Maybe it’s the recent solar eclipse (according to Astrology Zone, I was meant to see “the big message” on Friday…), or maybe it’s just that tax season is finally over, but I’ve been working on getting a little more zen lately. And, sure, it’s nice to sit back and accept “the things I cannot change” but that’s easier said than done when your skin has been vacillating from dry to oily and back again since the autumnal equinox (for this, I can thank the radiator in my “quaint” pre-war apartment that JUST WON’T QUIT.  Landlords of New York, do you hear me? It’s nearly Memorial Day! What gives?)

Over the past few months, I’ve amassed quite a collection of washes, lotions, and serums in hopes of taking back the reins on my epidermis. So when I came across a perfectly pink little tub of Aurelia’s Miracle Cleanser, I thought, you know what? Prove it. Go ahead: make my day.

The über-creamy concoction’s aromatic mix of chamomile, eucalyptus, and rosemary essential oils wafted northward—nasil-ward?—upon unscrewing the lid, and I felt my breathing sloowwww down. There’s something very Vicks-VapoRub-via-an-organic-farm-in-Nice about the smell that’s soothing in that ‘holistic’ way. (Upon closer inspection of the label, Aurelia is, in fact, a “bio-organic” line.) I gently rubbed the cream right on to my dry skin, on top of make up and all, with upward, circular motions. It already felt incredible—so gentle and not at all greasy (my skin is very reactive to oil). Then came the best part: the antibacterial muslin cloth. It’s really no wonder they wrap babies in muslin because this finely-woven swatch of organic bamboo felt like it was knit from the hairs of cherubs. (Shosh may want to know where Jessa is, what she’s wearing, and if it’s linen, but our money’s on muslin). I pressed the hot and damp cloth over my face for a mini steam before removing the cleanser. That wonder washcloth wiped away a day’s worth of buildup—makeup, grime, and dead skin cells—while apparently “stimulating circulation.” I felt smooth, hydrated, balanced, and overall unwound: a rebirth, if you will. "Eclipse season" promises it's fair share of seismic shifts, and I'm still waiting on that big message, but at least Aurelia and I have got the cleansing thing under control.

—Mackenzie Wagoner

Photos by Elizabeth Brockway.

Because it's Monday, and we don't want to work yet.

“I haven’t colored my hair in 18 months. I quit cold turkey. I think I stopped because I began to see pictures of myself with the flash where I thought, ‘When did I turn into one shade of white blond? I don’t like it at all.’ It also had to do with my age; I don’t want to be an older woman with super fake hair. I don’t have a fake face, I don’t have a fake body—I’ve totally rejected all of that. And I was very, very inspired by a quote I read last May, at the Prada exhibit at the Met—I still have it somewhere—where Mrs. Prada said, in regards to aging, that as women get older, they try to tame themselves, when they should be more wild. I kept thinking about that quote, and about Mrs. Prada’s look and the look of women whom I find interesting and whom I think have integrity. I was just feeling like, ‘Yeah, I don’t need to have bright, fake, blond hair. That’s it!’

I’d actually never colored my hair until I was 25 years old—until I went to work for Vogue, this was the color. I’d worked at House & Garden before that, but when I landed at Vogue [as a Beauty Associate], there was no way I was going to last long without coloring my hair, because as soon as I started meeting those colorists, they were not going to let my hair alone. I remember exactly when I colored my hair: It was during that Carolyn Bessette moment, and I met Brad Johns, her colorist. And, of course, I was obsessed with Carolyn Bessette. Every single girl in New York was obsessed with Carolyn Bessette! I could never look like Carolyn Bessette, but I could have her hair color. And I did! And that was it. It was blond.

So, I colored my hair for the next 20 years—highlighting it every 12 weeks or so, changing it all the time. It never occurred to me to not highlight my hair. Sometimes it was darker and more natural, because I went to Art Luna in LA for a long time—he’s my favorite colorist. He’s old-school, and he has a light, light touch. But anyway, I like my hair now, darker—it’s more natural. I’d kind of just forgotten what my own natural tone was. It’s really, really dark, the same color as my two girls’.  And it’s amazing to me how many people say I look younger with my hair like this! I love not going to the salon—it’s enough to have to cut my bangs every few weeks.

