Marie Claire articles from May 2008

Marie Claire archives from May 2008

You're all that!(Welcome to MAY)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] THERE'S SOMETHING have a really hard time with: watching highly competent women make excuses for themselves in public and play the girly card. Much as I love Katherine Heigl, I was struck during the Oscars by her...

Reader of the month.(WE'VE GOT MAIL)(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] We followed Christy Turlington Burns to Peru, where she raises awareness about infant and maternal mortality rates ("Christy's Personal Journey," March 2008). Yuri Chung of Evanston, II, wrote this: "I was born in...

Alba's character.(WE'VE GOT MAIL)(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2008... In "Jessica Alba Steps Up" (March 2008, below), MC spent some QT with the actress and a few teenage fans at the Young Women's Leadership School in Harlem. >> That Jessica Alba gave her time to talk to those girls and got right down on the...

Money hungry.(WE'VE GOT MAIL)(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2008... For "Lessons in Love: The Millionaire Hunters" (March 2008), Abigail Haworth reported on a school in Russia that teaches women how to score a sugar daddy. >> The idea of this "school" is a slap in the face to the majority of Russian women....

The mommy wars, part 3034.(WE'VE GOT MAIL)(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2008... When Cubicle Coach suggested working mothers get to leave earlier because they're better time managers (March 2008), a few childless workers threw a tantrum. >> My coworkers with children spend a good 40 minutes discussing the color of...

Your turn!(WE'VE GOT MAIL)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In "And Baby Makes Two" (March 2008), a nine-months-pregnant Kimberly Forrest divulged the moment she decided to keep her ex-boyfriend Luis's baby, even though it meant raising the child on her own. Dying to know if...

Denim divas take a walk on the wide side: a '70s staple that's huge again!.(jean spy)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... KATIE HOLMES pulls it together with a tight top and "Joplin" floor-grazers by J Brand. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] VICTORIA BECKHAM rethinks Annie Hall in her own DVB denim line. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] KATE BOSWORTH rocks 18th...

Fashion resume: Kate Hudson: fabulous 24/7.(STYLE)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... education >> 1979-2008: Her mother, '60s style icon and actress Goldie Hewn, taught her to love luxury--without taking it too seriously. >> 2003-2008: Fashion rubbed off on her while hanging with pals Stella McCartney, Francisco Costa,...

Tina Fey.(behind the COVER shoot)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The creative powerhouse and funnywoman posed as an old-school Hitchcock heroine, all while wrapping her new movie, Baby Mama, and anticipating the end of the writers' strike [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] DO THE...

101 ideas: bright stuff for garden parties--but keep stilettos off the grass!(SHOPPING)(Buyers guide)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... TROPICAL PUNCH CLUTCH $720 (includes change purse), Etro; (212) 317-9096. GLOVES $70, LaCrasia; lacrasia.com. SUNGLASSES $318, Christian Roth at Bergdorf Goodman; (800) 558-1855. SHOES $695, Jil Sander; (212) 838-6100. RINGS $38 each,...

Hot trend: blooms day: we're in a garden state of mind with lush, colorful looks for fashion parties.(101 IDEAS)(Buyers guide)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Dress $150, Banana Republic; bananarepublic.com for stores. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] floral rule For work events, think dark tints and classic prints in tailored silhouettes. [ILLUSTRATIONS...

Hot trend: going native: seek strong earth tones and ethno-glam for yoga retreats in Bali--or your local beach club.(101 IDEAS)(Buyers guide)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] Skirt $245, Nicole Miller Collection; nicolemiller.com. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Tops $69 each, DKNY Jeans; (800) 777-4524 FOR STORES. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Shoes $395, Cole Haan;...

>Hot trend: feminine charm: spring's quirky lady likes retro shapes, girly bags, shades of pale.(101 IDEAS)(Buyers guide)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] Dress & Belt $99, Roulette; macys.com for stores. $250, Calvin Klein Collection; (212) 292-9000. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Bag $295, Furla; furlausa.com for stores. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ...

Outfit 911: what to buy in a style emergency.(101 IDEAS)(Buyers guide)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... Your GF and her fiance have decided on a quickie wedding--with you as witness. Here, a more-than-civil style solution, fit for photos EARRINGS $155, Gerard Yosca; (212) 302-4349. DRESS $160, Maggy London at Macy's; (800) 343-0121. ...

