While this year saw a lot of 1970′s inspired looks in both fashion and makeup trends, 2012 will be no different. Bold turquoise, antique golds, deep matte purples and sparkly neutrals are the name of the new year’s game.

I love Motives Celebrate Beauty compact because they have done the ‘dirty work’ for us. Packed with four pressed eye shadows and six lip glosses, this tiny trinket touts trending colors perfect for a quick switch from office-appropriate to nighttime chic. Perfect for travel and Superman-quick changes, this compact will take you well into the new year while keeping you en vogue.

Tell me, friends, what are your plans for the New Year?

Have you noticed that blush is making a huge splash this season? Read on for some tips on placement that will help you put your best face forward while being on trend!

It is only at the first encounter that a face makes its full impression on us, according to Arthur Schopenhauer. Using the correct placement of blush can help you make the best first impression. Here are some tips to help you sculpt your best face.

To thin a round face, apply blush to the apples of the cheeks, sweeping along the cheekbones up to the temples. Play with a blush that has a kiss of tan to help cheeks appear thinner.

To fill out a thin face, use circular motions to sweep blush to the center of your cheeks, blending it straight back towards your ears.  For a narrow face, play with bright pinks.

To shorten a long face, dust blush from the apples up towards the temples, then across your lids and chin. The same shade on your eyes, cheeks and chin will make your face appear shorter. Choose a color that will make you look naturally radiant.

To soften a square face, apply a soft shade of blush to the apples, sweeping down into the hollows of the cheeks, lightly skimming over your temples to contour.

To create higher cheekbones, choose a matte bronzer. Lightly sweep bronzer onto the outer cheekbones. Place a dot of highlighter to the tops of the cheekbones to create a lifted effect.

Now, you can put your best face forward and always make the perfect first impression!

A lot of cat-eye looks are exclusive to the upper lashes, but if you feel extra daring, feel free to line your bottom lashline as well, connecting it to the top line, keeping with the shape you desire.

My favorite tool to use for a cat-eye is a pen-like liquid liner. Holding the pen flatly against your lashline, draw small dashes as close to your lashes as possible. Connect the dashes, creating a line as thick or thin as you like. When you reach the outer lashes, pull your lid taut and wing the liner up toward your brow. My go-to product for this look is Motives Luxe Precision Eye Line. It has a velvet tip pen that is super easy to use and it comes in three colors.

For those of us with less-steady hands, I recommend using a gel eyeliner with an angled eyeliner brush. Creating the same dashes close to the lashline with a wing at the outer lashes is a little easier with a gel eyeliner, as it can be more forgiving of mistakes. I like Smashbox Jet Set Waterproof Eyeliner.

Feeling a little nervous to jump in head-first to this feline trend? Try the look using a shimmery shadow. Spread a metallic cream shadow over your lid, from the lashline to the crease, extending it out past your lid and under your bottom lashes. Create a wing with the same shadow for a graphic cat-eye look. Try MAC Paint Pot.

So there you have it my dears, a few different ways to get one of my favorite looks. Where do you plan to wear this feline pretty look?

To the naysayers who will tout, “Just talk it out with someone, no need to get emotional.” Guess what, you’re wrong! (ha!) Research says that what we commonly call ‘venting’ can actually perpetuate feelings of anger/sadness/stress. As we discuss whatever it is that is bothering us to that friendly listening ear, our minds process the emotions that we are expressing and rather than diminishing them, those foul emotions are actually augmented. That is not to say that you shouldn’t vent, just do so then try to look for solutions to whatever is bothering you.

On the other hand, studies show that when we are angry/mad/stressed and we release those feelings through a good cathartic cry, we feel better in the end.

So my dears, there you have it – cry those crocodile tears and move on! You’ll feel better once you do, and that’s a promise (science has my back)!

Research indicates that hydrated skin better receives fragrance – meaning, if you spritz your perfume on skin that has been moisturized, the scent lasts longer. So, every morning, after I showered, I began applying lotion to my arms (hello dry elbows!) and legs. I started to notice that the fragrance of my lotion over-powered or competed with my perfume.

And perfume is expensive, right? So, I wanted a solution to moisturize without having to pay top dollar for my Dior body lotion. (My scent is Miss Dior Cherie <3)

I began buying fragrance-free hydrating lotion and spraying several spritz of my perfume in my body cream. Doing so means I can alter the strength of my fragrance and still see the benefits of daily moisturizing.

Inexpensive and easy, right?

Tell me, lovelies… what is your favorite fragrance? Do you have any money-saving tips?

