Anne Hathaway: Real Hollywood Glamor

Anne Hathaway might be my favorite non-blonde these days. She's always perfectly put-together, even when off red carpet duty. She's effortlessly elegant and seems to know exactly what suits her. It also helps that we're never treated for photos of her smoking or drunkenly stumbling out of L.A. nightclubs. And she doesn't sport any visible gruesome tattoos. Imagine that!

Too bad she's too young for George Clooney. She deserves someone equally dashing.

Photos: I'm Not Obsessed

A Closeup On Oscar Looks

Today I'm almost happy that I haven't joined the HDTV crowd just yet.

My planned post for today was a more in-depth discussion of the Oscar hair and makeup looks. I did the red carpet live blogging last night based on what I could see on my modest sized regular TV screen. Today I have already gotten emails asking for specifics, how-tos and general advice about achieving a super glam look. To reply them and for my own post I started going through the closeup photos on Just Jared.

Short answer: Don't do it. Please.

You all know that there's often a big difference between gorgeous and elaborate makeup for a special night out or even a big event when you are face to face with people, and a camera-ready look. When it's "real", you don't want to appear caked-up and painted. You don't want to look artificial and you don't want to scare children and small animals. Notice the "you don't want" theme. What else you don't want? Cameron Diaz skin:


Except for serving as a warning for the hazards of smoking and sun exposure, I'm not sure what good is this picture.

Heidi Klum was the glamorous of them all, right? The most exuberant dress, the most done hair, the furriest creature that died for her eyelashes... She also wears way too much bronzer.


Something that I see in most of the pictures is the old trick of dabbing a very shimmery eye shadow in the inner corner of the eyes. This is a good highlighting technique as long as you don't abuse it. Nars have many colors that would work well here. I'd suggest to avoid real metallic silver. It's just too much and tends to look sci-fi.


If you're not playing up your eyes too much, consider a bold red lipstick. Katherine Heigl got it almost right. Except for the extra bronzer and the smoker's skin, that is.


I have full respect for Tilda Swinton's choice of wearing a dress that doesn't cling or reveal anything she doesn't want to show and not making it about her cleavage. I can also deal with a no-makeup look. I hesitated about even posting her picture, because I don't want this to be a discussion of her wrinkles. Ms. Swinton is 47 and opts not to do botox. It shows, but in my opinion (and I'm very pro-botox and surgery. In five to 10 years you'll find me at the doctor's office regularly), it's a better look than whatever taxidermy procedure that creates the face we've come to recognize as Renée Zellweger.
All this was just the escape clause for the following: Tilda still needs mascara.


To end on a positive note, Anne Hathaway looks perfect with a luminous and balanced makeup. Not too much on the eyes and not too little on the lips. Of course, she's also twenty five, so how hard is it to look great at that age (very, if my memory serves me right, but that's not really relevant)?

Instead, let's look at a few 30-something faces that actually got it right: a very black volumizing mascara (and probably some individually glued lashes), some highlight on the eye and a my-lips-only-better lip color:





All images except the ridiculous first one are from Just Jared, where you can try facing the real closeups at your own risk.

Lip Service IV: In the Red (sort of)

This is a good time as any to talk about red lipstick. I was looking at this photo of Anne Hathaway, who is very lovely. But the lip color just doesn't work. Am I the only one who sees this? It's too harsh and isn't flattering at all. Not something that would make me run to Sephora and buy the look.

Anne Hathaway isn't the only one that doesn't look her best in such bold lip color. I wasn't too impressed with Michelle Williams' Oscar makeup (though I loved the vibrant yellow dress), and I don't think that Reese Witherspoon is doing herself any favors here:


But the blondes aren't the only ones having a hard time wearing true red. This non-blonde has long ago discovered that although the idea of wearing Chanel Red or any color like it is very alluring, it doesn't work in reality, and an adjustments must be made. Catherine Zeta Jones seems to be of a similar opinion. Although she usually wears deep, reddish colors, it's never the shades I've shown above. I don't know what exactly Catherine is wearing. Maybe I should check the Elizabeth Arden counters for it. But I'm more than happy with both my old Lancome stand-by and with my newest discovery- Dior Addict in Digital Brown, which is neither digital nor brown, but is a very pleasant reddish color.

But first, let's talk Lancome. I've been using the Sugared Maple for more years than I can remember. It's always been my daytime red, something that is strong and visible enough, but never over-the-top. It's a brownish red that goes well with most of my clothes and has a pearly finish that isn't too shiny. It's interesting to note that the same color on my sister, who is a much paler non-blonde, is still very beautiful but can only work for night. It's too dark on her to be worn casually.

Lancome has made a small change to this lipstick over the years.I started using it when it was part of the Rouge Absolu line before this range became very creamy, and nowadays it's a Rouge Sensation. I don't think that the formula has changed,just the packaging, as Rouge Absolu used to include several options for a finish. The texture is what it's always been- not too dry, good staying power and good coverage. It would probably not suit very dry lips without blending it with a gloss (and then losing some of the color). I like it so much that I have a tube in just about every purse.

Lately I've been looking for a more modern take on the brownish red subject. And I've found it at Neiman's Dior counter. Dior Addict in Digital Brown looks like a lighter version of Mapled Sugar. It's a little more red and more sheer, the finish is still pearly or metallic. I think it has a better coverage, though, like SM it is a bit dry and I'd be careful using it on days that my lips tend to chap. But it stays put for hours, doesn't bleed or melt, and overall it's my new favorite. For extra comfort I do layer it with gloss: DiorKiss in Praline- a nude (on me)color that gives shine and moisture and works well with any brown lipstick.