Friday, September 30, 2011

Tom Ford's 10 Beauty Commandments

I love Tom Ford. 
To pieces.

This fall he is rolling out a complete makeup collection (after the teaser of his lipstick collection, launched last summer).
Quite apart from the fact that anything attached to his name rewrites the book on fabulous, this collection is extra exciting because Tom Ford Beauty is not about looking natural or sporty. Its about full on, banging, glamorous, hot damn you're fierce, fabulous beauty. He likes a girl who looks like she's wearing makeup.
Did I mention I love him??

So anyway, Vogue Magazine's September Issue did a story on the Ford Face, and his 10 Beauty Commandments, and it is just too good to pass up. So if you didn't read every page of the September issue, these 10 Commandments are for you!

Tom Ford's 10 Beauty Commandments

1.You don't need sleep to look radiant.
I'm taking his word on this one.
Tom Ford traceless foundation stick and finishing powder used in moderation takes out any under eye shadows and discoloration.
~Typically I think powder under the eyes makes you look older and more sleep deprived. 
But he's Tom Ford. So I'm rolling with it....

2.Get a dressing table
I'm with him here. Makeup shouldn't be applied on the subway or in the car. Ever. Treat it as an event, respect yourself - even if its a 10 minute application, give it its own time and space. She who puts effort in looks better for it.

3. Manners Maketh Makeup
Tom Ford is famously old fashioned about putting your face on in public. He says take all touch ups to the powder room, unless you have a gorgeous hand, a gorgeous compact and totally gorgeous mannerisms.
Isn't he just gorgeous???

~again I differ here. Lip touch ups are OK in my book so long as your modus operandi has a little flair and a touch of fab...

4. Makeup is the new "It" bag
Quoting from the article " you can take a little black dress" explains Ford "and put on 20's makeup or 30's makeup or 70's makeup and that dress becomes totally different"

5.Thou Shalt Wear Full On Color For Evening.


I. Love. Him. So.
Tom Ford Beauty has every shade a fabulous girl needs to look sensational at night. Sexy nudes, glamour reds, moody plums, midnight blues and titanium blacks. Everything can be layered up to create a dynamic, modern face. Tom Ford Beauty is not about being a wallflower, its about walking into a room and letting the world know you have arrived. It is confidence, sexuality and seduction.

6. If You Don't Have A Long Neck, Draw It.
You can create any face shape you want by using his Shade and Illuminate palette, a compact containing a brightening "lifting" cream and a darker "sculpting" cream. Ford says you can even create a jawline like Linda Evangelista's with this product.

~Pro makeup artists contour their clients to the nth degree - no reason why you shouldn't use the technique on yourself. Trust me - you'll never look back...

7.Change Your Eyebrows - Avoid Plastic Surgery
Ford (like me) is eyebrow obsessed.
He believes eyebrows are the one thing you can dramatically change on your face without going under the knife. I agree wholeheartedly.
His Brow Sculptor lets you get a sharper angle on your brow.

~The best way to open and lift your face (think youthful gorgeous) is via your brows

8. Old Hollywood Glamour Is The Best Hollywood Glamour
~ Find your most amazing look, and stick to it. Don't try and look like everyone else. Find your best you, and work it!

9. Bitter Bitch Is The New Vamp
Just about the sexiest chocolate brown nail color ever seen.
Ford has given his colors the sexiest names! Bitter Bitch and Viper nails, Love Lust cheeks, Black Orchid lips.

10 Its Chic To Wear Jeans And A T Shirt And Be Made Up
Damn straight.
Ford says the coolest 20 somethings that work in his London office strut in each day in high street clothes and immaculate makeup. They want to be fun, fabulous and glamorous.


source: most of this post was very liberally lifted from Plum Sykes fabu-article in Vogue, September 2011, with my personal opinions added in. Read the full article here: Ford Face

Thursday, September 29, 2011

Kim Kardashian Covers Harpers Bazaar Arabia

Kim Kardashian covers Harpers Bazaar Arabia



Shot last month in Malibu by John Russo, the available images look beautiful.
I love this type of makeup, and as usual she not only wears it well, but works it well too.

Kim also made some behind the scenes images available



Check out more images on her website Kim Kardashian.com

And by the way, a special hello and welcome to all my readers in the UAE, Dubai, Qatar, Bahrain, Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt and Turkey - I see you every day in my reader stats, and appreciate your friendship and your loyalty! If there's anyone else in the region that I've omitted, hello to you too!

~ marhaba, ahlan o sahalan, shokran ~

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Best Makeup From Milan's Fashion Week via Vogue Paris

Milan Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2012

Faithful to their reputation the Milanese shows gave us the best in glamour, the best in makeup.
The looks ranged from intense to luminous to very dark. Whether juxtapositioning a heavy eye with a bared out brow, as at Gucci, or a maquillage like a second skin at Alberta Ferretti, an unhurried, essential beauty ruled the runway.
Here are some of my favorites via Vogue Paris:


At Gucci bare skin was paired with a graphically intense eye and a bleached out brow.
Gold brows at Fendi
Subtle winged eye and neutral visage at Dolce & Gabbana

At Emilio Pucci a neutral palette offset a charcoal eye, heavily lined and buffed out under the eye then faded out to the temples
Bohemian chic at Moschino. A heavily ringed eye paired with a contoured rosy cheek and a soft lip.

