January 2009 Archives

The 2009 SAG Awards are one of our favorite award shows simply because it's a bit more relaxed and actors are given the opportunity to award their fellow actors. Of course, as always, we love to "ooh" and "ahh" at the gorgeous makeup and hair. This year we saw everything from beautiful updos to long, loose waves; curled tresses and flowy straight manes. We saw red lips and eyes decked out in icy shadows (eyeshadows, that is), and we loved every minute of it. Check out our favorites.

 

 

 Anne Hathaway enchanted us with a lush lash look that complimented her glossy berry stained lip. We loved her loosley tousled hair that not only screams chic, but carefree at the same time.

 

 

January Jones caught our attention, as always, with a fresh look that was both romantic and bold. With makeup to compliment her natural beauty, hairstylist Mark Townsend continued that theme by creating soft yet modern waves on the Mad Men star. 

 

 

Julia Ormond glowed with radiant skin and shiny hair. We love how her full brows and big lashes made her green eyes really pop, while a soft glossy pink lip and glowing cheeks kept her look fresh.   

 

 

Taraji P. Henson wowed us again with shimmery, defined eyes and a glossy lip. And while her hair may be cut in a classic bob, we love the high shine added to keep the glamour quotient at maximum levels. 

  

Kate Winslet is a red carpet goddess this award season, and here is another example of why. A great side-swept updo kept her looking sophisticated while shimmery eye makeup and a neutral palette of soft pinks on her cheeks and lips added just the right amount of glamour.    

 

  

Jennifer Morrison never disappoints us when it comes to the red carpet. The House star's look had an ethereal quality with loose waves and luminous makeup. Bronze and pink tones kept the look light and airy and really complimeted her white gown.  

 

 

Viola Davis was the picture of glamour at the evening's festivities. With soft curls framing her face, and subtle yet flattering makeup complimenting her skin, we were in awe of her fabulous glow.    

 

The gorgeous Freida Pinto captivated our attention with her classic updo and flawless skin. We love the use of blue and violet toned eyeshadows to help frame her black-rimmed eyes while a rasberry hue gave her lips their glossy finish.

--

Fragrance is very personal, but since we aren't about hiding a great find, we have to share our new love of Dior's Miss Dior Cherie fragrance.This fabulous scent is girly, yet still sophisticated enough for the modern woman. Classic and chic but with a youthful twist, Miss Dior Cherie combines notes of violette, pink jasmine, soft patchouli, musk and sweet strawberry. We love the light, almost energizing feel it gives us and the sweetness is in just the right amount.

This is a modern fragrance that captures the timeless couture spirit of Dior. A new interpretation of the original Miss Dior fragrance, Miss Dior Cherie combines pure couture spirit with the audacity of youthful, playful notes for a fresh approach to a timeless classic. Notes of chic, green tangerine, violette, and pink jasmine mingle with soft patchouli, musk, and delectably sweet strawberry leaves and caramelized popcorn for a delicious scent that's truly irresistible.

from $68, nordstrom.com

It's time to brighten up! Your smile, that is. No one can deny that a fabulous white smile looks great on everyone, but who wants to spend hundreds of dollars to get it? You don't have to spend a fortune these days, there are so many amazing products on the market right now. Take a look at our five favorite products to help your pearly whites look their brightest.

 

 

CoverGirl Wetslicks AmazeMint Lipglosses are on our love, must-have, can't-live-without list. "Fake it till you make it" is a great way to describe how these glosses help create a whiter smile. Each color has a slight blue tone that will give teeth the appearance of being whiter, not to mention the minty flavor has only raised our approval rating.  $6.49, drugstore.com

 

 

Rembrandt Intense Stain Toothpaste has become our must-have toothpaste. Not  only does it deep clean our teeth the way a facial does our skin, but it gives us even more reasons to smile. Our teeth are healthy and white, and the fresh minty taste leaves us looking forward to "getting our brush on" twice a day. $7.49, drugstore.com

 

 

Tarte Embrightenmint is a double-ended, tooth-whitening wand and lip gloss product specifically designed to not only give you the whitening you want on-the-go, but the gloss makes teeth appear whiter because of its bluer tone. We love it in Pearly Pink for day and Radiant Red at night. $26 sephora.com

 

 

 

My Youthful Smile by It! Cosmetics features a Smile Brightening Lip Plumping Gloss on one end, with blue based colors specially designed to counteract the appearance of yellow teeth and make your smile whiter instantly, as well as a Smile Line Wrinkle Fill cream with collagen and anti-oxidants on the other to smooth out fine lines and wrinkles around your mouth. Available in three shades. $32, beauty.com

