It’s Friday! Here’s your weekly blogosphere round up!

Styleite has a really good, pretty thorough post on Spring nail polish trends. And they are super pretty. Makes me sad I can’t paint my finger nails.

Make up artist Carissa, who blogs at Hooked On Beauty, has a fantastic video on contouring and highlighting the face. This is not an everyday look, but great for special occasions, or for photography. Watch it all the way through–the beginning stages of the contouring and highlighting will definitely freak non-makeup addicts out.

And I am hanging with Lisa Johnson again this week, as she examines the soda industry’s new lobbying efforts towards stocking “healthier” sodas in schools.

Finally, transition into the weekend with this inspiring fitness post from Fitarella on giving your body the praise that its due.

Have a great weekend!

Louisiana-based fitness pro Joyce Cherrier (@JoyceCherrier) sent out a tweet last night that I misread (she tweeted about “vits;” figure out what I read it as). Hilarity ensued. And then I remembered how much I like her blog. You can find training tips, giveaways and, my favorite section, Mind Fitness, where she explores the psychological hurdles in committing to a workout program (one of my biggest problems). Check her out!

Beautiful With Brains has a great breakdown of antioxidants–what they are, how they work and why you need them.

Girl Gloss test drives the new MAC lip shades Viva Glam Cyndi and Viva Glam Gaga. I just love that MAC chose Cyndi Lauper is one of the spokesmodels! Some 20 plus years after Girls Just Wanna Have Fun, she still looks amazing.

My neighborhood is completely snowed under and everyone has a snow day. Snowball fights commence this afternoon! Have a great weekend!

With 80s beauty on my mind since this post, I looked up the Queen of Punk Fashion, Vivienne Westwood, who recently had her Red Label Fall 09 ready to wear show in London, to see what she was up to. And there is no better time to discuss Westwood than the kick off of  Tartan Week here in NYC.

Her Fall 09 collection was a “school girl” theme, with the usual Westwood flair. The make up and hair was a pretty modern take on the punk-era looks that Westwood and Malcom McClaren made ubiquitous in the 70s and early 80s. Some hair was in a sort of punky half up-do, other hair was left long and messy, in a just-rolled-out-of-bed look (my absolute lazy favorite).

The real story was the lips. Her makeup artist followed the prime makeup rule with bold lips and barely there eyes or vice-versa.  She used two pretty bold lip colors–a super bright pink or a dark goth chocolate.  There also appeared to be more contour to the cheeks, with a dusting of darker blush just under the cheek bone, a look I have not tried for well over a decade, and something I would be willing to if I could find the right color.

Fashion-wise, Westwood knows how to rock the tartan. Tartan heir apparent is Howie over at 21st Century Kilts in Edinburgh. If you have not seen his designs, get a ticket for  Dressed to Kilt, happening tonight. It’s a rowdy time!

You know what makes me really excited? Finding new uses for beauty items that are meant for something else.

So I just stumbled on this piece from Sunday’s NY Times about François Nars’ makeup for the Marc Jacobs Fall 09 show. (Diclosure, I love Nars’ makeup. Fuller disclosure, I have a friend who works there.)

His inspiration was the 80s punk look (yay!). Most notably, he used eyeshadow for lip color. Genius! Rich pigment, unusual (for lips anyway) colors. The makeup looks fierce.

Incidentally, the woman credited with creating that signature 80s punk look that rock icons like Debbie Harry and  Joan Jett (not to mention early MTV) made famous is the incredible makeup artist Linda Mason, who has a shop in Soho that’s totally worth a visit. I had the pleasure of meeting her at the NY Make Up Show last year, and purchased her book and two of her really gorgeous make up palettes. They cost a small fortune but the colors are hyper-saturated and are fantastic to blend together to create your own unique colors.

I  hear the collective groan around a return to 80s fashion (shoulder pads, really?), but I find the hair and makeup from that era simply awesome.  Cyndi Lauper, anyone? Can anyone think of a more colorful, vibrant, just plain fun style icon since?

NYC icon Amanda Lepore has created a new line of cosmetics
for the Chicago-based CAMP Cosmetics.

One of the most famous faces in NYC nightlife, Amanda is the
first transsexual to have her own makeup line.  The limited edition line, which consists of a lipstick,
cheek color and an eye palate, is available on CAMP’s website beginning on September
1. It will expand into CAMP’s Chicago-area retail locations in early 2009.

Check out the collection here. I love the red lipstick! The saturated red screams 1950s glam.

I see several trends emerging from the Fall 08 runways that are intriguing. The looks are either over-the-top glam-rock or fresh-and-dewy simple. The eyes seem to be the real story—with loads of artists opting for gold or black metallics on the lids. Lips are very muted, with either nude shades or pink stains.

I cannot wait to get a chance to play with some of the new colors (particularly the gold) and techniques, but here are a two of my favorite looks so far, courtesy of Style.com.

Super luxe at Oscar de la Renta. Make up by Pat McGrath. Hair by Orlando Pita. McGrath used a Cover Girl shadow palette that will be in stores in July.

Love this Sharon Tate look at Tuleh. Make up by Polly Osmond, hair by Yannick d Is for Redken.