The Spring Factor

 This is my go to Spring makeup look using Mac's Ruby Woo and a Mac quad with two new colors I have purchased, Expensive Pink and Rule! The video is uploading now !
 For your own make-over consulting services please visit my website NOBLESSE OBLIGE

Products Used

Lips : Ducray Lip Balm

Mac Ruby Woo lipstick (matte )

Face : GA master corrector in 01

Maybeline Fit Me Concealer in 15

Laura Mercier Mineral Foundation in Natural Beige

YSL Touche éclat in 02

CD Amber Diamond 

Mac MSF in Soft and Gentle

Eyes : Mac Paint Pot in Painterly

e/s in Wedge, Shroom, Naked Lunch, Expensive Pink, Rule

Prestige Mascara in My blackest Lashes

Haulin' some Classics...Upcoming video !

 List of products :

Miss Pupa 50's Dream lipstick in 205

Avène Thermal Water

Ducray Lip Balm

Moroccan Oil Hair Oil

Ysl touche éclat in 02

Mac eyashadows in Expensive Pink and Rule

Mac 242 eyeshadow brush

Mac Lipsticks in Ruby Woo (Matte) and Velvet Teddy (Matte)

Upcoming makeup tutorial

Uptown Girl

 Once again I was able to collaborate with the lovely Grace Kelly from CityGirlConfience . This time Grace was getting ready to go to California. She told me that she wanted change but at the same time she needed to feel comfortable with her look. It is so refreshing when my clients are open minded and don't feel the need to follow trends. I think that creating a look for a woman ( or man ) has to be in tune with her character and lifestyle . Instead of looking at trends and fashion for inspiration I tend to look at the person I have in front of me and I try to bring out her beauty and potential so that she feels comfortable having that look on an everyday basis...I cut hair the same way I create a sculpture or a painting. As you can see above Grace has a long shaped face and her lower facial features tend to get hidden behind her hair. The cut I gave her was carefully sculpted to suit her face and enhance her beauty.

 Here below you can see Grace with side swept bangs. She did not feel comfortable with this    style as it wasn’t very practical . We then opted for a blunter bang which defined even more her bone structure.

 For makeup I wanted to use Grace's makeup so that she was able to duplicate the look herself using her very own makeup. I wanted to simply enhance Grace's facial features not only by sculpting her hair but also by conturing her face so that she was able to get a more defined bone structure.On her face I used her MUFE Matte Velvet Plus Foundation and blended it out with a Beauty Blender. As concealer I used her Mac Mineral Concealer and over it her YSL Touche Eclat ( a divine product)  The hollows of her cheeks were sculpted with Mac CCB in Midtone Sepia (the only product that was mine) ans for blush I went for a cream blush by MAc called Posey. On the lips I was so happy to use one of the new lipstick from the 50's dream Miss Pupa Collection in 205. This coral color on the lips was a perfect way to close this California look.

 Please visit Grace Kelly's website here www.citygirlconfidence.com The lovely Grace assists women in transforming their careers by getting them clear on their purpose and developing their unique brand. She will be in California until May 5th so if you're in the area and are interested in her services please get n contact with her.

The Spectacular Laura Mercier Mineral Foundation

This is it I am in love ! Have you seen anything as natural as this before?? I think not. In the picture above I am wearing the Laura Mercier Loose Mineral powder in the Color Natural Beige ( I am Mac NC 15 ) and a tiny bit of concealer  ( Maybeline Fit me in 15 ) under the eyes and a bit on my blemishes. The color is the perfect color for me because it helps me to have a bit of a sun kissed glow that I normally have to add by applying a bronzer which by the way is never the right color! The finish as you can see,  is a radiant light from withing just like fresh dewy young skin ! I was looking for something like this for the longest time and now I found it! The texture is light and easy to blend seamlessly into the skin . It's quite long lasting abd I found that as the day goes on the the foundation looks better and better by molding together with your skin. This is definately superior to the Bare Minerals by Bare Escentials . I wear it alone or over Mac face and Body in C1 or the Rachel K CC cream.

The picture above is of me with no makeup

Some of My Favorite Family Jewels Revisited

 Over a year ago I finally was able to get my hands on my grandmother's solid gold bangles. Back in the days my grandfather would give my grandmother a gold bangle every year so you can just image how many she had ! Well these now are mine :-) the problem was that I got the gold bangles without the gold coin which was what I desired the most. Gold bangles with coins ( sterlina ) is a piece of jewelry that was very popular in the 30s and 40s . After having had the coin made by a local jeweler I was not very happy with the result and therefore I was still on the search for the magical coins that I so longed for . One day my mom and I had divine message..." look (in nonna's jewels) and you shall find " :-) I remembered my nonna (grandmother) having a broach that was very important and that both my mom and I never wore because it was too precious...that coin was of a gold snake that wrapped around two gold coins!!! And voilà , we brought it to the jeweler and had the coins carefully removed so that I could use both the snake as a broach and the coins as charms ! As you can see from the picture above the coins were locked in with a circular gold rim so that they locked in safely. 

Now I am happy as I will ever be with my original bangle bracelets with a huge 19th century coin as a charm!! To know more about the other my jewels (and know the whole story )please check out  firstly my older video (link below) and my most recent one which is uploading now...

 Snake broach above

Past video on my rings and some of my jewels

Most recent video

La Bottega Gentile Authentic Italian Style in the South of Italy

 Yesterday I had the pleasure of visiting one of the most interesting shops I have seen in the area where I live in a long long time. The shop is in the gorgeous little town of Martina Franca ,  Apulia and it's called La Bottega Gentile . The shop is a mix of carefully chosen one of a kind pieces from brands such as Porselli , the well known ballerina shop next to La Scala in the centre of Milan . Porselli is now making spledid handmade ballerinas also available to the public together with other models such as anckle boots. The owners of the shop were quick to capture the simple yet unique style of Porselli and insert it in their store. Everything in La Bottega Gentile is carfully chosen to represent a specific and unique Italian style made by excellent artisanship . The beauty about this shop is that each piece is singular.  The owners buy one to two pieces per  item. You can be sure to be be original in one of their outfits. They also have handmade jewelry which is made by the owner herself. The shop offers everything from formal dresses , everyday casual clothes all the way to accessories.

 

 Each piece of clothing is easily interchangeable with other pieces in the shop as to create uncomparable and modern looks.

 Singular handmade jewelry

 The shop is situated in the heart of Martina Franca which is to me is one of the most luminous and gorgeous towns in Puglia . I have taken some shots of the city center here below. What is most spectacular here in Apulia and mostly in La Valle D'itria is the blinding white light reflected from the white buildings which creates a sharp and crisp contrast with the bright blue sky.