Trend to try now: Bright colored eyeliner

Now that the weather is warming up, the makeup I've been wearing all winter long feels gloomy and boring. I've already ditched my dark nail polish hues in favor of fun spring shades, and now I'm ready to do the same with my makeup. One of the trends I'm loving right now is bright colored eyeliner.

Celebrities like Rihanna and Leighton Meester have wowed me in the past with daring jewel-toned eyeliner looks. Lately, though, the trend has also been gaining traction with the masses.

At a recent family barbecue my brother's incredibly stylish girlfriend was wearing the most eye-catching turquoise eyeliner. It looked so fresh and fun!

Shades of turquoise, electric blue, purple, green and bronze are lovely for spring and can really make your eyes pop.

When testing out this trend:

• Don't overdo it with eyeshadow! Bright blue eyeliner paired with bright blue shadow could easily get into 80's territory, and that is not what you want! For a more modern look, pair your bright eyeliner with neutral shadow.
• Experiment! Before investing in an expensive liner, test out different colors using drugstore brands, which sell a range of pretty eyeliner colors at affordable prices. 
• Try rimming your eyes all the way around with colored eyeliner then smudging it out for an updated smoky eye look. 

Last month at the Beautylish spring trend preview event I received an amazing gift bag containing, among many other products, Milani Liquif'eye eyeliner in "08 Blue." 

This smudge-proof eyeliner comes in a retractable applicator, meaning it never needs to be sharpened. It goes on incredibly smooth, without tugging on the eye at all, and is highly pigmented. I wore this eyeliner recently and got tons of compliments! It was a different look than I'm used to but I really liked it. 

If you're in the market for a colored eyeliner, here are some other great options:

1. Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil - $18

2. Revlon Grow Luscious Lash Liner - around $9
3. Sephora Collection Flashy Liner Waterproof - $8

What do you think of these shades? Do you ever wear colored eyeliner?

Getting to know... Celebrity makeup artist and YouTube beauty guru Kandee Johnson

I am so excited because today I have a special treat for all of you lovely Prettied Up readers. I was lucky enough to score an exclusive interview with celebrity makeup artist and You Tube beauty guru extraordinaire, Kandee Johnson!

She's done makeup for celebrities such as Janice Dickinson and Conan O'Brien and worked for big name television networks like MTV, CNN, and ABC but Kandee is probably best known for her insanely popular YouTube channel and beauty blog. With hundreds of thousands of YouTube subscribers and followers on Blogger, it's safe to say most of you already know and love Kandee.

I caught up with Kandee the other day to ask her some questions. Keep reading for our full interview.

How many lipsticks do you own? 5 gillion (ha ha ha) A ridiculous amount of nude shades!

Current favorite type of mascara: L'Oreal Double Extend Beauty Tubes (love it!)

Most essential makeup product: Oh golly. . . probably my Laura Mercier foundation. That and smolder eyeliner from MAC.

No. 1 beauty item on you’re currently lusting after: Oh man, I don't know. . . that's a tough one! Maybe some some Cle De Peau concealer (I've never tried it but everyone that uses it has raved about its amazing-ness!) ha ha ha

Biggest regret purchase: The Amazing concealer. I spend like $40 on it . . . and it was soooo not amazing! ha ha ha

First makeup memory: Either watching my little sister draw red lipstick on the underside of the dining room table . . . or staring with amazement at my moms makeup desk! ha ha ha

Thanks so much to Kandee for participating! I definitely have to try the Laura Mercier foundation and L'Oreal Double Extend Beauty Tubes mascara! Have you tried any of the products Kandee mentioned?

Five festive New Year's Eve makeup looks

Whether you're going to a casual house party or out to a fancy restaurant, here are five great makeup looks that will help you ring in the New Year gorgeously!

What are you doing for New Year's Eve? Will you try out any of these makeup looks? Which one is your favorite? I am going to try the Boho Chic look!

My major beauty gripe of the moment

Lately I have been trying to break a bad beauty habit I've had for a while: Tugging on my eyelid when applying eyeliner.

Everyone knows that it is much easier to apply eyeliner when tugging on the corner of the eye to make the skin taught. I have seen people doing this in many YouTube makeup tutorial videos, so I know the practice is widespread. Many popular beauty magazines and websites even advise this practice.

I am somewhat of a perfectionist when it comes to eyeliner and tugging on the corner of my eye helped me get the nice, straight line I desire.

However, I have recently been thinking a lot about the damage I have caused my eyes by tugging on them every day. Regularly pulling on the delicate skin around the eyes cases wrinkles.

So, I have been forcing myself to break this bad beauty habit -- but it has not been easy. It can be frustrating to train yourself to do something a different way. At times, my eyeliner has not looked as perfect as I would have liked, but I am getting better each day and I know I'll be happy with my decision to stop pulling on my eyelid in the long run.

I find that the easiest way to apply my eyeliner without pulling my eyelid is to first use an eyeliner pencil, then use (wet) eyeshadow to go over the line and smooth it out. I used this method to get a smoky eyeliner look seen below.

To get this eyeliner look, use a creamy black liner, such as Lorac's eyeliner pencil to carefully line the upper eyelid. Don't worry if it's not perfect because you will be going over the line with eyeshadow. Next, wet an eyeliner brush, such as the Smashbox double-eneded smudger brush with water and dip it into a wet/dry eyeshadow such as MAC's eyeshadow in "Carbon" (an intense matte black color). Use the wet eyeshadow to go over the line you made with the eyeliner pencil, smoothing out any imperfections. 

Repeat the steps above to line the lower lashline. The shadow will add a smoky look and help prevent the eyeliner from running. In the photo above, I have gone over the eyeliner along my lower eyelid with the steel gray eyeshadow from Dior's Ready to Glow Palette that I also used all over my top eyelid.  

Meanwhile, here are some extra tips for breaking this bad beauty habit:

• Experiment with different types of eyeliner (pencil, liquid and gel) to find the easiest one for you.
• When using an eyeliner pencil, ensure it is a creamy blend. I've heard Urban Decay's 24/7 glide on eye pencil is good. 
• Rest your elbow on a hard surface such as a table when applying the liner.
• Use short strokes and connect the lines. 
• Most importantly: Keep at it, and be patient. You will improve over time! 

If you absolutely must pull on your eyelid, try using your ring finger as opposed to your pointer, as some say this causes less damage to the skin. Others advocate using a q-tip to pull the skin, which can also help minimize damage. 

Do you pull the corner of your eye when applying liner? Do you have any tips for breaking this habit? If so, please share!