Style Crush: Lady Gaga Collaborates with Tiffany's for their New "HardWear Collection"

Tiffany’s modern day muse is a little less Holly-go-lightly and a whole lot of Lady Gaga, who fronts the house’s new “HardWear” campaign.  

Building on the iconic “ball and chain” collection, which originally debuted in 1971, the collection pays tribute to New York City and its unabashed power and frenetic energy.  Chain link, ball bearings, wrecking balls, and padlocks rendered in rose gold, 18K gold, and in silver, the collection embodies a strong, modern woman who rebels against traditional roles, defining her own path.  

Who better to represent the “HardWear” campaign than the iconic Gaga, a powerful woman herself, who truly is the definition of the modern woman blazing her own trail and smashing stereotypes along the way?  Little Monsters everywhere just got a style inspo upgrade. 

                                                                 XOXO Shelley

#Tiffany’s #Lady Gaga #Lady Gaga for Tiffany’s #Tiffany’s Hardwear Collection #jewelry collaboration #fashion crush #jewelry trends #facethis.blogspot.com #Shelley Goodstein

You Smell Delicious – New Scents for Summer

Trying out a new fragrance in summer is such a treat and each year’s array of choices makes me wish summer was twice as long so I could try them all.  Summer scents tend to be less heavy and heady than winter scents, meaning more florals, citrus, and earthy scents that fit perfectly with bare shoulders and exposed skin.

 

Floral:  Tom Ford Fleur de Portofino

           Chloe Love Story Sensuelle

Citrus:  Jimmy Choo L’Eau

          Hermès Un Jardin sur le Toit

 

Warm:  Penhaligan’s Portraits Clandestine Clara

           Tory Burch Love Relentlessly

Earthy:  Bulgari Jasmin Noir

             Berdoues Assam of India

 

 All fragrances available at Sephora

Rather than having my usual signature fragrance this summer I am going to mix things up with a touch of intrigue by matching my fragrance to my outfit.  Not being predictable and having an air of mystery is always enticing. 

        XOXO  Shelley

#summer scent #top summer fragrances #how to choose a summer scent #perfume for summer #facethis.blogspot.com  #Shelley Goodstein

Drugstore Beauty Fav's - Budget Beauty Buys that Really Deliver

Some of the best beauty buys are not only for the budget-concious, but are products that truly deliver and are even part of many makeup artist's kit.  Your local drugstore or even supermarket can yield a beauty bounty that will leave you wondering why you would ever pay more for expensive products that do the same thing.

For my everyday makeup I prefer to look like a polished version of myself, so I use products that treat my skin, enhance my complexion, and don't veer away into a "made-up" look.  I like a natural glow that makes me look rested, refreshed, but still professional and pull-together, that can take me from work to play. 

(click on the image to enlarge it)

Here are my favorite beauty pics that I buy over and over again:

Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel with Hyaluronic Acid:  I was skeptical about this when I first tried it but now I am sold on it.  It hydrates my skin and makes it feel more plump, which means less dryness at the end of the day.  It improves the texture of my skin after application so that my makeup goes on smoothly.  

Aveeno Positively Radiant Targeted Tone Corrector:  I use this every other month or so, switching it out with my Neutrogena Moisturizer to have a more even skin tone.

Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Eye Cream:  every blink, smile, hour staring at a blue screen, and any lack of sleep makes the delicate skin around the eye area show signs of stress more quickly.  I am using this product nightly to counteract these effects and I have noticed that my fine lines have disappeared. 

Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser Dark Circles Treatment:  I don't have dark circles but a makeup artist told me that she uses this product as it compares with the top high end concealers. I am so in love with this product!  I use it all over my nose, around my mouth, along my jawline, and under my eyes.  It stays put, matches my skin tone perfectly, and I don't need to apply any foundation over it.  Buy it in bulk!

Revlon Photo Ready Powder:  this is a pressed powder that goes on without looking like powder. It doesn't make my face look too matte which is great as I like a bit of a glow, it holds my concealer in place all day, and never looks caked on.  

Rimmel Natural Bronzer Waterproof Bronzing Powder:  I have tried so many bronzing powders and most are too matte and dense, or too sparkley. It comes in natural shades that add warmth without making me look completely different from my natural color.  It can be built up for a more overall tan look by just applying more with a big fluffy brush.

