The Dollface Interview: Gigi Levangie Grazer

You may (or may not) recall that I ran a website called Conversations With Famous Writers and interviewed many, many fantastic authors. I gave it up to focus on my own writing and to work on Hello Dollface. From time to time, I'll feature good books and the occasional author interview. I love reading, I'm always reading something. Sometimes, two books at once. And I have contacts in the publishing world so if I can get an author interview, then I am thrilled.



I enjoyed Gigi Levangie Grazer's novel Queen Takes King and am excited to post my interview with Gigi below. Let me ask you this, do you enjoy reading about rich people? Do you want a peek inside the world of the wealthy inhabitants of Manhattan? Are you in the mood for a page turning novel with a satisfying ending? Does the idea of the queen beating the king at the high stakes game of divorce pique your interest? Then Queen Takes King is the book for you! I tore right through it, enjoying every page. I think I even laughed out loud a few times.



I'll admit it, Gigi has the kind of success I am working towards. Her books have been made into movies starring the talented actresses Debra Messing and Sarah Chalke. Gigi has written both novels and screenplays, she's executive produced, and she's a mom. Maybe I should mention she's also got a great sense of humor and is positively gorgeous too.

Why did you chose a ballerina as Cynthia’s former profession, as opposed to say, a model or actress? Do you have experience as a ballerina?

In my mind, Cynthia Hunsaker Power, my lead character, was a socialite with an artistic past. I saw her as a woman of delicate build, almost ethereal, not unlike Audrey Hepburn. Someone with a swan neck. I wanted her to also have substance, to have something internal going on, besides her standing in the New York power strata. So I made her a ballerina – but a very promising ballerina who was forced to give up her career.

I don’t have any experience as a ballerina – but I have taken ballet classes and been completely inspired and intimidated.

Do you enjoy doing the press tours or do they get tiring? Also, how do you decide what to wear when you are on TV? Do you travel with a hairstylist, makeup artist, and personal stylist to get you ready? Not to mention a chef, yoga guru and shaman.

I really enjoy press tours, because I get to meet so many new, interesting people. I am so touched by the people who show up at book signings, despite everything that’s going on in their lives. I love their questions, and I absolutely love encouraging those nascent writers in the audience to keep going. On the other hand, I really do like the writers’ life, which takes place on a more internal, sequestered level. Frankly, I love being tethered to my desk.
I don’t travel with anyone except my kids – they’re a blast, and they keep me distracted from the sheer terror of doing a media tour. Also, we get to visit places I wouldn’t normally visit – like the Spy Museum in D.C. My kids were deeply fascinated with the rectal tool kit.

How involved were you in the productions of Maneater and The Starter Wife? I saw both and really enjoyed them, especially Sarah Chalke and Debra Messing, two great comedic actresses.

My involvement with The Starter Wife and Maneater was mainly working with our terrific writers/producers on their initial drafts and casting the main roles. There was no need for me to micro-manage – I didn’t have to, because our writers were spot-on in terms of tone, humor and pathos. Also, I loved working in casting and meeting so many talented, funny actors and actresses – and to see your lines come alive is thrilling. (And, I got a lot of great tips on where to get hot shoes, on the cheap!)

Sarah Chalke and Debra Messing are both wonderful. When we landed Debra Messing for The Starter Wife, it was really a dream come true. First, she’s beautiful, and I thought she played the part perfectly – with exactly the right balance of humor and poignancy. She’s just a total star. Sarah is of that same ilk – she has great timing, she’s gorgeous, and she can play any emotion. She’s a multi-dimensional talent. You have no idea how rare these actresses are until you start casting.

I want to know some of your favorite beauty brands and products. What do you use on a daily basis?

I love Ponds! That’s probably my all-time favorite moisturizer. And I always use sunscreen.

How long does it take you, from start to finish, to write a novel?

Queen Takes King took about three years. The Starter Wife took a year and a half, same for Maneater. Rescue Me probably took a year. I write pilots and articles and screenplays in between. I also Twitter and Facebook, which means I may not write anything else, ever again.

Describe yourself, five words:
Worried(!), emotional, brave, warm, empathic.

