Brittany Murphy, passed away earlier today after suffering from a heart attack at the age of 32.
RIP!
I really loved you in Clueless.
Party for a Cause – Do You Really Need More Stuff?
Take a queue from Scott Harrison (Founder of charity: water) and Sean Parker (Napster Co-Founder, Founding President of Facebook, Chairman and Co-Founder of Causes) and consider asking your friends to donate to a worthy cause instead of gifts.
CHARITY: WATER
Founded by Scott Harrison, charity: water is a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing clean and safe drinking water to people globally. He launched this project on his birthday in September 2006, and asked guests to donate $15 instead of giving him presents. That evening, Scott raised $15,000, and charity: water was born. It’s been a recurring event ever since. This birthday campaign has become such a success, between Scott’s birthday and those who followed suit, they were able to raise $965,000.
Join Scott Harrison and host Adrian Grenier for the charity: ball 2009. Monday, December 14th, 7pm. For more information and to buy tickets click HERE
Don’t have the funds? Donate your time (or both). Charity Water is always looking for volunteers. That’s what I’m doing, so I hope you’ll join me at the charity: ball or at future volunteer nights. Visit charitywater.org for more information.
MALARIA NO MORE
In celebration of his birthday, Sean Parker threw a benefit for Malaria No More, the non-profit organization dedicated to ending malaria deaths, by asking for donations instead of gifts.
Let’s help Sean reach his goal of $50,000 by donating at www.facebook.com/malarianomore, and to learn more about the cause visit malarianomore.org.
On a beauty note, Sean has really good taste in skin care, sporting Molton Brown’s Naran Ji Fine Liquid Hand Wash and Soothing Hand Lotion in his guest bathroom. A celebrity studded birthday and I’m taking pictures of his hand soap…go figure!
A Night to Remember…
Having recently ordered Francois Nars’ latest book NARS 15×15, I could not pass up the opportunity to see the man behind the brand that began my career in beauty almost 5 years ago (and I wanted my book signed!). So I began my evening at Barneys, where Mr. Nars (alongside Simon Doonan) was more than gracious with his time and appreciation for my past work with NARS. Having the opportunity to see Francois Nars again and reunite with some of the makeup artists and NARS team was very special for me.
He signed my book ‘For Lara, with many thanks and love, Francois Nars’! My copy and I are going to have a very long and loving life together. The book is stunning and the proceeds will be donated to 15 charities selected by the featured celebrities.
I then made my way to the Kiehl’s Since 1851 Flagship Store to celebrate the holidays with
Beauty Brief
Here are some headlines that caught my attention this month:
- Pretty Connected™ got a twitter account this week. Follow us @PCbeauty
- Julia Roberts to be spokeswoman for Lancome. [WWD]
- Simon Doonan, Barney’s Creative Director, will be decorating the White House for the holidays. I vote an Alice and Wonderland theme. [HuffintonPost]
- Cindy Crawford admits to using Botox (but not in the last 10 years). [StyleList]
- The Cat Burgler Barbie by Christian Louboutin ($150), launched Friday on Net-A-Porter and has already sold out. It’s on back order until January. To add it to your wish list click HERE.
- Former Miss Argentina, Solange Magnano, dies after plastic surgery complications she underwent for her buttocks. [CNN]
- “Up in the Air,” starring George Clooney, was named best film of 2009 by the National Board of Review of Motion Pictures. I had the pleasure of attending an advanced screening, and thought it was overall a great film, slow at moments, laugh out loud funny at others, but moderately depressing for the commitment phobic audience. [NBRMP]
- Lily Allen wants to give up her music career and open a clothing store. Can’t you do both? [TheCut]
- Arnold Schwarzenegger’s 16-year-old son, Patrick, is rumored to be dating Bruce Willis’ and Demi Moore’s 15-year-old daughter, Tallulah. Imagine if they have kids someday! That’s like a whole other level of action hero. [NYPost]
- The prestigious art show, Art Basel Miami Beach, concludes today after an exciting week of special exhibitions, events, and parties. [ArtBaselMiamiBeach]
- Alber Elbaz, Artistic Director of Lanvin, designed two stamps for the French Postal Service to celebrate120 years of Lanvin. Dear friends in France, please send me a set. Merci! [WWD]
- Zac Posen is designing a clothing line for Target [WWD]; J.C. Penney to sell MNG by Mango [JCPenny]; and Stella McCartney is collaborating with Morrissey on vegan footwear collection. [Coutorture]
- Karl Lagerfeld gave the SpongeBob SquarePants figurine a makeover. [WWD]
Beauty Brief
Here are some headlines that caught my attention this month:
* Francois Nars launched his latest book 15×15 (only 1500 copies!). Get it while you can.
* This weekend, Bernard and Ruth Madoff’s government auction brought in over $1 Million. The proceeds will go toward reimbursing victims who lost their investments in the Madoff scam. PETA wanted Ruth Madoff’s furs to be donated to the homeless, to keep them warm this winter.
* Privately owned, highly regarded (just ask Prince Charles and First Lady Michelle Obama) fragrance brand Creed will open it’s first doors in the US on Madison Avenue in December.
