Escape to New York...

1After a 10-hour flight and leaving behind Buenos Aires' overwhelming hot weather, I've finally arrived to a  freezing New York, with snow and temperatures below -1°C!!

How will my body react to such climate shock?

Well, so far so good, but I had to unpack my ear-muffs, my coat, my gloves and socks... in fact, everything I've been avoiding these past 6 weeks...

And how did I find my beloved New York?

Calm, very calm. "Everyone's in Palm Beach," my friend Debbie told me at lunch, "or in Aspen, Bahamas or Punta del Este..."

It's because January and February are low seasons for tourism here, there's the winter holidays and it's so cold... There's not much shopping to do either: there are some remains of past sales, 75% off the original price, but all very manipulated and in extravagant sizes only...

And as for window shopping, many stores are presenting their 2010 Spring-Summer collections, although with the cold and all they look weird and little tempting...

So it's mostly a time for visiting exhibitions. The Guggenheim has a few good ones: there's one on expresionism before World War I, there's another one called "Paris and the Avant-Garde", which opened on January 23rd, and there's the Thannhauser Collection also.

Another option is to visit (again!) the Frick Museum, which never disappoints...

New York has something for everyone!

Last Saturday in Punta del Este...

The weather is lovely, it's hot and tonight there was no need to use my usual rubber band to tie my hair during the dinner party offered by Ada de Maurier at the Parador Acqua... There was no wind so my hair-do resisted all night! There were stars in the sky and a bellissima croissant moon...

But all must come to an end and on Monday I'll be leaving... Buenos Aires, New York and Paris. Everything different: food, languages, weather, clothes (I've forgotten how to dress for winter!), houses, friends... A 180º turn just when I have gotten used to living in Punta...

However, I will still be writing my posts, telling you rather more international stuff than local...

But I'll for sure miss my daily trips to Tienda Inglesa (Punta's top supermarket), the events organized by Grupo Mass+, Diana's hairdressing salon, reading El País every morning, going to Maldonado's street markets every Sunday and the Uruguayan drinking mate with their thermos under their arms...

... And my morning walks (6 km a day!) following the Mansa coastline.

Another summer comes to an end, at least for me. Another of the many summers spent here in Punta del Este, many joyful, others extremely painful. But that's Life, right? With its miseries and splendors.

Ciao Summer in Punta. See you next year...

Hello Paris...

Here I come...

Golden Globes 2010... under the rain!!!

And for once, we had a rainy Golden Globes...
How weird to see all those Hollywood stars under umbrellas, so like normal people...
I know that they are common mortals like us, but seeing them on screen, playing so many different roles, gets you under the impression that they are immune to stuff like rain, cold or any other human misery...
But yesterday it rained hard in Los Angeles and all those actresses who chose curly, wavy or straight hair-dos, had it difficult! Or as Young Victoria's Emily Blunt put it: "I'm English, I'm used to it..."
Anyway, the rain took nothing from a ceremony that was traditional, elegant and glamorous as always...
There were so many fantastic dresses that I get confused... All I can say is that there was a clear tendency to one-shoulder straight long dresses... Of those I saw plenty! They were just like the one I want to wear for the big wedding party I have in Paris on February 6th... But I want mine in red!
I loved the dark green Dior that Marion Cotillard wore and it went perfectly with her chignon...
I also liked Penélope Cruz, who's one of my favorite actresses and looked charming yesterday with her black Armani Privé and her loose hair.
Awful was Nicole Kidman's beige Nina Ricci... it matched her skin tone!
On the contrary, and not because she's Italian as myself, I liked what George Clooney's girlfriend, Elisabetta Cannalis, wore: it was a creamy Versace, that went well with her skin type.
I saw many Elie Saab (a libanese designer who works in Paris), various Roberto Cavalli and some Marchesa (like Kate Hudson's)... also a lot of mistakes!
As for the men, my favorite was Thomas Jane... He's not so popular here yet but he's gonna be a huge star... You must see his TV series "Hung."
I also liked Robert Downey Jr., a great actor and quite goodlooking. Among the elders, Jeff Bridges was OK.
All in all, it was a nice show, an entreé before our main course: the Oscars, coming soon in a month...

Marion Cotillard's Dior

Penélope Cruz by Armani Privé

Robert Downey Jr., nominated for "Sherlock Holmes"

PS: I'm thrilled by the Foreign Film Golden Globe awarded to Michael Haneke's The White Ribbon... great movie!

