Table of contents for January 2013 in ELLE

Sunday, January 6, 9 P.M. EST WELL MANORED In the third-season premiere of PBS Masterpiece's period melodrama Downton Abbey , the Crawleys stand at the brink of financial ruin, Mr. Bates languishes in prison, and Shirley MacLaine and Maggie Smith face off to deliver the season's best one-liners. "The family has always told stories about how difficult I was as a baby, and what a terror as a toddler. They say I learned to walk at seven months and to run the very same day, ever after the hot pepper—Aji!—a menace to myself and everyone else." —Sonia Sotomayor Tuesday, January 15 AMERICAN IDOL Justice Sonia Sotomayor ends her memoir, My Beloved World (Knopf), 20 years before her Supreme Court appointment, but the personal stories she tells—from her…

BRIGHT LIKE DIAMONDS Who better among Tinseltown's elite to represent the amazing achievements of women in film than the luminous honorees for the nineteenth-annual ELLE Women in Hollywood list [November 2012]: Sarah Jessica Parker, Cate Blanchett, Octavia Spencer, Uma Thurman, Emma Watson, Susan Sarandon, Kristen Wiig, Elle Fanning, and Shirley MacLaine. We know why we love them—beauty, brains, talent—and here's what our readers had to say: "I'm so happy to see Sarah Jessica Parker on the cover of ELLE! I haven't even started reading the issue because I just had to tell you SJP and ELLE have aced it. She oozes joy and style." —TJF, via e-mail "Wow, it's great to be a Fanning girl. Dakota is friends with Steven Spielberg, while her sister is friends with Coppola! These girls…

Fit for the modern woman: From the austere romance of minimalist ruffles to softly sculpted shapes and reimagined suiting, the 2013 spring-summer collections offer elegance with plenty of flourish. Among the attitudes for which the French are known is their utter disdain for overt enthusiasm. Even the phrase they employ for "waiting for the show to begin"—faute de mieux—translates literally to "for the lack of something better." Unless outraged by an insult, the typical blasé Gaul will at most express emotion by raising a manicured brow or batting a well-lacquered lash. What they respect and tend to foster, especially in regard to fashion (however much they love it), is feigned indifference. But even the most-poker-faced Parisians couldn't restrain their élan for the highly anticipated spring-summer 2013 collections, which featured a…

1. Striped linen jacket, ALTUZARRA, $2,895, collection at Bergdorf Goodman, NYC | 2. Sterling silver and enamel ring with blue sapphire, ANN DEXTER-JONES DESIGN, $800, visit colette.fr | 3. Ikat canvas skirt, ALTUZARRA, $775, collection at Bergdorf Goodman, NYC | 4. Leather sandal, ALEXANDER WANG, $495, at Alexander Wang, NYC | 5. Denim and calfskin bag, CHANEL, $2,900, call 800-550-0005 | Model at left wears: Stretch denim jacket, $1,290, tweed and denim dress, $1,990, both, DEREK LAM, call 212-966-1616. Gold signet ring, MANNIN, $395, visit manninfinejewelry.com. Sterling silver and enamel ring with blue sapphire, ANN DEXTER-JONES DESIGN, $800, visit colette.fr. Embossed calfskin bag, ESCADA, $1,725, visit escada.com. Ankle-strap…

DESIGNERS, SHOPS, HOT SPOTS, AND MORE… PARIS Assouline's Paris in the 1920s takes a closer look at the fascinating life and times of Man Ray muse (and future lingerie store namesake) Kiki de Montparnasse and the neighborhood from which she took her name. assouline.com LONDON Marios Schwab, along with the team at Ancient Greek Sandals, has taken the humble gladiator to new heights. The fringed footwear made a cameo with Schwab's tribal-chic offerings for spring. ancient-greek-sandals.com PARIS She's back! Paris Fashion Week marked designer Veronique Branquinho's return to the runway after a three-year hiatus. Come spring, fans of the Belgian minimalist will have plenty to lust over, from fluid silk maxidresses to jumpsuits. lagarconne.com CAMBRIDGE, ENGLAND Proving that the Cambridge Satchel Company's bags are hardly flashes in…