I start with a brown creme eye shadow as a base. Using my clean index finger, I apply the creme shadow from my lashline to crease.  Using my blending brush I follow with a shimmery red-brown pressed eye shadow over the creme shadow, blending into the crease, up towards the brow. The red tone to the brown shimmer will make your eyes pop, no matter what color they are.

My newest favorite shade that perfectly executes this look is Motives by Loren Ridinger Pressed Eye Shadow in Cinnamon Spice.

For a look that smolders, line your top and bottom lashes with a black eyeliner and smudge, for a pseudo-smoky look. I prefer to line my waterline with the same liner for an extra sexy touch.

So, my lovelies, will you be trying this look in or outside the bedroom? Users beware, this one is HOT!

As a pretty girl with little free time on her hands, I took to online dating (pause for your gasp of oh-I-know-where-this-is-going!). One night, I was feeling particularly vulnerable and had received an email from a guy that appeared to be my type – he had the physical attributes I appreciate, he was funny and charming.

We started emailing, texting, calling - you name it. He would even text me in the morning, asking how I slept (aw.) When it came time to meet, he turned up the charm and was the epitome of nice.

One fateful Saturday evening, I made the trek to his place where he was making me dinner. I arrived to a very excited (read: bouncing-off-the-walls-hyper) guy that was otherwise what I had expected. That was, until he opened his mouth…

Now, parents, turn your children away, because this is where things get… uh, messy.

To test the lasagna, he took a bite and told me it was so good, it was worthy of a type of job that you do not get paid for, if you catch my drift. Strike one.

In an effort for him to feel as if I were getting to know him, he brought out a high school scrapbook and proceeded to re-live every detail of his glory days (including pointing to the girls he supposedly slept with, the ones with STDs, etc. I mean, what kind of people are you hanging out with?) High school and this guy: two things I’m over. Strike two.

The cherry on the cake… hold on to your seats, folks; it’s about to get ugly… At a quiet moment (meaning, he finally stopped talking about himself), he looks at me quizzically and asks if he could… relieve his bladder… in my mouth. Put my shoes on. Out the door. Strike three, four and five.

On my way home, I receive literally six texts from him, asking if I was mad, what he did, blah blah blah. If I cared more, I would have cried. This guy was so indecent, so off-the-mark, I couldn’t even muster up the tears!

So, what is the moral of the story? Online dating is bad? No. The moral here is, even though this date was a dis.as.ter, I got back on the horse with a better understanding of what I do not want and how to look for guys that possess those non-awesome traits. Sometimes we have to live through a storm to see the rainbow (cheesy, I beg your forgiveness).

As an update for my readers, I am currently off the market with an amazing guy that will kiss me on the forehead, hold my hand in public and certainly not make outlandish (never-gonna-happen) requests.

So, dear readers, do you have any similar dating disasters? Please share! (C’mon, I showed you mine!)

After ahem, coital climax, while he is catching his breath, wrap your legs around his waist and give a little squeeze. I promise, this will get his attention quicker than the launch of Madden 2012. This fun trick brings him in close to you, while giving him a sensation he will be sure to appreciate!

Try this move with your man the next time you find yourself wrapped in sheets and he will be seeing stars. You can thank me later, dears!

Saturday mornings are usually dedicated to coffee-drinking on the patio, but if the day presents itself as one where errands are in order, I like to keep it simple.

I start with a pen-like liquid eyeliner. Tracing small dashes as close to my lashline as possible, I line my upper lashes. Connecting the dashes and creating a little wing makes me feel like I’m ‘dressed’ without feeling over-done. (I am a sucker for a cat-eye). I finish, of course, with my favorite mascara and my look is complete!

What is your weekend go-to look- au natural or done-up?

After much research and magazine-reading, it is apparent that the makeup trends for Fall and Winter 2011 are jewel-tone eyes with a touch of shimmer. This is great news for anyone who loves deep amethyst or peridot greens. Paired with neutral metallics like bronze, your eyes will be the talk of the office water cooler.

The look this season is a wash of color around the eye. From the lashline, press the jewel-tone eye shadow of your choice to just above the crease. For added drama that is so on-trend (who doesn’t love drama?), apply the shadow under the eye along the lower lashes. Next, smudge a navy eyeliner along the upper and lower lashes. For a night look, line in the waterline with the same color. Pump the lashes with a lengthening mascara and you are set to start your week off right!

Now that you are equipped with your makeup look for Monday, you can appreciate the long weekend of super sales and family-time. Enjoy, my dears!