Archive for September, 2010

I’m sure I’ll get a cease-and-desist order from the (beloved) weekly tabloid I nabbed this image from, but I couldn’t help myself. It perfectly illustrates my point about the amazing, youth-i-fying effect of wearing bright colors rather than the standard New York uniform of black, black and still more black.

Of course, a Hefty bag would look good on SJP’s still-killer-after-all-these-years bod. The mama is just hot. And I swear I’m not saying that because she’s closer to my age than a lot of you whippersnapper Momoverettes out there. I know she’s not everyone’s physical cup of tea because she’s such a skinny-minny. But personally, I’d love to look like her. Waaay back in the Nineties, I watched the original SATC in real time, and I often drag out my DVDs (although I’m still lusting after that gazillion-dollar hot pink boxed set). Each and every time I see Sarah Jessica flash in front of my eyes I think: I want her body. Now.

But right this second, I’d like to focus on the topic at hand, which is brights and how wildly flattering they can be. What I also completely love about this outfit — and it’s basically just a T-shirt and jeans or cords — is the unlikely pairing of hues that completely, utterly works. I have a top in that exact color, and hot pink cords, and I think I’ll trot them out tomorrow for a little test run.

And guess what I just found? Adorable tomato cords from Gap that are a dead ringer for the pants Mrs. Matthew Broderick is sporting at left. Feeling brave? Go for it.

Yesterday, over a yummy lunch at Crosby Street Hotel with my mama-friend Nancy, I did something very naughty and totally un-girl-power: I complimented her on her stick-straight blowout.

Now that the sparkling rosé is out of my system, I can see the error of my ways. As a woman who has spent a good deal of her life in “texture denial” of her naturally frizzy hair, I should have known better than to give a fellow curly-head the thumbs-up for spending a lot of time, money and effort on attempting to re-write the beauty script.

But it was too late; the horse was already out of the proverbial barn.

I’m obsessed with this topic, so much so that it’s the subject of my next installment of Mama Gurus. And in doing a lot of deep thinking on this pressing issue (kidding: I’m well aware there are real problems in the world…), I’ve decided that there might be a healthy-hair / beauty identity middle ground. Perhaps there’s a way to mostly accept your texture, but then, from time to time, bust out the heavy artillery.

I consider my InStyler, purchased after watching the infomercial for the tenth time, to be part of this heavy artillery equation. When I first got it, I was coming off a really bad spell of texture-denial, in which I was again getting multiple spendy blowouts. Although, with all that shipping and handling, I plunked down close to $200 for the girly gew-gaw, I figured that it would quickly pay for itself if it kept me out of Blow for a few weeks.

But I should have remembered how badly my bad hair reacts to constant doses of heat. It just gets all angry and straw-like. Or, as my beloved colorist Anthony Gianzero dubs it: “Tree bark.” Somehow, I know that “tree bark” isn’t the best look. For me, or any other texture-denying mama.

It isn’t just the buckets of delicious candy I missed out on that makes me sad I didn’t make it to the HSN press event in New York on Tuesday. Though I had visions of Gummi Bears dancing in my head, and was seriously jonesing for a mini-Snickers, the real bummer was that I didn’t get to chat with Lauren Bush and Ellen Gustafson about FEED, their incredible children’s charity.

Established in 2006, FEED Projects deploys very cool, eco-correct bags to raise money for, and boost awareness about, the pressing problem of child hunger. Such a smart idea. Crafted from organic cotton and crunchy-chic burlap, they were a hit from the get-go. So far, FEED bags have provided funding for more than 55 million school meals for children globally through the United Nations World Food Program. And I’m proud to say that I wore mine from the very beginning, until my uber-fashionable nanny swiped it. (I’m ordering a new one, stat…)

Now, through a special collaboration with HSN and the U.S. Fund for UNICEF, the organization is offering a so-cute-you-could-just-squish-it FEED Trick-or-Treat Bag. Just $13.20, the adorable jack-o-lantern number (which you just know is gonna be re-purposed by Mom come November 1), will help provide one child in the developing world with a year’s supply of nutrients.

Tonight (9/16), at 10 pm Eastern Time, Lauren will kick-off the first of several appearances on HSN to discuss the new bag and let the world know more FEED. I’ll be tuning in, for sure. Please join me, mamas.

We’re officially in the Straddle Season, navigating the shift from summer to fall and needing to put some actual clothes and shoes back on. For you Momoverettes with slamming bodies, this is very bad news. For the rest of us (grrr…), covering up can be a welcome respite from constantly fretting about how to deflect attention from muffin tops, jiggly thighs and such.

