Out and About: Nick Verreos attends the Necessary Baggage Lauch Party!!!

Downtown Los Angeles Loungin'...
Last week, to take a break from 12 hours of teaching and way-too-many-hours of draping-and-making-patterns-for-Grammy-dresses, I decided to venture out in my 'hood--Downtown Los Angeles, that is... My good friend Susie Im, PR DIVA for Bebe, invited me to a fun Launch Party for a new Men's Loungewear Line, Necessary Baggage. Boxer Models: Dan Glenn, Brett Washington, Andy Bowland, Jordan Koestner

PS: Love that name! She told me that there would be male models in underwear, cocktails, hors d'oeurvres and it would be a fab location. Done and done. Posing Buddies: Designer Angelo Estrada and Model Amanda Fields (in NIKOLAKI jacket)

I decided to "drag" my good friends, Project Runway Season 3 Model Amanda Fields (who is about to leave for New York for NY Fashion Week castings!) and designer Angelo Estrada--who graduated from my Alma Mater, the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising and had just returned from China. The Launch Party was held at the Crocker Club, a former Bank Vault turned supper club. Angelo had been there before and had told me that I had to "see it to believe it". The bar/nightclub has a strict "Dress Code" and you can best believe we adhered to it. In fact, I was sporting a bow tie, dress shirt and my YSL boots, Miss Amanda wore my NIKOLAKI "Edwardian" shawl-collared fitted jackets that we sold at Nordstrom. And Angelo, well, he was GIVING: Leather half-gloves, a long gray woolen scarf, blue-black pompadour hair and some FIERCE eyeglasses. Party Guests: Susie Im, Necessary Baggage Designers Carlos Martinez and Anthony Malzone (in ties), along with Nick Verreos, Kirin Bhatty, Amanda Fields and M the Movement

Angelo was right, by the way, the club has all these different rooms, semi-private booths and a "secret" area where the vault actually was. It was pretty cool (did I just say that?). All I kept thinking was "this would be a great location for a photoshoot!". The party was packed with guests who were enjoying the informal show of half-naked male models in stylish boxers. There whole "styling theme" seemed to be vibing a Bachelor Party that had occurred HOURS ago that had dissolved into a game of Strip Poker and they were all down to their skivvies! Necessary Baggage designers Anthony Malzone and Carlos Martinez with their "muses"

I think the guests all enjoyed it --whatever the "styling mood" was. There was even a sales room set up where guests could place orders and buy the latest from Necessary Baggage. It was a nice break from my non-stop work madness.

Valentines Makeup

This is my take on Valentine's makeup. It's pink and pretty, but still defined and smokey. I wanted to keep it light and girlie, but still make an impact.

 

 

What is your idea of Valentine's makeup? Do you guys have any ideas for Valentine's Day tuts? xxx

Watch TV Guide's Grammy Awards Fashion Wrap w/ Carrie Ann Inaba and Nick Verreos! TONIGHT!!

Don't forget to watch me TONIGHT on TV Guide's Grammy Awards Fashion Wrap hosted by Carrie Ann Inaba. We'll, of course, be discussing all the BEST and WORST Dressed of the night and Miss Carrie Ann will be wearing yet another NIKOLAKI dress!!!

Tune in at 8pm/7c TVGN!

Yes, IMATS

As some of you know I was at IMATS on Saturday. It was my first time at such a show and I'm glad I went, but I have mixed feelings about it.

First of all, the location. As lovely as Alexandra palace and its view is it is inconvenient for most people to get to because it is not in central London, and also quite a walk (as I discovered on that frozen morning) from the tube station. For the size of the exhibition the venue really did not have to be that big! Had a smaller space been rented no doubt the ticket price (about £40) would have been much reduced.

Which brings me on to my next point- the ticket price was far too high for what it promised- only entry. For example, a ticket to London fashion weekend last year was £40, which not only let you in to sample all the discounted stalls, but gave you seats in a fashion show and a goodie bag worth well over £100. Also, by the time I got there (about 9.30am) the queue to pick up pre-paid tickets was snaking all throughout the front entrance and it took a good half an hour of patience before we could be even allowed in.

By 10.00am all the stalls were extremely crowded and it was pretty much impossible to get in and view products (MUFE and Crown brushes in particular) and unfortunately many items had already sold out (less than half the colours of OCC lip tars were left). This leads me to wonder, since most people had pre-booked tickets (there was no queue for tickets on the door), the organisers must have been aware of how many people were attending, therefore setting up small stalls, where only about 3 people could safely swatch, seems counterintuitive. 

The show did offer some amazing discounts (35% off MUFE) and brands that are not normally available in the UK. I didn't pick up too many things partly because I had planned on being strict with my money, and partly because at most stalls no cards were accepted so you had to either pay with cash (and yes, you guessed it, the queue for the sole cash machine was enormous) or have your card details written down and billed later. I gave in and paid by this method at OCC because I was desperate to get at least a couple of lip tars, though most of the colours I wanted had sold out. I also purchased a couple of brushes from Crown, a back-up of my favourite MUFE HD foundation, some of their full cover concealer and smoky lash mascara as well as a few eyelashes and a Z-pallette. 

