Let those glossy images inspire you

I have culled through my last batch of glossy magazines, all bursting with the latest spring fashions. There is always a certain contradiction in fashion that is part of the fun. These days, it allows for more choice. Long gone are the days of the fashion dicta that sent women scurrying in despair – if they had a small budget – to try to magically change the lines of their frocks overnight to align with whims of Paris or London. Now we have a symphony of new ideas from New York, Paris, Milan, and even some of the newer fashion capitals of Tokyo, South Africa, and Sydney. It’s very exciting.

But reading a fashion magazine can still be a daunting expirence for anyone who takes it too seriously. As a former glossy editor I swing between exasperated and amused. Two issues ago, I read that roots were back in style. It was a superior little piece by a city-smart editor about how dark roots on blond hair were just the thing to show how busy and savvy one was these days. She even said how her dark roots brought out her green eyes. What a delusional little piece of journalism this was! I am surprised her editor went for it. I suspect the deadline was getting close on that one. Roots make your hair look dirty, unkempt, and sometimes haggy. Darlings, it is not a good look. The last time dark roots were in Vogue, Madonna started the trend. Sara Jessica Parker sported it in Sex and the City. It drove me up a wall. Anyone can clearly see she looked much better and fresher in the last season with her hair coloured. She looks even fresher now with her locks always glossy and freshly coloured. Don’t get me wrong; she was so adorable she pulled off the tacky hair. Can your average girl count on that? Darlings I think not.

One of my favourite fashion mags this month is hailing the return of the brunette. It’s even telling tales of blondes dyeing dark. I am sure it happens, but darlings it usually doesn’t work out. Nor does it go well when a deep dark brunette bleaches platinum. It simply goes against nature. There are ridiculous statements about the clothes this season calling out for rich dark hair and brunettes being more trustworthy. Well darlings, let me give you a tres chic word for all of this: ridiculous. 

Of all the trends out there, hair colour trends are the craziest. To ascribe character to hair colour verges on insanity. Martha Stewart is blond and no one would call her flighty. Eva Longoria is brunette and one of the vampiest vamps around.  Both women would lose a lot of their intrinsic charm and va-va-voom if they were silly enough to dye their hair to follow a trend. Hair colour, like so many other things, is what you make it.

www.Karinpacione.com

Still, for some women dyeng their hair to match their shoes or the table linen is who they are. Super model Linda Evangelista made a career out of it. Note bene darlings, she had to keep her hair very short to take the rigours of that constantly changing colour regime, but it worked for her. So, if being a fashion or hair chameleon is the real you, more power to you!

What I despise is the unnecessary dissing of one choice over the other. Brunettes do have glossy shiny hair, but so do many blondes. Yes, brunettes are trustworthy, but so are blondes. Has this writer watched Hilary Clinton lately? Darlings as you know, I love a little attitude and affect, but not at the expense of individuality and true style. While you may see a few streaks of gold in Anna Wintour’s signature bob, I am fairly certain you will never see her sporting platinum or red locks, no matter how strong the trend. Nor has she strayed from her simple tailored suits and dresses. She has a style and sticks to it. Well-dressed women make adjustments to fashion, but they seldom stray from their own styles. Fashion slaves are amusing to watch, but are they well-dressed?

That being said, fashion should be fun. Too many women I talk to don’t enjoy fashion; they stress too much over uncomfortable shoes or clothes. They wear things that hurt or forego things that are beautiful for silly reasons.

Every woman can look and feel lovely if she chooses carefully. Shoes seem to be an object of particular torture, but that’s unnecessary. There are gorgeous flats -- I constantly feature them here. But even flats can hurt. Keep the sales slip from any shoes you buy and if they hurt, take them back. I have. I will not wear painful shoes. Taryn Rose and Cole Hahn are just two companies that make high heels that do not hurt and come in lots of widths and sizes. From talking to hundreds of women, I believe that style usually starts from the foot up. Don’t look at gorgeous fashion layouts longingly. Get some beautiful and comfortable shoes this year. It will free your inner diva. 

Magazines can intimidate most women. Even those with big budgets can be overwhelmed by the images on those glossy pages. The images are so idealized. But they are meant as inspiration. Linger at the front of the books where they show event photos. Look at how celebrities and socialites dress. While the outfits may be pricey, the looks are not unattainable.  See what you can do.

This spring darlings, I hope you will be inspired by fashion. Reach out and embrace it. Get rid of anything that does not make your heart sing. Please don’t wear anything that requires pain, it is not worth it. If you go in for tight control garments or anything like that, get the right size. Too tight of anything is neither sexy nor elegant.

