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

John the Baptist by Caravaggio, 1604.

(Pic from Wiki)

After discovering this artwork I became fanatical about baroque art. All of the drama, rich colours and intense lighting pulled me in.

The other two gentlemen were Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana. I remember seeing their Spring 2002 RTW collection and being absolutely blown away by it. The perfectly tailored suits, corseted dresses, flower-print chiffon, woven ribbon mini skirts, all of which I still covet today. Additionally, all of the It-girls were in the show: Gisele, Mini, Maggie, Anouck, Carmen, Stella, Jaquetta, Erin, Karen, Karolina, Alek Wek, plus more! That collection just had me. It was such an awesome spectacle! So feminine and yet structured and powerful, so carefree and beautiful, an array of clothes that would take you from your office in Milan to a weekend away on the Amalfi Coast. Hey, a girl can dream!

I had to indulge my fantasy, I couldn’t resist! So i took up the Italian language at uni and studied it for 3 years. I haven’t been back to Italy or turned to the language for a couple of years now, but it’s comforting to know that the Italian woman is still as beautiful as that initial imprint from 8 years ago. This is Dolce and Gabbana’s Spring/Summer 2010 woman:

Simply beautiful.

Italian Springs and Summers to me mean warm, rich colours (think golden tones, shades of red from Carnelian to Persimmon to Venetian red (of course!) and browns including bronze, copper, burnt sienna and sandy brown) or an overtly sexy, smokey eye. And here they are…

A golden eye at Pucci with a flick of mascara.

Chocolate-brown smudged all over the eye and up to the brow at Fendi.

And at Versace, a royal purple smokey eye. With a bit of practice this look could be quite fun to wear on a night out!

How-to’s coming soon, I promise! xxxx

(all pics from http://www.style.com/fashionshows/)

Like everyone else out there, I’ve been watching (and obsessing over) HBO series “True Blood”. I can’t believe season 2 just finished! What am I meant to watch now!?!

All of the romance, supernaturalism, melodrama, blood, pretty sweethearts and handsome, broody vampires got me thinking about red lips, naturally.

For me, red lipsticks are the white tees of makeup. You can never have enough. I’ve three trusty ones that will suit everyone out there, no matter what your skintone and undertone.

My all time favourite red that I recommend to everyone is Bobbi Brown “Lip Color Red 10”. It’s a vibrant red with blue undertones so it will make your teeth look extra white and brighten up your complexion.

For a winter-y, seductive shade that can be piled on, or smeared across the lip with a finger to stain the lip, is Giorgio Armani “Lipstick Mania” in 9. It’s a bit pricey, but definitely worth the investment.

And finally, a lipgloss without much stickiness and lots of pigment: Shu Uemura “Gloss Unlimited Red”. It comes in a cute handy size, isn’t too dramatic when applied, but rather lifts your look.

These will just have to satisfy our “True Blood” cravings until season 3!

annixx

I’ve been fortunate enough to be pretty busy recently. Yay! It comes in waves, a job here and there, and then, 6-7 days a week for a few months straight! And excitingly, I got an iPhone just as my work really picked up! So I’ve been recording all of my exciting shoots on my iPhone and will give you sneak peeks on set and backstage.

I did the Spring/Summer 09/10 Bebe lookbook a few weeks ago and was really happy with my work. It was a really hectic day with numerous look changes, this by far being my fave:

The black jumpsuit and trucker shades are pretty cute I reckon. I’ll put a link to the site when the collection’s up.

Oh, I cant wait for summer! xx