EEEEWWWWW

Have you ever gone through the latest celebrity gossip magazine and seen some beautiful starlet's makeup and thought, "She must have put her makeup on in the dark!" ? I've thought that many, many times. And with as many amazingly talented makeup artists there are in Hollywood, no celebrity, no matter what status, should EVER walk out of the house looking like the following ladies do.

I'm a huge fake lash fan, but Avril, really? Don't do hot pink/red lashes. Ever.

I get that Taraji P. Henson doesn't want anyone to know she has under-eye circles (Heaven forbid!) but piling on powder that's nine shades too-light for your skin is never, ever attractive, flattering, or becoming in any way whatsoever. If she wanted to disguise her dark circles, a little concealer the same color as the rest of her face with a touch of yellow to it would do the trick.

Luck and good lighting were on Leighton Meester's side when the picture on the left was taken because the light added some warmth to her skin at least. But nothing can be done with the heinous purple and metallic gold eyes and bold berry lips. I love the berry and red lipsticks I've seen Leighton wear on the red carpet, but she normally has very soft eyes with thick, dark lashes that are complimentary, not contrastingly scary. The picture on the right looks like death, literally.

Don't forget to blend in your powder before leaving the house! While I'm personally a fan of super dark berry lips, not everyone can pull them off, and Kellie Pickler is one of the people in that category. Try it out before you go out in public. If the look screams, "Overdone!" then go with something a little more natural.

I get that we all get a breakout every now and again (trust me, I know - I get them possibly more than every now and again) but that being said, I also know that there are amazing products on the market now that, along with maintaining a strict cleansing routine, drinking lots of water, and eating healthy, can make even the most acne-prone skin flawless. If you just can't get your skin cleared up, at least cover it up before you go out! A little concealer can go a long way. You can't fake great skin, but you can cover up bad skin.

Drew Barrymore's look on the left is so beautiful, and it's one of her best. It helps solidify why she was chosen to be a Cover Girl. But the look on the right is....horrifying. I can barely find words to describe it. But please, Drew and you reading this, don't ever do the, "I threw some flour on my eyes and then put on too-dark lipstick for the hell of it" look. Ever.

The look on the left is fresh, youthful, and so pretty. But the look on the right is downright scary. The super shiny eyelids and cheeks with all that dark eyeliner, plus the intense red lipstick just make X-Tina look like a mess.

Catherine Zeta-Jones is so beautiful, but this overdone bronzer makes her skin look splotchy and uneven, and even makes the texture look porous and bumpy (though I do see she has a bit of a breakout on her chin here). A little tinted moisturizer, powder, mascara, and lip gloss and she would have been perfect.

All I have to say about this repeat offender is JUST SAY NO!

I much prefer Angelina with her natural, un-bronzed skintone and nude lips. This look ages her ten years.

All this sugary-sweet bubble gum-pink makes me sick. The lashes need toned down, as do the over-applied blush and too-bold lipstick. A few brushes of bronzer on the cheeks and a pretty nude lip gloss would make her look stunning.

It's not 1984 and you're not David Bowie, so DON'T, Solange!

Just In Time For Mother's Day!

I haven't always been a fan of Kelly Osbourne's often rebellious sense of style (or lack-thereof) but recently, she's really caught my eye. Her radiant mother, Sharon, has always been a beauty in my eye (I adore that exceptionally unnatural burgundy hair). Kelly, on the other hand, has made more of my "worst-dressed" lists than not. But since joining the 'Dancing with the Stars' crew and updating her look, she's really blossomed into a rather fashionable beauty. She has beautiful eyes, and I like that she is comfortable with her fair skin (although I know she's turned to spray tans for the show, but hey, that's show biz). Regardless, I love this mother/daughter duo!

Beautiful mother!

Sharon still looks incredible at 57.

Sharon never fails to look flawless.

Her skin is so radiant - gorgeous!

This look is so soft and feminine - I love her glowing cheeks.

This is a chic, mature update on her edgy rockstar look. Love the fuchsia lipstick!

So ladylike!

I love the toned-down eye makeup with the pale lipstick. It reminds me of Lady GaGa's Viva Glam lipstick for MAC.

Lady Gaga Love!

I absolutely adore Lady Gaga. Period. Her amazing theatrics, costumes, hair, and makeup are so unreal, and her music is unbelievably catchy. I love her so much I've bought all her music videos on iTunes and made an honest attempt to learn the dances to every one of the songs in the privacy of my living room. Tragic, I know. I just happen to think she's incredibly talented and she's truly the unusual icon of this generation. I like to think of her as the Madonna of the millennium, because she's A) such a style chameleon, B) so controversial, and C) has such a sexy confidence and a "don't give a damn what people think attitude" that I've always tried to evoke myself.

