Sofia Vergera at the 2010 Emmy Awards

Photo courtesy Jason Merritt/Getty Images

Sofia Vergera is a joy to watch on screen and just as charming on the red carpet. If you haven't been watching Modern Family you need to add it to your line up. Sofia look gorgeous last night, thanks in part to stylist Jenny Cho who gave her those beautiful waves. Here's how she did it:

1. Start off with a good foundation using Suave Professionals Almond and Shea Butter Shampoo and Conditioner. This will deliver moisture to the hair before styling.


2. Before blow drying, apply a small amount of Suave Professionals Healthy Curls Mousse to towel dried hair. This will help shape the curls and hold them in place.

3. Next, spray Suave Freeze Hold Hairspray onto small sections of hair before wrapping the section around a 2 inch barrel curling iron. For loose, voluminous waves, don’t close the tongue of the curling iron!

4. Finish off the look with the Suave Professionals Volumizing Finishing Spray. The lightweight formula will keep your curls intact without weighing them down.

How to Avoid Vacation Breakouts

by Dr. Hilary Reich via Daily Makeover

There are a variety of reasons why we break out when traveling, but the major reason is stress. Stress affects our hormone levels, and hormonal imbalances cause acne.

Travel also disrupts our normal skin balance due to sudden changes in the temperature and humidity levels. A change in the mineral content of the water we use to cleanse our skin is another factor. Water with a higher mineral content ("hard water") means it harder to rinse off soaps and cleansers. Read on for more tips from dermatologist, Dr. Hilary Reich on avoiding vacation breakouts.

Christina Hendricks at the 2010 Emmy Awards

Photo courtesy of Getty Images

Christina Hendricks was one of our favorite Emmy looks again this year. We love her coloring (that perfect red hair) and her amazing curves. Her smoky lilac Zac Posen dress complemented her perfectly. Lancôme celebrity makeup artist, Vanessa Scali, used Mia Farrow's character from "The Great Gatsby" as her inspiration. Here are the details on Christina's look:

Face:
Vanessa prepped the skin with Lancôme’s La Base Pro. To perfect Christina’s already luminous skin, Vanessa used Lancôme’s new Teint Miracle Lit-From-Within Makeup (pictured below). “It has an amazing transparent quality that leaves the skin looking flawless and luminous without being shiny,” said Vanessa. “I applied it with a brush and then blended with my fingers.” Blending with her fingers heated up the foundation a bit, allowing for a seamless finish. Vanessa followed with Effacernes Concealer under the eyes, her “all time favorite concealer.”

Cheeks:
For a fresh pop of color I used Lancôme’s Blush Subtil Shimmer in Pink Pool on the apples of her cheeks. Dabs of Giorgio Armani Beauty’s Fluid Sheer #2 highlighted Christina’s cheekbones.

Eyes
The eye shadow was mix of YSL’s Ombre Solo Eyeshadow in Cashmere Brown and Midnight Black. “I applied these all over her lid, under the bottom lashes and blended it out past her natural lash line to softly elongate the eye,” reported Vanessa.

Eye Liner:
To define and elongate the lash line, Vanessa lined the eyes with Lancôme’s Le Crayon Khôl in Black. “I used a touch of liner under her bottom lashes but smudged it for a softer look,” said Vanessa. For added depth, Vanessa used Artliner Precision Point Eyeliner in Noir at the very base of Christina’s lashes.

Mascara:
Several generous coats of Lancôme Définicils Waterproof Mascara in Black were used on the top and bottom lashes.

Lips:
Christina’s lips were a mix of Lancôme lip colors for an effect that Vanessa described as “red with a little dash of pink.” A sheer coat of Color Design Matte Lipstick in Corset was topped by La Laque Fever Lipshine in Cyber Coral.

Film Club: Hellbound

My friends, when this...

...and the name Yoram Globus appeared on my screen at the beginning of Hellbound, everything felt right in the world- right, and decidedly 1985. Now, if you're all "What's the bigs?", then let me tell you: The Cannon Group and Golan-Globus Productions were responsible for a huge chunk of genre output in the late 70s-late 80s, action flicks in particular. From Lifeforce to Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, from American Ninja to American Ninja V, from Breakin' to Electric Boogaloo, from He-Man to every Chuck Norris opus, Cannon simply IS the eighties to a lot of movie nerds, myself included.

