Model and object of one of my girl crushes based solely on totally superficial things (lol) Liya Kebede seems to always have this aura around her face, doesn’t she? OK, photoshopping aside there is definitely something about Liya—a soft glow is what I call it. It’s that, I’m wearing *some makeup*, but my beautiful skin speaks for me kind of thing.

Should you be so inclined, I’ve got some tips on how to get Liya’s beautiful look.

First things first, our skin needs to be in order. If you’ve already got decent skin, you’re halfway there! If not, it’s time to get thee on a skin care regimen based on your skin type. And this should go without saying, but tame those brows (still working on that brow post for you…lol) and rid the face of extra facial hair. You want skin to be as smooth as possible if you’re going for a look like this.

Most of us know cleanse, tone, moisturize, right? The products you used should be based on your skin type (normal, oily, dry, or combination and then add in aging to each type if applicable), but you should also pay attention to how your skin behaves each season. For example, I need a heavier moisturizer in the winter as the harsh NYC temps cause my skin to get sooo dry. Then in the summer that playa-hatin’ NYC humidity causes my skin to appear more oily. Then I can occasionally be attacked with adult acne which leads to dark spots. Oh, then there’s dullness, too. To make a long story short, what I use on my skin changes just as my skin does.

I’d be here all day talking about skin if I were to pinpoint every product you should use for your skin type (and something tells me you don’t like long-winded posts) so I’ve broken down some quick recommendations:

Oily Skin: LUSH Coalface Cleanser, Cosmedicine Medi Matte Oil Control Lotion, Proactiv Toner
Acne Prone Skin: Proactiv 3-Step System, Neutrogena Rapid Clear Acne Defense Lotion (and Spot Treatment)
Normal to Dry Skin: Perricone MD Gentle Cleanser, Perricone MD Face Finishing Moisturizer, Cetaphil Cleanser
Dull Skin: Clinique Turnaround Concentrate Visible Skin Renewer, St. Ives Apricot Scrub, LUSH Angels on Bare Skin Cleanser, Aveeno Positively Radiant Cleanser

Night Treatments: Reviva Labs Alpha Lipoic Acid Vitamin C Ester & DMAE Cream, Clinique Antioxidant Super Rescue Night Treatment

Universal Skin Tips: drink plenty of water, make sure you get your vitamins, consider a flax seed oil supplement, see a dermatologist on a regular basis, wear SPF everyday (Neutrogena Dry Touch Sunblock is a good one for skin of color because it’s not greasy and doesn’t leave an ashy cast on our skin).

To get some extra help in the glow department, apply a bit of a sheer foundation like NARS Sheer Glow and set it with a loose powder like BECCA Fine Loose Finishing Powder. If your skin looks great on its own, a simple light dusting of powder will do.

Go easy on the eyes, simple liner with mascara will do. If you want to up the ante, smudge your liner slightly with a smudging brush or makeup wedge.

For glowy cheeks, follow a trick loved many times over by celebrity makeup artist extraordinaire, Sam Fine: apply bronzer to the cheeks followed by a dusting of a peach blush on top. Sam loves the CoverGirl Queen Collection Natural Hue Minerals Bronzer (which I’ve been trying to track down in my neck of the woods—how do I live in a predominately black neighborhood with no Queen Collection products at my closest drugstore? grrr). You can also get this look with the Iman Sheer Finish Bronzing Powder in Afterglow which combines both bronzer and blush in one product) available at many drugstores. Totally gorgeous.

For the lips, go with a sheer stain of color like what you would get using MAC Lustreglass. Or grab some clear gloss and one of your lipsticks and make your own.

To finish, gently blot the skin with a tissue to remove excess product. Then set with a makeup setting spray (I lurve Urban Decay De Slick Oil Control Makeup Setting Spray).

Don’t forget to blow kisses at yourself when you’re done!

Tools of the Trade:

Will you be trying this look out? Have questions? Hit the comments section 🙂

~Danielle

P.S. And if you spotted this beautimous pic of Letoya Luckett over at TheYBF.com, you can follow these steps to get her look, too

Reader Simara wrote in recently saying, “I have a fashion emergency!! I need an outfit for a Memorial Day Barbecue. Can you offer some cute bbq ideas? I really want to try and pull off the cropped top, but any other ideas would be great.”
Of course! Show off your patriotic side for Memorial Day in outfits that play up the good old red, white, and blue. Though you’re probably super excited about brushing off your summer whites, go for patterned looks in case an errant splash of barbecue sauce comes your way. Skew towards flat sandals for comfort or a subtle wedge heel if you need a little height.
Try these on for size:

Whether you want to dress up or dress down, we’ve got you covered:

Alicia Keys attended the Keep a Child Alive Ball last night in London wearing a flowery, confection like strapless Dolce & Gabbana dress:

We all know flowers are always a hot trend for spring, but hmmm, Alicia looks like she brought her whole garden to the ball with her. Her shoes are hot, though…
What do you think?

We’ve gotten a lot of sister submissions this week!
A few days ago Yewande nominated her sister Tobi for Bombshell of the Day. Today Macheline from New York sent in pictures of her sweet little sister Tamara:

Macheline says, “My sister is turning 20 on Saturday May 29th, but looking at her style, you would think she was a lot older.”


“My sister loves fashion and she likes to keep up with trends, but does so in a tasteful manner.”

” She’s a Haitian beauty from Brooklyn, New York and a junior at Hunter College in Manhattan studying social work. She’s got beauty and brains.”