What can we expect from Gigi Levangie Grazer within the next year?
Next year: Napping. And a sequel to The Starter Wife.

win the BELLA jacket from TWILIGHT!

Let your inner vampire lover out with the Bella jacket. I have to tell you that I WANT THIS ONE! I've been lusting over it since the movie came out. Yes, I did see it. And I read the books. I might have even thought Rob Pattinson as Edward was cute too. And his fang-like teeth..oh, nevermind.

Chickdowntown offered to do a giveaway for Hello Dollface readers. If you haven't visited the site, you must do so ASAP. I look through all the beautiful clothes and dream about them.
Check out chickdowntown.com for more women's dresses. There's a lot featured by BB Dakota, the same designer of the twilight jacket!

chickdowntown.com on Twitter

chickdowntown.com on Facebook Fan page

Amy, founder of chickdowntown.com loves to giveaway items on these two sites. I'm going to try winning a few things of my own. I love clothes. What girly girl doesn't?

The designer of the jacket, BB Dakota entered the fashion scene in 2005. Glorida Brandes, founder of BB Dakota adds her French flair to the clothes making clothes that are elegant and fun. Her goal is to offer BB Dakota girls big fashion at small prices and I think she does a great job of it! Don't you agree?

If you want to WIN THE BELLA JACKET, you know the one Kristen Stewart wore in TWILIGHT, please email me at Cindy@hellodollface.com, subject heading BBDAKOTA. Include your complete name and address. I suppose I can't email myself now, can I?

Philosophy Booster Caps & Eye Hope

Remember when Philosophy only had some bath/shower wash and Amazing Grace fragrance? They've come a long way over the years and I'm always excited to see what's new with this brand. The Retinol Capsule Booster Caps are a great way to get your daily dose of retinol. Combine with your normal moisturizer for an extra shot of age defending properties.

The capsules contain the wrinkle fighter known as retinol as well as dermochlorella, "an algae extract that helps strengthen and repair the skin by stimulating collagen synthesis while also helping to protect collagen and elastin." These boosters will make your skin look more radiant and help smooth away fine lines. I love retionol products for those reasons. It makes a huge differnce in skin tone and texture. And the boosters are an easy way to add powerful ingredients to your skincare regime.

Eye Hope Advanced Anti-Aging Cream gives me hope! Eye Hope improves those pesky issues of puffiness, dark circles, fine lines. Yes, I need help for all of the above! This product contains "anti-inflammatory benefits that calm and soothe skin, and light diffusing properties to help brighten skin tone."

Eye Hope is a serious multi-tasker! Click here for more information.

What I am loving now

I don't think you have to spend a ton of cash on lip gloss, you can head over to Sephora and pick up one of their tubes of Brilliant Shine Lip Gloss for $10. I wear mine alone along with slightly bronzed cheeks.

I LOVE the Mermaid Collection of nail colors. Sephora by OPI offers up some beautiful seaside shades. My favorite is Underwater Fantasy. I'm in love with these colors. I like the greenish shades for toes, grays for fingers, and blue for fingers or toes

Sephora brand Tropical Jasmine Body Butter is a must have. I use a generous amount of this after the shower while my skin is still damp. The Body Butter sinks into my skin and feels so soft. It carries a very soft scent of Jasmine.

**COOLEST HAIR TOOL!** This is my new favorite toy, the InStyler rotating curling iron. The brush portion pulls the hair taut while the spinning iron deposits heat and smooths, curls, or straightens hair.

There are three heat settings, I use the medium heat with a spray of thermal protectant. I love how quickly I can tame my frizz. When I used it, I called out to my daughter to come see, its just the neatest invention! Click here to see it in action! Curling iron, what? Flat iron, who? I'm using my InStyler every morning!

Juicy Tubes Pure come in beautiful summery colors and give lips a high shine. These natural gloss are perfect on their own or over a nude lip color. I apply this once an hour, I'm obsessed. 95% natural ingredients, 100% natural origin flavors.

MOVIES

I love movies. I love the buttery scent of popcorn, the uncomfortable seats where I never know quite how to arrange my legs. I even love the people who deem every movie ideal for bringing their under-age-five kids. Babies, especially. Really, I do love the movie experience. I watch movie trailers like its my job, I read screenplays and I write screenplays.

