Colorful Smoky Eye? Then Tone Down Lips With Nude Says Pat McGrath

If you know makeup and fashion, then you've obviously heard of the legend, Pat McGrath.

And although this amazing artist doesn't wear much makeup herself, she sure knows how to spot trends, create them, and of course, make up some of the most famous faces around.....Madonna, Oprah, Naomi Campbell etc., etc.

And the top design houses like Dolce & Gabbana,  Prada, Christian Dior, Louis Vuitton and Gucci—all count on her for runway shows and campaigns, according to the WSJ online.

Pat is also CoverGirl's Global Creative Design Director.

Pat's incredible cosmetic work is featured in the December issue of Cosmopolitan magazine.
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In the beauty lay-outs, Pat plays around with the colorful smoky eye, in rich, bold hues like green, cobalt + red shadows.

As far as the lips go...it's NUDE, all the way:

"I like to balance a colorful smoky eye with creamy nude lips," Pat explains. And she used this one on the 3 models:

CoverGirl Colorlicious Lipstick in Caramel Kiss ($6.99, CoverGirl.com).

Maybe it's Pat McGrath's makeup magic, but this NUDE looks gorgeous!

Definitely, one of the better nude lip shades out there.

Great beauty tip, Pat!

Loving Chrissy Teigen's Blonder, Layered Hair

Some women look sexy either blonde or brunette. And that is NOT easy to pull off.

Julia Roberts does the beauty transformation brilliantly....And now model Chrissy Teigen shows us all, that brunette-to-blonde is simple + glam!

Plus, the Sports Illustrated cover girl stunner also got a cute, shorter layered hairstyle.

LOVIN' it!

It started out a bit more ombre with darker roots at her crown, but presently, we think she's gone even lighter.

Here's the happy wife of singer John Legend in the summer of 2013 with her signature darker brunette, longer locks.

Chrissy is lovely either way, but we prefer her blonde, even though that is NOT her natural base.

Celeb colorist Rita Hazen gave Chrissy the new, honey blonde ombre look in late November, and then we think Chrissy amped it up a bit more in blondness.

Ombre is STILL beauty-worthy.

If you want to try ombre highlights in a very subtle way to start, then pick up this by L'Oreal Paris Superior Preference Ombre Touch ($11.99, at Target).

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Facial Fillers Fab + Expensive: How Many Syringes To Greatness?

Could Facial fillers be the secret to the high, full, razor-sharp cheekbones we all notice on glamorous celebrities like Kim Kardashian, Jennifer Lopez, Christie Brinkley, Jada Pinkett Smith, Halle Berry, Mariah Carey, Sofia Vergara?

Kim Kardashian, Dec. 2014

Kim Kardashian, 2006

We certainly CANNOT prove that any of these high-profile celebrities receive cosmetic enhancements like fillers to add beautiful volume + contours to their facial features. But if you ask us.....YES...of course--- they are probably frequent clients.

Jada Pinkett Smith, before + after

So, let's look at the hyaluronic fillers---Voluma, Juvederm, Restylane, Perlane, to name a few.

These injectables are NOT cheap and DO wear off after 4-6 months. One syringe can cost between $500-$700 and more. 

And the OLDER you are, the MORE syringes you need. We did not know that.

Here's what Dr. Brandith Irwin, a board-certified dermatologist, explains at her educational website, SkinTour.com:

"Depending on your facial type, a good way to think about this is .....approximately one syringe per decade.   (This is true for Sculptra also),  So... if you're 53......a base would be about 5 syringes with probably about 2-3  annually after that.  I would vote strongly for doing those 5 syringes in 2-3 sessions about 2-4 weeks apart.  The quality of the work will be better."

Interesting information. Expensive beauty treatments for the average person, but not so much for a wealthy celebrity.

So, are these facial fillers worth the big dent in your beauty budget?

Or is makeup contouring cheaper + the best way to sculpt a face?

Like Fine Wine: Marsala Is Pantone Color Of The Year 2015!

Bottoms up, everyone!

