Monthly Archives

June 2014

NailSnaps App Turns Your Instagrams Into Nail Art

NailSnaps App Turns Your Instagram Photos Into Nail Art

Have you ever Instagrammed a stunning pair of shoes, your cat, the perfect sunrise, or even a glamorous selfie that you wouldn’t mind seeing more often? Thanks to NailSnaps, now you can! The soon-to-launch app allows you to transform your favourite Instagram shots into a set of nail wraps (translation: you can now dominate those #NailArt and #PhotoOfTheDay hashtags.).

In fact, NailSnaps lets you turn any digital photo into one-of-a-kind nail polish stickers you can apply yourself in minutes for custom, wearable art.

NailSnaps App Turns Your Instagram Photos Into Nail Art
Here’s how it works…

The app allows you to upload pictures as one continuous image, with a different part of the photo appearing on each digit, or with the same picture repeated on all five nails. Then you can print out your design into decals, which can last up to a week or longer.

As mentioned in the promotional video, NailSnaps went through a Kickstarter process to meet the budget required to launch, and with donations flying in, not only did they hit budget, they went beyond it! The moment all brandbackers (that donated) have received their prototype nail stickers and NailSnaps finalise their test run, the app will launch. That’s any day now!

Sign up to be amongst the first to know when NailSnaps officially launches: lovenailsnaps.com

NailSnaps: Turn Your Instagram Photos Into Nail Art!

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MAC x LORDE Makeup Masterclass With Amber D

MAC x LORDE Makeup Masterclass With Amber D

To celebrate the launch of pop’s most sophisticated royal’s Limited Edition Makeup Collection in her hometown, Lorde visited the team at the M.A.C Pro Britomart store in Auckland, New Zealand.

MAC x LORDE Makeup Masterclass With Amber D

MAC x LORDE Makeup Masterclass With Amber D

MAC x LORDE Makeup Masterclass With Amber D

MAC x LORDE Makeup Masterclass With Amber D

Soon after Lorde’s store visit, the singing sensation’s makeup artist – a superstar in her own right – Amber D, held a makeup masterclass for media, which she presented by recreating the three faces of Ella Yelich-O’Connor aka Lorde, all while sharing funny stories, along with tips and tricks, from her time with the teenage chart-topper.

MAC x LORDE Makeup Masterclass With Amber D

A dark red or purple lip is now one of the most requested makeup looks, both in-store and on international runways, something those in the industry refer to as the ‘Lorde effect’, which is undoubtedly a good thing it is so popular, given that as of Friday 27 June, Lorde’s new MAC collection will be available for all those dying to get their hands on the perfect Lorde-lippy!

Amber D explained that she often jokingly calls Lorde ‘teen goth’ (a reference often made when referring to the songstress) but only because she knows Lorde hates it and they love to give each other a bit of shtick, before the star heads out on stage! Amber went on to say that nothing could be further from the truth “she’s not a goth, she doesn’t paint her face white (as often stated in magazines) she’s just naturally fair-skinned and loves a dark lip!”.  When not touring the world performing, Ella generally doesn’t wear a lot of makeup, although if she wanted to, the singer is quite confident applying her own makeup (this is generally Mineralize Powder and eyeliner).

Amber stated “Ella’s makeup look is actually quite a fresh & natural look, more luminous than anything (other than the pop of rich dark lip colour of course) and one that needs to be created quickly”. Amber explained that the singer has a very ‘teen-attention-span’ and that Ella would rather be on Instagram and Twitter than sitting still for too long, and it’s because of this, the process of prepping Lorde for the stage, is not a lengthy one, nor one that calls for heavy foundation application.

