BOOK | He walked up to Carly Simon, looked down at her breasts and asked: "Can I see you?" So recalls the famed 1970s singer-songwriter of the first time she met full-time philanderer Warren Beatty — who would go on to be one of her inspirations for "You're So Vain" — in her recent memoir BOYS IN THE TREES. The elegantly written confessional is perfect for those wanting to know about the famous men Simon slept with (Sean Connery, Cat Stevens, Mick Jagger, Marvin Gaye), and also about her marriage to sensitive singer-songwriter James Taylor. From insecurities to personal triumphs, Simon bares all.
MAKEUP | The brand's famed red-soled shoes are way too expensive for most working gals, but CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN LIP COLOUR, which hit high-end department stores in September, is well worth the splurge (without putting you in serious debt). In Sheer Voile, Velvet Matte and Silky Satin textures, the lipstick's colors pop and stay fresh throughout the day and well into the evening. At $90 a tube — if you can call the bullet-shaped design inspired by Babylonian architecture a tube — this is not the sort of item to put in your purse and easily lose. Keep it at home. For those still looking for last-minute ideas, this amazing lip colour would also make an intensely personal and beautiful gift.
TV | FLESH AND BONE uses real ballerinas. This isn't a show where actors like Natalie Portman or Julia Stiles train to look like dancers. Instead, dancers like Sarah Hay and Sascha Radetsky act — and for the most part, are believable. Hay recently was nominated for a Golden Globe for her effort. In just eight episodes, the new Starz drama delves into the world of classical ballet in New York City as one dancer (Hay) flees her disturbing family life in Pittsburgh to audition for one of the most prestigious companies in the country. All of the major dance story tropes are there — bulimia, drug addiction, terrifying feet, a crazed artistic director — but this show adds some new ones like stripping and a homeless guardian angel. Of course, most things here are way over the top, but through dance, this show succeeds. ♦
