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Issue n.02 DECEMBER 2011
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CONTENTS Fashion 10 12 16 19 20 24 27 32 36 40 48
e y To b bruar e in F
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Fashion Flash: big news in small doses Star Style Winter in style What’s the purpose of a fashion show Fashion week survival guide Let’s talk about models Cover story: fashion princess Fashion and technology One day in your life Editorial: winter wonderland Fashionable Europe
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Careers How to create your portfolio
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Man Warm clothes with a cool attitude
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Beauty Make-up trends between yesterday and today This Christmas the key-word is “to amaze” Let’s help our skin against winter
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Merry Christmas and Happy New Year p.40
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SO VAIN team Editor-in-chief and Fashion editor
Stephanie Reed
stephanie@sovainmagazine.com Beauty Editor
Simona Serpellini
beauty@sovainmagazine.com Man Editor
Dario Bentinvegna
Ph: Maria Bresciani Stylist: Stephanie Reed MUA: Simona Serpellini Model: Sara Tagliaferri
man@sovainmagazine.com Fashion Columnists
Alessandra Casciaro Claudia Sirchia For more information about the So Vain Team, visit www.sovainmagazine.com
Graphic designers
Enzo Furloni Cinzia Scarsi
If you want to collaborate with us, send and email to stephanie@sovainmagazine.com
For your publicity on So Vain: adverts@sovainmagazine.com 4 SO VAIN magazine dec 2011
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CONTRIBUTORS
ALEXANDRA WERHAN Fashion Photographer
Alexandra is a professional photographer currently based out of Pensacola, FL. She is 23 and loves anything feminine and whimsical. In the past, she has mostly focused on portraits and weddings, however, she's now looking forward to gearing her business more towards fashion! In her personal life, she loves playing with her son, modeling, and traveling.
journalist, a student, the director of a website and a jewelry creator. In love with Audrey Hepburn, passionate about fashion and make-up, but, most of all, about nail-polishes (she has more than 500 of them!). She doesn't like to sit down and do nothing, but at the moment she is the director of a website for women ( www.tentazionemakeup.it ) and spends a lot of time doing what she loves the most: creating hand-made jewels with silver and stones. See her article "Make-up: between yesterday and today" on Page 60
ALESSANDRA PEPE Fashion Blogger
Alessandra is 25 years old and has a degree in theories and methods of communication. After several working experiences in the web as an editor and web marketer, she decided to open a fashion, lifestyle and beauty blog: M.O.M.A. A disenchanted, ironic and sincere approach, with an eye for emerging designers and the world of the handmade. BLOG : www.momastyle.com See her article "Fashion and technology" on Page 32
See her editorial "Winter Wonderland" on Page 40
MARIA BRESCIANI S.G.
Fashion Blogger
LAURA PORTOMEO
Make-up journalist and Website director
Laura is from Naples. She is a
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S.G. stands for the Shopaholic Girl, and what other name could ever be more appropriate to describe her! Fashionable to the core, breathing shopping and living for new trends. Fashion is a "style" of life ... and it's innate! BLOG: www.shopaholicstyle. com See her article “Star Style” on Page 12
Fashion photographer
Maria is studying languages right now, but she hopes, one day, to become a professional photographer. She discovered photography when her father brought back from a business trip her first reflex camera. She started taking pictures to everything she could see and attended some courses. Right now she is working with upand-coming talents and her main focus are portraits!
See her cover-story “Fallen Princess” on Page 27
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MARIANNA DE LUCA Fashion Blogger
Marianna has had a passion for fashion, like many girls, since she was little. She recently started a blog to share this passion with everyone who shared it with her. She loves to watch all the fashion shows on the internet and then take inspiration for all her outfit, even though she always wears low-cost items! BLOG: www.stylestarmjonas. blogspot.com See her article "Winter in style" on Page 16
STEFANIA AGU' Fashion blogger
Stefania, 25 years old, is a law student. She was born in the countryside, but every time she can, she escapes to Paris. Turin adopted her but she will soon move to Rome. She loves everything that is art, including fashion that, since childhood, has conquered her with its unforgettable colours and shapes. She has a blog, but don't call her a fashion blogger! She loves talking about the new roads taken by fashion, but just with simplicity, not pretending to be an expert of any sorts! BLOG: www.atouchofashion. com See her article “This Christmas the keyword is to amaze” on Pag 66
ALESSANDRO MASETTI Fashion Blogger
Alessandro is an architecture student, a swimmer, a traveler very keen on art, fashion and photography. Other than reading tons of books about fashion history, he has a personal blog and works together with some fashion magazines. BLOG: www.thefashioncommentator.blogspot.com See his article “Fashionable Europe” on Page 48
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Editor’s letter
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TAY HUNGRY, STAY FOOLISH, STAY SO VAIN “You’ve got to find what you love (…) if you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it.” Passion is a great strength, perhaps one of the biggest in life. It makes you believe in something, it makes you fight for something. This is the reason why it is so important to do what you love: it is the biggest road to happiness. Here in So Vain we try to convey to you the passion for what we do, in the hopes of inspiring you to find your own way in life. I truly admire those who have the courage to follow their dreams, so, do everything you have the possibility to do, read everything you can read, be curious. This is the goal of this magazine, to make you curious, to encourage your passions and pursue your dreams in a world that is always changing. Knowledge is power, and we try to give it to you in the most stylish way we know.
