Ode to SATC: The Beauty of Samantha

I think we can safely say that sexual inhibition is Samantha Jones's archenemy - and the one thing this show consciously does away with in order to stage groundbreaking conversations about sex from the female point of view. And what better way to make it interesting than to have a wildly shameless, borderline nympho at the round table?

Kim Cattrall's urbane and sophisticated version of a femme fatale is probably her most famous alter ego to boot: PR executive Samantha Jones. 'Sam', as she is sometimes affectionately called by the girls - a nickname fraught with double meaning as she is the one character who comes the closest to being able to "have sex like a man" - is also known as SATC's pride and joy: the always hilarious, over-the-top anti-wallflower who has yet to be, in Carrie's words following Samantha's characteristically calm announcement of her would-be temporary lesbian status, "outsexed". Samantha's vociferous frankness about everything from (trying to) sleep with a gay couple to quite rationally considering a relationship with a 'young seventy-three' year-old in a May-to-December romance that would last all of three dates is proof that her mantra when it comes to sex is anything but lip service: "I'm a tri-sexual: I'll try anything once."



Regardless of where you stand on the Samantha's-Crazy scale, if you're a true SATC fan, you have to come to terms with the fact that her character is more than just the perennial line-crosser when it comes to what can and can't be censored on national public television. All four women on the show embody the different impulses and desires ALL women have (in different permutations at different seasons in her life) and Samantha is simply the female libido incarnate. As much or as little as you may think you have in common with her, you most certainly cannot ignore the reality and undeniable existence of what she represents. It would be an understatement to say that the show would be missing something without Samantha. Indeed, an essential voice in the often cacophonous (ever watch The View? Damn guests can hardly get a word in edgewise) conversation that is the female experience. Behind closed doors, we all got a little Sam in us!



Underneath Samantha's outrageous hilarity, though, is a deep-seated fear of getting too close and ultimately losing control - and getting hurt. As many jaw-dropping lines of shocking vulgarity Kim Cattrall's character winds up delivering, it's her humanity that keeps her character relatable, and ultimately more than just a raucous headboard-banging scene stealer. Her cancer-surviving, chemo-enduring status gives her ample street cred with real women everywhere, and Michael Patrick King was equally generous in giving Samantha an unshakable commitment to her girls that comes from a real place - she fights tooth and nail to protect the ones she loves, and above all, reminds the audience how important it is to value oneself. Like Miranda, Samantha's character is a fellow female pioneer in the workplace - fighting and standing up for her self in a predominantly male-led industry, and unashamedly announcing her own value both to her colleagues and to the various men who come in and out of her life.



Samantha's style most definitely announces itself before Kim Cattrall even utters a (curse) word. Bright, vibrant shades in various fabrics from silk to sheer to polyester, and audacious jewelry that you might pass off as 'too much' but for some reason, just looks inexplicably fabulous every time - you can tell Pat Fields just goes to town dressing this truly timeless character. Cattrall's makeup ranges from sexy, nude-y understated looks to the ultra-glam and decidedly modern bright lip in fuchsia or bright cherry red. And Samantha's full-faced 80's makeup look was dead-on - especially the heavily contoured blush - my fave! Bravo to the SATC makeup artists!



The goregeousness just doesn't stop! The woman puts us to shame, really.

Stay tuned for my final thoughts on Carrie, the voice and master storyteller of SATC!

Blog Update

Check out the new 'Galleries' link to your left! You can see before and after pictures from some of the weddings I've done. Now you don't have to scroll all the way down the blog to find pictures of my work!

Also just ordered some temporary business cards so I can stop using post-its now. Man, Google is amazing! Really, what can't you find on it?!

In the future, I'll try to organize the various pages on this thing so you left-brainers can stop freaking out every time you see visit and see angry anti-American rants mixed in with product reviews and film recommendations (I'm right-brained if you can't already tell).

More soon. Happy Monday!

Ode to SATC: The Beauty of Miranda

If Charlotte embodies convention domesticity, then Miranda is the epitome of 'unconventional' maternity - i.e. the modern working mother - hardly unconventional these days, though. Many women today are refusing to quit their day jobs, and Miranda's character beautifully represents the modern woman's struggle to maintain a full-time career on top of being a full time mom. In a word? Kick-ass. Props to all our full-time and part-time working mommies out there! You multi-tasking ladies deserve a standing O every time.

Nixon's hard-to-miss, straight-talking character Miranda Hobbes can always be counted on for a good, harsh dose of reality. And let's face it, no matter how emotional us "women" are, it only takes ONE conversation with another woman just SLIGHTLY more emotive than we are to throw this side of our psyche into relief.

