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Is Christina Hendricks Losing Her Curves?

FitSugar — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 13:15:00 -0700

Wearing a gorgeous L'Wren Scott dress, Mad Men actress Christina Hendricks showed off her glowing skin and new, slimmer figure at this year's Emmy Awards. Hendricks, who plays the curvy secretary Joan Holloway on the popular series, is said to be dieting for her upcoming nuptials to Geoffrey Arrend.

At an Emmy afterparty, costar January Jones commented that she hopes Hendricks holds onto her signature curves. I think most of you will agree that Hendricks looks amazing as is, but getting in shape before the big day is almost a rite of passage for new brides.

Jones won't have to worry though - Hendricks recently told Self that she is more than content with the way she looks: "My healthiest habit is keeping positive about my body at whatever stage it is - being confident and celebrating who I am at the moment."

To learn how she's tweaking her diet and exercise program, just read more.

The actress went on to describe her diet and says she makes food choices based on seasonality, sticking to high-energy proteins and setting limits on her carb intake. As for her fitness regimen, she and her fiancé meet with a trainer three times a week for a strength and cardio workout: "It's amazing how quick an hour can go by when you work out with someone you love."

I love the approach Hendricks is taking towards her health - it's balanced and, most important, she seems really happy. What do you think: are you worried like Jones that she'll lose her curvy figure?

Is "Ginger-ism" Growing in the United States?

BellaSugar — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 04:00:08 -0800

If you've seen the South Park episode "Gingervitis," you know how Cartman feels about gingers, or fair-skinned, freckled redheads: they're less than human. While most people viewing the episode probably took it as, at best, a morality lesson about arbitrarily discriminating against others, and at worst a joke in poor taste (maybe both), it isn't so funny in real life.

A group of students in Calabasas, CA, instead decided to institute "Kick a Ginger Day" at their middle school, and proceeded to beat up some of their classmates. While this is an example of the worst sort of juvenile stupidity, it does point out the underlying prejudices redheads have to deal with, whether it's jokes about their "fiery tempers" or sexual harassment. Even Christina Hendricks's character Joan on Mad Men continuously gets called "Red" and has comments made about her. And in the UK, ginger discrimination is wel -known - to the point where redheads have been awarded settlements after workplace harassment tied to their hair color. What do you think about all this? Are there more pejorative connotations connected to having red hair these days, or are people just now paying more attention to a long-extant problem?

How-To: The Look of Mad Men's Joan Holloway

BellaSugar — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 11:00:22 -0700

Joan Holloway proves that you don't need to show skin to be the hottest woman in the room. (OK, she's often the only woman in the room, but still.) The Mad Men character has a sultry secretary style that would still turn heads today.

Makeup artist Debbie Zoller researches every character's look to make it as authentically '60s as possible, and she emphasizes Joan's personality through her makeup. "Joan knows how to get what she wants by using her skills and sexuality," Debbie says. "She reads all of the latest fashion magazines and knows what works best for her to make her presence known at Sterling Cooper. I play up her amazing eyes so she can mesmerize every man she comes in contact with."

For the behind-the-scenes scoop on the precise products used to transform actress Christina Hendricks into Joan Holloway, read more.

Face: Debbie uses Laura Mercier foundations to create a peaches-and-cream complexion, followed by Lancôme dual-finish powder to keep her skin matte. She then dabs Julie Hewett Cheekies on the apples of the cheeks. "I have [Christina's] smile so I know exactly where to put it," Debbie says.
Eyes: In true '60s style, Debbie strokes black Dior liquid eyeliner on the top lid. She then uses watercake mascara on the top lashes only.
Lips: "The lips are lined first with a lip liner that matches the lipstick we choose," Debbie says." She frequently turns to Laura Mercier lipstick in Baby Lips, a sheer pink; and Mistress, a pinky red.

Photo courtesy of AMC.

