I am going to be brutally honest with you: I am a sucker for facial masks. I love testing out different masks on my face for various skin concerns, and when I saw this in Sephora’s clearance section on their website, I quickly added it to my shopping cart without thinking twice. I did not have high expectations for this mask, since it was in the clearance section, and I figured it would be something I would test out, and toss out. I made sure to test this hydrogel eye mask on a day when I was clearly in need of some refreshing and pampering, so why not choose Memorial Day? Bad food, a couple of drinks, and little sleep the night before made my skin look dull, and left my under eye area puffy and dark. Not only was I surprised by this mask, but I was blown away. To read a full review, read more…

Artificial nails have come a long way since even I was a teenager, with brands like Nailene creating gorgeously natural looking artificial nails that can be applied quickly and easily. My thirteen year old niece, Destinee, wanted to spend some of her savings money towards gel nails at the nail salon. After convincing her to let me apply Nailene’s Nail Couture Artificial Nails on her, she is beyond happy that she did not spend her money on those gel nails. She loved the funky design, and how natural the nails looked on her. To learn the proper steps to getting a perfect finish to your artificial nails, read more…

While doing some Memorial Day weekend shopping, I was in my Sally Beauty Supply strolling around leisurely, not expecting to purchase anything, when I stumbled upon these new nail polishes from Savvy. I bought a few from the Savvy “Shimmer Collection,” and a couple from the new Savvy colors available. To create this gorgeous, soft, twinkling orange nail polish look I combined Savvy “Fairy Twinkle,” with Savvy “Orange You Happy.” To see more photographs, read more…

Part of Covergirl’s new “blast” collection, Smoky Shadowblast’s are double sided eyeshadows which can be used to create a variety of makeup looks, or even used as eyeliner. In six different shades and combination’s, there is sure to be something out there for every eyeshadow lover. My sister recently told me how much she loved the Covergirl Smoky Shadowblast, and since I have never tried these before, I thought it was perfectly apropos that she do a guest review for us here at Beauty Gala! read more…

Summer is all about closing your eyes and letting your senses take you to that place. We all have memories of summer from childhood, and certain sounds, foods, images, and scents remind us of summer. I personally have vivid, fond memories of eating juicy slices of watermelon on my front doorstep with friends in the evening. For this nail look, I conjured the deliciously bright colors of watermelon to my nails using Essie’s “Watermelon,” and Nailene nail art stickers in a bright green shade. To see more photographs, as well as what I used, read more…

If you remember Beauty Gala’s post on the Sephora ColorPlay 5-in-1 Kit, there are five looks that Sephora created specifically for this kit. Beauty Gala already displayed a tutorial for a sultry smokey eye, “Dinner In Paris.”  This time around, we decided to go for the bright, playful eye inspired by the city of Tokyo, which is often known for being bold and fearless in its fashion and makeup. A stunning pastel green is displayed underneath a playful, bright pink brow highlight. To top it all off, a bright blue is blended on the bottom lash line, and a lime green is added to the inner corner of the eye.  To see the full tutorial, as well as more photographs of this fantastically vivacious look,  read more…

Learning how to properly treat pimples is the foundation of any great makeup routine: Makeup looks great on healthy, confident skin. Even more important, is not just learning how to properly treat pimples, but learning how to prevent them, the basics of pimples, and why they form. For your crash course in pimples, read more…

Smashbox is having their Friends & Family Sale, with 20% off your entire order using code FF2010. Smashbox is also offering free shipping on any order! This sale ends on Friday, May 28th, so don’t forget to place your order before this sale goes out. Some of my personal favorite Smashbox products include: Halo Perfecting Powder, Cream Eye Liner, and their Baked Fusion Soft Lights (hello, glow!).

Simply click on the above coupon to start shopping and saving!

Let Beauty Gala know if you purchase anything. Leave your haul below!

Have you ever stepped fresh out of a workout, looked in the mirror, and thought to yourself, “I can never recreate that natural flush to my cheeks!” Well, look no further beauties, because Sonia Kashuk has finally created a sheer liquid tint that I can get behind. This liquid tint is super sheer, blends right into your skin flawlessly, and glows as if it was your natural skins flush. To see more photographs and a review, read more…

Who can get those gorgeous Drew Barrymore advertisements out of their head? Covergirl Shineblast Lipgloss was designed by celebrity makeup artist Pat McGrath to give you a huge blast of shimmer along with the shine of a lip gloss. The curved and tapered applicator hugs your lips for perfect application, providing a non-sticky burst of glimmer. These lip glosses smell and taste extremely fruity, almost like watermelon! To see swatches of “Ablaze,” and “Ignite,” read more…