Nearly every woman wants Angelina Jolie-esque lips: the kind that look oh so kissable, or like two perfectly plump pillows. Sadly, we weren’t all born with the naturally robust lips that Angelina was. Also sadly, we don’t all have the money Angelina has, or else we could pay to get lips like those. But, barring genetics and finances, there are other tricks to get the best looking lips you can:
- Moisturize. Obviously. The lips don’t have oil glands so they are prone to dryness. Fight this off with a chea butter or vitamin E.
- Protect from the sun. Again, obviously. The lips are also prone to sun damage, so use a lip balm with SPF 15 or higher.
- Stimulate with peptides. Look for balms and lipsticks that list peptides as an ingredient. These stimulate collagen, which we all know leads to plump and fuller looking lips.
- Stimulate with cinnamon or mint. These scents/flavors stimulate blood flow to the lips, causing them to plump up. You may feel a tingle after applying. my favorites are Burt’s Bees and C.O. Bigelow.
- Include retinol. “Retinol” is a key word on cosmetic packaging. Look for it in your lip color– it fights wrinkles.
Lindsay Lohan is in the media again, only this time she did nothing but show up on someone’s t-shirt. Mean Girls co-star Jonathan Bennett– you remember him, he was the smokin’ hot love interest Aaron Samuels– was spotted wearing a shirt with the phrase “GO TO JAIL LINDSAY” on it on Thursday.
After being asked about the shirt, Bennett made it clear he was sporting the slogan ironically:
“I tried on the T-shirt ironically to point out the ridiculousness of the public and media obsession with her,” he explains. “I actually am really happy she’s in rehab and seems to be doing well. She was one of the most talented young actresses I have ever worked with. I just want her to get better. It makes me sad to think about that spark and that brightness that is inside her that’s been covered by her addictions. I’ve had family members and friends go through rehab recently and because they stuck it out, it changed their life and was the best thing for them. I think and pray that this time will be the same for her. “‘m here for her. She’ll be back and she’s gonna be big. Just you watch.”
We hear key words like “anti oxidant” and “restorative” or even “retinol” and know that they are good for us, but rarely know exactly what they are or why they are beneficial to our beauty. Well, with a little research, we’ve picked out the best supplements for you, so that you don’t have to wonder anymore:
- Fern Extract: fern extract is an active ingredient in reducing DNA damage that causes sun spots and wrinkles. It can work in conjunction with sunscreen to protect against sun-damaged skin. With the summer approaching, this supplement is especially beneficial. The fern supplement can be found in supplements such as HelioCare and SunPill, and should be taken daily for a week before spending significant time in the sun.
- Primrose and Black Currant Oil: these two substances contain gamma-linolenic acid, which promotes healthy hair, skin, and nails. Gamma-linolenic acid is hard to find in foods, so supplementing it is easiest. The best sources are primrose and black currant oil.
- Fish Oil: A great source of Omega-3 fatty acids– the good kind of “fatty”! These acids are found in foods like fish and nuts… but if you’re like me and the thought/taste/scent of fish, repulses you, take these supplements instead. I found to take them with food.
- Iron & Vitamin C: an iron deficiency can cause a drop in red blood cells, leading to an anemic-type state. Anemia is known to cause thinning hair. Keep your iron levels high by consuming iron and vitamin C, which aids in iron absorption.
The annual Cannes Film Festival was held in none other than Cannes, France this past week with many stars, relatives of stars, paparazzi, directors, producers, and the like. Somehow, even with all those people around, there was still some underhanded behavior happening, that resulted in a hefty amount of pricey jewelry being stolen.
The exclusive Swiss jewelry house, Chopard, is missing a significant amount of jewelry after it was stolen from Suite Novotel Cannes Centre, a hotel located in the Cannes business district. An American representative for Chopard was entrusted with the jewelry, which was placed in a safe for (ironically) safe keeping. Reports state that not only was the jewelry stolen but the physical safe itself was stolen, obviously containing the precious gems. Employees at the Suite Novotel Cannes Centre are the first being questioned about the stolen safe and jewels.
The Chopard Brand plays a significant role in the Cannes Film Festival. Chopard has sponsored the event for sixteen years, as well as designed the trophy for the award of best film. This year, stars such as Julianne Moore and Cindy Crawford were wearing jewelry, courtesy of Chopard. Chopard however, did release a statement revealing that the stolen jewelry did not include any pieces worn by stars, hopefully deterring any thieves hoping to profit off of jewelry worn by celebrities. Initial reports of the stolen jewelry valued it around $1.4 million, but Chopard insists that that number was inflated by the press.
