A closer look at the star’s stunning jewellery obsession: Emma Watson’s ear cuffs

It’s pretty much a fact that Emma Watson is always flawless. She’s perfected the art of looking on-trend without being overly trendy and has an air of elegance other young starlets could only dream of achieving. Of course, the downside to all this elegance is that we usually only see Watson when she’s working—no tabloid cover scandals for this actor. Thankfully she’s been out and about quite frequently over the last few weeks, promoting her latest film, Noah, and we don’t need to tell you that she’s been killing it on the red carpet.



Her two most recent red carpet looks, from the New York City and London premieres, involved simple, sculptural dresses in solid colours. In New York, Watson wore a black, long-sleeve Oscar de le Renta gown from the Fall 2014 collection. A deep-cut, open back kept it from being too mature a look for the 23-year-old—who was quoted this weekend as saying she can’t wait to age. (Lol, okay.) Today in London, Watson stunned in an all-white Ralph Lauren Collection silk column gown. Both looks are top notch, but what really has us on board with Watson’s style are her stand-out accessories.



Basically: those ear cuffs, guys! Watson’s actually worn ear cuffs a number of times on the red carpet, starting with a stunning set by Repossi which she donned last May at The Bling Ring premiere in Cannes. In New York for Noah, Watson’s ear cuff of choice was more of a winding chain of yellow gold and diamonds, centered on her ear, by jewellery designer Ana Khouri. She paired it with a rose gold bracelet, matte black nails and a whole mess of delicate stacking and third knuckle rings. (Also, extra beauty props for Watson’s bright orange lip!) In London today, Watson wore a yet-unidentified smaller chain-style ear cuff, paired with a more traditional cuff ring at the top of her ear. When it comes to ear-adoring, more really is is more. That being said, we need to get ourselves to a jewellery store, pronto.

Uniqlo opening in IsToronto Rumour mill

Toronto is a hotbed for international retailers. That, and international retailer rumours. From the real (Nordstrom) to the still TBD (Bloomingdales), there always seems to be something to talk about. While we don’t like to pander to gossip and industry rumblings (or maybe we do), this latest rumour is too good to ignore. Japanese retailer Uniqlo is apparently in serious talks with Canadian retailers in an attempt to bring their famous $79 cashmere sweaters to our very own Yorkdale Shopping Centre. We don’t wanna jinx it, but we’re seriously giddy.



For those unfamiliar, the Japanese-based megabrand has become an international success hawking fashionable, yet not necessarily trendy, goods for men, women and kids. Their trademark is classic styles, in a variety of colours at an affordable price — the kind of wardrobe staples we have all come to rely on. Sound familiar? The Financial Post noted that the line might face some fierce competition from the much-loved Canadian brand Joe Fresh, or other wallet and wardrobe friendly brands like GAP and H&M. With occasional collaborations with famed style makers such as Ines de la Fressange and Jil Sander, and the upcoming Pharrell collection, the company has a knack for producing highly covetable and timeless pieces that will still be fashionable in five years time. Can the same be said for that impulse buy of that Peter Pilotto x Target vertigo inducing body-con dress? Not likely.



As most other international companies have done, Yorkdale would be prime real estate for Uniqlo’s debut, due to it’s proximity to the downtown core but also the ever-wealthier GTA. Reports are suggesting either a store within the proposed Nordstrom space or an adjacent storefront in the mall. To be continued.

Deconstructed beehives and luminous skin dial up the romance for Fall:Mikael D backstage beauty

As runway light bounced off intricate embroidery at the Mikael D Fall 2014 show, the skin gleamed just the same. M.A.C senior artist Jane McKay drew inspiration from the opulence of Baroque textures and designed a fresh-yet-glamorous look. Radiance was an important element in the makeup: “It’s all about the play of light bouncing off the skin,” said Ricky Boudreau, M.A.C senior cosmetics trainer, who lead the team backstage.

