Awww yeah. Olivia Pope color palette.

NORTH HOLLYWOOD, CA - MAY 16: Actress Kerry Washington attends Academy of Television Arts & Sciences' Presents an Evening with 'Scandal' at the Leonard H. Goldenson Theatre on May 16, 2013 in North Hollywood, California. (Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)

What screams "beauty products" more than kids being forced to kill each other?

Today, CoverGirl announced its sponsorship of The Hunger Games: Catching Fire. While reading the book, one might be revolted by the residents of the post-apocalyptic city known as The Capitol — the headquarters of an intensely brutal government — and their over-the-top flamboyant, extravagant style. And yet! Cover Girl sees the movies as a $ales opportunity.

From a press release:

With The Hunger Games: Catching Fire partnership, we wanted to redefine cosmetics’ relationship to film with a fantasy-meets-reality beauty experience,” said Esi Eggleston Bracey, VP and General Manager, Global P&G Cosmetics. “The film inspired COVERGIRL campaign coming out this fall truly will bring beauty transformation to life in an aspirational, dramatic fashion. All of us at COVERGIRL were captivated by Suzanne Collins’ novels and the first film, so we’re thrilled to collaborate with Lionsgate on such a bold beauty partnership with the release of The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.”

“We are excited to announce COVERGIRL as the exclusive makeup partner for The Hunger Games: Catching Fire,” said Paula Kupfer, Lionsgate’s Vice President of Promotions and Consumer Products. “The exquisite beauty and style in the world of the Capitol is a focal point of this film. Partnering with an innovative brand like COVERGIRL to create an additional layer of beauty storytelling and inspiration for the fans is new territory that we’re delighted to explore.”

Right, sure, aspirational. Okay. With the first film, there was a Capitol Couture Tumblr, a focus on shoes, and an OPI nail polish collection. Now, in addition to more couture, it looks like there will be eye shadow, lip gloss, blush, who knows.

It makes perfect business sense: As the Examiner reports, "the film’s makeup department used CoverGirl products on set to create the film’s luxurious, high couture looks." Why not sell fans the same lipstick Effie Trinket uses?

But considering the overtly anti-establishment themes in the book — and the fact that the saga's heroine, Katniss Everdeen, is dirt-poor and paraded around the districts like a showpony, makeup seems like a tool of oppression and not in the spirit of the rebellion.

Honestly, CoverGirl has been making some great marketing choices lately: Janelle Monae! Queen Latifah! Ellen! Pink! Of course it's just a movie and buying Capitol eyeliner doesn't mean you're supporting the sickos responsible for killing Rue. It just seems weird that something very dark and very ugly is being turned into something easy, breezy, beautiful.

(BTW, The Hunger Games now has an Instagram account.)

Capitol CoverGirl [Facebook]

CoverGirl to Release Exclusive Hunger Games: Catching Fire Capitol Collection [My Hunger Games]

CoverGirl and The Hunger Games: Catching Fire Seal Exclusive Beauty Deal [Examiner]

Warning: Be very careful while watching this cooking segment, lest ye be blinded by a diamond the size of Wisconsin. Apparently the end product of this recipe is 70% brie, which I don't have a problem with, and it seems as though Blake Lively has a cool technique when it comes to egg cracking, but who can concentrate on food when Serena van der Woodsen is flashing that giant rock? Jeez Louise is that a huge ring. Damn.

Last night in Cannes, more than $1 million worth of jewelry was stolen from a hotel room. The New York Times reports that the jewels were meant to be lent to movie stars during the film festival.

The jewels were in the safe of the room rented by an employee of Chopard, a luxury jeweler, the source said on condition of anonymity.

Guess what else happened last night in Cannes? The premiere of Sofia Coppola's new film, The Bling Ring. You know, the one about JEWEL THIEVES. Coincidence? I think not.

P.S.: The Bling Ring made Paris Hilton cry.

[NYT, Guardian, Vulture]

Image via Getty.

James Franco penned a review of The Great Gatsby for Vice. A few highlights:

There have been objections to his use of 3D, but frankly it’s a nonissue. It works, and is neither distracting nor game changing . You just deal with it because you want to. It’s fun to watch.

And, more importantly:

Gatsby’s desire is revealed to be that of a 16-year-old boy: not only does he want to win Daisy, he wants to control her affections. It reminds me of my high school relationships, where I tortured girlfriends for getting fingered by other boys when they were freshmen. Just move on, dude.

Tortured. Fingered. Dude.

But ultimately:

In the end, Luhrmann made it work, and that’s all that matters. The movie held together. We watched the story, we felt things, we were transported and we were engaged.

[Vice]

Do we like ear cuffs? I think I might like ear cuffs.

