Katherine Chloé Cahoon

The inspiration for the Travel Thursday motorcycle photo on my homepage was the steamy, beautiful Brigitte Bardot. I revamped her look by adding a smoky-eye flare that is so popular now.

I’ve always admired a smoky, cat eye, but every time I tried it, I resembled a wild cat who had just stumbled home from a fight! So for this photo shoot, I knew that I was in serious need of help. Jordan, an acclaimed makeup artist, dished his tips and showed me how to master the look. He has worked at fashion week shows as well as ones for companies like Rusk and BaByliss. In other words, you can’t go wrong with him.

Jordan said that a key to the smoky, cat eye is using a liner that smudges easily. The black-eyed look of a girl who’s been mugged comes on when you apply too much liner, and it won’t smear. He suggests using NARS’ Black Moon Eyeliner Pencil. Apply little bits of it three or four times, and smudge between each application. That way, you can control how dramatic you look.

Another cardinal rule is to never pair bright lips with intense eyes…unless you’re auditioning for the circus or going to a costume party. By using NARS Papua Lip Liner, Bolero Velvet Matte Lip Pencil, and Super Orgasm Lip Gloss, your lips will look luscious but won’t draw attention away from your eyes. And with a name like “Orgasm” you can’t help but look hot!

For finishing touches, the company’s Light Reflecting Powder will leave your skin looking and feeling smooth.

Frowning is a total romance killer. As even Annie knows, you’re never fully dressed without a smile. This tip may seem obvious. And yet so many people slap on sullen faces when walking down the street or going about their business. I think they get caught up in their own thoughts and don’t realize what messages their faces are sending. I’ve been guilty of this…I think we all have at times.

The other day, I was chatting with some guy friends who admitted that when they muster the courage to approach an appealing girl, if she isn’t smiling at them they think that means, “Cease and get the hell out of here.” This isn’t to say that you have to go around with a grin plastered on your face at every moment. That would obviously look bizarre. Maintaining a relaxed but friendly expression should do the trick.

I was entering Nordstrom when I heard an explosion of enthusiastic screams and applause coming from a slew of eager shoppers in the shoe department. The level of excitement was similar to what I saw Zac Efron receive at his Toronto Film Festival premiere. But Zac, with his steely blue eyes, wasn’t gracing the store. The adulation was all for Steve Madden, the cutting-edge designer. And the funny part of this situation was that the hype was misplaced. These girls poured on the applause for a shopper entering the store who they mistook for Steve—they didn’t know what he looked like, but they loved the look of his shoes. This scene played out four more times before SM himself appeared. By then, the admirers were hoarse from yelling, but every bit as eager to meet him.

It’s no mystery why Steve Madden is ultra-popular. He’s constantly pushing out designs that customers crave, especially when it comes to shoes. As his company CEO Edward Rosenfeld explained, “Steve is the Rihanna of the shoe business. He’s just churning out hit after hit.” From talking with stoked fans, I can attest that some of their all-time favorites are his boots. And apparently humans aren’t the only ones attached to them;)

But Nordstrom’s Steve Madden event wasn’t only about shoes. There was music, dancing and gifts with the irresistible TV host, Julissa Bermudez, presenting.

Before reluctantly leaving this fun event, I received an array of take homes, including a SM shirt that the designer signed with the sentiment, “Be where your feet are.” I’ve posted a picture on Instagram of other giveaways you could receive if you’re able to attend one of his events.

Sundance, a premiere film festival, is taking over Park City, and so are celebrities. The fun lasts through January 26th. In the meantime, this notoriously chill destination will get a glitz-surplus. With the glitterati everywhere, there’s no need to hit up Hollywood now for your star fix. Instead, you can flock to Park City…along with tens of thousands of movie fans.

We all know that at Sundance the movie theaters are hot attractions, but if you’re there, take time to bundle up and step out into the cold. Park City is a gorgeous ski resort and no one should leave town without a stop at the slopes. Even the movie execs schedule time between their high-powered deal-making to explore them.

Star Watch: I just couldn’t do a blog post on Sundance without engaging in celebrity-spotting. So who’s been hanging out around Park City? Adrian Grenier, Miles Teller, Kate Hudson, Zach Braff, and Zoe Saldana—and that’s just the beginning. Wow! We have a whole lot of beautiful genes comingling in one place!

For the festival details and film lineups see Sundance.org/festival

Few things in life last, but true friendship is one of them. Regina, a close friend from our Vanderbilt days, just sent me pictures of her new baby wearing the tutu-inspired dress I gave her. Knowing this little one’s mom, I’m sure she’s in for many high adventures.

