who knew?

I'm in seattle on my nordstrom tour. home of starbucks. when I got in today ben the driver took me to a starbucks and I had the best chai tea latte of my entire freekin life. ben then went into a story about how his whole family were baristas for starphux before they took over the world. seriously, the best chai tea latte ever! l.a. starbucks sucks. Imma pull a britney and send the private jet up here to get my tea in the morning from now on.

sue wong

checked out the sue wong show yesterday. every season, ms. wong has the only show that rivals a new york production. this was no exception. her lines were inspired by the 1920's and each look came from a city: berlin, london, hew york, hollywood, cairo, shangai and all in the 1920's. It was exquisite. the beading alone was breathtaking. the collection is for fall 2006 and showed alot of burgundy, silvers and royal blues. I got to sit in the front row which is where all the real action is. the first row gets the best gift bag and I walked away with a fab sue wong wrap, clutch and an electric pink make-up bag full of mac products. 'delicious' as david says. after the show, I went to the valet and waited for my benzie for soooo long that ms. wong actually came out and was waiting for her car too. she looked too chic in an all black ensemble with a black 1920's bob, beret and bright red lips. life is a cabaret.

if you're ever in hollyweird

juli b.

awww dumb 2006

l.a. fashion week for fall 2006 is in town. luckily, jane and I got to do a segment for modern girls on hip and cheap styling tips from the freshest fashion man around, davis factor. grandson of max factor, davis (and his brother dean) own smashbox studios (where fashion week is heald) and the smashbox makeup brand. we had our makeup touch-ups backstage at the elsie katz couture show, ran into janice dickinson taping her own reality show for oxygen and then went to work. did you know baby wipes take out those pesky deodorant stains on shirts? now you do. afterwards we scooted out of there b/c things can get pretty hectic. I came home to make the yummiest sausage and peppers for dinner and to watch there and back (I love that ashley angel!) on the couch with david. faaaabulous.

modern girls guide to fashion week

started shooting last week. it was sooo fun. I got hair extensions at naimies in the valley and went for a suddenly slimmer treatment in bev hills and lost 16.2 inches in an hour?!!? you'll have to check out the show starting april 13 to view the results of both. tre exciting! tomorrow l.a. fashion week kicks off and I will be attending some of the shows and working some others. I am going backstage tomorrow with janey b. for a modern girls segment and then the rest of the week, I will be writing for beautynewsLA. the suites start on wednesday at hd buttercup but they are make it abundently clear that there will be no samples, so whats that all about, alfie?

the digital couch

wow. whoever wrote up these reviews is someone I wish I was on the digital couch with. oh yeah, I am. funny, insightful and endearingly opinionated, if you're into the teevee, this is a site you won't want to miss.

in your face

I start shooting the second season of modern girls tomorrow. things have been pretty coconuts moving in with david and all, so I wanted to make sure my skin was relaxed and looking smoove for my season debut. when in need for some facial remedy, I head to only one place: jurlique. its on beverly in bev hills. they use all natural products like lavender, orange and rose. I get the signature facial for $105.00 and always stock up on my fave product like the rosewater spritz and herbel recovery gel.

mondrian madness

started my day being picked up in a jaguar and getting driven over to the oscar suites at the mondrian hotel. fab. checked out some crazy ice for the oscar attendees including jacob the jeweler and a $700,000 diamond piaget watch that piddy rocks often. I'm into the watches. especially the idea of wearing a watch with a dressed up/going out look as the main accessory. ran into jean lee who styles modern girls. she's prego and looks lovely. enjoyed a comp mushroom facial peel from actifirm. got a mani with the jessica ladies. headed over to the la confidential suites on the same floor. met some nice people. drank tab energy drink which tastes like watermelon jolly ranchers. yum. my fave pieces by far were the original creations by david joseph for bochic. I've never seen anything like it. got yummy swiss chocolate from the swiss watch people at parmigiani. if its a swiss company with a cheese-like name, does it make their product full of holes? umm, I'll keep my day job. headed home to prepare for tomorrow's bev hilton, silver spoon and w retreat suites.

hollywood fusion

checked out the fusion in D party at hollywood and highland. got lots of fun free goodies. my fave being a lip plump mask from too faced, my new fave line. they also carry a fab "book" of shadows and blushes. very efficient. the owner and creator of product jerrod is a total sweetheart. somebody's got to get that brother on teevee. some other notables include christo's line of curly hair product, curlisto and pure hapa lotions from the isles of hawaii. aloha.