MARSALA is THE color for 2015!

Says who?

The Pantone Color Institute, which defines the color trends of the year. And marsala, this warm, earthy, brick brown red is the new winner.

Orchid was so 2014.

We all know about marsala wine. But to get a look at how it translates to fashion, take a look at Blake Lively in the sexy shade:

We like the color marsala when it's more red than brownish, as in the glam photo of Blake, the new mama-to-be.

The color institute says the shade will be popping up on clothing + makeup, sofas, cars, etc.

To learn a lot more about Pantone's color of the year, click this from the WallSt.Journal.

We think a marsala-colored handbag, wallet or shoes would make for a sophisticated fashion accent.

As far as beauty goes, marsala shades of lipstick + nail polish would be very nice.

Essie's Bordeaux comes under the color category of marsala ($8.49, at Target).

We think marsala is a good choice.

Will you invest in the color marsala for 2015?

Set It + Forget It: New L'Oreal Infallible Makeup Extender

Whether your complexion is dry, combination or oily, there is nothing pretty about stale-looking, old makeup.

 And when you're busy at work or running around for hours, or just hanging out being you, makeup wears down by the end of the day or night. Plus, for some of us, our makeup doesn't last for more than 4-6 hours.

So, the beauty geniuses at L'Oreal Paris have developed a new, clever makeup setting spray that E-X-T-E-N-D-S your face, eye + lip color perfectly.

It's called L'Oreal Paris Infallible Pro-Spray and Set Makeup Extender Setting Spray ($14.99, at Target). It's a light-weight, translucent spray that helps you avoid smudging eye shadow + liner, feathering lipstick, dry or oily foundation, etc.

And it's simple to set that gorgeous face of yours with a few, quick spritzes:

Shake well. Hold 8”-10” away, close eyes and spray 4 to 6 times in an X & T motion. Avoid spraying in eyes.

Makeup expert Tati explains all about L'Oreal Infallible's new makeup extender here on YouTube.

Will you try a makeup setting spray to hold everything in place + re-fresh?

It's New: Lovin' The Nudes Palette By Maybelline

For $12, you can have a ball creating infinite looks with Maybelline's new The Nudes Palette.

We are lovin' it because of the natural brown based family---beiges, bronzes, sands, taupes, etc.

As the great model Cindy Crawford likes to say:

A brown shadow palette is your best friend.

"It's less harsh than black, it goes with everything, and it's impossible to mess up. For day, I do variations of brown shadow, either matte or shimmer," Cindy has said.

And that's exactly what you get with The Nudes Palette---metallics, mattes, shimmers and more, packaged in a slim, sleek compact, about as wide as an iphone.

It's a lovely, 12-shade collection in its convenient, carry compact.

You can create a nice, smoky eye, too, or use a lighter touch for a cool, nude eye.

YouTube's EmilyNoel83 gives a super review of the new nudes palette. Click here.

Great Bang For Your Buck: Sally Hansen Colorfast Tint + Moisture Balm $5

Let's get real.....At this time of year, cold, crisp, very dry air plays havoc with the skin for sure, but it also does a number on the lips.

You DO need a lip balm of some kind daily, and we've got a super tinted, hydrating balm for $5. You get the moisture and a pretty, sheer wash of color.

Great for on-the-go and especially, "Great bang for your buck!"

We're talking about Sally Hansen's Colorfast Tint + Moisture Balm ($4.99, at drugstores). They're getting harder to find lately in-store, so you might have to search around a bit.

We don't believe the product is discontinued, because the balm is amazing, and Sally Hansen still features it on their website.

It looks like a twist-up, chunky lip crayon. Plus it comes in 10 shades, like Plum. Mauve. Nude. Pink.

There is nothing heavy or peppermint oil-irritating about these jumbo chapsticks. In fact, "the lightweight formula smooths and hydrates lips, for 30% more moisturized lips, instantly!".

And it features a buildable sheer to medium sheer tint for the lips. And it has a nice, vanilla scent.

This is a good beauty budget buy!