May 16, 2012

  1. “Steal” the look you love!

    Rachel Zoe credits 60's icon Brigette Bardot for her style inspiration Do you want to be able walk into room the way a celebrity struts onto a red carpet? Then take a note from their book and “steal” your look.
     
    Look at most celebrities today and you will notice that they “borrow” from the glamorous stars of old Hollywood. Madonna finally broke through with her hit Material Girl dressed as Marilyn Monroe. Old school glamour helped make Madonna a star. 
     
    Pretty stars including Renée Zellweger, Blake Lively, Katharine McPhee  – just to name a few — have been unable to resist trying Marilyn’s trademark look themselves. Even Nicole Kidman recently appeared on the cover of W, a la Monroe. Just watch how traces of Monroe’s sexy style will linger. Stars like Scarlett Johansson “steal” the allure of Marilyn’s look with a flaxen bob, porcelain skin, defined brows, and scarlet lips.
     
    Kim Kardashian has been cribbing style notes from the elegant Sophia Loren with her sultry 60s eye makeup and fedoras.
     
    Angelina Jolie also channels la Loren with her winged eyeliner, masses of brunette hair, and classic but dramatic evening gowns. Like Sophia before her, Jolie is a hot mamma.
     
    Celebrities love to copy Audrey Hepburn’s iconic look. You can spot it easily on willowy girls like Jennifer Love Hewitt, Winona Ryder, or Audrey Tautou. Even celebrities with no physical resemblance to Hepburn, such as Sarah Jessica Parker, Victoria Beckham, and JLo, have copied Hepburn’s Holly Golightly look from Breakfast at Tiffany’s.
     
    Popular stylist and reality star Rachel Zoe makes no secret of the fact that she, and countless others, borrow Brigitte Bardot’s sexy 60s look. Zoe is known for her love of vintage fashion, long tousled locks, and pouty lips.
     
    Kim K. inspired by Sophia Loren? We think so!With a little practice and patience, you can steal your star style too. You can find countless makeup tutorials on YouTube that will instruct you with precision on how to recreate any celebrity look. The goal is not to look like a female impersonator – unless it is Halloween or you are attending a fancy dress party. Instead, copy Kim K.’s lead and let your celebrity icon “inspire” your look. Kim does not look like a retro version of Sophia Loren, but one can see Loren’s influence, and it looks fabulous.
     
    For the most striking and successful result, choose a celebrity you resemble, at least superficially. Study your favourite to “dissect” her fashion and beauty magic. Look carefully and you will notice that actresses use clothes to mask flaws and play up their best features. Study their techniques to do the same.
     
    The best looks are a combination of hair, makeup, and clothing that work to create an illusion.
     
    So darlings, go ahead and "steal" the look you love!
     
     
     
     
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  2. Get the mind -body connection!

    Students flock to yoga classes, but many teachers are concerned they may be missing the important mind-body benefits of the age-old practice.
     
    “There are several disciplines of yoga, and with its rich history, the beginner can easily get lost – or worse – injured,” says Mary Jo Ricketson, an experienced yoga practitioner, health care specialist, and author of Moving Meditation: Experience the Good Within (www.thegoodwithin.com). A registered nurse, Mary Jo also holds a Master’s degree in Education from Northwestern University.
     
    Here are few of Mary Jo’s tips for getting more from your workout:
     
    1. Cardiovascular (aerobic) training: As with meditation, focused breathing is a cornerstone of mind-body training. Aerobic means “with oxygen” and aerobic movement increases the flow of oxygen-rich blood throughout the body, including the brain. Cardiovascular training is the single most important aspect of the physical training because it keeps the heart open and strong.
    2. Core and strength training: This includes the students’ abdomen and buttocks, and the lower back region, which extends to the base of the skull. Here is where strength, stability, and balance originate.
    3. Flexibility training (yoga postures): Stretching simply feels good, and it reminds students to become more flexible in one’s body, but also one’s mind. This step allows us to move (and live) with greater ease.
    4. Adequate rest: Sleep is a necessary part of life, and sufficient rest is needed for energy and equilibrium.
    5. Life-giving nutrition: Making the right choices in food allows yoga students to achieve an optimal, balanced state. This includes nutritional foods consumed in moderation.
    6. Family/community/church: From Epicurus to modern science, study and observation show that we find greater happiness with access to friends and family.
    7. Written goals and a plan of action: Goals and stated intention act as a road map to achieving balanced well-being.
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  3. Shine baby shine!

