Ginge of the Week- Vogue Italia Beauty!

This weeks Ginger honour goes to Vogue Italia Beauty model, Ieva Laguna who is a beauty indeed! I am really loving this gorgeous shade of ruby-red against her porcelain skin which compliments her eye colour with perfection. It's the perfect shade of ginge for Autumn 2011, as it's more saturated and deeper in tone.

So to celebrate/mourn the close of SS12 Fashion Week this Vogue Italia beauty is the winner of the Ginger crown for this week.

MX

Marple Loves Fashionising!

As you know I was lucky enough to get backstage at LFW to witness many fabulous fashion moments unfold.

One of my favourites was David Koma- and it's not just cos the hair was created by fellow Ginge, Sir Kenna of Kennaland Creative Director for GHD.

Check out how you can get the David Koma look here on Fashionising

Marple Loves It!

MX

Summer Lovin....

The temperature's heating up, London is enjoying it's so called Indian Summer and those of you in the Southern hemisphere are heading into actual Summer. I'm not such a sun bunny as you may know, but I'm so excited I get to wear my Summer wardrobe for just a little longer! Or better still can try out some of the gorgeous SS12 trends we have just been seeing at fashion week ahead of time. It's perfect pony tail weather don't you think?

Here we have a fabulous Moss-moment by Mario Sorrenti from Vogue Paris 2010, I have always loved this editorial and it ties in with the Summer mood I'm in, so it had to be shared.

And while we are on the subject of Paris- Paris Fashion Week has just begun! How I wish I was there. Maybe I can just recreate this look in the London Fields Lido for fun? Maybe not. Sadly, I don't look like Kate and the Lido doesn't look like that inviting!
Oh well, I can dream....
MX

Ps
Don't forget to apply factor 50 on your face to keep wrinkles away, la Roche Posay is best....
Sun protection for your hair stops colour fade! Try SP Sun UV Protection Spray or wear a hat! Many hair products contain sun protection but not many can actually claim to have an SPF- check the label.
Sun + hair colour = faded colour

Milan Fashion Week- Marple Loves It!

I'm loving this gothic-princess ensemble fresh from the catwalk of Milan this week at Pucci. In fact, I'm quite impressed with the overall vibe of their whole SS12 collection. Featuring lots of black lace crop-tops and crosses to give the collection 90's cool credibility.

While I have never seen myself as a Pucci kind of girl before, I can totally see myself running around on the beach in Australia this Christmas in this exact outfit, getting stared at because I'm possibly THE palest girl on the beach!
Note to self: must Fake Bake before the trip.
(Their gradual tan is the best for creating natural looking colour, without orange if you are naturally very pale!)
MX

Perfume Launch: Secret Potion

Before you get the impression that I'm totally consumed by fashion week, I have been doing other things here and there, in between colouring hair, painting faces, going shopping and catching up with friends for lunch.
(Do you get the impression I'm loving the whole new freelance life??) In fact, last week we were treated to a lovely evening at the Crazy Bear for the launch of Christina Aguilera's fabulous new fragrance, Secret Potion.

The inspiration behind the latest edition to her empire is all about confidence and empowering women to 'shine'.

As far as celeb perfumes go, I haven't tried many. Usually it's because I'm not a huge fan of the celebrity themselves, however being a closet Aguilera fan for years (secret's out now) I must admit I was very curious to investigate!

Although it was created as a night time fragrance- it could be worn both day and night as it's not too overpowering as some 'night time' perfumes can be. I tend to classify my fragrances into seasons, so I would think of it as more of a Winter fragrance. With a soft oriental, floral blend it also features delicate notes of jasmine, orange and white lotus flower, it makes for a luxurious smelling fragrance.

After dinner we were heard from guest speaker, Matthew Hussey. Matthew's official title as 'international dating expert', came about after years of coaching guys in relationships, he then realised that all this knowledge could be invaluable to women and jumped ship to the girl's side. This resulted in a series of seminars called 'Get The Guy'. As the saying goes 'knowledge is power!'- sign me up now!! Matthew spoke to us about the secrets of attraction and gave us some useful tips and ideas when it comes to both work life and relationships.

