Get the Look: Sofia Vergara at The Tribeca Film Festival

Nothing to Disclose



I think Sofia Vergara is one of the most beautiful women in Hollywood, so it really isn't a surprise that she's one of the faces of CoverGirl. She was recently at the premiere of Chef at the Tribeca Film Festival, and celebrity makeup artist Kayleen McAdams shared how she created Sofia's look for the event. Yes, you really can get her look using mostly CoverGirl!

"For Sofia's look last night I wanted to do an eye in a similar color palette to her CoverGirl Bombshell ad, bronzy with a cat eye liner," says Kayleen. "Really sexy but with a softer pink lip so the focus would really be on her eyes."



Skin
Kayleen started with glowing skin. She used TruBlend Liquid Foundation in M6 all over her face and neck, then FixStick Concealer just where needed. TruMAgic Luminizer and Sun Kisser (a bronzer and a pretty golden shimmer) were used to highlight and contour Sofia's face. CK One Cream + Powder Blush Duo in Breath was used on the apple of Sofia's cheeks. CoverGirl Instant Cheekbones Contouring Blush in Refined Rose would create a similar look.

Eyes
You should always prime your eyes before applying shadow, so Kayleen used CK One Eyeshadow Base in Simple (CoverGirl doesn't have a shadow primer. Time to get on it CG! I bet you could make an amazing one!) and then used Bombshell ShineShadow in Gold Goddess and Eye Enhancer in Swiss Chocolate. Bombshell Intensity Liner was used to line Sofia's eyes and Bombshell mascara was used to create amazing lashes. Sofia's brows are part of her signature look, so Kayleen used CK One Brow Pencil + Gel in Wily Brunette.

Lips
LipPerfection Lipcolor in Decadent #287 finished the look!

January Labs Skincare Review: Reveal Your Glow

Product Sent for Review



It's finally spring, and I can't tell you how glad I am to have warm weather! With any change of weather, I need to change things up a bit. Especially skin care. The super hydrating products I was using all winter are too heavy for spring, and suddenly I feel the need to extra clean everything up. Luckily I've been using the perfect skin care line for this time of year!

January Labs is based out of Southern California (very close to where I used to live in Orange County). Their philosophy is that less is more, so they make the most of their active ingredients. They pair active ingredients that work well together and put everything in the right environment to make that ingredient as active as possible. For example, Vitamin C has to be in an acidic pH environment. It seems simple, but not every skin care line is formulated that way.


Retexturizing Night Cream
The Night Cream is more of a lotion packed full of active ingredients that love an acidic environment. Because of this, it was difficult for my Rosacea. I did have a bit of tingling after application, but the next day my face was red. Stupid Rosacea! I did retry a few weeks later, applying a very light layer under a basic moisturizer and my skin could handle the lotion roughly every 3 nights or so. I think this was all due to my sensitivity from Rosacea, someone else would be able to tolerate using this product every night.

The lotion sinks in pretty quickly, and while it is hydrating it isn't super hydrating. It doesn't leave behind a residue and is pretty light, you could easily layer something else over it.



A few ingredients in this formulation:
• Lactic Acid: This is a 9% Lactic Acid product, which is quite high. This will help
• Verbena Extract: Applied topically, it can help wound healing.
• Beta Glucan: This is a sugar that can penetrate down into the skin. It helps with wound healing, and helps calm irritation.
• Niacinamide: The same active ingredient as StriVectin (though StriVectin has modified the molecule for their own products), you can learn all about why it is kind of amazing in this post.
• Hyaluronic Acid: Not really an acid, this is a very large molecule that can hold on to a lot of moisture and super hydrate your skin.
• Vitamin C: I have a whole post about how Vitamin C works in skin care, it's great stuff!
• Vitamin E: Great for healing and anti-oxidant activity.


Revitalizing Day Cream
Due to my sensitivity to the Night Cream, the Day Cream became my go-to product. This product is also more of a lotion than a cream, it sinks in quickly and has light hydration. I found that it works great under makeup.



A few ingredients in this formulation:
• Verbena Extract
• Beta Glucan
• Niacinamide
• Hyaluronic Acid
• Vitamin E
• A lot of extracts such as Green Tea which have anti-oxidant activity and help soothe the skin.


Glow and Go Power Peel Exfoliant
This is probably my favorite of the January Labs products. This is a mask, but also kind of a facial peel, but it is very gentle while it reveals glowing skin!

The product looks like honey, and has a similar, but non-sticky, consistency. When you apply it to your face it does smell a bit like a chemical (almost like lactic acid, but that isn't in the product). After about 30 seconds the smell goes away. It dries on your face over about 10-15 minutes. It feels a bit like dried plastic on your face, and the drying process doesn't hurt or feel like anything is happening really. I wash it off in the shower, it does take a little scrubbing with your hands just because you're rehydrating it and washing it off.

