Show: Gregory Parkinson

This show, led by Rodney Cutler, had amazing hair. A combination of brushed out spiral curl with a messed up bun; a contemporary take on the regular shape of the average bun and curl look.

Whimsical in form and feel, it was definitely not the frizz texture, more a brushed out texture with a slight curl definition.

With regards to makeup, the lips were definitely prominent producing a matte finish coupled with very clean skin. Not quite porcelain but very dewy, clean and clear.

Gregory Parkinson, NYFW

Show: Veda

Led by style guru Leon Gorman, this show featured a roughed up bun with a raw, yet not overly done texture and a particular flatness.

This hair was created very quickly, designed to have the audience think the model had actually styled the hair herself!

The twist to the style was a hair clip accessory randomly placed in the front to create additional interest.

Makeup for Veda once again embraced the pale skin theme, however this was punctuated with a very bright red lip.

Veda, NYFW

Show: Rachel Antonoff

A beautifully gelled and glistening ponytail was the hair feature in this beautiful show, led by Jenny Balding.

The twist to the hair involved finishing the ponytail with a slick of Shine Tattoo gloss wax by Cutler, before sewing the ponytail into the nape to give it the most unique of shapes.

Makeup was kept very pale with quite a light coloured lip.

Rachel Antonoff, NYFW

This new nail art technique uses either real lace or traced on lace.

OPI offer this step-by-step guide for achieving this latest look:

1. Start with your OPI base coat, prepping your nails as you would a normal manicure. Apply either one or two coats of your preferred base colour, wait until your base colour is completely dry before applying your lace.

2. Cut 10 pieces of thin lace in shapes that are similar to your own nails.

3. Apply one layer of OPI top coat over the top of your base colour and carefully place a piece of lace onto the top coat whilst it is still wet.  Make sure that the top coat you use is not a quick drying product, as you want the lace to stick onto the polish. Use a pair of tweezers to place the lace in the desired position.  You may also want to use nail glue, however depending on the lace used, this application could look clumsy.

4. Wait for the top coat to be completely dry before applying a second coat over the top of the lace application.  Trim off any excess lace and reapply the top coat if necessary.

Lace manicure designs whisper romance and prettiness and add a touch of elegance to any outfit.

Crystal Rock Knotted Pendant in Rose Gold

There’s nothing quite like the perfect piece of jewellery that goes with just about anything and everything. Kirstin Ash seems to have a knack for creating dreamy pieces that do just that.

Her new collection, Lilac Skies, encapsulates a new direction seeing her use rose gold, 14k gold and silver plating, giving a renewed modernity and an opulent finish.

A recent trip to Hong Kong is what inspired the new range, where the ever-changing colours of the skyline at dusk contrast with the city’s landscapes.

“I was taken by the way that a shining modern industrial cityscape blended so harmoniously with the traditional elements like the junk ships in the harbour and a mountainous backdrop.”

Flock Charcoal Ring

This season brings in hues of coral, warm charcoals, rose gold metal work and the distinctive and intricate Kirstin Ash metallic gold detailing.

Continually inspired by the world around her with a focus on wildlife and nature, Lilac Skies is a modernised take on past collections with a polished metal finish, fine chains and casted components bringing fresh elements to the signature styles of the Kirstin Ash brand.

www.kirstinash.com

Did you always want to be designers? What’s your earliest fashion memory?
Design is something we have always done as far back as we can both remember! When we first met we soon discovered that we had similar childhood stories of collecting our families’ broken jewellery, pinching our fathers’ pliers and wire and creating our own original pieces.  It has been an organic and natural development.

Describe your label in 5 words.
Progressive, timeless, heirloom, yet fun and edgy.

Tell us the inspiration behind your latest collection.
Taega collections are often inspired by travel experiences and architecture. The storyboard for this range collages images of patterns in tiles, angular and clean lined building frames, decorative mosaic and of course, beautiful sandy beaches.

What do you believe sets your label apart from others?
We are independent trendsetters and stylists. Whilst we keep abreast of what’s in and on trend, we like to create designs that are progressive, yet feminine and edgy; a blend of modern and traditional styling resulting in keepsake pieces, the way jewellery used to be.

How does the Australian fashion scene compare to overseas?
Aussie designers respond to fashion with a much more liberal, daring approach, boasting colourful fabrics and bold designs.

Favourite fashion look of the moment?
Coloured Denim.

What’s the best advice you’ve been given?
Quality, quality, quality – speaks volumes.

Do you have a life quote or motto you live by?
Let the beauty of what you love be what you do – Rumi.

www.taega.com.au

Jessie J Photo: WENN.com

Following on from the Grammys, it was the UK’s turn to shine overnight at the 2012 Brit Awards, celebrating the best in local and international music talent. A-list stars on the night included Adele, Kylie, Nicole Scherzinger, Rihanna and Jessie J.

