Ry Oh Ry!

Sorry, Ryan Reynolds, but you've just been replaced by Ryan Gosling.  I saw "Crazy, Stupid, Love" this weekend, and although it's not necessarily an Oscar winner, it was very sweet and had a lot of great "lessons" and moments throughout.  But more importantly, Ryan Gosling is ADORABLE in it.  I probably just loved his character more than the others, but I'm officially moving Gosling into my Top Five and thus, Mr. Reynolds, you're now out (I'm afraid his best moments and movies may be behind him at this point; plus lately, he's just been looking way too...pretty).

Now I need to check out some other Gosling flicks (yes, I've seen "The Notebook" - who hasn't?) if for no other reason than to see if that cool, suave, slightly "wrong-side-of-the-tracks," single-guy-at-a-bar accent is real or not.
Great article about Ryan Gosling's character & appeal

K8 Ball Rating:  7 (Signs Point to Yes)
"Crazy, Stupid, Love" movie link 

P.S. Emma Stone (my newest girl crush) is also super cute in it!

$48 Lipstick & My Brush with Celebrity (A K8 Flashback)

One of my friends suggested that I start publishing some of my past stories and anecdotes, so allow me to introduce "K8 Flashbacks."  I have many of these in my email archives that I'll hopefully compile into a book someday, but for now, I'll just post them now and then for your reading pleasure (especially if I'm feeling lazy). By aforementioned friend's request, here's the recap of my semi-recent trip to NYC (of which many actual New Yorkers later told me, "Kate - even NEW YORKERS don't take the bus to NJ!").  With that, I give you...

$48 Lipstick & My Brush with Celebrity (originally published 11/28/10)

I was fortunate enough to be in NYC a couple weeks ago because we opened a new store in lovely Paramus, NJ, (it was kinda nice to see actual leaves changing colors) so I insisted that I take the bus into the city for at least a few hours on Friday to visit Bergdorf-Goodman.  I was pretty proud of myself bussing from Woodbury Commons outlet mall into Manhattan (an hour ride), and then cabbing from Port Authority to BG.  No problem!  I wandered around BG for a few hours in my very chic "NY all-black" outfit, complete w/designer, cross-body bag and motorcycle boots.

After a turn through the shoe floor where women were snapping up what I can only refer to as "works of art" (and priced as such) like it was candy, I stuck to the Contemporary floor where I felt slightly more welcome.  I ended up meeting two jewelry designers who were doing personal appearances that day (nope, don't remember their names but both very nice).  I also scored a gorgeous Nanette Lepore deep maroon leather jacket that started at $848 but ended up just under $200 - major find!  As it got later and I kept reminding myself that I would somehow have to find my way BACK to the bus depot and board a bus back to Paramus, I decided I'd do a final pass through the Cosmetics floor and head out.  After buying my sister an exclusive BG "giftie" in cosmetics, I wanted to treat myself to a Tom Ford lipstick.

I wandered over to the Tom Ford counter (where an extremely handsome foreigner was debating the $1200 gift set).  The sales people were very nice in helping me select a "warm sable" color that I would have never ordinarily chosen for myself, but she made it look fantastic w/the addition of some purple-hued gloss (who knew?!).  As I was waiting to pay, I saw the CUTEST little puppy coming my way in someone's arms.  Of course, I HAD to pet the puppy since I recognized some doxie in him.  Here's how the encounter went:

Me (getting all mushy and cutesy as I reached out to pet the dog): "Oh my gosh, you are sooooo adorable!"
Owner (speaking to the pup): "What do you say...??"
Me: "What breed is he?!"
***  At this point, I finally look up to realize it's none other than Kelsey Grammar holding said puppy! ***
Frasier: "He's a beagle/dachshund mix."
Me (trying to remain completely unphased, as if I chat w/celebs ALL the time): "Oh, that's great!  I have two mini dachshunds myself."
Frasier: simply smiles, nods, and starts back on his path w/pup and young blonde in tow
Me: standing there slack-jawed looking around to see if anyone else noticed, soon realizing that BG sales people encounter this all the time; that, and the fact that Frasier has aged quite a bit, is very tall, but was very nice too.

