I'm going to try to cover some more celeb and modeling makeup on BSB, and I might as well start with the Costume Institute Gala at the Met. As with most events, there was good, bad, and ugly.
I'll jump right in and start with the ugly, just so we can get right past it...
The Ugly...
I can't help but start with Beyonce. Sure, she looked lovely in her skin-tight, fishtail gown. We've seen her pull that look off before, and she's no stupid woman so she sticks with what works. Only... why are women putting themselves through such ridiculous nonsense in 2011? Look at this woman, who needed her husband and an assistant to help her up the stairs in that uber-silly tight dress! Please, Bey, don't do this to yourself. It's a friggin' photo-op, not The Nobel Prize!
Oh, and if you are going to work the red carpet (stairs) in such a dress, you might as well touch-up your roots. Go big or go home. Speaking of big, what are your thoughts on the oddly cut bust that showed off her, well, bust. She was squeezed in that dress every which way!
Otherwise, Beyonce was on-point and on-trend. She's not the first shiny-cheeked celeb we'll discuss. I think a bit more color on the lips would have suited her better, but maybe she chewed it off on the way up the stairs?
While we're discussing tragedies, let's talk about Demi Moore. She's not the only celeb who got carried away by the hats at the Royal Wedding, so she topped her feather-laden dress with an off-balance fascinator. It was simply Too Much. PS: Did anyone spot Ashton? He seemed to be MIA. Hmmm....
Makeup-wise, Demi did fine. It was a wise choice to keep things simple with an outfit that surely did not. She has such pretty eyes... I wish she chose things that played them up, even if that was at the risk of making less of a fashion statement. When is too old for silly hats? Don't ask the Queen. Nevermind...
Moving on to a queen of another kind, here's Naomi Campbell. Or is she a princess? Regardless, she must have had a spat with her stylist because this outfit is all kinds of wrong, as is what I can see of the hair and makeup. Frankly, I didn't have the heart to keep digging for close-ups. This is simply terrifying.
Serena Williams. I hope this fascination with fascinators is over soon. This looks silly. I wonder if Serena is styled ultra-femme to counter-balance her strong (and sexy!) muscles? If so, I think this look is erring too far on the other side. Too feathery, too lacy,, too floofy, too-too. Between the dess and the hat, I think we've got a double fault. (Her hair and makeup look nice, though, non?)
It appears Fergie thought she was getting married again. She's dwarfed by the dress (and her hubby). Also, she still doesn't seem to have gotten comfortable on the red carpet when it's not music-related. Relax, girl. You're amazing! You're rich, talented, and pretty! Just have fun...
Leighton Meester. I'm not so old that I don't know who she is, but old enough that I have no idea how or why she's famous. Let's dissect, shall we? A) The dress. I think it must have confidential info sewn into it, so she tried to shred it. B) Shoes. See the dress. C) The severely pulled-back hair. The Black Swan look is so 2010. D) The makeup. It makes no statement at all. Yawn. To play devil's advocate against myself, at least she had the sense not to wear a necklace. The earrings and the bracelet are the perfect accompaniment to all of the other nonsense. And her skin looks lovely. (See? I'm not all snarkiness!)
Do you have any idea how much it kills me to put Iman in this category? But take a look. 'Nuff said.
The Bad
If you'd like to click on this picture of Christina Hendricks, you can see it larger. I wouldn't, if I were you. For such a slam-dunk beauty of a woman, she sure can dress poorly! Is it just that people don't know how to dress a full-breasted woman, or does she have "quirky taste"?
On the flipside, I would rank her high on the makeup scale - her flawless skin is always lovely, her cheeks glowy (!), her makeup visible, trendy, but appropriate. If only I could get past that outfit...
If you have a product reccomendation for that amazing pinky-coral cheek color, please let me know! So stunning. I have MAC's Light Flush MSF. I wonder if I apply it over a coral, wet...?
I think maybe this is actually a Good, but I couldn't decide. I love Chloe Sevigny. I think she's edgy, interesting, and different. I had to lump her in this group, though, because edgy doesn't have to mean disheveled. Her hair is a hot mess. And her eye makeup is odd: pretty, but what's with the clumpy lashes? I have read that this is A Trend, but I think it's ridiculous. Aw, man...I am old!
