Beauty On the Go

Brooklyn Decker Dishes on Mixing Up Her Workouts, Her Best Beauty Trick and Her Facial Hair Preference on Tennis Star Andy Roddick (Swoon!)

February 14, 2013 at 5:11 pm
By Molly Ritterbeck

Brooklyn Decker is known for her smokin’ hot Sports Illustrated spreads and acting alongside some A-list stars like Jennifer Aniston and Adam Sandler. But when she’s not on set, she’s just like the rest of us: she splurges on sweets (especially on Valentine’s day), gets bored with her workouts and loves kissing her smoothly-shaven husband, hottie Andy Roddick. Today, she teamed up with Gillette to host The World’s Largest Shave & Kiss Event conveniently on—you guessed it—Valentine’s Day. Gillette conducted a month-long, nationwide social experiment where women were asked to kiss their guys before and after they shaved to pick their preference: a smoothly-shaven smooch or a stubbly kiss. The results are in…drum roll, please:

So what’s the verdict? Do women like their men shaven or stubbly?
“Well, Gillette traveled to 16 states and found out that 85% of women actually prefer guys to be clean-shaven, which is surprising because facial hair is so popular now so I would think that it would be around 50/50. But it turns out that the majority of women do prefer a smooth face.”

And did they prefer just the look of it or the feel when kissing? 
“Both. But how they did the study was that they had couples kiss pre and post shave. Then they took the survey with the women after the kiss, so it had a huge influence. They definitely preferred kissing the guy more when he was clean-shaven, which obviously, on Valentine’s Day is very important.”

Definitely! And which do you prefer with your husband?
“I like the look of stubble but I hate the beard burn that I get on my face. It’s almost like razor burn but on my face! It’s like these little red bumps.”

And it hurts! 
“Yea! I figure, I have to shave my legs so I feel like the guy should have to shave his face. And luckily the Gillette Fusion Pro-Glide ($13, drugstore.com), is the number one dermatologist-recommended razor for sensitive skin. So a guy can protect his face and protect yours as well, which is kind of nice. So girls, if you want to do a roundabout hint to your guy, a subtle hint, give him a razor for Valentine’s Day!”

Do you ever workout with Andy?
“I do! I do, actually. It’s usually me, desperately trying to keep up but yea, occasionally. My ego takes a little bruising so it’s a rare occasion.”

Does he make you play tennis?
“No! Not even in the slightest.”

That’s good! Okay, so Valentine’s Day usually involves lots of sweets and sugar. What are some of your strategies for staying on track with healthy eating? 
“I think you should indulge! I think that’s the fun in Valentines Day. I mean, for as long as I can remember, since I was a little kid, you give each other little circle lollipops and candy. There’s something really fun and nostalgic about that and I don’t think that should be ignored but I also don’t think it should derail any fitness or health goals you have. I love sweets. I think the biggest thing is just eating what you want, not everyday, not all the time, but as long as you’re staying physical and you’re staying active, you can allow yourself to indulge on Valentine’s Day because you deserve it and it’s fun. But I think the more women obsess over it or the more people obsess over it, the worse it gets, the harder it gets to stay on track.”

Any great insider beauty tips you want to share?
“I think some of the best beauty tips probably involve multi-purpose products— products that can be used for several things. Makeup artists are constantly doing that. You can use a razor to shave; or you can also use it to exfoliate your skin before a spray tan. There are all sorts of things you can do. You can use a lip balm for example on you lips, cheeks and eyes for a glow. I constantly find, because makeup artists are usually in a rush, they’re trying to get you out the door and looking really good fast, so multi-purpose products are always a big secret that they use.”

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Reward Yourself with a Luxurious Bath

February 13, 2013 at 3:14 pm
By Fitness Magazine

Post-workout, I treat myself to a warm soak to ease my sore muscles. While testing bath-friendly beauty products (tough job, right?), I stumbled across these three standouts, which have helped transform my bathroom into a spa-like sanctuary. I even use them as an incentive while working out (just one more mile until some TLC)!

Set the mood:
Bath & Body Works White Barn 3-Wick Candle in Honeysuckle ($20, bathandbodyworks.com)
Dim your lights (it’s you time!) and activate this candle. In a few minutes, the subtle blend of honeysuckle and creamy vanilla will fill the air. The best part: the sweet scent lingers for hours after the flame goes out.

Soak it up:
Lush Peaceful Lavender Bathing Under the Stars Bath Bomb in Twilight ($6, lushusa.com)
A fun alternative to bubble bath, this fizzy bath bomb will bob around the tub and dissolve, turning the water into frothy pink and purple swirls. Lavender essential oil will help you unwind—perfect for taking the edge off before bedtime.

