Sometimes with my dark skin tone, it can be a bit hard to find the right lip color, especially when it comes to pink. So I was super excited when I received several different shades of pink lip glosses and lipsticks from NARS, Mehron and Uslu Airlines. I'm pretty sure a lot of you are familiar with the cult favorite NARS, but for those of you who has never heard of Mehron or Uslu Airlines, here's a teeny bit about these brands. Uslu Airlines is a Berlin based brand that was created by a Turkish makeup artist and German entrepreneur. The most advanced components are used and their products and colors have fun airport names using the global aviation 3-letter-code system. Their high quality products are largely used by international professional fashion makeup artists.  Mehron "represents an artisanal approach to creating quality cosmetics that are high impact and versatile." With long lasting coverage and a built in hydrating cream I can see why Mehron is widely used by professional artists working in fashion shows, productions, movies and performers. All three of this beauty brands are cruelty free. Mehron's L.I.P. Day Palette ($43.95), is absolutely amazing! It consists of eight rich and creamy colors that feels like a lip butter and would flatter any skin tone. Plus I'm able to blend some of the colors to create  different shades. The colors are buildable, hydrating and will leave a lovely stain that you can slick some gloss or lip balm over. In the morning before leaving for work I would barely dab a bit on my lips using the brush or my fingertips and although the hydrating properties would be gone after a few hours, the color would still be there and I'll just apply some lip balm. It goes on smooth and light and there's no scent nor is it tacky or sticky. I love all the colors and it was fun wearing a different color every day of the week, but my favorite pinks from this palette are Bubble Gum, Sun Burst, Natural and Fiesta. If you don't want to get the complete palette you can purchase individual pots for $7.95. They also have a Night Palette and the colors are gorgeous!

Colors, top, left to right: Cotton Candy, Bubble Gum, Sun Burst and Zinnia. Colors, bottom, left to right: Autumn Sun, Natural, Petal Pink and Fiesta.

These are swatches of the top colors.

And these are swatches of the bottom colors.

I've always been a fan of NARS Cosmetics so getting some goodies from them was lovely! I've never been disappointed using their Lip Pencils and the Satin Lip Pencil ($25.00), I received lives up to its name. The intense color combined with a long wearing, moisturizing, vitamin enriched formula is everything you've been wanting in a lip pencil! It goes on satiny smooth, has a great finish and the compliments you receive will be well worth the splurge. The color, Yu, looks a bit intimidating at first, but once I saw how great it looked on my lips, I wanted to wear this every day.  These lip pencils can be used as a liner, all over color or paired with other colors to create an intense, Instagram worthy pout.

NARS lipsticks: On the left Michiyo and right is Claudia.

The Lip Gloss ($26.00), Priscilla is a shocking fuchsia pink and Angelika is a cotton candy color with gold flecks. Both are enriched with vitamin E and are moisturizing and long wearing. I found that Angelika was a bit too light for my skin tone, but works good over a darker or brighter lip stain or lipstick. I absolutely love Priscilla! With this lip gloss, the only other makeup I needed was some mascara and light blush. The pop of color on my face instantly brightened it and it's not sticky or heavy, it feels creamy and moisturizing. The applicator for the gloss is soft and glides on smoothly. Although this formula is meant to be long lasting, if you eat or drink while wearing, reapplication is a must. Which is fine as it gives me another chance to look at my pretty Priscilla decked out lips! Last but not least, I also got to try a couple of NARS Audacious Lipsticks ($32.00).  The colors, Claudia and Michiyo, these babies are bold! I love both colors, but Claudia like Angelika was too light for me. It's a cool pink that looked more lavender on me. I didn't like how chalky it made my lips look. Michiyo is a shocking pink that reminded me of the lip pencil Yu. They're pretty close in color so this one I really liked. The texture for these lipsticks is soft and smooth, almost satiny and it has amazing staying powers! I love the pigmentation and my lips didn't feel dry. Just one swipe is all you need, but a couple more wouldn't hurt! I drink a lot of liquids throughout the day and just needed a little touch up after lunch and that lasted until I got home that evening and washed my face. I've also dabbed a bit on my lips when I didn't feel like going all "glamour" and applied some gloss on top for a low maintenance look.

