Taylor Swift Spot On With Polka Dots Retro Trend

Maybe it's the hunky new Kennedy boyfriend. Whatever or whomever is making country star Taylor Swift see spots, it's a good thing for fashion.

You either ADORE polka dots or hate them, but frankly, the dots have been HOT all summer and will make their way into the autumn style line-up.

Polka dots are retro and classic, but the playful dots are also modern, sophisticated and feminine. And with a set of bold, red lips, quite glam, as 22-year-old Taylor shows us all.

You don't have to spend a big amount on a polka dot article of clothing, either. We found a cute Polka Dot Blazer at Forever21($24.80). In easy-care poly.

Or how about the Polka Dot Tie Neck Dress at Forever21 for just $17.80. This is VERY Taylor Swift!

And there's more....the Polka Dot Cut-Out Back Top at Forever21. On sale for $11.69. Adorable sleeveless tank with peek-a-boo back in green and white.

Polka dots are being 'spotted' everywhere, and not just around the rich and famous. Catch this trend while it's still HOT!

Red lipstick optional, but it appears to be working nicely for Taylor Swift!

Elisabeth Moss Goes 'Mad' For New Cropped Blonde Do

We do love her black, sexy Dolce & Gabbana dress.

The hair....well, give us a little more time.

'Mad Men' actress Elisabeth Moss has undergone a major beauty makeover. The cute star has traded in her dark auburn brown locks for a sassy, very blonde cropped cut. She showed off the new look last evening at the New York City premiere of 'For A Good Time, Call…'.

Professional stylists say that as long as light hair matches skin tone beautifully, then it's all good. But we're not sure this flaxen do is doing just that. Maybe it's the lighting, but the petite star appears somewhat washed-out by the bold, ultra-blonde shade.

The maintenance won't be that bad, because Elisabeth chose a very short haircut, so peroxide damage and dried-out tresses won't be a big problem for 'Peg Olson' of the popular television drama.

So, is this unflattering on Elisabeth, or quite chic?

Fakin' It.....A Flawless Complexion, That Is....

We all desire perfect skin.

And although most of us suffer from at least one, minor imperfection, we can still achieve the look of a flawless complexion.

Here's our list of irregularities

1. Large pores.
2. A few broken capillaries by the cheeks.
3. Dark, undereye circles.

We think we will stop there..ha ha.

So, how do we fix the bad skin stuff?

By FAKIN' It!

That's where primers and the trendy new BB creams come in. Think of both as a sort of beauty spackle---each designed to smooth away imperfections and give the skin an even glow and balance.

The beauty of a primer is its perfection at filling in fine lines and pores for a flawless finish BEFORE foundation application. Some women like to wear primer alone, and skip the foundation. But most primer fans love to create as smooth a complexion as they can, so that the next layer, that of foundation, glides over easily.

Try NYC Smooth Skin Perfecting Primer ($3.99, 1 oz., at drugstores).

BB cream stands for beauty balm or blemish balm. And it's big across Asia, and has been for a number of years now. Korean women, especially, will not leave home without their BB cream.

BB cream has now made its way into our American beauty market. Think of it as a tinted moisturizer with better coverage, an spf, a skin tone balancer, and a dewy glow.

Even drugstore brand Garnier quickly developed a BB cream called, Miracle Skin Perfector.

If your looking for a flawless complexion, try either a primer or BB cream, and you will be amazed at the radiance your face takes on.

Why Didn't This Beauty Product Work For Me??!!

We've tackled this topic before, and once again, the question has re-surfaced:

Why didn't this beauty product work for me?!

Take a look at the bottle of Clean & Clear Morning Burst Skin Brightening Facial Scrub That's a mouthful. We found some at Walmart for $4.47. An inexpensive price for a sizable 5 oz.. And as you know with a facial scrub, you don't need a huge amount to cleanse, so it's very economical.

On the surface, this scrub looks great, advertised to wash away, grease, grime, makeup, etc. It's made with caffeine, papaya, and lemon in a microbead formula, designed with strong scrubbing and exfoliating power. And it won't clog pores. Plus---tons of customer reviews rate the facial scrubber pretty highly.

