Emily Blunt dazzled at the 2010 Emmy Awards in a one-shoulder lavender gown with white floral appliqués from Christian Dior’s Resort 2010 collection. She accessorized with a clutch from Lauren Merkin.

Most notable about Blunt’s look was her soft and elegant updo, styled by her long-time stylist, London-born Laini Reeves. Reeves also styled Blunt’s hair for her wedding and is the co-owner of the new Essensuals London Salon on Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles.

Reeves was inspired by the finger wave style of the 1920s and wanted to create a look that was fresh yet sophisticated: “We wanted to create a look that was very different from any that Emily had worn before. Once I saw the gown, I knew that a modern look based on the waved looks of the 20’s was the perfect complement for the design.

1. I first shampooed Emily’s hair with Moroccanoil Moisture Repair Shampoo to leave it soft, shiny and well conditioned for the intricacies of styling.

2. After mixing a cocktail of Moroccanoil Intense Curl Cream and the original Moroccanoil Treatment, I worked the blend from the middle to the ends of the hair to control ends and flyaways and provide natural, looking, soft hold.

3. Next, I made a low side-part on the right and then pincurled the hair in alternating patterns towards the left and behind the right side. Since Emily’s gown had a beautiful beaded accent on the right shoulder, I wanted to place the hair behind the ear to show this off. I made the pincurls in the classic way, pinning three alternate rows of them.

4. I then misted Moroccanoil Glimmer Shine Spray on Emily’s wet hair and let it air-dry for one hour while make-up was applied. I didn’t use a hairdryer this time since I didn’t want the hair to appear blown in any way. I wanted it to look authentic with all the ends nice and neat, so the waves would look softer yet controlled when they were brushed.

5. Once Emily’s hair had air-dried, I released the pincurls and raked my fingers through her hair. I used a panel brush to keep her hair flat to the head so it wouldn’t disturb the root movement of the wave, and gently brushed from part to ends so her hair fell into a lovely wave.

6. Finally, I shaped and styled the flow of the look by framing the left side of Emily’s face with a cascade of waves. To accent the look, I attached a diamond accessory in the hair above the right ear.

7. Since we wanted the style to look a bit shorter and also accent the nape of her neck, I created a pincurled, textured effect there at the nape. I finished the look with a quick mist of argan oil-infused Moroccanoil Luminous Hairspray to give the hair a beautiful hold without compromising on softness, movement or shine.”

Visit www.moroccanoil.com to purchase all the products used to create Emily Blunt’s Emmy look and visit www.essensualslondon.com fore more information on Laini Reeves.

*Images courtesy of Getty.

]]> http://www.poshglam.com/emmy-awards-2010-get-the-look-emily-blunts-sophisticated-updo/feed/ 11 http://www.poshglam.com/small-things-done-with-great-love/ http://www.poshglam.com/small-things-done-with-great-love/#comments Tue, 17 Aug 2010 15:24:05 +0000 Tammy http://www.poshglam.com/?p=26960

Take a moment to mentally revisit the last time you offered compassion to someone else in need. Think about that time when your heart warmed at the realization that someone else was better off because of your efforts. The time when what you dedicated was time, and a willingness to make someone else feel beautiful, loved, and appreciated. Jodi Fedor, president of Exuberance Beauty, shared these wonderful words at the 2010 Glammy Awards: “GlamourGals is the best example of how small things done with great love, when combined with the actions of many, can collectively create a great thing.” GlamourGals does just that, empowering teens to provide ongoing complementary beauty makeovers to elderly women living in senior homes.

This GlamourGals journal, written by Jordyn of the Vaughan Secondary School chapter of Canada, further exemplifies the words of Jodi Fedor. Jordyn writes, “Today our chapter had our last makeover of the school year. We went up to get a woman named Esther from her room upstairs. We held her hands, and as we pushed her downstairs on her walker she kept saying how nice it was for us to come and see her. She told us how much everyone enjoyed it when the GlamourGals volunteers came in. ‘You just don’t know,’ she said, ‘you just don’t know how much it means to an old lady when you girls come in and see us. You just don’t know.’ And we don’t. We know how good it feels to hear them say how happy they are and to see them smiling. We assume, of course, that they are happy to see us but really, we just don’t know. And that not knowing, the unimaginable joy that these women claim to feel, that is what makes it all worthwhile.”

So today, I challenge you to stay true to the words Jodi and the GlamourGals movement that has resonated beautifully in Jordyn’s journal entry. Take the time and energy to initiate actions, no matter how small, with a great deal of selfless love and compassion. In time, these acts of compassion will be making a difference, and creating a great thing.

