A Shout Out to I. E. Fashion

Talking Chic
A Shout Out to I. E. Fashion

I live in Rancho Cucamonga, California, a city revolving around commerce, raised trucks, and some of the best hot wings around (Buffalo Wild Wings, people). About 20 minutes from Pomona, where I grew up and lived for the majority of my life, and just over an hour east of the heart of Los Angeles, lies Rancho, one of the more uppity cities of the Inland Empire, you might say.

And whether in the beautifully diverse neighborhood of P-town or amidst the elderly dog walkers at my Rancho condo complex, I am finally overcoming my usual complaint: How does a fashionista truly exist when she’s surrounded by more drive-thrus and liquor stores than the preferred boutiques of Beverly Hills?

Well, considering most stylish beings are guided by an irrevocable light of creativity and hope, the end is never close. This said, I believe that I. E. gets too much of a bad rap when it comes to fashion, quite honestly. I am over the chunky-streaked hair, big Rocket Dog flip flops, and a “wife-beater” tank all wrapped into one played-out ensemble, yes . But I’m gonna go ahead and give a woo woo to some of my favorite local outlets, such as Target, Bebe, Macy’s, Off Saks, Forever 21, and Urban Outfitters. Yes, they do actually exist here, offering me options galore.

These shops give me the affordable styles, color, and designer touches that help me regain my strength and peace after a long day behind the computer. The confidence I need when I’ve gained five pounds. The rewards I need when I’ve lost five pounds. And most importantly, the luxury of quality without having to leave the I. E.

Because when it comes down to it, I don’t want to feel that the only place to find pieces worthy enough to update my wardrobe is the city of Los Angeles. Sure, if I could scour through the musty shops on Melrose or grab a bite to eat at the Farmer’s Market before hitting the Grove off 3 rd and Fairfax without having to spend my entire week’s lunch money on a single day of gas, I’d be all over it.

Not only do I pride myself as a sassy lady, but a smart fashionista as well. Don’t get me wrong, when I am craving a drive out west in dire need of a little R&R shopping, I make a date with my sister (and now my little niece) for a shopping excursion, making our trip to the City of Angels well worth the ride.

But until the day that I have a driver waiting for me outside eager to take me into the majestic land of lush boutiques and swanky eateries, you will find me striding into “Tar-jay” after work. I may be tired from running around the office in heels all day, and hungry because I’m back on the low-carb lifestyle, but I will be in heaven. This is because as I sift through the new Mossimo and Isaac Mizrahimarkdowns on display, I know I am just up the street from my day job and down the street from my home.

Aaaaaaahhhh… the peace from avoiding the 10 Freeway and the 101…!

Elana Pruitt (www.talkingchic.com)

Fall back ten and punt

Insights
Fall back ten and punt.

Florida gave me a lot. I got my degree. I gave birth to my youngest daughter. I found myself and solidified my identity. However, over the past few years I have been suffering losses. My oldest children are grown but did not leave the nest, and along with maturity there had been contention. I found myself giving more and more and receiving back resentment.

My oldest son left for Thailand 2 years ago and I was worried. How will this guy make it in a foreign country where he did not speak the language? He barely had a job. How would I ever be able to reach him there?

This was the beginning of my growing up and facing that at some point my little ones would have to leave the nest and flounder on their own in order to grow.

My oldest daughter had a baby not too long before that and I found myself taking care of her, the baby, and my other son still in high school. My youngest daughter barely got the attention she needed because I was pulled in so many directions.

I tried to do everything at once, including working on a degree in Math, working a full time job, taking opera lessons, and maintaining a household. At some point a house of cards will fall, and so did mine.

It hit me one day: I can’t do everything. Then I shook myself and tried to do more. I found love or so I thought and tried to juggle that, too. Well, a juggler can only keep so many balls up in the air, and unfortunately, mine came tumbling down.

I have a lot of energy, and well, I didn’t lose it. But I kept trying harder and harder. I was moving in circles and getting nowhere.

I had to sit down and rethink some things. Like, how when you do everything for your children, they naturally expect you to do everything. I had created an intolerable situation. I was expected to do everything, including cooking, cleaning, paying the bills, advising, comforting… everything!

