Beauty Review: My Juno Hits and Misses for 2007

The Juno Awards is the biggest night in Canadian music. What I love about Canadian award shows is that there is always a mixture of glam and rocker laid-back styles on the red carpet. There isn't anything pretentious about the show and everyone seems genuinely happy to reconnect with their Canadian roots and fellow musicians. Here are my hits and misses for tonight's Juno Red Carpet.

Hits:


1. Nelly Furtado, beautiful songstress and one of my all time favourite singers to groove to did not disappoint on the red carpet. She definitely brought a touch of Hollywood glamour to the Junos and looked absolutely stunning in her floor length black gown (I missed who the designer was). Her hair was pulled back into an elegant up-do and her make-up was flawlessly radiant. I loved the black liquid liner winged out to the side and the raspberry pink cheeks and glossy lips looked amazing against her skin tone. Nelly not only shined on the red carpet but hosted the awards show for the first time and won all of Canada over. Not to mention she brought home 5 awards including Album of the Year and Artist of the Year! Way to go Nelly!


2. I thought the gals of tv show Corner Gas, Gabrielle Miller and Tara Spencer, looked fun and sexy on the red carpet (you'd never know it was freezing in Saskatoon by the way they were dressed!). Gabrielle looked like a true fashionista in her sexy black little mini number and thought Tara looked sultry with her smoked out eyes and nude lip (love her dark denims too!).


3. I'm not really a fan of Keisha Chante's music but I was a fan of her $20,000 Valentino jewel-encrusted dress she wore tonight at the awards. I love loose waves but I thought the ends of her hair looked like they were fried, but her make-up looked fresh and beautiful.


4. I really liked Canadian Idol winner, Melissa O'Neil's, hair (I'm all about the bangs these days), but it was hard to see what her dress really looked like. I thought the colour looked great against her skin, and the plunging v-neck why not if you've got the goods, but I didn't really like the khaki trench with it. I know it was freezing but I'm sure there would have been a million better choices than that.

Misses:


1. Sarah Harmer is a beautiful woman with a beautiful voice to match. Tonight, however, she looked like she was meeting her girlfriends for lunch instead of attending Canada's biggest award show. Her hair looked like she pinned the side with a bobby pin, her make-up did nothing to make her look less tired or pale, and her dress looked frumpy and dowdy on her. Well, at least she can count on her fans for liking her music and not her fashion sense.


2. I thought country artist Carolyn Dawn Johnson looked like a layered mess. There was so much going on with her outfit. I love vest tops worn on their own, but her black shirt peeking out everywhere just looked messy. Her hair was in need of some major volume, but her make-up was nice.


3. Need I say more?? Only in Canada! haha

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Makeup 101: Toronto Film Fest Beauties!

Makeup 101: Toronto Film Fest Beauties!

Hilary Duff enjoying many of the Filmfest parties, hit one of Toronto's popular niteclubs This Is London last Saturday in true style. With her wavy locks and shimmering eyes it's no wonder Ms. Duff didn't go unnoticed. Steal this hot look from one of the 'It' celebrities of the moment. To recreate:

1. Eyes: For a smoldering eye that shimmers in the night, mix a silvery shadow with gray tones. Try Lorac's new Starry-Eyed Baked Eyeshadow Trio in Evening Star. Smudge a charcoal gray shadow close to the lashline like Sephora's Slim Pencil Eye (also the winner of Best of Sephora 2007) in Dark Gray to amp up the smoke factor. Finish your peepers off with a couple coats of Diorshow Mascara in Black 090 (also winner of best of Sephora 2007).

2. Cheeks: Give your cheeks a subtle wash of colour in a neutral tone like MAC's Powder Blush in Harmony (Makeup Junkie fave). For a radiant glow highlight cheekbones with Benefit's High Beam (can be used to highlight inner corner of eyes and mixed with foundation for an overall dewy complexion). To highlight medium to dark skin tones tryBenefit's Moon Beam, a pinky-gold highlighter (also winner of Allure's Editor's Choice Awards).

