Test Shoot for Hindu Goddess

-->

In this post I will discuss a test shoot I did for the Hindu Goddess look, which will be springs limited edition theme. For this test shoot I have been experimenting with using black kohl and liquid liner on they eyes combined with turquoise eye shadow. I took my inspiration from Chanel’s A/W 2012-2013 Bombay-Paris show and traditional Hindu/Indian style makeup for these looks. I felt that by looking at both fashion interpretation of the Hindu religion and traditional images, it gave me a clear idea of how to combine the looks. To interpret something that communicated elements from the Hindu religion and Goddesses as well as a look that is on trend and wearable.

-->

The first look focuses on strong, structured lines using liquid liner and a small amount of colour in the inner and outer corners of the eyes. I have created this to look to reflect all the intricate detailing on the Hindu Goddesses. I feel that the lines on the bottom of the eyes going into the corners need to be a lot straighter, more defined and more symmetrical in able for this look to be good enough to be used. After speaking to Lottie about this look it was suggested that rather than using black liner, I might get a better effect by using a brown liner and then drawing a very thin white line underneath to highlight it. I feel that this is something that will defiantly work well, however I am not going to use this look as part of the Hindu Goddess theme. I think the style and the lines around the eyes are two edgy for the Victoria’s Secret brand. I don’t think this is something that would be seen on a Victoria’s Secret campaign as they focus is more on bringing out the best of your features using makeup in a more natural way. I also feel that this look is not a wearable and achievable look for people, therefore it would not be successful in selling the product. I am glad that I tested this look out. Although it isn’t something that works for this project, throughout this project I have found that discovering what doesn’t work is as important as discovering what does.






-->

For the second test look I have used black kohl liner and smudged it along the top lash line and winged it out in the outer corners, as well as smudging it along the lower lash line. I then applied Victoria’s Secret shimmer eye shadow to the eyelids and along the bottom of the lash line. To contour the eyes and create a more smoky effect I blended a brown shadow in the creases of the eye. The eye shadows both blend well together and create a smoky effect that isn’t too heavy, I feel by adding this colour it ties the themes element of colour in. I added Vaseline on the top of the eyelids to create a gloss effect on the eyes, however the Vaseline quickly sank into the eyelids and as a result washed the colour out both on camera and in person. I feel that this look works well for both the Hindu Goddess theme and the Victoria’s Secret brand. I will re-create this look on the shoot but I wont use Vaseline on the eyelids, as I want the colour to show more in the photos. To ensure that this does not look other the top I am going to keep the skin clean with a nude lip. To add an element of culture into this look and to further relate it back to the theme I plan to use jewellery or by the traditional Indian tikka to place on top of the models head so it sits on the forehead. 

For my second look for this theme, I plan to keep the skin clean and fresh and create a bright orange matte lip, whilst keeping the eyes simple with a thin black line along the upper lash line and a coat of mascara. I have decided to do this look because it is on trend and versatile, because people can recreate the look with any lip colour to suit their skin tone. The look also incorporates bright colours that I wanted to use throughout this theme. Below shows my inspiration for this look.

Development of the themes and moodboards for Hindu Goddess and Galactica

In this post I am going to discuss the Hindu Goddess theme which will be spring’s limited edition and Galactica which will be autumn’s limited edition. This post will explore the development of both themes.

 

 For the Hindu Goddess theme I wanted to incorporate the Hindu history and culture and the way that the Hindu religion has been translated in the western fashion world. I started by looking into the various Hindu Goddesses, their background and there appearance. (Shown below)

This gave me an initial idea for makeup, hair and styling. All the Goddesses were show in bright colours. This has given me the initial idea to incorporate bright colours into the look. I have also looked into the Holi, which is the Hindu festival of colours, which coincidently takes place in Spring. This is something that I have incorporated into my mood board and plan to include in the makeup for this look as it adds to the element of colour.

As I must ensure that this beauty look is something that is commercial and wearable, I looked into how fashion has been inspired by Hindu culture. I looked at Chanel’s A/W Bombay-Paris collection and have seen how rather then using bright colours they have used kohl around the eyes. This is something I plan to include both in my mood board and one of the looks for this theme. Chanel has also used intricate head pieces to mirror the traditional Hindu head piece, which is known as a tikka. Below shows the mood board for this theme.

