MAC does a seasonal series of makeup talks here in London. I went to the Creative Makeup presentation at Swarovski studios close to Carnaby Street. So many girls in the audience and we were all given a glass of champagne!
The makeup artist Andrew had studied Fine Art and specialised in makeup as art for his final year project. The above image was inspired by paintings by the Art Deco style portraitist, Tamara Lempicka. The Royal Academy of Art held a retrospective of her work a few years ago and the paintings are distinctive and stylised with strong angles and cool contrasting sculptural planes of colour. Andrew used MAC creme coloured bases and powders mixed in a mixing medium for a bright re interpretation of Tamara de Lempicka’s work.
Below, he described how he had been inspired by traditional Indian coming of age ceremonies when the girls would be thrown with henna powder. He took this literally and threw pigment powders all over the model. The effect was striking and textural but I felt sorry for the poor girl who probably got a whole load of stuff in her eyes and hair. Can you imagine how long it took to wash the whole lot out?!
Here are a few examples of his mood boards and sketches which included photos of experiments and shimmering fabrics, photos of objects, or a print by Gilbert & George. Textures, colours, ideas, you can take your inspiration from anywhere.
The only problem is on a photoshoot, photographers, editors and PRs NEVER say to the makeup artist, “Yeah, do WHATEVER you want”. They instead snap..”Here are Twenty photos from other magazines…NOW SLAVE…GO COPY THEM”…Maybe this evening was just WISHFUL THINKING.
Here is Sonia Bogie the makeup artist who I know who teaches at Glauca Rossi School of Makeup.
How can students training as makeup artists get creative when a teacher like her snapped at her students all day for three months while she was trying to come to terms with her divorce and moaning on about it everyday…THE TRUTH PLEASE ? many makeup artists out there might be largely unfulfilled…so I hear on the grapevine.
At least this evening aspired beyond the reality.
After our afternoon at Fortnums & Masons’ Day Spa, Lulu and I went to Laduree across the road.
The gold leaf interior reminds me of Gustav Klimpt and adds to the hedonism of macaroon heaven!
These are the flavours we chose: Lulu chose 2 Pistachio Macaroons; for Pat, 1 Chestnut & 1 Pistachio,
I chose 1 Licorice and 1 Red Berries; for Benedict, 1 Chocolate & 1 Coffee.
What is the appeal about Macaroons? The answer I believe is the sensuous texture - a gentle bite leading to a melting inner core, in combination with a flavour which is a clear reminder of a particular food, resulting in, for example a Pistachio, originally small hard crunchy nobbly, which has been TRANSFORMED into a rampantly smooth, creamy Macaroon OR a Licorice Macaroon which has progressed from a chewy stick into something delightful with a delicate texture.
The metamorphosis is similar to perfume, the essence of an original substance transformed into a diaphanous liquid.
There is a Laduree tea house in Harrods, Knightsbridge, London, and here’s a photograph of what I chose on their tea menu recently:
MMMMM! Say hello to my “Framboisier Pistache”, the English translation in the Laduree menu describes it as an “Almond sponge cake soaked in Kirsch syrup, pistachio cream, fresh raspberries, caramelized meringue and raspberry jam”…
I’m writing a book! & I haven’t told anyone what it’s about yet…
I like to get the core of my writing done in the British Library, so I escape to the library once, sometimes twice a week.
I have a readers pass which is not easy to come by, and mine is the longest one which you can be given, that is Three Years. Prior to this I had a Five Year pass but they changed this recently, as most people on average moved residence within five years.
I’m very lucky. Some people only have a day pass and they have to re-apply.
If you want a membership you have to write in, outlining your purpose of research and what it is you want to read. A postgraduate can specify their research and supply a reference from a professor.
I was given my first pass when I did my MMus in Music Performance, hence I generally feel most at home in the Rare Books and Manuscripts Reading Room which also houses the National Sound Archives. The Sound Archives can be seen in the background upper right right side of the above photo.
Here is where I sat today…cont.
I can’t help sometimes being nosy about what fellow neighbour readers are reading, such as The Boat Voyages of the Puritan Pilgrims, or The Psychology of Women and Sexuality from what I remember most recently,
The number of brains in one room seem to have a beneficial effect on my brain and I work and write at my best in here.
…and even when you go to have a coffee and a muffin, the British Library is truly dedicated to it’s readers, almost a quarter of all the tables in the coffee shop (which has lovely cakes) have desks close to a power supply plug! Mac laptops everywhere in this place…cont.
Even when I left the reading room once it had closed, the common areas were still crowded with Macs, people on sofas and desks, pouring deep thoughts into their computers.
I love this place, the architecture, the atmosphere, the air of everyone understanding why everyone else is here. A brilliant place, on the top of my list in London! cont…
and when I’m here my guinea pig below always come with me.
Say Hello to my Guinea Pig!
I stopped by the seventy year old flower stall on the corner of Camden High Street today and bought these glorious Cabbage Flowers. They are autumnal plants. I’ve never bought them before, but today they particularly stood out, so I chose two violet and one white cabbage flower.
They have very long quite thick stalks and are too stunning to eat.
I brought them home and put them in my special 1950’s vintage lemon stem design flower pot.
I must remember as I loved this shop each time i’ve visited.
This cute boutique sells contemporary and vintage fashion and accessories in bold designs with a craft edge feel.
21 Arlington Way, EC1R 1UY. Close to Angel Tube Station.
“Covet’s opening times are:
and now they have a website! http://www.covet.uk.com/
We don’t have many paintings in our home, but I love the two that we have.
This blue, black, grey moody palette is inspired by a stormy sea and painted by Rufus Knight Webb, who gave us both pieces of art.
Art as a commodity, like shares, is not appealing. I care about how much a painting energises me and brings me pleasure. We helped Rufus out with something that was important for him and this was his gift to us. We didn’t have to “Buy” into art. You should only buy art if you truly love it. Collectors should ask themselves the following, “If this painting in 10 years time was to be worth ZERO pounds / dollars would I care anyway?? would I love this work if it was on a SCRAP HEAP and would I rescue it?”
Here is another one of Rufus Knight Webb’s paintings which sits behind my piano.
I was very excited when the +J / Jill Sander collaboration with Uniqlo launched several weeks ago.
Both JS and U have a minimal aesthetic but the price tags are at polar opposites. The attention to detail and cut is paramount with JS.
I had to order the +J Tuxedo Waistcoat online as for some reason it didn’t make it to the till when I was in Uniqlo.
It arrived today and I love it!
I particularly like the deep navy blue colour, and the fabric which is satin at the back and heavy weight cotton for the front, with one button to do up for a relaxed easy feel.
Limited edition and selling out fast.
A gorgeous addition to my wardrobe, classic and unique.
In Hampstead Village today on a cold grey gloomy and wet day today.
Not wishing to be out for any longer than I had to, my plan was strategic:
First, dash into Space NK our local beauty boutique, then proceed to La Creperie de Hampstead - I love it, it sounds soooo French ! (not) and walk back home with crepe in hand…which is just what I did.
I asked for a mushroom garlic & spinach crepe which they made specially for me as it’s not on their menu.
Full frontal crepe:
Then I wandered down the hill enjoying my savoury delicious late lunch, and ran into a friend along the way.
