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.

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

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:

Acqua Di Parma Capri Orange EDT, 2 oz. Spray, $64, Saksfifthavenue.com. I don’t usually suggest a woman wear a man’s cologne or vice versa. But Acqua Di Parma scents are gender neutral. This scent will transport anyone to a citrus grove in Capri. Call it a vacation in a bottle.

Cole Haan Duffle Perri Collection, $250, colehaan.com. Whether he’s stopping off at the gym or spending a few days golfing with the fellas, this nautical-hued carry-all is equal part handsome and chic. He’ll throw it over his shoulder for his trip, but when you jet set, you’ll carry it in the crease of your arm.

Enter code: MENSALE at checkout for 20% off.

Banana Republic Slim Fit Geo Floral Dress Shirt, $59, bananarepublic.com. Striped shirts are a safe choice. There’s something so sexy, sensitive, and confident about a man in a delicately patterned shirt. When it’s your turn to wear it, pair it with a wide belt worn high on your waist.

Locman Tremila Watch in Orange, $795, barneys.com. Paired with a polo or oxford shirt, this time keeper is sooooo GQ. On you? It’s oversized face and band looks sporty but feminine when matched delicate bangles.

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

Hi Ladies,

This isn’t the newsy-est of news but I live for manicures. I indulge my handy senses at Pinky in Upper Montclair or Coco in East Midtown Manhattan every Saturday. As of late, I keep my pointers polished candy apple or fruit punch red. And when I’m feeling extra spunky: a coral-like cinnamon shade. I love admiring my freshly painted nails while I cook, drive, type, lift my blackberry to my ear, read…

Speaking of reading…I live for the New York Times style section, printed version.

On Thursday mornings, Abdul (my Jack Russell) and I stroll to the local convenience store. I purchase The Times, open it slowly, unfolding the style section from the rest of the paper. Then I fan it neatly between my fingers. With Abdul’s leash in one hand, the bulk of the paper tucked underneath one arm, style in front of my face, I read as we walk back to the loft.

Every Sunday, regardless of the world’s most pressing news, I coolly and delicately (usually at my dining room table) thumb and point my way through the encyclopedia-thick edition – sifting, searching, shamelessly for “style.” (I return to the front page only after studying “Style”, perusing “Real Estate”, fawning over “Travel”, circling and highlighting to-dos in “Arts”, and raising or furrowing a brow or two at “New Jersey.” Yes, in that order!)

So imagine how I felt once I read the following words in my favorite news section of The Times:

“…having streaked, chipped or just plain grotty nail polish no longer suggests drug addiction, manual labor or pure laziness. Like untied high-tops, thread-worn jeans and bedhead, it’s now part of a deliberate look.”

Uhh?? Chipped nails deliberate? A matter of convenience or busy-ness? Certainly. (It happens to me far too soon and often then I’d like.) But stylish or intentional? Not for me!

Since I type on not one but two blackberries, my mani chips by day three. By day four, I usually keep my hands balled into fists. And when they’re not knotted, I hide them in my sleeves, or worse still, I file, pick, or rip at my already nail-bed length nails. I’d like to preserve my $15 investment for as long as possible without being chip-is-in cool. Call me old school, but it’s just not my style (by choice).

So, I asked two skin and nail-care experts for pointers on how to make a mani last. Here’s what they said:

·         Nails that are dry, split or have ridges chip more easily. Keep your nails healthy by keeping your hands, nails, and cuticles moisturized, says Dr. Fran E. Cook-Bolden, a New York City-based dermatologist.

·         Consider taking a vitamin supplement like biotin to help strengthen nails. Topical ingredients don’t work as well as oral supplements, says Cook-Bolden. (I started taking Biotin five months ago and my nails are visibly stronger.)

·         Before applying the base coat, “dehydrate” the nail bed, says Skyy Hadley, owner and founder of As U Wish Nail Spa in Hoboken, New Jersey. Remove natural oils from your nail with a nail polish remover. A clean nail bed helps “the polish adhere more to the nail,” says Hadley making it less likely to chip.

·         Apply a base, two thin coats of color, and then a thin topcoat says Dr. Cook-Bolden. Hadley maintains a second topcoat helps.