 For autumns limited edition I plan to create a theme named Galactica, which will be inspired by the galaxy’s colours. This is something that is currently on trend so for my mood board and development of this theme, rather than focusing on the patter I have focused more on the colours and hews. In this mood board I have merged various colours in the background to get an idea of what colours work well together and what ones I plan to use. I have also looks at makeup that I feel reflects the theme and uses the colours of the galaxy and have incorporated them onto the mood board. By creating his mood board and exploring the theme further it has given me a clear idea of what colours I want to use for the look, which is purple, gold, silver, blue and slight hints of green.

-->

Grecian Goddess and Re-shoot of Very Sexy

-->

In this post I will discuss my second shoot for this project where I planned to do three looks. Two of these looks are for Grecian Goddess and the third is for Very Sexy as I decided to re shoot this look.

Time Management

Initially I had planned two start doing the hair and makeup at 1.00pm and have completed and shot all three looks by 5.00pm as both my model and photographer had to leave by that time. However, my model turned up late and I was slow to do the first look, so I only had time to shoot two of the looks. I know I am a slow worker to I anticipated for this and had already arranged another shoot for the following week with this model. Even though I would have liked to get all three looks done on this shoot, on reflection I am pleased I have another shoot next week with the same model as it gives me the chance to re shoot anything if needed. For the next shoot I plan to allow extra time.

Very Sexy

The first look I shot in this photo shoot was Very Sexy. I chose to shoot this look first because it requires less make up than the Grecian Goddess look. I felt apprehensive when doing this look as I did not want to make the same mistake as last time of applying two much makeup and was very aware of this. I planned to keep with the red lip for this look as I feel it embodies the Very Sexy theme and eludes seduction. This time I toned the eyes down a lot, whilst still going for a subtle smoky eye look. I started with a cream shadow and applied it across the whole of the eye and up to the brow bone. I then blended a taupe colour across the eyelid and worked a dark brown shadow into the creases of the eyelid to contour and the eye. I applied a very small amount of black shadow in the outer corners of the eyelid and blended it outwards to ensure that it did not look over powering. I lined the top eye with a thin line of black and winged it out slightly at the corners for a feline look. I lightly blended a brown shadow along the lower lash line so the eyes stand out without looking too harsh.

 Looking back at these images (shown below )  feel that this is the right amount of makeup for the eyes on this look.  The viewer can still see it and the smoky eye is still evident in the picture, however it is not overpowering and does not appear to compete with the red lip. From this image you can clearly see that it is the lip that makes the statement and the eyes are just there to complement it, which is what I intended for.

 

I used the same bra for this shoot as I did for the previous Very Sexy shoot and luckily it fit Alexa perfectly. The black and cream works well against the red lip and the lace style which is typically associated with sex and seduction compliments the theme and sets off an alluring and seductive look and mood.

I kept with the same hairstyle for this look as I did with the first shoot for Very Sexy. Alexa’s hair is much longer and thicker so it was easier to style and curl. This time I ensured the hair was photo ready rather than relying on retouching in Photoshop, although there were some stray hairs to clean up in post-production, I feel that the hair was more carefully styled and taken into more consideration that last time. The hair works particularly well in the first image where it is swept back and the waves come down to frame the face. I like the movement of the hair in the second image. The way the hair falls in front coincides with how Alexa has tilted her head and lifted her hand to look as if she is touching her hair. In hindsight I think the curls should have been brushed out more in order to create the signature Victoria’s Secret wavy hair and look less done, although it still works for the nature of this image which is sexy and glamorous. The curls being more brushed out is something my tutor had also picked up on. I love the poses for these two images and feel both of them portray the different elements of Very Sexy. In the first, Alexa’s hands are on her hips, pushing her collarbones forward. The body language in this image is eluding ultimate confidence and commanding attention, which embodies the Very Sexy theme. The second image shows a more seductive side as Alexa’s head is slightly tilted to the side and her hand is up close to her hair. In both the images the bottom of the bra is slightly out the shot, this is something my tutors picked up on. In the next shoot I will be careful to ensure the photographer includes the whole bra in the crop. 

