You have an event coming up and you want to find the perfect dress, the highest heels, a good blowout, and oh, what should you do with your makeup for it? While you decide, here are a few products that can add a nice touch to your look that you might not have thought about.

No matter what trait you are looking to show off, I have some suggestions that have totally worked for me below.

*LEGS*

Make legs look silky smooth – temps will be warming up soon so skirts will be getting shorter again. Give legs and extra extra with one of these. It makes you look like you are wearing stockings when you’re not. VOTRE VU Silk Stockings in Classic Bronze ($38/3.38oz @ votrevu.com) or NARS Monoi Body Glow I ($59/2.5oz @ narscosmetics.com, sephora.com).

Click here to read more

There seems to be a bit of buzz on the above mascaras:

• BUXOM Big Tease Plumping Mascara
• URBAN DECAY Troublemaker
• L’OREAL Voluminous Lash Paradise

So I thought I’d do a post about all three comparing how they look, apply and last. First up is L’Oreal.

L’Oreal Voluminous Lash Paradise ($8.99 @ target.com) - Our 1st mascara for voluptuous volume & length now with even more black pigments. Soft wavy bristle brush holds maximum formula for a dramatic volumizing charge. 200+ bristles catch every lash for a full fringe effect.

My thoughts – I thought this one was good for a daytime work look. It doesn’t give over-the-top lashes but just enough on each hair. The brush reminded me of the one from Better Than Sex.

Urban Decay Troublemaker ($24 @ urbandecay.com, ulta.com) – Get super-fat, super-long, sex-proof lashes. This mascara is so good it should be illegal. Urban Decay's Troublemaker Mascara delivers 13.7x the lash volume,* and sexy, fluttery, intensely black lashes. The failsafe formula volumizes and lengthens as it separates, while UD's custom brush grabs onto lashes, curling as it coats. UD loaded up this mascara with insane benefits - for thicker, impossibly long, perfectly fanned-out lashes.

My thoughts – I had super high expectations for this one and for me, it just didn’t deliver. My lashes were not as big as they could have been. I mean, look at the picture! I did try to build it and build it. If you are looking for definition, this one seems to do that well.

Buxom Big Tease Plumping Mascara ($22 @ ulta.com) – (this one) instantly plumps lashes, delivering maximum volume, and noticeably longer lashes for a full and flirty look. A unique blend of 3 high-performing and perfectly calibrated waxes delivers a smooth and creamy application experience, coating every surface, from root to tip, resulting in heavyweight volume, length, & lift. A conical shaped brush releases just the right amount of product and allows you to reach base-to-tip intensity, while individual chisel-tipped fibers divide and conquer every lash for a non-clumpy, lash multiplying effect.

My thoughts – out of all three mascaras, this one delivered the most fierce and, well, plumped up lashes, however, it was also the most difficult one to work with. The conical brush helped but it was like applying 3 coats at one time and I felt a tad clumpy in places even though I went over and over areas. What I did like about this mascara is is that you can applying this mascara over already mascara’d lashes. Like go to work, come home, get ready to go out and use this mascara to create a night time sexy look. This one has a place on my makeup table.

Disclosure: Samples of these items were provided for review purposes.

My first ever micellar water was Bioderma Solution Micellar and it achieved cult status rather quickly and it seems like it was some time before another one came along like this one and this one. So what exactly is micellar water and why should I care? It's tiny balls of cleansing molecules called micelles suspended in soft water. It won't dry or strip the skin and they clean beautifully. Now they won't remove waterproof mascara but they do a nice job otherwise. 

Here are some I recommend from L to R:

EMBRYOLISSE Micellar Lotion $26/8.5oz @ target.com

YES TO Cucumber Micellar Water $8.99/7.77oz @ ulta.com, walgreens.com

L'OREAL Micellar Cleansing Water $9.99/13.5oz @ target.com, ulta.com

SEPHORA Triple Action Cleansing Water - $12/6.76oz @ sephora.com

And it also comes in wipes now with SIMPLE Kind to Skin Micellar Makeup Remover Wipes $5.99/25 wipes @ target.com, and a super remove-it-all-even-liquid-lipstick VICHY Micellar Oil $18/4.2oz @ dermstore.com, target.com

I think I’ve been around the liquid lipstick block a few times now and with the latest ones I’ve tried being on the indie side, I have some more observations. It seems that just about every brand is coming out with their own version these days, which is great, but not so great when you kinda know what formula works for you, and you don’t get it when you open the tube. If you’re on the liquid lipstick (will abbreviate to LL) bandwagon, do you know which form you like best? I think I do, now that I’ve tried quite a few different brands:

