Lauren Conrad at the Style Awards: How to Create Feminine with an Edge

At last night's 6th Annual Style Awards, Lauren contrasted an ultra-feminine look with a rock twist, from her floral bubble dress paired with studded punk pumps to her braided half-up-do and soft curls contrasted with a hot pink lip and black liquid liner, all in honor of her stylist Britt Bardo, to whom she presented the Style Star Award. I am obsessed with mixing things up because overly girlie comes off a little cutesy, while overly punk comes off... well, just that...




To create the look, I first filled in her entire lip with Kissink Lip Tintmarker in Berry Bitten, a lip stain favorite of ours that lasts all night yet isn't dry or flaky. Then I added a coat of Lip Exotics Lip Lacquer Hook Up in Pop for a luscious wet look with a huge color impact. For her cheeks, I applied Just Pinched Instant Blush Tint in Cheeky, a perfect true pink cream blush, on the apples of her cheeks then dusted above her cheekbones in Twinklebelle (Rose), a shimmery pearlized powder that I also used on her collar bone and shoulders. Finally, to keep all of the emphasis on her winged-out cat eyes (Get In Line Liquid Liner Hook Up in Painted Black), I left her lower lash line undefined, except for a coat of Make It Big Mascara in Raven.



All photos courtesy of WireImage, Life.com, Just Jared and Mark Cosmetics.

A Girlie Chic Look on Whitney Port

On Friday, Whitney Port wanted a girlie chic look for her appearance on Jimmy Kimmel to compliment her amazing pink and lace vintage dress. (Be sure to watch the video above in FULL SCREEN so you can see the make-up better!) I love this look because it's feminine and sweet yet modern and cool... kinda like Miss Whitney! Anyone can rock this look and here's exactly what I used on her:

FACE

Armani Beauty Designer Shaping Cream Foundation in 5.5 all over her face and neck with a foundation brush.


Stila Convertible Color in Gladiola applied with a foundation brush on the apples of her cheeks.


NARS Bronzing Powder in Laguna under her cheekbones and jawline, on her temples, across the top of her forehead and along the bridge of her nose.


NARS Blush in Luster on the apples of her cheeks then a quick sweep from the apples up to her temples.

EYES

Stila All Over Shimmer Eyes in *12 (this product is discontinued which kills me but if you do a google shopping search you can find it like I did on the link above). I shook a little of the powder out, wet my flat eyeshadow brush then dipped the brush into the powder. Work on the consistency on the back of your hand until it has enough intensity to be sheer but still have enough color impact. Then sweep all over your lid and crease.


Smashbox Muse Cream Eyeliner Artist Pencil in Antique Gold (this product is also unfortunately discontinued... ugh... but you can find it like I did at the link above then cherish it until its last stroke.) I gave Whitney a cat eye by starting in the inner corner of the upper eyelid then dragging it to the end of her eyelid, then winging it up at a 45-degree angle. The color is absolutely gorgeous so it saddens me that they are no longer making it. The good news though is that mark. Cosmetics comes out with their eyeliner pots this Spring and has the exact color (in a gel liner) that I used on Lauren Conrad's magalog shoot for the brand last month.


mark. Make It Big Plumping Mascara in Raven on top and bottom lashes... a cult favorite mascara of mine.

*Note: No liner or shadow on Whitney's lower lash line. Just mascara.

LIPS

Cle de Peau Lipstick in 22 all over her lips.


Then I finished the look with a mixture of the lip glosses that Lauren and I developed for mark., mPowerment Peach and Gold.

All photos courtesy of Armani Beauty, mark. Cosmetics, Smashbox, Stila, NARS and Cle de Peau.

Lauren Conrad in NYC: 5 Days, 6 Looks, 1 Signature Style

I just returned from a week of fashion shows and concerts in New York with Lauren, who unfortunately was pretty under the weather and battling the flu. But with the aid of our favorite mark. products and her fighting spirit, no one could tell! (Thank heaven for mark.!!)

We wanted to create looks that were her (now-famous) signature style: winged-out black liquid liner, glowy & bronzed apricot cheeks and nude lips, but add a few variations to mix it up. The look above was for VH1's Diva's concert so I added extra diva-drama with a thick & extended black line on her lower lash line (I used mark Get In Line in Painted Black that is her staple go-to product for her cat eyes, but this time used it on the bottom as well.) A trick to liquid liner is to steady your elbow on your vanity so the only pivot action comes from your wrist. Start with a thin line in the inner corners then press down a little harder as you extend the line outward (making the line thicker), ending a couple millimeters passed the eye.

For the 3.1 Phillip Lim show, I accented the inside corners of her eyes with i-Mark Custom Eye Shadow in Nomadic. Using a small eye shadow brush, dip it in the powder, press it gently in the inside corner of your eye in a circular motion then drag it 1/4 outward along your lower lash line:




For the Nanette Lepore show, I used Eyemarker Color On Line in Jet along her lower lash line. Draw a line like a marker starting at the outside corner of your lower lash line and end 3/4's inward:




For the Rebecca Minkoff show, I used Metalliner Eye Glam in Blue Chrome along her lower lash line. Again, sweep it like a pen in the method described above:




For the MTV VMA's, she wanted an all-nude matte face illuminated with hints of shimmer so I used Bronze Pro Bronzing Powder in Pro Glow and Dew Drenched Moisturlicious in Skinny Dip:





We also worked on an amazing photo campaign for mark. cosmetics featuring a few new products that you're going to DIE for (stay tuned!). Here's a shot from the m.Powerment campaign where I used Glow Baby Glow lip glosses in m.Powerment Peach and m.Powerment Gold (that Lauren and I helped develop with mark. and turned out to be soooo gorgeous!). 100% of the net proceeds go to the m.Powerment philanthropic initiative to break the cycle of dating abuse and partner violence:




Here are the mark. must-have products for Lauren's signature red carpet look that I have used on her religiously for two years:
Speedway in Honey all over the face, Glow Xpert in Candle Glo as a highlighter above her cheekbones, Get Bright Highlighter in Natural under her eyes and accenting the brow bone, Bronze Pro in Pro Golden to support her cheekbones, on her temples, along her hairline and under her jawline, a combination of Good Glowing Mosaic blush in both Love Rush and Hush Baby on the apples of her cheeks, Winkstick in Demure all over her eyelid, Get in Line Waterproof Liquid Liner in Painted Black along her upper lash line, winged up and out, a couple coats of Make It Big lash plumping mascara in Raven, Mini Mark-It Stick for Lips in Goldie Pearl all over her lips followed by a coat of Juice Gems in Juicy Fig.



Remember that make-up is temporary and if you mess up (applying liquid liner), merely wipe it off and try again! I promise if you practice you can definitely master it. Lauren applies mark. Get in Line liquid liner by herself 7 days a week! If you think it might take you a few tries, use mark. On The Edge liquid liner in Cleo because it isn't waterproof like Get In Line and easier to wipe off until you get it perfect. I had a blast on this trip with Lauren and I hope you have fun re-creating her looks.

All photos courtesy of WireImage and mark. Cosmetics.