Source: talkingmakeup.com

Mother’s Day is approaching so we wanted to give you few beauty gift ideas for that very special Mom.

CARGO PlantLove Lipstick designed by celebrity moms, such as: Denise Richards, Kim Raver, and Angie Harmon and named after their children. Once mom opens her biodegradable PLA (corn based plastic) packaged tube of lipstick she can plant the outer packaging to create her very own garden of flowers. Additionally, $2.00 from each tube sold also goes to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital. Price: $20, at Sephora and Sephora.com. Price: $20.

June Jacobs Better Love Naturel: This Mother’s Day, love is in the air and you can actually smell it. June Jacobs is proud to to unveil her new captivating new fragrance, a musky floral that is pure and untouched by preservatives. This fragrance is especially close to June’s heart as she and her daughter, Rochelle, worked on this formula together. Available at: www.junejacobs.com . Price: $90.

theBalm Sexy Mama is a virtually invisible powder, with revolutionary, tiny oil absorbing spheres to remove shine, leaving her with a soft, silky matte finish. Available at Sephora and Sephora.com. Price: $18.

Annick Goutal Les Soliflores Limited Edition Collection a collection of floral fragrances that represents the five favorite florals of both Camille Goutal and her mother Annick. The collection includes fragrances in the following florals: La Violette, Le Jasmine, Neroli (Orange Blossom), Le Chèvrefeuille (Honeysuckle), Le Muguet (Lily of the Valley). Available at Saks Fifth Avenue. Price: $400.

Philosophy Breakfast In Bed a sweet scented shampoo, shower gel, and bubble bath in: Cafe au Lait, Fresh Cream, and Belgian Waffles. Available at: www.sephora.com . Price: $30.

Go Zero Biolage Mother’s Day Gift Sets-Biolage has joined the Conservation Fund’s Go Zero campaign in its effort to combat global warming with 100% recyclable gift sets, and BIOLAGE is also making a donation to the charity for each gift set sold. Each set contains a shampoo and conditioner and a limited edition body balm. Available at hair salons nationwide. To locate a Biolage salon, please log onto www.biolage.com or call 1.800.MATRIX. Price: $26.00 for each set.

Molton Brown relaxing yuan zhi bath & shower and relaxing yuan zhi sleep mist: Yuan zhi, a wild South China plant, is used traditionally to balance energy (Chi) and soothe the spirit. This richly moisturizing bath formula and sleep mist combats stress and promotes peaceful sleep. Available at: www.moltonbrown.com . Price: $28 for Bath Gel. $44 for Sleep Mist.

Darphin Facial Kits: No need for mom to hop a flight to Paris to indulge in a Darphin signature spa experience. Introducing the first ever Darphin Spa Facial Kits, perfect for giving your mom a little bit of luxury with no appointment needed. The Calming Cocoon and instant Firming Kits are perfect for the mom who wants to relax. Available at: www.darphin.com . Price: $120-$135.

Source: talkingmakeup.com

Mark Townsend is one of the most talented celebrity hairstylists today. Mark worked with the beautiful locks of Reese Witherspoon, Penelope Cruz, Rachel Weiz, and Natalie Portman. In this interview Mark talks about some of the biggest breaks in his career, his experience as Matrix’s Celebrity Hairstylist, and to what he attribute his success.

Mark Townsend.

What was your biggest break as a professional hair stylist?
I’ve really had many big breaks so far in my career. I graduated cosmetology school and got my license in Lakeland, Florida. I knew I wanted to work in fashion so I moved to NY and got a job as a hair assistant at the Oribe Salon, where I really learned how to treat hair. I ventured out of the salon and spent 4 years assisting some of the biggest hairstylists in the field, including 2 years with Sally Hershberger, who then referred me to work on the film Vanilla Sky with Tom Cruise, Penelope Cruz, and Cameron Diaz. Filming took me to Los Angeles and I met my agent Lisa Walker who convinced me to stay in LA after the film wrapped. That’s when Tom Cruise and Penelope Cruz started booking me for photo shoots and jobs all around the world.

What have been some of your most memorable celebrity collaborations?
Everyday is a new collaboration, that’s what I love about my job. I love talking to the client as well as makeup artists and stylists to create a look. Of course working with Reese Witherspoon for the 2007 Golden Globes and Oscars was an amazing collaboration with fantastic results which shows sometimes simpler is better. Another collaboration I really loved was Natalie Portman for the 2006 Golden Globes when she had very short hair. Natalie has curly hair, so I had to spend hours straightening her hair with a specially made flat iron for short hair, but it was worth the effort because she looked magical on the red carpet.

Actress Reese Witherspoon.

