Its All About The Apron...

I have a big shoot today at the fabulous Hotel Valley Ho Ho Ho.
Its the 3rd shoot I've had there in three weeks
each with a different client.

Magazines and celebs love to shoot there because it is visually just so crazy sexy cool.

So anyway,
no time for a big blog post today.
Gotta make it short and snappy.

Check out this cool picture I found.
I think its Victoria's Secret
advertising something or other.
Who knows what.
Probably safe to say its not undies.

But what I am loving is the aprons.
I want one!

Paired with smokin high nude heels
and a killer hairdo
(Will would have done far better hair for a shot like this!
-maybe something more Mad Men?)

Anyway, the apron, a hairdo, heels and maybe a killer bullet bra
what else could a girl possibly need???

Happy Thursday!

XO

C

Six Fun Steps To Brighten Your Midweek

Feeling the mid-week blahs?

No longer basking in the Monday Tuesday afterglow of last weekend,

and not yet getting revved up for the next weekend a laThursday and Friday.

Here we sit,
on Wednesdayho hum.

But don't worry.
I've got a plan.

6 Fun Steps To Brighten Your Midweek!

Number 1: Put on one of the new season's bright lipsticks.
A fabulous hot pink will wake you up and make your teeth look whiter than white!

(sitting at your desk doing this with your mouth will no doubt liven things up too!)

Number 2: Dab a little highlighter along your upper cheekbone to liven up your skin.

If you're looking a little drab or tired, pat a tiny amount under your eyes for an instant wide awake, bright and sparkly look!

Number 3: The best wake-me-up, pick-me-up, brighten- my-day ever!
Drink some Yerba Mate tea.
Add a little flavored sweetener, like Raspberry Chocolate Stevia and you have a cup of perfection, with no caffeine jitters and no post energy drink crash.
I swear by it!

Number 4: Spritz on a little something fresh and floral.

We are so in tune with the smells around us, so make yours fresh, lively and pretty,
and you'll feel that way too!

Number 5: Pull your hair back off your face into a chic, modern pony tail.

Jessica Alba looking fresh and happy

You'll instantly feel fun and vibrant!

Anne Hathaway rocking the white teeth, clean brows, modern pony and fab earrings. Evidently not wallowing in mid week doldrums.

Number 6: With your hair pulled back, and your ears, jawline and throat
all sexily exposedadorn your lobes with something fabulous like these chandelier earrings
that I found on the Katie M Designs website.


Actually, she's a friend of mine who designs jewels for the Hollywood elite,
but you can wear them too!

Feeling a little more chipper now?
And you'll be sooo ready for next Wednesday too!

XO

C

A Little Spring Love For Your Fingers & Toes!

Oooooh yeah!!!

How fun and bright and flirty and perfect for spring!

Nars Nail Polish in Schiap.

Looove it!

Spring Cleaning

Its spring. Time to ease back a little on the makeup, and get that skin absolutely glowing.
You see, nothing says gorgeous quite like radiant, lovely skin.

So, in pursuit of such skinI decided we should chat about exfoliation
and look at a few of a girls options.

Now we all know about facial scrubs. They typically use rough, sharp edged particles
to scrape off the dead skin sitting on the surface of your lovely face.
I love the concept, but am not a fan.
I always think they scratch the baby skin underneath.

Here's what I do love:
Daily

I'm addicted to my Clarisonic.

Face, throat, decollete, every single day.

Weekly

I'm all about in home treatments. Two of my absolute favorites are

Kate Sommerville (facialist to the stars) amazing ExfoliKate.
This is an enzyme treatment - my absolute favorite type of exfoliation.
The enzymes literally digest all the dead skin, and leave your visage smooth, firm and beautiful.


This next one has been around for a long time,
and has stayed around because it is so incredibly effective.
Especially brilliant on troubled skin, Philosophy's Oxygen Peel is a two step process that
clears out and relieves congested pores, then smooths and hydrates,
leaving you absolutely radiant.
Unlike salon or medical peels, you don't really see peeling skin, and you have no downtime.


Monthly

In the day spa there are all kinds of fabulous treatments.
I get enzyme treatments at the facialist all the time,
there's a big range of peels you can choose from
in fact that's an entire blog post of its own.
I find them a little scary...
But here is an oldie but a goodie
Gommage.



Gommage uses a cream that dries to a paste on the skin.
The facialist then uses her fingers to rub away the dead skin.
Its a tad messy, but if you want seriously firmed skin, pores that look tighter and smaller,
and smooth, smooth, youthful skin,
you'll absolutely love it.

