Best Beauty Products

Which lip balm will last long and make your lips soft and supple? Which is the best natural-look foundation? Which mascara makes eyelashes extra long? And if you're going to buy only one blusher this year, which should you spend your hard-earned cash on?

With thousands of new products crammed on to the counters every month, it's no wonder most of us have difficulty in deciding what to buy. And with various magazines suggesting different 'best buys' every month the choice is all the more difficult.

Magazines receommend beauty products that we expect to work, but usually they don't. The products are usually sponsored in the magazine, which means that the product is featured in the magazine not because it is 'the best' in the market but because the company has PAID the magazine to get their products featured!

So have created this list through a tried and tested journey and also from reviews of the make-up fanatics.

Get the best products for all your beauty needs!!!!

For your Face

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The Foundation - I think the liquid foundation gives the best finish and does not look cakey, so I would recommend Chanel Vitalumire, it gives a satin smooth finish and is good even for sensitive skin. Make sure you blend it with a little moisturiser.

If you really want a powder Foundation, then Bare Minerals powder foundation is the best amongst the lot.
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The Concealer - you want the concealer to minimise/hide all your flaws, give your skin a natural finish and make it feel great? Then you should go for M.A.C's Studio Finish Concealer. This cream based concealer covers up everything perfectly and gives you a flawless complexion. Make sure you don't use it generously.
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The Concealer for skin around the eyes - Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat is, without a doubt, the best in the eye concealer department. It works to bring luminosity and radiance to eye areas suffering from discoloration or dark circles. Comes in a beautiful Golden Pen, easy to use and works wonder for dark circles.

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For your Lips

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The Lip Balm - Elizabeth Arden's Eight Hours cream in tube, featured in The Encyclopedia of Lip Balms, is the best lip balm ever. It's very soothing, instantly moisturiser your lips and needs only occasional re-application. Most effective lip balm, even for very chappy lips.
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The Lip Gloss - Lancome's Juicy Tubes. It is wonderful when one's lips feel good, smell good, stay hydrated and taste good all from the same tube, that's what Juicy Tube does. Your lips look healthy, shiny, fresh and really sexy. The best colours in Juicy Tubes are Marshmallow and Peach. You can also buy a transparent gloss, to give your lipstick that extra Oomph!

The Lipstick - For some there's one for every occasion, and with huge colour range available in the market, you are spoiled for choice. Since there are so many shades to choose from, I will give you my favourites. These are colours that would go with almost everything, day or night (you can pick different shade from same brand and style for best results). Crystal Pink by Estee Lauder and Champagne Sparkle by Shiseido. You can also pick any shade from the range of M.A.C. Lipsticks, they're good.
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For your Cheeks

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The Blusher - do you want a perfect colour to suit all occasions? should it be perfect for day and night? The finish should be perfect and should look natural? Well, have found the one you are looking for - it's the M.A.C. Sheertone Blush - Hushabye. It makes your face radiant and gives it a healthy glow.

The Shimmer - want to shine on? Want shimmer for the night outs? Then the DiorSkin Poudre Shimmer is great. It comes in Rose Diamond and Amber Diamond.
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For Cleansing

