Just found out that Keira Knightley is in talks to star in a remake of My Fair Lady, the musical version of George Bernard Shaw’s classic play Pygmalion that was previously brought to the screen in 1964 with the inimitable Audrey Hepburn as flower-girl-turned-society-lady Eliza Doolittle.

For such a tiny lady, Audrey really left behind some mighty big shoes to fill - what do you think of this remake idea? I think it always sounds potentially disastrous to redo a classic, especially one that starred such a completely iconic actress in one of the roles that came to define her entire career. However, I would be interested in seeing the film for one reason: The fashion! The original featured so many flamboyant outfits, from Eliza’s street urchin ensembles to her post-transformation black-and-white number at the races, complete with obscenely enormous hat. And how will they recreate Eliza’s elegant white ball gown with glittering overlay and red velvet cloak, one of the most beautiful examples of evening wear in the history of cinema?! I suppose we’ll just have to wait to find out…

I have never wished to be 13 again…until now…

I am really excited about Fashionology LA, which is set to open in Beverly Hills this month. It’s a new kind of store, targeted to "tweens," that allows girls to go in and create their own fashions. They go to a touch-screen called a Design Pad, pick out the type of clothes they want to make (shirt, dress, etc.) and then they design their look. They can choose from moods such as "Malibu," "Peace," and "Rock," choose graphics and embelishments and then they head over to the "Make It!" table. With the help of the "Fashionologists" they glue, bedazzle, sew and customize their final design. Then, once the look is complete, they take a picture in their new one-of-a-kind design and the picture is broadcast in the store (with the girl’s permission) and emailed to her. How cool is that???

Elizabeth Wiatt and Jamie Tisch created Fashionology LA with their own tween-age daughters in mind. According to their press release, “Jamie and I both have young daughters with a strong sense of fashion,” said Wiatt. “We’re always looking for fun things we can do together that our kids will enjoy.” Added Tisch, “making the art of fashion an activity just seemed like a natural fit. We’re developing an environment where parents will feel good about building their child’s self esteem by empowering them to create.”

In an article for Vanity Fair’s July 2008 issue by Krista Smith, Wiatt and Tisch stressed the importance of how the store is about inspiring creativity and having no limits to that creativity. The focus is not on what can be negative aspects in fashion (runway, makeup, "beauty") and is instead about the clothes and expressing yourself through them. Tisch says "It’s really about inspiring the girls’ creativity and not labeling them. You can be someone different tomorrow if you want." Wiatt added, "Some days you feel like a sparkle princess and other days you feel like a bohemian girl." Amen to that!

This is going to be such a fun store for girls to go to, to explore fashion and to explore their own creativity. It sounds like a great place for girls to go to with friends, to go to with their moms and to just go and explore who they are. I still experiment with my "style" on a daily basis. I go from "classic" to "punk" to "retro" and I’m sure a bunch of different "labeled looks" in between depending on my mood. But growing up I wasn’t as free-spirited when it came to my clothes. This is a great way for girls to see early on that you can truly be who you want to be and fashion can be a great way to discover that.

Fashionology is geared towards tweens, so I’m going to have to befriend a "tween-ager" soon so that I can go design some of my own duds. They should totally create a Fashionology store that caters to an older market. Because I would be there. They are planning for a nationwide expansion by 2012 - they should look into expanding not just the brand but the store’s concept! Until then, I’ll be bedazzling in my bedroom…on my own…

Father’s Day is sneaking up on us - only 10 more days! - so it’s time to start exploring gift ideas. When you start thinking about gifts, don’t forget that dad needs to be well-groomed too! Here are a few great gift sets to keep your dashing dad looking handsome.

Clinique is a brand that women have trusted for years when it comes to skin care and I love the sleek look of their Men’s skin care line. The gun metal packaging is sleek and sophisticated. This shaving kit is only $28 and includes an aloe gel, face scrub and post-shave soother.

Another brand trusted by women that has a male specific line, is Mary Kay. I know - I was surprised too! This gift set is great though because it comes with a travel bag and a more well-rounded selection of skin care products. There is a shaving gel, face cleansing bar, sunscreen and after-shave gel. All for $60.

Zirh is a line that you might not be as familiar with but you should be. Zirh is a men’s skin care line and they are a strong presence in celebrity gift lounges. Recently they were at this year’s Superbowl, so you can tell dad that he’s using all the products his favorite athletes and celeb’s use. I like this travel basics kit because it comes in a sleek gray travel bag with a face wash, conditioning shampoo, shave gel and post-shave soother, all in TSA travel size approved containers. Perfect for the jet-set dad, for $34.

And if you want to get creative, you can put together your own gift set for dad based on his favorite things to do. For example, my dad is a boating man, which means he’s outside. Banana Boat SPF 30 chapstick is a classic, NO-AD Sunscreens are always effective and maybe I’ll throw it all in a small cooler as the gift bag, so he has something small to tote a few drinks in. Just a few ideas to get you started based on your dad’s own favorite thing. These could work for any outdoor passion, like golfing or tennis or hiking. And maybe you could even spend the day with dad doing his favorite hobby. Time together is the always the best gift to give if you can give it.

So…did you see it yet???  I will sheepishly admit that my weekend schedule did not leave room for me to see the ladies hit the big screen but I am in the minority.  Sex and the City was number one at the box office, knocking Indy to number 2 and it was the biggest R-rated comedy opening weekend EVER.  You know what this means right??  It means that film execs can no longer ignore the power of a female-driven movie and their movie-going audience.   Actresses of all ages around the globe are cheering.    

So tell me:  did you love it?  hate it?  feel lukewarm about it?  But don’t give away any plot lines to those of us who haven’t had the chance to indulge in the movie yet!  I hear the fashion is better than ever.  Let’s talk about that!  Tell me what you thought about it all! 

I think this set of four mugs is the cutest idea for a wedding gift, a bridal shower gift, an  anniversary gift - it is perfect for a special couple in your life.   Each mug is a slightly different depiction of the four seasons and the tree where the couple’s initials and special year are carved is the constant.  Just like the love of the couple you are celebrating.  They are called the Birch Mug Set and they are only $45.  Is it weird that I want to order a set for me and my husband as a little gift to us, from us?

I was so excited to come to work today and check out what fabulous threads the ladies of Sex and the City wore to their big NYC debut last night. I’d been reading about the pink carpet, the like, bajillion Swarvoski crystals that were adorning everything and I mean, the premiere was at Radio City! Talk about glamour. And after seeing the different beautiful gowns that the ladies wore around the globe, my expectations were high.

So what did I think?

Let’s just say, I’m glad I had my coffee this morning because….YAWN! Sure, the ladies all look lovely in their various shades of metallic (although Cynthia must have missed the memo) but I was expecting high fashion, high drama, I was expecting more hat! Instead we got SJP in a dress that Lindsay Lohan wore in February’s Harper’s Bazaar spread, Kristin in a dress that has an unfortunate neckline that reminds me of Rapunzel’s braid, Cynthia in the white version of the black dresses she wore to all the other premieres and Kim in a too tight ruffled mess, which I pray had a lot of tape on the bust because otherwise she was destined for a nip slip. I am saddened. I realize that they were probably going for elegant and refined with the metallic theme but…it fell flat. It looks like they are bridesmaids for a high society wedding. Which I fully realize is something that happens in the movie, but I’ll see that in the movie. I had hoped to see the individual style that hallmarked the rest of the premieres. I expected for the ladies to be at their absolute best at the NYC debut. And while they did all look lovely…I never thought I’d be bored by them.

So what do YOU think?

PS - even the rest of the cast got the metallic, gray, beige mandate. Is it wrong that I wanted a little more vibrance?

Hello, Readers! Sorry I’ve been MIA since Wednesday - I flew home to Florida for the long weekend to see my sister, Kelsey, graduate high school. Yes, that is her beautiful self in the above picture. She is holding up the awesome gift she got from our brother and his girlfriend. Greg and Stephanie found these cool Eliza B. sandals that are perfect for her - she is attending the University of Florida in the fall, making her a Florida Gator! Hence the perfection of these flops - they are orange and blue, the school colors, and they have little alligators embroidered into the ribbon. And to top it off, they are super comfy. So I became intrigued by Eliza B. and decided to explore their site, to see what more they have to offer. Pay attention: This might become your new favorite site for personalized gifts.

What I like most for this graduation-time of year, is the "School Spirit" designs. You can do sandals, bags, keychains, belts and you custom pick the color of ribbons, how they are layered and what they represent. To the left is an example of what goes into designing a keychain. You choose the colors and even if you want silver or brass for the keyring. It’s such a unique way to honor the special grad in your life. School colors are a timeless way to usher them into the next step in their life. And long after you leave college, your alma mater colors always carry significance. And the Eliza B. designs are subtle way to carry that significance with you.

Ooh, Zooey Deschanel is this month’s Lucky cover girl! Exciting because: a) Lucky is probably my favorite fashion/beauty magazine, and b) Zooey is rad. First of all, she’s in Almost Famous, which we’ve already established as one of my favorite movies - you know, she plays the wide-eyed, free-spirited big sister ("One day, you’ll be cool"). Also, I love her pretty Rory Gilmore-esque hair: The deep chestnut brunette color, the length, the bangs cut straight across. Additionally, I adore her quirky retro/vintage style. It’s always refreshing when celebrities actually dress themselves instead of hiring a stylist. It keeps things interesting! Plus, she actually has a little modesty in the fashion department, which is a nice departure for a contemporary starlet. Oh yes, and I appreciate the fact that she evidently shares my penchant for black stockings. And look at her ruffled blouse on the cover! Nicely done, Lucky.

Check out the latest issue of Vogue, featuring cover girl Sarah Jessica Parker, for an exclusive report from the set of the Sex and the City movie, plus tons of hot photos of Carrie and Big taken by Annie Leibovitz. Seriously, how sexy are these pictures? How gorgeous is SJP in that Lanvin gown and Louboutin pumps? How much is this increasing your excitement for the movie?!

Click here to read an edited version of the article, and then go out and get your own copy to obsess over at home.

Now, I don’t like to give Paris anymore attention than she is so desperately seeking, but what’s been going on with her new boy toy Benji is something worth discussing.

She has completely changed her look, style and image to fit in with his bad-boy-all-black-clothing lifestyle. She wears "edgy" t-shirts, hoodies, Ed Hardy designs galore and skulls are apparently her new pink. She used to be all orange and pink all the time! And yes, I’m referring to her orange skin which has now taken on a much more natural pallor.

So the question I’m posing is this:

Do you (or have you ever) completely altered yourself in order to be more in line with your significant other?

I’m dying to hear from you and get your take on this chameleon-act- for-a-guy behavior.  Discuss.

More news on the Thierry Mugler front: People.com reports that, starting in October, the talented and lovely Naomi Watts will be the new face of Angel perfume (which, I’m sure you’ll remember, is my favorite perfume of all time). Watts explains, "I think to me, the Angel woman is someone who has many faces and is not afraid to show all facets of her personality. She’s both vulnerable and strong and flirtatious and for me, I guess working as an actor you have to play all those emotions all the time." Yes, we Angel fans are a rare and wonderful bunch, are we not?! Seriously, though, I’m excited that my favorite perfume is going to be represented by one of my favorite actresses. What do you think? Is this Naomi + Angel pairing a match made in heaven, or are you tired of celebrities in makeup and perfume ads?

Fell. In. Love. with this nesting bowl set from Koo de Kir. How pretty are they???  This is THE gift for any upcoming weddings or a last minute score for Mother’s Day.  These pretty bowls would look great displayed on the counter just as decoration. And then the fact that you can actually use them?  For whatever serving purposes you want?  If I could serve everything from my cereal to chips to pasta in these?  Sigh. They just make the mundane seem so exciting.  And!  They are dishwasher and microwave safe.  So practical.  So pretty.  So my new obsession.

I am guilty of hoarding clothes that I think I might-maybe-someday wear. Most women are.  I read a great tip recently on how to best weed out your closet:

1.  Go to your closet and turn all the hangers backwards, as if the back wall of your closet is the front. You with me?

2.  Then as you wear different items, hang them back up the normal way.

3.  After six months look at which items are still on backwards-facing hangers.

4.  Take them off their hanger, put them in a bag and take them promptly to Goodwill or your favorite charity.

5.  If you haven’t worn it in six months, you are probably hoarding. Stop being such a hoard.

Talk about functional fashion:  Reef, known for having the most comfortable sandals for beach lovers, has a great flop called, Stash.  It looks like a regular flip flop but the sole pulls out like a little drawer to "stash" a key, cash, cards or whatever you need to hide on your trip to the beach.  Very 007 of them.  They come in several basic colors and if you decide to spring for the pink pair, a portion goes to Boarding for Breast Cancer, a non-profit breast cancer awareness organization.   They are only $46 and could be your new vacation staple, secret agent.

So you want a tattoo? You are dedicated enough to a design or name or picture that you want it to be a part of your body until you die. Even if that isn’t until you’re 101, that butterfly on your lower back you got on your 18th birthday is going to be with you. Call me a commitment-phobe, but I’m not interested. I don’t know how I’d feel about it in a few years…so count me out. But 1 in 4 people between 18 and 50 have a tattoo, so clearly not everyone feels the same. Up until now getting inked was a very permanent thing and if you decided later that you were done with your tattoo, the process for removal was more painful than it was worth. But now there is a new type of ink that has been developed called Freedom-2 Infinitink that was designed specifically to be easily dissolved with a certain type of laser. Designed by a team of research professors at Duke University for cancer patients so they could eliminate the markers used for radiation treatments, Infinitink is about the revolutionize the tattoo business. The black ink is currently available at tattoo parlors and the color palette is being worked on for release later this year. Time magazine named it one of the best inventions of 2007. So if a tattoo is in your future, Infinitink might be the way to go. Because you never know when Billy Bob will be out and Poppa Pitt will be in, right Angelina?

Remember that slumber party scene in Grease where Frenchy offers to pierce Sandy’s ears but Sandy passes out before she can finish? Well, now you can have that kind of, uh, "fun" at home yourself - hopefully under somewhat more sanitary conditions - with the Studex Personal Piercer.

Call me old-fashioned, but I think piercing anything is probably something best left to a professional. However, if you’re braver and/or more foolish than I, feel free to jet over to your local beauty supply store and give this contraption a whirl. It’s probably pretty easy to use, but I really wouldn’t recommend doing it to yourself, unless you have nerves of steel.

Do you think piercing your own ears is actually doable, or is it just a one-way ticket to an infection? Tell me your thoughts!

It was a beautiful day when we finally ventured out of LatestBeauty HQ and into the wilds of Los Angeles to examine some of the products that we had been hearing so much about at our local Tarjay. Meagan and I were both Target aficionados already, of course – but we still had yet to see a lot of their new fashion and accessory goodies for ourselves, so we were understandably excited. Would the Gryson bags live up to the hype? What of that adorable black trench with cutout detailing that Meagan’s had her eye on? Could the Subversive collection really deliver beautiful, unique jewelry at Target prices? We could hardly contain ourselves on the car ride over!

GRYSON BAGS

MEAGAN: Well, I was all pumped for this bag discovery. I wrote about it, I posted a picture of one of my faves and I’ll tell you….this was such a bummer! The Target we went to did not have a wide selection of the bags – there were only two styles. So I’m hoping the cute ones all sold out and that these were the runts of the bunch. You can’t tell from Target’s site but the “leather” is shiny and cheap looking which is not something I want to carry. But worst of all is the branding of the bags. Check out this giant bronze plaque that comes emblazoned on your bag:

I’m sorry, I’m not really into showcasing labels as it is and the whole point (to me) of getting a Gryson bag from Target is so that it doesn’t look like I actually got it from Target. Kind of hard to deny that when it is engraved in large letters “GRYSON FOR TARGET” on your bag. Sorry, but that was a huge let down.

CONVERSE GLITTER SLIP-ONS

MELISSA: These adorable, sparkly silver skimmers by Converse were a welcome surprise in an otherwise disappointing trip. I had actually seen these featured in a magazine, but they didn’t translate as well in print as they do in person – up close, they’re adorable! My penchant for glittery shoes is already well-established, and I’ve been a Converse fan since junior high (observe the cranberry-colored pair I wore on the trip to Target below!). They would go great with anything, from jeans to a casual dress (I also love the idea of pairing them with opaque black tights under a short skirt) and they’re comfortable to boot. I must have a pair of these for myself!

SUBVERSIVE JEWELRY

MELISSA: This collection was laid out in a display case near the entrance, so it was one of the first things we saw. Underwhelming is an understatement! I thought a few of these pieces had a fun, unique quirk when I looked at them online, but in person, they just look cheap. Everything is made of plastic (or appears to be made of plastic, in any case) and the chunky, oversized quality of most of the necklaces and bracelets make it look like kids’ costume jewelry – something you might’ve worn while playing dress-up when you were 8 years old. I guess designer jewelry is one area where you just can’t scrimp.

THE FINAL WORD?

MELISSA: While this particular trip to Target was a bit of a bust on the fashion front (I remember Meagan sadly wailing, “It’s like finding out that Santa Claus isn’t real!” at one point), we did have some luck with our beauty purchases (see our joint Product Reviews). Plus, the location we visited was apparently lacking in the Jovovich-Hawk GO International line, so we still have more frugal fashion to look forward to! As of right now, however, it seems that Target will continue to be the go-to store for affordable cosmetics and cute fashion basics, but it’s still no substitute for a designer boutique and a platinum credit card.

MEAGAN: I blame the Target we were at. I still think it is possible to find some gems at Target – I think the right Target that isn’t picked over is going to have more options. And as they keep churning out the GO International lines, I am going to still be excited to check out the designer duds on the cheap. But I’m going to have to approach it with a little more skepticism.