Missing My Mom On Mother's Day.....

This is my mom, Effie.

Yes, she was beautiful in every possible way.

We lost her back in December.

And we miss her so.

"The death of a mother is the first sorrow wept without her."
--Author unkown

Christy Turlington Appears In New Eternity Ads: Proof Why She Retains Supermodel Status

At age 45, Christy Turlington must be doing something right.

Check out the husband/wife ad campaign for Calvin Klein's Eternity fragrance!

OMG! How good-looking are they?!

We can hear some of you already screaming, "Photoshop!"

Go ahead. Scream it. And so what?

Photoshop is used just about everywhere these days with all of our favorite celebrities.

We still believe this sexy husband/wife team of  Ed Burns + Christy Turlington is still gorgeous away from the cameras.

This new Calvin Klein ad campaign also celebrates the 25th anniversary of the cult fragrance Eternity.  It also establishes the launch of the brand's latest scents, Eternity Nights for men + women, which will be available in August.

Also, the ad campaign coincides perfectly with Christy's new philanthropic endeavor---The Eternity Project. The platform will support a number of charities including the model's  Every Mother Counts organization.

“I am so grateful for the support of Every Mother Counts and thrilled to be back representing this brand along with my husband,” she says. “This is my new favorite Eternity Calvin Klein campaign of all time.”

A class act, all the way.

When Not All Glammed Up, JLo Prefers Soft, Pink-Peachy Lip Shine By L'Oreal

Last night, JLo was most definitely the Lady in RED! The ageless beauty confidently strutted her stuff once again for the American Idol audience.

The 44-year-old stunner and mom of twins walked onto stage in a tight, unforgiving RED halter mini, along with bold RED lips.

But when she's not wowing fans on the red carpet, Jennifer Lopez does follow her beauty must-haves, and one of these is a quieter, softer lip shade, according to InStyle magazine.

Since, Jlo is one of the L'Oreal company's beauty ambassadors, it would seem right that the singer would choose from L'Oreal's endless colorful palate of makeup.

JLo's Must-Have + Beauty Tip:

L'Oreal Paris Colour Caresse Wet Shine Stain in Pure Resistance ($7.99, at Target).


I've always kind of rocked the nude lip," JLo says. "Before applying this gloss, I put foundation on my lips to take away their natural color."

"Rock on, JLo. Rock on!"

The Tiered Or Bubbled Ponytail Is Right On Trend In 2014!

Heidi has already worn the trend.....and so has Blake Lively.

We're talking about the tiered or bubble ponytail. And Valentino sent his elegant models down the runway in the Fall 2014 Ready-To-Wear collection with these super long, bubbled ponytails.

"We wanted to do something that wasn't classic or as normal as a braid or pony, so I added another dimension to the Valentino woman," says Guido Palau of the (26 inch ponies to be exact) that cascaded down the models' spines. Guido calls the look "a very sort of seventies, late sixties kind of idea."

It doesn't look that difficult to achieve, especially if you have very long, straight hair. If not, then you must add length through extensions.

You will need 2 basic items:

1. Snag-free Hair Elastics by BLAX  ($9.78, free ship, at Amazon).

2. Extra Hold Hairspray, Tres 2 by Tresemme ($4.99, at ULTA).

We found bubble ponytail directions from Blake Lively's hair stylist Rod Ortega at InStyle mag:

Mist a comb with hairspray. Starting at the crown, gather a section of hair from ear to ear.
Slick back the hairline with the comb and secure locks with a hair elastic band.
Then section hair again below the first elastic band, working those lower strands + existing tail into a second elastic band.
Repeat to create more tiers or bubbles.
After each pass, tug up on the link for added dimension + a relaxed look.

Good luck!

Do-It-Yourself Chemical Peeler? Be Careful And Watch The Clock!

We wish we had done chemical peels when we were a lot younger, such as in our 20s.

We love glycolic acid peels. And yes....by now--We are a do-it-yourself peeler.

We suggest having a chemical peel performed by a dermatologist for the first several times, so that you understand how the skin reacts and what the peel actually does for your complexion.

We gave our self a glycolic acid peel last evening.

Why?

Because we had not had one for about 6 months. But now that spring has sprung, it was the perfect time to remove the dull, dead skin layers from last winter.

