Nicki Minaj, OPI, and Contouring

Now you know I love some contour which I rock it out on my clients for a more defined look, but this recent pic of Nicki Minaj is a pretty extreme example of contour gone wrong. It’s not just the white stripe down her nose, it’s the overall mis-match of foundation all over her face that do not blend or do what (I think) her artist intended.

Makeup aside, Minaj is collaborating with OPI on a limited edition collection featuring 6 bold shades available in January. Which you can read more about HERE.


Credit: Jordan Strauss/WireImage via usmagazine.com

Kim Kardashian Loves Sally Hansen Airbrush Legs

I saw this photo recently of Kim Kardashian on USMagazine.com showing how well Sally Hansen’s Airbrush Legs works to cover her red patches caused by psoriasis. 3 years ago I blogged about this coverage in a can, and it has been in my kit ever since. For the body, it’s a step above using a regular bronzing lotion because it’s water resistant and super opaque so it disguises veins, razor burn and uneven skin without transferring onto clothing – even when you sweat.


Credit: Jeffrey Ufberg/WireImage.com; kimkardashian.celebuzz.com via USMagazine.com

Mariah Carey on HSN (video)

I’ve watched this 4 minute video of Mariah Carey’s recent appearance on HSN (edited by Gawker.com) about 5 times now and it seems to get funnier every time. Included are her rants about how hard pregnancy was (‘literally I was 47 weeks pregnant’), scolding the camera operators, and figuring out what exactly she’s there to do (‘how much are you guys selling these earrings for?’)

It will remind you why when a friend is acting like a diva, you call her Mariah daaahling.

Pixi Succulent Lip Twin

I love innovative products like Lip twin. Pixi’s wonder-duo wins my approval for a few reasons; first it’s a two in one concept that actually works for both. PIxi skipped trying to market a cream that works for both lips and cheeks (since most rarely do) and put a cheek specific formula on the top (the ball shape) separate from the big tube of lip color. Second, cheek color fades throughout the day so a quick cheek touch up is a brilliant thing to make so easy.

Here’s the packaging

And the tube, about the same size as a traditional gloss tube

Taken apart, the cheek color twists off to allow application of the lip gel. They can be used separately while the other is fully covered.

Check out Pixi HERE and at Target stores

Oprah’s Farewell Celebration Commemorative Bookazine

Out on newsstands today (June 28) in place of Oprah’s regular magazine is a commemorative bookazine, 148 pages covering the past 25 years of her most memorable moments.

Issue highlights include:

- Oprah’s selection of her 25 most unforgettable show moments, from give-aways and adventures to stories of courage and generosity.

- Interviews with Oprah’s Ultimate Viewers who were inspired to change their lives, and the lives of others, for the better.

- The founding team of “The Oprah Winfrey Show” reveals never-before-heard stories on the show’s launch and their most treasured moments with Oprah.

- A peek into Oprah’s private diary, with an entry written exactly eight hours before the show’s live national debut on September 8, 1986.

- Oprah’s reflections on a quarter-century of hair and fashion hits and misses, with details on her prep process from the dressing room to the stage.

- Oprah’s Farewell Message to viewers.

Are Fillers the New Botox?

First there was Botox, a trend that caught fire so quickly that it trickled all the way down to a process as simple as a home house party (not at all recommended btw). Now it’s fillers. First used for the lips, doctors are now injecting Restylane and Juvederm into the cheeks, under the eyes, and just about any place they see women losing volume in their faces. It’s true, a plumper face is considered more youthful, but a too-plump face, thanks to overzealous injectors, can look downright deformed. Looks like that ‘overfilled’ look has replaced Botox’s ‘frozen’ face defining the new ‘overdone.’

I saw Brooke Burke on The Doctors recently and I was shocked at how much her appearance has changed.

From this:

To this:

Pretty dramatic difference right? Her eyes look pulled back and the tip of her nose looks different too, but it’s the puffy, swolen look that makes me think fillers played some role in the transformation.*

And how about Vicki Gunvalson? If you caught the reunion show for The Real Housewives of Orange County, you probably noticed something very different about Vicki’s face. It went;

From this:

To this:

She doesn’t look face-lifted to me, just really puffy and swollen. She could’ve had filler injected to make her cheek area more pronounced and to fill in those smile lines around her mouth.*

How about Suzanne Somers? A face doesn’t become more plump over time naturally, it does the opposite.*

As with any treatment, it’s all about the injector. I’ve had some really great Botox results along with some really crappy ones. Fillers can be an easy way to take years off the face, but you can’t search celebrity examples of that because you can’t spot good work. Demi More is a good example of this, you know she looks better than ever but can’t pin down exactly what she has done. I know several people who have had great filler work done. Find a physician (not a nurse or someone at a spa) on Restylane or Juvederm’s website and request a small amount for your first visit, after about a week or two you’ll see the results and you can always add more. Start slowly, fillers last about a year and once they’re in there’s no turning back.

* These are just my observations from comparing photos, I’m in no way saying that any one of these women had cosmetic surgery.