As a kid, I loved playing with make-up and I've never grown out of it. My mom didn't like to wear make-up, but my aunt loved it and would often pass along her extras and cosmetic counter samples to me. In addition to the "Real Make-up", I amassed a sizable collection of Hello Kitty and Bonne Bell products designed for little girls. My interest expanded into skin care and hair products, including a very unfortunate pre-teen experiment with Sun-In hair lightener. I used three bottles in a week while with my grandparents, ruining my hair and necessitating a professional cut and color. Mom was not thrilled.

In high school, my interest spread to theatrical make-up. I took several classes and did make-up for several of our school productions. I even worked on a professional show at the John Anson Ford Amphitheater. I enjoyed it so much, that several times I thought that make-up artistry might be a good career move for me, but I've never acted on it.

Today, I did something that I have not done for years, I helped a friend with her make-up. My beautiful friend, does not wear make-up often, but had purchased some products from a Bobbi Brown counter at Nordstrom and wasn't sure how to use them. She admired my style of make-up application, a muted, natural look.

I love Bobbi Brown Cosmetics. The brand has an emphasis on natural beauty and the make-up wears well. It can be a bit pricy, but it lasts forever and is high quality. It's worth the price. Usually, the make-up artists at the counter are really helpful in showcasing the products and helping the customer choose the best fit for them as an individual. That being said, for someone who does not often wear make-up, it can be intimidating and requires a bit of practice. I had a lot of fun playing with make-up this afternoon, so I thought that I would share some tips that I shared with my friend.

I think the most important thing is having the right tools. You can have the best make-up in the world, but if you don't use the correct brushes, it won't look right. You can sometimes get away with using your fingers, but really brushes are essential. I always throw out the crappy little brushes that come with the set, especially the sponge applicators that come with some eye-shadows.

We focused on eye make-up today. I am not sure if this is the same advice that a professional would give, but this is what I passed on to my friend.

Always start with the eyes. as the first part of make-up application.

1. I curl my lashes first.

2. Eye primer next. I am currently using Bobbi Brown Long-wear cream Shadow in Bone. I use it to cover my entire lid and a little above. This really sets the shadow and keeps it from creasing. This is the only thing that I use my finger to apply.

3. I have small eyes, very small eyes and to combat this, I take my Bobbi Brown Champagne Shimmer Wash Eye Shadow and use an eye-shadow brush to sweep it from the inside corner of my eye, up to my brows. It acts as a highlighter.

4. I use Bobbi Brown Velvet Plus Metallic Eye Shadow for my lid, going extra heavy in the creases. I only use two shadows for every day use, but if I were going out, I might add a third contrast in the mix. I blend the shadows with an eye-shader brush.

5. Next is eye-liner. Due to my small eyes, I only use the liner on the top, making a line as close to my eyelashes as possible, avoiding a gap. I use an eyeliner brush with Bobbi Brown long-Wear Gel Eyeliner in Espresso Ink. The gel eyeliner is the best I've used, as the color is vivid and it really stays on all day. Gel is a bit hard to work with and takes some practice. I don't work in a straight line, I dab it on thick and even out the line with the brush.

6. Mascara is last. I use Bobbi Brown Ultimate Party mascara in black. A tip that I learned at the make-up counter is to slightly close your eyes around the brush and twist as you lift the brush up. This gets the mascara further down on your lashes, making them appear fuller. This is the single most important tip to make eyes pop.

Long-wear cream shadow and gel liner, two indespensible products from Bobbi Brown.

I've had this shadow over a year and use it nearly every day, I still have a ton left.

I always make a huge mess with the eye make-up and use Neutrogena Make-up Removal wipes to clean up prior to putting on foundation. This is the main reason to do foundation after eye make-up.

One big tip that I have is to stand firm when visiting a make-up counter. I feel that going to a make-up counter is key to buying the right product. You can get some great advice and play with the products, figuring out what is best for you. However, sometimes the salesperson can be pushy or maybe they are not great at their job. I spent four months selling clothes and I can admit that I am not a person that you want to seek out for fashion advice. I can't pull together an outfit to save my life, especially with current trends. So sometimes, you get this person at the make-up counter. Just because a person has a particular job, it doesn't mean that they know best.

I learned this lesson last August, at the Bobbi Brown counter in the Nordstrom at Glendale. I went in for lighter eyeshadow colors for summer and was convinced to buy a Shimmer Brick compact.

The sales person told me that this was the trend for summer, doubling bronzer on the cheeks and eyes. I wasn't in love with it, but she was so insistent that it looked good, so I bought it. I used it a few times and it found a home in the back of my drawer. It wasn't make-up that I was comfortable wearing, it didn't fit my personal style or make me feel my best.

