M.A.C.'s Wonder Woman Limited Edition Makeup Set

By Laura Medina

Wonder Woman with the Invincible Mirror.

At South Coast Plaza's M.A.C. boutique on February First, they unleashed upon the world the official debut of Woman Wonder Limited Edition Makeup Line by M.A.C.

Six looks from the Wonder Woman Limited Edition Makeup Line.

Suzanna Rasmussen, M.A.C.'s Senior Trainer for the Pacific West and for this specific set, said we done Barbie, why not a comic strip?

The Powder Blush Duo, Lipstick, Lipglass, and Mineralize SkinFinish. The Glamazon in classic Wonder Woman bold colors.

Ms. Rasmussen commented that M.A.C. and Wonder Woman share a lot in common.

They are both pioneers. Wonder Woman was the first independent woman who held her own without a man.

Makup Artist Cosmetics was the first makeup line to be for the artistry of cosmetics and the one of the pioneers to endorse quality makeup for everybody, for all ages, races, and sexes.

One of six Wonder Woman looks with Wonder Woman Lipglass, Powder Blush Duo & Defiance Pink Quad.

Both M.A.C. and Wonder Woman represents independence and women, the independent spirit.

They both believe in the empowerment of women, the Spirit of a Woman.

She speaks the truth.

Another look with Russian Lipstick, Defiance Pink Quad Eyeshadow, and Penultimate Eye Liner

Diana Prince's a.k.a. Wonder Woman's makeup consists of bold, primary All-American Blue eyeshandow, Red lipstick, and a very pale complexion, M.A.C. wants everyone to share in her embolden spirit. Hence, the collection's color palette is more versatile to suit a more variety of complexions and nuances.

They included a plum eyeshadow palette that ranges from pale pink to deep, rich plum that makes the majority of folks comfortable since fleshy pink and mauves are easy to wear and layer.

There is the classic blue eyeshadow palette, from baby blue to the blackest navy.

The Green eyeshadow palette, ranging from minty to forest, makes brown eyes pop.

The extra bonus is this...since Wonder Woman is an amazon, M.A.C. made the bottles, the compacts, the bags, and Lipglass larger than life. What Ms. Rasmussen calls, "jumbo-sized."

People get their money's worth in this bonus-sized collection. The Lipglass supplies a life-long supply of glistening sheen. One swipe of a wand is enough to cover both lips.

Powerful makeup for powerful women.

The majority of M.A.C. boutiques will carry the line on February Tenth.

Call Jyll at South Coast Plaza's M.A.C. at (714) 751-2142 so she can apply one of six looks from the Wonder Woman Collection. They are doing it on February 11th, 12th, and 13th.

Now, get Wonderful before it disappears, especially the new collector's item, Wonder Woman Lipglass.

Hair Rehab for the Depths of Winter & Light Spritz for LA

By Laura Medina

Winter is abound with festivals brightening up the chilly gloom.

Sundance Film Festival and the film makers' fetes and sunny, well-tempered Hollywood's Award Season kicks off the trend for much-needed tender, loving care hair care for the lucky folks bouncing from the extremes of cold, snowy Park City, Utah to Manhattan's snowstorms then to warm, sunny Los Angeles, in time for the award shows' red carpet.

This hair rehabilitation guide gives options in taming the wild frizz from cold to hot, from East to West.

Sundance leads the way in soothing stressed-out frizz with Shaan Honq's SH-RD Hair Care Line. Michael Vartan is likes the Rosemary, D-Panthenol, and Hydrolyzed wheat protein items in keeping his scalp and strands strong and healthy.



If your hair turned into a frizzy, tangled mess of a snow cone thanks to the cold, the snow, and extreme indoor heating, give your environmentally-exposed tresses some tender, loving care by dipping them in these pre-conditioning True Textures' Curl Replenish and Moisture Stretch masks by Mizani.


Coating your strands in these ultra-rich masks then washing them off with Mizani's True Textures Shampoo, infuses them with extra moisture to handle the extreme dryness from the cold snow air and the dry heat of indoor heating.

