Pernod Absinthe and Maison Kitsune Launch Latest Creative Collaboration

Pernod Absinthe and Maison Kitsuné Launch Latest Creative Collaboration
1,000 Limited-Edition Pernod Absinthe Bottles Designed by Maison Kitsuné

NEW YORK, NY – (October 15th, 2013) Pernod Absinthe, the legendary spirits brand, and Maison Kitsuné, famed global independent record label and fashion house, are pleased to announce that they will continue their collaboration for a second consecutive year. This exciting partnership will include a reprise of a limited-edition Pernod Absinthe bottle design.

“Pernod Absinthe has always been deeply ingrained in the culture of art, which is filled with curious and open-minded people constantly in search of new ways to express themselves and their passion,” says Clare Kanter, VP, White Spirits (Gin, Tequila & Exports), Pernod Ricard. “The latest bottle design by Maison Kitsuné expresses our shared vision and values.” 

There will be 10,000 bottles available globally, with only 1,000 bottles available for distribution in the United States, making this a rare collector’s item. The bottles will be available for sale in New York City as of October 15th at Beacon Wines; Liquors and Lowrey’s; and De Lauren Wines & Liquors.“For this next chapter of our collaboration with Pernod Absinthe and Maison Kitsuné, I wanted to have a pattern that was more subdued than our bold previous edition," says Gildas Loaëc, co-founder of Maison Kitsuné. “The artwork we created is exactly that: a combination of Japanese refinement, infused with our rock 'n' roll sensibility.” 

Last year marked the first year of Pernod Absinthe and Maison Kitsuné’s partnership, where the collaboration was largely focused on Maison Kitsuné’s fashion. Using Pernod Absinthe as their inspiration, Maison Kitsuné created a historic capsule collection inspired by the spirit, which included a limited-edition Pernod Absinthe bottle in addition to a one-of-a-kind clothing line. The collection was launched in New York, Paris, London, Tokyo and Miami, coinciding with Kitsuné’s 10th anniversary.

For additional information about this collaboration, please contact:
 
ZOÏ Agency
Maxime Richard
maxime@agence-zoi.com
212.229.9888

Beauty scoop: Senté Dermal Repair Cream

I just got the beauty insider scoop on Senté Dermal Repair Cream launching this month!  Thew line by Senté restores facial tone, texture and elasticity and enhance the overall appearance of skin with this one-of-a-kind cream that gives the promise of beautiful skin and is backed by science.

Senté uses a patented blend of ingredients including Heparan Sulfate (HS), a naturally occurring complex of a sugar plus a protein (glycoprotein). This fresh and advanced scientific approach to beauty delivers benefits unlike any cream on the market:

·         Heals skin faster following common dermatological procedures including IPL, lasers, chemical peels, skin tightening and injectables

·         Diminishes the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles. Enjoy smoother and younger looking skin

·         Hypoallergenic formulation penetrates quickly, leaving no greasy residue or fragrance – perfect under makeup

·         Restores and enhances skin's intrinsic ability to heal itself (sunburns, scarring)

·         Soothes redness and irritation

·         Normalizes skin tone and restore radiance

·         Delivers profound hydration with daily use

·         Safe for use on even the most sensitive skin types

Pricing and purchase: $169.95 (50ml) or $79.95 (15ml) www.sentelabs.com

How to Build Your Empire: The Power of Setting Specific Goals

Let’s face it, becoming a mogul, juggling multiple jobs, and keeping some sanity (and fun) in your life can get overwhelming. So with this being my first article for my Ms. in the Biz column, “How to Build Your Empire,” I thought it was only appropriate to start off on the importance of creating professional and personal goals for yourself, your career, and your peace of mind.

The reason why setting specific goals for yourself is so powerful is because it creates a framework and foundation for your ultimate career success. Think of it like pruning a tree – you have to cut away some of the extra stuff in order for the tree to grow and develop into the strongest tree possible. Creating specific goals is an easy way for you to figure which of those extra things needs to be cut away in order for your career and your pockets to flourish.