I tried backing off. Having been raised by my mother to be a very nice person, I tried to be compassionate and understanding. I slowly clipped the apron strings. I suggested to my grown children that they move out, find their own place, and create their own life.

I was born with a lot of patience, but when I’ve had enough, I’ve had enough. After you’ve had enough, you endure. I endured. And endured and endured.

No one moved out. They were defiant in their resolve to maintain the status quo, that is, Momma does the cooking, cleaning, paying of the bills, advising, comforting… everything!

I suffered abuse. I received insults, and after all I’ve done for them, I had to accept their abusive friends and disrespectful behavior.

At some point you have to teach your abusers that they are getting nowhere trying to abuse you. My way of doing that was resisting. Arguing, refusing to move. By doing this I made my abusers stronger. My children were able to push harder and harder. Their muscles became that much bigger and I found myself unable to push back.

I had to learn to yield. Not to my children, but to myself. I had to begin to read the signals my heart was sending me. I had to cut my losses.

For several months I felt despair. Where did I go wrong? My youngest son would only voice his resentment toward me. My oldest daughter would only disagree with and defy me. I would cry when no one was near. I would call my mother and cry on her shoulder. I would call my friends and cry on their shoulders.

And one day I stopped crying. Instead, I took action.

I have a great friend named Ralph. He doesn’t like sports much but he will watch football occasionally. One day when we were talking, and I was listening, he told me about a term in football, “fall back ten and punt.” He told me sometimes you have to cut your losses and make the most of a situation. That punt, if successful, could give you the extra points you need to either give you an edge, get you above zero, or even defeat your opponent. And of course, friend that he is, he said I was a very strong person and was smart enough to do the right thing.

Well, coming from Ralph, that meant a lot because he’s a very smart person, a physicist and an engineer.

Fall back ten and punt.

A few months ago I attended a funeral… my uncle’s. I started thinking about my family and how these people I hadn’t seen in years showed me so much love and support. I thought about the possibility of myself going home and starting over. But I wouldn’t be starting over, I would be moving forward.

I have this wonderful car, a Ford Taurus station wagon, and it’s big enough to hold plenty of boxes. I packed my car with a few boxes and my suitcase, and kissed my loved ones good-bye. I decided I would move from Florida all the way to California… alone.

Having to leave my youngest daughter behind was very difficult because she is as mellow as I am and we have a lot of fun together. So I hesitated. We cried. We held each other. I told her I would return for her later. I hugged my oldest children and told them I love them. Then I started on my journey.

I’m in California now. I am working part time tutoring kids and about to pick up some of those balls that I had to drop before. Sometimes it pays to let go. Sometimes risks pay off, and I am sure everyone will be better off in the long run.

Lisa A. Trimarchi

The “F” in Fashion Is for Fun

Talking Chic
The “F” in Fashion Is for Fun

…Let’s step back a sec and pretend that Britney’s sole reason for shaving her head was because she was eager to spark a young Hollywood trend in baldness. Did that ever cross anyone’s mind? Well, it crossed mine—I am a firm believer in having fun with fashion.

Just as award show season has occupied much of the E! Network with pre-show coverage, post-show coverage, and Fashion Police disses, my few hours between sleep and work consist of watching beautiful hosts talk to beautiful people time and time again. In doing so, I have come to the conclusion that not only “hair” has become the “ultimate accessory” in A-list credo, but so is a star’s stylist. And from what I’ve heard, I have gathered that there are many celebrities out there with really bad taste; however, thanks to the professional stylists, America can barely pick out who is clueless and who wishes they could have more spunk in their swang. So bringing it back to Britney, couldn’t one say that she is simply being herself but just getting ridiculed for it? Or desperately daring to be herself despite the commotion she has stirred?

So with a stylist as a sidekick, are other celebs misleading the public into thinking that they actually know a thing or two about real style? Truth is, we care…but we really don’t. All in all, we just want a celebrity to look good and maintain the holier-than-thou status that society continues to hold them to. Yet when a star—aperson—steps out of the grips of Hollywood and dares to take a chance on the raw emotion she is feeling at the moment, we point, laugh, exploit, make fun of, and chastise them because they are defying what and who a celebrity is supposed to be.

