In the Future...March

Upcoming Movies - March 2011

- Rango - Mar. 4

    - Starring: Johnny Depp, Isla Fisher, Timothy Olyphant

- The Adjustment Bureau - Mar. 4

    - Starring: Matt Damon, Emily Blunt

- Take Me Home Tonight - Mar. 4

    - Starring: Topher Grace, Anna Faris, Dan Fogler

- Beastly - Mar. 4

    - Starring: Alex Pettyfer, Vanessa Hudgens, Mary-Kate Olsen

- Battle: Los Angeles - Mar. 11

    - Starring: Aaron Eckhard, Michelle Rodriguez, Bridget Moynahan

- Jane Eyre - Mar. 11

    - Starring: Mia Wasikowska, Michael Fassbender, Jamie Bell

- Red Riding Hood - Mar. 11

    - Starring: Amanda Seyfried, Lukas Haas, Gary Oldman

- Mars Needs Moms - Mar. 11

    - Starring: Seth Green, John Cusack, Dan Fogler

- Limitless - Mar. 18

    - Starring: Bradley Cooper, Anna Friel, Abbie Cornish

- Paul - Mar. 18

    - Starring: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Seth Rogen

- The Lincoln Lawyer - Mar. 18

    - Starring: Matthew McConaughey

- Sucker Punch - Mar. 25

    - Starring: Emily Browning, Vanessa Hudgens, Abbie Cornish

- Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules

    - Starring: Zachary Gordon, Devon Bostick, Robert Capron

(information taken from imdb.com)

Upcoming Albums - March 2011

Week of March 1

Queens of the Stone Age - Queens of the Stone Age

Harry Connick Jr. - In Concert on Broadway

Deva Premal - Tibetan Mantras for Turbulent Times

Aaron Lewis - Town Line

Buddy Miller - Majestic Silver Strings

Ari Hest - Sunset Over Hope Street

Eisley - The Valley

Forever the Sickest Kids - Forever the Sickest Kids

Big Head Blues Club - 100 Years of Robert Johnson

Lucinda Williams - Blessed

Linda Eder - Now

Neil Diamond - Neil Diamond: The Bang Years

Melissa Etheridge - Icon

Ron Sexsmith - Long Player Late Bloomer

Dropkick Murphys - Going Out in Style

Alexis Jordan - Alexia Jordan 

Marsha Ambrosius - Late Nights & Early Mornings

Week of March 7

Traffic - John Barleycorn Must Die

Sara Evans - Stronger

Avril Lavigne - Goodbye Lullaby

REM - Collapse Into Now

Lupe Fiasco - Lasers

Raekwon - Shaolin Vs. Wu-Tang

W.C. - Revenge of the Barracuda

Glee - Glee: The Music, Volume 5

Mac Miller - Best Day Ever

Week of March 14

Nick Lowe - Labour of Lust

New York Dolls - Dancing Backward in High Heels

Dionne Warwick - Only Trust Your Heart

Tristen - Charlatans At The Garden Gate

Britney Spears - Femme Fatale

Miranda Cosgrove - High Maintenance EP

The Naked and Famous - Passive Me. Agressive You

Travis Barker - Give The Drummer Some

Strokes - Angles

Week of March 21

Richard Ashcroft - United Nations of Sound

Adam Lambert - Glam Nation Live

Ray Davies - See My Friends

Alexis & Fido - Perreologia

Jennifer Hudson - I Remember Me

Green Day - Awesome as F**k

Saliva - Under Your Skin

Katy B - On a Mission

Week of March 28

Panic! At the Disco - Vices & Virtues

roscoe dash - Ready Set Go

Los Lonely Boys - Rockpango - Deluxe

Within Temptation - The Unforgiving

Wiz Khalifa - Rolling Papers

Snoop Dogg - Doggumentary

Mary Mary - Something Big

Yelle - Safari Disco Club

(information taken from metrolyrics.com)

TV Series Premieres - March 2011 (times: Pacific Standard)

- The Marriage Ref - Mar. 6                                                     8PM       NBC

- America's Next Great Restaurant - Mar. 16                    9PM       NBC

- Body of Proof  - Mar. 29                                                          10PM    ABC