Models’ skin was moisturized with Strobe Cream and kept lustrous with a light application of Mineralize Moisture Foundation and Concealer. Boudreau softly sculpted the cheeks with Sculpt Powder and added an additional hit of illumination with an iridescent loose powder—“Silver Dusk”—applied around the eye, from brow to cheekbone. Brows were simply groomed with Brow Set in “Clear.” Finally, eyelids were drenched in bronzed gold tones and intensified with a set of MAC #33 lashes and multiple coats of mascara. Boudreau pressed a layer of “Half & Half” lipstick into the lips with his fingers for a neutral pout.

Over at the hair station, lead stylist Paul Pereira was bringing hair to new heights with a modern twist on an iconic ’60s style: the beehive. After seeing the ornate Mikael D garments, Pereira decided that he wanted to “embrace the high glamour, but in a more relaxed way.” Using the Session Label line by Schwarzkopf OSIS+, he prepped models’ strands with Sea Salt Spray to give an initial grit and hold. To create a strong base, hot rollers were placed in a small back section just underneath the crown; those curls were then teased and tucked into a roll. Plenty of disheveled texture was added by backcombing several sections with a tail comb. These sections were swept over the “rolled” base, and the beehive took form. Pereira continuously worked with Extra Hold Hairspray to mould the shape and achieve more volume. To polish off the messy height, the front section of hair was elegantly smoothed to one side and secured behind the ear.

The nails—long and oval—were just as elegant, yet understated. The team from Sparks Salon used OPI gel polishes in “Alpine Snow” and “Did You Ear About Van Gogh?” to create a white crescent moon shape and a nude base, respectively. A dainty crystal gem adorned the middle of each crescent to play up the designer’s couture-like creations.

Beauty Fix: Why you should try a dry conditioner, how to combat reoccurring dark spots and more

Every week our Beauty Fix columnist takes on your questions about makeup, skincare, hair and more. Have a beauty question we haven’t answered? Email us at beautyfix@fashionmagazine.com.

Can you suggest a travel-friendly foundation? I’ve had a few spills in the past that have turned me off liquid makeup altogether.
There’s nothing quite like a makeup bag covered in a coveted product to kick-start a vacation! If you’re often taking your foundation on the go, explore cream formulas that come in a compact format, like Armani Maestro Fusion Compact ($68, at Holt Renfrew). This lightweight foundation is comprised of a blend of dry oils and waxes that meld with your skin for natural, luminous finish. It can also be layered for higher coverage or concealing needs and comes with a handy brush applicator included in the compact for this very purpose. Bonus: The packaging isn’t glass, so you’re in the clear if you decide to toss it in your bag on the go, making it incredibly travel friendly.

As someone with a vibrant dye job, I depend on dry shampoo to help me skip as many washes as possible. But what can I use to smooth my dry ends?
How did we ever live in a world before dry shampoo! While it’s highly effective in helping you avoid the daily wash/blow dry cycle by targeting oily roots, it doesn’t quite cut it when it comes to helping smooth and hydrate the rest of your hair. Fortunately, dry shampoo has a counterpart: dry conditioner. While the effect isn’t quite the same as applying a deep conditioning mask or treatment to your ends, a few spritzes of Pureology Fresh Approach Dry Condition ($24, at salons) brushed through the length of your hair will smooth frizz, add shine, control static and condition ends. Even better, hair colour is protected with an antifade complex of antioxidants and minerals, helping you maintain the integrity of your hair colour.

Lip gloss often leaves me with flaky lips. What can I use for a similar look without the dryness?
While your lips certainly look the opposite of flaky when covered in a gloss, like anything you put on your lips, it’s what’s inside that counts. Newer glossy formulations have involved less stickiness and more hydrating lipid bases, like L’Oréal Color Riche Extraordinaire Lip Colour ($12, well.ca). This formula consists of oil-enriched pigments that create a much more comfortable wear on the lips, as well as intense colour and tremendous shine. With 16 shades to choose from, you’re bound to end up grabbing all your staple colours in this noteworthy formula.

