Photographer: Fernando Lessa
Model: Karolina Maria Renor
Makeup and hair: Sarah Frasca
Monday, 6 June 2011
Spooky trees (and model!)
Some more classic shots from Fernando Lessa...
Photographer: Fernando Lessa
Model: Karolina Maria Renor
Makeup and hair: Sarah Frasca
Photographer: Fernando Lessa
Model: Karolina Maria Renor
Makeup and hair: Sarah Frasca
Monday, 2 May 2011
Nouveau Vintage
I have been pursuing some project work with Paul Baichoo...one of the few photographers who, in this day and age, seems intersted in capturing art for art's sake. You will be seeing a lot of our work documented here over the next few weeks. This is just a sampling of a wonderful afternoon we had with our smashing model. She often resembles Cheryl Cole (how can that be a bad thing?!), but in these shots I'm feeling Natalie Portman. Anyway, whatever the resemblances, we were all thrilled with the results.
(And yes, lots of cruelty free makeup went into these shots, including Obsessive Complusive Cosmetics for the smoky eyes and blue retro flicks, and Weleda Calendula Weather Protection Cream for the shiny eyelids. Lips were glossed up care of Illamasqua, who also can claim credit for the cheekbone sculpting!)
Hair and Makeup by Sarah Frasca.
Styling by Sarah Frasca and Paul Baichoo.
All photographs © Paul Baichoo.
And, yes, those are shoes on her her head.
(And yes, lots of cruelty free makeup went into these shots, including Obsessive Complusive Cosmetics for the smoky eyes and blue retro flicks, and Weleda Calendula Weather Protection Cream for the shiny eyelids. Lips were glossed up care of Illamasqua, who also can claim credit for the cheekbone sculpting!)
Hair and Makeup by Sarah Frasca.
Styling by Sarah Frasca and Paul Baichoo.
All photographs © Paul Baichoo.
And, yes, those are shoes on her her head.
Wednesday, 27 April 2011
The good, the bad and the ugly: Lush Cosmetics
Lush is a company that I have somewhat of a love-hate relationship with…I love the people who work on the floor, but I am somewhat dubious about the faux ethics of the upper echelons of the company. I love some of their products so much and have yet to find products that can top them, but there many products that I cannot stand and that are genuinely full of chemicals that are simply bad for you.
THE GOOD
I have three top Lush products that I cannot live without. They are the following:
This is the best, the most effective and the gentlest deodorant that you will ever have the pleasure to discover. It comes in solid little off-white blocks of heavenly patchouli gorgeousness. I have been using it for more than six years, before which I struggled to find natural deodorant that actually lasted for more than half-an-hour. This stuff is phenomenal. It is basically translucent so there are no unsightly streaks left on clothes. You can put it on directly after shaving and you will feel no irritation whatsoever. You just rub it on and that’s it. It’s amazing for travelling and there’s no worrying about liquid limits at the airport. I have tested this stuff in 45 degree heat in Spain and it lasts all day and all night.
The ingredients in Aromaco are:
Witch Hazel Infusion (Hamamelis virginiana), Propylene Glycol, Sodium Stearate, Chamomile Vinegar (Anthemis nobilis), Sodium Bicarbonate, Patchouli Oil (Pogostemon cablin), Citral, Limonene, Perfume.
You will notice listed an ingredient that is on my Ingredients to Avoid list, namely Propylene Glycol. That is the only naughty ingredient in this product that I know of, because it is a potential cancer risk and an allergen and it has been tested on animals for the assessment of its toxicity (although Lush does buy their ingredients from sources that do not test on animals).
This is the most natural soap that Lush has, although on reading through the ingredients you will notice some chemical additives such as Sodium Hydroxide and EDTA (Lush argues that they use these ingredients in such small amounts that it is ok…more on that later!). It is very gentle on the skin and is full of scrubby fig seeds which give just the right amount of exfoliation action. Figs and Leaves is actually the first Lush product that I bought, all of 10 years ago, and it is still top of my list. It is one of the few Lush soaps that does not contain Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS).
The ingredients in Figs and Leaves soap are:
Water (Aqua), Rapeseed Oil; Coconut Oil (Brassica napus; Cocos nucifera), Fig Decoction (Ficus carica), Glycerine, Aloe Vera Extract (Aloe barbadensis), Sodium Hydroxide, Perfume, Ylang Ylang Oil (Cananga odorata), Orange Flower Absolute (Citrus Aurantium amara), Organic Aloe Vera Gel (Aloe barbadensis), Titanium Dioxide, Sodium Chloride, EDTA, Tetrasodium Etidronate, Benzyl Benzoate, Linalool
I cannot live without this perfume. Anyone who has gone on the a mission to find cruelty-free perfume will know that it is virtually impossible to find any that does not smell like toilet spray. However, Lush has succeeded in creating some exquisite fragrances that are almost entirely composed of essential oils. This is the only perfume I will wear, and it is great to be able to wear a fragrance that almost no-one else has! (unlike the proliferation of the Armani-Dior-Prada-predictables).
The ingredients in 1000 Kisses Deep are:
DRF Alcohol, Perfume, Myrrh Resinoid (Commiphora myrrha), Labdanum Resinoid (Cistus labdaniferus), Osmanthus Absolute (Osmanthus fragrans), Citral, Coumarin, Geraniol, Benzyl Benzoate, Limonene, Linalool
THE BAD
I actually started my 'Ingredients to Avoid' page by going through the Lush ingredients glossary and doing a full investigation into each ingredient (interestingly, the Lush homepage no longer has a direct link to their ingredients list, and this is a very recent change. You can view the old list here http://www.lush.com/lushlife/glossary.htm. It is by no means comprehensive). Lush very conveniently and vaguely define some toxic and dangerous chemicals in such a way as to brush over the health risks associated with continued exposure to these ingredients. For example, they define Sodium Lauryl Sulfate as "a shampoo base that is derived from coconut and palm kernel oils", and tell you that it foams. That is a very convenient summary of what SLS is and does...you can see a more truthful assessment here (scroll down to 'S').
The ingredients that Lush uses that are dubious are: Ammonium Lauryl Sulphate, Cocomide DEA, Lauramide DEA, Methyl- and Propyl- parabens, Sodium Laureth and Lauryl Sulphate, Sodium Hydroxide (not listed in their glossary, aka Caustic Soda), Talc and Triethanlamine (TEA). You can see my comprehensive list of the effects of these chemicals here.
I used to work for Lush, and during our training we were informed that using parabens is ok because the company uses less that 0.05% per product. At the time I swallowed it. It took a while for me to start doing my own research, and I quickly realised that saying "oh, we use so little it doesn't matter" is just a lazy cop-out that ignores the cumulative effects of these toxins. Parabens are notoriously dangerous for the environment and cause hormonal imbalances in animals, sometimes rendering them infertile and causing sexual mutations. There has been much media coverage of late into the dangers of parabens for the environment and for people. There are now so many companies who are successfully using safe, natural alternatives (such as the awesome Organic Pharmacy), that I do not see how Lush has a valid excuse to use parabens anymore. Lush describes Methyl- and Propyl- parabens as "the safest and mildest preservatives we can find". They add parabens to most of their non-solid skincare products and a few of their solid ones (such as King of Skin), and in the entire history of the company have never made any effort to find natural alternative methods to preserve their products.
Most of the public I spoke to while working for Lush simply assumed the products were all natural because of Lush's very clever branding and the tactful placement of herby, muddy facemasks kept on ice. I am not ashamed to admit that I regularly informed customers of the truth. You could say I was not the most popular employee with the management! However, there was nothing they could do, since I was simply speaking candidly about the ingredients in the products. While working there, I began to understand that Lush is a whitewash brand that is incredibly skilled at putting on a natural 'front' and reaping the profits from this subtle deception.
THE UGLY
Lush management is disorganised and ineffective and most managers treat the floor staff with little respect. There is overwhelming pressure to link-sell, which at times borders on customer harassment (I have been on the receiving end of this harrasment-slash-link-selling as a customer and it is not pleasant!). All the staff are overworked and underpaid.
Lush claims to be rigorous about their environmental policies, but I know for a fact that this is not true. Lush does not ensure that each shop has a functioning recyling scheme, and it is down to the passion of individual employees to make sure recycling happens. I have some friends who still work there and are constantly struggling to implement environmental improvements to the company on a daily basis. It is an uphill struggle, as upper management really do not care or provide funding or training to floor staff on important, day-to-day issues. There is a lot (A LOT) of money and training put into their environmental campaigns and window displays, and of course this is great, but again it is a front and the actually nitty-gritty is ignored.
But by far the thing that I found most uncomfortable while working there was the cultish nature of the company, the glass ceiling that exists for all except those who practically worship Mark Constantine (the founder of Lush), and the environmental hipocrisy of the individuals in upper management (Starbucks and MacDonalds daily...I could carry on!).
Most of the general public know nothing of the truth behind Lush, and I feel it is important that people are at least made aware so that a little bit of the veneer can be chipped away. It is all about informed decision making. I still choose to purchase my top three Lush products because they work, are mostly natural and are not tested on animals. However, I in no way view the company as the pioneering environmental heroes that they like to masquerade as.
My time at Lush partially steered me towards my current career, and if I had not worked there I probably would not have become so acutely aware of how important personal initiative and research is in the world of ethical cosmetics and makeup. You cannot simply trust the slogan and words like 'organic' and 'natural' do not always mean organic and natural. So I am happy I had my time there; Lush served me well, but perhaps not in the way they intended!
THE GOOD
I have three top Lush products that I cannot live without. They are the following:
Aromaco Deodorant
This is the best, the most effective and the gentlest deodorant that you will ever have the pleasure to discover. It comes in solid little off-white blocks of heavenly patchouli gorgeousness. I have been using it for more than six years, before which I struggled to find natural deodorant that actually lasted for more than half-an-hour. This stuff is phenomenal. It is basically translucent so there are no unsightly streaks left on clothes. You can put it on directly after shaving and you will feel no irritation whatsoever. You just rub it on and that’s it. It’s amazing for travelling and there’s no worrying about liquid limits at the airport. I have tested this stuff in 45 degree heat in Spain and it lasts all day and all night.
The ingredients in Aromaco are:
Witch Hazel Infusion (Hamamelis virginiana), Propylene Glycol, Sodium Stearate, Chamomile Vinegar (Anthemis nobilis), Sodium Bicarbonate, Patchouli Oil (Pogostemon cablin), Citral, Limonene, Perfume.
You will notice listed an ingredient that is on my Ingredients to Avoid list, namely Propylene Glycol. That is the only naughty ingredient in this product that I know of, because it is a potential cancer risk and an allergen and it has been tested on animals for the assessment of its toxicity (although Lush does buy their ingredients from sources that do not test on animals).
Figs and Leaves soap
This is the most natural soap that Lush has, although on reading through the ingredients you will notice some chemical additives such as Sodium Hydroxide and EDTA (Lush argues that they use these ingredients in such small amounts that it is ok…more on that later!). It is very gentle on the skin and is full of scrubby fig seeds which give just the right amount of exfoliation action. Figs and Leaves is actually the first Lush product that I bought, all of 10 years ago, and it is still top of my list. It is one of the few Lush soaps that does not contain Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS).
The ingredients in Figs and Leaves soap are:
Water (Aqua), Rapeseed Oil; Coconut Oil (Brassica napus; Cocos nucifera), Fig Decoction (Ficus carica), Glycerine, Aloe Vera Extract (Aloe barbadensis), Sodium Hydroxide, Perfume, Ylang Ylang Oil (Cananga odorata), Orange Flower Absolute (Citrus Aurantium amara), Organic Aloe Vera Gel (Aloe barbadensis), Titanium Dioxide, Sodium Chloride, EDTA, Tetrasodium Etidronate, Benzyl Benzoate, Linalool
1000 Kisses Deep perfume
The ingredients in 1000 Kisses Deep are:
DRF Alcohol, Perfume, Myrrh Resinoid (Commiphora myrrha), Labdanum Resinoid (Cistus labdaniferus), Osmanthus Absolute (Osmanthus fragrans), Citral, Coumarin, Geraniol, Benzyl Benzoate, Limonene, Linalool
THE BAD
I actually started my 'Ingredients to Avoid' page by going through the Lush ingredients glossary and doing a full investigation into each ingredient (interestingly, the Lush homepage no longer has a direct link to their ingredients list, and this is a very recent change. You can view the old list here http://www.lush.com/lushlife/glossary.htm. It is by no means comprehensive). Lush very conveniently and vaguely define some toxic and dangerous chemicals in such a way as to brush over the health risks associated with continued exposure to these ingredients. For example, they define Sodium Lauryl Sulfate as "a shampoo base that is derived from coconut and palm kernel oils", and tell you that it foams. That is a very convenient summary of what SLS is and does...you can see a more truthful assessment here (scroll down to 'S').
The ingredients that Lush uses that are dubious are: Ammonium Lauryl Sulphate, Cocomide DEA, Lauramide DEA, Methyl- and Propyl- parabens, Sodium Laureth and Lauryl Sulphate, Sodium Hydroxide (not listed in their glossary, aka Caustic Soda), Talc and Triethanlamine (TEA). You can see my comprehensive list of the effects of these chemicals here.
I used to work for Lush, and during our training we were informed that using parabens is ok because the company uses less that 0.05% per product. At the time I swallowed it. It took a while for me to start doing my own research, and I quickly realised that saying "oh, we use so little it doesn't matter" is just a lazy cop-out that ignores the cumulative effects of these toxins. Parabens are notoriously dangerous for the environment and cause hormonal imbalances in animals, sometimes rendering them infertile and causing sexual mutations. There has been much media coverage of late into the dangers of parabens for the environment and for people. There are now so many companies who are successfully using safe, natural alternatives (such as the awesome Organic Pharmacy), that I do not see how Lush has a valid excuse to use parabens anymore. Lush describes Methyl- and Propyl- parabens as "the safest and mildest preservatives we can find". They add parabens to most of their non-solid skincare products and a few of their solid ones (such as King of Skin), and in the entire history of the company have never made any effort to find natural alternative methods to preserve their products.
Most of the public I spoke to while working for Lush simply assumed the products were all natural because of Lush's very clever branding and the tactful placement of herby, muddy facemasks kept on ice. I am not ashamed to admit that I regularly informed customers of the truth. You could say I was not the most popular employee with the management! However, there was nothing they could do, since I was simply speaking candidly about the ingredients in the products. While working there, I began to understand that Lush is a whitewash brand that is incredibly skilled at putting on a natural 'front' and reaping the profits from this subtle deception.
THE UGLY
Lush management is disorganised and ineffective and most managers treat the floor staff with little respect. There is overwhelming pressure to link-sell, which at times borders on customer harassment (I have been on the receiving end of this harrasment-slash-link-selling as a customer and it is not pleasant!). All the staff are overworked and underpaid.
Lush claims to be rigorous about their environmental policies, but I know for a fact that this is not true. Lush does not ensure that each shop has a functioning recyling scheme, and it is down to the passion of individual employees to make sure recycling happens. I have some friends who still work there and are constantly struggling to implement environmental improvements to the company on a daily basis. It is an uphill struggle, as upper management really do not care or provide funding or training to floor staff on important, day-to-day issues. There is a lot (A LOT) of money and training put into their environmental campaigns and window displays, and of course this is great, but again it is a front and the actually nitty-gritty is ignored.
But by far the thing that I found most uncomfortable while working there was the cultish nature of the company, the glass ceiling that exists for all except those who practically worship Mark Constantine (the founder of Lush), and the environmental hipocrisy of the individuals in upper management (Starbucks and MacDonalds daily...I could carry on!).
Most of the general public know nothing of the truth behind Lush, and I feel it is important that people are at least made aware so that a little bit of the veneer can be chipped away. It is all about informed decision making. I still choose to purchase my top three Lush products because they work, are mostly natural and are not tested on animals. However, I in no way view the company as the pioneering environmental heroes that they like to masquerade as.
My time at Lush partially steered me towards my current career, and if I had not worked there I probably would not have become so acutely aware of how important personal initiative and research is in the world of ethical cosmetics and makeup. You cannot simply trust the slogan and words like 'organic' and 'natural' do not always mean organic and natural. So I am happy I had my time there; Lush served me well, but perhaps not in the way they intended!
Friday, 1 April 2011
Jennifer Essex unravels her mind for LCF
Last night saw the premier of 'Traveller and Unraveller', a groundbreaking new work created, choreographed and directed by Jennifer Essex (you can view her website here: http://web.me.com/jennifer.j.w.essex/Site/Welcome.html).
I met Jen a few years ago, being blissfully unaware at that time that she is the most sublime dancer. I admit I went through a short period of semi-worship when I first saw her youtube videos. Her style, ease and unique perspective give her a trademark look that makes her work immediately identifiable. In a few words words I would call her work ethereal, insightful and engaging, always communicating unspeakable things while remaining grounded in her integrity as an artist.
Traveller and Unraveller is a showcase for the London College of Fashion's Costume for Theatre, Makeup for Theatre and Technical Effects for Theatre BA Degree students 2011. The show took place at the Cochrane Theatre in London, a wonderful and intimate space where it was pleasurably easy to enjoy the finer details of this fantastical creation. The part of Young Tobias was played by Louise Marie Kerr, a prominent UK actress (her casting call pro page is here: http://www.uk.castingcallpro.com/view.php?uid=191249). The show had a fascinating fairytale backstory, which you can read here: http://web.me.com/jennifer.j.w.essex/Site/Current_Productions.html.
The show was sponsored by, among others, the pioneering makeup brand Illamasqua whom I have blogged at length about before (see here). During my cheeky peek backstage, while nitpicking over the finer details of the exquisite prosthetics, I saw a lot of Illamasqua products, and then - to my delight - a lot of Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics (see more here). Yes! I eagerly harrassed the makeup artist about her stash...she even had the airbrush and pigments which are not availabe in the UK. I am not shy to admit that I was green about the gills, however, at the same time it was reassuring to see such a cutting edge, vegan brand utilised in a theatrical environment. According to the makeup artist I was chatting to, the airbrush pigments by OCC adhered impressively to the dancers for the duration of the performance. No sweat! It is not easy to find makeup that can endure theatrical lighting and the vigour of dance, so for me that was exciting to hear.
The show itself was a visual feast, an orgy of fantasy forced into temporary existance. Jen's concepts for the costumes streched the graduates to their creative limits. There were living, floating bubbles, earthen root creatures, umbilical magical tribal gods, chalky pteradactyls and terrifyingly beautiful metallic inverted hedgehog beings with rhythmical spines. The show was so well paced that we had more than enough time to absorb the details of these creations, which was really satisfying. I am still reeling at the impression of the spiky metal creatures...it is impossible to describe them in words. I do believe they are a creation of pure genius and whomever the student is who came up with that concept, I applaude you! I have some pictures , but they really only give a vague impression of the amazing-ness off the LCF students' work. It was an audio-visual phenomenon!
If you are in London and you are looking for something unusual and exciting to experience this weekend, then definitely go and see this show! It is on for two more nights only so be quick! You can buy tickets here: http://sa1.seatadvisor.com/sabo/servlets/EventSearch?presenter=TLCOCHRANE
I met Jen a few years ago, being blissfully unaware at that time that she is the most sublime dancer. I admit I went through a short period of semi-worship when I first saw her youtube videos. Her style, ease and unique perspective give her a trademark look that makes her work immediately identifiable. In a few words words I would call her work ethereal, insightful and engaging, always communicating unspeakable things while remaining grounded in her integrity as an artist.
Traveller and Unraveller is a showcase for the London College of Fashion's Costume for Theatre, Makeup for Theatre and Technical Effects for Theatre BA Degree students 2011. The show took place at the Cochrane Theatre in London, a wonderful and intimate space where it was pleasurably easy to enjoy the finer details of this fantastical creation. The part of Young Tobias was played by Louise Marie Kerr, a prominent UK actress (her casting call pro page is here: http://www.uk.castingcallpro.com/view.php?uid=191249). The show had a fascinating fairytale backstory, which you can read here: http://web.me.com/jennifer.j.w.essex/Site/Current_Productions.html.
The show was sponsored by, among others, the pioneering makeup brand Illamasqua whom I have blogged at length about before (see here). During my cheeky peek backstage, while nitpicking over the finer details of the exquisite prosthetics, I saw a lot of Illamasqua products, and then - to my delight - a lot of Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics (see more here). Yes! I eagerly harrassed the makeup artist about her stash...she even had the airbrush and pigments which are not availabe in the UK. I am not shy to admit that I was green about the gills, however, at the same time it was reassuring to see such a cutting edge, vegan brand utilised in a theatrical environment. According to the makeup artist I was chatting to, the airbrush pigments by OCC adhered impressively to the dancers for the duration of the performance. No sweat! It is not easy to find makeup that can endure theatrical lighting and the vigour of dance, so for me that was exciting to hear.
The show itself was a visual feast, an orgy of fantasy forced into temporary existance. Jen's concepts for the costumes streched the graduates to their creative limits. There were living, floating bubbles, earthen root creatures, umbilical magical tribal gods, chalky pteradactyls and terrifyingly beautiful metallic inverted hedgehog beings with rhythmical spines. The show was so well paced that we had more than enough time to absorb the details of these creations, which was really satisfying. I am still reeling at the impression of the spiky metal creatures...it is impossible to describe them in words. I do believe they are a creation of pure genius and whomever the student is who came up with that concept, I applaude you! I have some pictures , but they really only give a vague impression of the amazing-ness off the LCF students' work. It was an audio-visual phenomenon!
If you are in London and you are looking for something unusual and exciting to experience this weekend, then definitely go and see this show! It is on for two more nights only so be quick! You can buy tickets here: http://sa1.seatadvisor.com/sabo/servlets/EventSearch?presenter=TLCOCHRANE
Prosthetic head being applied to a dancer
Costume fitting
Tobias, the Unraveller
Traveller and Unraveller
Cochrane Theatre, Holborn, London
Choreography, Concept and Direction: Jennifer Essex
Design Mentor: Di Mainstone
Composer: Borisa Sabljic
Writer: Harry Man
Video: Ian Pons Jewell and Tim Harrison
Performers: Marie Ronold Mathisen, Elodie Frati, Rhiannon Roberts, Verity Hopkins, Rachael Fraser, Vanessa Abreu, Joelle Naomi Green, Jac Johnston, Sonya Cullingford, Jess Williams, Bianca Silcox, Grace Hann, Jacob Smart, Elena Zino, Anne-Maarit Kinnunen, Elizabeth West, Jo Davie, Alice Cade, Tereza Havlickova, Georgia-Grace Riley
Costumes Designed and Realized by: The Students of the London College of Fashion
Sketch by Rosanna Stalbow and Bea Sweet
Wednesday, 23 March 2011
One small step for an ethical makeup artist
If you have been reading this blog for a while you are probably aware of my frustration at trying to find an alternative to M.A.C.'s seemingly irreplacable blot powder. Blot is something I cannot live without on a shoot, but I have been stoicly refusing to buy any more even though I'm down to the last few applications. I was going to try Bare Minerals, but was unable to get positive confirmation from any anti-cruelty companies as to whether or not they test on animals. Normally this means the brand is trying to avoid the issue (ignorace is bliss to the public!), so I steered clear.
A little while ago, while doing a short course at the London College of Fashion, my amazing tutor Susanna Perez recommended Jane Iredale powders. I was not too excited as I assumed I would find something ethically fishy about the brand (as I so often do) and actually put it to the back of my mind. Then for some reason a few weeks ago when I was bored I remembered I'd saved the brand name on my phone, so I set about doing a bit of research. It only took a few hours before I found myself clicking the 'add to cart' button on the finishing powders! Jane Iredale is verifiably cruelty free with an amazing industry track record, this brand is reliable, safe, mostly natural and comprehensive.
