Sadly my day job kept me away from fashion week this September. However thanks to the blogosphere, my PR contacts and all the streaming channels I was able to keep up from the comfort of my dual-monitored desk. (Multi-tasking FTW!) I noticed a few beauty trends that you don't have to wait until spring summer to rock. I also noticed one TERRIBLE trend that I urge you NEVER to try. (black sheep after the jump)

BEAUTY LOOK TO TRY 1: Nude eye with gold liner
Spotted: Jen Kao

I already wrote about the amazing manicures at Jen Kao, but equally gorge is the nude eye with gold liner. To achieve this look, start with a nude eye. Use a skin-tone long-wearing cream shadow with minimal shimmer. Set with nude powder. Then add the gold liner by either using a liner pencil such as Revlon HIP Gold Charge, or using a slightly damp liner brush, foil a gold eyeshadow or pigment and apply as if it was a liner. MAC Gold Pigment works well. Top with a coat of black mascara.

Photo courtousy of CND

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BEAUTY LOOK TO TRY 2: Neon Coral nails & flushed cheeks 
Spotted at: Wes Gordon

Coral is still going strong and thank the beauty gods because I LOVE IT! It's universally flattering and easily spans seasons. To achieve this look use a cream blush or cheek stain, like Stila Convertible color in Petunia 07. The nail color is beauty industry favorite CND, Poppyfield.

Photo coutosy of CND

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BEAUTY LOOK TO TRY 3:  Freckles 
Spotted at: Jeremy Scott
Ok so this one might be a little costume-y for most of you out there. However, as a freckled lady I love it! I think the big lesson here is not to cover or hide freckles and beauty marks that you may have. Own it!

To rock the mock-freckles, use a medium brown eye or lip liner pencil randomly place dots on your cheeks and nose where the sun would naturally hit your face. Think the same areas that you apply bronzer. Then dust with a little powder to diffuse and make them blends as if they were your own. Don't use an HD powder or a heavy-coverage mineral powder but something in the middle like a tinted powder or common translucent powder.

Photo via Racked by Anna Fischer for Racked.com

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BEAUTY LOOK TO TRY 4: Big Brows
Spotted at: Altuzarra

Thick, lush, brows Brooke Shields would be proud of made a huge comeback a few years ago and they're staying strong at least through next season. Put down those tweezers and go for a thicker, more youthful brow right now! If you're like me and suffer from weak-ass brow syndrome go ahead and load those babies out with some brow powder. I like NYX Hollywood Brows Brow Cake. Unlike the picture below, I suggest you go for a natural color that is a shade and is close or one shade lighter than your natural hair color. BLONDES LISTEN UP, your natural color was made for your skin tone, so embrace it on your face!

Photo cortousy of CND

Want to know the NEVER TRY beauty look?

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Galaxy nails are all the rage on the nail blogosphere. As much as I love layering, I have not been able to really master them. Mine always end up looking muddy and messy. (Let be honest, most of the people in that google image search have the same bad results.) I finally was able to fudge it a little by using a glittery color that I have had in my stash for about a year.

To get this week's nails I started with 2 coats of Zoya, Kelly, a cool-toned medium dark-grey. I then applied 2 coats of NYX NPG 162 Frizzy Spots, a black jelly base with large holographic hex glitters and itty bitty holographic hex glitters. I topped it all off with a few coats of Seche Vite, Fast Dry Top Coat. They're a little less galaxy and a little more stary night. Enjoy!

PS. The NYX color needs to go over a base color. On it's own it looks really weird. It works best over medium and dark colors. Not so much on light colors.

Anyone else excited for Men In Black 3?

This Look Lightbox Face Of The Day is from last week. I took the basic smokey eye and added a pop of color to change it up a bit. I also went a little nuts on my hair and did a fun do inspired by Alice+Olivia Spring 2011 done by Ric Pipino. Check the look HERE.

A backstage photo I snapped last sept for the hair inspiration:

Products used:

Dr. Jart+ Beauty Balm
Kryolan Dermacolor Concealer
Laura Mercier Undercover Pot Secret Concealer #2
YSL Palette Y Blush
Make Up For Ever HD powder

Urban Decay Primer Potion
MAC Blanc Type, Patina (my new favorite eyeshadow!)
INGLOT AMC 58 (grass green with gold shimmer), AMC 64 (black with mulitcolor shimmer) 
MAC Feline Eye Kohl (LE)
Bare Escentuals Volumizing Mascara
NYX Brow Cake, Blonde

I lost my list so I don't remember exactly what I am wearing on my lip. FAIL.

