Sweet as Cherry Pie

This is one of the first Gene outfits that I bought in 1999 and one I have never sold (obviously!). I think it is the shoes that have swayed me to keep it - they are just too cute; red gingham with ankle straps. I've seen it with the skirt and top split and the top looks great with turned-up jeans; must do this sometime.

'Green Eyes' Gene is wearing the 'Picnic in the Country' outfit by AD. Rhinestone apple pin by Facets, and chair from the Gene Patio Set. The basket is a vintage one - the bunch of fruit on the front is an old vintage earring.

Dinner Date

I got a nude 'Distant Venus' Gene a week or so ago and I have to say that I absolutely LOVE her ... she is fantastic! Her hair colour is a kind of blush grey (if that makes sense) and is beautiful. The style wasn't great as it was long and flowing in a pony tail so I restyled it and did the copious spraying with Elnett to make it rock hard (best way with the Wu Gene hair).

I was not unhappy to have her nude as her gown was not my thing (Sci-Fi) even though it was very nicely done in a retro-Buck-Rogers kinda' way. She is a very elegant Gene and certainly will be more at home in tailored suits and gowns etc... can't see her in jeans or capris.

'Distant Venus' is wearing the Tonner 'Dinner Date' outfit (from the 'Bewitched' range) which is a very beautiful duck-egg blue beaded cardigan and an oyster pink tulle and satin skirt. Her silver pumps are from Tonner (Roxie Hart 'Finale' outfit) and the pale pink purse is from the 'In The Pink' Silkstone doll.

Parfum

Any glamourous screen siren worth their salt was linked with a cosmetic product of some sort, be it Lux Soap (Marilyn Monroe and Sophia Loren) or perfume (Ingrid Berman and Audrey Hepburn to name but two) and the trend continues today.

I do not like the majority of 'celebrity' endorsements of late (no reflection on the products) and in particular I loathe the Nicole Kidman/Chanel No 5 ad ... it just makes me cringe every time I see it and hear her say "I'm a dancer" (Arrrghhh!). To me she just has no cachet at all and the same goes, maybe moreso, for another Chanel No 5 endorser, Keira Knightly - well at least she had the sense not to submit us to her atrocious gummy gurn on the ads! In fact, I think that the only recent'ish Chanel/celeb ad that I liked was the Coco/Vanessa Paradis birdcage one.

Not only was Gene the 'leading lady' in this advert, but she was the inspiration for the creation of 'Ooh-La Noir' by Chopard, which is still a classic today!

'Ooh-La-La' Gene is wearing a Tonner gown called 'Mystique', gloves from 'Unsung Melody' ruby and diamond earrings and braclet by Franklin Mint and ruby and diamond necklace from Tonner.