Waves or Straight? This Lotion is Great for Your Hair

Worried about humidity ruining your carefully tossed waves or want a sleeker blowout? I used the new Jonathan Stylist Professional Series Straightening Lotion for both looks and LOVE it! Wow. It smells fresh and a bit girly, has good ingredients and really makes a blowout or hairstyle last. Me theory is that the starch in the ingredients acts like hair-memory when the heat from your dryer and/or iron hits is used. It helped me achieve a stick straight blowout but also left my hair softly wavy without the frizz when I used it on an "air dry" day.

I scooped mine up at Sephora for $26. One note: don't use too much of it, my hair was a bit stiff until I figured out the right portion.

What the company says about it: 

"A lightweight moisturizing lotion that straightens and smoothes...controls frizz and restore[s] shine. It expertly reduces blow-drying time and adds hydration without weighing down your mane."

InStyle Sure Can Age You

I saw their recent cover featuring the 44-year old Sandra Bullock who I admire for her depth, choices and charisma in addition to the fact that she is really beautiful. However, InStyle magazine (for their March 09 cover) managed to drape a silly and somewhat unflattering frock on her AND they re-touched her almost to the point of non-recognition. What a shame. Instead of making her look cover-ready, they took away all of her personality and yielded her as a shiny, overly-tucked Sandra-Bot.

Right woman, right color scheme but too contrived and truly, her face is airbrushed to oblivion. I did some research. Interestingly, she's been on their March cover every other year--see the light pink 05 cover, the light teal 07 cover, and of course, the yellow 09 cover. For reference, I've included an un-retouched picture snapped of her at the Golden Globes this year (Jan 09). See...beautiful. 

So, in minor protest, I recycled the issue without reading it and am considering ending my subscription.

Getting Ready, The Celebrity Process

I was in LA recently helping some clients get ready for an event where there would be media. As we made final decisions on what to wear, how to accessorize + how to walk and sit properly in the gowns I was taking mental notes at the other things these beautiful women had to do to get ready.

It's really a 2-week process.

For one event. Because of the scrutiny they were preparing to endure they had undergone injectables (a la Botox and Juvaderm); Facials; Laser Treatments; Spray Tans; Fat Burning Treatments; and highly specific workout and diet regimens.

So...as you're reviewing Best Dressed lists or combing over your US Weekly or People and comparing yourself remember that the celebrities you see are certainly beautiful but have undergone intense and timely preparation for that one night and one picture. And then when Cinderella goes home and washes off the makeup and the tan and starts eating normally again, she's just (more) like the rest of us ;)

Oscars Rundown. Best, Worst and Why

First, the WORST. Really though, they were just mis-steps and not horribly tragic. Tilda Swinton. I applaud her no-makeup and statuesque stance and I actually like her outfit, but not on her. The top is nearly the same color as her skin so the draping cannot be appreciated nor can the person wearing it. Her strong lips go a long way to improving the situation but can't compete with a sea of beige.

Miley Cyrus. Maybe she's going after a serious role or wants to start changing her image, but she was dressed like someone in their 40s not teens. Teen years should be fun and experimental and colorful (within tasteful bounds, sure) not matronly. This outfit has no verve.

Melissa George and that white mermaid dress. Not only is that a bright, cheap looking white but coupled with the severe mermaid shape and matchy-matchy white bag she looks like she's headed to a Vegas chapel right afterward. Sorry, she's lovely, but not in this getup.

Evan Rachel Wood. Same problem as Tilda--the beigey-cream color nearly matches her skin so she's overall unimpressive, even with coppery hair, dark nails and lipstick--it can't warm this up enough to do her justice.

Amy Adams and the red dress. It's actually an alright ensemble except for the cloggy shoes! They are too bold and clunky. A simpler shoe would allow the eye to linger longer on that spectacular necklace instead of tripping up on her shoes.

Now, the BEST. While I would have liked to of seen Kate Winslet with softer hair (like Meryl Streep's) to balance the color, sheen and construction of her dress she did master the one-shoulder glamour with a dash of vintage perfection nicely. The one shoulder dress is not one of my favorite looks but it sure is popular again. Her simple jewelry, the perfect draping of the dress and elegantly natural makeup completed a classy and modern look that fit her stature beautifully.

