Paris summer 2011 part 2

Promenade à Pompidou

Our first sightseeing venture was to the Centre Georges Pompidou. My mom usually tries to drag me to museums of all kinds, but I'm not all that tolerant of non art museums. I'm also particularly fond of impressionism, fauvism and other post-impressionist styles. And we're both big fans of Matisse and Miro. So this being the largest modern art museum in Europe, it was the perfect way to spend our afternoon. 

Crêpes on every corner!

L'île dans ma tête ( The island in my head)

Montmartre

Georges Braque La Ciotat Harbor 1906 

Georges Braque L’homme à la guitare 1914

Pablo Picasso Arlequin 1923

Georges Braque Viaduct at L'Estaque 1908

Vassily Kandinsky, Alte Stadt, 1902

Vassily Kandinsky Yellow-Red-Blue 1925

Larry Rivers, I like Olympia in Black Face, 1970

Random awesome cave you get to walk around in

Art overload

Picasso, Warhol, Miro, Warhol, cliche parisian photo, Klimt, Klimt, Matisse,  disturbing social commentary

I splurge on postcards, big spender that I am. 

Paris summer 2011 part 1

I was fortunate enough to spend this June and part of July in the city of lights/love/delightful little pastries. My agency had suggested that I try working in Paris, my mom has colleagues there, and she was going to go to Europe for work this summer anyway. So it all worked out beautifully. I must tell you that anything I say about the city is completely biased. From the moment I set foot there, it was love at first sight. The first time I went it was great, but the second, it was magic. If you ever get the chance to take a lights of Paris by night tour (or something like that) you too shall understand my passion. Or if 10 story department stores sound like heaven to you, they sure do to me. If I were a character in a movie I would probably be the assistant in The Devil Wears Prada who starves/almost kills herself to get nice clothes and go to Paris. It’s bursting with everything you could ask for: art, museums, architecture, food, fashion, history, culture and all kinds of beyond interesting people. This time I didn't get to do quite as much sightseeing as I would've liked, but it was wonderful anyway. We stayed in a cute little studio by canal Saint-Martin in the 10th arrondissement. Very lively picturesque neighborhood. I can't say I didn't get home sic. But other than chez moi, I don't think there's a better place to be. 

On my daily walk to the metro station. 

I can't tell you how much I love subways. Especially well organized ones. I love them almost as much as I love Paris (wow). Tell me it doesn't sound awesome to be able to go wherever you want, without having to worry about traffic, what you're doing to the environment, or your budget. Not to mention forgoing drivers ed. Call me a socialist (fyi: not an insult in France) but I think public transportation is pretty friggin great. It's a different lifestyle, one I think the French have mastered very nicely. But, if a Parisian absolutely must drive, they generally do in ity-bity, teenie-tiny, so small and funny looking that most Americans would laugh at, sized cars. Peugeots, Fiats, Citroens, you get the idea. No horrible gas guzzling Hummers and SUVs. Can you tell I disapprove of L.A.'s driving habits?

Maybe it's because not as many people get married in Europe. Maybe it's because we're all just weird. But my mom and me weren't the only ones waiting to see the bride and groom come out. When they finally did it just seemed a little more special, a little precious than back home. I feel like we, and the other strangers watching, left with warmed hearts. Happiness is contagious. 

My first foray into documenting street style. So cut me a little slack. I had to ask if I could take her picture in French! Evidently she understood me, but I subsequently turned red as tomato. 

Mommy and me at the market

My cool cheese guy

I know it looks like burned bread, or a rock, or a brick. But alas, this is cheese. 

Our lovely courtyard

Omelette jambon fromage avec salade verte. What was left after a couple mili seconds anyway.

Boris Gorjan Test

Dress: H&M

Top: Vintage. Skirt: Hollister.

Top: Vintage.

