Cosmetics Are a Girl's Best Friend

My first love is fashion, but since I was named the Beauty Editor of 101 Magazine, I've become increasingly infatuated with beauty as well.

It's funny that I love cosmetics so much now, because I don't ever really wear them! The only times that I wear makeup are on dates, girls nights out (but NEVER girls nights in), and on really special days at work. When I finally get an occasion that I deem special enough to wear makeup to, I usually make an event of it. I'll get in my silk robe, pull my hair back, and toil away for about an hour. The results are usually magnificent. Not to toot my own horn, but I'm pretty good with liquid liner and a kabuki brush (toot-toot!).

My cosmetics obsession really began last year when I was covering a story about BB cream for 101. At the end of my interview, I tried Smashbox's cream for myself, and I was hooked. Since that fateful day, my beauty bag has accumulated many products. Some of my favorites are NARS Powder in Albatross (highlighter for that Kim-K-sculpted-cheekbone look) and Maybelline's Great Lash Curve (which is the best mascara in the entire world, as far as I'm concerned, and it costs less than $10).

I use EcoTools brushes (less than $20 at Target) and a kabuki brush for blending my NYC matte bronzer in Sunny, my NARS highlighter, and my Bobbi Brown blush.

As far as my eye makeup goes, it's all about the cat eye. I love the retro look so much, that I've learned how to apply the cat eye with liquid liner (I use NYC liquid liner) for day and night. I outline my lid very closely and do a small wing for day, and for night I make the line a bit thicker, blend gold and brown shadow, and apply two coats of mascara (first with Great Lash Curved and then later with Great Lash Big).

Brows are crucial to sculpting a finished face. One of my favorite products, besides my Smashbox BB cream, is Benefit's Brow-Zings palette. It is a LIFEsaver. I'm telling you, a touch up of my brows can completely transform my face.

As any good makeup artist will tell you, the key to flawless makeup is good skin care. I take biotin and a multivitamin to make sure that my hair, skin, and nails are always looking healthy. I also use Clinique's skin care system and Proactiv's hydrating mask to ward off breakouts.

I've also accumulated a considerable amount of application technique during my quest for cosmetic perfection. One of the best ways to learn how to apply makeup is by watching the pros. For instance, I learned how to contour my face by watching Keeping Up With The Kardashians (the sisters are the queens of contouring) and RuPaul's Drag Race (these lovely ladies are the queens of, well, everything else!).

I find that some of my favorite makeup application tips come from women's magazine's like Glamour or from YouTube tutorials. My favorite tip for night-time makeup is to blend and "wing" a darker shadow to the down-turned edges of your brows for a more dramatic effect.

I expect my makeup and brush bags to get a lot bigger by the time my tenure as 101's Beauty Editor is over. I look forward to it!

Do you have any beauty regimens or makeup application techniques that you swear by? What's your favorite cosmetic product? Share the wealth! Leave me a comment!