I will drop some serious benjamins for a well made pair of boots – but $14 for nail polish? Puleez.

And then I tried it.

This polish has some serious longevity to it. I have tried every polish brand out there and this one seriously takes the cake, it lasts for at least 7 days without chipping.

DOING A PROPER AT-HOME MANICURE::

>>First-swipe your clean nails with pure acetone. (This dries out the nail bed and prepares the nail to have the polish adhere to it. Any remaining moisture on the nail will keep the polish from having serious stay power.)

>>Always use a basecoat (Butter also makes a fab one.) This prepares the nail as well as protecting your digits from staining.

>>Apply two coats

>>Use topcoat.

>>Then don’t touch anything for a half hour.

Another thing that helps? Always be conscious of the fact that your nails are done i.e. no opening soda cans with your nails. As a lifelong polish wearer these are a few things I have learned to stay away from. And polish is the cheapest, easiest way to look like a lady. Throw in some matching red lipstick and nobody will mess with you!

Butter London can be purchased at fine boutiques, such as Portland Boutique Shop Adorn.

COLOR.BUG can be purchased at GINGER HAIR SALON in the pearl.

This is most important when the weather changes, going from a house full of heat to the blustery outdoors, heated cars and out to run errands – these extreme changes in temperature fooling with you. Constantly putting on hand lotion? Hair feeling crunchy? It’s time to pay serious attention to your epidermis and cuticles.

There’s more. Sulfate free surfactants are a larger molecule than sulfates, therefore they have less ability to penetrate into the skin and so are less irritant. Also, because of their larger molecular quality, they help to keep the hair from depleting its color. Plus they add great shine and luster. There are a number of things that go into what you put on your person.

The most cost effective ways to combat dryness? Put your blowdryer down two times more a week (avoiding heat styling) and when heat styling use a protective product. (Make sure it isn’t filled with silicones – this pesky ingredient from the 80’s is actually counter-productive, putting a coating on the hair that is almost impossible to get off – keeping other well-intentioned ingredients form penetrating the hair shaft.) Coat your tootsies and hands before bed, sleepy time is the bed time for your skin to repair itself, and why not do it slathered in goodness?

What do we like? KEVIN.MURPHY’s YOUNG.AGAIN – heat protection up to 420 degrees, is a great hydrating oil, and because the molecular structure is the same as skin care? We generously slather on our hands and feet. Best cuticle oil ever.

CHEAP * CHEAP * CHEAP * CHEAP * CHEAP * CHEAP * CHEAP * CHEAP

Cheapest way to get your hair in better condition:: Stop blow-drying your hair two days a week. This includes heat styling. (Optimally you would be saturating your hair in a highly moisturizing product these days as well.)

Cheapest way to color a few grey strands – eye shadow. Rub it on straight from the shadow palette. And it washes right out.

Dry? Slather Coconut Oil on your bod. Smells good enough to lick it – and you can!

Trying to grow your hair out? Biotin and Folic Acid – about 4 bucks a piece – take em daily. Get em in the vitamin section.

Awesome tutorials for DIY: www.thebeautydepartment.com

I have spit-ends – yikes! Sorry sister, you need to cut em off. Your hair simply won’t grow until they are gone.

FAST FACTS:
Hairstylists LOVE it when you bring photo’s. We really do.

Yes. You have to use expensive shampoo (unless you have hair of steel.) The rest of the crap is just marketing. Read this::

Curly hair is less hydrated and more porous. No way around that. Pay careful attention to heat styling and coloring, curls rock – but not when they look scraggly.

Curly hair is also usually better left to air dry – blow-driers usually blow out the curl and make your hair huge.

Bangs can save you money from having to get Botox.

Coloring your hair can really soak up natural oils from your roots. If you have fine hair that is prone to oil it probably loses volume as well – clean fine hair is limp hair – it requires the cuticle to be roughed up (damaged) to gain volume. Obviously volumizing hair products work well, but not as well as color.

Lastly, as people age you can see it in their face, hands, and hair. Do what you can – but a full head of shiny hair keeps you looking young.

International Model Kate Peck.