At Versace the look was all about the lashes. Long, defined and maximum volume.


Nails were the big accessory at Missoni. From bright blue to metallic, alluringly sophisticated.
 Blugirl was all about a simple clean skin, a hint of blush and a slightly rosy lip. Ethereal.


70's retro at Just Cavalli. Blue, grey and silver meticulous and magnetic, and explosion of color and accent on the eyes.

A goldmine at Cavalli. Golden eyes and cheeks paired with a glowing soft mouth. Beautiful.


Simple and luminous at Alberta Ferretti

For more Milan Spring Summer 2012 looks read the full article here: Vogue Paris

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

D&G Spring Summer 2012 - Final Show

Rumors have been buzzing for a while now that the D&G line was going out of business. I had hoped them wrong, but unfortunately they were right.
The D&G Spring/Summer 2012 show was in fact the line's final show.


The designers took to their own back catalog to pull scarf prints, polka dots, crests, flowers, medallions and butterflies for a collection entirely swathed in prints. Every piece of which is bound to become a collectors item...



LOVE the shoes!



... and a little close up look on some must have pieces...

'
Ciao D&G....

Sunday, September 25, 2011

Karlie Kloss For Allure Magazine October 2011

Beautiful Karlie Kloss bares it for Allure Magazine October 2011, Best of Beauty segment.



Shot by Mario Testino, the spread is a little controversial, as many seem to feel that the adorable Kloss is too young to be photographed in the near buff. Others complain that the shoot is too tame.
The way I see it, it could have been much worse - imagine if old uncle creepy himself, Terry Richardson had lensed it??
At least with Testino she was in good hands.






Friday, September 23, 2011

Anja Konstantinova for Tangent Magazine

At moments she almost looks too young for this.

Anja Konstantinova is spectacular in Tangent Magazine issue 8, Feed Your Addiction

The boots are killing me






Shot by Emmanuel Giraud
Styling Heather Cairns
Makeup Andrea Black
Hair Michelle McQuillan
Interior Design Debra Cronin


Checkout Tangent Magazine

source: Fashionising.com

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Sasha Pivovarova Covers Vogue Paris October 2011


How fabulous is this??


Beautiful Sasha Pivovarova covers Vogue Paris October 2011. This is her first Vogue Paris cover. 
Shot by Mert & Marcus, dress by Atelier Versace (to die for)
Love it!

and there's more.....








Wednesday, September 21, 2011

7 Tricks To Make Your Lips Look Younger

Women invest so much time, effort and money into looking youthful, but then blow it with their choice of lip color or lipstick formulation.
As you age you lose some of that lovely fatty texture of the upper lip, and the lip line itself starts to disappear, so you need to have a few tricks up your sleeve to keep your kisser looking ripe and delicious.
I'm giving you 7 of them...


7 Tricks To Make Your Lips Look Younger

1. Lose any brown lipstick or lipgloss that is darker than a caffe latte. 
Actually, apply the same theory to plum tones.
Dark lipstick makes lips look smaller, pursed and angry. And who wants that?? A dark mouth will also emphasize and dark rings under your eyes, and any blue undertones that are showing up in your skin.
So now you look tired and angry, and your skintone looks flat.




 

2. When Choosing Pinks go a shade or two lighter than your natural lip color.
But don't go with a pink that is too white - go with a warmer tone. A pink that is a couple of shades lighter than your natural lip color is instantly flattering and instantly youthful.

3. Avoid Mattes.
Typically matte lips can be really aging. As in really, really aging.
Occasionally you come across a hydrating matte lip, but for argument's sake, avoid mattes.They will just drag the life out of your skin, and make your lip look flat and dull. And who needs that??

4. Go for creamy, hydrating lipsticks
Pretty self explanatory. You don't want your lips to look dry - you want them to look juicy. And inviting.

5. Wear a lipstick/gloss combo
A plain, colorless gloss is no longer an option. Instead use a colored gloss, or a lipstick with a soft sheen to it. You need the depth of color under the gloss to make the lip look riper.
And while we are on the subject of glosses, choose your gloss wisely. Avoid anything too "porno glossy" as it will just make you look foolish. Avoid formulations that are gooey, tacky, thick or sticky. We just want a nice shimmery mouth.

6. The no lipstick look.
You need something on there, but if you're not a lipstick gal, try filling the lip in with a nude or pink nude liner, then applying a soft pink gloss over top. But not a sparkly gloss, a simple shimmery sheen to the lip looks gorgeous.

7. When in doubt go for a soft coral base
The softer coral based shades are both skin brightening and youthful.

Make sure you whiten your teeth too. Clean, white teeth are so pretty, and will make you look younger.

And then my personal motto:
At all times, and in all places, always be the first to smile!