Leighton Meester at the 2010 Teen Choice Awards

when Leighton Meester attended the 2010 Teen Choice Awards, she too had a pretty makeup look, created by none other than CoverGirl's celeb makeup artist Molly R. Stern.

Molly shares what products, and how she used them, to create this soft, feminine look...

for her face:

"i prepped Leighton's skin with Josie Marin Argan Oil Skin Primer and lightly moisturized with Sk-11 Facial Lift Emulsion. next, i sparingly used CoverGirl Clean Liquid Makeup.

for her eyes:

"we wanted a celestial glow with a smidge of an edge. so i first based her eye with NARS Cream Chadow in Corfu on the lid, then with Shu Uemura P Gold 94 over the top. i added a little silver sparkly glittery shadow from RMK, a treasure i found in japan, to the inside of the lid and under the outer edge of the eye. next, i lined the top of the lid at the lash line and under the eye with CoverGirl LiquiLineBlast Eyeliner in Blue Boom. for her lashes, 2 coats of CoverGirl LashBlast Fusion in Brown was the perfect finish."

on her cheeks:

"i used Kevin Aucoin Creamy Moist Glow in Nuelle and dusted YSL Touché Blush over the top. to set her look for the red carpet i dusted all over with La Mer Treatment Powder Foundation in Linen.

on her lips:

"i wanted a long lasting nude so i chose CoverGirl Oulast Lipstain in Nude Kiss on the lip with CoverGirl ShineBlast Lipgloss in Dazzle over top."

thanks Molly-- fabulous work!

xo

Get a Flawless, Glowing Look Like Jennifer Hudson

when Jennifer Hudson got together with Sam Fine, celebrity makeup artist and creator of The Basics of Beauty, for a shoot showing off her gorgeous new, slimmed down physique, he gave her a gorgeous, glowing makeup look. below, Sam shares his insider advice on how you, too, can achieve the same flawless and glowing face at home in just a few easy steps.

begin with coverage.

Sam says: "every great look begins great coverage. Jennifer has beautiful skin, but like many women of color, she has varied tones. i use foundation to unify those varying tones. one of my favorites is the (CoverGirl) Queen Collection Natural Hue Compact Foundation because it's cream- to- powder, so it dries down to a powdery finish and looks really natural."




use a bronzer.

"bronzer is always a must for all women to illuminate their complexion. it's important to choose a bronzer that's one shade darker than your natural skin tone and apply it to the outer perimeter of your face to warm the skin and create a halo of glow. after applying bronzer, you can go back and layer over blush to give the skin a pop of color. on Jennifer, i used CoverGirl Natural Hue Mineral Bronzer and Cargo's Matte Blush in Laguna.

the eyes have it.

"to create Jennifer's classic, natural eye, i used a brown shadow. Shu Uemura makes a great pressed eye shadow in an array of shades – in this case, their Matte Taupe with Golden Flakes Eyeshadow works perfectly. for this look, i didn't use a ton of liner, and totally avoided lining underneath her eyes to keep them soft. we used tons of mascara to enhance her look – my favorite is CoverGirl LashBlast. i always like to apply a coat of mascara, and then move on to something else to let the first coat dry. i'll come back a few minutes later, curl the lashes, and then layer on a few more coats of mascara to really build the lashes. this makes them much more dramatic and makes the curl hold well. it's like spraying your hair with a coat of hairspray before using a curling iron."



finish with a pretty nude lip.

"to complete her look, i gave Jennifer a beautiful nude lip. the key to a nude lip is to begin by lining the lips with liner that is one shade darker than your natural lip color. don't worry about matching the liner to your lipstick-- if you match it to your lips, it will look great with any shade of lipstick. after lining the lips, feather the liner towards the center of the mouth to great a base for the lipstick. next, apply your lipstick. on Jennifer, i chose IMAN Cosmetics' Luxury Moisturizing Lipstick in Citron. i finished by slicking on a golden gloss add dimension and shine. CoverGirl Shine Blast Lip Gloss is perfect!"

she looks fabulous, don't you think? if you want to learn more from Sam Fine, check out his best-selling dvd, The Basics of Beauty.

xo

Shu Uemura Still Available Online

as you may have being reading around the web, the Shu Uemura brand will be leaving the states soon. if you're a fan, this is terrible news, but don't get too upset just yet!

while you won't be able to make purchases at department stores, or at one of the boutiques (these locations will begin to phase out in the coming months.), you will still be able to purchase products at shuuemura.com, and new products will also continue to be introduced via the site-- and i'll be sure to let you know!

you'll also be glad to know that shu uemura Art of Hair is not affected by these changes. they will continue to remain in top-tier salons across the country as well as online at shuuemuraartofhair-usa.com.


xo

Emily Blunt at Wolfman Premiere

Laini Reeves, owner and creative director of Essensuals London, made actress Emily Blunt look fabulous at the premiere of the new movie, Wolfman. taking inspiration from Emily's vintage style, Reeves created a new take on the traditional 1920's updo.

by making a custom flapper style accessory-- a peacock feather fashioned to an elastic headband (love it!)-- Reeves created the mood for the hairstyle she had in mind.

here's the step-by-step to help you recreate this look for your next soiree.

1: start with hair that is smooth and glossy. Reeves has been using Shu Uemura Essence Absolue while on tour with Emily; apply this prior to blow drying.

2: gently scrunch dry hair to encourage a natural wave and boost texture.

3: secure the headband (if you don't have one, i pretty clip will work just as well) and twist hair up and over around a hair band, to back of head with messy bun at nape of neck.

4: loosen a few strands to create a more modern, soft, tousled look.

5: finish with a light holding spray.

so simple, right?

xo
image: Photo Agency via Zimbio.com

hair therapy: Shu Uemura Essence Absolue Nourishing Protective Oil

in the cold, dry months of the year (we've had many more this year in so cal!), hair needs extra moisture. i give my hair weekly deep conditioning treatments, and love leave-in conditioners. when i was informed about Shu Uemura's latest Art of Hair product, Essence Absolue Nourishing Protective Oil*, i jumped at the opportunity to try it.

sold out worldwide (yes, it's that popular!), Essence Absolue Nourishing Protective Oil has become my absolute must have. when a product wows me from first use, it becomes a staple.

so what makes it so great??

first of all, it smells great (i noticed this of course as i rubbed it between my hands before applying it to my hair). this "liquid gold" serum glides through my hair and leaves it shiny and silky soft. i like to rub in whatever's left on my hands and it never leaves my hands feeling greasy.

also, Essence Absolue is a multi-tasker! it can be used in so many ways; as a pre-shampoo treatment, as a leave-in, as a UV protectant, for protection during color application and an uber-shiny finishing aid.

i have been applying a pump to my ends at night before bed and about 5 pumps before i wash my hair (once a week)-- it loves this stuff and i'm loving the results from using it. the price tag is definitely on the luxe end of the haircare spectrum, but since i know i'll miss this when it runs out, i have already signed up to be informed when it becomes available for purchase again.

visit shuuemuraartofhair-usa.com for more info.

xo
*a full size product sample was sent to me by a representive of the Shu Uemura brand for the purpose of review