How Tos

The perfect red lip conjures different memories for everyone. For me, it is my first memory of beauty, having seen it as a child in old school Revlon print ads and Marilyn Monroe movies.  But beauty’s most classic and gorgeous trend can also be the most intimidating to achieve, but as I learned upon my interview with Troy Surratt, who is a celebrity makeup artist for such stunners as Ashlee Simpson, Jennifer Lopez and Paris Hilton, it doesn’t have to be.

There are a few simple steps that you can take to avoid red lipstick mistakes – such as the dreaded lipstick on teeth (my personal pet peeve) or bleeding of color outside the lip line – and make sure you look as fabulous as Gwen Stefani does (pictured left).

For ensuring the durability and lasting of your perfect red lip, Troy has a few Lipstick 101 tips: (more…)

We all love the start of a new season, especially fall, mainly because it means new clothes!  That was my favorite thing for back to school – buying shiny new school supplies, and most importantly, the outfit for the first day.  But what are you supposed to do with all the summer clothes still hanging in your closet?

That is exactly the dilemma we will be discussing in today’s “How To;” how to transition the clothes you have from summer to fall so that you can merely invest in a few key new pieces and not have to replace all of your clothes.

First, a look at some celebrity inspiration:

What can we learn from these stylish ladies? (more…)

Gossip Girl is back – and we seriously couldn’t be happier! Aside from the entertaining drama, we’re always watching for the fashion and beauty, too! Last Monday, we couldn’t stop staring at Blake Lively’s gorgeous updo and decided that we needed to know how to get Serena’s look.

We turned to the fabulous stylist Ricardo Rojas, the founder of Ricardo Rajos Hair Studio, for advice. He’s worked with some of the most notable fashion brands, including: Jean Paul Gaultier, John Galliano, Chanel, Ralph Lauren, Donna Karan, Dolce & Gabbana, and more. His list of celebrity clientele? Even more impressive since it includes Liv Tyler, Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell, Heidi Klum, Amber Valetta, Gisele Bündchen, Natasha Bedingfield, and Carmen Kass — to name a few. (He was also Donatella Versace’s personal stylist before opening his own salon.) We thought he’d be the perfect stylist to tell us how to get Blake’s sophisticated, glam style.

“Without a doubt, from the hair to the dress, the entire look is Grecian Goddess with a modern twist,” says Rojas. “Serena’s hair looks very done and polished, yet fun and effortless at the same time.” He’s kindly provided step-by-step instructions and product recommendations, so you can re-create this look at home…just in time for tonight’s new episode! (more…)

Gossip Girl star Blake Lively looked every inch the glowing beauty at the recent Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 premiere. I especially adored how her trademark long blonde locks were done in loose waves with little braids tucked in here and there. To recreate her look, I turned to expert hairstylist Jet Rhys. Jet is the owner of Jet Rhys Salon in San Diego and was more than happy to take some time out of her busy day to share her tips with us. “Blake has stepped out of the box with this fun, flirty look,” she says. “And it’s so easy to do!” Read on for her step-by-step instructions and product recommendations…

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We came across this photo of Keira Knightley at the premiere of her latest film, The Edge of Love, and wanted to know how to get her earthy, yet romantic look.

We asked Carissa Paserella, a professional makeup artist who has over 12 years of experience, to tell us more about Keira’s look. (Make sure to check out her blog called Hooked On Beauty, where she dishes out a ton of useful advice!) Carissa is also a natural beauty, so she’s absolutely the perfect person to break down this look. “Keira Knightley embodies the best in what I call ‘Natural Chic,’ which is basically using neutral, brown and earthy tones with just a kick of liner for a beautifully natural and not overdone evening look,” says Carissa. Below, she elaborates further with step-by-step directions and product recommendations: (more…)

A couple months ago, Lucy Liu went to a charity benefit, from which we spotted photos of her gorgeous updo. We thought it was the perfectly chic, undone chignon that looked both effortless and playful. Naturally, we wanted to know how to get this look for ourselves!

We turned to Lea Journo, stylist/ eponymous salon owner, for advice. Originally from Paris, she’s worked with brands like L’Oreal, Gaultier, Yoshi Yamomoto, Alexandre de Paris and Sergio Bossi. Today, Beverly Hills is her home base, where she works on the locks of A-listers like Brad Pitt, Orlando Bloom, Emily Mortimer and Kate Bosworth. Thus, she naturally knows all about how to create sophisticated updos like Lucy Liu’s. “This style is easiest to create a day or two after shampooing, as hair is slippery and more difficult to style right after it’s been shampooed and conditioned,” says Lea. Here are her step-by-step tips on how to re-create this look: (more…)

Why is it that swimsuit shopping always seems so daunting? The endless amount of choices and colors, the unforgiving mirrors that force us to analyze our bodies… It doesn’t sound very fun, but knowing what styles look the best on your body definitely goes a long way. We talked with designer Lisa Curran for tips on what we should consider when buying a new swimsuit.

- Bigger is not always better. You might feel inclined to buy a bathing suit that is slightly bigger, to seemingly “hide” more imperfections. Don’t give in to that urge–larger suits will sag, especially when they get wet, and that won’t look good at all.

- There are plenty of cute one-pieces and tankinis out there. If you’re uncomfortable showing your tummy, don’t fret. Find a brand that devotes their design focus to one-pieces and tankinis as well. Designers like Lisa aim to design for women of all shapes and sizes and have a large selection of cute one-pieces and tankinis. Lisa’s Shirred V-Neck One-Piece in Cobalt has full bra support and ruching to camouflage trouble spots. Plus, it comes in several pretty colors. Cobalt is our fave because it offers a splash of brightness. For ladies with longer torsos, tankinis work well also. “They will make you look more proportional,” says Lisa. We love the Romi Tankini in Green, pictured above, with its cute print.

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Scarves are always an essential in a wardrobe, but lately, they’ve seem to taken off as a trend. You’ve probably seen them on style icons like Kate Moss and Rachel Bilson everywhere. Plus, we’re spotting them on the streets year-round, whether it’s cold and blustery, or sunny and warm. The number of ways that you could wear a scarf seemed a little daunting, so we asked a few experts for their best tips on how to wear scarves – whenever, wherever. (more…)

We all think Rachel Bilson is absolutely adorable. She’s definitely a young Hollywood celeb that has gotten it right – especially when it comes to style. When we saw this photo of her, we immediately wanted to know how to get her hair style. The wispy, undone ponytail with the braided crown…simply gorgeous!

For advice on how to get this look, we turned to Bumble and bumble editorial stylist, Michelle Fiona. Michelle has worked with numerous celebs and models, including Karen Elson, Zooey Deschanel and Maggie Gyllenhal – as well as top media outlets like Allure and Nylon. Her refined, but inventive style is exactly what Rachel Bilson is all about…so here are her fabulous step-by-step tips on how to re-create the look: (more…)

Editor’s Note: The lovely Becki from Shopping’s My Cardio asked me to write an article for her blog – and this is it! It’s posted on her site today, and she’s allowed me to cross-post it here for you to read, too! Hope you enjoy.

Bangles are making a comeback! (Were they out? At least for me, they were…but they’re definitely back in for the season, though.) I’m seeing them everywhere – from my favorite little boutiques to big department stores. They are easy and simple to wear, but make a style statement. Here are my tips on how to choose and wear bangles, en vogue: (more…)