INSTYLE BEAUTY AWARDS

Over the past few years I have had the pleasure of being on the panel of experts to vote for INSTYLE'S 100 BEST BEAUTY BUYS.
The most fabulous thing about this is all the free make-up and beauty creams you get sent in hope that you may vote for them, which can turn any product into a best seller.
I try to be as honest as I can when judging and this year two products I voted for won their category, and I have given a quote for each which was published in the supplement. (see above)
At the awards I got very drunk with fellow hair and make-up artists  celebrating the pure beauty of it all along with the endless supply of champagne.
RUBY AND MILLIE have since sent me a whole lot of new brushes to use, which is in great timing as I have just recently lost my brush kit. So thank you RUBY HAMMER, my drunk mention to you of my situation certainly wasn't lost, your truly fabulous!

PRODUCT OF THE DAY

L'OREAL PLAY BALL TEXTURE TONIC is always in my kit bag ready for use on any hair. Gives great texture and volume to hair with out feeling weighed down and sticky. Really great for when roots of the hair are a little greasy as it dries it out, and is perfect for fine hair. Simply spray into the roots of dry or damp hair then blast with a hot dryer. Instant lift! The bottle shape is a little bit interesting too.

LOOK OF THE DAY

Todays look comes courtesy from exotic and sweet model LIZZY BURDEN @ ELITE.
An easy smokey eye, pale lip and textured hair. (The Smokey eye and Textured hair are the focus)
MAKE-UP: Line the inside of the eye with URBAN DECAY EYELINER in black, do this several times and smudge in by squeezing the eyes tightly. Then line the outside of the eyes and smudge using small smudging brush. Keep the lids bare for a more young look. Curl lashes and apply black mascara.
HAIR: To get great texture spray in LOREAL PLAY BALL TEXTURE TONIC all through the hair and dry in. Then take sections of hair and lightly back brush from roots to ends skimming all over the hair. Blast each section of hair with hot dryer to set. Use you fingers to pull out back brushing leaving hair with a wild and free texture.
This technique is particularly good for anyone with fine hair giving instant volume.
The look is a little bit rock, young, fun and good for anyone under 60! x

WINDOW SHOPPING FOR WIGS

Walking home form work last night the new window display at Liberty made me stop in my tracks. Liberty do have a habit of  really interesting window displays and these do not disappoint. It has been a long time since I have seen such impressive wig work, what lucky mannequin's you are. I have to say who ever was responsible snaps to you. It was like looking at a really fabulous editorial hair story. If you are in town go check it out, quite inspiring.

FROM PARIS WITH LOVE AND DAMIAN GAROZZO

Iris Strubegger stars in a fiery fashion-film-editorial (a term we may soon be hearing alot more of) in this months collaboration between Flair Magazine and multimedia company Vision-On.
The short film shot in NYC's the BOX nightclub is spliced into 14 images to create a print story featured in the magazine; a simple yet brilliant innovation in the future of fashion editorial!
Iris exudes the perfect mix of sultry non-chalance and expensive sophistication; and with a face like that I can't imagine it was hard to pull stills from this footage; she works at every angle...
Although heavily referenced from 1920's-50's glam, the slicked hair and sharp, slick (eyebrowless!) makeup allows the look to transcend eras; and just because the 'noughties' decade is over, its quite clear that this look will be referenced for many years to come... Certainly if will I have anything to do with it!

Damian
x

STYLIST OPINION

WHO WANTS TO BE A MODEL ANYWAY?
There is a reason why model agencies exist, this is because model agencies represent models. And basically models are here for one purpose,  to create an image and sell product.
So you could imagine my confusion this morning turning up for work on a look book for a cashmere company, when instead of a professional model present ready to flog off their expensive wears, was a young female intern of a friend of a friend.
Okay so this young girl was pretty in a tall Rummer Willis kind of way (you get where this going) but she had never modeled before in her young life, and to be fair did not really have the how should I say...... the jawline for it.
Times are tight and budgets are being cut I realize, but after you are shelling out for Hair, Make-up, Stylist and Photographer, do you think it is so wise to start scrimping on the model?? Sounds like false economy to me.
So basically this story turned out in tears, and tears for the poor young pretty Rummer Willis type. As after the morning trying to get the first shot with an uncomfortable energy running through the studio, it was decided that things were just not working and the girl would have to be sent home.
It was not nice removing hair pieces from a crying young girl in the changing room, but it was better for her to end things quickly then let such a confidence shattering experience continue.
I blame the person that put her up for the job, thinking that just because she was a pretty young girl that she could handle performing and being scrutinized by a group of people for a fashion shoot, especially when she was not even a model.
Of course the shoot was saved by a professional model being called in and doing what was required, which resulted in a certain kind of relief for all us on set.
But I still feel a little sorry for the young girl who was told that she could model, and hope her confidence has not been shattered to much. She probably didn't even want to do it anyway, can't say I blame her, who even wants to be a hot model?  Not me, Im happy being hair and make-up that's where things are really hot!

PRODUCT OF THE DAY

If you want to wear a red lip colour for winter but don't want that heavy lipstick look LANCOME COLOR FEVER SHINE lipstick could be the product for you. It gives strong pigmented colour with a light reflecting transparent ultra shiny radiant finish. So now you can go red with out fear.

LOOK OF THE DAY

It has been a cold slow start to the year, but now 2010 is here with us I could not think of two more ravishing beauty's  to begin STYLIT IN THE CITY with.
The gorgeous and ever so sweet GABRIELLA @ TESS, and the just as gorgeous HANNAH @ ING.
The look is fresh dewy skin with subtle youthful shinny red lips, and clean groomed hair.
MAKE-UP: I kept both models skin clean and fresh starting with BOBBI BROWN VITAMIN ENRICHED FACE BASE as a moisturizer. Then curling the lashes and applying NARS mascara in BLACK ORCHID on top lashes only. For the base I used SHU UEMURA NOBARA CREAM COVER STICK in shade 754, then a slick of eyeliner using MAC CREME LINER in black with a slight wing to edge of eye. Fill in the brows lightly with brown powder and brow brush, finishing  the look with LANCOME COLOR FEVER SHINE in shade 104 RED LUST.
HAIR: Spary into the roots of the hair LOREAL PLAY BALL texture tonic, and dry in. Using a large round brush and blow dryer smooth hair out with a slight bend on the ends.
The look is fresh clean and perfect for a crisp winters day. Now all we need is some blue sky to match.