Mine was delicious and relaxed, finally had a chance to get some sketching in.
Maybe I had birds on the brain, as this is what I came up with while sketching in my uncle's kitchen.
I think it was a slightly nostalgic piece as the girl's clothing feels reminiscent of something I wore once as a little girl (shiny black dress shoes and a winged dress). I also used to make a lot of origami as a child; I could make puffed up frogs, cranes, rhinos, even a parrot!
Diagnosis: I think I may have a case of the Never-land blues...
I don't know whether, or not, you agree with those lyrics; I bought those 14cm heels a couple of weeks ago, because I was amazed by the way they looked on my feet. I instantly knew that they would be a great deal of trouble for my feet, but I never imagined that I would not be able to stand still for more than 2 hours. Complete disaster girls, you can try this ONLY at home.
Ok then, I'm compromised to 12cm. They look pretty feminine, and I can walk in those. These shoes will be worn only on special occasions. Do you like them too?
There are three words that come to mind when you first see Claudine Claudio; Oh, my, & God. Men & women alike cannot keep their eyes off of her. This is simply because her true beauty inside radiates on the outside. I have been lucky enough to work with this promising young woman and would think it a crime not to share her secret with the world. I can only warn that temperatures will rise & hearts will be warmed with what she has to offer us in the future. On a chilly November evening in White Plains, New York, Greg Mac from Benoski Corp. & I got to have a chat with Claudine over sake and yasai gyoza.
What’s your name? Claudine Claudio. My full name is Claudine Erica Claudio.
How old are you? 19. My birthday’s in July.
Where did you get those looks from? My Dad is Irish, Puerto Rican, & Spanish and my Mom is Puerto Rican & Dominican.
How did you become interested in modeling? When I was 7 or 8, I saw a Victoria’s Secret fashion show for the first time with the big angel wings. I used to love to put on angel wings & tutus and walk around like them. I love having my picture taken, I’ve always been a ham. I love the attention and having the camera on me.
What was your first experience with modeling? It was a fashion show at my performing arts high school. I modeled to Cascada, “Everytime We Touch.” I modeled a little dress. Then I modeled another dress to “My Humps.” I was so turned on by it: the music, the walking, & everyone taking pictures.
Tell us your favorite experience as a model. Meeting new people, nice people, making new friends, having my hair & makeup done, wearing your clothes, I love wearing your clothes.
Whose clothes? Your clothes.
Awwwwww… They really flatter my body. I feel so much prettier wearing your designs.
Tell us your worst experience as a model. Dealing with nasty models picking at each other & putting me down. I like dealing with friendly people & enjoying my time.
What type of modeling would you like to do? Lingerie & Swimsuit. Sexy modeling. I want to model swimsuits that flatter a woman’s body.
Who are your favorite music artists? What kind of music gets you warmed up for a photoshoot? DeadMau5. Not the electro kind of music of his, but the slow house music. DJ Kaskade & DJ Tiesto. That kinda music. Also, Common. I LOVE him ...because he doesn’t say nasty words about women. But for a photoshoot I need DeadMau5, house music, THAT gets me going.
Who are your role models? Marilyn Monroe. Number one. I have pictures of her everywhere in my room. Eleven giant pictures! Also, Adrianna Lima. She looks so sexy. Her curves are beautiful. She’s my favorite. Tyra Banks. I love how she’s always for women’s curves, no matter how big you are or how you look, you’re always beautiful.
Who’s your favorite runway model?
Adriana Lima. She’s so sexy. Her curves are beautiful. She’s my favorite.
Adriana Lima What do you think about the modeling industry standards of beauty? I think it’s unrealistic. They’re skinny, tall, mostly white girls. Blonde hair, blue eyes, or fair skin, skinny, no boobs, no curves, no stretch marks or imperfections. And I’m the opposite of that. I have stretch marks & curves, I’m short. I don’t have blonde hair & blue eyes. And I’m definitely not fair skinned. They’re not going to find real beauty in what their standards are.
Did you get a lot of male attention in high school? Yes. Even on my worst days, the boys would be drooling.
Of course. (Laughs) They were! I definitely stood out, lookswise. Yeah, I guess I got a lot of attention. That’s why I have more guy friends than girls. The girls in my high school were haters.
What do your friends think of your modeling career? They’re really supportive & I know they care because they stuck around. They’re the ones who like when I talk about my modeling and the ones that say, “Oh I wanna go!" or "I wanna see pictures!” They're interested. They’re my true friends because they’re never jealous, they support me.
