Beauty File - Amy Winehouse

This is more an exercise for me than it is to read :) I'm training my connective brain tissue to recognise links and store "foreknowledge". It's ok if you think i'm rambling again :) I just hope to be able to entertain you by dissecting how celebs and women use makeup to create their look.

Shoes, Bags, watches, jewellery have all each fought for the right to be the style "clincher" -- that is you can use it to create your own look. But really they all have a part to play and a stylish person uses all of them to express herself. Makeup is just one of those tools. But rather than subscribe to the BobbiBrown way of makeup -- which is to say, keep it neat, neutral and safe -- some women have really made makeup history. One of the is Amy Winehouse. I know absolutely nothing about her music (don't ask!) but I am totally enthralled by her. I can't tell which era, country, mindset or style house she comes from -- and I'm loving everything about her! She's everything -- 50s, 60s, 70s, housewife, punk rocker, jazz singer, cutie pie, bitchy, beautiful and ugly at the same time.



I wanted to start here: at Amy's lips. Other than her very Madonna-esque mole (which if you know chinese facereading, moles in that vicinity mean sensuality), Amy picks a matte chalk-like pink lipstick that really goes to show she understands the first rule of makeup: Eyes or Lips but never both. Still, it's rather attention grabbing because of her caramel skintone, it pops rather than blends.


Look at those eyes!! Amy has some really regular looking eyes -- though big, they aren't the sort you get mesmerised by. But she expertly draws them so that the first thing you see (and have a second look at) are her eyes. The one-inch eyeliner -- I've never seen one so thick, even at the fashion weeks -- is not easy to draw, much less pull off. If I'm not wrong, Amy uses a kohl pencil, then layers it with black eyeshadow powder. There's no way she uses a liquid liner, note the tapered off tip, it's something your liquid liner probably can't do.



Amy prefers the 50s Bouffant style - note the almost beehive-ness of the above! Either this girl has a lot a lot of hair or she counts on hair extensions. (more likely the latter). At times, her hair channels Marge Simpson, other times, it's the Stepford Wives. Dyed Jet black for sure, she leaves it quite unkempt but still gets a half-updo, half-downdo feel. Even when casual, see below, it feel so lush. Though I think her hair is rather dry and needs some treatment!

Her tatoos are impressive! They seem randomly placed -- as if she has one done under a whim... rather than plan for the bigger picture. And who else can make a singlet feel as if it's part of her ethos.

This is a rare shot of Amy, I feel. So calm, so serene and so... sweet! The dress and the shoes are such retro-flavoured pieces that you can't help but think Amy is one of those special people who can wear anything and make it looks "hers" -- you know, even galoshes and suspenders.