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! 

A word to the wise....

Don't be like me a wrap the electrical cord around your flat iron while it's still hot. Or, you could end up with this problem...

And your flat iron will be...

Just a quick safety reminder for you all! Seems pretty obvious but it's an easy mistake, especially if you're rushing in the morning.

My boyfriend says it can be fixed with electrical tape but warned me not to use it until I put the tape on. Or else I could shock myself, which would definitely not be good. Maybe it's just time for a new flat iron...

Eyeshadow as face highlighter? It works!

Highlighter is one of those beauty products that, for some, may be thought of as optional. But us hard-core beauty junkies know that highlighter is essential for adding luminosity to the face.

You know how some people just have glowing look to their skin? Well, highlighter can help you achieve that look.

There are tons of different highlighters available in cream, powder and mousse formulas but today I want to talk about the most unlikely highlighter of them all: eyeshadow.

First, a little background. I was using Yves Sain Laurent's Touche Eclat luminizing pen until about a week ago when it ran out. The Touche Eclat product is great, but I really didn't feel like dropping $40 on another one.

Then one day as I was applying Lorac's Enlighten eyeshadow (left) - a shimmery pearl color -- along my brow bone I had a revelation: this eyeshadow can be used as a multi-purpose face highlighter! I cautiously dabbed my blush brush into the shadow and applied it to the top of my cheekbones and down the middle of my nose. The results were instantaneous: A glowing fresh-faced look!

You probably already have an eyeshadow in your collection that can be used as highlighter. Any shimmering white or off-white color can potentially be used.

If you're not sure where to apply highlighter, check out my handy diagram below.

Have you ever tried using eyeshadow as a face highlighter?

Video tutorial: How to curl your hair with a flat iron

With the holidays coming up, many of you will be going to parties, which is the perfect time to try out a cute new hairstyle. In this video tutorial, I demonstrate how to achieve the super curly, voluminous hairstyle pictured below using only a flat iron! It took me about 30 minutes to curl my hair like this -- much longer than it usually takes to style my hair -- but let's face it, sometimes a great hairstyle takes time.

I hope you enjoy the video! Let me know if you have any questions at all!

P.S. I first learned this curling technique from YouTuber Rosebud143. Click here to watch her video demonstrating the same curling method. 

Did you already know how to curl your hair this way? If not, do you think you will you give this technique a try?

A quick video tutorial on curling!

Hey loves! Thanks for checking in today to see what's new here on Prettied Up. I have a special surprise for you all!

I recorded a video tutorial on curling! After curling my hair every single day for many years, I have the technique down to a science. I find that a lot of my friends do not know the correct technique, and as a result, they think curling is an annoying, time-consuming task. It really only takes me about ten minutes to curl my whole head of hair and it's super easy.

Here's the secret -- the key to quick, easy and perfect curls is to curl from the top down not the bottom up!  I hope you enjoy the video!

Thanks for watching! Let me know if you have any questions at all.