A Lesson in Model Direction

Aside from the styling aspect of my role, I also art direct. This is the best way explain to people like my dad who don't understand (or more accurately- can in no way fathom) what I do for a living. An art director of a photoshoot is a bit like the actual director on a movie set.

Part of this job involves directing the model, something I have honed into a fine art over the years.

This trip has included such direction as
"laugh with your mind"
"smile at the sky"
"you're at a party and it's the end of the night and you've just vomited in the bush"
"now laugh with your face"

Today though, the whole team were recruited to help our model, Sylvia, with some spontaneous dancing poses. Amusing results were to be expected...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=THJndUHQFcY&feature=youtube_gdata_player



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The Day Of The Figgids

Shoot day 2 saw a bit of role reversal with Katie taking the styling helm and yours truly assisting her. This was a strange exercise that had me clamping my mouth shut to stop butting in and staying away from the monitor to stop butting in and letting Katie do her shoot thing, which all worked out wonderfully.

Claire-Hair was beside herself with the discovery of a fig tree in the Japanese garden (yes, we have one of those at our villa) and we all got slightly distracted from the job/shoot at hand, choosing instead to pluck the best ones from the most awkward branches. We discovered that figs can kind of lactate, (Claire discovered) their milk doesn't taste nice, and ants can sometimes live in trees. But worth it for the salad we made with our pickings.

A Musical Interlude

Whilst I wait for Mallorcan Internet to work sufficiently for the day 3 blog post upload, here is a link to the journey home from Palma, a beautiful rendition of the Queen Classic, 'We Are The Champions' as performed by the Balaeric branch of the TripCrewChoir, Est 2010

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0CsLJFe4Qw

(this followed a beautiful trip to the city centre including Cathedral sighting, back street meanderings, a sit down dinner and ZARA and H&M!!)








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A Dedicated Blog Post for Team Chadwick

Photographer Chad(wick) is quickly becoming the 'special addition' to the trip team, having been terrorised by a chihuahua, having cooked a solid carbonara - who knew that was even possible? Getting some cactus embedded in his nipple,






and most recently, dressing in his favourite combo of fur gilet and kitten vest.






So, I hereby dedicate this blog post today to Special Crew Member of the day, Chad. (And his friend Sketch whom I have never met but Chad would like mentioned as his wedding gift. Generous AND special...)














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Mallorca Day 2: Baby It's Cold Outside

Team Beresiner

'Aaaah, how cute there's a humming bird in your room' says Claire with delight, 'oh how cute he chose our room over everyone else's!' I said with delight. Not so delightful the next morning having discovered he is in fact some unidentified GIANT BUG that sounds like a helicopter, LIVES in our room and disappears without trace so we're afraid to go to bed tonight...

To distract ourselves we drove to Campanet to do a shoot. This morning at 9am it was roasting at the villa, so we were unprepared and underdressed for the subsequent and significant drop in degrees. It was nice to get so many cuddling opportunities though.











A little insight into editorial hair for you now; it's the hairstyle equivalent of an OK! magazine coverline.











Shoot done, it's Claire-Hair and Chad's turn at Mallorcan Come Dine With Me tonight (Katie and I took the lead last night with amazing tapas prowess), but in the meantime everyone is doing everyone else's makeup. Results to follow shortly...




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NEWS FLASH!!! Gaga Update - the long awaited return

It's been a long time coming, but it's time to bring Lipstick Gaga out of retirement, and where better to deliver the long awaited return than Mallorca, Spain - home of Iberico pork, Serrano ham, Mortadella con Olives etc

Ladies and Gentlemen, Lipstick Productions presents:

'Lady GaGamon'


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Mallorca Day 1: Team Beresiner Recce Day

In terms of recce success, today wasn't the best I've ever had (after manoeuvring a giant Mercedes van through miniscule streets in search of some ancient steps for Kaite's shoot, we decided to shoot the story back on the steps back at the villa. Still, we did get to climb 365 steps to reach that decision. AND we got to climb back down


Along the way we graffitied some cacti, procured some second hand pink girls flip flops for Jose from a bin and got our ankles attacked by something like a miniature Doberman. Photographer Chad came off the worst in the girly terror embarrassment stakes. His ankles were fine.





Now we're cosy in our amazing villa preparing tapas for a spanish extravaganza evening and awaiting the arrival of our first model. With X Factor on the tv. When in Mallorca, er...do as the English do?


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The Day in Pictures - LOOK Show 2010

Well, not the whole day, just the funny bits that made me laugh. Annotated for your perusal...

Katie & I backstage just before the madness kicked in

Sorry, hello - have you met new nail technician Katie?

I don't really know what to say about this. It was 'art' in the makeup backstage area. Creepy does not do it justice.

Rubbernecking

Rubbernecking pt II

sorry, hello - hello? Have you met Katie, the last minute addition to the model line up?

Nothing amiss here...

