NYFW – Sometimes Yaya

Blonds Just Want to Have Fun

I’ve been on a severe hiatus the past two weeks. Valentine’s Day Guides and photography took a back seat to a trip out of town, some serious germs in my nasal cavities, and a work and school load allowing for only eating and sleeping in between. And then fashion week hit. Sheesh! When it rains it pours!! I’ve started to overhaul the priorities and make time for it all, so enjoy the coming photos in the meantime.
The Blonds have a cannot miss show every season. It’s a breathtaking, whirlwind party worth missing class or work or sleep for.

I had a team help with covering shows I wouldn’t be able to attend (thus the delay in photos!), but this bad boy? I had to be there myself. The show had an oriental inspiration – the show started with dragons! The Blonds are famous for the craftsmanship and attention to detail of their bodices and dresses. Every celeb who had an unforgettable getup has befriended the brand (think RiRi, Katy Perry, Nicki Minaj, etc.). As a matter of fact, the headpieces for the show made me think of Miss Nicki.

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Lipstick Organization

Forgive me the length of time it took to gather myself mentally and health-wise, but that is one of the downsides of being the sole person behind a site – there is no one to pick up slack on off days. My cold is all gone, and I’m back in business!I’ve been a bit obsessed recently with an image from the past. Backstage at the Spring/Summer 2011 Mercedes Benz New York Fashion Week Argentina Group Show, I saw a makeup artist organize their lipsticks in a small palette reminiscent of an empty nail tip box, or paint palette without dividers.

The ease of use coupled with the aesthetic greatness had me reeling ever since. I wanted the same for myself, but with more dividers between each color, to prevent losing it after mixing colors at the edges too often. I haven’t had luck – even with bead organizers, the containers are too tall or too wide, and end up being more bulky than comfortable, which was one of the original goals. My search is ongoing for that perfect product, but the search did find other clever ways to organize though.

You can:
Melt your lipsticks down into small containers and store them in VHS boxes (video)
Make an organizer for the actual lipsticks(video 1 video 2)
Melt into an empty lip palette (video)
You can even use a shotgun shell container (interesting!)
Add tabs to the front of lipsticks and swatch (genius!)
Or… into small jars (video)
Another shot from backstage at the show, this time with skincare. This is much more easier to accomplish – just get a palette and smush cream products in.

I’m still holding out for that perfect container. Until then, share your experience, how do you organize lip products?

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AMEXNYFW SS11: Carlos Campos Menswear

Today is my catch up day for the crazy schedule of Mercedes Benz Fashion Week. I have already suffered a minor crash, so I think I’m going to need a stunt double or an assistant for the next season. Fashion is not for the restful!

As I try to catch up with the past three days, and keep it on schedule as of today, stay up to date with my Twitter and Tumblr accounts in between posts. There are also some sites that I’m writing for, and can’t wait to tell you all about it when I get home tonight!

The Carlos Campos brand was one I wasn’t too familiar with before the Spring Summer 2011 shows began. After arriving to the venue, I walked around each model to see what it is in the future of menswear. I have to say – after covering several men’s shows, you find that the shows aren’t too heavily focused on their beauty, but rather the substance of the clothes.

The collection featured diluted shades of gray and blue, with a focus on camel and khaki. The guys had straight leg pants, which were notably rolled up at the ankle. It’s funny that a move I’m trying to incorporate in my clothes is something the dudes are going to be doing next season.

The overall look this model was exuding was awesome. My favorite part is the pair of glasses.
When I got to the room with this model I was overjoyed to have him pose for another photographer and my camera caught this shot. Sometimes you find gems without looking for them – just be fast, they last a second!

The main component of the show were these canvas oxfords. I’m kind of diggin’ ’em in these soft spring shades.

How do you like Carlos Campos?

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Curls are so IN

Look y’all. I would be hard pressed to ever tell you that curly is not the way to go. Curly is Yaya all the way. When I was little, I used to cry because my hair was such a problem. I wasn’t savvy yet to the benefits of hair oil and sprays and such. I went completely natural with my hair and the frizz was tease factor number one. It was cute until the end of kindergarten and then it was back to reality. My grandfather (yes you read right) was the genius behind giving me pigtail braids that would last through any of my toss and turning dreams and still look neat for school. Whenever my mom or grandma offered to make my braids I would refuse. They were too soft with their hand and my braids would fall apart. How I longed to have sleek straight hair and maybe even bangs (another toddler horror story for another day). But my mom didn’t let up. She said if I didn’t like my hair the way it was, that she could easily shave it all off. Now look. No one could strike fear in my heart like my mama. She knew just the words. Soon as I transitioned into high school, my knowledge bank began to expand with hairsprays and leave in conditioners. Though I can’t say I haven’t suffered any epic hair fails after my learning sprees, I can say that I couldn’t love my curls any more than I have since those learning days.