But no matter what kind of shape you’re in, dealing with the weather schizophrenia is tricky; one day it’s blazing, the next it’s so chilly you’re layering like a cake at cousin Benny’s bar mitzvah.

Here’s what I really hate: Not only do we mamas have to wave buh-bye to the adorable town pool, the yummy backyard barbecues and the extreme awesomeness of not having to drag our tot-lets out of bed in the morning for school, we also have to contend with fading tans and skin that is still on display. At this time of year, for instance, tights are still out of the question. But what to do when pasty gams and new fall frocks collide?

Personally, I’ve found that mixing one of my favorite liquid bronzers into a really nice SPF body lotion is the perfect solution to this problem. Just add a few drops or squirts of bronzer into the lotion in the palm of your hand. If you want more color, you can always “build” by doing a second application. Btw, the SPF is the most important part of this equation; just because it’s September doesn’t mean you get to drop your guard. (Sorry to be preachy; I just watched a Tivo-d episode of The Big C. Grim. Still need to blog about that show…)

Why bronzer and not self-tanner? Because now that our mornings are completely capsized with getting the kiddies where they need to go, there isn’t a mom around who has time to wait for self-tanner to dry, much less the hours it takes for the final color to surface. (Maybe if you’re super-organized, you can self-tan before bed. Just make sure you’re good and dry before you hit those sheets. Otherwise you’ll look like a mama-shaped leopard when you wake up the next day…)

As for the “really nice SPF body lotion” I just mentioned, it’s time for Momover Lady to go shopping. I’ve been eyeballing the Yes to Carrots at my local drugstore. I like that brand. It’s natural and critter-friendly. And the lotion has plenty of sunscreen in it, a perfect post-summer partner for my beloved liquid bronzer.

I cheated with Tivo, so I didn’t get the full, gale-force effect of watching Oprah in real time yesterday. Still, I rode the emotional rollercoaster in much the same way as all you devoted mama-watchers: I laughed, I cried, I got really mad at Don Johnson for plugging his new movie on our lady’s watch, and I positively marveled – MARVELED – at all the acid-bright clothing in the audience.

I know that wasn’t an accident.

Nothing is an accident on Oprah.

When you’ve lived in New York as long as I have (since my days as a 19-year-old struggling fashion student), you amass Kilimanjaro-level mountains of black. Let’s put it this way: I’m not even working in an office anymore and I have 14 black dresses in my closet right now. That’s on top of all the black tops, sweaters, pants and jackets. And I consider my wardrobe edited, and whittled down to the stuff I actually wear…

But seeing all those brightly clad broads yesterday got me thinking that I want to infuse my wardrobe with a lot more color. J’adore purple, big-time, so that’s an option. Hot pink is fun too. But since I love “cool” colors as opposed to “warm,” yellow doesn’t do it for me (although it’s been super-hip and fashion-y for a few seasons now). Ditto green. And orange, though I must say Madame Winfrey looked pretty darn great in her festive pumpkin skirt yesterday….

Black is functional, and slimming. Yay black! But it can also suck the life right out of your face, which is why women of a certain age (including yours truly) are advised to wear it only well south of the neck. Preferably, south of the belly button.

Back in the Eighties, there was this book called Color Me Beautiful that was all the rage. I never read it, but I had a boyfriend whose (dropdead gorgeous) mom was like the Color Me Beautiful equivalent of an Avon Lady, and lugged around a big tote bag full of vibrant fabric swatches that she would drape around your shoulders, lobster-bib style, to see which flattered your mug or not. From there, you were (theoretically) able to make the absolute best choices about fashion and makeup.

I might just order a copy of that creaky old tome. After I get dressed. Not in black.

I’ve already established that I don’t feel 100 percent on top of my game if I zip around without makeup. So now, I don’t even attempt it. Life’s just damn too short to feel super self-conscious when you’re simply popping out to grab the latest, hot-off-the-presses issue of Us Weekly and a half-gallon of scumpdillyicious Almond Breeze.

