Pulse, the new fragrance, by Beyoncé (coming this Fall)

With a new album, 4, on the brink of release, and a European tour starting next week, one would think Beyoncé’s metallic-Minx’d hands are too full to juggle anything else, but she’s been hard at work on another number: three, as in her third fragrance.

“Women always tell me that my music makes them feel strong and confident, and Pulse is about finding that inner power,” the singer, a 16-time Grammy winning, Golden Globe nominated actress, said about her newest creation, Pulse, a floral citrus scent hitting stores in September. ELLE got the exclusive scoop on the juice, its fierce ad campaign and what gets the megastar’s pulse racing.

ELLE: Your first fragrance, Heat, was a huge success. Did you feel any pressure following that up?
BK: I didn’t. The success of Heat was amazing, but why not represent a different side of a woman? Pulse represents the woman I am on stage. When I think about excitement, it makes me think about my heart racing and a pulsating beat­—it’s my stage persona. Heat represents my sensual side, it’s very spicy and Southern. Heat Rush is more about the woman I am on my off time, when I’m on vacation.

ELLE: You’ve been performing your whole life. Does your heart really still race when you get on stage?
BK: Performing at the Billboard Music Awards and on the Oprah farewell show made me so nervous! My heart was pounding out of my chest. But it’s amazing how that nervousness never goes away—it’s my natural response to something exciting and fresh and inspiring. It’s just like when you’re in a relationship. It’s not good when your pulse stops racing. That means you’ve got to spice it up.

ELLE: Why an upside down bottle?
BK: I wanted something modern that incorporated fashion into the overall design, so my stage costumes inspired the upside down chrome cap of the bottle.

ELLE: Are you often inspired by fashion?
BK: I’m inspired by a lot of different designers, but I haven’t bought couture pieces since my last vacation eight or nine months ago. I spent so much money on them, but didn’t wear them at the right time, so now I see other people in magazines wearing them first! Lately I’ve been shopping at Topshop and more affordable places—they have really cute things!

ELLE: After creating four solo albums and three fragrances, have you found any similarities between music and perfume?
BK: I’m learning that they’re very similar! Figuring out the ingredients in a fragrance that complement each other is no different than trying to figure out the combination of melody and lyrics for a song—it’s just as difficult. Both are something that take a lot of hard work. You need to have a strong opinion and know exactly what you want. I use my instincts from writing songs and coming up with videos—all of the things that have developed my taste level—and apply them toward making a fragrance.

ELLE: Like many of your songs, the single “Run the World (Girls)” is an anthem for female empowerment. Do scents ever make you feel empowered?
BK: Fragrance is such an important accessory! I feel incomplete when I don’t have my fragrance on; it’s like putting on your stilettos. When you feel good, when you look good, when you smell good, when you’re fresh, it makes you feel so confident. You feel that much more sexy when you know that you’re going to leave a lasting impression.

http://fashion.elle.com/beauty/2011/06/15/elle-exclusive-beyonces-new-scent/




Beauty Insider: Beyoncé Shares Her Beauty Secrets
She’s as famous for her ever-changing looks as she is for being a workaholic singer, actress, and all-around superstar. Here, some of her secrets to staying fierce
By April Long | June 14, 2010
Print


See the Slideshow The last rays of afternoon sun are streaming through the window of a Manhattan loft where Beyoncé Knowles sits resplendent in a sleeveless sapphire blue dress and stilettos sharper than ice picks. Despite an epically hectic past few months in which she’s scooped up six Grammy Awards; launched her spicy-sweet debut fragrance, Beyoncé Heat, with a late-night party inNew York (it has since broken sales records for celebrity scents); and wrapped up her yearlong “I Am…” tour, the superstar shows not a hint of wear and tear. “I’m running on adrenaline!” she says, her voice honeyed with a surprisingly strong Texas drawl. “I’m too happy to feel tired.”

