TOMS

"With every pair you purchase, TOMS will give a pair of new shoes to a child in need. One for One"


By now everyone has heard of TOMS shoes. Like other fad shoes before them they are all the rage. But unlike a lot of other trends this one has a heart. For every pair of shoes you take home a pair is given to a child in need. They have been around for a little while now, and at first I wasn't too sure of them, but as more designs are out the more I like them. I think of them as a day time slipper/shoe. Great for "beach" type days. I have my eye on the "Natural Crochet Women's Classic". I think it will hit the mark with any kind of boho look, or long white skirts.  Right now seems to be the time when clothing is doing more than just dressing your body. H&M had the organic of recycled fabrics and materials. Sure there has always been brands that have "reused" clothing, but they tended to be a higher price point. TOMS and H&M have the ability to reach a lot more people. Plus they are much easier to find that one off stores in major cities. 
So that being said I am going off to pick up my first pair of TOMS and then dream of walking up and down the Peir in Santa Monica. 


-NIK
The Renee Beach Team

Greg Anderson

"When we are motivated by goals that have deep meaning, by dreams that need completion, by pure love that needs expressing, then we truly live life."

Tom Davin

“How you do anything is how you do everything."

David Gandy

Dolce & Gabbana has launched many careers and now is launching a coffee table book with the images of David Gandy, ne of the few male super models in the world. He images span David’s career and includes a few images shot exclusively for the book. But not only is Dolce & Gabbana giving us the audience a delightful page turner of images, but all profits will go to Project EUPLOOS. 

David Gandy  model website.

Dolce Gabbana

:)

At the end of the day - you have to do what it is that makes you happy. Bring in positive thinking, think in happy tones. It is much easier to keep on keeping on with a smile on your face.

-Nik

Oscar Wilde

"I have the simplest tastes. I am always satisfied with the best."

3 summer update tips.

1 Bright colors. I love a new bright coral lipstick for the summer.  But anything bright will do, pinks, reds, corals, oranges – you name it and it goes because summer is all about bringing up the heat.

2 Water proof mascara. With the little bit of extra sweat in the summer it is easier to have runny mascara – never mind the effects of a quick summer storm. So have a new waterproof by your favorite brand in your bag.

3 Tinted Sun Screen Moisturizer (my suggestion is Bobbi Brown SPF 15 Tinted Moisturizer Oil Free) with a bronzer on top.  It will give you the sun kissed look with out having to worry about the summers sun rays damaging your skin. 

-NIK (The Renee Beach Team)

Florence Eiseman

“Please do not have a fit in the fitting room. Your fashion life begins there.”

Versace

"I am thrilled to be collaborating with H&M and to have the opportunity of reaching their wide audience. The collection will be quintessential Versace, perfect for H&M and Versace fans everywhere," said Versace 

Full story @ Montreal Gazette

Queen Victoria

Before Queen Victoria's wedding to Prince Albert in 1840, brides typically wore their best dress on their big day, regardless of its color. Queen V's knockout white gown was so spectacular that brides began vying for similar styles, which is how the brides-in-white tradition began.
After Queen Victoria's consort, Prince Albert, died in 1861, she wore black everyday as a sign of mourning until her own death in 1901.

Just because it is Monday

Yoko Ono

"John used to say "I love you" every day. I didn't understand then, how lucky I was."

Terry McMillan

"I write because I crave beauty. And, because ugliness weighs you down."

Kovak UK

Albert Einstein

“Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow.”

Chloe Comme Parris

  Sisters Chloe and Parris Gordon offer a line that is dark, moody and edgy. The western elements have a hard edge Victorian history book feel to them.  Breaks in structure can be found in the Coattails and backs of shirtwaists.  The attention to detail is amazing, as are the accessories, from fingers clad in shinning silver to crystal shoulder straps. For the dark romantic in all of us this is a Canadian line that offers it all to us while staying completely urban and wearable.