Think about it. Ever have a conversation with a girlfriend, and find yourself spouting really practical, and surprisingly rational advice? And then after the conversation is over, you find yourself asking, "Now how come I can't do that for myself?" Well that's easy peasy: because it's nearly impossible to be completely objective when it comes to your own issues. It's like trying to get a good look at your back side without a mirror.

Miranda's character often serves as that mirror for the SATC posse on the show, deftly using her native legalese to express or explain the double standard women face for being stereotyped as illogical creatures relying solely on emotion to make decisions. The inimitable character of Miranda unabashedly announces to the audience that some of us ladies, even without that Y chromosome, exercise this side of the brain more than others because ALL women are so incredibly and beautifully different. Such is the beauty of Miranda. She is all woman, and fiercely logical (though she has had her share of emotional, "irrational" moments - remember when she confesses her love to Steve in the laundry room at Brady's birthday party with her handsome doctor boyfriend in the next room?? Classic foot-in-the-mouth Miranda moment).

She is definitely not afraid of standing out of the crowd, or standing up for her beliefs - a prominent one being her insistence on being treated as an equal in a man's world. It's Miranda's worldly success, and strong, confident voice Candace Bushnell uses to often express the frustration at being a woman who is trying to hold her own in the business/corporate world without being written off as emotional, incompetent or less-than.



There are some amazing scenes in SATC 2 that illustrate this dynamic between male and female co-workers - and Cynthia Nixon hits it out of the park yet again. The Greek word 'catharsis' can hardly do justice to the way so many women must have felt watching the thrillingly bold confrontation Miranda has with her male boss who continues to shush her during board meetings by lifting his index finger up to her face. Bravo, Ms. Nixon! One small step for stellar female thespian, one giant step for womankind-needing-a-voice-in-the-workplace everywhere.

Miranda's makeup and style almost always reflect this kind of bold femininity. Eye-catching ethnic prints, unexpected color palettes and statement jewelry all look right at home on Miranda. Nixon's deep-set eyes and wide double eyelid folds give ample room to showcase subtly deep, jewel-toned eye-shadows which visually communicate her refreshing audacity and unafraid-to-be-blunt personality. Gorgeous work here - and maybe the least believable thing about her character because honestly, with a full-time job AND a kid, who has time to perfect the smoky eye? But it is the movies after all - something's gotta give, eh?



Escapism at its best, my fellow SATC diehards! Up next: Samantha's sexy SATC style!

Ode to SATC: The Beauty of Charlotte

You really can't talk about modern American beauty today without giving credit where it's due: the iconic ladies of SATC.

And I promise this won't be one of "those" entries. You know, where the writer (either a squealing twenty-something girl or an any-something gay) gushes about how justified this sequel is. I mean, is it just me or do filmmakers not try as hard on sequels? I hate it when people rest on their laurels like that. That's 10 bones - and 2 hours of my life, yo's! But seriously, I give you my word that I'm not gonna overuse exclamation marks and embed trailer clips and E! interviews in this entry so you can relax and let down your annoyingly-obnoxious-self-important-blogger defenses now. I mean, if you're anything like me, you're probably wondering if and when these self-appointed authorities on all things SATC will be able to unglue their lips from the asses of Darren Star and Michael Patrick King to actually see the damn thing. (No, I did not wait in line for this movie. I'm a fan but I'm also tired.)

So now that I've made sure you aren't going to write me off as just another SJP-worshipping, Manolo-Blahnik-coveting wannabe-Feminist (in fact, I venture to guess that actual card-holding Feminists would loathe this show for a number of really academic reasons I'm not gonna pretend I know how to explicate), let me also say that I'm a HUGE fan of the show. A collaboration of smart writing and an amazingly talented group of artists of all kinds (the inimitable Pat Fields in costuming along with an equally talented crew of set designers, makeup artists, and cinematographers) always has classic entertainment value through and through.

What's endlessly fascinating about film is its visual capacity to utilize so many different artistic mediums, within its own encompassing visuality, to communicate a story. Since this is a beauty blog of sorts, here's my take on the makeup of Kristin Davis's hilariously prim and proper character Charlotte. Amy Sohn, in her awesome hardback version of the first SATC movie (Yes I purchased this while sober. See? I told you I'm a fan), calls Charlotte's style "Jackie O. Meets Upper East Side Mommy" and I couldn't agree more.

Her makeup is always classic, clean and rarely over the top. Soft browns, mauves and light pink tones are her usual fare, with the occasional smoky eye (but done up subtly if at all). She's a traditional stay-at-home mom who embraces a lot of conventional domestic standards, so her makeup reflects that. She often blends seamlessly into the color palette of her home.



Gorgeous and adorable all at the same time! Stay tuned for odes to the rest of the SATC ladies! Who's your favorite?