skinDEEP

GLITZ & GLAM AT THE GLOBES

Award show season has finally begun! It’s time for the stars to bring their A game for the red carpet. Honestly, who really cares about the actual award show? My favorite part is watching the pre-show and seeing what stars are wearing and who they are with. If you follow my tweets (couldn’t stop tweeting during the show!), you would know that I had some pretty strong opinions on the stars choices of the night. 

Some not so favs:

• Sarah Michelle Gellar: I’m not down for that fluffy/swirly prom dress look.
• Emma Stone: I know people loved it but eh…
• Freida Pinto: The hair, the makeup, and even the Prada (yes, I said it!) wasn’t impressive. Seriously, I really really want to root for her, but she makes it so hard sometimes. I’m waiting for the day she wow’s me on the red carpet!

Some favs:

• Paula Patton: I loved the yellow on her skin, but I think I just love HER so anything she wears is automatically perfect.
• Sofia Vergara: Vera+ Sofia= masterpiece
• Mila Kunis and Charlize Theron: J’adore Dior..enough said!

The stars above definitely impressed, but there were two show stoppers of the night that I have to highlight. They literally took my breath away. Here they are: 

ANGELINA JOLIE

Not many people can pull off that high of a slit and still look like pure class. The red accent on her Atelier Versace dress went perfectly with her crimson Christian Louboutin clutch and scarlet lip color. Her skin looked like porcelain, and I love the way she did her top eye liner. It was just the perfect amount to keep the focus on her plump lips. She went simplistic with Lorrain Schwartz jewelry, well that is, if you count 25 carat earrings and a 12 carat ring as simple…

BTW, did anyone else notice how Lorrain Schwartz was the clear celeb favorite of the night? I felt like every other person on the red carpet was wearing her jewelry this year. 

LEA MICHELE

I hate to admit this because I think this girl is so ridiculous on a red carpet with her posing. I’ve never seen a celeb scold, pucker, and swing as much as her, but I have to give credit where credit lies. Lea Michele killed it in this Marchesa dress. It’s so different and bold, but at the same time so elegant. Her hair and makeup definitely topped off the look. By putting her hair up, we were able to focus on the beauty of the dress and her stunning makeup. Love the contouring, love the smouldering eyes, and love love love the nude lips. Shout out to fab Lancome makeup artist Melanie for a job well done!

P.S I’m really annoyed that Kim Kardashian and I have the same two favorites of the night. Really Kim, couldn’t you have picked any other two people to love?! Click here to see Kim talking about her thoughts on being called out during the monologue of the award show and why Angelina and Lea Michele were also her favorites. 

Who were YOUR Golden Globe favs? Do you have the same ones as me?

HAIR TRENDS: OMBRE ANYONE?

Whether it be highlights, streaks, or unnatural hair period, I’m not really a fan of hair coloring (after painful trial and error throughout my teenage years ofcourse-we all go through a phase of curiosity!). With that said, I do get an itching for a change every once in awhile! Having a solid hair color can get boring. At the same time, I don’t really want to go as drastic as cutting off 10 inches to suffice my craving to try something new. Lucky for me, ombre hair is sweeping Hollywood and gives me just the fix I need. If you think you have no idea what I’m talking about, you’re probably wrong! I’m sure you’ve noticed the look on your favorite celebs but just didn’t know the hair coloring tactic had a name. Here it is: 

Ombre hair is basically a dark to light fade of color in your hair starting from your roots. What I love is that this look can either be extremely dramatic or super soft. Depending on your personality and preference, you can go either way. Personally, I’m leaning towards the gradual fading of color, but as you can see from the stars above, it works for everyone! 

WARNING: This has to be done by someone who really knows what they are doing. Otherwise, you could take the risk of just looking like you really just need to get your roots done. I’ve been seeing DIY versions of this but nothing impressive. I say stick to a professional!

What do YOU think? Are YOU a fan of ombre hair?

