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! 

Fabulous handmade goodies found on Etsy

From ornate soaps and yummy body scrubs to chic bobby pins and headbands, Etsy has it all. It's an online community where people can buy and sell handmade or vintage items - and you must check it out, if you're not already hooked! Look at what I found: 

French chic set of 3 gold bobby pins - $9

My massive November 2010 haul!

Hey all! Tonight I recorded a haul video compiling all my recent hair and beauty product purchases, including everything I bought during Sephora's 2010 Friends and Family sale. I hope you enjoy the video and thanks so much for following Prettied Up!



Products discussed in this video include:
- DiorShow Iconic mascara
- Dior 5-Colour iridescent eyeshadow palette in Ready-to-Glow
- Clinique brush-on cream liner
- Sephora Collection face & eye travel tool kit
- Sephora Collection daily brush cleaner
- Shu Uenura sheer lacquer hairspray
- Tommy Hilfiger Loud perfume and colonge

Thanks again for watching and have a great weekend, lovelies!

I've fallen in love... with an eyeshadow palette

Earlier this month I mentioned I was planning to take advantage of Sephora's 2010 Friends & Family sale to purchase a Dior 5-Colour Eyeshadow palette but I was tossed up between a few different ones. I typically don't like to buy things online without trying them first, so today I headed over to Sephora to test out the Dior shadows.

Incidentally, there's a Sephora just blocks away from where I work -- talk about a blessing and a curse!

Anyway, as soon as I walked up to the Dior display, I zeroed in on the "Ready-to-Glow" palette.

The colors in this palette are simply gorgeous and I've completely fallen in love. I swatched them on my hand but unfortunately forgot to take a photo.

The shadows felt extremely silky and seemed highly pigmented and true to color. They are iridescent and shimmery but not glittery. When I get them I'll be sure to do a thorough post with swatches. I did snap a photo of the tester palette:

At $58, this palette is certainly pricey, even with the 20 percent off. However, I will be able to use these colors to create several different looks, so that justifies the price tag, right?

Meanwhile, I've also picked out a face and eye travel brush set as well as an anti-bacterial brush cleaning product that I plan to purchase. Oh, and I also need a new tube of Diorshow Iconic mascara. 

Have you taken advantage of the Friends & Family sale? It's only going on for a few more days! Click here to view my earlier post with all the information about the sale.