It was really pretty cool, and I so wish I'd asked him the dog's name - I like to think it was Scoot, but I'm guessing it was something more fussy like Winston or Frederick.  I then proceeded to pay for my aforementioned lipstick at which time I was really thankful to be an employee since the price of the lipstick w/out my discount would've been $48!  Yes, ladies, that's almost $50 for something you basically put on for other women and lick off in a matter of hours.  But considering my experience, it was oh-so worth it.

After that, I managed to hit the pavement and start charting my course back to NJ.  I won't bore you with all the details, but let's just say it involved a hotel concierge (who I overheard confirm an 8pm reservation at Pastisse - jealous!), a semi-panic/semi-excited phone call to my sister, two wrong subway entrances, witnessing a racial-fused yelling match, sprinting through the bus depot, inhaling a bad soft pretzel, racing to the wrong platform, re-racing to the correct one, stripping off several layers of outerwear (since I was sweating by now), finally boarding the correct bus, praying to God my "20% left" battery life on my phone would hold out til NJ, riding through some lovely NJ neighborhoods including Weehawken and Hackensack, and finally arriving at the Paramus mall where my "warning! battery almost out!" allowed me to call my boss to come pick me up.  I like to think the sheer energy and buzz of Manhattan got me through it all, but it was likely more 10% shopping high mixed with 20% adrenaline and 70% survival mentality.

So Many Great Kates....

Have you ever noticed that "Kates" tend to be outgoing, confident, and dare I say...feisty? Or as my dad has always described me, "A pushy little broad" (Can't you tell from this picture? Yes, I'm the tiny one who's clearly running the whole photo shoot).

I think great Kates can be traced back to "Taming of the Shrew" and Shakespeare's original stubborn Kate in all her assertive sassy-ness. That said, I'm still very proud to be a Kate* - I think it's something about the one-syllable and that it rhymes with so many words...It must be fate that Kate is never late for a date at 8 with her great mate in the Lone Star state. However, I cannot say I'm thrilled about Ms. Cate Blanchett now requiring people to ask me for the spelling of my name.  Seriously?!  Kate starts with a K, not a C! (Although I really do like her, and she fits the "Kate" description quite well herself).

Clearly, Kate Middleton has brought much attention to the name as well, and she does have fabulous style.  To check out her daily outfits, visit this fun little site:

What Kate Wore

For a quick read about other great Kates, check this out:

Great Kates in History

* Okay, technically, I'm a Kathryn and was a Katie as a child, but ever since my teen years, I'm a one-syllable girl, so say it like you mean it.

To Your "Health"

If you're like me, you love the thrill of opening your mailbox to find a crisp new magazine full of beautiful people, fantastic clothes, beauty products we can't live without, and maybe a  hint of celebrity gossip.  Not to mention the overabundance of beauty ads (that we secretly love) that comprise at least 25 pages even before the Editor's Letter.  I love the mini satisfaction of removing the protective plastic and setting the magazine on my coffee table or night stand just waiting to be devoured.  Okay, maybe that's a flowery over-share, but the point is, I still LOVE reading magazines.  I'm not sure if it's the paper-lover in me or that my husband is a commercial printer, but seriously...who wants to "flip" through an "online magazine"??  Digital-schmidgital - try sniffing a perfume sample off your monitor.

So after years of being a magazine connoisseur (I still have my original copy of the first issue of Lucky magazine from ten years ago), my glossy-reading tastes have evolved with age, changing wardrobe, and tolerance for tear-out workout cards.  While my favorites still include InStyle and Lucky for fashion and beauty, I've recently added a couple new publications that I highly recommend...

1) Sure, we all pick up a copy of People at the airport as a guilty pleasure, but their newest spin-off is a new must-subscribe: People StyleWatch.  It's literally chock-full of outfitting and beauty ideas, most of which are inspired by or actually worn by celebrities.  The best part is, most of it is very budget-friendly.  I hesitate to admit that it got me to actually buy a pair of cute flat sandals from...Payless (of course, I have to keep them separated from my Weitzmans and Blahniks for fear of a stilleto stand-off...or would it be a closet shoe-down?).

People StyleWatch

2) After many years of subscribing to Self magazine and realizing I had basically read the same "get-fit" articles every two years (not to mention getting really tired of their annual Workout Challenge that was mostly geared toward overweight couch potatoes), I finally had to break up with Self.  Fortunately, my mom turned me on to Health magazine - at first I thought it was for the over-50 crowd, but turns out, it's for 30s - 50s, and I love it!  

