Pure beauty talk with… Abigail O’Neill

There are quite a few things that are absolutely fascinating about Abigail O’Neill. First of all, the beautiful Australian broke the age-related stereotypes associated with modelling by staring her successful career at the age of 32. She is a gorgeous loving (and loved) wife and mother of three teenagers, though she looks more like their sister (for a visual proof, you get a wrinkle-free skin and a figure any 18-year old would envy for).

If this isn’t enough, Abigail showed the healthy side of modelling by establishing herself as an extraordinary raw food chef and an author of Model Chocolate, a book full of mouth watering, scrumptious, raw, sugar-, diary- and gluten-free chocolate recipes that can take you from breakfast to dinner and a few nourishing treats you can use for your skin.

As somebody who not only believes in chocolate and its goodness, but also “nutrition, exercise, water, sunlight, temperance (or balance), fresh air, rest, & trust” as the essential steps to health and wellbeing, Abigail got to my list of most inspirational and beautiful women before I knew it and I am incredibly excited to have her here.

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What does beauty mean to you? 

I love a beautiful smile, it transcends age and crosses all barriers. Another thing for me which defines beauty is freedom of spirit; the ability to love, laugh and express a genuine admiration for the beauty in others.  

A lot of girls tend to compare themselves to the models they see in fashion magazines and, as a result, dislike their own appearance. Is there a way for them to learn to love and accept their body the way it is, to feel beautiful in their own skin? 

A great big YES!! To anyone who feels like this right now, reading this, I'd say please focus on making yourself feel energised, nourished, blessed. It might sound cliché, but true beauty really does come from within. A picture won't always capture that. To capture an image of beauty which really 'shines' through (I'm speaking of modelling in front of the camera) I know I personally feel so much more effortless in shaping 'that moment' when I feel great. Exercise, time out, and nutritious food works wonders! 

What do you do to be camera-ready at all times? 

I enjoy a lot of raw food daily, which keeps me hydrated and helps make my skin glow. My daily raw cacao treats (from my book - Model Chocolate) are essentials for me, they give me extra energy and antioxidants which rejuvenate my skin. I also surf regularly, take brisk walks and do yoga. How does your diet help you achieve it? I would say diet is No 1 when it comes to keeping me looking at my best. I've practiced this style of organic living/mostly raw vegan eating for about 20 years now and always receive flattering comments on how young I look. Is it more about exercise or any other beauty/fitness regimes?) I love to smother my skin with my cacao face mask (also in the book) after a long day of shooting, it really works a treat and smells delicious too! 

Abigail with her daughter Charlotte

Have you always been interested in healthy eating? Has it been a transition or a way of life from the very beginning?

Yes! From since I was about 13 years old, I loved reading health books, and actually 'took over' my mums kitchen! That was the best way to learn.

Would you agree with La Rochefoucauld that “to eat intelligently is an art”? 

Totally - love that one! One of my quotes from my book Model Chocolate is similar, it says:

“ENCHANT, STAY BEAUTIFUL AND GRACEFUL, BUT DO THIS, EAT WELL. BRING THE SAME CONSIDERATION TO THE PREPARATION OF YOUR FOOD AS YOU DEVOTE TO YOUR APPEARANCE. LET YOUR DINNER BE A POEM, LIKE YOUR DRESS.”

Charles Pierre Monselet

Model Chocolate by Abigail O’Neill

In your fabulous book you say that chocolate is what “transforms the way you feel about food forever”.  How does the chocolate affect our mind and diet? 

The style of chocolate in my book is revolutionary, until it becomes mainstream, which is what I want - it will continue to change and challenge the way people think about healthy food. Model Chocolate tastes so great, and is as good for you as it tastes, perfect for anyone wanting to look and feel their very best.

 

Eco-block – see recipe below

Are there any recipes you’ve created that you like the most or eat most often? 

I can't live without my Hit the Spot Hot Cacao in Winter, along with the Goji Ginger Healer, which tastes AMAZING and helps keep me well. I use my 'Classic Dark' raw chocolate all the time, and at the moment enjoying lots of Nibana Soft Serve (a raw vegan ice cream made with bananas and cacao nibs) for breakfast. The Love Me Bittersweet Pie is world famous, and another of my personal favourites. 

