Noël Duan

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Apothecaries and Perfumeries: Yahoo Beauty’s Journey Through Cuba

Perfume bottles from Habana 1791. (Photo: Alexandra Perron)

This story is part of a weeklong Yahoo series marking one year since the opening of relations between the United States and Cuba.

HAVANA — The United States and Cuba resumed diplomatic relations in July 2015 after severing ties 54 years ago. I just came back from two weeks of backpacking across the beautiful—and capitalism free, sort of—island country of Cuba, where I schlepped without my 10-step skincare routine and carried an assortment of portable, multi-use products in my Patagonia pack instead. Cosmetic stores are non-existent in Cuba, except for a few products sold in the government-owned tourist stores — sorry, beauty junkies, Sephora is everywhere, except for Cuba. Nonetheless, Cuban women tend to be immaculately made up, even in the humidity, and while this sounds stereotypical, there is something very glamorous and confident about a country in which everyone, young and old, male and female, knows how to shake their hips.

El Capitolio in Havana. (Photo: Noël Duan)

Cuba is well known for its preservation of colonial and post-colonial artifacts, from Spanish and French architecture to Afro-Cuban salsa to rum still produced in the original Bacardi factories. But alongside these cultural favorites, there are relics of a vibrant beauty industry based on traditional European methods and Caribbean ingredients. These apothecaries and perfumeries are relics of a colonial past that actual Cubans, with an average monthly income of $20 per month, do not frequent. Keeping this disparity in mind, these beauty points of interest offer a look back at the rich and contentious history of Cuba, from its pre-Christopher Columbus Mesoamerican settlers to its Spanish and French colonizers to its socialist revolution.

Steam distillery for perfume making in Havana. (Photo: Noël Duan)

Perfumes at Habana 1791. (Photo: Noël Duan)

Perfumerie Habana 1791. (Photo: Noël Duan)

Habana 1791, located in an 18-century mansion, is a popular house of handcrafted fragrances with scents like mariposa, the state flower, and tobacco, a colonial export. Visitors can watch perfume making at Habana 1791 done through traditional extraction techniques like steam distillation. The mariposa fragrance, for example, is extracted through the method of enfleurage, in which the extract is absorbed by wax before extraction by alcohol. This method is not efficient and is discouraged in modern perfume industry, which requires perfume made in mass amounts. However, at Habana 1791, you can still view this ages-old process in action.

Droguería Johnson in Havana. (Photo: Noël Duan)

One of the colonial-era pharmacies of Havana, located around Habana 1791, is Droguería Johnson—yes, of Johnson & Johnson—which has been standing since the eighteenth century. Nowdays, it sells a few token medicines in case you have a cold or headache, but the porcelain jars sitting on the shelves and encased yellowing recipe book are why the crowds gather. Back in colonial Havana, pharmacies made the medicines in-house, and locals would gather at the counter to watch and hang out. Droguería Johnson specialized in medicinal elixirs and B-complex formulas, in addition to perfumes and insecticides.

Farmacia La Reunión in Havana. (Photo: Noël Duan)

Another nearby pharmacy-museum. Farmacia La Reunión is a working apothecary, founded in 1853, and famous throughout the Caribbean for its homeopathic medicines. Nowadays, you can come in to look at the high, elaborately decorated ceilings and weigh yourself on the heavy-duty scale.

Traditional perfume-making tools. (Photo: Noël Duan)

While many American cosmetics companies have been unable to reach Cuban soil due to the trade embargo, one can only imagine the enthusiasm once more beauty brands are sold in Cuba. The only major cosmetics brand I saw was an old Lancôme advertisement, starring Julia Roberts in a tourist shop. When I landed at the Havana airport, I struck a lively conversation about my boss, Yahoo Beauty editor in chief Bobbi Brown, with the female border control officer who was questioning me. “Ah, Bobbi Brown? She owns a famous makeup store,” she explained to her male counterpart, shaking his head in confusion while looking at my passport. “She’s famous! She’s big. Welcome to Cuba, Noël. Tell Bobbi to come next time.”

Droguería Johnson, Calle Obispo No. 260, Esquina Aguiar, La Habana, Cuba. Farmacia La Reunión, Teniente Rey, Esquina Compostela, La Habana, Cuba. Habana 1791, Mercaderes No. 156, Esquina Obrapía, La Habana, Cuba.

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10 Misconceptions About Fragrance I Corrected in Perfumery Class

I knew nothing about fragrance, so I enrolled myself in a Cinquième Sens class called “The Technique and Language of Perfumery,” at New York City’s Pratt Institute. (Photo: Trunk Archive/Lee Jenkins)

I’ve always wanted to be the kind of person who could speak sophisticatedly about perfume, just as some people are connoisseurs of fine wine. As a beauty writer, you’re inundated with press releases about new fragrances every day, and the truth is, these perfumes all start to smell the same after you’ve been sniffing for a while. I enrolled myself in a Cinquième Sens class called “The Technique and Language of Perfumery,” at New York City’s Pratt Institute, taught by Raymond Matts, the brains (and nose) behind bestselling fragrances like Clinique Happy and Elizabeth Taylor White Diamonds. Nowadays, he has his own eponymous line — the Mediterranean-inspired Pashay scent is my favorite. Even if you’re not a beauty editor or aspiring entrepreneur, it’s worth studying a little bit of perfumery before you plunk down $200 for a bottle of fragrance. Every day in class, we sniff fragrance notes, scribble down written notes, and gossip about the fragrance industry. Here are 10 (out of many) misconceptions I corrected once I started taking this course:

Don’t use coffee beans to cleanse your palette between fragrances

Little containers of coffee beans are ubiquitous in fine fragrance counters at the department stores these days — but contrary to popular practice and belief, coffee beans are not the most effective choice for neutralizing your nose when you’re trying . To re-habituate your olfactory senses, Matts recommends just sniffing the inside of your elbow. You’ll get back to your baseline without inhaling coffee scent. As a matter of fact, we were banned from drinking coffee in class due to the strong smell.

Do not confuse “fruity” notes with “citrus” notes

What is a fruity note? Well, it’s what you think it is — excluding citrus fruits. While it’s tempting to describe the scent of a juicy navel orange as fruity, that’s actually inaccurate, as citrus notes are in a class of their own. Citrus notes tend to add an effervescent, bubbling quality to our fragrances, which is why bergamot — a bitter citrus — is a traditional component in men’s colognes.

Don’t dab perfume on your wrists

Dabbing perfume onto your pulse points won’t make it last longer. The antiquated practice reportedly came from the 1800s, when fragrances with over 30 percent concentrations of oil were contained in glass stopper bottles. If you really want the scent to last, Matts recommends spritz the perfume into your hair, where it’ll disseminate with movement throughout the day.