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The Eye Make-up Remover - After trying endless eye make-up removers, which have caused irritation or rashes to my eyes and skin, I finally found this one remover which is very gentle and removes the make-up in an instant - Dermalogica Eye Make-up Remover. It is an efficient, non-oily, fragrance-free make-up remover that is specially formulated to instantly dissolve all traces of eye and lip make-up. It even takes off really stubborn water proof mascara, without causing lash fall. Dermalogica is oil-free, alcohol free and water soluble and you will completely love it.
Many people recommend Body Shop's eye make-up remover, but it causes irritation to many skin-types (so I presume it is not good enough). I would recommend something gentler and water based.
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The Cleansing Milk - Clarins Cleansing Milk leaves the skin thoroughly cleansed and calm. Its light velvety texture swipes-off the dirt, imprities and make-up instantly and lets your skin breathe. Though, you would need to wash your face after using it.
For more economical cleansing milk, buy Oil of Olay Complete Care Cleansing Milk. It leaves the skin soft and smooth and is great for sensitive skin as it does not causes as redness.
(these are best for dry to normal skin)
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The Face Wash - Fragrance-free, soap-free face wash, I completely love the Cetaphil Cleansing Lotion. It is so gentle on the skin and suits even the most sensitive skin. You definitely feel clean and refreshed after using this face wash. This cleanser causes no irritation or dryness like many other products. In fact, most of the dermatologists suggest this product for sensitive skin. This face-wash does not create any other, but perfectly cleanses the skin. (you'll find it at chemist's shops worldwide)
If you want something with lather but gentle, you could also use Shiseido Deep Cleansing Foam. Its a great face wash and also helps remove the acnes and pimples.
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The Mask - Oops!! I am not talking about the movie, but the cleansing mask - Suki's Transformative Cleansing Clay. Its a great product, but a little pricey. It can be used as a creamy cleanser, mask, or intensive spot treatment to lift impurities and toxins to the surface and purify the pores. The product description says, 'its soothing lavender & antibacterial zinc instantly help reduce blemishing, inflammation, eruptions & redness' and rightly so. Its great for problematic skin, would especially recommend if you have blemishes, acnes or break-outs. And the best part is, its vegan and completely natural. Click here to buy.

Click here to know How to Remove Make-up (Expert tip)

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hello, radiohead...hello, sir

i think i like radiohead.
it's sort of weird and embarrassing to admit that after all this time, yes?

a former boyfriend of mine used to play pablo honey all the time.
i loved "stop whispering." it stood out to me as having a little more guts and wanting than the other tracks?
but that--really anything resembling that plaintive sound of theirs (how else do you describe it?)--came to remind me of a rather cruel summer that he and i endured...

but that was a long time ago.

radiohead--with the usc marching band--gave my favorite performance of this year's grammy awards, and it got me thinking i'd been missing out? and then, i came into possession of a "best of radiohead" cd. i'm embarrassed to say exactly how this happened (hint: bmg).

i'm pleasantly surprised to find i can enjoy it, but also "ignore" it just enough to remain productive. that's a rare thing for me.

***
i spent most of yesterday afternoon in williamsburg. i took my friend lexi to a perfume store/gallery that i love so that she could write about it for a website she freelances for.
afterwards, we walked around in the sunshine, peeked into a few stores.

i'm not a terrific shopper, but i can get my groove on in the right company. for the most part, i enjoy looking at store windows, the interior lighting, and the decor. the hipster vibe is pretty consistent in all the stores so i wouldn't say one blows my mind, but typically, amidst all the over-priced luxuries, there are knick-knacks that are either lovely or amusing.
and i really like postcards and business cards. i shouldn't collect them all, but i do.

my favorite store that we visited yesterday is called sir, a small, but judiciously stocked boutique. each garment is delicate, beautifully cut and sewn, as if they were made by hand, and utterly feminine. i think the store carries mostly sir designer joanna baum's line exclusively.

i would love them with my new haircut...

pretty things like these:

photos by sophie corra, via sirbrooklyn.com

but i actually think the name of the store is genius!

every time you answer the phone, you get to say "hello, sir..."

perfect, no?

sir...129 bedford avenue, bk, ny 11211 718.384.0700 & 360 atlantic ave, bk, ny 11217 718.643.6877

today's specials

egg. 135 n 5th st . noonish.

Waist Cinching Belt

Spotted Sandra Bullock (Update 26 July 2009), Bipasha and Sonam in a simple, stylish dress with waist-cinching belt. They are looking very feminine, pretty and classy. The dresses are ultra-feminine and stylish.
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Fitted waists look very stylish and are the best way to pep-up your look, add colour, add interest and a way to recreate you outfi. An easy way to create one is with a wide belt. Dig one out and wear it with flowing dresses or skirts. They define your waist and may also work by camouflaging your problem area.
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Sandra Bullock at The Proposal Photo Call in Madrid
(Updated 26th July 2009)
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Sandra Bullock looked fab in her Michael Kors wrap dress that is cinched with a black belt at her waist and Azzedine Alaia platform sandals. The cinched belt add focus to her narrow waist and totally flatters her figure.
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Sandra Bullock at 'The Proposal' Photo Call & Press Conference in Madrid

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Bipasha at Press Meet

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Bipasha Basu looked very feminine in her purple dress paired with a cinching belt and matching booties.