Another fabulous option at the salon/spa
is microdermabrasion.


A machine is used to spray high grade micro-crystals onto the skin, then vacuum suck them, and the accompanying dead skin back up.
Super effective, you'll get amazingly smooth skin.
Those with super sensitive skin don't always love microdermabrasion,
and you leave with a ring of grit in the hair line, nostrils and ears.
Sometimes you get a residual peeling or redness, but its so worth it!

My personal favorite is DermaSweep.
This is in the same family as microdermabrasion, but this one uses a special brush head instead of crystals, and is fabulous for even the most sensitive of skins.
The treatment is in two parts. First the exfoliation, then an infusion of a skin care solution specific to your skins needs is pumped into your skin.
The treatment is quick, and you walk out the door looking amazing.
I did a post on DermaSweep a few months ago.
Click Here.

Seven Simple Steps To A Sexy Summer Smile

image from LA2dayhealth&beauty

Nothing says sexy quite like a luscious mouth,
so here are some quick steps
to a sizzling summer smile!

1. Keep it clean!
There's nothing even remotely sexy about unclean teeth. Keep a toothbrush at work, and clean them after lunch.
Keep plaquers in your handbag so that any food caught between your teeth can be quickly removed. (picking at your teeth with your fingernails = totally not sexy!)
2. Keep your teeth white.
Whether you opt for an in office dentist treatment, or over the counter remedies like Listerine Whitestrips, white teeth are crucial.

3. Exfoliate your lips
Dead flaky skin on the surface of the lips has to go. Use a gentle exfoliant, a wash cloth, or even (gently!) use a toothbrush to remove rough patches from the surface of the lip.

4. Always wear a lip balm.
If you don't have a lipstick or lipgloss on, make sure you have lip balm on. Keeping your lips hydrated at all times is crucial! Wear lip balm to bed at night too. Your lips wont look luscious if they're all dried out.

5. Use a pre-lipstick base
My favorite new product is Lip Putty by Face Atelier It hydrates the lip, but also fills in all those little lines and creases in the lip, and stops lipstick from feathering outside the lipline. Your lipstick will hold better with this on, or you can wear it alone.

6. Wear a fabulous lipstick or lip gloss.
Watch out for lipsticks and glosses that bubble or get piecey on the lip. If your lipstick has bubbled up, remove it with a tissue and reapply.
Use a lip liner and a lipbush when you apply - it will go on better and last longer.
This spring/summer there are lots of fun, bright colors to choose from, and the formulations are light and easy to wear too. So put away your heavy or matte lipsticks, and look for something light and bright.
The bright pinks have a lot of blue in them, so will make your teeth look extra white.
Be careful when choosing peach and orange shades, as they can make teeth look yellow.

7. Smile!
A bright, happy, pretty smile is super alluring, sexy and fun!

Sexiest Woman Alive

Can you even handle the hotness of it???


image by James White

I can't.
She's too much.
I want to be her.


The absolute sexiest woman alive.
She even outsmokes Santa Angelina.
And you'll seldom hear me say that about anyone.

Christina Hendricks
Bombshell.

Moroccan Wonder

I've been saving this one for spring.
The humidity is starting to rise,
hair is starting to get a little on the frizzy side.

We're heading high speed into summer
and with that comes the trashing of our hair.
Chlorine, beach days and sun
all beating down on our tresses.
So I wanted to show you my favorite hair product
just so you can beat the frizz
and get prepped for the sizzling hot months.

This is Moroccan Oil.
I love it.

The Original Moroccan Oil product comes in a glass bottle,
and is a styling, finishing and conditioning product.

Its magic.

It revives, restores, hydrates, detangles and controls frizz
all the while giving a very silky finish
and a brilliant shine.

Its super concentrated.
Only use a very small amount.

It has tons of silicones
and an ingredient only found in Morocco,
Argan Oil.



I use the Glimmer Shine spray too.
Its super lightweight
but super concentrated.

Hair magic.

Gotta love that.

Bonjour Chanel! Je t'aime!

I never tire of the CC's

Never.

To me the word CHANEL is infused with a feeling that is about quality
fashion and beauty.
Love it.
And today I am loving all over some of their new spring colors.
So I thought you might like to see
whats making me so happy.

Lets start with 3 little bottles of love for your fingers.
Aren't they beautiful?

Peter Philips, Global Creative Director for CHANEL Make Up
decided to honor Coco's legacy
with a collection of clean, classic neutrals.

He wanted them infinitely wearable, and effortlessly chic.
Beautiful on every woman.

