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The show opened on Jack telling us that he is HIV positive. It was an odd way to start the episode, but I guess it ties into the end…

Even as I pour myself a nightcap, I am…

-Kenrya M. Rankin

Well, the Dominican Wonder Twins Chronicles are one step closer to being renamed plain-old Heroes Recap. That’s because last night, Alejandro had a run in with a pocket knife, courtesy of Sylar. The Wonder Twins and Sylar had made it cross country to Virginia, where Sylar taps taps taps right into Maya’s weak point in order to come between her and bro Alejandro: The fact that behind her powers to kill is intent, pure and simple. She killed her cheating sister-in-law, not accidentally, but because she wanted to (told ya’ll in a previous post!). If she can bring on her powers, Sylar tells her, she can control it and doesn’t need her hermanito. She gets angry at this, at which Sylar keels over and then she has to bring him back on her own, which she does. Master stroke! Maya dumps Alejandro (que tonta!). Alejandro leaves the room, but not the hotel. He comes back and gets into it with Sylar. Bad move. Sylar overpowers him and stabs him dead. Hardly surprising, considering how badly developed and little liked the twins’ story was, and also considering that the show’s creator all but said they were goners. We expect Maya to bite the dust next week and we’ll save our final verdict on the Dominicanos till then. Sylar and Maya, now an item, arrive at Suresh’s house. Sylar calls the good doc and tells him he’s waiting for him at Suresh’s apartment.

Meanwhile, the Shanti virus has taken center stage. Hiro travels back to 1977 and learns that Kenzei aka Adam had tried to release it and as a result, was imprisoned by the Company. Present-day Adam tells Peter that Company scientist Victoria Pratt worked on the virus and that they must find her. They do, and Peter reads her mind to discover where the virus vial is kept (season 1 stomping grounds, Primatech Paper in Odessa, TX). She warns him that Adam is evil and bent on releasing the virus, which Adam denies. Adam then kills Victoria, making it look as if he was doing so to prevent her from killing Peter with a shotgun.

Have no fear, Mr. Bennet is alive and well, and strapped down to a bed at the Company. Suresh shot him in the eye last week, yes, but he also shot him with Claire’s miracle blood, which brought him back to life. Suresh is now squarely working for the company, and develops what he thinks is an antidote to help Nikki. Meanwhile, Bob delivers his “ashes” to Claire, mom and bro, who believing HRG is indeed dead, they release them into the ocean. On the way back to the car, Claire spots Elle, who has been assigned to tail her, and tells her she’s going to tell the whole world about her abilities, so the Company will have no power over her and her family.

Meanwhile, back in New Orleans, Nikki arrives to be with Micah while she awaits Suresh’s antidote. Micah’s cousin steals his backpack (which contains expensive comic books and the medal his dad received for rescuing someone from a fire). The cousin tries to sell Micah’s comic books to some thugs, but gets jacked by them instead. Monica, testing out her powers, tries to retrieve the bag from their lair, but gets busted and thrown into the back of a van instead. Micah runs home, presumably to get his mom to kick their asses. We’ll see next week.

Also next week, we’ll get to see what happens after the last night’s final scene, in which Hiro arrives at PrimaTech at the same time as Peter and Adam do. Hiro tells Peter that Adam must pay for Hiro’s dad’s death (I guess it would have been too easy to just tell Peter that Adam is a bad guy bent on killing humanity) and when Peter threatens to zap him if he tries to kill Adam, charges him with the samurai sword.

Next week: The season finale, thanks to the writers’ strike. Sylar will rise as TV’s best villain. See you then.

Hello my glam readers! I hope you all had fantastic, beauty-filled weekends. Mine, of course, went by far too fast. An afternoon at Central Park (crazy, I know, what was I thinking? It was freezing!), a long brunch, a few football games and poof – weekend over. I decided to combat the Sunday night blues with a little at-home facial. ‘Cause lately, I’ve noticed that my concealer and cream blushes have been settling into the fine little lines on my face – making me look wrinkled, and a lot older than my 28 years. I needed some exfoliation action, stat! I use an exfoliator on my face about twice a week to even out the surface – does the trick every time. Followed up with a clay facemask (great for us oily-skinned chicas; it sucks out dirt and grease like nothing else!) and a touch of oil-free moisturizer y ya! Now if only I could wash away those Monday morning blahs…Angelique

Want to know how to spice up your shoe closet this winter? Stock it with these five essentials for work and play and you’re sure to step out in high style.

1) Ankle boots: I absolutely love this trend! Ankle boots have appeared in every form this winter, so you’ll definitely find a pair that screams your name. Since I’m a fan of high heels (as every girl should be) I suggest going for a stiletto ankle boot to add height. If you feel a little more daring, try a pair in patent leather! We love these from Guess ($130: Bloomingdale’s stores nationwide).

