Summer's Around the Corner, Are You Ready?

Whether you're getting ready for summer or your next trip to the tropics, the moisturizer you're using now may not be appropriate. We change up our whole skin care line in the summer, in fact one of us changes her cream to a super SPF and wears bronzer only.

When we were in Miami last time, we tried La Mer's new Moisturizing Gel Cream and loved it! It has all the same benefits as the original Creme de la Mer (hydration, repair, renewal, you know!); but in a much lighter formula. It was ultra light and left our skin smoother and firmer. The original formula would have been too rich in Miami's humidity. Actually, the original formula is just too rich at home for us.

We paired the Gel Cream with the SPF 18 Fluid Tint, which also has the beneficial seaweed extracts and antioxidants from La Mer. It too was light and provided sheer coverage (because you don't want your makeup caked on at the beach) and great sun protection.

You can find both a Saks, Neiman's, Bergdorf's, or www.lamer.com. These products come at a price, the Gel Cream retails for $220, the SPF 18 Fluid Tint for $65.

On Our Radar: Corning, New York

Admittedly, Central New York is an unusual pick for JSG, but as one half of us went to Syracuse for school, we have a soft spot for the area. If you're going to go, there's no better time than next week April 4-6 when the Annual Corning Glass Sale is happening. It's the only time of year when you can buy Steuben Glass as well as handiworks from all the local glass blowers on sale. You can even blow glass yourself.
Not packing your bags just yet? Downtown Corning has a "Chocolate Trail" (the first we've ever heard of one), a suggested path you follow with chocolate treats to sample along the way. But what will I wash all that chocolate down with, you ask? Corning is nestled in the Finger Lakes wine region, which we're told is only second to Napa for its concentration of vineyards. The area is know for its Rieslings, which we're going to say is an up and coming wine through our anecdotal experience.

Still on the fence? We suggest ending the weekend at the Turning Stone Casino, a short drive away in Verona, New York. We dream about the Skana Spa (sauna pictured above), which is said to rival Canyon Ranch in the Berkshires. It's treatments are Native American based and it features a "sweat lodge experience", which has to be one of the best ways to detox!

Two New Reasons to Love Cusp

We're lucky enough in D.C. to have two outposts of Cusp, a Neiman Marcus spin off. They've edited out all the filler and frumpy clothes, and hand picked gorgeous, stylish tops, dresses, and jeans. They've even laid out their favorite handbags, shoes, perfume, and makeup. It's a great place to score good deals when they're having sales too-- we just bought a gorgeous alice & olivia top and a Marc Jacobs dress!

This weekend Cusp opened their on-line shopping site (previously just a blog-but a fave of ours for their great fashion advice) and they've just announced that Lauren Merkin will be at the Cusp in Georgetown (3030 M St. NW) on Thursday, April 3rd from 6:00 to 8:00. She makes the best clutches from denim to leather to sequin. (We've featured them on JSG!) We would love to meet her and to sweeten the deal, Cusp is throwing in a free gift with purchase.

For more information on Lauren's visit, go to http://www.blogonthecusp.com/. To shop, go straight to http://www.cusp.com/.

Forget the Book Club...

We knew we would like Maureen Christian Petrosky the moment she started talking about what wine pairs with PB&J. (The answer: Zinfandel). Though she's the author of The Wine Club, she's obviously not your typical wine snob.

We met her at the launch event for Seven Daughters wine, a new affordable wine that is a blend of seven grapes and is 100% delicious. (You can find it at some Targets and it retails for a suggested price of $15.) Maureen's book is a fresh take on the book club, which when you get down to it, is basically just an excuse to drink wine anyways.

Her book is broken down into months and gives appropriate wine and food pairings with recipes for the season. For example, April is "Merlot My Dear" and she gives several suggestions of wines to experiment with from an $8 bottle from Chile to a $30 bottle of Bordeaux and the suggested nibbles are Parmesan Cheese Straws and Deep Fried Green Olives.

We suggest you do as Maureen says and "Get Your Drink On" while strategizing how you'll get away for your next girls' getaway!




Buy The Wine Club here.

Our New Addiction

We recently stumbled upon the website: FreeRice.com and spent close to an hour playing its vocabulary game. For every word definition you get correct, 20 grains of rice are donated to the United Nations World Food Program. The combination of learning, competing and doing something good for the world makes it an unbeatable combo for us.

