Charlie Tamara Piper

I love mascara! It helps open up and accentuate my eyes, and it's the one product that really pulls my whole eye look together. Picking out the right mascara is the key to getting the full benefit of the product. I've road-tested a number of mascaras, and I've got tips on picking out the best mascara and which ones really live up to the hype. What You Need To Know Know your need.  Do you have shorter lashes that you want to lengthen? Do you struggle to keep the curl in your lashes? Mascaras address the need for volume, thickening, curl, and length, but knowing which need you're looking to fill will help you narrow down your focus while on the hunt for a new mascara. Double up on mascaras.  I love to play with the look of my lashes (I'm not a false lash wearer, but I love to replicate the look with mascara). Sometimes a coat from two different mascaras gives the benefits of each formula and crea...

Priming your skin is an important part of your makeup application. Not only does it help protect your skin (and depending on the primer you select, it can provide you with real skincare benefits) but priming your skin correctly helps improve your overall makeup application and wear time. But picking the right primer can be a tough challenge - with so many on the market, it can be hard to figure out which one will work best for you. The next time you're at Sephora, consider these tips and tricks. Know Your Skin Type and Concern It sounds pretty basic, but it can be the step we're most likely to forget. Knowing your skin type (oily, dry, combination) and your concern (large pores, fine lines, acne-prone) can be a great way to narrow down the field of primers to ones most likely to work for you. Read The Ingredients In Your Foundation, Primer and Moisturizer The most common complaint I hear about a primer or foundation is that the primer doesn't help the foundatio...

My favorite part of my makeup application is using finishing and setting products - it's the moment where I can really see the makeup look coming together. Depending on the look that I'm going for that day, I rely on either finishing or setting products (or event a combination of both!) to take my makeup to the next level.  Because they tend to be used in the same way, there can be a little confusion over the difference between finishing and setting products. And if you fall in that camp, this post is for you. My Finishing Faves In general, finishing products are used to add a little extra glow or luminosity to the skin. They can help blur imperfections and, in the case of finishing sprays, can help erase makeup application sins. If I've gone a little overboard with powder, a few spritzes of finishing spray corrects that problem in a pinch. Here are some of my favorite finishing products: Hourglass's Ambient Lighting Powders are really grea...

My pedicure essentials Summer is finally here! It's time to break out your summertime essentials, which for me includes sandals and flip flops. But first, you've got to make sure your feet are ready for wearing open shoes. Here are my favorite tools and tips for getting your feet sandal-ready - and how to fix your feet when too much exposure leaves them in need of some TLC. Start With Freshly Trimmed Toenails It all starts with clean feet - I trim my toenails after I've removed last week's pedicure and hopped out of the shower. I love this toenail clipper that I picked up from Sephora as part of their standard manicure/pedicure set. You can get a complete set of tools here . Tip:  Trim your toenails straight across to prevent hangnails or ingrown toenail growth. Exfoliate and Buff Your Heels At least once a week, I use my Amope Pedi Perfect foot file...

I normally wear contact lenses, but every now and then I like to switch it up and wear my glasses. But have you ever noticed that glasses tend to rub the foundation off the sides and bridge of your nose? Glasses marks can get even the best of us and it's one of my makeup pet peeves. But thankfully, there are ways to keep your glasses from ruining your makeup. Consider the Fit and Shape of Your Glasses Heavier or larger frames will invariably rest on more of your face and stand a good chance of disturbing the makeup underneath. Loose-fitting glasses can also cause your frames to slide around more than they should. Consider smaller, lighter frames that fit more snugly on your face to minimize the risk of your glasses rubbing off your makeup. Tip: Place, don't slide, your glasses onto your face - and lift your glasses off when it's time to remove them. Sliding your glasses on or off is a surefire way to effectively rub your foundation right off.  If you do...

Well, hello there! You've found my blog! I hope you'll find this space helps you find the best foundation, maximize that twice-a-year Sephora sale, or fall in love with a new nail polish color to add to your collection. I'm not an expert in beauty, organizing and crafting, but these are some of my favorite things to do. I've gone through a lot of trial and error and along the way picked up knowledge and tips that have worked for me. Friends and coworkers have asked me for advice on finding ways to make lipstick last all day or for my thoughts on the newest mascara. I've taught friends how to wrap a present perfectly every time and I've logged enough hours at The Container Store to have picked up a thing or two on how to make my tiny New York City closet space work for me. I've toyed around with the idea of starting a blog and with some encouragement from my friends, here we are - we've got lift off! I've got a lot of ideas for posts and I hop...