Tattoo mania

I got an idea to get a tattoo quite a long time ago when I interviewed a tattoo and piercing artist from the most cult tattoo studio in my native Kyiv. Since then I still occasionally thought of it it but it always remained an idea. I know that lots of people get tattoos without giving it that much thought, but clearly I'm not one of them. But I guess I'm now going through some kind of critical age period when I feel like doing some radical changes to my style. It's not that I really think it's going to change my personality in any way - it's more like something I dare myself to do. I also am not sure what the tattoo is going to be. So I decided to first look at tattooed celebrities for tips.

I find FREJA's tattoo collection very edgy and not too gaudy at the same time - well done! My favorite is wrist tattoo though - gun is also cool, but it brings to mind violence and murder - don't think I'd want this on my body.

Looking at GISELE and KATE I'm really warming up to the idea of wrist tattoos. It's as subtle as it gets, plus we allways wear stuff around our wrists, sometimes permanently, so a tattoo would make total sense.

Cryptic and not so cryptic messages on body - in English and other languages - seems like a popular tattoo trend lately. ANGELINA's tattoos are quite famous already, while EVAN RACHEL WOOD follows up with a more elegant inscription. Yet, I'm not sure I can think of any statement I want to put on my body. Of course I have some favorite sayings and quotes, yet, what if I get tired of it later? Not sure I want to turn my body into a message board - that's all...

I really love RIHANNA's tattoo - the whole design and the positioning of it. I also like the stars as design element in general. Of course her tattoo is well suited only for a girl with a short haircut like hers, but could also work if located elsewhere on the body.

These are interesting examples but definitely a No. I don't even like wearing tees with prints depicting some other girls - I want people to look at my face, not theirs - let alone engrave them on my upper arms like AMY. And TILA's heart tattoo is just cheese and tacky.

On another note, what kind of tattoo design do I prefer myself? Well, apart from aforementioned stars, I'm really fascinated with butterflies. But I can't say that I'm a big fan of butterflies per se - nope, only as a tattoo design idea. Some of those below could work.

Now, CATS are quite another story. They are my favorite pets and favorite animals. I used to have cat and I'd love one again. I just find them adorable, smart, graceful, mysterious and very individualistic - those are all my favorite qualities. They are also other reasons why cats are awesome - but cat lovers already know, and non-cat lovers wouldn't understand :P Either way, a cat could be a good idea, and will have a meaning to it too since I believe myself to be a bit of a cat. Below is a compilation of cat tattoos I've liked best. Still not entirely sure which one I'd pick. Perhaps any of you have any experience with tattoos? I'd be glad for any peice of advice!

Scarlett Johansson tries on new faces for W Magazine

While some try on new summer clothes, SCARLETT JOHANSSON tried on some new faces in the June photo shoot for "W" Magazine called "Woody's Other Woman: A Study in Scarlett" by Tim Walker. ScarJo put herself through some almost shocking makeovers to pose as film icons of the past: Marlene Dietrich, Sarah Bernhardt, Buster Keaton and Giullietta Masina. And if in case of Dietrich it's still possible to recognize her, the rest would be quite tricky. In fact I find the Buster Keaton looks somewhat disturbing.

MARLENE DIETRICH

GIULLIETTA MASINA in Fellini's "Strada"

BUSTER KEATON

SARAH BERNHARDT

CANNES Part 1: the Dresses

CANNES has just announced its big winners, so it's about time for a round-up of my own festival favorites, which I decided to break into two simple categories: the DRESSES and the MOVIES. The Movies part is to follow soon since I need some extra time for research, so I will start with the dresses. Also I didn't feel like criticizing much, so I listed only my favorite ones here, so feel free to assume that the rest I either hated or remained completely indifferent about.

I believe the star of Woody Allen's latest - "Midnight in Paris" - was the main attraction on the red carpet this time around. Although this praise may have a little something to do with recently seeing "Morning Glory" which revealed to me that RACHEL MCADAMS can do much better than cliche-packed films like "The Notebook." But, back to her dresses. This little number here is clearly risqué and in part resembles a curtain, yet I think she pulls it off.

This, on the contrary, is very classy and demure - very fitting for photo-call.

I think it's not so much the dress, but the overall look of MIA WASIKOWSKA that prompted me to give her my vote. I'm just too used to seeing her as an awkward mousy teenager, usually in pale dresses that don't compliment her at all, so that this remotely classic Hollywood look immediately caught my eye.

