Monday Workday Beauty

Happy Monday ladies!

It's another work week and though I'm feeling a bit under the weather, I thought a nice pop of red would just brighten things up. Most of you might know that I love reds especially when it comes to beauty. Not only does it give you that perfect pop of colour but it gives people the impression that you're a powerful and sophisticated chick.

If you're not really into reds and prefer to express a more playful side of yours then tangerine orange is your best bet. This colour of the year is just as trendy as it could get and if you're wondering how to incorporate it into your wardrobe, a lipstick or a nailpolish is a good way to start.

image via

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Makeup Ideas for Girls Who Wear Glasses

Image courtesy of CND.
Glasses wearers like to wear fun makeup too. As I have worn glasses for a good part of my life, I get that. It's difficult to not feel a little geeky in glasses sometimes, but here are some good tips that'll keep you looking your best:

Try to use neutral colors and avoid too much glitter or shine. According to Bobbi Brown, "Wearing glasses draws plenty of attention to your eyes, so it’s best to keep your eye makeup simple. Stick to neutral shades on the eyes but remember to blend a darker color into your crease for added definition. Save the bright, bold colors for lips."

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{4 Day of Christmas} DIY Beauty Gift Ideas

{Cold season bubble bath}

you need: 6 drops of eucalyptus oil, 3 drops of spearmint oil, 3 drops of peppermint oil, 1 quart of distilled water, 1 bar of castille soap, 4 ounces liquid glycerin. instruction: mix the water, soap and glycerin together and stir. Now add your essential oils to the mixture.

{Sweet tea with lemon sugar scrub}

you need: 1 2/3 cup fine sugar, 1/2 cup almond oil, 1 large tea bag, 1 lemon zest, 5 drops of lemon essential oil, 1 pint mason jar with lid. instructions: pour almond oil in the mason jar and place large tea bag down in oil. Allow to sit in the sun for 45 minutes to an hour. Remove tea bag and add remaining ingredients to jar. Stir together. Seal and tie with a ribbon.

{Pink bath salt}

you need: jar, mineral or sea salt, essential oil, pink food colouring and fabric. instructions: pour enough salt to fill the jar and add a few drops of essential oil. if you like your salt to have a colouring, add a few drops of food colouring into the fabric and stir onto the salt mix.

image via

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How to wear foundation that is too light or dark for you

Most of us have done it: We see a foundation, fall in love and impulsively order it without matching the correct shade. Maybe there is no correct shade or maybe your skin color is drastically different throughout the year. Regardless, here are some things you can do with foundation that is not quite your color:

1. Perhaps the easiest thing to do with a foundation that does not match is to mix it with another one. I mix a good majority of my foundations throughout the year. My Bare Escentuals foundation is way too golden for me, so I brush it over a lot of my warmer foundations.

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Holiday Gift Guide: Best Gift Sets 2011

I love gift sets. A beautiful, quality gift set exudes understated chic and class. And what a better way to save while providing your gift recipient with a plethora of great new products to try? Many brands only release gift sets during the holiday, so don't miss out on your chance to sample this season's best.

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Give the Gift of Beauty to Others and Yourself

Whether you're looking for presents to gift friends and relatives or something to treat yourself this holiday, beauty products are the way to go if indulgence is your top priority. Here are a few holiday gifts many beauty lovers would enjoy.

Nothing screams festivity more than daringly red lips. Modernize the classic red this year and go matte. Brand name or drugstore, red lipsticks are always stylish. Great matte reds of this season include MAC Russian Red ($14.50), NARS Vesuvio ($25), and Revlon Really Red ($5.00). Or if you are going for double the price, half the matte, but all of the gorgeous, don't miss out on YSL Rouge Volupeté in Red Muse ($34).

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{Beauty} Olive Oil Scrub

Most of us tend to be afraid of oil base scrubs, but you shouldn't. This one leaves your skin feeling soft, moisturized, and clean. You can use this on your face, but it is best to avoid doing so in the winter. A gentler exfoliant would do just fine. If you do use this scrub on your face, rub very carefully and avoid delicate dry spots, as it can be too harsh on sensitive winter skin. Follow with a thick moisturizer.


image by wit + delight

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Sigma Beauty New Brush Sets: Cities Collection, Make Me Up Travel Kit, Bunny Collection and Extravaganza Golden Brushes!

