Mel Tormé for Charlie #MusicMonday

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If Giorgio was the signature fragrance of the 1980s, if Calvin Klein Escape was the signature fragrance of the early 1990s, and if Chanel No. 5 is the forever classic fragrance, then Charlie by Revlon was the signature fragrance of the 1970s.  A lot of Charlie’s appeal came from its TV commercials featuring a confident, carefree and full of joie de vivre Shelley Hack. Here’s Mel Tormé aka “The Velvet Fog” for Charlie:


That was when songs for TV commercials were tuneful, memorable, and original.

Fun fact: did you know that Mel Tormé penned The Christmas Song (“Chestnuts roasting on an open fire …”)?

Exclusive discount with The Skinny flash sale site

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First, our exclusive discount with gloss48. Next, our giveaway of 3 Bésame lip color sets, in conjunction with gloss48.  Now The Style Page is running a promotion with members-only beauty flash sale site The Skinny, which re-launches today.

The Skinny members (no invitation needed, just register) get access to high-end skin care products at up to 65% off.  If they are skin care newbies, acne sufferers, or have questions about their skin, The Skinny has educational videos and personalized recommendations to help them find the perfect products.

The Skinny has featured products from brands like Perricone MD, Lisa Hoffman Beauty, 100% Pure, International Orange, and Organic Apoteke, as well as cosmetic services like Botox from renowned dermatologists… all at affordable prices.

For details on the discount with The Skinny:

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Giveaway of Bésame lip color sets with gloss48

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The Style Page is delighted to partner with gloss48 on a giveaway of Bésame lip color sets for three lucky winners. Makeup-wise, there’s nothing as glamorous as opaque lipstick with a creamy to demi-matte finish. And then there’s Bésame’s vintage-inspired packaging: Bésame founder/CEO Gabriela Hernandez has had the distinction of having her products featured on Mad Men and the Oscar award winning film The Artist.

The prizes are:

Bésame Cherry Red Lipstick mini + Crème Rouge
Bésame Voluptuous lip color set in Champagne
Voluptuous lip color set in Rose

Enter via Rafflecopter:
a Rafflecopter giveaway//d12vno17mo87cx.cloudfront.net/embed/rafl/cptr.jsAnd don’t forget to take advantage of our exclusive discount with gloss48!

Positively 4th Street #MusicMonday

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Positively 4th Street: The Lives and Times of Joan Baez, Bob Dylan, Mimi Baez Fariña and Richard Fariña by David Hajdu
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Positively 4th Street

A better for Positively 4th Street might be Positively 4th Street: The Lives, Loves and Times of Joan Baez, Bob Dylan, Mimi Baez Fariña and Richard Fariña. It chronicles Bob Dylan and Joan Baez’s romance and the causes of its dissolution.

More interesting, however, are the life, loves and times of Richard Fariña, who tragically died in a motorcycle accident, on the day of the 21th birthday party he threw for his wife Mimi Baez Fariña (Joan’s younger sister).   Why there isn’t a cult surrounding Richard Fariña, I don’t know. I came away wanting to know more, read Richard’s one novel Been Down So Long It Looks Up to Me, and discover the recordings by Richard and Mimi Farina.

View all my reviews

Exclusive discount with gloss48.com

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The Style Page is partnering with gloss48 to bring our readers a special promotion.   gloss48 is a new beauty flash sale site dedicated to new and cult beauty brands. It brings beauty lovers a daily dose of new, exciting, and cult brands at the best prices online. It combines brand stories, product demos, editorial reviews, and limited time sales.   gloss48 founders Laura and Jill like to think of themselves as Daily Candy meets Gilt Groupe for beauty.

As my tweet indicates, you need to register with gloss48.com to take advantage of this offer.

Also, watch The Style Page for an upcoming giveaway with gloss48 for not one, not two, but three Bésame lip color sets (Bésame means “kiss me” in Spanish).  Makeup-wise, there’s nothing as glamorous as opaque lipstick with a creamy to demi-matte finish.  And then there’s Bésame’s vintage-inspired packaging: Bésame founder/CEO Gabriela has the distinction of having her products featured on Mad Men and the Oscar award winning film The Artist.

Norah Jones’s Top Murder Ballads #MusicMonday

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Norah Jones is one of the top selling recording artists of the past 10 years.  She is featured in Lucky Magazine’s first music issue (August 2012).

Norah Jones

I used to belong to an Indian women’s discussion forum, in which someone waxed indignant about Norah’s alienation from her Indian roots (her father is Pandit Ravi Shankar).  I wrote, what positive incentive does Norah have to embrace her Indian roots, given that her father was out of her life during her childhood and youth?  To which someone agreed.

On the other hand, Norah is a champion of American music, and this playlist of murder ballads compiled for Lucky demonstrates this.  You will need to download the Spotify player to listen.  The ads between the songs are irritating, but that’s Spotify’s business model.

We had hoped to see Norah Jones in concert at Wolf Trap, but the concert was sold out before we could buy tickets.  It seemed only right, as we have seen her sister Anoushka Shankar perform live three times – and we got to chat with Anoushka at CD signings following two of the concerts.

