Before we go and set our resolutions for '10, we always like to see how we did on the ones for the current year.
Here were our goals for 2009:
1. For the JSG blog: to do more and better videos.
This we can check off our list. Armed with our Flips, we've been much better about videoing our escapades. Check out our YouTube channel for proof.
2. No more typos!
Done. (Fur the mos par.)
3. To go to one major event that we haven't been to before (Sundance, Super Bowl, Miami's Winter Music Concert or SXSW in Austin). We made it to Tampa for the Super Bowl and attended the Net Jets party, so we get half a point.
4. Figure out how to get our nail polish to stay on for more than 2 days when we paint them ourselves. (This may involve purchasing a pair of rubber gloves for the sink. Not sexy!) This may just be impossible.
5. Find the perfect pair of nude heels. Now that we're reading this, we've got the perfect excuse to buy the LAMB Laken heels we've been eying!
6. Pay off the credit cards. No comment.
7. Get on a healthy sleep schedule (this will help with losing the pounds we gained over the holidays and lighten up our dark circles). Getting there.
8. Organize our desktop. The desktop wins.
9. Go to more places with the letter "L" in them. Let's see, we went to Florida, Colorado, Las Vegas, Alexandria, VA, a couple of Ritz Carlton's, and a whole bunch of other places without the letter "l".
We can never get enough of a smoky eye: It's a shortcut to sexy and looks fantastic in photos. Our newest favorite entry into the world of dark shadows is the Estée Lauder Blacker Than Black Makeup collection, namely the Black Smoke Eye Shadow Quad. It comes with a sparkly black shadow (see the swatch below), a medium gray, a silver and a white for highlighting. For extra oomph, use the Double Wear Eye Pencil.
The Estée Lauder Blacker Than Black Makeup collection is available for a limited time online and at select department stores.
From snow angels to tree toppers, we can’t get enough of angels this time of year. But we can’t forget the sexiest angels of them all - Victoria’s Secret Angels. To add a sophisticated splash to your New Year's plans, try this new “Bombshell” cocktail that debuted at this year’s Victoria’s Secret Viewing Party. A drink like this goes great with a group of girlfriends, so call the crew and have the pre-party at your house!
Bombshell Cocktail 3/5 42 below passion fruit 42BELOW vodka 1/5 vodka 1/5 cranberry juice A splash of passion fruit puree and garnished with lemon twist
Might Vera Wang's next collection reflect a Barbadian influence? The designer told WWD that she's headed to Sandy Lane in Barbados (where Tiger Woods got married). She's packing gold Prada lace up sandals, a fisherman gold net bag and a wardrobe of short shorts--Go Vera!
We would also be happy to join Alice Temperely on her trip to Cuixmala, Mexico, where "drinking mighty fine margaritas" is on the itinerary. She tells WWD she packed in 8 minutes for the trip. We hope you didn't forget anything, Alice!
Jason Wu is headed to Vegas where he plans on taking in Cirque de Soleil's "O" and "Zumanity." Wonder if Christina Aguilera is hosting a New Year's Eve party at Tao.
Have you made your plans for New Year's Eve? Whether you're headed to a friend's party like Hope or to midnight yoga like Anne, there's always a good reason to start the new year looking your best. Here are our picks for a great looking manicure:
Metro Chic may have been the hot Sephora nail color; but something with more sparkle would be ideal for New Year's like Water Baby or Social Climber (pictured above) from the Sephora by OPI collection.
Essie's Mint Candy Apple (pictured above) looks modern and fresh and is easier on your wallet that Chanel's Jade.
What's old is new again, in this case Neon Pink by Illamasqua. While we'll leave neon clothes to our younger fashionista friends, a pop of color on our nails will look just right wrapped around a champagne flute.
Still searching for the perfect New Year's Eve dress? Thanks to the folks at New York Magazine for compiling this fantabulous slide show of more than 100 dresses from $23(!!!) on up. It's hard to pick just one fave, but this Camilla and Marc dress available at Barney's is on our top three list for sure.
While neither of us has an iPhone--we're stubbornly waiting until it's available with our cell providers--we know there are lots of amazing apps out there for it that help with directions, flight delays, restaurants, enable Skype (above) even finding the nearest public bathroom. Here's a round up of apps that other sites found the most interesting. Let us know your favorite!
With so many of us traveling over the holidays and the failed Christmas day attack on a Northwest Airlines flight, we checked the TSA website regarding heightened security. The TSA has added security measures; but they aren't disclosing the changes which vary from airport to airport. You can also expect to stow your carry on bags, turn off electronics and remain seated for longer periods once you're on your flight. Our advice? Arrive earlier than usual and expect longer lines at the security gates.
