Beauty & Fashion Tips - Rags & Rouges Style Tips

Whether the stars were going for old Hollywood glamour, or just sleeking things back for some elegance, we saw a lot of the same looks crossing the red carpet. The weather word was that there was some wind accompanying the stars on the red carpet, so celebs and their stylists compensated by pulling things back. You can achieve these looks too, a sexy or sleek ponytail is the simplest beauty secret there is to know.

Cameron Diaz is one that takes uber cas and pulls it together with a Dior gown for some major glam. Her ponytail was pulled back with a super messy look and she pulled some bangs in the front for a very pretty face framing look. For this look, you don’t want to care *too much* when you are pulling it together. The key really is in the mess.

Miley Cyrus was another beauty queen who took the ponytail with a sleek edge. The ponytail was pulled and pin very low and she gave the pony a much more elegant look with wavy side-swept bangs. Curl your bangs first to achieve the wavy look, and then comb them back with a fine tooth comb to get the sleek factor. Pin with a bobby pin sprayed with some hairspray and you got yourself a sleek ponytail. Spritz on some shining mist to give a little extra gloss.

Anne Hathaway was a timeless beauty in her Marchesa goddess gown and she went the other direction with a ponytail that was high and accentuated her intense features. Curl your hair in long loose waves with a wide curling iron. Tease the crown just ever so slightly and then pull hair back into a ponty. Anne has an extra piece pinned at the base here, which you can try too, or just go with the whimsy of the high pony if you like. This is a fun look for a night on the town or an afternoon at the mall.

The red carpet was alive last night as all the stars came out to give homage to the golden statue at the 80th Annual Academy Awards. Of course, besides who won what, one of the most talked about items in any awards show is who wore who. And this year, the stars did not disappoint. Red seemed to be the color to wear, though many celebs were seen straying from the standard black and white sparkly things and we saw a very nice rainbow spattering the red carpet. Who wore who? And who made this year’s best dressed list? These are my picks ( in no specific order of preference)….

While I am not a big fan of Anne Hathaway myself, she stunned the crowd in this gorgeous asymmetrical rosette trimmed gown by Marchesa.

Laura Linney is a favorite of mine, she always gets stuck in these dowdy roles and turns them out beautifully. This earned her a Best Actress nomination this year, and in her gorgeous strapless Michael Kors gown, she proved she is anything but dowdy.

Heidi Klum is Heidi Klum and you know she can’t go to the grocery store without looking like a glam queen. This Project Runway superstar and supermodel was another icon that rocked the red carpet in bright hues with this couture gown by John Galliano.

Amy Adams rocked the crows as Best Song performer and is no stranger to the Oscars having been a former nominee. She wore a stunning gown by Proenza Schouler in a lovely shade of jade.

Jessica Alba did not let her baby bump get in the way of her glam, as she wore a beautiful empire-waisted gown by Marchesa.

Katherine Heigl is no stranger to the red carpet either and presented an Oscar for Best Makeup in this beautiful one shoulder piece by Escada.

Hollywood’s latest It couple, George Clooney and Sarah Larson can not be forgotten. While George was up for Best Actor, Sarah was up for best arm candy in her blue strapless beaded gown by Valentino Couture.

Cate Blanchett was just another of many baby bumps along the red carpet and wore this gorgeous silk halter dress by Dries Van Noten. Cate was up for both Best Actress AND Best Supporting Actress this year, though you’d never guess by how calm she looked for her appearance.

Renee Zellweger is always a dazzle on the red carpet and this Oscar’s was no exception. She wore a silver sparkly strapless dress with a thigh-high split by Carolina Herrera.

And you can always count on Cameron Diaz for some dazzling smiles. On the red carpet she is dazzling in Dior. You will see her in the upcoming film ‘What Happens in Vegas’ and she flaunted her smoking shape in a body hugging gown by Dior by John Galliano.

Sleek is chic right now and if you are looking for a new look, sleek, straight hair may be just what you need to change your look without making any drastic changes. Whether your hair is long or short, straight locks are easy no matter HOW late you are waking up in the morning.

Tools You Will Need: clips or bobby pins, fine tooth comb, flat iron, straightening serum, shine spray or mist

Step 1: Separate hair into sections (with your clips or pins) that are as wide as your flatiron.

Step 2: For each section, start at the root with your comb, and glide it down each section. This will smooth the hair for your flatiron. Follow right behind with your flat iron. Don’t have a flatiron? Try this iTech Wet-&-Dry Ceramic Tourmaline Flat Iron, 1-1/8 , Model 83824. This tool is nice and wide with a 1 1/8” barrel and works on both dry and wet hair saving you those few extra minutes in the morning. In fact, if using this on wet hair will give you a much longer lasting hold.

