What’s on Frank Sinatra’s Vanity Table?

Frank Sinatra’s vanity table was a blend of precision, polish and rebellion — the grooming ritual of a man who understood the power of image. In the 1940s, when “The Voice” became the first modern pop idol, his appearance mattered as much as his sound. His fans didn’t just listen to him; they watched him. And Sinatra knew it.

His complexion was kept smooth and camera-ready through a disciplined routine of cleansing and moisturizing. Sinatra favoured lightweight creams that softened the skin without shine, allowing studio lights to catch the angles of his face without harshness. His grooming was understated but intentional — the kind of refinement that suggested confidence rather than vanity.

Hair was central to Sinatra’s signature look. His dark, glossy waves were maintained with pomade that offered hold without stiffness. The style was classic: a clean part, sculpted sides and a subtle lift at the front. It was youthful, modern and instantly recognizable — part of the magnetism that sent bobby‑soxers into hysteria.

Fragrance played a subtle role in his presence. Sinatra gravitated toward crisp, masculine colognes with citrus and herbal notes — scents that felt fresh, elegant and quietly commanding. His vanity table often held a single bottle, chosen with intention.

Shaving tools were essential: a classic razor, a brush and aftershave that left a clean, refined finish. His grooming ritual was not elaborate; it was disciplined. Everything had a purpose.

Frank Sinatra’s vanity table reflected the duality of his persona — the polished gentleman and the modern rebel. It wasn’t about perfection. It was about presence.

I’m Stacey Hobbs, thanks for reading Face by Stace! Until next time.
do you feel fabulous today?

Pear & Almond Galette (Rustic Tart): Pardon Your French Inspired

Pear & Almond Galette (Rustic Tart)

The ultimate Pardon Your French vibe — rustic, golden, orchard‑fresh.
Golden, orchard‑fresh, and deeply rooted in French countryside baking.

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 35–40 minutes
Servings: 6–8

Pear and Almond Galette/liprecipes.com
Almond Pear Galette with Frangipane – Baking with Butter/bakingwithbutter.com

Pardon Your French Influence

This galette embodies Audrey’s signature rustic French aesthetic:

  • Free‑form tart — imperfect edges, perfect charm
  • Frangipane filling — classic almond cream used in French patisserie
  • Thinly sliced pears arranged beautifully, like a market‑fresh tart
  • Simple ingredients, heritage technique
  • Soft countryside femininity — linen cloth, warm kitchen, orchard fruit

This is the kind of dessert you’d find cooling on a windowsill in Normandy.

Ingredients

For the crust (rustic French pastry):

  • 1 ¼ cups all‑purpose flour
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ cup cold unsalted butter, cubed
  • ¼ cup ice water (plus extra if needed)

For the almond filling (frangipane):

  • ½ cup almond flour
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • 3 tbsp softened butter
  • 1 egg
  • ½ tsp vanilla
  • Pinch of salt

For the pear topping:

  • 2–3 ripe pears, thinly sliced
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • Optional: pinch of cardamom or cinnamon

For finishing:

  • 1 egg (for egg wash)
  • 1 tbsp coarse sugar

Instructions

1. Make the crust

Whisk flour, sugar, and salt. Cut in cold butter until coarse crumbs form. Add ice water gradually until dough comes together. Shape into a disk, wrap, and chill for 20 minutes.

2. Make the frangipane

Beat almond flour, sugar, butter, egg, vanilla, and salt until creamy.

3. Assemble the galette

Roll dough into a rustic circle (about 12 inches). Spread frangipane in the center, leaving a 2‑inch border. Arrange pear slices in a fan or spiral pattern. Drizzle lightly with honey.

4. Fold & bake

Fold edges over the pears, pleating naturally. Brush crust with egg wash and sprinkle coarse sugar. Bake at 400°F (200°C) for 35–40 minutes until golden.

5. Finish

Cool slightly. Serve warm with crème fraîche or vanilla yogurt.

Beauty Benefits

  • Pear’s natural humectants hydrate the skin deeply.
  • Almonds provide vitamin E → stronger moisture barrier + glow.
  • Honey offers antioxidants that protect collagen.
  • Warm foods support digestion → clearer complexion.
  • Pear acids gently refine texture internally.

Health Benefits

  • Almond flour offers healthy fats + protein.
  • Pears support hydration and gut health.
  • Eggs provide skin‑supportive amino acids.
  • Honey adds minerals and gentle sweetness.
  • Warm spices reduce inflammation.

