Indonesian Fashion Spot!

I find that doing my nails is one of the most relaxing things I can do. In fact, that’s what I was doing on a lazy Saturday afternoon when the idea for this blog came up.

I had just bought my first bottle of Chanel nail polish, the Blue Satin. I’ve never had a Chanel polish before, so it took some experimenting before I nailed the most efficient way of applying the opaque blue liquid. I thought about the other polish brands I’ve used, and here’s what works for me in terms of polish application.

The brush vs the formula

The Chanel brush is thin and short, so with these type brush, I found that I need to have a completely wet brush to get good application. The Blue Satin is what I consider a medium thick formula liquid, so it does not drip, which makes it easier for me to take my time applying the polish. I found that one coat is sufficient for Blue Satin. I usually work on the toes first, then the left hand, and lastly the right hand. On the nail, I go from the extreme left of the nail towards the right if it’s the left hand/foot—I find that going the other way (the right of the nail to the left) increases the chance for smudging. Do the opposite (going from the right to the left of the nail) for your right hand/foot.

If the brush is thin and short but the polish formula is thin (encer abisss), then the best thing to do is to swipe some liquid off the brush on the side of the bottle, so that the brush is not dripping. In this case, it is best to do two, or even three, coats of nail polish to get an even coverage.

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Tags: Chanel

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I love Madonna. Her songs are infinitely in my laptop iTunes and in my old 2^nd generation iPod. I forever striving to get her soft wavy look (never achieve that). I constantly bug my friends all the time that if they ever hear about Madonna concert tickets on sale, they must let me know by text, email and phone call. I literally ran to the dance floor in my high heels (and almost made my best friend spilled her drink on her new dress) the split second I hear the intro to Like A Prayer. I might not love everything about her, but I LOVE her nonetheless.

Madonna graced the cover of the American Elle and Vanity Fair in April, celebrating her new upcoming album Hard Candy which will be released in the United States on April 28^th 2008. Both magazines with Madonna on the cover, interestingly enough, are in their “Green” issue.

What do you remember of Madonna? The conical bra designed by Jean Paul Gaultier that she wore in her Blond Ambition tour in 1990? The “grunge” Madonna in her earliest years? The controversial book titled “S E X” that she wrote? The “Zen” Madonna in her Ray of Light video clips? Or the ménage-a-trois kiss she shared with Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera during MTV Video Music Awards in 2003, that is still often dubbed as publicity stunt in the media.

At the an age nearing half a century, Madonna hasn’t putting a brake on reinventing-herself wheel. Always has been the one who is not afraid to go against the stream, she has now turned the table from being the target of fashion police to the becoming the idol from woman in their 20’s (for her currently-impeccable style) to the woman in 50’s (for her killer figure).

There is nothing stereotypical look of the woman who will be celebrating her 50^th year on August 16^th this year. She has gone from “trashy” look to “First Lady” look (think Evita movie). From elegant look (with her brunette-hair era) to “all-American look”, it’s no surprise if there is a love-and-hate relationship between you and her edgy looks. I am never too crazy about her choice of “trasy” look, and some of the too-techno-esque songs. But she’s back, with something that not every 50-year-old can pull off, yet she proves that age means nothing but a number (well, who can blame the millionaire who can do 5-hours Yoga session every day and afford full-time nutritionist?).

If I could “build” my own Madonna, I would combine her Die Another Day look with Like A Prayer album. That, would be my perfect Madonna, just because I thought her softer-yet-edgy look in the movie would go well with the sultry, mellower songs in the 1989 album. And oh, I think she would be a perfect spokesperson for MAC Viva Glam (please take note, even if the Madonna’s Viva Glam would include a blue lipstick, I’d buy it, just for the sake of it).

In any case, if you’re one of her fans, don’t forget to check the magazines (for instance, Vanity Fair has a lot of uber-gorgeous shoots. I’m guessing the famous Gaultier corset was somewhat channeled in many of the pictures), her new album Hard Candy, and of course, her stunning outfits in the tabloids, because Madonna is still, and will always be, herself: no-substitute. And she’s definitely here to stay.

Pictures courtesy of Elle magazine and Vanity Fair magazine.

Tags: Elle, Madonna, Vanity Fair

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What: The new limited edition nail colors by Chanel to celebrate the opening of its second Los Angeles boutique on North Rodeo Drive.
The colors: LA Sunrise, LA Sunset, Melrose, Rodeo Drive. All in pop-art shades.
How much: $25 each.
Where to get it: Chanel Boutique starting May 2008, Chanel.com starting June 2008.

image: WWD.com

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A long overdue article, we apologize for delay of the recap of our beloved FD’s “Kelas Dandan” session. But rest assured, the article is finally here!

What is the first thing comes across to your mind when you heard about make up? Girly? Artificial? Too much hassle? Or, traumatic, may be?

It might happen to some people, but definitely not to the 30 lovely ladies who joined FD Beauty classes that were held on December last year and early January this year. We all agreed that those classed were superb. And, we all agreed that make up is more than fun!