The Cities Collection has been released. Read the full review for The Cities Collection.
Read the full review for The Sigma Make Me Up Travel Collection.

Complete Sigma Coupon Codes and Special Release Sales: Sigma Brushes Coupons »


The Cities Collection
Launch Date: November 21, 2011
The Cities is Sigma Beauty’s special edition travel kit collection! The kits feature seven travel-sized brushes from the best selling Essential and Premium Kits (E05 Eyeliner, E35 Tapered Blending, E45 Small Tapered Blending, E60 Large Shader, F05 Small Contour, F15 Duo Fibre, and F30 Large Powder). The brushes are held in a travel-size container that turns into two brush holders to keep your brushes organized, even on the go. Each kit was designed to represent the beauty and excitement of the city it is named after. There are four kits in this exciting collection: London (brown), Tokyo (pink), Paris (red) and New York (black).

 
Make Me Up Collection – Travel Edition
Launch Date: November 28, 2011
The Sigma Beauty Make Me Up Travel Kits were designed for fun, yet practical makeup application on the go. Similar to the design of the full sized Make Me Up Collection, these travel sized kits contain seven colorful brushes held in a functional and stylish container (E30 Pencil, E40 Tapered Blending, E55 Eye Shading, E65 Small Angle, F30 Large Powder, F40 Large angled Contour, and F60 Foundation). The kits will be available in Black, Aqua, Coral and Purple.

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Jouer Liquid Shimmer Eyeliner in Fox and Dusty Lipstick Swatches and Review

"It is chic, simple and designed to be the perfect fit for anytime and any occasion."

Jouer Cosmetics Liquid Shimmer Eyeliner in Fox ($22)

Jouer Liquid Shimmer Eyeliners were released earlier this year as a part of their Mad About Fall 2011 Collection. Each shade in this eyeliner collection contains subtle shimmers for exciting, yet wearable looks. These eyeliners contain Vitamins A and E and are completely paraben-free. The formula is water-base, which means it takes a minute or two to dry - but also means the eyeliner is gentle on the eyes and is easy to remove. I've worn this navy charcoal eyeliner for 6+ hours without even a smudge.

Jouer Cosmetics Hydrating Lipstick in Dusty ($22) is not a true nude, but a natural color with a great hint of dusty rose.

The Hydrating Lipstick in Dusty is quite true to its name. It feels extremely moisturizing upon application. It doesn't hydrate and protect your lips like a lip balm does, but there is no need for lip balm while you're wearing the actual lipstick. The color is beautiful: not a pale nude, but more of a natural beige tone. The end result is like my lips, but lighter, dustier, and so much smoother.

Swatches of Fox (a navy charcoal), Dusty (natural nude)

Shimmery eyes and nude lips can make for a great Fall statement. How do you like to pair your shimmers and nudes?

Disclosure: This post contains product(s) sent to me for testing or reviewing consideration. I am neither paid nor compensated for my opinion. My priority is always to my readers and I express only my honest opinion in every post.

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Sigma Beauty Holiday Gift Guide (and Sigma Coupon)

Sigma Beauty has come out with a new catalog, the Holiday Gift Guide. The new Sigma catalog features several prominent beauty bloggers and Youtubers. I hope this guide can aid you in your holiday gift buying. :) Click here to read the full catalog.

I am loosening my belt for Thanksgiving dinner and anxiously awaiting the Black Friday sale. (Be prepared for a spectacular Sigma Beauty Black Friday sale.) I hope to get all my gifts bought during this sale. ;) When do you do your holiday shopping?

If you are interested in buying from Sigma, please remember that there is always at least a 10% off discount when you use a Sigma coupon code.

Disclosure: I am an official Sigma Representative and obtain the latest Sigma news and products in order to update my readers. This post contains affiliate links. Please read about our full honesty and disclosure policies.