NYX Tinted Brow Mascara:  the mascara wand style applicator makes it easy to apply on to my brows to both fill them in and to add depth.  It makes my brows look so much thicker than they are without going too far, and it stays put all day.

Revlon All-In-One Mascara:  I wear contacts so flaking mascara is a big no-no, and I don't have time for clumps.  This delivers making my lashes look longer and fuller.  Simple.  

I love lip balms and have them stashed in every bag.  I love Maybelline Baby Lips Moisturizing Balm with SPF 20 for everyday wear and can use it under colors to make sure I have sunscreen on my lips.  It really does make my lips the softest they can be and it never dries them out or makes them feel chapped.  When I want a tint of color for errands and such I go for L'Oreal Paris Colour Riche Glossy Balm in Pink Me Up.  When I want to look a little more polished and professional or even for evenings out, I use a nude pencil that matches well to my own lip tone.  Rimmel Exaggerate Full Color Lip Liner Definer in Epic works for me and I can either use it under lipstick or even under lip balm, depending on how strong I want the color to be.  When lipstick is in order I use L'Oreal Paris Colour Riche Collection Exclusive Lip Color in Julianne's Nude.  

Why pay more for products that can't deliver more than these do?  I'll keep that extra cash for those indulgences that are really worth it.  

                                                          XOXO  Shelley

#drugstore beauty favorites #best beauty buys on a budget  #L'Oreal Paris #Maybelline #Revlon #Rimmel #NYX #Neutrogena #Aveeno 

Modeling Biz: What Makes an “It” Girl?

The parameters of what constitutes beauty are shifting, finally, opening the doors of the modeling industry to faces and body types that don’t fall into the typical looks that have traditionally populated the modeling agencies, runways, campaigns, and editorials for so long. While the definition of what makes a girl a beautiful model is changing and broadening, there is no denying that the models who rise to the top in a sea of long-legged women with squared off shoulders, high cheekbones, and wide-set eyes, have to possess something more, something that can only be described as “it”.  So what is “it”?

Ask industry pros and they will all tell you something different, be it a unique look that can be transformed while the model remains recognizable, a model with a great personality, personal style, drive and determination, or simply a “spark”.  Maybe it’s a combination of all of these, or even a model with a look that symbolizes where culture and fashion are that that moment in time. 

However it is defined, there is no denying that there is always some unique quality that makes one model special amongst thousands.  Naomi, Cindy, Claudia, Christy, and Linda, supermodels of the 80’s and 90’s, became so famous that the world refers to them to this day by their first names.  No two were alike or interchangeable, and all had “it” in spades. 

Kate Moss is perhaps the most famous model who embodied “it” as she broke nearly all the beauty standards of the early to mid-nineties with her boyish figure, her short stature (5’6”), wide-set doe eyes and freckles.  She was the antithesis of the Amazonian supermodels with womanly beauty and bodies.  Discovered at age fourteen by Sarah Dukakis of Storm Models UK in the JFK Airport, she must have stirred something in the agent’s gut that this girl would change the industry and turn it on it’s ear.  How else to explain her interest in a small, thin, girl barely in puberty?  Because, she had “it” and Dukakis felt it. No matter where the fashion industry was at that moment, Kate Moss changed it forever, ushering in the entirely new era of the waif, youthful sexuality, and a stripped back, uncontrived, raw beauty that endured until the arrival of the Brazilian bombshells of the late 90’s.

The best scouts and agents are always on the lookout for the next model possessing this elusive quality, knowing that they might, if they are lucky, find just one in their entire careers.  Many models have “promise” but rarely “it”. “It” cannot be cultivated, taught, or created.  “It” is often so out of the scope of traditional beauty standards that it triggers a gut feeling that there are models where to whom the beauty standards of the business do not apply.  But to think having “it” is a golden ticket to success would be a mistake.  Without the best agency that has the right industry connections, without a strong work ethic, without a great support network, without amazing timing, “it” doesn’t matter.  “It” takes a village to succeed.  Every single day in every corner of the world, scouts, agents and casting directors are on the hunt for that elusive girl that has “it”.  She is so rare that the chances of finding her are slim.  But when they find her it’s like catching lightning in a bottle. 

