Celebrities

After a week of pre-Oscar parties like Vanity Fair’s and the Sheer Cover-sponsored Dare2Care benefit, tons of celebrities and a few of us lucky beauty bloggers braved the ice-cold, blustery winds on the beach in Santa Monica today to stargaze at the annual Independent Spirit Awards. There, Black Swan took home top awards and celebrity spottings included ISA and Oscar nominee Mark Ruffalo (had to take a photo), Nicole Kidman (in a stunning L’Wren Scott red lace pencil dress), a very pregnant and glowing Natalie Portman (in a short yellow Givenchy number), Zoe Saldana (in awesome, vermilion Brian Atwood pumps), and Uma Thurman and newcomer Jennifer Lawrence (both most elegant in all-white Dolce & Gabbana).

Backstage doing touchups for the presenters was sponsor Aveeno‘s official spokesperson and branding consultant Patrick Melville, whose clients includes Demi Moore, Heidi Klum, Tom Cruise and Harry Connick, Jr., to name a few. An absolute sweetheart with an intriguing New York-London accent, Patrick was very calm, cool and collected despite having to touch up so many aggressively wind-blown hairstyles. So calm in fact, he just decided to “go with it” and not “fight nature.” (Beachy waves and messy updos galore!)

Aveeno had quite possibly the most serene lounge set-up in the area, complete with Aveeno Active Naturals product displays (new Nourish + Moisturize Conditioner, Positively Nourishing Calming Body Wash, Daily Moisturizing Lotion and Skin Brightening Daily Scrub). Celebrities like Diego Luna enjoyed drinks and snacks in the chic, Art Deco-inspired, glitter-adorned ELLE Green Room. Other sponsors, some of whom had awards in their name, included Jameson (the official house spirit of the evening along with G. H. Mumm Champagne), Piaget, Acura, Stella Artois, LG Cinema 3D, HTC, smartwater and Netflix. All in all, despite the cold, it was a great, laid-back ceremony filled with tons of humor (thanks in part to host Joel McHale) and stars who seemed like they were in the best of moods — the perfect ramp up to tomorrow’s much-hyped Oscars!

I’ve been using Parisian hair care brand Leonor Greyl (a rumored celeb favorite that’s gone on tour with both Madonna and Gwen Stefani) off and on for about a year now, and I must say their beautifying oils are not only some of the most glamorous “natural” products I’ve encountered, but the Huile de Palme (for hair) and Huile de Magnolia (for face and body) are quite the little miracle workers when it comes to moisturizing dry skin and hair.

Free of the chemicals and additives found in most hair products (sulfates, parabens, silicones, etc.), Huile de Palme (literally “palm oil”) is an environmentally friendly blend of botanical and vegetal oils that protects hair health from the elements, such as sun, surf and chlorine. It’s a pre-shampoo treatment, so you can apply it to dry hair and leave it on anywhere from a few minutes to overnight, depending on your hair texture and/or conditioning needs. (more…)

If you’re already racking your brain about what to do for Valentine’s Day and all you’ve come up with is “Dinner out or dinner in?,” consider taking pause from all the hustle and bustle at a quiet oasis such as Spa Luce. A seasonal offering on the spa menu, the delightful aromatherapeutic Spa Luce Valentine’s Day Couples Massage, $370, gets my vote for best investment in relaxation. It features massages performed side by side in the couples room, a mineral-salt soak in a hydrotherapy tub built for two, and a complimentary bottle of champagne and chocolate-covered strawberries.

(more…)

Campy? Yes. Forced? At times. Entertaining? You bet.

Recently, I got a sneak peek of “Burlesque,” courtesy of Sebastian Professional, the official hair product used in the movie. (Plug: See the beautiful limited-edition box set below.) Sebastian Professional Re-Shaper is my favorite heavy-duty hairspray, so of course, I had to see what they did with the hair in the movie … asap.

I hate to have gone into the theater with low expectations, but frankly, the track record for these star-driven vehicles is not exactly well, stellar. (Remember “Crossroads” and “Butterfly”?) Surprisingly, with Christina Aguilera’s voice as the true star of the movie, I managed to ignore the film’s flaws — mostly rushed, unrealistic scenes or bits of dialogue, although there were some really witty lines and touching moments in there, too — as I anticipated her next song-and-dance number. I mean, imagine having a front-row seat and a zoom lens during a Christina Aguilera concert, complete with multiple wardrobe and hairstyle changes, and flawless makeup … priceless, right? (more…)

Say bye-bye to inconvenient hair appointments! Last night, I got a taste of the new Blowout Bar at the Argyle Salon & Spa (located inside L.A.’s landmark Sunset Tower Hotel), where hours are being extended to accommodate clients in the morning and evening.

I stopped by the salon after work to check out their blowout menu, which features four types of blowouts: the Argyle Signature ($40), the Hollywood Blowout (glam volume!, $40), the Beachwaves Babe (finished with a curling iron, $50), and the Polished (finished with a flatiron, $50). (more…)

Move over Michael Kors… 16-year-old Canadian teen heartthrob Justin Bieber is apparently looking to add beauty mogul to his resume (you know, because pop singer, dancer, actor, hair icon, “Bieber or Die” comedian, and rumored MTV “Punk’d” host apparently wasn’t enough).

The new face of Proactiv, Justin has also joined forces with Etoile Nation Beauty to launch “My World,” a unisex fragrance slated to hit Wal-Mart stores on Black Friday. (The $10 scent, embedded in resin, comes in four different, mix-and-matchable designs of dog tags and wristbands, with top notes of bergamot, lychee, an pomegranate, a heart of cedar glimmers, and a drydown of musk, according to WWD.)

Add a bright, glittery, Bieber-inspired line of Nicole by OPI nail polish aptly titled the “One Less Lonely Girl Collection,” coming out in December and January at Wal-Mart (then Sears, Target, and ULTA), and seriously, what’s next… fashion? (Actually, just wait. That’s coming.)

To get a firsthand look at Bieber mania (OK, fine, I’m guilty), I will be joining a host of giddy beauty bloggers tonight at the Proactiv VIP suite for his L.A. concert at the Staples Center. Stay tuned to Twitter @Proactiv and #ProactivVIPSuite for real-time updates!

With the weather cooling down, I’m craving a new pair of flat boots! My two pairs are in a very sad state and I definitely need a new pair to replace them. I went over to Coach’s site and am already coveting a few pairs. Here are a few of my favorites:

For a classic boot, this Nanyce Boot ($378) is a great pick.  Though it’s offered in a few colors (Hillary Duff is wearing it in a gray suede), I’d probably pick a timeless black shade that would work with everything this fall/winter. From the elegant, clean lines to the luxurious leather, I’m in looove with this one!

The Natale Boot ($378) is another gorgeous boot in a beautiful, versatile whiskey color with a little bit of edgy hardware. You could wear both of these with a ton of pieces – from tights, dress and a leather jacket (like Emmy Rossum below) or just skinny jeans and an oversized boyfriend sweater. I’ll take this pair, too!

Seriously, can one of these pair of boots come home with me? My cold feet would so appreciate it! Which are your favorites? Go over to Coach.com to view styles or to order.

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.  I’m relieved that I can finally join in on conversations about things like tokens and concepts like “dreaming within a dream.”   If you haven’t seen it yet, I completely recommend it.

But when 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 is 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 of interest (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 an individual personality, although everyone 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…)