SICKA THAN AVERAGE

7 For All Mankind By Mika Ninagawa Collection — Fashion Meets Wild Flowers

Japanese photographer Mika Ninagawa's work captures dynamic, technicolor scenes that feel like they belong in a fictional Baz Lhurmann universe, combining vibrant hues with skewed point-of-views and quirky angles that play with out sense of proportion and distance. She has exhibited pieces in well-respected venues such as the Museum of Contemporary Art in Tokyo, the Tokyo Opera City Gallery, and the Yokohama Museum of Art and has shot editorials for influential fashion magazines like Vogue and Elle Japan — and now, she's teamed up with 7 For All Mankind to create a capsule collection of women's ad men's sportswear and denim featuring some of her eye-catching graphics and floral prints.

The 7 For All Mankind by Mina Ninagawa women's collection features two T-shirts with sublimated floral graphics: the first, an all-over rose print and, the second, a close-up shot of fuchsia lily flowers with orange anthers (the pollen-producing part of this bloom) set against a vivid, turquoise blue sky (as pictured at top). Another standout in the collection: the Boyfriend Shorty Short in Light Destroyed Adara Blue, which feature rips along each side and are lined with a psychedelic floral print visible below the short's hemline.

The limited-edition collection hits stores in mid-August, so mark your calendars!

The 7 For All Mankind By Mika Ninagawa collection retails from $89 to $198 and will be available mid-August at 7 For All Mankind boutiques. Visit 7ForAllMankind.com.

Posted at 10:53 AM in Art, Fashion | Permalink | Favorite This | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

July 28, 2010

Cesare Paciotti Laces Us With Romantic, Ultra Feminine, Lace Print Soles

Red soles have become synonymous with Christian Louboutin shoes, and now lace-printed soles may emerge as a design trademark for Italian footwear brand Cesare Paciotti.

For Fall/Winter 2010, Cesare Paciotti launched an opulent collection inspired by the showy abundance-oriented style of the late '80s — imagine one of Ivana Trump's over-the-top, status-wielding ensembles and set it to the dramatic, big haired, leather-and-lace feel of Heart's "Sweet Dreams" video.Translation: booties with animal prints and romantic ruffles (as pictured at top), cerulean blue snakeprint sandals with criss-crossed strips and cheeky cutouts (as shown second from top), Swarovski crystal-adorned evening shoes, and more. And, to add a new and unexpected touch, each shoe features a red-and-black, lace-printed sole with a gold dagger accent.

And these artsy lace soles are no one-shot deal. Paciotti's Spring/Summer 2011 collection, inspired by 19th century lingerie and corsets, consists of shoes with handmade, embroidered silks paired with strips of lace — all boasting nude, almost champagne-like soles with a black lace print and a gold dagger detail. To get an idea of the collection's feel, check out the slingback, high-heeled, peep-toe spectator shoes pictured above (fourth from top), which feature chestnut brown silk uppers adorned with star burst-shaped white threads, sequins, and beading, juxtaposed against a black lace material featuring brass eyelets and black laces that tie up in a corset-like fashion. Pointy, kitten heeled slingbacks made of supple black leather and featuring dagger charms along the ankle strap also speak to the collection's Victorian influence.

Now these soles are my kind of soul food!

Visit Cesare-Paciotti.com to check out all the styles and locate a boutique near you.

Posted at 10:19 PM in Fashion | Permalink | Favorite This | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

July 28, 2010

Groove Theory — MAC Cosmetics “In The Groove” Collection

Few brands do color as elegantly and adventurously as MAC Cosmetics — which is probably why I'm most enthused by their more kaleidoscopic collections (such as last summer's "Style Warrior" collection or their Fall 2009 "Makeup Art" trilogy. The new "In The Groove" collection (available in July and August), then, figures among my favorite of 2010 thus far. Here's how I like to think of the collection: take the in-your-face boldness of Bollywood-ready ikat dresses in bold green, copper, and bronze hues; add in the Bohemian, retro flair of bright pink, turquoise, and purple tie-dye tunics; stir in some of the hip, mod flavor of '60s-inspired, Mondrian-esque color blocking; and add some of the debauchery and fun-loving spirit of metallic and deep pink, purple, green, and blue disco-era roller rink fashions; then set the entire thing to a summery soundtrack. The end result is a collection that draws from the past but informs the future with its modern take on Bohemianism.

Below, you'll find images of all the products in the collection, along with swatches of the products I tried and some fun looks created with them. Hope they keep you moving and grooving!

MAC "IN THE GROOVE" CREMESHEEN GLASS

MAC Cremesheen Glass, $18 each. Available at MACcosmetics.com

The In the Groove collection includes six Cremesheen Glass shades: Chillin', a sheer minty green with bluish undertones; Fashion Whim, a pale beige; Going Casual, a grayish lilac; On The Scene, a nude-ish coral color; Right Image, a mid-tone blue pink; and You've Got It, a dark silver gray with a hint of taupe.

When you gaze all at the colors in their tubes, the oddest, most intriguing one is, of course, the Chillin' shade, since it looks like a shimmering, paler version of a mint green 1963 Pontiac Tempest (a reference I can only making after watching My Cousin Vinny way too many times!). As you'll see in the swatches below, however, the shade looks much more subtle on the skin, like a frosty white with a hint of a blue-gree undertone to give it its icy feel.

Here's what Chillin' looks like on the skin:

MAC "IN THE GROOVE" CREMESHEEN LIPSTICK

1. I Like It Like That

MAC I Like It Like That Lipstick, $14. Available at MACcosmetics.com

The name of this lipstick alone has me totally sold — which means, if you've never watched the romantic comedy I Like It Like That with a young Lauren Velez, you need to hop over to Netflix on the ASAP tip. Cool movie reference aside, this creamy shade is a deep blue pink color that would make Blondie fans smile.

2. Creme d'Nude

MAC Creme d'Nude Lipstick, $14 each. Available at MACcosmetics.com

This nude hue boasts pale peachy tones that will perk up the pout in the sizzling summer months while also playing it safe enough for you to experiment with mosaic-worthy eyeshadow looks.

3. Jazzed

MAC Jazzed Lipstick, $14 each. Available at MACcosmetics.com

Coral has been one of the reigning hues this season and this creamy, slightly sheer hue taps into the craze.

4. All Styled Up

MAC All Styled Up Lipstick, $14 each. Available at MACcosmetics.com

Unlike the I Like It Like That lipstick, this medium pink shade boasts yellowish undertones, making it more of a brink pink hue (to use a Crayola reference).

5. Call My Bluff

MAC Call My Bluff Lipstick, $14 each. Available at MACcosmetics.com

This may just be one of the most perfect nude shades I've ever tried. While it's in the beige territory, it's got a deeper, café con leche feel, mixed in with a warm, caramel-like hue. Plus, it glistens nicely on the lips, making your pout look sweeter than a Werther's Originals treat.

Here's how the lipstick color looks on the skin:

And here's a close-up shot of me wearing the MAC Call My Bluff lipstick:

6. Go For It

MAC Go For It Lipstick, $14 each. Available at MACcosmetics.com

Such an intense purple shade can surely intimidate but, once you apply it to lips, you'll understand the genius of MAC's Go For It lipstick. Fear not: this is hardly a sinister, goth hue. Instead, think of the color you'd get if you poured some Welch's grape soda into a plastic cup and froze it 'til it looked like an icee, and you'll have a feel for this delicious shade. Since it's got a creamy consistency and a bit of a sheer finish, it plays up the natural rosiness of your pout, yielding more of an orchid-ready hue.

Here's what the shade looks like on skin:

Next, peep what it looks like on the lips in these close-up shots:

And for an even more thorough idea of the effect, here's a pic of me wearing the Go For it:

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MAC "IN THE GROOVE" MINERALIZE BLUSH DUO:

1. New Vibe

MAC New Vibe Mineralize Blush Duo, $23. Available at MACcosmetics.com

The deep mulberry and metallic bronze shades in this blush duo reminded me of the colors found in the Eccentricity eye shadow quad released as part of last year's Colour Craft collection — which is why I kept double-checking the back label to make sure this was, in fact, blush. Once I started swatching the shades and playing with them a bit, I began to understand how nicely these could work on cheeks. You could, of course, use the shades individually as eye shadow or layer them with other products to sculpt and emphasize cheekbones, but they work best when blended together. Once you do, the effect is practically cosmic, like a pink nebula formation with tons of gold space dust.

Below you'll find swatches of the two shades applied on to skin separately and then a photo where they're blended together.

2. Happy Together

MAC Happy Together Mineralize Blush Duo, $23. Available at MACcosmetics.com

This desert-like duo includes two sandy colors of varying intensities: a light pearly beige and a tan, baked terracotta.

3. Hang Loose

MAC Hang Loose Mineralize Blush Duo, $23. Available at MACcosmetics.com

This blush combination has an adorably retro feel thanks to the way the carnation pink plays against the cool, metallic lavender.

4. Band of Roses

MAC Band of Roses Mineralize Blush, $23. Available at MACcosmetics.com

Talk about major blush action! This duo features two intense shades: a mid-tone blue pink color and a pearly deep plum. If you're a fair-skinned gal, this may be a bit much for you, but you can always diffuse it with one of the Skinfinish shades or some loose powder.

