Armani Launches for SS15 with Thoa Tran - II - Tips and Tricks

When you're watching a make-up artist at work who expresses personal knowledge about the things that "Mr Armani" likes and dislikes, you pay attention not only to the products that she is showcasing, but the gems of wisdom she casually drops into conversation. When you see her transform an, admittedly very pretty, girl into someone who could easily blend into the Giorgio Armani SS15 runway line-up in less than half an hour, you realise just how good she is. So, here are some tips, tricks, trends and titbits that Thoa Tran let us in on at the new launches event a few weeks back.

1. Want to look like an Armani girl? Ditch the winged liner. I know, I know. A difficult thing to process. Seemingly impossible to let go of. But Mr Armani prefers a straight line. So, now you know.

2. Speaking of straight lines, that's the brow shape that's going to be all over the place. Apparently Victoria Beckham has been in the process of growing hers like that for years. And they're Armani-approved.

3. Now that we're on the topic of brows...want to enhance yours? When using powders or gels to fill in your brows, first apply the product against the growth. This way the hairs will pick up the product better and look fuller.

4. The further boost the look, apply concealer all around the edges of the brows, defining them clearly.

5. P.S. Thick brows are back and bigger than before.

6. Armani is all about the glowing look. To look sun-kissed, glamorous and like you fit right in with the old Italian stalwart of style, ditch the blush and put the emphasis on good contouring instead.

7. The new launch, the Eye Tint, is multi-use and gorgeous. It is primarily a shadow but can be used as eyeliner in an awesome range of shades if applied with an angled eyeliner brush. And, number 12, also makes a mighty fine highlighter.

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Well, just wanted to share these little gems instead of leaving them hanging out and useless in my notebook! Any you'd try yourself?

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Daddy

My father turned fifty today and when these momentous moments happen to us or those around us, it tends to make us reflect. Of course, I thought on how lucky I am to have a father like him, on how much he has affected the world around him. But, as my blog is such a big part of my life, it gave me pause to consider the sartorial implications my dad has had on my life - as well as the many other ways he has enriched my life in general.

I owe a lot of my sense of style to both of my parents. They were only a little older than I am now when I was born, so for many of my formative years they were young, cool, still figuring everything out. We lived in France for six months during the first year of my life - when the people around them partied, Nirvana continued to take over the world and grunge style reigned supreme. Not only did this influence the bands I would later love but I also adopted my dad's formula of band tee and jeans - a classic. I've even commandeered some of the exact shirts he wore over the years. In fact, I've always robbed pieces from his wardrobe as well as my mother's; thanks to our similar aesthetics and his very slight frame in the nineties. We both have a fondness for striped tees, large overcoats and knitwear - especially a good aran jumper. And I have the same risk-taking approach to style that my dad has always had. His wardrobe sports leather jackets in an enviable and brave array of colours for small-town Ireland, a leather waistcoat I've stolen plenty of times and some of the only paisley pieces that I have time for.

Of course, as a father, and one of the most selfless people I know, Daddy rarely dwells on what he wears or spends lots of money on himself. But when he's not dressing himself in clothes for working outside, he displays a keen natural eye for shapes, colours and textures that work together and a preference for quality over quantity that I continue to try and emulate.

Me and Daddy - both in rather cool outfits.

Daddy lurking in the corner in a Metallica tee - the only shot of him in a band tee that I could find for some reason...

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Miss A

I love a good Idol group. They're packaged so well. Miss A are one of my current favourites. They're so cute (and hot)! There's a great versatility in how they dress/are dressed - ranging from adorable to quite risqué. And their videos are awesome. Love me some highly choreographed dance numbers.
This post is also a shout-out to Matthew who encouraged me to give Korea some bloggin' as well as Japan. And I'm glad I did.

last.fm

last.fm

last.fm

last.fm

AQ Entertainment

last.fm

Twin Peaks Inspiration/Excuse to Stare at the Girls

Current obsessions via Twin Peaks:

1). Beauty spots/marks - whatever you want to call them, the nineties loved 'em and Audrey's? So lovely. I actually have one in almost the same spot but it's much lighter in colour, more of a freckle really. I've always wished it were more like the below - it's wayyy sexier.

2. The Red lip on a super-fresh face - the girls of Twin Peaks all tended to have pretty natural make-up but then added a dash of red lipstick (in varying hues) that accentuated their perfect faces and brought out the colour of their eyes.

3. Big, side-swept nineties hair - The style in Twin Peaks is wonderfully, quintessentially nineties and their hair with the dramatic side-parting and big, bouncy volume is something I'll admit to being a sucker for (within reason - hair can be big but it should never be massive).

And don't even get me started on the plaids and kilts and James' biker jacket! Oh, and Audrey's old Hollywood kind of glamour. Such a stylish show. The mood of it, too, is very stylised and I love moody things lots.