Grecian Goddess  

-->

I had a very clear image for the Grecian Goddess theme which will be the theme for Sumer's limited edition. This is shown below in the storyboard I created for myself, Alexa (model) and Zoe (photographer) to reference for inspiration whilst on the shoot. I also created a Pinterest board for this theme. (See link below) Doing this really benefited me and contributed to the develop of this idea because it allowed me to search a wide range of images and see them all laid out together at once. 

Pinterest board

  -->

I only shot the first Grecian Goddess look in this photo shoot and plan to shoot the second one next week. This focus on this look is on the hot summer and beautifully bronzed skin. Gilded gold is a colour and tone that is frequently associated with Grecian Goddesses so the aim was to translate this into a beauty look. I wanted the skin to be very glossy with a golden sheen on it whilst the eyes were kept simple and contoured with bronze/gold shadow and lips where also a golden bronze colour. I wanted to keep the look simple to the focus was on the skin so eyebrows were kept neat and bush back. In historical photos of Grecian Goddesses they are usually seen with long flowing hair, often in a plait. I translated an updated version of this look and styled the hair in a loose fishtail plait falling to the side.

Having done a test shoot for this look I had identified what worked and what didn’t work. I used the base that I had already applied to Alexa for the Very Sexy shoot, which matched her natural skin tone. I then began to contour with a darker shade and add slightly more bronze to the areas where the sun naturally hits the face. Such as the cheekbones, bridge on the nose and chin. I was careful to only lightly dust the bronzer to avoid making Alexa look orange and unnatural. I highlighted using the Topshop shimmer brick. This worked very well for the look, as it was a light gold tone with a beautiful shimmer to it. I mixed a bronze and gold eye shadow with Illamasqua sealing gel to create a paste for the lips. This was hard to apply and  I had to make sure I applied Vaseline on top so Alexa’s lips didn’t get to dry, however I feel this lip worked perfectly with the look. When I began to do the hair I did it roughly because the fishtail plait is supposed to look messy, however half way through doing it Lottie told me that hair did not look camera ready and was to messy at the front. After taking a second look I agreed and brushed the hair out to the front would fall in a gentle wave. This really changed the look and worked very well with the makeup and the shape of Alexa’s face. As you can see in the image below the hair front of the hair falls naturally into the plait.

There were several shots to choose from for this look. The two below are the ones I chose to retouch.

  -->

I chose these images because I feel they portrayed an ethereal but effortless which is want I aimed to capture for this look. My tutor advised me to alter the colour of the bra in this image from a cream/ivory colour, so I changed it to this light blue colour. However this doesn’t worked and having taken a further look at the image I can see the bra is creased on the right hand side which does not look good. Therefore I have decided to not use this shot.

  -->

I love this beauty shot and has chosen this one to be used in my look book. The close up crop shows off the skins luminosity and glow and the subtly of the plait works well and ensure the focus is on the face. The colours in Alexa’s hair also compliment the gold tones in the makeup. This crop and closeness of this shot makes it a powerful image.

Development of winter's limited edition theme

-->

As part of my concept for this campaign, four of my themes will represent limited edition themes for each of the seasons. So far I have shot Grecian Goddess, which is summer’s limited edition theme. I have yet to shoot Hindu Goddess, which will be for spring and Galactica, which will be for autumn. This post will discuss the development of the concept for winter’s limited edition theme.

For this theme I wanted to develop a concept that will include deep red and pink colours. As this is the colours in the bra I brought and red is colour mostly associated with winter and the festive season.  I wanted this theme to have romantic and sexy elements in it to reflect the Victoria’s Secret brand. However I want it to have a slightly darker side and a gothic an almost gothic edge, as this is something I have not yet expressed in the project and it is a theme that is often on trend in terms of fashion and beauty. 