Some words were easy, like "ecru" and "chutzpah" (we haven't lived in NYC for more than a decade for nothing!). Some we learned: who knew "concrescence" means "growing together"? And others like "mahout" (an elephant driver) will come in handy when we finally take that dream vacation to India.

This is a great way to pass a few minutes on a dull day at work or for a teen to prep for the SAT. We are warning you: FreeRice.com is TOTALLY ADDICTIVE!

New Rep, New Lipglass, Free Music!

Fergie is MAC's newest Viva Glam spokesperson and she's introducing the latest VG VI Lipglass. Visit the special section on their website (www.maccosmetics.com/fergie) to see behind the scenes coverage of the ad campaign, view ecards from Fergie, and most importantly download her new remix of Glamorous (called "Viva Glamorous")-the first 15,000 downloads are free! While you're there pick up the latest VG Lipglass, every dollar spent goes to the MAC AIDS Fund which has raised $100 Million to date!

Be a Star

We've always thought the downside to being a celeb must be dealing with the paparazzi. Who wants to go out for the morning Starbucks in sweats, sans makeup and get photographed? But we must admit we're intrigued by the Celeb 4 a Day personal paparazzi service.

Basically you hire your own paparazzi for an hour ($250) or an evening (up to $1,500) and a pack of photographers follow you around, shouting out questions (you supply them with appropriate dirt, like crushes, jobs, vacations, etc.). We imagine this must give you an edge when it comes to getting in a club. (Though following our guidelines accomplishes the same and you don't have to spend $250.)

Our SO would definitely get a kick out of this--he was just joking around with his friend the other day that he would make better fodder for US and Life & Style than most of the celebs. (He would!) We considered surprising our friend Heidi with the service on her upcoming birthday, but unfortunately the service is only available in Austin, LA and San Francisco at the moment. Fame will just have to wait!

Two New Products~ Two Totally Different Looks

Both Clinique and MAC introduced new foundation products this month. Clinique's gives you a polished, matte finish, while MAC's gives you a dewy, iridescent glow.

Clinique's new Almost Powder Makeup comes in the standard light green compact (remember the one you had in high school?). It goes on like a light foundation with good coverage and truly does dry like a powder. If you want an even sheerer look, they recommend using their new foundation brush. We can imagine keeping this in our purse this summer for quick touch ups or for a steamy night in the tropics when the glow is getting out of hand. It also has SPF 15, very important for the months ahead. Almost Powder retails for $22.50.

On the flip side, MAC's new Strobe Liquid, which is a thinner, lighter version of the popular Strobe Cream, goes on smoothly and gives a natural looking glow. We were sceptical at first, since we lean to the shiny side anyhow; but we were impressed even hours after using it. Our skin looked fresh and younger (oh yeah) and not greasy at all. It didn't provide opaque coverage for trouble spots; but even using it on the tops of your cheekbones over your regular foundation would give you a healthy glow. Strobe Liquid retails for $29.50.

You can find both at department stores nationwide this month or visit http://www.clinique.com/ and http://www.maccosmetics.com/.

Facialist to the Stars

When we were in LA for Fashion Week, we were lucky enough to get squeezed in for a facial at the Kate Somerville Clinic. We've read about it in just about every celeb magazine known to man: Kate takes care of the skin of, oh let's see, Paris Hilton, Jessica Alba, Sharon Stone, Lindsay Lohan, Debra Messing, Ellen Pompeo, Kerry Washington, Kate Walsh and Sandra Oh, just to name a few. And the celeb factor didn't disappoint: when we were waiting for our appointment, the receptionist was saying that Michelle Tractenberg had just had her eyebrows done there.

Could any facial live up to that amount of hype? Yes, and then some.

We had the Dermal Quench facial, which felt like little puffs of air, in a totally pleasant way. The puffs are actually shots of oxygen infused with vitamins and hyaluronic serum. All we know is that we could literally feel our skin getting plumper and less tired during the treatment. Afterwards, our skin was glowing and we truly were "Red Carpet Ready" as the brochure promised.

We've been using the Quench serum religiously. Our skin hasn't looked this good in years. We expect to get carded any day now!

Kate's products are available through 800-984-KATE.

As a funny aside, we learned that Johnny Depp used to have his office upstairs in a space that will soon be the clinic's VIP area. When we asked the manager if Johnny was as cute in person, she said yes, and they used to get excited when they could see Johnny's feet on his balcony!

Turn Down Service

Here's what we our fellow bloggers were talking about this week:

We learned Jenna Menard's must have products on Beauty of Life.

