Scandalous Beauty Blog

Celebrity Beauty News: Solange, Zoe and More

Scandalousbeauty — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 18:00:32 +0000

Zoe Saldana is popping up all over the place! First of all, she’s too gorgeous for words. The Avatar star is on the March cover of Essence Magazine. I can’t wait to see Zoe’s spread, doesn’t she photograph beautifully? I’m even more excited about “The Best Foundation For Our Skin Tones”! These are the articles that make me a happy woman! Read on for more…

Singer and DJ Solange Knowles has been named a new Ambassador for Rimmel London! She’s now part of the fam with models Kate Moss, Coco Rocha, Alejandra Ramos Munoz and Actress Zooey Deschanel. I love seeing mainstream brands include brown girls! Now I’ll try a few more of their products!

Kim Kardashian has a new Iphone App. You can ask Kim a question. Every Tuesday and Friday, she’ll answer a question via her app. Some of the answers will also be sent out on twitter. Check out the App Here.

Dreams DO Come True: Warren B. Paints Nene and Lisa Wu!

Scandalousbeauty — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 13:51:28 +0000

The Real Housewives of Atlanta are in town this week for Bravo. My best friend Warren B. was hired to do makeup for Nene Leakes and Lisa Wu Hartwell. I assisted him during his job yesterday in NYC. (Can you believe that just 7 months ago, I created a makeup tutorial based on Nene?!) When we arrived, Nene already did her brows, which were chiseled to perfection! She used a brow pencil (is it safe to assume it was MAC Spiked?). I’m sure you all want to know the dish, and let me say this. What you see on TV is real, Nene and Lisa are NO different than they are on camera. They are as real as it gets! Here are the looks that Warren did on the ladies. Click here for the looks!!!

I was a terrible assistant, mainly because I was trying to memorize all of the products that Warren was using. He must have used 30 products! I noticed that he used MAC Stars N Rockets eye shadow, MAC Mineralize foundation (provided by Nene). She’s got oily skin, so I tried to tell her about the Make Up For Ever HD Foundation. I think she’d love it! He also used a few products from Ben Nye and Graftobian. Nene LOVES makeup (as you all know by her gorgeous makeup on camera). Guess what else she loves….Ru Paul’s Drag Race!!! Music to my ears Nene, Music to my ears.

The only thing that I saw Warren use on Lisa was MAC Teddy Eye Kohl. While he was doing her makeup, I was packing up his products. Crap! I MUST know what that red lip is. When I find out, I’ll let you know!

Guide to MAC Lipstick Finishes: Frost, Amplified and Cremesheen

Scandalousbeauty — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 18:00:28 +0000

And now, the final installment of MAC lipstick finishes! These are some of my favorite lipsticks. Each of these categories include colors that are packed with color, with I love. I’ve included some lipsticks that you can buy at your local counter, some that are limited edition, and some that have discontinued for over 5 years. The point isn’t to sell you anything (which it never is), but to further explain.

Frost

O (left), New York Apple (right)

O (top), New York Apple (bottom)

What MAC Says: Excellent colour payoff with medium to high frosted shimmer-and-shine finish

What ErinScandalous Says: Metallic and shiny.

“O” is one of those shades that many Black women always go back to. It’s a dark burnt bronze. I’ve seen dozens of people wear it with Ornamental lusterglass. I almost never wear Frost lipsticks without gloss. They have suck a metallic look that I’m not always crazy about, but I love the shades themselves. Popular colors include Fetish, Icon, Fabby, and Chintz, to name a few.

Amplified Creme/Amplified

Show Orchid (left), Up The Amp (right)

Up The Amp (left), Show Orchid (right)

What MAC Says: Ultra-creamy. Quietly shiny. Colour-packed! Hi-res: hi-impact.

What ErinScandalous Says: Extra creamy and full of coverage.

Amplified lipsticks are my favorites, hands down!! They are jam packed with color. You only need a swipe or two and your look is complete! Violetta might be my favorite lipstick ever!

Cremesheen

Brave Red (left), Speak Louder (right)

Speak Louder (top), Brave Red (bottom)

What MAC Says: Ultra sheer and uber moist, it features flat pigments and a creamy high shine finish to lips.

What ErinScandalous Says: Extra creamy. Mixture of Lustre and Amplified.

These are Amplified’s little sisters. They are a bit more creamy and full of color too. They probably have more shine than the Amplified.

