Hot or Not Beauty

One of the things that made MAC incredibly popular were its lipsticks, Madonna’s Russian Red during her Blond Ambition Tour, so this Fall MAC introduces a new lipstick formula and finish in “Mattene”, a new type of semi-matte lipstick enriched with silicone, emolients allowing soft and smooth finish.

I for one am quite excited about it. Matte lipstick can be sometimes very unforgiving on lips that have lot of lines on ‘em, a semi-matte formula allows for a sophisticated look without a drying and flakey look. Definitely a more rich formula that impregnates the lips with pigment and moisture.

For some reason, one of my personal looks is a flawless made up face with a matte finish and rich defined lips without the moist look of gloss or a lacquered finish. It just strikes me as the ultimate luxury looking at a woman and appreciating powerful defined lips were it’s all about her lips.

Fourteen shades that go from neutral beige, pink, reds, orange and the deepest of violet. My favorites are 40’s Pink, Seriously Rich, Night Violet, Classic Dame, Power Suit, Rapturous, Tango and You Say Tomato.
This Fall season proves to be the ultimate in a sensual, slight decadent look and I’m all for it.

MAC’s Smoke Signals is now in stores, yet another collection focusing on smoky eyes, sultry look, nude lips, washed out blush, yada yada bidi bam, bidi boom.

Like in my latest reviews concerning smoky eyes centered collections, it sort of gets hard to generate hype concerning the same look as interpreted by a different cosmetics brand.

First we have two different quads, one towards gray, blue and solid matte black (Gentle Fume Eyes), while the other swirls towards the smoky warm neutrals (Smoke Signals). Where taste is concerned, my eye is immediately caught by the warm/neutral quad, but it’s a matter of personal taste as I find these to be two quads that I definitely would buy (I’ll get least Smoke Signals at least).

Lips are nude and bare, moist (most in Lustre finishes) in creamy seductive beiges just waiting to be complimented by a touch of Tinted Lipglass.

The New MAC Kohls are introduced as Kohl Power Eye Pencils, this new type of pencil was created to provide a deeper color hold and still allowing blending or smudging for that gorgeous smoked effect. Both Orpheus and Raven IMMEDIATELY seduced me (as I’m an eyeliner junkie) and I’ll be getting them to add to my collection (this will promise a review on this liner later on)

The new blushes are (consistent with the overall trend) quite subdued and neutral resulting in a sculpted face that grants an even more alluring aura to the face. Definitely the cotton candy pink blush is on hiatus and the femme fatalle sharpens her claws. Emote is by far my favorite, as I tend to prefer matte blushes for smoky looks.

Smoke signals repromotes also two gorgeous pigments and the creamy nocturnelle nail lacquer, so if you want to get your hands on Dark Soul pigment, now is your chance.

Indeed, the smoke gets in your eyes.

YES! It seems that the non-smoky eye wearers will have more than one option for this fall’s collection with Armani Beauty.

Inspired by Armani leather accessories and clothes rich in feel and texture, this collection once again is synonymous with luxury.

Eyeshadows tend to go for pink, violet and ashwood tones for lid, crease and browbone with a beige shimmery highlighter that if applied to the inner corner of your eyes adds a pop that makes you look awake (for lack of a better expression).

Armani also released an eyeliner in calligraphy pen format, resembling YSL’s eyeliner pen, whose brush allows you to dot line your lash area for subtle enhancement or a very dramatic and bolder eyeliner in this water based formula (which ensures a less aggressive makeup removal).

Lips are also bold and dramatically, highly defined with lipliner with strong, darker colors and with a pinch of gloss for the usual sexy pout.

Honestly, I love this look. It’s sexy without resorting to smoky eyes (again) and adds a sense of luxury and almost decadence to the overall look. I also love pink eyeshadow and the hues selected for this eye mania palette and the fact that it has a faux snakeskin finish makes it even more glamorous.

There isn’t a big emphasis on blush and cheek definition whereas a paler softer canvas is preferred to emphasize eyes and lips.

True, I have been doing a LOT of Fall Collections for the past weeks, but ’tis the season when they’re being released and I would like to present as many options before you make your choice.

When most of them are going crazy for smoky eyes, Laura Mercier decided to go into the opposite direction towards a more natural and subtle type of beauty, evoking a rather relaxed look that she (appropriately) named Indian Summer.

Indian Summer describes the warm days that late October/November bring to us, as if it was a magical period where Summer comes back just to visit for a few days before turning into Autumn again.

OK, granted that it isn’t a collection with 20 or so different items to purchase, but what I find refreshing is that you can easily purchase this one without going bankrupt.

With three matte eyeshadows (Black Plum, Khaki and Nutmeg) and two shimmer ones (Patina and Gold Dust you can create soft, natural looks and easily transition them from day wear to evening wear.

