Get The Leona Lewis Look

Every morning, while I get ready for work, I tune to the Weather Channel – to figure out what I’m going to wear, and how I’m going to wear my hair (no need fussing with it if rain or humidity is going to render it limp or frizzy). Then I flip to VH1 for some background noise. Recently, without fail, just as I’m about to head out the door, Leona Lewis appears on my screen to serenade me with her hit, "Bleeding Love." The last few days, I have switched from being mesmerized by her voice to being totally obsessed with her makeup.


I’ve performed one exhaustive search after another trying to find out which products she used for the video, but turned up empty-handed. I did manage to track down her makeup artist’s website.

Jane Bradley has more than 15 years of experience under her makeup tool-belt, and her work with Leona Lewis has put her career on the fast track.

Her website’s blog doesn’t divulge the products used in the "Bleeding Love" video, but it does offer some of Jane’s techniques and favorite products.

For Leona’s February 2008 Harper’s Bazaar shoot, Jane used shades of black and brown on the eyes and kept everything else skin toned – even the lips. This look worked well with all the rather theatrical clothes that Alison Edmond (fashion director Harper's Bazaar) had chosen. This look draws all the attention to the eyes which looks very seductive. Jane opted for a nude shade lipstick instead of a gloss to make it look more editorial and recommends shades by MAC in High Tea and Nars lip shades in Belle du Jour and Dolce Vita. If your natural lip colour is quite strong try rubbing in a little foundation or concealer before the lipstick. Jane also discovered a great lip pencil recently by ModelCo in Erase which may also help neutralise very pink lips.

In complete contrast, the shoot for You Magazine was another story altogether. This time the clothes were very feminine and girly with lots of long hippy inspired prints and flowing fabrics (summer’s going to be divine!) Jane and Leona decided to go for simple yet dramatic flirty eyes; no clever shading or strong eye shadow here, just lots of individual false lashes applied both to the top and bottom eyelids to give the freshest dreamiest eyes ever. Leona’s favourite colour, pink, was used to gently add colour to the cheeks using Daniel Sandler’s Watercolour blush in Icing. Lips were enhanced using lip balm and a slick of Bobbi Brown lipstick in Pale Pink.

Here are some of Jane’s beloved beauty products:

*Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage concealer compact
*Laura Mercier Secret Brightener (use it under the eyes before foundation then followed by the concealer; it has an iridescent hue which bounces light off the dark area giving extra help for really stubborn eye bags)
*Products from The Organic Pharmacy
*Products from the Stella McCartney Care organic skincare line

Jane also has an instructional DVD called Lips to Lashes, in which she shows how to apply make-up correctly, dispels myths and reveals tricks she uses on celebrities and models. To check out a clip, click here.

Naturally Beautiful: Nordstrom Goes Green

Just because you’ve embraced an eco-friendly lifestyle doesn’t mean that you need to trade your Manolo Blahnik for Birkenstocks. And just because you prefer your skincare to be chemical-free doesn’t mean you have to purchase products in a health store/head shop that reeks of patchouli. Just in time for Earth Day, Nordstrom is going green.

Last month, Nordstrom launched its new "Well Beauty" counters in 25 stores – and a virtual counter on Nordstrom.com. Rather than zip from counter to counter looking for natural products, Well Beauty is one-stop shopping your organic beauty needs.

Featured brands include Origins Organics, Juice Beauty, Pangea Organics, Korres, Caudalie and CARE by Stella McCartney. Products were chosen because they are paraben, petro-chemical free and sold in recycled packaging. And there will also be a full-time staff member at the Well Beauty counter to answer questions and direct customers to the products most appropriate for their skin.

To find a Well Beauty counter near you, contact your local Nordstrom store. To shop online, click here.

It's Unanimous

According to Lucky Magazine and its readers, the new and undisputed beauty heavyweight champion of the world is Sephora.

