Saturday, February 28, 2015

The Undercut: It Ain't Going Out Of Style So Deal With It!

The undercut.

It's probably NOT what you think.

It's a cool punk look that has made it's way to the red carpet more + more.

You still have a FULL head of hair except for a shaved side(s) or baby buzz cut.

This hair trend simply will NOT go away. In fact, here it is on tons of glam celebs:


Well, we think it's sexy. We're not sure we would have ever done it, but it's edgy + modern.

Check out Scarlett Johanssen's new undercut in detail here at the 2015 Academy Awards.

Okay, ladies....Will you be getting an undercut soon?

Friday, February 27, 2015

HOT BeautyTrend Spring 2015: Pretty Purple Eyeshadow

Purple Eyeshadow.

So pretty when not too over-powering. A simple slick on the lid, and you're good to go.

This is a HOT beauty trend for Spring 2015. And even though there might be high walls of snow surrounding your area at the moment, don't worry, we will get through it. March 1st arrives on Sunday, so we are on our way to better days.

We think purple shadow is pretty on every eye color. It was looking right on the runways at Guy Laroche + Derek Lam:





The key here is NOT to make your purple too bold. A lilac or lavender shade will work nicely, too.

We found a good one at LESS than $5.

Check out Maybelline ExpertWear Eye Shadow in Lasting Lilac ($4.50).
Will you be on the purple eyshadow trend this Spring 2015?

Katy Perry + Scarlett Johanssen are just 2 celebs who look stunning in purple eyeshadow.


Thursday, February 26, 2015

New, Sexy Bond Girl Monica Bellucci At 50: Even Older Than Daniel Craig

Okay..We have a girl crush on Monica Bellucci. And who wouldn't?


The Italian actress has been named as the new Bond girl to play alongside Daniel Craig in the upcoming 007 movie "Spectre.".


The really cool thing about all of this is Monica Bellucci's age. She is gorgeous at 50. And she is even older than Mr. Bond himself at 46.

Love it! By the way, she's the OLDEST Bond gal in history. Not too shabby.

So...what are Monica's makeup tips?

Well, we know that she was the face of Dolce & Gabbana for a while. The designers even have a lipstick collection inspired by the Italian beauty (see below).

"I always wear lipstick. I would not feel fully dressed without it," Monica says. And when it comes to RED lipstick, the sexy actress reveals how to keep it looking fresh all day:

 "I love to intensify the color when I apply red lipstick so that the pigment is really striking and beautiful. I usually apply a really light coat of pressed powder between coats – it really helps the color lay properly so it doesn’t slide or bleed as your day wears on. And when you get compliments about your lipstick toward the end of the day, you know it works."


This is Cool Red from Monica's Voluptuous collection.

We found a tube at Sephora ($34).

Wednesday, February 25, 2015

My, My Milani! Good, Cheap Mascara Less Than $6!

We LOVE mascara. Period. We don't care if it is super high end or just plain, cheap drugstore--We will try it.

Today, we are looking at Milani Cosmetic's inexpensive Total Lash Cover Mascara ($5.49, at CVS).

Hey, it's NOT rocket science, ladies It's a tube of mascara. You're either going to LOVE the formula and/or wand-brush
or you simply won't.


Total Lash Cover has a 3-pronged beauty attack:

Provides multi-performance coverage with a 3 zone brush that defines, builds and curls lashes.
  • Zone 1:  Define - Inner and outer lashes
  • Zone 2:  Build - Center lashes
  • Zone 3:  Curl - Comb Applicator
This long-lasting, non-clumping formula feels comfortable for all day wear.

Milani does a great job at providing solid, inexpensive makeup. And this is a cheap mascara worth trying.

You should have several mascaras on hand to switch it up and experiment with volume, length + staying power.

Tuesday, February 24, 2015

Zendaya's Oscar Night Dreadlocks Put Chokehold On Fashion Police's Giuliana

We happen to think Zendaya is a beautiful, young girl. And she LOVES changing up her hairstyles....from pixie cut to super long dreadlocks. This Disney star is only 18, but has great fashion sense.