Totally love her style, simple and chic.
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Aa Dekhen Zara Press Meet

Sonam Kapoor in lovely polka-dots
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When it comes to fashion, this girl sure scores over most of the girls in Bollywood and yup she does it again.
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Sonam looked absolutely gorgeous and so very cute in a cinched waist Polka Dot dress at Delhi 6 press meet at Dubai. The red lips, Chanel's jumbo flap bag, a chunky Cartier (men's) watch and hoop earrings perfected the look.
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How to wear?

Waist-cinching belt with a nice dress or even a shirt or top is a great way to look stylish. It creates the illusion of a tiny waist. And the best part is, it's easy to take this look from day to night.
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Tip: Revamp your little black dress by pairing it with a colourful (even metallic) waist cinching belt and matching shoes. You don't need to spend extra on a whole new dress. Shop smarter, and use accessories to create new looks with same wardrobe.
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After all, recession doesn't mean you have to look boring.

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the potus, and winter

the POTUS, before he officially was. photographed by damon winter for the ny times.

chester, pa. november 2008.

i'm getting ready to listen to our potus' address tonight. primetime with the president. i'm sort of thrilled (that's a first).

seems like a good opportunity to re-visit the extraordinary work of damon winter. his work will appeal to admirers of obama, and anyone with aspirations as a photographer or editor. winter shot of 90,000 images of then-candidate obama--can you imagine selecting fewer than 20? but the result is thrilling. i've seen this many times, and it still makes me well up. great commentary too. president obama has to be one of the most photogenic public figures, but winter notes that it can be challenging to photograph him because he can be so good at controlling his temperament--he's not as expressive as other candidates.

photographer's journal: following obama

the second presentation--a diptych slideshow--is brilliant. who doesn't love a good diptych, right? finding themes, colors, patterns in random images, and aligning them to make a statement...here is one and while it's not my favorite, it seems fitting tonight.

see the rest of winter's "photographers journal: political landscapes," originally published in october 2008, here. i love the feet, the food, and the clinton one. you'll hear which one is winter's favorite, and it's hard to argue against it...

i would love to know yours...

here's a link to a great, albeit brief interview with damon winter, courtesy of photo district news.

best pictures...

"i think you should date miss yum yum"

before meeting with the oscar party club yesterday for brunch at the smith, i sat on the no. 6 train and quickly filled out my "official" oscar ballot. i would have done just as well to tack the thing to my wall and toss darts (and i am pretty terrible dart player). i'd only seen three of the nominated films (slumdog, benji button, and the changeling), and my favorite film from last year, gran torino, was shut out by the academy entirely. i had a little word-of-mouth to go on, but it wasn't going to serve me well enough. the other oscar party members had seen nearly everything, and whatever they hadn't seen (maybe only the animated shorts?) they did their homework on.

i couldn't bring much to the brunch conversation, except a few shrugs, some laughs. during one discussion of glaring academy omissions and snubs (benicio del toro for che--part 1, was a big one) teresa said, "and, bruce springsteen for the wrestler..." and i said, "WHAT?! bruce springsteen was in the wrestler?!!" HA! i thought maybe bruce was going the way of tom waits? wrong, wrong, wrong. i am surprised they didn't boot my ass from the table. (ah, that's what i love about the oscar party members--they are very keen on and about film, but they don't close off the circle if you haven't quite kept up. i always leave their company wanting to know and see more...)

i had actually thought about skipping yesterday's oscar telecast since i hadn't felt invested in any of the outcomes. but after our brunch together, i had all of this intel--stories about danny boyle, sean penn, mickey rourke, and melissa leo. all of a sudden, i cared.

