Madonna’s MDNA Collaborated on Luxury Skin-Care Sets With Moschino

It's been only a few months since fashion's beloved Moschino did an unexpected yet awesome makeup collaboration with cute-as-can-be K-beauty brand Tonymoly, launching what are probably the only products between $15 and $77 to ever bear the Moschino name. And now Madonna's MDNA Skin has teamed up with the iconic Italian design house on new skin-care sets - and the price points are a wee bit different.

MDNA Skin's products are already pretty up-there in terms of price - they're high-performing formulas and super-luxurious, after all - and adding Moschino to the mix has only taken that lavishness to new levels. Take the first of the three sets: the Hydration Trio. It includes full sizes of The Serum, The Eye Serum, and a mini version of The Rose Mist, which the brand says are perfect picks 'as the weather warms up and you start switching to lighter skin-care formulas.' They come with a super-chic, clear cosmetic bag featuring both brands' logos, and trompe l'oeil zippers and pockets.

And at $420 - believe it or not - that's actually a bargain. The two full-size products alone would normally cost $420, but you're getting them, a travel-size mist, and a Moschino-designed accessory exclusively at Barneys for that price.

If you prefer your bargains under $400, you may want to take a look at the Nordstrom-exclusive set, All Eyes on You. 'After a long flight or a late night, this duo combats tired-looking eyes by helping to brighten the undereye and reduce puffiness,' the brand says of The Eye Serum (again, full size) and the four pairs of The Eye Mask included in the same Moschino-designed clear pouch. This one goes for $200.

Luckily for those of us who want the MDNA-meets-Moschino experience for even less, there's one more set that features that chic case, along with travel-size versions of The Face Wash, The Rose Mist, The Serum, and two pairs of The Eye Mask Runway Ready Essentials. Available at both mdnaskin.com and Nordstrom, it's $95.

From Allure

Visit: www.mdnaskin.us

‘We argued a lot’: Inside the making of Madonna’s ‘divorce album’

March 1989, I open a large record envelope and a waft of patchouli oil hits my nostrils. Inside is the new Madonna album. The cover art features hippy beads and her crotch in jeans. This image is a nod to her mother, a devout Catholic of French-Canadian stock, who covered up their Sacred Heart statue when a woman came round the house wearing zip-up jeans. 'In Catholicism you are born a sinner … the sin is within you the whole time,' Madonna said at the time. Dedicated to the memory of her mother, Like a Prayer explores the impact of her Catholic girlhood, disappointment in love and transformation of self. Compared to the sugar-sweet True Blue, this is a startling reinvention.

During recording, from September 1988 to January 1989 at Johnny Yuma studios in LA, Madonna was at the worst point in her marriage to Sean Penn. She had filed for divorce the previous year but was spending time with him trying to work things out. 'I remember some days she wore sunglasses all day in the studio,' recalls her then co-songwriter and co-producer Patrick Leonard. 'She was going through very hard times.' Making the record, however, was her salvation. After the bouncy grooves of 1984’s Like a Virgin and the upbeat celebration of her love for Penn in True Blue (1986), Madonna was in a more introspective mood. Penn had an explosive temper, and as their marriage foundered amid constant fighting, her career hit a stale patch with professional flops Shanghai Surprise, the film she starred in with Penn, and Who’s That Girl, a comedy heist movie with a patchy soundtrack. Madonna found a focus for her divorce madness in the new album.

'We knew she was going through a lot of personal stuff,' recalls Donna De Lory, who, along with Niki Haris, sang backing vocals. 'We were friends, and I knew that she was channelling all that emotion into the music. It was going to be a much more personal record for her.' Madonna had just turned 30 and approached the studio like a confessional. 'She was writing songs that were very truthful,' says her other co-songwriter and co-producer, Stephen Bray. 'She has an interesting relationship with fear in that she compartmentalises it and then it comes out in her ferocity of personality. True Blue was about feeling romantic and wanting to be unabashed about love. Then she changed chapters. ‘Things didn’t work out the way I thought.’ That’s how Madonna processes fear, in Freudian pop writing - free association turned into pop songs.'

To read the rest of the article visit: www.theguardian.com

What we Risk, Reveals what we Value

What we Risk, Reveals what we Value.........#nofear pic.twitter.com/FfnMLKtJuq

— Madonna (@Madonna) 28 March 2019

Madonna’s farewell from Portugal turns sour over row involving a horse

Madonna is at the center of a fresh controversy in Portugal, just as she is set to leave the country. The singer has accused the Portuguese of being ungrateful, an accusation that they have thrown right back at her. And the culprit behind this latest row? A horse, which was not allowed inside a palace for a music video.

