How To Get Your Hair Ready For Fall - The 3 C's

There is no time like the end of summer

to take drastic measures to rehab the hairdo.

image L'Oreal of Paris

After a long hot summer of taking a beating from sand and surf,

sea water and chlorine, hot air and air conditioning,

and the burning, damaging rays themselves,

your hair (and believe me, mine) needs some serious TLC

to take it into autumn.

Which, by the way, with the advent of the glorious 

September issues, is the equivalent of the New Year in fashion.

And hair TLC is all about the 3 C's.

1. Make The Cut

This is the time of the year to get drastic.

End the summer/start the fall not with the usual little trim, but with the big cut. Have your stylist take off all the damaged, trashed out hair - everything that he/she tells you needs to go.

Hanging on to the old, beat up tresses does you no favors, it just looks bad. Going a bit shorter than you planned can be nerve wracking, but it will grow back quickly, and will look far more luscious.

2. Changing The Color.

Everyone's color needs reworking at the end of summer. 

I'm a firm believer that every single head of hair benefits from color, with the exception perhaps of natural blue blacks and natural white blondes.

Linda Evangelista baby beige blonde

At the end of summer blondes that have become too brassy or too iridescent need toning down. Platinums and high blondes look better converted to more autumnal blondes.

Reds can add some deeper low lights, brownies also benefit from toning and adding chestnuts and lowlights. 

Everybody wins with color.

Your best bet is to go see your colorist and get some ideas. 

Freewheeling it with a box of color from the drugstore seldom works out that well.

3. Conditioning

There are a myriad of conditioning treatments available, from in salon processes to at home masks.

The trick is to get the right product or treatment for your specific hair type and needs. You don't want to weigh your hair down too much, or leave it feeling greasy. If you have thick hair or coarse hair you need products that pack an extra punch. 

Plenty of hair products don't penetrate the hair shaft and literally just run down the drain, while others can coat the hair and leave it looking and feeling dirty.

Ask your hairstylist to recommend the best product or service to refresh, rejuvenate and revitalize your hair.

Victoria Beckham Covers Harpers Bazaar Singapore September Issue

If I were Vogue Australia

I would be majorly bummed out right now.

In my opinion anyway,

Harpers Bazaar Singapore just dealt it to them,

pac rim style,

with their own, super sonic Victoria Beckham 

September issue cover.

Just check out how hot she looks,

all mussed up hair and smoldering eyes

in her burgundy hued rubber dress.

Victoria Beckham covers Harpers Bazaar Singapore September 2013

Photographed by Ellen Von Unwerth,

Vicky B shows her more playful side

in this lingerie inspired shoot.

I wish I had the hair and makeup credits for this one,

because whoever did this

was right on point.

Victoria Beckham Harpers Bazaar Singapore September 2013

Victoria Beckham Harpers Bazaar Singapore September 2013

Overhaul Your Makeup Bag For The New Season

There's no time quite like the end of one season and the beginning of the next to overhaul your makeup bag.

Don't you just love this picture??

image from Short Is The New Black

If you follow this blog you'll know that for years now I've only used makeup bags from Stephanie Johnson, 

both for traveling, and also to tote around in my handbag. 

So as I'm prepping my Stephanie Johnson makeup bag for fall,

 here are some of the key items that will be making the cut.

Today I'm focusing on the eyes.

First up, a really good eye shadow primer. 
I am a big fan of the Lorac Behind The Scenes Eye Primer,
as well as the Nars eye primer.
Both of these are in my pro kit, and either or both wind up in my personal stash too.
An eye shadow primer is going to help your eye shadow to go on more smoothly, keep the color true, stop it from balling up and creasing, and keep it on all day.





Next is a luminizer.
Makeup Forever Uplight is one of my "go to" products for all kinds of quick fixes. You only need the tiniest amount as it is super concentrated, but it is a fabulous way to wake the skin up and make it look revitalized.
a tiny dab at the uppermost point on the cheekbone and the bridge of the nose can actually brighten the eye (if the surrounding skin is looking dull).
If you're looking sleep deprived, mixing a dot of it with your concealer can restore vibrancy under the eye.
But be careful: adding shimmer where you have fine lines and wrinkles just accentuates said fine lines and wrinkles...

A good eye shadow palette.
I prefer to buy an empty palette and make my own, as the pre-made ones in the stores are frequently too sparkly, and have some pretty cracked-out colors you'll never use.
Build your palette with matte shades - you build your eye with matte shadows. Add in a shimmer shadow for effect and a dark shadow for lining.

