'Nista

Whack-in-Back Hairstyle...

Oh boy. I admit rather freely to having fallen under a spell—though brief and mostly due to an imbalance of seratonin and dopamine in my brain—where I watched TLC's Jon & Kate Plus 8. It was usually the best thing on the boob-tube-affixed gym equipment whenever I decided to haul my rather large caboose to the gym. The show's synopsis is short and sweet: Jon and Kate had twins on the first romp; the second bout in the bedroom got some in vitro assistance and then—whip-bam-boom—a batch of sextuplets up and cold changed their lives. The kids (not the parents) became media darlings, and TLC swooped in to cash in on this cute large family. 

And then came the "quirks"...those little personality disorders that might not have presented if never affronted by six screaming babies. Like Kate's acerbic quips and her complete lack of viewing Jon as 1) a man and 2) a father. And then there's Jon...passive aggressive in every way. Watch the marriage unravel while eight cute kids run around, cry, burp, spill things, and yell each other. It's Magic, TLC, pure Magic!

But what's really Magic is Kate's hairstyle. And what I mean by Magic is that it deceives us oh so brilliantly with somewhat normal-appearing front and side slats of frosted highlights, but then, POW! Like a magician who's ultimate illusion goes vewy, vewy wong, we find that rather than him holding high a snow white rabbit, he's wielding a flaming hedgehog. That is the back of Kate's hair.

Working in the beauty industry, I have to say like Hall & Oates: "I can't go for that. Nooooo. No can do." But apparently, Kate looooooooves her style, and her hairstylist fields sooooooo many requests for this hedge-head 'd0. Via Totalbeauty.com (via an interview with EW):

The reality TV super mom (perhaps the precursor to Octomom), claims that her hairdresser gets calls from around the country wanting to know how to emulate the style. Gosselin gushes, “Everybody wants it,” referring to her high-maintenance mane.

(Source: Dlisted.com)

And as if on cue, Oprah brings a little girl by the name of Jordan on her show. The 10-year-old specifically asked for the Kate Gosselin's whack-a-hedgehog mullet. Thankfully, this little girl's hair will grow back and all of the eventual partying and cramming for tests will make this small blip in her beauty blunders disappear forever...

If you haven't had enough prickling of your eyeballs with this tragic bob/mullet/grass creation, check out Buzz Feed's 15 Celebrities That Look Hot With Kate Gosselin's Hair Style. 

I'm personally choosing Jen Anisten as best to rock out this party in the back of her head...

Ode to: Richard Burbridge

Beauty photography makes my heart skip a beat. I've always wanted to create interesting, gorgeous, different beauty images. Those who achieve this feat create images that literally take my breath away.

Today's ode is to photographer Richard Burbridge, who is represented by Art + Commerce. His beauty images are quite simply breathtaking. I find myself drawn to the more fantastical of them—the more far-out, the better. 

(Source: Art + Commerce)

It's the way he brings in some strange, out-of-place element that takes his imagery to a whole new level. 

(Source: Art + Commerce)

I'm not sure if he retouches his own images; some photographers do—they just don't trust their work in another's hands. I can understand that. If he does outsource his photos for retouching, that retoucher is a god. Some people don't like that feel of retouched perfection, perhaps because it lends a hint of falsity to the image. I adore that feel. When done beautifully, a heavily retouched image has a life of its own. In fact, beauty images really require retouching these days to lend them that fantasy feeling so often attributed to beauty.

(Source: Art + Commerce)

Desaturation/heightened saturation, playing up the intensity of certain elements, contorting shadows and highlights—it's all part of the beauty photography game.

Anyway, an ode to Richard Burbridge...

Where Are They Now...

I can't sleep...so after I make the usual computer website-weblog rounds (Dlisted.com first, followed by Gawker.com, then, if I'm feeling particularly brainy, NYtimes.com), I dilly dally on Jezebel.com, and come across a post about America's Next Top Models: Where are they now? I'm always wondering where the ones I thought should win—or thought had a chance on hitting it big in high fashion—are. 

Contrary to popular belief, ANTM isn't a career squasher—if you possess the high fashion genes. Some of the girls they let onto that show...I mean, come on! They don't have a chance at being anything more than a promotional model for Paulie Girl's Beer! But there are always those few who really do have the look (and, let's not forget, the age) to make it big.