Mad Men, "Shut the Door. Have a Seat": This Week's 5 Maddest Moments

BuzzSugar — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 05:30:53 -0800

Wow. The biggest surprise of the third season finale of Mad Men isn't actually a plot point, but how light and almost exciting it manages to be. For a show that's normally so tense and tightly wound, this week's episode has a quick pace, and at times, a sense of humor. Of course, there is still disappointment and heartache; some of our predictions for the finale come true, but some go sadly unfulfilled.

Without further ado, let's talk about the door that closes and the one that opens this week, and as usual, the finale's five maddest moments, when you read more.

So long, Connie: It's eccentric hotelier Conrad Hilton that breaks the news to Don that rival agency McCann is buying PPL, and Sterling Cooper along with it. Don's plenty irate, as it's Hilton's fault that he was signed into a three-year contract and is thus, trapped. However, Don's bitterness quickly turns to ambition, when he rallies Burt, then Roger, to buy back Sterling Cooper from PPL. Pryce is unhelpful in even supplying the purchase price for the men, quashing the buyback plans, but then another scheme is launched: Pryce fires Don, Roger, and Burt so they can form a new agency.
Draper Dissolution: While an exciting change is happening for Don in his career, back at home a bleak change is coming. Betty informs Don that she's seen a divorce lawyer and advises him to do the same. It's painful watching these two spar, and I wanted so much for them to figure out how to fix it - but the ball is clearly in Don's court and he does nothing to sway Betty to call off the divorce. Sure, he tells her to, and even suggests that she might need psychiatric help. Oh, and he tells her that he gave her everything she wanted materially, insinuating that should be enough. Don may know what his clients want, but in his marriage, he has no idea what Betty wants.
Irreconcilable differences: Don sheepishly tolerates the divorce talk until he's having drinks with Roger, who spills the beans about Betty taking up with Henry Francis (I do have to say, it is rather nice to see these two getting along, acting like buds). This sends a drunken Don home to wake up Betty for a confrontation about her indiscretion, and things get nasty and uncomfortably physical. Again, Don manages to push Betty into even more resolve, and she tells him that she's going to Reno to initiate the divorce. Don and Betty devastate the kids with the news of their separation, and Betty makes good on her threat to go to Reno after Don softens a tiny bit - to tell her that he won't fight her.
Don, at your service: One of my favorite parts of this episode? Seeing Don put through the paces by Pete and Peggy. He's always treated them like underlings, and they finally have the opportunity to assert themselves. Don obliges them both and tells them how valuable they are, but not before Peggy pushes back. Her backbone straightens when she's first told of the new company and assures Don that she's had "other offers." Luckily, Don doesn't take no for an answer, and visits Peggy at home, telling her he'd spend the rest of his life trying to hire her if she turned him down now. It's so touching to see Don put aside his ego to acknowledge these others, and it makes me sad that he can't do something similar for Betty.
Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce: The gang's back together! It's thrilling good fun watching the new company assemble - Roger and Don get the agency's most prized employees one by one, plus my favorite: Joan! She's a necessity to help find all the files and materials in the office, and, they realize, a force that had been holding the company together. Her role in Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce (can you say "Michael Scott Paper Company"? I told you these two shows have a lot in common!) is a given. With everything coming together so perfectly, though, I wondered why Sal isn't also called in. I suppose we have next season to look forward to for that. Speaking of, next Summer can't come fast enough.

It's interesting that the finale also weaves in flashbacks of Don's early childhood, as this season's premiere did. What Don is remembering now, though, is how his father died. The elder Whitman was faced with losing his home, and after breaking free of the cooperative, readies a trip to the city to sell his crop. His spooked horse kicks him in the head, killing him, with the young Don as witness. It's an obvious parallel to Don's circumstances, who's losing his home, as in his marriage; and, losing his home, as in his life's work. Of course, he only manages to take control of one of those.

So what did you think? Did this season wrap up the way you wanted it to? And even though we won't see the Draper family or the worker bees of Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce until the fourth season returns, you can still join the Mad Men group in the community to chat about the show year-round.

Photo courtesy of AMC

Buzz In: What Are Your Hopes For the Mad Men Season Finale?

