Tuesday, November 29, 2016

FASHIONABLE DISCOVERIES: 2017 Pirelli Calendar

The new direction of the Pirelli calendar continues with Peter Lindbergh’s 2017 images entitled ‘Emotional’.
Uma Thurman
The calendars, first published in 1964 to promote the Italian tire company, are famous for featuring supermodels like Naomi Campbell, Helena Christensen, Cindy Crawford, Gisele Bündchen and Miranda Kerr. They are often photographed scantily clad in exotic locations focusing on themes of sexuality, however, the times they are (finally) changing! Last year famed photographer Annie Leibovitz took the calendar in a much needed new direction instead showcasing inspiring women of all ages like Yoko Ono, Fran Lebowitz, Patti Smith, Tavi Gevinson, Serena Williams and Amy Schumer captured in statuesque black and white portraits.
Julianne Moore
Lindbergh continues the trend photographing a more stripped down and raw looking images of Hollywood actresses including Uma Thurman, Nicole Kidman and Helen Mirren.
Robin Wright
Lindbergh said at today's Paris press conference "beauty is just commercial interest, as you see in magazines, women are washed out from every experience. That's just the opposite of what I wanted. These are the most talented women that I admire in the entire world. They are emotional and I wanted to show that."
Nicole Kidman
Lindbergh goes on to explain that the women appearing in the calendar are “nude while being fully dressed” because the camera had “stripped them to the very soul. It’s another kind of naked, more important than body parts. What is more than being naked is to show yourself the way you are.”

NEW WORK: Birmingham Magazine

Wednesday, November 23, 2016

FASHIONABLE DISCOVERIES: Nordstrom x Nike

Nordstrom have launched a sneaker boutique, a lifestyle concept shop that brings together fitness and fashion. Nordstrom x Nike will each month introduce limited-edition product, as well as curated collections of activewear, sneakers for runners and sneakerheads alike, activewear and athleisure, accessories, tech and more.
The vice president of creative projects, Olivia Kim, has curated the shop with select seasonal items from the store’s different departments and merchandised alongside Nike product, such as denim, leather jackets, designer handbags, exclusive jewelry, curated beauty products, workout accessories, polaroid cameras and more.
Currently 3 locations exist including Seattle and Toronto, not even NY or LA have it yet!

Tuesday, November 22, 2016

FASHIONABLE DISCOVERIES: Tom Ford Lips & Boys

Tom Ford Lips & Boys
“I love seeing a woman in a man’s suit. Why not have a lipstick named after a man? Tom Ford

Yes ladies (and gentleman) the Lip & Boys are back! The third adaptation of this collection named for the boys Tom find ‘admirable and inspiring’.
25 new shades have been added including 10 matt finishes can be purchased individually at $36 or you can purchase a customizable three-piece collection for $108. However, if you want to splurge, you can go for the 50-piece set for just $1,950.

Customizable three-piece collection Austin, Luciano and Collin, $108

The collection launches today on the tomford.com, at sephora.com on Thanksgiving and worldwide on Black Friday.

A video posted by TOM FORD (@tomford) on

Friday, November 18, 2016

NEW WORK: Chicago Tribune

CHICAGO TRIBUNE, High-tech Beauty Solutions for the Modern Girl

With technology entering every aspect of our lives, as you might expect, it's now infiltrating the beauty industry. This year sees two major brands using advanced technology to give its customers a more specialized experience and products.

I decided to test them both out to see if they were all hype or actually useful.

LANCÔME LE TEINT PARTICULIER CUSTOM MAKEUP

After becoming a Lancôme brand ambassador in 2014, Lupita Nyong'o had trouble finding a foundation color from the company's 35 shades that would match her skin. That's when Lancôme realized this was a problem not only for Nyong'o but for thousands of other women.

With that in mind, Lancôme created Le Teint Particulier Custom Made Makeup. Developed using state-of-the-art digital technology, women can now create a foundation color made specifically for their skin tone.

My olive skin isn't always the easiest to match, so I'd thought I give it a go. The process starts with a one-on-one consultation. A beauty adviser uses a small color scanner, no bigger than a smartphone, to capture your skin color in three photos, and these are analyzed against a database of 20,000 shades.

You also choose type of coverage (sheer, medium or full), the finish and whether you want an additional moisturizer added to the formula. Now for the cool bit, right at the counter, you get to watch your foundation being made in a machine that uses eight peristaltic heart pumps for color accuracy and airtight dispensing. Then the formula is shaken at high speed for thorough blending.

You get to take away your tailor-made foundation in a refillable bottle personalized with your name and a complexion ID. This number represents your unique color, allowing you to re-order the foundation anytime.

When I first applied the foundation, it didn't seem like the perfect shade, but once blended, it was a good match. What I liked about the service is that everything can be adjusted to your needs at no extra cost. As the consultation is free, I can get re-scanned in the winter when my skin is paler. I can even add more moisturizer when my skin tends to be drier.

The custom-made makeup is $80 for 1 ounce and is available at select Nordstrom stores. To find the nearest location, visit http://shop.nordstrom.com/c/lancome-le-teint-particulier.

KERASTASE FUSIO-DOSE HAIR LAB

Personalized in-salon hair treatments aren't new for Kerastase, but the company has upped the ante this year by adding a high-tech hair and scalp profiler camera to the process.

The camera is a smartphone that uses a high-power magnification lens specially designed for Kerastase. The process allows the stylist to zoom into the hair fiber at 600 times magnification and analyze how oily your scalp is, your hair density, dryness and hair loss. You are able to view the hair fiber and scalp images on an iPad as the stylist is taking the pictures.

Finding out details like this was incredibly eye-opening as it helped me understand what products I should be using to achieve optimal results.

Once the diagnosis is complete, it's time for the fun part, your bespoke beauty treatment. The treatment consists of two components.

The first is called the Concentre, which addresses your primary hair concern: nourishment and softness, color radiance, reconstruction or density. The second component, known as the Booster, tackles a secondary hair issue: nourishment, radiance, reconstruction, density or anti-frizziness.

After the analysis, the treatment gets blended by the stylist and then applied to your freshly washed hair. Like a conditioner, the treatment is left on for five minutes before it's rinsed out.

After the treatment, my hair was definitely less frizzy and softer, but like all treatments, the results, unfortunately, aren't permanent. But it's a great temporary solution to perk up your hair for a special event. For me, getting a better understanding of my hair was the most valuable part of the process.

Prices start at $30 at over 75 locations nationwide. Visit www.kerastase-usa.com to find a salon near you.

You can see the original Chicago Tribune article here

Tuesday, November 08, 2016

REAL V DEAL: Gucci v Topshop

Real versus Deal featuring Gucci pink suede pump an Topshop metallic pump
REAL: suede mid-heel pump, $750, Gucci
DEAL: metallic fringe loafers, $120, Topshop

Monday, November 07, 2016

FASHIONABLE INVITES: Jayson Home Warehouse Sale

WHO: Jayson Home
WHAT: Warehouse Sale
WHERE: 701 N Albany, Chicago IL 60612
WHEN: November 11 - 13, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
WHY: 50% to 90% off sofas, chairs, tables, casegoods, lighting, rugs, accessories, pillows, planters, art, mirrors, books, gifts, antiques, props and more!