Pinspiration

I seem to go through phases with Pinterest: either I’m on it constantly, or I totally abandon it for weeks. Right now, I’m pinning things like there’s no tomorrow. There are so many creative, fresh beauty ideas I’m coming across, and it makes me want to experiment with makeup. Here are a few of my favorite recent pins.

Super intense smoky eye…not for the faint of heart.

Bigger is definitely better.

Talk about bold: winged teal liner that’s to die for, fuschia lips, and full brows. Love everything about it.

Nicole Richie’s laidback waves and platinum highlights are spot-on for spring and summer.

The new way to rock the neon trend: nude nails with neon trim.

Fresh-faced, peachy-cheeked, and radiant.

Superthick liner on top lids is so rock-and-roll.

Which of these looks is your favorite? I’d love to hear which you’ll be trying out.

Images via Pinterest

1960s Glam in Full Swing on Mad Men

Why can’t we all dress like it’s the 1960s? The makeup! The bouffant hair! The silhouettes of the dresses! I’ll have to settle for reliving the glamorous, chic style through Mad Men (which, you know, could be worse). With all eyes glued to the TV last night, now seems like a good time to recap the best looks of the season 5 premiere.

Megan Draper’s rendition of “Zou Bisou Bisou” was fittingly embarrassing and corny, but she did look chic and stylish at the surprise party she threw for Don. I love the dramatic black winged eyeliner with false lashes and a touch of pale blue-grey shadow. And the super-sculpted cheeks. (Has that damn “Zou Bisou” song been stuck in your head all day? It was released on iTunes today, so now you can download it and drill it into your brain on repeat.)

Back the office, Megan went for a classic work look in a sleek and chic orange sweaterdress (complete with cute Lilly Pulitzer-inspired frog brooch). My favorite part about the look is the way she subtly sexed it up: voluminous sex kitten hair, lush false lashes and smudged black eyeliner, and matte coral lips. Sexy, yet toned down enough for the office. Love it.

Hey, if you’re going to visit your boss/baby daddy back at the office after giving birth to his son, who you told him you aborted, you might as well look good doing it. Joan showed up at SCDP in typical Joan fashion: all boobs, red lips, and red updo. And of course Roger would pick up his illegitimate son with a cigarette dangling from his lips. I mean, does this show keep getting better OR WHAT.

Peggy looks pretty much the same, except she’s teased her a hair a bit. Baby steps.

Conspicuously absent was Betty Draper Francis, who I can’t wait to see. Is she still seeing Sally’s therapist? Is she still making Henry miserable? So many questions.

And also, THIS.Images via Huffington Post

Beauty at the 2012 Academy Awards

Let’s get right into the best of the red carpet at last night’s Oscars…

Image via RCFA
Michelle Williams: Things I love about Michelle Williams: 1) She’s not only brave enough to rock a platinum blonde pixie cut, but she pulls it off effortlessly. 2) She has the guts to wear pink lipstick and carry a pink clutch with a coral Louis Vuitton gown. Everything about this screams daring, and I can’t get enough of it! Oh, and her skin? Glowing. Love it all, from head to toe.

Image via Celebuzz.com
Natalie Portman: She looked amazing because her makeup was classically beautiful. Elegant and sophisticated, she wasn’t over the top; she just looked like the best version of herself (which is the entire point of makeup). I’m dying over that lipcolor, which is so perfect against her skin. And the dress? Loved it! There’s something so chic and unexpected about polka dots at the Oscars.

Image credit: Frazier Harrison/Getty Images via ABC News
Meryl Streep: Let’s be honest: Meryl Streep could’ve arrived at the Oscars with a bag over her head and people still would’ve gone crazy for her cause she’s that good. And last night, her makeup matched her reputation. Her skin was absolutely radiant, and everything else was just so subtle and tasteful. Meryl even gave her makeup artist/hairstylist a shout-out in her acceptance speech…she must have been quite pleased with the results, too!

Image via Celebuzz.com
Jessica Chastain: Talk about playing up your assets and knowing what works for you! Jessica Chastain’s makeup looks like it was completely coordinated around her skin tone and hair color. The effect is wildly flattering, striking, and downright gorgeous. Everything about her from the neck up (and I say that because I wasn’t crazy about the gown) was ridiculously on point, from her flawless, creamy skin and soft, sophisticated eyes to her romantic loose waves and to-die-for lipcolor.

