Your Thoughts on Natural Hair & Makeup...
Summertime! It’s finally here. The cold and dry days of winter are behind us and with it, we leave behind the tragic split ends and static, and welcome back humidity and heat.
From the Directors Chair
Summertime and the livin' is easy... Is your style regiment?
Photo Credit: Getty Images via Red Book Magazine
Benjamin Rodich. National Artistic Director for Hair. WarPaint International Beauty Agency.
Your Thoughts on Natural Hair & Makeup
Summertime! It’s finally here. The cold and dry days of winter are behind us and with it, we leave behind the tragic split ends and static, and welcome back humidity and heat. For those who are fortunate enough to have the “golden genes of hair” passed down to them, this is a time of celebration as they put away the blow dryers and deep conditioners, and head to the salon or their favorite stylist for tips on the hottest products for the summer. Texture sprays, beach sprays, dry shampoo, hair oil, curl crèmes, and one of my new personal favorites, “Don’t blow it”, made by Bumble and Bumble.
Our WarPaint International guests rely on us to give them the latest style advice and tips for the most current and on trend hair and makeup for the season. I am incredibly proud of the trend collections we have created so far and I believe that each of them contain the best examples of hair and makeup for the season. We pride ourselves in creating these looks so that they are obtainable by using our beauty-on-demand service, or an inspiration for re-creating them yourself at home.
During the conception of this collection, Jessica Mae and I focused very much on natural beauty. We have all heard the word "natural" so many times when speaking about hair and makeup. Mostly, I have seen natural show up as either no makeup or barely any, and hair that is just air-dried with no product. This collection wants you to look at “natural” through the lens of not over done and not underdone but rather… just right.
NATURAL BEAUTY
Natural beauty is different for all of us. Tailoring a look JUST FOR YOU is always the best way to go about discovering your at-home regime for hair and makeup. We often see a celebrity be the first to come out with a jaw dropping and daring new lip color, eyebrow, or hairstyle. When we flip through the pages of Vogue, its not uncommon to see a model with hair that looks like she just rolled out of bed and ran her fingers through her hair, got dressed and off she goes.
For some reason when we try this at home, it often feels unfinished and not “styled” enough to take on the world. When it comes to hair, there are so many different factors to address before you choose whether air-drying or “un-done” looking hair is for you or not. First and foremost, do you enjoy your natural texture?
ITS ALL ABOUT THE HAIR PRODUCT.
Behold, my all time favorite products of the season that are flying off the shelf at salons across the country, and more importantly, how to use them. These are all products designed (or very well suited) for natural air-dry styling or light diffusing or blow-drying. In other words, these are products that go into the hair wet and then a small amount or no heat can be applied just to activate it, and then off you go.
Don’t Blow it! From Bumble and Bumble.
This dream cream is the first of its kind. Designed to work on hair that is air-dried, Don’t Blow It is light in its hold and strong in its performance. A quarter to silver dollar size amount is applied to the hair from roots to ends. THAT’S IT! You will feel a very light “cast” around each strand once the hair is dry. Simply run your fingers through and twist each section while scrunching and manipulating your hair in the way you would normally if you were diffusing or finishing a head of curls. You will see Frizz control, a ton of shine, and mostly a better result than air-drying with no product at all. I really like this product.
Spray a Porter - Kérastase | Liquid Fabric - Shu Uemura.
These extremely high-end and coveted luxury products are the best “beach sprays” in the market. Both are applied to wet or dry hair to dehydrate and roughen up the silky texture that some of us find hard to obtain volume with. Simply spray 2-3 pumps of either onto the hair holding the bottle about 10 inches away from head. Separate hair into sections so that product can be evenly applied to hair underneath the top layers.
Air dry and finish with one of my two favorite MUST HAVE purse products.
Kerastase Touché Perfection.
This perfect serum will tame the mane and bits that need calming and help to nourish the ends of the hair to give a more finished look.
Shu Uemura “A touch of gloss”
will be the better fit for textures that are a bit more rebellious. Both are small lip-gloss like tubes that are portable and perfect to apply whenever your hair needs just a little something.