The boys are dying to know, what do you look for in a boyfriend? Great personality. They HAVE to make me laugh, they have to be secure, & they have to have something going for them. Smart, funny, good morals, & a good personality. I like nice guys that know how to treat a lady.
You’re so attractive, do you ever have trouble dating? It’s hard to find a good, genuine guy. Hot guys who come up to me usually have nothing going for them, a shitty personality & are conceited. The guys that have something going for them usually have trouble approaching me. I like a confident guy. Confidence goes a long way. I'm waiting boys!
What’s your idea of a perfect date? A perfect date for me would be a nice vegetarian restaurant, in the city. I love NYC. Even a petting zoo would be nice. I love animals! He would capture my heart if he takes me out during the day, to a petting zoo or a farm. You bring animals around me, you’re a winner!
If you could date any famous person, who would it be and why? DeadMau5. Joel Zimmerman. I love him. His music intoxicates me. I met him once. He’s so nice. He attracts me with music.
Where do you see yourself in five years? I want to do Maxim. I want my modeling to go forward. I see myself working as a nurse… in a hospital somewhere, in the emergency room. I want to be in NY, Florida, or California. I have family in New York & Florida but something about California attracts me. I don’t know why. Maybe I’ll be with someone nice. I definitely want to be working with animals in some way, volunteering at a shelter.
If all of your dreams came true with modeling, what would you do? I would want to be a spokesperson for an animal rights organization. There are organizations everywhere around the world. I would love to use my talent to bring awareness to animal rights. I want to be their voice because they don’t have one.
Is there anything that you want people to know about you that they wouldn’t know from a first impression? I’m genuinely genuine. I’m caring. I’m extremely sensitive to animals, children, & homeless people. I care about others before I care about myself. I’m really selfless and always put others before me.
This party/animal lover never ceases to impress the people around her. Could you dream of a better friend, role model, or girlfriend? A model, nurse, animal rights spokesperson, & party girl; in any direction she chooses, she will be loved & celebrated. Ladies and gentleman, when you see her face on the cover of magazines, billboards, and on T.V., and passersby ask, “Who’s THAT girl?” You tell em’, “that’s Claudine Claudio.”
I almost never write about other beauty brands, but I stumbled across a great non-Lancome product recently. Shocking, I know. : )
I was in a new indie beauty shop in my neighborhood called Shen when I spotted an organic nail polish remover. (The full name is Karma Organic Organic Nail Polish Remover with Soybean Oil and Lavender.) I never expected it would work, but since nail polish remover always smells terrible, I thought I'd give it a try.
Earlier this week, I wanted to switch from wearing my favorite blue-grey Le Gris L'Wren to the ruby Le Rouge L'Wren (both from our holiday collection. Did you read All Lacquered Up's rave about Le Rouge? Amazing! So I grabbed the Karma remover and to my surprise, it worked. Really well! It's also very oily, which I'm hoping is good for my nails.
I'll be sure to break it out again this morning because I'm going to give our spring 2011 purple another test run. It's the coolest color. I wore it once before and everyone asked me what it was. (Even a Gossip Girl asked me to send her a bottle as soon as I could!)
(The photos above are backstage pictures featuring Le Gris, Le Rouge and the spring 2011 purple.)
I'm not sure where you can find Karma, but you can always called Shen. 718-576-2679. (It's Small Business Saturday in the U.S., so it's a good day to buy something from a small business! )
Are you wearing nail polish today? What shade? And did you apply it yourself or get a manicure?
It's not every day you can get a 20 percent discount on your favorite Lancome products. If you're shopping on lancome-usa.com, make sure to enter HOLIDAY20 at checkout. (The discount doesn't apply to gift cards, gift sets or the Beauty Box.)
But it does apply to all your fave products. If you need to replenish, now's the time. If you just want to treat yourself, buy some stocking stuffers, or update your beauty routine, here are my 10 suggestions for products you can't go wrong with:
1. Bi-Facil eye makeup remover--there's a reason every model and makeup artist ask us for this product. It's the best eye makeup remover in the world!
2. Brust #2--an amazing foundation brush. Makeup artists love this brush.
3. Juicy Tubes in Spring Fling--Angelina Jolie wore this last year to the Academy Awards or the Golden Globes. (I can't remember which!) It's super sheer and works over almost every lipstick color or lip liner.
4. Definicils Mascara--it's the world's best-selling luxury mascara for a reason!
5. Le Crayon Poudre brow pencil--if you've overplucked (I'm guilty) and you need to fill in your brows, here you go. This is easy to use, has great staying power and has a brush at the end that lets you comb the color through.
6. Le Stylo Waterproof in Noir--if you really like to line your eyes, waterline included, you'll never need another liner.
