Sephora Exclusive! Marchesa Meets Stila & Makes Something Beautiful

Stilettos and skirts. Brad and Angelina. Peanut butter and chocolate. Marchesa and Stila Cosmetics.

We're talking about beautiful pairs. And for Stila fans and Marchesa lovers, we have a haute tip: The makeup Stila created for Marchesa's Fall 2008 runway show is coming exclusively to Sephora.com and Sephora stores on August 1st!. Lights! Camera! Fashion!

Stila's Backstage Beauty Collection will feature three custom-blended, limited-edition palettes inspired by the jewel-toned couture whipped up by Marchesa for their Fall Collection.

The palettes are faux patent leather with matching faux leather rosettes (Hint: You can wear the rosettes as chokers! We know because we did it!). Each palette includes one matte shadow, two shimmer shadows, and a mini Kajal eyeliner.

The straight-from-the-runway look, summed up in a word: Blendable. “The eyes were all about looking dreamy and feminine without being overdone,” said Talia Shobrook, the headlining makeup artist who worked with the Stila Pro Artist team. “The Backstage Beauty shades are wearable and blendable.”

Hey, whatever. We're totally fine with being mistaken for fashion models. So stay tuned! These palettes are coming ONLY to Sephora.com and a Sephora store near you!

Photo: Team Marchesa Meets Team Stila..and boy is it beauty-ful!

Bieux Skin: A Beauty Blogger's Best Friend

From dry airplane air to varying California temperatures, it was crucial for me to pack a potent moisturizer that would keep my skin hydrated and calm during my trip to cover LA Fashion Week. Keep in mind beauty fans, when you're covering something this exciting, your mind goes from eating well and 8-hours of sleep, to skipped meals and 3-hour catnaps -- when you can get the time. This of course, was not good news for my complexion, which got really dry and irritated. Fortunately, I had Bieux Skin's 24-Hour Moisturizer & Serum in my bag (the new skin-friendly brand I'm obsessed with that just launched yesterday on Sephora.com) along with my trusty iPhone, notepad and pen. This stuff is amazing: it kept my skin soft without looking greasy, worked well on my chapped lips, and was totally portable. Best of all, I love what's NOT in it -- no fillers, dyes, fragrance, parabens or silicone. My skin stayed soft and hydrated, totally matte, and my cheeks weren't looking raw and red like they usually do when stress and dryness sets in. Here's a snappy of all the things that never left my side. Hey, my skin shouldn't have to suffer in the name of fashion! - Joannie McIntyre

LA Fashion Week: Sephora Pro Beauty Team

Every season that I've covered the Fall shows at LA Fashion Week, i've always gone stag -- one Beauty Writer representing all of Sephora among LA's fashion elite. So you can imagine my surprise and delight this year, when I walked into the tents backstage at the Ashley Paige and Pussycat Dolls shows and saw our familiar black/red/white branded shirts and wristbands on our very own Sephora Pro-Beauty Team members! Partnering with our friends from Smashbox, the team got to make up model after model, working furiously to bang out one flawless look after another. In the chaotic world of backstage makeup artistry, you get one chance to see the looks demonstrated by the lead artists in the beginning, then (gulp!) you're on your own. The team confidently re-created the looks you've seen right here, the running theme being a strong eye & lip, muted cheek, and lashes as far (and long!) as the eye can see -- all done in a matter of minutes. Here, we got a few snappies of them in action. (Top - Stephanie Hilgendorf, Right - Gabriel Solis, Bottom - Jerry Hutchinson) -- Joannie McIntyre

LA Fashion Week: GHD Channels Flappers @ the Ashley Paige Show

GHD's Media Ambassador Omar Lopez described the hair for the Ashley Paige show as "flapper inspired" with plenty of tight curls and finger waves. Since the look called for chin length to shoulder length hair (a la the 20s & 30s), models with longer locks had sections of their hair pulled up and tucked under after curling to achieve the desired length. The GHD tools Lopez couldn't be without were the IV Mini Styler to get the tight curls, a spritz of Creation Spray For Iron Styling to spring load the soon-to-be curl before heat styling, and Ultimate Hairspray to give the hair a "dry finish" as opposed to the wet, smooth look of hair from the 20s & 30s. - Joannie McIntyre