A Gel Cream Liner
When in doubt - wing it.
You can add polish to your look with a defined lash line. It doesn't have to be high drama or over the top. An accentuated lashline with a slight lift at the tail can be super flattering to all. Just play around with it first, and find your ideal  thickness and shape.

Last but by no means least, max out your lashes with a really killer mascara.

Find one that is ideal for your lash needs - do you need to lengthen or define? Thicken or build?
If you're not planning on swimming or sobbing 86 the waterproof in lieu of water resistant - far kinder to the lashes.
Know that most of the magic in a mascara is in the wand, so find a mascara with a wand to meet your needs.
Personally I'm still a Diorshow Blackout girl. I like to build huge, thick, dynamic lashes.
Be ready to toss your mascara as soon as it starts to get a little on the dry side. Crumbling, flaky mascara does no one any favors. 

Magdalena Jasek For L'Officiel Netherlands

Of course I love fiery red hair. 

Madly.

And I just adore it paired with pink.

In fact it was my summer combo.

L'Officiel Netherlands Cover

 The latest issue of L'Officiel Netherlands 

has the two in a pretty hot coupling

via the lens of Jonas Bresnan

and ginger haired polish model Magdalena Jasek

Think Pink, L'Officiel Netherlands

Think Pink, L'Officiel Netherlands

Think Pink, L'Officiel Netherlands

Think Pink! L'Officiel Netherlands

Think Pink! L'Officiel Netherlands

Think Pink L'Officiel Netherlands

all images via FGR

Michelle Williams Louis Vuitton Campaign A/W 13

I can't decide if it's the clarity of her perfect, perfect skin,

or that incredible scarlet lip

that's killing me more,

but I am so completely enthralled with Michelle Williams

new campaign for Louis Vuitton.

Michelle Williams Louis Vuitton Campaign

Close Up hair and makeup, Michelle Williams Louis Vuitton  Campaign

Michelle Williams Louis Vuitton Campaign 

These beautiful images were shot by Peter Lindberg,

and focus on two new handbags, the W and the Capucines.

Williams' gorgeous, choppy hair is the work

of stylist Sam McKnight,

and that completely amazing makeup

was executed by the one and only Stephane Marais.

Louis Vuitton Campaign, Michelle Williams

Michelle Williams Louis Vuitton Campaign

Michelle Williams Louis Vuitton Campaign

Michelle Williams Louis Vuitton Campaign

Michelle Williams Louis Vuitton Campaign

Check out the bts video below:

Victoria Beckham Cover Vogue Australia September 2013

Vogue Australia has Victoria Beckham on the cover

of it's coveted September issue.

Have I mentioned lately that I adore her??

Victoria Beckham Cover Vogue Australia September 2013

Wearing Louis Vuitton, and lensed by Boo George,

Vicky B looks lovely as ever.

I love that she has always been able to hold her own.

That in light of the fact that she could have sat back

and enjoyed the money she made from the Spice Girls phenom,

lived happily ever after just being the wife 

of perhaps the greatest soccer player ever,

she opted instead to create something of her own

and push it to the level that Vogue calls it

 "one of the best celebrity fashion lines".

Anyone who has ever worked around fashion

knows how hard it is for a designer to even be considered relevant,

let alone to be highly sought after and have longevity.

And although I don't know her myself, I just love the fact that without exception, every single person I have ever known who has ever worked with her, both here and in Europe just loves her.

Apparently she is just hilarious.

Eva Lauren for Next Level Magazine

While I was in Italy this summer,

this swimwear editorial came out

in Next Level Magazine.

We shot it shortly before I left,

but I only just saw the editorial recently.

Eva Lauren, Next Level Magazine

Model Eva Lauren was the joy of joys to work with,

and I just adore adore adore photographer Kyle Goldie.

Hairstylist Drew Noreen exclusively uses Oribe hair products,

so every shoot we are on together smells like heaven.

I make a point of finding my way downwind of his hairspray.

And face it - what's not to love about spending your days

shooting on a beach??

Eva Lauren By Kyle Goldie for Next Level Magazine

Eva Lauren by Kyle Goldie for Next Level Magazine

Eva Lauren by Kyle Goldie for Next Level Magazine

Eva Lauren By Kyle Goldie for Next Level Magazine

Eva Lauren by Kyle Goldie for Next Level Magazine

Once again my name was spelled incorrectly in the credits,

but if I had a dime for every time my credit wasn't spelled right

in the past 20+ years,

well, I would be a girl with a lot of dimes.

xo