Emmanuelle Chriqui : "We Only Have One Planet"

I love Emmanuelle Chriqui's look. As another Moroccan Jewish girl, I'm very proud of her, and even though she's been in some pretty trashy movies and shows, she herself always looks beautiful and chic.

She's also green!! You can read the interview at E! Online.

Miss Israel 1950: Miriam Yaron

Miriam Yaron

Let me introduce you to some beautiful women! This is the first installment of a series of posts about the winners and runners-up of Israel's "Malkat Hayofi", or Queen of Beauty contest, also called Miss Israel.

The very first Miss Israel, Miriam Yaron, was crowned in 1950. Doesn't she have a great early fifties look in this photograph? All hair, and smoky eyes, and terrific legs.

Miriam was born in Germany in 1929. When she won Miss Israel she was a married woman with a baby. One of the differences between Israel's beauty pageants and most others is that married women were always allowed to compete.

She was also a nurse. The postcard image below shows her in a less glamorous, but equally beautiful role.

This was two years after the founding of the State of Israel! Imagine it. It was a nation full of refugees, fleeing from the Middle East, North Africa and Europe. A terrifying war for independence and survival had just ended. And what do they do? They have a beauty pageant, of course!!

Left to right: Yaffa Schpitzer, Yaron and Carmela Fargi. Fargi and Schpitzer were first and second runners-up in 1950.

Miriam Yaron, in her nursing uniform.

LEMMING: Estee Lauder's Wild Violet Palette

I am totally lemming this eyeshadow palette from Estee Lauder's limited-edition Wild Violet collection. I haven't had a chance to swatch it in person, but I am intrigued by this combination of warm- and cool-looking neutrals, with that one pop of beautiful intense violet, perfect to bring out brown eyes.

This is much more to my taste than many of the purple palettes on the market, where you get several different shades of purple. That's great, if you're fifteen! An adult woman just can't appear in public with five stripes of different bright purples and lavenders on her eyelids. With this blend, you can have that wonderful zing of color that makes you feel springlike, while staying chic. It's just enough, but not too much.

Estee Lauder is under constant attack from the anti-Israel, anti-Semitic BDS movement. In 2009, they were number 6 on the official BDS movement's Top Ten Brands to Boycott This Christmas. About Estee Lauder, they say:

This company’s chairman Ronald Lauder is also the chairman of the Jewish National Fund, a quasi-governmental organization that was established in 1901 to acquire Palestinian land and is connected to the continued building of illegal settlements. Estee Lauder’s popular brands include Clinique, MAC, Origins, Bumble & Bumble, Aveda, fragrance lines for top designers, and many others. They have been the target of QUIT’s “Estee Slaughter Killer Products” campaign.

The problem with this is that it's a big, BIG lie. The JNF 'acquired Palestinian land' by paying top dollar for it, so that Jewish farmers could support themselves. The BDS movement hates them, because they do not want to be reminded that Israel is built on land that was not only fought for, but paid for. As for 'illegal settlements', as far as these people are concerned, Tel Aviv is an illegal settlement. They do not believe that Jews should have the right to live anywhere in the land of Israel.

The good news is, as you can see, if you're not an anti-Semite, you can support Israel in so many different ways, by buying products from Estee Lauder, Clinique, MAC, Origins, Bumble & Bumble, Aveda, and top fragrances! Being a supporter of Israel is great for your beauty routine.

Review: Made-In-Israel Tampons from Target!

Target's house brand of tampons "Up and Up" (yes, it's a funny name) are made in Israel.

I drive to Colma to go to the Target there once a month, usually. I happened to throw a box of these into the cart, to see if they were any good. It was my husband who saw them on the counter in the bathroom and pointed out they are from Israel.

Now, I read a lot of blogs about beauty and fashion. I have never seen a post about tampons. But they are a beauty supply are they not? If body wash or toothpaste are, then tampons should be too. Either way, I'm going to review these!! I am a fashion trendsetter, after all.

The tampons come in all the different sizes and quantities that we are used to from Tampax. I bought a box of forty supers, and they are individually wrapped with a a nice cardboard applicator. There is no tip on the applicator. (Which is my personal preference.) The applicator has finger grooves, and is sturdy and easy to use.

The tampons themselves are cotton and/or rayon fiber blend, with a polypropelene/polyethelyne overwrap and cotton string. They work fine.

Full Disclosure: I bought my box at the Target in Colma.

Where You Can Get Them: Targets everywhere. Online, too.

Why It's Wonderful: Buying these is an excellent way to support Israel every month!!!

NEWS: Ahava Expanding Onto New Shelves

Ahava has been under attack by the anti-Israel BDS movement for a few years now. I'll be discussing some of the issues around that in coming posts, but today I have cardamom coffee and my last muffin before Pesach begins, and ma grand is taking me out to dinner later so I don't have to mess up the kitchen. So today I am just dropping a note about how Ahava is expanding into some new major markets. Sears will be carrying their products. Also, Target, along with many other fine retailers, is carrying Ahava's new, less expensive line, Dead Sea Essentials. These products are an affordable version of Ahava's wonderful Dead Sea mineral products, and have been received enthusiastically in the beauty world. (Stay tuned for reviews. I have a bag full of Dead Sea Essentials products, now, and look forward to telling everyone all about them.)

Review: Ahava Skin Replenisher for Normal to Dry Skin

Ahava is one of my favorite Israeli brands. I have to confess that I don't buy it for myself very often, because every time one of my aunts goes to Israel, they stock up as though none of this were available in the United States and bring it back for me and my sister as presents. The Skin Replenisher is my go-to night moisturizer at the moment, and it came in one of the care packages along with back issues of French Vogue.

Ahava Skin Replenisher also comes in Very Dry Skin, which I haven't tried. It is a light, velvety cream that soaks into the skin quickly, and doesn't feel greasy or oily at all. It is very lightly scented, and the scent quickly fades to a very light 'soapy' smell, which doesn't compete with perfume I put on to go to bed. I've been using it for three or four weeks now, and I will probably buy another jar for myself when this runs out, unless another aunt makes a run to Jerusalem for me in the meantime.

Full Disclosure: This review is based on my personal jar, which was a gift from a relation.

Where You Can Get It: At department stores, and many places online.

Why It's Wonderful: Ahava has been targeted by the anti-Israel BDS Movement. Proud Jewish women everywhere have responded to this by clearing the shelves of their favorite boutiques of all of Ahava's wonderful products. Even gentlemen can help!