Jennifer Hudson Continues Blunt Bangs Trend In Spring 2010

Is it just us? Or are blunt bangs suddenly a new celebrity chic hair trend for Spring 2010!!

We've been noticing a number of dark-haired beauties rockin' the bold look around Hollywood for the past few months. We thought the trend would die out in the new year, but now actress/singer Jennifer Hudson is continuing the look in Spring 2010. And we like these blunt bangs a lot on the superstar!

We talked about Jennifer Hudson last week, about her new job as the latest celebrity face for the Weight Watcher's diet plan. She was sporting these eyebrow-framing bangs. Very blunt, almost Cleopatra-esque. And Jennifer wasn't the only red carpet lady with the chic new style. Katy Perry is a bangs beauty from years ago. And a very pregnant Padma Lakshmi had gone the bangs route back in the fall/winter months. We've also seen model Naomi Campbell and singer Beyonce in on the hot hair trend with some fierce blunt bangs.

A smart beauty move for Jennifer Hudson, and all these lovely ladies. Bangs do this for your face at any age:

1. Emphasize eyes.

2. Hide forehead wrinkles and/or a too high forehead.

3. Put the spotlight on cheekbones.

4. Hide skimpy eyelashes and give the illusion of thicker lashes.

5. Bangs give a youthfulness to the face.

6. Bangs can also make a face look rounder, longer, thinner, wider, depending on the angle of their cut.

Smoky eyes look especially pretty with eye-framing fringe. So don't be afarid to put the bulls-eye on your peepers with dark shadow and eyeliner.

Just remember: Blunt bangs are a commitment. And they require a bit of maintenance. And if you really hate the bangs you got, well, it can seem like forever to grow them out. So, you can always 'try on' some bangs with clip-ons, like the line Ken Paves sells with Jessica Simpson. Or, you can learn to trim your own bangs.

Check out this InStyle How-To Video on YouTube with great stylist Ted Gibson.

Roll On Aromatherapy Sticks Perfect For Pocketbook

Lavender. Spearmint. Peppermint. Citrus. Eucalyptus. Cedarwood.

You certainly recognize and adore these lovely scents. And now you can roll on a beautiful blend of aromas with BathByBettijo Organic Aromatherapy Sticks ($18.50 each) and get back therapeutic relief. No kidding. These perfect-for-pocketbook little sticks really work.

These are earth-friendly, so it's nice to go green, when you can. And the roll-ons are made with only Certified Organic Essential Oils. The organic scents come in 4 therapy serums.

So put down the aspirin, the coffee, and stronger stuff. You can get a caffeine-like kick from a few dabs here and there.

Er, where exactly do you roll on BathByBettiJo Organic Aromatherapy Sticks? This is how the catalog suggests:

SLEEP – Organic Lavender and Cedarwood Essential Oils quiet your mind so you can get the rest you need. Roll on temples and wrists at bedtime for sweet dreams.
ENERGY – Give yourself a caffeine-free kick. This stick gives you a natural boost using Organic Citrus Essential Oils. Roll on wrists and breathe deeply for a refreshing wakeup call at any hour.
PEACE – In need of a tranquil escape? Inhale this calming blend with Organic Bergamot, Eucalyptus and Spearmint Essentials Oils. Reminiscent of a trip to the spa, breathe deeply and exhale away stress.
RELIEF – An all-natural remedy for everyday tension and dull headaches with the analgesic benefits of Organic Peppermint Essential Oil.

These organic aromatherapy sticks sound terrific. And they're getting quite a buzz around town, so to speak. We really need the Energy stick and the Sleep stick. You can also buy them in a 4-set for $62.

Lauren Conrad Lets Hair Down By Admitting To Extensions

Love Lauren Conrad? Who doesn't.

She seems to have it all. She's a beautiful, kind, glamorous gal, a writer, a designer, a TV star, and a head full of extensions.

That's right. Those long, wavy blonde locks are fake. And, yeah, we certainly appreciate Lauren Conrad's honesty. At age 24, she's a breath of fresh air.

In the May issue of Glamour(out on newsstands tomorrow), Lauren Conrad lets her hair down. "These are all extensions." she explains, "I chopped all my hair off to my shoulders. I thought I was doing a chic bob. It was so bad."

So what, many of you might be saying. Lots of celebrities wear hair extensions.

True, but how many of them admit to having fake hair. Extensions have become so sophisticated and hair high-tech these days, that it's not always easy to tell who's got the faux strands and who does not.

