Bella Blue Boutique
The Villages at Las Sendas
2837 N. Power Road, Mesa
Hours: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, noon to 4 p.m. Sunday.
Information: (480) 924-1088

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Tracy Reese had the models at her Fall 2007 fashion show walk down the runways with a reverse French manicure inspired by spectator shoes. It’s pretty easy to re-create the effect at home, with a steady hand, with these instructions from the Sally Hansen company.First (optional): Apply a smoothing base coat over clean, dry and oval-shaped nails.Second: Apply two thin, even coats of a light-colored polish (this is Alabaster) to each nail and let dry.Third: Turn hand to be polished toward yourself and apply a dark polish (this is Black Patent) 1/4-inch from the cuticle in the shape of a smile. One trick for getting a smooth line is to apply polish from right to left, and then from left to right. Or use self-adhesive French manicure guides. This will leave a half-moon shape of light polish.Fourth: Fill in the rest of the nail with the dark polish in three downward strokes: Center, side, side.Fifth (optional): Apply a top coat.After the jump: Enter to win all 10 shades from the Tracy Reese for Sally Hansen Runway Collection.Click on this link to shoot me an e-mail message that includes your name and mailing address — and the subject line POLISH. I’ll draw one winner from the entries received by noon Friday, Sept. 7.

I had my first real manicure last week, and I spent the rest of the day surreptitiously sneaking looks at how much better my hands looked. However, this was my favorite part: Near the end, the lady asked if I wanted polish on my fingernails and I said no thanks; she said, "Why not? It’s not like you’re –" and then she did the exaggerated limp-wrist thing."Actually, I am," I replied. "And I still don’t want polish.""Oh," she said. And it was very quiet for a while after that. When we were done, Funny Michael and I went next door for coffee drinks and laughed.So, two guys come into a nail salon, with remnants of toenail polish from their trip to the islands, they’re getting manicures and pedicures on a weekday afternoon, talking about how one’s mom wouldn’t let him play the flute in elementary school band ("because it would exaggerate an overbite" … good cover, Mom!) and the other is throwing a dinner party that night. Oh, and I was wearing a T-shirt that features a guy gripping a certain tropical fruit that says "Me encantan las bananas," which translates to "I love bananas!" We were trying to figure out how much gayer we’d have to be, really, before she would have figured it out on her own. Anyway …The tools below — all sold in chain food and drugstores and mass-market retailers like Target or Kmart — can help the experienced re-create the effect at home.NIP DEAD CUTICLES: The amount of time my manicurist took with the cuticle nippers was vexing. I kept thinking, "My hands are not that bad!" But when she was done the whole shape of my fingernails had changed — they looked bigger and, well, better-kept. These half-jaw nippers ($14.99) from La Cross are sharp but gentle to work on delicate cuticle skin.THEN ADD SOME POLISH: I skipped nail polish, but designer Tracy Reese used a cool reverse manicure with two shades of Sally Hansen Salon Nail Lacquer ($6) on the models at her Fall 2007 fashion show. The 10 shades for fall are mostly dark and dramatic, from Plum Licorice to Grenadine Glaze. A picture and instructions on how to create the reverse manicure — and to win all 10 polishes — are at this post.AND LOTION UP — OFTEN: My desk has always been Lotion Central; co-workers are always stopping by to apply one of the bottles sitting out. Curel Targeted Therapy Hand & Cuticle Cream ($4.99) is one I might end up hiding so other people can’t use it: It’s fast-absorbing, so you can go back to typing on a keyboard, but it lasts even through hand-washings and includes an antioxidant to reduce dryness and flaking.

To raise money for the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, Coldwater Creek stores will host single-day, two-hour promotions in September. Each store will offer shoppers 10% off all merchandise, and the company will donate 10% of all the event’s sales to the Phoenix affiliate of the Komen foundation.East Valley events: 7 to 9 p.m. Sept. 17 at the Dana Park store in Mesa; 7 to 9 p.m. Sept. 25 at the Chandler Fashion Center store; 4 to 6 p.m. Sept. 30 at the Kierland Commons store.