My friend ended up with colors that she felt uncomfortable wearing. They were darker and heavier than she liked. It's not always easy, but when going to the counter, it's important to not buy something unless you are 100% sure. It's okay to say no to the salesperson and they do not automatically know what is best. It's important to go in with an open mind and willingness to try new things, but ultimately go with your gut.

Since I was a teenager, my favorite cosmetics brand has been Bobbi Brown. With the exception for a year where I was buying everything MAC, I've been a very loyal BB customer, using only Bobbi's brushes and make-up.

Bobbi Brown's latest advertising campaign, coupled with events over the last few years, had me thinking a lot about beauty and body image. I've always loved make-up. I get it from my aunt, who is queen of the cosmetics counter. A trip to the mall was never complete without her buying a new lipstick. Truly, I have no idea why she needs constantly buy lipstick? I buy lipstick once a year. It's perplexing. My mom, her sister, as the opposite. One of the only times that I saw my mom wear make-up, was for my wedding. She looked great.

Bobbi Brown is known for natural looking makeup. The latest campaign is called Pretty Powerful and the focus is on bringing out the natural beauty in every woman. They are also using real women, rather than models as the main focus of the campaign. I know that this has been done before and it's not a new gimmick, but I think it's nice. I have nothing against models, as they are also real women, but I like the idea of having a bigger variety of ages in sampling and more of a focus on individuality, rather than an ideal perfection that traditional models seem to represent in society.

Other than books, there is nothing I enjoy buying more than make-up. I get giddy and love coming home to experiment with my finds. I've look at it like buying a paint set, a way to express myself. Most of the time, my make-up is very natural. but sometimes I go crazy with silver glitter eye shadow or kelly green eyeliner. I think of make-up as another accessory. It's not a necessity, but i definitely feel more complete and put together with it. It's the icing on the rest of the outfit that leads to a polished appearance.

Increasingly, I've gone out of the house with zero make-up on. I have nice skin and look fine without it. There is no good reason to wear make-up to the gym or on an early morning ATV ride. I recently posted a zero make-up picture on this blog from that ride in Whistler. I ended up with mud splattered all over my face from the ride, make-up would have been a waste. I may feel less polished without make-up, but it doesn't mean that I feel less pretty.

I've always had a healthy body image. I'm not perfect. who is? However, a vast majority of the time, I feel attractive. My first paying job was nude art modeling in college. I can say with all honesty that I never once felt uncomfortable being naked in front of a class of people. It was physically uncomfortable with the cold and having to stand still for long periods of time, but I never had a problem with the nudity. I loved to watch people draw me as I was standing there and see how they perceived me. It's also so professional. that really, I was like a bowl of fruit up there, nobody ever made me feel uncomfortable.

I think the human body is beautiful, in every shape. I have to admit that my recent retail job has made me keenly aware of how so many people don't love their own bodies. A shift didn't go by that I didn't hear several customers make disparaging comments about their bodies. It was really depressing. Even at my heaviest, which is about ten pounds above my current weight (admittedly, i've been more than i should, but never too overweight), I've always felt attractive. I've also heard many catty remarks directed towards those who are deemed too thin, mostly people quick to label them as anorexic.

I'm not discounting those people who have serious eating disorders (both over and under), but it makes me think that part of the problem is our societies rush to judgement. Maybe people would have a better self image, if they focused on themselves, rather than those around them. Yes, this is easier said than done, but I think our society likes to harp on what it doesn't have, rather than highlighting what it does have.

i know that it's advertising, but i like Bobbi Brown's campaign to focus on individual beauty, rather than trying to use make-up to turn a face into something it isn't. i have very, very small eyes. They are never going to be big, so let's work with what I've got. i'm okay with working with what i already own, rather than what I wish I was.

i remember being mortified when getting my make-up done to be a Bridesmaid in my friend's wedding. My friend getting married and the other friend in the wedding are both Chinese and so was the make-up artist. She kept saying how lucky i was to have western eyes with a crease in the lid. I learned that some asian women have surgery to get the crease, because they deem it more attractive.

In general, I'm not sure how I feel about plastic surgery. i guess in some cases it's okay and I am fine if it really makes someone feel better about themselves. However, the lid crease freaked me out, because that is changing something more fundamental that makes asian women unique and beautiful. Personally, I had never thought one way or the other about the crease in my eye lid and couldn't imagine why anyone would want it. It's just a flab of skin. i certainly couldn't understand why she kept telling me I was lucky and I was relieved when my friends seemed equally horrified.

i think that everyone sees other people and wishes for certain attributes. It would be wonderful to have enormous green eyes or thick curly hair, but that's not what's me. It's okay to admire, it's natural, especially if someone has a feature that is especially stunning. However, I think BB's campaign should be the advice to follow, learn to love what makes you beautiful. Whether through external means (make-up/clothes/jewelry) or internal, latch on to what makes you unique and let that shine.

Bobbi Brown Official Site