Gaga's Deconstructed Pearls

When Gaga wears pearls, she isn't kidding around!

From the Daily Mail: Forget the necklace: Lady Gaga wears hundreds of pearls glued to her face at amfAR charity gala

It's certainly a change from the traditional pearl necklace.

Dispensing with a string, Lady Gaga wore hundreds of white pearls glued to her face, legs and body as she arrived for a charity gala in New York last night.

With her skin painted white she wore just a pearl encrusted bikini, cropped jacket, hat and super high platform boots.

The only dash of colour was Gaga's bright pink lipstick - a special edition Mac creation named after the singer to raise funds for Aids research.

The 23-year-old later gave a typically high-octane performance of her new song Future Love on top of a white piano.

Lady Gaga arrived for the The Foundation for AIDS Research, amFAR, benefits gala in New York on the arm of Cyndi Lauper, who also modelled a special edition lippy.

Ate Berries In the Canaries

This is a new OPI color I bought at Target yesterday. It's called "Ate Berries In the Canaries," and it's from their Espana collection.

Here Come the Girls

Guy first alerted me to this commercial (or "advert" as they say in England) for Boots, which is a ubiquitous English drugstore (or "leading pharmacy chain.") Apparently, they produce a special "Christmas advert" every year. This one from 2007 is so cute.

Here are some fun facts about Boots:

"The Boots Company, commercially known as Boots, is a leading pharmacy chain in the United Kingdom, with outlets in most high streets throughout the country.

"Boots was established in 1849, by John Boot. In 1920, Jesse Boot sold the company to the American United Drug Company. However, deteriorating economic circumstances in North America saw Boots sold back into British hands in 1933 with the grandson of the founder, John Boot, who inherited the title Lord Trent from his father, at the head of the Company.

"Boots branched into dentistry in 1998, with a number of stores offering this service. Boots sold its Do-It-All home furnishings chain to Focus in 1998. Boots also made a venture into "Wellbeing" services offering customers treatments ranging from facials, homeopathy, and nutritional advice to laser eye surgery and Botox but these services were abandoned in 2003. In late 2004 Boots also sold off the Lasix eye surgery services to Optical Express. Boots has also diversified into the research and manufacturing of drugs. It developed ibuprofen, a painkiller.

"In 2005 the Company considered moving into selling sex toys but then announced that they had decided not to."

Styles of the 1990s

The nineties are my favorite fashion decade. Courtney Love actually seemed cool back then in her baby-doll dresses and combat boots. The Spice Girls also rocked short dresses + chunky shoes. Clueless came out and mocked the loose baggy pants trend, which was new at the time. Grunge was huge. Tattoos and body piercings became ubiquitous. Short boyish hair became trendy thanks to girls like Linda Evangelista and Winona Ryder. Wino also rode the wave of the "waif" trend (also popularized by Kate Moss). Drew Barrymore had a big comeback, and we weren't even sick of her yet.

I loved the make-up and hair from the 90s; the look was bold, but not clownish like the 80s. It was all about a clean, matte, minimal-but-dramatic look, with opaque colors, high contrast, and sharply defined lines. Lips were dark, almost gothic. Hair was sleek, eyebrows were thin and arched (a rebellion from the bushy big brows of the 80s).

Some more details (some of which I completely forgot but found on this blog): The "Rachel" haircut, and chunky highlights.

Butterfly clips ("little plastic butterfly clips that girls of all ages wore by the gross in their hair. The typical way of wearing them was to part your hair in several different places and to clip each section of hair so that the butterflies would be all in a row on top of your head.")

Fanny Packs (okay, this was a bad one).

Overalls ("In the early 1990's teens wore their overalls in two ways: They wore their overalls with a belt, and let the 'front flap' and 'back straps' hang straight down. The other way, was to only hook together one side of the overall straps, and leave the opposite side open. The popular over-all styles were: light blue; or gray stone-washed.")