Hellbound hit in 1994, after Menahem Golan left Golan-Globus Productions, and it's terrible, terrible, terrible...by which I mean it's the most awesome thing I'll never watch again. Well, okay- it's not truly awesome, but it's so thoroughly drenched in the essence of awesome that it's a bit hard to tell the difference. It's like the shittiest frozen pizza- you may make a note (mentally or literally) that you'll never buy that brand again...and yet, it's pizza and therefore it's still better than anything that's not pizza.

Oh...fine. Hellbound is crap on a crap stick and there's no getting around it. My love of Cannon, though, makes me a total crap denier. Or not a denier, exactly, but my view can be summed up thusly: yes, it's awful, but it's a Cannon film. So, it's awful but I don't really care. I'll never watch it again, but when I talk about it, I'll probably say things like "Oh, Hellbound was great! You should totally watch it." I'm not sure what kind of person that makes me- obviously not one who can be trusted, but there you go.

Hellbound opens with a text crawl, which lets you know that shit is about to get epic up in here. It begins with "The legend says..." and tells of Prosatanos, an emissary of Satan who's going to bring Hell to Earth and blah blah blah. What legend, exactly? It's THE legend, and that's good enough!

To reinforce the epicness, the action starts during the Crusades, with Knights Templar and King Richard the Lionheart on horseback, heading off to stop Prosatanos from...you know, doing everything the text crawl said he was going to do. They seal him up in a tomb and smash his scepter. There are monster-types in Satanic robes to be defeated, and I begin to think this movie is going to rule my world.

Fast-forward to 1951! The tomb is raided (not by Lara Croft, unfortunately) and Prosatanos is set free.

Fast-forward to Chuck Norris, A.D. and the seedy neon-lit streets of Chicago. Norris is Sergeant Shatter (YES I SAID SERGEANT SHATTER), a tough cop, and he's partnered up with Jackson, a Rick James/Whoopi Goldberg-hybrid stereotype who has GOT to be one of the most irritating characters ever put on any screen of any kind, anywhere. Ever. I hated him. I would rather watch a remake of My Dinner with Andre starring Franklin from The Texas Chain Saw Masssacre and Shelly from Friday the 13th Part 3 than suffer through another second of Jackson's antics.

Anyway, here's what we get in Chicago that had me excited...and mind you, we've already seen Knights Templar. This all just reinforced my hopes that Hellbound would become master of all my children days.

• a hooker, with a HORRENDOUSLY dubbed voice, who gets all chiropractical on herself
• said hooker, defenestrated
• Prosatanos, looking a bit like Phantasm's Reggie Banister, acting a lot like Silent Night, Deadly Night 2's Eric Freeman
• A heart ripped out of a chest
• Chuck Norris kicking the shit out of a dude wearing a snakeskin tanktop
• Antiquities kept in fannypacks
• A hardass police captain who surely would have been more at home raping female convicts with broomhandles in some women-in-prison exploitation flick
• Chuck Norris in a high-waisted, shoulder-padded teal suit

I mean...I mean...SEE WHAT I MEAN? Hellbound could do no wrong, but then suddenly it started doing everything wrong. I got a return of "utter disappointment" on my investment of "high expectations" which rivaled that one Christmas where I had totally convinced myself that my parents got me a huge TV- these were the days when having your own TV was still a big effing deal, and I knew for sure that the big box under the tree was a television just for me- but then it turned out to be...I don't even know what it was. I unwrapped it and found it was not a TV, but, like, a blanket. I was crushed for five minutes! Hellbound brought back those feelings, but my state of crushed-dom continues, even several five minuteses later.

I don't know what happened. How did things go so wrong, when they were going oh-so right? Well, maybe I do know what happened: Hellbound got a bit zany. Madcap, even, as our Chicago cops trotted the globe all the way to Israel to figure out the deal with Prosatanos's scepter pieces. There was this...this...piano music and one-car car chases and street urchins and too much Jackson and not enough demons. Granted, any Jackson was too much Jackson, but the minions of Satan were so nonexistent that I had to get my Clara Peller on and bust out a "Where's the demons?" once or twice. For reals, Hellbound could have been the best movie in the history of things that could have been, but lo, the middle hour was just. So. Bad.

