at stila we love a good cat eye!  if you do too, then enter today's giveaway to win the BEST brown and black eyeliners - stay all day liquid eyeliners.  these gems glide on in a hurry and don't budge. plus they allow anyone (novice or pro) to create the perfect line every time.  enter now and "like" this post to share it with your friends.


comment and tell us what lip color you prefer with a cat eye.  do you like dark lips, nude lips, or something in between?  please include your email address.



***contest ends at midnight.  winner must live in the continental united states.  xoxo, stila

during fashion week the term "creative" takes on an entire new meaning.  in the hustle and bustle backstage, we have done just about anything to create the PERFECT look!  and one thing we do often is mix products.  mixing can create the ideal look or save time - depending on what we need at the moment.  while you might not be backstage with us, it's easy to add some creativity to your makeup.  and we thought the best place to begin was with our new beauty balm.  here are some tips for making this product work in nearly all scenarios...

-mix beauty balm with foundation or tinted moisturizer.  this is great if you are in a hurry or looking for a less steps with a similar result.

-use beauty balm as a finishing touch to fine tune your skin.  sometimes applying it last - where needed - can create that flawless finish you are looking for.

-mix beauty balm with one step correct if you want a little glow to the skin, but still want the HD effects.

-layer beauty balm.  this can build coverage and create airbrushed looking skin.  start small and build the product.



***the idea is to think outside of the box and remember that makeup is as individual as your signature...   
xoxo, stila

stila's new primer has 10 major benefits in 1....

1. contains innovative micro spheres, which have been shown to hide skin imperfections and reduce wrinkle depth by up to 84%
2. infused with natural, skin-protecting emollients which have been shown to increase antioxidant activity by up to 89.7%
3. enriched with tripeptide-37, bamboo and pea extracts, which help diminish the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles
4. long-wearing, high definition formula
5. helps reduce pore size and provides oil and blemish control
6. features an exclusive complex, which helps reduce redness and skin irritation
7. uses the smallest particle size of coated pigments for seamless, smooth coverage
8. luxurious beauty balm glides onto skin and leaves a silky, powdery finish
9. ideal for all skin types and skin tones
10. oil-free, paraben-free and dermatologist tested

"this product is amazing.  all in one: evens out the skin, minimizes pores, reduces the look of fine lines, and has an amazing cooling sensation on the skin.  i love this product!"  -francesca


"my absolute favorite thing about beauty balm is the powdery finish it has on the skin - just a beautiful texture and finish.  plus the packaging is very savvy."  -tracy


"it absorbs oil and is weightless and undetectable on the skin.  it's gorgeous!" -jason


"it's filled with fantastic ingredients that leave the skin feeling revived and balanced.  it's good for both men and women too."  -david


"i love all the amazing hydrating properties for the skin." -ginger


"i love that you can use it by itself or as a primer." -sulema

have you received your september issues?  beauty and fashion gurus alike know that september is the month for magazines, when the designers unveil their fall trends.  we've spent hours studying september issues - just to make sure we are up to speed.  and this year, it looks like we've hit the jackpot!  in style magazine used our stay all day liquid eyeliner to create what they are calling the "punk harlequin" trend - one of their favorites for fall.  we love it and we can't get enough of this eyeliner.

we are excited to announce that "not2haute just right" won the giveaway on our blog!  she will now be the proud owner of our extremely popular in the light palette.  congrats.  she commented and said,

We are excited to share an amazing review of our smudgestick eyeliners!  Like all of us at stila, heather from hello beautiful is in love with this fantastic product.  Read why below and check out the q&a to learn more about her.

want more beauty reviews?  visit my youtube channel!  

we are thrilled to introduce to you our multi-talented sales & artistry executive and pro artist shelby hardie. shelby oversees WA, OR, ID, UT, and quebec for stila. she grew up on whidbey island, spending the majority of her time outside. however, in 8th grade she learned french, a skill that still comes in handy for her today. in fact, whenever she travels to quebec, shelby is able to educate and train on makeup in french, the primary language of the area. how amazing, right? read more about shelby and her love of the french language below in this fantastic q&a.


many consider language one of the arts – do you agree?
having a proclivity to learning language with ease is an art of love. we all have special talents - some are excellent at math, others cook extraordinary things with few ingredients, some can make music, and some can paint a canvas that will transport you. i feel if you have a true passion for a language you can possess it and let your love for that particular language guide you in fearlessly conversing with native speakers. that is part of the trick, not being afraid to actually use your new found language skills, knowing that you will indeed make mistakes, but that’s how we learn.

