Smashbox's/MAC's/Estee Lauder's "Mad Man," Donald Robertson.

By Laura Medina

Donald Robertson lecturing & advising at The Makeup Show LA.

During the industry-intense The Makeup Show Los Angeles, where aspiring and professional makeup and hair stylists load up on prestige brands at deep professional discounts, seasoned professionals give demonstrations and heart-felted advise and lectures in the beauty industry.

The majority of lectures and lecturers are experienced-weary makeup artists doling out life advice, as well as teaching the latest and the newest in advance techniques in cosmetic applications.

This recent Makeup Show was different.  It wasn't your usual highly respected makeup artist promoting her or his cosmetic line.  It was an unassuming, bespectacled preppy illustrator named Donald Robertson.

Among the tight-knit, closed circle of Manhattanite fashionistas and editors, he's a marketing mastermind, disguised as a low-key illustrator/graphic designer, behind MAC, Marie Claire the magazine, Bobbie Brown, and Smashbox, happily ensconced under the Estee Lauder umbrella.

The Makeup Show is all about giving people their due and giving those credit and acknowledgement when they earn and deserve it.  

Say "Hello" to Donald Robertson, the makeup world's answer to Donald Draper, a marketing/advertising genius...without the smugness, the drinking, or the womanizing.

Donald, open-heartedly, talked about being the cliched long-haired, young starving artist/illustrator in Paris, the capital of fashion and beauty.  In a typical "Cinderella-sque" tale, he met a fairy godmother, in a form of an established runway makeup artist who suggested he met and hook up with a pair of fellow Canadians who wanted to start their own makeup line.  That makeup line was MAC.

When he and the two Canadians returned to Toronto, they figure they might as well get,  their nascent makeup line named MAC, up and running in New York, a fashion and editorial capital of magazines.

In order for Donald to work in the United States, he had to get a green card.  That's how he wound up at Marie Claire being their Creative Director then doing the same at Cosmopolitan and Glamour.

At first, they were giddy getting picked up at Henri Bendel but Donald's wife had a simpler and wiser idea.  "Why not sell MAC in Downtown Manhattan where all the makeup artists live?"  A risky light bulb moment.

In the heart of Christopher St., this team opened the very first MAC boutique.  Soon, Uptown Girls were lining up in their town cars, causing traffic jams, waiting for their MAC that their makeup artists got them hooked on.  Because of the crowds, Donald had to ask one of the employees to entertain the shoppers demanding their MAC.  That employee was DJ Lady Bunny.

Juggling two demanding jobs was exhausting but a wise investment.

Once Estee Lauder swallowed up MAC, Donald was the "go-to Mad Man"-slash-illustrator/graphic designer for Bobbie Brown soon after, while still designing ad campaigns for MAC.  He's the one who launched MAC's Viva Glam charity campaign for AIDS Research. 

Thing about being working at Marie Claire, it was a great hub for connecting.  It was there that he first met Davis Factor Jr., the heir to the mass-market makeup brand, Max Factor and a professional photographer...who didn't have a clue in marketing a brand new cosmetic line he and his brother developed to fit their professional photography needs, Smashbox.

He helped work on their packaging and graphic design then he returned to Estee Lauder's folds, working on MAC and Bobbie Brown.

Again, Estee Lauder bought Smashbox then many years later, Donald bumped into Davis.

Donald Robertson with Smashbox & Miley Cyrus at Art Basel Miami.

How to promote Smashbox's latest Matte Be Legendary Lipstick and how to theme it.

Why not make it Limited Edition and have it aligned with Art Basel where the Manhattanite fashionistas and gallerinas need makeup the most.   There was no makeup sponsorship or promotion at Art Basel Miami.

Donald loves thinking out of the box and people return the love and respect for it.

He suggested why not paint a giant, white convertible in Matte Be Legendary Lipstick Kisses, take it out on a cross-country road to Miami and give out free tubes of the lipstick (in a form of good will and promotion) then park the car randomly all over Miami and continue to give out lipstick during Art Basel when gallerinas need it the most.

It was free magic!  It was basically a low-cost, free-wheeling, fun-filled ad campaign.

The biggest hit for Donald was when an hotel employee called him up in his room, saying that Miley Cyrus was posing on top of the Lipstick Kiss Convertible.  He and Smashbox practically beat MAC at their own game.  Remember, MAC paid Miley to create and advertise her Viva Glam Lipstick at that time.  Instead, she gave free advertisement to Smashbox's  Be Legendary Matte Lipstick.  Score!

Donald may be scoring but he's not resting on his laurels.

He's still with Estee Lauder and consider himself lucky to be traveling on their behalf, learning how different cultures desire different things from beauty.  South Africans are all about being matte, no shine or "dewy glow."  The Japanese are down with multi-step skincare regiments most folks wouldn't put up with.