This week I saw two films. First up, The Proposal with Ryan Reynolds and Sandra Bullock!






It is what a romantic comedy should be; funny, quick moving, good acting and light-hearted, happy endings all around. I adore, like millions of other, Sandra Bullock! Ryan isn't too shabby either. A must- see!








My Sisters Keeper based on the novel by Jodi Picoult, stars Cameron Diaz and Jason Patric as the parents of three children: a boy, and two girls. The younger daughter was conceived for the sole purpose of saving the life of the cancer stricken older daughter. The movie is about the younger daughter, played by Abigail Breslin, seeking medical emancipation so she can stop having operations, bone marrow surgeries etc because her entire life has been one big operation to save the older sisters life. There's a dilemma. Cameron Diaz is not happy. Alec Baldwin is the lawyer Abigail hires to defend her right to her own body.

The movie kind of drags on a bit, it goes off track a little during certain scenes. While the movie made me cry, which I hate doing in public, I missed the shocking ending that Jodi Picoult's book featured. I say read the book, then see the movie.

Daily Dollfaces

A rare photo of Scarlett Johannson and Ryan Reynolds. I just don't think they look like a couple. I picture him with someone more like Anna Faris.

I don't know who that guy is but Zoey Deschanel is soooo super beautiful with that black hair and those blue eyes!

As a mom, this is exactly the kind of outfit I wear when I take my children out..NOT! Check out the plaid shorts on Victoria Beckham's son. My son insisted he get some of these because they are the new "in" thing. I said "yes" and bought him a few pairs. Fashion? He's speaking my language.

LOVE Rachel McAdams! And Patrick Wilson too. Ive been obsessed with the song that plays during the trailer for Rachel's new movie, The Time Traveler's Wife. Its Broken by Lifehouse, in case you were wondering. If I like a song, I listen to it over and over and over and over.

Lets put those rumors to rest. Kate Gosselin clearly had her boobs done!

People, Sandra Bullock is FORTY FIVE! I hope, pray and chant to look this good when I'm her age.

My rule of thumb is that when you are wearing a maxi- dress, everything else should be mini. Carry a small bag, wear cute accessories. Always make sure the dress doesn't drag on the ground. Jessica Simpson does not subscribe to my theory.

Madonna, airbrused to the high heavens, looks younger than me. And she's at least ten years older. Hello Botox, Juvaderm, fillers and other subtle cosmetic procedures!

Oh dear. Jon Gosselin is trying to be badass but those sleeves won't let him. I think he's having an early mid-life crisis and needs a full time job other than snow boarding and hanging out in bars. I cant believe Jon and Kate are serious tabloid fodder.

Fergie looks fantastic here. Sometimes her makeup is beautifully done, I like it natural and light.

Cute Isla Fischer! Her dress is weird but she's so pretty. Im going to watch Confessions of a Shopaholic today!

Ellen Pompeo and her little baby bump with TR Knight. So he's leaving and Katherine Heigl is staying on Grey's Anatomy

WHY, OH WHY? Carmen Electra shaved the side of her head. And its not a Britney meltdown, its was purely intentional!

Marion Cotillard. She's a lovely, elegant woman!

Reader Giveaway, M by Mariah Carey

If you find yourself craving the intoxicating scent of marshmellows, might I suggest M by Mariah Carey?
Described as "Warm and inviting marshmallow notes are woven throughout this indulgent scent," M by Mariah Carey sounds like something I'd spray every day, just to take in that sweet fragrance, aromatherapy if you will. Once I wore a similar perfume and a guy in the sporting goods store followed me around to ask what I was wearing. I just winked and said, "This? Its just me. My natural scent is as sweet as candy!"

I have a bottle of this to give away to a lucky reader. I know, I'm always giving things away. I am terrible at announcing a winner but that person will be pleasantly surprised when they get a package on the doorstep!

Email me at cindy@hellodollface.com with the subject line: MARIAH.

