Ditching the black eyeliner during summer is always a nice idea, and now more than ever there’s a great selection of other colours to try in place of the standby black liner. Bronze eyeliner is universally flattering, makes you look awake and lightens up your makeup look. What’s not to love? We found a few bronze eyeliners you might consider as a summer go-to shade.

Sephora Collection Retractable Waterproof Eyeliner in Shimmer Bronze: This eyeliner is $12, is waterproof and comes in the perfect bronze colour for the summer. What’s more, this bronze eyeliner is creamy but can still be sharpened if a more fine point is needed.

Lancome Le Stylo Waterproof Eyeliner in Bronze: This eyeliner is a bit more expensive at $26, but it’s a beautiful bronze colour that is certainly summer-ready. Also, this eyeliner never needs to be sharpened, so that’s always a nice option.

LASplash Liquid Eyeliner, Shipwreck Copper: This drugstore brand is only $7. While this liquid liner will require more of your time and focus for a perfect application, the copper colour is a great shade and as the least expensive, might be a good way to test out the bronze eyeliner trend on your eyes. 

Related: The Best SPF Lip Glosses for Summer-Ready Lips

The Cannes Film Festival has been happening for a few days now and a trend is quickly emerging; the ponytail. Marion Cotillard, Diane Kruger, Freida Pinto and Beth Ditto have all been seen wearing ponytails to Cannes events. While this hairstyle is hardly new, it’s found a place on the red carpet despite usually being reserved for lazy hair days and that got us to thinking about what goes in to creating a perfect red carpet ready ponytail.

If you want a great ponytail, you need clean hair. Use your favorite shampoo and conditioner, and then blow dry your hair straight. The straighter your hair at the beginning the sleeker the end result will be. The trend on the Cannes carpet has been high ponytails, so lift your hair high atop your head and secure with an elastic. It’s best if you do this while you tilt your head back, that way you get all those baby hairs on the back of your head. Secure it with some light hairspray. If you’re going for a perfectly sleek ponytail, you can apply some leave in conditioners which will keep the pesky fly aways from appearing, but the ladies of the Cannes red carpet seem all be opting for a more messy high ponytail.

Related: Effortless Runway Hair Trend: How To Get The Pony-Bun

Photo Courtesy of COTY

Last night was the Billboard Music Awards, and all the music stars were out in full force. Taylor Swift was not only the winner of the ‘Woman of the Year’ award, but also stunned in a beautiful Elie Saab dress and great makeup. Here’s how to get this great Billboard Award look.

Her perfectly straight hair is a nice start, but not a requirement. The lip color is a nice light berry colour, a simple stain or gloss should do. A lipstick will read too heavy against the strong eye, so keep the lip simple.

The eye should be the star if you want to copy this Taylor Swift look. Taylor lined her eye in a dramatic red that matched her dress. She then winged the red eyeshadow to the corner of her eyes completing the smoky look. A beautiful match for a great dress. What did you think of Taylor’s Billboard Award makeup?

Photo Courtesy of Keystone

The weekend’s a great time to take time for ourselves before another week begins. A facial peel is a great way to wash away the week and refresh our skin, and some are as simple as a few easy to find ingredients. We have compiled a list of some great at-home facial peels you might want to try for yourself this weekend.

Avocado Peel: Stir an egg white with a teaspoon of honey and a cup of mashed avocado. Mix these ingredients and apply it to the face. Leave it on until it dries and peel off. This recipe is great for any red skin as the cool avocado and honey will soothe the skin.

Gelatin Peel: Take 1 tbsp of plain gelatin and stir together with 2 tbsp milk. Microwave for 15 seconds and apply immediately. Leave the mix on your face until it hardens and peel. This recipe is the equivalent of a homemade pore strip. It will help remove blackheads and any impurities and is a wonderfully easy recipe as well.

Carrot Juice Peel: Mix 1/2 cup of carrot juice and a little plain gelatin in a bowl and microwave until gelatin melts and mixes in with the juice. Put the mixture in the refrigerator to cool and harden slightly, no longer than 30 minutes. Apply to face, let dry and peel. This peel is best for anyone dealing with dry skin, as the carrot replenishes moisture.

Related: Top Facial Peels

Pandora is a line of beauty products made by a Canadian makeup artist with the intention of being eco-friendly, high quality and skin-tone friendly. We tested the Pandora lip gloss in the colour ‘Hot’ to see if it wears as well as suggested.

THE HYPE: Easy to apply lip colour that is non-sticky and has a spearmint scent. Colourful enough to be worn alone without the need for lipstick.

THE TEST: Wear Pandora lip gloss without lipstick and see if the colour lasts.

THE VERDICT: The Pandora lip gloss does seem to be everything it’s said to be. After a few hours on my lips, it remained colourful, non-sticky, and pigmented enough that lipstick wasn’t needed. The ‘Hot’ colour is a beautiful orange-pink that does seem like it would be flattering to most skin types. The colour didn’t seem too shiny like so many lip glosses, leaving just a nice pink colour behind. If you’re a fan of thicker lip glosses this is a good one for you, as it applies well and stays on for hours. Eco-friendly and in adorable vintage packaging, this product is worth a try if you’re a lip gloss user.

