After a Fashion

GROWING OLD DISGRACEFULLY I had to fill out a form recently asking how many health and beauty products I used. Omigod, it's overwhelming. Where would I start? For one thing, I am addicted to Botox and microdermabrasion. The Botox, of course, is the charming phenomenon of injecting a toxic serum into facial wrinkles. It paralyzes the muscles so you can't wrinkle. And the microdermabrasion is virtual sandblasting of the face, effectively resurfacing the skin. I get facials and massages regularly, and to preserve all that work, I use Sothys and SkinCeuticals products on my face, as well as an absolutely amazing 12% glycolic wash by Age Management that produces shiny new skin every time you use it. For my eyes, I like Peter Thomas Roth Power K Eye Rescue (available at Bella). It's pricey at $100 but fabulous, containing caviar and vitamin K to firm the eye area and reduce dark circles. Skipping the caviar, I also like Vita-K Eye Gel ($11 at drugstores near you) except that it melts when the weather is warm, and it feels like the bags under your eyes are sliding down your cheeks. But that's what giant sunglasses are for, right? (I include sunglasses as a necessary health and beauty aid.) And, of course, if you're going as far as that, don't even consider going out without sunscreen ... every day. I use a variety of hair products. Among my favorites Bumble + Bumble (Innu) and Leonor Greyl (Pink) for shampoos and conditioners, and Sebastian & Schwarzkopf for styling products. Also at Pink are the Tancho Stick, an all-vegetable-oil wax stick, and a conditioner by Credé that is the best-ever conditioner for curly hair. I also swear by Elizabeth Arden's Crystal Clear Lip Gloss (Ulta) -- the megacatty Miss Kitty once told her listeners that I wouldn't dream of leaving the house without my lip lube. Well! (Speaking of my favorite feline, Miss Kitty is now on in the mornings on Mega 93.3 FM from 6 to 10am. So now, she and I practically wind up doing Fashion Friday at the crack of dawn ... thank god it's radio, and we don't have to be camera-ready!) For the hands and body, I love One Minute Manicure, as well as the locally made Margarita Manicure -- great exfoliants for the hands, elbows, knees, feet, etc. My current favorite fragrance is Tubéreuse Indiana by Creed (Straight Edge), an incredible floral for men (but I also love Presence by Mont Blanc). And raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens...

KIBBLES 'N BITS AIDS Services of Austin is having their fundraiser, ArtErotica, Saturday, March 1, 9pm-midnight, at Blue Genie Art Industries (916 Springdale). Featuring music, wine, and dessert, plus an erotic-art auction with works from local and international artists, it promises to be a glamorous evening full of good work and glitterati. Tickets are $25. Contact Jay Billig, 914-5292... It's sooo cool to see our own "Best of Austin" award-winning owners of Gardens in the current Martha Stewart Living. The layout is beautiful, and the spectacular work done is right up there with the best... Coupla weeks ago at the Continental Club, Jason Patric (currently starring as Jim Bowie in The Alamo) dropped into the Moonlight Towers show, watched a few songs and left. Says one who was present, "WTF? It was a good show." Patric himself knows how to put on a good show; he was absolutely riveting in 1991's Rush, among others...

RIDE 'EM, COWBOY It was so fun to get a personal guided tour by Heather Brand, PR director for the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum, of the museum's new exhibit, "How the West Was Worn." It is a dazzling display of Westernwear, from early 19th-century fringed buckskins (did you know the fringe would wick the water off the garments to help them dry faster?) to 20th-century mass marketing (did you know the distinctly American word "buckaroo" is derived from "vaquero," the distinctly Spanish word for cowboy?). The collection includes garments worn by figures as diverse as Sitting Bull, Buffalo Bill, Wild Bill Hickock, Tom Mix, Gene Autry, Patsy Cline, Porter Wagner, Ronald Reagan, and John Travolta, as well as showing off an amazing collection of boots and hats. The museum store now offers some fabulous Western styles to coincide with the exhibit. Pick up fashions from Smithville resident Patricia Wolf's ready-to-wear collection, featuring hand-stitched suede jackets with fringe and hand-painted details inspired by the cave paintings found in El Paso's Hueco Tanks, plus fringed purses to match. The store also has hip "cowgirl" T-shirts studded with rhinestones; Southwestern jewelry with turquoise and silver; vintage-style, hand-tooled boots with fancy inlays and appliqués; and even country-style clothing for tots. Dress up your home with Western décor like doormats decorated with ranch brands or funky lamps featuring images of cowboys and cowgirls from the Fifties. The exhibit runs Feb. 22 through May 4, but America's romance with the cowboy is eternal.