For her Oscar style Sunday evening, Zendaya chose to wear her dark hair in striking locs with a delicate white dress.


But E!'s Fashion Police took the young celebrity to task on Monday night's televised show, panning her look, especially the "heavy dreadlocks" which Fashion Police panelist Giulian Rancic laughed at, joking that Zendaya's locs probably smelled like "patchouli" and "weed.".

Zendaya Coleman was hurt by the zing and today issued her own blast back at 40-year-old Giuliana. You can read it here.

Maybe Zendaya is being a bit too sensitive? After all, it is Fashion Police, and they criticize a lot of red carpet fashion + beauty. It's what they do.

But then again, we think Zendaya did a great job throwing tremendous shade back at Giuliana Rancic + company.

The members of Fashion Police are well aware that if you are going to diss, be prepared that the diss might find its way back to you.

Giuliana says she meant no harm to Zendaya, and apologized through Twitter today:

Dear @Zendaya, I'm sorry I offended you and others. I was referring to a bohemian chic look. Had NOTHING to do with race and NEVER would!!!
Okay, we hope that's over now.....It's not easy being a female celebrity and being dissected for every beauty and fashion choice you make. Hurts more, when the arrows are being slung by other females.

Giuliana Rancic has been raked over the coals recently by many people for appearing emaciated on the red carpet. She has chosen to ignore her critics.

Monday, February 23, 2015

Scarlett Johansson Haircut Evolution: Miley, Pink And Brigitte

Scarlett Johansson brought some edgy glamour to last night's Academy Awards program in a curve-hugging, emerald green Versace dress with an amazing, statement necklace.


You're either going to LOVE this look or despise it. But, whatever you think about the Oscar dress, you're probably more concerned with Scarlett's mohawk-inspired do.

Scarlett has AMAZING bone structure to begin with, so that usually means she can get away with more edgy + androgynous hairstyles.

We are NOT totally in heart of this buzzed sides, pompadour, mohawk do, but she can obviously rock it, and got lots of attention at the A-list ceremony last evening.

Having said all that, we must give credit where credit is due. So let's take a quick, haircut evolution of this striking hairstyle.

This is Brigitte Nielsen's blonde pompadour from the early 1980s. Oh, yeah.

There she is---the originator of this sexy hair do. And there she is married to hunky Sly Stallone, 1985.



And now the beauty imitators:

Pink--

Miley--

And Scar Jo:


You will need a tough hairspray to keep this big do still.
Try this one:
Big Sexy Hair Spray & Play Volumizing Hairspray ($17.95)



What do you think?

Could you, and would you, rock this edgy hairstyle?

Sunday, February 22, 2015

Look Out For Low Bun On Oscars Red Carpet This Evening

Can't wait for this evening's Oscars!

And we especially ADORE the red carpet beauty/fashion for this important cinematic night

As far as hairstyles go, be on the watch for a few, lovely looks---including these--- loose, beachy waves, sleek back straight locks, loose, boho braids and the classic, low bun.

The bun is a chic, no-fuss style that stays neat + tidy + elegant all night long. It's BEST if you have a pro doing your bun, to make sure it remains perfect + pretty for several hours.

We like the low bun, and Dolce & Gabbana were HOT on this trend several months ago.

 
To prepare hair for a low bun, there are a few steps to follow:

1. Part hair to define whether center or side. Spritz hair with a heat protectant spray.

2. Then flat-iron to smooth out any bumps or waves so when hair is pulled back into a low ponytail and secured with an elastic, it sits flat and looks super shiny.

3. Once locks have been wound into low bun, you can use a finishing product to tame any flyaways.

4. You can also leave a length of hair out at the front of head, to wrap it around base of finished bun and hide elastic. Don't forget the bobby pins to secure your low bun.











Tresemmé Thermal Creations Heat Tamer Spray ($3.99, at Target).

Selena Gomez wears the classic, low bun quite beautifully.


Saturday, February 21, 2015

Gigi Hadid: New "It" Girl, NY Fashion Week Darling + Maybelline Face!

Kendall Jener has been grabbing most of the beauty headlines these days, but what about her model pal Gigi Hadid?