And still more more details from Wikipedia:

"Fashion in the 1990s was characterized by minimalist styles, some of which were dubbed "anti-fashion". Nineties fashion was very casual and comfortable, and featured items such as flannel shirts and overalls. Retro clothing was popular in the 1990s, which led to minimalist takes on styles from previous decades, notably the 1920s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. Fashion inspired by sports clothing was also popular during the 1990s.

"Following the minimalist trend, mens business wear in the 1990s moved back away from three piece suits towards simpler styles. Women's business and formal wear also became simpler over the course of the decade. Denim followed the minimalist trend, moving away from acid wash and other designer denim styles towards the simpler and more traditional stone washed jeans. The fancy women's hairstyles of the 1980s gave way to straighter styles parted in the middle, and men's hairstyles also became simpler.

"Hypercolor clothing, made of material which changes colors according to temperature, was briefly popular in 1992. The popularity of bright colors declined as the 1990s wore on. Hoop earrings were a popular accessory for girls and women in the first years of the 1990s.

"One of the most significant events in 1990s fashion was the rise of grunge fashion in 1992. Grunge fashion consisted of both sexes wearing flannel shirts and other typical outdoor clothing, often bought in thrift shops. The general appearance was unkempt and androgynous. The rise of grunge fashion coincided with the rise to mainstream popularity of grunge music from Seattle. Popular colors in grunge fashion included white, black, red, forest green, indigo, and brown.

"By 1993, other plaid inspired styles were popular. These included plaid vests, plaid sweatshirts, plaid babydoll dresses, and plaid boxer shorts. Although grunge and its related styles waned after 1994, flannel plaid shirts continued to enjoy a somewhat increased popularity though the end of the decade, especially for outdoor wilderness activities.

"Belly button piercing became a hit in 1993 among teenage girls, young women, and even briefly among young men. This led to the popularity of midriff style shirts that expose the belly button. Other types of body piercing became popular later in the decade, and lasted into the 2000s.

"Wide leg pants became popular among teenaged girls and women in 1994, inspired by the wide leg pants of the 1940s and 1970s. Wide leg jeans became popular with teenaged girls, and women's pantsuits with wide leg pants enjoyed popularity in colours such as light brown and violet. Women's spaghetti strap tank tops became more popular than when they were first popular in the late 1970s.

"Many men began wearing dress shirts without ties, a style that continues to be worn by many men to this day. Women began increasingly wearing pantsuits to the office. By the end of the decade, Casual Fridays became the norm in many offices, with both men and women wearing jeans to the office on Fridays.

"Punk, goth, preppy, sporty and hip-hop styles continued to be popular at the close of the 1990s. Some of the more overt 70s influences waned in 1998, although other 70s influences continued to be felt at the close of the decade. In women's fashion, baby t-shirts and spaghetti strap tank tops continued to be popular, and long wraparound skirts were popular from 1998. Dark rinse-wash denim beame fashionable for both men and women, and the low rise jeans phenomenon began in women's fashion."

Nicole Kidman's Make-Up Artist Hates Her

From Just Jared:

"At Tuesday’s red carpet premiere for Nine held at NYC’s Ziegfeld theater, the 42-year-old Aussie actress was spotted with white powder all over her nose and under her right eye."

Wow! It's fairly unusual to see such a huge make-up mistake on an A-list celebrity. Nic must have been furious. The tragic part is, her face here is actually beautiful and almost flawless....except for that crucial last step of blending the powder.

My theory: Nic was being a big bitch to her make-up artist who retaliated by conveniently "forgetting" the last step of the application. I imagine it went something like this:

Nicole [jumping out of the chair, heading for the door]: God! That took forever! When I asked for the 'natural' look, I didn't expect it to take 10 hours!

Make-up artist: Hold on a second...Miss Kidman?

Nicole [whirling around angrily]: What do you want now?

Make-up artist: On second thought, you know what? Nothing. You look great. Knock 'em dead.

Thanks to Guy for the tip!