]]> http://www.minx.com.au/brit-awards-2012-red-carpet/0007051/feed 0 http://www.minx.com.au/victoria-beckham-im-tired/0007046 http://www.minx.com.au/victoria-beckham-im-tired/0007046#comments Wed, 22 Feb 2012 01:24:51 +0000 minx http://www.minx.com.au/?p=7046

Photo: James Devaney/WireImage.com

What’s with the world? We get picked on; we pick on each other. Pick, pick, and pick – always something or someone.

Recently, Victoria Beckham has hit back at critics who have been picking on her and accusing her of looking miserable, tired and gaunt, claiming that “Mrs. B” has been having a hard time being mum, as well as running her fashion designer career.

With daughter Harper born last year, the former Spice Girl didn’t take much time off after giving birth, being back at work preparing her latest collection for New York Fashion Week.

So, can we really have it all girls? Even Posh who surely has the resources to hire all the help she needs, is looking wrung out. Is it worth it? Or can we just lay off and give her a round of applause for being willing to give it ‘all’ a red-hot go?

Beckham has put her recent frail and tired appearance down to nights up with her baby girl, as well as late night work meetings and demands.

“Look, if people want to say I’m miserable then so be it. I’m really not,” she tells Britain’s Sunday Mirror.

“I have a lot on my plate. I’m not going to lie about it, I’m tired. I’m really tired but I’m also very happy with my life.

“I’m basically just like any woman who’s working and has lots of children – it’s tough. I’m not getting much sleep at all. Harper’s not sleeping that great, and I’ve been taking Skype business calls throughout the night too because of the collections. I’m up with the baby as all mums are and I wouldn’t have it any other way. There’s not a team of people doing it for me.

“And then people want to say I look crap. Well, I’m a working mum, so give me a break… I’d like there to be a break but I very much doubt it’s going to happen any time soon. When Harper sleeps that will be my break.”

We say, leave the girl alone. We also say, let’s be proud of her in knowing she is trying to do this without expecting others to help her all the time. Let’s also hope that she knows, however, when to stop and ask for help and that she doesn’t push herself to the limit causing harm to herself and her family.

Life is meant to be about being happy, not just work, right?

It can sometimes be difficult to know how to accessorise if it’s not really your “thing”. You don’t want to overdo it and look as though you have tried too hard, yet you don’t want to look simply boring either.

The trick is not over thinking your choice and letting yourself wander in a store and pick up the pieces that you are most drawn to. Your accessory style doesn’t have to mean wearing several piercings all at once, a chunky ring on every finger or a chain of pearls. It’s all about personalising your outfit to express you and your own individual style.

Statement Accessories

These are your oversized neckpieces, knockout rings, thick cuffs, bejeweled, textured, neon, tribal and wide choker style accessories.  Made for those who are not afraid to stand out, to add a drastic focal point to an ensemble and who are very creative when it comes to dressing up or down. You can shop the best statement accessories at: Dinosaur Designs, Mania Mania, House of Harlow, Peeptoe and Coco Liberace.

Subtle Accessories

These are your pretty rings, necklaces, pendants, chains, bracelets, ankle bracelets, toe rings, studded earrings and delicate pieces. Made for a softer take on accessorising and will complement more than most outfits, they add a great sense of personality. You can shop the best of these accessories at: Recreational Boutique, Pandora, Love Convicton, Diva and Tresor Paris.

With so many accessory designers constantly thinking up designs molded from gold and silver metals with sequined, feathered, material, textured, imprinted, engraved, wooden, semi-precious stoned, oversized or delicate accessories, we all have plenty to choose from.

By Hayley Cooper

Here are some great tips to ensure your locks always remain beautiful and healthy:

Brush your hair before shampooing to massage the scalp, loosen dead skin cells and remove any tangles. This will avoid unnecessary stress on your hair later.

Never use a brush on wet hair, always use a wide-toothed comb. Brushing hair when wet can actually damage it. Hair stretches when it’s wet and in this condition, it is prone to breaking. A wide-tooth comb will gently comb out any tangles.

One cause of hair becoming dull is too much brushing. Excessive brushing can do damage to your hair resulting in breakage and split ends. Too much brushing can also over stimulate sebum (oil) production, increasing the chances of oily hair. It is best to only brush your hair when styling it.

Always use good quality brushes. When choosing a brush, check that the teeth and bristles are smooth. The size of the brush you use will depend on your hair length. Get your hairdresser to recommend the right brush size for you.

