Happy Anniversary!

Today marks our first anniversary as Jet Set Girls and we can't believe how fast it's gone by! We are so humble and appreciative that you spend your time here with us. We've been super lucky to meet wonderful people, both through our affiliation with Total Beauty (you beauty bloggers rock!) and through our travels; we've visited amazing resorts and spas; we've tried out exciting new products and shared all this with you. Thank you thank you! We'd like to celebrate by taking you to dinner. Here's how it'll work: we're giving away a $50 gift certificate for dinner at the fabulous Bruno Jamais Restaurant Club in NYC's upper east side, a swank contemporary French spot that's open til 3:00 a.m., offers live jazz on Mondays and won the "Best Interior Design" award from Hospitality Design Magazine. And, to make sure you're looking your best when you get there, a set of products from the Parisian skin care line Sothys, including a hydrating cream, a hydrating serum and a hydrating mask. To enter, email your name and address by next Wednesday, October 15 to jetsetgirls@gmail.com. Please keep reading, we're looking forward to 2009!
XOXO,
Hope and Anne

Travel Guide: Istanbul

Istanbul first hit our radar after watching Matt Lauer flirt with a belly dancer on this past May's "Where in the World is Matt Lauer." So after our good friend, Nicole Darmanin went on a business trip for Mario Badescu (lucky dog!) we hit her up for all the deets. (Want to know what was in her carry on?)
What surprised you most about Istanbul?

I’d heard that Istanbul was a progressive and modern city but I think I was still envisioning something more old world. The city is very modern, but what shocked me the most was the general affinity for American culture. When I mentioned this to my host he smiled and said, “Yes, some people call Istanbul the 51^st State.” I was also surprised by brands that are represented in the city, I wouldn’t blink an eye at a Mc Donald’s but Starbucks, Pizza Hut and (are you ready?) Aldo Shoes?!? I couldn’t believe it!

How was the nightlife? How does it compare with say Vegas, New York or Miami?

The only city of the three that I would compare it to would be New York-if you are running with a Euro crowd. We went to a night club called Cahide which was packed on a Tuesday night and a lot of fun.

How was the shopping? Is it more local artisan type stuff or is it high end boutiques (Louis Vuitton, Prada, etc.)?

If I learned one thing while I was in Turkey is that these people are serious about their shopping. I saw at least 2 different high end shopping strips comparable to NYC’s 5^th Ave, with high end stores including Louis Vuitton and Burberry. Mall shopping is very popular there, I was able to visit Istinye Park and Canyon (which houses a Harvey Nichols store).

For traditional artisan shopping go to Spice Market (I had a cultural revelation when I figured out where the NYC restaurant got its name) and the Grand Bazaar. In these places you find things like metal spice grinders, lamps, hookah pipes and beautiful Turkish Tea cups in transparent Jolly Rancher candy colors.

Were the guys cute? Friendly?

The guys were very good looking especially if you are into the dark and handsome variety. They were really friendly, even though there was a bit of a language barrier in some cases.
You said your bathroom at the hotel was crazy. What was so cool about it?

I stayed at The Ritz Carlton where the bathrooms were outfitted with marble floors, a shower and a separate (big) bathtub. Being the product junkie that I am, I was so excited to see little pouches of amazingly scented colored bath salts and a giant container of bubble bath. After a long day of walking around the city (which I swear is 90% cobblestone) that bath is going to look good to even the most die hard shower girl! Oh and my room had a view of one of the professional futbol stadiums, I had a birds eye view of the games.
You mention cobblestone. Did you wear heels?

It’s funny that you ask about heels on cobblestone. One of the days I was there I was supposed to do a presentation so I was wearing heels. When Dr. Diler picked us up from the hotel he said that there was a change of plans and that we were going to see one of the Palaces. Well, I guess back in the day you needed a really long walk way leading up to your palace in case if someone tries to attack you. I swear it was like a quarter mile walk up to this palace on a path paved with broken pieces of slate and pebbles. By the end of the hour and a half long tour my ankles were trembling but I was trying to act cool because we were with our client.

Would you recommend Istanbul for a girls' trip? Why or why not?Absolutely! Istanbul really has everything, history, amazing night life, food, shopping and great people. Do keep in mind though, that although modern, this is a different part of the world and there are still cultural differences. Expect to go through bomb detectors when entering your hotel, shopping malls etc.. No matter where I go I try to do a little research about the culture before heading over to avoid inadvertently saying anything disrespectful. We were lucky enough to have a wonderful host while I was in Turkey, Dr. Ali Kerim Diler who is a premier Dr. of Aesthetics and man about town in Istanbul.

In need of Botox, Restelyne, Mario Badescu Skin Care? This is your man.

ALI KERIM DILER M.D.