Soften your skin:
Victoria’s Secret Seriously Soft Body Cream in Jasmine & Water Lily ($12, Victoriassecret.com)
Once you’re out of the tub, lightly pat your skin with a towel. While it’s still damp, slather on this rich cream. Hydrating coconut and sunflower oils will leave your skin feeling silky, while the tropical scent will put you in a vacation-mode mindset.

—Jessica Carter, beauty intern

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Girls’ Star Allison Williams Spills on Her Hit Show, Her Skin-care Routine and Her Obsession with SoulCycle

February 8, 2013 at 11:32 am
By Molly Ritterbeck

Breaking beauty news: HBO’s Girls’ star Allison Williams was just crowned the new face of Simple Skincare. Let’s just take a moment to talk about her shiny, perfect hair, her gorgeous smile and her fluttery long lashes. I had the pleasure of chatting with her about the insider beauty secrets she picked up in hair and makeup, her favorite workouts and what’s it’s like to work on one of the hottest shows in television. Watch my interview here!

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Favorite Find Friday: The Beauty Department’s V-Day Makeup Picks

February 8, 2013 at 10:42 am
By Molly Ritterbeck

With Valentine’s Day less than a week away, there’s no better time to get all romantic and wear the most classic color in the beauty world: red (obvi). From sheer cherry to true red to vampy oxblood, there’s a shade for everyone. Here, three sexy ways to wear it.

On your lips for day:
Clinique Chubby Stick Intense Moisturizing Lip Color Balm in Mightiest Maraschino ($16, clinique.com)
“After trying red after red, this one is now my favorite go-to red lipstick. The juicy cherry color—it’s the perfect combo of red and pink—pops against my ivory skin tone. The subtle shine makes it feel fresh and less severe than a matte lipstick. Plus, the hydrating formula keeps my lips feeling soft all day—very kissable!”
-Molly Ritterbeck, associate beauty editor

On your lips for night:
L’Oréal Paris Infallible 8hr Lip Gloss in Cherry Flash ($10, lorealparis.com)
“I usually stay away from red because it can be a little tricky to pull off, but this sheer gloss makes it so easy. It’s so long-lasting—perfect for long nights when re-applying is not always convenient. The vibrant color stays true and leaves my lips looking full and shiny.”
-Jessica Carter, beauty intern

On your nails:
Kevyn Aucoin The Nail Lacquer in Blood Roses ($26, Barney’s stores)
“I was never a huge fan of red nails until I swiped on this deep berry plum polish. It has a black base so it’s a little grungier than most red shades. I wear two coats of it on short, squoval nails and feel instantly chic.”
-Heather Muir, beauty director

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Make Up For Ever’s Mobile Makeup School is Coming to a City Near You!

February 6, 2013 at 2:33 pm
By Molly Ritterbeck

If you’re overwhelmed by the contents of your makeup bag (what you should be using, what colors you should be wearing, how you should be applying them?) then Make Up For Ever’s Mobile Beauty School could be your beauty life-saver! The Paris-based professional brand and its artists are hitting the road to help women everywhere learn how to do their own makeup. As part of their Make Up Bag Remix program, their team of professional artists will take a look inside your makeup bag and teach you how to properly use all the products you already have, regardless of the brand (yes, that means you don’t need to break the bank on new loot!)! They’ll also help you ditch the ones that aren’t right for you due to shade or texture. Think of it as a makeover for your makeup bag. Bonus: the service is totally free!

Now through April, the mobile tour bus will be visiting these major cities:

• San Francisco, CA: February 9^th – 10^th
• Las Vegas, NV: February 16^th- 17^th
• Dallas, TX: February 23^rd-24^th
• Miami, FL: March 2^nd – 3^rd
• New York, NY: March 9^th – 10^th
• Boston, MA: March 23^rd – 24^th
• Chicago, IL: April 6^th – 7^th
• Toronto, ON: April 13^th – 14^th

Visit facebook.com/MAKEUPFOREVERUSA to book a 30-minute one-on-one makeup bag evaluation appointment with a professional artist. Sessions are available from 12:00pm – 8:00pm on Saturday and 11:00am – 7:00pm on Sunday.

After your hands-on lesson explaining how to utilize all your products, you’ll walk away with a new makeup bag, a custom face chart detailing how to use each product, and a list of additional product recommendations from an artist to round out your look. Plus, there will be a pro photographer on site to capture your “after” look!

For those of you who are on-the-go, you can still stop by the tour bus for quick lip and complexion touch-ups throughout the day.

