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.

Beauty On The Run With The Beauty Buff-Cinderella Skin in 7 Minutes

Not every woman has the opportunity to get a head to toe Cinderella makeover often enough in their lives but we certainly deserve to feel like a new person every once in a while! Orlane Paris offers a transformational skincare makeover with their truly remarkable Absolute Radiance Lightbox. The 3-step skincare solution seriously works wonders in 7 minutes!

The idea behind this ingenious spa-in-a-box set is that with just a few minutes and a few tools you'll be able to achieve radiant skin and revive a dull overworked and under appreciated face.


The box contains The Dazzling Eye Ritual which consists of an Eye Contour Serum and Under Eye Patches; The Shimmering Skin Masque which consists of a single application powder and cream, mixed together to create a creamy foaming masque and finally the rich lathering Evanescent Cream.

The process is quick and easy and the perfect way to prep your skin before a big night out or detox after a long grueling day. You don't realize how taxing the elements are on your skin and how much you need a treatment that brightens, revitalizes and polishes the pores. Take all the products out to expedite the process. With a perfectly cleansed face apply the eye serum around the eyes. Then take the eye patches and place them under each eye and pat them into place for 7 minutes. The patches feel moisturizing and cooling on the skin.

Take the powder and pour it into the cream, mixing it together and smearing it all over your face. Keep the masque on for 5 minutes.  After you're done, rinse the masque off and take the patches off. Finally frost your mug with the Evanescent Cream, which will energize, detoxify and plump your skin.

Your skin will feel velvety glossy and completely silky smooth. The under eye patches smooth over your wrinkles and depuffs and tightens your skin. The treatment is an amazing gift to give someone who needs a skin-break and is a fabulous treat to yourself when you need to boost your dull skin and get ready for a special night out. Take this kit when traveling and apply immediately after arriving in your new destination. You'll wow the locales with your radiant glow and fresh complexion.

Orlane's Lightbox is one of my absolute favorite products right now and I'm loving the spa feeling I have without ever having to leave my house! For $200 you'll get six fantastic applications and save the money you'd need on just one pricey facial.

Find the one of a kind kit at Bloomies  and Neiman Marcus 

Find out more about Orlane Paris's other fabulous line: The Anagenese 25+ Complex skincare collection.

Eco-Friendly Beauty

Earth Day may have come and gone but staying environmentally conscious and aware should still be on the forefront of our minds. Eco-friendly beauty products are a great way to add to the green movement in your life. There are amazing products available right now that not only help transform and nourish your skin but are also free of harsh chemicals and help reduce your carbon foot print. Brands are doing their part to be eco-aware and in turn we should be too!

Here are a few favorites:

Suki Exfoliate Foaming Cleanser uses sugar, lemongrass, rice flour and orange to remove dirt and oil from the skin. The cleanser smells amazing and leaves the skin looking bright and polished. 

PRIORI CoffeeBerry Perfecting Mineral Foundation SPF 25 is packaged in 100% natural, biodegradable, natural plant plastics created by INGEO. CoffeeBerry is a superior anti-aging botanical that protects against harsh UVA/UVB rays and this foundation improves the appearance of problematic skin such as Acne and Rosacea.

June Jacobs Vanda Orchid Collection will keep your skin soft and healthy. This fragrant collection of body balm, shower gel, mist and dry oil body spray is free of parabens, preservatives, sulfates and fragrance. Also try June Jacobs Body Travel Kit which comes in mini sizes in a sturdy leather pouch.

Love, Peace & the Planet Collection by TIGI is a line of "eco-awesome" hair care products with delicious scents, plenty of organic ingredients and chemical free components. The highly-respected line which includes a hair spray, shampoo, and leave-in-conditioner have fresh, clean fragrance inspired scents like Ginger Mandarin Lime, Coconut Mango Vanilla and Cherry Almond. Recycle the already recycled bottles to pay it forward!   