TV Series Season Premiere/New Episodes - March 2011 (times: Pacific Standard)

- The Celebrity Apprentice                                                       9PM NBC

(information taken from cinemablend.com)

Straight from the Narwhal's Mouth - March

The Forbidden Narwhal

--- Steven Albers

     

      Why is it that we so often want the things we don’t/can’t have? For whatever reason, it never seems like all the perfectly fine stuff we have is still, well, lacking. I know I’m always waiting for the next great movie or video game to stroll by, only so I can quickly get my fill then move on to the next piece of entertainment on the list. This doesn’t just apply to fun/entertainment, though. Every aspect of your life is touched, with varying intensity, by this immense lust for those fantastic things you know you’ll never have. Further still, though, the short term goals you constantly make to keep yourself well equipped can easily start to rule your life if left unchecked.

     Your car may not be as glamorous as that Murciélago you’ve been ogling over, but it runs perfectly fine and does exactly what it’s supposed to. Maybe your computer doesn’t run a quad-core with a solid-state 10 TB hard drive & 64GB of RAM, but unless you plan on launching 317 rockets to Neptune simultaneously, the computer you have will do just fine.

     This all sounds like a harmless pool of pipe dreams, but if you start to let yourself get absorbed by conquest after conquest of nice things to have, you’ll start to lose touch over stuff that’s actually important.

     You know about games like FarmVille and City Story, right? They symbolize the epitome of the whole “want what you can’t have” mentality, and as a result, people start spending money and time on them, rather than on something like a job or school. You’ll sit around waiting for your ghost chilis to finish growing time and time again, all so that in a week you can do the exact same thing. With sugar cane. It’s a vicious cycle, even addictive according to some. But it’s a fantastic time-sink that we hardly know is vastly hurting our overall effectiveness in life.

      None of this is saying that you should drop all material possessions & become a vagrant (or stop playing FarmVille for that matter), by any means. I just hope that you can keep the bigger picture in the back of your mind while you strive after these little pointless goals. It’s always good to reward yourself with little victories every once in a while, but if you let those little victories turn into extensive projects, other areas of your life will start to slide in the most unexpected of ways.  

Featured Fiction - March

Nine Isn't Nearly Enough

--- Lena Lam

     She was already propped up on the pillows when he popped his head in. "Good morning, hot stuff," he said with a grin before walking into the room. Damn, she looked even paler than yesterday, he thought.

     She laughed half-heartedly at the greeting she heard everyday. Today was slightly different though; he was trying too hard. She gave up trying to move the corners of her lips upward and just looked at him. He had brought the usual: nine long-stemmed flowers and his guitar case. 

     Nine because it's an "everlasting" number. Half a year ago, she was touched that he remembered what she told him about lucky numbers and actions, which he had scoffed at because he didn't believe in superstition. Today, seeing the nine flowers made her scowl at him. He pretended not to notice though as he set down his case on the plastic chair next to the bed.
     "So, what have you been up to today?" He kissed her forehead and playfully tugged at her cap. Out of habit, she raised her hand to fix her hair before remember why she wore the cap...which reminded her of their conversation with the doctor yesterday.
     "What are you doing here? You have work today, and you should just...go," she finished lamely. She knew that he had been there for her during all of the chemotherapy, supporting her when she lost her first handful of hair and when she couldn't keep down any kind of food. But, over the past 18 hours, she had come to the conclusion that not only was it all for nothing, but she just didn't believe anymore.
     He ignored her comment and just held her hand. His smile faltered for half a second when he noticed the absence of the ring he had given her, but he didn't ask about why it was on the bedside table instead of on her finger. He opened his mouth to tell her about some ridiculously trivial thing the neighbor did this morning, but when he glanced up, he noticed that she was staring out the window again. He hated it when she pushed him away like this, but at the same time, it hurt him to see her so lifeless. Not that word, he thought, mentally slapping himself. It hurt him to see her give up so quickly after fighting so hard all along.

