BSB: Beauty news, makeup swatches and pictures, nail polish articles, makeup tutorials, product reviews, and how-to's from a MAC-trained makeup artist.

Men's Fashion: Leonardo DiCaprio starts a new trend?

Seriously. Is this A Thing? Men in headbands. I don't like it.

Your thoughts? Will you be buying your brother, father, or mane main man a headband any time soon?

Rachel McAdams - Amazing Sleeping Beauty premiere look!

 


Here's another Hollywood beauty I adore!

Even though I'm not a fan of Rachel McAdams' uber-blonde hair, I am a fan of the actress.

Take a look at this flawless look she chose for her Sleeping Beauty premiere.

Highlights:

• How flattering is that champagne shade on... well, just about everyone?!
• Love the high-waist pants paired with the bustier!
• The bracelets, clutch and earrings are just the right accessories.
• Love the nouveau-Bardot hair!

Now, let's focus on the makeup, shall we? Perfection, still...

• Rachel's skin is flawlessly matte and perfectly bronzed, letting the sheen from her top and jewelry do the shimmering.
• The pinky-red lipstick is especially flattering on Rachel's fair skin, and really elevates the look into Dressy.
• Cheeks are sculpted perfection, but not over-the-top.
• LOVE the eyes! Try a black tightline, topped with gold shadow around the lashes (top and bottom). Blend. Add mascara. Voila!

 

 

 

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"Season 2 wrap. A remedy to the seven year itch. Finally!" - Dianna Agron cuts her locks

I admit it. I'm a Gleek! And forget hanging on Lea Michele's every note - I am a Dianna Agron fan.

She just chopped her long blonde hair (the quote in the post title was her Tweet to announce the change). Gone are the typical long layers found on Hollywood starlets, replaced by a choppy, shattered bob with lots of texture and movement.

The photography is by Tyler Shields, who also videotaped the whole haircut. If you're a fan of either the show or Dianna, check out the video! She's so adorable. I think we have a huge star on our hands here!

Will you be headed to the salon to ask for "The Dianna"?

Celebrity makeup looks: Guess who?

Which newly engaged blonde sported this glossy neutral lip?

Celebrity makeup looks: Guess who?

Who wore these sultry eyes in a new perfume ad?

Celebrity makeup looks: Guess who?

 

keep reading for the answer...

Buying Giorgio Armani beauty products will make me look like this, right?

The Nail Ninja asks: Whose nails are these?

 

These two stepped out recently to celebrate the launch of a new cranberry-flavored adult beverage.

Celebrity makeup looks: Guess who?

OK, so at her age, everything looks good. But can you guess who rocked this pretty pink lip stain?

 jump...

The Nail Ninja asks: Whose nails are these?

This gorgeously coiffured beauty sparkles as she signs copies of her work recently. The answer is after the cut!

Celebrity makeup looks: Guess who?

Who rocked this bold orange lip and Twiggy-style eye mascara?

answer after the cut...

The Nail Ninja asks: Whose nails are these?

This recently-single, dark-haired beauty wore this mani while partying in Vegas with some girl friends for her birthday.

Answer after the cut.

Hollywood Style Awards: Trend Spotter

Are you looking for the perfect go-to look that easily adapts to any occasion? Um, duh, right?!

Take a cue from the ladies who attended the Hollywood Style Awards and go easy & sexy with complexion-enhancing makeup; blended greys, browns and taupes on the eyes; and your-lips-but-better glowing smiles...

What do all of these ladies have in common?

They didn't overdo it! No glitter. No bold lip. No heavy liner. No strong eye.

Those statement looks are gorgeous, of course, but sometimes it's refreshing to see the real woman, isn't it? While I think Anna Lynne and Emmy could have used some color (bronzer or lipstick, maybe) and Holly could ease off the brow pencil some, this look is the real style winner. What do you think?

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Celebrity Beauty: Olivia Palermo

What a difference five or six inches of hair and a great colorist can make. The long bob is such a flattering option for anyone.

