Bumble and bumble stylist Britney Williams breaks it down.
"Kate Middleton’s down ‘do looked gorgeous, elegant enough for her big day but true to her personal style," said Britney.
1. Start by applying a root lifting spray like Bumble and bumble Thickening Hairspray all over damp hair. Blow dry with a round brush for a smooth foundation with volume and a bit of bend.
2. Use a 1-inch curling iron to add wave by working around the head in sections with the same width as the barrel of the curling iron.
3. After the curls have cooled for a minute or two, use a flat brush to loosen and soften them into flowing waves.
4. To enhance the definition of the waves, spray a bit of Shine On Finishing Spray ($25) on hands and gently work through the hair.
5. Pull back the hair from the sides of the head and secure with bobby pins. Finish with a healthy spritz of Spray de Mode ($26) to give flexible hold that will last through the day without making hair crunchy."
They're married. Catherine Middleton's dress is a magical cloud. The wedding gown by Sarah Burton for McQueen emphasized Middleton's figure, and perhaps was not the most "modest" option. All in all though, the wedding ceremony is amazing. Catherine is a sexy bride.
Also, I am a little sentimental about her bouquet, so here are the details. Lily-of-the-valley symbolizes a return of happiness. Sweet William symbolizes gallantry. Hyacinth symbolizes constancy of love. Ivy symbolizes fidelity, marriage, wedded love, friendship and affection. Myrtle is the emblem of marriage and love.
The ceremony is still going on, but I have reposted some of my live tweets here!
Kate Middleton is wearing a wedding dress designed by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen. Middleton is walking down the aisle now.
If you care for more details, the "lace appliqué for the bodice and skirt was hand-made by the Royal School of Needlework, based at Hampton Court Palace" according to the royal wedding site.
The Queen is wearing an Angela Kelly crepe wool dress with hand-sewn beading at the neck in the shape of sunrays. In addition, she is wearing a double crepe wool tailored primrose coat.
She also has on an Angela Kelly-designed matching crepe hat.
For jewelry, she is wearing a Mary’s True Lovers Knot brooch.
Victoria Beckham wears the tallest heels on earth to the royal wedding and a Phillip Treacy hat. Check 'em out here on Styleite. The slideshow will be updated again, so you might have to click through to see her.
BBC news site liveupdates. Elton John pics. Also, it has so much traffic, I think it may crash!
As of 4:56 AMET: people I have never heard of and celebrities are arriving at the Abbey. But the unofficial must-have wedding attire is funky hats. Madness! (UPDATE: Many of the hats were by Stephen Jones.) Women in uglier hats by boring designers too. A lot of great ones though.
As of 5:05 AM ET, Official Statement: "Mrs. Carole Middleton is wearing a sky blue wool crepe coatdress with matching satin piping and passementerie at the waist and cuff over a sky blue silk shantung ‘Sydney’ day dress with short pleated sleeves and pleated pockets. The dress and coatdress are by Catherine Walker. Mrs. Middleton’s hat is by Berkshire-based Jane Corbett."
Terrrrribly complex details about Prince William's outfit available here. Yes, I do know what passementerie is, but haven't the foggiest what a "forage cap" is.
5:15 AM ET: Crowd goes crazy for Prince William and Prince Harry.
5:25 AM ET: The Prince is looking mighty fine. He seems be handling the pressure well, happy and a bit nervous.
If you too are planning your wedding, please be a label whore and make that dress French. It will minimize my nail-biting on your behalf.
In the meantime, I'll place my bets on Kate Middleton. She is such a pretty pony.
Will Cranston be the other
"lucky lady" at the Royal wedding?
What designer will she wear to her wedding? Here are my thoughts...
1. I am going to guess that Kate Middleton has opted for a relatively unknown designer. This leaves my top pick in a muddle, but a frontrunner among the "dark horses" is Sophie Cranston. Historically, Middleton tends to be attracted to dresses that flatter her figure, not top tier fashion brands. As you know, this makes me nervous and also frustratingly makes the #1 guess a free-for-all instead of an "educated guess." Kate doesn't really go in for lots of embellishments, but perhaps for her wedding day, she will do an about face and have some lovely lace or pearl details. I hope so! Middleton is similar to Michelle Obama. She doesn't slavishly follow trends, but she is aware of them. She probably has some ideas of her own of how she wants the dress to look, and would want a designer who "agrees" with her too. Cranston looks perfectly agreeable in photographs.
