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When you put on your makeup in the morning, you probably strive to look like a more “polished” version of your natural self. Currently, women want healthy, sun-kissed skin (faux, of course); glossy, kissable lips; and defined, bright eyes.

We think we look good now, but beauty trends are always changing. Remember the neon, geometric eye shadow of the ’80s? How about the pale lip paired with dark lip liner in the ’90s?

Throughout history, women have gone to great lengths to achieve the beauty standards of their time:

• In ancient Egypt, women used to crush beetle wings to make eye shadows.

• Ancient Egyptians and Iraqis (men and women) painted their faces with kohl to protect them from the ‘evil eye’.
• In ancient Japan, geishas would use sometimes use bird droppings as a skin-lightening cream.
• In ancient China and Japan, women shaved their eyebrows and painted their teeth gold or black.
• Ancient Roman women used sheep fat mixed with blood for nail polish.
• In the 6th century, women would lighten their skin by bleeding themselves with leeches.
• During medieval times, women highlighted their foreheads by shaving or plucking their hairlines up to 3 inches.
• During medieval times, women wore velvet patches in shapes like stars or half-moons to cover any blemishes on their faces.
• In the 1600s, women used lead dye to lighten their skin. Use of these dyes often resulted in disfigurement or death.
• In the 1600s, women bleached their hair with lye, despite the fact that their hair would then fall out.
• 18th century Georgian high-society women dilated their eyes by using extract of the poisonous Deadly Nightshade plant.
• In Elizabethan England, women wore egg whites over their faces for a glazed look
• Around 1900, women used the charcoal on the end of burned matches for mascara.

BeautySchoolsDirectory.com provides information that can help you start a career in beauty. And if you pursue a career in cosmetology, you can help women realize that there are better ways to achieve those striking smoky eyes than using insect wings.

Well, the Oscars were saved! Thanks to the WGA strike settling their agreement with the producers just weeks before the event, the show went off without a hitch! Sort of – the jokes could have been better. But what we all wanted to know is, “Who are you wearing?” It is the age old question that follows every major red carpet event and it goes without saying, “what was she thinking?”

I think that the starlets of Sunday evening played it safe, with only a few moments of “what was that!?” I think that the stylists have finally done a good job and played the ’safe card’. So, without further ado, here are my fav picks for the evening.

The red carpet wasn’t the only thing that was red! Actresses that donned the bold color get a major kudos. There was Anne Hathaway, Heidi Klum and Katherine Heigl, to name a few, that walked the carpet in red. I think that the stylists got together to form this unity with the new ‘it’ color – red!

Another fav of mine was the off-the-shoulder look. With many actresses pulling off the a-symmetrical trend, they looked anything but unbalanced. A few of the ladies who worked this look were Jessica Alba, Hilary Swank and Amy Ryan. I call a new trend alert!

Some friends and I have a friendly turf battle going on over Season 4 of Project Runway over who should be the winner. I’ll be posting their reasons why each of their favorites should win. Let us know who you think deserves to win!

Where do I stand? I just miss Chris….

The other day, I had a student ask me what to look for when visiting a school. Below are some of the suggestions I gave her. Is there anything that I missed? What do you think makes a beauty school a good fit for a student?

I highly recommend visiting as many schools as you can, even if you don’t think you want to go there. After you visit a campus or two, you’ll start to notice differences.

When you visit, be prepared with questions. You’ll be able to get a feel for the place by how the person answers them. If they are straight-forward and offer additional information, they will likely do the same with your education.

Some questions to consider -

• What accreditations does the school have?
  To be accredited, a school must pass qualifications of the accrediting organ. You can learn more about accreditations. The schools will be able to tell you who has accredited them.
• What financial aid is available, and what are your payment options?
  Finances can be an especially good way to evaluate the school’s focus on students. You don’t want them to blow off these questions. This is a commitment, and you need to be sure that you can handle it.
• What techniques that you will be taught? How does the school stay on the edge of fashion?
  Beauty trends change quickly. While there is a basic skill set that every cosmetology student needs, you need to be sure you will learn about new techniques and products as well. You can learn about different curriculums.
• Will you be able to work with a variety of clients?
  Schools will have you cut real client’s hair. You want to make sure that you will get experience with a variety of people. You don’t want to cut all middle aged men’s hair, or you won’t get a well-rounded education. Conversely, you don’t just want to do only funky, fashion-forward hair. Any good stylist needs a well-rounded skill set.
• What audience do you want to serve professionally?
  Your education needs will be different depending upon what your professional goals are. Make sure to ask questions about the area you are most interested in. For example, if you plan to serve an African-American community, you want to make sure you will get in-depth instruction in that area. Additionally, if you want a wide variety, make sure they have programs you are interested in.
• What are the other students like?
  By talking to students, you’ll be able to get a sense of how happy they are and how the school serves them. You can learn just as much from other students as the formal instruction.

Have you ever seen a mascara ad and been so jealous of the model’s long, thick, luscious lashes that you immediately picked up a tube of the over-priced, neon-packaged wonder that would make your lashes look like hers?

Yeah, me too. So there I sat, inches from my reflection. I whisked the wand over my pale, sparse lashes. Hmm … My lashes were darker, but still pretty sparse. Maybe I just need another coat! Uhh, no. Now it looked like 6 tarantula legs were extending from each of my eyelids.

How do those mascara commercial girls do it!?!? Well, beside the fact that thick lashes generally aren’t the only sign indicating that they won the genetic lottery; they’ve got a little secret. And it’s not the mascara they’re peddling (as discussed at Makeup Beat).

Fake eyelashes. And they’re not the only ones. Brides, pageant queens and every red-carpet going actress in Hollywood wear natural-looking fake lashes to enhance their eyes. There are even rumors that a certain up-and-coming male star wears falsies to make his eyes “pop” (cough*highschoolmusical*cough).

The above video is a Kate Moss mascara ad that is getting in trouble for false advertising. Sure… they might be fake, but the “London Look” looks great.

But how do you go about applying fake eyelashes in a way that makes you look more “mascara commercial” and less “RuPaul?”

Until recently, the only affordable fake eyelashes were extremely difficult to master. Sold in strips of shiny black plastic, these false lashes were too long for most human eyelids, too stiff to attach with any ease, too heavy to stay on through an entire evening, and just too … well, fake.

Ladies with lash envy, meet lash clumps. They might not sound glamorous, but lash clumps are the easiest way to get thick, full lashes. Made by a variety of cosmetics companies (many makeup artists swear by shu uemura lashes), lash clumps are knotted clusters of individual lashes that can be applied in different quantities, depending on your desired glamour factor. Best part? Once they’re on, you might not even need mascara!

Subtle sophistication in 6 easy steps

1. Begin with a clean surface by taking off all your makeup.

2. Check the length of your fake lashes. If they’re too long to follow the natural line of your own lashes, trim them down with sharp scissors (BEFORE they’re glued on!).

3. Apply a very thin line of adhesive in the spot where you will place the lashes.

4. Using a toothpick or tweezers, place lash clumps on the outside corners of your upper eyelids.

5.  Adjust them with a toothpick or tweezers.

6. Decide whether one lash clump per eye is enough to achieve the model-esque lashes you’re going for. Try not to exceed 2 or 3 per eye.