All the film buffs out there know what the Annual Cannes Film Festival is, and they know that this past Wednesday, May 15th, marked the 66th annual celebration. The film fest is aptly named, as it is a showing of films of all different genres and languages, held in Cannes, France. Criticism and praise are equally passed for the movies shown, by a jury, consisting of one representative per country involved. This year’s American representative was director Steven Spielberg. Not only does this event serve to draw international attention to films, but it also serves as a gathering ground for the stars, which of course means, everyone was dressed to impress. Of course, each star had several changes of clothes, one just as impressive as the next, but we picked out some of our favorites. Check out what a few famous ladies wore in Cannes on Wednesday:
For the premiere of Paperboy, Kidman donned this custom-made, backless Lanvin gown. It’s bold back and Grecian flavor drew a lot of attention. Where can I get one of these?
Rooney Mara wore this flesh-toned gown after getting just enough sun (or not) to make the dress blend almost seamlessly with her skin. We thought she was naked at first.
Mulligan wore a rather bridal Christian Dior gown across a very wet red carpet in rainy Cannes. Her red lipstick adds a pop of color, making her look rebellious and angelic at the same time.
Marion Cotillard is spotted looking classy as ever, for the premiere of Rust & Bone.
One of the most famous women in the entire world, Angelina Jolie, has opted to have elective surgery in order to cut her risk of cancer. The longtime partner of Brad Pitt, and mother to an ever-growing gaggle of children, is making strides towards a healthier life, even though that choice involves some serious sacrifices.
After finding out that she carried the BRCA1 gene– a genetic mutation that makes a person more likely to develop breast cancer– Jolie opted to undergo surgery for a double mastectomy, meaning she would remove nearly all breast tissue. The procedure, as you can imagine, can be extremely painful, and involves bed rest during recovery. However, after finding out she was 87% likely to develop breast cancer, Jolie weighed the pros and cons, landing on the double mastectomy. The procedure actually took place in March, and Jolie underwent reconstructive surgery in April, although she is just now going public with the information.
Part of her drive to decrease her risk of cancer was her mother, Marcheline Bertrand, with whom Jole was very close. Betrand died of ovarian cancer after seven years of fighting the disease, at age fifty-six. Jolie plans to have her ovaries removed as well, as her chances of developing ovarian cancer are at 50%. 
Various female stars have supported Angelina’s difficult but very informed decisions, especially via Twitter, where women such as Giuliana Rancic, Sheryl Crow, Elizabeth Banks, Nina Dobrev, Kristin Bell, and Paula Abdul have sang their praises for Jolie. Months ago, Miss America contestant Allyn Rose of Maryland openly shared that she was opting for the procedure, as breast cancer killed her mother, grandmother, and great aunt.
Media, advertisements, and word on the street has been more and more abuzz with the talk of how fashion is moving to a larger-aka more realistic size standard for women. There are countless examples: plus size model Kate Upton‘s rise to fame (by the way, she has a twenty-five inch waist), H&M’s move to more realistic looking mannequins, the backlash one reporter got for weight-shaming a cheerleader, and the negative feedback Abercrombie and Fitch has received for refusing to cater to women beyond a size ten.
H&M has not only included more realistically sized and shaped mannequins, but they recently employed plus size model Jennie Runk. The brown haired, blue eyed model didn’t expect such a large reflection from her feature on the store’s website, but has since stepped up to the plate to claim her fame and use it for good. Not the size matters, but just so you know where she is coming from, Jennie Runk is twenty-four years old, five-foot-ten, and wears a US size 14-16. Runk said the following, after realizing the reaction to her bikini-clad image on H&M’s website:
“I found it strange that people made such a fuss about how my body looks in a bikini, since I don’t usually give it much thought. When my Facebook fan page gained about 2,000 new likes in 24 hours, I decided to use the attention as an opportunity to make the world a little nicer by promoting confidence. I’ve since been receiving lots of messages from fans, expressing gratitude.”
Runk clearly has a solid handle on reality, and spoke of her own discovery as a model. Given the option to either drop to a size four, or become a plus-size model, she chose the obvious plus-size route, maintaining realistic expectations for her own body. Her choice has paid off, and Runk has received astounding feedback for her confidence:
“Some even told me that my confidence has inspired them to try on a bikini for the first time in years. This is exactly the kind of thing I’ve always wanted to accomplish, showing women that it’s OK to be confident even if you’re not the popular notion of ‘perfect,’” and that having survived her childhood she feels “compelled to show girls who are going through the same thing that it’s acceptable to be different. You will grow out of this awkwardness fabulously. Just focus on being the best possible version of yourself and quit worrying about your thighs, there’s nothing wrong with them.”
Follow her on Twitter @jennierunk.
Remember one of Britney Spears’s first hit singles, Baby One More Time? Well that just might be the case for baby-loving Britney. Ina recent interview with the gorgeous Mario Lopez, Spears expressed a growing interest in growing her family. The vocalist has two sons with Kevin Federline, but after being surrounded by so much testosterone, has said that a baby girl would complete her family picture.