2. If she has a "fashion awakening," she will pick Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen. My gut tells me that Sarah Burton can rein in the ghoulish, morbid side of her fashion designs, and deliver a dazzling softer, statement piece.
3. Bruce Oldfield also says it's not him, but maybe it is? Many designers are terribly imaginative, and lying requires creativity.
4. Vera Wang. Not British, but good.
5. If she chooses a design by a house like Issa, just shoot me.
Now don't you want a slice of Paul Smith's royal wedding cake?
This spring, make your eyes pop with the perfect green eyeshadow, flawless skin and movie star lips. This makeup tutorial is just four easy steps.
GREEN WITH ENVY: Apply the light green shade in the Givenchy Candide Garden eye prism palette across both eyelids in two quick sweeps. (In real life, the color looks closer to lemongrass, a gorgeous yellow-green.)
FACE: If you normally wear foundation, try something different. Consider mixing just a few drops of Dior Nude Skin Perfect Hydrating Concealer ($29, Sephora) and a high-quality serum, such as Dior Capture Totale One Essential serum, and blending the combination across your face. This can provide more coverage, but feel much lighter on the skin. The effect is stunning.
Dior Nude Skin Perfect Hydrating Concealer
SEALED WITH A KISS: For lips, try Givenchy Rouge Interdit Satin lipstick in Elegant Rouge ($29,. When applied with a light touch, the pretty shade is dangerously ripe, as if you have just returned from picking blackberries...or sucking blood. Just dab it on and press your lips together.
CHEEKS: Rub the tiniest amount of this lipstick on your cheekbones for a barely there blush.
Jo Malone's windows on Sloane Street pay tribute to the royal couple, William and Catherine.
Jo Malone's Sloane Street shop in London with celebratory windows designed by Andy Hillman.
Delightful! Love! Adore!
If you pass the shop, it's a great spot to stock up on bottles of Earl Grey and Cucumber fragrance and beautiful lotions. Also, the store is offering customers free champagne and cupcakes (basically, my three favorite words) every day up until the wedding.
Now will this display be more delectable than the wedding dinner? I heard one prediction of banana flan. That's one part of the ceremony Eyeshadow Government won't regret missing!
I spun by Lush this afternoon in SoHo, and one of their cute shop girls raved about a new product, Tiny Hands.
She took my own hand without asking for permission and rubbed it with the flat side of the make-believe, uh, "hand."
At first, your skin glistens and feels wet, but she explained that in a minute, it dries matte. True! Not only does it leave skin smoother and prettier, but the not-very-girly floral scent is just right.
I think a round of applause is in order!
XOX,
Charlotte
(P.S. Simon Constantine, who is the son of Lush's co-founder, talks about his own small hands in this Podcast on the Lush site. My favorite line: "They're for making perfumes for godsake. I'm not a butcher!")
Royal wedding fever is sweeping the globe, but in my tiny apartment, far away from Westminster Abbey, there are a few details that still do not sit right with me.
1. One Word: iTunes
Selling your wedding vows on iTunes? I would sooner have my unwed ring finger chopped off than do such a thing. This is just tacky. I feel that a declaration of enduring love, even on a global stage, is still a sacred act. Hardly a deeply religious sort myself, I still could not imagine saying "I do" and then selling my words. Maybe I am sentimental to imagine wedding vows should stay forever floating among the cherubs, doves, hearts, and angels instead of in digital file format? Dunno.
2. The wedding dress: an unknown factor.
I am kind of aflutter and excited about the dress, but we still have not seen it. Meanwhile, I have my doubts about Kate Middleton's ability to select the "right" one. Her fashion sensibility is awfully blah. The engagement announcement dress by Reiss was a hit, but the fact is that Kate Middleton is a wholesome, pretty girl who can pop her head on top of just about any plain outfit.
