My Fave New Blog: Man Repeller!

Last week was Social Media Week in New York. Harper's Bazaar was kind enough to ask me to be part of a panel entitled "Can the Next Rachel Zoe Be Found Online?" (Any guess as to what my answer was?) One of my co-panelists was Leandra Medine, the college student behind the blog Man Repeller. (That's her above.) I had never heard of her blog, but now I'm completely in love with it.



On manrepeller.com, Leandra shares her thoughts on man-repelling fashions (she loves to poke fun at brands like Marni) and shows you how to style yourself into a world-class man repeller. She's got great style and she's as funny as she is clever. She can be a bit salty too, so if you're easy offended, steer clear!



I'm dying for Leandra to do some beauty posts. I wore Color Design Matte Lipstick in the very-bright-but-not-quite-fuchsia Posh Pink today and when I went to kiss my boyfriend goodbye this morning, he definitely recoiled. (Remember my New Year's resolution was to wear more bright lipstick? I'm sticking to it!) Clearly, most of the beauty looks we're seeing on the runway this week are man repelling, but bright lipstick?



"The great debate over makeup has been bright red lipstick," said Leandra. "Repeller or Propeller? The general consensus is torn. Otherwise I'm going to have to say really dark shades of lipstick and black are likely the most man repelling of the beauty product bunch. I wouldn't look past a bright blue or green eyelid either."



There you go. It seems to me that guys always say they like natural beauty best. A girlfriend of mine once said, "What does that mean exactly? No contact lenses, no highlights in my hair, not shaving my legs, no makeup?" They certainly don't mean that. That much I know.



Anyway, Leandra is blogging about Fashion Week for the Shopbop online boutique and New York Magazine's website. Check her out. She's more "propeller" than "repeller," but don't tell her that.

Great Last Minute Gifts, Part 2: The Juicy, Sexy, Chic Read That Is "One Flight Up"

I've been meaning to write about this book for MONTHS. (But as we all know, bad blogger...) "One Flight Up" is a novel by Susan Fales-Hill. This woman never fails to astonish me. Wickedly funny, terribly nice, whip smart, a terrific writer, a devoted ballet patron (wonder what she thought of "Black Swan"?!), fab wardrobe, and most thrilling of all, a long-time Lancome fan!



I can't remember how I met Susan, but I had read about her from time to time in magazines like Vogue. Then her memoir "Always Wear Joy" was published. (The title refers to the legendary Patou fragrance and her mother's advice.) Someone sent it to me when I was working at Harper's Bazaar. It was a beautiful read about a beautiful family and made this person I only knew as a one-dimensional fashion magazine fixture so much more in my mind.



So, of course, I was excited to hear Susan was working on her first novel. I read "One Flight Up" earlier this year and couldn't put it down. It's a juicy, sexy, girly read that manages to be poignant and heartbreaking at the same time. It will make you question your moral compass. What should a woman put up with? Or not? You might be surprised what--and whom--you root for while reading "One Flight Up."



If you need one last gift for your favorite fashionista bookworm, brave the malls and the masses tomorrow and pick up one or both of Susan's books. As for me, I'm going to try to magically transport myself to a beachfront chaise lounge at some Caribbean resort so I can re-read "One Flight Up" while slathering on the Lancome sunscreen and sipping a tropical drink. Or two.



PHOTO SWIPED FROM SUSAN'S BLOG

Meet The Fashion Show's Laura Brown!

Have you checked out Season 2 of Bravo's "The Fashion Show"? The show is even bigger and better this year thanks to a cast shuffle that brought in the incomparable Iman. The delightful Isaac Mizrahi is back for another season and Harper's Bazaar editor Laura Brown was promoted to a full-time judge. The Lancôme PR team loves Laura, who is as funny as she is fashionable, so we thought we'd do a little Q&A with her. Enjoy!



How did you get involved in “The Fashion Show”?

Harper's Bazaar–my day job–is the magazine partner for “The Fashion Show,” and I am the staffer most desperate for attention.



How was Season 2 compared to Season 1?

Season 2 is like night and a new day from Season 1. Firstly, we've been Iman'd, and she is both a fashion icon and a hoot. Isaac is being his wonderful self and giving the designers his wisdom, and the designers themselves stand a real chance of being successful in this industry. And, of course, they make great TV.



How do you like being on television?

I love it, actually. The constant need to think on your feet is a shot of adrenaline (the tequila of hormones). Still learning about my best side, though. I'm betting on the left.



What is the best part of your job at Bazaar?

Having ideas that seem totally inconceivable and then somehow making them happen. Glenda, my boss, gives you the freedom to think big. Looking back at some of the things we've done, I still can't quite believe it came together. Hmm, what else? Free lip gloss and borrowed shoes.