LA Fashion Week: Va-Va-Voom At The Pussycat Dolls Show

Here's the finished Pussycat Doll look on model Sam (during and after) complete with uber sexy, disheveled hair that looked utterly amazing. (Seriously, I had hair envy -- I gawked like a dude checks out a brand new Porsche.) Smashbox lead artist Lori Taylor described the equally head-turning "face" as a "bumped up, slightly theatrical version of the Pussycat Dolls." Smashbox National Artist Hank Hoffman and Sephora Pro Beauty Team artist Jerry Hutchinson gave us the deets on the Smashbox products that were key to this sultry look that was all about the eyes and the lips:

Face: High Definition Healthy FX Foundation
Eyes: Single Eye Shadow in Minx (also used on the lower lashline)
Cheeks: Aperture Blush
Lips: Photo Finish Lipstick With Sila-Silk Technology in Lavish & Lip Enhancing Gloss in Icon
Body: Body Lights Glowing Lotion

- Joannie McIntyre

LA Fashion Week: Jonathan's Arsenal For Pussycat Doll Hair

Pussycat Doll creator and designer Robin Antin chose none other than her brother Jonathan Antin to give her models true "doll" hair. From rumpled to straight, curly to spiked (see variations in top pic), here are the Jonathan products (bottom pic) that were the stars of the show. Finish Control High Shine Flexible Hairspray, Silky Dirt, and IB Shield Humidity Lock-Out Shine Spray was the trio Jonathan referred to as "the pearl," -- the key products he used on the models before they strutted down the catwalk. - Joannie McIntyre

LA Fashion Week: Smashbox, GHD & Anastasia @ Ashley Paige

Smashbox's Lori Taylor, GHD's Omar Lopez and eyebrow guru Anastasia work together to re-create a 1920s-30s inspired look for the Ashley Paige show at LA fashion week. Here's a sneak peek at the look on model Sam. Stay tuned for more backstage beauty tidbits to come as we blog live from backstage at LA Fashion Week! - Joannie McIntyre

A Decade of Glamour: 10 Years Of Too Faced!

In the spirit of Too Faced's throwback looks to the 70s at LA Fashion Week, keep your eyes out for fun additions to our Too Faced Brand Page, coming soon on Sephora.com. We're updating their page in celebration of their 10 year anniversary, and the launch of their celebratory, limited edition "A Decade Of Glamour" palette. The section features a montage of stories that tell the history of Too Faced's beauty classics. From Jerrod Blandino's favorite TV sitcom character that inspired their Lip Of Luxury in Marcia, Marcia, Marcia, to the launch of the lip plumper that made Too Faced famous (altogether now: Lip Injection!), get ready to read the dish on all your Too Faced faves. In the meantime, here's a peek at one of our fave stories. - Joannie McIntyre

Too Faced Singles Are Ready To Mingle – Launch: 1998
Glitter, glitz and glam -- the Too Faced Single Eyeshadows offered everything that the 90’s girl needed to get her glam on. The beautiful people in Tinseltown called in their orders as a mix of Too Faced single shadows dialed their way onto movie sets, worn by starlets all over Hollywood. Key colors landed permanent spots in the Too Faced collection, like the ever popular “Dirt Bag,” a luscious chocolate brown shadow with subtle hints of golden sparkle. The singles got a makeover in 2007, switching from a square palette to the sleek, round, magnetized compact they're in today.

