Single Girl's Survival Guide

A couple of my girlfriends have recently gone through completely devastating break ups.
You know, the kind where you can barely get out of bed in the morning, you just don't know how you'll ever live through it, the ones that leave your soul bleeding.
You know how bad that feels.
And if you don't, then you either haven't lived enough yet, or haven't ever loved hard enough.

Anyhoo, I also have a bunch of girlfriends who are single. (some of the most 'single' girls I know are married, but that's another story), and the common thread seems to be a dread of facing Valentines Day alone.
As such I decided to create the Single Girl's Survival Guide To Valentines Day.
Its a simple day by day plan to get you through this week.

DAY ONE:

One of the best distractions is to change up your look. Do something you've always wanted to, but never tried. Go against the grain and try a look you never did before, because his lordship didn't like it.
Live a little.
Here are some ideas for you:

1.) Change your brows
A simple change in your eyebrows is the easiest way to completely revitalize your look.
Find a brow specialist in your town, and if nothing else have a consultation. A brow expert will reshape and re-groom your brows to optimize the shape not only of your eyes, but your entire face.
Sometimes even just tinting your brows to their perfect shade is all you need to make your eyes look wide awake and vital.

2.) Try Injectables

This one comes with a caution.
Some of the most spectacular faces I ever work with have been artistically enhanced with a needle here and another there... Anything from knocking out a few wrinkles, to filling in marionette lines, the change injectables can bring to a face are nothing short of amazing. The caution comes in your choice of administrator - really, really do your research, and find a doctor who's work is spectacular, and who will leave movement and expression in your face. (you don't want to be walking around for the next 3 months with a perpetually freaked out look on your face!) And don't go doing anything too drastic...
The one that I would absolutely love to try (but am far too scared to) is under eye filler. When performed by an absolute genius this is quite possibly the most drastically fabulous thing you can do. Most doctors won't go near it though, which to me, is warning enough.

Celebrity hairstylist Kim Vo, looking gorgeous!

3.) Change Your Hair
 Not a drastic change though. Do something subtle. A softly side swept fringe is totally alluring. Add some highlights and low lights to create new dimension to an already fabulous cut, or maybe splurge on a truly fabulous cut from a bona fide hair savant.
Depression somehow isn't quite so depressing when you look great (and know it)









4.)Try A New Foundation
There are some truly gorgeous new formulations on the market, designed to make your skin look luminous and radiant. When your foundation is fabulous, the rest of your makeup follows suit, whereas you can do the absolute most sensational eyes ever, but if your base looks icky, your whole look suffers.
If there is a Sephora near where you live, go have them find a good foundation fit for you, have them put it on you and walk around in it all day before you buy it. You don't need any more remorse in your life right now, especially not buyer's remorse...

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5.) Try Something Bold

Try out one of the new season's bold lip colors.
My absolute favorites at the moment are MAC Something New and Cover Girl Spellbound. Both are hot, vibrant, exciting fuchsia. They instantly make you look a live and
vibrant, make your teeth look white, and are so totally pretty.










Just make sure that whatever you, you do it for all the right reasons. Do it 100% for you, and you alone

Best of This Week's Red Carpet

I am so loving this! 20 year old actress Jennifer Lawrence on the DGA (Directors Guild Awards) red carpet on Monday.

The Winter's Bone star looked sensational in a white, off the shoulder Prabal Garung. I loved the minimalist look she went for with her makeup and hair. Perfect, perfect, perfect.
But she lost me on the shoes. To me anyway, they look to heavy for the dress, and pull the eye away from all the fabulosity she was rocking everywhere else.

Sexy Sofia Vergara looking sensational again, this time at the Entertainment Weekly SAG Nominees event at the Chateau Marmont on January 29th (this one slipped by me last week).

 

I've no idea who she's wearing, but honestly - who cares?? She looks amazing.

As does Helen Mirren, seen here at the London premiere of "Brighton Rocks", in gold Jacques Azagury, and on a scooter, no less! (reminds me of tooling around Paris on vespers a lifetime ago...)

I love her hair color, love her makeup. Doesn't she look fresh and glowing and gorgeous??

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...)