Trends
The Easiest Way to Pick a Perfume
Whenever I enter the mall through a department store, I make a bee line away from the fragrance counter. Don’t get me wrong. I LOVE eau de parfum and cologne, but, once the counter person starts spraying and I start smelling, it turns into a head-spinning event that requires a 10-minute walk outside the mall just to clear my nasal passages. Shopping for fragrance can be overwhelming. But, according to Kim Berg of drom fragrances, it doesn’t have to be like that. She suggests choosing a fragrance based on when it will be worn, rather than having a crazy, headache-inducing sniff test (my usual M.O.).
For Date Night…
Berg says to look for notes of a romantic white floral. Think: iris or orange blossom, which are sensual scents but not overwhelming. Try Tocca Brigitte Eau de Parfum, $68.
For a Night Out on the Town…
Express yourself with a unique oriental statement like Boucheron Eau de Parfum, $106. Berg says notes should include exotic florals with sweet undertones.
For Work…
Berg suggests spritzing on a light, fruity floral like Jo Malone Osmanthus Blossom, $60, which works great for daytime. Try fragrances with notes of mandarin, apricot or dragonfruit.
For Family Affairs…
According to Berg, you need a “comfy” scent for hanging out with family. Look for fragrances with soft floral accents combined with musk (try: Givenchy Dahlia Noir, $90) for an easy-to-wear feeling.
For Casual Weekends…
Spray on a layer of freshness with notes of watery fruits combined with sheer citrus notes like Fresh Hesperides Grapefruit Eau de Parfum, $80. These will put you in a good mood and energize you.
One Fragrant Way to Celebrate Earth Month
We love a good scent, especially one that gives back. This month, Aveda is doing just that with their Light the Way candles. We could all use a little Spring freshening and this one has added benefits. During the month of April Aveda will donate one hundred percent of the purchase price from Light the Way Candle to Global Greengrants Fund, a non-profit organization that channels high-impact grants to grassroots groups working to solve pressing environmental problems.
In case you’re curious, here are a few more deets about the candle:
The Candle: The Light the Way Candles are held in 100% reclaimed glass beverage bottles. The carton that holds the Candle is made from 70 percent PCR paperboard, with a portion made from Aveda ‘make-ready’ materials, or, sheets of scrap paperboard that would normally go into the recycling stream. This year’s Light the Way™ Candle carton is decorated with artwork made by students of the Association School in Ampasimanjeva, Madagascar, a village that has received two Global Greengrants Fund grants for water projects. The children, who previously had drunk from a dirty, crocodile-infested river, created drawings to show how their lives changed after the community built a safe community water source close to home.
The Scent: Madagascar-inspired aroma, blended with one hundred percent certified organic essential oils including vanilla, cinnamon and ylang-ylang, all sourced from Madagascar
5 Spring Corals to Update Your Makeup Bag
Maybe you’re a gal (or guy) who likes to streamline your approach to seasonal beauty updates, as opposed to completely overhauling your makeup bag.
I get it. I totally do. Sometimes, all it takes is a single, simple tweak to freshen your look while keeping your overall approach to makeup easy and organized.
That said, if you make one update to your makeup routine this spring, I vote for a new coral lip color. They’re like an instant makeup mood lift for me.
Whenever I wear corals, I feel like a bulb with a dimmer switched turned up high. Just brighter and perkier, ya know? Heck, I think I even hold my head up higher and have better posture, too (fo’ reals!).
With a wonderful range of new coral lip colors gracing shelves this spring, there’s a lot to like out there, from featherweight, sheer shines to full-coverage creams with KAPOW!
Here are some of my favorites this spring…
Laura Mercier’s Belize Creme Smooth Lip Colour
Laura Mercier Belize Creme Smooth Lip Colour ($26): If you haven’t jumped on the Laura Mercier bandwagon yet, this creamy reddish coral might get you aboard. With a 5-6 hour wear time and a semi-shine finish just flashy enough for date night, full-coverage Belize creates an opaque lip look with a single sweep.
Neutrogena’s Juicy Peach MoistureSmooth Color Stick
Neutrogena Juicy Peach MoistureSmooth Color Stick ($8.49): Looking for something more casual this year? Neutrogena’s twist-up gloss stick lavishes lips with loads of laid-back shine and sheer peachy coral color. A must for warm spring weekends when you only want to wear minimal makeup.