Gigi, the daughter of Beverly Hills Housewives star Yolanda Foster, is quietly gaining more + more accolades---most recently her great runway work at NY Fashion Week and being selected as the new face of Maybelline New York.


 At the young age of 19, Gigi's star is sky-rocketing, and yet the beautiful blonde remains friendly + humble. She is stunning with a half Dutch, half Palestinian heritage.

The great thing about Gigi is her healthy, toned body---5'10". 125 lbs.. Slender, yes, but NOT emaciated. She reminds us of the iconic 80s + 90s Supermodel girls like Cindy, Naomi, Christy + Linda. It would be wonderful and healthy for everyone, if that athletic, fit body came back in vogue, and replaced the sickly, size zero models out there.


Check out Gigi's new Maybelline ad here on her Instagram page.

Gigi looked amazing in an ivory jumpsuit while trading fashion fun on E!'s "Fashion Police" last night.

Thursday, February 19, 2015

L'Oreal Paris Turning Lots Of Heads For Legendary Color Collection

Blondes seem to get TONS of attention, so we are lovin' that L'Oreal Paris is celebrating Excellence Creme hair color's 20-year reign with a Legendary collection.

For brunettes, they have chosen our own beauty icon Sophia Loren to represent. A choice in excellence, so to speak.

Take a look at the cool, backstage commercial for the L'Oreal Paris Legendary Collection from Vogue Italia.

For brunettes, the Legendary collection includes these:

A box of Excellence Creme will cost you about $9.00, but you're worth it, as the saying goes.

Excellence prides itself on these 3 key factors:

Triple protection.
Rich, radiant color.
100% gray coverage.

Buy a box here.

Wednesday, February 18, 2015

No Matter How You Plait It--Braids Are Hot In 2015. Look For Braids At Oscars Sunday

Braids.

Classic. Bohemian. Beachy. And even red carpet. Get ready for MORE braids this Oscars Sunday!

No matter how you plait it----Braids are THE hair trend for 2015

Just look at Iggy Azalea at the recent Grammy Awards. Check out the intricate plaiting!



Braids are also major for Spring style 2015, as seen at Michael Kors in a sexy, low, loose + messy way:


Both Kim Kardashian + Jennifer Aniston showed off some braided beauty last summer.



To achieve a great + managable braid, the pros spray on some dry shampoo to give the hair some grab + texture, if you will. A good one to try is L'Oreal Paris EverStyle Energizing Dry Shampoo
($6.99, at Walgreens).

Tuesday, February 17, 2015

Waiting For Cindy Crawford Comment On Un-Retouched Photo? Don't Hold Your Breath

Cindy Crawford will ALWAYS be remembered as one of the great supermodels of all time.


Around the globe, women are singing Cindy's praises for an un-retouched Marie Claire magazine photo from 2013 that was leaked a few days ago.

It was NOT supposed to be seen, and now that's all everybody is buzzing about.

Cindy Crawford is probably mortified, but then again, EVERY woman would be freaking out if the entire world happened to see that they, like this supermodel, were NOT 100% perfect.

The bra + panty shot is a sexy one. But it does display among Cindy's appealing assets, a bit of a belly, stretch marks + cellulite. We showed the un-retouched photo here at BeautyTipToday on Friday, February 13th.

Trust us....even models of all ages have these imperfections, and PHOTO-SHOP comes in and clears them all away.

So, people are waiting for Cindy to comment on the less than flattering photo.

Will she?

Probably not.

Cindy Crawford can buy and sell each one of us, as the old saying goes.

Stretch marks + cellulite are imperfections that happen to most of us. And no---neither can be removed permanently.

Stretch marks + cellulite occur in women of all ages, races, weights, heights, and body types from athetes to non-athletes, from models to non-models, and so forth.

Our BEST defense? Well, topical products can help MINIMIZE stretch marks + cellulite and prevent new ones from popping up.

For example, stretch marks appear to respond well to prescription Retin-A cream.

Dr. Amy Derick, a dermatologist in Barrington, Illinois,  says you should try and diminish their appearance.  And act sooner than later. "There’s really not any data regarding creams, " she told the NY Times. "But you can do laser treatments or Retin-A after the fact, especially early on when the lines are red and purple."

