Minggu, 30 November 2008

Senoritas, Margaritas and Mariachis....




Visiting nail artist America Garcia and travelling companion, Rocio all the way from Mexico spending 2 days with me doing nails and exchanging our cultures and ideas. America is an exceptional talent and a natural artist and Rocio, a warm and bubbly personality who taught me much about tequilas, quesadillas, and mariachi...it is a great pleasure having you girls in Singapore. Hope to see you in Mexico next time !

Jumat, 21 November 2008

Long Sculptured French in Gels


Nothing can be more challenging than trying to sculpt long french nail using gels especially if you've always been an acrylic artist like me. It becomes an obsession just to get the right combination and consistency of pink and white gels to work on perfecting the look and application. Yet, perfection like beauty, is really in the eyes of the beholder.

Holiday Time

Image: Behatti Prinsloo backstage at Herve Ledger

I'm on holidays for the next week at the Gold Coast so have fun looking at some of my other favourite blogs on the right and I will be back with you on Sunday next week!!

Love Always xoxo
S.A.A.

Kamis, 20 November 2008

Cotton Candy


Love the black acrylic powder from ONS new primary collection for sculpting, it's strong, true black color and no mess or stains unlike regular black powders. The pink is lovely, it's from the Ezflow carnival collection.

Rabu, 19 November 2008

Senin, 17 November 2008

Victoria's Secret 09

Well well, the annual Victoria's Secret is good and done and boy do I have some great photos and videos for you!!! This is a collection of all the photos and videos of the show from the last couple of days so that you only have to go to one place to get it all, I've done all of the hard work for you!! Here it is, including a record 3 Aussie models: Miranda (der) Abbey (of course) and Sarah (Urgh). As much as I don't like Sarah, I have to admit that they have done wonders for the girl! I mean she actually looks half sexy!















Sabtu, 15 November 2008

Jumat, 14 November 2008

Art In the Eye of a Needle - Video Link

Check this video out, it's truly amazing and inspirational.
cut and paste on your browser:
http://www.maniacworld.com/art-in-the-eye-of-a-needle.html

Kamis, 13 November 2008

White Tiger




Taught a class recently for folkart which included handpainting on animal features, these are work done by my students on their first attempt at animals.

Rabu, 12 November 2008

First Nail Art Competition in Penang, Malaysia






I had the pleasure to be in the judging panel for the first nail art competition organized by Nail Haven in Penang. This competition saw more than 25 participants in each category of handpainted nail art - food theme and 3D nail art - bridal theme. There are many budding talents and their skills are getting better with each competition. Participants from the state of Johor went away with the most trophies. Thank you Celine for your kind hospitality.

I like what I see

Image: Anja Rubik for ID Magazine by Benjamin Huseby 2007

Hope you're liking the new title photo-majig? Tell me what you're thinking.

Love Always xoxo
S.A.A.

Selasa, 11 November 2008

Act like a gymnast and wear your leotard with Pride!


Image: NY Times Magazine (Leotard by Pucci...der?)
Image: Teen Vogue
Image: Stella McCartney for Adidas
Image: Lucy Liu in the August issue of Harper's Bazaar

Do you see a trend? Or do I have to spell it out for you? Since I am experienced in this area-gymnastics- I felt that it was my responsibility to demonstrate the growing intensity of this trend! That is the influence of gymnastics on fashion, forget what everyone's told you about music and fashion being linked, the next big thing in fashion, is gymnastics!
I guess I better whip out all of the old leos huh? I wonder how crushed purple velvet goes with denim short shorts?

Hey, why wear shorts at all? Now that's a thought!

Love Always xoxo
S.A.A.

Minggu, 09 November 2008

Cool kid on the Block

Name: Anna Selezneva
Occupation: Model
Nationality:Russian
Birthday:July 29, 1990
Born in:Moscow, Russia
Lives now:Paris, France
Agencies:Silent


Images: French Vogue Cover, November French Vogue with Eva Herzigova by Mario Sorrenti, unknown

Just the flavour of the month.

Love Always xoxo
S.A.A.

Kamis, 06 November 2008

Dreaming of birds, models and illustrators too...


