New On The Joy of Makeup: Bridal Trial Inspiration - Megan Fox!

I recently did a bridal trial and her inspiration was this stunning makeup on Megan Fox! Click here to see my version of this look on the beautiful Carla and for a list of products used!

Best of the Emmy's 2011

Best in Red: Red was clearly the colour of the night. After the 5th red dress I was kind of bored of the fashion choices. However, Lea Michelle in Marchesa and Kate Winslet in Elie Saab wore the red dress the best. The other red dresses had too much going on. The overall design of the Marchesa dress was simple, but the embellished shoulders and bare back added that elegant chic touch. Kate's dress hugged her curves beautifully and the deep v was just enough to make her stand out. 

 

Photo Source: justjared.com

Best Makeup: Glee star, Diane Aragon, knows how to rock a smokey eye. I thought the majority of women wore pretty yet simple makeup. Diane wasn't scared to step out of the neutrals and wore a blue smokey eye. It was also super hot on the red carpet, but you'd never know just by looking at Diane's makeup. No shine or melting makeup!

Best in Black: Choosing a black dress can be seen as playing it safe. Evan Rachel Wood's Elie Saab dress was anything but. If you're going to wear black why not add some sparkle? I love the embroidery on this dress and love the way Elie Saab dresses hug the body.

 

Photo Source: justjared.com

Best Emmy Moment: Melissa McCarthy winning her first emmy for Best Actress in a Comedy (Mike & Molly) was the moment of the night. Amy Poehler (love her!) walked up to the stage after her name was announced and all the nominees after followed suit. It was such a Miss America moment and was just hilarious to watch. Melissa McCarthy is such a doll and definitely deserved to win.

What were your "Best" choices of the night?

Get the Look: Madge TIFF Red Carpet Glamour

Photo Source: justjared.com

It is TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival) madness in Toronto which means Fall is just around the corner!

Madge may be a diva but she knows how to rock red carpet glamour! Always a classic look, her 1940's makeup style is big again for the fall season.

Get the Look: 

 

Clockwise: 

Lancome Les Oeillades Eye and Brow Palette in Blondette Fatale ($54 CAD): French style is all about timeless and classic style. Nothing says timeless than this eye and brow palette in neutral tones. The palette features two matte shadow and 2 shimmery shades. I love this palette for its versatility and no-brainer application. 

For this look, apply the lighter shimmery tones across the lid and to highlight. Sculpt the eyes with the medium matte tone. Dampen an angled liner brush with water or a transforming liquid for longer wear and use the dark matte shade to line your eyes. To give it a dramatic flirty effect, wing out the liner. Don't forget to fill your brows in! Brows are back for fall (but full brows never go out of style). Use the same palette to fill in your brows with a brow brush. Use soft strokes to give you a natural feather effect.

Lancome Art Liner in Noir ($37 CAD): Lancome's Art Liner has received rave reviews. If you really want the eyes to stand out and add some serious drama liquid liners in a deep black will do the trick. I like lining the eyes with a powder shadow as a guide and then applying a liquid liner on top. Saves you from making a mess and starting over. 

Lancome Le French Touch Absolu in Saint-Honore ($40 CAD): LOVE the gold casing of this lipstick! It's reminiscent of the luxe packaging from the '40's. You'll love the compact size also. Don't worry, it's small on the outside, but regular size lipstick on the inside. Saint-Honore is a pure red that is totally glam and was inspired by the first true red Lancome created called "Shaker" back in 1945.

To get the perfect pout, line the lips with a red lip liner and fill in all over. With a lip brush, apply the lipstick. Blot with a tissue and reapply lipstick again. For a stain effect, press into the lips with your finger.