Bonus for the shiny cheeks, though!
Renee Zellweger's ex, Bradley Cooper, was at this event with his mother. Wonder if that was awkward? Maybe that explains why she looks all kinds of grumpy in these shots? And I understand she's very fit. A runner. But she's sooooo skinny... I just can't get into that look.
What do you think of Renee's somewhat haphazard hairdo? Her makeup appeared on-point (great brows!). And the lines on that dress are amazing for her. But still... I'm underwhelmed. The color washes her out and even the sparkles and embellishments can't save her.
I used to think that Miranda Kerr could wear a set of workman's overalls and look ethereal. I mean, she's fab and with the perfect accessory (Orlando Bloom), how could she possibly fail? Well, in my mind, she's failed her. I like the idea - fun, flirty. But the execution ended up looking juvenille and confusing. Love the hair, though, in this case, and the color is so pretty on her. If only it didn't look like a bunch of her son's receiving blankets sewn up together in a last-minute Cinderella-style effort at dress-up.
I think Jennifer Hudson is gorgeous. I thought so before she rehabbed her look and lost weight, and I still think so. But this dress leaves me feeling lukewarm. The color isn't the best choice for her (I want to see her in coral or something else fun and bright!). And I'm not sure I love what's going on with all the gathers and gauzey layers. I'm just not sure...
The ponytail is lovely. Great choice! I do think Jennifer's makeup could have used some oomph (besides the shiny cheeks, that is).
Jennifer Lopez probably should have gone in the Ugly column, but frankly I had to give her props for the makeup and it's the only thing that saved her. I love the color of this outfit, and I love the little floral bolero. And I love the cut on the bodice of the dress. But I don't like the length on Jennifer, nor do I like the fullness of the skirt with the bodice. And the bolero on top is just too busy. Too much going on!
I love the slightly multi-tone lipstick look, though. I like seeing Jennifer with color on her face instead of the same neutral, glowy bronze look she does all of the time!
Sweet Taylor Swift wore a dress that's just too much for her. She's too young for the seriousness of this gown, and too pale for this soft champagne shade. I do love her lipstick, though, and the lovely glowing skin.
Rihanna is here mostly because I think her hair looks ridiculous. The dress is probably about what I'd expect from her (nice, sexy, but not surprising). I would have loved to have seen RiRi have more fun. I mean, it's the Met Gala for Heaven's sake! If you can't wear a nutty costume here, where can you?
Rumor Willis looks lopsided. The dress is fun, but wouldn't you rather see her in a striking emerald green? And the one-shoulder thing (is that still "in"?) is fine and dandy but not with your hair leaning in the same direction. Rumor Willis - Leaning Tower of Pisa. Not a cute look.
The Good
I am not even a fan of Kate Hudson (what is it that bugs me about her? please tell me!), but I have to admit: she almost always looks great! This color is different enough from her skintone that it doesn't make her look pale or boring. It makes her look radiant!
The boho hair with that amazing brooch pinned to the front are perfect for her, and for the dress. The soft pinky-mauves suit her coloring beautifully, and her eyes are perfectly defined without being overdone. And the cheeks... shiny. Of course.
I have to say I never expected to put Amy Pohler on my best-of list, ever. But look at the unique eye makeup (compared to her peers). The warm neutrals suit her, but with the shadow pulled out to the temple she's actually making a statement - one of the few stars who did!
I'm not so sure about the hair, but the rest of everything really works. And shiny cheeks? Check!
Bar Refaeli is a goddess. Can we all just admit it? From stunning beaded gown in just the right shade of champagne to the turquise accessories that pulled out the hue in the elaborate beadwork to the oh-so-perfectly tussled hair, she's got it all right. And the makeup is gorgeous, glowing shiny cheeks and all!
I'm not sure where Blake Lively got her start (was it on that whatever project with Leighton whatshername?), but she's everywhere now, isn't she? I am so digging her as a redhead. Everyone's blonde. This not only suits her coloring, but makes her stand out in a crowd of fair-haired beauties.
I saw Blake on a few worst-dressed lists for this event, but really I think her whole look is lovely. The muted tone isn't wrong for her coloring and lets her new haircolor take the focus. The draping on this dress is unique and suits Blake's slammin' figure.
