American Idol Beauty

Here's the beauty breakdown of the female contestants this week:
Overall trends: Smoky eyes. Rosy cheeks and lips. And an excess of jewelry. The show's stylist was a little too generous, really piling on the accessories. Another trend that I saw tonight was matched sets of jewelry. Haven't seen that in a while. I wonder whether this trend is part of an overall fashion swing in that direction, or if it's unique to the show. I'm not sure what to make of it, but it seems a little boring and 80s to me.
Paula Abdul: I actually liked Paula's outfit this week, even though, as always, there was a lot going on. I liked the velvet jacket, the sheer print shirt, and the fabulous necklace, though she could have lost the earrings. Her hair also looked good, and not as big or bouffant-y as usual. Even her makeup was subtler than usual.
The Contestants:
Gina Glocksen: Okay, I know she's punky and rocker-ish and everything, and I guess her hair worked with that look, but I thought it was a little too black, and the red streaks didn't work for me. Way too Goth, particularly with the black outfit. More Goth than rock. But once I found out that she sang "Paint it Black" I got it. I totally got it. The look worked, from the spiky hair to the shimmery top to the skinny pants. Also loved her smoky eye makeup, especially in contrast to the soft pink lips, although the lips had faded by the end of the performance.
Melinda Doolittle: Love her. I loved the hair cut and how sleek and shiny it was, though it could have used a little more movement. But it's definitely heading in the right direction. I also loved the pretty makeup, with the sparkly eyeshadow and soft pink cheeks and lips. She looked really lovely. What I didn't like was the outfit. It's something you could have worn to the mall. It wasn't special at all. Just jeans and a rather ordinary tunic top. Again, she piled on the jewelry, like the other contestants.
Jordin Sparks: Gorgeous and all grown-up! Her hair was sleek and glossy, and even though I missed the curls, this was a refreshing change. Her makeup was also beautiful: I loved the glossy rosy lips and the rosy cheeks, and the subtle, slightly smoky eyes. Her dress was also very pretty, if not spectacular. Again, though, I felt she wore mall-ish jewelry. It looked like the jewelry came on a cardboard card in a matched set from Claire's. She needed to lose one of the three pieces. Overall, though, she was gorgeous. Love her.
Haley Scarnato: Loved her hair, with the sideswept bangs and the fun ponytail. I also thought her makeup was gorgeous, with the soft pink blush, glossy pink lipstick and the subtly shimmery eyeshadow. Also loved the outfit on her. She has great legs. One comment my husband made, that I didn't notice until he pointed it out: Those huge, heavy earrings pulled her earlobes down, making them look a little stretched out. Overall, though, she looked amazing!
LaKisha Jones: Great green dress. It really flaunted her curves and flattered her figure, and the color was gorgeous with her complexion. I also loved the sophisticated makeup, with the metallic silvery shadow on the brow, the slightly smoky eyeliner, the glowing red blush, and the glossy neutral lips. The dripping-with-diamonds effect was dramatic, if a little obvious. She really laid it on thick, with the earrings, the hair clip, the necklace, the bracelets... But can you really go wrong with diamonds? Especially $1 million dollars worth? Hated the long nails with the French manicure. Cheesy! Please don't let that come back! I also hated her hair, which was a little too greasy looking. For direction on how to wear curls, she should turn to Oprah, whose stylist does it beautifully. Her curls are always full and never creasy or overly tight. LaKisha's hair just didn't work.
Stephanie Edwards: I liked her choice of dress this week. The blue strapless was a fresh, sexy pick - and much more youthful than last week. I also loved her decision to wear boots. I've been seeing a lot of eyeshadow matched to the dress lately - it's definitely a trend. With her skintone, she can pull off the blue shadow, especially since it was paired with a subtle, burnished cheek and lip. I also loved her hair. She seems to have added a red color glaze, and the style was simple and sophisticated. She also wore long dangly earrings, in a series of hoops that fell from her ears, along with a matching necklace. I could have done with one or the other. Not both.