     "Hey, wanna hear a song? C'mon, guess what it is." Guitar ready, he was back to smiling as if he had just discovered something extraordinarily precious. It was a game they played on their first date and every consequent date. She glanced at him with a blank yet weary expression before going back to gazing at the garden on the other side of the window.
     He started humming before strumming notes on his guitar. Recognizing the song immediately, she froze, the name of the song stuck in her throat. He just continued humming and looked at her before starting at her favorite part.
     "Yeah I know, I know when I compliment her, she won't believe me," he drew out every word and she couldn't help but turn towards him. "And it's so, it's so sad to think she don't see what I see..."
     He paused and for the first time that day, his smile was tinged with sadness. After a few seconds, he continued with the song. "But every time she asks me 'Do I look okay?' I say..."
     "When I see your face," his voice had dropped to a whisper. "There's not a thing that I would change...'cause you're amazing...just the way you are."
     As he was finishing up the song, she marvelled at her ability to keep from breaking down and bawling her eyes out. He set his guitar aside and they sat there silently for what seemed like a million years to her.
     "Don't worry. It'll be fine," he whispered before kissing her cheek. She promptly broke down and started to bawl her eyes out while he put his arms around her.

**all fiction is property of the author and EAL Magazine, please do not use or copy in any form without permission**

  

My Gay Best Friend - March

My Gay Best Friend

--- K.P. Lennox

Dear GBF,

So there’s this girl, she really doesn’t fit in, and though she tries, it just doesn’t work. For some reason she’s picked me to be her advocate, only I, like everyone else, can’t stand her! She’s just forceful, always into everyone’s business and inviting herself to group functions that honestly shouldn’t involve her at all. She’s like a square trying to push her way into all us circles, and her corners are really starting to chafe. Please help!!!

---Need to Come 'Round Soon

Alright, so this chick is crampin’ your style. AWW. As your GBF I only know your side of the story. With that said, it’s only right to give this person the benefit of the doubt. This sounds like a rare level of matured social awkwardness. From what you've described, this girl has lived her entire life not being able to interact with others in a relatively normal manner. So what do you do?

She’s already tried to force her way into your social circle. Give her an inch, but make sure it doesn’t turn into a mile! Show her that you too can be a little bit more accepting than a majority of the people she has encountered. Think about what it must be like to live in her shoes? Trust me—as one who was painfully awkward—that it isn’t easy.

You should feel special that she chose you! It amplifies the acceptance that you portray. And frankly, if she’s as bad as you say, it also shows how much patience you’ve got.

Let her enjoy the company on a little lunch date with you and your friends. Lead her by example and gently nudge her toward a bit better behavior. 

Make your circle a little bit bigger and see if you can’t soften her sharp edges.

---GBF

For the wise advice from our GBF, please send all questions to ealadvice@gmail.com and your question may be answered in the next issue!!

Fitness/Beauty - March

The Stress Monster

--- Sarah Luo/Christy Lin

        Stress is inevitable and it sucks hardcore. Sometimes it’s so bad that it’s unbearable, but there’s ways of coping that will really lessen the load; you just have to do it the right way. During midterm season and even tax season for those of you already in the workforce, stress is perhaps the first reason why your days are crappy. A lot of the time, stress comes from procrastination. Because you don’t want to do a specific project or assignment, you hold it off until the last possible day to do it and by the time it’s due, there’s not enough hours in the day to finish your assignment and...cue the stress.  

     Another reason stress comes along is because you’re super worried about something, be it a school project, a test/midterm, a job interview, a job presentation, or even something life related. With worry comes stress, and there’s just no way of escaping that. 

     One of the best ways to cope with stress is exercise. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a full blown one hour cardio workout, but even a little bit of moving and exercising to get your endorphins flowing is helpful. Taking a walk or run around the block will really give you a chance to breathe, relax, and escape from everything for a while. Also doing some yoga will really help you relax all the muscles in your body and really breathe properly. 

     For those who might need a way to blow off some steam because of stress, boxing is a great way to release frustration. When you’re able to hit something physically, you release all that pent up tension and naturally, your frustration decreases. 

