Pat McGrath's Beauty Must-Haves

Pat McGrath-- the amazing makeup artist, who literally creates makeup trends each season and serves as global creative director for Procter & Gamble-- has a few items she loves, and of course, being the very giving person i am, i'm sharing with you. :)



to keep her eyes looking refreshed for her many hours of flying and traveling, Pat uses SKII Signs Eye Mask: "i carry these to pop on during long-haul flights. they plump the skin around the eye and get rid of dark circles and simply feel refreshing when in the drying environment of the plane."

to pamper lips and give them a healthy look Dior Addict Lip Glow Color Reviver Balm is what Pat reaches for: "this lip balm appears to be colorless, but when applied gives the lips a healthy color and slight sheen. it works on all skin tones."



Emergen-C Packets are what Pat uses "to keep colds at bay. they also provide a nice natural source of energy."

for a luminous glow Pat can't get enough of CoverGirl Queen Collection Natural Hue Minerals Bronzer: "i brush this onto my cheeks and brow bone to warm up my complexion. the formulation has a subtle highlighting sheen which will give the face a radiant look."


to read the full list, visit NY Mag's fashion blog, The Cut


xo
source: The Cut

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

Katy Perry at the 2010 MTV Movie Awards

CoverGirl celebrity makeup artist Jake Bailey created an uber-fun look for Katy Perry at the MTV Movies awards this year. i don't know about you, but i thought her makeup was amazing and her blue wig was fabulous (seriously, who knew blue hair could look so good?)!

since the wig was definitely the focal point of the look, Jake wanted to create a look to balance the bright color out. the result was a dramatic, glamorous eye with the rest of the face more muted. Katy really wanted everything to look polished and chic.

on the face, Jake used Makeup For Ever HD Foundation followed by CoverGirl Simply Ageless Sculpting Blush in Plush Peach to give her cheeks a warm glow.

on Katy's eyes CoverGirl Line Exact in Black was used. Jake says, "i love liquid liner because it allows you to change the shape of an eye, and we wanted to create a more almond shape for Katy." above the black liner, he applied the white shade of the CoverGirl Smoky ShadowBlast in Onyx Smoke. the new LiquiLine Blast in Silver Spark was lined on the waterline to make the eyes pop.

"women tend to be afraid to use liner in the inner eye but it actually balances out a dramatic eye look." -Jake Bailey

to finish the eye, multiple coats of CoverGirl LashBlast Fusion in Very Black was used. to finish the look, the lips were stained with Outlast Lipstain in Flirty Nude and given a touch of shine with LaMer Lip Balm .

before her performance Jake punched up the look a bit by adding LiquiLineBlast in Blue Bloom for a pop of color and Outlast Lipstain in Everbloom Kiss.

Jake shares that "Katy loves the Outlast Lipstains because they are great for when she performs; they don't stick to her hair or microphone and never smudge." i will add that i love them as well, and the new Flirty Nude shade is my newest favorite shade!

great job Jake!

xo
images: Kevin Winter/Getty Images

CoverGirl Beauty Lounge with Molly R. Stern

last weekend (june 6, 2010, to be exact) i was privileged enough to attend a pre-MTV Movie Awards fete sponsored by CoverGirl at the Byron and Tracey Salon in Beverly Hills. unlike last year's event, this was much more intimate and we were able to watch the fabulous Molly R. Stern create a gorgeous look for Parks and Recreation star Rashida Jones.

i also got to catch up with blogger pals i haven't seen in awhile-- Amber, Nadine, Charli and Kristen and Sarah-- as well as meet new ones i "know" via the web-- Sydne, Jamie and Tara.



shortly after arriving, we all sat down to watch as Molly effortlessly applied product after product, creating a flawless look for Rashida. the key to the look was building it rather than just applying it heavy all on at once. i loved being able to sit and observe the playful banter between Molly and Rashida, longtime friends.



here's how to get Rashida's look:

since Rashida's dress was simple and black, Molly wanted to play up her makeup with a bit of color.

she began prepping Rashida's skin with a light moisturizer followed by the soon-to-be-released Simply Ageless Primer to prep her skin for foundation. after a touch of Simply Ageless Corrector under the eyes to conceal darkness, Molly used Simply Ageless Foundation in Classic Tan and Simply Ageless Sculpting Blush in Lush Berry to the apples of her cheeks, creating a most gorgeous look on an already gorgeous face.




