New York Couture fashion show last Friday was amaaaazing! Cassie never disappoints!

New York Couture models (sans Raquel – where are you, miss Reed??)

I ran into Miss X of AngelSpit and Raibow Blight of Hate in the Box – such sweeties!

Cupcakes & purple hair!

Me, I was paying homage to Louis Vuitton Spring/Summer 2010 collection with the afro + bow combo. I did squeeze in a quick shoot before we left – pix this week!

More photos from the event here.

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I found this old picture and realized that’s exactly what my life looks like right now. It’s like walking through an enchanted garden – or a maze, if you will – twists and turns, lefts and rights, no way to predict what’s around the bend. But so long as I’m still journeying… My friend LaCarmina said, “In our line of work, you have to deal with an insane number of ups and downs, round and rounds… but it’s better (?) than mundane normalcy.” Well ain’t that the truth! And it’s not just the number of ups and downs, but the intensity of each swing.

Looking back just a year ago, things were so much simpler: if I failed, I failed on a minor scale; if I succeeded, I enjoyed a small victory. If this is is how ‘normal’ feels, I don’t miss it! I would rather live a life in the fast lane where the stakes are high. Going from a start-up nobody wanted to know to signing a deal with a 75-store chain in a year (don’t let anybody tell you you can’t do it!) turned my world upside down. But I don’t like to celebrate early. I am grateful for the opportunity but it is just that – an open door, and how I fare in the room remains to be seen. I haven’t proven myself yet.

I have high hopes for SpaceNK and will do everything in my power to make it a success. Funny, while I was busy fighting the fight, I didn’t notice that the mountain began to move. People seem no longer afraid of color - especially in eyeshadow. According to a New York Times article, colorful lids are everywhere – even brides are wearing lime green on their special day. Just a few years ago, this would be unthinkable; it’s amazing to see many companies – new and old – making brights. To me, this is the real victory.

In other news, Mark finally finished his economics degree and has been working by my side since January. Sometimes I can’t believe how quickly he picked it up – he is more knowledgeable about cosmetics than some women I know! Just the other day he was advising some ladies at Sephora who thought he worked there. :) The girls have been amazingly supportive as well; can you believe I’m meeting Anna for the first time in April??? Up until now it’s been all email and Twitter.

But nothing that looks easy really is. There’s been a good helping of unavoidable strife and anxiety. I don’t like to complain, but the past 6 months have been trying for me. Not the least of which was the fact that I now have people who strongly dislike me for who I am and look for ways to bring me down. When they first started popping up, it really bothered me. Why would somebody want to see me fail? For a while, I thought maybe it was my fault; I guess it’s like having an abusive parent who tells you you’re no good every day, you just want to be that perfect child so bad. So I tried to appear to be perfect, trying to please everyone. Everyone knows that doesn’t work. You can’t fix it if the problem is not you. What really helped was meeting other bloggers/artists – and what do you know? We are all going through the same thing! No matter who you are, how nice you are, or what you do, there will always be people who want to tear you down. It’s all a part of the game – the naysayers are a barrier, a test. The strong will grow a thicker skin and learn to go on. The weak will let it get to them and quit. I believe too much in what I do, I’m not quitting.

Oh, the garden. You’re so full of wonder and adventure. Sometimes you wear me out, sometimes you’re the very essence that keeps me going.

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I love it when you tweet at me your looks using Lime Crime Makeup. Kate was one such person – I fell in love with her look and invited her to do a tutorial!

Check out Kate’s Blog/Twitter

Level: Intermediate

INGREDIENTS

Eyes: Lime Crime Magic Dust in Duchess, Twilight, Empress, Medusa, blue glitter, black liner pencil, mascara
Face: Liquid Foundation, Pressed Blot Powder, Pressed Powder Foundation, MUFE Camo Palette 5
Cheeks: MAC Blush Ombre in Vintage Grape (contour), Azalea Blossom (apples)
Lips: Lime Crime Opaque Lipsticks in Airborne Unicorn (base colour), No She Didn’t (on top)

Face

First I corrected any colour imperfections on my face by using Make Up For Ever Camo Palette 5 – this will assist in eliminating any unwanted blemishes or under eye circles. I then applied my MAC Studio Fix fluid foundation to even out my skin tone. I used MAC’s Blot Powder to eliminate shine in my T-Zone, and set my foundation with MAC’s Studio Fix Powder.

To add some colour and definition I applied MAC’s Blush Ombre in “Vintage Grape” in the hollows of my cheeks and “Azalea Blossom” on the apples of my cheeks.

Eyes

I prepped my eye lids with Urban Decay Primer Potion. I then took a small shader brush – and applied Lime Crime “Duchess” Magic Dust wet on the lids of my eye, fading it lightly into the crease. In the crease of my eye – I took an angled brush and applied Lime Crime Magic Dust in “Twilight” as a transition colour to assist with blending. I focused “Twilight” in the inner crease.