Lancome Maison Lancome Long-Lasting Blush (LE, $48 CAD): Love. This gorgeous blush deserves to be showcased on its own. Thank you Aaron De May and Lancome for giving me Paris in a compact. I don't even want to use this because the detail is so beautiful! Embossed in the blush is the streetlight lamp and cobblestone outside of the historical Lancome Maison 29 Faubourg Saint-Honore. The soft rose with a bit of gold softly brightens and contours the face, perfect when paired with bold lips. This is a definite collector's item! If you dare to use, swirl colours all together or use shades separately to add colour and sculpt.

Who are your favourite TIFF beauties? Have you tried Lancome's fall collection? Love it? Hate it? Want it?

www.lancome.ca

Products were submitted for editorial consideration and I truly love them.

If I Had To Choose...Oscar Favourites

I wasn't planning on watching the Oscars in its entirety, but all the hype about James Franco and Anne Hathaway presenting peeked my interest. The youngest presenters to ever host the Oscars - pretty big deal. Not that I know, but I can imagine hosting a show as big as the Oscars isn't an easy thing. That being said, I kind of feel sorry that they bombed so bad! Wow, awkward much? It was so uncomfortable watching them host - no chemistry at all. Where James lacked in charisma, Anne sure did make up for it - a little too much. But she redeemed herself with her 8 gorgeous outfit changes. My favourite were here sparkling shoes she wore with the man tux - oh and her shimmering lashes! Love!

As for the red carpet fashion, I was a little disappointed that most stars decided to tone it down for the Oscars. It seems like by the end of award season all the effort was just gone. But there were a few stunners and repeat favourites.

Best Dressed:

Natalie Portman in Rodarte

Natalie definitely represented us prego ladies! Of all the award shows, this gorgeous eggplant Rodarte number was my fave. The dress just draped beautifully on her and overall she was just glowing! Let me tell you - I went out this past weekend trying to find a dress for a wedding that wouldn't make me look like a tent. It was hard, but I finally found one that fit in all the right places!

Runner Ups: 

Mila Kunis in Elie Saab Haute Couture

Jennifer Lawrence in Calvin Klein

I loved both the looks from Mila Kunis and Jennifer Lawrence. The vintage lace detail of Mila's Elie Saab dress was amazing!! I also loved the lilac colour which really stood out on the red carpet. The vintage feel of her hair and soft makeup were perfect.

Jennifer Lawrence on the other hand was the complete opposite. Simple, chic and effortless. From the top up it may remind you of Pamela Anderson from Baywatch but this dress just worked for her. It was young, hip, and fit her body so well. Super sexy without looking slutty - hard balance in Hollywood! 

 Hailee Steinfeld in Marchesa

Love seeing a 14 year old look like a 14 year old! Hailee, America's new sweetheart, looked darling in this Marchesa gown. She looked like a princess ballerina - so girly and soft. Up and coming young starlets - take note!

Halle Berry in Marchesa

Another Marchesa favourite, this is probably my favourite look of hers of all the award shows this season. Plus, it's Halle Berry - put a garbage bag on her and she would rock it! She's just stunning. That. Is. All. 

Most Improved:

Michelle Williams in Chanel

I am so glad Michelle turned in her over-sized daisies for this sleek number from Chanel. She looked great, but is it just me or is she super awkward in interviews? Probably best to lay off the Xanax!

Who were your Oscar favourites? What did you think of the show? Hit or miss?

Photo source: JustJared.com

Golden Globe Darlings

How many of you caught the red carpet coverage of the Golden Globes last night? How many of you actually watched the awards show? For most award shows, the only thing I look forward to is the red carpet coverage but since Ricky Gervais was hosting I just had to watch the whole show! Again ,he was hilarious with his unforgiving digs at the celebrities and was just true to himself through and through.

I think overall all the ladies looked beautiful with the exception of a few wacky styles (Helena Bonham Carter - gotta love her!). The colour trends of the night fell into the emerald greens and blush pinks. Did their stylists tell them these were the "it" colours of the moment? Last year it was all about bold lips and smokey eyes but this year makeup was really soft and pretty. Here are some of my favourite Golden Globe darlings of the night!