ANYA

(Source via Elite)

Anya from Cycle 10 signed with Elite, even though she didn't win, and is being primed for the big time on their Development Board.

FATIMA

(Source via New York Model Management)

Iman doppleganger and Cycle 10 stunner, Fatima, signed with New York Models and is on their highest board: Editorial.

KATARZYNA (AKA KAT DOLL)

(Source via Elite Paris)

Katarzyna, also from Cycle 10, signed with Elite Models Paris—a fabulous move to build up her portfolio with more cutting-edge editorial images. What I find funny is that they changed her name completely—it's now "Kat Doll." If ever there was a stage name! Anyway...She's found on the Image Board—which I gather is a bit edgier.

So, it would seem Cycle 10 boasted a bunch of "winners"...no?

Aside from ANTM, I already keep a steady eye on model agency websites (for inspiration for work), so as I made the rounds looking at agencies to see how Tyra's kicked-off babes are fairing, I decided to look at some agencies I often use for booking models to see how one of the models I worked with is doing. Her name is Payton, and when I worked with her, she was 14. Very young...but absolutely stunning. Payton was a real trooper and great consummate professional. 

Any-hoot, on the agency website, I saw that they actually used images from the shoot I directed in her portfolio. This is unusual as it seems that not many models want to show they worked in a nail magazine (hey, I guess I can't blame them...). Here's a screen capture:

PAYTON

I made that headpiece...I still have it actually. I wore it for Halloween this year. I didn't look as angelic in it as she did, but I looked pretty darn good. I was a "garden party."

I think the birds added a slightly scary touch to it, don't you think?

But besides how not-as-hot-as-Payton I looked in that headpiece, I was still psyched to see that her agency advised she use images from a shoot I dreamt up. Even if they cut the polishes out of the image—which they did. (I always tell my exec editor not to put the polishes on the same page as the model image, but she won't listen to me! We squabble about it all the time...friendly squabble...but I'm right.)

And look out for Payton. I see big things in her future!

Adventures in Retouching: No. 342...

The scene: New Year's party, friend's house, Lower East Side

The crowd: a mish-mash of 20-somethings and 30 year olds wishing they were 20-something

The convo: models and their "perfect" genes

Of course, I couldn't help myself and interject, telling everyone that, in fact, models, though blessed with "thin + tall" genes, usually have horrible skin. My friend kept saying, "I don't believe it!" I said, "Trust me; I look at their pimples magnified by 1,000 on my laptop when I'm retouching said pimples out of the image."

Which brings me to a trip I took to Ohio recently, for a photo shoot (images to come...have to wait until they are printed in the magazine). On my way back from the trip, what do I spy on my flight? A model—not a top of the top model, but one I regularly see at the Baby Phat show and Chado Ralph Rucci show...and, one that I've retouched before.

Which got me to thinking: How weird is it that I see the insides of these girls' noses? That I take away their mustaches? That I am intimate with their zits and large pores? 

Weird.

Example of retouch magic below...

(Source: Andreea Angelescu for Launchpad)

Weird indeed. I could've walked up to her and said, "You know, you have better skin than most models." Or, "Thank you for tweezing your nose hairs; it helps." But, you know, I didn't...because I have restraint.

I Know You're Looking at Her Hair...

Yikes! Apparently, if you wash your hair with Pantene "con pro vitaminas" (which, if my seven years of sort of learning Spanish serves me correctly, means "Pantene with pro vitamins"), you suddenly grow big chi-chis. I'm not really sure who was behind this ad campaign, but HE is obviously a genius...

...except that Pantene is usually used by females, which means the advertisement should cater to the likes of women. Last I heard, when seeking a great shampoo and conditioner, women sought attributes such as "shine" and "health" for their hair, not "shine" and "robust-y health" for their rack.

Also, the girls' hair looks straggly...as if they haven't brushed their mangy manes for a week, let alone washed them.

I am completely flabbergasted by this ad. 

I'm Currently Loving...Esuchen N.P.P.E. SH-RD Protein Cream

OMG...I don't even know where to start with this absolutely insanely cool haircare product. First, let's talk about my hair: It's gross. It's over-processed, having been bleached to the last inch of its sad life, and, honestly, most of it has already fallen out. Scary, but true. (Don't worry. I have extensions. I'm not walking around bald like Britney or anything.) But when I slather on Esuchen's N.P.P.E. SH-RD Protein Cream, my hair instantly transforms into shiny, super-gorgeous strands. Dab it onto your split ends, and, voila! Split ends are superficially sealed. Swipe it along your part and flyaways are tamed. The smell is incredible, and the consistency is light, so you can apply it numerous times before your hair starts to appear a bit greasy. It uses silk amino acids and hydrolyzed silk proteins to hydrate and strengthen hair and, by golly, it does a good job of both. An added bonus? It feels really good on skin, too, so I use it on my elbows when they are feeling scaly. It's pricey, but, hey—gorgeous hair comes at a cost to most of us!

Adventures in Retouching

Source: Andreea Angelescu for Launchpad

Source: Andreea Angelescu for Launchpad

Source: Andreea Angelescu for Launchpad

First and foremost, I'm a magazine editor/writer, but, lately I've been dabbling in Photoshop, retouching images on my own time for my own enjoyment (yes, I've retouched myself in several photos, making myself 10 lbs skinnier and absolutely zit-free). I'm completely self-taught, learning as I go along. Because of a lack of resources at the magazine I work at currently, I went ahead and retouched images for a story I wrote—which I have never done before, but the art department felt I was good enough to do it. The images I posted above are just three of the 10 images I retouched. I need to learn how to do a "roll over" so you can really see the differences; side-by-side comparisons don't really do them justice. But, the idea when retouching images for backstage beauty is to keep the retouching as natural-looking as possible. You want to smooth the skin, remove all blemishes, and keep shine to a minimum when possible or called for.

You also want to enhance shine on the hair; smooth any serious wrinkles/creases; and clean up mustaches. Yes, mustaches. These models have crazy mustaches and tons of baby hairs around their hairlines—I assume from lack of nutrition, but you never know. Maybe I'm too cynical (not). You also zap under-eye bags and red eyes, and you enhance eye color without drastically changing it. Punching up makeup is necessary, but changing makeup colors is downright wrong (after all, the images are of actual beauty looks backstage; you want to show exactly what was coming down the runways). Occasionally you have to clean up makeup; but if the makeup artist is actually really good, you don't have to do that too much.

The end result should be so subtle, you would think these girls were born with PERFECT genes.

The above images are from Roberto Cavalli, Gucci and Oscar de la Renta.

Eva Mendes + Jessica Biel = Curvy?

Source: Calvin Klein

Eva Mendes is the new face for Calvin Klein’s Seductive Comfort underwear, a move CK president and CEO Tom Murry says is “a departure from more slender body types that have typically been used in Calvin Klein Underwear ads...This product is made for a curvaceous woman.”

OK. Yes, Eva is curvier than the average Hollywood A-lister, who usually is a willowy size 0, but...yikes! She's still slender! She's probably a 4 on a supposed "fat" day.

Source: Harper's Bazaar

Cut to the latest issue of Harper's Bazaar, which features "curvy" Jessica Biel on its cover. For whatever reason, in the accompanying piece, the following size-divulging sentence infiltrates the story:

"Though the 26-year-old star is still happiest in her size-26 7 for All Mankind jeans, Jessica is dipping her toes into designer territory, surrounding herself with the most extravagant gowns from the American fall runways."

Do we need to know her size? And, as she is usually referred to has "curvy" or "heavier" by Hollywood standards, it's pretty damn sad that's she's a size 26, which is a 2/4.

How do I begin? In three weeks, I will be turning the dreaded 3-0, and my body has changed itself within the past few months in such a way that I look as though I'm hitting that milestone having had three kids and no tummy tuck. I've always been a voluptuous girl, yet still quite slender, meaning I've got the tits, ass and thighs, with a slender waist and slender arms. This has changed quite a bit this past year. My body's set point seems to be around a size 8 (or size 29 to 30 jeans), though I certainly have fluctuated, getting to as low as a 2 (or size 26). I was chastised by family and friends when I was a 2; even when I was a 4 I was told I was too skinny. So, what gives? These two women are supposedly curvy—and they're only size 2s? I guess that puts me in fat land, which I had already relegated myself to. Damn those Hollywood women and their impossible to attain standards! It would be nice if we could all just stop with the body image crap...but it's hard to when it's tossed in our face constantly. Should there be a new standard? How do we dig ourselves out of this thin obsession? When will the pendulum swing?