10 Commandments of Cell Phone Use

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July is nearly over, but only on Tuesday I did I learn that July is National Cell Phone Courtesy Month, through PR for CableOrganizer.com, an eTailer of cell phone, electrical, telecom/datacom, home theater, cable and wire management products.

Let it be known that I hate mobile telephony.  I think that it’s invasive.  I am really behind the times on technology: I have never scanned a mobile tag, never downloaded an “app.”


CableOrganizer.com offers these “10 Commandments of Cell Phone Use,” which should be only common sense and courtesy:


1. Respect those you’re with.

At some point or another, we’ve all been out with someone who has checked out of the one-on-one live conversation for a number of minutes to casually shoot the breeze with someone else via cell phone. If you make social plans with someone, they are the first priority and deserve your undivided time and attention.

2. Let voicemail handle non-urgent calls when appropriate.
Voicemail exists for a reason…it allows you to take note of non-emergency incoming calls without disrupting the environment you are currently in. If you’re at a teacher/parent conference, a meal with your family, a social function immersed in conversations, and other such situations, rest assured your voicemail will be there when a more suitable time to return the call presents itself.
3. Set a good example to the younger generation.
It’s no surprise that kids learn by example, so keep that in mind when you’re modeling cell phone behavior in front of the younger set—whether your kids or others. You teach them to say “please” and “thank you,” among other social graces, so why stop there? Mind your cell phone Ps and Qs in front of children and teens alike, and you’ll give them a better shot at becoming model, tech-savvy citizens themselves.
4. Wait to text, and save a life (yours).
When you drive and text at the same time, whether reading or composing, you’re not only taking your hands off the wheel, but your eyes off the road as well. No text message is worth the risk of injuring, or killing, yourself or others. Wait until you are safely parked to send and return text messages.

Don’t multi-task and drive

See the remaining 5 tips:

5. Stash your cell when dining out. 
When people spend money on a dinner out, the last thing they want is to become a captive audience to a third party cell phone conversation. If you’re eating in public, especially in the company of others, stash the cell phone (and turn off the ringer) until the meal is over—everyone, including you, will enjoy themselves much more.
6. Remember when ‘private time’ is in order.
It’s easy to identify telltale restroom sounds like echoes, running water and flushing in the background, so if you’re taking a time out to answer nature’s call, don’t try to fool anyone – end calls before you walk into the restroom, and don’t answer or dial again until you’ve washed and exited.
7. Keep arguments under wraps.
Not every cell phone conversation may be a happy one, but that doesn’t mean you have license to a public meltdown. It’s easy to get wrapped up in an argument, but remember that others can’t see or hear the hothead on the other end of the line… all they are aware of is a one-sided screaming match a few feet away. Don’t let it be you.
8. Mind your manners.
Stories and language that might be entertaining to your closest associates may very well come off as inappropriate or just plain TMI to innocent bystanders, so it’s smart to live by the following rule: if you wouldn’t walk through a busy public place with a particular word or comment printed on your t-shirt, don’t use it in cell phone conversations when within earshot of strangers.
9. Don’t ignore universal quiet zones.
Whether you’re in a theater, house of worship, conference room or other standard locale requiring cell phone silence, it’s imperative to heed the mandate to shut off cell phones completely. Not only so they don’t make a notable sound, but also so that intrusive screen light does not distract, both of which are highly disrespectful to those around you.
10. Don’t make service personnel wait on you. 
There’s a growing frustration among cashiers, restaurant waitstaff, counter workers and others in the service trade about customers who expect to be served immediately, yet can’t be bothered to interrupt their cell phone conversations or texting marathons to coherently place an order or pay for a purchase. Many service personnel strive to do their job well, and customers distracted by cell phones can undermine their own experience and create a bottleneck with others. Please—help them help you.

Psssssst!

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Recently, I received an email from PR for Freeman Beauty, and one of the Freeman brands that she promoted was Psssssst! the original spray dry shampoo Psssssst!

Psssst! dry shampoo

Psssssst! That takes me back. As I told PR for Freeman Beauty, I’m old enough to remember the classic Psssssst! radio spot (download) when Psssssst! was a Clairol brand.

Psssssst! – there’s something new | Psssssst! – instant spray shampoo | Clairol freshens your hair – instantly | with P-s-s-s-s-s-s-t | Psssssst! – is not a wet shampoo | oh, no Psssssst! – is not a dry shampoo | oh, no | spray and brush is all you do | then go | ’cause Clairol freshens your hair – instantly | with P-s-s-s-s-s-s-t.

She wrote back:

Haha, I loved your response! That’s right…the ORIGINAL! … Also, I quite like your blog, you keep hinting at your “seasoned” age, but it’s enlightening and refreshing to get perspectives other than the 20-something age group (this is coming from a 24 year old!).

I don’t know whether to feel better or worse. The last time I heard someone described as “seasoned,” another person muttered, “yeah, like compost.” 🙂