     Most importantly though, make sure you pick an activity that you enjoy because a big part of releasing stress is that you enjoy what you’re engaging in. A lot of the time stress also comes from things that we dislike, so if you can do something that you like then the happy emotions will come very easily. Exercising to cope with stress shouldn’t be something you feel obligated to do so that you can release stress, rather it’s something you should go to because you like doing it and it makes you feel good. 

     Finally, if you don’t want to deal with stress at all, some good ways to prevent stress are time management (so procrastinators, beware), setting some small goals so that you don’t feel overwhelmed, not psyching yourself out (keep in mind what you can actually handle at once), and find a way to incorporate someone else while you’re doing something so that you keep each other on track and neither of you feel too pressured. 

     Stress isn’t impossible to prevent or cope with, you just have to take those steps to eventually deal with it. Don’t let stress ruin your day, make the stress monster go away!

     

Dealing with Acne

--- Lena Lam

     Acne sucks. For those of you who don’t believe me, I shall prove this bold statement with real life scenarios! This morning, you woke up with a zit on your face. The first thing you think (after “Gosh darn it! Noooo…” and dramatically shaking your fists at the ceiling, of course) is “Why?!?” 

     Here are some of the reasons you come up with on the spot: you’ve been really stressed lately, you already had acne to begin with, and this is just the newest addition to the…family, you ate a lot of fried, oily, spicy, and/or junk food yesterday, you forgot to wash your face (properly) last night, or karma.

From personal experience, you probably have acne because of one (or more) of those reasons. If not, there’s also this list of potential reasons: 

1. You prop up your chin/cheek with your hand a lot. The pressure you’re putting on your skin may cause it to break out. Also, most acne results from the buildup of dirt in your pores. When you’re touching your face, you’re putting all kinds of dirt on your face. Try not to touch your face in general. 
2. You’re overwashing/scrubbing your face. I just finished saying acne results from dirt/oil buildup in your pores. So, logically, getting rid of all of that dirt and oil will get rid of acne, right? No, it’s not that simple. Your skin still needs certain oils in order to be healthy. By overwashing/scrubbing, you’re stripping your skin of its essential oils. And, unfortunately, your skin tries to balance that out by secreting more oil. More oil equals more acne. 
3. You’re not drinking enough water and/or eating a healthy diet. I have found that most of the people I know who have clear, healthy skin are eating the recommended five daily servings of fruits and vegetables a day. You could also try taking daily vitamins for about a month to see if that will help clear your skin. 
4. You don’t shower soon enough after you work out. Your sweat is not only food for bacteria, but it’s also another source of dirt/oil buildup in your pores. Also, use a clean towel to wipe away your sweat during workouts. I would recommend against using the same towel for more than one workout because you’re basically putting yesterday’s sweat and dirt back on your face. 

     There are other possible explanations for your acne, but when it comes down to it, here’s my general advice on how to deal with your acne: Know your skin. Notice what kinds of food lead to a breakout the next day. Moderation is important; whether it’s your diet or how you wash your face. Be consistent with how you treat your skin; if you’re going to start an acne treatment product, stick with it for at least a few months before deciding it doesn’t work.  

If you’ve taken all of the above reasons into consideration already and your acne still won’t go away, then you might want to consider using acne treatment products. But, keep in mind my advice to know your skin. Everyone’s skin reacts differently to the chemicals in acne medication. 

     I usually look for products with the active ingredients of benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid. I’ve tried the AcneFree Clear Skin Treatment before. In my opinion though, it did not work as well as the Clean & Clear Advantage Acne Control Kit. I haven’t tried Proactiv before, but that is another example of an acne treatment kit. 

     You also have the option of creating your own system of treating your acne, which makes sense since your skin is unique. Choose which products you want to use, but my recommendations for the essentials are: face wash, acne medication (I prefer using just acne spot treatments), lotion, and sunscreen. The face wash gets rid of the dirt/oil in your skin, the medication deals with current acne and prevents future breakouts, the lotion restores the oils your skin needs, and the sunscreen makes up for the vulnerability the acne medication chemicals create. Whether you choose to use a regular face wash or one that has the words “acne control” is up to you; use what works for you. 