What can I do about reoccurring dark spots?
Dark spots—or hyperpigmentation—have different stages of maturation. You may be used to addressing hyperpigmentation that you see on the immediate surface of your skin (dubbed the established stage) with the use of brightening skincare. However, as time passes, hyperpigmentation that was underlying (in the nascent stage) emerges, and it needs to be treated too. And, to further complicate things, uneven pigmentation can also be in a recurrent stage—which is tricky to treat with traditional products. In order to say goodbye to reoccurring dark spots, you need to target all three stages. Try La Roche-Posay Pigmentclar Serum ($59, at Shoppers Drug Mart), which is ideal for daily use. This product uses lipo-hydroxy acid to break down the areas of concentrated melanin for a more even skin tone without irritating skin and works to eradicate hyperpigmentation in all its stages.

I’m noticing an area of thinning hair near the crown of my head. No amount of teasing or styling is helping me out. What can I use to keep hair from looking so sparse?
Thinning hair can be due to a number of factors, such as stress, hormones or over-processing hair, but ultimately, it’s unsettling to see hair thin out in any given area on your head. Hair is made of keratin, so using a product with keratin fibres is an excellent place to start. Toppik Hair Building Fibres ($28, at Shoppers Drug Mart) is a quick way to thicken the appearance of hair—no wait times necessary! Simply dispense the fibres onto the sparse area and pat into place: they cling to your existing hair due to a natural static charge, drastically increasing the appearance and volume of your hair. The fibres come in four shades that can be mixed in order to properly match your hair colour for the most seamless look. Bonus: this product will stay in place through perspiration, wind and rain.

Beaufille backstage beauty: The ’90s chola girl is reinvented with monochromatic makeup for Fall 2014

If you describe the beauty look of a ’90s chola girl—that is, dark-lined lips and pencil-thin brows—it doesn’t exactly match up with what’s on-trend for 2014. Right now, the bushier the brow the better, and lip statements are more ombré than tattooed on. But with girl gangs as the official inspiration for Beaufille’s Fall 2014 look, Maybelline New York lead makeup artist, Grace Lee, couldn’t help but reference chola style in the makeup. “Really, when I think of girl gangs I think of cholas. I’m gonna say it: We are going chola chic.”

Lee started the look by blocking out models’ brows with Maybelline New York Instant Age Rewind Dark Spot Concealer + Treatment—“ we don’t want them to look alien-like!”—and then focused on contouring around the eyes. Chola chic is, as it turns out, a very monochromatic look. Maybelline New York SuperStay 14HR Lipstick in “Beige for Good” was applied with a soft bristle brush to the crease and under the eye, the formula providing a dewy finish worthy of any cream eyeshadow. Cheeks were also dabbed with the lipstick, and then contoured with a second colour, Maybelline New York FaceStudio Master Glaze Blush Stick in “Warm Nude.”

However, it was the Beaufille lip that pulled the whole chola chic style together. Lee used Maybelline New York Color Show Kohl Liner in “Chocolate” to line the lips, but avoided a precise line. Next, Maybelline New York ColorSensational The Buffs Lipstick in “Bare All’” and “Blushing Beige” were blended together on the lip, applied with an ombré effect in mind. For that final push of chola style, Lee went back in with a neutral lip liner and slightly defined the darker outer edge “to give it that ’90s Linda Evangelista spice lip” look.

While the hair could have been equally as chola-inspired, with slicked-back, tight ponytails, it was a much more relaxed affair. Redken artist Jorge Joao said the look was intended to be “model off duty” with hair having day two, lived-in style. After prepping with Redken Pillow Proof spray, he added movement to random sections with the flatiron. Redken Fashion Waves sea salt spray provided a final blast of texture and models were good to go.

Pizza, Perfume And Pinterest: We chat with Amy Adams about her red carpet beauty secrets and more

Should you click over to Amy Adams’ IMDB profile, it’s pretty clear why she’s been such a staple at awards shows for, oh, the last seven years. From her first Oscar-nominated role in Junebug to this year’s award-winning double header (American Hustle, Her) Adams’ resume is dotted with critically acclaimed films that include a range of compelling characters.



