Pink Diva Photo Shoot: Sat 5/2/11

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If there is one thing that I absolutely LOVE about my job, it has got to be the amazing models and photographers I get to work with as well as the fantastic images we make when we put our ideas together. After starting off 2010 with a series of fashion shoots with international models, I was on a role and there was no stopping me - except for my wedding plans. Seeing as though I have

Wishing YOU a very Happy New Year - Wherever You Come From!

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Before we all get ready to go out and celebrate the end or this decade - before we all break those New Year Resolutions that we know we are never going to stick to, I want to wish you all a very Happy New Year - wherever it is in the world that you live!!!


Happy New Year! This is a lovely e-card I received from EGPR.



Sydney: NYE 2008

Sydneysiders will celebrate New Years Eve 2010 

I Heart Sydney

Aah, I have recently returned from my old home Sydney (where I lived between 2000 and 2007) and the City of Syn was indeed glowing! (Thank you to my totally talented and hot friend Kerri 'Mole' Ambler for the above pic!) I love Sydney fashion - it's bright, sparkly and GLAM and the town was heaving with hipsters and teeny tiny beautiful people.

Sydney Chick by LoulouBlue

It was a very fleeting trip so did a few treks to fave spots - went in search of Nars Multiple in Orgasm. this cult product lives up to the hype - it's the most gorgeous peach pink with flecks of rose-gold in it, and certainly perks up any sallow complexion with a rosy, slightly iridescent glow.
Heading to my Nars-stop (Mecca at David Jone's), I discovered that their lease was not renewed at DJs? So they Mecca reside at Myer, as does the fabulous KIT. Mecca is the word! And the lady who served me at Mecca was not only beautiful but smiling and helpful - more and more the retail anomaly I find these days.
I then popped into the fabulous Priceline for a heap of mini products such as Batiste Hair Powder and Treseme mini shampoo & conditioners, whilst looking for Invisible Zinc (fail). I then tore across to General Pants in search of Jess Hart's Neon Hart range but alas - the Summer stock had not yet arrived.
I did scoop up a bargain One Teaspoon Viper tee, in the most divine buttery soft, Alexander Wang-esque slept-in style dove grey fabric - yum. (Can I just say am very disappointed in my grey Wang Tee - spots of water stain it! Annoying. Comes out in the wash but this seal tends to spray water on self every time I go near a tap)
Then did a morning at Bondi and was blown away by the amazing markets - it has probably been 5 years since my last excursion there but WOW, they are full of amazing urban, rock chick style clothes and JEWELLERY, such as Coco Liberace! I was like a kid in a lolly shop, eyes agog at industrial looking chains and cuffs and trinkets, and two-finger rings, all the rage it seems.
I got an awesome heavy geometrcial silver (plated) ring from ATAT. The designer was a very ool chick & friendly to boot, wearing a very cool tee she got from Newtown Markets (where I didn't get to - curses) - that she got from her Boyf - but stole for her own, natch!
Then my gorgeous companion and I tripped to Tuchuzy, where I was excited to see Wildfox and Josh Goot. Love this Bondi stalwart. Not so excited to spy my fave Nobody jeans in a pile of size SIX! Eek! Not approp for this curvy gal!
And to top it off, a picnic at Watson's Bay, beers at Green Park in Darlo, a drunken 3am stumble from Hugo's (6 inch heels in hand - trashbag) and greasy brekkie at The Trop the next morning topped off the quintessential Sydney sojourn - farewell Syders, until next time!

Dita Von Teese' Be Cointreauversial Show

Thursday 16th September 2010
Dita Von Teese' Be Cointreauversial Show in SydneyWhere: Australian Technology ParkWhen: Thursday 16th September 2010Time: 7.00pm

If you are a fan of Dita Von Teese (and if you are reading this, then I assume you are), you may have heard of Dita's fantastic collaboration with famous liqueur brand Cointreau. Dita Von Teese and Cointreau are both house hold names,

My Style Icons #3 - I heart Jess Hart

I love Aussie model Jessica Hart. She has the most amazing body ever and SHE EATS PIES! (OK maybe not frequently). I saw here recently on The City - Whitney Port was dating Jay from Tamarama, Jessica's boyfriend's Nicolas Pott's band. She came across and laid back and cool and was absolutely stunning. I've mentioned her once before in a previous post (here)

Jessica & Nicolas

Also love all the supercool pics of her mooching around New York (where she is based) on her Blog - LOVE her style. Simple, sexy, cool.
Jess is a good Aussie girl and these Seafolly pics make me look forward to Summer, the beach and a forthcoming (albeit fleeting) trip to Sydney! Will definitely check out Jess's line for General Pants, Neon Hart whilst in Sydney too.
Hoping to go to Bondi beach, hit Tuchuzy then sink a few Cascades at the wonderfully pink Hotel Bondi :-)
Great to see aboriginal model Samantha Harris featuring in the Seafolly ads also:

Beach Babes

I always thought I was more into Winter fashion - boots, scarves, jackets. But having just escaped the murky veil of grey Winter with a sublime trip to Raro, I have been reinspired by the beaches, the colour & the people there.
Having lived in sunny Sydney for 7 years, I'd almost forgotten how much fun it is to dress in bright colours while soaking up sun & beach. (Tuchuzy in Bondi was a great source of beach fashion inspiration!) The pics above & below from Vogue May 2010 by by Max Doyle perfectly showcase the whole Bondi Beach Babe look, with Abbey Lee Kershaw rocking bold make up & turquoise Essie polish on her nails.


