An American Beauty: 3 Questions with Kat Von D

In honor of Kat Von D's American Beauty Art Show beginning at Sephora Miami on December 1st—we stole a few quick minutes with the beauty icon as she prepares for the big debut to ask her about the inspiration behind the collection—and what 'American Beauty' means to her.

B&TB: Your collection is named New American Beauty. How do you define American beauty?
KVD: Maybe I was programmed differently but to me, the idea of beauty is something so far removed from anything surface. I’m sure Hollywood and all of its billboards may disagree with me, but as fleeting as trends can be, so is the lifeline of these material things we've become so attached to—a youthful appearance, dress size, etc. Meanwhile, your true self—the beauty within—is everlasting. From my perspective: strength, altruism, wisdom, independence, individuality, creativity, and presence are characteristics of true American beauty.

B&TB: How did you become involved with the charity, Art of Elysium?
KVD: One of my all time favorite modern day figurative painters, Kevin Llewellyn had mentioned several times to me his experiences working with AoE. He described to me these amazing exchanges of energy that would take place when he would go draw with these kids at the Children's Hospitals. After my first time joining Kevin at a workshop, there was absolutely no denying that this was something important, and I wanted to be a part of what AoE was doing as much as possible.

B&TB: Where do you find your daily inspiration?
KVD: Living in the city of Los Angeles has always been a daily inspiration for me, not because I’m biased to the West Coast but because I believe it’s important to be inspired by your surroundings. The city offers a wide spectrum of cultures from all over the world—you can see this in the people walking by, the fashion, the food, the architecture, and in the art that comes from here. Of course, LA is my biggest muse, second only to love.

Twitter Giveaway: Win Tickets to Kat Von D’s #NEWAMERICANBEAUTY Show in Miami

Kat Von D—the renowned American tattoo artist, television personality and creator of one of Sephora’s bestselling beauty lines—is taking her passion back to the drawing board. She’s created eight limited-edition art prints for her New American Beauty Art Show debuting at Sephora Miami South Beach during the city’s Art Basel from December 1st-December 4th. During those 4 days, the first 100 to purchase a print of Kat’s work at the Sephora Miami location will receive a wristband to attend a premiere party that evening (learn more details about the event here).

In addition, ten lucky Twitter winners (+ a guest) will win exclusive tickets to the Art Opening Party hosted by Kat herself on December 1 at Sephora Miami South Beach, where the original works of art will be displayed.

To enter #NEWAMERICANBEAUTY Twitter Giveaway:

1.Follow @Sephora on Twitter.

2. On Tuesday, November 29, beginning at 10:00am PST, we'll ask 5 trivia questions on Twitter throughout the day with a link to either a post on Beauty and the Blog or Sephora.com where you can find the answer.

3.Tweet @Sephora with the correct answer and the hashtag #NEWAMERICANBEAUTY to be entered to win one of 10 tickets to meet Kat Von D at her New American Beauty opening.

4.Sephora will choose 2 winners at random from among our Twitter followers that answered the question correctly within one hour of the trivia tweet. 10 prize packages will be given away on November 28.

For official rules, click here.

Good luck!

Black Friday is Coming to Sephora

For the biggest shopping day of the year, we're giving you a chance to cross your list off early. Sephora is specially pricing a handpicked selection of gifts at $10—available for preview now on Facebook. Then, on Black Friday, shop sephora.com starting at 12am, for your favorites. You can also shop in store—most of our locations offer extended hours. See times here.

Tarina Tarantino Sparkles for a Good Cause

For auction: one-of-one, limited-edition collectibles from jewelry designer and makeup artist, Tarina Tarantino, ending tomorrow on Ebay

For a good cause: 100% of the final sale price will support The Art of Elysium, a nonprofit that organizes artistic workshops for children battling serious illnesses.

For her biggest fans: A pink Vespa with a matching helmet made of hand-crystallized Swarovski gems, auctioned separately.

For the beauty obsessed: Every item up for auction ships with a massive beauty basket, a $218 value, featuring an assortment of Tarina’s beauty bestsellers.

Hurry—Tarina's celebrity auctions end tomorrow, November 16. Swoop in with your last-minute bids here.

