What’s not to love about this classic, gorgeous, yet laid-back hairstyle on Jessica Chastain at the 2012 Oscars!? This wavy half-up half-down hairstyle would be great for an easy going bride or an outdoor wedding. Chastain pulls it off beautifully. She looks so feminine and relaxed. So how can you get this style
to hold the waves. If you’ve got naturally stick straight hair, you may want to wash it the night before, as having some natural oils will help the waves from falling flat. Flip your head over and lightly mist a thickening spray on the lengths of your hair. My favorite is Bumble and Bumble’s Thickening Spray. It adds body without getting sticky and smells great!
2. Next, use a comb to create a loosely centered part. It doesn’t have to be perfect. In fact, We like this look better when the part’s a little messy.
3. Now, we’ll create the height that Jessica Chastain has at her crown. The goal here is just to add volume: this look is about understated elegance, not drama. So no huge bouffants on this one. Simply grasp 1 inch sections of hair near your crown and begin using a fine toothed comb to tease in a little volume. Teasing can be dangerous so it’s best to use a seamless comb to avoid breakage. Once you’ve teased most of the hair around your crown, you can lightly use a boar bristle brush to smooth over the top of the teased area.
4. Then simply use a few bobby pins to secure the hair you’d like to include in the half-up portion. If you have bangs, leave them loose in front, but if not, you’ll want to pull it all back. But again, this style is about being relaxed.
So don’t slick hair tightly back: let it fall somewhat naturally.
5. Next grab a 1 to 1 1/2 inch wide curling iron and begin curling 1 inch wide sections, always turning the curling iron away from your face. If you’ve got layers, try curling the shorter pieces toward your face to add a little natural-looking variation and volume.
Be sure to leave the very ends of hair untouched by the curling iron as the extreme heat can cause split ends.
6. If you want to be sure your hair stays out of your face (like Chastain’s hair in this picture) you can also add a couple bobby pins behind each ear.
n crazy store n Paris! I cut em up n made it y’all. N did my ow hair n makeup.” And lest you scoff, the old fishnet-on-the-head trick is actually startlingly similar to the fencing masks that Viktor & Rolf sent down the runway in 2008. So what do you think
is getting married this weekend and I opted to do my own hair for the wedding. When I decided on that, I didn’t realize that all of the other bridesmaids would be getting their hair “done” at the salon and I would be the only one attempting to look “done” on my own. So now I’m in crisis mode, trying to find the best way to create an updo that is easy to recreate. I know I want to wear my hair up because the wedding is outside and I don’t want to have to battle the elements. It would probably be easiest just to straighten my hair and wear it down but since my hair is naturally wavy, chances are it would frizz up mighty quickly. I had decided on wearing a bun because of my new found friend, Goody Spin Pin, but adding a bit of pizazz will help everything look more polished. So I’m going to add in a braid.
I found this great compilation picture of braided updos over at Hair.ph and I’m going to use it for inspiration:
By adding in a simple braid to garnish the sides of your hair, you can transform a normal bun to something red-carpet worthy. So here is how I’m going to create my hairstyle step-by-step:
Step 1: First I’m going to separate the portion of hair that I plan on braiding. It will start at my front part line and be about two inches thick. I will pin that atop my hair and save it for the end.
Step 2: Next I will use my 1″ curling iron and curl the rest of my hair in about 1 inch sections to give it body and depth, hairspraying each section as I go.
Yes, this picture of Jessica Biel is from awhile back. And, yes, I’m sure the fact that her undergarments were showing was some sort of brilliantly calculated designer choice. She looks lovely, why wouldn’t she want to show off her granny panties? Actually – it looks more like she is wearing some sort of control-top, Spanx-like underwear. You know, the kind that sucks in your tummy too. Stars! They’ re just like us!