AN APATOW MARRIAGE, ANTIDUET DUETS, AND MORE… As a self-proclaimed "airport baby," actress Alice Englert, 18, grew up accompanying her parents—Palme d'Or–winning director Jane Campion and filmmaker Colin Englert—around the world on their moviemaking projects. But it was the days when she would fake sick to skip school and bundle up in the back of her mother's editing room that gave her a crash course in authentic storytelling. "I became obsessed with the subtlety and nuance of what went into a story," she says, "the shape and weight of it." That insight landed Englert in director Sally Potter's Ginger & Rosa, a drama set in 1960s Britain. Englert "values instinct," says Potter, "following what's going on inside [her character's] head or heart at any moment." Elle Fanning plays an anxious…

Literary heavyweight George Saunders has always maintained a fairly light touch as a fiction writer; he'd rather dazzle and delight than dread-educate his readers. His fourth collection, Tenth of December (Random House), hews to this ethos. Ten tales of vastly varying length ("The Semplica Girl Diaries" runs 58 pages, while "Sticks" barely covers two) share an essential playfulness that even their more menacing themes—kidnapping, drug addiction, suicide—can't dislodge. "Exhortation"—written in the style of a memo by a boss to his staff on positive thinking—uncannily (or unwittingly) reads like an author's statement of narrative intent concerning (happy) mind over (dark) matter. Just substitute write a story for clean a shelf: "Say we need to clean a shelf…," the memo goes. "Do I want to clean it happy or do I want…

In an attempt to break her boring wash-and-go habit, ELLE assistant beauty editor Julie Schott tries a different hair look each day of the week DAY 1: Faded ombré streaks are hard to achieve on ultradark hair like mine. I improvise by dusting blond clip-in extensions with pink and purple eye shadows. At the office, a senior editor shoots me a confused glance, and I file my watercolor hairpiece under Art Project. TIME: 15 minutes* TOOLS: HairDo 22-inch Straight Extension, EcoTools Bamboo Bronzer Brush, M.A.C eye shadow DAY 2: The shorter the cut, the cooler the girl, in my opinion, but I'm not willing to lose any length just yet. Instead, I tuck my hair into an Uma Thurman Pulp Fiction jet-black wig. Unfortunately, my crop doesn't give me gangster-wife…

For our first annual International Beauty Awards, editors from 40 ELLE editions around the world tested thousands of beauty products to find the 10 best-of-the-best. Here, editors weigh in on why each gets the gold ELLE INTERNATIONL BEAUTY AWARDS 2013 ULTIMATE SHAMPOO ELLE editors adore the "light yet moisturizing" Shu Uemura Cleansing Oil Shampoo, which deep cleans without stripping to leave hair "supershiny and full of volume." TOP FOUNDATION "In this Instagram world, Maestro keeps us looking picture-perfect"; just a drop of Armani's new foundation "gives an airbrushed look to skin" and "stays in place all day long." MOST-WANTED MOISTURIZER A "major blast of moisture" that lasts 24 hours, the rich Clinique Moisture Surge Intense protects even in the "coldest Russian weather." PERFECT MASCARA "Magic wand" Lancôme Hypnôse Star's asymmetrical…

HOW TO EASE AUCTION ANXIETY, THE NEW IKAT, AND MORE… When you think about it, dressing your home isn't too far off from dressing yourself. The wisdom that works in your wardrobe applies here, too: Invest in well-constructed, always-in-style staples—at home, that's sofas, tables, beds, and art—and embellish with accessories that reveal your personal style. Here at ELLE, and especially in honor of our Make Better Issue, we're always looking for what's next. So we quizzed three of interior design's brightest young stars—Anna Burke of Kemble Interiors, Danielle Fennoy of Revamp Interior Design, and CeCe Barfield of Bunny Williams—on their new rules of decorating. (Hint: Fire your taxidermist!)—Julie Vadnal THE ANTIQUES FANATIC ANNA BURKE ID: 27, designer at NYC's Kemble Interiors FASHION INSPIRATION: Lanvin. "Classic, feminine, and timeless." FURNITURE FINDS:…

THE ETIQUETTE OF POISONING YOUR WIFE DEAR E. JEAN: It's hard to believe, but I think my husband is trying to poison me. Part of me worries that I'm paranoid and may be imagining it, but the facts present a different story. I suspect he's putting something in my coffee. I notice it smells funny, and when I drink it, my eyes get superpuffy and swollen. I suspect he's also adding stuff to my lotions and bath products, which created brown discolorations on my skin. My legs look as if they're covered in snakeskin. My arms are dry as cracked earth. Same with my shampoos—whatever he's putting in them makes my hair extremely dry and knotted. These are expensive, high-end products that I know from experience work well. My suspicions…

