Tucked nonchalantly into a massive feature was a little sentence containing a huge piece of news: This year, Andreja Pejic will become one of the first transgender models to star in a major beauty campaign.

Tabloid in long-form, Anger details the scandals of Tinseltown’s very first stars (including Rudolph Valentino, Roscoe Arbuckle, and Clara Bow) against the backdrop of a city charged by rampant debauchery and high glamour.

Whereas Hollywood Babylon deals mostly with the era’s nightlife, the workday habits of early film stars were pretty wild too. For our purposes, it’s all about the prep. Hence a little history lesson today, particularly about how one might get ready for a period moving picture.

Early movies were shot on orthochromatic film, which was not sensitive to yellow-red wavelengths (so colors on that end of the spectrum became almost black). Blue and purple tones, in turn, showed up pale and whitish. The unfortunate on-screen effects of this were myriad—actors with ruddy skin looked dirty, and blue eyes would turn blank and spooky. The latter pitfall almost foiled the ambitions of eventual Academy Award winner Norma Shearer when she was told by D.W. Griffith, The Birth of a Nation director, that her eyes were “far too blue” to have any success in cinema.

In order to create an impactful (and hopefully, natural) look under such conditions in the 1910s and ’20s, most actors were tasked with applying their own makeup (A common press photo set-up was very Top Shelf-like and featured the starlet at her vanity.), and studios would distribute guides for proper use of color. Blue-toned greasepaint was applied as a foundation and contouring shade, while lips were painted yellow. In real life, actors must have looked truly bizarre when they arrived at the studio. Early greasepaint was texturally problematic. Since it was applied with a heavy hand, the surface layer would often crack when the actor’s expression changed (not great for a medium that relied so heavily on overly dramatic, silent expression). It could also be hazardous—as was in the case of Dolores Costello (Drew Barrymore’s paternal grandmother), whose complexion and career were both damaged beyond repair by early film makeup. In 1914, Max Factor, a wig and cosmetic shop owner in Los Angeles, developed a solution in the form of Flexible Greasepaint. After its invention, he became the most sought-after makeup artist in Hollywood and the leading figure in cosmetic development for the industry.

Factor’s personalized approach to makeup artistry cemented a few specific, studio-endorsed “looks.” For Clara Bow, he drew her sharply peaked cupid’s bow; Joan Crawford’s signature “smeared” lip (extending far beyond her natural line) assuaged the actress’ thin-lipped insecurities and was all thanks to Factor. Industry standards also required actors’ eyes to look deep-set and moody by shadowing them from lash line to socket, and eyebrows were drawn straight, bold, and very, very long (think Louise Brooks).

When orthochromatic film gave way to panchromatic in the 1920s, shiny hair and eyelids captured the glow of incandescent bulbs used on-set to great effect. Factor kept pace, developing specific light-refracting hair dyes to suit this technical shift—even sprinkling gold dust on to Marlene Dietrich’s wigs when asked. He couldn’t rest on his laurels for long though—Technicolor was on the horizon, and with it came a new set of cosmetic challenges.

A final note: In the early ‘30s, still riding the panchromatic “high shine” wave, Factor created a slick lip coat for his famous clients. The formula would go on to become commercially sold as “X-Rated,” the world’s very first lip gloss. Something I think we’re all still kind of into.

—Lauren Maas

The post Wes Anderson’s Adorable H&M Holiday Video Is a Must-See appeared first on lookonline.

As dumb luck would have it, I stumbled into the hair equivalent of an e-cigarette entirely by accident.

Tabloid in long-form, Anger details the scandals of Tinseltown’s very first stars (including Rudolph Valentino, Roscoe Arbuckle, and Clara Bow) against the backdrop of a city charged by rampant debauchery and high glamour.

Whereas Hollywood Babylon deals mostly with the era’s nightlife, the workday habits of early film stars were pretty wild too. For our purposes, it’s all about the prep. Hence a little history lesson today, particularly about how one might get ready for a period moving picture.

