Jo Malone's New Fragrance Collection

We love Jo Malone's new Kohdo Wood collection. The Lotus Blossom and Water Lily is light and fresh, just the kind of scent we're looking for in the summer. The Dark Amber and Ginger Lily is richer and fuller; but not as heavy as our perfume that we wear in the winter. We'd wear this in the evening with a long, patio dress and an arm full of bracelets.

You can find these at Saks or on Jo Malone's website, which is offering free shipping, free gift packaging (with a chic cream colored gift box and black ribbon) and free samples.

awesome movie poster friday- the MARIO BAVA edition PART 2!

On Our Radar: 80's Bands in Concert

The 80's revival has hit fashion- look at the short skirts and dresses, not to mention the bubble hems; hair styles- straight is out and curl is back and bangs are way in; nail polishes are bright and bold—love that neon from Chanel in honor of the Robertson Blvd. boutique opening in WeHo today; movies--though the newest Indy flick doesn’t quite hold up; and of course music.

In case you need another excuse to travel (handy when pleading your case to your S.O.) try this one: All our fave bands from the 80's are on tour this summer and it’s always more fun to catch them in a new and different city. Tonight, you’ll find JSG at the Duran Duran concert in Central Park singing along to “Rio”, “Wild Boys” and a “View to a Kill." Simon still rocks!

Other 80’s bands that are touring this summer: George Michael, Tom Petty, Bon Jovi, the Eagles, the Police, Madonna and of course, New Kids on the Block!

(Photo from http://www.thesun.co.uk/)

SATC--We Loved It!

The clothes, the locations, the friendships--we LOVED the Sex and the City movie. Everyone in our NYC audience seemed to agree and even clapped at the end. No spoilers here--we'll just say the ending of the movie satisfied us FAR more than the ending of the show.

And--love how the Carrie and the gang go an all-girls' getaway when one of them needs some cheering up. Sun, sand and margaritas are a foolproof remedy for all of life's ills.

Spa Tapas by the Pool at the Ritz

How tempting is this: abbreviated spa treatments by the poolside at one of our fave mountain resorts? We were at the Ritz Carlton Bachelor Gulch this winter and had a fabulous afternoon. This summer, we'd really like to partake of their new spa tapas (and no, friends, these are not the kind you eat!): 15 minute sessions from their world class spa. We'll take the scalp massage, the hand and foot massage, and the sunscreen application to top it off. At $25 a piece, why not try a few?

Once the dog days of summer hit, wouldn't you love that cool, crisp mountain air? For more information go the the Ritz Carlton Bachelor Gulch website.

The Wednesday Something Something

Big stuff...big stuff aujourd'hui, mes amis. BIG STUFF I SAY. You know the drill:

Over yonder at AMC, I talk a bit about what makes a scary mask a scary mask and not...uh, an unscary mask, I guess. If you'd like to see some unscary stuff, check out Ye Olde Final Girl Hall of Infamy. Oh Gene Shalit, how I adore thee.

Episode 3 of Ghostella's Haunted Tomb is up and at 'em! Check it out, they made me a fancy graphic:

Pretty nice, n'est-ce pas? This week's episode is a real doozy. Tune in as everyone's favorite Guinevere, Guinevere Turner, discovers...Who's Been in the Herb Garden?

Now, perhaps the biggest news of all! Fangoria is hitting Secaucus, New Jersey on June 20-22 for yet another Weekend of Horrors and I, yes I, have 4, yes 4, one-day passes to giveaway to you, yes you! Check out the guest list and if it strikes your fancy, enter my big Fangoria Ticket giveaway. Send me an email: stacieponder at gmail dot com by midnight, June 14 with FANGO in the subject line. Winners will be drawn completely at random, but feel free to send cookies anyway. See how much I care?

In other news...