Image Credit: Style.com

That’s the story of my hair. The story of fashion week? Let’s start with the invites. Once the season starts, to get an invite in the mail is of the highest level of excitement. It’s like Secret Santa at Christmas mixed with a surprise birthday party. You want it to happen. You want someone to think you’re special, but you just sit and wait. Then it comes. You ooh and ahh even if it’s terrible, because the experience can never be terrible. Right? Imagine my surprise party when I opened my invite for the Ports 1961 show. A small calendar just for fashion week, with a packet of seeds was in the mail. The date of the show was written in on the specified day in the calendar. As famous as they are for fancy invites, they didn’t fail this season.

You wouldn’t be surprised then, that no hail, sleet, or snow could stop me from attending the show. I was late, yes. I wrongly thought that I would be able to get from point A to point B and wherever else I wanted on the alphabet path during the first days of fashion week, to find that my little legs and public transportation didn’t agree. So I got to stand on my tippy toes to watch the show, with nary a backstage detail on the beauty or hair. The silver lining on my depressing cloud? Not a single thing could dampen my day once I saw the models. The models were rocking big CURLY hair. I took pictures and phoned home that the show’s hairstyle was what Yaya looks like in the mornings. Hello 80s? How nice of you to bring the hair back.

I met with the head stylist for hair for the show later on in my fashion week adventures (oh wait, did you doubt me?), and he said the Ports 1961 was a fun recreation of a big 70’s perm. He said 70’s but I couldn’t get the 80’s out of my mind. Any 70’s hair experts out there? I’ll research this and get back to ya.

The music at the show was a definite plus to me. Sometimes the runways turn into an excuse to run similar sounding techno back to back and ruins the experience. The collection had a vibe of Amelia Earhart going through the desert during the day and attending an Arabian Nights party. The makeup was soft, the hair was big, and the colors of the garments were in tune with all things fall and winter, with sultry sapphire and gold tones amongst others. According to the designer, the theme was the nature vs. technology, and you can definitely see it reflect in the fit and drape of the clothes. Check out all the looks from the show at my go to site for fashion week (outside of MyOwnJudge.net!) at Style.com.

Line up of models for the show

Do you feel big hair is back in? Reawaken the curl fiend in you!

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Tardy to the Party

Tardy is the kindest word that I can attach to my timing in regards to Mercedes Benz New York Fashion Week. Here’s the catch up (and if the following schedule of posts is too many too often for y’all, let me know!).

I got the ball rolling during the actual Fashion Week by doing a guest post for Miss Brittany over at Clumps of Mascara about the Vessel by Lois runway presentation, and trust me when I say that I could’ve went to just that first show and would have heard all the buzzwords and trends right away.

Image Credit: Style.com

With scheduling and location conflicts for many shows, you try to make one person act like as many clones at one time as possible. Want to know a true story? There were two shows going on within an hour of each other and next door to each other. I went to the first show to cover the backstage prepwork, snuck out through the side staircase (no one could leave because they were doing a test run of the show), ran around the block (with a camera, notepad, and no jacket), only to go into another show, cover the backstage prepwork there, only to return to the first show to catch the runway, and then back to the second. I probably would’ve attempted a lot more fashion herculean tasks similar to this if they were closer together, but that was not the case.

So of course, it is with great sadness that I admit to you that I only got to see Toni’s backstage prepwork and not the runway show. Too bad too, because the dresses were phenomenal. The collection was a bit broken in half with soft, sheer fabric in shades of gray, and some dark pieces, with black and gold. Check out all the runway photos from the show here.

For this show, MAC provided the cosmetic creations, Zoya for nails, and hair was styled by the peeps from Cutler Hair Salons.

The look? A feminine, ethereal, “all about gold” theme. Once you look at the line, you’ll notice that the makeup matches the collection well.

Head makeup artist for the show, Dhai Naidu (pictured above) was swearing up and down the prep area that the item to buy from the fall brand collection is called ‘Hang Loose.’ The artists used Studio Moisture Tint foundation to cover up blemishes, but still keep the girls looking real; showing their real skin, freckles and all.

The polish colors were berry much in tune with autumnal shades, breaking out the berries (did ya catch the berry before?), and of course some glitterin’ gold. The colors used were Sloane, Nova, Casey, and Richelle. Sunshine, the head nail artist for the team had some test swatches with various combinations of colors ready before each girl got set up with her color. Some gals rocked a single blinged out finger with berry on the rest. Nothing new for us beauty junkies, no? But I did love the pink glitter and the creamy gold. Such a switch for the colors, right?!