Left NARS gloss Priscilla, middle gloss Angelika and right Satin Lip Pencil in Yu.

Now, seeing as this was my first time trying the brand, Uslu Airlines ($25.00), I wasn't sure what to expect. Boy was I surprised! The colors TEM and HAV are both flattering to my skin tone. These can go full coverage or sheer, feels like a lip balm, smooth texture, moisturizing and long lasting. All of their lipsticks have vitamin E and are NOT tested on animals. HAV looks like a dark red, but does have pink undertones; this shade can go from a girls night out to a weekend play date, it's that versatile. TEM is more of a dark coral, but oh so pretty! Perfect for everyday wear, this little number can also work as a sheer coral just by dabbing a little bit on your lips. These lipsticks are light and oh so hydrating! Did not need to use a gloss or lip balm while wearing them. Perfect for the most drying time of the year!

Uslu Airlines lipstick swatches: left is TEM and right HAV

To sum it up, my favorite color would have to be Yu by NARS. The vibrant pink works so well with my skin tone and it's so versatile. Plus I love that this lip pencil can pretty much fit anywhere. I just adore the hydration of the Uslu Airlines lipsticks and the colors. As much as I would love to carry the Mehron Day Palette with me at all times, alas, my daughter's "things she has to have," pretty much takes up all the space in my purse. It was fun trying a new lip color everyday for about two weeks and I'm glad I was able to use different shades of pinks to find out which one would be perfect. Lucky for me almost all of them did the job and all are now my perfect pink! Have you tried any of these? Subscribe to A Girl’s Gotta Spa! beauty blog. Watch our reviews on YouTube, see our pins on Pinterest and check us out on Instagram and G+. Got a Kindle? We’re on Kindle too! *Disclosure: press samples

There are some beauty mistakes that are often overlooked. I'm not talking about excessive contouring (although I may or may not wish someone could contour me to look 20 lbs thinner), or that you shouldn't wear white eye liner on your lower lid (flesh colored is better.) I'm talking about the really simple ones that we forget are important and can lead to acne, infections, damage, etc. Are you making any of these beauty mistakes? Not Adhering to Expiration Dates on Your Beauty Products For the most part, beauty products now have expiration dates listed on them. Additionally, if your beauty product has a batch code listed on it, you can always reach out to the brand's customer service to ask the expiration date. (For our natural bath and body products, we have both the expiration date and batch code tagged to the bottom of each product.) An expiration date is not a "suggested" date for maybe tossing a product, it's a pretty firm ingredients will be less effective or go sour (if they are natural/organic) by this date. Of course, some products can go bad sooner, such as natural ingredients being subject to sunlight/heat/cold or if you get pink eye, that eyeliner and mascara should be tossed immediately. Not Cleaning Your Makeup Tools Bacteria builds up on that Beauty Blender, those makeup brushes, heated lash curlers, etc. Make sure you are cleaning them regularly. All the dirt and crime of your face combined with skin and makeup build up can lead to blemishes when you re-swipe that makeup brush across your face. Yuck. I just got a heated lash curler and it is amazing how quickly the mascara can clog it up! Makeup brushes and your beauty sponges simply need soap and water for cleaning, but for your other tools, be sure to follow directions for each product on how to clean it properly. Setting Your Styling Tools Temperature Too High Remember that YouTube video where the girl was curling her hair and a huge lock simply burned right off? Don't let that be you. The best temperature for curling and flat ironing your hair is 350 degrees. While most styling tools go much higher, you are taking the chance of really damaging your hair if you go above 350. Obviously adjustments in temp can be made if you have much finer hair or thicker hair. But the general rule of thumb is 350. (And always use a thermal protectant styling aid!) Not Applying Moisturizer at Night A very long time ago I used to think this was simply a marketing ploy. However, it is a fact that we lose the most amount of moisture in our skin at night. You don't need a special nighttime facial moisturizer and can always just apply what you use for daytime use. However, some people prefer to use something without SPF for their night beauty routine. Please don't believe the hype that your skin "needs to breathe" as that is more applicable to giving your skin a break from pore-clogging makeup than hydrating lotion. Sharing Makeup It's not 1987 and we know better now that sharing makeup, especially eye makeup like eye pencils and mascara, can transfer bacteria and cause problems. When my sister tells me that my niece steals her makeup daily, I cringe. Are there other beauty mistakes that should be on this list? Leave a comment and let me know!