so, at this point Rashida looked beyond amazing, but then came the eye makeup...

to create a colorful smoky eye, Smoky ShadowBlast in Citrus Flair was applied first followed by Exact Eyelights Eyeshadow palette for brown eyes to add more dramatic definition. new LiquiLine Blast in Violet Voltage to line the eyes was followed by the same liner in Green Glow (just added to the inner corners of the eyes). the shocking green added a fabulous and unexpected pop of color. a few coats of LashBlast Fusion in Black on the top lashes and Brown on the bottom lashes gave the eyes the finishing touch.

a shiny pout with a hint of color completed the look as Molly used Outlast Lipstain in Flirty Nude followed by ShineBlast Lip Gloss in Smolder on Rashida's lips.



once Rashida's look was complete, we blogging babes were treated to hair, makeup and yummy food. i myself tried the Green Glow LiquiLine Blast and must tell you, it is my new summer liner fave (stay tuned for review and pics)! the color is shocking to look at as is, but when it's on looks amazing.

btw, Rashida's fabulous braided updo was created by Byron Williams-- love it!

xo
images featuring Rashida Jones and Molly R Stern: S. Keenen/WireImage; all other images are my own.

CoverGirl Smoky ShadowBlast Kit Giveaway Winners!!

drumroll please....

the winners of the CoverGirl Smoky ShadowBlast Kit giveaway are:

Jeanine D.

Crystal S.

Zoe L.

Vanessa S.

Aisha O.

Cynthia E.

Janet F.


congrats ladies! your info has been sent to the brand rep and your prize will be sent out later this week.

thank you again to everyone for entering the giveaway and sharing your favorite trends of the season-- you're all so stylish!

thank you to CoverGirl for the awesome prize. stay tuned for the next giveaway!

xo

CoverGirl Smoky ShadowBlast Kit Giveaway!!

it's a CoverGirl day, isn't it? i meant to announce this over the weekend, but i had a birthday party and a wedding that kept me occupied during my usual blogging hours (it was quite unusual that two major events fell on the same weekend, but i have to say, my husband and i had so much fun!!). in any case, i have another giveaway for you!!

yay!

CoverGirl Smoky ShadowBlast has quickly become a best-seller. with all the smoky eye looks on the red carpet, it's not really that much of a surprise. one thing i love about these shadows is that they come in traditional and non-traditional colors, making them perfect for creating day looks that easily transition to night.

as it turns out, YouTube sensation and diy beauty expert, Hanh Bui, created a video demonstrating how fun and simple it is to give yourself the most popular beauty look of the season with the Smoky ShadowBlast. from this CoverGirl was inpired to design customized DIY Smoky Eye kits that you now have the opportunity to win!

the CoverGirl DIY Kit (as seen in the image above) includes expert smoky eye tips, the full shade range of the Smoky ShadowBlast collection, as well as a coupon to the drugstore to complete the Blast look!

i'm so excited because for this giveaway, CoverGirl is going to give away seven (yep, seven!) of these kits to you, my fabulous readers! want to enter for your chance to win a kit? here's how:

send me an email, bgmcontests@gmail.com with ShadowBlast Giveaway in the subject line. be sure to include your full name, address and telephone number; tell me what spring/summer trend you are loving right now. U.S.. residents only, please. contest ends at 11pm, pacific time, on monday may 10, 2010. winners will be announced tuesday, may 11, 2010.


xo
**read please: entering this contest means you are giving me permission to forward your name, email, phone number and mailing address to representatives of CoverGirl for fulfillment and mailing of contest prize. failure to include all information requested will disqualify your entry. seven (7) winners, chosen at random, will receive the prize mentioned. duplicate entries will not improve your chances of winning. giveaway sponsored by CoverGirl. some restrictions apply. open only to U.S. residents. entries will be accepted through 11pm pacific time on monday, may 10, 2010. winner will be announced tuesday, may 11, 2010. thank you! :)

Taylor Swift Is the Newest Face of CoverGirl

congratulations are in order, beauties! it has been announced that Taylor Swift recently signed on to be the newest face of CoverGirl!



the 20-year-old, award-winning singer-songwriter (who has described herself as a "huge makeup junkie") just finished shooting her first ad campaign and will be representing a new line of luxury products for brand.

