Cosmetic Makeovers - Show and Tell - Today's news on celebrity cosmetic surgery and beauty makeovers

Rihanna Models for Kanye West

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 10:50:29 -0500

Here's a sneak peek at Rihanna modeling one of the items in Kanye West's new clothing line called Pastelle.

There is still no official release date for this clothing line and if you visit Pastelle.com you won't see anything but the logo there yet.

How Many Ways to Please Your Man?

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 22:10:39 -0500

How many ways can there possibly be to please your man? Cosmopolitan Magazine never seems to run out of new erogenous zones and sexual tips.

The Onion does a revolutionary funny satire interview video about this below;

More Banned IKEA commercials...

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 13:03:59 -0500

Partly very funny.

Porcelain Veneers Gone Bad

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 11:11:43 -0500

Helena Green is a top beauty writer in London and eight weeks ago she went to one of the best cosmetic dentists to get porcelain veneers on her upper teeth. The new smile cost her over $18,000. She regrets this decision immensely.

Now she is in constant pain after having her upper teeth shaved down and getting porcelain veneers (which are too large for her mouth).

The veneers the dentist fitted were significantly longer than my own teeth (something we hadn't discussed and I didn't want) and suddenly I had a lot of porcelain clanging around in my mouth, which made the pain worse.

She was told by a second dentist that the veneers were too big and that my bite had been adversely affected - there was no contact between upper and lower teeth when I bit down, causing the jaw pain.

I also learnt that because I grind my teeth...I was not an ideal candidate for veneers. I was told I would have to get my bite corrected before my dentist could assess whether I needed root canal treatment.

Jennifer Lopez Does Triathlon Training (Video)

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 14:02:59 -0500

Jennifer Lopez, age 39, is in intensive training to compete in her first triathlon in September. She decided she would train for a triathlon while she was pregnant. Now, only seven months after giving birth to twins, she'll be finishing her first triathlon. See her doing the bicycle part of her training in the video below. The very fit woman interviewing her is chief editor at Self magazine, and she is also training for the same triathlon, but in her case it's not her first one, it sounds like she's already got a few behind her.

Where to Find the Rich Men?

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 12:32:51 -0500

If you're wondering where the fit and self-made rich men hang out, the New Yorker has a good tip about where you can find some of them.

They say that marathon training attracts a lot of wealthy type-A personalities. They note that the average participant in the ING New York City Marathon has an annual household income of $130,000.

The people who read Runner’s World have a median income virtually the same as that of the readers of Forbes. When I talked to Cliff Bosley, the director of the Bolder Boulder, one of the largest road races in America, he said, “Running has demographics that are comparable to golf.”

Charity has become a major part of marathons, as runners claim limited entry spots by raising money for worthy causes. Mary Wittenberg, the president of the New York Road Runners, the nonprofit that organizes the city’s marathon, told me that participants tend to be type-A overachievers who are attractive to advertisers. “Why are ING and the Bank of America involved?” she said, referring to the title sponsors of the races in New York and Chicago. “You want a customer that’s in it for the long run, somebody who is going to look to retirement. That’s a goal-oriented, driven person. It’s all about the quest.”

How to Apply False Eyelashes (A Video Tutorial)

Sat, 16 Aug 2008 10:49:32 -0500

Here's a video tutorial showing how to apply individual false eyelashes. Although it takes a bit more effort to apply them one by one, these false eyelashes look much more natural than the fake eyelashes you can buy in full strips.

See more makeup tutorials by Katie Stiles here and here.

A Woman of Many Accents

Sat, 16 Aug 2008 08:33:13 -0500

Here's Amy Walker. She can amazingly introduce herself in 21 different accents in less than three minutes. Watch her give her greetings from the UK, Ireland, Italy, Germany, Czech Republic, Russia, France, Australia, New Zealand, and around North America.

Yoga for Weight Loss

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 16:17:04 -0500

In this video, yoga instructor Esther shows us a sequence of yoga poses (asanas) that would be especially helpful for people who are trying to lose weight. She recommends repeating the series of moves shown here six times each day.

Racism in the Beauty Industry

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 12:48:54 -0500

In this short video featuring Naomi Campbell we see how racism in the fashion industry can lead to feelings of rage and a desire for violence. Watch it here.