Can you share one of your delicious ideas with us, please? Love to! Why not try my Ecoblock recipe! It's like a cross between a coconut chocolate slice, and fruit and nut chocolate, raw and economical to make - so perfect for sharing with friends.  

Do you have any other tips for looking beautiful and feeling great? Lots! I love to share pictures of my organic lifestyle and tips on Instagram and blog, love to see you there! 

ECO BLOCK

This is the economical way I made chocolate for years, except I used carob powder in place of cacao. Whenever I made it, someone always asked me for the recipe. Look for the 'blocks' of creamed coconut in a cardboard package such as Royals. The jars of creamed coconut are more expensive, not necessary for this recipe.

200g creamed coconut or concentrate, chopped 

2 big tablespoons raw honey

¼ teaspoon vanilla powder

1 big tablespoon raw nut butter of choice

½ cup chopped raw brazil nuts

½ cup mixed sultanas, currants and raisins or dried cherries

Pinch fine sea salt

⅓ cup raw cacao/organic cocoa powder  

Place creamed coconut into a glass bowl to melt over a larger bowl of boiling water. Remove from heat adding all other ingredients and mix gently until combined. Scrape out onto a lined tray or chocolate mould and set in the fridge.

10 minutes to prepare, 10 minutes to set. Makes a massive family-sized block. 

Super Tip: to make this nut free, substitute raw organic coconut oil in place of nut butter and omit brazil nuts. 

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Thank you to Abigail, Rhiannon and BleachPR for the support, interview and images.

To learn more about Abigail and order her book (available in e-format and print edition), please visit Model Chocolate, read her story and follow via Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook

 

Photo source: c/o Abigail O’Neill & Bleach PR, photography: Damien Nikora, styling: Tamzen Holland Chalmers)

 

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Pure beauty talk with… Rose-Marie Swift

For me Rose-Marie Swift to beauty and make-up is like Donna Karan to fashion and clothes. Both know what women want and give it to them in the most natural, organic and beautiful way, kind to the skin and body whether it needs to be clothed or enhanced. What attracted me to Rose-Marie in a first place was her philosophy and knowledge about the skin and skincare products. It deeply resonated in me. For once I felt that there’s somebody out there who is looking for answers and information just like I did and, even better, has a solution that turned out to be my skin (and mind) saviour.

Asking Rose-Marie about an interview was a bold, very bold, move. She is a star known for her work with Saint Laurent, Louis Vuitton, Espirit, H&M (remember that ethereal Gisele’s Spring/Summer 2011 campaign? Yes, that’s her hands that created the look) Vogue, Harper’s, V, i-D, Pop and AnOther magazines just to name a few as well as the make-up artist most gorgeous girls like Doutzen, Gisele, Miranda and Julia Restoin-Roitfeld unconditionally trust their faces to. 

She is one of a kind and, just like most one of a kind people, tends to have a very busy schedule. Yet she replied to my email and generously gave me her time fitting the interview somewhere between Louis Vuitton Pre-Fall and working with Gisele, making me feel a little bit one of a kind, too.

This story is very close to my heart because I hope that the message that comes from a true expert like Rose-Marie will be heard and may actually change a few lives, faces and bodies in the process. I know that breaking the rules isn’t the simplest thing of all, but I do hope that her passion, knowledge and advice will make some to take the first step towards appreciating and understanding organic skin care and the skin we live in.

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What does beauty mean to you?

Well, the old saying goes "beauty is in the eyes of the beholder" so in my opinion as the beholder, I see beautiful as someone with as healthy and glowing skin as possible. Beauty to me is looking healthy and happy, a glow to the skin and a twinkle in the eye.

What makes a face beautiful?

I have to admit I have a skin obsession, and to me it is all about the skin…nothing beats youthful, healthy, dewy skin. Knowing your face and not changing it through layers of makeup is also a quality that can't be beaten.