Last party of the summer in Punta...

Three weeks after going to the first party of the 2010 summer season, today I went to the last one: Fiat's at Tequila, the best and most popular nightclub here.

Again, I met Franco Macri, Cristiano Rattazzi (tonight's host), Nacha Guevara, with her lovely Louboutins, and all the socialites of this summer...

Many nice people, models, actors and businessmen... Cristiano is much appreciated by us all...

And of course, all the press and paparazzis...

I wore a black Azzaro with a stone necklace.

Tomorrow I'll be back in Buenos Aires and I would have left behind this huge bubble of pleasure, distraction and frivolity. It's time to pay attention to much serious stuff... like providing help of Haiti's survivors for instance.

As Scarlet O'Hara says on the last paragraph of Gone with the Wind: Tomorrow's another day...

Gente's Vamp Rock Party

As I've been telling you for some time now, the party season is coming to an end...

Tonight I went to the one organized by Gente Magazine, a classic...

The dress code asked for pink, which could be on your entire outfit, or just on accessory or even only on your make-up.

Where? At the terrace of the Conrad Hotel, which has a beautiful view but it's windy enough to ruin any hairdo or brushing... As I have learned from past experiences, I placed a rubber band on my glitter pink Judith Leiber minaudiere and, after the usual pictures at the entrance, I tied my hair in a more comfortable pony tail.

The party was fun and it still looked like it was going to last for long when I left... People fought hard to get past the strict controls at the entry. The terrace was full. Fortunately there were one or two VIPs (private places, slightly elevated from the rest of the floor, where friends and hosts can sit and see everyone comfortably) and though the wind was worst there, no one wanted to get back to Earth...

The party begun with a hard rock show by Pablo Bañares, plastic surgeon and mesotherapist on his free time, a true rocker in soul. Then there was a long demonstration of spectacular fireworks on the beach in front. And just after that I would have gone back home when someone whispered that we had to wait for the special guest, to arrive in a private plane from Mar del Plata: the one and only, Ricardo Fort, Argentina's new popular icon.

I wouldn't miss it, so I stayed and saw most of the runway-show, inspired in vamp rock women: the best bodies of the season walked the runway barely covered, with horns, devil tails and all... The men were mad!

Pampita, Dolores Barreiro, Deborah Bello and more...

But the cold was stronger than me and I went back home defeated...

I asked my friends that if Ricky Fort finally showed up, to tell him that I would gladly invite him home, all healthy food, of course. He could explain to me his gym routine and, in return, I could give him some fashion advice...

Will he come?

More pictures of the party here.

Nacha Guevara and her shoes...

Last days of parties here in Punta del Este... that is, last days of events followed by journalists from Caras and Gente... there's still going to be private gatherings...

Or at least, I hope so...

Tonight, at Yoo, the building designed and decorated by Phillippe Starck, in the theatre near the magnificent pool on the first floor, the active and efective guys from Mass+ Group (Wally Diamante and Facundo Garayalde) gathered a group of people to attend a show by Nacha Guevara, with Alberto Favero by the piano.

Julio Bocca, Ricardo Piñeiro and many others (but not that many) were among the invited.

It was fun, mainly because of the general mood, very relaxed, with people sitting on comfortable couches and sofas, listening to the music.

Nacha, of course, was fantastic as ever, full of energy and youth.

I was marvelled, though, by her Christian Louboutin shoes... with lace and extra high heels. Definitely a pair of his latest collection which I don't have and have included on our Object of Desire section some time ago...

They looked great on her...

Ok, so Good Night to you all.

I'm exhausted.

Nacha's Louboutin

A night with Julio Iglesias...

Last thing I imagined this morning is that I would end up going to the first of three shows Julio Iglesias is offering at the Conrad Hotel, in Punta del Este...

I haven't thought of him in years... except when, from time to time, I check the Hola at the hairdresser and see pictures of his wonderful family and his absolutely perfect five children.

As for his music... well... I grew up listening to him, but now the oldest band I follow is Coldplay!!

But today, when a journalist friend came home for my usual summer interview for her TV program and said that she had tickets, we decided to go.

