TV in a Bottle

We all have our favorite TV shows. Admit it, sometimes we even dress like our favorite characters or sport their haircuts (remember Charlie's Angels' feathers and the "Rachel"?). But did it ever occur to you that you might want to smell like your favorite TV show? I don't mean smell like a celebrity - celeb scents are a well-discussed topic - I mean scents inspired by the show itself. Read on.

Image from Scorpiofiles, home of lots of Dynasty trivia!

Although this trend is reaching never-before-seen proportions, it seems to have begun in the 80s, with Dynasty. Oh yes - the hit show marketed a fragrance called Forever Krystal for women, based on the the character played by Linda Evans. Carrington channeled the sexy Blake Carrington, played by John Forsythe. You can still obtain bottles of these decades-old scents!

Image of ad from Patrick de Warren Photography

Another soap opera followed the trend - with the launch of several scents from All My Children. Enchantment perfume promises you can "be a part of the glamorous life and join the story." Their second fragrance launch was Fusion, a spirited and spontaneous fruity floral. Both were developed and launched as part of the show's storyline!

In February, Apothia launched a fragrance simply called "L" which is inspired by Showtime's hit drama about lesbians living in L.A., The L Word. The development process included getting input from 7,500 L Word fans who submitted surveys describing what they would like in the fragrance. According to PlanetOut, The "L Word" perfume is billed as embodying the show's essence, with a scent that is "deeply feminine and sexy while exuding a very confident and powerful edginess and independence."

American Idol fans can feel part of the drama by spritzing on American Idol Moments for women or American Idol Spirit for men. Kimberly Caldwell, former contestant, is now the fragrance spokeswoman. She said,

"I have been traveling all over America to the different JCPenney department stores, promoting the new fragrances. It gives people the opportunity to take home a piece of the show. The fans are the biggest part of the show's success, so this gives them something to enjoy from the show."

For me, when I think of the show, I imagine the smell of fear, sweating under the lights and getting humilated in front of the world. No thanks!

The biggest and most recent news is that Desperate Housewives is launching a scent of its own, called Forbidden Fruit (thanks to Now Smell This for relaying the news). The scent will be "as complex, beautiful and sexy as the women of Wisteria Lane" and will be released as a Macy's exclusive this September. Reportedly, the fragrance is a fruity floriental, including notes of crisp Rome apples orange flowers and juicy peaches, a heart of wisteria (natch) and a drydown is of cedarwood, sandalwood, vanilla and tonka bean.

If you enjoy mixing entertainment and fragrance, keep your eyes out for the movie, Perfume: The Story of a Murderer, which stars Dustin Hoffman and is to be released this holiday season. It's based on the book by Patrick Süskind, which I highly recommend!

I Can Fly!

OK, I know that this is a beauty blog. But flying is a beautiful thing. Overcoming fear is a beautiful thing, too. So please indulge my gushing for a minute.

This morning, I went to Trapeze School New York with three of my girlfriends. We arrive just moments before the skies opened up and poured, so thank goodness they've added a tent over the equipment. If you saw the Sex & The City episode (#82, "The Catch") where Carrie goes to the same trapeze school, you'll remember that it was open-air.

We got a safety talk and were strapped into a corset-tight harnesses. First, we practiced on a bar that was barely over our heads, just to try getting our knees on the bar and hanging upside-down. I could barely get my legs up there (um, just a little out of shape!), so I wasn't very confident about climbing up to a 23-foot-high platform and attempting the trick in mid-air!

Once I got the "Hep!" to jump, there was no going back. The momentum of swinging in the air and pure adrenaline pumping through my veins helped me get my legs up. Next, you hang upside-down in mid-air while swifly gliding through the air and reach back in a gesture of ultimate freedom. Whee! Then, you bring your legs back down and they encourage you to do a backflip into the net! A backflip? My first time on a trapeze? No way. But, I did it the second time! :) You really do feel weightless up there.

