Celebrities

Last week, I thought, it’s almost midnight, I’m wide awake and I have nothing to do. Why not go crash a swim party?!? So a friend and I drove over to a rented mansion in L.A.’s Hancock Park district and indulged in Havaianas’ third Midnight Swim Club, filled with good-looking people and celebs like Jack Osbourne, Devon Aoki, Mekhi Phifer and more. (In the past, Kevin Connolly, Nicky Hilton, Elijah Wood, Shenae Grimes and David Arquette have been spotted.) We oohed and aahed the hanging Havaianas sandals, the bedazzle-your-sandal tent, the make-your-own-photo-book tent and, of course, the bar while gazing at a table full of Crumbs cupcakes.

The Cobra Snake shot gawkers (these are his photos you see) as people debated whether or not to go into the pool (For most people, the answer was no since it was dominated by Havaianas models in teeny swimsuits). But we spotted several brave souls and at least one skinny dipper as we grooved to the DJ’s sounds of everything from Axel F to Jay-Z. This got me thinking, if you and/or your building have a heated pool, or even just a hot tub, why not throw your own pool party … at night? A novel idea. And the perfect excuse to show off my favorite swimsuits of the season … in your best Havaianas flip-flops of course.

Don’t have a pair yet? Score a limited-edition pair by throwing your own Midnight Swim Party and post pictures of it to your Facebook or Twitter account (tag #midnightswimclub). Every week, Havaianas will award the best pool party picture with special Midnight Swim Club Havaianas.

Over the weekend, I finally stopped being the last person on earth who hadn’t seen Inception, and saw a Sunday afternoon show with a few friends.  Relieved that I can finally join in on conversations about things like tokens and concepts like “dreaming within a dream” without a quizzical look on my face, the movie was so good and utterly absorbing.  If you haven’t seen it yet, I completely recommend it.

But leaving the movie theater, I had one primary thought in my head and it wasn’t dream related.  It was, “Wow, the suit tailoring in this movie was impeccable.  Joseph Gordon-Levitt and the other men in this movie have some hot looks.”  Unfortunately, since I was with straight, non-metrosexual men, this was not a topic they were interested in discussing (particularly my thoughts about the hotness of JGL’s looks as he bounded around in the hotel.)  I loved how each male character in the movie had a sharply defined look that expressed their individual personalities, although all of them wore suits. After the jump, check out where you can get their suits, and some more details about their looks. (more…)

This week, I got the opportunity to meet actress Zhang Ziyi (Memoirs of a Geisha; House of Flying Daggers; Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon), who was in town at Chong Hing Jewelers to debut Omega’s new Constellation Collection of ultra-luxury watches. One of Omega’s latest celebrity ambassadors, Ziyi joins the company of George Clooney, Nicole Kidman, Cindy Crawford and the infamous James Bond. Her uncommon beauty, grace, femininity and international appeal has also helped her rise to the highest ranking woman on Forbes’ list of China’s most powerful celebrities — all by age 31.

But perhaps what is most fascinating about Ziyi — and I don’t think I’m alone on this — is not just her luxury appeal but her paradoxical nature; she brings such a strong, arguably intimidating presence and zealous dedication to every role — whether it involves dodging and splitting her way through a sword fight or dancing aggressively in foot-high, dangerous platform shoes. Yet in reality, she is this tiny, seemingly fragile girly girl.

I only had about five minutes to chat with Ziyi, so rather than try to ask her the myriad questions I had initially written down, I stuck to the subject we at TDO love best: style. (After all, I believe it can reveal a lot about someone!) (more…)

I finally got the chance to try the new CoverGirl LiquilineBlast eyeliners in Green Glow and Violet Voltage, $7.99 each (above right). While they’re not as intensely pigmented as say, MAC Fluidline, $15, they are very colorful and easy to work with at half the price. I am especially in love with the Green Glow as it really shows up really well on my fair olive skin and has a pretty, shimmery sheen — great for a day-friendly pop of color. Each pencil also comes with a handy smudger tip, which I was able to watch Celebrity Makeup Artist Molly R. Stern use on “Parks & Recreation” star Rashida Jones (above left), just before the 2010 MTV Movie Awards last Sunday.

Molly did an awesome take on a smokey eye, using a rainbow of CG Smoky ShadowBlast shades like Citrus Flair (lime green/copper) and blending the green liner in at the inner eye corners. (more…)

Last week, I had the opportunity to sit down with Crest’s new ambassador Michelle Trachtenberg for lunch at one of New York’s top restaurants, Le Bernardin. A 30 minute chat with the Gossip Girl & Mercy star proved that Michelle certainly was one of the coolest chicas around. After lunch we were gifted a set of Crest’s new 3D White collection including white strips, toothbrush, toothpaste and mouth wash.  We’re still working on testing out the products so check back for a review shortly.  In the meantime, we were informed that other Michelle fans will have the opportunity to meet her and celebrate the new launch of Crest 3D white.  Click on the invite below for more details!

