Does My Butt Look Like a Cheetah in These Pants?

As another Labor Day weekend sweltered to a close in the LBC, I decided to escape the heat by retreating to the sweet sanctuary of TJ. The Maxx, I mean. Not the city in Mexico. I perused the purses, wandered among the ankle boots, and sniffed the shampoos. As I made my way over to the specialty household cleaners (don’t ask, and I won’t tell), I caught a pair of gray and white cheetah print pants eyeing me from the clearance rack.

Hel-lo, Gorgeous. Paige Denim. White with gray and black spots. My size. And marked down to $25.00. I picked them up, feeling instantly cooler. But was I really a wearer of cheetah print pants? It seemed like something you either were or weren’t. Like engaged. Or pregnant. I immediately thought back to the time I convinced myself that I was the type of person who could wear a silver studded, black leather fanny pack. How I had pictured myself swaying to the strains of some indie rock band in a dark dive bar in Brooklyn. In my bikini top. Because I was just that cool. Then I remembered my last concert: Sheryl Crow at the Orange County Fair. With my dad. Grumbling about having to get up for work the next morning. Wearing a fleece blanket from the trunk of the car. I was definitely not a studded leather fanny pack person.

But was I a printed denim wearer? Like everyone else who was in fifth grade in 1991, I too had floral printed denim that had had its day in the sun. Unfortunately for everyone involved, the 1991 version of printed denim came in the form of Bermuda shorts. That you wore cuffed at the knee with your oversized Hypercolor t-shirt that so cleverly displayed your classmates'  hand prints. Until your mom washed it, that is. Then it was no longer hypercolor. Then it was just a neon orange t-shirt that said “Hypercolor” on it. My Hypercolor t-shirt came courtesy of the Goodwill; all of its clever hand prints had been long ago washed away. But I digress.  Holding those cheetah (or was it snow leopard?) printed jeans in my hands, I pictured myself walking into my office in Newport Beach on a casual Friday. My skinny snow leopard pants paired with a black v-neck sweater. Sleeves rolled up to the elbows. Oversized Timex watch. Tory Burch Reva Ballet Flats. Authentic Bonnie Cashin vintage Coach bag. Because I was just that cool. How chic, people would coo. How gamine! How Audrey!  

I walked my beautiful snow leopard jeans up to the register, excited to become who I was. I bypassed the fitting rooms entirely. There was no way I was going to let an unfortunately placed mirror and cruel lighting ruin my good buy buzz!

Back at home, I tried on my precious snow leopard jeans as my roots processed. It’s hard to really feel secure in cheetah print anything when you are sporting a hairline of gray roots. Not impossible, but extremely difficult. One leg, two legs, zip, button . . . success! I stepped in front of the mirror. Hel-lo, Disappointment! I turned, examining the pants from every angle. Something wasn’t right. Does my butt look like a cheetah in these pants? Is my butt supposed to look like a cheetah in these pants? 

 

Where had I gone wrong? Was I actually too . . . old for cheetah print pants? Sure I had a few gray hairs, but that wasn’t my fault! I had definitely received some faulty pigment genes, but I wasn’t old, right? Right?

Quick, WWTTD? What Would Tina Turner Do? When questioning whether or not something is age appropriate, one should always seek guidance from everyone’s favorite miniskirt wearing, love questioning diva. Even Oprah has sought wisdom from the great wigged one, for crying out loud! Tina Turner’s big wheels have kept on turning in her microminis and sky-high stilettos for decades. Consider this: Tina became eligible for an AARP membership back when Bush was the Commander-in-Chief. The first Bush. Not W. I looked in the mirror. The problem was not the gray hair that I was in the process of covering. It was certainly not my 31 revolutions around the sun. The problem was the way those stupid cheetah pants stretched across my thighs. My moneymaker may have looked like a jungle predator, but my thighs looked like they had been stricken with a yet-unnamed disease. And therein lied the lesson. Tina can shake her tail feather in her short skirts and high heels because she doesn't compromise on fit. My cheetah print pants required a concession from my thighs that I was just not prepared to make. 

I may very well be a snow leopard print pants wearer. But I am not meant to be a wearer of these particular snow leopard print pants. And that’s okay. Like Tina, I will live to dance in my stilettos another day. I’m glad I didn’t throw away the receipt.       

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What is Happiness?

It's the moment before you need more happiness. -Don Draper



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My Non-Hunger Games Book Club: Serena: A Novel by Ron Rash

I'll be the first to admit that I may have gone a little overboard with my Hunger Games obsession. But what can I say? Is that not the very nature of obsessions? So it should come as no surprise that I had a little bit of separation anxiety when it came to leaving my friends Katniss, Peeta, and Gale behind for books that were, you know, actually written for adults. But it appears that I have finally shaken Panem's titanium grip and read a verified piece of adult fiction. Behold my first non-Hunger Games book club selection: Serena: A Novel by Ron Rash.

Serena film still. Photo courtesy of IMDB

Now you're probably thinking, wait a minute, Girl, isn't that just Katniss with a fox around her neck? And what does Bradley Cooper have to do with anything? And to that, I say that everyone has to start somewhere. And I may have started my non-Hunger Games book club by deciding to read only novels that are going to be made into movies starring Jennifer Lawrence. It's my prerogative, okay? Serena is currently filming and slated for a 2013 release. And let me tell you, when it is released, I will be ready!

So what is Serena: A Novel about?

 A New York Times notable book of the year

Award-winning and New York Times bestselling novelist Ron Rash conjures a gothic tale of greed, corruption, and revenge with a ruthless, powerful, and unforgettable woman at its heart, set amid the wilds of 1930s North Carolina and against the backdrop of America's burgeoning environmental movement. 

I'm not going to lie, I have never been more interested in eminent domain as I was while reading this novel. I literally had a "huh, so that's what the first semester of property was about" moment. I kind of considered property to be that 90 minute stretch of time I had to sit through before we could talk about the good stuff. Like the model penal code. But anyway . . . yes, Serena has some eminent domaininess in there. And some early environmentalism. And some killing. Yep, I said some killing. 

The reader is first introduced to Serena as she steps off of the train from Boston with her new husband, lumber baron, George Pemberton. Waiting for them on the train platform is Rachel Harmon, the girl Pemberton impregnated before meeting Serena, and Rachel's father, an employee of the Boston Lumber Company. When Rachel's father attempts to "talk" to Pemberton about his daughter's condition (and by "talk," I mean "stab with a large knife"), rather than back away, Serena tells Pemberton to "reason" with Mr. Harmon (and by "reason," I mean "stab with a large knife"). Upon Mr. Harmon's death, Serena hands his knife to the heavily pregnant Rachel and instructs her to sell it to support her soon-to-be child as Rachel will receive no further "charity" from the Pembertons. And with that gesture, Serena begins her reign over the North Carolina wilderness. Serena proves to be as knowledgeable, strong, fearless, and cunning as any man in the Boston Lumber Company, and quickly disposes of anyone with adverse interests. Serena provides a glimpse into a world where power is absolute and everyone and everything can be bought and sold for the right price.  