The last night of the Designer Series for MSFW was a bit more laid back, stylists showing off their dance moves to MC Hammer’s “You can’t touch this” when the hair and make-up had been completed.
The evenings hairstyle did require a concert pianists touch to properly back comb the hair for the shape. Kevin Cross, KEVIN.MURPHY’s director of training explained the need for a proper tease with, “It is the petticoat under the dress. The back brush gives the foundation of texture.” The top hair was smoothed over the massive volume of hair to create a “beehivey, gramma with a 60′s and 70′s aspect and an African influence thrown in with the pony,” explained Kevin Murphy. “I wanted something simple and groovy – something a young girl would like. In session work it is hard to use pins, so we use sewing – pins show up in the photographs. In our SEWING.KIT the needles are blunt, we prepped the hair with HAIR.RESORT.SPRAY – it’s my new favorite thing. I loved the swinging ponies from last night – the designers for tonight are more alternative, and having an eclectic mix of things makes it modern.” Kevin’s favorite part of the look were the little wispy bits in front (they were sewn into a bit of a mini ponytail, the hair rubbed through the fingers to create the look.) It was “girly but not too overt, a simple, humble hairstyle.”
The make-up again was flawless, and all about the nude brow with a pop of color on the lip, the skin being a natural sateen texture with the skin looking hydrated and a bit of sheen on the cheeks. “The brow harmonizes with the hair color – we used eye primer through the brows (eye will survive) that has a blonding affect. We did a nude clear eye, and used lipstick “Hara” from the divine goddess collection for Napolean Perdis.” Hara is the goddess of happiness. The make-up was kept simple, like the trends for the season, and a bit of COLOR.BUG can be spotted on some of the models.

The tone for the evening was set early backstage when while Kevin Murphy was briefing stylists on the evenings hair technique scores of scantily clad male models arrived on the scene. The evenings theme revolved around the male with the female models softening the look with feminine silhouettes.
The hair was bit of a process, but well worth it considering the outcome that was presented on the runway. “We slicked the hair back very tight, and added a bit of punk to it, think Barbie on acid,” said Mister Murphy. Wefts of magenta and pink hair were sewn into the ponytails, and “sex tape” was utilized to secure the look. (Sex tape adheres to itself working like duct tape would, obviously being less painful as it sticks to itself, and not the hair.)The inspiration came from Josie and the Pussycats, and certainly gave a new spin the the dip-died trend we have been seeing as of late. Working mainly with models Mister Murphy is always creating “temporary trends” and tonight’s most certainly allowed for a pop of color for the evening. (This look also transcends nicely into the forthcoming launch of COLOR.BUG as this look can be recreated at home by those less skilled in the implementation of at-home extensions.) As the models sauntered down the runway the pony’s sashayed back and forth ever so nicely, pulling some of the attention away from the half naked buff models.
The make-up, as always, was lovely – white eyeliner being used to tie into it’s usage in the clothing on the catwalk. Lead make-up artist Kate Squires wanted a clean, fresh, sporty feel. “It is a bit of easy transition into the season -crisp, clean white eyeliner that pops. A lot of people tend to wear a lot of black around the eyes, white is a nice contrast. We don’t do a lot of lash as it would may conflict with the white liner.” A light gloss on the lips was applied for a clean clear wet look on the lip. Kate thinks the look is very wearable, and is a modern way of utilizing liner. “White is a trend right now in fashion and it meshes nicely with the make-up.”

As the week moves along at MSFW the fashion walking down the runways has become bolder, with the hair and make-up complementing the progression. The hair was definitely a more prominent feature of last’s nights runway show, requiring quite an intricate set to execute the look. The theme for the evening was ‘Boutique’ and it was filled with resort elements. The make-up was most recognizable with the delicious bold tomato red lip, full with glossy accents of gold and bronze. This was used in conjunction with the overriding 70′s theme, having pulled the rustic goldy feel from it. “The detail of the make-up is with the texture, and works well with the texture of the hair. The light will catch the gold hilites, keeping it in tune with the summer feel,” said lead make-up artist Kate Squires.
Kevin Murphy pulled from his vast year’s of knowledge to create a Rik Rak set for the hair, having been inspired by the perms of the 70′s. “I wanted a Bianca Jagger/Stevie Nicks sort of look.” Theatrical geisha pins were used, stylists whirling the hair around them in a criss-cross formation, then heating up with a flat-iron. “The clothes are 70′s, and a lot more spirited and interesting. In photographic work you are always trying to take all the old techniques and make them new. I meshed the 50′s and 70′s – all the nostalgic elements are very important.” When asked how comes upon a look he said, “It is a natural progression – one day you just wake up and decide.”