IT’S ALL ABOUT WHAT MAKES YOU FEEL FABULOUS!
Whether or not the un-done and natural air styled look is for you or not is a personal choice. WarPaint International’s Beauty on Demand service is here for you. Our stylists will come to you, on-location wherever you choose and bring with them not only their favorite products for the season, but also help you re-purpose what you have at home and make recommendations on what would be the best products for YOUR hair to give you the best style that suits your lifestyle.
Please consider us as your dream team of beauty for your next garden party or summer night soirée! As always we are here to extract your inner beauty and compliment the person on the inside as much as we work to glam up the outside. Well see you soon!
In the end... its all about what makes you feel fabulous.
Prepare For Battle.
Lacuna Coil's, Cristina Scabbia talks about Beauty - Inside and Out.
WarPaint International Beauty Agency's Founder & Creative Director, Jessica Mae, sits down for a heart-to-heart about inner and outer beauty, with Rock Goddess, Cristina Scabbia of Lacuna Coil.
Interview with Cristina Scabbia
WarPaint International Beauty Agency's Founder & Creative Director, Jessica Mae, sits down for a heart-to-heart about inner and outer beauty, with Rock Goddess, Cristina Scabbia of Lacuna Coil.
“ When you believe in who you are and who you represent, and look at yourself in the mirror... and you’re proud of yourself - you can only irradiate magnetic energy around you.
”
Image courtesy of Century Media: Loudwire
The beauty industry is nearing the $500 billion mark and proving to be a creative outlet for professionals, hobbyists, women and men. With the number of cosmetic companies and beauty brands that have niched their way into the drawers and cases of beauty fanatics, its no wonder that actors, musicians and creatives of all types rely heavily on their go-to products.
But what exactly does "Beauty" mean? The latest Makeup trends on Instagram may have you thinking that tiger stripes and heavy contouring are how normal women are supposed to look. Jessica Mae's chat with Cristina Scabbia reveals a little bit of insight to her go-to products and perspective on beauty, but also.. what beauty really means to Cristina Scabbia.
Interview - The Deep Stuff
Jessica Mae:
You’ve spoken quite a bit over the years about not depriving yourself from the sexy element of being a beautiful woman inside an industry and genre that is largely dominated by men. Can you describe your thoughts on how beauty is perceived in the metal / rock industry and how your personal style works to combat people’s perceptions of what beauty really is?
Cristina:
Back when I started, there were not so many metal bands with a female in the line up. So I guess I developed during that year, a sort of “I don’t care what you think” attitude, as I don’t really see myself as the different element in the band. I look at myself as a singer and performer.
That said, I like my femininity as an individual and I am proud to be a woman. So even if I am also “one of the guys” I still love to play with my hair and make up and wear a tight dress with killer heels.
Now things are even more mixed up and some guys are wearing more makeup and hairspray than women usually do so the game has changed :) Whenever a look works very well and can be loved by many, there is also that other part of the crowd that will keep and extra eye on you and judge whatever you wear or how you look “just ‘cause”. It's part of the game and I love that , it keeps it exciting :)
This is also why I’ve never tried to fight against whoever had pre-conceptions about females in a rock metal world…because it would be useless. And in the end, everyone chooses their own idea of what beauty is, and it is impossible to make everybody happy.
Jessica Mae:
How does femininity play into your role in Lacuna coil? What elements do you work hard at to ensure that you remain “Cristina" at your core?
Cristina:
Honestly I would not know, as I don’t think about it at all! I think there is a special sparkle from inside that tells you what to do in every situation, may it be in a live show, in a photoshoot or in a regular day out. The most important thing for me (and the most natural) is to be myself, whatever happens and whatever the situation is. That includes taking public photos with no makeup on… or being super dressed with makeup on. This is even if I am alone at home, ahaha!
Jessica Mae:
Can you talk a little bit about some of the criticisms you’ve faced from a beauty perspective inside the metal music scene?
