Wishes

Kashgar Travel Journal by Laura West ~ Reverie Daydream Artisan Boutique

Hello! I am so honored to be a guest on the most lovely blog Reverie Daydream today. If you have visited Reverie, then I'm sure you have been enchanted and mesmerized by the lovely Melissa and her magical world. I am truly humbled and honored to have been asked by her to guest on her series Wishful Thinking. Over the years Melissa's words have been a constant source of inspiration and her blog a special place to revive my soul. 

Beloved Letterpress Card ~ Reverie Daydream Artisan Boutique

Melissa is the owner of Reverie Daydream an artisan boutique that offers beautiful, carefully crafted, ethically and environmentally conscious goods. 

Thank you so much to Melissa for allowing me to share a tiny place on her blog and world. 

Enjoy the post as well as the talented and wonderful bloggers in the Wishful Thinking series.

Diamonds Are A Girls Best Friend

"Beneath the makeup and behind the smile I am just a girl who wishes for the world."
— Marilyn Monroe

Rhinestone accessories worn by Marilyn

Salut Mes Amis!  I hope you had a fantastic weekend. I posted (here) this weekend about my visit to historic Max Factor Building a few weeks ago. I went to see the Jean Harlow exhibit that is currently showing there. Little did I know that the museum holds a very large collection of Marilyn Monroe memorabilia. The collection is so large and so diverse, I just couldn't believe what I had stumbled upon! I have been a huge Marilyn Monroe fan since I was in Fourth grade, sick and at home from school, my Mother and I sat down to watch Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. I will never forget sitting in front of that TV and wanting to be just like her. She was pure magic on the screen and thus the obsession with old movies, vintage, and glamour began...

Marilyn's bustier from How to Marry A Millionaire

As I mentioned in the last post Mr. Max Factor had four different celebrity make-up rooms dedicated to the stars and designed to enhance a persons beauty by using his theory of Color Harmony. The first room we entered was the "For Redheads only" room. The room is done is shades of Mint Green and had Lucille Ball's personal items as well as Rita Hayworth's. I couldn't have been more excited...or so I thought! The next room was the "For Blondes Only" room. To my excitement and surprise, the entire room was Marilyn! Done in soft shades of Blue, the room contained so many incredible items that had belonged to THE Blonde herself. 

Actual prescription medication belonging to Marilyn Monroe (Wow)!

There in the cases of that gorgeous Blue room (which by the way is not an attractive hue for this Brunette) are studio contracts, handwritten notes, photos, gloves, jewelry, receipts, and so much more, all belonging to that famous blonde Marilyn. There is another large case with one of her dresses and a pair of shoes, and yet another case full of newspapers from the day she died, the prescription medication above, a certified copy of her autopsy, photos from the scene the police found that day, etc. 

The entire makeup table set up with Marilyn's own personal (used) make-up

Her famous makeup case

As I walked out of the room, I thought "Wow, that was amazing, I can't believe I just saw all of those items. I'm so lucky". We walked up the stairs to the first exhibit level and it was more Marilyn! They had her 1961 Cadillac Fleetwood Limousine given to her by the studio. Mr. Zanuck presented Marilyn with a Silver Tiffany key chain engraved with her initials. In the back seat they had her pillow used in the limo and a pair of gloves. They also had an original nude calendar, hundreds of photos and magazine covers, personal notes and multiple checks and receipts (lots for vodka, bourbon, and champagne) including the very last check she wrote (it was to her housekeeper). 

Her 1961 Cadillac Fleetwood Limousine

The collection is so extensive and so interesting, I could not possibly write about it all here. It was so interesting to see and so incredible to be in the presence of all of this Hollywood glamour!  Of course in addition to all of the Marilyn they had Jean Harlow, Clara Bow, Joan Crawford, Elvis, Judy Garland, Desi and Lucy, Mae West, Rudolph Valentino (another fave of mine), Doris Day, Lana Turner, the list is endless.

The stockings she wore in this famous photo shoot

I wish I could fit all of the photos from the exhibit here but the post would go on for days. 

Her famous Korea/Honeymoon dress

Have a wonderful week! 

XOXO

Glamorous Hollywood

~~"Want to be an actor? Call Mr. Factor!" ~Original lyrics from the song Hooray for Hollywood~~

~This photo from the Hollywood Museum website *The lobby~

Hello! As usual, I have been missing you all! I am so excited about sharing this post with you. A few weeks ago I was fortunate enough to go to the Hollywood Museum with my Best Friend. I specifically wanted to go for a Jean Harlow exhibit that is on display there celebrating what would be her 100th birthday, little did I know what gold lies inside those doors. The museum is located in the historic Max Factor Building and I was awestruck from the moment I set foot in there! 

The Max factor building is a gem that sits right off of Hollywood Blvd.  just steps away from amazing places like the Roosevelt, El Capitan, and those famous footprints in the forecourt of Sid Grauman's Chinese theatre. Stepping through the heavily marbled entryway and into this historic building was like stepping back in time to the 1930's and that glorious Golden Age of Hollywood.

~The "Brownettes" Soft Peach colored room. Judy Garland is featured here~

The lobby is basically unchanged from those golden days. It is a polished Art Deco jewel, a rose colored oasis of endless lavish marble, crystal chandeliers, soft hues, and tropical palms. The Max Factor studio contains four special celebrity make-up rooms, each designed to bring out the best in women of a particular hair color: The first is marked "For Blondes Only" (and is done in shades of blue); another for redheads (in mint green), for brunettes (rose pink), and the brownettes (pale peach). These special rooms have been painstakingly preserved, and are complete with the original make-up chairs, lighting, furnishings, and  multi-angled mirrors. They are also outfitted with display cases full of notable clients personal make-up and personal belongings. Some of the legendary clients featured are Marilyn Monroe, Judy Garland, Rudolph Valentino, Joan Crawford, Jean Harlow, Lucille Ball, Claudette Colbert, Norma Shearer, and Bette Davis. I was inches away from Joan Crawford's false eyelashes (used!) Marilyn Monroe's bustier, and Elizabeth Taylor's belongings. 

Sitting in the makeup chair

It is said that Jean Harlow's hair was first dyed platinum in these rooms and that the color was created specifically for her, as is the story with Marilyn's hair, Joan Crawford, and Claudette Colbert. 

One of Judy Garlands pairs of Ruby Red Slippers  from the Wizard of Oz

I cannot even begin to scratch the surface of what this incredible museum contains and the history behind Mr. Factor and his empire. There are endless incredible pieces of Hollywood history here. The Marilyn Monroe collection alone is worth it. I am going to do a separate post just on her memorabilia at the museum tomorrow. They have a Mae West collection, Elvis items, Lucy and Desi, Shirley Temple, Clara Bow, Carey Grants Rolls Royce....Really it is endless! So, instead of boring you with more photos and my rambling I will leave you photo from the Jean Harlow exhibit I originally went to see. Until tomorrow! XOXO!

~~~All photos taken by me and property of Paris Atelier unless otherwise noted~~~