Once the mask is off my face looks great! My pores look smaller, things feels smoother and more importantly, not at all red and irritated. I just look glowy!




Restorative Tonic Mist
This is the product I used only a few times, I full admit that I'm not used to misting things onto my face! I just would forget about it, but I did really like it. The mist is light and refreshing, you can apply it before your skin care or just randomly throughout the day.


Overall, I really have liked using January Labs. I'm impressed with how many ingredients they pack into each product (I've only highlighted a fraction of what is in each product, it was quite the list!) and this spring my skin has really loved this line! I'm pretty glowy and my pores look great thanks to the lactic acid every few days in the night cream and the Glow and Go Power Peel.


January Labs
Product Sent for Review

The Best Blow Out Tips, Get Pro Results at Home!

Wouldn't it be great to always look like you just walked out of a salon? Try as we might, it can be really hard to recreate our hair stylist's results at home. There are some great little things that you can add to your routine or change up to get better results. I'm taking notes, and I think I need to get some new pillow cases...


Arturo Swayze from the Arturo Salon offers these tips:
• Washing your hair less frequently and using Klorane dry shampoo with Nettle will prolong your blowout.

• Tie your hair in a top-bun when you sleep and use a silk pillow case (here's an option at Cuddledown). Cotton pillow cases will roughen-up your hair causing your blowout to deform. Cotton will also cause the cuticles in your hair to get rough as well, making your hair look textured aka frizzy.

• One thing I see women do wrong with their blowout is their not getting the hair smooth enough. When your using a round brush make sure you go over the hair enough to get it silky. If you do it really well the first time it will prolong your blowout much longer.

• And always use a thermal protector like, René Furterer Lissea, Thermal Protecting spray. It locks moisture in, protects your hair from heat damage and has anti-humidity protection.


Regina Ventimiglia has 3 great tips, though you'll notice that one of them is familiar. (I need to buy new pillowcases!)
• Want to keep your style, keep your hands out of your hair! You'd be alarmed at how many times we run our fingers through our hair on an average basis.

• You have to set your style with a cool blast of air to really make it lock in. That's why nice dryers have those fancy little cool blast buttons :) And keep your bedroom cooler at night. If your body temp really rises as you sleep, you'll most likely "sweat out" your style.

• Invest in silk pillowcases!


Vikki Parman
• Remove as much moisture from hair before styling with heat.


Dominic Commisso, Commisso and Company:
• Practice at home. The thing people are doing wrong at home is rushing and not practicing enough. I had to practice blowdrying other people's hair and it took time and practice. You can't expect to get good at something you don't put at least a little bit of practice into.

• You can ask the salon to schedule a one on one class on home hair care and styling. We offer that to our clients with makeup, proper shampoo, conditioner, detangling and treatments. Proper styling product, proper hot tools, blowdrying, setting and finishing.


David Todd, David Frank Salon:
• Invest in a great brush, I like Spornette natural bristle brushes. They work great and they last a lifetime if you take care of them. Choose a lager one for a straighter flatter look, a smaller one for waves and volume. Avoid blow drying with a paddle brush, it puts no tension on the hair and provides you no ability to style your hair.

• Use a nozzle on your blow dryer. I see women everyday who have burnt the hair with the end of the dryer. The nozzle keeps the hot grate at the opening of the dryer from coming in contact with the hair. This one little thing makes a world of difference.

• Try a bit of aerosol dry shampoo at the roots once your hair is completely dry. Gives the hair tons of body and makes your blow out last.

• Spend some time on the ends for a polished look. Five minutes finishing up the ends and the top layer can make a so-so blowout look great.


Terrence Michael Renk, Global Artistic Director for ProRituals:
• In the salon I put a setting volumizer like ProRituals Volume and texture foam. Blow dry with my Marilyn Hot Flash brush and transfer on to purple velcro rollers. Plenty of lift, bounce and a hold that last all day and into your red carpet night.


Vernelle Murphy, Salon V:
• A very light or no conditioner at all on your scalp can help stretch your blowout. You can also sleep with a high loose bun to keep the ends from getting rough and tangled during the night. Make sure when blow-drying hair at home to use styling products for volume, smoothing and hold. Section the hair so that you are working with smaller sections at a time. Consult your hairstylist to make sure you are using the proper hair brush and styling tools.


