Check out the second-time mom's trendy haircuts, from rocker ponytails to glam updos |
We can't get enough of Gwen, whether we're singing along to her tracks or coveting her creative looks. She bounces from punk rocker to glamour chick with an ease we try to emulate, but nobody does it quite like she can. Check out her many different (very blonde) hairstyles. |
Beauty Bubble: Goldie Locks to Grace Kelly, 18 Looks by Gwen Stefani
Beauty Bubble: Reliable Mascaras
What clumped, what ran and what truly transformed our real-woman testers |
We had 12 beauty-junkie members of our Total Beauty Squad test out so-called lengthening and volumizing mascaras. Their verdict: You could spend a fortune on the best -- but you don't have to. See what was tops. |
Give Back With Molton Brown
Join Molton Brown beginning December 26th to celebrate the Holidays with two very special events: Boxing Day and the limited return of the vitalising vitamin AB+C bath & shower.
Visit any Molton Brown emporia in the US and celebrate Boxing Day, a British holiday tradition of giving back to those in need. Simply bring unwrapped toys to any Molton Brown emporia location on December 26th, 27th, and 28th and your toy will be donated to Boys and Girls Clubs of America (visit http://www.bgca.org/ for more information on Boys and Girls Clubs).
While in store, be on the lookout for the re-launch of the vitalizing vitamin AB+C bath & shower. This limited edition shower gel is being brought back by popular demand especially for the holidays.
At the end of customer’s visits, they will receive a complimentary travel-sized product for each donated gift (limit of five complimentary gifts per individual, while supplies last) and you will be eligible to enter to win an assortment of Molton Brown products.
To locate the nearest emporia click here: http://www.moltonbrown.com/stores-address.html#eusa
Angelina's Golden Globe Compact by L'Oreal
Vogue in 30 Seconds
Cover story: Anne Hathaway is much less annoying in print.
Oribe, the singularly named stylist who found fame designing the tresses of supermodels back in the 90s is finally bringing his skills to the people with a new line. His website is a MUST visit. (A note to the editors of Vogue, your interns are too young if they honestly think the supermodel heyday was 1984. Where is Ms. Wintour's eagle eye on that misprint?)
Visit escapetoshape.com to plan your next eco-fitness-spa-adventure. Who doesn't want a facial while trekking between the Atlas Mountains and Medina? Well I suppose it didn't occur to Mohammed but times, clearly, have changed.
Unless Jackson Pollock is designing your Smashbox spring compact, your shadows may be out of date.
The item to covet on the last page is not an exorbently expensive, devastatingly beautiful piece of jewlery as per usual but rather this $500 clutch-sized Dell Mini 9 laptop.
Beauty's Product: The Overnighter Set by Hanky Panky & Benefit
And the key to starting 2009 on the right foot? Donning a new Hanky Panky panty, conveniently included in the kit!
The Overnighter Set includes all of the below (just in case!):
· An exclusive Hanky Panky Low Rise Thong
· Benetint Rose-Tinted Lip & Cheek Stain
· Some Kind-A-Gorgeous Foundation Faker
· California Kissin’ Smile Brightening Lip Shine
· Eyecon Brightening Eye Cream
Price: $38 ($51 value)
Availability: http://www.barenecessities.com/ or http://www.shopbop.com/
Crabtree and Evelyn Aromatherapy Distillations Revitalizing Skin Polishing Ritual
Beauty Bubble: Brow Know How with LC and Sigrid
From pencil-thin to insanely bushy, see how stars like Madonna, Tyra Banks and Mariah Carey have tamed their unruly brows |
Brows hold center stage in the beauty world. Why? Because they can make an amazing difference in how you look. Check out our gallery to see the improvements your favorite celebrities have made to their brows over the years and decide if you should step up your brow maintenance. Even if you have to lay off the tweezers for weeks ... it's worth it. |
Home Shopping Newtork's Faces of Beautiful You
Eyes by Design Eye Set
Whether making up for work or an evening out, you're an eye expert with EYES BY DESIGN. The Ultimate Kit has everything you need for fabulous eyes.
Too Faced Naughty and Nice Makeup Palette
Indulge both sides of your personality with Naughty and Nice Makeup Palette by Too Faced. Start out sweet, then transform to sexy as desired.