So he gave us a collection that has quintessential shades
ranging from pink and beige
to warm brown,that enhance the complexion,
illuminate the face
and highlight natural beauty.




There are lots of products in the collection.

I only felt like looking at lips and nails today.
Because its Monday.


Impertinente - Brown
Incognito - Rosewood
Insouciante - Mauve
Delicieuse - Apricot

How delicieuse is your day today?

XO

C

Hello Vogue SJP

Sarah Jessica Parker will be gracing our lives again in the new Sex and The City movie
which will be out soon.
And we will see her everywhere.

Starting with Vogue magazine.
How insanely fabulous is this shoot???
I adore this 40's inspired look.
Dior Haute Couture Top Hat with netting and Fred Leighton earrings

Dior ball gown
so loving the colors!!!

in repose
Lanvin dusty rose cotton and silk strapless dress

Chanel silk faille dress.
The make up!!!

See more of SJP from this issue
at Vogue

Fergie's Metal Undies

WOW!!!
I just saw this on one of my favorite blogs.
Allie Is Wired.com
And, of course, I had to share it with you.
It is the fabu-rump of Fergie-ferg
decked out in metal undies.

Notable here are the sexy studded thigh boots,
the can't-possibly-be-comfy underoos
and the fact that this is concert footage,
not photoshopped
so her booty really does look that perfect.

10 Beauty Mistakes That Add Years To Your Face

Allure did an article like this online.

Many of their items I agreed with whole heartedly,
but some I felt although worthy of mention,
weren't top 10.

So here are my personal top 10,
liberally borrowed from Allure,
and amended and added to by me.

Many of these pictures are from the original article.
They were way too beautiful to pass up!


Top 10 Beauty Mistakes That Add Years To Your Face

1. Not Exfoliating
Though shalt exfoliate regularly!
The older we get, the longer it takes dead skin cells to slough off.
If you're not helping the process along, your skin will look dull, and fine lines & wrinkles will look worse.
I am a huge fan of DermaSweep, Microdermabrasion and enzyme treatments.
Clarisonic? Every single night.
Facial scrubs? Not so much. I always think they scratch the new skin underneath.
image by Regan Cameron

2. Not Hydrating

Right behind keeping skin exfoliated is keeping it well hydrated.
The fast track to aging skin is letting it dry out.
Want gorgeous, vibrant, radiant skin?
Keep it hydrated.
Make sure you use a daily moisturizer that is strong enough to hydrate your skin type,
a nightly more intense moisturizer,
and back them up with hydrating serums and hydrating masks.
A high powered eye cream is crucial too.
3. Not Using Sunscreen EVERY Day

I am all for moisturizers that have a little SPF in them,
but that is nowhere near enough.No matter where you live
you need to apply a free standing facial SPF of 30 or above
over your moisturizer
Every. Single. Day.
No ifs.
No buts.
No maybes.Let your moisturizer soak in, then liberally apply SPF 30 or above
all over your face, throat and decolletage.


4. Not taking Care Of Hands, Throat, Chest

Like a neon sign above your head,
pointing out your age and adding 15 years to it
not taking care of your hands, throat and chestwill make you look drastically older than you really are.

When using your Clarisonic each night,
make sure you also get your throat, chest and the backs of your hands.
Use a strong handcream with SPF all day long.
If you have brown spots on the backs of your hands use 2% hydroquinone.
And I'm a big advocate of Retinol for the backs of hands, throat and upper chest.

image by Patrick Demarchelier
5. Foundation Choice and Application.

This is a biggie.
Too many women of all ages are using the wrong foundation.
Don't get caught up in the "oil free" drama - that normally translates to "dried out & aged"
Instead look for a silicone based product.
Silicone based foundations reflect light beautifully, which minimizes the look of fine lines and wrinkles. It also makes skin look alive.
The particles are larger than a human pore, so sit on top of, rather than inside of them.
That means no pore clogging.
When applying your foundation, blend, blend, blend it in.Don't leave mounds of product on the surface of your skin.
Blend it into a sheer veil of beauty.
I adore Face Atelier's Ultra Foundation.
As their motto so truthfully says:
"because looking good is the best revenge!"


6. Frosty Eyeshadow

Frosted eyeshadows are too harsh and tend to highlight fine lines and wrinkles.
Opt instead for a shadow with a subtle sheen to it.
image by Roger Cabello


7. Not Wearing Eyeliner

As we age our eyes start drooping at the outer corners.
Liner and mascara can open and lift the eye, making you look more awake, alert, and ultimately youthful!
Trace liner along the lashline, slightly lifting it at the outer corner. Smudge the line a little with either a taklon liner brush or a smudger brush, then curl the lashes, and add liberal coats of mascara, paying extra attention to the outer corners.