Jane Iredale is not entirely vegan and some of the products do contain carmine. However, what I really appreciate about the brand is their complete transparency on this issue. Jane Iredale has prominent links on her website to vegan product information where she provides a comprehensive list of exactly which products and colours contain carmine, honey, lanolin and wheat. You can click this link to check it out.
Her products are also made from high quality ingredients that are largely natural, which is a big plus. Each product has a detailed ingredient breakdown, which is really reassuring and educational (I always want to use the most natural makeup I can, which is a difficult task but I'm finding my list of cosmetics that are lovely for the skin is growing steadily!).
I tested out my new Jane Iredale Amazing Matte Loose Finish Powder just yesterday on a few clients, and breathed a huge sigh of relief, as the results were awesome. There was no shine on the final shots, the powder went on beautifully and a minimal quantity was required to achieve a clean, matte finish. The powder is very finely milled, perhaps even more so than M.A.C. Prep and Prime, so it works wonderfully to set concealer under the eyes.
I am quietly thrilled, as I have found my Blot and Prep and Prime alternative (all in one!).
available in the UK online at
A little while ago, while doing a short course at the London College of Fashion, my amazing tutor Susanna Perez recommended Jane Iredale powders. I was not too excited as I assumed I would find something ethically fishy about the brand (as I so often do) and actually put it to the back of my mind. Then for some reason a few weeks ago when I was bored I remembered I'd saved the brand name on my phone, so I set about doing a bit of research. It only took a few hours before I found myself clicking the 'add to cart' button on the finishing powders! Jane Iredale is verifiably cruelty free with an amazing industry track record, this brand is reliable, safe, mostly natural and comprehensive.
Jane Iredale is not entirely vegan and some of the products do contain carmine. However, what I really appreciate about the brand is their complete transparency on this issue. Jane Iredale has prominent links on her website to vegan product information where she provides a comprehensive list of exactly which products and colours contain carmine, honey, lanolin and wheat. You can click this link to check it out.
Her products are also made from high quality ingredients that are largely natural, which is a big plus. Each product has a detailed ingredient breakdown, which is really reassuring and educational (I always want to use the most natural makeup I can, which is a difficult task but I'm finding my list of cosmetics that are lovely for the skin is growing steadily!).
I tested out my new Jane Iredale Amazing Matte Loose Finish Powder just yesterday on a few clients, and breathed a huge sigh of relief, as the results were awesome. There was no shine on the final shots, the powder went on beautifully and a minimal quantity was required to achieve a clean, matte finish. The powder is very finely milled, perhaps even more so than M.A.C. Prep and Prime, so it works wonderfully to set concealer under the eyes.
I am quietly thrilled, as I have found my Blot and Prep and Prime alternative (all in one!).
Jane Iredale Amazing Matte Loose Finish Powder
I also bought the Jane Iredale Beyond Matte Powder Compact in translucent, which was recommended specifically for HD. It also comes in three other correcting colours (lilac, peach and dark) which I will probably be purchasing very soon! I am also planning to purchase the Corrective Colours concealer pallette which is very exciting to me, as colour correction is my favourite part of corrective makeup technique and a great concealer pallette is like makeup gold-dust.
Jane Iredale Beyond Matte Powder Compact
In my assessment, Jane Iredale powders are an affordable, superior quality upgrade to my M.A.C. powders, and I am just relieved that I have found a replacement for this kit essential. I was beginning to have visions of myself in the kitchen with rice grains and a pestle and mortar, desperately attempting to conjour my own powders, but I have been saved the hassle by this discovery!
available in the UK online at
Thursday, 17 March 2011
New 'Ingredients to Avoid' Page
Obviously I do a lot of research into ingredients and I realise that it is mostly wasted as I don't record the details for general perusal. I've decided such wastage is just silly, so I added a new page which you can link to at the top of this blog or by clicking here.
The 'Ingredients to Avoid' page will continuously grow along with the 'Q&A' and 'Favourite Brands' pages as I check out new products and scrutinise their contents. If you have any queries, additions, corrections or general comments about this new page please let me know - feedback is essential to maintaining the integrity of this blog. You can email me at sarah@sarahfrascamakeup.com or just leave a comment.
I hope this provides you with a useful tool for making your cosmetics choices.
The 'Ingredients to Avoid' page will continuously grow along with the 'Q&A' and 'Favourite Brands' pages as I check out new products and scrutinise their contents. If you have any queries, additions, corrections or general comments about this new page please let me know - feedback is essential to maintaining the integrity of this blog. You can email me at sarah@sarahfrascamakeup.com or just leave a comment.
I hope this provides you with a useful tool for making your cosmetics choices.
Wednesday, 16 March 2011
Addendum to Serge Lutens post
Clarification is required, as I have received queries and it is important to be transparent here.