AHAVA Mineral Botanical Washes are a heady blend of Dead Sea minerals, organic plant extracts and soothing natural moisturizers in a line of luxuriously rich body washes.  I love the wash in Grape & Avocado because my skin feels extra soft and protected, plus it smells heavenly. 

 Darphin Orange Blossom Aromatic Care is a yummy elixir that is the brands first 100% natural certified product.  The serum detoxifies the skin and evens out 
the complexion for a healthy glow. 

Think Pink for Spring

Pink lips are a fun, flirty Spring trend that's been popping up all over the red carpet lately. You don't have to be a 13-year old girl experimenting with makeup for the first time, or need to throwing your annual cheesy 80's costume party to wear it either.

  Dancing With The Stars pro turned country singer, Julianne Hough sported a sweet light pink pout at the Country Music Awards last week and looked amazing.

Celebrity makeup artist, Troy Surratt, created the girl-next-door glamour. "I lined the lips with Shiseido Smoothing Lip Pencil in Sakura then dabbed the lips with [the new Summer 2010] Chanel Rouge Allure in Genial (not available in stores till May) for a stained effect," he says. Surratt then placed Clark's Botanicals Lip Tint in Carlotta Pink in the center of the upper and lower lip to create a 3D highlight.

If light pink lips won't work on your skin, try a more pigmented color. Julie Hewett, makeup artist and creator of one of my favorite lipstick lines, Julie Hewett Noir Lipstick Collection, shared her lip tips with cosmopolitan.com. "The darker your skin tone, the more pigment you can wear," she said. According to Cosmo darker-skinned women look fantastic in darker pinks with a purple cast. Try Lipstick Queen's Rose Sinner, a deep beautiful pink with a matte finish. Fair-skinned women should go for a sheer hue without any blue cast to it like a mauve or pale rose. Cosmo recommends trying Clinique Different Lipstick in Heartfelt.

Also try for a gloss or stain first if you're not ready to commit to a lipstick. Try Dior 'Smoothing Lacquer" Lip Polish in 002-Fresh Expert Pink. Gloss lover and D.C. resident, Rachel Quintner says it nurtures and softens your lips has a handy roller brush for smooth application.

Thanks to Stylelist.com and Cosmopolitan.com for the additional information. 

Votre Vu's Yummy Earth Day Concoction

Happy Earth Day Peeps!

Celebrate Earth Day or Earth Week (she's given so much to us, why not give her a whole week!?) with a yummy concoction from French skincare brand Votre Vu. The celebrity favorite line (fans include Marisa Tomei, Tori Spelling and Lisa Rinna)  has fabulous products including Snapdragon, an antioxidant rich beauty beverage. The refreshing drink combines fruit juices (mango, Pomegranate and Acacia Berry) with teas (such as green, white and red), and ingredients such as drinkable collagen and Gingko Balboa .  It's also rich (overflowing with cash kind rich) in vitamins such as Vitamin A, C, E and Aloe Leaf Extract.

The drink is made of purely natural extracts and minerals rather than preservatives or added sugars!  It may repair, restore and replenish your body's internal systems and give your skin a radiant glow.

Take this "good for you" creation and mix it with an old time favorite drinkable treat: ginger ale. Blend equal parts Snapdragon with ginger ale. 

Have a little fun with it and make the drink delicious and refreshing by replacing ice cubes with frozen raspberries! It's a nutrient-rich liquid that'll help us celebrate with the Earth! How much do you love this planet!?

Try out the drink and enjoy Earth Day (or newly designated…by me-Earth Week!)

Enjoy!

Beauty On The Run With The Beauty Buff-Playful & Portable Products!

Beauty on the run shouldn’t mean sacrificing some of the products you'd normally use in the comforts of your own home just because they aren't transportable. Why not instead find products that suite your ever changing needs. I recently discovered Jouer Cosmetics and can’t get over how innovative and amazing the packaging and products are.