Stephanie Reed 8 SO VAIN magazine dec 2011
sovainmagazine.com s
t n e v e e v i s u l Exc
Make-up tutorials
What to wear Always new contents w
ritten by experts
All the latest news from the fashion world
Latest trends rials
Backstages of the edito
The sense of glamour, art and aesthetic seen through the eyes of passion
S0 VAIN FASHION Claudia Sirchia
FASHION FLASH
big news in small doses
It’s raining books! Fashion always wants to remember: Gucci launches its new book “The making of…” that encompasses all that you can physically see in the Gucci museum, opened for the 90th anniversary of the brand, and now told with 52 unpublished texts and more than 700 images (some of which have never been seen!); the other book is called “Fashion Alchemies” and it’s a project by Buyvip and Istituto Marangoni. The subtitle? Fashion dreams come true.
We must keep pace with the times… and the fashion designer Valentino Garavani has got this right: he has thought to prepare, in collaboration with Giancarlo Giannetti, an online 3D museum, to show the world all of his creations, together with matching accessories! All this enclosed in an application downloadable since Decembre 5th!
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Two other capsule collections are coming! No low-cost chains this time, but Rihanna and Armani! Yes, the famous singer is not only the face of two Armani campaigns, but has now also become a fashion designer! The brand has been created ad hoc: the eagle of the designer that serves as a background to the R of the singer. Aren’t you curious to see the collection!? The second one, is again Versace with H&M. AGAIN! Apparently Donatella “loves” us soooo much and she has thought of us also for the next season (please, notice my sarcasm)! Yuppie! I’m just telling you one thing… strawberries. Lots of strawberries!
S0 VAIN FASHION Claudia Sirchia
FASHION FLASH
big news in small doses
Despite everything, he doesn’t stop! We left John Galliano in Septembre with the ruling that declared him guilty. Finally, some news from Galliano’s Maison: an online store completely dedicated to the famous fashion designer! Yes, now also the people who don’t have one of his boutiques nearby, will be tempted to buy something through his online shop that delivers all over the world! Are you preparing your
2 Mini news: - Dior is frozen. Still without a designer as the French Maison is taking time. New names emerge instead of Marc Jacobs - Karl Lagerfeld, again! In February he will become the director of Metro. After Lady Gaga, who could it be if not him?
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STAR
STYLE S.G.
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y now we all know that the new style icons, or “It Girl�, are the ones from whom we take inspiration for our shopping and outfits. I would say that the most popular, admired and copied ones at the moment are Leighton Meester and Blake Lively, the two stars from the series Gossip Girl.
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Obviously, we cannot forget the super glamourous Olsen twins, the goddess of fashion Kate Moss and the ultimate bad girl Lindsay Lohan. All with a very different style, but what they have in common is that they all wear the trends of the moment and that all the girls in the world copy and idolize them.
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We start with the beautiful blonde Blake, wondering around in New York with her Halloween pumpkin. Flawless and super trendy, even in her everyday life. As usual, she’s wearing only big designers, but you can copy her look also with a low budget.
- Leggigs ZARA - Wedges animalier Mango - Blazer H&M - Hat ZARA
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S0 VAIN FASHION Let’s go the beautiful Kate Moss, who, for the evening, shows us a very chic but simple look. You can recreate it with these items.
-Metallic dress and a mini black bag of paint, both ZARA, -Black “stiletto” is Bershka
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S0 VAIN FASHION Leighton Meester, that here shows her new haircut (the bang is expected to be a must this winter, is wearing a totalwhite romantic outfit, completed with a Dior bag. Do not despair, here are some low-cost items.
-Quilted shoulder bag Mango as the romantic white dress with voulant. -White frock draped Tally Weijl
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r an w exo f e fe bl Suita ho has a e bust w th yone unds on y legs. n o tra p uite skin st with u q ar it j at you but e w an th You c jeans, so l look, a y skinn ve a casu ys and a a can h or the d ing the f r both enings du v the e . week 9,95 1 H&M
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R E T WIN E L Y T S N I
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inter is almost here and the cold air is making us want
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to just stay at home all day, with a cup of hot chocolate in front of the fireplace (while reading So Vain, obviously). If I had to associate more than one piece of clothing to winter, the first words that would come to my mind
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keep simple n a c You ed with a rdigan s ca it clo der the rn with n o pin. U t-shirt, w oots. b y a gra nd black a jeans 9,95 3 H&M
would be cardigans, jumpers and accessories like scarves and hats. One of the most frequent problems of women is to become very lazy and start wearing sweaters that are a much bigger size than yours. It’s very easy to see why they do it. They say that the bigger a sweater is, the more t-shirts I can wear underneath so
a is is ook. Dark h t t, Also casual l t-shir e t t a i gre and wh days. s y n n i a a e r j ct for e f r e p 39,95 M & H
not to be cold. Or these items could be very old ones and maybe from your boyfriend/ partner/husband. It would be ok to wear them if you are at home, but only in this case! If you go outside, one could easily wear a cardigan or a sweater that is the right size and keeps us warm. During the latest fashion weeks we have seen many ways to wear these items, but certainly not
everyone can afford to spend all that money. And here is where the low-cost shops take over! Many stores, in fact, take these same patterns and readapt and sell them at an affordable price. Low-cost chains like Zara, H&M or Bershka, or online shops like Romwe or Asos have a wide range of choices. Here you can find some of possible outfit options. SO VAIN magazine dec 2011
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www.tossapenny.it
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S0 VAIN SPECIAL: FASHION WEEK
N O I H S A F : L A K I E C E E P W S WHAT’S THE PURPOSE OF FASHION SHOWS Stephanie Reed
As you may know, February is the month of fashion. In fact, in this period, the fashion weeks are being held all over the world, with the readyto-wear proposals from the designers on the catwalk. A question that very often the people I know ask me, on this issue, is: What is the purpose of these fashion shows? In fact, if I didn’t know the system, then this would be a question that certainly I would make too. To see walking down the catwalk those clothes which are often completely unwearable, on models with a body which is far from that of “normal ” women,
might seem an absolutely meaningless and useless activity. First of all, you need to keep in mind that almost all the clothes that you see at fashion shows are not made for the market, but rather serve as a source of inspiration. Of course if some stars or the billionaire people would want them, they can certainly buy them, but these are opportunities which are almost precluded to us ordinary mortals. What is showed on the catwalk it’s only a fraction of what you can buy in the shops, where far more wearable clothes are sold, even though they don’t appear at the fashion shows. In a few words, the same items seen on the catwalk are sold to the public, but in a very simplified way. the dress will most likely pull on the breast and the trousers will be too tight. If the dress looks wrong on the model, then it automatically becomes ugly.
