Beauty How Tos

Ashley Benson, star of the upcoming Spring Breakers, had fans doing a double take at the film's premiere at the SXSW festival in Austin, TX. The normally blond actress showed up sporting chocolate-hued locks, which she twisted into a messy topknot. Her new hair color paired gorgeously with her electric blue eye makeup, which brought out her azure eyes.

To create Ashley's captivating eye makeup, makeup artist Nico Guilis started by lining her lash line with MAC Eye Pencil in Black ($16). He then layered Nars Matte Eye Shadow in Outremer ($24) over the black for the pop of blue, finishing with Chanel Le Crayon Khôl in Black Jade ($28) in Ashley's water line. The effect was a watery-blue smoky eye that's right on point for Spring.

It's easy for a girl to get torn between a romantic, whimsical look and a badass, sultry one, but Rooney Mara showed us how to perfectly mesh the two. The Side Effects actress was out last night wearing a smoky eye that was more ethereal than edgy. Instead of moody metallics and blacks, Rooney smudged grays and lavenders. The result was a soft shadow look that was perfectly balanced with her bold brows and sleek dark hair.

The trick to this look is blending and diffusing. Swipe on a shadow like Bobbi Brown Eye Shadow in Rockstar ($21) on your lids and then kick it out into a cat-eye shape. Then, blend a soft purple hue like Pur Minerals Eye Shadow in Lavender ($14) into the crease. Using a fluffy shadow brush, blend the two shades together until they seamlessly melt into one another. Skip your eyeliner, but add at least two coats of a volumizing mascara like Laura Mercier Full-Blown Mascara ($24). For the final touch, don't forget a soft pink on your cheeks and lips. You'll look heaven-sent.

It's almost Valentine's Day, which means it's also the perfect time to play around with pink and red makeup, and Gemma Arterton has already taken her love-hued palette out for a spin. At the premiere of her new movie, Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters, Gemma went for a rosy flush on her cheeks, eyes, and lips. The feminine look paired with soft curls is perfect for a romantic night out.

To get an equally flattering look, try cream blushes and shadows, which give you a more dewy, ethereal finish. Start by working Tarte Airblush in Shimmering Poppy ($25) onto the apples of your cheeks and then sweep Lancôme Color Design Infinité in Everlasting Rose ($25) onto your eyelids. For added flair, dab a touch of the Tarte blush into the center of your eyes. For your lips, pick a semimatte color like Clarins Rouge Eclat Lipstick in Rose Ruby ($26). The three colors will work together to create a flawlessly flushed palette, perfect for anytime you're in a romantic mood.

If the typical ballerina topknot is a little too ordinary for your taste, why not do like Clémence Poésy? The actress arrived at the Chanel Haute Couture show yesterday sporting a bun that was high on texture. Sweeping her strands up high off her neck, Clémence punched up the typical twist by adding an unexpected element to her hair: mini braids that peeked out along her scalp.

To achieve the look, spritz down your fingertips with hair spray and sweep your hair back off your face. Add a few loose braids along your scalp before finger-brushing your hair into a ponytail and securing it with an elastic. Working in half-inch sections, coil your hair around the base of your ponytail and secure with hairpins until all of the hair in the ponytail is pinned up. Finish with another mist of hair spray and a punchy pink lip, like Estée Lauder Pure Color Lipstick in Magnetic Magenta ($25).

At the premiere of her new play Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Scarlett Johansson stole the show with crimson lips and frosted eye shadow. The actress was done up by makeup artist Gianpaolo Ceciliato for Dolce & Gabbana, the same designer who fabricated her ensemble. To create the look, Gianpaolo started with a base of foundation and blush. He then lined Scarlett's eyes in black and swiped on the brand's Smooth Eye Color Quad in Bouquet ($59) for a frosted look.

Gianpaolo created Scarlett's, well, scarlet lips by applying Passion Duo Gloss Fusion Lipstick in Tropical ($34) before layering on a lip gloss in a similar shade. The result was perfectly polished and seriously seductive — just like Scarlett herself.

