Katie Holmes Turns It Up at the Golden Globes

Draped in an eggplant Marchesa gown, Katie Holmes looked stunning on last night's Golden Globes red carpet.  Her dramatic deep side parted pony paired with intensely lined eyes stood out from all of the other hair and makeup.  Overall, she was a picture of perfection.  Agree? Her makeup artist, Genevieve Herr, and hair stylist, DJ Quinterno, filled me in on how to get her look along with the exact products they used to create it.

Skin

“The most important step to looking amazing on the red carpet is to take care of your skin, and Katie has great skin,” said Genevieve. “Makeup artists cannot work wonders without a great foundation.”  That being said, Genevieve prepped Katie's skin with Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Serum and Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream.

Eyes

Because it's soft and smudges easily, Genevieve always uses kohl pencil.  On Katie, she used Laura Mercier in Black Violet.  Then, using the Lancome Violet Sweetheart set, she applied a dark amethyst color on the lids, and blended in a smokey black eye shadow.

Pony

With the words, "clean" and "modern" in mind, DJ started her dramatic side ponytail by applying Alterna Haircare Bamboo Smooth Pure Kendi Treatment Oil and letting it soak for 10 minutes before shampooing.  Then, on damp hair, DJ mixed a small amount of the Alterna Haircare Caviar Seasilk Oil Gel with the Alterna Haircare Caviar Anti-Aging Omega (+) Nourishing Oil and brushed it through with a Mason Pearson brush.

After side parting and blowdrying with a round brush, DJ used a thin Sedu Revolution Diamond flatiron, from root to tip, to create a super smooth look.  Securing her hair at the nape of her neck with a bungee, he also wrapped several small pieces of hair around the bungee to hide it, and secured those strands with bobby pins.  DJ finished by spraying a supple amount of finishing spray to the top of Katie’s head, and applied a dime-size amount of Alterna Haircare Bamboo Smooth Kendi Dry Oil Micromist to her ends.

Everyday Beauty Buys that Make Cluttering Your Medicine Cabinet Worth It

I'll admit it, my vanity is like a rotating door of the "latest and greatest" from drugstores, department stores and specialty stores and I'm rarely ever faithful to one product for too long, unless it really wows me.  Hey, it's my job!  The crazy thing is, in my bathroom Joe and I have four cabinets... three of them are taken up by me!  Even though I don't use all of the products at once, I have to have them all on call for different reasons.  I found some disturbing statistics about how often people clean out their medicine cabinets and have some advice, plus suggestions on new product finds! Being that I'm always shuffling products in and out of my medicine cabinet, I never have to worry about expiration dates because I'm really using them and trying something new.  However, I find that I'm a minority!  In a recent survey by Vaseline, they found that more than one in three women admit to cleaning out their medicine cabinet less than once every two years.  Hello, ladies: products expire!  They also found that 27% of women admit to having a product in their medicine cabinet that has been there for more than three years.  Gross.  I highly recommend staying on top of expiration dates and trying new things!  Here are some of my latest recommendations:

Alterna Bamboo 48 Hour Volume Spray, $24 at Sephora

I use this to add volume at my roots before blowing out my hair.  Unlike other volumizers I've used in the past, it doesn't leave my hair sticky and really boosts volume without weighing my hair down.

Vaseline Total Moisture, $6.99 at drugstores

This lotion actually absorbs into my skin and doesn't just sit on top of it, which is major! It actually does everything so I don’t need to use more than one lotion.  I apply it when I get out of the shower in the morning and my skin feels moisturized, not greasy all day and night.

Make Up Forever Sens'Eyes Makeup Remover, $24 at Sephora

Before washing my face at night I apply this makeup remover to a cotton pad and let it sit on my mascara for a minute before wiping it off.  It removes eye makeup quickly and easily so I don't have to rub it off and doesn't irritate my eyes.

Perricone MD Vitamin C Esther, $120 at Nordstrom

After washing my face before bed I apply this Vitamin C all over my face before I moisturize.  The package comes in four tubes, one for each week, and after a month you're suposed to see a brighter complexion.  I'm on week two.