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{Beauty} Why Not?

image via the beauty department

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Anastasia Beauty Express For Brows and Eyes Review

The Anastasia Beauty Express kit contains all you will ever need for your brows. This set comes in two colors: blonde and brunette. I was fortunate enough to receive the brunette set to test out.

Brow Wax Cream, Brow Powder Duo, Eyeshadow Duo, Stencils, Angled Brush

I have been testing the Beauty Express kit out for weeks and find myself extremely impressed with it. The wax along with the powders really help keep the color on all day. Mixing the duo ensures that the color comes out natural looking. The eyeshadows included aren't too shabby either as they are perfect for a neutral look. The stencils are really useful for beginners, though they tend to be longer than I like. The brush is a good one as it is stiff and perfectly angled. 

Anastasia Beverly HillsBeauty Express For Brows and Eyes in Brunette

This kit is an improvement over the Benefit Cosmetics Brow Zing, although its size makes it less ideal for traveling. And priced at $39.50, this can be a steep investment for your brows. Consider it if you are having troubles getting your brows just right. The Beauty Express is available at Sephora, Ulta, or Anastasia's website.

Disclosure: This post contains product(s) sent to me for testing or reviewing consideration. I am neither paid nor compensated for my opinion. My priority is always to my readers and I express only my honest opinion in every post.

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Sigma Brushes Bunny Collection and Extravaganza Collection - plus 2012 Coupon Code

New Sigma Makeup Coupon 2012

Thanks for waiting everyone! I was able to obtain the latest 2012 Sigma Coupon Code! The newest code will always be posted on the right sidebar and on this page. Click to see new Sigma coupon. Happy savings!

Sigma Bunny Brushes Collection 2012

I wrote about Sigma's Bunny Collection a while back. Unfortunately, it hasn't been released yet. I know many have of you have been anticipating the release of these all-vegan synthetic makeup brushes. The official release date is December 5th. Long time, I know. I can't wait either - but I am sure it will be well worth the wait!

A little sneak peek at the vegan brushes:

Another preview of the Extravaganza Collection (official release date unknown, but anticipated to be the same date as the Bunny Collection):

Photos courtesy of Simone

Disclosure: I am an official Sigma representative. My priority is always to my readers and I express only my honest opinion in every post. Read more about our disclosure and privacy policies.

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Makeup Favorites and Reviews from Glam Beauty Board

Benefit Brow Zing, Maybelline Eyestudio Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner, Rimmel London Volume Accelerator Mascara, Urban Decay Eyeshadow, Revlon Matte Lipstick

As a proud member of the Glam Beauty Board, I get the honor of reviewing some of the makeup items handpicked by Glam Media’s Beauty Editor, India-Jewel Jackson. I am thrilled to be a part of this program because I get to join some of the best beauty bloggers in reviewing the latest and trendiest cosmetics. I've been introduced to some great makeup this month and am very excited to share this news with my readers.

Benefit Cosmetics Brow Zing in Dark (for dark brown to black hair)

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{at the shops: tom ford nail lacquer}

{glamour via the glitter guide}

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MAC 2011 Holiday Collections: Glitter and Ice, Ice Parade, Dazzlesphere, Viva Glam

Have a very MAC holiday this winter! This vast holiday release by MAC will ensure that every makeup lover finds what she wants. Direct your family and friends to this portion of your Christmas list. Or maybe you will be giving the gift of MAC this holiday. ;)

 Glitter and Ice – Available October 27, 2011 (November 2011 Internationally)

Chic, metallic lip, eye, and face kits and bags are the perfect gifts for all the fabulous guys and gals in your life! These stylish M∙A∙C kits and bags are the perfect accessory during and after the holiday season!