My haircut is back to an exact style I had in my twenties at Vogue. I’ve had a bang always—I just like a bang. A little something to hide behind. And I don’t think I’d look good without it. In fact, I grew my bangs out during my Carolyn Bessette phase, and none other than Garren said to me, ‘You know what? This is a mistake. You gotta cut your bangs.’ So, I cut them, and I never tried to grow them out after that. Plus this style is easy—you can blow it out, or not. You can leave it messy. Whatever.

I don’t think ‘feminine’ is about hair, at all—or high heels, or lipstick. It’s all in your brain. My husband loves my hair long, only because he thinks it looks corporate shorter. I just think there’s that point in your life where suddenly you’re not young anymore, but you’re not old, and you have to reassess. I did that years ago, and my hair was the last piece of the puzzle. When I look different in 10 years, then I’ll have to reassess again. There could come a time when I’m truly an old lady and I say, ‘It’s time to have short hair!’ But not yet; I don’t want to be corporate.

I don’t like that society says, ‘Oh, you’re old, you can’t have long hair.’ Of course you can have long hair! Instead of taming yourself, Mrs. Prada said, be wilder. With women, everything is about you trying to tame your look: how thin can you be, how tiny, how muscular, and seeking so much outside intervention for your hair and your face—taming it. Makeup is taming it, too. If you look at someone like [Miuccia Prada], what makeup is on her face? None. Maybe lip balm… Actually, I still have those little mini Prada lip balms. Amazing. That’s all you need— lip balm, Aleve, and a ponytail holder and you’re set.

I will go to Art Luna again—I’m not saying that I hate hair color, I just am never going to do that kind of highlighting again, where it almost becomes like a single-process and you keep getting lighter and lighter. I’ll be in LA in August and September, and I’ll definitely go see Art in his Santa Monica bungalow—he does two pieces here, two pieces there, another two pieces, and that’s it.

But for now, I have such a serious job, and my natural hair makes me feel a little bit more low-key. And I have a little more free time!”

—as told to ITG

Amy Astley photographed by Emily Weiss in New York on March 21, 2013.

Well, we’re about a month into baseball season, and the only reason I know that is…because I looked it up on the Internet. That being said, I’ve been dressing up like I’m headed to Yankee Stadium for the past two weekends. It’s cool to look like a kid! Like a rough-and-tumble ten year old, sticking it to the man with a backwards snapback and pushed-up sleeves. Except you’re actually a totally grown-up babe in denim short-shorts and bronzer. See: Rihanna.

1. J. Crew's  Knitted Baseball Sweater: Ever since I hunted down the red and white "AMERICA" Isabel Marant jersey last summer (which, by the way, I totally still wear despite the fact that it is so three seasons ago), I've had a thing for slightly loose baseball tees. This one might actually be the most luxurious offering out there—which means it's also weekday-appropriate.

2. Converse's Hi All Star White Leather Sneakers: The most recent kicks to catch my eye are vaguely Margiela but with an Urban Outfitters price tag. I don't care if it's hot out: white (-on-white) leather rules. And if the whole $800 sneaker thing doesn't freak you out, check out these Giuseppe Zanotti metal-strap puppies. *Swoon*

3. Ginette_NY's Mini Straw Necklace: Why does "statement necklace" seem to always mean loud and huge? I would think it's something you'd wear every day, something delicate and simple enough to go with everything and you never have to take it off—like my smattering of Catbird rings— thus becoming your statement. You should be wearing it, it should not be wearing you.

4. Marc by Marc Jacobs's 3-D Foil-Effect iPhone 5 case: BRING ON THE BLING! And never again ask, "Where's my phone?"

5. Nef's Crownzer Cap: Ah, baseball hats. Where to start? Like denim shirts, the best ones of are usually found not in a store but in a friend/boyfriend/dad/brother's closet. They've also, thanks in large part to certain street-style stars/models like Hanne Gaby Odiele and Caroline Brasch Nielsen, become the new headband. It's all about the snapback, front and center, and this particular Nef one is baby blue. Think of it like eyeliner for your forehead.