Image via Zimbio
Jennifer Lopez: While I wasn’t crazy about the tight topknot she sported, J.Lo’s makeup was great–as usual. Her skin glowed, her eyes smoldered in a subtle way, and of course, she rocked an amazing nude lip.

Image via National Confidential
Stacy Keibler: You know when you show up to Hollywood’s biggest night on the arm of George Clooney, you’ve gotta bring it. And what better way than to look like an actual Oscar? I thought Stacy nailed this head-to-toe gold look. Her gilded makeup, bronzed skin, and Old Hollywood finger waves complemented her shimming gold gown beautifully.

What were your favorite looks at the Oscars?

Beauty at the 2012 Grammys

The 2012 Grammy Awards brought us stunners (hey, Adele), tragedy (RIP, Whitney), and as always, a few moments that left us scratching our heads (I’m looking at you, Nicky Minaj). Here are the most memorable looks of the evening, broken down into Best, Worst, and WTF?

Image via Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times
I have no words for this. Just completely stunning, Adele was perfect in every way. And although her appearance is the least of it, I have to say, her makeup was ridiculously gorgeous. Image via honolulupulse.com
Also gorgeous? Her sheer-sleeved, polka-dot dress. Love!

Image via NY Daily News
I think it’s nearly impossible for Carrie Underwood to look bad. Every time I see her, she looks great, and last night was no exception. The dress, the hair, the makeup…loved it all.

Image via msgossip.com
Although I was hoping for a little more from Jennifer Hudson‘s tribute to Whitney Houston, I have to say, her makeup was spot-on. Elegant, pretty, sophisticated, a little retro, and utterly glam.

See the rest of the best, the worst, and the ladies who left me thinking “WTF?” after the jump.

Get the Look: Jennifer Lopez on “American Idol,” 2012 Edition

My original post on how to recreate J.Lo’s “American Idol” look has been the most-read post on this blog every single day for more than a year. That post alone has received more views than any other posts on the site, including those about any Kardashians or celebs, and even the Royal Wedding. You clearly loved how J.Lo looked on the show last year! And since she’s always changing it up, I wanted to do a 2012 version showing you how to get her look on this season of the show.

Part of why J.Lo always looks so great is cause she sticks to a formula when it comes to beauty. She knows what works for her, and she basically wears her makeup in the same way, usually switching up one element (say, an intense eye or a different lipcolor). These photos were snapped as J.Lo left an NYC hotel on Feb. 1. Even though her eyes are masked by oversized sunnies, what you can see looks stunning: flawless, dewy skin, and perfectly pale pink lip. This look is signature J.Lo…and you can recreate it yourself.

Let’s dig in!

Pretty As A Pin

Pinterest has become a full-fledged obsession for me. From fashion ideas to home decor and recipes (and so much more), it’s got everything you need to craft inspiration boards that curate what speaks to you. But one of the most useful things, for me, is its endless supply of beauty inspiration. Makeup, hair, nails — it’s all there. Here are some of my favorite recent pins that capture the genius of Pinterest.

I absolutely adore Rachel Bilson’s glowy makeup here.

I adore the color combo of this pinky-nude polish and purple glitter.

Tumbling waves and multitonal blonde highlights gave me inspiration to switch up my hair color (just a bit).

Different styles of the cat eye (inspired by Adele), illustrated and explained.

Blush tones interrupted by a metallic gold lightning bolt makes for striking nails.

Take your pony up a notch with a chic knot.

Dewy makeup, demystified.

I must do this nude mani layered with chunky gold glitter.

Are you on Pinterest? Let’s follow each other! You can find me here.

All images via Pinterest.

Kardashian Kolors for Nicole by OPI

Image via VegasChill

With this week’s breaking news of Kim Kardashian‘s divorce after just 72 days of marriage, now seems like as good a time as any to talk about for Kardashian Kolors, the family’s new nailpolish collection from Nicole by OPI. Kim, Kourtney, Khloe and their mom, Kris Jenner, have collaborated with the nailpolish brand to develop a limited-edition collection of shades inspired by their luxe, jet-set lifestyle.

