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
..... 

Winter Blues...

Winter can be really hard on people, myself included! 

I find myself becoming more lazy, grouchy, and sad! How to beat this seasonal depression? Here's some beauty tricks and everyday things to work on... 

Look good, feel good. 

This is one of my mottos, so easy and it works! 

Even just putting 5 minutes of time for yourself will help you to emanate confidence and happiness. Add some blush to those cheeks for an instant healthy glow, or play up your eyes for a sultry, fun look! 

Just yesterday I decided to paint my nails a bright, hot pink! It's happy and lovely and makes me smile :)  If you look  the way you want to present yourself to the world and put a little effort into putting yourself together, you will feel a million times better! 

Eating right.

John Wise, provided courtesy of Tonopah Rob's Vegetable Farm

Yes, this one can be tough to do, I can sympathize, because I'm always on the go! It's tough to eat right when you are never home to prepare a meal, BUT that's no excuse. Carry a granola bar, or some almonds in your bag. Throw in a piece of fruit (I was eating those clementines like crazy! So small, easy to throw in my purse!) 

If you find that you are eating lots of veggies and fruits (and plenty of water), you will see a dramatic improvement in how you look and feel. 

Midday headaches? GONE. 

Exhaustion? GONE. 

Take your vitamins, eat right and you'll find yourself with more energy, better skin, and an upbeat personality :) 

Exercising.

Valeo weights via Amazon.com

Yet another one I personally struggle with... Even just making sure you take a walk will make a difference! You need to get those endorphins movin'! It's hard to find the motivation with the cold and dark days, but I found it helps to NOT think about it. Just get up and start moving! 

Self Tanner.

TanTowel.com

I know that in the winter I feel gross because I look sad and sickly. One of my major problem areas are my dark circles under my eyes! I have had them since I was a kid, they are genetic and will never go away. BUT they show up more, the paler I am (ahem, winter results in a very pale jenny), so to make me feel healthier and happier, I use a self tanner. 

I use the Tan Towels. They are easy to use, go on evenly, and look natural. There are tons of great self tanners nowadays, so don't be afraid! Also, spray tanning is much better than it used to be. A little more of an investment, but they look awesome and are perfect for a full body tan for a special event. 

Sunlight 

ie: real sunlight, no tanning beds

www.thirdage.com

I used to be a tanning bed novice myself until I learned all the horrible things this artificial light was doing to my skin! 

First and for most, STOP TANNING IN BEDS! It is horrible for your skin, increases your chances of skin cancer (dramatically) and will AGE YOU!! Hence the reason we makeup and skincare folks preach the importance of an SPF everyday! Protect your skin from the sunlight and your skin will thank you. 

DO, find a sunny place in your home, office or school. Sitting in the sunlight will give you that vitamin D you've been missing. Open the shades and read a book (take a break from the computer, your eyes will thank you). 

Lighting

full spectrum bulb from ehow.com

Replace your lightbulbs with full spectrum bulbs. These mimic natural sunlight, so on those dark, gloomy days, you can have that artificial sunlight to fill the void! 

Just remember, you deserve to feel your best! Do what's best for you, and take the time for yourself. It's the most important thing you can do :) 

xoxo Jen

Birchbox Samples...

Hello Lovies...

A while back I stumbled upon Birchbox

I'm sure many of you have heard of this glorious company, but if you haven't here's what they do....

Birchbox is a beauty subscription service that sends you a cute little pink box full of deluxe samples every month! You can sign up for an entire year, or you can pay per box-whatever works best for you :) Each box is $10! Not bad when you get $90 eye creams to try! 

I think it's a smart way to shop. You always wanna try it before you buy it! 

Here's what I got this time: 

The cutest little box! 

First product in sight, the coveted Beauty Blender. 

People have been raving about this for a year or two now. While I do already have a couple at home, it's great to get a new one for less than $10! They last a long time, but they do eventually wear out, so having a back up is great! 

I usually use a lot of disposable sponges on clients (I often moisten those with water as well), just because it's usually faster, easier and sanitary-But I do keep one in my kit as well. They are a great product to have! 

Jouer Tinted Moisturizer

I am so excited to try this! The sample is very tiny! Probably the size of my pinky! I could probably get one or two uses out of it, but that's all you need to sample the texture, coloring and long wear of this product! I love getting foundations/face products to try out! 

 Orofluido Elixer

This is an elixir for your hair to help boost shine and strength and eliminate frizziness! I have very fine hair that gets oily very easily, so I'm not too sure how well this will work for me, but I know this will work wonders on hair with more texture! Curly haired beauties, this might be your new favorite. It has Argon Oil and light Vanilla/Amber scent as well. The sample jar is also very small, but you only need a couple drops to work magic! I'll test it out later ;)  

All photos courtesy of birch box.com

AHHH! This is something I would want to buy, but never actually purchase! So I'm excited to give it a whirl! They are temporary glitter lip tattoos! The ones I received are silver glitter!!! I do have a couple test shoots coming up at the end of the month, and my lovely models will definitely become acquainted with this... I'm curious to see how they look once applied and more importantly, how they photograph!