” I’m very proud of her.”
Y’all, I’m tremendously touched by all the sisterly love going on on the site. Birthday shout outs, style, and siblings, make for a very happy Fashion Bomb. Tamara, loving your mango colored blazer and animal print cardigan. You better work!

And happy early birthday, of course. xoxo, The Fashion Bomb

What do you guys think of today’s Bombshell?

Fashion Bombshell of the Day is a feature that showcases the singular style and flair of Fashion Bomb Readers. Send your name, location, a description of your style, and your Fashion Bombshell of the Day Picture to thefashionbomb@gmail.com.

Hey Guys!
So if you follow me on Twitter, you’d know my mom is in Paris to visit me! We’ve been hitting the town and sampling the best in French cuisine…which means there hasn’t been a ton of time for Mail Bombs.
Still, I managed to find a few quick things in between tourist stops. Let’s go!
Shayna says, “I love Rihanna’s style, and her shoes are fierce! Where can I get them?”

I quick search found Rih Rih is wearing these Christian Louboutin $855 Engine 120 Pumps:

Get them here.
Next, Nikki asks, “Where can I get Lala’s dress?”

“It’s so pretty!”
A quick search found that Lala is wearing a version of this $330 Foley + Corinna Elastic Belt Dress in Rose:

Seems she let one shoulder hang loose a bit. Cute! Get yours in black, sage, or pink here.
Mrs. O says, “Can you tell me what shirt Kim Porter is wearing in this picture?”

Hey there! Slip on any of the following sequined beauts for a Kim Porter essence:

More Twelfth St. By Cynthia Vincent…

Lastly in a wardrobe query, Brittany says, “I need advice on what to wear for my 18th birthday dinner. The atmosphere is going to be a club/bar like feel. I am a plus size female. I am usually good at stuff like this but this time I am really lost! I have a budget of $300. I am a size 20 in pants and 2x in leggings, blouses, and dresses.”
Happy Early Birthday! I found you the following plus sized options:

Also check out one of my favorite stores for plus sized stylistas with flair, MonifC, for more dress ideas.
That does it for today!
Mom says Smootches!

This week our favorite stars hit up red carpets, birthday parties, and more, flaunting their most alluring looks:

Hmmm, though Rihanna always pulls at my heartstrings, Janet Jackson wins it for me this week. Love, love, love her short haircut!

Who tworked it for you?

Italian Vogue is slowly but surely proving that their commitment to diversity isn’t just a fad. Tyra Banks recently released a statement saying that the next winner of America’s Next Top Model will score a cover of the magazine along with two several page long editorials:

She says, “I was so excited when Franca Sozzani, Editor-in-Chief of Italian Vogue, reached out to me at the end of last year to be a permanent contributor on the recently launched vogue.it (Italian Vogue’s new website) – I was (and AM!) so honored and excited to be working so closely with such an iconic brand. Franca and I really hit it off; we really connected on a personal level, but even more so as we exchanged visions for the future of our brands. I knew instantly that we were destined to partner together in another BIG way; I even told Franca I’d be in touch as soon as I figured out what that was – OH, and I wasn’t kidding. Here’s ANTM with an Italian Vogue cover, and not one, but TWO in-book fashion spreads for our winner.”

Here’s to a significant upgrade to the ANTM franchise. And OMG, Tyra and I are like coworkers at Vogue.it. How exciting!

Keep up to date on all Tyra news at www.tyra.com
Source: New York Magazine

Ciara hit the Cheesecake Factory with her boo and some buddies wearing an olive green jacket, cargo jeans, and Christian Louboutin cage mules:

If you love her look, get it with these fun separates:

More to come…!

Only the bold need apply to the latest spring/summer 2010 trend: mixed prints.

Mixing patterns artfully can be super tricky, so stick to these rules if you want to give it a go:

1. Make sure one color repeats in every piece of the outfit (like Genevieve Jones, if you have an orange paisley print on top, you should have orange in whatever print you choose on the bottom).

2. Combine loose prints with structured prints (think swirls or flowers with stripes).

3. Blend small designs with large prints (think gingham mixed with bold flowers, or animal print with geometric patterns).

4. Think of stripes as neutrals that you can pair with anything.

5. Have fun!

Mix patterns flawlessly with these fun separates:

Smootches!

Fashion Bomb divas Kelly Rowland and Kim Kardashian have both been spied wearing Nicholas Kirkwoord x Rodarte’s hot hot hot (now sold out) Corroded Brasswood Pumps:

I would cut a b*tch for those shoes…and it seems I would have to with their pricetag of $2,153.
Though alleged cheap shoe devotee Rosa Acosta wholeheartedly supported buying practically priced shoes, I know we’ve all been caught up in expensive shoe lust at one time or another.

There are those fuchsia patent leather Louboutins that you just can’t stop drooling over, or that perfectly studded pair of Brian Atwoods that would go just right with your summer dresses.

Yes, they look lovely and fit your feet just right–but how much would you splurge on a pair of hot shoes if you saw ’em today?

I’ll go first. I believe the most I’ve spent on a pair of shoes would have to be the $300 I shelled out for a pair of red patent leather Kenneth Cole sandals.  I was going to see Andre Leon Talley speak for the first time at the MET and wanted to wow in case I got a 1-on-1. The in person meet n’ greet never happened, but I still have those hot show stoppers (just in case).

What about you?