I'm not a huge fan of wearing nail polish, especially with kids, college work, and then using the computer all day every day for work and everything else in between. Basically, I have to find a really great nail polish that dries fast and lasts long. So recently I decided to try Sally Hansen's New Insta-Dry Fast Dry Nail Color in Wined-Up and Night Flight. After trying both colors and allowing them to dry, as directed, I began to wish that I didn't try them at all.

Let's just say that within a day of normal activity half of my nails had already chipped. And let's face it, I'm a mom and a writer not a carpenter or construction worker, so there is nothing that I could have done to chip my polish within a day. Just for giggles, I decided to leave the polish on to see how it would look by the end of the week. I was very unhappy with the outcome. The polish was cracked and chipped on every single nail, and it looked like I had been wearing the polish for 2 weeks or more. So my personal opinion is that you should just say no to the new Sally Hansen Nail Polish, and instead use that $5 for something better.

Photo Taken by: Medioimages(Photodisc) / Getty Images

So I was reading through some beauty blogs when I came across one that talked about how we are putting on our makeup backwards. Apparently, makeup artist Kate Lee believes that you should apply your eye makeup first (especially when doing a smokey eye) before any other makeup. Why? Because if you have what I like to call "eyeshadow fallout" then it won't end up ruining your concealer, foundation, or powder.

Well now I'm going to give my personal opinion on this. Honestly I don't think that is a good idea at all, and I will tell you why. First, if you apply your eye makeup first and then your concealer you risk the possibility of blending your under eye concealer with your eye makeup, which would give you a really bad raccoon eye. Second, the general rule of thumb is to apply your blush before your eye makeup because it gives you more balance so in the end you won't end up with Tammy Faye eyes. And third, it's much easier to apply your concealer and foundation, and then if needed apply a liberal amount of loose powder slightly under your eyes and on your cheeks area in order to catch the fallout from your eyeshadow. This step will allow you to simply take a powder brush and sweep away the excess, leaving no traces of eyeshadow or powder behind.

So should you apply your eye makeup first? I say absolutely not! What do you all think? I seriously can't be the only one, so feel free to leave your opinion and comment.

Photo Taken by: Sydney Shaffer / Getty Images

Halloween is only a couple of days away, so if you haven't decided on a costume yet then I'm sure you haven't thought about your makeup either. Well, for all of you out there that haven't decided Sephora has three fab Limited Edition full makeup kits for Halloween...and they are only $19 each! Here are the three different kits and what comes in each:

Vampire/Rock Star/Witch (Seen in 1st Photo Above)

Greek Goddess/Peacock/Cleopatra (Seen here, left)

Doll/Fairy/Angel

Most, if not all Sephora locations will have these sets in stock unless they have sold out already. So if you need to pick one up, make sure you call ahead first to find out. Otherwise, I think these sets are great for everyday use as well, and you save approximately $46 when you buy the kit instead of individually. But no matter how you do it, just have fun and have a great Halloween!

Photos Provided by: Pricegrabber

Other Halloween Makeup Suggestions

I love spring and fall because that's when all of the great selection of free gifts with purchase comes out! Macy's Clinique just wrapped up their recent GWP and now you can get a really fantastic and FREE gift with purchase when you shop the Clinique Website. As a cool bonus you get to choose from three fab gifts, but one of them is yours once you spend $21.50 or more. Just be aware that you only have until November 3rd to grab your choice! Here is what you get in each gift:

Uneven Skin Tone Gift: (Seen here, left)

Acne Gift: (1st photo above)

Dullness Gift: (Seen here, left)

Photos Provided by: Clinique

From November 2 - November 4 Origins and illy café are inviting you to kick off daylight savings time by offering the following (absolutely FREE, no purchase necessary):

Sounds fab, right? Well here's the thing...there are only 5 cities where this will be taking place (all in Origins stores): New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Boca Raton, and Dallas. So, if you live in or near one of them then make plans to head to the event. I mean, seriously, who can pass up free stuff, a free mini-facial, and a free makeup application with absolutely no purchase necessary? To add some extra excitement to the event, Origins will also be giving away gift bags containing a 3-week supply of GinZing Refreshing Eye Cream and illy espresso (while supplies last). So if you are ready to make your plans, then here are the locations of the events as well as the times:

New York, NY (opening at 8am)

Los Angeles, CA(opening at 9am)

San Francisco, CA

Boca Raton, FL (opening at 9am)

Dallas, TX(opening at 9am)

Photo Taken by: Miroku / Getty Images

I'm a big fan of grabbing clearance beauty products, just as long as they haven't separated or become rancid while sitting there. Normally even though it's on clearance you will still have 12 months or longer to use the product because it hasn't been opened yet. Unfortunately yesterday I had a bad experience at Walgreens with a skincare product. I have never tried Weleda products, so when I saw that they had a tube of Weleda Almond Intensive Facial Cream marked down I just had to grab it. Unfortunately, I didn't check the "use by" date on the box (seen in the picture to the left) and found later last night that it was rancid and had actually expired in August of 2009.

