My Little Boudoir

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“I don’t have that [need] to prove myself.
I have a passion to do good roles but luckily I don’t have to do it for economic reasons.
I’m not a big spender and I don’t need a lot of frills.” -Nancy Kwan

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“It’s not that I don’t like reading about myself.
But I get unhappy with the kind of things that are written about me.
For instance, after Suzie Wong…, I was being written up as a kind of sex kitten.
I’m not really at all like that.” -Nancy Kwan

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For some reason lately I have  been majorly obsessed with going on holiday to Paris. I’ve been twice before, but about ten years have passed since my last trip (that was the trip when I was first introduced to Sephora). Learning that a visit to Coco Chanel’s apartment was within reach is what really sent me over the edge.

Unfortunately my camera was a piece’o'junk on my last trip, or otherwise I would jump on an opportunity that I received an email about this afternoon.

(airtahitinui-usa.com)

As you can see in this email, Air Tahiti Nui is running a contest to win a trip to Paris. To learn more and enter, CLICK HERE.

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“Elegance does not consist in putting on a new dress.”
-Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel

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“Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky,
in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening.”
-Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel

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“A girl should be two things: classy and fabulous.”
-Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel

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“Don’t spend time beating on a wall, hoping to transform it into a door.”
-Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel

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“How many cares one loses when one decides not to be something but to be someone.”
-Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel

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“Success is often achieved by those who don’t know that failure is inevitable.”
-Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel

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“Nature gives you the face you have at twenty;
it is up to you to merit the face you have at fifty.”
-Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel

Sex Kitten Bump. Beehive. Hair Bump. Bouffant. Bitch Bump. No matter what you call it, we’ll settle in the middle on “bump” for the purposes of this post.

Tyra Banks

Marilyn Monroe

Kourtney Kardashian

Gwen Stefani

Eva Mendes

Drew Barrymore

Nancy Kwan

Jessica Simpson (dipity.com)

Brigitte Bardot

Angela Bassett

You’ve seen the infomercial for Bumpits. Promising to add instant hair volume, leaving you with the perfect “bump”. When I first saw the advertisement, I wanted them, but I wasn’t willing to pay the $20 + shipping for something that might not work. Then, the commercial became a household joke, because some of the “bumps” are so over-the-top that they look ridiculous. So, I never did fall for the “…and that’s not all” pitch.

Long before a Bumpits commercial and the debut of Amy Winehouse (whose bump is nasty, by the way), I’ve been a big fan of this hairstyle. To me, the look is beautiful, timeless, and yes, sexy. Though “bumps” of different varieties have been popular for centuries, the one I’m referring to was made popular in the 1960′s by fashion icons such as Brigitte Bardot and Jacqueline Kennedy. It has remained stylish ever since, with a recent resurgence over the last decade.

Brigitte Bardot

Brigitte Bardot

Brigitte Bardot

Jacqueline Kennedy (Life)

Jacqueline Kennedy

Jaqueline Kennedy

I, however, haven’t been able to do a good job achieving this look, because I have baby-fine hair that is on the thin side. It requires so much backcombing and hair spray, that it just looks frizzy by the time I’m done. And, when it does turn out right, it only lasts for a good 30 minutes before it’s flat again.

I recently attended a party at one of my best friend’s house. She was wearing a cute “bump” with a ponytail, embellished with a darling headband. Just like me, she was not blessed with thick locks. She pulled me aside and admitted that she recently purchased Bumpits and loves them. She bought them at her local Walgreens drugstore for a mere $10…and they worked! I was sold. I, too, would now own a set of Bumpits!

A few days later on a trip to Walgreens, I was in search of a set of Bumpits. No success. They had the Ped-Egg (BTW, I own this…and love it), Snuggies (I had a pink one, but got rid of it, because it always slips off my shoulders) and Kinoki Detox Cleansing Foot Pads (I secretly want these, too). They had just about every “as seen on TV item”, but no Bumpits! Not really thinking much else of it, I went on about my daily business, until a few days later, I stumbled upon a set of Bumpits at Ross. They were only $5.99! I snatched them up and couldn’t wait to get home and let the bumping festivities begin.

(drugstore.com)

I am a little sad to report that they are not what they were all cracked up to be. I’m still trying though…

The big ones didn’t work well. There is no way I could wear one without a clip or ponytail in the back, because I’m sure it would slip out within minutes of leaving the house. Also, it is quite difficult to get my hair to cover it all the way. Part of the reason I don’t have enough hair to cover the big one is because I have bangs. Maybe if I had a thinner layer of bangs I would have more hair to comb back over the top of the bump. The only way I can get it to even remotely work is with a fair amount of backcombing and hairspray.

Now, on the contrary, I am quite fond of the one for bangs. I have been able to use it for a little bang bump in the front and also for more subdued version of this Jennifer Lopez look.

Jennifer Lopez

I found a few YouTube.com videos with tricks for using Bumpits with thin hair. I’m going to keep trying and I’ll keep you posted…

If you’re looking to try them yourself, and can’t find them at Ross, I also saw them at Wallgreens.com for $5.99. Here are some more photos for inspiration….

Gwen Stefani

Nia Long (Photo by Lester Cohen/WireImage.com)

Jessica Simpson

Jennifer Lopez

Eva Mendes

Brigitte Bardot

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“But I just loved looking at the clothes of the ’70s.” – Pam Grier

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“I grew up in a family where we weren’t allowed to talk
about beauty or to put any emphasis on physical appearance.” – Pam Grier

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“I don’t believe that I should just do A-movies,
I just do the work as an artist.” – Pam Grier

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“A man in love is incomplete until he has married. Then he’s finished.” – Zsa Zsa Gabor

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“I call everyone ‘Darling’ because I can’t remember their names.” – Zsa Zsa Gabor

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“I never hated a man enough to give him diamonds back.” – Zsa Zsa Gabor

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“I want a man who’s kind and understanding. Is that too much to ask of a millionaire? ” – Zsa Zsa Gabor

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“I’m tough, ambitious, and I know exactly what I want.
If that makes me a bitch, okay.” – Madonna

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“Poor is the man whose pleasures depend on the permission of another.” – Madonna

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“Other women looked on me as a rival. And it pained me a great deal. ” – Grace Kelly

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“I don’t want to be married to someone who feels inferior to my success
or because I make more money than he does.” – Grace Kelly

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“As an unmarried woman, I was thought to be a danger.” – Grace Kelly

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“Woman’s natural role is to be a pillar of the family.” – Grace Kelly

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