There are many different ways to get your skin looking the way you want it to. (For example, in my research, I’ve come across facemask recipes that involve honey and even, gelatin.) Acne sucks, but getting rid of it doesn’t have to. Notice how your skin works and do some research! (Oh, and if you have acne because of karma…you know what you need to do.) Good luck! 

Fashion - March

Straight from the Runway - March 2011

--- Felicia Chen

If you’re a busy college girl like me, then you don’t have the time to constantly follow the fast-paced world of fashion. And not to mention, you’re undoubtedly broke and couldn't have afforded to fly to New York in order to watch the Fall 2011 Fashion Week that took place from February 10 - 17 in Lincoln Center’s Damrosch Park. Luckily, I was able to catch Narcisco Rodriguez’s show live thanks to YouTube’s live broadcast, but for those who couldn’t tune in or who simply haven’t found time to catch up on New York Fashion Week, here are some of the highlights of what went down at the Fall 2011 Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week.

Anna Sui

Anna Sui’s collection is one of my personal favorites. She did not fail in delivering fun, flirty, and colorful pieces that give off a bohemian vibe. Her use of color spans the entire spectrum and patterns dominate the runway. Dresses and shorts were paired with knee-high socks or stockings with lace detailing. Many outfits were accompanied by a long beaded necklace while some models wore a furry cat hood. Given the chance, I would definitely wear some of the tunics and dresses in the collection. It’s easy to see that just wearing Sui’s clothing is enough to make a girl happy!

Jason Wu

First of all, I have to say that I am in love with Jason Wu’s fall collection. “Baroque Meets Sportswear” is how he describes the collection, which is inspired by the restoration of Versailles. Gorgeous evening wear was combined with tailored menswear-inspired pieces. Feathers, lace, and jewels adorned each piece. The entire collection was primarily black and white; however, Wu chose to accent some of his pieces with bright flashes of ruby red, royal blue, and olive green. I really liked how Wu chose to mix really well-tailored pieces with beautifully draped evening gowns. I would love to own any of the pieces in his collection, -sigh-, if only...

Oscar de la Renta

Models seemed to be bundling up for a Russian winter in Oscar de la Renta’s collection for fall 2011. Many were seen walking down the runway in Russian fur hats. It was also obvious that de la Renta took cultural references from the East. The overall show was a collection of feminine and figure-flattering pieces made up of bold patterns, sparkles, and feathers. Fabric textures were mixed were mixed with patterns and colors to create beautiful pieces full of contrast and interest. For me, each look was either a hit or a miss. While the choice of patterns was well-done, I felt that at times, the overall look was rather busy. The patterns used are all very detailed and intricate and rather busy themselves, so when certain patterns were paired together the overall look became kind of distracting.

Marchesa

The Marchesa collection this season was inspired by the novel Great Expectations by Charles Dickens and its character, Miss Havisham, an old, decaying woman waiting on her lost love. The collection does an amazing job of reflecting the kind of dark and gothic decaying romance that embodies Miss Havisham. Lace was heavily used throughout the collection as were jewels. Marchesa has always been characterized by elegance and this season, they added turned that into a tattered elegance. Overall, the collection evokes a sense of deconstructed beauty. While I don’t think I would ever wear any of these looks, it will definitely be interesting to see if some of them turn up on the red carpet for the Oscars!

And if you want to catch up on all the runway shows, you can find videos here on Youtube as well as behind the scenes footage: http://www.youtube.com/user/LiveRunway

Pictures: http://www.fashionologie.com/category/2011+Fall+New+York+Fashion+Week+Gallery

    Mall Crawl - March 2011

--- Christy Lin

      

     So the March issue of EAL is centered on stress and ways to avoid it, because let’s face it, midterms suck, even in art school. It seems the style gods have taken pity on us then, since as far as trends in fashion this season go, simple is in. I don’t just mean just color, but also in things like cut, fit, and composition. We’re talking nude colors, oversized shirts and two to three piece ensembles. Even the evening wear seems to have taken a turn for the sleek and sexy rather than the past origami and rhinestone embellishments. Now don’t get me wrong, I love a good add-on if it makes a piece look interesting, but sometimes you just want to grab whatever it is and throw it together without having to worry about “do the patterns clash?” or “does this color make me look like a traffic light?” Where February may have been about being carefree, March is about being relaxed and looking perfectly classy without a single bell, whistle, or ruffle in sight. So let’s do it!