Vince Hudson, the brand's general manager, says of the announcement, "Taylor is beautiful and inspirational with her effortless-chic style, making her the perfect person to represent a new, luxurious collection of products debuting on CoverGirl next year."

isn't this fabulous? i have been loving CG's products as of late, and can't wait to discover what is in store come january 2011 when the television, print, and in-store ads will be launched along with the new line.


xo
first image by Larry Busacca/Getty Images via zimbio.com; behind-the-scenes image provided by Marina Maher Communications, Inc.

CoverGirl Introduces LashBlast Fusion Mascara

happy friday my lovely readers! as you can tell from the title, CoverGirl has a new mascara. the newest sister in the LashBlast mascara family is called LashBlast Fusion.

now your lashes can have it all thanks to CoverGirl's first ever volume and length mascara. CG's global creative design director Pat McGrath (and all-around fab makeup artist extraordinaire) previewed LashBlast Fusion exclusively during fall/winter 2010 new york fashion week, including Anna Sui's runway show.


model Mirte Maas backstage at Anna Sui. image via style.com

LashBlast Fusion will be available at your favorite store nationwide come april, but good news is that you can get it before anyone else starting today, march 12th during the exclusive online pre-sale. pre-sale customers can take advantage of free shipping from today through april 5th. but hurry! only a limited amount is available while supplies last.

visit facebook.com/covergirl for a list of participating e-retailers.

tell me: are you excited to try this new mascara?

xo

Valentine's Day Beauty: Soft Lips

whether or not to plan to kiss someone on valentine's day, having soft lips is always a must-have in my book. check out three of my personal faves for getting and keeping lips kiss-ready...




Motives by Loren Ridinger Lip Pumice-- to get rid of those dry, chapped lips, start with exfoliation. this little goodie contains pumice pebbles to gently exfoliate lips and comes in the form of a lipstick, so it's not super messy.




Pur~lisse Pur~Lip Comfort Daily Lip Nourisher-- once lips are properly exfoliated, moisturizing them is key. perfect for applying anytime of day, this fabulous lip conditioner contains mango and shea butters as well as vitamin E to hydrate and pamper lips.




CG Continuous Color Lipsticks in Golden Apricot and Rose Quartz

to add a bit of color without sacrificing a newly smooth pout, i love CoverGirl's Continuous Color Lipsticks. not only does the range have a really good selection of colors to choose from, but the lipstick themselves are uber-moisturizing.


tell me: what are your favorite lips products for keeping your lips feeling and looking smooth?

xo
products featured sent to me by their respected brands for consideration of review.

2010 Golden Globes Beauty: Jane Krakowski

actress Jane Krakowski looked nothing short of amazing at sunday night's Golden Globes ceremony. her purple one-shoulder gown is one i'd love to wear myself, though i have no clue where i'd wear it, LOL!

here's the breakdown of Jane's look, created by Rebecca Restrepo:

the overall inspiration was old hollywood with a modern twist. she (Jane) wanted a chic and modern beauty look to match the look of her dress. i started by prepping the skin with a light moisturizer, then lightly applied Covergirl Simply Ageless concealer under the eyes using my ring finger followed by Covergirl Simply Ageless Foundation all over the skin with a wet sponge.

i then applied Covergirl Simply Ageless Blush in Plush Peach with my fingers to the apples of her cheeks for a healthy glow and defined cheekbones. to finish the face, i lightly dusted Covergirl Microminerals FInishing Veil to set the look and create a soft shimmer look.

on her eyes, i used Covergirl Eye Enhancers 4-kit in Sheerly Nudes, applying the taupe shade all over the lid and along the lash line to the crease. i then added a touch of the lightest cream shade to the inner corner of the eye for a subtle pop. to add a bit of definition, i applied a gray matte shadow to the crease. for added drama, i lined her eyes with Covergirl Line Exact in black. to finish the eyes, i applied two coats of Covergirl LashBlast Volume followed by two coats of Covergirl LashBlast Length for dramatic, long lashes.

on her lips i applied a shear coat of Covergirl Lipstain in Teasing Blush followed by Covergirl Amazemint Lip Gloss in No Care Bare to soften the lip color and add just a hint of shine.

thanks Rebecca!

xo

Oops, My Mistake: Covergirl Blast Collection Pre-Sale!

yesterday i told you about Covergirl's Blast collection pre-sale thinking it was only for a day-- forgive me, i was wrong!

lucky you!

the pre-sale started yesterday, but runs through december 5. visit covergirl.com/blastpresale for all the info.

and remember: if you order through cvs.com, you'll receive free shipping; order all three products offered through drugstore.com and save $5 plus free shipping, while supplies last.

xo

CoverGirl Blast Collection Pre-Sale Today!

today only, Covergirl will begin an exclusive online preview of the brand new Blast collection featuring Smoky ShadowBlast, ShineBlast Lip Gloss and LashBlast Length Mascara.

you can be one of the first to try these new products! all you have to do is log-on today to covergirl.com/blastpresale.