what are the benefits of speaking to someone in their native tongue?
first and foremost, it opens your world up and you meet people that you may not have conversed with otherwise. i speak a couple of other languages as well and have had so much fun meeting people from other cultures and also learning from them. i enjoy the bemused yet relieved look on someone's face when i let them know that i speak their language.

is it difficult to describe makeup in the french language?
no. i will admit though, i had to learn some new vocabulary before my first trainings in quebec. i had to learn words like: high definition, shimmery, opalescent and waterproof. one of the things that i enjoy about learning other languages is that their are words that we don’t have in english. in french there is a really cool way to say “its bright and beautiful”; the translation in french is “ca flash!” it's one of my favorite expressions!

do people in the same region tend to like the same products or does it vary?
i find that women are very similar everywhere. in quebec, they love bright colors and are always interested in new technique. they're fascinated and drill me on every detail of new york fashion week. i do find however, that women in montreal are extremely discerning. you HAVE to explain in detail why a product is a must have and absolutely apply it on the client.

what is one product that everyone loves no matter where you go?
actually, there are three products that everyone loves no matter where i go: stay all day waterproof eyeliner in carbon black, one step correct, as well as our stains. all are favorites all over the world!

congrats erin! you are the winner of our eye shadow giveaway. like many of you out there, erin’s favorite eyeshadow is our best-selling shade, kitten. erin said…

how many of you stila fans out there love blake lively?  we do too!  her signature style always looks effortless and beautiful at the same time.  well guess what?  on the june cover of people style watch blake is wearing stila’s convertible color in gerbera!  pick up a gerbera of your own to recreate this perfect peach look!  it works everytime.

the crush category at stila, better known as lip and cheek stains, is a popular product at stila.  what better than beautiful lip and cheek colors that stay?!  add to this an amazing shade range - bright red to brown and lots in between :).  plus, we're pretty sure that anyone on the go can use these "crushes" with some tinted moisturizer, mascara, and look good all day.  need help applying?  read these tips.

-prep your lips properly before application.  remove any flakey skin and make sure your lips are free from oil and other residue.

-for the best looking pout, apply the product all over the lips and then press them together to ensure the product adheres.  then add another layer-kind of like a top coat.  this will set your color and ensure it looks smooth and balanced on the lips.

-if you just want a little color, apply the product to your lips with your fingers.

-when using the product on your cheeks, try removing the gel from the container and then blending onto your face with your fingers.

-the brighter colors (acai and raspberry) can be toned down for proper cheek application.  mix them with illuminating tinted moisturizer and then apply to avoid looking overdone.

we are thrilled to introduce you to our shining stila star, christine.  she is an artist working in the canada region.  christine’s passion is evident in her work.  she loves educating people about her favorite products, and she is always open to sharing experiences she’s learned doing makeup backstage at fashion week.  in fact, her enthusiasm for fashion is what makes her unique as a makeup artist – she easily combines fashion and makeup trends and is always in the know.  to learn more, read her q & a below.

we've been working a lot of trade shows over the last few weeks, which has given us the opportunity to meet lots of new faces! all of the attendees around the country definitely have their favorite stila products, and we enjoyed the individuality that each new customer brought. however, we also realized that no matter who you are, where you live, or what you do, there are a few must have stila products for everyone. these products were always high in demand, and they seemed to sell out fast no matter where we went!

one step correct. this product looks good and feels good. it's a win-win every time.



smudge pots. liner and shadow in one!




liquid liner. if you haven't tried this, you are missing out. we love it in all shades - especially the carbon black. and believe us - it stays... all day.

convertible color. cream blush that looks natural and is fun and easy to apply. did we mention you can use it on your lips too?

we love tips!  and christine, one of our artists in canada, just gave us a great one that we thought we share with all of you.  christine has been educating a lot of people in her region about our new spring line.  when she was working with the sephora at market mall, she discovered this great trick using the new prime pots.

use both shades of the prime pot for a long wearing, contoured eye look, that will definitely make your eyes pop.  christine suggests using taffy as your base all over the eye.  then, apply caramel to the crease to create a contour.  the look creates great depth on the eyes.  and it is perfect for anyone who wants their makeup to stay in place all day!

thanks for the tip christine.  such a beautiful, simple eye look that creates amazing results!

don't forget to tune into E! news tonight to see sarah recap the amazing trends seen on the red carpet at the oscars.  these beautiful looks are easy to do on own.  consider this a DIY must for 2011!  check out sarah working her magic with our lovely models below: