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| Christian and Emily! Credit: Sophie Elgort. |
Any gal worth her La Mer knows that photo is of makeup maestro extraordinaire Christian McCulloch and ELLE Beauty and Health Director Emily Dougherty. She, along with other editors from 32 magazines will be paired up with 32 top beauty brands to benefit Look Good Feel Better at Saks Fifth Avenue on Thursday, August 16. The event will take place from noon until 7PM at its flagship store in New York. A $30 donation will get you a 20-minute editor consultation, mini-makeover and free gift. Proceeds go to Look Good Feel Better. Beauty and charity simultaneously? What's better? Nothing except maybe getting my pressing grooming questions answered by both Emily and Christian respectively, below. I'm known to accost both with a storm of inquiries any time I'm in contact with either. Get excited and check out their hilarious responses below.
Q&A with Emily Dougherty
BBJ: What about the mission of Look Good, Feel Better resonates most for you?
ED: As you know, I wanted to be a nun when I was little. Being a beauty director isn’t very much like being a nun, but I still get to wear black as much as I want and I do get to help people. Because when we feel pretty, when we stop worrying about our looks, it frees us all up to do all the other awesome things that we can do. At ELLE, we want our readers to stop obsessing about their looks, to feel confident and put the mirror down and go out and change the world. Look Good…Feel Better has the same philosophy – let’s make sure you know how beautiful you are, that you always feel beautiful, so that you don’t have to spend any emotional energy on fighting the disease.
BBJ: How will you customize beauty plans for visitors?
ED: My good friend and makeup genius Christian McCulloch will also be there – and we have the most amazing iPad look book of major Dolce & Gabbana looks over the years. They’re all, no surprise, variations on gorgeous bombshell, but there’s a bombshell for everyone, from soft and glowy to full-on, over-the-top.
BBJ: What fall beauty trends are thrilling you most this year? Any particular makeup or nail items you can't wait to wear?
ED: I’ll take any excuse to wear bright blue mascara. Thank you, Pat McG, for the gorgeous lashes at Stella. I also loved her Dior Couture look. I can’t pull off a two-tone lip just yet, though I am ready to pair a bright red lip with a colorful mascara. And, of course, the glowy perfection of what Pat called the "pure and angelic" models at Dolce & Gabbana, so timeless and beautiful, with the soft gold shimmer on the lids and a mix of Dolce & Gabbana's Petal and Mandorla on the lips.
BBJ: Which fall beauty trend do you think is most wearable for the average woman?
ED: The ‘90s-inspired berry lip is so easy: we can go sheer if we’re feeling a little shy about color, or those of us who have gotten used wearing to a bright red lip can easily segue into a deep wine or plum.
BBJ: What's the easiest way to achieve a beauty pick-me-up?
ED: Have you tried Laughter Yoga? I haven’t, but I’ll watch laughter yoga videos on YouTube when I’m dragging. You can’t help but smile and laugh. And everyone looks more beautiful when they are happy.
BBJ: What are your latest skin care favorites?
ED: Have you tried the new Dolce & Gabbana Liquid Foundation? We get to give our Saks guests a world exclusive, once in a lifetime sneak peek next Thursday! It's major.
It doesn’t really count as ‘skincare,’ but Edith Zimmerman from the Hairpin introduced me to Soapwalla natural deodorant. Also, as an SPF lunatic, I love the coverage of the BB Creams. I haven’t found a US-version that’s quite right for my skintone, so I buy Laneige Snow BB Cream SPF 41 at Amore stores (there’s one in Flushing– let’s take a field trip sometime!) [Ed note: DONE.] I’ll layer this OVER my SK-II miracle water and my go-to SPF [either Bobbi Brown Brightening SPF 50, SK-II's SPF 50, or Lancome Absolue SPF 50 (this one), then hit any areas that need it with concealer (my current face is Dolce & Gabbana Perfect Finish). And then finish it all off with a layer of OHUI SPF 50 Natural Skin powder anywhere that I’m prone to shine or to pigmentation.
BBJ: Which hairstyle are you dying to try out this season?
ED: Our incredibly cool new assistant beauty editor Julie Schott came to work one day with these amazing dark, super-saturated ends. Reverse ombre! SO. CHIC. It turned out that she was just playing around with some clip-ins that weren’t the exact shade of the rest of her hair, but it inspired me to rethink my own ends. Over-saturated color used to be a bad thing, but for fall I want to go for it.
BBJ: What's your desert island beauty item?
