Beauty Icon of the Week

This weeks beauty icon is none other than Nigella Lawson! This British food writer and TV host has it all - brains, beauty, and kitchen skills. Much to her dismay, her sarcastically titled book How to Be a Domestic Goddess has permanently earned her the title's nickname. She, however, considers herself a home cook and loathes being incorrectly labeled a chef or professional. Her biggest drive is her passion for food, saying "I think what ages a face most is disappointment and a lack of enjoyment. So I try to do what I love"
In terms of beauty, Nigella radiates a sexiness that is mostly natural and partly clever enhancement. Her look is that of the low-key sex kitten. She claims to have not changed her makeup routine since the age of 17, choosing to play up her eyes and play down her lips. She has hair that falls in fat curls around her shoulders and to call her hourglass figure "curvy" seems an understatement.
To get her look, Nigella uses a variety of products. One of her favorite staples is Laura Mercier's Tinted Moisturizer in Fawn, calling it "the best stuff in the business" for making her look "natural but improved". She washes her hair only once a week with $4 Thicker Fuller Hair by Schwarzkopf. "I don't go along with this modern fad to wash it, if not every day, then every other day." she says. Nigella claims to not keep much in her handbag except Estee Lauder eyeliner pencil, Max Factor's Masterpiece Max Mascara, and Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Lip Protectant Stick. For nails she turns to a vampy shade by Butter London, called Come to Bed Red. Her favorite fragrance is Coco by Chanel.

Get Nigella's makeup look after the jump!

For Nigella's signature makeup:

• Start with a light base of tinted moisturizer. If you have problem areas and need more coverage, Nigella also uses Shiseido's Liquid Compact Foundation which goes on with a wet sponge for a natural finish.
• Contour underneath the cheekbones with a light swipe of natural brownish pink shade of blush (such as MAC Blush in Mocha).
• Fill the brows with a medium brown pencil (such as Maybelline Define-A-Brow) for a natural, arched look.
• Apply a white eye shadow (such as MAC's Gesso) on the lowest part of the eyelid, making sure not to go more than halfway up the bulbous portion of the lid. Use this to also put a highlight on the brow bone.
• Apply a brownish plum eyeshadow (such as MAC's Blackberry) to the crease of the eye, focusing on the lower portion of the crease, but being careful not to stray down into the white shade. Also, don't go too high onto the brow bone or you will look too "made-up". 
• Draw a thin line just along the top lash line with a black eyeliner pencil (such as Estee Lauder's in Onyx)
• Smudge the eyeliner with a dark blackish plum eyeshadow (such as MAC's Shadowy Lady). Use the shadow to make a very slight wing at the outer corners of the eyes.
• Curl the eyelashes with an eyelash curler. 
• Apply two coats of black mascara (such as Max Factor's Masterpiece Max Mascara) to the top lashes and one coat on the bottom lashes.
• Line lips with a nude lip liner pencil (such as Too Faced Perfect Lips Lip Liner).
• Lightly tap on a nude lipstick (such as Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipstick in Dreamy).
• Finish with a clear gloss (such as Covergirl's WetSlicks Lipgloss in Clear Radiance).

Now you are ready to be a domestic goddess...or you may just inadvertently domesticate an unwitting man with a look up through those sultry eyelashes!