Deborah Lippmann Love is a Battlefield. One of two shades in the Steal My Kisses Magnetic Wave Design Set, $36. Available now at Nordstrom and online.

The reef triggerfish, or humuhumunukunukuāpuaÊ»a, is Hawaii’s state fish.

What a cutie, isn’t it?

Hello, glitter! This way to Sparkle Central. Just a heads up, but Viva Glam VI Lipglass is all about glitter, so if you’re averse to getting glitter on the mattress, glitter on the highway, glitter on the front porch, glitter on the hallway, you probably won’t love (shack) this, baby!

Oh, and another thing — have I mentioned the glitter? Because this Viva Glam has loads of it. 🙂

As a member of the MAC Viva Glam family, 100 percent of the proceeds from the sale of VI go to support the MAC AIDS Fund, which helps women, children and men living with HIV/AIDS.

In true Viva Glam fashion, warm, plummy VI gets along with with most everyone, but I think it looks particularly fetching on girls with skin tones from NC and NW 40 and up; something about it just werks on skin tones from medium to dark.

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About the Author
This guest post was written by Radhika of Weekend Ramblings. You can also find Radhika on Twitter and Facebook.

Having spent a good part of my life in South India, summers really aren’t my favorite time of year, and then there were those days in college walking around a campus without trees! Back then, my summer makeup routine consisted of a shaky line with a black eyeliner, and it hasn’t changed much over the years.

Sure, I take a little extra care with the moisturizer now, and try not to forget my sunscreen, but the last thing I want to do on a glorious (or sweltering!) summer day is spend time in front of the mirror on an elaborate makeup look. In summer, my priorities lie elsewhere, like in the frozen food aisle. 😀

The sooner I get out of the house, the better, and with that in mind, here are 3 quick makeup looks that I depend on each summer.

1. Fresh-faced and natural

This look has always been a favorite with my husband, and for a while I walked around with the mistaken belief that it had something to do with the way I look! Turns out, it has more to do with how fast I can be ready to head out the door.

Much as I hate accepting that he’s right about anything, the lazy side of me has to agree with him on this one. 😛 It’s not every day that I have passably clear skin, but on days that I do, this is my go-to makeup.

First, I dab some corrector/concealer on my dark circles to make them a little less scary. Then, I use a tinted moisturizer with sunscreen in it, and apply foundation only to my problem areas. I wait a few minutes for that to set, and then blot with a tissue to remove any excess. I finish with a powder to set — only on the shiny areas that need it the most, like around my nose and chin.

Next, I dust on a matte brown eyeshadow, a black liner for tightlining (I lift the upper eyelid slightly to help with the lining), and a dark mascara to brighten the eyes.

That’s it! All done — well, almost. Rather than using a bronzer, I prefer peach-coral blushes that give a natural flush of colour with a hint of summer tan. And a dab of coral or pink lipgloss.

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About the Author
The following guest post was written by Sunny of Mostly Sunny blog. You can also find Sunny on Twitter and Facebook.

Do you remember your first pieces of makeup? I do. I remember one of them. It was a Maybelline trio with three matte neutral shades in it, and I got it when I was a freshman at university.

That’s really when I started venturing into makeup, and my friends had some very good advice: “Just use something that doesn’t scream ‘color’ but gives your eyes some dimension.”

If I remember it right, that trio was roughly the equivalent of Urban Decay Foxy, Naked, and Buck.

Now, don’t get me wrong. Even professional makeup artists would tell you not to underestimate the power of good neutrals, and I remain a fan of them to this day, but what if you’ve been dabbling in the neutral waters for a while and feel like making a colorful change?

You may not feel comfortable leaping from Naked palettes to peacock colors and mermaid eyes right away. So what can you do to make the transition a little easier?

Below are a few tips to help beginners ease their way into the fantastic world of color! 🙂

Products mentioned today

Tip 1: Try a colorful eyeliner on your lower lash line

Products: MAC Macroviolet, UD Rockstar, UD Ransom, UD Mildew, UD Stash, Eyeko Skinny Eyeliner in Emerald Green

From left to right: MAC Macroviolet, UD Rockstar, UD Ransom, UD Mildew, UD Stash, Eyeko Skinny Eyeliner in Emerald Green

If you feel like keeping most of your eyes neutral, a pop of color along your lower lash line is one easy way to spice things up. You can even go over the eyeliner with a neutral eyeshadow to bring the intensity down a notch.

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