Regina is creative, zany and spontaneous. I’ll never forget the first time it snowed at college. We had a formal ball that evening and had planned to pick up some accessories that morning. When we approached Regina’s car, we saw that it had been bombarded by two feet of snow. Mind you, my friend’s from Florida. She had never even seen real snow before, much less driven in it. Plus, she didn’t have a scraper. I was about to nix the trip when Regina pulled out her Vandy ID card and said, “Don’t be ridiculous. We’re inventive.” She proceeded to scrape all of the snow and ice off her windshield with the card and then snow-drove like she’d seen them do in the movies. We got our accessories, had a terrific time at the ball, and even formed an after-party in the snow!

This year marks a decade since the famous Italian prima ballerina, Carla Fracci, launched her beautiful fragrance dedicated to the heroine of the ballet Giselle. This scent is for strong women with a romantic side, like Carla. She was one of the most beloved Giselles of all time, partnering with the likes of Rudolf Nureyev and Mikhail Baryshnikov. She was known for maintaining a relaxed, feminine face while performing fiercely precise footwork. Basically, she had the strength of a linebacker with a delicate, exquisite look.

I will always be grateful that I was chosen as one of the ballerinas to help launch Carla’s fragrance. That was the last year I danced ballet before going to college.

What struck me about that experience was how genuine a superstar could be. During her career, Carla reached the pinnacle of ballet fame. At her fragrance launch, there were so many fans wanting to have their bottle of Giselle signed by her that some had to be turned away. Despite the adulation, Carla claimed that her “ballerinas” were the ones to thank for this turnout. I’m sure that the launch would have been every bit as successful if none of us had come. But Carla’s sentiment showed that she not only had incredible talent, she had an incredible heart.

You can still purchase this iconic fragrance. And you can see a video clip of Carla performing Giselle.

Just because most of us can’t afford to pop for a mega-money celebrity gown, doesn’t mean we can’t be similarly stunning. This week, my blog has been a Golden Globe-athon. So naturally, since it’s Fashion Friday, I went to the four corners of the world for dresses like those worn on the red carpet that cost a fraction of the price. I can’t vouch for the quality, but the looks and cuts are close.

I was green with envy admiring Olivia Wilde, who mesmerized in her glamorous emerald Gucci. I’ve seen evening gowns by this brand priced in the neighborhood of $9,000, which would put me in the neighborhood of bankruptcy. Fortunately, I found a similar frock for $198.

Olivia Wilde Golden Globe Look (similar)

Emma Roberts was captivating in her black mermaid-style frock by Lanvin. Their long evening garb typically runs well into the thousands. Here is something similar to what Emma wore for $188.99…most likely less than the tax you would pay on the original.

Emma Roberts Golden Globe Look (similar)

Amber Heard was a classic beauty in midnight blue with ruching and a thigh-high leg-baring split. Her gown was by Atelier Versace, which I think we all know is synonymic for “major money well-spent if you’ve got it.” For those of us who don’t, I found a dress that resembles Ambers on sale now for $139.99.

Amber Heard Golden Globe Look (similar)

Sadly, my favorite red carpet knockoff dress site opted out of doing Golden Globe lookalikes this year, but I did find something called TheCelebrityDresses. They claim to have created 2014 Golden Globe gown replicas for reasonable prices. I’ve never bought anything there, so if you have, we are all eager to hear the result.

Yesterday, for Wild Card Wednesday, I featured Golden Globe hairstyles inspired by Swan Lake. So today – Travel Thursday – we’re touching down in Greece, where Tchaikovsky received the inspiration for his famous ballet from the ancient legends of swan-maidens. Santorini, the spectacular Greek island pictured, is credited with spawning another legend—Atlantis. It is the result of a volcanic eruption, is considered one of the wonders of the world, and never fails to stun visitors with coral sunsets against bright blue horizons, and purple moonsets.

So I get that the whole point of the Golden Globes was to honor Hollywood talent, but I’m among the many who became wrapped up in the fashions, hairstyles and makeup. The awards may have taken center stage at the ceremony, but so did the parade of elegant low buns.

Presenter Margot Robbie fielded a teleprompter malfunction, but there were no glitches when it came to her appearance. Flawless! She and Anna Gunn – of best drama  series, Breaking Bad – radiated in their Swan Lake-esque hairstyles and fitting, off-white dresses…which just happened to be the colors of traditional tutus.

In high school, I trained with American Ballet Theatre and performed in Swan Lake. The hairstyle for that production was meticulous. We were required to attend a seminar to learn how to create it, and our execution had to be approved by the artistic director before we could set foot on the stage. So when I saw Margot and Anna, I instantly assumed that their hairstyles were takeoffs on the Swan Lake bun. The ballet version is parted in the middle with hair swooping over both ears and feathers edging them, but these celebrities opted for side parts, and their embellishments were earrings.

