Hot or Not Beauty

We’ve already discussed the First Lady’s look - with that, let’s take a look at other beauty looks at the inaugural festivities.

Ashley Judd dolled up for the Purple Ball with shimmery eyeshadow and an updo.

Courteney Cox was more casual for the RIAA and Feeding America Ball, leaving her long locks loose.

At the same event, Rihanna complemented her yellow frock with bold eyeliner and her signature cropped ‘do.

At the Artists Making an Impact event, Jessica Alba is bang-on trend with her new ‘do.

At the Creative Coalition’s Inaugural Ball, Anne Hathaway went classic, with red lips and a sleek bob.

Finally, Demi Moore proved that there’s no age limit on long hair, looking better than ever with flowing locks and minimal makeup at MTV and Service Nation’s “Be The Change: Live From The Inaugural Ball.”

Today, Angelina Jolie showed up at the Berlin premiere of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button on the arm of her partner Brad Pitt, who stars in the film. I should, however, call this the curious case of Angelina’s updo, because I’m not entirely sure what she’s going for with this gravity-defying, side-swept look. On one side, it looks like a retro pinned-up faux-bob, while on the other side it looks more like a French twist. This unusual style did serve a purpose, though - it showed off the statement-making earring hanging from her left ear! The bold bling dangled nearly to her shoulder, and it provided some much-needed balance to the look.

So what do you think? Is Angelina’s premiere ‘do quirky and inventive, or just confusing?

As you know by now, President-elect Barack Obama will be inaugurated on Tuesday. Many of his celebrity supporters are flocking to Washington D.C. to celebrate the occasion - with that, some of the festivities have begun already.

The Latino Inaugural Gala took place on Sunday night at Union Station in D.C. - celebrities in attendance included Soledad O’Brien, David Archuleta, Marc Anthony, and his wife Jennifer Lopez. Jennifer showed a touch of patriotism in a true-blue gown, and she opted to match her makeup to the frock, accenting her eyes with smoky blue shadow. Her earrings matched the jeweled accent on the dress, and to show them off, she pulled her hair back in a sleek updo.

So what do you think of Jennifer’s inaugural style? Is it hot, or is it not?

Many stars showed off their style at Sunday’s Golden Globes, with statement-making hair and makeup looks to go with their designer gowns. One of the evening’s most striking statements was made by Drew Barrymore. She opted for pale blue eyeshadow (matching her Dior gown) and pink lips, with her blonde locks heavily teased.

Drew has always been a fashion and beauty risktaker, and once again, it seems to have paid off - many of the evening’s red-carpet reports have reported on her favorably. People even went so far as to call her a “ringer for Marilyn Monroe,” while E!’s Fashion Police compliment her on her sense of fun. So now it’s your turn to play good cop/bad cop. Does Drew look outrageously gorgeous or just outrageous? Share your thoughts below.

Take a look and then read:

Was it just me that was shocked by Britney’s opening act? Yes, indeed, I am writing about a celebrity, that’s how much it shocked me.

Usually these award ceremonies have pretty interesting opening acts (some pretty outstanding), but Britney’s wasn’t. She didn’t seem to be back in shape (note I didn’t say fat, I said out of shape) and her dancing was too slow and forced making it a completely non-natural way to move.

The clothes she was wearing were beyond awful, show some dignity girl, sexy doesn’t have to be skanky. Everything was wrong, that hideous top and shorts (they kind of looked like a glamorized version of grandma panties) plus with those boots…

But on to the makeup, Britney was wearing a sort of winged smoky eye in black with some neutral shades on her crease. Her foundation and blush or whatever she was wearing were oddly applied to say the least, she seemed dirty as opposed to polished. I also didn’t like her lipstick plus gloss, maybe the shock was so intense that I ended up not liking anything. And her hair seemed like it hadn’t been washed in 5 days and fallen victim to a bad bleach/dye job.

I was hoping for a great comeback, instead got a below average performance, a song that sounds like “I’m a slave for you” and what can’t possibly have seemed like a good idea in any personal stylist’s mind. This my dears, is a huuuuuuuuuuuuuge not when you want to look hot.

Back to the drawing board, I shiver at how that music video is going to look like.

