But what is a surprise, a hugely wonderful and awesome surprise, is that this year, Davis is going to take us with him!

Isn’t it so. much. fun. being in?!!

Davis will be sharing all the latest and greatest beauty trends and tidbits from NYFW on Twitter. Just follow @smashboxartists and enjoy insider secrets, runway sneak peeks, and all the behind the scenes action.

Remember to breathe

Jen’s level of flawlessness is partly thanks to Mother Nature and partly thanks to the genius makeup artists who’ve perfected the art of contouring and highlighting.

Contouring and highlighting is all about adding depth, blending in warmth and creating that resplendent glow that lights up a room.

Lucky for us, the artists at Smashbox have developed a super-easy-to-use 3-in-1 STEP BY STEP CONTOUR KIT that can help us cheat genetics and reach new degrees of gorgeous.

Contouring and highlighting starts with an assessment of your face. Locate the hollow of your cheek, study the angle of your nose, take a look at your jawline.

For details on where to contour, where to highlight, and how to link it all together with bronzer, watch this how-to video from the lovely Lori Taylor, Smashbox’s pro lead makeup artist.

Yeah, that part.

And there’s really no tool quite like the MASQUERADE EYE SHADOW PALETTE for constructing a new facial facade, whatever it may be.

This 9-hue shadow box is arranged just so, with complimentary colors deliberately placed in the same row for tried and true looks.

But it’s also packed with punchy colors like metallic cabernet and shimmering navy so you can add some drama when inspiration strikes.

Like it did for the pros at Smashbox when they came up with these intriguing eyes.

To get this look, sweep the taupe shade in EYE SHADOW PALETTE from the lashline to your natural crease. Then sweep the bronze shade across the lid and apply the shimmering black plum shade in the crease.

Next, line the upper lashline with LIQUID LINER & LASH OVERLAY in TEAL. Blend the navy shade from the EYE SHADOW PALETTE over the liner for an amazing smoldering effect.

For the lower lashline, apply the LIQUID LINER & LASH OVERLAY and blend the bronze shade from the EYE PALETTE over it to soften.

Leave a comment and let us know what your fave color combinations are from the MASQUERADE EYE SHADOW PALETTE!

It probably didn’t hurt that stunners (and winners) like Anna Paquin and Claire Danes were the ones hawking the hue either.

Reds have been seriously underrepresented on red carpets and runways alike, not so much because they’re not as gorgeous as other shades but more because they dyes used to make red shadows are irritating to some, but it looks like this trend is ready for a big debut this fall.

To achieve this rich eye look, start by priming lids with PHOTO FINISH LID PRIMER. Then dust a shadow similar to your skin color on the lid and one a couple of shades lighter than that on your brow bone area. Sweep the show-stopping red, maybe something like CINNAMON TOAST, over the upper lid. For extra intensity, carefully apply shadow along the outer rim of the lower lash line. Line upper lashes with an earthy brown liner for Dane’s softer look or a dramatic black for more of Paquin’s style, and finish the eyes with a couple coats of BIONIC MASCARA.

Follow the example set by these leading ladies when working earthy reds into your overall look by keeping the rest of your makeup simple.

Better start working on your acceptance speech

It was the middle of the day, the sun was raging, and VAMPIRES were everywhere. Yes, Sookie (aka Anna Paquin), Bill (aka Stephen Moyer) and Eric (aka Alexander Skarsgard) from True Blood were at Smashbox Studios for September’s Rolling Stone cover shoot (on stands now).

And can we just say, wow. Immortal is gorgeous. They must be using our anti-aging potion known as PHOTO FINISH FOUNDATION PRIMER SPF 15 & DERMAXYL. 

Sookie, Bill and Eric donned nothing for the shoot but their blood-spattered birthday suits, but even with all that naked screaming at you, it’s the smoky eye on Sookie that puts a spell on you.

These sexy beasts were photographed by Matthew Rolston at Smashbox Studios.

To perfect this entrancing eye and elevate your degree of gorgeous to supernatural, start by priming the lids with PHOTO FINISH LID PRIMER. Just dab it on and blend it in. Priming the lids is especially important when it comes to smoky eyes because you don’t want to color to bleed or you’ll go from being an evening seductress to a possessed raccoon.

Then, using a blending brush (we love BLENDING BRUSH #3), apply the sand-colored shadow from the charcoal trio in the BEAUTY IN BLOOM EYE PALETTE over the entire lid. (In case you didn’t know or needed an excuse to get this great kit, the BEAUTY IN BLOOM GLAMBOX is currently part of Smashbox’s Beauty Blowout Sale.)

Smudge a charcoal cream liner (try CAVIAR if you don’t have the charcoal hue that comes with the kit) into the upper lashline using a smudger brush.

Apply the smoky taupe shadow from the kit across the lid up to the crease, and then sweep it along the lower lashline. DEFINER BRUSH #15 is like a magic wand when it comes to detailing, contouring and blending with control, so that’s what the pros recommend.

Smudge cream liner into lower lashline using your smudger brush. For vampiresque intensity, sweep the smoky taupe shadow along lower lashline too.