ED: The pragmatic (and pale) part of me says I have to go for unlimited life-long SPF, but that seems so boring. Can I get two items? I’d make my own coconut oil and, boom!, that covers so many categories -- cleanser, moisturizer, hair conditioner. [Ed. note: Genius.] Then I could enfleurage the coconut oil with the island flowers to make my own fragrance! It wouldn’t be as good as Tom Ford’s Neroli Portofino, but it would still be lovely (and not count as my one item!). It would be ages before I could set up an island sea-kelp fermenting facility to create my own Crème de la Mer, so that’s what I would take. Hopefully I could get multiple jars, because I would use the empties as cookware or as a tea cup when I’m feeling fancy! (Just like Amelia Earhart did with her empty jar of Dr. C.H. Berry freckle cream.)
Q&A with Christian McCulloch
BBJ: What about the mission of Look Good, Feel Better resonates most for you?
CM: Look Good Feel Better resonates with me personally as I have both a mother and aunt who are cancer survivors -one breast cancer and the other lymphoma--as well as a dear friend who experienced cancer at an early age. As cancer affects a shockingly high number of people, so many of us are affected in some way, and feel that pain, loss and fear. Any way at all we can give back and contribute is an important act of compassion. To promote courage, support and love. Shared, positive experience. I know firsthand doing people's makeup is such an uplifting and confidence boosting experience, from friends and family through to famous faces. And that is a great joy and gift I have to share.
BBJ: How will you customize beauty plans for visitors?
CM: Makeup is such a great tool that can run the gamut from simple, subtle enhancements to full transformation - evening glamour, etc. I can offer women a personalized, tailored experience to suit their needs and lifestyle, plus ideas for trying more adventurous options. It’s a fun way to play around, experiment with new looks and colors and perhaps surprise yourself. Even just learning to finesse or update what you already know works for you, at Dolce and Gabbana we have an enormous and beautiful range to choose from.
BBJ: What fall makeup trends are thrilling you most this year?
CM: I am very into the dramatic black lash and fine eyeliner look, along with gorgeous full cheeks contoured with bronzer and alive with fresh color and vitality, but still in a sophisticated, not over-done way.
And the pop of color on the lips is showing up so often lately- fun, sexy and so easy to do. Everyone should try a version of a red lip at some point in their lives! We have the most brilliant range of lipsticks and glosses - endless options in both color and texture!
Also the sun-kissed skin look I love for vitality. It may just be a gentle sweep of bronzer and highlighter to give the face brightness and dimension, with some beautiful black lashes.
And old Hollywood glamour is huge right now; defined brow, black liner, red lips.
BBJ: I love that you had four answers for that. What's the easiest way to achieve a beauty pick-me-up?
CM: Cheek color, mascara, concealer under the eyes, lip gloss! Fool proof and takes minutes.
BBJ: What's your most commonly applied lip color?
CM: I'm a huge fan of beiges, rosy-browns and neutrals, always, as they're so perfect for accentuating your natural vibe, just refined and pumped up bit. My fave shade currently though is Italian Monica, which is bright matt orangey-red, which looks sensational on a surprisingly large number of skin tones.
BBJ: What's your most commonly applied eye concept? Cat-eye, smoky eye, etc.?
CM: Smoky eyes are always great, as long as the shadow doesn't get too big - but I'm feeling more for the slightly edgier cat eye where the corners are a little more defined and exaggerated. I've actually sort of mastered the technique of combining the two, as I love the eyes to stand out, without necessarily overtaking the face with excessive shadow.
BBJ: Are there any shades you think look good on all women?
CM: I generally veer more towards the warmer tones than the cool tones - golds, bronzes, rosy browns, reddish lip stains. And like I said earlier, there is the perfect red for everyone, you just have to find it!
BBJ: Tell me about the role makeup plays in feeling good about yourself. How would you describe its effect?
CM: It’s funny, makeup is just this stuff- various pigments and textures applied to the face, but the effects on confidence and mood and the way people respond to you are truly palpable! I think so many iconic women, like Sophia Loren, for example, have shown that to us. I also love to see young girls, teens and twenty-somethings' attitudes to makeup. It makes them feel so girly, feminine and flirtatious. I believe of course in inner confidence too - makeup is just about taking pride and refining your presentation. I also think it has a big effect in the workplace, just simply for the asset of empowering women to be both smart and beautiful. And that is not to say necessarily heavy makeup either. Unless that's your thing! I love a punk rocker/Gwen Stefani moment just as much as a tan, beigey glowing face done in browns and taupes.
BBJ: What's your favorite cosmetic item?
CM: I think mascara and cheek color give immediate results. Hydrated lips are important as the mouth is a constantly moving and sensual feature. And the structure of a great brow can really frame a face too. Do I have to pick just one?! [Ed. note: I know I'm being Fascist about this] Mascara.
Thanks so much to Emily and Christian for their thoughtful answers. And that Amelia Earhart beauty tidbit--the more you KNOW, right? Head to Saks on August 16 and check out lookgoodfeelbetter.org for more information on Look Good Feel Better.
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