Now that we've all had a chance to dissect Sarah Palin's grasp, such as it is, of energy issues, foreign policy and the definition of "maverick," we might as well talk about her hair. During the debate last night, it was impossible not to be mesmerised by her 'do, from the artful teasing on the top, to the reddish highlights, to those ultralong bangs (was that why she kept winking at us?) to that intriguing, loose-yet-immobile braid in the back.
W magazine has learned that the Guv has been traveling with a hairstylist named Angela, who usually works out of a salon called the Hair Grove in Westlake Village, CA. As a source recently told us, Palin was directed to the Hair Grove by none other than Cindy McCain, who found her own current hairstylist, Piper, at the Hair Grove. Supposedly, McCain had been inquiring about hair extensions. (Please note, the absence of last names here isn't our attempt to be folksy--we simply weren't able to confirm them since the Hair Grove stopped answering our questions.)
At any rate, Angela is definitely on leave now from the Hair Grove. As the salon's receptionist will tell you, "She's not available until November 4th."
Photo: Robyn Beck/Getty Images
London-based beauty entrepreneur Julia Muggenburg certainly knows her gems and precious metals. A graduate of Central Saint Martins, the designer first made her name eight years ago when she created the posh jewelry line Belmacz (Keira Knightley is a fan.) Muggenburg also designs the runway jewelry for her pal Erdem Moralioglu's line, Erdem).
But a couple years ago, Muggenburg, a lifelong beauty junkie, expanded her milieu. She launched a luxe beauty line, also called Belmacz, based around precious materials. Her lip gloss ($32) is flecked with 24-karat gold leaf, and her latest invention, a face balm called Halo Ointment ($46), contains crushed pearls and gold flakes for that added glow. (It will be at Barneys New York counters in October.)
"My neck is a pedestal," jokes Muggenburg, whose jewelry line is still thriving. (It's also carried at Barneys.) "Anything that goes above it has to be perfect."
It's only Wednesday, but I'm going to go out on a limb and say that the most expensive hairstyle of the week award goes to Rodarte, who showed alien-inspired chignons decadently capped with real gold and silver foil. Hairstylist Odile Gilbert arrived backstage equipped with stacks of metallic sheets, the same kind used to gild mirror frames, to create her space-age version of a covered bun.
To do so, she affixed two pieces of the crumpled foil to each model's hair with gel, blowing on it ever so gently to make sure it stuck. Once the models rushed off the runway en route to the next show, all that precious metal met the New York rain, bringing those futuristic femmes right back down to earth. (Read WWD's review of the Rodarte show
here)
Photos by Kyle Ericksen
There was a big surprise in store for the 50-some models booked for
Marc Jacobs's show last night at the 69th Regiment Armory.
"We're bleaching all the girls' eyebrows," lead makeup artist and Shiseido creative director Dick Page casually told me as he mixed up a slick concoction of gold powder, Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream and clear MAC gloss for the models' eyelids. "I've been persona non grata," he said with a chuckle. "I had production tell them."
After learning Page's plans, a number of the models got on their cell phones to place frantic phone calls to their reps. But in the end, the models (including such stars as Jessica Stam) all conceded to the dye job. In a cruel irony, a number of their brows were covered by hats during the show. (Read WWD's review of the show
here.)
Backstage photos by Kyle Ericksen. Jacobs, below, by George Chinsee
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Nails are often treated like forgotten stepchildren during fashion week. Editors are so concerned with smoky eyes and "done, yet undone" hair that we rarely look for beauty revelations below the neck. Nonie Creme, the British creative director of Seattle-based nail line Butter London, is out to change all of that. Creme, always an in-demand manicurist during London fashion week, has come to the New York shows for the first time to do digits for Lela Rose and Vena Cava.
For Vena Cava's show on Saturday, she'll be using four different pebble-toned shades ranging from pale beige to brownish slate, which she custom-blended for the designer. The neutral polishes (which she showed us on a quick visit to the W offices) are exactly what we've been jonesing for after a summer of color overload. Here's hoping she decides to put the colors into permanent production. Fingers (and nails) crossed.
Above: A model tests out shades a few days before the show. Photo courtesy of Nonie Creme.
When Senior Editor Danielle Stein interviewed Kate Hudson over lunch back in early June (they met at Rice on Elizabeth Street) the actress had so much to say that it was impossible to cram all of it into her September cover story. So in the name of not wasting anything--we're a frugal bunch here at W--here are some of the extra tidbits for any of you die-hard Hudson fans out there.
On dating [at the time of the interview, Hudson was still dating Lance Armstrong]: "Dating is overrated as far as I'm concerned. I'm not a dater. I wish I could be. I wish I could be that kind of girl who's like, oh, I've got two guys on the back burner! I'm just not like that. Because I'm not really single. I mean I am, but I have a son. Being a single mother is different from being a single woman."
