Blue Belles
Summer is no time for feeling the blues, but when it comes to wearing them—azure on! Stars like Charlotte Ross and Garcelle Beauvais-Nilon are setting the tone by donning cool shades of turquoise. The tranquil tint "evokes feelings of fantasy and getaway," says color psychologist Leatrice Eiseman. "It looks good on almost every skin tone." R&B singer Blu Cantrell agrees, adding, "It's my favorite—it complements my skin and my eyes." Since the stone hit it big this spring in jewelry, "it was a natural progression" that the fabric trend would follow, notes John Eshaya, womenswear vice president for Ron Herman at Fred Segal. Not fast enough for Access Hollywood's, Nancy O'Dell. "We looked everywhere to find a dress in turquoise," she says of her search for an awards-show outfit last May. Her stylist Nicole Allowitz finally stitched up the right-hued frock, with glowing results. "I was dying to wear turquoise," explains O'Dell, "because I had a tan."
with Elizabeth Terry in Los Angeles
Turquoise head turners:
1. NYPD Blue's Charlotte Ross (in Escada)
2. country singer Jessica Andrews (in Nikolaki)
3. R&B singer Blu Cantrell (in Patricia Field)
4. Access Hollywood's Nancy O'Dell (in Nicole Allowitz)
5. Bad Company's Garcelle Beauvais-Nilon (in Linda Stokes)
behind the seams
Hard as it is to comprehend, Madonna does hear the word "no" occasionally. Seems the megastar grew quite attached to her Juicy Couture baby-blue cashmere tracksuit until she spilled something on the sporty staple and ruined it. When a minion called to request another, the answer was a resounding, "No way, José," since Juicy had given out all of its samples. Madonna can't get a replacement until the suits hit the racks in August....
Daring Samuel L. Jackson forged new spa frontier recently when the actor and his wife, 100 Centre Street's LaTanya Richardson, slipped into the Nile Institute in Beverly Hills for a head-to-toe zapping with Phytobiodermie's Biodraineur machine, a contraption featuring colored lights that are waved over the face and body to enhance circulation. The cost: $500 to $1,000. The value of having a kooky story to tell at dinner parties? Priceless....
When Ewan McGregor faced getting his natural dirty-blond locks dyed chocolate brown for his role as a journalist playboy in the romantic comedy Down with Love, his costar Renée Zellweger was right by his side. The actress supervised the on-set transformation and even did spot inspections in between takes....
Clearly in a giving mood, Will Smith and wife Jada Pinkett Smith recently snapped up a dozen candles by L.A.'s Aroma Naturals to bestow on chums including Halle Berry and Angela Bassett. The Smiths' pals scored a bonus as well: labels penned by Will and Jada and affixed to the $20 candles, featuring messages such as "Celebrate home and celebrate the heart."
presto change-o
Matt Lauer is not a willing loser. In an effort to camouflage early signs of baldness, the Today show cohost turned to clipper Laura Bonnani for a new buzz cut. "I've always believed the best defense is a good offense," says Lauer. "I am just trying to beat Mother Nature to the punch." Although the look received mixed reviews, the do "is handsome," insists L.A. hairstylist Mitch Stone. And, he adds, "it will look better after a week." We can't wait.
Double Play
Catherine Zeta-Jones has been busy. The sexy Welsh actress snagged two lucrative endorsement deals in less than a week, signing contracts with Elizabeth Arden and T-Mobile Communications (formerly VoiceStream). Arden reps say they liked Zeta-Jones's "sophistication," while T-Mobile desired an "international" personality. Ads coming soon to a TV near you.
winner's circle
Penélope Cruz looked smashing at the Manhattan premiere of Minority Report her Alexander McQueen frock and Fred Leighton diamond earrings. "The style is all about embellishment, with the tulle and lace," says celeb stylist Danna Weiss. "Even though it's black, it's not simple."
Stripe Happy
Old shoes never looked so good. Ever since Adidas reintroduced its bestselling sneakers from years past, stars like Kelly Osbourne, Ananda Lewis and Gwen Stefani have gotten in step with their retro cool. "People have an emotional connection," says an Adidas rep. "They're the shoes they wore as a kid." The sneaks have even shown up on the red carpet. "They gave me that old-school hip-hop feeling," Lewis says of the pair she wore recently. "As long as they're cute and sexy, I'm down with it!"
Fashion Scents
Celebs don't want to look the same—or smell the same, for that matter. No sweat. Allison Janney, Hugh Jackman and Alex Kingston are dabbing their pulse points with customized fragrances by Zents. For $5,000 the Boulder, Colo., company will blend scents from its aroma-therapeutic line of 12 elixirs with such names as Sun, Ore and Spirit. The perfumes are "classic," says Jackman, whose combo is Leaf, Citrus and Earth. The company currently has a months-long waiting list, but do-it-yourselfers can buy the elixirs ($23 each) at zents.com and start mixing their own.
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