styleshock: emma watson at harry potter and the half-blood prince premiere, london

I'm not much of a Harry Potter fan, but like most fashion and beauty-philes, I've been taking note of Emma Watson's glam-stravaganza. She's been making the rounds this past week at various Potter events in all manner of designer duds, and it was at the premiere of The Half-Blood Prince in London where I think she looked her best. Subtle silver liner around her eyes made them shine, while her soft, neutral makeup picked up on the dove grey and antique rose tones of her goddess-y vintage Ossie Clark gown, which made her look absolutely angelic. And I'm really loving her laissez-faire updo, which channelled the deliberately messy hair trend we've been seeing on the runways. A simple, thin, ballerina-style headband, in an unexpected, vibrant red hue was an inspired accessory. But with its lacy resemblance to a certain ubiquitous, celeb-beloved bracelet, it made me wonder: Has Emma gone Kabbalah?

skin fix: shu uemura art of beauty cleansing oil

I've long heard about the cult-beloved beauty product Shu Uemura Cleansing Oil, that's said to have changed the lives of many a beauty editor, but hadn't had the chance to try it until recently. But I'm no stranger to the concept: I've tried and loved cleansing oils by Dermalogica and Origins and figured Shu's would be much like the others. But I stand corrected, because Shu Uemura's Cleansing Oil was not only probably the first-ever launched, it is by far the best cleansing oil I've tried. First a bit of background: did you know this stuff has been around since 1967? It's crazy when you think about it, because it seems cleansing oils have only recently become popular. Shu Uemura developed his famous cleansing oil while he was working as a makeup artist in Hollywood to remove actresses' heavy stage makeup and moisturize their skin at the same time. Shu Uemura Cleansing Oil, which comes in six different varieties depending on your skin type, blends avocado and jojoba oils to cleanse skin without disrupting its natural balance and protect it against environmental invaders. The premise is that oil attracts oil, so if you're afraid of dousing yourself in grease, worry not, because when mixed with water, this cleanser removes all traces of makeup, dirt, oil and sweat in one fell swoop (or several). Afterwards, skin - even oily skin like mine - feels clean yet hydrated. I tried the Premium A/O (that's Art of Beauty for short) and fell in love with the scent: a fresh, botanical-esque aroma that instantly puts me in a good mood (it also helps that it happens to be a brilliant green color). And right now, the cleansing oils are available for a limited time in bottles adorned with artwork by manga artist Moyoco artist, so they'll look even more beautiful set atop your beauty shelf.

face of the day: valentino couture fall 2009

It seems makeup is no longer enough when it comes to couture: At the Valentino couture show in Paris yesterday, models' eyes were adorned with these stunningly beautiful, lacy, black gothic masks. Some, like this one, ominously covered only one eye, while others were full-on masquerade-style masks a la Eyes Wide Shut. Like jewels for the face (a trend which we saw interpreted literally at the Givenchy show, where golden beads were intricately applied to models' faces) these eye-masks were a new take on 1940s-style headpieces with lacy veils draped over the face. Meanwhile, the face was kept bare and neutral to put the focus on the elegant accessories. Now, if only they were acceptable to wear in real-life. I could see someone like Lady Gaga rocking them, as they're reminiscent of her signature zipper eye patch.
Photo: style.com/Don Ashby & Olivier Claisse

luxe for less: sally hansen volumizing lip shield

Perhaps you've heard the one about lipglosses being the new sun worshippers? Experts say some shiny glosses have an uncanny ability to soak up the sun's rays, making them eerily similar to those aluminized-silver sun reflectors from the 1950s (with taglines like "harness the sun's power!" back in the day when we all thought it healthy to bake our skin in Johnson's Baby Oil).
But back to lips: Most lip products don't have sun protection, making our pout even more prone to sun damage and (yikes) skin cancer. So rather than go out in the sun sporting a dazzlingly glittery disco-ball-type gloss, I've made Sally Hansen's Volumizing Lip Shield with SPF 15 my new lip product staple for summer. It's a lipstick that goes on sheer and hydrates with soy extract, vitamins A, C & E and pomegranate. And, rather than pack this lippie with stinging ingredients that some lip plumpers have, the volumizing action in this Lip Shield is from optical diffusers (little orbs that pick up the light and make lips appear fuller), so there's no pain involved. My favorite shade is Fully Fabulous, a pretty whisper of iridescent (and dare I say it?) frosty pink, which looks great with a subtle bronzed glow. Plus, the Sally Hansen Volumizing Lip Shield is chicly packaged in a pretty gold-toned tube that just reads "high-end". So it turns out, the Sally Hansen ads were right to be asking, "Have you seen Sally lately?", because the brand's got a lot to boast about.

face of the day: chanel couture fall 2009

The look at the recent Chanel couture show, from a beauty standpoint, was all about the hair. Voluminous and bird's-nest-like in the front, the back showed an interplay of tattered and tangled black and white hair extensions, some of which, depending on your angle, looked a bit like tore-up, cast-off hair weaves or black velvet scrunchies.
And, coincidentally, scrunchies are back (or so says American Apparel). But I can't quite decide if this look is strangely beautiful or just plain strange. In the second photo (on the right), the hair is much more refined and does have a certain elegance and swish to it. But I'm still on the fence.