Paint Pots ($18.50 U.S./$22.00 CDN)
 Let’s Skate! Pale pink with pearl
 Morning Frost Shimmering champagne taupe
 For Effect Black with pearl

Mineralize Eye Shadows ($21.00 U.S./$25.00 CDN)
 Fresh Ice White silver mélange
 Snow Season Soft taupe mélange
 Hold That Pose! Pale mauve mélange
 Frozen Blue Blue silver mélange
 Shimmermint Pale green mélange
 Winterized Dirty purple with silver, indigo, and pink mélange

Beauty Powder ($24.00 U.S./$29.00 CDN)
 Snowglobe Frosted pinky beige
 How Beautiful! Pale shimmering taupe

Nail Lacquer ($16.00 U.S./$19.00 CDN)
 Unconditionally Fabulous Super sparkle white (frost)
 Get Noticed! True bright red (crème)
 Festive Finery Dirty mid-tone greyed violet (crème)

Lash ($15.00 U.S./$18.00 CDN)

Lipstick ($15.50 U.S./$18.50 CDN)
  Whirls & Twirls Sheer pink with gold pearl (glaze)
  Double Spin Pale mauve pink (cremesheen)
  Soft Sable Cool frosted taupe (frost)
  Eloquent Air Sheer white silver (glaze)
  Such Flare True red (matte)
  What Joy! Deep berry (satin)

Dazzleglass ($19.50 U.S./$23.00 CDN)
 Pleasure Principle Clear white violet, teal, and white pearl
 Dressed to Dazzle Pale dirty pink red and gold pearl
 Glitter and Ice Light nude with white and gold pearl
 She-zam Sheer silver with silver and red pearl
 Love Alert Raspberry red with red pearl
 Spanking Rich Raspberry pink with red and gold pearl


Opulash Mascara ($15.00 U.S./$18.00 CDN)
 Bad, Bad Black Black

Technakohl Liner ($16.00 U.S./$19.00 CDN)
 Silver Skates Silver with pearl
 Going for Gold Gold with pearl
 Seasonally Spicy Brown with pearl
 Fancy Moves Violet with pearl
 Practice Makes Perfect Navy with pearl
 Smooth Manoeuvre Black with pearl

Ice Parade  – Available October 27, 2011 (November 2011 Internationally)

Bursting with a Holiday assortment of lipglass and lipstick, plus eye shadows and blush in divinely domed snow globe compacts, along with the glitter-handled brushes for blush, shadows and liner…all in ultra-modern makeup bags.

Eyeshadow x6 ($38.00 U.S./$45.50 CDN)

cool

 Howzat Pale lavender (satin)

 Snowball Frost white (frost)

 Warm & Smoky Medium purple (veluxe pearl)

 Idol Eyes (lustre)

 Illegal Cargo Slate (frost)

 Set to Dance Dark royal blue (matte)

warm

 Buckwheat Bark brown (velvet)

 Gaelic Gold Gold (veluxe pearl)

 Patina (frost)

 Magical Mist Sparkle concrete (lustre)

 Winterscape Bright taupe pearl (lustre)

 Midnight Flurry Dark warm black (matte)

sultry

 Black Tied (velvet)

 Trax (velvet)

 Shadowy Lady (matte)

 Fun! Pink patina (lustre)

 Lightfully White with pink reflect (lustre)

 Festive Delight Bordeaux wine

Iced Delights Lip Bag ($38.00 U.S./$45.50 CDN)

wintercool

 Fashion Whim Lipglass Pink flesh (cremesheen)

 Crème de Nude Lipstick (cremesheen)

 Stripdown Lip Pencil

sultry

 Deelight Lipglass Raisonette (cremesheen)

 I Love Winter Lipstick Medium passionfruit (cremesheen)

 Boldly Bare Lip Pencil

Iced Delights nail & lip bag ($36.00 U.S./$43.50 CDN)

rocking

 Kanga Rouge Lipstick Bright red (amplified)

 Golden Blanket Lipglass Translucent with silver pearl (frost)

 Asiatique Nail Lacquer (cream)

pure drama

 Hang up Lipstick (cremesheen)

 Frozen Lamé Lipglass Frosty nude (frost)

 Vintage Vamp Nail Lacquer (cream)

iced delights eye bag ($45.00 U.S./$54.00 CDN)

silver

 Silverwear Metallic lavender (frost)

 Blue Spruce Marine blue with lavender sparkle (velvet)

 Graphblack Technakohl

 Zoom Fast Black Lash

 275SE Brush

pearl

 Taupeless Lavender pink (lustre)

 Celestial Black Rich blue black with red pearl (velvet)