LOOK LIKE A CELEB, CONTOUR YOUR FACE

It’s the trick used by every girl walking the red carpet to make their nose look thinner/longer or their jaw line/cheek bones more defined. Rhinoplasty isn’t necessary to make that bump on your nose go away. You’d be surprised at how many plastic surgery rumors circle around (granted in Hollywood, most are true) when in reality it was a fab makeup artist who knew how to restructure a celebs face simply with the use of cosmetics. You don’t have to be famous or pay someone a crazy amount of money to get the same effect. Learning the tricks are simpler than you think. By using specific products in distinct parts of your face, you too can make your round face more prominent. 

Having a round face myself, I learned these tricks to help certain features of my face stand out. Instead of looking through your favorite magazine and wishing you had certain features of your favorite celeb (we are all guilty of it!), make note of these simple techniques to help define your face using bronzer, blush, and highlighter: 

BRUSH: Before you can think of contouring, having the right tools will give you the best results. An angled brush is your best bet. I recommend MAC’s 168 Large Angled Contour Brush. What I love is that this brush is that it is great for blush and bronzer, so you’re really getting your moneys worth.

BRONZER: Bronzer is great for contouring because it is usually a shade or two darker than your actual skin tone. My favorite bronzer is bare minerals warmth, but you can use whichever you feel works best with your skin! A substitute to this is buying a foundation or powder that is two shades darker than your skin, but I feel like that is a waste of money when most people already own a bronzer. Here are different places to apply the bronzer: 

• Under the apple of your cheek bone diagonally or parallel to your jaw line to make your cheekbones pop.
• On the sides of your nose from the bridge coming straight down. This will make it look longer and thinner. BLENDING IS KEY HERE!
• On your jaw line and under your chin will make your round face look more elongated and who doesn’t want that?!

BLUSH: Blush contrasts well with the bronzer or any shade you chose to you that is two shades darker. By applying the bronzer under the cheekbone and putting the blush directly on the cheekbone, you really make the apple stand out. Applying this has the same guidelines as the bronzer except it should go one level above where you applied the bronzer going parallel to the jaw line. 

HIGHLIGHTER: If you want more details about highlighter, read my post on how highlighter can make you glow like the stars do. In the post, I mention the power of highlighter and how versatile it is. It can be used to: 

• Line the bottom and top middle portion of your lips to make their shape more prominent.
• Cover a small bump on top of your nose (used by so many stars like Kim Kardashian and Jessica Simpson)
• Line the top of your brows, acting almost as an eye shadow
• Make your cheekbones stand out even more. This is the last touch in making those apples pop. After applying the bronzer and blush, the line above that is where highlighter should go, and once again parallel to your jaw. I added just a little dab right on the apple on top of the blush just to add a little more pop. 

After reading this, you will start to look at pictures of celebrities differently. You’ll notice the line of bronzer, blush, than highlighter as you move higher up and to the inner portion of their faces. The first person I really noticed it on was Tyra Banks but virtually every celeb does it. I think the reason people love going to get their makeup done is really because of how good the makeup artist is at contouring. It’s a trick that takes practice and perfecting to fit your specific face shape, but once you do, you won’t feel the need to go to MAC and buy $50 dollars worth of makeup just to get your makeup done for free anymore! Hope the diagram (although rough) helps you better understand contouring: 

What are YOUR thoughts on contouring? Do you contour on the same parts of your face as I do?

THE KARDASHIAN…NAIL POLISH?

Earlier this year it was announced that the Kardashians would come out with a line of nail polish shades for OPI. Kim Kardashian took to her blog today to talk about their latest business venture and post a preview of the line. The nail polish collection titled ‘Kardashian Kolors’ stays true to their enterprises theme of labeling words with their signature letter ‘K’. This time, the two younger Kardashians, Kendall and Kylie, joined in on the project. 

Kris Jenner seriously knows how to turn 15 minutes into 30. Smart move by adding the next generation of Kardashian ladies to the line. She’s gotta make her ‘momager’ ten percent from someone when the Kim obsession dies town! 

You won’t believe the names of the new shades, which are personalized to each of the Kardashian ladies themselves. Kourtney has a shade called “Kourt is Red-y For a Pedi” and Khloe’s shade is called “Khloe Had a Little Lam-Lam”. I honestly cannot wait to hear what Kim came up with. I will die if it has anything to do with her no name fiance Kris Humphries, but in true Kim fashion, I have a feeling it’ll revolve around her!

