DVF's Wrap Bag Is an It Bag Without Being an It Bag

Word-Association Test: When you say Diane von Furstenberg, what immediately comes to mind?



The Wrap Dress, you say? You are absolutely correct.


Diane has created another soon-to-be icon, the Wrap Bag ($900). We are in love again. The soft Italian leather, the superb functionality, the way it hugs your body, and the adjustable strap that wraps around the bag screams, "It bag" without being an It bag. The Wrap Bag is classic without being pompous.





If you follow what the celebs have hanging from their arms, the Wrap Bag has been wrapping the bodies of Drew Barrymore and Reese Witherspoon. Jennifer Lopez custom ordered a $10,000 crocodile version. This is yummy arm candy without being too sweet. Low in calories, too.

Do you girls likey?

How to Burn Off McDonald's Free Sandwich on May 15th

If you are like us, we can't pass up a free offer, but freebies often get us in fitness and nutritional trouble. We know we will be hitting the drive-through at McDonald's tomorrow for our freebie. Seriously, who can pass up a free breakfast or lunch from McDonald's?

On the morning of May 15th, participating McDonald's restaurants will offer a free Southern-Style Chicken Biscuit with purchase of a medium or large drink. If your stomach is still growling at noon, stop by and you will get a free Southern-Style Chicken Sandwich with the same drink purchase.

We won't malign this free offer, although we have already heard through the grapevine that McDonald's chicken sandwich is a blatant ripoff of the Chik-fil-a chicken sandwich -- which has been part of our diet for 15 years -- and not nearly as tasty. But it's free!

Let's consider the caloric intake. With the free sandwich weighing in at 420 calories, plus a drink - let's just say you ordered a Diet Coke - you would have to walk three hours at 4 mph to burn off your lunch.

Is it worth it?

It's free! We will see you at McDonald's tomorrow.

Stay moving,

Jamie and Beckie

Bang! Pow! Wham! Comic Book Couture: Trendy or Dead-Endy

Bang! Pow! Wham! Comic book couture: Trendy or a Dead-Endy? Would you wear it? In Batman- and Robin-esque, Girl-Woman tries to sift through the evidence with some comic relief.

Boomerang Girl: "I came as soon as I received your text message. It was really most propitious that I happened to be dusting the Batgym when you sent it."

Boomer Woman: "I counted on your love for your work. "

Boomerang Girl: "What is on the fashion radar today?"

Boomer Woman: "SpongeBob SquarePants for Louis Vuitton and Luella for Batman are coming up as a street style trend."

Boomerang Girl: "Holy Cripe, Boomer Woman. We must save fashion victims from themselves. Vamanos! "

Boomer Woman: "I'm glad you're up on your foreign languages, Boomerang Girl. They come in handy when fighting fashion crimes."

Boomerang Girl: "Si, si, Boomer Woman."

Boomer Girl: "Before we set brain and sinew to this perplexing case, let's review all the facts, Boomerang Girl."

Boomerang Girl: "I think the comic book tee look is fun and colorful. You know I love wierd things. It's a younger woman's cup of tee. It's definitely not a good choice for boomers! No offense, Boomer Woman."

Boomer Woman: "No offense taken, Boomerang Girl. But is this comic book chic cheap?

Boomerang Girl: "Holy stupidity. I am stumped."

Boomer Woman: "It is said that Balenciago created this tee. At a 100 batbills, it's not cheap chic."

Boomerang Girl: "Holy cripes, Boomer Woman. You never cease to amaze me!"

Boomer Woman: "No time for compliments, Boomerang Girl. We must thwart some fashion criminals. To the Blogmobile! "

Boomerang Girl: "Speaking of our comic book friend, SpongeBob, did you know that Marc Jacobs has a SpongeBob SqaurePants tattoo?"

Boomer Woman: "No. Out of the mouth of Boomerang Girl oft-times come nuggets of news."

Boomerang Girl: "The batcomputer is a little frisky today. Style Eyes is on the fashion radar, too. She posted comic book tights! Holy fashion faux pas, Boomer Woman."



Boomer Woman: "The Joker has to be behind this design! I'm certain this is the first stitch in a large tapestry of fashion crimes. A complicated case."

Boomerang Girl: "Holy complications, indeed. Those are ugly as sin!"

