Dancing With the Stars: The Beauty Breakdown

Here's my take on the looks that the ladies sported this week. I will not comment on the dancing, since I am not even remotely qualified to do so:
The Host:
Samantha Harris: Amazing dress! Love the shade of blue with her complexion. Her hair was also gorgeous, with the long dark waves and the slightly retro center part. Even though the metallic blue eyeshadow may have been a little heavy-handed, it worked because she has the skin tone to pull it off, and the rest of the makeup was really subtle.
The Stars
Leeza Gibbons: Not fond of the ballroom-esque dress, but maybe I just don't get it. Ballroom dancing, pageants, and figure skating all have the same glitz-is-good aesthetic that is just lost on me. And I would hardly call my style subtle. Anyway, it was just blah, but with sparkles. The updo was elegant and worked with the whole mood of the dance, even though I thought the chignon should have been higher on the back of her head. The way it was, it looked a little dowdy. I liked her soft makeup, though, including the white rimmed eyes that just sparkled, and the soft pink cheeks and lips. Very pretty.
Shandi Finnessey: To start, she looked like a pageant girl. Not bad, necessarily, but not great either. The hair and dress, I think, were intended to look 80s, and she achieved that. Her hair was curled and puffed and definitely had an 80s vibe, but it wasn't over the top and hideous. Her dress was also bright and flashy and tres 80s. I loved her makeup, with the brown smoky eyes and the glamorous red lips. Which proves, in reference to my earlier blog on Red Lips for Everyone, that everyone can wear red lipstick. It looked gorgeous on her. She has such a beautiful face, anyway, and a great smile.
Laila Ali: First of all, she's gorgeous. I never noticed that before. Her skin is amazing, and her features are just beautiful. I thought her hair looked lovely, with the beautiful waves and the pretty style. I thought her makeup was the prettiest of all the stars. Her eyes were just slightly smoky, and I loved the gorgeous glowing blush and the sheer nude gloss. She just glowed. Great smile, perfect teeth, just perfect. Also loved the earrings, and the dress left me breathless. It was amazing on her! Perfect color, perfect amount of sparkle, and it really flattered her figure. The downside? She should have worn some Spanx under her dress, to smooth out the tummy bulge. And I hated the long nails with the French manicure. Cheesy! Finally, her voice. She looks so ladylike until she opens her mouth, and then she sounds like a man. What a shame!
Heather Mills: Is it just me, or does she always look stuck up or pissed off or something? I really don't see what Sir Paul ever saw in her. I guess it's admirable about the prosthetic leg and all, but... Sorry, I've digressed. Her dress looked like something Cinderella would wear at the Magic Kingdom. And that's not a compliment. It was really Barbie-ish and costumey. I also didn't like the curly updo, though I know that it was intended to be a retro look so I will cut her some slack on it. I liked the pink blush and the sheer pink lips, but I would have liked to see a little more drama with the eye makeup. The yellow shadow didn't work for me. And what's up with doing pink and yellow makeup with a pink and yellow dress? That's just wrong. The pink alone would have been enough.
Paulina Porizkova: Love her! I was such a fan of hers, way back. I always thought she was the prettiest of the models. Obviously, the woman has aged well! Loved the gorgeous gown, with its vibrant shades of pink and orange. And she looked elegant, with her retro updo, deep red-orange lips and warm blush. She was blinking in a distracting way, though, which made me think that something was up with her eye makeup. Her eyeshadow looked okay, but the mascara seemed a little spiky. Overall, a nice look, but it didn't blow me away.
The Dancers:
Cheryl Burke: Love the makeup! Great sexy smoky eyes, glowing cheeks and soft sheer lips. Not sure about her shag, though. I'm especially not crazy about the way she brushes it forward, towards her face. I also found the skimpy Vegas-style costume distracting. Of course, if I had her body, I probably wouldn't wear anything.
Karina Smirnoff: How hot is this woman? She is just so gorgeous. Like Cheryl, her skin just glows, and her body is amazing. But she also has the prettiest features and the most gorgeous hair. I couldn't believe it when he pulled off her wig! What a klutz. Hated the earrings. I thought the metallic silver shadow, especially in the corner of the eyes, made her sparkle. Her skin looked amazing, as always. Loved the glowing cheeks and soft pink lips. Overall, fabulous makeup, though it's hard to make her look bad. I think she overdid it on the cleavage though. You could see the makeup that she used to shade the area between the breasts, which is a pretty standard technique, but it's should never be obvious. She looked almost aggressively sexy, and she doesn't need to try that hard because she's already there.
Kym Johnson: She makes questionable hair and makeup choices. In the intro, she had this strange 70s shag in one scene and hideous purple eyeshadow in another. Fortunately, she looked great when she was dancing. Her hair really worked for the disco number. It was very Paris-Hilton-goes-to-the-70s. Big and blonde. Too much glitter on the decolletage, but again, it went with the whole disco vibe. Her bubblegum pink lips and cheeks and sparkly shadow also worked with the look. Finally, is it just me, or was she naked?
Edyta Sliwinska: Her body is ridiculous, but I should stop saying that, because all of these dancers have amazing figures. I thought the overall pink look was fun. I am biased towards curly hair, and I thought hers looked great. Loved the hibiscus flower in the hair. The pink makeup was soft and pretty.
Elena Grinenko: Her skin was just radiant. Her bronzey blush looked a little heavy, and I think the makeup overall was heavy-handed. Too much blush, with bright lips, and dramatic eyeshadow, made it look a bit much.
Julianne Hough: Hello, Barbie. Seriously, she's adorable. She looks like a young Meg Ryan. The less makeup she wears, the prettier she looks. With her youth, she doesn't need a lot to look great. Was she going for an 80s look to go with the music? If so, I don't think she did it, but she looked great. The hair was fluffy and blonde and fun. I loved the soft, pretty makeup, with the sheer gloss, soft blush and slightly sparkly eyes. Very youthful and pretty. I think she may have been wearing false eyelashes, and if so, it worked because her eyes looked pretty.