For this reason the designers create a single size, which is the American size 0, which only a thin girl can fit and feel good in it .As for the anorexic models, then the question is a bit more complicated. There are a lot of discussions around the topic. I start by saying that I am in favor of the fact that the models should be thin. Be careful, with “thin” I’m not referring to those walking toothpicks of whom you can see every single bone, but a model must have, in my opinion, a tonic body. If the models, in fact, are quite curvy, the clothes can make some faults. If you take a buxom girl, the top of the dress will most likely pull on the breast and the trousers will be too tight. If the dress looks wrong on the model, then it automatically becomes ugly. For this reason the designers create a single size, which is the American size 0, which only a thin girl can fit and feel good in it . In conclusion, fashion shows are a sort of advertising, and they serve to make buyers and editors understand which guideline will the collection in the stores follow. So, more original and unique it will be, more it will attract attention.
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S0 VAIN SPECIAL: FASHION WEEK
FASHION WEEK SURVIVAL GUIDE
Dario Bentinvegna
5 GOLDEN RULES on what to do and not to do during Fashion Week
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seasons at AltaModa in Rome and one at the London Fashion Week. I always try to follow some rules so that I can enjoy as much as possible what I am doing and, above all, stay healthy in mind and body
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ave you ever wondered how to choose your outfit when you are invited to attend a fashion show or to a fashion event? How do the fashion editors, journalists, buyers and stylists get through this choice, always running from a catwalk to another? In my own small way I have recently experienced two
1.OUTFIT Plan your outfits early if you need to spend more than one day at the Fashion Week or between an event and another. You don’t have to compete with the top models or to participate to a beauty contest, so be careful not to overdo and attempt the impossible. Choose, instead, trendy and neat outfits that reflect your personality and make you feel at ease. It doesn’t need to be comfortable (otherwise everyone would be wearing tracksuits!). However, don’t go too far in trying to imitate SO VAIN magazine dec 2011
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Lady Gaga, you would make a fool of yourself. If you really want to be noticed, satisfy your whims with accessories. 2. HAND-BAG The choice of the hand-bag is strategic. Whether you are sitting or standing at a fashion show, it is smart to have a small bag (mini hand bag or clutch). In fact, during fashion shows you are always really close to your neighbours, as it is on the subway at rush hour, and to have a huge Mary-Poppins-bag is uncomfortable for both you and the people near you, you would not know where to put it and it would be really heavy! 3. SHOES Whether you are a boy or a girl, you will spend a lot of time standing, so you should be wearing comfortable shoes. As for the outfit, I’m not saying to go around in flats or sneakers, but I am talking about a pair of ankle boots or heeled shoes (I personally suggest low heels). They have to be comfy to walk in. 22 SO VAIN magazine sept 2011
If youare a man, a pair of brogues, perhaps with silicone soles and gel heel cushions (I have them ... amazingly comfortable!). 4. FOOD and DRINKS Diet often tends to be underestimated during fashion week. However, even the most fashionable person who is very focused on his or her figure needs to recharge at some point, at least, to have a snack and a drink. Unfortunately there is often no time to rest and eat something or you are always too far from a bar. The solution? Bring a fast and handy snack, that gives
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you the right amount of sugar, an instant source of energy. Cereal bars, fruit bars, dried fruit, etc. ... and maybe something with chocolate to give you the right sprint. Oh and keep in mind to avoid drinking alcohol with an empty stomach or in the morning!! - there was champagne at the LFW at midday!
Week without a business card. You can easily meet new people, at 99% involved in the fashion industry. How to have a chance to get to know the right people and keep in touch? Pen and paper are excluded, phones too. The answer is a business card. They could also be really useful to register at some events if you haven’t done it before online. It happened to me in London this year, where, after they had filled out a form, they wanted to attach my business card. I was prepared to cope with the problem et voilà : ready, steady, go, pass printed! More than commandments, these are rules of common sense. Surely we are not done here, there are thousands of other MUSTS to follow. Any suggestions?
