SICKA THAN AVERAGE

Out Of Print Clothing "Pride And Prejudice" Sweatshirt -- Austen Chic

 

Back in April, I let you gals know about Out of Print Clothing, a line of graphic tees and sweatshirts featuring the original illustrations showcased on the covers of classic works of literature. For the holidays, fans of Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Darcy's love affair can indulge their bibliophile ways with this new burgundy "Pride and Prejudice" sweatshirt, which features the novel's original book art, designed by Hugh Thomson (who also illustrated Austen's Sense and Sensibility).

The sweatshirt features a cut-out scoopneck with a raw hem, which falls off the shoulders for a Flashdance feel, adding a naughty sexiness to the 18th century motif. The piece's distressed finish lends it a vintage quality that works well with the digging-in-the-archives mission behind the Out of Print brand. And, of course, there's the gorgeous illustration itself, which features a peacock with a tail that bursts outward like an explosion of fireworks.

Now, there's something to be proud of!

Out of Print Clothing "Pride and Prejudice" Fleece, $42. Available at OutOfPrintClothing.com

Central Booking -- The Latest Beauty And Fashion Reads

Plenty of blogs and makeup artist sites, not to mention YouTube videos, dispense great advice on topics ranging from how to reduce redness to selecting the right foundation for your skin tone, pulling off a smoky eye, and how to properly apply blush. But every so often, a gal wants to put the digital realm on pause and keep a reference book handy, something she can pick up and browse through as needed.

Here, a look at some of the newest beauty tip compilations, fashion advice tomes, and eye shadow application guides.

 

 

In Style Ultimate Beauty Secrets: The Best Tips, Tricks, and Shortcuts to Create Your Perfect Look, $12.39 at Amazon.com.

In Style magazine's editors came together and compiled some of the timeless beauty tips that published in their pages throughout the years, many of which come straight from the mouths of top makeup artists, hair stylists, dermatologists, and Hollywood starlets. Some of the tips are so amateurish that they presume an almost non-existent acquaintance with skincare and makeup application (for example, they suggest curling lashes before applying mascara, lining eyes and smudging for a quick smokey eye, and using a fragrance-free cleanser and an anti-inflammatory, antioxidant-packed serum if you have sensitive skin), but there are also some gems in InStyle Ultimate Beauty Secrets . One of my favorite revelations: the editors suggest slathering on sunscreen before hopping on your next airplane flight and picking an aisle seat over a window seat since UV rays increase with altitude (which makes perfect sense, but wouldn't necessarily cross your mind).

The Foundation & Concealer chapter ranks among the strongest — most women have a hard time determining the right concealer shade to mask under-eye circles (they tend to pick a concealer that's way too light) and to hide age spots or acne scars (the book suggests yellow-tinted concealers for red blotches and acne marks and products with peach or salmon undertones for age spots). The Lips and Cheeks chapters, meanwhile, figure among the dullest since much of the advice therein will come as second nature to makeup amateurs and cosmetic gurus alike (i.e. applying blush to the apples of cheeks will give you a flushed look).

Another disappointment: each tip is limited to no more than three sentences (so forget about a step-by-step account of how to create a dramatic eye look, for example) and no specific brands or product names are ever cited. Since the tips are so broad, then, I'd mainly recommend this title for women who are just beginning to develop a strong interest in makeup and want to ease their way into the realm. In other words, it's a great starting point.

 

 

Nina Garcia's Look Book: What to Wear for Every Occasion, $16.31 at Amazon.com

Although I am completely furious with Nina Garcia over her baffling decision to choose Gretchen over Mondo as the winner of Project Runway, I do have to commend her latest book, Nina Garcia's Look Book: What to Wear for Every Occasion, for taking an original idea and executing it rather flawlessly. The concept is simple enough: Nina Garcia thought of the countless amount of times when her friends, family members, or co-workers had fretted about what to wear to an event (be it a date, wedding, job interview, or any other such affair) and decided to offer women everywhere some easy-to-follow tips on the proper dress code for different occasions.

The specificity of the events chosen are part of what makes the book such a success. Garcia goes beyond the obvious event picks (first date, cocktail party, and baby shower) and advises women on what to wear to their kid's graduation, to meet a boyfriend's friends, to a wine tasting, to a rock concert, to jury duty, to a bridal shower, and even to such off-the beaten-path events like meeting with a surrogate.

The tips she offers on how to dress during various work-related scenarios (when asking for a raise, when going on a business trip, etc.) are particularly useful. I love the chapter on "What to Wear on the Average Workday." Nina anoints Tuesday the "average workday," pointing out that it's neither the beginning of the week, when you're bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, or the end of the week, when you're anticipating the weekend, and suggests spicing up your look through unexpected accessories like statement rings or cuff links, a men's watch, or some textured tights. She also excels when offering tips on what to wear to more glamorous events (her suggestions for New Year's Eve party attire are fabulous).