We peeked inside Beauty Maverick's medicine cabinet.

A Mom in Red High Heels filled us in on the Khiel's "Open Road" contest.

We found the perfect flat iron for traveling thanks to Talking Makeup.

Makeup Bag got us all excited for the Heatherette/MAC collaboration!

Girls Gone Glam: March 27th

Those of you in Washington: shop, support, and socialize--all for a great cause! The Washington D.C. affiliate of Dress for Success will hold its annual "Girls Gone Glam" at the Kimpton's Hotel Palomar in Dupont Circle from 6:30 pm to 9:30 pm next Thursday night, March 27th. Dress for Success helps outfit women who are re-entering the work force. Kimpton will provide the food and cocktails. Other reasons to attend are a silent auction, trunk shows by local boutiques, and beauty trends from area salons. Tickets are $60 on line or $65 at the door. We hope to see you there!

For more information and to purchase tickets, visit http://www.dfswashingtondc.org/.

Scoop for All

We’re guessing you don’t need us to tell you how awesome a store Scoop is—we love it for everything from going out tops and dresses to jeans that make our butt look perky to killer accessories. But as the e-commerce site is under construction, you’re out of luck unless you live or are vacationing in one of the 7 states where they have stores. Until now!

Scoop owner and all around Girl We Want to Be, Stefani Greenfield is presenting select Scoop accessories on HSN tomorrow, March 22 from 11 am-noon EST.

We particularly love the watches—they kind of reminds us of the Chanel J12 watch at a tiny, tiny fraction of the cost ($48!). We're coveting the black one!

UPDATE: It's actually 11pm-Midnight, March 22nd. Happy shopping!

On Our Radar: The Cove Atlantis

The Cove is the latest addition to the mega Bahamian resort Atlantis and its best effort yet at an adult oriented property. We've been wanting to visit since it opened last year; but our girlfriends, Shelly and Molly, beat us to the punch. They just got back and were raving about the Cove. It has all the things we're looking for in a great girls' vacation. For starters, it obviously has great weather, beach front, and water. The all-suite hotel has gorgeous rooms. Next, you add to that an awesome adults-only pool, Cain, which becomes a Miami-style lounge at night (pictured above). The Mandara spa is totally tempting. Looking for a good dinner? Bobby Flay opened his latest Mesa Grill and Nobu is next door at the Atlantis. Lastly, the people that brought you PURE Las Vegas opened Aura, a dance-all-night-til-the-sun-comes-up nightclub. What else could you ask for?

You can find more information and tempting pictures at http://www.thecoveatlantis.com/.

Our Secret Jewel Box

Last year for our friend Heidi’s birthday, we gave her a fun, cocktail ring with a ginormous faux emerald from Mark. We happened to be in Vegas at the time for our friend Shawn’s bachelorette party and all our other friends were green with envy and fought over who got to wear it.

We were laughing because we knew it didn’t even cost $20! That’s the beauty of Mark—they make sexy jewelry that everyone wants and it’s C-H-E-A-P! We have a necklace from last fall’s collection (shown) and every time we wear it we get loads of compliments. Up close you can tell it’s not exactly Tiffany’s, but trust us, when the lights are low at a restaurant or club, no one will be the wiser. And when jewelry is this trendy, there’s no reason to spend a lot on it anyway. Plus if you lose it on your travels, you won't sweat it out.


The ring above is only $14! Buy it in both colors!

Jewelry for Guys?

We were asking ourselves that very question before Valentine's Day. We spent some time looking around the Me & Ro website at the necklace above for our SO. We decided the price tag was too hefty for what is essentially a silver pendant on a cord.

Fast forward a month and we were wandering down Melrose Ave--easily the chicest block in all of LA. It's home to the Kate Somerville clinic, John Frieda at Sally Hershberger Salon, Oscar de La Renta, Mulberry and the Me & Ro store.

We stopped in and saw the necklaces in person. We were pleasantly surprised--the pendant definitely is hefty, the etching was well done and there's a translation on the reverse side, the clasp is made of a leather loop and silver disk and the cotton cord was super soft. We decided to go for the pendant with the Chinese symbol for "courage" (not available on the website). Our SO has had a rough time of late and deserved a nice surprise. Plus, he wore a bead necklace on our vacation to Mexico last year, so we thought he would probably be open to the idea of a necklace. And, we were on our second girls' trip in a month, after all.

