Be Marilyn!: A Glamorous Guide to Living Blonde

by Gailyn Addis

From makeup to mannerisms, discover how to capture a piece of Marilyn Monroe's signature sexy style and make it a part of your daily look. This step-by-step guide is the ultimate handbook for anyone... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1570715572
• ISBN13: 9781570715570
• Release Date: January 2000
• Publisher: Sourcebooks
• Length: 128 Pages
• Weight: 1.15 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 8.7" x 8.8"

Customer Reviews

A beautiful gift to offer or receive

This is an interesting book. The only reason I will not give it 5 stars,is because I found it to be a little narcissistic in its nature and premise.It has that feeling of being yet another opportunity for Ms. Addis to show off how much she looks like Marilyn. Apart from that,I guess it could be very helpful for Marilyn wannabees,with its tips,makeup and otherwise. It is presented in high-quality fashion.Not a cheap book:beautiful pictures,good quality paper and presentation. Would make a nice present

Be Marilyn if You Dare!

Gailyn Addis is a professional Marilyn Monroe impersonator who offers tips from her experience studying and performing as Monroe, to the curious individual or pro impersonator who wants to capture some of Marilyn's magic. In "Be Marilyn!: A Glamorous Guide to Living Blonde", Addis reviews a little bit of Monroe's career, behind-the-scenes secrets to her makeup and image, how she personally got started peforming as Marilyn and where it's taken her, and information on other Monroe impersonators. I love to study Marilyn's image, movies, and photographs, and Addis does give alot of insight into the Monroe creation: revealing, for instance, that it took hairdresses and costumers up to six hours to get the real Marilyn ready for public appearances. The book offers a good amount of information. Marilyn Monroe's look, to the credit of the late actress herself and those who impersonate her, is not easy to pull off. Makeup application steps, hairstyle and wig techniques, costume guidelines, and mannerism styles are all included. For those who simply admire Marilyn and the glamour of her era, there are tips on how to "Marilynize" your image such as minimizing stage makeup techniques for everyday, and including tapered skirts and heels into your work wardrobe. The book is cute, classy, fun, and informative. It's not intended to be a biographical guide to Marilyn Monroe, but it is a tribute to how the indelible effects of her image can either be fun to replicate or actually become a full-time profession for those with the committment to impersonate her.

Great book for a Marilyn impersonator!

I have been a Marilyn Impersonator for many years in my local area. Although I'm not working in the Las Vegas Legends show and traveling the world as Gailyn is, I thought the book was very helpful to any aspiring Marilyn Impersonator or any fan wanting to learn more about the Marilyn style or image. The book is filled with many helpful tips on doing the Mailyn make up, wearing a wig, Marilyn costumes and style of clothes and heels, how to work an audience, making jokes, Being tasteful in keeping with the Marilyn image,How to make a portfolio, what movies to study,etc.. The book has many photo's of Gailyn as Marilyn (who does look alot like Marilyn), also Marilyn photos with little interesting stories about Marilyn singing to the troops in Korea and Happy Birthday to the President etc..Plus Gailyn tells her story of life as a MM impersonator and how she got started. Many stories were funny and cute like once when she sang "Heart Belongs to Daddy" and an older gentleman picked her up off her feet and wanted to dance lol! I found the book to be very entertaining and fun. Although I would like to learn more about Marilyn's dance movements and walk and more details on her musical side. This book does cover the basics!

Easier Said Than Done

Be Marilyn? Seems like one of my friends thought I should at least try when they bought me this book for my birthday this year. Let me first say, I have always loved Marilyn Monroe as a charasmatic actress - but have never been overly concerned with "Marilyn the Myth"...this book, however, initially intended as a "how to" from people who loved me, turned out to be more.Intelligently crafted by Gailyn Addis, an unbelievably, almost uncanny Marilyn Look-a-like was clearly well researched, planned and written. The photographs of both the author (as Marilyn) and Marilyn herself, are worth the price of the book alone. And the "HOW TO" section...well let me tell you girls...instead of watching TV one night, get out your (eyemakeup) pencil sharpner and sit in front of a mirror with this book. You'll have fun, boost your image(blonds may not have more fun, but they sure can look like they are!)and maybe shake up your love life alittle. Okay, that's asking alot from a book called BE MARILYN -but give it a read, Marilyn would have!

Fun book on Marilyn's style....Highly recommended!!

This is a fun fun read! Filled with photos of both the real MM & her many look-alikes (including Gailyn Addis who looks just like Marilyn!!). Definately worth adding to your collection, if you love Marilyn as I do. A truly unique book looking at both a legend & her beauty secrets.