Early movies were shot on orthochromatic film, which was not sensitive to yellow-red wavelengths (so colors on that end of the spectrum became almost black). Blue and purple tones, in turn, showed up pale and whitish. The unfortunate on-screen effects of this were myriad—actors with ruddy skin looked dirty, and blue eyes would turn blank and spooky. The latter pitfall almost foiled the ambitions of eventual Academy Award winner Norma Shearer when she was told by D.W. Griffith, The Birth of a Nation director, that her eyes were “far too blue” to have any success in cinema.

In order to create an impactful (and hopefully, natural) look under such conditions in the 1910s and ’20s, most actors were tasked with applying their own makeup (A common press photo set-up was very Top Shelf-like and featured the starlet at her vanity.), and studios would distribute guides for proper use of color. Blue-toned greasepaint was applied as a foundation and contouring shade, while lips were painted yellow. In real life, actors must have looked truly bizarre when they arrived at the studio. Early greasepaint was texturally problematic. Since it was applied with a heavy hand, the surface layer would often crack when the actor’s expression changed (not great for a medium that relied so heavily on overly dramatic, silent expression). It could also be hazardous—as was in the case of Dolores Costello (Drew Barrymore’s paternal grandmother), whose complexion and career were both damaged beyond repair by early film makeup. In 1914, Max Factor, a wig and cosmetic shop owner in Los Angeles, developed a solution in the form of Flexible Greasepaint. After its invention, he became the most sought-after makeup artist in Hollywood and the leading figure in cosmetic development for the industry.

Factor’s personalized approach to makeup artistry cemented a few specific, studio-endorsed “looks.” For Clara Bow, he drew her sharply peaked cupid’s bow; Joan Crawford’s signature “smeared” lip (extending far beyond her natural line) assuaged the actress’ thin-lipped insecurities and was all thanks to Factor. Industry standards also required actors’ eyes to look deep-set and moody by shadowing them from lash line to socket, and eyebrows were drawn straight, bold, and very, very long (think Louise Brooks).

When orthochromatic film gave way to panchromatic in the 1920s, shiny hair and eyelids captured the glow of incandescent bulbs used on-set to great effect. Factor kept pace, developing specific light-refracting hair dyes to suit this technical shift—even sprinkling gold dust on to Marlene Dietrich’s wigs when asked. He couldn’t rest on his laurels for long though—Technicolor was on the horizon, and with it came a new set of cosmetic challenges.

A final note: In the early ‘30s, still riding the panchromatic “high shine” wave, Factor created a slick lip coat for his famous clients. The formula would go on to become commercially sold as “X-Rated,” the world’s very first lip gloss. Something I think we’re all still kind of into.

—Lauren Maas

The post Where Rosie Huntington-Whiteley Gets Fast Outfit Ideas appeared first on lookonline.

Here’s a fun thing to do: Buy a whole basket full of drugstore mascaras, dump them on a table, and stare at them through a kaleidoscope.

For one, the packaging is crazy—like an explosion at the neon plastic factory, resulting in a bunch of really great, tactile pieces you can’t stop picking up and dropping in your purse. That’s at least half the fun. The other half of the fun? Being able to afford three different tubes for three different lash looks (which, quite frankly, are just as good as what you’ll find at a department store makeup counter) that you can pull out at will. Many applications later, here’s what’s worth your time—”just OK” contenders weeded out—no matter what lash type you’re looking to suit. (But just in case we missed any or some new “technological breakthrough” in mascara came out today, please drop us a line below.)

Best for short lashes: Physicians Formula Organic Wear 100% Natural Origin Mascara
The marriage of the rubberized bristles on a thicker, football-shaped wand makes it easier to reach all lashes, no matter how flat they might seem. Good for making the most of what you’ve got and also for not irritating eyes if they tend toward sensitivity.

