FabSugar

Fab Read: This Year's Model, a Novel

FabSugar — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 08:00:08 PST

I'll just come out and say it: I'm obsessed with models. I know all their names, hair colors, and dress sizes. OK, the last statement is not true, but you get my drift. That's why This Year's Model, a Novel ($14) piqued my interest. It's written by famous '80s supermodel Carol Alt, so you know it has clout. If you want to find out all about the glamorous yet cutthroat world of fashion and fame, this book's for you. See it all through the eyes of the main character, the tall and gorgeous Melody Ann Croft. Like many real-life models, she gets discovered while waitressing, and quickly learns that in modeling, nothing's easy. Dun dun dun!

How Sports Illustrated Cover Girl Kate Upton Stays Healthy and Fit

Michele Foley — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 13:48:16 PST

After being named the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition's "Rookie of the Year" in 2011, Kate Upton is this year's cover girl! The five-time equestrian champion has showed off her curves in campaigns for big names like Guess, Victoria's Secret, and Dooney & Burke. On being fit, Kate told The Daily, "It's really important to stay slim for the industry . . . but you still want to have a body." Here's the scoop on how Kate maintains her model curves.

Kate's fitness regimen: Like many of the industry's top models, Kate trains with former competitive swimmer Justin Gelband. Justin told Shape that he "incorporates multidirectional exercises" into Kate's training sessions. To keep things fresh, Justin changes up the types of workouts he and Kate do together (Pilates and kickboxing are favorites) and uses a variety of equipment like medicine balls and exercise bands.
Kate's diet: For Kate, it's all about living a healthy lifestyle. Kate has said in several interviews that it's important for her to watch what she eats, but she doesn't go on any sort of special diet to prepare for a shoot or runway show. Her splurge? The occasional treat of ice cream or french fries.

Photos courtesy of Sports Illustrated and The Daily

See SI Swimsuit Issue Cover Girl Kate Upton's Bikini Shoot!

Allie Merriam — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 06:41:33 PST

Kate Upton is the cover girl of this year's Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue! Her honor was revealed last night on the Late Show in NYC, where Kate spoke with host David Letterman about nabbing the front of the annual magazine. Kate's the latest in a long line of two-piece-clad models to claim the title - click through to see her bikini shots, and make sure to check out all the Sports Illustrated bikini pictures.

Love Your Laptop: 8 Tips For Keeping it Healthy and Happy

Kristy Korcz — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 04:23:02 PST

Valentine's Day doesn't just have to be about giving affection to your significant other. It can be about showing your appreciation for the people and things that make your life awesome. Take your laptop, for example. Your window to the vast Internet, your laptop works really hard for you without asking much in return. Give your laptop a little TLC this Valentine's Day with these tips that will keep it happy and healthy all year long.

Clean it up - Giving your laptop (or desktop) a thorough cleaning is essential to extending its life. Back up any data you may already have stored (on an external hard drive or a portable flash drive), organize your desktop icons, empty your computer's trash on a regular basis, and clear out any programs you don't use. This will help free up space and keep you on the fast track to productivity.
Practice proper shutdown habits - Shutting down all open programs and putting your laptop to sleep instead of just closing the lid will help your computer stay cool and safe while in transport. But if you've had your laptop in a cold environment, let it warm up to room temps slowly before turning it on. This will keep condensation and dew at bay, which can ruin your computer's sensitive guts.
Protect your investment - If you're going to be lugging a laptop around, make sure it's protected in a padded case!

See the rest of my tips after the jump.

Kate Upton Is Sports Illustrated's Sexy New Swimsuit Issue Cover Star!

Lauren Turner — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 16:09:07 PST

Kate Upton donned a little white dress to unveil her new Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue cover in NYC today. A huge billboard of the cover on display in Times Square features Kate in a skimpy bikini with a sexy smile on her face. She later headed to The Late Show for her first official appearance as an SI star. Nineteen-year-old Kate follows in a long line of ladies to be honored with the coveted spot, including Brooklyn Decker, Bar Refaeli, and Irina Shayk. Kate was featured in last year's Swimsuit Issue wearing a painted-on bikini, and has also modeled for Victoria's Secret.