When we got home, we nervously presented him with the prettily wrapped box, courtesy of the store. The good news--he LOVES it and has worn it every day since! He particularly liked the waxed cotton cord, which he says is so soft, he doesn't even feel it around his neck. The only downside is that our surprise gift may have been a little too nice. He questioned if we were covering up guilty feelings about cheating. Of course not, honey!

Win a $5,000 wardrobe from DVF!

You already know we L-O-V-E Diane von Furstenberg and she's just given us one more reason to love her a little bit more. Who else BUT Diane would sponsor a contest called "Women You Love"? As if we didn't know Diane loves women from her figure flattering clothes? To enter, write an inspirational story about a fabulous, strong, intelligent woman who has nurtured or inspired you. Looking at the current entries--most are just photos with a sentence or two description so we think the time is ripe for you to sweep the contest with a heartfelt essay. Whomever gets the most votes before April 19 wins a $5,000 DVF wardrobe, a trip to NYC and two tickets to the DVF Spring '09 show next September. That alone is worth entering for!

While we were perusing her site, we found the above rockin' shoes that are now on our wish list. (We're seeing them with--oh--just about everything in our summer wardrobe). They promise a "faceted heal for stability and comfort". Shoes that are sexy and comfortable? Diane, will you marry us?

A Bargain for Now, A Bargain for Later

Act quickly: One of our favorites, Prescriptives, is offering a 25 percent discount on its website, plus free shipping AND samples. Not sure what to get? We're big fans of the Groom Stick, which colors brows and keeps them in place (hazelnut works best for blondes and redheads). It's supereasy to travel with because it's skinny and you don't need an additional brow brush and the Super Line Preventor. Just enter the code: FFSP8 at checkout. It's good through March 21.

And here's a bargain for later:

Botkier is rumored to be doing a bag line for Target! We haven't heard when it's coming out yet, but we do know it will be affordable! If you can't wait, you can buy the above bag now at Saks, but it will set you back a cool $525!

The Green Fairy

No--we're not talking about Leprechauns. As it's St. Paddy's Day, we decided it was a good time to investigate Absinthe, otherwise known as the Green Fairy. It's definitely having a comeback, now that you can once again buy it in the states: Madonna recently served it at her post-Oscar's bash, which was rumoured to be one for the record books, and Page 6 reported last week that Anne Hathaway was spotted buying it.

The green, licorice flavored spirit has had a bad wrap of being a hallucinogenic. Scientists say that's debatable, but hey, we're not here to ruin anyone's buzz. Instead, we'll focus on the funny stories surrounding it:

Oscar Wilde said he felt tulip petals running up his shins after a particularly heady absinthe bender.

One of our favorite writers, Ernest Hemingway, created a cocktail called "Death in the Afternoon" with Absinthe. His directions (courtesy of Wikipedia): "Pour one jigger absinthe into a Champagne glass. Add iced Champagne until it attains the proper opalescent milkiness. Drink three to five of these slowly." We're pretty sure that would do us in!

Not sure how to drink it? We got a kick out of this tutorial on YouTube. Dig the funky background music and the narrator's French accent.

Now, we think we did imbibe absinthe ourselves a few years back. Our friend Robyn brought back a few bottles from Prague and threw an Absinthe party. We can't quite remember the details, but she says she mixed it with sugar, shot it, then "Our friend S did a face plant and I made out with anyone who would have me, including a plant." Hmmm...maybe it's best our memory is foggy!

Interested in trying it yourself? Head to your local liquor store or buy online here.

How to Look Like a Pussycat Doll

One of our personal highlights of LA Fashion Week was getting to meet Davis Factor, one of the founders of Smashbox Cosmetics, who was instrumental in bringing fashion week to LA 5 years ago (the shows are held at Smashbox Studios). He's such a force in the industry, we know that when he's excited about something, it has to be big!

And what is Davis excited about? He couldn't wait to show us the new Smashbox for the Pussycat Dolls collection--he even made his assistant run down the hall to grab a set so he could show us and the other TotalBeauty.com bloggers, including Erika from Makeupbag.net and Tammy from A Mom in Red High Heels. When we saw it, we could see why! Davis says the mission of Smashbox is to "Make every woman more beautiful with products thatt work well and solve problems." JSG's favorite is the Eyeshadow Trio which has everything you need to recreate the smoky eye seen on the sexy models at the PCD lingerie show last night (We told you LA Fashion Week was all about S-E-X!).

The PCD collection went on sale on the Smashbox website just yesterday! The packaging is super-cute and looks just like the models bra shown above. Get it while it lasts!

