Life Notebook

Despite the undeniable dark cloud looming over Sunday night’s 67th Annual Golden Globe Awards ceremony, Hollywood’s glitterati summoned their star powers to bring us a little razzle dazzle in the face of a catastrophe.
The event drew 16.9 million viewers &- a 14 per cent increase from last year, but a far cry from the 26.8 million viewers the show attracted back in 2004. Enough about numbers though, and on to more important matters: fashion. Rumour has it that a month or so before awards season, Hollywood’s leading ladies &- and men 8212; disappear to undisclosed locations, if you catch my drift. Well clearly they’re doing something right because there was an ocean of radiant and impeccably dressed guys and gals Sunday night. That said, here’s my list of the best and worst dressed from the 2010 Golden Globes.

Best Dressed:

1. January Jones: The Mad Men star can wear a potato sack and still turn heads. But she looked ridiculously gorgeous in a form-fitting Lanvin frock with a head-turning ruffle on one shoulder. A simple black silk head-band was the perfect finishing touch to a look that epitomized modern elegance.

2. Kate Hudson: Blond and beautiful, Hudson decided to show-off her tan and toned figure in an all-white Marchesa ensemble. Although my first instinct was to ask whether she was planning on appearing in a revival of Swan Lake, I quickly swallowed my words. The tailoring was flawless while the draping in the back and the feathery trim bodice are original in a space-age glamour sort of way. I would lose the white shoes though.

3. Drew Barrymore: Winner of the best actress in a mini-series or motion picture made for television, for her performance in Grey Gardens, Drew Barrymore was a vision in gold Sunday night. While some have placed her on their worst dressed lists, I thought the shiny one-shoulder gown hugged her body in all the right places, and the embellished shoulder was a nice, not tacky touch.

4. Reese Witherspoon: Has Witherspoon ever had a bad fashion moment? I think not. A presenter at the Globes, the Oscar winner donned a body skimming, navy blue one shoulder dress, for an understated, yet unbelievably sexy look.

5. Marion Cotillard: Peekaboo lace, asymmetrical length and a rich, emerald green hue made the best actress nominee stand out, and reaffirmed why she’s the muse of the Christian Dior fashion empire.

Best-dressed men: Robert Downey Jr., Jon Hamm, George Clooney, Jesse James and Jeff Bridges.

More best-dressed women: Emily Blunt, Toni Collette, Olivia Wilde, Diane Kruger and Penelope Cruz.

Worst dressed:

1. Halle Berry: We all know you’ve got a kick-ass body, Halle, but that doesn’t mean you can start dressing like a dominatrix.

2. Sophia Loren: The dress was fine, but the Harry Potter-esque glasses are a serious no-no. And what was with the bright red under-eye area? The Italian screen siren needs to put down the granny glasses and start dressing like the gorgeous woman she still is.

3. Mariah Carey: This is the last time I will say this: please, for the love of God, Ms. Carey 8212; or should I say Mrs. Cannon 8212; put away your breasts. Thank you.

4. Julia Roberts: The too-cool-for-school Roberts looked disrespectfully under-dressed amidst the sea of jaw-dropping formal gowns. I loved the vintage Yves Saint Laurent, but the mother of three needs to step it up a notch for an event of such calibre.

5. Lauren Graham: Feeling a little nostalgic, Graham must have decided it was OK to wear her high school prom dress to the Globes. Take note: a hot pink, strapless dress with a mermaid tail is never, I repeat NEVER a good idea.

Worst-dressed men: James Cameron, Sir Paul McCartney, Quentin Tarantino, Mickey Rourke and Harrison Ford

More worst-dressed women: Sigourney Weaver, Cameron Diaz, Christina Hendricks, Amy Adams and Fergie

Catwalk for a cause

On Jan. 21, designer powerhouses including Diane von Furstenberg and John Rocha will do what they do best (stage a glamorous fashion show), only in a different venue (the European headquarters of the United Nations in Geneva), and for a special cause &- biodiversity.
The UN enlisted their help to get a fashionable start on their initiatives to raise awareness about the loss of biodiversity in 2010 &- the year they’ve pronounced the International Year of Biodiversity. They will be joined by over 500 names in politics, fashion, international organizations and the cosmetics industry to discuss the growing popularity of eco-fashion and luxury brands as role models for sustainability.
Based on the recent “Red List” of endangered species compiled by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, 70 per cent of plant species and 22 per cent of mammals are in danger of becoming extinct. Ecosystems are also declining at an alarming pace.

Health: Hangover Helper, true or false?

The one friend we thought we could count on in times of need might have been lying to us this entire time.
A recent study published in Behavioral Neuroscience has found drinking coffee doesn’t make us any less intoxicated. Even worse, it fools us into believing we’re more alert than we actually are, and places us at risk of engaging in dangerous behaviour like driving. According to the study, the only tried and true method is time – as if anyone’s got that.
And if we are to believe a paper released by the Research Society on Alcoholism outlining the effects of alcohol on the brain, sleeping it off won’t help matters, either. Turns out limited concentration and decreased reaction time continue to effect us even after the alcohol has left our system. And last but not least, the study says our choice of poison, or the combination of different liquors makes zero difference on the severity of a hangover. On the upside, at least we can stop memorizing all those cheesy rhymes.