V's Queendom

Extreme Beauty Treatments - Caviar, Champagne, and...Leeches?

2008-05-01T23:14:00.002-04:00

CREDIT: nbc30.com

Colon Cleansing, Caviar Facials Among Hot Beauty Treatments

Beautification is big business these days. Anti-aging, detoxifying and cleansing being some of the top buzz words in an industry that is booming with new trends and treatments.
NBC 30’s Lauren Petty takes a look at the latest techniques out there that take beauty to the extreme.
Demi Moore recently announced on David Letterman that she uses leeches as part of her beauty regimen.
“Just a week ago I was in Austria doing a cleanse and part of the treatment of leech therapy," she said on the show. "You watch it swell up and get fatter and fatter and then when it's super drunk on your blood, it sort of rolls over like it's stumbling out of the bar."
Moore said leeches detoxify her blood, beautifying from the inside out.
So what do blood experts say about Moore's unusual regimen?
Dr. Biree Andemariam, a UConn hematologist, said, “I was quite surprised. I was flabbergasted that she would go that far to undergo such what sounds like such a primitive treatment."
Leeches were long used for blood-letting in medicine, but not anymore.
Andemariam said Moore may be stunning, but Andemariam doesn't see the beauty perk from the painful process.
"There's no scientific evidence that the utilization of leeches will improve one's health or one's look," he said.
At the Spa At Norwich Inn, they offer another unusual treatment, in the form of a caviar facial.
Betty Loiacono, the spa director, said, “It sounds like luxury and it's really very funny because it is basic nature taking place right in our treatment room."
But we're not talking fish eggs on your face -- it's caviar extract.
"It's very highly nourishing, it's very replenishing,” Loiacono said. “It goes into the skin and body receives it really well so it begins to fight the signs of aging."
If you prefer bubbly to beluga, the champagne facial may be for you.
But champagne and caviar don't come cheap, at $110 and $225 respectively.
Ami Beach founded the Colonic Institute of West Hartford seven years ago with a focus on cleansing the colon and the body.
"Essentially by using warm filtered water we are able to pull out the toxins," she said. "If we are cleansing from the inside our bodies, our skin our eyes everything will start functioning better and we're actually going to add years to our lives, make ourselves more vibrant, more youthful."
There's also Biomat treatments, which are FDA-approved procedure that involves lying on a bed filled with crushed amethyst.
Jocelyn Colombe, an architectural health and wealth designer, said when heated, the biomat sends out negative ions that open up cells and infrared rays then flush the toxins out.
The treatment starts at $60 for a 30-minute session.

Food-Inspired Spa Treatments

2008-04-30T21:39:00.005-04:00

CREDIT: www.qctimes.com

Cosmetic trend: Food that's good inside also good for skin

By Shruti L. Mathur / Wilmington, Del., News Journal Wednesday, April 30, 2008

For Jean Halter of Odessa, Del., a facial is the ultimate way to pamper yourself. Make it a chocolate facial, and we're talking stairway-to-heaven stuff for the self-confessed chocoholic.

``I don't even now how to describe it,'' Halter says of the facial she received at the La Dolce Vita Spa for Wellness in Middletown, Del. ``It was very relaxing, number one, and smelled scrumptious. It was a really neat experience, and I'm going to ask for another one.''

Her food-infused beauty treat is just one of many culinary-influenced products and services flooding the market. Generations ago, beauty care often consisted of mashing food at home and slathering it on, in the hope of creating tighter skin or shinier hair. Now beauty products and venues are commercializing that idea, incorporating fruits, vegetables and even chocolate and wine. In Minneapolis, as Horst Rechelbacher, founder of Intelligent Nutrients, works on his new cosmetics line, he occasionally pours some of his ingredients into a glass, tops it with mineral water and drinks it. This isn't a case of Dr. Jekyll trying his strange brews on himself.

Rechelbacher uses organic, high-grade food in his line that includes cosmetics, hair care and soaps. Rechelbacher's line is the pinnacle of beauty's return to the basics, because all of the ingredients contain no chemicals or artificial preservatives. A return to basics It's a trend, Rechelbacher says, but a trend driven by knowledge.

``We are constantly educating ourselves,'' he says. ``We are getting smarter.''

