BeautySweetSpot — Jeannine Morris

makeup

Emmy Rossum, As Real As It Gets

Out of all of the celebs I get to meet and interview for BeautySweetSpot, Emmy Rossum was one of my favorite.  She called last Friday for a scheduled interview and I don't know about her, but I could have talked to her for hours (and I'm not a phone person).  She's hysterical and so real.  I'm intrigued by the way she uses fragrance, believe we should be BFF because we like the same beauty products and know you'll love her Jake Gyllenhaal story. Enjoy the interview!

What was your favorite part of the Elle Women in TV event?

It was sponsored by Hearts on Fire jewelry and the flower arrangements in the middle of the table had jewelry draped from them.  Being the diamond obsessed girl that I am, I started draping myself in it.  I sat with Joe Zee and Emma Roberts, who  also found it fun so we wondered if anyone notice if we left with draped in diamonds.  Turns out, some of the jewelry did go missing!  Imagine? Party favors for all sponsored by Hearts on Fire!

What are your absolute favorite beauty products and why?  

I love the whole Restorsea line, because the technology is really good.  It eats away at the dead skin on top with out harming other layers of my skin.  Their eye cream is always in carry on when I travel since I'm always dehydrated.  I also use the Clarisonic after I remove my makeup to clean out my pores and right now for my hair I'm loving the Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray.  It can turn any hair day into a va-va-voom hair day. I wear a vanilla perfume from Italy that's sold at Barneys regularly.  (This is it - Profumi Di Firenze Vaniglia Del Madagascar.)

Would you say vanilla is your signature scent?

It is now.  I used to wear Viktor and Wolf Flowerbomb until I realized that every guy’s mom and sister wore it too.  You never want to smell like someone's mom.  I’m a very smell conscious person and change the scent that I wear with every character that I play, because it affects my mood and how people respond to me.  

What scent do you wear when you play Fiona on Shameless and why?

When I play Fiona on Scandal I wear patchouli oil, because it makes me feel like her, more earthy, like a girl who showers every other day.  She doesn't smell bad, but she certainly doesn't smell glamorous.   If I were playing a chic character, I'd wear Miss Dior Cherie.

You recently Instagramed a pic of yourself getting a facial and compared it to "a Hannibal Lector costume."  What kind of facial was that?  

I get it all the time at Face Place in LA.  I love it there, because they don’t have a huge spa menu where you can’t figure out what the treatment does and they're all a bizzilion dollars.  They only offer one facial and really specialize in keep you skin clean with extractions, but they do this mask before the extractions that makes them come out painlessly.  In that pic there are also red wires, which give off an electrical pulse to stimulate blood flow.

How do your LA beauty must haves differ from your NYC must haves?

In NY, I go for a red lip and strong brow with lots of nudes.  I feel more encouraged to do fun nail art.  It feels chicer.  In LA, I'm much more casual with softer, beachier hair and a more apricot color palette.

Which look do you prefer?

NY always feels more natural to me, because I’m from here, but I can def embrace the more relaxed “be yourself” attitude LA has to offer.  However, I wont go anywhere wearing a track suit!

What was your most embarrassing beauty moment?

The day before I began filming my first big movie, The Day After Tomorrow, I got a huge pimple right between eyebrows and didn’t practice what I preach, which is don't pick.  Of course I took a needle out of sewing kit and was left with a huge scab on my face.   Jake Gyllenhaal called me third eye.  It was red, puffy, bruised and scabbed!  Ironically, that scene in the movie was cut, but I don't think it's because of my pimple.  Now, I never ever pick pimples.

Bridal Beauty Countdown: 1 Year

Get engaged over the holidays?  Congrats!  So many people I know did, but if you're not the one rocking the new bling this year, chances are you know someone who is. With less than five months until my wedding (yay!) all of my beauty ducks are in a row.  When I started planning, I spoke with some of my favorite beauty experts to map out my regimen.  Of course, it's only right I share it with you.  I'll be posting a series, but here's what you should be thinking about at one year.

