Beauty Interview

As an ambassador for Neutrogena, actress Gabrielle Union knows that the foundation of any beauty look is a solid skin care regimen. "There is only so much you can hide with cosmetics, so it is important to use them to accentuate your features and not hide behind it," she says. "That's why I'm so adamant about taking care of my skin with a daily routine."

She counts on a few staples to keep her skin in tip-top shape, including the brand's Pink Grapefruit Foaming Scrub ($7-8) and Cream Cleanser ($6).

This less-is-more outlook on beauty rings true in the rest of her life, too. Now 40, Gabrielle knows about the ups and downs that come with growing into your own skin. "You definitely reach a place in your life where you feel really present and can focus on things which are truly important," she says. "When you are much younger, there seem to be so many distractions; whether it be with your emotions or situationally."

Her advice for navigating the sometimes treacherous terrain of your 20s? "Not to worry so much about the small things, and just enjoy the ride as it all leads you to where you are supposed to be." A good cleanser doesn't hurt, either.

There are plenty of books out there on how to do your makeup, but there aren't too many relevant nail art books that capture the current trends until now. LA-based nail artist Madeline Poole (her work has been featured in Teen Vogue, The New York Times, and Nylon) is bringing her contemporary designs to the masses with her new book, Nails, Nails, Nails!: 25 Creative DIY Nail Art Projects ($8, available for preorder on Amazon.com). Take a peek inside the book, and see what she has to say on the nail art craze and her new publication, when you read more.

When it comes to creating a festive mood for the holidays, Giada De Laurentiis knows a little something about spicing things up. And that's not just in the kitchen, but in the beauty department, too. Giada, a spokesperson for Clairol Natural Instincts, recently switched her hair color to the brand's Navajo Bronze shade. "It's a little redder than normal," Giada said of her new color. "Last time I did Toasted Almond, but I thought in the Winter it's kind of nice to have darker hair."

The Food Network chef also shared a clever way to lighten up a delicious chocolate mousse. Taking out the dairy and replacing it with avocado, Giada made a decadent chocolate dessert far better for you than its traditional counterpart. And this smart, healthy-thinking attitude marks what Giada is all about. "Natural Instincts wants to empower women through their hair color," she said, "and I want to empower women in the kitchen."

In terms of making wise food choices a constant during this festive time, Giada has even more helpful advice: "When you go to a holiday party, make sure you eat a little something before you go. Never go hungry, or else you are going to be eating everything in front of you." And one thing she does recommend indulging in is a little bubbly. "Champagne is alcohol, but it has very low calories and low sugar, so it's actually a really great one to have during the holidays," she says. "But add a spoonful of puréed raspberries to it and all of a sudden you've added accents to your drink." Want the easy recipe? Watch Giada show us how to create the perfect holiday cocktail.

And in case you're the host of a holiday soiree, Giada has another tip for keeping it all together. "When I have a party at my house, I have a drawer in my kitchen where I keep a little mascara, a little powder, and a little lip gloss in case I need a quick touch-up." The chef also prefers "lots of shimmer eye shadow" and her hair pulled up in a bun with a sparkling elastic. Quips Giada, "My daughter loves it, so we both wear our hair the same way, and then we pull our bangs down."

Kate Hudson is the ultimate California girl with a beauty routine to match: simple and easy. "That's why Almay and I are a good fit," says Kate, who is a spokeswoman for the beauty brand. "I don't like fussy makeup on a day-to-day basis. The reality is I've got five to 10 minutes to get myself ready for the day, to take Ryder [her son] to school, or to start my workday. So for me it's a quick base, a cheek, mascara, and a lip gloss."

Her new favorite product is the line's Intense I-Color Liquid Shadow + Color Primer ($8, available next month at drugstores nationwide). "I wear these all the time," Kate says. "I like easy makeup — anything that goes on easy that you can continue to apply throughout the day and anything you can put it your purse and it's not too fussy."

For Kate, the most beautiful women she's known are the ones "who are focused on their mental and physical health, their joy center, and understanding and balancing their lives." She explains, "I think that's when you see most women at their most beautiful, especially when women are emanating happiness."

And happiness will be all about the family's holiday traditions this month. "Ryder loves the Advent calendars," she says. "And I have this little log cabin Advent calendar that opens and there are all these little animals." With that anticipation and all the cookie-baking and hot chocolate she has planned, it sounds like there's lots of joy ahead for the Hudson-Bellamy household this season.

As the face of Revlon, Emma Stone already possesses a keen interest in makeup. But the experience of getting into character on the set of one of her latest movies, Gangster Squad, took it to a whole new level. "The craziest part was Christien Tinsley [the film's head makeup artist] trying to make my skin one solid shade, because I have freckles," Emma says. "So they literally had to do concealer, then foundation, then concealer, then foundation again. I felt like Queen Elizabeth I."

The strong brows and bold lipstick shades her character wears in the film, however, are now among some of her favorite palettes. Emma even started playing around with these midcentury-inspired looks in her every day life, which is a pretty big departure from her typical day-to-day makeup. She shares her beauty philosophies when you read on.

The statuesque Australian DJ duo Nervo are making major waves in the music and beauty scene. They're the newest faces of CoverGirl, and while there are other pop stars with the coveted title, twins Liv and Mim Nervo are the first faces from the electronic dance music (EDM) scene to represent the brand. "We're still pinching ourselves. It's incredible," Liv said of the honor. "It means we're joining the long list of ladies who are leading the way of individuality, being confident in your own skin, and feeling beautiful," Mim added.

To learn more about these beauties, read on.

Jessica Simpson may be known for her vocal talents and bubbly personality, but the star has really made a name for herself in the fashion world. The Jessica Simpson Collection features an array of clothing items and accessories and has even extended into kids' wear, for which Jessica and her sister, Ashlee Simpson, paired up to promote at an Orange County Macy's over the weekend.

Of course, it wouldn't be a Jessica-backed company without some beauty products thrown into the mix. Jessica has launched five fragrances since 2008, with Vintage Bloom eau de parfum ($49-$65) being the most recent. The sheer floral contains notes of lemon, Caipirinha lime zest, peony, raspberry blossom, sandalwood, and musk. "Creating Vintage Bloom came about in a time in my life when everything was feeling very organic and new," Jessica says. "Everything felt like a beginning, and that's how this scent smells to me." See what else the new mom had to say about developing the perfume, as well as a surprising fact about her past, when you read more.

Michelle Phan has been dazzling the world on YouTube for over five years with her mesmerizing, almost dreamlike video tutorials and impressive makeup talents (have you seen her transformation into Angelina Jolie?). But the beauty guru hasn't stopped there. An ambassador for Lancome, Michelle is also the cofounder of ipsy.com, a newly launched website where beauty enthusiasts can visit to provide and gather inspiration. "Ipsy is the beauty community where you go to share your interest with other like-minded people," Michelle explains. "It's about discovering beauty all over again and finding people who you can really relate to — or other people that you may not really relate to," she says. "You're intrigued and you are so interested in what they're producing, the content that they're making, and the content that they're curating."

And it's Michelle's other entrepreneurial effort, Glam Bag, that thrives on the community-based site. Launched last December, the monthly subscription service comes with four to five deluxe-sized samples or full-sized beauty products chosen by Michelle and her team. "Anything you're putting on your hair or face is pretty much all we give and we provide," she explains. In addition, themes are actualized around each bag's launch. "So if it's a Summer look, we want to make sure that the brands we're working with are designing bronzers, highlighting colors, and warm colors, and colors should be brighter, more vivid," Michelle notes. Find out more about the bag, along with Michelle's advice for creating successful beauty videos, when you read more.