Officially Fall.

Well, my friends - Fall has officially arrived. And it seems that I am in the minority because I hate the fall. I hate the cooler temperatures, the days getting shorter, all the leaves and acorns - just about everything about it. The only bright spot in the shorter, darker days is that I am able to start wearing new Fall makeup. And new Fall makeup means darker shades, browns, and berry's.  I turned over a new leaf this week and started with the Fall multiple seasonings of color.

On my eyes, I have been loving all the three brown shades in Benefit's Weather Girl Palette.  They are a bit frosty, but just perfect for my hazel colored eyes.  And topping that is Bourjois Metallic Eyeliner Pencil in a beautiful copper called Feuille De Cuivre. I use the eyeliner, which is just so easy to smooth on, over the shadow and it highlights the  frostiness in the shadows with the metallics in the eyeliner.  Stunning.

On my cheeks I have been loving Tarte's Mineral Powder Bronzer in Hotel Heiress. It is not too bronzy, just a bit of bronze with a hint of a ruddy pink it in. It does not look that way at all in the compact, but that is what it does to my cheeks - and it is just perfect. If I am looking for more color, I have just discovered MAX Factors Satin Blush in Peach Spice. If NARS Orgasm Blush is a tad too light for you, try this shade. It is just a tone deeper, and perfect for even my now pale complexion.

Okay - the lips. I swear I have been trying a new color everyday. A few of my favorites so far are DuWops Anti-Venom Satin Lipstick in Bamboo, a sheer wash of berry; MAC's newest Viva Glam VI, a plum with a pearl finish; Bobbi Brown's Lip Shimmer in Candlelight, the perfect gold to simply wear along or over one of Fall's berry lip shades; Clinique's Full Potential Lips (their lip plumping lipgloss entry) in Blackberry Bloom, a sheer yet rich berry shade; and Benefit's Color Plump in Hey Sailor, a glazed berry with their Big Magic 2 Lip Gloss over it.

That is all I have gotten to so far this Fall. What are some of your new Fall favorites?

Back to School Beauty - Markers for your Lips!

I am tired of school supply shopping. I never had to bring anything to school but a back pack, a few pencils, maybe a favorite pen, and a binder. My kids have lists 2 pages long - ugh.

As we strolled through Staples yesterday afternoon looking at the multiple sizes and types of magic markers there are - I wondered - what about a magic marker for your lips? Voila - there is one. I totally forgot about it - but I need to refresh my (and your) memory.

Bourjois Lip Stain Pen - the equivalent to a magic marker for the lips. Inside this nifty pen is a lipstain - that comes out through the felt-tip - just like a marker. Yes - I said - a magic marker. It is very cool.  All you simply need to do is glide the tip of it ever so gently over the lips. They immediately feel wet - water-like wet. And then almost instantly - they dry - with a beautiful flush of color.

The color really soaks into the lips, leaving a very matte finish. All you need to do is top it off with a bit of gloss, and you are good to go. And the stain - it stains. Really, it lasts, and lasts, and lasts- day and night. A tint was even seen after removing my makeup - but it was gone by morning - phew!

Currently, there are 4 pretty colors to pick from - and at just $15, a nice deal.

Now what will you think of when shopping for boring magic markers? (I'll be thinking about Sephora too!)

Yes to Volume! No to Clumps!

Love the title? It's the name of Bourjois newest mascara. Yes to Volume! No to Clumps!

At first glance, the tube is stylish. Upon opening the tube, all you notice is - HOT PINK! WOW! And I immediately thought, "Where is the brush?".

This mascara is formulated to be applied with it's very unique comb-like applicator. And the comb-like applicator is very tiny. When dipping the wand, it looks as though the mascara barely coats the comb - but rest assured that it does.

Application takes some practice. I have found that it is best to hold the applicator very close to the lashes and gently wipe them up from the bottom of lashes to the top, coating the lashes maybe four or five times.  And within a quick instant, lashes are very full and thick. And the comb-like applicator assures that lashes are separated with no clumping in sight.

The secret? The formula is full of collagen - yup - collagen!

The bottom line? It takes a few tries to get used to the applicator, but in the end, it works. And it delivers what it promises.

Yes to Volume! No to Clumps! is priced at a reasonable $13.50 and is available Sephora.com. For more information, visit Bourjois.com.