Top Chef: Seattle winner Kristen Kish.

Congrats to Korean American adoptee Kristen Kish, who has taken top honors on Top Chef: Seattle. The show, hosted by Indian American model Padma Lakshmi, had its finale tonight, and Kristen killed it with her Snapper with Leeks, Little Gem Lettuce, Tarragon, Uni and Shellfish Nage. With her win, she is the second woman to win Top Chef. Yes, she’s gorgeous — she of the swan-like neck, tomboy ‘do and model-like limbs — but what made us love her even more is her determination to discover her roots. “In the very near future, a trip to Korea for me,” she said, teary-eyed.

Oils have long gotten a bad rap. Oil on the T-zone, oil in the Gulf, partially hydrogenated oil on any ingredient list — all these no-no oils have made us a society terrified of oil.

And yes, while an oil slick on the face or in natural habitats are to be avoided at all costs, there are good oils, just like there are good fats. (Recent studies show certain types of good fat actually help you burn more fat — who knew?!) And a diet high in olive oil and other good oils also helps one keep the weight off.

So oil can’t be all bad. Even on the face.

Hair stylist Ada Garcia used MoroccanOil to smooth out cover model Annie Maki's strands on our summer cover.

We’ve been hearing a lot about MoroccanOil and every hair stylists’ and beauty editors’ obsession with the antioxidant-rich, argan oil-based product. In our Summer 2010 issue, hair stylist Ada Garcia recommended MorocconOil to get the smooth strands featured on our cover model Annie Maki.

Padma Lakshmi.

Padma Lakshmi, the Indian American model, award-winning cookbook author and Emmy-nominated host of the popular Bravo TV series Top Chef, is such a big fan of oils she put out a press release recently in connection with Dial NutriSkin‘s new line of fruit oil-based body washes, spilling her oil-based beauty secrets. (Apparently, she keeps blemishes at bay with a face steam of boiling water and a few drops of pure tea tree oil, then slathers her face with pure honey to suck out impurities from pores.)

After years of avoiding oil-based products on my T-zone like the plague, I’ve become a recent convert, thanks to Marie Louise’s Cleansing Clear Gel. Never have I enjoyed removing my makeup so much — even the stubborn, expensive waterproof mascara that, until now, wouldn’t completely come off unless I pulled it off with my fingertips.

I also recently discovered the joy of oil with Boske Oil-dissolving Cleansing Oil. I know — how ironic. Sometimes it takes oil to get rid of oil, and this little gem not only removes makeup and sunscreen, but it dissolves blackheads with its lipid-soluble solution.

Juara Candlenut Hydrating Shower Gel.

My ultimate little oil luxury, though, is Juara’s Candlenut Hydrating Shower Gel. Made with candlenut oil, a traditional Indonesian beauty oil known for its hydrating and skin-healing power and velvety feel, the gel is sulfate- and paraben-free and uses active botanicals for gentle cleansing. And like all their products, the scent of the shower gel is amazing — their signature candlenut scent infused with lush greens, delicate freesia, jasmine, bergamot, rose and a hint of coconut. Mmmm.

Metta Murdaya, one of the four Asian American women behind the beauty and skincare line Juara.

We knew Indian British actress Archie Panjabi was getting some serious buzz for her steal-the-show role of tough-talking investigator Kalinda in CBS’s hit “The Good Wife.” Now she’s won outstanding supporting actress in a drama series for her role! Here she is wearing Tadashi Shoji at the Emmy Awards last night.

Archie Panjabi poses with her award for outstanding supporting actress in a drama series backstage at the 62nd annual Primetime Emmy Awards in Los Angeles. Photo by Danny Moloshok/Reuters.

Archie Panjabi, right, in her signature black knee-high boots, in "The Good Wife."

And also congrats to Padma Lakshmi’s show Top Chef, which won best reality competition program.

From left: "Top Chef" host Padma Lakshmi, Tom Colicchio and Gail Simmons, winners of the Reality Competition Program Award at the 62nd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards. Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images.

