Here's Looking at YOU, beauty!

An out of this world-class production. Images shot by world-renowned fashion lensman Steven Meisel for Italian Vogue’s July issue. Exquisite couture frocks: Missoni, Cavalli, de la Renta are draped on the frames of if-looks-could-kill models. (On set, I imagine stylists, creative directors, makeup artists, their minions, assistants, and interns swirled and raced to and fro to be sure everything was just so and not too, too.)

What may sound like any “fabulous” high-fashion shoot and its resulting spread or a slightly more-down-to-earth clip from America’s Next Top Model is truly an even more extraordinary authentic, in-print first.

Mr. Meisel’s posing mannequins don’t fit what has been the fashion industry’s hushed-or-worst-still- unspoken-rule-but-not-at-all-a-secret that it (the industry) has long preferred its models fair and toothpick thin; a subscription that leaves women—like me—feeling like an airplane passenger neighbor never greeted, seen but not worth the time.

But all Mr. Meisel’s subjects, though they fit designer sample sized duds (usually 2 or 4), the beyond-gorg gals are raven, caramel, and honey-toned in complexion.

Since the issue hit US stands last week, media and fashion insiders are talking even more about the typical absence of diversity, color and shape in fashion.

While “Conspicuous by Their Presence” author Cathy Horyn’s interviews with fashion-mavens including Iman and Bethann Hardison suggests diversity (though sometimes contrived) has “improved” over the years, they also maintain that the “industry” is still NI (in need of improvement). Well, but of course!

Thank goodness for platforms like O, the Oprah Magazine, Marie Claire, Essence, Lucky, and ivillage.com that celebrate women for their diversity. And, though only annually in it’s Shape Issue, American Vogue has in recent years featured a few women close to an American woman’s average size 12. In support of its sister publication, I’m sure, the July 2008 issue American Vogue recognizes three black supermodels-in-the-making, Jourdan Dunn, Chanel Iman, and Arelis.

Kudos to Steven for setting the precedent. Hopefully with fotogs like him and ”Love the Skin You’re In” campaigns launched by Dove leading the way the trend of including women of every shape, size, skin-tone, ethnicity, hair length and texture will become the new standard in fashion and beauty. I mean, it’s ideal.

Until we’ll fully there…you be you! Be beauty-full!

Tai

Oh, Man!!!

Hi Ladies,

Like any other day, I chatted (or at least corresponded) with a few girlfriends yesterday. At some point during our communication I posed these simple questions, “Have you purchased Father’s Day gifts yet? What did you buy?”

I wasn’t surprised to learn that while they all look forward to indulging the men in their lives, few, with less than 72 hours ‘til the “big” day, have put their dollars or credit cards where their hearts are.

The answers were entertaining…to say the least.

Friend #1:

“Mrs. M” (35 years, Married 4 years, 1 child and very pregnant) said, “I find this to be a very interesting question that intrigues me…”

Clearly she hasn’t made a purchase!

Friend #2:

“Mrs. J” (31 years, Married 4 years, 2 children) said, “Yes. Of course! I actually gave it to him last night. He loved his giftsssss: a French-cuffed shirt, Paul Smith cufflinks, and tie. He’ll wear them to an event where he’s being honored this Saturday."

Good for you Mrs. J!!! She’s the sweetest, superwoman-mother-wife I know. (Really!)

Friend #3:

“Miss B” (31, In a Relationship, no children) said, “Oh my gosh! Shucks! I need to buy something!! Any ideas?”

Of course, Miss B! In fact, I have ideas for you and Mrs. M.…and all the Mrs.-es, Misses, and Ms-es, A-Z.

Three tips to last-minute, stress-free shopping for him:

Keep him at the forefront of your mind…of course. (You don’t want to get sidetracked when shopping.)
Consider his likes, dislikes, wardrobe and valet needs, his lifestyle…of course.

And the not so obvious:

Think about you, too!