For the first annual Lucky Shopping Awards (featured in the November issue), the magazine gives props to the best department stores, boutiques, chain stores, and websites.

"Sephora has become the definitive one-stop shop," says beauty edito Christina Mueller. They really do have everything: Fresh, Ojon, Stella McCartney's organic skincare - plus high-tech dermatologist lines lik Dr. Brandt Skincare and N.V. Perricone M.D. Cosmeceuticals. In New York branches, you can find Anastasia brow studios.

Sephora Trivia: Sephora is the combination two words—Sephos and Zipporah. Sephos was the term for all things pretty in ancient Greece and Zipporah was the name of Moses’ wife who was renowned for her exceptional gorgeousness. Put the two together and, voila, you’ve got my beauty Mecca's moniker.

It's So Easy Being Green

Just because I love makeup doesn't mean that I can't love the environment too, right? It used to be that eco-friendly cosmetics were few and far between, had an extremely short shelf-life, and were as couture as a hemp bracelet. But recently, a number of companies have jumped on the natural beauty bandwagon - giving us good reason to go green.

Makeup



Cargo's PlantLove Botanical Lipstick contains no mineral oils or petroleums. In their place, the formula contains meadowfoam seed oil, jojoba and shea butter as well as their trademarked Orchid Complex. The packaging is what makes this lipstick truly special. It’s made entirely out of corn (which by it’s nature, is completely bio-degradable). In addition, the outer carton is made of flower paper, embedded with real flower seeds. So plant the packaging and see how your garden grows. In addition, Cargo is donating two dollars from the sale of every shade of lipstick to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital.

Natural rose and jojoba waxes in Dr. Hauschka Mascara Intermezzo help strengthen lashes. It also has a silky, plant extract-rich formula that's great for contact-lens wearers and those with sensitive eyes. Jennifer Aniston is a fan.
















Smashbox Palettes for PETA are limited-edition, 100% vegan eye shadows formulated for superb blendability that have never been tested on animals. Pick up a palette and help smashbox support cruelty-free, kind living. IPalette includes a double-ended brush for blending, lining and smudging.

Face

Epicuren Citrus Herbal Cleanser is an all natural liquid cleanser for normal, combination or sensitive skin. Infused with apricot, walnut, and cucumber extracts, it is a superior aromatherapy cleanser.















Angelina Jolie loves Shea Terra Organics Lip Butter, made from shea butter, beeswax, and virgin coconut crème oil. And unlike most balms, their ultra moisturizing lip butters are petroleum-free and naturally sweetened, so chances are you will be licking your lips!

Stella McCartney Care 5 Benefits Moisturizing Cream improves skin's moisture, nourishes, helps to protect the skin from exposure to the environment, and leaves skin firm, fresh, and radiant.

Hair

John Masters Organics Bouron Vanilla & Tangerine Hair Texturizer is an extra-strength texturizer that's perfect for shaping hair into any style, from spiky to smooth. It adds amazing texture and creates a soft, shiny, non-greasy finish.

Lauren Conrad uses It’s All Good Rosemary Mint Shampoo, which cools and revitalizes your scalp leaving hair feeling soft, silky, and smooth.

Skin

What's so special about Burt's Bees Coconut Foot Creme? Honey, where do I begin? It offers intense moisturization to even the roughest of feet and callused skin. With coconut oil, olive oil and vitamin E it will pamper and nourish your feet leaving them soft and beautiful. Peppermint oil provides a cooling and refreshing feeling. For $4 more, purchase the creme as part of the Foot Care Kit, which includes a pumice stone, sleep socks, and tips for touchable tootsies.





Dr. Andrew Weil for Origins Matcha Tea Body Scrub exfoliates skin with antioxidant-rich green tea and sea salt. It whisks away roughness, dullness and skin stressors, purifies the body and reinvigorates the flow of healthy energy to restore the four perfect principles of the Tea Ceremony - “Wa (harmony), kei (respect), sei (purity), jaku (tranquility)”.