Makeup Ideas: Three New Year's Eve Beauty Looks

Unless your plans are watching the ball drop wearing pajamas (which I fully condone), there's quite a lot of planning that goes into New Year's Eve. While I can't help you with the dress—I'm still trying to figure that out myself—I can provide makeup inspiration courtesy of three sexy celebrities. Even better is that they're super simple, so you can spend less time primping and more time popping bottles.

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Bright Pink Lipstick. This is hands down the prettiest fuchsia lipstick look I have ever seen—and I've seen quite a few. I think it's the freshness of Kate Bosworth's skin, the creaminess of the formula she's wearing, and the darkness of her lashes. For a similar lip shade, try MAC Lipstick in Girl About Town, CoverGirl Lip Perfection lipstick in Eternal, or Chanel Rouge Allure Velvet in L'Exubérante. Swipe it on straight from the tube, but then take a Q-tip and run it along the perimeter of your mouth. It sounds odd but stay with me here: Makeup artists use this trick to soften the edges so bold lipstick looks easy and cool rather than painted on and heavy.

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Cobalt Liner. This electric shade is a great way to spice up a plain LBD, and it also complements white and silver. To get the same intensity as you see on Jennifer Hudson, use a liquid or gel liner (l like Stila Stay All Day Liquid Eye Liner in Cobalt, NYX Gel Liner and Smudger in Cobalt and Sephora Long-Lasting Eyeliner in Fancy Blue). If you want something more subtle, smudge a blue pencil just along the lower lashes and load up on black mascara. Makeup artists say it will make you look wide awake—an illusion all of us could use post-midnight.

Sexy Smoky Eyes. A classic smoky eye on the last day of 2013? Yawn. Shake things up with this smoldering winged liner riff modeled by Emily Ratajkowski from "Blurred Lines." Start by lining your top lashes with a pencil to lay down the shape, then add a sweep of shimmery charcoal shadow all over your lids, fading slightly up towards the crease. Then, using a black gel liner, trace over the pencil line. If you're fair, finish with pink blush and sheer pink lipstick. For medium complexions, go for a peachy-pink on eyes and lips; for dark complexions, wines and deep berries look best.

Premium service emphasised

It’s not just about making a purchase as the exceptional shopping experience plays a role in sales.

WITH high-end products leading growth within the perfume and cosmetics industry, it is no surprise that beauty brands are placing increased emphasis on the “premium” experience of shopping for their products. Product quality itself is no longer enough. In the premium segment, customers are seeking an exceptional shopping experience and the sense of a certain mystique surrounding the products, explained Jasmine Petiot, Vice President at the Federation Francaise de la Parfumerie Selective (FFPS) and manager of the independent fragrance shop Parfumerie Seduction in Paris.

Although the cosmetics and perfume industry is more vulnerable than other sectors during an economic downturn, it is less likely to suffer from a decreased demand than the fashion industry. And, paradoxically, in the current economic climate, premium brands are leading the growth for the entire cosmetics and perfume industry, while sales of mid-range products seem to have gone down in recent years.

In fact, the most exclusive premium brands, such as Creme de la Mer, have rarely sold so well in the past. “These brands’ sales are increasing at a slower rate than last year, but they are investing in media and advertising heavily to maintain their volume,” said the Vice President of the FFPS.

“The customers who shop here regularly have not changed their habits, those who used to come sporadically sometimes come less often or buy in smaller packages, for example, from 10ml to 50ml packages when it comes to perfume,” she adds.

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More than just the sum of their products, today’s high-end beauty brands are defined by the unique experiences they aim to embody, and services play an increasingly important role in this regard. Petiot notes that “clients are paying more attention to services, sales rituals, anything that gives value to the object they are purchasing: gift paper, scented packaging, a smile, and personal touches ... they are looking for recognition and for special attention. And all of these factors contribute to the memory of a pleasant shopping experience. Life is hard for many people, and walking into a perfume shop should represent an enchanted interlude.”

It is just this type of enchanted interlude that Guerlain hopes to offer through its newly-renovated Champs-Elysees flagship store in Paris. In white marble, wood and Baccarat crystal chandeliers, the new space is more than a boutique: it also includes a gourmet restaurant and a tea room where guests can sip beverages inspired by Guerlain’s iconic fragrances.

Another strategy for cultivating a premium brand image lies in product packaging. In a recent study, British research firm Visionaid revealed that the overall cosmetics packaging market has received a boost due to a stronger demand for premium cosmetics products.

“The trend towards the ‘premium-isation’ of cosmetics and anti-aging products in developed countries could lead to a rise in the price of beauty product packaging overall, as packaging will become more innovative and costly,” according to Visionaid.

Finally, the ambience and narratives surrounding a product or brand can also contribute to its desirability, which is why a number of brands are appealing to story-telling strategies to cultivate a certain mystique. In recent years, Chanel, for example, has emphasised its prestigious and iconic history through its Inside Chanel videos. This month, the brand continues in this vein, launching a campaign based on archival photographs and recordings linking Marilyn Monroe to the famous Chanel No 5 fragrance.

Thanks in large part to the Internet, customers almost always know everything about a product before coming into the store and buying it, Petiot explains. In consequence, brands need to add complementary elements that will make the customer’s experience more positive.

Telling the story of a product or surrounding it with interesting services is a way of inviting customers “to discover what they had not yet imagined, or did not know,” says Petiot. Cultivating the special relationship between each customer and the brand is a vital element for success in the high-end cosmetics and perfume industry.

15 of the best Jennifer Lawrence quotes

If Jennifer Lawrence isn't already your (girl) crush, she should be.

America's motor-mouthed sweetheart is perhaps the most quotable gem of them all, her penchant for off-the-cuff honesty and hilarious quips is off the charts.

Without further ado, we've pulled together 15 of J-Law's best quotes, and trust us - it was mighty difficult to limit it to just 15 because everything that comes out of her mouth is pretty damn good.

1. "Sorry! That was phlegm. That was so powerful. I'm like a dragon!" - after coughing on David Letterman.

2. On meeting John Stamos: "He was at a party, and I turned into a perverted guy. I was like following him into rooms and staring at his ass... He asked me if I was on mushrooms and I said, 'No. I'm dead sober. This is just me." - To Conan O'Brien.

3. "You guys are just standing up because you feel bad that I fell and that's really embarrassing.. but thank you." - Accepting her Best Actress Oscar after tripping on the way to the podium.

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4. "I really would not call myself a fashion icon. I would call myself somebody who gets dressed by professionals. [It's like], 'Dance, monkey, dance' right on the red carpet.' I would call me more of a monkey." -On her new status as a red carpet style icon, to E!

5. On being a teenager: "I was a weirdo. I wasn't picked on or anything. And I wasn't smarter than the other kids; that's not why I didn't fit in. I've always had this weird anxiety. I hated recess. I didn't like field trips. Parties really stressed me out. And I had a very different sense of humour." - to Vogue.

6. "Once I'm obsessed with somebody, I'm terrified of them instantly. I'm not scared of them - I'm scared of me and how I will react. Like, for instance, one time someone was introducing me to Bill Maher, and I saw Meryl Streep walk into the room, and I literally put my hand right in Bill Maher's face and said, 'Not now, Bill!' and I just stared at Meryl Streep. I just creepily stared at her." - telling Vanity Fair about getting starstruck.

7. On bringing little bundles of joy into the world: "I think all mothers are a nightmare - i don't think you can have children and not lose your goddamn mind." - to Vogue.

8. On strange men sleeping on your lawn: "If I were just your average 23-year-old girl, and I called the police to say that there were strange men sleeping on my lawn and following me to Starbucks, they would leap into action. But because I am a famous person, well, sorry, ma'am, there's nothing we can do. It makes no sense." - to Vogue.

9. On eating raw fish in The Hunger Games: "They kept saying 'It's sushi-grade!' And I'm like... 'Put some soy sauce on this. Get me some rice. And cook it. And then get me out of here." - At Comic Con, via Entertainment Weekly.

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10."If anybody even tries to whisper the word 'diet,' I'm like, 'You can go f-yourself."- On being called fat, to Harper's Bazaar UK.

11. On exercise: "I hate saying, 'I like exercising' - I want to punch people who say that." - Glamour magazine.

12. "If I don't have anything to do all day I might not even put my pants on." - responding to a question in Glamour magazine about what she does in her free time.

13. "I think any time a girl has to show her thighs, it's never going to be her favorite look. I love the dress... if someone else wore it." - On the sheer Dior gown she wore to the LA premiere of The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, to Good Morning America.

14. "My family went on a cruise, and I got a terrible haircut. FYI: Never get your hair cut on a cruise. And I had, like, this blonde curly 'fro, and I walked into the gym the first day back in seventh grade and everyone was staring at me, and for some reason I thought, I know what I need to do! And I just started sprinting from one end of the gym to the other, and I thought it was hilarious. But nobody else at that age really did. It was genuinely weird." - September 2013 Vogue.

15. On her weight: "I'd rather look chubby on screen and like a person in real life." - to Marie Claire South Africa.

Raf Simons Opens His Atelier—and Shares His Label—to Artist Sterling Ruby for the Most Complete Designer/Artist Collaboration Yet

On January 15, Raf Simons will show his new men’s collection in Paris. Except it won’t be his name on the label. Or at least, not his alone. “For one season, the brand ‘Raf Simons’ will not exist,” the designer boldly declares. Instead, he’ll be sharing the billing with Sterling Ruby (below), “one of the most interesting artists to emerge in this century,” according to The New York Times. Same could be said for Simons, of course, but, on the surface at least, that looks like the only thing they’d have in common. Whether painted, sculpted, dripped, slopped, or bronzed, Ruby’s work is extravagantly physical, monumentally messy—or messily monumental. Simons’ isn’t. Extravagantly emotional, maybe, but otherwise a masterwork of purity and precision. But we know that surfaces deceive. Designer and artist are, in fact, a perfectly compatible duo. “We have similar sensibilities that surface when we speak about music and art,” Ruby confirms. “And even before our collaborations, we were talking a lot about textiles.”

