Critics Pan Halle Berry's Bucking The Trend Emerald Engagement Ring

Fact #1. Halle Berry has recently gotten engaged to Olivier Martinez.

Fact #2. The ring is NOT your typical diamond stunner. Instead, it's an emerald AND diamond stunner nestled in a wide gold band.

So, we ask....What's wrong with Halle Berry's engagement ring??

We think it is gorgeous AND different. And yet the critics from far and wide, continue to knock the green gemstone as if it weren't a worthy choice.

Consider this---a high grade emerald in all its vivid green beauty can rival that of a sparkling diamond.

Jewelers say that if you find an emerald that is of top color and top clarity, don't be surprised to learn, that an emerald of that caliber is more expensive per carat than a diamond of the same carat weight.

We've since found out, that in many cultures it is the emerald hue that represents love, spring, rebirth and new beginnings. And don't forget that for 4,000 years and counting, the emerald was first adored by sultans, pharaohs, kings, queens and many rulers of the world.

Look what else we found about emeralds from GreenInGold.com:

"Larger emeralds are rarer than smaller ones and very difficult to find in mines. On average, they have to remove 5 tons of dirt to find an emerald over 1 carat in gem quality. That is why a 3 carat emerald will cost more than three emeralds of 1 carat each of the same quality.

"When you work with colored stones the really important part is the COLOR more than the size. Put two emeralds together, one in 1 carat and other in 2 carats. If the smaller one has better tone and saturation than the larger one, I can guarantee, your eyes will go directly to that one. Your attention and your admiration will be focused on the smaller one."

Congratulations, Halle Berry. We'd take an emerald engagement ring in a heartbeat!

Bethenny Frankel Skinnygirl New Face/Body Line: Good Or Go Away?

You've heard the saying, 'Strike while the iron is hot.'

Well, reality star Bethenny Frankel sure knows how to do that, and then some!

The TV star has expanded her Skinnygirl brand even more, by debuting a collection of natural, raw ingredients for the face and body. Oh yeah....Skinnygirl skin care.

But, we are starting to wonder.....Is the Bethenny Frankel image and skinnygirl trademark a bit too much? Has the savvy businesswoman and mom of one, gone into the over-exposure range?

Is one more Skinnygirl product good? Or is it time to 'go away?'

Some folks are sick and tired of seeing the Kardashian family peddling their clothing, jewelry, fragrances, books, skin care products, and so on, ad nauseum. The photogenic sisters appear on magazine cover after magazine cover. And yes, you could say that Kim, Kourtney, Khloe, and mom Kris have 'jumped the shark,' so to speak. But the K-sisters aren't backing down now, and they keeping going to the bank.

Let's be honest, the Skinnygirl name and concept is a brilliant one, conceived by the self-made Bethenny millionairess. And she has tons of adoring fans. So, if it's Skinnygirl faux ponytails or Skinnygirl shapewear they want, Bethenny Frankel will design and hawk it.

Her latest venture includes, the Skinnygirl Margarita Bath Kit, just $15 at your neighborhood Walmart. And it is a generous kit, including Skinnygirl shower gel, bath scrub, and body lotion, all in a wonderful sweet-smelling scent.

Now, we can all exfoliate together Skinnygirl-style, and later, put on our Skinnygirl intimates, read our Skinnygirl cookbook, and share a Skinnygirl cocktail or two.

Excuse our sarcasm. We're just having a little fun. Bethenny Frankel is a one-woman dynamo marketing machine. And she isn't about to retire the Skinnygirl brand anytime soon. We have to respect what Bethenny told Women's Wear Daily last summer:

"A $150 eye cream is ridiculous and absurd," she said. "[Promises like] 'you're going to look like Heidi Klum in two days' or 'like you had a face-lift' have always bothered me.

"I don't want people to think in three days they'll have no cellulite. That's not going to happen," she added.

The Skinnygirl Face & Body Solutions line is organized into 4 groups: lip treatments, face products, body potions and gift sets.

New Shampoo Uses Oil To Remove Oily Build-Up: Crazy?

There's a new shampoo in town that actually uses oil to remove oil.

We know, it sounds very 'loco' to us, but the folks at She Uemura surely know what they're doing in the beauty department. So, lets' take a closer look.

Shu Uemura Art of Hair Cleansing Oil Shampoo ($55, at SheUemuraArtofHair-Usa.com

The aim is to cleanse and purify the scalp. This high-tech shampoo is formulated with musk rose oil, camellia oil, argan oil, jasmine oil, and black cumin oil.

So, this begs the question:

Does oil remove oil???

Apparently so. We've written previously about facial oil cleansers. And those work effectively. And Shu Uemura has also had a facial oil wash for years now, a cult fave.

Thus, as bizarre as it may appear, Shu Uemura's Cleansing Oil Shampoo will get rid of the hair gunk---the nasty build-up of hair product on top of hair product. And it performs in an oil-to-foam manner.

Plus, it's gentle for all hair types.

Rachel Zoe raves about this oil shampoo in her Zoe Report. Read what she says about it here.

We know.....55 bucks for a bottle of shampoo?!

Think of it as a very smart beauty investment.

When Celebs Want Affordable Jewelry, They Shop Here

Even rich and famous celebrities like a good deal. And when it comes to great-looking, affordable jewelry, celebs won't pass it up.


We're talking about RichRocksNYC.com. Model Gisele Bundchen is rockin' a cool, gold bracelet. You can buy the same one for $40 here.

And look at the popular 'Boehmian Style Double Disc Earrings in gold-plated metal ($70). We want a pair of these. Maria Menounos and Lindsay Lohan are just 2 of the celebs who have been spied wearing these pretty 2" x 1" earrings around town.