The hair was sleek and neat, usually arranged in buns with gold threads, sequins, and applique dipping in and out of strands. The hair team used Cutler Volumizer Spray, along with Redken Workforce ’09. I was most impressed with the closeups of the hair (tell me you’re not!).

My favorite images captured on my camera for the day were the box of hair sequins above, and this one here:

I’m sure anyone who had one person handling hair, nails, and makeup each, could get ready just as quickly as these gals! (And don’t we all wish for a round the clock entourage that would help?)

How did this show strike you? Any favorite pieces yet?

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Vote for Me!!

I turn to you readers for support as I try to keep moving forward with this blog and aspirations for success.

I covered NYFW last season for the first time, and it would be amazing to have full access to the shows this time around. I would truly appreciate your vote for me (by clicking on the image below). If you don’t think I deserve it? That’s fine too, just leave a comment or send me an e-mail telling me what I need to improve.

Thanks again!

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NYFW: Christian Cota – a photo journal

I have so much stuff leftover from my NYFW shenanigans, and though I kept looking for a great time to introduce y’all to them, I just can’t find any better time than now. Christian Cota‘s show was more of a presentation, and honestly, it almost didn’t make it to my list of shows to attend to. I’m so happy I didn’t miss it though, because this show was not to be missed. The designs were so in touch with a female’s body, that you just wanted to court the models as you saw them (and I’m a fan of the boys…).

Maybelline did a great job continuing the old school/Mad Men inspired look. But I’ll be showing a video and such about that too. Take a look at the great photos that I took of the collection, and check the rest out on the website here. Take a closer peek at the makeup and hair, AND clothes!!! I’m sure y’all will be dreaming about it for days just like me…

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NYFW: Vera Wang S/S 2010

Forgive me as I continue my fashion week coverage postweek. There was so much to cover and ooh and ahh at, that you can’t just cram it into one week. Plus – being that I’m a birthday girl this month, I figure I have all the right.

I have some juicy tidbits of what was behind the beauty inspiration and process for the Vera Wang show. The esteemed bridal designer has been everywhere from bridal salons to Simply Vera at Kohl’s, to an extension of her own label a la Marc by Marc Jacobs with her Lavender Label. The woman is also a great momma bear (or so it seems) and she is equally as great with her other baby – the namesake label.

No surprise then, that I loved it and want to share, eh?

There was a handful of chiffons and light fabrics with plenty an embellishment & on point accessorizing.

Once again, simple was the way to go for the makeup. After following Vera’s inspiration in French designer Paul Poiret, Lucia Pieroni, the color creator for Clé de Peau Beauté, decided a simple “boyish” face was the way to go. Also, making sure to have the face compliment and not contradict the look of the clothing & jewels at hand.

“I wanted the models to appear cool and very natural, so I created a super sheer base on the face with eye accents only, of taupe and silver.” Lucia says. “I wanted them to look healthy, but a bit supernatural.”

Products used:

Face:
Luminizing Enhancer Base ($42,)
Refining Fluid Foundation ($118)

Eyes:
Eyebrow Pencil in #104/Grey ($55)
Satin Eye Color in #11/silver ($45,)
Shade #111/taupe
Satin Eye Color #104/golden (browbone)

Lips:
Extra Rich Lipstick in T4 ($65,)

As with many other collections, the makeup used mimicked the clothing, in that it was a season ahead. The runway has transcended the “preview” and has becoming the testing groud.

The Clé de Peau Beauté Spring 2010 collection will premier in March 2010 at Bergdorf Goodman and select Barney’s, Neiman Marcus and Saks locations nationwide.

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Nailing NYFW

If there’s anything that NYFW teaches you, is that fashion doesn’t stop at the end of the runway. The audience and crowds contributed to plenty an ooh and ahh, whether they were celebrity or not. My camera was often pointed equally to someone’s clothes and shoes, as it was to the models and garments.

I even felt the kick under my heiny to step it up and rocked out with bright lipstick for days. But today’s not about that – today’s nail day!

The pasttime that I can always commit to is doing my nails and toes. I usually do this before I do anything, as I can aid drying time that way. I also am tempted to try a new polish nearly every day (though that is half blamed on my penchant to peel my polish and half because of my constant new purchases). For NYFW, I didn’t want to be a one color girl, so I enjoyed some fancy mattes, suedes, creams, and a Konad for days.

I wanted to mix it up for Fashion Week, as I didn’t want to run through all the fabulosity with a mere one color. I tried to do a fresh nail every other day.