—Emily Weiss

The Great Gatsby opens nation wide today, and while F. Scott Fitzgerald rolls in his grave, all of America will be granted access to see the maybe-not-so-great film in 3-D (it is currently rated at 51% on Rotten Tomatoes… ouch). Admittedly, we had very high hopes, but not every Baz Luhrmann film can be as perfect as Romeo + Juliet, can it? If nothing else, the movie is an excuse to see two childhood buds all grown up, hear the unbelievably amazing soundtrack (spoiler: you don’t really have to see the film to appreciate that one), and more importantly, drown in the Prada-designed costumes. We’d be remiss, when speaking of Roaring Twenties Long-Island Americana, not to mention the still-chic bob, because, like Gatsby, we very much believe your hair can (and should) “repeat the past.”

For starters: what exactly is a bob? In basic terms, it’s a short women's haircut. But how short is short (say short one more time…short)? Is it just below the ears? Is it grazing the chin? Is it anything above your clavicle? Well, theoretically it is all of the above. We would venture to say a bob is anything longer than a pixie and shorter than your shoulders. The look originated around World War I as the then-typical “feminine” long hair was deemed unsuitable for war work and was subsequently popularized by the actress Louise Brooks [61, 62] in the early 1920s. Though the style ebbs and flows in popularity, it has never truly gone out of style. There is the iconic bob belonging to none other than the fashion god, Anna Wintour [3, 4], and if she deems something suitable for every day style, then clearly, it's a look to pay attention to-- Michelle Obama [12], Anja Rubik [1-3], Kirsten Dunst [59], and Gwyneth Paltrow [9] all have, in their own special ways. Much like Catherine Zeta Jones [24] rocked our socks off with her bob (and all that jazz) in Chicago, we’re hoping that Carey Mulligan [16, 17] can do the same in Gatsby. Stay tuned… Check out 65 of our favorite bobs, from the neon wigs at Chanel Resort 2013 [20] to that of our recently resurfaced '90s crush, Winona Ryder [32, 33], and tell us you aren't feeling scissor-happy. Just a little bit?

P.S. Our love of cats is no secret, so maybe this is just us, but the below is an adaptation we'd like to see made.

[1-3] Anja Rubik,  [4, 5] Anna Wintour, [6-8] Arizona Muse, [9, 10] Gwyneth Paltrow, [11] Audrey Tautou in Amélie, [12] Michelle Obama, [13] Barbra Streisand, [14] Christy Turlington, [15] Ali Michael, [16, 17] Carey Mulligan in The Great Gatsby, [18, 19] Naomi Campbell, [20] Bette Franke, Sigrid Agren, and Sara Blomqvist backstage at Chanel Resort 2013, [21] Alicia Keys, [22] Alexa Chung, [23] Sarah Jessica Parker in Sex and The City, [24] Catherine Zeta Jones in Chicago, [25] Chloe Sevigny, [26, 27] Freja Beha Erichsen, [28] Rihanna, [29] Anna Ewers and Keke Lindgard, [30] Courtney Love, [31] Natalie Portman in Closer, [32, 33] Winona Ryder, [34, 35] Keira Knightley, [36] Ashleigh Good, [37, 38] Xiao Wen Ju, [39] January Jones, [40] Aline Weber, [41] Berenice Bejo in The Artist, [42] Uma Thurman in Pulp Fiction, [43, 44] Faye Dunaway, [45] Cameron Diaz, [46] Linda Evangelista, [47] Catherine McNeil, [48] Jackie Kennedy, [49] Coco Chanel, [50] Drew Barrymore, [51, 52] Isabella Rosselini, [53] Julie Andrews, [54-56] Karlie Kloss, [57] Suri Cruise, [58] Katie Holmes, [59] Kirsten Dunst, [60] Linda Fargo, [61, 62] Louise Brooks, [63] Lucy Liu, [64] Sam Rollinson, [65] Emily Weiss

