Beauty-licious

People often ask me recommendations on cosmetics & skincare. I use a mixture of cheap & cheerful and more expensive, so here's my 5 cents.

LIPS

Super shiny lippies - I love Dior Addict


Lipsticks in general - I love MAC lipsticks. A great range of pigments and finishes and I use MAC lip-liners also.


Lip stains - These are my staple and I'm not really into Stainiac, by The Balm, a really cute cult label. MAC also often bring out fantastic lip stains, but they are usually limited editions.

SKIN

Lately I've been using cheaper foundations, and they are not too bad at all. Max Factor Second Skin is a good one.
Loreal and Maybelline have some great shades at a decent price - I often use True Match.

YSL's Touche Eclat is another long term fave for getting rid of dark circles under the eyes. I used to sell truck-loads of these when working at YSL at Harrods. People love them!
As for the more high end foundations, I've long been a convert of Estee Lauder's Doublewear for full coverage that does NOT rub off - great for work. The original marketing said it stayed on even in 'jungle terrain'. At work I like full coverage all day. Lately I've been using Double Wear Light especially for wkends, it has a lesser coverage as Doublewear can be heavy. I just love that it stays ON with 15-hour wear, oil control and SPF 10.

I also love MAC Studiofix, that combines a natural matte finish and medium-buildable coverage with broad spectrum SPF 15. MAC also have a great range of powder compacts, from full coverage to shine-control and the Mineralize powder foundation.

HAIR

I am neurotic about my hair, and have always put a lot of time and energy into seeking out the best stylists, colourists and products. My hair is a bit fly-away so I like something that tames the frizzie. I've found the Paul Mitchell Serum & Smoothers the best.

And of course the only thing that manages to give my body - 'Dust it' by Ossis.


EYES

I love liquid liner but have over the years found it virtually impossible to find one that stayed put what with sweat, wind, weepy eyes and general day to day activities - until I found Mac's Liquidlast Liner - this stuff does NOT BUDGE and is fantastic! It's like Vivid (Texta to you Aussies). I have it in black and a petrol shade.

I have Bobbie Brown's Chocolate Box palette from two years ago and it has been brilliant. Look out for her limited-edition eye palettes.
However, my good friend & stylist Owen Allison, now at National Make-up artist Estee Lauder, recently showed me how plum tones bring out brown eyes, and shook me from my brown eyeshadow rut. The effect was fantastic! The other eyeshadow I generally use is MAC. It's highly pigmented (unlike some of the larger brands), and have all the latest colours.


I insist on uber-lashes - BIG, FAT, LONG Bambi lashes. I have long been a fan of Estee Lauder's Magnascopic. I used to like Lancome but I paid a pretty penny for Amplicils recently & it didn't do the trick.

I have also never been a fan of the 'cult' Maybelline pink & green Great Lash. I find it watery & with no guts. But I find the Colossal Volum' Express recommended by a make-up artist friend very good.

If you can be bothered double coating, try Loreal's Double Extension Mascara- very effective fat lashes.

Best brow-liner I ever found was by Nars, but it was quite short & didn't last long enough to justify the price, I thought. Now I used The Balm's 'Browne-y'. Love the cute candy-striped packaging too!

CHEEKS

Nars Multiple sticks for cheeks are the bomb - I have The Multiple in South Beach that has lasts forever, a great shimmery bronzer. The cult pink shade, Orgasm (Multiple Orgasm !), is on my list.

To lift the skin for hung-over days or special occasions, try a bit of MAC Strobe Cream on the cheek & brow bones - instant glow!
SKIN - MOISTURIZERS

For day-wear, always choose something with an SPF. At the moment I'm using one product day and night which has made my skin feel amazing - Bio Actives Skincare Extreme B from Lucy and the Powder Room. Otherwise, for top end I use Estee Lauder Daywear or Elizabeth Arden - for more economical , I go for a basic combination skin Neutrogena or Loreal with SPF.

For night cream, I like Elizabeth Arden's Good Night's Sleep cream, or Sukin. You want something nourishing & richer for night.