Most of us don't have unlimited beauty budget. We can't afford to go out an buy the entire MAC or NARS eyeshadow collection but we still want color options. NYX Ultra Pearl Mania's are a fantastic way to solve this problem. Now, they don't have the most interesting names but they are pretty accurate. I have listed all the color I own down below in color order, not number order. Additionally, I took an entire day and transfered them from the tiny little packages to a more accessible system of stacking screw-top containers that fit into a case. I purchased this case at Michael's for around $13. I believe it's well worth the time and money to do this because it makes them so much more accessible and you're able to see all of your colors at a glance.

If I were to add to the color range, I would add a deep forest green, maybe one cool-toned and one warm toned. I would also add a cool-toned medium/dark purple and blue. I would cut back the copper colored ones, since there are 3 very similar coppers (mink, oro, and orange). My very favorites include: walnut, grass pearl, lime pearl and purple pearl.

PROS:
good pigmentation
Wide color range
warm and cool tones

CONS:
all shades are shimmery
hard to find in retail locations
packaging is not easy to work with

Pricing:
I purchased every last one of mine on CherryCulture.com. They are currently on sale for $1.99, normally $2.50. Now's your time to snatch them up!

List of colors:

LP 13 Sky Pink Pearl
LP27 Very Pink Pearl
LP07 Fanta Pearl
LP22 Rust Pearl
LP24 Penny Pearl
LP08 Baby Blue Pearl
LP10 Ocean Blue Pearl
LP16 Space Pearl
LP14 Turquoise Pearl
LP28 Orange Zest Pearl
LP26 Yellow Pearl
LP17 Yellow Gold Pearl 
LP09 Lime Pearl
LP 25 Grass Pearl
LP30 Jade Pearl
LP02 Pearl
LP11 Baby Pink Pearl
LP15 Lilac Pearl
LP12 Purple Pearl
LP29 True Purple Pearl
LP19 Mink Pearl
LP21 Oro Pearl
LP18 Orange Pearl
LP Mocha Pearl
LP23 Walnut Pearl
LP03 White Pearl
LP01 Nude Pearl
LP04 Silver Pearl
LP05 Charcoal Pearl
LP06 Black Pearl

This morning I tweeted about feeling earthy today. The makeup I'm wearing is very earth inspired. I used warm, muted golds and green on the eyes, sun-kissed, pinky cheeks and full, glossy lips.

Products used:

Makeup Forever HD primer
Kryolan Dermacolor Concealer palette
E.L.F. Undereye concealer
MAC Mineralized Skinfinish Natural: Medium

MAC Mineralized Skinfinish: By Candlelight (LE)
Stila Convertible color: Petunia
E.L.F. Bronzer Blush duo (bronzer side only) 
NARS blush: Deep Throat

Urban Decay Primer Potion: original formula
MAC brow pencil: Dirty blonde 
MAC eyeshadow: Blanc Type, Evening Aura (LE), Crest the wave (LE), Sumptuous Olive 
MAC Pigment: Vanilla
MAC superslick liquid liner: Defiantly Feline
Sephora flashy liner: Flashy copper 
Cover Girl Lash blast: Very black

NYX lip liner: currant
NP SET lip gloss:  mauritius

Today's makeup is a grey/brown soft smoked eye, cool pink cheeks and a deep pink lip. The shirt I am wearing today has a TON of different colors, so I could match a little with out looking too matchy-matchy.

Products used:

Makeup Forever HD primer
Bobbi Brown BBU Palette (cream concealer + corrector + stick foundation) 
Makeup Forever HD setting powder

MAC blush Ombre: azalea blossom 
Benefit Hoola bronzer

MAC brow pencil: Dirty Blonde
Two Faced Shadow Insurance
INGLOT eyeshadow: 351 (matte), 501 (shimmer), 63 (AMC matte), 363 (matte)
MAC eye liner: Feline
Lancome Le Crayon Kohl waterproof pencil: Irreverent brun

NYX Lip Liner: Plush red
Kat Von D lipstick: backstage bambi

Today's look lightbox (do we like that name?) is inspired by summer sunsets. Its oranges and pinks on the eyes, pinky cheeks and coral/peach lips.

products used:

Make Up Fore Ever HD primer
Face Atelier Ultra Pro foundation: 2 and 3 mixed
Krylon Dermacolor concealer palette
Eve Pearl Salmon Concealer: light
Benefit: Hoola
Covergirl dream mousse blush 20 peach satin
MAC blush: style
Mac Mineralize blush : rhapsody in two (used as highlighter)

Urban Decay Primer Potion: original formula
Mac eyeshadow: ricepaper, orange (PRO), evening aura (LE), Blanc Type
Ben Nye matte eyeshadow: white
Mac pigment: brash and bold (LE)
NYX eyeshadow Trio: lake moss (used the plum color only)
MAC fluidline: blacktrack
Covergirl lashblast: Very black

Mac lipstick: made to order (LE)