Sunday 27 March 2011

Boy & Bear



Australian music always takes me home.. giving me the feeling that Im in the sunshine, beer in hand, enjoying the chilled summer atmosphere.

 Since 2009 when Boy & Bear were discovered on Triple J's Unearthed, they have played heavily in my playlists. Think I just love the sound of lead singers Dave Hoskings voice.

Thursday 24 March 2011

Sian from Oxygen

Heres a test shoot I did recently with Emmie Cosser..




Tuesday 22 March 2011

Kenzo Fall 2011

Ahh.. everything I love in one show!

At Kenzo this season the hair and makeup were done in a way in which I am absolutely drawn to. Tom Pecheux for MAC really worked a commercial look that has strength and difference. A hard combination to find..

Kenzo Fall 2011



Away from the real 'All or Nothing' approach, Tom and hair stylist Eugene Souleiman managed to do a bit of both.. with barely there skin, a soft washed out smokey eye, a beauty berry stained lip and my favourtie a Freida inspired strong brow (minus the unibrow..); complimented perfectly by hair that has been pulled off the face by a quiff and pigtail plaits.

This effect allows two very different persepectives to the look.. a very boyish, strong one from the front, and a vbery soft and feminine one from the back.

J'Adore! Really lending to the androgonous theme thats been hanging around these past two seasons.

Monday 21 March 2011

ORANGE



Makeup artists for the past few years have seen the beauty and freshness in a stunning orange lip, and slowly after lots of persuasion- its finally catching on.

Whether your bold and daring and like to hold some Morange from MAC on the lip; or maybe your not too daring but like the concept- go for Costa Chic or Vegas Volt again by MAC.


Morange by MAC


Vegas Volt by MAC

Either way- this look goes incredibly with most eye colours.. really bringing out blues and greens and well, we all know how you brown eye'd girls can wear just about anything!

If your not so sure about the lips, maybe tryputting a nude colour all over the lid and softly blending a light orange into your crease for a pop of colour. Rule by MAC is amazing or again for those less inclined for strength..rather softness- go for Texture by MAC.



Texture by MAC

For a hot sexy night out with the girls and/or boy try this sexy smokey eye! Take Blacktrack liquid gel liner and paint it onto the lid of the eye.



No higher than the crease and blend it to soften the edge.. let it dry.



Then pack ontop a sexy dark brown.Into the edge of the crease line where this smokey brown colour stops, get your orange and blend it out wards.



What this does is 'grade out' the eye, creating a smouldering look- with that hit of colour. Perfect for those wanting more than the natural, barely there finish. Finish with using a softer orange toned lipstick/gloss and blush.




AND for those wanting to go a lil silly.. heres a look I did for work one day a few weeks back-



But using orange just doesnt end there- today for work (no pics unfort :( ) I used a amber/orange/bronze eyeshadow colour from MAC called Amber Lights (this tapping into the bronze and orange trends) and graded it out with yellow! Doesnt look as scary as it sounds..

Enjoy

X

Friday 18 March 2011

My Precious Things



With rain drizzling down outside on a miserable grey London day, Im on the couch. Wrapped in my favourite big red blanket, with 2 finished toilet rolls next to me and a bin full of tissues I have been thinking.

With the help of my ever loyal Tori Amos, who is always with me on days like this, as usual Im deep in thought. These thoughts are my own but present in everyones lives and I wanted to share them. Even if one person reads this and gets it, brilliant. If not, *shrugs* C'est la vie.

My life is a big old school rig of a car. Its had a few breakdowns, seen many a passenger; people who've taken it and had some fun cutting burnouts in the back paddock or sneaking to maccas at midnight for a dirty big mac; there have been people who didnt see the beauty in the rid and have discarded it like junk and people who always go for a ride in it but only use it to get from A to B... but there have been those who saw the potential and given it some good old love and care and to them, its turned the old rig into a collectors item. And its not only the drivers.. sometimes the car goes on autopilot and kept putting itself into reverse.

But away from the metaphor, today I have chosen to discard the people and situations in my life that hold me back. A friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out. A person who sees the beauty in you when noone else does. The kind of friend who understands you and never asks why. A friend to me is someone who never judges, lacks love or is selfish. A friend to me is present. I am present and I will chose to keep the beautiful 1963 EH Holden Wagon in 5th gear... if itll go that fast ;)

As Tori says in the above song..

