Dear Answer Angel Ellen: I have not seen this topic in your column but I thought of you for this reason: I dropped the eyeliner pencil — one that you suggested -- down the “black hole of despair,” in the crack between the seat of my car and the console. It took me a long time and much contortion and frustration to retrieve it.

It occurred to me that there must be a solution to this problem in car design! What is it?

--Elizabeth B.

Dear Elizabeth: Congratulations on actual success in a retrieval! I’m going to help you to (hopefully) never have this very common problem again.

Obviously dropping anything, but especially a small item (eyeliner, AirPod, pocket comb), down that hole makes the job of getting it back a challenge. But it is a common plague and there is a way to prevent future mishaps.

My advice is simple but it took me a while to figure out what you needed and to test the product out. You are looking for a “universal car seat gap filler (set of two).” This is a squishy hot-dog shaped roll covered in vinyl or fabric. They are about 18 inches inches long and 1.5 inches wide. The set I bought on amazon.com was “awave bloom” brand for $13.90, but there are plenty of other options out there online and at auto supply shops.

You jam it in the space between the console and your seat. They have a notch that accommodates the safety belt hardware so no problem using the belt. Read the fine print because they don’t work on certain cars, for example those without a console and a few other exceptions.

Yes, you could stuff a towel in the space, but I tried that and it was cumbersome, ugly and kept popping out. For immediate assistance, unbend a wire coat hanger and fish around after moving the seat back and forth to see where your object is and try to snag it. Or, find a kid with a smaller hand to get in there and grab the eyeliner or whatever.

Dear Answer Angel Ellen: I exercise most days of the week, and I sweat quite a bit. My hair gets very wet and very tangled. I know that people say you shouldn't wash your hair every day, but how do people do that when they sweat from exercise?

--Kim I.

Dear Kim: There are alternatives: dry shampoo; using conditioner instead of shampoo (co-washing); rinse only; shampoos that don’t contain sulfates and are made of plant-based or organic materials. An internet search will turn up vast amounts of info on what’s bad or good in shampoo.

I know plenty of people who shampoo every day with no ill effects. If you’re one of them, don’t worry about what “other people say.”

Dear Answer Angel Ellen: Several quick questions: Pant styles: Skinny or bell-bottom? Doc Martens? Who can wear thong swimsuits?

--Frieda E.

Dear Frieda:

In order:

-- Pants styles are all over the place but many fashion “editors” and their acolyte stars favor high-rise wide-leg (not bell-bottom) pants, especially jeans. Really baggy wide-legs pants (mostly jeans) are also considered stylish with regular or unfinished hems, rolled-up cuffs bunched up at the ankle, or hems dragging on the ground. A recent headline on vogue.com: “The Wider the Leg, the Better for Katie Holmes.” Bell-bottoms are making a return appearance but aren’t remotely as popular as wide-leg. Skinny jeans? Many influencers say skinnies are so over. But those of us who look good in them aren’t giving them up.

-- Doc Martens: Both Doc Martens (or similar brands) shoes and boots are popular. It’s a clunky, heavy-soled (platform) look and not for everyone. They come in loafers, lace-ups, even sandals. If you like the look you are in good company. Celebs like Kendall Jenner and Selena Gomez were wearing this style more than year ago and the trickle down makes them popular now. Balenciaga sells a “tractor loafer” in this style for $1,050. Genuine Doc Martens are mostly in the $200 range.

-- Thong swimsuits: A trip to many, many beaches this summer attests that women of every dimension wear thongs. So…not just for the model-thin. Would I wear a thong swimsuit? Never.

©2024 Tribune Content Agency, LLC