Chanel, Wet N Wild, Tarte, Buxom (part of BareMinerals), ColourPop, Motives, Cailyn Cosmetics, L’Oreal, Make Up For Ever, Stila, Laura Mercier, Merle Norman, NARS, Lime Crime, Ofra Cosmetics, Fyinnae, Maybelline, Ciate London, L'Oreal, Napoleon Perdis, Houglass Cosmetics, CoverGirl, LipSense by SeneGence, Giorgio Armani, Sephora, Kat Von D, MAC, Makeup Monster, LA Splash Cosmetics, Caked, Beauty Bakerie.

Brands on my list to try: The new ones from Smashbox, Anastasia Beverly Hills (I know, I know, I'm like the only one on the planet but I've read mixed reviews), Jeffree Star, Milani (drugstores are always out of the Amore Mattes!), Lonely Planet.

Click here to read more

1. PIXI BEAUTY Full Coverage Foundation Brush ($15 @ target.com) – such a compact head but don’t let the lack of length fool you. It still does a great job at getting your liquid products into those corners and contours.

2. OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE COSMETICS Crème Colour Concentrate in Discipline ($23 @ occmakeup.com and nordstrom.com) – described as a bruised-bronze, this multi-tasking creamy color can be used on the eyes, lips, and cheeks (note that not all 17 shades can be used in the eye area).

3. L’OREAL Smokissime Infallible Powder Eyeliner Pen in Purple Smoke ($9.99 @ lorealparisusa.com) – if the packaging says ‘Infallible’ on it, I’m in! Seriously though, their Infallible line is flawless. And these fat liners are great for applying a smoking eye in seconds.

4. BENEFIT COSMETICS the POREfessional: License to Blot ($20 @ sephora.com) – this is the latest addition to the POREfessional collection and will be great for the upcoming season. It’s an instant blotting stick with tiny invisible spheres that will mattifying any oil your face puts forth. 

5. BEAUTY 360 Shape-Defining Nail File ($4.99 @ cvs.com and CVS stores nationwide) – this is my new favorite file! I’ve noticed that sometimes a file has to be “broken in” so it’s not too harsh on the nails. This one arrived perfect and ready to use. 

Disclosure: Some of these items were provided for review purposes. Some I bought.

These were my favorite beauty products for February! See any you’ll be trying?

From L to R:

EYLURE Brow Crayon in Nº 20:Mid Brown $8.99 @ ulta.com.

L’OREAL Infallible Pro-Last Lipcolor in Continual Crimson $12.99 @ target.com.

IT COSMETICS Hello Lashes Extensions $24 @ qvc.com, itcosmetics.com.

NUDESTIX Lip & Cheek Pencil in Flesh/Soul $24 @ sephora.com.

BOBBI BROWN Brightening Brick in Coral $46 @ bobbibrown.com and nordstrom.com.

ULTA Oval Blending Sponge $2.49 @ ulta.com. 

Disclosure: Some of these items were provided for review purposes. Some I bought.

You’ll be attending a lot of holiday parties to hit this month and you want your hair looking its best, right? You got it cut and colored before the start of the month and now, you just want to maintain it through the month. Here are a few products that will help.

I’d heard about this product before and bookmarked it as a reminder and I’m glad I wasn’t disappointed when I finally tried it out. L’OREAL PROFESSIONNEL Mythic Oil Nourishing Masque ($36/6.7oz @ ulta.com) is a deep conditioning treatment that nourishes strands using Argan Oil, vitamin E and Omega 3 oils. A three minute treatment with this one will help keep strands looking their best.  

And they just put out two new products in the collection: Mythic Oil Souffle d’Or Sparkling Shampoo and Mythic Oil Souffle d'Or Sparkling Conditioner.

Since your evening bag will probably be pretty small, tuck a few of KÉRASTASE Carré Lissant Smoothing Touch-Up Sheets ($28.50/50 sheets @ kerastase.com) into the inside pocket for when you’re doing your touch ups in the ladies room at the party. Each sheet is lines with a light wax complex that will eliminate frizzy hair  and control static cling and they are lightly scented with rose and grapefruit.

So the product is very sexy, but the packaging? Not so much. I mean, come VV, you could have let the inside and outside have a conversation and come up with a better container than a plain ol’ plastic bottle.

