Jennifer Connolly "Noah" Style: Effortless + Elegant Beauty

Not only is Jennifer Connolly a superb actress, but an unassuming, quiet star. And big star she is, with an Academy award and the new, much-talked about "Noah" movie.

Thank goodness there are a few, gorgeous celebrities who leave their egos at home.

Jennifer Connolly has been wowing us all with her beautiful gown choices at each "Noah" film premiere. From a black, sleek Lanvin to a floral, regal Givenchy, she looks incredible.....So effortless + elegant.

She seems to fly under the radar, but she should be noticed and applauded. We think the actress has been hitting all the right, beauty/fashion notes.

Look at the classic makeup---a cool, lined eye, natural, full brows, and a pretty pink-fuchsia lip. Nothing over-the-top. That's Jennifer's signature look---polished. By the way, we think Jennifer Connolly resembles a young Connie Sellecca.

So, what are Jennifer's beauty tips?

 She gave out a few, 5 months ago to Redbook magazine:

Skin care.  "I have one for day and one for night, and both are thorough. I use the Shiseido Future Solution LX line [Connelly is a face of the brand], the cleansing foam and the Concentrated Balancing Softener. I feel like it primes my skin to absorb the other products—a serum and the Total Protective Cream SPF 18. At night, I do the same steps but with a richer serum and cream."

Makeup night.

$22, Sephora

"If I have a few minutes, I put on Clé de Peau concealer stick, mascara, and, I know this is kind of '90s of me, but I use a lip pencil. Nars Marnie pencil is the shade I usually wear; it works with my coloring. I wear it all over my lips with Rosebud Salve on top. It doesn't feel like I have on lipstick, and I think it lasts longer."

Perfect Brows. "They're pretty much as they come, but I wrangle them slightly with tweezers."

Hair styling.  "I never really used styling products when my hair was long. Now, I really like Bumble and Bumble Bb. Texture Hair Undressing Creme. My hair is naturally wavy, and the cream gives it a nice texture."

$29, Sephora

Great tips, Jennifer!

Your Complexion Does Better With Vitamin C---And We're Not Talking Orange Juice!

Vitamin C.

If you do your beauty homework, then you will find that a topical Vitamin C serum is excellent for a beautiful complexion.

Orange juice is also good for your general health, but when it comes to skin care, you need something more powerful than a juice.

Although we have Retin-A + Alpha Hydroxy Acids in our own anti-aging arsenal, we have learned that adding Vitamin C completes the skin care circle.

So, we have been using a topical Vitamin C serum for about a month now. And we have concluded that Vitamin C makes for healthy, more radiant skin. Our choice:

Dr. Bailey's Professional Cell Repair Serum ($111, at Dr.BaileySkinCare.com).

We LOVE this stuff.

We have noticed in the past 30 days:

softer, smoother skin
a brighter complexion
and in our case, tiny broken capillaries under our right cheek appear to have faded a bit.

So, that's pretty encouraging to us.

Topical Vitamin C in the form of Ascorbic Acid has been shown in a number of studies, to brighten skin, decrease the depth of wrinkles, and stimulate collagen.

Vitamin C serum is a worthy beauty item to add to your anti-aging product arsenal, because it protects the skin from sun damage. 

Unfortunately, NOT all topical Vitamin C serums are alike. So, you must be keen on the C you are buying.

The serum can break down. So not only is the right formula needed, but the proper packaging, too.

Dr. Bailey's good name is on her skin care line, including her Vitamin C Anti-Aging Professional Treatment Serum. So she is very careful about the process of bottling:

Packaged into a sealed, opaque, airless pump so you use "active" vitamin C every time you apply my serum - I think this is the best vitamin C skin care product made!

There you have it. Learn more about this smart dermatologist, her Vitamin C serum and the skin care education she offers here at her website.

Sonia Kashuk Has The Perfect Nude Lip For Spring 2014

If you like nude lipstick but prefer one that has a little oomph to it, then SK can help you.

It's not easy pulling off a nude pout. In fact, sometimes it's simpler just to wear a clear gloss. Nude lipstick can make one look deathly if the shade is too pale.

That's why a pink-y beige lipstick can do wonders for your complexion. And pro makeup artist Sonia Kashuk has a very flattering nude for you, and under $10 bucks.

It's aptly called Sonia Kashuk Satin Luxe Lip Color in Pinky Beige ($9.99, at Target). Nice, creamy lipstick line. And very moisturizing. This Sonia Kashuk Pinky Beige lipstick has universal appeal and should look flattering on every woman.

Plus, her satin luxe lip colors have SPF 16 to protect lips from UV rays.

The lipstick by SK is also known as an anti-ager, and we could all benefit by that:

" The paraben and fragrance-free formula contains Brown Seaweed Extract, a marine botanical rich in fatty acids that preserves skins elasticity, Ceramide 2 and Palmitoyl Peptide to visibly reduce the appearance of wrinkles."

Want Sexier Shoes? Try Eye-Catching Ankle Armor

Ankle strap shoes are just plain sexy. Period, Maybe that's why reality star Kim Kardashian continues wearing this style pump + sandal over and over, again.