Your Go-To Five-Minute Makeup Routine

How to look fabulous even when youâ€™re pressed for time

Just because you only have five minutes to get ready in the morning doesnâ€™t mean you should run out the door looking like it. (Unless youâ€™re going for the bedhead, just-woke-up look. In that case, heave ho!) This step-by-step tutorial will show you how to get a gorgeous makeup look in under five minutes.

See tutorial

You Are Invited: Fly Beauty Lounge!

Scandalousbeauty — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 14:11:58 +0000

On March 21, 2010, my darling Warren B. and I will be hosting a meet and greet in our Nation’s Capital! If you are a makeup artist, hair stylist, nail tech, model, photographer, beauty blogger, makeup junkie, come hang out with us! Bring as many business cards as humanly possible, you never know who you’ll meet!

We’ve got some great news that we’ll announce, eventually! We’d love to meet you and hang out for the night!

Where: Fly Lounge, Washington DC

When: Sunday, March 21, 2010

Open Bar 8-9 pm

Drink Specials until Midnight

Please RSVP via Facebook! http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=10150101010275696

Five Oscar Looks that Demand Applause

Scandalousbeauty — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 15:30:39 +0000

Last night’s Academy Awards were a huge success in my book. Instead of my usual live tweeting during the red carpet event, I stayed with my BFF and her 3 month old daughter. We oooh’ed and ahhh’ed. Loved it! Here are my favorite head-to-toe looks from the red carpet and beyond!

My girl Sarah Jessica Parker was a stunner. The first 3 seconds of looking at her, I thought, “what?” But that’s the magic of SJP. As the fourth second approached, I thought “Oooh, I get it! Yes SJP!” Her sense of style is on a different level. Always chic, always testing the waters. The mega-bun rocked my socks. However the “I love walking down the street on windy days” look was not so hot.

Who else can’t stop talking about Zoe Saldana? She’s already hot to begin with, but the hair, makeup, dress, shoes. Wow. There are a few brief moments where I only love her dress from the belly button, up. And then I see the rest of the dress and think that it can be cool too. But the shoes. Wow. Might have to snatch those up!

Regal. I love classic red carpet looks, especially for the Oscars. Sandra looked so classic chic. I was highly impressed. By the way, word on the street is that Sandra is wearing Chanel Rouge Coco in Paris. I was dying over that lip all night! Congratulations on your Best Actress win, Sandra!

Cameron Diaz also sported classic beauty last night. She’s such a versatile woman with lots of amazing qualities. Her personality always shines through. Kudos on the glam look!

Penelope is always one of my favorite ladies on the red carpet. She is always effortlessly stunning. Once she hit the red carpet, my best friend and I both stood up in excitement and said “Woo is that Penelope?!” She owned it! Que Rica!

Essence.com Presents the 3rd Annual Black Women in Hollywood Event

Scandalousbeauty — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 14:18:46 +0000

Ah, it’s that lovely time of year again. Birds chirping (almost), snow melting (thank God) and beautiful Black women are being honored for their stellar achievements. This year’s honorees for the 3rd Annual Black Women in Hollywood included Cicely Tyson (Legend Award), Gabriel Sidebe (Best Breakthrough Performance), Queen Latifah (Power Award), Zoe Saldana (Star to Watch Award) and Mary J. Blige (Songstress of the Year). I love events like this! We all remember Jada’s emotional moment last year, correct? Let those tears flow, Lena James! Essence.com is giving us exclusive access to the event, so be sure to also follow them on twitter. I’m definitely looking forward to sharing more images from the event, so stay tuned!

Also, make sure to enter to win a Swagbag courtesy of Essence and Lincoln! I surely am!

Guide to MAC Lipsticks: Satin, Matte and Mattene

Scandalousbeauty — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 19:23:27 +0000

The three lipstick finishes that we’ll cover today are full of coverage. They are long lasting. They are great! Here, we’ll take a look at some of the choices. Remember to click on the image to see it up close and personal!

Satin

What MAC Says: Colour-rich. Soft satin, semi-matte finish. Conditions while adding intense colour.

What ErinScandalous Says: A mix of Matte and Amplified.

While I don’t own too many Satin lipsticks, some of MAC’s most popular sellers are included here. These include Snob, Siss, Twig, Cyber and X-S, among others.

Miss Dish (top) was one of the most sought after colors for Brown woman. To this day, people still ask me if I know of any dupes for it! Freckle (bottom) was also a quite popular nude, which is now discontinued.

Matte Lipsticks

Ruby Woo (left), Viva Glam III (right)

What MAC Says: Pigment rich with intense colour pay-off. No-shine, all matte finish.