--> This led me to the idea of Dark Romance, visuals and inspiration for this theme is shown in my Pinterest wall. (Link below) I have also made up a mood board for this theme.  Pinterest board

  -->

This illustrates some of the hair and makeup elements I propose to use for this look, such as the dark lips, brown smoky eyes and loosely plaited hair. Making this mood board has really helped me to refine my ideas for this look and visually communicate a clear direction for this theme, to my tutors and the people I plan to work with on the photo shoot for this look.

Originally the name for this theme was called Dark Romance, however after discussing this with my tutor it was decided that the name needed to be changed to something that wasn’t as obvious. After thinking about this I came up with the name Scarlett Noir. I feel that Scarlett is a word that incorporates the sexiness of Victoria’s Secrets brand image and Noir represents the darker side to this theme.

 

Test shooting for Grecian Goddess theme

-->

Today I conducted a test shoot for the first look for the Grecian goddess theme; this theme will be part of the limited edition collection for summer. The look I have test shot is one the focuses on achieving a hot summer skin that is glossy, glowing and dewy. All contouring along the cheek bones and jawline will be done with shade of bronze and highlighting will be done with yellow and gold tones. Highlighting is the key element to this look to achieve the other worldly look of a goddess. In keeping the yellow and gold colour pallet which fits with the Grecian goddess theme the lips will be a coral/gold tone. Eyebrows will be kept clean and slicked back and nothing on the face will be matte. I want everything to be kept glossy to portray and ethereal and goddess like look. For this look the hair will be in a loose fishtail plait that sits to the side of the model. I have decided on this hairstyle because in historic depictions and paintings of Greek goddesses such as Aphrodite are shown with long wavy hair with some sort of plait or twist going through it. The loose fishtail plait will be a modern and on trend interpretation of this look. Below shows some images of inspiration for the hair and makeup for this look.

-->

These images are inspiration for this look. They show the glow and glossiness of the skin I aim to achieve and the subtle bronze and gold highlight along the cheekbones and on the eyes and lips. The third image shows how I plan to style the hair, whilst it is still in a plait I plan to have loose tendrils of hair coming away.

Below show two images from the test shoot I have done for this look.

  I decided to test shoot this look on myself because I have a similar skin tone and colouring to the model I plan to use for this look. Therefore I can determine what colours work on skin with a yellow undertone and what will show up well on camera. For this look I mixed a foundation that matched my natural skin tone with one that was a couple shades darker, along with an illuminator that can be mixed with foundation or used on top of it. On reflection of this image I think using a darker tone foundation as well has made the skin look grubby and unnatural. This is something I discussed further with my tutors who agreed with this. Sue suggested I use a foundation to match the natural skin tone to start with, lightly powder the face to set the foundation and then start to build darker and lighter shades up and use the illuminator on top. This way it will ensure that everything doesn’t sink into the skin together and create a grubby look like it has done here. This technical feedback has been very helpful in allowing me to achieve the look I have in mind and this is something I will apply when I create this look on the photo shoot.

I feel that the eyes and lips blend in too much with the face in these images. Instead of looking ethereal and goddess like these the makeup makes me look worn and tired. After speaking to my tutors about what can be done to bring the eyes and lips outs it was suggested I use slightly different tones on the eyes and creating a different shape using dark and lighter tones. For example mixing black and brown eye shadow and applying it lightly to the out corners of the eyes, whilst using a brighter gold in the corner of the eyes. To make the lips stand out I will also use the same bright gold along the top lip line. 

 

-->

After speaking to Sue about this look and what I can do to improve it so the luminous dewy skin will show up on camera, she suggested I buy Topshop’s shimmer brick in gold. Below shows images taken after using the shimmer brick, on top of the makeup already done. Although these images were taken with the camera on my IPhone so they are not as good quality. It shows how using this product has brought out my features a lot more to achieve the dewy and glowing look.

 

-->

Overall this has been a successful test shoot, as I have identified what doesn’t work, which is mixing a darker foundation and not powdering before I build up other products on top. As well as what does work such as using a brighter gold than expected to highlight. Gaining feedback on this look before I do the photo shoot has allowed me to explain my vision for this shoot to my tutors and get feedback that allows me to develop and improve it for the shoot.