·         “Then apply another top coat on the third day,” says Hadley.

Olsen twin trend or not…busy professional or stay at home mom…if you’re nail bed is hosting a color that is half empty (or half full for that matter), I agree with Hadley.  “Always carry nail polish remover pads,” she says, to remove the old and let your blank pointers live in solitude…point blank.

Check out my summer nail favorites. And don’t forget to share whether you let your nails chip freely or prefer they remain perfectly painted. If so, what’s your trick to making your mani go the distance? What polish colors are you wearing?

Tai

 

With the sun ablaze, in addition to my daily hand moisturizer, I apply, Sally Hansen Vitamin E Cuticle and Hand Oil, $6.59, www.drugstore.com at least once every two days.

 

 

 

 

As I said, I’m in really into fiery reds this season. I like the sophisticated, yet bright and smooth finish of OPI’s Monsooner of Later, $8, www.opi.com.

 

 

 

 

 

 

When in doubt, be ready to wipe the slate clean on a moment’s notice with Lippman Collection The Stripper to Go, $8, www.lippmancollection.com.

 

Hi Ladies,

Recently, a colleague and friend, let’s call her “Mrs. Mac,” asked me what moisturizer I use on my face. I tried to dismiss her question at first. “Well, I really like quite a few face creams…,” I responded, slyly rattling off the names of at least five mass and prestige facial moisturizers I’ve tried at various points during my beauty editor career that I think are good. Mrs. Mac, a very hip, “well-maintenance-d”, extremely put-together, mother of three insisted, “BUT what do YOU use on your face, now, daily…today?” With a slight feeling of guilt I conceded, and mouthed, “Crème de L-A- M-E-R???”

“Umhmm”Mrs. Mac moaned. “My mother swears by Crème de La Mer. But I can’t, just can’t see myself spending…”

I cut her off. “I know. I know. It’s pricey. But I only make the purchase once, maybe twice a year. It’s one of my special treats to me,” I defended. 

What I didn’t tell Mrs. Mac (hopefully, she’ll read this entry) is there’s a trick to making your beauty investment really work for you.

In the case of the Crème de La Mer: I use it daily, day and night, for three weeks when the season is just beginning to change. It helps to recondition and hydrate my skin.  (It just happened that I was on Day 10 when I saw Mrs. Mac.) At the end of the three weeks, I go back to my more reasonably priced hydrator, Yon-KA Paris Pamplemousse (available at Blissworld.com).

At any rate, after chatting with Mrs. Mac about my love for La-Mer, feeling a tad bit guilty about its price, I thought about my beauty pantry. There are quite a few expensive items in it I swear by. But there are equally as many mass brands that, truth be told, I’d dare not live without.

Hey, it’s all about balance. And I think I’ve struck my beauty balance.

Stay beauty-full!

Tai

Here are a few of my favorite face, hand, and body-savers at every price point:

The Pricey:

Crème de La Mer Moisturizing Crème Gel, $220 for 2 oz, lamer.com. The new gel formula is lightweight but just as potent as the crème.  Remember a little goes a long way!

M Lab Body Treatment Cream, $185, mlabonline.com and Harrods London. The company calls this a “fusion of peptides, exfoliants, and hydrants that help promote collagen production.” I say, since its thick and hydrating it’s perfect after a day in the sun. The 6.7 oz jar should last about 6 months.

3 Lab Perfect Hand Cream

, $55, barneys.com, softens my hands and my forever-dry cuticles. A highlight? I can wash my hands at least twice and not have to reapply which helps this decently sized tube last for at least two-three months.

The Economical:

 

Cetaphil Daily Facial Cleanser for Normal to Oily Skin, $7.99, walgreens.com.  I love how the gel gently lathers. And seriously, I push this product on any and everyone who asks what cleanser they should use.

 

 

 

 

Neutrogena Body Clear Body Scrub, $6.99, cvs.com. I’ve suffered from "backne" (acne on my back) since I was a teen. Argggh! This gentle 2% salicylic acid exfoliant keeps my back clear and the rest of my body smooth.