Win It: Especially Escada Signed By Bar Refaeli

We’re raising the bar this week with a giveaway to delight the senses. Earlier this month, Supermodel Bar Refaeli made a special appearance at Sephora Meatpacking to celebrate the launch of House of Escada's luxurious new floral fragrance, Especially Escada, available exclusively at Sephora.

At the event, she signed a single bottle. Now our Beauty & The Blog readers have a chance to win the one—and only.

To enter to win:

Leave a comment below and answer the question: The Especially Escada fragrance opens with the sparkling top note of what fruit? Hint: you can find the answer here. (Don’t forget to leave your e-mail address so we can contact you if you are the winner.)

Statement Lip Series, Week 3

Sephora staffers' experiments with vivid lips in edgy textures

The Lips: Susanna S., Designer
The Staple: Dior Rouge Dior in Toubillon Pink 651
The Statement: Bite Beauty Luminous Creme Liptstick in Carmenere
The Result: The perfect everyday red

Origins Giveaway

It's finally here: Origins' high-performance nature-inspired formulas have officially hit Sephora's shelves. While the transformative solutions nourish, protect, firm, and brighten with organic ingredients and 100-percent natural essential oils, the lovely scents and luxurious textures make skincare a true pleasure.

Modern Friction Nature's Gentle Dermabrasion
This effective exfoliant contains rice starch that gently polishes and smoothes, leaving your complexion bright and radiant.

Plantscription Anti-aging Serum
The natural plant ingredients in this serum noticeably reduce wrinkles while skin continues to get firmer, smoother, and more lifted-looking.

A Perfect World SPF 25 Age-Defense Moisturizer with White Tea
This rich yet gentle formula is infused with white tea, maritime pine, and SPF 25.

GinZing Refreshing Eye Cream
This daytime SPF 25 cream smoothes, calms, and revitalizes the delicate eye area with Panax ginseng, magnolia extract, and Origins' proprietary caffeine complex.

Origins is giving away collections featuring these four products to three lucky readers. To enter, post a comment revealing your favorite skincare tip by Friday, November 18. (Don't forget to include your e-mail address so we can contact you if you win.)

Fragrance from a Different Angle

Cult British beauty brand Illamasqua gets freaky with a unisex fragrance, Freak, a blend of dangerous florals from opium flower to Queen of the Night blossoms. What do we love about it? Its beautifully designed smoked glass bottle, that rests on its corner, reiterating a twisted alternative reality.

“Freak embodies how Illamasqua sees true beauty. Not in perfection, but in glorious imperfection. Not through blindly following fashion, but through a unique and personal direction. Freak cuts a brand new path through the ever-growing sea of ‘all the same’ fragrances." -Julian Kynaston, Founder & Joint MD

The Party: Diane von Furstenberg's Private Soirée

Photo: Kenneth Wert/Getty Images

A handful of lucky Sephora V.I.B.'s (Very Important Beauty Insiders) were invited to Diane von Furstenberg's celebration of her new fragrance at her flagship store in New York City.

The Scene: Diane, all smiles and hugs, introducing her eau de parfum
Her Fragrance: A sensual blend of violet and frangipani
Her Signature: Those famous razor-sharp cheekbones
Her Fashion: Polka dots for evening

For all the party highlights, visit our Facebook album here.

5 Days of #DIANE: The Interview

Embodying Diane Von Furstenberg's sensual style, the iconic designer’s new fragrance is just as sexy and empowering as her signature wrap dress, thanks to a blend of soft frangipani flower and violet. To celebrate the scent's launch, we asked DVF about her ABC’s: Advice, Beauty, and Curly Hair—and uncovered the details behind her big break.

B&TB: You're a fashion icon. What drew you to fragrance?
DVF: I have always been drawn to fragrance, and I have always thought that every woman should wear perfume. It is the ultimate accessory. I wanted to create a true classic that would remind women the power of perfume.

B&TB: You’ve described perfume as a woman’s weapon for seduction. Do you have any personal stories or anecdotes?
DVF: All of my secrets of seduction are in the bottle!

B&TB: If you were to sum up your fragrance in one word, what would it be?
DVF: Powerful. But it’s also soft and feminine.

B&TB: What is your personal beauty routine?
DVF: I try to be healthy...I eat a lot of fruits and vegetables, and I don’t stress. I hike whenever I can, and I do yoga a couple of times a week.

B&TB: What’s the best piece of beauty advice you’ve gotten?
DVF: Let my hair be curly....instead of fighting it!