Since when did fashion get so serious that a girl can’t shave her head and not make it on every gossip magazine at the grocery store? It’s just hair, people, really. But Britney’s move was definitely shocking…for me to watch, at least. I’ll admit it. I myself enjoy playing around with braids, weaves, and scarfs; how my hair looks is nearly as important, if not more, than the jeans on my butt and the shoes on my feet.

I understand the symbol of femininity engrained in the look of a woman’s hairstyle. And for me, I gotta feel confident before I step out the door. So for many of us who watched actual news coverage over Britney’s lock chop, which in itself is sad—(Hello? Aren’t there troops in Iraq to cover? What about the burglar down the street to show on the 10 o’clock news?)—it seems like the real issue is that without her hair, she has lost any sort of sex appeal that may have made boys twist in their seats and girls buy her music to feel as empowered as they may have believed her to feel.

Maybe the real empowerment was in Britney’s forgetting about what her stylist, her family, and her management team wanted for her. Despite any sickness or help she might need, I actually felt a sort of envy in the fact that she let all of her inhibitions go and lived for the moment. Whatever that moment held for her, Britney is still the Mickey Mouse Club tyke and the I-kissed-Madonna chick—but possibly for one of the first times in her life, she became the I-think-for-myself Britney.

So with the insistence of our dear friend, I am actually going to extend the “F” for fun to the “F” for “F&#% you.” Now, that’s what I call a role model.

Elana Pruitt

www.talkingchic.com

Xtreme Lashes™ – Made for the Low Maintenance Beauty Junkie

The Beauty Agenda

Xtreme Lashes™ – Made for the Low Maintenance Beauty Junkie

As I lay on the table in the stark white room, the skillful technician placed one eyelash at a time on my lids. I closed my eyes and imagined just how lovely I would be in the tropical islands that I would be visiting on my trip to the Caribbean. Some people thought that what I was doing was indulgent, but I saw it as self-preservation. After all, I wouldn’t have the time to apply false eyelashes after a long day’s excursion in Key West, Cozumel, or the Caymen Islands. I had to look glamorous. Why? Because I was on a cruise! I had to dress up for dinner and be elegant for at least half of my meals.

You might think that spending $250.00 for eyelash extensions is extravagant. But it reallypaid off big when I received compliment after compliment, and stare after stare. A couple of people even commented on how gorgeous my eyes were. I am not an unattractive female, but never before have I received so many comments directed at my eyes. What made the eyelash extensions so wonderful was the fact that I could go scuba diving, disco dancing, jet skiing, and sunbathing, and never once did I have to worry about my eyelashes. My makeup might have worn off a time or two, but my eyelashes lasted the entire trip. The only problem I encountered was the extreme humidity of the Caribbean. Instead of my lashes lasting two months, they only lasted three weeks. They started to fall off shortly after I returned home from my vacation.

Xtreme Lashes™ is the product that I used. This was an experiment to see if I could go without those cumbersome false eyelashes and enjoy the freedom of “naturally” long eyelashes.

Xtreme Lashes™ is a relatively new product that lengthens and thickens eyelashes. They are semi-permanent eyelash extensions that are individual synthetic lashes designed to replicate a natural eyelash, and are applied one eyelash extension at a time. They not only extend the length of your original eyelashes, but they also thicken at the same time.

To apply one set of eyelash extensions, the procedure takes anywhere from 90 to 150 minutes. When I got my eyelashes extended, I was comfortable—I had my iPod for entertainment, and it was over before I knew it. Touch-ups can be done in as little as 15-45 minutes.

Xtreme Lashes™ uses HP-3 high performance bonding agents. It has all the key featuresneeded in superior eyelash extension glue. It is odorless and bonds stronger, dries faster and lasts longer. The primary agent of HP-3 is the same substance used for closing wounds without stitches. And to remove these lashes, you use the Xtreme Lashes™ Specialty Formulated Bonding Agent Remover. This is a gentle remover that quickly and gently removes the bonding agent without harming your natural eyelashes. It is a medical grade that smells great and contains antibiotic agents.

