I love hanging out at the beach; it’s relaxing and fun, especially with friends.

I went last week when the weather was gorgeous in San Diego and now I can’t get the beach out of my head! Strolling along the shores and licking snow cones, how much better can it get?

After my little trip, I got back home and was inspired to start to experimenting with Milani Crystal Eyez Sparkling Eye Shadow in Stunning & Sparkly ($6.49 US), a bronze with gold glitter, because it reminded me so much of the warm beach sand.

This gel eyeshadow might appear scary with its intense glitter.  Start off by using small dots like I did and it’s just enough to add shine and glitz to the lid.

Sheered down, the deep bronze color disappears leaving just the gold glitter. Also, the gel base means no glitter fall out and lasting power. Perfect for layering!

Until I can get to the beach again, I’m looking forward to re-creating the below look which is inspired by the colors of the beach. The Milani Crystal Eyez represent the warm sand, and the Urban Decay Get Baked Palette (reviewed here) is the ocean blue!

These soft colors are supremely effortless, like mussed beach hair. Unfortunately, the Get Baked Palette was discontinued, but Flipside (right), a bright aqua and Half Baked (left), a metallic gold ($17 US) are still available in the permanent line.

To get this no-fuss look, pat Half Baked onto the lid and into the inner tear ducts after applying a primer. Dot the Milani Crystal Eyez onto the gold eyeshadow and gently pat it in. Smudge Flipside on the lower lash line and add a coat of waterproof mascara.

Paired with matching gold eyeshadow, the glitter is not tacky or overly dramatic at all. However, I want to maintain a casual look, so I decided against any blush and applied Benefit High Beam ($24) to my cheeks for shimmer.

Forgoing my normal glosses, I opted for a shimmery white lip balm to pale down my pigmented lips into a light pink color. I used a discontinued Body Shop Lip Butter, but I suggest The Body Shop Shea Lip Butter ($8 US) for similar results.

Are you a surfer, water skier, swimmer, or none of the above? What makeup do you wear to the beach if any?

This review contains a sample product sent for consideration by PR.   We do not do paid or guarantee reviews. For more information, please read our Editorial & Content Disclosure.

A big screen version of a childhood classic, Alice in Wonderland, opens in theaters today!  And so, I’ve decided to pull out my new Urban Decay Alice in Wonderland Book of Shadows and create a Face of the Day just for the occasion.

I dunno how they do it, but it always seems like Urban Decay knows how to create the mother of all palettes.  Remember their Ammo Eye Palette?  I created so many fun looks with that one!

Alice in Wonderland Book of Shadows ($52 US) is twice the size with some of the same colors (these shades are existing from UD, just re-named to fit the theme) and the combinations you can do with it is ENDLESS.. seriously.

Check out eyeshadow swatches from left to right – (top) Underland, Alice, Oraculum, Queen; (bottom) Chessur, White Rabbit, Wonderland, Curiouser

The top half of this Book of Shadows is certainly more colorful than the bottom half:

Row 1:
Underland a vivid purple
Alice cool, ice blue
Oraculum coppery bronze
Queen medium rose

Row 2:
Chessur cooler copper when compared to Oraculum
White Rabbit antique white with glitter (be careful of fallout)
Wonderland warm golden beige 
Curiouser cool lilac

From left to right – (top) Muchness, Mushroom, Midnight Tea Party, Vorpal; (bottom) Absolem, Drink Me Eat Me, Mad Hatter, Jabberwocky

I personally love the bottom half shades better as the 3rd row has these satiny finishes to their shadows that I find really enjoyable.

Row 3:
Muchness a pale pink with a golden woven in (reminds me of a favorite LORAC shade!)
Mushroom definitely a mushroomy taupe color with a fab sateen finish
Midnight Tea Party champagne beige
Vorpal a pewter gray

Row 4:
Absolem really pigmented emerald green with slightly gold finish
Drink Me Eat Me similar to Midnight Tea Party, a champagne beige with a pink hue
Mad Hatter a deep dark brown with a semi matte/satin finish
Jabberwocky a charcoal black with silver glitter flecks

Since I don’t own any of Urban Decay’s 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencils, I was happy that this Book of Shadows came with two – Zero (black) and Flipside (bright teal) as well as a mini tube of their famed Primer Potion.

With 16 eyeshadow shades, it was hard for me to decide what combination I would wear today.  I opted for an easy look with Mushroom on the outer V and Vorpal on the inner half of my lid as well as the inner, bottom corner.

To highlight my brow bone, I applied White Rabbit with a fluffy angled brush.

For an added spark, I smudged Underland onto my lower lash line and applied a dark brown liner to the water line to provide contrast so my eyes wouldn’t look red or pink.

I finished the look with a perfectly pink pout – CHANEL Rouge Coco in Mademoiselle and a little sheer pink gloss on top.

Have you picked up your Alice in Wonderland Book of Shadows yet (check ULTA!)? What combination would you wear to go see the movie this weekend?

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This review contains a sample product sent for consideration by PR.   We do not do paid or guarantee reviews. For more information, please read our Editorial & Content Disclosure.

Have you seen a rainbow yet this year? With all the rain we’ve been having the past couple of weeks, I got to see one. The array of colors cheered me up and were so pretty to look at even through a window after the gloomy rain.

I would have gone looking for the pot of gold too, if I had the time and a lucky leprechaun.

Now that the clouds have lifted, this week’s New in Beauty features colorful makeup and bright-scented products to keep you looking and feeling vivacious all day!

If you like pink, coral, plum, or amber, MAC Spring Colour Forecast Collection has you covered!  This huge collection of four mini collections features some insanely bright colors like MAC Eyeshadow ($14.50 US) in Hot Hot Hot. If you are bold and love experimenting, go for this bold coral hue!