The real novelty are the promised Lip Stains, for a natural non-defined lip shape with a less intense sheen than a gloss and the durability of a stain with a see-through color that keeps your lips colored but still natural and soft.

So embrace pure relaxation and the comfort feel of Autumn with Laura Mercier if you need an alternative from the smoky eye bandwagon that so many other brands are releasing this Fall.

Another house releases their collection, Chanel brings you to their Autumn gardens in vibrant colors.

So far, it’s my favorite collection, as usual Chanel releases one of their limited edition palettes with the “Orchidees” trio of satin finished lip glosses, one of them being a deep plum shade allowing you to customize colors for this fall.

Along with the releases are two new eyeshadow quads with “Les 4 Ombres Chanel” in Garden Party and Sequoia, a blend of neutrals and pink or pink and wearable green shades which I oddly find quite appealing considering my dislike for verdigris. A new pink/green (Lotus Cactus) duo eyeshadow is also released along with a green single “Ombre Essentielle” in Jungle.

My personal favorite are two new shades of “Le Crayon Khol” in Ambre and Black Jade, Chanel’s creamy eye pencil and one of my favorite khol eyeliners ever has two new colors that can be as glamorous or exotic as you want them to be for the perfect smoky eye..

A new blush in the Joues contrast collection in a light pink shade for the perfect slightly flushed cheeks.

Rouge Hydrabase gets four new colors in pink, plum and beige neutral tones, Aqualumiere has a plum and coral tone to its collection while Rouge Intensite and Glossimer win two new tones each.

Definitely my favourite fall collection so far, so give it a try.

The image of picture perfect skin and smoldering sensuality is the premise for Nars Fall Collection.

While lip colors range from beige, pinks and reds, the new eyeshadow duos have a metallic finish and allow both a more subdued and delicate look or a more intense glare.

I definitely recommend the Kalahari Duo Eyeshadow if you want a to give a metallic sheen and are fond of sexy neutrals and the Flamenco lipstick, because if you haven’t noticed, I’m a sucker for red lipstick.

For some reason the few collections I’ve taken a glimpse aren’t making me go wild, which is odd because I’m usually more fond of Fall/Winter collections rather Spring/Summer ones, however this year nothing so far has peaked my interest apart from the upcoming collaboration between Alexander McQueen and MAC Cosmetics.

Along with collection you get as well two new lip glosses in Chantaco and Tempest in sheer rhubarb and pink tones for all you gloss addicts. With no new products or formulations in view, NARS Cosmetics is keeping itself pretty subdued for the fall season.

It amazes me however that NARS hasn’t hopped on the mineral foundation bandwagon, leaving me wondering whether they’re still in the process of finding an adequate formula or are simply not interested at all.

Do you love free stuff? Do you love makeup? Better yet, do you love Laura Geller Makeup? And the final question is do you love reading beauty blogs? If you can answer yes to all of the following, I have got the contest for you.

I am offering full sizes of Laura Geller’s best selling products to the winner of this contest. (This contest is in no way affiliated with Laura Geller Makeup Company, but it is the makeup line of choice that I am giving away because I love it!)

The top referrer of readers to my blog will receive the following:
1. Laura Geller Spackle
2. Laura Geller Balance & Brighten
3. Laura Geller Bronze & Brighten
4. Laura Geller Blush & Brighten in Golden Apricot
5. Laura Geller Powder Pencil
6. Laura Geller Lip Shiner
You can view these products at Sephora.com.

This total package is a retail cost of $135. What you must do to win:

1. Refer readers to my blog, Hot or Not Beauty.
2. The reader that you refer must write a beauty question addressed to Ms. Hot or Not.
3. The reader that you refer must include their name, email address and your name and email address in the comments section.
4. The person that refers the most readers who post a question to Ms. Hot or Not, will receive the goodies noted above. So it’s really important to have the email addresses for contact purposes!

In addition, the top 5 beauty questions will receive a full size Laura Geller Baked it, a $28 value.
The contest will run through June 1st, with a winner being announced by June 8th. (Give me time to tabulate!)

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Did you ever dream that cruises dictated a makeup trend? Well they do. Most major deisgners produce a cruise collection each year. You know, for those ladies who can afford to buy a complete new designer collection of cruisewear just for the occasion. While most of use get a new swimsuit, a pair of capris, a couple pair of shorts and a dressy gown for that special dinner night, cruise collections are extremely popular.

This brings us to makeup. Designers spend time in perfecting the makeup looks for their collection along with their makeup artist. Backstage at the Christian Dior Cruise 2008 Fashion Show, held May 14, 2007 showed the perfect looks to accompany cruise wear. Now a couple things to remember. One — maybe you aren’t going on a cruise, but cruise wear is in effect a type of spring clothing, so you may want to check out the spring trend in makeup as presented. Two– runway makeup or makeup done for fashion shows is exaggerated. Just look at what the focal point is in the makeup and then you can have an idea of what to emphasize in your makeup to step up to the trend.