As a 16-time Grammy winner, a Golden Globe–nominated actress, a House of Deréon fashion muse, a perfume-brand powerhouse, and the woman who got Jay-Z to put a ring on it, Beyoncé has racked up almost too many accomplishments to tally since first rising to fame with Destiny’s Child more than a decade ago. Whether elegantly serenading the Obamas on Inauguration Night while flashing gunmetal Minx nails, stomping across the stage as bouffant-hairdo-and-Thierry Mugler-sporting alter ego Sasha Fierce on her stadium-wowing megatours, or vamping it up in black lipstick alongside Lady Gaga in the recent “Telephone” video, she’s a bona fide beauty icon who always manages to balance knockout sex appeal with good-girl charm. It’s therefore something of a relief to discover that when the superbusy star finally does get some sleep, she’ll be slipping under the covers with Aquaphor smeared on her face. “I go to bed looking totally greasy,” Beyoncé says, laughing. “It’s not all glamour all the time.”

Are there similarities between music and perfume?
When I write songs, I want them to be sensual and sexy, so women can go out on the dance floor and feel free and strong—like they can say whatever they want to say, especially to the opposite sex. And that’s what I wanted Heat to do too. You feel more confident when you’re wearing a fragrance you love.

Any anti-fatigue beauty tricks?
I always keep a pair of Ray-Bans handy! And sometimes I put a little gold eye shadow in the inner corners of my eyes—it’s more subtle than white, but it still really makes you look more awake.

What do you use to give your body skin that velvety sheen?
I layer on bronzers for public appearances. I love L’Oréal Paris Sublime Bronze One Day gel, which you can just get at Walmart, and Scott Barnes Body Bling is also great.

You do your own makeup for performances. Why not use a makeup artist?
It’s a way of getting into the zone—it’s part of becoming Sasha Fierce. I’m able to sit down for an hour and play around with makeup, which I find really relaxing and fun. Before a tour, I have my makeup artist design a look for me—she draws it on paper to show me where to put everything.

How important is hair and makeup for getting into film roles?
Very. Especially playing Etta James in Cadillac Records—once I put on that blond wig and those thick eyebrows, I felt much more natural in her skin. That’s one of the things I love about makeup: You can change your whole attitude just by doing your eyeliner or lipstick differently.

What are some of your staple red-carpet tricks?
I use a makeup primer, and then I use a lot of powder to keep everything in place. I usually go for a waterproof mascara, or a strip of false lashes when I’m onstage, so I won’t get smudgy. And I love L’Oréal Paris Elnett hairspray—it holds like nothing else.

Your mom owned a hair salon when you were growing up. Did you try out a lot of styles?
Oh, yeah. I’m sure it was scary for her because I was always messing with my hair when I was a kid. One of the worst things I did was cut my ponytails off. I saw my mom doing extensions, so I thought she’d be able to put them back on. Thankfully I had separated my hair into quarters and I only cut off the front two ponytails. Afterward I had to have really thick bangs for a while.

Did it make you more fearless about experimenting as an adult?
Definitely. I’m still always doing something to my hair—cutting layers, or bleaching it, or taking it upon myself to copy fashionable hairstyles without knowing the necessary techniques. A couple of weeks ago, I cut my own bangs and put highlights in the front. When my stylist saw me, she was like, “What did you do?!” I did a pretty good job, but she still had to fix it. We’re always joking that I’m a frustrated hairdresser.

How often do you exercise?
I’ve never been all that consistent. If I’m onstage doing a performance for two and a half hours, I don’t really think I need to do anything else. So when I’m on tour, I let it slide. But I just started working out at the Tracy Anderson gym. It’s hard work!

Tracy Anderson is known for reshaping people’s bodies. Is that what you want?
Not really; I’m pretty happy. I want to get my arms a bit leaner, but other than that, it’s just maintenance.

Do you follow a specific diet?
Well, I don’t eat pasta every day. I’m not trying to lose or gain weight, but I do have to work out and watch what I eat. I’m not someone who can go crazy. I’ll usually have cereal for breakfast and a salad for lunch and a light dinner, and then on Sundays I’ll allow myself to have whatever I want.

You famously did the Master Cleanse for your role in Dreamgirls . Would you ever do it again?
Never. I did it to lose weight really fast, but it wasn’t fun. There are healthier ways to lose weight—I wouldn’t recommend it.