The Best Summer Lip Glosses

In the hot summer sun, all you really need to transform yourself into a bronzed babe is a faux tan, a mascara that goes the distance and a swipe of lip gloss. But how to chose from all the options out there? JSG narrows it down:

Best for Lounging by the Pool
Neutrogena MoistureShine Lip Soother cools on impact and is just the thing to get the pool boy’s attention. Just don’t leave it in the sun—these little guys melt quickly. JSG fave color: Glaze



Best Ice Cream Substitute
Prescriptives Tint Balm has flavor that’s sweet without being cloying and is easy to apply from the comfort of your lounge chair. JSG fave: Vanilla, which tastes like a ice cream cone.




Best for Arm Chair Travelers
Lancome Juicy Tubes World Tour works when you’re stuck at your desk but would rather be on vacation (Umm…basically everyday for us!). JSG fave: Moulin Rose, but that may be because we’re dreaming about hopping a flight to Paris.




Best for Flying
MAC Tinted Lip Conditioner is our go to formula on the fly. It’s super-hydrating and adds just the right hint of color to our high-altitude lips. JSG’s fave color: Strobe Current

Best for Tropical Vacations
We're still wearing our Clinique Long Last Glosswear with its SPF 15. JSG's fave color: Guava Gold for a tropical treat.

Best for a Yankees' Game
All About the Pretty shares the dish on the new Bobbi Brown Bare Lip Balm, a tribute Yogi Berra.

A Cure for Cellulite?

We try not to be to critical of our body--for the most part it does we want it to when we treat it right and bounces back relatively quickly when we don't. We also realize it's pretty futile to be envious of what someone else has got, be it an extra five inches of height; long, lush eyelashes or skin that tans easily. But, we have to admit, the other day in the locker room at the gym, we got a little pang of green when we spied our neighbor's cellulite free thighs and butt.

We've been in the beauty industry long enough to be skeptical about anything that labels itself as a "cure" for cellulite. About the only thing that has ever helped even a little was endermologie, which we had at the Wellpath Spa back when we were an on staff beauty editor. Even though the $120 sessions were comped and the girls at the spa were lovely, it was still hard to find the time to make it to our twice weekly sessions. Within weeks after we quit, our cottage cheese thighs were back. We've tried to convince ourselves since then that it didn't really matter.

Well--after last week, we're wishing our thighs were just a teeny bit smoother. It doesn't help that it's finally about 70 degrees and most dresses we see in the stores are still short enough to confuse with tops. So we're willing to give cellulite creams another shot. We were given a tub of Bliss Fat Girl Sleep at their recent blogger breakfast. Fat Girl Sleep is a nighttime version of their top-selling Fat Girl Slim. FGS got mixed reviews over at TotalBeauty.com (average rating was a 6). We've only used it for a few days, so we're not sure yet how well it works. We can give it props for smelling good--it's infused with lavender to help you sleep. Check back in a few weeks and we'll let you know how it's going. Til then--we're sticking with self tanners and longer skirts!

we have a winner

The people have spoken, people, and it seems that the people want Tobe Hooper's Lifeforce to be the next Film Club choice. So say we all, or at least 27% of you.

Personally, I was kinda hoping that Food of the Gods would pull out a come-from-behind victory at the last minute, but alas, it seems that naked space alien vampire zombie boobies win out over Ida Lupino battling giant maggots. I was bummed for a second about that, then I remembered that I can watch Food of the Gods and review it any time I damn well please and I wasn't bummed anymore. I can't be boxed in!

So. Lifeforce. Due Monday, June 23. If there are any newbies out there joining in the fun, here's how it works: post your review or Lifeforce-related something something on 6/23. Be sure to mention Final Girl or the Film Club in there somewhere, and send me a link to your site. I'll post your link along with my review, and we weill all be joined together in a big cyber caring circle. Huzzah!

The film: Lifeforce
The due date: Monday, June 23

Would You Buy This Luggage?