Step 3: Smooth some straightening serum like Jonathan Product Create Straight, Straightening Serum over your hair. The best way to do this is put a dab in your palms, rub your palms together, and smooth your hands over your hair.

Step 4: Finish the look and set your sleek with some shining mist like this Frederic Fekkai Glossing Sheer Shine Mist to give your locks some gloss and set it in place for all day sleek.

We will give our trend spotting a little bit of glam to set the tone for tonight’s Academy Awards. Here we have Rachel Bilson on the red carpet for the premiere of her latest movie, Jumper. Rachel Bilson was stunning, as usual, in sexy metallic one-shoulder piece by Monique Lhuillier, which she paired with sexy heels by Christian Louboutin.

Like the look? Steal the style for yourself!

Here is a beautiful dress in the same style but with a shade of feminine softness by Doucette Duvall. Doucette Duvall is a stunning New York based line of daring vintage creations. The
Meredith in Pinky
is a gorgeous frock with an asymmetrical neckline in beautiful pink silk. The beautiful tailored cut features a high waist and front pockets accented by fabric folds. The one shoulder style necklace is graced by a large bow that is subtle despite its size. You’ll adore the decadent silk and flattering fit of this dress. This dress couldn’t be softer in 100% silk, and fully lined in silk as well. And right now, it’s 40% off at Label Spree!!

While these aren’t exactly Louboutin’s, you can save a few dollars by getting the same look at Target with these Mossimo Drew Point-Toe Patent Pumps in a variety of colors. These pumps feature a 3.75 inch heel, slip on styling, and chic pointed toe. And for less than $13 bucks, you really can’t go wrong with these staples. Why not pick up a few pair?

We all have those days when we need a little touchup throughout the day. Or perhaps you are just one of those minimalist girls who doesn’t like to have a whole bunch of stuff on your face. If so, you don’t need to sacrifice the potential of highlighting your best features. You can have a minimalist look just like Angie Harmon with very little effort and very little maintenance. The key here is simply eyeliner, mascara, and lip gloss. If you ONLY have these three things on your face, you are still going to highlight your best features, and offer your fans a fresh, natural look with no effort. I like this too, because if you go cas on the weekend, but hate going bare, there is no easier way to freshen up your face.

Tools You Need – eyeliner, mascara, and lip gloss.

Beauty Trick– if you are only wearing eyeliner and mascara, go with a volumizing mascara. Try this Earth & Water Mascara Duo. This is cheap enough to grab a couple, I keep one in my makeup bag at home, and one in my purse. And I love how you get both the waterproof AND the regular version all in one mascara, you can’t get better value than that. Grab the 2 in 1 waterproof and regular mascara from e.l.f. just $1.

Beauty Tip: Touch up your gloss before and after you eat or drink or um….see your man. If you are touching up your eyeliner, keep some q-tips in your purse and run one under your eye ever so gently. Then simply reapply your eyeliner.

You may not have been seeing much of this Southern Belle lately, but Reese Witherspoon is coming out of the woodworks with a bang. Here she is all suited up for the premiere of her latest flick, “Penelope”. She’s not just a talented actress either, this sassy girl also produced her latest movie. At the premiere, she pulled off sexy casual with a gorgeous Gucci suit paired with a violet top and matching purple patent heels by Steve Madden. If she wasn’t such a sweetheart, I’d almost have to hate her for making beautiful look SO easy. But even though this look was fit for a premiere, you don’t need a red carpet event to make it work for yourself. Go cas with this one, and spice it up with a few details.

Like this look? Steal the style for yourself!

Start off with this gorgeous Marc by Marc Jacobs Cropped tuxedo jacket from Net-A-Porter. The jacket is Marc’s classic sexy and casual all in one. This cotton cropped piece also comes with an attached contrast color neck-tie that you can take, or leave at home.

Here’s a great Fashion Top by New York and Company that you can wear through day or night, dress it up however you like. This color in jewel-toned purple as well is Spring’s hottest color. You don’t have to look like Reese to pull it off either. You will love the short sleeve tunic style that flatters any figure, as does the sexy yoke shirring as well. The scoop neck is flattering enough to show off any graceful neckline, and pizzazz it up with a chunky sexy necklace as well.

