In the midst of Fashion Month, a vacation, a birthday and what’s starting to feel like a blog explosion, I ran out of time to finish posting the series of Life With’s I worked on in LA this summer.

Next up is Molly Stern.

I’m tempted to call Molly “make-up artist to the stars,” but that doesn’t really cover it. Yes, she’s pretty much the only one who touches Reese Witherspoon’s face, but she’s also landed a gig for Cover Girl. She used to have her own clothing line, which sold in Barneys etc, she’s a mother of three and for lack of a less cheesy word, she’s one of the most inspirational women I’ve met - especially in this industry.

She got her start at the Shu Uemura store in her local mall, made fast friends with the girl who replaced her, Jillian Dempsey, moved to New York to find herself, moved back to LA when her mom set her up with the guy behind the counter at her favorite deli and only recently came to terms with working in beauty.

Click through for our meandering talk.

SNL’s Deep House Dish may have been creating a mock rivalry between ultimate icon Madonna and current talk-of-every-town GaGa, but the sketch did illustrate that there are a few requirements to being a dominating diva.

Here, four of the key elements that led to these two conquering the charts and the monde of mode:

1. Eschew pants, of course. After dedicating unlimited hours to yoga, Pilates and the Anderson Method, assets must be placed front and center.

2. Become a blonde. Both Gaga (nee Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta) and Madge (born Madonna Louise Veronica Ciccone) ditched their brunette roots years ago.

3. Lash Out. Overdone eyes are de rigueur for aspiring performers. Rumors of Madonna sporting mink lashes by Shu Uemura on her R-Invention tour spawned the company’s new Luxe line, a synthetic version featuring criss-crossed strands for a more dramatic effect. Or try applying the individual Make Up For Ever to create a customized look. And the only-at-Sephora fiber-infused Fiberwig mascara promises fluttering—and lengthened—lashes without the hassle of glue.

4. Bestie up with MJ. Duh.

Ever since I first saw the commercials (starring a now omnipresent Brooke Shields), I’ve been seriously wary about Latisse.

I love long lashes, but I just don’t know about something that needs FDA approval to make them grow. (Britt has also made her opinions on this topic very clear.) There are also a boatload of non-prescription products that claim the same lash-enhancing effect. We know lots of people who’ve used them, and apparently they work pretty darn well.

One downside I never even thought about until yesterday is that these products will also grow hair where you don’t want it.

Growing up, there was one beauty rule that was always drilled into my head: stay away from oils. As someone prone to horrible breakouts, I thought greasy liquids were a death sentence for my skin and something I stayed as far away from as possible.

Fast forward to two years ago when I finally got over my fear and first tried the Shu Uemura Cleansing Oils. The slippery feel of it on my skin weirded me out, but once I forced myself to stick to it I found that it was unparalleled at removing makeup and helped my skin look better.

Now I use oils for everything. I cleanse off heavy eye makeup with the Shu Uemura Fresh Cleansing Oil (the new limited edition bottles by Manga artist Moyoco Anno are gorgeous btw) and I moisturize with the luxe Sponge Ladi Avokanto. I swear my skin glows and there’s not a zit in sight.

But it’s not just my face that benefits from the deluge — I’ve been experimenting with body oils as well. Kiehl’s Superbly Restorative Argan Body Cleansing Oil is fab, although it does take a little bit of time getting used to the lack of lather and how liquid-y it is. I also just started using the new Bamford Organic Nourishing Body Oil on my legs and I swear they’ve never looked healthier. And you won’t end up looking like Gwyneth on The Tonight Show.

I think oils get a bad rap and many women are still too scared to try them out. Are you an oil-phile or do you steer clear of the slippery stuff?

—MEGAN MCINTYRE

To: tips@fashionista.com

From: curly@q.com

Hi Fashionista,

I posted this as a comment, but perhaps you can make it a post on the site?

I’m not sure if you’ve covered this before, but I was wondering if you have any recommendations for a good eyelash curler? I desperately need a new one. I’ve used Sheseido and Shu Uemura in the past, but are there superior brands I’m overlooking?

Your help is appreciated.

Thanks!

Well, we haven’t used a curler that wasn’t Shu in many years, so honestly, we don’t know, but we’re guessing our readers do! So act merry, and go to it - please.

Looks like Alexander Wang isn’t done with breaking into new markets after his shoe collection for Spring:

We just heard that he’s branching into makeup for none other than Shu Uemura! No word on exactly when the line comes out, but the deal is definitely done - he even has his shade names picked out.

We can’t wait to see what his take on the best lipstick to go with black leather is, and we have a feeling nobody else can either.

Because wouldn’t you want to wear an eyeshadow called something like “Tough Chic”? Yes.

Update: Alex’s reps say the collaboration isn’t true, but, you know…