Double Up

Ms. New Beauty is a pretty laid back kinda gal, but she takes a few things in life very seriously. Her hair. Her physical fitness. Her television. Now this last one tends to get a little more MNB effort than the others. When Ms. New Beauty falls for a show, she falls hard. She waits all week for the latest installment, cuts the cell phone and computer off when it starts, yells at the scream if need be, and then instantly pores over everything that happened once it goes off. All of this effort keeps MNB from committing to more than one show at a time and from auditioning new primetime regulars. But, since summer tends to be pretty slow with the TV offerings, MNB decided to take advantage of On Demand and catch up with a show that she'd heard was pretty good. From the first episode, Ms. New Beauty was loving Weeds. Over the course of the next few weeks, she caught herself up all the way through both seasons and was just salivating for the third season opener. Finally, Showtime advertised the season premier. And, instead of excitement, MNB's heart sank. The third season of Weeds is starting at the same time and night as the third season of The Hills! What a quandary, does she tune in to see what happens once Heidi moved in with her jerky boyfriend Spencer or does she watch to see whether Silas gets caught with $300,000 worth of MILF weed in his trunk???? What's a TV junkie to do? Set her Tivo to record The Hills, watch what happens on Weeds, and turn her focus to two beauty faves that only work better when used together and cause no anxiety.

M.A.C. 3D Glass in Boundless

If you've picked up any of the September issues of any magazine that even remotely deals with fashion or beauty, you've been beaten over the head with liquid eyeliner and red lipstick as the new looks for fall. But of course, neither of these products are easy to pull off on your first try, especially not the latter. Red lipstick requires lots of trial and testing, precision in application and meticulous maintenance to get the look right. Get a red that's too blue for your yellow undertones and you'll be left looking clownish about the mouth. Slap it on too fast and that imprecise line around your lips will make you look sloppy. And, the tendency to forget you have on such a "look-at-me" color on your mouth can lead to lipstick on the teeth, which is one of the 7 Seven Deadly Beauty Sins.

So my advice for those who are just venturing into Crimson Kisser territory is red lip gloss. Yes, it is shinier than the matte look all over ad campaigns and photo shoots, but it is much easier to apply and pull off than red lipstick. It is also the perfect first step to take on this trend to see if it is truly right for you.

The perfect red lip gloss for fall is from M.A.C.'s new limited edition 3D collection. When I first saw Boundless in the tube, I instantly thought this was a shade that I'd give to my mother, since she far prefers the deep, bold lip colors. But, I tried it on just to see what I'd be missing and instantly knew that this was one red I'd have to keep for myself. The color goes on sheer but doesn't disappear so it's still noticeable on your lips. A second coat gives the perfect shade of red to make a statement without screaming. The sheerness of the formula insures that it'll work with any complexion. And, even though it's a gloss, it's not so sticky, shiny and goopy like other glosses can be. It has just a hint of shine but still keeps the look simple.

$14, available at M.A.C. counters for a limited time


Maybelline Lineworks Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner

For some people, liquid eyeliner is scary. But for me, that was never the problem. I actually learned how to use eyeliner using a liquid formula. The pencils were always too hard for me to use. The only way I could get color to show up on me was by damn near stabbing myself with the pencil. So I naturally gravitated towards the liquid eyeliner because there was no stabbing involved.

Liquid eyeliner can be tricky and it was for me at first, but if you try some simple techniques, you'll have a gorgeous cat eye going in no time. First, stabilize your hand by resting your elbow on the table, vanity or sink where you put your makeup on. Then start close to your inner eye, right on top of your eyelashes and drag the line out. If you have too much wiggling and the line gets crooked, just take short strokes and connect each dash to the one before it. Finally, make sure that you keep the liner as close to your eyelashes as possible. Nothing is tackier than skin showing through between your lashes and liner. For a sexy little cat eye, extend the line up just a bit at the outer corner. But please do not go too far into Amy Winehouse territory! If the line is too dark, let it dry a few seconds and then smudge ever so slightly.

This liner is great because it has a soft felt tip applicator. It makes lining your eyes simple if you've ever been to kindergarten and played with crayola markers. Just follow my tips above and you will be a liquid line whiz in no time. Plus, it's waterproof so you don't have to worry about your eyeliner migrating during the day or not surviving a session of Steel Magnolias. Be careful though, Maybelline makes another liquid liner that is very similar to this one called Line Works Ultra. That formula has a brush applicator which makes applying it with precision tougher if you don't have a steady hand.

$7, available at drugstores.


Note - Both red lips and liquid liner are very attention grabbing beauty looks by themselves so wearing them together be overwhelming. Keep this look tame by skipping other color on your face. Even out your complexion or cover blemishes with foundation or concealer that matches your skin perfectly. Wear a nude eyeshadow if you must and keep your blush very, very subtle. Any other color on your face will take your makeup from Glamourous to Clownish is 60 seconds flat.


Double up on the glamour and on the good tv, but make sure you keep them both in check, and never forget that Ms. New Beauty told you!