Postcard: London Bricklane

Bricklane, London

Love the color from this mural.

A quick postcard from London.  If you've been following me on Instagram, you know that I've been traveling this week in the UK.  It's been a couple years since I've been in London and even longer since I've been here for an extended amount of time.  I've been having a great time taking in the city and walking streets after my day job.  The weather has been cooperative and spring is in full bloom.

One of my highlights was this past Sunday exploring Spitalfeld Market, Shoreditch and Bricklane.  The street art in London is really amazing, and I have been taking a lot of photos.  More posts to come... but here's a quick postcard for now!

Ice Cream Socializing / The Ice Cream Bar San Francisco







Are you ready for the weekend?  What's more fun than going for a treat on the weekend.  San Francisco has such a unique way of making the simplest activities unique.  The Ice Cream Bar in the Cole Valley area is an old-timey ice cream parlour and soda fountain where they take a mixology view to soda jerking.  The individually roasted marshmallows to the homemade elixirs and syrups make this shop a little more special than your average 31 flavors.  All ice cream is made in house, and they offer some boozey sodas and shakes if you feel like having something more grown up.

If you are in SF, stop by for a really special treat.

The Ice Cream Bar, 815 Cole Street, San Francisco.





Lucky Instameet at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Recap

At the BCBG runway
Last week, I was extremely fortunate to win a contest with Lucky Magazine for their first ever Lucky Instameet at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week at Lincoln Center.  It was a whirlwind of an event.  I had found out I had been selected on Monday and then off to NYC by Wednesday.  Thursday morning I found myself at Lincoln Center.  IMG, Instagram and Lucky Magazine put together a great behind the scenes tour to Fashion Week.  The winners got to check out the new exhibition space and all the new runways.  We even got a glimpse backstage at Richard Chai as they were prepping for the runway.  

The finale of our event was a meet and greet with Eva Chen, Editor-in-Chief of Lucky Magazine, and some special guests.  If you follow Eva on Instagram and wondered what she was like in real life, her bubbly and  energetic personality don't just come through on her photos.   She was extremely gracious and kind; made sure that everyone had their photo taken with her even though she was running late to another event.  To be so thoughtful of the contest winners was so sweet, you just want to be friends with her.... which is probably why she brought so many great special guests in tow our Instameet!   Two of my favorite fashion bloggers, Rumi Neely of Fashion Toast and Aimee Song of Song of Style were there.  Aimee even brought Dani (my favorite Song sister)!    The model, sometimes blogger, Soojoo Park was also there in between runway shows!  It was a great afternoon of gushing, oohing and ahhing and picture snapping.  

Outside Lincoln Center.
The main hall.









The Instagram wall.
Selfies backstage.
Hair and makeup check!
Runway clearing out.
On the runway.
Me with the awesome Eva Chen, Editor-in-Chief of Lucky Magazine.
Soojoo Park, Rumi Neely from Fashion Toast, Aimee Song from Song of Style, Eva Chen.
Soojoo Park, Rumi Neely, Aimee Song, Dani Song.

How cute is Sooj?


Songsters.  Love how Aimee and I both have studded jackets on.

How gorgeous is Rumi?  How awesome is that coat? 

Thank you Lucky for making a fashion dream come true.  It was truly an amazing event to meet so many cool and influential industry people and bloggers.  I had the best time and hope to return some day to Fashion Week.  Until next time.... 

The Spotted Pig / NYC Travel Diary

The Spotted Pig.
One of my favorite restaurants in New York City is a little gastropub called The Spotted Pig located in the West Village.  It's very English in decor.  Crowded and even more crowded with any and every kind of pig decor imaginable.  It's overwhelmingly charming and warm.  The staff is welcoming, and it feels completely homey.  I love to go for brunch early on a Sunday and get their biscuit and scrambled egg.  Hands down the most delicious biscuit I have ever had.

Seasonal decor.

One of many pigs.

Cranberry custard doughnut.

Chicken Liver Toast.

Eggs & biscuit.

Butter biscuit.

Admiring their festive decor.

Visiting Wonderland / Veronica Lake Waves / Classic Hairstyle, Not So Classic Color

The finished look
I'll be heading to NYC soon... but before I do I wanted to get photos up from my last trip.  I was recently there in November for a friend's wedding.  I wanted to have a polished look for the black tie event, so I went to one of my favorite beauty studio's in New York, Wonderland Beauty Parlour.  Jeb did my hair in a classic Veronica Lake side sweep.  With my bright purple color, it was a real contrast!

To achieve this look, Jeb barrel curled my hair with a 1.25" curling iron and pinned it to cool.  Each lock was sprayed with Oribe Soft Lacquer spray (my new secret weapon for hot tool looks!).  Then it was brushed out.  Voila!



Before look

Goofing

Ok, going to be late.

End result.

Not bad. 
Have you gotten your hair done recently?  What kind of look do you go for?  Have you ever tried this look at home?

IMATS New York - Student Competition Fantasy Beauty!

A Student entry for the Character/Prosthetic Mythological Creatures Theme Competition.

On Day 2 of IMATS, there was a second student competition that explored more of the elaborate side of makeup.  Sunday's competition was focused on the theme of Fantasy Beauty.  Student finalists had three hours to transform their models from mere mortals into their crazy fantasy vision.  I was incredibly impressed with the work that these artists were doing.  Also, I was taken back by the patience of their models!

A student at work.


All prosthetics were homemade by the students. 

Backstage working on their models.
Airbrushing
Every detail of thought of... even the nails.
The finished models!
This model was really in character.
 
