Guest Post: Eye Look featuring MAC Star Violet Eyeshadow.

Guest Post Written by Ashley

Today the lovely Ashley of Beauty-Twist shares us a gorgeous eye look focusing on MAC Star Violet, a pinky-brown plum veluxe pearl eyeshadow that will compliment all eye colors.

MAC Star Violet Eyeshadow

I'm really loving purple toned eyeshadows at the moment and as I was swatching shades during my latest trip to MAC, I spotted Star Violet, a gorgeous pinky-brown plum with a veluxe pearl finish. This purple-burgundy shade blends like a dream and pairs beautifully with golds and browns. Star Violet is highly pigmented, extremely smooth and velvety, and has a slightly metallic sheen. I find that it performs best when blended into the crease and on the outer-v of the eye.

I only recently began wearing purple on my lids and wish I would have started doing so much sooner! Shades within the purple family are a great compliment for all eye colors and really make the eyes pop!

*Follow these steps for a gorgeous eye featuring Star Violet*

1. Using a flat eyeshadow brush, apply Maybelline Color Tattoo cream shadow in Bad to The Bronze onto the lids. Blend the shadow upwards and stop at the eye's crease. Use an eyeliner brush and apply to the lower lash line.

2. Apply a gold shadow to the inner corners and first 1/3 of the eyelid. (I used Urban Decay's Half Baked but you may use any gold shadow that you have on hand.)

3. Next, apply Star Violet to the outer-v of the eye and blend into the crease. Be sure to buff out and harsh edges for a soft, smoky effect.

4. Finish of the look with liquid liner and 2 coats of mascara.

Review: Hollywood Fashion Tape!

Hollywood Fashion Tape 

Hollywood Fashion Tape is a double-stick tape that can be used on the body and/or clothing. It's said to be gentle on the skin, hypoallergenic and will not leave a sticky residue behind.

When I was working in the office, safety pins were my best friend for covering up any cleavage that my dress shirts may expose. It was probably the most annoying thing in the world to be running out the door to work, realizing that my shirt may be too low-cut, or the slit in my skirt may come up too high. I'd be fumbling at each stop light, wishing to get stuck by a train - but it always seems like when you want a red light, you get nothing but green, right? Anyway, I'd be pricking myself with the pin all the way up the stairs before reaching the office, only to have a visible metal pin showing from my neckline. Whatever. It was better than being "Chesty McChesterson" at the front desk. I tried a couple of double-stick tapes, but they weren't sticky enough and didn't do the job - especially when I had a tight fitting shirt (I needed something more like crazy glue to keep them shut.)

The tape is pretty versatile and you can use it in so many different ways. Aside from your neckline, you can use it to cover up the gaps between buttons on a dress shirt, to hold your bra straps in place, to keep your loose fitting blouse from falling off your shoulders or to temporarily fold over/under your pants that are too long (temporary hem).

The tape is really easy to use. For a quick fixer like the images below, you won't need the full piece of tape. Just snip it in half and peel off the backing. Then, place it on the fabric that is hidden once your shirt is buttoned. *Try your best to place it in the correct spot without having the tape exposed, to avoid removing the tape and trying again, as it may lose some of it's stickiness and become less effective. Remove the remaining backing. Line up the fabric that will lay on top of the tape directly above the tape (so it's not touching) to make sure you're laying it straight. Holding the fabric taut, place it on the tape and press firmly.

READ MORE FOR ADDITIONAL PHOTOS!

Wet n Wild Within These Adobe Walls Megashield Lip Color Review, Photos and Swatches!

Wet n Wild #372S Within These Adobe Walls Megashield Lip Color SPF15 

Wet n Wild released a new line of lipsticks to their permanent range this past January called the Megashine Lip Color with a SPF of 15.

These lipsticks are promised to deliver sheer to moderate coverage and comfortable wear, while keeping the lips moisturized with it's buttery soft texture. (Contains: Vitamin E, Amino Acids, Avocado Oil, and Rice Bran Oil.)

There are fourteen (14) shades in the line-up: #360S Birthday Suit, #361S Peachy Keen, #362S Make Me Blush, #363S Arrest Me Copper, #364S Bare-ly Legal, #365S Ring Around The Rosy, #366S Pink Slip, #367S A Currant Affair, #368S That's Berry Beautiful, #369S Salsa Lessons, #370S Lolly Popstar, #371S It's A Girl, #372S Within These Adobe Walls and #373S Pink Cham-pagne.

I don't know if it was the dim lighting of my CVS, but none of the shades really appealed to my personal taste. Several of the shades have a frosty finish to them, and frost just isn't my thing.

I did manage to find a shade that I thought would be suitable for daily wear - Within These Adobe Walls, a warm, coral-pink. There is no shimmer or frost, just a lovely cream formula.

Wet n Wild #372S Within These Adobe Walls Megashield Lip Color SPF15 

Glass Nail Files by Mont Bleu.

I've ditched using a standard nail file for the past year or so, and switched over to glass files. Although I'm no professional, I've gathered a few nailcare tips from nail bloggers and beauty communities along my blogging journey that seem to know a lot about nails.

When picking a nail file, I always pick a really fine grain in order to avoid damaging my nails. I use to have a really big problem with my nails splitting/peeling - realizing later that it was due to the pure acetone nail polish remover I was using a couple times a week. A blogger recommended looking into a glass file to avoid any further splitting of my nails, so I purchased a glass nail file from Sally's Beauty Supply and have been using it ever since. Metal files and emery boards can sometimes be too rough on the nails, especially if they are brittle already. Glass nail files are very gentle on the nails and yield a very smooth result. 

Glass nail files are also very easy to clean, and will last for years. You may pay a few dollars more for one, but it's worth the investment. 

To clean a glass file, simply run it under water. 

Unfortunately glass files aren't as widely available as emery boards and steel files are, and the ones that are available usually aren't very cute or trendy.

I recently discovered Mont Bleu, and was given the opportunity to try a couple of their files. Mont Bleu is a Czech based company that specializes in the making of Glass Nail Files, that are hand decorated with Swarovski crystals and/or unique patterns & designs, delivering quality products worldwide. Although their main product is glass nail files, they also have a selection of other accessories including: glass foot files, tweezers, compact mirrors, costume jewelry, manicure sets and more.

Their files come in a velvet sleeve (not pictured) which is perfect for traveling and to prevent any damage to your nail file. Because it's glass, if you drop it on a hard surface, it can break, so keeping it in the protective sleeve will protect it.

Mont Bleu has a ton of different designs, and they actually use Swarovski crystals, as opposed to cheap, plastic rhinestones. I'm really enjoying my mini file, and keep it stored in the pocket of my handbag.

They are also very affordable at around $7-14 each. To view all of the designs, check out their website at http://www.design-glassware.com/1-home.

Cheryl also posted a review for Mont Bleu recently, click the image below to be redirected to her page.

Disclaimer: This post contains a product sample provided by the manufacturer for consideration. All opinions expressed in this post are my own, and reflect my honest opinion based on my personal experience with using this product.