5. BUSINESS CARDS Are you a blogger, a fashion editor, a stylist or a fashion designer? If so, never go to Fashion SO VAIN magazine dec 2011
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LET’S TALK ABOUT MODELS Stephanie Reed
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question I am often asked is: why are the models you see on magazine covers often “ugly”? This is a fact that can’t be denied, just look at the latest catwalks or watch the contestants selected on America’s Next Top Model to notice it. And is not that the world lacks of pretty girls, as on the street you get to come across with some very attractive people but why then are the ones they put on these magazines so unattractive? I’ve often wondered too, why, especially in the last period, they tend not to look at the beauty of a model, but if she is androgynous or
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she has a gap between the teeth in the front. The answer came to me when I had to do themselves the castings to select some models as a stylist. If you take a girl with a classical beauty, the kind that when you look at in person you say “how beautiful eyes, what a beautiful smile”, and place her in front of a camera, the result is a photograph of a beautiful girl, the kind that you can also see on facebook, but not a photograph of impact for a fashion magazine. The purpose of photography is to impress the public. If you take a beautiful girl, with
S0 VAIN FASHION an angelic face, kind of like a porcelain doll, the shoot that you will have won’t catch the reader’s attention, be it man or woman. The world is full of gorgeous girls, but after you’ve seen them once you are already bored (we’re still talking about photography, mind you), while a girl with something special and unique captures a lot of attention. The models are no longer an ideal of beauty. Kristen McMenamy impresses for her unique features and her anemic skin, which allows photographers to take some shoots with a very strong impact. In fact, she is used in those very edgy photoshoots, with a fierce and controversial message (remember her cover story for Vogue Italy, linked to the environmental problem caused by the oil spilled into the sea last summer) But then, on what basis are models chosen? There isn’t a single answer. I personally look at the facial expression of a girl, her ability to communicate. If a model has very expressive eyes, then she will be able to
transmit a lot to the observer through her photographs, no matter if she has got a crooked nose, protruding ears or unfeminine features . Another thing that they tend to look at a lot is the mouth, which should be very sensual. What makes a successful model, however, is her personality. Only the girls with a great personality “get thorugh the lenses”, girls with grit and also those who know how to take chances and be chameleontic, becoming a different character in every shoot. I know many girls with the “dream” of becoming a model who, for me, don’t really know what this job implies. It might seem like a dream world, where you are invited to the most exclusive parties and you are admired by everyone, but many don’t know that it’s a really hard environment. Competition is fierce to get into the field, and once inside, life is not easy. On the morning you need to wake up very early and stay still very long hours without moving while a team SO VAIN magazine dec 2011
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S0 VAIN FASHION deals with your hair and makeup, as you get bored to death, then stand many many hours, often on sky-high heels, or lie on rocks ” with heavy coats under the sun or in winter with summer collections”(quote. Franca Sozzani), constantly traveling and always be fresh and ready, no matter the jet-lag. To quote again Franca Sozzani “There are worse jobs, more tiring and less paid. Sure there are. But it is still a very difficult and exhausting life. It takes discipline. Including the fact that you can’t go out at night till late and then get up after a few hours. The signs of tiredness are not forgivable. And since the models are young girls, is not always easy to give up going out with friends “
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FallenPrincess Photographer
Maria Bresciani Stylist
Stephanie Reed Make up artist
Simona Serpellini Model
Sara Tagliaferri
Clothes
Centro Moda Cogno
Via Nazionale, 177, 25052 Piancogno BS centromodacogno.it
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Alessandra Pepe
Fashion and TECHNOLOGY: a happy marriage in the 2.0 era Reflection on the mingling of the fashion system with the new technologies, especially those related to the web. There are endless possibilities, not only for the experts in this world and the social media managers, but also for enthusiasts and “consumers� 32 SO VAIN magazine dec 2011
Fashion and technology. We are getting more and more used, now, to see and hear these two word combined. They talk about technology in terms of innovations of machinery in the textile industry, but most of all of technology in the IT world, 2.0, geek, web... In short, you can call it in so many ways but the substance does not change: fashion
has changed, it keeping up with the modern world and with them it is evolving, changing, is ready, indeed, to change every second. One question has been haunting me for some time: is it perhaps due to the technological developments that fashion has found a way to express its most creativity?
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Of course, I realize that it is a complex question, which probably doesn’t have an answer. The nostalgic ones will think that it was much better when the tailors used to draw the patterns by hand and sewed fine fabrics by candlelight, but today we have H&M and girls can choose the same t-shirt from Milan and Tokyo. Sure, maybe we lose some uniqueness, but one has to realize also the huge potential the
globalization has in the fashion industry! i did a quick survey, just to have some real data, and I have discovered that there are about 200 iPhone apps dedicated to the fashion industry, and so it is also for Blackberry, and we go from the clothing brand that has decided to develop a new application to be always within reach of the consumer, to the magazine that wants to find a new way to be read. There are some so-
cial platforms for the fashion, beauty and lifestyle enthusiasts, networks for sharing outfits and in which it is possible to create a look starting from thousands of photos or products, directly linked to e-commerce websites. And then there are the blogs, the so called fashion blogs, started quietly and in very short time became one of the landmarks of the “public” opinion in the fashion industry. It’s totally normal, nowadays, to see bloggers in the front rows of fashion shows and, with a simple post, determine the success or failure of the new Valentino or Chanel collections. One can not forget to mention the social networks, mostly Facebook and Twitter, today a fundamental tool for analyzing and feel the mood of the web and the users. All
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S0 VAIN FASHION the fashion brands have an official fanpage in Facebook and use it according to the modern criteria of social media engagement, and the up-and-coming designers have realized the importance to be known without having to do risky and unnecessary investments in advertising. Shaking all the elements above we can see the overall aspect of modern fashion: like Mary Poppins used to pull out of her magic bag more and more objects, one bigger than the other, the fashion industry now uses technology in her favor, starting with small changes and initiatives up to bold experiments in total harmony between the two worlds. But the contaminations are not limited to the web, fashion has close links also with the evolution of video formats. Sure, advertising, the classic commercials, are now ancient history, but we are increasingly assisting to the production of real short-films with cutting-edge filmmaking techniques. Fashion and cinema have had a close relationship since the age of the Lumière brothers, but that they could be so harmoniously combined perhaps no one had imagined it! And so, simple commercials become small-movies, with international 34 SO VAIN magazine dec 2011
stars, with plots that give way to the product itself and score another point in favour of the loyalty of the customers: by giving an emotion, they win a clear memory of the brand in the mind of the consumers, a marketing strategy so simple and effective. On the other hand, in the words of Coco Chanel, “Fashion is made to become unfashionable�, and this explains why the fashion industry goes so well with technology: they are two fields in continuous evolution and experimentation. Ideas and discoveries follow one another incessantly, always intertwined in different ways and with surprising results. I, as a real geek girl as well as a fashion blogger, follow these developments with passion, by downloading an app today and one tomorrow, experimenting and not refusing the strangest novelties that a communication staff can conceive. On the other hand, if today we can follow a live show from an iPad, tweeting our own impressions and sharing still images of the best looks on Facebook... what can we expect from the future?
