Period, end of post...

Jade is gorgeous...PERIOD, end of post:

Jade M.

(agency polaroids courtesy of Elite Models UK, Paris)

No, I'm just kidding. Not about the gorgeous part but I wouldn't just end a post abruptly like that. Or, maybe I would but I'm just not going to end this post like that. She came here for a month from Paris and thankfully she was able to be snagged before show season starts. I've not shot fun fashion in a few months as more and more of my jobs coming in were beauty related so I was happy to be able to wet my makeup brushes on some fashion for a change...

Although she's a classic beauty when all dolled up, almost Old Hollywood in her looks, Jade was quite the whimsy when she wasn't onset; throwing peace signs, blowing kisses and the like...

A spritz, spritz of Elnett here and a peace sign there...

Pausing for a second before I get to makeup to share the fabulousness of this Christian Louboutin bootie (above)

Below are some behind the scenes that are a bit more makeup specific... The inspiration in the clothes was a bit 'Arts & Crafts' so I kept with a strong natural brow and soft shades on the eyes to contour. The hair is quite graphic on the finals and some shots even feature some ornate and avant garde hair accessories so pulling back on the makeup was a bit more necessary. She did get a chance to rock a lip though, and before too much fun was had, I switched it up and paled it back out...

At present, I am not able to share the rest of the story. You should know how it goes by now... You'll have to keep watch over on my website for them to pop-up...

I know you Got Soul...

A song from one of my favorite hip-hop duos of all time: Eric B & Rakim. I found the first several lines quite appropriate as I have not posted since the New Year came in and quite frankly, It has been a longtime and I'm sure you feel like I've left you.

Never that...Rest assured that this is not the case. I've been working diligently since 2010 entered. I've fought through that cold/fu thing that seems to last for 2 weeks at least that EVERYONE got and have been shooting some pretty cool things. Several behind the scenes posts that I actually have in the queue now must wait, as the first is scheduled to hit print and newstands for March 2010, so, I apologize that I'm not able to share it now...

What I will share now though, are the lyrics to the first verse of "I Know You Got Soul" and know that a new post is coming sooner than you think...

"It's been a long time, I shouldn't have left you

Without a strong rhyme to step to

Think of how many weak shows you slept through

Time's up, I'm sorry I kept you

Thinking of this, you keep repeating you miss

The rhymes from the microphone soloist

And you sit by the radio, hand on the dial, soon

As you hear it, pump up the volume

Dance with the speaker 'till you hear it blow

Then plug in the headphones cause here it go

It's a 4 letter word when its heard, it control

Your body to dance (you got it) soul...

Ditects your body like a red alert

reaches your reflex, so let it work

When this is playing, you can't get stuck wit

The steps so get set & I'm a still come up wit

a gift to be swift...follow the leader, the rhyme will go

Def wit the record that was mixed a long time ago

It can be done,

but only I can do it

for those that can dance and clap ya hands to it

I start to think

and then I sink,

into the paper,

like I was ink

When I'm writing I'm trapped in between the lines...

I escape, when I finish the rhyme,

I got soul..."

-Eric B. & Rakim from the album 'Paid In Full' 1987

The Old to the New...cusping on 2010

Wherever you may be in the World:

...and no matter the time that you ring it in...

Party Hard and Keep it Glam!

Let the bubbly sparkle, the confetti flutter and the Fireworks POP!

Beauty Beauty Wishes you a Happy, Safe, Healthy and Prosperous New Year !

See you in 2010!!!

photos courtesy of Flickr!

Sooty, super dark with just the right amount of sheen...

On the night before the night before New Years Eve, I think ahead to 2010. Then my mind skips a bit further ahead to the warmer months soon to come: the restaurants and cafe's that bring tables back out onto the sidewalk again, the darned gladiator sandal that is sure to make a comeback in a different form, and of iced coffees, rooftop bars and picnics. And, as usual, makeup is never too far from my mind so I think of my top 3 favorite trends to come out of last September's Fashion Week for Spring/Summer 2010... Which one(s) will you be wearing???

1.

Spring always brings a resurgence of the naked face, in various incarnations:

FROM

Naked skin: As seen at Vera Wang, scrubbed clean and freshly washed at Stella McCartney...

Stella McCartney

Vera Wang

TO:

Dusty Desert-y Nudes (below): I love these sandstorm-esque color palettes that these nude faces are done in at Chloe, Gucci & Zac Posen. In my opinion, Chanel and Gucci did some of the best this season...

Chloe

Zac Posen

Gucci (say no more)

and my favorite: Chanel (below):

2.

Out of all of the trends, this one is my favorite: the return of bold color on the mouth, especially in shades of Red. Everything from classic red at Dolce running the spectrum through orange red at Prada (my favorite) and a red violet (my 2nd fave) at Bottega Veneta.

I love doing bright lips done with lipstick in the warmer months (think Isaac Mizrahi here and the Marc by Marc Jacobs). I think its so unexpected as most people tend to associate it with the cooler wintery months. The lips were bountiful and several designers from Miucca Prada to Missoni gave great 'Lip Service' to this trend:

Dolce & Gabbana

Rodarte Missoni

Marc by Marc Prada

Bottega Veneta

3.

The Eyes have It: And by it, I mean, this season the eye held an awful lot...sometimes the whole story. I love me an eye and not just because its a main focal point of the face. For me, it doesn't matter the season, the current trend, the age (most times), or even the occasion. In my book giving an eye is always appropriate. Lined and defined, various degrees of smokey and even color blocked were some of the of the ways that it manifested. Below are some of my faves:

Cavalli

Oscar de La Renta

Donna Karan (who put a twist on it by using white, and that cheek highlight makes me all warm on the inside as it speaks to my soul...)

Anna Sui's an equal opportunist with the top and bottom liner

A new twist at Luella who took colorblocking literally (below)

Magnificently smokey, well placed and shimmery @ Nina Ricci

brown smoke to the browbone at Fendi

...And my favorite smokey eye of the season was at Lanvin: Sooty, super dark with a slight bit of sheen in all the right places...Just the way I like it...

ph: style.com

Ravished by Roses and all other things French...

I tell you, there's something about the French. They get it right nearly all of the time. I've been obsessing over these fragrance commercials for some time. Sophia Coppola infuses the right amount of pretty things and adds a few drops of sex appeal and coquettish-ness for the Ms. Dior Cherie commercial. Not to mention that I love her color palette of those muted pastels; It is so up my alley... I want to be Maryna Linchuk; I want to be 'that' girl: I want to run in Dior couture with vintage lemon yellow sunnies and ride my bike and play with balloons all to eventually take off in flight holding said balloons into the Parisian sky...

And then there's Kate in the newest video for YSL Parisienne...So magnificently and beautifully done...Kate Moss rocks in every manifestation imagine-able. That smokey eye, the color desaturation, the exhibitionism...And those roses...YUM!

This is an older commercial for Parisienne but still with that iconic chicness that is undoubtedly French...

These commercials all work for me because they successfully create an imaginary yet seemingly tangible world based off of good imagery, graphics and sound that would make me want to get to the nearest boutique to smell them in person. That, my friends, is good, effective advertising...

Happy Holidays!!

Whatever you celebrate...

...Make it Merry!

Happy Holidays!

xx!

*all photos top-bottom: nini, Tamelyn, acd111 Flickr!

Dots...& Dashes---

I actually shot this last month, but wasn't able to get around to sharing it until now...I'm sure I'll have several of these makeup (no pun intended) posts...Time sure get away from me when I'm busy working...

My favorite outtake of Anna Z from an upcoming editorial shoot entitled "Cold Yet..."