Wow, I just got really distracted by Gwen Stefani's face:
She kind of looks weirdly like Judith Light to me here -- or, as one of our photo sources labeled her today, "Judy Light," like the editor there went to high school with her or something. I mean, she looks like Judy Light's DAUGHTER or similar, of course, not as though she is Judith Light's current age, although I'd also like to take this moment to note that I think Judith Light looks great for her age and also I love her on Ugly Betty. But -- questions regarding who may or may not be The Boss aside -- Gwen normally doesn't look the way the person in this picture looks. Is it because, without her trademark red lipstick, my brain doesn't recognize her? Like, I have no muscle memory for THIS Gwen Stefani, so I find the whole thing off-putting on a chemical, neurological level? What I'm saying is: I fear this make-up may have gone a wee awry.
But let's look below the chin and check out the rest of her get-up:
She kind of looks weirdly like Judith Light to me here -- or, as one of our photo sources labeled her today, "Judy Light," like the editor there went to high school with her or something. I mean, she looks like Judy Light's DAUGHTER or similar, of course, not as though she is Judith Light's current age, although I'd also like to take this moment to note that I think Judith Light looks great for her age and also I love her on Ugly Betty. But -- questions regarding who may or may not be The Boss aside -- Gwen normally doesn't look the way the person in this picture looks. Is it because, without her trademark red lipstick, my brain doesn't recognize her? Like, I have no muscle memory for THIS Gwen Stefani, so I find the whole thing off-putting on a chemical, neurological level? What I'm saying is: I fear this make-up may have gone a wee awry.
But let's look below the chin and check out the rest of her get-up:
Huh. Imagine that. It's kind of mullet, but I like it all the same.
That's a sentence I've NEVER EVEN THOUGHT TO MYSELF BEFORE.
I think maybe she's lost too much weight post Zuma? But I miss the red lippie too.
The top to that dress makes it look like her (normally perky and lovely) breasts are hanging down by the belt! And her hair is terrible. Overdyed and fried.
Looks like the front of her dress is caught in her underwear.
She just looks so terribly, terribly boring. Whether I love or loathe what she's wearing, she's usually so much more interesting than this.
it's a little... off. maybe if the top of the dress wasn't so droopy and she used less makeup with a bolder lip?
Love the shoes. And despite the belt, the dress looks really comfy. But it's not HER, at all.
On one hand, I'm happy to see her break out of her style routine. On the other hand, this is a little banal and ordinary for her. She looks more like herself in the full shot as opposed to the close-up. I like the dress. Iffy on the hose. I hate my legs, so I don't mind if hose make a comeback, but I'm not loving the big block of black from the waist down.
There, that is my disjointed stream-of-consciousness thought on this.
I tried to give the dress a fair go, but on close inspection it makes her look like she has enormous granny breasts which hang, pendulously, to her waist. That is never a good look.
Also miss the red lippy, although she looks nice this way, too.
Its impressive that Gwen looks so dowdy and boring wearing something which, on me, would be seriously glam.
And I never thought I'd miss someone's over-application of red lip-stick.
Oh, Gwen.
PS. The dress looks caught in her undies. NEVER a good look.
I love the shoes and accessories...but the dress looks old and droopy and her hair looks fried...and she looks like she's wearing the foundation section of the cosmetic counter at Walgreens :-(
*passes la Stefani a bowl of delicious pasta*
I must be in a good mood again today, because I kind of like it. It's very Valley of the Dolls, but who doesn't love dolls.. I want a doll I want a doll!!!!!!
But I saw another picture of her at this same event, and she looked great: not droopy, not mullett-y, no scary eye makeup. Maybe this is just not the best picture?
The hair reminds me a bit of the recent Drew Barrymore fiasco. It's not as bad, but it's close, and it ages her.
The make up is great in theory, but there is so much foundation on her face that you could probably carve your name in it with a Bowie knife and never reach skin.
The dress. Ew. It's baggy in all the wrong places and makes it look like she's replaced her boobs with a pair of eggplants. Not a good look for her or anyone. She could have actually gotten away with the overprocessed hair and overdone make up if the dress were less baggy. As for the short in front long in back thing, I don't personally like that look so I will never say anything good about it.