Those collaborations have included the interior of the Raf Simons store in Tokyo and a handful of outfits from Simons’ first couture show for Dior, which referenced Ruby’s paintings. But this time it’s radically different. “Fashion has a long interest in collaborative situations,” explains Simons, “but what interests me now is to say that this is not just a collaborative thing, not just asking someone in my field to do the knitwear or the bags. This is all the way, all the way. There is not one shirt, one shoe, one sock that is not from our mutual thinking process.”

The challenges such an endeavor presents seem obvious. Geography, for one, when the creative process so physically involves one person based in Antwerp and another in L.A. Simons insists that even if Ruby wasn’t at every fitting, every single decision was made jointly.

Then, on some level, there is surely the issue of dimensionality, meaning the scale of Ruby’s own work versus menswear’s dimensions (there are rumors of a coat composed of seventy-five different types of fabric, which sounds pretty, er, massive). But that was a challenge Simons saw as his own: for the designer to find solutions to technical issues so the artist’s creativity wouldn’t be restricted. “It was less of a challenge than you might think,” Ruby offers. “I have been thinking about my studio as a kind of Bauhaus. In the last couple of years, I have been producing my own work clothes to wear at the studio, work shirts, pants, and jumpsuits. They are made from bleached denim and canvas, materials that I also use to make some of my artworks. In my work I have been thinking about the moment the utilitarian object becomes an aesthetic object.”

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The last Raf Simons collection for men offered a shiny Warholian pop/art vision of the evolution of product in a synthetic world. This one promises the polar opposite: do-it-yourself handcraft dewed with the sweat of an honest workingman’s brow. That hypermasculine image is very much in keeping with the spontaneity and physicality of Ruby’s work. “But what shouldn’t be forgotten about the rawness of Sterling’s work is that it’s about someone who takes complete control as a person and an artist,” Simons points out. It’s a paradox he explored in his own early work, when his designs twisted the raw DIY ethos of the punk, new wave, and electronic scenes he loved into intensely disciplined dissertations on youth culture. Those days—before everything got so much more “industrialized,” as he puts it, for him—have been on his mind a lot lately. “When you’re thinking about a new collection,” he says, “your own history is very much in your thoughts.”

Even before the collection is subjected to the jury of public opinion, the experience has had a transformative impact on its protagonists. “Very liberating,” says Simons. “I know this independence is what people like most about my brand.” For Ruby, it’s been an education in the unholy speed of the fashion industry. “It seems like an endless cycle for designers, and they make decisions so fast,” he says. “I am thinking about how I could incorporate that kind of immediacy into my own work.”

Simons is keen to underscore once more the essence of the project. It is not a simple collaboration, a case of a designer bringing in an artist to create a T-shirt or a bag. But nor do the creators want what they’ve done to be perceived as art. January 15′s show space has been carefully selected so that it couldn’t possibly be construed as an “art” environment.“We are making a men’s fashion collection, not an artwork,” Simons insists.

But logic is equally insistent. With the Simons/Ruby collection being one of the most attractive and fully conceived offspring of fashion and art’s courtship, there will undoubtedly be people who prefer to hang the clothes on their walls. Simons is typically unfazed. “As much as we feel free to do this, anyone who buys it should feel free to do whatever they want with it.”

New contact lens releases drugs into the eye, treats glaucoma

Researchers at Harvard Medical School Department of Ophthalmology and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology are one step closer to an eye drop-free reality with the development of a drug-eluting contact lens designed for prolonged delivery of latanoprost, a common drug used for the treatment of glaucoma.

"In general, eye drops are an inefficient method of drug delivery that has notoriously poor patient adherence. This contact lens design can potentially be used as a treatment for glaucoma and as a platform for other ocular drug delivery applications," said Joseph Ciolino, lead author of the paper.

The contacts were designed with materials that are FDA-approved for use on the eye, researchers said. The latanoprost-eluting contact lenses were created by encapsulating latanoprost-polymer films in commonly used contact lens hydrogel.

"The lens we have developed is capable of delivering large amounts of drug at substantially constant rates over weeks to months," said Professor Daniel Kohane, director of the Laboratory for Biomaterials and Drug Delivery at Boston Children's Hospital.

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In vivo, single contact lenses were able to achieve, for one month, latanoprost concentrations in the aqueous humour that were comparable to those achieved with daily topical latanoprost solution, the current first-line treatment for glaucoma, researchers said.

The lenses appeared safe in cell culture and animal studies. This is the first contact lens that has been shown to release drugs for this long in animal models.

The newly designed contact lens has a clear central aperture and contains a drug-polymer film in the periphery, which helps to control drug release.

The lenses can be made with no refractive power or with the ability to correct the refractive error in near sided or far sided eyes.

"A non-invasive method of sustained ocular drug delivery could help patients adhere to the therapy necessary to maintain vision in diseases like glaucoma, saving millions from preventable blindness," Ciolino said.

The study appears in the journal Biomaterials.

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Thomas Erber Brings His Cabinet de Curiosités to Soho

Tucked in The Avant/Garde Diaries Project Space in Soho is Le Cabinet de Curiosités of Thomas Erber—a compilation of limited-edition goods curated by Mr. Erber, a journalist and consultant. Le Cabinet de Curiosités (or CDC) is an annual collaborative affair whereby Erber brings together approximately fifty independent artists, brands, and designers, and gives them carte blanche to create (and, of course, sell) items that are alluring and exclusive.

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New York is his fourth installment (Colette in Paris, Browns in London, and Andreas Murkudis in Berlin were CDC’s previous venues), with Bangkok as its next. And last night’s launch was hosted by one of the CDC’s very first permanent guests, Parisian label Maison Kitsuné, who produced a special black flight jacket with shearling. “It’s a very American style that’s perfect for New York,” Maison Kitsuné creative director and co-founder Masaya Kuroki (co-founder Gildas Loaëc was also in attendance), who’s been friends with Erber for fifteen years, said of the topper. “Thomas has style, and he’s sharp,” added Kuroki. “He has his modern eye but still appreciates all the old traditional things, which is so Maison Kitsuné.”

The designer’s sentiments were echoed by second-time participant, House of Waris founder Waris Ahluwalia: “Mr. Erber is great. He really pulls it all together,” Ahluwalia said. “It’s nice to be in the company with other artists, and CDC is always a great show of mixed media, of everything from jewelry to caviar.”

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Notable items on offer include a French caviar-leather rolling case by Want Les Essentiels de la Vie, a rare copper-encased Marquis de Montesquiou Armagnac, twelve unique Vulcain timepieces, and a Moulinette x Højmark bicycle with graphic details etched into its steel frame.

“I have seen many young entrepreneurs and brand founders who put a lot of heart and soul into their [products], and on the opposite, I have seen many artists who are dealing with their own career as entrepreneurs,” Erber said. “My role is to define the limit between both and to curate them with authentic enthusiasm and sincerity.”

How to pick up Prom dresses for slender body shape girls

No matter how is the shape of your body, a well-suited dress is enough to highlight your bodyline and shape and also conceals the unattractive part of the body. From this point of view, it can be clearly stated that purchasing the dress that simply looks gorgeous without considering in any other factors is entirely wrong. In case, you are slender in your appearance, you need to be more careful when selecting your dress. If you are planning to pick up prom dresses for the upcoming festive season, it would be better for you do certain homework so that you look elegant and fabulous and mesmerize your admirers.

How to select

Before purchasing the dress of your preference from the online store like kissydress , it is certain that you should consider certain factors that play a vital role in determining whether the dress suites you or not. If you cannot find out what type of dress is best suited for your slender body type, it would be better that you should take into account the following factors that would help you to discover your hidden beauty.

Color

Selecting the color is the first step to buy the perfect prom dresses for you. It is evident that in most of the case, girls tend to buy the dress of their favorite colors. However, this is certainly not a wise idea. If you prefer dark or heavy color like black and purchase your prom dress accordingly then be sure that it would damage all your effort as wearing it you would appear longer and thin. People would get that idea that it does not suite you and your temperament. Hence, it is important to select some light shaded colors that matches your temperament and attracts others towards you. It makes you appear more lively, and spiritual.

Size or fittings

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In the next step, you should select the size. Being slender, you should offer special attention to the size of the prom dresses . Follow the below mentioned points to grab the attention of others and be the centre of any party you attend.

>>> Try avoiding tight dress.

>>> A little loose dress is the best option for you.

>>> If the dress is tight, carry proper accessories like a long multi colored shawl with it so that it hides that fault of the dress.

Style

Prom dresses UK designers offer varieties of dresses that are perfect for our body shape. They take special care to design the prom dresses that would make you elegant. The prom dress that flatters your body shape so that you can attract your loved ones towards you is undoubtedly the best choice for you. Dresses like empire waist or ball gowns successfully create the illusion of the curves of your bust line or waist line.

Just follow these simple rules and pick up the one that enhances your personality from the exciting range of collection of the prom dresses UK companies.

Post by Sherley Mori

Cate Blanchett skincare secrets

Cate Blanchett says being consistent with the skincare products she used is vital to have a fresh-faced glow.

The 'Blue Jasmine' star knows moving from different film sets means she will always be subjected to different cosmetics, but she always strives to ensure the products she uses to wash and cleanse her face are the same.

Asked her ultimate beauty tip, she said: "Find a good multi-vitamin. And for me it's also consistency.