5. A Little Bit Of Sunshine

MAC A Little Bit Of Sunshine Mineralize Blush Duo, $23. Available at MACcosmetics.com

This Moroccan-flavored blush duo can practically double as bronzer and cheek highlighter thanks to the clever combination of pearly coppery bronze and light, clay-ish brown.

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MAC "IN THE GROOVE" MINERALIZE SKINFINISH

1. Petticoat

MAC Petticoat Mineralize Skinfinish, $28. Available at MACcosmetics.com

To give your skin a pearly rose finish, scoop up the Petticoat Mineralize Skinfinish, a pale pink shade with vein-y streaks of amber and wine.

2. Comfort

MAC Comfort Mineralize Skinfinish, $28. Available at MACcosmetics.com

This golden bronze color has a baked feel, so that it gives you a sunkissed glow without too much sparkle.

3. Stereo Rose

MAC Stereo Rose Mineralize Skinfinish, $28. Available at MACcosmetics.com

This coppery coral shade is saturated with gold shimmer, making your skin look as iridescent as a jelly fish in crystal clear waters — and with less of a sting liability!

Check out how it looks when applied to skin:

4. By Candlelight

MAC By Candlelight Mineralize Skinfinish, $28. Available at MACcosmetics.com

I'm on this product like white on rise. Since I first tried it, the By Candlelight Skinfinish has not left my makeup bag. It gives the skin a shimmering rose gold finish that creates a dewy, radiant effect.

Just check it out for yourself:

MAC "IN THE GROOVE" MINERALIZE EYE SHADOW TRIO:

1. Fresh & Easy

MAC Fresh & Easy Mineralize Eye Shadow Trio, $19.50. Available at MACcosmetics.com

This '70s-flavored trio includes a satin teal-ish gray, a metallic plum wine color, and a perky yellow-ish pink with a satin finish.

2. Style Influencer

MAC Style Influencer Mineralize Eye Shadow Trio, $19.50. Available at MACcosmetics.com

This adventurous trio consists of a silvery white in a satin finish, a pearly navy hue, and a dirty mauve hue.

3. Love to Love

MAC Love to Love Mineralize Eye Shadow Trio, $19.50. Available at MACcosmetics.com

This Middle Eastern-flavored color combination consists of a sandy beige with a satin finish, a metallic bronze, and a chocolate brown.

4. Soften The Mood

MAC Soften the Mood Mineralize Eye Shadow Trio, $19.50. Available at MACcosmetics.com

These shades look like they could've been plucked from the DKNY Fall 2010 runway show, with a burst of cool, aquatic teal blue juxtaposed against a pearly bronzed rose hue and a matte hot cocoa shade.

5. Blue My Mind

MAC Blue My Mind Mineralize Eye Shadow Trio, $19.50.Available at MACcosmetics.com

This trio of blue eye shadows takes you from a light sky blue to a deep, aquatic teal with a shimmering finish, and all the way to a dusky, matte black shade.

6. Making It Easy

MAC Making It Easy Mineralize Eye Shadow Trio, $19.50. Available at MACcosmetics.com

A beachy combination of rose gold shades, this trio features a burnt sienna color accompanied by a golden beige and a shimmering, more intense rose beige.

Below, you'll find swatches of the three shades in the Making it Easy trio:

7. Togetherness

MAC Togetherness Mineralize Eye Shadow Trio, $19.50. Available at MACcosmetics.com

One of my absolute favorite trios in the collection, Togetherness boasts a mystical-meets-rock 'n' roll vibe that recalls Stevie Nicks' signature gypsy style. The trio features a steely gray, a metallic purple with enticing, mysterious gray undertones, and a soft light lavender.

Below, you'll find swatches of the shades in the Togetherness trio:

8. In The Groove

Mac In the Groove Mineralize Eye Shadow Trio, $19.50. Available at MACcosmetics.com

This coral reef-ready trio features a soft peachy rose hue, a coppery red brown, and a mustard-tinged light beige. It's the type of eyeshadow trio you can use on a near-daily basis thanks to the neutral nature of the hues, which will complement almost any ensemble.

Check out the three shades in the In the Groove trio:

Next, check out an easy look created with the MAC In the Groove eye shadow trio.

To pull this off, I applied the lightest beige shade all over the lids and crease, then layered the rosy hue on top, focusing on the lids. I then applied the reddish brown hue to the outer half of the lids and along the crease. To blend everything together, I swept some of the light beige hue along the crease in gentle upwards strokes, diffusing the darker brown color. To finish, I applied two coats of MAC Zoom Lash mascara.

Here's a shot of me wearing the MAC In the Groove shadows, along with the Call my Bluff lipstick:

9. Calm, Cool & Collected

MAC Calm, Cool & Collected Mineralize Eye Shadow Trio, $19.50. Available at MACcosmetics.com

Forget emerald and kelly green — these season's take on the shade are way less obvious. The Calm, Cool & Collected reflects this sensibility, incorporating a shimmering pale peridot color, a deep moss green with a satin finish, and a bone beige hue with a chalky, satin texture.