Silk georgette dress, Gucci, $3,500, at select Gucci stores nationwide. Gold necklace with diamonds and cabochon sapphire, Prediletto, price on request. Silk dress, Rochas, $1,330, collection at shopbop.com. Cotton socks, Falke, $24. Lambskin loafers, Chanel, $1,650. For details, see Shopping Guide. Left: Viscose crepe tunic dress, Louis Vuitton, $3,675, at select Louis Vuitton stores nationwide. Right: Silk Lurex dress, Giles, $1,200, collection at thecorner.com. Pavé diamond ring, Bottega Veneta, price on request. Satin high-top sneakers, Sonia Rykiel, $480. For details, see Shopping Guide. With the winsome look of a just-roused Disney princess, 25-year-old Bella Heathcote is sipping tea out of an impossibly small mug while deftly deflecting questions about Brad Pitt. "I'll always have that moment," she says in regard to a 2011 tabloid tale alleging a hookup that she…

CAPRICORN (Dec 22–Jan 19) In a rare confluence of planetary motions, for the first time in many years you'll have no fewer than five celestial bodies—the Sun, Mercury, Pluto, Venus, and the new moon—in your sign, giving you the kind of opportunities you could previously only dream about. What would have the greatest positive impact on your life? Now is the time when you can begin to actualize these goals, so be ready to take the first steps toward achieving them in the 10 days that follow the 11th's new moon. Since others will follow your lead, exercise the authority you will indeed be exuding. Your home life will see a wonderful uptick, with Mars acting as a best friend to Uranus in this sector of your chart. If you…

GUEST BLOGGER: HEATHER CLAWSON While assisting celebrity interior-designer Tony Ingrao, Heather Clawson saw the potential for a forum showcasing spaces and designers—a playful, personalized take on the rarefied pages of upscale home-design magazines. So inspired, she created Habitually Chic, giving an insider's view of the interior-design world. Since launching in 2007, the site has been celebrated for featuring emerging talent and trends alongside the homes of, say, Gwyneth Paltrow and Aerin Lauder. Recently, Clawson channeled the blog's style into Creativity at Work, a book that explores the work spaces of artistic minds such as Peter Som and J.Crew's Jenna Lyons. This month, Clawson gives ELLE.com a look into her office—her New York City apartment—and shares her shortlist of clever ways to refresh your home and office for the new year.—Catherine…

NAME: Ali Wentworth PROVENANCE: Washington, DC NOW: New York City PROFESSION: Writer and actor THIS MONTH: "Eyes Wide Open" (page 88). "People would say, 'You look great—did you get your hair cut?' I don't know why that was the first thing they thought of. I told them I got my eyes done. Everyone was taken aback by my honesty. That's a good plastic surgeon, I guess." BONA FIDES: BA, drama, Bard College; author of Ali in Wonderland: And Other Tall Tales; host of Yahoo!'s Daily Shot With Ali Wentworth FIRST GIG: Cast member on In Living Color. "It was my first big job. I love sketch comedy and doing big, broad characters. I loved working with Jamie Foxx and David Alan Grier. We…

FLARED LEGS, DENIM MINIS, AND MORE… Denim blazer, $895, pants, $550, silk blouse, $995, all, GUCCI, visit gucci.com. Olive quartz and diamond pendant necklace, $4,925, faceted citrine ring, $3,400, both, MONICA RICH KOSANN, at Bergdorf Goodman, NYC. Lapis long confetti necklace, IPPOLITA, $3,595, visit ippolita.com. Rose gold necklace with chalcedony pendant, LUCIFER VIR HONESTUS, $2,592, collection at Barneys New York. Tigereye bracelet, from BELADORA.COM, $4,650, call 800-680-9569. Yellow gold and lapis bangle, IRENE NEUWIRTH, price on request, at Hirshleifers, Manhasset, NY. Blue onyx and diamond ring, KARA ACKERMAN, $400, visit karaackerman.com. Pavé padlock ring, EDDIE BORGO, $350, visit halls.com. Yellow gold cuff, CARTIER, $4,025, visit cartier.com. Blue resin and gold vermeil bangle, MIRIAM SALAT, $225, visit miriamsalat.com. Rose gold signet ring, ZOË CHICCO, $847, visit zoechicco.com. Denim bag, VALENTINO GARAVANI,…

