Contributed by: Monica Leitner

As part of the 2010 Miss America festivities, my friends at Artistry arranged for me to catch up with pageant judge Shawn Johnson, the cute-as-pie 18-year-old gymnast who took home an individual gold medal for her performance on the balance beam and a silver medal in the all-around competition at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.

Unlike the Miss America contestants, gymnasts aren’t given an opportunity to touch up at big competitions, so it’s important their makeup can withstand a grueling competition. Shawn explained that’s why their makeup looks “so awful” by the end of the day! (I politely disagreed – I think their makeup always looks spectacular, even at the bitter end!)

She tries not to go too overboard at competitions, sticking to mascara, blush and eyeliner, making sure the shades complement her leotard. She explained that her skin gets dry from long workouts and travel, so she sticks to a basic skincare regimen. She said her skincare routine is modeled after the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!” philosophy.

So what are her must-haves? She swears by Make Up For Ever HD Invisible Cover Foundation and Cover Girl LashBlast Luxe Mascara. She LOVES her MAC Lipglass and has “like, six tubes of it!” When I asked what shade she prefers, she described it as an orangey-pink but couldn’t remember the name. Quickly scanning my brain, I took a stab: “Is it by any chance Enchantress?” I asked. (Enchantress is a subtle, gold-spiked coral that pairs perfectly with NARS Sexual Healing Lipstick.) “That’s it!” she exclaimed. Throughout the interview, she was as sweet and enthusiastic as could be.

So there you have it!

Thanks you again to Artistry for inviting me to cover the Miss America pageant from Las Vegas!

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Drew Barrymore had one of my favorite looks from Sunday night’s Emmy Awards in Los Angeles.

The look, created by celerity makeup artist Debra Ferullo, was classic, feminine and beautiful, with a bold lip, pinky cheeks and long lashes— a modern Grace Kelly.

Here’s how Ferullo created this look:

I started by prepping the skin with a moist sponge and La Mer Moisturizer. It’s always best to moisturize damp skin, so it can soak up the moisture. Then, I added La Mer Concentrate to act as a primer and set the skin for the makeup application.

· On Drew’s skin I used just a touch of foundation to make sure her skin shined through. If you don’t need a lot of coverage, I suggest selecting a foundation that is a perfect match for your skin and use sparingly. For the cheek, I started with a pinky cream blush over the cheekbone and then set it with a peach powder blush to add some shimmer.

· For this look, we focused in on Drew’s perfectly proportioned lips and played up her shape with a velvety, matte pink lip color that really popped. When prepping the skin, be sure to apply a balm to the lips so that they are moist and soft in time for the lipcolor application.

· For the eyes, we wanted to offset her bold lip with soft shimmer and ultra long lashes. I dusted her eyes with Chanel Silky Eyeshadow in gold and then played with warm colors like brown and maroon in the crease area. I didn’t want any lines, just depth, so I went over her eyes with a cream at the end to soften the look. Then, I used COVERGIRL ExactEylights Eye Brightening Liner in Vivid Ruby around the lash line to subtly enhance her shape. To play up her feminine look and classic set eyes, I used three coats of COVERGIRL LashBlast Length Mascara to give her a beautiful fan of extra long lashes from corner to corner. To keep the look natural, I used one coat of mascara on her bottom lashes.

· To create this look at home, start of slow and build from there. Keep the skin fresh. If you tend to need heavier coverage, use a foundation with more pigment to cover any spots but make sure it’s not too oily because it will crease along the skin. Define the cheek and blend, blend, blend to create a soft, classic look.

· Drew brought Outlast Lipstain in Berry Smooch with her to keep her bold lip vibrant throughout the night.

photos: wire image

Kyra Sedgwick looked both fresh and glowing on the red carpet at last night’s 61st Primetime Emmy Awards in Los Angeles.

Her makeup look was created by P&G Beauty makeup artist Jake Bailey who explained how he created Kyra’s look:

For the eyes I kept the focus on lashes. It was a daytime red carpet and I wanted Kyra to be fresh and glamorous. Smoky eyes and heavy shadows can be gorgeous, but super black, super long lashes are a great way to look and feel glamorous during the day without looking overdone. I used lots of COVERGIRL LashBlast Length mascara on the top and bottom lashes. The ultra long skinny brush makes a precise application with lots of length super easy. Make sure you start at the very, very base of the lash line, wiggle the brush and pull outwards to the tips. Glide over lash tips over and over to build maximum length

· On Kyra’s skin I used a sheer veil of Chanel Teint Innocence liquid foundation to complement rather than disguise her natural complexion

· On her cheeks I used COVERGIRL & Olay Simply Ageless Sculpting Blush in Plush Peach. It contains Olay Regenerist Serum which adds an amazing moist glow to cheeks. The best way to apply cream blush is with a small round fluffy blush brush same as you would with a powder blush. Swirl onto the apple of the cheek and blend upwards and back along the cheekbone. For a super natural look and easy application, just apply with your fingertips.

· I wanted Kyra’s lip color to last all night so I opted for a lip stain rather than a lipstick. This is a great trick for a long night because you can do a bright lip without having to worry about it staying in place. I used COVERGIRL Outlast Lipstain in Bit of Blossom. I recommend tapping your fingertip on the felt tip applicator then tapping that pigment onto your lips for a slightly bitten “this is my real lipcolor” look. For extra shine throughout the evening, I gave her a sheer peachy gloss from Clarins.

photo: wire image