I’ve always preferred individual lashes to strips because they tend to look more natural. These brilliant little clusters are so easy to work with, and three or four are really enough to make eyes pop. My go-to’s have always been these individual Ardell lashes—I’d use 6-8 per eye, requiring much precision. But these Kiss trio’s take me half the time because I need less and they’re easier to line up and apply overall.

As you know, I love me some fat lashes. These are so easy and pretty, not to mention inexpensive, you don’t need a special occasion to wear them.

P.S. My favorite mascaras.

Charlotte Tilbury, the celebrated U.K. makeup artist known for her singular artistry—which has graced virtually every magazine cover, runway show and celebrity face—has a cult makeup line that (finally) came to the U.S. this fall.

I’ve been more than a little obsessed with Charlotte Tilbury for a while now. Check out her videos and you’ll see why. She makes makeup artistry a science we can all learn and embraces its ability to empower women in such a fun, healthy way. AND, she’s built her glowing empire while being a devoted mom to her four-year old son and new baby.

I had some fun yesterday playing with her entire makeup line at Bergdorf Goodman. I haven’t been this impressed with a makeup line since my beloved Tom Ford cosmetics launched a few years ago. I bought everything, eyebrows to lips. There is a magical quality to her products that make you look fresh and glowy, particularly when you use her famous Magic Cream, which moisturizes and contains skin-plumping hyularonic acid,  followed by her inimitable Wonder Glow primer and Light Wonder foundation, (which is light but buildable). Tilbury’s easy-to-use face sculpting and highlighting kit adds depth and warmth and the most beautiful shimmer—that coveted twinkle on the cheeks of celebrities that, to me, always seemed so impossible to pull off. I’m equally obsessed with my new blush, aptly called Cheek to Chic Swish and Pop because it has a ring of a slightly shimmery color surrounding the deeper pop of color in the center. Lastly, I found my ideal nude-ish lip color with this Penelope lipstick and a bit of  this Seduction gloss on top, which gives lips a gorgeous three dimensional shine.

Oh, and I really dig Tilbury’s rose gold, slightly disco packaging.

Can you tell I’m in love?

Check out the entire Charlotte Tilbury line on her website. This is one of the most exciting, anticipated cosmetic launches in years. Please report back and tell me what you get! xx.

P.S. Tilbury also really won my heart with her social campaign, #MakeupYourDestiny, which celebrates makeup and how it can impact self-confidence. You can participate by creating a split screen image of your younger self with a current photo and tagging it #MakeupYourDestiny.

I’m headed to Florida for a few days to see my family and defrost my kids.

I actually grew up in Miami. But to be honest, I never liked the weather. I always felt like a creature out of my natural habitat with my big frizzy hair and pale skin. Don’t get me wrong, I like warm weather, I just like a more arid heat. It must be genetic or something. Because my people are from very cold places. Humidity makes all my five senses cringe. It puts me in a bad mood and my hair in a spiral.

Not this time.

This time I’m glossed and ready. Here’s my defense, head to toe.

Hair
I got a gloss and a blowout the day before my trip. Anyone can get a gloss, a subtle color gloss or a clear one. A gloss adds major shine and really clamps down the cuticle, which is key for blocking moisture.

Before my blowout, my stylist used this anti-frizz Kerastase spray I’ve heard great things about.

Body
I went in for a full-body St. Tropez self-tanning treatment the day before I left. I swear the layer of color gives me an added boost of sun protection under my SPF. Plus, I am less apt to scare people at the pool.

Face
I intend to use Bare Mineral makeup exclusively because I find it “sweats” well. Plus, it absorbs oil. Win-win since I tend to be both sweaty and oily in humidity.

At the end of the day, if all my defenses fail in the dampening powers of the weather, I’ll have my new favorite hat from Lola.

Whenever I have an evening event that might invite more dramatic makeup, I do two things to up my game: apply false lashes and use a foundation with more coverage than my favorite BB cream or more natural looking go-to Bare Minerals liquid or gel.

It’s usually my Tom Ford Traceless Foundation stick.

So last week when I had an actual gala to attend, I panicked when I discovered that my beloved Tom Ford was old and dry. And probably full of germs or microbes or whatever skeevy thing happens to makeup that’s been hanging around too long.