1. Beaded fabric, raffia, and leather sandal, TORY BURCH, $325, visit toryburch.com | 2. Washed chambray dress, CHRIS BENZ, $895, call 212-244-2020 | 3. Denim and calfskin shopping tote, CHANEL, $2,500, at select Chanel boutiques nationwide | 4. Leather wedge sandal, TORY BURCH, $375, call 866-480-8679 | 5. Resin and marcasite earrings, LULU FROST FOR J.CREW, $78, visit jcrew.com | Model at left wears: Denim jacket, $1,590, denim and silk dress, $1,290, both, NINA RICCI, collection at Ikram, Chicago. Yellow gold hoop earrings, $3,670, yellow gold bangle, $4,025, band ring, $1,525, all, CARTIER, visit cartier.com. Gold monogram pendant, MANNIN, $325, visit manninfinejewelry.com. Lock cuff, LOUIS VUITTON, $1,070, visit…

From promising new designers to cool collabs and cultural happenings, Véronique Hyland rounds up the breaking news from the Brits London Fashion Week, which has brought us generations of eccentric designers, from Vivienne Westwood to Mary Katrantzou, is hardly the most understated of proceedings. But this season, the city tempered things with a dose of sophisticated chic. Case in point: Simone Rocha. Whatever the British equivalent of a home run is, the 26-year-old's spring 2013 show was it; she caught front-row fan Alexa Chung's eye with perversely pretty dresses featuring peekaboo cutouts, and minitotes in Perspex. (The material also appears in the collections of jeweler Sarah Angold, upstart accessories label House of Flora, and Charlotte Olympia.) London's theatrics rarely disappoint, and this season's were soaked in joyful nostalgia. Philip Treacy…

After launching the beloved high-school TV comedy Freaks and Geeks, Judd Apatow brought such blockbusters as Knocked Up, Pineapple Express, and Bridesmaids to the big screen, and in less than a decade the producer, director, and sometime writer became Hollywood's uncontested king of youthful comedy. So consider his new film: This Is 40. Really? That 40? Seven years ago, Apatow tapped into the big 4-0 with another megahit—the jokily titled The 40-Year-Old Virgin; This Is 40 sounds, if not downright ominous, like something you might read in Oprah's magazine. It stars Apatow's wife and muse, Leslie Mann, along with Paul Rudd, reprising their roles as Knocked Up's Pete and Debbie. In that film, Debbie becomes convinced that her husband, Pete, is cheating and, with the movie's main couple (played by…

GAME, SET, AND CYBER-MATCH How to seal the deal instead of staying on the hook for monthly fees: three new guides to online dating, five tactical tips for all womankind. By Kayleen Schaefer At 30, after a breakup that involved spotting her boyfriend draped around another woman, digital strategist Amy Webb decided to try meeting men online. And she did: On JDate, Match.com, and eHarmony, she met guys who were six inches shorter or 30 pounds heavier than advertised; who picked expensive restaurants and passed the check to her; and who told her, mid drink, that they were married. One night, after another bad match and a solo bottle of wine, Webb rejoined JDate—this time posing as a man, to check out her competition. Then she took it further. Webb…

No two scalps are the same. So, after performing a battery of tests, NYC-based trichologist (aka hair and scalp specialist) David H. Kingsley, PhD, prescribes specialized treatments—from topical niacin to at-home lasers to stress-reduction plans—to each of his patients to get thinning or weak strands back into top form. But you don't need an appointment with Kingsley to benefit from his expertise. He consulted on the formulation of the L'Oréal Paris Advanced Haircare line, 17 products created around research that found using a separate hair treatment (such as a conditioning mask or serum) in tandem with shampoo and conditioner really does make hair prettier, shinier, and stronger. "A treatment product will protect hair from everyday damage," Kingsley says. If you have a full head of hair but find that it…

