Every year the iconic designer, Diane Von Furstenberg, throws an awards event to provide recipients with the exposure and resources needed to extend their critical efforts on behalf of women’s causes. Four individuals are honored who have displayed leadership, strength, and courage in their commitment to their causes, and this year, the beautiful Olivia Wilde was a presenter. I’m always happy to get clients ready for a red carpet event, but when it’s for a cause that’s so near and dear to my heart, it makes it all the better for me.

When I got to Olivia’s apartment about two hours before she had to leave for the event, she showed me the gorgeous black pants suit she and her stylists had chosen, and said: “I don’t know, I was thinking we should play up my eyes”.  On my way to her place I’d been looking at photos of her from previous red carpet events -which I do before meeting with every client – to see which looks I liked her in the most. Olivia usually goes for a dramatic black liquid cat-eye or a rounded, very intense dark smokey eye, and in the moment she said “let’s play up my eyes”, what felt like 500 images of fun things I could do flooded my head. As her hairstylist began running mousse through her hair, I stood staring at the shadows and liners I’d laid out on her dining room table, trying to decide which colors to swirl around her eyes, and in what shape.

I knew I needed a minute to come to a decision, so I did what I usually do, and started with a face oil massage to get her circulation going, and to zone out on her face while she had her eyes closed. Within seconds it came to me, and I saw the completed look in my head, even before the oil had time to absorb.

The glowing skin is ultimately courtesy of Olivia’s genes, of course, but I also always give a lot of credit to the base layer of hydration I lay down before I draw and paint on the skin, and in this case, Lina Hanson Global Face Serum made for a truly glowing-from-within look. Plus, the aromatherapy this oil provides to my clients (and to me) during the face massage has made it a mainstay in my kit (and my medicine chest). The scent is incredible, and the viscosity is perfect.

As for her beautiful eyes: I used three simple products:

1. a pale, sheer shimmery slate gray,
2. a medium dark matte smokey graphite gray, and
3. a black creamy eyeliner.

First I mapped out the overall shape I wanted using the pale gray. On top of that I precisely placed the medium/dark matte gray along the crease and outward, extending slightly up from the outer corner of her eye, and then I blended the hell out of it so there would be no apparent edge between the two shades. Then I went in with a black liner and thoroughly applied it on the inner rim of top and bottom lid, as well as dotted in between lashes. To complete the look I smudged it into the lash line on both bottom and top lid using a smudge brush.

I really love how this look turned out… and it’s just like I saw it in my head during the face oil massage!

One final note: since everyone always wants to know the answers to these two questions about my clients,  I will tell you: Olivia is incredibly nice, and super beautiful in person without a lick of makeup.

I LOVE a lip balm with good-for-you ingredients like shea butter, honey, beeswax, and any one of the healthy oils like jojoba, coconut, and olive.  I do not recommend any lip balm that contain petroleum or petrolatum. Have you heard how many pounds of balm and lipstick it’s estimated that women ingest every year? Yuck.

Lip skin is the only skin on our faces without the ability to self-lubricate  since it has no sebaceous or sweat glands. The rest of our face, as well as the majority of our body, puts out its own hydration in the form of oil – for some of us it’s too much, some it’s not enough and causes us to feel dry – but our poor lips are left defenseless. Luckily, there are so many great lip balms on the market nowadays, and it’s really just about deciding what feel, smell, and shine level you like the most. I like having a bunch of options on hand at all times.

Here are my current favorites, in no particular order, and  a break down of what I like about each one. As always, I welcome your feedback on my Facebook page, or via email.

Lip balms in stick or squeeze tube form:

• Organic Badger Creamy Cocoa Butter Lip Balm: Yummy cocoa butter scent, olive oil, cocoa butter and beeswax makes it a little more heavy than some others, which helps it stay put longer, and makes for a less shiny finish. Comes in a stick form: $5
• Desert Essences Lip Rescue with Shea Butter: I have a few of these in my possession at all times. One in my pocket, one in my purse, one in the silverware drawer, just in case… Little to no shine, really hydrating, less slick, sticks around for quite a while. Good choice for your guy, as well. Comes in a stick form: $2.50
• Ama.la: Has a really interesting, slightly salty taste. Organic fig seed and shea butter imparts a really nice sheen with little to no scent, and hydrates super well. Comes in a squeezey tube form: $18
•  John Masters Organics Lip Calm :  Deliciously lemon/lime/tangerine oils make this one smell good and Springtime-y. Olive, jojoba, and borage oils make it emollient, and a more on the sheeny-side, but not too slippery. Comes in a stick form: $6
• Intelligent Nutrients Lip Delivery Nutrition:  This product line comes to us from the same eco-conscious, organics-loving product master who created and recently sold Aveda. I’m super impressed with this entire  line, which consists only of products that are safe enough to eat.  Minimal shine with lots of lasting hydration make this one a favorite. Comes in a stick form: $12

Lip balms in a pot:

• Dr Hauschka Lip Balm Pot: I’ve been a long-standing loyal user of this one at work and at bedtime. I love to keep lip balms in non-stick form for use on the night stand because I’d rather only put my finger into it when I know it’s clean (not while riding on the subway or in a taxi), and every model and celebrity who knows me knows this is the first thing that I’ll be putting on them when we sit down to do makeup. The scent is light yet memorable, and unmistakably floral. The texture imparts a good amount of shine, but not nothing like a high-gloss. $16.95
• RMS Beauty Lip and Skin Balm: An all-natural rich, yet not greasy lip balm developed by makeup artist Rose Marie Swift. Although this comes in a little jar, RoseMarie assures buyers that since its base is the antibacterial coconut oil, there’s no reason to worry about double-dipping. I’ve only tried the one made with real vanilla, but she makes another with cocoa as well. YUM! Leaves lips appearing well moisturized, but not lip-balmy reflective. $25
• Bee Yummy Lip and Eye Cream: Unscented, olive oil based, rich and creamy, melts into the lips nicely yet has staying power. Comes in a little jar:$18

It can also be fun to make your own lip balms. There are plenty of wonderful recipes online to walk you through doing so, and you can play with scents and even add a hint of color to customize it to your liking. I love a fun project!

The gorgeous lips above belong to my friend Camilla Hansen, who just happens to be a model. The rest of her is just as incredibly (and naturally) gorgeous as are her lips. Thanks, Camilla!