LA Fashion Week: Too Faced @ Jenny Han

Here's the finished look: Ok, so it's a little sexier and a lot more updated than the 70s, but here is the final look on Katie before she went sashaying down the catwalk in geometric-print shifts and leg-lengthening ankle boots. Super-shiny, uber-lacquered pink lips finished off the look (hello, disco) topped off with a cascade of loosely tousled, lightly hairsprayed hair. - Joannie McIntyre

LA Fashion Week: Too Faced @ Jenny Han

Here, Too Faced's makeup artist Victoria Rowe uses the stencils from Too Faced's Brow Envy Brow Shaping & Defining Kit to give model Katie the big, bushy brows that were so hot in the late 70s -- the perfect compliment to her whole Halston-inspired look. - Joannie McIntyre

LA Fashion Week: Too Faced @ Jenny Han

Here's a snappy of the palette: Lash Injection, Galaxy Glam in
Moonbeam, Eye Shadow Duo in Fantasy Island, Liquif-Eye, and Shimmer
Veils in Fairy Wings. - Joannie McIntyre

PS. I heart my iPhone!

LA Fashion Week: Too Faced Does Halston

Here, Too Faced's makeup artist Victoria Rowe (left) picked the heavy-
lidded, full brow look of the late 70s for the Jenny Han show at LA
Fashion Week. Stay tuned as we blog live from backstage with more
beauty looks and sneak peeks! - Joannie McIntyre

Fall 2008 Beauty Trend: The Soft Smoky Eye

We're in the midst of projecting our big beauty trends for fall, and one of my personal faves is this gorgeously wearable take on the smoky eye. Seen here at the Chris Benz Fall 2008 Fashion Show, and also at Zac Posen, Versace, Pucci, Gucci, Fendi and Armani, makeup artists traded in the usual black for softer shades like brown, teal and gray, for rich, smoldering look that perfectly matches fall's edgy classic fashions. Wear the trend, first, with these tips from makeup artist Ayako (for Nars), who we caught up with backstage at Chris Benz.

"The look is prep school Goth, very Margot Tenenbaum, with smudgy eyes, like she did her makeup the day before and slept in it," said Ayako. She smudged Nars Cream Eye Shadow in Madagascar on the upper lid, lining the top lash line with Nars Eye Liner Pencil in Black. To achieve a vampy look on the lower lash line, she first applied Nars Cream Eye Shadow in Madagascar, smudging antique brown Nars Single Eye Shadow in Fez (New for Fall!) over it. “The trick is to do many back and forths,” says Ayako, “to achieve a look that’s both light and smoky.”

TV imitates Beauty: Skyn Iceland & Sue Stemp

Speaking of Skyn Iceland, rumor has it that a certain cashmere-loving TV show (that we're totally addicted to) may have been inspired by a real life event. In the first 5 minutes of this episode, there's a reference to an Icelandic skincare company sponsoring a show at fashion week. Truth is, Skyn Iceland did exactly that during NY Fashion Week. They went backstage at Sue Stemp's fashion show to ensure that the models' skin looked soft, fab and stress-free...

Here are the deets: It was disco meets flapper at Sue Stemp, whose pretty party dresses were inspired by Maxim’s in Paris and the glitterati who partied there during the mirrorball heyday of the mid-seventies. Fluttering with pleats, ruffles and rosettes, the collection was shown in New York’s uber-exclusive Norwood Club, to a cool crowd of friends, celebrities and models. But the softed on the night belonged to the models (a few of which were celebrity friends for Sue’s), who wore Skyn Iceland's new Pure Cloud Cream with Biospheric Complex, and Icelandic Relief Eye Cream with Biospheric Complex.

The perfect soothing regimen for skin that’s stressed out or dried out, they were so high in demand, they were actually grabbed from the goodie bags (mine only contained a bottle of water!) by Skyn Iceland-coveting guests.

