"The most beautiful makeup for a woman is passion, but cosmetics are easier to buy."
—Yves Saint Laurent
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I'm not usually too interested in seasonal makeup trends. Most of them are inappropriate to my skintone and features, not to mention mere iterations of the same old thing. However, this season has turned out a few makeup looks that have interested me enough to incite my imagination and cause me to revisit them again and again.
While I like the visual impact of red lipstick, I'm not the huge proponent of it that Dain and Dorothy are. With the pink in my constantly aggravated skin, red is just not a great option for me. However, I loved the carroty red lipstick Prada sent down her spring catwalk, with its undertone being orange rather than the typical coral. The color was both bright enough to brighten the models' skin and unique enough to stand out against all the other bright lip shades we've seen the past couple of years. It is not, though, the all-inclusive shade beauty writers would have you believe, nor is it appropriate for all venues. Instead, I've chosen to showcase this muted, bold, warm red worn by Amber Valletta in Allure's March edition as a more wearable, flattering option. Should it interest you, the original Prada red was created by Pat McGrath, with the more wearable version created by Dick Page.
I almost never pay attention to cosmetics ads, but I love everything about the Rouge Coco campaign. I love the expertly inexpert lipline, with the emphasis on the line and shape in and of themselves, with complete disregard for the natural lipline. I love how the matte texture and lip shape look like they've been smacked down on top of Vanessa Paradis's own lips with no nod to naturalism or reality. I love how the entire face is matte, the face as an image is completely flat, and yet the eyes and lips still manage to stand out. But most of all, I love that eyeshadow. That is the perfect taupe, so perfect that it inspired a minor taupe shopping spree, ending in the purchases of NYX's True Taupe and MAC's Patina before realizing that Dorothy's months-old gift of MAC Era was actually the perfect taupe for me.
I very, very rarely find spring makeup interesting. It's all so very flushed, bronzey, and beautiful, flipside being it's all so very flushed, bronzey, and beautiful. The lack of variation bores me, so when I started this video, I didn't expect much. I wasn't really interested in this look until Sam pulled out Too Faced's Pink Leopard, at which point my ears perked right up and I was enthralled. This is the perfect flush for fair skin, accurately mimicking the pink tone of a fair-skinned tan. I've never seen makeup give such a naturalistic, healthy glow before. I can't tell whether this is due to Sam's skill or the product itself, but if Pink Leopard turns out this well on everyone, I'm sold.
Labels: allure, beauty notes, pixiwoo, prada, too faced
4/01/2010 [8]
BEST ACCESSORY
I am not a jewelry person, but from Balenciaga's fall show, this cuff is the one thing I responded to. I just find the curvature of it so beautiful. Not only does it emphasize the graceful curve between a woman's arm and hand, it also reflects on the curves of women themselves. This is just the perfect thing to place at the end of a very long, very lean sleeve.
BEST FUR
I love this punch of fur and tweed from Miu Miu. Fashion is besieged with couture embellishments right now, and this serves as an antidote to that. Though dramatic, there is something very haphazard and undone about simply draping an embellishment over your clothes, and the intermix of grey and white really plays up the coat's inky black. Plus, I just love the shoes.
BEST WEARABLE COAT
This has to be one of the prettiest coats I've ever seen. Feminine, girly, and slightly retro, this Miu Miu coat is something I would have exclaimed over when I was in my early 20s and going through the phase of thinking the only style icon was Audrey Hepburn and clothing had to be tasteful. I have evolved since then, but I still think this is one of the most easily and enjoyably wearable coats I can remember.
BEST FASHION COAT
As much as I love the above, this Miu Miu outfit is the one I'd actually wear. The open top speaks to my need for dramatic clothing and face-framing necklines, and the vest's slim bottom keeps everything fitted and cool. This vest is something I could easily wear years from now, as it's in keeping with my general style, and is not likely to easily date.
BEST LOOK OVERALL
While reviewing the fall shows, this appearance by Miuccia Prada from the end of Prada's show was easily my "eureka" moment. I love everything about this look: the sequins, the slim fit of the dress, the cardigan over the dress, the socks with sandals, how everything goes together, the general frumpiness of the outfit that Miuccia morphs into hip grandma. Essentially, this is what modern fashion is meant to be - taking the clothes and making them your own. Easy to say, hard to do, harder even to do now that we've replaced culture with advertising and can't get away from the hard sell. Despite it all, this outfit tells me a lot about Miuccia Prada herself, as well as about the brand. From this outfit, I can glean that Miuccia Prada is an individual, she should style and model in her ad campaigns, and that Prada is meant to be worn, not venerated, idolized, or scorned. This ended up being my favorite picture from the fall shows, and I think it serves as a better advertisement than all the fall ad campaigns I've seen.
Labels: balenciaga, fashion notes, miu miu, prada
12/08/2009 [2]
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