What ErinScandalous Says: Not too creamy, no shine at all. Tend to last the longest. Sometimes drying.

You can never go wrong with a classic matte lip! Other notable colors include Honey Love, Russian Red and Diva. Ruby Woo (left) and Viva Glam III (right) are used on the covers of magazines and runways, and always will!

Mattene

What MAC Says: With its streamlined design, this new slimline lipcolor features the traditional glamour properties of a matte lipstick—intense color and semi-matte velvety finish—while offering a creamier, softer, more glide-on application. Non-caking, non drying. Moisturizing and incredibly wearable yet absolutely matte. (via Nordstrom.com)

What ErinScandalous Says: Very creamy, but no shine. No shimmer. They last for hours on and and don’t dry out the lips!

Mattene lipsticks are always limited edition, but they re-launch with every few collections. Classic Dame (top) and Night Violet (bottom) are two of my favorite shades.

Guide to MAC Lipstick Finishes: Lustre vs. Glaze

Scandalousbeauty — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 18:18:58 +0000

For years, I’ve been trying to get a concrete understanding of the differences between Glaze and Lustre lipsticks. When I go to the counter, these are typically the colors that I really love, but have to avoid. Because they are so sheer, they don’t last too long. In this post, I’ll do a comparison. Click on each image to make it larger!

Glaze

Read on for swatches, descriptions, and more…

What MAC Says: Low-colour impact with sheen-style finish. Glazes the lips, makes them shine!

What ErinScandalous Says: Very sheer. With shimmer?

The two colors highlighted are Not So Innocent (bottom) and Fun ‘N Sexy (top) lipsticks from the Fafi Collection in 2008. Each of the colors is packed with shimmer and effect, but little color.

Moving Right Along to Glaze’s cousin, Lustre. I am more fond of this finish.

Lustre

What MAC Says: Demi-sheer with wet-look lustre finish. Very slick. Makes lips look soft, smooth, ultra-moist.

What ErinScandalous Says: Still sheer but with more color, a little creamier than Glaze.

The two colors are Jubilee (top) and 5N (bottom). Very easy to wear colors that I rely on.

Stay tuned, I’ll be doing more finish comparisons throughout the week!

Note: Some products were provided as samples for review.

Zahara Jolie Pitt in Alice + Olivia

Scandalousbeauty — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 14:27:28 +0000

First of all, I can’t believe Zahara is even old enough to walk! I guess when you are seeing celebrity kids every 6 months, they tend to shock you! I had to show you that miss lady is wearing one of my favorite luxury brands, Alice + Olivia. The Bow Back Double Breasted Coat ($330) can be found here. I don’t even own a $300 coat, but when you’re parents are two of the hottest celebrities, you can have it all!

Vogue Italia is the New Black!

Scandalousbeauty — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 15:28:35 +0000

The internet is abuzz about the newest editions to Vogue Italia : Vogue Black and Vogue Curvy. I heard a bit about it on Twitter, but wasn’t sure if it was a new print issue, an ad campaign or what. And then I find out that every Brown woman’s fairy blog mother: Patrice Elizabeth Grell Yursik of Afrobella has contributed!

I have nothing but good things to say about this website. In fact, I’m elated. Beyond elated! In fact, I will probably stalk it. It’s such a breath of fresh air for us! The fact that Vogue has dedicated an entire site to the beauty of Black women is quite admirable. And now, I’m hoping, praying, begging them to have some makeup articles! It’s always interesting (to me) how the “ethnic” sections of publications deal with hair, for the most part. Whether it’s weaves, fro’s, or hair treatments, it seems to be the “Black Beauty Focus”. Granted, I understand that hair is “our thing”, and that many of us spend more money and attention on our hair than our faces. But still, we love makeup too!

Vogue Curvy might be (dare I say) even more genius than Vogue Black. Woman larger than size 6 seem to be shunned in the fashion industry over the past few decades. While there are many Black women who will find happiness reading Vogue Black, there are probably more people who relate and need to see women with shape! While I don’t necessarily fit into the “curvy” category for the new website, I’m almost taken back by the lack of plus-sized anything and everything! I walked past Torrid and Lane Bryant in the mall one day and thought, “is this it”? If the average size of a woman in the U.S. is a 16, where is the freakin’ variety?

I’ve bookmarked both websites into my “Daily Reads” folder. Kudos to Vogue Italia for being leaders and creating something truly remarkable!