Check out the three shades below:

Next, here's two shots in which I'm wearing these shades along my eyes.

To create these looks, I started off with the cream beige hue, then added the metallic green, emphasizing the eyes with the deep moss green shade, which I applied along the outer corners. To add some pizzazz, I lined the eyes with a gold color, finishing off with some black mascara.

And here's a full-on shot of me wearing the Calm, Cool & Collected shades on my lids, along with the By Candlelight Skinfinish on my face, and the Fresh Sugar Rose Tinted Lip Treatment on lips:

Posted at 05:15 PM in Beauty | Permalink | Favorite This | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

July 28, 2010

PUMA x Women’s Professional Soccer Project Pink Collection

Still riding high after the FIFA World Cup? Good news: you can get your soccer kicks and contribute to a great cause thanks to a new collaboration between PUMA and the Women's Professional Soccer league. As part of the new Project Pink initiative, aimed at raising breast cancer awareness, WPS players will be wearing PUMA Project Pink gear at five designated WPS matches. Even better, soccer fans and customers dedicated to the cause can buy their own Project Pink merchandise, which hit stores yesterday and will continue being sold through October, which is Breast Cancer Awareness month.

Among the Project Pink merchandise available, you'll find: a crew-neck T-shirt with the pink ribbon logo; a bright coral pink and deep fuchsia pink gym sack with navy blue accents and PUMA's white cat mascot; and a soccer ball with the aforementioned pink color combination and a white cat logo emblazoned across the front.

And check this out: 100% of the profits from the sale of these PUMA Project Pink goods will be donated to an organization devoted to fighting breast cancer. Starting on July 31st, fans can even log on to WPS.PUMAfootball.com/ProjectPink and nominate a charity to receive the donation. The nomination period will conclude on August 7th, while voting will commence on September 13th and end in late October. The organization that earns the most votes online will receive the cumulative donation.

PUMA Project Pink WPS Powercat 1.10 Skill Ball, $10; PUMA Project Pink T-shirt, $24; and PUMA Project Pink WPS Powercat 5.10 Gym Sack, $12. Available at Shop.PUMA.com

Posted at 09:54 AM in Fashion | Permalink | Favorite This | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

July 27, 2010

Chasing The Cool With FACE Stockholm’s New “Pool” And “Lagoon” Liquid Liners

It often takes steady, confident, surgeon-like hands to apply liquid liner properly. Most times, you wind up feeling like a first grader who couldn't quite color inside the lines. While a firm grip and a controlled motion are key when applying liquid eye liner, it's also essential to have a high-quality brush that will bend flexibly as you trace your lash line. Think of it this way: if you try filling in a color-by-numbers drawing using jumbo sidewalk chalk, you're not likely to wind up with a polished picture. Similarly, you can't underestimate the importance of having the right makeup tools. Which, of course, brings me to FACE Stockholm's Liquid Liners. Each tube of liquid liner features a really slim, fine, bendable brush that allows for greater precision. Even if you're perpetually overcaffeinated and jittery, this brush should make tracing a continuous line a relatively easy proposition.

For Summer 2010, FACE Stockholm introduced two new shimmering shades of its Liquid Liner: Pool, a light turquoise meets sky blue shade (it reminds me of the light blue color of one of David Bowie's suits during the Ziggy Stardust era); and Lagoon, a deep electric blue (think of the face paint worn by the Blue Man Group mixed with the punchy color of Britney Spears' flight attendant ensemble in her "Toxic" video). Both hues have an even metallic finish that adds to their watery, dewy feel — perfect for creating an appropriately seasonal aquatic look. Plus, these liners dry within seconds and they don't smudge or run, so you won't have to worry about sweating off the colors and looking like you have a major case of the makeup blues (both literally and figuratively).

Below, you'll find swatches of the Pool and Lagoon liners, as well as some photos showing how they look when worn on the eyes. Take a dip!

Check out what the Pool and Lagoon shades of liquid liner look like on the skin. In the first image below, the liquid liners have dried so you can get a sense for the metallic sheen once the Lagoon (below, left) and Pool (below, right) colors settle. In the second photo, meanwhile, you can get a sense for how the liners look like when they're first applied:

Here's me wearing the Lagoon color along the upper lash line and the Pool color under the lower lash line:

And here's a simple, very retro, disco-inspired look I created by just applying the Lagoon along the upper lash line and the Pool below the lower lash line, adding a few coats of black mascara (I used Clinique' s High Lengths) and applying a perky pink lipstick like Urban Decay's Hotpants: