So Pretty: Benefit Pink and Gold Palette

Pink To Please A Woman…Gold To Get The Guy Palette

Girly and flirty, these soft shimmering eye and lip colors are romantic and perfect for your Valentine’s Day makeup.

What do women want? Everything! That’s why we created this “get what you want, when you want” palette for spring. These shades of tender pink and seductive gold are made for mixing and matching to create a warm, soft, ethereal effect. Pink always, gold forever!

The limited-edition palette includes three silky powder eyeshadows and three silky finish lipsticks, including Sugar Rush and Candy Store and an applicator brush, too!

$30 at Sephora

My Favorite Ballet Movies

When I was a kid, I studied ballet at a local dance school and performed in many recitals. I loved the graceful moves, the strict rules, the French names for everything and the beautiful costumes.

Trophies lined my shelves, I had pictures of myself en pointe, and somewhere there exists home movies of my solo routines.

Even as an adult, no matter what city I live in, I always find a place to take a ballet class now and then. I long for the perfect dancer’s body. I must own every ballet workout video on the market.

There are certain movies about ballet that I enjoy watching every time they are on television.

Here are scenes from my favorite movies about ballet in hopes that they will inspire you to watch them, too.

The Turning Point
The ultimate ballet movie with the best acting and most realistic dancing. Starring Anne Bancroft, Shirley MacLaine, and Leslie Browne with Mikhail Baryshnikov in a supporting role. Nominated for 11 Oscars.
(The music doesn’t match the footage. I recommend you mute it.)

Center Stage
A group of students study at a prestigious New York ballet academy and vie for spots in its elite company. This movie was not going to win any acting awards, but the dance sequences are fun, the cast is charming, and it’s a good behind-the-scenes look at the hard work and commitment that goes into a career in dance.

Billy Elliot
Set during the Miner’s Strike of 1980’s England, a poor, young boy wants to study dance instead of take boxing lessons. Needless to say, his hard-as-nails Dad and brother do not understand. Jamie Bell should have won as Oscar. In this sequence, Billy expresses his anger and frustration through dance. It’s pure genious.

The Company
Neve Campbell worked her butt off, quite literally, to get this movie made. Unfortunately, it was nearly ruined by director Robert Altman. There is absolutely no plot but the dance sequences are beautiful. Here is Neve Campbell performing on an outdoor stage during a storm.

What are your favorite dance movies?

Covet: Sequined Wedge

Aren’t these cute for spring? Sequins add a playful touch to a classic peep toe wedge. Available in Cobalt, Silver and Gold.

A bauble for your tootsies! And a peep toe too! A sassy wedge design with an abundance of sequins to tempt you into a walk on the wild side. Add a fashionable wedge platform that’s covered in cork and you have places to go and people to see! Full leather lining on this women’s shoe with a 1-3/4″ wedge on a 1-1/4″ platform.

$64.95 at softsurroundings.com.

Which color do you like best?

Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head

It’s been cold and rainy here at Grace Magazine headquarters in Los Angeles.

I sure wish I had a Marc Jacobs umbrella to keep my hair dry. Then I’d be singing in the rain.

Marc By Marc Jacobs Trumpet Vine Umbrella – $58.00

Purple-and-red ‘Trumpet Vine’ printed umbrella with spherical handle. Marc by Marc Jacobs umbrella has the designer name embossed on handle, a button fastening cover and a button at base to open.

Available at net-a-porter.com

What Is It About James McAvoy?

Scottish actor James McAvoy is the new “It” Man.

I first saw him in a British TV miniseries call State of Play. He was a supporting character but he really stood out. He’s made a name for himself in roles in Bright Young Things, The Chronicles of Narnia, The Last King of Scotland, Becoming Jane, and most recently Atonement.

Versatile, lovable, talented, it’s impossible not to have a crush on him. No matter how dark the role, he always brings a sense of humor to the project.

Here are some pictures of James McAvoy:

Old-School Glamour: Valentino’s Last Show

Italian Couturier, Valentino Garavani, presented his last-ever collection after 45 years of couture.

Romantic, feminine, delicate, exquisite.

Well, I’ll let the clothes speak for themselves.

Ciao, Valentino.

I Want To Look Like Kirsten Dunst

Why? Because she is adorable and has a lively intelligence in her beauty.

Kirsten’s lovely face is accented in this photo with romantic makeup in soft, pretty colors. The lilac eye shadow really makes her blue eyes pop. She looks like a delicate little flower.

Here is how beautyriot.com suggests copying her look:

Foundation / Concealer
Start with clean, exfoliated skin. After allowing moisturizer to soak in, use a light-coverage, sheer foundation or tinted moisturizer to even out skin where necessary.

Apply concealer to the inner corners of the eyes and underneath to cover dark circles. Apply a small amount of concealer to the eyelid as an eyeshadow base.

