Around this time last year, I didn’t think of myself as a coral blush-wearin’ kinda gal.  I owned a lot of pink shades and was perfectly content with my collection.

But something happened this spring, my favorite beauty brands turned out a ton of pretty coral blushes and I couldn’t help but have a change of heart.  Here are a few of my personal picks from recent collections that will transition you from spring to summer flawlessly.

From left to right, Smashbox Blush Rush in Masterpiece; Sally Hansen Natural Beauty Blush in Cherub; CHANEL Powder Blush in In Love; and Benefit Cosmetics’ CORALista.

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Happy Valentine’s Day to all my gorgeous ladies!

Whether your hitched or single, I hope you have a fabulous day surrounded by folks you love.  And if you’re still mulling over what looks to wear on this day, take a trip down memory lane with me to see my beauty look from last year before the Boyfriend and I went out for dinner.

You can never go wrong with a classic, brick red lippie like Lancôme’s P.S. Kiss.

Or if you’re looking for a sweeter more demure look, try my pretty in pink look from a couple of days ago with Sally Hansen’s Perfect Pink lipstick.

Whatever you’re doing or wearing today, I know you’ll be absolutely gorgeous. I hope you have a great day and enjoy the 3-day weekend!!

xo, Lilan

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner and I’ve been practicing a couple of different makeup looks to wear for a nice dinner in on Saturday.

This year it’s all about looking good without spending a ton and I found a few really great products that’ll do just the trick.

For this weekend, I think I’ve decided on a pretty pink pout with a soft dove gray eye.  All the products I used ring in at less than $15 each so that you can splurge on your honey’s Valentine’s Day gift instead.

For the face, try Neutrogena Mineral Sheers Liquid Makeup with SPF 20 ($14.99 US).  The formula is lightweight and offers good coverage but when I get that streaky texture caused by the built-in foundation brush, I find myself missing my regular foundation brush.  But when you find those 40% off sales like I did when I bought this, you might be able to see past it.

To create a soft gray smoky eye, I reached for a Tropez Sunrise to Sunset Eyeshadow palette in Silver ($3.99 US).  Keeping it light for the spring season, I opted to use the lightest three of the six ultra-pigmented shades – highlighting the brow bone with the lightest, applying the light gray to the inner half of my lids, and then using the mid-range gray on the outer half of my lid and into the crease.  Finally, I lined my eyes with the top-right charcoal gray for more dimension.

For my lashes, I used L’Oreal Double Extend Lash Extension Effect Mascara ($10.99 US).  The lure of this type of mascara for me is the basecoat with tiny fibers that latch onto my natural lashes to help create longer, thicker lashes.  While L’Oreal Double Extend coated my lashes nicely and kept its curl throughout the day, they also felt a little heavy and didn’t feel as naturally soft.

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It’s Friday night and I’m just at home chillin’.  I don’t feel much like watching television so I thought I’d play a game of “What’s In My Makeup Bag?” and started snapping pictures in my bedroom.

Here’s what’s in my new MAC Hello Kitty makeup bag:

- Sally Hansen Natural Beauty Eyeshadow Palettes in Storm and Earth
- Bobbi Brown Velvet Plum Eye Palette
- shu uemura Secret Luscious Rose Eye Eye Palette
- Bobbi Brown Gel Liners in Black Ink and Chocolate Shimmer Ink
- MAC Eye Pencil in Coffee
- L’Oreal True Match Concealer in Fair/Light
- shu uemura Eyelash Curler
- Jan Marini Mascara in Black
- MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Blonde
- Prescriptives Lip Liner in Almost Nude
- MAC Hello Kitty Lipstick in Fashion Mews

Okay, now it’s your turn – what’s currently in your makeup bag?  Anything fun?  Anything that’s in there that you actually don’t use but it’s just there?

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Today I’m feeling excited!

It’s my first day at a new part-time position in downtown San Francisco and I want to look (and feel!) amazing while still keeping my budget in mind until I land something full time.

As I head back into the workforce this morning after getting laid off last fall, I decided on a few goodies by Sally Hansen Natural Beauty Inspired by Carmindy.  Channeling my inner Recessionista, everything I used rang in at less than $11 per product.

Having never used Sally Hansen Natural Beauty makeup products before, I was surprised when I fell in love with everything!  Can I just tell you what an awesome value these are?

Starting with the Instant Definition Eye Shadow Palette ($7.99 US) in Storm.   This palettes comes with three beautifully milled and uber pigmented shades of gunmetal, soft ivory, and a shimmery grayish brown (very similar to MAC Satin Taupe that I love from their holiday palette).

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