7. Artliner in Noir--the best liquid liner around. If you don't agree, I will personally refund you! :)
8. Anything from the L'Wren Scott holiday collection--We're so lucky to be working with L'Wren. She has such fabulous taste and put together a collection that's chic and wearable. If I had to pick one thing, I'd pick the grey/blue nail polish.
9. Teint Miracle foundation--if you're in the market for a new foundation, this is a beautiful formula with moderate coverage. I like to buy foundation at the counter so I can find the perfect shade. (But if you know your shade, you can stock up!)
10. L'Absolu Rouge lipstick in Rich Cashmere--every celebrity makeup artist we work with loves this shade. It's beige, warmed up with a bit of pink. Julia Roberts has worn it, Kate Winslet, the models in the Victoria Beckham show and L'Wren's show. It's timeless.
What Lancome product would you recommend to someone else? What is it and why? We'd love to know.
Shot in black and white film, 400 speed, un-edited.
I stumbled onto these photos on my cousin Alena's Facebook page a few weeks ago and was captivated. I didn't even realize that she even dabbled in photography, but I was so impressed with the series that I wanted to share them. She's currently living in Berlin, and I thought the images were a nice glimpse into the world there, channeled though a strong, artistic eye.
I am very much into literature , but having no free time at all makes me a much slower reader than I usually am. (God, I really am in a sentimental mood lately, hope it's just a phase)
"You grow, you roar Although disguised I know you You'll learn to know You grow, you grow like tornado You grow from the inside Destroy everything through Destroy from the inside Erupt like volcano You flow through the inside You kill everything through You kill from the inside You'll... You'll learn to know I wonder if I'm allowed ever to see I wonder if I'm allowed to ever be free You sound so blue You now are gloom You sound so blue You now are gloom I wonder if I'm allowed just ever to be."
Have you checked out Season 2 of Bravo's "The Fashion Show"? The show is even bigger and better this year thanks to a cast shuffle that brought in the incomparable Iman. The delightful Isaac Mizrahi is back for another season and Harper's Bazaar editor Laura Brown was promoted to a full-time judge. The Lancôme PR team loves Laura, who is as funny as she is fashionable, so we thought we'd do a little Q&A with her. Enjoy!
How did you get involved in “The Fashion Show”?
Harper's Bazaar–my day job–is the magazine partner for “The Fashion Show,” and I am the staffer most desperate for attention.
How was Season 2 compared to Season 1?
Season 2 is like night and a new day from Season 1. Firstly, we've been Iman'd, and she is both a fashion icon and a hoot. Isaac is being his wonderful self and giving the designers his wisdom, and the designers themselves stand a real chance of being successful in this industry. And, of course, they make great TV.
How do you like being on television?
I love it, actually. The constant need to think on your feet is a shot of adrenaline (the tequila of hormones). Still learning about my best side, though. I'm betting on the left.
What is the best part of your job at Bazaar?
Having ideas that seem totally inconceivable and then somehow making them happen. Glenda, my boss, gives you the freedom to think big. Looking back at some of the things we've done, I still can't quite believe it came together. Hmm, what else? Free lip gloss and borrowed shoes.
Is there a cover girl you’re dying to get? (And why?)
We are lucky that we've had all the big girls on our covers at some time or another. I'd love to do a solo cover with Kristen Stewart sometime next year, though (we did her with Rob Pattinson last year). I think she's such a cool girl, and she's really growing into herself.
Who is funnier? Iman or Isaac?
Both. Honestly. It's like “Laugh-In,” even when we've been shooting for 12 hours. Iman is so blunt, she's hysterical, and quite British in her humor (which, as an Aussie convict, I enjoy). Isaac was just born funny.
Who does your makeup for the show?
I had an assortment of lovelies do my makeup for the show this time–I think they did a great job (but you tell me¬high-def is horrifying).
Who has a better makeup artist? You or Iman?
Ha! Nice try. Iman will freely tell you she has a whole glamour infrastructure. I just wing it (which might be the reason why I occasionally look confused).
We heard you’re a big Lancôme fan? True or false?
It's not a lie. I slather my face with any sort of Secret de Vie or Génefique I can get my hands on. I don't look 15 yet, but any minute now.
What is your favorite Lancôme product?
This fabulous matte red lipstick called Color Design Red Haute. All the girls at Bazaar are obsessed with it. A really true red, and it really stays on. Actually, they should rename it Tenacious Red.
Best beauty advice?
Sleeeeeeeeep. Vitamin D–be it in sun or a supplement. And, when all else fails, dim light. ;)
