Go Natural This Spring With Earthy Tones And Materials

We adore Ralph Lauren style. And the master has out-done himself, once again, for his Spring 2011 collection.
If you don't like the loud vibrancy of color-block shades, then get back down to earthy sophistication.

Think 'Natural.'. And look for materials like leather, suede, raffia, canvas, and wood. This time, Ralph Lauren has brought back the Western wear he does so beautifully, with accents on bold belt buckles, wide braided leather belts, fringe, ruffles, and wooden bangle bracelets. And he's softened the look with lots of lace and creamy blouses with puffed sleeves

The Lauren color palette centers on earthy tones like tan, brown, camel, ivory, and white. A few lovely paisley designs added, but mainly a no-prints collection.

Very sophisticated. We also saw these knock-out platform sandals by Stuart Weitzman..."Bradford" braided lanyard heels ($375, at Bloomingdale's. Gorgeous woven leather and a 4 1/4" covered heel with a 1" covered platform. Very sexy and sophisticated for Spring 2011.

You can buy cheaper, if Ralph Lauren and Stuart Weitzman aren't in your spring fashion budget. Just keep an eye on those natural, earthy tones and materials, and you can imitate this elegant Western wear in a good way.

Amazing Amazonian 12 Hour Clay Blush By Tarte: For Dry And Oily Skin

Blush in powder form that's perfect for both dry and oily skin? That lasts 12-hours?!

Then, "Give us the glow!"

Tarte cosmetics is always on the forefront for blush technology. And this time, we are loving their newest spring Amazonian clay collection, now available at Sephora ($25). This is a solar-baked blush. And it really does come straight from the banks of the Amazon River.

The powder formula is a true skin-balancing clay. Put it on, and you get a flawless, smooth warmth across your cheeks. And the Tarte Amazonian 12-Hour Clay Blush comes in some very pretty, candy-colored, highly pigmented shades: (Take a look here).
Amused (bright pink)
Blissful (warm peach)
Blushing Bride (plumy rose)
Dollface (light pink)
Exposed (nude)
Flush (deep berry)
Natural Beauty (muted strawberry red)
Tipsy (coral)

Blush should ALWAYS be a part of your makeup routine. We NEVER used to wear it. Sure, we put on foundation, concealer, eyeliner, mascara, eyeshadow, lipstick, the works. And yet, we didn't think we needed blush. That's until we interviewed Sandy Linter, one of the greatest all-time professional makeup artists around.

What Sandy tells celebrities and non-celebrities, is this:
If you don't like wearing too much makeup, at least put on some blush. Blush warms up the face, and enhances skin and bone structure. Many women enjoy putting on makeup, but figure that foundation or base is enough, but it isn't.

"I hate that poured on look," Sandy says. "Just base and no blush. Or just base and powder. It's kind of strange-looking. I think women do it to look tanner. Or darker. But it's too flat. You need highlighting on the cheek. A touch of blush is necessary. Without it, it kind of looks dirty, flat, and matte."

Now we wear blush every day, and it really makes sense.

Rembrandt Teeth Experts Introduce New 'D' Whitening Paste

Have you tried the Deeply White collection?!

And we're not talking fashion this time. Instead, we're curious about the Rembrandt teeth whitening experts, and their Deeply White + Peroxide toothpaste.

We've been seeing the ads for D in all the major magazines. Now, we thought that this Rembrandt whitening paste had been out for a couple of years already. And we believe, the company is re-introducing the product.

Anyway, we like the Rembrandt teeth experts. The company has been at the forefront for years now, coming out with lots of pastes and mouthwashes that really brighten a smile, and zap away stains and yellowness ASAP!!

Rembrandt Deeply White + Peroxide claims to, not only whiten teeth deeper. but to help restore enamel at the same stroke of your toothbrush. Plus, there's a Deeply White + Peroxide mouthwash to use as a combo. Both cost about $7 each.

How it works:
"Our whitening toothpaste contains powerful ingredients that both whiten and protect your teeth. Sodium Fluoride is an anti-cavity agent that strengthens teeth by restoring tooth enamel. Our rapid-release peroxide starts working on contact to get deep stains inside teeth to visibly whiten."

We've been using Ultra brite's Advanced Whitening Toothpaste for a few years now, because the well-respected Consumer Reports stated that it was the BEST. Read on:

Consumer Reports tested 41 toothpastes, toothpastes that all boast about whitening your teeth. And they found that most brands do not live up to the hype or expensive price tags. But only one was really superior at stain removal. And this one wasn't too abrasive, meaning, the toothpaste would not harm teeth and gums. And that is---Ultra brite. And what a bargain at just $2.19 a tube, 6 oz. But it's not available on all store shelves. We find it at the Dollar Tree stores.

Ultra brite doesn't even contain peroxide, and yet is able to whiten teeth beautifully. The winning toothpaste is also good at fighting cavities and tartar.

Still, we are a white teeth maniac, so we are always searching for the uber tube of white. We will check out Rembrandt's D.

More details about thewhitening paste and a $3 off coupon here.

Just For Cool Curly-Hair Chicks: New Moroccanoil Mousse

When it comes to styling curly hair, there are some specifics that must be met:

1. Get rid of frizz, no matter what the weather may bring, while sealing in moisture.

2. Tame down curls with a product that gives great shape and memory to curly and tightly coiled hair.

3. Curls that spell, 'Shine, texture, and softness.'

And the makers of Moroccanoil have just come out with a new styling product that does all of the above, while keeping hair healthy with knock-out curly locks:

Moroccanoil Curl Defining Mousse ($22, 5.1 oz., at fine salons and spas, and at moroccanoil.

