Beauty Icon Wednesday: For the Love of Red!

Name: Redheads, Carrot-Tops, Gingers, Blueys; otherwise known as people who have red hair

Known for: Making up less than 2% of the global population, with the highest percentage being in Scotland; often considered to be ill-tempered and volatile.

If you happen to be a regular reader of Beauty Icon Wednesday, the first thing you’ll notice is that this time we've done things a little differently. The reason for that is quite simple, to be quite honest: I couldn’t decide which redhead I wanted to feature. There are so many titian-haired beauties who have influenced me in one way or another over the years, so I decided why not include them all? There are no rules here!

As a redhead by choice, not by birth, I don’t pretend to understand what it means to truly be a redhead. I didn’t have to endure any teasing about being a ‘carrot top’ as a child; however, as a girl who’s had to wear glasses from a very young age, I’ve had my own share of demons to deal with. But, as usual, I digress. From Daphne Blake in the Scooby Doo cartoons to Ginger Spice, from Lindsay Lohan in Mean Girls to Christina Hendricks in Mad Men to Emma Stone in – well, in anything she does, really – most of my girl crushes tend to be on redheads.

Sadly, not all of history shares my opinion. 

 In the infamous and ultimately deadly Malleus Maleficarum, or The Witches Hammer, the authors (Inquisitors for the Catholic Church) accused redheads of being either witches, werewolves or vampires. This belief likely stems from that which was widely held in medieval period, that people with red hair were morally and sexually degenerate, and most likely in league with the Devil. Factor in a commonly held myth that redheads have a horrible temper, and what you end up with is  Rita Hayworth in Gilda.

But it hasn’t been all bad. During Queen Elizabeth 1’s reign in sixteenth century England, it was considered fashionable to have red hair. It was a popular hair colour choice for the fair maidens who graced Pre-Raphaelite paintings from the mid-1800's. And finally, I myself have been inspired on more than one occasion to strip my hair from its formerly traditional Gothic black to a fiery red of many hues in homage to any one of these ladies pictured here. This time, thanks to the magic of Nice n Easy Colour Foam, it’s a colour I have claimed as my own. By choice.

Maybe it's true what they say, that blondes have more fun and brunettes will win the man in the end... 

But it's always that certain redhead who will never be forgotten.

Beauty Icon Wednesday: If We're Turning Back TimeWhy Not Go All The Way?

Name: Cleopatra VII Philopator, portrayed here by Elizabeth Taylor in the 1963 film (who is herself deserving of her own Icon post entirely), born sometime late 69 BC and died August 12th, 30 BC




Known For: Popularizing black eyeliner, seducing men of power in order to solidify her position as Queen of Egypt, and as an easy go-to costume for Halloween. 

I was inspired to write this last night whilst watching an episode of Ancients Behaving Badly on BBC Canada. It reminded me that this is really where concepts such as Girl Power and makeup ultimately have their beginnings, something that automatically earns itself an Icon Wednesday post. 

Cleopatra, this program contended, was a master of sexual manipulation and public relations. She was not the Great Beauty as she has been depicted in a variety of media, from wall etchings to statues to Hollywood films, for over two thousand years after her death. Her 'beauty' came more from her intellect, her wit, and her raw sexuality. She was the first woman documented in history as using sex - quite literally - as a weapon. And although things did not end well for her - suicide by snakebite so as to escape Roman persecution - we can feel her effect on modern society to this day. She was the original master of creating her own destiny, much like the many other charismatic and powerful women who came after her. 

I mean, who among us hasn't painted on a thick cat eye line around our eyes 

and thought of Cleopatra? 

Beauty Icon Wednesday:The Power of Smoke & MirrorsOr in this case, Wigs & Face Tape

Name: Cherilyn Sarkisian, born May 20th 1946. Known to us, simply, as Cher.

Known for: epic cheekbones, a fearless fashion sense and elevating the relatively benign act of a hair toss to an art form.

Cher. Very few people have the power and the prowess to be recognized on a global basis by their first name. While I can fully acknowledge that the woman has had more plastic surgeries than Farewell tours, she will forever hold a special place in my heart, as well as the hearts of gay men and drag queens everywhere. Not gonna lie, Heart of Stone is one of my favourite albums ever. And maybe it's just my inner Drag Queen talking - the one who squeals in delight whenever there are feathers and sequins around - but the almost fifty years Cher has spent in the entertainment industry as well as the numerous awards she's won would indicate that we are not alone in that. An Oscar, a Grammy, an Emmy, a few Golden Globes... if you can name it, Cher has probably at some point in her career won it. And we can joke all we want, but the reality is that most of us can only wish we will look as good when we turn sixty-five. 


Without Cher, there would be no Madonna, Britney, or Lady Gaga. Regardless of whether you think she's a Gypsy, Tramp or Thief, you must admit that there are not many entertainers who have had such a powerful impact on popular culture or women's place in it as she has. 

Beauty Icon Wednesday: Lady Kate, Duchess of Cambridge

Name: Catherine Elizabeth Middleton, born January 9th, 1982


Known for: that smile, that hair, almost single-handedly bringing The Fascinator into the mainstream and - oh yeah - fulfilling every little girl's dream of becoming a Princess.


