Beauty Muse Daily Tip: Eyes First

Master your daily routine quickly and precisely with this simple trick: applying your eyeshadow before your foundation. "What?? Are they insane?" No, we are not insane and also know it sounds backwards but it actually does work to your benefit. As always, you should prime your lid with foundation/concealer first, but follow this step with your eyeshadow application vs. foundation. Often times, the castoff from the eyeshadow smears onto your foundation and leaves a residue that is difficult to clean up with foundation applied first, because the product has already spread. Around your eyes, use either a smaller foundation brush or a sponge to avoid smudging your eyeshadow, and to clean up excess shadow or fix any uneven lines. Once your eyes are finished, then you apply your foundation, concealer, powder, blush, etc. etc. Once you get the hang of it, you'll too realize this trick makes a whole-lotta difference.

BOWWOW! by Shu Uemura

What do you get when you mix an iconic beauty brand like Shu Uemura + Japanese pop artist Aya Takano? BOWWOW! Magic Queen Palette ($85, Holt Renfrew). (Check out their full colection online at shueumura.com) What is it anyway? A pressed eye shadow/cream eye shadow-liner/glow on blush, in which you can only bet the final result will fly off shelves before the blink of an eye (obviously embellished with a fabulous faux pair from Shu's collection). It is a warm-toned color palette for a peaceful holiday season--oh bah-humbug: we just love Christmas! "Feel relaxed, curled up in the magic queen's cozy home that is redolent with the fresh pine scent of her enormous Christmas tree filled with luxurious decor of silver, gold and bronze." This limited edition eye & cheek palette is complete with a mix of three pressed eyeshadows (silver, gold and bronze), one cream aqua-green cream colour eyeshadow/eye liner, a gold-iridescent cream highlighter and a peach-coloured blush, in addition to two applicator brushes. All of this gloriousness is jam packed into a bright pink compact, decorated with cherries, stars, hearts and a blue-haired, doe-eyed superwoman. We know what some of you may be thinking, with this kind of a treat, it must be Christmas already... (Check out their full colection online at shueumura.com)

Marley Approved: Vegan Makeup?

For all you vegans out there, you can now happily know there is make-up especially for you! "Vegan cosmetics are formulated without any ingredients derived from animal sources, including materials that come indirectly from an animal, like honey," explains Wende Zomnir, co-creator of Urban Decay Cosmetics (www.urbandecay.com). They are cruelty-free cosmetics, which are free of animal ingredients and testing. From eye shadows to pencils, from glitter to foundation, and from lashes to lip stuff: they've got everything covered! (For full details and lists of their animal-free products, be on the lookout for Marley's purple paw on their website, which certifies that the product is vegan).