Historical Context (French Edition)

Galettes are one of France’s oldest rustic desserts — free‑form tarts baked by rural families using seasonal fruit. Almond frangipane dates back to 17th‑century French patisserie, prized for its richness and elegance. Pears, cultivated in France since medieval times, were considered a symbol of refinement and feminine beauty.

This recipe blends countryside tradition with patisserie technique — a perfect reflection of French culinary heritage.

Storage

  • Refrigerate up to 3 days.
  • Reheat at 300°F for 10 minutes to restore crispness.
  • Freezes well for up to 2 months.

Substitutions (Pardon Your French Style)

  • Swap pears for apples for a Normandy twist.
  • Use hazelnut flour instead of almond flour.
  • Replace honey with lavender or acacia honey.
  • Add a splash of Calvados (apple brandy) for authenticity.

There are so many delicious pear recipes and we have only just begun. Oh you just wait. There will plenty more! Which pear recipe will you be making? As for myself? Decisions, decisions, decisions lol. All of them!! Enjoy this Pear & Almond Galette (Rustic Tart)!

I’m Stacey Hobbs, thanks for reading Face by Stace! Until next time.
do you feel fabulous today?

Food and Beauty Recipes: Pear and Pumpkin

Autumn is a transitional season that has always been the kind of season where the air cools and the skin shifts, leaving our beauty regime to naturally follow — leaning into ingredients that nourish, brighten and restore. For centuries, women across cultures have turned to seasonal produce not just for nourishment but for complexion care, healing and glow.

This year, I’m blending two of autumn’s most powerful ingredients — pumpkin and pear — into a curated series of food and beauty recipes designed to support the skin from the inside out and the outside in. As a certified professional makeup artist, my approach is rooted in skin health, texture refinement and natural radiance. These recipes are grounded in beauty, skincare and nourishment.

Cinnamon Spiced Poached Pears/ar.inspiredpencil.com

Why Pumpkin Is an Autumn Skincare Powerhouse

Pumpkin is one of the most effective seasonal ingredients for renewing the skin during cooler months.

Beauty Benefits

  • Natural enzymes gently exfoliate and brighten
  • Vitamin A supports cell turnover and smoothness
  • Vitamin C enhances radiance and collagen support
  • Zinc calms inflammation and breakouts
  • Antioxidants protect from environmental stressors
  • Fatty acids nourish dry, tight autumn skin

Health Benefits

  • High in beta‑carotene for eye and skin health
  • Supports immunity during seasonal transitions
  • Rich in fibre for digestion and blood sugar balance
  • Contains potassium for hydration and electrolyte balance

Historical Context

Pumpkin has been used in beauty and wellness rituals for centuries. Indigenous communities across North America used pumpkin flesh and seeds for nourishment, healing and skin soothing. Early American apothecaries incorporated pumpkin into poultices and complexion treatments for its natural enzymes and vitamins. Today, pumpkin remains one of the most celebrated autumn skincare ingredients, bridging traditional herbal wisdom with modern dermatology.

Why Pear Is Autumn’s Under Rated Fruit for the Complexion

Pear is one of the most underrated beauty ingredients — gentle, hydrating and deeply soothing.

Beauty Benefits

  • Natural humectants draw moisture into the skin
  • Soft fruit acids refine texture without irritation
  • Vitamin C brightens and evens tone
  • Polyphenols protect against oxidative stress
  • Ideal for sensitive or reactive skin

Health Benefits

  • Excellent source of soluble fibre for gut health
  • Supports hydration with high water content
  • Contains copper for collagen formation
  • Helps regulate digestion and reduce inflammation

Historical Context

Pears have been cultivated for over 3,000 years, prized in ancient Persia, Greece, and Rome for their medicinal and cosmetic uses. Early European beauty texts reference pear water as a complexion tonic, valued for its ability to soften and hydrate the skin. In French culinary tradition, pears symbolize elegance and refinement — a theme that carries beautifully into modern beauty rituals.

I’m Stacey Hobbs, thanks for reading Face by Stace! Until next time.
do you feel fabulous today?

What’s on Katharine Hepburn’s Vanity Table?

Katharine Hepburn, one of the most memorable actors of the Golden Age Hollywood, whom had starred in many films, Little Women, The African Queen, The Philadelphia Story and much more. the question is, what is on Katharine Hepburn’s vanity table?

Katharine Hepburn’s vanity table reflected the same disciplined elegance that defined her life. Hepburn preferred a clean, almost ascetic setup — practical, streamlined and deeply personal. She was not a woman of excess; she was a woman of essentials.