When tackling more casual fare (and events that appeal to a younger crowd), however, Nina's age starts to show. Her tips on what to wear to a rock concert, for example, don't quite hit the mark — she suggests leather pants and rock band tees, for one, which would make most women feel like they're donning a costume. Low-slung belts and off-the-shoulder tees? Yes. Leather pants that are gonna make you sweat like crazy and look like a wannabe? Not so much.

One of my main gripes with this book is that Nina's snobbery, and the cattiness of the magazine world from which she comes, tends to rise to the surface. For example: she advises women not to wear too expensive a handbag to a job interview, warning "never upstage the boss." She rarely references specific brands but when she does so, they tend to be luxury brands like Louis Vuitton, Jean-Michel Cazabat, and Louboutin, all of which tend to be out of reach for most working women.

Still, if you approach the book as a starting point and use your discretion to revise some of the chapters and bend some of the rules, you'll find this to be a handy reference.

 

 

Style Eyes, $12.21 at Amazon.com

Makeup artist Taylor Chang-Babaian focuses on eye makeup in this incredibly handy book, which will teach readers how to pull off a myriad looks: from white eye shadow to dark and glossy lids, bright blue cream shadow, winged liner, violet shadow, and more. Aside from step-by-step instructions on how to pull off these looks, Style Eyes includes a guide to makeup brushes and details on what each accomplishes, tips on making brows look their best, and advice on working with your natural eye shape. My favorite chapter is called "Inspirations and Eye-Cons," which is aimed at more advanced makeup mavens and includes tips on how to create more dramatic, editorial looks like the "New Romantic," a three-color look involving warm yellow, rusty red, and black shadows arranged in prismatic shapes.

 

Make Up For Ever Rouge Artist Intense Lipstick Collection — Simply The Best

 

Have you ever gazed at a vivid tube of lipstick and fantasized about how the hue would look on your pout, only to find out the color looked flat, faded, bleak, dry, or lusterless and one-dimensional? Well, you will never have to face such disappointment again, thanks to the brain trust at Make Up For Ever, the masterminds behind the new Rouge Artist Intense lipstick collection.This game-changing collection consists of 50 covetable (and yes, I want them all) lipsticks featuring 50% more pigment than traditional formulas,

In practical terms, that means you'll get more color payoff from a single application — you literally don't need to keep layering color in order to achieve a luscious pout since one coat of lipstick will yield so much pigment. In fact, while I don't normally use lip brushes, I found myself reaching for one when applying the Rouge Artist Intense shades because the colors are so vivid that I wanted to contour my mouth with as much exactitude and precision as possible (otherwise, any feathering, rugged lines, or smudges would've been really noticeable).

Not only are the lipstick shades a tour de force in terms of their pigment payoff, but they last quite a long-time without drying, cracking, or fading. A mixture of vegetable waxes, candellia, rice, and beeswax, help the pigment in the formula adhere to lips, while derived ceramide, sterol and nylon powder add moisture, keeping lips looking supple and feeling plump and comfortable. The majority of the shades have a satin finish (29 in total), but there are also 8 matte shades and 13 pearly colors available.

I had the pleasure of trying the No. 48, a vampy, dark blood red; the No. 14, an incandescent lilac with a pearly finish; and Moulin Rouge, a grab-your-can-can-skirt red that would make Dita Von Teese purr in delight. Below, you'll find swatches of all three shades, as well as photos showing what they look like on lips. Hopefully, they'll make you understand why I'm a raging Rouge Artist fanatic! 

Central Booking -- PLATINUM: A Novel By Aliya S. King

In late June, I decided to launch a new section on Sicka Than Average called "Central Booking." In this section, we'll cover some new book titles (and, at times, some classic literary works), and we'll go beyond the pre-approved, canned verbiage of press releases and book jackets, instead offering you candid, insightful tidbits about each title's strengths and weaknesses — from the plot's execution to the characters' development and the literary tools employed. Readers are, of course, welcome to leave their comments here, BUT I'm also launching a discussion section on Sicka Than Average's Facebook page — that way, when you're done reading the featured book (whether it's in a day, a week, or several months later), you can participate in a conversation about it, ask any lingering questions, and share thoughts with other readers. Call it the Sicka Than Average book forum, if you will.

Now, let's get to the sparkling gem of the day: Aliya King's debut novel, Platinum.