RMS Beauty was created to enhance the natural beauty - what is your philosophy when it comes to make-up, both the ritual and the products? 

After many years in the fashion and make-up industry, I’ve learned a lot about the impact of daily exposure to chemicals in beauty care products. I’ve seen what works and what doesn’t live up to its promises. I see the results of taking a quick-fix approach to looking good. I know first-hand the price our health can pay in the pursuit of beauty. I realized that what women need are skin care, colour cosmetics, toiletries that are as pure as possible, lines that create a solid foundation for anti-aging and long-term beauty.

Skin is a living organism. It breathes, interacts, and absorbs information from everything it encounters. It’s in constant communication with the environment. Without healthy skin, we are vulnerable to the effects of everything we encounter.

Unfortunately, most ingredients in skin products and cosmetics were approved by the FDA when it was widely believed that the skin acted as a barrier to the outside world, blocking out whatever was applied to it. We now know that whatever we put on the skin is absorbed into the bloodstream. You only need to look to medical patches, anti-smoking patches and hormone replacement patches for proof.

My background as an advocate for cleaner cosmetics came when my own health deteriorated years ago and thru my research I realized many of the chemicals that were in my body were also found thru out the beauty industry.

I started my site Beauty Truth in 2004 exposing some of the more serious chemicals in our cosmetics and through this I became very well versed on what chemicals make up our beauty products and the ramifications they can have long term. (I encourage you to read my site as I hope to have every single person open their minds to a new definition on cosmetics).

The site created a lot of press for me and the question asked over and over again by all my readers was.... what shall we use? I started studying ingredients labels in depth and the extent of the use of unregulated chemical ingredients. Sorry to inform you but the FDA does not regulate our beauty industry with the exception of synthetic colour. It is self regulated by the actual people that are adding all these ingredients and deeming them safe.

In fact, many ingredients are downright harmful. Some ingredients, like phthalates found in synthetic fragrances and nail polishes, are known to disrupt the hormone system, and are a factor in reproductive diseases and breast cancer. Sadly, the list of harmful ingredients in your personal care products is long – and we continue to use them daily. It begs the question: are short-term results now worth the risk of ugly health consequences later? 

Even the so-called natural lines which we are all led to believe are safe and clean are not by any means safe or clean. The word "natural" means absolutely nothing. There are no laws that either define or regulate its use. You are on your own to find beauty products (or food for that matter) that are actually formulated with natural ingredients. It all comes down to chemistry: when a raw material is processed for use in cosmetics or other beauty products, it typically undergoes a lengthy process.

I was surprised to learn that the majority of ingredients used for natural cosmetics are refined, bleached, clarified, deodorized, fractionated and heated to extreme temperatures. By some of this processing it means that they are not natural ingredients anymore – they are now equivalent to man-made chemicals.

Complicating matters more, the processes strip away all of the nutrients that make natural ingredients beneficial to skin and health. It is like taking one of the healthiest foods such as broccoli and putting it is a pressure cooker. It is now what I call "dead".... almost every beneficial enzyme, vitamin and antioxidant has literally been killed. That is why the concept of eating raw food has been making headlines with health advocates, nutritionists and celebrities.

I am honestly trying to educate every woman to be more aware of not just what they put on their skin but also what they put in their bodies. Your skin is a “mirror to your gut” so whatever is being put into the body is reflected in the skin. Eat healthy, eat wisely, and don't underestimate the power of clean water, fruits and vegetables. Living a healthy life is what gives us beautiful healthy glowing skin.

Do you have favourite or signature ingredients? Are there any substances, as natural as they might be, you’d never use in RMS Beauty line? 

My signature ingredient is my coconut oil. Coconut oil is one of the healthiest oils in the world, if not the healthiest. It contains none of the nasty chemicals that are in today’s makeup removers and skin cleansers. It has natural anti-fungal and antibacterial properties due to its lauric acid and caprylic acid content, which aids in cleaning the skin naturally. It is a known natural antioxidant that helps prevent free radical damage (premature aging) and contains high levels of vitamin E. When it is in its raw state, it is hands down the best oil out there, and the skin, eyelashes and hair all love it. This coconut oil is superior over any store bought cold-pressed coconut oil.