Boomer Woman: ""In the interests of law, order, justice, good fellowship, and good fashion, we must warn our readers to keep our streets safe from evil comic strip tights. Okay, Boomerang Girl. To the batblog"

Boomerang Girl: "What do you Super Women think about comic book couture? Is it comic relief or a trend that you would wear? Is it trendy or dead-endy?"



Images: Bella Sugar, Haute Dog Media, Style Eyes, Senora Cartera

12 Ways to Protect Your Skin from the Sun

Sephora's Sun Safety Kit will raise your sun protection IQ by 11 points, ("How do you earn the bonus points," you ask? Keep reading. It's further down the page) but did you ever wonder what an SPF 15 ratings means? Take this quiz to test your sun prevention IQ. Just to let you in on a little secret, I failed abysmally!

A sunscreen with an SPF -- sun protection factor -- rating of 15:

1. Lets you stay in the sun safely three hours without sunscreen.


2. Filters 93 percent of the sun's UVB rays before they penetrate your skin.


3. Prevents up to 15 years of sun-related skin aging.
   
   

Ding, ding, ding, ding! We have a winner!

You picked answer No. 2, and you're correct.

A SPF rating refers to a product's degree of protection from the sun's short-wave UVB rays. SPF 15 filters 93 percent of UVB rays, SPF 30 filters 97 percent and SPF 50 filters 98 percent.

Earn 2 Extra Credit Points:

• Sunscreen is best used to protect your skin when you can't avoid the sun (not to extend your time in the sun).
• How well sunscreen protects depends on how well you apply it. Apply 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) to cover your entire body 20 to 30 minutes before going outdoors.
  

Brains on Beauty: No matter what SPF you use, reapply every two hours (even when it's cloudy), or immediately after swimming or getting sweaty. Otherwise, you are unprotected!

Brains on Beauty Pick du jour:

One new product that I had the opportunity to sample added a few points to my Sun Prevention IQ: Sephora's Limited Edition Sun Safety Kit ($87 value for $25!) I am heading south this week, and I'm packing these 12 fabulous beauty products in my suitcase. (For tips on keeping your complexion fresh and moist while flying, click here.)

What it is: A collection of eleven travel-ready sizes of the best and brightest summer skincare products.

What it does: Lets the sun shine without a care this summer. Sephora prepares you for outdoor fun with the ample sun protection found in the Sephora Brand Sun Safety Kit.

It's packed with a travel-size sunscreen and skincare for the face and body.

What else you need to know: The kit contains the following products:

1. 0.05 oz Korres Natural Products Watermelon Sunscreen Face Cream SPF 30


2. 0.25 oz Peter Thomas Roth Max Sheer All Day Defense Moisture Lotion SPF 30


3. 1 oz DDF Daily Protective Moisturizer SPF 15


4. 0.35 oz Cosmedicine Medi-Matte Oil Control Lotion SPF 20


5. 0.17 oz Juice Beauty Green Apple Moisturizer SPF 15


6. 1 oz Murad Firming Bronzer SPF 15


7. 0.08 oz Shiseido Ultimate Sun Protection Lotion SPF 55 PA + + +


8. Six single-use packs of MD Skincare Powerful Sun Protection Pads SPF 30


9. 0.17 oz Clarins Sun Wrinkle Control Cream Ultra Protection SPF 30


10. 0.25 oz Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer SPF 15,


11. 0.098 oz Tarte 24/7 Lip Sheer SPF 15, plus a UV indicator card.

Bonus Point:

No. 12: My old-time fave is Peter Thomas Roth Instant Mineral SPF 30 (Sephora $30). It is truly brains on ageless beauty. It's the smartest thing I've added to my handbag, beach bag, and car since I bought my first Cover Girl Lipstick by Noxema in 1970. Every time I get in the car, I dust this on my face (over makeup) and my pitifully spotted hands. (I should have used a sunscreen on my hands years ago!)

What it is: A talc-free, transparent matte, SPF 30 mineral powder in a convenient brush applicator.

What it is formulated to do: Works immediately to block out the sun's harmful UVA/UVB infrared rays to help prevent sunburn, skin damage, freckling, and uneven discoloration as it creates the illusion of smooth, radiant skin.