(wasn't it entertaining, as award shows go? i loved high jackman's opening bit, especially when he'd laugh during the songs. i despise lip-syncing in part because that it ruins any hope for a great honest moment--i love when performers allow themselves to have fun. i mean, what would águas de março be without elis regina's laugh? [here, at around 2:40]. anyway, sure, parts of jackman's performance were totally cheese. but who can't use a little of that on a sunday night in february? he and anne hathaway had me giggling out loud. and i'm a little in love with james franco. his laugh just might get me through this interminable winter. i hope someone throws that short film bit on youtube soon. )

after the long good night, the oscar party club results were tallied, i fared the worst of our group (congrats, anthony!). oh, i knew i was saying goodbye to that $10 dollars the minute i handed it over with my ballot, but i feel fine about the loss. between their company, and all the films they've inspired me to see, i still feel like i came out ahead.

*****
i used to spend a fair amount of time watching movies. i still watch a lot of films on tcm, but i'm not as avid a DVD watcher as i was back in the days before netflix. call it a phase...

there was a time, if you lived in the far west village, before rents went high as the sky, you had at least three pretty great options for movie rentals, rko video (which became good restaurant), mrs. hudson's video library (which survived a flood, only to close about a year later) and kim's video (whose entire archive now lives in sicily!). my lone, loud lament about the neighborhood was that by the time i left, i couldn't rent a damn video anywhere, but i could take my dog (if i had one) to any one of three doggie hotels and spas that had opened.
it was a west village evolution that did not suit me.

netflix is a nice convenience, but it sucks the romance out of the whole affair for me. half the fun is going to the store with something in mind that you're dying to see that night--and a lot of great discoveries result when what you want isn't available. you're forced to pace around, poke around, and negotiate your plan b with your friend/friends.

i miss that.

but if i'm going to fall back in love with the movies (and make progress on this "film addicts" list, passed along from the oscar club members), i guess i'll just have kiss my romantic notions (of the dvd storefront, at least) good-bye.

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if you want fun, reliable recommendations, visit (OC club founders) teresa and richard's blog, film snobs.

AND: look for richard--a very fine stage and screen actor--in this summer's blockbuster, public enemies. depp, bale, marion cotillard and richard short--remember his name. big things are on the horizon.

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one final note about gran torino. when teresa came to work raving about it last fall, i thought she was referring to some throwback eastwood film from the early 70s! i knew nothing of it. without her ardour for it (and clint), i might have waited until its dvd release, or possibly skipped it altogether.

while the acting wasn't top-notch, and i hope to never hear those slurs outside of the theater (which didn't prevent me from laughing out loud at the ridiculousness, the audacity, and out and out "wrongness" of them), i left the theater knowing that gran torino would be my "best picture" for 2008.

yes--slumdog was a fantastic tale of love. i liked what it had to say about how people acquire knowledge and wisdom, and how morality and character develop. and it certainly was energetic and uplifting. but i don't know that there's been a film that has presented more fully the complexities of the asian immigrant and asian-american experience--or for that matter, even tried--until gran torino. it is so much more than a film about racism, revenge and gang-violence-- it broaches issues that i could only begin to meaningfully consider through academic study... and there was so much sad truth in how intolerance and racist attitudes are formed...how the road to true understanding can be, at times, treacherous, brutal.

but gran torino is also, at its core, optimistic--it bears the hope that we can each encounter a soul who can see past our fear and withstand our craziness, whose openness allows us see and understand things in a way we hadn't before. that's what "sue" was to that old walt kowalski. seems to me that makes it, in its own way, a story about love.

Handbags for Spring/Summer 2009

HANDBAGS. We love them and we cannot just have enough of them.

The handbags are no longer just a mere accessory, it has become a fundamental element of a woman's look. And this change in perception was seen on the runway everywhere, where the handbags were worn with pride and elegance by the models.

Recession is looming on us, but that would not mean that we would stop paying attention to style. This season, the focus is more on the accessories, and BAGS is one of them. So instead of more clothes (that would be far more expensive), invest in practical but fashionable accessories to update your look.

This season's trends include useful and practical totes to clutches. Clean, simple (no-fuss) and structured bags will make a big fashion statement. Spring is about expressing yourself, and to uplift the mood this season's focus is on COLOURS. Don't be afraid of colour; go for bold and beautiful styles.
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Comfortable, roomy and structured bags with smart detailings look classy, will always be in and will also make a statement.