3. Lips: Compliment your sultry eyes with a muted lip in a honey-rose tone. Line and shade the lips with Sephora's Slim Pencil - Lip in Natural Spice 116. Then swipe on a shimmering creamy tan lipstick like Nars' Lipstick in Promiscuous. To make the lips poutier, dab a bit of shimmery gloss like Nars' Lip Gloss in Orgasm (Makeup Junkie fave and winner of best of Sephora 2007) to the center of the lips.

4. Hair: To keep wavy locks looking hot all night without losing the steam, smooth on Frederic Fekkai's Luscious Curls Cream to accentuate your curls without all the stiffness. It'll leave your hair frizz-free and full of bounce and shine.

Radiant Reese Witherspoon graced Toronto with her presence on the red carpet at Roy Thomson Hall for the premiere of her new movie Rendition. She was absolutely picture perfect and such a classic beauty! Steal this look from one of the most sought after actresses of our time. To recreate:
1. Eyes: Bronzy sun-kissed eyes can enhance any eye colour. For bronzy eyes that will make you melt, try Nars' Duo Eye Shadow in Key Largo (Makeup Junkie fave). Smudge a chocolate bronze eye khol likeMAC's Eye Kohl in Teddy (Makeup Junkie fave) to the top and bottom lash line. Swipe on a couple coats of L'oreal Voluminous Mascara(Makeup Junkie fave).
2. Cheeks: For a peachy glow try MAC's Sheertone Powder Blush in Peaches. To keep your skin in bronze perfection dust on Benefit's Bronzer in Hoola (Makeup Junkie fave and winner of best of Sephora 2007) wear the sun naturally hits: forehead, nose, chin, and cheekbones.
3. Lips: Give those lips a peaches 'n cream glimmer with Nars' Lipstick in Honolulu Honey and slick on Nars' Lip Gloss in Giza (Makeup Junkie fave), a creamy nectar.
Angelina Jolie is the perfect arm candy for Brad Pitt and vice versa. In support of Brad's new film The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, Angelina showed up in true star style. Angelina was looking glamourous in the beauty trend of the moment: fresh complexion, cat eyes, and pale lips. Steal this look from Hollywood's femme fatale/humanitarian. To recreate:
1. Face: For a flawless complexion, use a primer like Smashbox's Photo Finish Foundation Primer to prep the skin (Makeup Junkie fave and winner of best of Sephora 2007). Give your skin smooth coverage with Bare Escentuals' bareMinerals SPF 15 Foundation (Makeup Junkie fave and winner of best of Sephora 2007). Set with MAC's Blot Powder/Loose (Makeup Junkie fave) for a velvety matte finish.
2. Eyes: For that sexy cat eye line the eyes with Bobbi Brown's Longwear Gel Liner (InStyle's beauty winner). To get that cat eye just right you'll need the perfect tool like Smashbox's Arched Eye Liner Brush 21. Wing the liner up and out for purr-fection!
3. Lips: Rather than going for a pale matte lips, liven this look up with a shimmery nude gloss like Smashbox's Lip Enhancing Gloss in Pixel 

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Beauty Review: Emmy Beauties

Every awards show I look forward to one thing: the red carpet hits and misses! Yes, I know award shows are about more than that - to recognize some of history's greatest shows, actors blah blah blah. The only award I'm giving out is who was the most dazzling from head to toe. So here are my winners:
























1. There was just something about Katherine Heigl tonight that was just so captivating. Her dress wasn't the most dazzling but I thought she looked like pure glamour from head to toe. I loved how fresh she looked sporting the classic and of-the-moment red lip (unlike Christina Aguilara who had the similar style but looked cabaret-ish). Her Emmy speech made her seem even more loveable. Even if her mom didn't think she was going to win, maybe she did because she looked spectacular.






















2. I absolutely adore America Ferrera and was excited to see her win her first Emmy. She was divine in colbalt blue and her makeup/hair was the perfect compliment. It's refreshing to see a normal size woman in Hollywood. I give her kudos for opting for a beautiful bold colour and not being afraid to stand out from the rest of the skinnies.

























3. I have to say I think Eva Longoria is enjoying wedded bliss. In a sea of long gowns, she decided to go with a flirty, flashy, and fun cocktail dress. Her subdued colour palette from head to toe was the perfect amount of glamour. It just proves you don't have to go all frilly and flowy to get noticed on the red carpet.

























