Dare to Try.

Thanks to L'Oreal for sponsoring my post about my favorite beauty looks, tips and tricks! Check out Makeup.com for beauty advice from the experts.

If you're anything like me, you wear the same old makeup, day after day. But doesn't that get boring? I mean, how exciting is brown eye liner and black mascara? Not very.

I remember back to my early makeup wearing days when experimentation was the name of the game. Blue mascara? Sure thing! Purple eyeliner? Uh, yup! Sparkly blush? Sign. Me. Up. Hey, I came of age in the 80's when teens were all about colorful eyes and big hair.

Now, I'm pretty boring. But! I've been trying to branch out a bit, as I wrote in this post. And the two things I am "daring to try" this year are eyebrow definition and sassy lip gloss.

I have some easy-to-use brow definer from Trish McEvoy that I think works well. Since I tend toward a more natural (and, I admit, often makeup-free) look these days, too dramatic a look is scary to me. By going easy on the brow definer, I can frame my eyes and give myself a "finished" look without looking like a totally different person. I've also had success defining my brows using an eye shadow brush dipped in brown eye shadow. To do that, though, I need to be very careful not to let the shadow splatter flakes of color on my face. It takes more control and concentration on my part so, honestly, it is just easier and quicker to use a pencil-like brow definer!

The sassy lip gloss, on the other hand, is a bit more fun. I love lip gloss! Tarte's LipSurgence is great, as is L'Oreal's Colour Juice (love the Golden Splash for the holidays!).

If I'm super honest, though, what I would really like to be able to pull off is a bolder lip. Lip gloss, while sassy and fun, is still safe. A bold lip? Not safe at all.

I would like to sport a daring lip.

When I had my makeover, the makeup artist gave me a bold rust-colored lip:

I know I am not a cherry-red lipstick kind of gal. Nor am I a fan of deep aubergines. But I think I could go bolder than natural. I think I could be more daring. Rust? Orangey-pink? Eva's Caramel? I think those colors are calling my name.

So if you see me this December, you just might see someone sporting a daring lip. Or maybe just a glossy one :-)

Are you daring when it comes to makeup? Do you have a favorite bold lipstick that you think I should try? Let me know!

Have a great day, everyone!

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Go for amazing party looks this holiday season!

Thanks to Walgreens for underwriting this post. I was paid as a member of the
Clever Girls Collective, but the content is all mine. Visit http://moms.dailybuzz.com/channel/style.

Recently, I had a ton of fun getting a makeover as part of a cover model shoot for Healthy Life magazine. Part of that makeover involved dressing up in festive clothes and putting on equally festive makeup. It was great to get a brush-up on festive makeup, considering I spend a lot of my time doing this:

And the rest of my time playing with, cleaning up after, and generally taking care of my two little guys:

Although my day-to-day life doesn't require much in the way of makeup, I do like to get dressed up on occasion. And around the holidays I have more of those occasions. Since those occasions are generally special, I like to give my look a little extra flair -- like most people do around the holidays. It seems like sparkle is everywhere between Thanksgiving and New Year's Eve!

Fortunately, I've learned that you can create fun, festive, pretty party looks without breaking the bank. Makeup doesn't have to be expensive -- you can find plenty of good deals at drugstores, for example.

If you'd like to create an amazing party look for yourself this season, here are some tips that I've learned bother from experience and from my recent makeover:

• Use a primer to smooth your skin and prep it for your makeup. Primer helps your makeup last longer and it fills-in your "crevices" (ha!) so makeup doesn't settle-in and make your skin look wrinkled.
• A little brow definition can help your look go from average to amazing in seconds! I had never used eye brow pencil before my makeover, but I am a convert. I definitely don't think it is an everyday look for me but for parties it is a sure thing! 
• If you go for a sparkly eye, do not go for a sparkly lip. And vice versa. Choose one area for sparkle. Too much sparkle is, well, too much.
• I love classic black mascara and, for party looks, I wear two coats. I'm a fan of tried-and-true Maybelline Great Lash. It has worked for me for years!
• Go ahead and blush! A lot of people tend to shy away from blush but if you want to fab it up for a party, go for it! Sweeping color over the apples of your cheeks helps finish your look and gives you a nice glow. Just make sure you don't go overboard.

As you prepare for your holiday parties this year, don't be afraid to try out some new looks! Why not splurge on a new lipstick or gloss next time your at the drugstore? Or finally pick up that eyebrow pencil (I'm telling you, it works!)? Glam it up a little, you'll be happy you did!

Lucky you -- I've got some Walgreens coupons for you to make your amazing party looks even easier to achieve!

Do you have a favorite festive makeup tip?