if you watched the oscars yesterday, then you definitely saw a lot of lashes on the red carpet.  like all makeup junkies, we love lashes.  and sometimes we even "lash out" in a good way and add in some extra lashes for drama.  a good strip or a couple of individual flare lashes are always a nice additive for that special occasion.  here's some tips to help you make the most of your lash look.

-apply one coat of mascara first before applying the lashes.  glamoureyes mascara is a great option for this because the brush allows you to easily coat every last lash.

-measure the strips to fit your eye.  for many people, strips need to be trimmed so they do not make your eyes look droopy.

-tilt your head up and look down when applying the lashes.  if you are using a strip, try pressing the lashes into your lash line.  for individuals lashes, set them on top of your own lashes with your fingers or tweezers.

-use stila's liquid liner to create definition at the lash line where the lashes have been applied.  tightly apply the liner almost as if you are painting the lashes.

-not sure what lashes to use?  we like ardell lashes!

it's oscar weekend!  we are so excited to see the red carpet looks on sunday.  and fortunately, we already have a few red carpet looks of our own.  what is your favorite look?

stila will be at the LA makeup show this weekend.  we can't wait to see everyone there.  our booth promises to be bigger than ever, with plenty of great products for sale :)  don't miss out.  today is the last day to purchase tickets to the show!

today we were on the set of E! news filming a must see oscar inspired makeup how-to.  the segment will air later this week, so make sure to set your dvrs and tune in.  you don't want to miss these makeup tips.  what girl doesn't want to look red carpet ready every day?

meet product girl, our very first guest blogger...

her makeup stash..

carla's stila survival guide...

if you had to pare down your makeup to only the essential items, what would you be left with? with the multitasking geniuses at stila, that question is very easy to answer... at least for me! some of my favorite all-time multitasking beauty aids come from stila and i want to introduce you to some of my favorites.

stila one step makeup - it all starts with your base, evening out your skin tone and covering any imperfections as the “foundation” for everything else to follow. with this product, i can skip primer, concealer and powder because this is my primer, foundation, concealer and powder all in one convenient package. for someone one like me who is always running late, this product is a huge time saver. what I like even more is how this product wears. it doesn’t feel heavy on my skin at all, it gives great medium coverage and carries me through the work day like a champ.

stila convertible color - on those days when you don't really feel like wearing makeup, this is a lifesaver! in the right shade, stila's convertible color can do it all. the cream blush and lip color in poppy gives my lips a gorgeous flush of red color, like sucking on a red popsicle. i love this shade for that just bitten look. in lillium or rose, i have the perfect shade of blush to make me look like i've just been out for a run. and in gladiola, i have a fantastic orange hue that livens up my eyes and ties everything together when i wear it. what i love most about this, besides how easy to use it is, is that it makes me skin look dewy and healthy. just of touch of this on the apples of my cheeks and i instantly look refreshed… you will too!

stila smudge pots – and here we have yet another multi-tasker. smudge pots are great gel based liners and eyeshadow in one pot. one of my favorite looks for eyes is a smudged smoky eye, it just looks so mysterious and alluring. i like to use my ring finger and pack the color onto my lids and then blend upward just below my crease. then i take a pencil brush and smoke out my lower lash line. the result is gorgeous and it LASTS all day long. i have what i like to call kryptonite eyes - everything creases when its on my lids - but I don’t need to worry with these. plus a smoky smudged eye in bronze or jade is just the best thing ever!

stila lip & cheek stains – where would i be without these in my life? as a self professed stain addict, i get excited every time stila releases a new lip and cheek stain. all the shades are beautiful but right now i’m all about the new coconut crush stain, mainly for 1 reason… it’s brown based! i love a brown lip stain because it’s so neutral. how many brown based stains do you know of? there are very few out there and stila set this one apart from the others by adding a touch of shimmer and pink to it so the result is a gorgeous bronzed rose that blends easily on cheeks and you can be built in layers on the lips. i am obsessed!

kitten – this is eyeshadow shade is like stila’s helena of troy, the face that launched a thousand ships. this shade is champagne golden goodness in a pan. this shade has been turned into almost everything stila makes; a smudge pot, lip gloss, eye liner and highlighters, and it is the perfect go to shade any time you want to give your skin a golden glow. my absolute favorite incarnation of kitten is in a smudge pot - nothing better than long lasting kitten on the eyes… plus the black cat shade also has some kitten mixed in, which goes to show that everything is better when kitten is in the picture.

stila #30 double ended shadow brush – last but not least is my trusty brush. i have a habit of collecting crease eyeshadow brushes. i can't help myself... when i come across a brush that i don't have, i immediately feel compelled to buy it. as a result of this disorder of mine, i now have more crease brushes than i care to admit to. one of my favorites is this #30 brush from stila. one end of the brush is great to pack on the color with and the other end is perfect to apply and blend in color in the crease. i like to draw 2 dots on my crease in the corner of my eye then use the tapered side to bring the color upwards a little bit. with this brush, using the side of it I get just the right amount of color extending upwards. this brush is like a good friend, we go everywhere together.


***what are your stila essentials? if you were stuck on a dessert island, what would you bring with you?

how much do you love people stylewatch?  it's a great resource to help you stay on trend.  and in the recent issue, stila's very own sarah lucero offers some amazing beauty advice.  we thought we'd share her tips with our readers as well.

regarding natural makeup... "it's about defining your features in a soft way.  you want people to say, 'you look great!' not 'your makeup looks great!'"  in need of some great products?  try peony convertible color and kitten eye shadow!

unsure about color...  according to sarah, "vivid shadows have such a cheerful vibe.  they're perfect for spring!" this is why we love our fun eye shadow shades like cassis, azure, wisteria, copper, jade, and pigalle.

what compliments a colored eye?  "try a peachy lip color and blush if you're fair, or go with a caramel-colored gloss and blush if you have medium or darker skin."  not sure what colors to choose?  we recommend gerbera convertible color and kitten lip glaze if you are fair.  try camellia convertible color and mocha lip glaze if you have medium or darker skin.

it appears that there is a lot of love for stila's eye shadow trios.  so many of you entered our giveaway last week.  sadly, we could only choose one winner.  her favorite trio is goddess.  we're pretty sure that she'll love the new shades just as much.  ethereal and gilded are amazing additions to these eye shadows.

btw, have you tried using these trios wet?  so glamourous!

after working backstage with lela rose today, we have come to the conclusion that there is nothing more amazing than a powerful lip. women with confidence rock this look often. its reminiscent of old school hollywood glamour but it's also sexy, sultry and modern at the same time. go
for it!

here is the look. pictures to come:)

friday the stila team worked backstage with celebrity favorite designer, rebecca minkoff for her fall 2011 runway show. it was an amazing day for fashionistas and makeup lovers. urban gypsy and edgy bohemian fashions took center stage with a makeup look that shined.

get the look:



***quick tip: to make the models eyes really pop, we started each look with prime pot in taffy!

tomorrow stila's new york fall fashion week 2011 begins backstage with rebecca minkoff!  the excitement in the air at this time of year in nyc is indescribable.  we feel fortunate to be a part of the experience.  and we are definitely ready...

spring is in the air and it's time to play with color. and one lucky winner will have the opportunity to expand their color makeup wardrobe with this week's giveaway.  enter now and win all 8 of our eye shadow trios. a color wardrobe like this will definitely allow you to correlate your makeup with practically anything in your closest!

comment and tell us which trio is your favorite.  please include your email address.  good luck!



***winner must live in the continental united states.  contest ends tuesday february 15th at midnight.

happy early valentine's day stila fans!!!  we hope you have fun celebrating this flirty holiday.  whatever you choose to do, make your makeup a big part of this occasion.  here are some fun ideas to help you select a look for the special day...

sarah receives lots of emails from stila fans like you, and one of the top asked questions is, "how can I make my eyes look bigger?" your eyes are a key feature on your face - arguably the most important. therefore, the bigger and better they look, the more beautiful you will look each day. fortunately, you don't need to be a pro to enhance your eyes. instead just follow these simples guidelines.

use a shimmery shadow in your lid to pop and open up your eyes. the smaller the eye shape, the lighter the color. and for the most natural look, select the shade closest to your skin tone.

apply a matte shadow slightly above the crease to contour. when you apply it above the crease, it visually lifts the eye. try keeping your eye open when you do this and avoid a banana looking stripe. the contour should be subtle.

coat extra mascara in the right areas. for many people adding more coats to the center eyelashes will achieve that doe eyed look, helping to make the eyes look bigger and less slanted. try it!

the pro team was on the set yesterday gearing up for summer.  good thing we are getting ready now - the groundhog did see his shadow on wednesday.  these products might come in handy sooner rather than later!  we had a blast using them and we know you will love them too!  stay tuned...

we are unbelievably excited about the launch of these new liners...

stila is gearing up for new york fashion week! flights have been booked, hotel reservations have been made, and the schedule is set. in the meantime we are busy making sure we have all the makeup and supplies we need for each show! this is a fun and overwhelming process. after all, we don't want to show up to fashion week without the new prime pots! that would be tragic! haha. in addition to all of the makeup we need, we also bring tons of supplies. yesterday we went to one of our favorite makeup stores in LA to make sure we were completely prepared. naimies is a one stop shop and amazing for any beauty junkie. they even carry stila!

here are some of our top supplies:

eyelash curlers
ardell eyelashes
face wipes
hand wipes
eye drops
lip balm
tissue
q tips
beauty blenders
makeup remover
elizabeth arden 8 hr cream
small scissors
mascara wands

we've probably left a few items out!!! good thing there's a rickys beauty on almost every corner of NYC! haha. what makeup supplies do you rely on?

we are big fans of the americana mall in glendale, ca - it is very close to our corporate offices.  so it makes sense that we were thrilled that a sephora opened at this fun location.  in fact, we even celebrated the grand opening with an office field trip to the new sephora on!  it's amazing.  we love sephora.  if you are looking for one in your area to help you shop for you stila goods, check out the store locator on our website.

happy tuesday stila fans!!!