Sure, I’ve been a little busy recently, but how have we not discussed La Gwyneth’s haircut?  (Apologies.)  I am very, very much on the fence.  Which is to say…I want to love it, I could love it, I am just so damn close to loving the idea of it…but I hate it.  What do you think?  Am I crazy?  Is the liberation of her hair from blonde Morticia Addams-land actually a masterstroke on her part?  Or does it just look, well, weird?

There are certain celebrities I have an inexplicable obsession with, and Kate Hudson is one of them.  Okay, maybe it’s not completely unfathomable that I find a cute, perky, blonde actress the same age as me inspiring (I mean, it’s not like I’m breathlessly idolizing an seventy-two-year old male mechanic from Serbia or something), but for me, Kate can do no wrong.  Recently, I’ve also developed a fascination with Africa, specifically with Tanzania and Botswana, two countries I’m dying to visit.  People.com, it’s like you were reading my mind: photos of a Kate Hudson/Peter Lindbergh shoot in Africa?  And beauty-related (Kate’s partnering with her longtime hairdresser David Babaii to promote his organic haircare line WildAid), to boot??  Two minutes of Jolie-clicking heaven.  (The line, incidentally, is sulfite, paraben and petrochemical free, they don’t test on animals, and ten percent of all profits will be donated to the WildAid global conservation organization.  Good karma!)  I will be enjoying a little quality-time with my iron tonight in an attempt to replicate her fat, glistening curls below, by the way.  Gorgeous.

Photos from people.com

Cheers to the Delta Gammas of Pepperdine University for being so welcoming to me at yesterday’s event!  I spent nearly two hours answering their beauty questions on everything from whether benzoyl peroxide really works on zits (answer: yes, but it can be harsh and often needs to be use sparingly) to what the proper age is for beginning an anti-aging regimen (answer: you’re never too young to use sunscreen–obviously!–but your mid-to-late twenties are the optimal time to begin introducing retinoic or glycolic acids into your routine, along with peptides and ample antioxidants).  Oh, and by the way…I feel like I ruined my life by not going to school in Malibu.  Where can I sign up for one of those thirty-million-dollar beachfront mansions?  I’ll take two, please.

I’m thrilled to report that I’ve finally bitten the bullet, weighed my options, and joined an online community: TotalBeauty.com.  Was it the sheer number of honest products reviews?  The quality of fellow member-blogs?  Or the simple fact that the logo is blue, and Jolie likey?  (I kid, I kid!)  As I blogged several months ago when I first discovered it, Total Beauty has continuously impressed jaded ol’ me: there are straightforward, tell-it-like-it-is rundowns on a prodigious number of products, useful articles that don’t just seem like “read me! read me!” filler, and even how-to videos.  Plus, the site is easy-to-navigate, and the editor’s blog is warm, witty and (hey, don’t underestimate the importance!) written by women who not only love beauty but actually have beauty backgrounds.  So, yeah, kind of tickled pink to be a part of it all! 

Congratulations to the winners of the Clean and Clear In-Shower Facial giveaway!  The winners should have all received emails, so Laurel, Marci, Haley, Aly, Linnea, Sarah, Amy, Natalie, Anne and Christine, enjoy!