Is there a cover girl you’re dying to get? (And why?)

We are lucky that we've had all the big girls on our covers at some time or another. I'd love to do a solo cover with Kristen Stewart sometime next year, though (we did her with Rob Pattinson last year). I think she's such a cool girl, and she's really growing into herself.



Who is funnier? Iman or Isaac?

Both. Honestly. It's like “Laugh-In,” even when we've been shooting for 12 hours. Iman is so blunt, she's hysterical, and quite British in her humor (which, as an Aussie convict, I enjoy). Isaac was just born funny.



Who does your makeup for the show?

I had an assortment of lovelies do my makeup for the show this time–I think they did a great job (but you tell me¬high-def is horrifying).



Who has a better makeup artist? You or Iman?

Ha! Nice try. Iman will freely tell you she has a whole glamour infrastructure. I just wing it (which might be the reason why I occasionally look confused).



We heard you’re a big Lancôme fan? True or false?

It's not a lie. I slather my face with any sort of Secret de Vie or Génefique I can get my hands on. I don't look 15 yet, but any minute now.



What is your favorite Lancôme product?

This fabulous matte red lipstick called Color Design Red Haute. All the girls at Bazaar are obsessed with it. A really true red, and it really stays on. Actually, they should rename it Tenacious Red.



Best beauty advice?

Sleeeeeeeeep. Vitamin D–be it in sun or a supplement. And, when all else fails, dim light. ;)

Jen Channels Babs in Harper's Bazaar's New Issue

Stunning photos of Jennifer Aniston grace the pages of Harper's Bazaar's September issue.  Complimenting the spread Jen discusses her love and admiration for Barbra Streisand as a powerful musical voice, a funny girl and a muse.

Excerpted article:

It was Jennifer's hairstylist and friend of almost 20 years, Chris McMillan, who inspired her to write her own love letter to Streisand's style. "He is, of course, hair obsessed," Jennifer explains, "and I'm a Barbie doll for him. So, whenever we'd see great pictures of Barbra or a movie, he'd be like, 'You have to do an homage to Barbra.'"

So she did. In an old Los Angeles theater, surrounded by iconic images from everything from Funny Girl to What's Up, Doc? (and with "People" on rotation), Jennifer's Streisand-ification began: "First, putting on the dramatic eye makeup and the wig. Then hearing Barbra's voice booming," she remembers. A Streisand homage is incomplete, however, without one thing: perfectly manicured, thoroughly immodest fingernails. "The nails were like, There she is!"

Jennifer is effusive in her admiration of Streisand. "Barbra inspires me because there isn't anything she hasn't done that she wanted to do, especially as a female in the time when her generation was prime. She's a true renaissance woman." Her favorite Streisand films: "The Way We Were and A Star Is Born. Both pretty great."

 

~ Laura Brown

(Harper's Bazaar, Sept 2010)

 
 
Read more by picking up the September issue of Harper's Bazaar on stands now.
 
photos: Mark Seliger

40th Anniversary in Fashion: Roberto Cavalli's Fashion Circus

On the 40th anniversary of his label, Roberto Cavalli reveals to Harper’s Bazaar why leopard is lovely, imitation is unflattering, and the party should never end.

Cavalli, pictured above with his wife, Eva, their son, Daniele, their flamboyant friends, as well as a lion cub, at their home in Florence, Italy, shares what he loves about women, why he thinks he's a "typical man" and more in June's issue of Harper Bazaar featuring Katherine Heigl on the cover.

Harper's Bazaar Article, Laura Brown (author)

The genius of Roberto Cavalli is that he lives exactly as he should. He is not a subtle man, and he doesn't make subtle clothes. Cavalli lives a leopard-print life.

Take, for example, his casa on a hill overlooking Florence, Italy. A 14th-century watchtower, it has four birdcages housing colorful macaws and a hysterical cockatoo, dozens of crystal balls, walls of classical portraits, a Julian Schnabel plate painting of his wife, Eva, a cellar full of Cavalli wine and Cavalli vodka, a tanning machine, and a bedazzled motorbike. Down the hill is Cavalli's ultramodern photo studio, a techtastic palace with light-up floors.

On fall’s low-key tailoring: “Minimalism is so boring.”

On other designers taking inspiration from his trademark ideas: “In the beginning, when people copied me I was happy.”

But now, “I can understand when H&M or Zara copies me, but I hate it when big designers copy me. You have a big name, you should never copy me.”

On the provenance of his trademark leopard print: “God created such a fantastic world. Leopard is an animal design, and my designs come from nature.”

