A Tale of a Beauty Career

A Tale of a Beauty Career

Ciao bella,

If I could write a book I would love to title it "If This Table Could Talk". After all, I've spent most of my career at a manicuring table, with draws I might add! More on the draws later!

In fact my Dad would call it "the ladies on the half hour" -- lovely every one! I've had the unique experience of listening to the most juicy stories, holiday fiascos, love gone bad, travel tips on what not to do, recipes for not only food but for the ingredients for a perfect storm pertaining to marriage and in-laws, wonderful trips, childhood memories, yes the bad and the very good!

"BLandover" was not so bland after all! From one of my first managers "Danny" I would hear please make sure you don't book the appointments back to back with ex-wife #1 and present wife #2! OK!

And make sure that when a lady books a manicure and she has a broken nail, fix it because it's like she has a broken arm! Of course he didn't say arm! But you get the point!

It's been quite a road of manicuring tables, chairs, bottles of nail polish, no shows, cuticle remover and nail files and nail glue. When I was graduating from high school Mom would say you must learn a career otherwise you'll end up smelling glue at the shoe factory! I decided to follow my Mom and Nana's career of cosmetology. I still ended up with glue on my table but it is a most esteemed tool since I abhorred acrylic and gel nails. I use the glue to wrap tips with silk and repair weak/ broken nails in a more natural way of preserving the health of the Natural Nail. It has become my insignia! Mary For Nails-the Nail Doctor!

I hate too many changes! I hate moving! In fact I am celebrating 20 years of living in the same building on Beacon Hill! I enjoyed my very own salon in Andover for 13 years but when health issues came into play I decided to play it down. Good ole Dad said work from our house after all Mom enjoyed her Beauty Shop here at the home in Methuen forever! All my lovely ladies followed for almost 4 years. I spent quality time with Daddy-o and he did greeting the ladies! Naturally all good things end.

I was back in Andover, which I loved, for only 6 months. It was one of those "too good to be true" and when will my bubble burst kind of deals. The owner had to move and when she did she told me we would not be using "draws" and that there were no draws on our new manicuring tables! Needless to say but bye-bye was in order!

So now I'm back to where I belong! Dellaria in Andover! Back to a hair salon where co-workers will greet me with open arms. And a salon from years ago that I knew my tombstone would bear my name in their parking lot! Full circle, as Leslie well noted. Oh yes I thought of "throwing in the towel"! But after all the "lovely ladies" have become my dear and most loyal friends. And we all need a good recipe once in a while!

Buona giornata and God bless the United States of America!

--Mary N. DiZazzo-Trumbull

Read prior weeks' "All That Zazz" columns at www.allthatzazz.com. Mary is a third-generation cosmetologist and a Massachusetts distributor of Kosmea brand rose hip oil products. She may be contacted at (978) 470-8183 or mary@mary4nails.com.

Soften Up!

Soften Up!

Ciao bella,

Everybody feelin' that alligator skin just about now? I never really experienced it till just a few years ago. After all extreme temps and environmental changes will play havoc on your skin. First of all before we can see true results of our body moisturizer we must exfoliate the dryness which is dead skin. One of the best ways is in the steam room! Or even at home in a steamy tub! After about 10-15 minutes the steam softens that dry skin and it will just roll off with your fingers or a loofah sponge! Really! There is also a mitt that is used in the baths in Morocco. You can find the mitt in specialty stores. Works wonders!

Always remember that after exfoliating your product will WORK and go a long way! Then your skin is in for a good deep conditioning and moisturizing treatment. The KOSMEA line from Australia has a wonderful Rescue Balm that keeps skin glowing and soft! Formulated with certified organic Rose Hip Oil in a preservative free formula and used together with their Rescue Body Cream with certified organic Rose Hip Butter, I promise a baby soft experience!

LUSH has a wonderful Body Butter "BUFFY" -- with shea butter that is used in the shower. Has a great nutty scent! To kick-start a softening regimen on your feet that haven't seen the light of day for months, Lush has a "Stepping Stone Foot Scrub". Made with pumice, sea salt and cocoa butter, it will sure make a difference once barefoot season arrives. Tried it and loved it!

Once you exfoliate properly you must nourish your skin with excellent product to ensure healthy skin. The Rescue Balm can be used on cuticles, elbows, feet and heels, scars etc. -- a miracle in a jar! Call or email me with any questions on these fine products and where to purchase them.