For those lucky fashionistas dashing through the snow to Coterie NY or the big deal New York Fall 2011 Fashion Week, you need something quick, easy, light, and conditioning.

Mizani's True Texture Cleansing Cream is one heck of a trooper. In one bottle and one dollop, you can smooth and soothe your strands with one dollop, finger-combed and combed.

The Cleansing Cream is a detangler, moisturizer, and a mild cleanser three-in-one hair lotion.

Great for dashing through the snow and the airport. Apply dry or wet, your hair will be easy-pleasy pampered.
If you want to baby your hair even more, you cannot get more coy than Coy Hair Products.

Soften your frizz into soft, luscious waves with Coy's Oat Kernel Extract-enriched Nourish Shampoo and Conditioner then tame your frizz with Coy's Kink Curl Cream's avocado and ssame oil and shea butter defining your curls and smoothing stastic split-ends.

For those who can't make it to snow-struck New York or Park City, Utah, and have to make do with being stuck in sun-drenched Hollywood, we need to lighten up with this early arrival of Spring.

Believe it or not, Barista's rich, dark, and yummy coffee-infused line of hair and skin care is very light and refreshing, thanks to coffee's caffeine's neutralizing pH balance similar to the human body, it cleans and strips the hair and skin of grit and grim from Los Angeles' pollution.

Barista's Perk It Up Shampoo's 4.5 to 5.5 pH gives moisture retention and shine without soaking the hair in oil and grease. The Soothe Those Jitters Conditioner is acidic for a conditioner, a pH of 3.5 to 4.5, giving a positive charge compacting the hair cuticles. This makes the hair soft, shiny, bouncy, light-weighted, and clean without weighing it down.

Another light and bring duo is Joico's Moisture Recovery Shampoo and Conditioner.


Golden Globe nominees depended on them in getting their coifs clean, light yet strong under the rigors of heavy hair-styling for the red carpet.


Moisturizing but water-light, these Joico duo is ideal for the more intense humidity and heat of Summer, which may come early in Los Angeles.

Since it's light and breezy easy in sunny LA, a person can live by on one or two conditioning and styling items to carry her or him from award show fittings to another.

If the early Spring puts you in a bohemian mood, a simple, tiny but potent drop of Coy's Polish Finishing Serum does the trick. All you have to do is lightly smear an Amur Cork Tree Bark Extract drop in the palms of your hands then smooth and coat over the hair then finger-rake through the strands for a light but very nuturing coating of light-weight serum leaving your hair smooth, shiny, and soft. An extra Wheat Germ Glycerides bump for your natural scalp oils.

If you need some extra fortification and styling hold while saving the heavy lacquer for the ceremonies, Coy's strong but light Canvas Foundation Spray does the trick.

Spritz on wet hair after the bath or shower or a pick-me-up mid-day, this very spritz of a hair spray is less of alcohol but more of conditioner with a bump of a hold.

The Sage Leaf, nettle, and rosemary extracts stimulates, cleans, and healing the scalp and strands while glycerin conditions the hair with shine yets adds definition and a hold of a hairspray without the stiffness or stickiness.

Now, this is the first half of Depth of Winter and Early Spring Hair care, covering all latitudes and attitudes.

Vote for Perry Ellis' Fall 2011 Most Wanted Model!

By Laura Medina

Do you ever wish you picked your favorite male model on the New York Fashion Week catwalk?

Have you ever dreamt of your heavenly hunk strutting down the runway?

There isn't nothing like nine hunks, straight-forwardedly, say "Pick Me!"

Instead of picking a puppy (just as adorable) or flowers for Valentine's Day (how trite), get pro-active and pick the dreamboat of your dreams as Perry Ellis model winner for New York Fall 2011 Fashion Week.

Perry Ellis lets you, the reader, be the casting director.

Here's the teaser, www.youtube.com/watch?v=2oTT8o3_gm4&features=player_embedded

Now, here is your chance to do so!

Today is the first day of Perry Ellis' model contest. Go to www.facebook.com/PerryEllis and pick one of the nine contestants makes your heart beat really fast on a cold day.

There are a lot of Southern boys in the contest, three from Georgia (come on Southern Gents!) and get to know them on this full-length interview, www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2UYHJHq4QU&feature=player_embedded.