 Purple Dash Technakohl

 Zoom Fast Black Lash

 275SE Brush

gold

 Baby, It’s cold… Butter yellow frost (frost)

 Woodsmoke Muted emerald green (frost)

 Brown Border Technakohl

 Zoom Fast Black Lash

 275SE Brush

make it perfect brush kit ($49.50 U.S./$59.50 CDN)

mineralize

 187SE

 130SE

 286SE Duo fibre tapered blending

 282SE Duo fibre shader

essential

 190SE, 129SE, 275SE,

 266SE , 226SE

special edition

 167SE Bronzer Brush,

 168SE, 239SE, 217SE, 212SE

fabulously festive face kit ($59.50 U.S./$72.00 CDN)

warm

 Golden Flurry Eye Shadow Nude sparkle (lustre)

 Soft Brown Eye Shadow

 Carbon Eye Shadow

 Omega Eye Shadow

 Join The Party Lipglass Creamy pale peach

 Mellowarm Lipstick Medium peach (frost)

 Seasonal Appeal Blush

 129SE Brush

 275SE Brush

 266SE Brush

wintercool

 Phloof! Eye Shadow

 Quarry Eye Shadow

 Dance in the Dark Eye Shadow

 Brun Eye Shadow

 Emancipation Lipglass Creamy light pink

 Hot Gossip Lipstick Medium pink (frost)

 Mocha Blush

 129SE Brush

 275SE Brush

 266SE Brush

retailer/nordstrom exclusive ($59.50 U.S./$72.00 CDN)

festive frost face kit

 Expensive Pink Eye Shadow

 Once Upon a Time Eye Shadow Metallic vanilla (veluxe pearl)

 Embark Eye Shadow

 Below Zero Eye Shadow Bright eggshell

 Tra-la-la Lipglass Sheer nude sparkle (frost)

 Imagine This Lipstick Medium beige (cream)

 Buff Blush

 129SE Brush

 275SE Brush

 266SE Brush

Viva Glam – Available October 27, 2011  (November 2011 Internationally)

Every cent of the selling price of all VIVA GLAM products is donated to the M·A·C AIDS Fund to support men, women and children affected by with HIV and AIDS.

viva glam melt your heart lip bag ($36.00 U.S./$43.50 CDN)

 Viva Glam Gaga Lipstick Pink (lustre)

 Viva Glam Gaga 2 Lipstick Nude (amplified)

kids helping kids tree teddy holiday ornament ($18.00 U.S./$22.00 CDN)

 Silver Teddy Bear

 Viva Glam 1 Special Edition Lipglass

Dazzlesphere! – Available November 10, 2011

Everyone has a favourite type of product they love! This holiday season give them a fabulous group of four of their favorite nail lacquers, pigments, or lipglasses in a one-of-a-kind Dazzlesphere!

dazzlesphere! mini nail lacquer kit ornament ($25.50 U.S./$30.00 CDN)
petite
 Dark Angel
 Style Tip Soft pink nude
 Much Adored Sheer white pink with pearl
 Mistletoe Pale gold

dazzlesphere! crushed metallics pigment kit ornament ($32.50 U.S./$38.50 CDN)
smoky berry
 Pearl
 Rose Light
 Spicy Smoke Dark strawberry
 Roasted Chestnut Deep chocolate with gold pearl
smoky blue
 White As Snow Snowy white
 Silver Sleet Medium grey
 Wintersky Purple blue
 Dark Moon Charcoal
plum
 Light Violet
 Grape
 Seasonal Cool Sparkle taupe
 Misty Pale silver

dazzlesphere! ornaments mini gloss kit ($32.50 U.S./$38.50 CDN)
neutral
 Bare Necessity (dazzleglass)
 Get Rich Quick (dazzleglass)
 Boy Bait (cremesheen)
 Over Indulgence (cremesheen)
coral
 Phiff! (dazzleglass)
 Eurobeat (dazzleglass)
 On The Scene (cremesheen)
 Richer, Lusher (cremesheen)
pink
 Rags to Riches (dazzleglass)
 Like Venus (dazzleglass)
 Fashion Scoop (cremesheen)
 Petite Indulgence (cremesheen)

Holiday Cards - Available October 27, 2011 (Internationally November 2011)

Don't forget the holiday cards! MAC sure knows how to cover all their bases.

wonderfully wonderful holiday cards x6 ($10.00 U.S./$12.00 CDN)
 6 Greeting Cards with envelopes

wonderfully wonderful holiday cards x12 ($10.00 U.S./$12.00 CDN)
 12 Greeting Cards with envelopes

Disclaimer: Press images and information provided by MAC Cosmetics.

