Marie Claire articles from March 2008

Marie Claire archives from March 2008

Model behavior.(Welcome to MARCH)(Editorial)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ON THOSE DAYS when I'm juggling school drop-off, my sons' hockey games, an appointment with the tax man, and the great but crazy demands of this job, I feel as though my head might pop off if I'm asked to do one more...

Reader of the month.(WE'VE GOT MAIL)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] (Because nothing warms our hearts like a reader who notices story structure. Seriously.) The January issue was sheer perfection. From Lucy Kaylin's well-structured cover story on mother-to-be Christina Aguilera...

Xtra xtina.(WE'VE GOT MAIL)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2008... Our photos of a pregnant Christina Aguilera January 2008, above) caused such a Web sensation, our mailbox was flooded with letters before the issue even hit the stands. Here's what you had to say: As a young woman strong in my sexuality, I find...

Mommy dearest.(WE'VE GOT MAIL)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2008... Gretchen Voss recounted life with her alcoholic mother in the January feature "How I Learned to Stop Hating My Mother." My own mother drank herself to death when I was 13. Thank you for touching on this complex and painful topic. --NAME...

Baby steps in Africa.(WE'VE GOT MAIL)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2008... Jan Goodwin's report "From Mutilation to Salvation" (January 2008, below) introduced us to Kenyan activist Agnes Pareyio, whose safe house for girls is winning the fight against female genital mutilation (FGM). It saddened me, that due to...

The tri-delts made us do it!(WE'VE GOT MAIL)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2008... In our drinking guide, "Step Away From the Chardonnay" (December 2007), we mentioned that the Alpha Phi Fraternity established the first women's sorority house at Syracuse University in 1886. We couldn't resist following with the punch line:...

Was it worth it?(WE'VE GOT MAIL)(Gretchen Voss on her article How I Learned to Stop Hating My Mother)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] We got a huge response to Gretchen Voss's "How I Learned to Stop Hating My Mother" from readers with similar upbringings. But we wondered, How did Voss's mom react to the spare-no-details story? When we called Voss,...

Bag spy: what's on the arms of the A-listers?(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... CHANEL GIRLS MASTER THE ART OF GLAMOUR [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ELISHA CUTHBERT "Coco's Crocos" is long and lean. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] PARIS HILTON Black, white, and "Timeless Classic" all over. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ...

Jessica Alba: on the eve of telling the world her baby news, Jessica Alba, the non-diva diva, lit up the shoot with her new glow.(behind the COVER shoot)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] WE FIRST FELL for our cover girl when she called ahead herself to say she was running late. Alba also kept it real on the set, arriving with her pet pug, Sid, and beaming mom, Cathy Alba, in tow. MC Fashion Director...

Gwen Stefani's year in style.(FASHION resume)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... special skills Quite contrary: Mixes rock chic with '40s screen siren and skater punk. Style stamina: Rarely seen without It bag and oversize shades--even if just off to the gym. Aesthetic engineer: Major effort goes into her...

101 ideas: the one thing you need this spring? A Crayola-color accessory.(Buyers guide)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... BRIGHT STUFF GREEN BAG $13,060, Versace; versace.com for stores. PRINTED SHOES $685, Manolo Blahnik at Neiman Marcus; (800) 937-9146. CLUTCH $25, Necessary Objects Handbags at SRI Shoes; (919) 954-0051. GREEN SHOES $189, Matt...

Urban safari: look fierce in any city setting in tribal prints and exotic-skin sandals.(HOT TREND)(Buyers guide)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] HOT TREND safari rule Tame the wildest animal or folkloric pattern with crisp, classic cotton neutrals. Trench $2495, Tod's; (800) 457-TODS. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Shorts $54.50, Tommy...

Groovy preppy: a remix of retro and Wasp-style classics.(HOT TREND)(Buyers guide)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] HOT TREND preppy rule Twist a tradition: Try a trench in an acid color, and upgrade the look With funkified patterns and rich navy. Shoes $139, Sisley; (800) 535-4491 for stores. [ILLUSTRATION...

Nouveau boho: feel the free love in hippie prints and hang-loose shapes at summer raves and barbecues.(HOT TREND)(Buyers guide)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] HOT TREND boho rule Maintain the '70s vibe with chunky beads, funky shoes, and bags that look handcrafted Wedges $499, Cesare Paciotti; (212) 452-1222. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Top $218, BCBG...

