It's Britney, Bitches!

I love that she is sooo back!
I so enjoy drastic comebacks.
I don't play her music, but I cheer for every step she takes in the right direction.

Miss Britney Spears covers Harpers Bazaar June 2011

Shot by Alexi Lubomirski

"I'm more straightforward

AND I SPEAK UP

more than I did before..."

Britney wears white Bill Blass

Britney Spears wears Dolce and Gabbana

“I love to dance, so it’s very exciting. The tour rehearsals have been going really well. I think it will be my best show yet.”

Britney Spears in Ungaro

“I’m pretty normal, you know? Like I said, the type of day I love is just like everybody else’s. I’m like everybody else.”

You go girl!

Chanel Cruise Collection

I cannot get enough of Chanel. Ever.
Love. And love. And love.

Don't you adore this french interview? I love the music of the french language ~


Behind the scenes:


Apparently Peter Phillips used the new Chanel Perfection Lumiere Long Wear Foundation, and the new eyeshadow quad from the upcoming fall collection called Les 4 Ombres in Prelude.

Bronzer 101

Bronzer is one of those products that I have a love/hate relationship with.
It is a gorgeous, beauty enhancing product, but everywhere you go you see it used and abused - more abused that any other product out there.

CZJ doesn't normally get anything wrong. But this time? Um...

So today we are going to revisit bronzer, how to choose your formulation, how to choose your color, and how to apply it.

Scroll to the bottom of this post for a little "how to" segment from last year on SheKnowsTV, with the lovely Lisa Acquafredda.
(I forgot how much we used to laugh when we'd shoot together! Love her!)

Formulation:
These days you can get gels and creams, lotions and mousses - all kinds of different formulations of bronzing products. The problem with most of them is that they are too easy to get wrong, and when bronzer goes wrong, it goes very wrong.
So unless you are super good at application, stick with a bronzing powder.

Find your correct color.
If you have a pale skin you will look best in a bronzer with a rosy gold champagne undertone.
If you have a medium or olive complexion you will win with a golden copper undertone.
If you are a dark goddess look for something with a deeper red undertone.


A little shimmer can be beautiful, and really bring some light and life into the skin. Look for bronzers that have very small particles of shimmer. Basically if you can see and identify individual shimmer particles, they are too big, and your skin will look crazy shiny.


Application.
Don't try to color your face in with bronzer. Its need to hit your skin where the sun would. Across the forehead, the top of the cheek bone and bridge of the nose, and the chin. You can run a little along the jawline too.
Think of doing a number 3 across forehead, cheekbone, nose and chin.
If your collarbones are visable, dust them too.


Your application should be light enough that you can see freckles through it.
 
The bronzers I showed in the segment are actually from my makeup kit. 
Here is the 411 of what was on the table.


On Lisa I used Guerlain's amazing Terracotta Powder in shade 2.

Beyond brilliant, this product is the benchmark for all bronzers. Guerlain first introduced the Terracotta powders in 1984, and they were the first bronzers on the market. To this day they are the biggest selling bronzer, with one unit selling somewhere in the world every 25 seconds!!
I love these because they give the warmth and luminosity of a natural tan. They also are moisturizing, long wearing and oil controlling.


Cargo Cosmetics Bronzer in Medium

A staple in my kit and in my personal product arsenal. I love the subtle sun kissed glow it gives, slightly shimmery and sheer. This award winning bronzer avoids the overly yellow trap that many bronzers fall into. Totally gorgeous!


MakeUp Forever Bronzer

I am a huge advocate of Makeup Forever! Their products are amazing. On the table I showed their bronzer in shade #5, which has a lovely red undertone for my dark skinned girls. It comes in several shades, so no matter what your complexion is they have one for you.







 I recently got a new bronzer from H.Wood.Beauty in a shade called Dakota, which I am loving for paler skins.

I also love LORAC's baked bronzer

H.Wood.Beauty. New Products!

Although I wasn't exactly thrilled to come home from my Euro-venture, I was totally excited to find a box of new products from one of my absolute favorite lines, H.Wood.Beauty.