If you are not into high maintenance, then eyelash extensions could be the answer. I highly recommend this product for brides. Imagine looking gorgeous with your semi-permanent lashes. And after you remove the elegant bridal makeup and gown after your special day, you still have those long luscious lashes. And when you board that plane, that ship, or that bus for your romantic honeymoon, you will be the envy of all women. No matter how extreme the temperature, your lashes will last. I don’t know about you, but I am one of those people whose eyes seem to disappear when they’re not wearing any eye makeup. Xtreme Lashes™ takes care of that problem completely.

I know this is starting to sound like an advertisement, and I am by no means being paid to endorse this product, but I can assure you, it is worth every dollar. Try it once, and you will be amazed. You just might get hooked as I did.

Xtreme Lashes™ has been featured in Redbook, Hairstyles, Hairdo Ideas, Spa Review, Inside Edition, Jane, Teen Vogue, OK Weekly; and has been worn by celebrities Diedre Hall, Bai Ling, Regina King, Cathy Hickland, Shannon Doherty, Miss Texas 2007, and Allison Janney.

To learn more about Xtreme Lashes, or to set an appointment for eyelash extensions, visit their website at www.xtremelashes.com.

Written by Kaylene Peoples

Dreams

Insights

Dreams

I’ve spent a fair amount of my adult life in serving others. I helped initiate three of my children into adulthood and single-handedly provided them the support they needed to launch out on their own and start to accomplish things and discover their dreams. While doing this, I put many of my own dreams aside and fell full into serving society, family, and others. That singer and dancer stood in the wings waiting for her turn to perform. In light of life’s little dramas, getting the kids off to school, helping them graduate from high school, and preparing them for college, the performance had to be placed on hold; and the artist writer stood, pen suspended in air, for her time to create.

In the meantime, the world has continued at its pace, and like the raisin in the sun, the dreamer’s dreams seemed to shrivel. All the while the singer and dancer ached to escape the mind’s barriers and make the appearance now.

I am that artist, that dancer, that singer, and that writer.

One day I realized that another moment waiting to find my passion was a moment ill spent. I got in my car and drove cross-country. I drove from Florida to California with only a few of my belongings.

I decided to materialize my dreams out of what seemed to be nothing, and I must say that I am starting to see them become reality.

It takes courage to make changes. It takes the type of courage that causes you to go against tradition to follow your dreams. I should have laid mine down a long time ago to be replaced by responsibility. Working and making a living took precedence for many years, but did not lend me happiness.

I have a friend who emigrated here from India. His long dream to be an actor has finally taken hold in America. He had to make many sacrifices and practice a kind of selfish virtue in order to start to see his dreams materialize. He left family and friends. He set out on the impossible task of learning the acting craft and then someday performing.

“Pressure, I know pressure,” he says. “Pressure to do what your family wants, pressure to do what is right, pressure to make it in a world where you often feel unwelcome.”

In spite of all the pressure, however, he still makes time to take acting classes where he has to let down defenses that were ingrained in him from his youth, taught never to disagree or argue. Taught to be nice always. He is now letting those barriers down to allow opportunity in. He has to pause and ask, “What is it that I truly feel?” In recognizing his true feelings, he can perform and become himself in any character.

I face a similar challenge. I’ve spent a few years caring for others, putting my dreams and myself last. Now I have more freedom. With that freedom I am faced with what do I do now? For so many years all I wanted was the opportunity to do what it was I truly desired: sing, write music, and learn to play the guitar. I’ve been conditioned to seek out something useful to do to ensure that others are cared for. I now am faced with the task of countering that conditioning and discovering what it is that makes me feel fulfilled and truly happy.

Lately I’ve been leaning toward learning the guitar, taking time to dance, and making room for an ever-expanding spiritual side that has lately grown beyond my ability to contain it.

What happens to a dream deferred? In my case, as Langston Hughes so eloquently states, it explodes!

Once your dreams are allowed to spill over, there’s no knowing where they will lead you. In my case they’ve led me to California, three thousand miles from where I started.