I also do not use any water in my products. Bacteria grows in water--not in oil--so avoiding water helps to eliminate added preservatives that are needed to keep bacteria at bay.

I also never use cheap unstable oils… I hate cheap oils that go rancid fast and cause oxidative stress on the skin. The beauty industry if full of them and many are found in the natural brands unfortunately.

What do women need to be aware of when choosing their cosmetics? What do we need to look out for when buying organic make-up to ensure that we get “the real thing’?

That is hard because unless you know the origin and processing practice of every ingredient you won't be able to find out. You have to literally find a brand that explains their ingredients (from origin, growing practices to processing), whom you know is trustworthy and has a great reputation for what they are doing. RMS Beauty fits that bill. It helps tremendously to start reading ingredient decks on the BACK of products and looking up some of these ingredients on a site called Cosmetic Database. They have done major testing on ingredients and list the toxicity levels of these ingredients making it easier to make wiser decisions when purchasing products. Tongue twisting words and that are hardly pronounceable are a red flag and most likely is a chemical.

Which one of RMS beauty products you would recommend as a first buy and why?

I would definitely suggest the Living Luminizer. It is an ultra-sheer, glowing luminizer with a satin-pearl finish that magically highlights the skin. This product is very unique to the beauty business and has become a celebrity favourite on both the red carpet and in the magazines. Its light-reflective, dewy glow cannot be compared and is the ultimate touch to add a youthful sheen to the skin. You will be instantly hooked when you hear how many people tell you how great your skin looks when using this product.

You are very particular about ingredients used in RMS beauty line. What about diet? Do you believe that “we are what we eat”?

Every woman needs to be more aware of not just what they put on their skin, but also what they put in their bodies. Your skin is a “mirror to your gut” so whatever is being put into the body is reflected in the skin.

Eat healthy and wisely, and don't ever underestimate the power of clean water, organic fruits and vegetables. Living a healthy life is what gives us beautiful, healthy and glowing skin. Makeup should enhance that beauty, not used to cover it up.

Raw, nutrient rich foods, probiotics, digestive enzymes, exercise and sleep all contribute to keeping the skin healthy and youthful and I try to live by that every day.

Avoid artificial sweeteners, sugar and soda pop like the plague.

What are your thoughts on beauty injections and dermatological treatments? What would you suggest to women who choose or need to have them as a follow-up remedy?

If people decide to do any skin procedures or peals etc. I have one life giving product for their healing process after... The RMS Beauty Oil.

And before you go... Are there any other (RMS) beauty tips you could share with us?

My beauty mantra is…… less is more.

Just as important as applying makeup it is also just as important taking it off as night. RMS Beauty Raw Coconut Cream beats anything out there and will remove every bit of makeup without wreaking havoc on your skin and lashes.

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Pure beauty talk with… Adriana Giotta

As I was preparing for my Pure Beauty week I wondered about the ways our mind works when it comes to understanding of beauty and the impact it can make on the way we choose to shape our life, habits and, lets face it, bodies. Naturally, I wanted to focus on the subject of psychology as a part of the series to address the healthy mind – healthy body link and also help some discover the answers they have been looking for.

I thought of Adriana Giotta, an international fashion model and founder of Role Model Living, from the start because I just felt that she would make the most perfect choice. A stunning, warm and intelligent woman, not only she experienced both sides of the fashion industry while working as a model for almost two decades, Adriana is also a qualified psychologist able to address all those emotions that can affect our mind when it comes to beauty and image, develop our true self, enjoy being unique and feel empowered by knowledge.

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What does beauty mean to you?

I believe beauty is essential in our lives. Nature is naturally beautiful; sitting watching a sunset on a beach will leave us in awe. Therefore it is good to surround ourselves with beauty. Human beings possess an objective inner standard of beauty, acquired by education or social custom, to which even geniuses such as Leonardo Da Vinci and Michelangelo referred. It includes elegance, grace, harmony in composition, consistency, poise, Vitruvian proportion and symmetry.