Complete the look with coat after coat of Bionic Mascara, and then you’re ready to stalk your prey. Enjoy the hunt.

This fall, purple — or power plum, as the pros are calling it — is the must-strut color, and with its unexpected neutrality and sultry universality, it’s no wonder why.

When it comes to eyes, purple works with baby blues, deep browns and sparkly hazel eyes with equal effect… just be sure you pick the shade that works best for you. Blue eyes do well with lavenders and violets, those hues toward the lighter end of the purple scale. For hazel eyes, which turn a stunning green under the power plum influence, try burgundy purples. And if you’re a brown-eyed girl, you can just dance all around the purple rainbow. Try light to medium shades of purple to lighten up your eyes or go with grey or metallic purples to intensify your look.

Smashbox’s MASQUERADE EYE SHADOW PALETTE is a great place to start playing with these power plums, since it’s got a shimmering black plum and a metallic cabernet as well as loads of complementary colors, or you can get a personalized pick from a Smashbox makeup artist and choose from SPELLBOUND, ENCHANTED, MINX and CABERNET.

Leave a comment and let us know your preferred purple!

Christina Hendricks plays alpha female secretary Joan Holloway on AMC's hit show Mad Men.

That’s right! Christina Hendricks stopped by Smashbox Studios, which is right next door to where the Smashbox Cosmetics magic happens, for a shoot for British GQ‘s September issue.

Shot by photographer Miles Aldridge, Hendricks stayed true to her super sultry Joan character and sported a bright red lip that has been driving men mad for decades.

To get Joan’s stunning red lip, Debbie Zoller, who leads the show’s makeup department, relies on hues without blue undertones, which just don’t work with the set’s fluorescent lighting. Instead, she uses true pinks, corals and reds to convey the powerful pout that’s can turn top executives into bumbling schoolboys.

If you’re wanting to channel your inner Joan, try Smashbox’s PHOTO FINISH LIPSTICK in LEGENDARY. Prime lips with lip primer and line them with a matching liner to keep the color contained.

Round out the look with a matte foundation for that peaches and cream complexion, a touch of color on the apples of the cheeks, a stroke of black liquid eyeliner on the top lid, and mascara on top lashes only.

Then, brace yourself for a sex appeal that’s as hot today as it was 50 years ago.

]]> http://blog.smashbox.com/2010/08/11/guess-who-stopped-by-smashbox/feed/ 1 smashboxcosmetics christina hendricks british gq http://blog.smashbox.com/2010/08/08/how-beautiful-feels/ http://blog.smashbox.com/2010/08/08/how-beautiful-feels/#comments Sun, 08 Aug 2010 01:50:12 +0000 smashboxcosmetics http://blog.smashbox.com/?p=804 ]]> Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles recently hosted a Trauma Reunion to celebrate recovery and reunite parents and former patients with doctors and nurses who cared for them at CHLA. It was an inspiring day packed with motivational speeches, games, musical performances, giveaways, and, our favorite, MAKEOVERS!

Smashbox makeup artists were on hand to give these little superstars and their hero parents some VIP pampering that was just perfect for the red carpet at the Hollywood-inspired event.

To see these kiddos triumph over their injuries and return to walk the red carpet was a lesson in inner beauty, without a doubt. We’re honored to have been a part of the event and to have helped them feel like the stars they are.

We know that Miriam needs her LIMITLESS LONG WEAR LIP GLOSS in BOUNDLESS, Nina just can’t leave home with BROW TECH TO GO in TAUPE, Puja has seriously fallen for PHOTO FINISH LID PRIMER in GOLDEN NUDE, and Michele is cuckoo for LIMITLESS EYE LINER in PEACOCK.

But what’s our online studio artist and customer service associate manager, Meredith (aka Lady in the Know), relying on to get her through the summer season?

HALO HYDRATING PERFECTING BRONZER… which means she’s Lady in the Know and Lady with the Gorgeous Glow.

“Halo Hydrating Perfecting Bronzer is my go-to product for summer. Even with super fair, extra sensitive skin, this loose powder gives me a non-orangey, healthy bronze glow. I love that it’s mineral based and has powerful anti-aging benefits. Plus, the smaller pot is perfect for travel!”

Meredith isn’t alone in having the hots for HALO. The original formula became a cult fave almost instantly, and we’re pretty sure HALO BRONZER isn’t far behind.

It’s universal true bronze shade works on every skin tone, including fair maidens like Meredith, and its patented hydration system delivers time-released moisturization for a radiant, healthy complexion all day. You can apply it to cheekbones, forehead, bridge of the nose and chin for a radiant all-over glow, or you can sweep it just over lids for a sexy summer sheen.

Perfect, just like it says on the package!

The ultra feminine pink pout showed up big time at the Golden Globes back in January and it’s still working runways and red carpets this season. Just look at Leona Lewis, Sandra Bullock and Courteney Cox and how pretty they are in pink!

To get this look yourself, try PHOTO FINISH LIPSTICK in STUNNING followed by LIP ENHANCING GLOSS in POUT. And then go out and blow kisses to all the Duckie types in your life.