Recently, Lady Gaga paired up with MAC to create a special Viva Glam lipstick called Viva Glam Gaga ($14), a soft, pale pink that I had to travel to Cincinnati to find! It was sold out online and at the nearest MAC counter, but I absolutely HAD to have it. I must say, it's well, well worth it! Launched with Viva Glam Gaga was Cyndi Lauper's Viva Glam Cyndi, a bright coral-red (also $14). The very best part of these great lipsticks is that the full price paid for every tube of lipstick goes to the MAC AIDS Fund, helping to research cures and treatments for the most deadly illness in the world. A double whammy - you get to look good AND do good! I adore it. Here's a shot of the two incredible musicians wearing their special-edition lipsticks, and a few of Lady Gaga where I adore her makeup.

Love her or hate her, it can't be denied that she's innovative, unique, and unafraid to take risks and be different. That's something I'm personally inspired by!

Oscars 2010 Red Carpet Talk

Sorry I've kind of disappeared off the face of the earth - life has been insanely hectic and I'm a little late getting to this post, but I really wanted to talk about some of my favorite looks from the Oscars this year. I don't just always pay attention and talk about makeup strictly, I'm very into fashion also, so I love to voice my opinions on the whole look during awards season. So here's my review of the 2010 Oscars.

While I only liked the top 3/4s of Zoe Saldana's dress, I feel like she deserves an honorable mention for that particular part, and her incredible hair and makeup. Her skin simply glows, and I love that she's finally getting the notoriety she deserves because I've thought she was a great actress since "Center Stage". She's a stunning beauty.

I was so excited to see Mo'Nique win the award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in "Precious" - I've loved her since I got to see her live a couple of years ago. Plus, she's got mad respect from me because she waited in the lobby of the auditorium she performed in and signed every single autograph asked of her and took pictures with every single person who requested one, and actually took the time to talk to each and every one of her fans. She looked so incredibly beautiful at the Oscars, and that bright blue dress hugged her curves in all the right places and stunned against her warm skin tone. Love her!

Me, Mo'Nique, and my friend Jessi two years ago. She was so amazing!

Kate Winslet is truly one of my biggest fashion/beauty inspirations and I find her to be probably the most beautiful woman I've ever seen. While this isn't my absolute favorite dress I've seen her in, I have to majorly applaud the color of it, and also applaud her incredible hair and makeup. She's just a regal beauty that looks incredible every single time I see her.

Rachel McAdams isn't always a red carpet winner in my eyes, but I fell in love with this look instantly. The dreamy, water-colored print of the dress in the soft blues and grays is surprisingly un-boring and the shape flatters her figure beautifully. I adore this look.

Penelope Cruz can do no wrong when it comes to red carpet fashion. The color of this dress suits her skin tone and hair color perfectly, and the shape flatters her sexy curves. I'm such a fan of intricate draping and ruching and this dress lives up to all my expectations of what Penelope would choose.

I'm always a fan of Kristen Stewart's often edgy attire, and this dress is one of her particularly shining moments in her personal red carpet history. The dramatic draping and ruching of the dress creates curves her boyish figure doesn't have on its own, and I like that she kept her hair and makeup simple and opted for minimal jewelry that didn't take away from her gorgeous face and that beautiful dress.

Meryl Streep is always sheer perfection, and this white dress has the most gorgeous draping to accentuate her terrific figure. This woman refuses to age! Her skin is glowing and her simple hair and makeup finish the look perfectly.

Cameron Diaz is almost always one of my favorites, and she didn't let me down at the Oscars. I adore the dress, and I love that she's given up her tan and is going au natural and flaunting her fair skin. I actually even respect the half Old Hollywood, half pageant girl hair because something about it seems to suit the dress.

I normally don't like the whole 'dress the same color as your skin' look, but something about Demi Moore's ensemble looks amazing to me. The shape of the dress and the textures of the ruffles look great with her amazing figure, and her very natural, polished makeup tops it off perfectly.

Although I think the corset-styling of this dress is a tad bit mature for Miley Cyrus' young age, I can't deny that it's a gorgeous dress and she looks beautiful in it. My one complaint: she needs to stand up straight and push her shoulders back, it would look so much more graceful and ladylike! Slouching is never red carpet-attractive.

Vera Farmiga, who was nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her role in "Up In the Air" and most notably recognized for her role in "The Departed". She made a lot of worst-dressed lists, but she was actually one of my favorites. She's not your typical, classic beauty, but I think there's something interesting about her. In particular, her ice-blue eyes are almost like a husky's and they're amazing. I love the raspberry color against her alabaster skin, and I think the structure of the dress's ruffles is beautiful.

The All-Time BEST Mascaras I've Ever Used

I'm an eyelash fanatic. The thicker, darker, longer they are, the better. I'm no stranger to false lashes, either, though for everyday I prefer the ease of simply using mascara. I've tried dozens of different types, some I've hated and some I've adored and continue to use over and over. I have a handful of favorites, and every time I run out of one, I go back and get a different one of those favorites.