Good for your run-of-the-mill, average lashes: Covergirl Lashblast Clump Crusher
It’s all in the name—the classic, squishy, plastic bristles of the Covergirl Lashblast line in tandem with a slightly curved wand design makes the formula go on effortlessly and, quite truly, sans clumping. The formula is not goopy, rather light but goes on dark and coats your lashes evenly and, because of the aforementioned wand, leaves you with full-looking, feathery lashes.

You’ve got length, but you want curl: Maybelline Volum’ Express The Colossal Washable Mascara
Maybelline could provide answers for each and every category here as their offerings are the most widespread and universally pleasing, but the thick yellow tube has so much going for it, it can’t be willfully ignored. The brush is along the lines of your classic bristle varietal but with a little more heft, and the product distributes in a way best described as feathery.

Sparse lashes looking for company: L’Oréal Voluminous Butterfly Mascara
This brush is the most technological of the bunch (but sans battery-powered, eye-endangering vibrational ability). It’s an architectural work of art—there’s so many bristle types and twists and turns. It’s a fiber mascara, meaning the formula coats your lashes without tubing or looking false. In fact, the little fibers are so tiny, you cant even see them even when they stretch your lashes out farther than you’d expect.

Best for lashes dealing with decision fatigue: NYX Provocateur
This tube is from NYX’s Boudoir Mascara Collection, which as you can imagine is designed in mind to give you bedroom eyes. It gives you two lash options from a single mascara brush. Pull out Level One for gloopier, heavier lashes, or use Level Two, which really just involves pulling that same brush through a tube that cleans a lot of excess product off (saving you the trouble of wiping on the mouth of the tube and making a mess), to help separate lashes. The effect is certainly woodland-animal fantasy lashes that don’t flake off or irritate your eyes. Plus, it only comes in one shade, saving you from making one more decision while standing in the makeup aisle.

The post How To Look Absolutely Fabulous Sans Fillers, Botox appeared first on lookonline.

I was going through a bit of a difficult time and my grandmother thought she was putting me in etiquette school…she obviously didn’t read the fine print.

Horrific, but the best thing that came out of it was that a scout came one day and told me about modeling. He said, ‘You’re going to be a supermodel.’ I was like, ‘I’m sorry, but what’s a supermodel?’ I wasn’t into fashion. I was into music and Goth girls at the mall. He showed me Vogue, and I had never seen women like that. I had no idea of that level of beauty. That was the beginning. I dedicated my whole life to understanding fashion from then on. I looked it all very specifically—What is the light? How are they creating that light in their eye when it sparkles? How do they get those cheekbones? I don’t have prominent cheekbones—how do I make it look like I have them? What do I even look like? I’m not the type of model that’s like, ‘Just throw me in front of the camera.’ I have to work. It’ a job.

Tonight I’m going to the Save Venice Masked Ball. I’m very glamorous when I go out at

night because that’s when you get photographed in New York. So I like to create a character at night—it’s like I’m born again. I become this vampy, glamorous thing. That’s not how I am in the rest of my life at all. If I have any inspiration tonight, it’s Dita Von Teese. I’m wearing all Giorgio Armani tonight—I’m a big fan of his. When I tried this dress on, I was in a comfortable-yet-romantic mood. It’s not my usual—I usually wear a major gown and crazy things. At the same time, I like to feel comfortable. If I could wear sweatpants, I’d wear a sweatpants dress. Because I have to wear a mask, I’m thinking an extraordinarily strong cat eye would be good. With that, it’s nice to do a burgundy—what I like to call ‘fuck off’—lip.

I have this lip trick—I have these exfoliating witch hazel pads, and I do like a real scrub with them on my lips. I go inside the mouth, which brings blood forth to the lips, and if you’re doing a natural lip, you don’t even need any color with this. You look like you just had Botox, which I won’t do. But if I need bigger lips immediately, for a shoot or something, I can do this, and it really works. I also like using Neosporin instead of lip balm on my lips. I like my lips to glide.

