Sara by Ezibuy | Hold the Glamour

My week in pictures

Sydney – On the Anzac Bridge, on my way to work with the Sydney Harbour Bridge in the background

Sydney – location house in Coogee shooting Sara by Ezibuy

Sydney – Coogee location house views

Sydney – shooting the cover of the Holiday catalogue

Returning from the USA – Sydney spread below

Sydney – location house in Bilgola

Sydney – The crew setting up for another shot in Bilgola

Sydney – a beautiful Bilgola bathroom

Sydney – the Bilgola bedroom with views to die for

Sydney – It’s a wrap says our producer Andrea Rowe

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Armani Luminous Silk Foundation

My family and I recently arrived in Sydney, Australia. So far it has been a relaxing time spent with family and friends. It’s been a while since Steve and the kids were here so everyone wants to see them and see how our children have grown.

I start shooting for Sara by Ezibuy in a matter of days so prior to leaving New York, I made sure I purchased a new bottle of my favourite foundation I’ve been using for over six years. Armani Luminous Silk Foundation gives me the coverage I need whilst feeling light and looking smooth and natural on my face.

http://www.giorgioarmanibeauty-usa.com/luminous-silk-foundation/A041,default,pd.html

I have had many different brands and products applied to my face over the course of my career and no foundation in my opinion, comes close to Armani. I buy my own and have the make-up artist apply it for each and every job. Most of them are happy to use my personal foundation, if they don’t already use Armani themselves.

Make sure when you buy any foundation for the first time, you have a consultant assist you. Getting the right shade is very important for a colour match that you want to look natural. A good guide is to apply your foundation on the inside of your arm or wrist. The colour or shade you see the least, is generally the right one for you.

What foundation do you use and love?

Why do you love it so much?

Is price important to you?

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January 8, 2013

42 degrees and still shooting

I’m currently in Australia and today I finished my first shoot of the new year. We were shooting the autumn/fall collection for Sara by Ezibuy. It means layers, coats and boots for the cooler months ahead.

It’s hard to imagine however, the fashion industry is always at least six months ahead of the game with design, sourcing the fabric, manufacture to shooting the samples and getting the images ready for advertising. It’s a long lead time.

The weather has been hot, hot, hot and today we battled beauty and fashion in 42 degree celsius heat in Sydney like true professionals (107.6 degrees fahrenheit). The heat wave we are experiencing throughout Australia did not stop us from making and creating fashion magic. We started at 5.30am this morning to ensure we weren’t shooting during the hottest time of the day.

Sydney – call time is at sunrise

Sydney – Juli Balla and the Sara crew hard at work

Sydney – smiling and shooting whilst the temperatures soar

Yesterday we spent on the Northern Beaches shooting in one of my favourite location homes. The property looks like something straight out of Palm Springs, U.S.A. I love it. Unfortunately, jumping in the pool and cooling off after work was not an option for me or the crew. What an incredible view!

Sydney – my dream house on the Northern Beaches

The first couple of days of our shoot, we spent inside the studio. It is certainly easier for all without the elements and humidity wreaking havoc on hair, make-up, equipment and clothes. We turn the air conditioning up, the music goes on and we get down to business. It is calm, controlled and smooth.

Sydney – Annette McKenzie & I (my amazing hair & make-up artist)

Sydney – in studio

Sydney – kisses from the hair & make-up table

Since I started writing this post this afternoon, over a hundred and forty fires have broken out in N.S.W. alone. Other states in Australia are also battling fires in hot, dry and windy conditions that have proven to be devastating and uncontrollable. My best wishes and thoughts go out to all those affected and threatened by the catastrophic temperatures and erratic fire patterns that lie ahead of this evening. I wish you all, well.

What are you going to do to stay cool during these hot summer months? What tips do you have?

What are you looking forward to come autumn/fall as far as fashion goes?

What trends are you noticing and excited about?

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July 3, 2012

Noosa, Qantas & ‘Mornings’

We arrived in Noosa, Queensland to finish the Sara by Ezibuy shoot after a mere one-and-a-half hour flight. We settled in to our accommodation, bought some breakfast foods for our mornings, unpacked and got to bed by 9pm for our very early start the next day. The weather was fine the first day however, the remainder of the trip was a wash-out. It actually rained when the forecast made no mention of bad, grey, cool and wet weather. It was not good.

