today's bethany mota video is...

Today's Bethany Mota video features shopping! (surprise) Bethany goes to Japan and buys out the country. Her haul is lots and lots of beauty products with names that sound funny in English. Like "baby skin." What could it be? Tune and and find out.

what's inside bethany mota's beach bag?

I'll give you a hint. It's a lot lot lot of makeup. In a cute pink makeup bag. When you see this bag, you'll probably want it. But you won't be able to find it. Sadzies.

studs studs everywhere

You know you love these nails. The are perfect! Perfect with our shoes, jeans, you name it. LOVE. [via Seventeen on Facebook] [image via Beauty Army]

does the price of beauty have to be so high?

Who all has gotten a gel manicure and liked it? Have you read about the UV ray issue? http://bit.ly/za7KvV and http://huff.to/wE7NGj 

The consensus seems to be to wear SPF 30 on your hands if you plan to get a lot of gel manicures. And check the label of the polish for the dreaded butylated hydroxyanisol (BHA), which is considered a cancer-causing agent, and found in some gel nail polishes. Why does the price of beauty have to be so high?

leopard trend. how far will you go?

Really now. How far will you go with this leopard trend? Would you wear leopard lips? Well, would you?

do you watch gossip girl?

perfect match on the bobby pins!

screen grabs from Gossip Girl on Hulu, S5 E15

Q: How many of you watch Gossip Girl? For the clothes? For the plot? For the characters? For the hairstyles? They have pretty great clothes and hairstyles. I saw this hairstyle on Hulu this morning, and couldn't get it out of my mind.

what's the latest from michelle phan?

We simply love Michelle Phan. Her story. Her amazing abilities. Her creative flair! Check out all our past writings here. In the meantime, watch this latest video where Michelle shows us how to apply a natural Fall look. Ooh la la, her hair is brown. Very nice highlights Michelle. But of course you would pick a color that perfectly complements your skin tone.

the jewel of the nail

[image via loveshot.tumblr.com]

How are you liking this bedazzling beauty trend? Nails encrusted with shiny stones and other sparkly add-ons. Apparently it can get pretty extreme, especially in Japan. Would you wear it? Chime in below.

A more subtle French manicure with sparkle accents. [image via OurVanity.com]


The trend in Japan gets rather extreme [image via Agepoyo]


"Deco Nail" detail as it's called in Japan [image via Candy Kisses]

more about michelle phan

More research, more discoveries. If you've been following my growing fan-ness (fan-dom?) for Michelle Phan, you'll want to know more about this YouTube makeup artist sensation. In this video, Michelle is doing makeup backstage during New York Fashion Week (score!!!) for the Chris Benz show.

free brow shaping at sephora!

Hey, good news gals! Tweezerman has a special event at Sephora in NYC. You can get a free eyebrow shaping and hear inspirational stories from two families from the Starlight Foundation. The event is Friday, May 6th, noon - 6pm at the Sephora right near Grand Central on 42nd Street. Address: 300 Madison Avenue (even though it's right on 42nd Street)

michelle phan morphs into barbie. totally mesmerizing.

While writing our Prom Time mini-series for the blog, I came across Michelle Phan, an amazingly talented video-based makeup artist. She should totally be a professional. I cannot take my eyes off this video. Watch it. It is totally mesmerizing. Wait 'til you see how she applies the foundation.

Follow Michelle on Twitter @RiceBunny And check out her YouTube channel here. OOh, and read this story! Michelle scores a sweet deal from Lancôme, scoring a 2-year contract to be their video makeup artist; the first contract of its kind for a YouTuber. Go Michelle!

tips for applying eye makeup

Our Prom series continues with tips for applying eye color. Choose your skin tone, choose your video!

1. The first video above has great music and great tips. Don't pay attention to the strange Hello Kitty intro.
2. The next video features a Rihanna-inspired eye and lots of great techniques. Super cool. Plus she has a nice British accent.
3. The third video below has lots of great techniques for applying eye color wet, dry, in "a wash" (what I wear), you name it. She also has a nice British accent.
4. The fourth vid below starts with an eyeshadow base, Painterly, from MAC. Good tip for all. She has great tips for highlighting too.
5. Finally, Michelle Phan (I'm an instant fan -- Michelle has great techniques) shows us a fun Lady Gaga look. Yes, we had to include Lady Gaga.

lips that pop!

