Lucy, I’m home!
Much to my dismay, I’m not a natural redhead.
I found my “boring” long brown hair devastating as a pre-teen. It frizzed and flopped with the weather, and though the brown hue suited my pale olive skin, I was anxious for something different. Growing up in a shore town, most of my friends had a strong affection for blonde Barbie types… but it did nothing for me; The straw and ash coloring didn’t suit my Mediterranean roots and I suddenly found myself interested in the original recessive trait: red hair.
I’ve always found red hair to be glamorous and unique. Fall is my favorite season, and beautiful red locks remind me of the rich colors of the foliage: crimson, apple, cherry, mahogany, ginger, maple, brick, strawberry… I traded my long brown hair for a rich auburn bob and haven’t looked back.
Red hair suddenly seems to be all the rage this season, shown on the runway and dominating photo shoots in popular women’s magazines.. so, as a dedicated bottle-redhead, here is a quick photo tribute to my favorite redheaded ladies, (natural gingers or not) past and present!:
Hell hath no fury like a sunburnt gal in a sports bra.
According to my painfully pink, sore, soon-to-be “tan” lines, I am still wearing a bikini. The catch? I haven’t been to the beach in well over 48 hours. As a shore native, I had enough common sense to apply some sunblock before I settled down on the sand… but modern UV blocking lotion and my Mediterranean roots were no match for my accidental 2-hour nap on a beach mat.
Most of us have had sunburn before. For those who have not experienced the crimson glow (like my Vietnamese best friend who coincidentally only gets the best tan in the world every time we go to the beach), consider yourself LUCKY. Remember: the short-term effect of sunburn is the pain, but it’s the long term effects that ultimately will do you in (re: skin cancer). Do yourself a favor– invest in some sunblock!
I read some tips on e-how and firstaid.com:
- Get out of the sun. Staying in the sun after the burn is present will make it worse.
- Look for blisters. Blistering means the skin is completely damaged and complications are likely. If the area with blisters is bigger than one entire arm or the whole abdomen, seek medical attention by calling 911 or visiting the emergency department.
- Take a cool shower or bath to soothe the pain.
- Apply aloe or another cooling agent. Whatever you use - DO NOT APPLY BUTTER OR OIL TO ANY BURN!
- Over the counter pain relievers like ibuprofen or acetaminophen can be used for the pain of a sunburn. If stronger pain relief is needed, contact a physician or go to the emergency department.
I also asked for some advice in the Tweesphere:
Thanks guys!: @JustinAugust I have invested in some Lubiderm Intensive Care already, thank you. @LexieLerro, I love the cold bath idea. Be sure to follow @PWstyle on Twitter.com!
In other news, I personally don’t recommend exercising until your sunburn has turned at least 1/2 tan. Why? Well, I ran up a flight of stairs and I couldn’t tell which “burn” was which. The process of stretching was ridiculous, and I think the stinging sensation up and down my legs prevented me from warming up properly. Regardless, I ran 2 miles at the banks in one of my faster times yesterday…. because, well, Hell hath no fury like a sunburnt chick in a sports bra.
Workin’ on my Fitness…
So, if you’re thinking about picking up the pace and exercising this summer, don’t feel like you need to run straight to the sport stores for new tanks– shop smart!: check your options. There is equally cute gear in familiar stores for half the price. Hope to see you on the trails!
Free Stuff Friday: Double Time
First: an apology. I moved last Friday and in the midst of frantic packing, saying Hail Marys for a rain-free weekend and fighting with my boyfriend over old issues of Gourmet magazine, I forgot to give something away.
I’ll make it up to you now. Two free things! Two Friday Catty Hour videos! Sunshine!
First: Summer Rose beauty powder from MAC’s limited edition A Rose Romance Collection. Originally retails at $22.
Second: Just a Pinch gel blush, also from the Rose Romance Collection. Originally retails at $19.50.
So how do you get it? Send an email to epalan@philadelphiaweekly.com with the subject line “FREE STUFF FRIDAY!” In the body of the email include a link to the funniest cat video you can find on the internet. We’ll post the winner’s video in our Friday Catty Hour before we head out for the weekend.
eat your pet
So the latest diet fad allegedly whirling around Hollywood is… wait for it… Chia. The ch-ch-ch kind.
Says some extremely reputable anonymous writer over at social workout:
One of my favorite L.A. friends is a comedian/actress. She jokes a lot about being a little anorexic—someone just gave her a gift certificate to the pricey Wolfgang Puck restaurant Cut, and she only ordered the side dishes. She works out like a maniac at Equinox, and is an early adapter to diet fads. “She’s eating Chia Pets now,” her boyfriend told me over a recent dinner, consisting mainly of salad. She blazed through Goji berries, Acai, Kombucha. Now she’s on to Chia Seeds, the things that make Chia Pets sprout.
“Chia” is the common name for salvia hispanica, which is kind of a cousin to flax and mint. Turns out that that weird gummy paste that happens when you mix the seeds with water that sticks the seeds to the side of whatever terracotta animal is allegedly incredibly good for you.
