Lights and Music are on my mind....

So at this exact moment, I am actually quite angry about something that happened ages ago, that I only just found out about. However, I will not let this affect my day because today I got the new Cut Copy album, "In Ghost Colours". I am in love with these wonderful gentlemen from Australia. I have tickets to their next show within driving distance, and you can bet I am damn well excited.
You can listen to the whole album on Cut Copy's MySpace Page. I recommend "Out There On The Ice Again", "Lights and Music", and "Hearts On Fire" The whole album is a masterpiece, just those are my absolute favorites right now. I've loved "Hearts on Fire" since I heard the single when it first came out like eight months ago. If you really like the album, buy it through iTunes because that one's got extra tracks!

Also, in case I haven't mentioned it yet, because of these lovely Australian fellows, I discovered several other musical artists. Through the FANTASTIC online release of their "SO COSMIC" Mixtape, I discovered Bell X1, Lifelike, and several others.

You can listen to "SO COMSIC" by clicking on the pretty logo to the left there.

Back on my usual subject, I'm booked up for a month all of a sudden! It's crazy. I'll be working more in the next four weeks then I normally do in six months. I think I actually have some work I did recently that I haven't uploaded yet, but instead I shall leave you with two videos. One is the official video for my current favorite Cut Copy song "Lights and Music"



And this here is a mix video of some Olivia Newton John video set to my favorite song EVAR "So Electric" by Lifelike (Which you will also hear on SO COSMIC gracefully mixed out of a Fleetwood Mac song)



This music should be listened to LOUD!!

Quick, make a new mascara!

In the past month or so, I've seen at least eight new mascaras hit the stores. Add this to Imju's Fiberwig which is not new but sold out country wide when Rachel Ray mentioned it on her show, has finally become available again. So today, I have a catalogue of what's new in Mascara Land.

1) Imju FiberWig

This mascara is touted as being the the best thing for those of us who want maximum length from their mascaras. The fibers adhere to the lash lengthening and thickening and is water and oil resistant.

As mentioned earlier, FiberWig was mentioned on Rachel Ray some months back, and sold out across the country. It has recently become available again, although it is still consistently selling out as soon as it comes back into stock. People are buying two and three tubes at a time. Retails for $22


2) Cargo's Texas Lash

Everything is bigger in Texas; hair, cars, etc. Now those of you who want the maximum volume possible have a new option.

TexasLash uses a space-age polymer that creates tubes around each lash, and this prevents it from flaking, smearing, or running. Unlike other "tubing" mascaras (TooFaced Lash Injection, Blinc Kiss Me), it can be removed with eye makeup remover, instead of having to pull them off still tube-shaped in the shower. It also has the "TeddyBear" brush that DiorShow made so popular. Retails for $20


3) The Balm Two-Timer

This mascara has been in the making for nearly two and half years. The Balm's creative director Marissa wanted it to be "just right". After two years of waiting here it is! It has one extremely unique brush to lengthen and separate, and a second brush to build lots and lots of volume. It has a rich creamy texture which allows it to be luminous-looking on the lash, without flaking or smearing. The Balm's Two-Timer gets two thumbs up from me. You've got to see the page on the Balm website too- it's priceless. Retails for $19


4) Guerlain Le Deux (Le 2)

I am genuinely excited about this mascara. I've been told it's as good as my tried and true Fresh SuperNova, and it has a second brush small enough to use on my lower lashes. The second smaller brush is also for grabbing those smaller lashes on the inner and outer corners of the eye with precision, equaling no smudgy mess. It lengthens, thickens and curls, and lasts all day without touch-ups. The tag line? "So no lash is forgotten." Retails for $35


5) Stila's MAJOR Major Lash

Stila took their tried and true Major Lash, and hybridized it with their Multi Effects mascara formulation, gave it the giganterous TeddyBear brush that everyone seems to love, and POW! The result is the new MAJOR Major lash. It also looks like they fixed the failings of the previous versions; the orignal Major Lash flaked and dried out quickly. However it was a skinny tube, and only $9, so one can't complain too much. Multi Effects had the awkward curved brush that fell out of fashion in the mid-'90s. All the good, and none of the bad in one well-priced tube: $22


6) LORAC's Visual Effects

This mascara has a lovely creamy texture, a nice stiff four-sided comb-style brush that builds both length and volume without a single clump in site. Comes in black and grey-blue, this is the mascara for women who want fool-proof, one-step lashes. It was a wonderful recovery after their last mascara failures; Lotsa Lash (messy fibers, clumpy, fragile brush) and the atrocious Publicity Stunt which was almost immediately returned every time. Visual Effects is a winner, and manages to stand out in the crowd of mascaras just released, as well as on the Red Carpet. $19.50



7) Smashbox Bionic Mascara

We can build you better, faster, and stronger then ever before! And seriously, no kidding. This revolutionary ionic mascara contains nourishing aloe, wheat, and silk proteins to help build longer stronger lashes while remaining extremely effective for volumizing and providing a long-wearing and beautifully water-resistant formula.