Tom Ford Insidious Lip Color Shine
Tom Ford Insidious Lip Color Shine ($48): This lightweight, semi-sheer coral lipstick makes dry lips shine and sigh with a surge of moisture. It’s definitely a splurge, but every time I hold the sleek, chocolate and gold case in my paws, I feel fancy!
MAC Style Surge Mineralize Rich Lipstick
MAC Style Surge Mineralize Rich Lipstick ($22): A neutral coral with a creamy finish, Style Surge is probably the most flexible member of this troupe. I think it looks just as stylish dressed up with smokey eyes as it does pared down with mascara on your upper lashes.
NARS Lodhi Satin Lip Pencil
NARS Lodhi Satin Lip Pencil ($25): Who says a bright, full-coverage coral takes work? With Lodhi, NARS combines the ease of a pencil with an opaque formula that lasts a full 6 hours. Just line your lips and fill them in. Yup, it really is that simple.
From the left: Laura Mercier Belize, NARS Lodhi, MAC Style Surge, Tom Ford Insidious and Neutrogena Juicy Peach
I hope you enjoyed this little look at coral lips today. Have a wonderful spring!
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
How To: Romantic Knotted Chignon by Kérastase
We saw a lot of stunning hairstyles during this year’s Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in NYC and among the most wearable (and chic) was the romantic knotted chignon created by Kerastase for Katie Ermilio’s presentation.
Lead stylist, Nina Dimachki, created a whimsical-yet-modern knotted chignon that we expect to see everywhere from the red carpet to the street this fall. The feminine style was created based on the designer’s love of Impressionist art and minimal styling with a romantic twist. To keep the look from being too severe and to give the style a modern twist, Dimachki infused plenty of volume at the crown of the head and worked in Kerastase’s Lotion Densitive GL to create a “down-comforter texture.”
Here’s how to achieve the style:
1. Create a center part in dry hair and gently tease around the crown of your head for volume and lift. Then, pull your hair back into a ponytail at the nape of the neck and secure with an elastic.
2. Spray Kerastase’s Lotion Densitive GL onto the roots and rake your fingers through the hair to keep it from looking too severe, or coiffed.
3. Tie your ponytail into one or two knots, securing with hair pins as you go. Leave any flyaways loose to create a more romantic look.
4. Finish with Kerastase Double Force Hair Spray .
Five Spring Beauty Trends to Try Right Now
I feel like I’ve been counting down the days till spring since fall! — but now that the cherry blossoms are blooming here again in Northern California, it looks like my long wait is coming to an end.
I love spring…and not just because of the longer days, pretty flowers and warmer weather. I also love that it gives me a great excuse to clean out my makeup bag, and stock it with the latest spring trends.
The beauty world is abuzz this time of year, and here are five spring trends to try right now.
1. Be bold, brows!
That’s MAC Fluidline Brow Gelcreme in Deep Dark Brunette ($16) on my brows…
Bold, ’90s-style brows busted moves on several spring 2013 catwalks this year, and I must say, they’re bringing back memories! The part of me that longed for Cindy Crawford’s eyebrows, circa 1993, is intrigued.
Create full, lush brow looks with products like MAC’s new Brow Duos ($27.50 each).
I love these things… Each one comes with a lighter and darker color that you can mix and match to create your very own tailor-made shade.
Or, if it’s dramatic brows you crave, make a statement with a MAC Fluidline Brow Gelcreme ($16 each). Give depth to your brows with these intense colors that somehow, despite the amount of pigment they contain, don’t look fake, or like they’ve just been drawn.
And even though it isn’t technically a new spring product (because it launched last fall), Make Up For Ever’s $20 Aqua Brow is still worth a look.
I love it. Waterproof and long lasting.
Clockwise from the left: MAC Brow Duo in Brunette, MAC Fluidline Brow Gelcreme in Deep Dark Brunette and Make Up For Ever Aqua Brow in Ash
2. Just the highlights, please
Here I’m wearing Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Luminous Light all over my face…
Also trending up: shimmery powders designed to be worn as setting powders all over the face. I’ve spotted ‘em on a few counters so far this spring.
