Jennifer Aniston At The Vanity Fair Party on Oscar Night

Called the quintessential California glamour girl, but a New Yorker at heart  Jennifer Aniston got a sun-kissed glow for the Academy Awards from makeup artist Angela Levin. Together Jennifer and Angela decided to create a look that screamed modern glamour. “Days before the Oscars she had returned from vacation and had a relaxed and glowing look, so it was perfect to go bronze and radiant” says Levin.

To get Jennifer’s look, Angela applied foundation using a brush over Jen’s already moisturized skin. Instead of a traditional blush, she dabbed a bit of Red creme lipstick on the apples of Aniston’s cheeks. A great back up when you don’t have a blush handy. And for extra radiance she used a shimmery bronze lotion and blended it onto the very top of her cheekbones and finished this gorgeous sun-kissed look with a dusting of loose bronzing powder.

I just loved her braid too. I know there were some fashionista’s were on the fence about her braided do, but I thought she looked great, and very fabulous at 40.

xx

image credit: Newscom

Well another show has come and gone and I have to say I was a little disappointed with the hair and makeup this year. Many of the women attending played it safe with hairstyles that were either pulled back in a loose bun or off the face and held back with lots of bobby pins and hairspray. Maybe due to the weather or just wanting to try something different, but for me it just didn’t work.

I arrived home just in time to grab my pad and pen but after the fourth strapless dress and pulled back do I decided to enjoy the group of friends watching with us and run into the bedroom to make notes. Diane Lane was one of the first celebrities to make her way down the RC. I would have liked her with a little more color on her cheeks to balance her strong lips. Something to warm her complexion a bit, but I did love her eyelashes and perfectly tight eyeliner. A few individual lash clusters were added in just the right places.

First of all I just want to say finally!! Thank God Kate Winslet has such an amazing sense of humor and is so gracious. Watching her win was the high light of the evening. I wonder whether the decision to pull Kate’s hair back was due to the ever changing weather here in Los Angeles. Who knows, and although I adore her, I was  not a big fan of this do. I just didn’t think it was the most flattering style. Her skin looked gorgeous, my only request would have been more color on the cheeks since the look was so soft.

I have to agree with Designer Randolph Duke who was commenting on everyone as they walked the Red Carpet. Many of the women chose colors or styles that didn’t suit them at all. Where were the publicists when this was going on? I actually think Meryl Streep looked beautiful, and her makeup was soft, but not too soft for this dress. I love the earrings and the fact that she wore nothing on her neck. She was totally on point.

Reese Witherspoon arriving at the Vanity Fair Party

I can’t quite figure out if Reese was in a rush and just threw her hair back herself or if this was actually meant to look like this. Somehow I don’t picture her requesting a style that looks messy and in need of a wash. Since her face and she are tiny I would have done a smoky eye in softer colors and forgone the eyeliner on the bottom rim. Because the color of her eyeshadow is so dark it makes her eyes look even smaller and not the best look for her.

Penelope Cruz who won for her performance in ‘Vicky Cristina Barcelona’ kissing Oscar

I always love and look forward to seeing Penelope Cruz on the red carpet. Her style is her own and her beauty is skin deep. I was surprised to see her in a shimmery smoky eye but thought the colors in rich bronze and golds looked gorgeous with her coloring. Her eyebrows were perfectly groomed and her lashes were drenched in rich black mascara with a few lash clusters added for extra glam appeal.

Until the next Oscars live from the Red Carpet. In the meantime we hope you continue to join us for the latest in beauty. Thank you to everyone for keeping Aging Fabulous on your beauty radar.

xx

image credits: newscom.com, beth bender

So here we are after a season of many award ceremonies paying homage to some of Hollywood’s best in film, and on Sunday evening the grand finale Oscars 2009. Celebrating some of this years best films viewed by millions all over the world.

The Oscars are as you know a big to do here in Hollywood. Streets have been shut down, blocked off and traffic has been nothing short of a nightmare. With that being said it is also a very exciting time especially for us beauty and fashion bloggers who are lucky enough get the inside scoop on how many celebrities attending this years Oscars will be getting ready for the big night.

Weeks in advance publicists and their assistants are on the phone making sure that each celebrity they are responsible for is booked when it comes to any treatments they will need to get them red carpet ready. One of the most popular treatments that celebrities make sure they take care of days before are their Botox injections. Many do it for the frown lines between the eyes, and just as many for an instant brow lift with no surgical downtime.

