Beauty is Marilyn Monroe!

Beauty is Marilyn Monroe!

Ciao bella,

Marilyn's Tomb

On June 1st this year was the iconic film star's 90th birthday! Her fans came out in droves. She lived to be only 36 years old. A self made women and well read in her short life was remarkable. Her death is still a mystery to some people. My opinion is that the demons in her mind took over and she didn't have the network of true friends and doctors to help lead the way. It goes for many.

The week of her birthday were all kinds of TV shows on her life. Documentaries and of course her famous movies that whisked her from her skirt blowing up to stardom.

At the peak of it all she knew how much the audience adored her. The camera also loved her! There will be no else like Marilyn again. She was a diamond herself.

My love for Marilyn all started with my "Nail Tech" career. My boss at the time asked me to show him my technique. I would spray scented water on the hands between steps during the manicure. He asked what is that? I said it's scented water. The boss let me know I that I should give that step a name. Ex. Jean Harlow water, Greta Garbo water? As you may figure it was finally called Marilyn Monroe Water! I found picture stickers of her to place on the spray bottle. ( I'm also a sticker queen) Whenever a sticker looked rough I'd change it. Now you must know I really didn't know much about this Marilyn Monroe until I incorporated her " water" into my service. My clients gave me everything Marilyn as gifts. I received her movies, calendars every year, posters, pictures, Channel perfume (was Marilyn's favorite), small statues etc. I became to know her as a talented actress with beauty beyond our dreams! She was said to have manufactured the " Marilyn " look by herself! Brilliant!

I've become a huge fan of this gal. I was lucky enough to win a lottery ticket and attend Christy's Auction House in New York City when all her belongings were auctioned off! I was inches away when thee dress that she wore to sing Happy Birthday to John F. Kennedy came out on display. Christy's dimmed it's lights and thee dress moved forward on a lighted mannequin! Quite spectacular! Memorable!

My husband David drove me to Brooklyn, N.Y. for an elaborate photo exhibition of her.

All the famous photographers who were lucky enough to have met her and capture her image were all notably credited. A stupendous trip!

I've also been to her grave at Pierce Brothers in Los Angeles and spent quite a few hours there. A cement bench dedicated to Marilyn is where one can sit and dream!

My house is peppered with Marilyn! From a Barbie like telephone that when it rings she starts singing "I want to be loved by you" while her white skirt blows up over a NYC street grate! I'm not kidding. I even replaced the " fan" recently. Oh and let's not forget our Marilyn bathroom! Pictures on the walls and lip soaps for days!

This Birthday month deserves a kind thought for Marilyn! So do it and watch one of her movies! We can still dream!

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.

What's in Your Cosmetics?

What's in Your Cosmetics?

Ciao bella,

It just makes sense that natural is the way to go. Cosmetics contain so many artificial, toxic and allergic ingredients. We should be more careful what we use on our skin as well as what we ingest in our bodies.

Check your labels!

Watch out for those parabens. They preserve cosmetics and are widely used in almost everything. This chemical preservative can't be safely used in any skincare products that contain collagen, elastic, placenta, hydrolyzed animal protein or keratin.

Nitric acid is an inorganic acid used as an oxidizer and stabilizer in cosmetics. It is a corrosive liquid that can irritate skin.

Mineral oil is a liquid mixture of hydrocarbons obtained from petroleum. It can increase the response of the skin to ultraviolet rays and can cause sunburn without any allergic effect being involved.

Even petroleum jelly, also a semisolid mixture of hydrocarbons, pollutes our water and destroys marine life. Avoiding them is essential for the health of humans, animals, fish, water, land and air.

Hydrocarbon is a synthetic chemical compound containing only carbon and hydrogen atoms. This large group includes paraffins, olefins, acetylenes, and alicyclic, and of course, petroleum. They are potentially allergenic and phototoxic as described above.

Sodium laurel sulfate is a popular ingredient used as a detergent, emulsifier, and surfactant in over a thousand cosmetic products including shampoos, toothpastes, lotions and creams. It may be labeled "natural" but it's not. And it is produced synthetically and is hardly ever made from coconut oil (even when the label says it is).

In a world with so many artificially produced ingredients it would be difficult to completely abandon all our fav products. But what we can all do is educate ourselves and eliminate or cut back our everyday bad products and replace them with natural and 100 percent ECCO certified organic ones. Do your research and know what's on the label.

Start by trying KOSMEA, an all-natural skincare line.

Buona giornata and God bless the United States of America.

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.