Photo Credit: Lancome & JustJared.com

Miss Mila Kunis has sure come a long way from her "That '70's Show" days. I really loved her in Black Swan and thought she did a phenomenal job embracing her character as a talented ballet dancer. I have to say, her and Angelina Jolie were tied for my top favourites of the night. I just fell in love with the emerald green and thought this colour and style of her Vera Wang dress just looked stunning on Mila. The makeup done by Tracey Levy for Lancome and hair was the right dose of glamour to let this dress shine through. 

 Photo Credit: JustJared.com

Whether you love her or are just plain over her, Angelina Jolie is always a stunner on the red carpet. She looks amazing in just about anything. I really loved her dress by Atelier Versace because it was a nice change from all the gowns. It was just effortless. The pronounced shoulders, low back, and the Swarovski crystals that encrusted her dress made it red carpet perfection. Her makeup - black smudgy liner and nude lips - was typical Ange and her hair? Meh. She still looked gorgeous but could have looked a bit more polished. 

 Photo Credit: Lancome & JustJared.com

Lea Michele looked young and radiant last night in the other popular colour - blushed pink. Her Oscar de la Renta dress was girly and feminine. She was one of the few starlets that didn't looked washed out in this shade of pink. I loved the softness of her hair and makeup and thought it went beautifully with her gown. Loved the flirty lashes and soft pink lips. Makeup done by Melanie Inglessis for Lancome. 

 

Photo Credit: JustJared.com

A cheating ex-husband ain't gonna hold Eva Longoria down! I've never really been a fan of Eva on the red carpet but being one of the few in a black gown, she looked gorgeous. She's a petite person and her Zac Posen dress hugged her in all the right places. I loved her elegant Bardot up do and her makeup was just lovely. I always find her smokey eyes, false lashes, and bronzer can be a little overboard but last night her eyes sparkled with minimal shadow and feathery lashes and her skin was glowing. 

 Photo Credit: JustJared.com

Natalie Portman is one of my all-time favourite actresses. I always thought she was an underrated actress so I was ecstatic when she won Best Actress for Black Swan! It was the role of a lifetime and her hard work definitely paid off. Her Lanvin dress wasn't necessarily a favourite of mine but she is a true winner in every form! I loved how the dress accentuated her baby bump and adored her rosy pink cheeks and lips. I thought the colours of the dress were too Valentine-esque for me, but she was the look of love. You could tell last night how excited she is to be a mother and how in love she is with her fiance (who was her dance partner in Black Swan). 

 Photo Credit: JustJared.com

Hot damn Halle! Can you believe she's 45??! I was kind of on the fence with this racy Nini Ricci design, but there's no denying that Halle looked sexy. It was definitely a favourite with the husband! As if she needs to remind us of how drop-dead gorgeous she is - like really. I'm glad she went back to her signature pixie cut. It just suits her and her striking features can carry it off. Her flawless skin, smokey eyes and nude lips finished off her racy look perfectly. 

 Photo Credit: JustJared.com

This dress could look all wrong if the breast size were any bigger than B cup! Wow, I've never seen January Jones in something so provocative. She is a fan of unique fashion pieces but this one was a shocker. Definitely another favourite of the husband! This red Versace number wouldn't be a dress I'd wear (maybe if I had the body for it!), but it looks phenomenal on her! The cut-outs and deep V accentuated all the right places. She was definitely the sex-kitten of the night. Even Ryan Seacrest said he was going to try really hard to look directly at her eyes! I'm getting a little over the Old Hollywood glamour look (I know shocker!) but her hair and makeup looked stunning. 

Photo Credit: JustJared.com

Are we over Megan Fox yet? Her Armani dress was pretty but what I loved more was her hair and makeup. I loved her flowing waves off to the side. As the face of Giorgio Armani Cosmetics, her baby blues just popped with her kohl rimmed eyes and her soft pink lips were so pretty and fresh. 