Cyndi + Gaga + MAC = Perfection

Wow! Two girls I love in an ad for something else I love--cosmetics!!

What a great combination! It's like a caprese salad with that perfect blend of tomato + basil + mozzarella.

Martha Stewart's Bath Fizzies

I've made fizzing bath bombs before, but it never occurred to me to use a silicone ice-cube tray to create a uniform shape. That idea is genius! It's a fun gift idea, especially if you want to make your own gifts without everything always being about food:

Ice-cube trays serve as molds, giving the fizzies their shape. Using a flexible silicone model lets you slide the cubes out smoothly without breaking them.

Show off the colors of the bath fizzies in glass jars with screw tops, the kind used for storing sugar and flour. Pack each type of fizzy in a separate jar so the scents won't meld. Write the name of the scent on a vellum tag (choose a shade that matches the fizzies), and punch a hole in the top.

Thread the tag with ribbon, and tie it around the jar.

Citric acid, a common food additive, is available at wine-making-supply stores, some spice shops, and online. [Beebo's note: And also in places like PCC and Whole Foods.] When citric acid is combined with baking soda and placed in water, a chemical reaction creates bubbles.

Makes 1 dozen (use 2 per bath)

Tools and Materials

1/2 cup citric acid

1 cup baking soda

3/4 cup cornstarch

1/4 cup organic cane sugar

About 6 drops food coloring

10 to 15 drops essential oil(s)

Special equipment:

2-ounce travel-size spray bottle, plastic pipette, silicone ice-cube tray, storage jars

Directions

1. Stir together citric acid, baking soda, and cornstarch in a glass measuring cup.
2. Pass mixture through a fine sieve or a flour sifter into a mixing bowl. Stir in sugar.
3. Fill spray bottle with water, and add food coloring. Spritz mixture lightly (it should become damp but not fizzy) until you can pack mixture with your hands.
4. Using pipette, add oil, 1 drop at a time, until strength of scent is to your liking. Using a metal spoon or your hands, mix ingredients until color is even throughout (mixture will begin to dry out; when this happens, spritz until packable again).
5. Spoon into ice-cube tray, pressing firmly. Let dry at room temperature overnight. Pop out of tray gently. Transfer to jars.

James Bond and the Overpriced Moisturizer of Doom

Lancôme's official description of their new moisturizer is grandiose, no? It sounds more like a plot of a movie to me, with a supervillain gleefully boasting to 007 that, with his discovery of the "secret of rebirth," he will now rule the world.

"Shrink in terror, Mr. Bond. With Sucre Vital, a magical nutrient that fuels life in a hostile undersea world, no one can stop me!"

"Think again, Dr. Nightshade. For now I have the powerful concentrate right here in my hands!"

"Nooooooo! Foiled again!" [Escapes in his submarine, etc.]

Secret De Vie
Ultimate Cellular Reviving Crème
YOUR SKIN REBORN. DISCOVER THE SECRET. It started in the Lancôme Laboratories with the urge to achieve “skin rebirth.” Then came an awesome discovery: Sucre Vital™, a magical nutrient that fuels life in a hostile undersea world. Recreated by Lancôme scientists, this fuel and five other life-sustaining ingredients form Extrait de Vie™, a powerful concentrate that provides the skin with virtually everything it needs to thrive. This exceptional skin reviving cream indulges your senses while it pampers your skin with instant softness and visible radiance. Your skin appears re-invigorated, visibly smoother, firmer and more even-toned.

Here's the thing: this moisturizer is insanely priced. At $240 for the small size (1.7 oz), and 400 bucks for 3.4 ounces, it better sound like something out of the movie James Bond and the Secret of Life. The packaging enhances this concept too, with its unnecessarily complicated spherical container abstractly evoking some kind of high-tech radioactive nuclear battery.

I actually received a good-sized sample of this product with my last Lancôme purchase. It's a very, very nice moisturizer. But not 240 bucks worth of nice!