Now that the Wee Lass has successfully wrapped her first week in full-time school, Mom has a new beauty obsession to add to the piles and piles of beauty obsessions she already owns: infusing her morning makeup job with all-day staying power. Of course, in my previous life as a full-time magazine staffer, I needed fresh-looking makeup too. But with the near-constant mirror checks women in that line of work are prone to, multiple touch-ups were the order of the day. (In other words, my precious blush and lipstick didn’t even have a chance to think about slipping off my mug…)

As a newly minted WAHM, trust me when I tell you that I’m not running to the loo for a little look-see on a regular basis. If I’m being good and guzzling lots of lemon water, I might be in there for other reasons. But it’s most definitely not to check out my backside in my new 7 trouser jeans. (Which are great, btw; the Featherweight denim is impossibly soft…)

The obvious answer for imparting a little go-the-distance oomph is a makeup primer. To me, primers fall under the heading of what I call “covert low-maintenance,” which is basically stuff that seems like an unnecessary step, or like a massive pain in the ass,  but secretly isn’t. Like growing your hair out post-baby, rather than chopping it all off, so you can shove it into a pony and motor right out that front door.

To prep for this week’s round of school drop-offs and pick-ups, over the weekend I spent quality time with three primers:

Hard Candy Sheer Envy Primer SPF 15

Covergirl & Olay Simply Ageless Serum Primer

Laura Geller Spackle Tint & Glow

My quickie verdict, as I’m rushing out the door to collect the Wee Lass:

The Hard Candy is great, great, great for the price, which is a mere 8 buckaroos at Walmart. If you’re curious about whether you should add a primer to your beauty arsenal, take a test-drive with this. It definitely helped my makeup hang on, and look no worse for the wear, on my date night with Hubby.

The Laura Geller Spackle is just a wild, wacky and wonderful product that I actually didn’t even know was a primer until I yanked it out of my medicine cabinet on Saturday. (It was an editor gift, and because the shade I was gifted is Bronze, I thought it was a bronzer. I’m not very bright sometimes…) I love it as a bronzer, for sure. Awesome texture. Now I just need to try it under a little makeup…

And speaking of makeup, I plunked down my own cold hard cash for the Covergirl & Olay, as well as the Simply Ageless Foundation that it was merchandised with at my local Duane Reade. I always feel guilty buying skincare and makeup that isn’t Walmart-cheap. (If you could see my “beauty armoire” you’d know why.) But  I happen to love the Simply Ageless spokesperson — Ellen Degeneres — because she’s an excellent advocate for veganism. And okay, so maybe I was also taken in by the idea of the “3 Minute Facelift” allegedly delivered by the two products. Although I certainly don’t look like I’ve gone under the knife, I’m looking polished for today’s pick-up. And that’s exactly the effect I was after.

Shoot. Me. Now.

I still don’t know what mind-altering drugs I was on when I publicly committed myself to 200 workouts in 2010, but I’ll just share that it’s been mighty difficile to reach that number. (Next year’s resolution: To stop dropping so much Francais into my blog posts. Please forgive me; I am a longstanding Francophile…)

But as I clicked through 3006 jumps this morning with my fitness BFF, the Tanita HealthyJump, I started mentally planning the agenda for an upcoming five-part segment on Virgin Radio Canada, which I’m taping tomorrow afternoon. The series is all about helping new mamas get their mojo back, and I’m sorry, but in my humble opinion, exercise is at the tippity top of that list.

Without question, working out is fantastic for us. The list of benefits to be gained is so long, it could wrap around my not-small derriere about a million times. Okay, so it’s not a guaranteed weight-buster (a sound diet is far, far more effective on that front), but it’s an unequivocal health-booster.

So, while I wish I didn’t have almost 80 more workouts to go before I flip that calendar over to 2011, I am crazy-happy that I’m doing all I can to be healthy for the Wee Lass. And on that note, it’s time to hit the shower and enjoy my Sunday.

In honor of Fashion Week, I’d be remiss in not writing at least a little something of a chic nature, right? I feel it’s my civic duty to wave a flag for the industry that’s helped pay the bills chez moi for the last 20 years…

So on a recent jaunt through Target (the Temple St. Clair foraging trip I just wrote about), I was inevitably dragged to the toy department by a certain Wee Lass. After a little ooohing and ahhhing over the baby doll section, she quickly found her way to her new favorite haunt: the Barbie aisle. Aaaargh. Having just picked up a copy of Barbie: A Fashion Fairytale “pictureback” at Barnes & Noble the previous day, I was alarmed to be greeted with a massive wall of Fairytale merchandising. Seriously, is that DVD even out yet? It made me pine for my dirt-road and ponies Oklahoma childhood, for reals…

But because I’m committed to looking for the good in situations, my eyes latched on to the grooviest thing I’d seen in ages: Barbie Basics. OMG, so hip. I’m sure all you mamas with older girls are completely over them by now, but not me! Swoon.