And then, in one of those rare moments when the world actually makes sense, I found myself in a Soul Cycle class (outside my usual schedule and location—totally in an effort to de-bloat for the defining dress I’d be wearing) taught by one of my favorite instructors, who also happens to be a fierce makeup artist.

When I asked Daniel after class what his favorite foundation for fuller coverage was, he did not hesitate. He even knew what color I’d wear—and we both knew Sephora was around the corner so giddiness ensued.

What struck me most about this Urban Decay Naked Skin liquid foundation is not it’s totally unreal texture, it’s truly buildable coverage or the fact that it’s loaded with peptides and antioxidants, among other stellar skin enhancers. What’s so striking about this truly weightless magic liquid is the light it lends to the skin. It  provides coverage but it also brightens with it’s unique light diffusing spheres. (Read: blurred lines. invisible pores.)

Actual luminosity.

LOVE. IT.

Love it more because it’s formulated without parabens, sulfates, synthetic fragrances, phthalates, GMOs or triclosan.

I had never even considered getting eyelash extensions. My natural lashes are not too shabby, actually. Especially with great mascara. But one day, I met my beautiful friend A. for lunch and she was all eyes: fluttery, feminine and fabulous. I had to have them. So, in the name of journalism and beauty research for mothers everywhere, I went to JJ Eyelashes in midtown Manhattan to get my fringe on.

The process for the initial set took a little under an hour. Clients lie down on a comfy little bed, and are given blankets and a complimentary ten minute foot massage (heaven). Eyes are gently taped closed while JJ’s exclusively trained aestheticians apply silk and mink lashes with surgical glue and meticulous hands, one by one. I think I actually fell asleep. When I sat up and opened my eyes, I was stunned at the result: natural, long and lush with not even one eyelash out place. I was instantly obsessed.

For over four months, I went back every week or two for a “refill,” which took about 40 minutes. Same bed, same foot massage and same gorgeous result every time. I don’t know how they do it. These women are artists.

The Lowdown: JJ Eyelashes offers ten different lengths of lashes with two different curls and thickness. There are three levels of lash sets, each set more dramatic as the number of lashes per eye goes up. I stuck with the most natural set, the Ruby, at 80 lashes per eye. I chose a round shape, also the most natural, with a mix of thick and thinner lashes. What I love about JJ Eyelashes is that they truly customize each eyelash set to each client.

The Pros: Eyelash extensions saved me time! No mascara necessary (or allowed). This saved me time in the morning as well as when I washed my face at night. I looked more awake and bright eyed with less makeup. I felt prettier.

The Cons: Maintenance, maintenance, maintenance! Some weeks my lashes lasted longer than others. I think it depended upon how my own eyelashes grew, how much I exercised/sweat and how careful I was when showering and rubbing my eyes. In general, the lashes have very good staying power but are susceptible to lifestyle. They must be handled with care.

I knew I would be taking a break from the lashes over the summer because I wouldn’t be in town to keep them up. The big question—and I think the big deterrent for many women to starting the lash process at all—is how much do the natural lashes suffer? I heard all the scary stories of women being left with hardly any lashes and I was pretty panicky when I went in for the removal. But I’m happy to report that my own lashes are well intact. They might be a little less full but there’s certainly not a devastating loss. I think the reality is that you get so used to the look of the extensions that your own lashes seem anemic by comparison and it takes some time to adjust to having a mere mortal’s flutter.

I definitely plan to resume my extensions in the fall.

Perk: If you’re in New York City, JJ Eyelashes is offering a 20% off an initial set to BeautyMama readers.

I can’t not take a quick swagger through the cosmetics aisle whenever I go to the drugstore. (This time, it was my local Duane Reade and I was on a run for swim diapers.)

I don’t know how I have missed this eyeliner in the past, what with it’s alluring chubbiness, conical shape and the word “smoldering” in its name. I mean, if I had to describe my soul-mate in eyeliner form, smoldering would definitely be attribute numero uno. My spiritual eye pencil match would also be deeply pigmented and smooth to apply, with the ability to smudge. And if it came with its own custom sharpener to maintain its perfect point and contoured shape that enables its stellar application, I think I might see stars.

And I did. For less than $9 at the drugstore.