``I think that the pendulum just swings ... and right now it's swinging in the direction of going back to the basics of skin care,'' says Devon Tucker, owner of Covet Spa in Greenville, Del. Margie Hartnett, owner of Visions Hair Design, an Aveda concept salon in Wilmington, Del., that carries Intelligent Nutrients products, believes people are becoming more health-oriented. Antioxidants are the buzzword in food and beauty for their anti-aging benefits. Thus, food products high in antioxidants, such as dark chocolate, wine, fruits, vegetables and teas, also are popular in beauty products. Vitamins such as C and E and enzymes found in foods like pumpkins, avocados and papayas give a kick to your skin, Hartnett says.

``If you want your hair, body and skin to look better, you have to start from within,'' says Hartnett. A handful of Intelligent Nutrients' supplements is available, but a full line of products - including hair care, makeup, pet-care products, personal lubricants and maternity products - will be launched this fall, says Rechelbacher, who plans to open stores in New York and Minnesota's Mall of America. Rechelbacher says 98 percent of the ingredients in his line are ``high-nutritional'' substances, with the remaining 2 percent made up of water. Chocolate is useful in beauty treatments because its caffeine stimulates the metabolism. ``When you smell chocolate,'' says Chris Sateriale, the owner of La Dolce Vita, ``it releases serotonin in the brain and it causes a sensation that is a positive association.''

At Covet Spa, the services sound like you've landed in an ice cream shop, with Cherries Jubilee and Pumpkin on the menu. Tucker says she did a lot of research before creating a mask using unsweetened cocoa powder and cinnamon mixed with the hydrating mineral mask and aloe vera gel from the Epicurean skin line she carries. ``My philosophy is to get back to the root of good skin care while staying at the leading edge of technology,'' Tucker says.

Unhealthy Beauty Icons?

2008-04-30T21:27:00.003-04:00

CREDIT: mailonsunday.co.uk

Super-skinny legs are sick not sexy but they are worryingly becoming the norm for young women

By LIZ JONES

She's considered one of the beauties of our time. Former model Lisa B has dark glossy hair, flawless skin, perfect features and...hideously skinny legs!

It would be easy to say this photograph beggars belief, but, sadly, it does not, as there are similar shots of so many women, including Teri Hatcher, Amy Winehouse, Kate Moss, Victoria Beckham and Sarah Jessica Parker.

The list goes on and on. They are rich, powerful, successful beyond most of our wildest dreams - yet still they feel the need to have legs that resemble an old chicken's wishbone after it has been sucked clean of flesh.

The fake-tanned, bandy-legged look has become as essential a component of female fame as talent, or beauty, or youth.

These super-skinny legs are not attractive, or remotely sexy, but you can rest assured their owners always make sure their pins (and never has a word been so apt) are on display.

It is as if they were saying: "I deny myself every day to obtain legs like these. They prove how committed I am to fame, to being a fashion victim. I have starved and exercised my way to the top - and I am bloody well going to stay here."

Never mind that two young Brazilian models died from anorexia-linked illnesses. Never mind that pro-anorexia websites - which display pictures of emaciated celebrities and models as "thinspiration" - have mushroomed.

Never mind that French MPs are to back a new law to bar the media from promoting anorexia; judges may punish those responsible for a magazine photo of a model whose "thinness altered her health".

No, these women put their careers first. I concede that, perhaps, Kate Moss has never been on a diet in her life, and that Amy Winehouse's emaciation is "fuelled" by addiction, not an iron will.
But you do not get thighs like these unless something extreme and health threatening is going on in your life.

Any committed anorexic will tell you that the most difficult pockets of fat to budge are those atthe top of the inner thigh. So many young women I have talked to mention the elusive "Bermuda triangle" - that space at the top of your thighs through which, if you are thin enough, there may be a great deal of daylight.

One 26-year-old anorexic told me that, aged eight, she looked at her chubby thighs and wondered why they were "all joined together, which didn't seem right". She spent the next ten years in and out of eating disorder clinics as she fought to "get the triangle".

The real reasons young women want to be thin are complex, and partly enmeshed in a desire not to grow up; to avoid becoming a sexual being.

The space between the thighs is an indicator, along with the visibility of the breast bone, that its owner does not have sufficient body fat to menstruate.

Which means she is storing up numerous health problems in later life, including infertility, premature ageing, depression and osteoporosis.

But the fact remains that these silly famous women believe that they have to be thin not only to be successful but also acceptable. I am not concerned about the health of these self-deluding women.

When I had dinner with Teri Hatcher in LA not that long ago, she insisted all night long that she was always baking and eating cakes, while picking at her raw salad like a sparrow.