Their articles are brief (usually one page or less), relevant, and full of quick tips and ideas to simply better your health.  No lengthy recipes with 27 ingredients I'll never buy, minimal "tear-out" workouts (who actually DOES those??  Have you ever seen a woman at the gym with pages torn from a magazine??), and no 20-year-old rubber people showing me how to twist myself into a human pretzel while wearing THE best sports bra and minuscule hot pants (okay...they do feature pretty women in workout gear, but for some reason, they don't taunt me like other magazine models). 

As someone who doesn't cook at all, I've actually tried some of their easy "skinny cocktails" and "mini meals," and they're great.  The first I ever heard of Bethenny Frankel was in Health magazine because she contributes a monthly column with really yummy and EASY recipes (I've never watched any of the "Housewives" - too busy overseeing the caste system that has overtaken my footwear).

I read every issue of Health cover-to-cover, and rather than feeling like a guilty fatty for skipping my workout yesterday, it always seems to motivate me to just...be healthier.  And it sure doesn't hurt to be on the LOW end of their age demographic vs. feeling old (hence my reason for breaking up with Glamour around age 27 and Cosmo around 18 - I'm pretty sure I read Seventeen longer than Cosmo since it's more respectable).

Pick Health up next time you're at the Whole Foods checkout, and look closely at the titles because you do NOT want Women's Health - that IS the epitome of bra top workouts, 20-yr-olds with six pack abs, and an ever-present subliminal finger shaking of why you should be 10 pounds thinner (you can detect the latter easily since the cover model is always that - a MODEL, vs. Health which always features a healthy actress on the cover).

To Your Health!

Hair YEAH and Hair NO!

As promised, I've been trying out all kinds of new "industrial adhesive" hair products, and I've found two winners (and at least one loser)....

1) The best one for spiky, piece-y hold and great on damp or dry hair is actually from Target - I never mind forking over $7 or $8 to try something new because hey, if it doesn't work, maybe my husband can use it to caulk a tub or adhere something to the under-carriage of his "classic" car.  It's Garnier Fructis Style Survivor Tough It Out Glue (no I didn't make that name up).  I mostly tried it because Garnier usually smells good (which this one does), but major bonus that it actually works too.  Garnier Survivor Hair Stuff 

Magic K8 Ball Rating: 8 (Gotta Have It!)

 

2) My next winner is by Bumble & Bumble, and while it's a bit pricey for hair product, the tube will likely last for months, esp. with shorter hair.  Plus, who doesn't love buying products at an actual salon vs. chucking them in a shopping cart with TP and and Twizzlers?  So make a mini investment in Bb Texture Hair (un)Dressing Creme - it's definitely a lighter hold than the Survivor Glue, but it has just the right amount of smoothness to keep things in place.  I prefer it on dry hair (tames the "scare hair" in the morning), but the lovely salon gal also suggested blowing it dry for more volume - need to try that next.  B&B (un)Dressing Creme 

Magic K8 Ball Rating: 6 (Outlook Good)

3) Unfortunately, one of my losers so far is also from Garnier.  My first clue should've been the word "surf" since pretty much anything that promises "that perfect, out-of-the-ocean, beachy, wavy, golden goddess hair" thing is like saying low-fat sorbet is just as satisfying as Chunky Monkey. Plus, it was TOO cheap at under $4. It's called Style Surf Hair Texture Paste (okay seriously, someone at Garnier needs to lighten up on the adjectives), and all it really does it make your hair dull, sticky, and weirdly powdery. Anytime I touched my hair during the day, I was reminded that unless I had a wet wipe or sink nearby, my phone was doomed to become as disgusting as my nephew's sippy cup after a play-date.  Garnier Bad Day at the Beach Junk 

Magic K8 Ball Rating: 2 (Don't Count On It)

 

I'm also slowly rediscovering clips, headbands, bandanas (a lifesaver for the gym), and the versatility of parting on either side.  But the best part (no pun intended) is saving at least 15 minutes every morning and having an excuse to reapply lipstick often (short hair means major face focus).

Til next post...stay cool, WEAR SUNSCREEN, and let me know about any of your beauty successes or questions - it's Never Too K8!

Pixie, Sassy, Edgy - No, Not the Missing Dwarves...