We also possess a subjective standard of beauty; such beauty is in the eye of the beholder: any child is beautiful to his or her mother, regardless of the way he or she looks.


Beauty is also an undying state of the self, as spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar explains impeccably: “The most good-looking, after some time don’t look so nice. It is not in the outer appearance, it is the spirit, the inner soul. Look at the spirit inside, there is inner beauty. That beauty of the spirit is undying. It increases day by day. It also increases with age. Wisdom and maturity bring so much beauty.

Beauty is not just some appearance. Similarly, ugliness is not out of appearance. Somebody may look very good with good makeup, but if their heart is very ugly and the mind is all twisted and full of negativity, however nice they may appear, their vibrations will tell you that they are not beautiful. So, it is the mind that makes one beautiful”.

What kind of impact, in your opinion, fashion has on our perception of beauty?

Fashion dictates a beauty standard that people are subliminally asked to adhere to, failing which they are labelled as inadequate. Hence people start feeling rejected and reject themselves falling into a vicious circle, often developing a psychological condition.

Unfortunately what fashion portrays as beautiful often isn’t, as it appears most of the time as forced, unnatural and frankly dysfunctional.

For example, ultra and unnaturally thin fashion models cannot be considered beautiful, yet nowadays, this has become the trend and people tend to conform, no matter how many starving diets it will imply. That said, we are witnessing an increase in eating disorders also due to the impact of media images on people: an eating disorder most of the time has its roots in the past and childhood of the individual but it can be triggered and offset much more easily through social pressures, a fertile ground for the development of the condition.

When people start comparing themselves to media images, they end up disliking or criticizing themselves and feeling miserable and unhappy as a consequence, hence unattractive. An interior punishing dialogue begins and they can hit themselves metaphorically or even literally (a self harming practice is binge eating for example). It becomes a vicious circle.

As a psychologist and a model, do you think it is fair to blame fashion and models for the idea of perfection many women strive to achieve no matter what?

It is never only one culprit. The issue is multifactorial. We live in an overpopulated planet, in cities that most of the time look like concrete jungles. Competition is fierce. Society demands perfection, high performances. The obsession with perfection is a result of a competitive, overpopulated society, disconnected from Mother Nature; the offset of the obsession is clearly facilitated by air brushed images of models, actresses/actors, tv stars: images built for hours, or even days, by teams of professionals working to create a dream. Hair dressers, make up artists, stylists, photographers, lighting, locations, sets, art directors, post production labs, etc; these images are sold as the natural result of using ‘such and such’ product or wearing ‘such and such’ brand; Pure manipulation.

The truth is these images are built up, unreal and unnatural yet people want to achieve that “perfection” because no one tells them what happens back stage and because society makes them feel inadequate, alienated or rejected if they don’t. So people become ill, whether mentally, physically or both and even spiritually (because self un-acceptance creates a hole in our souls, an inner conflict) chasing the impossible.

People start hating themselves for not being like Mr. X or not looking like the Chanel, Dior, Prada - you name it - advertisement model (not knowing that these models are, on top of all the above, most of the times only 14/16 years old! How can a 40 year old lady who wishes to be “fashionable” identify with these ultra skinny 14/16 years old baby girls and stay sane?).

Ultimately the consumerist society is not interested in a world populated by happy and healthy people as these people wouldn’t consume as much and therefore spend as much; the consumerist machine would stop or at least slow down. Sad but true. We need to become aware of this to avoid the trap. Knowledge is half the solution, the rest is up to each one of us, to avoid actively falling into the trap.

Fashion models are partially responsible, because they send out dysfunctional images. But they are often totally unaware as they are too young and/or often manipulated themselves. They simply adjust to the fashion industry’s requests and they become victims themselves: victims of an illusion, of a dream, of their own vanity, victims of the industry. They are too young to be able to have a critical thought so they just get manipulated hugely. This is the truth.