Celebrity Dermatologist Dr Celia Brown, and a true artist when it comes to injecting the face, is an expert on anything you desire to know about Botox, and other procedures for looking great Most celebrities who aren’t afraid to admit they’ve had it will tell you, Botox can easily become your BFF for life, and with all of the snapping going on this Sunday as each celebrity makes their way down the glorious Red Carpet, a wrinkled forehead or sagging brows will just not do.

A fabulous facial to improve the look of your skin, and give your complexion a gorgeous glow is next on the list of “To Do’s” to prepare for this Sunday’s Oscar night. We have a very close beauty source who tells us that Jennifer Aniston is mad about her facials and  keeping her skin looking beautiful. By the looks of her radiant skin in this picture it seems that this is so.

Our favorite Skin Care Guru and owner of Wildflower, Pamela Ford-Stevens is an expert when it comes to beautiful, healthy skin, and has been creating quite the facial buzz here in Hollywood. Her facials are done in a peaceful oasis for any woman who needs and deserves a little pampering.

My sister and I both got to experience her unbelievable facials first hand and are now her newest fans.  “All facials are customized for each person and their unique skin type and needs using the highest quality ingredients.  There are no add-on’s or extra charges. You get exactly what you need each and every visit.” This is Pamela’s Mantra and If you love your skin the way so many of us do, then you’ll definitely want to make an appointment and see Pamela ASAP.  Don’t blame us if you fall in love with her facials:-) She is a gem!

Mani’s and Pedi’s are an absolute must have for this Sunday’s event. There is nothing worse then finger nails spotted on the red carpet that haven’t been groomed. Even worse, those with dirt underneath them. A big no no! Why bother with the gown if the nails haven’t been done. Think of all of the stylists and publicists who will be sending all calls straight to voice mail.

Nettie Davis a celebrity manicurist here in Los Angeles, and creator of NettieScrub will be working around the clock to make sure Hollywood’s Glamour Gals have star-stopping beautiful nails.

Nettiescrub contains the best elements of natural ingredients including vitamins, minerals, and oils with delicious fruit extracts, and all made by Nettie herself.  Her fabulous collection of products include exfoliants, body balms, soaps, and soy candles. The body balms leave your hands looking and feeling beautiful.

Another popular treatment that many men and women will be indulging in is the latest treatment to lock in shine and color. CJ Cassaday of the Gavert-Atelier Salon in Beverly Hills says the best way to achieve this is by doing Ionic Hair Treatments. He says this will ensure that your color and style look best under the camera lights and for all photo opps. Applied with a flat iron it takes about 30 minutes after your color is done. This treatment consists of releasing moisture, protein & silicone to the hair, and bonding it to the hair shaft with the right temperature of the flat iron.”

According to CJ this treatment will increase the thickness of your hair without losing body, and make your color & hair look and feel its very best. Sounds like a treatment for me:-)

Of course we can’t forget all of the men that will be making their way down the Red Carpet too! George Clooney will probably be one of them. Our girl on the scene, sister from another mister and Celebrity Men’s Groomer Diana Schmidtke says “guys please put down the gel” and she is not kidding. “There is nothing worse than a head full of sticky, stiff hair” says Diana, and she should know since the majority of her celebrity clients are men.

The list is endless and includes Mr Clooney who looks very dashing in this photo, as do all of the men when Diana gets finished with them. They may look like they just rolled out of bed, but believe me they’ve been pampered too. Diana is also the spokesperson for Axe Hair Products for men, the best products for getting “Girl Approved Hair”.

And what Oscar night would be complete without an array of ladies who look beautiful and who are showing off their sexy eyes. Never a shortage of smoky eyes and cat eyes making their way down the Red Carpet. Eva Mendes & Penelope Cruz just love their cat eyes and we never get tired of seeing the most striking, and cringe at the ones that fall a little short.

Oops…many of the celebrities presenting and nominated will make sure that their eyes look great but when all makeup artist have gone home, Red Carpet Ready and Lights, Camera, Action will be joining them for quick touch ups throughout the evening to keep all eyes looking gorgeous.

So there you have it. Our 2009 beauty countdown to how Hollywood’s glamourista’s will be getting ready for this Sunday’s Oscars.