More info:

The inspiration for this fragrance was Mariah's magical presence and artistry. By combining two very contrasted notes, an exotic Tahitian Tiare flower with a deliciously warm marshmallow, we wanted to express Mariah's utmost femininity and undeniable sensuality in one strong statement. We then incorporated other facets, such as a Moroccan Incense Amber accord, to bring an element of mystery that lingers on skin. This harmonious balance of Mariah's favorite scents and memories is at the heart of this creation.

Thank you!

Thank you so much for your support regarding my nose surgery! It means the world to read your comments and receive emails. I was nervous to post it but feel like a burden is lifted. I have a surgery date set and I will update as things progress. Maybe I'll post photos. Maybe. I will definitely give you the blow by blow as the surgery date gets closer.

Mark your calenders: surgery is set for July 22.

Brett's Quick Tip: Eyebrows!

Nose Job: A Cautionary Tale

I’ve never written about this before. It's something I’m really uncomfortable with. But here goes. I feel like I'm getting naked in public.

Growing up I hated my nose. I didn’t even know I had a big nose until about third grade. I still remember the boy who pointed this out to me and I cringe at the memory. I recall pouring over photos of myself, checking to see if my nose looked big. I began to hate having my photo taken and would practice in the mirror how to pinch my nostrils together or turn slightly so my nose didn’t take up the entire picture.

When I was eight, I fell off the uneven bars on the school playground, smacking my face on the hard woodchips on the ground. Did I break my nose or was it always on the big side? I don’t know. All I know is that it was painful to see myself in photographs and I became very sensitive to what people thought of me. I studied my face in three way mirrors and cried. At school the girls wrote a slam book and besides my greasy hair and skinny body, they wrote I had a big nose. I hated my look. I wished I had the cute perky nose that other girls were lucky enough to be born with.

In school, I’d sit with my hand on my cheek, to put a barrier between my classmates and my face. Maybe having big hair gave me something to hide behind but I always made sure, even to this day, that my hair was full and big. I reasoned it took the focus off my face. I wanted to work on movies but always far, far behind the scenes. I could be a writer, always home, hiding my nose from the world.

The big nose followed me from elementary school through high school and into my adult life. There were things I could do to gain or lose weight, conceal pimples and turn my ashy blonde hair to gold but there was nothing I could do to cover up my nose. Even brushing two stripes of dark foundation down the sides of my nose couldn’t camouflage the bump on my wide nose. I considered plastic surgery but the idea was so far out, I could never afford it! Nose jobs were for the wealthy. Or sixteen year olds with rich parents. And I was saving every penny for a car.

I moved out on my own when I was twenty three years old, down to North Carolina. I started work at a nice, upscale restaurant. One evening, we were all hanging out and one of the waiters blurted, “You know who you look like? Barbara Streisand!” Everyone but me laughed. I immediately went home, opened up the phone book and picked a plastic surgeon, booking my appointment for a consultation.

Dr. G’s office was conveniently located, down the street from my apartment. At this point, I was hell-bent on surgery. There was nothing anyone could say or do to talk me out of it. Finally I would be able to wear my hair in a ponytail or off my face, styles I avoided for years. I wouldn’t have this burden on my shoulders any more and I could not contain my excitement. Phrases like, “wining by a nose” or “as plain as the nose on her face” wouldn’t directly apply to me any more.

Dr. G’s before and after’s pictures were not all that impressive and neither was his resume. He served time in the Navy as a doctor, his plastic surgery experience was not extensive. But I didn’t care. I committed myself to the surgery and couldn’t wait to have a smaller, more refined nose. He seemed to do a lot of refining, not major changes.

I wanted a smaller version of my own nose but with the bridge smoothed down. Not a lot to ask for, right? He seemed to share my vision. I applied for a low interest credit card and put the three thousand dollar surgery on it.

The surgery itself was great, everyone in the surgical center was super nice and gave me warm blankets, held my hand and I woke up feeling fine. I ate crackers and juice, didn’t experience a lot of pain and in no time I walked around feeling like my own self. The worst part of the whole ordeal was the extreme packing. When I started pulling it out, it was never ending like a clown car, with the bloody packing unraveling forever.

Beside myself with anticipation when the bandage came off, I had such high expectations! However when Dr. G removed the splint, my nose looked….kind of the same. The bump was still there! I looked almost identical to when I first went in.