Q-tips Precision Tips, $2.49 at drugstores

A must!  I don't leave home without them.  I use them to clean up makeup around my eyes and apply lip balm regularly.  I have a bunch of these little travel cases and always throw one in my suitcase, because I hate the ones that have in hotels!

Bliss That's Incredi-Peel, $49 at blissworld.com

Once a week I swipe one pad across my face after I wash and it acts like an overnight facial.  Made with glycolic acid, it works overnight with time release technology to help exfoliate and retexturize my skin.

Tresemme 24 Hour Body Finishing Spray, $4.49 at drugstores

A true, touchable hairspray that leaves my hair shiny.  There's nothing worse than crunchy hairspray!

Renee Rouleau Mint Buffing Beads, $41.50 at reneerouleau.com

I use these microscopic beads as a facial exfoliant about once a week to remove dead skin cells and help keep my pores unclogged.  They're so finely granulated that they feel like the softest sand particles on my face and leave it smoother than a baby's butt.

*This post is sponsored by Vaseline, but all of my actions and thoughts are true.

Backstage Erin Fetherston Was A Wonderland

Though a product of the '90's, I've always loved the style of the sixties. The voluminous hair, the bright colors, and all of the eye makeup! When I stepped backstage at Erin Fetherston, I knew I had walked into a personal fairytale land. Esther Langham for Alterna on Beauty.com created four hair looks to complement Erin's Spring/Summer collection; a french twist, low side ponytail, low middle ponytail, and braided top knot.

All of these styles started with creating volume by backcombing the hair and spraying with Alterna's Bamboo Volume Uplifting Root Blast. Then it was tousled to give it a natural feel. To help style, Esther used Alterna's Bamboo Volume Weightless Whipped Mousse. Each look was finished with Alterna's Bamboo Smooth Anti- Humidity Hair Spray.

Though each look was beautiful, the one I know I will be copying is the ponytail. Start by backcombing the hair and creating a two inch center part. Secure the ponytail at the nape of the neck and wrap a section of hair around the elastic. In minutes you've got the perfect Sharon Tate style hair.

The nails by Nonie Creme of Butter London were super special. Nonie and Erin collaborated to create a custom color for the collection. They blended "Tea with the Queen" and "Pink Ribbon" to create a subdued and simple manicure.

The make up by James Kaliardos for MAC was absolutely stunning. Mia Farrow inspired, the look was youthful and whimsical. The skin was left bare except for Match Master Foundation and Peach blush on the cheeks. The eyes and the lips stole the show with their dramatic finishes. The eyes, like the nail polish, were custom made for Erin's show. The false lashes were cut on the ends and longer in the center (Like Mia Farrow's haircut in Rosemary's Baby for the eyes!). The lashes were then coated in many layers of Opulash Black Mascara. For the shadow and liner, James used Blacktrack as a base with Carbon on top to create a very dark look. To highlight and make the eyes bigger, he put SuperSlick in silver under the eyes and smudged Luna in the corners. To really emphasize the fun, bright style, James finished with lipstick in either Flamingo (light pink), orange, or dark pink.

Makeup artist Caitlin Callahan's tip to try the look at home (which I did as soon as I got back to my apartment) was to do the smoky eye in just one color as opposed to the tri-color most of us are used to. Make sure the lashes are curled and use extra mascara in the center. Most importantly, don't shy away from the bright lip! Erin showed us that it IS possible to do a smoky eye with a lipstick that isn't nude!

^Even Erin had her makeup done like the models!

A Peak Inside My Personal Styling Kit

Lately I've been doing a few photo shoots for various beauty and fashion brands and TV segments that require models and I've complied the ultimate emergency kit for these types of situations.  It's been so essential to my career that I have to share it with you.  These products have been life saviors, never mind how perfect the makeup bag is! The Sonia Kashuk Roll Up Valet bag folds out into four sections making it super easy to organize (and believe it or not is under $20).  Inside I have a variety just-in-cases like binder clips, safety pins and Hollywood Fashion Tape for fashion emergencies.  KohGenDo Cleansing Spa Water with cotton pads, Q-tips, Skindinavia Makeup Setting Spray, a nail file, Alterna hairspray, hair clips, tiny scissors, Ardell false lashes, tweezers and clear nail polish (you never know when you may get a run).

What are your emergency go-tos?