He said "Traveling will make you a better, smarter person."

Since this is still The Makeup Show and it was in Los Angeles, Donald Robertson finally got his due when Smashbox just launched their limited edition Donald Robertson Be Legendary Matte Lipstick that you can pick up right now.

What's his next endeavor?  He pitched this idea to Bergdorf Goodman.  He'll take his trash from his Upstate New York home then construct it into art work at the upscale department store.  They loved it.

People love it when you're resourceful, witty, entertaining, and whimsical...at a low cost.

Reading this, most folks think it's crazy to be juggling multiple marketing and artistic duties at magazines while doing the same thing simultaneously for multiple makeup brands.  Not all makeup brands are alike.  Each makeup brand has its own unique identity which taught Donald how to deal with and portray them differently.  That's another arsenal in Donald's wisdom and experience.

When you pick up your Smashbox Be Legendary Matte Lipstick by Donald Robertson, consider this your piece of art work by an industry legend "Mad Man." 

Casper Mattress' Midnight Party with Warren G., Up in the Hollywood Hills.

By Laura Medina

There's Olde Hollywood.  There's Young Hollywood consisting of tween and teen Nickledeon and ABC Family then there's Current Hollywood, today's hottest and hautest hotties in their twenties to thirties.

One of Current Hollywood, Ashton Kutcher, is one of the investors in this mail-direct mattress company, Casper Mattresses.

Like anything Millennials, they prefer shopping and buying anything online versus actually trying it out in a store to be certain it's the right fit.

Who cares?  These Millennial celebrity investors certainly know how to throw a bash...through midnight...for a mattress.

Who cares if you need sleep to look beautiful and be mentally alert.  It's not every night you enjoy a backyard banquet of a BBQ under the stars, in the Hollywood Hills, overlooking the sleepy Sunset Strip.

Since Ashton Kutcher is a good friend, his "This '70's Show," friends, Laura Prepon and Danny Masterson showed up in full support.  Former "Gossip Girl," Chace Crawford and hipster photographer, Cobrasnake, brought additional squads of Millennial Hollywood Glam, who had no intention of sleeping through...

Hip-Hop artist Warren G.'s midnight run performance in a Hollywood Hills bungalow that is now the coolest mattress showroom/party pad for Current Hollywood.

Sure, Casper Mattress may not be your old-fashion mattress showroom/store but things have calmed down.  Using sleep as an health aide, Casper Mattress' Hollywood Hills showroom is more of a lifestyle showroom where nowadays, it hosts free yoga classes to wind you down.

Meet Donald Robertson & Smashbox's Limited Edition Collection at Sephora in Santa Monica.

By Laura Medina

http://www.sephora.com/smashbox

After doing illustrator stints for MAC, Estee Lauder, and Bobbi Brown,  the Estee Lauder corporation felt it was time to recognize the industry iconic illustrator and have him collaborate with Smashbox for their upcoming limited edition collection.

In Manhattan's fashion and beauty elite, he's a legend but anywhere, he's....

So, it's about time the greater world know about him so Estee Lauder sent him on tour with Smashbox, from Art Basel Miami to Los Angeles now.

This weekend, Los Angeles (the other side of the world) will get to know the man.

Last night, Smashbox Cosmetics threw a big bash for him at their Culver City Smashbox Photography Studio.

All day this Saturday, March 28th, Donald Robertson will be at Sephora in Santa Monica doing meet & greets, from 11am to 6pm, for the general public.

Go ahead and say "hi" to the genial Donald.  He doesn't bite.

Darren Star & Patricia Fields...with Hilary Duff, are back with TV Land's "Younger."

By Laura Medina

Sutton Foster, as aging in reverse Liza, http://www.tvland.com/shows/younger

Pamela Redmond Satran's novel, "Younger," is a Gen-X spin on the traditional mid-life crisis when today's Gen-Xers are forced to reinvent themselves after doing what society orders them to do, quit your glam job when you get married then put yourself out to pasture after  having the kid.  As the previous generation of Baby Boomers will tell you, you hit 40 then real-life happens: your kid is off to college/India; your husband left you for a younger woman then you realized you can't afford the mortgage on the house. 

The previous generation of women hitting 40 only had two choices, either you deal with it as a doormat or you puts yourself out to pasture because you accept that society rejects you.

The novel, "Younger," is the Gen-X's take on that mid-life crisis which is ripe for social commentary for Darren Star, Patricia Fields, and TV Land.

If Darren Star's "Sex and the City" is social commentary on accomplished career women, from all walks of life, going through different stages of life...until they meet or marry "Prince Charming," then "Younger" is a social commentary if you did all that, and it doesn't work out.  What now?  Well, rolling up and die isn't the answer.