Related: Beauty Review: Maybelline Color Tattoo 24Hr Cream Gel Shadow

We all know SPF is important, but our lips can sometimes miss out on the UV protection we give the rest of our body. There are lots of great lip balms that provide all the protection your pout needs, but what if you’re looking for a little extra shine? There’s really no need to compromise sun safety for a glossy lip. We’ve found three great lip glosses with SPF 15 or higher that will give you all the glossy glow of a lip gloss with the SPF protection you need.

Clinique Long Last Glosswear with SPF 15: This gloss comes in 18 different shades ranging from a baby pink called ‘Air Kiss’ all the way to a dark purple called ‘Mystic.’ This long last gloss also stays on for 8 hours and has SPF 15 protection. If you need more from your lip gloss than that list of things you’re asking too much.

Neutrogena Moistureshine Lip Soother with SPF 20: This tube gloss comes in 9 summer ready shades and has SPF 20. At $6.50 it’s an easy addition to your summer makeup collection and is small enough to toss in your pocket.

e.l.f Essential Super Glossy Lip Shine with SPF 15: This e.l.f gloss is available in 12 colours, from a pretty deep red called ‘Strawberry’, to a mocha colour called ‘Iced Latte.’ The best part? It cost $1 and has SPF 15 protection.

So it’s official, we have no excuse but to protect our smiles this summer with these SPF filled lip glosses.

Related: The 5 Things Your Makeup Bag Needs Now!

The youngest Kardashians, Kendall & Kylie Jenner, looked picture perfect (and age appropriate) at last night’s 19th Annual Race to Erase MS Gala in Century City, California. The budding teen stars wowed on the red carpet with summer fresh hair and makeup. The overall look was feminine, soft and pretty. Glossy lips, lightly bronzed faces and a understated evening eye look were a big hit. According to the latest Seventeen Magazine, Kendall’s makeup choices include Lip Lights lip gloss, Smashbox Foundation Primer, and MAC Eye Kohl. To achieve the younger Kardashians’ look, we highly recommend the following products:

- For a glossy, frizz-free hair look, try KeratinPerfect PerfectSmooth Blowout Booster Styling Cream. It’s a fantastic, ultra-hydrating keratin styling cream that will enhance the look of your hair, tame flyaways and ensure long lasting, shine and volume. It works wonders on long hair!

- Try out Kendall’s favourite Lip Lights Ultra-Shine Gloss in Coral or Kylie’s bolder lip look with Dior Addict Lip Polish in Sheer Pink. You can pick up both at your local Sephora store.

- The Kardashians are known for their love of blush. Apricot blushes are great for summer; light and natural looking; they complement almost all skin tones. NARS makes some of the most popular blushes on the market today. Check out their makeup counter at your local department store for a great selection of quality blushes.

- When it comes to smoothing out your complexion, Smashbox is definitely a great option. Used by makeup artists around the world, Smashbox delivers high-quality, highly-pigmented concealers and foundations, perfect for an evening out.

It’s always nice to know what we’re doing wrong with our makeup. We asked Vaseline’s Consulting Dermatologist Dr. Julia Carroll for some advice on what to look for when we shop for a moisturizer, and how to avoid some common skin care mistakes.

Q: What are some ingredients that women should look for in a moisturizer and why?

 A. An ideal moisturizer contains two ingredient types.  Humectants, like glycerin, bind and lock individual water molecules to your skin, while occlusives, like Vaseline® Petroleum Jelly, fill the void of lost lipids and provide a physical barrier to help prevent further water loss.  An ideal moisturizer combines these ingredients and provides long-lasting moisturization without feeling sticky or greasy.

 Q. What do you find is the most common skin care mistake women make?

 A. The most common mistake women make is skipping sunscreen.  If you make it a part of your routine in your teens and 20’s, you will prevent damage from the sun’s harmful UV rays, which not only age you but can also cause skin cancer. 

Last night was the CW Network’s chance to show off their TV show lineup, which includes The Vampire Diaries. The shows leading lady Nina Dobrev attended the event in a beautiful Dolce and Gabbana dress, but the bold lip colour choice and soft hair is what had us interested. Here’s how to get Nina Dobrev’s pretty look from last night.

Start with the hair. Nina’s long locks obviously lend themselves well to a light curl, but whether your hair is Nina’s length or it’s shorter, this look is doable. Put a light hold mousse in your hair before you blow dry, it’ll give you the bouncy hold this hair needs. Use a large barrel roller on your dry hair, curling the hair under. Set with a light hairspray and you’ve done it.

Now for Nina’s makeup. The real star of this pretty makeup look is a great berry lip. You might want to consider a nice lip stain instead of lipstick or gloss. A berry lip stain will keep the colour lasting all night and will hold in place. Keep your skin looking fresh without too much blush or bronzer like Nina did. Finally on the eye, use a nice neutral brown shadow and apply it lighter on the inside of the lid and heavier on the outside. Line your eye and then apply a few good coats of mascara.

Enjoy this pretty berry lipped look from Nina Dobrev and try for yourself!

[Photo Via Startraks]