MAC x LORDE Makeup Masterclass With Amber D

Create Lorde’s makeup look using Amber D’s walk-through:

  1. Apply Prep n Prime Vibrancy Eye to smooth the eye area and moisturising Lip Conditioner
  2. Mix Strobe Cream with Natural Radiance Primer in Pink
  3. For foundation – Mineralize Moisture foundation
  4. Prep n Prime Highlighter in Radiant Rose
  5. Six Grid Concealer Palette (a mix of two to match Lorde’s skin tone)
  6. Prep n Prime Loose Powder
  7. Mineralize Skin Finish
  8. Sculpting Cream (under the cheekbone and outer forehead)
  9. Cream Blush – So Sweet So Easy
  10. Brows – Penultimate Brown Brow Pen & Clear Brow Set
  11. Eyelids – Groundwork Paintpot all over the lid (sometimes Amber uses the Paintpot colour – Perky).  Apply ‘All That Glitters’ eyeshadow across the lid. Pink Freeze eyeshadow on the centre of the lid. Rapid Penultimate black eyeliner across the lash line (tight-lining technique)
  12. Eyelashes – Amber uses a lash curler (and ‘half-lash’ curler) followed by Extended Play Mascara in Black
  13. Finishing highlighting touches – Pearl Cream Colour on highest point of cheekbone and bridge of nose, followed by Silver Dust Powder directly on top of the Cream Colour.
  14. Lips – Vino Lip Pencil all over the lip and of course – Pure Heroine lipstick to complete the look.

MAC x LORDE Makeup Masterclass With Amber D MAC x LORDE Makeup Masterclass With Amber D

M.A.C Lorde eyeliner and lipstick are available in-store Friday 27 June. $40 each

Lorde in-store photo credit: Rene Vaile

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Music, Adrenaline, Energy – This Is Burberry Brit Rhythm

Music, Adrenaline, Energy - This Is Burberry Brit Rhythm

Imagine the kind of satisfying feeling you have from hearing your most loved music, or when you’re anticipating your most favoured music group to turn up on stage. This type of rock n roll world has a sexy vibe to it, attractive with a touch of elegant sensuousness that satisfies your passions. Such have been the inspiring elements for Burberry’s latest release… Influenced by rock music, Burberry has unveiled Burberry Brit Rhythm for women and Brit Rhythm for men. Both are referred to as having a rock ’n’ roll side with a powdery softness for the wild and loving.

Music, Adrenaline, Energy - This Is Burberry Brit Rhythm

Burberry Brit Rhythm for Women features English lavender, pink peppercorn, neroli, orris absolute, blackberry leaves, orange blossom, Petalia (peony molecule), vetiver, musks and woods. The creators of the perfume explained that this is the first feminine scent created around lavender; and since English lavender is more aromatic than french lavender it was fundamental for them to have an English ingredient imaging the origins of the house.

The perfume container of Burberry Brit Rhythm for women matches the style of the men’s Rhythm container in a contemporary city style, implementing designs primarily from the refined fashion codes of the house, this time in a textured, smoked glass with a pale golden-pink hue showcasing the female elegant perception of the creation. The perfume however is intended to capture some of the naturally live energy of enthusiasts getting together for a music concert.

Burberry Brit Rhythm for Women is available in 30ml ($89), 50ml ($120) and 90ml ($150). Body Lotion 150ml ($70). 

Brit Rhythm Men 90ml Bottle

Burberry Brit Rhythm fragrance for Men is classified as a woody spicy fragrance.

The fragrance formula has a brilliant systematic arrangement of perfume elements just like the cadence of music tuned to fine duration and periodic stress that gives the form of rhythm. It starts with strong regular fresh green notes in the opening, featuring accords of lemon, basil and verbena, spiced up with juniper berries and cardamom that echo with rhythm to the sexy aspect of the fragrance. Placed on incense, sandalwood and warm tonka bean, rhythmically beating to a swinging dry-down that develops into black leather, patchouli, cedar and styrax.

The eau de toilette for men is housed in textured black smoked glass and is referred to as provocative, sexy and loaded with the amazing sensation of vitality – intended to catch the naturally live vitality of fans gathering for music events

Burberry Brit Rhythm for Men is available in 30ml ($81), 50ml ($99) and 90ml ($129). Deo Stick 75g ($41). 

