Line Your Eyes

It has been said that every woman has one makeup item they simply cannot live without. If you had to choose just one item of makeup to wear, what would it be?

For me it's a no brainer. Eyeliner.

Most people would say foundation or mascara. But I haven't found anything that makes so drastic of a difference as eyeliner. I love it. Sometimes I overdo it, but I just love it.

Eyeliner makes your eyes pop in a way that mascara can't. Eyeliner enhances the sexy dark eyes look, or it can also add just enough weight to make your eyes noticeable with little other makeup.

I think a lot of people avoid eyeliner because they think they don't use it correctly. I would say that with the right tools and a sharp pencil, you can create an expert line around your eyes to add just enough color to your face.

A few tips for applying eyeliner:

-The older you are, the less you should use. It starts to look like raccoon eyes as you get older [including myself in this! I use a way thinner line now than I did when I was 16]
-Don't be afraid to sharpen your pencil- daily if you have to. The pencil needs a small, pointy tip for a thinner line.
-Don't use liquid- it gets too messy. Use a regular old eyeliner pencil.
-Apply on the top of your bottom lid, not underneath
-Apply on dry eyes
-Go slow and be steady. Use a Qtip to blend if the line is too thick
-Get as close to your lashes as possible
-Don't be afraid to pull at the corner of your eye a bit to get it just right [I know make up artists would cringe at that advice, but we're all going to end up with wrinkles anyway...just be gentle]
-Use eyeliner before you use eye shadow and after your mascara has had time to dry

I hope these tips are helpful to you! I am a die hard Rimmel fan. I highly recommend their black eye liner pencil- see link across.

Happy Lining! Practice makes perfect : )

Balsamic Viniagrette Recipe

This is a great last minute recipe that I love to use for chicken or salad. Enjoy!!

Ingredients
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 teaspoons dark brown sugar, optional*
• 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 cup olive oil
• Mesclun salad mix or favorite greens, for accompaniment
• Assortment of salad ingredients, such as cherry tomatoes, chopped carrots, sliced red onion, chopped celery, diced cucumbers, walnuts
• Blue cheese, for garnish
Directions
Beat the vinegar in a bowl with the optional sugar, garlic, salt and pepper until sugar and salt dissolves. Then beat in the oil by droplets, whisking constantly. (Or place all the ingredients in a screw-top jar and shake to combine.) Taste and adjust the seasonings.
Toss a few tablespoons of the dressing with the salad mix and desired salad ingredients, top with blue cheese and serve immediately.
If not using dressing right away, cover and refrigerate, whisking or shaking again before use.
*If using a good quality balsamic vinegar you should not need the sugar, but if using a lesser quality you might want the sugar to round out the dressing.

http://www.filintomelo.net/salad/balsamic_salad.html