The maxi factor: the full-length '70s-style sundress is the new staple for girls on the go. Pair with sexy sandals, and you're set for any occasion.(hot trend at every price)(Buyers guide)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] maxi-dress rule For the best fit, the hem should graze your ankle. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Rooftop Party $34.50, Old Navy; oldnavy.com. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Hamptons $128, WD-NY; (212) 395-9309 for...

Style wish list: MC fashion director Tracy Taylor's must-have picks for spring.(101 IDEAS)(Marie Claire)(Buyers guide)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Jacket $198, Brooks Brothers; brooks brothers.com. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Dress $258, Development by Erica Davies at Bergdorf Goodman; (800) 558-1855. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Jacket $1200, Yigal Azrouel; (212) 929-7525. ...

Outfit 911: what to buy in a style emergency.(101 IDEAS)(Buyers guide)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Got a sudden callback interview in the a.m.? Scoop up lady-exec classics in black and white tonight BAG $815, MaMara; (312) 475-9500. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] BLOUSE $348, Ellen Tracy; (800) 925-7979 for stores. JACKET & SKIRT...

Click today, wear tomorrow: stuck at your desk? Check out these fab finds online right now.(101 IDEAS)(Buyers guide)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Dress $460, Zimmermann; shopbop.com. [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] Dress $148, Banana Republic; banana republic.com. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Jeans $89, Guess by Marciano; guess.com. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Shoes $165, Cole...

Splurge vs. steal: whether your budget is yacht or rowboat, cruise through spring in nautical classics.(101 IDEAS)(Buyers guide)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... style rule Balance fitted tees and shorts with loose grandpa cardigans. STEAL [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Top $24.50, Express; expressfashion. com for stores. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Shorts $54.50, Tommy Hilfiger; macys.com for...

We can't believe they're all under $100!(101 IDEAS)(Buyers guide)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] DRESS $34.99, Isaac Mizrahi for Target; target.com (available in April). Steven by Steve Madden; (800) SIR-MADD for stores. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] FLATS $89, Unisa; zappos.com. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ...

The 5 fashion commandments: this month's must-dos from the style divinities.(101 IDEAS)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 1 THOU SHALT HONOR THY GRANNY We love the splashy vintage prints in super-chic swim designer Zimmermann's new clothing line. Dresses (from left), $716, Zimmermann at Diavolina, (310) 550-1341; $585,...

Best shoes: temper bold-tone bags with heels in color-shy shades.(101 IDEAS)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] 1 WOVEN, $120, Calvin Klein; (800) 914-8357. 2 PLATFORM, $110, Guess by Marciano; guess.com. 3 TWO-TONE, $89, Marc Fisher, macys.com. 4 ROSETTE, $550, Moschino Cheap and Chic at Koko & Palenki; (888) 440-KOKO. 5 CAP...

Best bags: gemstone-colored bags offset the new neutrals.(101 IDEAS)(Buyers guide)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] 1 CHERRY, $850, Hugo; hugoboss.com for stores. 2 MAGENTA, $85, Nine West; (800) 999-1877. 3 VIOLET, $1800, Tod's; (800) 457-TODS. 4 LEMON, $90, Chinese Laundry Handbags; chineselaundrybags.com. 5 EMERALD, $740,...

Fashion prediction.(101 IDEAS)(Yves Saint Laurent bag)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... A-listers and wannabes alike will be scrambling for this bold sequel to YSL's iconic Muse bag, Let the grabfest begin! [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Bag $5995, Yves Saint Laurent: ysl.com for stores

Designer dossier: Christopher Bailey/Burberry.(STYLE)(Interview)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] HIS INSPIRATIONS "Movies, rock music, people--it all comes into play. I love the disheveled elegance of the English, and how Japanese and French girls wear Burberry--the former cute, the latter tailored and a...

Win the bag & shoe collection: enter our $250,000 sweepstakes.(EXCLUSIVE)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Enter the MC sweepstakes to win $250,000--in cash! Of course, you wouldn't spend it all on bags and shoes, but after reading this issue, you'll be tempted... Go to winit.marieclaire.com for your chance to win.

Mumbai India.(PLANET marie claire: PLACES TO STAY--SIGHTS TO SEE--THINGS TO BUY AND TRY)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] WHY GO NOW? MC INDIA's beauty director, Anubha Charan (left), takes us on an intimate tour of all that's hip in this tropical metropolis. Mumbai is India's film epicenter (hooray for Bollywood!) and the...