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Beauty News – Best New Releases

Beauty News - Best New Releases

It would be an understatement to say that there have been a lot of new beauty releases arrive over the last few weeks; and with a myriad of items to sort through, we’ve selected only the best to show you (who has time to hear about anything but the best right?) and there’s a swag of amazing new goodies to get excited about. Oh, and we’ve tried them all – from hair care to skin care, makeup and more, check out all the best new releases that have landed on our beauty counter this month…

MAKEUP

MAC – Alluring Aquatic Collection
Beauty News - Best New Releases

Lets start with saying MAC’s Alluring Aquatic collection is one of the most beautifully packaged ranges we’ve seen in quite some time (yes, we’re that shallow – we’re all about the packaging) well not just the packaging obviously – the product itself is of course, as with all MAC makeup – fabulous! But can we just touch on the limited edition teal packaging again – accented with sheer water droplets, reminiscent of having just emerged from the sea, this new collection is proving to be a popular one, with a record number of people swooping on the range through MAC’s online stores the moment the range became available. The Extra Dimension formula is phenomenal and glides on like silk! There’s no chalky or dry products in the this range, just perfectly formulated Extra Dimension goodness! The Alluring Aquatic colour range has a muted palette focus, but there’s nothing dull about this collection; and if you’re hoping to get your hands on something from the range, don’t wait around, it’s flying out the door at rapid speeds.

Benefit Cosmetics – They’re Real Push-Up Liner & They’re Real Remover

Creating the perfect ‘winged eye’ is no longer unattainable! Heck, creating any eye-look where liner is involved is forever going to be attainable thanks to benefit’s new ‘They’re Real Push-Up Liner’. We’re not exaggerating when we say – this is hands-down THE BEST liner we’ve EVER used! Trying to describe this fabulous new beauty tool seems almost impossible – In pen form, its shaped like it’s ready to create the perfect ‘winged-eye’ with a soft, rubbery, pliable tip. It has a ‘twist’ function that pushes the product up to the top – ready to apply. It glides on like a kohl, yet the appearance is that of a liquid liner. It feels like velvet and is totally controllable when creating any line. Even as makeup artists, we too feel that little moment of apprehension when we’re about to embark on creating a winged-eye, but we swear, They’re Real Push-Up Liner is the best foolproof liner you’ll ever use! It’s lash-hugging gel liner consistency gives optimum precision and we’re willing to bet, every girl, with this pen-liner in hand, will be creating a flawless winged-eye, every single day!

Now if you’re a regular ‘they’re Real!’ wearer (who isn’t using Benefit’s they’re Real! mascara?) then you’ll know that the products (including the Push-Up Liner) from this range stay on all day. So much so that an amazing makeup remover is required at the end of the day to ensure there’s no remnants of the day on your pillow. Cue ‘they’re Real Remover’. Benefit’s they’re Real! Remover lifts away long-wearing & waterproof makeup and is gentle on the delicate skin around the eye area. It has a fab gel consistency that dissolves makeup with little to no effort. Brilliant!

HAIR CARE 

There’s a few fabulous new hair care lines, starting with a product we could have done with many times in the past, and we’re sure many of you would agree you could’ve done with this at least once in your life, directly following a hair mis-hap.  Introducing JoBaz Hair Colour Remover – saving hair colour mishaps one home-treatment at a time…

JoBaz Hair Colour Remover (JHCR)
Beauty News - Best New Releases
Ever applied a hair colour only to find that it’s not the colour you were hoping for?  Applied a brown dye that’s come out dark red, a red that’s turned out more on the dark side of noir? Or maybe you’ve just had a salon mis-hap! JoBaz Hair Colour Remover is going to be the answer to your hair prayers! JHCR shrinks the artificial dye molecules, safely removing all traces of hair dye, leaving you with your natural colour. Sound amazing? Find out more about JHCR here: jo-baz.com.

Schwarzkopf Extra Care Moisture Gloss range
Beauty News - Best New Releases
This new range consisting of shampoo, conditioner and a 10 day shine mask contains innovative shine-sealing lamination technology, covering hair like a net to provide an overall shine effect.  There’s nothing we love better than a hair care range that gives us glossy, shiny, silky hair and this one does it all. It applies a smooth and highly reflective film on the hair which reduces UV damage and dramatically enhances shine while locking in moisture for deep repair and gives a glass-like appearance. If you’ve got lack-lustre hair and you’re looking for an affordable fix – this is it. Absolutely loving this range!  RRP – Shampoo $6.39, Conditioner $6.39, Shine Mask $9.99. For more info head to: www.facebook.com/SchwarzkopfNZ

