Teka Thomas
@ Tattoo
Q:How do you keep your life clean?
A:"Low alcohol intake. I never smoke and I've never done drugs."
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" »
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
MAKING A MINIMAL carbon footprint is a noble concept. But there's no sense in stepping lightly in ugly hemp sandals when hip designers have warmed up to globe-friendly accessories. Finds range from punk-tastic earrings made of repurposed vintage chains to espadrilles from Payless' new organic shoe line, Zoe & Zac. "You're seeing things like old leather jackets recycled into handbags and people making necklaces out of dead-stock beads," says Angelina Bennett, owner of eco boutique Beklina.com. "People are getting more creative about what green really means."
» COMING ROUND AGAIN
Melissa Joy Manning uses recycled gold in stacking rings. (Pictured above; $498, Ginger, 7114 Bethesda Lane, Bethesda; 301-664-9242)
» TANGLED UP IN THE GREEN
Alpaca and silk — both sustainable and soft — are woven into sleek stripes on Rachel Comey's scarf. ($285, Beklina.com)
EVERY TIME FEB. 14 rolls around, it's the same old, same old: If you're a lady in a relationship, you can bank on chocolates (mmm, Hershey's Pot of Gold); flowers (roses, if you're lucky); and possibly some vaguely inappropriate undergarments (after all, Valentine's Day is probably the only holiday when an offering from Frederick's of Hollywood is totally socially accepted, and even expected).
And if you're a dude ... well, you don't really get anything if you're a dude. For men, Valentine's Day is more about giving than getting — kind of like a more sexually charged Christmas, but with more delicious treats (chocolates > eggnog any day). And if you happen to be a guy who needs to get his girl a gift, yet also wants to break out of that whole yum-yums/plants/lingerie thing, we don't blame you.
Instead, we lovingly embrace your free-thinking spirit and outside-the-box ideology — so much so that we assembled a handy-dandy list of some of the wackiest Valentine's Day gifts available on the fine World Wide Web, all for your buying pleasure. Be warned: They're all pretty ridiculous, but hey, every girl wants a guy who can make her laugh, right?
Continue Reading "The Serious Guide to Wacky Valentine's Day Gifts" »
PEOPLE ARE ALWAYS complaining about how much they hate Valentine's Day. New Year's Eve is overrated, Thanksgiving can be volatile, and Passover or Ramadan fasting can provoke crankiness, but no holiday is as universally disparaged as Feb. 14. Single people feel conspicuous, and those in couples feel obliged to somehow materially demonstrate their affection.
One option is actually skipping it. If both you and your loved one can mutually agree that your relationship doesn't need to be symbolically confirmed with the purchase of socially mandated gifts on a particular day, by all means liberate yourselves. This will free up funds for meals out on less crowded nights, gifts you might actually want or even, God forbid, mundane daily expenses.
If you have to celebrate Valentine's Day, however, at the very least you shouldn't have to spend much money. Below, you ll find some inexpensive Valentine possibilities that just might convince your loved one to agree to a no-gift policy next year.
Continue Reading "The Cheapskate's Guide to Valentine's Day" »
THE FASHION SET'S ongoing love affair with the smoky eye seems to have sparked a new trend: a pack of noir-as-night beauty products that add a touch of dark decadence to a dressing table. Whether it's a sparkly nighttime nail color from Dior or the latest onyx-bottled scents, it's clear that in beauty, black is the new black.
1. EVENING STANDARD
Soft as a black kitten, Giorgio Armani's powder puff imparts a pretty shimmer ($55, Saks Fifth Avenue, 5555 Wisconsin Ave.; 301-657-9000).
2. BLACK MAGIC
Givenchy's Le Soin Noir cream gets its dark hue and age-defying infusions from rare black algae ($360, Sephora, 3065 M St. NW; 202-338-5644).
3. DEEP NOTES
Marc Jacobs' Daisy Intense perfume has an deep violet scent that smells as good as it looks ($70, Bloomingdale's, 5300 Western Ave.; 240-744-3700).
4. DARK NIGHTS
The midnight hue of Christian Dior's party-perfect Black Sequins nail lacquer is flecked with sparkles of light-catching silver ($19, Sephora).
5. EBONY EFFECTS
Despite its sleek bottle, Bulgari's Jasmin Noir delivers a warm, woodsy scent ($68, Bulgari, 5481 Wisconsin Ave., Chevy Chase; 301-986-8610).
POLLS SAY MORE than 71 percent of Americans approve of the job Barack Obama is doing, and he isn't even president yet. But souvenir makers and artists? The way they've been stealing Obama's image suggests full-on obsession.
Search for "Obama" on handmade shopping hub Etsy.com, and you'll see nearly 3,000 items, ranging from glow-in-the-dark fridge magnets to Barack O'Buddha candles.
"Obama isn't just the next president; he's a pop culture icon," says Lorielle Broussard of Barackawear.com, which has sold nearly 50,000 tees, hats, dog collars and other O-pparel. "So many people got involved in this election, it completely upped the creativity of the items being made."
Continue Reading "Presidential Purchasing: O Say Can You Buy?" »
MAKEUP MAVEN BOBBI BROWN has built an A-list following: Jennifer Aniston, Sienna Miller, Barack Obama. (Yep, he wears Brown's cosmetics for TV appearances.) She won't say whether she's beautifying any big names for the balls (in the past, she's done both Michelle O. and Jill Biden), but she shared some party prep makeup advice that anyone can use.
» EXPRESS: You'll be in D.C. for the inauguration and parties. Any tips for black tie-worthy makeup?
» BROWN: You definitely don't need to go out and buy a whole new makeup set. Look at what you already have and add a little shimmer or some sparkle. A few easy things can turn your everyday makeup into a special evening look.
Continue Reading "Beauty Bigwig & Makeup Maven: Bobbi Brown" »
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