Style wish list: Pina DelPercio, Marie Claire's accessories editor, feels spring's tribal vive.(101 IDEAS)(Buyers guide)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... Top $228, Rebecca Taylor; (212) 966-0406. [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] Skirt $295, Adam; (212) 229-2838. Bracelets [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] $230 each, Lulu Frost for Chris Benz; (212) 826-8950 for stores. ...

We can't believe they're all under $100!(101 IDEAS)(Buyers guide)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] NECKLACE $59.99, Subversive for Target; target.com. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] TOP $34.90 H&M; hm.com for stores. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] BAG $90, Chinese Laundry Handbags;chineselaundrybags.com ...

MC readers try the trend: safari.(101 IDEAS)(Buyers guide)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... Traditional safari chic has changed its stripes: Cheeky animal prints and bush-jacket-inspired minis run wild [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] safari rule Tame tne Out of Africa look with chunky black or neutral accessories and au naturel...

Click today, wear tomorrow.(101 IDEAS)(Buyers guide)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... All this hot stuff from tobi.com arrives in recycled packaging! [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Necklace $165, Katharine Sise Jewelry. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Anorak $90, BB Dakota. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Top $172, Grace Sun....

Fashion 401K.(101 IDEAS)(Buyers guide)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... We're not saying you'll retire in these uber-classic pieces, but if you make the investment, they'll pay style dividends for years investment-piece rule Here's your fashion A team: neutral-colored with the most efficient details. ...

Best shoes: the new ballets look bold but tread softly.(101 IDEAS)(Buyers guide)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] 1 $250; toryburch. com. 2 $130; geox.com for stores. 3 $69; amazon, com. 4 $148; jcrew. com. 5 STUART WEITZMAN $250; stuartweitzman.com. 6 LE DUE BY DUE FARINA, $187 at Fleur; (919) 828-0602. 7 TIBI S345; (212)...

Best wallets: luxe textures--right on the money!(101 IDEAS)(Buyers guide)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] 1 LULU GUINNESS, $165; luluguinness.com. 2 CHANEL $740; (800) 550-0005. 3 HOBO INTERNATIONAL, $68; zappos.com. 4 TOD'S, $595; tods.com for stores. 5 KATE SPADE, $175; katespade.com. 6 KENNETH COLE REACTION, $65;...

Designer dossier: Tod's Derek Lam.(STYLE)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] I FANTASIZE "The Tod's girl's idea of luxury is a perfect plate of pasta and, yes, an exquisitely made bag--but she'd never join a waiting list for one. So not a fashion victim. I think of her working, sailing,...

So, you really want to walk in these? Sergio Rossi's creative director, Edmundo Castillo, swears you can--comfortably--if you follow his advice ...(fashion tutorial)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Clockwise from top: Fendi, $690, (800) FENDI-NY; Marc Jacobs, $596, (323) 653-5100; Miu Miu, $655, (888) 977-1900; Sergio Rossi, $710, sergiorossi.com for stores. 1--"Change heel heights several times a day. Feet...

Paris, France.(Planet Marie Claire: THE INSIDER'S GUIDE TO GETTING OUT OF TOWN)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] POURQUOI GO NOW? Although our stringer at French MC, Anne Raybaud, plans to be partying at the Cannes Film Festival (May 14-25), she'll be back in time for other May must-dos. Lovers of Impressionism (anyone...

Obsessions & confessions with Ying.(101 IDEAS)(Buyers guide)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ISLE TAKE THEM... My desk is equipped for a tropical escape: Israel Kamakawiwo'ole (think hip luau) on my iPod and a few tins of Pacifica solid perfume ($8.95). A little Hawaiian Ruby Guava on my temples...

Toss/try/buy: the ultimate refresh-your-routine guide from the MC beauty editors.(101 IDEAS)(Buyers guide)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] [TOSS] Winter-worthy face creams. With the mercury rising, you don't want to clog pores with a too-rich treatment. Use what's left in your jar to lube up dry heels, then off to recycling it goes. [TRY] Bliss Spa...