Soft breathless beiges are the among the freshest new look this spring.

www.karinpacione.com

And darlings, if you are shy or have any issues, go to a M.A.C. store or Chanel counter. I have found the pros at all of these locations to be exceptionally caring and sensitive to problems.

www.neimanmarcus.com

The great designer Yves St. Laurent said “fashion fades, style is eternal” and “we must never confuse elegance with snobbery”. The iconic Diana Vreeland of Vogue said “a little bad taste is like a good dash of paprika.” They were fearless lovers of fashion, darlings, and so should you be. In whatever way suits you best.

This spring be inspired, be fresh, be beautiful, be yourself.

Tips on beating the blues

Julie A. Fast knows that some people suffer serious depression and others occasional bouts of the blues. She has sound advice on how to get on with life while dealing with depression. Julie has developed effective strategies for dealing with depression and accomplishing her life goals simultaneously. She shares these strategies in her new book, Get it Done When You’re Depressed.  Her strategies are so effective, Julie has just signed a deal to host her own TV talk show! Her book is available at www.amazon.com.

DD: What motivated you to write this book?

JF: I’ve been depressed all of my life and still live with depression regularly. It’s a persistent illness! Getting things done has always been a challenge. Finally, I just had enough, so I created strategies to not only help me get out of bed, but to help me be an active part of society.  I don’t want to look back on my life and see that depression took everything from me. I want to be in control of my actions.

DD: How do you know when you are suffering from depression?

JF: Depression takes away ALL hope. No matter what you do, there is a feeling of gloom in the back of your mind that tells you it’s all pointless.  Depression makes you cry more easily, affects sleep and can cause negativity and agitation. Nothing gives you pleasure, not even your relationships or doing something you love.  Depression definitely distorts your thoughts and creates unrealistic feelings. I say, focus on facts not feelings when you’re depressed.

DD: Does exercise really help?

JF: Exercise helps!  It counteracts the typical depression symptoms of isolation, weight gain, sleep problems and lack of pleasure.  Feeling good about your body never hurts. Because depression affects desire and motivation, I tell people to join a team or work with a partner who is good about keeping appointments. The main problem with exercise is the moment between knowing you need to exercise and actually doing it. When you use strategies to get past that moment, you can exercise regularly.

DD: Are there certain people or situations that can make depression worse?

JF: Depression is easily triggered by outside events and people.  The depressed mind is ridiculously sensitive. People with depression need calm, nurturing friends and a regulated environment. Easier said than done of course- but essential! Look at the people around you, your job and your climate. Are they hurting your mood or helping?

DD: What is your opinion on light therapy for winter depression or seasonal affective disorder (SAD)? There is a lot of mixed information about it.

JF: Light therapy works for some people.  The key is to get the light directly in the retina- in other words, your eyes can’t be covered.  If you’re depressed and live in a darker climate, sit in front of a light box for 20 minutes each morning. If it’s light outside in the morning, take a walk without sunglasses. There is a hotel in Sweden that offers light therapy in every room!

DD: Do you think a lack of organization and clutter contributes to depression?

It’s a chicken and the egg situation. Depression often leads to disorganized thoughts or a complete cessation in thoughts- this makes it hard to perform even the most basic skills- the result is often clutter.  Clutter from other people can also cause depression as you can feel boxed in and hopeless.

DD: What is your opinion on nutrition or massage for helping depression?

JF: Anything that makes a depressed person feel better is a good idea- with the exception of drugs and alcohol. Massage provides the human touch that is essential when you feel down. Good nutrition regulates body chemicals and blood sugar. There is no question that excessive junk food and caffeine always hurt as they affect sleep and body image.  A healthy body gives you one less thing to worry about when you’re depressed.

DD: Can depression be contagious?

JF: Depression behaviors can be contagious. When clinical depression is a diagnosed illness, it can’t be passed on. If two people experience a similar event such as the loss of a child; this can lead to situational depression for both. But overall, depressed people usually bring people down and make both of them sad or really frustrated- as opposed to making them depressed. 

I can’t stress enough that even serious depression can respond positively to specific strategies created to get things done. I had my typical problems while I answered these questions, so I used strategy #1 in my book: Don’t wait until you want to do something to get started. Then about half way through I used my strategy #27 in the book: Focus, Focus, Focus! and I got it done!

The ultimate accessory within every woman’s reach is a sleek little black tube

Chanel’s Rouge Allure is a chicly-packaged iconic product. The range of flattering colours have almost transformative powers.