The 31 year old acknowledges being a busy mother already, but that doesn’t silence her desire to have a little girl around. Currently, Spears is devoting her time between her Vegas gig, her two sons, ages six and seven, and her new beau, David Lucado. Sources say that people underestimate how serious the two are getting, and that “they are in a really good place…they are happy together…” Perhaps a baby girl is closer than we think!
Given Britney’s history– including a fifty-five hour marriage, drug use and rehab, a spontaneously shaved head, divorce, loss of assets, and a losing custody battle five years ago after being found under the influence of an illicit substance– is she ready for another child? Has she gotten past all the immature turmoil that once dominated her life? She has been extremely successful (and wealthy), so a taking a break from her career wouldn’t dent her bank account much. Spears took a leave of absence from performing when her first son, Sean, was born in 2005. What do you think? Is now the time?
Gold has been used since the Bronze Age to make some of the finest jewellery, and with its beautiful appearance and versatile nature it’s clear to see why.
It is a classic accompaniment to black and due to its warm tone it works well with primary colours, hot jewel hues or even pale pastels. It can be worn in the daytime or evening and is a surefire way to dress up even the most casual of looks.
To make the most of your gorgeous gold jewellery, check out these handy tips.
Less can be more
As gold represents quality and beauty, it can often look sophisticated enough to be only worn in small amounts. Of course this depends on the occasion, but for everyday wear often a versatile gold necklace featuring a detailed pendant or a pair of slim gold hoops can be stunning yet not overpowering.
Due to the striking and glamorous gold hue, even a very delicate gold chain or a bangle can be sufficiently eye-catching, giving your outfit something of a focal point. You can then use other subtle glimpses of gold perhaps on your sunglasses or the clasp of a handbag to tie the whole colour scheme together beautifully. For more gold jewellery inspiration check out B-jeweled.co.uk.
Dare to layer
To make a little more of a statement layer up a variety of different gold designs to give your outfit the wow factor.
This could be wearing a multitude of chain necklaces together, all of different styles and widths, uniting to form an intricate web of glittering gold. You needn’t restrict your layering to necklaces, however, as the same could be done with a selection of bracelets, bangles, or rings, to create a bold cluster design.
Within your layers and jewellery stacks accent colours and details are a must. Liven up your look by choosing a vintage ruby ring to sit in the centre of two gold bands or use a thicker, twisted gold chain to add texture to a ream of gold necklaces.
Mix and match
Many people pick either silver or gold to be their go-to jewellery metal, but in fact it can look equally as attractive to mix and match these two precious materials.
Rather than decorating yourself with reams of gold and silver jewellery, think carefully about how the colours can best be used together to complement one another.
Wearing a slim silver chain necklace with a gold pendant can be a simple way to try the two-tone trend, as can stacking cluster rings on top of one another for an interesting new look.
In these cases it can be more aesthetically pleasing to opt for gold and silver in equal measure, but if you have a favourite then why not use that as the lead metal?
A bold gold pendant featuring a glittering diamond-encrusted design at the centre could be used as the focal piece for an evening wear look, which is then offset by a subtle pair of silver stud earrings.
However, when mixing and matching metals it’s important to remember to keep your outfit relatively simple, avoiding clashing colours and bold prints, as this could clutter the look. Instead use a little black dress or sheer cream blouse and pencil skirt as the classic backdrop from which to decorate with gold and silver.
Since her split with Marc Anthony, J Lo has been happily dating younger man Casper Smart, the twenty-six year old professional dancer. He’s a back up dancer… not the dollar-bills-in-his-undies kind of dancer… not that we’d complain if that were the case. Both are used to the star treatment, but despite J Lo’s far-surpassing fame, it seems Smart might be used to even more special treatment.
Wednesday, the hot couple was spotted in New York City, enjoying lunch at upscale restaurant Cipriani Downtown. Despite the recent spring weather, it was pouring in the city, and the couple (likely dressed in clothes and shoes that collectively cost more than my college education), took efforts to combat the rain. J Lo was spotted with one modest umbrella– she of course wasn’t holding it; she has assistants and body guards for that. Casper Smart however, did one better, and was spotted with not one, but two umbrellas and two assistant/body guards. Has Smart out-diva-ed his diva girlfriend?
Perhaps their similar, high-demand personalities go well together. The two have been dating since 2011. Even though Casper didn’t always live this lifestyle– working a nearly thankless job as a backup dancer, we think he’ll get used to living in the lap of luxury pretty quickly. His behavior in New York City before his lunch date on Wednesday was evidence enough to show that his transition into the glamorous life seems to be an easy one.
