23:45 - Resident Evil

Beyoncé's Heat: Watch the Commercial

Judging by this clip of the ad, Beyoncé's new perfume, Heat, promises to be sexy and sultry, befitting Shasha Fierce. Though we can't buy the new scent until February, it's a combo of red vanilla orchid, magnolia, neroli and blush peach, honeysuckle nectar, almond macaroon and creme de musk with base notes of giant sequoia milkwood, tonka bean and amber. Take note guys: This is what we want for Valentine's Day!

Get the look: Rachel McAdams at the Sherlock Holmes Premiere

We love Rachel McAdams' hair at the Sherlock Holmes premiere last week; but hers isn't the first long braid we've envied lately.  A style like this would work great this winter especially when you need to wear a hat.  The look here is elegant but unstructured and with Sebastian stylist Thomas Dunkin, we can do it ourselves:

1. Start by applying a volumizing product like Sebastian Professional Texturizer to wet hair.
2. Blow dry in sections, and pin each section in medium and large sized Velcro rollers throughout whole head and allow to set for 5-10 minutes.
3. Allow to cool then take down rollers, and spray hair with a dry shampoo for added texture.
4. Emulsify a small dab of Sebastian Professional Microweb Fiber between palms and run through top of hair. Backcomb front section and manipulate for height and volume. Secure with pins.
5. French braid bottom half of hair starting behind left ear and pin random remaining pieces into braid for haphazard, playful positioning.
6. Finish the look with Sebastian Professional Shaper Fierce for tousled movement and controlled hold.

Photo credit: InStyle "Look of the Day"

Holiday Gift Ideas - Last Minute Gifts

Considering that only 60 percent of you had started Christmas shopping before last Thursday and the snowy weekend didn't help matters for all you East Coasters, we can all benefit from style guru Robert Verdi's tutorial on last minute gift ideas.

We basically haven't taken off the Portolano cashmere set of hat, scarf and mittens since we received it.  It's Robert's pick for the "Chic Commuter," and we certainly qualify! We love the periwinkle color. It's not the safe choice of cream or black, but is surprisingly flattering to many skin tones and hair colors. That's JSG's Annie, above, with Carolyn, modeling the popcorn stitch set.


True confession: We've never owned a pair of Uggs. But apparently they're still the hot holiday gift—and with good reason. As the legions of Uggs fans can attest, these boots are ultra warm and comfy. We're putting a pair of the slippers on our wish list.

Not sure what to get the hostess with the mostess? Robert recommends cookies from
Tasty Morsels Bakery. He's sending all his celeb friends cookies in the shape of his head (pictured top). Because, really, what else is there to give those obnoxious friends who already have everything they could ever possibly want, much less need?

For more of Robert Verdi's last minute gift ideas, check out RVTIPS on twitter.

This review was based on a free sample.

23:45 - Don't Look Now

(review)

RIP Brittany Murphy

According to most everywhere, Brittany Murphy died early this morning in Los Angeles. Cardiac arrest, they're saying. There will undoubtedly be speculation until there's an official toxicology report- after all, young people don't normally go into fatal cardiac arrest...especially so soon after one's spouse almost suffers the same fate. Whatever the truth is, it's irrelevant except as, perhaps, serving as a warning sign to other girls (and boys) headed down the same dark path. What matters- what's the most heartbreaking- is that a young woman is gone, and the world has lost a remarkable actress who'd barely had a chance to tap into her potential.

I can't believe I'm typing any of this. I don't normally get attached to celebrities, but there was something about her that just riveted me. There's not much more to be said beyond this is so, so sad and condolences to her family. I'm going to repost below what I put up on her birthday only last month. Thirty fucking two.

Jezebel has a nice write-up.



Y'all, I have an unabiding, irrational, and unconditional love for Brittany Murphy...the kind of love you have for an actor that makes you sit through movies you wouldn't normally watch with 10-foot eyeballs (yes, I've seen Uptown Girls), the kind that causes you to deny all the rumors outright (even when you hear them from a really good source), the kind that makes you sad when the actor's career ends up...not where it should be.

She gets such a bad rap in the court of public opinion for...well, I don't know why, really. There are other celebrities out there raping, murdering, drunk driving, having affairs- yet Murphy is almost universally maligned for making some bad movies and assumptions about her private life. Really, though, that's all neither nor there, and as I said I deny all rumors anyway. The point is, I think she's a rather extraordinary actress who's vastly underappreciated. Once the elder generation of lauded actresses retires- the Dench-caliber ladies- who the fuck from the younger generation is going to take up the crown? It's a short list, in my opinion, and I hope Murphy can pull her career out of the basement to join it.

Yeah, she underwent some sort of transformation that seems, to be, "Hollywood" mandated and yeah, she'd made some caca mainstream movies that flopped. But then there's Clueless (fucking classic), and there's Girl, Interrupted- the film for which Angelina Jolie got all the glory. Jolie's performance is pretty damn good but it feels a bit showy to me, all surface- contrast it with Murphy's turn (or Angela Bettis's, for that matter), where there's a few more layers added to your standard "crazy" character. Watch Spun, watch some King of the Hill, watch Sin City and Common Ground and Freeway and for fuck's sake watch The Dead Girl, a fantastic movie which she (along with Toni Collette, Kerry Washington, Mary Beth Hurt, and Marcia Gay Harden) tears up, and see what you think. She's got range, and she's one of those few actors who has the ability to make you forget their real name while they're on screen...at least for me, but again, this is maybe an irrational thing.

She's dabbled in horror a bit, most notably in the darkly comedic slasher flick Cherry Falls, which I really need to get around to reviewing. There, now I've tied this odd diatribe about one of my favorite actresses into my usual content here at Final Girl. Hooray!

Holiday Gift Ideas- Calvin Klein Lingerie

Lingerie is always a great holiday gift idea and so are designer goods, that’s not a secret. A combination of both is even better! Give the gift of Calvin Klein underwear to your favorite Jet Set Girl this holiday season. Made with a Lycra and cushioned in all the right places (like behind the closure) the Perfectly Fit bra collection is perfect for travel. My favorite is the Perfectly Fit Push up lace bra. It will comfortably stay in place while you are running around the airport, lifting heavy luggage or twisting and turning in your seat to get comfortable on a long trip. I am not top heavy, and I found this seamless bra very flattering, which was invisible even under my t-shirt, with the right amount of lift and none of the stiffness. Get it for $44 in store or on their website.


I’ve worn Calvin Klein panties since my senior year of high school, back then more so because it was the cool thing to do, but now more because of their comfort and durability. The most important thing in panties is the elastic not digging into you, and I’ve never had that problem with CK underwear.

JSG has a special gift for our readers. Enter promo code CKUBLOG9 to get $10 off every $50 spent on www.cku.com. Use it before it expires on 12/31/09.

Written by Ritu Ashrafi

This review was based on a free sample.