ARTICOLO ORIGINALE TRATTO DA COSMOPOLITAN USA All About Alyssa (pag. 22) We've grown up With Cosmo cover girl Alysa Milano, watching her evolve from Supercute Samantha on Who's the Boss? to foxy Phoehe on her hit TV series Charmed. (She's also the captivating coquette in ad campaigns for Candies perfume and 1-800-COLLECT). Here, she shares the secrets of her fabulously feminine style. WHAT ARE YOUR SKIN SECRETS? I always use a tea-tree-oil cleanser (like Nourish Skin Tea Tree Facial Cleanser), followed by Crème de la Mer Moisturizing Cream. HOW DO YOU STAY SO FANTASTICALLY FIT? I runn three miles in the morning, and then if I get off work early enough, I take a 40-minute spinning class. I also do yoga twice a week and weight-training three times a week. ANY DIET SECRETS? I follow a modified version of The Zone Diet (a low-carb meal plan), but on Sundays I eat whatever I want. DO YOU HAVE YOUR FAVE DESIGNERS? I really like Prada, Dolce & Gabbana, Mark Wong Nark, Betsey Johnson, and Gucci. HOW DO YOU ACCESSORIZE? I just had diamond hoops made. They're my favorite accessory of the moment. WHAT ARE YOUR WARDROBE MUST-HAVES? My Shady Brady cowboy hat for when I go riding and my Asics running shoes
NYC hairstylist Louis Angelo created a luxurious style with lots of body and '70s flair for Alyssa. To do yourself: Spritz a styling spray onto clean, towel-dried hair. Try Garren New York Desiping Spray Tonic, $26. Using a large flat brush, blow-dry locks straight, then flip ends up by rolling two- inch sections of hair -- from ends to halfway up the head -- around a large-barrel curling iron. Let cool for 20 minutes. Finally, rub a dime-size dab of grooming cream between palms and finger-comb hair to break up curls and create a soft, flirty effect. Try Garren New York Styling Crème. $25.
Makeup artist Susan Giordano used Max Factor cosmetics. EYES: Giordano swept Lasting Color Eyeshadow in Sunset Scene, a shimmery pinkish-brown, across Alyssa's lids and brow bones. Top lashes were coated twice with 2000 Calorie Mascara in Rich Black. CHEEKS: To give Alyssa a healthy glow, Giordano dusted Natural Brus-On Satin Blush in Mulberry, a sheer plum, on her cheekbones. LIPS: For a sexy pout, Giordano used Lasting Color Lipstick in Honey Rose, a nude pink, on Alyssa's lips.
Witchy Wonder (pag. 231, 232, 233) The sexy star spills all about the lesson she learned from a heartbreaking divorce, the good girl buried in that oh-so-bad bod, and her superscary plans for the future. By Brantley Bardin If there's one truth about Hollywood, it's that things aren't always as they appear. Take Alyssa Milano, for example. At first glance, she looks every bit the vixen. She sports six sexy tattoos (a sacred heart on her behind, a fairy on her hip, rosary beads on her back, an angel on her left ankle, a garland of flowers around her right ankle, and an om on her wrist) and one of the most awe-inspiring navel piercings around -- no simple jewel for this ballsy babe, who opted for a thick-gauge barbell-style stud. She has a man-mesmerizing bod that she's happily bared in flicks such as Embrace of the Vampire and Poison Ivy II and in a controversial ad campaign for Candies perfume that was so steamy, even The WB -- the network that airs her hit show, Charmed -- banned it. And then there's her quickie marriage last year to a Los Angeles rock star that ended in divorce 11 months later.
The daughter of Italian-American parents -- Lin, a fashion designer, and Tom, a film music editor -- Alyssa was born in a working-class neighhorhood in Brooklyn and grew up in a modest house on Staten Island. One day her baby-sitter, who was an aspiring dancer, dragged Alyssa along to an open audition for the first national tour of Annie. But it was Alyssa, not the sitter, who beat out l,500 other wanna-be stage actresses to snag a role. So at the tender age of 7, with here mother in tow, Alyssa joined the tour as July, one of the orphans.
Though her career is experiencing a lucky spell, a blissful love life has heen more elusive. Who doesn't remember her long-term relationship, engagement, and then split with Party of Five's megababe Scott Wolf back in 1994? Alyssa was devastated by that highly publicized breakup, which she says took her two years to get over, during which time she claims she only went on a grand total of six dates. "Guys don't ask me out", insists Alyssa, as she reclines in an overstuffed couch in her cavernous living room. Of course, her ex-husband, Cinjun Tate, front man of the L.A. - based band Remy Zero, was an exception. Within four months of meeting the rock musician at a mutual friend's Hollywood bash, Alyssa was sporting an engagement ring. Six months later, they tied the knot on New Year's Day 1999. (Her Charmed costars were bridesmaids). Finally it seemed, Alyssa had it all. Early in their marriage, Alyssa juggled her work schedule around Cinjun's constant touring, "I really liked being the wife and taking care of him", says the self-described nurturer. "And believe me, he was a handful. But it was totally worth it". At least for the time being. On December 1st of last year Alyssa filed for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences. The disintegration of her marriage made Alyssa, whose parents have been married for 33 years, feel like an abject failure.
One of her beloved pastimes is indulging in holistic practices. "One day I'll go to college and study something that will put me in a position to help people like Chinese medicine or osteopathy", says Alyssa, who for now will have to settle for the potions she mixes with oils and scents like ylang-ylang and vanilla for her cherished long soaks in the bath. "I'll sit there until I'm pruney and the water's ice-cold".
WHAT WAS YOUR BEST ENCOUNTER WITH A FAN? With Ryan White when he was sick with AIDS. He was a fan of Who's the Boss?, so I went to a big party for him and sat with him for six hours. I made him friendship bracelets, and we stayed close until he passed away. His mom kept his room exactly the same after he died -- with the friendship bracelets all tacked around my poster. That was really incredible. WHAT DO YOU NEVER LEAVE HOME WITHOUT? Lip balm, my special spinning shoes that lock me to the bike, and my favorite CDs TELL US ABOUT YOUR FIRST KISS? I was 9 years old and the guy put his mouth over mine, sticking his tongue in, and moved it around in circles. I was so repulsed that I went home and showered. WHAT STAR DO YOU HAVE A CRUSH ON? George Clooney is delicious. He's so obviously a man, but yet there is something so boyish about him -- the dimples and the apple cheeks. He's yummy. WHAT'S THE MOST ROMANTIC THING A GUY HAS DONE FOR YOU? Write me a song. My ex-husband used to do that a lot. I'm sure his next album will have lots of those songs on it. |