Beauty Boom! Chanel Le Vernis #599 Provocation Meets Up #641 Tenderly

Summer time is busy season! At the work, to the lakeside and on the road, it’s the perfect moment wearing sandals and Chanel Le Vernis. I have the habit that before any trip or tour, I would clean, clip, buff and polish both my finger and toe nails, so that I don’t have to worry the nail imperfection for days, and complete with some funky mix-and-match colours on feet.

With Sokos Spring Sale up to 40%, Chanel Le Vernis #599 Provocation and #641 Tenderly are at checkout immediately. Le Vernis #599 Provocation was initially released as a limited edition in 2012, but the shade had become so popular that was launched within the Avant-Premier Collection in summer 2013 and soon was announced to stand at the permanent line.

The original formula of Le Vernis contains bioceramide of natural origin for their hardening action. A precise concentration of solvents gives a hard, resistant, gloss film. Compares to #573Accessoire its burgundy hue, #599 provocation tends to more of a rouge violet feel. Chanel is famous their complex layering of nail colours, Provocation, as its name meaning ’testing to elicit to a particular response or reflex’, contains darkened plum on a violet-red base with hidden fuchsia undertones. It changes its color depending on the light from pinky plum to deep purple, with a slight of glittering rays. 

As tender as purple rosewood, Le Vernis #641 Tenderly of course owns toluene-free formula. It is easy to apply and self-leveled, in a muted, medium-dark plummy mauve with warm undertones and a creamy-jelly finish. It has mostly opaque pigmentation after two coats, and it dried down to a naturally shiny layer without the need of a topcoat. For both #599 and #641, the longevity on my toe nails are lasting for about 2 weeks without any reapplication.

The practical design of Chanel Le Vernis incorporates an ergonomic top with wide, easy-grip sides, a neck with reducer for flow control, and a non-spill bottle. Chanel Le Vernis collection is fun to mix and match with different tones, indeed, busy season still requires something colourful and bold.

Magazine Madness: Ivana Helsinki & Animal Rights

Ivana Helsinki SS17

Ivana Helsinki is an independent art centre, fashion brand and cinema studio founded by Paola Ivana Suhonen in 1998, Finland. It started as Paola’s personal art project, now it is a way of Nordic living concept. It is based on her childhood memories, her endless desire to be on the road, her love for nature and animals. The inspiration comes from the trips around the world, while they can be just moonlit fields, Caribbean pirates, dark forests, crummy motels, fragile butterflies, passionate relationships, Texas cowboy or guardian angels.

First ever I discovered Ivana Helsinki’s special pattern was from Figaro Japan magazine in 2006. A year later, I visited Ivana Helsinki flagship and discovered one of my favorite collections, Rouva, which the montage pattern of a young lady’s face, conveying Slavic melancholy with pure Scandinavian moods, a touch of USSR era vintage look. Shortly after I resided in Finland, I joined the late night shopping in-store event on Uudenmannkatu 15, enjoyed the local artist gigs, organic ciders, good vibe and even met some of the most talented friends ever.

In February 2103, Ivana Helsinki celebrated its 15^th birthday exhibition at Design Museo, Helsinki. The visitors can view collections from Ivana Finlandia 1999 to Rotterdam 2013, which the patterns have been transforming from a mere dark blue tan top to a colourful draped mid-length dress. Ivana Helsinki Coming Home Exhibition also featured a series of nostalgic photographs and elegant fashion show short films. In 2017, Ivana Helsinki involves once more, forward to publish its very pinkish and stylish ‘Animal Rights’ magazine. Only sold at flagship store in Helsinki, this 30x 31.5 cm size owns a very minimal cover design, a pastel pink background with off-white vintage fonts. Within a 140 page turns, 16 chapters include portrait photography, veggie recipe, fashion champagne of SS17, report article, celebrity letters and even family album. The very first issue of Ivana Helsinki convey a very strong personal manifesto, a highly memoriam collection rather a just fashion papers. Editor-in-Chief/Photographer Paola Suhonen, who volunteered to work with rescue organization in Romania and South Africa, expresses her views between lines:

“ In my opioion humanity is measured in the way we treat animals, living creatures from nature. Animals have the right for a good life.”