The line will be out just in time for Christmas (stocking stuffers anyone?) for $7.99 each at Nicole by OPI. Let the Kardashian reign continue!

UPDATE: CHECK OUT THE LIST OF ALL 14 CREATIVE SHADE NAMES ON COCO PEREZ.

What do you guys think of the OPI collection? Will YOU buy the ‘Kardashian Kolors’? 

WANT HIGH CHEEKBONES? USE BRONZER!

You know how everyone has that one product they have to put on their face no matter where they are going? My product is bronzer! Even if I don’t wear foundation, blush, concealer, or powder, I always put on bronzer. There is something about the way it makes my cheeks look that I love. A light brush of bronzer allows me to have the natural look without looking caked on for day to day activities. 

Not everyone is a fan of bronzer. A lot of people don’t understand what’s the purpose of it if you have a dark complexion. Everyone always asks me “don’t you want to look lighter and doesn’t that stuff just make you look darker?” I don’t necessarily agree with that. I think bronzer has a way of making your cheeks glow and highlighting cheekbones. **BEAUTY TIP**It can also make those who don’t have very high cheek bones look as if they do. Just because you weren’t born with them doesn’t mean you can’t look like you have them! #justsaying

I have 3 favorite bronzers. I ranked them below in order of most to least favorite (but keep in mind all three are great and work differently for different people/occasions).

1. Bare Minerals Warmth: This is my absolute FAV. It’s my every day bronzer. Because I already have tan skin, it provides just the right tone of red to my skin to help my cheekbones stand out.                                                          
2. MAC Bronzing Powder Matte Bronze: This is the bronzer I use more for when I go out. I purposely by the Matte one without shimmer because I like to add shimmer with a good blush and highlighter rather than just trying to use one product to do all three (gives a better finish).                                                              
3. LORAC Tantalizer: For those of you who are looking for a product that DOES bronze, blush, and highlight all in one, this is it! It is highly pigmented and gives the same effect as the three in one product.

I wanted to show the difference between a celeb who actually has high cheek bones and one that just looks like they do with the help of their glam squad. What’s the Point? Well, I really want people to understand that you have the ability to look like these celebs do whether you believe it or not! 

Jessica Biel (on the left) DOES have naturally high cheekbones while Christina Aguilera (on the right) does NOT. Christina Aguilera has a rounder face but look how much her cheeks are radiating! You too can make your cheekbones appear higher than they actually are with the proper tools. 

SIDE NOTE: I always link the products I suggest to a website where you can buy them. If you want to try these products out, hit on the link and it will direct you to a retailer that sells it. I do recommend going into the store and trying it on first, but this will allow you to see the price of the product and a store that for sure carries it. 

What bronzer gives YOU the highest cheekbones?

BEAUTY OF THE WEEK: J.LO

This week Jennifer Lopez was crowned the ”World’s Most Beautiful Woman” by People. She has had an AMAZING year with her recent role as a judge on American Idol, huge endorsement deal with L’Oreal Paris, a new album with a number one hit ft Pitbull, and now THIS! 

I have to say that this title is well deserved. J.Lo is 41 years old, has had twins, and STILL looks drop dead gorgeous. I love the way her hair has been looking recently (granted they are probably extensions), and she always seems to have flawless skin! I’m a harsh critic when it comes to celeb’s make up because I think anyone how has an entire team of people helping them get ready should have no excuse to not look good; I must say that it is hard to find a picture of Jennifer Lopez (she def went through a rough patch during the Jenny from the block days) where she doesn’t look absolutely perfect. I hope to have skin as great as hers at her age! Big ups to Jennifer Lopez and her glam squad for making sure she never over does it but still keeps it interesting and fresh.

Want to know how J.Lo gets her signature glow? Read about her beauty routine and more in her interview with Allure.

What are your thoughts on my pick for “Beauty of the Week”? 

HIGHLIGHTERS: GLOW LIKE THE STARS DO

Does anyone else get really annoyed looking at pictures of famous people and wonder how their skin is ALWAYS glowing? Ladies, don’t let them fool you. I guarantee you that only 1% actually have a natural glow to their skin. The rest is in the hands of their make up artists. The mistake that a lot of girls make is buying products that have a natural shimmer in them already thinking this will do the trick of a highlighter. 