While Jennifer Lawrence (The Hunger Games, Winter's Bone) seems to have some difficulty selecting roles that take her out of the wilderness, Serena will at least afford her a solid opportunity to play the bad girl. Or the crazy girl. Director Susanne Bier (Things We Lost in the Fire) will likely have to decide what she believes Serena's actual constitution is, as I'm not sure that the ambiguity between ruthlessness and insanity ever translates well on film (see Christoph Waltz's character in Water for Elephants). Bradley Cooper plays Boston Lumber Company owner, George Pemberton. Pemberton, while not as devious as Serena, is no less complex. Cooper, commonly known for his comedic chops, is an unlikely choice for the morally indeterminate Pemberton, but I am willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. I think that the real question will be if 21-year old Lawrence, who is known for playing teenage characters, can create some very adult on-screen chemistry with Cooper. That chemistry, described by Serena as "a kind of annihilation," is possibly the only the only thing about the Pembertons that I was certain of by the time I reached the novel's conclusion. 

If you are interested in getting your Serena fix, you can purchase the novel in paperback or on e-reader from Amazon or Barnes & Noble. Or you can do what I did, and download the free sample on your Kindle and then check out the book from your local library. Whatevs. 

p.s. if you are down here in the LBC, they have really high-teched the Long Beach Public Library system. You can search for and reserve books at any Long Beach library branch online, and set up an online account where you can renew your books from the comfort of your couch. And the best part is that it is all free! 

Have you read Serena? If so, what did you think? Sound off in the comments below!  Pin It

What I'm Running To: Happy Pills by Norah Jones

Now I'm not saying that I'm running to Norah Jones's new single, Happy Pills, just because I like her hair in the video . . . but the girl's got some great hair! See for yourself:

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It's Cool to Be Frugal

Meet Dom. He's a 20-year old college student. He's in a fraternity, and he loves to go out. He also sings for coupons. That's right. He sings. For coupons.

I'll admit that I get a vicarious thrill from watching Extreme Couponers create stockpiles of tomato paste and mouthwash. I imagine what it would be like to swim through their seas of surplus toothbrushes and candy bars. I try to picture just how crunchy my hair would be if I aimed all of those cans of drugstore hairspray at my head at once. And sprayed. And sprayed. And sprayed.

If you have ever watched an episode of Extreme Couponers, then you know the face of the extreme couponer is often a female one: she's the single mom, the military wife, the mother of five teenage boys. If you watch often, you may catch the occasional couponing house husband. However, it now appears that young men are entering the arena of competitive couponing as well. Dom is not the first boy to appear on the show. A 17-year old named Cole, nicknamed "The Couponing Kid," made his professional couponing debut in the show's second season. Which begs the question: where my girls at?

It's no secret that the grocery store is my least favorite place to spend money. I will spend 10 minutes silently debating the merits of purchasing the apple that is two cents less per pound than my favorite apple variety. What's that? You don't have a favorite apple variety? I thought everyone did. Weird. Yet, I do not clip coupons. My grandma clips coupons, and my mother clipped coupons, but I do not. It's not that I don't want to save money, it's just that clipping coupons has never saved me enough money to be worth the time it takes to clip them. And yet, boys like Dom are funding toga parties by singing for coupons and going recycle bin diving, so there is clearly something to the sport of competitive couponing. It concerns me that my ladies are not taking advantage of very real opportunities to line their vintage Coach purses with dollar bills while teenage boys are recognizing the benefits of competitive saving. In fact, the female extreme couponers are to a woman married, with children, or married with children (i.e. saving for a family), while their male counterparts are unabashedly saving for themselves. Or for, you know, a toga party.

Time recently ran a cover story titled "The Richer Sex" about how more women than ever before are overtaking men as family breadwinners. With women outnumbering men in undergraduate institutions and in most graduate and professional programs (including law school) across the country, we're likely to see this trend continue. But as most personal finance experts agree that the key to personal wealth is not just earning more money, but saving more money, it concerns me that younger women appear not to be as excited about competitive saving as young men are.

Right about now you are probably saying, but don't you write about shopping? Absolutely. But I have often wondered if there was not also a way to write about saving money in a way that is as fun (and snarky) as writing about shopping. If maybe, just maybe, instead of celebrating a sister's new shoes, we could instead congratulate her on pouring her tax refund into her Roth IRA or paying off a credit card? That would, of course, mean that women would have to start opening the dialogue about money. It's funny how in the age of Sex and the City (the series and the movies) and Girls that money talk truly is the last female taboo topic. But it doesn't have to be. If a 17-year old boy can realize the importance of saving money and can brag about it on national television, why can't we?

So what say you: do you think a competitive shopper can become a competitive saver? Do you clip coupons? Would you ever discuss (gasp!) money with your friends?

You can catch Dom and his frat brothers singing for coupons when Extreme Couponing premieres tonight at 10 p.m. on TLC. 

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Read Me, Love Me, Pin Me

Well Kittens, I'm back! I took a small job-hunting hiatus from First Appearances, but like a bad penny, I have returned! Thank you for all of your emails and inquiries; I really appreciate all of the First Appearances love! Especially since I was pretty sure that my grandma was my only regular reader (hi, Grandma!).

Anyway, after some cutting, pasting, previewing, and serious nail-biting, I am happy to say that you can now love me on Bloglovin' and pin me on Pinterest! You will find my Bloglovin' icon on the left side panel (hint: it's the flashing Eiffel Tower!), and the "Pin It" button at the end of every post (for the life of me I could not figure out how to line up my "Pin It" button with my other post sharing tools! If you've figured this one out, hit me up!). I've also updated my "What I'm Reading Now" blogroll on the right side panel with some of my favorite grrrrl-powered personal finance blogs like And Then She Saved, LearnVest, and DailyWorth. Thank you for reading First Appearances, it's good to be back! Pin It

Love is Blindness: First Trailer for The Great Gatsby

The Great Gatsby is getting the Baz Luhrmann treatment! Set for theatrical release on December 25th, here is your first look at Leonardo DiCaprio as Jay Gatsby, Carey Mulligan as Daisy Buchanan, and Tobey Maguire as Nick Carraway. Set to music by Kanye West and Jack White, if Luhrmann has established anything in this first glimpse of the film, it's that this is NOT your mother's Gatsby.


Your mother's Gatsby, by the way, was the 1974 Francis Ford Coppola version which starred Robert Redford as Jay Gatsby, Mia Farrow as Daisy Buchanan and Sam Waterston as Nick Carraway. I'm just going to say it: it should have been better than it was.