It was announced earlier this week that Christy Turlington will be reprising her role as the face of Calvin Klein Underwear while the current face of the brand, Lara Stone, is on maternity leave (models have that too, apparently). Sure, we all know the trend of this decade is to relive those of the ‘90s, but this is unfounded! The sometimes model, Every Mother Counts founder, and 44 year-old mother of two was first selected to front the brand in 1988—a quarter century ago (damn, that is some impressive shit right there, Christy)—in an iconic campaign photographed by Irving Penn. Though her new shots won’t appear on billboards and in magazines until later this year, the resurgence of this super über-model made us reminisce about other stars who've stripped down in the name of of promoting skivvies (and some of their own personal assets). While quite possibly the Greatest Ad Ever—Marky Mark and Kate Moss embracing—was the first image to pop into our minds, there have been a handful of other delightful celebrippearances in barely-there underwear in the last quarter century. Take a look at our not-quite-SFW findings.

P.S. We’ve also noticed that a great rule of thumb for getting a fantastic and classy—not cheesy and slutty…well, maybe a bit slutty, but that’s all right—underwear ad is to shoot in black and white. Snapchat, take note and add some filters? Just a thought.

Oh, and there is also this:

You're welcome.

[1] Mark Wahlberg and Kate Moss for Calvin Klein, [2] Kate Moss for Calvin Klein, [3-5] Mark Wahlberg for Calvin Klein, [6-8] Christy Turlington for Calvin Klein, [9] Tyson Beckford for Polo Ralph Lauren, [10] Eva Herzigova for Wonderbra, [11,12] Cristiano Rinaldo for Emporio Armani, [13-15] David Beckham for Emporio Armani, [16] David Beckham for H&M, [17] Tom Hintnaus for Calvin Klein, [18, 19] Eva Mendes for Calvin Klein, [20, 21] Lara Stone for Calvin Klein, [22] Antonio Sabato Jr. for Calvin Klein, [23, 24] Djimon Hounsou, [25] Gisele Bundchen for Victoria's Secret, [26-28] Megan Fox for Emporio Armani, [29] Fredrik Ljungberg and Natalia Vodianova for Calvin Klein, [30] Natalia Vodianova for Calvin Klein, [31] Zoe Saldana for Calvin Klein.

I’m standing in front of a wall of Make Up For Ever lipsticks at Sephora with not one, but three resident “Color Experts” at my side. It’s a Friday evening and the store is booming like New York’s hottest club (Stefon, back me up on this). I reach for a nearly-black Azealia-Banks-“1991”-esque tube but am practically hand-slapped by the Color Expert with a heart drawn next to her eye. “If you’re a fashionista and like to keep up with the trends,” she says (BTW: how could she read me so easily?!), “then you’ll want to go for lighter, brighter colors for spring and summer.” I’m also instructed to limit my testing to three lipsticks—any more than that, they tell me, will cause the skin around my mouth to become red and blotchy, rendering any color disagreeable. I nab a creamy pink, a classic red, and am handed their seasonal pick: a very J.Crew peach. The pixiest of the three Experts leads me to a chair to try them on.

But let’s back up. A few days earlier at the Gloffice, as a rare tube of RiRi Woo was being passed around, discussion turned to the Bold Red Lip. “I just started wearing red lipstick last year,” I confessed. Emily picked her jaw up from off of the floor. “I have a really small mouth,” I said. Emily and Nick clearly weren’t following. “Why does that matter?” asked the amply-lipped Weiss. Well, doesn’t it?

While I’m currently very comfortable, nay, downright confident, wearing any and all shades of lipstick, I wasn’t always this way. I grew up in the Bay Area, but I’m originally from Upstate New York, where a Bold Red Lip looks just as out of place as a Kardashian at a Phish show. And even in California, I ran into trouble: on my first day of high school, our resident Regina George introduced herself to me by cooing, “Aw, you don’t wear makeup—that’s so cute.” Kill me.

