Ginge of the Week: GRACE CODDINGTON!

Who is more deserving of the Ginger crown than the iconic fashion goddess Grace Coddington!?
Gracing a magazine cover for the first time in a long time on this weeks ID Magazine Grace shows us exactly what she's made of!

As Anna Wintour's right hand lady, she is certainly one of the most iconic Queens of the fashion industry. A natural redhead, she has kept to that glowing shade of auburn which gave her a unique edge back in her original modelling days. To get a better insight into her successful career journey, I highly recommend reading Grace's memoirs which has just recently been released. I've been reading recently, which also lead me to watching The September Issue(again!). If you haven't read her book as yet, I'm sure you will love it as much as I do. At 71 years young, she really is an inspiration and after watching her in action again, I think she lives up to her name. MX

Vogue Italia Online: Irina Lazareanu

A little while back, following on from the Vogue Italia, Young Talent Event at LFW I worked on, I had the pleasure of working with Vogue Italia Online doing the makeup for a video featuring model Irina Lazareanu.


In keeping with Irina's rock chick reputation, we went for a smudged, smoky eye and minimal lip colour.  Plenty on MAC Smoulder eye pencil was used and blended in with a soft blending brush.

It was a fun day, shooting on location all around London, actually great to revisit parts of London I had almost forgotten about! This was definitely a milestone for me as Vogue Italia is one of my favourite publications of all time...

Check it out here:

Irina 

Hope you like it!
MX

MX

Summer Lovin!

Mulberry's SS 2012 campaign by Tim Walker, starring Lindsay Wixson and Frida Gustavsson captures the Summer vibe amongst a colour palette of gelato hues.

This delicate colour palette can easily translate into hair colour and is a great way to update a blonde or dip dye look in time for Summer!

An Inspirational Icon- Vidal Sassoon

Today we learnt of the sad news that hairdressing's most famous icon, the legendary 

Vidal Sassoon

has passed away.

Of course his amazing legacy will live on forever as he really did revolutionize our industry. I know personally for me, especially after having the privilege of working closely with the Sassoon team and absorbing the culture he created, he did for hair & fashion what Apple has done for technology. The industry would not be what it is today without him and I am grateful for the influence he has had on my career.

RIP Mr Sassoon

MX

Fox in the City

- My first day in NYC, hanging out with my sis at one of the best places in the East Village to grab a coffee- Mudd!

It all seems a little surreal right now, maybe that's nerves mixed with jet lag?! But trust me it's a big job coordinating a trans-Atlantic move and USA isn't the easiest of countries to up and move to!

A new chapter begins

Yes, I have been MIA... With good reason.....a new adventure begins!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Colour of The Year!

It's official! The colour guru's at Pantone have declared 'colour of the year' for 2012 is

Tangerine Tango

Great to see they have jumped on the Ginge train and know what's really hot or not in the world of colour!!

Ginge icon Taylor Tomasi Hill does the Tangerine Tango!

Just to explain, Pantone is the global numbering system used by designers such as graphic designers to classify the entire spectrum of colours into a numeric system followed with a descriptive name. (Same idea as how & why we classify hair colour!) Each year, they launch predictions into which colours will be on trend, which is then used by fashion, hair, furniture, product designers and the like to create fashion forward collections. From a fashion perspective, this means that colour has a major influence on what you see on the catwalks.
MX

Manhattan Glamour In London Town

Recently, I was invited to the launch of Fekkai's beautiful hair care range in central London which gave me not only an insight to this luxurious range of hair products but also a styling consultation with the man himself- Frederic Fekkai! Frederic is the man behind his well known NYC salon which has a reputation for creating Manhattan 'glamour hair'.

As a colourist, I'm always keen try new hair products, especially now my hair is longer than I have ever had it before.  This also means that I have to take better care of it than ever too.

Frederic recommended me his Advanced Salon Technician range, as my hair is coloured. And I must say the mask left my hair feeling so soft and silkier than it has been in a long time. It's an absolute treat for your hair, like the equivalent of a luxe facial for your hair.

Rating:9/10

MX

Ginge of the Week- Coco Rocha!

Right now, I have been researching inspiration for an upcoming project I am doing with a photographer and hairstylist to get some creativity flowing! So while cruising the internet for beautiful images, I came across the work of one of my favourite photographer's Solve Sundspo featuring the amazing

Coco Rocha 

Coco swings from various elements of ginger back to her natural chocolate brown with such style and ease!  So it was inevitable that at some point in time she would be crowned with ginger honour.

