Brown Girl Gumbo

Whether you have your brows plucked, tweezed or threaded, many women like to fill in their brows with a powder or pencil to create a polished look. We all know that brows help frame the face so having them well-groomed and shaped should be a part of every BG’s beauty regime. I like using Vanitymark’s brow powder in Choco Noir to add that extra “wow” to my brows.

Ideal for dark-haired beauties, this deep-brown shade provides a natural look that doesn’t look too harsh and blends in well with my brow hairs. Remember when choosing a powder, it’s best to get a shade a wee bit lighter than your hair color for the most natural look.

Available at www.vanitymark.com for $16

Do you use brow powders? One lucky reader will win a VanityMark brow powder ($16 value) in a shade of her choice. Simply leave a comment and a winner will be chosen randomly and announced tomorrow.

**UPDATE – The winner is Shawnta, congratulations!

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Carol’s Daughter is known for their fantastic bath & body products, but their lip glosses are just as fabulous! I’ve been on the hunt for the perfect pink lip gloss shade for months, if not years and their All Natural Candy Paint lip gloss in Razz-Berry Beret has been the answer to my pink lipped-prayers. It’s a universal pink that will complement all skin tones.

All Natural Candy Paint in Razz-Matazz available at www.carolsdaughter.com for $13.50

Staying true to the au naturel mantra that Carol’s Daughter touts, Candy Paint glosses are infused with natural moisturizing ingredients like grape seed oil, shea butter, aloe, etc., which helps repair lips while creating a beautiful shine. Plus, this luxurious gloss isn’t sticky like so many others.

Have you ever tried any of Carol’s Daughter lip glosses? If not, you should definitely give them a try!

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One of my absolute favorite celebrity makeup artists, Sam Fine, has worked his makeup magic again – this time on actress/comedienne Mo’Nique. In preparation for her L.A premiere of the much-buzzed-about movie, Precious, Mr. Fine gave her a gorgeous glow that complemented her beautifully beaded gold gown.

Sam working his magic on Mo’Nique before the premiere of Precious in L.A.

If you’d like to find out how to get Mo’Nique’s bronzed and beautiful look, follow these steps provided by Sam Fine himself:

Face: “The key here is to layer [subtle] your bronzer and blush until it looks like a sculpted version of you. After finishing her base, I used a dark hued bronzer from the CoverGirl Queen, and then layered it with the Iman Sheer Finishing Bronzer in Afterglow, which contains a bronzer, blush and highlighter trio.”

Eyes: “This is a bleached brow – and no it doesn’t match her hair! I did this to allow her brows and eyes to really pop and stand out – again this goes back to being part of the ‘carved out’ look, and just allowed her to glow even more. I lined her eyes, and then used a beige liner – not a white liner because that would create too much of a contrast – on the inner rim of her lower lash line. The beige liner is much more subtle than white but still opens up the eye area. I then used golden hues on her lids, like Stila Eyeshadow in Twig ($18), and Nars Eyeshadow in NightsStar ($22). Lashes are a must on the red carpet so of course I used false lashes! I fused her natural lashes and the falsies with L’Oréal Voluminous Mascara ($7.50) I finished the look by adding a touch of gold glitter on the inner corners of her eyes to offset her dress!”

Lips: “ I also used golden hues on the lips but took the same ‘layering’ approach like I did with the rest of the face. This means I used lip liner, lipstick and a golden gloss (try Dior Addict Ultra Gloss) to complete this look.”

For more detailed, step-by-step tips on how to create a winning look, be sure to pick up Sam Fine’s DVD, The Basics of Beauty available at www.amazon.com for $24.99

Do you like Mo’Nique’s look? Would you try this at home for a special night out/occasion?

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