I enjoy fuss-free showers but when it comes to moisturizing, I love the fun, scented stuff like Pacifica Tuscan Blood Orange Body Butter ($5 US)! The price for this product is a steal, not to mention the natural ingredients will moisturize winter skin in a flash. For an added bonus, sniff the fresh citrus scent to revive you from the winter.

Everyone has heard of the cult favorite Urban Decay Primer Potion, a neutral eye primer that stops creasing in its tracks. Now, welcome UDPP Eden ($18 US)! This matte yellow, nude shade is great for concealing the eyelid while prepping.  Multi-taskers everywhere, rejoice!

Isn’t the pop-out scrublet of the L’Oreal Go 360 Clean Deep Facial Cleanser ($6.99 US) adorable? With the promise of a deeper clean, this scrublet may be a drugstore dupe for the Clarisonic. It’s the scrublet that gets me excited, but I hear that the actual cleanser is excellent as well.

If you are hopelessly romantic, you will watch the new Dear John movie and try the Bath and Body Works P.S. I Love You Spring Fling Fragrance Mist ($12 US). Soft petals, sparkling water, fresh air, and fruity notes will capture your heart as much as Amanda Seyfried and Channing Tatum will on screen.

When you go out with your girlfriends to see Dear John, try this edgy, yet pretty, look. Just pat a silver eyeshadow onto the lid and sweep a medium purple color into the crease and outer V; check out the Stila Eyeshadow Trio in Afterhours ($20 US) for this.

Next, line your eyes with a purple eyeliner like The Body Shop Metallic Eye Definer in 14 Glowing Amethyst ($11 US) and smudge the purple shade from the Stila Trio onto your lower lash line. Finish with your favorite mascara.

What is your favorite color? Do you find that you own a lot of products in your favorite color?

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I read in a recent issue of Real Simple that women in the early 1900s never considered leaving the house without a matching coat, shoes, and handbag.  How improper that was! While we do not go to such extremes now, there’s still a level of harmony that’s maintained between fashion and beauty.

To help make your life easier, The Daily Cookie is putting together two nifty Valentine’s Day guides complete with fashion and makeup ideas to help you create a perfect date look.

For your casual night out, choose comfortable pieces and a classic beauty look that are slightly embellished for a little flair.

Get This Look:

Top, Forever 21 Whispy Rose Top ($17.80 US); Capri Pants, J. Crew Skimmer Pant ($69.50 US); Shoes, Forever 21 Stephanie Strappy Pump ($22.80); Necklace, Anthropologie The In-Crowd Necklace ($19.95 US).

Need a little extra figure boost?  Shapewear has always been a secret of celebrities, so why not take note and try some for your big day? My suggestion: Frederick’s of Hollywood Waist Control Long Short ($32 US). It will help any pant or capri fit smoothly to give you major confidence.

For a fun makeup idea to go with your top, coordinate a little bit of blue into our eye look without going overboard.  Put a twist on a classic with a blue smoky eye.

Try a pop of navy shadow on the lower lash line with a wash of neutral taupe and gold shadow on the lid. Begin with a primer, then pat on a gold shadow on the lid. I used Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion ($17 US) and Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Half Baked ($16 US).

Sweep a brown shadow, like Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Twice Baked ($16 US), into the crease and outer corners.

Line your lower lash line with CoverGirl Exact Eyelights Eye Brightening Eyeliner ($7 US) in Radiant Sapphire, a navy eyeliner, and smudge sparkly navy shadow on top.

Pull your look together with two coats of Benefit BadGal Lash Mascara ($19 US).

Finally, brush on a gold shimmer powder like TheBalm Mary-Lou Manizer ($24 US) for cheeks and smooth on clear gloss for lips to finish your look!

What are you planning on wearing for Valentines Day? Do you plan on matching your outfit to your makeup? What look would you create for the above outfit?

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Some of my favorite Valentine’s Day dates (or any kind of date for that matter) are the low-key ones where you just go out with your honey to do your favorite thing and have a good time while you’re at it.

Today’s date idea is the casual day or night out – a picnic and stroll in the park on a Sunday afternoon, a couple of hours at the bowling alley, or cozying up to each other at the movies.

For this kind of date, you don’t want to look overdone.  Aim for more of a comfortable beauty look but spark things up with some pretty accessories like jewelry and a colorful scarf.  Wear a cute top and throw on your favorite jeans for your fun day out.

For me, I start with my holy grail products I use every day so that I feel most comfortable but I throw in a little something extra, too, for the special occasion.

For lips, apply your MLBB (My lips but better) lipstick to subtly enhance. Try Urban Decay Lipstick ($22 US) in Jailbait, a nude sheer cream, or Hotpants, a medium pink with sheer shimmer.

Top it off with a high shine and yummy scented gloss like Philosophy Melon Daiquiri Lip Shine ($12 US).

For eyes, keep it soft by patting a chocolate brown eyeshadow on the lid and blending out with pink eyeshadow. Highlight the inner corners of your eyes with a cream shadow. Smashbox Eyeshadow Trio in Headshot ($28 US) is perfect for this look.

Then line your waterline and top lash line with a waterproof eyeliner to prevent smudging and apply mascara. For budget friendly picks, try Prestige Waterproof Eyeliner ($5.39 US) and Maybelline Lash Stiletto Voluptuous Mascara ($8.99 US).

Your beauty routine shouldn’t stop at the face. Give yourself glowing skin in the middle of winter with a safe, faux tan. Keep it natural and try a gradual self tanner to lightly warm up your skintone. My pick is Jergens Natural Glow Daily Moisturizer ($8.49 US).

Where are you going this Valentines Day? Which tips are helpful for you? Comment below!

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