January 2010

Beauty Coach: Glamorous Makeup Tricks

January 21, 2010 at 4:47 pm , by Erica Metzger

I love knowing (and sharing!) the products behind a gorgeous beauty look, especially when it’s as fresh and non-intimidating as Kate Winslet’s radiant makeup at the Golden Globes.

First, let me help you with the makeup. Here’s what Kate’s makeup artist Jillian Dempsey used: Avon Be Blushed in Blushing Nude, Lancome L’Absolu Rouge in Rich Cashmere, Jillian Dempsey for Avon Professional Kohl Liner in Navy, and Lancome Hypnose Mascara in Excessive Black. (I am a huge fan of this mascara–instant eye drama that’s not too crazy to wear at the office.)

As for advice on how to apply red carpet-worthy makeup, get your hands on a copy of “About Face”, a new makeup how-to guide written by Scott Barnes, Jennifer Lopez’s longtime makeup artist. (Barnes also recently gave me some great tips on how to master the tricky art of contouring, a technique he’s been using on J. Lo for years.)

Do you have a favorite red carpet look you’d love to replicate? Let me know!

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The Purr-fect Welcome Wagon

January 21, 2010 at 3:07 pm , by Rachel Shippy

There ‘s nothing more comforting than when your pet greets you at the door, tail wagging. Even on days when you’re coming in from the rain, soaking wet, carrying broken soggy shopping bags, he’s still there, thrilled to see you. It is truly an animal-induced ego boost.  Those could have been anyone’s keys jingling in the hallway, but somehow Fluffy knew exactly who was approaching the front door… But does that mean that pets can tell time? More importantly, how do they know? While Fluffy clearly isn’t wearing a wrist watch every day, he is still in tune with your schedule, according to psychologist William A. Roberts.  Cats and dogs are mainly wired for feeding times, which pretty much throws your ‘just excited to see me’ theory out the window (stupid science). I’ll take the unconditional love waiting at the welcome mat (even if it’s the unconditional love of roast beef)!

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Parent/Teacher Conference: My Drama Queen

January 21, 2010 at 2:04 pm , by Sue Erneta

Sophia is only 4 years old, so her parent/teacher conference is less about what she’s learning and more about how she’s behaving. I know that she knows her numbers and letters and I’m sure she’ll do just fine when she transitions to kindergarten next year (stay tuned for a future post when I laugh at myself for being this confident!). But for now, I just want to know how she’s behaving with the other kids. We didn’t get a lot of surprises. “Sophia is a leader.” “Sophia is very dramatic.” She even got an “O” for “outstanding” in the “sings along with songs” and “expresses herself well” categories.

Believe me, this is not a surprise. My husband and I both enjoyed performing in plays and musical presentations back at school. And Sophia’s “creative play” at home ranges from strutting her stuff in a pretend fashion show, belting out tunes from Disney movies (solos only, thankyouverymuch!), and spinning and leaping like she’s Clara from the Nutcracker.  And when you ask her to smile for a picture, you get an over-the-shoulder pose full of attitude.

But what do you do with a dramatic kid? There’s no fighting it—it’s just who she is. How do you hone those skills into something useful?  Listen, if someone happened to spot her “doing her thing” and offered her a high-paying TV commercial, I’d have a hard time refusing. But no, we will not be going to any auditions. Blame my fear that she’d end up like Lindsay Lohan. For now, we’ll just let her be a kid. An overly dramatic, runway strutting, superstar singing, over-the-top dancing kid.

So, tell me…what are your kids like? Shy? Dramatic? How do you nurture their personality quirks?

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Even Cats Get Cancer

January 20, 2010 at 11:12 am , by Tom Claire

My wife and I learned a term the other day, a term we wish we had come across earlier so that when we did hear of it—from our vet—it would not have knocked our happy family so hard: feline fibrosarcoma. This is a rare form of cancer in cats that’s malignant and fast-spreading; the tumor that hit our nine-year-old Lydia (at right), showed up in mid-December on her left side. The biopsy results confirmed our vet’s initial suspicion. He’s seen a few other recent cases, and since feline fibrosarcoma is caused by vaccination, he could read Lydia’s shot history in her medical file. The vet did surgery as quickly as he could and now we’re waiting for Lydia to heal. So far the sarcoma has not spread but the vet says it’s likely to.