This picture really does remind me of Judith Light, though I doubt Judith would have ever worn something so unflattering.
On the positive side, I know that Gwen can rock the red lipstick with the best of them, but it's nice to see her real lips for once. It was getting to the point where I wasn't always sure if I was looking at her or Christina Aguilera, and that's not good for Gwen, who I feel is not only naturally prettier, but nowhere near as tacky.
She looks like a woman and not a crazy, coked out drum major with a fetish for all things Asian! It's about time. And the only reason everyone is having such a hard time with it is because it's unexpected. But it obviously is in her character because she chose it, yes? There's hope for her yet!
She's slouching. And she's curtseying.
She's slouching, thereby obliterating what little of her neck that dress left in view. WHY DO THESE YOUNG WOMEN SLOUCH???? Do they think it's cute? It ain't.
And she's curtseying. Unless there are a few private girls' schools someplace where curtseying is still required, you do not curtsey after the age of three, unless you are being introduced to a member of the Royal Family *AND* you are a British subject. This leaves grown-up Americans right out.
Two actions in one photograph, both apparently designed to make the subject look as if she thinks she's three years old, or cute, or both. She's neither.
Oh, yeah, the dress. Also cutesy. I suppose I should be grateful it isn't in sky-blue pink.
Does anyone else think she looks like Hayley Duff?
Oh shoot, she accidently tucked her skirt in her panty hose. I hate when I do that!
When I saw the picture I thought it was Janice Dickinson with blonde hair. I'm pretty sure that's not a good thing for Gwen to be emulating.
I only have one reaction to this dress "ew, granny boobs"
Here is another picture of her, and I think she looks fabulous. Love those legs!
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33380534/displaymode/1247/?beginSlide=1
I LOVE the Valley of the Dolls hair. It's very flattering on Gwen.
The makeup looks better from a distance...in the closeup, it looks like her eyeliner is running into the inner corners of her eyes. Overall, the hair and makeup are a little TOO theme-y, no? Softer makeup would make her look less 60s girl group.
Her shoes and accessories ROCK. Burn the dress.
Sorry, you will need to go to slide 6 on the MSNBC site.
Oh man! I just looked this picture up on InStyle to see if it listed how to do her eyemakeup. (I'm going retro for Halloween.) I think Gwen looks AWESOME here. Plain and Simple. Awesome.
I think nude lipstick just doesn't photograph well. I bet she looked really cute in real life.
I dont think there's anything particularly wrong here other than she is starting to look her age. SHE HAS BEEN entertaining us since early 90's. We can expect a little change from someone who is now 40. Love her!
I saw this pic and didn't recognize her, but thought whoever it was, was really pretty:
http://img2.timeinc.net/people/i/2009/startracks/091102/gwen-stefani-435.jpg
I think she sort of looks like Jaslene from ANTM, sort of very extra draggy.
I don't like the heavy eye makeup, and I think the Red Super Lips used to work for her. The dress is just too droopy everywhere. I almost like it but it needs to look less like the designer used the contents of my laundry basket as inspiration.
She looks rather much like the 1967 Head Varsity Cheerleader and HomecomingQueen after the wind and rain hit during the third quarter of the Homecoming game, deconstructing the Roni Spector beehive and shrinking the formal that Mom made of unsized crepe.
Also less like Judith Light and more like whoever the newcomer is who plays Veronica, tragic hero nurse, on the impossibly retro "Mercy."
And yet I can't improve her look, except to ask her to lift her chin and take a deep breath so she has the strength of neck to support all that liquid eye liner and Aquanet.
I thought Joan Rivers as soon as I saw the first pic - not a recent Joan Rivers, but still....
In the close-up, her eyes look like they were Photoshopped on. Quite a disturbing effect.
Its neither fugnor fab...its just kinda...eh. Her hair is fug. Her makeup looks ok. Where her lips are usually harsh, her eyes are here. but its still all very bland. With the hair and the skin and the lips all being basically the same color. I feel like someone should tell her there is a happy medium between BRIGHT RED lips and totally nude lips. But mostly I just want to brush the stiff hairspray out.