The adults involved in the fashion business are to be held accountable: a lot of fashion designers, model agents, photographers, fashion editors, art directors, casting directors and of course media and advertising agencies. They create, approve of and/or request such images and set the standards. Recently I observed a similar trend in the acting, tv and music industry as well. Has it all been driven by the fashion industry? Quite possibly.

When I was modelling I was asked - not explicitly, but rather in an indirect way, in other words you just knew that either you conformed or you stopped working - to be non-humanly “perfect”, as in looking ultra thin, plastic and disinhibited. It was all about the body, the outer look. In fact I wasn’t allowed a brain, an opinion, a voice, a thought, a soul, a need. I was expected to be bionic. A robot. A species of machine. When conforming to that standard, models begin to send that very message out through media images, colluding with the system inadvertently. As a consequence people, the public, start to be moulded, by being exposed, over and over again, to such images.

It happens subliminally, unconsciously, slowly but surely, without being aware of it. That’s how we all get influenced on this planet. Advertising agencies spend a lot of time and effort using psychology to manipulate human minds and drive their behaviours towards the outcome they wish to obtain.

Are there any other triggers, physical, emotional or both, we need to be aware of?

The question is: what kind of perfection are we striving for? Who decides what is “beautiful” and what is “perfect”? What is really perfection? Is it just a look? Is it just another stereotype? For example the plastic, skinny, sexy, wealthy, successful career wonder woman, yummy mummy of 2 “perfect” children with an amazingly perfect husband, Posh and Becks style? What kind of perfection is that if in the end we are unhappy and depressed because to maintain that “perfect standard” we must spend 3 hours a day at the gym neglecting our children’s emotional needs as we are too busy, starving ourselves, going to the hair dresser for a couple of hours a week and to a plastic surgeon for some Botox every month or so and perhaps subject ourselves to a general anaesthesia for a blepharoplasty or a face lifting every once in a while to hide the sign of the times as we are ashamed of it? We need to wake up and become aware of the manipulation we are subjected to. We strive to a perfection that has nothing to do with the real meaning of it. Real perfection has nothing to do with a “standard”; “Real perfection is the nature of the enlightened one” as Sri Sri Ravi Shankar said. Lets embrace our souls and start a nourishing journey from within.

Is feeling "fat" or "ugly" really just about the body or comparing yourself to a picture in a magazine?

We feel “fat” and/or “ugly” when we are disconnected from our true self. When there is an imbalance or conflict within, it reflects on the outer look. On the skin, on the body. Not vice versa. Then we start gaining weight and as a result looking “ugly”. As a former international model I can guarantee you that even the most amazing looking girl can look “ugly” or unattractive if in a bad mood because she is not happy with herself. The secret is to feel good in ones own skin. And to do so we need to look after our inner world and inner child.

From a psychodynamic stand point, if someone has been loved in the right way as a child, from his/her main caregiver, in other words had a “good enough mother”, for example, most probably he/she will have learned to accept and love him/herself. We love ourselves in the same way we have been loved as children. In this instance, no matter how dysfunctional the media images, it will be more difficult for them to have a significant negative impact on us. If we had a difficult childhood/adolescence, we can transform the information we have learned and that acts us out through dysfunctional behaviour, such as self harming, with some good psychodynamic work and/or a spiritual path.

What about criticism? How to face it without letting the words affect our mind?

We should never be the football of other people’s opinion. Full stop. Knowing this is enough. And then train accordingly: every time we catch ourselves being affected by other people’s opinion just become mindful and adjust accordingly. There are different types of criticism: the healthy criticism is a gift. We should see it this way. Drop the ego and just welcome constructive criticism. It will help us to become a better person. We have to be grateful to the person criticizing us as it took courage to do so. They could have just lied. Yet they chose to be truthful. When it is a destructive, unhealthy criticism we must learn to be indifferent. The nature of the mind is to cling onto the negative: we may receive 10 compliments and one criticism from that person and all we will remember is the criticism. Never mind, just know that this is the nature of the mind. This knowledge will help us to be indifferent to the negative criticism. Also knowing why the person is criticizing us: sometimes they are jealous or envious. Just look at them with a smile of compassion and move on. Accept yourself just the way you are and you will be safe. Fill your inner love void by loving and caring for your inner child.