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In Things I Have Been Waiting Forever For News: The Killing Returns!

It's hard to believe that I have been waiting to find out who killed Rosie Larsen even longer than I have been waiting to see Katniss and Peeta kiss in the cave in the movie adaptation of The Hunger Games. But I have. Once again, the wait is finally over! If you watched The Killing last season, you may have been a little miffed that the killer was not revealed in the season finale. Well, it's been a year and it's time to get over that. Showrunner Veena Sud has promised that Rosie Larsen's killer will be revealed (and apprehended?) by the close of the second season, set to premiere on Sunday at 8 (with a 2-hour season premiere!) on AMC. Need more reasons to watch? The Killing was nominated for 6 Emmy Awards for its freshman season, including Outstanding Lead Actress (Mireille Enos), Outstanding Supporting Actress (Michelle Forbes), Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series (Veena Sud), and Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series (Patty Jenkins).

If you did not watch last season, fear not. AMC released this handy little teaser that recaps the high points of the first season investigation.  
Catch a predator this Sunday at 8 p.m. on AMC (right before a new episode of Mad Men at 10!). Pin It

What I'm Running To: I Call it Love by Lionel Richie

Okay, just kidding. I'm not really running to this song, I just love Nicole Richie's clothes in the video! For the record, however, I am not above post break-up run-crying to "Say You, Say Me." Don't judge. Pin It

Mad Men Returns Tonight! Say What?!

In things-Jon-Hamm-can-do-that-you-can't news, Jon Hamm can say the word "what" 965 different ways.

Mad Men is back tonight! Tonight's two-hour Don Draperfest  Mad Men Season 5 premiere begins at 9 on AMC! The wait is finally over, friends! Pin It

Guess Who's Back?

5 days until the Season 5 premiere of AMC's Mad Men. Catch the two hour season opener on Sunday, March 25th at 9 p.m. Style is back, y'all! Forget where we left the men and women of Madison Avenue? This fan-made video will tell you everything you need to know about the first four seasons in 15 minutes. And by telling you everything, I mean, it will tell you absolutely nothing about what is actually going on in the show. NOTE: parts of this video are both NSFW and NSBL (Not Suitable Before Lunch). Enjoy! Pin It

What I'm Running To: Sydney (I'll Come Running) by Brett Dennen

An esteemed lawyer friend likes to create iTunes playlists with unfortunate names like: Patriot Mix, Super Patriot Mix, and Shame Mix. When she decided to create a Lawyer Mix, I was more than happy to offer up some legally inspired song titles for her attorney pop hit list. And by "some legally inspired song titles," I mean, one legally inspired song title: "Lawyers in Love" by Jackson Browne. But had I been aware of "Sydney (I'll Come Running)" by Brett Dennen, I totally would have offered it up in tribute to the almighty attorney playlist. If you are the process of compiling a similar list, you would not go wrong by including "Sydney." And if you are not compulsively organizing your music into themes, you can just run to it, like I plan to. Yes, I am aware that this song has the vague odor of "Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard" by Paul Simon. And no, I don't see any problems with that. Happy Monday!
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HG Black Carpet Winners and Losers

As we inch closer to the magical March 23rd theatrical release of The Hunger Games, my HG hysteria grows ever stronger. Last night the cast hit the black carpet for the Los Angeles premiere. Guess who obsessively watched the Yahoo! Movies live feed and squealed like a 12-year old girl when Josh Hutcherson arrived? Yep, that would be me. But let's not stand on circumstance. Let's talk winners and losers!

Winner: Jennifer Lawrence in Prabal Gurung

Photo courtesy of FabSugar

Jennifer Lawrence is a tough girl not to like. For starters, she's absolutely gorgeous. She's also sassy, sarcastic, incredibly talented, and crazy smart. And then she laughs. And she kind of sounds like Beavis from Beavis and Butthead. Love that! So I may be a bit biased, but I thought she hit this look out of the park. I wish she wasn't slouching in this picture because her posture makes the dress look like it was pulling across her hips, which it wasn't (quick tip: stand up straight when someone is taking your picture!). Jennifer's dress is both on trend (Prabal Gurung sent a lot of gold down the runway this February in NY's Fall Fashion Week) and reminiscent of the Mockingjay pin Katniss wears on her tribute outfit in the arena. Foreshadowing Katniss' impending transformation into the Mockingjay, perhaps? My HG partner-in-obessession, F, found Jennifer's hair to be a bit on the prom-y side. I thought it tied into the cutouts in her dress perfectly. To each her own. Jennifer Lawrence's red carpet fashion history has been admittedly spotty; she either gets it entirely right or entirely wrong, but she goes all-in and I appreciate a girl who commits. Last night was JLaw's night, and she got it entirely right.

Loser: Shailene Woodley in Honor 

Photo courtesy of FabSugar

Oh, COME ON, Shailene! Really? Are you doing this just so that I have something to write about?! I applaud you for not trying to upstage Jennifer Lawrence on her night, but that is where my applause stops. I'm not saying that you have put all of your goodies on display (Miley Cyrus, I will deal with you later!), but you don't have to wear a printed potato sack either. I'm not trying to harsh on Honor, which showcased a brightly colored, but mostly covered, collection at Fall Fashion week last month. Honor sent some beautiful dresses with sheer lace overlays down the runway, any one of which would have been perfect for this premiere and beautiful on Shailene (if you have seen The Decendants, you are well aware that Shailene's body is sick, so that's clearly not the problem here). Shailene, I understand that you are only 20-years old. We all make fashion mistakes at 20 (see that phase I went through in undergrad when I was certain that tube tops were the last word in evening attire). But please, try to find your aesthetic. And if you can't find it, hire someone to find it for you.

Winner: Elizabeth Banks in Atelier Versace

Photo courtesy of FabSugar

Representing the over-30 set, Elizabeth Banks was a winner in her orange, one-shouldered Atelier Versace mini dress with nude peep toe pumps. This dress had just the right amount of futuristic avant garde-iness for Banks, who plays Capitol fashionista and District 12 escort, Effie Trinket. Obeying the cardinal evening attire rule, that you may showcase your cleavage or your legs, but not both, and not neither, Banks elected to put the gams on display. If, like me, you have not been gifted with lengthy stems, a nude heel will provide you with the almost Copperfieldian illusion of longer legs. It's all smoke and mirrors, friends.  

Loser: Miley Cyrus in Emilio Pucci

Photo courtesy of FabSugar

Miley, we get it. You can't be tamed. You could, however, stand to be a little more covered. There is a lot of cleavage and a lot of midriff going on here. As if that were not enough, the bottom of the skirt is sheer. Cleavage or legs, but not both. And if you are not standing on the beach with your toes in the sand or in front of someone's tailgate barbecue, your midriff should not be showing. Elegant is the new black.