"Being an actress, you have a lot of different products on your skin, and that's one thing for beauty, but for skincare, I find that the consistency has really paid off for me."

And Cate says her persistence has paid off as it means she can skip some base products when she is short on time.

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She told Marie Claire online: "Working with really great make-up artists, I realised that they prime your skin like a canvas, and I'd never thought of that before. So the moisturiser you put underneath has to work with the foundation.

"I'm pretty time poor like everyone, so often I won't put the foundation on - I'll just prep the skin."

The 44-year-old actress is a particular fan of SK-II's three-step LXP range as she finds them illuminating and hydrating.

She explained: "All of the products have Pitera in them, which no other skincare line has. And it has illuminising properties, it feeds the roots of your skin, it's really hydrating and [great for] that dreaded thing, anti-ageing."

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Power of dressing for success

She's known for gracing the Best Dressed lists and now she wants to help other women feel great in their clothes.

Jaime Ridge is the face of The Great Designer Sale, a fundraiser for charity Dress For Success Auckland on November 29 and 30, in which designer clothing - both pre-loved and new - can be snapped up for as little as $5, with nothing on sale for more than $50.

"I really like how creative Dress For Success is and what they do to help people," says Ridge.

"It's not your usual charity. Plus, I love fashion, I love clothes, I love the idea of people going in and coming out different - I find that really exciting."

Dress For Success (dressforsuccess.org) helps women facing tough times find an outfit that makes them look and feel fantastic for job interviews.

Every woman receives a top-to-toe dressing from a specialist volunteer - clothing, makeup, jewellery, shoes, a handbag and anything else she will need to make a good first impression.

Clients get to keep everything they are given, and once they secure a job they can come back for a second dressing and help with mentoring and networking programmes, which are all free.

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While clients are never asked to explain why they need help, Dress For Success is used by women from all backgrounds, from students entering the workforce for the first time right through to women who "once had it all but have been set back" and forced to start again.

Ridge says she knows a little of what it's like to be unsure of yourself.

"I am at uni so I know what it's like to stress out about finding a job and not knowing what the right thing is to wear.

"I do think it's quite important to be well dressed. If I was an employer, I think it also shows how much care you put into your work.

''They say if you present yourself well, you'll do everything else well. And when you are well dressed it gives you confidence and makes you feel good about yourself."

Ridge says she often gives away her old clothes - either to friends or charity- and she wouldn't think twice about wearing something 'vintage'.

But she confesses that most of the time you will find her wearing jeans, gym tights and T-shirts.

"When I go out at night or if I'm doing something nice, then I do put a lot of time into thinking about what I'm going to wear.

''But I try not to spend too much money. I have statement pieces like really nice handbags and shoes and a lovely pair of jeans, but I don't go crazy. I don't go and buy $1000 dresses I can only wear once or anything."

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An Isabella Blow Exhibition Opens at Somerset House

Perhaps there’s only one thing missing from the exhibition on Isabella Blow, which throws open its doors in London tonight: The sound of her great, honking laugh. Still, the infectious exuberance of the late, incendiary British editor and her sensual, reveling enthusiasm for fashion pulsates through every nook and cranny of “Isabella Blow: Fashion Galore!” “It’s a trip!” exclaims Philip Treacy, whose career was ignited by her while he was still a millinery student at the Royal College of Art. “It brings back all the things about life with Issy—all the fun, all the fights. She enjoyed fashion and was entertained by it, and I think you feel that here. I’m happy for her. It’s all as she’d like it. It feels like she’s been running the show.”
The show at Somerset House is essentially a loving homage from Isabella’s surviving friends, brilliantly curated by Alistair O’Neill and Shonagh Marshall to tell her story through her wardrobe and work. When Isabella ended her own life in 2007, it was Daphne Guinness who stepped in to buy her friend’s mountain of clothes to save them from being dispersed at auction. There’s Alexander McQueen’s graduate collection (brought to her in bin bags by the designer, who marched her to the ATM to pay in cash), her monumental stash of Treacy’s headgear, her piles of Manolo Blahnik shoes, and dozens of pieces from many more designer protégés.
Her filmmaker friend John Maybury remembers: “Last time I saw Issy, we were sitting together at a dinner, where she was wearing a hat with sort of bull horns, which almost took my eye out. I just remember us laughing our heads off. She had a pioneering belief in designers. She had the most beautiful clothes, but wore them day in, day out like they were overalls.”
Loudly cheering from the front rows in her alarmingly surreal hats, corseted dresses, teetering heels, and approximately applied red lipstick, Blow put McQueen, Treacy, Hussein Chalayan, and Julien Macdonald on the world stage—her massive contribution to the reputation of “Cool Britannia” in the mid-nineties. An introductory gallery, clad in black velvet, is titled “Truffling for Talent,” a phrase coined by her friend Hamish Bowles for Isabella’s drive to discover—and wear—the best designers out of British art college . . . . “She had the conviction to make herself into a walking billboard for all that talent,” says John Maybury. Her eye for picking out and nurturing aristo-edgy girls to model was just as sharply accurate: Stella Tennant, and Honor Fraser owe their careers to her, as a roomful of Steven Meisel shoots attests.
The exhibition wends its way from her cash-strapped upbringing as a daughter of the aristocratic Delves Broughton family, through her career at Tatler and The Sunday Times, and touches on the (literally) rich tapestried-backdrop of the arts & crafts-cum-medievalist lifestyle, she and her husband, Detmar Blow, played with at his Gloucestershire country home, Hilles.
There are discoveries which will stop gallerygoers in their tracks. Blow’s kindling of a generation of fashion-friendship action is replayed on a VHS tape nobody knew existed until curator O’Neill found it two months ago languishing on top of a cupboard at the Royal College of Art—the graduation show of 1990, with Treacy’s hats modeled with haughty hilarity by Blow, Lucy Ferry, and Hamish Bowles.
O’Neill devotes two breathtaking rooms to the events of autumn-winter 1996, when Blow’s incendiary talents as a fixer, stylist, and provocateur were first identified by Amy Spindler of The New York Times as the fuel behind London’s resurgence. That was the season Blow bought a huge tranche of McQueen’s seminal Dante collection—incredible deconstructed lace dresses, a gold-embroidered military frock coat, a mauve hourglass corseted jacket, and a black mantilla cascading from a pair of silver antlers made by Treacy. It all stands in a towering set, which mimics the columns of Christchurch and Spitalfields, where McQueen showed. Up a spiral staircase hung with plastic abattoir curtains (a detail which would have made Blow hoot) is a room containing the history of that following evening, when she styled a fashion show for Treacy.
purple bridesmaid dresses | plus size bridesmaid dresses Treacy’s most poignant commission for Blow is The Ship, the black eighteenth-century galleon that was placed on her coffin at her funeral in Gloucester Cathedral. In the exhibition, it’s sailed to a happier place as the pièce de résistance in a tableau dedicated to her love of the sea, accompanied by Erik Halley’s lobster hat and a Mr Pearl corset.
Ultimately, despite the sad manner of her departure, Isabella’s legacy is an exhibition experience thousands will queue for, and leave motivated to dress up, inspired to design—and smiling. Treacy reflects: “It’s an epic homage. I spoke to Issy five days before she died, and she was saying she felt she didn’t matter anymore. I’m happy for her. Glad that she’s been proved wrong. She does matter.”
Proceeds from the exhibition and a charity auction tonight at Claridges will go into the Isabella Blow Foundation Daphne Guiness set up to fund research for depression and mental illness, and to finance scholarships for art and fashion students at Central Saint Martins.

Dita Von Teese shares her secrets

Dita Von Teese made a name for herself wearing racy lingerie during her shows as a burlesque dancer, and she has now launched her own range of sexy underwear.

Kate Waterhouse caught up with the 41-year-old to chat about how she maintains her porcelain skin, her hopes to one day start a family and how retirement is not on her agenda.

When you go through customs, do you put ''burlesque dancer'' as your occupation?

No, [laughs] I try to tell the truth but I try and be as low-key as possible. I usually say ''entertainer'' or ''dancer'' and hope they won't ask what that means. When people ask me what I do I get very shy about it. I was sitting next to Beyonce's father once on a plane, and I know Beyonce, and I'm sitting there minding my own business and all the flight attendants were coming over to tell me how much they like me, and I was dressed up like I always am, and he finally was like "who are you and what do you do?" and I was like "well, I don't know if you remember your daughter when she did a video clip in a giant champagne glass, that is what I do every day, that is my job". Sometimes I just cut to the chase and say "I'm a stripper" and they get so confused that I am a striptease star and how anyone can make a living out of that, and I get a lot of joy from people trying to figure it out.

How do you prepare for your shows?

In the weeks before, I bump up my workouts. I'm a little bit more careful about what I eat, not so much for how I look but for how I feel as I need to feel really strong. But I'm careful not to get too thin - looking too thin on stage with burlesque is a big faux pas.

How do you stay fit?

I do a lot of Pilates and I also take ballet classes. I do dressage and I just started fencing, which I'm very interested in.

Do you get annoyed at the imitators and people copying your shows?

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It depends where it's coming from. I get annoyed with people who are just doing it for profit. I'm very joyful when girls are embracing burlesque, but at the same time there are people who will copy my show exactly. I have had lawsuits with people who have completely ripped off [my show] for profit and I'll stand up for myself when someone is interfering with my business.

What is the strangest thing a fan has done?

I don't like to use the word strange because I have great fans. But I do get letters from prison that I really do enjoy and I think, "wow, this is old school to be a burlesque pin-up and get a letter from prison".

Why did you decide to release your own lingerie line?

I got my start working in a lingerie store when I was 15 and so my love of lingerie is what led me to my love of pin-up photos and burlesque shows, so it's really interesting to come a full circle.

You are a sex symbol to many men, what do you find sexy in a man?

