Do You Do Distressed Denim? It's Boho-Hot!

Distressed!

That's the word for denim at the moment. You can wear 'em faded, frayed, beaten-up, or just a bit worn-in, when it comes to your jean jacket or denim vest.

A few tears and rips, and you're looking as hot as Rihanna in her Acne distressed jacket.

It's super boho-chic, especially when you pair it with a lovely maxi dress.

The only fashion danger we see is going to the extreme, where Rihanna as sexy as she is, is just a couple of steps from hobo status. You don't want to let your distressed denim get to the point of too falling apart.....Just saying.

We found a cool distressed vest by M2F ($128, at Free People Boutique. We love the raw edges around the armholes (bottom photo).

If this is too high a pricetag for a denim vest, you could 'distress' your own with a razor, knife, scissors, and/or some bleach. Lots of people do their own distressing, and do it very well.

Good luck!

Olivia Wilde Says 'No Tweezing': Eyebrow-Challenged

Actress Olivia Wilde has the kind of beautiful bone structure women want to be blessed with.

But when it comes to her eyebrows, well, she's a lot like the rest of us---Olivia is struggling with thin brows. We never really noticed her beauty problem until she mentioned it recently to the New York Times T magazine.

The 28-year-old star told them she does NOT tweeze:

"I’ve been letting them grow in for years," Olivia says. "I try to fill them in wherever nature has abandoned me. I just fill in under the arch and soften them up a bit."

We get it....We've been there, too.

The former House actress is busy as a Revlon spokesperson these days, and most recently, as one of the executive producers of 'Baseball in the Time of Cholera,' a short film presented at the 2012 Tribeca Film Festival.

Olivia is so pretty that we suppose she could get away with any hair color, and right now, that shade is blonde.

"I am really enjoying being a blonde," she explains — she now chooses a brighter brow color. "My natural brows are quite pointy," she reveals. "I soften them so I look less like some evil Disney queen!"

Gotta love her. Not lovin' the lighter tresses, though. We think Olivia is stunning as a brunette.

What do you think?

Gwen Stefani Rocks Pink Skinny Jeans---You Can, Too!

Colored jeans have been a HOT trend for some time now. And celebrities have been out and about slipping into pairs of bright-colored denim.

Last month, it was Fergie photographed in red jeans at LAX. And today, we've found the very stylish Gwen Stefani rockin' a pair of bubble gum pink skinny jeans.

Not an easy shade to pull off, but the sexy, svelte singer makes it look simple by keeping the entire thing, well, simple.

Gwen paired her hot pink jeans with a basic black tank, matching booties, and a wide, gold cuff. She looks amazing!

And you can wear this, too. Yes, ladies, you CAN put on a pair of pink skinny jeans and do it on a budget. Why spend hundreds, when you can copy the look for so much less!

The Almost Famous brand has a great pair of Tiffany Pink Skinny Jeans (reg. $29.95, on SALE for $19.99, Buy 1, Get 1 50% off at Zumiez). Just as cute as Gwen's---bright pink, stretch cotton, low rise, and ultra skinny! Plus, we found sizes 1-13 available.

Will you dare to rock this trend?!

Touch Of Turmeric Powder: Thandie Newton's Best Beauty Tip

We've been writing about the benefits of adding a little turmeric powder to your diet for quite some time now.

If you love Indian and South Asian food, then you know the distinctive aroma and taste of powerful yellow-orange turmeric powder. In India culture, this colorful spice has been used for many, many generations, as a wonderful food enhancer, but also as a healing agent.

And now, too, as a skin rejuvenator. Maybe that's why gorgeous actress Thandie Newton tells People magazine that the bright-colored spice is "My Best Beauty Secret."

"Turmeric! I mix a few grains in my moisturizer," Thandie says. "It gives you such a lovely, sun-kissed glow. It's also anti-inflammatory, so it's a real tonic for the skin."

You're a smart gal, Thandie. Ayurvedic healers consider turmeric to be a varnya herb, which means, enhances your complexion. Its strong anti-bacterial properties fight pimples and breakouts.



Thandie is the new face of Olay Total Effects. And at age 39 and a mom of 2 little girls, we think the award-winning actress is a great representative for the famous Olay company.

Thandie's beauty recipe equals Olay Total Effects Fragrance-Free UV Moisturizer ($22.99, at drugstores) and turmeric:

"It was a complete accident that I spilled some and rubbed it in on my hands. I looked down and thought, how pretty!"

Just be careful when handling turmeric powder around your favorite clothing. It can yellow-stain fabric, and we have found it's tough to remove.

On another note....Dr. Andrew Weil talked about the powerful, anti-cancer benefits of turmeric powder in an article at his website back in 2003:

"Turmeric (Curcuma longa) is the yellow spice most familiar in Indian cooking and American-prepared mustard. Not only do I think that it is safe to take after breast cancer treatment, I think it would be helpful. The reason is that turmeric affects hormones that promote inflammation and cell proliferation, processes that seem to underlie most cancers.

"Turmeric is being studied widely for its powerful anti-cancer effects. However, women being treated for breast cancer may be advised to avoid it during chemotherapy because of evidence from laboratory and animal studies suggesting that it may inhibit the action of certain chemotherapy drugs.

"I often recommend New Chapter's Turmericforce; take one capsule twice a day."