This line can be found at the following locations:

http://www.upcboutique.com/

http://fawnboutique.ca/ 

http://www.narwhalboutique.com/

http://www.loveofmineboutique.com/

And of course the Chloe Comme Parris Website.
-The Renee Beach Team

Madstone

Working in fashion houses such as Escada, Kerri Halpern was always searching for jewelry to compliment her personality, as well as her couture wardrobe. After a decade of not finding it, she’s started a new chapter in her life as the designer of MadStone™ fine jewelry.  An avid traveler, collector of modern art and couture fashions, Kerri Halpern has always embraced her dark side: from an all black uniform to living above a cemetery, she loves skulls, super heroes, cowboys and rock & roll. All of these very unique attributes culminate in her first jewelry collection which mixes cool colors, unusual stone setting and master metalsmithing.

madstone design

-The Renee Beach Team

Aristotle

"All persons ought to endeavor to follow what is 
right, and not what is established." 

Preen's Resort 2012

“Sophistication with an edge” is what Thornton called the overprint in the silk with leopard spots.  The bright exotic colours of stunning red, bright pink and stunning yellow is the perfect partner to the somber dark black and the sophisticated hemlines. Everything in this collection is 100% wearable.  This collection is smart, seductive, sexy and has an exotic edge on top of an urban dress.

See the entire collection at Vogue
The website Preen. Eu


-The Renee Beach Team

“Preen have their own unique style. . . a strong and individual look; it is instantly recognizable as cool and desirable with an injection of pure rock and roll.” 

Will Rogers

'If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went.' 

Kovak UK

"Brighton-based electro-pop band KOVAK have just been invited to play at Toronto’s North By North East music festival in Canada this June and are currently recording their 2nd album with dance producer Andy Gray (Hard Fi, Paul Oakenfold, Gary Numan, Enter Shikari) at Arreton Manor, a haunted 15th Century house on the Isle Of Wight using a museums worth of analogue vintage synths.

The band are already organising their next video with legendary producer Tim Pope (The Cure, David Bowie, Neil Young, Soft Cell) having had over 30,000 hits on their last video for pop-tastic single ‘I’ll Be Good To You’ from debut album Heroes & High Heels. The very danceable album track ‘Sex Electric’ is featured in Michael Madson's new film ‘The Big I Am’ and the bands music has also been used on HBO’s ‘Make It Or Break It’.

Kovak have been running their very own successful electro dance night in Brighton; ‘Club Kovak’ over the years and have had such DJ guests as ‘The Orb’ and The Go! Team. Club Kovak will be back with more electro glow sticks and disco dancing this summer.

A truly energetic and colourful live band, Kovak are more than ready to dance, sing, jump about and run on the spot in a venue near you!"

http://www.kovak.co.uk/

American Eagle Outfitters

Nail Colour by O.P.I Nail Lacquer in "Taupe-less Showgirls".

A summer grab of buy one get one free from American Eagle outfitters.

-The Renee Beach Team

Coco Chanel

“Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening.”

On set

Renee Beach on set with the boys in the band.

3 things that one should always have in their kit when it comes to doing men’s make up.

1. 1.     Prep + Prime Vibrancy Eye by MAC Cosmetics. It reduces the look of puffy eyes and under eye shadows while brightening up the entire eye area. It also primes the eye for any type of eye makeup that you may use.
2.   Prep+ Prime Skin Refined Zone by MAC Cosmetics. This is for controlling shine. It is ideal for the t-zone and getting rid of any shine that a fellow might have.
3.   Duo Concealer by NARS The vitamin C helps to boost radiance and brightness- it is also fragrance free, this is a big plus when working with men. 

3 things to make a shoot easier.

1. Always plan for everything to take more time than you think it is going to take. Something will come up if you don't.  It always looks better to be done earlier than expected, not that this happens too often. 
2. Work together. Listen to each other and listen to everyones ideas. The person cleaning up might have a great idea or see something that you don't. Every person on the planet deserves respect. It is all about the energy that you put out there. 
3. When working with a band.... bring a snack. Everyone is happier when they have something in their tummy. We had ginger cookies and timmbits. Then even made time for a nacho break. Food is also a great way to get people to sit down and talk to each other. 

- The Renee Beach Team

REfinish

I was given a gift not too long ago of the NutriMinC Re9 Refinish Hydrating Body Lotion.  And I have to say I love it.  It is creamy and rich and smells like oranges.