I'll start with a disclaimer: I adore Aliya S. King. Adore her! We've worked together quite a bit over the years — when I was an Associate Editor at VIBE, and she was already a successful full-time freelancer (it was during this time that she penned the story on rappers' wives that served as the catalyst for Platinum); when she was a contributing editor at Upscale magazine, and she assigned me a piece on dating in the digital age; and, most of all, when I was the Features Editor at GIANT, and I kept Ms. King busy with cover stories and features. I was always blown away by Aliya's writing prowess — not just by her dexterity with words or her uncanny ability to elicit the most searing confessions from her interview subjects (a particular interview with Joss Stone comes to mind), but by her versatility, how she could adjust her tone as needed. She could adopt a very snarky, testosterone-fueled point-of-view for a piece in King, then shift gears for a research-heavy, investigative piece on Malcolm Shabazz for GIANT, then embrace her inner diva for a relationship-centered piece for Upscale. Over the years, she became one of the most well-known female writers in urban publishing. And here's the icing on the cake: Aliya wasn't one of those females who seem to enjoy alienating other women. She has never treated other women in the industry as threats (as is so often the case) — in fact, she's done the very opposite: mentoring young female writers, dispensing valuable advice, presenting them with opportunities, and generally serving as their patron saint. To say she's been inspiration for me would be an understatement. This girl is the real deal, folks. When I finished Platinum and read through the acknowledgments, I was stunned to find my name in there. I literally got choked up at the fact that she even remembered me when writing those acknowledgments. Like I said: real deal.

On to Platinum.

Juicy, salacious, unpredictable, and fast-paced, Platinum offers readers a peek at the lives of hip-hop girlfriends and wives. If you're in the industry or you keep a close eye on what happens in the hip-hop world, you're bound to see some similarities between the characters depicted in the book and some real-life performers, editors, producers, and writers. Any parallels that exist will only further your curiosity: you'll want to keep reading to see if the characters act like the people on whom you speculate they might based — and, if they don't, you'll wonder if Aliya just dreamed up the plot twist or if she's privy to some undisclosed information about the people on whom these characters were based. Any fiction-to-reality parallels, then, just heighten the thrill of reading the book (and fuel some interesting discussions with other speculating readers).

The action revolves around five female characters whose lives are intertwined in some capacity. The central character, Alex Maxwell, is a seasoned journalist who is engaged to marry an on-the-verge rapper (a fact that she's managed to keep hidden from nearly everyone) and who has been tapped to ghostwrite the memoir of Cleo Wright, a Superhead-esque video vixen who claims to have bedded almost every performer, producer, manager, publicist and lackey in the music industry (and who wishes to name them all and, in the process, destroy both their reputations and family lives). Though she's disgusted by Wright's actions and her questionable motives for penning such a damaging memoir, Maxwell is offered a hefty sum to complete the book and so she agrees to take on the assignment. Around the same time, she's assigned a feature story for VIBE magazine about the wives of some of the most visible rappers in the game: what they do with their time, how they cope with unwanted media attention, how they deal with accusations of infidelity (or, worse, with proof of their infidelity), whether they'd trade the money in for more time with their husbands, how they handle  the attention their husbands get from groupies, and more. As word of Cleo Wright's tell-all spreads, these rapper wives and girlfriends begin to panic about whether or not their partners are featured in the book — and, if so, how many unseemly secrets are revealed. The two stories, then, begin to overlap and Maxwell is left to sort out her feelings about her role in the chaos.

One of the women who Maxwell has to interview for her VIBE piece is Beth Saddlebrook, a white woman from West Virginia who is married to Z, a talented rapper whose gripes with crack abuse are well-documented. Not only must Beth keep an eye on Z to ensure he remains clean and sober, but she has to silently suffer the indignities of his infidelities (which he very selfishly flaunts in the media), all the while raising their four children and taking care of the household. To most outsiders, Saddlebrook is a pathetic, prideless doormat, but she's relentless in her commitment to her family and her husband, dismissing the criticism of others and insisting no one should judge what they can't understand.

Then there's Josephine Bennett, a refined, upper-class Dominican woman married to Jamaican mega producer  Ras Bennett. Rather than live a life of leisure, Bennett decides to launch her own bridal fashion line, treating the venture line a full-time job. And, just as she begins to make strides with her collection, she learns that some of her marriage's seams have come undone: he's had a long-term affair with another women, one for whom he has deep feelings.

And last, there's Kipenzi Hill, the golden girl of R&B. A wealthy performer with countless endorsement deals and her very own paparazzi posted outside her swanky Manhattan residence, Hill is considering an early retirement in hopes of restoring some normalcy to her life. After decades of wearing stilettos and weaves, of traveling to five countries in a week, and of watching her figure obsessively, she's ready to hang low, relax, and prepare for a new chapter as a wife and mother. The wife part, of course, would involve marrying her long-time boyfriend Jake, a platinum-selling rapper and an executive at a music label. Though the two have been involved for practically a decade, they've never publicly acknowledged their relationship. Marriage would, of course, involve disclosing their relationship to the outside world and, hopefully, grant them the piece to walk hand-in-hand outside.

As Alex Maxwell works to get her interviews with these rappers' wives, she finds herself wondering how much they know about their husband's extramarital activities with Cleo Wright (if they do exist, that is), why those who know of their infidelities choose to stay in their relationships, and how she would react if she were to discover that her own fiance had betrayed her.

Nothing is quite as it seems in this twisting and turning tale of music, sex, fame, lies, betrayal and love — Public personas and private lives collide, and no one is quite certain of what's real and what's simply a facade.

