Selma Blair is currently doing her rounds on press for her latest movie Hellboy II: The Golden Army.

She is fresh faced and gorgeous for her conference in Mexico City. A combination of tools make Selma glowing and bright eyed. The starlet’s make up bag contains the vitals along with a few extras to keep her looking like a fearless style maven. Her look is typical bold and Blair is always trying something new. For that factor alone she is a hit.

Never be afraid to try something new. In the meantime score the entire contents of her Louis Vuitton make up tote.

Amore Pacific Clarifying Masque- $60.00
Serge Lutens Lipstick in Mauve de Swann- $75.00
Susan Posnick Cosmetics Color Eye Define in Jasper and Sandstone- $26.00
Chanel Precision Eye Definer in Blue Jean- $28.00
Korres Eyeliner Pencil in Light Gray- $16.00
Anna Sui Volume Up Super Mascara in Black- $23.00
Chanel Glossimer Lip Gloss in Imaginaire- $26.00
Julie Hewett Lipliner in No. 004- $15.00
Tarte Cheek Stain in Flush- $28.00

So I test trialled Clinique’s True Bronze Bronzing Gel as a true sceptic.

This product can be used either on it’s own or mixed with foundation.  I tried both and found I preferred to use it on its own.  The formulation is very light and can get lost in foundation.  On it’s own, I found it easier to build up the impact.

The effect itself is lovely.  My skin was transformed from ok, but not fantastic, to glowing.  The product worked well both at work during the day and in the evening at dinner.  I love versatility and this product has it in spades.

Have I been convinced about bronzers?  No, not yet.  But using a beautiful product like this has edged me closer to being a devotee.  Clinique rarely get it wrong and this is no exception.

Pros: Lovely formulation, gives skin a natural glow

Cons: Someone please explain to me the point of bronzer?!

True Bronze Bronzing Gel

$18.50 - Clinique

• For liquid liners (we love Bobbi Brown’s Long Wear Gel Liner and Prestige One-Stroke Liquid Liner):

Barely there - subtle definition calls for a deft hand, drawing a thin line close to the lashes and refining it even more by removing the outer edge with a wet cotton bud so the line doesn’t extend past your lashes.

Femme fatale - Elongate eyes along the outer corners only, in a gentle flick upwards just before your lashline finishes.

Egyptian elegance - not quite as heavy as Cleopatra, but draw on that for inspiration as your line the entire top lashline from inner rim,  drawing the line more thicker straight out past the outer corner of the eye.  Repeat on the outer half of the lower lashline and gently smudge it to soften the look.

• For pencils (I recommend Chanel’s Precision Eye Definer, or Barry M Super Soft Eye Crayon):

Rock chic - Run the pencil close to the lashline and around the innre rims (upper and lower for a strong, dramatic look.

Lashes galore - to add depth and dimension to lashes, wiggle the pencil in between your upper lash roots.

Blackout - sweep your black kohl thickly across your eyelid, and then blend toward the socket for a heavy, edgy look.  Line the lower lashes with a matching thick line.

To celebrate Shu Uemura’s 25th Anniversary, a new Fleur de Rose palette has been released.

The colours are just gorgeous, and the palette comes with its own applicators.

Fleur de Rose palette

$65 - Shu Uemura

Have you tried any of our tips yet on how to get gorgeous summer hair?  Here are some more to keep you going.

• Applying a leave-in conditioning treatment is like applying a shield to your hair.  During the hot summer months, treat your hair like you would your skin and protect it well.

• Try and do away with the hair dryer completely.  Summer is all about waves and natural hair so embrace what you have and lock away the styling tools.

• Be careful of shine products, as these contain silicone that will coat the hair and make it look shiny, but won’t actually do anything for the health of your hair.

Too Faced’s Lip Injection Extreme is one of the big boys on the market so I gave it a test run to see if it could measure up to standard. 

First off, I have to say that this products works.  Boy howdy, does it work.  Within minutes, I had probably the best result ever from a lip plumper.

