My Picks: The Most Beautiful Brides in Movies

June, named after Juno, the Roman goddess of marriage, is the most popular month of the year for frilly white dresses, romantic motifs and traditional and non-traditional unions.

Products for your special day from Vogue's 2013 Wedding Guide

Yeah, yeah. I'm a day late but the internet connection was horrible last night so I'm posting it today. It may not be June anymore but couples get married all year long, right? Anyway, I seriously don't have any plans of getting hitched any time soon but like any other warm-blooded girl, I'm a sucker for gorgeous wedding gowns featured in Vogue and tear-jerking wedding videos captured by Jason Magbanua. Whether it's grand or simple, there's always something magical about the concept of weddings. Movies seem to magnify that concept and you can get an inspiration or two from some of the most beautiful brides I've seen in films. 

Carrie Bradshaw, Sex & the City (2008)

Before Carrie finally tied the knot wearing a labelless dress in city hall, she had to wear the most gorgeous samples for her Vogue photoshoot including this memorable Vera Wang dress. I thought her foundation was a tad cakey but the red lip was a lovely stand out.

Jane Eyre, Jane Eyre (2011)

Jane Eyre might have not gotten the perfect wedding day with Edward Fairfax Rochester wearing this old-fashioned lacey number but she did get her happily ever after in the end.

Liv & Emma, Bride Wars (2009)

With Liv's (Kate Hudson) purple smokey shadow and Emma's (Anne Hathaway) full brows and glossy lip, this film is bound to give blushing brides some ideas on planning weddings and picking out the perfect dress.

Georgiana Cavendish, The Duchess (2008)

If it isn't apparent yet, I'm a big Keira fan so I'm sorry for including her again. To be fair, she makes one aspirational movie bride (Love Actually, Pirates of the Caribbean) and this scene with Ralph Fiennes inspired me to recreate that 18th century makeup look on my BFF. 

Victoria, The Young Victoria (2009)

I've always known Queen Victoria to be the English queen who always wore black never knowing why she did. Now I know that after Prince Albert died, she decided to always wear black to mourn his death. If I married a dashing and loving prince like him, I would mourn him forever, too. And whoever thought proposing to men was a radical idea? Queen V would have begged to differ.

 

Jamie Sullivan, A Walk to Remember (2002) 

I read the book. I cried. I saw the film. I cried. Every time I watch this, I always cry. A Walk to Remember was the most tear-jerking romantic movie I could remember before The Notebook rightfully claimed that title. Mandy Moore made for a pretty bride but I have to ask, where's Shane West now?

In case you want to do a Kate Middleton on your own big day, i.e. do your own makeup, here's a useful makeup tutorial from Pixiwoo.

 

Do you have any favorite movie brides? Would you use any element from their "movie wedding" on your own dream wedding? ;)

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Redheads for Rainy days

Rainy days are here and the skies are getting gloomier but there are some redhead gorgeousness out there who can try to keep you warm and toasty. 

Grace Coddington as her cartoon self

Whether they're natural or faux, there's something about these redheads that would brighten up my day, especially on a day like this since I got my feet soaking wet coming to work. Ugh. I hope this rain doesn't go on all day.

Nicole Kidman

Nicole's a superb actress and some of my favorite scenes of hers are as Satine in Moulin Rouge and Gillian Owens in Practical Magic, which is also the first movie I saw her in. She'll be Grace Kelly in the upcoming 2013 film, Grace of Monaco.

Moulin Rouge (2001)

Practical Magic (1998)

Karen Elson

Karen looks otherworldly and this top model/musician is known for her trademark crimson hair and no eyebrows look.

Sophie Turner & Carice Van Houten (Sansa Stark & Melisandre)

One is a caged bird and the other is wild fire. Sansa and Melisandre have absolutely nothing in common except the color of their hair and how good they look with it. Well there is a lot of gorgeousness happening in that show.

Emma Stone

Emma's got so many makeup looks I want to steal and I think she's the cutest one in my list, too.

Loving this killer stare down look

Cate Blanchett as Elizabeth I

Before Galadriel, Cate played the iconic monarch, Queen Elizabeth I, in Elizabeth (1998).

Alice Burdeu

Alice is my favorite top model winner (from cycle 3 of Australia's Next Top Model) and by far one of the most successful winners of the franchise. Good thing she complained during her makeover otherwise she would've been stuck with her bland..err.. blonde roots. 

Julianne Moore

I don't know why she keeps playing the adulterous wife in her recent movies (Chloe, The Kids Are All Right and Crazy, Stupid, Love.) but at 52, she looks amazing without the aid of cosmetic surgery. I wish I could look as good as she is when I reach that age (Ha! I wish.)

Hayley Williams

Hayley's got the brightest hair with a matching spunky personality. Even if summer's ended in these parts of the world, MAC gave us summer in a tube with Hayley's brand all over it.

Kirsten Dunst as Mary Jane Watson

This is the only time Kirsten sported the auburn mane onscreen and this was the perfect role for her to change it. She did the Mary Jane character justice and I'm still pondering on how the new MJ (Shailene Woodley) would fare.

Alyson Hannigan as Willow Rosenberg

Buffy the Vampire Slayer was one of the best shows to come out of the 90's. Willow, who was part of the famous Scooby gang for 7 seasons, started out as a shy and nerdy student but remained a kind-hearted and caring character eventually becoming a powerful witch. In my opinion, Willow will always be Alyson's best work as an actress.

Lily Cole

I took notice of her work after she played her first leading role as Valentina in The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (2009). She's one lucky lass to have worked with Heath Ledger in his last movie.