We Recommend Weight in Hollywood: Is the Trend Changing? (ELLE.com - Hair & Beauty) Strawberry Surge: Red Hair Color (ELLE.com - Hair & Beauty) Jessica Biel’s Workout and Beauty Secrets (ELLE.com - Hair & Beauty) Hustle and Glow: Brightening Tips (ELLE.com - Hair & Beauty)
[?]

Beyonce on ET tonight at 7:30 (live stream link)

watch the live stream here

UPDATED: Beyonce Covers L'Uomo Vogue July 2011 Issue (NEW PICS)

On the cover. Beyonce. Jacket, shirt and bow tie, Dior Homme; shorts Acne, NY Vintage cylinder; Tom Ford shoes. Fashion editor Rushka Bergman. Photo by Francesco Carrozzini.

Beyoncé: Fierce, Fearless, Female

Beyoncé on the power of fashion and the seven looks that shaped her career.

By Lynn Hirschberg
Photographs by Patrick Demarchelier
Styled by Alex White

July 2011

Beyoncé wears Louis Vuitton’s silk top, cashmere shorts, hat, and mask; Givenchy by Riccardo Tisci’s silk satin bra. Lorraine Schwartz’s earrings, ­David Yurman’s ring.

“When I sing a song,” Beyoncé Knowles said, as her car went from the photo studio to the recording studio, where she was deciding the final cuts for her new album, “I definitely have the image for the video in my mind. I kind of hear the choreography that will be in the video, and I can see how I’ll look, even before anyone—the record company, the director—has heard the song.” Beyoncé, who was speaking to me by phone, was interrupted. Her life in the last month, judging by the weeks of delays and canceled dates before our phone conversation could, at long last, take place, was a jam-packed series of planned and unplanned activities: photo shoots for the covers of magazines; a video shoot for the new single “Run the World (Girls)”; glam appearances at events like the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute gala, where she was booed for not spending enough time on the red carpet. “My friend is coming over to the car with her baby,” Beyoncé told me now. “I don’t want to be rude.” I agreed to be put on hold. The line went dead. “I’m so sorry,” Beyoncé said, when she called back 10 minutes later. “That was a first for me. I’m sure it was for you, too.” She laughed softly.

Frankly, I was prepared to be annoyed (our interview was set for 4:00, and it was now 7:30; I’d been staring at the phone for hours), but Beyoncé, who has a mix of inten­sity and girlish Southern charm (she grew up in Texas), is instantly compelling. During her 18-year ­career, which began when she was 12 years old with ­Destiny’s Child, she has hardly been out of the spotlight, and yet she has the zeal and drive of a beginner with something to prove. “I wanted this record to come from a raw place,” Beyoncé continued. “Playing Etta James in the movie ­Cadillac Records really changed me. It was a darker character, and I realized that if anything is too comfortable, I want to run from it. It’s no fun being safe.”

Beyoncé’s little-seen performance as James was remark­able—she was no longer the perfect Beyoncé. As James, who sang the blues and was addicted to drugs, she was complex and haunted. That performance may have inspired Clint Eastwood to cast her in his soon-to-be-filmed adaptation of A Star Is Born, in which she will play a singer on the rise who falls in love with a famous ­actor in decline. “Oh, my God,” Beyoncé exclaimed. “That scares me the most.”

Before that movie starts filming, there’s the new ­album to finish. On the six tracks I heard, the beats are more jagged and deeper than on previous albums. In one song she berates an ex-lover (“It sucks to be you right now”), and in another, celebrates losing a not-good-enough man (“Thank God you blew it/Thank God I dodged a bullet”). Her voice has more rasp, more raunch, but there’s also an instant-classic power ballad that swells with ­female empowerment. “The fans have named the album 4,” ­Beyoncé explained. “And four is my favorite number. It’s an important number in my life: the date of my birthday, my mom’s birthday, my husband’s birthday, the day I got married. Barack Obama is the 44th president, and I performed ‘At Last’ by Etta James at his inauguration.”

In honor of that fourth solo album, we asked ­Beyoncé to pick some images from her post–Destiny’s Child career that illustrate her ever evolving persona. “All these images have something in common,” Beyoncé said. “In my videos I always want to be a powerful woman. That’s my mission.”