In this shoot, from Numero magazine back in 2008, she was sporting a delicate peach hue which looked striking against the black and white theme through out the shoot. This is the perfect shade of ginge coming into the SS12 season.

MX

LANA DEL REY | BLUE JEANS | OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO | (ALBUM TRACK) | 2/12

Aaaaaaah! Can she get any cooler? This is girl of the moment LANA DEL REY!
In just a few short months she has managed to rack up more style cred than some popstars that have been around for years, including a Vogue cover and Mulberry bag named after her!

While this isn't the official video, it's pretty damn cool... can't wait for the new one to come out.

MX

PS Apologies to my neighbours if you are getting sick of hearing Del Rey blaring on a daily basis now.... it can't be helped!

FELICITY BROWN: AW12 Makeup Step by Step

The make up for Felicity Brown's AW collection was all about capturing, understated beauty with an element of the 60's influence as seen throughout the collection.

1. Ensure skin is nourished and moisturised to enhance luminousity and radiance. This look is not about matte texture but giving skin a healthy glow. We prepped the models with moisturiser and MAC studio fix spray to hydrate followed by strobe cream on the cheek bones.

2. Concealer was used under the eyes and where required to even out skin tone and hid any blemishes. Adonia tinted moisturiser was used if required on some of the girls to further give them a natural flwless complexion.

3. On the eyelids we used shades fro the Bobbi Brown shimmer brick- the lightest shade was used as a neutral base and then a sweep the reflective coppery shades across the lid to create subtle colour and sheen to match the colour pallette used throughout the collection.

4. On the inner corner of the eyes MAC pigment in Old Gold was used

5. Lashes were loaded with mascara and defined to give a bit of a sixties feel to the look.

6. Finished with Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Cream on the lips to give subtle colour and gloss.

As Felicity's collection this season had more of a day wear focus, I think you could easily transfer the look from day to night by adding some killer heels and bright red lipstick!

MX

Ginge of the Week- Puppy!!

After all the fashion week madness was over, it was time for some down time, 

which included puppy sitting the adorable, ginger Hungarian Vizla

 Semper 

(which is Latin for 'always faithful') 

Paris Fashion Week: futuristic fashion

Not to be outdone by Milan, Paris kept the momentum with some even more surreal beauty looks on the catwalk, never mind the clothes, people!

1. Chanel


The most angelic complexions were enhanced with a dazzling jewel encrusted brow for a minimalist, futuristic feel which carried from head to toe in this beautiful collection.

Hair was slicked into a wet look pony. I love nothing more than a perfect, slick pony on the catwalk!


2. Jean Paul Gaultier


In keeping with the current futuristic vibe, JPG continued, this time with some cyber-colour action in the form of a reverse dip dye in an array of luminous shades!

YES!!! BRING ON MORE CATWALK COLOUR!!

There was a  90's twist to the futuristic feel with their poker straight, center partings and glam/grunge smoky eye makeup perfection.

More fashion week faves to come!

MX

Milan Fashion Week: Hair & Makeup Looks

Whilst New York and London played it safe for AW with minimalist, youthful makeup looks, it seems Milan has decided to take center stage and explore the more theatrical side of the catwalk.

Here is a selection of some of my favourite looks:

1. PRADA


They never cease to disappoint with their trademark style.

Manga inspired makeup- black liquid eyeliner to the max with a flash of electrifying orange on the eyebrows, created a striking, futuristic feel to the total look which was created by Pat McGrath.  Not to mention the dip-dye coloured extensions which featured throughout the collection (Hooray for hair colour on the catwalk! YES!!). The extensions added a cool edge to what would of otherwise been a very safe hair look.

It also goes to prove that the dip dye is here for a little while longer....

2. GUCCI


Here we saw a girlie-goth look come to life. Featuring a flawless beautiful complexion, defined lashes- toughened up with a semi gloss, dark ruby red lip colour which looked amazing against the rich jewel like tones displayed throughout the collection.
(Very similar to my current Winter favourite lipstick shade- Diva by MAC!)

Hair was kept deconstructed with loose texture in a center parting in a half-up pre Raphaelite style.

