Full of Yourself: Be your own makeup artist with these DIY kits

by Heather Bouzan, 10-17-2007

A) Okay, we've heard (and often taken advantage) of makeup-counter demonstrations, but an eyeshadow kit that actually talks back? We had to investigate. Sure enough, when the Stila Smoky Eye Palette ($40) arrived at our desk, we treated our coworkers to its chirpy voice's pre-recorded instructions on creating the perfect smoky eye. The kit, adorned with a winking-eye hologram, contains four shades: base, lid, crease, and liner. Get it at Sephora (Prudential Center, 800 Boylston Street, Boston, 617.262.4200).

B) Unfortunately, we weren't blessed with the perfectly perky cheekbones of one of Hollywood's cherubic young starlets. But bareMinerals' Get Cheeky ($34), one of a comprehensive line of tutorials by Bare Escentuals, always leaves us defined and glowing. Simply fold out the package's front panel for instructions on how to contour, soften, and detail using the two enclosed products (Pure Radiance All-Over Face Color and Lovely Blush) and the line's Double-Ended Seamless Blending Blush Brush. Pick up this and other kits at Bare Escentuals (Natick Collection, 1245 Worcester Street, Natick, 508.647.5991).

C) Brows are notoriously tricky to groom without the help of a professional, but the Brow Envy Kit ($35) from Too Faced, available at www.toofaced.com, contains all the tools needed for a flawless finish. Sculpt the best shape for your face using one of three stencils - "Girl Next Door," "Glamour Girl," and "Femme Fatale" - and tame those errant hairs with a few dabs of conditioning wax. The kit's slant-tip mini tweezers do the bulk of the dirty work, but you can increase the definition and drama of your perfect arches with two shades of brow powder, a brow brush, and a double-sided brow-defining pencil and brow comb.

D) Even the most low-maintenance of girls can handle a sultry lip, but Benefit takes pout-defining one step further with Cupid's Bow ($28), available at Macy's (450 Washington Street, Boston, 617.357.3000). As a tab on the box indicates, a few swipes of the enclosed double-ended pencil - in "bow maker," a pinky nude, and "pout shaper," a smoky rose - blended with the kit's brush and sponge leave the wearer with a sexy set of lips worth smudging with a makeout session.

E) Colorful eyeshadow shades are something we've never quite been able to pull off. Luckily for us, Bourjois created a line of Petit Guides de Style ($16), each the ideal size for stashing in a purse or desk drawer. Each kit contains two colors: one shades, the other defines. Two easy-to-emulate photos further break down the process, and the results are incredibly ooh-la-la. Find duos like "Call Me Rose," "Crazy Baby," and "Coquette Rosette" at Sephora. @