RIP harold hunter

harold was a good friend of mine. he was a really good guy and always down for a wild time. we would joke around about how one day we'd get hitched. he gave me my fave piece of art work. he lived fast and died waaay too young. I miss him already...

A skateboarder from the 1995 movie "Kids" has died in New York from what was believed to have been a cocaine overdose. Harold Hunter was found dead in his apartment Friday with cocaine "on and around" his body, police told Saturday's New York Post. Hunter, 31, skated in Larry Clark's movie about an HIV-positive skateboarder. His sister, Rebecca Atkins, told the Post: "He was saying stuff like, 'When I die I'm going to be famous.' "H used to have this saying, 'Legends never die,'" she added.

who is that guy's?

my mom came in from new york today for a visit. she loooooves doing the hollywood thing, so I figured I would take her to the opening (and birthday) of guy's north hollywood on ventura. guy's is famed for being the place on beverly that holds danny masterson's sunday jazz nights. my friend jamie primak does the PR for both places, so the invite was one I didn't mind checking out. I first put on a vintage number that my mom wouldn't be caught dead hanging out with me in. I finally gave in to her nagging and changed into my betsey johnson dress and shoes. I put my own special stamp on it by adding my libra earrings. what kind of bratty kid would I be if I gave into everything?!?! we showed up pretty early, grabbed a drink and a seat so we could watch the guests arrive. my mom said people were not as dressed up as she thought they'd be. I had to explain that jeans and camis for the girls and jeans and tees with blazers for the men is the la. nightlife uniform. my mom looked pretty in her very new york all black outfit. she borrowed a pair of shoes from me that were way too tight and had to be shucked off her feet. it was funny. alot of the guests arrived in my friend abi ferrin's designs. abi is a very sweet girl. she and jamie are BFF. jamie hooked it up so that abi designed the guy's cocktail waitress dresses. they were black and red and looked like something out of the jetsons. I commented to my mom that I didnt like them then when I saw abi, I kissed her ass and said they were cute. typical hollywood bullshit. we watched some of the "celebs" arrive like cindy margolis and constantine maroulis and finally when jason hervey, who played the older brother on the wonder years came through, I knew it was time to jet.

viva versace!

this fashion superstar does it right...

to wax or not to wax

I think that v-day is an appropriate name for valentines day because us girls have to shine up the ol' hoohah and make it presentable for our valentines day lovers and friends (in my case, my hottie new beau, D). I have been waxing since my early twenties at aveda in soho. when bliss came along with their lavender mix, I went over to them spending countless mornings and dollars in chic pain. when I moved out to cali, I didn't have a clue who to go to, so I googled up vaj wax and picked out pink cheeks in the valley where apparently all the porn stars go. this place was horrible and their service intolerable. not a fun experience when someone is ripping hot wax from your labia. for years following that, I just kind of let things go and rocked the retro bush. finally, a friend suggested a place called the beehive in beverly hills. for 40 bucks you get the full monty (front and back) and the sweetest most gentle woman in all of the city, marina taking care of your business. they are the best -- so for your cookie's sake, don't go anywhere else in l.a.!! she said that most women want hearts waxed into their privates for the special day. now thats love.

pure color

who doesn't love a party in the daytime? my friends over at SPR put together an event today at steam salon off beverly celebrating the new denim line, pure color which was featured on oprah's favortie things list of 2005. “there's no reason to always be blue,” the label’s tag line and brand philosophy is directed to women in two ways: first off, women need to realize that the sexiest looking jean is the one that fits properly. secondly, jeans do not always need to be blue, incorporate lux fabrics & rich colors into your wardrobe & you will instantly liven up your fashion statement. the party was fun! I donated a pair of old french connection jeans (proceeds and jeans going to out of the closet) for a rocking pair of pink corduroys that are a higher rise then we've seen in the past. the plumber-crack look is sooo last year.

martinis and makeovers

last night was the premiere episode of 'how do I look?' in which I nominated my good friend (and hair stylist), irene vaksberg. we figured in celebration of irene's (and andi) teevee debut we'd throw a screening bash at the sunset trocodero and toast our fashion efforts. there was lots of toasting. the whole crew came out in support because they rock and so did our good friends. it was fun. if you havent seen the epsiode yet on the style network, make sure to keep an eye out. its endearing and honest and fun and most of all, celebrates true friendship. behind the scenes note: when I went shopping for her, I had put aside my three makeover outfits at the stores. the how do I look? buyer came thru and for whatever reason, picked up the wrong clothes so at the reveal I was both shocked to not see my intended outfits and pissed that I had to cop to it. whatever. irene got her spotlight and thats all that mattered to me.