Jouer means, “to play” in French and it’s a more than fitting title for these gadgety goodies. The clever compacts are able to connect to each other (each have built-in sliding tracks) to create a completely customizable palette. How amazing is it to snap together a lipgloss, cheek tint and powder and not have to rummage through your purse to find each piece or take the time to strategically jam them together in your makeup bag? You can add or subtract any number of their cosmetics to create a mini or multi-piece set and then throw it in your bag and you’re ready to go!

I’m absolutely obsessed with their newest cheek and lip Tint in the gilded pink shade, Whisper.  It’s a gorgeous iridescent hue with tiny flecks of light that illuminates your face. The blendable tint is universally flattering on all skin tones and types and feels buttery smooth on.  It gives your face a shimmery glint and glow yet still looks natural and sheer on. No cakey buildup here!

 To add to that gorgeous lip hue, swipe on Jouer Moisturizing Lip Gloss. I’ve been wearing the sparkly pink shade, Glisten, which boosts the natural color of my lips and creates depth when paired with the tint. It’s also loaded with Vitamins C, E, Shea Butter, Jojoba Oil and Pomegranate Seed Oil to nourish, protect and soften the lips.  I wore it all last weekend and loved how well it picked up the light and emphasized my pout in pictures! We have to think about those things, right!?

To complete my palette I clicked on Jouer’s Protect and Replenish Hydrating Powder in SPF 39! It’s a potent powder foundation that offers serious sun protection. Wrinkles people! Wrinkles! The powder has natural botanicals such Shea Butter and Vitamin E to protect and restore moisture so it won’t dry out your skin. The powder feels lightweight and makes my skin look even and bright.

I’ve really been looking for products that feel and look amazing on my skin and are easy and portable. There’s no need to lug around oodles of products, as much as I love being the Mary Poppins of makeup. It seems silly to carry my weight around in blushes and bronzers when a simple compact can snap your beauty routine into shape. I love traveling but hate piecing together makeup and over thinking the products I’m going to want and need on a trip. This eliminates the hassle by allowing us to put together all the beauty basics we need (our tool box to look great wherever we are) in one neatly positioned, space-saving palette. 

Jouer helps me achieve effortless beauty on the go and for that they certainly get my Beauty on The Run seal of approval!

AHAVA Discount Till April 23rd!

AHAVA is an amazing line. Their products are rich in Dead Sea minerals and have a ton of amazing skincare essentials that sooth, smooth and rejuvenate the skin. The minerals from the Earth's largest natural spa are proven to have therapeutic and cosmetic benefits. The layers of rich clay and black mineral mud in The Dead Sea contain an extraordinary concentration of natural elements (ten times more than ocean water)-such as magnesium, calcium, potassium, boron, iron-all essential to maintaining beautiful, supple and healthy skin. The water's exceptionally low altitude  provides a blanket of pure, pollution-free oxygen that supplies extra protection in filtering out damaging UVA and UVB rays. Overall, AHAVA products provide incredible moisture, hydration and balance for the skin. I've been using the line for a while and can't explain how smooth my skin feels after using their Gentle Body Exfoliator. It's like it's been sanded over, glossed and polished to perfection. Not bad, right!?

The well respected brand is  getting all 21^st Century on us by joining the wonderful world of Twitter and Facebook and wants to celebrate their e-world induction with their fans!

AHAVA will be utilizing these pages to bring their fans tons of discounts and giveaways so follow them on both networks to be in the loop. Become their fan and you'll receive  a 15% OFF code valid through Friday 4/23 only! Get on board, become their fan and then visit their website link for a special offering!

FACEBOOK:  http://www.facebook.com/ahavaus

TWITTER:  http://twitter.com/ahava_us

Treat yourself to the ULTIMATE spa experience on your kind of budget! Enjoy!