Another Cannes surprise for me here. I'm generally not a fan of KIRSTEN DUNST's personal style, but this totally captured me. It's clearly all about color here, since there is nothing too special about the dress itself. Note, dear fashionistas, a great color-blocking tip!

Say what you will about SARAH JESSICA PARKER, but I think she made a very smart choice with this dress. It's so boho chic - with the accent on chic - and so different from monochrome gowns most of her fellow actresses packed for Cannes.

I must confess I never saw JESSICA CHASTAIN in action (in movies or on TV) but "The Tree of Life" just got Palme D'Or, so I guess she's kind of important. And the dress is a good choice - elegant, a tad vintage and the color is perfect for redheads like herself.

I guess ANGELINA JOLIE would look a bit boring next to an all-white Brad in the previous photo, so I'm happy to catch her on her own. Angie here spots a simple yet winning look: feminine, airy and forever gorgeous.

ZOE SALDANA's number is obviously the wildest one on this list. I'm still fighting associations with a cheap plastic bag in the skirt part of the dress, yet I give her extra points for the dare. Plus it sits perfect on her and, against all odds, doesn't distort her figure.

And the last but not least is UMA THURMAN. She does indeed look quite a bit like a Bride (no pun intended) - especially from the back, but the front cutout magically turns the dress into an evening gown.

Paint It Rouge: a red lipstick experiment

I haven't used a lipstick for quite some years now. Instead I've been wearing all sorts of lip gloss - from pearly to glossy and semi-transparent - and whenever I tried a lipstick on, I felt that it looked too harsh on me - almost vulgar. But we grow up, our tastes change and this season I got swept away by the RED lipstick trend.

Of course, it's a classic, and never really went out of fashion, but suddenly I started seeing it everywhere - from catwalk shows to red carpets, so I decided I simply must get a red one myself - even though it felt (and still feels) quite dashing and experimental to me. So I went and got this "Lady Danger" matte lipstick from MAC - it's my first experience with MAC cosmetics in fact (there were no MAC stores in Kyiv, Ukraine where I lived until recently) and I was totally pleased with its quality. As for my red lip EXPERIMENT - I believe it was successful! I'm still getting used to my red-lipped look but already loving it. I think it was just what I needed to spice up my makeup style.

Below I enclose a number of celebrity and catwalk show pics for more Rouge inspiration...

Julianne Moore

Bonnie Wright

Rihanna

Penelope Cruz

Marc by Marc Jacobs

Gucci

STYLE OBSESSION: Bold nail polish colors

Bold and striking NAIL POLISH colors have been trending over the last few seasons, and they finally got to me too. I want my nails bright and colorful - no more neutral and transparent polishes for me! Color-blocking will be all the rage this summer, and dressing head to foot in blazing colors requires a certain mood and disposition, but you can always discreetly color-block with your nails.

This below is my current nail polish collection - I plan to add another blue tint to it - maybe electric or metallic, and probably green too - even though I never wear green and never was a fan of it before.

Below I've included my favorite bold nail colors of today:

ORANGE

As worn by me (the latest addition to my polish collection), Fergie and Christina Milian

YELLOW

As worn by Rihanna, Miley Cyrus and Katy Perry

BLUE

As worn by, once again, Katy Perry (our rainbow girl) and Jessica Simpson

GREEN

As worn by Anna Lynne McCord

Olivia Wilde hot for Glamour

I was surprised and pleased to see OLIVIA WILDE return to "HOUSE M.D." as I was catching up on the show a few days ago - she brought "sexy" as well as edge and her special wit back into the drama and immediately made it more fun to watch. And today I saw Olivia looking super hot and playful in this Navy-style photo shoot for Glamour - I simply had to post it! After all she's one of my favorite Hollywood ladies of today - original, exotic and just plain cool.

Jennifer Lawrence for ASOS

It seems like already way too many posts for one day, but when I see something that inspires me - I just cannot pass by! In this case I'm talking about ASOS June lookbook starringJENNIFER LAWRENCE. I really admired her acting in "Winter's Bone" and she was at the top of my best-dressed list at the Oscars! So while we await her newest film projects, which includes a part in "X-Men: First Class," we can enjoy her latest photo shoot for ASOS by Benny Horne. Here she appears as a your regular but absolutely adorable all-American girl-next-door wearing Converse, shorts, tees and incredible starry jeans...