Hair by Kimberly Kimble for Margaret Maldonado; makeup by Francesca Tolot for Cloutier Remix/Dior Beauty; manicure by Lisa Logan for S. Murray Management. Fashion: Louis Vuitton’s silk top, cashmere shorts, hat, and mask; Givenchy by Riccardo Tisci’s silk satin bra. Lorraine Schwartz’s earrings, ­David Yurman’s ring. Beauty: L’Oréal Paris Magic Smooth Soufflé makeup in Classic Tan; Studio Secrets Professional The One Sweep Sculpting Blush Duo in Poppy; HiP Concentrated Shadow Duo in Mischief; Voluminous Million Lashes mascara in Black; Infallible Le Rouge Lipstick in Perpetual Peach.

The artist comments on the seven looks that shaped her career.


1.


“Crazy in Love” (2003)

“I had just turned 21, and this was my first solo video. I wanted to be a female version of James Dean and wear an iconic white T-shirt and jean shorts. I always think about wearing something a fan could buy and make her own; as a young girl I remember seeing so many artists, and then I’d try to dress like them. I sewed zippers on my jackets to be like Michael Jackson.

I’m wearing red pumps in the video. As a child I trained myself to dance in very high heels. At 13, in Destiny’s Child, we were told to wear heels, but at first we couldn’t walk in them. We couldn’t keep our knees straight. But we learned, and that became the image of Destiny’s Child: so young and so glamorous. Now I have a rule that my dancers have to wear their heels when I’m wearing my heels. They say, ‘Please take your shoes off, Beyoncé.’ At home, I’m always barefoot. And I have a heavy walk without heels. When they hear me thumping through the house, they say, ‘Oh—Beyoncé’s up!’”



2.


“DEjA Vu” (2006)

“We shot this in New Orleans right after Hurricane Katrina, and the choreography was almost tribal in my mind. There’s something spiritual about Louisiana, where my family is from, and I thought of Josephine Baker. She had a way of dancing that was almost possessed. I used her as a reference and combined her with Brigitte Bardot. My hair, the bustier: It’s very Bardot. I love to mix things that you wouldn’t put together—like Baker and Bardot. They both had that French influence, which is really strong in Louisiana.”



3.


Sasha Fierce album art (2008)

“I’m wearing a gold-plate breastplate by José Barrera. It was difficult to put my arms down, which is why they are up in the picture. The gold handpiece was made for me—it’s kind of like my futuristic Michael Jackson glove.

Sasha Fierce was born during the ‘Crazy in Love’ video. I’m naturally a shy person, and I was used to performing in a group, where it’s about female camaraderie—we were all going through the same things at the same time. As Sasha Fierce, I was on my own. It was about letting go, about showing my sensuality in a new way: I became Sasha Fierce.”



4.


“Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)” (2008)

“My mom made the one-shouldered bodysuits the night before the video. Again, I wanted to wear something that any fan could wear. I’m obsessed with Bob Fosse, and I always saw the look of this video as very simple, very Fosse-inspired. It was one of the hottest days on record in New York, and we didn’t know it at the time, but we were shooting in an old porn studio. I began to get suspicious because every dressing room had a theme. I was in the jungle room, and I realized they had made a porno in there. There was no air-conditioning in the studio and that added to the drama—we were shiny and sweaty.”



5.


“Telephone” (with Lady Gaga) (2010)

“Gaga is my girl! I’m her biggest fan. When I first saw her perform, I actually called her and said, ‘You are great!’ That was before her popularity hit, and we had a natural connection. Later, she asked me to do her video, and I said, ‘I trust you, Gaga. I’ll do whatever you want me to do.’ I played a bad, bad girl. When I put on the Bettie Page wig, I got into the character. I started researching Bettie Page and tried to channel her pinups and poses. The video ended up being very much like Quentin Tarantino’s movies. He gave us his blessing, even loaned us the car with pussy wagon written on the side from Kill Bill. My mom said, ‘Do you have to use that car?’”



6.