Natural notes aren’t necessarily better than synthetic notes

While there are a lot of fancy niche brands that market themselves as all-natural fragrances, you may be surprised at how uninteresting they smell. If you were to create a scent to evoke Hawaii, for example, you could use some natural floral notes — but you’d have to use synthetic notes if you wanted to evoke Hawaiian marine life. “The reason why most natural perfumes are so boring is because natural notes are limited,” Matts explained. “And not all natural notes are safe.” Musk from an animal, for example, is actually proven to be carcinogenic — nowadays, the musk that you smell is synthetic and non-carcinogenic.

The origins of the ingredients make or break the fragrance

As we smelled in class, sandalwood from India smells sweeter from sandalwood from Australia, but unfortunately, Indian sandalwood from Mysore has recently become endangered. Fragrances that once used Indian sandalwood now must use Australian sandalwood — unless they have reserves to deplete from — and that changes the scent, even if the ingredients and formulations are technically the same.

No fragrance house will claim aromatherapeutic properties

Aromatherapy fragrances have become a niche market these days, but the big fragrance houses are not going to be claiming any of their oils or scents have aromatherapetic properties — they don’t want to be liable for these shaky claims.

Don’t believe everything you read in publications

I know — I’m shooting myself in the foot here. But here’s a trade secret: beauty editors and writers, even for your glossiest of magazines, oftentimes regurgitate press releases that are wrong or inaccurate or misleading. And they don’t always smell the fragrances beforehand, either. For example, in one of his fragrances, Maiaday, Matts uses soft woods like cedarwood (think: pencil shavings), which doesn’t smell like a traditional wood. But if you had read a press release that described Maiaday as “woodsy,” you would have made assumptions about it before you smelled it yourself.

Axe doesn’t deserve the hate it gets

Once upon a time (in 1988), a men’s fragrance called Davidoff Cool Water, developed by perfumer Pierre Bourdon, emerged from Geneva, Switzerland. Nowadays, shirtless Scott Eastwood sells the fragrance, but even back in the ‘80s, it was known for its homoerotic torso advertisements. The biggest breakthrough of the scent, though, is that it was the first men’s fragrance to actually smell fresh and sporty (and possibly even metallic), mainly through a synthetic facet built around a harmony of citrus notes, with additional fresh molecules. Fragrances like Chanel Allure Homme Sport and CK One picked up this note from Davidoff Cool Water — and yes, even Axe’s signature scent was inspired from it. The smell may seem ubiquitous and even cheesy now, but it was a breakthrough.

You’re probably smelling vanilline, not vanilla

Vanilline is a synthetic compound that is extracted from vanilla itself. It was discovered in 1876 and is incredibly cheap to produce, which is why it’s used in place of real vanilla bean in your Bath & Body Works products and in candy. The vanilla bean itself has a creamier, richer, animalistic scent that doesn’t remind you of teenybopper body lotions.

Amber has three difference meanings in the fragrance world

If you read that a fragrance has amber, it could be one of three things: it could be ambergris (which is a wax-like odorant concretion from the intestine of the whale), amber note (which is a combination of the aforementioned ingredient, vanilla, benzoin, and tolu resins) or yellow amber (which is a fossilized resin containing insects — like in Jurassic Park).

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11 Beauty Tips I Learned in South Korea

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Inside a Small-Batch Perfume Studio in Brooklyn

Tanwi Nandini Islam of Hi Wildflower makes all candles and perfumes by hand. (Photo: Noël Duan)

As a beauty editor, I get blasted with press releases about new fragrances lines every day, and I love it, mainly because it’s an excuse to talk about experiences and memories with a complete stranger. When I first met Brooklyn-based fragrance line creator, Tanwi Nandini Islam of Hi Wildflower, she immediately dove into telling me about her line of perfumes and candles. But turns out, she’s not just a perfume entrepreneur — Islam is also a novelist. Her debut novel, Bright Lines, was published in August 2015 and was shortlisted for the 2015 Center for Fiction First Novel Prize. Her next novel involves a character who is a perfumer — and as matter of fact, the path of research and storytelling led Islam into discovering perfume as a self-described passion and obsession.

“I'm probably more spendy and foolish about oils than I should be because I'm addicted to finding new things.” (Photo: Noël Duan)

“I'm really into scent, memory, storytelling, chemistry, science, and I feel like perfume is the syncretic hybrid creation of all these different things,” Islam explained to Yahoo Beauty at her studio. “There's dynamics of power and colonialism and travel and all these crazy shit. Like, you could study in the history of spices, perfume, incense, all this stuff. And you would uncover so many important moments of human history.” The perfume collection so far includes four all-natural fragrances and five fragrances made of a mix of synthetics and naturals. “I am drawn to things that are very, very natural for the key components of the fragrance,” she said. Contrary to popular belief, not all the notes that go into a fragrance smell pleasant. “This is from the s--- of a cat in Africa,” she told me, wafting a bottle of civet under my nose. “You need that s---. You need that stinkiness to create a full-rounded perfume.”

Inside the studio of Brooklyn-based fragrance brand Hi Wildflower. (Photo: Noël Duan)

Hi Wildflower markets itself as small-batch, which is a phrase that has become endemic to Brooklyn’s products — but Islam isn’t trying to play into artisanal stereotypes and jokes about the trendy borough. “I am a writer. We don't make that much money and my family's not wealthy,” she said. “I don't have an investor. So this is all bootstrapped.” Her first labels were from CheapLabels.com, and once she sold her first batch of 70 fragrances, she made another batch and upgraded the quality of her packaging. She still makes her fragrances one batch at a time in her Brooklyn studio, but nowadays the packaging has become more luxe, with bigger bottles and custom botanical illustrations.

Just-made batches of Hi Wildflower fragrances. (Photo: Noël Duan)

The nine fragrances are inspired by Islam’s own personal memories in life — but she’s hoping they invoke memories and stories in others, too. She grew up smelling Attars, which are oil-based sandalwood-seeped perfumes from India. The Hi Wildflower Night Flower Eau de Parfum ($65), for example, is inspired by her grandmother, who wore jasmine Attar. “But it wasn’t like I always loved my mother’s perfume,” she added. Her mother wore Nina Ricci L'Air du Temps, a scent invented after the Second World II that is considered to be one of the finest women’s fragrances of all time. “I think it got played out,” she said. “A lot of these perfumes get played out because they have mass appeal.”

The perfume industry, with roots stretching back to colonial expansion, is dominated by French male perfumers like Jean-Claude Ellena of Hermès, Jean-Paul Guerlain of Guerlain, and Jean Carles of Roure (now part of Givaudan, a Swiss manufacturer of fragrances). “They’re all named Jean!” Islam pointed out, noting her own position as a woman of color. “They’re all white men.” She is currently enrolled in a perfume class at Pratt Institute in order to fine-tune her knowledge of the competitive industry. “When [the instructor] said that a real perfumer goes to France and learns from a master perfumer, I'm interested in taking it to that level,” she explained. “This is the beginning of my new phase of my life.” As a young woman of Bangladeshi heritage, Islam is hoping to be part of a movement of new perfumers who are changing the dialogue on what scents are used — and what stories are told — in the Eurocentric, male-dominated industry.