What does worry me is that legs like hers are now seen to be the norm.

The sort of thighs we used to see on Marilyn Monroe and Cindy Crawford now seem hopelessly elephantine.

Previously, I have attacked on these pages the all-powerful casting directors and stylists who dictate the "look" of the designer catwalk shows. So today, I think, it is the turn of the glossy magazines to take some of the flak.

One of the recommendations of the Model Health Inquiry was for magazine editors, fashion directors and art directors to announce some sort of moratorium on the excessive use of air brushing.

In fact, very soon, members of the Association of UK magazine and Periodical Publishers (PPA) are to meet the inquiry's chair, Baroness Kingsmill, and members of the British Fashion Council to discuss how magazines can operate in a more responsible manner.

A possible "kite mark" to show a picture has not been doctored has been mooted. The PPA is "canvassing views, and looks forward to talks with both the British Fashion Council as well as editors in the magazine sector".

What a load of hooey! Do you remember the last time we saw a strong, muscular pair of thighs in the media?

They belonged to curvaceous singer Alesha Dixon, who won the last series of Strictly Come Dancing.

Recently, she told me how she approached every women's glossy magazine in this country and asked if she could appear on the cover, thighs and all, but with the proviso that her image is not airbrushed. The magazines turned her down. Marie Claire did not even get back to her.

To be honest, a non-airbrushed Alesha Dixon is not a huge gamble. But still, the idea of portraying a woman as she really is was considered too dangerous and circulation-threatening to contemplate.

Until we follow the French, and force, by legislation, those at the top of the fashion and magazine industries to think less about their pensions and their freebies, and more about the health of young women, and stop holding up women like the ones on this page as something to emulate, nothing will change.

More Great Songs

2008-04-30T21:11:00.003-04:00

Below are some great music recommendations, guaranteed to lift your spirits (or allow you to indulge in some good old-fashioned melancholy):

1. "Only Time" - Enya. I had my bridal party enter to this song. Absolutely gorgeous, and so ethereal-sounding. It's a great song to just relax to.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8IjIG_7Zt4U
www.enya.com

2. "Cheek to Cheek" - Fred Astaire. I had this song played at my wedding reception. Rent Top Hat. This song is used so well in this movie; it just exudes romance, elegance, glamour, and old-fashioned charm.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWiTxsdR6no
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_Astaire

3. "Place in this World" - Michael W. Smith. I've loved this song since I was nine years old, and I still love it just as much today. The lyrics speak so effectively to the experience of not knowing where exactly one belongs in terms of the larger plan of things, and trying to find your niche.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=noEfj3JBaC0
www.michaelw.smith.com

Job Interview Etiquette - The Importance of the Thank-You Note

2008-04-29T19:18:00.003-04:00

CREDIT: modbee.com

Q: Have thank you notes gone the way of the dinosaur? Recently, we interviewed six people for an administrative assistant position in our office. We received thank you notes or letters from only two of the candidates. Each person submitted a well-written cover letter and résumé, showed up on time for the interview and conducted themselves professionally throughout the process. The only misstep was the thank you note.
I strongly believe in thank you notes, as do the other members of my team. We were shocked by this mistake.
Are we "making a mountain out of a molehill"? I would appreciate your feedback and advice so I know what to expect (or not to expect) the next time I am in this situation.
-- V.K., Needham, Mass.

A: Your reaction should be a strong lesson to all job seekers out there: Write thank you notes. They are not passé. They are a strong indicator of the way an applicant will represent a company, and they demonstrate that the applicant understands the importance of building relationships and how to go about doing it, qualities that come at the top of most job descriptions.
Job seekers should remember that they were asked to come in for an interview because they have the skills to do the job -- that's what their résumé shows. The interview is primarily an opportunity to see the personal skills each applicant has and to determine which applicant best fits the company's culture.
You are not making a mountain out of a molehill.
The two applicants who sent thank you notes stand out. The applicants who did not send thank you notes hurt their chances to be selected.
The thank you note should be concise.
Don't list your qualifications, the employer already knows them. Instead, point out one aspect of the job that interests you and that fits you particularly well.
Reiterate that you are excited about the job opportunity and that you look forward to hearing from them by the date on which they said they would get back to you.
Type or handwrite the thank you note on quality paper (not your current employer's stationery).
If you met with more than one person, send a note to each interviewer.
You will stand out from the other interviewees if they send just one note to the group, while you send one note to each interviewer.
Seal each note in an envelope and mail it.
If a decision is imminent, you can opt to e-mail the note, but be sure to follow up the e-mail with a written note. E-mails are deleted; notes received in the mail are noticed, kept on a desk or in a file, and remembered.
Ask yourself: Would you rather be deleted or remembered?