LashBlast Length Mascara is in stores now, but Smoky ShadowBlast and ShineBlast Lip Gloss won't hit drugstore shelves until january.



Smoky ShadowBlast - takes the fear out of creating a smoky eye and "creates a professional look that's easy for anyone to create,” says P&G global creative design director, Pat McGrath. this double-ended stick features expertly coordinated shades and two precision applicator tips – one for base, one for liner/crease – so you can easily apply, smudge and blend shadow to a smoky perfection.

shades available for advance purchase:

Silver Sky
Bronze Fire
Purple Plum




ShineBlast Lip Gloss- features patented ShineSculpt™ applicator that says it will hug the contours of lips and boasts a tapered tip for precise shaping and sculpting. this gloss will also leave lips with a high shine finish without any stickiness.

shades available for advance purchase:

Dazzle
Flare
Ablaze
Firecracker



you'll also find LashBlast Length Mascara in Very Black available-- check out my review of it here.

if you take advantage of this pre-sale through drugstore.com, you'll save $5 and earn free shipping when you purchase all three products (while supplies last). order through CVS.com and you'll receive free shipping.

xo
info and images courtesy of Marina Maher Communications, Inc

Katy Perry at the MTV VMA's

Jake Bailey, who i had the pleasure of meeting in person this past saturday, created Katy Perry's much-talked about (and loved!) makeup look for this past sunday's VMA's. Jake says the look was definitely inspired by her dress-- an outrageous metal spiked mesh mini by The Blonds.



Jake says: "the dress reminded me of a Gianni Versace book i have called "Rock and Royalty" and the powerful iconic images in it. i wanted the eyes to evoke that type of decadent glamour and of course complement the sparkle of the dress with a little sparkle on the eyes."



"we used NARS Oil Free foundation as Katy's base and a pink shimmer blush for some glow. we kept the lips matte so the emphasis was on her eyes, but the definitely were not without color! for the carpet, Katy wore a matte coral and for her performance and after party, she wore a matte red."



"the eye look was done with black and gunmetal shadows, silver glitter and liquid liner. a great trick to wearing glitter like this, is to blend a little cream shadow onto the area where you want to place the glitter. you should do this once your eye makeup is finished. so as a last step, gently apply the glitter using your fingertip… just a little at a time in order to avoid a mess. once finished use scotch tape to remove any excess glitter that may have fallen on the face. press the tape gently into the skin and it picks it right up.

Katy's lashes were ultra long and gorgeous thanks to CoverGirl LashBlast Length Mascara."

thanks Jake!

didn't she look amazing?!

xo
image source

review: CoverGirl LashBlast Length

a little over a week ago i shared the scoop on CoverGirl's newest mascara, LashBlast Length. are you excited to try it? as a reminder, it won't be available in stores until next month, but tomorrow, august 17th, you'll have a chance to snag one for yourself.

my experience with this new mascara has been positive-- LashBlast Length gives my lashes natural-looking length (thanks to nylon in the formula) and great definition without clumping, smudging or irritating my eyes. my only gripe is i find the wand and the brush itself to be a bit too long.

take a look at the before and after...




what do you think?

don't forget: take advantage of tomorrow's opportunity to purchase a tube of LashBlast Length before it hits stores (COVERGIRL.COM/lashblastlength) and try it for yourself. hopefully, if you try it, you'll remember to come back here and share your thoughts!

xo
eye pics taken by me :)

Dania Ramirez is CoverGirl's Newest Face

straight from my inbox: CoverGirl has just announced that popular television and movie actress Dania Ramirez is the newest face of their iconic cosmetic brand. Dania will join other famous faces, including Ellen DeGeneres, Drew Barrymore, Queen Latifah and Rihanna, as the newest face of the brand.

best known for her role as 'Maya Herrera' on NBC's popular series, Heroes, Dania will soon be seen in two independent films entitled Ball Don't Lie and Brooklyn to Manhattan.

