Lockdown Life - Face Mask Beauty

Stay Chic - Stay Safe 

Water colour pencil sketch by me

It's been a while between drinks, and wow, what a crazy world we find ourselves in right now. Here in New Zealand we are well into Lockdown L2 and face masks are highly advocated by the Health Ministry. For those who are wisely complying, the variety of masks has suddenly grown from the medicinal medical $2 kind (white & blue, sweaty, plasticky) to super cute homemade cotton prints (love these ones from Ama) and designer chic (Evie Kemp's Maaike mask is divine). I love these luxe silk ones from The Vampire's Wife and the Liberty lawn from Pearl Lowe. 

Pearl Lowe Liberty Masks, The Vampires' Wife Scarf Mask

Maiike Evie Kemp print Mask, The Vampire's Wife Silk Mask, Ama Life Cotton Mask

My dad is a doctor and is working with community groups to help Pasifika (Polynesian) people. He advocates the best material to use is cotton fabric that is thick enough to prevent most of the virus particles spread away from the face to infect others or for the wearer to breath in virus particles in the air. The more layers, the more effective. However, thick cotton rubbing directly onto your skin can be uncomfortable on the skin and cause spots, chaffing, rashes and clogged pores. 

Here are a few handy tips too help your skin stay healthy & spot-free in lockdown life.

*The best masks use a double layer of 100% cotton with an outer layer or thicker cotton like Drill. The inner layer is ideally a thin cotton like Lawn - a more 'breathable' fabric. 

*Avoid nylon as it is harder to breath in, and traps more moisture creating warmth & damp, which is not friendly to your skin.

*Choose a style that isn't too tight to your face, like the pleated or "cupped" versions. These give you more room to breathe between your mouth and the fabric, and are less likely to cause chaffing or spots from rubbing on the skin.

*Wash your mask after each use and always put on a new clean one. This is not only hygienic, but safer!

*Use a light moisturiser on your face around your mouth, lips and nose first, to provide a protective barrier between your skin and the mask. Moisturisers with beeswax are very effective, as the wax will keep moisture from getting into your skin to cause infection. I love this Kawakawa balm which uses Beeswax but also New Zealand botanicals which help to soothe irritated skin, and include antibacterial properties.

*Always wash your skin before and after mask use. That trapped sweat will sit and cause spots & rashes. A cleanser with salicylic acid is good, as it will slough off dead skin. Neutrogena has a good one here. 

*Apply your moisturiser afterwards to keep skin hydrated, and carry on with your usual skincare routine.

*To help with irritation, I highly recommend Kawakawa Balm. As mentioned above, it not only moisturises but also heals and soothes skin. 

If it's good enough for Kate to wear a mask, it's good enough for us!

Stay Safe - Stay Chic 💙

Amber Valletta's Love Letter To Miniskirts - British Vogue

Amber Valletta styled by Edward Enniful wearing Versace, 

British Vogue April 2018

With hemlines on the up and up, Amber Valletta explains how she found the confidence to go short.

"Kate Moss has skinny jeans and Meghan Markle rules in a belted coat. Every woman needs to find the one signature piece that defines her. Mine is the miniskirt – but it wasn’t always that way.

When I started modelling, the super with the best legs of all was Naomi. Linda Evangelista and Shalom Harlow had killer legs, too. As for me? For a long time, I didn’t really like my legs and rarely showed them off, but in the last 15 years my attitude has changed completely. Now, at 44, I wear more short skirts than I did at 24.

I’ve put a lot of time and energy into working out – hiking, spinning, lifting weights, cardio, yoga and dancing. I wasn’t doing this to intentionally improve my legs, but as a by-product they look so much better. I have definition now and I didn’t before. My aunt saw me in shorts one day and told me that she regretted not wearing more short skirts. “You should show your legs while you have them. Use it!” she said. I thought, I’ve done all this work, I might as well enjoy it.
High Rise: Who Is Wearing Miniskirts Now?


