Napoleon Perdis

Red lips will undoubtedly always be in style, and on Saturday, newcomer AnnaLynne McCord got in on the action. Puckering up for the "Kiss For a Cause" event, the 90210 actress helped raise money for the National AIDS Fund at the Armani Exchange in Santa Monica by handing out sweet snacks and greeting shoppers in a kissing booth.

"I was inspired to create a look between old-school Michelle Pfeiffer, Olivia Newton-John from her days in Grease, and classic Marilyn," said celebrity makeup artist Napoleon Perdis. Like this classic shade? Perdis used DéVine Goddess Lipstick in Aphrodite ($22) from his collection. Get tips for choosing a cool-toned red shade, then give a bright, bold lip a try.

Charismatic makeup artist to the stars, Napoleon Perdis, is everywhere these days. He's got a training academy in LA and his products can be found at ULTA, Target, Napoleon Perdis Stores, and select boutiques. Oh, and that's just in the United States.

The Australian native's next venture? A 10-episode reality program called Get Your Face On, where the now Hollywood-based Perdis is out to find his protégé amongst 12 contenders. “I’m going to be fair, but I’m going to be tough,” he said.

The show, which will run in a marathon-style format, starts Monday, Dec. 8 at — 7 a.m.?! Zoikes, that's early. Each hour-long episode will air throughout 10 consecutive weekdays, with the finale on Friday, Dec. 19 So, tell me — will you be up and alert with your morning joe to watch, or is it going to be TiVo all the way?

Photo courtesy of NapoleonPerdis.com

Wild 'n' crazy Bella had a wild 'n' crazy Saturday night — at Target. Woot! Isn't having the store practically all to yourself the best? Making my customary beauty aisle pit stop, I was disturbed by what I saw. While I don't mean to nitpick one of my favorite stores, the new designer makeup collection was a big ol' hot mess, as I'm sure you'll agree. To see what I'm talking about, read more

Testers at Target — yes! After popping in the megastore during on a weekend of errand running, I checked out the latest addition to their newly boosted cosmetics section.

Just as Target's GO International line features lower-priced designer fashions, three new collections from top names in the makeup world now line the aisles. Touted as more affordable than the fancy designer counterparts, the designers include JK Jemma Kidd ($14–$36), Napoleon Perdis' NP Set ($12—$30), and Pixi Cosmetics' Pixi ($12—$39).

I'm all for one-stop shopping and bringing designers to the masses. But in this rough economy, will shoppers pay 17 bucks for mascara at Target? To see all of the loot, read more

Coming this August to a Target store near you are three, more affordable versions of designer cosmetics collections by Jemma Kidd, Pixi Cosmetics, and Napoleon Perdis. The reason for the push, according to consultant Allan Mottus, is that "Target is not doing well in mass beauty." Aside from Sonia Kashuk, a brand that they have a financial relationship with, the beauty department is not being properly maintained.

Prepare yourself to see TV, print, and online ads promoting the new brands along with in-store testers to encourage shopper interaction with the products. Each of the brands have modified their collections for the mass appeal, however they claim to remain similar to the coveted designer products.

• Jemma Kidd's line, JK Jemma Kidd has a heavy fashion inspiration with products ranging from $14 to $36.
• Napoleon Perdis' line, NP Set will consist of 85 products housed in white packaging with the phrase "What's in it for me?"
• Pixi Cosmetics' line, Pixi by Petra (Petra is the name of one of the founding sisters) stands by its good-for-your-skin angle and will sell products ranging in price from $12 to $39.

Today's foundations are so much better than what was available even five years ago. The days of masklike foundation are pretty much over, and now you can actually score shades that look like skin rather than makeup. Napoleon Perdis Light-Diffusing Makeup ($42) is one of my recent finds; it contains particles that reflect light, which helps mask imperfections. It makes my skin look eerily perfect, but it looks so natural that an esthetician recently assumed I wasn't wearing makeup. All in all, it's great for those days when you want to look a little more polished than usual.

And yet, after digging around a bit, I'm terribly disappointed at the same time. To find out why you'd be overpaying for this product, read more