Picture Perfect Beauty Finds

Silicone Primer and Matte Foundation
Primers containing silicone improve skin's texture by softening fine lines and disguising pores. A matte foundation evens skin tone while keeping shine to a minimum, which a camera flash can really exacerbate! The Make Up For Ever HD Complexion Starter Kit offers incredible versions of both of these products, along with the HD Microfinish Powder, which adds a soft-focus finish.

Make Up For Ever is the same brand that made waves last year when they released a cosmetic ad with no retouching. These products are the special sauce they used to perfect the model's complexion.

Long-Lasting Lip Stain
Lip color frames your smile and keeps you from looking washed out in photos. I used to attempt re-applying lipstick every time someone pulled out a camera, but these days favor a lip stain that I can apply and forget about. Stila Lip & Cheek Stains have serious staying power, and come in both natural and vibrant shades.


Steam Rollers
Large, full, loose waves look good on most women. That's why they're the standard Victoria's Secret model hairstyle. Plus, voluminous hair can have a slimming effect. Steam rollers are a great way to get the look, but a good set can be hard to find.
Fortunately, Pro Beauty Tools recently partnered with the Twilight film franchise to create the Sparkle Ionic Steam Hairsetter. The set uses ionic technology for extra shine, and is much gentler on my hair than my regular hot rollers. I use mine EVERY DAY and I hate the &%$#@! Twilight movies. They're that good.



Highlighting Under Eye Concealer
Nothing ages you in a photo like dark circles. The best disguise is a concealer that both covers and brightens the under eye area. Maybelline's Dreamlumi Touch is currently my highlighting concealer of choice. It's a highly pigmented, gel-based formula with impressive staying power, and it's mercifully affordable.

Blemish Control
Most acne products are too drying for my adult complexion, so I stick to those that contain Glycolic and Salicylic Acids, like my beloved Cane + Austin Acne Treatment Pads. They gently exfoliate pore-clogging dead skin cells and increase skin's cellular turnover, leaving skin clear and glowing. And they work on chest and back acne, too.

 

A Smile
Seriously. It's an instant facelift. Say cheese!

Waterfall Ponytail: Tress Trend

International hair artist Vivienne Mackinder's "Lady of the Manor" collection included the classic look with blunt ends. Kim Kardashian celebrated her 29th birthday in the cascading pony. And I remember sporting a waterfall ponytail in the eighth grade when I was crowned Miss Model United Nations. However, my stylist was heavy-handed with the gel and holding spray.
Want to recreate this ponytail? Do Cho's five steps:
1. Spray Dry Shampoo directly at the root. Use a blow-dryer to work in excess powder and brush through before styling. Insider tip: Second-day hair is perfect to hold this style.
2. Section off hair around the crown, and then tease to create volume.
3. Use a brush to smooth the hair on the sides and back. Pull the back of hair into a ponytail and secure with an elastic.
4. Take one side and wrap around the ponytail and secure with a bobby pin. Take the opposite side and also wrap around the pony. Lightly brush back the teased crown over the ponytail.
5. To finish, work a dime-size amount of Shine Serum into the palms of your hands, and then delicately smooth ponytail hairs to eliminate flyaways.
To make this look more casual and ready-to-wear, the pro stylist recommends using less volume on the top of the head. Or add a modern touch by twisting or braiding the sides to add a textured element without distracting from the overall feel of the ponytail.

Michelle Williams poses for American GQ Magazine

Love, Chloé Purse Spray

I've got to hand it to Chloé. The fashion house has a way of creating clever fragrance packaging that you actually want to carry around all day.
I went crazy over their solid perfume locket last summer, and now they're launching a shrunken version of the gorgeous smelling Love, Chloé. If you're the kind of girl who likes to touch up your fragrance throughout the day, then this purse spray is a must for you. The scent (a powdery blend of lilac, wisteria and musk) has been poured into small golden bottle which mimics the original. Though I'll admit, it does resembles a teeny flask. I love it, even if it doesn't contain my favorite whiskey.
Love, Chloé Purse Spray, $95. Available at Saks.com in February

