Ask Bonnie

I would like to think that chivalry is still alive and kicking, and that manners are still a socially accepted behavior, no matter what era you were brought up in. Most of us were taught please and thank you since we were knee high to a grasshopper, but somewhere along the way we tend to forget ourselves, and exhibit bad manners in one way or another. Is it possible to humanize others while refreshing ourselves on good manners by overcoming the rude habits and nasty dispositions of other’s by attempting to remain civilized through an unavoidable ordeal? I would like to think that people learn by example, and that it most certainly goes both ways. After all, one good deed or act of chivalry can often lead to another.

Highly annoying habits and just plain bad manners can come in the form of everything from using the telephone and the computer to dining out in public and just dealing with people and the public in general. “The customer is always right” died years ago, right along with ignorant people that plow their way into the express lane that plainly states “10 items or less” with their heaping grocery carts filled to the brim with six of each item that the store sells. At this point you are faced with either, blowing your top, praying that the sales clerk speaks up, or stepping in front of the offender while bringing it to their attention that they are over the limit. I mean, what is the worst that can happen? Dirty looks, a cat fight, or a highly annoying habit being brought out into the open? I am not sure that I want to test the water with this one, so I will continue to deal with the rude people of the world, while secretly counting to ten along with shooting daggers into the back of their head.

I have noticed that there are still a few people out there that will hold open a door for someone else, and I have also witnessed mannerly people getting knocked down to size by highly annoying ill-mannered people that appear to have come straight from the barnyard. I am a true believer that good manners should never go out of style, but instead refresher courses need to be shown to the ignorant people that pretend that they do not exist anymore. With this in mind I have listed the top annoying habits that really get to me, and they are in no particular order.

Buffets

They have stacks of clean plates sitting readily available for your convenience, so then why do people insist upon loading up their dirty plates after round one at the buffet? This is gross, highly annoying, and just plain rude. Nobody, I repeat nobody wants to eat something that you have dipped into, especially after you have allowed the serving utensil to touch you’re already eaten off of plate. Use common sense and grab a new plate, that’s what they are there for.

Eating

Smacking, snorting, growling, grunting, belching, licking the plate, nibbling on your fingers while making sucking noises, and talking with your mouth full of food will not earn any rewards. Put your animal instincts away, along with your caveman tendencies and eat like a human that has a shred of dignity still intact and quit grossing out the world!

Store Aisles

Do not leave your buggy in the middle of the aisle while you are making up your mind between brands a & b. Do not walk directly, and as slowly as possible in the middle of the aisle. Move to the side of the aisle so that faster paced walkers or grocery carts can get by, and before turning corners in the store, look ahead and make sure that nobody is coming, especially if you are a speed demon with a buggy.

Borrowing Money from Friends or Relatives

If you owe someone money, pay them back all of it, and on the date that you promised. It shows good character and sets a precedent should the roles be reversed. If you owe a friend or relative a large amount of money, you should be the one to make contact and suggest an acceptable payment plan. If you can’t come up with the money, then be honest about it. They are not a credit card company or a bank, and you could be hurting their finances by not paying them back in a timely fashion.

E-mail

Including hundreds of e-mail addresses from Aunt Bessie to your next door neighbor in the To: field. These people do not know each other, and more than likely they do not want their e-mail passed around to every Tom, Dick, and Harry on the planet. This is a serious breach of privacy when you expose your contact’s e-mail addresses to strangers and, you will probably be viewed as rude, so don’t do it!

Farting

I find it hard to believe that anyone would have the guts to openly fart in public, but they do, and some are even proud of the noise or the nauseating smell that they have shared by processing it through the air. This is most definitely wrong to do to others in enclosed places like elevators or small and poorly ventilated rooms. Once again, go to the bathroom to do your business, and no I do not want to pull your finger!

Dirty Feet
When people walk barefoot outside on the sidewalk or on the street…..like for example….your neighbors and then they want to come inside your home—-ug!!!