However, there were problems.  The stinging in this product is almost unbearable and I have a pretty high tolerance for pain.  Sure, the end result is spectacular - and it really is spectacular - but the journey to get there was difficult.

Also, because it’s so strong, it can leave what looks like a burn mark.  If I went anywhere near my lip line, the edge of my lips looked like they had been burned.  I found the gloss worked better if I applied to the centre of my lips (staying away from the line) or used a wax liner as a primer before applying the lip gloss close to the lip line.  Having said that, the longer I used the product, the side effects diminished.  This is definitely a product you build up for.

Alot of lip plumpers talk the talk but fail to deliver.  Lip Injection Extreme works.  But it is strong so be prepared for some stingier than normal sensations. 

Pros: Best lip plumper I’ve ever tried, second to none result

Cons: Very strong product, very strong stinging sensation, can leave burn marks

Lip Injection Extreme

$27.50 - Too Faced

Here we have Christina Aguilera gracing the pages of Glamour magazine. To me, we have an upgrade. Her toned down look is a hit.

She finally trades in her signature big bold lip lacquered look for something more everyday. A nude or soft pink gloss should be apart of every beauty bag.

The natural hues are always understated and go from day to night easily. Not to mention that hitting your local grocery with bright red lips insinuates a wrong message.

While there is nothing wrong with going ultra glam for a special occasion or a pop of sexy vamp, don’t overdo it.

Try Hef’s Favorite Gloss. It manages to eliminate the sticky of your traditional gloss, so it feels smoother with more moisture.

It also comes it 10 different shades of pink.

Playboy Beauty- Hef’s Favorite Gloss- $16.00

But while looks change each season, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t experiment with looks and colors of your own. Here’s a few tips for eye looks to create that work well with powder shadows…

Sex kitten - create a classic cats eye by applying shadow under the eyes and winging it at the outer corners.

Blue eyes - very “now”, mix blue powder (any hue that suits your eyes and complexion) with a few drops of water and create an intense border around your eyes, close to the lashline.

Kate Bosworth works the electric blue eyes at the Costume Institute Gala

Green-eyed beauty - apply a green shadow like a liner, along your upper and lower lashline.

Smokey goddess - Minimize the hard lines of heavy liner and dark shadow by blending with a firm brush, giving eyes depth.

Gilded lily - Give smokey eyes a modern touch by dabbing a gold shimmer powder in the inner corners of your eyes.

Beauty as art? I think Tawaka’s ‘The Ball’ could just be that.

This ball buffs away dead skin and whilst the Tawaka ingredients infuse the skin with all natural goodness. And, when you’re not using the ball, you can always display it in your lounge room. The packaging is at its most sublime and seductive.

And if that doesn’t convince you, Sephora have free delivery on this product. You can’t lose!

The Ball

$65 - Tawaka

Although this product is squarely aimed at the teenage market, I find it works beautifully to get rid of dead skin cells. It works particularly well on my upper arms, where I tend to get little red spots. 

And, for $10, it’s great value for money.

Revitalising Body Scrub

$10 - Young and Pure

Jane, I’m going to a summer wedding that is pretty casual but I don’t want to turn up in jeans.  What do you recommend?

Molly, my suggestion is to forget about ensembles that are highly tailored and / or structured.  Instead, opt for a flowing summer dress that is both comfortable but still ‘dressy’ enough for a wedding. 

Team with some jewelled sandals, a sun hat and you have an outfit that will work at both the service and the reception afterwards.  Just make sure you don’t upstage the bride!

• Hats aren’t just great for protecting your skin.  They can also protect your hair from the sun and, if you have colour in your hair, prevent premature fading.

• If you have damaged your hair, gets the ends trimmed.  There is nothing worse looking than ends that looked like overfriend onion rings.  Length means nothing is your hair looks like an old take away!

• If you can stand it, before you turn off the shower, expose your hair to a shot of cold water.  The cold will help seal the hair cuticle.