beauty must have: black eyeliner

i’m sure you’re thinking, of course black eyeliner is a beauty must have – duh! and yes, darlings, you are right. and yes, duh. but these, my ladies, these eyeliners you truly must have.

from the perfectly executed line (in any shape and thickness) to a smoky, smudged eye – these liners will get you there.

these eyes can be yours with a gel liner and a good brush. it takes a little practice to get the hang of it, but i personally find the bobbi brown gel liner to be perfect for this kind of line. liquid crackles, gel doesn’t. plus bobbi brown’s products are superior quality and feel so silky smooth when it hits your lids.

then of course is the ever sexy smoky-smouldering eye a la mila kunis (and every other celebrity). it’s a little softer than a harsh cat eye or other vintage-inspired liner looks. this eye is acheived with a kohl liner – MAC is the obvious leader, but for me i find MAC runs. i like it but need to reapply frequently. enter, ulta beauty. their kohl liner doesn’t run the same way MAC does and is great (from my experience) all day long. and of course you could opt for a kajal liner – also great for this look. apply and smudge with your finger tip – easy as 1-2-3.

here are some great products you definitely want in your arsenal:

must have black eyeliners
images here and here

winter skin care: beauty

over the past two weeks, we’ve talked about caring for your face and your body in the winter. now it’s time to talk about beauty – i promise this is the last one. when you are talking about every day makeup, i think it should be quick. some people say 5 minutes, i say 3. i don’t like to take too much time on makeup every day, so i’ve gotten myself down to a few key steps that ensure i still look polished and put together for the office.
when it comes to winter makeup, i want to make sure i get a dewy look with rosy cheeks to look invigorated, awake and basically ready to conquer the world – but fast.

here are my picks and tips to get on with it in the morning.

winter skin care: beauty

1. murad bb cream. i’ve tried a few and i love this because it has a little extra something to give you a dewy foundation. i’ve certainly been known to skip step 2 and go out of the house in just this but in the winter….

2. it’s good to have extra moisturizer, so i gravitate towards a tinted one, like this from smashbox. always opt for spf – even in the winter the sun can damage your skin.

3. a flushed cheek is perfect year long, but i particularly like it in the winter. i love when i go outside and come back in my cheeks have a rosy glow from the cold. i love the contrast on paler, winter skin. i love this cream blush from nyx in red – yes red. highly recommend it ladies, but you only need a little – I REPEAT A LITTLE – otherwise you will just look like a streetwalker.

4. finally, a quick swipe of mascara on the top and bottom. whatever you like, i just happen to like shocking from YSL. i go for black for a little more drama.

winter skin: body

last week, we talked about caring for your gorgeous face in the winter. today, we talk about caring for the rest of your body’s skin in this frigid season.

i always get little patches of dry skin in the winter. i am not one for really paying attention to moisturizing anything below my face, though i know i should. that said, i wanted to give you guys a quick and easy way to take care of everything else, especially if you are a little lax like me with this one.

winter skin care: body
1. get an exfoliating body mitt and exfoliate before the shower. yes, before. it’s called dry brushing. it has incredible effects, like stimulating your circulation, and has even been associated with reducing the look of cellulite. it also exfoliates your skin quickly (be careful around sensitive areas – you know what i mean). this is one of those things that i do every day when i get into a routine. if it irritates your skin, brush more gently and don’t do it every day. use your head 🙂
2. then you get in the shower and exfoliate with a body scrub containing coffee. it exfoliates, it energizes, it smells yummy. this is really great in the morning when you are feeling a little sluggish (exfoliation in general will help wake you up!). you really can use any exfoliating scrub, whatever you prefer, and you don’t even have to use it every day! be sure to not irritate your skin – you’ve been warned, don’t blame me.
3. finally, body oil. i love josie maran’s argan oil because it’s great for your body and hair. whatever you use, be sure to moisturize (i also love no name brand cocoa butter – whatever you have or love). this locks in everything and helps your skin regenerate after getting rid of the dead and dry skin.

nailed it: perfect holiday party nails

it always seems to me this time of year comes with a lot of red and sparkles – glitter, sequins, rhinestones. so what could be better than a mani with both of those seasonally appropriate trends? um – nothing!

try this combo for the perfect holiday manicure that can take you from office to office party and beyond:

here’s what you’ll need: butter londoncome to bed red, west end wonderland and your favorite top coat. (i like deborah lippmann‘s.)

party perfect manicure

holiday dresses under $100

yes, ladies, it is possible to find a fantastic party dress for less than $100 (a few of these picks are even under $50!). i love this time of year – holidays and new years eve are great excuses for a little sparkle (though i always say there is never an occasion that isn’t right for sequins).

here are some fantastic picks for this holiday party season, a few are even family function appropriate.

do you get dressed up for the holidays or are your parties more casual?

holiday dresses under $100
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 

winter skin: face

it’s cold. that means winter skin is a comin’. which means we need to discuss this and prepare – immediately!

so here’s the deal. winter dries your skin out, regardless of skin type, from the cold air outside and the heated air inside. to achieve perfect skin in this climate, you’ll need to exfoliate so as to remove this dry, dead skin, and hydrate, to stimulate the blood cells and oxygen and all that stuff.

here are my picks to keep your skin looking radiant all winter long:

winter skin care

1. clarisonic. it’s worth the investment – nothing will clean your pores and exfoliate better than this bad boy.

2. face lotion with oxygen. it helps stimulate blood, oxygen, collagen, and so on. the extra boost is hydrating and gives you a little boost of energy.

3. unpetroleum jelly. so, it’s like vaseline and won’t clog your pores. i have sensitive skin that is prone to blemishes, and this stuff does not bother me. you might not want to sleep with this on, since it could get on your pillow case. but, i will tell you right now, i have slept with this on, my pillowcases are fine and my skin is AMAZING after. you could also walk around the house for a bit and then rinse it off. it is shiny so it’s not a cute look when you are going to bed with a significant other.

4. finally, a humidifier. the heat in your house will dry out your skin (consider that, too, before taking steamy hot showers!). keep a humidifier on your side of the bed to have radiant skin in the morning. bonus? add some lavendar essence for a calming and relaxing effect.

winter skin care by herlongwayhome

easy winter hair

as a noreaster is approaching NJ and we’re about to get a nice dose of snow, i think it’s time to start talking about winter hair. why is winter hair any different than any other time of the year, you might ask?

static!

i have long, thick hair. there are few things in this world more bothersome and distracting to me than hair ridden with static. this time of year is perfect for mastering quick and easy up dos.

(i, ii, iii)

here are two fantastic tutorials from here and here to get you started on easy as 1-2-3 winter hair. perfect for the weekend, the workplace, and with a few bobby pins to reign it all in, a dressier event. (click here for a bonus look WITH a video!)

goody simple styles: review

so sometime last year i read about and saw some posts about goody simple styles. goody claims that these spiral pins, which come in packs of 2, are the equivalent of 10 bobby pins each. (each!)

i found these on a great sale at ulta and knew i had to try them. i have very thick, heavy and long hair – and a lot of it. so if you do too, let me tell you, these WORK.

this is the first product of any variety that i’ve ever tried and thought, “oh my gosh, this really works!”

i am so excited to finally have found a product that helps me get my mop into a pulled together chignon, without unseemly hair ties and an entire pack of bobby pins that never fail to slip out. i 100% recommend these to every girl – definitely a MUST HAVE in your beauty arsenal.

here’s a quick guide on how to use these – so easy!

have any of you tried these?

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mxg1lO8Bb6I]

ps – not a sponsored post, just really love the product and had to share with you all!