She has two options. If she wears a simpler wedding gown, the effect could be a "non"-wow. Frightening! What a disappointment that will be if she looks just passable at the most talked-about wedding of the year. (To make matters worse, Chelsea Clinton raised the bar as well for bridal attire in that enchanting Vera Wang dress, and it will be nearly impossible to top her.)
Alternatively, if she picks a dress that is more fashion-forward, she might look awkward. The wedding dress could "wear her." Reports indicate she may wear an Alexander McQueen dress designed by Sarah Burton. This is reason to be excited but nervous for Kate. So many McQueen dresses have a morbid edge too. If Burton does it, will the dress channel romantic mood or be covered in creepy feathers? The Huffington Post's royal correspondent said Kate would don a dress by Libelula, but then that fashion company denied the reports. Confusion!
3. Reports indicate there will be NO bouquet toss
This is my favorite part of every wedding because I always catch it. Of course, the rush to capture the bouquet from Prince William and Kate Middleton's wedding could be positively murderous. To avoid a Wal-Mart-like stampede, Kate might drop it on a grave of an unnamed soldier instead. What a dreary alternative!
Well, sorry to be a pill. I actually can't wait to see the grand event, but until then, I will be biting my fingernails in desperate, somewhat annoyed anticipation.
Strike a pose with playful, jagged stripes. This pleated, tea-length skirt by Rachel Roy adds an artistic flair to any outfit. So must-have! So darling!
Buy it: Rachel Roy Pleat Skirt ($475), Shopbop.com.
I celebrated Easter at a friend's apartment yesterday. She and her roommates had cooked a huge brunch with lots of fruit salad, blueberry muffins, savory quiche, and mimomas. We stuffed ourselves and broke open many Kinder Surprises. (I got a plastic puppy that fit into the tiny rectangular coin pocket in your jeans, that you never know how to use.)
Everyone was wearing pretty floral dresses, but I guess I forgot about that part. Oops. Anyway, I had on a pretty embroidered top with gold threads, no less. For makeup, I used just a touch of berry-colored lipstick, dredged up from the depths from my purse. Honestly, the shade wasn't exactly right, so if I were to do it all over again, I would wear Nars lipstick in Mayflower ($24), which is a sheer berry color as well, instead. Anyway, I worked with what I had around by adding a bit of the rockin' Jurlique Love lip balm ($6.50) for moisture.
Today, normal eggs appeared infinitely less appealing after seeing so many chocolate ones.
The Mayflower is a lipstick and a ship.
P.S. You can keep in the Easter spirit with Lush's Avobath bomb ($6.25), which turns water a shocking springtime green. The avocado and lemongrass oil also leaves your skin and hair extra-soft.
Been a long while since we last chatted. Oh, a whole 20 or so hours! In the meantime, I had a solid night's sleep and many cups of tea.
About two weeks ago, I went to a perfume lecture and absconded with a bottle of Belle en Rykiel perfume. The scent is a light fragrance, sweet and powdery, with a "sparkle of romance" as they say. Anyway, this perfume is charming for the season, and can be worn with a pale linen dress or, I'd say, a sleeveless, crisp checkered blouse and a good skirt.
Now where does one find a bottle like this? I just got off the telephone with a lovely salesperson in France at the Rykiel flagship on Boulevard Saint-Germain. The Sonia Rykiel boutique on Madison Avenue advised that I might be able to find this fragrance at the flagship store in France, but when I dialed Paris, I learned that they have no perfume in the store and they don't know when the company will resume production.
I really think the company may have stopped making this Belle version a long while ago, but there's no time to call the HQ. So many cute French accents, so little time!
If you'd like to try Belle en Rykiel, just write to eyeshadowgovernment [AT] gmail.com and the Eyeshadow Government elves will send you a few teaspoons of this.
Alternatively, I've never shopped here, but FragranceNet.com seems to have some in stock.
XOXO,
Charlotte
LOVE
YouTube: Cass McCombs performing "County Line" at SXSW.(I am happy that this video has more than 450,000 views. The last time I saw McCombs gig in New York, he played a lot of fresh-from-the-weary-long-road material that was really excellent. Such a great songwriter.)
