Barbara Palvin shot by Emma Tempest for Dansk A/W 2011

My gosh! Is anybody else inspired to get out that liquid liner and have a play? I would even do those eyebrows for a night out, would you?

ps. A dress by Christopher Kane would also be amazing!

I think it’s about time I branch out from my regular 50s cat eye – what do you reckon? I tried Revlon’s ColourStay Liquid Eye Pen the other night at one of the ’30 Days Of Fashion’ launch events and was instantly sold. The liner is like a felt tip pen but with a beautiful, soft point, so it’s so easy to use. The best feature though is that if you need to re-shape your cat eye, the black disappears without a trace. Finally, a liquid liner where it’s okay to make mistakes! Eee! xxo

Caroline Brasch Nielsen, Julia Nobis and Julia Step shot by Kacper Kasprzyk for Dazed & Confused September 2010.

There were two absolute standouts for makeup from last week, Christian Dior and Givenchy. Designer at Dior, John Galliano, was inspired by early 20th century equestriennes. There were three makeup looks, all very old hollywood glamour with winged eyes and matte lips in nude, scarlet and crimson, and the most perfect porcelain skin. The look was modernised by the use of vibrant shades over the eyelid, similar to that of the Spring 2010 Dior show.

Givenchy’s designer on the other hand, Riccardo Tisci, dreamt up contemporary pieces for his ideal Parisienne with fine tailoring mixed with frivolity, and on occasion a touch of disco. A black shadowed eye with a hint of midnight-blue glitter gave us a retro effect however the fresh matte skin and statement lips kept it contemporary.

The most wonderful hair was seen at Chanel. Heart shaped hair with large silk bows and streaks of baby blue, how fantastic!

Oh couture!

xx

All images from style.com

Donna Karan had that same beachy face from Lacoste, but placed special emphasis on the eyes by using a white pencil to create a little flick. The one I use is the Giorgio Armani ‘Smooth Silk Eye Pencil’ although you can use any to get this look. Just make sure you try it on your hand before you purchase it, just to check that it has staying power. Also, use that Strobe Cream down the neck, on the collarbones, shoulders and chest for a super sleek look.

A really beautiful look from Day 5 was that at Carolina Herrera. The same colours from Rag & Bone were used here but much more subtly. Taupe seems to be the hottest colour of the moment for doubling up on contouring (under the cheekbone) and for use on the eye. And that lipcolour! That lipcolour! Who are you?

Oh Marc! Marc Jacobs. What a dude! I think this makeup is awesome! Probably best left on the catwalk, but those eyes, you could definitely rock them at night. And the lips, I love that the bottom lip is one shade lighter than the top! They’re totally impossible to wear out (unless you don’t talk, eat, drink, press lips together etc… Trust me i’ve tried..) but it’s these small details that make makeup exciting! And fun! And it’s there to have fun with and not be taken seriously!

So go and try something new next time youre heading out!

xx

P.s. Check out the post “Liner Notes” for some liquid liner tips.

(all pics from http://nymag.com/fashion/)

(Pic of Bettie from Wiki)

But after trimming my fringe every week (my hair grows really fast), I’m a bit over it. It’s perfect timing though, I’ve been in a really dreamy space listening to lots of Au Revoir Simone, Beach House, Best Coast, Dum Dum Girls, Marissa Nadler and as always, Dead Meadow, The Warlocks, and so on. So I figure a nice, long, relaxed fringe, kinda in my eyes, would be quite apt.

I’ve turned to one of the most gorgeous French women, Francoise Hardy, for inspiration. I was first blown away by this pic:

Her really carefree hair and those black cat eyes!! *ahhh* And then I went to her website and couldn’t stop myself from going through (and adoring) all of her photos from the 60s, and, and… Watch out black liquid liner, here I come!

(pics from www.francoise-hardy.com)

My all-time two favourites, both of which achieve different results and are totally unsurpassable, are the Bourjois “Liner Clubbing – Ultra Resistance” liquid in Absolute Black and MAC “Fluidline” in Blacktrack.

The Bourjois one is a liquid that dries quickly and doesn’t budge. It’s perfect for slim lines and little flicks. And is best applied with patience and by drawing little dashes along your lashline to create a full line instead of drawing the line in one go. That NEVER works, trust me.

The MAC one is fantastic for achieving a thicker, more dramatic eye (such as the design Francoise is wearing in the first pic). “Fluidline” is a gel-cream that is best applied with a slim, small angled brush (MAC #236) and for the finest of points and sharpest corners a tiny brush with a few short hairs (MAC #210) will do the trick.

If you really wanna make the Francoise-eye your signature, I recommend taking the time to do every morning for one to two weeks (with remover and cotton tips on hand), and then after that it’ll be a breeze!

Alright, now my look is ready for Paris, I just need to start saving!

bisous!