Perry Ellis selected the nine freshest faces in male modeling to partcipate in this contest.

Prime Cut.

Go to Perry Ellis' Facebook or go to the YouTube link above then watch each contestant stating why he should be stomping down the catwalk.

The contest will be whittled down to the final three contestants and the winner is the one walking the runway. The voting starts today until February the 7th. The winner will be picked on the 8th but announced live right before the show starts on Friday, February the 11th at-guess what-11am.

Folks can either watch the show live on www.facebook.com/PerryEllis or on www.PerryEllis.com.

Immediately after the show has completed, www.facebook.com/PerryEllis will put up a flash sale, only on their facebook page, based on ten limited looks directly from the runway itself, "Watch It Live Buy It First." It will stay up from Friday, February the 11th until Valentine's Day, February the 14th.

From there, the "Watch It Live Buy It First" flash sale moves onto www.perryellis.com for the public for two days, from Valentine's Day until February the 16th.

The looks, are available in multiple sizes, and takes two months to deliver from when the sale is ordered.

For Perry Ellis designer, John Crocco, this is all about instant gratification-or quickie pleasure.

It is not just picking the hottest hottie but getting the man in your life other than a cheesy bottle of cologne or a tired, ole tie. It's a freshes look in fashionable sportwear that he wants to wear.

Cannot think of a better gift for the man in your life...but you still have a say in who wants the runway.

One Night in LA...No, wait,...Two Nights in LA

By Laura Medina

Chinese Dancing Lions at LA Art Show's Opening Reception Party.

This culture vulture of a scribe remembered, many moons ago when first arriving here, attending the first and last of Los Angeles Art Basel in what was then the sketchy industrial section in Downtown Los Angeles' fartherest reaches.

The idea was lovely...the location was not. Holding an international art fair/marketplace was ten years too soon for the City of Angels to handle. This is why Miami Art Basel became Miami Art Basel with it's roomy but clean, cheap, and safe industrial warehouses ready to be loft galleries and happenings.

It was ten years in the making but it happened, the Los Angeles Art Show, an emerging art marketplace making its mark on the international art scene.

Let Manhattan Art Amory handle the Europeans during Winter's thraw. Allow Miami,the gateway to the Central and South America, cater to Latin America's aristocrats and nouveau riche with avant-garde tastes.

Being coined as "The New York of the West Coast," by Cavortress' Julie Wheat, Los Angeles is strategically placed as the link up between the rising Chinese Affluents and the City of Angels' thought-provoking and ground-breaking painters, sculptors, and mixed-media artists, growing a fresh and vital art market.

During that same night, at the other side of Downtown Los Angeles, a new type of market and happening occured...

When the Opening Ceremony commenced, it was time to split to Mr. Kevan Hall's Spring 2011 Collection Live Model Shoot, hosted in AGENDA LOFT.

Following in the grand tradition of Andy Warhol's The Factory of the Sixities and Halston as Disco Dandy in Seventies' SoHo, Kevan Hall, the Beverly Hills Society courtier designer, threw a different type of soiree for a new market of socialites.

LA's fierce fashion pack: LookbookLA's Felix Foto, Kevan Hall, & LAFashionSnob.com's Heather Petrey.

This may not be free-for-all as the LA Art Show but it was a privileged, intimate get-together in a wild and wooly setting.

When this pop culture intellectual of a scribe mentioned to Mr. Hall, that his trajectory from prim and proper high society couturier to downtown scenester is reminiscent of Halston, the White House milliner to Downtown Disco Dandy of the Swinging Seventies , he noted this was a way to shake things up.

This trend of revisiting Andy Warhol's The Factory's happenings as parties-cum-photoshoots-cum-film shoot, was rekindled by Urban Republic's Peter Rhima last Spring then picked up by Mr. Hall.

Perhaps, it is the "Gossip Girl" effect, living it up while dressing up.

Dancing in Edie Sedgewick's footsteps when Andy Warhol took her as his Factory muse, models styled up as Aaron Slims' debutantes, kicked up their heels then vogued and danced like there is no tomorrow.