After all (in the case of a stylish but practical gift), what’s good for the gander can be great for the goose. The perfect gift for him is one that you can borrow.

The Every-Man-Will-Like list:

Enter code: MENSALE at checkout for 20% off.

Ray-Ban Original Aviator Sunglasses, $129, macys.com. Up the cool factor of any guy in your life while keeping his style clean and traditional.

Man-ly and Pedi-cure, $95 at Bliss Spa, blissworld.com. I know, I know…most guys are slow to admit it…but who doesn’t enjoy being pampered (just a little bit) every now and again? Bliss’ signature Man-ly Cure was created with him in mind. If Bliss hasn’t come to your town (just yet), you’re favorite local nail salon will serve him the royal treatment, too.

Good luck, happy shopping and happy Father’s Day!

Tai

I am not my hair, am I?

I am not my hair

I am not this skin

I am not your expectations (no)

I am not my hair

I am not this skin

I am the soul that lives within

Does the way I wear my hair make me a better person

Does the way I wear my hair make me a better friend

Does the way I wear my hair determine my integrity

Expressing my creativity

--India.Arie, “I am not My Hair,” Testimony: Vol. 1 Life & Relationship (2006), Universal Motown

I am fortunate to say that I get compliments on my hair frequently. And God knows I appreciate them. Rarely am I asked whether the hair on my head is mine. But occasionally, it happens. But when I am asked the rather forward question, I often ponder whether or not Beyoncé, Kim Catrall, or Gwenyth Paltrow are ever asked the same.

So, today, I am coming out!

Yes, I’m wearing hair extensions. I have been for a little over a year. My “real,” au natural hair is chemically straightened, sandy in color and now rests healthily below my shoulders. But when I made a long-term commitment to wear my “temporary” longer tresses, it was a drastic change. What was one day a short, cropped, Mia Farrow-pixie that shaped my face like a customized picture frame became what my ultra-conservative, demure mother calls an “unbeweavable” hair-to-there hair-peration.

I beg to differ. My chest-length extensions are trés believable. The store-bought locks match my hair texture and color perfectly. And their believability-factor was, at least for me, a prerequisite to wear them in the first place. My stylist, Carla Gentry Osorio, is the genius weaver. However, as evidenced by this entry, my intention is not to fool anyone about where my own hair begins and/or ends. After all, I am not my hair. Or am I?

I mean, I believe women like you and I (and India.Arie) don’t see our hair as a defining characteristic of who we are. Instead, I believe, our tresses are a mere extension (no pun intended) of our style, personality, our mood, a matter of self-expressio. Or perhaps, in my case, an equally important convenience that affords the comfort of working out four times a week without worrying about “my” hair becoming excessively dry or damaged.

So with the season’s celebrity “It” hairstyles all of which I love, running the gamut – from the...

And the… Femme Fatale Sarah Jessica Parker:

And even the…Rock Star Rihanna:

What some might view as indecisive, I call cutting-edge. The asymmetrical cut has returned after a twenty-plus-year hiatus. But what remains hasn’t changed about this style? It’s still daring, funky, edgy, and rocker-chic!

I have to agree with India. I am not my hair! But my hair is ME, I mean “we”. And today (and for the last year or so) I’ve settled into feeling a little more femme fatal-ish like SJP. But with summer coming soon (I hope), who knows, I might just decide to take my rock-star quotient up a notch. Stay tuned!

In the meantime, what hair-statement are you making now or thinking about making?

Yes, I Tan… (I mean, I Am) a Believer

Hi Ladies,

The sky is as crystal clear as the reflection of an Asscher-cut diamond. (I’ve never seen an Asscher diamond in person, but I hear they are as clear as water.) The sun is beaming more than a mom at her child’s first recital. The waves are gently crashing the shoreline creating a sound that mimics the angels’ celestial chorus. And I lie here (veiled in SPF 30, of course, because no sun is too good for me not to be well protected) looking like a golden goddess: even-toned, bronzed, radiant, sun-kissed. Ahhh…I love St. Barth’s. Okay, Santa Monica. I mean, Miami.

