Yes, this picture of Jessica Biel is from awhile back.  And, yes, I’m sure the fact that her undergarments were showing was some sort of brilliantly calculated designer choice.  She looks lovely, why wouldn’t she want to show off her granny panties?  Actually – it looks more like she is wearing some sort of control-top, Spanx-like underwear.  You know, the kind that sucks in your tummy too.  Stars!  They’re just like us!

Here’s the thing:  Sometimes we try on dresses in fitting rooms or even at home and we don’t realize the transparency of the dress until we are out in less forgiving lighting.  Maybe that is what happened to Jessica.  But even if she knew her dress was sheer that doesn’t mean that we all want to wear sheer dresses.  In fact, I would argue that most of the dresses we wear these days could use a little help….hence the title of this post, Ode to the Slip.

I love wearing dresses and skirts.  And these days I can really stock up on them because most of the dresses I get are from trendy, affordable stores – like Forever 21 or H&M or Old Navy.  Which is great BUT there is a reason these garments are so wallet-friendly:  Usually, they are cheaply made.  I don’t buy a dress from one of these places and think it’s going to last forever.  In fact, I usually buy dresses from there so I can embrace a current trend without investing too much money in a look that might be fleeting in the fickle world of fashion.  But herein lies the problem:  they are cheaply made and most likely don’t have the right lining.

Not to sound like a crotchety old lady….but I don’t want you to see my crotch.  And I most certainly don’t want to see yours.  And chances are, you don’t want me to either.  Which is why I consider this to be a public service announcement:

INVEST IN A SLIP

Invest in a couple.  Buy a few half-slips in a few different colors – nude, black, white.  They are affordable at places like Target and if you want to get fancy you can pick one up at a lingerie store.  It is kind of amazing what this thin piece of fabric can do to camouflage what’s under your thin piece of fabric dress.  With so many of us embracing dress-wearing by buying them from affordable places, it makes sense to kick it old school and wear a slip.   It is just a little tool that goes a long way.

Last week my friends threw an “end of summer” barbeque but it was pretty chilly here in SoCal that evening, so we all hung out inside their fabulous place instead of hanging by the pool.  Oddly enough, this change of plans led to a beauty tip discovery.  As someone was rooting around in the fridge for another beer, they noticed that there were bottles of nail polish lining the refrigerator door.  This led to questions…

Guest: “Um.  Why is there nail polish in your fridge?”

Friend: “I read in a beauty mag forever ago that it helps preserve the color and texture of the nail polish longer.  So I’ve always kept it in my refrigerator.”

Friend’s Husband: “That’s why??  I just figured that it wasn’t an accident you put them there but decided it was better not to ask…”

Oh, husbands…

I had never heard of this nail polish preservation technique before!  Have you??  I think I’m going to have to start storing my nail polish this way though because I definitely don’t use my bottles quickly enough.  Seriously though, who does?  That is another question…have you EVER gone through an entire bottle of nail polish before it went bad?  I have trouble getting through the mini bottles before the color starts to separate.  Maybe I should paint my nails more…

Leave a comment and let us know how you store your nail polish!

When it comes to skincare – specifically acne prevention – you probably know by now that I’m willing to try pretty much anything, from tea tree oil to sea salt. I usually have good results at first, but then after a while, my skin is up to its old tricks; so it was with both of the aforementioned blemish battling methods. Needless to say, I’ve been on the prowl for a new approach, and I definitely found something worth exploring on the RFC Makeup blog: Microfiber cloths as facial cleansing aids! Apparently you can head to Target – or wherever you buy these little cloths, intended for use on cars, electronics and so forth – and buy a pack for just a few bucks. What happens when you wash your face with these babies? I’ll let Ms. Russian Fortune Cookie explain:

MICROFIBER CLOTHS: THE GREATEST GIFT OF ALL. This one product is probably the biggest factor in keeping my skin in good condition. They feel deceptively soft, but have little abrasive fibers woven in that suck up oil and dirt off your face. (They were originally designed for polishing cars, but hey, it works!) I rarely use scrubs anymore, even microdermabrasion ones, since this does the job so throughly already. That being said, since it is so effective at sucking up dirt and oil, it’s also imperative that you replace these often – I keep a rotation of 3-4 cloths, and toss them into my laundry basket every week.

