BOKEP SEJATI

Hi Gorgeous, Coffee or Tea?

Hey perfume junkies and caffeine-aholics,

1. Couture perfumer Mandy Aftel just announced the arrival of black tea absolute, which can be blended as a "base note" if you make your own perfumes, or I suppose worn alone if you just love the smell of tea. For perfume makers, Aftel's online store Aftelier.com is a superb resource.

2. "Don" caffeine in other ways! Double up by snagging Bare Escentuals Buzz Latte Lip Balm -- made with real coffee extract.

3. And you can start and end your day with tea times two. Wash up with Korres White Tea Fluid Gel Cleanser! This mild cleanser is excellent for normal, sensitive and oily skin prone to break-outs.

Buy it: Aftelier Black Tea Absolute ($30), Aftelier.com; Bare Escentuals Buzz Latte Lip Balm ($8) and Korres White Tea Cleanser ($21), Sephora.

Zoolander of the 19th Century

The last book I read was so disappointing that I had to wonder whether I shouldn't just slowly microwave by the light of the TV all summer. BUT THEN I started reading hella old-school Balzac's Cousin Bette. Monsieur Celestin Crevel was so the Derek Zoolander of the 1840's! For example:

"Most men have some habitual position by which they fancy that they show to the best advantage the good points bestowed on them by nature. This attitude in Crevel consisted in crossing his arms like Napoleon, his head showing three-quarters face, and his eyes fixed on the horizon, as the painter has shown the Emperor in his portrait."

Here's Zoolander from a VH1 Appearance for you too:

Carry on! Although I'd love to talk about "makeup tricks" of the 1840s, Professor Paula Cohen of Drexel University says that "during the 19th century, makeup ostensibly disappeared from the Anglo-Saxon world. Queen Victoria was a dowdy, didactic monarch, the sort of woman who never wore makeup and so decided no one else should. A painted woman during this period became a synonym for a whore or (just as bad) an actress." That sucks.

Anyway....fast-forward to circa 1871 to a model called Alexa Wilding (great name!). The model-dressmaker Wilding rocked some tough lipstick when she showed up in "La Ghirlandata" by Dante Gabriel Rosetti. Lipstick is always a "must."

Wizard Kicked Outta School

I think this substitute teacher was fired for being a "wizard." Huh? :-)

Beauty Products That Rock

This summer, it's okay to wear heaps of makeup and eat ice cream every day. But if you want to pare down your look, these are some Eyeshadow Government-approved beauty finds that totally rock. Golden, shiny, rosy, and sun-friendly products help us pass the lazy summer days! :-)

Lips

1. For a minimalist summer look, ditch lipstick and try gloss instead. Tarte's Super Fruit™ Lipgloss Set works great if you like to carry a smaller purse in the evening. My fave is the Cherry and Dallas dual-ended gloss. It glazes lips with a gorgeous shimmer, and also arrives in a pint-sized tube.

Foundation

2. Personally, I live for VIP Expert By Terry Light-Expert Foundation Brush. At $48, the By Terry foundation brush is definitely the caviar of foundations, equipped with a built-in brush for smooth application. It's so good, you start to wonder...should this even be legal?

Cheeks

3. Laura Geller Blush-n-Brighten blush powder (try Berry or Sunswept) always appears very natural. Also, if you have never used Laura Geller products, they tend to be pretty "goof proof," which I like since I have clumsy mornings too.

Sun Protection

4. Shoot down nasty UV rays! Aveeno Continuous Protection Sunblock SPF 30 almost does that. The mild formulation of this sunblock works wonders for sensitive skin like mine.

Let's catch up soon! How are you spending your summer?

Buy it: Tarte's Super Fruit™ Lipgloss Set ($30), VIP Expert By Terry Light-Expert Foundation Brush ($48), Laura Geller Blush-n-Brighten Blush ($28), Sephora; Aveeno Continuous Protection Sunblock SPF 30 ($9), Target;

Pink Everything?

Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Extreme Wear in Fuchsia Power is great for summer pedicures. I'm so relieved they haven't discontinued one of my fave nail polish colors.

But while searching for a matching pink telephone, the internet unveiled this hazardous object:

I'm not sure if the Southern Telecom Fur Phone is the worst thing or the best. It kind of reminds me of a gremlin who became obsessed with Marilyn Monroe. How terrible is this?

Buy it (if you dare): Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Xtreme Wear ($2.59), Walgreens; Southern Telecom Fur Phone ($49), Target.