Attention: Eyebrows

Attention: Eyebrows

Ciao bella,

Your Eyebrows frame your face. They instantly bring forward a dramatic prelude to the rest of your look.

Today, more Eyebrow is stylish and becoming. There was a time in the Madonna craze when she looked like she didn’t pluck or wax a hair. So I decided to grow mine out. It was certainly a look. However, I love the arch of the Brow and the clean circumference you can create with shaping by tweezing or, better yet, waxing. NADS is the best way to achieve that clean look. It is a sugar-based Brow wand depilatory with no sticky, gooey mess! Any residue washes off with water.

A quick makeup rule is: to look decent, all you need are well shaped Brows and lipstick! For professional advice, I would make an appointment with a Brow specialist. They will be able to show you how to create a Brow for you. Home care is essential.

Remember when I grew out my Madonna Brows? Well, where are all those hairs now? Another trick of Mother Nature tapping on our door to let us know who is boss! Defi nitely, it’s her. So, to outmaneuver all her tricks we must combat and overcome to be the best we can be! There is so much professional help out there, take advantage of it.

After cleaning up and shaping my Brows, I use Wunderbrow to fill in and shape. Comes with a brush to perfect shape. Stays on until you wash it off. No smudging or dripping. This is a liquid-type liner that you may choose in your color. I learned way back NOT to use a pencil. It drags out delicate Brow hairs that stay gone forever. So no pencil to shape Brows.

Recently I noticed a FB acquaintance who never really had Eyebrows. Lately I noticed the last dozen or so pictures of her with these dark painted Eyebrows that looked hideous! Is this a college “dare” or what? This prompted me to write this column!

Take care of your Eyebrows! There are also serums you can apply everyday to regain hair growth. Take it from me that they work following the manufacturer’s directions.

So my Glamazons, hope you are inspired to give the proper attention to your Brows!

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.

Growing Out My Own Eyelashes

Growing Out My Own Eyelashes

Ciao bella,

I certainly enjoyed almost a full year of gorgeous Eyelash Extensions! I loved my appointments at a very fashionable Newbury St. Salon. I will miss that and the instant empowerment of Beautiful Eyelashes. Waking every day looking and feeling grand!

However there comes a day when you just miss your own lashes. It was certainly going to be a challenge at this time to grow them out. I decided to remove the individual fakes at a time when own lashes were in a "shedding" phase of barely noticeable to the naked eye! Oh the horror! After all I always had pretty long and lovely ones of my own. Just not as full and dark as when the individual extensions were applied. So my journey begins!

I knew there were Lash Serums on the market since I used to apply it on my flutters years ago. And I know it worked. However I needed the best of the best so I could grow these " babies" back.

First of all getting me through just the first day of looking at myself with part of me gone was traumatic! A friend of mine a while back was raving about her fab mascara! (Before extensions) So she gave me a tube and after applying it I found that little tubes seem to be wrapped around each individual lash, lengthening and thickening. Removal was a cinch with a warm cotton pad! No damage, no oil and no rubbing. After taking a selfie that first day I knew I had a long road ahead however my lashes looked pretty good. However it was back to using mascara everyday. Another plus of this journey was I could never use my various eyeliners with the Lash Extensions for fear of losing them. Now my blues, greens, purples etc. are back front and center to line my lids colorfully.

I inquired with another Eyelash obsessed friend who met a gal with super-duperlashes that were all her own! Her serum was the one I wanted. So after 4 weeks of applying serum once a day I can see new growth and thickness of my own Eye Lashes. I am very happy. And after 6-8 weeks, a few more months maybe I'll be even thrilled!

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.

Beauty Oils Spring 2016

Beauty Oils Spring 2016

Ciao bella,

Beauty Oils! What are they exactly and what do they do? You can find them everywhere at you favorite cosmetic haunts! Here I'll explain the Beauty and Health benefits of Beauty Oils!

Rosehip Oil - with wrinkle fighting vitamin A, it nourishes skin from past damage and increases cell revitalization. Use a small amount morning and night for a smoother complexion. Rosehip Oil also contains vitamin C and E which are notable antioxidants for anti-aging. I have used and sold Rosehip Oil for almost 20 years with fantastic results! Read below to purchase.

Olive Oil -great for a dry, itchy scalp. Saturate your scalp, leave on 20 minutes and thoroughly shampoo followed with a conditioner. Also makes hair shiny and manageable.

Jojoba Oil -found in body soaps, shampoos and face creams. Extracted from a plant known as a wonderful skin softener. Keeps frizzy hair tamed with a few drops or a hair treatment.

