Six Fashion Statements For Spring Summer 2011

Last week in Paris I spent some quality time with the very fabulous La Mode La Mode La Mode, and while being inspired half out of my mind and caught somewhere between fashion A.D.D and fashion O.C.D, I came away with their 6 Fashion Statements for Spring/Summer 2011.

And here they are:

1.) Bold Blocked Color,
a la Jil Sander

This is a total fun, sexy, bold look, easy to wear, spontaneous and super glam.

 

2.) Stripes, 

especially deckchair stripes, seen here at Prada and at Jil Sander

Fierceness at Prada

 

Billowy stripes at Jil Sander

3.) Makeup!

Eyes are the big trendy accessory for spring summer 2011, whether bright white and bold at Prada

or bold bright at Louis Vuitton

 

4.) Yves Saint Laurent's 70's trend 

showed up in some exciting places, including his Marakesh period seen at

Marc Jacobs in New York

straight up sexy 70's at Gucci in Milan

or the opium style at Louis Vuitton in Paris,

the imprint of the master, Yves Saint Laurent was apparent.

5.)Minimalism.

There was a distinctly 90's feel to the minimalism at Celine,

causing a thrill that even had Anna Wintour clapping in the front row of the show.

6.) Punk Rock. (with a high fashion twist)

It was fun and exciting to see a little edge at Balmain,

Balenciaga

and check out the Joan Jett/ rock n roll hair at Gaultier!

Oh how I love Paris! And La Mode La Mode La Mode!!

Tom Ford - How To Be A Modern Gentleman

Ciao Tutti!

I'm in Italia at the moment. Instead of posting this when it first came out, I decided to hold on to it until now.
As with all things Tom Ford, it just gets better with time, so I'm going to enjoy re-reading it, in the piazza with a cafe americano...

Tom Ford.
I swear he is the sexiest man-beast on earth.

He's on the cover of the current AnOther Magazine and inside he has a fabulous chat with Jefferson Hack, about his Five Easy Lessons In How To Be A Modern Gentleman.

Here they are:

1.)You should put on the best version of yourself when you go out in the world because that is a show of respect to the other people around you.

2. A gentleman today has to work. People who do not work are so boring and are usually bored. You have to be passionate, you have to be engaged and you have to be contributing to the world.

 3. Manners are very important and actually knowing when things are appropriate. I always open doors for women, I carry their coat, I make sure that they're walking on the inside of the street. Stand up when people arrive at and leave the dinner table.

4. Don't be pretentious or racist or sexist or judge people by their background.

5. A man should never wear shorts in the city. Flip-flops and shorts in the city are never appropriate. Shorts should only be worn on the tennis court or on the beach.

Love him.

My Goodness, My Guinness (via StyleCave)

I'm in Italy today, so I have a guest blog for you from one of my absolute favorite blogs, the very, very fabulous StyleCave.

I am intrigued by Daphne Guinness, and wanted to make sure you got to see these gorgeous images, and read these lovely words...

My goodness, my Guinness!

I didn't know that she married at 19. I didn't know she had three children and i didn't know that her eldest son dated Paris Hilton. I didn't know she produced films and don't recall her childhood memories of swimming for countless hours in Salvador Dali's lobster infested pool. It seems, i don't really know anything about Daphne Guinness.

She's heiress to an aristocratic legacy- that, i do know and am fairly familiar with her unapologetic flamboyance and brashly extravagant love for couture. But what is her job title exactly? With this ambiguous fumble, I'm retreating swiftly back onto uncharted territory, questioning words such as model? socialite? stylist? designer? muse? But does it really matter? With her affluent faculty, enviable wardrobe and iconic persona, Daphne Guinness has a license to venture.

In the loosest terms i have generously branded her an "icon"; dictionarily defined as "a representation of some sacred personage". Does she follow the narrative? not strictly, but in vulgar modern ideology she is, in part, a "sacred personage". Her adherent dedication to the art of couture is not only influential but admirable at least. She devotes herself wholeheartedly to projecting a portrait of creativity, subconsciously acting as a vessel for true designing talent. 