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Favorite Find Friday: Laura Mercier Stickgloss Lipcolor in Brown Sugar

February 1, 2013 at 3:17 pm
By Fitness Magazine

I love a good nude lip so I was thrilled to discover Laura Mercier Stickgloss Lip Color ($22, lauramercier.com). It’s the perfect combo of a lipgloss and lipstick in one. My favorite shade is Brown Sugar: a subtle neutral color with a hint of pink shimmer. The formula glides on smoothly and the creamy texture hydrates my lips. I wear it every day—it complements any makeup look.

—Jessica Carter, beauty intern

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Kate Hudson Spills on Being a Busy Mom, Serving as the Face of Almay and Guest-starring on Glee

January 29, 2013 at 4:14 pm
By Molly Ritterbeck

Kate Hudson’s never looked hotter (um, hello, Golden Globes!). But she’s not spending all day getting pampered at the spa—she has an upcoming film (Me and My Shadow), she guest-stars on Glee, and she’s the face of both Almay and Ann Taylor—all on top of being a mother of two. With this resumé, it’s refreshing to find out that Hudson is just as normal and down to earth as the girl-next-door characters she plays in movies. If it weren’t for her movie star looks, I might have forgotten how famous she was while we were chatting. She let us in on her love of beauty and how she gets her workouts in on Glee.  

Tell us how the partnership with Almay came about?
“It’s been a couple of years so now it’s like a family. When I met with them, it was just amazing. The first thing they told me was how the company came about. I’m a sucker for romance—“Al” is the man who created this line for his wife because she had such sensitive skin that she could never buy any makeup. So he literally created products for his wife so she could wear makeup. Isn’t that cute? I love Al! And they’re all about other things like enhancing a woman’s natural beauty and the idea of not masking yourself to be someone different. Then I got to use the products—that was the good thing for me. I don’t want to sell a product that I can’t say I like. So they sent me all the products and I used them all the time! Now as the relationship continues, the stuff they bring me, they really want to know how I feel about it, if I like it, if it works well. They really believe in the product. I love that. So I feel like I can promote it. They make me feel like I’m a real part of the company.”

Are you introducing it to makeup artists you work with?
“You know what’s funny; a lot of them use it. I’ve worked with a lot of professional makeup artists and the eyeliner is something I see them using. And another thing that they love are the Oil-Free Makeup Removing Sticks ($6, almay.com). Every makeup artist that I know has those swabs! I’m so lazy, I wash my face but when I go to bed, I find that I still have stuff on my eyes.”

What’s your all-time favorite Almay product?
“My all-time favorites are the Moisturizing Eye Makeup Remover Pads ($5, almay.com) and the Makeup Removing Sticks because I just use them all the time. And the eyeliners!”

So what’s the best unusual beauty tip you’ve ever heard?
“There was this old school makeup artist who said she used to work with this actor who would stick his face in ice water everyday. So I started doing it and it really works. Your face just de-puffs!”

You’re doing a lot of big dance numbers on Glee, did you train for it? Your body looks amazing!
“You can’t train for Glee because you only get six hours of rehearsal. That’s the one thing that I found shocking because the only other time I ever did anything like this was in Nine and we had six and a half weeks of rehearsal to do one number, and then I go to do Glee and I’m thinking that we will have several rehearsals, and we get only six hours all together to do a big number. You know you go in and record the song; it’s like being thrown into the fire. But it does take me back to dance class, when I was younger. It’s also frustrating because your extensions are not the same but the more I do the dancing, the more it’s starting to come back. The last number I felt much more like my dancer body than when I started. It’s fun to be home with my sons and for me to be able to take the oldest to school. I’ve never done television like this. I did Party of Five when I was sixteen and then after high school I just got a couple of movies so I’ve never really done much television.”

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Favorite Find Friday: EOS Moisturizing Shaving Cream

January 25, 2013 at 3:08 pm
By Molly Ritterbeck

Shaving cream isn’t really something I put much thought into. I usually just use whatever I have in the shower, even if that means using hair conditioner or even soap (don’t tell!). But when I recently used EOS Moisturizing Shaving Cream ($4, store.evolutionofsmooth.com) I was instantly hooked. The formula comes out rich and creamy and creates a whipped-like lather. It was so hydrating, I didn’t even need to use a body lotion afterwards—my legs felt so smooth and silky, even my boyfriend noticed the difference!

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Newly-Crowned Miss America Mallory Hytes Hagan Shares Her Beauty and Fitness Secrets

January 22, 2013 at 5:21 pm
By Fitness Magazine

Artistry—the official cosmetics and skin care provider for the Miss America Pageant—recently introduced us to their star products, as well as, 2013 Miss America, Mallory Hytes Hagan. Here, the beautiful blonde gives us the lowdown on how she stays pageant-ready.