2) Knee-high boots: These boots are not only stylish and hip, but they definitely keep your feet and legs warm on colder days. A classic staple will always be a brown or black leather knee high boot, but you can switch it up with a pair of suede ones. Don’t be afraid of adding some bright colors into the mix! Go to Zappos.com to find your favorite.

3)  Mid-calf boot: If you do decide to try a mid-calf boot, pair them with dark or opaque tights to create the illusion of a long leg. Be careful though, many mid-calf boots tend to make you appear shorter. Visit Shoes.com.

4) Lace-up boots: These boots are super easy to take on and off but also a great change from a regular boot. Lace-up boots are great if you have a wider calf, since you can adjust them to fit you just right. Don’t think of lace boots as the ones that tie up in the front either, they can lace up in the back for a fun look. Find them at Zappos.com .

5) Slouchy boots: These go hand-in-hand with the Boho look seen on runways.
These boots provide effortlessly chic, all the time. They come in either flats or in heels, making them a great choice to pair with jeans for a great weekend look or a night out.—Victoria Sanchez-Lincoln

This week‚s episode opens with the boys complaining that Elisa should have been kicked off, rather than Simone. Then we move quickly to the first model picking. I love how they play that same serious music they use for designer elimination, like anyone cares which model gets kicked off. Except Ricky, who teared up when Wendy was sent away. He made it a whopping three minutes in, people! After he wiped his weepy eyes, it was time for an always-difficult team challenge. Now, here, I must digress, because right about now, my girl Erica texts me, and I quote: “This child won’t stop crying! Next episode, we need a drinking game. Every time Ricky cries, we take a shot. I’m thinking tequila.” How exciting!So anyway, Tim told the designers they‚d be pitching to a style icon, and who walked in but, wait for it…Sarah Jessica Parker (heretofore known as SJP–it’s late, my hands are tired). The designers all freak out, most notably Chris who sobs: “The reason I moved to New York was because of watching episodes of “Sex and the City” and there, standing in front of me was Sarah Jessica Parker, and I just lost it. SJP challenges the crew to create a two-piece look for the Fall/Winter Bitten collection that lives up to the motto: “Fashion shouldn’t be a luxury and quality shouldn’t be a privilege.” They are given eight hours and $15 to make it happen.

This episode might have well been called the Daddy Issue Episode, cause everybody’s got one. And they all come to a head, tragically.Little Claire is standing up to her morally slippery dad and refuses to leave Costa Verde and West. Mr. Bennet (aka HRG) confronts West, and then convinces him that their beloved Claire Bear’s in trouble. Bob comes knocking to the Bennets’ front door and takes Claire with him after tying up mom. HRG meets Suresh, who forces him at gunpoint to a deserted warehouse area and tells him he WILL give up Claire so her blood can cure Nikki. As HRG so eloquently put it, Suresh “has gone native,” totally buying in to Company Bob’s BS. (Was it really necessary for Suresh to walk around with the world’s most ridiculous bandage on his nose?) At the warehouse, West flies in, knocks over Suresh’s partner, Elle, and HRG grabs the gun away from Suresh. By the time he and West make it back to the Bennet’s home, an unconscious Elle in tow, Claire and Bob are gone and Mrs. Bennet’s tied up. They tie up Elle instead and call up Bob to arrange a trade.Hiro, meanwhile has his own daddy issue. As in, he’s gonna go back in time in order to save his own father, a former member of the Company. Daddy, predictably, responds that it’s his fate to die that day, but Hiro convinces him and off they go, back 17 years, when Hiro’s mom is being buried. There, in a graceful, heartwrenching scene, Hiro meets his younger self, who makes him realize that he cannot play God and must let his father die. He takes him back to the night of his murder by the hooded man, and then freezes time so he can see who the killer is: Takezo Kensei, aka Adam!Parkman is playing protective dad to Molly, only he just discovered he can not only read her mind, but control her with his. He also controls his boss into letting him continue to find out about the person killing every member of the Company (we now know that to be Adam, of course, whose cell regeneration has allowed him to live 400 years). When Parkman visits Mrs. Petrelli in the clinker, he mind-controls her into telling him about Adam. And, he tries to get her to tell him who an unknown woman in the Company photograph (presumably Adam’s next target) is. She guilt-trips him into not making her tell, by comparing him to–who else–dear old dastardly dad. Doesn’t quite work. On a later scene, we see Parkman holding the picture. And above the woman, she’s written “Victoria Pratt.”In the episode’s thrilling climax, HRG, West and Elle meet Suresh, Bob and Claire to do the girl-trade by the beach. Bob let’s go of Claire, but just as West takes off with her, Elle (duh) zaps them and they both fall from the sky. (We know Claire’s OK because she’s indestructible, but just how did West survive a 100 ft drop?). HRG grabs his gun, gets ready to shoot Bob and Elle (Again, doesn’t make sense, since Elle should be able to zap him at any point). Just then, Suresh grows a pair and shoots him in the eye, just as was predicted in Isaac Mendez’s painting.
Can this be?? Our favorite characters on the show, not to mention the strongest actor on it, snuffed out? Don’t count him out just yet. We next see HRG getting a transfusion, healing a la Claire and waking up suddenly. He seems to know where he is…and he’s not happy about it.Next week: Sylar comes back to NYC and pays Suresh a visit. The Dominican Twins? Nowhere to be found. Wonder how “Taps” would sound as a bachata?