I have Emi Kaneko doing my makeup tonight. From working in fashion, I feel like I can fake a good lip and a good eye myself, but I have not perfected unbelievable skin like she can do for me. It’s very hard to get the shine in the right spot and the contouring right, especially when your dress will change the texture of your skin. Shiny skin on a shiny dress is a big, sweaty mess. Whether you’re sweaty or not, you will look like a sweaty mess.

“Dekker is playing with maximum efficiency and extreme confidence.”

So tonight we’re using Lancôme Visionnaire Advanced Skin Corrector that makes everything smooth and erases the look of pores when you put foundation on. It makes your skin look great. Then, over that, she used Tom Ford Traceless Perfecting Foundation. Mostly it’s the shade 05 Natural, but I like to mix a little bit of 04 Beige in because it’s not like my face is one dimensional. My makeup artist says it builds depth that way. Around my nose, it’s a little red, so she uses a slightly different color for more olive skin to cancel it out.

Around my nose, it’s a little red, so she uses a slightly different color for more olive skin to cancel it out. When I don’t have a makeup artist doing my makeup, I love using Giorgio Armani’s Luminous Silk Foundation, Chanel Vitalumière Aqua, and Laura Mercier Silk Crème Foundation. Those are my go-tos for night, usually.On my brows, I love using Lancôme Hypnôse Mascara. I darken them with it—you can imagine how intense that it, and it keeps them in place like a gel. Funnily enough, I don’t like mascara on lashes so much. I like the eyelash-less look in a weird way… Maybe people on the street look at me like they’re scared, but I’m not scared. I look in the mirror and I’m like ‘That’s exactly how I want to be.’

Hair

I like the idea of experimental hair. One of my favorite looks I’ve ever done was for the Met Gala 2011. I went with Zac Posen and was wearing one of his dresses—I called it the spider web dress, and I asked for a spider web out of my hair. It was like a sci-fi ‘40s thing. I can scare people with my reference points—I sort of have to bring it back and be realistic. Like, OK we can sit here for 20 hours and do my hair, or we can be human beings about it.

Tonight I’m going for a nice, soft wave in the front that will come down over my eyebrow and roll in on the back to create this faux-bob. All the products are Oribe, but I also have a lot of Redken in my own collection. First my hairstylist, Leonardo Manetti, used the Maximista Thickening Spray, then the Grandiose Hair Plumping Mousse before blowing it out for a super-shiny texture. And then he finished it off with the Soft Lacquer Heat Styling Hair Spraysince this is a really sculptural look. I use Oribe all the time, but I just jump from product to product. I like to use it very thoroughly, and once I’m done with that, I’ll jump to another company.

The post When I was a teenager, I actually ended up in beauty school. appeared first on lookonline.

It’s hardly news that as a society, we are far too obsessed with youth, beauty, and perfection. Just consider all the plastic surgery and non invasive cosmetic procedures being performed on members of both sexes, (from the very young to very old), and even pets, in record numbers these days.

Whereas in many other cultures, the elderly are honored and revered, here in the U.S. that is hardly the case. Quite the opposite in fact. Beauty is generally (and mistakenly) measured by how youthful, unlined, unmarked, unflawed, and unwrinkled one is. And this doesn’t only apply to people, faces, and bodies. There is a national obsession for what is young, fresh, and new as those properties pertain to ‘things’.

As someone who has long appreciated and collected vintage clothing, accessories, and items for the home (years before it was considered ‘in’ and ‘acceptable’ to a wider audience) I must say that I’ve never minded little marks, dents, lines, flaws, scratches, and other ‘imperfections and have never considered them to be ‘negatives’.

Quite frankly, I have always looked upon the above character laden attributes (which happen to be the outward manifestations of aging) as something positive: a reminder of a well lived life with a captivating story, a romantic history, an interesting past, and in a world of mass produced sameness, proof of honesty and authenticity.

