Tag Archives: Jennifer Lawrence

the Makeup stuff.

Will Blog For Eyeshadow

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It’s been a while, but that’s okay. Busyness and work leave little time for blogging. However, my eyes are never too busy to miss the awesomeness that shows up on the red carpet in the form of seriously bonkers eyeshadow. I mean it people- this holiday season, PLEASE stay away from the neutral tones. If it’s Christmas and I see you wearing basic eyeshadow, I might get mad. ‘Tis the season to be purple. At the very least.

Let’s take a tour of possibilities, all of which have occurred within the last two months.

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Dark, navy eyeshadow is my fave. I mean it. If I could do my wedding all over again, I’d wear a mermaid silhouette and do a smoky navy eye. My preference is a matte finish over a sparkly one, but who cares. You can thank Carol Gonzalez for this magnificent job well done on Kerry Washington. My guess is she used a Pat McGrath Labs palette.

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I feel like the only eyeshadow color we see less than green is canary yellow. Yellow – not gold – is so under-appreciated! Pati Dubroff created this look on Margot Robbie using a couple MAC products, including Chromaline gel/cream shadow in Primary Yellow. I love that it’s applied all the way up to Margot’s brow for a really modern take.

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Jennifer Connelly is another example of the wonders of blue eyeshadow. It’s not just for pageant girls, people! And it comes in an infinite variety of tones. Kay Montano used a  silvery-but-vivid blue on Jennifer’s inner eyelids here, with what look like purple tones on the outer lid and around the rim. I love how her nearly blue-black hair makes the blue shadow stand out even more, especially with the dress. Coupled with the brows and everything else left bare, we’ve got perfection.

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Winged eyeshadow! Nothing says, “My allegiance lies with Imperator Furiosa” quite like winged, black eyeshadow. This is one of my favorite likes to try and recreate on myself, personally. I love looks that feel strong and ferocious like this, especially when paired with sleek hair. Jillian Dempsey has consistently turned out a killer smoky eye, typically on Kristen Stewart. This turned out perfectly; the blending is smooth as a milkshake.

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And because you know smoky eyes are pretty much my kryptonite … here’s another one! Georgie Eisdell managed to pull off what’s probably the most flawless version of the iconic look I’ve ever seen. I mean, ever. This is the makeup I’d die in. There’s such an incredible depth to Elizabeth’s shadow, with what could be four different shades used. Georgie used exclusively Chanel products to create this look. She doesn’t name which eyeshadow palette it is, and it might be one that hasn’t come on the market yet. Nevertheless, I’ve been searching like a crazy person.

What do you plan to do this year for holiday makeup? Any palettes or products you plan to try? Let me know in the comments! xo, MR

 

Photo credits by order of appearance and all are user Instagram handles: @carolagmakeup, @patidubroff, @kaymontano, @jilliandempsey, @georgieeisdell

the Fashion stuff., the Magazine stuff., the Me stuff.

August Musings On September Issues

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I’ll be honest- August is one of my least favorite months. I don’t know why but weird, not-so-awesome things always seem to happen in August, or the month has routinely carried the weight of transition for me. I moved during August (two years to the date!), school frequently starts up again in August, the calendar starts to get too busy in August, and summer movies are never quite as good in August. It could be the looming start of a new school year and the existential reminder that all good Rosé seasons must come to an end, or it could just be me.

So over the years I’ve tried to find little ways to take back this month and be intentional about enjoying it, and for nearly ten years now one of those ways has involved getting really, really, reeeeeeeeally excited for September issues. If you know me, you know this. The annual crowning achievement of every fashion magazine editor is their September issue, and while the magazine industry seems to be in upheaval now right alongside retail, we can bet that no matter what happens there will forever and always be excitement surrounding the inaugural weeks of fall fashion. I’m not sure why people don’t get this excited for spring fashion in February. It must be the pumpkin-spice-loving, Ugg-boots-wearing, Bath-and-Body-Works-obsessing white girl in all of us.

So let’s look at a couple September covers, though we’ll be sans Vogue today because they have to be all queenie and make a grand entrance after everyone else. However, we WILL make some speculative guesses!