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This is How Maybelline Face Jourdan Dunn Does Her Own Makeup

Jourdan Dunn speaks to Yahoo Beauty about her daily beauty routine. (Photo: Getty Images)

British model Jourdan Dunn is used to other people doing her makeup — but as a Maybelline spokesmodel (along with her pal, Gigi Hadid) and a mother of one, she’s also picked up a few easy beauty tips for daily life. At New York Fashion Week this weekend, the 25-year-old model, decked out in a full face of makeup, spoke with Yahoo Beauty about how she really approaches beauty:

She starts with a good skin base — but isn’t afraid of products

And no, she’s not talking specifically about primer. “I like to keep it quite simple and not too much,” Dunn told Yahoo Beauty. “I feel like if you have a good base, everything else will fall into place.” She uses both the Maybelline Fit Me foundation and concealer, with a swipe of her favorite Maybelline Lash Sensational Washable Mascara in Blackest Black.

Go to Debbie Thomas for a facial

Dunn goes to leading London-based facialist Debbie Thomas for extractions. “But I also enjoy a clay mask or hydration mask at home,” she added. “I really like to take my time with skincare because then, once you put the makeup on, you have less makeup on and you just look more like yourself. I feel like it's important to have a good clear canvas to put the makeup on.”

Always keep your brows groomed

“I always get my brows threaded,” Dunn said. She likes the Maybelline Brow Drama Pro Palette, but her favorite way to touch up her brows is by using the Nudes Eye Shadow Palette. “I'm all about multitasking with different products and using it in place of what you'd normally use,” she explained. “You can also use the nudes for darker tones of shading.”

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Models Jourdan Dunn, Isabeli Fontana and More Share Their Thoughts on Motherhood

The Beauty-Industry Problem No One Talks About

What’s With All The Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show Drama Today?

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YB Loves: The No-Frills Clarisonic

Here’s my beauty editor confession: I had never touched a Clarisonic until about a month ago. It’s the face cleansing device that beauty editors all swear by — but alas, let’s be frank: spending over $100 on a face cleansing device was not a priority as a broke college student. The first time I experienced a Clarisonic was a few weeks ago, on a trip to Seattle, Washington, where my aesthetician at Gene Juarez Salon & Spa used it as part of a facial. As someone with clinically diagnosed sensitive skin, I’m wary of anything — or anyone — that touches my skin, so I fully admit that I was highly skeptical of the Clarisonic upon first glance. It’s the same principle as using a sonic toothbrush, as demonstrated by my oral surgeon mother: If you don’t know how to properly brush your teeth with a manual brush, you have no business getting an expensive sonic toothbrush. At the end of the day, it’s your technique and commitment that matter.

So, really, I’ve become a connoisseur of face washing in every single way except with the Clarisonic. I know all about oil cleansing, foam washes, two-step cleansing, konjac sponges, and micellar water from France — but a Clarisonic? It looks like a giant toothbrush. So, the good folks at Clarisonic gave me my first sonic facial cleansing device and it’s an itty-bitty pink brush shaped like a cute droid from Star Wars. It’s called the Mia Fit ($189) and it comes with two settings: Delicate and Power Cleanse (for the heavy makeup days). It comes with a Radiance Brush Head, which is a deep-cleansing brush that is much softer than the other bristles on the market, and the Clarisonic Skin Illuminating Cleanser, which is a cleansing milk that, to be honest, I won’t be using to replace my current arsenal of cleansers. As someone with a history of cystic acne and hyperpigmentation, I started off using my Clarisonic every day and night on the Delicate setting. Clinical results have shown that skin that has been cleansed with a Clarisonic absorbs more product afterwards, so you get more bank for your buck with serums and masks.

Contrary to popular belief, the Clarisonic isn’t an exfoliating tool. The rotary brush model was invented decades ago and many brands are still making some sort of spinning brush cleansing device. The Clarisonic brush, however, consists of bristles that move individually using sonic technology, so that your skin is gently cleansed without rough exfoliation. Kari Dilloo, the head of public relations at Clarisonic, actually recommended that I try the Cashmere Cleanse Brush Head (it is, indeed, very soft and luxe) with my favorite oil cleanser (Shu Uemera, of course). It is simultaneously soft and effective, and while I know I’m scrubbing the grime of New York City off my face every day, I like to imagine I’m back at the Gene Juarez spa instead.

After two weeks of dedicated Clarisonic use with the cleansers of my choice, I can admit that I don’t have model-perfect skin, still. But my skin is breaking out less! And I mean it, because I am wearing less foundation and concealer, and sometimes I even go out to run errands without any makeup on, choosing to let my glowing skin — with a few blemishes — show. “You really do have beautiful skin,” the Gene Juarez aesthetician told me. “It pigments easily, but I hope you realize how lucky you are to have the skin you have.” I had never described my own skin as beautiful before. Beautiful was reserved for 16-year-old Instagram models in crop tops and for Helen Mirren. But perhaps that’s what I learned the most from a few weeks of Clarisonic usage — that being comfortable in your own skin starts before you start applying product on your face.

Related:

5 Unexpected Ways to Use Your Clarisonic Brush

11 Things You Didn't Know You Could Do With Your Clarisonic

The Most Common Face-Washing Mistakes Women Make

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Taylor Swift Got an Anna Wintour Bob

Taylor Swift at the 2016 Grammy Awards. (Photo: Getty Images)

Taylor Swift — who just won a Grammy for Best Music Video for “Bad Blood” — got an Anna Wintour bob for the 2016 Grammy Awards, and it appears that she also dyed her hair an ashy blonde to complement her two-piece gown. For a while, while she was building up her fashion cred, Swift rocked a shoulder-length choppy cut, but now she’s truly reached her peak of her fashionista status, while still wearing a signature red lip. Early on in her career, back in her country sweetheart days, Swift’s signature hairstyle was long, blonde ringlets, but now that she’s an international superstar with the figure of a fashion model, her beauty looks are far from accessible.

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Celebrity Hairstylist Orlando Pita Wants Models to Cut Their Own Hair

A wide variety of hair types and styles embraced at the Derek Lam Fall 2016 show. (Photo: Instagram)

Celebrity hairstylist Orlando Pita, who regularly works with A-list actresses like Gwyneth Paltrow and Kate Winslet, worked with Phyto to concoct a simple off-center part ponytail with loop for the the Derek Lam Fall 2016 show, but he doesn’t want to talk about that. “That's just for the long-haired girls that are boring and don't want to cut their hair and are listening to their agents and they're ruining their careers,” he told Yahoo Beauty backstage. “The girls who are new and are starting to look different are finally getting noticed. Enough of this boring long hair sameness!”

It’s a misconception that models need long hair to book lucrative hair campaigns. “I don't see these girls [with long hair] in hair campaigns because hair girls in hair campaigns are not girls that people know,” Pita explained, adding that paying Gisele to sell your hair product brand isn’t worth the price. You see the back of the hair. It's quick. They don't want to pay for a face.”