So for the past month I was in Paris. Needless to say, there are much worse places to spend 4 weeks.  It’s such a beautiful city with so much life, how could you not be in love. This is one of the test shoots I did while I was there. I met the photographer, Boris Gorjan, and the makeup artist, his wife Dasha Grozdanic, at their apartment in Bellville. They were so sweet and easy to work with.  As we were starting makeup I saw a jar of coconut oil on their shelf.  Being a big fan of the stuff I asked what they used it for (as there are endless uses). “Everything” they replied. Moisturizer, makeup remover, baking, you name it. I soon found out that they are very into the eco-friendly, organic lifestyle. So much so, that Dasha’s makeup kit is more than 90% non-toxic. She told me about how using cosmetics with lots of unnatural ingredients can have all sorts of nasty side effects and consequences.  I’ve heard about the importance of using organic, safe products on your body before, but when it’s presented to you in a way other than beating you over the head with it as she did, it’s even more effective. I’m not really educated enough on the subject to be giving much advice. But I know I can’t be the only one who feels the synthetic residue of some cosmetics just sitting on top of your skin and clogging your pores, instead of nourishing it, like it should. It just seems to me that you'd want the best for your skin, as you won't be getting a new one. And the best doesn't always mean the most exclusive or expensive. If you’re interested in green, eco-conscious, or for that mater health conscious, body products, I highly recommend her blog (see below). It has lots of great articles that explain green makeup on an interesting, but easy to get “for dummies”, level. 

The park we shot at meets all your wildest Parisian dreams (as challenging as that may seem). It was high up in some hills, so we had a beautiful panoramic view of the city. We could see the Eiffel tower in the late afternoon sun. There were kids playing soccer, little old ladies strolling arm in arm and so very many picnickers.  When you see the locals spreading out a blanket and enjoying some nice cheese, bread and wine in good company, its enough to make anyone want to drop everything and just profiter de la vie too.

Now, as for the clothes. We didn’t have stylist so I just brought a bunch of my stuff and we also used a dress of Dasha’s. Once again H&M impresses us with their ability to create something, classic, refined, good quality, timeless and splurge worthy, without ever making us have to. If only I’d had more time to hunt down another… * sigh * I’ll probably live. For the other shot’s we paired vintage tops of my mom’s with basic California ripped up bottoms of mine. Once upon a time when I was a snotty little tween (I’m a teen now, there’s a difference), my mom offered me these ancient (older than me at least) treasures, and I, being the mainstream brainwashed, daring to be different but only while conforming, kid that I was didn’t appreciate these at all. I don’t look back at that and kick myself at all!! :P So fast forward a few years. I found them again, I loved them, I took them. She’s never getting them back!

Since my lovely enlightening talk with Dasha I decided to try to minimize the amount of harmful synthetic products in my beauty routine. I’m still using my Clarins cleanser, Clinique eye cream and Rosebud (can anyone really live without it?) lip balm. But I replaced my Neutrogena exfoliator with sea salt, Clinique facial moisturizer with olive oil and Vaseline body lotion with olive oil. I also kept my tea tree oil cleansing pads, but those are super hippie/whole foods/tree hugger-ish so I think I’m safe. It been a few weeks now and I’m really loving these changes! I like the sea salt a lot more because it’s grainier and cuts to the chase: exfoliating, no colors, smells or frills. The olive oil’s been great too. I don’t see a big difference on my face, but it has a wonderful aroma, and I feel like my skin just drinks it up, like its really safe and wholesome, instead of a heavy cream just sitting on the surface. It also works great if you want to give yourself a nice calming little face massage at the end of a long day (soo relaxing). I’ve always been a big fan of using oils on your body because it seems easier to rub in, smells nice ‘n natural and gives you that attractive “yes I’m a Greek god, why do you ask?” sheen.  Something else that’s really great about using the same stuff on your body as you might on your salad is that its way easier to find. For example, I’m going to Argentina this week. Where would I find Clinique and Neutrogena? Beats me. On the other hand, where might I find olive oil and sea salt? Uum, where wouldn’t I! Seeing how well this has gone, I think I’ll keep using natural, around the house ingredients in my beauty Routine. Any suggestions??

Links to their websites:

http://www.borisgorjan.com/

http://www.green-make-up.com/