Cristina:
Well, women in the business are in a position of being more easily accused of abusing their “sexuality” in photoshoots and live shoots: some people might think they try to sell themselves out. All the while, no one says anything if a guy sweats with no shirt on… :-)
I don’t tend to show too much, but only because i like to feel comfy and I'm more of a tomboy. But I think that all the other women should be free to do whatever they want on stage and wear whatever they want (or go naked if they like) as long as THEY are the ones who chose the way they dress.
Jessica Mae:
You are a big advocate of inner beauty. In a world that is mostly material and driven by sex-appeal marketing, can you talk about what’s below the surface for Cristina Scabbia? - What does inner beauty mean to you?
Cristina:
In one word I would probably say... CONFIDENCE.
I know that's a word that’s maybe been a little trite or abused. but it’s so perfect in the end. When you believe in who you are and who you represent and look at yourself in the mirror and you’re proud of yourself, you can only irradiate magnetic energy around you.
Jessica Mae:
What defines the beauty of a woman?
Cristina:
Some women have that special “glow” that everyone else is amazed by. It might be the light in the eyes, some gestures, a special way of walking… Beauty in general is such a complex thing to define. A person can have nearly perfect facial features and the perfect body (in terms of a generic aesthetic idea) but then they might not be attractive anyway. Weird, uh?
Jessica Mae:
If you were to sit with a group of young women that struggled with self-confidence and inner beauty, what tips or piece of advice would you give them? What should they walk away with? What would they learn from Cristina Scabbia?
Cristina:
I would say this. You think you are not beautiful because you are hypnotized by media bombarding you with the ideals of the “perfect woman”. But if you pay more attention to how many women are completely far from that ideal, do you still consider yourself very beautiful and attractive?
Looks are very standardized these days but true beauty really comes from within. We are ALL different and unique, there is none in the world just like us. We are not even a limited edition so-to-speak - we are all one-of-a-kind… yet we don’t always appreciate that.
Jessica Mae:
Speaking of self-confidence, inner beauty is often driven by one’s ability to see their own glow and special light in the world. What words of wisdom do you have about self-confidence, when we’re often surrounded by people trying to take that away from us.
Cristina:
I would be a hypocrite if I would simply say to someone else: “believe in yourself, you can do it!”.
Obviously I strongly believe that the more I believe in myself, the more I am driven and the more I feel comfortable with my reflection in the mirror. But I also have some days when I feel that I look like shit no matter what makeup I have on, whatever dress I am wearing. Its then that I realize that 99% of the time its not even about my look, it is not about how people really see me… but is about ME, judging myself on a deeper level because I am usually bothered about something else.
Did you notice that when you feel very happy you pretty much feel you look fantastic even with no makeup and a cheap shirt on?
Jessica Mae:
Can you describe your journey briefly, growing up as a Creative, an Entrepreneur and a female business owner. Is there anything you wish you could have done differently? How have your biggest challenges related to being female?
Cristina:
Woah... long story short (we are talking about almost 20 years in Lacuna coil), I started to sing in Lacuna coil in 1996, when there were definitely not so many bands with a female in the line up. Weird thing is, I have never felt like the different element and never felt I had to work more because I was a female. I looked at myself as another member in the band.
Of course I had to go through stages like “hey, I might be slightly pretty but I can actually sing as well!” to convince a still very conservative slice of metal fans that there was space for women in metal. I am very happy that things changed though, and there are now more women in bands of all genres. I am also proud of the fact that I am still here and others are looking at me as an example to follow. I am honored.
As per my career, I took care of my singing (writing lyrics and creating vocal lines) and also my looks from day one. I adopted some in the past that were not exactly great, especially in the first years (I still remember a blue short velvet dress with very puffy eyes, tons of make up and fake long nails) but I also came out of it with great ones that fans are still remembering. In the beginning, I experimented a lot and it was my attempt on searching for the perfect look and I quickly realized, changing and playing with my image, that the best solution was to wear a style of clothes that was… me.
Jessica Mae:
You were quoted once saying, "No matter what, be strong, because the message that people will get is from your strength. There is not just one kind of beauty in this world." Can you describe the time or moment when you turned the page and understood what that strength and inner beauty looked like for you?