And then the last ten minutes happened and suddenly Chuck Norris was slo-mo punching and kicking an emissary of Satan and I thought YES. Yes, this is what I wanted all along. It's all I wanted from Hellbound- well, Chuck Norris beating up demons and maybe an explosion.

Then I got an explosion, as Prosatanos- showing his true, rubber demon face!- exploded all over a tomb in a shower of sparks and smoke. The only way it could have been better was if Jackson had exploded as well. Or instead. Or if he was never there to begin with.

Ah well. Things are rarely as good as we dream them to be, and Hellbound is no exception. By which I mean Hellbound was great! You should totally watch it.

---------------------------------
Film Club Coolies, y'all!
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Mondo Bizarro
Cinema Gonzo
I Will Devour Your Content
Haiku Film Reviews
The Horror Digest
Horrorful
From Midnight, With Love
Aphorisms and Ectoplasm
nijomu
Scarina's Scary Vault of Scariness
From Beyond Depraved!

January Jones at the 2010 Emmy Awards

Photo courtesy of Getty Images

We weren't impressed with January's Versace dress and her hair was more frizzy than glamorous; but her beautiful makeup by Chanel artist, Rachel Goodwin, was a different story. Rachel spoke about her inspiration,"For January's make up I was inspired by Irving Penn's iconic photos of his wife/supermodel Lisa Fonssagrives, whose signature extended eyeliner symbolizes the epitome of elegance. I used ultra feminine colours with super sculptural liner for a cool update on that classic late 50's silhouette."

Here's how she created January's look:

"I used Chanel Liquid Eyeliner in Noir along the lash line for an exaggerated cat eye effect, adding extra lashes on just the very outer edges for added length. I then applied two coats of inimitable Chanel Inimitable Intense Mascara in Noir on the top lashes and one coat of Chanel Inimitable Intense Mascara in Purple on the bottom lashes. The rest of the face I kept understated using minimal foundation, pale pink cream cheek colour and Chanel Rouge Allure Extrait de Gloss in Confidence on her lips. I finished the look by dusting her brow bone and lids with a loose iridescent pearl shadow with a hint of purple to play off the super reflective quality of her dress."

Booze-Infused Ice Cream

We love when our two of our favorite foods are combined into one tasty treat. The Silver Moon lines of adult-only ice creams pairs the icy, sweet treat with liquor for flavors like Pomegranate Martini sorbet and Orange Creamsicle ice cream with Cointreau. The Silver Moon ice cream is available at Whole Foods in northern California or for order online.

Bachelorette Party Ideas #29: Party Dresses

bachelorette party dress by Jet Set Girls featuring sequin evening dress

If ever there's a time to pull out all the wardrobe stops, it's at a bachelorette party. Here are a few of our fave party dresses. Don't want to spend the money? Consider renting a dress!

Bobbi Brown's New Black Velvet Collection

“Yes, sooty lids and goth lips look great on the runway—but how do you make them work for real life? By infusing plum, cherry and maple tones with black and giving them a translucent texture, I created shades that are strong, powerful and a little shocking—but also wearable and sophisticated.” - Bobbi Brown

It's true that we saw a ton of dark vampy makeup at Fashion Week Fall 2010. Bobbi Brown's contribution is a beautiful set of lip and eye colors that will give you (like she said above) a wearable, dramatic look for fall. Available September 2010.

Read more on how to get the vampire look from Hope's post on Brilliant Color and Beauty Today.

Bachelorette Party Ideas #28: Philadelphia

Next month, we'll be heading to the city of brotherly love for our friend Felissa's Bachelorette Party. The bridesmaids chose Philly as half the girls are in D.C. and the other half are in NYC so it's a nice in-between spot. Plus, Felis is a HUGE Mets fan, so we're heading to the Mets-Philly's game that Saturday. (That's Felissa, second from left, at our own bachelorette party.)

Even if your bride isn't a baseball fan, there are lots of reasons to head to Philly. It's affordable, manageable to get around and there's plenty to do both during the day or night. For starters, the Franklin Institute is hosting a Cleopatra exhibit now through January, 2011. Eleven hotels are offering a "Cleopatra Girlfriends Weekend Itinerary".