Okay, I’m sold! I’ll be looking for these over the next couple of days, and will report back if I have equally stellar results…

Has anyone ever used microfiber cloths on their face before? If not, what’s your favorite unorthodox skincare tip?

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To add to the tragic list of 2009’s notable celebrity deaths, actress Brittany Murphy passed away over the weekend. We here at LatestBeauty have always enjoyed Ms. Murphy’s acting in films like Clueless, Riding in Cars with Boys, and Girl, Interrupted, not to mention her long-running role as the voice of Luanne on King of the Hill. She will be missed.

Anyone who lives in L.A. will tell you that “mobile cuisine” is all the rage right now. It all started with taco trucks and hot dog carts, and before long you could find basically any type of food under the sun being sold from a vehicle of some sort somewhere in the greater Los Angeles area - everything from sushi and ice cream to Indian dosas and Korean BBQ. (Check out this article on the phenomenon for a detailed rundown on the trend.) Of course, this led me to wonder whether anyone has had the brilliant idea of putting beauty services on wheels, and a quick online search indicated that, indeed, they have! Call a number and you can have a mobile spa roll right up to your house (or office!) to give you a quick massage, facial, or mani/pedi on your lunch break. Pretty awesome, right? It’s not quite the same as a food truck - you make your appointment in advance and tell them where to go, as opposed to finding out their latest location via the Web. Still, it’s the same concept: Can’t make it to the spa or salon? Then make it come to you! You can even hire these mobile beauty gurus for your next party. Here are a few to check out in the L.A. area:

• GreenBliss EcoSpa - combines “green lifestyle and wellness trends with authentic spa rituals”
• Serve the Goddess - “offers pure indulgence and exquisite pampering with massage and a wide selection of spa treatments”
• SQ Nails Mobile Manicures & Pedicures - lets you sit “in the comfort of your own home or office and [have] a professional manicure or pedicure done”
• Spa-Go’s - “a luxury mobile day spa and lifestyle company” founded by a massage expert

Has anyone ever used the services of a mobile beauty expert? I would love to hear how it went!

If you are looking for that perfect, unique gift for your favorite fashionista but you don’t want to break the bank, then this might just do the trick:  A Laura Su fashion illustration. You can get a print of an original watercolor, starting at just $20.  There are several different designs to choose from and 10% goes to Fashion For All.   A perfect opportunity to give and give back.  Fashion For All is a nonprofit that provides low-income women in twelve different major cities with clothing and beauty products.  The prints have vibrant colors and beautiful fluidity that any fashion minded person is sure to appreciate.  And at that price the reward is sweet!

Tomorrow is Halloween and chances are you’ve been invited to a costume shindig.  But, if you’re anything like me, you might be scrambling for a last minute costume idea.  Or if you are like my friend and you are having a “recessionista” Halloween, you might be shopping your own closet.  Either way, you can still throw together a clever costume and be the hit of your Halloween bash!

Deviled Egg

Finding a pair of devil horns is pretty ubiquitous this time of year.  You can visit most drugstores and score a pair on the cheap.  You may even have a pair stuffed in the closet from Halloweens past.  Well dig them out and you can have one of the easiest and most fun costumes at your party.  What you’ll need to be a deviled egg:

1. A white t-shirt and white pants

2. A yellow oval that you can affix to your shirt

3.  Your devil horns

When I did this last year, I just printed out a yellow oval shape off of my computer.  I cut out the oval, safety-pinned it to my shirt and threw on my devil horns.  And then I made people guess what I was.  It was pretty funny to hear all the theories and once they figured it out, it made a lasting impression!

Bubblegum on the Bottom of a Shoe

CVS has cheap wigs for less than $5 right now.  I bought myself a pink wig and I’m going as “bubblegum on the bottom of a shoe.”  I’ll wear my wig, throw on a cute pink dress and attach a lightweight flip flop to my wig.  Voila!  Bubblegum.