Cristina:
It is weird because some people think I am, but I never really looked at me as a beautiful woman. I still consider myself as a very normal (at least aesthetically) woman that learned to improve some things on her look.
I think strength is when you don’t feel the most perfect person in the world but it is when you can accept your flaws as well, and make them your best quality.
The Fun Stuff: On The Surface
Jessica Mae:
We know that understanding what is inside, is the driving force behind one’s beauty, but we still like to “look” beautiful and feel sexy too. What are the top 3 things that you do to create your radiant look or sex appeal?
Cristina:
My “raccoon eyes” signature look. My eyes are kind of small so I started to enhance them years ago with lots of black matte eyeshadow that was reminiscent of “smokey eye” look, but was also covering all the lower part of the eye. So I feel good when I have this look on!
Whenever I want to feel really sexy I put on a mini-dress and very high heels. I don’t wear them often (my friends are always telling me I have to show them more, ahaha!) as I feel uncomfortable to show my legs. I prefer leggings and biker boots but I have lots of high heel shoes at home (I love to own them but don’t wear them often… weirdo). So I put them to use every once in a while.
I also have a weird passion for fake fur jackets especially when they are super puffy - funny (with ears for example) and with strange colors. I know it sounds silly but I feel so comfortable that some people say my face kind of changes too and is more relaxed. Eeeeeh!! I am strange, I know.
Jessica Mae:
What is your favorite shade of lipstick right now?
Cristina:
Redrum by Jeffree Star cosmetics. Awesome shade of red.
Jessica Mae:
If you had to choose one beauty product that is your favorite, what would it be??
Cristina:
The Beauty blender, it changed my whole makeup universe!!!!
(Check out this link for some great tips on how to clean the beauty blender)
Jessica Mae:
Your eyeliner is always so rich in color. What brand do you like to use?
Cristina:
The Kat Von D one (tattoo liner in shade Trooper), is pretty cool!
Jessica Mae:
What is your favorite brand of makeup and/or beauty products?
Cristina:
Anastasia Beverly Hills, Becca, Bare Minerals, Kat Von D, Urban Decay, Benefits, Jeffree star, Beauty Blender.
Jessica Mae:
And I think everybody probably wants to know... how long does it take you to get ready before a show?
Cristina:
Not much!! I don’t spend a lot of time putting makeup on, definitely waaaaay under half an hour. And in the case of need, a few minutes at best :-)
The Wrap Up
There you have it! Some thoughts on the meaning of beauty and few personal indulgences from Cristina Scabbia. Not only am I a huge personal fan of Cristina and her success with Lacuna Coil, I truly believe she lives in my own beliefs that our company wears proudly on their backs. Life is a Stage "Prepare For Battle".
Cristina Scabbia | Lacuna Coil & Jessica Mae | WarPaint International Beauty Agency.
Lacuna Coil: The House of Shame.
You can hear Cristina's heavenly voice against the metal grit of Andrea Ferro and the powerful Maki bass line, in this new single. Check it out!!
SS 2016 Fashion. Hair Un-Styling. Is it For You...
It has become quite clear that the new “cool girl” has zero shame about allowing her “wakeup hair” to be quickly coiffed with a touch a dry shampoo and a good brushing.
Hair Un-Styling. Is It For You?
From the Director's Chair.
Benjamin Rodich. National Artistic Director for Hair. WarPaint International Beauty Agency.
Diving into Spring / Summer Fashion Week 2016
It has become quite clear that the new “cool girl” has zero shame about allowing her “wakeup hair” to be quickly coiffed with a touch a dry shampoo and a good brushing. While last year we saw beach waves and the return of texture in a daring way, we are now saying “ it is what it is.”
Here in the Midwest, the return of the winter's moisture-free air and subzero temperatures, promises a season of highly annoying split ends, endless static, and dull hair. I recently drowned myself in Harpers Bazaar (The Best Beauty Looks for NYFW Spring 2016) for days, and I can say that I am thankful for the newest trend that is coming about for SS2016. While you will always appreciate the magical blowout that your stylist gives you, it will only last a few days at most for many. The stress on your hair from the water, heat and dry air is extreme. What can you do?