 

 

Crest Whitestrips Daily Whitening + Tarter Protection Strips only require five minutes of daily use to achieve beautiful pearly whites. These are fabulous if you have any sensitivity to whitening, but we really like that these give the results without the huge time commitiment. We have only been using these for a week, and already notice a difference.  $34.99, drugstore.com 

With a refreshing cucumber scent and water-like feel, Amarte Aqua Veil Pure Hydrating Serum is a quick-absorbing hydrator that we can't get enough of. We all live in different climates, but keeping moisture in our skin is always a high priority. Because it's a humectant (contrary to the term serum), it attracts water to the skin, helping to keep it in balance. So it's great for dry skin seeking extra moisture, as well as oily skin because it doesn't add extra oil. We use it in addition to our regular moisturizer and our skin loves it.

 

Honestly, if we could slather our entire bodies with this we would, but since it doesn't come in that big of a size, we will gladly settle for applying it to our faces, necks and decolletages each day and night. $44, amarteusa.com

To our delight, and inspired by the upcoming film Confessions of a Shopaholic, Too Faced Cosmetics has created a beauty palette for every glamour girl on the go. We love palettes, and this one looks fabulous, not to mention it's something to distract us while we wait in anticipation for the movie's release on February 13.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This must-have palette features 15 products, including 2 concealers, Face Powder, 3 eyeshadows, Eyeliner Powder, Eyebrow Powder, Duo Bronzer Powder, Blush Powder, 3 lip glosses, 2 application tools, and even a checklist; everything needed for glamorous movie-star lips, eyes, and face. $29.50 ulta.com

Q: What's the best and quickest way to get rid of blackheads? I've already tried many things; salicylic acid does not do anything for my blackheads or whiteheads.

A: Blackheads are little annoying things that aren't the same as typical acne. While salicylic acid can aid in keeping them at bay, it won't get rid of them on its own. You see, blackheads are caused by excess oil that has clogged a pore. This clog occurs when the built-up oil is unable to come up to the surface of the skin because the pore is misshapen or impaired and dead skin cells blocking the way. When the pore is open, the oil is exposed to oxygen, which reacts and turns it a dark color, resulting in a blackhead.

Here's our simple recipe for removing blackheads:

• After cleansing, use a mild scrub or skin exfoliant to remove any dead cells and expose the blackhead. Pat your face dry.
• Place a slightly warm compress on your face for about 8-12 minutes in order to soften the blackhead, making it easier to remove. Pat your face dry again.
• Wrap a piece of tissue on the tip of each index finger to avoid slipping, which could tear the skin and cause damage.
• Gently apply even pressure to both sides of the blackhead by pushing down, then up around the blemish. Think of trying to apply the pressure from "underneath" the blackhead.
• Attempt this no more than twice-- you don't want to bruise your skin or cause damage to your skin.

 

Allow a couple of days to go by before you attempt to extract again. Between these attempts, try using a clay mask to absorb excess oil. Also, consider visiting a dermatologist, as he or she may be able to prescribe a treatment containing a retinoid to keep pores functioning properly, thus keeping pore blockage to a minimum.

Best of luck.

Jenna Fischer, who plays our favorite secretary on the hit series The Office, looked beautiful at the Golden Globes. We were mesmerized by her flawless look, and her makeup complemented her dress so well. So, just how did she get this look? We did some digging to bring you the beauty scoop.

Makeup artist Brett Freedman played up the Jenna's look by extending the eyeliner on her eyes and created a more vivid, "out of the box glam" for the usually subtle Jenna using the following products:

 

Foundation: LORAC Oil Free Powder Foundation in #02 (light), $35, sephora.com 

Loose Powder: Magic by Prescriptives in Deep Translucent. Brett says, "This product has a gorgeous light reflective quality with a hint of bronze, so it photographs beautifully." $35, nordstrom.com

Concealer: Cle De Peau Concealer in Beige.$85, cosmeticmall.com 

Blush: Almay Smart Shade Blush in Natural, $5.39, drugstore.com, topped with LORAC Oil Free Illuminating Powder in Luminous on apples of the cheeks. $32, beauty.com

Eyeshadow: RIMMEL Colour Rush Mono Eyeshadow in #330 Azure, applied wet and swept over lids and blended down to a sheer finish.