The proper highlighter, if applied evenly, can give YOU the same brightening effect that it gives the stars! It’s all about finding the one that works best with your skin. This product is ALWAYS noticeable in pictures. People will start to tell you that your skin look radiant, and it’s all with the help of a highlighter. Below is my personal favorite highlighter: 

Favorite Highlighter: MAC Pearl Cream Colour Base

I know it may look like the MAC eye shadows, but it’s not. It’s larger in size and isn’t a powdery substance. I’m a fan of this product because of its creamy texture (since I have dry skin). Also, a highlighter can be used on different parts of your face NOT just your cheekbones. My favorite places to apply highlighter are as follows:

1. below the arch of my brow
2. cheekbones
3. right above your upper lip (just a TAD bit)
4. right below your bottom lip (just a TAD bit)

**BEAUTY TIP** If you are insecure about having a big nose, putting a dab of the highlighter vertically across the middle of your nose is suppose to make it appear leaner (this was said by Kim Kardashian after all the rumors of her getting a nose job)

For those of you have oily skin, I recommend using an eye shadow as a highlighter. It may sound crazy, but the MAC White Frost (click here to read about how this product can also be used for smoky eyes) can be used on your cheek bones and actually helps make your skin feel less oily since it’s more of a powdery substance. 

Do you use a highlighter?

RED LIPS— IS IT FOR YOU?

I know everyone sees all the celebs wearing the cherry red lipstick and wants to try it out but scared to because it is SO bold. I personally think it’s a great look! It’s different, fun, and daring. I feel like red lips are all about confidence. If you believe you look good in it, everyone else will too. That being said, BOYS HATE IT! I don’t know if its too different for them or they just don’t understand fashion, but I have yet to meet a guy who actually thinks red lips looks good on anyone that isn’t on a runway. My two personal favorite red lips are below: 

Personal Favorite 1: YSL Rouge Pur Couture

Personal Favorite 2: Bobbi Brown Vixen Red

My advice is that if you are doing red lips for a date or before dinner/ drinks, carry the lipstick with you throughout the night! Although these shades are HIGHLY pigmented (when I say highly, I mean HIGHLY), it’s never a good look when your lip color fades. The purpose of red lips is to be BOLD, so to maintain that look throughout the night, make sure to throw your lipstick in your clutch. Below are some of my favorite celebrities rocking cherry red lips:

 Least Favorite: Kim Kardashian

I think the best look on her is nude lips, but it’s always fun to change it up every once in awhile!

 Most favorite: Rihanna

That girl can pull off ANY look, but because she has amazing plump lips, this red really works on her. 

Are you daring enough to wear red lips?

MAKE UP DO’s AND DON’Ts: VANESSA HUDGENS

Has anyone else noticed how different Vanessa Hudgens looks post break up with Zac Efron? Did she break up with her glam squad too? She cut off her gorgeous hair, started dressing “edgy”, and completely changed the way she does her make up. I thought celebrities up’ed their style after a public break up. I was looking at some pictures of her pre-breakup and post-breakup and it made me sad. Vanessa, you are naturally stunning, BUT if you are going on the red carpet, look in the mirror first! She’s the perfect celebrity for my first “Make up Do’s and Don’ts” posting. 

MAKE UP DO’s: You don’t always have to go dramatic with the eyes. 

Vanessa goes for the natural look and sometimes that’s the best approach. You don’t want to always looked caked on. A nude lip, subtle shadow, nice lashes, and glowing face is a great way to look naturally glamorous. I am obsessed with her entire look in this picture. Her dress, hair, and make up accent each other perfectly. I love that she wore a long necklace with the low cut neck line too. 

MAKE UP DON’Ts: Don’t wear a dark lip color with smoky eyes

Combining the two can lead to a clownish look. My advice is to stick to one or the other. Either wear dramatic eyes or dramatic lips— NOT both (unless you plan on doing a photo shoot for vogue). Smoky eyes in my opinion looks best with nude lips (learned that from Kim Kardashian). 

SIDE NOTE: Has anyone else noticed how amazing her cheek bones are? She always knows exactly how to smile to accent them too! 

Which Vanessa do you like better? Pre or post Zac Efron?