Nope - it's my new short haircut.  I went in for a minor trim, and next thing I know, I'm pulling out pictures of short hair styles I secretly covet and start telling my stylist to "just keep going!"  Of course, I experienced some minor regret almost immediately until I heard my sister's voice in my head yelling, "I LOVE when your hair is short!  Not many people can pull it off, so you DEFINITELY should do it!"  Whew, thanks sis.

I have to admit, it was fun at work today with all the wide-eyed reactions.  I think my favorite comment was, "Wow - you are brave!  I could never do that!"  Um, thanks, but it's not like I just marched across broken glass barefooted to take down the Rebel Force or anything.  Still, I appreciate the support.

So as I get used to it and play with every kind of hair putty, wax, cement, and glue (why do they all have to be named after industrial adhesives?),  I can justify all my new hair product and earring purchases since I'll be using the same bottle of shampoo for the next year.  Sure, I have to wear a little more makeup each day (edgy hair requires a feminine face), but those who know me also know the only thing I hoard more than hair product is beauty product, so game on!

Obviously, this will likely lead to many new product reviews, so stay posted, and for now, the Magic K8 Ball rates the new haircut as a solid 7: Signs Point to Yes!

Think INSIDE The (Dye) Box

I can quickly become addicted to a new beauty product, so it should come as no surprise that my latest obsession is dyeing my own hair.  Sure, I went through the highlights phase (I thought it was a requirement to have some level of blond when I moved back to Texas six years ago), but that proved quite expensive and frankly, rather dated...rather quickly.

So in an effort to save money but still indulge my need to continually change my favorite accessory (my hair), I decided to hit my local Target and navigate the boxed hair color aisle (which can be quite daunting for a beginner).  Based on a few magazine reco's and a $5 coupon (yes, Marketing DOES work), I've now tried three different brands and actually liked all of them.  Hair dye has come a long way from smelly, messy, guessing-game hell...in the days of hair-dye-yore, you only had a few different color options (yellow, red, brown, black), but now you can pretty much find 29 different tones and shades just within the "chocolate" family (warm, rich, auburn, cool, dark, low fat...).

After many compliments on my first (successful) attempt, I finally had to reveal that it was all from a box...and that I kinda have fun doing it, much to my awesome hairdresser's chagrin (sorry Lyns, it's nothing personal!).  Plus, they all come with a nice conditioner that last at least another month after the dye job.  Best of all...no smell, and very little mess! Although I will warn you blondies - I have a feeling going blonde from a box can be a bit trickier than brunettes, so proceed with caution (and have your colorist on speed dial).

A few "tint hints" before you get started...
1) Make sure your hair is at least one-two days unwashed - the dye seems to hold better on dirty hair.
2) I suggest trying it on a weekend...just in case.
3) Put an old towel on the floor under you - if any stray drops occur, they end up looking like blood.
4) Wear an old shirt - same issue as #3.
5) Have your timer ready - it's pretty tough to start digging around for one AFTER your gloved hands are all covered in the stuff.

And now to my brand suggestions (in order of how I tested them over the past year)...

First attempt was with Clairol Natural Instincts.  Seemed to go very well and resulted in a lot of shine!  This was also my favorite smelling conditioner of the three.  My color was 4G Dark Golden Brown (in the "Golden Chocolate" Family - yes, it's a whole hierarchy of color spectrum science, and I'm sure if you mix two of them, you can create your own hybrid species of fabulosity).  Natural Instincts Hair Color
Magic K8 Ball Says: 6 = Outlook Good (A solid performance, but I've seen better)

Next was Garnier Nutrisse - yep, this is SJP's brand of choice with the fancy "avocado seed extract" stuff. Worked very well, although it's the traditional "liquid" formula so it can drip if you're not careful (the foam from above doesn't drip at all).  My color was 40 Dark Brown (in the "Dark Chocolate" family).  Garnier Nutrisse Hair Color
Magic K8 Ball Says: 7 = Signs Point to Yes (Just short of perfect, & definitely worth a try)

My favorite so far is John Frieda foam - it's easier to work in, and the gloves are waaay better (rubber and stay on well) vs. the other brands (basically clear trash bags with fingers that keep slipping off).  My color was 4N Brilliant Brunette (in the "Dark Natural Brown" family) - for those of you who see me regularly, it's my current color.  John Frieda Precision Foam Colour
Magic K8 Ball Says: 8 = Gotta Have It! (A winner right out of the gate, er...box!)