Okay, really, I’m on the rooftop deck of my Jersey loft building. But I’m more tan and golden than I have been in years without the tropics. And I owe it all to Givenchy’s Tan To Go, Limited Edition.

Now, wait! Before you recite (because I’m sure you already thunk it), “She’s-got-to-be-kidding-me!,” know that I am so sincere. Seldom will I recommend one product for a task. But, last Wednesday (after several Fed-Ex delivery attempts) I received a package in the mail from a friend with “ties” to the house of LMVH’s Givenchy. Never, never, did I expect the contents of that package to make me smile, make me coo, make me imagine frolicking on a white sand beach.

I’m a tan-in-a-can skeptic — and for several reasons: 1) I’m naturally melanin-ed. I am of African-American, Caribbean, Native American and French ancestry. So any tan I get, I admit, is extra, 2) most faux tans I’ve seen, well…look very faux, and 3) I, like most, think orange (not bronze) when I think tan in a bottle. We’ve all seen an “orange” woman before.

Today, however, I’m a convert. For the last five days, I have forgiven my typical complexion smoothing routine. I’ve ditched mixing one part of a slightly-darker-than-my-natural-skin-tone-liquid foundation with my daily face hydrant to create a delicately tinted moisturizer. I haven’t applied concealer to camouflage the signs of sleep deprivation. (That’s my trick to flawless looking skin.) Instead, I’ve followed the directions in the pamphlet that accompanies Givenchy Tan-to-Go face spray.

Avoid spraying in eyes. Hold eight inches from face, spray. Let dry. Spray until desired complexion…

Or something along those lines. The point? I’m sold. I’m a believer. I’m buying Shade 02 in large quantities this week since Givenchy decided that this clever and effective invention should be available only for a limited a time.

It dries in less than two minutes to a powder so it won’t rub onto your (or your significant other’s) clothes. I wish it came in 5 instead of two shades, but I asked friends, some darker and others lighter than me, to try, and the shades were pretty compatible.

So, as I head to a lunch meeting in not-so-tropical New York City, I’ll look fresh, clear-skinned, and St. Tropez-ed. Thanks to Givenchy.

Givenchy Tan To Go, $45, sephora.com

Have you ever had a tan-in-a-bottle or spray-tan mishap? Or is there a product or method you absolutely love? Do tell!

Tai

Split Per "scent" alities

Ladies,

Believe it or not, I am a beauty buff who rushes away from the fragrance section of a department store as if escaping a pack of wild skunks. No, I am not one of those women who prefer a “more natural” body scent. In fact, I loooove perfume. I can tell top notes (what gives a fragrance’s first impression) from bottom or base notes (the heaviest and longest lasting note that gives a fragrance its “defining” aroma). I can categorize a fragrance pretty accurately. (There are six basic categories: floral, fruits, woods, greens, oriental, and aquatic—usually determined by the heart or middle note.) And I’ve even been told I have a great “nose” by one of the world's most revered perfume aficionados, Laurice Rahme of Bond No. 9, formerly of Creed.

Still, I have always felt overwhelmed by the lovely salespeople who flood passer-bys with of-the-moment sprays.

As personal as fragrance is—it’s the one thing that can make an entrance before you do and linger post your physical exit—I usually try new fragrances only when:

a) One is purchased as a gift

b) I take the suggestion of a trusted beauty editor who waxes poetic about it in a magazine

c) I feel intoxicatingly mesmerized after inhaling a scent strip advertisement in a magazine

d) I build up the courage to ask the lady standing next to (darn near on top of) me on the subway what she’s wearing

What do all of my fragrance-finding practices have in common? Though it’s love after first spritz, I don’t choose my “love in a bottle,” they usually happen to find me.