Amazing!  This is straight out of a fantasy movie!
Everyone was amazing talented, and I could never do what they do.  Have you ever thought about fantasy makeup?  If you were going to create a mythological creature look... what would it be?

IMATS New York - Mehron Goat Girl - Amazing Fantasy Makeup Transformation!

 Amazing transformation!


IMATS focuses all on the endless possibilities of makeup.  So you want to be a goat girl?   No problem!  Makeup can do that!  At the Mehron booth, there were amazing transformation demos all weekend.  One that I was able to capture from beginning to end was this horned ram/goat mythical figure. 

 See the cute girl in the background?  Watch her go from normal to fantasy!
Capped and read for horns!
 Artists from Mehron attach her horns.
Do you think you could this with makeup?

Mehron specializes in theatrical and stage makeup, but they also make some beautiful foundations and blushes for everyday!  I purchased some of their foundations and a blush and will be reviewing them soon.  To check out Mehron products go to www.mehron.com.

For information on IMATS go to www.imats.net

IMATS New York - Makeup Artistry in Entertainment, Over Jake Gyllenhaal's Dead Body!

 E with her new friend at IMATS

One thing that I've mentioned that I love about IMATS compared to other trade shows I've attended is its focus on makeup artistry in industry.  How are people pushing the boundaries of makeup for professional purposes?  The best place to think about where these limits are being constantly tested is in movies and TV.  With increasingly better technology, the scrutiny over the makeup artist's work is intense, to put it mildly.  You know you gotta be good.

I loved how on the first floor as you walked in, there was a mini-museum with some amazing examples of makeup work for seriously theatrical purposes.  The displays ranged from chins and cheeks to create a distinctive character... to full blown twitching and bleeding mutilated hearthrobes that are wired to work at a push of a button.

All great examples of how makeup can be so much more than just making someone look pretty.  The ideas are seriously limitless!  And it was all very inspiring!

 Don't be confused by the Paul Giamatti picture, that's Eddie Murphy (well not the real one).
Walking Dead?  No, just makeup!
 Gory guts, yellow rotting flesh.  You have to make it look real or go home.
 If you are getting squimish, this person has done their job. 

**Now For Something DRAMATIC**
 NO JAKE NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!  YOU CAN'T LEAVE ME!
 Psych!  It's not the real Prince of Persia, but a latex model wired to twitch and bleed.  This was created for his latest movie, Source Code.
 But doesn't it look REAL?
I still can't believe how life-like it is!

Thank you IMATS for exposing me to a world beyond perfect skin and smoky eyes. 

IMATS New York - Saturday April 9, 2011 - Day 1 Coverage!

 IMATS welcome to New York!!!

82 Mercer was the place to be this morning at 8am.  The line was already down the block.  IMATS, International Make-Up Artist Trade Show, is in the Empire State for the first time and found its way to Soho this morning.

What I found exciting about IMATS vs other makeup trade shows is its focus on artistry in the industries of fashion, entertainment and not just what's considered "normal" beauty.  On the first floor, there was an amazing makeup mini-museum devoted to the artistry of makeup in television and movies.  I have some special photos from this that I'll be sharing on a later post.  The speaker sessions range from things everyone makeup artist, professional or amateur should know, such as Makeup for Ageless Beauty, to topics which are really targeted for hardcore theatrical makeup professionals like Zombies 101 - Intro to Creature Creation. 

 I was able to get in a few moments early before the chaos of the sold-out crowd came in. 
 Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Spring Collection 2011
 Inglot just as doors were beginning to open.  The counter was crowded all day.
 Eve Pearl working her magic.
 Mehron booth.
 Beautiful rose tattoo body painting at Mehron.
 So pretty!!
 Gettin' groovy at Lit!
 Naked Cosmetics skincare.
 Naked Cosmetics pigments.
 Hakuhodo brushes.  So luxe.
 Stila booth getting stocked.
 Someone getting eyelash extensions at Evalash.
 Yes, they are getting LIVE at the booth.
 Yaby Cosmetics foundations and palettes.
 Body painting.
 Loved this comic theme.  That model was a good sport! 
Tate Steinsiek speaking about Zombies.

There is so much more to report, but now it's time to actually to have dinner!  Check back later for more coverage.  Tomorrow is also another day!  So there will be plenty to report!

For more information on IMATS go to www.imats.net.

RMK Spring Shimmer - Spring Summer 2011 - Haul And Presents from Taiwan!

 RMK Haul

Hubs just got back from a business trip to Asia, and he was soooooooooo nice to do some haulage for me while he was there.  I have to give kudos to any man brave enough to walk up to a cosmetics counter, let alone one in a foreign country where you don't speak the language.  

He knows I have a weakness for hard to get and pricey Japanese brands, and he was nice enough to bring new products from RMK's spring line.  I will have complete swatches and eye looks to follow.  My initial impressions are excited.  I love the pressed eyeshadows.  Two of the more metallic shades have chunky glitter and look like they would be perfect for highlighting near the tearducts.  I was cracking up when my husband was giving me instructions that he had learned from the sales associate on how to apply the product.  It was really cute!  


 Another present. A keychain from Din Tai Fung.

If you live close to a Din Tai Fung location, I highly recommend going!  We went on a recent trip to LA and stuffed ourselves!  Hubs brought back this nice little keepsake from his last trip Taiwan.

Bao Zai in a cute spring outfit.

Have you ever sent a S.O. or loved one out for makeup or nail polish?  What was the result?