Turns out, Pita’s been asking the models making the fashion week circuit where they got their haircuts from — and most of them are doing it on their own. “And that's how I learned to do hair,” he added. “I cut my own hair because nobody knew how to cut this kind of [curly] hair. And look what I became from it!” A curly-haired boy with a history of bad haircuts slowly become the go-to stylist for Hollywood’s most demanding of celebrities. He even launched his own hair product line.

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NYFW Tip Alert: How to Create Sexy, Wet-Look Lashes

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Just What Hollywood Needs: More Boob Lifts

As an Academy Award nominee, you get a lot of consolation prizes for not winning the golden statue — at least $200,000 worth, in fact. Every year, Distinctive Assets gives out swag bags to all the Oscar nominees, regardless of the outcome of the night. This year, the gift bag includes a luxury vaping device, a vampire facial, a year of Audi car rentals, and toilet paper worth $275. Click through to see what else is in the gift bag, half of which will probably go to a personal assistant in desperate need of a nap.

Haze Dual V3 Vaporizer ($250)

According to the website, this is the first and only dual chamber vaporizer in the market.

Vampire Breast Life ($1,900)

This procedure claims to enlarge your breasts using the power of your own blood. (Photo: Stocksy)

Ultherapy ($5,530)

The plastic surgeons at 740 Park Avenue in New York City are offering an ultrasound treatment intended to lift your sagging skin. (Photo: Getty Images)

The Steamist Total Sense Home Spa Collection ($5,060)

We’re into this: One of the mandatory perks of being a celebrity should be that you have a spa in your own house. (Photo: Instagram)

Slimware ($30)

For the weight-conscious celebrity who doesn’t have a private chef, these portion-control plates will do. (Photo: Slimware)

Nuelle Fiera Arouser for Her ($250)

Even A-list celebrities need to spice things up in the bedroom. (Photo: Fiera)

Joseph’s Toiletries Toilet Paper ($275)

These rolls of toilet paper are Swiss-made with the help of dermatologists. Plebeians like ourselves will stick with Charmin. (Photo: Joseph’s Toiletries)

Three Training Sessions with Jay Cardiello ($1400)

Jay Cardiello is also a health analyst on “My Diet is Better Than Yours,” which is perfect for celebrities who want to talk about their diets to someone who is actually interested. (Photo: Instagram)

Three Nights in the Grand Hotel Tremezzo ($5,000)

Enjoy the view over the Italian lake and the escape from Hollywood. (Photo: Instagram)

Three Nights in Grand Hotel Excelsior Vittoria ($5,000)

Another three days in Italy. (Photo: Instagram)

Three Days at Golden Door Resort & Spa ($4,800)

Not too far from Los Angeles, nominees can detox before they retox. (Photo: Instagram)

Fit Club TV Ultimate Fitness Package ($6,250)

The package includes fitness apparel, a private villa, and and “health and performance supplements.” The rest of us will just go for a run. (Photo: Instagram)

A Year of Audi A4 Rentals from Silvercar ($45,000)

Why buy a car when you can rent and Uber? (Photo: Instagram)

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There’s No Hair at Kanye West’s Yeezy Season 3

The hair wraps at Kanye West’s Yeezy Season 3, courtesy of Guido Palau for Redken. (Photo: Courtesy of Redken)

There’s no hair to distract you from the clothes at Kanye West’s Yeezy Season 3 fashion show, doubling as his album launch for The Life of Pablo. The music artist and fashion designer, who snagged the legendary Guido Palau of Redken to do the hair for the show, asked to cover the hair of 50 models with dark wraps. The other 1,200 models (this is not a typo) in the all African-American casting were handled by another hair team for a more natural look. The show was staged in Madison Square Garden, which holds 18,000 seats (that you could buy), and West live-streamed it on Tidal for those who were not able to snag a ticket to the theatrical production, choreographed by West’s friend and performance artist Vanessa Beecroft.

“I'm very excited to work with Kanye because he's such an inspiring artist,” Palau tells Yahoo Beauty. “I think the fashion is as much a part of him as the music is.” West wanted a uniform look for the show, so the hair and makeup (by Diane Kendal) was simple and minimal. Palau noted that the hair wrap look is not something you’d want to try at home — unless you’re curious about covering your head with pantyhose — and is only meant to help give the clothing a linear feel. “I don’t think we should be selling this as a hair look,” he said. But if you’re still keen, Palau recommends the following steps:

Start with dry hair and apply 4-5 pumps of Redken Glow Dry Style Enhancing Blow-Dry Oil throughout to smooth hair, add shine and eliminate frizz. 

Divide hair into sections. Using a blow dryer, directionally blow dry hair toward the back of the head to create a flattened texture. Once dry, straighten the hair using a 1-inch flat iron to further smoothen.

Apply another 4-5 pumps of Redken Glow Dry Style Enhancing Blow-Dry Oil to palms of the hand. Work the oil into the hair as you wrap hair around the head. Secure with pins, ensuring hair lays flat against the head.

Beginning at the hairline, apply a hair wrap to the head, fully covering the ears. Apply a second hair wrap overtop the first to tighten the look and eliminate texture and volume.

“He has a vision, for sure, and he has a vision about the staging and the way the models should be and what the models are,” Palau added. “He’s Kanye West.”

Related:

From Givenchy to Yeezy: Why is Fashion Collaborating with Performance Artists?

How the Kardashians Became Fashion Week A-Listers

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100 Years of Beauty: Egypt

Cut.com has been consistently excellent at exploring the intersection of beauty and politics with its “100 Years of Beauty” series, and for the 17th episode, the team looked at Egypt in the past century. Research consultant Jacinthe Assaad, PhD, notes that the diverse looks reflect various political struggles in the country’s history, including the Arab Spring in 2011. Watch the video for a crash course.

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Beauty Politics: 100 Years of Persian Beauty in Just Over a Minute

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100 Years of Beauty in Japan [Video]

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2016 Grammy Nominees: From Yearbook Photos to Red Carpet

This Monday, the music industry’s best and brightest will come out for the Grammy Awards — and true to being the stage performers that they all are, the red carpet will be a pre-show to watch for. But before they became critically-acclaimed platinum chart toppers, this year’s nominees, like Carrie Underwood, Bruno Mars, Nicki Minaj and Wiz Khalifa, had surprisingly normal school portraits. Check out their beauty looks, then and now.