I won't give too much away, but I'll throw out some names that came to mind as I read the book: DMX, Superhead, Jay-Z, Beyoncé, Aaliyah, Chris Brown, Rihanna, and Irv Gotti.

A fun, fast-paced summer read, Platinum will have you feeling like Linus with his security blanket, toting it around from place to place 'cause you can't bear the thought of putting it down. Forget Pringles — this is what I call addictive!

Now, go on, pick up your copy (it's $16.49 at Amazon.com ) and head over to our Facebook page to discuss it!

Central Booking -- The Sicka Than Average Book Section

Like most writers, I often bemoan the saddening frequency with which I hear people declare that they don't read books — particularly given that, in many instances, these statements are accompanied with something akin to pride, as if we were living in some warped, reading-is-for-tools high school universe. And then, of course, there are those who boast about the amount of literature they take in and yet, when asked about their reading habits, they cite trashy memoirs by dimwitted celebrity TV stars, tell-all books by hip-hop groupies, simplistic "personal empowerment" books (i.e. The Secret), and unimaginative street lit. Sure, part of me is thankful that these folks are reading at all, but I do wonder if their literary exploits could be steered toward more intellectually fulfilling fare. In other words, I wonder where we'd be as a society if all of us in the media focused on exalting books that challenge our way of thought rather than trumpeting flimsy trash that allegedly appeals to the lowest common denominator

And instead of talking about, I've decided to be about it. Today, I'm launching a new book section on Sicka Than Average called "Central Booking," where I'll discuss novels, memoirs, nonfiction titles, biographies,  short story collections, humor titles, fashion tomes, photography books, cookbooks, art volumes, and more.

To toast the launch of "Central Booking," I've rounded up three recent releases worthy of analysis and discussion. Read on!

 

The Unit, $10.17. Available at Amazon.com

Swedish author Ninni Holmqvist stages a powerful debut as a novelist with The Unit, an eerie account of a dystopia where certain human lives are considered dispensable. But what makes the premise so unsettling is that it's not unfathomable — after all, we already live in a culture where, whether vocalized or not, a stratified value system based on such random and subjective criteria as wealth, social standing, educational level, age, and geographic location.

The book opens with the central character, Dorrit Weger, celebrating her 50th birthday in the most unusual of ways — by checking herself into the Second Reserve Unit for Biological Material. In Weger's time, childless women over the age of fifty and childless men over the age of sixty are mandated by law to check into this unit, where they are subjected to both psychological and physiological experiments, used as guinea pigs for new pharmaceutical drugs and treatments, and coaxed to donate their organs, one at a time, until it's time for their "final donation" ( a donation that will lead to death). Being childless is, then, equated with being dispensable— according to the dominant line of thinking in Weger's society, people without children have no one who depends on them and no one to take on their care when they approach old age, and so they therefore represent an economic strain on the rest of society. Because they're seen as dispensable, then, they're hoarded into the Unit and encouraged to donate viable organs to women and men "on the outside," children and parents whose lives are considered more valuable.

But rather than depict the Unit as an overtly and unabashedly gruesome, dingy, unhygienic space, Holmqvist taps into the manipulative powers employed by any sociopolitical organizations and players. Those entering the Unit are treated to dances, presented with museum-worthy winter gardens and quaint cafés, and encouraged to socialize with others in this compulsively monitored and expertly guarded structure — all so they will be deluded into thinking of the Unit as a humane space, one in which they don't have to worry about being deemed outsiders since everyone therein is also childless and, most likely, single.

Weger's journey is filled with unexpected twists — at times, she comes to adore her surroundings and cherish the friendships she creates; and yet the more she discovers about the inner workings of The Unit, the greater her sense of despair. 

An accurate, persuasive, and disturbing analysis of group psychology and behavior, not to mention societal manipulation, The Unit offers a chilling look at a reality that's not too far from the one in which we live.

 

My Little Red Book, $6. Available at Amazon.com

This is the type of book that would make immature men shudder. Edited by Rachel Kauder Nalebuff, My Little Red Book is an anthology of short stories centered on first periods. By collecting these stories, Nalebuff hopes to demystify menstruation, to foster open and honest dialogue about a perfectly natural phenomenon which patriarchal society has turned into taboo subject that's too often shrouded in shame and embarrassment. If men can boast about their sexual prowess, talk about their sexual organs (whether they're lying or not!), and never feel bashful or inappropriate in doing so, why should women have to discuss periods in hushed tones, using silly code words (Aunt Flow, crimson tide, etc.)?

Since most women remember their first periods as pivotal moments in their journey to womanhood, this anthology allows them to swap stories and create a forum for discussion (and in a perfect example of synergy, the website MyLittleRedBook.net was launched so as to make this a global conversation). To show the breadth of experiences, both well-known writers (Judy Blume, Erica Jong, Gloria Steinem and Diablo Cody among them) and everyday women (San Francisco-based wife and mother of two Sandra Freundlich-Hall, Puerto Rican lawyer Kica Matos, university professor Bita Moghaddam, and more). There are stories about getting your first period at camp and stuffing your stained underwear with napkins, tales of girls who thought they were dying when they first saw blood trickling down their thighs, a hilarious tidbit about a young girl placing the cardboard applicator of a Tampax tampon inside her cervix, and many more relatable anecdotes.

