Rule 5 Saturday - Nicole Chamoun

One of the brighter spots in this summer's "show hole" has been "Troppo" an Australian TV series recently added to Amazon's Freevee, starring Nicole Chamoun as the shaved, heavily tatted, shaven headed Amanda Pharrell, recently released from jail for a horrific murder committed when she was 16.

Nicole Chamoun is an Australian actress. She is known for her role as Zahra in the 2018 SBS miniseries Safe Harbour, and for playing a lead role as Amanda Pharrell in the 2022 ABC crime drama series Troppo.

Nicole Chamoun was born in Australia, after her parents had fled civil war in Lebanon in the late 1970s. 

She studied acting and drama at Deakin University and Victoria University in Melbourne.

In 2020 she was diagnosed with stage 4 lymphoma, which appears to account for the shaven hair in the first season of Troppo. Sydney Morning Herald. Actor Nicole Chamoun: ‘My whole life changed with one sentence’

“I lost everything: eyebrows, eyelashes and hair within three weeks,” she says. “I cut my hair off before I started treatment. It was long, thick and curly. It wasn’t ideal but I was like ‘take it, take it all, I don’t care’.”

Linked at Pirate's Cove in the weekly Sorta Blogless Sunday Pinup and links. The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: Sunday Morning Coffee and FMJRA 2.0: Is It October Yet? up and garnering clicks at The Other McCain. Linked at The Right Way in the weekly Rule 5 Saturday LinkOrama.

The Monday Morning Stimulus

HealthNews, Coffee Isn't Just for Drinking: Discover Its Haircare Wonders

Beyond its rich aroma, coffee proves to be a multifaceted elixir for your hair. With the ability to promote hair growth, shield against UV damage, and even act as a natural hair dye, coffee-infused haircare is emerging as a sought-after remedy. Delve into this comprehensive guide for a caffeinated journey to stronger, shinier, and more resilient locks.

From inhibiting hair fall and stimulating growth by countering the effects of DHT (sex hormone) to enhancing strength and shine, caffeine shows potential as a versatile ally.

In fact, multiple studies support the beneficial effects of caffeine, especially when it comes to androgenetic alopecia (AGA), which leads to gradual hair thinning in both men and women. Let’s take a closer look at the supported advantages.

DHT (dihydrotestosterone) plays an important role in some bodily functions. However, it can reduce the size of hair follicles, leading to hair thinning, and eventually, hair loss in people producing higher quantities of this hormone.

Caffeine works against the effects of DHT by stopping the enzyme phosphodiesterase, which hinders factors responsible for hair follicle growth. By blocking this enzyme, caffeine helps make the hair bulb thicker and the hair growth phase (anagen) longer.

A study revealed that caffeine may prevent the harmful effects of testosterone on hair follicles and enhance hair follicular growth in both males and females. These actions contribute to the stimulation of robust hair growth by elongating visible parts of the hair, increasing the hair growth phase. 

The effects of caffeine extend beyond hair growth. Since caffeine plays a role in hair cell growth, this also suggests promoting cells that protect the outer layer of hair.

Furthermore, caffeine's positive influence on the growth of hair from the follicle enhances the overall health and appearance of the hair. Its actions on both the hair follicle and the outer protective layer contribute to a smoother and shinier texture, providing a visible boost to the hair's strength and luster.

The Wombat has Rule 5 Monday: Coffee, please ready and waiting at The Other McCain.

Monday Morning Music - "Mama Tried"

Hannah Wicklund and the Steppin Stones; Mama Tried

The lyrics don't do much for me (give me a cover of Merle Haggard's song of the same name, by the Dead anytime), but the solo? She's awesome. And has better hair than Robert Plant in his prime:

The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: Paulina Porizkova up and running on time and under budget.

A Low Brow Post

Via Althouse: Just when you think huge, prominent eyebrows may be going out of style...

"Unibrowed model Sophia Hadjipanteli takes London Fashion Week by storm" (NY Post). Lots of amazing photographs at the link. Is the model some sort of humorist — a satirist of beauty?

Here's the Instagram page for #unibrowmovement.

She does have amazing eyebrows, to be sure, but whether they are truly 'unibrows' seems to vary depending on the photoshoot. Whether she sometimes grooms them back, or fills them in with makeup is an amusing question.

And here's "This Model Is Making the 'Unibrow Movement' Happen" (Glamour). It's from September 2017, so maybe it means the unibrow movement is not happening, since it hasn't happened yet. I, for one, am sick of having everyone's eyebrows in my face. Back off! And yet, I've got to say I find this more appealing that the overly made-up, un-unified eyebrows that have been annoying me.

Points for originality — and, yes, I know about Frida Kahlo — and naturalness, nerve, and humor:

Wombat-socho has Rule 5 Sunday: Mapy Cortes up at The Other McCain.

My Dentist Would Approve

Baby Jane Holzer brushes her teeth for 4 minutes in a "screen test" for Andy Warhol:



She had never really crossed my consciousness until somebody posted video recently, although I'd heard the name.

Jane Holzer (née Bruckenfeld; born October 23, 1940) is an American art collector and film producer who was previously an actress, model, and Warhol superstar. She was often known by the nickname Baby Jane Holzer.

The daughter of real estate investor Carl Bruckenfeld, she married Leonard Holzer, an heir to a New York real estate fortune. Holzer was noted for including art projects in his developments, particularly at the Smith Haven Mall.

Movies she appeared in included Andy Warhol's Soap Opera (1964), Couch (1964), and Camp (1965), and the independently produced Ciao! Manhattan (1972). She co-produced the 1985 film Kiss of the Spider Woman. Holzer is the subject of "Girl of the Year" in Tom Wolfe's The Kandy-Kolored Tangerine-Flake Streamline Baby (1965) and is referenced twice in the 1972 Roxy Music single "Virginia Plain".

Holzer appeared in Warhol's Batman Dracula (1964). In turn she was parodied as "Baby Jane Towser" in the 1967 Batman (TV series) episodes Pop/Flop Goes the Joker" where she was played by Diana Ivarson.

She released a single in 1967 on the Atco label – "Rapunzel"/"Nowhere" (Atco 6482) – produced by Al Kasha and arranged by Barry Goldberg.

I remember big hair. I don't miss it. Things like this make me wonder who's fooling who.

The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: Pre-Valentine’s Day Pinups  ready for action.