Runs in the family...

Today, as I was going about my usual procrastination of homework routine I stumbled across a neat little slide show put together by Style.com on stylish mother/daughter pairs. Needless to say, I was inspired! As I began my research I decided to broaden my criteria, and, rather than confine it to style, simply compile a list of the most fascinating, compelling and, of course, beautiful mother/daughter pairs throughout Hollywood history. Here are my favourites, in no particular order...

Priscilla Presley and daughter Lisa Marie Presley (with father Elvis)

Actress -- Musician

Edith "Big Edie" Bouvier Beale and daughter Edith "Little Edie" Bouvier Beale (aunt and first cousin to Jackie O)
Amateur musician -- Socialite

Jayne Mansfield and daughter Mariska Hargitay
Both actresses
One of the most fascinating pairs, in my opinion. How would being the daughter of such a notorious sex symbol have affected Mariska's life, I wonder?

Madonna and daughter Lourdes Ciccone
Musician -- Teenager

Judy Garland and daughter Liza Minelli
Both actress/singers

Although Minnelli and her mother shared a warm personal relationship, during the London Palladium performances, Garland recognized Minnelli's talent and felt a sense of competition. Minnelli recalled a time where she was singing on stage: "I was onstage with my mother, but suddenly, she wasn't Mama ... she was Judy Garland." Garland attempted suicide on a number of occasions, and died of an accidental drug overdose at the age of 47, leaving children Liza Minelli, Lorna Luft and Joey Luft.

Though this is common in Hollywood (and life, in general) I still see this as one of the saddest stories...

Jane Birkin and daughters Charlotte Gainsbourg (with father Serge) and Lou Doillon (Birkin's daughter with director Jacques Doillon)
Actress/Singer -- Actress/Singer -- Actress/Model
Oh I just adore this happy little family...

Isabella Rossellini and daughter Elettra Rossellini Weidemann

Actress/model -- Model
I only really started to appreciate Isabella Rossellini's appeal after I saw David Lynch's 'Blue Velvet', and now I find her endlessly fascinating...

Goldie Hawn and daughter Kate Hudson
Both actresses
Everybody loves these two bubbly blondes...

I wonder who these lists will comprise 10 years from now? Angelina and Shiloh, perhaps? Katie and Suri, for sure. Or maybe Jessica with her Honor-Marie, or even Nicole with her Sunday? I guess only time will tell...

Catch.

Romany

[photos courtesy beautifulgirl.yuku.com, style.com, theage.com.au, dressingvintage.com, elvispresleymusic.com.au, sheknows.com 1 and 2 and jgdb.com]

A Beautiful Birthday...

Hello world, I am officially an adult. That's right, I turned 18 (finally) on the 4th. I celebrated on Friday by taking my close friends out to dinner to a lovely Italian restaurant, and then headed to the city to 'club the night away'. This was my first time in a nightclub (though I would most likely have been allowed in before my 18th birthday anyway as I haven't looked my age, underage, in many years; I guess I just like to play by the rules sometimes), interestingly titled Tramp, and, boy, was it an eye-opening experience. I'm generally a very insecure person, and all I can say was, being surrounded by slim, tanned, pretty girls draped in mini-skirts and sequins was a real shot to the ol' self-esteem. But it didn't matter so much once the dancing started.


As a first-time night clubber, I was fairly clueless as to appropriate nightclub attire, and therefore showed up in jeans, knee-length boots and this...

It's an undoubtedly beautiful dress, but I became so overheated while dancing (especially while trying to breathe and see through the dry-ice) that we had to take regular fresh-air breaks. But it was all worth it once the dancing started and the inhibitions went out the window. Unfortunately, due to the fact that I've been very sick recently (just in time for exam week) and my friend has been sick for months on end, we had to leave fairly early. But all in all, definitely an experience I will be trying again.

Anyway, on to the presents. I noticed a very apparent theme running through my presents this year. For the most part, they were in some way beauty-related. Is this some sort of subtle hint, I wonder? Something my friends and family have been trying to tell me for some time, just waiting for the opportunity to present itself? I like to think it was just a coincidence...

