Like Hollywood & Me Pt. I

In the words of Lana Del Rey, "When you know, you know, and when you're old, you're old, like Hollywood and me..." Sometimes, you go places and feel an instant connection to the city. That feeling stuck with me in Las Vegas and Los Angeles. Hence why, I had to split the blog post into parts. Los Angeles is a remarkable city for a vintage lover like me because so many places are well-preserved, and you really get glimpses of Old Hollywood. So, consider my two-part blog posts to be a love letter to California.

My dear friend Amara captured the essence of the Art Deco bathroom at The Hollywood Museum in the above picture. This museum, a standout among the many attractions in Los Angeles, was a personal highlight. With its four floors housing over 10,000 costume pieces and artifacts, it offers a unique journey through the history of Hollywood, from the Golden Age to the modern. It shows pieces spanning from iconic starlets’ Old Hollywood dresses to costumes worn on shows like RuPaul's Drag Race and The Sopranos.

The Max Factor exhibition at The Hollywood Museum holds a special place in my heart. Housed in the historic Max Factor building, where the legendary hairstylist and makeup artist Max Factor worked his magic on the Old Hollywood starlets, this section of the museum is a treasure trove of history. The rooms are divided by hair color—the Blondes, Brunettes, and Redheads' rooms, just as they were in the past. For context on how legendary this space is, the Blonde Room, where Marilyn Monroe had her hair dyed blonde, and the Redhead Room, where Lucille Ball had her hair dyed her signature red.

The Max Factor exhibition is aesthetically pleasing and Art Deco style in powder pink, chartreuse, and baby blue shades. Each room is unique and has vintage makeup and applicators, hair products, jewelry, hair accessories, advertisements, videos, and photographs. This museum gave me so much inspiration for my vanity.

In this picture, I am wearing a 1970s baby blue polyester dress with sheer, oversized sleeves and rhinestones forming a diamond in the center. My wig is the Bettie short fringe style from Annabelle's Wigs. I felt like a starlet in this outfit. I’m wearing my signature makeup look and am applying a nude/pink lipliner from Rimmel London.

Next to The Hollywood Museum, there's Mel's Drive-In, a classic diner with a jukebox of oldies and my favorite singer, Lana Del Rey. I couldn't resist trying the Lana Del Rey milkshake, a delightful concoction of Oreo bits, chocolate milk, syrup, whipped cream, and cookie bits. And, of course, I had to play Lana's “Blue Velvet” from her Paradise album. It was a truly unique and enjoyable experience.

Strolling through Hollywood, I couldn't resist photographing some of the most memorable stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, including Hattie McDaniel and Jane Russell. I also took pictures of Myrna Loy and Rita Hayworth's handprints and signatures. These personal connections made the experience even more special, and I felt like I was discovering a part of Old Hollywood history. These photographs are just small snapshots of the vast amount of Old Hollywood stars represented.

For a unique drinking experience, I visited the Frolic Room in Hollywood. This historic bar, which opened as a speakeasy in 1930 and became a legal bar in 1934, is steeped in interesting history. For instance, it was the last place Elizabeth Short, known as the Black Dahlia, was seen before her tragic murder. The bar was also a regular haunt for Old Hollywood stars like Judy Garland and Frank Sinatra. Inside, a fabulous mural with caricatured drawings of many celebrities, created by the artist Al Hirschfeld, adds to the bar's unique charm.

As I mentioned in my Vegas blog post, I love a good tiki bar. So, I had to check out the Tiki Ti, which has existed since 1961. The tiki cocktails were crafted by bartenders who truly know how to create fruity, complex drinks that pack a punch. My favorite drink was the Tiki-Ti Special, which consisted of lime, passion fruit, and a mix of various rums. I had one too many here, but it led to a lovely night of dancing at the LGBTQ+ nightclub Akbar, which played everything from Caribbean music to disco. I stayed in LA for a longer period of time than in Las Vegas, so I had to split my LA post into two parts.

I hope you enjoyed this blog post, and I will be back next week for Part 2 of my Los Angeles adventures!