Shades of Pale

I've been wanting to blog about nude hued shirts for awhile but it didn't seem very compelling - until now.  Everywhere I look are shades of pale and they look fabulous.  Some have slipped away before I could capture them but here's some that didn't:

from Hanneli Mustaparta's blog

my fave from EdenandEden

My sister and me

my cowboy shirt from ANNA

Tate wearing a blouse by Pins and Needles

With a nude blouse I like to wear a stronger lip - not that you can tell from my pictures above.  Right now I'm into YSL's Rouge Pur #2.  It's deep red with purple undertones - very intense.

Hot Pink Accents

Have you noticed the pink accent trend?  It's everywhere from hair highlights to neon nails. I recently did a shoot where I created a neon pink lipstick using MAC pigment powders over a lipstick called Impassioned. On the nails I used the brightest neon pink I could find.

Photographer Ericka McConnell & model Dylan at Ford.

Impassioned by MAC.

Nail polish in Pool Party by China Glaze - it has a matte finish which I like.

Model Dree Hemingway sporting some faded pink highlights.

The cambridge satchel in florescent pink.  Isn't this irresistible?

One of my favorite bloggers, Tiffany Wendel in a bright pink cami.

Prada satin heels seen on Jak + Jil blog.  Not a hot pink but I love these!

Equipment silk shirt from Metier.  Love the flash of pink here.

Creating a Lookbook

I am often asked to work on designer's lookbooks and I enjoy it because it's always a fun creative process.  Here are some takes from a recent shoot for the designer label Lan Jaenicke.  Chic without trying too hard.

Photographer:  Gwen Rodgers

Designer:  Lan Jaenicke

Models:  Lauren & Alexandra

Hair & Makeup:  Racine Christensen

My makeup essentials for this shoot:  black pencil, bronzer, highlighter, nude lipstick.

Backstage at Oscar de la Renta

I love working on Oscar's show.  He has great girls, good food, and I always see cool fashion people backstage.  This year I ran into Bill Cunningham of the New York Times and Andre Leon Talley, Vogue's Editor at Large.

Gucci Westmant designed a beautiful look for Oscar's Spring 2012 collection.  It was all about the skin which she made luminescent with products like Revlon's Age Defying Face Illuminator.  We applied this on the upper cheek bones, bridge of the nose, and chin. And once the girls were dressed, on any exposed skin.

The makeup look was inspired by Pre-Raphaelite portraits.  Here are some examples by Rossetti.

Gucci's demo photo.

Working hard to get the girls ready... the chaos that is backstage.

We smudged a dark brown creme eye shadow under the eyelid and a brown powder in the eye socket of the upper lid to create a romantic looking eye.  A spot of creme blush on the cheek was a mixture of peach and hot pink.  The lips had a hint of Revlon's Fashion Night's Pout - which is a nude with just enough pink to keep the lips healthy looking, not ghostly.  A groomed brow and a bit of mascara finished the look.

Orlando did the hair using a technique I had never seen.  He took sections of the hair and wove it around extra large bobby pins, then applied heat with a flat iron.  When he took it out all he had to do was brush it and Voila!  You have big BIG HAIR.  

Gorgeousness!

Rag & Bone Backstage Spring 2012

I'm getting sidetracked with all the great shopping here in NYC.  I've been spending time at 2 of my favorite stores:  ANNA and DARYL K.  But more about that later.  I want to share some of my pictures from backstage at the Rag & Bone show.

Gucci Westman doing her demo.

Gucci's makeup table.

The look.

My model Marique Schimmel.  Makeup was very clean and barely there.

Everyone is busy.  It gets very crowded backstage -- and hot!

Hannah strikes a pose.

This was our photo to follow.

Girls lining up backstage.

This was an accident.  I took this shot just as a photographer's flash went off.

On the runway.

Electric Feathers Presentation

As you know, I love Leana Zuniga's designs so I couldn't miss her Spring/Summer '12 collection at Lincoln Center.  She also just opened a new store on Crosby Street between Grand & Howard in conjunction with Aesa jewelry.

I'm wearing one of her dresses.