Sometimes, the best answer is a rebirth, or do what Younger's title soundtrack sings about...St. Vincent's "Birth In Reverse," rising up from the ashes of disaster and reborn like a phoenix.

That's what "Younger" title character, Liza, did and had to do.  She did what society instructed her to do, quit her former glam magazine job to marry and raise a family out in the New Jersey suburbs.  Liza was on cruise control, getting cozy and comfortable until turning 40 jolted her out of her existence.  Her kid is old enough to fly off to India; her husband jilted her for a younger woman then Liza found out she couldn't afford the suburban house she's been raising her family for the past fifteen years.  Time for a rebirth.

Force back into Manhattan and the job and meat market, "Younger" hits at the real issue that affects anyone over the age of 30, age discrimination or what society calls ageism. As one real-life journalist said, "We're adults living in a kid's world."

Dejected by a pair of twenty-something Millennials at a job interview for a job that Liza used to have before she got married and started a family, Liza was commiserating with her Brooklyn hipster-artist friend, Maggie (played by wise and snappy Debbie Mazar) at a Brooklyn hipster bar when Liza was picked up by a much-younger 26 year-old tattoo artist who mistook her for being a fellow-Millennial.  

This revelation she could "pass," gave Liza and Maggie an idea, why not?

In one night of a mother of all makeovers, Liza is now a single, 26 years-old hipster, not the 40 years-old discarded wife and mom.

In that one night in that first episode is where costume consultant, Patricia Fields (no different from "Mad Men" Janie Bryant) uses clothes and makeup as psychology.  Out with the preppy shift dresses, the cardigans, and mommy blouses. In with the highlights and juxtaposition of mixed-media prints and textures.

Reborn, Liza returned back to that magazine job interview then got the job!

Of course, reality smacks back.  Now as a "Younger" Liza, she's exposed to being bossed around by a boss, who's the same age but went down a different track, and now, Liza has to adjusted to being treated like underling like her fellow co-workers while rebuilding her life.

Hilary Duff rocks it as Kelsey, the sassy #20Something editor at Empirical Publishing.  http://www.tvland.com/photo-galleries/1chhce/younger-meet-the-cast-of-younger/4

Liza finds a new ally in sharp-tongue, savvy Millennial, Kelsey played by Hilary Duff.

"Younger" is also a re-birth for Hilary Duff, after revealing she's now a divorced mom; and she, too, has to reinvent herself.

The book and the tv show, in a French perspective, represents different stages of a person's life.  They don't take mid-life crisis laying down.  They relish it then master it which is a totally new concept to youth-preoccupied Americans.

If "Younger" is a "do-over" or a second chance to take that different path that you always wonder about or wished that you had, it has a more significant message that is quite simple.  It is a mere stage in life that the wise French had known all along and that life doesn't stop nor completed at that wedding and Prince Charming.  It is life, after all, and how you deal with it that defines you as a person.

"Younger" premieres next Tuesday, March 31st at 10pm on TV Land Network then continues to air on Tuesdays at 10pm.

Now, all you mid-life crisis Gen-Xers can commiserate together then learn how to deal.

French Invasion, Atout Paris & Rose from Provence. Oui, You Can Have Your Veggies Et Eat Your Desserts Too!

By Laura Medina

Spring has sprung, bring a new crop of trends.

When Spring sprung, it brought a new season.

Last year, it was British.  Two years ago, it was Scandinavian.  Now, France...the real, modern French culture is blooming unto its own, out of cliches and stereotypes.

Maybe because we started the year with the massacre of the staff of the French satirical magazine, Charlie Hebdo, the out-pouring of sympathies and support brought out the real Paris of today and the French principle of liberty and free speech...and basically having a good sense of humor about life.

The French are returning the love while busting cliches about what it means to be French and what is today's French culture.

Spring brings Rose wine from Provence.  Instead of us traveling to Provence, Provence came to us with a bounty of refreshing Rose wine, easy to gulp; and the French have no problem with us gulping it with fresh and light fare to stuffed endive leaves and tidbits of grilled veggies which brings us to...

Atout Paris, a showcase of French hospitality by the French Tourism Development.  That's not an oxymoron.  Once they realize the world loves them, this showcase returns the love at SmogShop, an auto shop turned artsy-urban event venue.

Busting cliches while returning the favor, the French admit they love American Pop Culture.  They brought a Parisian graffiti artist doing his version of an All-American art form that the French just fell in love with...graffiti turned abstract art by the public.

Obviously, what the francophiles, gastronomes, and epicureans are hungry for...the nouveau francais cuisine from Paris' hottest and "hautest" chef, Chef Antonin Bonnet.