One of my favorite people to collaborate with is Rachel Weisz. She is so inspiring to work with. Every time we work together on photo shoots or red carpet events we spend time really talking about our inspirations and what tone we want to set. Sometimes on shoots we even create characters together and decide what kind of hair that character should have. We share an appreciation for texture and we can talk about hair forever, which I love. When I look at my portfolio, my favorite photos are always ones with Rachel because it’s the time I get to experiment and just “play”.

As Matrix’s Celebrity Stylist, what hair care products from this line
do you swear by?
Matrix makes the best hair care and styling products available, so I’m very happy I get to work with them. I’ve seen such great changes in my clients hair after I set them up with the right Matrix shampoos and conditioners to take home with them. I love the Biolage volumatherapie Bodifying Spray Gel and Amplify Full Body Texturizer. I cannot live without Vavoom Gold Heat Iron-In Control Protective Dry Mist! This is the product I used to create Reese’s straight, sleek, shiny hair for the Globes. You spray the hair with this, then run a flat iron over the hair and it seals the hair and fights against humidity. I also love the Vavoom Freezing Spray. On photo shoots, we have to do several different hairstyles, and this spray gives great hold and never flakes and gets cake-y. Every style I create is finished with the Biolage Shielding Shine Mist. It gives the hair amazing shine without weighing down the hair and its great for touch ups through out the day. And, my latest obsession is the new Biolage Cooling Mint Oil Control Treatment – it totally revives a blowout and I think it works better than dry shampoos to absorb oil and refresh the hair.

Hair care products by Matrix.

What advice can you give for choosing the right brush for our hair?
I always use the same brushes: Mason Pearson for detangling and blowing out bangs and Spornett mixed bristle round brushes for blowouts. The mixed bristles grip the hair and create enough tension to get the hair really smooth without pulling on the hair.

To what do you attribute your success as a celebrity hair stylist?
I have a really good agent!

Mark Townsend was interviewed for Beauty Interviews by Marta Walsh.
Click here to read Mark Townsend’s complete interview!

Source: talkingmakeup.com

Vavoom Gold Heat by Matrix is the first ever thermal styling range infused with real micronized gold created specifically to protect hair from heat styling tools. The line contains four must-have products for blow-drying and heat styling broken down into volumizing and control.

The best part part about Vavoom Gold Heat products is that they cut down styling time because they help disperse heat more evenly when using heat tools on your hair. Price: $14-$16.

Source: talkingmakeup.com

Here are some of Matrix’s newest products: Biolage Scalptherapie Cooling Mint Line, a new good for you haircare cocktail for normal to oily hair to awaken the senses with a fresh minty sensation. Main ingredients: a unique Bio-Cushion Complex-a fusion of green tea for toning, soothing Mallow Root, protective Aqua Oils that form a protective cushion for the hair, glycerin, blend of mint and kola nut to stimulate and energize the scalp. Biolage Scalptherapie Cooling Mint Line includes: 

Biolage Cooling Mint Shampoo, $14.

Biolage Cooling Mint Conditioner, $16. 

And,  Biolage Cooling Mint Oil Control Treatment divx sniper 3 , $16.

Available at fine salons and www.matrix.com

Source: talkingmakeup.com

New from Matrix: Matrix Amplify ThickLift Liquid Volumizer which is a heat-activated leave-in densifying treatment with cremide and soy protein complex. Benefits: helps strengthen and repair, fine limp hair, $15. 

Also new at Matrix: Matrix Amplify Full Body Texturizer a non-aerosol texturizing spray that adds density and grip to hair for double dimensions of volume and texture. Benefits: delivers a lightweight thickness, body, shine and style memory and helps rebuild fine limp hair, $15. 

Available at fine salons and www.matrix.com

Source: talkingmakeup.com

Mark Townsend was the behind Cate Blanchett’s soft waves and has the scoop on how to get this simple yet beautiful hairstyle.  Townsend has been working with Blanchett for nearly four years, so it doesn’t take long for the pair to decide on the perfect style for big red carpet events. 

As soon as Cate tried her stunning Balenciaga gown for the Screen Actors Guild Awards, the entire fashion and beauty team agreed that hair should be down and simple to not overpower the intricate gown.

to achieve the look, Mark first took Cate’s damp hair and applied Biolage Hydro-Foaming Styler ($14) all over to add a little texture, and blow-dried her hair with a medium round brush.  When the hair was completely dry, Mark used a one inch HAI Elite curling iron, taking random sections of hair from one to three inches in size sections of hair, and wrapping them around the iron.  According to Mark-the trick to getting perfect waves and curls is to never actually open the iron, just wrap the hair around it while closes.  When finished, Mark rubbed Biolage smooththerapie Smoothing Serum ($14) in the palms of the hands and raked it through Cate’s hair to soften the curls into soft, loose waves and blend the curled pieces with the straighter pieces of hair.  To finish, Mark used Biolage Complete Control Hairspray ($15) to softly set the look so it lasted all night.