As for our group, we're staying at the Sofitel. We're still figuring out where we're eating and partying, but Cuba Libre and Alma de Cuba are definitely in the running. We have a special Saturday afternoon surprise (more on that later) and are hoping to squeeze in a pole dancing class at Pole By Patricia.

We'll be sure to share all the dirty details, so check back in a month!

awesome movie poster friday - the FILM CLUB edition PART TWO!

Hey humans, this Monday is Film Club Day! Don't forget to watch the Chuck Norris vs demons extravaganza Hellbound and send me a link to your review! I apologize in advance if it stinks.

In honor of the prestigious day, I present to you the second AMPF that commemorates the FGFC. The first can be found here. After posting these, I have this wicked urge to watch something involving lasers. I hope Mr. Norris busts some out to battle Satan!

Black Sabbath

Aaaahhh the old woman in the bed!

The Manitou

From my review: "There's a dude in a lizard suit, the worst fake ice you'll ever hope to see, a jacked-up medicine man midget, decapitations, typewriters with souls, and a naked Susan Strasberg sitting on a floating bed shooting lasers at a big eye. Sometimes, my friends, all is right with the world." Still so very true.

Uzumaki

I think this movie deserves better posters, although I like the simplicity of #2.

Lifeforce

What the world needs now is more movies about hot naked space vampires, don't you think? Most of these posters are better if you make a "pew pew pew" laser noise whilst looking at them.

Bachelorette Partys Ideas #27: Montauk Yacht Club

While the Hamptons may have more flash, Montauk, at the far eastern end of Long Island, has traditionally been the laid back, surf spot. For your bachelorette party, you can rent a house, stay in one of the many upgraded shack hotels or do what we're doing this weekend and stay at the Montauk Yacht Club.

The 80-year old storied hotel, that has hosted guests including the Astors, Vanderbilts and Morgans, recently underwent a multi-million dollar renovation. The rooms have a nautical theme, along with modern touches like flat screen TVS and iPod docks.

The restaurants got an upgrade, too. We hear there's a great cover band on most weekend nights during the summer and that the servers are super-friendly, if not super fast--hey, it's a beach resort.

During the days, we plan to lie out by the pool. If you're more adventurous or motivated, the hotel can arrange a group surf class for you and your girlfriends. On Saturday, we're braving the traffic to head to the Ferrari Rally and Polo Match--we couldn't decide between Italians and Argentinians, so we're attempting to hit both events!

Follow our adventures via Twitter. We're on as JSGHope and JSGAnne.

Web Snob Roundup 8-27-10

Try this super duper lash plumping serum at Beauty Snob!
FabSugar shows you how Rebecca Minkoff Adds More Cool to Her Collection With Footwear.

Fashion Pulse Daily contemplates the intentions of Levi's in its latest ad campaign 'We are all Workers'

A toy that is as simple as it is mesmerizing and engaging for your tot at Tot Snob.

The Jet Set Girlsscoured the internet to find the sexiest leather shorts for fall.

When we see a great piece, we get it before it sells out - get yours at Couture Snob!

Second City Style is mad for camel...everything for fall. It's the new black!

Shopping and Info loves this dress straight off the runway from Milly that looks like Valentino.

Jewel Snob asks, can one ever have too many cuffs?

StyleBakery has the scoop on fall's ultimate transition piece: the military jacket.

Stylecaster shares an exclusive DIY from the new book by Erica Domesek of P.S. I Made This.

If ever there was a shoe that perfectly encapsulated this fall's return to a pure and minimal aesthetic, it would be this sandal at Shoe Snob.

eye4style takes you behind-the-scenes at the Fall 2010 London Fog ad campaign shoot, featuring Mad Men star.

Father Was a Dracula

Dracula's Daughter (1936) was produced by Universal Studios as a sequel to their smash hit Dracula, featuring Bela Lugosi as the titular bloodsucker. Despite its ties to Dracula and its tenuous basis in Bram Stoker's short story "Dracula's Guest", Dracula's Daughter is perhaps best known as the first lesbian vampire film.

