Watch my video blog for today talking about my favorite picks for the *Avon Fall Color 2009.

Products mentioned in the same order presented in Marta’s Vlog:

Avon smooth minerals foundation in Transparent Glow ($11)
Avon smooth minerals foundation in Light Beige ($11)
ANEW Wrinkle Zone Line Smoothing Duo in medium (by AVON)

Introducing the Romantic Collection for Fall 2009 and the Golden Beams Collection for Holiday 2009: two new collections showcasing new colours, new attitude and new direction. Inspired by Dolce & Gabbana’s gravitation toward surrealism, each palette embraces a bold insouciance and a sexy spontaneity that challenges the archetypal face of beauty with the revolutionary Dolce & Gabbana aesthetic.

Created for the Dolce & Gabbana woman who seeks a look that’s at once disarmingly assertive and simultaneously seductive, The Make Up captures implicit femininity and explicit sensuality, specially designed for the woman who chooses a life of passion, full-on glamour and ultimate luxury. She aspires to perfection and achieves it; takes risks and succeeds.

The Romantic Collection – Fall 2009

Inspired by Surrealism, the Dolce & Gabbana A/W 09 runway collection echoes both revolutionary sensibility and rebellious spirit. Just as the Surrealists eschewed the conventional to embrace the unpredictable and explore the unimaginable, Dolce & Gabbana break the rules both on the runway and with a new collection of Make Up for fall, tracing the fine line between dreams and reality to create an innovative glamour that teases and provokes.

“We worship the surrealists; they pushed the limits-and proved that anything is possible,” says Stefano Gabbana, “With the Romantic Collection, the idea is to break away from the expected to transform beauty, creating a look that is about ultimate fantasy.”

Show: Dolce&Gabbana Spring 2010 Collection
Lead Makeup Artist: Pat McGrath for Dolce&Gabbana The Make Up
Makeup Trend: Bold red lips
The Inspiration: “This season our inspiration stemmed from the passionate Latin woman melded with our Sicilian upbringing,” said Domenico Dolce. Stefano Gabbana added, “The cultures are very similar and we wanted the beauty look to be reflective of this passion and sensuality.”

At the Dolce&Gabbana Spring/Summer 2010 Ready to Wear show in Milan, The Designer’s aptly named their show “Heritage,” which showcased their Sicilian roots and signature sartorial tailoring laced with a dose of tango. On the runway, each model donned a bold red lip created using Dolce&Gabbana The Make Up.

How to get the makeup look:

Backstage Pat McGrath prepped skin with the foundation, to create a flawlessly natural canvas. Next, McGrath sculpted cheeks using the blush, in Warm.

Show: Marc Jacobs Spring 2010
Lead Artist: François Nars, Founder and Creative Director of NARS Cosmetics
Trend: Theatrical Makeup

Inspiration: The look of the Marc Jacobs collection was inspired by the contemporary dancer, Martha Graham: Old-fashioned and theatrical but graceful and precise. At the same time, however, there was a darker side that was shone through: a quality of gothic romance. Ballerinas with a sense of mystery- as if part of them, along with some of their makeup, had been left behind on stage.

Look: Left-over stage makeup. The models weren’t meant to have perfect makeup- rather, they were meant to encompass a “just came off-stage” effect. “Dancers in theater and opera always have white faces, pointed lips and an eye that is drawn outward, not upward-it’s very theatrical, very ballet,” said François Nars. He stressed the importance of the eye for this look, noting that “the shape of the eyeliner is important- it should open the eyes, especially underneath. The slashes of white is something they used to do in the 70s- it brings a 3-dimensional feeling to the makeup.”

 Below are some key products and steps for recreating the look:

Today marks the premier of much anticipated ABC series: FlashForward. Now, I’ve watched the trailer and the script looks very captivating. The FlashForward story line is about what happens when everyone on Earth blacks out, only to awake and be able to foresee the future. The show was created by David S. Goyer who also wrote the screenplays for Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, and The Flash.

I’m excited to bring to you an interview with star of FlashForward, Christine Woods. Christine plays the role of Janis Hawk FBI Agent at the Los Angeles Field Office with superior analysis abilities. Her character is a bit of a tomboy with a quick wit, and was trained at the Academy with fellow agent Demetri Noh (played by actor John Cho).

In this interview Christine Woods talks to Marta Walsh about her love for acting. What attracted her to the role of Janis Hawk in the new ABC series FalshForward. Her meeting with actor Joseph Fiennes on the set. reveals what’s in her makeup bag. What some people may not know about Christine and future plans.

Marta Walsh: How did you decide on a career in acting, and what were some of your first breaks as an actress?
Christine Woods: I was a singer and a dancer my whole life. I was a musical theatre major in college. I moved out to LA about 4 and half years ago and started auditioning every day. I did couple of guest stars here and there. This is honestly my first big break.

Watch ABC’s FlashForward trailer here:

MW: What attracted you to Janis Hawk character on the new ABC series Flash Forward? How much of Janis’ personality is similar or different to yours?
CW: I read the script, it was pretty small role. I was more taken by the script and story as a whole, and of course by the creator, David S. Goyer. David is absolutely brilliant and I love his work. I’m also very interested in strong female characters. Janis Hawk is intelligent and smart. She is a career woman. She is in a job that is predominantly male. I’m always fascinated with women who can do that. It’s atypical for a woman to rise to top of the FBI world.