Happy 2012!

One of my goals this year is to be more regular with the blogging. I’ve grouped all my resolutions under the umbrella of “do more things that make you happy”, and since this is one of them, it shouldn’t be too difficult.
A lot of folks post “best of the year” lists, and I guess that’s sort of what this is, but I didn’t think on it too deeply, or rummage around in my makeup drawers to pick out favourites. Let’s just call it:

Stuff I Loved in 2011

Favourite celebrity makeup: Rachel McAdams at Cannes
I like edgy glamour as much as the next gal, but when it comes to unabashed pretty-in-pink gorgeousness, no one did it better than Ms. McAdams. This is a delightful, girlish look that I just adore.

Want the look? Glamour listed the products used.

Favourite makeup artist blog: Lisa Eldridge

Her video tutorials cover everything from the absolute basics to the fanciest high-fashion looks, in a grown-up and professional presentation. She’s just so approachable and warm—not to mention blessed with a beautiful face and a voice to match!

Favourite inspiring fashion blog for “normal” people: Wendy’s Lookbook
There are a shitload of websites by and for “fashion people.” But most of us aren’t that magic combination of rich/tall/skinny/connected/willing to dress like a rodeo clown. I love the coolness that’s on display, but there are many women who just want to look more stylish and pulled-together in an elegant way.

Wendy is the gal who provides that inspiration. Yes, she is most definitely investing some serious cash on her look, but she buys timeless, quality pieces. And there’s nothing you couldn’t copy for less. And she’s always finding great new ways to present information on the basics of fashion: her super-cute and useful 25 Ways to Wear a Scarf in 4.5 Minutes video made the facebook rounds a while back, and there’s plenty more where that came from.

Favourite fashion blog when one fears growing older: Advanced Style

Women of a “certain age” looking chic and fabulous. Proof positive that great personal style knows no age—in fact, these senior citizens pull off some wildly adventurous fashion risks that younger folks can only envy.

Favourite fashion film: Bill Cunningham New York
Speaking of older folks, this wonderful film (which I posted about earlier this year) is the story of that most elusive and reclusive of street style photographers, Bill Cunningham. It’s a fashion feast, for sure, but it’s also a film that explores aging, work, and integrity. I get misty just thinking about it—it’s a must-see!

Favourite fashion book of the year: Deluxe: How Luxury Lost its Luster by Dana Thomas
This isn’t a glossy coffee-table fashion book, but it is one of the best-researched and well-written books on the fashion industry I’ve had the pleasure of reading. It moves along at a thriller’s pace, and is packed with information on the luxury-goods world with an eye to history, culture, globalization, and consumerism. Whether you think a Louis Vuitton handbag is an object of desire or a symbol of corporate evil, you’re in for a compulsively good read.

Favourite rallying cry to take pride in one’s appearance in 2012: The “No Excuses” post over at The Bitches of Fashion
Just read it! You don’t have to wear a ball gown to the laundromat, but taking the time to dress well reaps benefits you can’t even imagine. It’s got nothing to do with your dress size/income/job/personal values and beliefs—every single one of us can take pride in who we are, and take pleasure in expressing that identity through our clothing and grooming.

So here’s to you looking fantastic in 2012!

Blogs, Biba, and Beauty

You know what? Making a video is hard. That’s why I haven’t posted one yet. I hadn’t given much thought to how complicated it would be: getting the lighting half decent, getting the angles right so you don’t obscure your own handiwork, the sound…to say nothing of the fact that I look like a withered hag when you get about four inches away from my face. That’ll never do! So until I find a way to deal with some or all of those challenges, I’m going to leave it to the professionals.

There’s no shortage of makeup blogs that have great videos. In fact, I usually avoid reading makeup-artists’ blogs if I don’t want to lose several hours of my time each day. I could watch makeup tutorials forever!

One of my favourite blogs belongs to Lisa Eldridge. She’s incredibly beautiful and has a lovely plummy voice that’s so soothing. She’s got an amazing archive of video tutorials on her site, from the basic to the outrageous. Her interest in vintage makeup is what really gives me a thrill, however.

She recently visited the home of collector, author, and historian Madeleine Marsh to peruse and discuss her breathtaking collection of makeup and beauty paraphernalia from the Victorian Age to the 1930s, and WWII to the 1970s. These two videos are so interesting even if you’re not a “makeup person,” because they tell us so much about culture and social mores of the time.

These videos have whet my appetite for Marsh’s newest book, Compacts and Cosmetics, Beauty from Victorian Times to the Present Day. I’m sure the photos of those amazing vintage compacts is worth the price, but I’m really interested in hearing more of Madeleine Marsh’s decade-by-decade commentary!

Of course, one of my favourite decades for beauty (well, for everything, really) is the 1970s, and I think it’s one of Lisa Eldridge’s as well. She collects unopened vintage makeup from the Biba Cosmetics line—oh god, the picture above is like pornography for me! In this video, she opens some unused Biba and does a classic “bruised fruit” Biba look on a model. Amazing! I wish I was twenty years younger so I could get away with this.

Even though I totally shouldn't ask this, since I'll never get any work done EVER AGAIN, do you have a favourite beauty blog?