Of course, I realize that I am hardly alone and there many others who prefer, if not purposely seek out, well worn items. What I didn’t realize is that there is actually a name given to this practice. As I was thumbing through the Sumer 2007 edition of “Washington Spaces”, www.washingtonspaces.com (my sister’s family room was photographed in a 5 page spread), I came across an article, “The Way of Wabi-Sabi”, written by Kelli Rosen. Ms. Rosen references author and wabi-sabi expert Robyn Griggs Lawrence who penned, “The Wabi-Sabi House”.

Wabi-Sabi refers to the Japanese art of imperfect beauty (what’s old is new again). According to the article, it’s “all about honoring the beauty of the imperfections that occur with age- like scratches or decay- and revering the authenticity of items made by hand, rather than those mass produced by machinery, especially those ubiquitous pieces purposefully dented and sanded to resemble antiques”. And, as Ms. Rosen explains, “It’s all about letting go of the belief that imperfections are undesirable and instead accepting them as perhaps comfort food…”

While the term “wabi- sabi” is being used vis a vis home décor within the context of this article, it obviously has far reaching implications and can be applied to all facets of life as well as fashion. With fall fast approaching, that means new store windows, a dearth of ads for new merchandise, and of course, major fashion magazines will be coming out with their BIG fall issues.

While I’m hardly trying to dissuade you from buying retail, or buying in general, I simply want to suggest that there are options and I’d like to remind you that most of us buy too many unnecessary things. Should you find yourself being seduced by persuasive ads and editorials that suggest you ‘have to have’ that brand spanking new bag, pair of shoes, coat, etc.; or if you’re being ‘bullied’ into thinking that your older, time worn versions are not up to snuff, maybe you want to consider Ms. Rosen’s observation, “As for me, I’m learning that imperfection translates to character and every scratch, nick and dent tells a story, whether it’s from the artisan who handcrafted the piece or from my daughter who thought it would be fun to throw her sippy cup at the coffee table. Indeed, these are all stories worth telling…”

And by the way, you may want to relate the practice of “wabi-sabi” to aging (as it pertains to you). The next time you look in the mirror and see a few more lines and wrinkles than you’d like, simply consider that they are indeed telling a wonderful story. And remind yourself, “You’re not getting older…you’re getting better”!

-Marilyn Kirschner

The post “New and (not necessarily) Improved” appeared first on lookonline.

Am I the only one who noticed a faux pas in Friday’s Page Six of The New York Post? In Richard Johnson’s absence (it is stated he is “on vacation”), the widely popular column is being edited by Paula Froelich with contributions from Bill Hoffman and Corynne Steindler. In the column headed, “Sightings”, there was a blurb, “Italian designer Ralph Rucci, Dame Celia Lipton Farris and Town & Country publisher Pamela Fiori at the Palm Beach Historical Society soiree at Neiman Marcus Palm Beach”. I had a knee jerk reaction to labeling Ralph Rucci an “Italian designer”. The celebrated couturier is an American born (Philly to be exact) resident of New York who shows in both New York and Paris, and has a Soho atelier. His lineage may be proudly Italian, but to call him an ‘Italian designer’ is akin to beginning a sentence, “Jewish designer Ralph Lauren”.

And ironically upon reflection, what occurred to me was that I was hard pressed to think of another designer who would be as difficult to define by his lineage (or country of birth) as Ralph. As an avid world traveler and global aesthete, one who not only paints and sculpts but whose artistic and architectural collections routinely meld and pay homage to different cultures, he defines the term ‘citizen of the world’.

Speaking of labels…this Sunday was “T”, The New York Times’ Style Magazine’s Spring 2007 Beauty issue, which was called, “Budding Beauty”. Though it’s labeled as a beauty issue, it is yet another curious yet admittedly entertaining and informative hybrid filled not only with columns devoted to new trends in lip and nail color, how to deal with that trip to a hair salon, spa trends, and aging, but covers all areas of style: fashion, shopping, accessories, people.

