So with all of these award shows that have been on, there have been a ton of stunning actresses and a ton of beautiful makeup! Now, this is something that I have always loved, makeup that is. When I was younger, I knew I couldn’t afford a Chanel purse, but I could afford Chanel eyeshadow. Dior dress? Probably not, Dior mascara? heck yeah!!! On a side note, I sometimes think about if I would have saved all of that money spent on makeup...I probably could’ve eventually bought a Chanel bag...Save, Schmave. Any who, I love makeup...very, very much and at last weeks SAG awards there was some beautiful hair and makeup, so here are some of my favorite looks and the top three products you need to get the same look.
1.Retro Glamour: Dianna Agron, from Glee, looks amazing! I love the modern take on finger waves! This look is all about the lips and lashes. The red needs to be very blue based, like you just finished drinking red wine! The color should be matte, no super shine here. Also, lashes, lashes everywhere! I would do a whole top center lashes! Definitely takes some practice, but I promise once you get the hang of it, so easy. Finish, with a ton of easy, light mascara in black and perfection. Your skin should just be lightly covered and powdered for a matte finish.
Must have products: Sephora rouge ream lipstick passion red 3, $12; Laura Mercier center lashes, $18; shu uemura basic mascara in black, $27.50.
2.Modern Traditional: Diane Kruger, my favorite person ever!! I love this look because it isn’t crazy, it’s just the perfect modern mixture of your favorite traditional colors. The big money maker with this look is the matte orange red lipstick, love it. The eye is the other essential here is the brow and while this kit I’m suggesting is pricey it is wonderful!!!! You really need the most perfect dynamic brow! It opens up your face more than you will ever know, seriously, just filling in your brows can really change your whole face, in a good way. The actual eye shadow is very simple and almost 80’s which is rarely good, but it works here. It combines a very yellowish tan over the whole lid and bronzy reddish brown in the crease. This looks doesn’t require much more than a cream foundation that leaves you dewy and even. Lots of black mascara and you are all set.
Must have products: YSL Eye Quad in Sahara, $56; Anastasia Brow Kit, $75; Nars lipstick in heat wave, $22.
3.Sexy and Smokey: Christina Hendricks is rocking the smokey eye and the reason this can work for a wedding is because it’s not done in shades of grey or black, but soft browns and creams. The lighter color goes all over the eye, lid to eyebrow bone, then take the darker brown and apply to the lid and be gutsy and make a very definite cat eye. Using a blending brush you can blend the taupe pink tone into the dark brown to soften it up. The you go freaking crazy with that liner!!! Follow the lash line closely on the top and then hit up the inner eye rim on the bottom. That’s why the eyeliner must be waterproof. The lip just needs to be lightly glazed with a peachy pink gloss. The face is very naked, choose a very dewy finish foundation and a soft pink blush.
Must have products: Smashbox eyeshadow trio in headshot, $28;Smashbox jet set liner in midnight black, $22, Stila lip glaze in apricot, $22.
4.Clean and Simple : Sandra Bullock is having the best year of her life. Good for her, she still looks as good as the “While you Were Sleeping” days...hell, she looks even better! I love this makeup because it isn’t basic, but it is. Just by switching up the normal black liner with a slate blue, she completely changes it up. The eyeshadow just needs to be champagne-y colored eyeshadow all over maybe a slightly darker color for the crease, but completely line the eye with the blue. Now, I love this lip and it is definitely a layered lip. I would go for a nice peach/brown/pink colored lipstick, very close to your lip color, but with some sparkle, then add a wonderful sheer peach/pink/nude color over it to give you a full and shiny lip. love! The rest of the face is just evened out with a dewy foundation.
Must have products: Clinique colour surge lip stick in adore u, $14; Nars lip gloss in Roman Holiday, $24; Makeup Forever cream liner in matte turquoise, $20.
5.Bronzed Bombshell: Lea Michelle looked the best I have ever seen her on the red carpet. This look is all about the bronzer! It’s everywhere with even more dusted on the cheek bone. You want to look sunkissed...not orange or splotchy, so with a fluffy blush brush, trace a three on your face starting just above the eyebrow, down to the cheek bone, then down to the chin. Finish with a light dusting on your nose. Basically, the places you would get sunburned. (**subliminal message: wear sunscreen always! even on a cloudy day**) The eyebrow must be filled in! A thick strong brow really makes this. The eye is just full of lashes and black mascara. The lip is also a strong feature in this look, not because it’s a crazy color, but because she has beautiful full lips...so rock a nearly sheer lip plumping gloss to get her delightful nude pout.
Must have products: Too Face bronzer in sun bunny, $27; Dior lip maximizer, $29.50; Anastasia perfect brow pencil, $22.
