Hailey's Helpful Hints

  Now that school supply shopping for the kids is over, it's time to shift gears away from crayons and make ourselves a priority. If you’re ready for a new look, the beauty trends seen on the fall 2013 runways are full of wearable inspiration. Here are the essential makeup items for the coming season: - Oxblood Lipstick - A little bit ’90s, a little bit bad- ass, and a lot chic. Stay-put tip: An invisible lip liner is an absolute must for keeping this color where it belongs. Try: Forever 21 Creme Lipstick in Burgundy, $3.80, forever21.com ; Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipstick in Burgundy Shine, $7.29, walgreens.com ; Kat Von D Painted Love Lipstick in Rosary, $19, sephora.com . - Matte Nail Polish - Matte nails were everywhere at the fall fashion shows, and if all the recent matte polish and topcoat launches are any indication, we’re going to be seeing a lot less shine this season. Choose a matte topcoat rather than buying new matte polish as an economical way to transfo...

  I was fed up. And I mean FED up with my cosmetic brushes. They were MAC. And always shedding. Anyone else annoyed with loose bristles stuck to your face? If so - you need to check out Ecotools make-up brushes. Getting gorgeous, going green, and giving back is what Ecotools is all about! I am smitten over their Domed Bronzer Brush . Super dense. Never sheds. Incredibly soft. Totally affordable. I got mine for under $10 and now after using it, I would have easily paid 3 times as much seeing how flawless it applies the powder. And did I mention - it NEVER sheds!! And all their brushes are environmentally friendly, 100% Cruelty-Free, 100% vegan, made of bamboo + recycled aluminum. They have an entire line of beauty products not just brushes; eyelashes, bath products, cosmetic bags. Make sure to check out their 6 piece starter kit for $12.99 that was awarded one of 'In Style's' 2013 Best Beauty Buys. You can find Ecotools at Target , Walmart,...

No time to shop? Stumped on what to give a girlfriend that has everything? Give the gift of a re-occuring monthly box of high-end assorted cosmetics. Truly the gift that keeps on giving. For only $10-$21 per month (you can pick how many months you want the box delievered), the recipient will be able to try out in-demand, luxe skin creams, perfumes, makeup, and hair products. Here are a few beauty bento boxes to consider: Birchbox : Sidestep dissapointment by testing trial-size luxe beauty supplies that have receieved numerous thumbs-up. My favorite option from the list. $10/month. www.birchbox.com   Myglam : Not only does myglam offer it's four or five monthly samples in full or deluxe sizes, it also includes a cute makeup bag with every package. The website offers makeup tutorials too. $10/month. www.myglam.com Beautyarmy : This sampling program recommends makeup, fragrances, and more based on feedback from customer questionnaires. You can take user's advice or sel...

Step away from the oven and give yourself 20 minutes to make yourself look fall and festive with this BRONZY SMOKY EYE look on Thanksgiving Day: Here's how:   1. Start out with a bit of foundation on the eyelids and set with loose powder. This will give your lids the perfect base to apply shadows and blend them flawlessly. 2. Take a medium to dark shimmery shade of either copper, bronze or slate and apply all over the lids up to the crease. Try MAC PRO Reflects in Antique Gold . 3. Using a clean soft brush, blend that out towards the temples. I like to blend up as well for a great smokey cat eye. Line all along the upper lash line with a black pencil and go thicker with the line towards the outer corners. 4 . Using a small brush or Q-Tip, blend the top line a bit so that the liner blends into the shadow on the lid. 5. Curl lashes and apply a couple of coats of mascara. Try Lancome's Hypnose Drama mascara for great volume and length. 6. Clean off the under eye a...

Move over, eye shadow, and step aside, lipstick; there’s a new must-have beauty product this fall - dark and dramatic nail polish. With a new season, comes new colors and with fall upon us, it's time to shake up your roster of go-to nail polish colors. You don't necessarily have to say bye-bye to those bright summer hues, but fall’s hottest nail ideas will definitely have you rethinking a shade or two. While these aren't all of fall's latest nail color trends, these are my top three that I'll be sure to try:     | GREY |    China Glaze, Concrete Catwalk, $6 I love that grey is sticking around, and I'm not talking Fifty Shades of Grey. Consider concrete grey your new favorite neutral. Although it’s more eye-catching than nude or white, it won’t interfere with your everyday style.     | CHOCOLATE BROWN |     Laura Mercier, Cocoa Suede, $18 Could brown become the new black? Try this shade with gold rin...