What do you think of Olivia Palermo's new do?

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No.

nonononononononono!!!!

via

More proof that smoking is nasty

I love the fashion sense of Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen, but even they can't make smoking cute. So much business savvy, so little sense...

 

Full disclosure: I quit 5 years ago.

Advice to celebrities from a professional makeup artist

A hand mirror is your friend, but a drunk with a makeup brush and a can of talc is not.

xox

*jen

Uma Thurman, City University of New York's 40th annual gala

The Nail Ninja reports: Celebs with nail polish collections

Celeb nails.

Sure, we notice them. They've got the money and means to have the newest and greatest, so we're bound to notice, right? But celebs with their own nail polish collections?

The Ninja is not sure how she feels about this.

Regardless, the following celebs are reported to have nail polish collections coming out soon.

1. Serena Williams: She of The Tennis Williamses. She who actually went to school to learn how to be a nail tech. This makes the most sense, celeb + nail polish-wise. Rumors hint at a pretty-darned confirmed Grand Slam collection with OPI. Expect sets of two polishes at a time (coinciding with tennis tournaments, naturally).  January '11 is the launch of the first set (hi, Australian Open) with more sets due to launch with the French Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open. Apparently, the Australian Open collection will feature a green polish (yellow-green? bright? with white stripes?) called Simply Smashing.
   
   
   
2. Katy Perry: Another OPI collection. Seems the high note will be a crackle top coat called Black Shatter. The Ninja isn't impressed yet, but will try to be open minded. This nail polish collab would make more sense if she were endorsing Minx, since that's what she's so often seen wearing. I mean, she's had Oompa Loompas, silver Minx, even pictures of her fiance. However, at least she wears things on her nails. Which makes more sense than...
   
   
3. Justin Bieber. The Ninja is stymied. One Less Lonely Girl will be inspired by Bieber songs and put out by Nicole by OPI. Colors: One Less Lonely Glitter is lavender, Prized Possession Purple (grape), Give Me The First Dance (silver), Me + Blue (dark blue), OMB! (bright red), and Step 2 the Beat of My Heart (heart-shaped glitter). Oh sweet mother of lacquer... wouldn't mousse have made more sense?

 So what do you think?

Really huge round-up (very picture heavy!)

Ya'll, I'm so sorry for not keeping it rolling in here at BSB. I'm still trying to get my new computer (!!! Thanks fairy godparents!!) off the ground and finally got Photoshop back (!!! Thanks, Patrick!!), so we should be business as usual next week. For now, a really huge round-up of stuff you need to know. Keep your eyes peeled on this site for some amazing reviews coming your way!

PS: All pics are tiny, but click 'em and you can see the larger version!

Let's begin...

 

MAKEUP- MAC

Just out from MAC, of course, is the Fabulous Felines collection. And coming at the end of the week is Venomous Villains. I am actually afraid to see that collection in person, because I am dead broke. I think I will cry. Did you see my post about the collection? Are you planning to haul?

But there's another collection that blew past without much hoopla. Did you hear about the Prolongwear extension? There's a foundation that's supposed to last 15 hours, a corresponding concealer with the same wear time, and Prolongwear Lip Creme, which is a new lipstick formula that is "full-coverage and breathable" with a spectacular 12 hour wear. The lipsticks really intrigue me, and I may try out the foundation/concealer, though I always have to hit my knees and pray it won't clog my pores like the rest of the MAC foundations. Anyway, that's the collection down below (the bottles), and the promo pic here to the right.

MAC - upcoming collections news! _{via and via}

-The Boxing Day collection (always my favorite!) is rumored to be called Stylishly Yours. LOVE this day-after-Christmas release, traditionally, as it's typically very cool, wintery colors.