Entering the Conrad lobby is a show itself... it feels like being in Las Vegas (although, as I told you before, I've never been to Vegas... but did see many movies!), and I loved that atmosphere, as if  we were somewhere else in the World. Among the audience I saw Valeria Mazza, who's not giving interviews these days because she does not feel like wearing make-up, and Ricardo Fort's mother, who very much feels like doing so...

But above all, I loved seeing once again the most popular Spanish artist on Earth. Or at least, he used to be...

The show was well produced, with a couple of Argentine tango dancers, and two very, very beautiful choir girls... One of them, the one from the Dominican Republic, could perfectly well run for Miss Universe or even challenge Megan Fox. And there was also a solo singer, with a voice similar to that of Leona Lewis, and a great orchestra.

And then, there was him... the same voice still, or maybe better, I think...

His look is stuck in 1973, though: black jacket, and a black vest with four buttons. It killed me. And his hair... so abundant and... dark. I'm not being mean about this... it's just some considerations on style.

The audience, though, mainly between 35 and 70 years old, seemed not to care about those details...

And he is such a professional, always joking about himself, age and sex, and still kissing the women on stage with him, vampire-like, as if sucking youth from them... no exaggerations here...

But we loved it. After 40 years of shows (how many has he done? 6.000... 10.000?), he still has it.

A true artist.

More tips for dressing on a budget...

It's true that it's not easy to find something elegant, chic and glamorous while being on a budget... but hey, it's not impossible!

For starters, avoid embroidered stuff because if they are not first quality or hand-sewn, then they sure look ordinary and cheap. Also run from synthetic silk... And you well know how I feel about prints!

What I do like is night dresses in one single color. All-black, of course. But also an all-red look, which at night makes every girl look sexy and beautiful, mysterious and intriguing... I've never been happier than when dressed in red. In summer, a long white dress can do wonders, specially with a light tan, achieved thanks to good sunscreens.

If you have nice shoulders and arms (you can shape them with hard wotk and exercise), go for strapless dresses. And if you want to feel sexy, wear a gown with no cleavage on the front but a good one on the back. Pair it with long earrings (you can get cheap ones on the beach, for instance) and use your hair naturally or untidily done into a bun. See the Golden Globe Awards on 01/17 or the Oscars in February for some red carpet inspirations...

And don't forget shoes... heels!!! They are a must with night dresses, unless you are 1.78 mts.

If you have an important occasion  and want to be sensational, ask your boyfriend, or husband, or best friend to take pictures of you, with the dress and make-up on a few days earlier so that you can see how you look and feel... You can even ask them to tape you too! Then see what you like and what you don't of the entire outfit... and proceed!

This will give you confidence, which after all is the best of garments.

I've been told Nicole Kidman and many other stars do this...

So why not you...?

Tips to get dressed with small budgets...

For some time now, many readers of our blog have been asking me for advice to get dressed with style but on a budget...

On this particular summer night I feel inspired and, instead of dinning out or going to some party, I rather stay home and share with you my views on the matter...

To begin with, it is important that you know yourself, know the pros and cons of your body. To achieve this, nothing better than a full-body high-quality mirror...

If you are slightly overweight, then say no to flounces, prints, flowers and wide skirts. Go for complete ensambles in one color, such as black or maybe blue, which is not so popular but very chic too. Grey is another good option, specially if it's winter or if you are blond.

If you have big breasts, use cleavages in V forms and avoid the squared ones. You can also wear turtlenecks that are very elegant.

Of course, if you are skinny thin and tall, do use clothes with flounces... but prudently, though.

A last key point: the length of the skirt.

I hate skirts that cover the knees! That length looks good on no-one. It makes us look smaller and with shorter legs. It's a must for me. Every time I buy a garment, I adapt it to my desired length no matter the views of designers... How many times have I redone an Oscar de la Renta dress to fit my body!

If you are on a budget, buy basics and take good care of them. Iron them every time you use them and if you find a stain, send it right away to dry-cleaning or, if allowed by the label, wash it at home. Brush your clothes and keep them in special plastic bags (which are not expensive).

As basics I understand a straight skirt to the knee (it's what Americans call the pencil skirt), preferably in black, and a white well-ironed cotton shirt, to be used folding its sleeves right to your elbow. To that outfit add a wide important belt and your are done!