Supermodel Style: See How Karlie Kloss Works It On and Off Duty

Marisa Tom — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 12:00:13 PST

It's no surprise we've deemed Karlie Kloss one of our stylish model MVPs. Her ever-growing list of red-carpet appearances, cool street-style snapshots, and dramatic turns on the runway make her a no-brainer for style-setting honors. Let's recap. The 19-year-old catwalking stunner has already graced the covers of Vogue Italia, Teen Vogue, Vogue Australia, and more. She has opened and closed the Christian Dior Couture show, received her Victoria's Secret angel wings, currently stars as the glamorous face of Oscar de la Renta's Spring '12 ad campaign, and just so happens to be BFFs with designer Jason Wu. Needless to say, Karlie's fashion-entrenched life has influenced and inspired her personal style - from super-chic Winter layers and sexy cutout gowns to ethereal floral dresses paired with moto-inspired leather jackets, she knows how to work it off duty, too. Need further proof? Just click through to see her 360-degree style profile.

HP Envy 14 Spectre Gets Priced at $1,400

Kristy Korcz — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 11:47:38 PST

The HP Envy 14 Spectre was arguably the most fetching ultrabook at this year's Consumer Electronics Show, and we finally know how much damage it will do to our bank accounts. The HP Envy 14 Spectre will be available Feb. 17 and priced at $1,400 to start.

The base model Spectre comes stocked with a 14-inch HD+ Radiance Infinity LED-backlit display and backlit keyboard, a 128GB SSD hard drive, Bluetooth connectivity, a TrueVision HD webcam, Gorilla Glass top fused to a black-and-silver aluminum body, and 9.5 hours of battery life. Supported ports include mini-DisplayPort, HDMI, USB 3.0, and an SD/MultiMediaCard reader. HP also developed HP CoolSense, which keeps your machine running cool even after long hours of use, so you won't suffer from the dreaded laptop burn on your legs.

What do you think of the HP Envy 14 Spectre - worth the price tag at first glance?

New York Fashion Week Fun Through the Years!

Brittney Stephens — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 11:26:19 PST

It's almost time for Fashion Week and NYC is already buzzing with the excitement of shows, parties, presentations, and more. The fun starts tomorrow!

Lots of stylish stars like Beyoncé, Gwen Stefani, Sarah Jessica Parker and more have hit the Big Apple in the past to take in the shows. As the celebrities, designers, and models step out to get Fashion Week started, we're taking a look back at some memorable moments from runway shows over the years. Click through to see them all now.

Naomi Campbell Feels Carbs Are a Treat

Jenny Sugar — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:07:03 PST

With the birth of the Atkins diet, carbs immediately got a bad reputation. It seems like everyone I know has gone on a carb-free diet at least once in their lives to lose weight, and even Naomi Campbell is no stranger to forgoing carbs. In the March issue of Harper's Bazaar, the 41-year-old model admits that she's blessed with a high metabolism, but she also exercises and watches her diet. Naomi works hard to maintain her famous model figure and says, "For me, carbs are a treat now."

I can see ditching refined carbs - foods made with white flour, like bagels, cookies, cakes, and pasta - since they have very little nutritional value. But whole grain bread and cereals, whole wheat pasta, and whole grains like quinoa and barley are super nutritious. These complex carbs contain protein to sustain energy levels and filling fiber to curb hunger, both of which can help you lose weight. However, there is definitely some validity to cutting carbs and losing weight. A recent study showed that cutting carbs twice a week was more effective than eating a low-calorie diet, so I can see why some women may choose to limit their carb intake in the name of weight loss. How do you feel about carbs?

Source: Karim Sadli for Harper’s Bazaar

Men, Women, and M&Ms Show Skin During this Year's Super Bowl Ads

Annie Scudder — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 11:45:32 PST

There were lots of reasons to tune in to the Super Bowl this year. Eli Manning vs. Tom Brady. Madonna's halftime show. And of course, the commercials. As expected, advertisers still think sex sells, and we saw many examples of sexualized, half-naked women during the commercial breaks. But they weren't the only ones to strip. David Beckham showed off his soccer bod for H&M and an M&M chocolate showed us that he's sexy and he knows it. Here are four examples of Super Bowl skin. And comment with your Super Bowl ad highs and lows.

H&M

After seeing a lifetime of Victoria's Secret angels on TVs, it was exciting to see David Beckham modeling off his briefs - and hot bod for H&M. They didn't hold back on the close-ups.

Teleflora

The florist had model Adriana Lima tell guys that on Valentine's Day they just need to give in order to receive, essentially suggesting women will perform sexual favors in exchange for flowers.

M&Ms

I had to laugh at this M&M commercial. The red dude M&M thinks a brown-shelled lady M&M is going nude and decides to strip and dance ridiculously. He's sexy and he knows it.

See Go Daddy's ad after the break.