For Jodi Fedor’s full speech, please visit the GlamourGals Youtube channel!

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Lash Royalty is an amazing line of false lashes that have the beauty world buzzing. After all, who doesn’t want longer, fuller lashes, especially for a night out or a hot date or just for everyday wear. The line was launched in June of 2010 by Elizabeth Le Pek, and has already garnered fantastic attention. Le Pek truly believes that every woman deserves to look her best and feel amazing about herself while tasting a bit of luxury.

Lash Royalty caters to brides, models and women from all walks of life. The lashes are made of the highest quality products and take minutes to put on. You can do it by yourself; all you need is a mirror. Plus, there are numerous styles available, allowing women to achieve whatever look they are going for.

The lashes retail for $15 are are available at the Wynn in Las Vegas and at Savvy Apothecary in Beverly Hills. You can also visit their website, Lash Royalty, for more information.

Seriously, getting hot lashes has never been so easy. Plus, it’s a great way to update your look, and glam it up for a day or night.

The perfect hair day can seamlessly pull together an entire look and leave you feeling great. The beauty experts behind OOKISA understand that and have worked diligently to enhance their hair care products to bring a renewed richness to your damaged locks. Inspired by Asian styling trends that began centuries ago, OOKISA seeks to recreate the voluminous and thick hair that was often coveted by women attending the Emperor’s Court.

To do so, OOKISA has redesigned its formula to incorporate Asian botanicals like Japanese Citrus and Camellia Oil that all blend together to moisturize the scalp, add luminosity and shine, and pump up the volume on even the most unmanageable head of hair. The new breed of hair care products from OOKISA vary from the daily protecting shampoo and conditioner to the nighttime therapy hair serum.

The Fortifying Shampoo is sulfate-free which means it won’t dry out your delicate hair. The Replenishing Conditioner is an all-around treat; it protects and retains the shade of color-treated hair, intensifies hair strength by 175%, and eliminates those dreaded split ends. And while you’re catching up on some much desired beauty rest, why not restore your hair simultaneously? With the Nighttime Follicle Renewal Serum, oxygen flow is stimulated to help revitalize hair and promote growth. It can even be used as a blow out spray to create lush and well-groomed hair. As Eastern organics and Western science collide, OOKISA is breathing new life into tresses across the map.

Products vary in price from $40-63 and can be purchased at Ookisa.

Let’s be real, who hasn’t used Tweezerman for plucking and shaping those brows? The brand has been around for, well, forever, and keeps expanding with more beauty must-haves and essentials. Recently, the brand launched three new products: The Graffiti Slant® Tweezer, The Mini Brow Rescue Kit and the Paw Print (tweezer and mini files). Whoever said beauty tools have to be boring never used Tweezerman. The brand is sure to make your favorite tools stand out and make them even more fun to use.

The new Graffiti Slant® Tweezer fits right in with the retro trends of 2010. Graffiti has become an iconic art form that influences fashion, music and pop culture. Tweezerman, never behind on the trends, took the opportunity to launch this funky tweezer available in three neon shades— blue, pink and lilac. The bright, logo tagged design makes tweezing eyebrows a more fun experience. But the tweezer still has what Tweezerman is most recognized for: hand-filed precision tips that make your brows look extraordinary.

The Mini Brow Rescue Kit is perfect for the girl on the go. We have all had those moments of finding a hair that must be tamed, smoothed or plucked immediately. This go-to kit ideal for primping can be taken anywhere, or even left in the car for beauty emergencies. It includes the Mini Slant® Tweezer, Mini Brow Mousse™, Mini Eye Enhance™ Highlighter Pencil and Mini Brow Shaping Brush all packaged together in a chic, clear case that is only 4″ long, and 1″ thick. And don’t let the mini sizing fool you; these products have the same quality as their larger counterparts, but in a more travel friendly size.

Lastly, are the tail-wagging Paw Print Mini Slant® Tweezer and Matchbox Itty Bitty Paw Print Files. The black paw print pattern on a white background is adorable. The Paw Print Mini Slant® Tweezer is perfect for any plucking needs that may come up. The mini size fits easily in the palm of your hand, and features perfectly aligned tips to grab every hair, every time.

The Matchbox Itty Bitty Paw Print Files are the perfect solutions for a manicure meltdown. No need to call Beauty 911 when you have these adorable mini files on hand. These are perfect to store in your purse, your car, your desk at work or at home— basically anywhere that beauty emergencies arise—because there is nothing worse than a hangnail to ruin your day. One side is rough for tough nails, while the other is soft, for lighter filing. The matchbox holds a dozen mini files to use, anywhere, anytime.