Besides, the Met Gala is where celebs traditionally have a bit more fun with their gowns. They get a little loose, a little frisky when it comes to their styling. I think she knocked this one out of the park!
Look at Blake's amazing tousled curls - perfect for the more ornate dress. A nice balance. Had she worn tighter curls or a more severe look, this whole deal would have gone haywire. Same thing holds for her makeup: soft, glowy (shiny cheeks!), and flattering, without taking the spotlight away from her overall look.
Here's another one who rarely gets things wrong: Diane Kruger. Despite her fair skin and blonde locks, she never looks icy. She always manages to look modern and glamorous at the same time. No mean feat!
I adore her perfect eyebrows, the elegant swooping hairline with the Veronica Lake curls, the pitch perfect red lips. Amazing. What else is there to say?
Ginnifer Goodwin is, to me, the perfect celebrity at these events. She knows when to pull back, and when to push. This time, she pushed with one of Springs "it colors" - a pretty ocean blue. And she put the focus on the inner corner, like we talked about recently. When you factor in the messy pixie cut and the best brows in the biz, well, you've got red carpet perfection!
I love that Ginnerfer paired the blue eyes with this dress, and pulled that same color from the strap of her shoe. Excellent choice. I'm not sure I'd have ever picked this dress for her, but it all works, doesn't it?
Since we're talking about daring and having fun, let's move on to Isabel Lucas, shall we? Look at this amazing Roaring Twenties look in Spring 2011's favorite shade, coral! The headpiece, the earrings...
I do wish she'd used a tiny touch of color on her cheeks or lips (one or the other) but otherwise I wouldn't change a thing.
The Hollywood Mommies were looking stunning at the Met, weren't they? First Kate Hudson, now Jessica Alba. My first reaction was that I didn't like this dress, but the more I looked the more I thought it was an excellent choice. Clearly, it's perfect for floating over a pregnant belly, but that color - what a radiant look! Even the most tired pregnant mommy would look glowy and happy in that. +
I love the pregnant goddess look with Jessica's hair, too, don't you? What I would tweak would be to add a bit more bronzer on the face to warm things up. And I wish there were just the teensiest bit of shine on those cheeks. ;)
Miss Madonna is winning back my heart. For awhile now she looked a mite Trying Too Hard, didn't she? But this whole look is perfection. The color suits Madonna well, the gown says "Hollywood Royalty", and she must not have worked-out for hours before the event because her arms aren't scary and vein-y like they usually are. She looks polished and perfect. All hail the Queen of Pop.
I can't see Madonna and Angelina Jolie hanging out and talking, but Madonna did borrow a page from Angie's book here. The smooth complexion, the classic cat eye... it's old school beauty that never falls out of style. And red lipstick? Gorgeous.
Sarah Jessica Parker looks a tiny touch matronly, but I have to give props for a woman who seems to be aging gracefully. If only her hair had just a bit less volume...
I may be standing out her on my own with this one, but I thought Christina Ricci looked marvelous. This goth-y style suits her well, and the dress isreally a technical marvel!
I do wish she'd worn her hair down...
Melania Trump doesn't get the last spot because she was best-dressed, but because I just love that stunned look on her face. "What? There are photographers here?" Mmmmm-hmmmm. Sure, you weren't expecting them!
While I don't like the sound of First Lady Melania, I do think she looks glamorous at the Met.
The...? Err...
Which Olsen is this? I can't keep them straight. I know that's not PC, but they are so similar (they are twins, after all) and both are so damn pouty. If you're going to go do a red carpet, at least muster up a smile. And if you're in such a sucky mood you can't, go home.
Bradley Cooper. Because I can...
I had to give this honorable mention-type mention to Kristen Stewart. She has really warmed up on the red carpet. She looks more comfortable in her role and in her fancy attire. I know she still slips into something more rock-and-roll as soon as possible, but while she's in the event she's gracious, poised, and even smiles now!
Plus, she's the freakin' Queen of the Rockin' Smoky Eye!
Who were your favorites from The Met Gala this year? Who flopped? Who was your biggest head scratcher? And are your cheeks shiny yet?!