Bad Science: There is no specific SPF-type measurement for UVA protection. To keep your skin protected, look for sunscreens that contain the following ingredients:

• Avobenzone


• Oxybenzone


• Mexoryl


• Zinc oxide


• Titanium oxidide

Okay, girls. With 12 products, plus 2 extra credit points, plus one bonus point, you have just added 15 points to your overall sun protection IQ. I knew you were smart girls!

Love you and stay pale...or use self-tanner.

Beckie

How to Keep Your White Shirt From Turning Yellow

A reader asked, "How do I keep my white shirts from turning yellow?" Oh, dear reader, although yellow is a hot summer trend this year, we don't want it showing up on our white shirts, blouses, or tees.

Tips for Caring for Your Whites:

Frequent Washing: It’s good to wash whites every time you wear them, even if you don’t think they’re dirty. Perspiration will turn your white items yellow. Rinse fresh stains with cold water. Treat stains ASAP.

Soften Your Water: Minerals in hard water can gray your white clothes. Adding ½ cup of vinegar to your rinse water will soften your water.

Natural Light: Remember how clothes or sheets smell after hanging them outside to dry? The sun is a natural and gentle way to bleach fabrics.

Avoid Too Much Heat: Drying with high heat or too much heat will turn your whites gray over time.

Got Stains? OxyClean: OxyClean is a workhorse of the laundry room. But bleach is a no-no! Bleach breaks down natural fibers and brighteners in most white fabrics.

Dry Cleaning: Although I send The Hubster's shirts to the cleaners, I might start washing them at home and have the cleaners press them for a crisp look.

Extra credit Style Tips: Although a crisp, white shirt or blouse is a smart look that travels well from season to season, how do you know what white looks best on you. The following is the rule of thumb for choosing the right white:

Pure white:

• Cool-toned skin
• Blue or green eyes
• Black, white, gray, or taupe brown hair

Creamy white:

• Warm-toned skin
• Brown, olive, or golden eyes
• Warm brown, golden blonde, or red hair

On the other hand, another rule of thumb is to choose whites that match the color of your teeth, eye whites, or skin tone. If age or smoking has yellowed your teeth, a pure white shirt or blouse will make your teeth look even more yellow.

So add a little punch of yellow to your spring wardrobe but not to your white shirt, blouse, or tee, or your teeth.

Images: Nordstrom: Nike Favorite Top $40, Nexx Puff Sleeve Shirt $58, Theory Kicki Luxe Shirt, $200.

Beauty Product Review: Dr. Brandt Crease Release

Has Dr. Brandt discovered an alternative to Botox with Crease Release with GABA? Does the beauty product relax the 11's and the parentheses on your face? Is spending $150 on this wrinkle cream a good return on your investment?

Is It Hype or Hope?

Dr. Brandt's Marketing Campaign:

"A celebrity favorite, this rapid wrinkle remover contains the unique, highly effective complex GABA (gamma amino butyric acid) a patented breakthrough that releases the skin's own muscle relaxers to calm and relax the skin by diminishing the appearance of tiny fine lines and wrinkles. This new formulation has more anti-aging ingredients including Dr. Brandt signature ingredients (white tea, green tea and grape seed extract) for a longer lasting effect. Apply small amount using fingers in a clockwise motion patting gently on expression lines. For best results, always apply as a first product after cleansing. Wait 2 minutes and follow up with lineless eye cream around eyes. Can be use am or pm benefits unique, patented GABA complex quickly removes wrinkles. Effects last 8 to 10 hours. Helps reduce expression lines. "

The Hype according to others:

"Dr Beilis, the pharmacist in charge of product development at Freeze 24/7, admitted to the New York Times that GABA really does little more than coagulate when it dries and then grip the skin in place. This is because GABA does not work alone to inhibit the nerves. It requires many other substances that are not present in the skin care products that use GABA as a key ingredient"

"I talked to a commercial chemist who's company makes products for Dr. Brandt, Perricone and many others, and he told me GABA has about 1/400th the muscle relaxing ability as Botox. But if you are young(ish), and don't have a lot of expression lines, I think GABA products are worth checking out. "

According to Paula Begoun, "Crease Release with GABA Complex is a basic emollient moisturizer that clai