The Cullens come in together, minus Kellan Lutz, who plays Emmett and was mis-cast in my opinion so I’m not much missing his presence. The remainder is here: Peter Facinelli, who is chatty and loves to answer questions; next to him is Nikki Reed, who surpasses her blonde character Rosalie in the looks department; then Elizabeth Reaser (again, why is she in this); Jackson Rathbone, also much cuter in person than as a vampire; and Ashley Greene, who whispered with Jackson during the interview.

Ashley’s hair is newly lightened. “I randomly get these bugs and I haven’t had my hair light since I was 14 and I was at the salon and just did it.” And what about her outfit today? “Stella McCartney.” She said she’ll also pick a British designer for the UK premiere. Elizabeth, wearing Etro, said, “I finally broke down and got a stylist, which was the smartest thing I could’ve done — I have no innate fashion sense.” Nikki, also in an Etro dress, said, “I like clothes and like when people direct me and tell me what to wear.”

The fashion isn’t just left to the girls. Peter droned on about how he thought Carlisle Cullen should wear scarves in the movies and if you watch, there are some symbolic moments with the scarf in Eclipse.

What helps the other Cullens get into character? Nikki: “There’s such a physical transformation that I go through—I have to put on a wig and it takes quite a few hours. We all have to spray paint our entire bodies. We get there at 4:00 in the morning and four hours later you wake up and you’re a different person.”

Elizabeth: “Being on location in these forests and the weather and you’re dropped into the world.”

Jackson: “I start with the boots and get the walk right and I’m good. Yah the boots.”

Ashley: “Contacts, wig, white makeup. Alice’s voice is higher than mine and she moves differently than me. That coupled with the four hours in the chair has an impact and being surrounded by other vampires.”

Taylor Lautner is confident in front of a crowd but he also comes off as less sincere than Kristen Stewart or Robert Pattinson. He doesn’t seem to mind the attention or compliments about his body. Does he ever crave junk food? “Occastionally you really want some ice cream. When you have a photo shoot you have to stay strong and cut it out.” Such control for a teen. Does he have a guilty pleasure? “American Idol. I haven’t missed an episode in eight, nine years. I can’t believe I just said that. I can’t sing. Maybe that’s why I like watching it–because I know there’s no way I could do that.”

He finally gets some scenes with Robert/Edward in Eclipse. How was that? “Usually I have to hate him in the scenes and it’s difficult — he’s such a funny, nice guy.” Are they friends? Yes. “It means everything. I can’t imagine filming this franchise if the whole cast weren’t such close friends. Rob and Kristen and myself are close friends. You can be honest and open with each other. And when we hang out on the weekends, it’s great, they’re incredible people–very talented. We will maintain friendship past this franchise.”

Weirdest fan encounter? “I wouldn’t say they’re weird, but they’re definitely passionate. I was just in Australia and we’re at a big fan event and I was walking down the line on the red carpet; fans like to hold out their arms and this arm had a wolf pack tattoo. And she asked me to sign underneath it.” The next day he heard that she had his signature permanently added to the tattoo. Can he go out in public? “Definitely. It’s a matter of choosing where you go and when you go. A mall, probably not; a movie, probably not. I have my hangouts and restaurants.

What on-set item holds the most significance? “Probably those little jean shorts. I’m going to miss those shorts.”

Aside from chatting with the actors and actresses, I wanted to see the fashion and the beauty–because you don’t get a carpet (this one was black rather than red) full of such pretty young things this often! Here were the major fashion and beauty trends from the Eclipse black carpet:

SHORT. And I mean short. Elizabeth Reaser’s Zuhair Murad dress barely fell below her toosh. Kristen Stewart also went short in one-sleeve Elie Saab (and looked fantastic). Model Marissa Miller showed some leg in a custom-made Anna Sui dress, and it was all about short Marchesa for Julia Jones, Nikki Reed and Anna Kendrick.