Written by Lisa Trimarchi

My First Photo Shoot

Talking Chic

My First Photo Shoot

I’m not sure exactly what turned me on to a day of outdoor modeling. Maybe I was tired of hiding behind the computer. Maybe it was to prove my sister right—that I really am the “cool auntie” my niece would grow to love. Maybe it was to explore a new art concentration. Or maybe, as an avid “America’s Next Top Model” viewer, I just wanted to see what all the hype was about… was it really that difficult ?

One word: YES.

Truth is, out of about 80 photos, only 20 were to my liking. Whether I got my money’s worth, whether I didn’t, whether I ever actually use the shots for anything worthwhile, or whether I hold onto them for my trips-down-memory-lane at 90-years-old, I learned more than I can really say.

To sum it up though, my experience in exploring this thing that we all know as modeling is something no lady of fashion can ever truly understand, or judge for that matter, unless she throws herself into the shoes of a model, especially if you think you can look even more fierce than winner Caridee in a single shot. (Yeah, good luck with that!)

So just do it—let go of all your inhibitions, choose a photographer you are comfortable acting a fool in front of, and realize that you are also choosing to do more than just model.

Because modeling involves much more than just “posing” for the camera, here are a few tips to amateurs who are yet to afford the luxury of hiring your own help or have yet to reach the status to be hired on yourself:

You have no assistant; eat something first! O. K., so the morning arrives and you decide that the only hard-core way to feel like a model is to skip breakfast and feel skinnier that morning. But guess what? Smack in the middle of working, you feel panicky because you ALSO forget your morning coffee. So in wardrobe (stiletto boots and all), you run into a local Starbucks for a quick java, all the while feeling ridiculous for being dressed totally inappropriate for a college-town coffeeshop.

Sorry, honey, no makeup artist for you this time! Ain’t that the truth. You love the job you did on your face with your new M.A.C. makeup, and you remember to bring nearly all of it to location. However, because you want to feel free in front of the camera, you leave EVERYTHING in the car. So as you go back and forth to touch up your lips and quickly combat T-zone shininess with powder, you are taking up too much time and losing all concentration because you are focusing too much on the outer beauty versus letting your inner beauty come through.

Without a publicist, you gotta make your own calls! So if you are serious about taking good photos and you happen to have an awesome photographer who says she will shoot as long as you have the time…don’t screw it up by cutting it short because you were supposed to meet a girlfriend for lunch. Do yourself a favor and keep the day as open as possible for your first day of modeling. And honestly, you will need about an hour to relax, EAT, and calm down from the excitement and stress that made your Saturday an unforgettable December 16th. Without someone next to you who can make that cancellation call for you, this means interrupting the shoot again to go find your cell and become an annoyance to both your friend as well as the photographer.

… And so many more lessons learned from this experience. As a writer who understands the loneliness behind a creative profession, I actually got a taste of the solitude a model probably lives through in order to play dress up and fully transform into that character, allowing herself to become vulnerable and weak in front of the camera. All this while trying to create a masterpiece of raw emotion—whatever that emotion may be.

Overall, it was an indescribable feeling, seeing myself in my favorite pieces (Fortunately, I DIDN’T have a stylist for my first photo shoot).

Because when it comes down to it, all that is really left is the photo…or the article. It is merely a point in time when you realize that you accomplished something you truly believe in, and a point in time when you know that the real accomplishment is simply having the guts to put yourself out there.

Written by Elana Pruitt

www.talkingchic.com

Enjoy a Spa Treatment from Your Own Kitchen!

The Beauty Agenda

Enjoy a Spa Treatment from Your Own Kitchen!

that time of year when winter weather leads to dry skin and dry hair. Don’t have time or money for the spa treatment? Not to fear. You can treat yourself to the spa treatment right in your own home. Your kitchen has just what you need!

Banana Facial

This one is good for wrinkles as well as providing a mild sloughing effect. It acts as a peel and a scrub. Mash an overripe banana and mix with a little salt. Smear on your face and neck. Let it dry. Take a washcloth and scrub it off. Makes an excellent exfoliater, and a mild peel that will polish the surface of your skin. The salt acts as a mild scrub. It’s not too harsh on the skin because the salt dissolves, as you wash off the masque.