Is there a simple but effective way to learn loving yourself the way you are? Any tips you could share?

It is a journey and there is no shortcut. We need to establish new and more functional habits therefore we must be consistent and persistent training every day, every moment, to establish the new habit. But this mustn’t frighten us: every journey starts from a first step. Awareness is the first and most important step. Being aware of the dynamic we are trapped into and being mindful about it. A spiritual path and meditation will help to connect with our abundant inner source.

A powerful exercise is to cherish our inner child, connecting with him/her: Every morning when waking up, first thing, let’s ask our inner child (you may look at your favourite picture of yourself when you were a little toddler or baby) “what do you need today to be happy and what can I do to make you feel happy, loved and safe?” Listen to the answer coming from within and please the requests; a simple but effective exercise. Be the one that loves and protect the little child you carry inside.

***

To learn more about Adriana, please visit Role Model Living and stay in touch via Twitter and Facebook

 

Photo source: Grazia Italy

 

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Pure beauty in Harper’s Bazaar 1990

“Love of beauty is taste.

The creation of beauty is art”

Ralph Waldo Emerson

What does beauty mean to you? For me, beauty is the emotional comfort, the absence of dissonance, the nourishment for the mind and soul. Beauty is synergy, the balance between the the outer shell and the content, the holistic connection between mind, body and soul. Beauty is about happiness. Beauty is purity. Beauty is about feeling sexy. Beauty is the glowing skin. Beauty is health. Beauty is knowledge. Beauty is something that empowers and conquers.

I don’t talk about beauty on this blog much, but whenever it happens, I try to to make each post as meaningful as possible because I want to remind everyone who reads my stories that beauty isn’t about perfection, layers of make-up, dieting, pushing the body beyond its limits or trying to look like somebody else, but more about purity, love, understanding and accepting.

I feel that this is not only something that would be beneficial for us, but also for the world we live in, for the future we are heading towards.

What does beauty mean to you? I ask four beautiful and inspirational women whom I interviewed for the series. I thought that their knowledge and opinions will be incredibly useful for anyone turning to fashion when looking for the formula of beauty whether it’s in the mind, adornment of the skin or healthy body.

Beauty was once the force that could save the world and I think this is the time to recall that Dostoevsky’s quote, turn to beauty and discover its wonders.

Welcome to my Pure Beauty week. I hope you will enjoy the journey!

Photo source: Harper’s Bazaar US January 1990

(photography: Phillip Dixon)

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Inspired by Pantone: radiant orchid

“An enchanting harmony of fuchsia, purple and pink undertones, Radiant Orchid inspires confidence and emanates great joy, love and health. It is a captivating purple, one that draws you in with its beguilling charm.”

Pantone official press-release 2014

Once upon a time purple was a very exclusive shade to wear. Only the most rich and powerful could afford the fabrics dyed in a solution made from the mucus glands of the murex. The tropical snail, according to the legend, was discovered by a dog that belonged to the beautiful nymph Tyrus. The dog bit the strange creature and his mouth turned purple. A true fashionista, the nymph declared that she’d only sleep with her dog if all of her clothes were dyed the same colour as the tongue of her beloved pet.  A slightly different story suggests that the dog was Hercules' and accompanied both him and Tyrus and since Hercules ask the nymph to marry him, she said she's only agreed to accept Hercules as her lover if he gave her a purple robe. Whichever one is true, everyone got what they wanted and the Tyrian dye was born.

It required 250000 molluscs to extract an ounce of dye, so the production process was very time-consuming and costly - by the third century BC Tyrian purple was worth more than gold and particularly admired by Romans, the murex shell even appeared on the very earliest Tyrian and later Roman coins.

For hundreds of years it was only the Emperor who wore the “the shade of triumph”, while senators were allowed to add a stripe of purple to their togas.

