Silver Story ~ The Coveted List April 2016

I'm crazy about everything silver right now.
It started with a pair of Shelly's London Emma Platform Oxfords that I found at Nordstrom. I lived all winter in a pair of black Prada platform oxfords, a silver pair will be great with summer skirts and dresses, and will just kill it with white jeans! 

Here is the coveted list for April and its all silver: 


1. Shelly's London Emma Platform Oxfords $119

2. Lilla P Tape Yarn Sweater in silver $158

3. Lagos Oval Rope Caviar Bracelet $395

4. Saint Laurent Small Metallic Crossbody Bag $1990

5.  Manduka Pro Lite Yoga Mat in Silver And Navy $124

6. Charlotte Tilbury Luxury Eye Shadow Palette ~ The Rock Chick $52

7. Michael Kors Large Lexington Chronograph Watch $275

8. Nordstrom Home Cocktail Shaker $28

9. Jo Malone Peony And Blush Candle $65

Don't you want some silver now??

Makeup Trends Spring 2016

Spring 2016 is going to be a fun season for makeup lovers.

This is a season that's all about color and sparkle.

False eyelashes, glitter, liner, electric blue eye shadow, and my favorite - bright, bold, fun red lips!

Makeup at Celine spring/summer 2016

Makeup at DKNY spring/summer 2016

Makeup at Dolce Gabbana spring/summer 2016

My favorite of all the trends is that stunning, red lip.
This is not just any red, we are talking Snow White candy apple red. As true of a red as you can find.

Not all reds look sensational on all skin tones. 

My number one rule with red is that rather than becoming a fashion victim, to find the red that looks really great on you. I often modify a red lipstick that doesn't work on me by using a liner that does. MAC Cherry liner is a fabulous true red that lets you bend all kinds of other reds. Just make sure you run a lip brush back and forth through it to blend away any signs of your trickery.

The trick to pulling off a huge red lip for spring is to make your skin glow with a lightweight, luminous foundation or BB Cream, balance the bold lip with a strong brow, and keep the eye close to bare or with a tiny flick of liner (avoid the Instagram favorite huge cat eye. It's Instagram popularity alone makes it incredibly passe.) 
Make sure you execute that red lip with perfection. Keep your lines nice and tight, and make the lip look crisp.

Personally I think the easiest way to wear a red lip is to wear a matte red lip. Matte reds move less, so you don't wind up with red lipstick feathering out over the lipline or maneuvering it's way around your face. My absolute favorite matte red is the Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution lipstick in Red Carpet Red. 

This combines a very hydrating matte formula with the truest, classic red you will ever find. It's a classic red that makes me think of old Hollywood, but at the same time is so modern and fresh!
If you want something a little more vibrant, Charlotte Tilbury 1975 Red is more of a sunset red than a true red, but it lights up the complexion beautifully.

When choosing a bright red matte lip make sure the formula is nice and hydrating so that your lip doesn't look cracked and caked. The matte revolution lipsticks by Charlotte Tilbury don't let your lip dry out, so your pout looks fabulous all day (or night) long.

Another good true red is Chanel Rouge Allure Intense Lipstick in 104 Passion.
I often find that a full blown red lip can overwhelm my face when I wear it as an everyday lipstick. Maybe you're like me and find that red isn't always that flattering? Anyway one of my personal everyday lipstick at the moment gives the illusion of an in-your-face-red lip, but it technically isn't. I wear MAC All Fired Up paired with Cherry Liner. The pinker tone of All Fired Up plays nicely with my skin tone, and the Cherry liner tricks the entire look into looking like an amazing red lip.

If a full on, bold, matte lip feels too much for you, try Juice Beauty's Liquid Lip in Apple, named after Gwyneth Paltrow's daughter. It's bright, fun and fresh, and the color is purrfect for spring! 

Perfect Valentine's Day Makeup Look From Charlotte Tilbury

I'm so in love with Charlotte Tilbury's new Matte Revolution lipstick in Between The Sheets! 

Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick in Between The Sheets

It's a perfect lipstick for Valentine's Day if you want to look fresh, demure and subtly sexy. It's also a fantastic wedding lipstick, as well as a cool, sexy, mod look for spring.

If you haven't used Charlotte's Matte Revolution lipsticks before, they are a nice change from regular matte lipsticks in that they don't dry the lip out - they're actually hydrating so the lip stays looking smooth rather than cracked and chapped.

Charlotte Tilbury First Date Look

Charlotte has created a First Date Look makeup and tutorial that is of course perfect for your first date, but is also a lovely look for Valentine's Day if you're not planning on a super vampy look.
Check out the video tutorial:



To make it easy she has all the products you need to create this look in a simple set, The First Date Look gift set which costs $158
If you already have some of these products, or don't want a full set, here is a list of the products she talks about, with links to her website:
Colour Chameleon in Mesmerizing Mink
The Classic: Audrey
Full Fat Lashes
Cheek To Chic: Love Is The Drug
Lip Cheat: Pink Venus
Matte Revolution: Between The Sheets

You can find more products and tutorials on her website, CharlotteTilbury.com

Get Alicia Vikander's Golden Globes Makeup Look

Even though it's been 10 days since the Golden Globes, (which makes them borderline ancient history) I keep coming back to the absolutely gorgeous look that superstar makeup artist Charlotte Tilbury did for nominee Alicia Vikander.

image source www.gq.com

This was easily my favorite look of the night.
It was timeless and elegant, yet totally modern. It evoked old Hollywood glamour, and yet was so fresh and new.

image source www.tlc.com

I kind of died a little over her Louis Vuitton dress too...

I think one of the things I love most about it is that it's a look that you and I can wear.  It is a sensational look for a bride, it's perfect for any event you're going to (can't you just imagine Amal Clooney rocking this look?), it looks beautiful with whatever you are wearing. If you are throwing on jeans and a biker jacket, if you are dressing for the Met Gala, or anything in between, this makeup look is perfect.

“I wanted to create a dreamy but modern look that highlighted Alicia’s naturally beautiful features. The metallic shades on her eyes complement the dewy, fresh skin in the look.” - Charlotte Tilbury

So here are some of the steps that Charlotte used (ad that you and I can copy!) to create this stunning look.

The Complexion

The key to a really fantastic looking makeup is not what you do with the eyes or the lips, its all about creating an amazing complexion. For more than 20 years now models and celebrities all around the world have been raving about Charlotte's legendary, secret Magic Cream

Everyone wanted to get their hands on it, but until recently it hasn't been available to anyone but the very tightest of her inner circle.
Now you can buy it on her website CharlotteTilbury.com

The next step to creating that lit from within glow was using Wonderglow Primer
before applying her foundation. Mini Miracle Eye Wand
added luminosity under the eyes. You can use it before or after concealer. (Personally I like to tap it on after.)

The Cheeks
To get this bronzey, luminous cheek Charlotte used Filmstar Bronze And Glow
in light/medium, a little Dreamy Glow Highlighter
along the upper cheekbone and her Beach Stick cream blush in Las Salinas

The Eyes

Charlotte created this gorgeous golden shimmer of an eye by using some of my favorite of her products. Eyes To Mesmerise Cream Shadow in Bette
and in Marie Antoinette, both on the lid and underneath, topped with a little Rock 'n' Kohl Liner in Bedroom Black
 and several coats of inky, glossy Full Fat Lashes

The Lips

The look was finished off with a matte lip, using Lip Cheat Liner in Pink Venus
and a combination of Matte Revolution lipsticks in Sexy Sienna
and Walk Of Shame


You can see more of the makeup looks that Charlotte Tilbury created for the Golden Globes here

As of today it doesn't look like I will be working the Oscars this year, but there is still a few weeks to go, so maybe I will be back again working my absolute favorite gig of the year. You absolutely cannot beat prepping a client for the biggest red carpet in the world!
Regardless of whether I am working it or not I'll be looking to see what magic Charlotte is creating. I call it research....

The 6 Best Red Lipsticks For The Holidays

A red lip is the perfect accessory for the holidays!

It's bright, it's fun and with one quick swipe can turn your look from boring to bold.

photo by Kelly Cappelli
Makeup by Corinna Cooke

A well defined brow paired with a kick-ass red lip is classic. 
It's also a quick and easy look to pull off. 
A red lip makes such a statement on it's own that you can scale back the rest of your makeup, keeping the eye and cheek simple and letting the lip do all the work for you.

My favorite red lip look for the holiday season is a rich, matte lip paired with glowing, luminous skin. 
Check out 6 of my favorite matte reds for the holidays:

The 6  Best Red Lips For The Holidays

Tatcha Kyoto Red is a geisha inspired red that is universally flattering - it looks great on everyone. And it packs a serious punch.

It's a matte lip with a silk finish.

Tatcha Kyoto Red

Lipstick Queen Velvet Rope Matte Lipstick in Black Tie.

Lipstick Queen Velvet Rope lipstick in Black Tie

This gorgeous, lightweight matte lipstick

Tom Ford Lip Color in Cherry Lush

Tom Ford Lip Color in Cherry Lush

Tom Ford believes the lip is the focus of the face and has the power to define your whole look. No wonder his lipsticks are so luscious!

Nars Pure Matte Lipstick in Vesuvio

Nars Pure Matte Lips are super pigmented and very long wearing, which is ideal when you are going bold - you don't want to be wearing a lipstick formula that requires a lot of maintenance and upkeep.

MAC Lipstick in Ruby Woo

MAC Lipstick in Ruby Woo

Ruby Woo is a timeless, iconic red lipstick that will never go out of fashion. 

Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution in Red Carpet Red

Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Red Carpet Red

One of my all time favorite red lipsticks, Red Carpet Red hasn't been around very long, but will become another of the iconic red lips. It's wonderful.

6 Fabulous Thanksgiving Lipstick Shades

Do you have your Thanksgiving makeup plan thought out yet?

When I'm planning the outfit and the makeup there are a couple of things I take into account. 

Firstly I don't want to diminish the power of the run-up-to-Christmas makeup and it's fierce red lips by bringing them out at Thanksgiving. All the colors surrounding you at Thanksgiving trend toward the harvest, with burnt oranges, sage greens and deep cranberries and aubergines, so a red lip is at best wasted and at worst really out of place. I feel the same about my favorite magentas and fucshias. I save them for a better outing.

Secondly I think about what the event is doing. If your role is just to swan around glamorously with a glass of champagne in your hand, a bold lip is killer. But if the event is primarily about food, such as sitting down eating Thanksgiving dinner, hopefully with a table full of great people, a bold lip may just be the enemy.

Even if you are wearing a long-wear formula. Long-wear's may hold color, but by nature they are drying, and if you've ever sat opposite someone at dinner who is wearing a long-wear lipstick you've probably noticed that their mouth looks kind of icky and their lip looks pretty unappealing by the end.

So what to do this Thanksgiving?

Here is the Thanksgiving makeup plan:

Start by focusing on your skin. Get glowing, dewy skin by using a silicone based foundation.
Next add in a cream blush. Cream blushes are lovely. They make the skin look alive and healthy. Choose a shade that is warm, complements your skin tone and works with what you are wearing.
Cold, blue based pinks may not be your best bet.
Try Laura Mercier Creme Blush which you can order online at Nordstrom

With your complexion looking gorgeous, draw attention upwards to your eyes. Give yourself a well defined brow, a slightly smokier eye, and tons of mascara. I'm back to being obsessed with DiorShow Blackout mascara
Instead of a grey, black or navy smokey eye look for a copper bronze. I love working with cream shadows like 
Charlotte Tilbury Eyes To Mesmerize in Marie Antoinette.
Cream shadows can give a beautifully satin finish without being too reflective like many shimmery powder shadows.

Charlotte Tilbury Eyes To Mesmerize in Marie Antoinette

While writing this post I've been clicking around on the Charlotte Tilbury website, and just ordered her Colour Chameleon Eye Shadow Pencils, and just ordered two shades, Gold Digger and Enchanting Indigo. They will be here in time for Thanksgiving, so I guess I have my eye game sorted!

Finally, it's time to work your lip game. Opt for something with a nice sheen to it, but not a super gloss. Satin finishes look luscious and are really friendly to chapped, dry, sore winter lips.

6 Fabulous Thanksgiving Lipstick Shades

Chanel Fall 2015 Rouge Allure Luminous Intense Lip Colour in Pensive, available at Nordstrom.com

Chanel Rouge Allure in Pensive

Clinique Almost Lipstick in Black Honey available online at Nordstrom.com

Clinique Almost Lipstick in Black Honey

Charlotte Tilbury K.I.S.S.I.N.G in So Marilyn, a gorgeous vermilion velvet that is totally Marilyn Monroe. Available at Charlotte Tilbury.com

Charlotte Tilbury K.I.S.S.I.N.G Lipstick in So Marilyn

Chantecaille Lip Chic in Daphne, available online at Nordstrom.com

Chantecaille Lip Chic in Daphne

Nars "Fantascene" Killer Shine Lipstick in No Shame, available online at Nordstrom.com

Nars Killer Shine Lipstick in No Shame

MAC Creamsheen Pearl Lipstick in Sweet Sakura will give you more of a color pop to your lips, but keep you feeling hydrated and fresh. This one is also available at Nordstrom, my main online shopping hub.

Sweet Sakura