Category Archives: Beauty News

Get the Look: Emmy Rossum’s Pretty-in-Punk Nails from the Met Gala

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I did a little nailspotting and fell in love with Emmy Rossum’s designer fingertips she rocked at the Met Gala earlier this week. Her polish was perfectly on point with the theme of the evening, PUNK: Chaos to Couture.

Anyone can play matchy-matchy with a gown color, so I really admired the attention to detail and embellishments her nail artist used to create this look. butter LONDON Global Ambassador Katie Hughes was the brains behind the operation, and she incorporated pieces from Emmy’s dress to construct this couture nail decoration.

Katie was inspired by Emmy’s soft, billowing dress and used pieces of lace – the same fabric from which her dress was created – supplied direct from designer Donna Karan. image003Individual crystals, also used on her dress, enhanced the look to pull together an elegant, yet edgy look.

“Emmy knew she really wanted to incorporate the fabric from the dress somehow, but with a twist that gave it an unexpected edge,” Katie said. “Together we decided to use both the fabric and the stones to create a nail that was both delicate and edgy. It looked awesome.”

Here’s the scoop on how she did it:

  • Katie began by painting Emmy’s nails with two coats of butter LONDON Nail Lacquer in Yummy Mummy followed by a layer of butter LONDON P.D. Quick Top Coat.
  • She then cut individual pieces of lace to perfectly cover Emmy’s nails and placed them down on the wet nails, letting the lace dry on top of the nail.
  • Once the nails were dry, Katie placed glue on random spots of the nail where the crystals would be adhered, and then placed each crystal onto the nail.

Such a fun look! What do you think? Would you rock this nail art? I say go for it!

[P.S. Don’t forget to vote for me, Katie McBroom, to help me become Allure Magazine’s Beauty Blogger of the Year! You can vote every weekday (Fridays before noon). We are in the fourth round of the contest. On Monday, two bloggers will be eliminated, so I could use your help now more than ever to help get me to the fifth and final round! It would mean the world to me if you could take a minute to do this! Remember, by voting for me you become eligible to win awesome prizes like a trip for two to Hawaii!]

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OCC Teams up with Celeb Drag Queens for new Lip Tar and Lacquer Duos

You better WORK! Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics has enlisted the finest drag queens – Willam, Detox, and Vicky Vox of RuPaul’s Drag Race fame – to serve as the face of the new Lip Tar and Nail Lacquer Duos. If you aren’t a Drag Race fan, you might recognize these stunners from their hilarious songs and YouTube videos like this one:

As evidenced by their killer makeup skills, this trio of classy queens is the perfect fit to promote the new crop of cult classic Lip Tars and Nail Lacquers. The Celebrity Drag Queen Collection features six perfectly paired shades ranging from bubblegum pinks to nearly black reds. In addition to the long lasting lip treat and densely pigmented polish, each duo also includes a lip brush and a collectible drag queen trading card. The sets, each specially priced at $22.50, launch officially on Tuesday and will be sold exclusively on Sephora.com. Here’s a peek at the shades:

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Anime – A bright neon pink setliptar2

Black Dahlia – A super blackened red set

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Kava Kava – A neutral peach set liptar5

NSFW – A true balanced red setliptar6 Strumpet A deep purpled burgundy set

liptar3

Grandma – A clean, classic coral set

I am loving me some NSFW, but something tells me Willam can pull it off better than I can. Some girls have all the luck!

[P.S. Don’t forget to vote for me, Katie McBroom, to help me become Allure Magazine’s Beauty Blogger of the Year! You can vote every weekday. Each week a new challenge will be posted on Monday at 9 a.m. It would mean the world to me if you could take a minute to do this! Remember, by voting for me you become eligible to win awesome prizes like a trip for two to Hawaii!]

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MAC Launches RiRi Woo on Thursday

ririThe much anticipated RiRi ♥ MAC collection is almost here! First up in the creative collaboration between pop superstar Rihanna and MAC Cosmetics is RiRi Woo, Rihanna’s remixed version of the cult classic lipstick Ruby Woo. RiRi’s take on the matte retro shade, a bluer red, will launch officially on Thursday. Get your e-shopping selves ready ladies, I have a feeling this one is going to sell out quickly! RiRi’s lippy will run for 15 bucks and will be on sale exclusively online and at the MAC pop-up store at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY (for ticket holders of Rihanna’s Summer World Tour shows there this weekend).