I'm lying on a table in a small white room above the Hudson River, in a sleek modern high-rise where you'd expect wealthy European bankers to maintain pieds-à-terre. The room is filled with healing crystals of every hue: An enormous black tourmaline glitters in one corner, and on the floor beneath the table, smoky quartz, aquamarine, and other rare specimens rest on tiny silk pillows. My eyes are closed. I smell a variety of essential oils—ylang-ylang, lavender, rose—being applied to the soles of my feet, the back of my neck. Dozens of delicate acupuncture needles are inserted along my meridians, which, according to traditional Chinese medicine, are the paths through which the life energy known as chi flows. Knees, ankles, shins, hands, wrists: the body as a subway map of…

Lani Hay had mentioned it to me before, that she has a "life line" mapping out her path to the presidency of the United States. Daughter of a Vietnamese refugee, former naval intelligence officer, founder of Lanmark Technology, a small defense contractor that she's grown from a solo operation to a $40 million business with 200 employees in just nine years, and—not as incidentally as you might think—owner of a mane of hair that rivals Kim Kardashian's in its inky black glossiness, Lani Hay wants to be president. Although "wants" is too mild a word—as a friend told me, "My 12-year-old daughter wants to be president." Hay, who is 37, plans on it. "Could I see your life line?" I ask a bit sheepishly. "Oh yeah," she says, completely cool.…

Technically, one could make a clean break 365 days a year—but 01/01 does have an especially nice ring to it. Should your 2013 resolutions include a fashion rebirth, you've come to the right place. First, we shadow cover girl Jessica Biel as she rendezvouses with nine of fashion's biggest names, inhabiting their collections' various personae along the way. You'll have no shortage of New Year's makeover inspiration watching Biel go from sexed-up vixen avec Jean Paul Gaultier to casual-chic sophisticate chez Isabel Marant. (You may have heard that Biel has also assumed a new role in her personal life, as Mrs. Justin Timberlake.) In addition to Biel's myriad transformations, we take a look at the season's groovy wide-leg pants and Studio 54–worthy platforms. Of course, the key to any successful…

Floral-print silk dress, $2,400, leather pumps, $950, all, Bottega Veneta, at Bottega Veneta boutiques nationwide. Patent leather bag, Reed Krakoff, $590. Sunglasses, Diane von Furstenberg, price on request. Cashmere-and-silk top, $1,150, silk satin skirt, price on request, both, Dior, at Dior boutiques nationwide. Leather clutch, Marc Jacobs, $1,295. Leather pumps, Bottega Veneta, $950. For details, see Shopping Guide. Crepe duvetyn coat, Michael Kors, $2,995, at Michael Kors stores nationwide. Beauty Secret: Shield bare skin from sun damage with Dior Hydra Life Protective Fluid SPF 15. Stretch cotton jacket, $3,700, pants, $1,190, both, Akris, collection at select Neiman Marcus stores nationwide. Silk blouse, Equipment, $228. Silk scarf, Echo, $38. Sunglasses, Thierry Lasry, $375. Leather pumps, Bottega Veneta, $950. For details, see Shopping Guide. Far left: Crystal-overlay top, $3,975, black blouse, $1,245,…

Not since casting The Hunger Games had there been so much excitement over a job search. But there was Katniss-level hysteria when retired NFL great Michael Strahan was named as Kelly Ripa's permanent cohost, replacing Regis Philbin. It was an odd—or inspired—choice, depending on who you asked. Philbin was perfectly cantankerous; Strahan, 41, is a 6'5" teddy bear with a Super Bowl ring, a clothing line called Gmen, and a gap-toothed grin. His public persona may be lovable giant, but his 2006 divorce (his second) portrayed him as anything but: That bizarre, protracted public spat with his ex-wife—during which the pair let myriad allegations fly—took several years, an appeal, and a settlement to finally come to an end. But Strahan, the onetime defensive lineman for the New York Giants and…

We write a lot around here about female ambition, about the ways women consciously and subconsciously bury their own while championing its necessity, as well as about how, according to some literature on it, the female-dominated workplace is more collaborative and supportive, more sane. We've interviewed the authors of a spate of new books in recent months that tell us to stop cloaking our ambition under piles of denial that we even have any, and to use our feminine, um, advantages when the situation merits it. And then we've got Lani Hay. I read her CV before I ever met her, and she was so accomplished that I assumed she was in her fifties. But no, she's in her thirties, as she told me while dressed in a low-cut ball…