On Our Radar: Salt Lounge at the Ritz Carlton Amelia Island

We’re not generally fans of sweet cocktails—something about them screams “Instant Hangover”, but this rule tends to fly out the window on our girls’ trips. And when you mix in fresh fruits and veggies like they do on the new Cocktails from Scratch menu at Salt Lounge at the Ritz Carlton Amelia Island, well, let’s just say you won’t have to twist our arms.

Our faves are the Strawberry Night Martini made with Ketel One, Fresh Strawberries, & Simple Syrup and the Blueberry Mojito with Bacardi Superior, Mint, Fresh Blueberries, Simple Syrup, & Splash of Soda.

Aspiring bartenders or hostesses with the mostest will want to sign up for the Wed. night mixology class where you learn to make these heavenly sounding concoctions. Wish we were sipping one on a lounge chair right about now!

In Praise of the Irish

With St. Patrick's Day around the corner, here are a few of our favorite ways to go green:



1. Coole Swane Irish Cream Liquor. It was inspired by the Yeats’ poem, "The Swans of Coole" and promises a taste of the real modern day Ireland: single malt whiskey, fresh dairy cream and seductive cocoa from around the globe melted in. Sounds like the perfect way to top off a cup of coffee to us! Available online.


2. Lucky Betty -- color for the hair down there. For those looking for a new way to show express their green, we're pretty sure this will knock your SO's socks off. It even comes with a clover stencil and an adorable leprechaun tattoo. Way more clever than a glass of green beer! Available online.





3. Owen and Luke Wilson and Ed Burns--simply because we're always looking for an excuse to post photos of hot men!

Luck 'o the Irish, to you!

Update: Our pal Dave just told us that St. Patrick's Day will be officially celebrated in Ireland tomorrow, March 14, as Monday, March 17 falls during Holy Week. Who knew? Dave is obviously a better Catholic than JSG!

Hand Massages for All!

Since we're both from D.C. we never miss a chance to vote - especially when it comes with hand massages and cocktails!

Stop by a select W Hotel tonight from 7-9 pm (NYC's 50th and Lexington, Chicago, Dallas and more) to vote for your favorite new scent in the Bliss Eau-lection. Along with getting to make your vote count, the Bliss SpaSqaud will be giving free hand massages and there's a specialty cocktail menu inspired by the new fragrances.

Our pick is the Vibrant blood orange and white pepper--spicy and sweet!

The winning fragrance will be the new in-room amenity in W Hotels around the world later this year.

For more info and to cast your vote, click here.

A Few Words on the Mayflower and the Governor

With our Governor set to resign this am because of his tawdry dealings at the Mayflower in D.C. we want to share a few unrelated recollections about this grande dame of hotels.

When we were growing up, we would always go to the Mayflower for Easter brunch. The highlight wasn't the all you can eat shrimp cocktail or endless selections of desserts including solid chocolate bunnies, but the Champagne that we were served as underage teens. It started us on the road to becoming the bubble-holics we are today.

Many years later, when we were back visiting D.C. we were lucky enough to get to stay in a suite at the Mayflower. We were impressed that it even had it's own fireplace, though it was far, far too warm to use it in the middle of a typically steamy July. We were excited to see our exact room a few months later in the Jerry Seinfeld documentary, Comedian. If it was good enough for Jerry, were pretty sure that it was good enough for Eliot Spitzer, which means we likely stayed in a similar room to where the Governor ruined his career.

One final thought on the issue: We do think prostitution laws should be changed. It's unfair that a woman can be arrested for being a prostitute while a man who uses her service has done nothing wrong, in the eyes of the law. We're pretty sure that 99% of women are only prostitutes as a last resort, while the men who use them chose to use their services. This law smacks of being written by old, white men and needs to be updated.

Next In Line: MAC's Beauty Powder Blush

Considering they've brought back the high waisted jean, and pin straight hair has given way to loose, wavy curls (remember the Melanie Griffith hair at the Whitley Kros show), should we be surprised there's a push in make-up toward an 80's style darker, more defined cheek bone? Our first thought on opening the newest collection by MAC, the Beauty Powder Blush, was how bright the colors were. If you look closer though, the texture is silky soft with a slight shimmer and sheer color. You can use more to build up the dramatic cheekbone, or less for a daytime glow. Let's just hope they don't bring back the perm!



The Beauty Powder Blush is available this month at MAC Stores, department stores, or on line.