Let’s look backstage at Dior:

Notice the bold brow. Do you want to wear a thick dark brow that brings back images of the beautiful Audrey Hepburn? Maybe that’s your style. Be careful, you could easily do the Groucho Marx look. But, the designer is trying to tell us to pay attention to our brows. Fill them in with a pencil or powder. Take to to acheive a beautiful full brow. Your eyebrows should be full, not necessarily thick, sculpted and frame your face. Check out how the eyes stand out even more prominently when eyebrows are defined.

In this next set of photos, look at how cheekbones are highlighted. What’s the message here? Well, a soft highlight on top of your cheeks is flattering and soft. Even if you think you don’t have cheekbones, they are there. Take a soft shimmer powder of a cream luminizer and dot on top of your cheek to achieve this look. I love NARS Multiples, try Cococabana. Laura Geller’s Beauty Dews which contains 3 luminizers to create a luminous highlight.

Last but not least, keep lips nude or neutral so that all eyes are on your eyes.

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I haven’t posted in a few days about anything hot or not as I am on vacation in Hawaii. But I was thinking, with the use of all my sun worthy beauty products, I am nothing but Hot in Hawaii. I’ll be back next week with plenty of hot or not juiciness! In the meantime, I am totally enjoying myself doing absolutely nothing. But I am wearing plenty of sunblock and still getting bronzier than ever! Look forward to makeup tips on how to make the most of your tan next week!

Laying on the beach in Hawaii — HOT!

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Mineral makeup is all the rage right now. I don’t really believe it’s all that much better than conventional makeup, but for many women who want something that’s seemingly pure, mineral makeup is their answer. I think the number one reason is that it contains a natural SPF. Well, every woman should be wearing a sunscreen daily, with or without their makeup. Others love that they don’t contain preservatives and other additives. As a makeup artist, I’m all about the coverage and wearability.

I didn’t have any success with Bare Escentuals; it didn’t match my skin tone and dried out my skin. So now I’m on to Sheer Cover. Check back in 30 days for my review! If you have opinions about Sheer Cover, Bare Escentuals or any other mineral makeup, please let me know!

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Have you evertried to put foundation only to have it skip and tug on your skin? Or you notice that it seems to have vanished by mid-day? Or do you use moisturizer and feel a few hours later your skin feels like all the moisture has been sucked out of it? If you can answer yes to those questions — its time to check out an under makeup primer!\

So what exactly is an under makeup primer? It’s a lightweight preparation that helps makeup to go on smoother, last longer and look fresher for the day. Most primers have some sort of silicone derivitive in them to give them a nice finish on the skin. The silicone helps the primer to “float” on top of lines and large pores, creating a more even canvas for makeup application.

I find primers to indespensible for makeup application on my clients. They are paying me for meticulous makeup application, and part of that is having the perfect groundwork laid before I even begin application of the makeup. I have used practically every primer on the market and am constantly trying new ones.

I have a couple favorites that are my consistent go to primers:

1. Laura Geller Spackle Under Makeup Primer. Takes down redness, calms and leave no residue.
What it is:One of Laura Geller’s signature creations - a sleek foundation primer.

What it is formulated to do:
This sleek undercoat smoothes and perfects skin’s texture, prepping it for foundation. Formulated with nourishing, soothing botanicals, it’s lush, lightweight, and suitable for all skin types.

What else you need to know:Spackle is 100 percent oil-free and comes in an “airless” pump so you can get every drop.
Fantastic Price point! $21.5 for 2 ounces.

2. PerFekt Skin Perfection Gel — My new discovery. This primer can almost double for foundation. It even comes in a variety of “skin” tones.
This multitasking miracle ‘per-fekts’ and enhances the skin offering an alternative to traditional foundation/primer. The all-in-one vitamin enriched, sweat-resistant and water-resistant formulation glides on effortlessly to instantly improve skin tone, reduce redness, and help minimize the appearance of enlarged pores and fine lines.

Enriched with powerful antioxidants including the universal antioxidant alpha lipoic acid, and vitamins A and E to help repair, protect, and fight future environmental skin damage, this lightweight gel helps maintain hydration leaving the skin with a healthy, even glow by locking in moisture and absorbing excess skin oils. Oil Free. Fragrance-free. $57.50

Go ahead and get primed! You will have HOT beautiful skin!

Primers — Hot!

