Switch Up Your Smoky Eyes For A Bold Pout

Wanna switch up your usual smoky eye, evening look? Try bold, red lips with inky, black liner to get a sophisticated, chic look that's actually pretty low maintenance. My deal friend Lindsey has the fortune of a gorgeous face that can pull off a dramatic smoky eye and nude lip or a bold pout with subtle liner. For our evening out, I decided to play up her full lips and outline her deep blue peepers.

Here's what I did to create her look:

Skin: To even out her already gorgeous skin, I poured out some L'Oreal Paris Visible Lift Foundation in 147 Creamy Natural onto the back of my hand and applied it evenly on her face and neck with a sponge. Next, I dotted her under eye area with NYX HD Studio Photogenic Primer. I then mixed together and applied Maybelline Fit Me Concealer in 10 Light with Shiseido White Lucent Brightening Eye Cream using a foundation brush underneath her eyes and on her lids and brow bone. I then dipped a big powder brush into NYX HD Studio Photogenic Grinding Powder in Medium and swept it across her face to set the makeup.  To give her a warm flush, I applied Kanebo SENSAI Cheek Blush in Sohi with Guerlain Terracotta Bronzing Powder in #3. I highlighted her cheek bones with Bobbi Brown's Shimmer Brick Compact in Bronze. 

Eyes: I first swept a neutral shade, Philosophy Pure of Heart, on her lids and brow bone to create a base and added a more taupe-based color, Philosophy Down to Earth, to the crease. Both shades are from the brand's Supernatural Coloring Book Palette. I then took the lightest shade from Bobbi Brown's Shimmer Brick as a highlighter and traced it lightly underneath her eyebrows with an emphasis directly below her arch. I filled in her brows using the same taupe shade I used on her crease. I then took a slanted eyeliner brush, dipped it into a Bobbi Brown Gel Liner in Black Ink and traced her lid, closest to the lash line, with the liner. I swept two coats of Lancome Defincils Mascara in Black to her lashes. 

Lips: To prep her lips, I added a dot of concealer to even out the color and create a neutral palette. I then lined her lips with Stila Long Wear Lip Liner in Passionate and added YSL Lipstick in Le Rouge to her lips using a lip pencil brush. 

Her gorge look lasted all night (through a humid DC summer night) and made her look even more glamorous and gorgeous than she already is! Try it for yourself

Putting Together Your Pre-Wedding Beauty Arsenal

The time between when you get engaged and when you get married can be the most exciting, exhilarating and stressful time of your life. There's so much to plan and so many events and opportunities to celebrate with your loved ones. Between all the engagement parties, bridal showers, bachelorette weekends and photo shoots, you'll want to look your best. The memories and photos will last forever and you'll definitely want to look back at that time fondly, not stressed over your appearance.  

Unfortunately, it's not always possible to have a professional makeup artist or beauty advisor on hand for each event. Sometimes it's hard to know what you need and what's gonna be essential to your beauty routine. Luckily, you CAN have a celebrity makeup artist dispensing some helpful advice on what products to put together for your pre-wedding beauty arsenal.    

Celebrity makeup artist Julie Harris has worked with some of the most beautiful celebrities around. From Anne Hathaway and Julianne Moore to Eva Mendes and Jessica Alba. I spoke to her about the products and tools every bride should use to get ready for the all events surrounding the big day. There's no better time to revamp your makeup wardrobe than immediately after you get engaged. Restock your favorites and find out here what new gems you're gonna need to look your most glamorous.  

Beauty Tools:

Harris recommends investing in a great set of brushes. She has three favorite brands: M.A.C., Shu Uemura and Sephora brand. 

She recommends the following brushes:

-A large powder brush and blush brush that are soft and full. 

-A fluff brush for blending in the crease.

-A small fluff or shading brush for close to the lashes to give a soft shadow line. 

-An angle brush for applying shadow close to the top lashes or shading the eye brows to give more arch. 

-A lip brush.

-A liquid liner brush, which you want to be thin and pointy.

Skin Products:

"Bridal makeup should be natural and have a healthy glow," says Harris. She recommends using a cleanser, toner, and moisturizer such as Fresh Soy Cleanser, Rose Marigold Floral Water and Soy Face Cream. Harris also loves their Black Tea Eye Cream because it's soothing and moisturizing.  

Makeup-Foundation: 

Harris says to use a foundation that will work well to combat shine and smooth out your pores. 

She recommends: 

-Make Up For Ever Foundation. Celebrities love their HD formulas because they look great on camera and make your skin look flawless.