BEST DRESSED It was a toss up between Julia Jones (in Marchesa) and Bryce Dallas Howard (in Dior). Julia said, “I chose the dress for the color and the cut. It’s like wearing art.” And Bryce explained her choice, “It’s summer and I wanted to wear something that was like lemonade.”

LIPS Bryce also made a statement with her bright fuchsia lips that looked amazing with her pale skin and red hair and made her eyes pop that much more. Jennie Garth went for a bold orange-y red lip. But the rest were very neutral: Nikki Reed wore a soft pink, Anna Kendrick, Lilly Collins, Ashley Greene and AnnaLynne McCord all went with nude lips.

BLACK Between the Kardashians all in black, Elizabeth Reaser, Christian Serratos (who plays Angela) in one-of-a-kind Dolce & Gabbana, it was black on the black carpet. Who wasn’t in black? Robert Pattinson, who said he wanted to mix it up by wearing a rust colored suit.

PLATFORMS Everyone was in closed-toe platforms, usually in the form of Christian Louboutins. Kristen Stewart told me hers were killing her and she wasn’t sure how long she could make it in them.

FAUX PAS. My two “what were they thinking” awards go to Evan Lysacek, who wore WAY too much bling for one man (watch, diamond ring, lapel, necklace) and Jennifer Love Hewitt, who wore rainbow-colored strands in her hair. J-Love: you are 31 years old. Enough.

See the images here.

Kristen Stewart shares cars with her family—a Toyota Tacoma and a Mini Cooper, which she calls “a little flashy” for her taste.  For this press conference she’s dressed in a pale gray, light-weight, scoop-neck sweater, tight-fitting dark jeans and very high black heels.

Does she worry that Bella Swan will define her career? “This is a unique situation—I get to play her for a really long time. I feel sad after I lose a character after a short shoot, which is typically six weeks and what I’m used to. It’s the one role that has put me in this epic position—it doesn’t matter if you’re doing a studio movie or an independent movie, I really don’t think about my career and planning it out. This is a part I really wanted to play.” How stoked is she for the next movie, Breaking Dawn? “I can’t wait to see Renesme and have a kid and get married.” Has she thought about what Bella’s wedding dress should look like? “Stephanie [Meyer, the author] is in charge of that and I’m sure she has specific ideas. I feel like Bella would want something classic and beautiful, but simple. It would be cream and classic–the idea of what a wedding dress is. She doesn’t want to get married and since it means so much to Edward, she’ll give him everything. It’ll be a beautiful, monumental wedding because he wants it so badly. It’s cute because it’s usually the other way around.”

Does she herself believe in marriage? “Sure, yah, whatever you want to do. I’m not ready to get married. And I have a great family and I’d like that too some day.”

I love Kristen Stewart. She gets picked on for being awkward in the media, but she’s utterly relatable and beautiful to boot. You can tell that she wants to say something profound and ends up tripping over her words, much like she tends to physically trip in public, and that is charming. She’s flawed and it’s a shame that people see that as a negative—I think it’s one of her endearing traits.

Check back tomorrow for more Twilight!

He talked a bit about upcoming projects other than Water for Elephants, including Bel Ami: “It’s about a broke ex-soldier and he has no drive, he’s just jealous of everything. It’s like kids these days–everyone’s entitled. He’s completely talentless. He finds this guy in the army in a brothel. And he seduces all these women and ends up screwing over the entire society. It was really fun–it’s a completely amoral character. It’s about how the shits can win sometimes.”

RPatz fans know that he’s a musician (guitar, piano, composing) and had two songs on the Twilight soundtrack. Does he still find time to play? “I’ve always been playing around. As for the soundtracks, it was nice to be involved in the first one and I just saw Twilight on TV for the first time” – that’s right, he’d never seen the movie before! – “and my song came on and it’s so bizarre that I have a song in the movie. I’m amazed Catherine [Hardwicke, the director] did it.”