A Four-Day Mascara?

2008-04-29T19:14:00.001-04:00

CREDIT: blog.makeupmoxie.com

New from Tarte: 4 Day Lash Stain

PHOTO: Sephora.com
Want to go four days without having to reapply your mascara?
Tarte’s new 4 Day Stay Lash Stain is designed to do exactly that.
Formulated with cross-polymers, long-lasting mineral pigments, and ProVitamin B5, this new mascara is supposed to bind to lashes and provide ultra long-wearing color that won’t fade, flake or feel stiff.
While I’m a big advocate of always removing your mascara before you go to sleep, I’m also an absolute junkie for any mascara that could truly weather a day at the pool or a (very) late night out at the club.
Does this lash stain really work? I don’t know yet, but I’ll believe it when I see it. Until then, this mascara is definitely an object of my burning desire. Tarte 4 Day Stay Lash Stain will be available for $18 from Sephora.

"Trendy" Neon-Colored Cigarettes? I Think Not!

2008-04-29T19:07:00.003-04:00

CREDIT: latimes.com

Look closely at what a model in a fashion magazine is smoking: a green cigarette to go with her neon yellow jacket.
Fashionably hued cigarettes?
Oh, goodie. Lung cancer now comes in colors!
Next thing you know, Heidi Montag will launch a line of zebra-stripe (her trademark print) ciggies.
How do we stop this nightmare?
Maybe we should all contact Nat Sherman, the NYC tobacconist who launched a spring line of pastel green, blue, pink and lemon yellow smokes called Fantasia Lights, sure to appeal to trend-conscious young women.
Here's an idea; buy them for someone you really don't like.

For Fabulous Brides-to-Be

2008-04-29T16:13:00.003-04:00

I've been woefully neglecting my queendom as of late, due to planning for my recent wedding! But the good news is, now I can share with all of you many tips on how to create a glamorous wedding!

First things first - a terrific resource for bridal fabulousness can be found here: www.bridezilla.org.

All About Eyelash Extensions

2007-11-29T20:03:00.000-05:00

CREDIT: usatoday.com

Eyes open wide with these lash extensions
By Alison Maxwell, USA TODAY

Talk about an eye-opening experience: Eyelash extensions are the latest beauty trend sweeping the red carpet and heading to a salon near you.

Not to be confused with the self-stick falsies of yesteryear, these semi-permanent, synthetic extensions are glued on one by one by a technician using tweezers and adhesive.

"In the last couple of years, we've gone through an intense phase of fake eyelashes, and this is the logical extension — pardon the pun," says Didi Gluck, Marie Claire magazine's beauty director. "It dovetails a little bit with the craze for hair extensions."

During the application, which takes about 90 minutes, 25 to 35 extensions in varying lengths and thicknesses are bonded to individual hairs. The procedure averages $250 to $300 but can run as high as $500. The lashes stay put for about four to six weeks, but customers usually come back for a touch-up after two to four weeks to replace lashes that are lost in the natural growth cycle.

"They give the eyes an instant lift, with no needles or injections," says Glamour beauty writer Tram Kim Nguyen. "You can roll out of bed looking great."

Trendsetting celebrities such as Jennifer Lopez and Paris Hilton have fueled interest in the wide-eyed look. The procedure is taking hold in California and Florida and spreading slowly throughout the East Coast.

Soul Lee of the Shu Uemura Lash Bar in New York's Soho gave Jennifer Jason Leigh extensions for the Golden Globe Awards. "It sounds high-maintenance, but it's really for low-maintenance reasons," Lee says. "It will make your lashes look like you're always wearing mascara."

At Piaf Salon & Day Spa in Washington, D.C., appointments have increased 75% in the eight months since the spa began offering the service, and there's a short waiting list, says makeup artist Jennifer Fitzpatrick. At Le Petite Retreat day spa in Los Angeles, owner Lysa Kustek says appointments are up 50% since November. The procedure attracts people with "significant disposable income," she says.

Lori Evans of Washington, D.C., got extensions at Piaf this month. "It's so funny because I'm walking around batting my eyes at everyone at work," she says. "You can't tell at all that they're fake."