B&TB: Your wrap dresses are a fashion phenomenon. How have they evolved since you first designed them?
DVF: The beauty of the wrap dress is that it hasn’t had to evolve much. We have made some minor changes to the silhouette and improved the silk jersey over the years. It is always being cut in new prints and vintage prints. But the amazing thing is how little we have had to change. And the effortlessness remains--it is timeless.

B&TB: Where do you draw inspiration from for your designs?
DVF: I am inspired by women and I work to inspire women. Also nature and art. I love to travel and to see women and nature and art in their natural environments and to translate that into my designs.

B&TB: When was your "big break?"
DVF: I showed up at Vogue with a suitcase full of jersey dresses and showed them to Diana Vreeland. She liked them and put them in the magazine. She was very kind.

B&TB: Despite being so busy with your company, you must have little time to relax. What do you do in your free time?
DVF: I spend time with my family, either traveling or at our home in Connecticut. I also like to go on long hikes when I can. It is how I recharge. It is important to have time to myself and find clarity.

B&TB: If you were to give advice to your younger self, what would you tell her?
DVF: You only regret the things you don’t do. Go for it!

Win It: 5 Days of #Diane Twitter Giveaway @Sephora

To celebrate the launch of DIANE by Diane Von Furstenberg at Sephora, we’re wrapping you in DVF, all week. Each day beginning Monday November 7, we’ll be giving away one Diane prize package per day, which features one of the coveted Diane Von Furstenberg accessories below plus a full-size DIANE Eau De Toilette:

-Brenda Canvas Square Tote in spotted cat shade
-Harri Suede jewel Encrusted Clutch in black multi
-Zip Around Wallet in square diamond
-Meghan Leopard Scarf
-Paddie iPad Cover

To enter:

1. Follow @Sephora on Twitter.

2. Each day around 10:00 am PST and 3:00 pm PST, we'll ask a trivia question on Twitter with a link to either a post on Beauty and the Blog or Sephora.com where you can find the answer.

3. Tweet @Sephora with the correct answer and the hashtag #DIANE to be entered to win one of five Diane Von Furstenberg prize packages.

4. Sephora will choose a winner at random from among our Twitter followers that answered correctly within one hour of our trivia tweet. 5 prize packages will be given away between Monday November 7 and Friday November 11.

For official rules, click here.

Good luck!

Statement Lip Series, Week 2

Sephora staffers' experiments with vivid lips in edgy textures

The Lips: Melissa P., Assistant Marketing Manager
The Staple: Buxom Big & Healthy Lip Polish in Amber
The Statement: Urban Decay Super-Saturated High Gloss Lip Color in Punch Drunk
The Result: A convincing case that orange is the new nude

Win It! BareMinerals Ready Twitter Giveaway

Get ready. We’re so thrilled about the new bareMinerals Ready collection of solid pressed eye shadows, we’re hosting an exclusive giveaway on Twitter tomorrow, 11/3. The brand's newest innovation, these antiaging and de-puffing eye shadows deliver the same creamy, longwearing color we know and love bareMinerals for—but in a solid, compact formula.

The prize:
We're giving away five beauty bundles, each valued at $182, that include the following:

The Playlist 8.0 Palette
The Dream Sequence 4.0 Palette
The Truth 4.0 Palette
The Top Shelf Palette
The Scenic Route Palette
The Vision Palette
Touch Up Veil - Original Palette

How to enter:
1. Follow @Sephora on Twitter.
2. On November 3, at 10:00am PST we'll ask a trivia question on Twitter and link to Sephora.com that will lead you to the answer.
3. Tweet @Sephora with the correct answer and the hashtag #Ready to be entered to win one of the five bundles.
4. Sephora will choose 5 winners at random from our Twitter followers that answered correctly within one hour of the trivia tweet.

For official rules, click here.

Turn Beauty On: Announcing Sephora TV

Color comes to life, now on Sephora TV. Explore how-to’s, product breakthroughs, and exclusive behind-the-scenes beauty—like the creation story behind Kat Von D’s new holiday palette. This lush range of nudes was inspired by Kat’s volunteer work at The Art of Elysium, a non-profit dedicated to bringing art and music to sick children. Designed with and named for Evelyn, a teenage member of the organization, it’s a true must-have. Learn more—and see other videos—here.