If you’re looking for your next spring scent, you’ll want to try the latest from Sarah Jessica Parker–SJP NYC. While SJP’s previous launches have been all about expressing herself, this one is actually inspired by her most famous character, Carrie Bradshaw! SJP NYC is a vibrant, sweet mix of fruit and floral notes that I thought were really great for spring. It’s sweet without being overwhelming, and I think the fruit notes really add a touch of freshness.

The bottle itself is simple glass, and it’s housed in a small pink canister covered with the patterns and prints inspired by Carrie’s closet. The scent and packaging are definitely very Carrie Bradshaw. SJP says that this fragrance is meant to evoke a sense of fun and whimsy. “It’s about mixing things up and breaking rules, all of the things I like about fashion,” she says. SJP NYC is $25-$49, depending on size, and is much more affordable than, say, the amazing Oscar de la Renta dress she’s wearing above. Keep reading for the note breakdown! (more…)

After a fun-filled week of Oscar events like the 7th Annual Global Green Pre-Oscar Party (attended by Jessica Alba, James Cameron, Benji and Joel Madden, Nicole Scherzinger, Serena Williams, and more celebs), I finally get to pick the brain of makeup artist to the stars Bruce Grayson, whose work we’ll be seeing all over our TV screens tomorrow at the Academy Awards.

As head makeup artist for the Oscars, Bruce is responsible for touching up every A-list mug in town before he or she goes onstage to present or backstage to accept an award. He has worked on Tom Cruise, Katie Holmes, Brooke Shields, Rosario Dawson, Kate Walsh, Denzel Washington, Sarah Silverman, Hayden Panettiere, Sarah Rue, the Clintons … the list goes on! (Fun fact: Bruce’s father, David Grayson, perfected the faces of Hollywood legends like Lauren Bacall and John Wayne.) Here, Bruce shares his red carpet predictions and his favorite get-glam-quick tips for special events:

The Daily Obsession: So, Bruce, what are the big trends we’ll be seeing on the red carpet this year?

Bruce Grayson: It’s always about picking the best feature, eyes or lips, and creating a glowing complexion, which makes up most of the face. Getting your skin in shape does the work for you. We’re going to see a more transparent smoky, sultry eye, not too much darkness around the eye, and more shades like slate gray, beige and brown … with a soft, pinky-coral lip, which makes lips look bigger. For red lips, we may see bright, matte, unique colors like the coral shade that January Jones wore to the Emmys.

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With Valentine’s Day in such close proximity to Presidents Day, why not celebrate love, life and happiness with a luxury getaway that’s fit for a president — or in this case, fit for 14 presidents? My husband and I were fortunate enough to check out a Signature Suite recently at the Old World French- and American Indian-inspired U.S. Grant Hotel — voted one of the 100 best hotels in the world — in downtown San Diego, Calif. And let me tell you, whether alone or with a sweetheart, this is one romantic place for glamour-lovers to steal away this weekend. Here’s why:

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Over the weekend, yours truly had the fortune of visiting Make Up For Ever’s station at the 2010 Grammy Style Studio in Hollywood, where Kesha, Adam Lambert, Keri Hilson and Colbie Caillat all stopped by for a little celebrity pampering (see below). Make Up For Ever makeup artist and regional educator David Hernandez went to town on my bare face, going for a bold red lip with a bright poppy orange center (created with Make Up For Ever Aqua Lip Waterproof Lipliner Pencils,$17 each). To compliment them, he did a clean eye with black Make Up For Ever Aqua Eyes waterproof liner (also $17) on the bottom rim only. The finishing touch: false lashes, specifically Make Up For Ever Strip Lashes #14 ($15/pair), which were long and glamorous yet not too feathery or Cirque du Soleil-ish. (Tip: Snip off the outer edges for a wide-eyed look, and to save the “tips” for later use!)  I happily fluttered these babies all day long.

In other news, Make Up For Ever was busy promoting their bang-up makeup jobs on Kristen Stewart, Dakota Fanning and the rest of “The Runaways” cast. Unbelievably gorgeous colors transformed both famous faces to the point where I could barely recognize them! Check out the trailer for a quick preview.

Photos above courtesy of Jana Williams and Make Up For Ever.

It’s awards season, and with the Grammys and the Oscars around the corner, you know what that means — skin treatment specials galore!

Now I must confess, I love spas but I’m not a plastic surgery & medi-spa guru … at least not through firsthand experience. I’m still trying to stomach the idea of injecting a filler into my slowly hollowing face. Thankfully, I’ve been able to live vicariously through others by tagging along on their Botox visits, post-surgery checkups and laser treatments. And after visiting beautiful medi-spas all over L.A., I can tell you — if this magical courage were to come — where I would go: Beverly Hills Plastic Surgery, Inc., featuring the talented and very personable Dr. Gabriel Chiu.

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