Madonna, who has been living in Portugal since 2017, was set to film a video for the song 'Indian Summer' in the Quinta Nova de Assunção palace in Sintra, a resort city near Lisbon.

The pop star’s attitude has incensed Portuguese authorities, who have reminded her of all the things they’ve done for her during her stay

Last week however, Sintra City Hall said the pop star could use the palace from March 15 to 20 but could not let a horse inside. The decision reportedly left her outraged.

In the script for the music video, Madonna was meant to pose next to the animal on the ground. But local authorities said a horse would threaten the safety of the building, given its wooden floor sits upon wooden beams and is 'unstable, which prevents it from being used for activities that cause vibrations.'

Madonna called her agent to complain about what was happening. 'My Queen, I am doing everything I can. I have called many people and sent various messages. Unfortunately the man who makes the decision is not available, but he will be,' he replied, according to messages revealed by the Portuguese newspaper Correio da Manhã.

Annoyed, Madonna responded that she didn’t have to wait and would film somewhere else. 'I’ve already given a lot to this country and when I ask for a simple favor, one which will present Portugal to the world, the answer I get is negative,' she told her agent, adding: 'This is your fault. You convinced me to come live here.'

It emerged in February that Madonna would be leaving Portugal in the next few months, to move to New York. A fleet of cars carrying suitcases was recently seen leaving the four-star Palacio Ramalhete hotel in Lisbon, where the singer has been staying for the last year.

The pop star’s attitude has incensed Portuguese authorities, who have reminded her of all the things they have done for her during her stay in the country. For example, Lisbon City Hall gave Madonna a reduced price on a parking spot; the soccer club S.L. Benfica welcomed her son so that he could practice regardless of his level; the international school Lycée Français Charles Lepierre accepted the singer’s twin girls even though there was a waiting list; and the Portuguese government fast-tracked her residency.

From El Pais

'Pose' Season 2: Series Jumps to 1990 and Vogue

Ryan Murphy announced Saturday at PaleyFest that the actress will guest star in season 2 of the FX series, which will jump forward to 1990 on the day Madonna's 'Vogue' is released.

Patti LuPone will guest star in season 2 of Pose, Ryan Murphy announced Saturday during the show's PaleyFest panel.

The co-creator, who moderated a discussion with co-creator Steven Canals, producer/writer/director Janet Mock, producer/writer Our Lady J and stars Billy Porter, Mj Rodriguez, Dominique Jackson and Indya Moore, revealed three key details about the upcoming season: The series will time jump to 1990, on the day Madonna's 'Vogue' is released; the song will play a key role in the season; and he and the writers created a role especially for LuPone (who will share many scenes with Rodriguez - much to the chagrin of Porter).

As for season 2, Mock told The Hollywood Reporter that it will include 'a lot of the same ingredients and the DNA of it all.' That includes 'family, glamour, shadiness, bitchiness - but then a lot of heart, too.' She also revealed that, aside from LuPone, there will be additional new characters in the form of a new house in the ball scene.

'There will be a new house,' Mock said. 'There will be a popular song from 1990 heavily featured, which will spark a lot of new aspirations and dreams for the people within the ball scene,' she said, alluding to the importance of 'Vogue.'

Canals told THR that the series will also tackle the era's heightening HIV/AIDS crisis.

From the Hollywood Reporter

Did not mean to work a 17 hour day!

Did not mean to work a 17 hour day.............. #wtf pic.twitter.com/ZnznaoXZFs

— Madonna (@Madonna) 20 March 2019

Madonna Sends Fans Into a Frenzy With New Music Teasers

The art of teasing new music is one that many pop stars deal with on a regular basis - do you offer up a clip of a song, do you send out some new cover art, or do you just announce you have new projects on the way?

On Monday (March 18), Madonna tweeted out a cryptic photo of a hand cutting an apple with a knife, saying that fans could be expecting new music coming their way soon. 'A Taste of things to come...............' she captioned her photo. The singer followed up the teaser with another one on Tuesday (March 19), sharing a photo of herself with only an apple emoji as the caption.

Fans took to Twitter to express their curiosity and excitement surrounding the star’s mysterious announcement. Some simply expressed their glee at the thought of new Madonna music, while others attempted to decode her message and determine what it meant.

