Oscars 2016

It's that time of year again... the Oscars! 

Usually I am very, very excited to review the looks on the red carpet, but with all the controversy around the award show this year, the lack of diversity was killing me! Not to mention the entire show was incredibly awkward and saddened my heart for our beautiful planet (climate change, honor killings, racism, ugghhhh!!!!)

Of course those who attended the event were beautiful and fun to watch, but it really was kind of boring... and short! There just weren't very many people attending this year so the pickings were slim.

But let's lighten the mood shall we... 

Part of why I love what I do is because it allows me to escape all the Bull**** of the world and make people feel good. Plus, I get to highlight the fun parts of the night! Like gowns, sparkles, champagne, lipstick, and lashes! Oh My!

So here they are, my top 5 beauty picks of the night. 

Saoirse Ronan

I mean.... 

Come ON!

Photos c/o popsugar.com

I still can't get over how gorgeous she looked last night! 

That dress is KILLER. 

It fits her like a glove. 

I am obsessed with the styling on her too! I love that she kept her hair down and unkempt-- it made the whole look feel more relaxed (which is how I picture her personality). I think an updo would have dramatically changed the appearance of this look and dress. The hair added just the right amount of sexiness. 

Her makeup was on point as well. Her skin looked healthy and beautiful, and the soft emerald smokey eye was perfection! It highlighted the dress amazingly well. 

Priyanka Chopra

photo c/o popsugar.com

Holy

photo c/o zimbio.com

Moly!

photo c/o gotceleb.com

She looked so stunning. 

Her dress was so beautiful and sexy. 

I love the fact that she kept her hair simple and streamlined with a slick, center parted pony. It highlighted her face and helped to showcase the dress, which has a lot going on. 

She kept her makeup classic with a soft cat eye, lashes and bold plum lip--the perfect pop of color! Priyanka has very striking features (brows, lashes, lips!), and I think she showcased them perfectly. Overall I think her look was very well balanced. 

Jennifer Garner

photos c/o popsugar.com

I was so excited to see Jennifer Garner look so good! 

I mean, she literally made my jaw drop. 

I'm not usually a huge fan of one shoulder dresses, but I am really loving this one! I think this dress highlights her tiny waist and she looks comfortable (and really that's what's most important, am I right?!) It had just the right amount of sparkle too :) 

I love the simple chignon. I am also a huge fan of the fact that her stylist added texture and volume to the front to keep it soft and romantic. The hair needed to be up with this dress to showcase the beautiful detail as well as her gorgeous shoulders and back. 

The makeup was a great match-- soft shadow on the eyes to make them pop, a soft lip and radiant skin. She looks like she feels great, and looks incredible. 

Go Jen! 

Alicia Vikander

photos c/o popsugar.com

 I love her use of color!

The yellow dress was so fun and unexpected-- She looked truly radiant in it too. Her tanned skin really popped!

I am seriously obsessing over her half up bun! 

It's a great match for this dress, as it's also very playful, and youthful. She kept her skin clean and glowy with a subtle contour in the cheekbones. The eyes are also kept soft and neutral-- which is a great call for such a bright dress! Her artist was sure to incorporate a little color on her face with a pink lip. I think it's exactly what she needed to keep up with her whimsical dress without being too distracting. 

Olivia Munn

photo c/o huffingtonpost.com

photo c/o buro247.sg

photo c/o justjared.com

I love the simplicity of her look. The dress is so clean and sleek, and I like that her stylists kept her hair and makeup consistent with that. 

The hair is awesome. Center parted and tied in a neat little chignon, this updo is sleek, sophisticated and just cool. 

I think her makeup is beautiful-- matching a lip to a dress can be tricky, but she pulled it off! Not only is an orange lip one of my favorite things ever, but it's paired with soft, bronzed eyes, lashes and a very natural looking brow. 

I LOVE THE BROWS! 

I think overall her look is structured, sleek and cool. 

So there you have it, my top 5 looks of the night. 

Who were your favorites?

And the Oscar goes to...

I don't know about you, but I LOVE award shows! 

I was especially excited to catch the Academy Awards this year. There were so many talented actors stepping out and making a mark- some for the first time!