From my ballet days, I got so used to throwing my hair in a bun that I could do it in less than a minute without a mirror. Here are a few tricks I picked up that you can use to pull off these celeb looks with ease.

If you want to mimic Margot, begin by parting your hair on the right. Swoop your front left hair across your ear, put your front right hair behind your other ear, and then pull all of your hair into a low ponytail about an inch from the nape of your neck.

Second, twist your ponytail around your index finger. Start at the elastic and continue to the point where your hair ends.

Third, begin circling your twisted hair around your elastic. Note: it is always easier to circle in the opposite direction of your part. Since Margot’s hair was parted on the right, I circled to the left.

Continue circling until you have a seamless loop.

Last, insert pins into your bun. You want enough to secure the look, but not so many that they show. I placed mine about an inch apart. This look is sleek. Go heavy on both hairspray and shine spray. You’ll notice that Margot’s hair was luminous.

If you’d like to get a gown to compliment your Swan Lake updo, check out Macy’s mega sale today, Wednesday January 15^th. Seriously, several dresses are half off. I found this winter white one there. It has a bit of lace that adds to the mystique of any Swan Lake-inspired hairstyle. Even if you don’t have a formal event right away, by shopping now you can save some serious money. After all, Valentine’s Day is just around the corner!

Anna Gunn’s updo was similar to Margot’s; however, she placed her bun lower on her head, parted her hair on the left, and swooped both front sections over her ears in loose wisps before wrapping them around her bun.

To replicate Anna’s look, place the base of your ponytail so that it touches the nape of your neck. Leave out two hunks of hair in the front on either side of your part.

Curve the hunk of hair on the right over your ear and wrap it above your bun. Pin the strands in place. Then do the same with your left side.

With this style, your hair will look beautiful from any angle, coming and going.

In the past two days I’ve ran the gamut of hairdos from the middle-parted recreation of Amy Adams’ lovely Golden Globes look, to Margot’s right-parted bun, and Anna’s left-part. I’ve gone from plaited buns to sleek, and then wispy ones. I think my hair could use a break from being push and pulled to and fro, but it was worth having the fun of creating these classic looks 🙂

American Hustle’s Amy Adams didn’t have to hustle anyone at the Golden Globes to make everyone fall in love with her. The best-actress award-winner is full of charm, beauty and talent.

After watching the ceremony, I played around and discovered the steps for recreating Amy’s alluring hairstyle. There are only four, and anyone can follow them.

The first step is to part your hair in the middle and make a high ponytail—but leave out four chunks of hair in the front for braids…each about an inch and a half wide. Two sections come at the top of your head, and the other two are right above your ears. Make a simple reverse braid with each section.

On each side, the braids start at your hairline and come together at your ponytail, where you pin them in place.

Third, divide your ponytail into one-inch strands. Loop and pin each one. This does not have to be exacting. One of the appeals of Amy’s hairstyle is that it looks intricate, yet effortless.

Fourth, leave out a one-centimeter strand of hair at one side of the base of your updo. Braid it and pin in place.

Once I uncovered the secrets to recreating Amy’s hair, I just couldn’t stop there! I found a red dress with a similar cut…Laundry by Shelli Segal. Right now it’s priced over 2/3^rds off! I know, with it I didn’t take the (neckline) plunge quite like Amy, but who can compete with her?! I didn’t even try.

Tomorrow, for Wild Card Wednesday, I’ll cover more Golden Globes looks.

With February – the V-Season – quickly approaching, I thought you’d enjoy a brief, true, love-igniting story… One of my girlfriends is the diva of practical jokes. Mundane is not her MO, and she’ll hang in for the long haul to see a good prank through. But she never dreamt that long haul could translate into ten years—and with this romantic prank that looks like just the beginning.

It all started in her freshman year of college. She is a charismatic, sassy, gorgeous nonconformist. To protect her innocence – or lack thereof – I’ll call her Miss Tantalizing. When the school year began, Miss T had just ended a relationship with her high school quarterback, who happened to be a Channing Tatum look-alike. Every guy wanted to take his place, but she was in no rush. She just wanted to make friends and enjoy her new life.

One night, some of her admirers were planning a cruel prank on who they referred to as a member of the geek squad. He was a genius, but a social pariah. According to Miss T, he was so skinny that if he stuck out his arm, he resembled a coat rack, and his best friend was his trombone.

Miss T was asked to join in on the prank, but there were lines she refused to cross. Since the plan involved the word cruel,  she told them to count her out. Then she plotted to prank the pranksters.