What we adore about this excellent curl defining mousse is its all-in-one bottle treatment. When trying to tackle curly and tightly coiled hair, lots of different products are generally used---one for the frizz, one for the conditioning, one for the volume/shape, one for the memory/hairspray, etc.

Moroccanoil Curl Defining Mousse is all you need in one bottle, to 'build' a beautiful frame of enviable curls. It's formulated with the special ingredient of argan oil. And it can be applied on both wet and dry hair.

Idol Stunner Pia Outshine's JLo And Her Garish Paint-By-Number Makeup

Not a single train wreck during American Idol's 'Motown Night' last evening, except maybe for JLo's makeup and skating girl outfit. Ouch!

Idol contestant Pia Toscano was at the top of her game with 'All In Love Is Fair.' Judge Steven Tyler remarked, "Right now, you're the closest star in this American Idol universe".

And we have to agree. Pia Toscano is the whole American Idol package. She is polished, and sorry, Jennifer Lopez, you could take a few beauty tips from the graceful singer.

Pia's sophisticated makeup and style outshone even the diva qualities of star Jennifer Lopez.

The 21-year-old Idol hopeful wore an elegant black gown with simple, big gold hoops and her long, raven hair into a high pony tail. Her makeup featured a smoky eye and soft lip. Watch Pia sing here on YouTube.

JLo, on the other hand, walked out clutching fellow Judge Steven Tyler's arm in a shiny pink top and pleated mini, which sadly resembled a skating outfit.

Her makeup was even worse. Too much pink blush along with bright green eye shadow. It was a garish paint-by-number job.

Jennifer Lopez at 41, should know better, and demand better. She is a gorgeous, sexy star. She was the cover girl of her makeup artist Scott Barnes' makeup book last year.

She has wonderful bone structure, which means, she can carry off a lot of super makeup and hair looks. But lately, something isn't right. And we would like to know:

Who is doing JLo's makeup and wardrobe picks for American Idol?!

We understand that she is currently a spokesperson for L'Oreal, and we love the company. But we believe that Jennifer Lopez should go back to the sophisticated diva we all know and love.

We are dying to see what the curvy Idol judge will be wearing on her beautiful face and body at the A.I. elimination show this evening.

Elizabeth Taylor: Example Of Golden Ratio Beauty Standard

Elizabeth Taylor, long considered one of the most beautiful faces in the world, has left us.

The Academy-award-winning actress, has died at age 79, from congestive heart failure in California.

This poignant statement came from her son, Michael, today:

"My mother was an extraordinary woman who lived life to the fullest, with great passion, humor and love," Michael Wilding said in a statement. "We know, quite simply, that the world is a better place for mom having lived in it. Her legacy will never fade, her spirit will always be with us, and her love will live forever in our hearts."

Many of us have always admired Elizabeth Taylor's classic beauty. But the legend, herself, was beautiful not just because of her oval face and gorgeous eyes, but for something in her DNA, known as the golden ratio.

Some experts believe beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but that beauty is based on key factors like the Phi ratio, or the golden ratio of 1.618:1, which ultimately equals balance and harmony. This golden ratio is found everywhere on the planet----in flowers, music, architecture, birds, etc.

And although, we as individuals, all have different races, nationalities, ages, sexes, and features, according to the MBA or Marquardt Beauty Analysis, a beautiful face, including Elizabeth Taylor's, will still conform to this one Phi ratio.

Dr. Stephen R. Marquardt, a maxillo-facial surgeon from California, has been studying human attractiveness for years. And he developed a beauty mask overlay. The mask, seen above in the photo, uses the pentagon and decagon as its foundation, which embody the Phi ratio in all its dimensions. In other words, beautiful faces will conform most to the measurements in the Marquardt mask.

It's a fascinating study. We can certainly see how the rare beauty of this screen legend would so easily conform to the beauty mask.

And that is why Elizabeth Taylor is an example of the golden ratio beauty standard.

John Frieda Debuts Own Color Foam At-Home Product With Katie Holmes As New Face

John Frieda has a super hair products company. And this evening, he is debuting a new, at-home foam hair color line.

Okay, so the master is a bit late for the at-home permanent color foam party, that's been going on since Samy introduced their own Fat Foam product in Walmart stores last October. And then Clairol went public with their Nice 'n Easy Color Blend Foam last February.

That's alright. John Frieda has actress Katie Holmes on board with his Precision Foam Colour. And the duo is about to make some major Beauty news tonight at NYC's Lavo nightclub, with the premier of a clever short film introducing his no-drip at-home foam hair color line. This is a red carpet event, and we're wondering if hubby Tom Cruise and daughter Suri will be there to cheer mama Katie on.

Remember when Keira Knightley made a great short film for Chanel's Coco Mademoiselle? Well, these days, it's not unusual for big beauty companies to go Hollywood to promote a brand new product.

Katie Holmes and her healthy hair look gorgeous in the short film for Precision Foam Colour. We would never have coupled Katie with John Frieda. We just didn't think she had the glam....but boy, were we wrong!

The short film is called, 'The Decision.' And the mini-movie tells the story of Joan Hudson (Katie Holmes), a high-profile actress who makes the choice to leave her colorist and color her own hair at-home.

Check out some wonderful clips from 'The Decision,' here.