Virtual Facial Expressions

Thu, 14 Aug 2008 10:05:06 -0500

Here's a video of three 3D animated faces making a variety of common expressions (some of which lead to deep wrinkles if they are the predominant expression).

Latin Tattoos are Hot

Wed, 13 Aug 2008 13:54:56 -0500

Latin tattoos are in high demand these days. But is it a good idea to depend on a Latin/English dictionary online to get the right translation? You might end up walking around with complete junk and nonsense on your arm.

The Latin Translator has been around for nine years and they've noticed the huge spike in demand for Latin tattoos lately, so they've opened a special translation service just for helping you with your Latin tattoo ideas. For a fee of $30.00 and with a 24 hour turnaround they provide accurate translations into Latin of up to 25 words of English, alternatives to assist problems of spacing out words, advice on authentic forms of Roman lettering, advice on pit-falls for tattoo artists unfamiliar with Latin and an mp3 sound file of the translations.

Britney Spears is Fit Again

Wed, 13 Aug 2008 12:30:33 -0500

Here's Britney Spears looking very beautiful, healthy and fit again. It's a promo for MTV's video music awards coming up on September 7th, 2008.

Eyebrow Implants Cost Major Moolah

Wed, 13 Aug 2008 12:21:49 -0500

Dr. Armani says eyebrow implants are increasingly popular. When he started doing hair transplants 9 years ago he was only doing about one brow transplant a month but now he's averaging about four or five. He thinks its because thicker eyebrows are more popular in Hollywood right now.

To put hair on your eyebrows, Dr. Armani uses hair from behind your ears (about 50 to 400 follicles). It's illegal to use artificial fibers to implant so if you don't have hair on your back, it's going to come from your scalp. It takes up to three hours for the procedure and costs between $5,000 to $10,000.

You'll need to trim your eyebrows occasionally as they will now be growing at the speed of your scalp hair but otherwise the work is good for ten years on average.

The beautiful eyebrow photo above is via Superchou.

A Smart Lipo Review

Wed, 13 Aug 2008 12:02:30 -0500

Dr. Oliver discusses Smart-Lipo on his Plastic Surgery 101 blog today. He's clearly not a fan of the procedure. He says;

The general "off the record" feelings of most experienced plastic surgeons experimenting with this is that these types of devices are safe but offer no clear advantage. Repeatedly it's described more as a successful marketing phenomena rather than a real improvement. It's still not established that delivering thermal energy below the skin affects "tightening" whatsoever, which is the whole gimmick of the laser. If it does, it doesn't appear to do it without still having to do most of the heavy lifting with traditional lipo.

See more of his review about SmartLipo here.

Fatburger Expansion

Wed, 13 Aug 2008 11:08:23 -0500

The news today is that hip hop star Kayne West is opening 10 Fatburger franchises in Chicago. He's set to become a fast food tycoon soon.

The expanding Fatburger franchise already has over 80 locations, mostly in Southern California (with twelve just in Las Vegas).

Their Fatburger has 520 calories and 880 units of sodium and provides you with 35% of your daily recommended amount of iron. Their Veggieburger in contrast, has about 430 calories, a higher sodium content at 1180, and provides 70% of your daily iron needs. Their veggie burgers are made from a soy patty and served on a whole wheat bun.

Veggie burgers have become quite popular these days, especially with females, but they usually taste so much better when they're prepared at home.

If there are any nutritionists reading this, we'd love to know the approximate nutritional details of this lentil burger recipe that is very delicious and easy to make at home. See recipe in video below;

Tyra Banks Celebrates All Black Vogue

Tue, 12 Aug 2008 16:44:53 -0500

Here's Tyra Banks in New York City joined by Chanel Iman, Veronica Webb, Noemie Lenoir, Selita Ebanks, Beverly Johnson and Stacey McKenzie. They are celebrating the first {a all black model issue http://cosmetic-makeovers.com/2008/07/08/black-issue-at-vogue-italia} of Vogue Italia.

Wonderbra Boobs Break Out

Tue, 12 Aug 2008 12:39:44 -0500

Here's an outdoor ad for Wonderbra with special effects that look like these breasts were strong enough to break through the glass. The ad can be seen on outdoor boards in Germany. It seems a little much for kids to be exposed to this kind of wonderwoman message, especially given these are likely fake breast implants.