SKIN - CLEANSERS

My skin is combination, so I have abandoned using uber strong foaming cleansers that strip my skin. My skin my get greasy, but it's still dehydrated, so I use cleasnsers for combination skin. Lately I'm loving Sukin's range. It's reasonably priced, so I use the foaming cleanser in mornings, and the cream cleanser at night.
However, my ultimate fave for cleansers is Kiehls, which I discovered at Harrods & who is now in NZ at Smith & Caughey Queen St - Hurrah!!

NAILS

I have to stay with the consensus and go O.P.I. Good colours, depth, durability and consistency. I'm not Really a Waitress is a cult classic & I love Chick Flick Cherry (pictured).

And check out the cool 'Try it on' application on their website where you can 'try on' different shades! very cute. But beware of FAKES! Check this out.

MAC have release limited nail polishes that I have also found very good.


I have laso recently discovered Essie, they have some wicked shades in all the up to the inute colours.

Shades of Grey for Iron Man 2

Grey is HOT for Winter, and thank God. It's is one of my wardrobe basics & faves! I just saw the pics of Iron Man 2 premiere under a headline pointing out that the two female stars Gwynnie and ScarJo both wore grey - & they both look FANTASTIC! Funnily enough, on inspection, both are wearing two of my fave designers.


Gwyneth is in Victoria Beckham's zip back dress in a beautiful deep smoke-grey. I LOVE the colour, but do prefer it on J.Lo though, you def. need a more back (ie. a bum) to carry off this dress!

Scarlett is in dove grey, wearing one of VB's inspirations, Roland Mouret.


Loving Rouland Mouret's Pigalle Wool dress. Look at all my faves wearing it - J.Lo, Dita, Beyonce...grey rocks.


Very excited about Iron Man 2. I love Downey.

All that glitters

I'M LOVING...

New Zealand jewellery! These Meadowlark harnesses from the latest 'Fit to be Tied' range are fab. Reminds me kind of of the crazy long Zambesi necklaces that came out in 2007. Unfortunately, mine broke. (Probably because it was given to me by a toxic ex-boyfriend. A sign!)

Also adore the Meadowlark Belt Cocktail Ring. It is very similar to my Karen Walker Smoky Topaz cocktail ring, which rarely leaves my hand!
My sister is in love with her birthday pressie, a Stolen Girlfriend's Club Bow Ring & I have my eye on the Baby Don't Go pendant...


I loved my Penny Foggo wolf necklace. Somehow my bedroom swallowed it - so have a newbie on order from Iko Iko. I got mine at Belle Bird in Dunedin, a great store. Deadly Ponies are doing wolfy looking ones too, like their 2-headed guardian of the underworld 'Cerberus Dog' pendant.


I like a knuckle duster too - D_Luxe have some fab ones.

And to more classic styles, I've long been a fan of Lisa Hoskin.

When she began in 1992, I had her big oval rings that had teeny little pics of Pre-Raphaelite, Renaissance & Baroque style paintings in them. She was living in Sienna, Italy, so the rings were beautiufl testaments to Italian art - and as I was studying Art History at Uni, I loved them! Plus the 'Cross' rings. And have her Paintbrush Pendant from the current collection - very cute!

And I would be remiss to forget Boh Runga and her beautiful, delicate designs based of native birds.


I still remember Boh belting out 'Pretty Violent' in Sydney all those years ago (when she fronted Stellar*) and thinking at the time was an incredibly stunning & stylish woman she was.

You got the Love, Florence!

I'M LOVING...

Wildfox has landed!

I am rather enamored with Wildfox. All of their marketing & press that I've seen appeals to me - glam rock, pink, shiney hearts, cool graphics, flamingos, glitter, hearts, wings, rock chicks, long hair, red lips. I just think the designs are styley and edgy and cute without bordering toooo far into try-hard tack and predictable, & the graphic design is clever & cool.

The ever gorgeous Alessandra Ambrosio in 'Hawk' and 'Only' tops

They have a top that is the spit of one I made myself in 1996. I had seen the white T.Shirt with a red cross on it 'Rachel from Friends' wore, so bought myself some fabric paints and made my own version, got a white tee from the House of G and painted on a big red heart. Mine wasn't glittery though :-( I loved that thing! Must dig out a piccie...J.Lo has been spotted in this Wildfox sweatshirt version...