     Ladies, they’ve been saying for months, but now is the time to really hit this trend hard. Nude and neutral colors. If you’re like me, then the color we know as “nude” just does not work. It washes out our skin-tone and looks…yeah…it’s bad. Luckily, there are plenty of cream, black, and tan pieces out on the market that suit this season just fine. A great way to take advantage of the relaxed feel I mentioned is to invest in at least one oversized shirt. J. Crew is calling them “painters shirts” so I don’t know, maybe us art kids are finally gettin’ on the scene…just kidding. But yes, large shirts, think of the boyfriend shirt trend around summer two years ago, only instead of just button-ups, you can also do t-shirts, hooded t-shirts, tunics, and ponchos/capes. It sounds kind of sloppy in word form, but believe me, get an oversized top, a pair of leggings or the Gap’s new super thin denim jeans, and flats and you’ll be walkin’ away as one casually hot momma *wink*. If you need something a little more classy, then there are a lot of nice, floral and polka-dotted patterns coming out as well. It almost has a vintage feel to it, like hippies and Hair (the musical). No tye-dye and peace signs please, but definitely get in touch with your earthy side. One more thing; I know you have a pair somewhere that you’ve been dying to get back out since the onset of skinny jeans and jeggings (yes I said jeggings). Bell bottoms. Or rather, flare cut jeans. A lot of stores are marketing them as “wide-leg” or “trouser cut” but don’t be fooled, we’re going back to the 70s, so if you’ve got’em, you’re good, if not, go find a pair, cuz they are out and about and it’s about time to get this party started. 

     Gentlemen, I know you’re probably thinking, March, St. Patrick’s Day, Beer, Green. Exactly in that order too, unless you’re in New Orleans then you can add Mardi Gras and boobs to the list. You would be partially right. Of course wear green on the 17th if you don’t want to get pinched (or don’t if you do), but for the rest of the month, think blue. Blue plaid, blue stripes, dark blue, light blue, just blue, it’s literally everywhere, so you can’t miss it. There’s also a trend in pants where things are coming out shorter than before. Shorts are now landing above the knee, cropped pants are in, and if you have a pair of hiking-like boots, roll those cuffs up a little bit and stuff them in so you can show those shoes off! I can’t tell you why it works or how it started, all I know is that everyone who is anyone is doing it and it looks good. Lastly, keep an eye out for windbreakers. Not those really cheesy ones your dad buys from Wal-Mart, but legit, designer brand windbreakers. They just look so comfortable, they’re lightweight, and they add a casual twist to any classy or semi-formal outfit (not to mention it’s one of those things that she’ll love stealing from you so you can get it back *hint*). 

One thing I think everyone should be aware of, exercise is an excellent way to relieve stress and there has never been a better time to bulk up your workout wardrobe. I’m seeing it everywhere, it’s pre-beach season, so people are scrambling to try and perfect that body before the sun is fully into our hemisphere. Stores know this, that’s why everyone from Victoria’s Secret to Forever 21 now has some sort of active wear line. My personal favorite is Gap, they have these women’s workout pants and capris that are to die for, but just keep in mind your budget because prices on workout clothes definitely vary, and you should be buying things that you can sweat in (working out does require work you know). 

Alright folks, that’s all I got for this month. Now leave me to my studying and stress induced crabbiness (wow, am I a hypocrite or what?). 

Red Carpet Surfing Part 2

--- Christy Lin

    

     Ok, I have a confession to make…I didn’t actually watch either of these shows, that is, the Grammys or the Oscars. I know that they’re the big ones with the biggest celebrities and the most highly anticipated awards, but I live with three guys, and there’s always some sort of sport taking place at the same time which is apparently more vital in our household. I have to say though, from what I’m hearing from friends and online, I didn’t exactly miss much. Everyone knows the best part of any award show nowadays is the red carpet, however, so I did make sure to watch as many live streams and photoblogs as I could find. Therefore, this show can and will go on!