It never occurred to me to stop and check the expiration or use by date on something Walgreens was still selling, so lesson learned. Since I'm sure that most of you have purchased a clearance item from a drugstore or other retailer, I wanted to share this story with you so you know to look before you buy. And if the product doesn't have a use by date, then there is a way to know when your makeup products will expire. I give all the answers you need by answering the question: How do I Know When My Makeup Products will Expire?

Photo Provided by: Faith Lawless

If you've been inside any store lately you have probably noticed the Halloween displays nestled right beside the Christmas decorations. Yep, that's right....Christmas stuff is already popping up in stores, including gift ideas! I have to say that I'm super excited because I LOVE Christmas, and to see some of these hot gift ideas already....well I'm ready to "deck the halls", put up the tree, and bake cookies. But since it's too early for all of that, let's just focus on some of the holiday gift ideas from department store brands. And not to worry...I will also be hunting out the deals for the drugstore brands as well. So if you're on a tight budget this year, I'll have you covered with some great budget buys too. Just keep an eye out for them next month. But as far as the other brands go, here is a taste of what to expect this holiday season:

That was just a small list of the fab holiday sets that will be available for Christmas. Some are available now, and others will be released in November. So check back soon and I will have some really great holiday lists for you to look through, and remember, I will also have some makeup steals for you as well!

Photo Taken by: Yuri Arcurs / Getty Images

The Seven Bar Foundation (a philanthropic brand dedicated to microfinance for women) has teamed up with Fusion Beauty to help women in poverty throughout the US. So how does Kim Kardashian play into all of this? She is the celebrity ambassador for Lip Fusion's Infatuation Line, which was launched at Sephora and Ulta stores. How can you help Kim kiss away poverty? It's simple. $1 from each sale of each lip gloss will go toward the Seven Bar Foundation in their efforts in supporting women who live below the poverty level in the US, via microfinance lending.

Not sure what microfinance lending is? Here's the gist: Basically the Seven Bar Foundation gives poverty stricken women microloans (loans with small amounts that are normally not able to be obtained via normal banking measures) so they can start or grow a small business of their own, and in turn provide a more reliable income for themselves and their family. The loans have to be repaid, and once repaid Seven Bar would reissue the funds to another person in need.

Basically it's well know that a woman will normally help her children before she helps herself, which is why Seven Bar and their microfinance system is completely wonderful. Now, I know some can't afford higher-end products right now and would love to have someone help you with your financial issues, but for those that are pushing through this economic downturn please think about purchasing a Lip Fusion Lip Gloss to help support this fabulous cause ($29).

Photo Provided by: Fusion Beauty / Greco Photography International

Vampires are hot this year, so why not go to your Halloween party as your favorite drop dead vampire? Whether it's one of the vamps from the Twilight saga or an "old school" vamp with more dramatic features, this easy How-to for Vampire Makeup will definitely get you started. The great thing is that you can get this "base" vampire look by using everyday makeup products that you may already have or that you can find at the local drugstore. So get ready to get dead, but know that you'll still look hot at the same time.

Photo Taken by: Faith Lawless

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and there is a HUGE list of makeup companies that are offering you fab deals on products so that they can donate money to help fight breast cancer. The only thing you need to do is check out how to Use Makeup to Help Fight Breast Cancer, pick your faves, and shop shop shop!

Of course, if you live in Central Ohio, Epcon Communities will be hosting a Condos for the Cure Event on Sunday, October 25, 2009 from 1pm until 6pm. Local makeup guru Tim Maurer from Mukha Essentials and Spa will be attending, as well as donating money to help fight breast cancer. Tim will offer a custom-blended lipstick in whatever color and flavor of your choice for only $20. Then $5 of each sale will be donated to the Susan G. Komen Foundation. But, no matter where you live try to pick at least one makeup item to purchase in order to try to fight back against this horrid disease.

Photo Provided by: Steve Wisbauer / Getty Images