Scientifically-advanced Vitasphere delivery system delivers antioxidant vitamins and helps protect skin. An extremely hydrating formula that leaves skin feeling supple and healthy.

It works because it has a mix of avocado, sweet almond and jojoba oils. This makes it fairly rich, but it absorbs into the skin quickly.  It leaves the skin feeling very soft and unlike many heavy creamy lotions it doesn't leave a sticky or tacky coat on the skin. This is a big win with me.  The body Serum is great as well but it is the lotion that is a big winner for me. I have sensitive skin and it caused no reaction at all and that is also a bonus.  If there is a down side it is that I could go through the bottle very easily in a very short period of time. So when ordering I would need to get more than one bottle at a time to make sure that I was always stocked up.  Oh, and the scent doesn't stick to the skin, so any one who works in a scent free area doesn't have to worry about anything like that.






-The Renee Beach Team

C.S. Lewis

‎"You don't have a soul. You are a soul. You have a body."

Liplicious!

I will admit it. I am addicted. I go into Bath & Body works for a candle (all about seaside and vanilla coconut) and leave with a pocket full of lipgloss.  I have a drawer in my makeup cabby just full of them, both sheer and tinted. They are a little sticky but they last. And as everyone knows they smell great. The best part is if you lose one, well you might be out a yummy lip gloss but it is no more than coffee money to replace.  Today I am wearing one called "Hot cakes".  Yummy!

Bath and body works Liplicious

-The Renee Beach Team

Music: Artist to Watch

Braxtons Diary and Braxton Olita

His tumbler : Braxton Olita and his twitter

Born : September 17, 1985.

Birth City : Honolulu, Hawaii.

Hometown : Ewa Beach, Hawaii

Talented young artist working with the Rock band 30 Seconds to Mars, but that is not what I am excited about. Check out his solo work and donate to help him record his next song! This is a great way new artists seem to be getting their music out.  By donating you know that your money is not going to the middle man or the "man" man. It is going directly to the artists and their sound. He is also great at self promoting. It seems he has his fingers in just about every media pot. So check him out! Donate if you can. Enjoy and watch for him in the future!

-The Renee Beach Team

Music

Sometimes after a late night of work you just need some music to get you going the next day. It was great to see Slash (solo) preform last year and to see him at the after party at Tattoo Rock Parlour in Toronto. But enough about the past, it is all about the future as I turn up the tunes and get this party started.

Love the Look: Resort 2012 Roundup: Jill Stuart

Everything about this look says summer to me. I love the little red dress and the proper school girl hair.
See the rest of the collection at The fashion Informer

-The Renee Beach Team

The Body Shop

A friend of mine used to work for “The Body Shop” and ten years after she left the company she is still buying from them. This says a lot about any brand, and I love brand loyalty. She started way back when body butters had just been launched and there was not this gambit of scents to pick from. They are great price points and even better when they go on sale.  The one she is raving about right now is the “Coconut Shimmer Body Butter”. It smells like summer and old fashion sunscreen. It is really great if you want to bring a little extra attention to your legs. I hope they keep this one around. If not they always have good old fashion Coconut or Satsuma.

What they say: 

Drench your skin in a rich, shimmery, intensive cream with a lush coconut scent that moisturizes for up to 24 hours and made with Community Trade pure organic cold-pressed virgin coconut oil.

 The Body Shop

-The Renee Beach Team

Mick Jagger

“It’s all right letting yourself go as long as you can let yourself back.”

Nars

Nars Cosmetics Body Glow

Milkshake

I love the texture of this product. It is like thick whipped cream that you get to paint all over some ones hair. And every single one of their products smells so good.  And while the milkshakes that you buy from the ice cream stop go from you lips to your hips the products that this company offers gives you full smooth body.  This is a UK brand so can be a little bit harder to find that your average hair product. It is sold at this point at Body and Soul Day Spa.  I find some times people have a hard time jumping the price point to salon products. It is a matter of keeping your colour truer longer, keeping the hair healthier longer and protecting it against what the world is trying to do to it. If you want fewer and fewer bad hair days then it is best to move onto the products that are going to allow for that.

One of the products I love is the Milkshake Lifestyling Sparkling Glaze Mousse.  