Studies have found that  topical tretinoin can lighten stretch marks as well as reduce their size.

Learn more about Retin-A here.

Monday, February 16, 2015

Plus White 5 Minute Premier Whitening Sytem: Quick Brighter Smile for $10!

Let's face it---a bright, beautiful smile is pretty awesome


It's impossible for most of us to compete against Hollywood's super white, super fake, super expensive teeth, BUT....if you want to get yours a couple of shades whiter for $10 in a jiffy, then try this:

Plus White 5-Minute Premier Whitening System



We bought ours online at one of our FAVE beauty stores that stocks LOTS of cool items here at HarmonDiscount.
.
Hey, for $9.99, this inexpensive, drugstore teeth whitener is worth a shot. So if you don't see great results, you haven't blown your beauty budget too badly.

"Whitening your teeth is one of the fastest ways to turn back the
clock." — Cosmetic dentist Nancy Rosen, N.Y.C. revealed to Harper's Bazaar magazine.

It's true, even a shade or two brighter makes an attractive difference.

We don't smoke, drink tea or coffee, and don't often indulge in red wine, but we've been a soda drinker (Coke) all our life, and even that can stain teeth, as well as eat away at the enamel.

Plus White 5 Minute is NOT a professional whitening system by any stretch....BUT it does work, and we believe you will see some decent whitening. We've been using it for 4 days now and notice at least 1 1/2 shades brighter.

Inside the DIY kit, you will find this:

Premier Whitening (Pack of 1)
  • Proven Bleaching Power That Whitens And Brightens
  • Contains An Enamel-Friendly Bleaching Ingredient
  • Stainguard Rinse Keeps Teeth Whiter
  • For Fast And Effective Whitening
  • Comfortable Mouth Tray

Sunday, February 15, 2015

Time To Battle Horrible Hobbit Feet: Burt's To The Rescue!

We have referred to dry, cracked, callused, winter feet as hobbit feet, er, because that is what our feet tend to feel like in the dead of winter:

 Like leathery, thick soles...LOL

But that's okay. There is some topical help on the way!

You need a serious cream that nourishes thirsty toes and heels, and Burt's Bees happens to make an excellent, cult-favorite foot cream:


Just look at the reviews here and you will see why this gel-like foot cream is a WINNER.

For $9, this tube delivers!

It's formulated with coconut oil, glycerin, and peppermint + rosemary extracts.

Burt's advises using the foot cream like this:

"Apply liberally and allow the cream to fully absorb. For a luxurious way to treat your feet, soak feet in warm water for 10-15 minutes and rub gently with a pumice stone. Massage Coconut Foot Creme into feet, paying close attention to heels and calloused skin. Then cover your feet with cotton socks overnight to soothe and seal in moisture."


Saturday, February 14, 2015

Classic Red Nail Polish: Great Little Beauty Accent for Valentine's Day

Maybe you have some major Valentine's Day plans this evening.

Lucky you, girlfriend!

And maybe you don't like wearing red from head-to-toe. Let's face it---red is a BOLD color, but you can add a little bit of red to your V-Day beauty arsenal.

This is so simple, and yet will get you noticed:

Classic, red nail polish.


It's a sophisticated shade that looks FAB on ALL skin tones. And we have a great one here to check out:

Nails Inc. Nailkale (Classic red, at Sephora, $14).

Head to your Sephora store now and pick up a bottle. It's a gorgeous shade that stands out in these pale winter days.

Happy Valentine's Day!

“After awhile, you just want to be with the one that makes you laugh.”
Sex and the City


“Hearts will never be practical until they are made unbreakable.”
Wizard of Oz


"The most important things are the hardest to say, because words diminish them."
Stephen King

"Anyone can catch your eye, but it takes someone special to catch your heart."
Unknown


"Love is a symbol of eternity. It wipes out all sense of time, destroying all memory of a beginning and all fear of an end." 
Unknown

Friday, February 13, 2015

Un-Retouched 2013 Photo Of Cindy Crawford Surfaces: This Is Real Life

Iconic model Cindy Crawford turns 49-years-old this February 20th.