Ivana Helsinki SS17 collection is a special tribute to the dogs that Paola met and helped in Romania. Through the first chapter of magazine, ‘Portrait of a Best Friend’, we realize the dogs were having a rougher lives under a despair environments, but now every dog is known by name and having their warmly forever home in Finland. With this ‘Animal Rights’ fashion collection, models wear dresses or shirts of animal prints, pose or touch those beautiful friends. The layout of the graphic design casually shows full page, occasionally the photos patch in a city-block style; between chapter to chapter, some blank pages leave the whole baby pink, or inserts montage styles of graphic paintings in between.

What we crave are those true stories behind the lenses, the pastel tones of minimal touch, and the personal messages at every page turn. They show not only the lovely moments between human beings and animals, but also those factory prisoners of tragic life. The readers even learn from the nearly private family photos on chapter 7 ‘Family Album’, that how simple country living styles can be back to the 70’s. What we are a bit disappointed is the quality of the printing, Perhaps it has its aesthetic purpose, still, the quality of the high resolution can be solved, preferably if the measurement of the magazine downsizes to a easy portable square. All in all it’s a compassionated, loved but a strong-mind jewel of reading.

For my own photography, in order to echo the major theme of the magazine, I adopt Japanese artist Yasushi Koyama’s mini porcelain collection, the cat, the dog and the penguin. Additionally with a little touch of strong hue, I place a mini poppy red mushroom deco item, also from Koyama, on the cover of ‘Animal Rights’ issue. The white camellia flowers from Chanel are always my favourite photography accessories, and they are perfect to cover the stain or dent. Last but not the least, Finnish cosmetic brand Vitalis is one of Ivana Helsinki’s clients on the project of packaging design, therefore, on the back cover of the magazine, I make this light-pink and grape purple Vitalis lip balm tin container accompany the off-white mini paragraph together, so the pastel color and the short terms stand out loud.

For those who about to love both fashion and animals, we salute you.

IVANAHELSINKI

 @ivanahelsinki

Special Thanks: Beto

Works Cited & Photography:

IVANA HELSINKI ANIMAL RIGHTS

Tea Time: Russian Vintage Lomonosov Serves Finnish Sweet Tippaleipä

Happy Vappu! May Day in 2017 starts with warm and bright; in Finland, traditionally, it’s time for picnic at park, and soft drink sima, snacks such as pulla or tippaleippä are must-haves among afternoon moments. The flavor of Tippaleipä is not as greasy as pulla, while its crispy bite is perfect together with strawberry green tea, indeed the best selection at afternoon teatime!

Tippaleipä dates back to the early medieval Persian world, and later spread to the whole Europe. Around in 1879, German immigrants brought tippaleipä to North America, which are made by pouring batter into hot cooking oil in a circular pattern and deep-frying the overlapping mass until it turns golden-brown. Usually tippaleipä is served plain with powdered sugar, but can also be topped with cinnamon, chocolate or fresh fruit. Our store-bought version has sugar frost topped, so all the teatime preparation is only the tea brewing. Additionally, a half-bowl of Californian raisins is the healthy treat, making the holiday more comfortable and relaxing.

As the choice of table setting, for teacup and saucer, I adapt Lomonosov USSR era Basket series, which I luckily found at Eira flea market in Helsinki. Established by Dmitry Ivanoich Vinogradov in 1744, under the decree of Peter the Great’s daughter, Empress Elizabeth, to ‘serve native trade and native art’, the Lomonosov Imperial Porcelain Factory is a producer of hand-painted ceramics in Saint Petersburg, Russia, exclusively for the ruling Romanov family and the Russian Imperial court. Lomonosov porcelain is usually made with China bone as base, hand painted with royal blue patterns, and embellished with 22 karat gold on each works of art.

For other setting on the teatime table, the plate painted with fuchsia flower and golden drops are also from Lomonosov USSA era, which, the gift from Jyväskylä, the size is excellent for 8cm diameter of tippaleipä. In order to convey more of a feminine tone, Arabia pinky bowl holds raisins, and two dried roses decorate the cobalt-blue dominated hue. The tip of photography today is cobalt blue with a touch of milky white and pastel nude.

British green strawberry tea, Russian vintage Lomonosov porcelain and Finnish traditional tippaleipä, organic, luxurious and sweet time to enjoy at happy May Day holiday.

Special Thanks: Perhe Heikkinen

CLIPPER