shameless self-promotion

in an effort to maintain my humility, I have attached a link for the world wide web to peep covering the many fashionable virtues of one, jess zaino (thats me!).........
http://www.bristolobserver.com/01_26_06/21.pdf

to continue on with the love fest, if you've got the tivo or are home monday night, my newest installment of how do I look? is playing on the style network at 9pm. best not miss this one - its a doozie!

bang bang

You may remember Yoanna House from her days as winner of America's Top Model, Second Season. She is now hosting The Look for Less on the Style Network on which I often appear as the Stylist. In addition, Yoanna continues to model and as a result needs to be on top of the hottest trends. I was in Nashville with her last week shooting our lastest installment of TLFL and she had heavy bangs and thick, unkept eyebrows. Apparently this what is up and coming on the spring beauty scene and all the models are doing it so go and grab a pair of shears and ditch the tweezers... at least until next season.

what I learned on my winter vacation

it's 11:30pm on saturday night. saturday night live is on. my mom is asleep next to me on the couch. my bags are packed and I am leaving on a jet plane back to la tomorrow morning at 7am. I have been in ny for a month now!?! that's a looong freeking time to be away from my west coast home. I'm taking this time to wrap up and share with ya'll what I learned on my winter vacation..................

I'm a serious bargain shopper. this does not mean I dont rock designer. my faves stores to shop are the outlets. specifically, off 5th, the saks outlet. while I was here, I picked up a pair of awesome michael kors 5 inch casual heels for spring for $50. reduced from $459.00?!!, a pair of isaac mizrahi red hot heels with a croched flower on the toe. $40. reduced from $220. and the most to die for yves saint laurent electric blue kitten heels for $150. from $695. can you believe??? I have a bit of a shoe fetish. get to an off 5th for killer finds.

on a side note, I think I'm in love with the new kid, andy on SNL. he cute.

meg and I checked out the morningwood show on wednesday. as lead singer chantal says, they're tits! pick up the album available in stores now.

when in new york city and find yourself on the streets on a wednesday night, head over to the baggot inn on w.3rd. there is an AMAZING bluegrass band that jams there every week.

also make sure to head over to soho, preferably broadway btwn. prince and spring for the best in cheap and homemade accessories. I picked up a fresh pair of gold aviator sunglasses for $3. and a glass blown cherry necklace for $10.

while you're at it, pop in to national wholesale liquidators (natty ho) on broadway @ houston for the bestest and cheapest bras and panties. don't mind the weird food section on the second floor. the third floor is where its at.

walk over the brooklyn bridge. its good for you. when you get to brooklyn check out the fancy footwear at dr.jay's at the fulton mall and then follow up fulton to lafayette and grab a bite to eat at olea in the old a table spot. its yummy (and owned by my old pal, chelsea). respect.

don't see sweet charity. do see almost, maine.

alright, this is long and its late. jess has left the building. I'll miss you new york. k.i.t.

big ups meg digiovanni

my moms got me a $150. gift card to h&m this year (on top of all my other pirate booty). when I come into nyc I stay with the homegirl of homegirls, meg d. in the les. there are two h&m's in a three block radius of here. were going cuckoo for cocopuffs today buying up some new rags for our new years celebrations tomorrow night. there are no h&m's in los angeles, california. there are over 5 in manhattan. america. feck yeah!

p.s. meg d. just gave me her digi cam. she's bananas!!

new york knickers

with my sister back from switzerland for the holidays, she was able to share with me the latest european fashions. switzerland is faaaaancy. people go to the supermarket in roberto cavalli dresses ferchrissakes!?! apparenly, the apparel du jour is knickers with knee high boots. she said all the girls are wearing these knee-length knickers that do a little puff at the hemline with knee-high, high heeled boots (stockings, both fishnet and matte can be used to cover the difference. oddly enough, I was in wal-mart on long island picking up some holiday cards and I came across a pair of said kinckers for $12.99. I live in two of the most fashionably dense cities in the country and I have not seen these knickers...but i see them in wal-mart on middle country road!?!?! must-have!! size 6. $13. caitlin said they looked like cardboard pants because of the poor quality. I didnt care. I wore them on x-mas. yesterday when we were bringing cait to the airport, there were two girls on line at swiss air who had the outfit on. It was really fun to put a image to the trend. I am heading to nashville next week to shoot the look for less. I told my sister I would wear that outfit on-air as an homage to her and her new country. j'taime caitlin. bon jour! au revoir.