Kevin Murphy styles model Kate Pecks hair. All photos by Mandy Zelinka

The backstage where hair and make-up took place looked as you might imagine, stylists hurredly creating looks, photogs bouncing about, and models on IPhones with their earphones in. I was first drawn to the make-up side where strong bold lips were at the forefront of the evenings look. Lead Make-up Artist Kate Squires explained that the look was a collaboration between the lead stylist for the evening, Kate Gaskin, and herself. “Kate said she wanted a bold lip, but edgy, with a slight 40′s feel. You can see that purple picks up through the collection, and it is different than the other colors we are seeing this season.” Watching the models saunter down the runway you could clearly see how well executed this look was, as it would take a wizard to mesh these themes and still keep it beautiful and feminine. The make-up, as well as the hair, transcended very nicely between the 10 designers working under the evenings theme of ‘Gala,’ and actually became better with numerous clothing changes.
Weeks prior to the show Kevin sat down and collaborated for the evenings look. Mannequin heads and drawings of head shapes were used as a guide for the stylists working backstage. French Lacing, an old school form of backcombing, was used to marry the hair together, creating a cushion. The hair was then rolled into an asymmetrical French roll – resulting in looks that lasted until the end.
Those that might assume that a models job is a cake walk should know that they can do upwards of an exasperating 3 shows a day, starting with an 8 a.m. call time, and ending with the 9 p.m. Designer Series. Ten year veteran model Silvana has been impressed by this year’s run of things, noting that the “changes are very good and not as rushed as in year’s past. It is more organized this year.” The flow of the evening did indeed go swimmingly leading up to the runway shows. Models were finished with ample time to make it to their area to dress while attendee’s took their seats. The lights dimmed as the sounds of birds started filling the room.

Melbourne makes me proud that Portlander’s are nice. Aussies are nice, and honest, without being pricks. (That’s you NY.) And they ride bikes here. Numbers of bikes. There is bike rentals within blocks of each other.

You can walk 5 blocks and seem like you are in Jack the Ripper’s London, go a few more and end up in a modern cities living room fully equipped with a big screen TV (like gigantic – 2 stories tall) playing soccer on it while outside bar patrons sip their beer.

I strolled along a picturesque river with the train station (that looked like Buckingham Palace) as the backdrop.

When I didn’t know where I was at and didn’t want to look like a tourist I stepped into Jack London, a menswear store, and asked the polite storekeeper where I in fact was at. “Melbourne!” He replied. Ha. He chatted me through the street I was on, and stepped outside with me to show me we were standing on the very street that is indeed the most photographed alley in Melbourne. I walked back by this area intending to eat, but alas, I needed to use the restroom and it didn’t appear to me that this is a priority when restaurants put up shop here.

After all of my walking and a need for a good hard sleep I decided pasta was the way to go. The nice Italian man took pity on my request for dinner for one as the restaurant was absolutely packed. When ordering the waiter asked if I wanted a glass or bottle of wine. Having him know that I was a table for one and still asked if I wanted a bottle, well, let’s just say it made me feel less judged had I in fact opted for the full bottle.

After I ate I stepped up to the front to pay. In his heavily accented Italian he tried to tell me that the table I was sitting at was famous (although he never really got to telling me why.) I told him, “of course it is famous – I sat there!” He then took a look at my debit card, pronounced my name, and asked me why I was in town. “Do you know Kevin Murphy?” I asked. (I need to stop asking this. I asked another store clerk the same thing and her face lit up and she said “yes I know KEVIN.MURPHY !” Obviously. He is famous here. Duh.) “Yes I know KEVIN.MURPHY.” he replied. “Well, I am his social media girl-I blog for him.” He gave me a look of “oh…wow!” And I said, “See. I told you I was famous.”

Want more pics – check out my facebook page CLICK HERE::