Out and About: Yves Rocher Trinoma
Any girl would want to live in French botanical brand Yves Rocher’s store. I’ll be writing about my visit and all my favorite products as soon as I finish my academic papers. In the meantime, lust over these affordable shower gels and lotions. The photo also gives you an idea on their price points, so run to their newest branch in Trinoma now. :)
(c) Fashion Firewoman
Figure Styling: Trunk Show’s Latest Shoes
Trunk Show played with current prints and texture with their new selection of shoes. Go high and wild this summer with comfortable heels in animal prints and be edgy-prissy with chunky heels in lace.
HIGH AND WILD
If you’re looking for comfortable heels, Trunk Show is your best bet. Trendy designs are now made affordable and even more wearable. A cut of textured animal print already adds a lot of oomph to your outfit. The bearable height is just the cherry on top.
EDGY-PRISSY
Personally, this is the style I’m trying to pull off. I recently balanced out my prissiness by getting a very unexpected hair length courtesy of Studio Zen. Incorporate swag into your girly wardrobe by wearing platforms in lace and printed ballet flats.
(c) Fashion Firewoman
Fashion 101: Over-manipulated magazine covers?
What constitutes a good cover girl? Based from my over-a-decade-old magazine collection, she has to be attractive. She doesn’t necessarily have to be pretty because everything can be enhanced with a swish of a brush. We’re lucky that over the years, not only have local magazines aided in the evolution of society’s common viewpoint for beauty, they also paved the way for non-model cover girls. Reviewing international fashion history, Anna Wintour made it okay for celebrities and non-zero body sizes to grace the cover of American Vogue. Who dares cross the most influential fashion magazine?
Our local leading fashion magazines started the year with controversial covers featuring very powerful women. International hit-maker Charice and pound-for-pound Manny Pacquiao’s first lady Jinkee grace the covers of Preview and Mega respectively. In the moment and well talked about, yes and yes. Emphasized cheekbones, noseline, jawline— check, check, check. The 2 magazines have been around for quite some time now. Both magazines continuously outwit each other when it comes to coming up with good editorials and features which is beneficial for us because we only get the best in each issue we bank on. They’ve created bonds with a lot of women; I’m pretty sure they know the standards for print manipulation.
I’m not quite sure why people are making a big fuss over the “Photoshopped” covers. Everyone does it, and I don’t see the overuse of the application in either of the photos. Sure, I didn’t recognize Jinkee right away but isn’t that how magazine covers almost always are? Sometimes I think people tend to overanalyze things especially when they’re not adept to a certain topic, just to have a “say”. Before you succumb to Twitter trends, it would be best to consider the following:
Photographer. Let’s not fully rely on Photoshop. Isn’t it possible that the photographers were well-trained? Think mad skills, man.
Lighting. Lighting is a big part of shoots. Strong light makes skin look flawless. It should do work, because it’s not easy being under it! Reflectors alone can help a lot in removing those dark eye circles and blemishes.
Makeup artistry. I’m a makeup artist. I know how hard and tricky concealing blemishes can get without looking like a freezing corpse. Contouring takes a lot of mad skills, too. It takes practice and even formal education. Take it from model-MUA Bianca Valerio, author of Face to Face. The book cover alone is a testimony that makeup does so much.
This is coming from a point of view of a concerned 20-year old Multimedia Arts student who reads a fashion magazine like it’s Physics, and has worked for many photo shoots as a photographer, makeup artist, stylist and even as an over-photoshopped model.
(c) Fashion Firewoman
Yes, I understand that the change is pretty drastic and that my hair regularly elicits OMGs from people now but this is for real and it’s staying. My friends took a while before accepting that I’ve chopped all my messy jet black hair off. I had my hair cut short after I turned 18 in 2009 but I had it done gradually. I couldn’t bare the thought of not having enough messy hair to flip but I thought it would be a good change. And it was, for a time. Before I turn 21, I promised myself I will do a lot of things unexpected of me, one of which is getting this type of haircut.
Personally, I change my look every so often. I’ve been wanting to get my hair cut extremely short with ready pegs in my phone but never found time nor the guts to do so. Studio Zen made that happen with just a few snips while making the whole experience more interesting by an invigorating back massage. Their stylists knew what they were doing; I was very hesitant to get my hair chopped off mainly because stylists never get it right. This time, Tonette Tuazon (above) knew exactly what I wanted and deserved. I was persuaded to have it cut this short and dyed flawlessly. He wasn’t just amazing with the hair dyeing and snipping, he was also kind enough to walk me through a few ways I could style my hair. The staff were very meticulous about their own jobs. Services here are fit for a celebrity.
This is probably the most liberating part of my haircut because I had my hair tied to a ponytail then the stylist just cut it all off; the entire ponytail, gone. I do look like a little boy now, I must admit, but most of my friends say they like my new look. I owned the messy hair too much, so much that some of my blogger friends weren’t able to recognize me during Bloggers United! What do you think, is this a good makeover for me? I saw a few familiar faces there, too, like Patricia and Lissa and got the chance to meet a fellow writer from When In Manila, Nikka.
Transformation photo, just in case you can’t remember how long it used to be. *laughs*
Studio Zen – Complete Care Salon
2/F 325 Katipunan Ave., Quezon City
442-8004
0999-888-9907
Like them on Facebook
(c) Fashion Firewoman
It’s safe to start my S/S 2012 reviews with an awaited collection from Alexander McQueen. The late designer was known for his eccentricity that challenged conservative minds. That’s what’s good about a McQueen collection; you’re amazed during the show and you’re left wondering about each piece. Sarah Burton took over and did a revamp of the designer house based from her area of expertise, womenswear, which greatly translates in recent McQueen collections.
Just like last year’s show, the pieces are more wearable than during McQueen’s reign. This time, the colors are muted and the silhouettes aren’t as fun. It was the revenge of the ruffles, which was really feminine and strong at the same time. Nevertheless, Alexander McQueen as a brand really knows how to put on a good show.
(c) Fashion Firewoman