[P.S. Don’t forget to vote for me, Katie McBroom, to help me become Allure Magazine’s Beauty Blogger of the Year! You can vote every weekday. Each week a new challenge will be posted on Monday at 9 a.m. It would mean the world to me if you could take a minute to do this! Remember, by voting for me you become eligible to win awesome prizes like a trip for two to Hawaii!]

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Butter London Launches “Pitter Patter” in Honor of Royal Baby

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Pitter Patter

The posh polish experts over at Butter London recently launched a new color in honor of Prince William and Kate Middleton’s upcoming royal addition… and the shade is bloody brilliant! To celebrate the mini monarch, the aptly named “Pitter Patter” is a richly royal aubergine shimmer.

This limited edition lacquer is the latest in Butter’s tribute to the crown, following fun shades like “No More Waity, Katie,” a lilac glitter polish launched in celebration of the royal wedding.

Both are $15 and available now at butterlondon.com. Cheerio!

[P.S. Don’t forget to come back Monday to check out the results from the second round of Allure’s Beauty Blogger Awards! If I make it through this round, you can vote for me, Katie McBroom, to help me become Allure Magazine’s Beauty Blogger of the Year! Voting will begin again on Monday at 9 a.m. when the new challenge is posted.]

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Dove Launches Powerful Beauty Campaign

Dove wants you to know that you’re more beautiful than you think. I just had to share this “Real Beauty Sketches” video with you guys. I’m not going to describe what’s in the video because I want you to experience it yourself. It’s a beautiful message and I hope you can take the three minutes out of your day today to check it out. If you’re anything like me you’ll need a tissue…

[P.S. Don’t forget to vote for me, Katie McBroom, to help me become Allure Magazine’s Beauty Blogger of the Year! You can vote every weekday. Each week a new challenge will be posted on Monday at 9 a.m. It would mean the world to me if you could take a minute to do this! Remember, by voting for me you become eligible to win awesome prizes like a trip for two to Hawaii!]

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Allure Beauty Blogger Awards officially launched this morning! Time to vote (and drink Midori!)

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Wearing products I gushed over in the challenge! I primed my face using the Smashbox primer and I also have a sweep of bareMinerals’ Soiree on my lids. Love!

Today is the big day! After much anticipation and many sleepless (but excited!) nights, the first challenge in the five week contest was published this morning. I flip flopped several times deciding what to choose for my beauty obsession (I have so many!)… and ultimately ended up selecting… the color green. It sounds weird, but hear me out.

Not only is emerald the official color of the year, but the color green has been a secret weapon of mine for years. Check out my reasoning here (and see the national unveiling of me with no makeup and a big ol’ pimple). In the name of beauty, I bared my makeupless face (my acne prone skin still gets angry when I’m stressed) to prove that green based primers and concealers really can neutralize even the brightest red discolorations.

See, it disappeared didn’t it? I’ll drink to that! In honor of my fav color and today’s official contest launch, I’m declaring today Midori Monday. Fun fact: Midori is Japanese for “green.” Read on to learn how to shake up an Emerald Martini, courtesy of the fine folks behind my favorite melon liqueur. Cheers!

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Emerald Martini

½ oz Midori

½ oz SKYY 90 vodka

Shake over ice and strain into a martini glass. Garnish with cherry.

[The voting period has started! Click here to vote for me, Katie McBroom, to help me avoid elimination in the Allure Beauty Blogger Awards. You can vote every day! Each week a new challenge will be posted on Monday at 9 a.m. It would mean the world to me if you could take a minute to do this! Remember, by voting for me you become eligible to win awesome prizes like a trip for two to Hawaii!]

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Get the Look: Adele’s Grammy Makeup and Hair

adelebeautymain Adele’s Grammy gown may be getting mixed reviews, but there’s no doubt that the cheeky songstress was glowing. Adele, clad in a bold print a la vintage inspired Valentino, rocked her signature cat eye with high volume lashes and a soft pink pout. I just had to know, so I got the scoop on what products celebrity makeup artist and hair stylist Michael Ashton used to create Adele’s romantic Grammy look.

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To enhance her flawless complexion, Michael applied Armani Maestro Foundation in Shade 3 with Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat to highlight the high planes of her face. For her statement eye, he created a thick cat eye using Maybelline Studio Gel Liner in Black. coralOn her lids, he painted  on Lancôme Color Design Infinité 24H Eye  Shadow in Continuous Creme, a light matte beige cream eyeshadow in a crease free, smudge-proof formula. He contoured her eye with the Lancôme Color Design 5 Shadow & Liner Palette in Coral Crush. He framed her eye using Lancôme Le Crayon Poudre brow pencil on her brows. After applying some serious false lashes, he swept on Lancôme Hypnôse Star Mascara in Noir Midnight.

