Best Of Beauty ~ Oscars 2016

So what were your thoughts about the 2016 Oscars Red Carpet beauty?

Frankly I was super under-whelmed. Sometimes it seems as though in a mad effort to look casually cool some of the ladies looked as if they didn't realize that this is one of the two most glamorous nights in the American year, the other being the Met Gala.
I hate seeing ladies underdone on such a big night.

ho-hum hair and makeup on Alicia Vikander

I was so disappointed in the absolutely gorgeous Alicia Vikander's hair and makeup for the red carpet. She looked like she was on her way to the supermarket. Or Home Depot. Maybe it was just the hair that bugged me? Because her after party look was fabulous.

At the post-Oscars Vanity fair party Alicia looked amazing. This would have been a far better Red Carpet look.

Brie Larson's hair and makeup were also too casual in my opinion.
The hair was awful, and the makeup didn't compliment her eyes. 

Brie Larson Oscars Red Carpet makeup

I really didn't get it. She looked so much better later in the evening at the Vanity Fair party.

Doesn't she look lovely here? Why not this look for the Oscars Red Carpet??

My absolute favorite look on the red carpet this year, second to none, was the incredible makeup on Olivia Munn, created by Patrick Tabere.

Olivia Munn's stunning Red Carpet makeup for The 88th Academy Awards

That lip was everything! Patrick used a combo of 
Chanel Rouge Allure Lipsticks 96 and 90,  offset by blush 76 Frivole and 55 by Chanel. 

If you are going to stand out for being fabulous, Oscar night is the night to do it.

Olivia's after party makeup change was also gorgeous.

Other notables were Charlize Theron for being Charlize Theron.

Margot Robbie was perfection.

Jennifer Lawrence's hair was fantastic and her eye game was strong both for the red carpet (she ran in right as the ceremony was beginning)

Jennifer Lawrence first look at the 88th Academy Awards

and after, when she changed into a very Taylor Swift-esque look.

JLaw channeling her inner Swifty

Rooney Mara's makeup packed a fierce punch - that brow!!! that lip! that eye!

Chrissie Tiegan's bronze and gold makeup was lovely, and her wispy, soft hairdo complimented her total look.

Saoirse Ronan's eye makeup was the perfect counterpoint to her dress. (which I thought was fabulous.)

Rachel McAdams hair and makeup were both perfect.

Best Of The Red Carpet Oscars 2016

Oscar night is always one of my favorite nights of the year.
This year I'm not in L.A working the Oscars, I'm home instead, watching it on TV.

Here are my favorite moments from the Oscars 2016 red carpet:

Olivia Munn in Stella McCartney

Charlize Theron in red Dior. Perfection. 

Brie Larson in blue diaphanous Gucci . Hair and makeup simple.

Cate Blanchett never ever disappoints! This time around she was ethereal in Armani. 

Naomi Watts in strapless metallic midnight blue Armani Prive and a red lip. Hair and makeup perfect.

Reese Witherspoon in Oscar De La Renta

Rooney Mara - hair, makeup and dress. Givenchy Haute Couture. Diamond at navel.

Heidi Klum hair and makeup were gorgeous, interesting Versace dress.

Chrissie Tiegan in mermaid style Marchesa. Her pregnancy style is so on point.

Saoirse Ronan in an emerald Calvin Klein

Margot Robbie in golden custom Tom Ford.

Julieanne Moore in Chanel.

Jennifer Garner in classic black glamour, Atelier Versace.

Dorith Mous in Dennis Diem.

All images via E!online

Discovering Caserta ~ The Royal Apartments

I have this theory when traveling. If Plan A goes awry, Plan B is invariably far better anyway.

And that's how it was when I went to Caserta.

As I was running up the stairs to the platform the train was pulling out of the station. My perfect plan to spend hours and hours at Caserta had just gone sideways. The next train wasn't for over an hour.

Plan B

Once I finally arrived at Caserta the lady in the ticket booth told me to hurry and go to the gardens first, as they would be closing in an hour. You can rent bikes and ride the 7 kilometer round trip to the top of the garden and back, which had been my plan, but the bike rental dude wouldn't rent me one due to the garden closing in an hour.

Read about the gardens of Caserta Palace

So I walked it, which turned out to be the most perfect option! It was a gorgeous December afternoon, sunny and t-shirt weather, ideal for strolling through palace gardens. Had I rented a bike I would have been stopping every couple of minutes to take photos anyway, so I was happy as a clam. The entire 7 km round trip I only saw maybe 40 people (including the workers), so it was almost like having the entire place to myself. 
See images of the gardens here

The Grand Staircase, Caserta Palace

Plan B got really great once I walked inside the palace itself, because that late in the afternoon on a Monday in December I literally was the only person there. 

Grand Staircase Of Honor, Caserta Palace

If you have ever been to any palace in Europe you will already know how maddeningly full of tourists they all are, all the time.

Upper vestibule Caserta Palace

Normally you can't get a clear picture of anything because there are so many people in the way.

Empty upper vestibule Caserta Palace

This by contrast was absolutely surreal. There was just me and and empty palace. 

Entrance tot he palace royal apartments

Every now and then a room would have a worker in it, but I basically could have run naked through the place and not encountered a soul!

A worker at the end of an otherwise empty hallway, Caserta Palace

At one point in one of the grand salons I decided to take advantage of having the place to myself, and played some Verdi on my iPhone.

With no one to stop me I lay down on the floor of the Throne Room and took in the ceiling while La Traviata played.

Throne Room Ceiling, Caserta Palace

It was brilliant! Then, because you only live once, I danced my way around the entire salon to Verdi then Delibes, whirling round and round like a fool. The kind of red haired fool who has an entire palace all to herself.

The Throne Room

I sat next to an Italian ballroom dancer once on a flight to Sicily. We have always stayed friends, and I kept thinking how much fun it would have been to have him there with me, dancing around my private palace.

empty hallway in the royal apartments at Caserta Palace

Italy has the greatest art in all of the world, none of which is in the palace of Caserta. 

Neo classical ceiling fresco in the royal apartments, Caserta

To quote Alessandra Stanley of the New York Times, "Art lovers shudder at the lèse-majesté "  
but in all honesty it is actually part of the mad-charm of this place.

The Palatine Chapel, Caserta Palace

Caserta is bombastic yet delightful. And it is enormous! It gives you an incredible insight into the world that was, and you can't help but be impressed by how magnificent it must have been in it's heyday.

 It is definitely worth taking the time to visit, and I know that I will go back over and over.

Bathroom, Caserta Palace

Unfortunately the chances of me having the palace all to myself ever again are slim to none. 
I found out that earlier that day there had been a few thousand visitors to the palace. My missing the first train had meant that I arrived as they were all leaving. Had my day gone as planned I would have been there with the masses, and would not have had an entire palace to myself.
I also discovered that the day before 10 000 visitors had come to the palace. 

Add captionThe New Apartment, or 19th Century Apartment, Caserta Palace

To end this perfect Plan B day I asked the man in the palace bookstore if there was somewhere nearby where I could have a glass of wine before taking the train back to Salerno.

The December sun setting over the Palace of Caserta

He drew me a map, told me I could take in the town's Christmas tree while enjoying a glass of the local Moio, and still have ample time to stroll to the train station 5 minutes away.

Gran Caffe Margherita, Caserta

A glass of local Moio, Gran Caffe Margherita, Caserta

The Christmas Tree in Caserta

When I got back home I did some research on Maria Carolina. She, like her palace, was just fascinating. If you are heading to Caserta read up on her first.

Read my post on the Caserta Palace Gardens, and see photos of the statues here.

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!