LOVE YOU! Kate Moss for Vogue Brazil

Kate Moss

shot by Mario Testino

for Vogue Brazil

May 2011

She simply does not know

how not to be

completely fabulous.

Pack Your Bags - Its Travel Season!

Travel season is gloriously upon us once again, so the girl on the go has to start creating a plan for what to pack in order to look uber fab on vacation.

If she's about to board a plane this summer, she needs an even better plan than before, as the cost of checking bags, and overweight baggage is higher than ever, cutting into both shopping dollars and valuable suitcase real estate to bring said shopping back home.

So.

Lets tackle skin care first.

No matter how slick you are with a makeup brush, you'll not be looking super sensational if your skin is hurting underneath, which means you need a door to door skincare roadmap.

I pack everything down into small, travel sized pots and bottles. The only full sized item I take is facial SPF.

I pack them into the clear removable bag inside my Stephanie Johnson ML Traveler cosmetic bag.

ML Traveler in Mumbai Buff

It snaps out and goes onboard with me, (the clear bag is perfect for airport security), then snaps back in when I get to my hotel.

Don't do a long haul flight with makeup on if you can possibly do without it. Your foundation won't be looking even partially decent when you land anyway, so either wear none, or take it off during the flight.

SkynICELAND Glacial Cleansing Cloths are super convenient to carry, and don't need water to activate.

Also from skynICELAND I take a travel sized Arctic Face Mist. This is not only super refreshing when you're up there in that stale, recirculating air, but its also choc full of vitamins and antioxidants.I spritz it on throughout the flight.

Your body loses a glass of water for each hour that you are cruising at 35 000 feet, so it stands to reason that your skin will get extra dehydrated when you fly, especially on long trips.
I carry an extra hydrating facial cream or lotion onboard with me. This past trip I used skynICELAND Oxygen Infusion Night Cream, which was in the detox kit I got a few weeks ago.

I have also used Cream de la Mer (when I can afford it) and Clarins Multi Active Day Cream.

Your eye area needs some inflight loving too. I swear by the skynICELAND Icelandic Relief Eye Pen. Its perfect for travel. (I also keep one in my handbag at home for touch ups when workdays get long)

Sound like I'm talking up a lot of skynICELAND??
skynICELAND is a line entirely devoted to solutions for stressed skin, perfect for the traveling girl, as just by getting on that plane, your skin is s.t.r.e.s.s.i.n.g.
Stressed out skin ages quickly and makes you look beat up and tired. Who needs that??
And for high speed results, you cannot beat their products.

When I land in whatever country I've just flown to, I get to my hotel and pull out one more slice of skynICELAND magic, multiples of which are in all my travel bags, my makeup cases, and are always instock in my bathroom cabinet for the serious intervention: Hydro Cool Firming Eye Gels.

10 minutes with the eye gels on and you are converted from worn out into fabulous. The skin around your eyes is firmed, mega hydrated, and plumped up, making you look youthful (yay!), wide awake (even when you are jet lagged to the point of delirium), de-stressed, and makeup will glide on like a dream.

Jet lagged skin needs an extra boost of excitement to get it glowing, so I use Nickel Day Spa Morning After Rescue Gel.

This was originally designed for men to use when they had boogied too hard the night before a big work day, but its just as fantastic for the girl with places to go!
Full of boosters like menthol and caffeine, it quite literally wakes your skin up, and makes it look refreshed and vital.

(I always use this on clients for early morning breakfast TV appearances too. Its magic!)










If you're going somewhere humid, make sure you pack a facial wash to cleanse with. A milky cleanser can compound the issues your skin will be fighting with extra oli production and sweat. Humid climes need lightweight moisturizers, in drier places your skin needs an extra moisture boost.

Lastly make sure you pack a mask to get you out of trouble. In humidity you may need a deep cleansing mask to keep you from breaking out, in dry climates you may need exfoliating and hydrating masks. If you can't pick them up in trial sizes, pack them down into travel sized jars.

Bon Voyage!

The Red Bag

...and such was the POWER of the Handbag of Glory, that ladies wept when they saw it and those who TOUCHED it went straight to HEAVEN...


After the endless fun I had last season with my Russian Silver Fox (faux) fur bag from Rebirth Bags, I was at a loss for what to do for a replacement statement bag for the summer. The fur bag was becoming too hot to wear in the desert, but I wanted another bag that would really stand out, and that was constructed in the same vein.

Tracey Martin from Rebirth Bags came back to my rescue with the fabulous Red Malibu Hobo bag.

