Fresh Lemon Wakeup!

Body wash is not something I normally get excited about, but I had to make an exception the other day when I found this light yellow gem. I was walking through Sephora and sampling fragrances and colors when I came upon the Sugar Lemon Bath and Shower Gel from Fresh. It smells delicious, as though the sugar and lemons had been beaten in a pestle and mortar and then gently warmed. It's the perfect scent if you shower first thing in the morning or if you want a pick-me-up in the afternoon or after a workout. I've recently become a fan of fresher body wash scents (as opposed to the more popular vanilla/cake based ones) because they invigorate and perk you up. They're crisp and perfect at the start of your day. This wash from Fresh -also infused with vitamins C and E- is the best example I've found so far. It will set you back just under $20 for 300ml, so if you're not inclined to spend that I recommend just smelling it the next time you're at Sephora... heavenly!

Review: Spin Pin

I've been wanting to try Goody's Spin Pins for a while now, and I finally picked up a pair on the weekend. They are actually quite effective in holding my mane up in a neat-ish bun. I also got the updo pin from the same line. The picture is of the first time I put it in. It also does the job nicely... both do's would otherwise require fifteen to twenty strategically placed bobby pins and a fair amount of hairspray. Its nice having one or two pieces that enable chic do's on weekdays.

Louboutin Lust: Stilts for Spring

During one of our many excursions to Holt Renfrew in Vancouver (our favorite "museum"), my friend tried the astronomically high black patent Louboutins aptly dubbed "Highness". The heel measures 160mm (6.3"- approaching stilt status). We noticed that not only is there the factor of pure height, the platform itself narrows toward the base, decreasing the area on which you stand and increasing precarity. Obviously it takes a very practiced and strong ankle to be able to pull off actually walking in these babies (enter Gaga), but they are amazing in a photograph. For your viewing pleasure:

Drip Drawings

Another assignment from one of my classes was to use ink and paint drips to develop images. The following series uses conte, watercolor and nail polish. I found the polish to be very effective in interrupting the images as they were much more pigmented than the other media. I also decided on monochromatic theme so as to streamline the series and focus on the image itself. It also gave a more unified backdrop to the white conte.

Kafka assignment...

In one of my classes this past term we were assigned to do a series based on Franz Kafka's The Metamorphosis. I decided to focus on one of the lesser mentioned aspects of the work: the picture of the woman in the room that represents the main character's humanity. My series explores some of the possibilities of what that picture might look like... loosely interpreted of course. The portrayal does not take into account the era of the story.

On Digital Image Manipulation

In researching the cultural implications of digital image manipulation for one of my art classes, I found there was an overwhelmingly negative tone present in peoples' response in images and writing. It seems most people equate the use of photoshop in the media with lying and/or the proliferation of false or impossible standards. This is exemplified in fashion, celebrity and pop culture, where there are few variations on the proposed model of beauty, desirability or marketability. Many condemn the use of digital manipulation because the most popular and saleable images are those of unachievable beauty standards. This of course presents a problem when people equate their own value with how well they can match these standards, a problem most commonly found in teens. Of course this is a legitimate issue, and it has become widely addressed in many women's and girls' magazines which now try to feature much bigger variety to represent beauty (in shape, size, color, age, etc.).

However, I find this negative view of digital image manipulation to be one sided or limited at best. As is the case with almost every other form of technology, it can be used in multiple ways, to positive or negative effect. And as a form of art- like any other art- it has the power to send whatever message its author so chooses. It just so happens that we (the consumers) buy these images, compelling the media (the producers) to produce them.

Standards of physical beauty change all the time. We buy the standard, whether it be produced through paint, charcoal, photography or digital imaging. This image series is curated to reflect a spectrum of beauty, and the viewer is elected judge of which images are beautiful, which are fake, which repel them, and which attract them.

a summer read

I recently finished supermodel Janice Dickinson's memoir, No Lifeguard on Duty. Since I had only seen her name a couple of times in older magazines, I decided to look her up and see if I recognised her in any shoots. I came upon this stunning Elle France cover from July 1975. It struck me as a fantastic carefree summer scene, as if she had jumped off a boat and swam ashore emerging from the waves with a huge smile on her face. The further into the book I got, the more ironic this picture became; her life was anything but carefree. She chronicles her struggles with image, family, addictions and her endless search for validation.

Her story hits home on more than one note. It made me wonder how many of us, men and women alike, grapple with these issues on a daily basis and show up for life anyway with a big smile. Here's to rising above, seeing the sun, and appreciating just how sunny a June day can be.