4. Oh Heidi, can you stop looking drop dead gorgeous after having 3 children (or is it 4?? I've lost count)one after the other?? She looked like a beautiful tall glass of red wine. This deep raspberry colour was stunning and looked fantastic on her. It seemed like red was the popular colour of the night, but I think this colour made red seem ordinary. I loved the deep hue on the lips to match. Seal, you are one lucky man!

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Makeup 101: Colourful Smokey Eyes For Summer

Makeup 101: Colourful Smokey Eyes For Summer

Makeup Junkie guest contributor, Olivia, has brought you readers another fantastic tutorial! Can you do smokey eyes in the summer? Yes! Throw out your ideas of the classic smokey eye and swipe some colour on those peepers!

Summer fever is upon us and we’re all itching to get out doors. For some that includes a night out on the town sans jacket, sporting your favourite little black dress. My go-to party look is a smoky eye but in the summer I prefer to substitute the blacks, browns and greys for purples, blues and greens. Really the options are endless with a colourful smoky eye. You could keep your signature look but appear more versatile simply by switching the colours. For this look I decided to use a combination of teal, blue and lavender purple with a gold highlight.

As an avid Makeup Junkie reader, the most important lesson I’ve learned is starting every look with a flawless face. I tend to avoid using foundation but after reading Joy’s reviews on tinted moisturizers I thought I would test out the alternative. I’ve been using Tarte’s Smooth Operator, which has a great natural coverage and really evens out my skin without feeling cakey. Then minor imperfections can be corrected with a dab of concealer. Once you have completed your flawless face, follow these simple steps for a vibrant and alluring nighttime look:
 

Step 1: Line top and bottom lash lines and blend with your finger (or smudging brush) for that smoky effect.

Step 2: Start with the darkest colour and blend up towards your crease. Using that same colour, line the outer half of your bottom lash line. Taking the lighter shade, blend into your crease and brow bone. With the lighter shade and a pencil brush (try MAC 219 pencil brush) apply the shadow to the lower lash line in order blend the colours and complete the smoky look. For that extra sparkle, sweep a gold shimmer under your eyebrows.

Step 3: To complete the look, line your waterline with the same liner used to begin the smoky eye. Then apply lots of mascara! Since we want to keep the focus on your eyes, keep cheeks and lips simple by using a touch of bronzer and a light gloss.

Step 4: Throw on that little black dress and you’re good to go!

*Products used on eyes:

- NARS eyeliner in Kaliste

- CARGO Lumieres Du Monde palette (blue, purple and gold shadows used)

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The Top Ten Most Romantic Perfumes

Allure had a list of The Top Ten Most Romantic Perfumes In preparation of Valentine's Day 2009. The list was complied by a panel of experts. They also had a list of the Best Selling Romantic Perfumes.

This is the top ten list - starting with number one.

L`air du Temps was created by Nina Ricci For Women in 1948. Its fragrant nature explores essences of rosewood, neroli and peach. Blended with notes of ylang-ylang, vetiver and cedar. It is as famous for itsLalique bottle as it is its fragrance. In English, the French name means "the mood of the moment" and is described by many as "feminine" and "ageless".

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Beautiful Perfume was launched by the design house of Estee Lauder in 1985. It is classified as a sharp, flowery fragrance. This feminine scent possesses a blend of blooming fresh cut flowers, rose, jasmine, and carnation. Accompanied by fruity notes of fresh citrus, melons, peaches and plums.

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Tresor perfume was introduced by Lancome in 1990. It is classified as a sharp, oriental, floral fragrance. This feminine scent possesses a blend of lilac and apricot, with lower notes with amber and musk.

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 Cristalle perfume by Chanel was introduced in 1974. It is classified as a sharp, fruity fragrance. This feminine scent possesses a blend of lemon, mandarin and other pure citrus.

