Tattoo You, Too

At Oscar time, we attended a Swarovski/Jimmy Choo party where Swarovski crystal tattoos overflowed from a goblet, welcoming guests to dip in. We politely plucked out one-but we should have taken a handful. The petite stick-ons have become Hollywood’s hottest party favor and accessory, and the supply is barely meeting demand.

After the Academy Awards, the tattoos made their way to Cannes, with a stop in England for Elizabeth Hurley (she tried to convince then-beau Hugh Grant to stick one on). In Cannes, Marley Shelton, Jennifer Connelly and Jared Leto wore them to the premiere party for "Requiem for a Dream.” Sela Ward sported hers at the Victoria's Secret AIDS benefit, and Rebecca Romijin-Stamos wore one at the Italian “Vogue” party in Monaco honoring Helmut Newton. Stylist Phillip Bloch helped inspire the shiny accessories when he custom-made one for Halle Berry to match to her Versace black-and-coral outfit for the 1999 Emmys; he applied each crystal to her stomach by hand. Popular shapes include stars, hearts and Moroccan-inspired multicolored swirls. They’re a quick fix of affordable pleasure: about $18 at stores like Bloomingdales and Macy’s. But even Swarovski sources are running out. Singer Marc Anthony recently needed some for a shoot but couldn’t track any down.

A wearer of both crystal and tattoos, Mary J. Blige gave a performance that was as much fashion show as concert the other night at the Universal Amphitheatre. She emerged first as a character in a cartoon, showing Mary beating up drug dealers and rapists. Then the real Mary strutted out in Dolce and Gabbana crystal bra top, white pants and matching elbow-length, crystal-studded gloves. Her red feathered hair and gold hoop earrings shook, and even from the 20th row, we could see the glow of her lipgloss. Make that LipGlass: Mary’s makeup artist, Bianca Alexander of MAC, tells us that’s Mary’s tour must-have. “It’s all about her lips being really glossy,” she says. “She likes it super heavy, super wet.” MAC’s a sponsor of the tour, so Bianca will have plenty on hand. She keeps the color on through the strenuous concert by first staining Mary’s lips with a matte base. “Rub some of that on, then work on another part of the face and go back to the mouth,” Bianca advises. For Mary’s eyes, “I’m off the cuff, working with her outfits,” Bianca says. One favorite is MAC’s Mulch, a frosted brown. “Color should be fun, creating a look and an image.” …Mary then changed to a one-shoulder beaded top and matching pants, followed by a glowing, multi-colored camisole. Between the first and second ensembles, hair stylist Tre pulled off the red feathers-actually a wig-and touched up Mary’s own blonde hair extensions. "Every time she came near backstage, I was chasing her with the straightening iron,” he said after the concert, when the star posed prettily in her fourth outfit-shiny red halter top, mini-skirt, and spiked ankle boots.

Oprah Winfrey fell for Donald J. Pliner shoes, part of the goodies on display for stars at the Daytime Emmys. “This is overwhelming,” she said as she surveyed the spread organized by Distinctive Assets. “In 14 years, I’ve never gotten anything like this.” She grabbed a conservative pair of shoes, then eyed-and ordered-- a stunning set of black-and-red python-print boots… Camouflage print attracted Sarah Michelle Gellar when she stopped by Nicole Miller's Seventh Avenue showroom in New York. The “Buffy” star chose a Fall 2000 sequin camouflage dress and pants, as well as camouflage cashmere sweaters….New mom Kelly Preston had practical concerns when she dropped into Madison on Robertson. “She was looking for the biggest shirts she could find,” a source tells us-Preston is breast-feeding her new baby girl…“Girls in the Garden” was the theme for an afternoon at Jennifer Nicholson’s Brentwood estate. Jennifer and new partner Pamela Barish showed slinky, floral-print dresses to a crowd including Jennifer’s father, Jack, with Lara Flynn Boyle; Cher, Catherine Oxenberg, Casper van Dien, Michael Keaton and Jennifer Tilly. The fashion show had a few fun touches, like flamenco dancers, showgirls in burlesque and rodeo outfits, and little mermaid figures in each drink.

For the seamier side of the party life, we checked out Monday nights at Dublin’s on Sunset, where a Midwest-born, wannabe actress nicknamed Pantera Sara is holding a popular hip-hop dance night. Regulars include Mark Wahlberg, Christina Aguilera and Fred Durst. Filmmaker Danielle Gardner, who’s directing a documentary called “Guest List Only,” about Young Hollywood nightlife, is following Sara’s scene for the film. This past Monday, Justin Timberlake hung out for an hour with Sara as she guarded the door to the private upstairs room at the club, previously known as a boozy frat-boy hangout …Sara debuted her club at the Sunset Room this past Wednesday; later, Wahlberg held a party at his Hollywood Hills home, with Leonardo DiCaprio attending….What’s sexy now? We hear “InStyle” is looking for anything in red for celebrities like Claudia Schiffer to wear for its upcoming, annual “Sexy” issue.

In the rest of the world, summer is just beginning. Here at FashionDish, it’s time to think about the first big awards show of the fall: the Emmys. Me & Ro jewelry, a favorite of Julia Roberts, has hired a prominent publicist to introduce the collection for the awards show. A new line in gold will provide a creative, but still striking, alternative to formal platinum… Nominations come out July 20th, and “Women’s Wear Daily,” which has beefed up its Los Angeles coverage, may hold a party.

Finally, the early word on the Council of Fashion Designers of America awards in New York is that Los Angeles red carpets have nothing to fear. “They were trying to simulate the Oscars with a very long red carpet, but there was no waiting in line to be interviewed,” one attendee complains. Liz Hurley, in pink, and Ashley Judd, in a beaded cream gown, posed with Valentino, the night’s main honoree. Sandra Bernhard was the fashion standout of the night, in a sheer black gown, slicked-back hair and huge earrings. Bianca Jagger arrived solo and wanted only to meet Valentino. Her successor as ex-Mrs. Jagger, Jerry Hall, attended as well in Jean-Paul Gaultier. Helmut Lang and Miuccia Prada were surprise no-shows, but Claudia Schiffer made up for that as an unexpected guest. Milla Jovovich presented an award to Oscar de la Renta, then annoyed photographers by slipping out for a smoke before posing with the designer. The after-party featured frothy feather centerpieces and a mellow, well-behaved Puff Daddy, but no goody bags. The main buzz: Who was the other woman wearing the same light-blue dress as socialite Pia Getty?