So I ran faster
But you caught me here
Yes my loyalties turned
Like my ankleIn the seventh grade
Running after Billy
Running after the rain
These precious things
Let them bleed
Let them wash away
These precious things let them break their hold over me

I walk forward with life and after todays grey skies turn to black; I hope that tomorrows are blue and full of sunshine. And as I write this I heard birds chirping, so I look up and a bit of sun shining strongly through the clouds. A good sign? Of course.

X

Wednesday 16 March 2011

JEAN GENIE

A few months ago I worked with Hannah Newman, a London based stylist/fashion journalist.. Hannah's very own blog was shortlisted last year by Cosmo Mag for the 2010 Blog Awards. So it was very exciting when she paired up with photographer Alexander Jordan to create an amazing piece on her love for Denim.

I kept the makeup extremely clean and raw; a look very much coveted by the fashion scene. Hair was kept off the face and in a quirky way, again very raw and "unkept".

After alls completed, Hannah's end result is a really great read. See below!

http://issuu.com/hannah15/docs/jeangenie?mode=embed&layout=http%3A%2F%2Fskin.issuu.com%2Fv%2Flight%2Flayout.xml&showFlipBtn=true

X

Rihanna on Vogue US April Cover

rihanna

rihanna






















Wearing Chanel on Vogue's Shape edition, Rihanna continues to rock this seasons red hot favourite (pun intended..) red lips and red hair. Yeow.

Recent vid I did..

Inspiration..

Working as a makeup artist is kind of like living with a split personality... You have your jobs which are standard; the clients are wanting a look that works naturally with what they have; something which enhances their beauty. These client are fun to work with.. you can see their confidence grow over your time with them. Then you have the other side of your personality. The crazy side, which wants to push your boundaries and is always wanting more from your applications and looks. I LOVE this side of me.

But in saying that.. finding the right inspiration can be challenging. Rather being put off by others styles, skills and talents- I am inspired. They make me want to have that natural ability to push myself, to produce work which is unlike any other.

 And thats where Illamasqua pop into my life. A brand based in Soho, London Illamasquat centre their range around bringing out your night time alta ego and creating looks which are unlike any others. Below are some visuals from their collections... AMAZING.





Nail Trends

ELLE favourites
Whilst Spring/Summer brings a fresh and simple perspective on nail trends, with long, rounded nails with bright pops of colour.. yellows, blues, corals, orange, red..



Product recommendations:

- Zoya in Absolutely Gorgeous (bright yellow)
- MAC in Steamy



- Models Own in Pink Punch (Coral Pink)


Autumn/Winter 11-12 brings a totally different look.. and its going metallic. Darker, denser shades with, if you dare, swirls of opposing tones. Really, a fun twist on a look thats always lurking round dark corners.



Product Recs:

NARS
- Nars Nail Lacquer in Desperardo

- MAC's Jeanius Collection Lacquer in Biker Blue

X

F A L L M C Q U E E N

Monday 7 March 2011

Helmut Newton. Relate.

Helmut Newton.. sheesh.. Its crazy how much I love this mans work. Always capturing my love of female empowerment, the female form and high fashion.. all with a fetishistic and erotic flavour.

His story is one of inspiration for me, as I have unknowingly followed a path incredibly similar to him.. Though he was born in Berlin, Germany; he moved to Northern Victoria, Australia in his early 20's.. the place where I moved to after living elsewhere. There he interned as a journalist (me studying at uni), did some fruit picking (as unfortunately have I.. ) before he went to war. After the war he moved to London where he continued to understand his love for photography; from which he had since he was extremely young.

And from there it all took off.. he did amazing work for Vogue UK, France and several other publications. He also indugled his love for Australia by returning to work out a contract with Vogue Australia.

Below are a few snippets of his brilliance and some of my favourites. Now, where was I? Oh thats right.. trying to follow in his footsteps- working with Vogue! he he









Browsing your options..

In my opinion, one of the bigger mistakes people make with their makeup or a point in their look that is never even addressed- is their brows..

Such an extremely important element to your face's structure, it is one element that is almost always overlooked. Given that many dont have too, or they believe that threading, plucking and/or waxing is enough.. alot of the times Im sorry to say it isnt. Whether your someone who has very fine, light brows or thick, crazy ones or even nothing out of the ordinary brows- many are not accentuating their brows enough to frame their face.

Have a squizz on your brow action now kids.. tell me, are they well defined? Are they balanced? Do they frame your face? Does the colour of your brow coordinate well with your hair?

