Sofia Vergara at the Smurfs Premiere

Sofia Vergara looked stunning as usual at the premiere of the Smurfs movie. Celebrity Makeup Artist, Kayleen McAdams (Rachel's sister) created her look using COVERGIRL products. McAdams said because Vergara wore a beautiful purple dress, she wanted to do a shimmery bronze eye to compliment the outfit. 


Here's what she did to create the look: 


SKIN:

On her face she used COVERGIRL NatureLuxe Silk Foundation in Chestnut, COVERGIRL TruConceal #4  and COVERGIRL Clean oil-control Pressed Power in Soft Honey to eliminate any shine.

To highlight her cheeks and give a touch of color, she used COVERGIRL TruBlend Minerals Bronzer in Natural Bronze andCOVERGIRL Cheekers Blush in Classic Pink

EYES: 
To get her shimmery bronze eye, she applied COVERGIRL Intense ShadowBlast in Brown Bling (she used this first on the lid with the shadow on top to give it staying power in this heat) followed by Queen Collection Eye Shadow in Fire it up all over the lid and along the bottom lash line and COVERIGIRL Queen Collection Eye Shadow in Copper Penny on the outer corners. She lined her eyes with COVERGIRL LiquilineBlast eyeliner in Black Fire and finished the eyes with multiple coats of COVERGIRL NatureLuxe Mousse Mascara in Very Black.

LIPS:
To create Sofia’s soft, shiny pink lip, she applied COVERGIRL LipPerfection lipliner in Splendid followed by COVERGIRL LipPerfection lipcolor in Entwined.

Cake Pops!

Thought cupcakes were the trendy dessert of the moment? Thought wrong! The latest trend in hand-held yumminess blends two irresistible dessert classics: cake & lollipops. Cake Pops are all the delicious rage these days and thank goodness for them! Baking and blogging phenom. Bakerella most famously introduced us to her cake pop works of art and has since inspired baking aficionados everywhere to create their own whimsical treats.

Bakerella's cake pop tips and tricks became so popular she even compiled a cake pop crafting cook book. Check out her amazing creations.

From Bakerella.com

From Bakerella.com

From Bakerella.com

From Bakerella.com

From Bakerella.com


How amazing are Bakerella's genius pops?

I luckily had the pleasure of experiencing my own Cake Pops first hand when my sister's craftiest friend created these amazing Lion Cake Pops for her jungle-themed baby shower. How cute are these guys!? The nose is made of cut up M&M's and the mane is consists of caramel chips. The actual construction of the Cake Pops is actually quite complex. That's why I leave the construction up to the professionals. The pops were portable, delicious and completely unique. To find out how to make your own Cake Pops check out the Bakerella Cake Pops section on her amazing blog. 

Cake Pop creator Aretae 

Color-Blocking Nail Trends: Natural & Bold

Summer nail shades don't just have to be bright, popping hues on your hands and feet. Summer is about showing your sun-kissed skin and sometimes the best way to showcase that is by contrasting your tan with a light, pearly white color on your nails. A light color on your finger nails translate to a polished look that's easy to maintain. Alternatively, adding a splash of color on your feet is a great way to bring attention to a great pair of shoes and can easily bring your whole look together. Color on your toe nails lasts a significantly longer time than on your hands so it's a great place to experiment with punchy, bright colors. The contrast in light and dark, known as color-blocking, is a great way to play with color while still looking polished.

Adorable actress Carey Mulligan was spotted on the Comic Con red carpet in contrasting color-blocking shades. She wore Essie's light pink Blushing Bride shade on her nails and the fire-coral shade Capri on her toes, which looked great against her fab. outfit.

I love Essie polishes because the short brushes make for easy self-mani and pedicures. Find your own set of contrasting shades to get Mulligan's look. 

Mally Live Tonight on Ustream

Friends,

I'm a huge fan of the makeup line Mally Beauty. Mally is celebrity makeup artist, Mally Roncal, who has worked with celebrities such as Beyonce, Jennifer Lopez, Rihanna, Ashlee Simpson, Celine Dion and more. 

Tonight from 8-9 PM Mally will be on her Ustream channel sharing tips and tricks and answering your beauty questions.  

There'll also be surprise offers throughout the hour and Free Shipping on all orders over $25. If you're a Mally fan like I am, tune in and chat with her.

Here is a sneak peek at what products she’ll be featuring: 
Glow Primer, Ultimate Performance Lip and Cream Eye Shadow

                          

My Latest Beauty Etc. Magazine Article

istock photo from Beauty Etc. Magazine

Check out my latest wedding beauty article featured in Beauty Etc. Magazine. I spoke with celebrity makeup artist Julie Harris about what tools and products you'll want in your beauty arsenal when you're preparing for your big day. She talks about her favorite products and what's most important to look for when preparing your wedding prep kit. 