It is funny that Mr. Hall's happening-as-live model shoot is right in the middle of Awards Season when the city's pretty young socialites and the entertainment industry's starlets are donning his and Sue Wong's more upscale creations for the red carpet.

Paraphasing an emerging Hollywood gentleman, Carlos Ramirez mentioned, as Young Hollywood rises up, the more they want to spruce up.

Just because one is strapped in a strapless bodice of a ballgown, it never means stiff.

Watching Mr. Hall's Pretty Young Things cutting loose in a downtown loft party amongst light bulb flashes prove you can still cut loose.

Partying it up in fancy frocks only proves one is fabulous.

Once Mr. Hall Live Model of a Party has became All Tomorrow's Party, it was time to fly back to LA Art Show's exclusive After-Party where deals are sealed between buyer and dealer between sips of St. Germaine elderberry champagne when outlaw graphic artist, Shepard Fairey spun tunes.

The real LA Art Show After-party did not happened until two nights later when it was open to the art-loving public and the wheeler-dealers who keep the art machinery grooving.

If the Opening Ceremony tries to copy Miami Art Basel, and the marketplace modeling itself on the Art Amory Show, then LA Art Show's Finale wants to follow in Charleston, South Carolina's Spoleto USA's footsteps in trotting out world-class performance art.

This is their way of doling out eye dessert after finishing the meal of making the deal and selling artwork at an international level.

Los Angeles' art devotees showed up with their children, making this a hipster's version of family night.

However, it did not disappoint...

The finale was the retro-Victorian, nightclub hit, and Cirque du Soliel veterans, the trapeze-swinging and acrobats, the Steben Twins.

Jaded art supporters goggly eyed and gasped as the sister duo swung, flipped, and twisted into contortions mid-air in the Cooper Building's Penthouse Loft.

The sinewy daring duo stunted their routine with aplomb and blithe.

Then following in Piccolo Spoleto's tradition, party-goers joined in with the modern intrepretative dance troupe of volunteer parents and their kids. In between, they became mimes and living sculptures-with wait staff handing out vegetarian Italian snacks and flourless brownies.

In the end, two events in one night then one last night, everyone lets their hair down.

Pre-Golden Globe Primping, Nivea Proves that Men do give a Damn

By Laura Medina

The Nivea for Men Dessert Burlesque Dancers, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zhd5lYm5pMA

The day before then the night preceding the Golden Globe Awards, Nivea for Men transforms jeweler, Pascal Mouawad's Beverly Hills hillside mansion into a man cave during the day then a playground at night.

One of the garages was kitted out as a barbershop-slash-man spa where Proper barbers help match Nivea for Men skincare with the attendees' skin types.

For Nivea, this is them unveiling a new concept, the pop-up barbershop.

Currently, they are at Sundance right now.

Their catering is two folds. One, they are catering to the young men emulating the Don Drapers and the Roger Sterlings of the world-men so masculine that they equate dapper grooming with power and sex appeal.

The another is the more down-to-earth convinence of Golden Globe attendees who need a proper shave and haircare and grooming before the big day, in front of the cameras-and need help quick.

In other words, these men do give a damn.

The Nivea's mens skincare staff and Proper Barbershop barbers are serious about offering accessible, efficient, but top-notch skincare.

The men like that idea they can get Nivea anywhere, anytime...at a reasonable price.

The no-frills Q10 Revitalizing Eye Roller Gel is an eyeball roller pen with concentrated under-eye cream is no slouch in quality.

It simply rolls and grooves over and under the eye lids, over the creases, and the bags underneath the eyes, cooling and soothing them. Guys like the cooling and plumping sensation.

This girly scribe, herself, finds it handy in perking up her peepers when going from day to night nonstop. She can pop it in her clutch for a fix-me-up.

The gentleman clientele have their pick of two lines, the soothing Q10 Revitalizer Line and the Sensitive Skin Line for oilier complexions.

Neither too greasy or too dehydrating, the Q10 Revitalizing Line refreshes and softens oilier complexions. The cooling Eye Roller Gel is the line's stand-out item.

The Sensitive Skin Balm is popular among those with dry skin, in-grown hair, or those with beards and mustaches.