Avocado Masque

Works as an excellent skin moisturizer! Just mash a ripe avocado and slather on your face and neck. Leave on for 20 minutes and then wash off with warm water.

Papaya Facial Peel

Don’t pay hundreds of dollars to your dermatologist for a chemical peel! Papaya works just as well at a fraction of the cost.

The papaya contains an enzyme that dissolves dead skin cells and facial oils.

First remove the seeds from the papaya. Then mash a little. About one tablespoon should do it! Smooth it on your skin for about 20 minutes and then rinse off. You will feel a mild tingling sensation. Follow up with a mild moisturizer.

Olive Oil Hair Treatment

This helps repair split ends, gets rid of dandruff, and makes your hair shiny, silky, and lustrous. Massage a few tablespoons of olive oil into scalp and hair. Cover hair with a plastic cap and leave on for 30 minutes or more. Then shampoo as usual.

Mayonnaise Hair Moisturizer

Makes an excellent Hair moisturizer and scalp cleanse.

Take about 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise and slather on hair, wrap hair in plastic and cover with a towel for 1 hour. After one hour rinse off with warm water and wash hair with a good conditioning shampoo.

The following facial sauna will not only moisturize and hydrate the skin, but will also dissolve away stress.

Bowl of boiling water

Sage

Green tea bags

Dry towel

Put on some relaxing music. Add tea bags and dried sage to the bowl of boiling water. Make a tent with your towel and head over the mixture. Enjoy a few minutes of the best moisturizer and pore cleanser money didn’t buy!

Written by Lisa Trimarchi

Beautician or the Beast – When Friendly Stylists Become Dangerous Foes

The Beauty Agenda

Beautician or the Beast – When Friendly Stylists Become Dangerous Foes

A Jerry Seinfeld episode sums this article up perfectly. Seinfeld had a barber who never cut his hair to his satisfaction. One day, while in his barber’s chair, he saw a new barber who was much better—hisbarber’s nephew. Jerry was always too scared to complain about his hair. So one day, after yet another bad haircut, he snuck off to get his hair done by the new guy—he crossed enemy lines. What happened next? His main barber found out and went ballistic. Sometimes the fear to confront a less than adequate stylist is not always unfounded.

I have been going to my beautician for years and have learned to trust her. I sit in the swivel chair while she applies all sorts of chemicals to my hair. She has dyed my hair and advised me against over processing. Over the years, I have learned that my beautician knows best… or does she?

I was casually having coffee with a dear friend of mine, and noticed her hairstyle. I complimented her and she half-heartedly thanked me. I asked her what was wrong, and she proceeded to complain about her, our beautician. You see, we both go to the same salon and have been for over a decade.

Charlotte cut my hair too short. I was just getting used to the look and she chopped it off before I ever knew what hit me. I didn’t even ask her to cut it. She just started cutting and before I knew it, my hair was 2 inches shorter.

Last week another female friend of mine was complaining about exactly the same thing. Even I had moments when I left the salon disappointed that my own hairdo had been compromised by those unwelcome scissors. If so many clients are unhappy with their stylists, then why doesn’t anybody do something about it, I wondered. I remember leaving an old beautician for the exact same reason. I didn’t want to go through another one without speaking up first.

I made a decision that the next time I sat in Charlotte’s chair, I would speak my mind, diplomatically of course. Charlotte did her normal routine with my hair, and after I emerged from under the dryer, my moment had come. I was sitting in the chair and Charlotte reached for the scissors. My heart was pounding. It was now or never.

Charlotte, do you think we really need to trim this time?

Charlotte looked at me and agreed not to cut this time. I felt power. I overcame! O. K., now I had the confidence to go all the way.

Charlotte, would you mind not cutting my hair for a while unless I ask you to? It’s just that I am trying to grow my hair long and you keep cutting off the new growth.