                                                             XOXO  Shelley 

#modeling business #what makes an “it” girl? #model scouting #what makes a supermodel? #getting into modeling #how to break into modeling #modeling 101 #facethis.blogspot.com #Shelley Goodstein

Modeling 101: Arrive "Beauty-Ready"

It may go without saying but personal hygiene is ALWAYS a big deal where modeling is concerned, after all you are hired to represent a brand or publication and no matter what your level of success you have been selected and are being paid to represent at the highest level.  How you arrive on set or backstage counts, and it doesn’t go unnoticed if your personal care beforehand is a little haphazard.  Finding yourself nearly naked and without hair and makeup is laying it all out there for the makeup artist, hair stylist and wardrobe stylist to see, and yes they notice that less than discreet tattoo, the nasty hair extensions, unwashed hair, body-piercings, unshaven legs, nicks, bruises, bad hair-dye job, un-manicured fingernails and toes, zits, and tan lines – ALL OF IT! And it matters!  If you care so little about your own personal image how can you expect a client to think you care about their brand image?

It’s not enough to expect the hair and makeup people to cover all these nasty problems, or to “fix” your hair issues, give you a mani-pedi, or simply expect that the photographer’s retoucher is going to just quickly fix these issues in post-production.  One of the quickest ways to get off on a bad footing on a job is give these problems over to the team as if it were their problem.  It’s not their responsibility, but yours.  And they will hesitate to book you again, or possibly report this to your agency. More than anything it is disrespectful to the team and the client and reflects badly on you. 

I have spoken to photographers and makeup artists about these issues and if a model arrives with any of these problems without the agency or model warning ahead of time that “’so-and-so model fell down the stairs and has bruises on her shins”, or “so-and-so model has had a breakout on her face from frequent traveling this past week”, then it’s not acceptable, and most likely a call will be made to the booker.  Makeup artists are completely grossed out by dirty hair, badly done hair extensions that haven’t been removed and washed in weeks and create bumps around the head, chewed off nails, and bad body shaving. 

You are hired to arrive as a blank canvas, ready to be made up into the representation of the brand. It is your brand collaborating with theirs and the responsibility for a great outcome is as much your responsibility as theirs. 

A profession model knows to:

Hair:  arrive with clean hair, properly cut, and with hair extensions removed and cleaned.

Face: fuzz-free, eyebrows tidy, clean face, and facial skin maintained so as to be free of pimples and redness – avoid any dermatological treatments within a few days of a booking in case there is a reaction.

Body:  remove all piercings, wax, or use your chosen hair-removal method; wear sunscreen on exposed skin daily to avoid any tan lines and discoloration, arms and décolletage included.  If you have bruises, apply arnica regularly to expedite the healing process, and use over-the-counter creams and gels on cuts and scars to heal and reduce their appearance.

Nails:  either learn how to give yourself a clean, simple, clear-colored manicure and pedicure, or book an appointment.  Long or fake nails are out.  Clear or nude shades are best since the makeup artist might need to use a particular color for the project. 

Tattoos:  lots of models have them and most of them know that a tattoo needs to be small and discreetly situated.  Have your own tattoo-covering body makeup in a color that matches your skin tone ready, but don't apply it beforehand as it might come off on the clothes you have to wear for the photos or the show.  Offer it to the makeup artist so they can cover your tattoo in a way it won't soil the styling.

We are all human, models included, and our skin does break out, we get bruises, and we sometimes have forgotten to wear sunscreen, but if you keep yourself generally photo-ready and maintain your hair, nails and complexion, then when something does go awry, an honest comment to the agency to give a potential client a heads-up before a booking can go a long way and shows you are committed to the job and professional.  

Remember it is your job to arrive ready to go and it is not just your personal beauty day to have a free mani-pedi, or free hair trim, or free facial.  More than anything it is just a matter of personal hygiene that is maintained.  It is never okay to expect that any of these issues will be fixed by the beauty team or by the retoucher.  It is not their job.  It’s yours. 

                                                             XOXO  Shelley

#modeling 101 #how to be a professional model #modeling tips #getting into modeling #beauty tips for modeling #modeling: what not to do #professional model beauty tips #facethis.blogspot.com  #Shelley Goodstein