Atout Paris, http://us.rendezvousenfrance.com/

Gormandizing on traditional yet cliche rich French food...nah...didn't happen under Chef Antonin's watch, "I hate gluttony.  It's not a responsible way to eat."

But if it's innovation you're hungry for, you got it with him.  If you're searching for a new way of vegetarianism, well, you got it...sort of..."Raw veganism is not good for the bowels."  Okay, Chef Antonin doesn't play the Hollywood/Los Angeles Popularity Game but this is what makes him trustworthy; and he has a conscious, which reflects today's Paris.

                                        https://www.tastemade.com/places/v/SoYniBuUS0ymLj_CPWTSHQ

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5YrMo-fs6s

Watching the ravenous gastronomes devour his bite-sized hor d'oeuvres of cider-marinated Mackerel, horseradish snow and nasturnium flower petals, making a fist, Chef Antonin, "A protein should be like this," portion-control.

When this epicurean writer commented on the lean seafood paired with vegetables, this scribe can't help but ask, "Is this the new food trend coming from Paris?"

Chef Antonin, "No. Not a new French cuisine.  Just an idea. For Americans, this was fun and new.  In Paris, this is normal.  They don't care."

On the bite-sized tasting portions, Chef Antonin, "We eat too much meat, protein, not good globally, even in France."

Parsnip Cream with Tuile Carrot Chips,  https://www.tastemade.com/places/v/SoYniBuUS0ymLj_CPWTSHQ

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5YrMo-fs6s

This scribe told him that his dessert of Parsnip Cream with Tuile Carrot Cookie Chips is refreshingly minty.

Shrugging with a comme c'est, comme ca attitude, Chef Antonin, "Nah, it's just a new way to present and eat vegetables.  I want to prove to the earth that you don't have to use a lot of sugar and cream to get the flavor that you want."  There are many different ways to use and eat vegetables.

Yes, Chef Antonin did and does prove you can eat vegetables as dessert but you gotta be one heck of a chef to pull off this magic trick.  Hats off to him.

The nouveau Parisian/French cuisine trend is a global trend you'll see in nitrogen-freeze dried strawberries in Charleston's McCardy's and Chicago's Moto...using molecular gastronomy to use and present vegetables and fruits in a fun and new to make produce more sustainable and popular with the masses.

Like they say among chefs, this aint' Mama's cooking.

Le Nouveau Francais Cuisine keeps you lean and fresh with fun textures and flavors.

Perhaps, this is the nouveau secret of French women, molecular vegan gastronomy and turning vegetables into dessert.

 

 

 

 

Grammy Do Over, "Music & Food Fed the Soul with Love & Happiness," at Soul Sundays at HOME 90210.

By Laura Medina

http://www.home90210.com/#home-section

With the House of Blues on the Sunset Strip set to be demolished in the quick, near future, you gotta find your "Soul with Food" fix somewhere soon.

Well, it's here...already...at the House of Music and Entertainment, "HOME 90210" for short, in the heart of prime Beverly Hills real estate on 430 N Camden Drive, Beverly Hills, CA 90210.

Last Sunday, last night, was the start of their "Soul Sundays," when emerging performers and acts in R&B, Blues, Soul, and Funk rock it out like Jimi Hendrix, electrifying diners to jump up on their feet to dance, jam, and groove.

In other words, you will lose weight because you can't help but get up and dance.


If you all are peeved you're not part of the Grammys to enjoy "Food & Music Feed the Soul." The Theme of Grammy 2015," (http://luxurist.blogspot.com/2015/02/food-music-feed-soul-theme-of-grammy.html), then Soul Sundays at HOME 90210 is the general public's chance for a do-over when top-notch performers belt out tunes then, might join you for dinner, just like Grammy Week.

But HOME 90210 goes way beyond being a mere dance club and the folks, behind it, are music industry folks who want to show respect by offering a decent venue with fine dining version of Down-Home cuisine, decent enough to fed the soul.

 https://www.tastemade.com/places/home-beverly-hills-430-n-camden-dr-beverly-hills-ca/3Op0gCGMRKWYHTHh5uwYhw

On Soul Sundays, which started last night on March 22nd then finishes on May 17th, they offer fine dining-level comfort-food appetizers, enough to fuel your soul, spicy and crunch Buffalo Hot Wings, the current trendy food-Truffle Fries then the piece de resistance, White Chocolate Bread Pudding, great for both dessert then breakfast.

