In Love with Marilyn at Macy's

I'm been devouring this incredibly gorgeous book, "Marilyn in Fashion," and feeling so inspired by the sexy, summer-y looks that Marilyn perfected.  I noticed a number of key elements of Marilyn's style: everything fit her body perfectly; her looks are sensual but don't actually show that much skin; and there's a wonderful mix of fresh innocence and sultry sexuality in her personal style.

Finding the kind of outfits that Marilyn wore is not easy, and pinup reproduction clothes are so lovely but often very expensive.  So I'm in love with a new Marilyn Monroe reproduction line that Macy's is carrying in their junior's section.

I tried on almost everything and ended up buying this gorgeous red dress:

Currently on sale at macys.com for $44.99 in sizes from XS-XXL

Here is the original dress that Marilyn for Niagara

Here's some more of this delightful line, perfect for looking delicious in this hot summer weather....

Getting a Glamicure...

The best manicure in LA is...

Jessica's Nail Clinic in West Hollywood on Sunset.  I stumbled in there from Drybar (another Sunset Plaza favorite, the nummiest blowouts available), needing my hands to be whipped into shape immediately for an upcoming audition.  I wanted just clean hands with short nails and lots of buffing, no polish.  It's a simple request but one that often gets met with a lot of blank looks at nail places around LA.  Well, Jessica's is different.  In 30 minutes they gave me beautiful, natural, elegant hands.  

Joanna was my miracle worker, and she was worth every penny of the $30 I paid. If you want gorgoeus hands, she is your angel.

Jessica's is a jumble of marble, wallpaper, and tiny rooms, with an Old Hollywood feeling.  They only take cash or cheques, no credit cards. Free parking abounds for Sunset Plaza behind the buildings.

At the end of my appointment, Joanna gave me a gift of my own special nail brush to keep my hands looking beautiful.  Thanks again Jessica's for saving me!

Jessica's Nail Clinic
8627 W Sunset Blvd
West Hollywood, CA 90069
(310) 659-9292, ask for Joanna
 http://www.jessicacosmetics.com/

Beauty Bargain: Bejeweled Eyes

So I've decided that for this magical month of December, in the spirit of joy and giving and vegan eggnog, I will be spilling the secrets of  many more of my favorite beauty bargains and favorite products!  These make great treats for your most glamorous holiday party self, as well as excellent gifts that your friends and family will actually use and cherish.  And today we will be starting with this alchemical blue jewel-toned eye shadow, the perfect color of a shimmering peacock's tail, that kept popping up in Fall and Spring Runway shows this year:

Jeremy Scott Runway Spring 2013

Anna Sui Fall Runway 2012

Joy Cioci Runway Spring 2013

Joy Cioci Runway Spring 2013

Moschino Cheap and Chic Runway Spring 2013

I LOVE adore and worship blue jewel-toned eyeshadows, I think they are incredibly flattering on everyone and every skin tone, and they make the perfect festive holiday eye.  I often find that blue eyeshadows reduce the appearance of redness in and around the eye, so if you have been over-indulging or under-sleeping this season, this is the eyeshadow for you!  And yes, drumroll, this is another beauty bargain.  This L'Oreal HIP Studio Secrets Eye Shadow Duo in Showy combines the perfect jewel tone blues, and you can use them together or separately.  I have had this little duo forever, and it is still gorgeously bright and shiny.  And it's $7.99.  Contrast that with the equivalent Nars shades below...

HiP Studio Secrets Professional Bright Shadow Duos in Showy $7.99 your local drugstore or drugstore.com

 OR

NARS Single Eye Shadow in Tropic $24.00 Sephora.com

NARS Single Eye Shadow in Outremer $24.00 Sephora.com

Total Savings With L'Oreal HiP Studio Secrets Professional Bright Shadow Duos: $40.00!

And the Winner is...

Today we had a lucky winner of the Korres Lip Butter Glaze contest...

Catrina!

She'll be receiving a FREE Korres Lip Butter in the color of her choice.

Stay tuned for our next unbelievably fabulous giveaway....

Z is for...Zac

Surprisingly enough my first favorite collection on the Spring 2012 Runway is a little spinoff brand, Z Zpoke by Zac Posen.  In what can only be described as a collaboration of genius, Zac's frothy, witty, vintage-worshipping frocks are modeled by the incomparable Coco Rocha, who grins, laughs, poses, preens and pouts like a fairy-tale princess version of Betty Boop.  Adorable!  I want every one of these dresses....

 

Beauty Bargains: Black Radiance Purple Passion

Black Radiance Purple Passion (5004) Lipstick $1.99 your local drugstore

Is there such a thing as a true beauty bargain?  It's a staple beloved of fashion magazines, who always show us the "luxe" version and the "less" version, and usually the "less" version is actually very much less desirable than the unbelievably expensive version.  However, I am going to spill some true beauty bargains in this blog...bargains which I feel live every bit and morsel up to their more expensive counterparts.  

My first beauty bargain is Black Radiance "Purple Passion" Lipstick.  I wore this lipstick today for two auditions and got lots of compliments!  It's fuchsia, but don't panic gentle readers, fuchsia lips have been resurrected from their poor 80's reputation.  If you wear fuchsia lips with a clean face or a smoky eye, they look quite wondrously fresh.

Don't believe me?  A little extemporaneous proof:

Pink lips on the Giles Spring Runway 2013 (also I need these sunglasses!  Perfect for all those times I want to be inconspicuously incognito)

Rochas Spring 2013 Runway, a pot of magic pink

Emily Blunt, rocking fuchsia and green, you are my hero

Black Radiance lipstick must be the biggest bargain of all.  I've had mine for more years than is hygienic to admit, and it has stayed fresh, non-drying, and incredibly lustrous.  Purple Passion is a shade that's a little hot pink, a little fuchsia, and a whole lot bold and sexy and fresh (or rather sweetly cow-maiden on the heath if you were it with clean skin and pink cheeks).  It looks great on porcelain skin as well as dark skin.  If you layer it with red lip gloss, it makes a beautiful, jewel-worthy pink-red.  It stays and lasts more than most lipsticks, and it is $1.99.  $1.99!  That's my parking meter change!

Black Radiance Purple Passion (5004) Lipstick $1.99 your local drugstore

OR

Nars Lipstick in Funny Face $24.00 Sephora.com

The closest shade I could find to my beloved Purple Passion is Nars Lipstick in Funny Face...its's a similar hot pink/fuchsia and it's $24.00.  Total savings with Black Radiance: $22.00.

An Outfit for Every Occasion

As we all know, there must be a proper, practical outfit for every occasion, as this quick scan of the Spring Ready-to-Wear Runway 2013 proves...

Paco Rabanne Spring 2013

The perfect outfit when I need to throw on something to walk to my corner Bristol Farms to buy some soy milk..

Ann Demeulemeester Spring 2013

 Absolutely essential for my next audition as a vampire queen....

Julien Macdonald Spring 2013

A very good ensemble for pysching myself up to overcome my dental phobias and finally go to the dentist to get my teeth cleaned...

Libertine Spring 2013

Two all-purpose outfits for celebrating friend's birthdays and arguing with landlords about rent.