Jenn Falik Is Your New Beauty BFF

Beauty and style expert (and all around sweetie), Jenn Falik, has been dishing out getting glam tips for a decade, regularly contributing to "The Today Show", "The View" and "E News". Falik is now taking her bag of beauty tricks to the web with the launch of her very own show, Beauty BFF, on MSN Lifestyle and Bing Video.

 

She invites us beauty junkies to get all the must have tips, product recommendations she swears by and insider scoop from her; our very own beauty industry bestie.

 

Beauty BFF covers everything from how to achieve the looks your crave (but may be scared to attempt on your own) to the latest trends in hair, makeup and skincare. We'll watch as Jenn talks to the biggest names in beauty and gets them to spill their secrets. From perfecting the art of the up-do to mastering the at-home manicure, scoring celeb favorites to discovering breakthrough beauty buys- each episode combines her insider perspective with usable how-to advice. And since Jenn is all about finding the must-have products that your BFF wouldn't want you to miss out on, each episode will feature her favorite Product Picks.

 

I love how fabulous yet down to earth she is and how interesting and unique her product recommendations are. She even found the trendiest purple shower cap (if that's even possible) I've ever seen, which prevents you from getting your hair wet, thus thwarting frizzies. The first webisode features ways we can combat frizzy unsightly hair and her favorite affordable product picks. Not to be missed people! She also covers essential topics in future episodes such as how to cover dark under eye circles and how to effectively apply makeup without looking like you're wearing any. Yes please!

 

This is a must-watch show and I give it a Ebert and Roeper Two Thumbs Up!

 

The weekly web series will run through Fall 2010. Follow Jenn on Twitter: @JennFalik

The Beauty Buff Link Love

Check out the tops stories happening on some of my favorite sites:

 

* Jen Aniston joins the celebrity fragrance ring by launching Lolavie perfume this June-Stylelist

* How much do you know about your skincare ingredients?-Bella Sugar

* Top Chef host, Padma Lakshmi, reveals her gorgeous hair care secrets-In Style

* 9 date-worthy makeup ideas-Glamour

* Best spring makeover colors-Allure

The Prince Charming Effect

I'm a total sucker for Disney movies. Anything that hints fairy tale romance is my kinda flick. Of course I never question why the villain in the movie is always creepy looking. I mean, hello, they're bad!  Evil characters must look the part, right? The hero, on the other hand, is always attractive. The male protagonist must be equal parts good looking, charming, intelligent, and be able to save the day. That's just movie code. I didn't make it up! 

 It seems like there's more to these common movie stereotypes than we thought. According to an article in the Montreal Gazette, a study from neuroscientists at Duke proposes that a woman's brain processes and correlates good looks with good acts in the same way.

We're fickle creatures aren't we!? At least now we can't really be blamed for our desire to have an unattainable Prince Charming. Kidding!

Scientists discovered that the same areas of the brain light up when females see a less attractive person or hear an immoral act described. A simultaneous neural overlap occurs when women see an attractive face or hear about someone doing a good deed.

This study is an indicator of why less attractive people are more generally discriminated against and why attractive people seem to have more opportunities handed to them. The study co-author Roberto Cabeza, a neuroscientist at Duke University in North Carolina says, "People who are less attractive are more likely to be found guilty in a trial, less likely to be hired and get a good salary, and so forth".

Anthony Synnott, a professor of sociology at Concordia University in Montreal, says the study explains why there are such "virtually unavoidable" appearance biases in our society today. He says, "This is the first scientific basis for what we've had in our literature and our plays and our language for a very long time,". He notes such widely used phrases as " she looks heavenly," "he looks like the devil," and "good-looking," all of which link notions of morality with looks.

It's widely recognized that attractive people tend to be treated better but it wasn't clear if it was a societal choice or a human instinct. We now know that treating someone differently based on their looks is more than just a personal or conscious choice. The moral here? Stick to the old saying: Don't judge a book by its cover!

Thanks to Bella Sugar for posting the great story!

