2126 posts tagged "Makeup"
Kirsten Kjaer Weis Sets Out To Change The Mascara Game
I have very little to complain about when it comes to my skin. It registers as fairly normal on a scale of dry to oily, is very rarely reactive, and it only turns against me when I do it wrong by taking on much too much stress. I can use most products on my face—and a similarly large array of makeup, although there is one thing I’m allergic to: almost every name-brand mascara. This does not stop me from using them, mind you. I won’t be separated from my gold tube of Guerlain’s mega-thickening and lengthening Cils d’Enfer formula or the limited-edition, as-yet-unreleased wand of Alber Elbaz-designed, Lancôme Hypnôse Drama that I’ve been hoarding like an eight-year-old with a hard-earned bag of Halloween candy since scoring it at a preview earlier this spring. But they do irritate my eyes after an extended period of time, thanks to a number of common pigments, polymers, and preservatives that are, unfortunately, integral to creating the kind of performance I’ve come to rely on.
There are natural alternatives, of course, but none that work nearly as well: No joke, Guerlain’s mascara mimics the effect of lash extensions, without the $400 service charge and two-hour application process. That said, I am still finding myself impressed with the latest from Kirsten Kjaer Weis. The Danish-born, New York-based makeup artist whose eponymous natural cosmetic range comes in those beautiful, Cartier-caliber red lacquered boxes has dubbed her latest release the Truly Game-Changing Mascara, and in some ways, it lives up to its name. Coming in at 99.81-percent organic—a feat in and of itself—the cupuacu butter, beeswax and carnauba wax, and castor-seed oil formula separates and darkens lashes and smells of rose oil and lavender flower water, rather than that peculiar mascara aroma that is hard to describe but readily identifiable. Guerlain, it is not: You have to swipe on at least four coats to get a noticeable flutter, and even then, it doesn’t compare to the girth of a synthetic, prestige alternative. But it wears well all day and, in perhaps better news, never necessitates a precarious eye rub.
Beauty & The Beat: Eve Debuts Lip Lock—And Some Fresh New Nail Art
Pretty, tough-girl rapper Eve won a Grammy Award in 2002 for her Ruff Ryders collaboration with Gwen Stefani, and her hit album, Eve-Olution, came out the same year. (For the record, Eve should have two Grammys; she was featured on the Roots song “You Got Me,” which won a Grammy in 2000, but she somehow never received a statuette.) Early success aside, the Philadelphia native known for her lyrical swagger and her sharp partnerships with DMX, Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and Lil Jon has been fairly quiet over the past decade. Her collaborative spirit is plenty alive, though; Eve is so into working with other talented musicians that last year she started uploading homemade remixes to YouTube with her rhymes over existing hits by Rihanna, Brandy, Miguel, and other unwitting costars. This month she invited legends such as Missy Elliott and Snoop Dogg to make cameos on her veritable comeback album, Lip Lock. Here, she talks about eponymous songs, the purse she can’t put down, and crazy-detailed nail art.
This month you performed with the Roots on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. How was it to reunite with them?
It was amazing. They’re so incredible. Most of them I’ve known since I was 15 years old!
The new album is called Lip Lock—why?
My lips are my favorite feature—they’re fun, flirty.
So is your favorite beauty product lipstick, then?
[It's] Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream. [It's] the best thing ever. I put it all over my face on long flights, to keep my skin moisturized. If I’m breaking out, I put it on, and the next day it’s taken the inflammation down. I also use it on cuticles and lips, small cuts—it’s a miracle cream.
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Frost/Vixen
Let’s not mince words: Sharon Stone looks good. The blond starlet has been killing it on the red carpet in Cannes in a number of plunging-neckline Roberto Cavalli gowns this week, and her look at tonight’s Cinema Against AIDS amfAR gala was no exception. Wearing yet another Cavalli dress—this one white, backless, and accessorized with gilded serpentine body jewelry—Stone upstaged the bevy of models who also turned up to the annual event with her bangin’ body and a beauty look that featured, wait for it, frosted lipstick! It takes a certain kind of devil-may-care attitude to whip out a bullet of the pale, shimmery, sixties-era staple, but Stone was clearly up for the it—not to mention the bronzed skin, groomed brows, and heavy dark lashes she added to the equation. Fifty-five, as they say, is just a number. Thoughts on Sharon’s lip luster?
Popular Beauty Remedies, By The Numbers; Beach Hair Is Big Business; And More…
A new study that set out to determine the lengths women will go to for beauty reveals a predisposition to trying just about anything. Along with drinking lots of water and pinching cheeks to create the illusion of a rosy flush, popular beauty remedies include cucumbers to relieve tired eyes; toothpaste to heal blemishes and insect bites; lemon juice to highlight hair; baking soda to whiten teeth; and egg and vinegar rinses to boost hair shine. We’re an inventive bunch, that’s for sure. [Telegraph]
Getting that coveted form of tousled wave popularized by Gisele, and known simply as “beach hair,” is an art form that many women are willing to pay big bucks for at the salon, although a spray bottle of homemade salt water might just serve the same purpose. [NYT]
L’Oréal Paris spokesperson and actress Julianne Moore does not let a little thing like aging in Hollywood get her down—mostly because she doesn’t think about fine lines and wrinkles in a purely aesthetic sense. “Our fear of aging is really a fear of dying; aging is a physical manifestation of decay, and I think that is what’s so upsetting to most people.” [Daily Mail]
The Hunger Games: the makeup range? CoverGirl intends on making it so. (Whether or not that will also mean a cosmetics contract for one Jennifer Lawrence remains to be seen.) [MTV]
Throwback Thursday: Freckle Face
Throwback Thursday offers the perfect opportunity to pore over the pages of our favorite glossies from decades past in search of a little modern-day makeup and hair inspiration.
The Model: Amber Valletta
The Moment: Faux Freckles
The Motivation: One look at model Amber Valletta, and it’s easy to see why she’s still gracing magazine pages nearly two decades after she first stepped in front of the camera. Valletta is one of those naturally beautiful girls whose face can hold theatrical hair and makeup just as well as none at all—or, as is the case with this 1995 Peter Lindbergh-lensed shot, a little bit of both. Please note the blond beauty’s Twiggy-esque side part, similarly sixties white-and-black-rimmed lids, and the image’s standout feature, the faux freckles scattered across the bridge of her nose! Nothing says summer like the speckling of a few rogue beauty marks on the high planes of the face, a runway technique makeup artist Charlotte Tilbury has employed on more than a few occasions backstage at shows like Chloé and Donna Karan over the years. Should you want a few subtle spots, without the sun exposure, follow the flame-haired face-painter’s lead and reach for MAC Lip Pencil in Hodgepodge.