Winner: Amandla Stenberg (Rue) in Colette Dinnigan

Photo courtesy of FabSugar

Okay, how cute is Amandla Stenberg?! This is exactly what a 13-year old should wear to a movie premiere.  This ombre seafoam green confection is simply beautiful and has just the right amount of sparkle. Bonus points for the 40's hair and strappy kitten heels.

Loser: Kalia Prescott (District 3 Tribute Girl) in Cengiz Abazoglu

Photo courtesy of FabSugar

Why does little Kalia Prescott make my "loser" list? Because she wore white to Jennifer Lawrence's wedding, figuratively speaking. This is a beautiful, if highly involved, dress and Kalia looks stunning in it; but this is an Oscar dress. It is not particularly appropriate for this premiere, nor is it appropriate for someone playing an unnamed character in said premiere. Had this dress been cocktail length rather than full length, I probably would have been all over it. Maybe. Kalia, I'm not saying that you shouldn't try to look your best, but it was Jennifer's night. You shouldn't try to be the belle of someone else's ball.   

So there you have it. Just over 9 days until The Hunger Games is released in theaters. If you are watching in the U.K., your film will be exactly 7 seconds shorter than the U.S. release. British censors required that 7 seconds of "blood" footage be cut from the film in order for it to maintain its 12A rating (12A is the U.K. equivalent of the MPAA's PG-13 rating). 

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What I'm Running To: Somebody That I Used to Know by Gotye (feat. Kimbra)

Yes, this is the alternative song du jour. No, I don't care if this means that I am not as cool as the hipsters who  are already over it. WARNING: This video may be NSFW if your office is kind of squeamish about slight nudity and body paint. But on a side note, how cute is Kimbra's chin-length bob with blunt cut bangs?! Happy Tuesday!  Pin It

Award Season Winners and Losers: Part 2, The Stars

Have you ever started an argument by saying "first . . . ," only to realize that you didn't have a "second . . . "? Happens to me all the time. I begin an argument that I am sure is multi-faceted and multi-layered only to realize that I actually only have one point. With zero facets. And no layers. And no "second . . . " So imagine my surprise when it turned out that I had a "Part 2" to my "Award Season Winners and Losers: Part 1" post. But am I really making a second point? Or is this merely a facet of my first point? You decide (because I can't!).

Winner: Michelle Williams
I was slow to jump on the Michelle Williams train. She was Jen Lindley. I was Team Joey. She made multiple suspect project choices early in her career like Dick, Halloween: H20, and Killing Mr. Griffin. I make it a policy never to trust a Kirsten Dunst movie that doesn't start with "Bring" and end with "it On." Then something miraculous happened; Michelle started making good career choices. She met the late Heath Ledger on the set of Brokeback Mountain, and became one half of the most interesting celebrity couple ever to grace that magical land called Brooklyn. She gave birth to the cutest baby ever to come out of The Creek (sorry, Suri Cruise, you have nothing on Matilda Ledger!) and started toting vintage Coach around the city rather than the newest Balenciaga. Michelle exhibited quiet grace after Heath Ledger's death in 2008, all the while continuing to stretch herself as an actress. She has been nominated for three Academy Awards in the last six years with two back-to-back nominations in the leading actress category for 2010's Blue Valentine and 2011's My Week with Marilyn. She somehow also manages to say the most beautifully insightful things. Well played, Michelle Williams. I'm now very definitely a fan.

So let's talk clothes! Michelle has one of the most defined aesthetics in Hollywood. Don't believe me? Google "Michelle Williams street style," and you'll see what I mean. Michelle favors clean lines, minimal prints, and defined, but unstructured silhouettes.

"I feel like something has changed for me, but it's a new change, so it's going to be hard to describe. Maybe it has something to do with turning 30. I don't feel as shy or nervous or self-conscious. I have more confidence that I can handle what life brings me. I don't feel scared to have an idea or express it. I feel giddy about it because it is a complete transformation. It's like I've found my voice." -Michelle Williams

Loser: Shailene Woodley
Oh Shailene, how you have surprised me. If you had asked me two years ago what I thought about Shailene Woodley, I would have told you that she had the best hair on the worst show on television (ABC Family's Secret Life of the American Teenager). But Shailene's turn as George Clooney's eldest daughter in 2011's  The Descendants was unexpected. Turns out she just may have more to contribute to modern entertainment than a great head of hair. The bar has been raised, Shailene. I'll expect more from you now. I will also expect more from  your wardrobe, because your first foray into Award Season attire has been ill-fitting, poorly conceptualized, and positively schizophrenic. You really have nowhere to go but up in that department. Get it together, Girl. You're in the big leagues now!

"I fell into this business by accident. It wasn't something I ever aspired to be: an actress. It just happened. It has evolved into an insane passion . . . a creative outlet. But nothing more. It's my hobby . . . one of the ways I express myself as an artist. And the day it becomes a job . . . a career . . . I will quit." -Shailene Woodley

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What I'm Running To: Somebody to Love by Justin Bieber

Can you keep a secret? Because I have a confession to make. Sometimes, when no one is looking, I eat Nutella straight out of the jar. By the spoonful. While standing on one foot. Like a flamingo. Carrie Bradshaw dubbed it "secret single behavior." I dub it "damn good."

Unfortunately, my secret single behavior has some not-so-secret consequences. Nutella, while delicious, is not exactly calorie free. Which leads me to my second bit of secret single behavior: I'm a Bieber Believer. Like Nutella, Justin Bieber hails from Canada. Unlike Nutella, Justin Bieber does not add inches to my hips. He does, however, move my feet. Happy Monday, friends!

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What I'm Running To: Daydream Believer by The Monkees

To say that my mother was averse to change would be a bit of an understatement. Reportedly, when my parents first moved to Long Beach from the San Gabriel Valley in the late 1970's, my mom found the task of finding a Long Beach-based hairdresser so daunting that she drove the 30 minutes back to Alhambra every time she needed a haircut. It allegedly took her almost a year before she felt comfortable enough to try out a local stylist. Flash forward to 1990. While my 5th grade classmates were listening to Dee Lite, Biz Markie, and Vanilla Ice, my sister and I were dancing to The Beach Boys, Elvis Presley, and the occasional Simon and Garfunkel (my dad's influence). Modern pop music had no place in my house. Thus, it should come as no surprise that my first crush was not New Kid on the Block, Jordan Knight, but Monkee frontman, Davy Jones.