5 Beauty Mistakes You May Be Making http://t.co/CDfdEH7pDh #beauty

— A Girl's Gotta Spa! (@agirlsgottaspa) January 11, 2015

Subscribe to A Girl’s Gotta Spa! beauty blog. Watch our reviews on YouTube, see our pins on Pinterest and check us out on Instagram and G+. Got a Kindle? We’re on Kindle too!

Like many of you, I always thought red lipstick was something only few women could pull off. Until I got my hands on Avon's Reddy for Me, I had no idea that red could be so welcoming to my lips...and my fair skin. Once I finally mastered understanding which type of red would work best with my fair skin, that's when my eyes began to spot reds that would give me that pow! As seen on figure skating Olympian, Ashley Wagner, CoverGirl's Hot Passion is another one I am adding to my collection. It's a gorgeous, bright red.

When it comes gloss, I love shine, but when it comes to lipstick, I prefer it to be matte. Hot Passion is perfectly matte. You will absolutely need to wear a lipliner with this lipstick, as without it there is a lot of color bleeding. However, this lipstick has staying power unlike I've ever seen before. While there was some color transfer to a cup while drinking and eating, this lipstick remained intact. Honestly, one day I wore this lipstick for 8 full hours without having to touch it up at all. The only reason it came off is because I used makeup remover before bed! I also love that it didn't dry out my lips. Typically lipstick depletes my lips of moisture making them crack and peel, which is the reason why I mainly wear lipgloss. I love that I can wear this red without that problem!

Have you tried CoverGirl's Hot Passion red lipstick? If you found this makeup review helpful, please be sure to Like, Share and Pin it! Subscribe to A Girl’s Gotta Spa! Watch our reviews on YouTube, see our pins on Pinterest and check us out on Instagram and G+. Got a Kindle? We’re on Kindle too! Shannon on G+ *Disclosure

Your brows are an essential part to framing your face. Having the right tools is a necessity.

There are plenty of products out there - from brow gels to brow tints, to brow pens and brow markers and so on. What I've noticed lately is that there have been three brow products that I always seem to reach for.

NARS Brow Perfector ($22): This brow pencil has a velvety feel as you fill in where hair is sparse and shape where necessary. It blends perfectly, not making my brows too dark (I used Brown) and filling them out without looking "sharp" in their appearance. This pencil doesn't budge once blended in.

Boom Boom Push-Up Brow Highlighting Pencil ($18): Created by Malynda Vigliotti (aka Boom Boom), brow extraordinaire, this double sided brow highlighter is a hands down, must-have. Apply the matte side of the pencil along the brow bone, use it on the inside of the lower lid and then apply the Sparkle side to the inner corner of the eye. These three little tricks will make your eyes appear wider and uplifted.

The Sonia Kashuk Essentials Brush Set for Meaningful Beauty (Free with Meaningful Beauty purchase):  The Lash Brow Groomer brush in this Meaningful Beauty collaboration set, is one I cannot put down when it comes to my brows (the Foundation Brush is pretty fabulous, too.) I use the bristle side to blend the Boom Boom highlighting pencil into my brown line, while also using the bristles to blend the Nars Brow Perfector while shaping my brows. The comb side is pretty handy when trimming your brows back into a uniform length (there are always those random stragglers that seem to want to grow longer than others!)

Do you use any of the products mentioned? What are your brow essentials?