Brian Atwood Brings Sexy (Back) to Bally

A curious thing happened recently while flipping through our fashion mags: we kept earmarking pictures of Bally's spring shoes. Bally has always been a quality, classical, but conservative line. Our friend, Connie, put it best when she said her mother wore Bally (no offense, Mother). But this year Brian Atwood has taken over as creative director and brought with him a fresh, new 70's Bohemian chic to the brand. Formally of Versace and still designer of his own line of celeb-coveted heels, Atwood wanted to give Bally an updated look while retaining its reputation for quality craftsmanship (Bally is from Switzerland after all). He used rich leather and bold hardware like metal encased heels and gold studded insoles. We love the Manako (pictured above), a strappy high platform in a light grey, go with everything color, and the Nymona, a rich brown leather sandal with a suede platform.

You can see the rest of the line at http://www.bally.com/, store information is there as well.

Another shoe worthy note: if you haven't checked out Pierre Hardy's line of designer shoes made for the Gap, you should do so before all the sizes sell out. Launched last week, our size was sold out by day two! This was another experiment by Gap to bring in a high fashion designer for a limited collection. Hardy's shoes for Balenciaga can run over $1000, if you can get your hands on them, but at the Gap, prices range from $78 to $98. The gladiators, shown below, are our favorite. They would go great with all the the flowy, flowery dresses out this spring. The shoes are available at select stores and on-line.

Helping Out- One Great Purchase at a Time

This collection of "peace bangles" was created by Miami jewelry designers Mary, Michelle, and Joanne Stone. Proceeds from the sale of each set go to the Bridges Across Borders Cambodia Project. Each leather and 14 karat gold plated bangle has the inscription "peace for Cambodia" on the inside.

The Peruvian designers motto is one we truly appreciate:

to live life to the fullest,

to take risks, to be playful, to love,

to create beauty, and to always

have fun.

- by the stones

For spring, check out the jewel tone colors like fucsia, turquoise and pistachio. You can find them on line at http://www.bythestones.com/.

JSG at LA Fashion Week

Sex was in the air at L.A. Fashion week yesterday: One makeup artist told us he wanted the models to look like they had just rolled around in the hay; at another the inspiration was a girl doing the walk of shame and at a third, the hairstylist told us he was "masturbating" the hair! No surprise then the Pussycat Dolls show is the most anticipated show of the week and Jenna Jameson, self proclaimed Queen of Porn, is unveiling her PETA ad here today.

At Kelly Nishimoto, MAC makeup artist Gregory Arlt says he was going for a windswept romantic look, like a woman had just gotten off a horse or a roll in the hay (shown right). He opted for dark gray eyeliner instead of black, because "it looks dirty, like it has been there for a few days." He created a burnt burgundy lip, which made the model look like "She had just eaten a handful of pomegranates or drunk a glass of red wine."

Another look we loved was Lori Taylor's for Smashbox at the Orthodox show. She did a smoky eye using bronze, Cabarnet, and purple colors to make it look like, "The girl had hung out all night and was doing the walk of shame," says Lori. The lip was a dramatic maroon (like you had been smooching all night) from Icon and Radiant Smashbox glosses.

Finally, at the Whitley Kros show--Omar from GHD used Melanie Griffith's character in Working Girl as his inspiration (pre Joan Cusack cutting her hair). For those of you who are too young to remember-- Melanie's character was the hard working dreamer from Staten Island. The hair was BIG. "It's a good curl gone bad," says Omar. His technique was too advanced for us to create at home, but to simplify: use a small curling iron to replicate the tight curl of the 80's perm, separate the curl at the root and the end by "masturbating" it (basically, tease it), then flip your hair over and run your fingers through it. Here's the part we love: It looks even better the next day, says Omar. Perfect for the JSG on the go!

On Our Radar: Rocky Mountain High

After three great days of skiing Vail and Beaver Creek in 50 degree temperatures and the best snow conditions in 25 years, we were ready for some rest and recovery. Fortunately the day we took off was cold, grey and snowy.

We chose The Bachelor Gulch Spa, located in the heart of America's largest log cabin, also a luxurious Ritz Carlton mountain resort. The spa was warm and inviting, with wood, stone, and water elements that reflected the Rocky Mountains outside. The women's area was spacious and stocked full of amenities and products, no worries if you don't bring your own. It also boasts a hot tub, a cold plunge, a sauna, and a steam room, so you should go early and enjoy these prior to your treatment. The women's only relaxation lounge was peaceful and had plenty of comfortable seating. (We'll never forget a spa visit in Scottsdale where the men and women shared a small, crowded waiting room. Everyone had on the same robe and, let's just say, not only were the robes too small for the men, they didn't know how to sit in them either.) The rock grotto, which is co-ed, is another relaxation room with a large lazy river hot tub. It's a dramatic room that defines the style and feel of the spa (pictured above).

