Royal Report

I am not going to lie - covering the wedding of William and Kate was a thrill

Friends have asked me why everyone, even here in the U.S., was so excited about the Royal Wedding this past spring. I have a theory!

The minute that we, as children, watch our first Disney movie, we become enthralled with princesses. There is just something very romantic about the way Disney does it. The stories usually involve a princess who struggles, overcomes adversity and finds her prince, and they live happily ever after. It’s a proven formula for a successful movie, so there must be something to it! Often the princess is presented as a normal girl, much the way Kate Middleton has been portrayed in both the U.S. and UK media. In fact, both Kate and Prince William seem to be down-to-earth, which people find intriguing and attractive.

Before I left for London, I wasn’t sure whether the Royal Wedding would affect me at all. I’ve been interviewing celebrities for so long and have covered so many amazing events! But once I arrived, I was swept up in the pomp and circumstance. I took a private tour of Westminster Abbey, and to hear all of the history behind the Royal Family was beyond fascinating.

comment from Nancy about the wedding The thing I will remember most about covering the Royal Wedding was hearing those bells at Westminster Abbey start to ring, signifying that this huge event to be watched by millions upon millions around the world was about to begin. I got goosebumps up and down my arms! After all, it was about love, and we all want love in our lives!

Blake Lively on the red carpet Nancy O'Dell Red Carpet Approved

Upper East Side STYLE

STYLE SOURCE presents this issue’s Red Carpet Approved Award to Gossip Girl’s Blake Lively.

Although Blake Lively started her career focused on a single pair of trousers in The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, her wardrobe certainly has expanded since then. She won that first major role when she was still in high school; by the time she was cast as Serena van der Woodsen in the CW’s Gossip Girl, Blake was already proving to have her own chic sense of style. Fittingly, I’m pleased to announce Blake as our latest Red Carpet Approved Award recipient.

Not to be typecast, however, Blake’s recent movie roles have had her playing the sci-fi Green Lantern’s love interest, a hardened tough girl in The Town and, to much critical acclaim, the wild but troubled young Pippa Lee of flashbacks in The Private Lives of Pippa Lee. With two movies already wrapped for 2012, including Savages directed by Oliver Stone, at just 24 years old Blake could find herself walking the red carpet for a long time.

GET THE LOOK
Blake Lively Blake Lively To The Side

Long and straight, flowingly wavy or tautly tied back, Blake Lively has fun with her hair and is on every girl’s watch list for cute ideas. No one does “mussy” better than Blake, which she demonstrated beautifully at the Green Lantern premiere with this textured side pony, partly braided and embellished with a sparkly ornament. They say you have to work hard to make it look like you aren’t trying at all, but Rusk Creative Team member Maria Guasta shows you how to get this look in just a few steps! w8less and deepshine

  1. “Scrunch” into the hair a generous application of Radical Cream and Lustre cocktailed together.
  2. Taking approximately six sections all over the head, twist the sections like a rope and secure them with a bobby pin.
    Let them air dry or use a dryer with a diffuser attachment.
  3. Take a wide section right behind the ear and braid it. Remove the bobby pins, shake out the hair and finish with W8less Plus spray by tilting your head upside down. The more tousled the sexier!