I think it's really important to be around men who have their own sense of self and own self-worth. I find that some of my best relationships with men are [with those] who understand me and what I do. They want to know Heather Sweet from Michigan [her real name and home town], but they understand that it's not a duel persona, it's not Dita Von Teese and Heather Sweet. Everything that I do on stage is a part of who I am. It's not like two personalities and sometimes men are so quick to want to dismiss the stage persona. I've dated men who have not wanted to see my stage show and I'm like "how can you not want to see my show?"

Have you got a man in your life?

I'm casual dating. I am at this amazing moment where I'm on second dates with several different men. I've always been a serial monogamist, in relationship after relationship, and right now I feel that I don't just want to have boyfriends any more. I want to date and keep it casual until it blows the doors off my life and think "this is the man I want to be with forever''.

Do you hope to one day get married and start a family?

Yes, I would definitely love to be married [she was married to rocker Marilyn Manson from 2005 to 2007] and I definitely would like to have a child but it's really interesting, as women we are told "go, go, go, career, career, career" and then suddenly you go "wait, no one warned me that I should kind of think about, you know".

Will you ever retire?

I think of evolution a lot. There are things that I would never do in my show, the way that I did back when I first started. I now want to feel womanly and there are shows that get retired because they seem a little girlish now, so it's important to always evolve. Some of the greatest burlesque dancers in history were not the youngest, the prettiest or the best dancer, sometimes it's something else and it's a lot to do with intelligence and sense of self. Sally Rand performed well into her 60s but in a different way. When people rely too much on their beauty and youth you have nothing when that's gone, so you have to keep cultivating all the other things that make you interesting.

You have amazing skin, how do you maintain it?

Sunscreen, no smoking, I drink this thing called the glowing green smoothie every morning, by this nutritionist called Kimberly Snyder. She has this book called The Beauty Detox Foods and I follow that regime as best as I can. The smoothie is 70 per cent green and 30 per cent fruit, so I put in spinach, ginger, coriander and add fruit.

An Early Glimpse at Victoria’s Secret Model Lineup

Walking the annual Victoria’s Secret extravaganza is a milestone in any model’s career. After all, it’s as much about lighting up the stage with your personality (not to mention dance moves—who could forget Jourdan Dunn doing the robot last year?) as it is about having a killer body, and being able to smile while strutting with a pair of thirty-pound wings on your back. While there’s no way to confirm exactly who will be appearing on the VS catwalk this evening alongside Taylor Swift, we’ve come up with an educated guess based on social media clues gathered over the past week, as well as shots from yesterday’s rehearsal (like the one above, featuring Sara Sampaio, Martha Hunt, Jasmine Tookes, and Leva Laguna working the runway).

Of course there are bound to be appearances by veteran Angels such as Adriana Lima (it will be her fourteenth time participating in the show), Candice Swanepoel, Alessandra Ambrosio, Behati Prinsloo, Doutzen Kroes, Lily Aldridge, Karlie Kloss, and Cara Delevingne. [Regrettably, Miranda Kerr announced she will be ending her contract with the lingerie megalith to pursue other projects.] Those aforementioned supers are all but givens at this point, and so it’s the remaining twenty-plus coveted slots—selected by casting director John Pfeiffer—that really get us excited. Style has learned that several high fashion runway regulars will be making their VS debuts tonight: Sigrid Agren and Josephine Skriver (both posted snapshots of themselves sporting the official Angels bomber jacket on Instagram), as well as Ming Xi, Maria Borges, Kasia Struss, and Jac. We were even more thrilled to hear that some our top Spring ’14 newcomers including Malaika Firth, Devon Windsor, Cindy Bruno, and Sara Sampaio also beat out dozens of more established girls to earn their first pair of wings.

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Miss Dior Has You Covered

This week, Dior will inaugurate an exhibition in tribute to the brand’s original, groundbreaking perfume, Miss Dior, at the Grand Palais, in Paris. Launched by Christian Dior in 1947, Miss Dior was named for his beloved sister, Catherine, and its green chypre blend was a bold break from the powdery fragrances of the day—a gambit, like the New Look, that became an instant hit. For the Miss Dior exhibition, the house gave carte blanche to fifteen female designers from all horizons, whose challenge it was to reinterpret the spirit of the fragrance. In an exclusive preview, spoke with Ionna Vautrin, who took the iconic Dior silk glove and spun it into an architectural feat called Gloriette.

You’ve won two Wallpaper awards (in 2009 and 2011), as well as a prize from the City of Paris, for your creations. Is that why Dior reached out to you for this project?

I don’t think it was because of any one piece. I think it was probably more of a whole. My work is rather feminine and maternal, and I’m guessing that that is what brought me to their attention.

How did the collaboration come together?

It all took shape very simply. When I met with Dior, they presented to me the history of Miss Dior and its codes—the bow, the houndstooth, the dresses, et cetera. Gloves, of course, were a part of the story. I was intrigued by the idea of diverting that shape into a more decorative element that evokes an iconic fragrance.

How did you go about creating Gloriette?

That part wasn’t necessarily so simple! I finally came up with the idea of creating a kind of “micro-architecture” that was somewhere between couture and architecture. I found a very silky technical fabric and had it made into thousands of gloves. Gloriette speaks to a lot of the house codes at once: The layers of gloves that make up the roof create a kind of rosette, or flower; it also suggests a tutu or a dress or a fan, but at the same time, there’s also kind of an animal appeal—it could be feathers on a rare bird. In the end, Gloriette is a giant kiosk, a bit like the luxurious Follies Dior designed to present his perfumes, but in an XXL version.

What does it say about the perfume?

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The roof picks up the Miss Dior color codes of black, white, and pink, of course. But what I find even more compelling is that it stimulates the imagination around the creation of perfume: It is something you pass through. You can linger or not, but it is something that you can use and spend time with. Where this fits in with my work is that you can look at it and see many things at once. Lots of different impressions come together whether you are looking at it from the inside—which is like standing under a crinoline—or viewing it from the outside. That said, I am a designer; I don’t consider myself an artist.

For you, what’s the difference between art and design?

The difference for me is that, as a designer, I am in the habit of creating things that should be useful and functional: A chair should be useful every day. I look at design as sitting at the intersection of what is practical and utilitarian—and technical in terms of production—but also sculptural, because an object should spark desire. I think there’s an earthy quality to design. I love telling a story, but I’m not looking to make a political statement. An object’s first purpose is to be functional.

How does design differ from fashion?

For me, fashion is a separate art. It’s a bit like sculpture. When you look at what Christian Dior was doing, it was very sculptural. Creating silhouettes demands know-how, good taste, precision, and sophistication. You have to have a keen sense of detail. It’s really a very special, specific profession. It really demands that you dedicate your life to it, and it’s reinvented constantly.

Did Miss Dior alter anything about how you see design?

This was a chance for me to have a project that was just a little bit zany. I think I am more known for designing small, domestic objects, and Miss Dior allowed me to explore new territory on a few levels. Because the show is designed to travel, it presented a specific set of challenges. Everything has to disassemble and reassemble easily, like Legos. It made me want to explore scenography and micro-architectures.

How familiar were you with Miss Dior before this project?

Obviously, I knew the bottle, because it’s an icon. Beyond that, funnily enough, years ago I got my start working in a design studio that only did perfume bottles! So I knew Miss Dior’s shape, fragrance, and a bit of its history. It’s amusing to have gone from a time in my life when I was designing perfume bottles—not for Dior, mind you—to finding myself on the flip side, telling a story about a perfume through a decorative piece. For me, Miss Dior is a classic, like any other emblematic object. It’s a reference. And there’s also the fact that, in its day, Miss Dior was renegade. It’s the radical side that I find the most touching.

Crafting a Custom Lipstick at BITE Beauty's SoHo Lip Lab

Lilac. Melon. Coral. Cantaloupe. The profusion of off-kilter lip colors at the recent spring 2014 collections sent a seismic rumble through my makeup bag last month. Suddenly, basic felt boring—so when I heard about the arrival of BITE Beauty’s new custom lipstick lab in SoHo, I knew what I had to do. Armed with a picture of model Daria Strokous’s punkish, pastel peach mouth backstage at Fendi on my iPhone, I headed to the 500-square-foot space for a bespoke blending session.

Fendi’s neon pink lips backstage at the spring 2014 show served as the day’s lipstick inspiration.

Photographed by Victoria Will

Originally conceived as a summer pop-up shop, the Toronto-born makeup brand’s now-permanent outpost has been fielding lines around the block since opening its doors on Prince Street a few months back. This may have something to do with a) the company’s commitment to using only all natural food-grade ingredients that are technically safe enough to eat, and b) its extraordinary high-impact color pigments, which are totally addictive—even if you’re not the type to worry about silently ingesting trace amounts of your lipstick.

On arrival, I sit down at one of the brightly lit stations with blending specialist Stephanie Spence—an impossibly pretty redhead wearing an impossibly pretty red lipstick—and explain my mission: I want a cool yet bright, powdery yet fresh shade of coral that also happens to look great. Is that so much to ask?

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It is not, says Spence, who starts dipping into dozens of small round pots of pigment—smooth jars labeled with words like white, zinfandel, blue 520, or pomegranate—and then blending them on the flat surface of a sterilized light box with a little silver spatula.

After a few minutes, she offers me a small dollop of pigment to try on in front of the mirror. It’s pretty—but slightly too pink. By round two, we’ve worked our way to a chalkier, more apricot shade that’s weird in all the right ways. Before we finish, Spence lets me pick a finish. There’s sheer, matte, luminous crème, or—my choice—crème deluxe (a velvety finish that contains Japanese silk powder for extra conditioning). Next she asks me if I would like my lipstick to be infused with a hint of fragrance—in mango, cherry, peppermint, vanilla, violet, or citrus mango. I would not, which is fine, since unscented is also an option.