So how do you know what to cut?

Think about what your ultimate career and life look like. Whether it’s winning an Oscar, international travel, owning your own magazine, winning a Grammy, having you own talk show, or all of these, whatever you ultimate dreams may be, get very clear and specific on what that looks like. Once you have you have your ultimate goals in mind, make career decisions based on how they serve your master plan.

When proposed with a project or job offer think:

• Is this in alignment with my ultimate goal?
• Does this serve me in the bigger picture?
• If I were at the next level in my career, would I take this job?

If the answer is yes to those questions then it should be easy to take the job, if the answer is no then it’s time to get tough and pass on that opportunity. Having these simple questions in place can alleviate any anxiety around whether or not to take on another project when you are feeling overwhelmed in deciding which projects to move away from so you aren’t spreading yourself too thin.

For example, one of my ultimate goals is to win an Oscar (article on The Power of Dreaming Big to come) and I was offered a featured background role on an MTV show a few months ago. It was paying, but no lines or legitimate character name. I’m not trying to knock background work, there are benefits of doing it, however, I had been there, done that, having spent hours doing background and the occasional under 5’s on One Life to Live when I was first starting out in my career. I made the decision to not do background work anymore – at this stage in my career it not longer served me or helped me to get to my ultimate goal because it wasn’t adding to my credits in a meaningful way, it wasn’t a stepping stone to a larger part in the future, and it wasn’t stretching me as an actor. I respectfully declined the background work but told the casting director to please keep me in mind for any upcoming roles that had lines and a legitimate character name.

Setting this boundary of the type of work I would accept based on my ultimate goal was powerful because:

• It created boundaries with the casting director for the type of actor I wanted to be seen as in the industry:
  • Candy is an actor that must have a legitimate character name.
  • Candy is an actor that has to multiple lines in a scene/show.
  • Candy is an actor that has paid her dues and is at the next level in her career.
  • It gave me power. After declining the background work, I felt powerful in my career. I had the power to shape and mold the direction of my career and the types of roles that I get seen for and perform in.
  • It taught me that saying “no” wasn’t closing a door, but it was opening the doors of many other opportunities that are in alignment with my ultimate goals.

Here is a quick guide on getting specific on your goals:

Set aside an hour or so of alone time in a comfortable environment, light some candles, play your favorite music, pour your favorite beverage, get out some magazines, markers, and poster board, and then it’s time to get to work.

Relax and meditate on fulfilling your ultimate dreams and goals. What does that look like? Draw and write out your biggest dreams for your life on the poster board and cut out images from the magazines that reflect these goals for inspiration. Have fun and let loose and dare to dream and visualize you heart’s wildest desires.

Remember, the trick here is to get very specific, see below for a sample of what mine looks like and different questions I asked myself to dive deep into what I want to realize in my career and life:

Overall goal: To be an award-winning actor.

Questions: What kind of awards? What type of actor?

Specific goals:

• To be an award-winning film actor whose movies win at Sundance, SXSW, and Cannes.
• To be an Oscar-winning actress.
• To be an Emmy award-winning television actor on a hit primetime TV series.

Overall goal: To be a fashion designer and expert.

Questions: What kind of designer? Where would your clothes be sold? What does being a fashion expert entail?

Specific goals:

• To be a fashion designer that shows during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week.
• To be a designer that is sold at the top boutiques and top department stores worldwide.
• To host and guest-host fashion-based television shows. To be a fashion expert with a published book on style.

I have more goals, but I’ll stop there. Once you have a clear vision of your specific goals in place make decisions based on fulfilling those goals. But remember to incorporate a spirit of flexibility as well. Allow for change and modifications that are still in alignment with your goals for ultimate growth.

Have questions on creating specific goals for your career or want to share your goals? Please feel free to leave them in the comments below or tweet me @CandyWashington!