Not only did we walk away from a lovely evening, smelling divine- but we also have a little more insight into how we can make our lives more successful in all aspects.
So if the fabulous new Secret Potion fragrance isn't enough to help you 'get the guy', this means you might just need to sign up to see Matthew as well.....

MX.

Location:Crazy Bear, London

The Pony Club

If NY Fashion week was all about texture and braids, London was definitely all about the ponytail! Seen on countless runways, this time round it was worn lower than previous seasons.



Here's the proof:

Maria Grachvogel- featuring a zigzag centre part



House of Holland- slicked back double pony:



Mary Kontrantzou- the DIY pony with an off centre part:



David Koma- tribal geometry:



Jonathan Saunders- the serious side parting:



Temperley- 50's style:


Who knew there was so many different ways to wear a ponytail??
I'm thinking it could be time to grow out my fringe for SS12!
MX

Milan Fashion Week: I Heart Fendi!

One of my favourite hair and makeup looks at MFW so far.....

Backstage at Fendi, they are rocking the ultra metallic eyes with big hair for a very chic, statement look.
Makes me want to go and get some gold or silver leaf NOW 

Love, love, LOVE it!!

MX

Ginge of The Week: Kim Rance!

This week's ginger honour goes to:

KIM RANCE 

(super stylist at Clipso Salon)

Kim's electric peach locks gave me a severe case of red envy when I saw her recently,

so she most certainly deserves the title this week!

MX

LFW - Hair Trends Overview SS12

Before we cross the channel to Milan and Paris, let's take a look at the biggest hair trends for SS12 that emerged from London Fashion Week. As I've already mentioned within the makeup, hair also took a more daring edge than what we saw in NY.
Moving away from the sculptured looks of AW11/12, throughout most of the shows I could see two major recurring themes:
a polished 90's vibe and loose, textured, girlie updo's.

Here's a selection of my favourite looks:

Maria Grachovel SS12

1. Zigzag Partings


Who didn't spend hours trying to perfect the zigzag part in the 90's -with any pointed object handy?
Hooray for the pin tail comb!
(it's also a clever way to disguise regrowth)

As seen at Maria Grachovel for GHD with polished perfection and a low pony.

Topshop Unique SS12

2. Embellishment

From the gold delux look created using gold leaf and a whole lot of gel at Topshop Unique- to the slick painted creations at Julien Macdonald which were created using various coloured body paint mixed with gel. Perhaps not the easiest of styles to create at home (you need to have patience to let them dry!) but it certainly makes for a show stopping creation on the catwalk.

House of Holland

3. Slick back

Whether it be ponytails as seen at House of Holland for Sebastian or David Koma by GHD, this season the ponytail has gone low. I'm thinking it might be time to grow out my fringe in time for Spring!












4. Texture Frizz

Loose, undone texture created with girly plaits and braids as seen at Felicity Brown by Andrea Martinelli or crimped voluminous updo's by the Sebastian team at Jayne Pierson.





5. Wigged Out

My favourite overall look at Vauxhall Fashion Scout was definately Joanne Hynes. With a collection showcasing vibrant colour combined with texture they opted for wigs + volume resulting in a Miu Miu/Prada vibe (which is never a bad thing!)

MX

London Fashion Week- Makeup Trends Overview SS12

Mary Kontrantzou SS12

Unsurprisingly, London had an edgier look compared with the glamour that was seen on the catwalks of NY. When you compare the overall style of each city, London always pushes the boundaries a little more- NY is, as a city a little more classic in it's style.

Maria Grachovel

Skin was fresh and luminous, reminding me of the late 90's trend for dewy skin finishes. Some designers opted for a spalsh of acid bright colour in keeping with their collection. Key colours included: Lime eyeshadow and smoky plum lips at Maria Grachovel. Turquoise Green eyeliner at David Koma and metallic, multi coloured lip colour at Mary Kontrantzou

Both off and on the catwalk, the biggest news in makeup these days is for skin that actually looks like skin.