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One Day in your life:
FRANCESCA FASHION DESIGNER ALESSANDRA CASCIARO
First of all tell us about you: who is Francesca and what do you do in your life? Who am I? Good question! I’m a business student, I study “management of International business”, to be precise. I’m a caffeinedependent and a Fashion victim. Let’s talk about your typical day: what do you do when you wake up in the morning? Well, first of all, as I am a caffeine-dependent, I leave you to imagine what I do…. After drinking my coffee, I turn on my computer to see the fashion bloggers’ outfits. Fashion is the most beautiful thing that I know of. I think that looking at a beautiful dress is like looking at an
artwork or as hearing my favourite song. It relaxes me and I start the day with the right foot. Phase wardrobe: how do you choose what to wear? What is the factor that influences you the most? I could say, as most people say, I take five minutes to choose the right outfit.. or I just wear something random! But it would be a big lie! I open my wardrobe and I just follow my mood. Usually I like basic clothes for the daytime. I have a big collection of white t-shirts and blouses that I wear with skinny jeans, blazers and Converse. In the evening it’s much easier. Just wear a 12cm heel and any outfit will come to life. After closing the door, where do you go? Well, in this period I am often at university. SO VAIN magazine dec 2011
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It’s lunch-time: how do you organize it in order to recharge the batteries before starting a busy afternoon full of appointments? I have a very short time, an hour at most! To recharge the batteries I just have a chat and a good coffee after lunch and I’m ready! In the afternoon, do you manage to trim some time for yourself, or you spend your time working?
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In the afternoon? Yes I do know that I should not do it ( I have a lot of commitments between ChicPhobia and studying), but I like taking some time for myself. I have a big passion, I love collecting bags! So, in the afternoon, I like to place them on my bed, with a nice background of deep music and admire “my babies”. After a full day at work and studying, do you like to stay with your friends or you collapse on the sofa? Usually I manage to go
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S0 VAIN FASHION out with friends, but if I’m exhausted, I try not to go to bed very late. Although I admit I get quite lazy during the winter: but i think that sofa and duvet are a winning combination, don’t you think so? Last question before saying goodbye: how has your life changed since the birth of ChicPhobia? Anyone who knows me, knows how much I cried watching “Valentino, The Last Emperior”, or how I get excited at the sight of a creation by Eliee Saab, or how I feel free when I go shopping. I’ve never been good at drawing, nor sewing. But my love for fashion was so uncontainable that I had to express it some way. So, one day, I took a white sheet of paper- which then turned into cotton- and I just imagined. I pulled out everything that was inside me and I created with three other people ChicPhobia. The brand name came out during one afternoon, by chance. I thought about how people sometimes live fashion as a phobia and not a special gift. Slowly, the first creations were born and my life completely changed.
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Now, in my small way, I feel a part of a world that I’ve always loved and dreamed of but above all admired. Assisting to the birth of something of your is like witnessing the birth of a child, it feel as something that truly belongs to you and that you cannot live without. I cannot quantify the change in my life after ChicPhobia, but I know that I have tried to quantify the joy of seeing the collection on display for the first time: something which was kind of immense. At last, I would like to mention the other three designers of ChicPhobia: Dario Attilio, Maia Sannino and Fabio Sisto. We are a beautiful team and we are very different persons too. So we can work together without quarreling, or at least, for most of the time.
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Winter
Wonderland Photographer: Alexandra Werhan www.alexandrawerhan.com Clothing: Kari Ricketts Jaure www.kricketts17.etsy.com Hair stylist: Kelly Michelle http://www.facebook.com/braidsandbrows Makeup artist: Eliza George http://www.facebook.com/braidsandbrows Models: Kia, Errin, Heidi
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1950s Unsigned Hattie Carnegie Rhinestone Collar Necklace (earrings also included) $475; Vintage Tenenbaums of Greenville Mink Fur Coat $195
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S0 Blums VAIN FASHION Black of San Jose 1950s Mad Men Fur Collar Coat $65
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Tan Goldsmiths 1950s Mad Men Fur Collar Coat $75; Vintage Fleetwood Olive Green Fedora $45 44 SO VAIN magazine dec 2011
S0 VAIN FASHION Vintage Couture Eletra Casedei Peacock Purple Sequin Gown $12
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1960s Parnes Feinstein Cream Blazer (with matching skirt) $35 ; Vintage Pair of Faux Pearls Necklaces $22; Vintage Rhinestone Flower Brooch/ Pendant $20 46 SO VAIN magazine dec 2011
Vintage Cream Bustier/ Corset by Carnival $24
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Alessandro Masetti
Fashionable Europe The European cities in which the fashion weeks take place automatically gain the title of shopping capitals, but in addition to the big names we can also draw inspiration from the vintage shops and the latest trends that spread out in the streets and in the less popular places!