 

 

 

 

CoverGirl LashBlast Volume Blasting Mascara, $7.65, drugstore.com. I’m a mascara fanatic! This formula is waterproof, smudge proof, and budge proof. I’ll manage to look dolled up all day this Saturday on the beach.

 

 

 

What’s the most you’ve ever spent on a beauty product? The least? Do you prefer shopping for beauty products at the department store, drugstore, specialty boutique (Sephora), or online?

Hi Ladies,

So, Friday was the BIG day! Friends had talked about it for the last year when swirling rumors were confirmed that Sex and the City: The Series would indeed become Sex and the City: The Movie. (Henceforth noted as “SATC: TS” and “SATC: TM,” respectively) Girl packs went out in droves, by the bus and plane-loads this past weekend to celebrate – my pack included. Though my group of friends didn’t converse about what ensemble, bob, lip color or peep toe bootie (Louboutin or Marni) we’d wear to the cinema, we did (and continue to) discuss which character we were most like almost ten years ago and who we think we identify with most after the screening.

This is a topic I’ve been contemplating for 9 years. Think I’m joking? Strut with me for a moment:

The year is 1999 (And unfortunately I wasn’t partying as hard as Prince would have liked, though I sashayed across the dance floor occasionally in a fierce pair of Nine West pumps). I am a senior in Dr. Steven Knadler’s Literary Theory: 417 class at Spelman College, a very small all-women’s, liberal arts college in Atlanta, Georgia. SATC: TS is a recent hit on HBO. I am wowed, fascinated, inspired by their power, strength, courage, complexity of the archetypal women characters, and, of course, their shoes. (Though a little quirky, costume designer Patricia Fields definitely knows how to tell a story with clothes.)

When asked to decide my semester-long literary exploration, I chose SATC: TS. (Others choose to critique E.L Doctorow, T.S. Eliot, and Jane Austen.) I tape record episodes weekly and then screen them in class. During each screening I lead the class in discussion about post structuralist theory. We use Michel Foucault literary criticism to dissect each character. No trait, flaw, hairstyle, and/or choice in outfit are off limits. SATC: TS is essence my classroom.

I earned an A- on the paper.  My classmates and I, and all SATC fans, learned about society (some good things, and other things not so) as well as ourselves from SATC: TS. On the most simplistic level, Carrie, Miranda, Samantha and Charlotte’s styles serve as code for who they (or we) were (or are) at any given time.

It’s interesting to see how their styles and personalities have evolved in the movie. The wonderful thing? While Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis, and Cynthia Nixon were filming SATC: TM, we were busy writing and recording our own script, one take-by-beauty-full-take.

As an ode to our beloved Sex and the City, do tell where your style, beauty, and personality loyalties are. Take a look at the “Self and the City” Assessment. Are you more like Charlotte or Miranda? A little of Carrie and Samantha? Do tell.

I’ll go first:

My SATC Personality: Straddle, since college, being somewhat Carrie-esqe (creative, free-spirited), Miranda-ish (career-focused), and yep, Charlotte-like (slightly traditional at times).

My SATC Style: 60% Carrie (My style is a little unpredictable), 15% Samantha  (flirty and sassy is good), 12.5% each Charlotte and Miranda (I certainly know how to dress for the board room).

My SATC Beauty:  Usually the fresh-faced Charlotte (but tanner!) and the dreamy like Carrie.

At the end of the day (or series) I guess, I’m most like Carrie: a helpless romantic on the inside (and out…I mean, who wears a tutu past age 9?) and eternal optimist who hopes that life will always be like a box of fine chocolates or smooth, berry lip gloss.

 

Carrie Bradshaw

Personality: Free-flowing, effervescent, optimistic

Style: Unconventional, daring, creative

Beauty: ethereal, colorful, playful

 

Miranda Hobbs

Personality: Confident, direct, settled

Style: Conservative, practical, sophisticated

Beauty: Clean, natural, simple

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

Samantha Jones

Personality: Assured, passionate, fun

Style: Sexy, bold, expressive

Beauty: Enhanced, statement-making, coordinated

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Charlotte York Goldenplatt

Personality: Positive, sincere, loving

Style: Traditional, demure, refined

Beauty: radiant, soft, fresh