Finally, Spence sets to spinning my formula in a compact centrifuge, then pours it into a neat circular lipstick mold and chills it at precisely -2 degrees Fahrenheit until it hardens into a perfect waxy bullet form. The entire process takes approximately seven minutes from start to finish, right down to the neat handwritten label with my name on the box. The grand total? Forty-eight dollars—and enough newfound lipstick love to carry me through the coming year.

Why Redheads Are Rising: From Prince Harry to Meadham Kirchhoff's Spring Show

Hair color alert! London has been at the epicenter of nonnatural coloring for quite awhile—but what happens now that everyone’s cycled through every shade of pastel, multicolored locks and dip-dyeing? Well, here’s the latest from the mouth of the oracle, Edward Meadham: Red-red. “I’m really over nonnatural color. I’m into unnatural natural.”

Red hair on the spring Meadham Kirchhoff runway.

You see what he means from these pictures from the Meadham Kirchhoff spring runway. The idea: intensifying colors that appear in nature. That might mean black-black or whitest-blond as well, but the fiery orange-red stole the show—pale faces and ringleted, bow-decorated hairdos, strangely and vividly tumbling over shoulders and contrasted against black-and-white halo hats. Where had that stunning image come from? Meadham says he’d been obsessing about two classic British sources while designing the collection—an odd combustion caused by a collision between David Bowie and Queen Elizabeth I. “I was watching a Youtube video of Bowie singing ‘Sorrow’ from the Pinups album, wearing a white suit, with his red hair. All the colors we used in the show started from that, really. Red and white—period.”

David Bowie

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As they were getting into the collection, he and Benjamin Kirchhoff had also decorated their studio walls with portraits of the sixteenth-century British court. Queen Elizabeth I, Gloriana, with her royal flame-colored locks (inherited from her notorious father, Henry VIII), only allowed herself to be painted wearing black, white, and red in her later life. The splendor of that awesomely powerful image-control (all farthingales and lace ruffs dripping with priceless pearls and embroidery) can be fully appreciated by all visitors to Elizabeth I & her People, an exhibition now running at the National Portrait Gallery.

Queen Elizabeth I

If all of that seems a little historical and far-off, don’t be deceived. Meadham Kirchhoff happened to bring up the subject at exactly the moment ownership of red hair has been a hot political topic in Europe. Part of it’s about Scottish pride. An estimated twenty million people in the U.K. carry the recessive gene for red hair—an estimated 650,000 of them in Scotland, the world's highest rate. The first Ginger Pride Walk took place at the Edinburgh Festival this summer, a good-natured family event organized by Shawn Hitchens, a Canadian comedian. It mirrors the much bigger International Redhead Day, which has been convened annually in the Dutch town of Breda, The Netherlands, since 2005. The visual impact of seeing so many redheads massing together—women, men, girls, and boys—is breathtaking, and lots of fun on a day of affirmation. But then again, the new redhead solidarity carries quite a lot of annoyance with it on the Scottish front. In September next year, the people of Scotland will be able to vote in a referendum on whether their country should become an independent state, separated from England for the first time since Queen Elizabeth’s Scottish cousin, King James I, united the two countries in 1603. It’s no secret that many people in Scotland aren’t that fond of the English.

Prince Harry and Princess Beatrice of York

What luck, then, that the English royal family has its own redhead weapons in the shape of Prince Harry and Princess Beatrice of York at the ready. Admittedly, Beatrice might have inherited her locks directly from her flame-haired mother, Sarah Ferguson—but who knows? That’s the thing about a recessive gene: it could be blue-blooded, Scottish, English, or whatnot. As for the rest of us, why not get that whatnot from a tube?

Melinda Looi: From 2D to 3D

In experimenting with a different dimension, a Malaysian couturier lands a prestigious nomination for her efforts.

THE fashion industry has been somewhat revolutionised by additive manufacturing (AM), otherwise known as 3D printing.

While prints are still very much ‘in’, 3D printouts however, are the next big thing.

From runways all over the world, we see an emerging trend of designs derived from 3D printing technology. These days, sketching is no longer confined to paper and elaborate fashion pieces can be brought to life with exact precision.

Where the local fashion industry is concerned, we have Melinda Looi – always at the forefront of couture – embracing 3D printing. She recently presented what is known to be Asia’s first 3D printed runway show. The theme of the night was Birds, which corresponded with her designs.

An avid lover of nature and the environment, Looi professed to have always been inspired by these beautiful, flighty creatures that are an amazing engineering feat by Mother Nature herself.

She worked with Materialise – a Belgian-based pioneer in AM software and solution, unveiling a collection of avian-inspired creations. The pieces – made of plastic and resin – comprise Face It (headgear), Stand On Me (wedges), Her Love And Strength (necklace), Let Her Shine (skirt), and Open Wings (cape).

Models of the night were clothed in nude bodysuits, with equally minimalistic hair and make-up. This was so that audiences were not distracted from the fascinating details and mechanisms of each outfit.

According to Looi, the process was not easy. In fact, the entire collection took a team of six to eight people to bring to life – including three 3D modellers, two engineers, and Melinda’s own team.

Overall, each piece took months to design, create, and convert into a 3D file, which was then sent to Belgium to be printed at the Materialise headquarters.

Looi, who is also a Star2 columnist (with the fortnightly Mel’s Place), said: “The design process has been a real eye-opener and highly educational experience for me. It was challenging because it involved co-ordinating efforts and technical expertise.”

“On the other hand, it was also great fun to be able to work with such an innovative technology. Creating fashion with technology has always been something I wanted to do, so when Materialise approached me with this opportunity, it was like a dream come true!”

Now, for her gallant efforts, Looi has been nominated in the Fashion Designer Of The Year category in the 3D Printshow Awards, in London. Launching this year and taking place from Nov 7 to 9, the event is slated to be an annual event with a purpose of recognising excellence within the 3D printing industry.

It will help to recognise those individuals who have embraced 3D printing as a new technology within a given field and also to acknowledge those who have worked tirelessly to improve 3D printing technology – making it more adaptable, robust and cost-effective for businesses and creative minds to adopt.

For Looi, the nomination was not expected. “Out of the blue, we found out that we have been nominated for this, in the crazy-cool 3D high tech world,” she commented.

“Thank you to all my supporters, my team, my beloved family, and great friends who have been helping me all this while. Even if I don’t win, I am happy just to have been nominated.”

More than that, Looi is also proud to bring recognition to the country with regard to the innovative use of 3D printing in fashion designing.

She said: “Now, there’s a Malaysian brand name in the 3D world map – I still can’t digest the fact.”

“The collaborative effort involving people from different fields and backgrounds truly reminded me that exciting and beautiful things happen when art and technology meet. It is truly a great honour to be the first Asian fashion designer to create a collection using AM technology.”

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By Terry combines science and glamour

Terry de Gunzburg, touted as the guru of colour, is still raring to go.

IT WAS a product that revolutionised the beauty industry when it was launched in 1991. But Yves Saint Laurent’s Touche Éclat – the brush-on concealer-highlighter coveted by celebrities and make-up artists the world over – would not have existed without French woman Terry de Gunzburg.

Born in a family of scientists, de Gunzburg loved to innovate and “wanted a bespoke house of colour that was very extravagant, completely free with no limits for creativity and luxury”. She launched By Terry in 1998, her own uber lavish make-up and skincare brand.

Two years later, de Gunzburg ended her 15-year stint as the international marketing and creative director of YSL Beauté to forge her own path. The story goes that she took Touche Éclat’s original formula with her, so YSL had to come up with a slightly different version of the product.

By Terry’s Touche Veloutee has been hailed as the holy grail of concealers, coveted for its ability to reanimate tired faces and sculpt a catwalk-worthy bone structure – no Photoshop needed.

Highly sophisticated and incredibly user-friendly, it combines “the purest, most precious pigments with light diffusing technology and ultra precise textures in the most luxurious formulations”.

“From YSL, I learned not only the essence of how to anticipate women’s needs, but how to create unexpected textures and formulas,” said de Gunzburg in an interview with Wall Street Journal early this year.

By Terry’s Baume de Rose, a nourishing lip balm, also gained overnight success among Parisian models and Hollywood actresses when it was launched in 2003.

“I like when science has a huge part in glamour and femininity. It has to have sensible science behind it, but a mascara or lipstick must always be a pleasure to use,” she was quoted as saying in The Formula, a beauty blog.

Now By Terry is in Malaysia, thanks to Kens Apothecary, the same company which brought in Aesop, Annick Goutal, Diptyque and other cult labels. de Gunzburg’s lofty presence was noticeably absent at the brand’s recent launch, but in her place was the affable, platinum-haired Sophie Kilian, another accomplished French make-up artist who has worked with a number of European celebrities and royals. Having freelanced for By Terry for the past three years, Kilian has adopted de Gunzburg’s “less is more” philosophy as her own.

“By Terry personifies French simplicity and elegance. The focus is always on the complexion and using minimal products to achieve a flawless face,” says Kilian, who adds that the skin-loving properties in each and every By Terry product set it apart from other cosmetic labels.

“Touche Éclat is just water and pigments; Touche Veloutee, on the other hand, helps you achieve more luminous, moisturised skin upon each application.”

According to Kilian, many women make the mistake of piling too much make-up on during the day, especially heavy foundation.

This new minimalism is what de Gunzburg has once described to the New York Times as “the colourless make-up, no-foundation foundation” trend. Although the look appears effortless, Kilian pointed out that, in fact, it requires a certain amount of work. But de Gunzburg has come up with the perfect solution, and one that most Malaysian women might appreciate: the Sheer Expert foundation. It’s sheer and lightweight, perfect for our hot, sticky weather.