We had the Bachelor Gulch Signature Facial and Revital Eyes and Lip Relief, both of which did wonders for our wind and sun damaged faces. We especially appreciated that our aesthetician didn't pressure us to buy the products she used. Afterwards our fellow travelers commented on how healthy and glowing our complexions were.

The Ritz Carlton Bachelor Gulch resort has all the extras you would expect including its own chairlift which also services the Beaver Creek and Arrowhead ski areas, Wolfgang Puck's Spago restaurant, the loan-a-lab program (where you can take the resident labrador, Bachelor, for a walk), and smores by the outside fire each evening.

For more information on the spa or the resort, visit the Ritz Carlton website.

How to Be Best Dressed in the West

We are completely in love with the way people dress in L.A. Think Rachel Bilson (left) who can accessorize an oversized sweater and jeans with a mustard gold Christian Dior bag and look perfectly chic. While we have the utmost respect for the West Coast style—it doesn’t exactly come naturally to us native born East Coasters. So with a trip to LA on deck this week for the early part of LA fashion week (we’re flying Virgin Atlantic! Can’t wait!), we turned to our friends and LA-based fashionistas over at The Daily Obsession for some lalaland fashion advice!

Here’s what the girls had to say:
What’s the number one rule for dressing stylishly in LA?
Casual is the keyword for LA style. You can go from walking on the beach to dinner at Koi in the jeans of the moment (JSG note: We hope we do this on our stay!). It should look effortless and easy, a mix of high and low (ex. A vintage tee paired with Chanel flats). In general, you can’t go wrong with denim. Skinny jeans are still in - and you’ll see it on girls of all body types. They can be tucked into boots, worn with four-inch heels or with adorable flats. Wide-legged denim looks great with high, high heels (which can actually be done since we drive almost everywhere). But the traditional boot cut still shows up everywhere.

How do you get that casual cool look without looking like you're trying too hard?
Be comfortable and a little eclectic. Layering is key – so you may see a cropped leather jacket thrown casually over a little dress, or jeans and a cute little top under a light jacket.

What's your typical outerwear?
Scarves are everywhere! You’ll see them from fall to spring – and sometimes, even in the summer! Also, light jackets are a must in L.A. during the winter since the temperature can swing wildly when you travel from the beach to the valley. (JSG note: We love the floral Prada one uber-LA girl Jennifer Aniston was seen sporting last month.)

Are cowboy boots with a dress still popular? Does anyone still wear Uggs?
Oh no! The Uggs trend has officially died out – thank God! You won’t catch many girls in Uggs since it never gets that cold. (And it’s a general fashion no-no unless it’s freezing cold!) Sadly, after seeing one paparazzi photo after another of Britney (Spears) in cowboy boots, you won’t see many of those either. Instead, you’ll see other styles like ankle boots. Also, lots of girls are wearing Grecian style lace up sandals with little spring dresses lately. It’s a timeless look that fits in everywhere.

It's now nighttime—can we wear sequins? Metallics?

Definitely! Metallics can be worn anytime – more subtly during the day and a little flashy at night. During the day, you may see metallic threading in a cropped jacket, or maybe in a sundress with a boyfriend cardigan, grounded with a metallic belt. At night, it’s taken up a notch – with anything from a sequined mini-dress to a gold lame tank. But you’ll find more casual options as well. For instance, a white tank with a sequined shrug and cute jeans is a staple at the Hollywood clubs.

What designers do you think capture the LA essence?
Mike & Chris, J Brand, Ella Moss, Rachel Pally, Trina Turk, Jenni Kayne.

Sounds like JSG needs to go shopping! We haven’t even tried on a pair of gladiator sandals. Are we tall enough to wear them? We'll let you know.

Stila Give-a-way

“Live for a Day” the Stila way. To celebrate the March 7th release of “Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day,” starring Amy Adams and Frances McDormand, Stila is kicking off an online sweepstakes with Universal Focus and VisitBritain. The grand prize winner will be whisked away to London with a friend, where she’ll enjoy spa treatments and tea for two during her four day adventure.