“Why Don’t You Love Me” (2010)

“I was still thinking about Bettie Page, and wanted to do something that was inspired by her. This video was a secret: I paid for and codirected it and didn’t tell my label or my management. The clothes and jewelry are from my closet, the wigs are mine, and I did my own makeup. We did eight looks in one day in this great house that belonged to a producer who worked with Dorothy Dandridge. He had pictures of her on the wall, so her spirit is in the video, too. I love Super 8 film and wanted to get those saturated colors. It’s a different drama—the tears and martinis and cigarettes. I wanted to channel the past for the present.”



7.


“Run the World (Girls)” (2011)

“This is the power stand, the next chapter of my life. I do this job because it makes me high and inspires people. In the video, most of all I wanted to show that I’m proud to be a woman. I had read about powerful African men who have hyenas as pets, and I wanted to create a world where women run the world, so in the video I have these hyenas as pets. I’m wearing a Givenchy Couture gown and I’m holding these crazy hyenas. There’s dirt on the dress, but I’m still pure and regal. I wanted to push the theatrics to make a point: Women rule.”

Beyonce Lands Back In the USA

After a quick trip to France, Beyonce was all smiles as she made her way back to the States arriving at JFK Airport with her mother Tina Knowles

Beyoncé & Brad Paisley To Perform On NBC's "Macy's 4th Of July Fireworks Spectacular"

MULTI-PLATINUM ICONIC ARTIST BEYONCÉ AND COUNTRY MUSIC SUPERSTAR BRAD PAISLEY TO PERFORM ON NBC’S “MACY’S 4TH OF JULY FIREWORKS® SPECTACULAR” WITH HOST NICK LACHEY

NEW YORK – June 15, 2011 – NBC celebrates the nation’s birthday extravaganza with an all-star line-up of performances, including multi-platinum iconic artist Beyoncé and country music superstar Brad Paisley. Hosted by Nick Lachey, from NBC’s “The Sing-Off,” the show will air on Monday, July 4th 9-10 p.m. ET, 8-9 p.m. CT. Beyoncé, whose latest album, “4,” is due for release on June 28, has received numerous accolades for her music, including being named Artist of the 2000s decade by Billboard and receiving a record-breaking 16 Grammys. She has sold over 75 million records worldwide. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) also ranked Beyoncé as the top certified artist of the decade. Apart from her work in music, Beyoncé has partnered with her mother, designer Tina Knowles, to create two fashion lines, Deréon and House of Deréon. She is also an actress who has had starring roles is six films, including “Dreamgirls” and “Cadillac Records.” Three-time Grammy Award winning country music artist Brad Paisley, released his ninth studio album on May 24, “This Is Country Music,” with his hit singles “This Is Country Music” and “Old Alabama” reaching number one on the country music charts. Paisley has sold more than 12 million albums and scored 19 number one hits on the country music charts. He is the reigning Country Music Association Entertainer of the Year and has a total of 14 CMA Awards as well as 14 Academy of Country Music Awards, which includes five consecutive Male Vocalist awards. Nick Lachey, a multi-platinum recording artist, actor and television personality first rose to stardom as the front-man of the popular band 98 Degrees, selling 10 million albums worldwide and charting several top-forty hits. Lachey later went onto star in “Newlyweds,” one of MTV’s most successful shows in the network’s history. In 2003, Lachey launched an enormously successful solo album career for which his second record “What’s Left of Me,” went to number two on the Billboard Top 200 Albums chart. Lachey continues to be a presence both on and off the small screen and he currently hosts NBC’s highly-rated show “The Sing Off,” returning for its’ third season in the fall. The Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks, the nation’s largest Fourth of July fireworks display, returns to the Hudson River to illuminate the sky over New York City with a glorious spectrum of colors, shapes and sparkling dazzlers. More than 40,000 firework shells will ignite the sky for the nation’s 235th birthday party. “Gift Of Freedom,” the theme of this year’s Macy’s Fireworks display, will pay special tribute to the 125th Anniversary year of the Statue of Liberty that for generations has served as a beacon of hope and freedom for millions. The telecast is a production of Universal Media Studios in association with Macy’s. Brad Lachman will executive produce. Lachman’s credits include a variety of NBC specials, including the “Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade,” “Christmas in Rockefeller Center,” in addition to “Don’t Forget the Lyrics!” and a variety of other projects.