3. VERSACE

Another powerful, strong long hair and makeup look to compliment the gothic edge to this AW collection. Makeup showcased the ultimate smoky eye, with nude lips and bleached eyebrows (which seemed to be a recurring theme at MFW)

Eyes were framed by a short, blunt fringe and straight, long locks.
If you're not brave enough to get the chop- why don't you follow suit with a 'winge' (wig fringe!! Genius!!) before you commit to the real thing (trust me, a fringe like that is hell to grow out, hence why I have kept mine, forever!) Check out Hershesons where for just £30 you can test the waters and create the ultimate Versace look for yourself.

Ginge of the Week- Prada Girl at MFW!

To celebrate the use of hair colour on the catwalk at Milan Fashion Week, I'm staying true to my roots (no pun intended!) as a colourist and crowning the ginger dip dye Prada girls with this week's honours.

I'm also loving her totally ginger, electric orange eyebrows which ultimately compliment the extensions.

Coloured hair extensions are a great way to try out a colour if you're not so sure and this striking look will ensure that the dip dye/rootstretch/baliage look is not over just yet!

Here's to more colour on the catwalk!

MX

LFW: David Koma AW12

And for my final show of this LFW season, it was over to the Fashion Week showspace at Somerset House for one of my favourite designers- David Koma! He always manages to combine a slick, polished look with and element of toughness. This season's collection was inspired by greyhounds, a theme that carried out through the collection. Including some seriously spectacular wedge heels that featured a silver greyhound in the heel! (I'm still trying to locate a picture of these beauties!)

On the fabulous Stila Pro Artist Team working under the direction of Creative Director Sarah Lucero, once again, we set about bright and early creating a look that was 'clean, modern and sophisticated but with a hard edge'.

Red-wine stained lips were created using Stila Pomegranite Crush Lip and Cheek Stain to give the illusion of this dishevelled beauty. Skin was luminous with a high sheen accent above the cheekbones.

Hair was directed by Kenna for GHD the girls sporting a slick pony, with a deep side parting that was adorned with a silver accessory to match the detail on the garments.

Final Look, Hair & Makeup

LFW: Italian Designer's Showcase for Vogue Italia

Next up- I was working alongside Andrea once again, creating the makeup looks (and playing photographer!) for the

Vogue Talents International Fashion Showcase 

which was held at the Italian Cultural Institute in Belgravia. Supported by Italian Vogue, the event was designed to promote emerging Italian designers, internationally, here at London Fashion Week and support the future stars of Italian design.

We liased with the 6 different designers and had to (very quickly) come up with 6 different looks which would best display the identity and vibe of each brand with the hair and makeup.  Once the looks were decided on, it was all hands on deck to get the girls ready in time to strut their stuff to the Fash pack.

Featured designers included:

• Comeforbreakfast
• A-Lab Milano
• Sivio Berterelli
• COTE
• Caterina Gatta
• Nicholas Julitta

Lucky for me I had a great team-  and as usual working alongside the Hob hair team, ensured we also had a good time backstage when things had all calmed down.

The presentation drew quite a crowd, apparently there was at least 700 guests throughout the 2 hour presentation which included plenty of prosecco and the chance to meet with the designers themselves and witness the usual London Fashion Week circus.

A very big, big thankyou to my makeup team-
Verity, Nina and Gemma! 

MX

LFW: Matthew Williamson AW12

On Sunday afternoon, I headed to the beautiful surroundings of the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden for Matthew Williamson's show.

To say I was excited about being on the Stila Pro Artist Team this London Fashion Week, was an understatement. Not only was I priveleged enough to be working on one of my favourite designer's shows, but also alongside the amazing Sarah Lucero, who is Global Director of Creative Artistry for the brand.

Stila Cosmetics have been one of my most favourite brands and I was devastated when they disapeared a couple of years back- but they're back and better than ever!!! Yes!

On to the show.....

The brief behind the makeup was a celebration of youthfulness and natural beauty which complimented the detail and opulence of Williamson's collection perfectly.

Hair followed suit with simplicity and was created by Toni&Guy.  It was great to catch up with some of the old Kensington crew after the show! They created a beautiful, low, deconstructed ponytail, with a side parting.




My favourite product discovery for the day was the Stila Perfecting Concealer as it does exactly what the name suggests! It had the perfect texture and amount of coverage to create a flawless, yet natural complexion. I've gotta get me some of that to cover my dark circles, that's for sure!

two of the MW beauties I made up for LFW

The collection itself featured embellishments such as sequins and fur with a colour pallette that embraced metallic tones and bold splashes of colour. Williamson's creations  capture a variety of occaisions, from beautiful, flowing dresses you could wear to the most glamourous Ibiza wedding to more tailored and structural pieces that you could wear in the day.

click here to check out the collection in it's entire glory

Stay posted for step by steps, how to receate this beautiful, wearable look!