Experts recommend paying close attention to safety. Thomas Steinemann of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, a Cleveland ophthalmologist, says he hasn't yet seen or heard of safety problems but advises asking whether the glue is safe for cosmetic use and keeping it out of the eyes. "You want to make sure you're not introducing something toxic or allergenic or potentially injuring the surface of the eye."

How to Choose a Good Day Spa

2007-11-29T19:57:00.000-05:00

What To Look For In a Good Spa Experience
From Anitra Brown

How can you tell if you’re going to get a good spa experience? One way is to observe how customers are treated when you take a tour of the spa. Look around to make sure all employees are treating their clients with respect.

*Here are some other things to look out for:
*The therapist should be professional, courteous, pleasant and cleanly dressed.
*The treatment should start on time.
*Therapists should follow your lead in terms of how much talk occurs during the session. They should not discuss their personal problems with you. good but less expensive substitutes. Ask which products are the highest priority.
*Massage therapists should be sensitive to the kind of touch you want in terms of pressure. There should never be a sexual quality to their touch.
*You should not be left alone during body wraps, facial steaming, or hydrotherapy baths. Some spas do this, but the best practice is for the therapist to be with the client at all times, enhancing the service and ensuring your safety.
*Estheticians should ask about your home skin-care routine, but should not make you feel pressured to buy products.

You should feel free to ask questions before, during and after your treatment. And before you book a treatment, you can ask to take a tour to make sure the spa is clean, pleasant and follows good sanitation.

Fashion Alert: The Return of the Form-Fitting Dress

2007-11-29T19:45:00.000-05:00

CREDIT: nytimes.com

The Pour-Me-Into-It Party Dress

By ERIC WILSON
Published: November 29, 2007

“IS that the shortest dress in the world?” Oscar de la Renta asked teasingly of Bee Shaffer, the daughter of Anna Wintour, as she navigated the crowd two weeks ago at 7th on Sale, the fashion industry’s closest approximation of a holiday ball.

Her dress, a strapless design in a plush red and gold floral print from Dolce & Gabbana, could hardly have been described as immodest. The shapely frock stopped a few inches above her knee. But what probably caught Mr. de la Renta’s eye was the refreshing sight, at the beginning of this holiday season, of a structured dress in a print that seemed almost decadent.

Mr. de la Renta himself had dressed the actress Jennifer Connelly in a Jezebel-worthy crimson gown with a fitted basket-weave midriff, and Kate Bosworth arrived in a short and sexy Proenza Schouler dress, a wrap shape in a shade of leathery cordovan.

Where were the little black dresses, those staples of holiday fare? What happened to last winter’s easygoing party frocks that replicated simple geometric shapes — the circular pouf, the triangular trapeze, the rectangular shift? Turns out they were all square.

“The baby-doll dress is dead,” Sarah Easley, an owner of Kirna Zabête, the directional SoHo store, said with no small degree of satisfaction. “The designer customer is looking for a little more tailoring.”

Lela Rose, the society designer, chimed in with a similar observation. “People want things that are a little more form-fitted,” she said. “I love the idea of the slimmed-down sack dress, which is something that allows you to eat and still show off your legs. You just don’t look like a tent.”

Nevertheless, designers and retailers have been feeling a little edgy about a holiday season that is unlikely to lend itself to celebratory excess. Customers, or at least those who are not in a position to demand their salaries be paid in euros, are looking at a lot of things as the holidays approach, like oil prices, their carbon footprints, their iPhone bills.

And designers want how much for a dress?

Still, they know that last year’s blobby thigh-high party dresses need to be replaced with something. Wouldn’t you be embarrassed, the racks seem to whisper, to turn up in a pink pouf in the face of slimmed down Leger-esque shapes and strapless sheaths?

If this season’s party dresses are more fitted, they are not necessarily more conservative, nor a rerun of long evening gowns in velvet or flowing chiffon. Many customers at Kirna Zabête have been drawn to structured versions in bold colors or splashy prints from Thakoon, Derek Lam and Narciso Rodriguez. Perhaps they were emboldened by the strong display of prints throughout next spring’s collections and want to get a jump on the season.

As Sue Stemp, a designer of a sprightly line of thigh-baring dresses in electric prints, said: “When dressing for this holiday season, I think ‘up the glamour’ with a chic little cocktail dress that incorporates an interesting print. Then, if you end up in the kitchen or on the dance floor, any spills will just blend into the pattern.”