Olfactory girls: spring's blossoming with new scents for every nose.(101 IDEAS)(Buyers guide)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] 1 PILLOW TALK Peach accords put the "sweet" in this fragrant fantasy. Tommy Hilfiger Dreaming Parfum, $125. 2 LA VIE EN ROSE Heady white musk, Bulgarian rose, and patchouli: Can you say "first-date...

Evan Rachel Wood: good girl gone goth.(radar)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] WHY SHE'S ON OUR RADAR: Wood plays a troubled teen whose invincible-youth mentality is shattered by a campus shooting in The Life Before Her Eyes. "People label my character the bad girl, but she's trying to live...

Friends don't let friends miss these stellar new flicks.(BIG SCREEN)(Movie review)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... SON OF RAMBOW This 1980s coming-of-age comedy meets all the criteria for an indie Brit hit: Quirky acting? Check. Raised in a religious sect that forbids movies, Will (Bill Milner) breaks all the rules to write, star in, and direct a grainy...

What does it all mean?(THE NEW CHICK FLICK)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... Is it just us, or do all the recent moody, smarty-pants lady-movies have the same weirdly ambiguous titles? Away From Her, I Could Never Be Your Woman, You Are Alone... It's as though a kind of estrogen-addled lassitude has descended upon the...

I (don't) need a hero.(radar)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Superheroes always beat baddies and win the babes--even that huge slab of rock, The Thing, gets the girl in Fantastic Four. With a summer full of The Incredible Hulk, Hellboy II, and Iron Man, we contemplate whether...

Cee-Lo Green, the hip-hop sage.(TWO-MINUTE DATE)(Sound recording review)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Second Coming of Gnarls Barkley is upon us. From his psychedelic pulpit, Cee-Lo--the bald, tattooed, rusty-piped wailer--preached the gospel of funk to worshipful audiences with 2006's retro-cool St. Elsewhere...

The Divorce Party.(PAGE-TURNERS)(Brief article)(Book review)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] THE DIVORCE PARTY by Laura Dave (Viking) Dave dives headfirst into the scary notion of sharing your life with someone, warts and all: Meet Maggie, a former commitment-phobe about to tie the knot with Nate, the heir...

The Plague of Doves.(PAGE TURNERS)(Brief article)(Book review)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] THE PLAGUE OF DOVES by Louise Erdrich (HarperCollins) Native American literature is like Southwestern decor: in the wrong hands, it's all Navajo blankets and animal spirits. But Erdrich's latest novel--about an act...

The Story of a Marriage.(PAGE TURNERS)(Brief article)(Book review)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] THE STORY OF A MARRIAGE by Andrew Sean Greet (Farrar, Straus end Giroux) What would you do if your husband's lover--a man--appeared at your doorstep and offered you money and real estate in exchange for your spouse?...

Your monthly crib sheet ... take that, music snobs!(PLAYLIST)(Sound recording review)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] GNARLS BARKLEY, The Odd Couple (Downtown/Atlantic) Maybe they ore crazy (see our date with Cee-Lo on p. 78). On their second album, Gnarls is ablaze, filled with explosive sonic experiments. Don't look for another...

Your entertainment diet for May.(THE CULTURE PYRAMID)(Movie review)(Sound recording review)(Brief article)(Book review)(Video recording review)
May 1, 2008... GUILTY PLEASURES>> (partake sparingly) Lycra- and butterfly-loving diva Mariah Carey's long-delayed album, E=[MC.sup.2] hits shelves; Einstein spins in grave. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Katherine Heigl tries on 27 Dresses in this new...

Book club.(radar)(The Septembers of Shiraz)(Book review)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] This month, the MC book club gets into The Septembers of Shiroz, about one family's struggle to survive in the aftermath of the Iranian revolution. Time to crack the crisp, new paperback edition? First, see what we...

Tina on top: Tina Fey, star of 30 Rock and this month's Baby Mama, tells Amy Poehler what it's like to be a huge star--from ignoring underlings to playing pranks like Cloons and Damon.(Interview)(Cover story)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] I am in 30 Rock--the building, not the show--trying to find Tina Fey, whom I'm supposed to interview. It's taken hours. After giving three passwords, I finally spot her surrounded by a phalanx of hip-hop dancers and...