She may fit many arguable subtitles but Daphne Guinness is NOT just a clothes-horse, despite avidly championing high fashion artistry. Alexander McQueen was among her closest friends and she would often, publicly advocate his designs and continues with the creative promotion, even after his death, leaving a lasting trail of tributes with every step she takes. Notably adding to her couture catalogue, last year she adopted the remaining entirely of Isabella Blow's wardrobe. It was an act which, at first evoked bewilderment, but is now rightfully perceived as commendable; Daphne not only strengthened her integral bond with the fashion world but, most poignantly, she heroically salvaged something which defined Issie's little dent upon the world. 


Admittedly, Daphne Guinness is no stranger to provocative commentary (many may recall an incident in which she, may or may not, have called Victoria Beckham "an ugly pig ") Nevertheless, her tabloid exploits are just a small excerpt of her unfolding biography. She's so much more than we could humanly identify with and will, undoubtedly, continue to evolve.


To be honest, i might not know much about Daphne Suzannah Diana Joan Guinness but i do know that she's open to interpretation. 

“What was so incredible about him was he could do the simplest things and the most complicated things. He was a proper genius, and that is a very overused word. If he’d done art, he would have been the best; if he’d done architecture, he would have been the best.” (Daphne on McQueen)

skyn ICELAND Detox Kit

I've been writing about them a lot lately, because skyn ICELAND is fast becoming one of my favorite skin care lines.
Skyn ICELAND is all about solutions for stressed skin, and essentially all of us fall into the stressed category.

Late for work? Idiot boss? Not sleeping enough? Traveling? Getting married? (Already married?) Not enough sunshine? Too much sunshine? Hectic commute? Boyfriend issues?... The list goes on and on, tons of reasons why a girl might be stressed, or why her skin might be suffering.

skyn ICELAND has a limited edition trial size of their fabulous Detox Kit available, and you need to get it quickly before they all sell out.

The skyn ICELAND Detox Kit gives your stressed skin a fighting chance with four products that work in harmony to turn your skin around so that it emerges fresh, clear, soft and glowing.

Inside the kit are the following:

 Glacial Face Wash
Glacial Face Wash helps relieve bumps, breakouts and irritation due to stress-related increases in hormone levels and oil production. Formulated with the purest Icelandic glacial waters and beneficial botanicals, this creamy, foaming cleanser is exceedingly mild, so it detoxifies and purifies without stripping skin of its natural moisture. Skin's harmony, balance and glow are restored.

 Arctic Face Mist

Has your frantic lifestyle led to a surge in stress-related hormones and histamines? If so, your skin may be irritated, exhausted and depleted of vital hydration and nutrients. You need relief and protection against future damage — and you need it fast.
Newly reformulated, dye-free Arctic Face Mist instantly helps calm and stabilize irritable, depleted skin with a cooling burst of natural mineral water, while fortifying it against the aging effects of free radicals and environmental stress. Powerful antioxidants and a daily dose of multivitamins for skin help energize and replenish for a radiant, healthy glow.
Perfect to spritz on travel weary skin during long flights!


The ANTIDOTE - Quenching Daily Lotion

The ANTIDOTE Quenching Daily Lotion is a lightweight hydrating lotion for chronically stressed skin. It goes on with a cooling burst to decongest, detoxify and stabilize skin, returning it to its natural fresh and healthy state. With daily use, skin is fortified and protected from the ravages of stress.

Oxygen Infusion Night Cream
Oxygen Infusion Night Cream helps replenish what stress has depleted.

Stressed-out skin can be depleted, dull, irritated, flaky, bumpy, angry, broken-out and congested.
Oxygen Infusion Night Cream is a gentle emollient formula infused with natural extracts and nurturing bioactive elements. Micro-encapsulated oxygen fortifies and energizes skin, restoring tone and texture to optimal levels. Designed to work with skin's natural renewal process, it transforms skin on the verge of a nervous breakdown to the translucent, glowing, fresh skin you crave.

These kits are fantastic to travel with, both on long haul international flights, to help you arrive looking fresh and radiant, as well as on shorter domestic flights, where your skin still takes a dehydrating, stress induced beating. The trial size detox kit is perfect to take on board with you, and even arrives in a see through pouch, ideal for they x-ray security scan.
They are the perfect gift for a bride leading up to her wedding day, or for a bride venturing out on her honeymoon, needing to decompress and sooth her skin along the way.

Actually, they are pretty much perfect for any of us making our way through a frequently stressful, environmentally polluted life.

Enjoy!