Skin: Visit your dermatologist.  “Brides-to-be come to me all the time with concerns of getting that perfect glow for the day, clearing up any existing acne and evening out the skin tone/pigmentation,” explains Dr. Ilyse Lefkowicz.  When it comes to skincare it’s best to begin addressing any concerns when you first get engaged so your dermatologist can put you on a plan. “I like patients to be on a routine specific to their skin type for at least two months, so they can clean up as much as possible, and then we can use some office-based procedures in conjunction,” says Dr. Lefkowicz.

Smile: If you’re looking to get any dental work done beyond whitening, now’s the time to go see your dentist or orthodontist.  “When women get engaged, they’re motivated to look their best for their wedding, and just like women wanting to get into shape, I see a lot of women wanting to straighten their teeth,” says Dr. Joseph Hung, a NYC-based orthodontist.  He recommends Invisalign, because the clear aligners effectively straighten teeth without impeding your social life.

Hair: Unwanted hair.  How nice would it be to not have to worry about hairy legs, underarms, bikini line (the list goes on) on your honeymoon? This is the time to consult with a dermatologist or laser specialist about laser hair removal services.

Makeup: Take a makeup class.  I thought about doing this, but instead asked for a makeup lesson during my makeup trial, which I booked early. Even if you don't plan on doing your makeup on your wedding day, you still want to make sure you really know what you're doing for all of the parties up to the it – engagement, bridal, bachelorette, rehearsal dinner, etc.

 

Grammy Beauty Highs and Lows

The Grammys were filled with highs last night – from Beyonce and Jay Z's super sexy performance to Drunk in Love to couples getting married to Same Love – the show lived up to expectations.  The red carpet however, was full of major hits and misses.  If you were following along on Twitter, I was live tweeting red carpet looks and had a great time with many of you.  Thanks for joining in!  Here are some of the most shocking Grammy beauty highs and lows.  

HIGH: Beyonce's body.  Enough said.  I made it to an early barre class on a Monday morning and I bet you got your workout in already as well.

LOW: Madonna wore a grill.  Why?  Under her signature, perfectly painted red lip, the songstress decided she needed a gold grill.  Did you catch the moment on the red carpet where she told her son he could get one for his birthday?  Eh.

HIGH: Taylor Swift's Barbie inspired ponytail.  Good for her for rocking such a playful, feminine look with that metallic Gucci gown.  It almost made me want to get a clip on one so I can swish my hair back and forth like her.

LOW: Ariana Grande's hair tie.  Yes, it made an appearance yet again.  Will someone get this girl a hair stylist? 

HIGH: Paris Hilton's texturized updo.  While I never thought I'd include her in any sort of positive write up again, I have to hand it to the heiress.  Her hair was on point last night.  Kudos to her stylist. 

LOW: Rita Ora's nails.  Seriously?  While I can still get behind nail art, hers looked like trash.

HIGH: Jared Leto's ombre.  I haven't been able to keep my mind off of him all awards season.  Let's just say it's all because of his hair.  You too?  Then check this out and thank me later.

LOW: Sara Bareilles's "Katniss Everdeen" inspired braids.  Fail.  I think "inspired" is the wrong word.  She actually looked like she was a poor 16 year old fighting for survival.

 

Makeup Artist Tips for Wearing Color on Your Lids

If you tell me that this behind the scenes photo of Entertainment Tonight host, Rocsi Diaz doesn't make you want to start embracing purple shadow, then I'm at a loss.  A bit deeper than Spring's hottest hue, Radiant Orchid, Diaz's makeup artist, Jamie Greenberg, gave me the rundown on how to to wear the shade on your lids even if you're a bit skeptical of wearing  intense pigments.

"When it comes to a shade like Radiant Orchid it's all about gradiation," says Greenberg. "If you're nervous about color then use a light touch so it's a lesser version of the actual color. Or, start experimenting by only using Radiant Orchid as eyeliner, for a nice safe accent. If you're feeling bold then start to layer more on! The great thing about one bold color is that you can wear it many different ways."

FYI: To get Diaz's exact color, use mark’s I-mark’s Wet/Dry Eyeshadow in Truffle along the lid and Lava in the crease of the eye.