The first mascara I ever used, and have always loved, is Definicils from Lancome ($24.50). I got hooked on this at 12 and never looked back. There's a reason it's been the #1 mascara in the world (THE WORLD! Out of thousands of types of mascara!). It has a long, narrow, stiff-bristled brush that separates lashes like you wouldn't believe, fanning them out so you can see every single little tiny hair. Definicils provides a more natural look than some of my other lash favorites, so I tend to save it for my days off from working at the makeup counter when I'm just running errands and don't have to look like a drag queen. Nonetheless, it's pretty amazing.

For a slightly more dramatic look, plus separation similar to Definicils, I love Givenchy's Phenomen'Eyes ($29). With its unique ball-tip brush (that looks similar to some sort of archaic dungeon torture device) it grabs a hold of the tiny lashes on the inner corners of the eyes and easily makes the outer corner hairs look miles long. Neat!

A really nifty favorite of mine is Tarte's Bottoms Up mascara ($16), which is specifically designed for lower lashes. It has a little, tiny brush that is so simple to use on those hard-to-reach lower lashes, and the handle is pretty big, giving you lots of control. Totally cool, and totally worth paying $16 for mascara you're only using on half your eye because the payoff (huge looking eyes) is unreal.

I'm now heading back to the Lancome world (let's face it, they really have the best line of mascaras out there) to mention Oscillation mascara ($34). With a watch battery in the wand, it vibrates 7000 times a minute to wrap the lashes completely in mascara. It sounds a little ridiculous, I know, but once you try it, you're hooked. At least I was. This is the mascara I use on a daily basis for the most part because it gives me the most incredible, almost fake-looking lashes. It has a bendable, rubbery brush that thickens without clumping, separates, and lengthens unlike any other mascara I've ever used.

You'd think that I have dozens of mascaras to talk about, but the truth is, these four are what it boils down to for me. I've tried every mascara from many brands (Clinique, Estee Lauder, MAC, MAKEUP FOREVER, Nars, Urban Decay, Shiseido, Stila, Lorac, Too Faced, Benefit, Dior, Chanel) and I just have never been satisfied with any of them like I have with these four. What's your favorite? If I haven't tried it yet, I'm willing because I love some mascara!

Now Your Makeup Bag Can Go Green, Too

These days, everyone's coming out with new, inventive ways to 'go green' and offer environmentally-friendly products. A lot of people seem to be taking steps to try to leave a prettier carbon footprint on the planet, and I'm doing it, too. I use only all-natural household cleaners and dish detergents, as well as laundry detergents. I take shorter showers and use less toilet paper, and have even gone so far as to opt for recycled toilet paper (which my husband protests vehemently). Now I'm finding all these great makeup and skincare products that are natural and organic and come in eco-friendly packaging, which is outstanding. Now, Origins has been around for a while, proudly serving the world with all-natural products that are earth and animal friendly, but here are some great newer products that I've come across and had the great pleasure of trying (and LOVING!).

Carol's Daughter isn't exactly new, but it is a more recently popular brand that was started in a woman's own home kitchen in New York. Their Tui Herbal Shampoo for normal hair ($12.50) has chamomile, marigolds, guava, mango, and passion fruit and smells like a trip to Jamaica. It's sulfate-free, which means it gently cleanses your hair without stripping it of its essential natural oils.

Model Josie Maran has also launched her own line of cosmetics, skincare, and haircare products that are completely natural. I love her Bear Naked Makeup-Removing Wipes ($12/30) for multiple reasons: A) They're all-natural, with a blend of aloe vera, chamomile, cucumber, and vitamin E, B) you can stash them in your nightstand for those nights you head to bed without taking your makeup off, and C) a portion of every package sold will go to the Natural Resources Defense Council's Polar Bear SOS Initiative, helping fund protection for the endangered animals. Pretty awesome if you ask me. Plus, they're legit - they really do take off eye makeup, even water-resistant mascara. That's a sweet deal.

I've mentioned the Greek brand Korres before, and another of their products is a favorite of mine: Ginger & Vitamins Foundation SPF 10 ($28). It comes in a handy little squeezy tube made from recycled plastic, and provides a sheer to moderate coverage. It's packed with tons of vitamins to help slow down signs of aging and fresh ginger to tone the skin. It's my go-to foundation product for summer when I like something a little bit lighter with less coverage.

Nude Skincare is another brand that I've fallen for, head over heels. Their Deep Cleansing Mask ($52) is a mousse-textured mask that really gets into your pores and purges them of yucky impurities that make the skin break out and appear dull and lifeless. I use it once weekly and love how fresh and glowing my skin looks for days afterwards. It's all-natural, not animal tested, and its packaging is 100% recyclable. Plus, the box it comes in is plant-sourced and biodegradable. A+ for Nude Skincare!