No no no no a thousand times no. ...OK. She's having fun, dressed up like a 1960s vamp housewife on her way to a suburban key party. Gwen is a musician, so she gets to be a public goof much more than most of us, even actors. Still, the overdressed, dignity-be-damned ethic is really reserved for musical performers in the spring of life, who due simply to the dumb social value we place on wrinklelessness, don't make us struggle with the guilty feeling that she should not present herself as that completely oblivious to the hard line of (still distant) mortality. Here are some basic rules around which Stefani should play:
If you're going to bleach your hair that much, and Stefani is going to do that, it's got to be short. Only barbies (issued very sparingly) can carry off the long super-bleach. The non-red lipstick, if not trademark, is an okay variation. We should not need to remind anyone to keep their face makeup in the same color as the rest of the skin that shows. Even if she is not Judith Light, Stefani is too old for that eye makeup. It's bespeaking Sad Sack here. Moreover, droopy sack tops are for flat-chested supernymphettes or babushkas with bazongas. They are monumentally unflattering to anyone with any real boobs in between. Stefani should not uncover her arms. She should continue to play up her very shapely legs--she did that right here. And finally and most importantly, Stefani should be satisfied with the wealth she and Rossdale have amassed, and return to the fun and wit of punk ska, dropping any remaining mondo-commercial bimbo diva work lined up on her schedule.
I have to say, I think you have the wrong Judith. Absent the hair, the face looks more like Judge Judy to me, than Judith Light.
No no no no a thousand times no. ...OK. She's having fun, dressed up like a 1960s vamp housewife on her way to a suburban key party. Gwen is a musician, so she gets to be a public goof much more than most of us, even actors. Still, the overdressed, dignity-be-damned ethic is really reserved for musical performers in the spring of life, who due simply to the dumb social value we place on wrinklelessness, don't make us struggle with the guilty feeling that she should not present herself as that completely oblivious to the hard line of (still distant) mortality. Here are some basic rules around which Stefani should play:
If you're going to bleach your hair that much, and Stefani is going to do that, it's got to be short. Only barbies (issued very sparingly) can carry off the long super-bleach. The non-red lipstick, if not trademark, is an okay variation. We should not need to remind anyone to keep their face makeup in the same color as the rest of the skin that shows. Even if she is not Judith Light, Stefani is too old for that eye makeup. It's bespeaking Sad Sack here. Moreover, droopy sack tops are for flat-chested supernymphettes or babushkas with bazongas. They are monumentally unflattering to anyone with any real boobs in between. Stefani should not uncover her arms. She should continue to play up her very shapely legs--she did that right here. And finally and most importantly, Stefani should be satisfied with the wealth she and Rossdale have amassed, and return to the fun and wit of punk ska, dropping any remaining mondo-commercial bimbo diva work lined up on her schedule.
Honestly, I think some Visine should be the first thing addressed here.
Gwen Stefani has a mustache and blackheads! You made my day!
Maybe it's the camera angle, but she's all chin and no neck.
Not sure the other celeb comparisons are apt. This picture could just as easily been labeled HEIDI MONTAG-PRATT, and I would have believed it. Sorry Gwen!
I think her hair is fine, in line with her usual styles, but the dress with black hose is a bad combo. Alone they're bad too, of course. Would someone here please explain, though, why her forehead makeup is so much darker than the makeup at eye level and lower? When I click the head shot, I get a huge enlargement that really shows the transition of color down the bridge of her nose. Weird. Doesn't look as weird in the far away pic, but if I was standing next to her, I would be wondering if she was auditioning for a role in Star Trek.
Wow! Does not look like Gwen at all! Her eye makeup is overdone and poorly executed. She looks tired and like she has really bad allergies and should be at home sleeping. zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
She looks like a blonde Janice Dickinson in the 1st shot and a coke hooker in the 2nd.
Is it just me or does that dress (at least in the photo) give the illusion that Gwen has no neck at all and her head has simply been inexpertly pasted onto her body?
I've tried to analyze the rest of it, but I keep getting stuck on the question of her missing body part.
I think I would be much happier with the outfit if the neckline was altered and if she would just get rid of those black pantyhose.