CANNES, FRANCE - MAY 16: (L-R) Actors Claire Julien, Taissa Farmiga, Katie Chang, Israel Broussard, Emma Watson and director Sofia Coppola attend 'The Bling Ring' premiere during The 66th Annual Cannes Film Festival at the Palais des Festivals on May 16, 2013 in Cannes, France. (Photo by Ian Gavan/Getty Images)

Ben Affleck will host the season finale of Saturday Night Live, with musical guest Kanye West. Is Kanye West really good at keeping a straight face and pretending to be bored and unamused, or is Kanye West truly bored and unamused, or is Kanye West thinking of more awesome baby names along the lines of Northbynorth? Something to contemplate.

[MissInfo]

No, really. Our favorite mortician Caitlin Doughty "submits" an "audition" video, and we cross our fingers that whatever shitshow is in the works doesn't make the funeral business — or women — look bad.

[Order Of The Good Death]

Did you ever get around to watching The Carrie Diaries, that show set in the '80s and serving as a teen prequel to Sex And The City? (We only watched four episodes). Well then, good news: It's been renewed. And in season two, young Carrie Bradshaw meets young Samantha Jones.

As any SATC fan knows, Samantha is the one who has tons of sex and tons of fun. (Miranda is the one who has tons of work to do, Charlotte is the one who has tons of uptight thoughts, Carrie is the one who has tons of thoughts about herself.) Whether or not teen Samantha will be as sexually active as adult Samantha remains to be seen, but according to The Hollywood Reporter, viewers will see how Carrie and Samantha first meet. The role of young Samantha has not yet been cast, so now's the time to throw some suggestions out there. Thoughts?

[THR]

Everyone loves a do-it-yourself-er.

Rihanna leaves her NYC hotel wearing a provocative t-shirt, 05/15/2013, 247PapsTV/ Splash News

Mary, Queen of Scots — also known as Mary Stuart or Mary I Of Scotland — was executed at the age of 25 44, but before that, she was queen regnant of Scotland and then queen consort of France. Now she's being brought back to life in Reign, a new series on the CW, home of Gossip Girl and The Carrie Diares.

I like teen drama as much as the next woman too old to admit it, and I read all the smutty historical romance I can get my hands on, but it's kind of weird to think of Mary's dark story becoming a sudsy primetime network soap. Just seems like HBO's territory! Consider her death, as reported by Wikipedia:

Mary was not beheaded with a single strike. The first blow missed her neck and struck the back of her head. The second blow severed the neck, except for a small bit of sinew, which the executioner cut through using the axe. Afterward, he held her head aloft and declared, "God save the Queen." At that moment, the auburn tresses in his hand turned out to be a wig and the head fell to the ground, revealing that Mary had very short, grey hair. A small dog owned by the queen, a Skye terrier, is said to have been hiding among her skirts, unseen by the spectators. Following the beheading, it refused to be parted from its owner's body and was covered in her blood, until it was forcibly taken away and washed.

The CW's series begins a lot years earlier, when Mary arrives in France as a 15-year-old betrothed to Prince Francis. As the network puts it, viewers will see "The secret history of survival at French Court amidst fierce foes, dark forces, and a world of sexual intrigue." Which means I will be watching the crap out of it. Bit of trivia: When Mary showed up in France she had an entourage, including four girls her own age, all ALSO named Mary. How very Heathers. Maybe the CW is the right choice after all.

[The Mary Sue, TVLine]

After teasingly tweeting that he'd been added to the cast of Downton Abbey, Diddy has revealed the truth: He stars in a Funny or Die clip as Lord Wolcott, who owns Downtown Abbey.

After he's introduced to the household, Diddy has to deflect the romantic advances of Thomas, explaining that he is already in love with Sibyl. Then the man born Sean Combs goes on to throw a white party and just generally integrate (heh) himself into storylines. Yes, there is the mandatory ridiculous product placement you have come to expect from Diddy.

Yesterday in France, A-listers hit the red carpet for the opening ceremonies of the 66th annual Cannes Film Festival. Nighttime in the seaside village means high glamour and full-on formal. The more extravagant the better. "Every time I go to Cannes, it feels like I’m entering the helicopter scene in La Dolce Vita," says Leonardo DiCaprio. "It’s an insane experience." For red carpet images, click here.

Tobey Maguire, Leonardo DiCaprio, Baz Luhrmann, Joel Edgerton: Looking good, old sports.

Julianne Moore is lovely in lilac; Paz Vega is some kind of Ziegfeld Folly who's forgotten an essential layer of her ensemble; Isla Fisher is channelling Red of Fraggle Rock, but in a fancy, elegant way.

Images via Getty.

Ziyi Zhang's short haircut and peplum are chic; Naomie Harris glitters like she's still in a James Bond movie; Lady Victoria Hervey

Images via Getty.

Gauntlet cape sheerstravaganza! Honestly, I don't know what it is but I like it.

Images via Getty.