Deenie went to a party on my behalf last week…but neither of us could figure out what exactly the event was for.  Regardless, she writes…:

“Oh, the glamour. Oh, the glitz. Oh, the boys. So, I attended an Evenings in Vogue event last Friday at 1 Oak, on behalf of my better blogging half, Nadine.  The music was loud, the girls were sexy, the boys were sexier, and the drinks were pomegranate martinis. Enough said.

As if those hot tickets weren’t enough to entice me in, there were booths of “events,” like at a fair…only instead of face painting with donkeys clomping about, they offered portrait painting against a backdrop of posing models. St. Ives offered a manicure booth (which I partook) and the CoverGirl station was equipped with every product in their inventory, including their new TruBlend family of products. The make-up artists at CoverGirl diligently beautified the milling hotties with Outlast All-day Lipcolor- one way to make all the sexy lips look even sexier.

After all that pampering and perusing I was pooped. I may or may not have grabbed several risotto balls from the caterer’s tray before leaving the vixens. Sigh.  Tough night.”

I don’t watch The Hills anymore; not only do I feel too old for it (and most everything on MTV, and pretty much all gossip blogs, as well), but whenever I am sucked into the vortex, my brain cells seem to shriek, “You’re really gonna do this?  We’re outta here!”  The further I am from twenty, the more shows like this seem incredibly vapid and pointless, and the more annoyed I get that unsubstantial confections get thrust to the top of the “talent” heap.  Regardless…gee, aren’t they pretty here in Rolling Stone?  (What’s most fascinating about this show—much more interesting than the Lauren/Heidi/Spencer feud—is the difference in color between Audrina and Whitney.  Whitney actually looks like a human being—pale in LA?  Shock!  Horror!—whereas Audrina looks like she spends her days soaking in a bathtub filled with DHA.  Time to give up that membership to Sunset Tan, my dear.)

I must say, this picture is actually really cute

Can we call ‘em or what?  My favorite ball of cute Kate Hudson is People magazine’s Most Beautiful cover girl.  Sure, she won an unfair advantage in the genetic sweepstakes, but Kate seems proof that with a (faux, please!) bronzed glow, beachy hair and huge smile, the world is your oyster.  Not going to lie; as a fellow flattie, I also have enormous respect for her in not only accepting but embracing her God-given mini-boobs.  Take your cleavage enhancing and stuff it (or don’t) — Kate is sexy and adorable just as she is.

(Speaking of Kate’s faux-tan, Jolie has undertaken the painstaking process of testing out facial self-tanners to find one that will not make her break out.  So far…no…nope…no way…another zit…how hard can it be Chemists of the World??)

People doesn’t go on sale until Friday, but People.com gives a sneak preview of some other hotties featured, including:

The cast of Gossip Girl (love!)

Salma Hayek, rocking the shine serum and smokey eye

Eva Longoria and Tony Parker (when it this basketball stuff over?  I love sports, but it’s the ONE I cannot stomach)

Vanessa Hudgens, looking adorably fresh-faced (well, she is only, like, twelve or something)

And Carrie Underwood…who is always way too orange around the chin for my tastes.  She’s gorgeous, but I do not love her makeup artist–a five o’clock shadow is not acceptable.  The loose waves, however, are perfection

To everybody who posted your biggest beauty question: thank you!  It took me a few days to weed through them all and take notes (I’m currently working on edits for Confessions), so now I have a loooong list of future posts and items to research.  (The best deodorant that won’t leave marks?  Beats me!  I’ve tried scores over the years, and I’ve never found one that actually works — including Degree Ultra Clear, which says it’s Little Black Dress approved…but it’s not.  Degree, you lie!)  In honor of the ‘fro I’m rocking today, let’s tackle frizz first.