From top left - Celine, Salvatore Ferragamo

Prada and Dolce and Gabbana

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From the variety in-trend, you are sure to find a style to suit your fashion and taste.

Beautify's High Street Handbag Picks:

1. Tory Burch North/South Nico Tote for $285, click here to buy

Totally love this Tory Burch Tote. Love the colour, style and its size, which ensures you can carry all your essentials in this bag. With this bag you would most certainly look ultra stylish and it would updo your ensemble with its smart and classy looks.

2. Oasis Premium Charm Scoop Bag for £40, click here to buy

This bag is perfect for Spring/Summer. Pink would add colour to your wardrobe and the slouchy shape with short shoulder strap would look very stylish and chic. You can pair it with an all white ensemble to create the perfect summer look. Check out how Lauren Conrad adds a splash of colour to her white jeans and tee through her orange bag looking very chic, click here.

3. Bensimon Colourful Nylon Tote for £28.00, click here to buy

Also available in Neutral, Plum and Pink, with this nylon tote you are sure to look stylish in your gym. In fact, you don't even have to be going to gym, they're good enough for any occassion. The contrast straps, trip an zip closure gives it an edgy look.

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Fierce Shoes

Fierce Shoes with vertiginous heels are doing rounds on the runway and are popular even with A-list celebrities.

High-heels are definitely my fav, and I never step out without a pair, but these are the ultra-high heels with unusual horrifying designs.

I think its a silly trend, that not only looks ghastly but is also very uncomfortable. Fashion should not be fatal, but when will the fashion industry understand this?

These sky-high heels had even the professional models, who are used to walking the ramps with high heels, stumble on the runway while displaying this trend. Scroll down to see the runway pictures.

Celebrities wearing the trend

Rihanna

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Rihanna was seen wearing Rodarte ultra high platforms at the Verizon Blackberry Pre-Grammy party with an electric blue dress. You like?

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Madonna at the premeire of movie 'Filth and Wisdom'

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Madonna wore a very unusual pair of platform shoes with pistol-shaped heels at a New York movie premiere. How can she see those shoes as a fashion statement? Well, no wonder the Material Girl was attacked with lots of criticism for these shoes.
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and the most horrifying.........

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Victoria Beckham

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The most ghastly shoes were worn by none other than the Fashion Forward Victoria Beckham. I usually like her fashion sense, but these shoes look angry and horrifying. She is wearing Christian Louboutin spikes and studded shoes. Usually I love Louboutin shoes, but these are a complete no-no.

FROM the RUNWAY

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L-R: Versace, Miu Miu, Rodarte (by Chritian Louboutin)

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Models slipping
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Models slip at Herve Leger's Fall 2009 fashion show while walking in ultra-high heels.


You like the Fierce Shoes Trend?


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vacation plan...

go-go's vacation.

original record release date: august 1982.

right around 5 o'clock today, i started to panic. i had just wrapped up a couple of projects, but still had one awaiting. i sussed out the piles (newspapers, magazines, printouts, manila folders, binder clips and paper clips...why so many CLIPS everywhere?) all over my cubicle and thought, god. this could be a long night.

by 6pm, all but one of my co-workers had left, though i could hear my friend teri, in the cubicle next to mine, typing more maniacally than i'd ever heard before--there was no way she was going to be there much longer. i started to get a little bluesy. feeling a little bluesy on a friday night isn't new or unusual, but tonight was to be the start of my vacation.

it seemed very far away.

it's funny and frustrating how much there is to do before taking any significant amount of time off. at work, you either have to wrap it all up or delegate (which always takes longer than i anticipate). and then there are all the terrifically forgettable tasks (turning on the out-of-office notifications, changing the voicemail message--it only took me 6 takes this time). even at home, you have to arrange for the mail, suspend the newspaper delivery, rid the fridge of perishables (milk gone bad? oof), and basically clean the whole place, kitchen to bath, so that you can have a happy, chore-free homecoming.

but i don't have to worry about that last part--the homecoming--since i'm going to be, for the most part, at home.