Fashionbater: Been A Long Time. My friend Alexys is all pretty, freckled and jumpsuit-y.
So many of the images we see circulating on the internet and in magazines and newspapers are manipulated using Photoshop.
Some countries have even proposed banning the use of Photoshop in the media, but I believe that would be a form of censorship. Still, it is worthwhile to consider that so much of what we see is actually unreal or slightly false.
Compare what you look like and what your friends look like to an advertisement in a magazine. Then, remind yourself that the advertisement image has been "adjusted." The differences may be slight or drastic to you, but don't forget that what you see is most likely an illusion.
Nobody's perfect! Celebrate your imperfections! They make you you!
The "Spot Healing Brush Tool" and Gaussian Blur are two functions in Photoshop for making imperfections on the skin disappear.
You know I would never lead you in the wrong direction. So many beauty tutorials on the internet are a bit Snooki-esque, in my humble opinion. If you read Eyeshadow Government, you are a) so not allowed to look like a C-list celebrity trainwreck, b) wonderful and c) I adore you.
On with the show! The Sue Devitt makeup line is featured in this step-by-step article because you would need to work really hard to appear anything less than natural and glowy with these products. They are all terrific and easy to apply.
1. Brush a little bit of Sue Devitt Electric Sheen eyeshadow in Cap Ferrat across your eyelids as a base.
2. Sweep Sue Devitt rollerball in Hopetown, a lavender shade, across the eyelids. Some of it can fall slightly above the eyelid area. I love this eyeshadow because it shimmers, but in a subtle way. Gals of every age can wear the Hopetown shade.
3. Then, line your upper eyelids with Sue Devitt Eye Intensifer Pencils in Surat (a pretty and shimmery taupe color, far right) and Ava (a gorgeous shimmery purple, far left). I used both on my top eyelid, but it's up to you. Then, smudge. 4. Also, draw the Surat pencil across the outer corners of your lower eyelid for extra definition. 5. Next, the Eye Illuminator pencil in Epernay (in the center) is perfect for dabbing on the area right below your eyebrow. The Epernay shade opens up your eyes for a "wow" effect. Remember to blend this too.
6. Apply Sue Devitt Hydrating Marine Minerals Tinted Moisturizer in the appropriate shade across your face and blend thoroughly. I used the Moorea shade.
7. For areas that require more coverage, you can add the Sue Devitt foundation too. This shade is Tanami.
8. Finish the look with the Sue Devitt Silky Blush in Los Angeles.
This is me after giving myself this makeover. The lighting in this photo is harsh, but I swear it looked much more natural in person. I immediately received compliments from friends. Also, you can see in the third snapshot I took about six hours later in the day how "barely there" the makeup looks on my skin.
Born in L.A., it's hard for me to say no to anything that reminds me of this city. So I am digging Sue Devitt blush in, uh, what's the name of that shade? Oh yes, "Los Angeles." I applied this blush across my cheekbones with a flat blush brush for an ooh-la-la-land look. The dreamy, pinkish-coral color is perfection.
On to fashion talk! As we rev up for a bohemian summer, your long legs need these. This pair of Wolford tights are psychedelic to the max, and thus excellent attire for reading very long books, conversing with boring people, intimidating your boyfriend, and generally inspiring envy in all those who surround you. Why live any other way?
Wolford Sousan tights. Pair 'em with a monochromatic dress to look wild and classy.
Buy it: Sue Devitt Silky blush in Los Angeles ($20), Barneys.com; Wolford Sousan tights ($55), Net-a-porter.com, BergdorfGoodman.com, NeimanMarcus.com.
Does this picture look familiar? It might if you have been reading Eyeshadow Government regularly. Eyeshadow Government is giving away these four items to one lucky reader.
The first reader to drop us an e-mail wins all this: fabulous Borba Age Defying Micro-Diamond cleanser scrub, Physicians Formula Shimmer Strips shadow in Green Eye candy, rock 'n roll Milani nail polish in Silver and Victoria's Secret Daring Pomegranate lotion.
How to enter: Just write to eyeshadowgovernment [at] gmail.com with your name, e-mail and address.
