Sofya Titova For Gioia Magazine

Ciao tutti!

I'm in Italy for a while.

I love all the magazines that I find here

that I never see stateside.

This editorial is from a magazine called Gioia.

Model Sofya Titova

working some very ladylike glam

as seen by photographer Alice Rosati,

sun drenched against the bluest of Italian skies.

Stylist Amelianna Loiacono 

puts her in retro inspired creations from  

Prada, Marc Jacobs and Louis Vuitton,

hair by Alexandry Costa

makeup by Luciano Chiarello.

How To Pack Your Makeup When You Travel

Going somewhere fun this summer?

Travel season is upon us again, and as always I have

tons of inquiries from clients and readers

about how to pack their makeup and skincare products

for vacation travel, business travel

or for their honeymoon.

beautiful Sorrento in Italy

So this season I am running a series of posts all about what to pack

and how to pack it.

I travel all the time, both internationally and domestically,

 for work and for play, so I have this down to a science, and

my travel bags are always packed and ready to go.

Cabo San Lucas

Before you even begin, you need to decide what you are packing your products into.

Rather than squashing your products into bags that don't support them, or that crush when weight is put on top of them, it is crucial that you use travel bags that hold your skincare and makeup products securely, help separate them from each other,

and have you arrive to your destination with all your goodies in their original condition.

A few years ago I was introduced to a line of travel cosmetic and toiletry bags that have become an absolute celebrity favorite. 

They combine a compartmentalized design that lends itself to a heightened sense of order, with a strong, well built structure, and an undeniably chic sense of style.

 They are from Stephanie Johnson (StephanieJohnson.com)

I have written about Stephanie Johnson cosmetic and toiletry bags before, as I have used them on all my travels for years.

They are so beautiful that magazines everywhere feature them. 

Home Accents Today Magazine

Brides magazine

Jezebel Magazine

I have a few different Stephanie Johnson sets - they are so beautiful they are worth collecting! 

This year I am traveling with the  

Stephanie Johnson Jenny Train Case 

from the Cyprus Collection.

This case combines a sturdy rectangular shape that allows me to stack and organize all skin care and makeup products.

It has a removable clear pouch that goes on-board my flight with me, carrying the essentials that I need with me when I fly.

The pouch itself is not only well constructed and strong, thus protecting my products, but also is perfect for airport security screening. 

A matching hand mirror secures inside with a snap fastener.

When I arrive at my destination the pouch snaps back into the main case, keeping all my makeup organized and in one place.

The Jenny train case also has straps to secure makeup brushes, pencils etc and a handle to carry it with.

And on top of everything else, it looks incredibly chic!

Wander in style...

Pictured below, 

model Ashley Black (rep Ford RBA) 

photographed by Kelly Cappelli  

on location at the Hotel Valley Ho in Scottsdale.

Styled by Leah Michelle 

in vintage pieces from Vintage By Misty.

Tosseled, bedroom hair by Katie Hardison 

 makeup by Corinna Cooke

image by Kelli Cappelli

 Pictured Stephanie Johnson Jenny train case, Aptiva single use face masks

Melissa Tammerijn for Vogue Russia May 2012

Good lord those legs just don't quit!

In the Vogue Russia May 2012 issue

photographer Jason Kibbler shoots

ultra leggy model Melissa Tammerijn

in a shorts strong story,

endless thighs and high heels,

dressed to kill by stylist Elizabeth Sulcer

in designers including Cavalli, Givenchy, Versace and Sergio Rossi.

Makeup by Benjamin Puckey

Hair by Teddy Charles

Angela Lindvall for Harpers Bazaar Turkey

Bet it all on black.

In the May 2012 issue of Harpers Bazaar Turkey

photographer Koray Birand

essays model Angela Lindvall

in sexy, steamy, powerhouse black.

Styled by Mahizer Aytas,

Lindvall is all smouldering attitude in designers including

Dolce and Gabbana, Jil Sander and Celine.

Slicked back, no frills hair by Ali Yilanci

offset by a structured, precision, plum lip

by makeup artist Lisa Storey,

this girl is not one to be trifled with...

Love.