8. Choosing The Wrong Lipstick

Metallics and iridescents tend to not look so flattering on anyone over 40.
Deep dark colors make an already thinning lip look cold and hard.
Choose a soft textured lipstick with a slight sheen to it, not a shimmer.
Or go for a colored gloss.
Keep your lips looking soft, and keep your teeth looking white.



9. Too Much Bronzer/Way Too Tanned

A face that is too tanned or too bronzed looks so much older!
Firstly, there is so much damage and so many health risks associated with tanning,
that we shouldn't even be thinking about getting a tan.
If you feel you need warmth and color added to your look,
and I love warm color,
use a bronzer lightly and sparingly.
It's job is not to color your face in,
but instead to give it a sun kissed look.
Don't brush it all over your face.
Just dust it lightly where the sun would hit -
forehead, cheekbones and bridge of nose, and across the chin.
Lightly.
The yellows and browns in bronzer can make your skin look dull if not applied correctly.

image by Michael Thompson

10. Avoid Blunt Haircuts

Most celebrities over 40 have layered haircuts.
And that's not by fluke.
Soft layers framing the face enhance cheekbones,
soften the appearance of lines, and draw the eye away from the drooping skin that
starts appearing as you age.
Blunt cuts, and hair that is all the same length draw the eye down
making the face look like its sagging, and making the eyes looked more downturned.
Any lines and wrinkles that are forming look bolder,
and lips look harsher and thinner.

Avoid harsh colors too, especially flat black or dark tones.
While charming in your youth, these shades now soak the life out of your skin,
leaving you looking tired and, well, old.



image by Regan Cameron

Jewelry Shoot In Tucson

So this week I was in Tucson on a jewelry shoot.

I took my flipcam and made you a little behind the scenes movie.
This time I used flipcam's music in the background.
Be warned
It gets LOUD!
I couldn't figure how to turn it down...

It was a fun day!

Violetta, Violetta!!

So back at the Golden Globes at the beginning of the year
I fell in love with Sandra Bullock's violet eyeshadow.

This spring is so much about the violets and the lilac eyeshadows.They are so fresh and beautiful!

Anyway, we made you a little video
all about how to do this eye.
The colors aren't showing quite as well on this one,
but trust me, they were gorgeous!!

Products Used:


Makeup Forever Sculpting Kit #2
Eyeshadow base
Julie Hewett eyeshadow in Dolce
Lilac shadow
Sparkly dark purple shadow
MAC Fluidline in Macroviolet
Chanel Beige Felin lipstick

Brushes Used:

Oval Shadow Brush
Chisel Fluff Brush
Angle Blender Brush
Bent Liner Brush
Taklon Liner Brush
Oval Lip Brush

all brushes from CorinnaB.com

I have no idea why blogger wont let the videos show in full width.
Just double click the play button, and it will show you in youtube

Its All About The Bling

I thought you might find this interesting.

This week I'm shooting some catalogue.
And I need my models to have a gorgeous,
warm tan, healthy glow.
And we're barely into spring,so they're still a little on the pasty side.

So I use Scott Barnes Body Bling to warm them up.

It comes in 2 shades, original and platinum.
Its gives the skin an exquisite glow.
So beautiful.
Think JLo.

That's who Scott created it for.
He's her fave makeup artist.

He's the one who gave her that gorgeous
monochromatic tanned with pale lip look
that she has made so iconic.

You can look iconic too.
Just avoid the tanning beds.
Like the plague.

And work the bling.

www.scottbarnes.com

When You Wu Me Jason...

I love this pink feathered Jason Wu dress
more than words can say.
I've been carrying around pictures of it
for ages.

scary make up, divine dress.

Its perfect.
Fun for Easter
Fun for doing groceries.
Fun.
Want.
Crave.

Iman loves it too.

I also love this feather skirt from Adam
with a cashmere T.
What a fun egg hunt that would be!

Happy Easter!

XO

C

Are You An Angel Or A Demon??

Oh the hotness of it!!
Who even cares what this fragrance smells like?
I'd buy it just because the picture is so hot.
Doesn't Uma look like
she's about to do something very bad to you?

and just between you and me,
if I had legs that even halfway looked like hers
I sit around like that
all day long
looking fierce.
At bus stops
and in offices
and such.

And there's your thought for Thursday.

Be bad.

XO

C