The Australian Brushturkey could not have been more unaffected by the weather or our shoot schedule. They were roaming freely, staring at me with my pin curls in the van waiting for the crew to set up on the beach.

Noosa – Australian Brushturkey

Noosa – did someone say we were ready to start shooting?

Our last day we were huddled in a tent on the beach, trying to stay warm and dry. Thank goodness I have learnt to take my very warm Ugg boots and coat with me whenever I shoot on location. Once bitten, twice shy as they say? No one likes being cold – or do you?

Noosa – The Sara crew and I waiting it out on the beach for the rain to stop and the blue skies to appear

Once back in Sydney, whilst the crew continued the shoot in studio, I had a day of media booked through my agent Harry M. Miller. My first interview was with Qantas’ – Up & Away with Julie McCrossin. The interview will air in September on the Qantas inflight entertainment radio channel. I’ll most likely get to hear myself on radio as I’ll be returning to Australia in September. How bizarre indeed!

Sydney – ‘Mornings’ TV program on channel 9

Next up, I appeared on the channel 9 morning television program called appropriately, ‘Mornings’ with hosts Sonia Kruger & David Campbell. It was my first time on this particular show and meeting both Sonia and David. They were as friendly and lovely as they appear on air. We spoke about my life as a full-figure model, travels and what life is like being away from home and my family.

Sydney – My appearance on ‘Mornings’ on channel 9

Sydney – With hosts Sonia Kruger & David Campbell

And finally on my Sydney agenda was my last studio day for Sara. The crew and I went at it hard and fast all day long. It was a 12-hour day finishing at 7pm. Needless to say, my 5.30am start was finally catching up with me. I drove to my parent’s home with my family all waiting to have a delicious meal cooked by my amazing mother – it was time to say farewell to this Australian trip.

Sydney – Abby Valdez and I working hard and fast on our final day of the Sara shoot

Did I mention, how much I missed my husband and two kids? I was so ready to go home to New York and see their beautiful, smiling faces – waiting for me on the street as my car pulled up to our apartment building. It will remain as one of my favourite snapshots of my memory to date. I was ready to inhale them all.

What are some of your favourite memory snapshots?

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June 23, 2012

Where the ocean meets the sky

Sydney – the studio, quiet and empty before the day starts

Sydney - the rack of clothes that need to be shot

Sydney – the racks of clothes that need to be shot

We started shooting the spring and summer catalogues for Sara by Ezibuy last Friday in a studio in Sydney at 8am. Traffic is a part of Sydney life and it took me an hour to get to work (that was with no traffic accidents or incidents). Once inside the studio, Annette McKenzie (genius) starts on hair and make-up. By 10am we were ready, Juli Balla (photographer) and the crew were ready to start shooting the new season looks.

Sydney - hair & make-up done with curlers setting my hair

Sydney – hair & make-up done with pin curls setting my hair

Sydney - curlers out, touching up my lips with a hint of colour before getting changed into outfit #1

Sydney – curls out, touching up my lips with a hint of colour before getting changed into outfit #1

Scanning the racks of clothes once I was ready to get changed I noticed there were some key pieces that I really liked and simply had to have. The new season clothes were bright, colourful and included skinny jeans that fit me like a glove (one of my all time favs). Stripes are still very much in and still one of my favourite trends. There was a navy and a tea coloured linen jacket that I really liked too. Having basic neutrals in your wardrobe is a must in my opinion. It’s all about variety and versatility.

This routine continues over the next few days in studio. Our days of shooting merge into one as the days go by. At the end of our Sydney stint we head up to Palm Beach (Northern Beaches of Sydney) to get some location shots done. One can’t go any further than Palm Beach and its a 45 min – 1 hour drive north of Sydney (depending on traffic of course).

Palm Beach is somewhat far for the crew to travel and we mumble to ourselves about the distance and 6.45am call time however, once we are there and Andrea Rowe (amazing producer extraordinaire) walks in with delicious coffee and we have a moment to enjoy and take in the breathtaking views, we soon realise how divinely beautiful and blue this part of the world is. What were we saying?