Dry skin anywhere is one of the top woes of Winter, but scaly, cracked hands seem to be the worst. Frigid temps make your paws more susceptible to drying and cracking, but all is not lost. Three simple steps separate you and smooth fingers:

1. Exfoliate: Sounds counterintuitive, right? But exfoliating actually helps your skin absorb more moisture. A quick scrub down in the shower will suffice, but only do this to prevent your fingers from cracking. If they're already rough, this will only irritate them further.
2. Put on your gloves: An at-home spa experience can save your hardened hands. Pick up a pair of spa gloves, like Bliss Glamour Gloves ($48). Each pair is gel lined with grape seed and ceramide to sooth dehydrated hands, and they're good for 50 treatments.
3. Turn down the heat: Washing your hands is a must-do in the Winter to keep yourself healthy, but hot water can dry out your skin. Keep your sudsing lukewarm, and always slather on a moisturizer, like Malin + Goetz Neroli Hand and Body Lotion ($34) postwashing to keep things smooth.

Last night was all about gilded lids! And Allison Williams was rocking the hot trend at the season two premiere of Girls. Strutting the red carpet in a gold-accented dress, the actress swept her hair into a slick ponytail and used her makeup to play up her natural glow. Celebrity makeup artist Julie Harris wanted to bring out the blue in Allison's eyes, so she opted for a metallic gold eye shadow palette. She worked Cargo Color Palette in Baja ($30) over the lid, into the crease, and then swept it under Allison's lower lash line. Keeping with the warm palette, Harris dusted on some bronzer, focusing on the high points of Allison's face to maintain a natural glow. A swipe of Cargo Lip Gloss in Fresno ($14) finished the look. The result was sexy, timeless, and perfect for a special night out.

If you've always been a fan of the Brigitte Bardot teased-up bump but don't have the time, willpower, or hair spray to pull it off, here's your solution: Zooey Deschanel's vintage updo, which she debuted at the Fox All-Star Party. Instead of teasing and tousling the crown of her hair, Zooey created a stylish half-up, half-down style by pulling the top section of her hair into a bun. This created the illusion of a voluminous bump without the hassle.

To mimic her look, start off by spraying your dry hair with a texturizing spray like Lush Sea Spray ($13). Separate your hair into top and bottom sections and pin the bottom section off. If the top section of your hair needs a little more texture, just quickly backcomb it. Next, twist the top section into a larger bun and secure it with pins. Release the bottom section, curl the ends, and finish with a mist of hair spray.

If you're like me, you've decided to make 2013 the year that you finally quit biting your nails. Unfortunately, keeping this resolution can prove to be harder than keeping your gym membership past February. Nail biting is a notoriously difficult habit to break, and if you feel like you've tried everything to win the war on nibbling, it can be doubly frustrating. But take a deep breath. Learn nail biting prevention that goes beyond that nasty-tasting polish, or wearing a rubber band around your wrist, when you keep reading.

Matted, limp, lifeless hair is the downside of donning a cute chapeau this Winter, right? Not necessarily. Reviving your locks posthat is easier than you'd think. Follow these tips, and kiss lackluster, frizzy hat hair goodbye.

• Consider the material: The fabric of your hat has a lot to do with whether or not you'll fall victim to matted hair. Avoid synthetics, and reach for a cap made from natural fibers: wool, cashmere, and cotton are best for avoiding frizz. Also, make sure your hair sits loosely against your head — skull caps and the like press your hair against your scalp, causing perspiration and matted locks.
• Prestyle your hair: A hat warms your head, and warm hair holds whatever style it's in. So putting a hat over hair that's already set in place will help ensure you'll have the style you want when it's time to take off your hat. Long hair can be twisted into a bun and secured with either a fabric hair tie or hair pins. Shorter styles should add volume beforehand with a root-boosting hair spray, like Oscar Blandi Lacca Hair Spray ($11).
• Add back volume: Once your hat comes off, a little extra volume may be in order. Shu Uemura's Volume Maker ($48) is small enough to fit in your purse and cranks out an invisible powder that adds some serious lift. Just add a dusting to your roots posthat, and you'll be good to go.
• Ditch the dryer sheets: Dryer sheets don't always nix the static-inducing results from your hat. Instead, grab a pack of Ted Gibson Hairsheets ($15) for a simple swipe over your strands to eliminate frizz, static, and add a healthy dose of volume.