The Art of Perfume Ads: Lady Gaga Fame

Fame, the first fragrance to bear Lady Gaga’s name, will be released in September. First disclaimer: I haven’t tried it yet, so this isn’t a review. Instead, I’m taking a lighthearted look at the advertising image that was released in July. Second disclaimer: although I’m a general admirer of Lady Gaga’s music and self-presentation, I’m not an expert on her every word and deed. This is just my own, Rorschach–blot-like impression of the ad. And one quick warning: this post will include further nudity, albeit of an artistic nature. (NSFW!)

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5 on 5: My Skincare Essentials

It’s the fifth of the month again, and I’m inspired to create another list of five things that I like. I’ve already posted about my makeup staples, so this will be a follow-up post, listing five very basic skincare products that I’ve purchased and repurchased over the past few years.

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A Tale of Two Soaps: Victoria Lanolin-Ägg-Tvål Eggwhite Facial Soap

I bought my first bar of Victoria Lanolin-Ägg-Tvål Eggwhite Facial Soap somewhere between four and five years ago, at New London Pharmacy in New York. I liked the soap so much that I went back for a box of six bars, and it became part of my nightly skincare ritual.

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My Back Pages: Dorothy Parker and “The Lovely Leave”

Dorothy Parker is known as a humorist, and a black-humorist at that; but a few of her short stories are surprisingly touching. I’ve read “The Lovely Leave” (1943) many, many times, and I still enjoy its vignette of a soldier’s wife preparing for her husband’s all-too-brief leave in wartime New York.

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