Hot or Not Beauty

Does Gwyneth Paltrow hold the secret to the good life? She surely holds the secret to the GOOP life - the actress has recently established herself as a lifestyle diva with the launch of her website GOOP, with tidbits on what to make, where to go, and what to get. And despite what Us Weekly has to say about it, stars are not “just like us.” Not all of us can travel the world on a moment’s notice. Not all of us can spend thousands of dollars on holiday gifts. And for this very reason, the website has come under criticism for seeming out of touch with the finances and sensibilities of the average American, particularly in these troubled economic times.

However, one has to respect how fully Gwyneth backs the concept of GOOP. She recently told People, “I think the people who are criticizing it or criticizing the idea of it, don’t really get it, because if they did, they would like it.” She insists that the origins of the idea are far simpler than the haughtiness that many seem to see in it, insisting that it’s something that she’s always done, albeit on a smaller scale. “My friends call me all the time to say, ‘Where should I go?’ or ‘What should I do?’ And I thought, you know maybe some other people would be interested in it as well, so I started it, and it’s doing great.” While I do somehow suspect that Gwyneth’s girlfriends are also not “just like us,” it does bring the idea down to earth somewhat. Many of us imagine what we would do and wear if money were no object, and for those who share Gwyneth’s tastes, this is a natural extension of that.

Speaking of Gwyneth, at a recent fundraiser (above), she brightened up with a deep purple dress and an equally bold lip color. I think that it’s the best she’s looked in some time - the color really pops on her pale complexion, and she doesn’t look as washed out as she sometimes tends to.

Sydney declared its intention to be the 5th Fashion city of the world at the opening of last weeks Australian Fashion Week. So to keep abreast of the latest trends from this young and vibrant city, I’d like to look at what was hot at Fashion Week and how to create your own ‘Sydnefied’ look for the Spring/Summer 2008 season.

Starting with what was hot – a resounding theme was the smoky eyes and nude lips. I’m quite a fan of the nude lip look for a dramatic statement, but it requires patience and a bit of extra effort. The nude lip look walks a fine line between nude and painting your lips out of existence.
To create this look I would recommend that you start by exfoliating your lips, something that we often overlook. Be gentle with the more delicate skin of your lips when you do this. Then when you apply your foundation, include your lips as well as your face. This helps to tone down the colour in the lips prior to applying a nude lip color.

Once you have done this then depending on how dramatic a look you would like to achieve then you have several options. If you are keen to try really nude lips, then apply a lipstick that closely matches your complexion. Add a little peachy or rose toned lip gloss to the centre of the lip and you are ready to go!
If you want to try nude lips that are not quite so dramatic, particularly if you are keen to try this look for everyday wear, then there are other options. One option is to apply the foundation on you lips as described before, and then put a little soft peach or rosy shade of lip gloss over that. Another is to leave your lips nude and try a clear lip gloss.
Yet another option is to place a little of your usual lipstick in the centre of your bottom lip, squeeze your lips together and then apply a little lip gloss in clear, soft peach or rosy shades over the lipstick. Basically be guided by the amount of colour or lack of colour you want to have, then select an option that achieves the look you are after.

Finally you need to be sure that you select the right products. For the nude lip look I’ve found that some of the best nude shades around are available from Mac. I really like the Mac Slimshine Lipsticks, which are kind of like a halfway point between a lipstick and a lip gloss – and this also comes in several nude lip options. Best of all Mac offers great shades of lipsticks and lip glosses to complement all skin tones – which makes Mac a great place to shop if you’re looking for the perfect nude lipstick for your individual complexion.

Definitely one of my favorite things so far is Shiseido’s Automatic Lip Crayon, this product is a must have for everyone that hates lip liners and think they make you look fake and too made-up.

The colors are versatile and allow you to layer them if you’d rather have a strong colorful look you can layer it without making it heavy. The formula is ultra soft, not sticky and has the sheen of a gloss if you brushed it slightly instead of layering it for that vynil look.

The crayon also allows to define your lips without the finish that is usually given by lip liners whether pencil or cream form making it a very convenient item to carry on your purse.

I purchased it in Beige and LOVE it, gives a subtle sheen to my lips helping to define them and allows for a very smooth base if I want to apply a gloss on top enhancing the gloss effect.

The gloss in Peach Melba is absolutely fabulous, making it my very favorite neutral lip gloss and dethroning my Chanel Cristal Gloss Vanilla Dream and plus the formula is a lot kinder to my lips.

If you’re a fan of neutral lips, you definitely shouldn’t miss these.

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.