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Milan
Milan is undoubtedly the shopping capital Made in Italy and every big name that has managed to influence the Italian fashion has at least a shop overlooking the famous Montenapoleone-Spiga-Sant’Andrea-Manzoni. It is not a shopping experience accessible to everyone, but it is certainly much better than going
through a magazine. A quick glimpse at the windows can be turned into inspiration to create your own outfits with the low-cost items from the shops located under the arches of Corso Vittorio Emanuele II. For the lovers of the experimental brands, of up-and-coming designers, there are two fundamental stops: Excelsior, the new megastore of the Coin group, designed by Jean Nouvel in the Galleria del Corso, or 10 Corso Como, the concept store crated by Carla Sozzani, born in the 90s as an art gallery and later turned into a shop, lounge and hotel, real fulcrum of new trends
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Paris
The best places for shopping in Paris are often embedded within authentic architectural beauties and it is impossible not to be fascinated by the history of department stores such as Le bon Marché-Rive Gauche and Les Galeries Lafayette or by the nineteenth-century arcades in the second “arrondissement”, packed with antique shops and vintage boutiques. For the greedy ones a stop at Place de la Madeleine is compulsory to taste the famous macarons by
Ladurèe. Needless to say that the streets of Paris are like luxury shopping malls in open-air, first of all Rue SaintHonore, where you can feel the history of French fashion with the offices of famous maisons like Lanvin, Chanel rue Cambon and the modern concept store Colette. The main shopping streets are developed in the triangle Avenue Montaign- Champs Elysees- Avenue George V, along the interminable Rue de Rivoli and in Boulevard Saint Germain. The lovers of new trends will not, however, be attracted by the lights of the modern city and will go for the piece of Marais, where, among gardens,
cafés, vintage shops and concept stores of up-and-coming brands, cool hunters and photo-bloggers wonder around.
London
London can be called the homeland of European street style. There is not a single rebellious look on the runways that didn’t come from the streets of the British capital. To see where these trend come from you just need to walk along Brick Lane, a really long street SO VAIN magazine dec 2011
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full of independet stores and vintage shops. London is also synonymous with tailoring and a true gentleman cannot miss a walk in Savile Row, the street of the greatest tailors who dress the English nobility according to precise rules of the traditional dress code. The boutiques in Bond street or the department stories Harrods, Harvey Nichols and Liberty are the best places to be charmed by the international luxury. But those dreamy realities are counterbalanced by a London that is the capital of low-cost shopping, for which the best place is Oxford Street, colonized by chans such as Marks&Spencer, Primark and Topshop. 50 SO VAIN magazine dec 2011
Berlin
Friedrichstrasse is certainly the most famous shopping street in Berlin, in which big brands and luxury boutiques equally alternate. The real peculiarity of the German capital, however, are the modern shopping centres near the main metro stations, true meeting points in front of which, in Winter, you can find the traditional
Christmas fairs with marzipan candies to hang on the tree and caramel apples to eat while you are queuing at the skating rinks. Being a very young city, there are a lot of trendy shops, indie brands and concept stores, mainly concentrated in the central district of Mitte and Prenzlauer Berg, always close to pubs, ethnic restaurants and gardens.
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Stockholm
The Swedish capital, despite the low temperatures and reduced hours of sunshine during the Winter, has a long tradition of large stores like NK, AhlĂŠns city and PUB, where you can find local and international brands both of apparel and design. In Biblioteksgatan there is a fashion concentration characterized by flagship stores of Swedish brands like Acne,
Filippa K. and Oscar Jacobson , wile approaching the Kulturhuset it won’t be difficult to notice the fondness of the area to more commercial low-cost chains like H&M, MQ and Weekday, true national pride. In order to appreciate the Swedish style so trendy among the fashion bloggers still in love with the 70s,
with oversize items and really high wedges, you must move to the area in the south of the city, in SoFo, a quiet residential suburb between Gotgatan and the hill of Sofia Kyrka where bars, pubs, vintage and concept stores make this the most bohemian and trendy area of the city.