See more about this Wonderbra ad here.

Less Money, More Fat

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 08:23:02 -0500

There's a story in the New York Post about how many New Yorkers have had to cut down on gym memberships and personal trainers because they are feeling the pinch with smaller bonuses and paychecks.

With the economy in a slump, the unemployment rate jumping from 4.8 percent in May 2008 to 5.3 in June (thanks to major layoffs at places like Morgan Stanley and Merrill Lynch, New York state had the second-highest number of mass layoff claims nationwide in June), and the cost of everything skyrocketing, New Yorkers are cutting back on lifestyle perks. Says a 38-year-old Upper East Sider who just lost her job at a hedge fund: “I used to have three memberships—one at a gym, one at a spinning studio and one at a yoga studio. I was spending upwards of $600 a month. Now I’ve taken up running, because it’s free.” Still, she’s worried about the future of her waistline, since “many of my friends have lost their jobs too. We used to eat out every night, but now we order in barbecue. Plus, I’m not sure what I’m going to do about working out once the weather changes.”

The Retro Phone

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 08:14:55 -0500

For a cool retro phone check out the Retrostar. You won't need an adapter with it if you are already using Blackberry, Sanyo, LG, Panasonic, Sharp or TREO.

An Invisible Cloak

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 07:53:24 -0500

Scientists at the University of California have announced they've developed metamaterials that can make people invisible. Before this, it was already possible to cloak two-dimensional objects, but this is the first demonstration of three-dimensional objects being rendered invisible by artificially engineered materials that redirect light around the objects.

The metamaterials are mixtures of metal and circuit board materials such as ceramic, Teflon or fiber composite. They are designed to bend visible light in a way that ordinary materials don't.

This research is being heavily funded by the US Army. But it may not be long before it filters down to fashion design. Maybe we'll soon be seeing invisibility cloaks at fashion shows.

The photo above is the Invisible Man Sculpture in Harlem, NY.

Ugly NY Modeling Agency

Sun, 10 Aug 2008 19:39:21 -0500

UglyNY is a modeling agency in New York City that specializes in booking people that don't look like models. Their talent includes people up to size 30, under four feet tall, old ladies and tattoed bikers.

Ugly was first founded in London, as the first character model agency there in 1969. They opened shop in NYC last year and have over 300 models already.

The agency believes they are tapping into a shift in advertising trends where advertisers are seeking models that look more like their customers.

Check them out at UglyNY.com and on video on Rachel Ray's show below;

Kg to Pounds Converter

Sat, 09 Aug 2008 12:34:59 -0500

A lot of people watching the Olympics today are looking up how to convert kilograms to pounds, as all the athlete weights are being announced in kilograms.

1 kilogram = 2.20462262 pounds

Just a reminder that we have a nifty {a kilogram/pound converter http://cosmetic-makeovers.com/2006/09/22/weight-calculator-converting-kilos-and-pounds} available right here on the bottom left sidebar. Just enter the number of kilograms, and it will spit out the equivalent pound weights (or from pounds to kilos).

What's a Philistine?

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 18:22:52 -0500

What's a philistine? It's a person whose material means exceed his/her cultural and/or spiritual level.

Why are we asking? Just read a fun article in the New Yorker about the Hippie Rock in Central Park.

Jim Rado says "The philistines have taken over where the hippies once were."

Photo via Ernst Moeksis

Getting Married in Beijing

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 15:28:17 -0500

Here's a fun video about weddings in Beijing. "Weddings gone Wild" is hosted by Sufei, and is in parts a cute parody on Sex in the City.

Today is considered a very lucky day to get married in China. That's because it is the 8th day of the 8th month in 2008 and eight is considered the luckiest number. Also, the date coincides with the first day of the Olympics in Beijing.

Futuristic Bags and Laptop Cases

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 14:06:57 -0500

New York magazine has scored a sneak peak at the new Karl Lagerfield bag line launching next spring. It looks very sleek and futuristic. Shown here are the K-print bag, Idol quilted slim tote, and the Snapshot Large Sak. There are 42 items in the collection, including some special looking laptop cases in black and silver. See more photos.

Beyonce Gets Whitened for L'Oreal

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 13:43:27 -0500

Looks like L'Oreal may have a controversy brewing. They are denying they digitally lightened Beyonce's skin for an ad in the new issue of Elle magazine. It will be interesting to see what Beyonce has to say about this. She hasn't made any comments about it yet.

