Category: Article

The sweet life

When beauty icon and perennial Nylon favorite Gwen Stefani came to New York recently – husband Gavin Rossdale and sons Kingston and Zuma in tow – we figured it was a good opportunity for a chat about her makeup memories, her harajuku lovers fragrance franchise, and her preteen deodorant preference. By Holly Siegel.

When you were on our cover in June/July 2000, you desribed your courtship with Gavin as fairy-tale like. It doesn’t seem like much has changed.
We’ve been married seven years. It’s crazy, there’s no itch. The [seven-year] itch, right? Maybe because we’ve been together for 13 years. Read the rest of this article »

20 questions for Gwen

Don’t let the coy pose fool you – there’s nothing this superstar won’t reveal. When we asked Gwen Stefani to give it up about life, love, work and mommyhood, she most certainly did. By Liza Ghorbani

The Polo Lounge in the Beverly Hills Hotel has played host to the likes of Elizabeth Taylor and Jean Harlow, so when Gwen Stefani walks in on a sunny afternoon with her Old Hollywood glamour — dark oversize sunglasses, scarlet lips, and platinum tresses swept into a polished updo — she certainly looks the part.

“Sorry I’m late,” says Stefani, sliding into a green velvet banquette amid a fragrant whirl of cocoabutter. “I was getting my color done, and now I feel like a different person. So much better.” Read the rest of this article »

Rock Steady

After two kids and 15 years at the top of the pops, Gwen Stefani and her trademark style-SoCal tomboy meets ultrapolished pinup-still win us over every time. by Maggie Bullock

Fresh off a No Doubt reunion tour and the spring show of her fashion line, L.A.M.B., Gwen Stefani touched down in New York recently to introduce the latest version of her Harajuku Girls fragrance franchise (this time,the fab five are reimagined as tanned, bikini-clad Sunshine Cuties). An inspiring blend of superstar and supermom, Stefani was in full regalia-sharp brows, pink-painted lips, gobs of gold jewelry-while Zuma, her one -year- old (”my bunny”, Gwen cooed) attempted a sweet escape from her hip. Read the rest of this article »

Thanks to NoDoubterNick on the official forum, Gwen is featured in this months InStyle magazine, USA (with Taylor Swift on the cover).

The article features Gwen’s favourite beauty products and there is a mini interview too:

Beauty talk

Gwen Stefani

You’ve done everything from the O.C. mall girl to Old Hollywood glam. What’s your next look going to be?
Right now I’m feeling fuchsia lips.

Totally ’80s. I like it! Does that mean we’ve seen the last of the red lipstick?
Not a chance. But I love to layer tons of different shades to create new colors.

What’s your technique for getting it to last?
I start with a matte lipstick that’s really dry, then I put a more creamy, moist lipstick on top. And my trick for not getting it on my teeth? Be really careful!

Have you always been a product junkie?
I can’t remember a time I wasn’t interested in makeup. When I was little, we would come home from school and dive right into my best friend’s mom’s Mary Kay collection.

How many lipsticks would you say you own?
Too many to count!

Now tell us about your platinum blond. How do you maintain it?
[Laughs] That’s a secret never to be revealed!

Gwen Stefani takes you shopping

Like any good girlfriend, Gwen Stefani spills her secret style resources, her favorite chic cheapies and what she loves about her new Harajuku Lovers fragrance collection. She even hangs with GLAMOUR to talk about the husband and kids. Listen in—she’s as cool as she looks.

She’s like living pop art—against the white walls of the studio where Glamour’s cover shoot is under way, Gwen Stefani’s famous red lips, heavy black lashes and platinum hair stand out vividly. In fact, her style is so iconic, so crafted, so utterly Gwen Stefani that when she says hello and shakes my hand, I’m almost surprised she’s an actual talking, smiling person. I’m definitely surprised to realize that behind her twisted pinup-girl look, this rock star (married to another rock star, former Bush front man Gavin Rossdale) is kind of shy. Later, as she quietly breast-feeds her son Zuma, now one (she’s also mom to son Kingston, three), it’s hard to imagine her electrifying stadiums filled with screaming fans on the band No Doubt’s first tour in five years. Read the rest of this article »

A Q&A with No Doubt’s Gwen Stefani

Stefani, loving life, at home and on the road by Marian Lu

Gwen Stefani is no doubtedly back with No Doubt. After taking a five-year break from the ska-band, the 39-year-old singer has found success outside of No Doubt – with a fashion label (L.A.M.B), two hit records and two kids in tow.

But this summer she’s back with the band that launched her, and in its 1990s and early-2000’s heyday, sold more than 27 million records and won 2 grammys.