First one was a cream color that struck my eye immediately when I came into the Beauty Supply store. It was a sherbet melon/orange type color, and I could attest that I had none to even so much as mimic it. Plus the color was around $2. The brand was one that I never tried before, but as it’s name says itself – I was ~~curious~~ Quirious!

Though I liked this color, the polish took a bit too long to meet my expectations. The picture here is after roughly four coats. The first two coats made it look sheer as all goodness and that actually made me pout. I like the finished effect, but it takes too long to achieve it. Regardless, though… given the price, I’ll forgive em & probably showcase more of their colors soon.

Next two colors that I tried are pretty new to the nail market and I didn’t want to wait too long to try them out. After spotting them on websites and nail blogs alike, my heart was beating fast in the material sector. First one was OPI Suede in Russian Navy.

The little note attached to it says the same thing as the ones on the Mattes as I posted here. They tell you not to use a base or top coat, that they wear differently than other polish, and not to use lotion.

Just to let y’all know. I haved used a base coat with all my matte polishes and that hasn’t changed anything. I have seen that the one time I followed directions and didn’t use a base coat, the matte made my nail yellow. Yaya doesn’t like that one bit.

The Suedes are fabulous guys. They have this silver underlayer that makes the top coat shine. It’s hard to explain. The pictures show you that I have a top coat on my ring finger to show you what it looks like with a top coat. I like the color both ways. I also noticed that upon removal, you can actually come across the middle layer that is invisible to the eye when applying or wearing.

flash on the left and no flash on the right

Coooooool. Right? 🙂 This is when I was removing it, so excuse the chip. Mattes and Suedes wear a lot more sensitive than creams, so they tend to chip at the ends within one or two days.

Next one was OPI by Sephora in Metro Chic Matte. This was an ultra cool matte, that had the best application of any of the mattes I have ever come across. Case in point: most mattes, if you apply more than two swipes on one nail in succession start to clump up. This one did no such thing.

flash on the left and no flash on the right

pinky has a top coat on it. Looks almost identical to Metro Chic cream

The color is a little different with flash and no flash. Neither shows the color perfectly. It is a bit in between the two if you can imagine. I tried to add a little Holo pizazz with China Glaze on the thumb and ring finger.

I also love that this polish is extremely true to bottle color. Most of the mattes – it is just too hard to convey that.

My last mani was my last hoorah inspired by my girl Brit from ClumpsofMascara. She was tweetin’ and YouTubin’ with a fab houndstooth Konadicure, and I took her as inspiration to rock my plates out. I used a Sally Hansen Insta-Dri polish that I just got from Walgreens on sale, and used bows and fishnets to rock out the rest. I used my black and white Konad polishes and then mixed some of them to see if I could get gradient colors.

After a nail or two, I realized I was mimicking my fave Betsey Johnson mini handbag.

What y’all think? What are you rocking on your nails?

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NYFW: Alexander Berardi

The madness continues for a handful more days. I equate this craziness to the change of seasons, although at a bit more of a warped speed. You always lament the season you’re in because of how hot or cold it is, and as soon as it departs and shifts to your requests, you miss it again. So as I slowly start to expect my NYFW withdrawal symptoms, I present to you more fashion coverage.

Alexander Berardi is a new designer to me, but after a highly successful show, that notion is no more.

The show’s prevalent theme was a lot of white. For a lot of in the moment comments, I have gone to Twitter, and have exclaimed that many designers chose white as their color for S/S 2010. The clothes shifted from everyday casual clothes to cocktail party attire, with several a sequined jacket. Made me think of a fashionable Michael Jackson tribute.

After going click happy with my camera, I will try to convey most of those pictures to you.

As mentioned previously, I got to interview some of the people that played a major role in these shows backstage, and soon enough, you’ll see it too!

The Estée Lauder makeup was inspired by a “uptown meets downtown look” uptown girls had a bit of a bronzed look going on, and the downtown girls had a bit of a purple shadow on their lids. Additionally, the looks were inspired by the day to night shifts. Can you see it now? Hair was by my fave Bumble & Bumble. The look was a soft au natural look with slight waves. I wanted to get the head artist on camera too, but I didn’t catch up with them in time for a chat.

To keep this runway from looking like Diddy’s white party, there were flashes of orange and coral, as well as some grays/silvers.

I was also happy to see more diversity in the models (a prequel for another post to come). Almost every fashion week, upon its conclusion, there is a headcount of all the models, to see how many of which ethnicity was used. Though designers may argue that models should mainly serve as a blank canvas for the clothes, I am a firm believer that a diverse group will actually improve the look.

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