You don’t have to spend oodles of money on an effective anti-frizz product, nor do you have to so thoroughly weigh down hair with shine serum that it becomes a grease ball.  The trick in banishing frizz is to combat it when your hair is wet, not damp or dry; this will make a huge difference in the sleekness (and lightness) of the finished look.  My personal favorite is Phytodefrisant (apply a quarter-sized dollop) but at $26, it’s not as cheap as, say, John Frieda Frizz-Ease Serum (roughly $9) or Neutrogena Triple Moisture Healing Shine Serum (about $7.50), both excellent alternatives. 

- Rub the serum in the palms of your hand and over fingers, then work it through your combed-out strands, starting at the bottom; this ensures the most product will deposit on parched ends, and the least amount on your roots. 
- If you plan on airdrying hair, scrunch a dime-sized amount of hydrating cream (see below) on the lower-half of hair and then keep your hands off!  (Handling leads to frizzilation.)  The areas near your roots don’t need any hydrating or glossing cream, unless superdamaged or coarse.
- To blowdry hair smooth, I like to blast my bangs first (away with thee, wavy bits!), then pull up the top half of hair from my ears up, beginning in the back and underneath, and working my way forward and toward the crown.  (Play around and do whatever works for you; what’s truly important is working in small chunks to get hair bone-dry.  For those that have cowlicks, I strongly recommend drying those areas ASAP!)
- Remove every last bit of moisture.  Even slight dampness will lead to later frizz on drier, less healthy strands. 
- Finish with a dime-sized amount of glossing or hydrating cream, combing it through hair with fingers, avoiding roots, and making sure to swipe the underside and random back bits of your ‘do.  Two of my all-time favorites are Fekkai Glossing Cream and John Frieda Secret Weapon Flawless Finishing Cream. 
- Dedicated frizz-fighters can use a flatiron to quickly lock in straightness, but make this the exception, not the rule, as heatstyling will dry out hair over time…which leads to frizz!  Ahh, the cruel irony.

Gwyneth Paltrow is rocking my world yet again.  What is up, G?  This is how it’s going to be now?  You disappear for eons, leaving me bereft…and then magically reappear again (and again and again), each time looking more flawless than the last?  Looking like this after two children is absolutely ridiculous (and I want the number of your colorist, too).  We also have the perennially-adorable Liv Tyler here, going for the one-two punch of People Prettier Than Anybody I Have Met, Ever.  (Hmm, how much do you think their beauty tax would be?  I place it at 75%.)

Gwyn looks especially pretty because of her eyes; imitate with a generous helping of mascara (or individual false lashes applied at the middle and outer corners of eyes), followed by smudged black liner and shimmer on your browbone

Photo courtesy of DailyMail

Q: How young is too young for Botox?  I think I need it, but I don’t want to look frozen.  I’m scared of looking like a wax mummy!

I hear this question on a weekly basis, but as a beauty girl living in LA, I think I’m a little biased.  (This is much to D.’s dismay, who clucks like I chicken when I come home after a fresh batch of treatments every six months or so.  She says, ”Be natural!” I say, “…and embrace the angry frown-line between my brows?  Mais, non!”  For a better perspective, I put the Botox Q to my docs at Profiles Beverly Hills, Dr. Jason Litner and Dr. Peyman Solieman.  This week, Dr. Litner takes it:

“We are so glad to hear you say that! In Hollywood, looking like a wax mummy is bordering on perfectly acceptable these days. But–at least in our opinions–these blank stares are giving Botox a bad rap. Remember that Botox is a tool, and that same tool can be used to make delicate refinements…or to turn your face to stone. It’s all about how much is used and where it is placed.

Injecting Botox is not rocket science. That’s why you can find someone to inject Botox on practically every street corner. But there’s an art to consistently (and safely) creating a natural un-frozen appearance that just makes you look and feel better. To achieve the look you want with finesse, you should see an experienced injector. Be honest with what you want…all too often patients come in saying they don’t want to be frozen only to complain a week later that they can still move their forehead.More and more women and men are seeking Botox and other non-surgical treatments at an earlier age. Most patients begin in their early 30’s. We occasionally see an actress in her 20’s who is trying to look younger for a particular role. Some patients also have hereditary early aging or a stubborn frown line that may benefit from Botox at a slightly younger age.   (Note: like Jolie!)