Enter Hair Un-styling
If I may... a thought about the marriage of makeup and hair. I believe beauty can be simple and complex all in the same space. Power braids, center parts, deep side parts, bangs...
As a hairdresser, I strive to understand the intention of someone’s style through his or her lens. I love the lady that wears the reddest lip she owns as she sits in my chair. In years past I would have been so excited to give her that show-stopping old Hollywood glam marcel wave. I look at her differently now. Her red lip tells me secretly “don’t hide me”.
While curating our SS2016 trend collection, we are striving to create a portfolio of looks that help the modern day women to be better understood by truly building a relationship between her hair and makeup. This collection, with countless hours of collaboration with the most talented artists in the country, will be thoughtful, beautiful, unique, and approachable.
“How Many Days Until New York Fashion Week??”
When it comes to your hair right now, less could definitely be more. In a recent blog post I wrote of the vulnerability, that if we choose it, can transport us to a time where we didn’t have the skill to blow dry our hair with a round brush or create the soft waves with our curling wand we love so much. At that time we did what we knew how to do, maybe a simple braid, or lots of ponytails. If you look at the last walk of Valentino you will see just that.
Valentino | Spring Summer 2016 by Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli | Full Fashion Show in High Definition. (Widescreen - Exclusive Video - PFW/Paris Fashion Week)
An octagon pattern of twists was the hi-lite of those heads of hair as they pounded down the runway. The “power braids” that are coming back into trend are exposing and fierce. The “Warrior Woman” of today has a bigger goal for the day than an hour of styling. She is strong and has zero time for anything that keeps her from the battles she faces each day.
Jason Wu Red Lip SS 2015
Interestingly enough, she passes by a different woman also in high trend right now. This power girl has an earthy and mossy look to her hair. Mostly air-dried with a touch of hair oil she throws her Mason Pearson brush in her purse and away she goes. Not curly, not strait, not wavy, just…her. The raw natural essence of her spirit; her hair is what it wants to be, undone. Un-heated, not pulled, not fastened, not pinned. Parted and ..pardon me…that’s it. Her lip, a velvet matte red like seen in Jason WU SS2015.
This is what I mean by complex and simple. We can now wonder, where is she going? I can’t help but think, how freeing it must feel to let go of what we know and just wash and condition with beautiful product, apply a small amount of precious hair oil and a red lip, maybe a touch of tinted moisturizer and head out the door to the catwalk streets of your city. Aha, a trend has been born because we decided to be vulnerable and “un-dress” our hair.
“If its already hit the runway, can I pull this off ?”
How can we inspire you?
Our talented and highly professional artisans can be your compass to selecting the right shades and consulting on whether you will undress your hair, your makeup, or both. For those who still live in the WarPaint world of (and I have to use a line from Local designer Julia Moss) “ Full wattage” hair and makeup - we are still here for you. Natural and elegant , or painted and glam, we are your artists. We are your beauty on demand.
With that, remember… Life is a stage, are you prepared?
New York Fashion Week is February 10 - 16, 2016. Catch up on NYFW HERE.
Hair & Makeup Inspirations from NYFW 2016.
Lets go into the home of the woman whom, unlike fashion designers, doesn’t have a hair and makeup team at her disposal, for their models strutting the runway. She wonders, “ How will I show up and look on trend?” “ How will I belong?”
Beauty by Intuition. Hair & Makeup Inspiration from NYFW Spring / Summer 2016
From the Director's Chair
The streets of New York City were alive this year as the runways were rolled out. Champagne was toasted and the designers of our industry sent their blood sweat and tears down the runway at New York Fashion Week Spring / Summer 2016. For a year, designers tirelessly work, and in 3 hours from the beginning of hair and makeup to the final walk, it’s over.