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Annie Lennox Rocks the Grammys at 60

Celebs Paid Homage to David Bowie at the Saint Laurent Show in Los Angeles

Blake Shelton, Senior Year Portrait, 1994

Even in his senior year high school portrait, country singer Blake Shelton is rocking the cowboy hat. (Photo: Seth Poppel/Yearbook Library)

Blake Shelton, Cosmopolitan Fun Fearless Men and Women Event, 2012

Blake Shelton’s impressive facial hair is second only to his smile. (Photo: Getty Images)

Bruno Mars, Senior Year Portrait, 2003

Bruno Mars’ swag is evident early on his senior year portrait — the afro and thousand-watt smile are already memorable. (Photo: Seth Poppel/Yearbook Library)

Bruno Mars, Grammy Awards, 2012

With his pompadour, gleaming smile, and sunglasses, Bruno Mars is always iconic on the red carpet and stage — even before he starts dancing and singing. (Photo: Getty Images)

Carrie Underwood, Senior Year Portrait, 2001

Country’s sweetheart, Carrie Underwood, lives up to her nickname with blonde ringlets, glossy pink lips, and a matching pink top in her Oklahoma high school senior portrait. (Photo: Seth Poppel/Yearbook Library)

Carrie Underwood, New York Fashion Week, 2014

Why mess with perfection? Carrie Underwood still rocks voluminous waves and pink-toned makeup. (Photo: Getty Images)

Common, Freshman Year Portrait, 1986

This was when hip hop artist Common — then known as Lonnie Lynn — had some hair on his head. (Photo: Seth Poppel/Yearbook Library)

Common, Academy Awards, 2015

Common’s facial hair makes up for the simplicity of his bald head. (Photo: Getty Images)

Dave Grohl, Junior Year Portrait, 1986

In his junior year photo, Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters smiles confidently in his mullet cut. (Photo: Seth Poppel/Yearbook Library)

Dave Grohl, ‘Sound City’ Premiere, 2013

After drumming for Nirvana and becoming the frontman for the Foo Fighters, Dave Grohl grew his hair even longer — with a formidable goatee. (Photo: Getty Images)

John Legend, Senior Year Portrait, 1995

Before he was winning multiple Grammy Awards, John Legend was acing high school, graduating as salutatorian and attending the Ivy League University of Pennsylvania. The sharp tie is a clue. (Photo: Seth Poppel/Yearbook Library)

John Legend, Vanity Fair Oscar Party, 2014

John Legend looks even sharper in a tuxedo. (Photo: Getty Images)

Justin Bieber, Eighth Grade Portrait, 2008

Baby Bieber’s emo-skater hair is very familiar to those of us who grew up in the aughts, too. (Photo: Seth Poppel/Yearbook Library)

Justin Bieber, Young Hollywood Awards, 2014

Now we see a faint ‘stache and a suave hairdo. (Photo: Getty Images)

Kacey Musgraves, Senior Year Portrait, 2006

The country singer from Mineola, Texas, smiles sweetly with a choppy bob. (Photo: Seth Poppel/Yearbook Library)

Kacey Musgraves, ACM Honors, 2014

Kacey Musgraves grew out her hair for a more polished look. (Photo: Getty Images)

Kanye West, Sophomore Year Portrait, 1993

At age 16, he’s all smiles — and his haircut never changed. (Photo: Seth Poppel/Yearbook Library)

Kanye West, Cipriani New York Gala, 2012

These days, it’s harder to catch Kanye West smiling—but you can always count on him to dress sharp. (Photo: Getty Images)

Kelly Clarkson, Junior Year Portrait, 1999

Before she won American Idol, Kelly Clarkson had braces — and a Rachel cut. (Photo: Seth Poppel/Yearbook Library)

Kelly Clarkson, SiriusXM Studios, 2013

Clarkson got bolder with her beauty look, from a blonde dye job to bright red lipstick. (Photo: Getty Images)

Meghan Trainor, Senior Year Portrait, 2012

Pop musician Meghan Trainor always had long blonde hair, even in high school. (Photo: Seth Poppel/Yearbook Library)

Meghan Trainor, American Music Awards, 2014

While her long blonde hair hasn’t changed style, Trainor now walks the red carpets with slightly more dramatic eye makeup. (Photo: Getty Images)

Nicki Minaj, Senior Year Portrait, 2000

Back when she was known as Onika Maraj at LaGuardia High School of Performing Arts, Nicki Minaj was already rocking the elaborate updos. (Photo: Seth Poppel/Yearbook Library)

Nicki Minaj, MTV Movie Awards, 2015

Nicki Minaj looks fiercer than ever with her cat eye makeup. (Photo: Getty Images)

Pharrell Williams, Junior Year Portrait, 1991

Before he became an award winning musician and producer, Pharrell Williams’ hair did all the talking. (Photo: Seth Poppel/Yearbook Library)

Pharrell Williams, Elle Style Awards, 2014

Pharrell Williams still looks fly, with less hair though. (Photo: Getty Images)

Taylor Swift, Freshman Year Portrait, 2005

Taylor Swift’s look is high-fashion sleek these days, but back in high school, she had natural ringlets and a goofy smile. (Photo: Seth Poppel/Yearbook Library)

Taylor Swift, Academy of Country Music Awards, 2014

Taylor Swift transformed from a country sweetheart to BFF of Victoria’s Secret Angels with grown-up look. (Photo: Getty Images)

Wiz Khalifa, Sophomore Year Portrait, 2004

At age 16, rapper Wiz Khalifa, then known as Cameron Thomaz, had yet to get all his signature body tattoos. (Photo: Seth Poppel/Yearbook Library)

Wiz Khalifa, Golden Globe Awards, 2016

Wiz Khalifa has become one of the most dapper men on the red carpet, in no small part due to his face and neck tattoos. (Photo: Getty Images)

[noel-duan]

Naomi Campbell and Bella Hadid Talk Model Culture in March 2016 Allure

Naomi Campbell and Bella Hadid on the covers of March 2016 Allure. (Photo: Patrick Demarchelier/Allure)

For the March 2016 issue of Allure from new editor in chief Michelle Lee (by way of Nylon), Naomi Campbell and Bella Hadid appear on dual covers to celebrate the new wave of model culture, from ‘90s supermodels like 45-year-old Campbell making a comeback to up-and-coming models like 19-year-old Bella Hadid with millions of social media followers. The two models were photographed by legendary fashion photographer Patrick Demarchelier in his signature relaxed, intimate style — Hadid smirking with tousled hair and Campbell gazing straight at the camera.

“From what I understand, the era of supermodels is now in again. But this is a different time. It’s a different work ethic,” Campbell told Allure in the magazine, on newsstands February 26. Hadid spoke about the differences between her sister, Gigi, and herself: “I just have a darker personality. And my sister [Gigi] being blonde and me being brunette, it’s a good separation. I put a blonde wig on and think it would be fun to go back, but I’m happy with my hair. Blondes are so angelic. My sister can get away with anything.”

Notably, both Hadid and Campbell have starred in Balmain campaigns recently (Campbell most recently with Cindy Crawford and Claudia Schiffer), despite their 26 year age difference. "I'm grateful for my timing and the way it worked," Campbell told Allure. "I wouldn't want to change it for the world."