On other nights, they can do Chicken & French Toast, Maine Lobster Tartar /Santa Barbara Uni, Scallops/Shortrib Raviolis, Wild Striped Bass/Lobster Hash, and Saffron/Linguini, consisting of  Shrimp, scallop, fin fish and baby arugula finished with a seafood lobster Nage...then again the menu is subject to change at any moment.

https://www.tastemade.com/places/home-beverly-hills-430-n-camden-dr-beverly-hills-ca/3Op0gCGMRKWYHTHh5uwYhw

Don't worry about gaining weight, again...you'll burn off those calories when HOME 90210's top-notch performers get you jumping up on your feet.

Like when Motown singer and performer and Grammy Nominated Producer/Songwriter Vincent Berry did classic Al Green's "Love & Happiness," diners can't help but stop eating to  join Mr. Berry belting out old school Motown.

 https://www.tastemade.com/places/home-beverly-hills-430-n-camden-dr-beverly-hills-ca/3Op0gCGMRKWYHTHh5uwYhw

HOME 90210 goes beyond rehashing the R&B classics, this supper club is also a showcase for what's hot in the R&B industry.

Thanks to Bruno Mars and Mark Ronson, funk is making a come-back, revitalized with African-Americans taking over metal/hard rock where Jimi Hendrix had left off; and it's re-emerging with the likes of Grammy Nominated Artist B. Slade.  He did "Fiesta" with the legendary Sheila E.

Boy! If you want to talk about a work-out, have B. Slade rock the stage.  That will finish off those spicy and crunchy Buffalo Hot Wings with Truffle Fries.

Mind you, Soul Sundays at HOME 90210 isn't going to be every Sunday where you can take it for granted.  The next Soul Sunday will on Easter Sunday on April 5th then onto May 3rd then it wraps up on May 17th.

The restaurant opens up at 7pm.  The opening act happens around 8:30pm then the headliner hits the stage around 9:30pm.

How's that for a Sunday night?! 

STK at SXSW, Upscale Fine Dining for the Festival Set.

By Laura Medina

STK Steakhouse is making the festival rounds.

This "steak frites" scribe was impressed they did a pop-up steak house at Jay-Z's "Made In America" Festival in the heart of Downtown Los Angeles.  Chef Robert Liberato said it was an endeavor setting up an upscale restaurant on location, from scratch but he enjoyed the festival's energy and the grateful performers happy for a decent square meal.

The same can be said for STK at this recent SXSW in Austin.

Cooking on location can be a challenge but those who can and know they can, it's another tool in their arsenal. 

On Saturday March 14th and Sunday March 15th, A-List Communications’ Supper Suite by STK and its sponsor partners, STK Restaurants operated by lifestyle hospitality company The ONE Group, Maestro Dobel® Tequila, and Blue Moon Brewing Company celebrated Jamie Babbit’s FRESNO (world premiere), and three films from Duplass Brothers Productions: Hannah Fidell’s 6 YEARS (world premiere), J. Davis’ MANSON FAMILY VACATION (world premiere) and Ross Katz’s ADULT BEGINNERS (U.S. premiere).

Great fun was had by all at the parties, and guests sipped on Maestro Dobel® Tequila specialty cocktails including its signature “Black Diamond Margarita” and “Dobel Agave Julep,” as well as official SXSW sponsor, Miller-Coors Brewing which featured beer pairings across its Blue Moon Brewing beers.

Guests at the FRESNO reception snacked on cucumber and couscous tabouli with feta, mint, and paprika oil; Tuna Tartare with avocado, taro chip, chili oil and micro cilantro, and seared NY steak with crème fraîche, chive potato and smoked roe butter. All expertly prepared by Executive Chefs Robert Liberato from STK LA and Mark Alba from STK Atlanta.

Duplass Brothers party guests snacked on cucumber and couscous tabouli with feta, mint, and paprika oil and tuna tartare with avocado, taro chip, chili oil and micro cilantro. All, once again, prepared by Executive Chefs Robert Liberato from STK LA and Mark Alba from STK Atlanta.

 

LA Frock Stars on the Smithsonian Channel Premieres Tonight at 9pm.

http://www.smithsonianchannel-pr.com/lafrockstars

Researching historical clothes used to be a "blue-stocking" stuffy endeavor or "geek" cheap if you're shopping and wearing it.

Not anymore!  Thanks to "Downton Abbey" and Bravo's "Rachel Zoe," studying long-lost tailoring then dealing in vintage frocks has been hotter than ever.

The new season will be comprised of six hour-long episodes. Among those who stop by The Way We Wore during the season are burlesque artist Dita von Teese, designer Jeremy Scott, actress Debi Mazar, actress Kirsten Vangsness, top Hollywood stylist Jen Rade, American Horror Story costume designer Lou Eyrich, stylist to the stars Seth Chernoff and Academy® Award-winning costume designer Mark Bridges.