It’s this versatility that landed Adams a contract with Lacoste as the face of its women’s fragrances, including Eau de Lacoste Pour Femme and Eau de Lacoste Sensuelle. It’s a seemingly perfect match: the fragrances are all about femininity, confidence and natural elegance—which could just as easily describe Adams’ own effortless style. But don’t let us convince you! We caught up with Adams last week and after chatting about everything from red carpet style secrets to fragrance facts, it’s clear that she’s as charming and down-to-earth as they come.



I mentioned to a few friends that I was talking with you and almost every single one gushed about your glowing skin. So! What are your skincare secrets? Are there any products that you’re obsessed with?

Thank you! I’ve been a long time user of La Mer, I have to say. I have really tricky skin. And there was a period of time I was having a hard time keeping it balanced and I was getting really dry skin. Someone recommended La Mer and I started using [the cream and the lotion] and it kind of saved me. I was shooting in New Mexico at the time and I’ve kind of been a loyal user of La Mer since.



Are there any skincare rules that you follow? Like never going to sleep without washing your face or always wearing sunscreen?

All of those. I tend to follow the traditional ones: wearing sunscreen, drinking water and washing your face. But, you know, I make mistakes, sometimes it happens—I fall asleep with my makeup on, the night gets away from you.



Do you enjoying wearing and applying makeup?

I do, I have fun with it. But on a day-to-day basis I tend to get really busy so I try to just have my core products that I use.



I’ve heard other actresses say that makeup now seems like more of a job-only thing.

It’s funny, when I put makeup on now, my daughter asks if I’m going to work.



When it comes to red carpet hair, do you let your stylist determine the look or do you have, say, a secret Pinterest board of hairstyles that you want to try?

Pinterest is awesome, isn’t it? I’ve definitely gotten ideas from Pinterest, but I get inspiration from lots of different places. Sometimes I tell my hairstylist it’s a freebie, do whatever you want—which I think I’m probably going to start doing more and more. I feel like I’ve tried everything I’ve felt like trying and they’re such amazing artists. I’m curious to see what their vision is now.



Is strawberry-blonde your natural colour or do you do anything to enhance or brighten it?

I do. My natural colour is strawberry blonde but it’s a lot ashier now because I’m a normal human being (aging!) and so I do, I get an assist with the hair colour. To brighten it, I use a semi-permanent or temporary, I like that. It washes out, it’s more natural.

You’ve been working with Lacoste since 2013. What have you enjoyed the most about being the face of their fragrances?

They’ve really taught me a lot about how you build a fragrance and it’s been really fascinating to learn. [Also] their approach to femininity: how much they really protect the Lacoste woman [and how they see her] as being confident and driven by simplicity. I really respect how much they value that ideal of woman. It’s attainable.



If you had to pick one of the gowns that you wore over the past awards season to best represent the Lacoste fragrance woman, which look would you pick?

I really did approach this year with a sort of simplicity [in mind] but I wanted to have fun with it at the same time. So although [all the dresses] had this simplistic line, there was something about each one that I found unique. But probably the one that I wore to the Oscars, I feel had something unique about it, but it’s very you know, straightforward and well tailored.



Sticking with the Oscars theme, you’ve said that “fragrance is incredible in how it can instantly trigger an emotion or memory.” Is there a smell or a fragrance that will bring you right back to the 2014 Oscars in an instant?

Pizza! Because they were passing pizza around while I was getting ready to present and I missed the pizza and I could smell it, and I was so hungry.



You didn’t get any backstage?

No, the pizza guy didn’t come backstage! Meryl Streep got pizza. But did I get pizza? No.



Bad pizza timing.

That’s right.



I know that you love singing, so if there was a song that you’d want to film a Lacoste fragrance commercial to—and you don’t have to be the one singing it!—what song would you pick?

It’s probably been done, but “Natural Woman,” has that been done for a fragrance commercial? If no one’s done it, then Lacoste should do that. I would not be singing it, however. I have a friend, Jessie Mueller, on Broadway right now—I’m doing a pull for my friend!—in the new [Carole King] musical Beautiful, who sings it amazingly. So, if anyone gets a chance to go, watch that musical!