Prada often has the ability to make the unattractive seem appealing. I remember when "librarian chic" trotted down the runways with prim gray skirts and big clunky stacked heels — and people went nuts for it. It’s definitely a label for someone who prefers "interesting" to strictly "beautiful."That said, I think these shoes are both interesting and beautiful. Well, some of them, anyway. It’s interesting to watch the shape of the shoe change according to sandal or pump — the ankle strap looks so much bigger on the sandal that it’s almost ungainly. And why do I not mind the watermelon suede on the heel, but get irritated by the gold on the ankle? (In case you haven’t figured it out, I have them in order of appeal to me.)The Prada web site lists no prices, but the Mary Jane cut of the same style in classic leather — like the top shoe — is $550 at Neiman Marcus (my barometer of all things luxury.)Are these shoes hot, or not? Leave your opinion in the comments section below. One poster each week receives a free product from my goodie drawer. This week’s prize: Scented body sprays from Victoria’s Secret Beauty. I’ll pick a winner on Tuesday, Sept. 4.Updated: Congratulations to Deena, who’s getting her scents mailed to her this week! Look for new shoes — and giveaways — every Thursday.

Ever wondered what it would be like to have a celebrity stylist offer advice on your hair? Nick Chavez — who went from grooming horses in Yuma to a Beverly Hills-based salon, QVC appearances and eponymous product line — will do just that noon to 3 p.m. Sept. 15, at Ulta at Mesa Pavilions at Superstition Springs, 6948 E. Hampton Ave.The consultations will be quick — only a couple of minutes each — but to make an appointment, call (480) 396-7440.

The Cos Bar
Kierland Commons shopping center, 15044 N. Scottsdale Road, Phoenix
Hours: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday, noon to 6 p.m. Sunday. After Labor Day, stores in the center will stay open until 9 p.m. weekdays, too.
Information: (480) 607-2771 or www.cosbar.com

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Summer swimsuits, dresses and shorts put your legs on display. The three items after the jump help make sure they’re in show-worthy condition.Taking a shine: For attention-getting gams, try a spritz of Sally Hansen Airbrush Shimmer ($12.95). The aerosol-style can delivers an ultrafine mist of sheer gold pearlized sheen to give legs a soft, sexy glow — the difference between shimmery (good) and greasy-shiny (bad). It’s sold at stores like Ulta and other places that carry Sally Hansen products.Save time, money and water: The idea that you shouldn’t use soap to shave your legs with is all washed up. Pish-posh! (I just wanted to say "pish-posh.") The aloe vera in Neutrogena Rainbath Shower & Shave Body Wash ($7.99) leaves skin moisturized and primed for smooth, drag-free shaving. And the marine fragrance duplicates the scent of classic Rainbath. It’s sold at drug and mass merchandise stores.Blueberry thrill: Looking for something more … transcendent? Whish’s new Blueberry Mint collection for legs — Shave Cream ($32) and a companion quick-drying aftershave — contain all-natural ingredients like essential oils of blueberries and mint (for antioxidant and cooling effects, respectively). The whole Whish line — which is made by a Scottsdale company! — is sold at Fleur’t in the Shops at Gainey Village, 8877 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale.Get them … free! Click on this link to shoot me an e-mail message that includes your name and mailing address — and the subject line LEGS. I’ll choose one winner to receive all three products from the entries received by Friday, Aug. 31.Congrats to Lisa Krpata of Queen Creek, who will get her products by mail. And look for more giveaways on a regular basis in different posts.