The skin in and surrounding the beard and/or mustache tend to be irritant and needs extra soothing, especially with the in-grown hair bumps.

An experienced Nivea fan suggests rubbing and massaging the Sensitive Skin Balm in before shaving to help release in-grown follicles and after-shaving to calm the skin.

The balm is a cross between a toner and a moisturizer.

After being steamed, trimmed, and primped, the guys crossed on over to the Camacho Cigar Lounge where cigar fanciers puffed and tasted mild, medium, and bold cigars.

The daylight time delights took a break for three hours before the man caves transformed into a guy's playground at night.

Gone are the barbershop, the cigar lounge, the hair styling and the women's makeup station.

In are the buffet stations of lamb chops, roast beef, tacos, and sushi.

Returning back to the mansion, attendees were given a badge of bucket lists.


The first item to check off, "Reinvent Yourself," young dudes grab more Nivea for Men goodies off the master bathroom shelves and the master bedroom bookshelves.

"Get Tastefully Decadent," after munching and stuffing oneself on so many savory treats, folks were roaming around for something sweet to balance their taste buds.

The Dessert Room didn't disappoint. People were just happy with tables of chocolate-dipped candied apples and brownie lollipops. But, when the blues song about sweets popped up, out came the Nivea Dessert Burlesque Dancers. They shaked and shimmied among the candy-snacking patrons. Check. Done.

"Make a Hole in One," once the dance stopped, folks wandered across the hall to a Nivea Navy Blue mini put-put golf course in a little room that was getting increasingly packed.

Someone suggested that I walked down to the pool, get some fresh air, and be photographed with a tiger-huh?

"Tame the Wild Beast," the biggest thing to check off your bucket list to get photographed with a tiger-a tiger cub actually.

Respecting wildlife night photography, this intrepid party animal didnot use flash photography directly into the cub's eyes.

Party animals hustled in quickly to have their photos taken with gnawing cub then hustled their butts out of there, to finally...

Receive the easiest check-off on the list, being rewarded with a Nivea for Men gift bag.

Cannot be more straight-forward than, "Snag the Swag."

The day started with serious masculinity then ended with sexy silliness.

Yes-this scribe got photographed with a baby tiger!

Green with Envy, Golden Globes renews with lush green.

By Laura Medina

Trends are nothing more than a pattern or color or a style that repeats itself over and over again in a single moment.

Hollywood's Award Season is the testing ground of which trend actually crosses over from the runways to the red carpet where Holiday Season's cocktail and eveningwear dresses are determined.

Well, if the first thing that pops up when you think of the Holiday Season are the Christmas trifecta of white, red, and green. Be glad to know you can still celebrate Christmas elegantly because last night's Golden Globe Awards' red carpet was lush with green.

Catherine Zeta-Jones unfurled as a ripe green rose in Monique Lhuillier ballgown.

Angelina Jolie knows she is smoldering. Therefore, she reflects the current trend for modesty or mysterious allure in Versace.

Elizabeth Moss tossed her untoned Peggy Olsen character to the wayside. Instead, stepped out in this stunning strapless and shapely Donna Karan gown. Unexpectedly outshining her "Mad Men" co-star and new Versace spokemodel, January Jones.

Mila Kunis is no longer "Black Swan" in one-shoulder Vera Wang.

Since Spring has finally emerge its sunny head after a month of deluge, Golden Globe's Spring Awakening is growing green.

What will Pop Up on the Golden Globe Awards' Red Carpet Tonight

By Laura Medina

Lindsay Albanese, celebrity stylist.

Tonight's Golden Globe Awards launches the Awards Season in Hollywood where the best pick of drama and comedy in movies and television and the actors and actresses are rewarded for their quality and talent, accumulating into the grand finale of the award show that started this all, The Academy Awards, aka, the "Oscars."

The Golden Globes are not just the forerunners and predictors of the Emmys and the Oscars but according to Lindsay Albanese, celebrity stylist, this marks the official debut of the Spring/Summer 2011 Colllections in Haute Couture off the New York/Paris/Milan runways.