I was pretty convinced that "Daydream Believer" was about me. Even though it was recorded 13 years before I was born and even though I would end up at a high school that didn't have homecoming queens. I was sure that The Monkees really meant "international ambassador," but didn't know how to make that rhyme with "sleepy Jeanne." That's okay. Sadly, my first crush, Davy Jones, passed away earlier today in Martin County, Florida. He was 66 years old.

Rest in peace, Davy. You will be missed.  Pin It

Award Season Winners and Losers: Part 1, The Trends

The day after the Oscars always feels a little like the day after Christmas. Award season is over. It's time to examine the booty, separate the good from the bad and the ugh, and pack up the glitter and sequins and put it all in storage for next year. But before we move on to other things (hello, Hunger Games!), let's debrief. Want to be trendy in 2012? Here's what you should embrace from this past award season:

1. Embrace your inner high school goth.
Black nail polish is not just for 5th period lunch anymore. Kristin Wiig (Bridesmaids, seen below), Melissa McCarthy, Zoe Saldana, and Kate Mara all sported black nails on the red carpet this year. Interested in embracing the dark side? Consider having a manicurist perfect your polish if you don't have the steadiest hand when it comes to painting your own nails.

Photo courtesy of People

2. Embrace your shape.
Christina Hendricks, take notes. This season's big winner, both in statues and in style, was The Help's Octavia Spencer. Proving that if it ain't broke, you shouldn't fix it, Spencer shined in Tadashi Shoji at the Golden Globes, the SAG awards, the BAFTAs, and the Academy Awards. If you're a curvy girl, you're not going to fool the world into thinking you're a waif. Even if you are packing industrial strength shapewear. So stop thinking "camouflage" and start thinking "highlight." Shoji used ruching, sequins, patterns, and belts to define and spotlight Spencer's waistline. The result is a perfectly proportioned hourglass silhouette.

3. Embrace your age.
I'll be honest, I was pulling for a Viola Davis win in the Best Actress category. However, there is no denying that Meryl Streep looked stunning in Lanvin. Streep was beautiful, sexy, and appropriately dressed for her age (cough, 62!).

Photo courtesy of People

And now for my first award show loser: Jane Seymour. No doubt Dr. Quinn has a rockin bod. If I look that good at her age (cough, 61!), I will kneel down and pledge my eternal servitude to the whims and wishes of the mighty metabolism gods. What I will NOT do, however, is wear the dress she wore to last night's Oscar ceremony. Why? It was the sequined first cousin of the dress that then-20-year-old Jennifer Lawrence wore to last year's Academys! Great on Lawrence, wrong on Seymour. It's too much arm, chest, and slink for a woman in her 60's. Here's the lesson: don't try to dress like a 22-year old if you are not 22! The 22-year old will beat you at that game EVERY SINGLE TIME. Stop buying into our country's obsession with youth and start embracing the wonderful things that come with being 32 or 62 or 82 (way to go, Christopher Plummer!).

4. Embrace your pallor.
It took 31 years, but I am finally en vogue! Pale is the new tan. Here are some of the A-listers that did not take a single step into a spray tan booth this season: Michelle Williams, Jessica Chastain, and Emma Stone. It's hip to be porcelain, so pick up the SPF 70 and start slathering it on, friends!

All photos courtesy of People

5. Embrace your inner frugalista.
Fashion is not just for the rich. Best Actress nominee, Michelle Williams, made headlines earlier this month by wearing a dress from fast fashion powerhouse, H&M, to the BAFTAs. Just because you have it, doesn't mean you have to spend it. It's chic to save!

Photo courtesy of People

6. Embrace your bestie.
No boyfriend? No worries! Rather than stress over not having an Oscar date, single lady (and Best Actress nominee) Rooney Mara rolled with sister and best friend, Kate Mara (American Horror Story). Other award season besties included Michelle Williams and Busy Phillips (Cougar Town), Best Supporting Actress winner, Octavia Spencer, and Josh Hopkins (Cougar Town), and Best Supporting Actor nominee, Jonah Hill and his mom, Sharon Lyn. Best Supporting Actress nominee, Jessica Chastain, also kept it in the family by bringing her Nana as her date to the Academy Awards. The lesson here? Stop stressing your single status. Next time you need a plus one, phone a friend!

The Mara sisters, Photo courtesy of Zimbio

7. Embrace your inner Anna (Wintour).
I still hear people refer to the "Katie Holmes bob" like it was "the Rachel." Sorry Katie, you may have worn the blunt bob with bangs for a minute in 2007, but Anna Wintour has been wearing it since Pangaea.

Ain't nothing like the real thing: Anna Wintour with her signature coif. Photo courtesy of Telegraph.

The "Anna Wintour" made an award season appearance on funny ladies, Anna Faris (What's Your Number) and Rose Byrne (Bridesmaids).

Photos courtesy of People 

8. Embrace your sparkle.
All that glitters is not gold, but some that glitters is. Get back to me when you figure that one out. If it glittered, sparkled and/or was covered in sequins, it went down the red carpet this season. Some got it all right (like E! News correspondent, Giuliana Rancic).

Photo courtesy of People

And some got it all wrong (Melissa Leo, this is two years in a row. Please fire your stylist.).

Photo courtesy of Makeup Talk

9. Embrace the mane event. 
Last night was all about Viola Davis's hair. The Best Actress nominee, who usually wigs it out on the red carpet, wore her brown hair close-cropped and natural. Grammy winner Esperanza Spalding, who sang last night's "In Memoriam" tribute song, "What a Wonderful World," also kept her hair loose and natural.

Photos courtesy of People

 Note: treat your hair like an accessory. When your hair is the highlight, keep everything else minimal.

10. Embrace your Diddy.
Because it's always good to be Diddy.

Photo courtesy of People 

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Happy (almost) Hunger Games: An Education in Who's Who

FINALLY. T-30 days until I can stop talking about watching The Hunger Games, and get to the business of actually watching the movie! I know I'm ready for what is sure to be an instant cinema classic, but are you? If you, like me, are keeping a Hunger Games countdown calendar similar to the ones kept by prison inmates, you have probably already logged on to Fandango and bought your tickets for March 23rd. If you are reading this and thinking "Hunger huh?" clearly you have some homework to do. I can say "read the books" yet again, (le sigh. It's for your own good, really!) but what else can I do? I can lead you to water but I can't make you drink. So, here is some Hunger Games homework of the cinematic variety.

Photo courtesy of Just Jared Jr.

Katniss Everdeen: Jennifer Lawrence

21-year old Academy Award nominee, Jennifer Lawrence, slips into the leather hunting boots of our braided heroine, Katniss Everdeen. If you are unfamiliar with Lawrence's work, WATCH: Winter's Bone. Lawrence plays 17-year old Ree, a girl trying to track down her drug-dealing father and keep her family intact. Lawrence earned an Academy Award nomination for this performance in 2011 (she lost to Black Swan's Natalie Portman). SKIP: X-Men: First Class. It's a totally average big box superhero movie. I can safely say that it is not as bad as X-Men: The Last Stand, but I wouldn't call it good. Spend your two hours and your $1.29 on Winter's Bone instead.