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Fracas by Robert Piguet - This hypnotic fragrance has a dedicated following and is the favorite fragrance of some of the world's most famous women, including Madonna, Carolina Herrera, and Princess Caroline of Monaco. Fracas is remarkably pure, modern, memorable, and provocative. First launched in 1948 and reintroduced in 1996, Fracas by Robert Piguet still inspires legions of loyal admirers. Notes include Tuberose, Jasmine, Jonquil, Gardenia, Lily of the Valley, White Iris, Orange, Sandalwood, Vetiver, Musk.

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 Joy perfume by Jean Patou was introduced in 1930. It is classified as a refined, flowery fragrance. This feminine scent possesses a blend of rare oils including jasmine and rose. The Allure article states that each bottle of Joy uses 10,600 Jasmine flowers and 28 dozen roses.

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Narciso Rodriguez for Her was introduced in 2005 as a fragrance for women is a warm, very feminine scent. This girly scent possesses a blend of honey, solar musk, orange blossom, amberlyn, vanilla, vetiver. It includes notes of Pink Pepper, Lavender, Patchouli, Violet, Amber, Woody Accord. One reviewed described this scent as "sex in a bottle". (Memo to self....)

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Chloe perfume by Karl Lagerfeld was launched in 1975. It is classified as a luxurious, flowery fragrance. This feminine scent possesses a blend of jasmine and honeysuckle.

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Rose 31 by Le Labo is made for men and worn by women. It is an intriguing woody, spicy scent with rose nestled in the middle notes. Rose 31 features rose, cumin, pepper, clove, nutmeg, olibanum, cedar, amber, gaiac wood, oud wood, cistus, and vetiver . Le Labo is a relatively new perfumery in New York City, founded in 2006 by two ex-Armani employees. They specialize in hand-mixed, custom-labeled scents. How Rose 31 was named: Roses are indeed the core ingredient, while "31" refers to the total number of elements utilized.

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S-Perfume 100% Love by Sophia Grojsman - This limited edition scent from famed perfumer Sophia Grojsman (creator of Eternity by Calvin Klein, Paris by Yves Saint Laurent, Trésor by Lancôme, Estée Lauder Beautiful) is a subtle and tart fragrance that features notes of red fruits, rose, incense, and dark chocolate.

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Eye Makeup for Brown Eyes

Brown Eyed Girls can also go dark with eye liner - black, dark brown or navy blue. I think darker eye liners do more to emphasize darker eyes, while lighter liners seem to just call attention to the makeup, not the eyes.

Eye Makeup for Brown Eyes is pretty much unlimited. Lucky Brown Eyed Girls can wear just about any color and look great. You have more variety and choices than any other eye color. Because your eyes are darker, you can go darker with your eye makeup and look dramatic and mysterious, not like a clown.

Eye Shadow - Eye Makeup for Brown Eyes

Since you can wear almost any color, you always have the option of matching your eye shadow to your clothing. Otherwise you can go with neutrals like taupes and browns. Pink eye shadow with a darker color in the crease will really make your eyes sparkle. Grey eyeshadows and liners look great and can give you a smokey eye look that is toned down enough for daytime wear.

Metallics in the gold, bronze, brown and pink family look great on brown eyes. My favorite Eye Makeup for Brown Eyes look is to go with a neutral shimmery beige color on the lid and use a darker accent color - it can be darker brown, purple, dark blue or even green. If you are feeling adventurous, you can always match you purple eyeshadow with a dark purple eyeliner. (If it is too light or too purple it will not be flattering - it should look black from a distance.)

Just a reminder, if you are going for eye drama and playing up your gorgeous eyes, be sure and go with a neutral blush and lip color. Otherwise you will look way too made up!

Eye Shadow for Brown Eyes

Choosing Eye Makeup for Brown Eyes for brown eyes can be somewhat complicated. Why? Because unlike other eye colors, a brown-eyed woman has a huge array of hues that are going to look good when she applies them. Literally every color of the rainbow holds potential along with all those wonderful mineral tones. About the only limit you've got is your skin tone and working with that.

Eyeshadow Colors For Brown Eyes

If you want to really play up your brown eyes then consider nice, smoky brow eye shadow. Use something lighter during the day, and keep darker brown shades for a dramatic night time entrance. A second choice, and more playful, is purple. In this case choose a hue that ties to your wardrobe somehow. A dusty purple is better for day ware, while sparkling violets can come out at night to tour the town.

