Since Sunday's Academy Awards, the industry has been buzzing over Jennifer Lopez's flawless red-carpet makeup.

Celebrity makeup artist Matthew Vanleeuween created her look using exclusively NARS products. Here's how to get it:



Eyes: Eyes were prepped with Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base (available May 1st). Apply D. Gorgeous Single Eyeshadow, a matte, dusty lilac, all over lid to brow. Using Brousse Duo Eyeshadow, define crease with the dark purple shade. Line eyes with Nuits Blanches Eyeliner Stylo for definition. To finish, curl lashes and coat with two coats of Larger Than Life Volumizing Mascara.

Cheeks: Vanleeuween applied Desire Blush, a bright, cotton candy pink, to cheeks, and followed with Orgasm Illuminator to define cheek and brow bones with a golden glow. He topped that with Gueules de Nuit Cream Blush for extra punch (available May 1st; use Enchanted Cream Blush for a similar effect).

Lips: Lips were coated in Cruising Lipstick, a gorgeous nude pink, and topped with Lip Gloss in Sweet Dreams to add shimmer and enhance the pout.

To bring the look together, Orgasm Illuminator was also applied to the decolletage, arms and legs to give Jennifer her trademark glow.

While everyone was oohing and ahhing over Sandra's super-shiny hair at the Oscars, we were busy obsessing over J Lo's  perfect eyebrows! Yes, there are many salons that can shape similar brows, but remember the recession?! Not everyone can afford a trip to the brow Dr every month. The best advice is to lighten your brows a shade with dye, but it isn't safe to recommend any at home kits, because the trick is to know how light to go. Worst case scenario you end up with no eyebrows, or disproportionate eyebrows...it can get scary. Second to dye, brow shaping kits are a must-have and the best way to perfect your arch. 

And the nominees for best eyebrow shaping kits are:



1. Tweezerman Mini Brow Kit, Sephora $25 2. Cle de Peau Beaute Eyebrow and Eyeliner Compact, Neiman Marcus $70 3. Too Faced Brow Envy Shaping and Defining Kit, Sephora $35 4. Benefit Cosmetics Brow Zings, Benefit Cosmetics $30 5. Anastasia All About Brows Kit, Sephora $75 6. Sephora Collection Arch it Brow Kit, Sephora $35

Picture this: you hit the snooze one too many times, should've been at your desk, oh, about five minutes ago, and your hair is such a disaster that the Red Cross won't give it coffee. S.O.S!

Never fear: Living Proof, the company responsible for cult favorite No Frizz, introduces the latest innovation in the battle against bad hair: No Frizz Restyling Spray, a style reviver that detangles, reduces static, and adds weightless shine...all without having to rewash.

No Frizz Restyling Spray's non-silicone formula contains PolyfluoroEster, which works by adding just the right amount of moisturize to refresh hair without making it greasy or heavy... turning disheveled, frizzy, or flat hair into beautiful, shiny hair in just minutes.

Simply spray on dry hair until lightly damp, follow with heat to style, and you're out the door!  Crisis averted.


$20, QVC.com

Our penchant for eyeshadow primers aside (we're seriously addicted), Benefit Cosmetics' new Stay Don't Stray primer does the trick. The instructions say you can use it under concealers and eyeshadows but we've only tried it above the eyes. When put to the test during our long and strenuous work day, it did it's job and kept our shadow in its place -- even with our most troublesome and wandering shadows.

Side note: be careful when dispensing as the pump dishes out a heaping amount of primer and a little goes a long way. The instructions warned us but we of course didn't listen and had to learn the hard way.  Benefit Cosmetics, $24.

Diane Kruger was lovely in a pulled back, twisted hair style, gilded eyes, and a pale pink lip , leaving the drama  to her AMAZING Chanel gown.

As usual, Kate Winslet knocked it out of the park with sleek, Veronica Lake inspired finger waves, and fresh pinks on the face to compliment her blue eyes and golden tresses.

Mo'nique decorated her coif with gardenias befitting an Oscar winner, and matched the sweet look with a flawless, matte face and glossy lips.
 Elizabeth banks dazzled with bold lined eyes, a pale lip, and added a sparkly headband to her sophisticated hair style for a extra dose of glam.

Miley Cyrus brought the drama with smokey eyes, LOTS of lash, a pretty pale pout, and a gorgeous, loose wave updo that was one of our faves of the evening.

Charlize Theron's bright red lip and natural eye made a powerful statement without overpowering the actresses' knockout face.

Cameron Diaz rocked a muted version of Charlize's lip, but looked totally different and fresh. Loose, windblown waves were in tune with Cam's Cali-girl style-- effortless, pretty, and natural.

Vera Farmiga's silvery-purple eye was young and fresh, and the bold pink lip complimented her dress without competing with it, topped with a perfectly tousled a chignon.

Lastly, Jennifer Lopez ALWAYS gives good face.  Perfectly groomed brows,  flawless blending, and the look was balanced by her organic, loose updo.

Do you agree? Disagree? Who were your faves? Tell us in the comments!

