February 2009 Archives

 

We really love Dove Cream Oil Body Wash because it never leaves our skin feeling tight after using it. While some so-called "moisturizing" body washes leave us darting out of the shower to the nearest bottle of lotion, this one does not. It leaves skin feeling silky soft and smelling great. Another plus? A little goes a long way-- you don't even have to squeeze the bottle very hard to get the product out-- and it lathers up beautifully. Available in 5 fabulous scents. 8.49, drugstore.com

We loved the Oscars this year, and most of the beauty looks didn't let us down. Fabulous fresh skin and gorgeous makeup caught our attention, while hairstyles ranging from updos and hair half up and half down, to cascading curls and loose waves gave us a reason to keep watching.

 

Oscar Night HairTrend #1: Updos

 

Looking just as classy as she is beautiful, Diane Lane wowed us with her unfussy updo. We loved her timeless makeup that had a touch of shimmer on the eyes and her orange-red stained lips added just the right amount of color to compliment her black dress.

 

Natalie Portman looked so incredible it was hard not to stare. Her hair was done in a classic updo and her makeup looked flawless with highlighted cheeks, soft smokey eyes and glossy, rosy-pink lips.

 

Looking stunning in her red gown, Amy Adams opted to wear her updo at the nape of her neck in an asymmetrical fashion. With a smoky eye created with browns and purples, flawless skin and pink lips, we also love how her stunning necklace gave her face a glow.

 

 

Freida Pinto never disappoints us. We love her soft updo that complemented her one-armed gown (although we just could bring ourselves to love the gown, she still looked stunning). Her makeup, as always, looked amazing and because she's such a natural beauty, minimal makeup was used. Soft liner and shadow, blush to add a bit of color and a matte pink color on the lip.

 

 

Kate Winslet didn't wow us with her gown, but we were in love with her dynamic and modern hairstyle. Created to be reminiscent of Grace Kelly, the now Oscar-winning actress's makeup complimented the hairstyle with a classic and natural look.

 

Oscar Night Hair Trend #2: Half Up/Half Down

 

Jessica Biel is a beautiful starlet who unfortunately didn't make our best-dressed list. We were happy to see that, thankfully, her hair and makeup look fabulous-- she wore her hair in a soft, wavy 'do and kept her makeup look all about great skin, neutral eyes and a pink lip.

 

 

Angelina Jolie is stunning, yes we know. But until Sunday night, we had been let down by the Changling star in the hair and wardrobe department. She must have been on to us because she stunned us with her gorgeous cat eye, glowing skin, and glossy pink lip-- wow!

 

Melissa George was nothing short of gorgeous in the hair and makeup department. With loosely curled tresses pulled half up, she looked simply angelic and luminescent.

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Dancing With The Stars co-host Samantha Harris looked fierce in an electric blue one-shoulder gown. What we love most is her choice to pair it soft makeup consisting of browns and pinks and a loose half-up hairstyle to keep her from looking too overdone.

 

 Oscar Night Hiar Trend #3: Hair Down

 

Amanda Seyfied is another actress who didn't get our vote in the fashion department, but took home a prize in the beauty category. Along with her hair styled in long loose waves, Amanda kept her look modern and youthful with a soft smokey eye-- a fine liner between lightly smudged eyeshadow and bare-looking lashes-- and a sheer crimson lip to finish off the look.

 

Jennifer Aniston didn't walk the red carpet, but her look still caught our attention. We love her cheery beach-worthy look complete with a French braid to hold the front of her hair back. Her makeup was complementing as well- very dewy skin, peachy-pink cheeks and light pink lips.

 

We love the necklace Taraji P. Hensen wore on Oscar Sunday-- it really lit up her face. Add to that her great layered bob (blown out smooth and given some added texture to make it a little more edgy for the big night), a fabulous smudged out liner, a bronzy-pink blusher on the cheeks and sheer pink gloss on the lips and we say it's a recipe for beauty success.  

Curious to know what some of the trends will be this fall? We have the beauty scoop straight from the runways of New York Fashion Week, Fall 2009... 

 

Diane von Furstenberg

 

"Nomad Chic" is the look as described by lead makeup artist, James Kaliardos

On the eyes: Soba Eye Shadow, blended over lids, up past crease, out toward temples, along lower lashline. Pearl Cream Colour Base, to highligh the inner corner of the eyes. Pro Barelash, a foundation-toned product applied with a mascara wand, combed through brows to diminish natural hair color.

On the face: Studio Sculpt SPF 15 Foundation, applied as a minimal base to the face. Pro Sculpting Powder, blended under cheekbones and up toward temples to contour. Pearl Cream Clour Base, touched on the high plane of the cheekbone for highlight.