You think we're inspiring? Armed with racks of fashion-forward pieces from H&M, Creative Director Joe Zee proves the feeling is mutual by elevating four ELLE readers' looks to editorial heights There are many types of comfort zones. Some are private and ritualistic. Breakfast, for instance: I have a friend who has eaten Cheerios and whole milk every single morning for the past 14 years! More universal—and visible for all the world to see—is our style comfort zone. Because style is so closely tied to our identity, venturing outside the tried-and-true can really throw you for a loop. Trust me; I know. The limits of my comfort zone have long been defined by one word: color. I've spent most of my life in black, white, gray, and navy blue. For eons,…

1. Metal and stone cuff, TORY BURCH, $250, visit toryburch.com | 2. Silk and linen shorts, GUCCI, $950, visit gucci.com | 3. Sunglasses, MARC JACOBS, price on request, call 212-343-1490 | 4. Woven raffia and leather bag, TORY BURCH, $395, call 866-480-8679 | 5. Denim espadrille, VALENTINO GARAVANI, $445, visit valentino.com | 6. Blue star earrings, EDDIE BORGO, $400, visit neimanmarcus.com | Model at right wears: Crepe de chine top, ALTUZARRA, $2,470, collection at Jeffrey, NYC, Atlanta. Divided denim skirt, $955, calfskin pumps, $1,340, both, LOUIS VUITTON, call 866-VUITTON. Grosgrain-trim hat, GUCCI, $435, at select Gucci stores nationwide. Pavé diamond shield necklace, WORKHORSE, $888,…

Silver and enamel rings, BOTTEGA VENETA, $620 each, visit bottegaveneta.com Silver and enamel bracelets, BOTTEGA VENETA, $3,100 each, at Bottega Veneta boutiques nationwide Silver and enamel chain necklace, BOTTEGA VENETA, price on request, call 212-371-5511 Silver and enamel bib necklace, BOTTEGA VENETA, $3,500, visit bottegaveneta.com When Bottega Veneta (translation: "Venetian design studio") was founded in 1966, the Italian leather goods company set itself apart from the competition with a process called intrecciato, a weaving technique so superfine that it could appear solid only from a few feet away. More than four decades later, the house, which has been led by creative director Tomas Maier since 2001, has grown into an empire that includes ready-to-wear, eyewear, furniture, and jewelry, yet still remains committed to this original mission of more-than-meets-the-eye craftsmanship. Take,…

From the laced leather leggings at Rodarte to the bleached and tattered denim at 3.1 Phillip Lim, a surprising strain of punk influences popped up all over the spring runways. Even socialite-beloved Oscar de la Renta got into the act, topping off models' demure bouclÉ boleros with neon-highlighted updos and ladylike separates—redone for the season in bad-gal latex. Let's face it: No one knows downtown dressing better than New York designers (and Lim let everyone know it with this crystal-embellished tee). But no matter your location or personal style, we've got something to suit you this month, along with helpful hints about how to unleash your inner fashion rock star. PUNK-INSPIRED SEPARATES, ACCESSORIES, AND MORE… GIRLS GONE BAD Step up your street cred with tough essentials and a healthy dose…

You might think that being short-listed twice for the Pulitzer Prize is a sign to keep doing whatever you're already doing. But Quiara AlegrÍa Hudes—who earned those nods for her play Elliot, A Soldier's Fugue in 2007 and the book for the Broadway musical In the Heights in 2009—is a habitual shape-shifter. Having graduated from Yale with a degree in composition, she was well on her way to success as part of her native Philadelphia's burgeoning alt-music scene, writing for dance companies and performing solo at open-mike nights, when a high-powered producer told her, "I love how these songs are sounding, but I'm not sure they're good enough." Hudes recalls: "Now, I'm not a buckler, but something struck me as right"—and she dropped it all in favor of the theater.…

EDITOR-APPROVED WORKOUTS, SHINY-HAIR SECRETS, AND MORE… Although Pica blended two shades at Chalayan, for a one-sweep pink, choose Pink Nouveau or Candy Yum-Yum lipstick, both by M.A.C. On lids, try model Liu Wen's favorite soft shimmer, Estée Lauder Pure Color Gelée Powder EyeShadow in Cyber Silver. After seasons of medically enhanced, synthetically extended, turbocharged eyelashes, there's something fresh and modern about leaving lids and lashes virtually naked. "The whole vibe is sporty and futuristic," said makeup artist Lucia Pica, backstage at Chalayan's spring 2013 Paris show. "It's about beautiful, glossy skin, offset by a matte lip." The rising makeup star highlighted the tops of the cheekbones, bridge of the nose, and Cupid's bow using M.A.C cream color base in Pearl. For the models' bubble-gum-color mouths, Pica created a custom hue…