Quotes from pro-chia websites that should answer all of one’s questions about the chia diet:
The seed’s hydrophilic (water absorbing) saturated cells hold the water, so when it is mixed with foods, it displaces calories and fat without diluting flavor.
OK, I don’t really know what law of physics would make that happen, but tell me more! It’s probably Bohr’s Law or Behr’s Law or something. But how about gunshot wounds?
There are additional benefits from the Chia seed aside from the nutritive enhancements when used as an ingredient. It was also used by the Indians and missionaries as a poultice for gunshot wounds and other serious injuries. They would pack the wounds with Chia seeds to avoid infections and promote haling. If you place a seed or two in your eyes it will clean your eyes and will also help to clear up any infections.
Oh, cool? So, you put the seeds in a glass of water, and then it turns into this jello-type stuff you drink, or pack into gunshot wounds, but mostly drink, and then…
Because of Chia’s capacity to absorb large amounts of liquid, fiber can increase the volume of the stool mass passing through our digestive tract. As a result, the stool becomes softer and more voluminous, stimulating the intestinal transit.
Oh, uh… voluminous, eh?
This reduces its the length of time in the digestive tract, which assists with regulating bowel movement and could help prevent constipation, diverticulitis and even colon cancer.
So how long could the average Aztec go on a spoonful of chia?
A single tablespoon could sustain Aztec warriors for an entire day.
On top of everything else, here’s an article on chia fields in western Australia and the captioned picture that came with it:
Over a very short period of time, the Ord Valley has become the world's largest producer of chia (Matt Brann)
And of course this is the only thing I could think of:
Over a very short period of time, the Ord Valley has become the world's largest procuder of chia
Chia seeds are currently going from $5-$20/bag.
And OK, here’s the commercial.
And here’s what the company is marketing as Hail to the Ch-ch-ch-chief, no joke (warning, this website is highly annoying and has sound ads):
Sale Alert: Save 20% at Stila Cosmetics
Stila is offering a 20% shopping discount and free shipping on any order placed from now through April 11. Use code STIMULUS when you check out.
[Thanks, Jaime!]
Top Ta-Tas
Last night was the season finale of Top Chef. It’s been an extremely lackluster season with no truly remarkable contestants, which is why there’s been little mention of it here. However, last’s night episode was interesting.
It went down like this: Blah, blah, food, past season stars, drama, OH! A twist!, famous chefs, a fallen souffle, tears, a cranky British guy, boobs, boobs, boobs, the Shmoo wins.
Right now, we’re going to focus on just one aspect of this recap: Boobs. Specifically, guest judge Gail Simmons’.
In this episode, the Food & Wine editor decided that it’d be entirely appropriate to wear an ill-fitting, low-cut dress that showed an, um, excessive amount of cleavage. Or perhaps we’re being prudish here. You be the judge. As one colleague joked, “In this shot, her boobs are so licious, they’re busting onto the screen.”
In Gail’s defense, she did have on a very supportive bra. Which we could see. Nice demi-cup.
And she clearly subscribes to the “up high and close together” rule when purchasing undergarments (as opposed to “lift and separate”).
Gail, we love you, but c’mon. Have a little class.
Special thanks to Paul and DMac for hunting down pictures.
Quick Links to Sass Up Your Tuesday Morning
In case the ’80s weren’t painful enough, shoulder pads are back, according to this AP article from Fashion Week.
All jewelry at Philly craftique Art Star is 10% off. We dig this split metal ring by co-owner Erin Waxman, on sale for $135.
The Oscars are this Sunday and while we couldn’t care less about who takes home little golden naked dudes, we’re very interested in the style of the stars.
Speaking of award show fashion, remember that hideous ballet tutu Lara Flynn Boyle wore to the 2003 Golden Globes? The sight of it always makes us giggle.
Take it to the Mats
In an extremely rare moment of concern for my physical self, I signed up for an eight-week yoga class last fall. Two weeks in, the instructor suggested I try kick-boxing, “Something more physical,” she said. “You’re a bit high strung for yoga.”
Shamed, I never returned. Which was stupid for many reasons; the most important being how much I wanted to splurge on cute yoga accessories. Yoga pants! Yoga balls! Yoga bags! Yoga mats! Sure, I could buy them anyway, but I have a strong belief that it’s really lame to buy athletic apparel without actively participating in the sport. And even after two yoga classes, I wasn’t willing to bend that much.
Thus, I lust over yoga gear. The thing I’ve found most interesting is the varied cost of yoga mats. I found one for five bucks at Five Below, one for $14.50 at Old Navy and one for a whopping $72 at Barefoot Yoga.
Should Armpits Smell Delicious?
Lots of goodies arrived at PW Style headquarters this morning, including a stick of Secret Scent Expressions deodorant in va-va-vanilla. Hoping for a hilarious product description, I immediately jumped on the Secret website where I discovered a handy little quiz to determine which scent expression was best for me.
I’m apparently Kuku Coco Butter. (Other options include arctic apple, la-la-lavender, southern peach and Asian pear.) Take the quiz here.
But, here’s the thing. Do I want my armpits to smell delicious? More accurately, do I want them to smell like food? If food-scented candles are okay, are yummy armpits also acceptable?
These are the questions I’m pondering this afternoon. What do you think?