Surreal highlighting at Basso and Brooke

I know you're probably thinking- 'they are models and can get away with no makeup!' but trust me, they don't all have perfect skin. You can imagine after their 12th show it's taken a bit of a beating!!

Mask like foundation is so old school and can actually make troublesome skin look worse and wrinkles appear more obvious.

I will keep you updated with products and techniques to do this over the next few weeks, as I think it can be a difficult habit to move away from if you are used to wearing heavy makeup. Your skin will thank me for it!

Marian Newman's metallic creation
at Fred Butler

Nail art was also big news at LFW, which is something that a lot of girls out there are getting into. But if you don't have time or a steady enough hand (like me!) there are great products out there such as Nail Rock (which I will show you very soon) that make it easy to create these looks for yourself.

Sophy also created this
hieroglyphic masterpiece for
Topshop Unique

Preview: Aminaka Wilmont, LFW SS12

For my final viewing this season, we headed across the Thames (without a minute to spare!) to catch up on the backstage action at Aminaka Wilmont's show in the heart of London Fashion Week- Somerset House.


Based on Scandinavian folklore, this was a collection of beautiful juxtaposition. Featuring delicate prints in a metallic, monochromatic colour pallette on a sleek, strong silhouette.


This followed through perfectly with the hair which was again created by the talented Kenna from GHD and his team (yes he's been busy this fashion week!) Here they worked a strong centre parting for precision finish. Creating a contrast of the smooth, poker straight texture in the front with a corrugated wave through the back.




The wave was created with small plaits that were heated up with large GHD's and then cooled to set and released from the plaits, leaving the corrugated, wavy texture. Ears were left peeking through the hair to add an 'elfish' look in keeping with the overall theme.

Make up was fresh, with plenty of highlighting for definition on the skin, nude lips and a focus on the eyes for a smoky, stronger look. The colours followed the monochrome colour pallette seen in the garments which added a subtle strength to the overall look of this beautiful collection.

MX

Preview: David Koma, SS12 LFW

On day five of London Fashion Week, it was off to the old Eurostar Terminal, Topshop Show Space again, this time to see David Koma's much anticipated collection as it all came together backstage. Lucky for me, it was much easier to find second time round!

The geometry and texture seen in David Koma's stunning Spring/Summer collection was mirrored in the hair and makeup which came together beautifully to create 'futuristic tribal feel'.

It was all hands on deck as Kenna, Creative Director for GHD and his team worked their magic, to create a striking look, which stemmed from 8 slick ponytails that linked together with symmetry and precision.

Makeup had a fresh faced, almost surreal finish to the skin with an accent of turquoise/jade in the inner corner of the lower eyelid to compliment the splashes of colour seen throughout Koma's collection. This was finished with an ultra gloss sheen on the eyelids using MAC lip glass.

Nails featured an intricate, geometric pattern as seen in much of the design throughout this collection.








MX

David Koma SS12, Makeup- Get the Look

David Koma's collection was based on the idea of a futuristic tribe. Fortunately, makeup took on the futuristic element as opposed to taking the tribal route. Combining finishes such as matte Vs gloss, mirroring the finish on the garments created with the use of reflective perspex. A flash of bold colour under the eyes complimented the use of bold colour across the collection.
Mel Arter and the MAC Pro Team created the fabulous look and talked us through exactly what you need to recreate it!
Here's how you can get the look:




*MAC Face and Body was used to create the base

*MAC Luna Cream Colour Base mixed with Palladium Metal X Cream eyeshadow as a highlight

*MAC Lip glass was used on the upper lid right up to the brow to create a high sheen effect

*MAC Pro blue reflects glitter was placed along the lash line with a fine brush

*In the inner corner of lower lash MAC Pro Wavyblue eyeliner was used to add a splash of colour (I recreated it using MAC eyeshadow (shade-steamy) with a small angle brow brush, as I prefer this to eyeliner on the bottom lid)

*Lips were kept natural using lip erase and then Luna cream colour base was patted onto the lips to add reflective sheen.