Ball-tipped bristle brushes, paddle brushes and thermal round brushes are the most common types used. Paddle brushes smooth hair and work best on long, straight styles, while thermal round brushes act like rollers to create curl and movement.

It’s important to regularly clean brushes to remove product build up and stray hairs. Use the end of a tail comb to lift and loosen hair, then soak brushes in warm water for 5 minutes. After rinsing brushes, allow to air dry.

Fatigue is something we commonly hear talked about in various situations. “I’m so tired” or “I’m so rundown, I feel exhausted!” are common statements. There are ailments such as CFS (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome) and Adrenal Fatigue and these are becoming more widely discussed and diagnosed.

But what exactly is fatigue and what causes it? Tim Altman, naturopath and health specialist gives us a snapshot view into why and what causes us to feel zonked…

Fatigue most often appears as a result of a number of ailments or aspects of living that debilitate our system. These include:

1. Post viral illness; i.e. glandular fever, chronic sinusitis etc.
2. Post extreme and/or chronic stress – be it emotional (divorce, death in the family, bankruptcy, VCE etc) or physical (i.e. as is often seen in athletes who over train).
3. As a result of long term elevated and/or fluctuating blood sugar levels – leading to hypoglycemia or insulin resistance.
4. Over stimulation of the nervous system via stress (as above), and excessive amounts of stimulants (coffee, energy drinks, sugar, alcohol, smoking, drugs etc.).
5. Gastro-intestinal problems – IBS, dysbiosis etc.
6. Obesity.
7. Chronic inactivity or lack of exercise.
8. Vitamin/mineral deficiencies; i.e. anaemia.

In general, it could be argued that all of the above occur as a result of living in a fashion that is out of alignment with how our bodies have been built or genetically programmed (via evolutionary environmental influences) to function optimally or thrive.  These aspects of living include how we eat and drink, how we move (or not!), how we breathe, how we think and how we rest and rejuvenate.

Why do people feel tired?

People feel tired for the very same reasons usually, as they feel fatigued. However at a cellular level it is because their cells no longer produce energy efficiently due to:

• Nervous system and adrenal exhaustion – via over stimulation.
• Poor fuel and vitamin/mineral supply.
• Excessive free radical damage to cell membranes due to an excess of toxins and insufficient antioxidants.
• Immune dysfunction and poor absorption of nutrients due to disturbance in gastro-intestinal flora and mucous membrane linings – known as dysbiosis.
• Inefficient metabolism and elimination of wastes and toxins via liver and kidneys.
• Poor supply of oxygen to the cells due to inefficient breathing – too rapid and too much volume of air due to mouth breathing as opposed to breathing through the nose and being driven by the diaphragm.

What are some things that you can do to prevent fatigue?

1. Eliminate or dramatically reduce dietary intake of the following:
a)  Sugars – including sugar, sweets, chocolates, added sugars, refined carbohydrates (white flour/rice in bread, pasta, cakes, biscuits, cereals, muesli bars etc.), alcohol.
b) Processed foods – foods containing chemicals or that have been refined in any way.
c) Stimulants – coffee, energy drinks, cigarettes, alcohol, drugs.

2. Eat 3 meals and 2 snacks daily and include protein in each meal and snack (especially breakfast).

3. Exercise regularly.

4. Breathe through the nose at all times, using the diaphragm (even during exercise) rather than using the mouth, chest and shoulders.

5. Cleanse your gut and liver via detoxification processes.

6. Learn to relax and balance your nervous system via meditation and yoga.

7. Use a herbal adaptogen to assist in undoing the damage caused by over stimulation of the nervous system and the resulting adrenal fatigue.

Tim Altman is a qualified naturopath, with practices in Melbourne’s South Yarra, Port Melbourne and bayside in Torquay. 

Taking a holistic approach to the overall health and wellness of the client rather than simply focusing on symptoms, Tim designs specific programs for his clients based around nutrition, exercise and herbal medicines to help improve overall health.

Ingredients (Makes 20 small pancakes)
4 eggs
1 cup self-raising flour
1 cup (375mL) skim milk
1 tbs low fat spread

Method
1. Sift flour into a bowl. Make a well in the centre. Whisk together the milk and eggs in a large bowl.
2. Add the milk mixture to the flour mixture, whisking constantly until a smooth batter forms.
3. Heat a non-stick frying pan over low heat and melt a little low fat spread.
4. Add 2 tablespoons of mixture, spread quickly to form a circle. Cook until bubbly, a little dry around the edges, and lightly browned on the bottom; turn and brown the other side. *
5. Serve these delicious pancakes with your favourite topping.

*Using a large frying pan with one small ladle full of batter will give you crepe style pancakes, which are best for flipping.

Recipe courtesy of the Australian Egg Corporation