study break: "The Spiderwick Chronicles"

I've been excited about "The Spiderwick Chronicles" since I saw a teaser trailer last summer.  I wasn't expecting it to be as awesome as it was ("Labyrinth" meets "Jumanji" with some pretty darn good acting) but I also wasn't expecting the makeup to be so darn pretty!  I could believe the makeup artists at Lucky magazine had a hand in it.  It's exactly the sort of effortless look they love to rock (see picture below)- stainy red or soft pinky nude lips and cheeks paired with full lashes and bare lids, perfect for the office or a walk in the woods.  It was just stunning on Mary-Louise Parker and Sarah Bolger, and fit with the practical-fantastical vibe of the movie.  I couldn't find a good picture of either actress from the film, so consider this an excuse to hit the cinema!  To get the look, I'd recommend Stila Convertible Color in Rose or Peony, one of the best (read: low maintenance) dual lip and cheek products on the market.  Both colors are natural and romantic and the formula melts into skin beautifully.

Stainy Day

While the J.Lo nude look is definitely gorgeous in the summer, I get a little sick of it being dragged out year after year. That's why this year I took a hint from Evangeline Lilly on season 1 of "Lost" and Keira Knightley in "Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl" and looked for something to replicate the vibrant but naturally subtle punchy lips they used to rock before their makeup artists went over to the dark (or rather drab) side of nude lips.



The obvious choice to replicate her look is a lip stain- you don't want to add any texture really, just color- so off to Sephora I went. After making my rounds, Lorac's Sheer Wash emerged as the clear winner. Where Benefit's Benetint wasn't pigmented enough (read: no staying power) and Vincent Longo's Gel Stain had a limited range of overly orange and overly purple shades, Sheer Wash comes in a gorgeous range of colors that last me from 9 to 5 (although not through an oily 3 course meal with drinks, which isn't surprising). The genius rollerball packaging also preempts spills and controls how much product comes out, which is a life saver considering you need maybe a scant drop of stain for perfect rosy lips. I recommend giving your lips a soft rub down with a warm wet washcloth before application- this will deeply stain any flakies as sadly the bloody lip look isn't in vogue this year. I'm in love with the shade Sheer Emotion, a raspberry pinky red that's similar to Benetint which should theoretically flatter pale, tan and olive skinned ladies. Bonus: as Benefit's insanely overpriced Benetint lip balm was used on Keira Knightley in "Pirates," a swipe of shiny balm on top of this shade will give you her look (I recommend mark. Kiss Therapy in Sheer Rose) and you'll want to do so anyway because all lip stains are a little drying. Just be sure to give the stain about two minutes to set first. Those with yellow or olive toned skin might also try Sheer Luck- it's a gorgeous red that unfortunately looked quite ruddy on me. Either of these shades looks stunning with mascara, a bit of eyeliner, and clean polished skin. The travel size retails for $17.50 at Sephora, a great investment considering this bottle should last for a decade.

Get the Look: "Gray's Anatomy"

Although I'm by no means an avid watcher of "Gray's Anatomy," I've been a huge fan of the makeup used on the three lead female characters- they have the epitome of that perfect "no-makeup" natural glow that I strive to recreate. Until recently I wasn't quite sure how to replicate the look, but after stumbling upon a drugstore treasure and watching the season finale (um, cliffhangers much?) I think I've got the key basics down.

LIPS- The girls lips are slightly glossed with just a hint of peachy pink color that looks fresh but utterly natural. Neutrogena MoistureShine tinted lip balm in Glow is the best thing I've found to mimic the color- it's a shiny peach with a touch of pink, beige, and golden shimmer that lets your natural lip color show through enough so that the color doesn't look fake. The formula is similar to Vincent Longo's Baby Balm line in slickness and the SPF 20 is a huge bonus for summer (the shade range is limited, but this is a really great product and worth checking out). If your lips are naturally very rosy, you can neutralize them a bit further with either a pale nude lip liner like Stila Glaze Liner in Nude or a thin layer of an opaque pale nude gloss or lipstick like NARS Lip Lacquer in Chelsea Girls. The idea here isn't really to change your lip color, but rather to mimic the nude peachy pink glow while working with your natural lip tone, so don't coat your lips too much or it will spoil the effect.

SKIN- Keep things fresh and clean- cover any spots or under eye circles with concealer and go light on foundation but cover any redness. Pat over any concealer or foundation that you put on very lightly with a damp cosmetic sponge to blend it all into your skin. The girls don't wear noticeable blush or bronzer, but dusting a little glowy highlighter on your cheeks will again help to mimic their natural glow. There are tons of great highlighters out there, but choose on that's very finely milled (read: not glittery) in the peach to pink range- whatever is most flattering on your skin. I like Bobbi Brown Shimmer Bricks in Rose and Apricot, they reflect light in an almost dewy way and don't show up as noticeable sparkle even on those of us with large pores while providing a hint of color. Sweep it on the tops of cheekbones from the apple of the cheek towards the temple. If you want a little more dewiness in the look, use a pearly liquid highlighter like Stila All Over Shimmer Liquid Luminizer.

EYES- If lids are oily prep them with a dab of Urban Decay Primer Potion, then smooth on a light coat of foundation regardless. The idea is to even out the skin of the eyelid and cover up darkness and tiny veins. If you like, sweep on a subtly pearly eyeshadow similar to your skin color (probably in the champagne to cocoa range), but don't use anything too shimmery or frosty- it's texture overkill considering lips and cheeks. Bobbi Brown, Stila, and Tarte are great brands to look at (I like Tarte's Champagne Brunch). If you feel naked without eyeliner, use a damp liner brush to push a blackened brown eyeshadow like Stila Espresso (shown center) into the lash line, which defines the eyes without making an obvious line. Follow with a brown black or soft black waterproof mascara on curled lashes.