One of the highlights of the day was meeting Koren of EnKore makeup. He is as lovely and bubbly in real life as he is in his videos! I am only sad that I couldn't go back on Sunday to watch his talk on naked pigments with his beautiful model- ooglemakeup!

I also really enjoyed all the creative work on exhibition and it was fun to watch the works progressing throughout the morning.

 

 

However, with an early start, a long walk in the freezing cold, a grumpy bf who needed feeding, and after having to fight to the front of every stall I didn't last very long. I wish I had taken advantage of everything on offer, but because it was so busy I didn't feel I could look at everything I wanted to. I'm not really one for big crowds, and prefer to browse in my own time. Although this post seems a little negative I really did enjoy my time at IMATS and would recommend it to any makeup junkie. I just wish I had been more prepared and arrived earlier with cash in hand ;).

Did you visit IMATS this weekend? What did you think? Would you recommend it to a friend and would you go again? I would love to know what you guys thought! xx

My thoughts on my new Ruby & Millie Foundation Brush

Ok, so a few people had asked me to let them know how I got on with my new foundation brush since I’m new to the whole thing (I love the way that even after 13 years of using makeup, I’m still learning new things about technique and application). I have always applied foundation with my fingers, following the advice of many that the warmth of your hands helps to blend the foundation into the skin. I have been quite happy with this method…until now. NOW I know what everyone has been banging on about all this time when it comes to foundation brushes.


I just dotted foundation on my forehead, cheeks, end of nose and chin (not much more than what I would normally use so not much wastage) and blended it outwards with the brush (note – brush was dry not damp). The first thing I noticed was that it takes more time to apply the product this way than just with your fingers BUT I have to say that the results were a lot better than I was expecting. My skin looked immaculately smooth, flawless and almost airbrushed! The biggest difference was that although this method offers good coverage, it didn’t look heavy in any way which is the holy grail when it comes to makeup. You can see the texture of your skin through the makeup so the result is a lot more natural and somehow more ‘professional’. I will be trying it with different foundations this week and see if the result varies but for your info, I was using Revlon Colorstay today. I want to try the brush with a lighter formula foundation to see if the result is the same but I think if it can blend Revlon CS then it can blend anything!

I would imagine it would be easier to build up even coverage using a brush rather than your fingers as there’s less chance of applying too much. Now being that this is the first time I have used a foundation brush, I don’t know if I have somehow stumbled upon the most fantastic brush OR if all foundation brushes give this effect? I saw a comment from someone on MakeUpAlley that this Ruby & Millie one is a lot better than the MAC 190 (the brush also got an overall 5/5 mark on that website!). I am waiting on a MAC order at the moment so I will do a compare and contrast when I receive the 190. I also noticed that Ruby & Millie makeup brushes have just been voted ‘Best Inexpensive Makeup Brush Line of 2009’ in InStyle magazine (although saying that, I also noticed that some of the products they were recommending, I have tried and I don’t rate them so you never know with these beauty awards in magazines!).

The brush didn’t shed any fibres (they are synthetic) and the tapered end blends so well, it’s also small enough to get into all the contours of your face. The brush itself is soft on the skin and non scratchy but firm enough to do a really good job of working the foundation in. I gave it a wash after using it to make sure there wasn’t any shedding at this stage and good news, there was no loss of fibres and it can be easily reshaped when damp.

I think this brush is brilliant value for £11 and it really adds a polished look to my makeup that I have never been able to achieve with anything else. I can’t believe I only just cottoned on to this now! It’s true what they say…you learn something new every day! I can imagine that some people may not like this method as it takes a bit more time and care in the morning but in my personal opinion, I am more than willing to spend an extra 5 minutes when the results are this good. I think I would find it difficult to go back to using my fingers now.

2010 Grammy Awards Red Carpet Fashion: Who Wore What? Fergie

Fergie in Emilio Pucci Spring 2010

When Fergie first stepped onto the 2010 Grammys Red Carpet, my first intuition was to say "Oh Dear". However, after a sip of my red wine, this mini Royal Blue and Gold number from designer Peter Dundas' "sizzling sexy Spring collection" for the House of Emilio Pucci, grew on me. I really loved this collection, which was full of micro-short dresses and wonderfully chic separates all the supermodels would love. And now, also, all the "Super Singers" like Miss Fergie. The gold padded detail was a bit "space-age-y" but hey, compared to what Lady Gaga wore, this is very "down-to-Earth" kiddies.

2010 Grammy Awards Red Carpet Fashion: Who Wore What? Katy Perry

Katy Perry in Zac Posen Spring 2010

I heard that Katy Perry was trying to "vibe" India with this gown because of how "moved" she was on a recent trip there with her fiancee, I-Love-Chest-Hair Russell Brand. Unfortunately, I just don't think she ever made it NEAR the Indian Subcontinent in this gown. Maybe a little past ARTESIA! If she really wanted to "vibe" India she should have taken a look at the Givenchy Fall 2009 Haute Couture Collection. I can find 10 AMAZING looks for her in in that collection.