Subscribe to A Girl’s Gotta Spa! Watch our reviews on YouTube, see our pins on Pinterest and check us out on Instagram and G+. Got a Kindle? We’re on Kindle too! Shannon on G+

*Disclosure

Step 1: Apply primer over entire eyelid and up to brow line. Step 2: Apply jane.'s Ray of Light to lid. Step 3: Apply mark.'s Fab 5 green to entire crease. Step 4: Moisten brush dab in and then on Urban Decay's Zodiac over the green crease line (this adds intense sparkle & shimmer), blend upward then outward on outer corner of eyelid towards brow bone. Step 5: Clean brush, moisten again, and dab in and then on Urban Decay's Space Cowboy over the lid (again, this adds intense sparkle & shimmer.) Step 6: Highlight your brow bone with mark.'s fab 5 champagne type color and blend. Step 7: Apply black eyeliner of choice. Step 8: Apply mascara of choice. Step 9: Apply the rest of your face makeup. I used Urban Decay's Naked for my foundation coverage, jane.'s Peach Bouquet for my cheeks, and jane.'s intense color lip gloss in Million Dollar Smile for my lips. Step 10: OK ladies I hope by now you know this step...admire your hard work and say or think something fun or super positive to yourself. (IE: Boom!, Pow, Meow, Gosh the Lord did good work!) Oh and wait, let me add that we MUST pass this uplifting spirit on to our friends by telling them the same. Subscribe to A Girl’s Gotta Spa! for more beauty reviews! Watch our reviews on YouTube, see our pins on Pinterest and check us out on Instagram and G+. Got a Kindle? We’re on Kindle too! Courtney on G+. *Disclosure

1. Apply primer. (I love Urban Decay Eye Primer Potion.) 2. Then on the inner lid and crease place a stripe of gold. Also bring it down to your inner lower lash line. I used mark. fab 5 (I use this set endlessly!) 3. Right after putting a stripe of the gold, place a stripe of pink. I used Shiseido's shimmering cream pink (PK302) again make this stripe from crease to lid...like a rainbow except it's side by side. This is a beautiful pink and it blends so well with the other colors! 4. Next apply a stripe of violet. I used Shiseido's Provence (VI704.) 5.Make a V shape on the outer lid and crease with a deep purple. Also, bring that color down to the lower lash line from the mid to outer portion. I used Aveda's Dusk Orchard. 6. Place a neutral highlighting color on your brow bone. (Hint: you want to keep the focus on the crease area down, so I chose a matte cream color.) 7. Blend and add color again where needed. I always dab the colors I'm reapplying, so it pops and looks well blended. 8. Apply black liner to the upper lash line and the waterline. 9. Apply mascara.

Subscribe to A Girl’s Gotta Spa! Watch our reviews on YouTube, see our pins on Pinterest and check us out on Instagram and G+. Got a Kindle? We’re on Kindle too! Courtney on G+. *Disclosure

Celebrity makeup artist and hairstylist, Amanda Shackleton, travels the world for her craft. Along the way, she's picked up beauty tips and tricks from each country she's visited. I've long desired to know what women in other countries and cultures use as their product staples and we asked Amanda to tell us all about her discoveries! Below Amanda has pulled together her Top 8 beauty products, all of which we can use to beautify ourselves in 2014. Arabia
1. Arabia Peninsula/India Does Best: Brightening the Eyes with Kohl. Product: Al Sharifan Kohl Kajal Eyeliner.  I was first introduced to kohl eye powder over twenty years ago in Morocco where women would make their own from oil and herbs. This one is one of the oldest around. You apply it to the waterline of your eyes both top and bottom to brighten  and define your eyes. It's a super dark black, powdery kohl that is also believed to protect eyes from the sun (especially in the desert where it gets its origins) and helps smooth and cool them. Korea
2. Korea Does Best: Covering Dark Under Eye Circles. Product: Etude House Surprise Concealer Kit. This is one of my favorite products for dark circles. It's super creamy and gentle, made for Asian skin, but works well on everyone. It has 2 colors, first a peach color to counteract the bluish tones from dark circles then a beige color to layer on top. Blended together they are magical! It's a top cosmetic brand in Korea I found recently and plan on trying other things from them. France
3. France Does Best: Red lipstick Product: YSL Rouge Pur Couture in Rouge Rock.  Ask any French woman what's her most important cosmetic and it would be a red lipstick, of course. Bright red, dark red, blue red, orange red, pink red on and on. I discovered this in Milan when I didn't have the right color red for the model. Thanks to a very generous French makeup artist, she handed me this one.

