If you aren't using a highlighter, you really should try to! I think of highlighting powder as my 'secret weapon' in making my skin look luminous, as well as helping with contouring.

I just bought a brand new highlighting powder that I absolutely love. Like many Chanel products, this is limited edition, meaning once it's gone, it's gone. Boo! But until it's gone, I'll keep on loving it!

When I just went to search for the link for it - it's actually ALREADY out of stock on Chanel.com. So if you want this, you better hurry! I found it at Nordstrom (link below.)

So, the highlighting powder I'm currently obsessing over is (lets get all foreign language and fancy here) Chanel's POUDRE SIGNÉE DE CHANEL ILLUMINATING POWDER.

Aside from being one gaw-geous compact of makeup (Chanel really gets how important branding and packaging is, don't they?) this stuff is to. die. for.

A good highlighting powder is hard to find, and once you do find it, it's impossible to live without it.

Here's a few ways I use my highlighting powder!

1) Right under my brow bone.

2) On the tip of my nose.

3) On my chin and forehead.

I also use this right after I put my bronzer on to soften the lines of my bronzer a little before I put my blush on. When you combine bronzer + highlighter you can do some major contouring and in my case, I like to 'fake up' some cheekbones, and slim down my nose. When I talk about bronzers, all the pieces of the puzzle should come together. In the meantime, you could probably get a head start and pin that contouring picture of Kim Kardashian on Pinterest. :) I must see it a million times.

So I hope you'll find a highlighter you love and start using it. Get glowing! {So corny, I know.}

I used to sleep in my makeup every night. It didn't bother me and my skin didn't get angry. The only negative side effect was mascara on my pillowcases.

But, as time has gone on, I realize that the more makeup you wear, the less comfortable it is to sleep in.

I have to share my favorite eye makeup remover ever! This drugstore buy was recommended to me by my dermatologist and I can't rave about it enough! You simply *must* head to a Walgreens and grab a jar of this stuff: Albolene!

I have tried all kinds of ways to remove my makeup, most recently using these makeup wipes. Aside from taking FOREVER to get all the makeup off, the problem was, it felt like all I was doing was wiping, wiping, wiping this somewhat abrasive towelette on my face, and I just didn't like it. This past winter, turns out my eyelids didn't like it either and the skin right under my eyes revolted and got very dry.

Enter the dermatologist. Enter Albolene. Yippee!

When you open this jar (it only comes in a jar, so that's kinda old school in itself) you'll be looking a clear goop that resembles the consistency of Vaseline. As strange as it is, you take a little on your fingertips, close your eye, and rub it right on your eye makeup. It feels strange at first, and you won't be certain how this is going to work, but eventually you'll see that this goopy stuff is breaking down all of your eye makeup. The clear goop turns grey (hello mascara removal) and then...

Here's the really strange part...

You TISSUE this off. You don't even have to wash it! Your skin will feel really smooth and happy.

Enjoy! :)

Happy Monday to you all, and happy Makeup Monday :)

I think foundation is important... and necessary. Now, I'll go on to say that depending on your skin and your plans for the day, how much coverage you're wanting, etc., the amount of foundation and the type of foundation you need can vary. But I do believe you need to wear foundation. I think that the most important part of your makeup is how your actual skin looks - not your eyeshadow colors, lipstick colors, etc. If you start with your skin looking good, you'll be in a pretty good place.

For me, I need my foundation to even out my skin tone. My skin is very fair with red undertones. I'm the palest of pale... I wear the lightest shade in every foundation, powder, or concealer. To further complicate things, some makeup brands just don't make a shade that is light enough for me, so I have searched high and low to find the right shades.

My foundation of choice is Dior Diorskin Nude Skin-Glowing Makeup SPF 15. I've been using this for about a year now and I love it.

First, I love this because it has an SPF included in it. This is important for me as I am so fair, and I just refuse to accept any sun damage. In addition to the SPF in this (which is pretty low - 15) I also use a daily lotion on my face that contains SPF 30.

I also love that this foundation has a squirt top instead of one of those where you unscrew it and bang it on your hand until it comes out. It just makes life easier for me!

How I apply this:

I apply this using a makeup sponge. I like using a sponge because first, I hate getting makeup on my hands, and second, the sponge really helps with getting the coverage how I want.

So I usually squirt two pumps onto the sponge and that handles one side of my face, then another 2 pumps on the sponge handles the other side. I'm sure 1 pump would do the job too, but I actually like my foundation to be full coverage.

That brings me to another thing I love about this foundation! The coverage is build-able. Yippee! So whether you want full coverage (like me) or something a little more sheer, this works. To build the coverage I want, I pat the makeup on with a sponge rather than smear it on. This lets me gradually build the coverage as I want.

It's supposed to make your skin glow... but I don't know about that. I just like the way my skin looks - even and dewy. I also was told when I purchased that over time this would make your skin more hydrated and even. What I do like is that while I do end up with full coverage, I don't end up with a cakey mask on my face. It feels light and I feel like my skin can breathe.

While this is my favorite foundation now, prior to this I used Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua, which was much more like a tinted moisturizer. I still have a bottle of this in my bag and use it when I'm in a hurry. It might be great for you if you like less coverage.