In a series US Weekly called “a feast for the fashion lover’s eye,” and the New York Times said was both “refreshing” and “engaging,” L.A. FROCK STARS features Raymond and her colorful staff assisting an endless stream of clients, from celebrity stylists to top fashion designers, all searching relevant pieces of vintage fashions from the past. Raymond is prized for her tenacity in finding hidden gems and for her encyclopedic knowledge of designer fashion. Back for season two are store manager and vintage virtuoso Sarah Bergman, and sales associate Shelly Lyn, who is close to launching her The Way We Wore inspired jewelry line. A new face this season is assistant store manager Angelika Sjostrom, a recent vintage convert, whose intelligence, enthusiasm and cheerful disposition have made her an invaluable asset to the store.

Raymond, an expert in the history of vintage clothing, has been buying and selling vintage clothing for over thirty years. Her boutique sells women’s fashions from the 1900’s to the ‘80’s, ranging from high profile designers to the world's most iconic fashion figures such as Versace, Chanel, Halston, Dior and more. Over the years, Raymond has also supplied wardrobe for numerous film and television productions, including Mad Men, Boardwalk Empire and American Hustle.

If you're gonna in historical clothes, you best watch Smithsonian Channel's L.A. Frock Stars, where they sprinkle much-needed historical Cliff Notes inter cut among action shots of Doris Raymond, and her Los Angeles shop The Way We Wore hustling at fairs and auctions then styling divas, such as Dita Von Teese.

It's premiering tonight at 9pm on the Smithsonian Channel.  

Here's an episode guide...

L.A. FROCK STARS: VINTAGE NINJAPremieres Thursday, March 19 at 9 p.m. ET/PTVintage is in demand on the red carpet like never before, and awards season has seriously depleted the stock at vintage clothing emporium The Way We Wore. Doris needs to replenish her supply of head-turning vintage fashion, so she heads to the twice-yearly Whitaker Auction in New Hope, Pennsylvania. At the pre-auction viewing, a 1957 Dior haute couture dress designed by the man himself gets Doris’s heart pounding, and she’s afraid she could be drawn into bidding for emotional reasons. At the end of the day, something unexpected catches her eye, and when she investigates some boxes at the back of the room, what she finds makes her determined to win these particular lots at any cost. Doris is going to need all her “ninja” skills to beat her heavy-hitting rivals to the priceless designs. At the store, Sarah Bergman is about to fly out to join her at the auction, when stylist to the stars Seth Chernoff comes into the store looking for outfits for actress Tori Spelling to wear during her promo tour with her Beverly Hills 90210 pal Jennie Garth for their new TV show Mystery Girls.

L.A. FROCK STARS: VINTAGE REBRANDEDPremieres Thursday March 26 at 9 p.m. ET/PTDoris’s brand is seen as luxurious and expensive, but she’s worried about missing out on business as a result. The decision is made to re-launch the store’s website to sell more affordable clothing and attract a new, younger clientele. Former employee Kyle offers to style a photo-shoot to brand the new website in line with Doris’s vision, but the clock is ticking. Summer is around the corner, and in order to push her massive collection of accessible wears, the site needs to be launched immediately. But even with the deadline fast approaching, Doris still finds time to dress the fabulous and fashionable Dita von Teese, sell design inspiration to mega-celebrity stylist Jen Rade, take a private tour of the exclusive old celebrity jewelry house Joseff of Hollywood, and indulge in her favorite pastime of all, treasure hunting.

L.A. FROCK STARS: GOLDEN AGE OF HOLLYWOODPremieres Thursday, April 2 at 9 p.m. ET/PTTop tier fashion stylist Gaelle Paul has a 40-page editorial shoot to style for an international photography magazine. The theme is 1940’s film noir, so she naturally heads to one of her trusted vintage treasure troves, The Way We Wore. That’s a lot of pages to fill, and potentially a lot of press, so the pressure is on. This will be the biggest editorial pull Doris and her staff has ever done. In the midst of the fashion madness, Doris is visited by costume designer Lou Eyrich, Actress Kirsten Vangsness (Criminal Minds), and Rai Alexander, a gorgeous LA artist looking for her first ever red carpet dress.

L.A. FROCK STARS: THE FROCK MARKETPremieres Thursday, April 9 at 9 p.m. ET/PTA hot tip off from an estate liquidator sends Doris and Sarah to Chicago where they find an Aladdin’s cave of designer clothing collected by a former Dior model. Actress Diane Salinger (Carnivale) drops by the store for a dress to perform in as Hollywood siren Tallulah Bankhead, singer Mara Hruby shares a passion for the ‘50s with Shelley, and Michael Jackson’s crystal glove makes a cameo appearance.