Geena Davis

A League of their Own (1992) is a favorite Star Movies rerun and seeing Geena play baseball with Madonna and Rosie O'Donnell couldn't be more memorable.

Kate Winslet

Kate's been a redhead twice - as Rose in Titanic and as Clementine in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. 

Titanic (1997)

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)

Jessica Chastain
Jessica's a recent favorite of mine after watching Zero Dark Thirty & The Help and I have YET to watch The Tree of Life. I have a copy of it in my laptop, waiting to be double clicked.

Grace Coddington

After watching The September Issue (2009), I admired her for her creativity and passion in her craft as Vogue's creative director.

She's a former model, too!

Conan O'Brien

I got to include Conan here. His humor and intelligence make him one sexy redhead. 

Who's your favorite redhead? Did any of your favorites make my list? ;)

*Images courtesy of About, Vogue, Wikia & Rotten Tomatoes

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Beauty Onscreen: Natalie Portman (part deux)

Mathilda, Evey Hammond and Alice Ayres - these are some of the beautiful characters Natalie Portman brought to life.

Looking cool and romantic in her Miss Dior “La Vie En Rose” ad campaign

I did mention in an earlier post that I'll be showing off Natalie Portman's most memorable movie looks to me. If you're not yet acquainted with these characters, better look up the titles and I suggest you do a proper Natalie movie marathon. ;)

Alice Ayres/Jane Jones in Closer (2004)
That short hair. That red hair. That pink wig. And the best opening and ending scenes of a movie.

"Lying is the most fun a girl can have, without taking her clothes off, but it's better if you do."

Nina Sayers in Black Swan (2010)

I knew in my heart that she'd win an Oscar for a Best Actress role someday and she did (yay!). I'm not a fan of her transformation into this deathly skinny ballerina but the black swan make up is now an iconic movie look all thanks to Makeup designer Judy Chin.

Leslie in My Blueberry Nights (2007)
She was a curly blonde-haired poker player & I wished there was more of her in this movie.

If you're wondering, that is Norah Jones in the blurry foreground.

Mathilda in Léon: The Professional (1994)

This is Natalie's breakout performance as the lolita-esque and troubled teen Mathilda with veteran actors Jean Reno and Gary Oldman also starring in the film. 

Anne Boleyn in The Other Boleyn Girl (2008)

She makes a lovely queen and it's nice seeing her do a period piece for a change. Although Natalie Dormer of The Tudors is still my favorite Anne Boleyn.

Evey Hammond in V for Vendetta (2006)
With such interesting and complex set of characters, this is one of my favorite movies to watch on repeat. Natalie looks gorgeous with or without hair apparently.

Inés Bilbatúa in Goya's Ghosts (2006)

I hated the film (maybe that's why this is so memorable) but this is the first time onscreen that Natalie "bares it all" for a scene and then regrets having done it. This is a memorable look from her but it's the least beautiful and most tragic one.

Francine in Paris, je t'aime (2006)

This is an anthology movie featuring different shorts filmed in the arrondissements of Paris. She wears this wig briefly (too briefly, in fact) but I do love seeing her try something new onscreen

Padmé Amidala in Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (1999)

Eighteen-year-old Natalie wore the most elaborate and extravagant wardrobe and makeup as royal leader Padmé. The makeup does remind me of a geisha but with a regal twist.

What's your favorite Natalie Portman movie look? 

*Images courtesy of N-Portman.org

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A Big Night for Beauty: The 2013 Met Ball

It was Punk. It was Chaos. It was Couture. It was the 2013 Met Ball.

As if giving those pre-Les Mis locks a chop wasn't enough, she's gone blonde and proving she's not a bore on the red carpet. Loving the smokey lilac shadow she's wearing here, too.

Last night was an exciting event for us beauty & makeup lovers to gawk at and get inspiration from. This year's theme, Punk: Chaos to Couture, got celebrities to try out more adventurous and exciting hair, makeup & of course, fashion (it is a night dedicated to fashion after all).The night was definitely not for the faint of heart and I've listed here my favorite Met Ball looks. And remember, if it doesn't seek to be outrageous, it's not punk. ;)
 

Diane Kruger always brings her A game on the red carpet and see how lovely those pink tips and that steely grey shadow are on her.
 

And then there was more pink... I never would've expected Emily Blunt to be the one wearing the bright fuchsia shadow (c/o NARS) at this event but she did.
 

I know this is the classic Gwen Stefani look but out of all the red lips and flicked out black liner combos that night, hers was executed to perfection.
 

A spring look amidst a sea of theatrical and daring makeup - Hailee Steinfeld pulls off the dark green shadow and pastel pink lips beautifully. And if you haven't heard the news, she's the next Juliet.
 

Like I've said before, this wasn't for the faint of heart. January Jones sports one of the wildest looks with her bleached brows, graphic liner and tiny black crystals lining her eyes.
 

I'm not a K-Stew fan but I am a fan of her makeup here. Her green eyes just pop with that very smokey burgundy shadow against that beautiful pale skin. She cleans up well, doesn't she?
 

Miranda Kerr doesn't forget to bring the femininity (and a bit of sanity) back to the red carpet. Her soft curls and glossy deep berry lips are immaculate. This former VS angel did the vamped-up look best.
 

Dakota Fanning's been taking notes from last year's graphic eyeliner trend on the runways and I think it's pretty cool of her to still try out this trend now.
 

Emma Watson's makeup was simple: well groomed brows, flushed cheeks and soft pink lips. Nothing punk about this but I still thought her look was a cut above the rest.

What were your favorite Met Ball looks this year? And who did you think was truly inspired by the event's theme?

*Images courtesy of Beauty Editor

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