From Billboard.com

A Taste of things to come...............🍎🔪 ♥️. #music #magic pic.twitter.com/kLWJcVlms9

— Madonna (@Madonna) 18 March 2019

Ben Stiller, Madonna and Chris Rock donate thousands to Christchurch appeal

Hollywood stars including Ben Stiller, Madonna and Chris Rock have joined a GoFundMe appeal to raise money for the victims of the terror attack in New Zealand.

Set up by U2 and Madonna’s manager Guy Oseary, the appeal has raised nearly all of its $100,000 target in two days.

Oseary himself pledged $18,000 (around £13,500) to the fund, while other Hollywood stars have been flocking to help those affected by the tragedy, with Madonna donating $10,000.

End. Terrorism End Racism. End White Supremacy. 🙏🏼 For New Zealand #guncontrol pic.twitter.com/9sQhkzcpAh

— Madonna (@Madonna) 16 March 2019

Other celebs getting involved include director directors Judd Apatow and Ava DuVernay, and Ashton Kutcher.

'I read the frightening details and could barely find the strength to watch a short clip of the disturbing footage. My heart breaks for the victims and for their families,' Oseary, who is also Amy Schumer’s manager, wrote in setting up the page.

'We will work with GoFundMe to ensure all funds are transferred to an organisation providing support to the families and community.'

50 people were killed after shootings at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, on Friday, with 50 more people injured.

From Yahoo Movies UK

'Like a Prayer: A Documentary Film'

'Like a Prayer: A Documentary Film' directed by Oksana Nabokova is complete and fans are invited to attend the exclusive and private NYC Screening!

Save the Date : Sunday, May 5th, 2019 Location: Time Square, NYC!

Oksana Nabokova has this to say about the film:

I have worked independently on the film production of 'Like a Prayer' for close to three and half years. I met many Madonna fans around the world during my travels and found that there were many special stories to be shared. I hired a film editor in Russia and film crews all over the world to help me document these stories of some of Madonnas most devoted fans. This film is about finding yourself, following your dreams and not caring what people think. Funding this project completely on my own has been a very difficult challenge but I am proud of the results and after an initial test screening of my film it is one step closer to finally being released everywhere.

Now that my film is complete I still have to raise additional money for post production costs including: securing a lawyer to go over the legal copyrights of the movie, as well as getting an insurance company to insure the film and promotion costs to hire a PR team. These are going to be very costly but necessary expenses that I currently can't afford on my own.

I decided the best way to raise money for these final post production expenses, was to put together a private event to invite fellow fans to help contribute to this films release. As a way of saying thank you, you will be able to get tickets to attend the private screening of my film 'Like a Prayer' as well tickets to the official after-party, immediately following the screening. Plus there will be a Madonna swag bag giveaway contest by the end of the night that will go to one very lucky winner!

All ticket sales will go towards the final costs of having the movie available for world wide distribution.

Tickets for this screening are available exclusively only at www.purplepass.com

With your support, you will help get this film to a world wide audience!

Martini Shot 🍸 with Mert Alas

Martini Shot 🍸 #isamayaffrench @andylecompte pic.twitter.com/ZdSPFc4Rat

— Madonna (@Madonna) 14 March 2019

I swear i don’t smoke! 🔥🔥🔥 #isamayaffrench @andylecompte pic.twitter.com/9boBaFyCrP

— Madonna (@Madonna) 14 March 2019

It’s A Wrap............🌸🌸🌸🎀💝 #mertalas #isamayaffrench #andylecompte pic.twitter.com/La8dwi4iO7

— Madonna (@Madonna) 15 March 2019

Maluma Shares Details of His Recording Session & 'Beautiful Connection' With Madonna

Meeting Madonna is something on many music fans' wish list. But to be able to record a song with the superstar is beyond anything Maluma could have imagined.

While in Miami promoting his 11:11 World Tour, Billboard caught up with the singer to talk about his experience of being in the studio with the pop music icon.

'I met Madona during the VMAs in New York,' Maluma says. 'After that, I had the opportunity to spend some time with her in Los Angeles. She was in the studio and I joined her.'

And how was the meeting between Maluma and Madonna? 'We just had a beautiful connection. She is one of my biggest inspirations,' he said.

Maluma really appreciated the time in the studio and he’s honored to say now that Madonna is a friend. The song that they were 'cooking' will be part of Madonna’s next project.

'After all, the best thing I could get is having her lessons,' Maluma concluded.