Related:

Bella Hadid: I Can’t Keep Comparing Myself to Gigi

Gigi and Bella Hadid Take Over the Tommy Hilfiger Runway in Their Bikinis [Video]

The Sexy Balmain Beauty Look on Kendall, Kylie and Gigi

[noel-duan]

Celebs Paid Homage to David Bowie at the Saint Laurent Show in Los Angeles

Last night in Los Angeles at the Palladium Theater, Hedi Slimane presented Fall 2016 men’s and Pre-Fall 2016 women’s collections for Saint Laurent, inspired by musical acts like the late David Bowie and Janis Joplin. The choice of Los Angeles over New York City meant that Hollywood’s best and brightest came out for the show, from Dakota and Elle Fanning — who were rocking bold glitter eye makeup in the front row — to beauty mogul Jessica Alba to Justin Bieber with platinum blonde hair. On the runway in the famed musical venue, the rock ‘n’ roll element was evident in the long hair for both men and women, and glitter makeup reminiscent of another era.

Related:

The Many Looks of David Bowie, Master of Reinventions

Celebrities Who Look Better With Dyed Hair

50 Years of David Bowie’s Hairstyles in 5 Seconds

Dakota and Elle Fanning at the Saint Laurent Show in Los Angeles, 2016

The Fanning sisters, Dakota and Elle, sat front row (of course) with heavy glitter eye makeup, especially on the bottom of the eyes for Elle. (Photo: Getty Images)

Jessica Alba at the Saint Laurent Show in Los Angeles, 2016

Actress and Honest Company mogul Jessica Alba arrived to the show with enviably dewy skin, bronde highlights and crimson red lipstick. (Photo: Getty Images)

Lady Gaga at the Saint Laurent Show in Los Angeles, 2016

The pop star, who recently made headlines for crooning the National Anthem at the Super Bowl, arrived with giant ringlet curls and no-makeup makeup — even her lips were beige. (Photo: Getty Images)

Justin Bieber at the Saint Laurent Show in Los Angeles, 2016

Singer Justin Bieber is notorious for going viral for his changing hairstyles, and we imagine some teens are swooning at his platinum blonde pompadour. (Photo: Getty Images)

Courtney Love at the Saint Laurent Show in Los Angeles, 2016

Of course the queen of grunge rock came to the Saint Laurent show, and she did not disappoint with her signature red lipstick. (Photo: Getty Images)

Miranda Kerr at the Saint Laurent Show in Los Angeles, 2016

The supermodel and Kora Organics beauty entrepreneur is a testament to good genes and healthy living, from her dewy skin to her glistening hair pulled back into an elegant chignon. (Photo: Getty Images)

Lily Collins at the Saint Laurent Show in Los Angeles, 2016

The actress, known for her bold brows, rocked a wob, smoky eyeshadow, and pale lips with her Saint Laurent moto jacket. (Photo: Getty Images)

Emma Roberts at the Saint Laurent Show in Los Angeles, 2016

Actress Emma Roberts switched up her usual eye makeup with red eyeshadow lining top and bottom. (Photo: Getty Images)

Rosie Huntington-Whitely at the Saint Laurent Show in Los Angeles, 2016

Model Rosie Huntington-Whitely did her usual makeup to show off her cheekbones. (Photo: Getty Images)

Zoe Kravitz and Lisa Bonet at the Saint Laurent Show in Los Angeles, 2016

Zoe Kravitz and Lisa Bonet both kept their makeup natural for the event, while exuding rock ‘n’ roll attitude. (Photo: Getty Images)

Scout Willis and Demi Moore at the Saint Laurent Show in Los Angeles, 2016

Red carpet appearances are a family affair for these two: Scout Willis and her mother, Demi Moore, rocked loose waves for the show. (Photo: Getty Images)

[noel-duan]

11 Beauty Tips I Learned in South Korea

What I learned on the ultimate beauty pilgrimage. (Photo: Getty Images)

At the end of 2015, I took a trip to South Korea to visit friends and to finally satiate my curiosity about Korean beauty culture. (It’s a beauty editor pilgrimage.) I got a cosmetic surgery consultation, attended a performance by my favorite K-Pop star, and spoke to many Korean women about beauty, both behind the makeup counter and on the streets. While I have been using sheet masks and BB creams for years and consider myself fairly proficient in the language of Korean beauty, I actually didn’t know the difference between an essence and a serum before landing in Seoul.

"I didn't know anything about Korean beauty until I moved to South Korea," Soko Glam co-founder Charlotte Cho told me before my trip. "Learning about Korean beauty culture completely changed the way I took care of my skin and most importantly, I saw results." Since returning home from Seoul, I’ve been testing the beauty tips and techniques I learned — and slowly plowing through my new products — in attempts to replicate the dewy-skinned, glossy-haired, ombré-colored beauty looks of my Korean sisters. Here is what I’ve learned in Seoul about beauty:

Do the dew

Here in America, we’re taught to prefer matte skin over dewy skin — just look at the number of pressed powders, finishing powders, and mattifying sprays on the market. Ever since I hit puberty, I’ve been using oil blotting papers to keep my shine at bay. But in South Korea, it’s okay to shine from moisture — as a matter of fact, it’s preferable to matte skin. “Your skin is so dry,” a sales associate at Aritaum, a Korean beauty emporium told me, catching me off-guard because in the past, dermatologists in both Europe and America have told me that my skin is well hydrated. But it turns out that in Korea, if you’re not glistening like a morning glory, your skin is not hydrated enough. “In the ‘90s, the matte was actually popular in Korea,” Peach & Lily founder Alicia Yoon explained to me. “But Kowonhye, a very famous makeup artist here, said, ‘We don’t need to be so matte.’” Dewy skin became the ideal, especially with the advent of HDTV, not forgiving to cracked skin.

Bright lipstick and translucent skin go together

As a darker-skinned Asian, I’m partial to berry colors for my lipstick. But in South Korea, I could only find peach- and apricot-toned lipsticks, blushes, and even eye makeup. Yes, everyone — not just teenage girls — was wearing pink or red eye shadow and some sort of pink lipstick with their dewy, translucent, pale skin. I ended up buying some red jelly pots, a gel-like eye shadow, at Moonshot Cosmetics, thanks to a persuasive sales associate who also rocked ombré pink lips. Glow Recipe co-founder Christine Chang wears fuchsia lips with minimal makeup, and it works.

Cushion compacts cover more than you think

I was faintly aware of cushion compacts here in America, primarily from trying Dr. Jart’s BB Bounce Beauty Balm and 100% Pure’s Maracuja Air Cushion Foundation, but these space-age beauty products are a source of national pride in South Korea. I visited the annual Lantern Festival and there were lanterns, shaped like Amorepacific cushion compacts, floating over the Cheonggyecheon creek, while lovers held hands and took selfies together. “It’s a very layerable product,” Yoon explained. “Unlike most foundation products, you can keep layering it without caking.” This is especially useful knowing that you have to re-apply SPF throughout the day (and you do, right?). Iope, a brand owned by Amorepacific, is known for inventing the cushion compact — it’s not a surprise that one is sold every six seconds. For those of us who can’t go to Aritaum in Seoul, Soko Glam sells the Iope Air Cushion Sunblock XP ($38).