Her pink pout was concocted with MyFace Lip Liner in Nude with a wash of Armani Lip Maestro Number 500. Michael finished her lip with  Sisley Phyto Lip Star Lip Gloss in White Diamond.adele-grammy-updo-h724

Hairstyle

For her swept up coiffure, Michael used all John Frieda products. He offered these steps to recreate the look:blowout

Step 1: Prep

Apply the new Luxurious Volume Fine to Full Blow-Out Spray ($9.99 at drugstores) to wet hair before blow-drying with a medium sized round brush, paying particular attention to the ends to ensure they are bouncy and luscious. This heat activated spray will help ensure you build volume that will last but won’t be too sticky.

Step 2: Style

Next set in hot rollers. Once cool, carefully brushed through with a natural bristle brush.

Step 3: Perfect

Finish off the look by twisting the back section into a French twist and pin away from the face. Mist with Luxurious Volume All-Day Hold Hairspray ($5.99 at drugstores) to ensure the updo stays in place all night long.

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Martinis and Mascara’s Picks for Best Dressed at the Grammys

Glamour oozed all over the red carpet on music’s biggest night. My pick for best dressed overall? Carrie Underwood, in a stunningly ornate strapless Roberto Cavalli gown (and over $30 million in diamonds). And representing the dudes, Adam Levine doing the monochromatic black tux thing, complete with bow tie and hot shades. Drool.

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I also loved these gowns:

The 55th Annual GRAMMY Awards - Arrivals

Kelly Rowland in a fierce black (and dangerously sheer) Georges Chakra cutout gown. A serious dress code pusher.

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Katy Perry showcasing her silhouette and channeling 70s era Priscilla Presley in a mint green Gucci gown (and shockingly subdued makeup, for her).

Here are some other notable beauty looks that lit up the red carpet:

adele2Powerhouse vocalist Adele wearing a dramatic eye with serious falsies and powerful liner to match. Loved her statement eye and also her loose romantic updo.

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A soft and glamorous Rihanna wearing a bold red lip, perfectly highlighted skin, and beautifully styled subtle ombre curls.

I feel some tutorials coming on… 🙂

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The IMATS Experience

DSC_0347Coinciding with the fabulous 100th issue of Makeup Artist Magazine, industry leaders and artists from around the globe flocked to the International Makeup Artist Trade Show, the mother of all makeup conventions. The show, produced by the mag annually in 6 different venues worldwide, had been on my beauty bucket list for quite some time, so I’m ecstatic that I was finally able to experience it. After months of planning (facilitated by the awesome IMATS interactive app) I ventured out to Los Angeles over the weekend to soak it all in.

It was total sensory overload from the moment I stepped inside the Pasadena Convention Center. Giant flying monkeys, fantasy makeup models on stilts, chiseled dudes covered in body paint – you name it, it was walking around. And it was beautiful.

The talent level in the room was insane. Top notch speakers, demonstrators and exhibitors were totally accessible, on hand to answer questions and share insight from their successful careers.

DSC_0097On the exhibit floor, five time Emmy Award winning makeup artist Eve Pearl demonstrated tips and techniques using her signature line of cosmetics. I’m still kicking myself for not hopping in her chair!

Eve was showcasing a look using her Flawless Face Palette which I absolutely adore. The handy palette includes all you need to create glowing complexion – her lightweight cream foundations in two shades (for creating depth), a mattifier and an illuminator to alter the finish of the makeup, two shades of cream concealers for color correction, and a coordinating shade of cream blush. Love.

frankinstaOther exhibitors offered live demonstrations including the Crown Brush booth, which featured demos by cast members from seasons 1-4 of the popular SyFy makeup reality show, Face Off. (There I am to the left with artist/goofball Frank Ippolito of Season 1).

The event also included multiple stages for larger scale demonstrations and several classrooms for hands-on workshops. My main stage favorites were the RED Camera Panel featuring several Oscar winning (and currently nominated) artists and also the Red Carpet Beauty demonstration by Gregory Arlt, Director of Makeup Artistry for MAC Cosmetics.DSC_0086edit

The RED Camera Panel included Ted Schilowitz, co-founder of RED Digital Camera, as well as highly successful makeup artists Howard Berger, Peter Montagna, Tami Lane, and Vivian Baker. Both Howard and Peter are currently nominated for Academy Awards for their work on Hitchcock and Tami is in the running for The Hobbit.