Found this fab find at Target and it's honestly the most TANtastic powder I've worn in a long time. Although Milani carries several shades of this Multitasker Face Powder , I use it specifically as a bronzing powder. Why do I love it so much? It's a multi-purpose face powder with light to medium coverage so it covers what I need without feeling heavy and caked with makeup. It provides a natural matte finish without any discoball shimmer. I've found it evens out my skin tone from the sun spots on my lower jawbone and aborbs excess oil to reduce any shine. It lasts for hours and alittle goes a long way. For an extreme multitasker like myself, this product, and it's price, lives up to my standards. The color I wear: Medium Tan - 06.  Available at Target for a whopping $5.99. See what others are saying about this product HERE .

Between now and the holidays you might feel more inclined to save magazines to be inspired, discover new trends and find the latest fab products. But I have a better idea - download the no-fee Google Catalogs app to your iPad or Android tablet device and say goodbye to piles of clutter while making catalog shopping more engaging, social and creative. The Google Catalogs app features digital versions of catalogs across many popular categories, including fashion and apparel, beauty, jewelry, home, kids and gifts. They’ve partnered with a variety of top brands including Anthropologie , Bare Escentuals , Bergdorf Goodman , Bloomingdale's , Crate and Barrel , L.L. Bean , Lands’ End , Macy’s , Neiman Marcus , Nordstrom , Pottery Barn , Saks Fifth Avenue , Sephora , Sundance Catalog , Tea Collection , Urban Outfitters and Williams-Sonoma , just to name a few of the over 400 catalogs. In addition they have over 100 top brands including; Barneys , Tory Burch and Trina Turk (Fashi...

I'm a big eyelash fan. Never really gotten into the  fake lashes  thing though. After all, I am a mom and as much as my husband would like me to wear wedges and lash extensions as my everyday attire, it's just ain't gonna happen. As all you faithful followers know, if there's one thing I'll put on before running out the door, it's mascara . There is something about knock-out eyelashes that can be a game-changer in how you look & feel. For me, it's my attempt to look glamorous in my running shoes and braids. Sadly, however, not all of us are naturally blessed with Kardashian-like eyelashes, but know this: There’s a fine line between long, lush lashes and Tammy Faye Baker–ville. The Solution: First, toss out your mascara - it’s probably far too old. Next, gently clamp your lashes with a baby wipe between your forefinger and thumb, and pull lashes all the way through to remove any excess formula. Then put a little Vaseline on your fingertips and lightly run...

STREAMLINE YOUR MAKEUP. If your mornings are a race against the clock, give yourself an edge by corralling your toiletries in the smartest possible way. Conquering your cosmetic clutter not only will save you time, but is also the easiest way to start making your looks a priority. Once you downsize to what you actually use - and use it - you will be looking pretty in more ways than one. So to streamline your makeup, you need to separate your necessities from your nonessentials. Here's some tips how: 1) Designate a spot for your "5-minute face" - aka whatever products you use every morning to get you out the door. A drawer with dividers or a box lets you see everything you need. The goal is to not be digging around for the essentials. If you're tight on space, a makeup bag works too. Especially if you travel a lot or are on the go. 2) Part with the 10th place lipstick. The rest of your makeup (if you're the most of us) needs a serious purge. Dump what's expi...

Have a few holiday parties on the calendar in the coming weeks? Feeling pressure to look holiday fab? I sure am even though I'm learning in my wise old age that no one really cares - or remembers. But it's the holidays. It's a time to do up your 'do, slip on a sequins dress and dust off those high heels you haven't seen since you had kids. Not sure about you but when it comes to stepping out of my day-to-day make-up and hair routine (aka -- pony tail, mascara and a dusting of bronzer) I go absolutely brain dead. So when I saw this Glamour tip come to my email this week, it was like God was telling me, "Hailey, DO THIS. Don't spend all week stressing about how you're going to spice it up. Just do this." If you too are looking for a quick and easy way to take your look from drab to fab, DO THIS: 1) Line under your eye with black eyeliner pencil. 2) Swipe your upper lids with a liquid eyeliner. 3) Apply a gray shadow over the top to soften the dark bl...

The product: L'Oreal Studio Secrets Professional "One Sweep Eyeshadow" The concept: Three shades of contrasting eyeshadow and a one sweep brush for application to create an easy, simple, fuss-free eyeshadow look! It’s basically a single contrasting shadow look in a single compact sans the need of major skills for application. I think L’ Oreal had in mind that this would appeal to a market that isn ’t quite sure of proper application but still wanting a fabulous eyeshadow look. Granted, not everyone can blend well, apply eyeshadow, and create an overall fantastic eye look (I know I can’t) and the idea behind this was to make it happen with as little fuss and application know how as possible. How does it work? Pretty simple. L’ Oreal provides you with a large curved sponge applicator. The sponge is designed in a way that it’s supposed to mimic the curve of your lid and eye area. You simply swipe the applicator onto all three shadows (upwards for your left eye and down...