The stretch nude jersey and the gold "pasties" strewn throughout just made the gown more suitable for Cher circa 1986 as opposed to Katy in 2010. Now if she said "Bob Mackie" made this, I would have at the very least given her some "old school" "Nick V Points". For sure!

2010 Grammy Awards Red Carpet Fashion: Who Wore What? Ciara

Ciara in Givenchy Spring 2010 Haute Couture

Ciara Ciara Ciara. Why huney? I could not understand why she did this to herself. I went back and took a look at this collection by much-buzzed-about designer Riccardo Tisci--which just debuted less than a week ago!!! And darlings, there were SO MANY other G-G-GORGEOUS looks from it that it even made me more dumbfounded that she chose this one! I really hope her stylist got a nice check under the table from the esteemed House of Givenchy...or Ciara is starring in their upcoming ad campaign. There's got to be a reason. Unlike Rihanna's and Beyonce's red carpet Couture pieces seen in my previous posts, this one should have stayed on the runway and gone straight to the Archives.

2010 Grammy Awards Red Carpet Fashion: Who Wore What? Beyonce

Beyonce in Stephane Rolland Fall 2009 Haute Couture

Just like with Rihanna, I experienced one of my "I've seen that Gown somewhere before..." feelings when I saw Beyonce walk the red carpet this evening at the 2010 Grammy Awards. And yes, of course I have, it was from one of my favorite Haute Couture Collections last year, Stephane Rolland. The detail work on this gown is incredible. Love the sleeves and the plunging neckline and the soft Tulip silhouette.

2010 Grammy Awards Red Carpet Fashion: Who Wore What? Jennifer Lopez

Jennifer Lopez in Versace Spring 2010

Oh Miss JLo. You just gotta give her points...Attagirl Points. Somehow the gown on the right didn't translate so well on the woman who wore it on the left. Why does this gown--on Jennifer Lopez--make her look like she's going to a Prom in New Jersey? She just hasn't met a high-slit and a 6 inch Platform she didn't like...

2010 Grammy Awards Red Carpet Fashion: Who Wore What? Rihanna

Rihanna in Elie Saab Haute Couture Fall 2009, the "All White Collection".

This gown also happens to be from the same "All White" Elie Saab collection in which French actress Marion Cotillard's SAG Awards dress came from. Being a "fashion guy", I always love it when I see somebody wear one of the major pieces from collections that I've only seen in photos and/or runway videos--and then usually gets put back into the designer's Archival closets.

There's always this feeling I get when I see gowns like this and scream at the TV: "OMG, they did not just wear THAT dress from that such-and-such Haute Couture Collection...I'm so excited!!". With that being said, not everyone can actually pull off wearing such statement-making, usually runway-only pieces. These collections are not for everybody. But... Rihanna can pull it off, and did!

Something NEW, Something OLD, Something Ancient!!

Hope everyone had a great weekend n' decided which gift you want for Valentine's already!!!! :) I know, best yet, you already got it!!!! ^O^

I found some pretty high fashion pictures over the weekend and my friend, Cathy, also shared some cool ones w/ me. So here they are!!


Cathy loved that pair of Omelle cut-out heels worn on the model!!

High fashion + exquisite furniture (That's a lamp) = aesthetic pleasure!!!

I can totally copy the look of patterned purple tights + Christian Louboutin cut-out fringe heels w/ my Daddy Long legs floral hosiery. 

They are considered past season styles but isn't it just like when we review the past, we also step into the future!!  :) 

 

I think I am going to try the look w/ tights for this heels in the future. 

This is current Ferragamo 2010.  Confusingly, I found a picture and there is a man's pants which looks just like that from 2008 fashion magazine.

Ferragamo 2010 Runway

2008 New York "STREET" magazine

That's Miss Sixty 2010 s/s new jeans.
Same style w/ that BAT-like details. 
 

Today

My ODJ.

1. Top: 

• J Crew yellow-mustard-green turtle neck 
• DKNY scarf cardigan

2. Bottom: Diesel white jeans

3. Accessory: 

Louis Vuitton 06' LTD perle vernis tote

Louis Vuitton 08' red heart coin purse

Max & Co. brown oversize buckle belt

4. Shoes: Jimmy Choo snake skin boots


That's my tradition to carry that red heart coin purse on Valentine's!! :)

Now we step into ancient (not literally)..... the 80' Escada drape cardigan!!
I found it at a second hand shop. 

It states: Made in West Germany by SRB....which I have no idea what's SRB?

It is blended w/ superkid mohair, wool, n' alpaka which makes it super warm when wearing.



Love the detail patterns, ribbon piping and it is such a classic piece. 

I love this cardigan so much that I have been wearing it around n' outside the house this whole week. DH feels it a little creepy .......... oh, well...... :P

Ok, time for some good movies!! 

NOTE: Do buy a Valentine's cards .... whether it be for your hubby, BF, or even friends, wouldn't everyone love an old fashion way of greeting!!

See you!!!