Dania says: "being a CoverGirl is about recognizing internal and external beauty, regardless of age or background. as a role model, i hope to inspire women to be confident enough to achieve everything they want to achieve."

look for her print and television ads, being launched in january 2010. congrats Dania!

xo

Pre-Sale Alert: CoverGirl LashBlast Length!

if you're a fan of CoverGirl's fabulous LashBlast mascara like i am, you're going to be very interested in their newest formulation: LashBlast Length!

yes, you read right-- the cult-favorite mascara will be available this fall (september to be more specific) in a lengthening formula. the mascara contains nylon for lashes that are 80 percent longer and they won’t flake or break all day.

of course, i wouldn't be telling you this so soon of i didn't have something exciting to share...



you can get it online on august 17! a limited quantity will be available on covergirl.com/lashblastlength on that day only, so mark you calendars and bookmark that link!

xo

Amy Adams at 'Julie & Julia' Premiere

CoverGirl celebrity makeup artist Molly R. Stern created Amy Adams' red carpet look for thursday night's nyc premiere of Julie & Julia.

Molly says: "it always seems that inspiration ends up coming from the dress. Amy wore a gorgeous full length Carolina Herrera gown with a charcoal and white pattern speckled with gold beading. so i borrowed from that exquisite color palette."

the look was "a steel and copper smoky lid, gorgeous full lashes, a peachy cheek and a golden amber lip."



face:

"i first started by prepping her skin with a refreshing spray of Jurlique Rosewater Balancing Mist. and then moisturized her skin with La Mer's The Moisturizing Lotion.
next, i based her skin sparingly with the new Cle de peau cream foundation."


"then i warmed up her cheeks with the gorgeous new CoverGirl Simply Ageless Sculpting Blush in Plush Peach."

eyes:

"for her eyes, i based the lid with a combination of Shu Uemura's Cream Eye Shadow in P Taupe, and Vincent Longo's Silky Orange Liquid Eyeshadow. over that i blended the new NARS shadow duo in Brumes."



"under her eye i smudged CoverGirl Exact Eyelights Eyeliner in Radiant Sapphire in the outer corner, and on the inner corner i dabbed a smidge of Shu Uemura Pressed Eye Shadow in ME gold 350."



"on her lashes i coated them with CoverGirl Exact Eyelights Mascara in Black Sapphire."

lips:



"to finish off the look i tinted her lips with CoverGirl Outlast Lipstain in Cinnamon Smile with a dab of YSL Golden Gloss over top."


i love the combination of high and low-priced brands that Molly used to create Amy's looks-- just goes to show you that even drugstore makeup can give you a fabulous red-carpet look! thanks Molly!

xo

Latest Products From CoverGirl

hello beauties! just had to let you know that CoverGirl has some exciting new products coming your way. from new Simply Ageless Sculpting Blush (that helps to not only will give you a natural-looking flush, but will treat skin with Olay Regenerist Serum) to new Eyelights eyeshadows and eyeliners, the brand wants your summer season will be a beautiful one.

click on the image to enlarge, read the info and tips from Molly Stern about how to use the products, and stay tuned!

xo

beauty on a budget: CoverGirl TruBlend Microminerals Bronzer

did you know bronzer isn't just a summer essential anymore? it's ok to get your glow on year-round! CoverGirl TruBlend Microminerals Bronzer gives just enough of a sun-kissed glow to warm up any makeup look without making it look like you're trying too hard. i love that it comes with its own brush, and it adds a gorgeous radiance (think shimmer not glitter) when worn alone or swept over my favorite matte blush.

find CoverGirl TruBlend Microminerals Bronzer at any drugstore and online at covergirl.com

xo

nail color of the week: CoverGirl Boundless Color in Candy Apple

i first had CoverGirl Boundless Color in Candy Apple polished onto my tips at the Byron & Tracey Salon event a couple of weeks ago. i really loved it, so i had to wear it again! i admit, i'm not typically into wearing a red nail polish unless it's a really special one. this one certainly is, and it works on so may differnt skintones. the application is great, and if you are in a rush, you can skip the topcoat-- it dries so shiny and lasts a good 3-4 days without chipping.

xo
pic taken by me :)