Photo courtesy of The Hunger Games Movie

Peeta Mellark: Josh Hutcherson


19-year old Josh Hutcherson plays one of the most unfortunate lottery winners ever; baker's son, Peeta Mellark. Like Katniss, Peeta is chosen in the reaping to represent District 12 in the Hunger Games. My favorite thing about Peeta? Katniss repeatedly describes him as smelling like bread. Yum . . . . bread. If you are thinking to yourself, Hutcherwho? WATCH: The Kids are All Right. Hutcherson plays 15-year old Laser, the younger son of a lesbian couple (played brilliantly by Academy Award nominees Annette Benning and Julianne Moore. Benning was nominated for her work in Kids in 2011, but, like Jennifer Lawerence, lost out to Swan's Portman. Moore has been nominated for an Academy Award four times over the course of her career but has never taken home a statue.). Laser begs older sister, Joni (Mia Wasikowska), to track down their biological father, Paul (played by Mark Ruffalo). Hijinks ensue. SKIP: Journey 2: The Mysterious Island. I want to like this movie. I really do. It's got Michael Caine. And The Rock. And Vanessa Hudgens. Not to mention my newest little crush, Peeta Mellark Josh Hutcherson. But the critical consensus is that Journey 2 is totes forgettable, and I have to agree. Save your $10.

Photo courtesy of Deadline

Gale Hawthorne: Liam Hemsworth 

Liam Hemsworth, most famous for making out with Miley Cyrus all over the tabs, plays Games's resident tall, dark, and handsome brooder, Gale Hawthorne. Assuming Games stays true to the novel, you won't see much of Hemsworth in this first installment. Gale will likely be spending most of his time off-screen brooding it up until Catching Fire hits theaters in 2013. If you have never seen Hemsworth in action, you are not alone. Older brother, Chris Hemsworth (Thor), is the more famous of the Hemsworth brothers. For more on Liam, CHECK OUT: The tabloids. Or Google. SKIP: The Last Song. Forget Liam Hemsworth, Song is two hours of having to deal with Miley Cyrus's voice. And I just can't take it.

Photo courtesy of Pop Tower

Haymitch Abernathy: Woody Harrelson

Woody Harrelson, perfectly cast as Haymitch Abernathy, plays Katniss' and Peeta's mentor in the Games. Haymitch, best described as a surly and somewhat violent alcoholic, is charged with keeping Katniss and/or Peeta alive in the Hunger Games arena. If you are in The Hunger Games target audience, you are likely too young to remember Harrelson's turn as bartender Woody in Cheers. In that case, WATCH: No Country for Old Men or Rampart. Or White Men Can't Jump. Or maybe not. If you're too young to remember Cheers,  you are almost certainly too young for No Country or Rampart. See if your parents taped Cheers. Like on VHS. We used to do that back in the day. Or check out the upcoming HBO movie Game Change. It is unfortunate that Harrelson has been better known recently for some of his activist activities rather than his filmography because he is an extremely talented actor. That said, SKIP: Seven Pounds. I am used to Will Smith's unabashed attempts to manipulate my emotions (see The Pursuit of Happyness). But Seven Pounds is just too much.  

Photo courtesy of Rotten Tomatoes

Elizabeth Banks: Effie Trinket

Elizabeth Banks may very well be the Ryan Seacrest of Hollywood actresses. You seriously cannot walk 10 feet in any direction without running into something that Banks has worked on. Banks portrays District 12 escort, Effie Trinket. Effie is most widely known for being the pinnacle of Capitol fashion and for uttering the film's famous tag line: May the Odds be Ever in Your Favor. Unless you are a member of a group that prohibits watching movies or television, I guarantee that you have seen Elizabeth Banks before. If, however, you cannot remember where you have seen her before, WATCH: Role Models. Single best movie about LARPing (Live Action Role Play) ever made. Fun fact: I can recite the entire movie line for line from credit to credit. SKIP: Zach and Miri Make a Porno. Like Lawrence's X-Men role listed above, Zach and Miri is not terrible and it's not great. But Banks has made so many films that there is just no need to waste your time on one that is only ah-ight. EXTRA CREDIT: Check out this short film Banks directed and starred in for Go Red for Women. I told you this woman is everywhere. Think you've seen Banks's on-screen husband before? If you watched 2011's Something Borrowed, you have. In Borrowed, Colin Egglesfield plays the object of Ginnifer Goodwin's desire, Dex.

Photo courtesy of IMDB

Director: Gary Ross 

Gary Ross co-wrote (along with Hunger Games creator, Suzanne Collins) the screenplay for and directed The Hunger Games. Ross reportedly campaigned hard for directing duties on Games, and fortunately for him (and us), got the job. Unfamiliar with Ross' work? WATCH: Pleasantville. Not only is Pleasantville well-paced and visually stunning, it also happens to be my second favorite Reese Witherspoon film (favorite: Alexander Payne's Election). SKIP: Dave. Note: Ross wrote and did not direct Dave, but that's of little consequence to me because the film just isn't funny. Skip it.






The world, or at the very least I, will be watching on March 23rd when The Hunger Games opens in theaters. Also, new trailer alert! Now with more Peeta  (and by "more Peeta," I mean about two seconds more Peeta than in the other trailers. What's up with that? It's like they're trying to advertise this movie as Peeta Lite. No one wants that. More Peeta!)!
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What I'm NOT Running To, But Kind Of Wish I Was: Pumped Up Kicks by TayZac Swifron

First, it would be great if I was clever enough to come up with TayZac Swifron on my own, but I wasn't. Entertainment Weekly was, however, so kudos to them. Second, how cute are they?! Oh, how I want my little Taylor to find a nice boy so that she can stop singing sad songs about going Back to December and White Horses (even if she is finding new ways to employ Laguna Beach hottie Stephen Colletti). Rumor has it that Zac is currently wooing Lily Collins, set to star as Snow White in the first of two Snow White films to hit theaters this year (the second stars professional Twilight pouter KStew), but still, don't Zac and Taylor seem just a little too comfortable together here? Rumor has it.   Pin It

"It is the people who follow fashion past the age of 30 who are truly sad. I have met some boring people in my life, but none so boring as the fashion writer in her 30's." -Julie Burchill

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First Look: Damsels in Distress

"I don't really like the word 'depressed.' I prefer to say I'm in a tailspin," utters Greta Gerwig's character in the upcoming Whit Stillman comedy, Damsels in Distress.  Damsels is about a group of young women at an east coast college who attempt to "civilize" their male counterparts and help depressed students through tap therapy. And by "tap therapy," I mean tap dancing. Damsels in Distress is slated for limited release on April 6 by Sony Pictures Classics. Take a look.
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2012 NY Fashion Week in Review: Top Trends for Fall

Sashay away. As the tents come down at New York Fall Fashion Week, let's take a quick look at what's trending for fall 2012. You know, because September is right around the corner.