6.Ice Princess: Kate Hudson is pretty awesome. I would totally believe her if she told me she never used botox. You can see the wrinkles around her eyes, mouth, and forehead. They aren’t gross and if anything they make her look sexier...like she’s lived! The alien injectables queen herself, Nicole Kidman, should take note! Okay, back to the subject. The ice princess look can be tricky because it can very quickly go from pretty and ethereal to junior prom in the 80’s mixed with the actual ice capades. Not to much sparkle. The eyeshadow needs to be a pretty palette of icy peaches, purples, and pinks. Avoid straight up white. The eye is a light pinky tone all over, with a darker shade worked into the crease blended with a medium shade. To make your eyes look wide and bright, add a dot of the lightest color to the inner corner of your eye, trust me it works. A slick of black liner and mascara and you are done. Your foundation needs to be dewy, but completely without sparkle or luminizers, just to even out your skintone. Then swipe the cheeks with a luminescent blush/bronzer so your cheeks to give yourself a fairy princess glow. Finish with a nice light pink gloss and voila.
Must have products: Dior 5 colour eyeshadow in petal shine, $58; Clinique fresh bloom all over colour in almond blossom, $29.50; Fresh lip gloss in sugar charm, $18.
All products can be found at Sephora because I think that is the easiest makeup store to shop from. No pushy sales people, they let you take home samples of everything, and they are great to shop from online. No, Sephora didn’t pay me to say that!
Until we meet again, stay bridal and don’t worry makeup doesn’t count toward the total budget...or at least mine didn’t!!!
Lauren
Answer: Mandy, don’t stress first of all. When I am hired and I begin to contact venues here are the questions and points that I touch on.
5) Chloe Sevigny in Valentino. Now here’s the thing, I don’t hate this dress, in fact, if it was a bit less ruffly around the mid section, I might even love this, but alas, it looks a hot mess. The gown is truly “wearing her.” She’s a weird one for sure, but if you see at a Big Love premiere event, she looks smoking hot in a bright orange number. Her hair and makeup are fresh, but not overdone...unlike the globes where it looks like hair and makeup were an afterthought. So, think about your wedding day ensemble and if it’s not perfect don’t be afraid to belt the waist or have it tailored differently than it was meant to.
4) Julianne Moore in Balenciaga. Here is a perfect example of a runway gown not translating to the red carpet. On a 7 foot tall 98 pound model I bit this outfit looked HOOOTTTT. But on Moore it looks more like a statement of fashion than a pretty dress. She has absolutely no shape. But if you look at the unbelievable YSL gown she wore to the ‘03 Oscars, it’s like night and day. The silhouette is stunning on her curves and she looks sexy...not like she is hiding a beer gut. So, as tempting as it is to be trendy, if the trend involves making you appear shapeless, skip it.
3) Liona Lewis in some ugly prom dress. I have say that this woman is the most terribly dressed woman in Hollywood. She has a knack for wearing very ill fitting clothes, this monstrosity is a perfect example...her boobs, hips, waist all blend together into one wonky mess. She also never seams to be able to get her outfit, accessories, and hair and makeup to match. So, if you are having a beach wedding a tight formal chignon is probably not the right way to go. Unfortunately, I have no good pictures of Leona, she is a beautiful girl who can saaaaaang, but she can’t dress to save her life, she should hire me. Avoid, everything she wears :)
2) Heidi Klum in Roberto Cavalli. Now Heidi Klum reaches outside of the fashion norm quite a bit and for that she should be commended. I usually give her props for her style, even if I don’t like the gown, but this Barbie meets Miss Texas look is unforgivable. How could such a beautiful women look so silly? It was raining, so we won’t deduct full marks for the super flat hair, which should’ve just gone up...but this dress. How do you make Heidi Klum look lumpy? This terrifying dress! Think? If Heidi can’t pull this dress off, then what normal woman could??? Here are some perfect examples of how fashion forward can be fabulous! She wore the silver Armani Prive to the Emmy’s and the red John Galliano to the Oscars. She was wearing these original pieces of art and doing it in such a sophisticated way. So, flattering and fashion forward equals good. Barbie equals bad. got it. good. Also, don’t fight the elements, if you know that your hair is going to go crazy flat wear it up. I got married in Savannah in the dead of summer and my giant Italian hair was out of control...I didn’t fight it, curly and up. Done.