Clean Up Your Image?

When I started working in beauty publishing, there was definitely concern that polishes contained formaldehyde, but beyond that, the other ingredients seemed fine. Well, not so, and now more and more polish companies (as well as haircare and skincare) have had to reformulate their products to become what has become known as "three-free"—free of Formaldehyde, Toluene, and DBP (phthalate) (this is specific to nail polishes).

Well, butter LONDON, a self-proclaimed leader in non-toxic and high fashion nail care products, recently partnered with BrandHabit, a website that helps consumers track down boutiques carrying their favourite designers and must-have-items, to launch the Turn in Your Toxins campaign. This initiative was introduced at butter LONDON stores, high-end fashion boutiques and established wholesale spa and boutique accounts across North America.

During the campaign period, butter LONDON invited customers to “turn in their toxins” at participating butter LONDON stores and fashion boutiques across the United States and Canada. Each customer who brought three of their nail polishes containing the toxic chemicals Formaldehyde, Toluene, and DBP (phthalate) received one bottle of any “3 Free” nail lacquer by butter LONDON – for FREE!.

This is a fabulous initiative, but what really got me to gasp was the image that accompanied the press release. Tons of polishes in company-specific bottles—that could really piss off a bunch of polish manufacturers that may not want their dirty laundry aired.

Beauty on a Dime: Budget Fashionista

My hair in it's healthier days...

I started blogging for The Budget Fashionista around two months ago and it's quite interesting trying to find the cheapest beauty scoops. Normally, I'm the sort of beautynista that doesn't really fret too much about dollar values; meaning, I definitely don't buy cheap makeup, hair care or skin care, but I also don't seek the highest-priced product thinking it's dollar value means it works. I guess I don't really have to; I get most everything I use for free because I'm a beauty editor.

Go figure, you think, but seriously, just because I get free product doesn't mean I love them all. Once I discover something that turns my world upside down, I get hooked, and I go out and actually BUY it. For instance, I discovered the BEST hair product of all time (in my eyes), and I won't name it here because I want to devote an entire blog post to it, but I just went out and bought three more tubs of it, I love it so very much.

Anyway, trying to find beauty on a dime is becoming increasingly easier because luxury items are becoming more popular. You may be thinking, "Huh? That doesn't make much sense." Let me explain the link: Not too terribly long ago, rappers—yes, rappers—like Jay-Z started singing about Gucci, Prada and Dolce & Gabbana. Prior to this, your average Joe had no clue what those three names meant, but with the widespread popularity of rap, he became aware of luxury items. Suddenly, the regular consumer is wanting these luxe products in hopes it will lead him to that luxe lifestyle—gold chains, fast cars, mansions...just kidding, but you get the picture. The internet made luxury items more accessible, or at least more known. Since then, luxury items have been focused on more and more in the media; celebrities use them, people want them. Then, some high-end designers started doing the whole "mass market appeal," crossing over by churning out luxe-for-less lines (H&M, Target, etc). This whole phenomenon has plenty of steam, and has continued even into the beauty market. CVS and Walgreens have begun introducing higher-end products onto their shelves; have started implementing beauty salespeople who will help you tailor your beauty needs; and have lines manufactured by high-end salons at inexpensive prices. Therein lies the link. They know you, the end consumer, wants these luxe beauty products, but you may not go to Barney's or Bergdorf, so they'll deliver it to you at your local one-stop shop. And not only that, but mass-market lines, such as Olay, step up their formulations to deliver results that were often thought to only be accessible if you plunked down a slew of Jacksons (yes, that's $20). So what was once reserved for prestige lines is now available in mass lines. Mass-market lines need to keep up, and they are doing so.

But, back to high-end salons creating affordable products for us chicks with only a few pennies to scrape together...One of my most recent Budget Fashionista posts, here, delves into one such haircare line. Check it out and let me know what you think. Check out the rest of the website, too. It features tons of practical advice for women who want to keep their finances in check, yet remain fashionable and beautiful while doing so.