How to draw freckles

I'm really excited to announce a new series of beauty tutorials, where we'll be playing around with makeup. (Let us know if there's anything in particular you'd like to see!) First up is a playful idea: We wanted to draw freckles on rosy cheeks, as if we had spent the day at the beach or on a picnic with friends, instead of stuck inside on a winter day! My friend Shoko Wanger and makeup artist Ashlee Glazer busted out an eyebrow pencil, and the amazing Jamie Beck took photos. Here's the before-and-after...Read More >

"My beauty uniform"

Courtney Adamo of Babyccino lives in London with her husband and four children, and she's one of the sweetest and most effortlessly beautiful people I've ever met. For ages, I've been dying to know her beauty secrets, and finally I just...asked:) Here, as part of a new series on people's beauty uniforms, I'd love to present her tips and tricks...Read More >

Lupita's natural beauty secret

How talented and gracious is Lupita Nyong'o? I just love everything about her. She seems so warm and down-to-earth. I'd love to hang out with her, wouldn't you? And if we did hang out, after we ate dinner and talked about hopes and fears and dreams, we would do what all good friends do...play around with makeup.

She actually shared her tip for flawless skin with Racked: "I use a lot of natural oils—like avocado oil and Hawaiian kukui oil—and try to drink lots of water. I think your skin really needs to be nourished from the inside rather than outside, so eating right and drinking water really goes a long way. I'm very low-maintenance." (Now I want to douse myself with oils every night before bed.)
Plus, a few more photos, just because I love her...Lupita, keep doing what you're doing!! xoxo

P.S. Another natural beauty trick.

How to get rid of a pimple

A few weeks ago, my friend had "a scary zit," as she called it. Remembering that garlic has antibacterial properties, she took a clove and smashed it. She put the garlic juice on her pimple for a few minutes until it dried, and then she went to bed. ("I smelled like garlic bread," she laughed.) But when she woke up the next morning...her pimple was gone.
Have you ever tried this? Would you? I almost want to get a pimple so I can see if it works. Do you have any other natural beauty tricks? (My sister used to crack an egg on her head in the shower for shiny hair, and our babysitter swears by coconut oil as face lotion.)

P.S. How to do anything.

(Top photo by Garance Dore, bottom photo by Saveur)

How to blow dry your hair like a hair stylist

On my birthday, I got a blow-out at a salon, and my hair was voluminous and silky and glamorous. I felt so good all day! But when I try it at home, it's flat and messy. So, I asked my hair-stylist friend Reagan to reveal the secrets to doing a perfect blow out at home...Read More >

Winter nail polish

My friend Michelle came over the other night and had the most beautiful nail polish. I kept staring at her hands—the polish, Cocktail Bling, was the perfect dusty pale grey/blue. It was so gorgeous for winter, and I must have complimented her fifty times on it. I'd highly recommend it!

What color are your nails right now? Have you tried anything good recently?

P.S. Navy nails.

Oxblood red nails

How gorgeous is this Chinatown red nail polish for the holidays? My friend Kendra is wearing it here, and it looks romantic and elegant. The color is deep, rich and glossy. It would be so pretty to wear to a party. (We also liked this dramatic red, if you want something even darker.) Which polish are you wearing right now? xo

P.S. Oxblood shoes.

(Scarf from Madewell. Photos by Alpha Smoot for Cup of Jo. Styling by Kendra Smoot)

Fall trend: Grey nails

One funny part of fall in New York is that you start spotting all the new nail polish colors on women around town. My favorite color might be this dove grey. Isn't it understated and beautiful? Here, my friend Kendra is wearing NARS Galathee. What do you think? What other nail colors are you liking these days?

P.S. Navy nails, and short boots for fall.

(Photos by Alpha Smoot for Cup of Jo; styling by Kendra Smoot.)

Let's talk about fashion...

Food and fashion.
Krisatomic's post about what fashion week actually looks like made me laugh.
Toby and I went to the NARS store recently (it's dangerously located across the street from the playground) and I was psyched to get the beautiful red Vesuvio for the summer.
What to do when your kid is embarrassed by your fashion sense.
A summer trend: Knot your shirt!
This gold watch is at the top of my wishlist. Chic and timeless.
Summer hair idea: Teeny braids.
Part Nouveau is an amazing blog that reveals how current fashion photography is inspired by old paintings, art and movies.
Funny descriptions of what 13 people wore to interview with Anna Wintour. And have you seen The September Issue? The documentary takes a fascinating peek behind the scenes at Vogue. The takeaway: Anna Wintour is scary!

P.S. Tomboy style, and a tote bag for grammer lovers. Plus, 16 hair tutorials.

(Part Nouveau and knot shirts via Honestly...WTF; braid photo by Stockholm Style)