From Billboard.com

Madonna celebrates Like A Prayer music video’s 30th anniversary and the ‘controversy’ that made it iconic

Madonna caused quite a storm with the release of her controversial music video for Like A Prayer, but she’s quite proud of the scandal as she celebrates the song’s 30th anniversary.

Back in 1989, the queen of pop sparked sheer outrage with the Mary Lambert-directed visuals, which saw Madonna kiss a black saint alongside images of burning crosses and stigmata. Oh, the drama.

Reflecting on the controversy with fond memories, Madonna wrote in an Instagram post: ‘30 years ago today I released Like a Prayer and made a video that caused so much controversy because I kissed a black saint and danced in front of burning crosses. I also made a commercial with PEPSI that was banned because my video was seen as inappropriate. Happy Birthday to Me and Controversy! #likeaprayer.’

Before Miley Cyrus’ Wrecking Ball or Robin Thicke’s Blurred Lines, Madonna’s Like A Prayer was at the centre of one of the biggest scandals pop had seen at the time. In January 1989, two months before the video’s release, Madonna signed a staggering $5 million (£3.8 million) endorsement deal with Pepsi meaning she was deemed family-friendly enough to front one of the biggest brands in the world. However, it all came crumbling down just two months later when the full visual for Like A Prayer visuals were released. Madonna had initially teased a clip which showed her singing alongside a gospel choir, which seemed innocent enough. So it’s no surprise that Pepsi felt completely blindsided to see the pop star seducing a black saint and burning crosses.

An advert she had filmed with the soft drink brand, which featured scenes from the Like A Prayer video, did air following the controversy but Pepsi pulled the commercial after threats of a boycott. The brand quickly distanced themselves from Madge, 60, and promptly terminated the contract they’d signed just weeks before. Reacting to the controversy, Pepsi told the New York Times in 1989: ‘When you’ve got an ad that confuses people or concerns people, it just makes sense that that ad goes away.’

Naturally offended by the anti-religious imagery, the Vatican condemned the video. Still, Madonna managed to perform the song in front of the Pope in 2008. Gotta admire her tenacity. Despite the outrage, Like A Prayer spent three weeks at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and was voted MTV’s most groundbreaking music video of all time, proving the song’s weight amongst fans. When so many musicians play it safe, Like A Prayer perfectly symbolises the fearlessness that pop can and should represent.

From Metro.co.uk

Happy Birthday to Me and Controversy!

30 years ago today I released Like a Prayer and made a video that caused so much controversy because I kissed a black saint and danced in front of burning crosses! I also made a commercial with PEPSI that was banned because my video was seen as inappropriate. 🔥🔥🔥Happy Birthday to Me and Controversy! #likeaprayer meant to post this yesterday but was blocked! 😂 what a shocker!

30 years ago today I released Like a Prayer and made a video that caused so much controversy because I kissed a black saint and danced in front of burning crosses! I also made a commercial with PEPSI that was banned because my video... https://t.co/34W0xOWLQa pic.twitter.com/i3SdBxng5k

— Madonna (@Madonna) 4 March 2019

Madonna Recruits RuPaul's Drag Race Queens For New Music Video

Madonna has recruited some former stars of RuPaul’s Drag Race to appear in her upcoming music video.

The Queen of Pop is currently gearing up for her return to the music scene, with the lead single from her upcoming 14th studio album, which is believed to be called Magic, tipped for release in the coming weeks.

Earlier this week, Madonna revealed on Instagram that she was shooting the song’s music video, and it sounds as though she may have some surprise Drag Race cameos.

Among them will be the most recent winner of All Stars 4, Monét X Change, who is reported to have accepted a last-minute offer from Madonna, forcing her to miss a show in Denver.

As a result, Monét has been pulled from the Haters Roast US tour, with a statement from organisers saying: 'Sometime during the afternoon, we’re told [Monét] received a phone call from Madonna with an offer to be in an upcoming music video. Monét asked [organisers Murray & Peter] if it would be ok to leave the tour to accept the offer. We said no because it was too short notice to replace her on Haters. Just hours before the show was to start and without telling anyone including the other queens on the Denver show, Monet left the venue and flew to LA to accept Madonna’s offer. Therefore, we have decided that Monet will no longer be on any upcoming Haters Roast dates.'

From HuffPost UK

#werking on the video?

🎩......,.............#werk pic.twitter.com/7CmCdR7GxR

— Madonna (@Madonna) 1 March 2019