For those who are into trends, take note: Kilian says brows are big this season. The brow mascara from By Terry’s Autumn 2013 Graphism Collection contains a tinted gel brush that structures the eyebrows, intensifies their colour and fills in gaps.

Meanwhile, Kilian, who has met de Gunzburg a grand total of four times because “she is always in the laboratory in France”, says her employer is a woman with a strong character. She related an incident in which de Gunzburg was searching for the scent of her new fragrance, Parti-Pris.

“She sniffed over 500 scents before she came upon the smell of tuberose. It’s not a very popular scent, but it didn’t matter as long as she loved it. It is her Parti-Pris and no one will change it. That’s Terry for you.”

But de Gunzburg had, for the longest time, yearned for a high-end, finely tuned fragrance collection based on quality, creativity and pure essences.

“My grandmother and mother were obsessed with French haute parfumerie,” she said to Harrods Magazine. “Growing up with that, it was natural to me to refuse an opportunistic, marketing-driven launch.”

And after last year’s successful introduction of her fragrance series, she’s all ready to launch the next batch, this time, an Oriental scent called Terrific Oud, out soon in 2014.

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Competition winner flaunts her curves

Having curves and being proud of it has scored a young Auckland woman the biggest gig of her life.

Daryl Thompson, 23, has been named the overall New Zealand winner in the City Chic United Curves International Model Search competition.

Miss Thompson was among 100 hopefuls who turned out from around the country to take part in the competition, which was held over three days in Auckland City.

Ten women were chosen to take part in a professional photo shoot yesterday and the group was later brought down to the final five contestants.

Miss Thompson grew up in Papakura, South Auckland, and is a former student at Rosehill College.

She works as a procurement officer at Sky TV.

Last night she was still coming to terms with the win.

"It's still setting in, I think. I called my mum and she had a cry over the phone. I'm just trying to understand it."

She heard about the competition two weeks ago while driving to work and decided to give it a go.

She asked a couple of friends to join her, but they pulled out at the last minute.

At a healthy size 16, Miss Thompson said she loved the way she looked and wanted to do something that would encourage other plus-sized women to feel the same.

"Just because you have a little bulge here or there, it doesn't mean you're not beautiful. People think that because you're curvy, you're fat. I've had people say to me: 'You need to lose weight'.

"But I don't think I do. I feel comfortable, so take it or leave it. I kind of have to rock what I got," she laughed.

Another key reason for wanting to take part in the competition was the idea that bigger women would be more motivated to buy clothes from someone they could relate to.

"I feel really good about my body and I kept thinking: 'Plus-sized girls are not going to buy clothes from a skinny girl'.

"Coming from South Auckland, there are a lot of big girls from South Auckland. I kind of feel like I'm representing them and that's cool."

Miss Thompson will travel to Sydney to take part in another model photo shoot with City Chic and wins a full City Chic wardrobe.

Women from all kinds of backgrounds - European, Pacific Island and Maori, African, Asian and Indian - turned up, following a call from organisers who wanted to "truly represent the global village".

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Protection for child models

NEW York has passed into law tough new rules governing how child models can work, hailed by campaigners this week as a step towards ending rampant exploitation.

The legislation, signed by New York Governor Andrew Cuomo late Monday, gives models under the age of 18 the same labour protections as child performers.

It is likely to have a significant impact on casting for catwalk shows and magazine shoots in New York, one of the most iconic fashion capitals of the world.

In an industry that lionises youth and rail-thin figures as the beauty ideal, top models can be scouted at a young age for rigorous international careers.

The new law is the latest attempt to inject regulation into an industry that has courted controversy for eating disorders, racism and sexual harassment.

The bill, which warned that child models are frequently exposed to sexual harassment and lacked financial and education protection, will take effect in 30 days.

The Council of Fashion Designers of America said the changes would greatly impact the casting of models for New York Fashion Week in February.

The legislation limits young models’ working hours and stipulates they should leave before midnight on a school night or at 12.30am on weekends.

Designers have to ensure 15% of the model’s fee is funnelled into a trust account until he or she is 18.

If they miss three or more consecutive days of school, they must also be provided a tutor.

Models under 16 must also be provided a chaperone and a nurse with paediatric experience should be on hand.

Employers or guardians who break the rules will face fines of between US$1,000 (about RM3,000) and US$3,000 (about RM9,000).

New York State senators Diane Savino and Jeff Klein, and state assemblyman Steven Otis who sponsored the bill, welcomed the new law.

“We have brought an end to the rampant exploitation and sexual abuse of child models by giving child models the critical protections,” Savino told a news conference.

Model and actress Milla Jovovich, who was scouted at the age of 11, was among those who spoke out.

“It seems incredible that young kids in the modelling industry haven’t had equal rights to other child performers until now,” she said in a statement on Tuesday.

Canadian fashion model Coco Rocha, who also started her career as a child, said she “could not be happier”.

It comes after fashion bible Vogue agreed in May 2012 to no longer use models younger than 16 or those “who appear to have an eating disorder” in its magazine.

The flagship US edition and Paris Vogue, which touched off a furore in 2010 with a photo spread featuring a 10-year-old girl, were among those who agreed to the pact.

Last month, supermodels Iman and Naomi Campbell, two of the most famous faces in the fashion world, also launched a blistering attack on fashion houses, accusing them of racism over the lack of black models.

Concern that the fashion industry fuels anorexia among young models and girls across the Western world also reached new heights after recent model deaths.

Frenchwoman Isabelle Caro, who at just 32kg featured in anti-anorexia ads, died in 2010 after being in hospital with acute respiratory disease.

In 2006, Brazilian model Ana Carolina Reston died at 21 weighing less than 40kg, and Uruguayan model Luisel Ramos died of heart failure aged 22.

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The domino effect

Cutting-edge skincare technology has resulted in a system that can trigger a chain reaction towards youthful changes.

IT’S a nice idea, turning back the clock so that we can remain young. Or better yet, have time stand still so that we don’t age. But unless there’s some miracle treatment out there we don’t know about, it’s never going to happen.

Nonetheless, the beauty industry continues to strive and work against time, so that we get the Dorian Gray effect. Celebrities seem to have a better handle on ageing in that respect, but not everyone has the money to splurge on plastic surgery, Botox or fillers, or want to go down that path at all.

Of course, it’s not all due to a nip-and-tuck, as there are those who make it a point to lead a healthy life and exercise regularly. And then, there’s also the occasional secret skincare product that does the trick.

In what would seem to be the antithesis of building blocks, Swiss line’s cutting-edge research and development has come up with a system that is claimed to trigger a domino effect in knocking down signs of ageing.

The scientists at Swiss line have referred this revolutionary research achievement as the “alter ego” for anti-ageing.

Children know well what the game domino is all about. It’s knocking down a chip, which falls on another chip, hence creating a chain reaction.

In skincare, this domino effect describes a small change which can cause an effect in linear sequence. Scientists have developed this latest approach to effectuate a domino effect which ultimately leads to changes in the skin, heralding a new era in molecular skincare.

The new Swiss line Cell Shock Age Intelligence Youth-Inducing System has combined a complex series of potent ingredients (Cellactel 2 Complex, Madecassoside, molecules from an algae, cultured stem cells from a coffee plant, collagen promoting peptides and retinol, among others) to act as “dominoes”. These work harmoniously to “knock down the first warning signs of ageing” to create a visible and youth-inducing effect.

According to Laura Nicholson, Swiss line international training manager, the new multi-tasking moisturisers tackle four age markers: firmness loss, deep wrinkles, pigmentation spots and uneven pores.

The Youth Inducing system comprises a Cell Shock Age Intelligence Youth-Inducing Cream and a Cell Shock Age Intelligence PM-Repair Lotion.

An all-in-one moisturiser for day and night meant to address the problems of mature skin, the cream is said to transform the skin’s inner architecture to overcome the signs of ageing and restore the complexion’s luminosity and uniformity.

The key actives are Cellactel 2 Complex, for lifting and anti-wrinkle efficacy, and Madecassoside, to protect the skin from inflammatory daily stress by reducing the release of pro-inflammatory epidermal messengers.

What’s new, explains Nicholson who was in Kuala Lumpur for the launch, is the Rab27a molecule, that’s based on the understanding that certain molecules can trigger or block cellular cascades, and alter metabolic paths.

An active isolated fraction obtained from the red algae, Palmaria palmata from the northern coasts of the Atlantic Ocean, mostly in Iceland and Greenland, it opens an entirely new path to pigmentation control therapy, fighting UV-induced pigmentation and counteracting age spots.

There’s also Stem Cell Pulse, obtained from a stem cell culture of Psilanthus bengalensis (Coffea bengalensis), an unusual type of coffee without caffeine.

It plumps the skin and fills wrinkles by boosting collagen production in the dermis. She adds that it serves to restructure the tissue by boosting the formation of adipocytes and simultaneously decreasing the enzymatic breakdown of lipids.

And then, Polypeptide Arginne-Lysine (dual amino-acid based polypeptide) provides a targeted “surgical” dermis extracellular-matrix action that results in an anti-wrinkle effect while elastomer (complex polymer) refines pores and softens fine lines.

The lotion is touted to be a high-performance night time pre-lotion which repairs metabolism and maximises the cream’s action during the night. Apart from Cellactel 2 Complex, the key ingredient is Retinol Cyclo Complex that encourages cell turnover and exfoliation. Used in combination with retinol, there’s also panthenol that contributes to skin renewal, while preventing skin irritation.

Meant to replace a toning lotion, the booster should be applied at night only before the cream.

