I love her look, she looks like the love-child  of Claudia Schiffer and Kerry McGregor.

In addition to these, Kass took some sporty photographs of Ester wearing running gear , but I don’t suppose anyone is interested in seeing her with her clothes on? Request and I shall post.

Happy Tuesday kittens!

Lets hope we are all able to look this gorgeous at 31.

Photographer: Kass Photography

Model: Ester Van Den Bosch

Hair and Make-up: Samantha Laura Kaye

Shot in Camps Bay in 2011

On Saturday morning I climbed in front of the camera to model some swimwear and pretty dresses for Beatnik Bazaar.

Having “Saturday” as our call time, I let the morning tea and bed vibes last a little longer than usual, rolled my hair into pin curls, threw on a vintage inspired dress and then set off to Boulders Beach (doing my make-up in the car.)

I arrived, was presented with coffee (just the way I like it) and immediately transformed into a flirtatious stereotype.

Good Morning Sugar

How could I help myself? The 50′s is an era that epitomizes girly prettiness for prettiness’s sake. An era where curves and individuality (so long as you were white and good looking) was celebrated in the fashion scene…. the time before heroine chic and twiggy, when cooking was nearly as sexy as suspenders and where models look like they’re having fun doing normal things (like lying in the sun with red lipstick on.)

I got into character, not by starving myself for a week, not by chain smoking cigarettes (though that may have been more authentic 50′s chic) and not by bitching about the process – Instead I ate a pizza from ColCachios and drank half a bottle of champagne the night before the swimwear shoot, and then spent the whole day giggling, being fed pears and strawberries and  pomegranate green tea  before finishing off with cocktails and crayfish at Polana *Oops*

The result is a series of some seriously cute vintage looking photographs of me having fun at the beach in some seriously cute vintage style dresses:

As well as original vintage swimwear:

Beatnik Bazaar sourced all of these costumes and is currently busy recreating them in a variety of fabrics in time for summer. Drop her a line and place your order ladies, these are fabulous for both feeling glamorous (add a large sunhat for enhanced effect) and for surfing and swimming laps and doing all those other things where you don’t want your bikini to come off!

Beatnik Bazaar is the coolest local vintage store and the only blog that does all of thei own fashion photography and has their own fashion range. Beatnik Bazaar has been been nominated at the SA Blog Awards and they need your vote before Friday to win!

Here are some behind the scenes clips of my American model persona:

Kass is one of the best swimsuit photographers in our pretty city, so I wanted to make the most of this little test shoot we did for Claudi. I picked gold as my theme and accent, working with various hues and levels of reflection in the make-up. First I smoothed her skin with MAC’s Studio Finish Foundation. Then I contoured her face with a combination of Mac’s Sculpt and Shape powders, MAC’s loose Golden Bronze shimmer powder and Mineralise Skinfinish in Shimpagne and Shooting Star. I started on Claudi’s eyes by applying a thin layer of Guerlain Ombre Eclat Eye Shadow Primer - (which happens to be the BEST eye-primer I have ever laid my hands on) and then I shaded a traditional beauty eye using pigments for shimmer and MAC’s eye-shadows in “beauty marked”, “bronze” and “espresso“. I lined her eyes with” smoulder” eye kohl, smudged them with MAC’s #219 pencil brush and then applied MAC’s #36 lash. I lined her lips with “subculture” lip pencil and then filled them with MAC’s “gold shimmer” lipstick and topped them off with “wet wild and wonderful” lip-gloss which I customized by blending with a white gold pigment.

I let her hair do its own thing, simply enhancing the shine a little with OSIS “magic” serum.

Photographer: Kass Photography

Model: Claudi

Hair and Make-up Artist: Samantha Laura Kaye

Location: Cape Town

This shoot is one I smile upon the memory of. The photographic industry is an industry laden with weight upon one’s reputation, yet so often I find the reputations, especially the big ones misleading. Sean Laurenz is as talented as he is genuine, taking photographs that are masterpieces from their first sight as large postage stamps on the back of his canon, to their reception after his careful and genius processing – which unlike some he does entirely himself. Nena Hugo surpassed all of my expectations, fluidly migrating from fashion icon to bohemian beach babe with endless energy and exceptional attention to detail, as well as standing as a phenomenal stylist in her own right. Nick held palm leaves, reflectors and smiles on our faces with equal aplomb. This whole experience was a treat for me

Make-Up and Hair: I kept her skin as translucent as possible with MAC’s Face and Body Foundation, contoured the cheeckbones with MAC’s D Powder in “golden” and then applied “Sunbasque” blush to her cheeks. Eyes were kept simple using MAC eyeshadow in “cork”, “vanilla”, “brule” and “good as gold”, eyes were lined and smudged with MAC’s “Costa Riche” Eye Pencil. Brows were groomed with clear brow gel and MAC’s “Lingering” Eyebrow Pencil. Lips were lined with MAC “Subculture” lip pencil and then filled with MAC’s “Pink Clash” (limited) gloss. Her hair was damp and simply did its own beautiful thing.

Photographer: Sean Laurenz

Photographer’s Assistant: Nick Raper

Model: Nena Hugo from Trigger

Stylist: Nena Hugo

Hair and Make-Up: Samantha Laura Kaye

Shot in Cape Town, 2009

Animal print full piece by Tracy B

Robyn is currently heralded as one of FHM’s 100 sexiest women of 2010. Visit this link: http://fhm.co.za/fhm-models/2010/RobynHobson/ to help her make the top ten. She braved unbelievably strong (icy) winds to make this series possible – a brave, talented and beautiful girl she is well deserving of your vote.

Swarovski Crystal and Beaded Monokini - Tracy B

Make-Up: MAC: Skin: Strobe Cream, Hyper Real Foundation and Studio Fix Fluid Foundation. Glow added with “Good as Gold” Pigment and shadows with “Harmony“. Cheeks: “Uncommon” creamblush. Eyes: Paintpot in “BlackGround” topped with “Cinderfella” mineralise shadow, as well as normal MAC eye-shadows in “Carbon“, “Garcon Grey“,”Brule” and “Vanilla“. Technakohl liner in “Graphblack” and mascara in”blacksplash” waterproof mascara. Finally #37 lash is applied and topped with “blacktrack” fluidline. Lips lined with “Subculture” lip pencil and filled with “crescent” (limited ed) lipglass.

Photographer: RawElectric (Ramese Matthews)

Photographer’s Assistant/Bounce: Nick Raper

Model: Robyn Hobson

Hair and Make-up: Samantha Kaye

Swimwear: Tracy B

Shot in Location in Big Bay in October 2009.

This image is taken from a series of images shot for Pasella – where I was given exactly 20 minutes for hair and make-up (including liquid liner and false lashes.) I like this image because it’s clearly a portrait, yet one cannot make eye-contact with the model – which makes this image (compared to the others from this shoot) more powerful in my eyes. Lyndall had just received her title as FHM’s sexiest SA Woman for 2009 and I felt very privileged to have worked with her.

Main Make-Up ingredients: MAC #7 lash, “pro lash” mascara, MAC eyeshadow in “black tied”, “beauty sleep (disc.)“, “garcon grey” and “brule”. Kohl Pencil in “smolder”.

Main Hair ingredients: Hair Spray

Photographer: Evert Theron

Model: Lyndall Jarvis

Make-up: Samantha Kaye

Hair: Samantha Kaye

Location: The Westin Grand, Cape Town

2009