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HOW TO CREATE A PORTFOLIO D
uring a job interview, as you try to explain about all the things you did and trying to convince the person you have in front of you to hire you, your words will have more weight if you can produce samples. A portfolio is the evidence that backs up your resume and showcases your skills. It’s a collection of documents, artifacts or materials which are representative of your academic, leisure and 52 SO VAIN magazine dec 2011
career development activities. Here we will examin the portfolio you will need for a fashion/art/make-up related job, that is in order to apply as a stylist, fashion designer, artist, make-up artist, journalist, photographer, hair-stylist… Why is a portfolio needed? Simply because you can’t get anywhere without it in the fashion and artistic world! When you go to an interview to ap-
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ply for a job a part from talking about your experiences and your education, you are asked to show your portfolio. It’s like a visual CV in which the employer can see your style, your experience, and so on. You can be the most talented person in the world, but without a portfolio no one will notice it. When can I start creating one and how can I find the material to insert? You don’t have to wait to finish university to start creating a portfolio. As soon as you start developing the idea of entering the fashion world, you can start testing in this field, also to see if this is really what you want to do. You don’t need to be in a big city. There are probably some very young photographers around you and mua and you can ask them to collaborate. You can decide together with the photographer the
theme of the photoshoot or you can look up for some photo contests going on near you or online. There are loads of photo contests online, like for example on vogue Italy’s web site, in which they give you a general theme of the photoshoot and you try to create, together with the photographer, the mua and hair stylist, your interpretation of it. Who knows you may win the contest, or if not, you have more pictures to put in your portfolio. It’s all for the best. You can also go into a studio and ask if you can help for free. They are always looking for help! Other places you may ask, is where you know they are doing music videos or commercials, or maybe ad campaigns for local shops All of these experiences are called testing and it’s very important also to develop your own style as a stylist along with building your portfolio. It’s very important to vary, to show a wide range of samples, to show that you can work with a lot of different people and you can adapt to different styles. If you are a stylist, a photographer or a mua, insert both SO VAIN magazine dec 2011
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S0 VAIN CAREERS artistic and cutting-edge pictu- most rapresentative pictures. res as well as commercial ones. For the cover, you can really use So, how can I create one? your creativity! All the art related jobs are really creative and There are no restrictions for crea- all about imagination! You can ting your own portfolio! There is do whatever you want, you can no implied size for the contents, either use a really representative no restrictions on the nature of picture or a selection of pictures, your works and on the type of or paint it, or cover it with some container to be used, that can fabric… the options are endless. be a folder, a box or some other My advice is to create a portfodevice chosen by you.In today’s lio in which you can move your digital age a portfolio no lon- works and not glue them down. ger needs to be printed, but it This is because by doing so you can be a digital one in PDF that can adjust it however you want, you can even send by e-mail to- in order for it to be always suigether with your c.v. in order to ted for the job your applying for. apply for a job, but it’s always The stronger your porbetter to have a printed one tfolio is, the more chanwhen you go to an interview. ces you have to get the job! A portfolio should include (but it’s not compulsory) : -A presentation of your portfolio; -Your C.V. (that should never be more than 2 pages); -The samples of your work. If in you are a photographer, a stylist, a mua or any other job that implies photographs, than the advice is not to insert more than 25 pictures, as the person who will look at it will get bored after a while.So choose your best and 54 SO VAIN magazine dec 2011
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Warm options with a cool attitude A guide to clothing for the coldest season, with an eye for the trends and the wallet, but without giving up elegance.
elegance and tradition have to be the base of every outfit. ExtravaDario Bentinvegna gant touches are allowed only in the accessories, fabrics, or, but not o not be fooled by the title, always, in colours. Here a guide to the “hot” trends to which I the season’s trends that will help refer are not sexy or porn, your autumn/winter shopping or but simply the most popular ones will give you a hand if you’re a girl from the catwalks of this season. looking for the perfect Christmas When it comes to men’s clothing, present for your boyfriend.
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H&M
A neutral tone, which elegantly replaces black and grey. Usually the camel colour is associated with coats, but you can also find sweaters in this warm shade.
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H&M F
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It’s an unusual label for this trend, but politically correct, given that it’s a recent news that the term “Navajo” is considered racist and against the law, so to make Urban Outfitters change the name of an entire line. A part from the name, you will see that this style, often considered as a grandfather’s look, has made a huge comeback. ZARA
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C O L L E G E A N D C H E C K I will show you these two trends together, college and check, since they look so good together and they are a winning choice when it comes to dressing for your free time. The colleges we are referring to are the American ones, Grease style, so to speak, and as for the checks, there are people who call them “Canadian” or even “lumberjack”.
H&M
ZARA Of course, the options in the stores are more than what I showed you, but the important thing is to be aware of the trends and what will be available in the shops, so not to be all at the mercy of the same trend, but to make informed choices. I can only wish you good shopping!
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MAKE UP TRENDS: BETWEEN YESTERDAY AND TODAY Laura Portomeo
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or this autumn-winter, the designers were definitely inspired by the icons of the past, women with a natural elegance, on whom a lipstick, a hat, a dress were only an accessory of their se60 SO VAIN magazine dec 2011
vere yet seductive appeal. To grasp this vision was definitely Gucci, with its Boho Chic look, who has sent down the runway a style that reminds us of Anjelica Houston, actress and icon
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lected in a low pony-tail with the line on the side and a lot of gel, a look that reminds us a lot of Twiggy, the most famous icon among the make-up artists and hair-stylists on the catwalks, with her minimal and chic style, her big eyes and the “spider lashes� (the eye-lashes are collected in small bunches with the mascara, as if they were spider legs) that have amazed the audience at the time. of the 70es (Photo: 1972, shot by Bob Richardson for Vogue). So on with red lips, perfect lunar complexions, seductive eyes with eye-liners and eyeshadows in warm and neutral shades, like those of the new Aveda collection, Jewels of Heart, inspired by the colours of the earth and the precious stones that come from it. The hair is straightened, col-
Marc Jacobs seems to have this same opinion, but he gives his own vision of this trend, bringing on the catwalk a very natural make-up, almost nonexistent, nude lips and long hair, straight and tidy, giving its models a discrete but yet seductive femininity, modern but still vintage.
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And Chloe has decided exactly to go for vintage, creating modern and practical clothes, but still with a chic and metropolitan style. A natural make-up, with warm shades of brown, made unique by a thick line of eye-liner, accompanied by long hair and with the line in the centre, embellished with headbands and small accessories. There were those who have then decided to go for blue! And here is the birth of the collections by Dior, Blue Tie and Zac Posen, where the shades of 62 SO VAIN magazine dec 2011
light blue, aquamarine and dark blue, strictly in metallic textures, blend together on the eyelids of the models with perfect wavy hair. Whether they were ginger, blond or brunette, that blue was able to give each one of them a unique and sensual allure! And it was exactly the“finish metal”, the symbol of those years, to inspire the collection by Chanel, where the eye-shadows“Illusion d’Ombre” and the trio of nail polishes proposed recall the neutral colours embellished with fine and shiny particles that do
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not pass unnoticed and give to the woman who wears them a precious and magnetic look. YSL, instead, feeds from the garden of colours of those years and, with his collection “Fleur de Minuit�, offers strong 64 SO VAIN magazine dec 2011
and vibrant shades for women who enjoy being in the spot-light and are not afraid to dare! The key-word is once again to amaze, focusing on small details. The fashion for this winter is clearly a review of the 70es
style, aimed at bringing back the colours and the shapes of those years, trying to make them more bon ton and chic, with the help of make-up and hairstyles!