And neither is my mom-friend Gwen, who hosted us for a yummy Rosh Hashanah dinner the other night. When the conversation naturally veered into “these spoiled girls and all their godforsaken gear” territory, I was thrilled to learn that not only is Gwen equally taken with the understated glamour gals, she even snuck a few into her daughter’s vast collection so that she could vicariously enjoy them.

Of course, pink- and glitter-besotted little ladies don’t “get” the appeal of these minimalist masterpieces. But to me, they channel mid-90s era Helmut Lang. Or, more currently, the razor-sharp lines of Narciso Rodriguez. So streamlined, so flattering, so anything-but-Basic.

My life would be so, so, soooo much easier if I liked gold. But alas, I’m all about silver, so it was with a heavy heart that I had to reject all the beautiful new Temple St. Clair jewelry at my local Target. Back in my W days, I would occasionally write about les bijoux, and Temple was one of the magazine’s favorite resources. So you can imagine my sorrow upon discovering that nary a piece of the new collection was cast in my preferred metal.

Not wanting to walk away empty-handed, I asked the Wee Lass for her opinion. Within seconds, she picked out this completely over-the-top choker, replete with a massive cameo, tons of immense rhinestones, several silvery chains all twisted together and, as much-unneeded icing on the cake, a jewel-encrusted bumblebee with a positively sinister-looking stinger. All this in a single necklace, mind you.

But guess what? It’s utterly fab and I plunked down my $39.99 on the spot.

For some reason, this crazy-yet-beautiful new addition to my jewel box reminded me of Josephine and Napoleon. Well, Napoleon for sure, because the bumblebee was his special symbol. As for Josephine, that hot mama was just a world-class wearer of jewelry, hence my connecting of the mental dots when I tried on the choker. Who knows if cameos were even in vogue when she stomped the earth? (Actually, I just checked; they were popular in the Victorian era, several years after her death in 1814.)

All of this Josephine and Napoleon nostalgia is sending me straight to my bookshelves in search of that incredibly addictive set of faux Josephine diaries by Sandra Gulland. What? You haven’t read those yet? Mama, mama, mama you simply must. They are sizzling, illuminating, historical…the ultimate mommy time-out.

You know how some people are connoisseurs of this, that or the other impossibly lovely thing in life? Maybe it’s top-flight French wines, to-die-for gourmet truffles, or sleek, vroomy sports cars with price tags well north of a million?

Well, I’m into peel pads. The ones that can kinda burn your face off if you’re not careful.

My love affair with these unassuming (yet powerful) little white disks all started with the amazing Anti-Oxidant Peels administered by my long-time derm, Debra Jaliman. For several years, I’d pop into Deb’s office about once a quarter for a little freshening up. Though they weren’t (and aren’t) a lot of fun while they’re happening (i.e., they sting like a swarm of bees), the results are well worth the short-term pain: after an initial peeling-slash-shedding phase that lasts a few days, my skin is extremely glowy, and — dare I say — younger-looking.

Once I became preggers and the requisite preggo-paranoia set in, I put the derm-office peels on hold. After I delivered, and attempted to breastfeed for a spell, my tried-and-trusty beautifier remained on hold. Eventually, all this “holding” took, and I’ve been unspeakably remiss in burning the first few layers of epidermis off while clenching the sides of that tilting vinyl examination chair.

Happily, the world is now filled with excellent DIY chemical-peel stand-ins. Right now, in fact, I have no fewer than three different brands in my medicine cabinet:

Arcona Raspberry Clarifying Pads

Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Alpha-Beta Daily Body Peel

Peter Thomas Roth Un-Wrinkle Peel Pads

I like them all for different reasons, which I’ll quickly detail here: The Arcona is really gentle and mild, and great for when I just want to freshen up and not literally suffer for beauty; Dr. Dennis Gross’s Alpha-Beta pads are pretty much the gold standard by which all others are judged, and I boldly use the body peel all over, mommy-mug included; and the Peter Thomas Roth, my current fave, is so strong that I actually follow the directions and splash my face with water to “neutralize” the acids after use.

Despite the fact that I already own and operate so many different pads, I still have one on my shopping list: philosophy the microdelivery multi-use pads. Why those, and not some other brand? One, my pal Cristina Carlino invented them, and I know she’s as obsessed with great skin as I am. And two, how can I consider myself a connoisseur if I don’t try, try, try and buy, buy, buy?