Grace Magazine

Sean Penn and juror Natalie Portman

Could Natalie Portman be any prettier?

Dustin Hoffman, Angelina Jolie and Jack Black lend their voices to the animated film Kung Fu Panda by directors Mark Osborne and John Stevenson.

Pregnant Angelina Jolie looks fantastic with a little weight on her.

Here is the official poster for the upcoming Chanel biopic starring French actress Audrey Tautou.

Coco Before Chanel, directed by Anne Fontaine, will focus on Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel before she became the famous couturier.

Audrey Tautou will also have the lead role as the new fragrance model for Chanel No 5. She will appear in television and print ads for the world’s most famous perfume.

Because of my love for all things beauty related and my penchant for mixing up my own soaps and lotions, friends are always letting me know of new products they’ve tried and giving me samples of things they’ve picked up.

A friend discovered LUSH while travelling on business. She was looking for ways to pamper herself while she had a prolonged stay in a hotel.

The Serenity Set by Lush - $35.45

A beautiful collection for calming, inspirational baths
Some people go an entire lifetime without experiencing a waking moment of serenity. Some of us have got to the point where we think that five minutes a day is pretty wonderful, but wouldn’t ten be better? Up your friends’ serenity quotient by giving them our Serenity box with five soothing treats, including A Ring of Roses buttercream for soft skin and Bathos bubble bar for a lovely, peaceful bath time.

Set includes:
Alkmaar Handmade Soap, Ring of Roses Conditioning Buttercream, Bathos Bubble Bar, Butterball Bath Bomb, Ceridwen’s Cauldron Luxury Bath Melt

Available at LUSH Fresh Handmade Cosmetics

Price: $35.45

Sweet, dainty, subtle, exquiste craftsmanship. The art of cameo carving is still alive and well in Italy.

Cameo: a technique of engraving upon a gem or other stone in such a way that an underlying stone of one color is exposed as a background for a low-relief design of another color.

Here are some fine examples by Del Gatto of Naples:

Young Woman Agate Stone Cameo Pendant - $238

The Italian Del Gatto family has been working in the shell cameo and coral art for over five generations. This beautiful cameo in an 18K gold frame, is part of the Agata collection which uses particular Brasilian stones.

Loving Mother Agate 18k Gold Cameo Pendant - $215

This beautiful agate cameo by Del Gatto uses age old artisan techniques to sculp the marvelous image of mother and child. The intense blue background and exquisite detailing adeptly conveys the mother’s pure joy - a perfect gift for mothers of all ages.

Young Woman Cornelian Cameo Pendant / Pin - $215

The Italian Del Gatto family has been working in the shell cameo and coral art for over five generations, selecting every shell and crafting them with a unique carving technique. This beautiful cameo, in a wavy 18K gold frame, is part of the Corniola collection which uses particular South-East Africa sea shells. This creation shows a beautiful profile of a young woman with her hair pulled up with flowers.

Another beautiful idea for Mother’s Day or perhaps a gift to yourself.

Available at forzieri.com

This travel makeup kit by Dior offers a sophisticated palette for the world traveller or someone who dreams of world travel.

Dior Jetsetter Kit - $35

Product Description: An all-in-one makeup set. The Dior Jetsetter Kit locks up her heart with this perfect Dior couture-inspired keepsake box. So chic and versatile, it’s all you need to take your beauty to exciting new places. The kit includes adorable travel sizes of two Dior Rouge Lipsticks in Office Beige 296 and Selection Mauve 485 (0.04 oz each), a Diorshow Mascara (0.17 oz), a Diorshow Unlimited Mascara (0.10 oz), and 5-Colour Eyeshadow in Incognito 030.

Two lipsticks, two mascara and five eyeshadows in a couture-inspired box. I’m all over this kit.

Available at Amazon.

Looking for a five-minute morning routine that still leaves you feeling sensational?

Avon Five-Minute Beauty Collection - $24

Product Description: A $62.99 Value! 6 beauty must-haves including a Get-the-Look Card so you can make the most of your makeup in 5 minutes…or less.

6-piece collection includes: a stylish top-zip case to carry all your beauty must-haves with detailed instructions on how to get the look. Cotton canvas bag includes side pocket & double zip top.The Get-the-look card helps you achive a great look with our must-have products in only five mintues or less. Products include sample sizes of ANEW Advanced All-in-One Max SPF 15 UVA/UVB Cream AM, Light & Luminous Face Highlighter in Warm Shimmers, Face Brush, Glazewear Liquid Lip Color in Mirage and SuperFULL Mascara in Black.

Perfect for a Mother’s Day gift or a travel set.

Available at Amazon.com

Milk soap is fabulous for dry and sensitive skin. This Italian gift box of 3 soap bars has a clean, fresh scent and gentle, rich lather.

Santa Maria Novella: Rose Milky Soap Box - $48.00

Triple milled, each exquisite bar is hand-molded using 19th century equipment, aged for 60 days in ventilated cabinets, then hand-wrapped. The all-natural, milk-based formula is infused with the romantic scent of rose for a lather that is rich, gentle, and softly moisturizing.

100% whole milk base. Softens dry and sensitive skin. Lasts about three times longer than ordinary soap while maintaining its shape and scent. Limited, controlled production at the original Florence site. All herbs and flowers cultivated naturally without pesticides.

This would make a lovely Mother’s Day gift.

Available at eluxury.com

POP Beauty: Glow Belle, Glow Kit - $28

This kit contains eight highlighters to illuminate your skin and give you a healthy glow.

Brush these powders onto eyelids, cheeks or your body to look radiant any time of the day.

Colors include:
–White Gold Highlight
–True Gold Glow
–Nudy-Peach Glow
–Pale-Pink All-Over Radiance
–Cream Glimmer Highlighter
–Peach Luste
–Lavender Brightner
–Warm Nudy-Pink Illuminator

So pretty.

Available at beauty.com

“The French National Assembly has passed a groundbreaking bill which seeks to criminalize the promotion in the media of extreme thinness.” — BBC News

This bill targets Web sites and publications that encourage anorexia among young girls and women.

If the bill is approved in France’s Senate, stiff fines and jail time could result for those seeking to promote extreme thinness by encouraging girls to lie to their doctors and telling them what are the easiest foods to bring back up.

There are more than 40,000 anorexic women in France.

In the U.S. we don’t know how many women are anorexic because most cases are not reported. If you know someone you suspect may have an eating disorder, encourage them to get help. They can contact the National Eating Disorders Association helpline at 800-931-2237 or the National Women’s Health Information Center at 800-994-9662.

“Pleasure is a sin but sinning is a pleasure.”