Starting with the Grammys. Pretty much the stars here can be split into two groups: Glee kids (who are most definitely not kids, but still), and those trying to out-Gaga Lady Gaga. On the Gaga front, please stop trying to out-do her! She came in a fucking egg this year, so your funky feather outfit and angel wings, unless they actually give you the ability to fly into the Staples Center Icarus style, are and always will be subject to ultimate pwnage by the Haus of Gaga. Phew, now that we’ve got that out of the way…

     I have to hand it to the Glee kids, they really know how to keep it classy, most of them at least. Dianna Agron has pretty much planted herself in that category of Red Carpet favorites, always with a sort of a traditional, classic Hollywood style. For the Grammys she wore a black Vivienne Westwood Gold Label which not only looked amazing on her, but paired with her make-up gave her this sultry, formal look that I expect for an event like this. Lea Michele, on the other hand, is kind of missing the mark. I’m not sure why, but she’s seems to be trying very hard to be this fashion icon who wears difficult dresses that unfortunately, don’t come together. First was her salmon pink Oscar de la Renta at the Golden Globes which was a very nice dress, it was just too much on her. Her black Emilio Pucci for the Grammys had a similar problem. It was nice, but it just didn’t seem to fit her as well as something else probably would. Now the Glee guys I’m just in love with, especially newcomers Chord Overstreet and Darren Criss, both totally rockin’ the grey suit trend. They looked hot, sophisticated, smart, sharp, and did I mention hot? Yeah, Glee may be vastly over-popularized, but they have some really good looking men on their team. 

  

     As I said, the rest of the Grammy line-up just seemed to take on the Red Carpet as an opportunity to prove themselves more wild and crazy than Lady Gaga, which of course, is impossible. It’s also slightly disappointing because before Gaga, I always thought the Grammys were like the Oscars in that it was a formal event, not some costume design throwdown. There are two in particular that I have a beef with.   

     First was Rihanna in a white (for the most part) Jean Paul Gaultier. Second was Nicki Minaj in her Givenchy ode to leopard print. I’m all for breaking social norms, I’m in fashion school, so it’s what we’re taught, but even I know it’s wrong to wear something made entirely out of feather trim. It was meant to be an accent for the simple fact that it does not have the material ability to cover anything, as you can tell from Rihanna’s, uhh, dress. Seriously, she must have had sticky spots on her important parts to keep those rings from going anywhere. Either that or her movement had to have been extremely restricted for fear of a Janet Jackson-esque nip slip. 

     Ok, enough of that, it’s Oscar time! The winning trend for this year’s Academy Awards red carpet was the Valentino style red dress. Anne Hathaway leads the trend with a Valentino piece in fact (did I mention that Valentino the designer was also there?) followed by Sandra Bullock in Vera Wang and a more simplistic take by Jennifer Lawrence in Calvin Klein. There were also those who took a lighter route, namely Halle Berry and Hailee Steinfeld, both in Marchesa, both looking absolutely brilliant in a sort of creamy, faint pink and both showing off a sort of wispy style. The one questionable trend I have on Oscar night was the all lace look. Again, lace is supposed to be an accent, not a material in and of itself. If you’re wondering I’m mainly talking about Scarlett Johansen’s purple Dolce and Gabanna and Melissa Leo’s white Marc Bouwer. Seriously no, just, no. 

     For men, my picks for the definite winners of the night, besides the always dashing Colin Firth, were Robert Downey Jr., Zachary Levi, and Josh Hutcherson. I love how RDJ went for the white tie on a white shirt under his tuxedo vs. the more contemporary classic black on black on black, as worn by Christian Bale. Speaking of Mr. Bale, have you seen his beard?! Anyway, Zachary Levi I just think is good looking, especially in a tux, and Josh Hutcherson, well all I can say is wow. How old is this kid? Cuz damn man, he’s lookin’ good. But I digress.

     Alright, for fear of being too long-winded, which it’s possible this was, I am ending this here and now. That’s all for my first annual Red Carpet Review! I hope you had as much fun on this journey as I did, because I really do enjoy writing these, and I will see you next year, same time, same place. It’s a date!