Blake Lively for Glamour

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I like this cover. It’s cheerful. It reads a little more March than September to me, but it’s still very beautiful. I’m not a huge fan of the large flower on Blake’s neck, but the soft focus on her face is easily the first thing you notice anyhow. Glamour has really been playing with its cover design the past couple years and the playful font lends a decidedly millennial feel to this one, clearly reaching out to younger readers. Lively apparently spends a great deal of her interview discussing the Child Rescue Coalition, an organization that “provides law enforcement with technology to track and prosecute child predators.” It might be heavy subject matter for a September issue, but I have to say it’s great to hear a celebrity pushing the focus outward instead of talking about their latest reinvention of themselves.

Alicia Vikander for Elle

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This, in stark contrast to Glamour‘s, is actually the kind of cover I prefer. It may be a little boring to some but I like that it makes a plain, straightforward statement. The bold fonts combined with Vikander’s dress and shoulder-y stance give off a kind of eighties vibe. Speaking of Alicia Vikander, it isn’t as interesting to see who is chosen for a September cover as much as it is to discover why. I like trying to predict September covers based on who has projects coming up that month. Alicia probably snagged the cover in anticipation of her late-August movie Tulip Fever, and to ramp up buzz for her Tomb Raider remake in March.

For Vogue, rumor has it that a certain actress in an upcoming Darren Aronofsky film will be taking their September cover. If this proves true I’ll be a little disappointed beings that she had this coveted cover just four years ago AND she was on Vogue‘s cover this past December, less than a year ago! Give it a rest, Ms. Wintour. And a second prediction- Rihanna will almost certainly grab a September cover somewhere, be it with Allure or Marie Claire, due to the launch of Fenty Beauty on September 8. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t excited for this launch. You know there’s bound to be some top-of-the-line lipstick in any beauty launch that Rihanna’s responsible for.

Selena Gomez for InStyle

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Ah, and now for the one that I subscribe to and don’t just pick up on occasion. This magazine has been undergoing a nonstop overhaul since Laura Brown replaced Ariel Foxman as editor-in-chief last November. Some of the changes I’ve loved, others not as much. The covers that Brown has overseen have been consistently fresh and eye-catching nonetheless. She really has done a bang-up job.

It’s seemed the entire print mag industry has been trying to get its sea legs as it adjusts to constant change these years. Some have shuttered completely (RIP Lucky, Self, and probably People StyleWatch, or whatever it’s called now, very soon). Waning relevance thanks to social media and online content, a struggling retail industry (affecting fashion in general), and a political climate in upheaval have made it a challenge for fashion magazines to keep up readership and relatability. It’s been good to see InStyle as one of the few print periodicals that has taken the bull by the horns and leaned in to the maelstrom of change these days. And Selena, the woman with the most Instagram followers in the world at 124 million, is having her moment with a Coach partnership and a new album out probably sooner than later.

Adriana Lima, The Weeknd, and Irina Shayk for Harper’s Bazaar

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And now for the wildcard. Selena and her boyfriend must be high-fiving each other over both claiming September covers this year- not something you’d expect to find on any male celebrity’s resume (save for the obvious i.e. GQ). I have to admit that I laughed out loud when I first saw this. The expressions on their faces somehow read super Zoolander to me. I’m pleased, however, that Adriana and Irina are the only models on the September cover lineup so far. The rest are musicians or actors. I have to say that I’m pretty burned out with the resurgence of the supermodel. I know for a while we all complained that the world of fashion had been given over to the celebrity and there was not enough respect being given to the model, the original and true muse of the industry. However, we’ve turned on the supermodel firehose these days with an endless barrage of Gigi, Kendall, Joan, Bella, Hailey, Kaia, Emily, Cara, and Karlie. Their omnipresence on our social media feeds has had a numbing effect on me personally, and I’ve struggled to relate one little bit to today’s supermodels. But I guess the point of a supermodel isn’t exactly relatability, is it?  And the day I do relate to one, well, that probably means I’ve somehow become one in some alternate universe.

Any covers you especially love? Or any predictions for those yet seen? Do tell, and first and foremost, try to enjoy your August! xo, MR

Photo credits by order of appearance: Nathaniel Goldberg/Glamour magazine, David Bellemere/ELLE, Phil Poynter/InStyle, Brigitte LaCombe

the Hair stuff., the Makeup stuff., the Skin stuff.