Still in great shape and a mother-of-two.

But now an un-retouched 2013 magazine lay-out photo has surfaced of the sexy star, and it is causing a lot of BUZZ.

As we've all learned by now, photo-shopping is a very useful tool in the advertising world. Pretty + perfect sell lots of things. So do young + barely wrinkled.

That is why models have a short shelf life when it comes to their careers.

Cindy has broken all the rules. She has never needed an expiration date.

But take a look at REAL Cindy Crawford from 2013 in a photo shoot for fashion mag Marie Claire. This pic had NOT been photo-shopped and wasn't supposed to be leaked out.


Well, we think Cindy Crawford remains a sexy girl, and appears human for goodness sakes. She's got a healthy, slim, toned body. What's there not to love?!

We like seeing un-retouched photos because they display the realness of a human being. As stunning as Cindy has ALWAYS been, she is in fact, a real person with real imperfections like everyone else on the planet.

But don't feel too badly about Cindy's un-retouched photo, because she is part owner of the successful skin care line Meaningful Beauty, which pulls in a reported $100m a year.

Cindy said this about aging to Women's Wear Daily:

"Beauty changes as I get older. I've always found that beauty and confidence are synonymous. If you feel confident, that's what people see.

"I always tell people to fake it until they make it."

Thursday, February 12, 2015

Love You, Uma: But This Parisienne Makeup Isn't Chic On Anyone!

As women, it is easy to be critical of other women.

Of course, it is NOT nice and NOT right, but when it comes to physical appearance, women tend to judge OTHER women so harshly.

Now let's bring in much beloved actress Uma Thurman. .

Here is the pretty blond star at  a NYC premiere a couple of days ago. Take a long look:


It's called effortless Parisienne chic.....a more natural-looking makeup  minus mascara, according to pro artist Troy Surratt.

Hmmm. Well, we don't find the look tres chic on anyone unless perhaps under the age of 30?

This red carpet cosmetics boo-boo just goes to show you how important eye makeup is to the beauty + balance of the face.

Now, if Uma had a cool-lined eye with a bit of mascara on, then she would have slayed most at the premiere, but this is incomplete if you will.

And the poor thing has been struck with tons of critical bows + arrows, accused of being botoxed + full of filler along with talk of recent plastic surgery.

Uma was a guest on the Today show this morning. She wasn't upset with all the slams about her effortless Parisienne chic look. She took it all in stride.

Check her reaction here at the 2:16 minute mark.

Here's what Uma usually looks like with a full set of makeup on:


What do you think?

Mr. Surratt was surprised by the backlash and wanted to try a different makeup appraoch:

"I wanted to give Uma a statement lip balanced by a more feathered brow," he explains. "Uma and I discussed creating a look that was more editorial with soft natural lashes. As a makeup artist I’ve grown a bit tired of all of the lash-y looks and fake eyelashes that we’ve been seeing on the red carpet for some time now."

Can Uma get away with zero eye makeup + bold lips on the red carpet?

Wednesday, February 11, 2015

Boom! $9 CoverGirl Bombshell Brow Product Does The Job Nicely

Hey, it's LESS than $10, and if it doesn't help deliver fuller-looking brows in a perfectly natural way, then you haven't busted your beauty budget that badly.



Bolder, thicker brows . That remains the beauty trend for 2015. And we certainly understand the frustration in having anemic brows.

Great-looking eyebrows give lovely definition to the face, and as we have learned before, fuller brows give the illusion of youth.

Elizabeth Taylor owned amazing brows back in the day, and was an expert at doing her own makeup. Such a beauty, OMG!


Cover Girl sells a wonderful brow product that works like both a pencil + brow powder. It's called:

BOMBSHELL POWDER BROW + LINER ($9, at ULTA).

You brush it on. So the applicator wand is like a pencil by way of technique, while the formula features a soft brow powder that adheres to brows, filling in the sparse areas naturally. Plus, you can also use the product to line your eyes.

You have a choice of 4 shades:

Black. Dark Brown. Medium Brown. Blonde.