At the centre was her mirror, simple and functional, flanked by good lighting rather than glamour. Hepburn believed in clarity — in life, in performance and in her reflection. On the surface, she kept a small collection of products she trusted. A pot of moisturizer was always present; she favored rich, emollient creams to protect her famously athletic skin from studio lights and outdoor elements. Hepburn was known to use Erno Laszlo products later in life, drawn to their no‑nonsense formulations and ritualistic approach.

Her makeup items were minimal: a brow pencil to maintain her strong, architectural brows; a compact powder for evening out the complexion; and a natural lipstick in soft rose or muted berry tones. Hepburn never chased glamour for its own sake — her beauty choices were functional, intelligent and aligned with her character‑driven aesthetic.

A small dish often held hairpins and elastics, reminders of her preference for practical hairstyles she could control herself. And always, there was fragrance — crisp, clean scents rather than florals, chosen for freshness rather than seduction.

Hepburn’s vanity wasn’t about transformation. It was about discipline, identity and the quiet ritual of preparing to meet the world on her own terms.

I’m Stacey Hobbs, thanks for reading for Face by Stace! Until next time.
do you feel fabulous today?

What’s New: Dior Rouge Dior On Stage

Matte lipsticks that provide an endless supply of hydration is hard to find, haven’t you realized this? It is a challenge, may be not as much now as it once was. Matte lipsticks have come a long way from what they used to be. On set as a certified professional makeup artist I would have to rely on Dermalogica‘s lip balm, called Renewal Lip Complex, also designed to be worn as a primer for lipstick all the while Minimizes contour lines, smooths rough, un-even lips and acts as aconditioning primer before lipstick application. Renewal Lip Complex is infused with Avocado Oil and Shea and Cocoa Seed butters to ensure long-lasting smooth and nourishing lips, while wearing your favourite lipstick, such as matte lipstick. I personally love it as much my clients have as well. 
For more information on Dermalogica Renewal Lip Complex, please visit: renewal lip complex | Dermalogica CA

It is one effective lip balm along with another lip balm from Avene, which is another favourite of mine. Avene (Cold Cream) Hydrating Lip Balm, never disappoints. Daily hydrating treatment. Formula made up of 99.5% ingredients of natural origin. Soft, hydrated and protected lips. Hydrating, soothing, protective. Perfect for really cold winters. Lips are instantly smoothed and yes lips are protected from the climate, water, you name it everything I can attest to this. The same goes for Avene Cold Cream Concentrated Hand Cream.
For more information on Avene (Cold Cream) Hydrating Lip Balm, please visit: Hydrating Lip Balm | Eau Thermale Avène

Well, now let’s jump right into Dior’s Rouge Dior On Stage long-wear, 24 hour no transfer, matte finish lipstick. 

Enjoy Rouge Dior On Stage. Dior’s newest lipstick innovation offers a blurring matte finish that guarantees 12 hours of no transfer and intense comfort. This long-lasting lipstick delivers a deliciously soft, melting texture feels weightless on the lips, while the colour stays put, doesn’t migrate and withstands all challenges. 
CARE: peony extract helps hydrate and provide a plumping effect. Pomegranate flower extract leaves lips soft and supple.
SHADES: 10 matte lipstick hues Rouge Dior On Stage features a bold and slender silhouette, designed to preserve the formula’s sensoriality. The bullet combines the definition of a lip liner with the generous coverage of a lipstick, guaranteeing ultra-precise application. Instrumental test on 30 subjects.

Stacey Says: Now this is a lipstick, specifically a matte lipstick! Well, no-one ever said I wasn’t bold, so I suppose I have a tendency to gravitate to bold hues, any colour of lipstick really. I am almost a perfect balance of a yellow and pink undertone in my complexion, except I’m a bit more yellow in my undertone which classifies me as a light olive skin tone. This has several meanings. I am classified as neutral when it comes to foundation, concealer and powder. Often times people think because of my natural blonde highlighted hair and blues I’m a pink undertone. The problem is, is that my complexion is not forgiving, so pink undertone base make-up looks white on my complexion. Another meaning is that colour looks good on my complexion and anyone’s complexion that is aligned with mine. It doesn’t matter if it’s blue undertone so cool tones or orange under tones which are warm tones. Pink undertones look best with blue undertones so cool colours. Yellow undertones look best paired with orange undertones, which are warm colours. This compliments the complexion whether a person is a pink, yellow or a neutral undertone. 

I’m Stacey Hobbs, thanks for reading Face by Stace! Until next time.
do you feel fabulous today?