Seamus
@ Dupont Circle
Q:If your dog was a celebrity, who would it be?
A:"He's Seamus. He's a celebrity within himself."
ARCHAEOLOGISTS HAVE FOUND bronze pins in ancient Celtic graves. You may have stumbled across rhinestone brooches in Grandma's jewelry box. Pinning adornments to clothing isn't new, but the old style has twinkled back into vogue, thanks to bling-mad designers and first stylista Michelle Obama, who dresses up everything from cardigans to frocks with vintage sparklers and contemporary brooches by Erickson Beamon and Moschino.
"She'll put a pin in a contrasting color on a shift or use one to clasp the top of a sweater," says Liberty Jones, spokeswoman for Neiman Marcus in Chevy Chase, which has seen an uptick in brooch buying. "You can do so many things with them — stick them in your hair, tack them to a belt or put one on a bag." Find new pieces at boutiques or department stores; seek out retro pins on Ebay.com or at vintage shops. And unlike D.C.'s better-known lapel swag, the campaign button, a brooch won't get you into any heated discussions, except maybe about fashion.
Continue Reading "The Pin Crowd: Vintage Brooches & Contemporary Sparklers Are Haute" »
FROM WIDE BELTS to colorful shoes, first lady Michelle Obama loves eclectic accessories. But it's how she dons brooches — on dress necklines, pinning together cardis, even clustered over a strand of pearls — "that really shows her creativity," says Mary Tomer, who blogs about Obama's style at Mrs-o.org. "She's wearing them in unexpected ways. It's inspiring."
» "Brooches add personality to Michelle's outfits," says Tomer of Mrs-o.org. Worth-imitating ways she proves pins are in (left to right, from top): an Erickson Beamon flower holding together a cardi; rhinestone bee perched on a lapel; a vintage Victorian sash pin jazzing up her swearing-in dress.
Continue Reading "Commander in Chic: Michelle Obama's Brooch Bananza" »
THIS SUMMER'S BEAUTY must-have is rosy cheeks — literally. Compacts have become fancy with pressed floral motifs that nearly eclipse the product within. But it's not all for show: The powder palettes make it easy to mix several pretty shades, resulting in a nuanced, natural glow when you dust them on.
» Clinique's Fresh Bloom summer eye shadows (above, $16.50; Saksfifthavenue.com) combine two shimmery, sorbet-like shades that make peepers really stand out.
» The pinks and cream of Estee Lauder's Fleur de Lys shimmer powder ($32; Bonton.com) look bold alone but blend easily to give cheeks a flush of flattering color.
» The two bronze hues in Physician's Formula Organic wear Natural Origin Bronzer (right, $14, at drugstores) meld together in this all-natural compact, creating a summery, sun-kissed effect.
» Prescriptives In Bloom Cheek Color Duo ($24; Bloomingdales.com) offers palettes for either warm or cool skin tones. Mix for a peachy punch or layer the light blush above the dark to make cheekbones pop.
Photos by Marge Ely/Express
WE HAVE COCO CHANEL to thank — or blame — for the buzz about bronzing. Alabaster skin was the norm until the influential Parisian designer returned from a Mediterranean vacation in the 1920s with a golden glow, single-handedly turning the tan into a fashion craze on par with her quilted purses. We'd like to think that if Mademoiselle C were alive today, she'd turn her nose up at the thought of exposing her precious epidermis to the wrinkle-causing, cancer-spawning sun (or its not-any-better-no-matter-how-much-you-kid-yourself cousin, the tanning bed) and get her brown in a newfangled way — by bottle, booth or airbrush. A trio of staffers gave their hides to the latest fake-bake techniques and came back in a range of easy-to-get, natural-looking hues (well, mostly). Even picky Coco might be fooled. B.L.
BOTTLE BRONZED
» What it is: Bronze Goddess at-home self-tanner set ($22.50-$28.50).
» How it works: Slather on the lotion, which is loaded with dihydroxyacetone (DHA), a sugar-derived, FDA-approved chemical that reacts with amino acids to darken skin.
» On your mark, get set: As a pigment-challenged American, our unable-to-suntan tester was persecuted throughout childhood, accused of being an albino, a ghost and glow-in-the-dark. In an attempt to find a less shockingly pale hue, she turned to DIY products. Of course, the risks of self-tanners are well-known (and well-documented by Lindsay Lohan's paparazzi photos): streaks, splotches and extra-dark knees, elbows and feet (the skin is dryer in those spots and thus absorbs more product). Be sure to spread on the stuff as evenly as possible, working it into the skin like lotion. Hit joints and feet last with a lighter amount. Then (and we can't stress this enough), wash those hands. Our tester ended up with dark blobs of color at the bases of her fingers, giving the threatening appearance of brass knuckles.