In fact, I was so upset with my result that I went back to Dr. G and he put me at ease, saying he could file down the bump for free, no problem. A couple months later, I repeated the surgery and that was it. Again, the bump was still there and my nose was not refined or cute, rather it looked like a before photo, not an after, but at this point, my wedding loomed over me and I didn’t want to go back to Dr. G. Soon married, I moved across the country to California, dr. G and his lousy surgery thousands of miles away. It wasn’t a Michael Jackson kind of bad surgery, it was “OMG, did you get in a car accident, what’s wrong with your nose?” kind of result.

Throughout the next couple of years, my nose was a constant source of pain for me, physically and emotionally. The area where the doctor filed down the bump began to sink until I had a dip in my nose, like a valley. The nostrils were pinched and my breathing was compromised. It was jacked up in every sense. After the birth of my son, I was desperate to remedy the problems. Always conscience of meeting new people and seeing old friends, I wondered what they thought of me. My former doctor asked if I had been in an accident, an old friend asked if I had a calcium build up on my nose. It was agony.

Insurance of course wouldn’t pay for plastic surgery. So I found an ear, nose and throat doctor who had experience in plastics. He could fix my nose using cartilage from my ear, building up what collapsed and he would broaden my nostrils and also fix the symmetry which was slightly off.

I jumped at the chance. I had to get it done, there was no choice in the matter. Once again, I underwent surgery. This time, I had a hard time coming out of anesthesia and threw up blood while I was half awake. The surgery took four hours and when I looked in the mirror, I was horrified. My entire face was swollen, my eyes were black and blue, there was blood soaking through the padding under my nose. Even in the recovery area, I felt people staring at me. I looked so bad, I worried my infant son would recoil in fear when he saw me.

A violent reaction to the antibiotics kept me from a quick recovery. I spent the next couple days trying to recover from surgery and throwing up. My husband, who hates the very idea of plastic surgery said, "You did this to yourself.” He had no empathy.

The bruises healed, the bandages came off. But instead of relief that my nose was fixed, once again, my heart dropped into my shoes. The doctor had made my nose wide and broad, the cartilage that was used to build up my nose made it bigger and my nostrils looked like they were winking- one was much larger than the other. He added so much to one side, trying to even my barely uneven nostrils, that he added too much and now I looked mildly deformed.

I went back to his office several times to do some in-office surgery. He'd take out tiny pieces of cartilage around my nostrils to even them out. I lay wide awake while the doctor dug into my nose. At one point there was so much blood that I had to hold the nurses hand and tell her it was okay, she left the room feeling faint. I wanted and hoped and imagined that finally, my nose looked good but after some photos came back from the camera, I was devastated to see I looked worse than before I had my very first surgery. This was never the result I wanted. At this point, I was ready to heal and get on with my life. I became pregnant with my daughter and after she was born, we moved to southern California, this time for good.

I shied away from cameras and videos, cringing when someone took my picture. I tried for years to not concern myself with my nose, I wanted to be happy and accept myself for who and what I was. My husband did not care how I looked at all, he never commented on my nose. In fact, I had a hard time discussing it. I never told even my close friends about my nose jobs because I knew it looked like I needed one, it didn’t look like I already had two.

But oh, it bothered me so much. My husband and I went on an Alaskan cruise and had the time of our lives. I took tons of photos to document our trip. When the photos were developed and I saw myself and my uneven nose, I felt ugly. I was crushed. Short of surgery there was nothing I could do. I hated looking in the mirror, refused to have my picture taken using humor to deflect the situation when a camera was involved.

I decided to have a consultation at a plastic surgeon’s office in Beverly Hills. This well-known doctor outlined what he wanted to do for me: break all the bones in my nose and start from scratch. He did not believe in computer imaging so I didn’t know exactly what he had in mind. He quoted me a very high price and I didn’t pursue it because we certainly didn’t have the funds for plastic surgery. I pushed it to the back of my mind knowing it wasn't a possibility.

