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? ;)

Read More

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

Read More

A Closer Look at The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo's Lisbeth Salander

Dark, edgy and nonconformist - Lisbeth Salander is Stieg Larsson's transcendent anti-heroine who defies society's preconceived labels.

Rooney Mara as Lisbeth Salander (2011)

It's the perfect time to put Lisbeth Salander back into the forefront especially after the recently concluded punk-themed Met Ball and also having recently seen David Fincher's The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. Lisbeth's appearance is not the sort of look most women would want to embody. It's not ideal  and could come off as creepy to some people. And let's face it, you do need a certain kind of attitude to pull off such a strong appearance but there is something beautiful and admirable in her unforgiving and unconventional aesthetic.

Noomi Rapace as Lisbeth Salander (2009)

I don't want to get into the whole debate on who gave the better performance. I thought Noomi Rapace and Rooney Mara were both successful in portraying a strong and intelligent Lisbeth even if they did interpret the same character in different ways. Not only were the character interpretations different but the makeup looks as well. In the introductory scene, Noomi had dark brows, black eye shadow & lips and sported the same greasy hair style with side swept bangs she would have all throughout the movie. While Rooney had bleached brows, pale lips, a lighter black-brown smokey eye look with a red tinge which goes darker on the lower lash line (making those blue green eyes of her stand out) and a dynamic hair style with a  very short and blunt  fringe which would change in almost every scene. Let's all thank Pat McGrath by the way, one of my all time favorite make up artists, for creating Rooney's look for the movie. ;)

What do you think of Lisbeth's look? Do you find it weird or beautiful?

*Images via Noomi-Rapace & BeyondHollywood

Read More

Beauty Onscreen: Eva Green

Always seductive and mysterious with that lovely French air about her - Eva Green is the ultimate femme fatale.

Photo credit: Zibi /WENN

I've seen her in Camelot, Dark Shadows, The Dreamers (directed by the great Bernardo Bertolucci), and then having recently watched Casino Royale, Eva Green is officially in my beauty crush books. She was such an effective Morgan Pendragon and a captivating Vesper Lynd and we'll get to see more of her this year in 300: Rise of an Empire, prequel to 300. She's always had a sly demeanor about her, which is why I think she's getting cast in these empowered and cunning roles. Her go-to look is dark, smokey and sexy, best paired with a MAC Russian red lip. 

Here are my favorite movie makeup looks from her.

Casino Royale (2006)

Dark Shadows (2012)

Camelot (2011)

And have you noticed how her brows are straighter than the typical? Love it. Yeah, I'm all about the brows lately. 

Have you seen any of her movies? If you have, what's your favorite Eva Green look?

Read More

A Closer Look at Moonrise Kingdom's Suzy Bishop

Oh, young love - and some pretty blue eyeshadow brought to us by a 12-year old.

A young girl sporting bright makeup is scandalous but I thought it looked brilliant on her.

When you watch a Wes Anderson film, you'll know it's a Wes Anderson film  even without looking at the credits basing on his distinct style and  even more distinguishable and colorful characters. Having seen The Royal Tenenbaums and The Darjeeling Limited, Moonrise Kingdom (2012) is yet another period piece charmer that tugged at my inner kid heartstrings. I've watched it a couple of nights ago for the first time and found myself laughing out loud to the young lovers' quips. Now I haven't gotten over Suzy Bishop's character with her memorable blue eyeshadow and pale cheeks and lips. It was a treat seeing a flash of that color every time she blinked or closed her eyes. This is certainly a look that emerged from the 60's albeit less popular than the mod look that was all the rage that time. If attention to detail is something Anderson excels in, I'd say he intentionally chose a shade of Bleu de France for her eyeshadow since she had a penchant for French music and she's the kind of kid who'd love to live in France instead - of course, this is my own crazy speculative/guess work.

Screenshots of Moonrise Kingdom (Focus Features)

Are you fan of Suzy's simple but bold look? Would you dare to wear blue eyeshadow or perhaps a more wearable blue liner instead?

Read More

My Picks: The Most Beautiful Makeup Looks in Movies

It took me awhile to think about what to write for a first post since I could not immediately decide whether it should be about makeup or movies. Then I thought why not write about both at the same time? This is quite an indulgence to list down & share some of the most beautiful looks I've seen on film. See? It's hitting two birds with one stone. These are my personal favorites so please don't take offense if you don't find your own faves here or don't exactly agree with my picks. These are all very good movies, too, and  I highly recommend you watch them if you still haven't.

Amanda Seyfried as Sylvia Weis - In Time (2011)

When In Time's trailer came out, I hardly recognized Amanda Seyfried playing the lead role since she wore a deep auburn blunt bob wig and some light mauve lipstick. Now her character must have used  an extremely long-lasting primer because she was wearing the same gorgeous eye makeup day in and out (without  slightly budging) during the movie's fast paced dystopian story.

via wodumedia.com

via amandaseyfried.net

Keira Knightley as Vera Phillips - The Edge of Love (2008)

She's undeniably one of the prettiest faces onscreen so I doubt she needs much makeup to look, well, even prettier. Yet she looked so ethereal with her glossy red lips, feathery lashes & brown smokey eyes in the opening scene of the film where she sings Blue Tahitian Moon. Yes, she can sing, too.

via dailymail.co.uk

via aceshowbiz.com

Audrey Hepburn as Holly Golightly - Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961)

It's safe to say we'd all agree on this one, right? This iconic look is all about the eyes with the squared off and groomed to perfection brows, thick lashes and cat liner. Now it's still a mystery to me what nude-y pink lipstick Holly uses and keeps in her little mailbox...

via fanpop.com

via selfstyledsiren.blogspot.com

Katharine Ross as Elaine Robinson - The Graduate (1967)

Mrs. Robinson is definitely a lot more memorable than her daughter, Elaine, but the latter's makeup remind me of how fabulous women from the 60's looked. Look at those top and bottom lashes!

via gonemovies.com

Ziyi Zhang as Nitta Sayuri - Memoirs of A Geisha (2005)

Having read the novel before seeing the movie, I was already fascinated with how the author described Sayuri preparing her hair and putting on her geisha makeup - even with pigeon poop (or Uguisu-no-fun) being part of the beauty regimen. Seeing how these scenarios translated to film was captivating.

via themovieman-bennyjayruss.blogspot.com

via 1zoom.net

I've got many other favorite looks but I may save those for a series of posts just like this. Let me know what your favorite movie makeup looks are! ;)

Read More