Here’s the thing: Sometimes we try on dresses in fitting rooms or even at home and we don’t realize the transparency of the dress until we are out in less forgiving lighting. Maybe that is what happened to Jessica. But even if she knew her dress was sheer that doesn’t mean that we all want to wear sheer dresses. In fact, I would argue that most of the dresses we wear these days could use a little help….hence the title of this post, Ode to
I love wearing dresses and skirts. And these days I can really stock up on them because most of the dresses I get are from trendy, affordable stores – like Forever 21 or H&M or Old Navy. Which is great BUT there is a reason these garments are so wallet-friendly: Usually, they are cheaply made. I don’t buy a dress from one of these places and think it’s going to last forever. In fact, I usually buy dresses from there so I can embrace a current trend without investing too much money in a look that might be fleeting in the fickle world of fashion. But herein lies the problem: they are cheaply made and most likely don’ t have
Not to sound like a crotchety old lady….but I don’t want you to see my crotch. And I most certainly don’t want to see yours. And chances are, you don’t want me to either. Which is why I consider this to be a public service announcement:
INVEST IN A SLIP
Invest in a couple. Buy a few half-slips in a few different colors – nude, black, white. They are affordable at places like Target and if you want to get fancy you can pick one up at a lingerie store. It is kind of amazing what this thin piece of fabric can do to camouflage what’s under your thin piece of fabric dress. With so many of us embracing dress-wearing by buying them from affordable places, it makes sense to kick it old school and wear a slip. It is just a little tool th
Just a quick post about how gorgeous Natalie Portman looked on the opening day of the Venice Film Festival. Her bold red dress by Rodarte was perfectly offset with her neutral makeup choices. I love the detail of the shoulders and the neckline on this dress. And this shade of red is what I’m going to be looking for when I start popu
The one thing I’m not so crazy about is the clutch that is paired with the dress. Does it look like a makeup bag to anyone else? Now, don’t get me wrong, I’ve had a few makeup bags in my time that I thought could double as purses….but now I see how that doesn’t really work. I’m sure this is some gorgeous designer bag but it stands out to me as
Back to the gorgeousness though: the lightly lined eyes, with what looks like brown eyeliner to keep the look as natural as possible, is perfection. The application really makes her brown eyes look otherworldly. I am a big fan of MAC’s Stubborn Brown Powerpoint Eye Pencil to help achieve this defined yet delicate look. It looks like a touch of white sh
We do love Drew around Latest Beauty headquarters and one of the things that is most appealing about her is her ability to seem so down to earth, despite having been in the spotlight since, well, practically birth. Case in point: Here on the left is Drew this past Monday in LA for the red carpet premiere of Going The Distance. And on the left is Drew in NY yesterday for a visit to David Letterman. Notice anything similar? Look down…
She is rocking the same grey suede pumps at both events.
The style and color of the shoe are the perfect where-anywhere combination. At more formal events or as business casual, the neutral suede is one of the ideal buys for the fall. So, of course, I did a little shopping around for you (and me).
I like this wedge option from MaxStudio that I found over at DSW. I am forever clumsy in heels, so a wedge helps me to be less of a klutz. If you are more adept at handling heels like a grown up, a la the lovely Drew, then you can check out these pumps from Steve Madden. Either w ay is
Spotted! Drew wore her favorite shoes, yet again, when she stopped by The Daily Show on Wednesday, the day this was posted:
Girlfriend knows how to pack for a road trip! And, by the by, ShoppingtheTrend.com has identified Drew’s shoes as YSL Tribtoo Platform Pumps. If you’re in the market for a shoe splurge, this might be the one to sink your dollars into. Drew is clearly getting her money’s worth!
a strange choice for me, I’ll admit, but I think I’m going to cast my vote for Gwyneth Paltrow’s stunning, 60s-inspired hot pink Prada minidress as Red Carpet Look of the Week!
(In fact, it kinds of borders on clashing, but I honestly dig that about it!) What I love most, however, is the way Gwyneth has really committed to her cause of wearing pink from head to toe, anchoring
Yes…I have to admit…I wasn’t entirely planning on seeing Sex and the City 2 this weekend. I know that a lot of people are gathering their girlfriends, grabbing some cosmos and buying their tickets – if they haven’t already. The movie officially opened yesterday and I wasn’t sure if I would set aside time to see it while its theaters. But there is something about the above picture of the ladies doing the red carpet thing at the London premiere that makes me want to make some room in my schedule. They all look stunning and I’m wishing I was in on this conversation. Kim has got something juicy to tell, SJP is eager to hear, Cynthia isn’t sure if she buys it and Kristin is shocked. They epitomize their characters in this picture and it makes me want to see the movie, just to feel like I’ve gotten a glimpse into this picture on the big screen. Even if it was just a clever ploy to get me to buy a ticket… it may have worked.