In the outer crease – and onto the orbital bone region I applied Lime Crime Magic Dust in “Empress” – I used a fluffy blending brush to apply this. I blended “Empress” into the crease and outer corner to add definition. I applied a hint of Lime Crime Magic Dust in “Medusa” to the outer corners for depth.

To add a little flare – I took MAC’s Reflects Blue Glitter and dabbed a tiny amount into the inner corners of my eye.

As a brow highlight I used Caryl Baker’s Mineral Shimmer Powder in Champagne (or you could use Lime Crime’s “Nymph” as a highlight). Finally I lined my waterline with black eye liner – I also smudged some black liner on my lower lash line – and applied “Twilight” over top of it – the black base really brings out the violet colour! LOVES! Then to complete the eyes I used black mascara.

Lips

After applying lip balm – I applied Lime Crime Opaque Lipstick in “Airborne Unicorn” and on top of that I dabbed some Lime Crime “No She Didn’t” to transform the lip colour into a violet-blue shade similar to Twilight.

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The original IT girl, Clara Bow

We’ve all been there: an unexpected hair cut pushes you to explore a style you haven’t considered before! When I received this question, I loved it so much that I decided to get a “professional’s” opinion: when it comes to all things 20s and 30s, my friend Shien is as close to being an expert as you can get!

In a fit of boredom, I chopped off all my hair last week– and in the process, I accidentally gave myself a flapper-esque bob. I love my new ‘do, and I think it would be perfect for a 20’s chic getup. The problem is this: walking around in a flapper dress and a feathered headdress every day isn’t really an option, and the only items I seem to have in my closet are skinny jeans and camis. Is there any way that I could update my wardrobe to get a cool, vintage vibe, without looking like I’m off to a Halloween party?
-Cimone

Dear Cimone,

The 1920s bob is a great look, and chic retro attire suitable for daily wear isn’t necessarily expensive or difficult to acquire. Flappers in the 20s didn’t wear their fringe dresses and feathered headdresses all day and night, after all, and an eBay search for “1920s daydress” will yield many promising results. As much as I love vintage clothing, however, the truly beautiful and well-preserved vintage pieces can be quite costly and it may be difficult to find a unique piece you like in your size. To expand your search options, there exist a number of contemporary clothing companies that offer vintage reproduction or vintage inspired clothing such as Pin Up Girl Clothing and Babygirl Boutique. Although you’ll find more reproduction vintage boutiques online specializing in 1940-50s style fashion, the vintage glamour afforded by this style will nevertheless charmingly compliment your new retro hairstyle.  If you are specifically interested in 1920s fashion, I highly recommend Leluxe Clothing, which specializes in quality reproductions of Art Deco evening and daywear.

The good news is, your bob already makes a retro statement on its own, so even contemporary fashion with a romantic look can evoke vintage chic if paired with the right shoes and accessories, such as classic pumps, floral fascinators, and vintage or vintage style jewelry (ie, pearl necklaces and earrings, brooches, etc). Finally, never forget the transformative properties of makeup to enhance your outfit! The trend of the time was to wear lipstick of the reddest red, for which you can rely on Lime Crime’s Retrofuturist, carefully applied to accentuate your shapely cupid’s bow. The bottom lip should be extended in length but minimized in width for the vixenish, ready-to-be-kissed effect. Dramatic smokey eye makeup was in, with thin, high arched and downward sloping eyebrows painted over pale skin, neatly powdered and rouged at the cheekbones. Makeup can be downplayed for more casual occasions, applying a simple cat-eye look on the eyes in lieu of the full smokey eye, but a good red lipstick can be relied upon for all occasions.

Candice

For more retro fashion inspiration, look into attending some vintage lifestyle events going on in your city. Swing dance events usually attract a number of vintage fashion enthusiasts, and with the burlesque and cabaret revival that has been taking place in the past decade, it’s easy to meet up with other vintage style aficionados for tips and inspiration. Vintage magazines and online forums like Zelda and The Fedora Lounge also offer a wealth of style tips for the modern flapper. You’ll soon find that there is a vibrant community of vintage culture enthusiasts who, like you, love the vintage look and have incorporated it into their daily look!

Yours truly,

Shien
Dances of Vice

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Guess where I’m going next Friday???

If you’re in New York next Friday, this event is not to be passed up. Dances of Vice fashions alone are worth it – it’s like seeing McQueen work his magic all over again, IN REAL LIFE! Yes, it’s that amazing! The theme is Wonderland in Spring and tickets to are $30 at the door, BUT – a little bird told me you can get in for $20 if you buy in advance and use the secret code ‘teacup’.

Now, the only question is what shall I dress up as. ;) Come and find out!

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