Blush

Zooey Deschanel is a girl who really knows how to wear make-up. Of course it helps that she's a natural beauty, but her retro hair and eyeliner always look great. She wears Lancome's Definicils mascara, which is my favorite too (but Zooey usually wears hers along with big false eyelashes. Fabulous!).

Currently, the make-up I'm most fascinated with is blush, specifically pink, flushed cheeks. Zooey truly excels in this category. She usually wears bold bright pink color on her cheeks, liberally applied, which could never exist in nature, yet she somehow makes it look innocent and fresh.

I think Lancome's Color Design Blush in Petticoat Pink would probably mimic Zooey's look quite well. This color would work on very fair skin (like mine or Zooey's) but Lancome offers a full range of shades for darker complexions as well:

Design your cheeks with a creamy touch of color. Blendable. Lasting. Sensational Effects.A beautifully blendable, silky cream blush that gives cheeks even, lasting color. Smooth and non-greasy, it glides onto cheeks softly and evenly. Perfect for all skin types. In 3 finishes: sheer, shimmer and riche.

http://www.lancome-usa.com/

O.P.I.

My favorite nail polish brand is O.P.I. The quality is excellent, they offer a huge range of colors, and the price is a bit splurge-y but still acceptable (especially if you buy it online or at Fred Meyer--don't buy it at a salon because salon prices are ridiculously inflated).

But the best thing about O.P.I. is that they are constantly launching new collections which always have a theme--like "Psychedelic Summer" or "Garden Party" or "Holiday In Toyland." And every color within each collection has a doofy name that is usually some kind of tortured pun in reference to the theme.

For example, the "French" collection offers: Louvre Me Louvre Me Not, Parlez-Vous OPI?, You Don't Know Jacques!, Tickle My France-Y, Bastille My Heart, I'm Fondue of You, A Oui Bit of Red, We'll Always Have Paris, and Eiffel for This Color.

The Indian collection includes: I'm India the Mood for Love, ElePhantastic Pink, Black Cherry Chutney, Keys to My Karma, MonSooner or Later, Moon Over Mumbai, Yoga-ta Get This Blue, Get Me To the Taj On Time, and Curry Up Don't Be Late!

The Russian collection (shown below left) includes: Boris & Natasha, Siberian Nights, An Affair In Red Square, Russian Navy (Guy bought me this one), Vodka & Caviar, Ruble for Your Thoughts, Catherine the Grape, Cosmo-Not Tonight, Honey!, Midnight In Moscow, Suzi Says Da! (I used to have this color too, it's a very pretty brown, but I gave it to a friend who loved it even more), Kreme De La Kremlin, and St. Petersburgundy.

Well, you get the idea.


The newest innovation in nail polish this season is a completely matte, unshiny nail (photo below right). O.P.I. launched the "Matte" collection in July. I've read online that it was a huge success, but I haven't actually noticed anyone wearing it. Maybe it's just because Seattle isn't a fashion town. The company is following it up this Fall with the "Suede" collection. While I admire their risk-taking, I'm just not sure if I'm really onboard with this. To me, nails should be shiny. But maybe I'll change my mind.

O.P.I. is constantly discontinuing collections and inventing new ones. But luckily, it's very easy to buy discontinued colors online. The official O.P.I. website doesn't do any online selling--and it's not very easy to find a big selection in stores--but there are many, many online vendors selling the old shades. If you're worried about ordering from someplace you've never heard of, just do a search on Amazon and order it through them instead.

The colors that are next on my list to buy are: Parlez-Vous O.P.I.? (smoky lavender), and 2 shades from the Princess Charming collection: Pink-Ing of You (light pink), and I've Got a Date To-Knight (slightly lighter pink).

Lavender Lipstick

Gaga looks so great with the purple lipstick, it almost tempts me to buy some, even though I know logically that while on her, it reads as "fabulous," on me it would probably read more like, "recently drowned."

I still might buy some and wear it around the house while listening to Just Dance. It's Mac Creamsheen Lipstick in Lavender Whip.