So get soft now!

Buona giornata and God bless the United States of America!

--Mary N. DiZazzo-Trumbull

Read prior weeks' "All That Zazz" columns at www.allthatzazz.com. Mary is a third-generation cosmetologist and a Massachusetts distributor of Kosmea brand rose hip oil products. She may be contacted at (978) 470-8183 or mary@mary4nails.com.

No need to wear makeup when you'll be wearing a mask for Carnevale!

No need to wear makeup when you'll be wearing a mask for Carnevale!

Ciao bella,

Marilyn and Mary

Here is a bit of history of Carnevale in which many participated in this past week! In the year 1162 in Venice the Carnevale of Venice was born. Originating from a victory of the "Repubblica della Aquileia" which was Venice's original home. So, in defeating the Patriarch of Aquileia that year the victory was honored with a festival of dancing and reunions celebrated in San Mark's Square!

This annual Carnevale Festival held in Venice, Italy starts 58 days before Easter and ends on Shrove Tuesday (Fat Tuesday or Martedi Grasso), the day before Ash Wednesday.

Masks being a tradition of celebration of many sizes and names depending on coverage of the face are worn at Carnevale. The mask would hide the wearer's identity and social status permitting the wearer to mingle among high society and his peers with no recognition. These encounters could be used as personal, criminal or romantic intentions. Romantic intentions such as the masked ball in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet!

This past weekend ITALIA UNITA of East Boston showed us a taste of Carnevale! Full screening of actual festival parade in Venice during Carnevale was shown! Dancing and traditional music was enjoyed by all. Real and colorful paper mâché items were on display! The giant cannoli was my fav! Coffee and drinks were served with Pignolata (a Sicilian specialty) and Chiacchiere literally translated into "chatter," "chit chat" or "gossip" however is a strip of sweet pastry dough fried and coated with sugar! It was sheer delight as we chatted with all our friends as we enter the solemn Lenten season!

Thanks Lisa for all your work!

Buona giornata and God bless the United States of America!

--Mary N. DiZazzo-Trumbull

Read prior weeks' "All That Zazz" columns at www.allthatzazz.com. Mary is a third-generation cosmetologist and a Massachusetts distributor of Kosmea brand rose hip oil products. She may be contacted at (978) 470-8183 or mary@mary4nails.com.

Happy Valentine's Day

"The Miss Boston 2012 Pageant" is coming!

"The Miss Boston 2012 Pageant" is coming!

Ciao bella,

Last year was a remarkable experience just attending the Miss Boston Pageant! I can just imagine how exciting an opportunity like this can be for some of our locally planted girls. Just the idea that your personal opinion and appearance as a contestant makes history around our treasured Commonwealth is reason to go for the title Miss Boston 2012. There will also be over $5000 in scholarships and prizes. You will see girls from Harvard to local work places striving to be the best they can be so they can represent our Commonwealth in fashion! Home to the Miss Boston 2012 Pageant is The Omni Parker House. The event starts at 5:00 PM on Sunday, February 19th. You may purchase tix online at www.MissBoston.org/. There will be 5 stages of competition, talent, showcase, interview, physical fitness, eveningwear and onstage interview. The girls are all wonderful to watch!

The history of the MB Pageant has provided a stage for young women to achieve their personal, professional and educational goals. Girls from 17-24 years old will compete for the MB title. The Miss Boston pageant is the official preliminary for the Miss America Pageant and Miss Massachusetts program. The Miss America organization is one of the nation's lead achievement programs and world's largest provider of scholarship assistance providing over $45 million for young women! Sara Carlisle the 2011 Miss Boston winner will share her fabulous experience and hand over the crown! Thank you Sara for representing the Hub with such grace, talent and style!

Valentine quote for the week: "Love is like a beautiful song, echoes on in the heart when the last note is silent." Happy Valentine's Day everyone -- XX.

Buona giornata and God bless the United States of America!

--Mary N. DiZazzo-Trumbull

Read prior weeks' "All That Zazz" columns at www.allthatzazz.com. Mary is a third-generation cosmetologist and a Massachusetts distributor of Kosmea brand rose hip oil products. She may be contacted at (978) 470-8183 or mary@mary4nails.com.