Liquid Liner: LANCOME La Laque Liner in Pure Black, applied in a line across the top lash line, thickening and extending out and upward for a dramatic look. $25, nordstrom.com

Brow Highlight Shadow: LOREAL HiP pigment powder in Restless. Brett says, "I love a bright, crisp browbone. This champagne hued shadow looks natural yet packs a punch." $12, drugstore.com

Mascara: VANITYMARK 'the LASH' in Blackest. Three coats were applied to really amp up the top lashline. One full coat on the bottom to give eyes definition without overpowering the top lash line. $16, vanitymark.com

Faux Lashes: Kre-At Beauty individual lashes. A mix of the short (on the inner eye) and the long (for outer) in black were used to give an alluring sweep.

Body Bronzer: VANITYMARK Summerskin, applied first to 'tone down' the tawny shade so Jenna would have a healthy glow without being too tan. Brett says, "When you're showing that much flesh it's good to have a nice lift of color."  $14, vanitymark.com

Lips: BENEFIT Pocket Pal in Benetint, $20, sephora.com



---

The Golden Globes was a night of gorgeous gowns and beautiful hair and makeup looks. Most of our favorite celebrities showed up and wowed us. Unfortunately, some of them didn't. Take a look at our favorite and not so favorite looks of the big night.

 

Our Favorites:

 

 

Maria Menounos looked gorgeous as always. We love the romantic updo and soft makup that ony helped to compliment her one-shoulder royal blue gown.  

 

 

Kate Beckinsale never dissapoints us when it comes to red-carpet looks. At the Golden Globes she opted for a sleek updo and dewy skin. Bold earrings really helped add a strong, yet polished statement.

 

 

Beyonce isn't one to shy away from trying bold looks, but we were happy to see her looking more refined at this event. Soft grey smokey eyes, a pale shiny lip, and a polished low ponytail brought this very beautiful look together.

 

  

Kristen Scott Thomas was the picture of glamour and elegance on Sunday night. We couldn't help but be in awe of her glowing skin. Nothing overdone, just sheer and pretty. 

 

 

Olivia Wilde looked fabulous in her strapless lilac gown, and instead of going the updo route, chose to wear her hair down. Thankfully, the Golden Globes aren't a stuffy event, so it worked. Lightly smudged eye makeup, pink cheeks and pale pink lips make this star look cool and comfortable under the heat of the sun.

 

 

 

Isla Fisher glowed in neutral pink and brown makeup tones. But while this makeup made the Confessions of a Shopaholic star look gorgeous, we could only covet her shiny hair! It seemed to be the focal point of her look as her dress was also neutral. Wow...

 

Jennifer Morrison had all eyes on her as she walked the red carpet in her breath-taking blue gown. Of course our eyes were on her hair and makeup: icy metallic-rimmed eyes, peachy-pink cheeks and lips, not to mention glowing skin. Could she look any better?

 

 

Our Not-So-Favorites:

 

  

Renee Zellweger could have knocked her look out of the park had it not been for her over-done hair. We were disappointed, of course, to see one of our favorite stars not looking her best. At least this is only the start of award season. She'll have many more chances to wow us in the coming weeks.

 

 

Drew Barrymore has shown us many looks in the past. Some have been good, some not, and this has definitely landed on the latter list. We love the idea of a bombshell 'do Drew was going for, but somehow the finished look didn't work for us, though we know many people loved her look.

 

 

 

Angelina Jolie didn't seem too into the night's event, and it showed. Her look, to us, fell flat. We're sure she would much rather have been home with her kids than attending yet another red-carpet function, so we hold nothing against her for that.

 

 

 

Blake Lively arrived at the Golden Globes in a fabulous blue gown, and her makeup was stunning, but we didn't really care for the under-done look of her hair. Don't get us wrong, loose waves are always a do, but this style just missed the mark.

 

Megan Fox is one actress we feel has many missteps on the red carpet. Her gold gown is beyond flattering, and her makeup is flawless, but, like the other starlets on our not-so-favorite list, she threw it off with her hairstyle. The bun is just too tight. We would have preferred to see her hair in a looser style. Oh well, maybe next time.

Q: I am fair skinned, blonde hair (highlighted), blue eyes. I have some pink in my skin. What blush and lip colors are for me? I sometimes feel colors are too bold for me or they wash me out.

A: If you have a natural flush of pink in your cheeks, look for a blush that is the same tone. This is best for daytime when you'll want a more natural look. For evening, use a blush that is about a shade darker than your cheeks, or the color your cheeks might be after a moderate workout. Apply with a light hand to ensure you don't over-do it, and blend until the color you want is acheived.

When it comes to lip color, we suggest the same; look for shades that are in the same color family as your lips. It's best to keep blush and lip color's undertones the same. Once you find one product it will be easy to find the other. Visit your local beauty retailer or department store beauty counter to test out different hues. Best of luck.