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Katy Perry Goes From Sweet To Sexy In London

Katy Perry, 28, looks like she’s having a great time while in London. The star was seen out and about with boyfriend, John Mayer, and pal, Anna Kendrick, on Oct. 20, where the star opted for a fun get-up for her night out. Katy chose to rock a sexy look that included a black satin corset, shiny skirt, and thigh-high boots. The singer styled her look with red lips and her signature shiny, black curls — but that wasn’t the only get-up we saw on the star while she enjoyed herself across the pond!

Katy Perry’s London Dinner With John Mayer — Details On Her Dress:

Just a few days earlier on Oct. 18, Katy was seen sporting a completely different get-up. She looked sweet and chic in a pink Dolce & Gabbana dress that covered her a lot more than the corset and skirt. The conservative ensemble featured a much higher neckline than her black corset and the sleeves fell just above Katy’s elbow. The singer styled her look with a pair of retro-looking purple velvet pumps, a white leather handbag, and shiny, straight locks — and Katy looked amazing in this ensemble. She’s confident enough to pull off the boxy silhouette, and the color of this dress compliments her skin tone much better than her other ensemble. Even her fuchsia lips and purple shoes work in this look!

While we commend Katy for switching up her style, her sexy look almost looked like a costume. Sure, she’s loving the sexy schoolgirl look lately, but we’re a bit bored of it on the star. The fabric on the corset and skirt was ill-fitting and her gold necklace is an awkward size for the strapless top. All of the black also seems to make her fair skin look more pale, washing her out from her usual creamy complexion.

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A-plus skin

There are women out there who know what adenosine is. They can talk as knowledgeably about alkyloamides as they can aloe vera. But they don't come to dinner at my place.

My friends are more likely to think of "Eureka!" moments than exfoliants if they see the letters AHA. And this is the way it should be. You want your moisturiser to be effective; gaining a BSc in order to understand how it works is above and beyond the call of beauty.

Science-based skincare rarely comes cheap. You can expect to pay $100-plus for an anti-ageing serum from a brand

that considers itself to be entry-level prestige. True prestige can cost upwards of $300.

Price is certainly not the only indicator of efficacy - great products exist at both ends of the price spectrum. But, generally, cost is influenced by the quality of ingredients, access to the latest technological advances and the feel-good factor luxury brands promote so well.

It is also determined by the wonder-workers, those glittering ingredients Their worth can, and always will, Photographs: 123RF, supplied that promise to make old skin new again.

Potent antioxidants, peptides, real pearls - the list of expensive miracle ingredients is extensive. be debated. But there is an antioxidant that can seriously claim gold-standard status.

It isn't new, it isn't sexy, but it's still a superstar. It's called retinol, or vitamin A.

First introduced into skincare 40 or so years ago under the brand name Retin-A, retinol is the name of the type of vitamin A commonly used in over-the-counter anti-ageing products.

Gentler than retinoic acid (found in prescription skincare) but gruntier than the pro-retinols (retinyl palmitate, retinyl acetate and retinyl linoleate), retinol is one of the world's best-researched skincare ingredients.

Why? Because it works.

When retinol is applied to the skin, it breaks down into retinoic acid, a compound that can interrupt the free-radical chain of events that causes skin to wrinkle. Known as a cell-communicating ingredient, it will join up with almost any skin cell and start instructing it to behave like a healthy, young one.

This bossy behaviour is exactly what we want; healthy cells don't give in to wrinkles, blotches and sagginess.

BUT WON'T RETINOIDS MAKE MY SKIN MORE SENSITIVE TO THE SUN?

For years, topical retinoids were thought to increase the skin's vulnerability to UVs. But while the ingredient itself is sensitive to sunlight - it degrades when exposed to light - it won't make you more prone to burn.

The redness experienced by some when out in the sun is likely to be related to heat exposure. And, in fact, newish

research shows that when combined with UV exposure, retinoids may actually prevent the rise of collagenase

(the enzyme that breaks down collagen), stopping photo-ageing before it starts.

Regardless, always wear a sunscreen with an SPF30 or greater when out in the sun.

WILL RETINOL MAKE ME ALL RED AND FLUSHED?

Those familiar with vitamin A products know that they can make your skin slightly flushed and drier than usual.

This usually goes away after two to three weeks. If you are worried you can ease into it, applying a retinol cream every second or third night for three weeks.

This should calm any symptoms and allow your skin cells to adapt to the retinoic acid. If it's still irritated after three weeks, either discontinue or switch to a gentler product. Most people can tolerate retinol but a few can't - those with super sensitive or rosacea-prone skin, for example. It is also unwise to use vitamin A if you are pregnant or breast-feeding.

HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE UNTIL I SEE RESULTS?

Months. As much as we might like immediate gratification when it comes to wrinkles, few skin care products deliver instantly. What you are looking for are benefits that start deep within the skin - at a cellular level - and it takes time for those benefits to show.

You may notice a difference sooner - and many off-the-shelf products do claim noticeable results in weeks - but you will be one of the lucky ones.

CAN I USE A RETINOID TWICE A DAY AND AROUND MY EYES?

It does depend a little on how your skin tolerates the amount, or strength, of retinol in your product. Generally, apply retinol once a day, and it can be used on the neck and around the eye area. (If retinol gets in your eyes it will sting but won't cause damage.) It's also often recommended that retinoids be applied to dry skin to maximise potency, but

efficacy is related to how your skin responds to it.

It mainly comes down to your own personal chemistry and how good you are at converting retinol into retinoic acid.

CAN'T I JUST USE AN EXFOLIATOR?

You can - and some of the results will be the same. An exfoliant will polish the skin and make it glow. Over time, retinol will also make the skin look fresher and younger and will help control blemishes. But they aren't exactly the same thing. A good exfoliator will remove dead skin cells and stimulate skin turnover, whereas retinol actually affects or regulates the healthy behaviour of living cells.

There is also evidence that combining retinol with an AHA exfoliant significantly improves its effectiveness.

IS RETINOL THE BEST ANTI-AGEING INGREDIENT?

It isn't all you need. When it comes to skincare, there's no one all-encompassing uber agent. But combined with a good cleanser, a gentle exfoliant and a moisturising serum or cream loaded with antioxidants, it certainly is one

of your best shots at making your skin look younger.

Skin-saving foundation secrets

This season when your skin is working towards a healthy glow, one of the best brightening tools in your makeup arsenal isn't some fancy-named new discovery. No, it's foundation.

This beauty staple can combat anything from dry, flaky skin to a still-sallow complexion, just with a few quick changes to your regular routine. Find out how to make foundation your changing-seasons secret weapon when you read more.

If your skin feels dry: You may have already switched to a lighter foundation for spring, but are you allowing your moisturiser to work to the best of its ability? "Even if you've had moisturiser on all day, once you're ready to put on your foundation, I suggest putting on more moisturiser and waiting three to five minutes for that to set in," says celebrity makeup artist Lusine Galadjian. "Then the foundation goes on a lot smoother and blends in with your skin. If you don't do that, it can look blotchy like it's sitting on top of the skin instead of blending with the skin."

If your foundation seems chalky: Skin can look slightly sallow before we've gotten enough SPF-protected summer sun, so if your foundation has your skin looking greige or ashy, use less. "Mix it with a little bit of moisturiser," Galadjian recommends. "Just put it in the T-zone where you really need it, because if you put it all over the whole face will look chalky." Another way to warm up the complexion is to add bronzer on your cheekbones and along the sides of the face.

If your neck is too light: Although the neck is already lighter naturally, you'll want to avoid the floating head scenario. Blend foundation down the neck, then strategically apply bronzer to contour. Sweep the shade underneath the jawline and up the sides of the neck for added definition.