My previous post about Serge Lutens may have wrongly given the impression that I am promoting his perfume and the company Shiseido. This was not my intention. I simply wanted to introduce everyone to Serge as an artist.
Shiseido does test its products on animals and for that reason I do not recommend this brand or any of its subsidiaries - including Serge Lutens' fragrances - on this blog. Hopefully one day the situation will change and Shiseido will start using more advanced, animal-friendly technologies in the production of its cosmetics.
My previous post about Serge Lutens may have wrongly given the impression that I am promoting his perfume and the company Shiseido. This was not my intention. I simply wanted to introduce everyone to Serge as an artist.
Shiseido does test its products on animals and for that reason I do not recommend this brand or any of its subsidiaries - including Serge Lutens' fragrances - on this blog. Hopefully one day the situation will change and Shiseido will start using more advanced, animal-friendly technologies in the production of its cosmetics.
Monday, 14 March 2011
An Introduction to the Genius that is Serge Lutens
Surprisingly a lot of people do not know about Serge Lutens. I didn’t know of him until about two years ago, and it was a backward discovery. I first saw images of exquisite makeup done by Kabuki, a legendary makeup artist who emulated Lutens in a shoot for the jewellery designer Majo Fruithof. Not realising that they were re-interpretations of an earlier original I went on a manic google search for more such work, which led inevitably to the genius that is Serge.
At first I assumed that Serge Lutens was a makeup artist, but I soon discovered that he is so much more. He is one of those rare, obscenely talented individuals that has creativity pulsing through his veins; who bleeds creativity into the world around him. Now, Lutens is known mainly as the greatest perfumier alive, but he started out as a hair stylist and photographer. He also created a makeup for Dior, Vogue and Shiseido and it was at Shiseido that he started conjuring fragrances.
Lutens's visual style is very particular and immediately identifiable. He styled all his own perfume advertisements, and created his signature look by applying the makeup himself to his self-selected model muses. His look is always very pale, with strong Asian lines, meticulous finishing and an exotic edge reflecting his passion for heady, other-worldly scents.
Shiseido owns the Lutens brand, and has given him free reign over his fragrances to the extent that he launched the Shiseido Les Salons du Palais Royal in Paris in 1992, dedicated solely to his perfumes. There he painstakingly crafts new scent combinations year-on-year and now has more than 60 fragrances to his name.
Les Salon du Palais Royal - Shiseido
Parfume boutique of Serge Lutens
Inevitably Lutens' unmistakable style has infiltrated and inspired the world of fashion and art. His visual work has been imitated and emulated time and again, and arguably none has utilised this inspiration better than the makeup artist Kabuki. The images below are of original Lutens designs and of the Kabuki re-interpretations created to promote the jewelery of Majo Fruithof. Although the poses and ideas are almost identical, Kabuki has managed to make the look even more refined and contemporary. It takes a true artist to imitate such beauty without making it look like an easy rip-off. Along with Serge Lutens, Kabuki provides me with much inspiration on a daily basis and I always return to his work when I need to kick-start my creativity.
Original Serge Lutens
Kabuki Makeup for Majo Fruithof
Original Serge Lutens
Kabuki Makeup for Majo Fruithof
I would recommend looking at Kabuki's website - the collection of his work is intimidating and marvellous! Click on the image below of one of his Vogue covers to like directly to his site (http://www.kabukimagic.com/):
Kabuki makeup for Vogue
I would also highly recommend watching this wonderful series of videos for Shiseido makeup styled by Serge Lutens. They are truly one-of-a-kind and exquisite beyond words. They also make one appreciate just what perfection can be achieved without HD, photoshop and airbrushing!
Click image for link to videos
styled by Lutens for Shiseido
I hope this has supplied your inspiration fix for the week! Enjoy!
Thursday, 10 March 2011
Drumroll please for an amazing, HOT new makeup brand!
I’ve been keeping this brand under wraps for a while now, because I really wanted to put it to the test on something spectacular. So many different elements need to come together and work to make an awesome image – photographer, model, styling, makeup and hair, mood and a little bit of luck! I was finally in a situation where all these essentials were fused together seamlessly and so I decided it was time to bring out the big guns!
Christopher Drummond. POW! Airbrush in a powder. It takes just five grains (ok maybe ten!) to do the whole face. I’m being hyperbolic because I want to emphasise how magical this product is. Christopher Drummond has created a line of exquisite, organic, natural, cruelty-free cosmetics that are so refined and specialised that they do half the work for you. He has a particularly excellent mineral foundation and corrective powder range for darker skins.
One thing that really impresses me about his brand is that everything is so meticulously researched. Every ingredient is analysed in depth on his blog, which I would highly recommend you check out (click here). You can also click this link to see a comprehensive list of the ingredients in each of his products. Prominent ingredients include loads of essential oils and açai oil – the most powerful antioxidant that exists in nature. You can also read up on his blog about what is in more traditional mineral makeup and why it is bad for you (titanium dioxide, zinc oxide and bismuth oxychloride).