Our summer TV preview continues. Earlier this week, we highlighted new show Pretty Little Liars starring Asian American Shay Mitchell, and the return of favorites Drop Dead Diva with Margaret Cho, The Next Food Network Star, and True Beauty. Here, some more mindless fun on the small screen.

Work of Art: The Next Great Artist, Bravo

Premieres Wednesday, June 9, 11 pm

China Chow, the host of Work of Art: The Next Great Artist.

They’ve done chefs, fashion designers, dancers, singers, hair stylists and interior designers. There’s even talk of a new bartender competition reality show. So it only makes sense that contemporary artists would be the next to join in the reality show fray. Except this one is produced by Sarah Jessica Parker and hosted by Chinese American model China Chow, art enthusiast and daughter of the late model and fashion icon Tina Chow and restaurateur Michael Chow (of the famed Mr. Chow and Eurochow restaurants).

Work of Art: The Next Great Artist is Bravo’s latest entrant into the reality show arena. Fourteen contemporary artists will compete for a solo show at a nationally recognized museum and a cash prize.

Born in London, Chow moved to New York at the age of 5 and grew up in the ’80s art world of Manhattan. Counting famed artists like Andy Warhol, Keith Haring, Julian Schnabel and Francesco Clemente as family friends, you can say Chow pretty much grew up in art. Chow even learned how draw elephants from renowned artist Jean-Michel Basquiat.

Trong Nguyen, a contestant on Work of Art.

Even more exciting, the early buzz on the show paints Vietnam-born artist and curator Trong Nguyen as a front-runner. The Brooklyn-based Nguyen has exhibited his work all around the world, and has been reviewed by The New York Times, Paper, Village Voice and loads of other publications. He is currently working on a “metaphysical GPS” application for the iPhone and runs his artist-as-company project, Humanitarians Not Heroes.

HGTV Design Star, HGTV

Premieres Sunday, June 13, 10 pm

HGTV Design Star judge Vern Yip.

Award-winning architectural and interior designer Vern Yip returns to judge the cult hit reality show, HGTV Design Star.

Yip, who just announced that he adopted a baby boy with his partner, runs his own design company in Atlanta, Ga., Vern Yip Designs. With a master’s in management, and a master’s in architecture from The Georgia Institute of Technology, Yip transforms rooms, houses and restaurants — on television and in his private practice — ranging in budget from frugal to eight-figure projects for high-end clients, including the design for a high-profile Oscar party in 2006.

This season, one of the contestants on Design Star is Julie Khuu, a 29-year-old interior designer from Santa Ana, Calif. An interior design graduate from The Art Institute of California, Khuu works on everything from hospitality design to home consultation. A self-described overachiever and socialite, Khuu calls her design style “modern global glamour” and says that her favorite projects involve designing spaces for nightclubs.

HGTV Design Star contestant Julie Khuu.

Top Chef: Washington D.C., Bravo

Premieres Wednesday, June 16, 9 pm

Top Chef host Padma Lakshmi.

Host Padma Lakshmi is back. This time, the Indian American model will be judging the culinary contenders in Washington, D.C.

One of the first internationally successful Indian models, Lakshmi has since written two cookbooks, the best-selling Easy Exotic, for which she won the International Versailles Event for best cookbook by a first time writer, and her memoir-filled cookbook Tangy, Tart, Hot & Sweet. She’s also hosted a variety of cooking and food shows, including Padma’s Passport, and the documentary series Planet Food on The Food Network and worldwide on the Discovery Channel.

Top Chef contestant Arnold Myint.

But her talents don’t stop there. Lakshmi launched a line of fine jewelry last year at Bergdorf Goodman in New York. And this year, Lakshmi became the new face of Pantene’s Nature Fusion line.

Among the contestants Lakshmi will be judging is Arnold Myint, a 32-year-old Thai-Burmese American from Nashville. He’s the owner and chef of Cha Chah (voted Best New Restaurant by Nashville Scene in 2009), PM, and Suzy Wong’s House of Yum, all located in Nashville. The competitive professional figure-skater-turned-chef is expected to bring his own colorful personality into the mix this season.