Vampire

There is nothing hotter than being a vampire these days.  From Twilight to True Blood to Vampire Diaries, our idea of what a vampire looks like is shifting.  You don’t necessarily need fangs to pull off the vampire look.  Vampires are generally still sexy though, so pull out that outfit you feel hottest in.  Do you have some foundation that is too light for your complexion?  That will help with your “undead” look.  Apply it to your face and neck, define your eyes with some smoky eyeliner and put on some red lipstick for good measure.  Classic!

I absolutely love sushi, so I always listen with great interest whenever I hear about a great place to sample tasty fresh fish -  especially if it’s in a particularly elegant setting. It’s hardly surprising, then, that I’ve been obsessed with Koi Restaurant ever since two of my friends recommended it to me last weekend. They described it as super swanky and gorgeous, with fantastic food and plenty of opportunities for people watching - famous and otherwise. In fact, Koi is an absolute hotbed of celebrity activity! I’m not entirely sure how I managed to avoid hearing about Koi before this, since owner Nick Haque (sometimes misspelled as Nick Hawk) is apparently good friends with none other than Ms. Lindsay Lohan! Lindsay loves hanging out at Koi (check out this shot of her outside of the restaurant), and is a fixture at Nick Haque’s notorious after-hours parties, which he holds at his lavish pad in the Hollywood Hills. Seriously, that seals the deal. Spicy crunchy yellowtail tartare and a chance to ogle LiLo in person? I have to check this place out! Has anyone been to Koi yet? Tell me what it was like!

I don’t mean to alarm you, but The Cut is reporting on a disturbing new trend in men’s fashion: Leggings for men, or - are you ready for this? - “meggings.” Apparently men’s leggings have been on the runways for a while now, and they finally seem to be trickling out onto the streets in certain fashion-forward cities like New York, Paris and Tokyo. Fortunately, men seem to be embracing these as more of a layering element than a stand-alone piece, wearing them under shorts - still a silly look, in my opinion, but at least it sidesteps the potential for, uh, obscenity. Still, I’m of the mind that only the following men should wear tights in public: Dancers, when necessary, and…um…superheros? But enough about me - what do you think of meggings?

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President Obama was looking…well, pretty nerdy, actually, as he threw the first pitch in the MLB All-Star baseball game in St. Louis on Tuesday. (You may recall a similarly “square” ensemble that he wore while bike riding during his campaign last year.) Fashion critics were quick to call out the Prez for his unflattering “mom jeans,” and the man wasted no time in defending his sartorial choices in an interview on the Today Show. In true diplomatic fashion, the President begins by conceding that he’s “a little frumpy,” then goes on to proclaim, “Those jeans are comfortable, and for those of you who want your president to look great in his tight jeans, I’m sorry - I’m not the guy.” He also cites Michelle’s famously “fabulous” fashion sense, which - let’s be honest - would leave many of us looking lackluster in comparison. So what do you think of Obama’s refusal to abandon his well-worn denim? Do you agree that he should just accept that looking good is Mrs. Obama’s department and embrace his nerdiness, or would you like to see him step it up a little with some fierce ensembles? Answer carefully…the fate of the free world may hang in the balance!

What do Starbucks and Christian Siriano have in common?  We will be left to ponder that until November 17 because a very exclusive and top secret collaboration is “brewing.”   According to The Cut, the fierce Project Runway winner has a holiday collaboration in the works with the coffee giant and no one is allowed to report on it until the “grande” reveal.  What could it be??  I hope it is some sort of designer travel mug.  Or a reusable designer cozy.  Oh, it’s probably a Christmas album….

Do you find that you sweat - a lot - whether or not you’re active? Do your clammy hands, feet or underarms cause social awkwardness from time to time? Then you might be suffering from a condition known as hyperhidrosis, which is characterized by excessive sweating, regardless of activity level. Until recently, the only options for treatment were prescription-level antiperspirants or Botox injections to the affected areas, which work by essentially paralyzing sweat glands. But now, thanks to Dermadoctor, you have a third choice: These handy MED e TATE wipes, which use a combination of potent antiperspirants and botanicals to mimic the effects of Botox. Even if you don’t have hyperhidrosis, these boast a few advantages over traditional stick deodorant: The little individual packets are paper thin and can be thrown in any purse or bag, and since they’re wipes, they can be used anywhere - including the palms of your hand, the soles of your feet, under your breasts, and so forth. The only drawback seems to be the price: 30 packets will cost you almost 50 bucks. Still, if they really work, they’re definitely cheaper (not to mention safer and far less painful!) than those Botox shots!