Obsessions & confessions with Ying: hairstylist Harry Josh loves John Frieda's Overnight Repair cream ($19.99)--it stops split ends like nail polish on a snagged stocking.(101 IDEAS)(Buyers guide)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Thin Ice In these cubes, Scott Barnes Eye Ice powder shadows ($25 each) resemble intimidatingly rich molten metals, but on the skin, they create the most elegant--and wearable--wash of shimmer. ...

Obsessions & confessions with Ying: hangnail helper: a creative use for Neutrogena Skin Aid All-In-One Skin Recovery Treatment ($6.99)? Dab it on cracked cuticles to heal hangnails and moisturize nail beds in a flash.(101 IDEAS)(Buyers guide)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Painter's Palette The ombre finish of Avon's Jillian Dempsey Signature Pink Horizon Blush ($8) reminds me of the spray-paint fade on the new Louis Vuitton bags (left), but the real draw is its function: The deep...

Beauty souvenirs: go abroad, send a friend, or surf online to snag one of these best-selling global grooming goodies.(101 IDEAS)(Buyers guide)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... JAPAN Angelina's lips help sell this moisturizing gloss overseas. Shiseido Integrate. [yen] 1500 ($14). [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] SPAIN SPF and shine in a single tube. Lancome Soleil Gloss SPF 15. 18 [euro] ($26). ...

Leslie Mann one of the boys.(Interview)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... HER SHTICK: Giving as good as she gets opposite Paul Rudd and Steve Carell, Mann is the ultimate boys-club infiltrator. AS SEEN IN: Knocked Up, The 40-Yeor-OId Virgin, George of the Jungle INSIDE MOVE: Sleeping with the director. And...

Friends don't let friends miss these stellar new flicks.(BIG SCREEN)(Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day; Run, Fatboy, Run; Blindsight)(Movie review)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... MISS PETTIGREW LIVES FOR A DAY From the moment Frances McDormand's Miss Pettigrew--a fretful, frizzy-haired nanny--meets a pampered ingenue (Amy Adams), their odd-couple friendship spikes this whimsical drama with the wicked glow of a girls'...

Top 4.(Radar)(Amy Sherman-Palladino on her favorite sister acts)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... The wonderfully quippy Gilmore Girls creator, Amy Sherman-Palladino, has a brand-spanking-new Fox series, The Return of Jezebel James, about sisters. Here, she gives us her favorite sister acts, both from real life and on-screen. 4...

Bring back our kids!(ENOUGH IS ENOUGH)(children in movies)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Quick--do you know where your children are? If they were on the big screen last year, odds are they were abducted, maimed, or quite simply done in. Yes, offspring-in-peril guarantees an instant emotional payoff, but...

Hot Brit author Edward Docx has his stateside debut.(TWO-MINUTE DATE)(Pravda)(Interview)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "I used to go out a lot," explains Edward Docx in his bewitching British accent. "The problem with partying is you don't get an awful lot of work done. Look at Paris Hilton." Actually, we'd rather ogle Docx's dashing...

The book of Dahlia.(PAGE-TURNERS)(Brief article)(Book review)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] THE BOOK OF DAHLIA BY EUSA ALBERT (Free Press) The quarterlife crisis? We know it well. At 29, slacker Dahlia Finger hasn't done much with her life--her hobby is watching the same DVDs over and over while stoned....

The painter from Shanghai.(Brief article)(Book review)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] THE PAINTER FROM SHANGHAI BY JENNIFER CODY EPSTEIN (Norton) An orphan is sold to a brothel by her uncle in prewar China, where she becomes a prostitute, then a concubine, and finally one of the most famous and...

Dervishes.(Brief article)(Book review)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] DERVISHES BY BETH HELMS (Picador) Imagine you were a 12-year-old American girl forced to move to Turkey with your unhappily married parents. Your diplomat pop is never around, and your in-a-funk room is as...

Your monthly crib sheet ... take that, music snobs!(PLAYLIST)(Sound recording review)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] GOLDFRAPP Seventh Tree (Mute) After Goldfrapp fused cabaret and electronic glam on 2005's breakout Supemeture, their latest trick is to sound both bucolic and futuristic. In down-tempo tunes with lilting melodies,...