At Phillip Lim’s store in SoHo, shoppers are more interested in metallic colors, as in a $620 gold strapless dress trimmed with orchid petals, and structured looks like Mr. Lim’s “ultimate tuxedo dress,” an elongated wool jacket that sells for $795. The model Irina Lazareanu wore one to the Costume Institute gala this year.

Uptown at Peter Elliot, the 30-year-old retailer of upper-crust attire, there has even been a run on tailored blazers — short sequined ones from Tracy Reese for $405 and silk jacquard smoking jackets from Belvest for $2,300, said Eileen Sorota, the manager of the women’s store. Ms. Rose noted that the heavy luxury fabrics that are popular at the moment — like wool lace and graphically textured silk and wool blends — work better in structured garments.

Sari Sloane, the vice president for fashion merchandising at Intermix stores, said that the trend for fitted dresses has dovetailed this season with a taste among customers for glitzier metallics and sequined looks at various price points.

“Both looks are very different from last year,” she said. “It’s a welcome change for the consumer to be in a more sexy fitted dress that shows off your body and also looks modern.”

The look, Ms. Sloane noted, owes a big debt to the newly developed cult of Herve Leger, whose bandage dresses of the 1980s (think of Robert Palmer’s escorts) have been turning up, in new incarnations, on curvaceous celebrities like Beyoncé and Victoria Beckham. The skintight dresses, which sell for about $1,000, have been the hottest items at Intermix this fall, but similarly fitted dresses from Robert Rodriguez for under $500 and bandage skirts from Privee for $225 have also been popular.

“They are fun and youthful looks, but what’s great is that they can be dressed up or dressed down,” Ms. Sloane said.

Such versatility, this holiday season, is a crucial component for fashion, no matter what the price.

“We are trying to open customers’ minds to the many possibilities of the humble party frock,” said Ms. Easley of Kirna Zabête. It may help, she suggests, for a customer to know that she can get some mileage from the dress beyond a night of company cocktails.

“A holiday dress used to be enough, but now it’s just a starting point because people are really layering their dressing,” she said. “The dress that goes to a holiday party on Thursday night might go to the office on Friday with a pair of leggings and Lanvin flat boots, or with a Balenciaga turtleneck under it.”

That must have been some party.

Beauty Tip - Dominican Salons

2007-11-29T00:19:00.001-05:00

One great tip for hair growth is the occasional trip to a Dominican salon for the oft-lauded rollerset and blowout. This is a great way to extend the amount of time required between relaxers, and the natural products used are fabulous for maintaining healthy hair. While the amount of heat used for a blowout renders it inadvisable for regular visits (that much heat applied - and it is a LOT of heat - will likely eventually lead to breakage), the occasional visit will get you amazing bounce and excellent style when you are struggling with new growth between chemical relaxers.

Definitely worth checking out if you haven't done so already!

Relationships 101: A Key Error Made By Well-Intentioned Women

2007-11-29T00:09:00.000-05:00

One of the most difficult things to remember about men is the importance of maintaining the often fragile male ego. It's so tempting for us as women to want to take control of our relationships, our households, and even the minutiae of our significant other's life! It is one thing to be a partner to your mate, but it is an entirely different matter when we start to mother them. It is absolutely integral that the man feel that he plays the dominant role in the household, as contrary as this may seem to post-feminist thinking.

Before the objections roll in, let me simply point out that the key word in the previous sentence is "feel." The role of influence in a woman's relationship to her mate cannot be overestimated. Through the use of subtle hinting, flirtation, and positive reinforcement for the performance of desired actions (somewhat akin to training dogs, I suppose, but I digress), it is possible to allow your mate to believe that he has the majority of control in the household and relationship, even if you are invisibly orchestrating things. While this may seem archaic and even silly, it goes a long way toward allowing your man to feel that his importance is indisputable and that he is respected and appreciated.

Fabulousness from A to Z

2007-11-28T23:46:00.000-05:00

A true diva should always be able to define herself, so that she knows how to best promote herself to those she meets. It's important to know what types of adjectives that you should be presenting, in order to retain the proper mindset and to remain motivated to project those qualities at all times. Thus, the alphabet of Queen V:

A - Attitude

B - Beauty

C - Creativity

D - Dynamic

E - Elegant

F - Fabulous

G - Glamorous

H - Healthy

I - Intellectual

J - Jazzy

K - Krazy

L - Loving

M - Majestic

N - No-nonsense

O - Open

P - Perfect as is

Q - Queenly

R - Renaissance Woman

S - Stylish

T - Talented

U - Unabashed

V - Vivacious

W - Winning

X - Xstatic

Y - Your favorite queen

Z - Zzzzzz - a true queen should always get her beauty sleep! Good night, all!

