Belle's Weekly Reading: Volume IX
Jul 2, 2010
I’m traveling this weekend, which means that I’m a prisoner of TSA’s draconian rules on liquids and gels. Every time I pack up to head somewhere, I always hear the song from RENT “Seasons of Love,” except I don’t measure my life in love. I measure it in travel size containers of beauty and hair products.
Unless of course, I’m going to my parents home where my Mother and Father are kind enough to keep a cabinet of 35 or so full-size products, so that I am not deprived of bouncy locks or glowing skin while on vacation. No such luck this weekend.
And yes, that is a freezer size bag. Here’s hoping that the TSA official is too busy frisking some old lady to notice that I’m pushing the bounds of their regulations.
I don’t break the rules, I just bend them. And should I be stopped, I’m thinking about asking my boss to defund Homeland Security. An over reaction? Perhaps, but I need my Ole Henriksen serum and my Ojon volumizing tonic like I need air.
Give me Liberty or Give me Death. Moving on…
Mandatory Testing. Speaking of beauty products, Allure has started the unenviable process of testing thousands of products for their Allure Best of Beauty Awards. Let’s wish them luck as they rub, smear, pour, spray and apply. After all, these are the people who got me on the Pssst bandwagon, so I owe them one. And I know some of you do too.
Portion Control. Zaytinya Chef Mike Isabella is leaving Jose Andres shop to strike out on his own. And while I love his food, I’m not sold on his idea to open up a Venetian tapas place in Penn Quarter. After all, with Jaleo, La Tasca, Oyamel, Zaytinya on the block, how many small plates can one neighborhood be expected to consume?
Men Only. On the men’s fashion front, the Post has a great article on Belle’s favorite menswear designer: Zegna. And District Cut has an interesting piece on a study which asked men their opinions about style and grooming. Apparently, 93% of men hate being called Metrosexuals. Well, duh.
Proper Attire Required. If you dig the look of the Oxford flat but aren’t crazy about the gender-bending style, Cheap Chica’s Guide to Style has good news for you. How about a flat with Oxford details and no laces? Very cool.
Out of Season. If you need some summer fashion tips that will help you incorporate trends into the wardrobe you already have, LuckyMag is here to help. And unlike many of their slideshows, the prices on this one won’t make you wonder whether the magazine is run by trust fund babies.
Please remember that I will be out Tuesday thanks to a Dulles bound red-eye. So there will be no new posts until Wednesday. Also, on the CHS Intern front, please know that I will not be accepting anymore applications after Sunday. So if you’re interested and haven’t yet applied, hurry up. The top 5 (8 or 10) will be notified middle of next week.
xoxo
Belle
Belle, I’ve found a different way to get around the TSA one baggie of liquids rule. I get two buckets, one for my computer and one for my shoes/purse. I put one baggie of liquids in one bucket and the other baggie of liquids in the other bucket. One bucket goes in front of my bag and one bucket goes behind my bag. So unless you’re hand searched (or stopped at the gate boarding the plane), I honestly don’t think that TSA knows which baggie and bucket belongs to you!
And as a former staffer whose MOC sat on the Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee, I always wondered what I could put in report language saying I need more room in my baggie for liquids (or what constitutes a liquid, as I have had yogurt taken from me, but that’s another story).
Happy 4th!
“And should I be stopped, I’m thinking about asking my boss to defund Homeland Security.” Hilarious
for guys, Zegna is quite the fashion statement.
Definitely not cheap, but there really is nothing like the cut of a Zegna suit. Unless you want to go the Oswald Boateng route, but that’s all Bespoke.
Belle — You deserve an upgrade from the plastic bag! I fly in and out of the District about twice a month, and I absolutely love my Kate Spade clear plastic cosmetic case. (https://www.shefinds.com/2010/best-find-of-the-day-kate-spade-doesnt-get-held-up-by-airport-security-with-this-bag/) Yes, it was a splurge, but since using it I haven’t had any more of those disasters where the Ziplock pops open and spews all my makeup and toiletries at the bottom of my suitcase, or even worse, all over the security checkpoint. I think it is a touch bigger than regulation size, even though the Kate Spade website called it TSA-approved.