Any woman will find some stories to which she can relate but, most importantly, if you're the mom, auntie, or older sister, of a pre-pubescent girl, I'd advise gifting her with a copy of this book. She'll more than thank you for it.

 

 

Street Boners: 1,764 Hipster Fashion Jokes, $12.91. Available at Amazon.com

Disclaimer: I hated Vice magazine with a passion. It was crass for the sake of being crass  -- it was the type of low-brow publication where the editors seemed to enjoy grossing readers out with guides to excrement types and illustrations demonstrating the dynamics of female ejaculation (and yes, these stories really ran in their pages).So, of course, when I heard the creator of Vice magazine, Gavin McInnes, was releasing a book of hipster fashion jokes, I cringed. I figured that, a best, it would be a compilation of on-the-street snapshots of hipster posers accompanied with snarky, condescending, and altogether oboixious commentary. And sure, Street Boners: 1,764 Hipster Fashion Jokes does occasionally veer into unnerving, I'm-cooler-than-you territory, but there are also laugh-out-loud, clever, on-the-mark insights throughout the book.

Each page is packed with photos of rel-life people on the street, in subway stations, in nightclubs and bars, at flower shops and tattoo parlors and in other city haunts. Most of them wear outlandish ensembles, and McInnes praises those whose taste borders on sublime while mocking those who completely miss the mark. The vast array of photos showcases the colorful characters and the kinetic energy of New York but McInnes' rating system (and his quips) are all, of course, based on his very subjective sensibility — which, of course, means hot girls will instantly earn higher marks, even when their outfits are a complete train wreck. That being said, when he spots decisively ridiculous looks and rags on them, you're bound to snicker.  When he sees a man in a Fantastic Four-esque, wetsuit-like spandex ensemble, he writes, "It' nice to see superheroes finally battling things, like me-not laughing."  The caption underneath a pic of a guy with dreadlocks that stretch down to his ankle, meanwhile, reads, "His hair is like the projects but for microbacteria." Well, you get the point!

Mark Montano's The Big-Ass Book of Home Décor -- How To Turn Your Crib Into A Castle

 

Usually, how-to books brimming with DIY home décor ideas make me wince — especially after surviving a few furniture painting debacles back in 2001 (the result of some botched Martha Stewart-inspired projects). Oftentimes, design gurus make the most complicated of endeavors sound so simple, but when you try to follow their instructions, you feel like a messy, finger-painting kindergarten student. So, given all the crafts projects I've had wind up looking as amateurish as macaroni encrusted boxes, I approached designer Mark Montano's The Big-Ass Book of Home Décor: More than 100 Inventive Projects for Cool Homes like Yours with some skepticism. I know Montano has a keen eye for interior design (he's been a fixture on TV shows like WE's "She's Moving In" and the Style Network's "My Celebrity Home," and he's helped to remodel quite a few teen rooms for CosmoGIRL), but I wondered if his décor suggestions would require serious carpentry skills and a Project Runway-worthy dexterity with a sewing machine. Much to my surprise, this tome is filled with home décor ideas for both arts & crafts dunces (such as myself) and more advanced design students.

The book is divided into 14 categories: Dinnerware (focusing on how to jazz up inexpensive glass plates with simple tools like spray paint, comic books, cut-out images, and contact paper); Pillows (which tackles how to create funky pillow covers via twisted ribbons, stitched doodles, spray paint, iron-on images, and hand-glued embellishments); Walls (which is all about different painting techniques), Windows (which offers cool curtain ideas); Accents (from planter boxes to cardboard frames, drawer handles, and sculptural art); Candielight (from sconces to candleholders); Tables (which teaches you how to jazz up side tables and coffee tables via such materials as spray paint, beads, chopsticks, enlarged illustrations, and Chinese mats); Lighting and Lampshades (which focuses on chandeliers, pendant lamps, wall sconces, lamp shades, etc.); Bedroom Linens (mainly bedspread and headboard ideas); Mirrors; Art Work (easy-to-do wall art); Ikea Ideas (cool suggestions on how to take affordable Ikea trimmings and take them into eye-catching territory); Furniture (from shelves to dressers and side table); Seating (from hand-painted slipcovers to ottoman upholstery and chairs wrapped in fabric or covered with neat appliqués); and a final chapter on Templates, providing stencils for some of the motifs in the book (images of birds, Moroccan-inspired shapes, and flowers that an be traced or cut-out to execute various design ideas).