and perhaps this is contributing to my bluesy-ness. because as delighted as i am about the break from my job, i also intend for these next 12 days to be...productive.

you friends of mine know that i can while away nearly whole days listening to music and dancing around this apartment in my stocking feet. or drinking coffee and tearing (literally) through my favorite magazines. all of that will be part of my plan. and i will take myself out for breakfast, meet friends for lunch and dinner, COOK! take photos, swim, sleeeep, read the books i borrowed from the library about 6 weeks ago (whoops. think i can finish up pictures at a revolution and get through the rest is noise? hmmm)...

but then i'm also supposed to fix my life. not totally change it in less than a fortnight. that would be crazy!

i aim for clarity and action.

hence, the panic.

i really do want to make this time good...

but first, i'm going to finish my glass of wine and start the conversation.

cheers...

read a good poem: "tossing and turning"

untitled, #1447-a, 1996. by todd hido. via the rose gallery, santa monica, ca.

The spirit has infinite facets, but the body

confiningly few sides.

There is the left,

the right, the back, the belly, and tempting

in-betweens, northeasts and northwests,

that tip the heart and soon pinch circulation

in one or another arm.

Yet we turn each time

with fresh hope, believing that sleep

will visit us here, descending like an angel

down the angle our flesh's sextant sets,

tilted toward that unreachable star

hung in the night between our eyebrows, whence

dreams and good luck flow.

Uncross

your ankles. Unclench your philosophy.

This bed was invented by others; know we go

to sleep less to rest than to participate

in the twists of another world.

This churning is our journey.

It ends,

can only end, around a corner

we do not know

we are turning.

"tossing and turning" by john updike, from collected poems 1953-1993.
via the writer's almanac, feb 19, 2009.


i hadn't read any of john updike's work until this poem, today. i had made a plan to, though, after reading this recent tribute by my favorite writer...i'm getting excited all over again.

i love "unclench your philosophy" -- those few words stayed with me all morning.
my co-workers were like, "what's with you, smiley?"
i don't know--that line just woke this little mind up.

"uncross your ankles" is a pretty great line, too.

right after i read the poem, i did a quick search for a photo that might be suitable.
i happened upon todd hido's work--i love the moodiness.
if you're interested, here is a link to more of his photos on the rose gallery site and on the stephen wirtz gallery site.
i also found an interview from 2007, where he discusses his book, between the two. i enjoyed reading his thoughts on portraiture and the book editing process.
here's a taste:

re: his focus, and his portraits of women...

To me it is no mystery that we can only photograph effectively what we are truly interested in or -- maybe more importantly -- are grappling with. This is often an unconscious process. Otherwise the photographs are merely about an idea or a concept; that stuff eventually falls flat for me. There must be something more, some emotional hook for it to really work for me. I tend to photograph things I've had problems with or I have struggled with, stuff that used to keep me up at night. It's the same process with my photographs of houses -- they are about recognizing some mysterious element of my childhood.

I've read that sources of terror in childhood often become sources of attraction in adulthood. I've found that true. It's disturbing to me how many of the models remind me of past women that have been in my life -- not in terms of how they look but in terms of who they seem to be underneath their surfaces. There is a familiarity to them, something that resonates, something kind of troubled about them that is very recognizable to me. It is endlessly fascinating and utterly simple as to why we gravitate to what we do. Of course this is not stuff that I've worked out completely, which is precisely why it's engrossing to me. That is why I do it. That is the focus.

re: editing the book with chris pichler of nazraeli press...

The editing process is part of making the work. I gather up the images I am interested in and then start to lay them out using just a standard book dummy, weaving the images together over a long period of time. With Between the Two, it took about three years of constantly shuffling unpublished work in with new images that I was making on a weekly basis. There was real joy in leaving the darkroom and stopping by the copy shop to make Xeroxes in order to slide them into the dummy, seeing if they fit in someplace. Sometimes the images would work, and sometimes they don't. But almost every image I've made in the last few years was tried out. Some were perfect and added just what I needed and others I've saved for the next project, whatever that may be!

want more? here's a link to the full interview, between hido and darius himes ...

