Get ready to arm yourselves with the few items every woman should have in their vanity.

These tools and tricks will not end world hunger but they will help to make you feel a little better on the outside when you’re not feeling your best on the inside (where it really counts). In other words, how to ‘Fake it ’til you Make it!’

#1. To start off you really do need a good vanity mirror. By that I mean a lighted, two-sided mirror with one side that magnifies. Having said that, I loathe to look at myself any larger than necessary, but to apply eye liner as close to the lash line as possible, the magnifying mirror is a must. The regular side is for all other makeup and cosmetic uses.

#2.  The slanted Tweezerman Tweezer is another tool everyone should have on hand. Available at most pharmacies and drug stores, as well as Sephoras everywhere, they are the ultimate grooming tool! No other tweezer will pluck as neatly and cleanly as the Tweezerman.

**Very important to remember that when tweezing your eyebrows, never pluck more than 3 hairs at a time on each eye. Also never use the magnified side of the vanity mirror, no one ever looks at just your eyebrows, they take in the whole eye, when plucking, you should do the same!

#3.   To really ‘Fake it ’til you make it,’  every woman needs a good bronzer. My go to bronzer as of late is Marc Jacobs O!Mega Bronze in Tantric 102.  Available at Sephora.com, it is a really neutral bronzer, not orange at all and just warm enough in color to give you a healthy glow without any sparkly shimmer. Bronzer is intended to warm up your skin tone, not turn you into a disco queen.

#4.   While all the magazine’s are showing Wine Stained Lips or the Bold Red Lip, always remember that the lipstick that is one shade darker than your lip tone will always be the most flattering lip color you can wear. Obviously the color will be different for each person out there, but I really like  Rouge Dior Nude Lip Blush and Hourglass Femme Rouge Velvet Creme, both have beautiful color choices,  are moisturizing and long wearing.

#5.  Napoleon complex? Not here, this next product/tip is a real life saver.  Nars’ Larger than Life-Long Wear Eyeliner in Rue Bonaparte is an almond colored eyeliner that you use on the inside of your bottom lid that will brighten even the most tired eyes. Many people suggest a white eyeliner to brighten up your peepers, but too stark a white will make you look ethereal and no one wants to look like the ghost of christmas present or past. Rue Bonaparte keeps you bright-eyed and very much a part of the living world.

#6.  Saving the best for last:  Every woman needs a good eye palette in their arsenal. For me, it’s Edward Bess’ Prismette Eyeshadow Quad in Over the Moon. Whether it’s day or night, this palette delivers long wearing shadows that seem to look better as the day goes on. You can layer all 4, use just 2, anyone you slice it this is the perfect palette!

Well there you have it, it’s quite a list, but I’m fairly certain you’ll love all of these.

Remember this holiday season to take the time you need to do something nice for yourself.

xo Elisa