On gaining weight: "If you put food in front of me I'll eat it. Did you see how much weight I gained when I was pregnant? God! I gained 70 pounds! My doctor, when I had gained 45 pounds by the 5th month, his whole thing was, Kate, look, it's okay to just eat salads sometimes."
On her diet: "Give me a good burger and I'm so happy, but I know that if I eat crap, I'll feel like crap. So I don't eat the pastas and the sugars. I try to avoid wheat or dairy. I like my coffee black."
On developing her haircare line: "This has been three years of my life. It's been a long process. There are all these regulations. I joke that it's like, you go up to people and say, I wanna make the only natural product that's going to be in Duane Reade! And they're like, ok, that's great, but let's talk to the experts. And then you realize that you got a D in chemistry and there are people who dedicate their lives to formulating something that can sit on a shelf, to understanding that certain ingredients when mixed with others can become carcinogens."
On her favorite exercise class:"The S curve. It's the stripper class. It's a real girl's girl thing. I love it."
And there you have it.
Photos: Top: both BAUER-GRIFFIN.COM; Hudson and Naomi Watts: MATRIX/BAUER-GRIFFIN.COM; bottom: courtesy of David Babaii for Wildaid
The newest thing in makeup? The vibrating mascara. A tiny battery inside the wand powers the motion, which is meant to coat lashes more fully and in fewer strokes. Estée Lauder's TurboLash All Effects Motion Mascara ($30) is designed to separate lashes with its pulsating brush. Lancôme's Oscillation ($34) which comes out later this fall, aims to lengthen.
Holding a wand that shakes like a terrified Chihuahua and subtly hums like a phone on vibrate is strange enough. Maneuvering it gingerly from lash root to tip takes some practice. Do lashes look long and full after using them? Sure. More than they would had a battery not been involved? I'm not so sure. Still, something about the vibration makes the whole enterprise feel more thorough.
The Oscillation's official release isn't till November, but the company is offering a one-day preview sale at select Lancôme counters on July 31.
Above: Lancôme's Oscillation
Have we reached total yoga saturation yet? Preschoolers, senior citizens, even dogs are doing yoga these days, and studios seem to be opening on every corner. Even so New Yorkers have just gotten yet another place to practice their downward dogs:
Pure Yoga. Owned by Equinox, Pure Yoga takes up three floors on East 86th Street, making it the largest yoga center in the city. It's the sixth location of a small high-end chain that until now has been exclusively in Hong Kong, Singapore and Taipei. (The Equinox partnership only extends to the US locations; they're considering LA next.) There are 19 different classes on offer, from Vinyasa to Iyengar, along with some interesting hybrids, such as the hard-core sounding "Multi-Intenso." Like a gym, Pure Yoga operates on a membership basis, requiring both an initiation fee ($400) and monthly fee ($140).
For those craving more than a 90-minute urban yoga fix, the venerable
Rancho la Puerta in Tecate, Mexico will become home to a mini ashram during the month of August. A guest swami (Swami Veda Bharati, who runs an ashram in the Himalayas), will be giving lectures on topics like "searching for fulfillment" and "philosophy of Hatha yoga" while his staff of 13 will act as guest yoga instructors.
Above: Yoga at Rancho la Puerta.
Crayola-bright colors have been a nail polish staple for the last few months, but there is one shade in particular that's capturing the attention of W staffers:
Essie's Bermuda Shorts. The vibrant purple strikes the perfect balance between summer fun and spirited sophistication, and offers a preview of the range of violet shades heading our way this fall (you'll see them in our September issue). So though I no longer own any actual Bermuda shorts, I'll be sporting the color they inspired all summer long--or at least until the end of July.
W staffers' feet, clockwise from top: Elisa Lipsky-Karasz, Jamie Rosen, Danielle Stein and Jenny Comita
Toes photo by Alexandra Marvar
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Is there any room left in your face for a new filler? On Monday, the FDA approved
Evolence, a porcine (yes, pig-derived) collagen filler that is said to last for twelve months, much longer than the old-school bovine collagen. "What's interesting about it is it doesn't require a skin test, which is great, and they say the porcine isn't allergic," says New York dermatologist Debra Jaliman, who says she has yet to try Evolence.
While the market has been flooded with scores of injectables in the last five years, Evolence is likely to compete against the wildly popular hyaluronic acid fillers, those that plump by adding and attracting moisture to the skin. "I think that Restylane, Perlane and Juvederm are a tough act to follow," says dermatologist Dennis Gross, founder of MD Skincare. "Lots of things can fill a line. The question is how natural will it look and how long will it last. Only time will tell."
Jaliman, for her part, is wondering about the target audience. "People always come in and they go, 'I want the newest, latest, best," she says. "I just wonder if people who are kosher want pork in their face."