Chic Cinderella on a budget

This shoe by Jessica Simpson won’t put a dent in anyone’s budget, but it still looks hot off the red carpet and catwalks. That’s a lot of fashion wow for well under $100. 

www.neimanmarcus.com

Ready to splurge!

Grab a gorgeous pair of Miu Miu whip slides before they are gone. Definitely one of the must-haves this spring.

Dolce Dolce Diet Tip

Snack on nuts. Studies have shown women who snack on these nutritional nuggets lose weight. Almonds are a good source of Vitamin E, manganese, and copper as well as riboflavin and fiber. They have also been shown to help lower bad cholesterol. Ten almonds have about 100 calories.

Walnuts are high in Omega 3 essential fatty acids and other nutrients; five come in at about 200 calories. Remember to count calories from nuts into any weight-loss plan.

Fuze Slenderize Guilt Free lip glosses are flavored and scented, to satisfy hunger cravings without adding fattening calories. This is a not-too-serious product that will appeal to the lip-gloss addict. Will it melt off the pounds? Only if you wear it out dancing and skip the drinks. But it is a fun little tube of gloss, if that’s what you are into. www.Sephora.com

DolceDolce best beauty buys and deals:

For super-shiny hair in seconds, try Schwarzkopf Citre Shine Anti-Frizz Spray Laminator. You’ll love it for instant shine that does not weigh down your hair. There’s nothing better at any price. Under $5.  How fabulous is that?

Johnson’s Lavender Baby Oil Gel - perfect for itchy, dry skin after a bath or shower. It smells heavenly and is easy to apply. This feels and smells like a pricey after-bath product, but it’s inexpensive enough to use lavishly throughout the parched winter months. Positively divalicious.

Another quick and easy Chinatown treat

As promised, this is another one of my quick and easy winter recipes using easy-to-find ingredients from Chinatown. Even some supermarkets now carry Chinese style BBQ pork and everything else you will need for this quick and tasty soup. Fish sauce makes it salty and fresh and lime lifts the flavour. Cantonese egg noodles are easy to find even in most western supermarkets; they make the soup something rich and special. I learned to make a version of this soup years ago in Montreal when Asian cooking was coming into vogue and tampered with the recipe until I came up with this final version. I have made it around the world whenever comfort food was called for. My idea of comfort is always redolent with a whiff of ginger and garlic and something scented with spice. I hope it warms you as it has many others.

½ lb. 500 grams of Chinese style BBQ pork

1 box of chicken stock or broth

2-3 tbsp. Thai fish sauce

1 inch of freshly grated ginger root

1-2 cloves of crushed garlic

Zest from one lime and the juice from 2 limes

1 tsp of sweet chili sauce or any chili of your choice

1 package of fat Cantonese egg noodles or any other noodles you prefer, but fresh or frozen Cantonese noodles make this special

1 bunch of green onions, washed and diced

Chopped peanuts for garnish

Chopped cilantro to taste for use in the soup and also as a garnish

Chopped fried onion to garnish (optional), oriental or canned (You can find plastic jars of fried onion for Thai cuisine in most oriental markets, or cans of French fried onion in most groceries).

Heat the broth to a boil. Add the chopped pork and the egg noodles with the ginger and the garlic and let cook for several minutes. Add fresh lime and chilies. Reduce heat. Add the green onion and 1 tbsp of cilantro, the fish sauce and stir. Add fresh line and stir. Correct seasoning; you may want more fish sauce for saltiness or more cilantro. Serve with a garnish of chopped peanuts, fried onions, and cilantro as you desire and may more fresh lime.

I hope I can entice some of you into trying this delicious recipe.  Please send it onto a few friends. Actually please sign-up if you haven’t already. Subscribing means you’ll receive DolceDolce in your email every week, as soon as it is published. Don’t miss an issue. And forward us to all your friends who aren’t yet DolceDolce fans. We are once again in our annual push and really do need the help of all our friends. Send us onto your friends with an encouraging word and let us try to woo them. This is also the time I’d like to ask you, as busy as you are, whether there is anything you’d like to see in DolceDolce. Please let me know.

Here’s hoping the beleaguered Hollywood movie and TV writers get their strike settled and we all get to see the Oscars – for the films and the red carpet fashions. And if you haven’t seen Juno yet, go. It’s great to see a picture with so many smart women - the writer, the actors, and the all the women in the audience laughing. It was a treat to watch how a bad situation can be handled with humour and compassion. That, my darlings, is my take on it.

Until next week, stay warm and enjoy plotting your new spring look, because life should be sweet and you’ll be gorgeous!