Charlotte got defensive and told me in no uncertain terms that I needed to trim my hair and that she wasn’t trying to sabotage my look. My hair just needed to be cut. I pleaded with her, re-emphasizing that it was my hair and if I didn’t want a trim, it should be my choice; but according to her, I had no say in the matter—she was the gatekeeper for my coif! She raised her voice, and I was humiliated by the stares of the other customers in the salon. Was I overreacting? Should I just let her cut at her whim? Do I have the right to ask her not to trim? After all, she took care of my hair for so many years. Was I out of line? Of course not! It is my hair, not hers. I was paying her for a service. By the time I escaped the salon, I had practically kissed Charlotte’s butt, stroked her ego, before she calmed down and finally agreed to wait until I asked her for a trim. I left her chair that day nervous and totally shocked that she reacted with such vehemence.

So what are women supposed to do when they are unhappy with their beauticians? There are really only three options:

1. Look for a new salon.

2. Express your grievances and hope for the best.

3. Learn to do your own hair.

Look for a New Salon

The easiest way to find a hair salon suited to your needs is to ask people with hair styles similar to what you want for a referral to their hair salon. These may be people you know or complete strangers that you see while you are out shopping. Do not be shy. If you see a cute style that you have been unsuccessfully trying to achieve, ask the person which hair salon they go to. You may never get a chance to do so again.

—Michael Barrow, Stylist—

I was at the Los Angeles courthouse one day and the clerk who helped me had the longest, healthiest hair I’d ever seen. I complimented her, and she told me she goes to the Long Hair Specialists in Pasadena. I called The Long Hair Specialists and they seemed like the perfect salon for me. They specialized in haircuts that compliment your hair while it’s growing out of a cut. Therefore, they are not a scissor-happy salon and rarely cut your hair at all. They focus on hair care and maintenance.

Express your grievances and hope for the best.

You should never leave the chair disappointed, but when it happens, here are a few tips to help you. Tell your stylist that the haircut or color isn’t what you had envisioned. If it’s a bad dye job, it can usually be fixed. It may not end up being what you wanted ultimately, but it most likely will at least be tolerable after she fixes it. If your haircut isn’t what you asked for, try to find a picture next time to show your stylist what you had in mind. After all, they are not mind readers. Many times, we envision one thing but don’t properly intimate that to our beautician. Many times we are too vague and leave too much to their imaginations. Just complaining about a bad hairdo isn’t enough. Keep in mind that cosmetology is an art, and you are dealing with an artist’s temperament. To express dislike is the equivalent of rejecting a painter’s painting.

Do it Yourself

Many people dye their own hair. There are so many consumer products like Loreal and Clairol. And I know a lot of women who have successfully dyed their own hair. If you’re trying to relax a curl, there are several do-it-yourself relaxers on the market like Dark and Lovely and Naturalizer Kit in a Jar. Some relaxers are even premixed and require very little effort. The same goes for perming (adding curl) like Wella Perm and J. Redding. As a precaution, always do the pretest to make sure there isn’t a skin reaction to the products.

Written by Kaylene Peoples

That Time of Year

That Time of Year

The Christmas season is upon us, and while it is often disparaged as being too commercialized, I believe that is just a way for us to be less and less introspective about how even now in this day of commercialism we still find ways to bond with one another. We find ways to show we care throughout the year. We do. It’s simply more popular to put ourselves down and say we are a cold, unfeeling people who care only for ourselves. That simply is not true.

Underneath all our clothes lie our individual hearts. We feel the pressure of having to buy gifts for everyone on our list because after all, we do not want our loved ones to think we have forgotten them. We become so busy throughout the year that Christmas is simply the time we finally take to catch up on everything we missed. We’ve forgotten our grandmother in that nursing home and put off visiting her too long. We’ve neglected to call our parents and let them know we love them. Now is the time of year we find the time. We recognize our measure of peace in finally finding the time.

This is our culture. More and more we are finding the time throughout the year to give. The media has been playing a part in assisting us in lending a helping hand. More and more commercials are depicting little acts of kindness. We like to see people serving others.

All too much anymore we are seeing how short life can be and how every moment can be our last. Some of us have not become desensitized to the horrors of terrorism and war we see on our screens. I ask myself, how will I help those hungry and suffering, those frightened by forces of which they have no control?