Did you guys watch the unfortunate second season of "Heroes"? Her eye make-up here horribly reminds me of the girl who, when upset, would seize up while her eyes turned black and oozed black tears from them. Everyone in the vicinity would then die. I guess what I'm really saying is that I don't want to be in the vicinity of this.
Her eyes scare me a little. I know she's busy and has young kids, so that probably explains the redness. Still, I wish she'd decided to take a nap and do a hot oil treatment while her husband took the kids out instead of going to whatever this event is.
I was thinking she looks a little Holly Hunter-ish. Oooh! JUDY HUNTER! Or Holly Light. Or maybe not.
Oh Judy Light! Rarely can I convey to my friends how fabulous she is on UG without their thinking I'm crazy. Who else could've starred in a horrible show with Tony Danza and done it with such panache...Angela! She kept her cool even while being harassed by her horny and hilarious mother, Mona.
Also, Vanessa Williams is equally wonderful on the show and her character is sinfully delicious.
It's not great. It's not awful. It's just very 'meh'. And of course she could stand to adjust a bit. To be honest, I expect more from Ms. Gwen. She is anything but boring.
gwen is the best!! she looks gorgeous!! you guys could never pull that off so back off!!
Her face and hair look fine. I guess that dress is for standing in at a side angle only. It probably seemed like a good idea at the time.
The makeup's actually not bad, even if she could use a lip color. It's just that her eyes look irritated in the picture. A little Visine allergy-relief should fix it! I too like the dress.
For someone always styled to within an inch of her life I'm surprised her hair is looking like it is. On the other hand, as others have commented, once in a while it's nice to see what she looks like wearing something different. And normally she never shows her legs (don't know why as they are lovely) so that's a nice change.
OMG! It's a wig, folks! Look at the crown area.
On another blog, someone left a comment that she looks like a young Phyllis Diller...totally!
The make-up is a bit frightening from up close (SURELY she doesn't need that much cover-up), but I have to say it all comes together really nicely when you zoom out. She looks super cute and the non-red lip totally works with the rest of the outfit. I say fab!
All I see is bad Skin......
I'm loving the look for the most part. Her hair and make-up look WAY better than usual. I don't mind the dress, although it would be much better if it were not longer in the back. The shoes are amazing, the way she's standing is just making them look a little awkward. And as for the tights...I could take them or leave them. But overall I think it's a good look for Gwen, much better then her old style!
i actually love the hair. the makeup, up close is a nightmare, but from a distance isn't actually that bad. the dress isn't necessarily horrible on its own, but not the most flattering on her. and that pose has to go - as another poster said, her chin looks very heidi montag here. and gwen is normally beautiful.
I was thinking she looked like Melanie Griffith
on anyone else, it would have been fine but she just looks like a mom and not the fab GWEN STEFANI! i say bring back black bra white wifebeater and that red lippy.
The close-up shot is frightening, way too much black on her eyelids!
Zoomed out, it looks fine.
I like the dress, but I'd make the skirt all one length... the front looks like it got rolled up by static from the pantyhose when she was putting it on.
People should have necks.
She looks like Holly Madison, and I'd say one Holly Madison is enough.
I think she's wearing one of those Infinity dresses (wear it 5000 different ways - but really it just looks the same).
SHE CAN DO NO WRONG. Even hot pink hair nubs.
i hate her posture. stand up straight; you're a grown woman.
Tooooo much eyeliner! It makes her look a little wierdo top heavy. But i love a little nude action on the lips for Gwen.. I think her make up artist may have had too much LSD 3 decades earlier?
The eyeliner is the problem. I wear cat-like liner like she does, and sometimes my hand slips, and I have to draw over more of my eyelid than I'd like to to even things out. It looks like that's what's happened here. And she's forgotten to remove the gunk from the corners of her eyes.
The face is killing it.....I love crepes, and other folded foods......but I don't think I am such huge fan of folded skirts. Plus, Gwennie Gwen Gwen's always been all about the glam....In addition to the eyeliner, I think her face is in desperate need of some lipstick...
Wow, you are right about the lipstick. It's really hard to recognize her without it. Even though the post had "Gwen Stefani" written all over it, I still kept thinking are you sure? She looks so different! I can't get past it, so I don't really care what she's wearing.
Is it just me or does she look like Carrie Underwood's twin here?