No Doubt plays the White River Amphitheater in Auburn on Sunday. Stefani talked to the Seattle Times: Read the rest of this article »

Underneath it all

In the early days of No Doubt, Gwen Stefani – all fierce and fabulous – was already superwoman. Now she’s supermom, superbrand, and still bringing it onstage with the force of a superstar. By Aaron Gell

It seems impossible now, sitting with Gwen Stefani amid the dazzling bougainvillea and azalea on the sun-dappled patio of the Beverly Hills Hotel’s Polo lounge, but there was once a time, not long ago, when the delicate flower perched beside me on a leather banquette with her strong, thin arms wrapped around her midsection, blinking away a tear and looking like she could maybe use a hug, seemed to me the most terrifying woman in pop. Remember those No Doubt videos? There was Gwen the Malfunctioning Aerobic Fem-Bot wires crossed, head jerking maniacally from side to side in ‘Just a Girl,” and Gwen the Post-apocalyptic Jet Ski Hellion in “Hella Good.” Gwen the Noir Femme Fatale, throwing a courtroom conniption after bumping off a series of beaus in “It s My Life,” and Gwen the Tae Bo Powerhouse with the wife-beater tee and lipstick snarl, ready to take out the camera with a single well-placed kick in No Doubt’s “Excuse Me Mr.” And let’s not even mention Gwen the Foxy Nun in her solo hit “Wind It Up.” (Excuse me, sister!) Read the rest of this article »

The next phase

Five years, a grip of side and solo projects, limitless speculation and a nursery (or two) full of babies later, No Doubt are heading back on the road. They’re ready, more or less.

“I think we’ll be just rehearsed enough to pull it off, not so well-rehearsed that something couldn’t go wrong,” guitarist Tom Dumont admits. “That’s just where you want to be at the beginning of a tour, I think.”

Dumont and Co. would know, having cut their teeth relentlessly touring their native Orange County prior to blowing up into one of the world’s biggest bands. But things have changed, both professionally and personally. Read the rest of this article »

No Doubt Hits The Road

In between bites of a Cobb salad at New York’s Tribeca Grand Hotel, Gwen Stefani is explaining why No Doubt is going on tour for the first time in five years without a new album to promote.

“Honestly, it’s procrastination,” she says with a sigh. “My plan was to get pregnant and write a record, but instead of writing, I just ate all the time.”

Stefani laughs as she pops a tomato in her mouth. “Writing is always really hard for me – I hate it and hate it and then I do it, and I’m happy it’s done,” she says. “I was blocked and I needed to get inspired, and I thought playing live would get the creative juices flowing again.”

Which isn’t to say Stefani and her No Doubt bandmates haven’t been busy since the 2001 release of their last album, “Rock Steady.” Stefani, who has two sons, ages 8 months and 3 years, released two solo albums, “Love. Angel. Music. Baby.,” which sold 4 million copies, and “The Sweet Escape,” which sold 1.7 million, according to Nielsen SoundScan. Bassist Tony Kanal did production work on Stefani’s albums and wrote songs with artists including Pink. Guitarist Tom Dumont produced two records, scored a documentary and was a stay-at-home dad. Drummer Adrian Young did session work and played golf. Read the rest of this article »

Inside the summer’s Hottest Tours — No Doubt

On the second night of No Doubt’s new tour, Gwen Stefani looked into the sea of fans and screamed, “I fucking love this song!” before launching into “It’s My Life.” It’s the band’s first time on the road since 2004, and the adrenaline is pumping: Stefani also climbed a lighting rig and busted out a set of push-ups during the show, which highlighted the group’s hits. “We’re a live band — we had to get out there and reconnect onstage,” says bassist Tony Kanal, who filled usin on the band’s 55-date tour.

Why tour without a new CD?
We need to find our muse — that’s what this tour is for. Before we made Rock Steady, we has so much fun on the road — having dance parties — that we got excited about dancehall and went to Jamaica to record. When we started wrting our new album, the inspiration was missing, so we decided to get out and play.

Have you written any new tunes?
There’s tons of ideas, but we’re not far enough along to play anything live. I put a studio on my bus, so whenever there’s a long drive, I’ll invite my bandmates on board to work on music.

How is touring now that your bandmates all have kids?
It’s a totally different dynamic — there are five babies out there! Gwen and the guys have cribs on their buses; the afterparty room with the DJ rig and bar is being turned into a romper room.

What’s it like to play old songs?
Tragic Kingdom songs like “Happy Now?” and “End It On This” bring back memories. We’re so lucky to be doing this after 23 years. I know it’s difficult for other bands, but not for us. We actually like each other.

Thanks to Jenny at BSO for the transcription!