Anyone else have this happen to their beloved cat? I’d love to find someone out there who’s been through this, so if you have any experiences to share, thanks in advance. Feline fibrosarcoma is not an immediate death sentence but its survival rates apparently vary widely. Lydia has used up a couple of her lives already so we’re hoping she has quite a few more to count on!

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Go Ask Gab: Lingerie Tips

January 19, 2010 at 3:37 pm , by Gabrielle Porcaro

In lieu of a “new year, new me” philosophy, I decide to clean out the top drawer of my dresser (aka my underwear drawer) and reevaluated my bra collection.  Here are some tips to freshen up your lingerie drawer:

*Get measured for a bra at least once a year.

* Your bra shouldn’t ride up in the back. It should be level across the bodice from back to front.

* Your bra should feel (and look!) good.

* Your cups should not runneth over! That means everything should fit into the bra: When you try it on, lean over and jump up and down to make sure everything stays put.

* Here are the number of bras you need:

• 3 to 5 everyday bras that you can wear under anything (one should be nude)
• A strapless bra for formal occasions
• A convertible bra
• A demi bra
• A push-up bra or a minimizer (depending on your size)
• A sports bra
• A special occasion bra (aka something sexy!)

* Here are some cleaning tips: Never put your bra in the dryer, use lingerie wash (my faves are Forever New, Soak, and Tocca), and try to wash your bras every 3 wears.

* My fave bra brands are Fayreform, Soma, and Wacoal.

* My go-to lingerie websites are Bare Necessities, Figleaves, and Victoria’s Secret

* My favorite bricks-and-morter store is Intimacy (but you can check out their website for other great tips, too).

Want some more specific suggestions? Check out our lingerie story for the LHJ fashion department’s bra (and undie) picks.

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Idol Chatter: Kara DioGuardi Interview

January 15, 2010 at 1:10 pm , by Lisa M. Gerry

Yesterday, I spoke with American Idol judge, Kara DioGuardi, about this season’s contestants, Simon’s surprising departure, Ellen’s much-anticipated arrival and her latest music endeavor—jingles.

You guys have had quite a week—how is everyone handling the news of Simon leaving?

We’re all sad. It’s difficult to see somebody leave who’s been such an important part of the show. He has incredibly unique takes on the contestants, he’s funny and witty, and he’s able to say things in a way that no one else can. We’re going to miss him.

How is Ellen doing so far?

She’s doing an awesome job. And the dynamic is really coming together nicely. She’s a natural judge—she’s warm, funny and critical when she needs to be. She knows about music and can tell when something’s off.  I’m really very impressed by her.

By now, I’m sure you’ve heard some great songs get butchered. Are there any that you’d like to have banned from the audition room?

[The Jackson 5’s] “ABC” should not be sung by anybody and [The Temptation’s] “Get Ready.”  If I ever have to hear those two songs again—other than the originals—I may just have to jump off a bridge. Certain songs are so classic that you should leave them alone.

Read more

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Best Red Carpet Moments: Part 2 – Movies

January 15, 2010 at 10:02 am , by Gabrielle Porcaro

Continued from yesterday…here is my favorite red carpet moments for the woman in the movie categories…

Best Actress in Drama- Movies

Emily Blunt , The Young Victoria
Emily always looks beautiful on the red carpet. The eye catching blue Calvin Klein dress she wore to the Oscars in 2007 certainly stood out. I loved how she kept it minimal by not wearing a necklace. She let the dress speak for itself.

Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side and The Proposal
Sandra’s look at last years Golden Globe awards was magnificent. I thought the pairing of a pale pink asymmetrical dress (Dior) with turquoise and gold jewelry and a matching turquoise clutch was fabulous.

Helen Mirren, The Last Station
Always age appropriate, Dame Helen, made an excellent choice with this Christian Lacroix dress for the 2004 Oscars, the year she won for her role in The Queen.

Carey Mulligan, An Education
With her fashion forward style choices, I can’t wait to see what Carey will be wearing on Sunday. I loved her look at the LA premiere of  An Education – a strapless, floral Lanvin dress.

Gabourey Sidibe, Precious
A new comer to acting and red carpets, Gabourey has had an amazing year. She knows how to show off her curvy shape and the David Meister dress she wore for her film’s Cannes premiere, truly flattered her figure.

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