4. Japan Does Best: Flawless clear skin and brightening cremes Product: Cosme Decort Future Science Washing Creme & White Science Premium Revolution Moisturizer. It's an amazing brand of skin care products not well known in the US. On a recent trip to Asia I needed to buy moisturizer for my face. I looked everywhere for a normal moisturizer and couldn't find anything (at least in the drugstore type shops) that wasn't a whitening brightening creme.They are everywhere and now we know why Japanese/Asian women have such porcelain skin. These cleansers and moisturizers are gentle and work amazingly! No more tanning for me. Croatia
5. Croatia Does Best: Lavender Oil Croatia is a huge producer of Lavender Oil and it can be seen everywhere you go in the country, especially growing along the Dalmatian Coast. I've always used Lavender oil mixed with water to spray on clients faces as a refresher, but I was told by a Croatian Mother of the bride that the Lavender in Croatia is much more antiseptic than any where else. Now I use it on cuts and burns and even break outs. It cools and refreshes dry red skin before makeup-especially in the winter. Mexico
6. Mexico Does Best: Mascara Product: Zan Zusi Black Waterproof Roll on Mascara. I was introduced to this mascara by a Mexican producer while we were there shooting, when she asked, "Why do you think Mexican women have such long lashes?" She swore by this mascara, and though it's sometimes hard to find because it sells out so quickly, she was able to get some for the girls on the crew. I was amazed at how long and clump-proof my lashes were. You may not think of mascara when you think of Mexico, but I  do now. West Africa
7. West Africa Does Best: African Black Soap This soap is special because it uses indigenous Palm Oils not found in many places around the world. I found this in a store in Brooklyn and asked the shopkeeper why the soap was black; she told me it is black as a result of the cooking process. They cook it until it becomes a charcoal, then let it dry in the sun for weeks. The result is a gentle soap that can be used for everything. One of its special traits is detoxifying the skin. India
8. India Does Best: Hair Oil Product: Hesh Mahabhriingraj Maka Herbal Hair Oil. Working with many Indian brides, I found out how they keep their hair so long and shiny. Although there are hundreds of different oils they use for their hair, this was the one I was given. I love it--Indian men and women both use it on their scalps for massage (to condition and help hair grow), as well as, on the ends to keep hair moisturized so it doesn't get brittle. It's better than most of the high end hair products I've bought and I keep a small container in my hair kit to refresh dull hair. Subscribe to A Girl’s Gotta Spa! Watch our reviews on YouTube, see our pins on Pinterest and check us out on Instagram and G+. Got a Kindle? We’re on Kindle too! Shannon on G+

Here's an easy and quick makeup tutorial to get this chic look in under 5 minutes! Main brands used are jane. Cosmetics, Aveda, and Mirabella. Step 1: Apply primer over entire eyelid. Step 2: Apply jane.'s Polished Pewter cream eye shadow to lid. Step 3: Apply Aveda 992 Juniper eyeliner to your upper and lower lid. Step 4: Use Mirabella Clover eye shadow lightly blended into the lower lash line. Step 5: Apply mascara of choice. Step 6: Apply the rest of your face makeup. I left my face natural and just used jane.'s Peach Bouquet for my cheeks, and a slightly tinted copper lip gloss for my lips.