NISPETIYE CAD. ERDOLEN IS MERKEZI 38/14

34330 1.LEVENT-ISTANBUL/ TURKEY

Pink Ribbon Luggage Tags

Here's an easy way to "spread your message of breast cancer awareness" and find your bag on your travels. These luggage tags are pink leather with a pink ribbon embossed on one side. Available on the Breast Cancer Site for $6.95.

The Ritz-Carlton Spa, Amelia Island

We were fortunate to spend last weekend at the Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island. It's located just 20 minutes from the Jacksonville Airport in northeastern Florida, and lucky for us not far from our cousin's wedding activities. The property is gorgeous, it sits on a stretch of beach full of shells and shark's teeth bordered by dunes. Like other Ritz-Carlton properties we've visited, the attention to service and quality was obvious from check-in, from the totally comfy beds and linens, to the beach chairs, the great food, and of course the spa.

The Ritz-Carlton Spa, Amelia Island was redesigned in 2006 and aims to reflect the Southern and coastal influences surrounding it. At 27,000+ square feet, it's huge, with separate relaxation rooms and wet areas for men and women, including saunas, steam rooms, and hot tubs. There's a spa pool in addition to the resort pool with underwater music and a waterfall. It has two spa suites (pictured below), each with its own lounge and three treatment rooms that would be perfect if you had a large group on a girls' getaway or a wedding party.

We experienced the "Salt" at the Spa Package which lasted two and half glorious hours. Special thanks to Stacy Myers, the Spa Treatment Supervisor for a fabulous morning. It started with a Margarita Salt Scrub and wrap which was perfect in September after a summer's worth of sun and dry skin. Our hands and feet were wrapped in towels dipped in paraffin (nice sterile touch there). While we were soaking, Stacy gave us a scalp massage and washed our hair. Then we had a Vichy massage, which was new to us. We hadn't tried it before thinking we'd feel too exposed while a technician ran water jets across our body; but Stacey artfully covered us with washcloths. Then on to a stand up shower with tens of jets shooting in every direction possible. That was followed up with a honey butter massage. Leaving the room our skin felt so alive, fresh and healthy; we impulsively reached out to Stacy and gave her a hug (truly a first again!). Lastly, we had a Margarita Salt Pedicure with a margarita. The perfect finish that left us ready for the wedding festivities.

If you're looking for a treatment that's unique, the spa also offers the Heaven in a Hammock, a nod to Southern culture. The hammock distributes your weight, elongates your spine, and rocks and sways while the technician works around and below you. Wearing non-binding yoga attire makes this massage and treatment ideal for the modest spa goer.

This would be a great girls' trip: its location so close to the airport makes it easy for a long weekend, the variety of restaurants (a poolside grill, a cafe, a bakery, and a AAA Five Diamond restaurant) mean you don't have to leave the property, a spa that was made for pampering, and the beach and pool which are perfect for catching up with your friends. We'd love to go back for one of the spa's seasonal treatments.

Film Club: Strait-Jacket

Holy crapping crap, did I pick a good one with Strait-Jacket, folks! William Castle + Joan Crawford + axe murders + wigs = I AM IN HEAVEN without my face, for my face has been rocked way, way off.

The story is oh so simple in its simplicity: Lucy Harbin (Joan effing Crawford) came home early from an out of town trip to find her younger husband (Lee Majors!) post-flagrante and sound asleep in bed with his chosen floozy. Lucy doesn't scream and yell, oh no; rather, she grabs the nearest axe and makes with the axing, giving the lovers a number of whacks that seems to exceed the Lizzie Borden-recommended forty.

Her young daughter Carol witnesses the slaughter; earlier she witnessed her dad and the floozy floozing out- I guess you could say that Carol had an exceptionally great night.

Lucy is shipped off to the nuthouse ("Extra! Extra! Love slayer insane!") and now it's twenty years on. After moving in with her aunt and uncle, Carol (Diane Baker) has grown up to become a sculptress, a superfox, and the fiancee of the small town's wealthiest, handsomest bachelor, dairy farm heir Michael (John Anthony Hayes). Lucy returns, much plainer and, we hope, much more sane. At Carol's urging, Lucy gets a wig, some jangly bracelets, and a new dress in a bid to pretend that, you know, the last twenty years never happened. Will it work? I mean, wigs can do anything, can't they?

Lucy and Carol work on mending their relationship and getting to know each other, but before long Lucy seems to be slipping back into Cuckoo Town. She hears voices (or does she?) and wakes up to find her victim's heads in her bed (or does she?); she can't keep her eyes off of pointy objects or her daughter's fiance.

Before you know it, Lucy has flipped her new wig and people start losing their heads (like, totally literally), including my man George Kennedy who makes a sweaty appearance as a farm hand.


There's so much awesomeness in this movie, I don't know how they managed to pack it all in to a mere 93 minutes. There are countless touches that make this film a true delight- Joan Crawford trapped in a stripey weirdo bathroom, Joan Crawford knitting like...well, knitting like a madwoman, Joan Crawford lurking, Joan Crawford chopping, Joan Crawford lighting a match by striking it on a spinning jazz record, and OH GOD the film's climax...the list goes on and on.