Another favorite of mine from Nude Skincare is their Nude Lips Lip Balm ($14). It's an emollient balm that moisturizes and is super shiny, and smells like yummy Tahitian vanilla. With the cold, snowy weather we've had where I live lately, my lips seem to have had all their moisture sucked right out and Nude Lips helps replenish that, and makes any lipstick look pretty and gleaming.

As far as eyeshadows go, I'll be honest, finding natural ones that blend in easily hasn't been particularly easy. I adore Tarte's Flower Child Natural Eyeshadow Palette ($44). It features ten great shades, from creams and browns to blues and greens, plus a double-ended brush for easily application. Also, it has a double-ended eyeliner (also natural!) and a sample of their Natural Eye Primer. Excellent! The colors blend together easily, and actually have really outstanding color payoff.

Nvey Eco's Organic Lipstick ($28) features five pretty, easy-to-wear shades that have safflower, beeswax, vitamin E, and organic castor oil to soothe and moisturize lips while providing long-lasting color. I particularly like #355, which is a matte violet rose shade.

Last but not least, I'm loving Nuts Cream Perfume's Mimosa Bouquet ($12). It's packaged in sustainable, travel-friendly wood containers that you can just toss in your purse for an on-the-go pick-me-up. It's filler free, which means it doesn't have loads of alcohol like a liquid perfume does. Instead, the fragrance is housed in beeswax and sweet almond oil that actually help the fragrance stay on your skin longer. I like Mimosa Bouquet because it has notes of orange blossom, mimosa, gardenia, carnation, rose, vanilla Madagascar, and musk. Yum!

This is just a handful of the natural and/or organic products I've tried and loved. I really like how Sephora has a section on their website devoted specifically to these kinds of products, too, with great customer reviews on them. Any natural or organic favorites you have? Let me know!

Spring Color Collections!

Holy cow, I'm finally back! January proved to be a completely insane month for me to say the very, very least and I just didn't have any opportunities to make any new posts, but I'm back and ready to go. I'm so excited about all the great new Spring 2010 makeup looks, so that's going to be my focus for this post.

First off, Lancome's Spring collection, O My Rose!, is amazing. When I saw the pictures before it launched, I was a little skeptical as to whether or not it would end up being pretty. But once I saw it in person and got to play with the colors, I fell in LOVE. Coral and teal are always a good match-up, and while I'm still not crazy about the advertisement picture for the collection, I'm a big fan of O My Rose!.

The Ink Artliner in Teal Delight ($23.50 for the eyeliner, $20 for the brush) is unreal. It's a gel in a pot that's applied with a tiny brush that creates the most precise line, and you can smudge it out a little bit to soften it, too.

I'm also loving Michael Kors' new Very Hollywood Spring color collection exclusively with Estee Lauder. I've often always associated Estee Lauder with elderly women with pearls and accidentally-blue hair (I'm sorry! I can't help it!). This new collection of fresh, versatile, stylish colors is younger and very sophisticated.

One part of the collection has pretty pinks and rosy shades, while the other features soft neutrals, corals, and golds. Not every store is selling the special edition collection, but it can be found online at www.esteelauder.com .

This is the 'Bel-Air Beige' collection

This is the 'Rodeo Pinks' collection

MAKEUP FOREVER's Spring 2010 collection, Gold Icone, is an amazingly different take on Spring colors. There's often pinks, greens, and corals in Spring collections. Gold Icone is metallic gold and black, with neutral lips.

The standout product in the Gold Icone collection would definitely have to be the Metal Powder (price unknown), a loose powder eyeshadow that comes in four varying shades of gold, from light to darker. The Spring collection's products aren't available for purchase just yet in most places, but keep an eye out for it because it will be very soon.

I'm also liking Yves Saint Laurent's collection because it's soft with little pops of color that are very French chic. I love the Ombres 5 Lumieres eyeshadows in Parisian Sky ($56) - it has a collection of five matte and semi-sheen shades like a pale blue, a dusty gray-blue, a lavender, and a light and dark slightly plum duo. It's seen on the model for the advertisements, and I love how natural most of her face is with the little hint of blue on her eyes.

Those are really just four of the great new collections I've checked out. Laura Mercier, Guerlain, Givenchy, and Clinique all also have some great collections just waiting to be launched in the next couple of weeks. Givenchy will be launching a collection of sixteen single eyeshadow that have a really neat concept: in each compact of eyeshadow will be one color, but it will be in four blocks, each a different texture from matte to semi-pearly to very pearly to a shimmer. Neat! Those will be out soon, so keep an eye out for them.

I promise I won't put off another post so long! Expect something new in the next few days!