    Gucci $1,650Liven up your look this summer with a touch of metallic. A shiny little skirt can work for daytime, if you pair it with a white t-shirt and blazer (for the air conditioning). Then, wear it at night with silky cami or a soft slouchy sheer knit top. So to stand Top Shop $50out in the crowd, shine baby shine!
     
    Gucci gold Skirt $1,650; Top Shop silverSkirt $50.
     
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  4. Japanese beauty secret

    Have you heard about Yu-Be? It is the bestselling medicated skin cream in Japan. 
     
    Its concentrated, glycerin-based formula contains Vitamin E, Vitamin B2, and camphor. Yu-Be hydrates and sooths even severely dry skin. A pharmacist created this multi-purpose moisturizing cream in 1957. It can help heal split cuticles and smooth rough, cracked, and dry skin on hands, elbows, knees, and feet. I like to use it over my treatment serums and creams to help “seal” them in while I sleep.
     
    Yu-Be offers a full range of products. I am fan of its exfoliating scrubs. I really like the gently and refreshing Yu-Be Foaming Skin Polish. 
     
    Yu-Be products are petroleum-free, fragrance-free, as well as non-artificially colored. Yu-Be Moisturizing cream comes in 1.25 oz. tubes for $16 each, as well as a 2.5 oz. jars retailing for $25. There is also a Yu-Be set of skin care pockets and tubes for plane travel.
     
     
    www.sephora.com and nationwide at all Whole Foods stores
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  5. Beauty on the go!

    Now you can shampoo and condition your hair without water and save your hair from over-styling while you save time! Keratin-infused Lock Launder Strengthening Dry Shampoo and Lock Luster Nourishing Spray Conditioner instantly cleans, conditions, and nourishes your hair with a few spritzes. 
    Lock Launder dry shampoo contains a special blend of oil absorbing powders to extend the life of your blowout. It helps to strengthen your hair while absorbing oil and product reside. $25
     
    Lock Luster spray conditioner is a super-hydrating, lightweight dry spray that contains anti-aging antioxidants and vitamins to replenish moisture and renew hair. $25.
     
    I really like this system, even though it is a little pricy. It left my scalp feeling much fresher than many dry shampoos. The conditioner helped minimize the “crunchy” feeling you can get from product residue when you dry shampoo. These products would be fabulous for travel, or for anyone with a hectic schedule.
     
    Keratin Complex Volumizing Dry Shampoo Lift Powder With a soft brush applicator is perfect for oily hair. Toss it in your bag to absorb excess oil without stripping nutrients and leaving hair dry and lifeless. It will help you keep your hair fresh all day and into the night. $24
     
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  6. Beauty bargain.

    The secret to gorgeous hands is glycolic acid. Hands need the same pampering you give your face to stay soft and smooth. 
     
    St. Ives Naturally Smooth Hand Cream helps to exfoliates and improves the appearance of rough hands in just a week. It contains natural alpha hydroxy acids or fruit acids. It is only $2.99, so buy a few tubes and use it constantly.
     
     Slather on a good sunblock and your hands will look ageless. St. Ives Naturally Smooth Hand Cream is a true beauty bargain.
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  7. A refined fragrance with a Mediterranean spirit

    Lebanese designer Elie Saab describes his first perfume for women as “a harmony of white flowers, cedar woods and a drop of honey that creates an encounter as feminine as the trail of an evening gown. An addictive, refined fragrance with a Mediterranean spirit.” 
     
    Notes of patchouli and cedar wood give this light blend of orange blossom, jasmine, and rose an exotic touch. This scent will appeal to modern, young women looking for a light, distinctive scent.
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  8. Easy Indian food at home

    Quick-fix Indian: Easy, Exotic Dishes in 30 Minutes or Less by Ruta Kahate is one of the best Indian cookbooks I have seen; a mouthwatering, non-threatening introduction to Indian cuisine. I love Indian food and often cook it at home, and I love Kahate's practical, easy, and fast versions of Indian classics.
     
    I learned to cook Indian food from Indian friends and chefs. Kahate’s use of spices is authentic and appealing. Her dishes are similar to those my friends make for family dinners on busy weeknights.
     
    The dishes in Quick-fix Indian are easy enough for a beginner and authentic enough for an Indian food aficionado. If you are dying to try your hand at Indian food, but too intimidated, this is the book for you!
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