Plus, $1 from the purchase of each Paw Print Mini Slant® Tweezer and 50 cents from the purchase of each Matchbox Itty Bitty Paw Print Files goes to the Humane Society of the United States, helping to create a better world for our favorite loved ones.

Tweezerman is known for their high quality beauty tools for brows, lashes, face, manicure and pedicure. The products can be found everywhere. The company also operates a Second Bottom Line, from which a portion of the profits are donated to charitable organizations and used to actively support local communities.

For more information, visit Tweezerman.

Jan Marini has a line of beauty products that are totally drool-worthy. After the huge success of the Marini Lash, the line is now launching the Mini Marini Lash. Now, the product-line favorite is available in a portable, smaller size that still delivers dense, lush lashes that look just plain yummy.

Marini Lash is a ground-breaking formula that creates extraordinary eyelashes and enriches brows, minus the health risks of many other brands. Jan Marini Skin Research uses a newly discovered proprietary peptide in their lash products, along with other essential ingredients. The result is lashes that everyone will be jealous of. Plus, you will begin to see results in as little as two months, so by fall, your lashes will be luscious.

Using Marini Lash is beyond easy. Simply apply a small amount once a day in the evening.Use the applicator brush in a thin line along upper lashes at the root area and watch miracles happen. The Mini Marini Lash is .08 fl. oz., and is used in the same way.

For more information, or to purchase your way to thicker, longer, fuller lashes, visit Jan Marini.

Gertrude Panem is one of the oldest residents at the Hallmark of Battery Park senior living home. She is 99 years old, and absolutely beautiful-both inside and out. The GlamourGals Conversations In Beauty workshop is all about celebrating just that. This five-week workshop uniquely uses photography to capture intergenerational ideas of what inner and outer beauty means. Teen volunteers from Thomas Edison High School were participants of this workshop in 2008, where they collaborated with photographer Annie Levy and the seniors of Hallmark to explore beauty.

All were able to revisit the workshop during the Conversations In Beauty photo exhibit event held on Tuesday, July 20, 2010. Held in the Hallmark senior home, this photo exhibit celebrated the photography produced during the 2008 workshop, as well as the relationships formed between seniors and teens during the workshop. The photographs produced nearly two years ago were displayed around the room on Tuesday, each one with its own story and interpretation of beauty. “It reminded us all that although some of the greatest treasures are invisible to the eye, they are found in the heart. Gertrude Panem and all the other senior citizens who participated in Conversations in Beauty about two years ago were the celebrities of the night as they posed with their own photos that they took with the Thomas Edison High School GlamourGals volunteers”, says Eghosa Asemota. Eghosa is the student president of the Thomas Edison High School GlamourGals chapter, a chapter of 114 high school volunteers who actively provide the elderly at the Margaret Tietz Nursing Center with complementary beauty makeovers.

Gertrude Panem was unquestionably the star of the night!  A photo of her holding a camera and beaming a truly genuine smile lit up the entire exhibit. The guests, volunteers, and residents who attended the event love Gertrude’s picture. This photograph captures what outer and inner beauty truly is, and Gertrude, especially, was overjoyed at the sight of her photo in the exhibit. When asked why the photograph means so much to her, Gertrude responded, “First of all its of my face, second of all I’m glad everyone’s loving it! Third of all, it shows the effort of the class to do the right thing, to make it beautiful, that’s inner beauty and outer beauty.”

When I get dressed in the morning, I’ll admit that beauty is something I strive to personify.  Whether it be in my hair, the clothes that I wear, or the confidence that I choose to embrace, it’s always nice to receive a compliment and experience its effects.  Imagine, however, not having anyone around to stop you in your tracks and remind you of how beautiful and meaningful you are to them.  Imagine living your days in isolation, each one void of the compassion and love necessary to inspire beauty.  While universal, dynamic, and captivating, the true magic in beauty is that it is transformational from within oneself.  I have learned and witnessed this through my involvement with the Glamour Gals Foundation.

Specifically, the moment that I was first convinced of the power of beauty, was when I visited a local senior center for a makeover. The nursing home smelled of rusty metal and rubbing alcohol, with a hint of artificial carnation fragrances. It was a strange mixture of scents, but one that could be uniquely identified with the memories that I have from this senior home.