I was cruising Yoox this morning and espied a cute purse with my binocular-sized glasses.
If you can get a macaw to bring me this Marc Jacobs purse ($275), I will love you forever.
Also, this dashing Marc by Marc Jacobs dress is just the thing to wear on a hot summer day. The sale price, a steal at $225, disappears after this weekend. I think it's quite safari-to-the-streets, you know?
Styling tip: You could wear this dress with flats and a dozen necklaces, but I wouldn't wear it with peep-toe shoes.
I'm leaving my apartment now! Can't wait to soak up the last of the sunshine in Brooklyn! After horrible stupid dreadful weather that I have been kvetching about for ages, today is so so so so so perfect.
I had never heard of L'Bel, but the brand is a direct selling company founded in Peru. Women across Latin America use L'Bel products, and the company only recently entered the U.S. Unlike Mary Kay, L'Bel is a beauty brand with a luxury orientation and all their skincare products are formulated in European laboratories.
The company gave me a few of their products to try out.
So far, I just started using the Neuvive lotion and although my skin is ultra-sensitive, I am impressed with the results. L’Bel Neuvive Renewing and Perfecting Facial Treatment Cream leaves my skin feeling silky and velvety to touch. I will keep on using this product because immediately, I like it a lot.
L'Bel also claims this cream will stimulate the skin's renewal cycle and remove dead skin cells, so I look forward to seeing the long-term effects too. Hooray!
Also, the L'Bel eye makeup remover is definitely a cut above drugstore versions.
Buy it: L’Bel Neuvive Renewing and Perfecting Facial Treatment Cream ($44),L'Bel USA website.
Over the weekend, I attended Beautylish's party at the Crosby Hotel in SoHo. A sea of bloggers and YouTube stars swanned about as Ning Chao, beauty director of Beautylish, charmed everyone with her graceful manners (and that fetching Jill Stuart dress).
On hand at the party were top-notch pros to show us regular gals how it's done. I let Donna Wagner of Pipino Salon style my hair . She created a glamorous, tousled side bun with Wella Professionals products. One great item from the line is Wella Professionals Bold Move Dry Styling paste, which allows you to create texture and movement without weighing your hair down.
If you want to create a bun with romantic flyaways, the Wella Bold Move Dry Styling paste is perfect. It's a) not too sticky and b) leaves a completely invisible finish. Once you smooth your hair with a basic hair spray, part and pull your hair to the side. Begin to twist and pin it into a bun.Then, dab a little of this paste onto the palm your hand. Holding your palm flat, rub your hand across your hairdo to pull out small loose strands. Continue rubbing and mussing your hair, and pinning it into the place. The end result is a gorgeous, devil-may-care look.
Tarte LipSurgence natural lip luster
After my fancy hair update, I happened upon YouTube star Alexa Losey of Smokey Pink Leopard and Cydia, who has more than 150,000 views on her YouTube channel CyDangie. Talk about pint-sized sensations!
The evening was a whirlwind, and I left with an enorm' gift bag chock full of diamond powder face cleanser (crazy, right?) and Tarte LipSurgence natural lip luster in Adored. I just tried the Tarte lip luster today, and it leaves my lips hydrated, smooth and an angelic light pink shade. This is a great product for summer and younger gals just getting into makeup.
Anyhoo, what a party and what a haul! My brimming-with-goodness gift bag weighs more than me. But then again, most things do.... sigh!
“I have never had plastic surgery, and there are many pop singers who have,” said Lady Gaga in interview with Harper's Bazaar. “I think that promoting insecurity in the form of plastic surgery is infinitely more harmful than an artistic expression related to body modification.”
Gaga is living proof that you can adjust your look drastically with just makeup and clothing. Here, she is in interview with E! in one of her many wild get-ups:
I have been in hiding this week inside my room and tending to "business." I am coughing (still), but not yet hospitalized (thank goodness!).
If you were to send me flowers, I hope it would be this though! The new Marc Jacobs Daisy Eau So Fresh perfume is such a delicate fruity and flowery update on the original Daisy scent. J'adore!
Buy it: Marc Jacobs Daisy Eau So Fresh Eau de Toilette ($70), Sephora.