But this season, I decided to venture outside my eau de toilette comfort zone. I wanted a few new scents that would let four of my most sprayed, warm-weather classics, rest easy on their shelves. Here are some of my new favorites.

My Floral Classic: Creed Spring Flowers EDP, $190, neimanmarcus.com

The Newcomer: Bath & Body Works Enchanted Orchid $19, bathandbodyworks.com

Why: It’s a fresh floral with blends of orchids, gardenia, and iris. Not to mention, it’s a tenth of the price. You can’t beat that!

My Fruit Classic: Calypso Christiane Celle Mimosa, $85, calypso-celle.com

The Newcomer: Lavanila Vanilla Coconut, $65, sephora.com
Why: I’ve always been a little skeptical of vanilla, but the coconut blend gives this all-natural fragrance crisp freshness

My Green Classic: L’Artisan Parfemeur The Pour un Ete Eau de Toilette, $95 bergdorfgoodman.com

The Newcomer: Prada Milano Infusion D’Iris Eau de parfume, $70, neimanmarcus.com

Why: It is technically a floral scent, but it’s also complex, lush, very green and clean smelling.

My Aquatic Classic: Marc Jacobs perfume, $65, sephora.com

The Newcomer: Missoni Acqua, $75, at Nordstrom stores

Why: It’s airy, fluid, and alive. Seriously, with every inhale, feel the ocean’s breeze.

So what’s your aromatic pleasure? You can click and purchase one of these for yourself. Or even better, just in time for Mother’s Day (or even Mother-To-Be-one-day-sometime-in-the-future Day), drop a hint (or this link to Compacts & Vignettes) to your significant other or children.

Be sure to come back to share your likes (or dislikes). In the meantime, do tell what fragrances you consider warm-weather must-haves.

Tai

You’re kidding me. Aren’t you???

Ladies (Mommies, Aunties, and older Sisters especially),

I am not yet a mom; but I am a godmother and “auntie” to a few brilliant and beauty-full girls, ages 3 – 14. Each of them boasts an impressionable mind with a huge appetite for information. They listen to music, watch television, tag along to the mall with their mothers and friends and (the older ones) have computers. One has skipped the runway of a local department store kids fashion show and appeared in a magazine photo shoot. I’m not naïve to the fact that media and celebrity has a tremendous influence on how we (women of a certain-age) and, to an even greater extent, how teen and tween-aged girls form our beauty ideals. But things have gone too far!

I read several recent articles about girls, I mean, babies, and their “beauty” ambitions. One in Philadelphia Magazine discussed an 8 year old getting her brows sculpted and another 12 year old having her “down there” waxed!

“Keating [the spa owner] told one mother, who wanted to drop her 12-year-old off for a full body wax before a modeling casting call, that it wasn’t going to happen unless she, the mother, came in, signed a waiver, and sat with her daughter as any wayward hair that dared to grow on her adolescent skin — from head to toe — was ripped out.”

My mouth fell more agape by the paragraph.

Another New York Times article talked about eleven-year olds donning highlights.

And there’s a picture book being released soon explaining “Mommy’s new look” post breast augmentation and/or a nose job. Yikes!

I thought to myself, a hard line has to be stitched (tight) somewhere, darn it! But where?

I occasionally take my 9-year old goddaughter to have a simulation-mani and pedi (They only gently file and add polish. No cuticle clipping or pumice stone buffing!). I allow her to use only tropical Skittles-like hues. And unlike my own lip color peeves, with her…the more glitter, the better. During our session, we talk about school, the importance of being kind and obedient, and sports. Though a little indulgent, I’ll admit, our trips are meant for bonding.

But for many young girls (and parents who let them), the trend is to pluck, pull, and streak. Is this too much? How young is too young? In fact, how old were you when you had your first chemical process: wax, color, or facial?

Do tell so we can chat fragrances, mascara, and skincare (for WOMEN) with a slightly clearer conscience.