-MAC is collaborating with Dutch designer Marcel Wanders in an upcoming release. Sounds like this will probably be "the Couture collection" but I don't know about that ... we've never had a collab as the couture collection, before, and the packaging doesn't really look like his style.  Sounds like the name of this collection is "Luxe Couture" which, again, means to me it's not a collab, because usually those include the collaborator's name. Anyway, the picture on the right is of either Marcel Wanders or Couture...  or both, if they surprise me!

More: these are apparently the names of some (all?) products for the Marcel Wanders collaboration:
Lipstick - Catharina, Martha, Digna, Gesina
Lipglass - Gertruyd, Mary, Aleydis, Beatrix
The perfume is a solid, called Air of Style Concentrate. I'm assuming it's the same scent as the previously releasesd Air of Style.
 
-Charm Pale, also releasing on Boxing Day (Dec 26th), is a two-part collection: Skincare & Color.  It will have a new product called Special Reserve Highlight Powder. As soon as I get more info on that, I'll let you know. Sounds like this will have a lot of nude and highlighting products - think runway looks lately. Here's the blurb on the collection:
"Bleached or stridently bold brows. Skin that’s under-refined yet ultra alive. A bare lip and lash. Summer’s nude face is about grooming on the verge of grunge – tough, urban and sensually androgynous. She doesn’t care a lot, but she cares enough. Think shine-enhancing textures for a skincare-effect makeup that’s hydrated and bathed in light…"

More: product info from Cham Pale _via
Lipgelee- Sin-tillation, Luxure, Bubble Lounge, Straight to the Heat;
Lipstick- Fluster; Quiet, Please (repromote)
Special Reserve Highlight Powder- Chez Chez Lame, Rose Ole
Chromagraphic Pencil- NW 25/NC 30, NC 15/NW 20 (both repromotes)
Eye Kohl- I get no kick
Eye Shadow Quad- Caviar Dreams
Kohl Power Eye Pencil- Feline (repromote)

If you missed it, be sure to check out our pictures of the holiday sets: A Tartan Tale.

MAKEUP- non-MAC

Now that we got that out of the way, we can talk about some other brands. ;)

Possibly the biggest news for many: Bobbi Brown is coming to Sephora. What other words need there be besides "Where do I start?!"

Do you love Shu Uemura? Sadly, the line isn't with us in the states anymore, but we can still order online. And you'll want to when you see these palettes:

_via

 

Did you see The Muse's review of the Stila Eye for Color eye shadow palette? I had been dying to see it. If you usually stick to neutrals but are looking for an easy way to add a bunch of wearable color to your aresnal, this seems like a good bet. Seems like the colors are tiny, but good. I may have to add it to the stash! Take a look and then go read the review. Thirteen colors for $18 isn't bad!





Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics (OCC) just keeps blowing me away. Their newest products make me swoon. There are five new Loose Color Concentrates ($11.50 ea)...


... and their amazing, incredible, you-gotta-try-'em Lip Tars have 6 new shades that promise to be as amazing as their predecessors! $12.50 each or buy them all for $400. There are a zillion and one combinations you can make with these suckers.


... and then there's nail polish. See below!


Illamasqua. The name makes my heart race! Have you heard about their new collection, Art of Darkness?  The theme is a fantasy banquet with imaginary (?) beings trying to find immortality. Click on the pic to see the characters at the table, then go get some of the glorious products: a 4-color Liquid Metal Palette; 4 nail lacquers (see below); some amazing feathered lashes; a lipgloss in darkest wine (I die!), a blue lipstick; green, red, and blue Liquid Metals; a pale golden shimmer powder called Ether; a gold and a black liquid liner; and two Pure Pigments- Ore, a bronze, and Alluvim, iridescent midnight blue.

NAILS

The gorgeous blog Lacquerized is showing swatches of the equally gorgeous Misa collection, Spark My Interest. While it doesn't seem all that "wintery" to me, the colors are lovely nonetheless.

Scrangie shared info on the Zoya Fire and Ice collection. Like sparkles? You'll love this!