Break Down of Project Outcomes

-->

During my tutorial last week I was told to refine my project outcomes. In addition to the look book and three in store advertising boards, I was planning on creating other promotional material, but it all began to get too much for me to do. During my tutorial with Neil Sahni it was suggested that I write up a press release for the launch of Victoria’s Secret 2014 beauty collection and a proposal of the merchandising plan for the Victoria’s Secret London stores. As well as a trend package that will illustrate the key colours for the themes in the beauty collection and promotional leaflets that would be given out to customers. However, this felt like way too much to do in the amount of time I have and I feel like doing all these extra things will distract me from my photo shoots.

I have reviewed these outcomes and spoken to my tutor about which ones will be most beneficial to the project. From this I have decided to write the press release and change the trend package to a staff training package which will be made up of the mood boards I have devised for each theme. The press release fits in well with the nature of the project as it is a new advertising campaign that launches and introduces new themes and colours to the already existing beauty collection. Therefore, in industry there would typically be a press event followed by a press release to promote this.

Whilst I worked at Victoria’s Secret I received a week of training to introduce me to the brand and to ensure I fully understood what Victoria’s Secret was about and their brand image. This included being fully trained in all areas of Victoria’s Secret product line which include lingerie, beauty and apparel and being taught how to sell the products. All associates were presented with a package that included a booklet on each product  line, this included images of the products, how the merchandise is presented in the stores and writing about the products, how they are sold, which ones are top sellers, what collection they belong to etc. The training I received as an associate at Victoria’s Secret provided me with the idea to create a staff training package as it has been proven by this primary research that this is something that is done at Victoria’s Secret. The staff training package for this project will be made up from the mood boards I have devised for each theme and have some writing about the themes background, what products and colour’s will be sold within this theme and what season each theme goes with. This package will provide associates a clear idea of the Victoria’s Secret 2014 beauty collection and enable them to successful sell it to customers.

Analysis of VS Pro Images

-->

In this post I am going to analyse retouched and un-retouched images from my shoot for VS pro. The aim for VS Pro is to achieve a flawless, glowing, natural beauty look to advertising Victoria’s Secret range of makeup named VS Pro. This range consists of foundations, illuminator’s concealers, powders etc. and the idea is to portray the perfection of a supermodel and show how it can be achieved by using the products.

I utilized the findings I got from my test shoot for this look and built up dark and light foundations to contour the face, rather than contouring with powder. I wanted create more of a natural shine on the face so I used he VS Pro Face Illuminator, this worked very well. The pink/gold toned cream look worked perfectly with Diandra’s skin tone and this is a product I will use on future shoots.

Below shows an image from this shoot, the first is the image in is original form and the second is the retouched version.

  -->

I like the angle and close up of this image and feel the crop is ideal for the look and natural feel I was going for. I feel it also works because the hair was very weak throughout this photo shoot and this shot features very little hair. However, on the original image the shadow and gloss on the lip does not work, it has created an almost lumpy look, rather than a smooth nourished lip. This has only been enhanced on the retouched image. On both images there are evident bags and dark circles under the eyes, this is something that cannot totally be concealed using Photoshop. This is not something that works for a shoot that is promoting products that are supposed to illuminate dark circles. On the retouched version of this image there are several area’s where the skin is uneven and looks over retouched. I have decided to re shoot this look because although I like the angle and crop of the image. I feel the makeup is not good enough to use as an image promoting a natural beauty look that can be achieved with minimal makeup. On my re-shoot of this look I plan to use less makeup and focus that flaws on the face such as dark circles under the eyes, redness and uneven skin tone are fully concealed and do not show up on camera. I also plan to keep a clean lip with minimal gloss and a very natural shade lipstick to ensure that this does not happen again. 

--> Below shows another image I have retouched from this shoot. 

-->

Here I have clearly airbrushed the skin way too much and blown the skin out so it doesn’t even look real. I have also tried to make the hair look bigger but it is evident I have done this from the blurred edges. It is clear to say I will not be using this image throughout my project, however I will keep it as a reference to remind myself not to go over board with the airbrushing.