Use black classic shoes, please. Or sandals, with a comfortable heel. I love extremely high heels... but I understand that it's not something for everyone. If you want to try how sky-high heels feel like, practice at home: wear them a few hours every day and see how they suit you. Do not go out with them till you are completely sure.

Don't go for too much jewelry. A pair of discreet earrings will do. And as for bags... please say no to FAKES!!! My mother used to say that it's better a plastic purse than a fake Hermés or L.Vuitton. I totally agree.

The same straight skirt works well with a white t-shirt in summer or a turtleneck sweater in winter. And to achieve a super sexy look, try a white or creamy silk shirt as the ones I saw on the Di Doménico runway show (the best items of the collection).

Well, more on my next post...

Delayed Flights...

For three weeks now I've been traveling back and forth from Buenos Aires to Punta del Este. And everytime I travel, flights are delayed. Sometimes it's 40 minutes... others is 3 or 4 hours!

My friends who have visited me here in Punta haven't been any luckier.

But what's going on?

Until today I have never come across a single article on the press explaining the reasons for such annoying delays, specially on a high holiday season here, where every minute counts and one does not feel like spending a lovely sunny day waiting in the airport, with no one giving an explanation above "inconveniences at the control tower in Montevideo..."

On an Aerolíneas Argentinas flight on January 5th, the Captain of the flight very kindly explained to us passangers, while we were seated on the plane under the killer sun, that employees at Montevideo's control tower were working to rule and allowing planes every 10 minutes. And, if for any reason (such a Customs problem or a passenger delayed on the Duty Free shops) we lost our turn, we had to go back in line, after all the other planes waiting... just as if we were playing Monopoly!!

I ask myself: is it now, in the middle of Summer, the time for employees at Montevideo to be working to rule, specially in a country which receives mayor income from Tourism? What about the foreign visitors who came convinced by myself speaking wonders of the beaches of Punta del Este, took flights from Rome, Paris, London or New York, did 14-hour travels to Buenos Aires and from there tried to fly here and worst, return back to Buenos Aires in time for there connecting flights??? What explanation can we give them?

Finally today one of Uruguay's most important newspapers, El País, published an article with a distressing title: Punta's Airport: no solution for delays.

According to the article, in a high season like this 16 employees would be needed at the control tower, but there's only 8 and all the inconveniences begun when one called-in sick and there was no one to replace him. On December 31st, Laguna del Sauce's Airport registered 170 flights... so you can imagine the delays. Airlines do not take responsibility for the loss of connections, the changes in the schedules of the crew or any other complaint passengers make. Many Ministers of Tabare's Administration expressed their concern, but it seems there won't be a solution for the lack of personnel till 2012!!!

It takes time to prepare and train new employees...

A rather disturbing panorama for us travelers between Punta del Este and Uruguay...

Maybe we should prepare ourselves to travel as Caronte, not with a load of souls, but with our luggages and take Buquebus?

You can read the full article on El País by clicking here.

Di Doménico's Fall-Winter 2010 runway show

Another classic Punta del Este event: today, at sunset, I went to the Fall-Winter 2010 runway show of Carlos Di Doménico and César Juricich.

Apart from being talented designers, Carlos and César are really charming, funny and nice people! They complement each other... Carlos is a Leo and César is a Scorpio so, for those who understand astrological personalities as I do, there's nothing more to say!

Their annual summer show is usually held on the gardens of Shirley Serna's house (she is Hotel Conrad's  manager), but this year as the demand for tickets increased, a few days ago they decided to use the terraces on the second floor of the Conrad. There's an unbelievable view of the Mansa beach from there and by 8.30 / 9.00 pm you can enjoy the loveliest of sunsets... and if you are lucky enough, maybe you can even experience the green lightning appearing as the sun hides under the sea.

The only thing bothering us on the terrace was the unstoppable wind, tangling up our hairdos.

But you can have it all!

So we arrived at the hotel and got seats on the front row, just beside Susana Giménez, who was there with daughter Mercedes. Susana is an incredibly charming woman, natural and spontaneous, just as she appears on TV. As she sat, like a horde of annoying flies, photographers, cameramen, fans and women seeking a picture with her, fought to get a glimpse of her. It was maddening!

Security people were unsuccessfully trying to keep everyone in place. Even I felt harassed!

It must not be easy to be such a star as she is and still be charming and nice to everyone and listen to compliments and say nice things to each one... I congratulate her!
For those who are wondering, she was wearing a tight black sequined pant, with an also sequined vest and a white shirt.