I met a makeup artist on a photo shoot a few years ago. She went by "White Karen," I kid you not. Not only because she was white, because she was. But because she used a white eyeliner pencil to line the outer edge of the lip and blended it with a makeup sponge before applying the lip color. That was her signature lip. It is amazing how this makes your lip color pop. If you're white that is. If you're not, I don't suggest doing this...

White Nano Yeux lip pencil, $5 at Sephora, pictured above.

To make this look your own, use a pencil one shade lighter than your skin. Totally blend with a sponge. Apply color!

Are you excited about Prom? Check out the Prom Time mini-series on our blog for beauty tips 'n stuff.

makeup tips from kim kardashian!

These vids are so cool, and are full of great wearable makeup tips from Kim Kardashian and her amazing makeup artist, Mario Dedivanovic. He rocks! Such great easy-to-apply ideas! We thought you guys would love them. Especially with Prom coming up and all!

yes, makeup brushes are an investment

Foundation Brush by MAC, $32.

We've been all about beauty lately, with Prom coming right up. We've been having a debate about makeup brushes here at Dollhouse. Maybe you guys could chime in. Do you invest in great brushes, pretty much a one-time buy in your life with the proper care (shampooing them once every 2 weeks, and laying them flat to dry on a paper towel overnight) or do you go the drugstore or dollar store route and pay a couple of bucks to save the $$$?

The problem is, as I see it, those discount brushes shed on your face. Your flawless makeup becomes flawed when you have to pick the hairs out of your foundation. Gross. As you can tell, I am kind of leaning towards plunking down the $$$ for some good brushes. So, where to start? How about starting with just a foundation brush (around $32) and a powder/blush brush (around $35). This is my personal bias, by I totally recommend MAC. They rock. Flawless make-up, here we come.

Powder/Blush Brush by MAC, $34.

prom time: time to pluck!

Okay, so we know some of you have been thinking about Prom since around December, right? How to wear your hair, what dress to buy, what shoes, what boy to take, what color stretch limo, evening bag, accessories, and on and on and on. But did you ever stop to think about your brows? Yes, of course you did. Because if you're reading this blog, you're probably obsessed with fashion and all that goes with it.

If you're going for a fancy up-do on your special night, you definitely want to think about shaping your brows. Whether you go for waxing, plucking or threading, that's totally up to you. If you go to an aesthetician, or if you DIY, here are a few videos, charts and tips for you to ponder while you ponder what route to take.

Remember gals, waxing gets you a hard line with a lot of up-keep. Plan to re-wax as often as every 2 weeks. Plucking is more organic-looking and you can maintain it yourself. Threading, we are told (after interviewing a number of fashionistas at Dollhouse), grows back kinda fast. It's only 5 bucks in NYC, so you may not get the shape you love.

Brow Love: Handy Diagram for you.
Take a thin stick of some sort (I used a satay pick)
and start diagramming! Note: Line F starts from your nostril to your outer eye,
to the end of your brow. This determines if you need to shorten them up.
Line E is where to start the arch. Look straight ahead when measuring from
the outer part of your iris (colored part of your eye).

beauty tips! corset-laced nails

Just in case you love this style (corset-laced nails), here's a vid. Kind of interesting, right?

5 makeup and beauty tips from paris!

[image of Paris Hilton from the Makeup and Beauty Blog]

Hey, check out this interview with Paris Hilton on the Makeup and Beauty Blog. I especially like tip #2, Rock the Lipgloss.

frost your lips

Sweet Shop Lip Gloss, set of 4, $9.

What girl doesn't love cupcakes? Or lip gloss? So why not lip gloss hidden inside a cupcake? The top is hinged for easy access. Keep one for yourself, and give the other three as gifts. Flavors include vanilla, raspberry, strawberry and chocolate. $9 for a set of four on Wet Seal dot com.

pumpkin spice muffin shampoo

The Haunted House trio of products by Philosophy [image from Sephora]

Thanks to the Seventeen style blog, I found out about Haunted House by Philosophy, a trio of holiday flavors to make you feel and smell great. The set includes three six-ounce bottles of Pumpkin Spice Muffin (!), Caramel Apple, and Black Licorice high foaming shampoo, shower gel, and bubble bath. Please note: each product can be used as a shampoo, shower gel or bubble bath. How versatile!