Alexander McQueen : Using makeup to make a statement

On February 12, the fashion world lost one of their greatest creators.
McQueen was a creator and used his imagination to create fantasy, rebellion, and edge to fashion.
His unconventional shock tactics earned him the "British Designer of the Year" 4 times during his career. Rihanna, Lady Gaga, Bjork and Sarah Jessica Parker were amongst his clients.

 

Alexander McQueen used makeup to make a statement beyond fashion.
Models were sprayed with paint and encased with butterflies at his last fashion show.
Pop star Lady Gaga wore 12cm high shoes resembling a lobster claw for one of her videos.
The gothic inspired make-up creations didn't always follow the latest trends.

MAC cosmetics collaborated on many of his makeup looks that included heavy eyes, exaggerated big red clown lips, or erased eyebrows in a theatrical way.
Lee McQueen is survived by his father, three sisters and two brothers.

                                   

http://www.alexandermcqueen.com

* This article was featured in Focus On Style / New York.
http://www.focusonstyle.com/Trends/Beauty/Alexander-McQueen-used-makeup-to-make-a-statement-beyond-fashion

Looking Natural

The Natural You

Many women want their makeup to look natural.  It's very easy to achieve this look with a few tips.
A natural look is something that doesn't look overdone and goes with your skin tone as well as your personality.
Start with a good concealer to take away those unwanted imperfections and then follow with your foundation.
Don't try to change your skin tone, match your face and neck so it looks the same.  Powder your face with translucent powder.
For your eyes, stick to earthy tones which are beige, brown, gold, or plum.  For more definition you can line your eyes in dark brown, gray or black, just make sure you keep it simple and natural looking.
For a more natural look you can skip the eyeliner and just apply your mascara directly.
Brown and navy mascara are a nice option for a natural look.
Blush color should be close to the color of your cheeks and match the earthy tones selected for the eyes.
Finish with a nude or natural color lipliner and lipstick that matches.
You can wear a sheer colored gloss over your lipstick or just by itself.
If you're going out at night and want to freshen up your look, you can dust with a lightly frosted powder or blush.
This will give a bit of a glow while maintaining your natural look.

How we can help Haiti

Hello,

The devastation in Haiti has left me feeling obligated to do my share.

As the images and news keep coming in I get emotional and wonder how we can help.

The following link is a fabulous source of information and a great blog called Pedro's Island.

http://www.pedrosuniqueblog.com/2010/01/how-you-can-help-haiti-from-us-in.html

There are many opportunites to use your helping hands and raise awareness.

It only takes a few minutes and it will help save a life.

Together we can lean on each other and show our solidarity.
These images speak the truth and are far from being beautiful.

"How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world."quote by Anne Frank

Sending lots of love from Paris,

Brigitte

http://www.pedrosuniqueblog.com/2010/01/how-you-can-help-haiti-from-us-in.html

 

 

Happy New Year! Out with the old and in with the new you

  Out with the old and in with the new you

 

Happy New Year from Paris!  If you're like me, you may be motivated to trim down immediately after all the holiday goodies!  I felt snug in my skirt so I decided to get back on track!
There are easy ways to create a slimmer look depending on the shape of your face.
Don't worry about your double chin, you'll be fine if you get back into the swing of things.
Here are a few makeup tips on how to slim your face..
Concentrate on your eyes with a nice shadow-liner-mascara combination that draws attention to your personality.
When you get ready for blush, there are certain things you need to know to get that slimming effect you're looking for.  Choose your blush according to your skin tone. Rosy and warm or peachy tones.
Apply your darkest color right below your cheekbone using a proper blush brush.  Nothing too big like a loose powder brush or you'll have trouble.  Gently glide your brush upwards going into the hairline but not too high.  To create the slimming illusion, follow with a lighter blush tone slightly over darker tone area..
Finish your look with a nice fresh lipgloss or lipstick to go with the colors you've selected.

Go ahead and wear RED

Go ahead and wear RED!

It's funny how many people ask me if they can wear red lipstick.
The classic color is both dressy and an eyecatcher depending on how you're going to wear it. There is nothing more beautiful than nice foundation, light blush, very natural eyes with a hint of eyeliner and mascara to bring out your red lipstick. Never try and overdo it on your eyes and your lips at the same time. It's either one or the other.
There are all sorts of faces we identify with red lipstick such as Angelina Jolie, Katy Perry, Dita Von Tesse, Kate Bosworth, Taylor Swift, Cameron Diaz, Snow White, Grace Kelly, Geishas, and many more. Some are sexy, pouty, clean but all make a statement.
Your skintone is what will determine what shade of red works best for you.
Generally warm skin tones should lean towards orange-red warmer tones while cool skin tones should seek blue undertones. Try to find a blush that is a similar shade.
Being that red lipstick tends to bleed, it is best to powder your lips and then line them with lip liner.
If you're afraid to go for a real red lip in the beginning, there are wonderful sheer shades available to get you started.
With the holidays coming up and lots of dressy opportunities, this should be a fun time for you to try something new to change your look.
Voila, enjoy!

Happy Birthday Nars

If you are wondering why the face is so familiar, it's because Marc Jacobs is one of the latest names to grace the cover of 15x15.
Nars, founder and creative director of his own label is celebrating the company’s 15th anniversary with a new book.
The creative book is called 15x15 and features the portraits of 15 famous faces.
Marc Jacobs, Isabella Rossellini, Amber Valleta, Naomi Campbell,, Olivier Theyskens, and Shalom Harlow to name a few.
Francois Nars did the makeup and photography himself proving he is still around all these years later.
Happy Birthday Nars!

Sharing your love with friends and family

I worked with a wonderful family as they prepared their August wedding in Paris. It was a lavish 2 day event filled with lots of love and emotion. Wonderful colors, food, clothes, and music.
It was the first time I saw a Hindu wedding and all the traditions that go with it.

A Hindu wedding not only involves the bride and groom but friends, family and relatives as everybody participates in their coming together of the to-be couple.
Everything was beautiful and well done thanks to a great team that Laurence and Sandy put together.
Here are some of the special moments from this exceptional event.