Do men need savings? Ever wonder why it's hard to find a decent guy to date these days? Author Kathleen Parker blames feminism and male-bashing--and she's calling for a change.(BULLETIN: TRENDS, THE WEB, THE STATE OF THE UNION ... BEHOLD, YOUR WATERCOOLER CHEAT SHEET)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] SHIRTS BEARING THE motto "Boys are stupid--throw rocks at them" are marketed to tween girls; recent TV shows portray men as idiots (see Cavemen, Carpoolers) and wimps (see Cashmere Mafia, Lipstick Jungle); and more...

China dolls.(eye OF THE world)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In preparation for August's Beijing Olympics, China is assembling an army of 380 dewy-skinned, facially proportional, physically fit hostesses for the games. Here, a handful--all between 5'6" and 5'10"--improve their...

All in her head.(Q&A)(Brampton, Sally)(Interview)
May 1, 2008... YOU THINK YOU'VE got problems? In the late '90s, British author Sally Brampton was an award-winning journalist and editor, with a house in London, a family, and a fabulous wardrobe. But when the .job disappeared and her marriage disintegrated,...

Afghani women get physical.(DISPATCH)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... When you think of Afghanistan, images of rock-hard abs and Stairmasters aren't the first things that leap to mind. But when Freshta Farah, a 35-year-old Afghan, heard that her government was offering small-business loans to people willing to...

New ways to be bad.(THE RELIGION REPORT)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... In an attempt to stay ahead of the naughtiness curve, the Vatican recently revealed seven deadly new sins--among them, drug abuse and polluting (Is the Popemobile a hybrid?) A few Benedict XVI may have missed: * Skinny jeans on unskinny...

Field of panties.(BULLETIN)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... The next time you sit down to a fresh, healthy salad, consider this: The contents may have been picked by one of the 400,000 women toiling in U.S. fields, nurseries, and packing plants. Attracted to the U.S. by jobs that pay about $11,000 a...

Best blog for blowing off work: The Broads' Side.(BULLETIN)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] You know that kooky aunt whose advice is boundless and loopy, and who can rant as passionately about a Washington sex scandal as about a pair of bad panty hose? Well, now you've got 15 of them at wowOwow.com, where a...

Home work: more than 4 million Americans are now telecommuting full-time, and 20 million more are working part-time from home. Could you be one of them? Should you? An MC report on the next big thing: busting out of the cube.(WORK)(Chronology)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] THE LAST STRAW came one morning in the form of a green Post-it stuck to my computer monitor. Scrawled across the tiny square were the words "Never give up!" followed by a fateful =). I'd been hit with an...

How to be the boss of you: rules for launching a home business, from Nicole Williams, career coach/home-office worker.(WORK)(Chronology)
May 1, 2008... Set boundaries. Even if you live in a studio, create a corner that's designated for work, and spend finite hours in it, based on industry standards and your own rhythms. Don't undersell yourself. When setting rates, research your...

Coffee-shop confidential.(WORK)(Chronology)
May 1, 2008... Because Starbucks is the preferred escape spot/Wi-Fi leeching zone for remote workers everywhere, we spent a full workday there. Some observations: * You don't have to buy anything, but every seatless grande-frappuccino drinker will shoot...

Cubicle coach: CC on the ins and outs of telecommuting.(WORK)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Q: Dear CC: I want to ask my boss if I can work from home, but is that career suicide? A: As someone far wiser (and far randier) than CC put it, it depends on what the meaning of the word is is. If you're a road...

Home-office hardware.(WORK)(Buyers guide)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] What do you need to be a productive home-worker bee, without starting your business deep in the red? We asked tech expert Anthony Verducci, who began by telling us what you don't need: fancy-schmancy gadgets like...

Petra gets wired: Czech model Petra Nemcova, famous for surviving the Asian tsunami, is putting her fame to good use--getting computers to kids. Her latest stop: Haiti. Here, excerpts from her diary.(MORE THAN A PRETTY FACE)(Excerpt)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] * BEFORE I VISITED HAITI, I'd heard a lot of bad things about it. "Oh, there's no hope for Haiti," people said. "Forget about it." They couldn't have been more wrong. True, the country is the poorest nation in the...

The cult that wants my kids: when Teressa Wall testified against polygamist "prophet" Warren Jeffs, she assumed there'd be payback. But how could she know they'd come after her children?(INSIDE STORY)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] TERESSA WALL EMANATES fairy-tale magic. She's blonde and pert, yet an iron will shapes those soft lines. She recently cut her long locks and donated them to an organization that helps children being treated for...