Looks like cheapie clothes emporium Forever 21 is branching out: According to BellaSugar and WWD, the mall staple for affordable takes on trendy fashion is looking to “enter the beauty and home categories” as well. The plan is to start by unveiling the goods in the nation’s largest F21 stores “before entering Forever 21’s XXI concept.” What do you think of this latest foray? The possibility of low-cost, trendy decor is somewhat appealing, but one has to wonder how durable it will be. Same goes for the cosmetics: What will set it apart from the stuff you can pick up in any drugstore? Tell me what you think about this venture! Will you be buying your makeup and home goods at Forever 21?

Remember when I posted about Lady Gaga’s bizarre aversion to pants? Yeah, well, that’s nothing compared to what she stepped out in the other day…

Stop the presses and call PETA, Lady Gaga is wearing MUPPET! At first glance I thought this was a giant cross-body duffel bag of sorts, but on closer inspection it appears to be none other than unhinged drummer Animal’s plush visage as a skirt substitute. I’d like to say that this is an improvement over Gaga’s usual bottoms-less ensembles, but to tell you the truth, I’m not so sure. What do you think of this Muppety madness?

Guys….

Emma Watson’s over it.  She is tired of being a style icon and she has only been doing it for a week.  Can’t you tell by her expression?  She is saying, “Really?  I wore a boring gray cardigan and a boring white dress so you wouldn’t take pictures of me for InStyle anymore.”  Sorry, Miss Em.  If you wear awesome shoes like that, pictures are bound to happen.  Now where can I get a pair?

Over a year ago, I wrote about a product called Zakkerz. The idea behind Zakkerz, which were little magnetic strips you could use to temporarily hem your pants, sounded awesome; in fact, I actually used the word “ingenious.” However, I questioned how well they would work for substantial periods of time, or whether the magnets would stick to things (the website carried a warning that said as much), and how visually obtrusive they looked in pictures. Then, while thumbing through the August issue of Glamour, I came across these: Njeanious, adhesive tabs made especially for jeans!

Here’s a solution for the short-legged that I can really get behind! They’re invisible to the naked eye, easy to use, and carry none of that magnets-in-my-pants scariness. Pick up a pack of 20 for just $11.99 - shipping is free! Oh, Njeanious, you truly seem to be living up to your pun-tastically spelled name!

Both soccer superstar David Beckham and his wife, Victoria “Posh Spice” Beckham, have posed for Armani ads in their underwear - and little else. Now the two have been photographed posing together for Armani’s Fall 2009 campaign, coming soon to a fashion magazine and/or billboard near you. What do you think of their new joint ads? Does this just mean double the eye candy, or is it a little TMI to see a married couple in such provocative poses?

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I think I’ve mentioned this before, but I am of the mind that there is absolutely nothing better than the smell of coconuts in the summer. Normally, I prefer to smell a little more mysterious and complex, but the fresh, tropical scent is just so alluring when temperatures begin to rise. Last weekend I popped into Bath & Body Works and picked up a brand new shower gel and body lotion in Exotic Coconut, and it is seriously my new favorite olfactory indulgence. (And, even better, they’re having their Semi-Annual Sale through the end of June, so the bottles are marked down to $4 each from their usual $9.50!) I’ve been sniffing myself all day just to catch a whiff of the coconutty goodness. What’s your favorite summer scent?

So this week a male model admitted that he…wait for it…it’s a shocker…DIETS.  Oh heavens!  The frank candor of such a man.  I know, I know.  It is all a little bit ridiculous but for some reason this has garnered headlines all over the blog world.  A lot of people seem to be of the opinion that this male model is brave(?) for admitting he struggles to meet model standards.  People are also saying, “Why can’t female models make the same admission?”  On one hand I can see why they think it would be a good example to young women that wish they could look like models - it would show them that it takes “work” to look so thin.  But I think it is a dangerous line.  It could also start a thought process of, “Well, my favorite model only eats once a day.  That is good enough for me too.”  It’s not realistic and it’s not healthy.

What do you think?