After a few more practices, our series of tricks became a bit more routine. I was shocked when I was pronounced "ready for the catch". What?! Oh yeah, someone will catch you in mid-air, remove you from your trapeze, swing you from his hands, then drop you into the net. I'm thinking, isn't that an advanced class? We've only been here an hour!

I was absolutely amazed when the catcher's hands reached out through some slow-motion of space and time, grabbed me by the forearms and I was swinging free. It was an exhilarating rush. They say you should "Forget fear. Worry about the addiction." I can see why. I was already thinking about joining the circus!

There are also Trapeze Schools in Baltimore and Boston, and a quick Google search can help you find one in your area. 

The Laundry Room

Purchase this cute tin sign at the Old Town General Store

Hate doing laundry? Don't we all. But now there are some great products to get the job done well - and leave your clothes smelling marvelous.

DETERGENTS

The Laundress offers many special-purpose products to pamper your wardrobe, like separate detergents for lights and darks. Now that we're headed into the summer season, be sure to check out their Swimwear Care, which is designed to get the salt and chlorine out of your itsy bitsy teeny weeny bikini - without being too harsh.

Art Home Botanical Detergent for Delicate Fabrics is ideal for lace, silk, wool, cashmere, nylon, lycra, rayon and all other synthetic fabrics. Available in blue lavender and tulip scents.

LCDP Luxe liquid detergent was recently featured in Daily Candy. Made from old-fashioned Marseille soap to be gentle on sensitive skin and is presented in a gorgeous gothic-lettered bottle that you won't want to hide in your laundry room!

STAIN REMOVERS

Let's talk about a special problem. Have a set of underwear for monthly use? Accidentally stained a favorite pair of panties? Laundry Spa's Stain Remover removes these embarassing stains. It’s scented with a light lavender and vanilla fragrance and contains only natural and biodegradable ingredients.

SOFTENERS

Without softeners, your jeans could end up so stiff they could walk away on their own. Try these options - with scents a bit more sophisticated than Grandma used to use.

Mrs. Meyer's aromatherapeutic household cleaners can make any household task easier, better smelling and with their cute packaging, even a little more fun. She has three scents of fabric softener - Lavender, Lemon Verbena and Geranium. Bonus: they contain natural essential oils, are biodegradable and phosphate-free, and they never test on animals.

Caldrea offers fabric softeners in 6 scents, ranging from Citrus Mint to Basil Blue Sage. They contain plant-derived softening elements and essential oils.

FRESHENING

Your going out clothes reek of smoke or fried food from the late-night diner. Rather than rack up more dry cleaning bills, try these at-home fresheners.

Art Home's Botanical Room and Fabric Deodorizer comes in a gorgeous glass bottle you needn't hide away in the laundry room. Its powerful formula comes in Blue Lavender and California Grapefruit.

Did you know that the scent of lavender can help ease you into sleep? Jane, Inc.'s Sweet Sheets Bedding Spray can freshen clothes and scent your sheets and help speed you off to dreamland. Buy at drugstore.com.

SPECIAL HELPERS

The Laundress Static Solution helps eliminate embarassing static cling, without the telltale odor of Static Guard. Their classic fragrance smells fresh and clean without being overpowering.

Got a white streak on your little black dress? Deodorant marks can be hard to eliminate, but are no match against Miss Oops. Use these little foam sponges to whisk deodorant, dirt and powder off your clothes without discoloring them with a damp cloth or creating pills from too much rubbing.

REPAIRS

Don't forget to travel with a sewing kit. Made by women in Nepal, this cute fair trade sewing kit supports their livelihood, comes in a cool black wool case and lets you do quick fixes on the fly.

Torn your favorite jeans? Let Denim Therapy save them! No simple patches here; they will literally reweave your jeans so they look and feel like like it never happened.

