Loulou on the Oscars

I ADORE the Oscars! Usually, of course, I am right there with my A-list friends, styling or reporting or cheering, but this year, due to my still-single status, I have chosen to stay home and watch it on television, something I am told other people do every year. Of course, I am surrounded by fabulous girlfriends and eating fabulous food and wearing a fabulous frock, but still, I am at home, just like almost everybody else. This is what my life has come to.
But don't worry - I know that Loulou-Lovers the world over rely on my sharp fashion eye and keen insight every year during the world's most watched fashion event, the Oscars. So, since I have never been one to disappoint my legions of fans, here is my list of the top A-list looks of Oscar night, in no particular order:

1. Sandra Bullock in Vera Wang: Sandra's look was clearly inspired by one of my own memorable Oscar looks from a few years ago, but no matter: It was extraordinary then, and it's extraordinary now. She should always wear red.

2. Halle Berry in Marchesa: Before Halle had this dress, Loulou had it, and although I can't say she looks quite as flawless as I did in it when I wore it out on a big date night with Stephen pre-the-Valentine's Day debacle, she did look radiant and stunning, as always. I hope that I look like that when I am her age!

3. Gwyneth Paltrow in Calvin Klein: Sure, she has straight blonde hair and I have dark curly hair, but other than that (and the fact that I have brown eyes and am, ahem, petite) we are almost exactly the same person. Except, of course, that I am much younger. Anyway, I applaud her choice of this jaw-dropping dress. I couldn't have done it better myself. Well, maybe I could have... but whatever.

4. Camilla Alves: She is ALMOST stunning enough to be with Matthew McConnaughey. Almost. She's no Loulou, after all. But she was such a vision in this stunning dress that I have almost forgiven her for stealing Matt from me before we really ever had a chance. (We sat at the same table at a star-studded dinner a couple of years ago, and although I could tell by his occasional furtive glances that he was blinded by my beauty - and my Balenciaga gown - he was already committed to Camilla. I admire his faithfulness, of course, but I will always think of him as the one that got away.)

5. Mila Kunis: This is a girl who knows what she is doing. Of course, it's clear that she has taken a lot of style cues from Loulou, but who can blame her. The color, the cut, the hair - it's all perfect.

Consolation Prize(s)

To make myself feel a little better about my ringless finger, I have made a few small purchases. My mood only improved slightly, but my wardrobe has improved dramatically. Here's what I bought:

1. Ports Dress with Swarovski Belt

2. Pura Lopez Suede Platform Wedge in Blush

3. Alexander McQueen Demanta Fabric Clutch

The Five Stages of Grief

I am so sorry that I have been out of touch, but I have been on a self-imposed sabbatical. Even though I wore the purple dress and those amazing shoes, Stephen did not propose! He did NOT propose! Later, when I confronted him about it, he added hoplessness to heartbreak by telling me that it hadn't even OCCURRED to him. After several unbelievable weeks of dating, it never even OCCURRED to him to propose to me. I am crushed. He's still trying to make it up to me. So far he has sent me:

1 diamond tennis bracelet from Harry Winston
1 Hermes Kelly bag
2 Hermes scarves
1 pair of Chanel earrings

1 Lanvin top (shown)
15 bouquets of flowers
A Malo cashmere wrap
4 pairs of Louboutins
0 engagement rings

So now, as Stephen tries to make it up to me, I am experiencing the stages of grief. Unfortunately, I am not sure exactly what they are, but so far I have already been through denial (which was very brief - my ringless hand made it impossible to ignore the cold hard truth) and now I am in the anger phase.

As if my life wasn't disastrous enough right now, I am really, really peeved because my friend Yvonne just bought the last pair of pink Chanel espadrilles in the entire universe! I may never speak to her again.

Countdown to V-Day!

I don't know where the last several days have gone, but I find myself only four days away from Valentine's Day and I am soooo not ready. This is all I've done so far:

Bought a dress. I decided to go with purple, Stephan's favorite color, rather than a more traditional color like pink or red. Plus I fell in love with this bell-shaped dress from Victoria Beckham.

Bought some shoes. I think these gorgeous lacy Valentinos add romance to the dress.

Bought a bracelet. This knockout cuff from Borgioni is so stunning, I might not be able to concentrate on the conversation.

I still have so much to do. In the next few days, I need to squeeze in at least 20 minutes of exercise, as well as a facial, a body scrub, a waxing, a mani/pedi, an eyebrow shaping, and I need to get my hair and makeup done. I don't know how I will squeeze it all in - I might just have to clear my social calendar for the weekend just to get through this list!

Loulou's Shopping Guide: What to Buy This Week

I know, I know, a week is a long time to wait for my weekly must-have list, but I promise to make it worth the wait. Here are the items I can't live without this week!

Anna Porcu Ivory Cameo Cuff, $2375: I've always loved the romantic charm of cameos, and genius artist Anna Porcu makes them look fresh and hip by adding them to edgy black cuffs. Fabulous!

Givenchy Perforated Leather Sandals, $740: Breezy and gorgeous, these have me dreaming of summer.

Tiffany Reversible Tote, $595: I love the chic, slouchy shape, the luscious suede, and the iconic Tiffany blue that reverses to a wear-with-everything platinum. A warm-weather essential!

Countdown to V-Day

I love Valentine's Day, and I am so excited that this year I get to spend it with someone as special as Stephen. I am pretty sure that he will propose on this big night, so I need to be prepared and I need to look extra special for all of those post-proposal pictures! I've been working on it for days. In the last five days alone, I have done nearly 17 minutes of exercise (don't worry - I spread it out over a few days so I didn't pull anything or break a sweat - safety first!), had two facials, three massages, a skin-firming body wrap and started a ritual of daily deep-moisturizing treatments on my hair. It's a lot of hard work, of course, but I think the results will be worth it. And of course it's just the beginning. So much left to do, and I haven't even picked an outfit yet!

The Loulou Diet

I have often been told that I need to write a diet book, because I eat whatever I want and I never gain an ounce. But I've never dieted a day in my life! According to my diet guru, Chaka Khan (or Chakra Vhan or something - can never remember her name), I eat intuitively well, which means that staying skinny just comes naturally to me. But as a public service to those of you to whom eating well doesn't come naturally, I've decided to give you a few of my secret strategies for staying slim without starving.

1. Drink lots of tea: I drink black tea with agave nectar and skim milk all day long, and usually, when I'm done with my tea, I find that I am no longer hungry and I no longer need a snack. It also has some sugar and some caffeine, and the both give you energy.

2. Pick five guilty pleasures, and eat them as often as you want: Mine are creamy desserts, shortbread cookies, foie gras, French toast, and chocolate. As long as you limit yourself to five guilty pleasures, you won't gain weight, no matter how much you eat! It's amazing!

3. Skip the Gym: Nothing is yuckier than a gym, with all those people sweating, and everyone so unhappy to be there. Plus, it's smelly and those machines scare me. That's why I don't work out at a gym. I find that window shopping achieves the same purpose, but it achieves a dual purpose: You can buy things while you exercise!