This hairstyling mousse is designed to be versatile and easy to use on both curly and straight hair. Use this product on curly hair if you want to give definition and reliable support to your style. Use on straight hair to give your style amazing volume and body. This is a professional hair styler which is quick and easy to use. Uses natural ingredients, making this product smell beautiful. An easy hair styling mousse for curly and straight hair.

 So this product is for everyone and that is what is so great about it. It really gives the hair an all over healthy look, and at the end of the day that is what everyone wants, hair that looks strong and healthy.

-The Renee Beach Team

MAC Cosmetics & Gareth Pugh

MAC Cosmetics & Gareth Pugh

"MAC Cosmetics is to launch a new make-up collection in collaboration fashion designer Gareth Pugh. While full details about the new collection are being kept under wraps until closer to the November 2011 launch date, MAC have confirmed that the Gareth Pugh make-up range will include a number of colour cosmetics and accessories, all housed in special packaging created by the designer. Having supported Gareth Pugh since the British designer began showing on the international fashion circuit, the new MAC collaboration marks a pinnacle in the brand's seven-year relationship - one that will be celebrated with a glamorous cocktail party in New York next month. We're hoping to see Pugh's trademark goth-glam aesthetic translated into vampy metallics and inky hues."

Gareth Pugh's on line web site. 
Mac Cosmetics on line
British Vogue Fashion news daily

Carl W. Buechner

“They may forget what you said, but they will never forget how you made them feel.”

M.A.C. Cosmetics

My new must have buy is from the “SURF, BABY! LIPSTICK” collection.  The write up goes like this “Surf-cultured. Shine-right. Boldly floral sun-bight or delicately nude-y, these lipsticks wear their summer stripes with the cool grace of a real surfer dude. Add their white casing and there’s no doubt summer starts here…limited addition.”

Colours I picked up were Naturally Eccentric, a creamy white nude and Hibiscus a bright orange coral. I have a feeling the Hibiscus will be the sell out colour of this line. It really brightens up a face and can be worn on just about anyone. The nude is a little harder but looks great with a perfect summer tan. 

M.A.C cosmetics. Surf, Baby! Lipsticks.

-The Renee Beach Team

Oribe

Oribe
This is a name you will hear a lot over here. Not too long ago the spa started to carry Oribe's products and I am really excited to get everyone hooked on them. This brand is a prime example of great product that is also in a great package.  When it is up on the shelves people are drawn to it, they want to touch the sleek bodies of the shampoos, conditioners and sprays. They pick up the jars and boxes.  They have already started to sell the product to themselves.

And then of course we use it. Then they are hooked and there is no turning back.  

3 favorite products:

1- The Foundation Mist. This a great product to bring in your bag every where you go as a style refresher.  When the hair is wet you can use it as detangler that also builds shine and anti-static. 

2- Gold Pomade-   Add some of this into your do. The texture of the product allows for the sexiest of styles and the gold adds the shine. It is not the most complex product but it is 100% one of the best finishing touches you can offer your client.  Make sure to warn them to undress/dress with care in the gold has a bit of a midas touch.

3-Dry Texturizing Spray.  This us one of my OMG products. I love the dry hair spray to take with on shoots. It is what is needed to switch up a look half way through the day.  Unlike “dry shampoos” it doesn’t leave a powdery residue.  It smoothes and nourishes the hair while protecting the colour, and not to forget the great shine it leaves on the hair. A must have product.

RB

"Got a hunch, gut feeling?? Always follow it !!! Your spirit is usually never wrong.."

Robert Collier

“Imagination gives you the picture. Vision gives
you the impulse to make the picture your own.” 

It is good to indulge.

Swirls Cupcakes

This is a great family cupcake shop that I love to recommend to all of my friends. Mom loves the “Take-a-Momint” Cupcake and for me, the “Choc Therapy” Cupcake. One of my regular clients goes right for the “Lemon Luau” Cupcake and one of my models goes for “Strawberry Fields”. The point is there is something for everyone and not one of them tastes like store bought cupcakes, you know the kind I am talking about.  So next time you are in the area pop in and see the selection. Once you have tried one you will understand why the girls and I get giddy whenever anyone mentions the place.

186 Queen St. South
Streetsville, Ontario L5M 1L3