Get The Leona Lewis Look

Every morning, while I get ready for work, I tune to the Weather Channel – to figure out what I’m going to wear, and how I’m going to wear my hair (no need fussing with it if rain or humidity is going to render it limp or frizzy). Then I flip to VH1 for some background noise. Recently, without fail, just as I’m about to head out the door, Leona Lewis appears on my screen to serenade me with her hit, "Bleeding Love." The last few days, I have switched from being mesmerized by her voice to being totally obsessed with her makeup.


I’ve performed one exhaustive search after another trying to find out which products she used for the video, but turned up empty-handed. I did manage to track down her makeup artist’s website.

Jane Bradley has more than 15 years of experience under her makeup tool-belt, and her work with Leona Lewis has put her career on the fast track.

Her website’s blog doesn’t divulge the products used in the "Bleeding Love" video, but it does offer some of Jane’s techniques and favorite products.

For Leona’s February 2008 Harper’s Bazaar shoot, Jane used shades of black and brown on the eyes and kept everything else skin toned – even the lips. This look worked well with all the rather theatrical clothes that Alison Edmond (fashion director Harper's Bazaar) had chosen. This look draws all the attention to the eyes which looks very seductive. Jane opted for a nude shade lipstick instead of a gloss to make it look more editorial and recommends shades by MAC in High Tea and Nars lip shades in Belle du Jour and Dolce Vita. If your natural lip colour is quite strong try rubbing in a little foundation or concealer before the lipstick. Jane also discovered a great lip pencil recently by ModelCo in Erase which may also help neutralise very pink lips.

In complete contrast, the shoot for You Magazine was another story altogether. This time the clothes were very feminine and girly with lots of long hippy inspired prints and flowing fabrics (summer’s going to be divine!) Jane and Leona decided to go for simple yet dramatic flirty eyes; no clever shading or strong eye shadow here, just lots of individual false lashes applied both to the top and bottom eyelids to give the freshest dreamiest eyes ever. Leona’s favourite colour, pink, was used to gently add colour to the cheeks using Daniel Sandler’s Watercolour blush in Icing. Lips were enhanced using lip balm and a slick of Bobbi Brown lipstick in Pale Pink.

Here are some of Jane’s beloved beauty products:

*Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage concealer compact
*Laura Mercier Secret Brightener (use it under the eyes before foundation then followed by the concealer; it has an iridescent hue which bounces light off the dark area giving extra help for really stubborn eye bags)
*Products from The Organic Pharmacy
*Products from the Stella McCartney Care organic skincare line

Jane also has an instructional DVD called Lips to Lashes, in which she shows how to apply make-up correctly, dispels myths and reveals tricks she uses on celebrities and models. To check out a clip, click here.

Naturally Beautiful: Nordstrom Goes Green

Just because you’ve embraced an eco-friendly lifestyle doesn’t mean that you need to trade your Manolo Blahnik for Birkenstocks. And just because you prefer your skincare to be chemical-free doesn’t mean you have to purchase products in a health store/head shop that reeks of patchouli. Just in time for Earth Day, Nordstrom is going green.

Last month, Nordstrom launched its new "Well Beauty" counters in 25 stores – and a virtual counter on Nordstrom.com. Rather than zip from counter to counter looking for natural products, Well Beauty is one-stop shopping your organic beauty needs.

Featured brands include Origins Organics, Juice Beauty, Pangea Organics, Korres, Caudalie and CARE by Stella McCartney. Products were chosen because they are paraben, petro-chemical free and sold in recycled packaging. And there will also be a full-time staff member at the Well Beauty counter to answer questions and direct customers to the products most appropriate for their skin.

To find a Well Beauty counter near you, contact your local Nordstrom store. To shop online, click here.

It's Unanimous

According to Lucky Magazine and its readers, the new and undisputed beauty heavyweight champion of the world is Sephora.

For the first annual Lucky Shopping Awards (featured in the November issue), the magazine gives props to the best department stores, boutiques, chain stores, and websites.

"Sephora has become the definitive one-stop shop," says beauty edito Christina Mueller. They really do have everything: Fresh, Ojon, Stella McCartney's organic skincare - plus high-tech dermatologist lines lik Dr. Brandt Skincare and N.V. Perricone M.D. Cosmeceuticals. In New York branches, you can find Anastasia brow studios.

Sephora Trivia: Sephora is the combination two words—Sephos and Zipporah. Sephos was the term for all things pretty in ancient Greece and Zipporah was the name of Moses’ wife who was renowned for her exceptional gorgeousness. Put the two together and, voila, you’ve got my beauty Mecca's moniker.