Winning Sundance Beauty Looks

We may use this frigid weather as an excuse to rock the careless no-makeup/messy-hair look. However, we should really look towards the celebs at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival for  snow bunny chic inspiration. No matter he weather, they put their best faces forward. Here's how one woman kept Chloe Grace Moretz and Ashley Greene looking haute.

Chloe Grace Moretz did not disappoint at her Laggies film premiere with a textured, fashion inspired topknot. Hairstylist, Kerrie Urban started by spraying Moretz’s damp hair with Leonor Greyl’s Voluforme in sections and then blow-dried it with a large round brush.

After loosely combing all of her hair back, she pulled it into a high pony and teased it before wrapping it into a bun and slightly pulling it apart.  She even pulled out wispy pieces, to finish off the loosely textured look.

As a woman of many talents, Kerrie Urban also worked as  Ashley Greene's makeup artist to create a fresh look for the Wish I was Here premiere. It all began by creating an skin even tone with the help of  Chanel Aqua Lumiere and Antonym Baked Foundation in Light.

To brighten Greene’s eyes, Urban worked with Antonym’s Certified Organic Quattro Eye Shadow Palette in Noisette.  First, she swept a layer of pale gold across Greene’s lids from lash line to the crease then added a brown shimmer shade in the outer corners of her eyes and crease line. For liner, Urban used a waterproof black eye pencil on the top lash line and smudged a light line of a matte brown shade from the Quattro Eye Shadow Palette on the bottom. Urban finished it off with a few coats of mascara and a few individual lashes.  The pop of bright raspberry on Greene’s lips help to accentuate the artistry on her lips.

And the Award Goes to... Claire Danes

After much debate, I'm giving Claire Danes the award for 'Best Overall Look' at the SAG Awards this weekend.  Runners up included: Cate Blanchette, who's clearly owning it this season (pic), and Julia Roberts, (that hair)!  Homeland's Miss Carrie Mathison though, had it all going on from her sexy, blue smokey eyes and berry lips to her voluminous blowout and elegant Vionnet VIP gown.  Who wouldn't want to look like her? 

Her glam squad consisted of dream team, Peter Butler and Matin Maulawizada, who together, complimented her gown with a modern, sexy look.  Butler's mission was to create effortless, relaxed hair full of body and texture.  He blew it out with John Frieda Luxorious Volume, Volume Building Mousse to ensure her hair had control.  Matin (who never goes by his last name) created shimmery smokey eyes lined with cobalt blue liner reminiscent of the '80's with Laura Mercier Crème Eye Liner in Cobalt and mostly Laura Mercier Baked Eye Colour in Mystical and Laura Mercier Satin Matte Eye Colour in Dark Spirit.

 

 

Red Carpet, Red Lips: Steal Their Shades

From cherry red shades donned by Zooey Deschanel, Taylor Swift and Sofia Vergara to more crimson colors like those of Jennifer Lawrence and Elizabeth Moss and even orangey reds like Drew Barrymore'sred lips were a huge hit on the Golden Globes red carpet tonight.  Like a little black dress, it's an elegant and timeless look – if done right.  See a shade you like?  Here are the exact colors the leading ladies were wearing.

Zooey Deschanel's makeup artist, Jorjee Douglass, mixed Tarte LipSurgence matte lip tint in Fiery with LipSurgence power pigment in Tipsy.

Jennifer Lawrence's makeup artist, Ve Neill, used Rouge Dior Lipstick in Prune Daisy.

Drew Barrymore's makeup artist, Debra Ferullo, applied Flower Lip Suede Velvet Lip Chubby in Red-dy to Bloom from Drew's own makeup collection.

The Trick to Instant Red Carpet Skin

I just got off of the phone with the makeup artist who's been responsible for Kate Mara's looks throughout the past nine years,  Coleen Campbell-Olwell.  Believe it or not, after 13 years of creating red carpet looks, this awards season is still giving her the jitters.  The House of Cards actress has Coleen booked today through Sunday for Golden Globes festivities.  Of course she'll be wearing different looks, but the key to perfect makeup all boils down to one thing – perfect skin.  Here, Coleen dishes how she gives her clients red carpet skin – instantly.