From Label Spree, the best online shop for designer labels at bargain basement prices come these gorgeous
Pico Skinny Jean in Celestial
. What I love about Paige Jeans is how they advantage of the woman’s figure with this new collection by designing a denim that lifts the butt, lengthens the legs and creates a slimming look. The Pico Skinny Jean is a low rise denim that is sexy and contemporary.

Pair your sassy jewel toned top with these purple shaded Carlos Santana Iconic - Women’s. Look like a fashion icon in the Iconic pump from Carlos by Carlos Santana. This classic look is updated in croco-embossed patent, with a tall, tapered, squared heel. A cushioned footbed and a flexible traction sole keep every step comfortable. And at Online Shoes, you always get free shipping and super sales. Check them OUT!

We haven’t done a whole lot of Milan coverage just because, I find when one fashion week runs into another, you get very similar looks. So what I like to do is pick out what trend runs amongst the fashion weeks. These are the looks that are going to last through the season. This year lace seems to be big. But not too big. What we have been seeing are contemporary, edgy looks that have just the right touch of lace. Gives you that strong but soft look, who says you can’t bring home the bacon and feel your most feminine at the same time? Not our lead designers, that’s for sure.

Miuccia Prada is just one of many designers that melded this strend between strong and feminine. She found the fabric she adored and worked the entire collection around it. Lace is described by Miuccia as ‘the most important fabric in a woman’s life’ . Why? It is present at birth, marriage, death, and every other milestone in between. Lace is not just for your grandma girls, celebrate it. In typical Prada style, the lace Miuccia incorporated was not precious, but smart, and subtly suggestive. And in 2008, subtly suggestive is sexy, beautiful, and strong.

LaPerla is another fave that never seems to let us down when it comes to pretty girly things. LaPerla finessed the strong yet sexy look in her Madonna like ‘Like a Virgin’ days which she put to shame with lingerie like details that left very little, but just enough to the imagination.

Derek Lam was another who took his contemporary cues from goth women. His girls were shrouded models in black lace dresses, tops, and even sexy eye masks. I love this chic sheath with the gold toned lace and black underlay. This could even go for day if you throw a snappy black blazer over top. So pretty. And Erin Fetherstone (pictured first, above) was right on target with her girly girly feminine appeal. Not the most wearable piece mind you, but she followed suit with the trends rather elegantly.

Rumors are swirling that some celebs are taking the looks right from Milan to the Academy Awards carpets. Who do you think can dare to be this sexy? Check back Monday to find out!

Photos: Elle

What’s better than having a day off work? How ‘bout a day off work with some kick-butt sales on all of your favorite fashion finds? Me? Can’t think of a better gift on MY day off…What do we have in store for all of those budget fashionistas…..

Looking for a new pair of black staple pumps? Or how bout a new handbag to transition you into spring. Online Shoes is offering a Buy One Get One at 25% off. I love these Guess by Marciano Arabella - Women’s. Such a sexy yet sturdy shoe for any occasion. And I just love the spectator type patent detail. Pretty! Buy One, Get One 25% off at Onlineshoes.com.  Free shipping.  
Hurry, offer ends February 19!

e.l.f. cosmetics, as seen in InStyle Magazine is one of my favorite cosmetic shops. Where else can you get high quality makeup so cheap. Most of the products at e.l.f. are only a buck, this Blush Set is only $5!! Also, for every 2 e.l.f. products you purchase, your third will be half off until March 2008. Always a sale at e.l.f.!

Liz Claiborne is another favorite around here. Right now you can take advantage of their President’s Day Sale:
 Save 25%
 off already reduced items at LizClaiborne.com! Offer valid through on 2.19.08.. I love these Modern Fit Jeans.A wardrobe staple, these jeans are perfect for any figure and feature a rich wash and modern fit for versatile style. Crafted in a medium-weight cotton blend, their relaxed shape is cut loosely through the legs. Embellished with contrast topstitching throughout and finished with an embroidered left rear pocket.

Classic Closeouts is another of my favorite basement bargain shops. The basics are always on sale here, and lingerie sets are never more than $9.99!! If you are getting ready for spring, tees, tanks, and other pieces are always going for less than $5 BUCKS! Fragrances also are generally going for less than 20% off the retail price. And those aren’t even the clearance items! FREE SHIPPING! Any order, any size, any amount! Finds like this
Women’s XiXi Scoop Neck Cap Sleeve Tee
are only going for $3.99. AND, from February 15th through February 20th, we’ll ship your entire order absolutely FREE. Simply enter coupon code CJPRES at checking to receive your FREE SHIPPING discount.