(Kat Von D — up close and personal)

Ever since her days on Bravo’s “Miami Ink,” I have found it hard to not be a fan of Kat Von D. Why? Because she is passionate about what she creates and breaks all stereotypes of what most of society may regard a tattoo artist to be like. She’s female, girly, gorgeous, and now – a Reality TV star turned a sought-after Hollywood celebrity.So of course when I heard about the creative merge of Sephora and the famous LA Ink tattoo artist and owner of High Voltage Tattoo – I wanted to scream (in excitement, of course!). I always thought that Kat’s makeup was fabulous and her fashion sense was shockingly cool. And now, I’m proud to say that I have three of pieces of her new collection that add a classic, yet edgy, style to what I already have in my makeup bag.

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The Kardashian sisters: You either love ‘em or hate ‘em. I, personally, think they’re great. But then again, I am addicted to Reality TV. For me, watching “Keeping Up With the Kardashians” on E! is a guilty pleasure that I embrace.

If you know who middle sister Kim is, then you are probably aware of her well-endowed backside. It has been debated if her bottom is natural, or if she had it enlarged with butt augmentation. After watching a recent episode entitled “Kim’s Calendar for Reggie,” I am leaning toward the conclusion that her rear is real.

In this installment of the show, we see Kim go in for cellulite treatment to tighten up the area around her buttocks, thighs, and stomach. Maybe it’s just me, but if I were worried about having a slender figure, there is no way I would want to make my bottom half larger with cosmetic enhancements. More »

I am not a plastic surgeon, a beauty expert, or a skincare specialist — but I do know when something does not appear healthy. And right now, I’m thinkin’ of Priscilla Presley - a current contestant on “Dancing with the Stars” (on tonight!).

Check out the new column on Your New Body Blog, featuring two Beverly Hills plastic surgeons: Dr. Stuart Linder (“BodyDocBlogger”) and Dr. Robert Kotler (“FaceDocBlogger”). It’s called Tuck N’ Stitch. And I don’t know about you, but getting insider information is always helpful when celebrity plastic surgery results are questionable!

…BUT I still think she’s pretty fabulous. Here’s a recent YouTube video featuring Elvis Presley’s love on “Dancing With The Stars” during Week 1:

 [video]http://youtube.com/watch?v=MJueOXNb_lE[/video]

Direct sales beauty companies are a time-tested cultural institution, and today, there may be one for every letter of the alphabet. From Arbonne to the soon-to-debut Votre Vu, there’s no shortage of cosmetic companies available to help women supplement income, each with their own unique niche. Even the socially-conscious company that was a personal fave in my teen years, The Body Shop, now has a party plan division called The Body Shop at Home.

For companies like Avon, Jafra, and Mary Kay, who have been household names for decades, their female-dominated history is incorporated into their mission statements. For example, Avon is “The company for women,” while Mary Kay is “Enriching women’s lives.”

But can women really succeed with an old school beauty business model? Tana Goertz, who you may remember as the runner-up on Season 3 of “The Apprentice,” says yes! A Mary Kay Independent Beauty Consultant since 2000, Tana says that her TV casting, and subsequent success as a motivational speaker and author, are absolutely related to her success within the Mary Kay company. In fact, on her Apprentice audition tape, “I walked around a car dealership, selling my basket full of Mary Kay products to the sales guys – no women – and I didn’t leave until I sold them all!” More »

After a season full of catwalks and catfights, Project Runway season four has officially finished its course. This year the finale consisted of two episodes, because they couldn’t fit all of the action into just one show.

If you remember from a few weeks ago, the judges couldn’t decide to send Chris or Rami to Bryant Park for New York Fashion Week. Their solution: let them both create collections and then select who has the right stuff to showcase their garments. So all four designers, including Christian and Jillian as well, were given $8,000 and five months to create a line concept to debut on a large scale to the fashion world. More »

This week on Project Runway, the remaining five contestants (Chris, Christian, Sweet P, Rami, and Jillian) were challenged to create an art-inspired piece. This item would be the designers’ last chance to wow the judges before the decision would be made as to who would be participating in the New York Fashion Week finale.

