My Favourite Brunette ...

... she is, in fact, my ONLY brunette Gene at the moment but notwithstanding this fact, she is actually my favourite brunette Gene (with 'Park Avenue Prowl' a close second!)

This is the 'theme' picture of this week from the 'Studio Commissary' board and I took this shot today to post on there.

It is quite tricky to do a full shot of Gene without reverting to shooting her just standing up straight, so I was quite pleased at how this turned out. If you are shooting her close-up and not full-length it is not as much of a problem.

'Ooh-La-La' Gene is modelling the complete 'Filigree' outfit ... looking at this now I wish I'd switched the gloves for black ones - they would look so much better! This is the text from the Storycard:

'Filigree' is a stylish cocktail dress circa 1949. A white cocktail dress provides the background for a lattice of lovely black. A flurry of black lace tops the bodice and a black ribbon highlights the back. Gene completes the look with a a scrumptious-looking hat, with black feathers jutting out from the centre of a small cap. Comes with white pearl earrings and thin ribbon shoes.

Beautiful Reflection

I post on a Gene Board called 'The Studio Commissary' and each week they have a photo theme for members to share their pix. This week it is 'White' ... next week it is 'A Beautiful Reflection'.

I do try to do a pic to fit the theme so today I set about trying to get a shot involving mirrors (reflection yes?). This is actually a lot harder than it seems - the mirror(s) always seem to reflect what you do not what them to (usually yourself with a camera for starters).

I decided to try to use the screen from my 'Couture Savage' Sybarite and set up the shot with 'Ooh La La' Gene - inevitably everything but the kitchen sink was reflected in the mirror - Grrrr!!!

I them remembered a shot I did with my 'Summer' Sybarite, using permanent room set I have for the Sybarites. I just did the exact same thing but with Gene. I had to move four other dolls, take down pictures off the walls, move bags that were hooked on the door and remove a light switch with Photoshop (Phew!) but I got there in the end - quite like how this turned out and the Sybarites were okay with Gene using their apartment (well she is Hollywood royalty after all).

'Ooh La La' is modelling the Franklin Mint Liz Taylor 'A Place in the Sun' gown, opera lenght gloves from 'Best Bet' and diamante choker and braclet from Frnklin Mint Marilyn Monroe 'Diamonds are a Girls Best Friend' outfit. 'Discobum' chaise, 'Couture Savage' mirror screen both by Superdoll, chandelier is stylists' own.

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.