Apart from feeling over-dressed­—and uncomfortable—in bright lipstick, it was also around this super-pleasant adolescent time of my life that my then-boyfriend started to tease me about the size of my lips. (In his defense, my mouth is actually so small that I don’t even have a full set of adult teeth; some had to be pulled—my dentist is a fantastic editor.) But, still, leave it to a boy to wreak havoc on your self-image.

I distinctly remember this one line from a Russian novel I read for a class: “All women are lips, nothing but lips.” Did that mean I was destined to be a sub-par woman? And if so, I certainly wasn’t going to elaborately decorate my female flaw. So when I wasn’t sneaking coats of Lip Venom and/or Lip Injection in the bathroom to amplify my “puny, lifeless” pout—Too-Faced’s words, not mine—I did my best to draw the focus to my eyes and cheeks. I thought of that saying about playing up your best features or whatever, and clearly my mouth was not among them.

But by the time college rolled around, I was ready to redefine myself in New York City. In fact, I bought my first tube of lipstick—a baby pink by Maybelline—at Duane Reade on the night of my first Misshapes party. (It was meant to round out this Valley of the Dolls moment I was trying to have, OK?) I was in love. Though nearly sheer and imperceptible, the act of applying it made me feel so… feminine. Later that evening at Don Hill’s, my chunky white headband, teased hair, babydoll dress, painted lips, and I all had a fantastic time trying our best not to smile. And when I (we) felt bored or fidgety, suddenly there was something to do: reapply!

I stuck with my trusty Maybelline for a few years after graduating, until I just felt ready to big up my lips. I wish I could recall the exact catalyst. Maybe it was the change of environment—you know, becoming a Working Girl—or being (and feeling) older, or the fact that my face was finally growing into its features (or vice versa…) or just not caring about what other people thought anymore, but it happened.

Gwyneth Paltrow is widely quoted as having uttered something to the effect of: “Beauty is about being comfortable in your own skin. That, or a kick-ass red lipstick.” I wanted all of that. I went out and bought tubes of Nars red, orange, peach, and pink, and a dark, dark purple from MAC. And I still wear them everywhere, no matter the time of day or year. (I’ve also made a point to avoid boys who make you feel bad about yourself, which gets easier with age.) And while I can’t imbue all diminutively-mouthed women with my late-onset confidence, I can leave you with my Sephora Color Expert’s words of wisdom:

- Everyone hates themselves in lipstick at first: “It’s just shocking.”
- Using a brush will give you more control, not only in the precision of the line but in the amount of product you’re putting on.
- Applying too much lipstick will cause it to bleed faster. If you apply the right amount, you should only need to retouch after eating (or not even then, if you’re Jen Brill).
- Resist the urge to turn up the volume on the rest of your makeup to match your bright lip.

In conclusion: I now think of lipstick the way I think of karaoke, which is to say I’m somewhat cautious of it, but I realize it’s much less about a god-given gift than it is about committing to it and feeling confident. Sometimes we can’t be tied down to what’s “recommended” for us: big or small lips, pear or apple shapes, large or small busts. And I, for one, no longer care to be advised that dark colors will make my lips look smaller. Do you see Lily Cole, KStew, or Jennifer Aniston backing down? No. Rules are meant to be broken.

—Mackenzie Wagoner

Mackenzie Wagoner—the newest member of Team ITG!—photographed by Emily Weiss in New York on May 13, 2013. [2,3] Photos by Mackenzie Wagoner, [4] Jennifer Aniston, [5] Kristen Stewart, [6] Lily Cole

Oribe has done for hair what Febreze did for college dorm rooms. The hairdresser's new, pleasingly subtle "hair refresher" Côte d’Azure—so named for the gleaming French Riviera territory —holds the promise of neutralizing that not-totally-clean hair smell, cutting static, and imparting an invigorating, shampoo-y essence to your hair, rather than an elevator-clearing perfume. Say you’re hit up on GChat to swing by a can’t-miss meeting/party/dinner/date on the 3rd day of your very IRL hair-washing cycle? Don't worry about it. Lock and load the petite, purse-friendly gold bottle in your bag and spray yourself on the go.