Ted presented several movie trailers to illustrate the difference in the look of films shot in 4K (like The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo) vs. those shot with the latest and greatest RED camera technology such as the Epic which utilizes a 5K sensor (The Great Gatsby, Hitchcock, Oz the Great and Powerful). The artists on the panel discussed the makeup related speed bumps involved with such state of the art technology and also shared behind the scenes photos from their films (including some never before seen shots of Oz that Howard sold his soul to Disney to get). I was drooling.

MAC Makeup Director Gregory Arlt’s Red Carpet Beauty demo was also a ton of fun. He was so personable and knowledgeable – it was extremely evident why he is the director of one of the most popular (if not the most popular) mainstream makeup companies. I love how free and open he was with detailing the exact products and shades he uses for certain looks. (Keep an eye out for my more in depth post detailing Gregory’s tips and tricks and the formulas he uses on certain celebrities!)

DSC_0003Another show highlight was the makeup museum. Greeting artists at the entrance were Michonne’s iconic jawless pets from The Walking Dead (by KNB EFX, a company created by the aforementioned Howard Berger and the equally awesome Greg Nicotero). The aisles were lined with monster magic and expertly crafted prosthetic pieces from some of my favorite films… which may or may not include Tenacious D in the Pick of Destiny. Lighten up critics, Dave Grohl rocking out as the devil was classic cinematic entertainment.IMG_3760

And then, of course, there was the shopping. Ooooh, the shopping! Brands drastically dropped their regular retail prices and some offered killer additional discounts for pros (thank you, Nigel’s Beauty Emporium!) in addition to the awesome show specials. I stocked up on the essentials and also snagged the Makeup Forever Flash Palette for like 40 bucks. Score!

It was an incredible experience… and I definitely had a tough time packing up and leaving beautiful Pasadena. My only regret is not taking more classes. Oh well, I’ll just have to make up for that at IMATS New York 😉

Head over to Facebook to see my gallery of IMATS photos. And stay tuned to Martinis and Mascara for my upcoming Salon Spy reviews of all of the treatments and services I received in LA while in town for the show!

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Exclusive MAC Collections Launching at Midnight

Just a few more hours until it’s time to celebrate all shades of Black Friday with exclusive MAC products! First up in the beauty extravaganza is the much anticipated Taste Temptation collection, available exclusively at Macy’s counters as a Black Friday preview from midnight to 4 a.m. only. Not tempted enough to brave the crowds? Taste Temptation launches officially in stores Dec. 13 and will be available during regular functioning human hours through Jan. 17.

The collection offers sultry shades from deep plums to royal blues, perfect for creating smokey late night looks with just the right amount of color. Here are more details on the tempting lineup:

MATTENE LIPSTICK ($15)


Nocturnal Instincts – Mid-tone greyed lavender


Night Blooming – Mid-toned blue pink


Seductive Intent – Vivid purple

LIPGLASS ($15)


Perky – Mid-tone shimmering lilac


Good Times – Pale mauve


Revenge is Sweet – Vivid purple

NAIL LACQUER ($16)


For Fun – Rich clean purple


Blue Gaze – Dark periwinkle

FALSE LASHES EXTREME BLACK MASCARA ($20)


False Black – Black

FLUIDLINE ($15)


Macroviolet – Deep smoked violet with red pearl


Waveline – Navy blue with low level gold pearl

EYE SHADOW QUAD ($40)


Look at the Eyes – Light Violet (frost)
Naval – Navy blue (veluxe pearl)
Stay Sultry – Deep navy (satin)
Carbon – Intense black (matte)

POWDER BLUSH ($20)


Unconventional – Pale shimmering lavender (frost)
Passionately Tempted – Mid-tone magenta (satin)

BRUSHES


211 – Pointed Liner ($19)

129 – Powder/Blush ($35)

MAC will continue the journey to the dark side all day tomorrow with the launch of the glamorous Grey Friday Collection. Embrace the charcoal chic trend with this exclusive product pair – a lipstick and coordinating nail lacquer in dark, smokey shades. The lip color is a sexy black grey packed with silver shimmer. The lipstick is accompanied by a frost finish and of course, that signature vanilla scent we all know and love. The other half of the dark duo is a frosty black polish with a pearlescent silver finish. Here’s a closer look:

LIPSTICK ($15)

Grey Friday – Blackish-grey with silver shimmer (frost)

NAIL LACQUER ($16)

Grey Friday – Black with silver suede pearl (frost)

Grey Friday is available tomorrow only at the NYC MAC location within the heart of Times Square (and online for those of us too far away to shop in the Big Apple). Embrace your inner vamp and pick up the pair while supplies last!

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