By the way, let’s just talk a little fashion for a moment. SJP is paying homage to her friend, the late and great Alexander McQueen by wearing one of his runway pieces. And notice the black band on her arm? A subtle and classy way to honor a friend’s passing. The color of Cynthia Nixon’s dress is stunning with her skin tone and hair color. And I love the way the bodice pulls off the one-shoulder trend. Can I say enough about Kristin Davis’ dress? From the elaborate gold to the flattering waistband this dress is something I wish I had hanging in my closet. And Kim Cattrall looks like a classic Old Hollywood siren. The cleavage and the slit are sometimes too much when paired together but Kim shows us how to do this daring look just right. Blake Lively should take some notes….
And I love the vibrant color on Kim’s nails. It may just be classic red but this picture makes it look like there may be a slight orange tone to the polish. Fire! I know what color
A quick search over at Essie is leaving me feeling satisfied. Doesn’t this red-orange shade called Vermillionaire look awfully similar to Kim’s mani/pedi? I think it is time to paint the town red-orange with a little help from my girlfriends… both real and onscreen.
I know we’ve posted about First Lady Michelle Obama’s spot-on fashion sense a lot – okay, a lot - but you’re just going to have to get used to it, especially if she keeps showing up at functions looking like this:
LOVE IT. The shimmery sapphire sheen of her one-shouldered Peter Soronen gown, the Jimmy Choo sandals (accented by perfectly polished pink toenails), the curly bob haircut, the earrings…it all works. She even matched her eyeshadow to her dress! Is it wrong that this is the kind of glamor I hope for when I tune in to the Oscars every year? Mrs. O shows the movie stars how it’s done!
Iron Man 2 made its big premiere last night in Hollywood. It was originally supposed to debut in London but had to relocate because of the volcano ash cloud that has been disrupting worldwide travel. But, as they say in the biz, the show must go on! And go on it did as the stars hit the red carpet in their all-white-glory. Gwyneth Paltrow is back for the franchise’s second go-around and she chose to play with fashion by pairing a white blazer with white shorts:
I have to admit: I remember very clearly the summer of ‘08 when Gwyneth burst back onto the fashion world radar with her super-short minis and her new bobbed haircut, when making the press rounds for the first Iron Man movie. I wanted everything she wore. But this look? Not on my all time favorites list.
Scarlett Johansson has joined the cast of the Iron Man sequel as the villainous Black Widow and last night she matched Gwyneth’s color scheme with a structurally intriguing white dress:
Scarlett wins this fashion round for me. Not that we should necessarily pit the leading ladies against one another, but if I were choosing an outfit to wear to the premiere and I had to choose between only these two options….I’d pick the dress.
But that is just my opinion….I’m much more interested in yours. Tell me…..
Valentine's Day Premiere with the beautiful Jennifer Garner, Anne Hathaway and Jessica Biel
It’s Valentine’s Day this weekend and Valentine’s Day, the movie, hits theaters today. Are you looking forward to seeing this large A-list cast tackle all the ins and outs of love?? I can’t wait to check it out! And after seeing some of my favorite actresses on the red carpet at the premiere earlier this week, I’m feeling inspired for my own hot date this Sunday. This picture of Jennifer Garner, Anne Hathaway and Jessica Biel has got my wheels a-turning….which way should I go with my dress this weekend?? Should I go sexy and sultry like Jennifer, with a tight LBD with peekaboo lace? Should I go sexy and sassy like Anne with a short hemline and fancy feathers? Or should I go sexy and sweet like Jessica with a more traditional “Valentine’s” color and ruffles? I feel like all three women captured a different part of my personality with their very different but very workable styles. I am torn! I want to wear a dress inspired by this red carpet but I think I need help on this one…so I’m going to put it to a vote…
I have always been a huge Natalie Portman fan. And I have always been a huge Rodarte fan. When the Rodarte for Target line hit stores right before Christmas, I was quick to pick up this yellow tulle/lace skirt to add to my wardrobe. I’ve been stumped with how exactly to make it into an outfit though. Well, leave it up to the fabulous Natalie to wear the similar slip dress version of my skirt. Now I know how fab it would look with some black accessories! It doesn’t look like they have the yellow version of the dress online anymore but they do have the black one and coral one, if you’re interested in scoring some high fashion that is red-carpet ready at a totally affordable price. Or you can always go with the skirt and put your own twist on the trend!