Apply pressed powder, in a shade matching your foundation, generously over concealer and lightly over foundation.

Blush
Apply a petal pink or rose blush. Apply color on the apples of your cheeks if your face is full, or higher on the cheekbones if your face is slim. Blend well.

Eyelid
Apply a light lavender color from the lid to the crease.

Crease
Apply your lid shade to the crease.

Hilite
Use a delicate gold lightly on the brow bone. Use just enough to brighten your eyes. You can sweep a touch along the lower lash line for some glamour, if you like. Blend very well.

Eyeliner
Choose a dark brown or black/brown shade if your coloring is warm. If your coloring is cool, you can use a charcoal shade or dark gray. Apply a thin line to the top lash line, from corner to corner. Use a light touch and get the color in between the lashes. You can try dotting your way across the lash line and then going back and filling in to create one continuous line.

Now apply a very delicate line to the lower lashline.To soften both lines just a bit, blur lightly with a cosmetic sponge or a soft brush.

Finally, delicately trace the inner corners of your eyes for a professional look.

Brows
Choose a pencil or powder that is just a bit darker than your hair color. Start by defining the arch of each brow. Step back and look at your entire face in the mirror, and then fill in the rest of the brow as necessary.

Lashes
Curl the upper lashes. Coat upper and lower lashes two or three times with a black thickening mascara.

Lips
To get glass-smooth lips, try brushing them very gently with an old, soft toothbrush. Then apply petroleum jelly and allow it to soak in for 30 or more minutes.

Choose a sheer lip color in a rose or petal pink shade that coordinates with your blush. Apply the color in very light layers until you get a “bee-stung” look. Next apply a coat or two of clear or tinted gloss.

Here are more pictures of Kirsten Dunst:

A Hershey’s Kiss Has New Meaning

Hershey’s Lip Balm Ultra-Moisturizing Trio SPF 15

What could be more delicious than a trio of lip balms in authentic Hershey’s flavors?

on10 offers up a set of hydrating lip balms in Hershey’s Vanilla Crème, Hershey’s Milk Chocolate, and Hershey’s Almond flavors.

This fun novelty lip balm smoothes and moisturizes for luscious lips with the protection of SPF 15. All of the On10® formulas are rich and efficacious, so they taste and smell great and are good for you too.

These Sephora-exclusive products are made in the USA using high quality organic and natural ingredients with an authentic indulgent Hershey’s flavors for the ultimate indulgence, without the guilt.

Yummy without the calories.

Available exclusively at sephora for $16

Review: Kiehl’s Lycopene Facial Moisturizing Lotion

My first experience with Kiehl’s was when I was living in New York City. I kept seeing the name Kiehl’s pop up in magazines with different celebrities saying they used various products. So I did some research and found that Kiehl’s has been around forever but it does not advertise. It depends on word of mouth. So here I am continuing the tradition.

I love experimenting with beauty products. Tonight, I tried Kiehl’s new Lycopene Facial Moisturizing Lotion with tomatoes, beta-carotene and vitamin E. Here is the description from Kiehl’s:

A most distinctively modern discovery! Lycopene – derived from the tomato – is enhanced with Beta-Carotene and Vitamin E to become a protective antioxidant preparation, which is released onto the skin. These powerful antioxidants work together to reduce the level of damaging free radicals on your skin. This moisturizing treatment is best suited for normal to oily skin types.

Lycopene is the carotenoid that makes the tomato red and is a powerful antioxidant. It is an exceptional scavenger that reduces damage to the skin caused by free-radicals. Also known to help increase skin elasticity.

The lotion is thin and yellow yet goes onto the skin heavier than it appears. It takes a while to absorb in but doesn’t feel greasy at all. My skin feels soft but I can tell I am wearing lotion on my face. It is odorless and contains no SPF. I would recommend it for nighttime use. I have dry skin so it’s probably not suited to my type. But as I said, I like to try everything. And I like the idea of incorporating tomatoes into a skin lotion.

1.7 fl. oz. bottle – $35.00 at Kiehls

Sean Bean: Most Attractive Man

My favorite actor, Sean Bean, has won Hello! Magazine’s Most Attractive Man poll for the second straight year.

Isn’t he gorgeous? Well, maybe he’s a little scrufty as Boromir in The Lord of The Rings, pictured above.

But I’ve had a crush on Sean Bean since I saw him as Robert Lovelace in Clarissa. He is probably best known in recent years for his many turns as Lt. Richard Sharpe in Sharpes Rifles and the rest of the Sharpe series.

Other notable roles include Alec Trevelyan/006 in Goldeneye, Sean Miller in Patriot Games, Spence in Ronin, Ian Howe in National Treasure, John Ryder in The Hitcher, and many, many more.

Here are some pictures of Sean Bean:

Who do you think is the most attractive actor?