Truth be told, I was a little worried about this one at first… I wasn’t too keen on the idea of strutting down the aisles at Trader Joe’s with gobs of glitter on my forehead and cheeks (disco ball says what?), but these powders are different. They aren’t your average, run-of-the-mill highlighters. In most cases, the shimmer they contain has been dialed way down to a subtle sheen, so they shine, but not like spotlights.
I’m really glad I gave this trend a try, because it’s been a great, easy way to take looks from tired to perky.
Lately I’ve been loving Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Luminous Light ($45). It gives my skin a soft focus glow and hasn’t caused breakouts.
For more of the same/similar all-over brightening effect, you might also try these other powders: Guerlain Meteorites Perles du Paradis Illuminating Sparkling Powder ($70), Bobbi Brown Brightening Finishing Powder in Porcelain Pearl ($50) and Too Faced Sweetheart Beads Radiant Glow Face Powder ($32).
Clockwise from the circular pan in the lower left: Too Faced Sweetheart Beads Radiant Glow Face Powder, Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Luminous Light, Guerlain Meteorites Perles du Paradis Illuminating Sparkling Powder and Bobbi Brown Brightening Finishing Powder in Porcelain Pearl
3. Eye see blue and green
On my eyes? NYX Love in Rio Eye Shadow Palette in Caipirinhas on the Beach
Blue and green eye shadows also sashayed down quite a few spring runways this year, and even though bright shadows can be intimidating, I know, there are ways to make brights a little easier.
If colorful eye makeup is new to you, try something like the pic above, wearing a blue or green you like along your upper lash lines in a cat eye liner shape. It’s easy, not too out there, and pairs perfectly with spring pink, peach or coral lipsticks and blushes.
And you can always test the waters first with a budget-friendly option, like the $6 NYX Love in Rio Eye Shadow Palette in Caipirinhas on the Beach, which I’m wearing here.
Then, you could splurge on something splurge-worthy, like Make Up For Ever’s new Make Up For Ever Technicolor Palette ($45), which includes a handful of helpful neutrals (and more) to go with its bright blue and green.
Make Up For Ever Technicolor Palette on the left and NYX Love in Rio Eye Shadow Palette in Caipirinhas on the Beach on the right
4. What a super bright idea
Wearing NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in Ginger under my eyes
Dear dark circles… I’m leaving you.
Sorry, it’s been real! 
This spring, under-eye areas have been a little brighter than normal (one or two shades lighter than you would normally go). A bevy of brands launched products to conceal dark circles and brighten the area under your eyes, and I’ve used a few of them to look less like a zombie and more like a well-rested gal.
Benefit’s $24 Fakeup Crease-Control Hydrating Concealer steers clear of my fine lines, and it’s currently a favorite of mine.
I also really love the new NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer ($28) for days when I need extra coverage.
If you’re just looking for a little help with brightening, one of Bobbi Brown’s sheer Tinted Eye Brighteners ($30) should do the trick.
From the left: Benefit Fakeup Crease-Control Hydrating Concealer in Medium, NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in Ginger and Bobbi Brown Tinted Eye Brightener in Peach
5. Red-dy or not, here comes spring
That’s Milani Color Statement Lipstick in Best Red
Red lips in springtime? Well, we usually see more of them in the fall, but heck, why not? Rules are meant to be broken, right? And we did see a lot of red lips at Fashion Week.
For me, red lips are consumate lazy girl accessories, and I love that. I feel like I can go easy on my eyes and cheeks when I’m wearing red on my lips. Needless to say, I’m embracing this trend with arms wide open, and we have a lot to choose from this spring, at both drug and department stores.
Bargain hunters, check out Milani Color Statement Lipstick in Best Red ($5.49) and Physicians Formula Sexy Glow Glossy Stain in Red ($9.95).
If you’re willing to spend a little more, NARS Satin Lip Pencil in Hyde Park ($25) makes red lips extra easy by combining a lip liner and lipstick into a convenient crayon.