Don’t forget about the glistening hair, too

“I’m trying to figure out how everyone here has shiny hair,” my Korean American friend told me in Seoul. You’d think that South Koreans’ penchant for digital perms and highlights would result in dryer, duller hair — but everyone I saw on the streets could have given Kate Middleton, aka Princess Shinylocks, a run for her money. I also attended an Unpretty Rapstar concert, consisting of Korea’s best female K-Pop rappers — and some of the shiniest hair I’ve ever seen from a stage. “There’s a mask for everything,” Elina Hsueh, founder of Beauteque, told me. And while the South Korean haircare industry is not as all encompassing as the skincare industry, you can still learn a thing or two about shiny hair from them. Hsueh recommends using hair masks on a regular basis — just as often as you’d incorporate sheet masks into your beauty routine. Korean nail artist Park Eun Kyung of Unistella Salon, which is doing the manicures at the Creatures of Comfort Fall 2016 show, is currently rocking unicorn hair. “[Model] Irene [Kim] and I use hair masks to keep our hair soft!” she told Yahoo Beauty. “The secret is hair serum!” Cho added. I immediately started using gratuitous amounts of Sachajuan Shine Serum ($33) and Dove Regenerative Nourishment Serum in Oil ($6) on a daily basis, in hopes of getting some of that K-Pop star shine.

Apply your skincare products by patting instead of rubbing

“You’re slapping yourself!” I gasped at my Korean friend every morning and evening, applying her serums and lotions and toners with audible pats on the face. But later, when we visited the Hera makeup counter at the Lotte Department Store, I, too, was patted down with a “hydration water.” The sales associate behind the counter told me that this was a better technique for absorption. “It’s the Korean way,” she told me proudly. When I later told Chang and her Glow Recipe co-founder Sarah Lee, they laughed. “Yes, I suppose it is a Korean method,” Lee said. They introduced me to Blithe Patting Splash Masks ($48), just in time for my newfound appreciation of slap applications. You add water to the concentrated formulas, splash it onto your cleansed face, and then pat it for extra absorption.

Eat an earthy, seasonal diet

For a week, I stayed with my friend at her grandmother’s house in Seoul, where every morning we ate a traditional Korean breakfast of dark purple multigrain rice, sautéed vegetables, tofu soup, and seasonal melon. “You’ll never find vegetables out of season here,” my friend told me. “Unless it’s kimchi.” Traditional Korean cuisine is heavy in sweet potatoes, multigrain rice, fermented vegetables called kimchi, seasonal vegetables, mung beans, and all kinds of meats, from locally-caught seafood to grilled pork belly. Even the novelty desserts have an earthy theme — I had soft serve ice cream in a cone made of sweet potatoes, for example. There are a lot of benefits to the everyday Korean foods you eat: Kimchi is heavy with probiotic bacteria, ginseng chicken soup contains both the medicinal root and ample amounts of healthy Perilla leaves, and mung beans can even be used to make chewy noodles.

The double-cleanse method isn’t just a gimmick

First, massage your dry face with an oil-based cleanser. (Senior editor Joanna Douglas changed my life with Shu Uemera Cleansing Oil.) Do as you usually do: wet your face to emulsify the oil, and then rinse it off. But that’s not the end of your face wash. You need to wash your face, again — this time with a gel or foam cleanser. In Seoul, I bought my first SU:M37 Miracle Rose Cleansing Stick ($28), a cult favorite with bits of rose petals pounded one-by-one into the portable container. All you have to do is swipe the light pink stick over your wet skin. It will instantly lather up for a gentle final wash. Why would you bother washing your face twice? “Because oil and water don’t mix — so you need an oil-based cleanser to get rid of sebum and other oil-based debris, and you need a water-based cleanser to get rid of sweat and dirt. Do this every morning and evening and your skin will see the difference. Use fun products like the Cleansing Stick to make it more exciting if you’re an impatient person.

Essence is not toner

Up until my trip to Seoul, I thought essence was the same thing as toner, especially since both are watery solutions that you apply after cleansing your face. Not so. “Essence comes after cleansing and toning,” Yoon explained to me. “Unlike a toner, it helps with balancing your pH level.” Essence hydrates your skin by filling it up like a sponge, especially if you’ve been using a salicylic acid toner on your skin beforehand. My two favorite essences are the Shiseido Eudermine Revitalizing Essence ($56), which was launched in 1897, and the SK-II Facial Treatment Essence ($165), one of the brand’s bestselling products of all time.

Nail stickers are for all ages

Here in America, nail stickers and nail wraps are sometimes seen as juvenile alternatives to fancy manicures that Real Adults get in salons, but the nail stickers from South Korea come in a variety of designs, from playful cartoon prints to on-trend patterns. Park and her salon Unistella are famous in South Korea for the shattered glass design, made with iridescent film carefully applied by hand, but she is teaming up with New York City’s Glow Recipe to make nail stickers with the same glass designs. You still need to use a bottom and topcoat, but now you don’t have to worry about painting the designs — especially if you have an unsteady hand like me. And even before I visited Seoul, I was into Jamberry Nail Wraps, which actually have a variety of on-trend designs if you look past the sorority letters prints.

Save your winter-worn skin with ceramide

“Ceramide is the next hyaluronic acid,” my Korean friend told me. Ever since I returned from Seoul, I’ve been using Elizabeth Arden Daily Youth Restoring Serum Ceramide Capsules ($76), which are these tiny Capsules that you open by twisting off the tip. The serum is thick and hydrating without feeling greasy at all. Ceramide is a type of lipid that protects the moisture on your skin — like trendy ingredient hyaluronic acid, it’s naturally present in your skin. Seoul-based brand Dr. Jart+ is highly regarded in South Korea, so I’ve also been using Dr. Jart+ Ceramidin Lipair ($15), which is contains ceramide for lip repair.

Make sleeping packs the last skincare step of your time

I had never heard of sleeping packs before. While you can buy them in the United States, you can only find them from Korean brands. Sleeping packs are a gel-like substance that you apply as the very last step before bed, after all your serums and creams. Think of it as a sealant for keeping all the good stuff on your skin all night, while also acting as a moisturizer if you decide to wear it alone. Two of my favorite sleeping packs are Dr. Jart+ Water Fuse Water-Max Sleeping Mask ($48) and the Too Cool for School Fresh Gore Sleeping Pack, made with dragon’s blood — the latter of which you, unfortunately, cannot purchase in the United States yet. (But you can buy select products from the brand at Sephora.)

Related:

South Korea’s Best Beauty Spots

I Almost Got a Nose Job in South Korea

100 Years of Korean Beauty, North and South

[noel-duan]

The Smithsonian Owns a Collection of Presidential Hair Locks

Locks of hair from the first 14 presidents of the United States. (Photo: Smithsonian Institute/National Museum of American History)

This election year, there’s been a lot of analysis about the hair of the presidential candidates, from Donald Trump’s orange hair (“I don't wear a toupee,” he said) to Bernie Sander’s strategically-brushed balding strands, but apparently the fascination with presidential hair stretches back to our Founding Fathers — and you can find proof at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History in Washington, DC. The museum owns a piece of display containing locks of hair from the first 14 Presidents of the United States, entitled "Hair of the Presidents, Washington, D.C., 1855,” the brainchild of John Varden, an early curator of the Smithsonian. Each lock of hair is mounted on a black background, locked in place with gold rectangles. The display was so popular that it was even written about in Harper’s Bazaar in a story titled “Washington Gossip.”