Katie and I front row just before the show starts, after the madness has abated, but still mid-sweat

Queuing for the photobooth. OK, imaginary queuing. Checking my imaginary watch.

Mallorca Meltdown

Today just generally calls for a meltdown. I'll give you snippets.

In the space of a few days I have, or have had; LFW, The LOOK Show- second season, LFW coverage, Look Show coverage, Look Good Feel better Editors Day at Selfridges, Mallorca trip.

LFW involved delegating to Jess - I can't handle being actively hated and bundled out the way by whole teams of backstage hair/makeup for more than four seasons in a row. She seems to love it - weird.

Laena from The Like has her hair done at Katie & Guy Salon, Beckenham

The LOOK show involved running in heels from 9am til 19.30. Highlights were: Katie doing the hair of Laena from The Like (we didn't have enough stylists), Katie standing in for a model for the walk-through (we didn't have enough models), me having my turn as a pap and shooting Diana Vickers and... Calum Best!! Oh the dream! (we didn't have enough time or an omnipresent photographer). I was not half bad - here are two I took. (horn tooting? moi?)

'I'm only gonna let you shoot me once' - for full coverage go to LOOK online

The coverage of both involves me and my team pulling our hair out for two days while we manically try to meet deadlines. Throw in a very last minute a/w trip to Mallorca, leaving in two days, minus a day out of the office to meet readers at Selfridges, and I am just about ready to crawl under my desk and weep. No, sob.

In other news, Katie and I wore matching FitFlops to work today. We shall have to walk home separately...

Lauren Conrad Love

Last night I watched a classic episode of Family Guy in which Lauren Conrad (who I openly admit, I love) went out with Brian, and turned out to be extraordinarily intelligent, but covers it up because America doesn't like clever people - they voted Bush in twice etc etc.

If this were true in the non-cartoon world, it may explain her new book 'Style' - The secret to looking fabulous and having fun with fashion!'

This is a gloriously funny tome, maybe not for the right reasons but since I openly love Lauren, I am allowed to laugh at some of the pearls of wisdom - all must be read aloud with wide open eyes and slight shake of the head and exclamation marks!

Example: SCARVES! (something of a speciality subject for Lauren): 'You can do a knot'.Or...wait for it...'a bow'!

Example: EARRINGS! with important points such as 'try them on first!'

And she even tackles beauty...

MASTERING FAKE EYELASHES!

Apparently Lauren applies them with both eyes closed, one at a time with open tweezers.

Chuckles aside, this is overall a cute book. You should own it. Did I mention I am a fan of Lauren Conrad?

Lauren Conrad, 'Style'. Published by HarperCollinsPublishers, £14.99

Man Talk

No, not the most interesting kind of man talk where we discuss boys, and their text messages. This being a beauty blog, the topic is the next best on the list: GROOMING!

I wouldn't normally get that excited about it, but I just had an appointment with the girls at Amazon, and was greatly tickled by the mens stuff (not literally).

Exhibit A

The Man Groomer

Katie picked it up, somewhat puzzled, the PR opened it up and kindly mimed a demonstration 'for the man in your life with a hairier back'. This is so ingenious I'm actually a little sad DadJokes is not so hirsute. Not even my dad can be happily gifted. Someone I went out with in 1999 however...

buy it here

Exhibit B

The Philips TurboVac Trimmer

This isn't so funny, but so clever nonetheless, (most men probably already know about it, but I'm an easily-excitable female, humour me). An electric shaver with. a. hoover. built. in! I need one of these! Well not me personally but our poor, frequently black-speckled white sink could certainly benefit.

buy it here

Exhibit C

Scottish Fine Soaps Classic Grooming Set

Again, not so funny but if you read this blog for practical reasons, then this is at least a lovely gift idea. Boys may like grey and science-y looking stuff, but girls like nice. This range, although for men, makes women want to by it for them. If that's not good grooming business sense I don't know what is.

buy it here

A Beauty Editors Affliction

It's probably a common one, and it bothers my dad (of all people) no end, but most days I arrive home with a confused and abused hand. Like this;

Alternatively two nails painted different colours, or if it was a particularly busy day in the post room deliveries department, ten different colours. Either way, not such a good look...

Its Time To Talk About Beef

Name dropping is an ugly ugly habit, but if it's going to be done then there has never been a better reason than this.

I am friends with a famous cat.

Really good friends to the extent that I took his first official Vogue picture, look at the beautiful composition. AND I am officially considered his sort of godmother in cat terms. He bit my toe once.

And even to the extent that having risen to the dizzying heights of feline fame, he still has time to message me via his own Facebook page (look up Beefy Rothstein).

Yes, Beefy Rothstein, the (other weekly magazine that shall not be mentioned here) Resident Office Cat belongs to my lovely friend Claire who I hang out with A LOT.

Cool? me? YES

Follow Beefy Rothstein on twitter here or look for him yourself @Beefyrothstein