That day, however, the ladies were seated in the dining area waiting for us to arrive.  They sat in silence, staring blankly at whatever laid ahead of them.  We introduced ourselves as volunteers of the Glamour Gals Foundation, and moved around the room to give the women makeovers and manicures.  I approached a small, frail woman who rested quietly in her wheelchair.  She had a crooked smile.  Even today, I think back and remember the shape of her lips when she pursed them together to smile courteously. Her name, I learned, was Irene.  I began with the base coat nail polish, and she told me that she wanted a neutral color for her nails.  I selected light beige nail polish, and she told me that she grew up in New York City where she became a housewife for the majority of her adulthood.  She told me that after her family and friends died just months ago, she had no choice but to enter a nursing home.  When it was time to apply the top coat and her nails appeared just about complete, Irene shared with me that she sometimes found it difficult to feel beautiful. She told me about how much she hated staring into the mirror and missing her vibrant black hair.  In her words, I heard and felt true sadness until it was revealed by the tears that died in the crevices and wrinkles of her cheeks.  As her nails dried, I felt so helpless.  I wished that I could embrace her in my arms and tell her that things would eventually be okay, and that she was beautiful both inside and out. I wanted to make her sadness disappear and replace it with a sense of hope in spite of the losses she had to endure.  It was at this moment that I truly experienced a broken heart.  I finished her manicure and felt my priorities and life shift in an instant.

My experiences volunteering with the Glamour Gals organization have been extremely meaningful. But it was the moment when I met Irene that my passion and appreciation for the beauty of life changed. Irene inspired me by making me realize that I only have one life to live.  She inspired me to appreciate my youth and to live my life to the absolute fullest.  I slowly sank into the realization that life is too short to live feeling “unbeautiful”.  It is too short to waste living in the depths of excuses, too short to live as one of the many, and undeniably too short for fostering a sense of regret.  Irene and these elderly women I have met, each individually beautiful, truly do more for me than I could ever do for them.  Although a manicure may only occupy a minute fraction of my life, its effects and ability to inspire beauty through compassion with Glamour Gals are everlasting.

Fashion’s hottest “It” girls made sure to stop by Beauty Bar to celebrate the launch of alice+olivia’s collaboration with beauty mega brand, M∙A∙C. The collaboration was a no-brainer as both brands are cutting edge, flirty and feminine: “Just like Stacey, where every detail is important, so are the punctuated colors of this collection…current, cool and a must for fashion this season. Pearls and pigments mixed exclusively for alice+olivia.” – Jennifer Balbier, Senior VP M∙A∙C Global Product Development

The limited edition collection includes three new shades of Dazzleglass Crème, three new Pigments and three new great shades of Nail Lacquer. Kelly Bensimon couldn’t get enough of the dazzleglass crème in “if it’s pink”.

The M∙A∙C & alice+olivia collection is available now at M∙A∙C retail stores as well as on www.maccosmetics.com with prices retailing from $12 to $19.50. The collection will be available at select international M∙A∙C locations in August.

On July 5th Mayfair Salon & Spa Patrick Ludde welcomed Hollywood celebrity nail technician Liza Smith to join his talented team of specialists. Liza Smith, known as the “Beauty Rock-Star,” has won numerous awards for her work and holds the coveted title of British Nail Professional of the year. Her 20 years in the field has led her to develop an international clientele including the likes of Victoria Beckham, Naomi Campbell, Sarah-Jessica Parker, Claudia Schiffer, Kate Moss, Jennifer Lopez and Kylie Minogue. In addition to working with celebrity “A listers,” she has worked on various ad campaigns for Armani, Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Calvin Klein and Burberry as well as provides her expertise on TV shows 10 Years Younger, Extreme Make-Over and Britain’s Next Top Model. Aren’t we the lucky ones!

Patrick Ludde Salon & Spa is the first in the industry to offer a Celebrity Nail Boutique of this kind. Liza and her talented team will be offering customized and star inspired treatments including celebrity inspired spa manicures, luxury spa pedicures, minx and profiling CND’s “Runway Espresso” Shellac, which is the latest technology in nail colour – going on like a polish, but wears like gel and comes off in minutes. Come to this special salon and experience custom blend nails that Liza’s celebrity clientele fly Continents to receive.

We have a special surprise for all you POSHGLAM readers. You will get 20% off any treatment offered by the Celebrity Nail Boutique when you refer to this blog within 30 days of it being posted on the POSHGLAM site. So make sure you don’t waste any time and make your appointments today because they are sure to get booked up fast. In fact I’m making mine right now!

The Patrick Ludde Salon & Spa is perfectly located moments away from London’s shopping and dining Mecca, and has been lovingly designed with a bespoke tranquil interior to provide the idyllic backdrop for the ultimate experience and providing relaxation in a contemporary environment. Offering a host of truly delightful, stress busting treatments at the hands of magical therapist and styling specifically tailored for each individual’s distinctive look from an exceptional team of stylists.

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