That Old Black Magic #MusicMonday

It seems that you just can't avoid Marilyn Monroe.  Actress Michelle Williams channeled her on the cover of the October 2011 issue of Vogue.  At Sephora, we spotted a woman wearing a cardigan with panels of MM's pictures that she said that she bought at Betsey Johnson.  If things are crazy now, just imagine how they will be next year (2012), the 50th anniversary of MM's death.

As I said to my husband, let her rest in peace.  Or rather than ogling frozen images, let's watch her movies and remember her as a living, breathing person:





This is from Bus Stop, which was her favorite movie.  Sorry about the dubbing into French, but that's what I could find.

Meaningful Beauty Cindy Crawford Crème de Serum

Meaningful Beauty Creme de Serum

Meaningful Beauty Crème de Serum is a combination cream and gel with a double helix delivery system. According to the Meaningful Beauty FAQs,

The white portion contains anti-aging peptides, which help protect skin from wrinkles and fine lines. The clear layer of hyaluronic acid acts like a sponge on your skin, helping it grab and hold moisture. The melon shade is the [superoxide dismutase] SOD [anti-oxidant] complex, designed to protect skin from free radicals and harsh environmental elements.

I am not loyal to any brand or skin care regimen. I like to mix things up, and have been alternating use of the Meaningful Beauty Crème de Serum as a nighttime moisturizer with The Solution by Envision Beauty. It makes all the difference to apply moisturizer to skin that’s not yet dry.  I found that Meaningful Beauty Crème de Serum had a slightly unpleasant smell upon dispensing and felt tacky, not silky.

Meaningful Beauty Crème de Serum cannot be purchased separately: it must be purchased as part of the kit. You may purchase the Meaningful Beauty Cindy Crawford skin care kit through its web site or infomercial.

The fine print: Guthy-Renker sent The Style Page a sample of Meaningful Beauty Cindy Crawford Crème de Serum for review. It also sent me the Sheer Cover Sophisticate Face Palette: as with Meaningful Beauty Crème de Serum, it is not sold separately and must be purchased as part of the kit through the Sheer Cover website or infomercial.

Los Caprichos - Michael Colina #MusicMonday

For this week's #MusicMonday, I present "Los Caprichos," an orchestral work inspired by the prints of Francisco Goya, composed by Michael Colina.




Thank you Michelle of Samerjan Fine Arts and Moonglow Cafe jewelry for introducing me to the work of Michael Colina.

Beauty Blogazon Roundup October 9th -October 15th 2011

Beauty Blogazon Roundup October 9th - October 15th 2011

Red Hair and Black Nail Polish- Neon Crackle inspired by a Music Video

Bright Lights, Big Color- Get It On

Nails and Noms - 31 Day Challenge: Day 1 (Red Nails)

The Style Page- It works ... it really works! (Mask Hair Loss)

Cosmetically-Challenged.com- Fabulous Shoe Finds For Under $50.00!
Women Take Over the Oxford Style

Polish Pauper- What the?! Take Two! (Color Morphing)

Nailderella- Want a rainbow on your nails?

Polish insomniac- PSA! Too Faced to come out with Nail Polish???

Beauty.Mark Style & Fashion-My Visit to the Daphne Guinness Exhibit at the Museum Of FIT

Glitter.Gloss.Garbage- MAC Posh Paradise Mattene Swatches

The It Color- Swatch Series #4; Street Chic and Rose

Mally Skin Perfecting Tinted Liquid Face Defender

Mally Skin Perfecting Tinted Face Defender - from  Gouldylox Reviews

Mally Skin Perfecting Tinted Liquid Face Defender feels like a silicone-based face primer, but it isn’t advertised as such. QVC.com says that it can be worn under foundation, but “the magic comes after your makeup is on and you gently, with your fingertips, dab the product all over your face on top of your makeup! This product will not move your makeup, it will not cause it to disappear or look funky."

I tried Mally Skin Perfecting Tinted Liquid Face Defender both under and over my usual foundation. I did not see any “magic” when I applied the product over my usual foundation; besides, I like a little “makeup melt” to soften hard edges.

I like Mally Skin Perfecting Tinted Liquid Face Defender best worn alone, instead of my usual foundation. It helps even out the complexion and gives the skin a nice radiance. It is also soothing upon application, probably because tocopherol (related to Vitamin E) is one of the chief ingredients.