Does Robert own a car? Nope. “I don’t have a car. I drive rental cars.”

(Got it–I’ll keep an eye out for a Hertz outside to pick me up for our date!)

Check back tomorrow for more on Twilight, as we get ready for the premiere on Thursday and the movie’s release on the 30^th!

A performer at the X-Box Project Natal Experience

When I arrived at the launch for the new X-Box Natal reveal last night, I was handed a white satin poncho with large shoulder pads and told to put it on, as was everyone else. In the auditorium where we congregated, it looked like some sort of cult gathering with Cirque de Soleil cavemen performing. (We made half-serious jokes about being gathered in and slaughtered…) And then the over-the-top, very elaborate show began. A baby-size elephant (fake, but large nonetheless), dramatic dancing, and a symbolic escalation to the new X-Box kicked things off. Then a family played with the new machine, which is called Kinect, to demonstrate some of the games. The coolest part of the technology of this game machine is that you are the “player” on the screen—a camera senses your motions and translates them on-screen, so if you’re playing a track and field game, you actually run in place and leap over hurdles for your character. Or there’s a dance contest, a rafting adventure, Star Wars (and you play a Luke character with light saber in tow) and a driving game. Or you can do yoga with an instructor and the machine senses and modifies your form if need be. So basically the technology is new and very cool and the games are meant to be very interactive. While they showed a family playing, I can definitely see 20 and 30-somethings having friends over for drinks and Kinect.

Celebrities came out in force to see the display: Billy Crystal, Mad Men’s Christina Hendricks, Rosario Dawson, Ryan Phillipe, Michael Cera and Jack Osbourne were a few faces in the crowd. Oh and the purpose of the poncho? The shoulders glowed under a blue-light so that we were all immersed as an element in the performance—we were all Kinected.

Can you briefly tell us how Carboxytherapy works and the benefits of it?

Carboxytherapy is a procedure whereby an extremely small needle containing carbon dioxide is injected into the skin and the fat layer beneath the skin.  The presence of carbon dioxide in the tissue stimulates a number of cellular and chemical reactions.  These include increased vasodilation (dilation of the blood vessels), which causes more blood flow and more oxygen flow to the area.  The increased blood flow stimulates collagen production and breaks up fat cells which results in skin tightening and skin color improvement.

It’s been popular in South America and France for years—why is it just now getting to the US?
Unfortunately, the United States is usually behind other countries when it comes to using or trying new devices and products due to tougher FDA regulations and requirements. But, there are a number of doctors who are now offering the procedure here in the US.

Where (on the body) is it most commonly used?
It’s most commonly used under the eyes to reduce the appearance of dark circles, in the lower extremities for cellulite reduction, in the abdomen to minimize stretch marks, and can be used in conjunction with mesotherapy treatments on other areas of the body where a patient wants to reduce fat.

Walk us through the process of what happens?

A small needle containing carbon dioxide is injected into the skin or the tissue beneath the skin. There is a small amount of discomfort due to the expansion of the tissue when the gas is infused. The injection lasts about 3-5 seconds.  The total procedure time depends on the number of areas that need to be treated.  The patient is awake during the process.

What’s the healing process like?
There is a small chance of swelling and bruising that takes 1-3 days to resolve for most patients.

What can you expect before and after? Is there upkeep you need to do?
Results are a little slow. Normally, it will take a few days for patients to notice a difference. And, for optimum results, it’s typically recommended that a patient get a few treatments. Unfortunately, our bodies are constantly changing due to aging, the weather, lifestyle, smoking habits, diet, genetics, etc., so yes, future treatments are needed for maintenance.

What’s the cost?
Based on the number of areas treated, the cost can vary from $300 to $600 a session.

Who’s the prime candidate for this procedure?
Really anyone is a candidate for the procedure as long as they have areas of loose skin, or severe wrinkling.