What say you?
Image: Style.com; Simone Manzo / Gorunway.com

guest post: beauty blogging junkie's amber sees the light with orlane

Amber Katz is a girl after my own heart. Not only is she a major fan of Lost and Mad Men, but she effortlessly manages to work in references to these and other pop cultural phenomena (along with, of course, luxe beauty products) into her amazing beauty-driven site Beauty Blogging Junkie on a daily basis. A copy editor for a financial services company by day, she spends the remainder of her waking hours almost entirely devoted to testing and writing about beauty products. Amber has a deft turn of phrase, and has even created her own beauty language (in true New Yorker fashion, her site boasts a glossary of abbreviated words). She's totes phenom, if you know what I mean. Read on to find out why...

On LOST, creepy, nefarious Ben talks about a metaphorical magical box, one from which anything you dream will emerge. Said Ben to John Locke, "Let me put it so you'll understand. Picture a box. You know something about boxes, don't you John? What if I told you that, somewhere on this island, there is a very large box and whatever you imagined, whatever you wanted to be in it when you opened that box, there it would be? What would you say about that, John?"
My own (um, vain) dreams are pretty much limited to perfect skin and for that reason, I'm here to tell YOU that the Orlane Absolute Radiance Lightbox ($200) is my LOST-inspired not-so-metaphorical magic box. Now, I wanted not to love it. It's $200 for SIX applications. It would be yet another expensive beauty habit in my lifestyle. But that's not the case, dolls. It's just not. Its steep price does push it into Luxe Capacitor territory. But it's so, so, worth it. The Orlane Absolute Radiance Lightbox contains Absolute Radiance Dazzling Eye Ritual, which consists of Eye Contour Serum & Under-Eye Patches; Shimmering Skin Masque + Cream and Absolute Radiance Evanescent Cream. There are six full applications within the Lightbox. I recommend taking everything out of the box, so you can see what you're dealing with. Then, set it up in order of use. The Eye Contour Serum & Under-Eye Patches are amazing. Somehow, seven minutes using these yields the same effect as ten hours of sleep and a lazy afternoon of watching hours of The Golden Girls. Next, mix the Shimmering Skin Masque + Cream and apply for about five minutes. It has a tingling effect, but not in a Samantha-post-chemical-peel-in-SATC way. More like a you-feel-it-seriously-working good way. You know? Then, you rinse it off, and remove the under-eye patches and apply the Absolute Radiance Evanescent Cream, which oxygenates and detoxifies. Post-application, I defy you to stop feeling up your face for five seconds.
The results are PHENOM. My skin looks younger than Abigail Breslin's, dark circles are diminished, and my overall complexion is simply brighter. This newfound luminescence lasted a full 24 hours, as well. I HIGHLY recommend it for weddings, mage interviews, and high school reunions. Basically, any time you want to show up with skin that looks younger than a fetus's. Mmkay?

face of the day: christian dior couture fall 2009

Yes, it's that time of year again, friends. Time for the couture collections, when designers, and in turn, makeup artists, pull out all the stops and bring the drama, unleashing their painted and primped models onto the runway to strut like proud peacocks. At Christian Dior, the makeup often steals the show, and this time out was no exception. While it was a little more toned-down than usual (given these times), there was no "natural look" to speak of here: this was makeup as makeup. Full-on, filled-in eyebrows and exaggerated black winged eyeliner channelled the 1950s spirit of the house's retro beginnings. And those lips. Fuchsia and slightly glossy, they were almost a perfect match to the magenta-coloured frocks.
Who says you can't match your makeup to your outfit? Not I. And not John Galliano.

Image: Style.com/ Simone Manzo / Gorunway.com

styleshock: marion cotillard at public enemies premiere, london

Marion Cotillard punked-up her look at the recent Public Enemies premiere in London. While she went subtle with her makeup, the ever-stylish French actress sported an amped-up pompadour with slicked-back sides that was straight out of the '80s. Channeling the "wet look" trend seen on recent runways, this is a look that requires (wait for it): hair gel. Yes, friends, there's no need to fear: when used sparingly and strategically, hair gel can deliver a big beauty pay-off for the right hairstyle, with maximum hold where you need it. You may remember that Megan Fox sported a similar look a while back at the MTV Movie Awards, which was entirely slicked-back in front and left long and loose in the back. I much prefer Marion's interpretation, with its height at the top (Megan's was a tad too "straight-out-of-the-shower" for me). Marion proves that, with a few tweaks here and there, you can wear a runway look in real-life.
This look may beget its naysayers, but I think Marion took a risk that pulled off. What say you?