Image via OPI

The colors are listed above. Some of the names are cheesy, but I can look past that because a few of the shades are quite striking. I really like Khloe Had a Little Lam-Lam, a deep emerald green; Hard-Kourt Fashionista, a deep red-burgundy-brown; and Disco Dolls, a glittery gold.

Will you be picking up any shades from Kardashian Kolors?

Get the Look: Kim Kardashian’s Contoured Face

Image via Mario Dedivanovic for Fusion Beauty

After Kim Kardashian’s wedding specials and Keeping Up With the Kardashians flooding the TV over the weekend, I thought I’d be all Kardashian-ed out. And I was…until I saw this gorgeous photo of Kim. While her face is drop-dead stunning in this photo, it’s not all due to great genes and Photoshop; it’s also the result of skilled contouring. It’s been awhile since I’ve written a “Get the Look” post, and I figured contouring is a technique almost everyone can use.

Contouring is one of the specialties of Kim’s makeup artist, Mario Dedivanovic. It takes some practice to really get it right, but with this technique under your belt, you’ll be able to make your face look slimmer, more defined, and more symmetrical.

I combined all the key tricks and techniques that I learned from pro artists (like MAC Sr. Artist Romero) and web video tutorials into one handy guide. Armed with a few products and a little insider knowledge, you too can sport razor-sharp cheekbones.

Dive in!

Brows-ing The Web

Eyebrows are one of the first things I notice about people (yes, I’m oddly obsessed). Just as a really great pair of brows stands out, so does a truly unflattering pair (think: overplucked, overarched, shapeless). My brow obsession got me thinking about Hollywood’s A-list arches. These celebs nail it, with perfectly-shaped brows that flatter their facial features and make them look effortlessly polished.

Image via NY Daily News

Lauren Conrad: With the help of her makeup artist, Amy Nadine, (and before that, the pros at Billion Dollar Brows), Conrad transformed her overplucked, too-skinny brows into lush, to-die-for arches that provide the perfect frame for her eyes.

Image via Hollywood Reporter

Rachel Weisz: With some of the fullest, shapeliest brows in the biz, Weisz is doing for modern ladies what Brooke Shields did in the ’80s: bringing back the natural yet bold brow look.

Image via khloekardashian.celebuzz.com

Kim Kardashian (and all of the Kardashian sisters): With celeb brow guru Anastasia Soare on hand to make housecalls, Kim of course sports perfect arches.

Image via celebrityscoops.net

Mila Kunis: I recently read an “Allure” article by Heather Muir in which she referred to Mila Kunis as her “brow crush.” (Love that term!) It’s easy to see why…Kunis’s picture-perfect brows are shapely and tidy.

Who do you think has the best brows in Hollywood?

Beauty at the 2011 VMAs

MTV’s 2011 Video Music Awards took over LA on Sunday night, and the fashion blogs were promptly abuzz with coverage. Here are the night’s most memorable looks, broken down into best and worst categories for your viewing pleasure.

Photo via International Business Times
Beyonce‘s baby bump dominated the night. I can’t remember when I’ve seen her look so beautiful. A sideswept wavy pony and dewy makeup in a neutral palette are proof that you don’t have to overdo it to look glam. Add dangly sparklers and an orange Lanvin gown, and you’ve got a blueprint for how to look like a chic, radiant mom-to-be.

Photo via Temptalia
Adele is just adorable. She arrived at the show looking beautiful in this retro ‘do and mod dress, then switched into a wavy pony and a sheer black-on-black polka-dot dress for her live performance. There are few things more beautiful than her voice — but her VMA looks are giving it a run for its money.

Photo via Temptalia
With her signature smoky eyes, glam nude lips, and perfectly groomed brows, I’m going to go out on a limb and say that Kim K. looked better at the VMAs than at her multi-million dollar wedding.

Photo via AOL
It’s Britney, bitch! I wouldn’t classify her as the best of the night, but compared to her past appearances, this is a huge step in the right direction. I was shocked to see Britney looking kind of…normal. Not as good as her halcyon days, but a marked improvement. Although I miss her bald, umbrella-wielding rants, I’m glad to see she’s finally looking healthy again.

More looks after the jump.