What are the downsides of carboxytherapy?
This is a great treatment because the downsides are minimal.  Other than the need for future treatments, slight discomfort, and the possibility of small bruising, there are not many downsides to the procedure. Patients report being very happy, and they like that it’s natural.

Dry Bar

Hair: I get my hair cut and colored by Malcolm at the Beverly Hills Color Bar. My friends who get extensions see Stevy there and swear by her faux locks.  A slew of my friends also go there because they get great cuts and color for a very reasonable price. For blow-outs, I love Dry Bar in Brentwood—it’s $35 for a blowout and that’s all they do there. The last time I had a blow out there, someone asked me if I was wearing extensions because my hair looked so perfect. That’s reason enough for me to go back.

Hair Removal: I’m all about the sugaring, so I head to Studio Alexandria, also in Brentwood, to get myself de-fuzzed.

Brows: Anastasia in Brentwood. If Victoria Beckham and Jennifer Garner get them done there, it has to be good, right?

Spray Tan: I have tried a bunch and love Infinity Sun (I’m obsessed, I tell you!)—you can use their machines at Sunset Tan.

Recess

Nails: Well, it’s hard to beat my local place that’s $20 for mani/pedi (and it’s clean!), but if you want to go somewhere a little more upscale AND eco-conscious, try Recess in West Hollywood.

Massage: I go to Carino in West Hollywood (Johnny’s phenomenal and affordable—my two favorite words) as my regular place. But recently I’ve had amazing massages at Carasoin in West Hollywood and Murad in Manhattan Beach.

Naturopath Beauty: The Organic Pharmacy in Beverly Hills. They do amazing readings of your body and recommend homeopathic remedies, including a detox to cleanse your body of toxic build-up.

Facials: Thibiant is pretty luxurious—it’s a medi-spa as well, so you can get injectables there as well (but I can’t speak of that first hand). Murad in Manhattan Beach also does an amazing job.

Makeup Application: Stevi Christine at Kate Somerville—she uses airbrush foundation and always has a knack for making people look amazing without overdoing it. She’s also amazing with brows.

Joe Jonas picking up Dearfoams Slippers

Yesterday was a busy one—first I stopped by the Montage in Beverly Hills for the Kari Feinstein gifting suite to celebrate the MTV Movie Awards. Nicky Hilton stopped by Infinity Sun (me too!) to pick up some products, including their amazing self tanner. (Her sister Paris actually has the spray tan machine at home!) I toured around at the same time as Joe Jonas, who was very appreciative of each goody he was gifted. Other brands represented were Montage Hotel, Cesar Canine Cuisine, V-Moda, Super Dry, Infinity Sun, Dearfoams, Capella Pedregal, Mitchell & Ness, Retro Sport, Paleta, Britax, Zico, Vivitar, Sweet Lucie’s Ice Cream, The One Group, Nature Babycare, Dr. Loretta Skincare, Yogen Fruz, dekkori, Jewels by Park Lane, Isagenix, Kamal Letterpress, Nail Garden, Preferred Group Inc., All Star Travel, Vivitar, Happy Joy Sticks, Tres Glam, Sedona Rouge Hotel and much more.

Next stop: Saks Fifth Avenue in Beverly Hills for a La Mer event. (I’m a La Mer addict, btw.) Keri Selig and Oceana Board Chair Keith Addis hosted the event. Oceana’s mission is to protect the world’s oceans, so they partnered with La Mer (who is donating proceeds) and created the limited edition blue Crème de la Mer to celebrate World Oceans Day.

Then I cruised over to West Hollywood to the SLS Hotel for another gifting lounge, where I heard about Mesoesoteric skincare, which has drinkable collagen(!) and picked up some adorable doggy socks for my cat and some Body Shop products (for my mom, who loves Body Shop!), including their new deodorant.

Then I met friends at Animal restaurant on Fairfax for a VERY filling meal and some sparkling pinot noir, which is now my newest obsession.