There’s a loosely held theory around town that chopping your hair off may be a sign you’re trying to toughen up your image. More evidence for the jury: Michelle Williams. Hmmm, nice try. She still looks like a cute little indie pixie and has one of those girlie faces that will always look like it’s living in _Dawson’s Creek_. It reminds me of an interesting feature I once read in _Allure_ magazine, which proposed that women fall into one of three categories: pretty (eg, Kate Bosworth), sexy (eg, Kate Moss) or cute (eg, Kate Hudson). And Michelle would most certainly be a Cute. And maybe cute just can’t make tough cropped hair look that tough. Think Audrey Tatou. Or Mia Farrow. Or Winona Ryder - even a bad-ass shoplifting moment didn’t help her.
Yesterday’s downpour forced me to confront one of my worst fears: winter. I just can’t do it. The ability to dress sensibly just isn’t programmed into my DNA. I tend to spend the season with icy-cold blue toes due to open shoes, stocking-less legs and barely-there circulation. But looking at cold-toed Sienna here (she’s pictured on an icy New York day) makes me realise that it looks pretty stupid. And you really can’t do the look unless you have an on-tap car service. Which I don’t.
So some options to start considering for those of us wanting to avoid the blue-toe syndrome … Thick black tights, as seen on Ashlee Simpson’s legs, or the latest Burberry winter 2008 show, where mini trenches and dresses were matched with shiny black opaques. Or the great big fetish-inspired shoe. One hot buy OS right now is Yves Saint Laurent’s Tribute shoe, seen lately on Gwen Stefani and Jennifer Lopez’s fashionable feet. After a summer in sandals and thongs, just looking at these makes me wince with pain a little. But it’s apparently going to be the winter of the whopping great shoe. I suppose it can’t hurt any more than a blue toe.
It’s the red carpet runway that launches a thousand new beauty trends. Some that might be heading to a bathroom near you …
Best tan: Cameron Diaz. Guess hanging around Hawaii with hunks like Kelly Slater will do that to a girl. (Not that I’m recommending the real variety, of course).
Best pale: Anne Hathaway. Who nicely works back her creamy porcelain skin to her pearl drop earrings.
Best actually everything: Gwyneth Paltrow. The sleek side-swept hair, the glamorous red lips, the healthy skin, the ridiculously perfect life …
Best smoky eye: Cate Blanchett. Dove-grey eye makeup hits just the right note of subtle-sexy and plays gorgeously against her crystal-mesh Armani gown.
Best lashes: J.Lo. Flicky and flirty for a sexy sixties kittenish effect. Hopefully they’re not made from mink this time.
Best bustline: Naomi Watts. Add that to the empire-waisted gown and glowing skin and you’ve got one very believable pregnancy rumour.
For a more pigment-intense, longer-lasting blush, try a two-step approach. First, use your fingertip to blend a cream-formulation blush into cheeks; then, take a big soft blush brush and swirl on top a powder in a complementary shade.
