Beauty Bits and Tips:  a few more beauty hints from us

Glitter and Shimmer.  I think of it around holiday time, for special occasions, and during the hot summer nights.  Somehow, a little glitter and shimmer on my face and body seems so right with bare necks and shoulders.  So, I started thinking about some of my favorite shimmery products and some ways to use (and not misuse) them.

Eyes - Certainly there are more shimmery eye shadows than one can count.  Over the years I've tried many and liked a lot.  However, I recently realized that I could mix a light shimmery powder shadow with another shade to get just the color and look I wanted.  One of my favorites products to do this job is Bobbi Brown's Shimmer Wash Eyeshadow in Bone. ($18.00 at CosmeticMall.com)  Recently, I've been mixing it with a wonderful banana colored matte shadow from Juicy Cosmetics called Pineapple Punch ($9.50 at juicy-cosmetics.com).  Also, I like to use Paula Dorf's eye glimmer brush  ($34.00 at  Sephora.com) with these shadows.  I just sort of mix the colors together with the brush and lightly apply to my brow bone.

Face - Here again, there are multiple ways to add a bit of glimmer to your face.  One, is to use some sort of a powder either all over or on various parts of the face.  I've been using Laura Mercier's Shimmer pressed powder ($32.00 at lauramercier.com).  I've used a powder brush and just lightly swept this sheer, practically colorless powder over my cheeks, forehead and jaw line just to add a little sparkle. Another way to go is to use a shimmery blush.  One of my favorites is Nars Orgasm ($22.50 at  Sephora.com).  The color is just right for my skin tone (light complexion with yellow undertones) and the shimmer is very subtle.  I believe that there are other slightly shimmery shades of blush in the Nars line, so you may want to check them out.

Lips - Okay, I've fallen in love.  After trying numerous glimmery lip glosses trying to find the perfect color, I've stopped trying.  I've found Laura Mercier's sheer but glittery lip gloss in Candlelight Glace ($19.00 at lauramercier.com).  It's perfect for me because I can use any lipstick color I feel like and then add as much shine and shimmer as I want.

Body - There's no doubt that you can get that shimmer and glimmer on your body from many different products.  But, my favorite is Benefit's Kitten powders ($24.00 at  Sephora.com).  They come in three shimmery shades, Kitten (a golden champagne), Kitten Shops New York City (a coppery pink), and Kitten Goes to Paris (a silvery lilac).  Each comes in a decorative paper box with a large powder filled puff inside.  I choose my Kitten color depending what I'm wearing, the jewelry I'm putting on, or just the mood I'm in.  I powder my chest, shoulders, arms, whatever and feel the night begin to sparkle.

Warning:  A Little Glimmer Goes A Long Way

Glimmer is meant to enhance not overwhelm.  So, a couple of suggestions.  First, apply with a light hand.  If you applying a powder formulation with a brush, make sure there is not too much powder on the brush by tapping the handle of your brush against your wrist.  This will help to eliminate the excess before you start applying it.  Second, more is less.  Highlight a couple of areas with shimmery products and then put the rest away.  The idea is to glow a little, not sparkle like the Christmas tree.