L.A. FROCK STARS: QUEST FOR THAT SPECIAL DRESSPremieres Thursday, April 16 at 9 p.m. ET/PT‘Tis the season to be glamorous, and when you want to look and feel your very best for that once in a lifetime occasion, there’s no better place to go than The Way We Wore. When actress Mia Sara (Ferris Bueller’s Day Off) arrives with her godchild Irene the day before her senior prom, Doris and team immediately get to work to help her achieve her American Hustle-style dream look in record time. And when L.A. Frock Stars director Lauren Thompson needs an eleventh hour dress for the upcoming Emmy® Awards, she knows she’ll strike gold at The Way We Wore. But she had no idea the staff would turn the tables, and the camera, on her for once.

L.A. FROCK STARS: FROM GRIT TO GLAMORPremieres Thursday, April 23 at 9 p.m. ET/PTHollywood comes to call when costume designers Arianne Phillips (Walk the Line) and Mark Bridges (The Artist) both drop by The Way We Wore for 1970’s clothing for new projects. Woodbury University design students get a lesson in inspiration, while Jeremy Scott, head designer for Moschino gets up close and personal with Doris’ iconic Moschino collection. Doris turns her back on the glamor for a day at the Rose Bowl Flea Market.

Whole Foods Market's Beauty Week Until March 22nd.

By Laura Medina

A limited edition “Hello, Beauty!” bag for $18 (valued at $60) release only on Saturday the 21st until supplies last!

If you're a klutz at whipping up your own DIY all-natural makeup and skincare, have no fear.

Be natural and shop your local Whole Foods Market and spot some all-natural yet intelligent makeup and skincare in their skincare and beauty aisle.

Want more incentive? It's Beauty Week at Whole Foods where your local and/or favorite Whole Foods because an all-natural semi-Sephora until March 24th.

Their all-natural beauty aisle isn't all "granola" and has been neglected for a time.  Now, Whole Foods associates want to welcome you from messing up your own DIY beauty/skincare klutz.

For those who insist on being crafty, this week, Whole Food associates will throw DIY beauty crafting classes to teach you how to do it right.

Whole Body departments will host events, classes, demonstrations and promotions to inform shoppers about Whole Foods Market’s large selection of quality personal care products and cosmetics that support healthy people and a healthy planet.  

Maren Giuliano, executive global Whole Body coordinator, "Our beauty department is really growing at Whole Foods Market and we’re excited to spotlight new products and showcase customer favorites in our stores this week."

"One thing that really sets us apart in the beauty industry is our standards,” Giuliano said. “Our shoppers know and trust us because we have baseline standards that prohibit 50 ingredients in the products we sell, along with our top-tier standards, called Premium Body Care. When we first launched our premium standards in 2008, we had about 400 products that were certified—now we have more than 4,000.”"

With this much variety and depth in refined and urbane all-natural skincare and makeup, now is the time to discover and have fun. 

Even though it started yesterday, the best has yet to come...

During “Beauty Week,” all Whole Foods Market locations will offer a limited edition “Hello, Beauty!” bag for $18 (valued at $60), beginning Saturday, March 21, at 10 a.m. local time. Bags are made with 100 percent cotton recycled saris from RIJI Green, a business committed to ending human trafficking. Each Acure Cell Stimulating Facial Mask, Giovanni 2chic Ultra Repair Shampoo, Pacifica Eye Shadow Duo or Lipstick, Trilogy Vital Moisturizing Cream and Gabriel Mascara, plus $5 in beauty coupons.  

From March 20 to 22, shoppers will save 25 percent on all facial care items at Whole Foods Market. 

Whole Foods Market has been lauded for its beauty department standards over the years. In 2012, the company was named “the leading national retailer” in personal care product safety by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics. The grocer was also named runner-up in the Sustainable Beauty Awards’ “Sustainable Leadership” category in 2014. Last month, Giuliano was named one of the “50 Most Powerful Women in Beauty” by Women’s Wear Daily.

The retailer also set its own standards for organic labeling on personal care products, as there are no mandatory government standards for the “organic” label claim on body care products.

Compared to upscale organic beauty boutiques, Whole Foods is friendly, welcoming, and helpful.

Go ahead and dabble this week.

Beige & Pastel Light-Weight Leather for Spring, Wearable Year-Around.

By Laura Medina

#HELLOLEATHER. AS by DF, http://www.asbydf.com/

Thanks to leather technology, leather is no longer stiff and heavy, restricted to outerwear armor shielding you from the elements; and it doesn't always have to be black.

With today's technology, you can wear leather year-around.  It's light enough to wear during Spring and it's cooler nights.  Shoot, you can even it through Summer.

