Unfortunately, I didn't read as much as I wanted to since it was the end of the semester and I had a 15-page paper due, but I'm slowly but surely getting through A Storm of Swords, and as you saw yesterday, I have quite the summer reading list. And there are four books below that you might want to add to your own list! {Click here for item info} Buy the book: | If you're not on the run, why not try a ravishing red dress, a Renaissance-inspired necklace, red stud earrings, and two-toned pumps? Or if you're being chased through Florence, wear a gray faux leather jacket, lacey red blouse, olive jeans, black backpack, and (since I forgot to add shoes) these comfy canvas sneakers. Pair a subtly-patterned black romper with a beige sweater, black cuff, owl ring, and black sandals. Or wear a black owl-adorned tee, distressed jeans, simple necklace, purple owl watch, and (brain fart: again I forgot the shoes!) these cute nude criss-cross sandals. Buy the book: |Schick® Intuition® Island Berry Razor
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Like its predecessor, “Arranging Suitcases” (now on view at Heiner Contemporary) is poetic and strange. The artist, seated in a highback tufted chair, reflects on a dance he performed to win the chair. At the conclusion of the flashback, the artist is confronted by a pile of steamer trunks of varied dimensions. Noticing one missing, he hurls the load onto his back and humps them over a canal and down a street, unloading them in a yard where the last remaining trunk is found on a pedestal. The artist unpacks the trunks, and assembles a contraption that includes an exercise bike, a Sousaphone, and a scaffold that enables a person to simultaneously exercise and play the instrument, which exactly what the artist then does. The video is a part of a much larger assemblage of stuff. Promotional photos of the video performance are on the wall, along with concept drawings and character studies. The blue trunks from the film, each crafted by the artist, are piled along the wall. The contraption—-an exercise bike Sousaphone with swivel bell—-stands in the middle of the gallery.
The chair, custom upholstered for the video, is in the corner, with matching wallpaper on Masonite dressing the walls. Considering the physical relationship a spectator can have with the objects from the video, it should be no surprise how immersive the video becomes, despite the absurdities. The opening flashback, for starters: Lawrence applies several conventions of early cinema within the first part act of the video, which retells the tale of a man who dances to win the heart of a chair he fancies. While the pantomime is reminiscent of Keaton or Chaplain—-complete with suit, straw skimmer hat, and a shoe-polish mustache—-the dance is distinctly modern. The second act of the video, the moving of the trunks, as well as the third act, the assembly of the contraption, are also performed with silent-film schtick , and it's possible to appreciate this video solely for its strangeness. It could be a commentary on art-film tropes themselves: After all, who hauls luggage a few thousand feet to unpack and play its contents, or for that matter who cuts down a tree only to move it a few hundred feet and reconstruct it?
But, despite a couple of editing goofs, the craft of the work is too meticulous to be a pointless or abstract act of surrealism. Or, maybe it isn’t. When I visited, the gallery offered that the artist was working in response to stories about his grandparents, and gallery literature says Lawrence is “preoccupied with notions of futility and the absurd.” Let’s run with it and consider the work symbolically. The chair is grandma, who waxes romantically about earlier days of courtship (the first act). The luggage is grandpa, who whisks grandma away. Together they encounter challenging moves and eventually settle down. Once settled, they reflect on how anti-climactic it all was. You can almost hear the artist say, “That’s it?” He exhales and dead-pans off camera with a look of bewilderment. Was all of that activity pointless? But so is life. Don’t dwell on its pointlessness: It's more fulfilling to reflect on achievements and experiences, no matter how challenging or fleeting.
And, considering the contraption, the trunks, the drawings, and the handcrafted wall paper, it’s not the pointlessness that should be celebrated. Like a Rube Goldberg Machine, it is just how pointless it is that makes Lawrence's work enjoyable. Avery Lawrence's Arranging Suitcases is on view 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday to April 21 at Heiner Contemporary, 1675 Wisconsin Ave. NW.After spending countless hours being primped by teams of makeup artists and hair pros, these perennial partiers have learned a trick or two. Here, their top tips for DIY glam. The Earth Mother: Miranda Kerr Despite having 7 million Instagram followers, the Aussie supe and organic skin-care entrepreneur keeps her beauty ritual relatively low-tech. Lip Service: After a long day, "putting on a red lip–not an orange red or a blue-red, but a classic one–makes me feel more uplifted and ready," Kerr says. Her favorite shades are by Charlotte Tilbury.Prep Work: Before she applies her makeup, Kerr smooths out her complexion with her brand Kora's AHA Facial Exfoliator.