This article first appeared in my column for Ms. In the Biz here. 

Exclusive interview with Ms. Drama from VH1's Gossip Game

While attending the #Untamed event hosted by Mercedes-Benz, I had the pleasure of running into Ms. Drama herself from VH1's The Gossip Game. Always looking glam and fab, the tell-it-like-it-is entertainment journalist shares with me how she landed her gig on the show, what's next for the media maven, advice for aspiring journalists, and the behinds-the-scenes scoop on all of the drama.

Candy Washington: How did you get your start on dishing the latest scoop, drama, and celebrity news on your site, Ms. Drama TV?

Ms. Drama: Well, I've always had plenty to say on hot topics when I was doing my radio shows and in conversation, so I felt it only made sense to find a hub to extend that conversation online and on a platform I controlled. Hence, Ms. Drama TV. 

Also, in my journey as a media personality, I found that I was emerged within pop culture, so creating the site helped me to keep that momentum going.

Plus there were others who were using my content (via my online interviews and videos) to garner attention and hits and so I felt moved to create my own way to offer such exclusives and to report on entertainment news and gossip.

CW: What are some of the challenges you face as a journalist in the entertainment industry? How did you overcome them?

MD: I find that challenges never cease in any career you diligently pursue, but in my specific field - I found it difficult to conform to the "group mindset" or participate in a clique, especially when they're quick to judge you based on your affiliation and how you may be of value to their pursuits. 

I've never been a fan of working with someone solely off of how they can help me or complete my vision, but rather on how we can mutually help -- and learn from one another. 

I overcame such challenges by staying true to myself, not compromising my beliefs - or vision, for a quick come-up. I learned to treat people well even with they decided to look down on me. I learned how to stand up for myself when one dared to discredit me or what I have accomplished.

In essence, I learned how to stayed strong, stay true, and refused to be intimidated by any adversary. I became unmovable in my pursuits.

CW: You were definitely one of my favorites to watch on The Gossip Game on VH1, how did you get cast for the part?

MD: Thank you. 

Interestingly enough, this opportunity was offered to me. I went into a meeting not knowing fully what I was meeting about. It ended up being a meeting with the network on the show, and possibly placing me as one of the cast members. I actually thought I was there to interview or talk to the cast, but instead was being considered for the role.

Mona, and network producers apparently were excited about my personality and what I would bring to the show, so it was only a week after that I received a contract confirming me to the slot.

CW: What are some of your most memorable moments from the show? 

MD: My revealing party, my speech, my trajectory on the show - and of course they way I defended myself.

CW: Do you keep in touch with any of the other women from the show?

MD: I haven't talked to any of them in a while, but I still hear from Kim Osorio, Kay Foxx and Steph Lova on the occasion. Those are the three that I would say I am still connect with from the show.

CW: What advice do you have other aspiring entertainment journalists?

MD: Stay true to yourself, don't compromise your beliefs or vision for a quick come-up, and be persistent and consistent.

CW: What's one of your craziest celebrity encounters?

MD: Interviewing The Dream when he was drunk. lol. You can check out that interview on msdramatv.com or on my youtube.com/msdramatv

CW: What's something about Ms Drama that only my readers can find out here?

MD: Well I have a couple of things in works for my professional career, but one of my personal visions is to help children with disabilities, so you will see me get more involved with that in the upcoming months.

CW: Where else can we go for more information on you?

MD: My website: msdramatv.com

It was sad to see how those girls came together to to attack and defame me, but in essence their true colors of deception and insecurity shone through.

My social media: @msdrama IG: @msdramatv

Plus I am launching a new luxury review website in 2014 called the Luxury News Network - so stay tuned.

Julie McGee from 'Last Vegas' with Michael Douglas, Robert De Niro, Morgan Freeman, and Kevin Kline

Julie McGee isn't your typical aspiring actress. She's a savvy business-owner with a magnetic energy that can capture any crowd and is up for challenging roles in tv and film.