Gloria Holden stars as Countess Marya Zaleska, who claims to be...you know, the daughter of Count Dracula. When she learns that Professor Van Helsing (Edward Van Sloan) has slain her vampire father, Marya is relieved- she's convinced that his death will mean her release from her insatiable bloodlust. She steals his body from the local morgue and burns it, thrilled at the prospect of being "free forever" and finally able to "live as a woman in the world of the living". Her manservant Sandor (Irving Pichel), however, convinces her that she will never be free from the curse; soon Zaleska prowls the dark streets of London once more, in search of victims. As her hope turns to despair, the Countess seeks the aid of psychiatrist Jeffrey Garth (Otto Kruger) as attempts to pit "the strength of the human mind against the power of darkness".

These obsessive desires of Zaleska can be viewed as veiled references to any number of things, including drug use and, yes, homosexuality. While Universal apparently acknowledged the hints of lesbianism (and even banked on it in the film's marketing campaigns- "Save the women of London from Dracula's Daughter!"), they are only that- hints. They're extremely subtle hints you have to keep your eyes peeled for as you bear in mind the period in which the film was made. There's no touching in the film- hell, Zaleska never bares fangs and any biting, if in fact there actually is any, occurs off-screen. The scene with the heaviest indicators occurs when the Countess brings a young girl, Lili (Nan Grey), back to her studio to "model" for a painting. Lili drops the shoulders of her dress as Marya attempts to bewitch her with her patented soulful gaze / sparkling ring combo; Lili grows uncomfortable and attempts to flee, but her fate has been sealed. Is she genuinely taken with Lili, or is she just a hungry vampire? After all, she also "seduces" male victims the same way. In a later scene, Zaleska almost puts the bite on Dr. Garth's assistant Janet (Marguerite Churchill), whom she's kidnapped- and who, it should be noted, does NOT willingly succumb to the Countess's charms. Zaleska slowly...slowly...SLOWLY inches closer to Janet's neck, but she's interrupted before there's any contact by the arrival of Garth who, incidentally, is the one the Countess longs to be with for eternity. This desire, however, is borne of a "cure me or be stuck with me forever" attitude rather than the experience of true love. So. Lesbian subtext? Sure, it's there if you're looking for it- which, umm, I suppose is why it's called "subtext". It's also more negative than it is steamy- don't forget, Zaleska needs to be cured of her "affliction".

Even if it weren't a film that provokes speculation and discussion, Dracula's Daughter would still be an enjoyable example of Universal's gothic horror. The streets of London are all cobblestones and shadows, while Zaleska's haunt is all shadows and cobwebs. Gloria Holden is appropriately mesmerizing as the Countess- her reluctance to play a role she feared would hinder her burgeoning career (as Lugosi complained of Dracula) informs her performance with a haughty discomfort that relays Zaleska's discomfort well. There's an ample amount of comic relief in the film, particularly early on when some cowardly cops have to deal with the bodies of Renfield and Dracula.

There's a terrific article and analysis of the film over at And You Call Yourself a Scientist!, which is where I got most of these awesome screencaps. Hat tip for the post title to Adam Ross of the late DVD Panache.

EXORCISM MOVIES: a flowchart

The Last Exorcism opens this Friday. Are you worried that with all the possession-flavored movies on the market, you'll be mired in head-spinning and puking to the point where you can't tell your Regans from your Emily Roses from your Nells? It's understandable- you're not alone. That's why I made this flowchart to help everyone figure things out. Because I care!

EDITED TO ADD: No, I did not include every possession/exorcism movie ever made in this chart, thank you, I realize that. Like lists, when I post these things they're meant to be pleasant, horror-centric, time-wasting diversions that, perhaps, start discussion. They're not meant to be all-inclusive.

click to embiggen

wednesday comix: VINCENT PRICE PRESENTS #19

Hey. Remember that time I talked about a comic book I inked called Vincent Price Presents? Back in April? And how you could order it through Previews? Hmm? DO YOU?

Well, all these months later, the book is sitting on comic book store shelves everywhere, or at least somewhere! Here is photographic evidence pointing to its existence; the thumb belongs to Brent Schoonover, the man who wrote and penciled the durn thing.