Schwarzkopf  Professional’s BC Oil Miracle range
Beauty News - Best New Releases
This range is the ultimate in oil-based hair care. Suitable for all hair types, the BC Oil Miracle line is based on precious oils and is ideal for injecting life back into tired, dull hair.  The exclusive care system provides hair with brilliant shine, exceptional nourishment and touchable softness! The shampoo, containing Argan Oil to cleanse and nourish, and the micro emulsion technology working to smooth the hair follicle, tresses are more manageable and shiny. The Gold Shimmer Conditioner straightens out any tangles with its high quality oils; and for that extra injection of shine, the Oil Miracle Gold Shimmer Treatment penetrates deep into hair for a brilliant shine and noticeable suppleness. The icing on the cake has to be the Volume Amplifier. With five precious oils – Argan, Marula, Almond, Macadamia and Jojoba Oil, this leave-in miracle worker provides hair with glass-like shine and softness, while also amplifying volume and grip and protecting against blow-dry heat. If you’re looking for sprinkles on that icing – the Divine Polish is the perfect finish! In a nutshell, if your hair is resembling that of a bird’s nest after washing with your current hair care range, then leave it to the BC Oil Miracle range to get your mane looking sleek and glossy. RRP: Shampoo, Conditioner & Gold Shimmer Treatment $32.30. Liquid Oil Conditioner, Finishing Treatment, Light Finishing Treatment, Volume Amplifier & Divine Polish $34.90. For more information check out: www.schwarzkopf-professional.co.nz

Sebastian Professional Drynamic – Dry Shampoo
Beauty News - Best New Releases
Sure, there are many dry shampoos on the market right now, however you can hardly go wrong when it’s Sebastian! Always pushing the boundaries of fearless hair fashion and unabashedly forecasting what’s next, Sebastian Professional introduces the next generation of professional dry shampoo.  Available in both a 140g size and a handy purse spray, Sebastian Drynamic resets and recharges with its unique formula that cleans and adds volume through its styling properties so you can shift styles in the blink of an eye. The reset foundation system dissolves and absorbs oil and leaves less visible residue, so hair looks and feels cleaner than with other dry products. If you’re a tad time-poor (who isn’t these days) then Drynamic will be a god-send!

BATH & BODY

Sooooo many goodies in the bath and body range arrived this month and that’s AFTER we culled the list back to just the best…

The Body Shop
Beauty News - Best New Releases
We were torn as to which Body Shop range we would mention in our ‘best new beauty lineup’ and after much debate – we’re going to have to mention both, as they’re equally delish!  Starting with Honeymania. Now if you’re a fan honey-filled products, you’re going to adore the Honeymania range! Not only is it beautifully scented, it actually contains real honey! The new range consists of a bubblebath melt (completely obsessed with this one), body butter, body scrub, eau de toilette, shower gel and soap, plus – there’s even a cotton waffle-weave inflatable bath pillow (resembling that of honeycomb) to relax with in the bath while your skin is absorbing all the moisturising goodness of Honeymania. Did we mention The Community Fair Trade organic honey is the only honey used to make The Body Shop’s Honeymania collection? That means that the honey collected direct from Ethiopia is hand-harvested from the ripest honeycombs, ensuring exceptional quality and at the same time, generates one of the few methods of earning money in an incredibly isolated part of the country! Nice one Body Shop!

Beauty News - Best New ReleasesThe other range we’re absolutely LOVING from The Body Shop (we’re not kidding, you will want to eat this collection it smells do damned incredible) is the new Special Edition Early-Harvest Raspberry range. Now, before you go running to The Body Shop to get your hands on this collection, note – this range arrives in-store on 14 July, so mark it in your diaries now as a reminder to get yourself an early taste of spring, the moment this collection drops. Never has a fruit-inspired bath & body range smelled so good. There’s really no descriptor that will truly do it justice, but take our word for it – this collection is quite simply devine!  Delicately raspberry scented, this indulgent and deeply moisturising range is jam-packed with antioxidants that will leave your skin super hydrated, with a delicious scent that lingers on the skin throughout the entire day. The Early-Harvest Raspberry collection consists of – body butter, shower gel, body lotion, eau de toilette & body scrub. RRP ranges from $16 – $36. PS: word on the street is the The Body Shop’s Vineyard Peach collection is making a comeback too!