What did you think of the red carpet fashion and beauty looks at the Golden Globes? Who were your favourites? 

 

Celebrity Beauty: Vampire Diaries' Nina Dobrev

The gorgeous Nina Dobrev from hit show, The Vampire Diaries, was in town last weekend to attend the Gemini Awards. In case you didn't know, Nina is Canadian! My husband makes fun of me all the time because, I, a woman in her 30's, has a major school girl crush on the entire cast!

The uber talented Senior M.A.C. Artist, Jane McKay, created Nina's beautiful look for the Gemini's. Check out what she used: 

Skin: Nina's skin is so perfect she wore minimal foundation.

• Strobe Cream and Care Blends Essential Oil to moisturize the skin
• Select Moisture Cover Concealer and Mineralize Skinfinish Natural to even out skin tone
• Sculpting Powder in Lightsweep and Mineralize Blush in Dainty to give her cheeks a sculpted glow

Eyes: Jane went for natural drama.

• Fluidline in Dipdown for liner that stays all night
• Eye Shadows in Club, Carbon, and Soba - Nina's blue dress was the inspiration behind the duo-chromatic eye shadow in Club (blue/brown shade)
• Eye shadow Quad in Caviar Dreams (Champale Collection, not out yet. Pictured above) for a smoky eye that draws lots of attention. Iridescent Powders in Silver Dusk and Golden Bronze
• Zoom Lash Mascara in Zoomblack for extra volumized lashes
• Chromagraphic Pencil
• #32 Lashes for that extra oomph!

Lips:

• Dazzleglass Creme in Passing Fancy (from our Tartan Tale holiday collection. Pictured above). A glossy neutral coral lip is the complimentary colour to her blue eye makeup, which allows the eyes and lips to stand out against each other.

What do you think of Nina's look?

Photos credit: George Pimentel/WireImage.com


www.maccosmetics.com

Celebrity Beauty: What Do You Think Of K-Stew's Lighter Do?

It's the eve of the highly anticipated Twilight Eclipse premiere so I thought a beauty story on Kristen Stewart would be fitting! Rave reviews of Eclipse have been buzzing all over Twitter so it's definitely on my to-see list! 

K-stew debuted her strawberry do for last night's Letterman appearance and I'm totally diggin' it. Her lighter locks make her skin look more peaches 'n cream and her eyes just pop so much more. Just days before at the L.A. premiere of Eclipse, Kristen still had her dark brown hair. I find her dark hair pales out her skin and the colour of her eyes just don't stand out as much.

What do you guys think? Love it? Hate it? 

Photo credit: InStyle.com & JustJared.com

Oscar 2010 Beauty Trend: Bold Pink Lips

Hollywood glamour was all over the Oscar red carpet last night! I don't think there was anyone's look that I was underwhelmed by. I thought many of the women looked fabulous but the clear winner for me was Sandra Bullock!

When I first saw the cameras on her, I immediately fell in love with her entire look. She was definitely dressed to win in her silver beaded and embroidered column gown by Marchesa. From head to toe she looked absolutely exquisite! I'm glad we didn't see the classic red lip which would have been an obvious choice. Bullock's bright bold pink lips added an element of surprise and radiance. 

Photo credit: justjared.buzznet.com

 

This photo of me was taken a few weeks ago at my friend's charity event. I usually do a red lip when I want to glam it up but I was bored of the same old look. After seeing so many pink lips on the red carpet, this is one beauty trend I'll be rockin' for Spring!

