Cat-Eye Lashes

Say “Cat-Eye” and everyone immediately starts talking liquid liner. But a cat eye without catty lashes is like bread without butter. Disappointing.

Not blessed with a feline lashline? In The Makeup has found the perfect answer – Revlon’s Lush Lash (look for the number 91128 in the upper right-hand corner of the box). While extra length and fullness across the entire lashline is the ultimate for a traditional eye, its no way to get a cat-eye.  For a true cat-eye, you’ll need extra length and fullness only at the outer corners. Enter Revlon’s Lush Lash. This style comes as perfectly sized quarter lashes – no cutting required. And each pack comes with 4 sets.  Simply place one quarter-lash at the outermost corners of your natural lashes, wait a few minutes for glue to dry, and then use mascara to blend and fuse your lashes with the Lush Lash.

You’ll have the cattiest lashes in the room <and no one will suspect that they’re augmented>

Tan in 60 Seconds

Don’t have 3 to 4 hours to wait for your self-tanner to develop? Try some Instant Miracle Tanning Mousse – you’ll be tan in 60 seconds. This Instant Miracle Tan produces water-activated sugar protein-based foam that gives the perfect illusion of suntanned skin!

Apply to wet skin using gloves in the shower. Rub product onto shoulders, arms, bust and back, tummy, lower back, derriere and thighs, knees, back of legs, calves and feet! Count to sixty, keep working product into the skin. Rinse off and pat dry. May be used every day for more color. And instead of the usual self-tanner scent, this product is scented with chocolate truffle, coconut, and almond.

Is it good? In The Makeup gathered reviews and found that some users love the product and others thought it was messy. In favor of the product – it received Redbook’s MVP (Most Valuable Product) award in 2008.

Let us know if you try it, and how you like it!

Hottie Dots

If you weren’t born with a beauty mark, just get a Hottie Dot. Hottie Dots are peel and stick beauty marks. Pick a spot that you like, firmly press the hottie dot in place for a few seconds, and you have an instant beauty mark that won’t smudge or smear. Find them at www.hottiedots.com

Here are some celeb photos for beauty mark inspiration..

Strike A Look

Strike up and match the look on the cover with MATCH BOOKS. You don’t need to be a makeup artist to use these kits and they offer everything a girl would need!

Match Books by Tinte Cosmetics ($28 each) are available in Blushed Beauty, Natural Beauty, and Smoky Eyes. Each Match Books includes: Two eye shadow colors (a base and contour shade), a cream eyeliner, blush, two lip glosses and two brushes. We were concerned about the two brushes, since brushes that come with makeup are usually only good for your trash can. But these brushes are surprisingly nice for on-the-go.

According to Creator Stacy Provines “I am a woman constantly on the go and I needed a kit that offered everything all-in-one, the eye shadow, liner, blush and gloss. Since I am not a makeup artist by trade I wanted to offer 5 simple steps to make it easy for women to use. We also included an extra step so you can transform your look from day to night.

Your Online Makeover

Try Taaz.com

Start by uploading a digital photo and then experiment with a palette of thousands of colors and shades in products ranging from foundation and concealer to multi-tone eye shadow and lip gloss, colored contact lenses, hairstyles and hair colors.

Your makeovers can be saved, printed, emailed, or used as online profile pictures on Facebook or MySpace. Taaz also allows users to share images and makeovers with friends who can rate the look, provide comments and suggestions, and even add their own touch to the makeover, if you allow.

In The Makeup Says: We could NOT stop trying on lipsticks! Everything from ruby red and soft pink to gold, silver, and aqua. And the lashes we gave ourselves! Did we mention the teeth whitening?  Trying on new colors is fine and dandy. But what we really think is exciting is that now we can “photo shop” all of our holiday party pictures and then order prints for the family photo albums.

First FDA Approved Eyelash Enhancer

Let us have a moment of SILENCE:  Athena’s Revitalash and Jan Marini’s Masses of Lashes launched several years ago, only to be taken off the market and reformulated because of FDA regulatory issues and allegations of patent infringement over the active ingredient bimatoprost (sold as Lumigan by pharmaceutical company Allergan).