* Tim Burton’s exhibit officially opens today (and will be up until April 26) at MoMA. Burton’s influence on film and art has had a heavy impact on the fashion industry. WWD reported last week the Dollywood trend for Spring 2010 is no doubt attributed in part to Burton’s adaptation of Alice in Wonderland premiering March 5, 2010. I’m so excited!
* Gossip Girl’s costume designer Eric Daman will launch his latest book, You Know You Want it: Style-Inspiration-Confidence, on December 15. Available on Amazon now to pre-order. You know what I want? That dress Serena wore to Rufus and Lilly’s wedding. Oh and Jenny’s sequence dress that she’s wearing in the group shot on their website, and-I’ll stop. I could play this game all day.
* James Franco joins the cast of General Hospital for 2 months. Drool!
* Kate Moss’s motto, “Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels”. Well she must feel great!
* Concerns/rumors of Sammy Sosa’s sudden change of skin tone being due to a skin infection or byproduct of alleged steroid use have been put to rest. The former Chicago Cubs slugger was reported saying “It’s a bleaching cream that I apply before going to bed and whitens my skin some.” Keep that cream away from me! Pictures HERE.
* After 25 years, Oprah is ending her run of the Oprah Winfrey show in 2011. But considering the debut of OWN (Oprah Winfrey Network) slated to launch in 2011, perhaps a new talk show will be in the works.
* Tomorrow, November 23, Bergdorf Goodman unleashes their holiday window! You know where to find me.
NARS 15×15 Project
In celebration of NARS 15th anniversary, Francois Nars launched his latest book 15×15. This 40 page book features 15 beauty and fashion icons including Naomi Campbell, Marc Jacobs, Amber Valletta, Daphne Guinness, and Isabella Rossellini, captured through the lens and artistry of Francois Nars.
Priced at $80 ($98 with shipping), the proceeds from the project will be donated to 15 charities selected by the celebrities. The cost is a little steep, but considering it goes to many great causes, and is a limited edition (only 1500 copies are being made), get it while you can. I missed out on buying his first book, X-Ray, and I’ve been kicking myself ever since. Now when is Mr. Nars’ next PA? I’d like my book signed.
Visit 15x15project.com for more information including the charities involved, behind the scenes footage, images and to purchase.
Belated Birthday Thank You!
A very belated thank you to everyone who called, texted, emailed, sent cards and came to my birthday. You all made this day very special for me. Leila and Natasha (and Jon), I really appreciate you helping me get ready.
Special thanks to…
Jordi for all the photographs!
Paul Labrecque Salon and Spa for doing my makeup. More details on my look HERE
Brad Stevens, my most favorite tattoo artist who doesn’t know it yet, but is going to draw me a belated birthday picture.
To Daniel Feld for the AMAZING necklace he made me out of a butterfly wing from the Amazon (I love it so much!).
To Spin New York for hosting a wonderful birthday and showing my guests a great time. I think I worked off all the calories from my birthday drinks playing ping pong in my heels.
To Ducks, the restaurant at Spin for the great food and Cookies and Cream Ice Cream Sandwich that was better then any cake I could have asked for!
And especially to the LOVES of my life who got me the jazz band, the Mad Jazz Hatters from one of my favorite restaurants, Moto to play my party. This is probably one of the most amazing gifts I’ve ever received.
The custom lyrics about my life they worked into their songs was really the icing on the cake!
Taylor Jacobson is Leaving Rachel Zoe!
Remember last years finale of The Rachel Zoe Project, when Taylor Jacobson said:
“Rachel’s fearful that I’m gonna quit because she knows I’m at my wit’s end. But I’m not, I have too much work ethic, just leave her on a day like the Oscars. I would never just be like ‘screw you’ on that, I would wait till the timing was a little bit more appropriate. Which will never be, so I’ll always be stuck with Rachel because I have.Jewish guilt. Even though I’m not Jewish.” [Stylist.com]
Well that day has come. According to sources from People.com say she was fired, however, Carrie Gordon, Rachel Zoe’s rep, would only confirm, “Taylor Jacobson is no longer with Rachel Zoe, Inc.”
In Taylor’s farewell email to her contacts she said:
“After four amazing years at Rachel Zoe Corporation, I’m saddened and exhilarated at the same time to announce my departure. After much thought and consideration, I have decided to take the challenging leap to go off and style on my own.” [Fashionista.com]
We sort of saw that one coming…
See You Next Year Fashion’s Night Out
Mark your calendars girls and boys, on September 9, 2010, Mayor Bloomberg, Council of Fashion Designers of America, Vogue, and NYC & Co., are heralding the encore of Fashion’s Night Out, the brainchild of Vogue Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour, originally created to give a much-needed boost to the retail economy.
The success and popularity of this year’s global shopping event, which in NYC alone included an estimated 800 stores, has inspired these sponsors to make 2010 even bigger and better. According to WWD, it seems next year’s challenge is to get the required city and state approvals for making the day of Fashion’s Night Out tax-free (Yeah!) for retail sales.
Thousands of New Yorkers attended
Reese Witherspoon to Launch In Bloom in Times Square Today!
Today, from 12:30-1:30pm Reese Witherspoon is launching her new fragrance for Avon, In Bloom in NYC’s Times Square.
For more details click HERE