Get the Look: 

Face: 

• Korres Face Primer
• Tarte Smooth Operator SPF 20
• Tarte Provocateur Mineral Pressed Powder SPF 8
• Benefit Erase Paste
• CARGO Blush in Amalfi
• M.A.C. Mineralize Skinfinish in Shimpagne (highlighter)

Eyes: 

• Urban Decay Eye Primer Potion in Eden
• M.A.C. Eye Quad Inventive Eyes Base: White Wheat
• M.A.C. Eye Quad Inventive Eyes Lid/Crease: Twillery
• Milani Liquid Liner
• CoverGirl LashBlast Original
• Quo #803 Fake Lashes (cut into halves)

Lips: 

• Korres Lip Butter in Guava
• Beaute Liqui-Gel Stain in Fever for depth
• Julie Hewett Icon of Beauty Lipstick in Scarlett over top

Who were your favourite Oscar beauties? What was your favourite beauty trend?

Grammy Beauties!

 

Without a doubt there were many gorgeous looks on the Grammy red carpet! I actually enjoyed watching an award show for once - the performances were phenomenal with Pink's beautiful and graceful Cirque de Soleil-esque performance, to Beyonce channeling her inner Tina Turner, to the 3-D tribute to Michael Jackson (I was one of the few that actually had 3-D glasses at home). 

Music award shows are always fun to watch because the fashion and beauty looks are more daring and edgy (did you see Lady Gaga?? She never disappoints). While I had many favourites I didn't have time to post any today but check out the girls over at Lift Beauty Boutique for their take on the Grammy looks!

Who were your favourites at the Grammy's?

Photo credit: justjared.buzznet.com

More SAG Awards Red Carpet Favourites

 

Marion Cotillard looked stunning from her finger-waved side-swept bun to her draped one shoulder white embellished cocktail dress with floral applique detail by Elie Saab.

 

According to celebrity stylist, Rachel Zoe, "white is the new black". Kate Hudson knows how to rock a whole lot of back cleavage - after seeing her back I need to work out my back! She was elegant with a definite sexy edge.

I love Lea Michele on Glee! There was nothing school-girl about her gorgeous look at the SAG Awards. I thought this colour on her was absolutely fabulous and her hair and makeup was gorgeous!

 

Diane Krueger looked exquisite in this fab number by designer, Jason Wu. The dress fit her like a glove. I don't usually like mustard-gold shades but on her porcelain skin it totally worked. The simple but glamorous up-do, neutral face, and pop of red on the lip were the perfect compliment.

Christina Applegate's red carpet look is a far cry from her days as Kelly Bundy! I thought she looked soft and glowing, almost ethereal looking.

Who were your SAG red carpet favourites?

Photo credit: justjared.buzznet.com

Get the Look: Drew Barrymore Pretties Up the SAG Awards

 

Photo credit: justjared.buzznet.com

Drew Barrymore's winning look at the SAG Awards complimented her win for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries! I adored her look from head to toe.

Photo credit: latimesblogs.latimes.com

Get the Look:

The inspiration behind her glamorous beauty look was took a cue from the 60's Brigitte Bardot and Sharon Tate. For the makeup, Debra Ferullo, celebrity makeup artist, didn’t want to match the blue color in her dress, but rather accentuate Drew’s natural features with warm undertones.

Face:

Debra  prepped the skin with a moisturizer and then used COVERGIRL Clean Liquid Makeup for normal skin followed by a highlighter and COVERGIRL Simply Ageless Sculpting Blush in Plush Peach on the cheeks.

Eyes:

For Drew’s 60’s inspired colorful smoky eye, Debra applied COVERGIRL Smoky ShadowBlast in Bronze Fire, using the darker shade on the lid and the taupe shade in the eye crease as well as underneath the eye. She then applied a dot of the silver shade in COVERGIRL Smoky ShadowBlast in Silver Sky to the inner corner of Drew’s eye to make it pop, followed by a thin line of white eyeliner on the inner bottom eye.

She finished the eye with a heavy coat of DiorShow Blackout Mascara to the top and bottom lashes for definition.

Lips: 

On Drew’s lips, Debra applied DiorAddict lipcolor in Beige Negligee #223, followed by DiorAddict Ultra Gloss in Jersey Pink #157 for a washed peach lip with a shiny finish.
 

www.covergirl.ca

www.dior.com

Hair Inspiration?