We've passed the cannister around the Gloffice, ever so lightly spritzing our 'dos with the fruity-floral cocktail of edelweiss, watermelon, and lychee extracts (real ones), and let us tell you: any hair-stench is gone, in its place a lingering scent that's more standing-outside-of-a-really-bougie-salon than loitering-in-front-of-Bath-&-Body-Works. And you know what? We did feel refreshed, cared for, pampered—this stuff yells (whispers firmly?) “I take very good care of myself." Even if that is a little white lie. (And we’ll remind you, like we've reminded ourselves, that this spray is not a long-term alternative to actually cleansing.)

Photo by Elizabeth Brockway

Winona, where have you hiding (besides, of course, in our Instagram feeds and tucked away in “Inspiration" folder on our desktops, not to mention sub-folders specifically dedicated to "Johnny + Winona Forever")?!?!

Though she popped up as Spock’s mother (R.I.P.) in J.J. Abrams' first Star Trek movie and in 2010's Black Swan, it seemed our Nineties sweetheart all but fell off the face of Hollywood (but never, ever our hearts)—all after Johnny Depp replaced his “Winona Forever” tattoo with the much-more-sensical “Wino Forever." Well, this isn't completely true, but, regardless, Winona's here again, appearing in not one, but two promising films in 2013; the first, The Iceman, is currently in theaters, and the second, Homefront, comes out this fall.

Ryder's publicity campaign (unofficially) launches with a gothic bang: the May cover of Interview magazine. The 41-year-old looks as young as ever—really, it's like she's barely aged since donning shoulder pads and a whole lot of hairspray as Veronica in Heathers. That said, she has certainly grown up, and she is styled rather vampy with her jet-black hair, bold brows, and pale skin, highlighted by seemingly minimal makeup except a cherry-red lip and a light eye.

Here's what we gleaned from the accompanying conversation: Ryder's just like the rest of us (albeit a very, very cool version), insecure about some things, a bit embarrassed about her past and her naiveté in her early years, but also proud of the person that she was and has become. Plus, she acknowledges her missteps (alluding to the whole shoplifting fiasco), and explains how she's grown from them. Winona, we are so down with you.

The original bitch is back. So, excuse us as we go watch Heathers...followed by Reality Bites, Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands, and her Oscar-nominated performance in Little Women—plus, that gives us a chance to fawn over a young Christian Bale as Laurie. Ahhh.

P.S. If you don't have a folder dedicated to Johnny and Winona, this recent BuzzFeed article demonstrating their late, great love should spark a new fondness and longing for their good years. We miss you. Maybe it’s time to reunite the love?

P.P.S. May we suggest The Wombats' “1996” as the perfect musical accompaniment to a stroll down Winona Lane:

Winona Ryder photographed by Craig McDean for Interview magazine, May 2013. Hair by Anthony Turner. Makeup by Francelle.

Crafting the “perfect brow” is sort of the Mount Everest of beauty "basics"—many have fallen, or been otherwise foiled, in their attempt to reach the top (AKA the perfect arch). Some of us made mistakes in middle and high school, for which we are still paying. Should you pluck or wax? Or should you go caveman and wear them au naturel? Well, whatever your preference at the moment, it seems like the new trend, if you can call it that, is to replicate the 1950s-esque bold brow. Credit Cara Delevingne (she should be a paid spokeswoman for the thick brow), or even this month's Winona Ryder Interview cover, but we have become increasingly focused on our lower foreheads.

But what to do? Ask today's Top Shelf subject, Charlotte Tilbury. Just in the nick of time, the makeup-artist extraordinaire teamed up with Net-A-Porter to teach the brow-befuddled among us how to emulate Cara on a daily basis—consider it a less permanent homage to the 'It' model than a lion finger tattoo. Cheers!