A couple of years later, I broached the subject to my husband who always made his opinions clear. He was NOT for plastic surgery of any kind. He is not one to care about looks, it’s not something he finds important. Although he appreciates a beautiful woman, I’m sure.
I scoured forums on Plastic Surgery sites and read about other people’s experiences with different doctors. I wanted to do my homework and learn which doctors were the best. I had two bad experiences and wanted to go to a well respected doctor.

One name kept coming up so I made an appointment with that doctor in San Diego. He was great, trained under a prominent physician in Chicago, he had experience. This doctor wanted to built out the tip of my nose using cartilage from my ear, he felt this was the way to give my nose more balance. I was on the fence it that but I liked him. I felt he’d do a good job and give me the results I was after. However, he refused to deal with insurance and his price was higher than the Beverly Hills surgeon.

I hoped to submit a claim to my insurance company based on frequent headaches. I prayed that insurance would help cover the cost but since he didn’t work with insurance, this wasn’t an option.

Years went by and I had serious problems that required real surgery, not the plastic kind. When I was invited to an even this past October in Hollywood, I worried about what to wear and who I would meet and would I be the ugliest person in the room? I know that it’s the inside of a person that’s important and worthy, not the outside. Its what I stress to my children over and over again.

This nose is not what I started out with, this nose has been worked on by incompetent hands many times, and I continue to stress about it. To this day, I tilt my head and move myself out of frame in pictures. Forget being in a video.

At the event, I met Nadine, who mentioned she worked for two fantastic plastic surgeons in Beverly Hills. Their specialty? Revision rhinoplasties. I leaned in and lowered my voice, quickly telling her about my tale of woe and my years of nose-related worry.

It took me several months to make the appointment to meet Dr. Solieman and Dr. Litner at Profiles Beverly Hills. My husband, so adamant about surgery, refused to listen to my pleas for the surgery. I went to see the doctors to hear what they had to say. They calmly explained what they could do to help, did computer imaging and answered my questions. Because I trust my friend and her opinion, I decided to pursue the surgery with these very good doctors.

Will I finally get the desired result? I can only hope so.

Over the last few days, I've struggled with my husband, he is still against it. He won’t budge. I rarely if ever go against what he wants but in this case, its something so huge to me that I want to live the rest of my life not worried about my nose.

I went for a CT scan and found that I have legitimate breathing issues compromised by scar tissue and excessive cartilage. I wake up with headaches every day and have not been breathing at full capacity. I don’t know what its like to not be breathing through what feels like a cloud! I thought it was normal. Its not.

I made arrangements today to finance the surgery. Tricky since I don’t earn an income. I will depend on ad sales of Hello Dollface to help me pay off my loan quickly. Every penny will go directly to paying off my loan. I look on Craigslist all the time for writing jobs. Im sending out my screenplay to agents, pursuing literary agents for my novel. I am determined to pay off this debt. My husband? Not really talking to me.

I wonder what it's like to live not afraid to meeting new people or to look in the mirror with confidence? Not to wonder if the kids look at me and see a giant nose on my face? I won't have to gaze at other people and wonder why they got a straight, symmetrical nose and I have a potato shaped honker on my face. I will be able to breathe normally. I will smile into the camera without having to orchestrate a certain pose. I can’t imagine what that’s like.

I hope this time I get the result I wanted fourteen years ago when I had it done the first time around. And let this whole saga serve as a cautionary tale to you, if you decide to go under the knife, do your homework and get the best. Learn from my many mistakes, please.

Daily Dollfaces

Milla Jovovich and her adorable daughter Ever. The name Ever has grown on me. Im waiting to see what Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew "facial hair" Broderick named their twin girls. I hope its something really bizarre. I need a laugh today.

I can't believe Lauren Conrad wrote a book and I wonder if she had a ghost writer? Is the book any good? I love Lauren's look: the hair, makeup and dress, thumbs up! Although you have to be under 5'5 to pull off the maxi dress or else you risk looking like you're the big top at the circus.

Jesse James and Sandra Bullock. I want those boots! They are an awesome couple, I bet they're a lot of fun to hang out with. Sandy, call me and you can pop in for a visit anytime.