BuzzSugar — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 13:30:26 -0800

Tonight, the third season of Mad Men wraps up, and there couldn't be more characters and plotlines on a precipice. Last week, Betty told Don she doesn't love him anymore and got a marriage proposal from Henry, and Pete was looking close to leaving Sterling Cooper. The season has also been building up other situations that may come to a head tonight, such as Joan and Roger's relationship, Salvatore's unjustified firing, and the casting aside of Don's latest mistress, Suzanne, who seems to me to be a bit unstable.

There's rarely a happy ending on this show, but for some reason, I'd still really like to see Don fight for Betty; now that she knows he was Dick Whitman, they could have a chance to start over in a more honest place. In the meantime, I hope they resolve the Sal plot and bring him back - he has to come back! As does the show's resident bombshell, Joan Holloway, whom I predict must be returning to either the office - or to Roger's arms. These are my hopes for the season finale tonight; what are yours?

Photo courtesy of AMC

Mad Men, "The Grown Ups": This Week's 5 Maddest Moments

BuzzSugar — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 06:30:10 -0800

Did you hear it? That was the sound of the Mad Men implosion, as the death of JFK on November 22, 1963, rocked the country and the lives of the show's characters. This season has been building up to the events of this episode, which felt more intense, more important, than next week's finale can possibly be. If there's an episode that has defined the third season so thoroughly, it's this one, "The Grown Ups."

Ready to talk? See this week's five maddest moments when you read more.

Death of a President: The timeline of the show has made it clear that John F. Kennedy's assassination is coming, but like those who experienced it, there was no way to prepare for it emotionally. So where is everyone when JFK is shot? Peggy is having a "nooner" with Duck, Betty is at home, Pete and Harry are talking work, and Roger's daughter Margaret is having a fitting on the eve of her wedding.
One wedding and a funeral: The show must go on, Roger decides, and Margaret's wedding still happens on Saturday night, with far fewer guests in attendance. I understand why they didn't cancel it, but as Joan remarks, "Poor thing." Margaret overcomes her marriage jitters and fit over Jane's extravagant gift and presence in her life, only to agree to be married the day after the President's shooting. That's pretty rough.
Downgrade: Pete is demoted so thoroughly at Sterling Cooper that he leaves work and tells Trudie he's been fired at first. Like Betty, the fact that he's already going through something jarring when JFK is shot only escalates his personal situation, and he stays at home with Trudie instead of going to Margaret's wedding. Shaken as well, Trudie tells Pete to start gathering his clients in preparation to leave the company. Pete seems shattered, and again, I enjoyed Vincent Kartheiser's nuanced performance of one of the show's most complicated characters.
Where's the love: A wedding and a violent event prompt everyone to re-evaluate their romantic relationships; particularly Don and Betty (their kiss at the wedding proves to be only passionate from one side) and Joan and Roger. That Roger calls Joan, just happy that she's home, says so much about his feelings for her.
The Proposal: "What is going on?" Betty asks both Don and Henry, distraught about the country's events, but that's exactly how I felt when Henry tells her in her car that he'll marry her if she leaves Don. Last week, when she got advice against divorcing him, I thought there was no way they'd split up, but now that Betty has this viable option, I'm actually scared they may divorce. As screwed up as their marriage is, their being together is one of the show's fixtures. Their separation would be like Sterling Cooper going out of business. But Betty sees things as having "no point" now, and she tells Don that she no longer loves him. I don't know what to think! Is it a coincidence that she was wearing a pink twinset like Jackie the day JFK is shot? Hadn't she just "lost" her husband in last week's episode when she discovers that Don is really Dick Whitman? In any case, it's completely disconcerting to see Don, sitting in his bedroom at the end, broken by Betty's dramatic disclosure of her lack of feelings for him.

Everyone keeps saying variations on how everything will be fine, it will all be OK, but we know from experience with this show that nothing is going to be fine. Whatever is to come, I'm so impressed by this episode; in the future, this will be the episode that you remember when you think of this season.

What do you think will happen with Pete, Roger and Joan, the Drapers? Will Betty take Henry up on his offer? And to talk more about the show later, join the Mad Men group in the community.