» Tan marks: It takes a few applications to get a deep (but, thankfully, non-orange) tan. But if you're going to commit, you need to bronze your face and neck, too, or you'll look like a bobblehead someone got tired of painting. Also, unless you have a devoted partner, child or servant who's willing to rub your hard-to-reach places, at-home tanner is not the best for all-over bronzing. It's more about dulling the radioactive glare of snow-white limbs.
» High marks: We like the tinted formula best — it lets you see which areas have been covered and it offers some instant gratification. It also instantly colors sheets and towels, however.
» Low marks: The infamous metallic smell. The Estee Lauder line includes a perfume, perhaps meant to nullify the stench, but nothing worked other than time. And, make a mistake? Not even those "self-tan remover" products can fix it until it fades.
» Tip: The key to any good faux tan: exfoliation. Be sure to slough skin with a scrub (like Bliss' Hot Salt option, $36) before applying bronzer. — H.J.M.
Continue Reading "Best in Glow: The Right Tools to a Perfect Tan" »
AT ALEXANDRIA'S Jackson 20 restaurant, the darkly dramatic dining room boasts a life-size bronze pig, ceiling lights shrouded in metal mesh shades and a rusty wall clock that looks zapped in from Victorian London.
But it's a single wall — covered in black and white wallpaper printed with empty, Baroque-style picture frames — that packs the biggest punch. "We were going for a modern colonial mood to fit the neighborhood," says interior designer Robert Polacek, who chose the slightly cheeky Schumacher paper. "The wallpaper makes a bold statement."
Until recently, having halls decked with wallpaper meant that you were either living in your grandma's house or stuck in the 1980s, when neon squiggles in Boy George hues were the rage.
But now, fueled partially by the crafty-cool movement, the paste-up patterns are back. "There's a greater appreciation for graphic design and illustration by this generation," says Lauren Smith, co-author of "Wallpaper Projects" ($23, Chronicle). "Newer papers are graphic but modern. It's a big change from the country-kitchen look people remember."
Continue Reading "The Wallpaper Chase: Patterns on Walls, Stairs and Chairs is Stylish Again" »
PATRICIA EBRAHIMI CLAIMS her first staging job was when she was 12 years old, when her mom said she had to share a room with her sister. A few rearranged beds and a room divider later, Ebrahimi realized she had a knack for bringing out the potential in a space through creative design.
In 2005, Ebrahimi started professionally staging homes in the D.C. market and founded the Rockville-based business Show-Smart! to help homeowners make their properties more attractive to potential buyers.
"Everyone looks better elegantly dressed than naked — unless you're a swimsuit model — and that's the same for real estate," she says.
Ebrahimi says sellers need to accent the best features of their property — a great layout, floors, renovated kitchen, lots of storage space or a master bathroom, for example — and play down the negatives. It's about neutralizing the space to appeal to the broadest set of buyers, so don't take it personally.
Continue Reading "Keeping Up Appearances: Making Your Home Sale-Ready with a Staging Pro" »
WHEN YOUR SOFA SEEMS sad or your bed looks boring, a throw pillow functions like a bit of decor bling. Not only can a well-placed pouf dress up your nest, but it can also provide a place to rest your head — or for Mr. Whiskers to nap. "Pillows are a quick way to update, especially if they are colorful and your home is a sea of neutrals," says Mei Xu, owner of Rockville-based Blissliving home.com, which sells sequined bolsters, striped squares and other stylish bits of fluff. But remember, pillows are to a piece of upholstery as a necklace or scarf is to a dress: One or two equals a sleek statement; too many will overwhelm — and overpad — your pad.