"I leave it on for five minutes, and it makes my skin glowy and bright," she says. Serenity Now: To get her energy flowing before a big night out, the yoga devotee will "meditate or do a backbend, handstand, or shoulder stand."Great Lengths: Her formula for prettily tousled strands: a "little head massage," a spritz of Klorane dry shampoo for texture, and "a light bend with a curling iron for volume."Pre-Party Tipple: Forget tequila. "Sometimes as I'm getting ready, I'll have a shot of [health-store staple] noni juice, which is full of 150 vitamins and minerals," she says.On Repeat: Kerr gets in the mood to captivate with "a little old-school Marilyn Monroe."The One-Trick Wonder: Joan Smalls This supermodel rocks every trend down the runway, but when it comes to getting ready herself, all she needs is a "cat-eye and an amazing pair of heels."Music Theory: To psych herself up, Smalls plays the same favorites that get her pumped up at the gym: "I'll throw on anything by Rihanna or Drake."
Purple Reign: Smalls helped develop Estée Lauder's Pure Color Envy Matte Sculpting Lipsticks. She slicks on her shade of choice: Shameless Violet, a creamy, rich plum that's become a fashion-insider favorite. Then, she completes the look with a subtle eye, "adding a bit of black liner to the waterline."Recovery Recipe: Smalls' no-fail post-party menu items include "watermelon juice, a cheeseburger, and a ton of water."The Natural: Jessica Alba The actress-turned-billionaire CEO of Honest Beauty isn't one for complicated brush sets. "Even with just your finger, you can still do makeup in only 10 minutes," she says. The Transformer: To go from day to night in a flash, "I put a great pop of color on my lips or smudge my liner a little bit," Alba says. For more impact, "I think a glossy, smoky eye is really sexy, so I'll do my usual smoky eye and then putHonest Beauty Magic Balm [a multipurpose, oil-based hydrator] over it." In the Balance: "If I'm going for the cat-eye and the red lip, I like to keep my skin more matte," she says.
But when doing a bronzed-goddess look with a muted lip, she makes her complexion a "little bit more glowy."Complexion Perfection: "I like to use primer–on top of my makeup–down the bridge of my nose and to highlight my cheekbones," she says. For easy contouring, Alba uses "a concealer or foundation a couple of shades darker" in lieu of powder. "It blends more nicely into the skin."The Glamazon: Dita Von Teese No one has mastered a signature look quite as completely as the queen of burlesque. "I can get ready in five minutes or two hours," Von Teese says. Triple Threat: "The trick is to have something you can do perfectly to look great. For me, it's red lipstick," she says. Her three-step process: "I start with a lip-liner base, put lipstick–like one of the new Christian Louboutin reds–over that, and then add gloss just to the center so it doesn't bleed outside the lips."On A Roll: For bouncy pinup waves, Von Teese uses old-school hot rollers ("I use only the small- and medium-size rollers–the smaller the rod, the tighter the curl") followed by a heavy shellacking with "shiny, nice-smelling" TIGI.
Bed Head Masterpiece Hairspray."I spray the balls out of my hair." Detail Work: To accentuate her beauty mark—it's a tattoo—Von Teese darkens it with black waterproof eyeliner before setting it with powder. "I used to draw it on, and I finally made it permanent when I was 19," she says. Now Playing: Von Teese has built playlists of different lengths to get her out the door on time. Currently streaming: Pale's "Too Much," Blood Orange's "S'Cooled," and Röyksopp's "Here She Comes Again."The Quick-Change Artist: Katy Perry This color chameleon famously loves mixing up her look—whether it's with lilac-hued hair or rainbow eye shadow. Note Perfect: Perry mists on her new fragrance, Mad Potion, before going out. The scent's combo of vanilla and musk makes her feel as if she can "attract anything or anyone." Roleplay: Her current go-to party look is inspired by Latina icons Frida Kahlo and Eva Peron, which translates to "a chignon with a center part" paired with mega lashes and "a big brow."
To achieve her bold arches, Perry fills them in with CoverGirl Bombshell Pow-der Brow & Liner and dyes them every 10 days.Making Eyes: "Seven out of 10 times," Perry will go for a strong eye over a strong lip, "because I feel like you can't have both." Her three essentials are mascara, bronzer, and a multitasking lipstick, which she repurposes as a blush and even an eye shadow. Quick Hit: When her skin needs a pick-me-up, Perry gives it a liberal spritz with Caudalie Grape Water. In a Pinch: Perry has "weird little tricks" to resolve last-minute snafus. "I was looking for a nail file the other day, and I didn't have one, so I just used a matchbook," she says. Her action plan to take the redness out of a last-minute blemish: "ice and eye drops."The Insta-liftsThese miracle workers will get skin into party mode–pronto. 1. One side of the Charlotte Tilbury Mini Miracle Eye Wand depuffs, and the other conceals.2. The last word in luxe, Givenchy Le Soin Noir Lace Face Mask is infused with firming black algae.