We're always interested in changes to the carry on regulations, since we try to avoid checking whenever possible. Here's a sampling of some of the things TSA wants you to pack in your checked baggage or leave at home.
Cranberry sauce, cologne, creamy dips and spreads (cheeses, peanut butter, etc.), gift baskets with food items (salsa, jams and salad dressings), gravy, jams, jellies, lotions, maple syrup, oils and vinegars, perfume, salad dressing, and salsa.
We're puzzled by the cheese restriction: do they make draw a line between a triple cream and an aged cheddar? When in doubt, send or pack it. By the way, pies can be carried on but are subject to additional screening.
JSG's Anne Fritz was featured in Sunday's New York Post as one of the Twitterati who attended a recent holiday party hosted by celebrity stylist Robert Verdi. According to Robert, he chose Anne and the other bloggers/twiteratti, because "they have street cred, they have a lot of followers and they're disseminating smart information on the Internet."
Here are Anne's thoughts on the story:
I respect that as a newspaper the Post has space restrictions and didn't have room to mention that I co-edit The Jet Set Girls and that our website has a clear review policy. In brief, on JSG, we always give fair and honest reviews of products. We will disclose if they are free. We don't receive everything we review for free. In fact, most of the products and services we review we purchase ourselves because we are true beauty, fashion and travel fanatics. We always test the products we review thoroughly before letting you know our opinion of the product. For our complete review policy, please see our Contact Us page.
We asked, you answered. Europe reigns supreme for the top dream destination of JSG readers. About 2/5ths of you (42%) said you would most like to vacation in Europe, namely Italy, France, Greece, Ireland and England. (Of those who wanted to travel to Europe, those countries ranked 37%, 24%, 20%, 7% and 6.6%, respectively.) Italy appeals to you for the food, art, history and overall beauty of the country.
While Europe beat out various beaches around the world, 21% of you said you would enjoy a sojourn somewhere warm and sunny.
Australia made a respectable showing—4 percent of you said you dream of traveling to the land down under.
The most surprising destination was Korea, which received 5 votes. We were also happy to see the Maldives make the list with 3 votes and we had to check our Google maps to find Mauritius (shown above) picked by two JSG readers.
Congrats to Wendy Guerra who won the Coach Audrey bag. Where is Wendy's dream destination?
"My dream destination is NYC!!! I've always loved the feeling that cities give me, but NYC is something different, it feels so much more alive than any other place for me. It inspires me, I love it!!"
We can't argue with that and the Coach Audrey bag is certainly big enough and flashy enough for New York. Congrats, Wendy!
Or maybe you're snowed in this weekend? We promise you'll get a smile from the hundreds of sexy Brazilians celebrating the arrival of their summer last week with a Haviana-clapping flash mob. Ah--to be in the Southern Hemisphere!
Many of us have issues with breakouts even during the dry winter months. We were fortunate to speak with JoElle Lyons of the Hela Spa in Chevy Chase, Md. (and esthetician to the First Lady!) on how to treat combination skin. It's easy to take advise from someone who's so knowledgeable and has a gorgeous complexion of her own. Friend JoElle on Facebook and you'll receive her sage advise regularly.
Every morning we wake up to NPR, usually getting about 10 seconds of news in between pushes to the snooze button. Today, when we heard the name, "Coco Chanel" we immediately perked up and listened to the story.
The interview was with Odile Babin, a Chanel archivist (How do we get that job?!?), who has a charming French accent we could wake up to everyday. She took listeners on a tour of 31 Rue Cambon, Chanel's apartment. Among the chicest deets: • Chanel would watch presentations of her new collections from the 5th step of her curved, beige carpeted staircase. • "Mademoiselle Chanel hated doors," Babin said. "She hoped that by placing them [Chinese screens]in front of the door, her guests might not remember to leave." • Among Chanel's prized possessions were three elongated octagon-shaped cigarette boxes for her Gitanes, a gift from one her lovers, the Duke of Westminster, that are engraved with the duke's coat of arms. The boxes are silver on the outside and gold on the inside — a luxury hidden from view, said Babin. • Chanel never slept at her apartment. Her nights were spent at the Ritz, a five-minute walk away. • Before she would walk over to 31 Rue Cambon, Chanel would call to alert her staff that she was on her way so they could spritz the apartment with Chanel No. 5.
Read on for a virtual tour of Chanel's apartment and to listen to the broadcast.
Want to experience Paris for yourself? Check out the Coco Chanel tour.
Our favorite part of the new Sex and the City sequul trailer? When Carrie says, "Sometimes you just have to get away with the girls!" We couldn't agree more, SJP!
And where do the girls go? In case you missed our earlier posts, Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte and Miranda are headed to Morocco (though it may be pretending to be Dubai).
We can hardly wait until May 28 to catch the flick!