Photo: T. Kruesselmann/zefa/Corbis

Graduation Day: To Gloss or To Stick

Hi Ladies,

So, tell me, do you gloss or stick? Every day? In the evenings when you’re headed out on a date with your sweetie? To a PTA meeting or an after-work mixer?

Exactly!

Now that I’ve hit my thirties, I’m ready – not to mention it’s time – to occasionally abandon my fascination with (and extremely dedicated resolve to previously wear only) the slippery, even gooey, ultra-glittery textures of Bonnie Belle-type lip glosses. Refined women, like us, should punctuate our look with seductive, creamy, smooth lip color instead. Right? But how does a woman graduate from lip gloss to lipstick?

I’ve pondered this conundrum for a while…several years actually. As a twenty-something-year-old in the beauty industry with a room full of seemingly wiser, more experienced, more sophisticated, more fashionable and well, more…or shall I say, “better lip-sticked” women, I always felt my glitter-flecked, strawberry-toned gloss was out of place. It made me feel like an awkwardly and accidentally placed kid soooo completely out of her league.

But truth be told: On weekends, when you’re rushing from Lowe's to Whole Foods to your son or daughter’s soccer match, a sheer lip gloss with a tinge of color like the infamous Lancome Juicy Tubes, $18, (I loooove Miracle) will fit the bill.

Still, Monday through Thursday, you need some color, better yet a texture and application that speaks sophistication rather than sweet sixteen. Ladies, a natural progression is an order.

Just in time for spring: I’ve discovered and “moved-on-up” (at least a few days a week) to lip colors that offer youthful application PLUS the rich and creamy textures of an all grown-up, chic lipstick. Bingo!!!

Check out a few of my favorites, and let me know what your lip color favorites are, too!

Tai

josiemaran.com

I was pleasantly surprised when the caramel-smelling (not usually my thing) sheer color went on as luxuriously as a silk Philip Lim blouse. Radiance (a soft pink) and Confession (a coppery gold) are perfect for spring and extremely wearable on all complexions.

Bonus: These babies are close to being all natural!

stilacosmetics.com

For those of you who thought you couldn’t wear red, Stila’s SPF 20 Lip Color in Chelsea adds a perfect, pick-you-up wash of color that transitions from office chic to after-work drinks effortlessly.

Lancome’s new Color Fever Gloss offers high impact color with a delicate sheen. I love the rich and moisturizing texture. What it feels like? Imagine swiping on a coat of a hydrating, petroleum-rich balm that’s colorful and goes the distance.

Look Good, Feel Good, Do Good.

Hello, Beautiful!

We’ve all heard about having a beauty regimen, but what about a beauty mantra? You know, your own personal ideals about what beauty is? As we travel together through the world of Compacts & Vignettes, it will be important to remember what I call my 7 Beauty Mantras:

Beauty is [indeed, absolutely, unequivocally] in the eye of the beholder.
Rouge (color and application) is NOT universal. One woman’s blush can be another woman’s clown face.
Don’t feel obligated to purchase everything (or anything) when the makeup artist (A. K. A., ahem, "salesperson”) at your local makeup counter or beauty bazaar says, “Oh, you must-have…” It’s all about your comfort level.
If you feel confident about your look, trust me, you look even better. (This is what I call the Beauty Theorem.)
Beauty is way deeper than your skin! Unhealthy skin is a reflection of what‘s going on inside. Healthy skin is an extension of what’s going on inside. Eat well. Stay fit. Look beauty-full.

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Here's Looking at YOU, beauty!

Oh, Man!!!

Ray-Ban Original Aviator Sunglasses, $129, macys.com. Up the cool factor of any guy in your life while keeping his style clean and traditional.

I am not my hair, am I?

Yes, I Tan… (I mean, I Am) a Believer

Split Per "scent" alities

You’re kidding me. Aren’t you???

Graduation Day: To Gloss or To Stick

Look Good, Feel Good, Do Good.