Salma Hayek Introduces Nuance Beauty Line At CVS: All Under $20

Nothing priced over $20?

Good news! Actress Salma Hayek has been hinting at a beauty line for a few years now, and finally, it has become a reality. The Latina lovely has just launched her Nuance beauty line at CVS stores.

The 40-something star has developed a 100-piece line, including skin care, makeup, body products and more. And we are most interested in the Nuance shea butter and honey body cream, because it's based on her late grandmother's old family recipe.

And Salma was hands-on in the creation and testing of the entire Nuance line:

"I was truly involved in every aspect of product development, bringing my vision to life in making a line that is available to all women, who are entitled to preserve their youth no matter what," she says.

So, maybe we won't wake up looking like the sexy celebrity after applying the Nuance beauty line, but we admire and appreciate Salma's dedication and integrity to the beauty line. And we think Nuance is worth looking into.

Check out the line at CVS

Is There Really A Universal Brow Pencil?

Remember these eyebrows?

For those of you who do, these brows were a major part of Brooke Shields' appeal as a child model.

Thick, healthy, perfect brows.

And eyebrows like hers, are once again, front and center in the world of beauty and fashion for Fall 2011.

Are your brows somewhat anemic compared to young Brooke's?

We admit, ours are. We wish we had fuller brows. And many of us submit to the pencil, powder and gels to try and create the perfect arch and shape for our face.

But it's a tricky procedure. Some brow pencils are too harsh, ashy-colored, and so forth. So we wonder, is there another way?

Welcome to the universal brow pencil.

We have heard a lot about these one-size-fits-all beauty products, so can this really work?

Let's take a look at 3 of them:

1. Billion Dollar Brows Universal Brow Pencil ($15, at the skinstore). It's waterproof---a great thing. And it claims to give all gals a natural look----"formulated to work with all skin tones and hair colors. You'll never have to guess which eyebrow pencil is right for you again."

2. ybf Automatic Eyebrow Pencil Duo ($20, at HSN). A fave of fashion designer Cynthia Rowley. You get 2 pencils in a universal taupe color. The pencil tip is designed to deliver short, feathery strokes. And you get a little brow brush on the other end.

3. Anastasia Go Brow--Universal Brow Pencil ($21, at Sephora). A double-ended brow pencil and highlighter. The universal shade---medium neutral brown/ light pink ivory. According to celebrity brow-guru Anastasia, her pencil "features both a universal brow color Brow Pencil and Highlighter that work together to create perfectly shaped, luminous brows."

So there you have it. These are just 3 of the many so-called universal brow pencils out there.

Universal means, easy to find, in the makeup world. And hopefully, easy to work.

Clumsy Putting On False Lashes? There's an EZ Way To Do It!

We know that celebrities wear them all the time.....the Kardashian sisters, Oprah, and even a Desperate Housewife or two. But most often, these famous women have a super makeup artist applying their false lashes for them. And if you've never put a pair on, well, it can be tricky business, and yes, even intimidating.

Maybe that's why the Kiss company is making life a little less frightening for all our false lash-challenged friends. They have just introduced, Ever EZ Lashes, which promises to deliver, "the easiest lash application ever!".

And there's some string involved.

Say what?

They're called "Easy Place Applicator Strings". Okay, now you've really got our attention. As you can see by the photo, red string is attached to the tiny loop of each faux lash. And the purpose of the string is to allow for perfect placement along the lash line, as you hold each string end to best position the Kiss Ever EZ lashes.

And once applied, just pull the string out.

If it still sounds complicated, check out a good Ever EZ demo at Kissusa.com.

What we like about these false lashes---they're now available at Walgreens ($3.99), CVS, and Walmart. And the folks at Kiss promise you their fauxs are made from the "highest quality hair for a natural, light as air feel.". By the way, you will need a bit of lash adhesive for best results.

Still, these Kiss Ever EZ Lashes take the klutz factor out of the application. If you're all thumbs, don't worry, use them to hold each end of the red string to give yourself the best Kardashian lashes each time.

For more details, visit everezlashes.

Always Choose Serum Over Cream For Best Anti-Aging Results

Beauty 101:

Would you select serum or cream for your face and neck skin care routine?

It's very simple, ladies.

ALWAYS choose the serum when you can. And here's why:

If you want to battle the signs of aging, like wrinkles and sagging, pick up the bottle of serum.

According to New York City dermatologist, David J. Goldberg, the face serums are more potent. "Creams usually contain less than 10 percent of active ingredients; serums have up to 70 percent," he says. So, in other words, you are getting more bang for your buck, with a serum.

And we have a super arsenal of serums by Exuviance from the NeoStrata skin care company. So, let's get serious about serums.

It all began with a bottle of Vespera Bionic Serum ($68). And oh, what incredible ingredients inside! The pretty green bottle was more than just a 'pretty face,' as the saying goes. This high-tech beauty science formula blended with proven botanicals really delivers. We were gifted with a bottle of Vespera Bionic Serum and immediately fell in love! And it has remained one of our all-time favorites.

The serum by Exuviance gives the skin a healthy, youthful glow, and over time, the texture really improves. And we are not alone, because clinical studies show:

212% improvement in skin clarity.
89% of users claimed a significant improvement in skin texture and smoothness.

And we are pleased to report, that Exuviance has added 3 brand new serums to the skin care family. More pretty green bottles to battle the signs of aging:

1. Antioxidant Perfect 10 Serum ($68). A strong serum designed to protect against collagen/elastin breakdown.

2. OptiLight Essential 6 Serum ($68). A complexion-balancing serum that helps fade dark spots.

3. Collagen Triple Boost Serum ($68). A plumping serum packed with collagen stimulators.

Summer's winding down and we've all suffered a little more skin damage from Mother Nature. It's time to check out this new family addition to the Exuviance Vespera Bionic Serum line, and get our skin back on the right track.