Why?

Because the ankle strap pump makes your legs look amazing!

Now, if you don't own a pair, you can make your own with a little imagination and some naughty ankle armor!
We saw this fashion idea in InStyle nagazine. Here's how they blinged it out:

These are actually gold-plated bracelets from Barneys.com. Not cheap at $125, each.

 But---there is other cute ankle armor out there for cheap.

We headed to Nasty Girl and found these glam Gold Metal Ankle Cuffs for $55. But they are SOLD OUT at the moment Too darn popular. Don't worry. Nasty Girl will re-stock.

When in need, head to Ebay, indeed! We found each ankle cuff for only $1.48. FREE shipping, if you don't mind waiting. These are coming from China. Click here.

The Celebrity Vampy Lip Going Strong In 2014: Try This Lasting Trick!

You either adore this bold, vampy look....Or you despise it altogether. We don't like a strong, dark, bad-ass lip on us, but we have to agree, these celebs are wearing it welll!
Here's a clever beauty trick that should ease your fear of slicking on a very intense lip color  like deep, dark burgundy.

You've seen this trendy makeup look on Khloe Kardashian, Sandra, Bullock Selena Gomez, Kerry Washington, and many others. It's rather glam + high fashion when done right.

Here's what one pro makeup artist told us to try:

Wear a vampy lip and bring along blotting papers.

Yes, that's right. If you dab an oil-absorbing sheet over a deep, bold lipstick, it will deliver a pretty matte stain. It won't be so over-the-top + lipstick will stay on longer !

Try Clean & Clear Oil Absorbing Sheets (cheap at $4.67).

Loving Nicole Kidman's Shoulder Length Wavy Do: Takes Hair Vitamins

At age 46, there's no doubt that Nicole Kidman looks good....very good.

No, we don't think she resembles Grace Kelly, but she will show her great acting skills in the new movie, "Grace of Monaco." The film will open the Cannes Film Festival on May 14th. So, that will be one heck of a world premiere in the south of France!

We recently saw the Academy award-winning actress on Jimmy Kimmel.

And we fell in love with Nicole's new shorter wavy do. The actress tells the March 2014 issue of InStyle magazine, of which she graces the cover, that she takes hair vitamins:

I always..."Take hair, skin and nail Ultiboost vitamins from a company called Swisse, which I am the global ambassador for. I down them religiously, and they've made my hair thicker. After I had my baby, my hair got so thin. I used to have really thick hair; now it has come back."

Nicole also talked about her crowning glory:

I never..."Well, I almost never straighten it anymore. I let it go curly and wild. It's taken me 40-something years, but I embrace the curl. My littlest daughter has the same hair. She likes it when my hair is curly, so I wear it for her."

How sweet.
We found Nicole Kidman's hair vitamins at Walgreens for $18.99.

Will you try hair vitamins? We just might, after seeing how healthy Nicole's hair looks!

Plastic Surgeons Claim Patients Seeking Prettier Features Because Of Selfie Obsession

Have you ever taken a selfie?

We bet you have. Even our dorky self has snapped several photos looking for the BEST selfie to display. And the numbers show that nearly half (50%) of all U.S. adults have taken a selfie.

Plastic surgeons have been claiming recently, that photo-sharing has been boosting their business, because some individuals are not pleased looking at their selfies, which they often share on social media such as Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram, and so forth.

Younger people certainly snap more selfies, and some of them are very critical about how they appear in photos, and yes, seek out plastic surgeons to get a smaller nose, higher brows, etc.

 It sounds crazy, but it isn't.

"Good Morning America's" Robin Roberts spoke about the topic today and admitted not always being too happy about her own selfies. Robin said that didn't mean she would resort to cosmetic enhancement, but that scrutinizing her own features was a very real reaction.

We agree with Robin Roberts. Photo-taking technology seems these days to be so crisp + microscopically accurate, that EVERY facial nook + cranny is exposed.

We are a lousy photographer, and yet, we are quite artistic, so trying to capture a decent selfie can be frustrating. But here is ours a few minutes ago. This was after 4 takes. The lighting is a bit bright, but this was the best selfie we could do.

Kim Kardashian is the QUEEN of the selfie hands down. This star NEVER seems to take a bad one, but the question might be: How many selfies did Kim take for this one photo, for example.

She also appears to have professionally applied makeup in many of her selfies.

 Plus, the famous reality star has been accused of photo-shopping her indoor body selfies.

 We're not sure about that. But Kim K seems to document her life in a series of daily selfies.

 Here are Kim Kardashian's Rules for Taking the Perfect Selfies:

  "You always need [your phone] to be a little bit higher than lower ... and know your angle," Kim explains in the video. "Know the lighting," friend Brittny adds. "And know duck face," Kardashian insists, "I love that because it gives you cheekbones."

 Check out Kim here on YouTube.

 So, are we all a bunch of narcissists?! Ah, yes....and no.

People just want to look their best. And selfies help shape one's identity, according to a few experts.