I tend to go short at night. I like the simple physical freedom of having my legs out. It feels sexy without trying to be. I love the way Saint Laurent does the mini. The clothes are so empowering, yet feminine and chic. They just feel like me. When you put something on, no matter how short, you want to feel comfortable and confident. Someone told me recently about a school of thought that says women over a certain age shouldn’t wear miniskirts. I haven’t ever heard that and, clearly, I am not listening."

From British Vogue, April 2018

Great 'Everyday Face' tutorial from Georgia Fowler

Georgia Fowler's Everyday Face

I'm not one to look at makeup vids (waaay too many to keep up with and I'm too time poor!) but a make-up artist friend showed me THIS, and it's a goodie. I love Kiwi model Georgia Fowler and this vid is a really easy guide to a fresh, 'every day' face, shot for Harpers Bazaar. Basically, it is moisturise, conceal, bit of highlighter, lip balm on lips and lids. And you're good to go! Love the simplicity.

I'm fairly limited by budget for my products so can't use the likes of La Mer, as Georgia does, but the foundation of good skin definitely begins with a good moisturizer. She also recommends French cult brand Embryolisse, which is a lot more affordable. I think a great highlighter like YSL's Touche Éclat that she uses is a worthwhile investment, but I use 2 cheaper concealers - Revlon's Radiant Youth FX Fill & Blur Concealer (if you have those annoying fine lines) and Nude by Nature's velvety smooth Flawless Concealer which is cruelty free and made from natural ingredients - bonus. Georgia uses Tom Ford Shade and Illuminate Palette for a blush/contour and highlighting. I use a cheaper option, Nude by Nature's Highlight Palette - the champagne on brow, cheek bones and Cupid's Bow (as Georgia recommends), bronze as a contour and the rose-gold as blush. Or if I'm in a rush I just whack on a bit of the Nude by Nature Touch of Glow in Champagne, the highlight stick version. Then you just need some nice natural lips.

Nude by Nature Flawless Concealer and Touch of Glow stick

Georgia mixes up her picks with some drugstore buys however, such as Maybelline Great Lash. I'm not a fan of Great Lash as it seems quite thin in consistency and I can't seem to get a decent layer of thickness. I am a Maybelline mascara fan though - love the Colossal Lash range and The Falsies. I haven't seen Anastasia Beverley Hills's pomade brows here in NZ - try Revlon's Colourstay Brow Crayon. So easy it goes on as a wax and turns to powder. Georgia uses Nuxe Ultra Nourishing Lip Balm or Jillian Dempsey Lid Tint in Dew/Rosee. I can't go past Benefit's Benetint lip tint and I love the new Revlon Kiss Balms, in coconut or cherry. And of course as Georgia uses, Pawpaw ointment/balm is a cheaper alternative to Nuxe and great for everything - lips, dry spots, lid gloss. It's a great product!

Georgia Fowler's Everyday Face staples

"My beauty routine is pretty simple. I have a new serum which I really like; it penetrates a little deeper into your skin. Embryolissse Moisturizer goes under makeup really well, and you can apply it really thick, like more of a mask, or just use a thin layer. A lot of makeup artists use it, too, which makes me think it's pretty good! The minute you put on dry foundation it makes you look a lot older and dull; I like being dewy and young. I love the Nuxe lip balm, another French brand. Pawpaw for if there's anything particularly dry. I love also using it as a makeup tool. I'll put some at the top of my cheekbones or on my eyelids for a bit of glow, and if your hands or your elbows or anything are dry, too, it's like an all in one. So generally I'll just put some concealer under my eyes, around my nose and then on any spot that I might have. I'll use a bronzer as a slight contour and also put it on my eyelids as a light shadow. Then just Boy Brow: I always try to brush my eyebrows up and fill them out a little bit. Then mascara and maybe a little bit of highlighter on your cupids bow. People forget about that spot, but it can really pop your lips out." A Day in the Life, Harper's Bazaar

What would Kate Moss do?