Vogue China May 2011

I swear Vogue China just kills me!!

It has become my Vogue uber obsession, my favorite of all the Vogues.

And I died again (and again) over the May 2011 issue.

Check out this beautiful shoot. Liu Wen photographed by Mark Segal, styled by Tabitha Simmons, makeup by Yumi Mori.

Divine.

OPI Femme De Cirque

Isn't she lovely??
So are the new Femme De Cirque spring nail colors, released this month.

Soft and pretty shades, beautiful with a tan, perfect accompaniment to fresh spring wardrobe colors.

Just lovely.

Vogue U.K Wedding Belles

I've been shooting bridal magazines and their covers all month, so this story in Vogue U.K caught my eye.

Whether you're a bride, hoping to be one, recently married, or just like looking at great pictures, this story is fabulous.

Its from theVogue U.K May 2011 issue,  

and features models 

Arizona Muse, 

Fei Fei Sun (what a fantastic name!) 

Krisi Pyrhonen, 

Madelene De La Motte, 

Irina Berenzina 

and Karmen Pedaru, 

shot by the amazing Mario Testino.

Gorgeous!

Divine Stephanie Johnson Ipad Case

These days at every business meeting I take, everyone pulls out their ipad, and the meetings revolve around ipad generated info. Its all quite fabulous really.

I love going out for a cappuccino and reading blogs on my ipad.

Ipads are even used to pull references on shoots.
They're everywhere and are becoming as much of a part of our lives as smartphones.

As such your ipad case becomes an important accessory.

The glamour-girl-on-the-go needs to have an ipad case that is chic, unique and stylish, fashion forward and exciting. It needs to tell the world you're on your way.

Just as a great watch or a perfect earring can be the final touch to take your look to perfection, your ipad case ties your accessory look together.

So I was super excited to find that my much obsessed over and much loved Mumbai Collection from celebrity favorite Stephanie Johnson has an ipad case!

I have many signature items from the Mumbai Collection. I love its unique look and feel. Its exotic and glamorous. It evokes a life more exciting.
People always notice anything Mumbai that gets pulled from my handbag. There are always ooohs and aaahs.

The Mumbai Collection ipad case is the final touch of fabulous.

Check it out here at Stephanie Johnson

Revolutionary New Body Care

The Future Of Body Care Unfolds

Every so often a product line comes along that can truly be defined as revolutionary.
Introducing Mirai, Japanese age defying body care for women, by women.


Japanese women are revered for their exotic bath rituals, and their beautiful, smooth complexions.
This is an age defying body care line, combining Japanese scientific research and clinically proven natural ingredients. The Japanese are not only known for their healthy culture and longevity, but also for their superior skin health.

Mirai has taken the secrets of Japanese skin care - purifying, cleansing and anti aging botanicals and introduced a body care line which includes a Purifying Body Wash, Purifying Body Serum, and  
Instantly Purifying and Cooling Body Spritzer to help minimize the signs of aging and to support beautiful, healthy skin.

Mirai, which means "new beginning" in Japanese, has developed a breakthrough APG-40 formulation which target the evolving needs of women with maturing skin, specifically addressing the most common skin care concerns which show up due to diminishing estrogen levels.

Mirai's founder and CEO, Koko Hayashi, developed this line with the Japanese lifestyle in mind, where beauty is based on good health, and comes from the inside out.
"Skin is our largest living organ that naturally rejuvenates itself. As estrogen levels decrease with age, the skin's ability to rejuvenate lessens. Mirai's products are designed to assist and boost the skin's abilities. By living naturally and using our APG formulated products the skin begins to care for itself and the benefits become evident."

Mirai's fabulous body products are available at www.MiraiClinical.com

Meanwhile, Over At Vogue India...

 

How hot is this shot of kiwi model Ashika Pratt?

All the way down to her killer cool ankle bracelet and pedi.

 

Inside the issue she goes on safari at the beautiful Sabi Sabi reserve in South Africa.

Beyond fab.

Here's a little behind the scenes movie...

Untitled from Conde Nast (India) on Vimeo.

Whats In My Makeup Bag??

I often get calls from magazines wanting quotes about whats in my personal makeup bag.
I also get tons of emails/facebook messages/twitter DMs - you name it asking me the same thing - what do I use and what do I carry around with me.