Ready To Wear Lash Extension
Enjoy false eyelashes in a bottle with Ready To Wear Lash Extension by Philippe Chansel! Get longer, fuller, thicker looking lashes in seconds.
Life-Changing Beauty Products...
I have known for a very long time that 27 would be my best year. So now that its drawing to a close I'm left wondering where its all going. I started writing Beauty's SPOT mostly as a way to entertain my girlfriends while we all killed time at work. More recently it's become obvious that a mere spelling mistake results in immediately personable yet mildly scornful emails requesting a correction from some of the most powerful brand names in the world, several PR agencies, and media companies. It's baffling and honestly extremely intimidating. In fact as I write this post I fear it may be the beauty blogger equivalent of Jerry McGuire's ill fated manifesto.
This morning I received an email from my dear sweet aunt in Durango who thoughtfully uploaded three pictures from my visit there this fall. She lives on a ranch with a dial up connection so three pictures, painstakingly uploaded, are quite a gift. What I noticed was that I see myself in these pictures more than in any of the others taken this year. Returning to Durango after a twelve year absence, spending time in Yosemite with my cousin, and spending three cathartic - life changing days in ancient New Mexican hot springs awoke something in me that had been asleep for a long time. And the image of my smiling face, hair sloppily piled high on my head, face beaming from the feeling of being with the family I love was I hope the reminder I needed to guide me. Spelling mistakes or copy perfection, dream job or no job, this blog is supposed to be fun. So my life changing beauty products are (besides this easily packaged list drawn up for Sephora) too numerous to name. But from the look of the pictures I received this morning the most powerful one is, tritely, happiness.
TotalBeauty.com members say they can't live without these makeup and hairstyle wonders |
We all know that the right product can change your life, or at the very least give it a boost. See which products dramatically altered the lives of TotalBeauty.com members for the better - can you really go another day without trying them? |
From messy to super-sleek, these looks put a new twist on tradition |
When celebs need a quick way to complement their red-carpet ensembles, the smart girls go for the bun. We can follow their lead whether we're going to the office party or just running errands around town. This guide has looks that cover it all. |
Lucky Style Spotter Tag Heuer Contest!
Ted Gibson's Makeover Magic in Redbook Magazine.
Beauty Bubble: Hippie Hairstyles (But You Know, Clean.)
Channel your inner earth momma by throwing on a headband and working a middle part |
Maybe the headband-around-your-forehead look isn't for you - it seems like only Mischa Barton can pull that look of and it's a stretch. But that doesn't mean you can't wear braids and twists or natural waves with a center part. Let these celebrities show you how to embrace your inner flower child. |
Beauty's Product RAVE: Canus Goat's Milk Body Butters
Holiday Lips and Eyes with Joanna Schlip, Physicians Formula’s celebrity makeup artist.
Long and thick eyelashes are a simple way to bring your holiday look from drab to fab. Before you apply mascara, curl your lashes to make your eyes seem larger. Use an eyelash curler and curl your lashes very carefully, positioning the curler around your eyelashes with the upper lashes between the edges of the curler. Carefully squeeze the edges of the eyelash curler together and hold for a few seconds.
TIP: Don’t apply more than two coats of mascara – otherwise you can make your lashes appear too done and unnatural. First, apply a thin coat and let it dry. Then build up with a second coat of mascara. When applying mascara to the lower lashes, gently brush the tip of the applicator across them.
GET THE LOOK: Choose black mascara and apply it after you have curled your lashes. Choose Physicians Formula Plump Potion Lash Plumping Mascara for a more dramatic result and Physicians Formula Mineral Wear® Talc-Free Mineral Mascara for sensitive eyes.
PICK: FINISH OFF A PARTY LOOK WITH PRETTY LIPS
Lip glosses are the perfect way to finish off your party look – not only are they quick and easy to apply, they always create a glamorous, finished look. Lip glosses also make your lips appear fuller, which adds to the holiday pizzazz. You can either use a colored gloss or a clear one applied over your lipstick.
TIP: Apply a dusting of your face powder or a bit of foundation to your lips to help maximize the staying power of the lipstick or gloss. Depending on your dress color, choose a lipstick that enhances the outfit. Apply the lip gloss over your lipstick to create a playful look and to make your lips appear luminous. Remember the golden rule: if your eyes are bright, choose a more neutral color for your lips and vice versa if your eyes have less color.