Hope in a tank: anxious about her fertility, 30-something Sarah Elizabeth Richards took $13,000 out of her savings account to freeze her eggs.(THE BABY DILEMMA)
May 1, 2008... "SO WHAT BROUGHT you here? A birthday? A breakup?" I was in a session with psychologist Georgia Witkin; counseling is one of my fertility clinic's requirements before they'd agree to freeze my eggs. I thought for a moment, took a deep breath,...

Please set me free: forced to serve as a tourist attraction in a human zoo, the long-neck women of Thailand want to cast off their coils and live modern lives like the rest of us--if only the government would let them.(INTERNATIONAL REPORT)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ZEMBER, A QUICK-WITTED YOUNG WOMAN with a cheerful, oval face, doesn't want to be a human exhibit. Ever since she was 5, she has worn brass rings around her neck and smiled at foreigners who tromp through her rural...

Sheer bliss.(fashion)(Buyers guide)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... There's a sweet nothingness to summer's see-through fabrics: super-feminine, fairy-like, and featherlight enough to layer to the hilt [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] SEA BREEZY This page: Dress, $129, Bebe; earrings, $15,000, Renee Lewis....

Prairie tale.(fashion)(Buyers guide)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... Who needs Deadwood to remind us how wild the West was? This spring is a style rush of rowdy, romantic outlaw chic [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] CAMP IT UP Long-sleeve shirt, .$160, Shipley & Halmos; lace top, $28.50, Mimi Chica; pants,...

Camera-ready hair: dream of having the silky, shiny, perfect hair you see in shampoo ads? Wake up, girl! It's all due to secret pro tricks--which we reveal right here ...(beauty)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] IS SHAMPOO COMMERCIALS, everyone has fantasy hair: a glossy, glistening waterfall that, even after being tossed and tousled for an entire 30-second spot, magically ends up with every strand in place. Welcome to the...

What's so hot about redheads? True red or faux? Same diff, these days. Supermodels, screen queens, and real queens: why everyone should lust for rust.(Beauty)
May 1, 2008... There's a little Conan O'Brien in every natural redhead--the notion that growing up pale and freckled with a hair color favored by fast-food mascots ensures "the insecurity and defense mechanisms are downloaded pretty early," as he puts it. Not...

Why does this haircut cost $1000?(beauty)
May 1, 2008... MOST OF US wouldn't drop $1000 on haircuts in a year, let alone in an afternoon. So when we heard that beauty maven and Dove stylist Gretchen Monahan was offering a three-hour-plus indulgence at her NYC studio (she's also got salons in Boston),...

What your hair says about you.(Beauty shrink)
May 1, 2008... DR. AMY WECHSLER, MC'S resident dermatologist and psychiatrist, analyzes 23-year old police woman-in-training Erica Carns COMPLEXION AW: She has a few breakouts on her cheeks that she isn't trying to hide. EC: I've made it this...

Is your hair aging you? Being over-tressed can add more years than any wrinkle. Check out how loosening up their 'dos keeps these beauty icons looking forever young.(Beauty)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ANGELINA JOLIE A messy bird's-nest updo with limp and lanky tendrils (left) obscures the 32-year-old stunner's famously chiseled features. Sculpted waves, swept off her luminous face, balance the angles of her...

Facing the big 3-0: hitting panic as she enters a new decade, Ying Chu considers the art of aging with just a little help.(Beauty)
May 1, 2008... FOR AS LONG AS I possibly could, I put off turning 30: I traveled overseas the week of my birthday, dodged my mother's calls on the actual day (er, bad reception?), and then, upon my return, delayed the festivities for a month. I am a...

Absolutely Phabulous! Baby Phat designer and KLS makeup mogul Kimora Lee Simmons gives us a peek inside her makeup bag: "let me dig through the world of me!".(Beauty snoop)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] 1 NINTENDO DS 2 LIP GLOSSES: I always have a thousand in my bag. When you're on the run, you can slap on a big pair of shades and a great gloss and look done." COVERGIRL WETSLICKS IN CLEAR RADIANCE: "Queen Latifah...