Your entertainment diet for March.(THE CULTURE PYRAMID)(Movie review)(Sound recording review)(Video recording review)
March 1, 2008... GUILTY PLEASURES (partake sparingly) Horton Hears a Who. Dr. Seuss voiced by Steve Carell, Jim Carrey, and Amy Poehler? Steal your niece and nephew for the big-screen CGI version of this lovable Who-ville classic. [ILLUSTRATION...

Welcome back! This month, the MC book club considers one woman's lonely search for her identity in Let the Northern Lights Erase Your Name, just out in paperback. Worth your time? Read on ...(BOOK CLUB)(Marie Claire)(Book review)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] THE PLOT: What would you do if you found out your father wasn't really your father? And you couldn't interrogate your mother about it because she disappeared 14 years earlier? Why not do as Vendela Vida's...

Jessica Alba steps up with a baby on the way, the hot star takes a break from Hollywood to give girls in Harlem the Pep talk of their lives.(Interview)(Cover story)
March 1, 2008... Nestled into the leather upholstery of her chauffeured Lexus SUV, Jessica Alba is layered: tan topcoat, loose-fitting sweaterdress, black tights, voluminous cashmere wrap, high boots. Her portly she-pug, Sid, named for the Sex Pistols' Sid...

The United States of anxiety: ifs the most common mental illness in America. One worrywart stares down her (and our) tendency to fret.(BULLETIN)(Patricia Pearson)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] YOU LOOK WORRIED. Actually, much of the country does--anxiety disorders affect nearly 40 million Americans. Author Patricia Pearson explores our national epidemic in her new book, A Brief History of Anxiety (Yours...

By the numbers.(BULLETIN)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... 28.8% of Americans will suffer anxiety in their lifetime--the highest level in the world. $42 billion is spent annually in the U.S. on anxiety disorders. $22.8 billion of that goes to addressing anxiety symptoms that...

A birth-control pill for men.(DISPATCH)(Seasonique)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] We found it curious when ads for Seasonique, the Pill that reduces periods to just four times a year, started popping up on Spike IV, home of the Hooters' swimsuit pageant and Pam Anderson's Stripperella. And when...

The smartest woman in America.(Samantha Power)(Interview)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] LANKY AND LEAN in a charcoal suit, Samantha Power, 37, zooms through the halls of Harvard's Kennedy School of Government with the kind of purposeful gait you think only exists on Aaron Sorkin shows. She's tailed by...

Relief for cyclone sidr.(A BETTER WAY TO SPEND 25 BUCKS)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] WHAT: A powerful storm that tore through Bangladesh in November, killing 3300, injuring 52,000, and destroying over 550,000 homes and 2 million acres of farmland. WHO: Catholic Relief Services' (CRS) South Asia...

Circular logic.(eye ON THE world)(solar cookers for Bhutanese refugees)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... No, you're not looking at the world's biggest steel-drum band. Those discs are among the thousands of solar cookers the Dutch government has provided to Bhutanese refugees in Nepal. About 100,000 people live in seven sprawling camps, relying on...

What we're bringing to J. Lo's baby shower.(THE SHOPPING LIST)(Jennifer Lopez)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Jennifer Lopez, 38, is reportedly having twins, and the diva who said her love don't cost a thing has registered for a $3495 baby stroller and plans to spend $120,000 on nurseries for her three estates, according to the New York Post: So what...

Weird sex stories from around the globe.(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... BEIJING, CHINA: After 14 years, the government here has promised to end a ban on allowing HIV-positive travelers into the country. SINGAPORE: A man is suing a woman for more than $200,000 for giving him herpes. TOKYO, JAPAN: The latest...

And baby makes two: we all grew up believing the fairy tale: you meet Mr. Right and soon after, start having kids. But what if he never comes along? What if things don't go as planned and time starts running out? Meet the new breed of single mom.(RELATIONSHIPS)(Personal account)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] I GOT PREGNANT BY MY TRAINER YOU KNOW THAT old saw about jumping on a plane at a moment's notice? That was me. Positano. Kyoto. Istanbul. Paris. It might sound like an oxymoron, but a sense of freedom has been my...

The millionaire hunters: in the new Russia, a country obsessed with wealth and status, snagging a super-rich man is big business--and so are the outrageous classes that claim to give women a leg up.(Lessons in LOVE)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] YOU HAVE TO ADMIRE a nation of women who wear stilettos in the snow and make it look easy. It's minus-10 degrees in Moscow, and the frozen sidewalks are teeming with glamorous female shoppers. Clad in fur and sparkly...