Savar Energising Body Wash
Beauty News - Best New Releases
Once again Savar has released another stellar product! A Limited Edition 500ml Energising Body Wash, housed in a beautiful glass bottle. Made in New Zealand, 99% natural and great for both men and women, this multi-tasking body wash also makes a fabulous shaving gel and can be used as a natural shampoo!  You can see why we had to include this one in our ‘best new beauty products’ lineup huh?!  Sugar & lemon balm, two elements traditionally associated with all things delicious – are the body wash’s headlining ingredients. The lemon balm is an incredible ingredient that has been used as far back as the middle ages to reduce stress and also helps to calm and refresh the skin. Zingy, but soothing, it stimulates the senses and acts as a gentle pick-me-up, making it a perfect addition to a body wash! Lemon Balm’s partner in Savar’s Energising Body Wash is organic cane sugar, which assists in increasing the skin’s moisture content, helping to relieve any dryness. Luxurious and indulgent – this is definitely one to see you through winter in style! RRP$39

DermaSukin
Beauty News - Best New Releases
Sukin aren’t messing around with their latest offering – Dermatologist Certified DermaSukin. Soap & fragrance-free, this product is the business! Rather than focusing on fragrance, DermaSukin consists of five products specifically formulated to be naturally gentle on sensitive, dry, itchy or problem skin. Their five key ingredients, all Dermatologist Certified are non-irritating and non-sensitizing. Taking a simple, yet effective approach to skincare, DermaSukin products contain aloe vera, chamomile, cucumber and sesame. Cruelty-free DermaSukin contains zero parabens, artificial colours and definitely no harsh chemicals whatsoever!  If you’re prone to eczema, dermatitis, rosacea, psoriasis, dry, itchy or sensitive skin, then DermaSukin is going to be an absolute god send! The DermaSukin range consists of daily gentle wash, daily gentle lotion, daily hydrating wash, intensive hydrating cream and oil balancing wash. Available from Farmers, selected pharmacies and health & organic stores, this collections ranges from $14.50 – $26.99 (1L $34.99).

PALMER’S Cocoa Butter Formula – Rapid Moisture Spray Lotions (deep moisture & instant cooling)

Beauty News - Best New ReleasesAn absolute staple as far as we’re concerned – Palmer’s lotions are never far from arms-reach and remain a favourite due to their fabulous hydrating properties and delicious scent (if you’ve not used their shower oil, you’re seriously missing out). If you’ve ever needed a reason to get on board the Palmer’s Cocoa Butter train, this is it! The deep moisture of cocoa butter now in a light spray!  These new lotions are perfect for fast, easy application with a light spray texture in a convenient on-the-go aerosol spray bottle. Containing RapidSorb, a unique spray technology that provides fast-absorbing 24 hour moisture, there’s no staining, no greasiness – just quick and easy, even application. These two variants ‘deep moisture’ and ‘instant cooling’ are available from supermarkets, pharmacies and departments stores. RRP$12.50