Black and Blue: One of my favorite color combinations, black and blue looks were seen on the runways at the  DKNY (below), Carolina Herrera, and Preen shows.

Photo courtesy of Marie Claire

Burgundy: I'm not going to say "burgundy is the new black." But I'm not saying it only because Marie Claire already has. Burgundy went down the runways at the Alexander Wang, Nanette Lapore, Tory Burch (seen below), Christian Siriano, and DVF shows.

Photo courtesy of Marie Claire

All That Glitters: If it glittered, sparkled, or shined like the sun, you saw it on runways at the Jenny Packham, Carolina Herrera, Reem Acra, and Naeem Khan (below) shows.

Photo courtesy of Glamour

Winter White: White after Labor Day? Si se puede. Winter white went down the runways at the Derek Lam (below), Alexander Wang, and Peter Som shows.

Photo courtesy of Marie Claire

Military: Don't be surprised if you feel the urge to drop and give someone 20 this fall. Jason Wu (below), Suno, Prabal Gurung, Rag and Bone, Tommy Hilfiger, and Posh Spice Victoria Beckham all featured military inspired designs.

Photo courtesy of International Business Times

Luxe coats and outerwear, reptile prints and sheer designs were also trending on the runways for fall. I'll admit that I am not terribly excited to see military accents get another day in the sun. And I love winter white, but it does not love me. Nor does it love coffee. Sequins and glitter, however? Sign. Me. Up. If it sparkles like a bad Vegas nightclub, I am all over it. What say you, friends? Is there anything you are excited to see this fall?  

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What I'm Running To: Kerosene by Miranda Lambert

If, like me, your favorite thing about Valentine's Day is that it's the one day a year when there is no line for the elliptical machines or those weight machines that tone your inner and outer thighs; this one's for you! 60 minutes on the elliptical burns over 500 calories. That's 5.6 chocolate truffles or 83 conversation hearts. Just sayin. Pin It

All About Chemistry

Let's talk about skin, baby. Let's talk about you and me. Let's talk about all the good things and the bad things that may be. Let's talk aboooouuuut skin. Let's talk about skin! So 2012 has not exactly gotten off to a stress-free start. Last week this stress decided to show its true colors: all over my face. I woke up one morning to not one, but two massive zits on my chin and the side of my mouth.  My head said, "Play it cool, girl. Grab some concealer and ride it out." My gut said "Eradicate it. Shock and awe. By any means necessary." Guess which instinct won out? And thus, the 8th grade science experiment known as my face  began. For 7 days I repeatedly and mercilessly subjected my skin to random attacks of chemical warfare. $74.97, and one big, red, dry, itchy mess later, I waved my white flag and went back to my skincare basics. And wouldn't you know it, 36 hours later I was itch-free, back to the pallor I call normal, and (almost) completely pimpleless.

So what happened? I threw everything that I knew about my skin and basic skin care out the window in a state of panic. Zits happen. An occasional blemish on the chin does not mean that your skin has suddenly become oily and acne-prone overnight. If you should find yourself in a similar pimple predicament, remain calm. Here's what you need to know to maintain your skin sanity:  

Because you should always check qualifications before accepting advice, here are mine: aside from a lifetime spent reading Glamour, Allure, and InStyle, I worked for a luxury skincare brand for almost a year before attending law school in 2004. Part of my training and orientation included an intense week at skincare school, where I learned how to read product labels and minored in chemistry. Seriously. I'm pretty sure that I retained more information from my one week in Product University than I did from an entire semester in advanced business associations. So let's get started. As a quick disclaimer, this is not one size fits all advice. But it is one size fits most.  

Every good skin care routine contains three elements: a cleanser, an exfoliator, and a moisturizer. Everything else is an add-on. If the product you pick up off of the shelf at Sephora does not fall into one of those three categories, consider it optional. If you have a particular skin challenge, like acne or fine lines, you have my permission to add one treatment item into the mix. Your treatment item will be put on after you cleanse and/or exfoliate and before you moisturize. Keep in mind that I said one treatment item. Not seven. This is your face, not your high school science fair project.   

Step 1: Clean it up! 

I confess, I used to be a complete foaming cleanser junkie. If it did not foam, it did not touch my face. I have since changed my ways. I find that my skin gets just as clean with a non-lathering cleanser as it did with my foams. Whether or not you foam is largely a matter of personal preference, but if you find that your skin feels tight after you wash, consider a switch to a non-foaming cleanser. Need a recommendation?

Foaming: Special Cleansing Gel, Dermalogica, $33.00

If I am in the mood for foam, this is the only foam I'll use. "All skin conditions. A concentrated, soap-free, foaming gel designed to thoroughly remove impurities without disturbing the skin's natural moisture balance. Contains no artificial fragrance or color."

Non-Foaming: Gentle Skin Cleanser, Cetaphil, $18.74 (16 oz. bottle, 2 pack)  

There is a reason this little guy is an award winner (2011 Allure Best of Beauty). This stuff is liquid skin care gold. If your skin is sensitive, dry, or easily irritated, a few days with Cetaphil will put your you back on the right track. "Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser is great for daily makeup removal. Originally formulated for dermatologists, this cleanser is gentle on your skin and sensitive to your skin's needs. Cetaphil Gentle Cleanser will not strip the skin of natural protective oils or emollients, or disturb the skin's natural pH balance. This dermatologist-recommended cleanser is fragrance-free and non-comedogenic."

Green: Vegacol Facial Cleansing Lotion, Aubrey Organics, $15.98

I will admit, I have had a tough time trying to green my skin care routine. Either the cleanser doesn't clean, or I end up dry and red. Vegacol is the first green cleanser that has been as gentle to my delicate Irish skin as Cetaphil. As a bonus, this pearly yellow lotion has a pleasant lemon scent. "Custom-made for skin that needs special attention, this extra-mild, low-scent formula soothes and hydrates sensitive facial skin as it cleanses." 

Bonus Tip: If you find that a non-foaming cleanser is not getting your skin as clean as you would like, don't take this as a sign that you necessarily need a "stronger" cleanser. Instead, try cleansing twice. I have been double cleansing at night for years and it has made all the difference. If I am wearing a lot of makeup, I start with a cleansing oil. You can purchase a cleansing oil product, like this one from Dermalogica or this one from Boscia. But the true talk is that you don't really need one. I have found over the years that baby oil and even grapeseed oil (yes, from the grocery store) work just as well as the more expensive specialty products. Word on the street is that castor oil also removes stubborn eye makeup, but I have not personally tried castor oil, so I can't vouch. Start by applying some of your oil on your DRY face. Rub in for 20-30 seconds, making sure to apply carefully to the eye area to remove makeup. Rinse and follow with your normal cleanser. 