Deborah Lippmann, manicurist to the stars, is on a roll. She's got some ah-maze-ing glitters rolling out of her already stunning polish line. Did you see the most recent ones, Across the Universe and Bad Romance (shown below, left)? And now we get a sneak peek of one coming up, called Glitter in the Air (below, right). It looks like it's going to be a great layering polish, don't you think? It's sheer baby blue with pink and blue glitter chunks.


Sonia Kashuk is coming out with a bunch of stuff this Fall. Naturally, you can get it at Target. Yada, yada, yada. The point? NAIL POLISH! Meh, it's not all that creative, but it's accessible and only $4.99 a piece. And there's a nice mousey brown! _via

So I told you there were new OCC polishes ($8), and here's a way to take a peek at them.  Vampy Varnish has swatches for ya. Here's one to take a peek at, then scurry over to see them. I don't know if you've heard about their polishes, but they wear like iron, man!




 

PERFUME

Armani is visiting the Middle East
...with his next two (and counting) scents, that is. The line of Middle Eastern-inspired perfumes, part of the amazing Armani Prive collection, will be called 1001 Nights. The first two scents are Rose d'Arabie and Oud Royal. Sadly, you've got to go to Harrods (London) to get your hands on them, as things stand now.  _via

And to finish it all off, I can't let you go any further in your life without seeing Katy Perry's VMA Minx mani. That's her husband/fiance's picture on those nails... Would you do that?!

_via




Whew! I'm exhausted!

What have I missed? What news can you share with us? Did I pique your interest over any of these? And how was your weekend?  (We saw Inception. It blew my mind! Have you seen it?!)

Like this post? Sharing this article helps support BSB and helps us grow (which helps YOU by getting us more access to other brands and events - to share with you!). Can you spare a moment to share?

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My only comment on Emmy fashions this year. Or, I know whose stylist needs a new job!

Apologies for not posting yesterday, in case anyone noticed. I was a touch under-the-weather with... I don't know what. I was freezing and tired exhausted. Today, that seems to have resolved, thankfully! How was your weekend and Monday? Otherwise, ours was pretty good.

Sunday was the Emmy's. I'm sure that didn't escape your notice, even if you didn't watch. I didn't either, by the way, so if you skipped it you're in good company. I just can't stand to listen to my dear hubby complain about how long the Red Carpet stuff takes. And I don't ever have the patience to watch awards ceremonies unfold. They remind me too much of sitting in a hot auditorium listening to graduation ceremonies!

Anyway, as is my usual habit, I skipped them. Instead, I perused the gossip and fashion websites yesterday via phone, since I never even turned on the computer yesterday. That's how you know a blogger is sick, by the way. ;)

Only one outfit really garnered my notice. Sure, some folks looked great (Lea Michele- WOOT!) and others bombed (Christina Hendricks and January Jones), but only one moved me enough to comment. Let's play a tiny little math game to find out which one, shall we?

It's time for some Emmy'S Math!

WHAT THE?

As far as I'm concerned, Rita Wilson's only good choice was showing up with hubby Tom Hanks.

I think it's clear to all what's wrong with the look, so there's no need for me to mention how the white shift and odd braiding/belt makes Rita look wider than she is. How wearing an open-weave over-dress (?) with chunky prisms hanging on it might not have been a great choice. You plainly see that the overall look makes this normally well-appointed woman appear sloppy, confused, and much older than she is. Nor do I have to point out that the severely pulled back hair doesn't do her favors or that the odd loop-de-loop in the back has nothing to do with anything. You can already tell that her eye makeup is a bit too icy, and I'm sure that I'm not the only one who figures that close-up this look didn't do her any favors in the accenting-the-wrinkles arena. And then there's the shoes. Good god... those shoes...

 

It doesn' help that the Google search term "tacky chandelier" brings up pictures of shoes just like this starting on page four.

Please, Rita, fire your stylist. A blind monkey could have done better. Didn't you have "veto" priveleges? Next time, please use them. You're a beautiful mature woman, but this look didn't showcase it at all. I need you to do better.

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