GET THE LOOK: If you are feeling frisky and want to make a bold statement with a red lip, choose a shade of Cabernet or Bordeaux which are both hot for the holiday season.
If your lips are feeling lifeless, plump them up by adding some lip gloss with a lip plumping ingredient over your lipstick to make them look and feel fuller. Apply Physicians Formula Plump Potion® Needle-Free Lip Plumping Cocktail to add a little shimmer and fun to your look.
Beauty's Product: Hemloq Featured in Today's Black Woman Magazine.
Beauty Bubble: Meg Ryan's Hair, A Retrospective
From long, layered hairstyles to her famous choppy bob, here are all the looks we've loved through the years |
She keeps a low profile, but we never stop finding inspiration in Meg Ryan's many hairstyles. Here's a roundup of her best looks from today through the "When Harry Met Sally" days. |
Beauty's Product: Estee Lauder Launches Time Zone Line and Wrinkle Reducing Moisturizers
Inspired by the revolutionary science of cellular regeneration, Estée Lauder’s exclusive Sirtuin EX-1 Technology and Tri-Hyaluronic Complex work in synergy to create an optimal environment to reverse skin’s perceived (visible) age while also optimizing skin’s behavior. So skin not only looks younger, but behaves younger too.
Unprecedented Age Measurement Study
In order to better understand what causes skin to prematurely age and aim to visibly reverse it, Estée Lauder conducted an unprecedented five year Age Measurement Study on hundreds of different women aged 20-70. The initial research, conducted in New York and Belgium, included the comprehensive evaluation of 77 “aging markers” which were then narrowed down to a final list of more significant markers, measured through a combination of visual and non-visual clinical assessments, bioinstrumentation and biological testing.
This revolutionary study allowed Estée Lauder scientists to quantitatively evaluate -- for the first time with three different approaches -- the impact of the factors that affect the way skin looks and behaves. As a result, they were able to not only identify patterns of aging, but also develop new targeted technologies to address the key anti-aging concerns of women.
The study identified that the following factors most contribute to the aging of women:
· 65% of premature skin aging in the overall age group of 20-70, is made up of visible markers such as lines, wrinkles, age spots, firmness and texture. Within the 30-55 age group, lines and wrinkles contribute to 48% of a woman’s perceived age, making it the single greatest factor in skin aging.
· 35% of premature skin aging in the overall age group of 20-70, is due to non-visible changes in the skin’s behavior such as moisturization, impact of glycation and the loss of natural cell renewal capacity.
Applying these findings, the Estée Lauder brand developed Time Zone Line and Wrinkle Reducing Moisturizers to target these key markers and allow skin to appear and behave younger.
The Synergy of Sirtuin EX-1 and Tri-Hyaluronic Acid Technologies
When cells are damaged by factors such as UV exposure, pollution and glycation, they age before their time and begin to lose optimal function. When these prematurely aged cells accumulate, they impact the behavior and function of the skin and the aging process is accelerated -- lines, wrinkles and other visible signs of aging become more apparent. In essence, skin looks and behaves older, faster.
Time Zone Line and Wrinkle Reducing Moisturizers contain two new and exclusive technologies that reverse this cellular aging process and dramatically reduce the look of lines and wrinkles. By creating an optimum environment, skin not only looks years younger, but acts as it did years ago.
Sirtuin EX-1 Technology: Estée Lauder developed the exclusive Sirtuin EX-1 Technology to help skin naturally stimulate its proteins, thereby helping skin cells renew their innate ability to withstand daily assaults. The key ingredient in this technology is a patented hydrolyzed anti-aging rice extract, which helps skin behave in a younger way to reverse away the visible years.
