Diane Kruger's Scarlet Lips at the Inglourious Basterds Berlin Premiere

Growing up, I always heard that one must never mix red and pink for fear of clashing the two colors. Guess Diane Kruger has shown that rules were made to be broken because she looked absolutely stunning in a pale pink dress and creamy, scarlet lips.


I'm not sure I could ever pull off a shade like that, but it so beautiful, I might have to try one day (or, likely night). Any guesses on what the shade is? I'm inclined to think its a Chanel, since the woman does love her Chanel - maybe Chanel Lip Colour in Lover?

Makeup Artist Kay Montano on Thandie Newton's Red Carpet Look

Some of you ladies know what a huge fan I am of Thandie Newton's beauty looks - no matter what the event, she just glows! And so I was excited to find this fairly simple video of Thandie's makeup artist, Kay Montano, explaining how to get Thandie's red carpet look from the premiere of "W." The premiere was a while ago but the look is so classic and pretty natural - you can replicate it in any season.

Kay used the following products to get Thandie's look:

Eyes: Chanel Ombre d'Eau Fluid Iridescent Eyeshadow in Seashore, Chanel Les 4 Ombres Quadra Eyeshadow in Smokey Eyes, Chanel Ecriture de Chanel Automatic Liquid Eyeliner in Noir, Exceptionnel de Chanel Mascara in Smoky Noir

Lips: Chanel Rouge Allure Laque in Ming

Deepika Padukone's Side Braided Style

I spotted this super cute hair style on Deepika today!! Its one of the many styles from an dance item number she is doing for an upcoming film.


It looks like her hair was given a deep part, then very loosely french braided with chunks of hair on both sides of the part, then braided or twisted together to the end and finally wrapped with a yellow ribbon. Now its not the type of style you'd wear to work obviously but its a nice change from the standard ponytail on the weekend, out shopping or to the beach.

The only thing I think I would change to this style would be to have wrapped in metallic (gold, silver or bronze) cord or ribbon rather than the yellow - its a little too matchy matchy for my taste, but oh well, I suppose its for a Bollywood film.

Sienna Miller's Mussed Up Ponytail at the GI Joe Premiere

Sometimes Hollywood beauty can be annoying because its too perfect...sometimes you gotta love British beauty for exactly the opposite reason - British ladies like Kate Moss, Thandie Newton and Sienna Miller have an edginess and uniqueness all their own.

I love this ponytail Sienna wore at the GI Joe premiere. I love the volume on top, sleekness on the side and the fact that it looks like she didn't try too hard.

My hairstyling skills are subpar when it comes to putting my hair up....it looks like she might have pinned up some of the hair on the crown but I couldn't find a pic of the back. Anyone have any clue how she did this?!

Lemon Juice - a DIY Remedy for Blemishes

If you have regular blemishes, you know how frustrating it is to try to figure out what is causing these nasty little spots. Lately, with my skin, its not regular pimples that have been appearing...its these tiny little whitehead types that are making the surface of my skin less than ideal. And because these are not regular pimples, my usual zit zapper medicine is not as effective on these bumps. Luckily, I figured out a great skin solution and best of all, its costs practically nothing!! What is it?


Lemon juice. That's it, just a few drops of lemon juice, nothing else.

I had read in passing that the citric acid of lemon juice, applied topically, has properties that to clear up stubborn blemishes. I imagine that citric acid of lemon juice is somewhat like alpha hydroxy acids in sloughing off dead skin cells. I applied the lemon juice with my fingers (or alternatively you can do it with a cotton ball) and let sit for a few minutes. Then I applied my regular night cream on top. When I woke up the next morning, the bumps had cleared up and my skin was noticeably softer.

A few things you should know about applying lemon juice -

• It does have a slightly tingly and itchy feeling, so I let it sit for only a few minutes and then apply cream on top to soothe the skin.


• Don't apply it everyday - like an AHA, too much is not a good thing. I apply it once every 2 or 3 days.


• Don't apply it during the day as the citric acid will leave your skin very sensitive to the sunlight. Be sure to apply sunscreen the next day.


• Don't apply it next to open wounds or cuts - the acid will cause severe stinging! The same goes for really severe acne - the acid will just exacerbate the redness.


• It is best used on oily, blemish prone skin since the lemon juice tends to dry out the skin.

Gorgeous Two Toned Eyes at Luli Fama and Cia Maritima 2010 Swim

Check out these gorgeous, two-toned eye looks at the Mercedes Benz Swim 2010 fashion shows that were in Miami last week (yeah, I had no idea there was a whole fashion week dedicated to swimwear either). The NARS Eye Shadow Duos and L'Oreal HIP Eye Shadow Duos are pretty awesome for the two toned look as they have bright, contrasting colors in interesting combinations.

At the Luli Fama show, models sported a shimmery dark purple shadow on the upper eyelids and an electric blue lining the bottom lashes. Try NARS Eye Shadow Duo in Demon Lover for this striking look that is perfect for nighttime.

Then, there is the teal-on-top, lime green-on-the-bottom eyes at the Cia Maritima show. I normally don't do my eyes up in such bright, peacocky colors but this I love!! Luckily, we have (hopefully) several more weeks of summer to try this pretty look out!

It looks pretty simple to do as well. The teal color is used to line the top lashline and is winged out. Then the lime green shade is dabbed along the lower lashline. Try the L'Oreal HIP Bright Eye Shadow Duos in Riotous - the darker color is a little duller than the teal, but overall the shadow will work.