Firstly, I received this limited edition Chanel lip cream, Levres Signees, which features five fabulous shades in a shape that forms the iconic Chanel double C. I'm usually not a coloured lip person (I have naturally red lips and try my best to downplay this), but come on, this is Chanel, and if one were to wear coloured lips this is the only way to go. Not to mention, the shades are all so smooth and creamy that they're such a pleasure to wear anyway.

I also received this ultra-shiny, ultra-smoothing Clarins Gloss Appeal lip gloss in Crystal (aka, clear). What sets Gloss Appeal apart are the special pigments which illuminates the lips with gold or silver reflections (in my case, silver) which enhance the light.

Next, I received a hefty gift voucher to my local beauty salon (who use the brand of products, Thalgo, pictured above) after complaining about how badly I need a facial for the past year. This is something I'm so excited for because the salon also offer massages. Everybody loves massages.

And lastly, early last week, I was sent this cute little hair accessory (it wasn't necessarily a birthday present, but due to the fact that I received it so close to my birthday, I count it towards my present tally). The Zann Clip is a revolutionary substitute for uncomfortable jaw clips, designed to not leave the dent in your hair that regualr barrettes do. It took a little while to get the hang of it, I even had to watch the online instructional videos (featuring a woman who has the most naturally beautiful hair I've seen in a long time), but once that little hurdle was behind me, I was free to bask in the ease and comfort the Zann Clip provides. But the biggest positive that I experienced with the Zann Clip was the security. Once my hair was secured in place wrapped around the clip, I was sure it wasn't going anywhere.
Two thumbs up.

Alltogether, a very lovely birthday.
What are some 18th birthday presents you remember?

Catch.

Romany

[photos courtesy of splendicity.com, us.clarins.com, thescene.com, barkins.com.au , the-soul-sanctuary.com and oliviafrancis.com]

Simply Iconic...

As I was perusing through the pages of an early 2009 issue of Vogue UK, I came across a particularly intriguing story on the continued success, and 'trendiness', of the smokey eye/nude lip beauty combination. Created around 40s years ago, the Sixties Face has maintained its astounding popularity due to the fact that the emphasis is on the eyes. Makeup artist Barbara Daly believes the eyes are so attractive because they emphasise communication. "They are how we see expression in each other," she explains. "Eye contact is one of the absolute markers of human connection, and it's part of our body language that we pay the most attention to. Widening the eyes, accentuating that part of you, is saying, 'This is who I am; this is how I feel.' I see the Sixties look as disarmingly honest -- the whole person laid bare."
If only the Sixties Face was as common place as it was during its heyday.

In an homage to the aforementioned Face, I've compiled a little list of my favourite sixties beauty icons, starting with...

Sophia Loren
Actress
Sophia epitomises classic glamour. I dare anyone to try and out-class her...

Brigitte Bardot
Actress

Raquel Welch
Actress
Raquel effortlessly embodies feminine strength...

Jane Birkin
Actress/Musician

Penelope Tree
Model

Françoise Hardy
Musician

Pattie Boyd
Model

Britt Ekland

Actress

Twiggy
Model
Twiggy remains one of the most famous, iconic models to this day...

Celia Hammond
Model

Jean Shrimpton
Model

Did I mention any of your favourites?

Catch.

Romany

[photos courtesy of askamakeupguru.com, desfilenalaje.wordpress.com, girlwiththeafro.blogspot.com, ana-lee.livejournal.com, uknet.com, thestylepage.blogspot.com, allposters.com, nytimes.com
, lezouth.free.fr and media.photobucket.com]

The Real...2009 Costume Institute Gala Benefit

Theme: The Model As Muse (vague, anyone?)

The real winners...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

Thoughts?

Catch.

Romany

[photos courtesy of wwd.com]

Just like the good ol' days...

It's not often that we see women with more than an ounce of fat on their bodies in fashion magazines, these days...Every now and then, editors will include a curvy girl to appease their politically outspoken fan base, but usually in these situations, the model will most likely be airbrushed to resemble a much smaller version of herself, a la Vogue US Shape Issue 2009...

British singer Adele (before) after her Vogue "transformation".

Sometimes, editors are less transparent. Sometimes they get it so right with their choice of model and artistic view, it makes you hopeful that the future of fashion may not be more of the same skinny minnie's that we've been seeing these past few years...

