Mom and me, circa 1979
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by CoverGirl.
Mother’s Day is this Sunday and I’m so excited. Not just because Mr. Spoiled Pretty and my son, Westley, are treating me to a decadent brunch. But because it’s an opportunity to celebrate my hero, Andrea Stamps.
I must admit that until two years ago, Mother’s Day was just another CONTINUE READING
At Christmastime, I agonized over what to get my son's daycare teachers. There are 12 of them - and even though he has his two main teachers, they all have interaction with him and take excellent care of him. So I needed to buy 12 gifts to show my appreciation, without breaking the bank. $10 each seemed doable, except CONTINUE READING
As a beauty expert, I’m embarrassed by how late I am to the BB Cream party. In the past year, so many friends and colleagues have asked me about BB Creams—what’s the buzz, which brands are the best, etc. —and they would look at me funny when I admitted to not having tried BB Creams yet. I mean, they CONTINUE READING
I’m very fickle about my fingernails. Before I paint my nails or get them professionally did, I spend a inordinate amount of time pondering my polish options. I consider the season, recent trends, my wardrobe that week and anywhere special I might go. But despite all of this planning, I’m usually over my polish choice before it even dries.
Not CONTINUE READING
After beauty products, handbags are my secondary addiction. But when it comes to arm candy, I have discriminating taste. For me, the perfect handbag seamlessly marries fashion with function, is handcrafted from high-quality materials, has really unique hardware and is classic but edgy - all at the same time. I don't like to carry the of-the-moment "it" bag. I CONTINUE READING
Earlier this month, Kate Spade (aka creator of cuteness and the reason why I can't seem to keep money in my wallet), launched a brand new line called Kate Spade Saturday.
Kate Spade Saturday is a new global lifestyle brand created to channel the spirit of Saturday seven days a week. This younger, more accessible sister to kate spade new CONTINUE READING
Rihanna, my favorite Bajan bombshell, is Elle’s June cover girl.
Her interview with the mag runs the gamut. Lighthearted topics include the decision to cut her hair and singing in front of Jay Z for the first time. The interview turns more serious, when she opens up about her once-strained relationship with an alcoholic father.
Plus, Rihanna hints about whether Chris Brown is the one standing under her umbrella.
Okay…so I’ve been hearing some crazy things about Miss Jada lately. Word on the streetz is that she’s using that crazy ratnest mullet hairdo to hide a black eye. What ever happened to good ole concealer? Did anyone see the Oprah/Tom Cruise interview? It seems that this is where the buzz started.
You know I love the celeb fodder. So if you have any info (or just wanna spread more rumors), please leave them in the comments section below. Be a gossip, girl…I won’t judge.
Bridal Beauty Week has come to an end. There, there…don’t cry. I’m sad too – this was so much fun! I hope that you all enjoyed yourselves.
For the finale, I’m going to share with you my favorite celebrity brides. I tried to keep the list to 10, but it proved much too difficult. Yes, I realize that many of these marriages were short-lived. But you have to admit that these ladies take some pretty pictures. Hopefully, they will help to inspire your big day beauty.
By now, you’ve probably heard that Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon were married on Thursday at her estate in the Bahamas. The nuptials were foreshadowed earlier in the week when Mariah was spotted blinding bystanders with a 17-carat sparkler.
Personally, I think this marriage is going to bomb like Glitter. Not hatin’. Just sayin’.
It’s Bridal Beauty Week here at Spoiled Pretty, so I’d like to take this opportunity to give a shout-out to my girl America Ferrera – who is rumored to be engaged to her long-time boyfriend, aspiring director Ryan Piers Williams.
People‘s 100 Most Beautiful People 2008 issue will be on newsstands starting Friday, May 2nd…but here’s a sneak peek at who the mag thinks got the pretty genes. Making this year’s list are (among others):
*Salma Hayek *Mary J. Blige *Rumer Willis (huh?) *Sarah Silverman (pretty? yes. most beautiful? idk.) *Christina Applegate *Eva Longoria & Tony Parker (b/c it’s impossible to separate them.) *Isla Fisher *Amanda Beard (uh, no.) *Cast of Gossip Girl *Julianne Moore *Jason Taylor *Vanessa Hudgens *Taylor Swift *Zoe Saldana (I’ve loved her ever since Center Stage.) *Jessica Alba & Cash Warren (surely, their baby will be beautiful.) *Carrie Underwood
At the head of the pack is Kate Hudson , who graces the issue’s cover. Her best time for looking good, she tells the magazine, comes “at the end of the night, when everything’s soaked in and I’m still up. I like the leftover makeup in the morning. You’ve got to wash your face but there’s always the leftover eye makeup, I love that.”
Every morning, while I get ready for work, I tune to the Weather Channel – to figure out what I’m going to wear, and how I’m going to wear my hair (no need fussing with it if rain or humidity is going to render it limp or frizzy). Then I flip to VH1 for some background noise. Recently, without fail, just as I’m about to head out the door, Leona Lewis appears on my screen to serenade me with her hit, “Bleeding Love.” The last few days, I have switched from being mesmerized by her voice to being totally obsessed with her makeup.
I’ve performed one exhaustive search after another trying to find out which products she used for the video, but turned up empty-handed. I did manage to track down her makeup artist’s website.
Jane Bradley has more than 15 years of experience under her makeup tool-belt, and her work with Leona Lewis has put her career on the fast track.
Her website’s blog doesn’t divulge the products used in the “Bleeding Love” video, but it does offer some of Jane’s techniques and favorite products.
For Leona’s February 2008 Harper’s Bazaar shoot, Jane used shades of black and brown on the eyes and kept everything else skin toned – even the lips. This look worked well with all the rather theatrical clothes that Alison Edmond (fashion director Harper’s Bazaar) had chosen. This look draws all the attention to the eyes which looks very seductive. Jane opted for a nude shade lipstick instead of a gloss to make it look more editorial and recommends shades by MAC in High Tea and Nars lip shades in Belle du Jour and Dolce Vita. If your natural lip colour is quite strong try rubbing in a little foundation or concealer before the lipstick. Jane also discovered a great lip pencil recently by ModelCo in Erase which may also help neutralise very pink lips.
In complete contrast, the shoot for You Magazine was another story altogether. This time the clothes were very feminine and girly with lots of long hippy inspired prints and flowing fabrics (summer’s going to be divine!) Jane and Leona decided to go for simple yet dramatic flirty eyes; no clever shading or strong eye shadow here, just lots of individual false lashes applied both to the top and bottom eyelids to give the freshest dreamiest eyes ever. Leona’s favourite colour, pink, was used to gently add colour to the cheeks using Daniel Sandler’s Watercolour blush in Icing. Lips were enhanced using lip balm and a slick of Bobbi Brown lipstick in Pale Pink.
Jane also has an instructional DVD called Lips to Lashes, in which she shows how to apply make-up correctly, dispels myths and reveals tricks she uses on celebrities and models. To check out a clip, click here.
Her interview with the mag runs the gamut. Lighthearted topics include the decision to cut her hair and singing in front of Jay Z for the first time. The interview turns more serious, when she opens up about her once-strained relationship with an alcoholic father.