Oh, really?

Then why do we have 3 nasty pimples forming along our chin this morning, after using the Clean & Clear Morning Burst Skin Brightening Facial Scrub for just 2 days??

Just a coincidence?

We think not. We rarely get break-outs these days. Rarely, let us repeat. We are fuming.

We found the product be glue-y in texture. The microbeads don't seem to have any scrubbing strength, and the formula does NOT wash away easily. Nor does the facial scrub keep our complexion grease-free.

So, how did we go wrong?

Sometimes, beauty products don't do what they are supposed to do for 100% of the users who use them. Period.

We have found that beauty science has come a long way, but not every formula will work for you, me, or them.

Simply, cut your losses. Toss the product out, or try to get your money refunded. And move on----There are tons of beauty products that WILL work and make you look amazing.

We have super oily skin, and maybe that's the reason the scrub didn't appear to live up to the hype. We need something a bit stronger.

As for the 3 nasty pimples, we'll survive. We're still looking for a superior facial scrub.

Ponytails High And Mighty With One Little Extra Wrap

It's not a look everyone can pull off, but if you're used to wearing a high, stick-straight ponytail, then keep it going through Fall and Winter 2012. That's the HOT trend that Jason Wu was showing off at his stunning collection.

But there's one more step to this high and mighty do---a little extra wrap for your elastic.

Stylist Odile Gilbert was busy backstage amping up the swinging ponytail. It gives more power to the classic, cheerleader do with a bit of a bad-girl edge. Her ponytails were mounted high on the models' heads with strips of latex that looked like black masking tape.

In fact, Odile tells InStyle magazine(Sept. issue) that you can use this:

"Electric tape from the hardware store works too," she says. It gives structure and sex appeal."

We prefer some 3MM leather cord ($3 per yard), instead. We found this at mjtrim.com.

"She is very strong, and she’s ready to fight," Odile Gilbert said of the Wu woman next fall.

We are all for that.

Looking For A Really Good Lipstick? Think Kat Von D

Good pigment. Long-lasting formula.

That's what a really good lipstick should be about. Hmmmm. Now, where could we possibly find all that?

Kat Von D.

Yes, Kat Von D.

The tattooed-beauty and artist has a great lipstick collection that some of you might have missed. It's called Painted Love Lipstick ($19, at fine beauty stores like Sephora).

Painted Love is a rich, full-color lipstick. It doesn't rub off easily. And it comes in 16 luscious shades. The one in the photo here is Lovecraft, a gorgeous berry beige.

In fact, Lovecraft is favored by lots of makeup artists. It's a great neutral hue that is great to wear when you don't want a bold sassy lip. It doesn't dry out your lips, either.

Read the comments at the Sephora website. Painted Love Lipstick gets 4 1/2 stars out of 5 stars.

Olympic Gold Medalist Turns To Gibson Hair Guru: Good For You, Gabby!

Gabby Douglas has never looked better! The adorable 16-year-old Olympic gymnast did the smart thing and turned to celebrity stylist Ted Gibson for a new look.

The pint-sized medalist took a lot of ugly criticism for her slicked-back bun-style hair while she performed at the London Olympic games. There she was winning GOLD, and immediately, nasty remarks popped up on social media pages scolding her for her 'unkempt hairstyle.'

Could you imagine?

Well, the pretty celebrity is getting the last laugh. And famous, A-lister stylist Ted Gibson has taken her under his wing. He is now tending to young Gabby's hair. In an interview with the Daily Beast, the NYC-based hair pro said this:

"I couldn’t believe it and still can’t. You have this young girl doing amazing things, and the conversation becomes about her hair? It was ridiculous and shameful. I believe all that talk had to take a toll on her...you’ve worked so hard for something and then people tear you apart for little or nothing."

He went on to say, "It's tricky because Gabby is 16 and I don't want to do anything to make her look 25-years-old."

So far, so good.

We believe Gabby Douglas has a big career ahead of her, and since she is making the TV-circuit rounds these days, it's wonderful to have one of the best hair stylists nearby taking care of your locks.