As 2009 draws to a close, the onslaught of “Best Of” lists has begun. Since I love to see celebrities all decked out for formal events, I was particularly excited to check out Jezebel’s list of the Best Red Carpet Outfits of 2009. While I don’t entirely agree with Sadie’s choices, I appreciate the fact that she listed less “conventional” ladies, like Tilda Swinton and Chloe Sevigny, right next to Best Dressed stalwarts like Natalie Portman and Anne Hathaway. And, of course, it inspired me to compile a list of some of the most notable red carpet moments of the year, according to LatestBeauty.
In chronological order (starting at the beginning of the year), here are a few more fashionable celebs who deserve Red Carpet Awards in ‘09:
For the New York premiere of her latest movie, Everybody’s Fine, Drew Barrymore showed up on the red carpet in this eye-catching Emilio Pucci sequined cocktail dress, looking - as usual - like the epitome of unstudied, casual cool. Since the dress itself, which combines shimmering sequins in a mishmash of colors (silver, gold, green and blue) with a few asymmetrical, deconstructed touches like that bare shoulder, is rather busy, Drew wisely balances the look with opaque black tights and simple yet chic black ankle boots. If a genuine Pucci dress is a little out of your price range but you’d like to steal this holiday-appropriate look for yourself, try this one-shoulder sequin front minidress from Forever 21. It’s not a dead ringer, but for just $22.80, you can’t really complain - and it definitely nails many of the original’s key elements, including the sequins, the shortness and the long sleeve/exposed shoulder combo. Since your dress won’t be quite as colorful as Drew’s, why not make up the difference with a fun pair of showstopping red or cobalt blue ankle boots instead of basic black? Finish the look with a pair of black tights and an oversized cocktail ring, and you’re good to go. And to really capture Drew’s playful, subversive spirit, leave your makeup soft and simple and your hair slightly messy and tousled. Ta-da! You’re dressed up, but not stuffy, just like Drew.
Michelle Obama has cemented her reputation as the most fashion-forward First Lady to hit the White House in decades by stepping out in this gorgeous sequined evening gown by designer Naeem Khan, which she wore to an official state dinner in honor of the Prime Minister of India and his wife.
The look was accessorized with an armful of sparkly silver bangles and a seriously amazing pair of intricately detailed drop earrings. I love how Mrs. O manages to evoke India with this dress without crossing over into costume-y or exploitative territory, and her decision to go with a lesser-known designer calls to mind the way she wore Jason Wu to the inauguration. Gorgeous!
My apologies to all of you Twilight detractors, but I’m not ready to stop talking about New Moon just yet. (Maybe it would help if the cast was just a little less attractive, hmm?) My latest fixation is Dakota Fanning’s vampy (in both senses of the word!) turn on the red carpet last week at the L.A. premiere of the second chapter in The Twilight Saga.
Dakota, who plays villainous vamp Jane in the movie, managed to look like exactly like the 15-year-old movie star she is in a short black leather Valentino cocktail dress with a laser-cut floral print and red and black satin D&G platform pumps. Hair is down, makeup and accessories are minimal, and she still manages to look amazing. This is definitely a young look, but if you’re up for replicating it for your own holiday shindig, I found a few viable (read: affordable) alternatives at Forever 21 here, here and here. As for the shoes, these pumps from Nine West bring the satin, but don’t quite nail the shade or the exaggerated platform, while these Dolce Vita heels do a better job at nailing the silhouette, but fall short in the color and material departments. I’ll keep my eye out for shoes that are more similar to the D&G pair without the price tag, but in the mean time these could fit the bill, no?
New Moon is opening on Friday and the Twilight kids have been transversing the globe doing the press tour and getting us all excited for what’s to come. I was just looking through a gallery of the New Moon press tour and admiring Kristen Stewart’s quirky style. I know she wore this look about two weeks ago when they started things off in Mexico City but I thought it was worth bringing up again.