We see Beyonce’ glammed to the max on all her public appearances. But what about her day to day look. Is she as glamourous without all the makeup and diva accessories? You decide.

Au natural or

Super Glam!

Beyonce — either way = HOT!

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I was having a hard time getting my creative juices going about what’s hot in beauty. Or even what’s not hot in beauty. So I thought I would do a retropsective on some of my favorite posts.

First there was the Lucy Lawless post about her transition from Raven Xena to Blonde bombshell that stirred many a comment. Since this going to the light side is a trend in Hollywood, it’s no wonder that the majority of readers went the way of fair haired Lucy.

My favorite post immediately followed the infamous Lucy Lawless post. When Did Baby Get Back on the Red Carpet. A look backward at the classic poses of silver screen godesses over the years. And how the red carpet has turned into an arena for who has the maximus gluteus maximus. I guess all those lunges in the gym are worth it if you are wearing a skin tight dress that’s exposing every inch of your back side. Vida Guerra, Beyonce, Jennifer Lopez take the prize on Baby’s that got back. Beauty is all in the booty it seems.

Of course, who can forget the fabulous Raquel Welch. That was a memorable post. For quite a few men that is.

Last but not least, Golden Globes, Hot or Hot Mess was one of my favorites. I love sitting at home in sweats and glasses with a wine glass in one hand and a bowl of popcorn in the other, making fun of celebrities who look a hot mess on the red carpet. That’s what they get paid for, right?

I’ll get back on track tomorrow. Until then, have fun looking at those great celebrity photos.

Hot or Not Beauty — HOT!

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We have seen Jessica Alba grow up to be quite a woman. Her roll in Sin City hurled her into instant sex goddess stature. But it was her simple down to earth good looks that made her a hot commodity. Apparently Revlon thought so too, as Jessica just signed a contract worth 5 million with the age old cosmetics company.

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We all look a little wretched in the morning. I mean, come on. You get up, you need coffe, need to brush your teeth, comb you hair and spiff up a bit. Some of us put on makeup before we hit the door because of work etc. As a makeup artist, I see women at their WORST! You know, the before and after thing. So, I was browsing some blogs the other day, and found these pictures that I just had to share. Several famous celebrity women without having their makeup artist guru work their magic on them. I’m sure you will be surprised. Check Julia Roberts, Drew Barrymore, Halle Berry, Britney Spears and more.

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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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Well, most of you who read my blog know that I’m so girlie it’s really sick. I’m into the whole makeup, skincare, big hair thing. BUT, I happen to be a huge football fan. Raised on it. With that being said, I’m all Silver & Black. For those of you who are NFL newbies, that spells Raiders. I even got to write a piece for a fellow blogger about my favorite losers. Check out Talking NFL. Now mind you, we really stunk last year. I needed extra therapy coming off of that season. I mean, even my silver and black game day shoes and Raider thong didn’t even help. But this year, I’m optimistic all over again. New day right?

So with that in mind, I’d thought I’d talk about of my few favorite HOT silver and black things.

Makeup

Silver Lining Powder Pencil by Laura Geller is smokin HOT! If you want to look sultry without the drama, this is the pencil to use. It gives depth and definition and brightens the eyes at the same time. I love it.

When I do go for black, it’s Shu Uemura Liquid Eye Liner. Intensely black eye liner with a precise, pointed felt tip. Refillable liquid ink. An industry favorite.

Jewelry
Let me just say anything by David Yurman. Beautiful Silver Ice. His jewelery is comtemporary classic.

Last but not least — Shoes!
All black. Christian Louboutin grown up Mary Jane. Sexy, sexy, sexy. Just like me.

And I’m going on record with saying that I WANTED these shoes loooong before I saw Halle with them on this week.

Silver and Black — HOT! Go Raiders!

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Halle Berry was immortalized on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame yesterday. Her star is planted on Hollywood Boulevard in front of Kodak Theatre. Halle is looking hot as usual is a form fitting black dress. In attendance is her model guy boyfriend Gabriel Aubry as well as her mother and Samuel L. Jackson.

Halle was the first African American Actress to receive an Oscar for Best Actress 5 years ago for her roll on Monsters Ball. She currently is staring with Bruce Willis in Perfect Stranger.

