Julyne's Beauty Blog

Faith, our makeup guide, writes in her Friday's blog post that the email circulating widely about $1 e.l.f. Cosmetics is a hoax. Turns out most e.l.f. products are $1, but Nordstrom is not going to buy them out. Check out the details on Faith's Website.

Our brows and eyelashes are what help define our faces, so if your brows are nonexistent or your eyelashes are super light (this happens especially to redheads), you can definition with a brow powder and mascara. Choose a brow powder that matches or is a shade lighter or darker than your hair color. Apply with a special brow brush. Sephora has great options for your brows. As for mascara, don't go overboard with dark black, instead opt for a brown mascara.

If you have acne, use a primer before applying foundation or concealer to cover up your blemishes. A primer acts as a barrier between your skin and the product, and it helps foundation go on smoothly. I got this tip from a makeup artist on the 10 Years Younger TV show. Also if you have acne, the best thing you can do for your skin is go to a dermatologist. If the acne is severe or affecting your self-confidence, don't bother with over-the-counter products. A dermatologist will change your life.

Here's a list of my 10 favorite primers.

If you love freebies (me! me! me!), you must bookmark Faith Lawless's blog. Faith is About's new makeup guide and she's keyed in to all the freebies going on at department stores. Friday, she wrote about Estee Lauder's gift bags and Monday she wrote about Smashbox. Check out her site.

I once got my teeth professionally whitened for free from a dentist. It was the dental office's way of attracting new customers and it worked because I ended up getting X-rays as well and next thing I knew, I had a new dentist. But I digress. Having your teeth professionally whitened is wonderful. But if you don't want to part with the $300 it costs, consider a $30 box of Crest Whitestrips. Everyone I know who's tried them raves about them. Full disclosure: I have a box, but I'm lazy and inconsistent so I can't tell if they work.

On another note, I highly recommend Biore pore strips. I tried them at a boyfriend's (he was a regular user) and few things in life are more satisfying than pulling off the strip and seeing all the little blackhead roots attached. It sure beats getting extractions during a facial. Ouch.

If you have naturally curly hair, consider taming your curls by creating waves. My friend Laura did this to her curly hair for her wedding rehearsal dinner and she looked amazing. She said her stylist showed her how to do it. Her directions went like this: Blow-dry hair straight. As you straighten hair with a flat-iron, wind the flat-iron so it creates big spiral waves. Change directions with each section of hair. By the way, Laura (of Armenian and German descent) used to straighten her coarse hair with every washing but friends have convinced her to embrace her curls and she's never looked better.

Happy Mother's Day to all you moms and daughters out there. In honor of all women who have battled or are battling breast cancer (my mother included), please take a moment to click on this The Breast Cancer Site. The non-profit advocacy group funds free mammograms for women. You click and the advertising sponsors pay for mammograms. And in case you're worried (I was), the site is not a hoax, it's a legit organization.

Some pencil eyeliners are super soft and break when you sharpen them. Keep this from happening by sticking the eyeliner pencil in the freezer. Give it half an hour and your pencil will be primed for sharpening.

If you have never experienced a Korean salt scrub, I highly recommend them. They involve lying (sans underclothing -- just keep your eyes shut) on a cushioned table while being scrubbed by a middle-aged Korean woman with a bath mitt and what seems like pounds of salt. If you dare open your eyes during the scrubbing you will likely notice you are covered in little balls of dead skin (or so I'm told -- wink). Then everything is washed away with warm buckets of water. It may sound awful, but it's surprisingly fabulous, if you can get over the naked-on-a-cushioned-table part. Plus, I think most spas provide disposable underwear for the shy types. You'll leave the spa with skin that feels like a newborn baby.

A good exfoliation is necessary before your spring self-tanner application, so I suggest booking a salt scrub, stat. And if you can't bear to go bare in a spa setting, invest in a good sugar scrub at your local drugstore. My favorite: Vitabath sugar scrubs, $11 at most drugstores or online.

Tomorrow, I'll write about the blissful benefits of a good salt scrub. In the meantime, About's new skincare guide, Jen Adkins, includes exfoliation in her 7 summer skincare musts. Plus, find out the right way to shave, how to apply self-tanner and more.