Ah, Marisa Tomei. She looked elegant and vintage and stunning. That is not an easy color, shape or length to wear. She wore it well. She wore it so well that she's in my top picks, however, it is a bit wedding-dress like which I thought was kind of odd. She probably knew that and still chose it, gutsy.

Meryl Streep looked amazing. The taupe tones in the dress matched those in her skin and hair and the effect was simply divine. Her soft, natural makeup and hair added a youthful, fresh finish to a lovely ensemble. She was the perfect example of "Wear it Like You Mean It" because without her grace and confidence, the dress could have been dull.

Let's focus on orange. I love this color on the red carpet. It's current and worn exceptionally well by these two ladies, one of whom wasn't listed on Style.com. She's  Sir Ben Kingley's wife, Daniela Barbosa de Carneiro. The soft ruffles and shoulder ornamentation fit her figure beautifully while her laid back hair and makeup suited her to stunning effect.

And Amanda Seyfried redeemed herself by shining in a spicy persimmon-colored chic dress that was a little bit fun, and flattered her creamy skin tone. This shows great improvement since my last post about her red carpet attire. Nice job Amanda!

As far as makeup goes--it was all about the lip. Soft, beachy hair and glossed hair and then a naturally vibrant lip. This can be achieved by doing something just a few shades brighter than your normal go-to. Of all the ladies there, Diane Lane was pitch perfect in this arena.

Nothing to Wear but Lots of Choices?

Spring is my busiest season--mostly because Winter beats us into submission style-wise by limiting our choices in terms of fabric, color, fit, length etc. So when the weather starts to flirt with you and reminds you to bring some of your lighter pieces out of the other closet I also tend to get a lot of questions about "having nothing to wear even though I have so many choices." It's not time to abandon everything but that is a signal that you've changed--physically, mentally, or both. Your outlook may simply be different, you may be re-entering a new or different office atmosphere, your weight may have changed by +/- 10%, or you may be in a new relationship, regardless of the reason, your outlook is different. Either way, lots of stuff in your closet definitely doesn't mean you'll always have something to wear. It's usually a sign or a marker about a state of mind for a season or a decade...and if you find yourself feeling like you have "nothing to wear" more often than not, then what I really hear from that is that you have changed and that nothing in your closet feels like who you are or who you want to be. Listen to that and explore new options.

Jessica Simpson's Weighty Topic

She sure is getting a lot of press about her weight (feels like a Joe Simpson ploy, truly). As a stylist, I say that (a) she tends to make some really iffy stylistic 

choices; and (b) she's beautiful, at any weight. Because regardless of the style she chooses to showcase, she has beautiful features and she 

wears her outfits well. That's what personal style is. Additionally, she's young. She should be experimenting with color, fabrics, fit, trends, etc. The following pics: from the now infamous "chili cook off" shot (where not only is the outfit less than flattering, the camera angle is awful) all the way back to 2003.

Lessons? 

Trends don't work for everyone (the high waisted jean and Marc Jacob's-esque belt). 

Know your assets and showcase them beautifully, then walk tall and wear it like you mean it.

Nice New Find, One Great Tote

I was fortunate enough to meet the owners of the LA, CA-based company, green girl, and see their whole array of beautiful totes before they're ready for sale nationwide. The material is sturdy but has a nice hand and the reversible prints allow you to change up the look. The prints are vibrant and happy (who doesn't need a dose of that right now?!) and the wide straps allow you fill the bag up but not have it dig into your shoulder. It folds up neatly when not is use and when you're ready to put it to good use, there are many options. It's the perfect size and ultimately flexible meaning that I keep it handy for quick grocery runs, but have also used it as my carry-on bag, my purse, and as my beach bag on vacation last week. Check out the other prints on their site. The picture of my daughter shows their smaller tote (she loves the butterflies!) that's perfect as a lunch bag, kid's tote or as an organizer in a larger bag--equally useful when traveling around town or on vacation. I certainly have a cozy spot in my wardrobe, and my heart, for great bags and these fit the bill perfectly. I'm known to have a carefully edited selection of handbags and totes (10 total, that's it) and these two are now in active rotation. Large tote=$46 (can buy now from this online retailer: Tuvalu). Small tote=$40 (can't find them online yet...but they're coming!)