These fantastic drawings are all by fashion illustrator Kelly Smith who is featured in this month's Australian Vogue. Smith who is only 23, was raised in Hobart and now lives in a beach house at Orford, to which she finds inspiration. The Australian was trained at the Tasmanian School of Art and finds inspiration from her surrounding bushland and coastline whilst drawing the beautiful and symmetrical faces of models in magazines like Vogue. Smith who finds beauty 'fascinating' prefers to draw models because of their otherworldly beauty which she seems to transcend seamlessly onto paper with the use of pencils and watercolors. Smith describes her personal style to Clare Press as, 'little dresses and blouses', which is fitting for a nature motivated dreamer.

Check out more of her work at her upcoming solo show or at her website:
Where the wild things are
696 gallery, melbourne
14th November 08
http://www.birdyandme.com.au/Illustrations: Kelly Smith

Love Always xoxo
S.A.A.

Koi Pond


I've been wanting to try the "koi" themed nails and finally did a set combining ONS and Nfu.Oh powders/technique to achieve the desired effects.

Selasa, 04 November 2008

Breaking News on Gemma from Grazia Magazine

To read the full story, see this weeks Grazia Magazine (Australian).

She has just turned 21, has millions in the bank and is in huge demand by the film and fashion worlds alike. But model and actress Gemma Ward has become a virtual recluse since the death of her then-boyfriend Heath Ledger in January this year.

Close friends in the New York modelling world say she is still “in bits” and finding it hard to cope with the fact that he died so suddenly, just as their fledgling romance had become serious.

Immediately after Heath’s death attention focused on his alleged relationship with Mary-Kate Olsen. But at Heath’s funeral in Perth, the scale of Gemma’s devastation attracted the attention of other mourners.

She and Heath had managed to keep their almost two-month romance quiet, with only close friends and family aware of the relationship when Heath was found dead from an accidental overdose of prescription pills in his New York apartment.

Gemma’s grief has been compounded in recent weeks by the release of moving footage of Heath in his last film, The Imaginarium Of Doctor Parnassus, which he was shooting at the time of his death.

A close friend of Gemma’s in New York tells Grazia: “The truth is her world came crashing down when Heath died. Their relationship was at a fledgling stage but she had really fallen for him. It was all so sudden, it was pretty hard to take in. I don’t think anyone can underestimate how hard this has been for her.”

In the months since his death, Gemma has spent time travelling, trekking across Nepal and taking a road trip across Australia in a bid to “find herself” again and focus on the future.

But apart from two catwalk shows and a shoot that appears in this month’s Spanish marie claire, the model-turned actress has turned down all offers of work since Heath’s death.

Far from embracing the hectic social life of her New York base, Gemma spends most of her time in the company of her mother Claire, refusing invitations to parties and other events.

Gemma and Heath met around September last year following his split from actress Michelle Williams, with whom he had a daughter, Matilda.

Friends say Gemma initially spurned 28-year-old Heath’s advances but he followed her around like “a lost puppy”.

The friend says: “At first Gemma was apprehensive. She didn’t really want to get involved but as time went on she was really attracted to him, he was so sweet. They had so much in common, in the end Gemma just couldn’t resist his charms.”

The two were just friends until December, when romance blossomed and they travelled back to Australia together for Christmas. They bonded over their Perth origins and Heath loved Gemma’s down-to-earth attitude, despite her fame and fortune.

Gemma’s father said his daughter had made Heath “really happy” during that last holiday together. Gemma found a kindred spirit in Heath, who, like her, found fame at a young age. At 17, she replaced Kate Moss as the face of Calvin Klein’s Obsession, before being chosen by John Mayer to star in a music video. Her beauty and free spirit made her a favourite of icons such as Karl Lagerfeld and won her contracts with Prada, YSL, Gucci and Chanel.

To read the full story, see this weeks Grazia Magazine (Australian).

That's so sad to hear that she's been suffering!

Love Always xoxo

S.A.A.

Sunday Girl

Image: Russh Australia. Photography: Bec Parsons.

Love Always xoxo
S.A.A.

Senin, 03 November 2008

Dusk to dawn....



Inspired by colors of dawn to dusk and accented with blooming roses and an ethnic touch.