Best Of The 2017 Academy Awards

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And here we are, once again!

This is technically the fifth Academy Awards that I’ve blogged and it’s my favorite post each year.  I’ve had a lot going on this evening work-wise so this post has been a process of constantly refreshing my phone before and after in attempts to get some quick peeks at attendees as they’ve arrived on the red carpet.  Not ideal, but I’m making it work.

A couple notes- Firstly, I’ve seen more impressive red carpets.  We were doing really, really good during this awards season but we seem to have pumped the brakes a bit.  I had hoped to see more bold color and risk-taking tonight.  We saw mostly gold and other soft metallics, and Janelle Monae was probably our only kooky-crazy gown.  I only noted a bit of red and perhaps just Scarlett Johannson’s pretty purple.  Secondly, Natalie Portman did not attend tonight’s ceremony because she’s in her third trimester of pregnancy.  I mean, whatever, okay, FINE.  But in all seriousness, I was bummed because I know she would’ve shown up looking glorious but I guess third trimester pregnancy merits some rest and a break from uncomfortable shoes and everyone staring at you.  OKAY, NATALIE.

And finally, I can’t seem to find Amy Adams!  Has anyone seen her?!  I looked all over social media and I did the Google, and she appears to be nowhere.  I do concur, by the way, that it was wrong of the Academy to nominate Meryl Streep over Amy this year, but I’d thought she’d surely attend tonight to support Arrival!  I also missed seeing Cate Blanchett. She wasn’t involved in much this year, but she always wears the best stuff.

And so with that, on to my favorites!  And again, a reminder- It might be a great dress but if the styling doesn’t appeal to me, it doesn’t make my list!  And it might be a cooky/ugly dress but if the styling streamlines the look and makes sense of it all, it might make my list!

Best This-Person-Would-Look-Good-In-A-Burlap-Sack – Charlize Theron in Dior

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Charlize is the one woman who has made my Best Dressed list every year she’s attended the Academy Awards.  I get that it’s hard to make someone of her features look bad, but despite how we may feel we all know that it can be done.  I think that’s one of the reasons why I’m continuously so impressed with her- she always knocks it out of the park and keep things classic and beautifully flattering, and doesn’t rely on her physical beauty to carry a look.  She still makes the right choices.  Her styling is always glamorous but simple, and her contract with Dior has probably been the most successful partnership I’ve seen between a celebrity and fashion house.  This particular gown looks like liquid gold and those earrings are bonkers!

Best Overall Because LOOK AT HER – Taraji P. Henson in Alberta Ferretti

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I mean, okay. OKAY. There is literally nothing wrong with this whole thing.  There is no flaw.  At the SAG Awards, Taraji seemed to have her frothy, feminine fantasy moment.  But she wasn’t having any of that tonight and THIS look is just about as sexy as it gets in my opinion.  No, not in my opinion.  IN ALL REALITY EVER.  This neckline with that slit all in deep blue velvet (scratching my David Lynch itch, Cookie!) with those diamonds and that haircut is just deadly.  Deadly, I say!  Taraji looks like she was just poured into this dress like an expensive glass of the finest champagne.  She has never looked better. I can only pray I come across an occasion where I have to wear something this glamorous in my lifetime.

Most Welcome New Darling Of The Fashion World – Ruth Negga in custom Valentino

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So, I think Ruth Negga likes clothes.  I mean, I think she really likes them.  Most new actresses that arrive on the scene tend to play it rather safe for a couple years before taking a couple risks once they get a high-profile stylist or a new haircut or something like that.  Or they wait for a contract with a fashion house and suddenly every dress seems to be wearing them and not the other way around (paging Jennifer Lawrence …).  Such has not been the case for Ruth Negga (or Lupita Nyong’O, the other exception in this case).  Right out of the gate, Ruth has been a person made for fashion.  She clearly loves the artistry of clothes-making, and she appreciates unique and sometimes quirky pieces.  I loved this Victorian style custom Valentino gown she wore.  It was similar to what Ginnifer Goodwin wore, but Ruth’s seemed to have a more Gothic feel.  Her makeup and hairpiece matched the mood, too.