When a girls feeling down, missing coffee the way that only the Italians can make it, she needs a bright lip to pick her back up.
I'm all about the bold fuchsias, magenta's and hot pinks that are the trade mark of the season, making a great lip the ultimate accessory.

These two new lips from H.Wood are perfection, worn either together or alone.

Jess is a bold lipstick, yet is easy to wear, superbly flattering to skin tone, and is absolutely the couleur du jour.
If the bold lip feels like too much for you, this one can be toned down or applied lightly, taking you into the moment without too much fuss or fanfare.

Want to add to it? Double down with a smooth pink gloss? Or maybe just want a soft, sheer pink lip?

H.Wood lip gloss is easily my favorite on the market. (seen here in new shade, Ojai)
Its all about the color payoff. This gloss is so pigmented that as you swipe the wand across your lip you get an even dispersion of color, every time. Not the usual patchy waning color from basically all other glosses!
Its also very moisturizing, and has the right amount of gloss to it - it doesn't dry up on the lip, nor does it give you that hideous "porno" gloss overkill shine. It doesn't bubble up or pill up on the lip either.




All H.Wood.Beauty products are available from their website 
www.hwoodbeauty.com

So while I'm listening to Laura Pausini singing Strani Amori (from her live album) with a heavy heart, I am wearing the most fabulous, uplifting lip a girl could possibly wear!


Baci...

Spring Fashion in Florence - La Trenchiata!

I just spent some super quality time in Firenze, and decided that while I was there I'd find you some fashion statements.

Firstly I have to say that every time I set foot in Europe I am blown away by the care, attention and pride that the average woman takes in her appearance, even when you get out of the main fashion metropolis into the smaller towns and villages. 

The women there turn it on.

But back to Florence.

There was one striking trend that crowned them all, 

and that was the divine, chic, timeless, ubiquitous trench.

in many colours

 styles and shapes

zipped up the back

 youthful in blue

ever present

effortless in beige with a white flat

ageless

 

 great with a simple jean and a pony.

la triumvirate, la trenchiata

perfect for a workday lunch break with the girls

perfect heading to a trattoria for lunch or to an expresso break.

Many fabrics

 

and leather!

I die I die I die!

The one that got away, the white leather trench I should have bought

at Toscany Pars on the Via dell' Ariento in San Lorenzo.

How did I leave that one behind???

It now rules my most coveted list.

It owns it.

As much as I love my hot fuchsia trench, my life won't be quite right until I have the white leather...

Karlie Kloss - The Hottest Runway Model

18 year old American model Karlie Kloss was being referred to in Paris last week as the hottest runway model of the moment.

At the Paris Spring/Summer 2011 Fashion Week she opened five of the sixteen shows with her trademark walk.

Shows including Lanvin, Dior, Dries Van Noten, Elie Saab, and (I think she opened) Chanel.(my french isn't quite 100%...)

at Elie Saab

at Elie Saab

struttin at Michael Kors

how killer is this green???

 She is also the face of Marc Jacobs Lola

Straight up - girl is fabulous!

Penelope Cruz Covers US Vogue June 2011 and British GQ June 2011

Penelope Cruz is everywhere right now with the imminent release of

Pirates of The Caribbean On Stranger Tides.

Here are two covers that she is gracing for June 2011.

First up American Vogue June 2011, shot by Mario Testino

 

Do you love??? 

Testino gave her a fresh faced, touchable look, so translucent that you can see her freckles.

The image was leaked via Tumblr by Stefano Gabbana of Dolce and Gabbana, who dressed Cruz for the shoot.

You would never guess she had just had a baby!

 

How fabulous is she in this Dolce and Gabbana bodysuit?

Would you not just die to have that body suit? Or a body like that. 

(For me that's a "yes" on both counts!)

How furious do you think Anna Wintour is with Stefano for leaking his advanced copy??

Also in June Penelope Cruz covers British GQ magazine, with a much different look.

Shot by Mario Sorrenti, this time Cruz rocks her inner vamp, looking drop dead sexy.

In the accompanying interview she talks about working with both Rob Marshall (love him!) 

and Johnny Depp whom she is great friends with and who she first worked with on the movie Blow.

The photospread inside is sensational

images courtesy of the Stylist Site

B-B-B-Bombshell!!

Which cover do you like best??