Kicked out a hem with your stilettos? I'll let you in on a secret. When I don't have time to sew it myself (ahem, I mean ask my mom or tailor to), I use Dritz' Stitch Witchery, a tape that you put between the layers of fabric. Simply iron it and it melts between the layers, fusing them together. (They can later be separated for real repairs).

Bottom line? Nicely-scented, well designed products make any chore more fun!

A Beauty of a Cause

This past weekend was the Revlon Run/Walk for Women in New York, which helps in the fight against women's cancers. I participated last year and it was truly inspiring to see men, women and children dressed as a sea of pink, supporting those who have been lost and those who have survived breast cancer. Having lost my grandmother to breast cancer when I was 10 years old, I walked in honor of her memory (read about her here).

Additionally, Avon sponsors a Walk for Breast Cancer in 8 cities every year - check the schedule and participate in a Walk near you! Revlon and Avon are not the only beauty companies that have gotten on board with breast cancer support and awareness. Check out the outpouring of support (and lovely products!) that all beautifully support the cause:

Lacoste's Touch of Pink fragrance comes in a pink bottle and a percentage of the proceeds from the sale of each 1.6 oz Eau de Toilette Spray will be donated to the Young Survivors Coalition, an organization that lends help and support to young women with Breast Cancer. The scent will be perfect for summer with heart notes of jasmine and violet blended with fresh, fizzy notes of coriander leaves and blood orange, and soothed with soft sandalwood, musk, and vanilla. Blood orange is one of my favorites!

Tarte's Heart To Tarte Collection lets you show off your breast cancer support and tote around your beauty essentials in style. Choose from the Pink Go Dutch Clutch (the perfect party clutch), or the Heart-To-Tarte Lip Balm (a vitamin E and avocado-laden, candy pink lip soother). For both products, Tarte donates a portion of their proceeds to the Young Survival Coalition, an organization that aids younger Breast Cancer Survivors (most under the age of 35).

GoSMILE, whose products brighten smiles, are now using the proceeds of their Morning Rush toothpaste to help create a bright future without breast cancer. GoSMILE Morning Rush Toothpaste is a welcome wake-up call sparked by lively essential oils of lemon, lime, orange and mandarin, cleverly infused with uplifting peppermint for a splash of morning excitement. A percentage of the sales from this product will be donated to the Susan G. Komen Foundation. Printed on the packaging is the signature pink ribbon indicating support of breast cancer awareness with, "smile for the cure" written above.

Philosophy invites us to "Shower for the Cure" with their Pink Ribbon Shower Gel. They say, "the search for a cure is a cause that we at philosophy hold near and dear... 100% of the philosophy proceeds from the shower for the cure pink ribbon body wash are donated to the Women's Cancer Research Fund."

Clinique's Breast Cancer Awareness Palette has three complementary pink shades of Shimmering Tones Powder to give skin a luminous all-day glow. Wear the caring pinks, knowing $8.00 from your purchase helps support the Breast Cancer Awareness Foundation and the mission to find a cure in our lifetime.

Pier 1's Komen Candle in an iridescent mosaic glass jar does more than just light up a room. It comes with a lapel pin symbolizing support for breast cancer survivors and co-survivors. And 25% of its purchase price is donated to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation to support breast cancer research and outreach programs. Would be a great Mother's Day gift!

Now, for some things to wear to support your sisters.

She Beads makes great jewelry pieces that show the world which casuses you support. Their very popular Pink Ribbon beads are still going strong. With each sale, a donation goes to support The Pink Ribbon Girls, a support network for YOUNG women with breast cancer. (Thanks to GKFA for introducing me to them.)

Lily Pulitzer has lent her colorful talent to the cause by designing this lovely scarf. This limited-edition, 100% silk scarf features a colorful print of pink chrysanthemums and blue daisies on a green background. This exclusive Lilly design symbolizes the spirit of hope, courage and life that people who participate in the Race for the Cure exemplify.

Post a comment if you know of other cause-related beauties!