Photo Credit: NYFW.com
Looking on Trend
It would be logical to think that this season’s hottest hairstyle looks would be walking down the runway in full force. I would like to take you on a different journey this year... Lets go into the home of the woman whom, unlike fashion designers, doesn’t have a hair and makeup team at her disposal, for their models strutting the runway. She wonders, “ How will I show up and look on trend?” “ How will I belong?”
I speak of this woman figuratively as I saw her walking into shows all around the city either alone with her first ticket in her life to watch a show at Fashion Week, or as a guest of a well-seasoned fashion week goer. There is a word that inspires me greatly this month that we all use at some point throughout the day in our practice(s). Intuition.
• in·tu·i·tion
What does it mean? Through a quick search on the internet, Google dictionary defines it as the ability to understand something immediately, without the need for conscious reasoning. I believe that the way we do our hair each day is intuitive. We just do it, the way we know how and they way that makes us feel the best. Vulnerability does not have a seat at the table in daily styling for most, nor are we willing to take a risk most often when we are surrounded by people we know. Some of us would never dream of leaving the house with a topknot or a center part. Some of us cover our forehead with a strong fringe and some of us live for our long layered tresses that gently flow down our neck and wave with wind on the city streets where we conquer the world each day.
Sharing a #fringe #ootd and the secret of how to get invited to #NYFW on the blog today! 💃🏻 http://t.co/hMu876CEOy pic.twitter.com/z9JrDtzYCw
— Closet Luxe (@closet_luxe) September 28, 2015Your inspiration comes alive
During New York Fashion Week, the narrative changes and something so beautiful happens. Without asking, vulnerability knocks at the door, comes into the vanity and takes over. I can see the new-found confidence if only for the day, in the eyes of the women who power walk the streets of New York City. Some may keep their low casual pony, yet adorn it with a large bow or tie a scarf around it, while others take it to a new level. I saw bangs so fresh and free they were cut that morning with the sharpest scissors in the house. There was no care of too long or short, just an impulse to be alive and bold. It is in this moment that a “ Trend” becomes personal, private, and rebellious.
It is within this space that an artistic expression of our inner self is born. As you are going to the salon wondering “What do I tell my stylist today?” Ask yourself, what would you attempt to do if you realized that you just get one lifetime. Each time you cut your hair is an opportunity. It is an opportunity to extract the excitement and passion that your stylist has for their craft and wear it proudly and without shame. It is a commitment to not taking the path of least resistance and commanding growth and boldness from your soul. It is engaging in a deep and intimate relationship with vulnerability, and when this happens, life happens in a way you cannot imagine until you are there.
At WarPaint International beauty agency, we strive to help create a menu of options. Many of these options cater to helping you revisit your daily hairstyle and makeup regime in a new way. Others, challenge you to invite that unknown, "that vulnerability", into your home and take you on a journey back to childhood when your friend came over to play dress up. Where you put the most intense Red Lipstick on and as much color as you could fit on your eyelid. And after as many ponytails as your could tie your hair into were tied, you then sat and stared in your vanity mirror inspired and excited by what looked back at you. Maybe for the afternoon you were the princess you read about in your story books, or maybe you were the confident grown up you couldn’t wait to be one day. Whatever the case, you had no understanding of limits and no fear of what others would say. You only knew that this was exciting and bold and brought you to a frame of mind where imagination and pure joy took the wheel. This space is, for a hairdresser and a makeup artist, a playground.
Your Challenge
I would like to invite all of you in the months to come, to remember that you DO have a Hair and Makeup Team at your disposal. I ask you to challenge us here at WarPaint International Beauty Agency, to help you extract the inner child in you. Lets play with makeup and hair like you once did and make it work for the life you live now. Whether your look is polished and refined, or deconstructed and free flowing, we are here to help you make choices as to how to live in the beyond of beauty. A space where inspiration flows like the river. And when you’re done, never forget that the hallways in your home or the streets of your city are your catwalks for life. Happy Fashion Week to all and thank you for your continued business. We cannot wait to help you Prepare For Battle™
Fall Trend Collection - Inspiration
View the Fall Trend Collection behind the scenes video for inspiration towards new intuition.