Jessica Simpson has worn hair extensions quite frequently in her career, and has been unafraid to admit it. She's also lucky to have made some major profits by hooking up with her stylist Ken Paves, who sells a line of both human hair and synthetic hair extensions with Jessica's name.

If you crave having long sexy hair and aren't sure about the commitment of extensions, you can try clip-ons by Ken Paves. That way, you can instantly 'grow' a set of bangs or a pony tail wrap with a quick clip-on. If you tire of them, simply un-clip. A lot cheaper than salon hair extensions.

Lauren Conrad also admits to one other common beauty problem, in her interview with Glamour. "I’ve never felt a push to be stick thin,” Lauren says. "I work out and eat healthy, so mostly it’s about being in shape and having energy." The star suggests she's okay with her less than perfect body. "About a year ago, I looked down and thought, ‘I have cellulite. Where did that come from?’ I went through treatments; [my body] was like, It’s not going anywhere."

We love Lauren Conrad and her honesty. To read the full interview, pick up the May issue of Glamour April 6th.

New Upper Eyelid Lifter Cream Not Surgery But 'Pretty Darn Good'

Eyelid Lift in a box?

Well, sort of. A couple of months ago, we told you about Butt Lift in a Box. The clever marketing folks at Bremenn Research Labs are at it once again. And this time, they promise you 'an extraordinary eyelid cream that makes your eyes look bigger, brighter, and fresher.'

The product has been out in fine dept. stores like Sephora, Bloomingdale's, and Lord & Taylor, since January.

Bremenn Research Labs also claim this: "Not quite a surgical 'eye lift'...but pretty darn good."

Those are strong words, and at a price of $59 for a 0.5 oz. tube, we hope they mean what they say.

So, what's in the Upper Eyelid Lifter cream?! Well, for one healthy thing, no parabens. The special ingredients include peptides and amino acids that firm the skin right below the brow bone, and then give the whole eye area a nice lift.

We all know that the eye area ages very quickly, due to increased exposure to the sun. And the skin around the eyes is delicate and thin, and lacks moisture. So, 'fixing' this area, or repairing the eyelid part of the face is quite a challenge for most. Latest research shows that laser re-surfacing can do wonders for the upper and lower eyelids, producing even better results than eyelid surgery through cosmetic enhancement.

But a lot of women and men would prefer to tighten up and lift the eye area without undergoing expensive and serious surgery. So a cream that promises to at least 'support upper eyelid integrity,' is worth a shot.

Does Bremenn Research Labs' Upper Eyelid Lifter cream really work? We saw a recent customer review tally at Sephora, that gives the product an average rating of 2.6% out of 5%. You can check out the comments here.

Is this a serious boost for sagging eyelids? Maybe. At least we'd like to hope so.

We Love Berry Lip Color Berry Berry Much In Spring 2010

Berry. It seems like the shade is hot everywhere these days. From pretty dresses to stiletto heels, you need a little berry in your life. And when it comes to makeup, a little berry lip color never hurt anyone.

Berry looks beautiful on every skin tone, when it comes to cosmetics. Says who? Mimi Dorsey, an image consultant based out in Los Angeles.

Especially when you want to look amazing in photographs for the Easter holiday, dress up your lips in berry.

"A berry lip color with a hint of sheen flatters everyone," Mimi Dorsey explains to InStyle magazine. She says to nix the nude lipsticks, which can bring out the corpse in everyone once the flash hits. And too bright a lip can look garish. Berry is softer and adds just a punch of healthy color to your smile.

We suggest Dior Addict Ultra-Gloss Reflect in Taffeta Plum ($26.50, at fine dept. stores, and online at nordstrom.com.)

Makeup by Dior is in a class all its own. No wonder sexy celebrities like Faith Hill, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Sharon Stone, all j'adore dior!

What we adore about this Dior Addict Ultra-Gloss Reflect Lip Gloss in Taffeta Plum is its wonderful consistency, featuring an "innovative 'water-like' formula that goes on smooth and fast with a silky brush applicator."

It's creamy, moisturizing, and long-lasting. Or as one happy customer called this Dior lip gloss, Wow-tastic!!

We think you will like Taffeta Plum berry berry much.

Jennifer Hudson New Face For Weight Watchers In Latest TV Diet Battle

Jennifer Hudson now joins the ranks of Valerie Bertinelli, Queen Latifah, Kirstie Alley, Jillian Barberie Reynolds, and several famous others, as celebrities dropping lots of pounds in the latest TV diet battles.