-Giorgio Armani Foundation. Another celebrity favorite because of its creamy formula and full coverage. 

Makeup-Primer

"I would also recommend using a primer to keep the skin looking flawless all day and to make your foundation last," says Harris.

She recommends: 

-Giorgio Armani Fluid Primer, a luxe liquid solution and makeup artist favorite.

-Lancome LA BASE PRO Perfecting Makeup Primer, a light formula with a velvety texture.

-Tarte Clean Slate Primer, an all-natural and paraben-free option.

-Jouer Mattifier, which works well under makeup or over top of your foundation to combat shine in the T-Zone.  

Makeup-Powder:

"I love Laura Mercier powders," she says.  She prefers their translucent formula because it's finer and lighter on the skin and likes the color tone selections available. Their brightening powder is great for under the eyes to make you look like you've had a good night's sleep.

Other powder recommendation:

-Make Up For Ever's HD Microfinish Powder which look great on camera and video (a bridal must). 

Makeup-Blush:

"For blushers I would recommend softer colors for wedding events," says Harris.

She likes:

-Cargo, which has an HD line with a great, subtle blush hue that goes on soft. 

-Bobbi Brown, which has a nice collection of pretty, punchy colors that make you look like you've just come back from a workout. 

Makeup-Concealer:"My favorite concealer is Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage because it has the two tones that are great for mixing to get a perfect skin tone match. The warmer is good for blue undertones and to match the skin's depth of color and the lighter is meant to match your undertone," says Harris. Harris loves the blendable concealer palette so a bride can mix her perfect shade depending on the day and her current skin tone.  You're skin tone might be lighter one month and darker the next depending on your sun exposure and time of year. 

Makeup-Mascara:

Harris recommends using both waterproof and non-waterproof mascaras. She uses a non-waterproof mascara first to get the fullness of the lashes and then seals it with a waterproof mascara for the last coat so the formula won't run if you cry. 

Her favorite: -Lancome Custom Volume Hypnose. 

Makeup-Eyeliner:

Harris swears by Kanebo Sensai Liquid Eyeliner because it has a great felt tip liner that is so exact and fine, you can get really close to the lashes. "I can't live without it and use it all the time," says Harris. 

She also likes Smashbox Waterproof Cream Liner because it doesn't smudge and gives a great line that makes the lashes look fuller. 

Makeup-Lips:

Harris recommends applying a lip balm like Fresh Sugar Balm first to moisturize the lips.

She says to use a soft liner color depending on the lip color you chose and recommends shading the lip first with a pencil, then applying a lip color and finally blotting the lips with a tissue and then applying again. Smashbox The Nude Lipliner is great liner option and YSL lipsticks are luxurious, pigmented and have a great satin finish. "I would stay away from too much gloss, frosted lipsticks or glittery colors. They don't photograph as well. The more matte the lips the better it will stay and the better it will look in photographs," she says. 

Final Touches:

For evening weddings or candlelight settings, Harris recommends applying a little highlighter on the cheek bones or in the inner corner of the eye which will reflect nice in the lighting. Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick, NARS The Multiple or Benefit High Beam are all great options. She also recommends investing in blotting papers to help keep the shine at bay for pictures and help from keeping the foundation from looking too powdery. 

Bridal Makeup Tips & Tools

Summer is in full swing and with that comes the influx of weddings and bridal related events. A bride wants to not only look and feel like the best version of themselves, but feel like they’ve been transformed into a bridal goddess.

Bridal makeup is its own sub-genre of makeup application. It’s a special mixture of enhancement, correction and transformation.

By using the right tools, any makeup artist can hear the bride’s gasp of joy after she’s been spun around and shown what she’ll look like on the most important day of her life.  

When doing bridal makeup a few products and application tips are essential to achieving your client’s desired look. Blending is of utmost importance as harsh lines can easily be detected in photos. Building an even-toned, blemish-free canvas is essential to keeping your makeup lasting all night. Applying a matte, shine-free foundation is as critical as properly applying fake lashes. Both need to look flawless and last all night. 

If you haven’t already done it invest in:
An airbrush makeup kit
Face and body primer
Eyelash curler
Fake eyelashes
Adhesive eyelash glue
A great set of brushes including a foundation and powder brush 

     Here are some of the steps I used to create my latest bridal look:

SKIN:

I applied a layer of NYX HD Studio Photogenic Primer using a foundation brush all over the face. I then dabbed Guerlain Terracotta Touch Highlighter around her nose, on her brow bone, and around the corners of her mouth to cover dark areas.