In Raro, local & expat women wearing vibrant floral prints and pareus (the local sarongs, tie dyed or printed), saturated, paint-box coloured lipsticks wearing a hibiscus in their hair. Bright nail polished toes and Swarovski encrusted sandals, handfuls of bracelets, big Wilma Flinstone style beads & necklaces - beachwear is not what it used to be! The beach has gone glam! Here's my Raro inspired Beach Babe Beauty Blog!

Abbey Lee, Australian Vogue, May 2009

Beachwear

I love Victoria's Secret. Surprisingly reasonable and a great array of swimwear & beachwear. I bought this cute bikini - love it. And this bikini top. If only the bodies came with! AND you can chop & change sizes of tops & bottoms, plus the style - low cut/moderate coverage, boy-leg - it's easy and a great wide range! I also like Comme de Glas aka House of G aka Glassons for bikinis - good prices and surprisingly cool styles.
I also stole my Mum's fantastic chiffony jade green VS Kaftan, encrusted with purple & pink sequins & rhinestones for beachwear - (please ignore dodgy pink visor). Was trailing pink sequins all over the beach. I highly recommend short kaftans, so cool, comfortable and easy to throw on top of a bikini. Also am a recent convert of maxi-dresses for beachwear - soooo cool and comfortable!
Love this green number on one of my FAVE models, the gorgeous Isabeli Fontana in the June/July Vogue Paris shot by Mikael Jansson. Beach glam!
The same issue features a smokin Kate Moss beach editorial by one of my fave photogs, Mario Sorrenti. Super cute gingham bikini on Kate!


Love this shoot of Kate by Mert Alas & Marcus Piggott in 'Castaway' for Vogue UK, June 2002. Beachy, bronzed brilliance!


I didn't go in for bright statement jewellery but love basic white coral jewellery available - looks great with beachwear - and a tan! I picked up a cute necklace & bracelet in Raro, plus several for friends.

My ultimate beach footwear - apart from barefoot - are Havianas. I wore them to death in Sydney, where footwear was pretty much sky-scraper heels OR Havis, & not much in between! I am slightly embarrassed to count them all, but suffice it to say - I have quite a few pairs! They are just comfortable, affordable and have a great range of colours & styles. Love the little stick on studs too! For something more glam, pick up some sandals from Number One Shoes, where they have a huge range of bright colours & sparkly flats which are great for tropical holidays.
Beauty

Vitamin D is important for not only the skin, but your well-being, as Gwyneth Paltrow just pointed on on her latest posting on her Blog, Goop, Lack of exposure to the sun can even lead to SAD - Seasonal Affective Disorder.

"For the last 30 years or so, doctors (dermatologists in particular), health officials, beauty experts and many product companies have been demonizing the sun. They’ve told us to avoid it because without sunscreen, exposure to the sun’s rays will damage skin and cause cancer. But this oversimplification distorts the facts. In the past few years, numerous studies have shown that optimizing your Vitamin D levels may actually help prevent as many as 16 different types of cancer including pancreatic, lung, breast, ovarian, prostate, and colon cancers."

The above article advocates a small amount of time in the sun, sun-block free! I'd be careful about this exposure. It's a fallacy that you cannot tan when using sun-block. I smother myself in it, especially my face & the delicate decolletage area which goes wrinkly & crepey so easily - and I always get brown. I start to burn after about 30mins so have to re-apply. Always use SPF30! SPF simply eradicates UVA and UVB rays. I don't understand how in this day & age women go & bake themselves - then wonder why they end up with leather skin looking like Donatella Versace. Not to mention skin cancer. I am a big fan of spray tans & fake tan and found these Model Co mitts fantastic! Plus St Tropez are always good.
For maintaining an apres sun glow i have two faves - the more exie, Nars Multiple. More affordable - the delightfully coconut scented Chic Chi 'Solarium in a Bottle' bronzing lotion, which seems to last for ever!
Skin gets really dry post-tanning so a good body moisturiser is a must. I love anything with coconut oil so stock up from The Perfume Factory in Rarotonga, and their coconut soap is divine! I'm also a sucker for The Body Shop Body Butters. I love Brazil Nut and Coconut.
A good tinted moisturiser is the go for hot claims - paired with a bright, fab lippie & nail polish! My fave tinted moisturiser continues to be Laura Mercier.
For lippies I love pinks from MAC. And my latest toe polish for Raro was 'Met on the Internet' by OPI - an amazingly rich shade that goes from hot pink to rich coral, depending on which way you come at it.
I must say it's interesting seeing the buzz on coconut water in the media - the next big think in drinks! I have long loved Nu, as it is called in Raro, a great rehydrater - nothing is better for your skin than water! But I have to force myself to drink it, so in Raro I load up on fresh coconuts which are husked, and the top chopped off with a machete to get to the Nu. My skin always glows in Raro, I think this is a mixture of sun & vitamin D, and drinking so much water & Nu. Yum! Here's me looking really pasty on my first day in Raro, savoring my first Nu at the markets!
Hair

I like putting coconut oil in my hair to rehydrate the ends, Raro-style. I also amp up the conditioner or use leave-in for the ends. Paul Mitchell's Awapuhi Mositure Mist is a divine rehydrator.
If you want to continue the beach-hair look a la Kate when back from travels, try a product such as TIGI's 'Totally Beachin' - coconut & mango scented, mmmm.

For info on Raro, check this website.