After all this fuss, Teté Coustarot appeared on stage and announced the beginning of the show, which was really good actually, with lots of colors and many many dresses, some in electric blue... a color that looks great with a summer tan!

Most of Ricardo Piñeiro's models were there, from Mariana Arias (very chic) to Dolores Barreiro and Ingrid Grudke, and many young new girls whose names I don't know. All of them were wearing untidy chignons because of the wind.

By the end of the show, Carlos and César walked the runway to greet everyone. They were both identically dressed: jeans, black smoking jackets, and blue ties.

They are definitely our Dolce & Gabbana.

I left for home soon to tell you everything on this post.

PS: The hit of the night? Judith Leiber's Swarovski parrot minaudière my sister wore. The name of the parrot-bag is Scarlett and Scarlett in Italian can be translated as Rosella.

Une Nuit à Phuket

Party Night in Punta del Este...

As every year, Chandon gathered the "tout Punta" for their traditional all-white party.

This year it was held at the new facilities of the splendid new private neighbourhood called Pueblo Mío, on the route 104, behind Manantiales.

Official guests? 800.

Party-crashers? Many...

This is one of Punta's favorite summer sports: crashing at parties everyone is talking about when you are not invited. This summer we had crashers at the parties of Shakira, of the financier JP Bailey on December 31st and of the Libanese magnate Laith Pharaon last saturday. So security crews here have a big time screening people at the entrance, checking whether they have the mandatory colored bracelet that enables the entry to Paradise...

Sometimes these people get to physically fight their way in... it's just something that adds to the mythology of summers in Punta.

But back to Pueblo Mío and the Chandon party, the dress code at the invitation was rather intriguing: all-white with a touch of Thai.

I was perplexed... a Thai detail?

I've never been to Thailand, nor to the world-celebrated beaches of Phuket.

The only Thai thing I know is the food...

A friend called at night to suggest that the Thai detail had to be orange...

Orange? Why? So that we could pass as one of the Dalai Lama's followers?

Bah. A white and gold long Marchesa saved the night for me, as an embroidered Azzaro (with some orange stones in fact) did the trick for my sister, my best partner for this type of excursions...

The party was great... Many friends and Punta's usuals: Franco Macri, Cristiano Rattazzi, Adolfo Cambiaso, Sebastián Eskenazi, many models with never-ending legs, young good-looking men and the last Europeans enjoying their time here before hitting the cold weather of the old continent. All the journalists and paparazzis working here showed up to see who was coming and who wasn't.

Champagne à gogó, white and rosé, and lots of music. Of course, we all wore white.

Oh... and what about the Thai detail? Well, some wore necklaces, others chose pashminas, some preferred hindu shirts...

There was such a party mood... it was hard to think of the situation in Yemen or the possible new war, of the existing wars, of the recession, of the cold or the efforts some must make to earn their living...

So much white got me thinking on Angels. Was this really Paradise on Earth? Is this why there were so many party-crashers fighting their way in.

It's hard for some to go back to reality.

As for myself... I went back home early, as usual.

Beauty tips for your skin...

Many readers of my humble blog have been asking me for some beauty tips for their skins, specially around this time of the year.

I know it might be hard to put this into practice but my main advice is... DO NOT sunbathe without protection!!!

And I'm telling this not only to protect your face, but also your body. Sun-exposure wrinkles the skin of your face, but also that of your arms (then women of more than 40 wonder why they have their skin hanging all over), your knees, your belly and your calf.

In the morning, before going outdoors, may it be sunny or not, and after using a cleansing milk or lotion (that depending on your skin type), wear some hydrating cream and then sunblock, and with it cover face, neck and neckline (+ 50 SPF minimum). For the rest of the body, a +30 protection will do.

A good nice tip to avoid looking white and corpsy is to mix some drops of colour foundation or self-tanner to your sunscreen. If you'll be spending all day on the beach, use a hat and re-aply your sunblock at least twice, specially if you like swimming.

When I get back from the beach I like cleansing my face again and using a refreshing and hydrating face mask. Only after doing so, I think about make-up.

I do agree that a tan on your face does look nice and even makes us feel younger and healthier... But beware... it's just a trick!

After the tan fades, only spots and wrinkles will stay...

Your is the choice...