A Penguin and a Beauty Tip

Skin Focus: Hydration

On most days of the week, I avoid all forms of gadgets since they just confuse me. Someone recently sent me a mascara that actually twirled itself, using an electric battery. Convinced I would poke myself in the eye with this contraption, it soon found a new home in my garbage bin (also where I store all my extra love letters!).

Anyhoo. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the book Confessions of a Beauty Editor (written by the editor-ettes at Allure) recommends shopping for a humidifier to prevent flaky skin. Sure the last thing you need in Brooklyn is more humidity during the summer, but I thought those who spend these months in arid climates, maybe perched along a red canyon in Arizona, would be interested in this advice.

They say just stick the humidifier in your bedroom and let it whirl while you get your beauty zzzs. This Crane Penguin Cool Mist Humidifier is extra-sweet.

If you're sticking to the old-fashioned way, these are two moisturizers you might dig too.

Vitamin Enriched Face Base Bobbi Brown. This action-packed moisturizer, which has both shea butter with carrot extract inside, does marvels for the skin.


Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion. Personally, I have always liked this moisturizer since middle school, and this is a touch more mild than Oil of Olay.


Buy it: Crane Penguin Cool Mist Humidifer ($35), Target; Bobbi Brown Vitamin Enriched Face Base ($47), Macy's and Barneys; Clinique Dramatically Different Lotion , Sephora.

Live from the Diane von Furstenstenberg Studio

Hi chicklets,

Tonight I've been at a blogger fashion shoot at the DVF studio on W. 14th St. Some of my fellow beauty and fashion bloggers from Coutorture decked themselves out in the new Diane von Furstenberg collection--very fresh and light. She's such a New York icon.

At the last minute, I decided to send out an extra-leggy model with perfect hair for the shoot instead of a not-so-leggy, very frizzy me. Anyhow you will see pictures of the model I got to dress up like a doll, and the whole behind-the-scenes scoop asap. Pronto!

Hearts forever,
Charlotte

Gotta Problem with Gossip Girl? Uh, Yeah....

So I'm a newbie to watching Gossip Girl, and the recent plot twist on la G.G. irked moi.

All these straight guys and girls have been outing gay guys on latest episodes. What the hell? Not only is this not cool, it's also an incredibly dangerous activity when you're in high school. Especially in less tolerant parts.

Don't get me wrong. Gay men are very squeezable and huggable. But in areas that are less tolerant and open-minded, especially when there are angry adolescent boys who often have both violent and homophobic tendencies, outing someone could place this most wonderful gay person in a really unsafe situation.

Even in Manhattan, and I know the show has gay writers, homosexual folks are attacked on the streets for their personal choices. It's okay to come out of the closet. It is. But every gay man should decide for himself and gauge carefully whether they are in a situation where it's safe to be out in the open.

Recently, a young gay teenager was killed after expressing a crush on another male classmate. Also, a queer female friend once got a glass bottle thrown at her for kissing a girl in high school.

Because of these kind of situations, it's really messed up for straight teens to out gay peers. One person's decision to come out of the closet shouldn't be made by anyone else.

Pls fwd to Gossip Girl: so not LOL.

Happy Birthday To Me

Dear amigas,

I guess I took a vow of silence on beauty product commenting/verb-ation/chatter for the weeks preceding my birthday, but that was kinda a mistake. Now that I'm "72" backwards, I feel like I need to make up (ouch, bad pun) for all the lost time with even more frolicsome activities and scandalous times. Why should all the people on Gossip Girl get all the fun?

Thank goodness for rhetorical questions that I can answer. They don't!

My latest obsession isn't lipstick, but surfing. Any trend that spurs the mass production of bikinis, keeps you glued permanently to the beach, and incites all manner of fun kookiness--i.e., Brian Wilson, helloooo--is my kind of sport.

Also, girls shred at surfing. Girls are always the best.

But what about you landlocked ladies? I'm thinking of you too. And well, this is one step in the right direction. Philosophy has unleashed a special Surfer Girl set. The scent of tropical papaya, kiwi and sugar cane moisturizer helps everyone feel beachy keen, even in Kansas.




I'm also way psyched about the new limited Christopher Kane-designed Lancome Juicy Tubes lip glosses. That was a mouthful, but these tend to land lightly on the lips.




Buy it: Surfer Girl Set by Philosophy ($35) and Juicy Tubes Lip Gloss ($18) by Lancome, Sephora.

Pick of the Day: MyChelle Fabulous Eye Cream

MyChelle Fabulous Eye Cream is like the double-stuffed Oreo of protective eye treatments. To moisturize, this potion has shea butter, and olive and almond oil. On the soothing side, the cream has chamomile and cucumber, aloe and lavender oil.

When I picked it up at Whole Foods, women were swooping in like vultures to get their MyChelle eye cream bottles, but I escaped intact.

TIP: When applying eye cream, gently dab it on, taking care not to stretch the skin under your eyes. The skin under your eyes is very sensitive and doesn't like to be tugged.

$800 Manolo Blahnik Shoes I Want

I feel a bit dumb whenever I want $800 shoes, but these are actually just $805, which is causing my brain to rapidly melt. Before all sense disappears, these are so--hot--pink. And beautiful.



Also, my friend offered me a spot of her Cargo lip gloss today when I realized I was sans lipstick. After dipping my finger into the second lightest pink shade in the Oceania lip gloss quad, my smile nearly swam away. Love it!



Buy it: Manolo Blahnik Satin Ankle Strap Sandle ($805), Bergdorf Goodman; Cargo Lip Quad in Oceania ($24), Sephora.

60 Seconds to Chic