No, my name is not on the cover. I don't know who Montemarasomethingsomething is- the colorist? If you pick one up, then you can tell me! According to The Legend of Vincent Price Presents #19, my name wasn't included whatsoever in the draft copy of the book. Pfft, inkers. Always overlooked. *tear*

Anyway. There are some pages up in all their inky, colorless glory at my personal website- right here, man. Hooray comics!

bated breath

If you were on any horror-related websites yesterday (well, except this one), you may have caught wind that Jovanka Vuckovic has launched the website for her forthcoming short film The Captured Bird. The movie, a "dark fable about a little girl who has to face her own very literal demons after taking a wrong turn", has been been hailed by my brain as "something I cannot fucking wait to see".

As an avid fan of Jovanka's work at Rue Morgue Magazine and of...well, of Jovanka herself, I'd be practically salivating over seeing any one of her creations onscreen, but The Captured Bird looks to be an astonishing debut, an ambitious myth- and monster-filled fantasy to be executive produced by a man who knows more than a little about such things: Guillermo del Toro. “Jovanka's vision has been honed to perfection and combines true poetry with savage instinct,” says del Toro. “[It’s] lyrical and brutal. Just what the doctor ordered.”

Yeah, not a bad person to have on your team your first- or, hell...any time out. Jovanka's tenure at Rue Morgue put her in touch with innumerable horror luminaries, and now that she's becoming a filmmaker, she's got her own pep squad featuring the likes of George Romero and Stuart Gordon. Their support is evidenced by quotes that grace the film's website, and it's fantastic to see them so enthusiastic about...yeah, I'll say it: a horror film written and directed by a woman. Sure, we could rattle off a list of horror movies directed by women- some, like Kathryn Bigelow's Near Dark and Mary Harron's American Psycho, are often cited as some of the genre's finest. But are there any women out there who could be considered (to use a hoity-toity term) dark auteurs? There are countless women making movies in the indie horror world. When talking about the genre's true heavy-hitters, the ones who conjure up images and feelings and memories at the mention of their names, the ones who have a style so personal that they essentially become their own genres ("a Dario Argento film", anyone?)...are there any women? Maybe. Maybe I just don't know who they are. Maybe in five years it'll be different and we'll have a list of names thanks to Jovanka and others of her ilk: the women who, as I said, are toiling away in the indie world to bring their visions to life (umm, not to put too much pressure on anyone, of course). In a perfect world of filmmaking, gender wouldn't matter. A woman wouldn't have to be called a "female director"- she could just be, you know, a director.

The Captured Bird's website promises to offer a wealth of information in the months leading up to the film's projected 2012 film festival tour, including interviews, a call for donations, an on-set live feed, and a blog from Vuckovic which will detail her journey as a burgeoning filmmaker. "Like" the movie on Facebook and follow it all on Twitter. Get excited for this, horror fans. I am.

Bachelorette Party Ideas #26: Fun Cakes

What's a bachelorette party without a little frosting?

This Champagne Cake from NYC hotspot Abe + Arthur's combines two of our favorite loves: Cake + Bubbles. The restaurant makes cakes on request for special parties. This one was for  Sofia Vergara  to celebrate her boyfriend's birthday at Abe & Arthur's last month. Everything was edible from the bottle to the bucket).

If you're hosting a bachelorette in New Orleans, check out Hot Chocolate bakery. This plumber's butt crack cake is just the tip of the iceberg. Check out their website for the more X-rated cakes.

Those in San Fran can call the Cake Gallery for a selection of perverted desserts. Like Hot Chocolate, they get about as graphic as you want to go.

Bachelorette Party Ideas #25: The Andaz Hotel San Diego

The Andaz San Diego is located in the Gaslamp Quarter, in the midst of the best shopping, dining, and nightlife in town. The Andaz itself is home to the Ivy Rooftop (pool) and lounge and the Ivy Nightclub (a multi-level dance club); meaning you don't have to go far to have a great time. If all those Ivy's didn't clue you in, the Andaz took over the former Ivy Hotel building.

The Andaz even offers a private photographer to follow you around paparazzi-style or a photo shoot, if you're feeling particularly cheeky. We're not sure the whole night needs to be documented; but you be the judge. Rates start at $240.