MX

Preview: Temperley SS12 LFW

It was all about 'High Society Glamour' with a 50's influence at Temperley London last night. Once again we are seeing luminous, reflective skin- this time with a lashing of electric red lip colour.

Created by the talented Wella Professionals team, hair was extremely polished with a high pony reflecting the glamourous 50's feel.

With a crowd that included (almost royalty) as in Pippa Middleton, this was definitely one of THE shows to be at!
MX


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Preview: Jayne Pierson SS12 for the Coterie @ LFW

Elegant, graceful beauty revealed in a ballet themed show for Jayne Pierson's captivating SS12 collection. It featured real-life ballerinas from the Royal London ballet as models! Led by Dom Capel, the Sebastian hair team certainly did a grand job of their crimp-tastic hair creations.

Although, I possibly would have enjoyed the show more had I not been sitting in absolute fear of the seven foot tall, real-life blow up doll 'character' who decided to seat itself next to me in the front row, just minutes before the show began. I wasn't sure whether to run or scream but I was paralysed with fear so had no choice but to stay put!!
MX

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Preview: Topshop Unique SS12 LFW

Going for gold...

Egyptian inspired opulence combines 90's Helmut Lang flawless glamour with a ghetto twist. Does it work? Oh yes it does! At Topshop Unique the impossible is possible!
Once again, I was delighted to be part of the amazing Hannah Murray's makeup team to witness another fabulous fashion moment unfold.
Hair by Paul Hanlon for Loreal Proffessionel
More LFW info to come...
MX

Preview: Felicity Brown, SS12 Presentation LFW

Beautiful looks were created for a stunning collection presented at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden today. The hair had a romantic Victorian influence and I had a great day working with the fabulous Hob hair team lead by Andrea Martinelli.

Makeup was minimal to create a natural beauty look which all went together to compliment the beautiful feel overall.
Tomorrow It's gonna be all about Topshop Unique's show and Jayne Pierson at the Coterie for LFW!!
MX

Ginge of the Week: Vivienne Westwood!

To mark the beginning of London Fashion Week, 

I have awarded the Queen of British fashion - 

Vivienne Westwood 

with this week's honour for her trademark acid-orange locks.
MX

Makeup Bag Must Have- LFW Essentials

It's hard work looking fabulous 24-7 when there is not enough minutes in the day!

Makeup Marple's top 10 Fashion Week Essentials are products I can't live without and will also take you through any ultra busy time.

1. Concealer- to hide evidence that you were up way too late last night, try Estee Lauder Double Wear for heavy duty coverage
2. Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick- with so many uses, eyeshadow, blush, lip colour and it even has a mirror for on the run makeup touch ups, you really cannot afford to not have it in your makeup bag. Tip: apply the lightest shade with an eyeshadow brush above your cheekbone in a 'c' shape around the eye area for added highlight.
3. Clarins Beauty Flash Balm- will make even the most tired complexion glow, even after one too many cocktails!
4. Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream- will save your lips after too much kissing and is great to soothe the skin for a whole variety of issues.
5. Chanel Vital Lumiere Foundation- for a flawless complexion that will take you from day to night
6. Plasters- because you know it's true: 'No pain, no gain!' If you don't need them, someone else will!
7. Berocca- to get you through the day with that much needed dose of Vitamin B
8. Mini Hairspray- for last minute hair fixups
9. Dry Shampoo- saves you precious time in the morning! Batiste now does purse size mini cans!!

And if all else fails:

10. Red Lipstick- this will up the glam factor in a flash! My theory is that if I'm looking tired, the red lips will detract from this. There's also something about strong lipstick that gives an instant burst of confidence and style.

Oh yeah and plenty of Starbucks for that much needed caffeine/sugar hit.

MX

New York Fashion Week- Hair Trends

Coming to the end of New York Fashion Week, I've been looking at the hair and beauty trends that have been featured on the catwalk for the upcoming season. Designers are showcasing a much softer, feminine look for hair than that of the more strong and sculptured AW collections, whether it be softer textures, loose braids or girlie updo's. This means products such as mousse, sea salt spray and wearable treatments are key to create such looks. Following through from Autumn Winter there's still a big focus on hair-ware from headbands, visors and hats as seen on the catwalks of Marc Jacobs and DKNY.

