What a Difference a Dream Makes

Like many others, Ms. New Beauty and her family quickly finished opening presents and grabbed a bite to eat before rushing out the door to see Dreamgirls on Christmas Day. Ms. New Beauty saw an off, off, off, off Broadway production of the play in high school and fell in love with the story instantly. She loved the glitz and glamour, the sequins and the fish tail gowns, and of course, the singing. She's always been a sucker for a good musical. Mr. & Mrs. New Beauty (i.e. her parents) saw the show on Broadway with the original cast. So there was no doubt that the whole clan was going to see this movie when it opened.

I'm sure by now you've been inundated, or beaten over the head, with reviews and promotion for this movie. You have to have heard about Jennifer Hudson's phenomenal debut performance in this film. And while it was truly phenomenal and deserving of every bit of praise, I'm not going to rehash that here. I'm more taken by her beautiful style transformation since stepping into the spotlight. We've all witnessed a few too many young starlets stumble as they get their red carpet bearings together. Even Ms. Hudson herself ran into a few unflattering makeup and fashion choices during her days on American Idol. But those faux pas are far behind her now.


Effie White looks amazing in the January issue of Allure. Sultry, sexy, and sensual yet very natural at the same time. This is a perfect makeup look for a low key night out or the perfect night in. There are no harsh lines or garish colors here, so natural beauty can really shine through. I'm planning to recreate this look for a Kwanzaa celebration at a friend's house using these:

Face

Apply foundation, concealer and powder as normal to even out skin and create a clean palette for your eyes. Use bronzer or a highlighter to warm up your face, but skip the blush.

Eyes

1. Brush Too Faced Eye Shadow in Dirt Bag from lash line to crease
2. Brush just a little Nars Single Eye Shadow in Champagne just under the arch of the eyebrow and in inner and outer corners of eye
3. Use ring finger to tapped M-A-C Eye Shadow in Amber Lights lightly on center of eye below crease (use a light touch so you don't end up wiping off the dark brown shadow)
4. Fully line both upper and lower lashes with M-A-C Eye Kohl in Smolder
5. Trim and add about 5 or 6 clumps of Shu Uemura's Long Eyelashes Regular to outer corner of eyes
6. Finish up with Dior Show in Black to blend false lashes

Lips

Keep lips simple by using just a gloss instead of lipstick. Try a natural sheer pink or gold, like Lancome Star Gloss in Cosmic Girl or Bobbi Brown Lip Gloss in Honey or Petal, to compliment eyes.



Get glamourous, follow your dream, even belt out the refrain from "And I Am Telling You", but just don't forget that Ms. New Beauty told you!