and the big winners are...

i am not, nor do i claim to be a style expert. however, i love looking at the makeup at the oscars. it's one of hollywood's biggest nights--and we all know that people spend hours getting ready for their close-ups. it's like prom night for movie stars. so let's get down to business. i think the first big trend we saw was a strong lip in a range of reds, pinks and burgundy and the second was glowing, radiant skin.

Helen Mirren was radiant. This is an example of what aging in Hollywood should look like. I loved the shimmery cheeks and the lip color. I hope that I look this good at her age.

Jessica Biel is gorgeous and while i wasn't impressed with the hair, i loved the color of her dress and her bright lips and cheeks.

Rachel Wiesz is absolutely stunning--i kind of have a girl crush on her. i loved her lip color--it was rich and intense, but not overpowering--and a striking contrast to her creamy skin and the icy color of her dress.

Cate Blanchet always has this ethereal quality. she had glowing skin and i loved her peachy lips and cheeks.

Kate Winslet is another actress i am in love with--she is so gorgeous and talented. on first glance, i was not impressed with her makeup, but the subdued peach tones really did complement the color of her pastel dress. she also has amazing skin.

Cameron Diaz was out to make a statement and boy, did she ever! eat your heart out, Justin. she looked happy and radiant. i absolutely loved the sun-kissed skin.

Meryl Streep is another example of aging gracefully. i loved that she said her dress size on national tv. the woman is an inspiration.

Jennifer Hudson has amazing skin and i loved her metallic eyes. this was one of my favorite looks. it was so pretty and shimmery and perfect for a big night out.

Gwyneth Paltrow looked really great. the hair was a little bit warmer and the ruby lips were so pretty.

Nicole Kidman also sported a bright lip--and i love it because we usually see her in light, pastel tones.

Emily Blunt was brilliant in The Devil Wears Prada--and on the red carpet. i loved the pink lip--so, so pretty.

Penelope Cruz is beautiful, but i wished she'd taken more of a risk with her makeup. it was very subdued.

i think i got it!

it's no secret i am obsessed with izzy stevens' lipgloss. i googled everything i could think of to figure out what the shade was. nothing. one of my favorite sites www.makeup411.com, which lists the products movie and tv stars use, only had the makeup katherine heigl wore on roswell. while this wasn't helpful, this site in general is awesome. you can check out what you're favorite movie and tv stars use to get those gorgeous looks--it's even organized by movie and tv listing. so i had to figure out the shade on my own. after hitting countless department stores and sephora, i think i found a pretty good facsimile: CHANEL ROUGE ALLURE in Tender. this is the prettiest shade of light pink--it's the grown-up, sophisticated incarnation of the bubble gum pink shade you wore when you were younger. it has a supersmooth consistency and the lightest specks of glitter. not only is it an absolutely gorgeous shade, the sleek CHANEL packaging will instantly make you feel like a glam diva.

get yours now

it's a big week!

this week is very exciting! first, oscar fever is in the air--and tonight, just like everyone else, i will be glued to the awards show. everyone is dying to know who will receive a golden statue and what the gorgeous ladies will wear, but i am dying get a peek at the makeup! i can't wait to see who will be sporting a smoky eye, a red lip or an ethereal glow. i will try to post my favorites this week. second, i have been invited to attend a Prescriptives focus group. i am such a fan of Prescriptives Skin Care that i can't wait till the big day! i will post more about that later too.

living beauty

whenever i get a new magazine in my mailbox, i can't wait to check out the beauty section. and once i get into my apartment, the thought process before reading the magazine goes something like this: skip right to the beauty section; no, don't do that because then you will never pick it up again; skip right to the beauty section. NO! read it like a normal person. this month's InStyle was worth the wait of getting to the beauty section by reading the magazine in order (don't get me wrong, i love InStyle, but this month, there were a lot of ads). this month's beauty section was great; from the 3 faces 3 places section to the coast-to-coast beauty, but my favorite section was by far bobbi brown's beauty lessons and the 3 comments on beauty from Ann Curry, Marcia Gay Harden and Susan Sarandon. i think what i appreciated most was that the Bobbi Brown section mentioned ways to look younger without opting for surgery--and i can't wait to go out and buy her book Living Beauty.

that old green magic

i take care of my skin and for the most part, it's pretty good. i use serums and moisturizers religiously; i exfoliate, i do a masque once or twice a week. i wear sunscreen every day. and still i get breakouts. and let me tell you, i resent it. i have to admit, they aren't the worst breakouts in the world, but they are to me. sometimes it will be in a certain spot or it's just one of those under the skin monsters. and i've tried everything you can imagine to get rid of them quickly. so far, the only thing that works on every kind of pimple is the queen helene mint julep mask. i don't use this all over my face because it's pretty drying--just in the spots where i want something to go away. i put it on overnight and the next morning, it's pretty much gone. voila! just like that. granted, i end up going to bed with freakish green spots all over my face, like an abstract version of the chicken pox, but it's pretty miraculous. if it's a really bad scenario, i have to dab it on 2 consecutive nights. and the best part? it's an absolute bargain--you can find it on the shelf of most drugstores for like $4.