Neutrogena Light Night Cream

In an attempt to align my spending habits with the rest of the world in this unending rec-freaking-ession, I decided to give up my beloved Shiseido day and night moisturizers. I just realized that I have never actually blogged about these Shiseido products and well, I feel too guilty too blog about them now because they are so expensive, so let's just move on, shall we?

Anyways, its a HUGE deal for me to give up Shiseido because I've been using those moisturizers for more than a decade (i.e. since I was in my late teens). When I decided I needed to switch to a drugstore brand, I didn't know where to start...so I went back to Neutrogena, i.e. the brand I used through most of my teen years before I started using Shiseido.


While I'm generally attracted to flashy, shiny packaging, I ended up choosing the Neutrogena Light Night Cream as my night moisturizer, which is housed in a very plain white and blue container. Well, don't judge a book by its cover!

The cream is certainly light, like its name, somewhat fluffy, but not so light that I find myself applying it in layers so that my face is hydrated. Only one small dollop is all that it takes to make my face look nice and smooth. Its perfect in the summer because it moisturizes but I have never woken up with a greasy face. The plain packaging has also grown on me - its like the simple creams that your mom or grandma used to use back in the day.

The Light Night Cream doesn't claim to brighten, get rid of wrinkles, walk your dog, do your dishes or anything else except be a good night cream. Its no frills, simple approach is actually kind of refreshing and best of all it works.

Pros

• Light and airy texture
• Smooth application
• Non-greasy effect
• Doesn't clog pores
• Retails for approximately $13

Cons

• Seriously, none that I can think of, unless you like fancier looking packaging

John Frieda Frizz-Ease Daily Nourishment Leave-In Conditioner

Um, yeah, its been a while since my last post. I don't have an excuse except for the fact that I needed a break. I just haven't been home that much to blog but I take that as a sign that I am enjoying the summer, right?!

Having been out and about in this summer heat has actually allowed me to put some beauty products to the test. Especially hair products that claim to moisturize and control frizz.

For example, after some success with Frizz Ease Creme Serum Overnight Repair Formula, I had high hopes for John Frieda's Frizz Daily Nourishment Ease Leave-In Conditioner. I liked the idea of a conditioner in a spray bottle that I can use to touch up dry parts of my hair (like the ends) this summer when the heat and humidity begin to parch my tresses.


My grade? I can't say I loved this spray-on leave-in. In theory, it could be moisturizing. But when I spray it on dry hair and let it soak in, I end up getting patches of oiliness in my hair where I have applied the product. I don't know, maybe I am not spraying from far enough?!

I had better luck with this product when I used it as a post-shower detangler. When my hair was towel dried and damp, I sprayed it on and combed it through with nary a tangle. It was a nice effect, but just not what I was looking for in a product. As a result, I recommend this product for women with fine hair that don't need help in the frizz department but could use a light detangler. If you have thick, coarse hair like mine, this product is too light for us and just won't cut the frizz.

Pros

• Spray on application so don't worry have to getting hands messy
• Pleasant scent
• Great detangler
• Good for thin or fine hair
• Doesn't weigh hair down
• Good deal at around $6

Cons

• Inconsistent application
• Does little to battle frizz and poufiness once hair is dry
• Bad for thick/coarse hair

Misleading and Just Stupid: Priyanka's Chopra's Sunsilk "Thick and Long" TV Commercial

Oy vey. I came across this TV commercial for Sunsilk "Thick & Long" hair products starring Priyanka Chopra today and the ad just irked me beyond belief! I always used to roll my eyes at the Pantene Pro-V hair commercials where the models' hair was digitized to perfection but the Sunsilk commercial is even more stupid, in my opinion.

Not only does the hair in the commercial look totally fake, but Priyanka Chopra doesn't even have really long, really jet black, really silky pin straight hair like that! And she hasn't had that kind of for years!! Instead, P.C. wears her hair dyed brown, sort of wavy and I can tell her hair type is somewhat thick and coarse, like many desi women.



Talk about misleading advertising. My mom once saw a similar hair commercial starring Lara Dutta and kept blabbing about how beautiful her hair was. Rolled eyes then, roll my eyes now. Yeah, maybe in some alternate universe I will get hair like that JUST from using shampoo and conditioner!! - Does Sunsilk really think that adverts like this are the way to go? Wouldn't a more realistic ad starring Priyanka with her normal, everyday hair sell products as well?

Watch the video for yourself - and let me know what you think!

Steal the Look: Aishwarya Rai at the 2009 IIFA Awards

Last breakdown in the 2009 IIFA series...Miss Rai. I've been pretty impressed with the makeup looks of the Bollywood set - on the whole, the ladies looked quite gorgeous!! At the IIFA, Ash went for glossy apricot lips with a hint of pink on the lids to tie the look together. Like Bips, Ash accentuated her eye shape with a classic cat eye.

To get the look:

Eyes: Apply a champagne cream shadow such as MAC Shadestick in Beije-ing all over the lids from lashline to brows. After the cream shadow has set, apply a shimmery seashell pink shadow such as MAC Shadow in Expensive Pink to the crease, following the contour of the eye. Apply a dark gray pencil liner along both upper and lower lashline. Flick the outer corners of the liner toward the end of the brows for the cat eye look. Finish with mascara.

Cheeks: Apply a very light dusting of coral blush such as Bobbi Brown Shimmer Blush in Coral so as not to compete with the color on the eyes and lips.

Lips: Apply an apricot cream gloss such as Revlon Cream Gloss in Peachy Sheen to the lips.