By the 15th century when the Ottoman Empire conquered Constantinople, the original recipe for the dye was lost until 1856 when a French zoologist Felix Henri de Lacaze-Duthiers noticed how fishermen dying their clothes with a shellfish ink, which prompted a few experiements. In 1909 the formula was finally discovered by Paul Friedlander, an Austrian chemist who not only recreated the original dye, but also noticed that it was similar to an extract from an Indian pea plant. The new shade had more blue undertones and was eventually named royal purple (and worn mainly by Royalty)

Similar to violet, purple isn’t, in fact, the colour of the visible spectrum, and despite its origins, not something created in nature, but rather a shade that exists in art and is a combination of red and blue in different proportions.

So mesmerising, purple has been one of the most fascinating colours of fashion. The designers including Alberta Ferretti, Anna Molinari, Frida Giannini, Diane von Furstenberg, Alber Elbaz, Peter Copping and John Galliano often used it in their collection and the purple trend has been topping the trend charts every other season.

In 2014 it came back in a shade of Radiant Orchid, a slightly softened hue with a touch of pink glow. It is said to suit sensitive and compassionate people, artists and free-spirited dreamers of the world who are able to inspire others without expecting much in return.

Whether it is the story that speaks to you or you simply adore the colour, here are some of my favourite things celebrating Radiant Orchid. Personally, I think I will start with a pair of shoes…

Where to buy: 1. Cashmere V-neck sweater, Uniqlo (£49), 2. Colour Design Infinite 24-hour eye shadow in Vibrant Violet, Lancome (£15), 3. Shimmering lip gloss in Sparkle Fuchsia or White Gold Topaz, YSL (£18), 4. Purple hobo bag, Stella McCartney (£775) 5. Pure colour nail polish in Purple Passion, Estee Lauder (£14.50), 6. Nail polish in Cabaret, Ciate (£9), 7. Fracas de Robert Piguet perfume & roll-on gift box, Robert Piguet (£55), 8. Anna silicone & cubic zirconia bracelet, Natasha Goldenberg X EK (£180), 9. Amethyst, 18-karat gold and hand-woven cord polka bracelet, Astley Clarke Biography (£85), 10. Paisley-print summer dress, Zimmermann (£114), 11. Ltd edition nail polish in Grape Ice, Clinique (£10), 12. Pop rabbit key & coin pouch, Marc by Marc Jacobs (£65), 13. Pink topaz earrings, Nikki Baker (£162), 14. Serenity candlesticks, set of 2, Orrefords Totem (£27), 15.  Emilie sandals, Miss KG (£65), 16. Leather make-up bag, Jigsaw (£29), 17. Three-stone gold plated earrings, Isharya (£172), 18. "Glove" sling back sandals, Balenciaga (£303), 19. Milk chocolate coin, Harrods (£5.50), 20. Sophia sunglasses, Illesteva (£185), 21. Pashmina shawl, Forzieri (£133), 22. Converse in Purple Ox, Converse All Stars (£27), 23. Nuit EDP, Laughter (£45), 24. Woven crystal candle, Agraria (£42), 25. Pointed toe pumps, Alice + Olivia (£226)

Photo source: Anne Vyalitsyna in Fantasie editorial, Numero #135 August 2012 (photography: Warren Du Preez & Nick Thornton Jones, styling: Franck Stambro)

References: The secret astrology of the bible by Michael Ledo,  QI the book of the dead byJohn Lloyd & John Mitchinson

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Valentino Couture Spring 2014: a tale of 55 operas

The hand painted magic woods, flowers and butterflies designed by Maurizio Varamo covered the walls and floors of the salons at the Hotel de Salomon Rotschild as if a beautiful welcoming to the gardens of Eden.

The dresses glided down the runway – full skirts sweetly bouncing with every step, long layers of luxurious fabrics floating in the air – each inspired by a character from an opera or a Saint-Saens’ Carnaval des animaux creature.

This collection wasn’t just about the smoky gemstones, guipure lace, lavish embroideries, ethereal tulle or lustrous silk, but the beautiful story inspired by music and time and then created by human hands for us to enjoy, a true couture – unique, unforgettable, glorious and breathtaking.

 

Photo source: wwd.com, fashionising.com

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