The Academy award-winning actress showed off her svelte figure on Good Morning America today, and announced that she is the new face for Weight Watchers. The TV ads will start rolling out Sunday.

"It's a lifstyle change, not a diet," Jennifer Hudson declared. She told GMA that since she is a new mother to a 7-month-old baby boy, she would like to make healthier and better choices when it comes to eating and exercise.

No word on how many lbs. Jennifer Hudson has lost, because big diet companies don't always divulge that info, just like the time Queen Latifah was on the Jenny Craig diet. We know the Queen lost considerable weight, but wasn't concerned about promoting a tiny size. She was promoting a healthier look and still keeping her curves.

At Jennifer Hudson's website today, you can see how excited she is about the new physical changes in her life. She delivered this special message to her fans today:

"Apr
01
Hey! So I've got some news I've been so excited to share with you. I'm doing Weight Watchers, losing weight, and loving it. I’m learning stuff I thought I knew and I didn’t. The best part is, it’s working. Really working. The weight is coming off. The new jeans are slipping on. And And I feel so, so good.
Check me out on Good Morning America!
You can read my blog at weightwatchers.com/jenniferhudson and make the tips and strategies that are working for me, work for you too.
And oh yeah, I almost forgot, this is your personal invitation to view a live stream interview with me exclusively on the Weight Watchers Facebook page (www.facebook.com/weightwatchers) today, Thursday, April 1st at 3pm EST.
That’s it for now.
Gratitude as always for your love and support,

Jennifer Hudson"

We are very proud of Jennifer Hudson. She looks beautiful. And we can't wait to see her tackle the new movie role of South Africa's Winnie Mandela.

Intelligent Reasons Why You Should Visit A Dermatologist

A dermatologist would tell you to 'love the skin you're in.' Wonderful advice.

If you have a dermatologist and visit often, well, good for you. And if you don't have a derm, then it's time to find one, because great and healthy skin isn't always from the gene pool. In other words, we can all develop better skin. And today's dermatological advances are so precise and effective, that you'd be a fool not to take advantage.

The city of Los Angeles boasts some of the most advanced dermatological practices in the country, like Celibre, where 10 different, high tech lasers are available to deliver superb and individualized skin care results. Acne, tattoos, wrinkles, and many other skin challenges require special tools. And not every intense beam of laser light, fits all.

Here are three intelligent reasons why you should visit a dermatologist:

1. Healthy skin on the inside. Let's look at skin cancer. Many of you are at the beach during spring break. And we all know the risks. About 90% of all skin cancers are associated with exposure to UV radiation from the sun. And the facts are there: Melanoma is now the most common form of cancer in young adults 25-29 years old, and the second most common form of cancer in adolescents and young adults ages 15-29.

A dermatologist can treat you for sun-damaged skin. This professional is the best expert at diagnosing and treating major skin conditions. You should be checked once a year, just to make sure that odd, little spot you noticed on your leg, for instance, is nothing serious.

2. Healthy skin on the outside. We can all have more beautiful skin. Sometimes, it might take several visits, but the science has become incredible, and many women and men are choosing non-surgical procedures.

Did you know that Botox cosmetic remains the most popular cosmetic injectable, for 7 years in a row now?! It's a simple, quick, and almost painless cosmetic procedure that can hold back the forehead and eye wrinkles for about 3 months, giving you a more youthful and rested appearance. And the facts show about 11 million Botox procedures have been performed so far. Wow!

Just look at Hollywood alone, where beautiful people try to delay the signs of aging for as long as they can. Los Angeles Botox Injections are extremely popular because results are almost immediate. There is no down time and receiving Botox is very safe in the hands of a board certified dermatologist.

3. Better self-esteem. Many people prefer injectables or procedures like laser re-surfacing, because the results can rival those of plastic surgery and there is no knife involved. And there are times, you might be embarrassed about a skin blemish or skin condition, that only a dermatologist has knowledge of treating.

Maybe it's a bad tattoo. Or severe acne. There are lasers to remove it. Or what if you have hair popping up in places it shouldn't? There are experts at Los Angeles Hair Removal who can safely and quickly tackle the problem, again, with lasers. There shouldn't be shame and a low feeling of self, when such a wonderful solution is just a phone call away.

We all admire clear, healthy, beautiful skin. It might take several months and sometimes a few years to achieve it, but the science is available to all of us. Just slapping on some sun screen isn't good enough anymore. An individualized program is the way to go, and your dermatologist is your best skin protector.