Much of the times, when I am working with clients the answer is no. So! With brows being such a big point of focus in fashion for the past few seasons and the seasons to come, I want to give you a few tips on how you can best work with what you have to get the optimal results...

First, lets discuss the shape. Ideally what you want to create in your brow is a great beginning, middle and end. The beginning of your brow should start where you line a pencil up from your outer nostril (1), the arch should come when from the outer nostil, upwards to the outer edge of the iris (2) and the end should be from the outer nostril, following along the end of the eye (3).



Now onto colour. So many people have such faint brows, when some colour is applied to them they find it too much. So to compare.. colour one brow in and leave the other alone. Hide one side of the face and see the affect it has on the face and then look at the other. You will see that a stronger brow makes you look younger and it accentuates your eyes and face. Without strength you look washed out and aged.

The tone of the brow should compliment your hair.. Im not saying that if you have black hair you need black black brows. What I mean is that if you have blonde hair and non existant brows.. try a bit of beige eyeshadow instead of a pencil to create a softer finish. If you have dark blonde hair or light brown go for a midtone colour. I think the MAC bow pencils are amazing. Because they are so thin, they allow for easier application, If you use a thick pencil on the eye, the stroke will be heavier and so the brow will look chunky and heavy. Lingering by MAC is the best colour for these tones. For those with warm brown hair Spiked is great and for those with black or dark brown hair Stud is your pencil. If you do fancy a dramatic brow, go for it! For a harder line, simple press harder & for a softer finish apply the pencil is soft, short sweeps.


       MAC brow pencil in Lingering
( great allrounder for any skin or hair colour)

Benefit also have a great brow set, in a powder form.. for those who dont like pencils. Another way to improve the look of the eye is by setting any stray or crazy hairs with Brow Set from MAC.. this will create a clean finish to the brow! Very important and widely used backstage.



Have a go, and I think you might find a more defined and sexier verison staring back at you once you try..

X

Gareth Pugh

Thursday 3 March 2011

Im with the band..

A pic from the shoot I did last week..

Not to do with the shoot inself, but a few snaps for the photographer who needed some for a band she helps promote.




More pics to follow... X

Wednesday 2 March 2011

Adele "Someone Like You"



I cant tell you how many firends have admitted their love for this woman. Such a beautiful voice, and one you can really sit in the dark with yourself and listen to her with nothing but your thoughts.

One friend summed up her newest album '21' is the ultimate breakup album. If it hurts, listen. Theres nothing more comforting than listening to words of an artist who says everything you cant.

x

Really!? Are you that f*cked up?

For someone who has been such an inspiration and wonder to me, I could not be more disappointed in John Galliano's actions these past few weeks . Off his face and wearing a hitler-esk hat, he shouted anti-semitic abuse at a couple one table over. This happened a week after the same thing happened elsewhere in Paris.. with Galliano again shouting racial abuse at a couple.

At first Dior suspended their Creative Director, but since the video has become so public they have now officially fired him. Such craziness.. really sad. Galliano's work has been at the forefront of the fashion industry for so long, but now- whos to say what will become of him.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lt5xbZ-jVz4

Tuesday 1 March 2011

Going Gaga over Gaga..



After huge success of her bright baby pink lipstick for MACs Viva Glam Fund, Gaga left Cyndi behind to sign up herself as MACs official Glam Ambassador. I love the visual above.. so pretty.

I really love how MAC has founded and developed their Aid Fund. With all proceeds of the Viva Glam lipstick and lipgloss range (minus VAT of course) going directly to the fund. Its insane what 1 lipstick can do to help others affected by Aids can do. So far its raised over US$200 million.
One Viva Glam can…
Buy an HIV test for fourteen people
Buy breakfast for 12 children
Purchase 575 condoms
Provide 50 mothers with medicine to prevent transmissions to their babies

The Viva Glam Gaga 2 lipstick and lipgloss are actually brilliant. A nude shade that will suit all types of skin shades.. The colour developed is one that can be used by all.. We were left so giddy with excitement at training for these two products.. hopefully you will too!

MAC Viva Glam Gaga 2 Lipstick

I dont want to sound like a slesman on these products, it just something I know that I can do to make some sort of change. Its really lovely to see others come into work and have an equal amount of exictement. And with this, its not just the people being helped by the fund that benefit- its also you, who gets to walk away with a lipstick. And to be honest the Glam range has some of my favourite colours, from all of MACs range..

Hop in today- you can make a massive difference!

X