What's cool with leather, it can literally stretch into Fall and Winter, making it the new closet classic.  Well worth the investment.

AS by DF is proving this...this Spring. 

http://www.asbydf.com/the-story/

It all started with anything in fashion and beauty, the perfect "what-if."

If Juicy Couture started with the perfect gym-lunch-errand-cocktail-lounge outfits that practically build a brand and a new clothing category that is making beaucoup bucks for health & style-conscious celebrities making the leap into athleisure wear, ("Cee Bee by Cheryl Burke & Calia by Carrie Underwood & Kate Hudson's Fabletic, Celebrities Jumping Into Athleisure."http://luxurist.blogspot.com/2015/03/cee-bee-by-cheryl-burke-calia-by-carrie.html) As by DF by Denise Focil is onto something, leather as everyday Comtemporary clothing, not just outerwear.

Designer Denise Focil had one goal 15 years ago when she started designing; to make the perfect leather jacket.

“Leather is my passion, my craft. I am obsessed with the sensuality & touch of leather. My pieces are all about emotion. My goal was always to make the leather jacket of your dreams.”

Her attention to crafting the perfect leather jacket over fifteen years, has expanded the possibilities of leather that very few can materialize.

http://shop.asbydf.com/new-arrivals

Just in time for Spring, leather for Easter?  Leather in pastel powder pink, just like the powder pastel palettes from the "Cinderella" movie. Yes!

Motorcross tailoring re-done as a sweater in powder pastel pink?  Yes.

A motorcross leather vest in the same powder pastel pink? Yes.

Because it's leather and the styling, the knit, and tailoring are timeless, these powder pastel pink sweater and leather vest aren't Easter one-hit wonders.  These pieces that you can wear the heck out of many a times over Spring into Summer.  The new warm-weather classics.

http://shop.asbydf.com/new-arrivals

Want to stand-out among the herd? Hunting for that next holiday investment piece?

Think of the not-your-usual suspects-but-very much-neglected Valentine's/Christmas/New Year's Eve pieces, laser-cut lace, light-weight leather tank, shift dress, and mini-circle skirt.

Obviously, the red laser-cut lace red leather tank is a gateway to the more advanced dress and skirt.

  

Blasé about basic black?  The existing red Valentine's Day dresses looking tacking in cheap knit and lace. Not wise investments or boring basics?

Pure red is the new primary color basic, especially in light-weight leather.  The laser-cut lace filigree only makes traditionally macho leather more feminine-friendly yet so dangerously chic!

Laser-Cut Lace Filigree Red Leather Shift Dress beats your boring Little Black Dress back to your closet.

The Red Laser-Cut Lace Leather Tank Top can dress up your jeans in a nano-second.

The Red Laser-Cut Lace Leather Mini-Circle Skirt is an adorable way to dress your basic white tank top.

Pair both the Red Laser-Cut Lace Leather Mini-Circle Skirt with the matching Red Laser-Cut Lace Leather Tank Top makes another darling Valentine's Day outfit or a "Taylor Swift-sque Girl Power" Spring outfit beating out the cliche cotton eyelet dress.

Red Lace Leather pumps fresh blood into your wardrobe.

http://shop.asbydf.com/new-arrivals

The other neutral is, well, beige or what most men call khaki.

In light-weight leather, beige isn't "vanilla boring" nor "khaki drab."  Treating leather as a clothing fabric makes it hip.

Making leather light-weight then doing it in neutral Beige makes it fresh yet a new year-around clothing staple.

There will always be hip girls, to some degree, in any town or city claiming style creed, aren't you hearing this Charleston Fashion Week?

Hips girls and women can eye one singular piece than work the heck out of it for weeks, months, and years.  Shoot, she can spot several key pieces then pull them together for a smashing look that lasts for years, defining an era or a decade.  That is true style.

For instant hip, pull together a beige motorcycle leather jacket with the new classic black leather skinny jeans for a bad girl-gone-sophisticated look.

Treat the new beige leather motocross vest or the new beige leather knot weave as the new tank top, you can pair with a flirty skirt or with hip cool jeans.

  

http://shop.asbydf.com/new-arrivals

How to incorporate this new basic leather into your wardrobe beyond Winter and jackets?

Easy, just use the humble camisole in basic black, lipstick red, and neutral beige as your foundation to build upon.  You can switch them up with all sorts of jeans; and you'll get a fresh everyday look that carries you through Spring, Summer, Fall, then Winter.

Dressed up with costume jewelry, you'll get quickie, easy glam with these leather camisoles.

Rather than spending frivolously on repetitive one-hit wonders for one holiday or one festival week or making do with reliable but drab knits and weaves in boring basics, make leather your new fashion friend year-around.  #HELLOLEATHER!