PRIORI Before & After Challenge

With the changing of the seasons (thank goodness its finally warm out), it's only natural to start changing up your skin care routine. I've been trying out PRIORI skin care products lately and really liking how they feel on my skin. The PRIORI Advanced AHA with LCA Complex line has a ton of effective products that are light, easy to use and gentle on sensitive skin. I also like that the Daily Defense with SPF 30 doesn't smell overly SPFish (smelling like you're at the beach when you're sitting in the office isn't so great) and makes my skin feel silky. They also have a nice Gentle Facial Cleanser that lathers well and exfoliates.

PRIORI is a highly respected skin care line and their products cater to a variety of skin care needs. If you're already a fan of the brand or looking to become one, check out this great contest and giveaway. PRIORI wants their fans to share their personal PRIORI  skin makeovers with a Before & After Challenge.

All you have to do is submit a before & after photo of yourself  after using one of their treatments or skin solutions.

Enter your photos into one these two categories:

Category 1: Submit a Before/After picture for a Single 30-Minute PRIORI Treatment

* Try their CoffeeBerry Lunchtime Yoga Facial. CoffeeBerry is a supernatural anti-oxidant which helps smooth fine lines and leave skin hydrated and soft.

Category 2: Submit a Before/After picture for 3-Weeks of PRIORI Product Use and PRIORI Treatments  

Submit photos to info@prioriskincare.com with the Subject: "Before & After" by May 15^th.

By investing in one product and submitting your pictures you could be eligible to win tons of PRIORI products.

 1^ST Place – $1,000 retail gift voucher towards the purchase of any PRIORI retail products

2^ND Place – $500 retail gift voucher towards the purchase of any PRIORI retail products

3^RD Place – $250 retail gift voucher towards the purchase of any PRIORI retail products

 

For more info on the brand check out their website for products, information and more contest details.  

 

Beauty On The Run With The Beauty Buff-"5 Minute Face"

Welcome to another Working Wednesdays column! My weekly series in collaboration with Makeover Momma that discusses speedy ways to feel gorgeous on the run and combat a mid-week slump by looking like the best version of you! I'll give you fast, fabulous tips and portable products for the best primping on the go techniques and tools. 

We can't always waste time getting gussied up but still want to walk out the door looking presentable and confident. How dreadful is it when you decide to brave the outside world with a bare face (hoping no one notices the blaring Rudolph the Red Nose Zit you have or tired eyes and absolutely gorgeous under eye circles) and run into someone you know all too well. It's miserable! Never again people! Never again!

So how does one dash out the door in minimum time with maximum results? You need to create the perfect "5 Minute Face". Celebrity makeup artist, Troy Surratt, dishes out his five (and a half) easy steps to creating a fast, fresh looking face.

Surratt says, half the time women spend more time rummaging through their purses for the cosmetics they want to use rather than having a few basic go-to products set aside for "work face", or "errand face".  He likes to target the "lashes, lids, and lips" when tackling a bare canvas. By filling in those areas of the face, the eye will be instantly drawn to your best features.

                                                           Step 1: Conceal It!

Add a touch of concealer under the eyes to cover darkness and shadows. Concealer also helps keep your makeup in place. Surratt recommends a "makeup artist favorite",  Cle de Peau Beaute because it's a "great, quick, concealer". Don't forget to add concealer around the nostrils to cover redness and broken capillaries and on the tip of your nose and chin to even out discolored skin.

Step 2: Lid Love.

Draw attention to your pupils by adding some color above the eyes. Try Shiseido The Makeup-Hydro Powder Eye Shadow, a cream shadow made with a silicone formula that stays on for hours and won't smudge or crease. This "goof-proof" shadow is easy to apply, water resistant and great for any occasion, even beach outings. Surratt says to burnish the color onto your eyelids with your finger tips to give your skin a twinkly refreshed looking glint.

Step 3: Get Curl Crazy.

Without fail, curl your lashes! Your entire eye will open up and look brighter. It's a fool-proof way to fake a good nights sleep. Use a Shu Uemura Lash Curler (available online).

