Twist and Turns: Cools Updos To Try

These photos are from a shoot I did for Hair Ideas Magazine Indonesia. The concept for this one is volume. I tried to find subtle yet cute ways to apply volume to hair without the girl looking like 'ibu-ibu pejabat' as we Indonesians say it. FYI Ibu-ibu pejabat means wifes of government officials, and usually they sport a rather high teased hair do resulting in a bee-hive-like-mass atop their heads. I certainly hope I succeeded :-)
Credits:
Model : Vonnie
Hair and make up: Qiqi Franqy and team
Photographer: Adi Nugroho

Those Winter Wonderland Photos

I am sure you have all seen pictures of Asian looking faces with a background of a winter scenery. These pictures usually feature snow covered pine trees with some snow falling in the background, a snow man, and bundles and bundles of thick jackets and other winter garb.

I came across one of these today as I was reading a blog on Indonesia popular culture. The blog was written in English and it was also quite enjoyable. I enjoyed it so much that I was curious to know the guy behind the writing. I only saw a reference to a uni in the wisconsin and I thought,"Ah, this must be written by some American scholar who took a major in Asian studies at his university."

But when I was looking through the blog for a photograph I came across one which feature an Asian looking guy grinning frozenly from ear to ear all wrapped up in a huge puff jacket, complete with ear muffs, beanie, gloves, and all the works. "Hmmm must be an Indonesian guy," I though to myself. And when I finally found his profile I was right.

I also remember looking at friendster accounts with pictures of friends (some first degree some second degree) in a similar pose with a very familiar background. All looking like a shapeless bloated snowman with a smile that could be mistaken for Batman's archenemy's iconic grin.

Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against people wanting to parade their holiday trips to a four season country while the rest of us here must suffer the heat, humidity and not to mention pollution of this metropolitan we call Jakarta. It's just that, if you are going to post your winter pics on the net for everyone to see, why not show off your excellent fashion style. Cold weather meands layering. And layering spells FUN and COLORS! Why not try donning bright puff jacket with a cool glossy Fendi spring '07 belt around your waist? Open the zip and show off your black and white striped cashmere sweater. Pair it with some worn grey skinny jeans and a pair of mean boots. You're set! Or better yet, check out some of my favorite winter looks from the 2007-2008 Fall/Winter runway shows and try keeping the chills out while looking H-O-T!
*Note: From left to right: Balenciaga, Balenciaga, Marc by Marc Jacobs, Marc by Marc jacobs

Back In Time

This maybe a bit late for an introductory post, but what the heck? I didn't have time to do it yesterday when I started the blog, so here goes.
This is just a blog to post all my ravings and my secret obssesion to beauty and fashion. I was a beauty editor for 4 years. I spent one year as an associate beauty editor at Female magazine Indonesia and then, due to some dissatisfaction with the ehm ehm..management, i resigned and spent the next 3 years at Cosmopolitan Indonesia as a beauty editor. Why is this so discreet you might think? It's because now I work for a PR firm handling mostly IT clients. So not me!!
Well that's what most of my friends would say, but here I am, and doing the job every day. No complaints yet. Well.. not that much anyway..

But I do miss writing about beauty and fashion. I miss being one of the first people to try the newest designer perfume (and being able to say,"No Mbak, I already have that one," to every perfume sales girl in the dept store preparing to pounce on me). I miss being on the invitee list of some of Indonesia' s hottest spas and salons (I once tried treatment in a spa whose client list include Donna Karan and Brooke Shield and the price one treatment there can pay for a full months meal of a whole medium sized village in a third world country). I miss going on five star trips abroad to do a photo shoot and to cover a beauty or fashion story (I remember sipping champagne while taking a nice warm bath scented with real rose petals and watching fashion TV on the huge LCD TV mounted on the bathroom wall). and most of all I miss styling photo shoots and writing articles. Hence the blog.

Anyway.. I thought I would be staying far away from the beauty and fashion world but I just couldn't. I remember jumping at the chance to write again for Cosmo and also several other life style publications as a freelance writer and stylist. So now I still get to keep my 'corporate' job while still having fun writing about fashion and beauty.

This blog will feature some of the non edited version of articles and photoshoots I've done and also some personal rants and raves about fashion and beauty products I've got my eyes on. Enjoy!