Meeting Tim Gunn at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the designers were told to take photos of three subjects: Greek and Roman sculptures, European paintings, and the Temple of Dendur. From all that they observed, they then selected one photo that would be their “muse.” More »

New breast implants, new music vid. What’s next for The Hills‘ Heidi Montag? Let’s hope, an Oscar-winning performance, similar to the likes of her celebutante comrads, with Spencer Pratt as her leading man;)

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hlofmmQAnY[/video]

Go ahead, comment away!

This week I am going to give you a rundown of the last two Project Runway episodes…and boy, were both shows entertaining!

So, here’s the scoop for episode 9. It was all about denim…Levi’s to be exact. Provided with rack upon rack of jeans, ranging from light to dark washes, the designers were assigned the task of creating an iconic look.

Back in the workroom, tempers flared a bit under the pressure of finishing their garments and the possibility of going home. Jillian was emotional this week, due to the fact that her fingers and the sewing machine had a few run-ins. Chris and Christian clashed. Sweet P had to create a new design, mid-challenge. And Rami stayed to himself – experimenting with zippers. More »

A hairstyle can make or break a look, and that is exactly what the designers were faced with on this week’s episode of Project Runway. In pairs of two, assigned by Tim, they were instructed to design an avant-garde piece based on the hair of their models.

This was an opportunity for the teams to create grandiose styles that were fashion-forward. That is, on the condition that they meshed well together. The pairs consisted of: Chris and Christian, Ricky and Kit, Victorya and Jillian, and Rami and Sweet P.

(Victorya and Jillian trying to decide who would relinquish control)

The first two teams seemed to complement one another, while the other collaborations proved to be a bit rocky. Victorya and Jillian had some trouble selecting which one of them would get to be the captain (they had to actually flip for it), but they eventually pulled it together. More »

I must admit: “Project Runway” always seems to amaze me with the challenges that are thrown at the designers. For example: last week’s episode. Dresses were the assignment, and the muses…high school ladies with prom fever!

(Christian is busy creating a prom dress for his muse – a self-proclaimed designer)

Heidi Klum escorted the schoolgirls onto the runway and had them select their designer of choice. After everyone was paired off, garment ideas were discussed and the action began. Most of the “models” had a good idea of the dresses that they were looking for, but were also open to the creative visions that the designers had.

Notice how I said “most.” That’s because poor Christian had been picked by a self-proclaimed designer, and an obvious diva. Her proposals were a bit over the top. C’mon who requests a train on their prom dress?!

Despite some of the “rough patches” that the dress discussions posed, including the request of a plunging neckline and back by Sweet P’s model, the designers all put everything into their pieces. Many altered the girls’ original ideas a bit, feeling that they couldn’t let a “design flaw” get them eliminated from the show.

In true Tim Gunn fashion, the designers made it work and produced elegant, yet fun, prom dresses appropriate for their teenage models. For the record I just want to say I am a little jealous, my prom dress wasn’t an original Project Runway item (I bought it at my local Windsor store).

Victorya pulled in her second challenge win on this episode while Christian and Kevin faced the chopping block (both of which are designers that I adore). The two were facing elimination for differing reasons; Christian because he didn’t produce what had been asked of him by his model, and Kevin because he didn’t finish the hem (by choice) on the bottom of his dress.Ultimately, Kevin was bid off by Heidi, and Christian was spared.

At this point of the competition things are definitely heating up. It’s almost hard to pick the designer who should be sent home. This week Kevin’s dress wasn’t bad by any means. Had he hemmed the dress, I feel that the judges really would have struggled to find the weakest garment design.

So, had this been your prom, which dress would you want to be draped in?

~ Leeann 

..Oh yeah, and the dress featured here was not the winning Project Runway dress nor the one eliminated — it was my fave designed by Kit!