On the lips: Lip Erase (a Pro Product), applied in a sheer layer to pale down the lips. Sculpt and Shape in Bone Beige, applied with a lips brush to line the mouth.

All products by MAC Cosmetics, most available at maccosmetics.com and nordstrom.com

 

 

 

Thakoon

Lead makeup artist Diane Kendal says of this look, "It's is all about the eyes with soft matte lips for contrast." To bring strength to the face, Diane focused on creating smoky eyes and full brows, while downplaying the lips and keeping skin fresh with a light brushing of blush for a healthy glow.

On the face: NARSskin Hydrating Moisture Cream to moisturize entire face. NARS Concealer, as needed, to cover any imperfections. A minimal amount of NARS Sheer Glow Foundation (NEW for Fall 2009). NARS Blush in Gilda, applied lightly on the apples of the cheeks.

On the eyes: NARS Eyeliner Pencil in Mambo to line upper lashes and crease, blend over entire lid and up to brows, keeping dense color by lashline. Line lower lashes and gently blend. NARS Single Eyeshadow in Bali to fill in brows. A very thin line on upper lashes with NARS Eyeliner Stylo in Black (NEW for Fall 2009). Lashes curled with NARS Eyelash Curler

Lips: NARS Rain Lip Therapy Treatment applied to entire lip. A small amount of NARS Concealer over Rain to take down color.

All products by NARS Cosmetics, available now, unless noted, at beauty.com

 

 

Carolina Herrera

 

Lead Artist Diane Kendal describes this look to be about beautiful fresh skin, enhancing natural highlights where light hits the face.

On the eyes: Deep Dark Pro pigment, blended into crease of the eyelid, around the outer corner of the eyes and along the lower lashline. Studio Touch-up stick concealer, buffed onto eyelids as a base. White Pigment, glazed over the eyelids.

On the face: Studio Sculpt SPF 15 Foundation, applied in a sheer layer one shade lighter than natural skin tone. Hand Finish Mineralize Blush, blended onto the apples of the cheeks. White Frost Pigment, touched onto cheek bones to highlight.

On the lips: Twig lipstick, feathered onto lips with a lip brush. Local Colour Dazzleglass, applied in the center of the lips.

All products by MAC Cosmetics available at maccosmetics.com and nordstrom.com

It's a bit chilly in New York, but that doesn't mean stars look any less hot when they attend shows at the Tents for Fashion Week. Take 90210 star Jessica Stroup, who, despite the bitter cold, heated up the room at every show she attended. Want the scoop on how her smoldering look was created? Of course you you do-- that's why you're here!

theBalm makeup artist, Felicia Roman wanted to keep all attention on Jessica's bright blue eyes, so she went dramatic with the lids and kept the rest of the star's face simple.

Here's the step-by-step:

1.) Felicia started by using the Pick-Up-Liners pencil in Don Juan (three in a set, $19, sephora.com) to smudge a line around the lashes and in a thicker line covering most of the bottom part of the lid to achieve smoky definition. Because the Pick Up Liners are half the size of a typical pencil, Felicia was able to get up close and really push the liner into the base of the lashes with perfect precision.

 

2.) Felicia dabbed Lucious Lani eyeshadow (the champagne shade from the ShadyLady Eye Shadow Palette, $38, sephora.com ) across the lid to highlight the symmetrical shape of her face and then finished it off with a light dusting of the sheer 100% mineral Overshadows in You Buy, I'll Fly (a copper shimmer, $15, sephora.com) to make Stroup's eyes really pop. It was also blended into the lower lash line over the pencil for an ethereal finish.

The lashes were defined and volumized with 3 coats of Two Timer Mascara ($20, sephora.com); two coats to instantly build fuller lashes and a third to separate and lengthen.

 

 

 

 

3.) When it came to the skin, Felicia evened out and smoothed Jessica's skin by blending BalmShelter Tinted Moisturizer ($25, sephora.com) with TimeBalm Concealer ($18, sephora.com). Becaue the TimeBalm Concealer has time released hydrating properties, there was no need to reapply between shows- Jessica's under eye area stayed bright all day.

 

 

 

A few swipes of SexyMama translucent powder ($19, sephora.com) gave a photo-finish, and then a combo of the matte Bahama Mama bronzer ($19, sephora.com) with the more shimmering berry-toned Hot Mama blush ($19, sephora.com) gave a healthy glow to Jessica's cheeks.