When I leave the house each morning, I don't plan on doing any repair work to my makeup, unless I have to go out that evening, so I don't carry much of the main stuff.
Lets have a look at what I do carry:

image courtesy kellycappelli.com

Starting from the bottom right.
Its really important to have a well constructed makeup bag, as this is what is going to protect all the goodies inside. Mine is from the Pink Mumbai Collection from Stephanie Johnson. I use their cosmetic travel bags when I travel too. I'm obsessed with the Mumbai collections - I love the exotic Bollywood look and feel of them.
In the top left corner you'll see I have the matching mirror. (I also have the change purse in Mumbai Pink)

Next I have a couple of badger hair Corinna B makeup brushes in case I need to powder or add bronzer, and a couple of lip brushes.
I don't change my basic makeup routine particularly often, but what I do change is my lips. I'll often change them throughout the day depending on my mood, so there is always an assortment of lip changes on board.
Generally there are a couple of different toned nude lipliners (you can modify any lip with a good nude), I always have the amazing Julie Hewett Rouge Noir lipliner with me, either so that I can pull off a totally slammin red lip, or so that I can kick some life into a more subtle color. Rouge Noir is on the "can't live without" list.
Ellis Faas lip pen/bullet in shade L207. This is a beautiful, neutral nudey pink shade that goes with everything. I love these bullet products - you wind up color from the bottom, it disperses just the right amount, and it is totally self contained.
H.Wood.Beauty lipgloss in Cabo. The color pay off with these glosses is amazing. It applies completely evenly across the lip.
NUDE Skin Care lipbalm comes in a cute little square box, is intensely moisturizing, tastes like vanilla kisses and can be used just as a lip balm, or worn with a liner for a soft effect lip.
Immediately above the lipliners I have three fab lipsticks. From right to left, Cover Girl Lip Perfection in Spellbound is a sensational, bold fuchsia, in the middle I have Mak from H.Wood.Beauty, which is a soft, creamy pink/nude, and on the left I have Something New by MAC, which is another fuchsia lip, but less bold and less blue than Spellbound. (this season I am all about fuchsia...)

Very long work days frequently morph into late nights, when there's a dinner or drinks event after a shoot, late business meetings, or even after a long day at the race track with racing beauty Jennifer Jo Cobb when we have a last minute sponsor dinner to attend. My makeup has been on sometimes since as early as 4 or 5am, and now seriously needs a little love to make me look wide awake, bright eyed and bushy tailed.

Girl's gotta have a game plan, and here's how it goes:

A spritz of skyn ICELAND Arctic Face Mist (travel size bottle) instantly refreshes and revitalizes both your skin and your makeup. It also gives your skin a mega dose of vitamins, so instead of looking tired out and beat up, it looks gorgeous.
skyn ICELAND Icelandic Relief Eye Cream pen. I dab some of this under my eyes. Its instantly cooling and refreshing as well as hydrating. The first place on our face to show exhaustion is under the eyes, this product is a high speed remedy. And it feels amazing.
Ellis Faas concealer bullet. Next step is adding back in some under eye color. This product smooths on over existing makeup, knocks out any blue/grays that are appearing under the eye, and makes you look rested.
Standing upright on the top row is the Ellis Faas milky eyeshadow bullet in shade E109. This is a beautiful vanilla with a slight sheen to it.I put a little around the inner corner of my eye and into the lower lash line. This instantly wakes the eye up, and makes you look fresh and alert.

Below the Arctic Mist bottle I have an eyeliner pencil and a deep aubergine eyeshadow with a
taklon liner brush from my Corinna B makeup brush line. Using black around your eyes when you're already tired will just drag your eye down, but a deep aubergine will give you depth through the lashline and will make your eye color pop like crazy. I use the taklon liner brush to buff and smudge the eyeshadow, making it into a soft, smoldery liner.

I have Makeup Forever Duo Mat in shade 209 in case I need powder or foundation repair, and normally just one piece of cheek makeup. Shown here are Nars The Multiple in Cadaques (hot pink), Copacabana (a high shimmer) and H.Wood.Beauty cream blush in Snapdragon.
Cream blushes are my absolute favorite thing. They give a round glow to the cheek, and don't sit on the surface of the skin like a powder bush does.

So there you have it - the makeup items that go in my handbag, and get me through pretty much anything life throws my way :)