1) Christian Hendricks in Christian Siriano. Wow, wow, wow. This mama has some out of control knockers and she is stunning. This gown does nothing for her, absolutely nothing. I mean, I appreciate how little her waist is and little it looks with all of the cinching, but that growth coming out of her hip is just ghastly. She looks fat! She isn’t fat! She’s sexy, curvy, and surprisingly tiny...so to wear a gown that makes her look anything but is just...NO! Plus, the color is not good...well I mean if it was 1993...maybe, not to mention that she looks Casper pale because the color has so much pink in it her skin looks dull. Even, her hair looks sad. The fabric choice also gives me the stink eye...cheap is the only word that comes to mind. Let’s recall the glory that was “the green gown” more specifically the Tadashi she wore to the Emmys. I mean, gasp! Perfection. She glows, her boobs look amazing, but the cinching around the waist and the seam down the middle just emphasizes her truly tiny waist. The slit is sexy...but not too high. I love the gold strappy sandals that make her look as though her legs go on for miles. She looks like a fairy. So big note, especially if you are a curvy girl, don’t pile on unnecessary ruffles and details! Simply showing off your curves is enough.
Colors: So the color de jour were all shade s of purple, hot pink, pale pink, and nude. Seriously, that was about it. Some folks went crazy and wore other colors or boring black, but that is what’s in. Purple has had a super long run, I mean it’s been “hip” for longer than normal in the fashion world. I think what the red carpet is changing about purple are the shades, there are no rules. You can wear it bright, deep, ombre, basically anyway you want. So I think that these shades for your bridesmaids gowns are a refreshing and vibrant way to add this chic color to your wedding. Look at Sandra Bullock, Zoe Saldana, Emily Blunt, and Drew Barrymore all wearing shades of pink and purple and each one is so different and singular. I would even love a mixture of all of these shades in the bridesmaids gowns, very chic.
Asymmetry: I think the one shoulder looks has evolved quite a bit since it first hit the fashion scene. It’s much more delicate and architectural, than it’s boring predecessors. I love Marion Cotillard’s green Dior! The one shoulder is perfectly structured and fitted! And Anna Kendrick in her Marchesa stunner, the one shoulder is perfect and interesting. While this is a bold choice, it doesn’t detract from her face, in fact, it might actually draw your eye up! This is an easy look to wear on your bridal gown or on your bridesmaids.
Sheer Fabrics with Glitter: There was a lot of sparkle, but very soft and mostly placed delicately on light, almost sheer fabrics. Instead of head to toe glitter it was very easy and modest. It’s all about that fairy-like glitz, nothing crazy, just the perfect amount of sparkle so that when you move it catches the light just right! Jennifer Garner, Drew Barrymore and Paula Patton all rocked this trend and I think that this is the perfect trend to use for wedding gowns. It can be so sexy and understated. 
When trying on perfumes, make sure you are fresh and clean. And just in case it isn’t obvious, don’t wear perfume to the smelling. I suggest going to places like Ulta or Sephora where the sales people tend to leave you alone if you say no thanks. I think it’s a good idea to do research ahead of time, so you can have 4 scents in mind that you must try. By doing some reading before you shop you can also avoid spraying on a scent with notes of smells you hate. If you hate floral smells then you should avoid Britney Spears’ Believe or if you hate amber it’s probably best you don’t use Narciso Rodriguez for her, so on and so forth. So once you know your 4 testers spray one on your left wrist, another on your right wrist and the remaining two on your left and right elbow bit. Make sure you get a direct spray, no cross contamination. Smell each one moments after applying. Make use the coffee beans which should be out on display, they help clear out the previous scent and neutralize your sense of smell before inhaling the next. Genius right!?
Speaking of “the good stuff” let’s talk about the three different types of perfume and why some cost a lot more. The difference between the three really has to do with the ratio of ethanol or a mixture of water and ethanol to the percentage of actually perfume oil.
Feeling Sassy: Mix Yellow and Purple. Now I prefer for this to be a rich golden yellow and a deep eggplant purple, paler shades of these colors can be beautiful, but you run the risk of having your wedding look like a 8 year old girls room. This color combo is one of my favorites! I love color blocking these colors...for example, have your girls wear a deep eggplant color and carry a rich golden yellow bouquet and vice-versa. What I also like about this and well, actually all of these color combos, is that white goes perfectly with the combinations with being distracting. Yay! Save money!!! The white plates, white chairs, you are able to go with what’s available.
Feeling up for a Threesome: Ew,you perv, I mean three colors. Try Yellow, Grey, and Turquoise. This trio of colors is among my absolute favorite. Now I would have yellow and grey act as the main colors, like most of the pictures shown, but then just add a few pops of the turquoise. I think this is a way to doll it up a bit, give a bit of umph. If you notice in the picture with the grey and yellow, it looks kind of bland, I think that if they would have thrown a splash of turquoise it would lighten the mood a bit. Perhaps one of the plates? or maybe if the napkins were patterned turquoise and grey. Fabulous!!!