7 Dresses Under $35 that Mimic Classic Hollywood Dresses

There are trends in just about every area of life, from fashion, to music, to interior design, to cosmetics. From Instagram influencers to famous housewives, we are inundated with inspiration. But I think we can all agree that at times, it gets overwhelming. And just because fashion editors are talking about a trend, doesn’t mean the average person is wearing it. Because let’s be honest, we don’t all have budgets to match the lifestyles of the rich and famous.

I love Hollywood.

But have you ever wondered what everyday women are actually buying? I do. And I have found a hack that I rather like.

Mae West’s Favorite Things

A perfect combination of beauty and brilliance, the name "Lucille Ball" is almost synonymous with the term "screwball." But the woman was more than just a funny redhead -- she was known to be intelligent, at times serious, and a comedic genius. And we love her for all of those things.

We aren't alone. In the book Desilu: The Story of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, Desi said: "Lucy was the show. Viv, Fred and I were just props. Damn good props, but props nevertheless. P.S. I Love Lucy was never just the title."

Designer, Her Favorite Things, Lucille Ball, Perfume, Recipes, T.V. FavoritesStefanie CosmanAugust 17, 2019Mae West, Her Favorite ThingsComment

Marilyn Monroe's Sexiest Beauty Secret

With curves that stretched for miles, ruby-red lips, and an inexplicable mystique, we can all agree that Marilyn Monroe is the greatest movie icon to ever live. Movie directors, Playboy magazine, biographies, heck, even Andy Warhol have tried to capture the secret to her allure.

Well, I am going to propose that there was one often-overlooked aspect that Marilyn Monroe always possessed—perhaps key to her image more than her husky voice or her elaborate makeup and fashion.

It is simply this: Marilyn Monroe effectively executed a seductive walk with a hip shimmy that one can’t help but ask, “How did she do that?” The answer might surprise you—and I am here to tell you.

Classic Cinema, Beauty Tips, Fashion, Marilyn MonroeStefanie CosmanAugust 15, 2019Marilyn Monroe, Shoes, fashion, Classic Cinema, Sex AppealComment

A Stone Fence: This Revolutionary War-era Cocktail Will Keep Your Fourth of July Historic

Happy Independence Day weekend! I hope you are celebrating life and liberty with your loved ones. While you are eating BBQ, jumping into lakes, and splashing in the hot sun, I hope you will drink a toast to the men & women who fought to give us our freedoms.

And I can't think of a better drink to do so than one steeped in Revolutionary War history.

Marilyn Monroe Statue Goes Missing, Elizabeth Taylor’s Home for Sale, and Other News

Woof. Things are achieving record heat here in sunny SoCal.

I love this sentiment:

“And so with the sunshine and the great bursts of leaves growing on the trees, just as things grow in fast movies, I had that familiar conviction that life was beginning over again with the summer.”
― F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby

Classic Cinema, Inspiration, The Cocktail Adventure, Month in ReviewStefanie CosmanJuly 2, 2019News, Hollywood, cinemaComment

Classic Actresses Were Perfume Geniuses

I think we can all agree that when we think about perfumes from decades ago, we immediately think of outdated. Stinky. So potent, the fragrance could fill up an entire theatre.

I am here to clear the air — classic Hollywod was on to something with their choices. Audrey Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe, and Grace Kelly became iconic for a reason, and I am sure they knew how to choose perfumes that didn’t chase their fans away.

Designer, Classic Cinema, Fashion, Gift Ideas, Her Favorite ThingsStefanie CosmanJune 5, 2019Designer, Fashion, Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Popular, popularComment

Audrey Hepburn: A Few of Her Favorite Things

Rita Hayworth. Elizabeth Taylor. Marilyn Monroe. And up there with the rest of the screen siren greats, stood that pillar of a woman.:Audrey Hepburn.

Designer, Her Favorite Things, Perfume, Beauty Tips, Classic Cinema, Audrey HepburnStefanie CosmanMay 31, 2019Audrey HepburnComment

Is That Kim Kardashian Perfume Bottle a Throwback to Mae West?

Mae West refused to take ocean voyages — didn’t people remember what happened to the Titanic, she reportedly retorted when it was even suggested to her.

There was only one thing she feared even more fiercely — flying.

So when producers wanted her to travel to Paris for costume fittings in preparation for “Every Day’s a Holiday she said a firm no. But they had a problem — the designer was in Paris. How to fit dresses to a woman who refused to travel to the dressmaker’s shop?

9 Classic Hollywood Spring Movies Channel Your Inner Easter Bunny

Next week marks the official beginning of Spring, so I'm beginning a movie marathon all things flowers and bunnies related. I confess, many of the films below are completely new to me, so I am excited to discover them. Won't you join me on a little garden stroll through the Golden Age of Cinema?

Classic Cinema, Gift IdeasStefanie CosmanMarch 24, 2019classic cinemaComment