Bird's Nest Bun

Do you feel rushed when it comes to your morning beauty routine? Take the fuss out of styling by wearing a bird's nest bun.
Blond babes like Kate Hudson, Gwen Stefani and Jennifer Lopez have all donned loose, twirly topknots. Elsewhere, big, messy buns ruled the fall 2011 runways of Chanel and Zang Toi. And Stylelist network blogger Beth Jones paid homage to casual Carrie Bradshaw-esque by recreating the classic updo.
Whether you're in between blow-outs or taking a break from the flat iron, "Project Runway" celebrity stylist George Ortiz believes this is a wearable style suited for different face shapes and hair textures.
Follow these three steps to get this easy, yet elegant hairstyle at home:
1. Spritz hair with Cutler Volumizing Spray and blow dry using a flat brush, directing the root of hair toward the area where you want the bun to sit.
2. Gather strands into a ponytail at the crown of your head using an elastic holder or bungee cord.
3. Loosely twist hair into a bun and secure the knot with bobby pins, and set with a medium hold hairspray like Redken Quick Dry 18.
Final pro tip: leave a few wisps along the hairline out for a fresh finish or apply a little Cutler Fly-Away Control onto a toothbrush and smooth the hairline back to create a sleeker look.

Brazilian Blowout Is Dangerous, FDA Says

Craving perfectly straight, sleek hair? It may be time to head back to the flat iron.
Brazilian Blowout — one of the popular versions of the Brazilian keratin straightening treatments currently offered at salons — has just been confirmed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (F.D.A.) to contain “dangerous levels” of formaldehyde, in spite of its label claim to be “Formaldehyde Free.”
QUIZ: How Healthy is Your Hair?
The violations are just two of several cited in the FDA’s public letter to Brazilian Blowout CEO Mike Brady, which goes on to institute a mid-September deadline for the company to either address all concerns, or risk seizure and injunction of product inventory.
Yet controversy is not new to the Hollywood-based company. In November 2010, California’s attorney general’s office filed a lawsuit against Brazilian Blowout, claiming that the high levels of formaldehyde in the product was illegal under the terms of California’s Safe Cosmetics Act, as well as in violation of Proposition 65 — which requires clear labeling of chemicals that can cause cancer.
And while Brazilian Blowout has been in the spotlight of scrutiny, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (O.S.H.A.) put out a hazardous materials alert just five months ago for similar brands of straightening products in addition to the Brazilian Blowout, emphasizing that stylists who work with and expose themselves to formaldehyde repeatedly could be placing their health in danger.
MORE: Are You Using Toxic Cosmetics?
Industry insiders say that easier application process is part of the reason Brazilian Blowout leapt to such popularity in recent years among consumers who opt for chemical straightening services. Whereas other brands often require abstaining for one to three day from showering and sweating until the product takes hold, Brazilian Blowout allows the consumer to get moisture in the hair without adverse effect right after treatment.
But when New York stylist and salon owner Mark Garrison first received the Brazilian Blowout to use on clients, he says the discrepancy between the “Formaldehyde Free” labeling and the experience of applying the product was immediately apparent.
“I could tell the Brazilian Blowout had formaldehyde in it the very first time I used it,” says Garrison. “Eye burn! Throat choke! And the smell was a tell tale giveaway — it smelled like formaldehyde!”
Perplexed by the claim of “Formaldehyde Free” when the application process seemed to reveal otherwise, Garrison ordered an independent lab to test the kit. “The results showed that Brazilian Blowout not only had formaldehyde, but above what is even considered safe by O.S.H.A. standards,” says Garrison, who adds that his attempts to communicate his test results with Brady were personally dismissed by the CEO.
In tests conducted by the F.D.A., the agency found that Brazilian Blowout contains anywhere from 8.7 to 10.4 percent formaldehyde, which is multiple times that of the 0.2 percentage that peer-reviewed Cosmetic Ingredient Review board considers safe for consumers.
MORE: The Best Haircut for Your Hair Type
Garrison warns that after backlash began to surface about hair straightening brands using formaldehyde, many simply switched to other formaldehyde derivatives that often (though not always) end in “aldehyde,” in an attempt to escape recognition of the carcinogenic name on the label, while still using it.
“Methylene glycol is the most common ingredient. It is formalin and aqueous formaldehyde mixed together. This was just another way for companies to say their formulas were formaldehyde-free,” says Garrison.
One place where companies are forced to come clean is the Manufacturer’s Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) that details ingredients and potentially hazardous information, and which consumers have a right to request. Many brands link to the report (however discreetly) on homepages.
Yet in spite of all the disputation, lawsuits and warnings, many women still persist in seeking out a treatment that will miraculously turn frizz-prone and poufy strands smooth and shiny. Garrison says he is now trying out a product by Liqwd for these clients, though a dose of realism is best served with your blow out.
MORE: Tame Your Hair Troubles
“Liqwd is a de-frizzer, not a relaxer. Anything that relaxes has to have something that breaks down cysteine bonds,” Garrison says of the proteins that make up hair strands.