From the left: Milani Color Statement Lipstick in Best Red, NARS Satin Lip Pencil in Hyde Park and Physicians Formula Sexy Glow Glossy Stain in Red
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
Bright Eyes at Karen Walker
Electric Lime at Karen Walker
Vibrant orange at Karen Walker
Each New York Fashion Week season, I head backstage before the shows to document the upcoming beauty trends. Last year, I came home with a memory card full of bare faced beauties – or seemingly bare faced, since the no makeup look often requires the most makeup. While a natural look can be absolutely gorgeous and accessible to just about anyone, I have to admit that I look forward to the more outlandish makeup – the ones that make me go “ooooh, I wonder if I can pull that off.” It’s a little more fun to experiment with, you know? This season, I had a myriad of bold looks to choose from, and the citrus-hued eyes at Karen Walker were a major standout. Paired with a completely neutral face (even the brows were bleached), the bright eyes were the complete focus: one color, no mascara, no dark liner – super clean and modern, with a dramatic wing. I haven’t tried it out just yet, but I made myself a short list of products that would do the trick, when I’m feeling daring (see below for products). As for the brow bleaching? I might leave that one to the models.
Row one: Make Up For Ever Aqua Creams in shades 23 and 10
Row two: Sugar Pill Pressed Eyeshadows in Acidberry and Flamepoint
Row three: Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Loose Colour in Wasabi, MAKE Matte Finish Eyeshadow in Poppy
Blue-Eyed Girls
Once upon a time blue eyeshadow and liner were cool. Then they weren’t. Judging from the leagues of models whose eyes were coated in the royal hue during New York Fall 2013 Fashion Week, it’s cool again. And for good reason—it’s one of the only shades on the color wheel that (depending on the blue you choose) flatters every skin tone. Need proof?
Seen at Thakoon:
Seen at Badgley Mischka:
Seen at Jason Wu:
A Metallic Moment
I can’t remember the last time I wore a gold or silver nail polish. Can you? For the last few seasons it’s been all about bright pink or stripes or studs and stickers. But, one of the new nail trends emerging at New York Fall 2013 Fashion Week stars metal-looking lacquer…and I like it. These metallics, however, come with a twist. Think: gold swirled with an ombre of blue, or nickel buffed out to faded perfection. Here are a few early faves to put on your must-try list.
#1 Rebecca Minkoff- Essie in As Gold as it Gets, Penny Talk, Go Overboard, Blue Rhapsody, and Aruba Blue; applied in small dots, and swirled together with a thin paintbrush
#2 Costello Tagliapietra- Essie in Nothing Else Metals (a lavendar-blush metalic/silver)
#3 Nicole Miller- Butter London in Royal Navy with Wallis layered on top
*Check out all of the Fall 2013 beauty trends on our Tumblr page!*
4 Totally Wearable Spring Beauty Trends
The fashion elite are gearing up to show off their best Fall looks when Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week kicks off in New York this Thursday. Before we think about cozy jackets and autumnal colors let’s take a look at four beauty trends that we can actually wear right now. These looks debuted last Fall during the Spring previews and it’s just about time that we start showing them off. The groundhog didn’t see his shadow last weekend, so sunny days are right around the corner. Woo hoo! Check out our spring trend report in the video below and tell us, which of these trends are you interested in trying?
Get the Look: January Jones’ SAG Awards Pompadour
Up for experimenting with the rocker chic look? Take this bold style for spin:.
The Look: Rock n Roll, Pompadour Up-do
January and Renato chose to do a modern take on a up-do that was very rock ‘n roll. January’s pompadour hairstyle paired with her Prabal Gurung dress added a fun and cool vibe to the SAG Awards. January’s striking look was the biggest fashion statement on the red carpet!
Here’s how Renato created January’s look:
1. Starting with damp hair, apply Vidal Sassoon Pro Series Mega Firm Hold Gel to all the hair and brush through so it’s evenly distributed.
2. Using a comb, blow-dry gelled hair to create a sleek, wet look.
3. Once hair is mostly dry, use a round brush and blow dry hair up and back to create volume.
4. In the back, tease hair with a rat tail comb to create all over volume, especially at the ends.
5. To hold the style in place, apply Vidal Sassoon Pro Series Extra Firm Hold Hairspray to sculpt and lift the hair for a look that will last all night.
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