Some of my favorite projects are fantastically simple. For example, Montano teaches you how to breathe new life into a tired side table by taking Chinese Mats and covering the table with these mats using a hot glue gun and some ribbon trim. Or he runs down a neat painting technique for dressers involving yarn and spray paint ( you basically paint the dresser one color, cover it with yarn in zig-zagging patterns) and then spray paint it in a slightly different version of the paint shade). Another great idea: taking a mirror, some lace fabric to cover the edges, and then spray painting the frame so that it has a lace-like design.

Not only are many of these design suggestions easy to follow, but the materials required are relatively inexpensive, which makes you all the more eager to do some experimenting!

The Big-Ass Book of Home Décor, $22.50 (currently $15.30 at Amazon.com).

More Earth Day Essentials For Green-Minded Gals

I'll keep it brief, gals: during the past two weeks, we've been showing you the hottest in eco-friendly apparel, footwear, skincare, cosmetics, home fragrance, jewelry and much more. And since we know how much you value having options, we rounded up a few more A-list picks. Enjoy!

 

Page Sargisson "Magenta Del Estado" Casino Chip, $265, and "Pink 20" Casino Chip, $265-$365. Available at PageSargisson.com

A few months ago, I went to a press preview where they were showcasing some pieces from San Francisco-bred, New York-based jewelry designer Page Sargisson. The folksy, antique-y vibe of the pieces in her "Casino Chic" collection instantly caught my eye, but my what was particularly memorable was the story behind the collection. Each of the pendants in the "Casino Chic" collection is made from an antique casino chip Sargisson collected during her many travels. If you thought all poker chips had round, wafer-like shapes, with striped details along their ridges, well. think again. Sargisson's jewelry line features vibrant, showstopping gambling tokens — from the thin, rectangular shape and boisterous magenta color of the vintage "Magenta Del Estado" mother-of-pearl casino chip (pictured above) to the bold black numbering and soft carnation hue of the "Pink 20 Casino Chip" mother-of-pearl poker chip (pictured second from top). How's that for recycling at it's best?

ONE Bath & Body Natural Body Butter in Cherry Blossom Trails, $9.99. Available at Target stores and Fred Meyer stores.

Just because a company insists on using all-natural ingredients, that doesn't necessarily mean it abides by such strict standards when it comes to its products' packaging. That's where ONE Bath & Body to come in — in addition to manufacturing all-natural. cruelty-free skincare products, the brand ensures that its goods are packaged using recyclable tin cans and/or cardboard cartons and sleeves. I'd recommend checking out the Natural Body Butters — I tried the Cherry Blossom Trails one and loved how soft and smooth my skin felt thanks to the combination of mango seed butter, sweet almond oil, and glycerin. Plus, the body butter has a nice yogurt-like consistency, so that it's not too thick and blubbery (as many other body creams tend to be), and your skin readily absorbs the nutrients in the formula for a non-greasy effect.

Lavera Sun 15 Anti-Aging Facial Sunscreen SPF 15, $27, and Lavera Faces Calendula Cleansing Gel, $19. Available at Lavera.com

The changing winter-to-spring weather can wreak havoc on skin. As the temperatures rise, your skin's sebacious glands increase the rate at which they produce oil, and these sudden changes can confuse even the best behaved of visages. One of the best cures for me has been the Lavera Faces Calendula Cleansing Gel for normal to combination skin (normally, I register in the dry to normal skin range but, around this time of year, I usually have to switch things up a bit to deal with the weather changes). This non-drying, all-natural cleanser has a fantastic aloe-like consistency, and it feels extremely gentle on the skin. Plus, the witch hazel and mallow in the formula help to keep excess oil at bay.

Another winner from the revered natural skincare and cosmetics line Lavera: the oxybenzone-free, 100% mineral-based Sun 15 Anti-Aging Facial Sunscreen, which features zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, as well as moisturizing shea butter, soothing hazel and licorice extract, skin firming caffeine extract, hydrating hyaluronic acid and aloe vera gel, and Vitamin E-rich sunflower oil.

Jane Iredale Empty Refillable Compact, $12. Available at Shop.JaneIredale.com

Want to feel proud of yourself when you buy your Jane Iredale PurePressed Base? Then make sure to first invest in a Jane Iredale Refillable Compact, so you can reduce excess waste. Not only is the compact eco-friendly by virtue of being refillable, but it's made from anodized aluminum and can hence be easily recycled.

Timberland Earthkeepers Bethel Mid Fold Down Boot, $140. Available at Timberland.com

Part of Timberland's Earthkeepers range, a footwear and accessories collection made using recycled materials and techniques that minimize carbon emanations, the Bethel Fold Down Boot features burnished leather and 100% organic cotton canvas uppers, a footbed made from 50% recycled PET, and a 42% recycled green rubber outsole.

