Archive November 2010
A Postcard From Venice
Made it to Venice! Experienced Aqua Alta today, where the whole city flooded about 2 feet deep.
Loving it here.
Happy Thanksgiving
I am thankful for SO much in my life and today, I am most thankful for the fact that I am not celebrating Thanksgiving this year! hahaha. I am currently in Venice, Italy eating gelato 
and not contributing to the slaughter of 45 million turkeys.
And on a side note.. it’s my sister’s birthday today!! This is for you Bean 
Sorry I can’t be there to celebrate with you. I love you!!
Hi Friends,
I will be in France/Italy for the next three weeks so Last Looks will be on a short hiatus..
I’ll send you a postcard
OCC Releases Vegan Makeup Brushes!
As if Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics needed to give me yet another reason to love them…
Last week the 100% Vegan and PETA Approved brand, released their highly anticipated line of Vegan Professional Makeup brushes!! OCC has been raising the bar when it comes to Cruelty Free products for years, and these professional brushes are a fantastic alternative to the traditional, animal hair brushes.
David Klasfeld, the founder of OCC (and an incredible makeup artist fyi), gave Last Looks a little more information about his brand’s newest release..
Why did you decide to create a line of vegan makeup brushes?
“It was actually our customers who inspired us to create the new brush line. We received so many requests for this type product because our customers realized that we had quickly become the industry leader in professional makeup products that were not only cruelty-free, but completely vegan as well. This really made us determined to create the best line of synthetic brushes out there, not only for use by artists, but for our customers’ use at home as well.”
OCC was the official makeup sponsor of LA Fashion Week and I heard that the artists working the shows were some of the first to field test these brushes. What feedback did you receive from the makeup artists at the shows, and will your brushes be a viable option for professionals, as well as consumers, in terms of quality and performance?
“While synthetic brushes of varying quality is no major innovation in the cosmetics industry, ours is the first entirely synthetic line to be determined completely by artist feedback and tested for performance in professional situations before being made available for sale. Feedback at LA Fashion Week could not have been more positive. Any suggestions made were taken into account before the brushes went into mass production, and are now available as determined and approved by our artists.”
The introductory selection of brushes include:
Large Round Powder Brush
Foundation Brush
Concealor Brush
Tapered Blending Brush
Angled Blending Brush
Short Shader Brush
Large Shader Brush
Small Shader Brush
Angle Brush
Check Them Out HERE
What do you think? Are you as excited for these cruelty free brushes as I am?
Trend Alert: Ombre Hair
Remember the days when dark roots were frowned upon? This season, turn that frown upside down and embrace the hottest hair trend of the moment, ombre!
Ombre is a super low maintenance approach to coloring your hair. It starts out dark at the roots and gradually becomes lighter toward the tips. It gives off a relaxed vibe and when done right, not only looks fantastic but can save you money because you won’t be needing that 6-week touch-up!
Model Lily Alridge was seen sporting the Ombre Trend at the Victoria Secret 2010 Fashion Show earlier this week. I love how it looks with her skin tone!
Keep it subtle!
Too much of a color contrast can take the look from laid back chic, to sloppy. The slight gradation of color on Sarah Jessica Parker (above), Ashley Tisdale and Hilary Duff (below) looks fantastic.
See a Professional!
When going Ombre for the first time, let a pro handle it. While the trend is supposed to look effortless, it can actually be quite difficult to achieve. The key to this look is the natural fade from dark to light which is not easy to do on your own.
Seems like Drew Barrymore and Ashlee Simpson have taken the trend a little too seriously. The contrast of colors from root to tip looks very harsh.
What Do You Think? Would You Rock Ombre Hair?
Review: TanTowel
What Is It?
TanTowels are individually packaged towelettes that when applied to the body, give you a natural looking and easy to achieve tan without having to expose yourself to harmful UVA and UVB rays.
Review:
As a California girl, I love to be tan. Fortunately (and unfortunately) I quit baking in the sun over a year ago, so I am constantly on the search for self tanners that will give me a natural looking glow year round (it’s 80 degrees in the middle of November as I speak). The sun is always shining, therefore the women of California are always tan
With TanTowel, you can choose from two different formulas, their Classic Towelette, or the Plus Towelette. The Classic is geared toward those with fair-medium skintones and the Plus is for medium-dark skintones. I am naturally fair-medium skinned, but of course, I found myself leaning toward the Plus lol. I decided to test both; I applied the Classic on my legs, and the Plus on my chest and arms.
Application
Applying TanTowel was extremely easy. After opening the packaging, you unfold the towel and rub it on your body in a circular motion, making sure to hit every inch. There is no initial color so it makes it somewhat difficult to know if you’ve missed a spot or applied too much. I love how fast the product dried! I was able to apply my tan, and be dressed in under 10 minutes.
Tip: The circular motions are very important! The first time I tried it, I slapped the towel on and rubbed in all over. End result: I was a streaky mess!
Smell
The smell of the towelettes when applying TanTowel is very pleasant! It smells light and citrusy. Many people complain about the gross smell of self tanners and this is one of the best smelling tanners I’ve used. After several hours, once the tan began to develop, I was able to smell that familiar “self tanner” scent, but it wasn’t nearly as bad as most, and it washed off easily in the shower.
The Results
After about 4 hours, I began to notice my tan developing on my arms and chest (where I applied the Plus). The color looks very natural on my skin, which I love. It’s not orange at all. I’m not as dark as I expected to be, but it still looks fantastic.
On my legs (where I applied the Classic), I can barley see a color difference. I would recommend the Classic towelettes for those with very pale skin, or those who want more of a “glow” than a tan.
Overall, I love the results that TanTowel gave me! It’s been over 5 days and although the color has lightened a bit, it still looks great!
Where Can I Buy It?
You can find a TanTowel retailer near you by clicking here!
Any Cons?
-If you don’t apply properly, you will be left with streaks. Make sure to apply in a thorough circular motion!
-Even though one Full Body Towel is supposed to cover your whole body, it dries out relatively quick. You will probably have to use 1 Full Body Towelette + 1 Half Body Towelette in order to tan your entire body.
-The price is pretty steep especially if you are a regular self tanner. A pack of 5 Full Body Plus Towels is $25!
Disclaimer: From time to time, companies will send me products to review. I pride myself in providing my readers with honest feedback of the products I am testing. I will not recommend something I would not use personally or professionally. Sending me product does not guarantee a review and I accept no monetary compensation for in exchange for reviews.
Backstage at Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show
The most watched fashion show in the world took place today in New York. The Annual Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show is watched by 11 million people in 185 countries and will be broadcast on November 30th at 10/9c on CBS. Until then, check out these pictures of the modeling world’s heaviest hitters getting prepped for the big show!
Key Makeup Artist: Tom Pecheux
Chanel Iman
Jessica Stam
Alessandra Ambrosio
Rosie Huntington Whitely. Love her makeup!
Adriana Lima is walking the show after giving birth 12 months ago! She will be the lucky Angel wearing the $2 million bra this year!
Interview with “Something We Like”
Several weeks ago, I was asked to be interviewed by this cool website called SomethingWeLike.com. The site revolves around people in the creative/entertainment industry and is all about empowering creativity while inspiring others.
Check it out!
Interview with LA Makeup Artist Lindsey Rivera
