Archive September 2009
New York Fashion Week Spring 2010- Day 6
NYFW Beauty Round-up Day 6!
Such a great day on the runway today!! The looks were so fun, and I do not think I saw one apricot nude lip or smudgy smokey eye! yay!
Dennis Basso
The models walking the Dennis Basso runway looked classic, but still very modern. The focus of the makeup is obviously the perfectly defined, deep red lip. The skin is dewy and the under eyes are bright (maybe a little too bright??) It kind of looks like the models have white circles under their eyes, however, from far away it looks really pretty. Eyes are glamourous but not smokey. Lots of lashes and a little bit of smokey grey shadow above the lash line.
Badgley Mischka
Badgley Mischka models also looked very glamourous and classic. The skin is fresh and dewy, with lots of highlight on top of the cheekbone. The eyes are lined with black liquid eyeliner, brought out to a winged tip. Lips are lined and filled in with MAC’s “whirl” lip pencil and the cheeks are kept natural, yet subtlety defined.
Brian Reyes
Bobbi Brown keyed the Brian Reyes show, which definitely explains why it was so clean and pretty! Beige blush with shimmery nude highlight on top of the cheekbone. Eyes are bare (with maybe a bit of bone colored shadow to give a little definition), and on the lips, a gorgeous red stain.
Vera Wang
The Vera Wang show was surprisingly gothic for the Spring season. The models wore pale foundation with little, if any, conturing and blush. The lips are kept the same color as the skin so they blend into the rest of the canvas. Eyes are also very nude, with a hint of peachy beige shadow rimming the eye. The eyebrows are the focal point of this look, which I love! Makeup artists filled in the brows to make them very dark and thick, which looks very dramatic against the pale skin.
Rodarte
The makeup seen at the Rodarte show was somewhat similar to the gothic look of the Vera Wang show, with the pale faces and beige rimmed eyes. Eyebrows were kept light, and once again (as seen in many shows this season), there was no mascara applied to the eyes. The lips are outlined in black, with a burgundy stain inside the middle. Makeup artists drew geometrical, tribal-like designs on the arms of the models. I love this look, it is so strong and powerful!
Betsey Johnson
Betsey Johnson’s presentation of her spring line was outrageous! But honestly, what did you expect?? Her glittery dark eyes and cheekbones are to die for, and SO fun! I love that she breaks the “keep only one feature emphasized” rule. Models are wearing dark dramatic eyeshadow AND burgundy/black lips.
Toni Francesc
Another fun look! Actually, the look itself is very natural. The lips, cheeks and eyes are bare, but the flash of light aqua across the eyes makes the whole look POP! I love how effortlessly it compliments the clothing as well!
Tibi
Bobbi Brown’s team of artists worked on the Tibi show. They posted a face chart of the look on their Twitter account today detailing the look. Nude lips, and Bobbi Brown coral pot rouge on the cheeks. On the eyes is a bright yellow shadow under the brow and a hot pink shadow on the lid. The lower lid is lined with a bright green. I couldn’t find any closer pics to really show the makeup but check out the behind the scenes video below! Love this look!
Behind The Scenes Video
New York Fashion Week Spring 2010- Day 5
NYFW Beauty Coverage Day 5
The madness continues!! Runways were filled with more smokey eyes, more clean natural looks and more peachy nude lips. To try and not bore you, here are several of the more interesting and unique looks from the runway on Day 5!
Donna Karen
Loved the makeup at the Donna Karen show today!! It was still very clean and pale, like a lot of the looks we have seen this season, but the flash of bright white on the lids makes the eyes pop. Soft bronze shadow on the eyelid and under the eye gives subtle definition. A stark white eyeliner, winged out is the focal point of this look. Cheeks were light pink and highlights were added on the cheekbones.
Marc Jacobs
The Marc Jacobs show was SO amazing today. The looks were unique and very avant-garde, such a nice change from the ever-so-popular smokey eye. Francois Nars was the head makeup artist for this show, and his inspiration for the look was “ballerina, cabaret girl, meets opera, with a touch of gothic.” The face was made VERY pale – almost white. Liquid eyeliner was applied to the top and bottom lid and extended out, and two pairs of false eyelashes were applied. I love the brows in this show!! The model’s natural eyebrows were covered with foundation and a new thin and rounded eyebrow was drawn on. To finish it off, a deep rose pink lipstick was added to the lips.
Zac Posen
Zac Posen models are wearing a sparkly white shadow on the lids with a taupe shadow to define the crease. Lashes are topped off with loads of mascara, cheeks are a rosy cream blush, and the lips are a gorgeous mauve-y pink. Such a pretty look, it definitely reminds me of “spring.”
Tracy Reese
The focus of the makeup at the Tracy Reese show is definitely on the eyes. Bottom eyeliner is a smudgy black, elongated a little past the eye. The rims of the eye are also lined in black to add extra drama. The eyeshadow is a soft brown brought up all the way to the brow, but it still looks totally wearable. Tons of mascara, false eyelashes and an apricot gloss top of the look.
Erin Fetherston
The look at Erin Fetherston is very similar to the Tracy Reese show but this makeup looks a little more glamorous. Black/brown shadow lines the bottom lid but is still really smudgy and soft. It looks like the shadow extends past the eye, but not in a “cat eye” type way. Cheeks are beautifully defined and lips are an apricot nude.
Carolina Herrera
Models walking in the Carolina Herrera show also looked very glamourous and classic. Skin was matte and the cheeks were a subtle, rose pink. The eyes were defined but not smokey. It looks like there is a champagne colored shadow on the whole lid, and a coppery tan shadow defining the outer crease. Lips are a beautiful light mauve. I’m just so happy it’s not an apricot gloss that I think anything would look good right now. lol.
Photos From Zimbio.com and Stylelist.com
New York Fashion Week Spring 2010- Day 4
NYFW Makeup Looks – Day 4
Herve Leger
Another really pretty clean look on the Herve Leger runway. Models looked glowy and fresh with peach blush and subtle highlights. Nude lips, defined brows and no heavy liners. Loved this look.
DKNY
DKNY models sported a super fun look on the runway yesterday, aqua blue lashes!! Instead of the go-to black mascara (or none at all- as many shows have done this season), makeup artists opted for a colored lash. They wanted the look to be different but not over the top, says makeup artist, Charlotte Willer. The rest of the face was kept clean, with a peach blush and light pink lipstick.
Sara Shepherd
The Sara Shepherd show was full of dark eyes and peachy nude lips. Eyes were rimmed all the way around with a black and silvery grey, then smudged out to perfection. Despite the smokey eye, the makeup still looks very soft and pretty. Peachy blush was added to give some life to the cheeks, and the skin looked healthy and dewy.
Diane Von Furstenberg
The Diane Von Furstenberg show had one of my favorite makeup/hair looks for the day. Models looked like little bohemian pixies on the runway! The look was colorful but still clean, fun and youthful. Makeup artists applied a copper/gold shadow to the lids and added a shimmery rose colored blush high on the cheekbones and close to the eye. Lips were given an apricot gloss.
Thuy
Thuy’s makeup was also very fun, but sophisticated and clean. Heavy contouring was done on the cheekbones and a little bit of peachy orange blush was added on top to make facial structure very defined. On the eyes is a soft brown shadow layered over a neon orange shadow. Makeup artists wanted the look to display the color that comes with Spring, but also keep the look wearable and chic. More peachy nude lips..
Gerlan Jeans
As if I haven’t complained enough about all the elongated cat-eyes… lol!
Gerlan Jeans’ makeup and hair is by far the most dramatic of the day. Very defined eyebrows, thick black cat eyes, white lips and tie-died braids. Need I say more? I am not the biggest fan of this look, it just seems a little much, however, I cannot deny that it is fun and creative. And the white lips are a first for this season!
Behind the Scenes Videos
Photos by Zimbio.com
New York Fashion Week Spring 2010- Day 3
NYFW Beauty Round-up
Christian Siriano
First off let me say that Christian Siriano’s line was to die for! Maybe one of my favorite collections so far. Ok, back to beauty.. Not only were his clothes gorgeous, but the makeup was beautiful as well. Glowy skin and perfect contouring of the face gave the models a very clean overall look. My favorite part of this look is the stark white bottom liner which makes their eyes look stand out without having to define them too much. Lips are a very pale peach, almost the same color as the face, and the eyelids have a light wash of peach. SO PRETTY. This look compliments the clothing unbelievably well.
Georges Chakra
The Georges Chakra show was also ultra clean and pretty. I wanted to cover it briefly because an amazing clean look can sometimes be harder than the crazy, over-the-top fun stuff. The models of this show look naturally gorgeous, and their skin is FLAWLESS. The peach blush, and very pale peach lip make the look so pretty. With splashes of yellow, green, pink and orange, this line is already bold and fun, the makeup doesn’t need to be crazy to still make a statement. I am really loving this look.
Chado Ralph Rucci
Makeup for the Chado Ralph Rucci show was so fun! Makeup artists applied both top and bottom lashes to the models eyes. It looks like they cut a falsie in half and applied the lashes to only the outer top and bottom corners. They followed up by smoking out the outer corner of the eye with a black shadow to get the cat-eye effect that has been so popular this season. Lips were kept ultra nude and the hair was slicked back as tight as it could go.
Andy and Debb
Many of the looks on the runway today had pale, nude lips. The rose pink lip at the Andy and Debb show really made this makeup stand out from the rest of the crowd. It’s still very soft, but really pretty and appropriate. I also love the brows in this show! Makeup artists filled in the eyebrows and gave each model a very defined and strong brow. Everything else was kept very minimal, with no blush and a little bit of a brown cat eye winged out past the eyes.
Vivienne Tam
Last but not least is Vivienne Tam with more nude lips and clean skin. Makeup artists decided on false eyelashes for the bottom lashes, a little bit similar to the Chado Ralph Rucci show, but much more dramatic. Not a huge fan of this look because I feel the bottom lashes are little too harsh, but I love when artists step outside of the box and do things differently than the rest of the crowd. (Please no more cat-eyes!!) 
More Behind the Scenes Videos!
Photos by Zimbio.com
The September Issue
A Sneak Peek Inside the Walls of Vogue, and it’s Editor in Cheif, Anna Wintour
The September Issue was released yesterday into to theaters nationwide. In the film, viewers are granted an inside look into the making one of the most important issues of the year, the September issue, as the movie closely follows Vogue’s Editor in Cheif, Anna Wintour, and her team prepare for this major release.
Anna is the inspiration behind the movie “The Devil Wears Prada,” so it is not surprising that she comes off as a little bit cold in the film. People scurry from her path and hang to every word she says, she has 100% full control over the entire magazine. While many call Anna an “ice queen,” I found her to be quite inspirational. It takes a certain type of person to be as influential and in charge as Anna, and most people would not be able to hack it if they were in her position. She displays a very cut-throat attitude and she has no qualms about telling people what they do not want to hear. One of my favorite scenes is where she tells Oscar De La Renta not to put a certain look in his show because “it’s not as strong as the others.” This shows the amount of power she has in the fashion industry, who tells Oscar de la Renta to cut an outfit?? While many do not agree with her decisions, she obviously knows what she is doing.
While the movie is supposed to be about Anna Wintour, it is Grace Coddington, the creative director at Vogue that actually shines as the unlikely star of the film. Unlike Anna, Grace exhibits warmth and a passion for the art of fashion. She fights Anna tooth and nail to maintain a level of artistic integrity and vision throughout the magazine. The tension between Wintour and Coddington is uncomfortable at times, but Grace seems to be the only person that will stand up to Anna and she does not back down. She hates that celebrities have taken over the covers of the magazines and holds on to her romantic views of the fashion industry.
Photographers Mario Testino, David Sims and Patrick Demarchelier all make appearances in The September Issue, and it was a dream come true for me to watch their photoshoots take place. The sets are phenomenal, David Sims shoots in the palace of Versailles, and Mario Testino takes Sienna Miller to Rome and shoots in front of the Colosseum. The pictures produced are breathtaking and it is heartbreaking to see Anna cut several of the photos from the issue.
The September Issue is a must see if you love fashion. The passion displayed by all the members of Vogue is inspiring and their work ethic, remarkable. I loved diving in behind the scenes of one of the largest magazines in the world and getting swept up in this seemingly untouchable fantasy world of fashion.
Trailer for The September Issue
New York Fashion Week Spring 2010- Day 2
NYFW Spring/Summer 2010 Beauty Coverage
Twinkle by Wenlan
The Twinkle by Wenlan show has my favorite beauty look for the day. Makeup artists gave the models neon orange lips, glittery gold eyes and strong brows. The pop of color looks amazing with the clothes. Hairstylists pumped up the volume (literally) with big, voluminous curls. LOVE.
Cynthia Rowley
At the Cynthia Rowley show, models wore a soft wash of purple/magenta all the way up to their brow. Some models wore dark green bottom liner smudged out. The faces were lightly contoured and the lips were kept bare.
Jason Wu
Makeup for the Jason Wu show was quite interesting. Models lips were either a matte blood red or an almost black, deep burgundy. Eyes were softly contoured but very bare, using very little, if any, mascara. The dark lip trend (talked about here) continues on.
Yigal Azrouel
More smoky eyes!! Yigal Azrouel’s show featured dramatic black liner on top and bottom eyelids, with smudged black eyeshadow winged out at the corners to create the popular cat eye shape. Lips were kept bare and the hair was pulled back into slick ponytails.
Rag and Bone
A more natural look was seen at the Rag and Bone show. Models wore a smokey, bronzed eye. It looks like no harsh liners or mascaras were used to keep the look soft. Its nice to take a break from the black eyeliner once in a while! I have noticed that many of the looks so far this week are skimping on the mascara. Wondering if this is a new trend..
Check out the nails! Models sported neon yellow digits. I’m kind of in love with this bright splash of color on the muted colors of the clothes.
More Behind the Scenes Videos!
Pictures From Zimbio.com
New York Fashion Week Spring 2010- Day 1
NYFW Spring 2010 Beauty Coverage
Its that time again! New York Fashion Week kicked off today with shows by BCBG Maxazria, Rosa Cha, Mara Hoffman, David Elfin and Michael Angel among others. Check out some of the beauty looks spotted on the runways today!
Rosa Cha
Pale yellow eyes and gorgeous peachy nude, glossy lips were the look for the Rosa Cha Spring 2010 collection. The models looked healthy and bronzed to perfection. So pretty.
Monique Lhuillier
On a completely different end of the spectrum, Monique Lhuillier’s collection displayed an extreme smoky, extended cat eye. Drama! With such a strong eye, she opted for muted lips and cheeks.
Whitney Eve
“The City’s” Whitney Port debuted her new line Whitney Eve today. The juicy watermelon colored lips are to die for! The inner eyes have a touch of gold, making the makeup extra fresh and pretty. I’m really loving this look!
Davidelfin
MAC’s Senior Artist Gregory Arlt was the key makeup artist for the Davidelfin Spring 2010 show. He opted for a neon blue eye a la David Bowie. Even the men were rockin’ these colorful lids. SO glam and fun!
Ports 1961
Models walking for Ports 1961 wore extremely bright red eyeshadow slashed across the eyelid and extended out a bit past the lashes. Everything else was kept very muted, no cheek color, and the lips blended into the rest of the face.
These videos by Mercedes Benz Fashion Week are awesome. Take a peek behind the scenes from the shows today!
Unexpected Beauty Item: Olive Oil
Taking Extra Virgin Olive Oil Out of the Kitchen
I am all about discovering unexpected beauty items in my kitchen, and with winter (slowly) approaching, it’s time to start thinking about how to protect our skin from the drying cold. Olive oil is not only great for cooking, but try slathering it on your body to receive tons of added bonuses!
1. Remove Makeup
Say you are staying the night at your man’s house, and have nothing to remove your eye makeup before bed. No worries, all you gotta do is book it to the kitchen and grab some Extra Virgin Olive Oil, pour it on a cotton ball and gently rub off your makeup. Go lightly at first because if you use too much, it could get in your eye and sting. I use this tip in a pinch and find that it works even better than most removers, especially when dealing with stubborn mascaras.
2. Moisturize Dry Spots
Olive Oil is an awesome moisturizer. Period. It’s all natural, contains no chemicals, has no unpleasant scent and is packed with antioxidants. If you suffer from dry, cracked heels, try rubbing some EVOO onto your feet before bed, cover with some socks, and wake up to smoother, softer heels. Sometimes I rub it on my face and chest before I go to sleep. It soaks in really fast, and leaves my skin feeling super moisturized in the morning. Try using Olive Oil to combat any dry spot, and notice how quick and efficiently it gets the job done!
3. Add it to your Bath
Add a few tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil to your bath, next time you have a night to yourself. It will give you a little extra softening power, and you will feel smooth and moisturized when you get out. Add some essential oils on top of it and you’ve got a night to remember haha 
4. Condition Your Hair
EVOO is amazing forgiving dry, damaged hair a little moisture and repair. Heat a cup of Olive Oil in the microwave and pour onto your head before your next shower. Massage the oil into your locks from root to tip, and cover with a plastic shower cap. Let the oil penetrate your hair for about half an hour, then rinse out. You might need to shampoo several times to get all the residue out, but it’s worth it because your hair will be so shiny and healthy when you’re done.
5. Soothe Chapped Lips
Because of the softening and moisturizing properties mentioned about, it is common sense that using Olive Oil on dry lips will do wonders for the chap. Rub in a small amount several times a day, and there’s no way your pucker will be dehydrated for long.
Autumn/Winter 09/10 Trend: Black Lips
Rachel Roy Fall 2009
Trend Alert: Black is the New.. Black?
Black lips have been trending (thank you YSL) since last fall, and this season, they are making another comeback. From runways to celebrities, this trend does not seem to be going away as much as some wish it would haha. Don’t worry though, with a little tweaking, this trend can be totally wearable!!
Instead of opting for a straight black lip shade , try choosing darker shades of your regular colored lipsticks. Deep, dark reds and blackberry’s will look gorgeous on you this fall. Just remember, whenever you have a dramatic lip, go easy on everything else! Keep the eyes more neutral to shift the focus on your pout.
Kim Kardashian by Makeup Artist Troy Jensen
This season, even several of the cosmetic companies are jumping on the black lip bandwagon, and coming out with whole collections inspired by this vampy trend (and most likely because of the popularity of Twilight).
MAC is coming out with a line called Style Black at the end of September which will include “Black Knight,” a creamy black lipstick, “Midnight Media,” a dense matte lipstick, “Blackware,” a true black lipgloss along with several other sheer black lipglosses with pink and gold pearls.
Chanel will be releasing their “black” collection in September, and this one seems a lot more wearable. It includes three shades of deep lipsticks. “Hysteria,” an eggplant black, “Maniac,” a deep black red, and “Obscure,” a brown black. This collection looks gorgeous, check out the advertising!! So hot!
How To: Shape The Perfect Eyebrow
Megan Fox (The hair on her head is a bit of a mess but her eyebrows are
flawlessly groomed)
Shaping The Perfect Eyebrow For Your Face
It’s no secret that I am obsessed with eyebrows. More often than not, eyebrows are overlooked. Many women really underestimate the power of amazing eyebrows. I’ve already listed my picks for the best celebrity brows and now I’ll give you the steps to making your own eyebrows red carpet worthy.
Shaping-
Creating perfect shape can definitely be the most difficult part of your perfect eyebrow quest. “Do I tweeze, wax, thread, shave?” are the first questions that always come to mind. Personally I prefer tweezing, but please DO NOT shave your eyebrows. Ew.
If you decide to go the “do-it-yourself” route by tweezing, follow these easy steps to creating a great brow shape for your face!
1. Start noticing which type of brows you like. Looking through magazines, and watching celebrities are excellent ways to get references for your own eyebrows. Check out my list of Best Celebrity Eyebrows here for some great examples.
2. To start the shaping process you will need a brow comb, or spoolie, and a good pair of tweezers. Comb your brows to lay all the hair in one direction and smooth it out. If you have never shaped your eyebrows before, they might be a little out of control (I know mine were!), so this step is important.
3. Next, you need to determine where they start, where they end and where your arch should be. Take a look at the Megan Fox picture above. Line “A” shows you where your eyebrow should start. Take a pencil, or anything with a straight edge and align it straight from the corner of your nose up to your eyebrow. Wherever the pencil hits your brow is an indicator of where you eyebrow needs to start. However: Notice Megan’s eyebrow does not start where the line ends. Her eyes are more wide-set, so she can get away with having her eyebrows start closer it, and it even makes her eyes look closer together. Remember, beauty tips are not set in stone, if you feel that something may not look right on you, alter it!
4. Now, it’s time to see where you should place your arch. Take the same pencil and look straight ahead in a mirror. Align the pencil diagonally so that it starts at the corner of your nose, and skims the outside of your iris (not literally!). See Line “B” on Megan’s face. This is where your arch should be. When creating your arch, make sure you keep in mind what type of brow you are going for. Making too much of an extreme arch will make you look constantly mad or surprised.
5. To find out where your brow should end, take your pencil, start at the corner of your nose and place it diagonal, this time skimming the very outside corner of your eye. See Line “C.”
6. Now that you’ve got your dimensions down, it is time to start plucking! Hold your tweezers at a 45 degree angle and go to town. A good tip is to take a white eyeliner pencil (wet and wild makes a really cheap one, 99 cents), and trace an outline of how you want your brow to look. Then, whatever you do, do not pluck inside the white lines! If you want to forget the white pencil, start plucking random strays, making your way up to the brow. Go slow, and pull one by one. You might need to step back half way through and see how it looks from other angles. Don’t forget your uni-brow, if you have one!
Tip: DO NOT GET TOO CRAZY WITH IT! lol. The first time I held a pair of tweezers, I plucked my intense catapillar eyebrows into skinny, barely there worms. I thought it looked amazing at the time, but I was 10. Now, I’m still regretting that day because my eyebrows have taken years to grow back, and they still have much more work to do.
Some Things to Remember:
- If you have naturally thick, unruly eyebrows, it’s probably best to keep them full. If you make them too thin, you will have a hell of a time keeping up with it.
- If you’re new to tweezing, slanted tip tweezers will probably work best. You have more control and lessen the risk of pinching yourself.
- There is a myth out there that you shouldn’t pluck above your eyebrow. This is not true. Plucking above is as important as plucking below, if you need it.
- Make sure you have enough light!
- Do not overpluck!!