Christy's personal journey: in a Marie Claire exclusive, Christy Turlington Burns shares her diary of a recent trip to Peru focused on a topic close to her heart: motherhood.(MORE THAN A PRETTY FACE)(Diary entry)
March 1, 2008... IN LATE OCTOBER I TOOK A TRIP to the highlands of Peru, and I never would have imagined how profound and lasting the impact of the journey would be. As a mother of two, I'm drawn to issues relating to women and their children, and that's why I...

Buy this shirt: for $25, you can save a woman's life.(MORE THAN A PRETTY FACE)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] HARD TO BELIEVE, but somewhere in the world, a woman dies every minute from pregnancy-related causes--and most of the deaths are preventable. Thankfully, organizations like CARE understand the causes and know what to...

"Why do moms get special treatment?".(Cubicle COACH: Got a workplace worry? Take it to the coach)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Q: Dear CC: When we're on deadline, our manager often makes the work of those with young kids a higher priority so they can be the first ones to leave. I get that juggling parenting responsibilities and work is...

Major spring looks you should bookmark now ... they'll inspire you all season.(fashion)
March 1, 2008... SUPREME JEANS [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] VINTAGE DREAMS [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] SEXY EXEC [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] HAUTE HIPPIE [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

www.fashion/springworkwear: searching for clothes that won't quit at the office? Type in keywords: precision tailoring, authoritative colors, shine. Photographed at Google headquarters. Mountain View, CA.(Buyers guide)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ms. sunshine Looking white-lot against a backdrop of Google's renewable-energy-generating solar panels. Jacket, $1750, skirt, $1050, shoes, $890, Yves Saint Laurent; belt, $275, Elegantly Waisted; bangles,...

Retro fabulous: designers are raiding vintage shops (and David Lynch flicks?) for ideas, producing quirky, glamorous clothes, worn defiantly disheveled.(Buyers guide)
March 1, 2008... Cape, $1620, top, $1550, skirt, Louis Vuitton; shoes, $551, Giuseppe Zanotti Design; necklace, $160, Roxanne Assoulin for Lee Angel; socks, $6, Hue. THIS PAGE: Top, $775, skirt, $420, Marni; black tunic, $125, Pure DKNY; necklace,...

Jean pool: jump in with both feet. Spring '08 celebrates denim's lineage, from street to couture.(Buyers guide)
March 1, 2008... BOXY LADY THIS PAGE: Jacket, $375, Thirteen Denim; top and pants (sold as set), $1035, MaxMara; bag, $298, Marc by Marc Jacobs; white bangle, $95, gray bangle, $80, Dinosaur Designs; multicolor bangle, $65, R.J. Graziano; silver bangle,...

California dreamin': hippie days are here again. Adorning herself in luxe chiffon layers, flower-child prints, and leather and stone accessories, the Malibu bohemian becomes one with nature.(Buyers guide)
March 1, 2008... This page: Vest, $2165, Etro; top, $298, Development by Erica Davies; skirt, $1560, Wunderkind; shoes, $1435, Barbara Bui; short feather necklace, $195, Vanessa Montiel; quartz necklace, $6000, Rockras by Kimberly McDonald; long leather...

Who really dresses us? We're a shopping-obsessed generation, spending billions a year, but how do the clothes we buy make it from the runway to the rack? Meet the tastemakers of America's most influential stores who call the shots every season.(STYLE)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] Wardrobe Mistress OUR CUSTOMER: On average, she's 18 to 48. We cater to the mother, daughter, and granddaughter who want to stay in fashion. The clientele is internationally diverse, with different careers and...

Could you pull off model makeup? Our intrepid beauty reporter Ning Chao went backstage at the shows to road test spring's dramatic new looks.(beauty)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] I may be tall, but make no mistake, I am not a model. When people gather to take a photo, I lean out of lens range. So when my editor asked me to go backstage during New York fashion week to try the latest beauty...

Beauty bites: can a pill really zap ache or smooth cellulite? NYC dietitian Keri Glassman evaluates new supplements and sorts the brilliant from the bogus, while brave MC editors taut the pills to see what really work.(Beauty)(New York City, Marie Claire)(Product/service evaluation)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Beauty THE PILL GLASSMAN SAYS MC EDITORS VERDICT Phyto Plage Beta-carotene Our tester's skin Phytosolaire and carotenoids began to deepen...