MX

LFW: Felicity Brown, AW12 Presentation

On day 1 of LFW, I was already super tired... thanks to a combination of jet lag and a bad cold- but LFW is no time for rest!  I headed back to London where I met with designer Felicity Brown at her east London studio with lead hair stylist, Andrea Martinelli from Hob to discus the hair and makeup look we were creating for her presentation on Saturday.

Here's our finished look on the beautiful model Lenka:

It was great to be part of the team for Felicity's presentation once again and I was very excited to be creating the makeup look for this beautiful collection!  A big thanks to Nina and Gemma who were part of my makeup team on the day.

With the makeup, it was all about understated, natural beauty. We created a flawless complexion, using Clarins Beauty Flash balm to add radiance.

Eyes were enhanced with a flash of Mac pigment in Old Gold, used in the inner corner which complimented the splash of colour used throughout the collection. Lashes were defined and separated with loads of mascara.

On the lips we went for a natural sheen using my favourite Pawpaw Ointment.

Felicity Brown's AW12 Collection was designed with more of a daywear element, progressing away from the couture/evening wear feel of last seasons collection.

With a 60's influence, featuring shift dresses in bold prints  and a colour pallette of autumnal tones such as burnt amber and accents of ink navy and mustard. This collection is very wearable and feminine and could easily translate from day wear to a night out, just by adding heels, lipstick and a deconstructed updo as seen in the presentation.


Stay tuned for more hair info and step by step!

MX

The Adventures Continue....

Angelo & model, by candlelight

Next, I headed up north to do makeup for a hair shoot with the super talented

Angelo Valillo 

from 

Zullo & Holland

We had about 6 girls in total and I can't wait to show you the final results!




My key product for the day was MAC eyeliner in smoulder. A quick way to create a smoky eye, is to literally colour in the eyelid with the pencil and then using a soft blending brush gently smudge and blend to create your shape and soften any hard lines.

Next up- LFW...
MX

NYFW Fall 2012 Hair & Makeup Trends

Following on from SS12's minimal makeup looks from last season, it's great to see again that its all about radiant skin with a focus on either eyes, brows or lips.  And seeing as we're talking about America, let's follow suit and call it Fall2012 as opposed to AW2012. This was just one of the words I learnt whilst I was in the Big Apple, like candy (sweets/lollies) and cookies (biscuits) 

These looks are wearable and translate easily enough for every day life and are quite simple to recreate at home. It's nice to see looks that work both on the runway and in real life!

Here's some of my favourite looks:

Victoria Beckham Fall 2012

As Victoria Beckham finally gets the credit she deserves for her stunning collection the hair and make up complimented the strength and simplicity of her creations. With fresh skin and a focus on stronger eyebrows  and a pop of colour on the lips. I'm loving the red/orange lip colour as its a perfect shade of red for daywear without being too in your face.

Hair was created by the legendary Guido for Redken and sported a severe side part with a slick of gel to create a wet look through the front. He also used extensions on the girls to create a blunt cut finish on their straight locks.

Marc by Marc Jacobs Fall 2012

At Marc by Marc Jacobs we saw a similar vibe with the makeup and strong side parting, however this time it was complimented by a low ponytail.

Whilst at Marc Jacobs mainline, it was a grungier look altogether- the girls makeup looked like they were on their way home from a big night out! Hair wise, following his 'Oliver Twist in Wonderland' theme it featured a lot of hats. Hair featured 2 low buns which were deconstructed and dishevelled to add a fairy tale kind of twist to the look.

MX

I LOVE NY!

Just back from a whirlwind trip to the Big Apple, just in time for NY Fashion Week and catching up with friends! The weather was unusually warm for this time of year, much warmer than these arctic conditions we've been experiencing in London that's for sure.

I took the picture (above) in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, which has the most fantastic views across the water of Manhattan. It was such a gorgeous, sunny Winter's day, would of been rude not to share it with you all! Of course that picture has gone straight to Instagram, which is my new app obsession. It's like twitter but with photos and much more fun.... look me up: @foxylovesit

This time my in flight skin saviour was Rich Hydrating Cream by Avene. I also changed my watch as soon as I boarded the plane which seemed to help with the jet lag immensely upon arrival in New York!

Stay tuned for NYFW beauty favourites!

Oh and Happy Valentines Day <3

MX