Choosing Serums

I'm always talking about adding serums to your skincare regimen, and loads of readers are asking me how to choose, what to choose, so I'm going to tell you about some of my favorites, and what they do.

Different serums work different tasks on the skin, which means you need to understand what they are intended for, and see if they are right for you.

I've already told you about stressed skin serum from skynICELAND, now here are some others:

Right now with freezing storms hitting North America and Europe, many of you will be feeling the effects via super dry, sometimes even stinging skin, as the humidity is taken out of the air. If that's whats happening to your skin you should add in a hydration serum.
 Peter Thomas Roth viz1000

This is an extra super concentrated hydration boost. It has an amazing 75% hyaluronic acid complex that attracts and holds 1000 times its weight in moisture. It also has Sodium PCA which binds the moisture to the skin, even in the very driest of climates.
It also has a potent cocktail of honey, algea and minerals Zinc, Copper, Manganese, Iron and Silica to smooth out rough texture almost immediately.
I am all about products that give you a result you can see instantly, so this is absolutely one of my favorites.
Its fabulous under makeup too, as it will help even the most moisture stripped complexion to look luminous and fresh.


NUDE Advanced Cellular Renewal Serum

This one is a treatment serum. Its job is to repair DNA damage, restructure facial counters and restore skin health. It is a silicone free overnight treatment, which penetrates the skin instantly and is designed to specifically support the skin during its nighttime cycle of repair and renewal.
Formulated with the highest concentration of Probiotics, NUDE Advanced Cellular Renewal Serum  has been proven to stimulate cellular renewal up to 70% and reduce cellular damage by up to 50%

Perricone MD Serum Prep

Perricone MD Serum Prep is a unique face lifting serum containing high levels of DMAE that helps to firm and tone skin, while dramatically diminishing the appearance of deep lines and wrinkles. Also formulated with Phospholipids to hydrate and help repair more damaged skin.
It is fantastic for more mature skin that needs help with firming and lifting. I love it under makeup when working with mature skin, as it significantly helps to create a smooth, firm canvas to work on.

                

New Lips From Nars

I seem to be talking a lot these days about Nars products, but I love them, so why not? I use tons of Nars both on myself and in my professional makeup kit, so they are easy to talk about!

Here comes another new product from Nars, Velvet Gloss Lip Pencils.

The pencils take everything we loved about their ‘Velvet Matte’ counterparts, and swap out the formula for a glossy lip instead of a matte one.
Iris Strubegger models the collection’s gorgeous ad campaign. The new pencils give a non-sticky luminosity to lips, while featuring a lightweight formula enriched with Vitamin E.

Taking lips to new heights in six beautifully buttery born to shimmer shades, it just doesn't get more alluringly glossy than this!
The shades are:
Baroque - raspberry sorbet
Happy Days - pink coral infused with a gold shimmer
New Lover - gold infused strawberry pink (my favorite)
Frivolous - iridescent seashell pink
Hopi - honey beige
Club Mix - sheer grape



Here's a cool little movie about them, featuring subtle and beautiful makeup by Diane Kendal. Fabulous.

SAG Awards Red Carpet 2011

I soooo love this time of year! Red carpet is more fun during awards season, and the 2011 SAG Awards Red Carpet was more fabulous than ever.
Plunging necklines, feminine shapes with beautiful soft draping and a broad color palette that embraced soft, pale tones, bold reds and blues and even a few black dresses made for a gorgeous red carpet outing.

Here are some of my favorites from last night:

Lea Michelle knows how to work the red carpet. Consistently immaculate, and with flawless fashion timing, you always want to see what she's wearing.
For the 2011 SAG Awards she hit perfect again in Oscar De la Renta.

Hillary Swank in flowing Versace. Doesn't her hair look gorgeous?

Critics seemed to either love or hate this one. I absolutely loved Angie Harmon in Monique Lhuillier.
At first I thought it was (my fave) Jason Wu - I see feathers, or even think I see feathers, I think Wu.

Mila Kunis hits it right out of the park in chiffon belted Alexander McQueen.
Her hair and makeup were perfect!

Juliana Margulies in scarlet Yves Saint Laurent

Has Tina Fey ever looked better on the red carpet?? Stunning in hot red Oscar De La Renta

Sex bomb Sofia Vergara looking like, well, a total sex bomb in Roberto Cavalli.
Could she even get any hotter?

I normally don't care for black on the red carpet. In general I think its too dull and funereal, but
Kyra Sedgwick was stunning in vintage Thierry Mugler Couture.

And of course, pregnancy in perfection, Natalie Portman (who I want to win everything!)
was divine in a simple Azzaro

Just perfect.

One last look at Angie Harmon. My favorite dress of the night. How much fun would that be to wear?

Makeup Forever Tres Vichy Collection for Spring 2011

After the harder edge of their holiday collection, Makeup Forever is launching their gorgeous fresh and frivolous, Brigitte Bardot inspired Tres Vichy Collection.

Named after Bardot's "Vichy" wedding dress from marriage to Jacques Charrier, this retro inspired collection is perfect for spring, and perfect for the girl who likes a pink Valentines Day look as opposed to a sultry red one.

The collection includes:
                         
Star Powder Diamond

• Crystal White
• Sweet Pink
• Peach Pink
• Pale Green

Très Vichy Palette

Crystal Diamond # 301 and Cheek Color # 303.


Très Vichy Faux-Lash
 Do you love???

 

Fun and flirty for February - I'm loving it!

 

Sexiest Man On Earth - Tom Ford, Interview Magazine

Oh this brings me joy!
The sexiest man-beast on earth, A.K.A Tom Ford on the cover of February's Interview magazine.

I mean, honestly - how totally hot is he???
Although he is putting the final touches on his new screenplay, the interview talks a lot about his return to the fashion biz. And lets face it, Tom has a unique perspective on and understanding of a woman's body. And how to drape it and dress it.

"I DECIDED I WOULD NEVER GO BACK to FASHION 

until I HAD SOMETHING NEW to SAY, 

until I COULD HAVE FUN CREATING FASHION AGAIN. 

It HAD BECOME REALLY FORMULAIC."

—Tom Ford

 

I do prefer those shots where he has an open necked white shirt on, but any picture of Tom Ford is better than, well, one without Tom Ford in it.

"OUR BEAUTY STANDARD TODAY 

IS OFTEN VERY ANGRY AND HARD AND OFF-PUTTING . . . 

LESS APPROACHABLE THAN IT WAS IN THE '70's.

TO ME, FASHION SHOULD MAKE YOU 

WANT TO BE FRIENDS WITH THAT PERSON! 

THEY SHOULDN’T SCARE YOU"

.—Tom Ford

My favorite line in the story?
I explained how when I come home I actually
take off all my clothes, and I wear no clothes until I leave. I eat naked. I do everything completely naked. He said, “That would make a great interview.” I said, “Fine, we have to do it nude.”
Ooooh Tom!!

Check out the Tom Ford interview in the February issue of Interview Magazine
(or just look at the pictures...)

7 Steps To Fabulous (in 7 Minutes!)

So the other morning I was sitting here at my computer working on a beauty article for a magazine, (and I should add here that that means me in all my glory with no makeup on, hair up in a pony, and resplendent in sweats) when I got one of those calls you get as a freelancer - another artist had had an emergency, and could I cover for her on this huge job? "Oh and by the way, you have to be there in just over an hour, you'll be on your feet for 8 hours, look sharp in black, and, um, you have to look really glamorous!"

Of course it couldn't be one of those jobs where you're in a makeup room, wearing jeans and some cool hat to hide the lack of makeup and the bad hair day


If I spent just under 5 minutes getting dressed (thankfully I had showered!), 10 minutes on the hairdo, that would only leave me 10 minutes to whip out a super glam makeup, that had to last at least 8 to 10 hours.

No  problem.

So after I panicked for 3 minutes, I pulled myself back together and had only 7 minutes remaining to get the face in order. As I was putting the high speed makeup on I figured I wasn't the only girl to have to put on makeup on the run, and got to thinking maybe some girls in bloggy-land would enjoy the highspeed menu.

So here are 7 Steps To Fabulous in 7 Minutes

Step One: The perfect base.
The most important part of makeup is having your complexion look even and clear, so you don't want to scrimp on this step.I'm not a fan of only dotting it where you think you need it - always looks patchy to me.

Use a really good silicone based foundation, 
(I use FACE Atelier Ultra Foundation, and absolutely swear by it) Silicone based foundation will give you sensational coverage and make your skin look luminous and radiant, which in and of itself is a great diversion. I applied it with my fingers, working in a little more where I needed some extra lovin. If you let it breathe for a moment, the FACE Atelier Ultra foundation needs little to no powder, which saves you a step.

Step Two: Cream Blush
While my base was setting I applied cream blush with my fingers (think speedy), rolling it over my cheek bones and slightly onto the apples of my cheeks. I use Snapdragon by h.wood.beauty. Not only does this one make your skin look alive and lovely, but the blush lasts all day and night, and the color is gorgeous.
(At this point I blew through with a tiny bit of powder where needed)







Step Three: Brows
Never leave the house without your brows on! Grooming your brows and then running some shadow through them with a brow brush only takes a couple of moments, but it completes any look.
I went a shade or two darker than normal (not black!), as the extra accent on the brow is a great trick to divert attention from the bits you don't have time for. And it can look really fabulous.

Megan Fox wearing accented eyebrows and bright lip

Step Four: Eyeliner
Take a slightly soft eyeliner pencil (soft texture smudges more easily. I used Smashbox Midnight Brown) and run it along your upper lashline and slightly up at the outer corner. Go back though and thicken the line so that its up onto the lid.
It looks crazy, but stay with me...

Step Five: Eye Shadow
With no time to do anything elaborate with eyeshadow, take a brush that has hair long enough to swirl, like the Chisel Fluff brush, and literally swirl a color that matched the liner ( I used a soft eggplant shade) through the liner and up over the lids, using small circular movements. What this does is give you extra depth at the lashline, then graduates color up over the lid, and above the crease, fading out all by itself. It needs no blending, and although it has accent, is very soft and lovely, giving you a slightly smoky eye.
Run a little of the shadow along the lower lashline with a taklon liner, working color just into the lower lashes. It will stay there all day and not move.

Step Six: Mascara!!

Create some giant lashes with DiorShow Blackout mascara. Big juicy lashes always look fantastic! If you need to look put together, well built lashes are a must. Just make sure there's no clumping, and that your lashes look well separated (not stuck together).






Step Seven: Lips
With the stronger brow and big lashes, the last diversion is creating a big, bold lip.
Red is too much work and way too much maintenance when you need speed, and dark shades will pull your whole look down, and can make your complexion look sickly, so go for one of the new season's bright lips. I went for fuchsia. Bright, exciting, vivacious fuchsia. It makes you look alive and vibrant as well as very modern.

Fuchsia lips at Diane Von Furstenberg spring 2011

Try MAC Something New or Pat McGrath for Cover Girl Spellbound.

A final piece of advice: always keep a little black dress or killer pair of black pants laundered, pressed and ready to wear. You never know when you'll need them... :)

Nars Tainted Love Collection

Nars has released a gorgeous Valentines makeup collection called Tainted Love.

Perfect for the girl who prefers a softer, pinker approach to Valentines Day, this collection is also an ideal set for spring. Its a $78 value, and it retails for $59, which makes it an even better purchase.
The set includes:

• Angelika lip gloss
• Multiple Stick in cotton-candy pink with flecks of shimmering silver and gold.
• Schiap nail polish.

For those of you who are new to Nars, The Multiple is a product that you can use anywhere - you can use it on your cheeks, eyelids, lips etc. You can use it to modify an existing product in your makeup collection - soften a lipstick, give shimmer and light to a blush.
Its an extremely versatile product that you can throw in your handbag for touch-ups during the day, and its  fantastic to travel with.

Schiap is one of my favorite nail polishes, and is purrrfect for spring/summer 2011

Tainted Love is available at Sephora, Nordstrom and other fabulous retailers