Glycolic acid peels help rejuvenate the complexion by also encouraging new growth of collagen and by improving skin tone + texture.
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It's key to remember that:

1. The clock matters. Timing is very important. Do NOT let the peel sit on your face longer than the prescribed minutes. Do NOT get cocky with a chemical peel.

2. Misuse can result in burns, swelling, redness, irritation.

3. Rinse off the peel thoroughly with cool water.

4. Apply a hydrating and healing moisturizer to the treated areas. Be gentle and avoid scrubbing the complexion with strong cleansers for the next few days.

5. Avoid the sun for several days. A glycolic peel contains an alpha hydroxy acid which is likely to increase your skin's sensitivity to the sun. If you must spend time outdoors, please apply an effective sunscreen with a high SPF.

Here's a very good moisturizer to soothe a complexion following a chemical peel: Glaxal Base Moisturizing Cream, just $8.49, at Walgreens.

It does all this:

• Helps seal in moisture to protect skin.
• Clinically Recommended
• Hypoallergenic
• Perfume-Free
• Lanolin-Free
• Non-Greasy

Best-Dressed Power Couples At NYC's Met Gala 2014

$25,000.

That's a tough one to swallow. But that's exactly what a single ticket to last evening's, annual met Gala in New York City cost.

No small potatoes. But we inhaled what we could from this famous Cinderella-type ball. Wish we were invited!

There were plenty of beautiful celebrities wearing expensive beautiful gowns + tuxes. And there was also some NOT so great-looking attire, but that's to be expected even at very fancy events.

No...Kanye and Kim did NOT win one of our best-dressed couple awards. Just our humble opinion. We felt that Kim could have chosen something a lot more gorgeous to enhance her beauty + recent Vogue cover royalty status. Her Lanvin wrap gown with pockets was a BIG disappointment.

There were a number of HOT Met Ball couples. Here are our top 3:

Gisele + Tom.
Do you even have to ask? They look so stunning together; they make us turn GREEN with envy.

Yes, Gisele seems to LOVE herself quite a bit, but when you're attached to arm candy like NFL QB Tom Brady, well, you might think you're all that, too!

Beyonce + JayZ. Wow! They are music royalty and holding court. Another amazing ensemble. Queen Bey looks  sultry + edgy in this lingerie-styled sparkling gown. And yet, they  remind us of classic, old Hollywood.

And then there were Blake + Ryan. Elegance and sophistication at its best! What a golden, glamour couple. Even her ruby-colored gems match his ruby-colored bow-tie.

Sure, the earrings on Gisele, Beyonce + Blake, plus Blake's cocktail ring make a chic statement, but nothing overdone.

Simplistic perfection by all 3 power couples.

Want a pair of emerald drop earrings like Gisele has on? Hers are NOT chandeliers, but subtle emerald drops.

We found a pretty, copy-cat pair here at emitations.com for $35!

It's Definitely Spring! Time To Find A Great Hat!

Hats seem to be just about everywhere this spring. And celebrities are leading the way.

A great hat can serve a few key purposes:

1. Style
2. Sun Protection
3. Anonymity
4. Bad Hair Day Cover-Up
5. Keeping Cool in the Heat

Let's look at one of our favorite bad a** supermodels of all time:

Naomi Campbell. There's the elegant beauty in New York City in sexy stilettos and a pretty brimmed, khaki hat.

Naomi makes everything look HOT. And she's got the attitude!

Here is lovely Jessica Alba strolling through balmy Beverly Hills in a breezy denim jumpsuit and wide-brimmed straw hat.

And there is also actress Dakota Johnson at JFK Airport wearing a dark head-to-toe ensemble. Her hat appears to be of  straw material, also. And hers has an adorable polka dot ribbon tied around it.

And then there is "Downton Abbey's" Joanne Froggatt in a cute, black cap with skinny jeans and floral scarf arriving at Heathrow Airport in London.

Hats come in so-ooooo many, wonderful choices.

We found this Jessica Alba straw hat look-alike here at BooHoo.com
We think this one is even prettier than Jessica's hat! Can't beat the rock-bottom price of $20, PLUS 20% off and FREE shipping to the USA!!