When People Don’t call and say thank you after having them over for a dinner or a party.

When people cut you in line either in a store or in your car on the road,and they think they could get away with it.

Children with dirty finger nails.

When people don’t give you your personal space and talk right in your face.

When a parent brags about their child and you didn’t even ask about them.

Ross Burton, Lancome National Artistic Director answers some questions:

What’s the one product that every woman needs?
Ross Burton: Definitely mascara. It is one of the best tools to transform your look from ordinary to extraordinary. Full, long, thick lashes are really sexy, even when the rest of the face doesn’t have a lot of makeup. We just introduced a new dual-ended mascara, cils design Custom Design Double Mascara, which is very innovative in that it creates the illusion of false lashes! One side lengthens and defines lashes, while the other side adds a fuller dimension through the lash to create a false lash effect. It’s basically two mascaras in one, and you can drop it in your bag and go.

What are the hot colors/trends for this spring?
Ross Burton: The hot trend for spring is a heavenly and high-tech retro look. The colors are shades of soft pastels and earth tones with modern twists of different textures and shines. Lancome’s spring color collection, Pop Cherub, embodies this trend. It includes delicate pinks, greens, and silvers, and gorgeous hues of earthy browns and grays. Many of the Pop Cherub eye shadow shades were used backstage during the Spring 2007 Fashion Week and the colors were compatible with the designers’ visions for the season.

What are the new trends in makeup now?
Ross Burton: The current hot trend in makeup is “dual products,” or two-in-one products that make beauty routines easier and more efficient. This spring we have three new two-in-ones. In addition to Cils Design Pro, we introduced COLOR DESIGN Defining and Brightening Eye Pencil Duo for eyes. It’s a must-have beauty tool with complementary dark-light shades on each end. BLUSH SUBTIL Contouring and Highlighting Duo gives you a lighter shade for highlighting the cheeks and a darker shade for contouring. Makeup has never been so easy!

What’s the latest look for eye makeup?
Ross Burton: Accessorizing your everyday look. Just by adding a different product here or there, you can transform your eyes and enhance your overall appearance. Some of the accessories I have been using lately are loose eye shadows (like LA POUDRE AUX YEUX Loose Powder Eye Shadow) over a regular eye shadow. I take a concealer brush, dampen it, coat it with the loose shadow and then just highlight the center of the lid. Not only is it a beautiful accessory to your look, it is also unexpected.

I love the smoky eye look but can never do it right. Can you walk through the steps to achieving it? And can you do a smoky eye with neutral colors?
Ross Burton: Smoky eyes are best achieved when placing the darkest color at the lash line and diffusing the color up the lid. The depth of color, whether black, brown, grey, or plum, can achieve the look of smoky eyes without focusing too much on the eye shadow. Mascara, liner, and a small brush like SMUDGER - BRUSH #10 are the tools that really smoke out a lash line and create drama. Neutral colors are best applied on the lid/crease when creating a smoky eye to keep the focus at the lash line with dark, deep tones. Layer mascara on top and bottom repeatedly for extra drama.

What are some makeup tricks to make me look revived and awake when I’m not? Ross Burton: Looking tired? That’s nothing a little white eyeliner can’t fix! Believe me, it works. Line the inner most bottom eye lid with white eyeliner (like LE CRAYON KHOL EyeLiner in Blanc), and add a bit more to the inside corner of the eye. It’s an instant brightener! Also, for fuller lashes, line the inner-most upper lid with black eyeliner. My favorite is LE CRAYON KHOL EyeLiner in Black Coffee.

