction and spirit in her eyes. We quickly snapped the photos and removed the make-up with Bobbi Brown skincare products:

• Lathering Tube Soap
• Exfoliating Cream Wash
• Soothing Face Tonic
• Philosophy Hope in a Jar Moisturizer

Then, for the next half hour we talked about her children, her family, her goals and dreams, and how far her personal journey had taken her as I transformed her back into the stronger, even more beautiful woman she has become. We went full circle, from normal to nightmare and back, in 60 minutes. This was a difficult journey for me as a survivor and a professional makeup artist, but it illustrates to me the power of the human spirit.