In good company...

My latest shoot took place amongst Basquiat, Miro, Banksy, Haring and Lichtenstein. I would say that creatively we were in VERY good company...

Some 'wares' at the Opera Gallery

Inspirations for feeling and attitude and some hair and makeup moods...

A rack of mostly neutral, yet extremely fabulous pieces was close by....

Essie 'Spaghetti Strap' & Very Sexy VS 'Pet' Nail lacquers created the perfect nude manicure. I always have a mini nail kit in my kit, you never know when you will need it!

 

Jewelry trays...

Katy in between shots trying to get warm

Katy on set....

New Advertising!!!

 NYC and her skyline was the backdrop for my advertising shoot. I had not done a men's grooming job in a while, so it was cool to be able to do a guys 'makeup' for a change...

There is a science to good men's grooming. Unless specifically directed, they are to NEVER look like they are wearing makeup. So, product selection and application and know how is paramount. For effective basic grooming, I find a few things essential: Cosmedicine Medi-Matte spray, a moisturizing lip balm that is not too glossy in finish, (I like the Shu Uemura SPF 15 Lipbalm sorry guys, it's discontinued or the Nuxe honey lipbalm), a product to mattify the skin (I have several favorites that I use depending on the model and his skintype) and a loose powder to keep the shine at bay and in check. I go about skin prep for men, the same way that I do women, sometimes skipping the Embryolisse for a more matted, thinner feeling moisturizer. A favorite male specific moisturizer of mine is Clarinsmen Moisture Gel.  I also pack several other things in my kit which may, or may not be necessary but it always pays to be over prepared. The other lovely thing is that I can usually put everything that I need into a cute little tote bag. I welcome any job that allows me to lighten my load!

Joe

Thank goodness that it didn't rain until we finished the last shot outside! Yay for mother nature and her cooperation...

But which Sixties???

For one of my clients fall collections, it was all about the 1960's....but which 60's you ask??? Biba/Barbara Hulanicki 60's? Hippie 60's? I was sent multiple Twiggy inspirations and various screenshots of Sienna Miller in Factory Girl. So, the first question was: how literal do I go about designing the makeup? We could go verbatim 60's, but in the interest of making it more modern and approachable for today and specifically for her target market, I narrowed it down to this: an eye focus, done in a modern way...So although I came loaded down with various white eyeliner pencils and a ton of lower eyelashes, I ended up forgoing them for fear of making the look "too retro". It's about now, influenced by then, see???

Below is how I created 2 different 60's inspired looks on 2 different models while still unifying their makeup look:

On Dre: Face: On eyes: black liner MUFE aquarelle in black , Dior eye shadow "Incognito"palette mixed w/ Face Stockholm matte neutral shadows, Carbon Black Loreal Voluminous Mascara, false lashes. On Cheeks: Stila contour trio (light), Shu Uemura Glow on. Lips: Peachstock (disc. sorry guys) Eyebrows are just brushed up as her natural shape was so pretty...

On Anna: Eyes: Black eye kohl mixed into a Jemma Kidd smoky chocolate brown/black color (sorry guys, I don't know the shade name???) on top and the same color applied 3/4 underneath. A soft neutral shimmer was applied at the inner corners, a creamy flesh toned liner on the waterline and a dense short lash on the top (as oppossed to Dre's spiky, wispy top lashes), soft peach mixed with light Dior bronzer for a blush on cheeks and Peachstock lipstick....Eyebrows here are also kept natural....

Both looks were kept fresh and preserved with the new Skindinavia Stage & Set Makeup Finish! A new addition to the fabulous lineup of 2009 Skindinavia skin finishing mists that are not yet widely available. I have discussed Skindinavia in a prior post, and while I am still testing this newest addition out, I'm pretty positive that I'm falling in love with it, but more about that later as I will address it in another blog post...

Doucette Duvall Spring 2009 Lookbook

Toni (left) and April (right) doing it DD style in Otisville, NY

So I'm still nursing my mosquito bites and heaven knows whatever else that bit me, but, it was a well worth it work filled weekend (try saying that five times fast) creating fabulous imagery for the upcoming Doucette Duvall (http://www.doucetteduvall.com) look book and photo presentation that will accompany their Spring/Summer 2009 presentation for New York Fashion Week.

The theme, was quite appropriately 'Americana' which for me immediately conjures up images of things like: Harley Davidson, Dollywood, gingham and fried chicken (even though I'm a veg...) and country music, (something that I am also not a fan of)....Also, the Americana theme becomes even more poignant as this is a pivotal election year. DD took the time to endorse and support their candidate of choice through some of the cutest custom made election buttons, sure to become quick collectors items.

Let us begin, shall we:

The setting: Otisville, NY. Their 20th annual Country Fair. A more perfect backdrop couldn't have been found. Carnival rides, cotton candy and caramel apples, a petting zoo, pony rides, a tractor showcase and a nightly fireworks display amongst other things. The back story: 2 sisters played by the fabulous and gorgeous April and Toni who have run away from Connecticut. The clothes: Gorgeous, I covet!!! They would make a DD fan out of any fashionista that cares to dress themselves in only the best. The makeup, summery, pretty and modern: I created a look showcasing fresh softly matte skin and a color combination of saffron, orange and pink. Young, flirty, and girlie. Very appropriate for both the models, the feel of the shoot and the DD seasonal direction.

A Toni outtake, taken by moi...

Whilst the various normalcies of location photo shoots did occur: heat, direct sun, chasing daylight, bugs bugs and more bugs, non existent craft services (did I say bugs?), I did however discover the yummiest lemonade I ever had and was introduced to 'fried dough' for a snack. The shots were as usual, amazing and well worth it, but I already knew that they would be going into it....I'll keep you posted with the final selects....


A note of thanks goes out to tiny town Otisville NY for their hospitality, police department escorts and some of the most interesting "Free Fair Flair" that I've picked up in a while: T-shirts, buttons and the ugliest (it's so ugly it's almost cute) baseball hat....I'm so pairing it with my Marc Jacobs army jacket...