Argan Oil -also known as "liquid gold" in Morocco for a host of Beauty rituals. I use a few drops in my hair just before styling. Notable for it's vitamin E which strengthens hair and nails with daily use. Yes Glamazons, its maintenance for us gals everyday! What price Beauty?

Almond Oil -has been easing the symptoms of psoriasis and eczema with its Omega-3 ingredients. Great on irritated skin for it's calming properties. Enriched body moisturizer is a must!

Coconut Oil -this has been the new trend as it is full of nourishing fatty acids. Great as a make up remover. Use on dry skin anywhere to relieve flakiness. Face, body, lips and cuticles at this time of year can use all the moisture they need.

Grapeseed Oil -full of anti-oxidants that restore collagen, softening lines and helping skin to stay firm. Contains anti-aging properties. Great on hands as a treatment with a warm cloth for 10 minutes.

These are just a few of the Beauty Oils out there that I believe to be most popular and beneficial. If you find these ingredients in any of your cosmetics check for their purity and Best Buy dates.

If you need more details on these oils, please email or call me.

So now go out and "get soft" !!!!

Buona Pasqua to all my Post Gazette Family and readers!

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.

Hair Shine!

Hair Shine!

Ciao bella,

Sometimes the best solutions are right under our noses. Like in our pantry.

One thing I know we do to our locks is use lots of product. Whether it's to add a film to make hair shiny, styling gel or hair spray to keep it in place, they all build up and reek havoc on our strands! Hot rollers, blow dry, flat iron and curling iron also can do their share of damage and cause dryness. So we must fight back with some tender loving care.

First we must remove the product build-up without stripping hair of it's natural oils. This will allow these ingredients below to penetrate hair shaft for amazing results. Wash and condition hair as usual. Combine 2 tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar with a cup of water in a spray bottle. Spritz damp hair and leave on for 5 minutes. Then rinse. Smell will dissipate once hair is dried.

Apple Cider Vinegar has anti-fungal properties and is great for dry scalp as well as sealing and smoothing hair cuticle resulting in a beautiful shine!

These next two Hair Mask concoctions work wonders!

Remember protein and moisture are key ingredients for stronger and shinier hair.

Mix together egg whites and coconut oil in a bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds. Apply to damp hair and leave on for 15 minutes. Shampoo and see the shine!

To thicken your hair use this Pumpkin Conditioning Treatment.

Pumpkin is full of potassium which encourages hair growth, also rich in vitamin A that's healthy for the scalp.

In a blender mix together 2 cups of pumpkin (cooked and mashed), 1 tablespoon coconut oil, and 1 tablespoon honey. Blend until mixture is smooth at room temp.

Apply to damp hair and cover with a plastic cap for 15 minutes. Wash out well, condition and style as always.

Hope these tips will improve your locks as they did mine. So do it and go out and razzle, dazzle them today!

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.

Coffee for Beauty and Health

Coffee for Beauty and Health

Ciao bella,

Are you tired of hearing one minute "Don't eat this!" "Don't drink that!" ? One of them was Coffee as you may have heard. Turns out it's very good for you. Your morning wake up blend of Java can prevent certain types of cancer, prevent type 2 diabetes along with a slew of reasons to indulge. The benefits may make a tea drinker think again.

Coffee has now made it's way into beauty regimens! Here are some tips on the many benefits of Coffee. We pay for products to do what simple Coffee will conquer!

Spa enthusiasts recommend some cooled down Coffee grounds applied under your eyes to eliminate puffy eyes. Soak a cotton pad with Coffee grounds & relax for 20 minutes. Rinse off grounds with cold water.

Coffee used as an exfoliant. The grounds have a perfect consistency to rub your whole bod. Coffee beans contain caffeic acid which boosts collagen. Also good for cellulite.

To brighten your skin with a mask. Apply 2 tablespoons of organic plain yogurt and 1 tablespoon of ground Coffee to clean skin. Leave on for 15 minutes, then rinse for a glowing and radiant complexion. The caffeine helps stimulate circulation.

A great exfoliant for your scalp is necessary to eliminate dead skin cells. Use 1/3 of ground Coffee to wet scalp and massage in a circular motion for 60 seconds. Rinse and follow with your usual routine of shampoo and conditioner. The Coffee will give your hair a beautiful shine.

To increase circulation and reduce a puffy face, here is the trick! Freeze Coffee ice cubes in advance. To also brighten skin trace a cube around bone structure. Done every day will show results of reduced puffiness.

So my dear Glamazons I hope these Coffee tips will help make you more appealing and feeling glam! Go out and grab a cup or two of joe!

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.