Kate dancing to Bowie in her bedroom, by Nikolai von Bismarck

Advice on love, life and fashion from the iconic model, from British Vogue, December 2017.

How do you get ready in five minutes? 
Brush my teeth, brush my hair, curl my eyelashes, put a lip on and a spritz of scent. 

Block heels or spikes? 
If there was a gun to my head, spikes. 

What do you do if someone's late? 
It's unusual for someone to be later than me... except Naomi. 

What book should I read over the holidays? 
Full Service by Scotty Bowers. 

Do you share your wardrobe with your daughter? 
I'm saving a lot of my clothes for her. She said she would actually cry if she doesn't fit my shoes. 

How do you avoid the bores at a party? 
I don't gravitate to bores, and they don't gravitate to me. 

What should I wear with my LBD this season? 
Bondage boots. 

What's the best way to get the dancing started?
 Never Too Much" by Luther Vandross. 

How should I keep my cool when meeting a celebrity? 
Never ask for a selfie. 

What's a brilliant hangover cure? 
Oysters and a glass of chilled sauvignon blanc. 

How do you make the perfect cheese on toast? 
White toast, cheese thinly sliced on top, salt, pepper and a dash of Worcester sauce or Tabasco. 

How do I stay friends with my ex? 
You don't always want to stay friends with an ex. 

How do I let them down gently? 
Change the locks and block their number. 

Is it OK to sleep with someone on the first date? 
I believe in love at first sight. 

What would you do if you had E1 million and one day to spend it? 
Half to charity, then hit Bond Street with friends.

Poppy Delevingne's Love Letter to Britain

"

Love Letter to Britain, 

by Poppy Delevingne for British Vogue

Love this. It so sums up the London I remember... 

"I
 wake to a misty morning, faint fog rolling over the hills of West Sussex, my bones filled with cold and sleep.I can hear the crackle of bacon, the bubbling of eggs on the stove, and I'm up. I check the weather on my iPhone, because that's what we Brits do, it's a national obsession of ours, and an ideal conversation starter over a PG Tips with full-fat milk. I'm heading down to London today, but not before I reel out a quick thank-you letter to Aunt Di for having us for Sunday roast last weekend. Yorkshire puddings the size of my head and drowned in gravy surely warrant some words on paper. But not just any paper. Personalised stationery with my name in bold British racing green at the top. The train is late. Once I'm on board, I sit on my frozen fingers to warm them and lean my head against the damp, dirty window. I zoom past a blur of burnt-orange and sunflower- yellow leaves, neglected playgrounds, moss-ridden fences. I listen to Oasis the Verve and Pink Floyd as I go. Once I arrive at Waterloo, the first thing I notice is the sounds, the whistles, the smell of wet pavements. I jump into a cab; within seconds, the driver and I are discussing the rain, traffic, politics and how much we love sausage rolls soaked in ketchup. A young girl crossing the road is wearing glitter on her eyes and a Molly Goddard dress: I want to jump out and put her in my pocket. We pull up to the house and, as I climb I apologise for absolutely no reason other than because I am British, and that is what My house is cosy, Four Weddings and a Funeral is on in the background as I peel off the day and slip into bed. The Queen is on the news, so I wish her good night, ready to dream of pints and crumpets and the city that I call home...

Waking up in Vegas

"Get up and shake the glitter off your clothes, now

That's what you get for waking up in Vegas"(Katy Perry)

It's been a while between posts but I'm obsessed with this shoot by the brilliant Dan Ahwa for Viva Magazine. Viva is a supplement that comes out every Wednesday here in Auckland with the paper and has the best fashion editorials!

Non-Traditional Wedding Style Inspired by Elvis and Priscilla

Photographer: Rebecca Zephyr Thomas. Fashion editor: Dan Ahwa. Model: Maia Cotton from 62 Models. Elvis: Brendon Chase. Hair and makeup: Shirley Simpson using M.A.C Cosmetics. Photographer’s assistant: Sarah Downs. Fashion assistant: Olivia Renouf.