As you've probably gathered, a great deal of the fun in Strait-Jacket comes courtesy of Joan Crawford. Yeah sure, on the one hand this film is pure William Castle-flavored schlockiness; however, Crawford treats this like it's a much better film and somehow you almost- almost- forget that she's a woman of sixty playing a woman in her forties- and her twenties. Her performance is amped up to eleven but somehow manages to remain largely just shy of pure camp. She's all over the map in the best way possible: she's frail, she's tough, she's brash, she's shy, she's sane, she's psycho. It's obvious she opted to portray Lucy Harbin as if she were Mildred Pierce, Crystal Allen, or any other of the venerable characters Crawford brought to life throughout her rocky career. As such, you find yourself both rooting for and afraid of Lucy- both reactions completely unexpected in a B-trash flick like Strait-Jacket.

Anyone who knows anything about Crawford's personal life will find plenty of parallels to think about with this film, from the Pepsi product placement to that ending (which I just can't give away- it's a treat that needs to be witnessed, not read about), Strait-Jacket is quite the metaphor for the aging starlet's career path.

It cashes in on Psycho (after all, this was also penned by Robert Bloch), it cashes in on Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? (and every other middle-aged woman as kookadook flick from the '60s); it's lurid and cheesy and it's not so good and it's fucking great...and lord love a movie that ends with this:


Big props and many thanks to the Film Club Coolies, y'all!
_________________

Full Moon Reviews
namtab
Acheter et entretenir sa tronconneuse
Gorillanaut
Criticlasm
StinkyLulu / StinkyBits
Fade In
K.P. Loves Boom Boom
Margarita SaltOverthinking It
Careful With That Blog, Eugene
My New Plaid Pants
The Girl Is Out There
Bloody Good Horror
Askewed Views
Film Experience
Club Silencio

Stila Paint Your Pout Red

What better way to get your perfect red lip than with Stila's new Paint Your Pout Red talking palette? The set comes with a lip brush, lip conditioner, and three shades of red, from a true berry, to a cherry red, to a deeper red. Push the button and a Stila artist chimes in to give you a minute long tutorial on creating a great red lip look. We were sceptical as to why you would need to hear directions, especially more than once; but we've played back the recording at least four times now over the past few days (first for amusement and later to follow the directions).

We thought the cool red shade (bottom right on the palette) was the most flattering. It's also possible to combine the colors.
Finish the look by lining your upper lid with Stila's liquid eye liner. The liner's felt tip applicator is easy to use and its small size makes it easy to handle. We didn't need to spend as much time trying to even out the thickness or intensity of the color on our lids.

The Paint Your Pout Red palette is available exclusively at Sephora for $45. The Liner in black ($16) is available there as well.

Red Lipstick: How to Wear It

Usually when we need to get dressed in a hurry for a night out, we reach for the black eyeliner. Add enough smudgy liner, pair with a lowcut top and no one will notice how flat your hair looks or that your nail polish is chipped.

While this look has never failed us, sometimes it's nice to mix it up. All the fashion rags are saying vintage glamour is one of the looks that's in this season, so we thought we would give it a shot, one night during fashion week. That's Annie (right) wearing Bloodroses lipstick from Kevyn AuCoin (below) with Carolyn from The Daily Obsession, backstage at the Ports 1961 show. While we loved that it created instant drama to our otherwise simple look, it was a pain to touch up the color throughout the night.

We checked in with one of our favorite makeup artists, Emily Warren for tips on how to wear red lipstick. Emily worked on many of the shows during NYC fashion week, including Marc Jacobs. You can read about her experiences on Total Beauty.

Does red lipstick work for everyone?
Yes! People are just afraid to try it. But there are different intensities and formulas that allow all of us to give it a shot.

Do you have a few favorite shades of red?
I love Nars chubby lip pencils (Nars Velvet Matte Lip pencils) in Dragon Girl and Cruella.

How do you apply red lipstick so it stays on?
Go with a pencil formula or a really sticky gloss if you want staying power. If you are going matte, you have to exfoliate your lips before applying or your lips will appear very flaky.

Is it true you want to keep your eye makeup simple?
Hmmm..Depends on where you are going. I would say yes, though when I'm working on clients, I typically go for a cream/liquid black or brown sharp line along the upper eyelids and that's that. But if you have darker skin, you can get away with a more dramatic eye with red lips.

What color blush do you chose and where do you apply it? Without it, I look too severe.
Yeah it can be a little 90s China dollish with no blush. It depends on your color, but a sheer pink or pink with a light sheen (like gold flecks) is great.

We're headed to Emily's wedding this Saturday and will try out her tips then. But more importantly: CONGRATS, EMILY AND JASON!!!!