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It looks like Brazilian beauty Gisele Bundchen will no longer be modeling for Victoria’s Secret.
Page Six reports:

May 1, 2007 — GISELE Bundchen longer wears Victoria’s Secret. The Brazilian mannequin is giving up her wings as lead angel for the lingerie giant because it wouldn’t up her $5 million-a-year salary. Her sister, Patricia Bundchen, confirmed to Brazilian Web site Glamurana that contract talks had broken off. “Her demands were outrageous. She got a new lawyer who was unrealistic,” said a source. “Victoria’s Secret doesn’t care. They have five new hotter, younger girls debuting next year. And they won’t have to deal with any craziness.” Reps for Bundchen didn’t return e-mails. A rep for Victoria’s Secret declined comment.

No more of those fabulous runway shows featuring Gisele in Wings and little else…

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Spring and summer present a whole new look for makeup. It’s time to lighten up and show fresh beautiful skin. If you don’t have fresh beautiful skin, as so few of us over the age of 5 years old do, we have to fake it. Ordinarily we use foundation to conceal and in some cases mask an imperfect complexion. However, you may want to try what may be called the best of a foundation and moisturizer mixed in one – a tinted moisturizer. Tinted moisturizers present a wonderful to traditional foundation. They work double duty by providing subtle coverage to even out skin tone, and give a boost to moisturizer. I don’t recommend alleviating moisturizer in lieu of a tinted moisturizer, but instead to use a lighter version of your favorite moistsurizer or to use it a little more sparingly.

For a beautiful “natural” finish to skin, apply your tinted moisturizer and dust skin with a loose powder. You will look fresh and as if you aren’t really wearing makeup. Just one more way to keep up with those girls with flawless skin. But we won’t tell…

My top 5 tinted moisturizers:

1. Laura Mercier Tinted MoisturizerThis has got to be the Grand Dame of tinted Moisturizers.

This sheer, lightweight moisturizer contains a protective SPF 20 sunscreen and a hint of color that can be used in place of foundation for a natural finish that adds a healthy glow to your complexion. Available in 7 colors for fair to deep skin tones. $40.

2. Stila Sheer Color Tinted Moisturizer SPF 15
My second choice in the tinted moisturizer category. Want even-looking skin, but aren’t willing to take the foundation plunge? This moisturizer is packed with sun protection and just enough color to even skin tone. The light, hydrating formula is ideal for all skin types and comes in natural, see-through shades. Application is a cinch and the coverage is long lasting, leaving you with a perfect finish every time.
Size: 1.7 oz 10 shades, $30

3. Lorac ProtecTINT™ SPF 30 - Oil-Free Tinted Moisturizer
My new favorite. With an SPF 30 that doesn’t ash out on darker skins.A lightweight, oil-free, sheer tinted moisturizer that’s good for all skin types - especially sensitive skin.
protecTINT™ SPF 30 Tinted Moisturizer gives skin a natural, healthy glow, while providing protection from the harmful effects of the sun. Its unique formula instantly evens out your complexion and provides a youthful, smooth, no-makeup look and feel and never looks obvious, even close up!
Size: 1.3 oz 5 Shades, $30.

4. Dr. Brandt Tinted Daily UV Protection SPF 30 - Face I love Dr. Brandt’s tinted moisturizer for it’s slight shimmer. Tinted daily UV protection with SPF 30 and Active Renewal Shield is the minimum SPF recommended by Dr. Brandt. Absorbs quickly, without shine. 1.7 oz., $30.

5. Cosmedicine Honest Face Skin Tint & Treatment SPF 20
A lightweight, all-in-one face finisher and skin treatment with antioxidants and UVA/UVB, SPF 20 sunscreens.Creates a natural, healthy-looking finish with no telltale lines and delivers the benefits of essential moisture, broad-spectrum sunscreen protection, and potent antioxidants with skin-refining color.

Tinted moisturizers — HOT!

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Halle arrived at the Premier of Perfect stranger April 10, 2007 at the Ziegfeld Theater in New York City looking stunning as usual. A form fitting black minidress complimented her curves and I’m sure she was wearing the requisite Christian Louboutin red soled shoes that celebrities seem to prefer for red carpet appearances. Halle is on a professional role this month, having just received her star just a week ago.

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For several years, I spent my time writing advice for Sephora.com. If you are a product junkie, you know that it’s the hugest e-tailer of beauty products, cosmetics, fragrance, haircare and skincare in the world. As a makeup artist and esthetician with years of experience and one who has tried thousands of products, I am what you might call a pretty jaded guru. I’m not impressed by hype, but by results.

So in my own humble opinion, I know what’s hot and what’s not. But this is where I need you — the beauty blog readers out there. I am starting a new feature — Ask Ms. Hot or Not. So please send your questions to me via the contact link on the page, or in the comments section. If I don’t know the answer, I will do the research. If it’s a product I haven’t reviewed, I’ll get it, use it and review it. And know, I will give you my honest opinion.

Please, deluge me!

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