Her latest challenge is playing Stacey in Last Vegas, a movie that tells the story of four best friends who decide to escape retirement and throw the ultimate Las Vegas bachelor party for the last single member of their group. The film stars Michael Douglas, Robert De Niro, Morgan Freeman, Kevin Kline, Mary Steenburgen, Jerry Ferrara, and is directed by Jon Turteltaub, written by Dan Fogelman, and is produced by Laurence Mark and Amy Baer.

Julie grew up in Augusta, GA and booked her first modeling job 18 years ago and her first on-screen gig was a 7-11 commercial. Her main source for inspiration and support is her family: mom, dad, cousin Matt McGee, and her two brothers, one is Wes McGee who is also an actor. 

She's also more than just a pretty face. Julie is a tough good 'ol country gal who isn't afraid to have a good jar of moon shine and hang by the camp fire. She also has her own booming business, True Glow, a mobile spray tanning service based in Atlanta, GA.

www.lastvegasmovie.com
www.yourtrueglow.com
@trueglowtan
@LastVegas

Photo credits: IMDb, True Glow, and CBS Films 

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FASHION SCOOP: THE COOLS

One of my favorite places to shop and find the coolest fashion finds in on The Cools. Read more below on one of the coolest fashion destinations out there: 

 The Cools is the marketplace for designers that matter, where the most relevant brands from around the world curate their own shops. Discover each designers' inspiration, shop their collections and join The Cools community. 

Event scoop: #Untamed. by Mercedes-Benz

On Tuesday I attended a private viewing of #Untamed. An art exhibit that debuted in Paris and made its New York debut at the Avant/Garde Diaries Project Space presented by Mercedes-Benz. The exhibition used digital photography and had a CLA-Class on display outside of the venue. Tunes were courtesy of DJ Cale Parks (HAKT) and Duclot La Vinicole and Pointy Snout Caviar was served.

Fashion Scoop: Spotted On Celeb

To kick-off the new site enjoy my spotlight on one of my favorite brands,

Spotted On Celebs.

Celebrities and fashion? Doesn't get any better than that! 

More info on Spotted On Celeb

Founder and CEO Flavia Stuttgen unofficially launched SpottedOnCeleb in 2011. SpottedOnCeleb.com is a unique concept which allows you to buy hard to come by LA brands as worn by your favorite celebrities including the Jessica Alba, Nicole Richie and The Kardashians.

The site was conceived after Flavia, who is French and living in London, found it difficult to buy the brands she would spot on her style-crush celebrities as seen in the press.

This season, SpottedOnCeleb stock LA based brands For Love and Lemons and TBags exclusively in the UK. Additional US brands include LNA, Lauren Moshi, Winter Kate, and Torn by Ronny Kobo to name but a few.

Get your Spotted On Celeb scoop here!

Entertainment scoop: Spotlight on LA talent manager Johnny "Showstopper" Webster

Johnny "Showstopper" Webster is the must-have manager from NY to LA! Lucky for me I've known him since his NYC days and scored an exclusive interview with the manager extraordinaire at New Wave Entertainment. Read below for the entertainment scoop on Johnny.

 Candy Washington: You are living the fab life in LA! What is a typical day in the life of Johnny Showstopper Webster?

Johnny Showstopper Webster: Gosh, a typical day in the life of the Showstopper, I usually go for a run before work, get into the office and start chasing the dream and living the nightmare. Haha. Everyday is very different. I could be in the office, pitching and submitting clients for TV/Film opportunities, or in and out of meeting with potential clients – actors looking for rep, or I’m meeting or going to lunch or coffee’s with agents, publicists, casting building new relationships. Mostly I’m doing everything I can to get my clients out on auditions. And of course, I get home late, have some wine and watch hours of TV. And that’s before and after a dinner that could be anywhere from 2-3 hours. I never miss my TV nights.