And talk about from going from the sublime to the ridiculous… it’s all about shock value and the element of surprise. In addition to pretty people, fabulous jewels, and arresting photography, there is Josh Patner’s engaging back page story, “Celebrity Endorsement: How to be 96 and look like Kitty Carlisle Hart” in which she admits her lifelong love affair with Nivea; you can find out everything about feet that you wanted to know, “Pedicure Junction” tells you why feet smell if you care to know, and who are the most famous foot fetishists in history; as well as which new fragrances may work as aphrodisiacs.

In “Dirty Tricks”, Chandler Burr announced with obvious surprise, that Agent Provocateur does not smell like “unwashed panties” (his words not mine) but rather, “crushed raspberries and black plums on hot skin”, L’Autre smells like “piles of spices simmering in the hot African sun, dirt on the street, and a hint of body odor” (yum????), Rese 31 will remind you of a “hit of armpit from a hot young woman”, or “something you smell between your sheets”.

-Marilyn Kirschner

The post ‘Label’ Suit appeared first on lookonline.

Is ugly the ‘new’ pretty? Is chubby the new skinny? Along with ushering in a brand New Year, are we also ushering in a new standard for beauty? Not only has the year begun with more and more (quite deserved) attention being focused on the problem of unhealthy, unnatural, and life threatening skinniness (especially in terms of the fashion industry, emaciated models, and the way in which their impossible to achieve ‘look’ influences and impacts on the public who looks up to them and seeks to emulate them). But perhaps we are ushering in a new, far more forgiving aesthetic that will have far reaching impact.

Not only is the fashion world being pressured to rethink their aesthetic in terms of body weight, but following the recent Golden Globe Awards and the crowning of ‘Ugly Betty’ and its star America Ferrara, much has made of the fact that ‘Ugly’ is the new ‘Pretty’. A recent ABC News article that appeared online, “America Ferrera Makes ‘Ugly’ Beautiful”, observed, “America Ferrera has made it cool to be “ugly.” The Golden Globe-nominated actress has won fans and accolades for her role in the hit ABC show “Ugly Betty.” She recently told ABC News’ Robin Roberts that she couldn’t be happier about her Golden Globe nomination for best actress and for best show.

“We’ve worked so hard, and now we can celebrate it together,” Ferrera said. “It is a wonderful cast and crew and show to be on. Everyone is so excited.” Though some people were appalled by the show’s title when it first came out, Ferrera’s confident that viewers now get the message that “ugly” isn’t meant to insult.

“I think we knew the title would be a little jarring. But once you see it, then you know,” she said. “You get it. You know there’s irony in the title and it’s a commentary on the definition of what ugly and beautiful is.”

That said, no title was ironic and more ‘right on’ in terms of acting as a commentary on the definition of what ugly and beautiful is, than “Model: The Ugly Business of Beautiful Women”, written by Michael Gross. But regardless, all of this new awareness and ongoing debate couldn’t have come at a more perfect time since New York Fashion Week and the international round of showings are approaching in the near future.

In fact, it seems that that the eyes of the world (especially the fashion world) will be more focused on and interested in the weight and health of the models than the fall 2007 offerings being proposed by designers. Of course, it should be pointed out that the fall winter season is not necessarily the best indicator of models’ body weight since the clothing is by very nature, covered up, layered, and quite forgiving, so protruding collarbones, bony knees, and rail thin arms are far easier to be hidden under wrap (literally). So the true test will really be in September, for the spring 2008 shows, when the models will be strutting their stuff (or lack thereof) in bikinis, short shorts, minis, and strapless dresses.

-Marilyn Kirschner

The post Beauty is as Beauty Does: The Changing Face (and body) of Fashion appeared first on lookonline.