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{Beauty} Hair Trend To Replace The Ombre

Last year's ombre has taken the beauty world by storm, and for the most part, I'm not a fan of it. Gladly it was replaced by these trendy yet wearable hair colours that I'm absolutely lovin.

{Overall chestnut brown}
Anyone can easily pull this off especially if you naturally have dark hair. Even unless you're having an Ashley Simpson moment then I'd say you're one brave gal!

{Golden Highlights}
Now, I'm really diggin this. Colder months tend to bring out the pastry in me and
though I have a light hair colour, I'm considering some highlights to change it.
It's so fall season right?

image via pinterest

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Sigma Synthetic Precision Kit Preview and Coupon

I was fortunate enough to receive the Sigma Synthetic Precision Kit before its October 10th release on Sigma's website. The Sigma Sigmax Synthetic brushes have always been my favorite Sigma brushes, so you can imagine how excited I am about this launch. Here I am sharing a preview photo. Look forward to the full review come release date. I am also thinking of ordering a few kits to give away to readers. And in case you were wondering: yes, these brushes are most definitely worth all the hype.

Recap: On October 10th, Sigma will be releasing the redesigned Sigmax brushes with an additional tapered F86 brush added to the collection. They will also be releasing the brand new Sigma Synthetic Precition Kit, which are similar to the Sigmax face brushes, but smaller for precise application. These brushes can be used for the eyes or for precision application on the face.

If you are planning to buy these brushes, you can find this month's 10% off Sigma coupon here. You can also try your luck and enter the Sigma $300 gift card giveaway.

ASOS Giveaway Update: The winners have been selected and contacted by an ASOS representative. Thanks for entering and be sure to share with us what you bought. :)

Disclosure: I am an official Sigma representative. The brushes were sent to me by Sigma with no obligation for review or mention. My priority is always to my readers and I express only my honest opinion in every post.

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{Beauty} A Shade of Red

Red lips has a way of making a woman look sexy, alluring and mysterious. Any woman who wears it get an instant boost of confidence and makes her feel like she can conquer the world.

But in Alyson Fox's latest project she captures the intimate side of women. Wearing the same lip colour, Certainly Red from Revlon, she compiled it in her book called A Shade of Red. Here is a sneak peak.








image by A Shade of Red via refinery29.

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Twilight Hairstyles: How to get hair like Kristen Stewart, Ashley Greene, Robert Pattinson...

I found this bit of information the other day and thought the Twilight fans would enjoy it. My apologies to my non-Twilight fans.

If you are interested in the hairstyles of these Twilight stars, you can watch the PRO Beauty Tools tutorials below in which the Twilight styles are recreated by Academy Award Winning Lead Hairstylist, Beatrice De Alba.

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1 that premieres in November will be featuring PRO Beauty Tools' Twilight Limited Edition styling tools. The Twilight Limited Edition collection include a Ceramic Ionic Dryer, Ionic Steam Hairsetter (Rosalie), Ceramic Curling Iron (Bella), Ceramic Flat Iron (Alice/Esme), Ceramic Detailer (Edward) and corresponding brushes.

Twilight Hair Tutorials

• Alice Cullen (Ashley Greene) hairstyle tutorial
• Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) hairstyle tutorial
• Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson) hairstyle tutorial
• Esme Cullen (Elizabeth Reaser) hairstyle tutorial
• Rosalie Cullen (Nikki Reed) hairstyle tutorial

What are your thoughts on the hairstyles? Or the Twilight movies in general? I may never go see the film, but I am definitely a fan of Ashley Greene.

Disclaimer: Tutorials are provided for readers' benefit. I am not affiliated with Twilight or PRO Beauty Tools in any way.

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