Airbrush makeup feels light on, gives a bride a flawless, even complexion that lasts all day and is able to withstand sweat, tears and environmental elements. Using the Luminess Air System, I sprayed the bride with a foundation one shade darker than her natural skin color to match her more tanned body.

I then swept Bare Escentuals Tinted Mineral Veil all over her face to set the foundation. To highlight and brighten I used Julie Hewett Bud of Roses Blush onto the apples of her cheeks and a combination of Physicians Formula Bamboo Silk Bronzer, Duwop Illuminating Blush in Mango and Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick Compact in Bronze on her face to give a bronzed glow. Don't be afraid to blend a few colors together to get your best shade. 

EYES:

I prepped her eyes for shadow using Maybelline FIT ME Concealer in Light on her lids and under her eyes. I set the concealer with Julie Hewett Translucent Oat Powder. Using DUO Adhesive Glue, I added MAC False Lashes in 7. The key to adding false lashes is bending the strip into a semi circle so they’re a little more pliable and then taking the lashes and measuring them on the eyes to see if they fit or need to be trimmed. I took a Q-tip and applied a thin layer of glue on the top of the lash strip. I then put the lashes a few inches away from the inner corner of the eyes so the lashes are exaggerated out and the eyes look elongated and dramatic. I then placed them on the edge of the lids and held them down for 30 seconds. Once they dried I took an eyelash curler and curled them along with the bride’s actual lashes. This lifted the lashes up and brightened the eyes. I then added a highlighter called Mary-Lou Manizer by the Balm onto her lids and blended together taupe shades from a Maybelline Eyeshadow Quad in Mocha Motion and a Clinique Eyeshadow Trio in Rain Forest on the outer corner and crease. I added a dab of the gold from the Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick directly underneath the eyebrow in her arch to highlight and lift the brow bone and then darkened the brows with a Model Co. eyeshadow in Portofino.

LIPS:

I lined the lips with Clinique Lip Liner in Nudey and filled the lips in with the pencil to create a more natural color. I then added a swipe of All Heart pink lipstick by Clinique with a layer of 15 Minutes of Fame lip gloss by Lipstick Queen in 10 Minutes. Lipstick will come off at some point so having the colors on hand is key for reapplication. More importantly however, is keeping the focus on the eyes and keeping the lips low key rather than relying on lipstick to last all night and tie the look together.

After you’ve applied all the makeup, take a powder brush and go over the face to make sure everything is blended. If you see a streak or excess makeup that has fallen from the eyes, take a foundation brush and blend it off. Both brushes will blend the makeup you do want and remove the makeup you don't want.

Kate Hudson Debuts A New Look

Kate Hudson looked head-to-toe glamorous at last night's gala celebrating Chopard's 150 years of excellence at the Frick Collection. The actress exuded her usual bubbly charm and dare I say radiated a new found confidence in her clingy body-hugging lavender dress and cream colored Casadei heels.

Celebrity makeup pro, Julie Harris dished what she did to achieve Hudson's subtle yet gorgeous look. The makeup artist started by applying Fresh Rose Marigold Tonic Water on her skin, Fresh Lotus Eye Gel around the eyes and Dr. Perricone Intensive Moisture Therapy all over her face and neck.   

Skin: Harris then applied Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation 6 on the face. "I only used a little with a foundation brush to give sheer coverage," says Harris. She then used Laura Mercier Camouflage Concealer #3 under her eyes. To add a warm flush to her cheeks, Harris shaded the cheekbones with NARS Tuomota and applied Bobbi Brown Pink Blush on the apples of the cheeks.

Eyes: "I wanted her to look dewy and fresh with the emphasis on the eyes," she says. She did that by applying SENSAI COLOR Liquid Liner close to the upper lashes and two coats of Clinique High Impact Mascara on the top and bottom lashes. To highlight Hudson's features, Harris applied NARS Multiple Copacabana Highlighting Cream on the brow bone, cheek bone and the inner corner of the eyes. She used NARS Maracaibo Cream Shadow with a fluffy brush to blend on the lid and in the crease and Lancome's Prune Eyeliner which was smudged close to the lower lashes and blended the Maracaibo shadow over the top of the liner closer to the lashes. 

Lips: Hudson had a beautiful, soft pink tint on her lips. Harris outlined her pout with NARS Tonga Lip Liner and filled them in with Giorgio Armani #11, a pink mauve hue lipstick. Finally, she added a hint of glimmer with Armani's #1 lip shimmer in a soft pink.

Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Yigal Azrouel

Israeli designer, Yigal Azrouel may not have had the most dramatic collection I've ever seen but the beauty lay in the complexity of his effortlessly chic designs. Impeccable tailoring and architectural silhouettes in a mixture of dark fall shades and vibrant fall stains created a beautiful subtle collection. Outfits had modern cuts, body conscious lines and cozy fabrics. There were zippers adorned outside some of the garments that created a contemporary take on 80's sportswear, an oversize patchwork sweater that seemed to be an editor favorite and a beautiful double faced cashmere coat that languidly flowed along down the runway.

Backstage Beauty: AHAVA, provided an unusually serene backstage atmosphere (Nirvana among the chaos) by setting up a Backstage Bath Bar. The area had yummy smelling AHAVA Mineral Bath Salts straight from The Dead Sea which models and attendees could take and use to unwind at the end of the day. The grooming team headed by Dawn Diorio for AHAVA gave onsite mini massages to all the stressed out fashionistas. Actress Malin Akerman (clad in head to toe Yigal Azrouel) even stopped by after the show to check out the scene.

Golden Globes Glamour: Sofia Vergara

'Modern Family' star Sofia Vergara is one of those women who would probably look great in a potato sack but she looked particularly gorgeous at this year's GG's. Don't you wish you could have the Sofia-Penelope Cruz accent for a day, when you go out for a night on the town!?

Celebrity makeup artist, Julie Harris, gave me the skinny on how she created the Colombian beauty's fresh look for the awards ceremony.

Harris said she wanted the former 'Entourage' star to have a pretty, soft and subtle look to accentuate Vergara's natural beauty. Soft being the key word. In describing how she painted Vergara's face, the makeup pro says she wanted all colors to look soft and give a sweet, feminine, girlie vibe.

Skin:

The actress (who famously dated Tom Cruise briefly) has beautiful skin and needed very little foundation. Harris used Giorgio Armani Silk Foundation in #6. She used Laura Mercier Secret Concealer in #3. Harris brought out the star's natural glow by " applying a little Lancome Star Bronzer on her temples, chin and neck and using a soft pink blush by Bobbi Brown [Pale Pink by Bobbi Brown] on the apples of the cheeks". Finally, a light dusting of Laura Mercier Beige Loose Powder was swept on the T-Zone to avoid shine.

Eyes:

Harris brought out the soft golden-brown tones in her eyes by "highlighting the brow bone with a soft champagne cream highlighter [which she also used on her cheek bones]". She blended Laura Mercier Mahogany Brown (a soft golden brown shadow) in the crease, under the bottom lashes and above the lash line. She then used individual lashes and two coats of Covergirl Lash Blast Mascara to create length and thickness. Harris shaded in her eyebrows with Givenchy's Eyebrow Show Powdery Eyebrow Pencil in a Taupe color.

Lips:

Her full lips were defined and filled using Nars Fantasia, a peachy-rose colored lip liner, and Nars Dolce Vita, a sheer dusty rose tint.

The Not-So Moody Blues

Picasso would be proud! Blue makeup is this summer's hottest painted shade.

Summer is finally here and there's no better way to emphasize a newly acquired glow than with this season's hottest color, blue. Find that shade that’s best for you and you'll see how fabulous and wearable it really is. Blues intensify and brighten your eyes by bringing out the warm toned contrasts and specks within your iris, while cerulean, azure, and cobalt polish shades draw attention to radiant skin. No costume parties are needed to relish in a look that might have conjured up images of Smurfette in the past but is nothing short of fashion forward and fabulous, today.

Create a sultry smoky eye using products that look dramatic when mixed together but when worn individually also look gorgeous for a day time look. Try Duwop's Blue Eyes Palette ($32, beauty.com) and Bobbi Brown's Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner ($21, bobbibrown.com) in Cobalt or Indigo Ink.

Before slipping on your wedges, paint your toes with a vibrant blue like OPI Nail Polish in No Room for the Blues ($8.50, amazon.com).


Tip: Keep your shadows from clumping, especially in the heat, with Urban Decay's Eyeshadow Primer Potion ($17, Sephora.com) and turn them into long lasting richly-hued liners with Paula Dorf's Transformer ($19, drugstore.com). If you're feeling extra pale, lather on some self-tanner like Clarin's Self Tanning Instant Gel ($32, sephora.com) to make the color pop.


Side note: Brides: Don't be afraid to let your makeup be your "something blue"! This fabulous color palette suits most skin types and is the perfect modern chic update to fresh wedding makeup.



Here are some of our favorite Hollywood starlets sporting their color of choice:




Here's how to NOT wear this fabulous shade:

Sorry Estelle!