Cinghiale! With jewelry designer Michelle Mirkovich of Divinity Jewelry

This bag comes in a variety of shades, styles and finishes, with her trademark 2 1/2 inch wide leather shoulder strap, which not only supports the load of an overfilled bag (mine always are), but disperses and evens out the weight across your shoulder, so you don't have straps cutting into your skin.
The bags are made from rugs imported from India, each having its own detail and intricacies. I am obsessed with south and southeast asian cultures, so just hearing the story of the rugs made me have to have one.
The soft champagne suede lining interior has perfect pockets for cell phones and such, as well as a large zippered inside pocket on the opposite side.

They have finishes such as Fleur de Lis, antique crosses and peace signs in leather in the lower corner.

Grocery shopping in Cortona.  

On the menu? Tuscan flat bread with olive oil and sea salt, a chunk of pecorino al tartufo, salad and Sangiovese...

And they cause a scene.
Everywhere I go, and I do mean everywhere, I get stopped and asked about my bag.
In LAX I got stopped four times between security and my gate.
On Air France my gorgeous flight attendant put it on and walked around, loving all over it.
And in Italy, home to the fabulous bag, I got asked about it everywhere I went.

 

My work uniform is typically all black, or jeans and a white T,so I'm always looking for that one statement piece that lifts it and makes it interesting. 

As much as I love my Louis', right now they are everywhere, leaving you to blend in somewhat, just like a wallflower.

Rebirth Bags by Tracey Martin are not in stores yet, but you can find out more by clicking this link to their Facebook Page, (Facebook.com/Rebirth Handbags By Tracey Martin)

Doutzen Kroes Nieman Marcus Ad Campaign

Oh and just how fabulous is this???

Beautiful Doutzen Kroes

shot by Joshua Jordan

for the

Nieman Marcus Ad Campaign.

the perfect party dress

Do you love this coat and turtleneck?

O.M.G.

What would I not give up for this jacket??

I would wear it everywhere.

I would find cold places to go

just for the sake of this jacket.

And I too

would wear 

black nails.

Four Best Facial SPF Products

Just as your wardrobe has its classic, go to pieces - your killer black pants, fabulous nude slingbacks, perfectly cut blazer,

your skin care wardrobe has its must have, year round pieces too.

The most important of which

is your facial SPF.

Nothing ages you more quickly or more savagely than the sun.

Not worried about aging?

image courtesy of dezyne.de

Well, basal cell carcinomas and melanomas being removed from your face,

leaving holes and scars should have you worried.

Its not worth the grief,

just use a good facial SPF every day, 

and be done with it.

Now for those of you who have already tried some of the facial SPFs out there

and suffered through subsequent clogged pores and breakouts,

shiny skin and makeup that won't stay on,

or if you're new to the facial SPF market

here are my top four facial SPF products to try.

These all give major sun protection

don't clog your pores

and won't mess with your makeup.

My personal favorite, worn everyday of the year is

Neutrogena Dry Touch SPF 85 with helioplex.

I go for the highest SPF possible, just for the extra length of protection.

I have mad love for La Roche-Posay Athelios SPF 60

This one is big time recommended by dermatologists and plastics doctors

for patients who have had lazer/glycolics/ any big resurfacing done.

It is super skin friendly and very lightweight.

Its actually the SPF I carry in my pro makeup kit to use on clients when we're shooting outdoors,

on beaches, by the water etc.

Its fantastic.

NIA 24 Sun Damage Prevention SPF 30 

is another dermatologist recommended product.

It has the highest available UVA shield (UVA = aging, UVB = burning)

and pro niacin to speed cell turnover and diminish the appearance of fine lines and hyperpigmentation.

Clarins is a fabulous skin care line that I am falling in love with all over again

after Air France gave me a collection of their products.

The Clarins UV + HP Multi Protection Day Screen SPF 40

not only gives great protection, but also mattifies the skin, almost like a primer.

Mineral filters and plant polymers absorb oil and protect the skin while fighting greasiness.

It also has a potent antioxidant to fight off free radicals.

...and don't forget, whichever product you use needs to be applied liberally, everyday.

Make sure you get your neck, ears and decollete too!

Vogue Nippon - The Look Says It All

Vogue Nippon May 2011

Karmen Pedaru models the story "The Look Says It All"

Wearing Gucci and Prada (amongst others)

Photographed by Giampaolo Sgura

Is she not just fabulous???

Love it.

Mon Reve, La Folie Douce Des Nuances de Gris

... and when I'm too tired to find words

and when I'm too tired to breathe

I seek solace in black and white

via Frozen Fingertips...