"Everybody's skin is different, but dehydration is one of the biggest and most common challenges when doing red carpet makeup," Coleen explains.  "Because my clients are flying a lot and constantly wearing makeup, I need to find products that'll hydrate their skin immediately."

During awards season, about an hour and a half is allotted to hair and makeup.  Yes, that's it. So there's no time for fancy tricks.  When I asked her about facials she said, "I recommend my clients get a facial a week before a big event, but no closer, because you never know if they're going to breakout or peel afterwards."

All of the real magic happens in her chair.   "I didn’t have great skin when I was younger, so I'm very careful about the skincare products I use on my clients and test them out on myself first," she explains.  Leaving no room for reactions, her two go-go's are Orlane Super Moitsturizing Light Cream and Absolute Skin Recovery Care Eye Contour.  "The creme hydrates instantly without being greasy and I find that most eye creams are too rich, but this eye contour is the perfect consistency and gets rid of puffiness."

Of course, the right products create a great base for makeup application and help make the look last all night, but it's the way Coleen applies them, that takes the whole look up a notch. "I use the slip in the moisturizer to massage the skin working outwards, which helps to pull out any excess fluid in the face and reduce puffiness," she explains.  Her regimen is to do three strokes on each side of the forehead, from the side of the nose out to the ear, down the neck and on each side of the chin.

The Exact Products Used to Get Beth Behrs's Look

Whenever there's a red carpet to watch, I stalk makeup artist, Jamie Greenberg's work.  Sure enough, she killed it again last night by giving Two Broke Girls star, Beth Behrs a look like no other.  While I noticed nude lips were dominating the red carpet last night at the People's Choice Awards, she gave Beth a punchy coral pout and it worked.  Here are details from Jamie on exactly what products were used to get Beth's look and behind the scenes pics.

1. Prep the face with Laura Mercier Hydrating Foundation Primer and then apply mark's Got The Goods Multi-Benefit Foundation Lotion SPF 15 all over.

2. Apply mark's Super Conceal Full Coverage Concealer under the eyes, then sweep mark's Touch and Glow Shimmer Cream Cubes across cheekbones.

3. Next, apply mark's Please Hold Eye Primer all over the eye lid and apply mark's On The Dot Smokey Color Compact in navy (bottom right shade) to the outer corners of the eye.

4. Line the top lash line with Avon's SuperShock Gel Eye Liner Pencil in Blackout and the bottom lash line with mark's No Place To Run Longwear Eyeliner in Jet Set.

5. Finish the eyes with three layers of Ardell Natural Individual Lashes and two coats of bareMineral Flawless Definition Waterproof Mascara.

6. Complete the look with mark's Lipclick Full Color Lipstick in Coral Fixation.

Kat Graham & I Talk the Prepping for the Perfect Kiss

Something I purposely left out of my New Year's Eve post was meeting Kat Graham from Vampire Diaries at the Hard Rock Cafe.  Our conversation deserved a post all on it's own. As Nivea's event host, we appropriately got into a conversation about the midnight kiss!  Both with our fiancés about to ring in our wedding year, we all dissected the "perfect" kiss.  From the ball drop to the alter and anytime in between, here's how to prep for that kiss. "Having a crazy red lip or dark lip, may be fun and feel sexy, but when it's all about the kiss, your guy will surely back away," Kat laughed.  Her fiancé was shaking his head, laughing in agreement.  "No guy wants that coming at him," he exclaimed.

This supports a theory I have that men hate red lipstick, which I blogged about in 2012 (see post here), where my fiancé comments, "It's annoying."  The perfect kiss can't be distracting.  You need to lose yourselves in each other and not worry about whether your lip color is going to end up on his face or all over yours.

The solution?  When it's date night, don't do your makeup to impress the girls.  Wear it for him.  Play up your eyes, make sure your lips are moisturized and add a just hint of natural color. "He's been kissing me all night," Kat gushed.  Her pucker up go-to: Nivea Kiss of Cherry Flavored Tinted Lip Care.

