Tag: jewelry

hollywood glamour · style

Affordable Hollywood Glamour Series

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lovethoseclassicmovies

Dorothy Dandridge, the embodiment of all things glamorous

Once upon a time, I used to cruise the internet in search of any and all things vintage (I still do this, actually). I drew a great deal of inspiration from the glamorous looks worn by Hollywood stars from the first half of the 20th century. They looked so effortlessly luxurious, perfectly coiffed and naturally elegant. I loved everything about how these doyennes of the silver screen presented themselves for the public. They cared about what they wore and who saw them.

biography

The incomparable Hedy Lamarr

When you look at photos of classic actresses, you can’t help but think, “Wow they look great”. They had the benefit of the Hollywood style machine, combing over every inch of their personal appearance to ensure that they looked picture perfect at all times. But even though we know they had LOTS of help, many of us still enjoy the possibility of recreating some of these looks RIGHT NOW.

imdb

The perfectly styled Veronica Lake

I can’t say that I’ve reached that level of dedication, but I aspire to it. As a result, I want to share some of the websites and other goodies that I find help to cultivate a glamorous image.

pinterest

Gene Tierney, an effortless beauty

Now I know that glamour isn’t for everyone, and even for those that are interested in it, it’s not something that they want to employ every day. But for those that do want to dip their toes into the glamour pool, this will be an easy catalog of glamorous indulgences that can be referred to whenever you need to tap into your most stylish self.

thedyingmovierace

The radiant Theresa Harris

So as part of this series, I’ll share posts about makeup, clothing, jewelry, diet, books, and documented daily routines of stars of yesteryear. This is all about creating a more stylish existence for women that are ready to glam up their day-to-day existence. Glamour is fun: let’s all play with it!

nndb

The timeless beauty of Merle Oberon

I hope you all enjoy!

(Photos courtesy of Pinterest, NNDB, Biography, The Dying Movie Race, Love Those Classic Movies and IMDB)

 

 

luxury · style

Dreaming of Jewelry

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I wanted a light and fun post because I’m still enjoying the remnants of snow from yesterday. Here are some of my favorite Instagram accounts that feature all sorts of glamorous jewelry:

Champagne Gem: All manner of gorgeous jewelry, especially diamonds. Check out this 110-ct. diamond featured on their Instagram page:

Christie’s Jewels: Heirloom quality jewelry offered by Christie’s, the famous auction house. Here’s a link to one of my favorite pieces that was recently featured on their Instagram page:

Frank Everett: SVP of Sotheby’s Luxury Division, connoisseur of all things expensive and swoonworthy. The sapphire bracelet recently shown on Frank’s page is the kind of thing art deco dreams are made of:

Josh Levkoff Jewelry: Custom made jewelry with flawless stones and timeless settings. What more could you want?

style

I Finally Found the Perfect Earring

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I’m an August baby, and it’s taken me a long time to learn to love my birthstone. For years, I hated peridot, the bright green, “semi” precious gemstone assigned to my month.

But something changed when I became an adult. I realized how beautiful this bright green is, and how unusual it is to see people wearing it. I loved the uniqueness, so I started liking – and eventually loving – peridot.

So I started my hunt for the perfect peridot earring. I already have peridot rings and necklaces, but I don’t wear those items daily. However, I do wear earrings every day, so it only made sense that I would want a pair in peridot.

Finding my dream earring, however, proved to be a challenge.

I was pretty specific: I wanted peridot hoop earrings, similar to diamond hoops. I wanted a medium-to-large hoop, with lots of tiny peridot outlining the outer edge, preferably in the “inside out” style (where the inside of the hoop is also lined with gemstones). I wanted them in silver or white gold, and under $150.

I initially looked for earrings on Amazon, because Amazon has everything (normally). But, after looking high and low through their offerings, I realized my dream earrings weren’t there. I then took my search to Google. And I found a picture with my dream earrings, clicked on it, and was led to the godsend that it Overstock.

Here is the pair I selected:

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(photo courtesy of Overstock)

This beautiful pair of earrings was less than $30. I’m so excited! They should arrive in the next couple of weeks: I can’t wait to share them with you all!

beauty

Review: Yours True Lovely Waist Beads

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Full disclosure: I’m fascinated with anything that connects me to my feminine energy. I’m so into it, I regularly cross the lines of “woo-woo”. Yes, I get a bit geeky about it.

Crystals, aromatherapy, belly dancing, multi-step beauty routines – you name it. All of it is done for the sake of fortifying my feminine energy, because I find that this world tends to deplete that energy constantly.

As part of my continual journey into the wide world of femininity, I researched waist beads. A common accessory in many African countries, waist beads are worn under the clothes to help shape the body, help women stay in touch with their femininity, and even to seduce lovers (I found all of this info here).

Uhm, I want body shaping, contact with my femininity and the magical powers of seduction. So I bought some beads.