For more of my wedding tips and tricks check out my other articles featured in the magazine:

-Making Your Wedding Makeup Your Something "Royal" Blue

-My Beauty Routine To Get DC Bride Shana Pelter Camera Ready

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

Nordstrom Beauty Exclusives Sale

Friends,

If you're a Nordstrom fanatic like I am, you'll agree that it's one of the wonderful times of the year! It's the Nordstrom Beauty Exclusives Anniversary Sale. The sale runs till the 31st of the month nationwide and on Nordstrom.com. The store partners with its beauty brands to create amazing and exclusive products just for the occasion. 

Here's a preview of what you can expect at the sale:

Laura Mercier Everyday Classic Colour Collection

This collection features four Well Eye Color Palette (Buff, Guava, Sable, Black Smoke), Full Size Cheek color in Plum Radiance, Full Sized Lip Glace in Raspberry (exclusive shade), Full Size Full Blown Mascara, Mini Foundation Primer, Cheek Color Brush and a Double Ended Ponytail/smudge brush.

Price: $75 (a $218 value) 

Clarins Feed

Discovery sizes of Moisture Rich Body Lotion, Hand and Nail Cream and a trial size of Instant Lip Protector. Feed 15 Bag=15 School Meals through United Nations World Food Programme (WFP).

Price: $30 (a $43.75 value)

 

La Mer Signature Collection

This collection includes 1oz Crème, .5oz Regenerating Serum & .17 oz Concentrate.
Price: $250 (a $290 value)

Clarisonic Mias

With one button and one speed, Mia cleanses so well that products absorb better, pores appear smaller and fine lines and wrinkles appear reduced. All the benefits of CLARISONIC®. Six times more makeup removal. Leaves skin feeling and looking younger and smoother. Gentle enough for twice-daily use. Helps reduce oily areas, dry skin patches and blemishes. Available in Zebra, Snake, Leopard, Pink or Coral.
Price: $149 (a $189 value)

MAC Brush Kit All Over Touch Up

Each set features five key brushes in exclusive colors.

Price: $49.50

MAC Brush Kit Face Canvas

Each set features four key brushes in exclusive colors.

Price: $49.50

Fekkai Jumbo Salon Technician Color Care Duo

This specially formulated shampoo and conditioner duo is designed to replenish moisture and restore hair to good health by strengthening and protecting it. Natural cleansers gently clean the hair while natural conditioners add moisture. Abused hair will be softer, smoother and shinier after one use.

Price: $85 (a $188 value)

Anthony Logistics Clean & Smooth Set

Featuring a dynamic duo of the Algae Facial Cleanser and Facial Scrub, this set removes dead skin cells as well as grime. Algae cleanses and refreshes, while glycerin and extracts of Azulene, Lavender and Rose Hip Oil help cool, calm and moisturize skin. Remove dead skin cells and free your ingrown hairs with a facial scrub that smoothes and moisturizes.

Price: $47 (a $70 value)

Belli Skin Care's Latest Pregnancy-Safe Products

It's certainly been the summer of babies. Celebrities have been poppin' them out left and right and it seems like everyone around me is carrying around a little bundle of joy in their bellies too.


Get your favorite prego lady a little something to feel pampered and special. My reliable source on mommy-to be favorites is my adorable sister who is in her last month of pregnancy. 


She's leaned on one pregnancy brand in particular: Belli Skin Care. The pregnancy-safe line is free of paraben preservatives, BPA, teratogens, xenoestrogens, artificial dyes and fragrances and has been allergy-tested. It was also started by a physician  and his wife and is the only line to do teratology screening. The brand focuses on providing products for a woman during every stage of her pregnancy and for new mom's and their babies. 


Although my sister's been using all of their fab. pregnancy products she's been loving their All Day Moisture Body Lotion and Pampered Pregnancy Body Wash. Both are soothing on the skin and smell great. 


Celeb mommy Ali Larter also recently raved about the All Day Moisture Body Lotion. She told Allure Magazine, "I really like organic products, and ones with no sulfates that sort of thing—I’m realizing that everything I put on my skin and hair goes straight to my baby. I like the Mama Mio line a lot, and really obsessively moisturize with Belli All Day Moisture lotion."


If you're a mommy-to be, mommy or loved one of a either and want to get your hands on some baby-friendly products from Belli check out their site and use promo code "VIPMOM" for 15% off your website order.
   
Here's to a safe and easy pregnancy to all the mommy-to be's out there and congrats to all the new mommies!

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.