Natalia Lahud, Salon Sora:
• Use products for your hair type recommended by your hair stylist & don't use styling tools on high heat. Always use your styling products on medium heat to benefit the longest last and prevent damage. Always ask your stylist what they are using on your hair and use the same products at home.

Over On Babble: Rosacea and Concealers

It's a long story, but there were some issues with the back end of the Babble site, so it's been a while since I've been able to post over there! Luckily today, things are back to normal. There are 2 new posts up over there, run over to check them out!


Beauty Rx: Is Your Sensitive Skin Actually Rosacea?

Concealer Tips: Makeup Artists Share Their Favorites

Don't forget! If you have a question you'd love to see answered on Beauty Rx, you can submit your question here. (Really, I'm almost out of questions, please submit!)

15 Random Questions

For a few months now The Beauty Spotlight Team has been highlighting our members with bi-weekly posts answering questions. Today it's finally my turn! I have some blogging questions, some beauty questions and few questions that have nothing to do with anything else.


1.) When you shop for makeup, skincare and perfume, do you do it with the blog in mind first and foremost-- or with your own use in mind?
I do a mix of both. I never buy products that I'm not interested in for myself and my personal use, but the blog and what I need personally definitely influence each other. After I had my daughter, I had a big concealer review series. Why? I was a new mommy, I wanted to look awake! New beauty trends emerge and I'll buy products to highlight it on the blog, but I purchase what I want to use myself.


2.) Last book you read?
I just finished the Iron Druid series by Kevin Hearne. They had a great mix of paranormal and mythology and I loved all of his pop culture references! Oberon is one of the best side kicks I think I've ever read in a book!

Right now I'm reading a new book by one of my best friends from high school, Sara Fiorenzo. She'll be self publishing it soon!


3.) Do you have a special talent?
No. My husband might say it is spending money. He's probably right.


4.) Do you have a guilty pleasure?
Buying cheap jewelry! I have a big collection of necklaces and bracelets. I love stores like Forever 21, H&M and Charming Charlie for items. Recently I've gotten some great deals from Facebook, my favorite stores on there are Accessory Concierge and Everyday Icing. And of course, J. Crew, Ann Taylor, Loft and other stores at the mall all have great finds as well.


5.) What time do you wake up in the morning?
I'm not a morning person. On a "normal" day I'm usually up around 7:30, on a work day a little after 6.


6.) When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I always wanted to be a pediatrician when I was a kid, just like my dad. When I was in high school I secretly wanted to be a magazine beauty editor. Now I'm kind of both!


7.) Are you a cat person or a dog person?
I grew up with both cats and dogs, but I'm more of a dog person.


8.) What was your first real job?
When I turned 13 my neighbors asked if I could come work in their candy store in the summers, which I did until I went away to college. It was named Candyland, and I spent many a night making fresh lemonade and cutting up fudge! The store moved and renamed itself, it is now Sweet Temptations in Grand Haven, Michigan. The Tiger Butter fudge is my favorite if you go to the store!


9.) If you were given a shopping spree at one store, what store would you like it to be?
Probably Nordstrom.


10.) Finish this sentence: Don't start a beauty blog if…
You only want to make money or get free stuff. I get a ton of emails asking me how to get free stuff. Really, a blog is a lot of work (20+ hours a week for me) and there are a lot of them out there! You need to make yourself unique, create a following, and then the PR reps will come to you, and I wasn't making much money doing this until the last 6 months or so (and really, I only make money at it because of the writing for Babble thing). You won't get rich, this is never going to replace my "real" job. Start a blog only if you feel passionate about something and really need a creative outlet.


11.) Do you consider your blog a hobby or is it part of a larger career objective?
It's a side job for me really, I don't have a long term career objective with it. Instead, it's something that I enjoy doing, I need something fun and creative to do.


12.) Is there a category of products you like (or dislike) blogging about in particular?
I have a really hard time writing about fragrances. I love perfume, and I can describe when I smell and what happens with the scent when I wear it, but there are the perfume snobs out there that freak out if you don't use some exact term that only they have heard of. So, I find the reviews intimidating (that's why I haven't written one in over a year).


13.) What's your favorite beauty splurge?
Getting my eye brows done! I have full eye brows, and I think they're a good fit for my face. Since we all lose our brows as we get older, it is definitely aging to have brows that are too skinny! But, I can't keep them in check on my own. So, I head to the salon near my house every 3 weeks or so to have them done professionally.


14.) What's your favorite beauty bargain?
I'm a sucker for makeup at the drugstore/grocery store! I have a really hard time leaving without a new lippie from L'Oreal or Maybelline's newest mascara. I'm also a huge fan of CoverGirl.


15.) Lipstick or lipgloss?
I'm more of a gloss or tinted balm girl.