Sorbet Cosmetics
sorbet2
The most magical and enchanting of them all. When we opened this enticing Sorbet package we were filled with delight! So ethereal and oh-so-pretty, we had to take a second glance just to double-check that the cupcake wasn’t actually edible! So beautiful are Sorbet’s products, you’ll want to leave them on display for as long as possible in the lead up to using them in your bath. We received a few items from the incredibubbles range – the ‘Sugarplum Fairy Bath Bombe’, ‘Soporifia Bubble Block’, oh and seed bombs (which is a whole ‘notha story, but let’s get back to the lovely incredibubbles bath goodies).  In an Alice-In-Wonderland-esque style, tiny tags were attached to each item, guiding us as to what each product was and how it should be used, aka mad-hatter-tea-party style. With such stunning fragrances and beautifully presented bath goodies, we were torn as to whether we should simply display them, or start running a bath!  The Soporifia Bubble Block (Soporific means ‘tending to induce sleepiness’ and is where this relaxing bubble block takes its name) is made with Lavender and Ylang Ylang essential oils, which fill the air with relaxing vapors and the creamy bubbles are just like fluffy clouds. Crumble a bubble block under the tap into a bath, sit back and enjoy the mounds of bubbles! These bubble blocks produce lashings of long-lasting foam and will leave you soft and smooth (you’ll get at least two baths out of each block). The Sugarplum Fairy Bath Bombe looks like it should be housing an actual fairy, not just named after one. A sweet & fruity scented delight, this bath bombe is like no other. Whilst they’re made with the usual characters to make them fizz, Sorbet have also added lots of Cocoa butter for stunningly silky bath water. They’ve added just enough of an ecocert emulsifier so that there’s no ring or oily residue left after you’ve finished. On a scale of 1 to intoxicating – Sorbet’s Sugarplum Fairy Bath Bombe is off the charts!

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Book Review: The Pink Suit by Nicole Mary Kelby

Book Review: The Pink Suit by Nicole Mary Kelby

A novel based on the true story behind Jacqueline Kennedy’s iconic pink suit… 

The Pink Suit by Nicole Mary Kelby is about the making of the Chanel-esque pink suit and matching pillbox hat Jackie Kennedy wore to the parade in Dallas on November 22nd, 1963.  Much of Jackie’s wardrobe, including the pink suit, came from the New York boutique Chez Ninon where a young seamstress, an Irish immigrant named Kate, worked behind the scenes to meticulously craft many of Jackie’s memorable outfits.  It was a favourite suit of Jackie’s, which, stained in her husband’s blood, became a symbol of innocence destroyed. The US vice-president’s wife, Lady Bird Johnson, remembered it as “a bundle of pink, like a drift of blossoms, lying in the back seat”.

The Pink Suit taps into our enduring fascination with what women in the public eye wear. Whilst penning her novel, Kelby discovered that two of the dressmakers at Chez Ninon, the Park Avenue atelier that made the suit, were Irish. Kate Sheridan, an emigrant from Co Mayo, did the finish work among the other “mice of the backrooms”. While little else is known about Sheridan’s life, Kelby’s sharp detailing of her toil over the raspberry-pink bouclé fabric gives a certain nobility to that more frivolous side of politics – what presidents and first ladies wear.

Book Review: The Pink Suit by Nicole Mary Kelby

While the two never met, Kate knew every tuck and pleat needed to create the illusion of the First Lady’s perfection. And when the pink suit becomes infamous, Kate’s already fragile world – divided between the excess and artistry of Chez Ninon and the traditional values of her insular neighborhood – threatens to be torn apart.

A very unusual take on the Kennedy assassination and the icon that was Jackie Kennedy. This book very much focuses on the time, money and effort that went into creating and maintaining ‘the wife’ as the nation’s sweetheart. The story barely involves the wife at all, choosing instead to focus almost entirely on the design and creation of the iconic pink suit that was worn on that fateful visit to Dallas. The novel is based on the actual Irish seamstress who was integral in crafting the suit in question as well on the fashion house Chez Ninon. The author makes it clear that although Kate and the fashion house were real people the image of them presented here is her own fictionalised take on their lives and attitudes, however for the most part she does an incredible job of breathing life into these characters (with some lovely little cameos from Coco Chanel and Martin Luther King).

the pink suit

As with Nicole Mary Kelby’s previous work, White Truffles in Winter this is a gorgeously sensual novel. The textures, scents and weave of each fabric becomes integral to the plot and characterisation here. The subplot surrounding Kate’s own love affair with her homely butcher allows Kelby to draw in more of the wonderful descriptions of food that made White Truffles such a delight.

The Pink Suit is a fascinating look at politics, fashion, and some of the most glamorous women in history, seen through the eyes of a young woman caught in the midst of an American breed of upstairs/downstairs class drama.