She persuaded the victim to form a believable fakelationship. This was hard since they appeared to be polar opposites in the compatibility department. But she changed her Facebook relationship status, posted adoring pictures of the two of them, and poured on the PDA. Of course, this guy was a willing accomplice.

Miss T loved seeing the stunned looks on the pranksters’ faces as she paraded her pretend boyfriend in front of them. But what she never counted on was falling in love with him. Underneath that geek exterior was a fun, witty charmer. In time, others realized his great attributes.

Now, ten years later, my gorgeous friend and the campus geek are married and more than happy. He is a wonderful husband and a successful musician who composes romantic songs to tell her how much he cares.

As you know, it’s the Year of the Horse, so if your budget was blown over the holidays, you can trot out your old clothes and still be on the cutting edge of style. Seven years ago, I bought this shearling-like jacket. Last weekend, I saw something similar hot off the designer’s table. So I pulled mine out of the give-away pile and wore it with pride.

In the same outing, I spotted black leather-like pants, which were almost carbon copies of a pair I got three years ago. The only differences were that the current ones had a narrower leg and cost about five times more. So I continued my fashion-recycling binge and had the legs narrowed, for free, at Nordstrom.

White Jacket (similar) and Black Pants (similar).

Are you travel-obsessed? I know I am! I love traveling so much that I placed a plane on my grade-school charm bracelet and, to this day, trip tickets go on my bulletin board. Starting at the age of fourteen, I spent summers – on my own – at various locations across the globe training with ballet companies. I found that the best way to experience a new town was to learn about its history and culture before boarding the plane, immerse myself in the environment once there, and make friends with locals.

Two of the places I visited were the hometowns of great people whose passing we mourned in 2013. The third is someone whose home I wished I could have visited. Maybe someday that will happen, but today I want to honor him.

Nelson Mandela, a black man living in South Africa during the days of apartheid, had the courage to publicly state that he “cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities.” For 26 excruciating years he was imprisoned for expressing these beliefs, but he refused to let isolation and torture deter him. Mandela became the first president of a multiracial South African democracy.

2013 marked the 50^th anniversary of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. He came from a wealthy, powerful Boston family, but crusaded for common people. One of his guiding principles was his assertion that, “If a free society cannot help the many who are poor, it cannot save the few who are rich.”

Margaret Thatcher was dismissed as merely a grocer’s daughter from Grantham, England. But she proved that success doesn’t depend on your family’s bottom line. The bottom line of her story was that she became her nation’s first female prime minister. When she entered office, England was in steep economic decline and deemed ineffective as a world leader. She reversed that and was instrumental in peaceably dismantling the Soviet Union, freeing the nations within its grip.

Last week, I attended a Broadway revival of Evita, an updated version of the original iconic three-time Tony award-winner. This rendition, a dance masterpiece, tangoed its way through the highs and lows of María Eva Duarte de Perón’s journey from poverty to triumph as Argentina’s glamorous, beloved first lady. The adaptation portrayed her using an arsenal of conniving tricks to reach her goals, but that was nothing compared to the tricky footwork of the dancers telling her story, complete with lifts, high kicks, and turns propelled by a spiced-up rendition of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s renowned score.

The postlude to this touring theatrical feast was a real one at Seattle’s Icon Grill. The restaurant was decorated, as usual, with local art pieces and ornate blown glass.

And if you think you can exit while abstaining from one of their decadent desserts, think again!

What better way to start 2014 on-trend than by donning Chantecaille’s Wild Horses palette? You can be a natural knockout in these earth tones…and while looking radiant, you’ll be helping to save endangered animals. This product benefits the Humane Society campaign to keep these horses running free.

The horses etched on the makeup palette and their fitting names are sure to make you smile. Freedom is at the top left, ready to give your cheeks a sun-kissed glow even if you live someplace where the sun is hiding this winter. On the top right is Palomino. Dust it on your entire lid. Mustang, on the lower left, is your crease color. And Black Stallion eyeliner is your finishing touch. After doing up your eyes, apply Chantecaille’s Nocturne glossy lip color, and you’re ready to meet any adventure head-on…or more like face-on:)

I met the lovely Alex Chantecaille at a trend show. She leads the international team of sales managers in this close-knit family business.

Alex explained that anyone can weigh in on what animals the company should feature in subsequent seasons. Just tell your local Chantecaille store manager, and the suggestion will go straight to Alex and her mom, Sylvie, the founder.

And if you’re able to attend a Chantecaille trend show, you’re likely to receive a gift like this one that Alex gave me. I’m ready for a pamper day with these samples of Jasmine and Lily Healing Mask, Rose Eye Makeup Remover, and the Pétales fragrance.