ELLE Style Awards 2010 Backstage

It was a fantastic day amongst a room full of some of the best Make up Artists backstage at the ELLE Style Awards 2010. The team was led by Dirk Jensma and included Chiao-Li Hsu, Katerina Brans, Mascha Meyer, and Severine van Donkelaar.


I'm in the video too!


Credit: Grayburn (Terms of Use)

Orange Babies

Looking back at the Amsterdam International Fashion Week now long gone (11th edition), my all time favorite show had to be the one put on by Orange Babies.  Enthusiastic displays of dance, fashion, song and makeup artistry wowed audience who were totally immersed in awe.  You can see in the photos below that all of us could not take our eyes off of what was infront of us.  Not to mention the divinely handsome men that marched out in the first section of the show!  I hope you enjoy these photos and that somehow they manage to convey a tenth of what a spectacular evening it was.
 
 





Orange Babies is not a clothing label (although there are shirts with their logo on it).  But rather, they are an organization established by Baba Sylla (1st photo) and John Kattenberg (the famous Dutch makeup artist and founder of House of Orange) to raise awareness and financial support to mothers and their babies affected by the HIV/AIDS virus in Africa.  Their influence in the fashion, sport, music and art scenes has brought and continues to bring real help to those in Africa through organizing fundraisers and various events.  


Please contact Orange Babies for more information.  For donations, please click here.


Credit: Grayburn (Terms of Use), Orange Babies

Bjorn Borg - Westergasterras Fashion Show

Yesterday evening was spent backstage with a few fantastic makeup artists from House of Orange such as Kathinka Gernant, Fabienne Jansen and Severine van Donkelaar. The famous model Doutsen Kroes made an appearance chaperoned by her personal body guard. She is as beautiful in person as she is in those L'oreal Paris campaigns like the one seen in the video below:





Credit: Grayburn (Terms of Use), bjornborg.com, textilia.nl, photo of Doutsen by Jeroen Snijders, youtube.com

SuperTrash Catwalk Show S/S 2010 - AIFW July 2009

Gorgeous girls with shiny bouncy waves strutted the runway as onlookers such as Janice Dickinson watched on. The collection is feminine and definitely sexy. All the pieces slithered about on the body capturing the essence of the label SuperTrash. The clothes reflected on the attitudes of the models as well. The models who wore the clothes couldn't help but feel really sexy.

Footage backstage - all the commotion and Janice Dickinson herself:




Credit: Grayburn (Terms of Use), photo by Peter Stichter, youtube.com

Replay - AIFW July 2009

Amidst leggy models wearing rolled up slouchy jeans at the Replay S/S 2010 catwalk show at the Amsterdam International Fashion Week, the center piece of the collection was a creme fraiche silk dress with studded denim bust. The audience fanned themselves in the packed salon watched as the men strolled out with swimming pool hair and the women with beach waves.


Credit: Grayburn (Terms of Use), photos by Peter Stichter

A video of people who I really look up to working behind the scenes.


Credit: Grayburn (Terms of Use), youtube.com

Junya Watanabe, Katsuya Kamo

I spoke too early. Today, the perky Spring weather I bragged about seems to have disappeared. Wind speed is at 30mph and it is just pouring outside. So looking at the all black Junya Watanabe Fall 2009 photos today seems appropriate.

For our homework assignment this week, our teacher wants us to look at the Spring 2009 Watanabe collection. Instead of doing what I'm supposed to do, I have been side-tracked and have been drawn to the mysterious fall collection (pictured above) seen in Paris.

The element of surprise and drama is kept high even when such a somber palette is used. I find my eyes traveling from one feature to the next, be it the sculptural black wig pieces or the gold chain detailing, without feeling overloaded. Every angle of every model were meticulously thought out which means that one can spend hours on end appreciating the beauty in the littlest of details or the collection in its entirety.

As an aspiring makeup artist, I am completely mesmerized by Katsuya Kamo's work here for the show. The drama of it is in how the model's features were altered, enhanced or minimized by the black-and-white oil portrait effect.


Credit: Grayburn (Terms of Use), style.com

Her Name Is Black Onyx

So let me report that my first class in makeup training was nerve-wracking but unquestionably exhilarating at the same time.

We have been given a part of our kit and I have since had a chance to play with some of the items from it. Pictured above is one of the items in the kit that I have come to enjoy working with. Her name is Color Shadow Powder in Black Onyx (M) and Il Makiage is her maker.

As you can see, the shadow has a complete black exterior. The rubbery feel of the top lid gives the container a professional feel in one's hand and finger prints don't seem to get imprinted on its surface as easily as on Nars' packaging.

Black Onyx is a matte true black color. While many matte black shadows can be tricky to work with, this particular one manages to be blendable and with just enough sheerness to enable working in layers. I was surprised that I was able to achieve a smooth winged-eye with a quick flick of a hand. While maintaining its blendability, the powder seem to also have grip on the skin that takes a few moments of rubbing before it will fade.

The maker of the eyeshadow (who has been around since the 70's by the way) has a large range of colors that come in either the matte (M) or iridescent (R) formulation. If all of their products are as outstanding as this little pot of eyeshadow pictured above, I think I have just discovered a new love!

Website: Il Makiage
Color Shadow Powder (5.1 grams)


Credit: Grayburn (Terms of Use)

First Steps Of A New Adventure

Makeup by John Kattenberg of House of Orange

It is funny how life pans out sometimes. I really could no longer ignore all the things that were happening around me, even if I tried. And trust me, things were happening. Telling me to chase after something that I have been too scared to pursue.

I took one small step at a time (which occasionally felt excruciatingly tedious). But one thing led to the next and I decided that I wanted to go back to school. It all really didn't happen right away and the moment that I made the decision was more than 6 months ago. After a few months of visiting what I believe to be the best institutes who offer what I was looking for, I decided finally on attending the best of the best. Naturally right? As with any good school, there was a selection process. The thought of being turned away, and possibly told to never come back again, would be a devastating one. I knew that I had to stand out somehow. When I finally got the call to go in for THE interview, I turned into a bundle of nervous/happy wreck when I hung up the phone.

The day of the interview I arrived so nervous that my hands were shaking uncontrollably. I couldn't even hold onto that cup of tea that they gave me. I don't remember a thing that I had said or was said to me. All I recall is that they had to tell me three times at the end of our interview that I had been indeed accepted. Ok, not only was I slow but I really could not wrap my head around that when I heard it!

It seems I will get to start school next week and I am elated even though I have never been the school type. Oh I failed to mention that I will be going to Makeup School! That makes it a hundred times more interesting in my eyes. I love the thought of being a student again and I look forward to being a shameless one. I vow to be the one to show up early and that I will show up with all my pencils sharpened ahead of time. I will decide on what to wear to class a week before and even read my materials before the class and not on the way on the bus. Do I sound like I had been a bad student in the past? So true.

Being as well prepared as possible is what I want to do but what I have come to learn is that one can never manage to prepare for everything; especially when it has to do with the fashion/beauty industry. I guess that is something that makes it the more attractive to me and it feels as if I am finally taking on a positive challenge that is invigorating.

I cannot wait to learn all the wonderful things and work with some of the finest when I attend John Kattenberg's House of Orange Makeup School. I hope you are as excited as me on the path that I have chosen and that you will welcome it when I share my journey with you! And thank you for always being there for me because I know that I could not have come this far without you.


Credit: Grayburn (Terms of Use)