Because Mally Skin Perfecting Tinted Liquid Face Defender goes on sheer, I need extra help in minimizing spots of redness. I spot apply mineral foundation with a lay-down brush over Mally Skin Perfecting Tinted Liquid Face Defender to minimize the appearance of red spots. It might be overkill, but sometimes I spot apply LaurEss Neutralize Mineral Corrector before I apply skin-toned mineral foundation.

Mally Skin Perfecting Tinted Liquid Face Defender is expensive for what you get ($40 for 1 fl. oz.), as with some of Mally’s other products. While I would like to find a less expensive option, I am not aware of any similar product on the market.

You may shop Mally at qvc.com, mallybeauty.com, and Beauty.com. Mally Skin Perfecting Tinted Liquid Face Defender is available only on QVC.com.

The Style Page wishes to thank Tractenberg & Co. for providing me the sample of Mally Skin Perfecting Tinted Liquid Face Defender for review.

Jagjit Singh (February 8, 1941-October 10, 2011) #MusicMonday

Soon after I posted the video for last week's #MusicMonday, I learned of the death of Indian ghazal singer Jagjit Singh that day (October 10).  He was admitted to ICU after suffering a brain hemorrhage.  Fans knew that it was only a matter of time.

In commemoration of Jagjit Singh's life and career, I present this video for #MusicMonday:




This video is cross-posted on Mera Bharat Mahan.

The Style Page interview with Jemma Kidd

Jemma Kidd

1. Your book Jemma Kidd Make-up Masterclass: Beauty Bible of Professional Techniques and Wearable Looks discusses the founding of the Jemma Kidd Make-up School and your three make-up lines: The Jemma Kidd Make-up School, Jemma Kidd PRO, and most recently, JK Jemma Kidd for Target Beauty. What your book doesn’t tell us is how and why you became a make-up artist. What inspired you?

I grew up around modeling and had always been creative and found myself watching the make-up artists behind the scenes wanting to know their secrets. I felt at home backstage – the vibe, the buzz, the people – I just loved it!

2. How did you learn your craft?

I started out in the industry as a model, but I was never really comfortable in the limelight – unlike my little sister Jodie! When I discovered what it was like being on the other end of the make-up brush, I knew I'd found the right career. I was lucky to work as an assistant to make-up supremo Mary Greenwell for five years and was then spotted by Premier Hair and Make Up Agency and taken on their books in 1999. Since then I've worked with leading fashion designers, photographers and a host of prestigious magazines, including American and British Vogue, Vanity Fair and Elle. In 2003 I founded an academy in London to train professional make-up artists and to offer a range of make-up workshops for women of all ages. I have also created three distinctive make-up ranges – Jemma Kidd Make Up School (launched 2005), Jemma Kidd PRO (launched 2008) and JK Jemma Kidd (launched 2008) – which are sold throughout the UK and US as well as in Australia and Hong Kong .

3. Target has carried your JK Jemma Kidd line (along with Petra Strand’s Pixi and Napoleon Perdis’s NP Set) for over three years now. That is a testament to its popularity and longevity. How were you approached to start your JK Jemma Kidd line for Target Beauty in the first place?

My signature Jemma Kidd Make Up School range was retailing in Bergdorf Goodman and Neiman Marcus stores when I was first approached by Target to design an exciting new line for them. Target’s concept for the make-up line was “Design for All”; high quality make-up at affordable prices. The JK Jemma Kidd line was inspired by my love of fashion, runway style and colour. The collection fuses hi-fashion, statement colour and runway glamour with professional performance, bringing the catwalk to the sidewalk without breaking the bank. I loved the idea of creating designer products at high street prices and making on-trend beauty accessible to all. Having my brand stocked by a retail giant like Target is a dream come true.

4. JK Jemma Kidd is a departure from your two other make-up lines. It is characterized by “high fashion, statement color, and runway glamour.” How does JK Jemma Kidd complement Pixi and NP Set?

The JK Jemma Kidd line lets women experiment with color. There are always a lot of on-trend colors in the collection, such as Hi-Design Eye Color in Trend and Stylized; vibrant blues and greens are huge trends for fall 2011. We’re constantly adding new colors to the line.

JK Jemma Kidd Hi Design Eye Color for Target Beauty

It works ... it really works!

Toppik hair building fibers

Last year, I lost WADS of hair. I chalked it up to severe stress in my life, which also caused me to abandon this blog.

It was difficult to style my hair in such a way to cover the excessively thin spots on my head. I recall having read in Allure that Toppik works to cover thin or balding spots.

You might have seen Toppik advertised in the SkyMall catalogue that you find in airplane seat pockets. Given the dubious claims for other personal care products that are advertised in SkyMall, it’s easy to doubt the claims for Toppik.

Toppik consists of keratin fibers that bond with natural hair. It is as easy to use as it says – just shake it on. I find that only a light touch is necessary. I use a rattail comb to lift my hair, section by section, and shake Toppik on the thin spots on my head. It really masks the thin spots on my head and makes it look that I still have a full head of hair. I no longer feel self-conscious about my hair.  Now I take Toppik to the salon when I get my hair styled.

Toppik comes in nine shades. I chose dark brown – it blends perfectly with my colored hair. You may buy Toppik through its web site, SkyMall, and Sally Beauty Supply (where I got mine).  The regular size costs $20-25, and for me, it's worth every penny.

Article first published as It works ... it really works! on Technorati.

Sisters Are Doin’ It For Themselves #MusicMonday

For #MusicMonday, I present the feminist anthem “Sisters Are Doin’ It For Themselves,” in tribute to the women who shared this year’s Nobel Peace Prize:





Clichéd and hackneyed lyrics, but there’s no denying the fierceness and energy of the performances.

Beauty Blogazon Roundup October 2-October 8 2011

Beauty and Fashion Tech-Choosing the Best Curling Iron

Girl Gloss- Blinc Kiss Me Mascara Review

Polish Insomniac- Dupe Search: Orly Fowl Play vs. OPI Merry Midnight

Nails and Noms- NYX

Girls Polish- Dreamy Glitter and Gilded Glitter Swatches and Review

Polish Pauper- What the !? (Color Morphing)

The Style Page- TouchBack- Allure Best Of Beauty Award Winner

Creatively Yours- Fresh Faced Beauty- Get The Look, Tika Sumpter

Nailfiled- The Face Shop BK901

Nailderella- Dark Purple Holo by Glitter Gal

Glitter.Gloss.Garbage- Three Custom Specialists: My Beauty Bunny Lipstick Swatches

Addicted To All Things Pretty- Beyonce

Countdown Video and Mod Style Breakdown

TouchBack - Allure Best of Beauty Award Winner

TouchBack by ColorMark

TouchBack by ColorMark received a Best of Beauty award from Allure. It is a marker that deposits temporary hair color to cover white roots.

I got my first gray hairs at 16. By the time I was 30, most of my hair was gray, but I was reluctant to take the plunge and completely cover my gray. I actually had reverse highlighting, in which strands of my hair were pulled through a perforated cap and dyed brown. Finally, my hairdresser persuaded me to get all over color.

My white roots become obvious 4 weeks after I get my hair colored. I decided to try out TouchBack to see how well it works. I color my hair dark brown. As the hair for the models with dark brown hair on the web site looked darker than mine, I tried TouchBack in Medium Brown. The web site recommends that if you are between colors, choose the lighter color. Maybe Dark Brown would have been the better choice: the changeover from TouchBack in Medium Brown to my permanent hair color was not seamless.

TouchBack comes with a fine-tooth comb that can be used as a skin shield at the temples and hairline; however, to make it work, you need to have significant regrowth. Given the small amount of regrowth (between 1/4" and 1/2") I had, it was difficult to cover the white hairs at the hairline without smudging. I used a rattail comb to lift a section of my hair (on the part) and apply TouchBack just shy of the scalp to prevent smudging. It minimized the appearance of white roots, and is a temporary fix until you apply permanent color.

TouchBack is easier to use than Joan Rivers Beauty Great Hair Day™, which I reviewed in 2009. A makeup artist at Soft Surroundings in St. Louis did an excellent job of applying Joan Rivers Beauty Great Hair Day™ to mask the white roots and thin spots on my head, but it is too much effort to do at home.

You may purchase TouchBack through its website, Sally Beauty Supply, or Beauty.com.

The fine print: The PR firm representing TouchBack provided me with a sample of  TouchBack in Medium Brown.