Brett Freedman

For special evening events or a night on the town, false eyelash strips (in lieu of individual lashes) provide glitz and eye-popping power to make the time and effort worth it. Armed with a few cool tricks up your sleeve, you can easily blend them in with your natural lashes so they don't look overly obvious. Celebrity makeup artist and Vanitymark Cosmetics founder, Brett Freedman, offers a few ways to make the whole false eyelash strip application go more smoothly.

1. Cut the strip lashes so they are as long as the length between the center of your eye to the outer corner. "Remember it's all about blending your inner lash line lashes with the faux," Freedman explains. Avoid starting too close to your inner eye, because it's "a dead giveaway and difficult to glue down in that naturally sparser area."
2. Spread a thin line of glue along the thread, and blow on it a little to allow the glue to become a little dry and tacky.
3. Use your fingers to apply the fake lash to the outer corner of your lash line (and not your lid). Then, use tweezers to press the strip down securely along the lash line. If you are hesitant, Freedman promises it gets better with practice. "It's like riding a bike," he explains, adding, "Once you do it a few times it's way easier."
4. Hold down both edges of the false lash for a few minutes until the glue dries to lock them in place.
5. To finish, do a quick pump with an eyelash curler and top off with a few coats of mascara to blend the natural and faux lashes together.

Perhaps you've been intrigued by the idea of wearing individual lashes, but are a bit intimidated by how to apply them. "Generally I like to use individuals just on the outer corners to give eyes a bit of extra interest," celebrity makeup artist and Vanitymark Cosmetics founder Brett Freedman explains. "The good thing about individuals is that you can use just a few to fill in spots and thicken/lengthen." Like how that sounds? See Freedman's tips for applying individual lashes with ease when you read more.

We're seeing neon colors dominate the fashion world, but these bright, bold shades aren't limited to clothing. Celebrity makeup artist Brett Freedman (who has also been guest blogging on BellaSugar) recently shared his advice on how to work vivid hues into your makeup routine. But he has a few more things to add: his top favorite shades for getting the look are listed below.

• Colored mascara: Maybelline Great Lash Mascara in Royal Blue ($4). "Apply after your usual mascara, but just to tips," Brett advises. "It's perfect for lunch with friends. In the light, your lashes will get a flash of color."
• Liquid liner: Wet 'n Wild Mega Liner in Turquoise ($3). "Do you makeup as per usual, and add just the thinnest line along the top of the lashes," Brett explains. "When you blink or look down it's a beautiful surprise!"
• Gloss: Estée Lauder Lip Gelee in Electric Violet ($20). "Everyone looks amazing in this shade," says Brett. "It's packed with pigment but in a very sheer, wearable formula. Pair it with an all-cream outfit to give it a little edge."
• Nail polish: OPI in Fly ($9). "If you want to try it without a full commitment," Brett says of this polish from OPI's Nicki Minaj collection, "do it on your toes and see what feedback you get."

Celebrity makeup artist and Vanitymark Cosmetics founder Brett Freedman has been guest blogging on BellaSugar for the past two months, but alas, all good things must come to an end. Thank you for your amazing advice and top tips, Brett, and we look forward to seeing your work on red carpets everywhere! With that said, we're proud to present Brett's last column, for which we know you'll be all a-flutter.

Long, lush lashes. Who doesn't want them? With the trend toward brighter lips and sparser eye, a vivid lash line is even more important. So many gals ask me about amping up their flutter with faux lashes. It's actually pretty easy. Here's my technique to give your peepers a little extra pop. See how Brett gets it right every time when you read more.

We're thrilled to present the following post, written by celebrity makeup artist and Vanitymark Cosmetics founder, Brett Freedman!

Bold colors in clothing can make your makeup choices a little dicey. Should you balance a vivid shade with pops of color in the eyes and lips, or go neutral, as not to look too silly? Recently I styled starlet Camilla Belle's makeup for the Art of Elysium event. She wore a beautiful, bright yellow dress that gave me pause in terms of makeup. My first instinct was to do a bright lip and pale skin. I then decided that the yellow should be the only color, and that everything else should be crisp, but neutral.

For the cheeks and lips I wanted to go with Camilla's natural lip color, just a little more vivid: too pink and it would be too sweet/little girl, and too plum it would be kind of Easter-y. To accomplish this, I used Maybelline Dream Mousse in Soft Plum on the cheeks, and Tarte LipSurgence in Enchanted on the lips. It was the perfect way to let the yellow dress take center stage, all while keeping the face from looking low-watt. Want to play with color, too? Be sure to check out Brett's no-fail guide to punching things up when you read more.

We're thrilled to present the following post from Brett Freedman, BellaSugar guest writer, celebrity makeup artist, and founder of Vanitymark Cosmetics.

The bright lip trend is in full throttle. Are you on board? Still feeling like it's not for you? Here's my insight into dipping your toe in the bold lip pool! The other night I went to a friend's for dinner and a screening of My Week With Marilyn. In honor of the film (and Ms. Monroe), my gal pal, Whitney, showed up with a beautiful cherry lip (Guerlain's #529) and matching nails (Sephora by OPI's And a Cherry on Top). Keep in mind, Whitney is a neutral/pinky gloss girl.

Seeing her with scarlet lips was striking and felt totally fresh. She looked so great that I found myself asking why she doesn't do it more often. Whit's reply: "It's not special if you do it all the time." So true, and on closer inspection I noticed both her lip and nail color had a touch of gold. How very smart of her, as gold softens. A red lipstick may seem very thick and garish, but with a tinge of gold it seems to have more depth and feel very wearable. Every woman has a bright shade that will make her look sensational. Check out Brett's complete guide to getting bright lip colors right when you read more.

We are delighted to present this post from guest writer and celebrity makeup artist, Brett Freedman.

Coming from a fashion background, it was a given that the young models on a shoot would need their brows shaped. Models, unlike actresses, have little or no say in how they ultimately made up and styled. But actresses were so appreciative when I did their brows that I did find it odd. I never thought to ask if it was OK or even to test the interest level. It seemed nobody wanted to mess up a brow on a famous face, or, in this day and age, get sued! I didn't care; if I saw something and I could make it better, I dug in! I became so known for brows that I started my own line, Vanitymark. So I'm going to share a few of my best brow tips with you so your 2012 will be the year you finally get the gorgeous arches you deserve. See how when you read more.