And by "welcome," I mean "pick them apart and figure out who’s got a chance of winning the ninth go-round of ‘America’s Next Top Model.’ " Join me, won’t you? A girl-by-girl analysis — with more photos! — is after the jump.I hasten to add that I’m only going on the two photos of each girl on the CW web site … pre-makeover. But I did pretty well last cycle — each of the top three finishers was in my top four picks. (The fourth, sadly, the awesome Kathleen, was the first to go.) Click on each girl’s thumbnail shot for a full-size different picture. My first few were easy: LISA has that whole vague ethnicity the judges love and reminds me of Noemie Lenoir, Thandie Newton (and a little bit of Jade!). Plus, look: In the group shot, she’s the only one working the hands! KIMBERLY has fantastic wide-set eyes, but she might have to work to put a little bit more expression into them, or La Tyra will have an excuse to trot out her "dead eyes" talk. At first I thought AMBREAL caught my eye just because she’s smack-dab in the middle of the photo … but then again, look at her aggressive posture, as opposed to others who look like they’re marionettes ("Broken-down dolls! Broken-down dolls!"). I do not, however, think she’ll win, because the judges will somehow find a way to work "not traditionally beautiful" (a euphemism for "wider nose") into the mix. Now for the second-round draft picks. (Because you know sometimes it’s not about who does best in an episode, but who flames out in a spectacular failure. JENAH doesn’t impress me much in her individual photo, but she too has nice eyes. One of my co-workers says she’s giving off a Cycle 8 Brittany vibe, but remember how much the judges liked that look until she wigged out? I bet after makeovers Jenah will be a stunner.When EBONY works her angles, like in the group photo, she looks like a contender. But when she doesn’t, like in her individual shot, she comes off like a younger, slimmer CCH Pounder, and there’ll be no chance. Even though she’s got long legs, what’s with that posture? Did she just dismount from a horse? (Someone needs some mirror time.) Added discussion point: Is her nose/mouth/chin combo more Furonda, Kristine W., Linda Evangelista or praying mantis? HEATHER looks a little like Carrie-Anne Moss in the group shot. I wonder how short they’ll cut her hair?

BIANCA appears to have only one expression, and it’s kind of a hard look. I think she wants to beat me up. SALEISHA has warmer eyes — she reminds me of Lauren Velez and Ciara, for some reason — but I don’t see her taking the prize, either. I heard SARAH (closest celebrity lookalike: Chyler Leigh) is this season’s plus-size girl. And they never win. But in her individual picture, she does minimize any extra size with her posing, so she might go further than past participants have. (And she doesn’t look all that "plus," really. Consider Tyra’s clocking in at 160-plus. …) I really wanted to like JANET — look at her amazing athletic body! — but when your face reminds me of Tracey Thorn from the band Everything But the Girl, I’m sensing an "ANTM" crown won’t be yours. MILA looks like a sullen milkmaid. The judges will deem CHANTAL "too commercial" (and she’s got that wonky eye, to boot). And VICTORIA looks petrified and wooden in both of her photos — not an auspicious start. She’s gonna get her hair chopped off, too. Maybe it’s Imogen Heap in a prank?But really, the only fun isn’t guessing who’s going to win. It’s guessing who’s going to be this cycle’s sand-in-swimsuit-style irritant. The know-it-all. The full-blown, bat-guano crazy one. Who doesn’t have a chance of winning but you want her to stay around until Final Three just to keep you happy? Who’ll break down and cry first? Who’s got the Big Secret — the lesbian/bisexual/anorexic? Who’s dumb enough to not know how to wear high heels? Who’ll pitch the biggest fit at makeovers? Who’ll be the first to say, "This is me, this is who I am" or,

better yet, refer to herself in the third person? (Sammit respects

that.)

The new season starts Sept. 19 on the CW. I’ll see you there, with your shiny silver-lame swimsuits. And if not, check here the next day for a recap of each episode.

The Purple Skirt
4647 E. Chandler Blvd., Phoenix
Hours: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday
Information: (480) 785-1811 or shoppurpleskirt.com

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