My new Wildfox tee arrived from the States yesterday, having taken almost 2 months on backorder. Of course as soon as I saw the Vicki B cover on Glamour, I HAD to have the tee. In charcoal, natch.


As a kid I loved those American football style Tees with the year on 'em. It looked so soft and I loved the fadey destroyed wash, plus the little rips - totally cool.

So the Tee arrived yesterday and did not disappoint. It is beauuuuutifully butter-soft, with a great raw edge hem, capped sleeve and sits not too tight but still fitted. There are 4 little wee silver studs just above the 'W' that tops off the look & gives it a little edge. I love a good T.Shirt, as my uniform is jeans & Tees, but although a ubiquitous item, getting the right fit, cut & fabric is as technical as jeans design as far as I'm concerned. It is so sublime I immediately jumped online to order the red one - now they are HERE!

Wildfox Couture Spring 2010 from Wildfox Couture on Vimeo.

Love the video, the fact that they used Blondie is just the cherry on top. I have finally got used to spelling it with one X. For some reason I kept adding an X. Wildfoxx!!! I guess because the label seems to be sooo glamour rock 80's that it seemed to fit. I usually hate all things 80's style but these T.shirts just remind me of Van Halen and Poison and GLAM ROCK.


So yes, Wildfox Couture is now available from Superette. Let's hope that the brash glam-slam rock style look doesn't end up falling into the realm of Ed Hardy. Ick. Or worse - end up on the Jersey Shore kids - Egad!!!!!

Check out Superette here...

NZ Art Fabulosity

I'M LOVING...

New Zealand art. I majored in Art History (& English Lit) at Uni, so in 1996 after cutting my teeth as a Curatorial Assistant at the Southland Museum & Art Gallery, I packed my bags and moved from one end of the country to the other to try and get a job at mecca - The Auckland Art Gallery Toi O Tamaki. Luckily I managed to get a job on the front desk, then as a Gallery Assistant at both the AAG & the brand new NEW Gallery annex.

I got to join the NEW Gallery crew during the amzing exhibition by Andrew Bogle, 'Transformers' which threw me in at the deep end of installation art. There were some pretty, 'punter-friendly' in the exhibition, such as Len Lye’s elegant kinetic sculpture 'Grass', and Nike Savvas'es amazing room of ping pong balls, strung across the exhibition space with a fan causing them to vibrate. Quite spectacular!

Len Lye, Grass

Australian artist Nike Savvas, Atomix

There were also some crazy oddities that confused, perplexed, and sometimes angered exhibition visitors. I'm still rather disturbed by Paul McCarthy, the video/installation & performance artist who had punters dress up in Pinocchio outfits complete with clown shoes & masks (which we had to metho after each use!) - a slippery slope between the absurd and the disturbing. Chili Pepper Anthony Kiedis was in town & checked out that particular installation. Twice! Including McCarthy was a move, but thank God Bogle chose one of his tamer works. many of his works are extremely disturbing - I will leave you to do your own reaserach, here! Enter at your own risk...

Christian Marclay’s 'Tapefall' consisted of a film projector suspended on a plank continuously spooling tape down onto the conservatory roof? Hmmm. (Guess who got to clean that up after 3 months? Me sliding about amongst a huge mountain of dust-encrusted tape on the gallery skylight was a rather interesting sight.)

Inside those walls I had many many hours to absorb the amazing artworks, learning from the Curators and Preparators, and visiting all the galleries in the Lorne St & Kitchener St area. I also worked part time at The Gregory Flint Gallery on Lorne St in 1996, when Bill Hammonds went for around $3-5K! Beautiful.

Here are a few of my favorite NZ artists' works from the Webb's catalogue. Topping my current wish list is the incomparable Bill Hammond...

A Lullaby of Birdland

Boulder Bay

Threshing Dog - The Golden Bough, Bill Hammond

Another longtime favourite is Nuiean artist John Pule.

Maholo. John Pule

Pulenoa, John Pule

Petit Nocturne, Luise Fong


Trans-magenta pulse, Luise Fong

Chandelier, Tony Lane

Four Circles Blue - Milan Mrkusich

Untitled, Seraphine Pick

Hinenuitepo, Reuben Paterson

What is the source of our first suffering? Reuben Paterson