 

Mascara Tips for Bombshell Lashes

bomb·shell n. One that is sensationally shocking, surprising, or amazing.  One who is very attractive.  When thinking of what makes someone look like a total bombshell the first things that come to mind are a head-turning blowout and long, thick lashes that compliment enticing eyes.  The blowout?  I like to cheat and leave it up to the pros, but there's a new drugstore mascara on the market that's a real game changer – an impressive 2-step wand by CoverGirl that takes lashes to the next level. The mascara's called Bombshell Volume, which is part of CoverGirl's new LashBlast collection that also includes ShineShadow and Intensity Liner.  It's dual ended, but unlike other dual ended mascaras which have serums on one end and mascara on the other, this one has mascara on both sides.  Step one is a fat brush with short, plastic bristles that helps to build volume on your lashes and step two is a thinner, tapered brush with longer bristles that help to intensify the volume and shape your lashes.

 

It's genius, really.  How many of you normally use two or even three different mascaras at a time, because they each deliver something different?   This one wand, really is the answer to that.  Here are some tips for use to make sure you're really getting bombshell lashes.

  1. Take your time.  We often rush through applying our mascara, but truth is, achieving bombshell lashes is an art.
  2. Wiggle at the base, then drag.  Treat the brush like a comb.  Place it at the base of your lashes and wiggle it so the bristles sit in between them and then pull up.  This helps to define and separate them.
  3. Don't forget the outer corners.  The lashes on the outer corners of your eyes are often skipped.  Make sure to coat them as they help to make your eyes appear bigger.
  4. Skip pumping the wand.  Never pump your mascara wand in and out of the tube to get more product. It creates air in the tube, which causes it to clumping.
  5. Stick with two coats.  Believe it or not, less is more here, too.  You don't want your mascara to dry in between coats and when over-applying it's a risk you take.  Say hello to flakes.

 

You can find the new CoverGirl Bombshell collection at Ulta.

Want to try it?  Of course you do!  I'm giving away the CoverGirl Bombshell collection and a $100 ULTA Beauty Gift Card.  Follow @BeautySweetSpot on Twitter & RT my tweets about the giveaway for a chance to win!  The winner will be chosen at random on 1/10. 

Also, from January 5th through January 25th, all CoverGirl products are buy one get one 50 percent off at Ulta!  Happy Shopping!

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

 

Being Naked is In

Last week I stopped by NBC's New York Live to show my friends Sara Gore and Jaque Reid '5 Winter Beauty Trends to Try.'  Check them out.  I'm sure you'll find one or two you can own this season.  Also, I listed all of the products I featured below. 1. Nude Nails: Clinique A Different Nail Enamel, $12.50 ea. at Clinique.com

2. Matte Complexion: Ponds Luminous Finish BB+, $9.99 at drugstores

3. Mega Volume: göt2b 2sexy voluptuous spray mousse, $5.99 at drugstores

4. Burgundy Lips: Mehron L.I.P. Color Cream, $7.95 at mehron.com

5. Colorful Lids: Wet n’ Wild Color Icon Eyeshadow Trio, $2.99 at drugstores

Holiday Gift Guide: Stocking Stuffers

Opening stockings is one of my favorite things to do on Christmas morning!  Filled with tiny treasures of 'just because' loot, I love how they're full of surprises.  Here, I rounded up some of the coolest beauty miniatures that are clearly, this years stocking essentials. Deborah Lippmann 'R&B' Mini Nail Lacquer Duet, $19, includes two hot colors, "Between the Sheets" (fuschia) and "Birthday Party" (glitter),  in a cute little sparkly pouch.  Wear the polishes alone or layer them for a fun, festive look.

Lather Daily Brew Lip Balms, $16.50, for a pack of three cafe-inspired balms. Break them up amongst three different stockings or gift them together.  Flavors include Fresh Coffee, Vanilla Latte and Green Tea.

Nordstrom Ombre Travel Brush Set, $29, includes four synthetic, must-have makeup brushes – a powder brush, an allover eyeshadow brush, contour eyeshadow brush and a flat eyeliner brush.  Plus, there's a cute texturized pouch to store them in.

Bliss Mistletoe Must-Haves, $12, consists of two date night essentials: Fabulips Softening Lip Balm and a mini High Intensity Hand Cream.

Bite Beauty The Lip Kit, $38, includes four double ended lipsticks in punchy shades.

