I Miss '90s Models

I just found this amazing 1998 Peter Lindbergh photo in a book and suddenly became nostalgic for '90s models and minimalism. This picture sums it up perfectly -- totally bare, creamy skin, zero eye makeup, whatever hair, and then those intense dark purple lips. Just gorgeous.

I miss fashion layouts with Kirsty Hume, Bridget Hall, Trish Goff and the rest of the crew swathed in thick cashmere turtlenecks (a minimalist era staple) and wearing nothing but a touch of icy highligher on their cheeks. I miss the blonde girl in the front row of this picture (Kristen something?) who -- along with Gwyneth Paltrow and Caroline Bessette Kennedy -- is the archetype of the late '90s blonde minimalist. (Oh, how I pine for wispy blonde hair.)

I miss the quirky beauty of Stella Tennant and sultriness of Esther Canadas, both seen in this photo, along with another of my '90s faves, Shalom Harlow.

I never grew out of minimalism. I rarely wear makeup and when I do the products I turn to are '90s homages in themselves: YSL Touche Eclat and Kevyn Aucoin pink cream blush. I don't style my hair. I hardly ever wear mascara. When I need to be "fancy" I wear Revlon Blackberry lipstick.

In other words, although makeup is back in a big way right now, this '90s photo will live on -- on my face.

The Curious Case of the Young Old Lady

Back when I worked at Jane magazine there was a girl on our floor (who worked for a different mag) who I referred to as the Young Old Lady. (Um, not to her face though.)

You see, I could tell from certain visual clues that she was young. Her body, hair, smile and other features told me she was probably around 30. But her skin! My god, her skin!

It hung there, thin and saggy on her face, with droopy, crepe-y bags under her eyes that no amount of concealer could hide. She had wrinkles. And sun spots. It was the skin of a 60-year-old, easy.

Needless to say, she was very tan all year 'round, but judging by the out-of-control skin damage she had she must have been a smoker, too. And every time I saw her in the hallway I couldn't help but stare at her like she was a circus freak. Behold! The Young Old Lady!

As a non-smoking sunscreen-aholic, it makes me shudder. But the thing is, I don't think she thought she looked bad. I think she had such tunnel vision about being tan that she didn't see her skin going to hell in a handbasket.

Moral: Tanning doesn't pay.

Coloring Tip for Long (or Long-ish) Hair

Bumble and Bumble color extraordinaire Mai told me today that since virgin hair naturally gets (subtly) lighter towards the ends, if you dye long hair all one uniform color it will look like a wig.

That sure makes DIY coloring a bit tougher, huh? Better to find a colorist who knows what he or she is doing.

A Super Easy Way to Get Perfect Skin (And Not Look Like This Girl)

All you need is a separate makeup remover before you wash your face at night.

Yeah, yeah, I know you don't want to add yet another step to your nightly routine, but tough. Most cleansers -- especially those gentle, lotion-y kinds -- can't remove all the layers. Mineral makeup, anything long-wear or waterproof, mascara and sunscreen are particularly stubborn. (Not to mention nasty pollution that's settled in your pores throughout the day.)

Last year I did a story for InStyle about makeup removers and a dermatologist said to me that if you don't get all the gunk off your face, at the very least your nighttime skincare products won't penetrate your skin, but at the very worst you could be causing chronic inflammation of the skin which will make you look like crap in the long run.

Think clogged pores, premature fine lines, big pores and dull patches -- all from makeup residue. Yikes!

Ever since that story I've been using Boscia Makeup Break Up Cool Cleansing Oil before my regular cleanser and MAN, have I noticed a huge difference. Fewer breakouts and my skin seems softer and plumper.

So quit your bellyaching and just do it, already.

Rad Gift Alert!

I stumbled across Tokyomilk soaps, candles, perfume and lip balms today and can't get enough of the cool packaging.

How great is this turn-of-the-century phrenology head perfume label? It's called Contemplation. (Clever!)

Available at beautyhabit.com, or, if you're in the East Village of NYC, get 'em at Alphabets on Avenue A.

Here's a Mascara Trick (Yes, They Exist)

I got this tip once from a makeup artist and filed it away in my brain because you don't hear many tips about applying mascara except for that tired old "trick" about zig-zagging your wand across your lashes. (That's not a trick -- that's just how you apply mascara.)

Instead of the standard sitch where you curl your lashes and then pull your mascara wand upwards from roots to tips, skip the curler, hold your mascara wand horizontally at the roots with the mascara end pointing at your nose and pull straight out and across, like you're drawing a line parallel to your eyeball.

You get a sexy doe-eyed look instead of the blinky, Minnie Mouse thing. And it's a good tip for when you're running late and can't be bothered with curling your lashes (I can vouch for that).

Tour de Force - Rose McGowan's Charmed Lipstick

So I'm watching an old episode of Charmed and I can't stop staring at Rose McGowan's lips. They're absolutely gorgeous -- a perfectly executed, deep crimson pout with a subtle sheen.

Considering the fashion/beauty industry's rekindled love affair with lipstick after years and years of sticky gloss overload, the makeup artist at Charmed was clearly a beauty clairvoyant when he or she designated in-your-face lipstick as Paige Matthew's signature look.

Because she didn't do just red. Rose/Paige sported lilac, orange, fuchsia and baby pink, and when she is on camera, those lips just draw you in like a lighthouse. Vibrant lipstick is having a huge moment right now and I highly recommend you ditch your glittery gloss and give it a try. Tomorrow.

(Keep in mind that while the makeup department at Charmed was on fire, the wardrobe people were clearly on crack, which is proven by the overabundance of crop tops worn by Rose and her co-star Alyssa Milano.)