I ordered from Yours TrueLovely on Instagram. The owner of this handcrafted jewelry company is Alexis. I didn’t find her store randomly; I actually met Alexis a little less than 30 years ago – our moms used to work together and were pregnant with us at the same time LOL! Coincidentally (or maybe not so coincidentally) she began offering waist beads right around the time that I started researching them. So I placed my order and waited patiently.

She produces such high quality pieces, and the beads were ready in no time. Here are some photos of the finished product:

 

My waist bead is pale pink and gold. I ordered it a little larger than my natural waist size, because I misread the measuring tape (it’s been a while since I measured myself). When I order my next waist chain, I’ll make sure it’s smaller, so I can wear it under my clothes and it will have a snug fit on my natural waist. Here’s a closeup of the jewelry:

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If you want to tap into your feminine essence, I highly recommend that you contact Alexis for your own customized waist beads. You’ll love it!

luxury

Speaking of Gemstones . . .

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A few days ago, I posted a link to a course that teaches the basics of gemology. Well, it wasn’t long before I came across a gem that would put all of that recently acquired knowledge to use … Feast your eyes on this beauty:

 

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(photo courtesy of Sotheby’s)

Sotheby’s will be auctioning this breathtaking pink diamond in Geneva, Switzerland on November 15, 2017. The stone, named The Raj Pink, is expected to fetch over $30 million.

For those that don’t know, fancy colored diamonds of any hue are rare. Fancy colored pink diamonds are even rarer, and to have a fancy pink diamond with this size and clarity makes it among the rarest in the world. I hope whoever decides to purchase it will allow the Smithsonian Institute – or some other prominent museum – to display it for a period of time. I’m sure that the public would love to see this beauty up close.

In case that first photo wasn’t enough for you, here are two more:

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(Photo courtesy of Harper’s Bazaar)

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(Photo courtesy of Sotheby’s)

I simply can’t get enough of this stunning stone! I can’t wait to see how high the bidding will go, and who will be the lucky purchaser of The Raj Pink diamond.

luxury

An Eye for Gemstones

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Happy Friday, my friends! I’m eagerly looking forward to the weekend, as there are a lot of events going on and I’m ready to enjoy the last, lingering bits of warm weather.

But, if the weather should turn chilly, I have an online course I can check out to pass the time. I recently found a gemology course that I think will be great for increasing my body of knowledge. The woman that created the course, Barbara Smigel, is a college professor that knows her gems inside and out.

moziru(image courtesy of Moziru)

Even as a child, I was enchanted by gemstones. The sparkle, the colors, the amazing cuts … I can’t help but find myself hypnotized when looking at high quality gems. So it only makes sense that I would be drawn to this kind of course. I’m looking forward to going through the materials and learning more about gems!

Other than that, I don’t have much else going on this weekend. I hope you have some fabulous plans in the works! Talk to you all tomorrow!

words of wisdom

Words of Wisdom: Elizabeth Taylor

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I’ve been a fan of Elizabeth Taylor since watching her (very tiny) role in “Jane Eyre” when I was a child. I loved her even more as I grew up and learned about her glamorous, fascinating life. I know she had her share of heartache, but I’m inspired by the fact that she lived a FULL life. She took chances, she loved hard, and she had one heck of a ride on this planet. Rest in eternal peace, Ms. Taylor.

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(photos courtesy of Marie Claire, Pinterest, PicQuery, and WeNeedFun)

luxury

Luxury WINS!

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I was intrigued when I saw the headline, “Costco Owes Tiffany More Than $19 Million, Judge Rules” on my phone yesterday. After all, I didn’t realize that Tiffany & Co. had a lawsuit against Costco. I was curious: why would Costco owe Tiffany & Co. money?

 

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As it turns out, Costco sold “Tiffany” rings, and didn’t make the distinction that the rings did not originate with Tiffany & Co. Costco’s argument was that the term “Tiffany” was generic enough that any copyright/trademark issues were nonexistent.

A court of law, however, disagreed with Costco’s stance. Judge Laura Taylor Swain determined that, “Costco’s upper management, in their testimony at trial and in their actions in the years prior to the trial, displayed at best a cavalier attitude toward Costco’s use of the Tiffany name”. Judge Swain didn’t appreciate how Costco’s stance was blatant disregard for Tiffany’s trademark and branding.

Further, Tiffany & Co. responded after Judge Swain ruled. The company issued a statement, saying, “Judge Swain’s decision validates the strength of the Tiffany trademark and the value of our brand, and most importantly, sends a clear and powerful message to Costco and others who infringe the Tiffany mark”.

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I always look for the larger lesson when things like this occur. Namely, how can I benefit from this story?

I’m not a megabrand like Tiffany & Co., but this story just emphasizes the importance of maintaining an excellent public “brand”. Our image is key to our reputation, and it affects the opportunities available to us. Let us all keep our “brands” consistent with values like excellence, quality, and prestige. No matter who we are, let’s be the BEST that we can be, always. Our brand depends on it!

 

(Photo courtesy of Tiffany & Co. – of course!)