There is also a lot of mythology surrounding Botox. You will not get addicted, though you may really like the look. Your wrinkles will not be worse than ever after it wears off…if anything, Botox can help prevent new and worsening wrinkles if you are fairly good about keeping up with it. If you think you need it, at whatever age, please be sure the doctor you discuss it with is experienced.” (So no Botox at the mall, please!)

Shannon from A Girl’s Gotta Spa is holding a wonderful fundraiser that I hope we can help draw more attention to:

“I’m throwing a fundraiser for a 7 year old girl in my town. It includes auctions of MAC Cosmetics Limited Edition products and other auctions from brand name companies.

The little girl is Meadow Quinn and she has Neurofibromatosis (it causes tumors to grown on nerve endings). She has been on a feeding tube since she was 18 months old due to the disease, but a 4-week feeding clinic at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia will be able to teach her to eat like any other child. The big obstacle is that her insurance company has refused to pay for it. She needs to raise $70,000. So far $42,000 has been raised.

The link is: http://gottaspa.blogspot.com/2008/04/beauty-for-good-fundraiser-for-meadow.html and the fund-raiser is through the end of May. (I am offering a 1-week ad spot for any fashion and beauty brands who donate $100+ to Meadow via the ChipIn widget.)”

I can’t think of a more worthy cause; please visit the link and contribute if you’re able!

It’s been a Warren-Tricomi kind of week.  Not only have I received biiiillions! of compliments on the great cut and color (thanks Christine and Kaz!), I stopped by the salon twice this week: first for a cocktail party in honor of the new five-product Redken Real Control line, and again to chat in depth about it with Kaz.  Designed to help tame, smooth and pamper dense or unruly hair, the line consists of a shampoo and conditioner, Intense Renewal moisturizing mask, Thermal Resist protein spray and shea butter-infused Crema Care.  While fine hair should shy away as the line might weigh their strands down, the line is perfect for most everybody else, especially girls who have colored their hair for so long that they can’t even remember what their real shade is.  (Blond?  Brunet?  Redhead?  Eh…details!)  I had a moisturizing treatment with the products yesterday, and my hair is indeed silky, soft and well-behaved today–no mean feat for my naughty hair!

The line is available exclusively at Warren-Tricomi LA until July 1st, when it rolls out to salons nationwide

Lauren Conrad at Wednesday night’s cocktail party; as expected, she was very pretty in person!  The little crinkles at the corners of her eyes are adorable, but also indicative of sun damage — don’t forget your SPF 30, peeps

The left side of this model’s hair was sleekified with Real Control products; the right side is her normal texture

Gushing over beauty products is easy; it takes real cojones to explain why a disappointing product…well…sucks.  And this is why I love Total Beauty; they’re not afraid to go there!  Here, the editors confess their 12 Lowest Rated Products. 

My own Sorry-But-You’re-Way-Overrated Products?  No surprises here: Maybelline Great Lash takes the cake, followed closely by La Mer, which is no longer the most expensive rip off in history (the price of anti-aging creams has gone into the stratosphere, making the former hullabaloo over La Mer’s price seem practically quaint!), but it’s certainly the best marketed.  What products do you think are overrated?

My senior year of high school, our drama department put on the musical Gypsy and I had the role of Electra the Stripper.  My one song, which I sang with two other faux-strippers, was called ”You Gotta Get a Gimmick” – my costume consisted of a black bikini with Christmas lights attached to a battery pack on the back of my bra.  As I danced and sang, I pressed a button, and my bikini lit up.  (Yeah…I know.  I would kill to see a copy of this on video now!)

Tonight at 6pm, the Broadway cast of Gypsy will be performing at the Lord and Taylor on 39th street in New York City, in honor of Lord and Taylor relaunching their rose.  (They have a rose?  I don’t really know what this means, but whatever.  We shopped at Rich’s back in Hotlanta growing up.)  Should be a good time!