I am a skincare fiend. I remember the very moment when the insanity and enormous outpouring of cash all began.
There was a friend of my parent’s, a very chic woman named Joanna who wore a chic wardrobe of simple and classic black and kept her thin white hair in low chignons that read to my young eye as the height of elegance and the epitome of chic. For reasons unknown to me, Joanna was drawn to me too. She took me under her wing when I was a savvy and sophisticated 7th grader.
I had never before met a woman like Joanna. She was so different than most of my parent’s friends. She wasn’t a big drinker and she didn’t play golf. She was like no one I had ever met before. She was an adult, but she was single and childless. She was from Montreal and she spoke fluent French, and she lived in the heart of Hollywood. She was introverted but extended herself to me in an extremely generous and gregarious fashion.
What I found most interesting about Joanna was that she was actually interested in me and what I thought and said. Joanna was the first person who encouraged me to write and she, by example, taught me to take my feelings and put them on paper.
My love for Joanna grew when I discovered that she lived in the same high-rise building on Sunset Blvd. as Parker Stevenson, of the Hardy Boys fame. She also told me that some guy named Joseph Cotten lived in the penthouse of her building. I couldn’t have been less interested in the Cotten character nor could I have been more intrigued in garnering an invitation to visit her at her home in hopes of meeting Parker.
With some gentle campaigning, I gained an invite to spend the weekend with her. This was a life-changing event for reasons you might not imagine. First there were the obvious delights of being in the apartment directly above Parker Stevenson. I tracked him like a hunter. I followed every sound he made in hopes of, well, I am not exactly sure of what. I heard Parker go into the bathroom. And, I followed him, well not into his bathroom, but into Joanna’s bathroom, directly above his. I had never before or since been so intrigued by the sounds of plumbing.
As I looked around Joanna’s bathroom I saw something beautiful, the likes of I had never before seen. Joanna had every single item in Lancôme’s skincare collection and she had it displayed in her bathroom as if it were a store. I was mesmerized and don’t remember if I heard Parker flush or not. While I had no idea what each cream and potion did, I did know one thing—I had to have them all.
Later that weekend, Joanna and I were taking the elevator down to the lobby and the door opened and in walked Parker Stevenson. Joanna casually introduced us, her cool demeanor belying the enormity of the moment. Parker stretched out his hand and took mine. I was in pre-teen heartthrob heaven. There were several days were I literally did not wash my right hand. So as to protect the place where our hands had met, when I showered, I encased my hand in a plastic bag and sealed it with duck tape so water would not wash away our point of contact.
Even without water, my love for Parker quickly went down the drain. My young heart was fickle and my attention turned to Leif Garrett. My writing continued. And, my love of skincare has endured. Over the years I have amassed different skincare collections. My bathroom has been decorated with Chanel, Decleor, Darphin and Dior. Each time I go to arrange the contents of my skincare cabinet I think of Joanna and the impact she has had on my life and my skin. As I wrote this piece, I decided to Google Joanna and see if I could find her. The results showed that she is still alive and living in Hollywood and that she is 79 years old. I feel confident that Joanna is as chic today as ever and I am certain that her skin is just as lovely.
Sadly, her phone number is unlisted. I am terribly disappointed. I imagine the phone call we might have had and how lovely it would have been to tell her how much her kindness and friendship has impacted me. We would have talked about a great many things. It would take hours to fully catch up. Before we hung up, I know I would have asked her a very important question. “Uh, Joanna, so what is your current skincare regime?”
Picture featured of Parker Stevenson. Sorry, Parker you had your chance. This weasel is taken.