Organic [C.sub.3]HeM[I.sub.2]STr[Y.sub.2]: global changes are wafting through the scent market. Prepare for the vanillization of America.(Beauty)
May 1, 2008... Any international airport's Duty Free will confirm: Fragrance is global. Easy to transport and generally affordable, perfume is a beauty company's best ambassador. It's billion-dollar business as usual--until someone does something radically...

The brave face: diagnosed with disfiguring lupus at 12, Nicole Paxson channeled her frustrations into an innovative makeup line.(Beauty)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] My boyfriend tells me I look beautiful just the way I am. But I don't care what he thinks. It's not about him. It's about me--how I think I look and how that makes me feel. And so, every morning, I go through the...

What I love about me.(Beauty road show)
May 1, 2008... Dulce Anunciacion, 33 "If I could only have one beauty item, it would be eyeliner to draw attention to my almond-shaped eyes." [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Margo Derecktor, 20 "I drink green tea to calm my sometimes red skin. A few cups in...

Love notes: a (not so) secret admirer.(LOVE/SEX)
May 1, 2008... I FIRST NOTICED CUTE Apartment Guy, who lived a few floors above me, for his green eyes, dark curly hair, and quick smile. Every time we passed each other in the hallway, we'd exchange dopey grins--a flirtation that brought the potential for...

Confessions of a sex addict.(LOVE/SEX)(Kerry Cohen)(Interview)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] KERRY COHEN CAN barely remember all of the 40-odd men she's slept with (her list includes "that guy with the dog" and "the one who kept talking during sex as though we were just hanging out"). In Loose Girl: A Memoir...

The nerd does get the girl.(ALERT!)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... WE'VE ALREADY announced to the world that we've got a thing for nerds (see December 2007, p. 118). Whether it's Michael Cera's fumbling high-school track star in Juno, the Seth Rogen/Jonah Hill show, or the cardigan-wearing McSweeney's fan...

Falling for Mr. Wrong.(SEX/diary)(Diary entry)
May 1, 2008... Rebecca, blogger, 25, on vacation in L.A. WEDNESDAY 2:00 p.m. Arrive in L.A. for a visit. Excited to see B., a guy I used to secretly hook up with when I lived here a year ago. Haven't gotten laid in way too long. It's making me neurotic....

First comes work.(LOVE/SEX)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... Men put their jobs first and you last, right? Wrong. Researchers at Duke and the University of Albany found that 61 percent of undergraduate men said romantic relationships were more important to them than financial stability, education, and...

I wasted 2 years on a man I never met: We talked on the phone for hours a day, professed our love, and had intimate phone sex--but never a single date.(LOVE/SEX)(Personal account)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] I REMEMBER THE FIRST e-mail I received from Jamie; it wasn't exactly poetic. "Hello, you sound interesting," he wrote. Looking back, it's hard to believe what that simple line would lead to. He'd sent his note...

The new super pill: no bloat, no meltdowns, no breakouts, no baby! Find the right one for you.(HEALTH)(Product/service evaluation)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] GET-YOUR-PERIOD-ONCE-A-YEAR PILLS WHAT THEY ARE: Lybrel is the first FDA-approved no-period Pill that gives you the same amount of synthetic estrogen and progestin every day so there's no monthly "withdrawal...

Bag a tote!(FREE FOR YOU)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] The canvas handle says "Hamptons chic"--no need to buy a mansion! Score a free bag from The Sag/Elliot Lucca. 15 bags each worth up to $368!

New to marieclaire.com: it's all here for the lusty month of May: sexy spring fashions to win, plus your personalized fertility calendar.(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] WIN A WARDROBE "My Favorite Spring Dress Contest"--a collaboration with shopping community Kaboodle--could mean a $1000 shopping spree in New York City. For more info about the contest, go to marie...

Horoscope: May means a playful new beginning for water girls like Jennifer Aniston, dead-end friendships for Jessica Simpson and fellow crabs.
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Friends and family will be falling all over themselves to celebrate you this month--but before the smoke has cleared from the birthday candles, conflicts could erupt between the old...

The opinionated guide to May.(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... the good New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival runs through May 4: If you're smart, you're reading this on the plane to Louis Armstrong International Airport. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Kiehrs new argan-oil line: Loaded with extracts...