Ms. Albanese commented this is the first time true haute couture is worn in the real world by real women who are not models and away from the tents and the catwalk.

Whatever is worn on tonight's red carpet, being modeled by people's favorite actresses with various real-world shapes and sizes, the impact will be felt immediately in party, cocktail, and prom dresses for dances, proms, and coming parties and debutantes. For real women, what they see tonight, they will bookmark in the back of their minds for New Year's Eve.

Award Season is that connection between runway to real life. These set the trends in formal wear.

Awards Season, starting tonight then finishing through to the Academy Awards, is Hollywood's answer to Fashion Week in eveningwear/Haute Couture. This is where fanasty materializes into reality. This is where Hollywood retorts its reputation for "sloppy casual" of fleece sweats and stylishly damaged denim and proving they can and do dress up in the finest that haute couture has to offer in honoring the best in the entertainment industry. The Awards Season is Hollywood's version of showing respect.

The constant classic on the red carpet is the venerable Kevan Hall. Vanessa William's go-to gentleman couturier for galas and events. Awards Season is akin to the Holiday's balls for established social doyennes.

The equally elegant Sue Wong has been discovered by Hollywood's emerging Junior Set making their debut on the red carpet, graduating from night club to galas. Young, bright starlets, such as Kelly Osbourne, flock to Ms. Wong's flippery and retro-flamboyance of the Roaring Twenties in beading and a flurry of feathers in peachy pastels. This is Hollywood's answer to the Debutante Ball where the Junior Set is rising up.

Seeing their favorite actresses, not models, give tonight's audience that wearing that gown or something similar that possiblity that they, too, can wear it for their own special night.

Michelle of Valerie's Cosmetics, left. Michelle & George, middle. George Papanikolas, right.

It is not just the gowns that are making waves in fashion.

The true lasting effects are being felt in cosmetics and hair. Whatever hair and makeup is seen tonight will be felt in daily life for the next year since beauty is more accessible-and changeable.

After returning Kim Kardashian's lush locks back to brunette, Andy Lecompte's George Papanikolas cited for tonight's red carpet expect richer and warmer hues and highlights where twenty years of brash highlights and bleach has been toned down by sweeter touches of caramel and honey highlights, warming up the complexions for blondes.

As the man responsible for turning CW's "Hellcats" Ashley Tisdale and Nicole Richie from blonde to brown sugar brunette. Mr. Papanikolas had won a tidal wave of raves from brunettes who actually rule the hills in Beverly Hills for making the rich tresses lush, thick, and wavy while being primped at Nivea for Men Golden Globe Hospitality Suite, the day before the event.

It is not just hair color is deepening but also hair texture.

Since the Golden Globe is the looser companion to the Academy Awards, Mr. Papanikolas reinstated that the Beach Goddess tresses are still there but the texture is not so gritty as previous but cleaner due to technology. For all the scribe's brunette readers or ones who want to go deep, you are welcomed to see Mr. Papanikolas at Andy Lecompte Salon at 616 North Almont Drive in West Hollywood.

Both Ms. Albanese and him agree to expect more updos at the Academy Awards and more sleeves and less plunging necklines since it is the most serious of award shows. Therefore, the most conservative.

With high definition television and 3-D view thanks to E! Network, there is pressure to have flawless skin while meeting the demands for breathable comfort for one's pores.

Valerie's Cosmetics veteran artist, Michelle Brione said that makeup has to change with technology.

At the beginning of film, dramatic in extreme black and white shows up better in black and white films. When color arrived on the scene, the colors became lighter and brighter but it was still thick as pancake.

Knowing the importance that confidence comes from feeling good in one's skin, Ms. Brione with the fluttery fingers, said that thanks to molecular technology, High Definition makeup is opaque enough to fill in the pores and cover the flaws but light enough not to clog up the skin. Those infused with anti-oxidants, vitamins, and sunscreen improves the skin in the process, especially for those long shoots under the hot spotlight-in the studio or on the red carpet.

What you will watch tonight at the Golden Globe Awards will either make a splash in evening and party wear or a more quiet revolution in hair and makeup.

These are the trends you will have in the back of your mind for the next three months.