Attention all Eloise fans: The Eloise store is now open for business at The Plaza in New York. Some of the more popular items are an Eloise T-shirt, a Eloise Madame Alexander Doll and, of course, the books and movies.
And because you're never too young for a girls' getaway, the Plaza can arrange a "Live Like Eloise Slumber Party" for up to 6 girls. The party includes a $25 gift certificate to the Eloise store, Kay Thompson's Eloise's Guide to Life: or, How to Eat, Dress, Travel. Behave and Stay Six Forever, Super Duper Sundaes, Eloise Post Cards and an assortment of Eloise DVD's accompanied by Eloise's favorite movie snacks.
Flying Virgin America today through December 26? Pay attention to see if you're on a special "Holiday Cheer" flight, when passengers will be treated to free cocktails and beers. Not only do you get the free booze, the first passenger to tweet or Facebook the flight scores a free roundtrip ticket anywhere Virgin America flies and an assortment of swag like wine-tasting tickets for two to Plumpjack wineries in Napa Valley, Yes to Carrots amenity kits, Snowflake Blue Microphones, VeeV Acai Spirit and a complimentary one-night stay at the Clift Hotel, in San Francisco. That ought to take the sting out of the hassle of holiday travel!
You know you want it!! Tell us your dream getaway on our Facebook page before 11:59 PST tonight and you'll be entered to win the Coach Audrey Metallic bag shown above. Read on for more info on how to win.
This summer we fell for the Space.NK candles on our beauty crawl with Daily Makeover's Beauty Bloggerati. Their scents are natural and inspired. We were particularly drawn to the Tomato Rhubarb (pictured above) that had the distinct smell of a tomato plant's leaves that makes you think of warm summer nights.We were excited to hear about the Wild Garden collection of candles available for the holidays in scents like Blue Hyacinth, Citrus Mint, and Neroli Spice.
Available at Space.NK stores, select Bloomindales and Spacenk.com.
If we lived in the burbs, we would definitely have a set of plates we only used at the holidays—and these Isaac Mizrahi bow dessert plates would be our pick. And since we're living large in our fantasy dream home with cabinets and storage areas galore, we would also add his plaid dessert plates into the mix.
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!
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:
Start by applying a volumizing product like Sebastian Professional Texturizer to wet hair.
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.
Allow to cool then take down rollers, and spray hair with a dry shampoo for added texture.
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.
French braid bottom half of hair starting behind left ear and pin random remaining pieces into braid for haphazard, playful positioning.
Finish the look with Sebastian Professional Shaper Fierce for tousled movement and controlled hold.
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.
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.
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!
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.
You know that we'll try just about anything to get—and keep—our hair straight. We're thinking about the Instyler Rotating Hot Iron, especially after watching the Anti-Hair Slave's Video Review. What do you all think? Have you tried it?
Whether you're feeling naughty or nice, the Essie "On the Go" Travel Set will keep your nails looking great and the smaller sizes make this ideal for packing. The set features two contrasting colors, Wicket and Ballet Slippers, that you can change depending on your mood; plus Fill the Gap and Good to Go.
I'm not usually one to do obituary-type posts here (those are best left to the folks who excel at 'em, namely Arbogast and Amanda by Night), but I wanted to not the passing of the great Dan O'Bannon, much too soon at the age of 63.
O'Bannon had a hand in some of the best horror films of all time, from writing Alien to writing and directing Return of the Living Dead, not to mention some lesser-known but no less enjoyable flicks like Lifeforce and Dead & Buried. I haven't watched that last film in a while- think it'll make a nice tribute tonight.
Considering the ongoing debate over the merits of the films of Jess Franco (aka Joan Almirall, Rosa Maria Almirall, Clifford Brawn, Clifford Brown (Jr.), Juan G. Cabral, Betty Carter, Candy Coster, Terry De Corsia, Rick Deconinck, Raymond Dubois, Chuck Evans, Toni Falt, Dennis Farnon, Jess Franck, Jesús Franco, Adolf M. Frank, Anton Martin Frank, Jeff Frank, Wolfgang Frank, Manfred Gregor, Jack Griffin, Robert Griffin, Lennie Hayden, Frank Hollman, Rick Deconinck, B.F. Johnson, James Lee Johnson, David J. Khune, Lulu Laverne, Franco Manera, Jesús Manera, Jeff Manner, Roland Marceignac, A.L. Mariaux, John O'Hara, Preston Quaid, P. Querut, Lowel Richmond, Dan L. Simon, Dave Tough, Pablo Villa, Joan Vincent, and Robert Zinnermann), an AMPF tribute seemed only fitting. Notable notes:
1) That one Dracula vs Frankenstein poster is so blatant in its ripping-off of Universal.
2) I need to see The Bloody Judge.
3) I, too, am going to use the alias "Lulu Laverne".
