ELLE Jul-12

4th Wednesday, July 4 SIPPIN' USA Toast our nation with the perfect patriotic punch from NYC hot spot Catch: Iris (Serves 8 ) 2 c Grey Goose vodka 1 ¼ c fresh-squeezed grapefruit juice ¾ c honey ¾ c hot water ½ c (packed) fresh mint leaves 1 c dry sparkling wine 8 mint leaves, for garnish Muddle mint and hot water in a punch bowl. Add honey; once dissolved, mix in Grey Goose, grapefruit juice, and ice. Stir to chill. Top with sparkling wine, garnish, and enjoy! 10 Tuesday, July 10 SLICK MICK Because Christopher Andersen couldn't fit enough sex, drugs, and classic rock into just one headline-making biography, the author returns with a follow-up: Mick: The Wild Life and Mad Genius of Jagger (Gallery Books), revealing…

"When I'm packing for a beach vacation, I make time for things that aren't always practical in everyday life: Big jewelry, big hats, bright colors—it's like a fantasy!" Kelly Framel's whimsically girly aesthetic has made her blog, The Glamourai, a major player in all things fashion, beauty, and decor over the past four years. The Austin-bred, Brooklyn-based tastemaker began blogging after being christened "the Glamourai" at her Asian-themed twenty-fifth birthday party, which celebrated the vintage Chinese textiles that inspired the eveningwear collection she was designing for Naeem Khan at the time. These days, the style siren's work takes her everywhere from the exotic to the provincial—Milan for a Bulgari fragrance launch, São Paulo for a photo shoot, and, more recently, to Massachusetts' Brimfield Flea Market, a trip that resulted in…

Not long ago, I was in an East Hampton bookstore waiting for a reading to start and noticed two women of a certain age sitting next to each other on a sofa. They were physical opposites: One had short gray hair, a lined face, probably 10 extra pounds, and an expansive laugh; she was at ease in her body and had a relaxed mien. Her friend was clearly the "prettier" of the two and had that look of high-maintenance preservation: face-lift, blonded and coiffed shoulder-length hair, the motionless upper lip of the filled and stilled, and the darting eyes of a small, hunted animal. She was theoretically beautiful, but it seemed so obvious who was sexier—the more natural one, who sat with her arm casually slung over the back of…

TALK THAT TALK Since 2007, the ons, offs, ups, and, most notably, downs of Rihanna and ex-boyfriend Chris Brown have incited near constant conversation about the state (and sanity) of their relationship. Before our May cover story, "Forever Strong," went to press, Rihanna released a remix of the track "Birthday Cake" that featured Brown— who was accused of domestic violence against the singer in 2009—singing lyrics like, "Girl, I wanna f--- you right now…," again reigniting the are-they-or-aren't-they/how-could-she-possibly dialogue. When ELLE Senior Features & Beauty writer April Long pressed Rihanna for comments on Brown and the never-ending attention they draw, she confided, "People end up wasting their time on the blogs or whatever, ranting away, and that's all right. I don't hate them for it. Because tomorrow I'm still going…

NAME: Vanessa Metz PROVENANCE: "Born in Belgium, but moved to Paris when I was 10." NOW: Paris PROFESSION: Stylist THIS MONTH: Styled Nina Ricci designer Peter Copping and actress Clémence Poésy for "Ladies' Man" (page 202). "She's such a beautiful girl, she doesn't need anything to make her look better. I just kept her natural." BONA FIDES: Has styled for Numéro and Karl Lagerfeld FIRST BRUSH WITH FAME: "I got to work with Lagerfeld early on. I was nervous for the first five minutes, but he made me feel comfortable. It's every stylist's dream to work with somebody of his talent and taste." CURRENTLY READING: Des Vies et des Modes (Life and Fashion), by Jean-Jacques Picart HEROINE WORSHIP: Burmese politician Aung…

Last winter was one of the mildest I've experienced in two decades in New York City. I didn't see snow once. At Christmas, I was wearing a tee and spring windbreaker. When temperatures finally did drop in February, having to wear cashmere felt, well, odd. And fleeting. Within weeks, the temperature was back up, and I was back to lightweight cottons. It was style schizophrenia at its best—and I loved it. I'm of the minority that embraces extreme temperatures, hot or cold—or, even better, both at the same time. I love it when it's cold out but toasty inside, and I welcome icy blasts of air-conditioning when it's scorching. When I first moved to the city for college, I had no money for an air conditioner, so my roommates and…