Photo courtesy of AMC

Mad Men, "The Gypsy and the Hobo": This Week's 5 Maddest Moments

BuzzSugar — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 06:30:00 -0700

You know how everyone's always talking about how Mad Men is a slowly simmering pot, leaving you waiting for things to bubble to the surface? One of the show's major plot points, Don Draper's identity, bubbles to the top, finally. And how ironic for it to happen on Halloween eve . . .

The show is an intense marvel this week, living up to its Best Drama Emmy, and I'm ready to chat about it, so to see the five maddest moments (spoilers ahead), just read more.

"It's a lie so big": - Betty doesn't let her Don/Dick revelation from last week lie, and she seeks advice from her lawyer, who basically tells her to stay in her marriage unless she feels threatened. I worried that this was far as it would go, until she womans up and confronts Don when he comes home one night. He tells her everything, including that his mother was a prostitute and that his brother Adam committed suicide - and his role in it. Betty is confused, but more sympathetic than I expected.
The life and times of Roger Sterling: - Roger gets a blast from the past when an old flame, Annabelle Mathis, calls on the firm to help her horse farm/dog food company, Caldecott farms. Roger is cool at first, but his dinner with Annabelle reveals that she left him heartbroken as a young man - a rare insight into Sterling's silver fox facade. When she tells him he was The One, and he replies, "You weren't," I said "Ouch" as she says "Oh." Sigh. It seems to be a Roger's love life retrospective, as he even fields a call from Joan. I need more of this.
Roses: Joan asserts herself in an entirely physically aggressive way when she bashes a vase of roses over her husband's head. Why the violent response? He told Joan she never had to give up anything, never had to leave behind a dream. Hey, Joan's last nerve? Greg just found it. (And P.S., it's weird to hear Joan call herself by her married name, Joan Harris, but I love that Roger names Joan's husband "Dr. Cutup.")
Suzanne who? - While Don comes clean of his entire existence to Betty, Susie is waiting in the car. "Did you get caught?" she asks. "It's more complicated than that," he answers. And how. Apparently it's over for now, but we'll see.
Army wife - Greg drops the first real Vietnam bomb of the series, as we wait for the '60s to explode. He's taking a job in the army, and my gut tells me this will not end well for the Harrises.

Didn't the last line from the neighbor asking, "Who are you supposed to be?" to Don and Betty hit hard? What did you think of the Draper's tense conversation? Oh, and if you want to talk more about the show, join the Mad Men group in the community!

Photo courtesy of AMC

Martha to Christina Hendricks: I Thought You Were Older

TresSugar — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 07:00:00 -0700

Good thing Martha Stewart never went into the etiquette business! In just under four minutes, she manages to say a couple incredibly awkward things to Christina Hendricks, better known as Joan Holloway on Mad Men.

First, she tells the 34-year-old actress, "I thought you were so much older." And then, about her on-screen husband, she asks the no-doubt confused actress, "Do you love him?" We're going to give Martha the benefit of the doubt and assume she means does her character love him, in which case that ~~makes total sense~~ barely makes sense. Between raping Joan last season and being a professional failure this season, what's not to love?

Best of Bella

BellaSugar — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 06:00:13 -0700

Halloween how-to: Jane of the New Moon Volturi.
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Tricks to keep your mascara from smudging.
10 absolutely absurd retro beauty ads.
LC's stylist tells you how to get her cute double braided style.
Which famous face inspired this fragrance?
Get Joan from Mad Men's gorgeous wedding makeup.
Blair + Chuck 4 EVA - the Gossip Girl beauty quiz.
In which Bella falls hard for a $5.99 shampoo.
What do you know about deodorant?

How-To: Christina Hendricks's Wedding Look

BellaSugar — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 06:00:07 -0700

Her character Joan on Mad Men would approve, because Christina Hendricks looked absolutely stunning yesterday at her real-life wedding to Geoffrey Arend. Even if you're not taking it down the aisle, her hair and makeup were absolutely beautiful, irresistibly romantic, and surprisingly simple to pull off. To find out how to get her blushing look, just read more