Retails for $19


8) Cargo Blu_Ray

The idea behind this mascara was to create a formula that would look good in conjunction with high-definition cameras. This is another fool-proof mascara. Lengthens, separates, curls and volumizes; unique quick drying formula allows you to build as much volume as you want, and because of the brush, it never clumps. It maintains a lustrous glossy finish even after drying. Retails for $20

the most exciting thing that's happened in weeks

This is going to sound really silly to most people, but because my photographer boyfriend and I are a team, it's exciting. His website is finished! A close friend of ours who works for Google was kind enough to put it together for him.

Behold: www.adurovisum.com

What this also means to me is that our buddy at Google is now free to work on my website. Granted, this also means that a great deal of my own work is already on his website, but I still need my own. Now I just have to decided on a name so I can get the bloody domain name sorted.

sources of inspiration

Because everyone needs some. Some of my favorites from the Fall/Winter 08/09 collections. Enjoy.


Hugo Boss Fall-Winter 08/09


Louis Vuitton Womenswear Fall-Winter 08/09:

Taking a bit of a page out of old Balenciaga's book, no?

Jil Sander Menswear Fall-Winter 08/09

Beautiful, clean lines, and gorgeously tailored, if you ask me.


Dior Homme Fall-Winter 08/09

So elegant it makes me want to cry. Way to step out of Hedi Slimane's shadow, Kris van Assche


Prada Womenswear Fall-Winter 08/09

Love the lace.


Balenciaga Fall-Winter 08/09

I love you, Nicolas Ghesquière. You managed to tie with F-W O7/08

Burberry Menswear Fall-Winter 08/09.

Bloody brilliant.

Yves Saint Laurent Womenswear Fall-Winter 08/09

Stefano Pilati: Sexy AND brilliant. Of course, the clothes too. :)


Lanvin Menswear Fall-Winter 08/09

Elegance incarnate.

That's nearly an hour of fashion. Watch it. Live it. Love it. For even more current catwalk vids, visit Mr. Trollo's YouTube page

better late then never....

I know it's been ages since I've updated, but I refuse to natter on at people when I don't feel like I've got anything to say. I am not so enamoured with myself, that I will write/talk just to hear myself.

Anyway, my struggle continues as usual. My photographer boyfriend and I have had a couple of projects. It can be very nice, and also very frustrating. I know my boyfriend's style of lighting, and it IS good lighting. But sometimes it just doesn't bloody work with what I want stuff to look like. He prefers to use shallow depth of focus, and low contrast film. This is not exactly the ideal way to show off brilliant makeup. I've adjusted to be sure but sometimes I still want to tear my hair out.
Now keep in mind, this image has been retouched a bit, but can you see what his weird multiple side light arrangement has done to my cheekbone highlight? It's DISJOINTED! My other problem with this also has to do with the fact the model's fringe was way too long. Eyeshadow? Why bother? It's there but you'd never notice. Sure am glad of those eyelashes though. Add to this the fact that the hair stylist flaked on us, so I ended up doing what I could with the hair, which wasn't much. Her hair was very soft and fine, and there was TONS of it, as well as being very straight. I back-combed until my arms hurt trying to give it a bit of body... it sort of worked. She was a really beautiful girl who really ought to try to get with an agency, and not the rubbish local one. So while that image will probably not go into the portfolio, THIS one probably will, because I like two page spreads.

I might actually have more to say pretty soon. Promise. You know how things are. Life often gets in the way of purely creative pursuits....

Finally, some personal work

Hopefully everyone had a safe and happy new year? All present and accounted for? Excellent.

Finally I have some of my own work to show you, my valued readers. This is a model test we did for a model friend of ours, otherwise known as "personal work". I'm quite proud of it. First, I am going to show you the first test we did with her a year and half ago:


And now, the new image! This one is my favorite:


And here, you can see the makeup a little better in this one:


I feel like this demonstrates a lot of progress in my work, and ability to predict my boyfriend's oft-changing lighting styles. Trying to decide which one to put in my portfolio- I think the second one is a better example of my own makeup, and the first one is better as an example of my boyfriend's photography. Unfortunately, I LIKE the first one more. It's so Steven Miesel!

Anyway, that's all I have today. Lot's of new products for spring coming out soon, so I should have some interesting reviews. Brand trainings also start again next week, so I should have some info on NARS new spring products so look forward to it!