So here are my picks for the BEST hair and makeup of the night... 

Angelina Jolie

I don't know about you, but when I heard Angelina was going to be at the Oscars-- that was all I could think about! 

I couldn't wait to see how she'd show up and I was left breathless once I did.

She opted for a fun, glitzy, ethereal gown and followed suit with light, pretty makeup. Lots of lashes with a little bit of smokey liner on the outer corners for some definition was just perfect. Clean skin and beautiful soft pink lips. To finish it off, she left her hair down-blown out to perfection. 

Loved it! 

 Sandra Bullock

 Sandra Bullock looked so glam and gorgeous. With the vintage side swept waves and blue smokey eyes, she really stood out! Just a slight color on the lips and cheeks sends the look on a home run. Well done. 

Charlize Theron

She can't look bad. 

ever. 

While she can look good, she looked GREAT! Loved the short hair tucked behind her ear. Effortless and clean. I love that it showcases her beautiful face which was a perfect match of luminous skin, peachy lips, and eyes stood out with a clean swipe of liquid liner. 

Naomi Watts

 I thought Naomi did it right. Love the bold lip paired with lots of lashes, and iridescent eyes, and pink cheeks. It was clean, classic, and effortless. Loved the makeup paired with the casual side swept hair. SO good!

Olivia Wilde

I thought this mom to be was so chic. She went back in time with 60's inspired cat eye and soft pale pink lips. Updated by her romantic wavy updo-- I think it's a perfect match. 

Some stars fell a little short... and here's why!

Calista Flockhart

 Calista almost had it! 

I would have added some shadow on those brows so we don't lose them as much. I also would have incorporated more color- either on the lips or the cheeks. I would have absolutely tight lined her upper lash line. The gaps between the lashes drives me bonkers! 

I think she's beautiful, but just barely missed the mark. 

Cristin Milotti

I've critiqued the lovely Kaley Cuoco HERE for her deep dark lips... and sadly, this look doesn't quite work on Cristin either! It's such a stark contrast against her pale skin and pale dress, that it's a little daunting. If she would have settled for a sheer lip product in that color family or a stain, I think it would have lightened it up a little but still had that drama. 

 Giuliana Rancic

Ms. G! 

I love her, but sometimes her makeup is too much for my taste! I love the idea of this look, but I would have softened those eyes a bit. If they were blended out a little more, I think it would have complemented the dress and overall look better. 

I am also not a fan of completely nude lips (lips that match the skin!), so a little hint of color --peach, or pink-- would have been a nice contrast to help break up the face a little more. 

That was my Oscar rundown for this year! Who were some of your favorites? Was there anyone else you think missed the mark? Share your thoughts below in the comments! 

Oscar 2013 Makeup Trend...

Last night I watched the Oscars with anticipation and hope of some breathtaking looks and trends.
 What did I expect? 

Looking back at Fashion Week this year we saw a lot of Color! (which you can read about HERE.)

So of course I was expecting some bold lips or washes of color on the eye--Graphic liner was huge at Fashion week as well, so I was really expecting to see some exciting looks walking down the red carpet. 

Overall?

I was underwhelmed! 

I felt like everyone played it super conservative and safe. Mind you, most everyone looked great, but it was boring! No one really stepped out and WOW'd me. 

Wanna know some of my favorite looks of the evening? 

Watch me on WCIU's You & Me This Morning as I talk about some of my favorite looks of the evening:

The leading trend of the evening was definitely a clean/fresh natural face with some emphasis on the eyes. 

In honor of last night's hottest trend, I showed up to the station rocking out that look! 

So here is a sneak peek at how to get the look: 

Here is a close up of the makeup look

 Eye Detail...

A little blurry, but you get the idea :) 

 Products used:

 1. MAC cosmetics Eye shadows-- Names of colors listed below-- 

2. L'Oreal Voluminous Mascara in Blackest black

3. Ardell #120 Demi Wispies

4. Laura Geller Makeup Spackle Primer

5. Makeup Forever Face and Body Foundation #20

6. Tarte Cosmetics Cheek stain in Vivid

7. Makeup Forever HD Powder

8. MAC Strobe Cream

9. Makeup Forever Aqua Lip #1C

10. MAC Lipglass in Nymphette (top) and Lust.
*Product sources below*

My Concealer Palette-- I used #1 to highlight, #2 for extra coverage, #3 for contouring and I also used the concealer to the left of #2 for my under eyes. It's Eve Pearl's Salmon Concealer in Medium :) 

 MAC Shadow Colors used for this look. 

Tools used for this look:

1. Eve Pearl Foundation Brush

2. Crown Brush Concealer Brush

3. Beauty Blender

4. Crown Brush: PP9 Oval Foundation brush

5. Crown Brush: C330 Blending Crease

6. MAC #217 

7. Crown Brush-- Don't remember the #!

8. Crown Pointed Lip Brush

9. Trucco Eye brow brush 

Step by Step Instruction

First thing's first, always hydrate! Moisturize that skin!

EYES: I always do eyes first-- I feel it makes for a cleaner application.

That said, I did prep the eyes with Too Faced Shadow Insurance Primer (not pictured). Over that I packed on Vanilla with the #5 brush all over the lid up to the brow. 

From there, I took the #6 brush and lightly placed Naked Lunch and Shroom on the inner tear ducts of the eye, across the lid and then packed it on the brow bone. 

I then took the #7 brush with Mulch eye shadow, and place it on the outer corner of the eye. I create a "V" with this darker tone. From there I take my #6 brush again and use it to gently buff out and soften the mulch. 

Taking the same brush, I dipped it into the Cork shadow and placed it within the "V" shape I created with the mulch, and extended it across the crease. 

Buff until you reach the desired finish. 

I was pulling inspiration from Charlize Theron's Oscar look last night:

She has a super clean face, with some soft neutrals on her eyes, and loads of lashes! 

That was my goal. 

So, I skipped the liner :) 

I curled my lashes and applied a coat of mascara. From there I applied the Ardell Demi Wispies (I'd trimmed them down and cut them to fit my eye), using DUO adhesive in clear.

FACE: I applied my primer, followed by my foundation. 

To apply foundation, I usually go in with the #1 brush and then buff it out with a beauty blender or sponge. 

After applying fountain, I go back with concealer. 

Applying make up in that order allows you to wear less. 

I took brush #2 and the #1 concealer and ran it along the bridge of my nose, up to the center of my forehead and just over my brows. I also used this on my chin. Because this is a bit lighter than what a concealer for me should be, I use it to highlight areas of my face. 

Buff into skin with Beauty Blender. 

Then, I took the same brush and placed the salmon concealer under my eyes (covering any blueish tint from dark circles). 

I took concealer #3 to conceal any other redness on the face. 

I used concealer #4 (the very dark tone), as a way to contour my face. So I ran it along the hollows of my cheeks, my temples and the sides of my nose. 

Buff gently into the skin. 

Cheeks:

I then took Tarte's Cheek Stain and rubbed a tiny amount onto the apples of my cheeks with my finger-- blending it up towards the ear but focusing the bulk of the color on the apples. 

Set with a light dusting of powder using a #4 Brush.

I then took MAC's strobe cream on my finger and gently dabbed it on the highest point of my cheekbones, my cupid's bow, and just above my brow. 

I LOVE using this as a highlighter!

It's super creamy and is more opalescent than glittery, so it sits well on the skin and is soft enough to catch the light without being too distracting. 

From there, I lined my lips with Makeup Forever Aqua Lip #1C-- filling them in as well. 

Then I took about equal amounts of each gloss and brushed them on with brush #8, leaving my lips with a natural looking lip- something I'm NOT used to!  :) 

To finish off my look, I dipped my #10 brush in the Espresso eye shadow to softly fill in my brows. 

Ta-Da! 

The key to creating a soft natural look, is to use lightweight products.

Allowing your skin to shine through makes all the difference in the world-- so take care of that skin! 

All of the products I used for this look are ones I absolutely adore. So if you're in need of some new things, give these gems a shot :) 

XOXO JEN

Product Sources: 

MAC

Makeup Forever

Laura Geller

Crown Brushes

Ardell Lashes

L'Oreal 

Tarte Cosmetics

Eve Pearl

Favorite looks of the Oscars 2012

courtesy of Urbandaily.com

If you're like me, the best part of the Oscars is the Red Carpet. I LOVE watching what the stars are wearing and doing to complete their look for this very special occasion! 

Here are some trends and some of my favorites of the night....

One hot trend I saw on a lot of leading ladies... Cat Eyes! Yes! This classic feline liner is always a good way to go. Here are some leading ladies who pulled off the look without a flaw.

 Jennifer Lopez

She had her signature glow with a bronzed face, nude lips, soft cheeks and really went to town with an exaggerated cat liner! It's extended out and up with a pop of highlight just above it, used to accentuate the dramatic line. Strong contour in the crease and this look is HOT! 

 Emma Stone

One of my favorites! I think she is so funny and fresh faced. 

This girl has an incredible sense of style and really pulls her looks together beautifully. Also sporting a dramatic curled cat eye, she has a base of iridescent pink shadow from the lid to the brow. Polished off with a soft rose stained lip and clean face, this girl has her bow on the dress to add the drama. 

Well done. 

Jessica Chastain

This beauty kept a simple clean look to accompany her detailed dress. 

With a clean, soft look, the cat eye is just extended out for a subtle but strong statement. 

Her easy going, classic look fits with the loose waves gently pinned back. She looks effortless and gorgeous!

Another classic look that was spotted last night was the oh-so-fabulous Red Lip. 

Here are a few ladies who pulled them off flawlessly and this is how they did it...

 Rooney Mara

One of THE most talked about stars this year, she pulled off the beautifully clean, but dramatic look with a bang! 

Strong dark brows, a porcelain complexion with peach contoured cheeks and it's all sealed with a fabulous, matte lipstick! Those blunt bangs really make you think of pinup beauty Bettie Page. GORGEOUS!

 Angelina Jolie

The always stunning Angelina.
Walking down the carpet with her signature clean, minimal eye (soft, smokey shadow on the outer corners, and lashes of course ;)), she dressed it up with Long wavy locks and and ruby red lips. Can you say BOMBSHELL?!

Milla Jovovich

Another favorite of the night!
She was stunning in that white, glitzy dress, 40's styled hair and makeup. Milla softly lined her eyes and popped some outer corner lashes, giving that cat eye effect without the heavy line. The apples of her cheeks were saturated with a bright pink blush (my favorite!), and she too rocked a warm ruby red on her softly lined lips.
To DIE! xo 

 Michelle Williams

Now Michelle did not rock the red lipstick, but she kept with the trend of the bold lip and soft eyes. Here she is rocking some Hot Pink Lipstick (another favorite of mine) with some neutral eyes, porcelain skin and soft pink cheeks.
She looks youthful, playful and lovely. 

Viola Davis

This  beauty used dark emerald greens that happened to match her gown and jewels, to outline her eyes. The color is perfect against her skin and complements the red in her hair.
False lashes, a kohl rimmed eye and glossy lips, finish off the look.
So fun and sexy! 

Rose Byrne

Rocking a chic banged bob, Rose didn't want to lose focus on her eyes, so she has a beautifully executed smokey eye accompanied with very soft lips and cheeks.
I think this is an A++

And last but not least, the biggest trend of the night (usually the most popular), The Natural Look. 
So many of our beauties rocked this natural makeup look with soft romantic waves or lightly swept back hair for an easy elegance. 

 Maya Rudolph

Gwyneth Paltrow

 Natalie Portman

Hope this was fun! 

There were so many fantastic and fun looks this year. Take them and use them as inspiration for your everyday makeup. Even if you don't go for the full look, play with it! 

If Viola Davis' eyes inspire you, but are a little too dramatic for you, take a thin line of green (or blue, or purple...) on your upper lid for a splash of color!

Love those dramatic cat eyes, but not quite sure how to pull them off? Start small, just extend your line past your outer corners without curving upward toward the brow.

Makeup is supposed to be fun, not stressful. Remember, you can create any look you like, just practice and play! 

xoxo Jen

PS: Not to mention these other stunning beauties that I thought looked amazing!
Tina Fey
Kristen Wiig
Meryl Streep
Penelope Cruz
Sandra Bullock
Octavia Spencer
.....