Johnny Vagabond Goes To Antigua

I love reading travel blogs.
They prepare me for the next adventure, or give me ideas for a new one.
I knew that a blog named Johnny Vagabond just had to be fascinating.
And it is.
I'm hooked.

Check out what he got up to in Antigua:

Photos: Antigua’s Alfombras, the Beautiful Sacred Carpets of Semana Santa

April 20, 2012 · 14 comments

No one celebrates Easter quite like they do in Antigua. For the month of Lent, processions march through the streets each Sunday, carrying massive platform with statues of Christ and the Virgin Mary. But the real fun begins the Sunday before Easter, when local families and business begin creating alfombras, intricate carpets made out of dyed sawdust, grass, flowers and vegetables. It’s an incredible (and fleeting) sight.


For days and days, people are busy dyeing sawdust — first it’s run through a screen to weed out the rough bits. Then small bags of dye are added and it’s stirred by hand. The color is adjusted as needed and this takes some skill — a seemingly green dye was added to a fresh batch and the mixer explained that the final product would be purple. I was doubtful but he proved right in the end.


The majority of alfombras are created with the use of intricately-carved plywood stencils. I asked the manager of my hotel, Yellow House, whether these were traditional patterns passed down through the family or if each alfombra was different. She explained that they save the stencils each year but that each carpet is unique, mixing and matching designs from the past or being created entirely from scratch.
I do have to give a hearty recommendation for Yellow House in Antigua — I stayed there two weeks over two visits and found it to be the friendliest, cleanest place I stayed in all of Guatemala. The free breakfast was great, showers hot (without being deadly) and the patio had a view of all the volcanos. [Full disclosure -- they did trade me three nights stay for a mention, but I wouldn't have stayed there 2 weeks if I didn't think it was a good value.] I can’t wait to go back.


The amount of detail that people managed to coax from sawdust and sand was stunning. I especially like the one with tiny penitents carrying an anda (wooden platform) and about to walk across an alfrombra of their own.
And that’s their fate — these beautiful, amazingly-detailed carpets have life spans of just a few hours. After being finished, cared for and admired by the crowds, they will soon be trod upon by a procession of thousands of worshipers.



Sawdust wasn’t the only material of choice, however. Many alfrombas were created from large blankets of grass, covered in flowers, fruits and other natural goodies. Some of the most popular carpets, judging from the huge crowds that hovered nearby, where made entirely of fruits and vegetables. The one you see here was at least 50 feet long and 10 feet wide — 500 square feet of fresh produce, stacked high and awaiting destruction.



This goes on for days and most groups will build several alfrombas over the course of the week. But the big night is the Thursday before Good Friday, when everyone stays up most of the night to assemble the most intricate, flamboyant carpets you can imagine. They race through the night to finish their creations before the procession rolls through in the early morning and destroys it all. Thankfully, the hotel provided snacks, coffee and rum to keep us going through the night.



And when the procession rolls through, you’d best step away. Thousands of hooded penitents roam the street with 80 of them carrying a 5,000 pound anda, moving lock-step through the cobblestone streets. A band follows close behind and more thousands of pilgrims, penitents, families and tourists follow in their wake. It’s a wave of humanity.


And after they’ve all passed by, a small crew of men scrape up the remains and shovel them into a small bulldozer that follows the procession. Within moments, the street is clean with only a few splashes of colorful dye showing that anything happened here at all.

Follow the Johnny Vagabond blog at JohnnyVagabond.com
Find him on twitter @JohnnyVagabond
Make sure that when you go to his website you read his completely fantastic Crazy Stories section
And join him on Facebook at Facebook/Johnny Vagabond

Marcelina Sowa for Grazie UK

Back to the desert again,

this time into the searing white hot sun

of the Vietnamese desert

for Grazie UK May 2012.

Polish model Marcelina Sowa

looks like a desert gypsy queen 

as she rules the sands in giant jewels, 

and a black, white and gold palette

from designers including Givenchy by Riccardo Tisci, 

Moschino, Roberto Cavalli, 

Dolce and Gabbana and Valentino

as styled by Andrew Holden.

Nam Vo creates a dramatic Beyond Thunderdome-esque makeup

which pairs beautifully with Dennis Fei's windblown locks.

Photographed by Kevin Sinclair

Nomad Royalty