The Vanity of It All

The Vanity of It All

Ciao bella,

How many of you gals get your face on in the bathroom? I could never understand it. However I'm sure it's the majority of ladies who hit the bathroom to use the mirror standing with ill lighting and steamy from showering! Makeup tubes and caps flying all over the floor! Well it is never too late to find a nice place in the bedroom for a vanity with mirror! Why as far back as I can remember I owned a lighted makeup mirror and would sit down in front of it and primp. We even bought a mini vanity for Dad's house when we would stay over on the weekend.

When I set up housekeeping in my first apartment I recall spying a walnut vintage vanity at Harold's Broadway Second Hand Store in Lawrence. Its chocolate elegance held a magnificent mirror which was built in and adjusted in a swing motion to your better side. There were two drawers on each side and one in the middle. Plenty of space for makeup of all kinds, hair accessories and brushes and combs, even jewelry and just about everything a "Glamazon" like me would need to play "makeup"!

I remember purchasing this Cadillac of cabinetry before I bought the bed! When Mom would visit she would always remark that she thought I was getting ready for my close-up in the cinema!

I have a beautifully framed photo of Nana with her silver cup when she won a cosmetology competition on the vanity and just behind it I keep my Hollywood lights makeup mirror with different settings including daytime, work, and nighttime. Dad bought me this one. As soon as he knew my last mirror bit the dust. He knew how important it was to replace it. The shopping hunt was on -- Sears, Filene's, Jordan Marsh and even Woolworth's! He wouldn't stop 'til he found it! That was Dad! I dread mentioning where we finally found it! No, not eBay!

When I sit on my vanity chair which is laced with Nana's fur fox tails I am in heaven! Surrounded by my fav perfumes and colors that enhance my eyes and face, moisturizers and creams applied at leisure, it's my time to relax and enjoy the transformation. Oh and it is a transformation! Lipsticks that are from Jungle Red to Orange Crush! Greens and purple and blue glitter eyeliners are my favs from Tony & Tina's line. No longer being manufactured for yet another divorce!

My Vanity, my friend, has weathered every move and now as I figure out how long this relationship has lasted I can understand why the makeup I wore at 19 years old has had to change its face during our thirty-eight years together!

For the Vanity of it all!

Buona giornata and God bless the United States of America!

--Mary N. DiZazzo-Trumbull

Read prior weeks' "All That Zazz" columns at www.allthatzazz.com. Mary is a third-generation cosmetologist and a Massachusetts distributor of Kosmea brand rose hip oil products. She may be contacted at (978) 470-8183 or mary@mary4nails.com.

Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend

Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend

Ciao bella,

Who would think that another one of Mother Nature's miracles is used esthetically, however not just to be counted in carots? It's Diamond Dust my dear ladies! Tiny particles left behind from the cutting of diamonds. The hardness of these tiny particles (similar as dust) make it a popular material used for a variety of products. Just about half of all natural Diamonds are found in mines throughout central and southern Africa. Originally found and mined in India diamond dust proved valuable in cosmetics. Even Madonna during one of her many tours combined white eyeshadow and diamond dust and applied it on her eyelids!

Diamonds as we all know look like transparent crystal and made of carbon, as its atoms are arranged in a diamond lattice. Diamond dust may be found in different colors and can be coarse or fine. Valuable for their hardness and heat conductivity industrial diamonds can be found in the use of surfacing products. Gem-grade diamonds are also valuable for their color and clarity. (The diamond coated pan in my kitchen has been a treasure in my culinary adventures!)

As a natural mineral diamonds are the hardest. Productively useful as an abrasive in cutting, drilling, grinding and polishing. You'll find nail files coated with diamond dust making the file stay sharp and lasting. Many nail products contain diamond dust to prevent chipping and also strengthen nails including a pretty shimmer effect. Check your labels for diamond dust which can also be found in creams, perfumes, shower gels and makeup. In my experience diamonds are a girls best friend!

Buona giornata and God bless the United States of America!

--Mary N. DiZazzo-Trumbull

Read prior weeks' "All That Zazz" columns at www.allthatzazz.com. Mary is a third-generation cosmetologist and a Massachusetts distributor of Kosmea brand rose hip oil products. She may be contacted at (978) 470-8183 or mary@mary4nails.com.