Smoky Eye Perfection

The smoky eye is everywhere... it's one of the biggest makeup trends.  It compliments all skin tones, and it adds an extra element of glamour for those special nights out.  It takes a few steps to perfect the smoky eye look, and today I'm sharing my secrets with the TSS readers!

What you will need:

            1) Smashbox Photo Finish Lid Primer

            2) Colossal Mascara

            3) Bobbi Brown Bone Eye Shadow

            4) Mac Cork Eye Shadow

            5) Mac Carbon Eye Shadow

            6) Mac Rice Paper Eye Shadow

            7) Mac Retrospeck Eye Shadow

            8.) Bobbi Brown Black Gel Eyeliner

Step One:

Apply primer all over the lids and lower lash line. I highly recommend Smashbox Photo Finish Lid Primer. Your eye makeup will last all day without smudges!

Step Two:

Apply Bobbi Brown Bone to the brow bone of your eye.  Once you're done applying, use Mac Rice Paper on the lid stopping at the crease of your eye.

Step Three:

Apply Mac Cork through the crease of your eye, and extend slightly upward to the middle of the crease of your eye.

Step Four:

Where you have stopped in the middle of your eye with Cork, finish the crease by applying Mac Retrospeck to blend into the Cork.

Step Five: 

Use Mac Carbon to accent the corner or your eye, extending it outward.  For a more dramatic look, apply extra of the black Carbon shadow.

Step Six:

Line your lower lashline with Mac Cork, and apply Mac Retrospeck to the inner corner of your eye.

Step Seven:

Apply gel eyeliner and mascara.  Gel eyeliner gives a bold line with intense color.  After that, voila!  You

have the perfect smoky eye!

Celebrity Artist, Haley Buckner's 10 Must-Haves

My 10 Must Haves:
1. Moisturizer - If you have nothing else in your routine, at least moisturize. It will keep your skin looking youthful.

2. MAC Fix + Spray - It makes foundation look more like skin.

3. Beauty Blender Sponge - Get it wet with warm water before applying foundation and your skin will look perfect.

4. Urban Decay Primer Potion - A thin layer helps eyeshadow stay for hours.

5. High quality makeup brushes - If you invest, they last forever.

6. OCC Lip Tars - A little bit goes a long way and if you want, you can mix them together to create any color you want.

7. Loreal Voluminous Mascara (SALE!) - The best, hands down.

8. Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette - It's all your neutral blending colors in one.

9. Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer - For those days that you want a lightweight coverage.

10. Clarisonic Brush - Exfoliate.. It's worth the investment for radiant skin.

1. What do you love most about doing make up?
Meeting famous people and getting to work with them is so much fun and it really inspires me, but the greatest part of my job is that I get to help people feel beautiful. The most rewarding experiences I've had are helping people who have cancer and have lost their hair from chemotherapy. Teaching them how to naturally fill in their eyebrows and apply false lashes seems like such a small thing, but when they look in the mirror and are overjoyed because they feel like themselves again touches my heart in the biggest way.

2. How did you get started? What got you to the next step?
I always loved beauty, so I started working for Mac when I was 18 in Reno, Nv. It's where I learned the most about skin and makeup techniques. I dreamed of working with celebrities so I knew I needed to sacrifice being close to the ones I loved and move to a bigger city. A few years later I moved to Vegas and worked in Caesars Palace where I met so many people and was blessed with amazing opportunities.

3. What is one thing (foundation, mascara, eyeliner, lipgloss, etc.) that you feel every girl should always wear? why?
Every face is different, so I don't think every girl should always have a specific product. It's important to capitalize on your best feature. If a client sits in my chair with lips like Angelina Jolie I make them the primary focus of the makeup. If someone has long lashes and beautiful eyes, I think they should accentuate them with a great mascara.

4. What's in, what's out?
There are always changing trends in makeup. As artists we are always changing looks on our clients, but in my opinion a classic red lip is never out. Skin is also always important, and for summer a bronzed look is usually desired.

5. Who/Where do you look for inspiration?
I'm continually inspired by fellow makeup artists. I've worked with some of the best artists in the industry and when I see them do something mind blowing it makes me want to continue to push myself to be on that level. Since day one my biggest inspiration has been Mac Senior Artist Victor Cembellin.


A special thank you to Haley for her time and sharing us her beauty tips & secrets.  For more information on Haley, visit her site at www.haleybuckner.com and follow her on Instagram! 

Airbrush Legs

Airbrush Legs: Sally Hansen

Before it gets too cold outside, and we're still wearing our dresses and short shorts, we had to reveal one of our favorite reader's secrets... Sally Hansen Airbrush Legs!  This one comes from Jaclyn, an Alpha Chi Omega alumni from Arizona State.  According to Jaclyn, this magical lotion gives you "Barbie legs".  Tried, tested, and TSS approved: this stuff is the real deal!

Whether your summer tan is fading, you have a bit of razor burn, or a less than pretty bruise, this stuff makes it all vanish away.  Essentially makeup for your legs, it covers everything up... leaving flawless & even toned skin.  It's also waterproof, so a little wear won't take it off.  We actually had to use soap and water in the shower to get it off; it really has staying power!  A little fun fact, TSS Co-Founder Ali just brought this stuff with her to a bachelorette party in Las Vegas last weekend... it was a hit before all the girls headed out for a night on the town! 

Our tips for a flawless application: start with clean, freshly shaved legs.  Apply the lotion about 10-15 minutes before getting dressed, so it has a chance to fully dry.  Rub into legs like any other lotion, making sure to blend in any harsh edges.  Wash hands immediately after applying, using soap and warm water.  We prefer the lotion version (it also comes in a spray formula) for easy application.  After enjoying your flawless legs, rinse off in the shower with soap and warm water.