The Remedy by Supa Nova Slom, $14.99. Available at Amazon.com

Miiddle-class white folks aren't the only ones discussing holistic health philosophies, detox programs, and green diet options —  from video director Hype Williams to neo-soul artist Erykah Badu and pioneering rapper Chuck D, the hip-hop community has steadily embraced the notion that healthy living means tending to the mind, body and spirit and creating a harmony between these three parts of the self. In this book, hip-hop artist and health practitioner Supa Nova Slim shares a five-week plan to rid the body of existing toxins, nourish the body via a proper diet (mainly vegetarian and vegan foods), and increase your strength and energy level via simple exercises like crunches, stretches, and bicep curls. Throughout the book, Supa Nova Slom explains why we've all been guilty of accepting "Toxitarian" diets and how we can feel better by adopting dietary plans centered on vegetables, fruits and legumes with a high concentration of fiber, vitamins, minerals, protein, and amino acids. Even better, he includes meal plans and recipes to make the five-week plan a cinch.

PLUS, SOME EARTH DAY PROMOS!

1. GET A FREE THYMES CLEAN SLATE EXPERIENCE KIT

Today only, when customers make an online purchase of $100 or more at , they'll automatically receive a Clean Slate Experience Kit (valued at $61), which features both a face and body polish.

2. TAKE AN OLD PAIR OF JEANS TO A ROCK & REPUBLIC STORE AND GET 20% OFF

 

From April 22nd through May 10th, customers who bring an old pair of jeans to a Rock & Republic store for donation will receive 20% off any R&R jeans they purchase. The donated jeans, meanwhile, will be sent to Cotton.From Blue to Green so that they can be recycled into UltraTouch insulation.

3. ENTER THE OLE HENRIKSEN ALTER-ECO ONLINE CHALLENGE

Through May 23rd, eco-savvy fans of Ole Henriksen can enter the brand's new recycling challenge for a chance to win a $150 gift certificate to OleHenriksen.com. To participate, customers are encouraged to take any empty Ole Henriksen product containers and find a new use for them -- whether it's transforming them into a sculptural work of art or giving them a new life as candle bins, jewelry sorters, sugar canisters, or any other creative transformation. Once you've repurposed the container, you simply have to log onto OleHenriksen.com and upload a photo of your handiwork, along with a brief description.

People can then visit the site and vote for their favorites. One lucky entrant will win a $150 gift certificate to OleHenriksen.com, plus a $100 git certificate to JustGive.org. Two runner-ups will also be selected and each will receive  $75 online gift card.

Out Of Print Clothing -- 'Cause Literature Is Always Stylish!

 

Now don't get me wrong: I'm as excited about the iPad (and about the power of digital media) as the next cyber junkie (I mean, I'm penning a blog, so that says it all!). But having majored in Literature (and being an avid reader with a ridiculously nerdy library), I can't imagine growing up in an age when print publishing is practically obsolete, when e-books prevail and the idea of holding a tome in one's hands and leafing through its pages borders on absurd. Or what about laying on a beach chair reading a novel, propping it upside down on my belly when I need to rest my tired eyes? It might seem antiquated, but I relish those moments when I take out a classic book from its designated shelf space and stare at the cover art, flipping through its yellow-tinged pages, reminiscing about how I came to spill coffee on some of the pages (or have them dry out stiffly after a close encounter with some water droplets). Personally, I doubt the day will come when I'll do without my bookshelves and their contents — even if I do end up owning digital copies of every title on there. And apparently, I'm not the only bookworm who remains steadfast in her love of print literature in the digital age. See, childhood friend Jeff LeBlanc and Todd Lawton launched the T-shirt line Out of Print with the notion of immortalizing iconic novels and the imagery used in their respective covers.

Launched in New York in January 2010, Out of Print Clothing specializes in immortalizing the artwork that appeared in first editions of rare classic (and mainly out of print) titles — from Maya Angelou's I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings to Vladimir Nabokov's Lolita and Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged. Each shirt is the result of licensing deals with artist, authors, and publishers, agreements that allow LeBlanc and Lawton access to archival artwork and permission to reproduce it via their vintage-looking cotton tees.

I'm completely smitten with the "Lolita" tee pictured above. Sure, it's partly because love Nabokov's infamous novel right from the opening sentence, when we're exposed to the narrator's obsession through the clever, meticulous use of alliteration (i.e. "Lolita, light of my life, fire of my loins. My sin, my soul"). But I also adore the cheekiness of the typography here: the sweeping cursive "L" and the dainty roundness of the "a" and the "i." It's amazing how the selection of fonts manages to capture the spirit of the book's title character, the allure of her innocence and untainted femininity. Another favorite is the equestrian illustration originally created by Michael Mitchell for the dust jacket of J.D. Salinger's coming-of-age tale. Whether your literary hero is Holden Caulfield or Blanche DuBois, there's an appropriate tee to suit your reading preference.

Every Out of Print tee, then, practically serves as a walking billboard, reminding onlookers of the joys of reading — and hey, isn't this way more stylish than those '80s "Reading Is Fundamental" commercials?