Readers, do you have any requests for look how-to or ideas you need for a certain occasion? Let me know and I will do my best to get up a post on it with you in mind! Subscribe to A Girl’s Gotta Spa! for more beauty reviews! Watch our reviews on YouTube, see our pins on Pinterest and check us out on Instagram and G+. Got a Kindle? We’re on Kindle too! Courtney on G+. *Disclosure

Since I have been receiving frequent requests for how-to’s on my eye makeup looks (especially on Facebook), I decided to do a step-by-step picture post for my dedicated readers and those to come on a 2013 fall makeup look that I created. I like trends, but I also like to do my own thing, too. Today I opted to create a look that reminded me of a favorite past time of taking fall drives in my home state of RI on the back roads in the small town of Scituate. Just imagine listening to the crunching sound as your tires roll over old dirt roads while staring out at a beautiful reservoir surrounded by vast amounts of huge trees in the prime of fall filled with gold, orange, red, purple, and green leaves…some being whisked away by a gentle breeze. Are you all starting to get why I am in LOVE with fall, and all the more inspired by it? There was not one year in my childhood that went by that I did not take that drive with my mom and family, and then follow it up with apple picking and hot pie a la mode! Just writing about it makes me want to return home right now…but I will patiently wait until October to do that! To create this New England-inspired 2013 fall makeup look, I decided to use Smashbox’s 24K (lid and inner corner), Aveda’s 991/Antique Gold (brow bone and highlighter), Cargo’s Moreton Bay (center of my lid), and Aveda’s 990/Bronze Patina (outer corner and lower lid). I used Tarte’s Strike a Pose lash set, which included the Lights, Camera, Lashes mascara and the Lash curler. Cargo HD Picture Perfect Eye Shadow Primer was used as my base/enhancer to help the colors pop and Rimmel London’s Scandal Eyes Waterproof Gel Eyeliner was used for my liner to finish it off. *Quick tip: Blending is one of your most important elements for a nicely finished look. If you notice in the picture before I apply my mascara the colors are popping (but not yet blended), then look at the last picture. Do you see the difference blending makes? Also, don’t be afraid to blend and then lightly re-apply where it needs enhancing or contrast (and lightly blend again.) If you are new to applying eye makeup: practice, practice, practice…I promise that you will get it! I am still learning new things too! How many of you were able to figure out why I put the green (Aveda’s 990/Bronze Patina) in the outer corner of my eye instead and the deeper plum color (Cargo’s Moreton Bay) in the middle instead of vice versa? I'd love to know what you thought of this New England themed makeup look! Subscribe to A Girl’s Gotta Spa! for more beauty reviews! Watch our reviews on YouTube, see our pins on Pinterest and check us out on Instagram and G+. Got a Kindle? We’re on Kindle too! Courtney on G+. *Disclosure

I like a simply smoky eye. So for this summer smoky eye how to, I'll tell you in 6 easy steps how I created a great daytime smoky eye that I was literally able to do in under 5 minutes.

Products used: Urban Decay Primer Potion, CoverGirl Flamed Out Shadow Pencil in Lime Green Flame and Crystal Flame, CoverGirl Flamed Out Eye Shadow Pot in Molten Black, CoverGirl Liquiline Blast in Black Fire and Revlon Lash Potion. 

1. Apply Urban Decay Eye Primer Potion from the bottom of the lid up to above the crease. (I used Eden.)

2. Apply CoverGirl's Flamed Out Eye Pencil in Crystal Flame from the inner corner of your eye across your lid, then use your pinky to blend out the color. (Otherwise you'll have some white patches that are darker than others.)

3. Apply CoverGirl's Flamed Out Lime Green Flame Eye Pencil in a V formation starting from the middle of your lid moving outward to your longest lashes. Make sure to get into your crease when making the V, then blend with your pinky finger.

4. Using a makeup brush, apply CoverGirl's Flamed Out Eye Shadow Pot in Molten Black in your crease and blending it upwards and out towards the outer part of your eye area.

5. Apply CoverGirl's Liquiline Blast Eye Liner in Black Fire along your lash line. For day, I chose not to blend it, but for a great transition to night, you can smudge it and even add in some flare of a cat eye.

6. Apply your favorite mascara. I had Revlon Lash Potion handy, so that's what was used here.

Whether or not you use a brow pen is up to you, I used TouchBack BrowMarker in Medium Brown (not shown.)

Voila! That's it. Super easy, quick and simple.

Subscribe to A Girl’s Gotta Spa! Watch our reviews on YouTube, see our pins on Pinterest and check us out on Instagram and G+. Got a Kindle? We’re on Kindle too! Shannon on G+

*Disclosure