Yeah. You heard me right. This Puerto Rican in all her 28 years has never, ever had her hair blown out. Now let me explain. My hair is straight. Pin straight. Frustratingly, ridiculously straight. Now I know what you curly haired chicas are thinking – go ahead, cry me a damn river. But hear me out: Bobby pins and hair clips slide down my strands; curls hang tough for about 5 minutes before they drop limply to my shoulders. And you know abuela’s old pink foamy rollers she used to sleep in? Yep, I have to wind my damp hair in those at night, sleep on ‘em, deal with the migraine in the morning and hair-spray the you-know-what out of my hair just to give it the slightest bit of body. So I say, straight hair ain’t all it’s cracked up to be. That’s why when I went to visit the ladies of VO5 – yes, that seemingly ancient brand known for its hot oil treatments – to check out their new hair products, I initially wanted to turn them down when they offered me a complimentary blow-out. Hello. Does it look like I need help in that department? But then I thought, why not? (Plus, it was raining out and I didn’t feel like walking back to the office just yet.) So I sat down for the whole 6-or-so minutes it took to ‘blow out’ my hair. The results: Straight. But the Volume Blast Styling Spray, which was sprayed on my dry strands before they were blown out, gave my hair a nice, not greasy (very important for us straight-haired girls) shine, and just enough hold to keep the fly-aways at bay. So while I may not get another blow-out any time soon, the volumizing spray might actually make it to my bathroom shelf.—Angelique Serrano

What’s up ladies? I’m sitting here at my office desk, rubbing my hands up and down my legs, marveling at their oh-so-smoothness. The result of a scary new waxing treatment? Hardly. I’ve just abandoned all forms of shaving creams and gels and have converted to body oils. Many body care brands make a version of bath and/or body oil, but I’m partial to Carol’s Daughter. Not only do their oils leave your skin soooo soft (seriously, you’ve got to try it),  but they look so beautiful in the bottles: Golden green leaves and red rose petals float in amber liquid. Gorgeous. So gorgeous I leave the bottle on top of my toilet tank. Beats mini hotel soaps any day. —Angelique Serrano

So I haven’t worn barrettes in my hair since I was five. The last pair I wore – yes, I remember – I pulled out of my hair just before I mounted the bus on my first day of Kindergarten. They were pink, plastic and flowery. And of course, they were sliding down my pin-straight hair. So I shoved them into my lunchbox and never wore them again. Fast-forward to last night: I’m running late for a dinner party (shocker). A big dinner party. A party being attended by myself, Latina Fashion Director Victoria Sanchez and our new Editorial Director Mimi Valdes Ryan–and some dozen or so major players from the fashion industry. So about 15 minutes before we’re supposed to leave the Latina offices, I step into my one special pair of silver Manolo pumps (a gift to myself when I quit my last job), my  purple Tadashi ruched dress, and a new purpley shade of Chanel lipstick. Then it came time for my hair. Updo? Down? Half-up? I wandered over to the hair styling bins we keep in our beauty closet (big drawers where we keep everything from hairspray to root touch-up) and started digging around until I uncovered a pair of sparkling rhinestone barrettes. Maybe I was desperate. Maybe I was running really late. But I parted my hair, and fastened the left side with a barrette. It was schoolgirl gone glam. Not bad! But throughout the night that damn barrette spent more time sliding down my hair than I spent sipping on mojitos. I lasted through dessert; then I took it off and shoved it into my purse, wistfully envious of all the thick, curly haired girls, like J.Lo, who could enjoy these lovely little adornments. When I got home at midnight, I made myself a Kindergarten-style peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich. Final grade: Party: A+; Hair: C-. Oh well. I’ll do better next time. –Anjelique Serrano

So last night was the premiere of the fourth season of “Project Runway”. There are 15 new designers to hate on (don’t lie, you know you do it), and most of them actually bring real talent to the table. No, really. I can’t remember a season when so many of them had real experience. I also can’t remember a season where the waterworks were turned on quite so soon. Yup, Ricky Lizalde has to hold the record for the earliest crier ever. He turned on the waterworks seven minutes and 38 seconds in: “It’s not just a game—it’s my life!”
 
Anyway, here are the six I’m keeping an eye on—some because they’re good, some because they’re good entertainment!
 
1. Christian Siriano, the cocky young gun fresh out of design school who proclaims that he’d “rather buy clothes than buy a bed.”2. Carmen A. Webber, the edgy former model with the Kelis haircut (minus the nasty rat tail thing, but plus a few puzzling feathers).3. Jillian Lewis, a former designer and illustrator for Ralph Lauren who looks like she’s going to be a handful in the bitch department.