ah, yes. tis the season for warm and cozy sweaters, fluffy scarves, chic boots… and the skin ravages of winter weather. it sounds like your redness is extreme temperature-related but if at all possible go to a dermatologist (or do some online research on rosacea, a common condition that causes flushing and redness). short of burrowing your nose in a huge scarf (hey, no shame in that!) and possibly using a light facial oil serum to add an extra layer of moisture (for younger skin, I recommend Clarins or Jurlique), I’d love for a redness neutralizing product. my favorite (and the one I personally use): Clinique. I love this stuff and use it anywhere I’m blotchy. yes, it’s a foundation, but don’t use it all over! all you need is a little dab. good luck—and stay warm
November 2012
yes, sigh, your lashes are exactly like mine. I’ve always envied my friends with naturally thick, curly lashes—don’t they know they’ve hit the genetic jackpot? don’t they know how much time they save over the course of their lifetime by not having to curl their lashes every.single.morning? okay, I’ll step off my soapbox now. there are actually four lash curlers that I adore. here’s the list: Chanel (never pinches, gives lashes a natural non-bent curl, the folks at Chanel told me this was developed in Japan); Kevyn Aucoin (love that the rubber curve thing is red so you can see whether you’ve managed to get all your lashes); Shu Uemura (a true classic. very similar in feeling to Chanel. you can’t go wrong with either); Maybelline (feels a little stiffer/less cushiony than the others, but I tend to travel with this lower investment one because I have a tendency to lose my lash curlers!)
oh, the irony! I love that your grandma—who’s presumably in her sixties at least—is like “*I* don’t need anti-aging products. here, my darling young granddaughter, you take them.” so the short answer to your question is yes, it’s safe to use the products. they can’t hurt (unless they’re super-major-peely-and-harsh, or—if you have oilier skin—too heavy. most older skin is dryer). mostly, I imagine, they’ll nourish your skin and make it more supple. in your early twenties, I wouldn’t rush to buy super fancypants skincare when you run out though. I’d focus on lifestyle factors like a healthy diet (I cannot stress how important that is!), enough sleep (ditto! who wants to be described as “haggard?” not I!), and never-ever-ever smoking or sunning
October 2012
it’s elementary, my dear mj03090! half the time people ask me for advice, they’ve already answered their own question. it’s just a matter of looking for clues in the wording you chose: in regards to your indie magazine internship, you basically said you want them to hire you and you love it. okay, that’s pretty compelling to me. in regards to Vogue, it’s a dream. dreams are good—you should definitely try for an internship there (may I suggest honing in on what department interests you most and also applying to more than one “dream” magazine. applying to internships is like applying to college—don’t put all your eggs in one magazine basket). and in regards to your on-campus job: well, it doesn’t sound like it excites you very much. but, I will say, as much money as you can save now while you’re in school… do it. post-collegiate life is pricey. anyway, it doesn’t sound like you can go wrong in either direction, but I think you should do what you love first and foremost!
oooh! I’ve been waiting for someone to ask me this question! first of all, there are two airplane dress situations that seriously perplex me: a) when I see women in bandage dresses (or anything super constrictive) and crazy platform heels. those are usually the women flying with a full-on face of makeup and false lashes too. who are those women? don’t they know that flying makes you puffy and therefore anything sausage-casing like will be intensely uncomfortable? on the other end of the perplexed spectrum is when people dress like they rolled out of bed. those girls are usually wearing a baby pink hooded sweatshirt and pajama pants or sweats too large for them. they’re carrying around a pillow, which is usually dragging on the (shudder!) airport floor. sigh. I think the happy medium is something casual and comfortable but not pajama-like. I almost always wear leggings (Lulu lemon), a Proenza t-shirt, some cozy oversized sweater, and either ballet flats or, lately, my Isabel Marant heels. I always bring a Justin-Bobby style hat and a big cashmere scarf as well, since you never know how warm or cold it’ll be on the flight. safe travels!