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Sia – The Musician, Artist & Visionary behind ‘Chandelier’

Sia - The Musician, Artist & Visionary behind 'Chandelier'

Sia Kate Isobelle Furler, better known mononymously as Sia – the Australian-born singer/songwriter behind the video that’s got everyone talking…

Chances are, if you’re familiar with Sia’s work it’s probably for some of her more recently released music – such as Titanium (with David Guetta), Elastic Heart and of course her latest release Chandelier. Or perhaps you’ve unknowingly heard Sia’s music with her plaintive voice soundtracking TV shows such as Grey’s Anatomy or Six Feet Under. If not through TV, you’ve still heard her work, albeit oblivious to the fact, via songs she’s penned for the likes of Beyoncé (“Pretty Hurts”), Rihanna (“Diamonds”) or Britney Spears (“Perfume”) to name just a few.  Or maybe you’re one of the 1,900,000+ people who’ve watched Sia’s stellar performance on the Ellen show via YouTube. But if like me, you’ve been a longtime admirer of Sia, you’ll have noticed a massive shift in artistic direction in her video ‘Chandelier’ and the obvious intention to shun the spotlight, instead directing the centre of attention to the song’s subject.

Sia - The Musician, Artist & Visionary behind 'Chandelier'

I first fell in love with Sia [see: obsessed] back when she was lead vocalist with Zero 7. From the moment I heard her sing, her breathtakingly haunting voice had me captivated and intrigued to know more about the elusive songstress. As she created hit after hit, album after album (from Only See & Lady Croissant to Healing is difficult & We Are Born), all within the slightly more underground music scene, Sia was securing her rightful place amongst the music industries best.  I went on to import every album she made within a week of its release (back then, downloading music was not an option) and my obsession with Sia was reignited with every new song released – the likes of Death by Chocolate, Breathe Me, Buttons and The Girl You Lost to Cocaine – each one pulling me back down the rabbit hole, mesmerising and always resonating in one way or another…

If until now you couldn’t quite put a face to the name, Sia would be delighted as she has no desire to be famous. Despite showing her face in past music videos and press imagery, she won’t be doing the same with the campaign for her forthcoming album ‘1000 Forms Of Fear’ (due to be released on 8 July), instead choosing to focus her energy on creating slices of visual art through her videos, as well as her live performances. Premiered last month, the video for her first single ‘Chandelier’ features 11-year-old reality TV star and dancer Maddie Ziegler (of ‘Dance Mom’s’ fame) sporting a blonde bob wig (Sia wants her blonde bob to become her trademark) channeling the song’s unhinged despair via the medium of modern dance. As you’ll see here in her performance on the Ellen DeGeneres show where she and Maddie recreate the video, this time with Sia performing the song live whilst stood at the back facing the wall, creating possibly the first example of proper performance art on mainstream US daytime television:

In a rare and candid interview in Dazed, Sia spoke about her recently released video ‘Chandelier’, dancer Maddie & her vision…

On her video ‘Chandelier’ and the polarising artistic direction…

I’m addicted to reality television and it finally paid off because I had been watching Maddie for years and I’d always been drawn to her – she has something very magical and otherworldly. She’s like a regular 11-year-old kid and then when she starts dancing it becomes a whole other beast. I’d been waiting for an opportunity to work with her and then I saw (choreographer) Ryan Heffington’s show, KTCHN, and it was so mind-blowing. I’d seen photos of it on Instagram and was like “what the fuck is this, it looks really interesting”, so finally someone randomly invited me. I’d been Googling this show for ages and I couldn’t find it, it’s like this weird secret. So I went and it was so outstanding I immediately approached Ryan about executive producing that show and taking it to New York. It’s very special art; performance art and dancing and general weirdness that I hadn’t seen in ages. So anyway, we had discussions about that and then it was time to make a video for Chandelier. I’ve directed videos before and they were okay. Daniel (Askell, the director) and I had actually made my first video ‘Breathe Me’ together”

“Basically I plan to put different people in blonde bobs, because the concept now is to create visual art”

On what Maddie represents in the video:

Well that’s not really what I was doing when I conceptualised. I already have a much larger concept for this album and for how I’m going to present it and that was: I don’t want to be famous. If Amy Winehouse was a beehive then I guess I’m a blonde bob. I thought ‘well if that’s my brand, how can I avoid having to use my face to sell something’, so my intention was to create a blonde bob brand. Throughout this whole thing I’ll put a different person in a blonde bob and either they lip-synch while I’m doing a live performance or they perform a dance or do some sort of performance while I have my back to the audience, as with Ellen. I recently recorded a bunch of stuff for VH1 where a 78-year-old woman wears the blonde bob and is lip-synching on a treadmill. Then there’s a black boy that Ryan choreographed a dance for, who’s not a dancer, and he’s in the blonde bob. Basically I plan to put different people in blonde bobs because the concept now is to create visual art. I know I can sing and I know I can write songs but this is my time to create visual art. Directing all these live performances is really exciting now. If you look back to any of my more poppy songs, most of the lyrics are about being fucked”.

On the Ellen performance being a piece of modern art, with Sia sort-of-present, yet absent at the same time: 

I just said ‘I want to build this set in your studio, I want to bring Maddie out’. It was exciting for her because she’s on a mainstream TV show too. Ellen was super amazing about it and the crew were so wild. I know that at the beginning of the day they were overwhelmed by my vision and were scared they wouldn’t be able to pull it together in the time frame that we had. But by the end of the day everyone was so excited to be a part of something that was a little bit different. The day before in rehearsals Ryan asked if I wanted Maddie to interact with me and I was like ‘what an excellent idea’, so he had her climbing up my back and doing the little curtsey. It’s a real collaboration. I’m directing the live things alone, but with the videos I plan to always bring Daniel with me because I need that kind of support.”

On the strange juxtaposition of having a child interpreting the lyrics to a bleak song:

I guess I’ve always done that. Historically if you look at the majority of the videos I’ve had a hand in, like ‘Buttons’ had this poppy fun vibe with the disturbing facial manipulation. I don’t know, I thought it would be fucking cool basically to have this little representative, this little dynamo. I wanted to put all different types of people under those wigs and she’s an amazing beginning. It’s not a representation of a little me though. There was something in The Guardian about my parents neglecting me and being drug addicts and I was like ‘yeah, my dad liked to party but I wasn’t horribly neglected and they weren’t drug addicts’. I’m the drug addict in the family!” (Sia is sober now).

On how much guidance Sia gave Maddie for the video:

There was this period right before I hit bottom and got sober that I wanted in there and so when Ryan was asking me what I wanted from Maddie I said I wanted her to be like on the verge of a nervous breakdown. I thought it would be really fucking cool to have this little child imparting this adult experience. Then, if you watch the video closely, you’ll see a painting my godfather did of me right before I got sober where I was just like absolutely fucked. I sent him a photo of me one morning and at the time – this is how disturbed I was – I thought it was funny that I’d woken up with messy hair and had my mouth guard in from grinding my teeth, and now when I look at that it’s a grand reminder to never go back. So I put that in there because a lot of the art in my videos is my art that I own and my sponsee’s bits and pieces.”

About ‘Chandelier’ obviously being about dealing with somewhat ‘messed-up’ feelings, yet the songs Sia writes for other people are quite obviously nothing like those she writes for herself:

When I write promotionally, I guess I give away the songs I’m less connected to. ‘Chandelier’ I wrote intending to create a pop song for someone else and then literally I was like ‘uh-oh, I’ve just written a pop song for me’. I’m acting a lot when I’m writing for other people. I feel like I slip into a role and obviously I can write from past experiences, but as I said earlier I’m addicted to television. I love TV and I love movies and I pull so much content from the drama in all of those mediums and put them into songs.”

On where we can all get the ‘Sia’ blonde bob:

They’re about to go on sale on my website [laughs]. I think they might even be available now.”

Sia is hands-down one of my favourite singer/songwriters; and one that everyone should know about! Hopefully through this editorial, if you didn’t already know of Sia – you will now. Or if you have recently discovered Sia, but weren’t aware of just how many albums she’s released – you’ll be able to go back and enjoy all of her previous work.

Sia’s haunting, thought-provoking & distinctive vocals are second-to-none and she’s unquestionably one of the most talented musicians of our time. She’s simultaneously quirky, seemingly fragile, soulful and artistic, yet wilful, candid and a creative genius.

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