On his love for fashion, and for women: “Of course I think about a beautiful woman to dress, because that’s my way,” he says with a shrug.

Is there a difference? “Yes,” he says. “I don’t masturbate thinking about fashion.”

On what he loves about women: “Their eyes. A woman can drive me crazy with her eyes. And when they don’t pay attention to me, they drive me crazy too.” “I am a completely typical man.”

Photo credit: Jason Schmidt; article: Harper's Bazaar (June 2010)

Arlenis Sosa in Harper's Bazaar! LOVE. IT.

I've been meaning to post these pictures for ages. I put them on Facebook the other day, so if you've seen them there already or in the actual pages of Harper's Bazaar, sorry! But they are so cute, I just have to post them again. On top of that, Arlenis is the nicest thing in the world. All that sweetness she radiates in the pictures is genuine.



(Plus, it's ZERO degrees outside, so the idea of riding a bike past palm trees is very enticing right now...)



Patricia and Erin from the PR team went to our labs in New Jersey recently for a tour with Arlenis and everyone had a great time. We have funny pictures of Arlenis in a hair net and safety glasses that I WON'T be posting because she'd kill me. Not that they would ruin her career. Amazingly, she still manages to look like a supermodel while wearing them. Go figure.



Tyron Machhausen did the makeup. I don't know Tyron, but he's clearly genius! I just looked at his agency portfolio. If you love makeup, you seriously need to scroll through this. There's some fab stuff going on. I'll try to interview him for the blog soon.



Stay warm!

Have You Heard of Tavi? (Plus, an Age-Appropriate Juicy Tubes Holiday Set Giveaway!)

If you haven't, you will soon. Tavi's the 13-year-old sensation behind the Style Rookie blog. We just read on Fashionista that Tavi has penned a column for January's Harper's Bazaar. I didn't write for Harper's Bazaar until I turned 30 years old, so well done, Tavi!

(Speaking of Harper's Bazaar, the January subscriber cover with Kate Hudson is terrific. Bazaar always does two covers: one for the newsstand and one for subscribers. Personally, I prefer the subscriber ones. The photos are more interesting and there are no pesky cover lines. Good reason to subscribe, my friends!)

And back to Tavi, she did the above Style.com video about the upcoming Rodarte collection for Target, which hits stores Dec. 20th. Did we mention that we love Rodarte and we're insanely excited for this?

Let's do a Tavi-inspired giveaway. Tell us what you were doing when you were 13 and you'll be entered to win the holiday Juicy Tubes set. I don't think I was doing much at 13. Reading Seventeen Magazine? Collecting Bonne Bell Lipsmackers? Begging my mom to let me wear makeup? Please post your answer by Sunday night and we'll pick one post at random. Good luck!

Harper's Bazaar Precious Cells Giveaway!

Make room in that medicine cabinet! We just launched a new supercream you might find interesting--Absolue Precious Cells. Billed as our "advanced regenerating and reconstructing cream," this high-tech moisturizer helps restore skin density, reduce wrinkles and boost radiance.

The beauty editors at Vogue, Elle and More have written about it and it's already out of stock at several counters. Would you like to try it? Well, Harper's Bazaar is giving away a set of Absolue Precious Cells day cream, eye cream and night cream every day in October. I know, I know. The month's almost over. But there are 11 days and 11 chances left. Each day's prize is worth $385.

Click here to enter and good luck to you and your skin!

What's On Your Lust List Today? (Enter to Win Our Very Lustworthy Dillard's Bag!)

Half a dozen November magazines landed on my desk this morning—Bazaar (Tina Fey on the cover! Yippee!!), Vogue, Teen Vogue, French Vogue, O, Lucky—filled with cool new stuff to covet. Why is it you always want the things you can't afford? But there was something else on my desk. Our latest gift-with-purchase makeup bag in glossy black and candy apple red—something I can afford!

The new bag, sported by our gorgeous intern Gina above, is super cute and practical and available only at Dillard's through Oct. 18th. (Don't you wish everything in life was super cute and practical?) It's yours with any $29.50 purchase and you get to chose six beauty goodies to fill it with, out of a list of 11 items. Two of my Lancôme obsessions are on the list: a travel-sized bottle of Génifique youth activating concentrate (new obsession) and a Color Fever Shine lipstick in Old Flame (old but ongoing obsession).

We're giving away one of the bags and all the goodies inside. To enter, tell us what's on your lust list today, the thing that you'd buy if money were no object. We'll pick one post at random. Please post by Friday night and good luck!

P.S. Gina is wearing the new Le Vernis nail polish from our holiday collection, Untamed Plum. This is the shade that all the models wore in the L'Wren Scott show last month. Talk about lustworthy.