What is the biggest mistake women make with makeup?
Ross Burton: That’s easy - foundation shade and texture matching. It is one of the hardest things to do. I recommend seeing a Beauty Advisor for help in matching foundation shades to skin tone and preferred foundation texture. Many companies like Lancome have made it easy for women to get their ideal coverage with technological advances. COLOR IDEAL Precise Match Skin Perfecting Makeup SPF 15 Sunscreen, our newest foundation, is the perfect example of the latest innovations in coverage. It perfects your skin by reconditioning its texture, virtually erasing flaws and imperfections. It also has something called “color true pigments” that adapt to provide ideal, buildable coverage that perfectly matches your skin tone. It is a must-have in my kit.
Thanks for all the great advice Ross!

Miami Beach Convention Center
1901 Convention Center Dr.
Miami Beach, FL

No shirt, no shoes … no problem! OK, visitors will have to keep their clothes on, but once inside the Exxxotica adult trade show in Miami Beach, there’s sure to be enough T&A roaming about to make them forget their own civility. The event will include seminars on topics such as Swinging 101 and The Art of Talking Dirty, nearly naked mechanical-bull-riding, a lingerie fashion show (6 p.m. Saturday), sexy onstage performances and the Ms. Exxxotica competition (8:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday). In addition to adult-film stars Jenna Jameson, Tera Patrick, Tommy Gunn, Carmen Luvana and Ron Jeremy, the reality show Miami Ink will be in the house, hosting a casting call for upcoming episodes. This skin-filled weekend will be packed with pretty faces, beautiful bodies and more silicone than you can shake a hypodermic needle at.

Event information:

Mar. 30:
Mar. 31:
Apr. 1:

Price: $25/day.

Box office: 305-673-7311

Foods like oysters really can ignite passion in the bedroom. How? They’re good for your heart. And what’s good for your heart is good for your libido, too. After all, if your arteries are clogged, getting blood to flow down south can be problematic, says Bonnie Dix, M.A., R.D., of the American Dietetic Association. Here are some more romance-enhancing wonders:

Oysters
Since the tale of Aphrodite emerging from the sea on an oyster shell, this sexy shellfish has been hailed as an aphrodisiac. Oysters and other fatty fish such as salmon, scallops and sardines are loaded with healthful monounsaturated fats called Omega 3s. And they carry a hefty dose of testosterone-boosting zinc.

Champagne
So you’ve already heard the buzz that a daily glass of wine raises good cholesterol and helps prevent arteries from clogging. But alcohol, especially champagne, can also improve your health and your sex life. Like many mind altering substances, a glass or two of champagne will lower inhibitions and help ease any couple into an amorous mood.

Pine Nuts
Pine nuts have more protein than any other nut. Besides providing protein to help increase stamina, pine nuts are heavy in healthful monosaturated fats, zinc and other nutrients that are linked with increased sexual desire. Sexier than your average peanut, pine nuts are often present on many fine-dining menus.

Artichoke
This nutrient-dense, peculiar plant was once considered such a powerful aphrodisac that women were banned from eating it. According to Martha Hopkins, co-author of ‘Inter-Courses: An Aphrodisiac Cookbook,’ part of the appeal of the artichoke may be that you have to work hard to “get past the spiked leaves to get to the velvety-smooth heart.”

Spices
The right spices not only heat things up on the tongue, but also in the bedroom. “Chili pepper and ginger help improve circulation,” says Dix, “and hot spices like cayenne, curry and cumin help warm the body.” The intoxicating aromas of exotic spices help infuse romance into the atmosphere.

Avocado
According to the Doctrine of Signatures, food aids the part of the body it resembles. In fact, the Aztecs valued the avocado as an aphrodisiac and named it ahuacale or testicle because they grow in pairs. Though science can neither confirm nor deny that this fruit will get your fire going, it will give you fuel in the form of healthy fats, protein and potassium.

Chocolate
Don’t skip dessert: Eating chocolate causes the release of mood-boosting, stress-reducing serotonin. The sweet stuff also causes a release of phenylethylamine, which causes changes in blood pressure and blood-sugar levels leading to feelings of excitement. Just make sure to choose antioxidant-rich dark chocolate.