And now for a moment of SCIENCE:  Lumigan is a drug that was developed to treat glaucoma. A most interesting side-effect is that its ingredient, bimatoprost, gave users longer, thicker, darker lashes in a matter of days.

Now Allergan is on the brink of FDA approval to market its own Lumigan-based eyelash growth stimulator, but it will be by prescription only.

According to an Allergan news release, the product is expected to launch in 2009 and will be marketed under the brand name Lattise.

In The Makeup Says: Our first reaction was despair. Doctors appointments, check-ups, co-pays, insurance companies? Our visions of Bambi-like lashes turned into visions of Bambi in a brush-fire. But Lumigan’s prescribing information notes that the drug may darken eyelid skin and gradually increase pigmentation of the iris, making even blue eyes browner. Latisse isn’t meant to go directly in or on the eyes, and each Latisse dose uses only 5% of a Lumigan drop. But we all know that whatever you’re wearing on your lashes inevitably goes other places. Whether it be a fully-mascaraed lash that somehow gets stuck in your eye, or flakes of mascara on your face that no one tells you about. So the guidance of a kind and cordial physician may not be so bad after all.

Color On Pro

Color on Pro Says: The application is so easy. Simply peel back the applicator from the card, and center the pad on closed eyelid. Hold in place at each corner of the eye, making a “peace sign,” and gently rub the back of the applicator with the index finger of your free hand. Remove and dispose. Lightly dust with setting powder provided. This will make the formula waterproof, and give the shadow a soft matte finish. Instructions are also on the back of each box, or view a demonstration video at http://www.coloronpro.com/

In The Makeup Says: We tested the EyeEnvy Exotic Kit – which comes with zebra, military camouflage, and leopard print appliques. Different than our usual genre of beauty, we know. But we stayed in that night, took care of our skin by dining on Omega 3s (we live on beauty food), remained faithful to antioxidants (i.e. sipped red wine), and tested these controversial appliques. Tasteful or not, they do, we repeat, do work. Press, pat, and peel. To wear or not to wear? If the right invitation comes along (say, an avant-garde party) well then, of course.

Project Beauty

On-screen makeover

‘Project Beauty’ is a game designed for the Nintendo DS with the help of  Shiseido

A scanning device transfers digital images of your face onto one of the two screens.

Facial features such as your eyes and lips are analysed, and colors and products are suggested. Then, an image replete with suggested makeover ideas is displayed on the console’s second screen.

Project Beauty can suggest makeup for different occasions from the office to a hot party. You can also create your own makeovers choosing shades from the software’s virtual palette.

You’ll be able to test out looks and colors without having to physically apply (or buy!) any of the products.

Project Beauty is scheduled for release on November 27th in Japan for 6,090 yen ($55.00)

In The Makeup Says: Sounds like an activity worth trying. Certainly if you are bored it would be much better to play this game than to….um…..lets say eat or call your ex boyfriend. We also think it makes perfect sense for girls with gamer boyfriends to suggest this as a game you might be into. But, lets be realistic. How could software tell you if you’ll like the way a product smells (and this is important as even mascaras are scented these days), if it will spread nicely on your priceless skin, or how well it will last. We’ll put it on our shopping list but we think makeupalley, regular browsing at Sephora, and glossy magazines still reign.

Stencil Kit

The Get In Line Eyeliner and Stencil Kit allows you to “cheat” your way to smoky eyes and cat eyes. Each Get in Line Eyeshadow and Stencil Kit comes with everything you need from eyeshadows to stencils, and the perfect brush. Also included are step by step instructions.

Visit Bettes Boutique to order.

The kit is available in a light base shade for lighter skin tones and a warmer base shade for darker skin tones.

For this season’s more colorful smoky eye, check out Beth Bender’s five new color-coordinated palettes. Each kit includes everything you need to do sexy, sultry smoky eyes or bold cat eyes.

New Palettes include:

OMG! – iridescent pale pink, violet, plum

BFF – silver, gunmetal gray, rich smoke

LOL – light pink, light plum, rose gold shimmer

SGB – golden beige, golden tan, deep bronze

TDF - pale lavender, deep purple, light metallic pink

Visit Bettes Boutique to order and see images of all five new palettes, which are $36 each.