We've been lusting after this bag since last summer. Those crabs are just too cute. Having grown up in the D.C. area where we summered in Maryland, we have a special appreciation for the little critters, especially when they're doused with lots of malt vinegar and Old Bay.

With our birthday around the corner and our SO asking what we would like as a gift, we're seriously considering requesting this Halsea wheelie bag. What's stopping us? Well, the price tag--at $335, it's not anywhere near as expensive as other bags we like--but it does seem a little pricey for a novelty bag. Which brings us to the next question: While this bag would certainly work in a beach destination like Miami or Mexico, would we feel silly picking it up off the baggage carousel in glitzy Vegas or chic Paris?

What do you think? Yea or Nay?

Clues from the Sex and the City Soundtrack

We’ve read a lot about the fashion and the locations of the upcoming SATC movie—and here we are, excited about the soundtrack. We are still clinging to one of our New Year’s Resolutions to do a better job of making more playlists. Obviously we’re lazy since the resolution about taking the stairs all the time fell by the wayside month ago, so that’s part of the reason we love soundtracks—they’re a ready made mix cd.

The soundtrack to the movie is released May 27—three days before the movie and…well, we’re not crazy about the original songs. Fergie’s Labels or Love has a fun sampling of the SATC theme song and will stick in your head if you’re not careful kinda like all of Fergie’s greatest hits (Glamorous anyone?). J. Hud’s All Dressed in Your Love leaves a lot to be desired, especially coming from a former Dreamgirl.

We are eternal suckers for a good remix, so we love India.aire’s Heart of the Matter and the Bird and the Bee cover or How Deep is Your Love.

POTENTIAL PLOT SPOILER...
For those looking for a clue to the plot lines: Auld Lang Syne is number 10 on the playlist. Should we look for a big New Year’s Eve ending a la When Harry Met Sally? The penultimate song is Al Green’s How Do You Mend A Broken Heart and the final song…Walk This Way by Run DMC. Hmmm…Does Carrie end up single?

If you’re still with us—it’s more fun to look at SJP’s, Cynthia Nixon's and Kristin Davis’ playlists on iTunes. Kim Catrall is conspicuously absent once again. SJP’s is a somewhat predictable mix of Guns N' Roses, Sade, and Janet Jackson. Cynthia Nixon threw us with her country selections Dolly Parton, Johnny Cash and Loretta Lyn while Kristin Davis surprisingly leans towards soul and hip hop with Kayne, Earth Wind and Fire and Natalie Cole. Now we’re inspired to make our Summer ’08 playlist!
(Picture from Amazon)

Go Commando: The New Way to Avoid a Panty Line

Do you go commando? One of us JSGs does, at least sometimes. You see, she never converted over to thongs 100%. They aren't as comfortable as her Calvins; though she's got a collection of Hanky Pankies for when she wears a dress. Then Friday a sample of Commandos came in the mail. They're constructed like a very thin, soft cotton pantyliner that sticks to your jeans, shaped like a double-butterfly. They protect your personals from the stiff fabric of your pants, there's no VPL, and there's no Monica thong view either. We wore them twice this weekend, to a concert and to a bar-b-que, and they were great. Better yet, no one knew we were going commando!

We also love endorsing companies like the Commandos Group. They founded Freedom's Children, a non-profit "dedicated to the teaching and support of Nonviolence philosophy."

You can order their products on-line as well as learn more about Freedom's Children. (Pictures from the Commandos website)

Commandos are perfect for traveling because they don't take up any room!

Don't Forget to Enter...

To win our collection of Clinique Skin Care products. Click here for details.

today rules

Why does today rule? Allow me to explain.

Exhibit A: It is raining.

Exhibit B: What does one do to procrastinate on rainy days? One goes to used bookstores to browse.

Exhibit C:

"The pigs. Look, they're coming out," she shrieked. "Oh, sweet Christ! The pigs!!"

Case closed!

awesome movie poster friday- the MARIO BAVA edition!

Some super duper beauties this week, wow. To be continued next week!