Suggestions for Stress Relief

2007-11-27T21:18:00.001-05:00

Let's face it, even the most cool, calm, collected, and fabulous queen gets a little wigged out from time to time, and when those times come, you'd better have a few ideas on tap for how to alleviate those frazzled feelings. So here are a few of my favorite ways to alleviate stress:

1. Music. Listening to music is a great way to mentally escape from a stressful situation. There's two directions that you can go in with this technique: 1) you can opt for soothing, calming music to relieve tension, or 2) you can go for high-energy, cathartic music. I find both ways to be effective at different times.

2. Shopping. Okay, so this probably isn't the most financially healthy way to calm down but I find that sometimes a little retail therapy can work wonders. Today, for example, I had a horrid afternoon at the office, and so I decided to reward myself with a bonnet hair dryer from Sally's Beauty Supply. Voila - instant stress reduction! (This technique, however, must be used in moderation or else you'll have a new stressor in your life - poverty!)

3. Spa treatments. A lot of people think this is extravagant for some reason, but I seriously consider spa treatments to be an integral part of every fabulous woman's life. The reasons for this are twofold: 1) because of the aesthetic improvements that you can experience from treatments, and 2) because of the amazing stress reduction you can receive from taking some time out to be pampered. So go ahead and book a massage, facial, or pedicure - you've earned it!

4. Alone time. Okay, time for me to suggest something that doesn't cost an arm and a leg. It's really important, in my opinion, to create a certain amount of space for yourself each day by retreating into solitude. We spend so much time surrounded by people and their various negative energies that it's absolutely mandatory to reenergize by spending some time alone with our own thoughts. And I do mean alone - no cell phone, no computer, no housekeeping, no getting work done. Just take some time to think. It's really important to know yourself well so that you can live the most effective and fabulous life that you can, and it's impossible to know yourself if you don't spend time with yourself.

So there are just a few of my favorite tricks for relieving stress when life gets too outrageous. Life is too short to feel crummy - combat that negative emotion and focus on being the fabulous lady you know you are!

Beauty Tip - Protective Styles for Hair Growth

2007-11-27T21:02:00.000-05:00

It may seem counterintuitive, but one of the best ways to cultivate longer hair is to use protective styles during the work week. (Ideally, it would be best to use protective styles all the time, but let's face it, we have to look cute on weekends.)

So what is this "protective style" business about? It's a weird term, I know - it sounds almost like you should be wearing a helmet or something to guard your hair from danger, but it's nothing that extreme. A protective style is simply any hair style that keeps your ends safe from potential snags or damage. The ends of your hair are, of course, the oldest part of your hair and therefore the most fragile. If you want to cultivate length at all, you have to keep them well-hydrated and safe from ANYTHING that can potentially create breakage. (Clothes are the most vicious culprit.)

So one of the most effective techniques that I've used for hair growth is simply hydrating the ends of my hair with a light daily leave-in moisturizer and then gathering the hair into a bun. It's pulled together and professional-looking for work, and at the same time helping me to retain the length that will allow me to achieve my length goals.

Your Present Career Does Not Define You

2007-11-27T20:53:00.001-05:00

It's so easy to be discouraged and to feel less than royal or fabulous when you work at a job which is less than fulfilling. When you spend forty hours per week (at least!) completing tasks that seem pointless and being surrounded by unglamorous, mindless office drones, it's tempting to allow your soul to be sucked out of you like blood from a vampire's victim and to believe that there's nothing more to life than paper pushing and general 9-to-5 drudgery.

But it doesn't have to be that way. A perspective check, at times like these, is sorely in order. Your present career does NOT define you. In fact, your career as a whole does not define you. Your fabulousness can shine through in all that you do and all that you are, each and every day. Remember that, no matter how circumstances may appear, YOU ARE A STAR. Don't let discouraging surroundings or people drag you down. Walk, talk, and be the superstar glamour queen that you are. Intention is the first step toward realization, and if you keep yourself in a mindset of royalty you will one day manifest the success that you desire and deserve!