As noted by the institution, keeping locks of hair as keepsakes  — as creepy as it sounds nowadays — was a common practice in the 1800s. “Cut hair does not decay or lose its color, so it was commonly exchanged in art and jewelry as a steadfast memory of a lost loved one” Smithsonian writer Cassandra Good notes. Varden, apparently, wasn’t even the first person recorded in history to keep locks of presidential hair. In the 1940s, a lawyer named Peter Arvell Browne kept strands of hair from notable men, like the presidents and signers of the Declaration of Independence.

“While some of the locks of hair are in attractive loops or thick bundles, it appears Varden had trouble getting decent samples for many of the presidents,” Good writes. Apparently some of the presidents weren’t keen to part with their hair — possibly because some of them were not endowed with much of it in the first place. That’s at least one thing our Founding Fathers have in common with the candidates today. After all, Americans haven’t voted a bald president into office since the advent of television.

Related:

Americans Haven’t Voted A Bald President into Office Since the Advent of TV

Hillary Clinton On Beauty Double Standards For Working Women

#LetGirlsLearn: New White House and Peace Corps Initiative

[noel-duan]

Blue Steel Face-Off at the ‘Zoolander 2’ World Premiere

Last night at Lincoln Center in New York City, the fashion set came out to celebrate Zoolander 2. At the premiere, models like Gigi Hadid, Taylor Hill, Irina Shayk, and Imaan Hammam turned the violet carpet into a runway, but the cast of Zoolander 2 earned the most applause with their Blue Steel poses when they strutted down the catwalk. Not a bad precursor to the fashion circus invading New York Fashion Week tomorrow.

Related:

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Ben Stiller, Will Ferrel, Penélope Cruz, and Owen Wilson at the ‘Zoolander 2’ premiere.

Ben Stiller, Will Ferrell, Penélope Cruz, and Owen Wilson came out in character, giving us their best blue steels right before New York Fashion Week. (Photo: Getty Images)

Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson at the ‘Zoolander 2’ premiere.

The two handsomest male models in the world smoldered for the cameras. (Photo: Getty Images)

Penélope Cruz at the ‘Zoolander 2’ premiere.

Penélope Cruz, who plays special agent Valentina Valencia in the film, didn’t need a wind machine. (Photo: Getty Images)

Gigi Hadid at the ‘Zoolander 2’ premiere.

Model Gigi Hadid, currently on the cover of Vogue Paris, strutted the violet carpet-turned-runway. Derek Zoolander, u jelly? (Photo: Getty Images)

Anna Wintour at the ‘Zoolander 2’ premiere.

Don’t blink — even Vogue editor in chief Anna Wintour, with her pristine bob and signature sunglasses, is smiling at the premiere. (Photo: Getty Images)

Irina Shayk at the ‘Zoolander 2’ premiere.

Russian Sports Illustrated model Irina Shayk made a dramatic entrance on the runway. (Photo: Getty Images)

Justin Theroux at the ‘Zoolander 2’ premiere.

Screenwriter and actor Justin Theroux, aka Jennifer Aniston’s boo, came out as his character, Evil DJ, in the film, which he co-wrote. The bulging veins on the face are a nice touch. (Photo: Getty Images)

Will Ferrell at the ‘Zoolander 2’ premiere.

Will Ferrell stepped out as his character, Jacobim Mugatu, with sunglasses to block out the bright flashing cameras. Perhaps he got some fashion tips from Anna Wintour? (Photo: Getty Images)

Adriana Lima at the ‘Zoolander 2’ premiere.

Brazilian bombshell Adriana Lima is the longest-running Victoria’s Secret Angel, and with her scarlet red lip, she surely knows a thing or two about being really, really ridiculously good-looking. (Photo: Getty Images)

Kristen Wiig at the ‘Zoolander 2’ premiere.

Kristen Wiig plays heavily Botoxed cosmetics guru Alexanya Atoz in the film, but at the premiere, she let her natural glow and, yes, wrinkles, show. (Photo: Getty Images)

Martha Hunt at the ‘Zoolander 2’ premiere.

Victoria’s Secret Angel Martha Hunt smoldered for the cameras with blonde highlights, smokey eyes, and enviably sharp cheekbones. (Photo: Getty Images)

Naomi Campbell at the ‘Zoolander 2’ premiere.

Supermodel Naomi Campbell graciously attended the premiere with her signature straight fringe, showing us what a real supermodel looks like. (Photo: Getty Images)

Jennifer Aniston at the ‘Zoolander 2’ premiere.

Jennifer Aniston’s husband, Justin Theroux, co-wrote the film and makes an appearance in it, too, but all eyes were on the A-list actress, who opted for a casual ponytail. (Photo: Getty Images)

Raven-Symoné at the ‘Zoolander 2’ premiere.

Actress Raven-Symoné had one of the boldest beauty looks of the night, from her black lipstick to her earcrawlers to her high updo. (Photo: Getty Images)

Kris Jenner at the ‘Zoolander 2’ premiere

Kim Kardashian makes an appearance in the film, so you can bet that Mama Kris Jenner was out at the premiere with her signature chopped pixie cut. (Photo: Getty Images)

[noel-duan]

Coming Soon: The Minnie Mouse (and Sephora) Makeover

Minnie Mouse x Sephora coming April 2016. (Photo: Instagram)

Sephora is coming out with a seven-piece Minnie Mouse makeup collection in April — and no, it’s not play makeup for kids, unless you know an eight-year-old with a penchant for quality cosmetics. The collection includes a red lipstick, lip stain kit, compact mirror, eyeshadow palette of 20 colors, six brushes, an illuminating blush (for your strobing needs), and a set of two liquid eyeliners, with prices ranging $15 from to $58. The gold compact mirror opens up to look like Minnie’s ears, and the cherry red lipstick is stamped with a Minnie Mouse logo and signature. The packaging consists of polka dots — just like her hair bow.

This isn’t the first time that Sephora has collaborated with Disney. Most recently in September 2015, the Reigning Beauties collaboration was launched as a collection of limited edition compact mirrors inspired by Disney royalty like Queen Elsa and Snow White. In 2014, Sephora launched makeup collections inspired by Cinderella, Ariel of The Little Mermaid, and Jasmine from Aladdin. The Disney Princess franchise earns billion of dollars in sales every year — but it’s about time that the OG Disney heroine gave us a makeover, too.

Related:

Amy Schumer and Tim Gunn Make Fun of Disney Princess Ideal [Video]

Disney Princesses Without Makeup

Cinderella’s Lily James Finds Her Glass Slipper [Video]