Tri-Hyaluronic Acid Complex: An industry first, Tri-Hyaluronic Acid Complex is a unique blend of three Hyaluronic Acid technologies that work at multiple levels in the skin to help replenish, rebuild and sustain the ideal moist environment for more lineless, youthful looking skin. This complex differs from traditional Hyaluronic Acid because it not only replenishes moisture to the skin but also rebuilds and sustains skin’s own natural Hyaluronic Acid deep within the skin’s surface. The Tri-Hyaluronic Complex includes:
· High molecular weight (H.M.W) Hyaluronic Acid: Replenishes
The classic “moisture magnet” High Molecular Weight Hyaluronic Acid works from the “outside in” to immediately quench skin with long-lasting hydration. The large molecular size remains at skin’s surface, where it binds moisture. Instantly, skin feels more comfortable. Skin is plumped and toned, easing the look of fine lines.
· Hyaluronic Acid Fragments: Rebuilds
“False Alarm Technology” Hyaluronic Acid tricks the skin to react as though its natural supply of Hyaluronic Acid was being destroyed. Skin responds by boosting its natural production of its own Hyaluronic Acid, creating moisture from within that fills deeper lines and wrinkles with a naturally volumized effect.
· Anti-Hyaluronidase technology: Sustains
By protecting Hyaluronic Acid from Hyaluronidase (premature break-down by a natural enzyme,) Estée Lauder’s Anti-Hyaluronidase technology helps maintain a healthy moisture balance and maximize the anti-wrinkle effects of Hyaluronic Acid and Hyaluronic Acid Fragments.
The combination of Sirtuin EX-1 Technology and Tri-Hyaluronic Acid Complex is what makes Time Zone Line and Wrinkle Reducing Moisturizers a breakthrough in anti-aging moisturizers. An optimally hydrated environment is created through the Tri-Hyaluronic Acid Complex, while the Sirtuin-EX-1 Technology works to optimize the behavior of the skin. The result is skin that looks and behaves younger.
Aging cells are “revived” while skin feels deeply hydrated, plumped and toned, with a naturally volumized look from deep within. Skin regains the responsiveness of younger days, resisting the daily environmental aggressors that accelerate aging and the formation of lines and wrinkles. In clinical testing, every woman tested showed a reduction in the look of lines and wrinkles.
If you made through all that, I reward you with scent notes:
A Light, Modern Scent
Time Zone Line and Wrinkle Reducing Moisturizers are lightly scented with a radiant blend of fresh notes of pear and lemon, followed by a modern floral accord of cherry blossom, peony and lily finished with sheer musk, blonde woods and creamy sandalwood. Timeless yet modern, this delicate scent has universal appeal.
Beauty Bubble: Braids like LC, not Heidi (the original).
Tips on how to pull off these braided styles |
Whether your hair is fine like "Gossip Girl" star Blake Lively's or thick like Anne Hathaway's, you can easily wear at least one of these stunning styles. See how. |
Product RAVE: Handmade Holiday Soaps from the World Famous Soap Opera!
Beautys Product: Miss Popularity With a Price Tag
Beauty's Product: Introducing Liz Earle Naturally Active Skincare.
The buzz about Liz Earle Naturally Active Skincare (LENAS) (billed as "Britain ’s best kept beauty secret") is building to British invasion heights. As a proud sponsor of the Environmental Media Association’s 18th Annual Awards, LENAS was honored as the first-ever British beauty brand to participate. Their 13 year history of serving as a leader and pioneer in the natural products movement made them well suited to aid in honoring this year's awardees, films such as "Into the Wild" and Planet in Peril". Liz Earle herself was in attendance at the Awards Show held recently in Los Angeles and is pictured above with the likes of Amy Smart, Wendie Malick, and EMA President Debbie Levin.
As we speak I have my hands wrapped around a Tiffany-blue box brimming over with said British beauty products and the early results are quite promising.
Beauty Bubbles: Need to Shed the Holiday Haze?
Readers share their secrets to super-soft skin |
Which is the ultimate fave? Clinique? Neutrogena? Bath & Body Works? |
TotalBeauty.com average member rating: 8.7* |
Why it's great: "I love the scent but I love the scrub too. ... You can use it wet or dry and it gives you a good bit of friction, which I prefer, and no suds. I use it dry before my bath and it really gets my circulation going." |
TotalBeauty.com average member rating: 9.0* |
Why it's great: "Unlike some other scrubs which are difficult to wash off, this one is not greasy and smells good." |
TotalBeauty.com average member rating: 9.1* |
Why it's great: "I can use [it] every day, and it keeps skin clean and clear with a fresh scent." |