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Stefania Agù
THIS CHRISTMAS THE KEY-WORD IS
“TO AMAZE” Make-up ideas for Christmas presents
To amaze is always the goal of every Christmas. In this climate, perhaps a bit too much for consumerism, is increasingly difficult to find an original gift, a present or little thought. It is often a makeup product to save the clueless ones and the men looking for gifts for wives and girlfriends. Make-up is the true ally of every woman who likes taking care of herself, but the different tastes, especially in terms 66 SO VAIN magazine dec 2011
of colours, could be the real obstacles. Every woman loves to be in fashion, so, to have the latest nail-polish or the lipstick seen on the hot fashion icon, is like paradise for her. Unfortunately, choosing the right product among thousands of brands on the market is definitely not simple for the non-experts. A small gift that will surprise the lucky one who will receive it is certainly this season’s
nail-polish by Chanel. We are talking about Rouge Carat that will paint the Christmas period in a deep red with a bit of a fuscia shade. For those who want to go for a small treasure, you will be blown away by the Dior trousse in tweed, with inside eye shadows and lipsticks in perfect colours for every occasion. The key of all of this year’s collections for
S0 VAIN BEAUTY Christmas is certainly gold. We have also seen in the A/W 2010-2012 runways that animalier is back in vogue. For this reason, Make-up Forever has created a small trousse inspired by the season’s trend of the python with a selection of the best products: the aqua liners and aqua creams. The Italian company Pupa retraces the footsteps of the most prestigious fashion houses such as Chanel and Dior, creating a collection with a lot of golds and reds. Just in case you have to find a present for a make-up passionate, I suggest you to go for some mini kits so to give her the opportunity to try more products. Benefit always offers several possibilities in this matter. You can chose among the most
extravagant ones, such as “I’m glam... therefore I am”, “boxing day beauty”, “Ticket to glossytown”, “Romancing the mirror” and many others. The kits of Laura Mercier and Bobby Brown are really elitist products, but with really affordable prices. They are definitely the most popular products among the beauty addicted in the USA. Christmas, however, is a celebration of the religious traditions and especially in this period it is important to think also about those who do not have a good health. This is the reason that prompts M•A•C, the famous Canadian cosmetics company, to create a small kit consisting in a clutch, 2 Viva Glam lipsticks and a soft toy to hang on the Christmas tree with a gloss attached.
The goal is to give funds to the AIDS research. Also for sale, there are the greeting cards designed by the children to educate the customers in the initiative. Among the cosmetic products linked to charities we can also mention the O•P•I nail polishes that finance the research for Cancer. Gareth Pugh make-up collection for M•A•C is the last gem we are going to see, the apotheosis of the union of fashion and make-up, the perfect gift for a fashion/beauty addicted. Surely with this you will surprise her! Remember that giving a present does not mean just to buy something and ask for a gift in return, but is a research we do to impress the other person. Let’s be careful and not too be too much in a rush, to combine style, tastes and trends. It is not necessary to spend a lot of money to impress, but just choose the right products! SO VAIN magazine dec 2011
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LET'S HELP OUR SKIN AGAINST WINTER Simona Serpellini Chapped skin is a classic of the cold season, but how about this year we try to prevent it rather than trying to hide its effects!?
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his is a problem that affects mainly those who already have a naturally dry and sensitive skin, but in the winter the lucky ones who manage to keep their skin perfect are very few! The most affected areas are those that are in lack of sebum, like hands, breasts and legs. Here the skin becomes really dry, not shiny, it easily turns red and often itches. But, why does all this happen? And why is it intensified in winter? 68 SO VAIN magazine dec 2011
The wind, strong soaps, fitted clothes that don’t make the skin breath, the razor blade and the frequent contact with water, are all factors that weaken the defenses of our skin. Also, in winter, these causes add on to other ones, such as: cold temperatures, the dry heat of heated rooms, the warm clothes that make breathing more difficult for the skin, the rubbing of tights and long hot baths. In addition, with the cold we tend to drink much less,
S0 VAIN BEAUTY when it would be fundamental to hydrate the body from the inside! Knowing the causes can help to prevent or improve the situation, but the verbs to nourish, hydrate and regenerate are the key to make your skin shine! Let’s see briefly which are the elements that can help us in this way: Moisturizing components: allantoin, glycerin, oligosaccharides, honey and natural waxes. Nourishing components: vegetable fats (shea butter, argan oils, sweet almonds, avocado, jojoba, wheat and sesame seeds) that are similar in composition to the skin natural oils. In addition, to rebuild the protective hydro-lipid film, polysaccharides and omega 3 are really useful to create a protective film and keep the liquids. Vitamin F has also the ability to reconstruct the cell membranes. Not only creams and serums can help us in the battle against
chapped skin, but also a balanced diet and drinking a lot. Tea is a great solution in the winter. Regarding the face skin, it would be good practice to use an oilbased cleanser both in the morning and in the evening, followed by a cream that can deeply hydrate. Do not overdo with scrubs and do them once a week at the most. Soothing and moisturizing masks, however, can really make a difference! Follow these tips! And you will see that this year YOU will be the snow-queens and will have the envy of everyone!
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S T E P H A N I E @ S O VA I N M A G A Z I N E . CO M H A N
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Watch out for the next issue of
out in March 2012