1) Channel the Silk Road with wool pillows made by Kyrgyzstani women. They'd look hip on a leather chair. ($119 each; Art With Flowers, Tysons Galleria;
703-903-6837)
2) Outside, dandelions cause sneezing. Inside, strewn across Paper Cloud's linen square, they cause snoozing. ($85; Vivi, 7254 Woodmont Ave., Bethesda; 301-656-5626)
3) Like something you'd lean back on at a Budapest cafe, but hipper, Thomas Paul's Art Nouveau-gone-newer puff suits a boudoir. ($96; RCKNDY, 1515 U St. NW; 202-332-5639)
4) Blissliving Home's rain-slicker yellow vinyl rectangle provides a dramatic pop against a printed chair or mixed in with patterned bolsters. ($50, Blisslivinghome.com)
5) Style scan: When rendered in a beige linen blend, a mundane bar code morphs into modernist art. Plop Ferm Living's witty piece
on a red recliner. ($110, 2modern.com)
6) Whether you cuddle up with Jane Austen or Dan Brown, CB2's "Lit 101" pillow boasts a funky library vibe. It'd work well combined with bright, solid poufs. ($20, Cb2.com)
Photo by Marge Ely/Express
CURVES HAVE ALWAYS LOOKED CHIC on pioneering plus-size model Emme (aka Melissa Aronson), who rode her Nordic good looks — and relentlessly positive attitude — to style-world stardom. The former "Fashion Emergency" TV host, who recently beat Hodgkin's disease — now runs a lively blog.
» EXPRESS: What did your battle with cancer teach you?
» EMME: It made me take an inventory of what toxins I was putting in my body. I changed everything I was eating, too. And I started meditating. It was scary, because I was used to always moving and going fast, and I had to slow down.
» EXPRESS: And it changed your beauty routine, too?
» EMME: Yeah, I had to take a look at all the stuff I was slathering on my face and hair. So many products are full of bad things — toxins, parabens. Now I use the Hemp Body Butter from the Body Shop, and my skin is so thankful. And I use essential oils instead of perfume. My favorite one is vanilla.
Continue Reading "Plus-size Supermodel and Cancer Survivor: Emme" »
RAQUEL WELCH, MARILYN MONROE and other screen sirens knew the power of a not-so-teeny bikini (or a curve-hugging maillot). Now, designers seem to be dreaming of these bygone beach babes: They've resurrected high-waisted bottoms, 1940s-style ruching and vintage-inspired prints on swimsuits. "Fashion has gone as far as it can in terms of sexy," says Katie Echeverry of Unique-vintage.com, known for its pinup girl styles. Try these slink or swim pieces, and you'll be ready for the beach, pool or your close-up.
» Channel a World War II poster girl in Eres' high-waisted, high-style bikini ($230 and $380, Eres.fr or 888-656-3737), shown with a beaded cuff and straw hat ($75 and $44, South Moon Under, 2700 Clarendon Blvd., Arlington; 703-807-4083
» Go Bond girl in Juicy Couture's bikini top and boy shorts (Pictured at left, $89 and $98, Bloomingdale's, 5300 Wisconsin Ave., Chevy Chase; 240-744-3700), hoops, a bracelet and Nine West pumps ($80, $75 and $70, South Moon Under)
» Norma Kamali's already iconic one-piece ($350, Normakamalicollection.com) camouflages figure flaws with vampy ruching. Play up its Esther Williams-gone-mod vibe with a swim cap ($28, Unique-vintage.com) and Michael Antonio sandals ($49, South Moon Under)
» More Betty Boop than Bette Davis, Unique Vintage's cherry-print maillot ($70, Unique-vintage.com) whoops it up with "Tres Noir" sunglasses and an oversized cocktail ring ($90 and $38, Unique-vintage.com).
» On a holiday to Havana — or just lounging around your apartment pool — go Carmen Miranda exotic in Cyn & Luca's floral two-piece ($166, Butterfliesandbikinis.com), shown with wooden bracelets and Marc by Marc Jacobs shades ($28 and $98, South Moon Under)
Written by Express contributor Ashley Joy Parker
Photos by Marge Ely/Express
DON'T BE FOOLED BY Trish Suhr's honey-soaked Southern twang. The peppy, Kentucky-born co-star of the Style network's "Clean House" (check local listings) is ruthless when it comes to ridding people of their clutter. This week, Suhr and crew started their quest for the messiest home in the country, which wraps up July 1 with a two-hour special on the most offensive abode.
» EXPRESS: You're just back from filming the search for the messiest home. Did you find it?
» SUHR: I believe we did. I will tell you that once you think you've seen it all, there's always more. When you start to see the homes on the show, you won't think it could get any worse — and it does. It just keeps blowing your mind.
» EXPRESS: I bet many of us will be shocked at seeing how others live. Do messy people seem like regular folks?
» SUHR: Yep, they do! I would love to say that there's some formula for what a clutter bug looks like, but they're just as everyday normal as you or me. You'd probably even think, "This person seems neat as a pin." And then you walk through the door and think, "How are you even living like this?"
Continue Reading "Yard Sale Queen: 'Clean House' Co-Star Trish Suhr" »
Addison Road