 

 

 

4.) Finally, Felicia conditioned and nourished Stroup's lips with theBalm to the Rescue ($16, sephora.com), and topped them off with either BalmShelter Lip Gloss in Girly-Girl (for a pinky-coral finish, $19, sephora.com) or Plump Your Pucker in Cocoa My Coconut (a warm nude, $15, sephora.com) to add some shimmer. Jessica LOVED the yummy flavors of the glosses, especially Cocoa My Coconut which she wore at the Jill Stuart show.



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Hilary Duff was our pick for best dressed at Heart Truth's Red Dress Collection fashion show last week, and her messy updo really complimented her stunning gown. With a bit of a jagged part, dark roots and a few flyaways, her hair still looked amazing.

To achieve this "controlled mess", it's important to prep hair with texturizer before blowing it out with a round brush (try Fekkai Coif Bouffant Lifting and Texturizing Spray Gel, $23, nordstrom.com). Next, flip dry hair up and down (this adds body), then pull it back into a loose bun. When your hair is secure, finish the look by pulling a few wisps out by your ears.



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It's Fashion Week in New York, and while we are previewing all of the fabulous trends coming for Fall '09, we have our eyes on Spring, and fabulous warm-weather trends. One of the hottest makeup trends for the season is bright and cheerful palettes of rich blues, pretty pinks, and oh-so flattering corals. We love that we can create a beachy look without turning to the predictable bronzer. These are some items that you'll want in your makeup bag to carry you through the season:

 

 

Maybelline Expertwear Duo Eyeshadow in Sea Glass will give your eyes a gorgeous wash of blue shimmer. Layer for a dramatic look or simply keep the look sheer by swiping over lids with a light hand. Either way, wear them paired with a glossy lip for a look that is this year's new beach cool. $3.59, drugstore.com

 

 

Wet 'n' Wild Kohl Eyeliner Pencil in Turquoise will give your eyes a fresh pop! of color just in time for spring. We not only love the smooth, creamy formula that lasts all day, but the price tag has us hooked every time. $1.29, drugstore.com

 

 

 

Bobbi Brown Brights Eye Palette is every eyeshadow lovers dream. We've featured this before, but we can't get enough of it. It does, after all, have 35 colors to choose from, and even Bobbi herself recommends wearing these sparingly. The blues we're loving? Pacific, Blue Denim and Cloud Blue shades. $70, nordstrom.com

 

 

 

Revlon Strawberry Electric Nail Polish is just the bright pink to cheer you up if you're feeling down. We love the on-the-brink of neon this color has, and the faint undertones of violet keep us wanting more. $4.99 drugstore.com

 

 

JK Jemma Kidd Airkiss Shine Lipgloss in Poser is a fantastic bright pink that never looks obnoxious. This shade is every bit the glamorous shade. We love that this moisturizing gloss isn't sticky, but full of high-watt shine. lasts . $16, target.com

 

 

Givenchy Rouge Interdit Satin Lipstick in Tempting Coral will smooth and nourish your lips with antioxidants while long-wearing color will get you through a long day of fun in the sun. $27, sephora.com

 

 

 

Benefit Coralista is our must-have face color. With an amazing buildable formula,, you can take it from sheer and sweet to bright and bold. $28, sephora.com

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We all loved Hello Kitty growing up (and admittedly still do). When we fell in love with makeup and discovered MAC, it became one product line that was always on our must-have list. Now the two have come together to create a most adorable and fabulous collection that we can't help but be excited about. Take a look at our picks from this limited-edition collection. Don't wait, this will sell out fast!

 

 

 

MAC Hello Kitty Eyeshadow x 4 in Too Dolly is the perfect palette for creating a plethora of looks from dramatic to bright. The colors are also a great way to update your look for the spring season, and of course, Hello Kitty adorns the black packaging-- isn't she cute? $38, nordstrom.com

 

 

 

 

Glitter Eyeliner can make eyes shimmer sweetly in the daytime and really pump up the volume for a fun night out on the town. The long-lasting liner won't flake and comes in four glittery shades. $16.50, nordstrom.com

 

 

 

 

 

MAC Hello Kitty Lipsticks come in frost, lustre and glaze formulas. It's may be hard to resist just choosing one of these adorable tubes with Hello Kitty's image on it. We have our eyes on Cute-ster and Most Popular. $14, nordstrom.com

 

 

 

 

MAC Hello Kitty Beauty Powder Blush comes in a cute black window-style compact and features a pretty blush to add a hint of color to your cheeks. Available in two shades. $18, nordstrom.com

 

 

 

 

Tinted Lip Conditioner works well over any lipstick or on its own to add a hint of color while keeping lips feeling and looking soft. $14.50, nordstrom.com

 

 

 

 

MAC Hello Kitty Nail Lacquer features three amazing shades that will work any time of year. Because as every beauty-loving gal knows, well-groomed tips and toes keep every style looking polished (no pun intended). $11, bloomingdales.com

 

 

 

Hello Kitty Makeup Bag will keep all of your essentials together in a cute more "grown up Kitty" way. Sleek, black and rectangular soft black vinyl features pink and white Hello Kitty graphics on both sides and a circular silver metal Hello Kitty charm on the zip. $35, macys.com




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We love sporting big, bold lashes, even if we're wearing a more natural-looking makeup look. Our new favorite is L'Oreal Voluminous Carbon Black Mascara. It delivers clump-free, look-at-me lashes, and we can't get enough. Not only does it give us the blackest lashes to frame and add the finishing touch to our eye looks, but it never dries stiff , flakes or ends up making us look like raccoons. $7.50, drugstore.com

Every girl loves to receive roses, but there's something we beauty-loving gals would rather have; they have a rose scent or color to them, they'll make us smell, look and feel great, and they won't die in a week. That's right, rose-themed beauty items. Take a look at what we'd love to receive (or even buy for ourselves) this Valentine's Day. 

 

 

 

Pop Beauty Rose Belle Blush Kit features enough colors to give yourself a new rosy glow everyday. We love the rose, pink and mauve options that work on every skintone- wear each shade alone or together to create your own perfect flush. $28, beauty.com

 

 

 

 

Jo Malone Red Roses Cologne is like waering a fabulous, fresh bouquet of flowers. This fragrance is made from seven different rose types, and delivers a suprisingly clean scent. $55, nordstrom.com

 

 

 

 

 

Healing Garden Sugar Cane Body Scrub in Passionate Rose cleans and exfoliates beautifully, and we can't get enough of the intoxicating smell. $7.49, drugstore.com 

 

 

 

 

Bobbi Brown Rose Shimmer Brick Compact is one of our favorite multi-tasking products. We like to use the individual shades on eyelids as a shadow, and swept over our cheeks to give them a soft, shimmer glow. $38, nordstrom.com

 

 

 

John Masters Organic Rose Foaming Face Wash is gentle enough for even the most sensitive skin, and contains botanicals to nourish and soothe. With essential rose oil to revitalize the skin, this green cleanser gets skin beautifully clean but leaves it feeling soft and hydrated. $19, beautorium.com

 

 

 

 

L'OCCITANE Bon Bon Rose Lip Gloss gives our lips a "my lips, but better" look when worn alone, but also adds a great dose of moisture and shine to our lips over our favorite lipcolor. $10, loccitane.com

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We asked our friend and celebrity makeup artist, Melissa Walsh, to put together a fabulous and time-friendly routine to help you put together a look on Valentine's Day that would be sure to make you feel and look your best. Whether you plan a romantic night out with the one you love, or a night out with the girls, don't hesitate to try these tips (along with product suggestions), and have a great Love Day!

 

Melissa says:

 

"Start with a light serum that smooths the skin and sinks in immediately without leaving an oily residue - Janson Beckett Vitamin C&C Facial Serum ($44.50, spalook.com) is perfect for this."

 

 

 

 

 

"Then, dust a powder foundation all over, being careful to blend well - Smashbox Halo Hydrating Powder ($59, beauty.com) gives a really natural glow with great coverage."

 

 

 

 

"Using a fluffy brush, swirl a sheen powder blush onto the apples of your cheeks - I love Cargo's Catalina blush ($24, sephora.com) as it is a perfect pinky-coral shade."

 

 

"As you don't have much time, use one shade of eyeshadow all over the lid and into the crease; think soft sheeny, muted shades like taupe, heather and moss, and take it under the lower lashline too. Line the top lashes with a soft matte pencil and soften the edges with a cotton bud. A few coats of thickening mascara (try Lash Venom by DuWop, $24, sephora.com) finish the eyes."

 

 

"For your lips use a stain or a cream tint like the ones by Jouer ($20, jouercosmetics.com ), which can also be used as a blush - Amaryllis is especially pretty - and smooth into the lips for a barely there flush."

 

 

**Melissa's tips if you only have 5 minutes:

"Spray your face with a refreshing mist like Caudalie Beauty Elixir (from $15, sephora.com), which I always use to smooth my skin and freshen my makeup after a long day. Let it dry for a few seconds and then, using a cream tint in a versatile shade like a soft gold or bronze, smooth onto eyelids, cheeks and lips. Lots of mascara for definition and a light colored eyeliner in the lower lashline will open up your eyes. You should be finished in less than 5 minutes but still will sweep your man off of his feet!"

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