Beyonce originally signed on with L'Oreal in 2001 for a five year deal worth up to $4.7 million. It's amazing, but the initial contract is available online for all to see. The contract specifies that Beyonce must let L'Oreal know of "any radical changes to her hair any concert tour may necessitate" and that she has to maintain her hair "in excellent condition." She can't go near Revlon or Clairol products and must maintain "approximately the same physical appearance and health". It also gives L'Oreal the right to actually inspect Beyonce's hair as long as she gets two weeks notice.

A Pixie Cut for Katie Holmes

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 12:28:24 -0500

Katie Holmes, age 29 has had her famous bob trimmed down to a pixie cut. Her new hairstyle is similar to {a Rihanna's haircut http://cosmetic-makeovers.com/2008/06/30/short-hair-for-rihanna}, but Rihanna's is decidedly spikier and more punkish.

A Cool Hat

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 11:32:00 -0500

My sister lost all her hair in the past two weeks due to her first chemotherapy treatment for breast cancer. She had bought a very beautiful wig earlier but hasn't worn it yet. That's because she found a very cool cap she prefers instead. If she lets me show her photo here I will but in the meantime, sis, here's another funky hat that would really suit you.

See more hats by the same artist here.

The New-New Face

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 13:43:09 -0500

The New York magazine had an unusually detailed article last Sunday about new trends in plastic surgery for celebrities and the New York elite. The stretching face-lift of old is giving way to plumping the face outwards by adding fat and injections to it. The article names at least three of the top plastic surgeons in New York and provides us with a scoop on what aging celebrities (such as Madonna who turns 50 this year) are doing to keep their faces looking young. Check out the New New Face.

Help Rachel Get a Nose Job

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 12:21:53 -0500

Racehl wants a rhinoplasty and has felt this way for several years. She says her side profile is embarrassing.

She cannot afford plastic surgery and says the nose job would cost about $8,500. She's not working now; she's a graduate student. She feels the rhinoplasty would give her more self-confidence and although she never thought she would ask others for money she feels desperate so she has joined a site called My-Donation where she has put out her request for people to consider contributing to her rhinoplasty fund via PayPal.

Sexiest Celebrity Stomach

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 10:09:18 -0500

Rihanna gets the sexiest celebrity stomach award according to a poll of about 2,500 people conducted by a company called AntiBloat.

Note, Rihanna, age 20, came in number #1, but most of the celebrities in the top five were substantially older than her including Helen Mirren, Liz Hurley and Jemina Khan. We wonder about the empirical purity of the vote conducted by AntiBloat - a stomach-flattening supplement (wow, is there such a thing?)

A Japanese Fembot Uses Sunscreen

Sun, 03 Aug 2008 09:48:10 -0500

Hmm, is this a sign of things to come in our near future? Here's a Japanese commercial for sunscreen. The model is an android robot creation. She looks pretty real. She's out camping in her high heels and dress. It's all quite creepy.

The Two Types of Wrinkles

Sun, 03 Aug 2008 09:05:31 -0500

Dr. Oputa writes that there are two different kinds of wrinkles and that they respond to different treatments;

There are two categories of wrinkles; fine surface lines and deeply set furrows. They differ in structure and origin and respond to different types of therapy.

Fine surface wrinkles are as a result of the breakdown of collagen and elastin fibres due to aging and sun damage.

Deeply set furrows are caused by the build up of muscles beneath the skins surface over time as a result of repeated facial expressions in pretty much the same way muscle is built through exercise. These deep furrows can show permanently or come about when facial expressions are made like “crows feet” showing up when a person smiles.

These categories of wrinkles respond to different therapies.

Read more of her article about wrinkle treatments.

Make Up For HDTV

Sun, 03 Aug 2008 07:33:38 -0500

High definition TV can make even the prettiest faces look scary. It brings all the pimples, wrinkles and other imperfections into high focus. And it's not just TV anchors who fear HDTV. The new video cameras out now also offer 720p HD capability.

Samsung recently teamed up with makeup-services provider Make Up For Ever to present a workshop that paired makeup with HDTVs. Make Up For Ever has developed a new line of HD cosmetics for the digital era. Read more here.