The classes were divided in three parts: “Beginner Class”, “Intermediate Class” and “Tips & Trick Sharing from FDers’ very own beauty residents” . The classes were held on 22 and 23 December 2007 and 5 January 2008 respectively. The first two classes were taught by Darywn Tse, a well known makeup artist. The last class was led by a group of FD beauty experts (or you can call them “de bancies” *wink!*), member dunia_dandan, nopai, DesZeLL and vveen.

FD invites professional instructor who was a real expert in make up, who we all love by heart for the Beginner and Intermediate Classes. He never stopped saying that there are no rules when it comes to make up, because make up is about feeling good, not looking good. And we can’t be more than agree, can we?

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Tags: Darwyn Tse

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The Bag: LV Monogram Mini Lin Croisette Speedy 30 (a honeymoon gift from hubby since we bought it in Hong Kong when we went for our honeymoon. As always, Hong Kong is the best shopping destination for cheaper LV goods.

The Contents:

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We at Fashionese Daily love Tarte Cheek Stain! It’s lightweight, easy to blend and perks up dull skin with a flush of healthy color. And now there’s one more reason to love it!

Introducing Tarte Natural Swirl Cheek Stain.  Two universally flattering shades of the best-selling Natural Beauty Cheek Stain, infused with a proprietary T5 Super Fruit Complex™ are swirled together. The Tarte T5 Super Fruit Complex™ is a blend of the five most active superfruits : goji, acai, maracuja, acerola and pomegranate. They’re loaded with antioxidant rich nutrients and vitamins that have been known to deliver refining, antiaging and skin-restorative benefits with each application. We heard this comes in a cream formula instead of gel, unlike the original Tarte Cheek Stain so all the more reasons to try it and find out which formula works better. Plus the Full Blossom shade looks gorgeous!

Now the next step? Find a kind-hearted friend overseas who’d CP this product to us in Indonesia!

 Source & Image : sephora.com

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The CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund has teamed up again with GAP to create GAP Design Editions, reinterpreting the classic white shirt by 2007 CFDA finalists: Phillip Lim, Michael Bastian, Band of Outsiders, and threeASFOUR, along with a small jewelry collection from Phillip Crangi. This collaboration is intended to introduce up-and-coming young designers to the public by partnering with winners from the annual Fashion Fund competition to design limited edition collections for GAP. 

Thakoon, Doo.Ri, and Rodarte were the CFDA finalists of the first GAP Design Editions, which was previously posted on FD here. Each of them had to create 3 unique interpretations of the classic white shirt, GAP’s iconic item for more than 35 years. I didn’t buy any of GAP’s limited edition white shirts last year, because nothing really fit me well. And when they went on sale, I was tempted to get one, just for the sake of having a Thakoon or Rodarte label without breaking my wallet but sadly, they still weren’t made to fit me. I will give them another try to their latest Design Editions this weekend, maybe I’ll be lucky this time.  The collection is available starting April 18, 2008 (GAP US stores and online), click here to find out more about the collection. (Will this collection be available at the GAP store Indonesia? if anyone knows, feel free to share it with us here) 

Sources & images courtesy of: gap.com, elle.com, fashiontrendsetter.com

Tags: Designer Collaboration, GAP

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When it comes to mascara, I am hardly a loyalist. As soon as I finish a product I usually move right on to a different one. Or sometimes I am using a particular brand and then a new mascara comes out and I am sidetracked faster than you can say “brand whore”. The reason is simple. There are so many great mascaras out there, why stick with one?

Recently I’ve been using two considerably new mascaras that I quite like. Here are the reviews :

Maybelline Volum’ Express Hypercurl

It isn’t said often enough : Maybelline does great mascaras! This one is no exception. I’ve never tried the original Volume Express (there is one, isn’t there?) but from the name I’m guessing this is supposed to be a volumizing mascara with the added “curling” benefit. Well it does just that. The brush, though a tad big, is easy to control and give me full, luscious lashes with just one coat. Two coats and you’d really get the formula to work its magic. It really does give incredible curl that lasts all day. My only disappointment that the formula smudges a little so I have to constantly check the mirror every few hours which I don’t like. Other than that, I am quite pleased with this product and find myself keep reaching for it.

L’Oreal Volume Shocking Brush Exact

If you read my review on the original L’Oreal Volume Shocking mascara, you’d probably remember that even though I kinda like the formula for being able to give me super vampy lashes, I hate the little comb brush and the fact that it practically takes weeks to really clean this product from my lashes! I heard similar complaints from other users (especially on MUA), so I’m assuming this new version of Volume Shocking is the answer from L’Oreal. It still comes with the mascara base which is pretty much the same with the first version. The difference is the horrible little comb is replaced with a great brush that is very easy to control and can really reach the roots of my lashes and coat even the fine ones with no mess at all! You still get the same intense, carbon black formula but thanks to the brush, it does not clump so easily. And just like the original version, this mascara really does last a long time. I did have to use 3 cotton squares to clean it thoroughly but hey, at least it didn’t take 14 days!

Image : beautycounterdirect.com, maybelline.com

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