Best Old Hollywood Throwback – Emma Stone in Givenchy Haute Couture

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As I write this, they’ve only just announced the winner of the Best Supporting Actress (go Viola!) and so we’ve yet to learn if Emma will indeed win in tonight’s Best Actress category. I have a feeling she will, and this is a lovely dress to win in.  I love Emma’s 1920’s style dress paired with very 1940’s hair and makeup.  It really is a very classically beautiful look. I was hoping to see more color on Emma during this awards season, but for what we’ve lacked in color her styling team has made up for in texture.  Fringe, glittering stars, floral appliqués- we’ve seen plenty of gorgeous handicraft in the texture department on Emma this year.  I did like her look when she attended the 2015 Academy Awards for Birdman more than tonight’s look – I loved her updo paired with the chartreuse gown and coral lips – but this is still nothing short of stunning and worthy of a winner. I’m getting some Rita Hayworth vibes with her hair, too.

Best Holy Cleopatra Batman! – Jessica Biel in Kaufmanfranco

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I told you there was a lot of gold this year!  I wasn’t kidding!  But I have to say, this is my personal favorite.  Don’t you dream of wearing dresses like this?  I mean seriously. That necklace is incredible, and the gown reminds me so much of Nefertiri in The Ten Commandments.  Nefertiri was probably the first woman in film that I idolized and wanted to look like and dress like as a child.  Of course, I was supposed to be drawn to the humble shepherd girl played by Yvonne De Carlo, but that would take some Mount Sinai-levels of convincing throughout my adolescence and beyond.

But anyhow, this dress had me.  And the necklace.  And the styling!  I love Jessica’s bold cat-eye made with thick eyeliner (again, Cleopatra!) paired with peachy lips and cheeks.  I also love the sleek updo with the center-part in Jessica’s deep brown-black hue.  I can’t wait to get a view of the back!  And again, if you know me, you know I like it when something’s just a bit off. In this case, it’s hairstylist Adir Abergel’s genius work with this updo- it’s totally off-center on purpose.  It adds characters and just barely tweaks the perfect symmetry of the center-part.  Details like this that play with shape and balance are my favorite; details of color and texture are a close second.

So there you go!  Now tell me your faves!  Anything you hated?  Anything you hoped for but didn’t see?  And don’t forget, there are always the after-parties with plenty of gown changes and extra folks who just weren’t important enough to invite to the awards ceremony.  Have fun!  xo, MR

 

Photo credits in order of appearance:  Getty Images, Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP, Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP, Noel West for The New York Times, Getty Images

the Fashion stuff., the Hair stuff.

Best Of The 2016 Academy Awards

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Alright, kids.  It’s that time!  I think the first thing I should note is that there were so many people missing tonight!  No Lupita Nyong’O, no Jennifer Lopez, no Emma Stone, no Gwyneth Paltrow, no Halle Berry, no Jennifer Aniston, no Amy Adams, no Viola Davis, no Angelina Jolie, no Kate Hudson, no Beyoncé, no Nicole Kidman – and those are just the regulars that I feel we see on most every Oscars red carpet.  So, that kind of bummed me out as I always look forward to seeing what I would classify as the heavy-hitters.  However, there are always the after parties so we’ll see what those bring.

Bear in mind that I take into consideration the entire look when determining my favorites.  This means I like the hair, the jewelry, the makeup, everything (and not just the dress).  So, here are the four from tonight’s Oscars red carpet that I absolutely adored!

Best Fantasy Moment

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So, I’ve seen stuff on the internet about this dress saying things like, “Step away from the glue gun, Cate”, and that it looks too crafty.  Um, I’m sorry, but have you ever made a craft that looks as good as this dress?!  I mean, COME ON.  Cate looks like the epitome of a fairy princess in the best possible way wearing this gorgeous Armani Privé gown.  With her dainty, elven face, gowns like this are a perfect match for her.  Feminine, flowery, and in a shade that I’d describe as robin’s-egg-blue (with crystal details and what looks like little purply bits found in the flower appliqués), this was the first look I saw tonight that made me squeal.  It’s that every-little-girl’s-fantasy kind of dress.  The silhouette is incredibly flattering, too, with the exaggerated shoulders and deep v-neck.  Simple beautiful.