Walking through Nordstrom, I laid eyes on a fall makeup palette that I will be splurging on. Did I really just say fall? Sadly yes. The makeup and fashion world already have their sights set on the season of autumn leaves and pumpkin pie. From Ms. Bobbi Brown, the mistress of muted makeup, comes the new eight-piece Fall 2011 Tortoise Shell Collection with colors that look like they’ll be perfect to wear with cozy sweaters, tweed blazers, corduroy pants and knee-highs. Yep, we’re talking fall. Inspired by her own tortoise shell glasses frames, Bobbi Brown has created this new Tortoise Shell Collection to complement glasses, not compete with them. I personally only wear my glasses when I'm sitting in my jammies feeding my reality show addiction, but I can see my self wearing the shades of bronze, gold and espresso. Brown's two palettes serve up a mix of can't-fail neutrals and metallics that keep the focus on your eyes while still complementing your frames. And with a classic...

Wrinkles. Puffy eyes. Discoloration. Dark circles. As a woman, it's inevitable that you'll be plagued with one, if not all, throughout the aging process. Having been asked multiple times about the best eye creams to tackle such problems, I'm always on the look-out for the best, inexpensive products that can help my readers. This is one I'm pretty excited to share with you. It's not necessarily new on the market, it's just one that I recently spotted that might be the answer to your imperfections and help cut your cabinet clutter in half. Let's admit it: We’re all guilty of having too many products. It’s hard to resist trying something new and before you know it, you have product overload. Summertime is a time for lightening up, so why not take the time to simplify your routine? Multitask the fight against aging on multiple fronts with Olay Total Effects 7-in-1 Anti-Aging Daily Moisturizer . Dark circles, fine lines, puffy eyes, loss of firmness, uneven tex...

Awhile back a faithful reader Lisa asked about the best under eye dark circle cream . Now I've been asked about the best eye wrinkle cream. Sorry Christy it's taken me so long. Ok so we've all heard the claims: "Younger-looking eyes in just 24 hours" (Avon Anew Rejuvenate), a "brighter, vibrant, refreshed" eye area (Clinique Repairwear). Americans must really want these boasts to be true since it's said that we spend more than a billion dollars a year on wrinkle removers. Based on the research I did, I'm not going to tell you not to waste your money as there are some that are worth trying but just don't expect them to turn the clock back to your dewy-skinned youth. There were several studies done that revealed that after testing various creams; 1) results varied and 2) changes were minor. Products tested reduced wrinkle length or depth for at least some people and did nothing for others. Even among the best-performing products, wrinkle reduct...

OMG. Carve out 15 minutes in your day to try out this new virtual makeover tool on Real Simple's website. Actually let's be realistic, don't dabble on this site unless you have a good 30 minutes. You'll get suckered in. Trust me. This is a free interactive tool that allows you to upload a photo of yourself and "try on" several different hairstyles and colors from short to long, curly to straight, black to blonde. It's so fun to see if that style you've always wondered about would actually look good on you. In addition to hair, you can try different shades of makeup on your eyes, lips, and cheeks. Once you find a color that suits you, it will list the brand, color and price of what you chose. You can save it to your "favorites" or you can click and buy right there. Talk about amazing! Click here to get started. I'm addicted. Are you?? BEFORE & AFTER If you can't view the after picture, click on this URL: http://www.taaz.com/user_i...

When it comes to finding the ultimate long-lasting, color building, eyeshadow that can work alone or as a base, it can be rather complex. Why? Because, there are so many eyeshadow products marketed to a standard, that simply make many promises they cannot keep nor they just cannot live up to. Christian Dior's Eye Show is different. I became hooked on this product after being stopped in my tracks by the sales women behind the Dior makeup counter at Nordstrom . Her eye makeup was A- mazing so I stopped to ask if she'd give me a makeup tutorial. She explained to me that the secret to long-lasting eye shadow is to apply a base. So before applying any shadow, she coated my lids with the Eye Show's "Undressed Beige/#622," a neutral peachy/beige that can be worn alone or as a base. Instantly, I saw a difference. What sold me on this product is the soufflé texture that created a soft velvety powder effect on my lids. It acted as a color-building base as she applied it ...

Not too long ago I blogged about Spring's IT colors . There's no denying that this spring and summer is all about vibrant, bold, playful, and for some of you, daring, color. Makeup trends change directly proportional with fashion trends as makeup helps complete the look of any outfit, so keeping up with the latest makeup trends is as equally as important as keeping up with fashion. Choosing to be diverse with your makeup can help you constantly change up your look to still suit your personality as well as style. Because in order to match your makeup to your stylish new spring/summer 2011 wardrobe you need to know what's in and what's out, here are some of the most popular makeup trends from the spring/summer 2011 fashion podiums, so sneak-a-peek at the following hot looks: NATURAL MAKE-UP: It seems that makeup artists can't get enough of the natural. minimalistic look, as this type of makeup seems to maintain its popularity this season as well. Create a flawless ...