Step 4: Lash Out.

Swipe on a basic mascara like Lancome Définicils or Maybelline Great Lash. Make mascara a must-have and must-do in your getting ready regime.

Step 5: Get Your Glow On

"Bronzer looks great on everyone. It warms your complexion, makes everyone look healthy and has a brightening, teeth whitening effect on your entire face.", says Surratt.  Find a bronzer that compliments your skin and isn't too orangey or red. Take a stroke of bronzer onto your brush, tapping off the excess powder and then lightly trace an invisible "3" shape. Start from the middle of your forehead, to the base of your nose and then out again till you reach the middle of your chin. Reverse the "3" for the left side of your face. This creates the most natural sun-kissed look. There's nothing worse than over-bronzing. I should know. I was a bronze-aholic for most of high school! Surratt loves Guerlain Terracotta Bronzer, but says bronzer isn't a one size fits all product. There are plenty of great ones out there that are both cheap and effective. Guerlain, however, has the widest and best range of colors that suites all complexions. "They kind of invented the category of bronzer", he says. So if you're looking for the Rolls Royce of bronzers invest in them.

Step 5 1/2:  Tint Your Lip

Walk out the door with a tinted lip balm in your bag. Apply as needed. I love Labello Tinted Lip Balm in Cherry. Surratt recommends Clark's Botanical's Lip Tint in Madge Mauve. Find a tinted lip balm that's natural looking and gives you a just-bitten look. It's another way to brighten your face without the effort.

For more with Troy follow him on Twitter: @TroySurratt.

See my weekly column on the fabulous Makeover Momma website. Check out Bailey's other weekly series and columns too! Follow Makeover Momma on Twitter: @makeovermomma and me on Twitter: @beautybuffblog.

Lauren Conrad's 'Glamorous' Locks

Lauren Conrad graces the cover of the current issue of Glamour Magazine and lets her signature long loose wavy locks flow freely. The "Hills" star practically invented the California beach chic look and has been giving Jennifer Aniston's famed hair style a run for its money since her "Laguna Beach" days. Celebrity hairstylist Charles Baker Strahan has been working with Whitney Port (who was also photographed for the cover story) for the past two years and started working with Lauren last year. Strahan gave LC and Whitney their gorgeous 'Glamour' 'do's (like the pun!?) and told me what he did to get their hair looking bed-head sexy and supremely "it-girl" stunning. 

The New York based stylist says he wanted to maintain a sense of effortless glamour in the looks he was creating. "I wanted to create hair that was soft, natural feeling, healthy looking and vibrant".

Step 1: Strahan started by making sure the hair was properly hydrated so that he'd get the best results from his styling products. He used Herbal Essences Hydralicious Shampoo and Conditioner to moisturize the strands of the two reality cuties. 

Step 2: The hair guru then used Tousle Me Softly Spray Gel and The Long Term Relationship Split End Protector from Herbal Essences. "The spray gel provides a memory like hold which allows me to run my hands through the hair easily. If we have fan [blowing] on it, the hair is light and moveable." he says.  Strahan likes the Split End Protector cream because it has heat protection so your hair will look and feel healthy even after heat styling like he did with curling irons used on Conrad and Port's locks to add oomph and movement.

Step 3: Strahan used the Split End Protector cream as a pomade to smooth away fly-away hair instead of using silicone based products which he says makes hair look oily and weighed down. 

So with just a few products that you can easily grab at your local drugstore, you too can achieve Lauren Conrad's luscious locks! 

P.S. No "Heidi Montag diva alert" here! Strahan said Whitney and LC are super supportive of each other, great girlfriends and a pleasure to work with!

To get the same long loose curls Whitney maintains try the Hot Tools Jumbo 1" Marcel Curling Iron. It gives you enviable curls without going into Shirley Temple territory, which is anything but sexy! 

Images of Lauren Conrad and Whitney Port from Glamour Magazine