This product is truly a winner.  We hope you love our reader's secret for perfectly fabulous, airbrushed legs!

Just Brow-zing by Becca

Photography: Rachel Elaine Photography

There are SO many things I can say about eyebrows but let me start by saying I LOVE them. As a Makeup Artist, eyebrows are in my opinion one of the most important elements in a facial beauty routine. Eyebrows not only frame your face, but when properly shaped they can help to define and lift the eye and even slim the face! 

So how do you get that perfect brow?  I’m here to show you how!

To figure out where your brow should begin, hold a pen next to your nose on the inner corner of your brow. This should be your starting point. Now, angle the pen across your iris. This will determine where your arch should be. Finally, angle your pen  to the outer corner of the eye-your brow should end there.

Now that you’ve determined your eyebrow shape, tweeze any stray hairs you may have. Then, using a flat angled brush and brow powder (my personal favorite is Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Powder Duo) outline your brows and fill in where necessary. If you are a beginner and filling in your brows and freehand seems too daunting of a task, try using a brow stencil (also available from Anastasia Beverly Hills). If your brows seem too dark or overfilled not to worry; take a disposible mascara wand and brush them out to lighten the color! You can stop there or for extra credit you can use concealer to sculpt your brow (this is perfect for special occasions like formals!!!). Using a concealer that is one shade lighter than your skin, outline your brows on the top and bottom blending as you go and voilà, you now have the perfect brow!


Happy Brow-zing!

The Secret to Cleaning Your Makeup Brushes!

Raise your hand if you know how to properly wash your makeup brushes.

crickets....crickets....

Ok, so we are not alone on this one! Merely rinsing our makeup brushes with water after using it has proven to be a not-so-effective way to keep the brushes clean for its next use. We finally decided to turn to the beauty experts about how to best clean off our makeup brushes and we were exposed to literally the simplest way to clean our brushes: baby shampoo! Here is a quick rundown:

Step 1: In one hand, pour a quarter size amount of baby shampoo into the palm of your hand.

Step 2: Turn your water faucet on until the water is lukewarm.

Step 3: Using your empty hand, grab your dirty makeup brush and begin to swirl the brush into the baby shampoo as you hold it under the sink water. You will see the makeup start to pour off into the sink from your hands.

Step 4: After you are done cleaning your makeup brush, lay a paper towel or cloth towel onto the sink counter making sure that one end of the paper towel hits the edge of the counter. Place the wet makeup brushes on the towel so that it is hanging over the edge of the counter. Allow the water from the brush to drip dry (place a towel on the floor where the water is dripping to avoid a wet puddle on the floor).

Another easy and simple alternate to keep your makeup brushes extra clean is by investing in a brush cleanser. You can find a good brush cleanser at MAC Cosmetics or Estee Lauder.

Know of any makeup tips? Share your secret by emailing us at secret@thesororitysecrets.com!

Flawless {Makeup} Finish

Makeup: Victoria's Secret, MAC, Bliss Pro.

In the quest for a flawless complexion, our search is finally over!  From a fun night out, to looking perfectly polished everyday, we found 2 fabulous products that have become a staple in our makeup routine.  TSS Co-Founder, Ali, has personally been using both of these products for years... and we're all hooked!  

To start... if you're not already using a primer in your daily makeup routine, it's time to give it a whirl.  The Oil-Free Airbrush FX Face Primer made by Victoria's Secret not only protects your skin with SPF 15, but it creates a velvety smooth canvas for your makeup.  Ali is flat out obsessed with this product, and swears that she can't go a day without it.  Even on the days when you're wearing less makeup, it provides a clean look for your skin.  For the times when you're wearing heavier foundation, it's a must-have.  The primer provides a base for even makeup application (it even makes your pores less visible), and gives it all-day staying power.  

After applying the primer, MAC Studio Fix Fluid is the next step in the flawless complexion process.  This foundation is a bit on the heavier/full coverage side, but you can choose to either apply a little or a little more depending on the look desired.  Start small, and go from there if more of the foundation is needed.  Ali suggests applying the foundation first with a makeup brush, and then taking a beauty blender to smooth any lines created by the brush.  The beauty blender is also key to providing that "airbrushed" effect at home.  Pat down with the beauty blender all over your face, focusing on the areas around the eyes and nose, and you will create a beautifully smooth look.  Extend the foundation application a little under your chin, fading off onto your neck, as to avoid a harsh line between the coloring on your face and neck.

We hope you love our tricks for creating a flawless complexion.  Give it a try, and let us know what you think! 

Emerald Brushes

Makeup Brushes: Sephora.

Yes, we are among the giddy people who anxiously await Pantone's Color Of The Year announcement, which is emerald for 2013.  But, equally exciting, is seeing the creations made by the Sephora + Pantone Universe each year.  As you may know, the two companies collaborate on a makeup collection annually, in honor of the chosen color.  We weren't sure what to expect for emerald makeup...emerald lipstick?!  Instead, Sephora has created a beautiful collection of vivid eye makeup, as well as nail polish and makeup tools-- and we love it!  Definitely chic, and perfect for 2013.  TSS It Girl, Alyx, tried out the makeup brush set in the collection.  The verdict?  TSS approved... plus, brushes in a pretty color do seem to make everything more fun!

Excited to meet the rest of our It Girls, and learn more about Alyx from University of Colorado Boulder?  Our big It Girl announcement is coming later this week, and we can't wait to share it with you!