For this latest ON MY DESK column, I’m looking at new things I’m loving in the colour black. Black has a particularly strong role in New Zealand culture, from shearers’ singlets and All Blacks jerseys right through to Zambesi and NOMd dresses and knits. For a beautifully detailed analysis of our nation’s affinity with black, I recommend you seek out the Penguin book by New Zealand Fashion Museum entitled BLACK: The history of black in fashion, society and culture in New Zealand.
Back to black
Today I’ve featured new products from Redken, Maybelline New York, L’Oreal Paris, Kevin Murphy, Schwarzkopf, MitoQ, Clearly glasses, QSilica, Marion Keyes, Savar, Australis, and Sodashi on a black theme. I shot them on the stunning black and white visual campaign photography of Aim womenswear brand by Huffer on the gorgeous Australian model Bambi Northwood-Blyth.
Holiday essentials in black
First up: feel-good things in black. I am quite literally into black as I am eating the Green & Black’s chocolate as I type this, so the keyboard is quite messy.
Marion Keyes’ new novel The Woman Who Stole My Life, out 6th November on Penguin ($37), is about an ordinary woman, Stella Sweeney, whose life undergoes a dramatic transformation into a thrilling glamorous one. I will be reading this over the holidays and I know it will be a real page-turner. I like having choccy on hand whilst reading and a cuppa tea too, so I have this Green & Black’s organic chocolate which came in the NOMD goodybag at fashion week and tastes amazing. I’m slathering my hands post-gardening with QSilica paw paw rescue ointment ($18.50) on my own little paws. Not just for lips, it’s incredibly rich and moisturising on dry skin everywhere with a formulation of calendula, shea butter and paw paw extract. Savar Limited Edition Wonder Lift Serum ($45.90) is a powerhouse of anti-ageing goodness in this beautiful little glass bottle. It is made in New Zealand with 99% natural ingredients including co Q10, Vitamin E, marine peptides and organic goji berry extract. You can buy it now from www.savaronline.com and in department stores and pharmacies and selected beauty therapists.
Black eye
Derek Cardigan is a house brand of eyewear at Clearly.co.nz website and has great priced sunglasses and spectacles. My black pair pictured below has cute, round frames that fade out to clear at the bottom.
I am LOVING MitoQ and using it every night. It feels amazing. The power antioxidant rejuvenation is a honey-hued cream-serum that is powerful but very sensitive; I often react to strong serums but this was extremely comfortable to wear. Feeling a) old and b) tired? You’re not the only one, so I was super pleased to start taking the MitoQ targeted anti-oxidants that energy and ageing. I definitely am crying out for these capsules. The next generation coQ anti-oxidants target and protect mitochondria bringing benefits of anti-oxidants to them and support organ health. Available from www.mitoq.com
Kevin.Murphy TEXTURE.MASTER is for B I G H A I R. I sprayed it on my hair and it instantly set it in place so it is ideal for hair that needs height. If you’re creating a bouffant or beehive hairdo inspired by the swinging sixties, spray it lightly over dry hair and get a good, strong hair base to work from without needing to tease. You can watch the how-to video here kevinmurphy.com.au/video/texture-master
For your eyes only:
Maybelline New York New Big Eyes Liner double-ended white and black eye liner pencil ($14.99). Our tester said, ” I would say it’s lovely and smooth with a good intensity.”
Australis EYES Cray For Colour ($12) are an eyeshadow pencil that are truly very soft and creamy, and can be used as an eyeliner on the lashline too. Animal cruelty-free.
Maybelline New York Master Smoky is a two-step eyepencil that has a thick eyeliner at one end and a rubber blender at the other to smudge the eyeliner to achieve the smoky look you want.
L’Oreal Paris Super Liner Ultra Precision is the thinnest liquid eyeliner pen I’ve seen, with an ultra fine tip in a sleek gold case.
I am very aware of how much my eyes are creasing up lately with laughter lines and whilst I’m happy with showing that I laugh, a bit of a lift would be ideal – so I am using this Sodashi Eye Lifting Gel. The cooling gel feels refreshing and its potent blend helps to minimise fine lines. The new Sodashi Eye Lifting gel with arnica is a new release of the eye gel with the natural remedy arnica now added to aid in puffy and dark circles with its anti-inflammatory and anti-swelling properties. The eye gel also contains cistus and myrtle hydrosols and rose and calendula oils to boost skin cell renewal and antioxidant rosewood oil to target fine lines. It retails for $125.40 from stockists at www.sodashi.com
OSIS Wax Dust is a hair texturising powder that transforms from a powder to a cream when warmed by your hands. Instead of a heavy wet look it gives a dry yet remouldable finish. It has a cute little bottle and retails for $29.40 at selected Schwarzkopf Professional salons www.schwarzkopfprofessional.co.nz
ghd doesn’t just do amazing hair stylers and straighteners, it has a beautiful range of styling and finishing products for your hair. I am curling my hair with ghds today for the opening night of The Sound of Music at the Civic tonight and wanted some big glamorous hair so I used 3 or 4 squirts of ghd curl spray on each strand before curling. I finished with the ghd Style Final Shine Spray to set after I’d finished curling.
Redken have this chic, sleek limited edition paddle brush by Richard Kavanagh. I love a good paddle brush. I used the Rootful 06 root lifting spray on my crown to get a bit of added height. They only down side is if anything, the bottle is too big and I struggled to hold it while pumping the top. It’s pliable and unlike a hairspray, doesn’t set hard so it’s a good medium-hold spray for the roots.
Words and photos by Megan Robinson
2nd October 2014
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