I hope to see you there!

xx,

image credits: Newscom.com, Diana Schmidke, beth bender

February is a busy month for Californians.  We’ve got Valentine’s Day (our annual Hallmark Holiday), Presidents Day, and let’s not forget…”and the winner is” … Yes, you guessed it…The Oscars! If you don’t live in California it’s just another Sunday.  But here it’s Everything…

So, I asked CJ Cassaday, hair stylist to many industry professionals at gavert/atelier, “what do you tell your clients when they ask for your advice on how to get their hair, health & mind ready.” And here is what CJ had to say:

” They always tell me what they’ll be wearing and that they are nervous it won’t fit the day they walk down the Red Carpet. I tell them to watch their carbs, eat lots of protein, always drink plenty of water and don’t eat anything after 6 PM.  I’ve seen my clients drop 5 - 7 pounds in a week and their skin looks great from all of the water.”

What do you recommend for their hair?

I recommend that before anything else…those roots get done!!!  It’s important to do this a week before the event so that the color has time to soften & settle.  To help make their color and style look best under the camera lights I then recommend an “Ionic Treatment.” It’s applied with a flat iron and takes about a half hour after your color is done. This treatment consists of releasing moisture, protein & silicone to the hair, bonding it to the hair shaft with the right temperature of the flat iron.”

According to CJ this treatment will increase the thickness of your hair without loosing body and makes your color & hair look and feel the best it ever has.  Sounds like a treatment for me…He recommends the Ionic Treatment every 2 months.  The cost is $75.00 at gavert/atelier.

xo,

b

photo image:  CJ

This is one hydrating mask that has made its way into more celebrity and beauty editor’s beauty regimes. Calm Yourself from Mark, I just love the name, is fantastic! and I have to agree. At just $7 a tube you’ll feel like you’ve taken a yoga class for your face. Loaded with antioxidants and moisturizers to immediately increase your skins moisture, and help to improve your overall complexion.

As we gear up for the Grammy’s this weekend and the Academy’s soon to follow, everyone is buzzing in town about whose doing what and where are they going for their pre-spa, beauty and skin care treatments. My sister and I have been running around from one event to another checking out the latest products from Botox for the hands, to a new treatment for diminishing cellulite and tightening the skin. This little tube has come in handy for all of those late nights with little sleep and way too much coffee.

xx,

B

image credit: Mark Cosmetics

How does Jennifer Aniston keep her skin glowing? Well a great make-up artist and facialist don’t hurt, but this is a girl who pampers her skin and it shows! Not everyone can hop on a plane to get that “just came back from Hawaii” golden glow but with the help of a good mineral powder foundation, and bronzer you don’t have to.

To get a beautiful sun-kissed glow minus the airfare try using a loose powder foundation a few shades darker than your own complexion and lightly dust it over your forehead, bridge of your nose, cheeks, chin and neck. You can highlight the cheeks and cheekbones by adding a touch of bronzer that has a slight shimmer to it.

Elizabeth Arden Pure Finish Mineral Powder Foundation

So is Jennifer Aniston Aging Fabulously? I would have to say yes. She will be turning 40 this month and she looks great. Celebrity or not, we all deserve to spend a little extra time on ourselves. You don’t have to spend a lot to see beautiful results.

Happy Birthday to everyone celebrating a birthday this month!

image credits: newscom.com, Elizabeth Arden

In keeping with the beginning of Awards season, I wanted to talk about one of Hollywood’s hottest celebrity hair & makeup stylists, and one of the sweetest, and most talented I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. My sister Te-see and I first met Diana Schmidtke (pronounced Schmidt-Key) back in December at an Axe Hair Event that we attended at The Prive Salon in Hollywood. The newest line of products from Axe to give your guy “girl approved hair”. Diana is their official spokesperson and has been a Celebrity Men’s Hair Stylist & makeup artist for over 10 years. From the minute we met her, we loved her!! We couldn’t stop talking and laughing about the business and of course getting her amazing tips on how to have great looking hair.

Her talent and experience will leave your jaw dropping. All of the many covers, and I mean many, and celebrities she has worked with over the years have made her one of the biggest and most in demand hair and makeup stylist in Hollywood. Her latest baby and something that is very dear to her is her book Shortcuts. The book is fantastic for anyone wishing to get into the film, TV, and editorial business. It is an easy read with so much important information you will need if you are serious about a career as a hair stylist, makeup artist, or both.