A Few Fabulous Songs

2007-11-26T23:23:00.000-05:00

The following are six absolutely fabulous songs that you should check out if you haven't heard them before:

1. "Straitjacket Feeling" - The All-American Rejects. I once told my fiancé that I wanted to break up with him just so I could have an excuse to listen to this song on repeat for hours and hours. It's one of those awesome breakup songs that just makes you want to wallow. Love it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlXJ0mmkLzs
http://www.allamericanrejects.com/home.aspx

2. "No Hay Igual" - Nelly Furtado. Okay, I was one of the people who most vehemently resented the stylistic changes Nelly Furtado demonstrated on her latest album. But this take on reggaeton is one of my all-time favorite songs now. It just makes you want to get up and dance every time you hear its infectious beat. Fabulous.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJAfPzZbOfQ
http://www.nellyfurtado.com/

3. "This Year's Love" - David Gray. Most. Romantic. Song. Ever. Gotta love it when he croons, "When you kiss me on that midnight street, sweep me off my feet, singing ain't this life so sweet." One of the great love songs. It's amazing what he can accomplish with an evocative voice and a piano. The "strings remix" is the best, though - it just transports me to cloud nine every time.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eo-tp0JZvUA
http://www.davidgray.com/

4. "Identify" - Natalie Imbruglia. Great song. There's something very relatable to the way she reflects, "Am I lonely, or am I just alive?" Billy Corgan of the Smashing Pumpkins actually wrote this song, if I'm not mistaken, and you can really detect his influence.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCXSairYHJw
http://www.natalie-imbruglia.co.uk/

5. "Somewhere in New Mexico" - Jill Sobule. The lyrics to this song are so powerful. It's about the desire to believe in something greater than yourself. Her fragile-sounding soprano voice (in a good way!) really sets off this feeling that we so often have of being lost little girls in a scary world, longing for something to hang on to. This song has some great lyrics in it, too, my personal favorite being "take this jaded heart, blow it all apart, once before I die." So simple, but so poignant at the same time when she delivers it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNytxdyVUeI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTgxfR-dNh0
http://www.jillsobule.com/jetpackintro.html

6. "Stronger Than Me" - Amy Winehouse. A great song, again because of the interplay between the singer's voice and the lyrics. Amy, despite her well-documented personal problems, can belt out a tune, and when she complains of how hard she finds it to be the dominant person in her relationship, it is so believable and so relatable. A great song.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-czY_JtkP_w
http://www.amywinehouse.co.uk/

Beauty Tip - Eyebrow Shaping

2007-11-26T23:12:00.001-05:00

It may seem like a minor thing, but contouring your eyebrows can make a HUGE difference in the overall appearance of your face. However, the manner in which you choose to do so is also important.

The simplest solution is tweezing. This is pretty much what it sounds like - using a pair of eyebrow tweezers, individually pluck hairs into the desired shape. This can be trickier than it sounds, though - you don't want to haphazardly select a shape. Generally speaking, it's best to avoid plucking the top of the eyebrow, instead contouring from the bottom to create the appearance of a more open eye. Don't be tempted to overpluck, though - you want it to look natural!

My recommendation is to leave eyebrow shaping in the hands of a trained professional who can best evaluate what the ideal brow shape is for your face. Therefore, I strongly recommend having your eyebrows professionally waxed or threaded. It's simple, it's effective, and in my experience waxing is a virtually painless procedure if the technician knows what he/she is doing. I've never experienced threading myself, but as I understand it threading is even less uncomfortable and many women experience fewer problems with breakouts around the area where the hair has been removed and with discoloration of the skin. I have personally never had these problems with waxing anyway, so I haven't bothered to investigate for myself. Nonetheless, these are terrific options to check out!

No matter what technique you choose to use, though, be sure to consider contouring your eyebrows - it will make a huge difference in the overall appearance of your face!

So what's this site all about?

2007-11-26T23:06:00.000-05:00

Welcome to my queendom, the place where I share what's fabulous, what sucks, and everything in between. If you're interested in learning what's hot in fashion, beauty, entertainment, or the arts, this is the place for you where I will offer my honest opinions on those things which you might like to be informed.

Let's face it, daily life is full of stress, chaos, and turmoil. But it's also full of possibilities for fun, excitement, laughter, and transformation. It's my hope that you'll find something that will encourage you, inspire you - or just make you smile. So let's go!