Beauty at the SAG Awards was decidedly low key this year. Makeup stayed neutral for the most part, and hair was tousled or simply pulled back. Very casual, very pretty.
I’ve already announced my fandom for BioElements, and now I have a new favorite product from their illustrious line of skin products: Flash Foam Cleanser ($32). It’s so great. I’ve been using it for a couple of months, and it has really done a good job battling my blackhead affliction.
I’ll admit I was skeptical at first because, well, it just looks like foam, but it actually melts the makeup off your face. It didn’t dry me out either, and it’s true about the enzymes sweeping dead skin away–I haven’t felt the need to exfoliate in a long while.
Interestingly, I didn’t use if for four days during December, and I was rewarded with two giant pimples in the center of my face that absolutely will not die. Let that be a lessen to all.
The Christian Dior couture show was an artful explosion of shape and hue with billowing silhouettes and a decidedly untamed color palette. The beauty aspect of the show also did not disappoint–there were 1960s bouffants and mardi gras/showgirl eyes. Spectacular!
Red velvet aromatherapy. It’s the best way to have your cake without having to cheat on your new years resolution.
The Beauty Brains defuse the mystery of Fuse Slenderizing Lip Gloss.
Afrobella announces a unique casting call from Fitness Magazine.
Beauty Addict is no fan of Keira Knightley’s W cover.
I really love the new Miu Miu ads featuring Kirsten Dunst. One of the most interesting thing about them is her matte red lipstick. Very Winona Ryder circa the nineties:
Oh, those were sweet, sweet days. And just look at that Johnny Depp!
I wonder if Dunst has the power to usher in the pale face/blood red look back into fashion. I mean, she’s cute and all, but she’s no Winona. Either way, I just hope that in the ten years since the non-glossy look has been in vogue, the makeup gods have figured out a way to keep matte lipstick from sucking every ounce of moisture from your lips.
Quick tip: If you’re gonna go matte, gently exfoliate your lips first to avoid unsightly peeling. Trust me.
It’s the year of the dark-haired beauties at Lancôme. Following in Anne Hathaway’s footsteps, Juliette Binoche will be the “brand ambassador” for the brand’s Rénergie line, which battles the signs of aging. This isn’t the first time the French actress has posed for the cosmetic company–she fronted ads for Lancôme’s perfume, Poeme, from 1995-2000.
Why did the company tap her again? The company’s president, Odile Roujol, had this to say:
It is an immense pleasure for us to welcome Juliette Binoche back to Lancôme. Her career choices, her natural and moving beauty, her independent spirit and generosity epitomize the values essential to our brand.
Good choice.
Well, it’s certainly no secret that I’ll bow to the altar of a good makeup primer any day of the week. And I think this new Smashbox Photo Finish Light ($36) is about to get worshiped.
When I was first introduced to the concept of primer, Smashbox did the initiating, but then I found Lorac liquid primer, and I jumped ship because it was so much lighter and less drying. However, as I primed my face every morning, I often wondered why Smashbox hadn’t made a liquid primer. “There’s would be so good!,” I thought.
Well, lo and behold, they’ve heard my cries and come out with Photo Finish Light, a whole bottle of which a dear friend was nice enough to bestow upon me. I really, really like it. It’s very light, super affective, and it doesn’t peel. Fantastic.
I use it after moisturizing and before foundation, but really, I think it’s moist enough to go on a naked face.
Interesting fact:Burt’s Bees was just purchased by Clorox in November for close to $1 billion. That may seem like a lot, but since 2000, the company known for natural products and lip balm that dreams are made of, brought in around $164 million. Apparently, the bleach giant sees even bigger potential in ‘ol Burt, and plans to make the brand a household word by selling it in Wal-Mart and the like.
The price of entry is based on more than just the brand’s ability to bring in big bucks, though. Clorox also wants to learn a thing or two about being green, and they want the Burt’s people to teach them. It’s no secret that eco-consciousness is where things are going, and what better way to learn the ins and outs of sustainable business practices than buying up a sustainable business? Pretty savvy, and pretty amazing if Clorox is willing to incorporate some of the policies of Burt’s Bees into their own business (i.e. rewarding hybrid-driving and carpooling employees, offsetting 100% of their carbon emissions and keeping waste out of landfills).
That’s what Burt’s Bees is telling their once devoted fans who feel a little put off by the company’s new owners. For their part, they’re asking their legions to take a wait and see attitude and have even promised to report on whether Clorox is taking to the green initiatives on the Burt’s Bees website.
We’ll see.