Out Of Print Clothing "Lolita" tee, $28; Out Of Print "I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings" tee, $28; and Out of Print "The Catcher In The Rye" tee, $28. Visit OutOfPrintClothing.com

Carmindy's "Crazy Busy Beautiful" Book -- Tricks And Tips For Both Beauty Novices And Pros

Clearly, I have to conduct some serious time management exercises because, as skilled as I am in the art of multitasking, my juggling act is underwhelming compared to that of someone like the fabulous Carmindy. The seasoned makeup artist shares her beauty insights on TLC's "What Not To Wear," offers one-on-one makeup consultations with clients in her New York City offices, creates looks for editorial fashion spreads in high-profile glossies, and collaborates with Sally Hansen on the Sally Hansen Natural Beauty Inspired by Carmindy line. And, as if that's not enough, she also continues to pen helpful makeup and beauty guides for beauty amateurs and pros alike. In fact, she just released her third book, the user-friendly Crazy Busy Beautiful: Beauty Secrets for Getting Gorgeous Fast.

The book includes nine chapters that cover the ABCs of skincare and makeup: Start With Skincare, Body Basics, Laying the Foundation: Skin Makeup, Brows That Wow, Eye Essentials, Eyeliner It Up, Luscious Lashes, Get Cheeky, and Lips, Lips, Lips. In each chapter, Carmindy shares her own insights, formatted in a bullet-point fashion so you can easily skim through them, as well as tips from girlfriends and close associates and some "wacky" beauty rituals from everyday women. Plus, each chapter includes "moneysaver" tips (or frugal alternatives to the issue discussed), "timesaver" alternatives, or ways to cut your beauty routine in half, and "glamazon" tips for those women who really want a dramatic look.

If you're a beauty junkie, you might think of these as rudimentary tips that, by now, you consider second nature. For example, she suggests buying eyeliners with built-in smudging tips to avoid spending time unnecessarily on that endeavor, or she suggests staying away from brow stencils when shaping your brows, and she advises against using too much bronzer in winter months. But even if you're possess an encyclopedic knowledge of beauty-related matters, you're still likely to find a few jewels in there. For instance, did you know that if you mix a tad of baking soda with your liquid facial cleanser, it can help to brighten your skin? Or did you know that pumping the mascara wand in and out of the tube before applying breaks down the bristles on the wand and allows air to get into the tube, which makes mascara dry out faster? 

Overall, the book has a lot of elementary tips for women who are overwhelmed by the many aspects of makeup application and will best serve that audience but, as I mentioned, there are some great tips in there that even the most seasoned beauty experts will find helpful.

Crazy Busy Beautiful by Carmindy, $12.99 (currently $9.35 at Amazon.com)

"Miss Dahl's Voluptuous Delights" -- Sophie's Culinary Choice

It's a lazy Sunday afternoon and, on days like this, my mind tends to be filled with thoughts of food: the perfect brunch meal, the most comforting soup, the tastiest dessert... And it was on a day like this one that I first pored over model Sophie Dahl's new cookbook Miss Dahl's Voluptuous Delights and feasted my eyes on succulent recipe after recipe — each arranged by season (spring, summer, autumn and winter) and meal (breakfast, lunch, brunch, snack, dinner, and dessert). 

Now, I'll be the first to admit that my initial reaction to the cookbook (a superficial reaction based on the cover and title alone) was one of skepticism and faux disgust. A model writing a cookbook? I expected everything to be some low-fat, tofu-encrusted concoction with ample information about caloric intake and proper serving sizes — basically, a book that took the joy out of cooking. To my surprise, however, Sophie Dahl doesn't indulge Americans' obsession with weight and dieting, which means no dwelling onultra-skim this and fat-free that. A woman after my own heart.

Even better, the cookbook includes recipes that are completely accessible: from chicken curry to pea soup, banana bread, pasta puttanesca, wild rice risotto, buttermilk chicken with smashed sweet potatoes, eggplant parmigiana, pear and ginger muffins, and cardamom rice pudding. Sure, there are more experimental recipes in the cookbook  — such as a shrimp, watercress, grapefruit, avocado and pecan salad and a rhubarb compote with orange flower yogurt and pistachios —but they're still easy to follow, even for the most rudimentary of cooks.

Personally, I was relieved by the fact that all the ingredients can be obtained at your local supermarket. Nothing unnerves me more than haughty cookbooks that require you to go shopping at Whole Foods, Food Emporium, or some other overpriced, gourmet haunt. I do appreciate that some recipes might require specialty items but, overall, cooking shouldn't be an exclusionary sport. Dahl's ingredients are easy enough to track down and prepare, plus they'll satisfy even the pickiest eaters in the family.

Her chicken curry recipe was absolute perfection (though, if you can't handle spicy foods, I'd suggest using one green chile instead of the two recommended) and her rice pudding with pea puree was a refreshing, tasty wonder. This cookbook has officially become my go-to manual for the moment, so I suggest you check it out!

Miss Dahl's Voluptuous Delights, $23.10. Available at Amazon.com