Her biography in the beginning of the book is inspirational and hides nothing. With all of her years of experience Diana is honest and passionate about her career and you feel it with every word written.  Shortcuts takes you step by step into the world of make-up (fashion & beauty), special fx, and hair. Also fun to read are her personal experiences on different jobs and all of the interesting people she has met over the years, and throughout her successful career.

She grew up in Chicago with no one in her family even remotely involved in the industry and did what ever she needed to become the “hair stylist” she wanted to be.  Diana’s ultimate goal is to live in Cost Rica for half the year and work the other half. Both my sister and I believe this dream is not far off. Shortcuts is a must have book for anyone contemplating a professional career as a make-up & hair stylist in the industry.  A fabulous reference book to keep in your kit at all times!  Available at: www.shortcutsthebook.com as well as www.amazon.com.

Next week I will be posting a contest to win a copy of Diana’s book. She will be selecting one lucky winner so stay tuned. Check out this video clip of Diana giving tips on how guys can get girl approved hair with Axe Hair products. Great looking hair doesn’t stop when you hit your 30’s and 40’s. We all deserve to age fabulously at any age…don’t you agree?

Kisses from Hollywood!

Beth

image credits: Diana Schmidtke

Celebrities made their way down the red carpet at Sunday’s Golden Globe Awards held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles. These ladies are living proof that you can certainly age fabulously. I don’t know where to begin. This is my favorite award show because not only do so many celebrities look great, but Hollywood is a buzzing! The look this year when it came to beauty was bold red lips, heavy eyeliner, lots of smoky eyes, and golden glows. My favorites of course were the ladies who went for the striking eyes.

Starting with Mary-Louise Parker, looking beautiful in a strapless blue Carlos Miele gown with asymmetrical tiers cascading down, and a chiffon layer to complete the bottom portion. Silver jewels and soft makeup finished this look. Mary-Louise is not one to fuss over her beauty routine but she always seems to look great, and at 44 she is in amazing shape. Her makeup for the evening was soft and sexy, with the focus on her violet lined eyes and soft pink lip.

Debra Messing, Star of USA’s Starter Wife, looked stunning and her makeup was all about the eyes. Fully rimmed and smoky were the focus of her very sexy look created by celebrity artist Carol Shaw.
Using a nude shade from the lashline to the brownbone, she then layered a rosy gold shimmer shadow all over the lid. Yes ladies, you can wear shimmer shadows in your 40’s.

Carol applied a jade green shadow in the crease and smudged it under the eyes as well. For extra drama she applied a charcoal shadow to the outer corners of the eyes and in the crease.  To finish this look black eyeliner was applied to the inside of eyes and two generous coats of water-resistant black mascara.

Angelina Jolie wore her signature cat eyes and looked beautiful in a creme colored sequence gown. Her hair looked fabulous with very subtle, soft waves that were quite lovely as she glided down the red carpet. Her makeup was sheer and simple with just of hint of shimmer on her cheekbones, and a soft nude lip.

Jennifer Lopez was a golden goddess at this years Golden Globes, showing us that where you place your bronzer makes all the difference when it comes to contouring your face and body.  She does bronze well and her skin looked exceptionally radiant. I didn’t love the gown she was wearing, it seemed to accent a larger bottom, but the hair & makeup was a big thumbs up! A little tip when applying bronzer, if you are contouring the cheekbones add the bronzer slightly under the cheekbones and apply a lighter shimmer slightly above the cheekbones. You can also use a shimmer blush in a soft pink or peach for defining your cheekbones.

Eva Longoria looked absolutely gorgeous in this red strapless dress.  Her eyes were sparkling, and her skin was glowing as she posed for pictures and made her way down the red carpet. Her hair was pulled back in a soft knot secured at the nape of her neck, and the perfect style for this stunning look.

Kisses from Hollywood!

image credits: newscom.com

My BFF Lebec is doing a little beauty contest at her fabulous beauty blog the art of makeup by lebec.Check out these gorgeous pictures. Oh my gosh this makeup is outstanding!

She is asking everyone to “GLAM IT UP” for the holidays! And I agree that this is the perfect time to do it. Regardless of your shape, size, skin tone and age. Take time and celebrate you!