Three first prize winners will win a Stila gift basket valued at $150. To enter, simply go to StilaCosmetics.com.

Most importantly, you can learn how to get the look from Stila inspired by Amy’s look in the film at StilaCosmetics.com. To get gorgeous, all you need is the Original Smoky Eye Palette, MAJOR Major Lash Mascara, Brow Set, Illuminating Tinted Moisturizer, Cherry Crush Lip and Cheek Stain and Lip Glaze in Apricot.

Skyn Iceland Pure Cloud Cream

We recently tried Skyn Iceland Pure Cloud Cream as part of the Total Beauty program. This cream is similar in texture to La Mer. Its claims to heal stressed and damaged skin are similar too. We focused the sample we had on the skin under our cheek bones and down under and along the jaw bone. In the winter, this area is particularly dry. We used the sample for three days (morning and night) and the Cloud Cream did a very decent job of smoothing and moisturizing. We think it would be too thick for summer time; but fine for winter. We also prefer products that contain SPF to minimize our steps in the morning (the Cloud Cream lacks SPF). It has a soft, slight scent and a wonderfully fluffy texture. Here's a word of caution: there's a big price tag, $75 for 1.7 oz.

You can find Skyn Iceland Pure Cloud Cream at Sephora.

Time's a Changin'!

We were pretty impressed with ourselves when we found out on a recent doctor’s visit that we have a Vitamin D deficiency. All those hard years of applying sunblock and sitting in the shade paid off! Of course, osteoporosis isn’t any sexier than sun damage, so we started taking Vitamin D supplements on a regular basis. And we found out from our dermatologist, the fabulous Dr. Doris Day, author of Forget the Facelift, that Vitamin D not only boosts our bones and decreases our breast cancer risk, there’s a hidden benefit for us travelers as well: It reduces jet lag!

Dr. Day recommends taking 2,000 iu when you're at home and 3,000 iu when you’re traveling, starting the day you leave.

Not flying cross country anytime soon? This nifty trick will also come in handy when we set our clocks ahead an hour this Sunday!

If all this talk of time has you wanting a new watch, when we got the Burberry catalog, we flagged the page for this men's watch!

Say It Ain't So: Airborne Doesn't Work

As long time fans of Airborne, we were sad today to read that they will be settling a class action lawsuit for about $23 million on the grounds they falsely advertised that the product prevents colds. Maybe it was the placebo affect, but we really did believe that taking a dose on the plane helped us escape from some dicey situations (a particularly long flight home from Hong Kong when we were seated next to a nose picker comes to mind). Not to mention it settles a bloated or hungover stomach nicely.

The lawsuit was filed by the Center for Science in the Public Interest, that same group of curmudgeons who ruined Chinese food and movie theater popcorn for us a decade ago. Couldn't they have let us at least think we were doing something that worked? After all, a study came out today that found expensive sugar pills work better than cheap ones.

Table That Discussion

Our friend, Lauren, just gave us "Table Topics," a conversation-style game filled with questions ranging from thought provoking to straight up provocative. The Girls Night Out version features questions like, "If you had to gain 10 pounds what would you eat to gain the weight?" (some combination of cheese and chocolate. Not together, of course) and "In order to have any wish granted would you sleep with someone you weren't attracted to?" (Wasn't that what our 20s were about? Kidding! But if the wish were to save the planet or world peace, we guess we would.)

JSG are not big gamers, but this will be in our carry on this weekend. It'll be a fun diversion at the poolside while we're sipping our tropical drinks. (We're not saying you can't make this into a drinking game. Actually--that's a good idea!)

This would also make a great hostess gift for your next book club meeting or upcoming St. Patrick's Day party.

Available for purchase at http://www.tabletopics.com/.

Nail It!

We've heard of matching nails to our outfit, to our lipstick and to our eye shadow, even, but JSG is ready to throw out a new trend for you: Matching nails to your hair.

We didn't do this intentionally, but when we tried out the N Collection from MAC, we naturally gravitated towards the Naturally Rich nail polish. It seemed like a fresh alternative to the reds and burgundies that we usually wear this time of year. It wasn't until we went out and ran into three friends, including Erika from Makeup Bag, who all said they loved how our polish matched our hair. What do you think--those are our red locks shown above.

Blondes could try Nars' Bambi (we'll replace with a photo of the bottle as soon as we get one): and brunettes could try OPI's Decades of Shades: Are we on to something?

UPDATE: We hear that Nars' Bambi is discontinued, though it is still available on their website.