Halle with a star on Hollywood Walk of Fame — HOT!

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I’m a 40+ woman and I think Halle is the bomb. In my book she’s the sexiest woman in Hollywood, hands down. Her body is perfection, her skin is flawless and she is a NATURAL beauty. She definitely hit the jackpot on the gene pool. (Have you seen her mom? YUCK!) Halle hit Hollywood with a cute face, slamming body and short hair. Today she wears her hair longer and most recently added bangs to her look. However, her short hair evolved into a signature look that we all grew to love. Her face matured and her cheek bones became even more prominent. Those beautiful eyes and bright smile are what makes Halle the ideal candidate for short hair. That short pixie hair was at it’s shining best when she won her Oscar in 2002. (She was also married to that idiot Eric Benet at the time.)

And who can forget that signature hair when she emerged on the beach as Jinx in her Bond Girl moment. Or was anyone actually thinking about the hair? I remember my cousin, “OH MY GOD, when that Halle came out of the water, all I could think was DAMN! And I was sitting there with my wife.” Do you think he loved that hair? Maybe it had to to with the fact that plastic surgeons report that she has the number one most requested body. Umm, put me on that list.

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It’s no secret that Beyonce’ wears extentions, hair weaves, whatever you want to call all that excess hair. And she wears them well. She has come a long way with her weaves. From ultra blonde to auburn, to red, to brown to chocolate, she has done all the hair colors. Straight, curly, kinky, long, pony tails, updos, bangs — Beyonce’ has worn most every style in the book. Now, don’t get me wrong, I LOVE extensions. Extensions are a sensible choice for women who change their look often. Hair weaves also work for women who just don’t want to be bothered with styling their hair on a daily basis. (I plead the fifth).

Hair extensions are not new. Hollywood Divas have been wearing them for years. Hair weaves come in several varieties — sew-in, glue-in, cap, fusion and more. They also come in a variety of prices ranges. For the type of weave that Beyonce’ wears, you will probably be paying thousands to the likes of Ellin LeVar, stylist to the stars. Her clientele includes Donatella Versace, Iman, Julia Roberts, Naomi Campbell among others.

I like that Beyonce’ has big beautiful hair. She’s bigger than life and can pull off bigger than life hair. Forget this sensible little bob at the shoulders. She’s over the top with ultra sexy hair. Have you ever seen a Victoria’s Secret model strutting the catwalk with itty bitty hair. NOT! Let’s have a look at Beyonce’ at her best hair moments:

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When nude lips first became vogue, I was horrified. Even though I am a makeup artist by trade, I just couldn’t get with that non-lip look. Slowly but surely I was won over. It was sort of like when Bobbi Brown introduced the natural “browns” in lipsticks. I thought this is the ugliest trend ever. Who the heck wants brown lips? Well, that trend was here for quite awhile, and Bobbi Brown is now a household name.

The nude lip though has turned out to be a blessing in disguise for many women. For example, the girl with virtually no lips. You know, thin, where-are-they lips. Nude lipstick and in particular nude glosses have been their saving grace. Let’s go back to art school for this principal of light and dark. Dark makes objects appear smaller (that’s why we love to wear black) and light makes things appear larger (that’s why we paint small rooms in light colors). The nudes act as an optical illusion if you will. Adding that light to the lips, makes them appear fuller. Why not pay $20 for a plumping nude colored lipgloss as opposed to hundreds for collagen or Restalyn?

Stars certainly love the nude look. I remember when Jennifer Lopez sported a Bourjois Lipgloss for a certain photoshoot, the sales were off the hook for that brand. Jen has that signature nude lip. On occasion we see her with a vibrant red, but for the most part, she is that nude lipgloss girl.

Back to makeup artistry. As an artist, you learn balance on the face. So if eyes are the focal point, the mouth should be softer. If the mouth is the focal point, then eyes should be soft and fresh. This is when the nude lip became so popular with the smoky eye look. When a woman is wearing heavy, dark makeup on her eyes, the last thing she needs are lips that are fighting with her eye makeup. Nicole Scherzinger of the Pussycat Dolls and Beyonce’ are both women who rock this makeup combination of dark eyes and nude lip.

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