Fashion briefs

Short styles

NEW YORK - Short hair isn't only for mature women and rebel rockers. Any woman can wear short hair, says Matrix stylist Enzo Angileri. The key is in the cut.

Before lopping off long locks, consider the shape of your face, he advises.

If your face is long or oval, get a cut that doesn't have to many layers in the front. Instead you should build volume from the sides.

If you have a round face, try an asymmetric cut with pieces of all different lengths.

A short bob with lots of layers works well for square jaw lines. Longer pieces positioned toward the face crates a frame and softens the line, he says.

Next, analyze your hair type. Curly hair shouldn't have too many layers or it'll look puffy on top. If your hair is very fine, add layers to pump up the volume.

Women with thick straight hair is a shorter version of a shag, to keep the overall look from being too boxy or square. "The ideal cut always has to have long pieces on the back of the neck and front of the ears. Also the bangs have to be on the long side," Angileri says.

Angileri is the stylist responsible for Charlize Theron's short hair.

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Moody skin

NEW YORK - Here's a deep dark secret about skin: Summer isn't the season when most people need to worry about acne even though they're more likely to sweat. Acne flare-ups are more common in fall and winter, with their darker days and blue moods.

Mood swings, low spirits and stress influence hormones and trigger an increase in cortisol secretion, which can increase acne, says Ruth E. Tedaldi, a Wellesley, Mass.-based dermatologist and a member of the SkinCeuticals Advisory Board.

Acne can be aggravated when people sleep less as a result of anxiety and when they drink more caffeine to stay awake, Tedaldi explains. Also, the dead skin cells from summertime's sun exposure begins to shed and can clog pores. And, she adds, acne isn't just a problem for teenagers. Plenty of adults are affected by acne, too.

Cosmetic acne, acne caused by external forces such as makeup and creams, also can increase in the cooler weather when people tend to load up on rich and intense moisturizers, Tedaldi says.

Instead, she suggests, make sure you exfoliate dead layers of skin and then use a lighter touch with moisturizer, preferably an oil-free moisture. SkinCeuticals' blemish control gel uses salicylic acid to remove dead skin cells.

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Watch words

NEW YORK - In the market for a new watch? Patek Philippe, a family-owned Swiss company that produces handmade luxury watches, says it's helpful for all parties when consumers are knowledgeable about how watches work and what features are important to them.

A guide to general watch terms:

-Movement. The engine of a watch, also called caliber.

-Mechanical. A watch powered by daily manual winding or a self-winding mechanism.

-Manual wind. Wound by turning the "crown," the little knob found on the right side of many watches.

-Self-winding. Wound by the natural movement of the wrist, also called automatic.

-Complication. Any function other than time and date.

-Chronograph. A timekeeping measurement that tracks elapsed time.

-Moon phase. An astronomical indicator that presents the evolution of the moon as seen from earth.

-Power reserve. Often the smallest hand on the face, it's an indicator that displays the time remaining for a mechanical movement to run without being rewound.

-Tourbillion. A regulator that eliminates the effect of gravity on a watch so the time remains accurate.

-Annual calendar. A calendar that displays the date, month and day, requiring adjustment only once a year at the end of February (a Patek Philippe patent).

-Perpetual calendar. A complete calendar, with day, date and month, that takes account of monthly variations, including leap year.

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Broadway shine

NEW YORK - "Sweet Charity" is shining on Broadway this fall.

The musical, starring Christina Applegate, partnered with Avon to create its own lip gloss called Shine Supreme. It features Avon's patent-pending rejuvi-shine technology, a blend of emollients that adhere to the lips. It makes for longer lasting color, while clear shine polymers rise to the surface, according to Avon.

The self-renewing shine cuts down on the need for touchups - a timesaver for Applegate and her Fandango Ladies.

Shine Supreme's color palette complements the psychedelic 1960s' costumes of "Sweet Charity."