Step 2: Take it Off! 

What is exfoliation and why do you need it? Exfoliation is the removal of the oldest layer of skin cells on the skin's surface. As we age, our skin's natural sloughing mechanisms start to slow down, allowing the dead skin to accumulate on the surface of the skin and making the texture rough and uneven. Here is what Wikipedia has to say about it:

New skin cells are created in the skin's lower layer, the dermis. Over time, cells migrate to the surface of the skin and become more acidic. During their 30 day journey, they die and become saturated with keratin. Keratin is important because it protects the skin from outside elements. Through the aging process, and after menopause for women, the natural process of skin erosion becomes uneven, which gives skin a dry and rough character. Exfoliation removes the outer layer to reveal the newer skin beneath. This shedding of the outer layer unclogs pores, keeps skin clean, and helps reduce acne breakouts. 

Exfoliation is simply our way of helping nature along. Exfoliation can be mechanical or chemical. Mechanical exfoliation involves physically removing the dead cells by scrubbing them off with a liquid face scrub, washcloth, or skin care brush. Chemical exfoliation involves dissolving the dead skin cells with acids, namely alpha hydroxy acids (or AHAs like glycolic acid) or beta hydroxy acids (like salicylic acid). 

Mechanical: DDF Advanced Microexfoliation Cleanser, Sephora, $46.00 

If you elect to exfoliate with a scrub, select a scrub that has smooth beads rather than sharp particles. There is a very popular drugstore scrub that uses apricot pieces to scrape off dead skin cells. The sharp pieces in that scrub can actually cause microscopic lacerations on the surface of your skin, which can allow in bacteria. No matter how behind you are in your exfoliation process, think about gently buffing away the dead skin rather than sandblasting it into oblivion. Your face is not a piece of drywall. Save the apricot pieces for your pedicure. This exfoliant from DDF has nice smooth beads that even my finicky skin can tolerate.

Chemical: Botanical Kinetics Exfoliant, Aveda, $20.00  

Don't want to bother with scrubs? This exfoliant was recommended by my esthetician in Portland. Whenever I am feeling a little congested, I pour a little on a cotton pad and swipe over my nose, forehead and chin. Look, ma, no stinging!

Investment: Mia 2 Sonic Skin Cleansing System, Clarisonic, $149.00

If there ever was a skin care game changer, the Clarisonic is it. If I could string a chain around mine and wear it as a necklace, I would. It is just that good. You know that fresh from the dentist clean you get from brushing your teeth with a Sonicare toothbrush? Imagine. That. On. Your. Face. Catch my drift? Seriously. It's like walking around with someone else's perfect skin. If you are double cleansing with the Clarisonic, which I highly recommend, use your hands to wash all of your makeup off first. For your second wash, pour a little bit of your face wash directly on the brush. Hold the brush to your still damp skin, turn it on, and let it do work. 

Step 3: Pour Some Moisture on Me! 

Now some of my oilier sisters may be saying "I don't need a moisturizer. I just need to wash my face and go." Well, you're wrong. You MUST at the very very least slather on a moisturizer with SPF before walking out the door everyday. Personally, I prefer my moisturizer to be the equivalent of my little black dress: simple, elegant, can be dressed up or down, and can handle some serious damage control if things go awry. Heavy fragrances and fussy jars need not apply. Here are my all-stars:

With SPF: La Roche-Posay Anthelios 50 Mineral Ultra Light Sunscreen, La Roche-Posay, $32.95 

Yes, friends, you are once again in the presence of an Allure 2011 Best of Beauty Winner. This sunscreen is so light you will hardly realize it's there. It's also fragrance-free and does not irritate or cause breakouts. Winning!


Note: Mineral sunscreens (sometimes called physical sunblocks) work by physically blocking UV rays from penetrating your skin. Since they sit on top of the skin, you can layer a moisturizer under your sunblock if you are feeling a little dry. Chemical sunscreens must be applied directly to clean skin since they must be absorbed into the skin to work effectively. How do you know the difference between a sunblock and a sunscreen? Check the active ingredients. A sunblock will list zinc oxide and/or titanium dioxide as active ingredients. Sunscreens should list avobenzone as an active ingredient. If you see a sunscreen that lists things like homosalate, octisalate, octocrylene, and/or oxybenzone but does not list avobenzone among the active ingredients, put it back on the shelf. You need avobenzone to protect against the UVA rays responsible for skin cancer and wrinkles. If you find that sunscreens irritate your skin or cause you to break out in tiny bumps, you may be sensitive to avobenzone; try switching to a sunblock with zinc oxide and/or titanium dioxide. It's just as effective against UVAs but less irritating to sensitive skin. If you are having trouble finding a sunblock, check the baby aisle. Baby sunblocks are almost always zinc oxide and/or titanium dioxide blocks.

Expensive: Active Moist, Dermalogica, $54.00 

Active Moist is light, fragrance-free, and packs a serious hydration punch. When my skin is irritated and angry, Active Moist quickly cools things down. I have also applied Active Moist to sunburned skin and found that it was effective in reducing skin peeling. Dermalogica is one of the few brands that does not put any of its products in jars. Repeatedly dipping your fingers into a product jar can contaminate your moisturizer. For this reason, I consider any moisturizer that has been packaged in a jar to have a strike against it from the outset. I like to moisturize bacteria-free, thankyouverymuch.






Inexpensive: Moisturizing Lotion, CeraVe, Amazon, $15.27 

How I love CeraVe. Let me count the ways. Non-comedogenic and non-irritating. Non-greasy. Non-expensive. In addition to using it all over my face, I have no problems spreading CeraVe over the dry spots on my knees, ankles, and elbows. The bottle is so big that the price works out to less than $1.00 per ounce. Yes and yes.












Green: Super Sensitive Every Day Lotion, California Baby, $11.49 

Is this product intended for use on baby humans? Yes. Can you use it too? Absolutely. I am not generally a huge fan of green moisturizers as many have tacky and/or greasy textures and tend to separate quickly. California Baby is the closest I have ever seen a natural product come to replicating my beloved CeraVe. The ingredients in California Baby are organic and grown sustainably. What I love: it's hypoallergenic! Added bonuses: it's gluten and nut free. You can find California Baby at Target. Check the baby aisle, not the grown-up aisle. While there, check out the Overtired and Cranky bubble bath. I have turned down dates with some  totally average guys in order to spend the night with Overtired and Cranky bubble bath and a good book. And I have not once regretted it.   

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