Demeter Humongous Miniatures, $6 ea., come in a set of four mini (1/2 oz.) single note fragrances in Sugar Plum, Snow, Gingerbread and Mistletoe.  Purchase one kit and toss them into four different stockings.

Beauty Products to Be Thankful For

Happy Thanksgiving, guys!  My friends over at BeautyHigh did a piece this week  (check it out here) on what beauty insiders are thankful for and included yours truly, so I decided to do a piece on what beauty product your most thankful for!  After all, I'm thankful for your readership and continued support!  There were so many great responses, but here are a few that really stood out.Tweet, tweet!  I asked, "What beauty product are you guys #thankful for, from @BeautySweetSpot.  

YSL Touche Eclat is available at Sephora for $40.

Yes to Carrots Facial Towelettes are available at drugstores for $4.97.

Armani Luminous Silk Foundation is available at Nordstrom for $60.

Miss Jessie's Creme de la Creme is available at MissJessies.com for $8.40.

Benefit High Beam is available at Sephora for $26.

Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer is available at Sephora for $28.

Black Friday & Cyber Monday Steals & Deals

Tis' the season to shop!  I've collected some of the best beauty deals for Black Friday and Cyber Monday so all you have to do is click and shop this weekend.  Forget fighting crowds.  Some of the best online deals last all weekend long so chill out and relax after Turkey Day.

BLACK FRIDAY

CARGO:  50% off the Let’s Meet in Paris Mini Lip Gloss Kits; purchase for $8 (a $16 value) at Ulta.com

Peter Thomas Roth:  20% off site-wide. Shoppers can score great deals on the hero products at PeterThomasRoth.com.

URBAN DECAY:  Get a 6-piece bundle of Revolution Lipstick for only $50 (a $132 value). Get travel sizes of All Nighter Makeup Setting Spray, Supercurl Mascara and Eyeshadow Primer Potion, as well as the Black Market 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil Set, for $35 (a $72 value.) All on UrbanDecay.com.

NORDSTROM:Over 80 gifts with purchase. Choose from dozens of free gifts with purchase featuring fantastic values, including Estee Lauder, Smashbox, Jo Malone London, Clarisonic, Bobbi Brown and more! Visit shop.nordstrom.com.

CYBER MONDAY

ERNO LASZLO:  Receive an 8-piece “Big Beauty Bonus” – the brand’s biggest GWP offering yet – with any purchase of $200 or more at ernolaszlo.com.

URBAN DECAY: Get the Smoked Palette and an Eyeshadow Primer Potion Travel Duo for $40 (a $58 value). Urban Decay is also throwing back to 2011 with a revival of the Book of Shadows Vol. IV, complete with a deluxe Revolution Lipstick sample. If you missed out then, now’s your chance to score one, and for only $25 (a $64 value) at urbandecay.com.

LISA HOFFMAN BEAUTY: 50% off all day.  Spend $100 on lisahoffmanbeauty.com  and receive a free perfume set.  Use code LHCYBER.

MYCHELLE DERMACEUTICALS: 50% off the entire site with code CYBER13 at MyChelle.com.

 ALL WEEKEND DEALS

AHAVA: 40% off the entire site exclusively from Wednesday, 11/27 through Cyber Monday, 12/2 at ahavaus.com

ALTERNA: Purchase the 3 Steps to Flawless Hair Kit, containing Caviar Moisture Shampoo, Caviar Moisture Conditioner and Caviar CC Cream for only $10.00 (a $26.00 value) at Sephora

ALBA BOTANICA: Enter ‘ALBATHANKYOU’ at check-out and receive a Buy 2 Get 1 Free deal on any products available at albabotanica.com

AVALON ORGANICS: Enter ‘AVALONTHANKS’ at check-out and receive 20% entire purchase at avalonorganics.com

BLISS:  20% off all full size bliss, Elemis and Remede products (sets not included)

 H20+  $25 off your $100 purchase all day.  Early Bird Shopping: Receive free gift of choice with ANY purchase 6am - 10am at h2oplus.com / 10am-1pm (stores) 

PEARL: 40% off the Pearl Brilliant and Gentle White systems at iconicpearl.com

TANDA: 40% off of TANDA’s acne-clearing and anti-aging LED devices with code tanda40 at tanda.com

PANGEA ORGANICS: Buy 1 get 1 free, plus free shipping on all orders of $100+ at pangeaorganics.com

MOROCCAN OIL: Receive complimentary full-sized products with the purchase of a Moroccanoil.com e-Gift Card. In addition, free shipping is available on all purchases $55 and up.