Oh, Iraq, will there ever be peace for you? Will there ever be an end to the horrible conditions? My impulse is to pray and ask for peace. Will there be peace on earth?

I commit to letting that peace begin with me.

Some of us are having a tough time. Some of us are apart from our families and friends. Some of us are trapped in bitterness and cannot see a way out. Sometimes the hardest journey out is from within.

Sit down. Breathe. Take stock of your life and try to make an appreciation list. Maybe that bitter darkness can be penetrated by a little warmth.

And for those of you who need it, I am sending you warmth, hope and love.

Merry Christmas! Happy Hanukkah! Happy Kwanzaa! Hare Krishna!

Written by Lisa Trimarchi

“Size 12 is the New Two”

Talking Chic

“Size 12 is the New Two”

…That is what I remind myself when I stand nude in front of my full-length mirrors studying my hump: size 12 is the new two…size 12 is the new two… size 12 is the new two. O. K. Fine – it shouldbe the new two. Now even though a lady doesn’t reveal her true size (or some bull like that), I’ll admit it – I’m a six-slash-eight. But I will say that I floated in the double digits almost immediately as I turned 21; a time in a gal’s life when she has the ticket to buy alcohol herself before bar hoppin’ and clubbin’, all the while looking forward to a midnight drive-thru at Del Taco with her favorite friend.

So like it was just yesterday, I remember when my older sister finally dragged my then 22-year-old body to the gym, smack in the middle of my Sunday morning hangover (hint, hint). Fortunately, I joined the gym my first day there. After witnessing a horrific side profile of what looked to be me while trying to jog on the treadmill – yikes! There was no turning back.

However, forget about my poor choices in the past. It is common knowledge that if the fashion world and social standards were more lenient toward women with shape and a naturally fuller figure, I would feel a little more at peace. And, like millions of other women, I wouldn’t have those pesky voices in the back of my mind yelling at me. “Don’t give in to that ham croissant at the donut shop fatty!” or “C’mon, just a few more pounds to go. Then you’ll have something to show off to your friends for once!” and the worst one yet, “Just smoke for about a month longer and you will totally look skinnier.”

As I listen to those voices, half feeling like crap and half trying to rationalize my inner turmoil, I can’t help but think of the couture models of Fashion Week. Although most of their waist sizes look almost equivalent to the size of just one of my thighs and their shoulder bones ridiculously identical to those of hungry, third-world children, the clothes truly look gorgeous . But hearing that a model actually died from anorexia – the Brazilian beauty who weighed about 88 pounds and worked in the industry mainly to support her family – hit home. After many shows at L.A. Fashion Week at Smashbox Studios, I’ve sat outside and model-watched. The skinny jean, the cigarette in one hand and cell phone in the other…deep down, I sometimes would wish I had the same consistent control in maintaining protruding hip bones (sans smoking to do so).

But when it comes down to it, I would rather not look like a starving boy. We live in the richest country in the world, and I’m so overpretending that food is my enemy. Yes, I have not yet reached my ideal weight, but you won’t see me crying over it anymore. In fact, I have a wonderful brownie and hot chocolate waiting for me when I’m finished writing this column.

In my early 20s, I went from loving the gym and enjoying a sweat to obsessively counting calories and spending more time inside a room full of workout machines than spending time talking to my father. Now happily at 26, I have found my balance.

After getting health tips off MSN, studying my vegetarian mother’s eating habits, substituting a Corona with a vodka and soda water, and joining an intense cycling course for the best workout ever, I have realized that to actually sculpt my body into a fit and more proportioned shape means leading a healthy lifestyle and wearing clothes that fit me now . This doesn’t mean buying clothes in hopes that one day I can squeeze into a size two. Guess what? I don’t want to be a size two. Just as I enjoy my flat stomach and strong calves, I am learning to enjoy my curves as well.

Despite recent discussion or controversy about how tiny models are becoming, the truth does remain: fashion looks best when it complements one’s shape . And you know what? If that means purchasing bigger sizes to get the flowing, luscious look you’ve always aspired to, then guess what, ladies. Leave your ego at the door and think health over ridiculous standards. Like seriously, that could save your life.

Written by Elana Pruitt

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