Elizabeth Taylor never looked better than when she played up her natural beauty. We may not all have her killer curves, raven locks, or violet eyes, but we can at least take a few of her beauty and life lessons to heart.
Eyebrows can get overlooked and over-plucked, something Ms. Taylor might have thrown her drink in your face for doing. Start perfecting the frame to your face with this kit by brow stylist to the stars, Anastasia ($39.50). I can’t make it to Beverly Hills for her to perfect my brow shape (nor could I afford to) but I can take her stencils to find which of her pre-approved shapes works best for me. Adding a little bit of color defines them just enough to show you care – but not so much that you look like a Crayola box attacked you.
Keep the base eyeshadow a shimmery neutral that is a shade or so deeper than your natural color. My skin is nearly opalescent in its paleness, so I tend to use Cupcake or Bare Skin eyeshadows from Bare Escentuals ($13). Then line your upper and lower lids with an easily smudged (in application) kohl liner like Benefit’s BADgal black pencil ($20). Top your eyes off with a coat or two of your favorite black mascara (you know how I love my MAC Opulash for a mere $14) and your eyes are ready to marry and remarry your very own Richard Burton.
The simple glamour of your eyes are best paired with the red lip Hollywood starlets have been trying to perfect for decades. My current red lipstick is Flirt Alert full-finish by Benefit ($18). But wait! Don’t just swoosh the stick against your lips like you do your favorite lip balm, the red lip is serious business. Pick up any lip brush (this one is only $6.99 at Target) to trace the line of your lips. Then fill the rest of your pout from the outside in so you don’t add any smudges to the line you’ve created. Getting your lips to look just right might take a little practice, but once you get the hang of it, you’ll never want to leave the house without a little lip again.
In Elizabeth’s honor: Why not donate a latte’s worth of money to her favorite cause? Dame Elizabeth helped found amfAR 25 years ago. Though we might not hear about the HIV/AIDS pandemic in the news as much as we once did, there is still work to be done and a cure to be found. You can also throw a few bucks towards my good friend, Claire Sorenson, who will be peddling her tiny booty with AIDS/LifeCycle from San Fransisco to Los Angeles this June in order to raise money for the second year in a row.