Makeup has also gone to the other end of the spectrum, moving right away from the gothic influence and strength of AW- to the glowing, fresh faced complexions and understated beauty that is on trend for SS12. Both hair and makeup for SS12 are wearable, commercial and beautiful. Don't get me wrong, I loved the strong looks from the AW collections, it's the kind of style that I feel most comfortable in. However, I also love it when catwalk looks are easily transferrable to what is happening on the high street. It's great to be able to bring a little bit of catwalk glamour to everyday life!

Marc by Marc Jacobs SS12

At Marc by Marc Jacobs sleek, high ponytails and visors featured, which worked with the sporty and colourful vibe of the collection. Makeup was understated and polished with a beautiful glowing complexion. Colour blocking was also key throughout the clothing in this collection.





DKNY, showcased longer lengths with added extensions to create a glamourous look with a beachy Summer feel - 'like a girl that's just back in the city from holiday in the Hamptons' according to hair god Eugene Souleiman, for Wella Professionals.

This was complimented with 70's style hats and designs that portrayed poolside glamour in a multitude of prints and colours.

Stylist- turned- designer, Rachel Zoe's presentation, hair inspiration came from 'the night before' and featured a low, textured ponytail for an effortless yet feminine feel.

Thakoon's colourful SS Collection

picture: style.com

At Thakoon, it was all about colour from head to toe. Literally! Legendary hairstylist Odile Gilbert headed up the team where loose french plaits and faux bobs were coated in 'my little pony' pastel shades shades of candy pink, sky blue and mint green which added to the playful summer mood of the collection. The array of colour was created using coloured clay powders that had been watered down to create a paste like mixture. You can imagine this would of made for a colourful, if not messy situation backstage- resembling the Indian Holi Festival where coloured powder is thrown in the air to represent the triumph over good and evil. According to Odile, 'Thakoon really wanted to see a touch of colour in the hair, so we thought today was a good day to have a Holi day'.

Great to see some colourful hair cruising down the catwalk for a change!

Meanwhile, jewellery designer Pamela Love showcased her Moroccan inspired collection at Milk Studios to an audience that included Anna Wintour.

With bold, tribal influence evident in this collection, this followed through from the jewellery itself right through to the hair and makeup.

Hair was directed by Anthony Cole for Sebastian. It featured a low pony, with a loose fish plait. The plait had braid threaded through to add to the tribal feel of the overall look. Again, we saw hats playing a big part to the styling this time with scarves as well.

MX

Flashback: London Fashion Week AW11

Christopher Raeburn

British designer Christopher Raeburn who is famed for his ethical outerwear, showcased his Autumn/Winter collection at LFW back in February in the disused Aldwych tube station.

Featuring both women's and men's wear the collection followed a military theme with an urban edge. The coats, anoraks and parkers that formed his collection were complimented with simple pewter leggings. Using recycled fabrics such as parachute silk and wool that are sourced from various places to create strong structural shapes, Raeburn's designs give ethical fashion a new dimension.

I was on the hair team for this show, lead by the talented Gary Gill for Wella Professionals. With military precision the creation consisted of an ultra smooth, low chignon that featured an off set braid for added interest, complimented by a visor which added an urban edge to the hair look.

Makeup featured a luminous, porcelain complexion, nude eyes with defined lashes and a strong red lip colour. I can't remember the exact shade used but it appears very similar to
Mac Red.

Tip of the day from one of the makeup artists:

La Roche Posay factor 50

On the skin to create a more luminous complexion

(in this case certainly not for sun protection- we are talking February in London, people!)

Great for use in shows, however not recommended for shoots as it could look too luminous/shiny.

So there you go- Makeup Marple's favorite sunblock can come in handy all year round!

MX

Ps. Click on the title of this post to see the fantastic video of the presentation... It's the closest thing to being there!!