Last but not least... Just in time for Valentine's Day...

This adorable hot pink, heart shaped nail file! I love it! You can keep this little guy in your purse for quick fixes and it's super cute. 

Side note: A real camera is on it's way! YAY! Great product shots, video and picture tutorials are all on the way! 

Have a fabulous Sunday! 

xoxo Jen

Inspired..

Morning! 

I am literally headed out the door for a shoot, but instead of doing my regular "5 minute face," I was feeling a bit inspired this morning and decided to play a little... So here it is, the "10 minute face..."

I was feeling saucy and went for some sparkly, smokey eyes, a clean contoured face, and a pop of pink on the lips. For some this may be a bit too heavy of an eye for daytime (understandably so), but you should try it on your next night out! Smokey eyes have a great power... they make you feel strong and sexy. You can express so much with your eyes, so play them up! 

Here is a quick shot of what I used...

-Urban Decay Eye Shadow Primer

-Smashbox Face primer

-Nars eyeshadow in "biarritz"

-MAC eyeliner pencil in smolder

-MAC eye shadow in "Carbon"

-Mary Kay (I know right!?) eye shadow in "Granite"

-Maybelline Full N' Soft Mascara

-Maybelline Fit me Foundation in 120

-Temptu concealer wheel -for highlighting and contouring

-Bobbi Brown corrector in "Bisque"

-3 Custom Color cream to powder blush--Not pictured

-Makeup Forever HD powder --in the background

-and Lancome Lip color in Satin Fuchsia --also not pictured

Now I'm late! 

xoxo Jen

Halftime Princess: Madonna

Everyone can agree that no one does it like Madonna. She is a true icon and even at 54 years old, she was dancing around, and doing flips on stage at the Superbowl! AMAZING! 

I thought it'd be fun to reminisce through Madonna's style transformations. When it comes to re-invention and playing with makeup, she is the Queen.

1982-1984

                                           

Oh the 80s... where there were never too many accessories and your hair couldn't be bigger! The make up was pretty intense during this time... it was loud, and dark and heavy! Smokey eyes up to your brows and dark reds on the lips were never too much! Let's not forget about all the heavy contouring of those cheek bones in shades of fuchsia! 

Madonna in her "Like a Virgin" gear. Since this is a more "bridal" look, she's opted for a more neutral toned lip to accompany her dark rimmed eyes and contoured cheeks.

1985-1988

                           

Channeling her inner Marilyn, Madonna extends her dark brows, adds a super red pout and keeps a clean face. Lashes were definitely a focal point with a soft cat eye and a very clean, bright shadow on the lid. And that BLONDE hair!

Vogue

1989

"Like a Prayer"

To fit the theme of the song, Madonna's makeup look is soft, clean and ethereal. She goes darker than her natural brown hair and lets her curls run wild! 

1990

                                       

                                         

How could anyone forget this look? The pointed bustier is definitely easy to remember, but that was just part of it! The long blonde extensions pulled into a tight pony is quite a statement. Madonna keeps her 50's inspired eyes of soft light shadows on her lid, a soft crease and slight cat eye. She plays with her lip color throughout the tour, all reds ranging from bright cherry hues to deep berry ones. 

1996

                         
                         

Evita. Madonna plays the role of a strong and passionate woman, which calls for the same characteristics of makeup. From a strong eye look (left), to a more natural, clean eye (right), she keeps the powerful statement of a red lip... my favorite. 

1998

                           


The above photos showcase Madonna's influence of her Kabbalah beliefs, decked out in traditional Henna tattoos on her hands and wrists. She is adorned with classic Indian face paint, almost in the shape of what (and where) a traditional Indian head piece would be worn. Her eyes kept soft with a thin liner on her top lid, curled lashes, and white liner on the inner rim to tie in the face paint. Lips were adorned with a pinky-red gloss. Her brows are much more groomed than that of the 80s!


                                  

Here is a very different look from the same year, plucked from her "Nothing Really Matters" music video, she sports a dark, sleek, long bob. She is inspired by the geisha, but it's much more toned down than that of traditional geisha makeup... (see below)
Her makeup look is also very fashion friendly. With more of a fuchsia color on the outer corner to the center of her lid, a pale complexion, and a red lip.

2000

The Millennium has hit! 

Modern, soft waves in her blonde again hair, sporting a natural makeup look with soft brown liner, pink glossy lips and a very neutral palette. 

2005

DISCO IS BACK!

This may be my favorite look...

Sporting some Farrah Fawcett waves with her honey toned hair, she has a bronzed palette with pops of color! Pink glossy lips, and playful colorful eyes. I LOVE this look! Will probably do a tutorial at some point showcasing this look :) 

Fast Forward to 2012

Madonna has been sporting a very classic, clean face lately. From the Golden Globes to the Superbowl, she looks timeless. Usually sporting a porcelain complexion, soft peachy blushes, neutral lip and soft eyes (with a kick of liner and lashes), this girl knows how to do it right! 

Now if only I could move like her... 

xoxo Jen