making the personal, political

shahar peer. grand central station, nyc, 2006.

when i picked up the sports page of yesterday's nytimes and saw harvey araton's column, with a photo of shahar peer, and this headline, "a political swing at one player sours a tournament for all" i thought, uh oh. this is big...

and it's getting bigger...

i've been trying to keep up with the news and the blogosphere during the day while formulating my own thoughts. here goes.

the situation room: shahar peer, an israeli player currently ranked 45th on the wta tour, was denied a visa to enter the united arab emirates, to compete in a tournament for which she had qualified (and in the eyes of some, based on her play coming into the event, had a decent opportunity to win). while wta officials long feared she might have trouble securing a visa, it seems they were offered some assurances that it would be granted...at the very last hour her visa was denied. officials have gone on record to say that the denial was due to "safety concerns." the atp and its players will also have to confront this issue as it appears that andy ram, a doubles specialist, may also be denied a visa for the upcoming atp tournament there.

the reaction (as of tuesday, feb 17) : while it considered cancelling the tournament, the women's tennis association, decided to proceed (to the dismay of many), issuing this statement. the tennis channel has dropped televised coverage of the event (earning praise from many). more to come from the atp, i'm sure...possibly (hopefully) the players...

the good word: tennis' top writers have weighed in on this, with tennis mag eic james martin, calling out not only wta chief larry scott, but the wta players for their unwillingness to pay more than lip service to the matter; my favorite writer acing one out wiiiide--noting that the atp players (especially federer, who lives and trains there in the off-season) should make their voices heard on this, too; and tom tebbutt asserting that after this year tennis in dubai is done. and how.

my take: many fans are loathe to mix politics and sports, i don't think the two can ever really be separated. sport is a part of our culture, and it reflects whatever dynamics loom large in the world. sometimes it reveals exquisite acts of sportsmanship, but it also exposes cheating, racism, discrimination, violence... and i think that athletes, especially the most high-profile ones, should take a stand, especially when their own sport is affected.

in the perfect world (inside my head), my favorite player would withdraw, offering some simple, but totally right-on, no-nonsense reason: "if it is not fair for one player the way he is treated, it is not right for everyone. it's simple, no?" and then call on everyone to boycott! but with nadal and federer both suffering from injuries, it's possible that both may escape making some kind of statement on the situation that the wta and atp are facing, at least for now...we'll see how things unfold.

i don't toss out the notion of a boycott easily. i took gymnastics for a spell when i was a kid, and was obsessed with the sport. in 1980, kurt thomas was poised to make history as the first american gymnast to finally break through the death grip that the soviets and eastern bloc nations had on the men's event, and win the gold medal...and then president carter ordered the boycott of the moscow games. dream over. as a fan, i was crushed. i don't know how the athletes managed. but when you're part of a team, especially a national team, you have no choice. and anyway, those were very different times. you couldn't try to escape the link between sport and politics...

these days, most athletes will try to dance around a political question (hell, athletes are so media trained, you're hard pressed to find anyone to answer a question about a game that's not rehearsed and repeated from day to day to day, let alone say something political. jordan, jeter, tiger woods are inoffensive to the point of being...uninspiring).

but in this case, absent a brave decision by the atp or wta, or the player's union, the individual players should have the option to boycott the event, without penalty. i don't need the players to tell me their views on middle east politics if they don't want to, but i would want them to simply think about it on a personal level: if you care (and i think you should) and if these players are your friends (as some say they are) and if you put yourself in his or her place, and then think about what it is you might really be losing by taking a stand--or not taking one...take all other considerations about money and points and ranking out of the mix (and this is where some might need a ruling by the sport's "governing bodies" to help them clear their mind?) and make the personal political, then we might start to see progress toward a solution where they all have a safe place to play--here, there, everywhere, from now on.

hom-age

natalie coughlin, photographed by marc hom, for men's vogue, april 2008.