Pretty amazing stuff from this pungent spice!

You'd Be A Fool Not To Try Yu-Be Skin Care Products

We LOVE skin care creams and serums. We also love learning about the science of beauty.

That's why we are happy to write today about the popular Japanese skin care line called Yu-Be. Pronounced as YOO-BEE.

Everyone's been talking about Yu-Be....from Newsweek to InStyle to Elle, and beyond.

But Yu-Be has been around for 55 years now. Just ask most folks in Japan, and you would find that Yu-Be products are a skin care staple in most homes there.

In fact, the #1 Selling Medicated Vitamin-Enriched Cream on the Market is Yu-Be Moisturizing Skin Cream ($25, at Yu_be.com). Japanese pharmacist Yoshikiyo Nowatari developed the glycerin-based moisturizer in 1957. It features a high glycerin content along with vitamins B2, C, E, and camphor. The cream has a super absorbancy level, making it very effective for rough, dry skin.

According to the Yu-Be website history page--- "Generations of familes have used the concentrated formula on all types of dry skin - from split cuticles and cracked heels to diaper rash - even frostbite - and to this day refuse to use anything else."

Here in the U.S., the Yu-Be skin care line is distributed by JMax Intl. of Los Angeles.

The company was kind to send us the famous Yu-Be Moisturizing Skin Cream, Foaming Skin Polish, Moisturizing Body Lotion, and Lip Therapy balm stick. We have been sampling all of them, and we like what we see!

When we noted that camphor was present in the Yu-Be skin care line we were a bit hesitant about the scent. The beauty of the Yu-Be formula is the quick absorption. And yes---the camphor scent disappears very fast.

We have been using the popular Moisturizing Skin Cream under our eyes, and we LOVE it. It serves as an excellent eye cream. It really softens and nourishes the thin skin and actually diminishes the look of fine lines and wrinkles of the eye area. No kidding! We really didn't expect it to work that well.

The Foaming Skin Polish ($18, at Yu-Be.com) is another great product from the Yu-Be line, formulated with rice bran, bamboo, ginger root, ginseng and green tea to exfoliate rough, dry skin cells and give you back smoother, healthier skin. A gentle yet effective scrubber.

To try the Yu-Be skin care collection, check out their FREE samples with just $4.95 shipping here.

Kate Gets Duchess Beauty Glow From Bee Venom Facials?

The royal buzz these days?

That pretty Duchess Kate looks especially beautiful because of bee venom facials.

If this is the case, then watch the sale of bee venom masks skyrocket into the stratosphere. As we have all come to learn, anything the future queen of England touches, turns to gold. Women around the globe want to dress like Kate, smell like Kate, have perfect hair like Kate, and yes, even look like the lovely Kate.

So, why bee venom beauty products?

If you believe the hype...."This cream is said to work by gently stinging the skin, leaving a tingling sensation and causing the body to direct blood flow to the area. It claims to stimulate the production of collagen and elastin, which reduce wrinkles by relaxing and strengthening the muscles."

Says who?

The makers of Royal Nectar Bee Venom Cream ($69.90), the SAME brand that Camilla (Duchess of Cornwall + Prince William's step-mom) turned Kate on to. Rumors say that Kate began dipping into the bee venom beauty hive several weeks BEFORE the royal wedding. And to note, her complexion looked exquisite on her big day.

Don't laugh....we are intrigued by any skin care treatment that stimulates collagen/elastin production.

"Apply Royal Nectar daily as part of your skin care routine. Leave on for 20 minutes, then wash off.

"Use from twice a week to twice a day (personal preference). Spread sparingly on clean skin, do not rub in and be careful to avoid the eye area."

HealthyOnLine which sells the Royal Nectar Bee Venom Cream explains the fascinating process in how the bee venom is extracted. So bizarre! Read on:

"To extract the venom, a pane of glass is placed alongside the hive and a small electrical current is run through it, which encourages the insects to sting the surface. Tiny quantities of the venom are then collected and sent to Britain. It costs £27,000 ($55,200) an ounce but the venom is diluted, to make it less painful to apply, to just 1 per cent of the mask. A 50ml jar costs £55 ($112). (This is the UK Price. It is only $69.90 from healthyonline, even less than sold by the manufacturer! )

"The cream is also mixed with New Zealand Manuka honey, shea butter and rose and lavender oils. Used twice a day for 20 minutes, the bee treatment can apparently knock up to 10 years off facial appearance."

Hey, bee venom is being called, the new 'alternative to Botox.' We cannot prove that Kate has ever tried the product, but people in-the-know, claim it is TRUE.

Just a little note---if you are allergic to bees, please DON'T use this!

We would like to try this stuff if we could get a freebie.

Will You Lock Lips With This Pop Art Jewelry Trend?

You're either going to love this or hate it, but you have to admit----jewelry in the form of a pair of lips is quite unique.

We're still on the fence about it, but we have been seeing lots of lips cuff bracelets from the Brooklyn-based St. Kilda shop. And the inspiration supposedly comes from the famous surrealistic painting of lips in the sky, Les Amoureux by Man Ray.

These Nora Kogan jewelry pieces include enameled lips in a rainbow of bold colors. Each cuff costs $325. Check them all out here at StKildaJewelry.

The lips jewelry trend is both modern and edgy and makes for quite a striking accessories statement.

What do you think?