So I tested out the Veludo Velvet Foundation, Concealer, Finale Finishing Powder and the fantastic Saude Pele radiance booster on my gorgeous model Karen. Just out of interest I applied the foundation to one side of her face first and took a step back – there were gasps from people in the room. Half of her face looked photoshopped, and I had used such a tiny amount of product that it hardly coloured the brush. I excitedly buffed the rest of her face, concealed where necessary, powdered in a neutral tone and very sparingly dusted some Saude Pele on her forehead, cheekbones, nose and chin. After 10 minutes maximum, she was transformed into a photographer’s post-production dream. Everyone unanimously agreed that she looked flawless and radiant and that my magical little sample pots contained miracle-powder (you can buy all the face products in tester sizes, which is really handy for travelling and since you use so little, they last for ages).
I have to make specific mention of the Christopher Drummond Concealer because it is without a doubt the most effective concealer I have ever used. It is packed with nutritious ingredients that feed your skin and is super-gentle. The texture of the concealer is deliciously creamy and the result is full cover of dark circles, discolouration, spots and blemishes with hardly any effort.
I built up the rest of the look using Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics iron oxide and lip tar and Barry M pigments. I secured the headpiece with s tiny bit of eyelash glue and applied some killer nails. After rubbing generous amounts of cocoa butter to her upper-body I blended some Christopher Drummond Veludo velvet Foundation on her décolleté to even out the skin tone.
My original idea was to create an inverse version of a photo created to advertise jewellery by Majo Fruithof (I’ve included the picture below) and executed by the incredible makeup artist Kabuki (www.kabukimagic.com). Karen was the most disciplined model I’ve ever worked with, able to change poses as fast as required or stay as still as a praying mantis for ages. The best image (below) was actually a very long exposure and she just did not move at all! And because there was some time left at the end I whipped of the headpiece, did some adjusting, painted her head orangy-gold and we managed to get some fabulous Grace Jones inspired shots too!
Our photographer and provider of awesome studio, grub, drinks and laughs was Paul Baichoo, assisted by the ever-wonderful Karolina Maria Renor. Lighting and giggles were provided by Mr Ankit Love who did some killer moves to get those lights just right (quite challenging with all the reflective materials on the headpiece).
Here are the results:
Here are the results:
The original inspiration:
Makeup by Kabuki for
Majo Fruithof
You can buy Christopher Drummond at Just Beauty Direct
Tuesday, 1 March 2011
The C-word
There is a subject I have been avoiding guys, and it has to be dealt with whether I like it or not. Even amidst the hubbub of Saturday’s runway preparations, every time I reached for something red – be it lipstick, shadow or blush – I had this niggling discomfort in the back of my mind. If you have been reading my blog you will know what is coming next…
Carmine. It’s the red in almost everything red, purple, pink or orange that exists in makeup (and lots of other household and foody things), and it’s made from crushed beetles (for my full freak-out on discovering this see here). I’ve been mulling it over for a while now, trying to decide which direction to go in. Really, I have three choices:
a) ignore it;
b) ban all brands that use carmine from my kit; or
c) find a middle-ground.
I’m not much of a middle-ground kind of person – it grates me – but in this case I’m thinking this would be most beneficial for me and for everyone else who is debating these issues. Let me expand on my thoughts:
In a recent email response from the British Union Against Vivisection (see here), they made the point that being so limiting on the products they do recommend to customers concerned about animal cruelty would probably disillusion people and make it less likely that they would continue seeking cruelty-free alternatives. I know the BUAV have a valid point, because even I fell into a serious depression after finding out that most of my favourite cruelty-free brands indeed do contain carmine. I was at a loss, and had momentary radical thoughts of throwing it all in and becoming a regular consumer once again. So, I can totally understand this perspective.
Also, it is better to embrace brands that that are making an active and sincere contribution to ending animal testing by not using animal tested ingredients and by donating part of their profits to research into alternatives. If they use carmine, then it is something that should also be discussed, as it is clearly a big issue and it seems the alternatives are not quite as effective, or easily available. This is just my supposition though – for all I know carmine is another one of those money-making industries; just like vivisection (I will do more research into this).
I’m going to go on a fact-finding mission to see what vegan companies use to make their reddest reds and get some opinions from them. This is an ongoing project, so keep your eyes peeled for updates.
In the meantime, personally I have made a decision about what I will and will not use: I will use brands that use carmine but that are otherwise cruelty-free; however, I will not buy the products that contain carmine. I will continue to buy only 100% carmine free products overall. That is my personal decision. (I will also footnote all brands I recommend that do contain carmine, for your reference, although I will never recommend an actual product that contains carmine. For example, I may recommend an Illamasqua clear lip gloss, but not a red lipstick).
I would love to know anyone’s thoughts on this subject. I think it is important to debate the issue and learn new things from one another. Hit me with it!
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