I am not a vain person. In fact, I should care more. I don't work out. I bite my nails till they bleed and wait until my dark roots are so grown out that I look like one of those women who hold their Big Gulp in their cleavage and mail their panties to convicts. I'm in awe of my girlfriends who have resplendent bodies perfectly toned from Pilates, skin that has been thermo- or phyto- or something-dermed, and hair made silky with exotic oils drawn from rare coconut husks. If I shower, shave my pits, and moisturize, I consider it a full day of pampering. So the idea of plastic surgery seemed inane and way too time-consuming. Who would elect to have someone cut his or her face? What…

GUNS N' ROSES The strong, provocative Mad Madame by Juliette Has a Gun erupts with a mix of patchouli, white musk, and black currant.3 ROYAL BLUSH A bouquet of sheer peony shades, Benefit Fine One One looks just as pretty on lips as it does blended into the apples of cheeks. SCARLET FEVER Don't call it a gloss: Giorgio Armani Lip Maestro delivers deeply saturated, thoroughly grown-up pigment. BIG OIL Själ's chamomile-infused Saphir Concentrate oil leaves stressed skin feeling instantly calmer. PETAL PUSHER Housed in a porcelain-topped compact, finely milled Sulwhasoo ShineClassic makes mattifying oh so elegant. DEEP SPACE SHINE Revlon Nail Art Moon Candy pairs classic creamy nail lacquer with a dazzling glitter topcoat for an out-of-this-world chic finish.…

So this is it, I think as I'm led into what looks like a guest room. Three windows, shutters partially closed, face the backyard; a queen-size bed sits center stage. It's pretty unremarkable as beds go, with white-and-beige plaid sheets, a pair of pale blankets, and a dream catcher hanging overhead. It isn't exactly what I'd expected, but then, I really didn't know what to expect. This is the bedroom that Cheryl Cohen Greene shares with her husband—and hundreds of other men. Call it her home office. Cohen Greene isn't a prostitute. She's a sexual surrogate, someone paid to teach men—late-in-life virgins, the disabled, abuse or trauma victims, and those with erectile dysfunction, Asperger's syndrome, self-esteem issues, phobias, or crippling performance anxiety—to get it up and get it on, first…

MAISON MARTIN MARGIELA AT THE SHANGRI-LA HOTEL Chiffon A-line evening dress, stretch-jersey body stocking, prices on request, gold-tone necklace, $570, leather boots, $835, all, Maison Martin Margiela Artisanal, at Maison Martin Margiela, Miami. For details, see Shopping Guide. Location: Thanks to Shangri-La Paris MUGLER AT PONT ALEXANDRE III "FOR ME, JESSICA HAS BOTH A STRONG SIDE AND A SENSUAL SIDE. SHE SURPRISES ME EVERY TIME I SEE HER IN ONE OF MY DRESSES."—MUGLER CREATIVE DIRECTOR NICOLA FORMICHETTI, AT RIGHT Pleated charmeuse satin asymmetrical dress, tortoise-print shoes, all, Mugler, prices on request, visit mugler.com. For details, see Shopping Guide. JEAN PAUL GAULTIER ON THE ROOFTOP OF HIS ATELIER "FOR THIS COLLECTION I WANTED TO PAY HOMAGE TO DAVID BOWIE, GRACE JONES, MADONNA, ANNIE LENNOX, BOY GEORGE, MICHAEL JACKSON—IN A VERY TACKY,…

There's a party going on in the Royal Suite on the forty-second floor of the Waldorf Towers, attested to by the palpable hum of excitement and the tangle of security guards and photographers stationed at the door. As I make my way from the elevator, the cameras click frenziedly—could it be that I've been underestimating my own star power all along? But then I look behind me and see the party's hostess, the unmistakable Donatella Versace—she of the sylphlike figure and bright yellow hair, invariably clad in black—in my immediate wake, with Lady Gaga, who's wearing hardly any makeup and a furry bonnet, in tow. Inside the palatial suite (whose previous occupants include the Duke and Duchess of Windsor) are bowls of black and oxblood roses and lots of pretty…