Beyoncé Knowles is known for her glam red carpet looks and edgy performance style, but today Beyoncé gave us beauty in another form-- by giving back to the community with a project she and her mother, Tina, have dreamed about and worked on for years: the Beyoncé Cosmetology Center at the Phoenix Rehab Center in Brooklyn.

Phoenix House, which is a residential substance abuse treatment program, will run the Career Academy. The academy will serve to help men and women in treatment to prepare for careers in the cosmetology field after a seven-month training course, while overcoming their drug addictions. L'Oreal has donated all the products to be used at the center, and Beyoncé, along with her mother, have pledged to donate $100,000 annually.

We love Beyonce's chameleon-like beauty, but this venture is her best look yet.

While Hollywood is prepping for the Oscars, we've been thinking about all the work that goes into making our favorite celebs look so damn glamorous on this big night. How do they (or their makeup artists -- yes they have help) get that amazing red carpet glow? If you have a big Oscar-like event coming up...maybe even the Oscars who knows?...make sure you're covered with these red carpet must-haves:

Lip Plumper:
The makeup world got a lot more exciting after the invention of lip plumper. What's better? A good limp plumper + a good gloss all in one.

Our suggestion: Givenchy Pop Gloss. Sephora, $24.50.












Fake Eyelashes:
Talk about an optical illusion. Fake lashes are the best way to illuminate your eyes and add a dash of intensity.

Our suggestion: Andrea Perma Lash Starter Kit. Sally Beauty Supply, $9.99.
 















Eye Shadow Palette:
The best way to get a modern, glamorous eye is to layer the right colors and eye shadow palettes make it relatively easy.

Our suggestion: Sephora Colorful Artist Palette. Sephora, $32.











Body Shimmer:
Shimmer, shimmer and more shimmer. But we're not talking just the face. You need a good illuminating powder to apply all over the body.

Our Suggestion: Urban Decay Flavored Body Powder. Sephora, $26.

We're perpetually on the hunt for the perfect highlighter and never seem to find it-- this little highlighter is too glittery, this little highlighter is too greasy, and this little highlighter has us streaking all the way home. What's a girl to do?

Enter Vapour Organic Beauty-- their new Halo Body Spotlight imparts a luminous, lit-from-within glow that looks natural, and more importantly, doesn't leave glitter bomb fallout on our cheeks. It's the perfect shimmer to counteract dull, lifeless winter skin, and can be used on the face, shoulders, arms, décolletage.. the possibilities are endless.
 
Halo also delivers potent anti-oxidants into the skin to heal and protect it against environmental elements and pollutants.  It's made with the anti-inflammatory Frankincense, moisturizing Lotus Flower and Tulsi, an ancient healing herb, and is 70% organic.

Added bonus? The packaging is so pretty: a steel blue-gray shimmer... and it smells awesome too! Sort of a light, fruity smell that makes us want to bite it...but we won't. ;)

Halo comes in one universal shade, Moonlight, suitable for all ages and skin tones.
$34, VapourBeauty.com

 

Essie's Spring 2010 color palette just infiltrated our dark and moody fall nail polish collection, and we're loving it! It's just what the doctor ordered to pick us up out of this dreary cold-weather funk.  We're already imagining warm summer days and a closet full of chic spring ensembles. Their mix of pretty lilacs, flirty roses and muted corals, along with fun art movement inspired names like 'Lilacism' and 'Neo Whimsical' proves that Essie once again knows their nail polish. EssieShop.com 

At Victor de Souza's F/W 2010 collection, the designer wanted an otherworldly beauty. Bring on the drama!

For the hair, lead stylist Danilo, worked with PHYTO products to create an "alien chic" silhouette. Hair was formed into a tight pony tail which was subsequently slicked back with PHYTO Professional Strong Sculpting Gel and wrapped into a chignon at the top of the head.  Small sections of hair were left out at the temples, and extensions wrapped within a hair net (in blond, brunette, and black shades depending on the model's hair color) were fastened to the top of the head, covering the chignon, and loose side pieces were tucked back and underneath. To finish, Danilo used PHYTO Professional Workable Hold Hairspray.




For the face, Lena Koro for the NARS created a look inspired by a photograph of Audrey Hepburn, and was intended to emulate the feeling of her elegance and class, with an "alien twist." The face was paled with NARS Snow loose powder and Sheer Matte Foundation in Siberia. Eyes were dramatically lined with jet liner (Black Moon eyeliner and Eyeliner Stylo in Black). Models also sported blackout contact lenses to completely cover the whites of eyes and add to the alien aesthetic. The look was finished by dabbing NARS gloss in XXX on lips.




Nails were done by CND (Creative Nail Design). Lead Stylist Christina Estabrooks shaped false nails into rounded points and adhered just below the first knuckle. They were coated with one of two polishes (Pink Lily and Copper Chrome), and finished off with French tips (Studio White) before being topped with Super Matte topcoat.



The final look:



While it isn't exactly a wearable look, it was certainly one of the more exciting looks we've witnessed this season.... it was, as promised, completely out of this world!