Of course, its also fun to tinker with colors you don't see that often – like peach or sunshine yellow. If it's around the holidays, let the predominant color of the season guide you! This is another moment when your complexion may help you make a final decision. Fair-skinned folk would do better with light colors while dark skinned women can reach for those deeper tones confidently

Makeup For Brown Eyes - How Brown is Brown?

There are different dimensions to brown going from light to nearly black. For someone who has very dark brown eyes, it's good to include something lighter in eye makeup so that your eyes don't look harsh. If you're fortunate to have a medium-colored brown eye – the sky is the limit. Think dramatic green, gold, or bronze as well as all shades of purple. Different colors will make your eyes look a little different, so play around and see what kind of impact you want.

For women with light brown eyes, pastels are a good choice, particularly yellow. Avoid black eyeliner and opt for brown instead. Finally, for someone with hazel eyes use an intense eyeliner like bronze or purple and follow with an eye shadow that's just a little darker than your skin (Mauve being one possibility).

By the way, if you want to make your brown eyes look longer just extend your eye liner and shadow slightly father than the corner of your eye. Remember to blend!

What to Avoid:

While eye shadow for brown eyes is a pretty broad category there are some colors that probably aren't the best option. For some reason pinks leave many brown-eyed women looking as if they've been crying all day. Blue isn't always a good choice either, as it brings out yellow tones that can make a person look ill. And while the yellowish metallic shadows look fantastic, silver doesn't. That's a color best suited for blue-eyed women. The only place for silver on brown eyes is as an eyeliner to make your eyes look bigger.

Eye Makeup for Brown Eyes Recommended Products:
The easiest way to get the most flattering look is to purchase eye shadow made specifically for brown eyes - it takes away the guesswork! I love these Eye Shadow Collections by Pop Beauty. They are high quality eye shadows in gorgeous colors made especially for brown eyed girls! They come with instructions to create different looks that flatter brown eyes, but they don't come with an applicator. I recommend a good quality brush. The Eye Makeup for Brown Eyes products for green eyes are shown below, but you can click through to see the browns. 

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How to Apply Eye Shadow

Need to Know How to Apply Eye Shadow? Even if you've been wearing make up for decades there are days when it seems impossible to apply eye makeup properly. Knowing how to apply eye shadow begins with a few helpful hints that can help avoid the shadow being mottled, uneven, or just over the top.

Tricks of the Trade

Any beauty consultant will tell you that the biggest means to applying eye shadow evenly is blending. You need to have a light hand for good blending. Start at the base of your eye using a light color. Add a darker color to the crease of your eye, then gently brush on your highlight color for your lid. Try using a makeup brush, your fingertip or cotton swab to blend these so you cannot tell where one stops and the other begins.

When you Apply Eye Shadow, you can use one, two, three or four different colors.

How to Apply Eye Shadow using one color: choose a neutral or slightly dark shadow and apply it from your lashline to the crease. Blend upward so that it gently fades.

For a two color look, apply the neutral or slightly lighter color from the lashline to either the crease or the bottom of the eyebrows. Apply a complementary darker color to the crease and blend very well. You can also apply the darker (crease) color over your eyeliner at the lash line and smudge well. (This is a great look - you will need a small brush or pointed sponge applicator.)

How to Apply Eye Shadow using three colors: apply your main (medium) color from the lashes to the crease. Apply the darkest color to the crease and apply the lightest color from the crease to the eye brows. Blend very well. You can also use the darkest color over your eyeliner for a great look.

Use four colors by applying the darkest either as an inverted "v" at the corner of the eye, on the outer end of the crease or over the entire outer lower lid and blend well.

Remember: you can always add more color if its too light, but its much harder to remove too much color and get an even, refined look.

Another important factor when learning How to Apply Eye Shadow is picking the right color and brand of eye shadow. You want a hue that compliments your eyes and skin without being overwhelming. For example, a little shine is fine but too much draws attention to your wrinkles and other fine lines.

Note that all eye shadows are not created equal. Some have great longevity and others smear or smudge easily. Even if you only buy one container at a time, invest in good shadow.

Remember: an eye shadow base can also improve the staying power of your makeup. 

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