i have "used" the obvious charms of some of my favorite female athletes (tanith belbin, ana ivanovic, maria kirilenko) to lure a couple of (now former) boyfriends, with less than zero interest in sports, into watching the olympics with me or joining me at the us open. shameless? perhaps. maybe even a little bit wrong. but it worked. i am actually a little proud that, after initially appealing to them on this most superficial level, the merits of these and other athletes and the thrill of sport-spectating left a lasting impression on one of them (maybe he doesn't watch figure skating anymore, but i know he follows tennis. and, most unbelievably, i managed to turn him into a baseball fan).

but if there were a need for me or anyone else to employ such a tactic again, i'm pretty confident that with si's 2009 swimsuit issue, we could turn a few disinterested heads toward the wta. the ladies know how to "represent": tatiana golovin, looking mighty comfortable as the bombshell; daniela hantuchova, revealing even more (i would argue) with her lovely, vulnerable gaze; and maria kirilenko, starring as the most adorable, enviably athletic girl-next-door. these might be the best tennis pictorials in si's swimsuit issues to date.

but i personally favor a different kind of swimsuit shot: the portrait of natalie coughlin by the danish photographer marc hom. it marries the classic with a sleek, modern look. i love that it is basically a three color affair, with terrific geometric repetition of right angles and triangles.
has a gal in one-piece ever been more devastating?

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the coughlin shot, which appeared in men's vogue in april 2008, inspired a little research on marc hom.

if you've admired these esquire covers of angelina jolie, sienna miller, keira knightley, and johnny depp (and the march 2009 clive owen shot that's on newsstands now), then you're a fan of his work. and if you're like me and blessed with a fashion-obsessed sister/friend and you've been perusing her issues of harper's bazaar, black book and british vogue, then you know his fashion photography pretty well too.

take a quick scan through the marc hom galleries on the trish south management site, and you'll see a lot of bare legs, bare feet, and cool (very cool) scandinavian blue highlights.

his book, "portraits" is a collection of some 260 shots from a 12-year period, featuring celebrities like lauren bacall (who also penned the foreword), anouk aimée , christopher walken, martin scorsese, liv and steven tyler and many more.

here are a few black and whites that i found especially appealing:

rachel ward and bryan brown

juliette binoche (and friend)

a very pretty pink

bjork (little bare feet)

a bit more on marc hom, via a 2006 copenhagen exclusive article, here.

interested in natalie coughlin's book (published in 2006 by the company i work for)? you friends o' mine can borrow my copy, or buy it here.

Trend Watch - Electric Blue

The Bright Electric Blue is the coolest hue and the COLOUR OF THE MOMENT that you have to have this season.

Update 9th April 2009
Vogue says 'This season's hottest colour is the coolest blue'. This April, Vogue has identified Blue as the coolest hue for the season. It is featured in their Spring/Summer 2009 Trends.
Girls, I told you this colour is going to be huge in February itself. Read on to check out the Latest Trend.......

The perfect shade for the moment, it's bright enough to make an impact but not as summery that you don't want to wear but just enjoy watching. Another bonus is that this shade suits virtually all skintones, so whether you are pale like Dita Von Teese or a dark beauty like Rihanna you'll look gorgeous in electric blue.

Temperley London Runway - Spring/Summer 2009

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Celebrities' Electrifying Blue
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I like these girls the best in their blues........
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Lindsay Lohan and Dakota Fanning in electric blue

Penelope Cruz and Amy Adams in electric blue

Who do you like best in their blue?

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How to wear blue?

Blue looks incredible paired with every color period, from basic black to roaring red to bright yellow (see right) to glittery gold; color-coordinating mishaps are a non-issue when you throw this shade into the mix.

This season, colour clashing is in, and block colours look great. So wear blue with hottest season's hue for that trendy and smart look (but keep it simple; don't mix more than two or three colours).

Wear a blue party dress and team it with black opaque tights and accessories for a knock-out look or mix this colour with white to get to achieve the luxe sports trend.
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Or just add a splash of colour with electric blue accessories.

1. Marc Jacobs Bag for $358, click here to buy.
2. Topshop Tights for £10, click here to buy.
3. Office concave Pumps for £55, click here to buy.
4. Pour La Victoire's Erica Sandal for $250, click here to buy.
5. ASOS Belt, click here to buy.


So add some spark to your wardrobe with this electrifying shade.


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