In all the years Ive been with my husband, I've never once suggested we match our clothes. Even when we lived in Hawaii where it was common for the guys to wear floral shirts and the women to don coodinating dresses. But here Jake and Reese show us that togetherness means matching blue shorts and gray shirts.

I go back and forth whether or not I'm too old for ripped jeans. Heather Locklear clearly thinks she's a spring chicken and can slip into those jeans with no problem. And since she's a size zero, gets Botox, and lives in Hollywood, she's right.

I wasn't a fan of the dark locks on Fergie until this photo. She looks beautiful. Boom-boom-pow!

Drew Barrymore is NOT in character, this is how she's really dressing. Or maybe she's the newest member of Cirque de Soliel? Or the circus? The carnival? Those leggings are giving me heartburn.

Cameron Diaz, let's call her Legs.

Legs gets her star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame! Congrats!

Ps. I want the dress and shoes.

A close up of Legs. I need her to pop out a couple of kids within the next year. Just for my own peace of mind. To see her body change, its too perfect right now.

Yes, that's Anne Hathaway in a wig. Anne Hathawig. Maybe she's working alongside Drew Barrymore in the circus? Or having a bad hair day?

Cutie Alexa Ray Joel with her half brother. She has her mother's great smile!

Reve Salon & Spa

Recently I was invited to the Reve Salon and Spa in Murrieta, an hour and a half from Los Angeles, an hour east of San Diego and one hour from Palm Springs. A great location and close to the many wineries of Temecula. You can go for a salon experience then head over to the gorgeous wineries and spend the afternoon wine tasting.

It's been so long since I’ve had my hair professionally done, I’m embarrassed to it. My last good haircut was over six months ago and I’ve been steadily touching up my roots over the bathroom sink, in poor lighting while the dogs tried to lick up the drips of hair color on the floor, and the kids fight. Not the best place to work on my aesthetic. I've also been snipping my hair with a pair of old scissors which hasn't been doing me any favors. It was time for a professional to take over.

Justine Brown, owner of Reve, invited me to her salon and how could I turn her down? My hair needed help and Justine offered her services. Excited to go, I could barely sleep the night before. Beauty gets me all wound up.

The amazing space made my jaw drop as I walked through the glass doors. The place is huge! Decorated with a modern but welcoming flair, the salon is gigantic and airy. A cup of coffee was delivered to me while I paged through a magazine. I walked around the salon, snapping pictures while taking in the details like the bowl of lemons, the flowers, the Hollywood-ish vibe of Reve.

Justine, with her head of black shiny hair, whisked me off discuss how awful my hair was. No, not really. We talked about color and within minutes she had my entire head in foils. She told me about the Davines products which she loves and uses, along with the Hollywood favorite, Kerastase. I got a tour of the entire place which offers lots of room for adding more services besides nails, facials, and hair.

Reve carries skin care by Dermalogica and cosmetics by Becca. I told Justine about my favorite products and brands including Luv by Sharon Bolton Scents, Borba water by Scott- Vincent Borba, VanityMark by Brett Freedman, Laura Geller and Allison Rafaelle makeup. I love when I can talk “makeup” with other beauty lovers!

The foils came out of my hair and Justine began to snip the dead ends off. When she was finished, I had a pile of hay by my feet. The color is fantastic, pale blonde with a few golden highlights on the top. Exactly the color nature intended for me to have. It felt so good to get all that dead hair snipped and the color touched up.

I loved my time in the salon and didn’t want to leave. It's that great of an environment. I appreciate the little touches like coffee or tea while I’m waiting, good magazines to read as my color sinks in, comfortable chairs to sit in while my hair is washed and attention by the stylist. Have you ever gotten your hair done and your stylist keeps leaving you to answer the phone? Pet peeve!

I look forward to returning to Reve and getting a pedicure/manicure/facial, which I never carve out the time to do. I’ve had a gift card for a massage sitting in my drawer for over a year because I feel selfish taking the time to do it.

Thanks to Justine and her crew for the amazing experience! I love my hair and hope to visit again soon. You must stop by and see for yourself! It's Hollywood, but in Murrieta. A star treatment just for you!

Reve Salon is located at 38444 Sky Canyon Drive in Murrieta, CA.

Call for an appointment or more information, 951-696-1500.