Happy 40th Birthday Maybelline Great Lash Mascara

To celebrate the 40th anniversary of Great Lash Mascara, Maybelline has released a trio of limited edition versions designed by Max Azria, Vivienne Tam and Tracy Reese. I received the set in a gorgeous box, and the packaging is so cute.

The mascaras launched exclusively on Target.com today.

Designer collaborations make Eyeshadow Government feel happy.

BEAUTY TIPS

• To reduce smudging, apply Maybelline Great Lash mascara to your bottom lashes first, and then do your top lashes.  

• Also, when you do your makeup, you can apply mascara first, lipstick second and blush third. Black mascara adds instant drama, so you will find that you can wear a touch less blush or a more neutral lipstick than you would without it.

XOX,
Charlotte

Splendid Day by the Seaside

During the hottest weeks, wearing pounds of makeup is, for once, something that doesn't interest me.  Isn't there a cabana somewhere with my name on it? I'm off to the beach in an hour!

Dior Addict Lipstick in Granville.

To prep for my happy beach trip, I am going to slather on St. Tropez Everyday Gradual Tan for Body moisturizer ($30, Sephora) and waterproof sunblock. A salesperson at Sephora recommended the St. Tropez product. Perhaps he divined some snowy limbs were hiding underneath those black jeans? I suppose it doesn't take X-ray vision to guess my legs appear roughly as pale as ice cubes. Anyhoo, I should have begun applying the St. Tropez Gradual Tan moisturizer on Friday night. (Better late than never!)

Also, I am going to wear Chanel lipstick to the ocean, and no one can stop me. Another great lipstick to sport by the seaside: Dior Addict's Granville #621, in an enticing beige shade. If you have never heard of Granville, it's a French seaside town where the late couturier Christian Dior spent his childhood. Should you find yourself passing through the area, you could catch the exhibit "Dior, le Bal des Artistes" at his family home, now a museum, where there is also a lovely area to drink tea and look out onto the ocean.

XOXO,
Charlotte

Neutral Territory

Appear effortlessly cool in neutral tones. Wearing beige head-to-toe makes getting dressed and out the door easy as 1-2-3. It's impossible for your outfit to clash, and you will look pulled together without much fuss. Expect to be adored!

For makeup, you can fill in your eyelids with a sandy light brown or shell eyeshadow. Try mixing shades from Urban Decay's Naked palette.

Adore Suede Ankle Boots ($124), Topshop

T By Alexander Wang Scoop-neck Jersey Tank, The Outnet

Jersey maxi dress ($48), The Outnet

Urban Decay Naked Palette ($48), Sephora.

Confirmed! Go All Out!

Hello darlings,

So I just wanted to confirm (as promised) that the "Goya look" I mentioned yesterday is totally attainable and yes, it's a-okay to put pink powder all over your face.

I went to Sephora today to double-check my strong hunch that sweeping blush from your cheekbone down to your jawline and to your ear is cool.  (And I don't mean in an Eighties cool way, but in a genuinely pretty way.) The key is to choose a blendable, extremely sheer shade.  If you can find a color that is barely noticeable on your skin, then that's the right one.

Two products that I recommend are Smashbox Soft Lights in Prism ($28) and Benefit's Dandelion Face Powder ($28). You can dust the color all over, only leaving the area above your lip and nose bare. The look is angelic and beautiful. For a more pronounced effect, you can add a pinch of Smashbox blush in Heartbreak, which is a bit darker, or your regular favorite blush to the apples of your cheeks too.

Smashbox Soft Lights in Prism

Smashbox Blush in Heartbreak

Well, au revoir! Hope you're having a lovely week!