By Maria Comparetto - The Christopher Raeburn Show LFW Spring/Summer '12

Christopher Raeburn has made his mark on the fashion industry for his outerwear, this season he surpassed our expectations and surprised us by venturing into jersey dresses, trousers and adding much more to his signature pieces.

It is truly British and he prides himself on being ethically aware producing all his garments in the UK. He uses dead stock fabrics, such as parachute and military blankets & recycles them to make cool, wearable clothes for all ages.

The setting for his presentation was The London Museum, a first for the museum but a perfect choice for this designer.

The makeup room was bright and airy (Thank you!) and the presentation was sectioned in to 3 parts; a film showing a journey through his garments, an installation where sensors where placed inside the clothes and the collection hung on tent frames, beautifully lit. Touching the clothes would set off the sensor & would then play a sound. When the room was full of people experiencing/touching the fabrics etc. the room filled with abstract music...

My inspiration for the show came from the primary colours used in the collection.

I thought I would steer away from skin highlights and contouring this season as it’s so easily done for Spring/Summer.

The hair was very "real" so fresh clean skin without sheen was easily achieved with Mac Invisible powder.

Wherever possible the brows were erased using Mac concealer and brushed upwards for a fresh "outdoor" feeling.

A light grey opaque shadow was used to naturally contour the socket but no mascara was needed as I wanted to draw attention away from the eyes.

The face would now become a blank canvas but the edge would be the lip.

Using a new MAC spring summer colour called ‘Watch me Shimmer’ (I LOVE it!) I filled in the mouth using a brush then pressed in a pigment making the lips look  like they were covered in fabric.

The stylist Jane Townsend was amazing teaming cool socks and perfect shoes and just adding her touch of magic to the overall look.

Louise from MAC kindly showed me through the SS12 colours and worked very hard along with Naomi, Helen and Rebecca, all troopers!

The show received great reviews and was covered by style.com, Vogue and Dazed to name a few.

Giannie Couji goes West for VELOUR Magazine

Giannie Couji styled two stories for the latest edition of Velour Magazine with the photographer Marco Piana.

The two stories were shot in Tucson, near the Mexican border in Arizona.

Giannie said of the shoot: "'The planes' graveyard' as I called it was the most surreal location, especially coming from cold NY and then arriving in to boiling hot Tucson was a thermal shock. We were basically boiling under the sun."  The second location was a movie set and museum called Gammons Gulch, the place is run by a lovely couple, Jay and Joanne Gammons. It felt like stepping back in time, in a old western town, just waiting for the cow boys and Indians to come down the hills, at one point the atmosphere became quite dusty and we have a bit of stormy weather, which made the set very dramatic.

See the full 'Desert Planes' story here and 'Way Out West Story' here.

Eli Wakamatsu talks Wedding Make-up

BY ELI WAKAMATSU 

A couple of close friends are getting marry soon so I have been thinking about wedding make-up. This morning I saw this photo of the Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton, and thought how truly beautiful she looks. 

To be honest, I felt her make up on the wedding day was little harsh as I watched on the tv screen in Paris. (I was shooting in Paris that weekend!) and I prefer her look in the photo below than the look for the wedding.

I love how her beautiful skin is glowing elegantly, the coal under the eyes is much less pronounced, so you will see her eyes (and not the lines).

I have thing about the brides skin to be glowing with joy and happiness, and not too Matt with foundation and powder.

If you have a dark eyebrow, leave it natural and just brush it up with some clear mascara or Bobbi Brown Natural Brow Shaper. If you have light colour or uneven eye brow, fill the gap with natural colour powder like the Givenchy Eye & Brow Prisme. Do not go darker than  your hair colour. Remember, a dark eye brow can make your face looking harder, lighter eye  

brow makes softer.

For foundation ; use a sheer foundation such as Givenchy's Photo Perfexion Light or Chanel's Vita Lumiere Aqua in conjunction with desired concealers.

   

Then use Dior Christal Nude pressed over the face, instead of powder to fix and mattify a little but still retain a glow. This product keeps skin looking totally sheer as if you are not wearing any foundation, yet keeps it shine free.

Anna Cofone - The Guardian 6 August

Anna Cofone did the hair on this shoot in the Guardian (Saturday 6th August) with the photographer Andre Wolff and stylist Priscilla Kwateng.

Anna said "The feel of the shoot was all about a chic but cool character..think Jane Birkin..fresh natural makeup and hair and all about the 60's influenced clothes". Lovely - see the full story here.

Nails by Andrea Fulerton - Oh Land Instyle Magazine - and Boy George!

Andrea Fulerton worked on the nails on this beautiful story in August’s Instyle magazine with the very cool Danish singer Oh Land with the photographer Katya Mayer. See all the images from the story here. Andrea used the green end of the AFNB Trio Nail Polish 'Garden of eden' with  ‘Petrol in water’ [colbalt grey end] over it.

Boy George turned up on the shoot as he has just remixed one of Oh Land’s tracks. While he was there, Andrea painted his nails in a mix of two shades from the Andrea Fulerton Nail Boutique range – Trio Nail Polish in ‘Princess'. The result will be recreated for the AFNB collection will be called ‘Boy George’.

Andrea then went over the nails with her new ‘Dot & Flick’ pen in black and silver and created some animal print corners. She said that he loved it!

'After Dark' - Maria and Anna talk about the shoot for the Guardian

Maria Comparetto worked on the make-up and Anna Cofone did hair on this shoot for the Guardian (Saturday 9^th July edition) with Priscilla Kwateng styling and Jon Gorrigan shooting.

As the shoot was ‘After Dark, they didn’t begin until 6pm one (luckily warm) evening last month and the shoot involved going round London to major landmarks.

Anna said that for the hair “We took inspiration from the 70's... sexy teased curls but with a heavy shape around the face”. LOVE it.

Maria said “Anna’s great job on the hair inspired me to do something very late “70s”/early "80s"with the makeup”. Maria created "Uber Glossy Lips" (using Chanel Levres Scintillantes in ‘80 Etole’ followed by Chanel Glossimer in ‘Pink Peony’ on top) with a flushed cheek and lashings of Mascara top and bottom to make a “very sexy yet fresh makeup”.

Maria added “Shooting with Priscilla is always a treat and working with Jon Gorrigan for the first time was a bonus (especially sharing a mutual love of northern soul!).

“Bikinis's on Westminster Bridge!!!!!?” The team are looking forward to the next assignment. Watch this space!

Giannie Couji's Wish List for Summer

Giannie Couji gives her top tips listing her favourite things this summer:

Go to the Alexander McQueen 'Savage Beauty' exhibition at the Met   

See Pygmalion, the play with Rupert Everett, Kara Tointon and Diana Rigg

Christophe Sauvat Clothes - Giannie says "The perfect wardrobe for the summer"

Haiti - Having been there herself. Giannie suggests getting involved by doing some volunteer work  and discover this amazing Island.

With Sean Penn at the NY Charity event for Haiti

Giannie with Bill Clinton in Haiti during the new president Michel Martelly investiture   

With Caroline Sada and Michel Martelly, the new president of Haiti    

Bridesmaids film "Brilliant"

Bionda Castana. "Amazing Shoes" 

The Vorticists Exhibition @ Tate Britain SW1

The Golden Notebook  by Doris Lessing "Great book" 

Maharishi "Love the Safari vibe for the summer"

Pacific Hair Salon in Covent Garden (0207 242 81 44) 

See by Chloe

and Lisbon, Portugal