What's the deal with RichRocks?

We love it because all the jewelry offered by the company is priced at $100 or less.

As Robin Rothfeld, founder of RichRocks believes, women don't have to spend huge amounts of money to look amazing. In the company's 'About Us page', Robin talks about blending RichRocks with fine jewelry:

"In this economy, jewelry doesn’t have to cost a lot to look great. Style is about mixing and matching, taking a risk and feeling confident, which is the vision behind RichRocks."

Nicole Richie Admits She Buys Maybelline Mascara But Can't Apply Makeup

We believe that Nicole Richie has one of the best pairs of celebrity eyes around.

In fact...her big eyes are magnificent!

So we were taken aback, when we read that she's all thumbs when it comes to applying her makeup. She relies on a professional artist to make her public appearances.

Look at what she recently told InStyle magazine:

"I actually don’t know how to put on makeup — at all," Nicole she confesses to InStyle.com. "I have to get it done every time I want to wear makeup. I do not know how to wear it at all. It’s so bad."

"I don’t even own it," she continues. "I only own under-eye concealer, Maybelline mascara, and an eyelash curler."

Okay, first, let's give props to the petite beauty who owns at least 3 beauty items. And the 3 are designed to boost the gorgeous doe eyes she already has.

We have reported before, about Nicole Richie's inability to put on her own makeup well, so we also admire her honesty. And once again, she has mentioned Maybelline mascara as her go-to brand.

This is what she said in an interview to a Japanese publication, ViVi, back in 2009>:


Q: What’s your favourite eye make-up brand? [ViVi model/Laura]

Nicole: For eyeliner, M.A.C’s liquid type, and Maybelline for mascara! The truth is, I’m not very good at make-up and have no idea what I should do with it! All I’m decent at is eyeliner. Whenever I use a professional make-up artist, I always have them stick false lashes on me, but I could never do it myself [laughs]! So I love mascara! Maybelline is great because it’s inexpensive and easy to use!.

Pretty revealing stuff. Nicole Richie is no different from many wealthy celebrities who hire makeup artists for all their public and red carpet events.

We just assumed, that if we had a professional makeup artist paying us a visit several times a month, that we would pick up a few easy tips to help us put our best face forward on our alone time.

Here's something Nicole Richie is really good at doing solo----"I can do my own hair," she explains.

Now, that's where we struggle daily.

DASH Named The Best In 2012...And We Ain't Talking Kardashians

DASH has been named The BEST, for the 2nd year in a row.

And no, we are NOT referring to the KARDASIANS this time around.

We're talking about The BEST diet plan by US News & World Report, which conducted the research for BEST overall diet around.

DASH stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension.

And it's a weight loss plan that should appeal to many people, because it features lean proteins, whole grains, fruits and vegetables. And it's physician-recommended and approved by these prominent organizations:

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (one of the National Institutes of Health, of the US Department of Health and Human Services)
The American Heart Association (AHA)
The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans
US guidelines for treatment of high blood pressure
The 2011 AHA Treatment Guidelines for Women
The Mayo Clinic

The DASH diet appears to be a very well-balanced plan that can be designed around the entire family. Just look at the DASH diet tips we found at their website:


1. Use grocery store salad bars for lots of cut up fresh vegetables.
2. Frozen vegetables make it easy to add 2 or more servings of veggies to your meal.
3. Double up on veggies. A serving is 1/2 cup, so a full cup makes 2 servings.
4. Berry-licious is having fresh berries on your cereal.
5. Nonfat fruit yogurt, artificially sweetened, makes a wonderful snack or quick breakfast.
6. All nuts are heart healthy. Making yours salt-free boosts their DASH benefits.
7. Some convenience foods make your DASH diet great. Look for bagged ready-to-eat cut up veggies, like baby carrots, broccoli sprigs, lettuce, cabbage slaw, broccoli slaw, cauliflower tops, etc.
8. Make your plate colorful. Add 1 - 2 cooked vegetables and a side salad with more than just greens.
9. Make your coffee a latte with 8 ounces of skim milk.
10. Smoothies made with skim milk, fresh fruit, and no added sugar make a fast way to maximize the DASH potential of your diet.

If you have a few pounds to drop and are looking for a solid diet that's big on results in a healthy way, then consider trying the DASH diet plan.

For more information, click DASH.

Do-It-Yourself Cosmetics: A New Way To Make Pretty In 2012

We had heard about this fascinating beauty website before, and then we saw more about DIYCosmetics.com on the Today Show this morning. So, we thought we would do a little research on "Do it yourself cosmetics, a green boutique."

If you know your skin tone, skin type and what colors and beauty products look best on you, then you would really appreciate a site like this one, that shows you how to actually MAKE your OWN cosmetics.

No fooling! You DON'T have to have a degree in beauty chemistry. DIYCosmetics provides all the raw materials, the pigments and fillers, the presses and molds, the pre-made bases, and a whole lot more, including thorough directions.

For instance, you can buy your own DMAE and Vitamin C Ascorbyl Palmitate....2 skin-care items that are featured in high-end products by Dr. Perricone's skin care line. And you can blend them into your personalized beauty serums.

There are also wonderful flavor oils that you can add to your do-it-yourself lipsticks and lip balms.....like Bavarian Creme and Black Raspberry.

And if you're hunting down Vegan products, they've got them, too. Plus, the DIY company also offers cute little powder pots with puffs, pretty compacts, syringes, lipstick/gloss barrels, etc., to put your custom-made makeup inside.

You must check out DIYCosmetics. There's nothing else like it!