Beth Ditto graces the cover of LOVE magazine's inaugral issue.

Sometimes editors take a huge risk and dedicate a few pages to a woman whose not just skin and bones. This so rare, it's almost taboo, but most often turns out beautifully. May 1997's issue of Elle Quebec (yes, that far back) is a unique example of this.

"A bouquet of sensuality, divine like a kiss...

"...for romantic beauties. Here is spring with all of its promises...

...and the curvy girls are given the honour."

Now the Harper's Bazaar Australia camp are jumping on the bandwagon, with this spread of plus-size model Crystal Renn.

Described as "sexy bustiers, strappy dresses, and sheer lingerie ... in an 80’s-inspired shoot that felt reminiscent of Terence Donovan..."

Photographed by Luis Sanchez and styled by Wayne Gross...

...the shoot has already made fashion headlines around the world.

While this far from solves the problem, it's definitely a huge step forward. At least it displays a level of maturity over at Harper's Bazaar Australia, and their willingness to change, to be a solution instead of an enforcer of the problem.
Personally, I think the shoot is gorgeous. The lighting of the bottom right photo is a little unfortunate, but really, I hope to be opening magazines and seeing more of this kind of thing in future.
What do you all think?

Catch.

Romany

[photos courtesy of pipeline.refinery29.com, judgmentofparis.com, blackbookmag.com and jezebel.com]

Oyster: leaps and bounds above the rest...

Breathtaking photography from the latest issue of Oyster Magazine. I should really dedicate an entire category to this magazine, I blog about it enough...

Dark Tide

This is definitely my favourite photo shoot of this issue...
Photography: Steven Chee
Model: Alina B at Chic

Strangle Hold

I guess this is not so much breathtaking as innovative.
Photography: Daniela Müller-Brunke
Model: Zenia Sevastyanova at FM Models

Satellite's Gone

This one simply feeds my David Lynch obsession.
Photography: Andy Tan
Model: Sabina at House of Orange

Happy Easter!
Catch.

Romany

[photos courtesy of oystermag.com]

I grudgingly accept...

...Angelina Jolie...is...attractive. I have been adamant in my stance on the opposing argument for years, but just yesterday, I swung the other way suddenly after flipping through W Magazine's November 2008 issue. Remember this one? Brad Pitt photographed these images himself. Now, don't get too 'I told you so' yet, because as much as I think the photos are stunning, there are issues that I have with how they were captured. But for now, let's just lose ourselves in the dream-like beauty of Brad's intimate photos.

The cover that sparked a million debates around the world.
A woman breastfeeding on the cover of a magazine, right or wrong?

Now. Onto the negatives. The story behind the photos is as follows...

For a hobbyist, Pitt certainly knew what he wanted. He was determined to shoot Jolie with Kodak Tech Pan film, which hasn’t been manufactured for four years. Photo Editor Nadia Vellam located 40 rolls of the stuff on eBay, which a courier then hand-carried to Pitt in Provence, France, where the couple have been hiding out since June. A week later Pitt called; he needed more film. Vellam’s first source was tapped out. She finally tracked down a guy who offered her 30 rolls—in Israel. She then had mere hours to find someone in Tel Aviv who could get on a plane to France with the film that very day. Pitt also wanted to try a specialized film used in World War II–era movies. That was a no-go. One of Vellam’s sources instead recommended Ilford to achieve the same romantic, grainy quality. Assistant Bookings Editor Will Higdon-Sudow hopped a flight with it and made the handoff in a hotel lobby.

...followed by the results speak for themselves. This may be true, but the means by which the photos were achieved (Brad had people fly halfway across the world, fetching film that hadn't been manufactured for years, so he could take these photos) have to be one of the most self-indulgent acts of hypocrisy I've come across in a long time. I believe in people suffering for their own art, but as someone who claims not subscribe to the whole diva lifestyle, as well as being an avid promoter of human rights on a global scale, it just seems a bit...well, wrong. Backwards.
Or is it just me? Let me know what you think.

Saviour this, because you probably won't find another Angelina post on The 16 Diaries for a while. I have nothing against her. She's just not my cup o' tea.

Catch.

Romany

[photos courtesy of thebosh.com]