I'm having a slight girl crush on style mogul and fashion icon, Nicole Richie. I've always been a fan of her effortless boho chic style (anticipating her new clothing line Winter Kate) and already a fan of her jewelry line, House of Harlow.

I'm getting my hair done tomorrow at the fabulous Lift Beauty Boutique in Yorkville and came across this photo of Nicole on the up-coming March cover of Fashion Magazine. I am loving the darker hair on her and the shattered bangs - the look is very sultry/sexy.

I haven't had bangs in a while and itching for a new look. What do you think? Should I go for it???

Photo courtesy of: nicolerichiefashion.blogspot.com

Golden Globe Beauties

Red carpet beauty and fashion is my favourite part of award shows (although I thought Ricky Gervais was hilarious) - everything else is kind of a yawn. There wasn't really anyone that stood out as a winner to me but there was definitely a lot of pretty faces and dresses.

Beauty expert and celebrity makeup artist, AJ Crimson, dishes on his favourite beauties of the night along with tips on how to achieve their flawless looks!

Julianna Margulies:

Julianna wins top spot with AJ! Natural and fresh skin, slightly defined corners of the eye make a beautiful doe eye shape in soft taupe and gold accentuated corner lashes with a subtle cheek rose color

To get the look use water based foundation to get a clean barely-there application.  On the outer corner of the eye, slightly define at the lash line into the crease. Use a soft brown shadow such as #98 by Makeup Forever or Taupe by MAC. Define the lash line with aqua black waterproof cream eyeliner, adding faux lashes on the outer corners and coat with SmashBox DNA LASH mascara.

Zoe Saldana:

Deep liner! Rim the entire eye with SMOLDER eye kohl by MAC, soften and set to prevent edges from running with Nars eye shadow in Sofia.

Kate Hudson:

I loved Kate Hudson's look. She looked stunning and classic. It was all about bronze cheek and nude lip this Spring.

To Achieve the look try SmashBox photo finish lipstick in MAGNIFICENT with Honesty by Kissable Couture on top for shine. We loved the hair softly pulled back and with a Guerlain Bronzer (Sephora.com) for the cheeks.

Anna Kendrick:

New comer - looked stunning with a soft smoky gray eye and heavy liner.

Achieve the look with lightly applied Lili Marlene cream shadow by Nars all over the lid into the crease. Set with a light sweep of #31 shadow by Makeup Forever.  Finish the look with Boot black eyeliner by MAC and Covergirl Lash blast Mascara!

Kristen Bell: 

The Peach cheek. Nothing says spring like full blushy cheeks. Try Style by MAC or for a rosy peach or #153 by Makeup Forever.

Mo'Nique:

Oh so radiant.  Very beautiful defined doe eye, bronze golden skin, soft brown eye. This look was just great placement.

To achieve this look try Exposed lip gloss by Kissable Couture #129 and soft brown eye shadow by Makeup Forever.

Christina Hendricks:

Rosy cheek, classic Red lips, black liner with heavy mascara. Try Amour by Nars Shu Umera eye pen in black with DIORShow mascara.Try adding some faux lashes for added drama! VERY MAD MEN!

My faves:

Loved AJ's choices but here are a couple of others to add to the list! 

Drew Barrymore:

I've loved Drew Barrymore since I was a kid. She has this fresh youthfulness about her and her look at the Golden Globes was exactly that. The dress wasn't my favourite - the shoulder/waist tinsel decoration kind of threw me off but she still managed to land her first Golden Globe!

Meryl Streep:

Meryl Streep can do no wrong. She is one of my absolute favourite actresses and always carries herself with such grace and elegance. Did anyone get a good look at her skin? Fabulous! Glowing and radiant.

Who were your favourite beauties at the Golden Globes this year?

www.AJCrimson.com

Photo credit: JustJared.buzznet.com