FALL '08 FASHION: MICHAEL KORS

SHOW: Michael Kors
MAKEUP: Shiseido
MODEL: Anja, Next
THE LOOK: Shiseido's Dick Page wanted this look to be unassumingly luminous and fresh. "In a show like this, the makeup really shouldn't read at all," he said. "It should look beautiful, and give a visible radiance, but without pulling attention from the clothes on the runway." So, his key features in attaining that subtlety? A look that's all about neutral eyes and strong brows—pale gold eyeshadow and brows filled in with blonde or brownish powder—paired with a pale-rose lip and lightly dusted cheeks. A quick sweep of black mascara and it's done! —Jessica Anderson, Sephora
GET IT: Shiseido Silky Eye Shadow Quad in Q10, Shiseido Eyebrow and Eyeliner Compact in BL2 or BL3, Shiseido Accentuating Powder Blush in B4, Shiseido Automatic Lip Crayon in LC6 (August 2008).

ghd Fashion Week Highlights

"I don't know much about clothes, but my hair looks fierce!" ... Check out these ghd video highlights from Fall Fashion Week 2008!

MARCHESA'S NOIRE PALETTE

What's black and white and beeeeeautiful all over? One of Marchesa's stunning feathered gowns —the final dress in the gallery show—and Stila's matching Noire Palette, which holds 3 eye shadows and a pretty-pink cheek color. Fittingly, it was included in the Marchesa swag bag, which editors and industry insiders couldn't stop buzzing about on their way out! —Jessica Anderson, Sephora

FALL '08 FASHION: MARCHESA

SHOW: Marchesa
MAKEUP: Stila
MODEL: Tamara McDonald, IMG
THE LOOK: Marchesa's Elizabethan-inspired fall collection called for a fresh, lightly color-kissed face—matte porcelain skin, long wispy lashes, and lips and cheeks with just a hint of rosy color. The secret to the lashy gaze? Double-timing the mascara—brown with black on the tips—and individual lashes of varying lengths on upper lashes only, with the longest ones at the outer corner. "It gives the eyes a sort of winged butterfly effect," Talia Shobrook, Stila's lead artist, said. "And by starting with brown mascara, instead of black, you avoid that really hard, overly accentuated lash line." (Trust us, she knows her eyes. She was the mastermind behind Amy Winehouse's cat-eye!) For lips and cheeks, Talia used Stila's new Cherry Crush stain—counter-intuitively added just above the apple of the cheek and brushed down, to avoid the round-cheeked baby doll deal—and, it has to be said, the stain smells like cherries, too. Verdict? Simple. Stunning. Queen Elizabeth I had nothin' on this. —Jessica Anderson, Sephora
GET IT: Stila Cherry Crush Lip & Cheek Stain, Stila Perfecting Concealer, Stila Major Lash Mascara in Black and Brown.

FALL '08 FASHION: TOO FACED!

With all the glitz and glamor of fashion week, it's no wonder Too Faced is in on the fabulous action. The Hollywood-glam brand set up shop at The Daily Suite in Times Square this week, with NYC makeup artist Carmen Fabon introducing some newbie products to the fashionistas, editors, and celebs strolling through. Galaxy Glam Eye Shadow is turning a lot of heads—it has these awesome Milky Way-ish swirls of color in it—as is Shadow Insurance, an eyeshadow primer that makes it actually stay on! "The VIPs who stop by are on tight schedules, flying from show to show, but they're still making time to stop in and check out these products. That says a lot," Carmen said. "And later in the day I've been doing some touch ups, too, sending them off to dinners and after-parties." The most requested touch up look? Shiny, rich red lips (Lip of Luxury in Runway Red and Drop Dead Red), with smoky eyes (Galaxy Glam and Lash Injection Mascara) and a subtle glow to the cheeks and forehead (California in a Compact). —Jessica Anderson, Sephora

Backstage Beauty In Progress!

Lots of makeup magic happening backstage today ... we're collecting it as we speak! Stay tuned for deets from Stila @ Marchesa, Shiseido @ Michael Kors, Too Faced @ The Daily Suite, and lots, lots more!