BUTTER LONDON: 20% off site wide (excluding product marked at “last-call”) and 50% off “last-call” items. Use code CYBER13 at butterlondon.com.

OUIDAD: 20% off all orders during check out and an additional 25% off all orders over $60 at Ouidad.com.

Cheap Cosmetic Brand Worth Checking Out

After testing out beauty products for about eight years now as part of my profession, there's one brand that I'm constantly wowed by because they keep their costs at an all time low, yet make great cosmetics.  Can you guess which brand I'm talking about?  e.l.f.  They start at just $1, (seriously, what can we buy for a buck these days), I had to find how they've stayed so true their concept for so long.  Here, I talked to their Creative Director, Achelle, to get the 411. What are some of e.l.f's hero products and why?

Some of our fan favorites would be the following however:

Essential Waterproof Eyeliner Pen, $2, this long wearing eyeliner is easy to apply and creates bold lines to accentuate the eyes

Studio Contouring Blush & Bronzing Powder, $3, the perfect duo to create beautiful contouring for a year round glow

11 Pc Studio Brush Collection, $30, This is an extreme value set and the perfect assortment of quality high performing brushes.

How is it that e.l.f is so affordable, yet of high quality?

We pride ourselves on luxury products at an affordable price. We work diligently to keep costs down, which allows us to invest more in our packaging and formulas.

When was e.l.f. founded and how have things changed since?

e.l.f. was founded in 2004 and has been on a strong and steady growth process ever since. We started as an e-commerce site and now have grown to partner with retailers like Target, Walgreens, and Wal-Mart, not to mention we launched our flagship store here in NYC which we are very excited about.

What is the price range today?

Our individual products range from $1, $2 in the Essential Line, $3 and $6 in the Studio line, and $3, $5, $8 in the Mineral Line

Congratulations on opening a flagship in NYC!  What's next for e.l.f?

Thank you!! We are thrilled about the success of our store. We have some of the best customers and we very excited about giving them a new way to explore the brand. We in fact have plans to expand here in New York with a second e.l.f. studio store and potentially roll out to additional locations due to the multitude of requests we have received from our customers who are asking for e.l.f. Studio stores in their city.

Get the Look: Hailee Seinfeld's Exact Makeup

Hailee Steinfeld walked the red carpet at the premiere of her latest film Ender’s Game last week in Hollywood, California and for a young thing, I thought she looked pretty grown up. Her eye makeup was a complete work of art so I got the scoop from her makeup artist, Stephen Sollitto, on how to get her look.  Of course, the eye was the most complex, but the rest was suprisingly simple. Skin

"To make sure Hailee's skin looked its best, we started by using Bioré Pore Unclogging Scrub to exfoliate and refine the skin. I can't express how important a clean healthy canvas is for makeup," he explained.  MAC Face and Body foundation, was then applied to Hailee's face, which Sollitto says works well on most women, because it allows makeup artists to go light or heavy depending on the area of the face.

Eyes

"I used purples hues to bring out the gold in her eyes," he explained. He first brushed a bronze shadow, Votre Vu Copper Suede, across her lids and underneath her bottom lashes. Then, in order to give her some definition at her lashes, he used NARS Gel Liner in Tatar (this is a purple that reads black to most people, but it is softer) as well as MAC's Strong Willed Pencil, which he smudged back and forth for a softer look. Next, he took a small, but wide eye shadow brush and swept MAC Red Violet under her lashes and out at the corners of her eyes. Finally, he lined her inner bottom lids with Laura Mercier Violet Pencil and added two Coats of Benefit Bad Gal Lash in black.

Lips

Jouer Moisturizing Gloss in Riviera was used to help mimic the sequins of her top and give the look longevity.

Cheeks

His go-to product was the Laura Mercier Creme Cheek Blush in Praline.