CW: We met back in your NY days, what are some of the things you miss the most about the East Coast?

JSW: I miss NYC all the time. I miss being able to walk out my door and just explore. I miss Strand bookstore. I miss Union Square a lot. I would spend hours there from seeing a movie, to grabbing coffee or lunch or reading at Strand or sitting in the park and listening to music. I miss the subway rides reading and listening to music.

CW: You're the "talent manager obsessed with TV" - what have some of your most memorable moments of your rising career so far?

JSW: I would have to say the most memorable is booking my first pilot. Just a week ago one of my clients booked her first pilot and this was her first pilot booking and mine as well. So we were both excited and over the moon. Our first pilot. So exciting.

But for me, anytime my clients book a job is exciting for me because I love them tremendously and root for them everyday so when they get to fulfill the smallest of dreams it gives me immense joy.

CW: Who are some of your clients and what are they currently working on?

JSW: Some of my clients are Vanessa Simmons from MTV’s Runs House and Daddy’s Girls is currently pregnant and about to shoot a reality pilot for VH-1 as well as participating in the ABC Showcase in addition to shooting her very first lead in new web series Sam, Frank & Florence, Craig Parker from Spartacus and Lord of the Rings will be on NCIS:LA on Tuesday and upcoming episode of Sleepy Hollow, Jaina Lee Ortiz just booked the lead in the Amazon pilot The After written by Chris Carter, Raney Branch has a fun role on CW’s The Originals, Roxana Brusso who is currently recurring on ABC’s Betrayal. I also represent Ashlynn Yennie from Human Centipede fame and has a movie Schism premiering this week at Scream Fest and three other movies coming out next year one with Katie Cassidy, Michelle Tractenberg and Eliza Dushku called The Scribbler. Another client Rebecca Dayan’s movie starring Bryan Greenberg A Short History of Decay premiering at Hampton Film Festival.

CW: What are your favorite TV shows and characters?

JSW: Too many to list but my FAVORITE of all time right now is Pretty Little Liars. I am obsessed. I also love The Vampire Diaries, Hart of Dixie, Sleepy Hollow, Modern Family, Revenge, The Good Wife, Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders Making the Team on CMT so much. I love it.

One of my favorite characters is Cam from Modern Family. We are both incredibly dramatic and over the top and I love it and him.

CW: Tell me about the Half Marathon in Disneyland and your stylish tutu? How can we donate?

JSW: Awww Tinker Bell Half Marathon is this amazing invite that happens every year where hundreds of people run a half marathon around Disneyland. We raise money to help fight blood cancels for LLS which is the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. It such a great cause as it affects more people than you can possibly imagine.

You can donate by going to http://pages.teamintraining.org/los/tinkerb14/jwebstewdd

And the best part is being able to finally run in my tutu ;)

CW: What is something about Johnny Showstopper Webster that we can only find out here?

JSW: I’m such an open book that you can find anything about me on any of my social media sites. Haha.

CW: Any entertainment insider tips, tricks, and secret you can spill to my readers?

JSW: Consistency. If you can remain consistent in your goals and dream you will be surprised at what you can accomplish. As someone who manages actors of all levels, sometimes just following up can make the difference. Having a great brand – pictures, style, reel is vital. Whether you want to be an actor, writer, director. Just being consistent in your brand is vital. You are a brand whether you know it or not. So make sure your brand is visible to everyone but make sure it’s the brand you want people to say because things change overnight and you never know when so you gotta be ready ;)

CW: What's next for you? And where can we go for more information on all things Johnny?

JSW: Sleep, hopefully. I rarely get any these days. Haha. Maybe a vacation. I do miss NYC.

You can find me on Facebook at Johnny Showstopper Webster, on Instagram at JustJohnnyB1tch and Twitter @JustJohnnyTV.

Deal Scoop: 40% off at H&M in amNY

Pick up an amNY for 40% off coupon at H&M!