I looooove a smoky eye for day or night. I typically do a subtle smoky eye during the daytime, and then blend darker colors over my crease for night. Estée Lauder’s new ACT IV makeup collection by her great granddaughter; Danielle Lauder, is full of DREAMY products that are perfect for achieving a gorgeous daytime glow, or a more dramatic evening look. As an actress, Danielle is constantly in front of the camera so she KNOWS how important the right makeup is. Not only are the products aesthetically pleasing – I mean just look at this marble packaging (swoon!), but they also blend beautifully and come in stunning colors that look good on everyone. My Favorites from the Estee Lauder ACTIV Collection Cinemattic Complexion Liquid This is a light, translucent liquid that you put under your makeup. It completely smooths out your skin so it’s soft and velvety making it the ideal canvas for your foundation. Spotlight Highlighter You know I am obsessed with highlighter. Even on days when I don’t want to wear makeup, I still put a touch of highlighter down my nose and on my cheekbones – it makes you glow. This one is lovely and gives you a sun kissed glow. Party Puff Starlucent Filtered Powder My secret to not having a shiny forehead in photos is powder. Even if I’m not being photographed, I still like to put powder over my T-zone which is prone to getting oily. It sort of sets my makeup for the day, and just smooths everything out. At first I was scared that the coral color of this one would be too much, but it actually just gave me a pretty, rosy glow. I love that it made my makeup stay perfectly in tact ALL NIGHT. Best Picture Multi-Look Palette This palette comes with 4 colors; ivory, lavender, coral and charcoal. I used the ivory and charcoal to create my smoky eye and added extra charcoal in the crease at night for a more glam makeup look. Each one was blendable, and I loved that one some are matte and some are shimmery! Brushed by Fame Makeup Brush Kit I have been looking for a travel friendly, aesthetically pleasing makeup brush kit forever. This is legit the PERFECT one and comes in a luxurious satin travel case. Lip Duet Tint and Balm If you’ve been following me for a while, you know I am not a big lipstick wearer. They’re usually too matte or dry for me. Danielle came up with a solution for this – and created a duo lip tint + balm. The balm is silky and gives you instant hydration, while the tint gives you just the right amount of color. Luxe Lip Creme Like I said, I’m usually not a huge lipstick fan. But the texture of these lipsticks is SO creamy and soft. Plus the colors; a vibrant coral and a cool deep rose, are to die for!!!! 5 Tips for Creating A Glam Makeup Look Over the years, I’ve picked up a few tips + tricks from makeup artists and friends and wanted to share 5 to get you feeling glamorous and ready for any occasion!! Use highlighter to brighten + lift your face. I like to apply a small strip down my nose (you can use your finger or a clean small eyeshadow brush), on my cheekbones (I use a blush brush), and also right below my eyebrow which really brightens and opens my eyes. The key to a professional looking eyeshadow look is BLENDING. Use soft windshield wiping motions to blend a light eyeshadow across your entire eye. For a smoky effect, use a dark color on the very outside crease and go in circular motions with a long fluffy shadow brush to blend the light + dark colors. Putting a lip balm on before you add a swipe of lipstick is truly key when you want to achieve a beautiful lip. It makes ALL the difference in the world and fills in any dry spots or creases so your color lasts for hours. Powder makes the biggest difference in the world. I only started using it 2 years ago and can’t believe how much smoother my complexion looks on camera. It gives you an even, finish without any shine which honestly ruins a photo!!!! Just take the all over face brush from the brush kit here or use the puff to light dab powder on your T-zone and cheeks. You can use the lightest color in your eyeshadow palette (the ivory one in here would be ideal!) as a highlighter if you’re traveling or on the go and limited on space. That little extra sweep of eyeshadow under the brow bone will lift your entire face and make you look more awake!Shop the entire ACTIV Collection from Estee Lauder below!

This gift guide is for the beauty lovers in your life and of course you! ;) It’s a roundup of my absolute favorite makeup items that I re-order time and time again from Nordstrom. These are my beauty cabinet staples, and will make perfect gifts for your loved ones. Most of them are under $100, and several are under $50 making them great stocking stuffers. PS if you love my robe you can get it here! Beauty gifts from Nordstrom: Fragrance My favorite perfume of all time is Diptyque “Eau Duelle.” It’s got a rich vanilla bourbon smell, and I get compliments on it from men and women everytime I wear it. For room spray, I love Diptyque “Baies.” I keep this in my bathroom, as well as our guest bathroom. For diffusers, I can’t get enough of the Antica Farmacista Vanilla, Bourbon and Mandarin reed diffuser. It’s not overpowering and makes your entire home smell divine. Candles My favorite candle is by Diptyque – it’s the Vanille scent. I talk about it nonstop for a reason – it’s pure heaven. If you’re over Diptyque, then I suggest Byredo’s Bohemia scented candle. It’s the chicest candle next to Diptyque and smells really subtle and sexy. Body I am constantly re-ordering this Aesop hand + lotion duo. It smells SO good and everyone comments how much they love it when they come over. It’s earthy, and nourishing. I recently bought the Necessaire body wash and lotion and let me tell you – it lives up to the hype. It left my skin SO soft, smells incredible, and is also a CLEAN beauty product. Win, win, win. Face I’m obsessed with the Tata Harper resurfacing serum. You notice an immediate glow right after using it. Plus it’s all natural. I also love the resurfacing mask. I got the gift set for my sister! For the woman who has everything…get the Sisley face mask. Google it and you will see the thousands of positive reviews. It instantly works, and leaves your skin feeling SO soft and supple. I’ve been using it for years. This Indie Lee face oil is also a clean product and a great stocking stuffer. It’s only $14 and super gentle. For the girl who is prone to breakouts and always traveling, get her this gem from Sunday Riley. I bring it on every trip and it immediately clears up a zit within minutes. I’ve been using the Dermalogica Microfoliant 2x a week for 8 years. It’s gentle, effective and makes your skin stay bright + clear. This little gift set is perfect for the skincare junkie! Vintner’s Daughter Serum. Elemis Cleansing Balm. Supergoop Unseen Sunscreen. Hair I love the T3 ceramic curling iron! Dyson Supersonic hair dryer. For shampoo – I use a few, but I’m a big fan of R+Co and Alterna Caviar. Mason Pearson hair brush. Makeup YSL Saharienne eye palette. Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation. Charlotte Tilbury highlighter and mascara. Bobbi Brown bronzer. Laura Mercier caviar eye sticks. Mac lipgloss in C-Thru. Cle de Beauté concealer. And if you’re looking for quick, one off gifts sets from Nordstrom under $100: I love this Bobbi Brown travel friendly kit. This is a fancier version of my fave YSL eyeshadow palette. A special edition BLACK Diptyque Baies candle. Laura Mercier bath + body skincare set. Tata Harper daily essentials set. Diptyque mini candle + perfume set. R + Co hair travel set. Gift sets under $50: Deborah Lippmman polish kit. Laura Mercier caviar stick set. Supergoop sunscreen kit. Basic purity energy cleanse meditation kit. Indie Lee discovery kit. Fresh lip balm set (a Nordstrom Beauty exclusive!) Be sure to shop my picks below and check out Nordstrom’s Gift With Purchase page which is full of extra goodies!