My best friend's boob job: when my soul mate went under the knife, I had to wonder--what about me?(BODY IMAGE)(Personal account)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] Abby is a cute blonde nurse in her mid-20s. Tanned, thin, and heavily eyelinered, she is a walking billboard for the benefits of plastic surgery. Like a scene from The Stepford Wives, all of the women working in the...

Bad-boy basics: Sean "Diddy" Combs--the most polished guy on the front row-hands over his fashion-week survival kit.(Beauty snoop)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "Staying well groomed is very important to me. But with my busy schedule, I don't always have time for facials and treatments." FIJI water: "It tastes so pure and keeps me hydrated when I'm running around." ...

What I love about me: Picasso painted here. Woody Allen just filmed here. Now meet the real-life beauties of Barcelona, Spain.(Beauty: road show)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... BARCELONA Barcelona-based Mango fashion shops are popping up stateside, where you can snap up guest designer Penelope Cruz's line (a la Madonna for H&M). From couture to cuisine: The studio of fashion legend Cristobal Balenciaga is...

First impressions: what kind do you make? Dr. Amy Wechsler, MC's resident dermatologist and psychiatrist, analyzes 22-year-old Lydia Hamel, from Victoria, BC.(Beauty shrink)(Marie Claire, British Columbia)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] HAIR AW: Her long, unstyled hair says that she is relatively low-maintenance. LH. I haven't cut it in two years, I'm lazy when it comes to hair. Wash 'n' wear! BRACES AW: Wearing braces at her age...

Power up your life! Get success that lasts: keep your weight, your workout, and your motivation where you want it for the long term.(HEALTH)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] HOW IT WORKS: By now, you've made serious progress toward your dream body. You've developed a healthy five-day-a-week gym habit. And you know which foods give you the fat-burning, energy-boosting effects you want...

First date: return of the frat boy.(LOVE/SEX)
March 1, 2008... iT WAS MY FIRST DATE with a 31-year-old Wall Street type, who seemed charmingly dorky in his light-color jeans and tucked-in button-down. We were halfway done with our first glasses of wine at a dimly lit place, feeling cozy and chatting about...

How gay are you?(LOVE/SEX)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... YOU'VE HEARD THE STORIES: A seemingly straight woman falls for another woman (hey there, Cynthia Nixon); an erstwhile lesbian winds up with a man (howdy, Anne Heche). The switch-hitter invariably offers some explanation about "falling in love...

With the Oscars looming, we wonder if the C word is having a moment.(LOVE/SEX)(the word "cunt" in "Atonement")(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Give the gold-dipped statuette to James McAvoy for pulling off the unthinkable in Atonement: In a sweltering room, perched at the typewriter, he pecks out the perfect apology to Keira Knightley's free-spirited...

The sex-starved single woman.(SEX/diary)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Susan, 36, English professor, New York City MONDAY 6:15 a.m., bed: Masturbate while fantasizing about very dirty sex with dark-haired stranger in blue flannel suit. I haven't had sex in a couple of years, but that's no reason to miss out on...

Confessions of a sex-shop salesgirl: who knew that selling sex toys would provide such a window to the soul?(LOVE/SEX)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] MY FAVORITE customer, Marlene, first appeared at 10 a.m. on a Saturday. A youthful, 50-something firecracker in mom jeans, she marched in and scanned the shelves. "I have three sons and a husband. I need a vibrator...

Fancy free: sweet nothings that cost--well, nothing! Fifty of you can score $50 worth of loot from luxe lingerie site figleaves.com.(FREE FOR YOU)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] * Log on to marieclaire.com to enter! OUR $2500 giveaway!

Horoscope: March ignites a confidence revolution for Pisceans like birthday girl Jessica Biel, career wanderlust for Penelope Cruz and the bulls.
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] PISCES (February 19-March 20) Get ready for a spring awakening of self-respect, self-esteem, and self-worth as you plunge into the new season on a birthday high. It's prime time for a financial awakening,...

An opinionated guide to March.(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... the good Instamatic Karma: A splashy coffee-table book packed with never-before-seen John Lennon photos taken by his mistress, May Pang. So good, even Yoko bought it. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Lotsa layered bangles and bracelets:...