Out to Lunch with Giancarlo Giammetti

Giancarlo Giammetti—for 45 years the power behind the Valentino fashion empire, alongside Valentino Garavani—was unavoidably delayed cruising round the Aegean when I arrived for lunch at his penthouse in Manhattan, which is one of his five homes. But thanks to the wonders of Skype, we enjoyed our lunch together just the same.
“Can you hear me, John?” he asked, inaugurating my first “Out to Skype” from Valentino’s yacht midst windy seas.
“I can hear you,” I said. “How’re you doing, Giancarlo?”
“I don’t see you very well, John.”
He is a man known to leave nothing to chance, however. A computer expert fixed the picture on my end, while no less than three lovely ladies and his housekeeper fussed over me as a selection of William Poll gourmet sandwiches was placed before me, along with cherries, blackberries, chocolates, and a choice of wine.
Mr. Giammetti, strikingly handsome, tanned, and poised, was having a late lunch on the yacht,T.M. Blue One (which has a staff of 11), and he sweetly held up his plate so that I could see it clearly—shrimp salad and a glass of Brunello di Montalcino. He was sailing, he told me, with Valentino and members of their extended family, whom he calls “the tribe.”
Valentino: The Last Emperor, directed by Matt Tyrnauer (a contributing editor at this magazine), presents a remarkable backstage view of their rarefied world, but until I read Mr. Giammetti’s memoir, Private (published by Assouline this month), I hadn’t realized that he and Valentino had stopped being lovers more than 40 years ago. “You became inseparable blood brothers?” I asked.
“I was just 30 when the physical part of our relationship ended, and it was difficult in the beginning,” he explained. “We had to solve problems with jealousy. But we’re all grown up—very grown up—and we know that time solves every problem. We’ve always wanted to be the best for the other. But, you know, from the beginning Valentino and I never lived together.”
“That’s probably why your love for each other lasted.”
“Exactly! We want our freedom. We want to be able to close our doors.”
Giancarlo Giammetti is a man of natural charm whose English has improved over the years. When he first met the supermodel Jerry Hall in Rome (before she married Mick Jagger), she told him that she came from Texas, where she was a cowgirl—which he heard as “call girl.” “I was really shocked,” he explained, starting to laugh. “So I very shyly ask whether she arranged to meet her clients by phone or in person. She say, ‘What clients?’ I say, ‘You say you are a call girl.’ And she say, ‘No, no, no! I am a cowgirl!’ We became great friends.”
In the 1980s, Valentino was among the first fashion houses to license merchandise in Japan. “I can’t resist mentioning this,” I said. “How could such an elegant label as yours sell Valentino toilet seats?”
“Just one word,” he replied. “Money.”
“Were they hard to design?” I asked.
He laughed again. “No, I will say that.”
The licensing deals Mr. Giammetti made in Japan were worth many millions. “But the toilet seat didn’t destroy the name of Valentino,” he added.
Merchandise sales subsidize the haute couture collections, just as museum stores help support the art. But are fashionable clothes—rather than accessories and fragrances—the point any longer in what Giancarlo calls “a corporate game run by luxury titans”?
“It’s true the hot company is the accessories company—but a label like Louis Vuitton is still very important in fashion. And 60 to 65 percent of the profits of Valentino, owned today by the Qatar royal family, still come from the clothes. So I think the combination can exist.”
“But, amidst the ruling conglomerates like LVMH,” I suggested, “only a handful of independent fashion houses like Armani or Ralph Lauren still survive. We can no longer be certain who the designers actually are.”
“Yes, but I think women no longer need designers to decide what they want to wear! Before, they were waiting for Givenchy, Dior, or Valentino to decide the dress, the shoes, the bag, for them. But if they like the dress, they like the dress! I think it’s a good thing. It gives women a lot of freedom.”
“What ever happened to style?” I asked, reminding him of red-carpet disasters and hobo-chic celebs dressing democratically, unglamorously down.
“It’s a different style,” he responded, “and it’s a different—how you say?—moment. You cannot fight it. One of the biggest changes in today’s fashion is the influence of stylists. There used to be much more involvement when a star chose a dress. But today’s superstars and celebrities are offered so many clothes to wear, they’re spoiled. There’s no commitment involved, no work, no fittings. They wear the dress and it has a short life. They don’t have time to love a dress.”
And so my “Out to Skype” with Giancarlo Giammetti came to a close. “Thanks so much for lunch,” I said. “I hope you enjoy the rest of your cruise.”
“Nice talking to you, John. Bye-bye.”
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On your marks

Marks & Spencer is the quintessential British retailer; a one-stop shop loved by all ages, outfitting everyone from baby to grandad and furnishing the entire house, even the contents of the fridge (albeit at a price). It’s safe to say the retailer holds a very special place at the heart of the great British high street. It feels especially appropriate that it should launch a collection in which every element from design board to sewing machine has been made in Britain.

The new range is composed of offerings for both men and women, timelessness and heritage design being the focus. “The idea for the Best of British menswear collection was born from the M&S archive, based in Leeds,” Tony O’Connor, head of design for the menswear collection, says. “The archive contains hundreds of pieces from throughout the decades; naturally it was the perfect starting point for a collection synonymous with British heritage and design.”

The once-booming British textile industry has seen a decline thanks to the economic efficiency of out-sourcing to manufacturers abroad, but these collections have allowed the brand to turn back to home-grown talents. The knitwear company Hawick, based in the Scottish borders, tailoring experts Cheshire Bespoke and outerwear specialist Cooper and Stollbrand are just some of the long-established manufacturers who were involved in creating these pieces.

It’s not just British manufacturing that makes the collections stand apart from the other offerings on the store’s rails; the real selling point is its positioning at the premium end of the high-street spectrum. The considered design, superior fabrics and techniques used all hike up the quality to a level we traditionally associate with the label “Made in Britain”. Of course, this means the range comes with a higher-than-high-street price tag. Some thrifty customers may balk at an £800 suit; equivalent English tailoring at a designer store, however, would come with an extra zero.

The womenswear range sticks close to the heritage theme, but adds an edge. “There’s also a distinct androgynous feel, with several pieces very much influenced by masculine styling,” Neil Hendy, head of design for womenswear, says. Tweed suits in grey and coats in camel shades make up a classic offering, alongside a pop of autumn/winter 2013’s favourite Pepto-Bismol pink.

In menswear, watch out for cashmere jumpers, double-breasted coats, and Prince of Wales check blazers that, suitably, seem fit for royalty. Can’t get more British than that.

Chief educational officer's circular on dress code stirs controversy

Thiruvalarselvi, who took charge as the new chief educational officer (CEO) of Karur district on Monday, has stirred up a hornet's nest by re-circulating a July 2012 School Education Department order on dress code for all school teachers.

Many teachers in the district who spoke to TOI on condition of anonymity said that trying to implement a dress code for teachers is a futile attempt and the CEOs of other districts never cared about the education departments' instruction to re-circulate an old order. The new CEO circulated the order just to make people know about her arrival in the post, they said.

The teaching community opposed the education department's assumption that the way the lady teachers dressed was responsible for the unacceptable behaviour of male students and that male teachers preferred to dress themselves up in jeans and t-shirts just to attract the attention of the girl students, a teacher said. "Dressing oneself in a dignified way was a purely subjective matter," he added.

However, Thiruvalarselvi told TOI that the dress code had to be followed strictly by all the schools since the Director of School Education Department had advised her to implement it strictly. She said the order on dress code had been in existence and she was just trying to implement it. "It is applicable to all the schools - government, Adi Dravidar, self-financing and aided schools - and I am going to strictly implement it since the director has sent the circular again," she clarified.

In a blog post, the CEO highlighted the importance of adhering to a 'decent dress'. However, many teachers said the message was vague.

"All I want is that the dress they (teachers) wear during school hours must be decent," Thiruvalarselvi told TOI. When asked to explain the definition of a 'decent dress' since there was a confusion over it, she said, "It must be in keeping with our culture."

Many teachers wondered if sleeveless jackets and jeans were decent dresses or not. They wanted the education department to specify what it meant by a decent dress. "The Education Department must try to find ways to instill discipline in the students, instead of implementing the vague dress code," a teacher said.

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"Real Girl" Beauty Backstage At Lanvin

“Dreamy”: The glittering script on the lamé T-shirt model Jamie Bochert wore to open the Lanvin show was the perfect adjective for the shine-inflected, tinsel-fringed frocks and glittering, oversize accessories Alber Elbaz sent down his spring runway. Backstage, however, the conversation was grounded firmly in reality—Bochert’s off-duty style specifically. “[Alber] really loved the way Jamie looked in the collection when she came in,” Pat McGrath explained of the deliberately “natural, individualized” makeup she’d devised for the show. “We’re keeping them as they are, but it’s enhanced,” she added, swiping on a slight contour, a hint of highlighter, and a bit of blush that was purposefully muted to offset the flush that many girls had acquired naturally, thanks to the unusually warm fall temperatures that have been the talk of the Paris collections. She finished by applying mascara only at the roots of lashes, grooming the brows, and giving the eyelids a wash of taupe shadow for definition.

“It’s a very simple look—again,” hairstylist Guido Palau added of the side-parted, low-slung ponytails he was prepping with Redken Guts 10 Volume Spray Foam for a lived-in texture, alluding to one of the season’s overarching themes that calls for easy, effortless beauty, over anything too complicated or fussy. “It’s how girls would really wear these clothes,” he noted while applying a few spritzes of the brand’s Quick Tease 15 Backcombing Finishing Spray for a small dose of volume at the crown, breaking apart strands across the forehead for a “bed-head” quality. He had a point: With anything too contrived, model Janice Alida’s full-length, glimmering copper jumpsuit might have veered into costumey terrain. Worn with Palau’s pared-down updos and McGrath’s “anti-makeup makeup,” on the other hand, it captured just the kind of unstudied ease that is so utterly wantable—and yet often so hard to achieve.

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Giving Color The Green Light, Backstage At Giorgio Armani

This season, makeup artist Linda Cantello categorized the Armani woman as “delicate” and the “antithesis of the Prada lady,” which, funnily enough, was one of the few other shows to employ a bold use color on the lids for Spring 2014. The face painter’s approach, however, was less about women in revolt and more focused on creating a “passive” femininity on the runway. And while the underlying theme of the collection was Jardin Majorelle, she grappled with the choice between purple and green (not blue, which would have been too obvious a choice) to pick up on the amethyst and anemonelike tones in the clothes. In the end, a gentle wash of emerald won out. “Mr. Armani was very specific that it shouldn’t be too green—he wanted it to have a diaphanous, photo-transparent [quality],” she explained.

After priming skin with a BB cream to eliminate redness or any lingering effects of summer (i.e., a tan), she used Giorgio Armani Beauty Maestro Foundation to create the “pale perfection” requested by the designer. Complexions were then dusted with powder for a matte—but still luminous—finish. The alluring malachite shade wrapped around lids was a combination of sea foam and slightly deeper jade pigments (inspired by a Sarah Moon image from the seventies that was pinned to Cantello’s mirror). For translucency and the “essence of speed,” she mixed the eye shadow with Fluid Sheer in 2, the lightest hue in the range of radiance boosters. The formula was initially applied with a brush along the crease, outer corners, and lower lash lines, but Cantello used her finger to blend it out and down. To cancel dark shadows, a concealer was dotted on the inner corners of the eyes and a light stain was tapped onto lips to make the girls “look more healthy than dead.”

In contrast to the gentle makeup, the hair by Franco Gobbi was a bit more aggressive. There was certainly an eighties reference, illustrated by the side-swept waves (similar to the swoop seen at Emilio Pucci), and the length was pinned up off the neck to resemble an undercut. To finish, strands were misted with hair spray to lock in the fluffy texture. While I’m not entirely sold on this particular swoosh, Cantello’s gauzy shadow makes being green look absolutely gorgeous.