Scarlett Johansson For Dolce and Gabbana PassionEyes

So what if she looks photoshopped within an inch of her life??

I don't care.

She's in Taormina.

Perhaps my favorite place on earth.

And she is surrounded by all things Sicilian.

Love it.

Scarlett Johansson Passioneyes Campaign

Scarlett Johansson for Dolce and Gabbana's Passoneyes mascara

by Tom Munro.

Peak Condition ~ Holly Rose For Harpers Bazaar Australia

Holly Rose poses for photographer Simon Upton

in this alpine story shot in my homeland (New Zealand)

for the September 2013 issue of Harpers Bazaar Australia.

Holly Rose Harpers Bazaar Australia

Are those not just the most sensational lips you ever saw???

Peak Condition

Peak Condition, Harpers Bazaar Australia

Peak Condition, Harpers Bazaar Australia

How To Wear The New Season's Bold Lip Colors

Bright, bold, commanding lip colors can be overwhelming to wear.

Dior Rouge Lipstick via Harpers Bazaar.com

If you normally wear nudes/neutrals/soft hued lip colors

a bold lip can be downright scary.

But bold, bright colors can be super flattering.

They give you an instant "wow" factor,

turn a tired girl into a vibrant girl,

are youthful and fun,

they make you sparkle,

and are a super quick way to look totally pulled together.

If you're wearing a bright lip the rest of your makeup can be dialed down, so they also make getting ready a speedy assignment. 

Michelle Williams spectacular red lip in the new Louis Vuitton campaign

With a new breed of luscious saturated and not too shiny shades of red, fuchsia and pink hitting the market, now is a great time to venture out of your comfort zone and take a walk on the bright side.

There are a few tricks to nailing this look though,

so let's take a look at how to wear the new season's bold lip colors.

Beautiful, bold lip

1. Know Your Undertone

Try on some different shades at the cosmetic counter. See if you look better with a blue undertone or a more coral undertone.

Most of us look good in pink, so find your perfect pink and then look at other shades with that same undertone.

Smelling a good sale, the girls behind the counter will fall all over themselves to help you!

2.Condition Your Lips

Dry, chapped, flaky lips don't look particularly enticing at the best of times, and look especially bad with a bold lip color.

Gently exfoliate your lips and hydrate with a good lip balm a decent amount of time before doing your lips.

Immediately prior to applying your lipstick, gently blot your lips to remove any surface slipperiness.

3. Bounce The Light

If you have a smaller or thinner upper lip you can make it look more fleshy by popping a tiny amount of luminizer or highlighter just into the top of the cupid's bow, and then blending it in with your finger. Light will hit it and bounce off, making your lip look fuller and slightly bitten.

4. Line Your Lips

With a bold lip statement you need a defined lip shape. Either use a pencil that matches your lipstick, or use a nude pencil that matches your skin.

If you are going to build the lip by going outside the natural lip line, trace the liner back inside the lip prior to reaching the corners of your mouth - otherwise you look like you have food stuck there.

5. Use A Lipbrush

A lip brush presses the lipstick into your lip, and allows for precision when defining your lip shape.

Apply the first coat, blot, and apply a second coat.

6. Minimize The Rest Of Your Makeup

With a bold lip you generally want to soften the rest of your look.

Let the bright lip color make the statement for you. Keep your eye makeup neutral but defined, give the cheeks a soft bronzy glow and define the brow to keep your look balanced.

7. Whiten Your Teeth

A bright lip needs white teeth. Keep your teeth polished up and gleaming white to get the maximum out of your look.  

Erika Palkovicova for EMMA Magazine

I'm always a sucker for glowing, luminous skin.

No matter what the model is wearing,

no matter what the hair is doing,

no matter what else is going on makeup-wise,

without a gorgeous complexion you have nothing.

Erika Palkovicova for Emma Magazine

So I just loved this editorial is Slovakia's EMMA magazine.

Model Erika Palkovicova's skin just looks divine.

Shot by Branislav Simoncik.

Makeup and Hair Trends From NYFW Spring 2014

I just finished one of the most insane work weeks ever, and consequently missed the bulk of New York Fashion Week. As much as I wanted to track it all in real time, shooting til midnight everyday got the better of me, so now I'm doing some high speed recapping, tracking both NYFW and now LFW.

Anyway, here are some of the hair and makeup trends that look interesting for spring of 2014:







1. Wet hair.
Seen both as a glam option,and a grungy one, slicked back, wet hair will make getting out the door on time a whole lot easier.















2. Thin blue eyeliner.

Francois Nars did this at Marc Jacobs. Doesn't it look refreshing?
Have to wonder why the Marc Jacobs show didn't use the new Marc Jacobs makeup line?
Regardless, this could be a fun trend for spring.











3. Iridescent Skin with Tangerine Lips

I loved the iridescent skin and tangerine lips at Rag and Bone.
Skin looked alive and quasi futuristic, offset by the bold yet fresh lip.









The tangerine lip was also front and center at Prabal Garung.










4. The Low Ponytail

I loved this at Jason Wu. Across the board designers were showing variations on the low ponytail, from the center part at Wu, to soft and easy at Christain Siriano, sleek at Victoria Beckham and smooth and simple at Altuzarra

5. Metallic Eyes

The Nars team created fresh, metallic lids at Carmen Marc Valvo,
a trend spotted at other designers including Jason Wu, Charlotte Ronson and Prabal Garung.

Marine Deleeuw For Vogue Japan September 2013

There is so much that I love about this editorial in

the September 2013 issue of Vogue Japan.

Marine Deleeuw for Vogue Japan

The wardrobe is really interesting.

The simplicity yet total elegance of the hair and makeup,

the beauty in the spareness of the photography.

Photographer Stephen Pan

Model Marine Deleeuw

Stylist Vanessa Traina

Hair Rudi Lewis

Makeup Romy Soleimani

Dressing In Black And White

How To Wear Highlighter

Gisele Bundchen  highlighter

Highlighter is one of those fabulous makeup products that can completely transform a face, making it radiate light and youth. 

You can use it to make individual features glisten, or to create the illusion of completely brightening the entire complexion. 

It's magic.

But unfortunately it is also one of those products (like bronzer) that gets horrifically misused and abused.

So here is a cheat sheet with 4 tricks for mastering highlighter.






1. Keep it to one product

Jennifer Lopez WearingHighlighter

Don't use highlighter and pair it up with a glossy lip and shimmery eyeshadow. Choose one gleaming product, and keep the others neutral.

2. For Just A Hint of Luminosity
Apply a hint of liquid luminizer such as MAC Strobe Liquid Lotion to the cheekbones, temples and bridge of the nose prior to applying your foundation. This will bring out a subtle glow to the skin from underneath. Light will radiate from your complexion without making you look shiny or oily.

3. For A Soft Sheen
If your skin is looking lifeless or dull and needs a little more help to achieve a subtle glow, mix a few drops of liquid luminizer with a few drops of foundation. Using a duo fiber brush, swirl the product across the tops of the cheeks, the bridge of the nose and the center of the forehead. Apply foundation alone with a duo fiber brush to the other areas of the face, swirling it into the borders of the areas you just worked on so that it blends seamlessly. Your complexion will come alive and look radiant, without looking oily or shiny.

4. For A High Shine
Add a liquid or cream highlighter to the cheekbones, cupid's bow and eyelids as the final step in your makeup application. This will give you a really radiant shine, and the boldest effect of them all.
If you are using a powder product make sure the particles are really refined. Anything with larger particles will make the complexion look glittery.