Best Moment of SHUT THE FRONT DOOR YOU IS LOOKIN’ HOT!

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Yeah, Kate Winslet is aging backwards.  I mean, the woman just doesn’t age (though a contract with Lancome does help- Genifique, anyone?).  Her face has evolved into one that evokes Old Hollywood glamour and sophistication, and her red carpet styling always lends itself quite well to that aesthetic.  This particular look, however, took a bit of a sidestep away from the stately sophistication and veered more into HOT MAMA territory.  I mean, wow.  The loose waves coupled with the shiny texture of this Ralph Lauren gown amounts to a look that is at once futuristic/edgy and timeless/simple.  I am crazy about the liquid feel of this silk lame.  And her standing next to Leo?  Twitter just about lost its mind.

Best Moment of Redemption

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Confession- I have felt for a long, long time that the partnership between Jennifer Lawrence and Dior has been a huge mistake.  I just don’t really find that Dior suits Jennifer.  She’s a young, cool girl with an edge of crass to her, and Dior is the pinnacle of ladylike sophistication seen on the likes of statuesque, elegant actresses such as Marion Cotillard and Charlize Theron.  It just doesn’t jive for me, and the gowns and clothes that Dior has had Jennifer wear always seem to end up wearing her instead.

However, tonight was a welcomed exception.  This dress felt cool.  This dress felt edgy.  This dress felt young.  And the overall styling was fantastic.  I love that Jennifer’s been going more platinum with her hair these days.  That icy white platinum look?  Ooh, I love it.  I’d do it myself if I knew my hair wouldn’t literally snap off in heaps after three weeks.  I’d need a bucket of Olaplex to survive.  But anyhow, hats off to the JLaw team tonight.  She looked stunning, and I’m thinking she and Dior may have turned a new corner in their relationship.

Best Moment of Color

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A silhouette like this typically isn’t my favorite because we’ve seen it so much, but for some reason, this outstanding shade of vermillion makes it all okay.  I think it also may be the fact that we never see Charlize in this color.  We’ve seen her look stunning in gold, white, black, and baby pink, but I don’t think we’ve seen her choose serious color for the Academy Awards since 2010 when she wore her lilac bustier gown (which everyone hated but me).

My most favorite look of Charlize’s is actually the forest green Dior gown she wore to the 2006 Oscars, back when John Galliano was still at the helm.  It was so dramatic with that giant bow, and the color was so unexpected.  I guess that’s what I love Charlize for- she can wear absolutely anything, so unusual silhouettes and bright colors are always a delight on her.  And I have to say, if Imperator Furiosa had to walk a red carpet and couldn’t choose to wear black, it may as well be this uncompromising shade of red.  My mom loved it, too!

Other honorable mentions include Naomi Watts’ gown that reminded of the Rainbow Fish, Margot Robbie’s I-am-literally-a-golden-Oscar-statue moment, and Saoirse Ronan’s gorgeous shade of green that made me think of a mermaid.  I also liked the architecture of Olivia Munn’s gown.  Alicia Vikander’s dress was beautiful too, but the whole look was definitely a bit too inspired by Belle, all the way down to the half-bun.  Daisy Ridley’s was pretty but I would’ve preferred a full-length gown, and Julianne’s was nothing special to me.

Rachel McAdams’ was a bit of a yawn for me too, and while Brie Larson’s gown was really pretty her hair styling sort of ruined the look for me.  I’m not much for pulling back hair that way with a flowy gown that has lots of movement.  I would’ve loved to see some loose waves, or contrast the gown with a sleek chignon.  And Rooney Mara has become as predictable as ever!  I don’t expect to ever see her in bright pink or anything like that, but there’s got to be some way of changing things up while sticking to her general elegant-goth aesthetic.

Well that just about wraps it up for me, and now its time to dig for some extra details on the makeup- my very favorite part!  Give me your thoughts and let me know what you think.  And now, it’s time to start the countdown to the Met Ball!  xo, MR

Photo credits in order of appearance to: Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP, Jason Merritt/Getty, George Pimentel/WireImage, and Unknown on Theron image.