Can't Go Wrong With Michael Kors' Classic Closet Essentials

Luxurious American sportswear.

That is Michael Kors, through and through. And he's been in the fashion biz for a long time, celebrating his company's 30-year anniversary.

If you watch Bravo's popular 'Project Runway' reality show (on tonight 9PM), you know how opinionated the fashion judge is. And we adore that about him.

What we also adore and trust, is the designer's fine taste in women's clothing. So, when Michael Kors tells you what EVERY woman should have in her closet, we take notice.

So, ladies, if you're starting to re-build your wardrobe this fall, or adding some new pieces, but don't know which way to turn, here is Michael Kors' Classic Closet Essentials as told to Elle magazine:

1. White tank or fitted white short-sleeve tee.
2. Fitted long sleeve blouse in white silk.
3. Skinny leg white jeans.
4. Crisp dark denim jeans.
5. Trench in khaki or black.
6. Black cashmere V-neck cardigan.
7. Black cashmere fitted long sleeve crewneck.
8. Black pencil skirt.
9. Black sleeveless crewneck sheath.
10. Black lightweight wool tailored pantsuit.

And from there, you can build a can't-go-wrong wardrobe. Michael Kors has provided the fashion foundation, and we think it's a good list!

The designer also has these great fashion tips:

1. Aviator Sunglasses make any outfit sexy.
2. Buy tailored jackets, coats, dresses, and pants in neutral colors.
3. Saddle-colored leather bags, shoes, and belts are great neutrals that get better with age, and will work year-round with every color and texture in your closet.

Liner Cat Eye: Still Strong Beauty Look For Fall 2011

Cat eye. It's big for Fall 2011. Check out Vogue and Harper's Bazaar, and all the other top magazines, and you will see that liquid liner can do a girl some good.

The cover shot of Penelope Cruz is one of our faves, because of the gorgeous cat eye makeup. Okay, the photo is two-years-old, but we are showing it again, because this is how a classic, elegant cat eye looks. The winged-out line is not too exaggerated, just subtle.

Penelope's eyes are stunning, and you can see the makeup artist lined her top lids in black liner. And the bottom was enhanced with a dark brown liner and shadow. It's still a strong, sexy eye, but just a bit softer, as the eye rimming is broken up in the two, very subtle colors of black and dark brown.

Of course, there are varying degrees of liner. There are liquid liners, gel liners, cake liners, pencil liners, and shadows for lining, too. And all of them take a bit of practice to master. We like liquid and pencil liners. Liquid is the quickest to apply. It glides on smoothly, but it's also unforgiving. In other words, once liquid liner dries, it's tough to remove and start over.

You can also try this goof-proof helper, the Get in Line Eyeliner and Stencil Kit from Beth Bender Beauty. And it's a unique kit, in that it's, "The only eyeliner stencil that fits any eye shape." Plus, celebrities and beauty editors gave it the big thumbs up.

You receive 3 eyeshadows in the kit, either light or dark. You get the stencils to create the cat eye with the recognizable 'wing tip', and a brush to perfect the shading. And simple step-by-step instructions. A really effective kit at $36.

For more details, visit: BettesBoutique.

Good luck, and arm yourself with tons of Q-tips, to make that perfect wing tip!

Foundation Freak-Out: When You Can't Find The Right Makeup Shade

Foundation. We love it and we hate it.

And yes, just about every girl needs some, unless your skin is almost perfect. Foundation helps to balance your complexion and give it a healthy, sheer glow.

But when you can't match the right makeup shade for your skin tone, we call that, foundation freak-out!

Surely, with all the gazillion gallons of foundation makeup out there, you would think, that finding a shade that blends evenly with your skin color would be a piece of cake.

But sadly, that isn't so. Ask any women with olive skin, or a women of color, and they will tell you, that selecting the perfect foundation match is almost impossible. The color is either too light, too dark, too pink, too ashen, and so on. Many women with darker skin color often feel left out by the gigantic cosmetics industry.

Even superstar Jennifer Hudson admits she uses 2 Mac Studio Fix Fluids, NC45 and NC55, to get a beautiful makeup base:

"I blend two together to get the perfect shade," Jennifer says.

But should we all have to work that hard, just to get a decent foundation for our face?!

Apparently, some of us have to. With our own skin tone (Mediterranean background), which falls under the light olive range, we have tossed out many bottles over the years, even after being 'matched' by a dept. store makeup pro to get the so-called right foundation color. Well, the one she gave us, wasn't a great match.

We finally settled upon Revlon's ColorStay Soft-Flex liquid foundation in Nude. For some reason, this one has been our best match, and we picked it out ourself. No, the shade isn't absolutely perfect, but it's the closest we have come to a good makeup base. And that's the key here----don't look for perfection, just a foundation that closely resembles your own unique skin tone

So then, how do we match a foundation to our face?

A famous makeup artist, Sandy Linter gave us this tip a few years ago:

“I apply a swipe of color near the neck. On the face under the cheekbone. It has to blend into the skin, not exactly match it. But it should cover. Apply it on broken capillaries or something you need to tone down, like ruddy cheeks. See how the foundation sits on the skin.”

Most women don’t think about this, but a wonderful aspect about wearing foundation, is its ability to fight the elements like sun, wind and cold, harsh winter air. Wearing foundation, even without an SPF icluded, still provides a protective barrier, especially against sun damage.

If you have to go through a few bottles of foundation just to settle on one, so be it. Our complexions go through changes in tone over the years, and maybe you need a lighter base this time around. Experiment. Don't be afraid to try another brand.