So, how does it feel to be Miss America?
“It’s kind of strange. I think the experience that I’m having is different from previous Miss Americas because I came back home [after the pageant]. This is what I was doing as Miss New York. To be back in New York doing it, it feels normal. So I’m sure I’ll feel it more as I travel the next couple of weeks. It’s a really big deal that I’ll be moving around so much. It’s awesome to know that for the rest of my life, I’m Miss America.”

How do you stay fit?
“I try to switch it up a lot. I worked with a California-based trainer named Sohee Lee, who wrote me a really wonderful training plan and I worked with a nutritionist, Richard Talens, who started Fitocracy, the online fitness app. I also worked with Mark Fisher Fitness here in the city, so I’ve gotten it from all angles. In order to keep it mixed up, I did SoulCycle, Bikram Yoga and Cross-Fit, just trying to keep myself motivated in any way that I could. Some weeks I would be like ‘I’m not going to the gym, I refuse,’ so I would go to Bikram Yoga and SoulCycle. I know it’s so hard for so many women to keep on top of it because life gets in the way. Find something that you enjoy doing this week, and hey, maybe next week is different.”

What does your diet entail?
“My meals consist mainly of chicken and broccoli. I tried to stick with a certain macronutrient range as I was getting prepared for Miss America. I had a lot of weight to lose, so on days when I was working out I would eat 120 grams of protein, no fat and 40 or 50 grams of carbs. On days when I wasn’t working out, I was having 150 grams of protein, 25 or less grams of fat, and no carbs. So it’s just maintaining those macronutrients when I’m working out and when I’m not, making sure that my body is functioning properly when I’m in the gym, and resting properly when I’m not as well.”

What is your go-to healthy snack?
“I’m really into eating celery and peanut butter—they call it ants on a log. It really hurt my feelings to leave off the raisins because they’re so high in sugar, but celery and peanut butter is a really big thing for me. I also love miso soup. Until I had to cut down on sodium, miso soup was a great option, and you can get it anywhere, which is great.”

Can you tell us your favorite diet tip?
“Order your sushi wrapped in cucumber—leave the brown rice off. It’s a great way to remove those calories and it still tastes delicious and fresh.”

We hear you want to get into the Cosmetic industry. How so?
“I’m studying advertising, marketing and communications at FIT, and they have a wonderful Cosmetics and Fragrance Marketing bachelors program, so I have another semester in my associates and then hopefully, if I’m accepted into the program, I’ll be completing my degree in that.”

Tell us one beauty product that you could never compete without.
“Artistry’s Signature Eyes Automatic Liquid Liner ($20, amway.com). I’m in love with it. My eyelids are so oily, so I always end up with my eyeliner on the top of my eyelid from blinking. Their eyeliner doesn’t budge. It stays on all day long and wipes off really easily with makeup remover so it’s not tough to get off.”

How do you keep your skin clear?
“I really like the Artistry Essentials Balancing Skin Care System in the mini travel set ($19, amway.com). I have combination skin, so it’s really good to use a system like that’s going to target both my oily spots and my dry spots. It includes a cleanser, toner and moisturizer and it comes in a little travel pack, which is great because I can throw it in my carry on suitcase.

How do you maintain your glowy skin?
“I self-tan. It’s one of my biggest beauty secrets. I don’t think people realize how much more glowing you can look if you add just a little color to your skin—it doesn’t have to be a lot. My self-tanning secrets are to exfoliate, then moisturize. Tanning salons tell you not to moisturize; I say do it. Your tan won’t last as long but it will be more natural when it’s applied.”

Do you have any tips for exfoliating?
“I do the most traditional home remedy for exfoliating: sugar, salt and just a little bit of olive oil. I rub it on my feet, hands and knees.”

Who is your beauty icon?
“Charlize Theron is so beautiful and fresh and put together. She always looks phenomenal with no makeup, with just mascara, with a face full of makeup, with smoky eyes, everything. Whoever her stylists are, they should be commended.”

 

—Jillian Ruffo, beauty intern

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Favorite Find Friday: Elizabeth Arden Beautiful Color Eye Shadow Single in Shimmering Taupe

January 18, 2013 at 9:00 am
By Molly Ritterbeck

I usually opt for shimmery nude shadows for my everyday look—they’re subtle yet they still highlight and define my eyes. Elizabeth Arden Beautiful Color Eye Shadow in Shimmering Taupe ($19, elizabetharden.com) is a perfect go-to shade. The gray-brown color coordinates with nearly every blush and lipcolor combo imaginable and the soft pearlescent finish has just the right amount of sophisticated sparkle. I use it all over my lids, or along my crease to add depth to my look.

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