A sexy scent is a must-have to wrap up any look.

And since it’s the holidays, adding a special touch like a flower in your hair, a fascinator (one of my favorite things) or some shimmer in your hair like IT HAIRCARE Glitter Spray for Hair and Body ($13.97/4.25oz @ amazon.com). I love that this can be used on both the hair and skin and it adds just a touch of shimmery glitter that successfully catches the light with their patented Optical Brighteners inside the liquid.  

Kind of like this move, I’m so tempted to just throw out all my regular lipsticks. I mean, if they don’t last on my lips, what’s the point in putting it on in the first place? I guess this is a tiny bit different than the nail polish situation in that I don’t seemed to get as annoyed when my lippie starts to fade as when I chip a nail.

MAC Pro Longwear Lipcolour $25 @ maccosmetics.com

GIORGIO ARMANI Lip Maestro $33 @ sephora.com

MAKE UP FOR EVER Aqua Rouge $24 @ makeupforever.com

L’OREAL Infallible Lip Colour $11.99 @ lorealparisusa.com have been discontinued but they have the Lip Paint here

LIME CRIME Velvetines $20 @ dermstore.com, amazon.com

Unless I get the most perfectly applied prep, an at-home manicure never lasts past 3 days without chipping or peeling off. It’s frustrating! That’s why I’ve thrown out all my regular polish and become a full-time gel-polish convert. When they first came out a few years ago, they were only available in salons (the CND brand). Then, brands started making at-home versions that included a lamp to cure the polish. Ok, getting better, but now we have a handful of brands that have gel polishes that don’t require a UV lamp to cure. Some need a topcoat, some do not , so I put an asterisk next to the ones below that require you to use more than one product, like a base coat/primer and/or top coat, with it.

Are you going to join the “throw-your-regular-polishes-out” movement?

1. SALLY HANSEN Miracle Gel Nail Color shown here in Throwing Shade - $9.99 @ ulta.com.

2. *L’OREAL Extraordinaire Gel-Lacque 1-2-3 Nail Color shown here in Decadent Indulgence - $7.99 @ lorealparis.com. 

3. COVERGIRL XL Nail Gel shown here in Rotund Raspberry - $7.49 @ covergirl.com and walgreens.com. 

4. *CND Vinylux Weekly Polish shown here in Pretty Poison - $9.95 @ ulta.com.

5. NAILS INC. LONDON Gel Effect Polish shown here in Kensington High Street - $14 @ nailsinc.com.

6. *REVLON Colorstay Gel Envy Nail Enamel shown here in Wild Card - $7.99 @ ulta.com. 

It’s as humid has humid can be out here in SoCal and strands are just not behaving but who wants to wear their hair up all the time? Yes, it feels good on the neck but I just got a cute new cut that I want to show off so a serious defrizz product is in order! Check out the below recommendations to rock you do to the fullest this month.

YES TO COCONUTS Curl Defining Hair Smoother ($7.99/3.8oz @ target.com) – choose this one because it has nourishing avocado and coconut oil plus Cupuacu Butter.

HERBAL ESSENCES Moroccan Me a Miracle 7-in-1 Serum ($4.49/1.7oz @ bedbathandbeyond.com) – this one is the case of, “if it smells good, it must be good,” and in this case, it’s true.

L’OREAL EverSleek Sulfate-Free Smoothing System Frizz Taming Crème Serum ($8.99/1.9oz @ lorealparis.com, walgreens.com and drugstores nationwide) – I’ve never heard of sulfates inside a frizz-taming serum but as we all know, ingredients can disguise  themselves under other loooong names.

SALLY HERSHBERGER Hyper Hydration Spray Serum ($12.99/1.7oz @ drugstore.com) – this is the only one outta the bunch that you use after hair is dry. It uses SMART Keratin to give hair shine with no, and I mean none what-so-ever, greasy look or feel.

KARECO Large Thermal Brush ($22.50 @ kareco.com) – yes believe it or not the right brush can also help cut the frizz. This one is made with Ionic Tourmaline technology so this one coupled with one of these serums will leave your hair smooth as a baby’s bottom!

Or, if you’re like me and just tend to wash your hair less in the summertime so I don’t have to whip out the hot dryer, so these two from REDKEN have been my go to ones lately:

Pillow Proof Blow Dry Two Day Extender ($18/3.4oz) and Pillow Proof Blow Dry Express Primer ($22/4.7oz). Both @ drugstore.com.

Summer Handbags