Here’s what I like about Kristen: She may not always looked “polished” but she looks comfortable and she takes risks. So many of today’s starlets look great when they are on the red carpet but they all seem to have the same style…probably because they have the same stylist! Kristen definitely stands out with her devil-may-care approach to fashion. Which, I realize, may be part of the manufacturing of her image but it doesn’t detract from how refreshing she is. Whether you love this look or you hate it, you have to give her credit for rocking suspenders.
Me? I’m particularly fond of her glittery oxford shoes. If Kristen was playing a new-school version of Dorothy, no doubt these would get her “home.” I bet you could get a pair of oxfords on the cheap at a thrift store and then dip them in some glitter to get the same look - if you were feeling crafty. Just get some fabric glue, paint the shoe with it and literally dip into the glitter. How very Martha Stewart.
It is fitting that Taylor Swift looked like a princess at the Country Music Awards last night. After winning the other three awards she was nominated for, including female vocalist, best video and album, she shook things up at the end of the night beating out the four other men powerhouses
But enough about her accomplishments…let’s talk about her dress! I was smitten with it from the moment I saw it, for several reasons. First of all, it is sparkly and that always gets points here at Latest Beauty. The way the sequins taper down the skirt remind me of a star burst, which kind of makes me hungry for candy. A bit of an odd connection, but who knows why the mind works the way it does? (The pink Starbursts are my favorite, fyi) And I love the flow of the skirt – it is flowy without being too frou-frou. The soft gold color works perfectly with Taylor’s hair and I have never wanted to be someone like I want to be Taylor this week. Seriously? Going from (successfully!) hosting SNL to winning the CMA Entertainer of the Year. Not only the youngest to do so but also only the 7th woman ever to win it. Not bad. Not bad at all, kid.
Oh, and back to the dress for a second – can you picture this in ivory? As a stunning wedding gown? Because I can. And it makes me want to get married again –
Nicole Kidman at the BMI Country Awards in Nashville - with red hair!
Okay, how gorgeous did Nicole Kidman look at last night’s BMI Country Awards in Nashville, Tennessee? I know I already gave my “Red Carpet Award” to Diane Kruger for her beautiful Chanel sparkler, but this slim-cut, strapless red dress with black sash is a close second. I love that this is a little edgy for Nicole, given the bold color of the dress and the black nail polish, but more than anything else I love that she is a redhead again! Back in the Moulin Rouge era, I thought Nicole was one of the most beautiful women alive, but ever since she switched to blonde my interest has waned a little. She’s so pale that the lighter color just made her look washed out. But with her lovely strawberry locks back in full effect, she once again looks like the fashion and beauty icon she was clearly born to be. What do you think of Nicole’s scarlet fever?
11 Comments 
Loading ...
I have always been a huge Natalie Portman fan. And I have always been a huge Rodarte fan. When the Rodarte for Target line hit stores right before Christmas, I was quick to pick up this 
As 2009 draws to a close, the onslaught of “Best Of” lists has begun. Since I love to see celebrities all decked out for formal events, I was particularly excited to check out Jezebel’s list of the 
For the New York premiere of her latest movie, Everybody’s Fine, Drew Barrymore showed up on the red carpet in this eye-catching Emilio Pucci sequined cocktail 
dress, looking - as usual - like the epitome of unstudied, casual cool. Since the dress itself, which combines shimmering sequins in a mishmash of colors (silver, gold, green and blue) with a few asymmetrical, deconstructed touches like that bare shoulder, is rather busy, Drew wisely balances the look with opaque black tights and simple yet chic black ankle boots. If a genuine Pucci dress is a little out of your price range but you’d like to steal this holiday-appropriate look for yourself, try this one-shoulder 
and it definitely nails many of the original’s key elements, including the sequins, the shortness and the long sleeve/exposed shoulder combo. Since your dress won’t be quite as colorful as Drew’s, why not make up the difference with a fun pair of 
New Moon is opening on Friday and the Twilight kids have been transversing the globe doing the press tour and getting us all excited for what’s to come. I was just looking through 
It is fitting that Taylor Swift looked like a princess at the Country Music Awards last night. After winning the other three awards she was nominated for, including female vocalist, best video and album, she shook things up at the end of the night beating out the four other men powerhouses