I am well aware that I’m arriving a little late to this royal-loving party - the Brits have been watching Kate from the early days of the 'are they or aren't they' relationship with Prince William. But then, once the engagement was announced, it's been nothing but Will and Kate and Royal Wedding countdown that ended on April 29th of this year when the two were married at Westminster Abbey. After that, it was more about Kate's sister Pippa and that now-infamous posterior. To be fair, and maybe it was a combination of the camera angle and bias-cut of the dress, it did look pretty spectacular. 

I have a very good reason for jumping on the Team Kate bandwagon now when it's already so late in the game - the newest Windsor Royal couple is currently making their first official visit to my home and native land. In my defense, I'm not a newbie to all things Royal. I was a big fan of the Royals in my younger years. As a child, I woke up at 5:30am to watch that first beautiful modern-day Princess walk down the aisle in St Pauls in that fabulous thirty foot train, and even went so far as to name my first pet goldfish Charles and Diana. And although no one is hoping that Will and Kate's marriage will go in that same direction, there is a lot of pressure on the new Duchess. 


She has some very well-heeled and enormously influential shoes to fill. Judging from her performance thus far, with this her first official visit as a Royal,  she's off to a cracking start. 

Here Comes the Sun... Beware!

It's July and it would seem that, with temperatures soaring ever higher, it would seem that the summer sun is fully upon us. It's easy to be seduced by the warmth of the sun and images of bronze bodies that look like the epitome of health. 


Thing is, ironically enough, oftentimes they are not. Almost the opposite in fact. 


That suntan that you’ve worked so hard to cultivate is actually your skin trying desperately to protect both itself and you from the harmful ultraviolet rays that sunlight carries in addition. And when I see random people parading around the city streets in next to nothing, their skin so darkly tanned that they resemble something coming out of a barbeque pit, I must admit that it brings out the worst in me. In addition to wanting to shriek 'For God's sake, put some clothes on!', I also have to seriously fight the urge to quote Lady Sovereign of all people - Bitch, do you know you're orange? 


Odd, because I'm not even a fan of her particular brand of musical stylings.


Before I digress too deeply into another one of my signature tangents, and before you decide to dismiss this rant as mere jealousy, let's just consider the origins of the word 'tan'. Tanning, up until the early twentieth century, was the term used to describe the process of turning animal skin into leather. Up until Coco Chanel declared it fashionable to show off the darker shade of skin that had evolved naturally from her love of the outdoors, a suntan was considered a hallmark of the working classes and something to be avoided wherever possible. Suddenly, the tan quickly became synonymous with healthy and opulent lifestyles. Advertising jumped on the train, and the post-War era was peppered with ads showing women how to get a better, darker tan. And that love affair continues even to this day, as evidenced in the rising number of tanning salons that has built into a billion dollar industry. 


I'm not suggesting that tanning in itself is inherently evil. We all tend to look a little healthier in the summer after we've had some sun, not to mention that a little sun exposure is the body's natural way to produce vitamin D, a necessary component for maintaining strong bones. Overtanning, however, is the leading cause of skin cancer, premature aging, and wrinkles - three things no one is really interested in. But it is possible to find a happy medium, and enjoy sunshine with the same attitude you would have toward alcohol and donuts. 


Responsibly, and in moderation. And so, with that firmly in mind, here are some easy ways to practice safe sun:


1. Use sunscreen: A sunscreen that protects from both UVA and UVB rays with an SPF of 30 or higher applied twenty minutes before sun exposure, then again twenty to thirty minutes after, and throughout the day if you are swimming or sweating it off your skin seems to be the general consensus of most skin care experts. Anything higher than that could lead to a false sense of protection.  


2. Hats are both fashionable AND practical: A wide brimmed hat is a classic summer accessory, made even better with the knowledge that you are protecting your valuable face from excess sun damage and, by extension, wrinkles.


3. Fake it till you make it: If you don't feel human unless you've got a bit of bronze going on, there are a growing number of self-tanning products available to help you achieve a golden glow without the risk of melanoma. Just remember, use a light but steady hand when applying and exfoliate, exfoliate, exfoliate! 

4. Know the limit, stay within it: The sun's rays are strongest between 10am and 4pm, so logic would dictate that maybe you should stay out of direct sun during those times. But, since we all know that logic is often short in supply, ensure that you are employing one or more of the safe sun tips previously mentioned! 


Unless, of course, you want to look like this in a few years...

Beauty Icon Wednesday: An Ode to Vivienne Westwood

Name: Dame Vivienne Westwood, born Vivienne Isabel Swire on April 8th, 1941

Known for: first creating the artfully slashed tees and bondage trousers worn by Johnny Rotten and Sid Vicious of the Sex Pistols in the punk Seventies, tripping up catwalk bitch Naomi Campbell with a pair of nine inch platform heels during a 1993 runway show, and gifting Carrie Bradshaw with her now-iconic wedding dress in the first Sex and The City movie. 


Vivienne Westwood is my favourite fashion designer. In keeping with the rock n' rebel theme that's been rolling through my life this week, I felt that Auntie Viv - as I so lovingly refer to her... I wish! - was the best and only choice for this week's Icon. 


One of my fondest memories of living in London was the circuit I would make during my lunch hours. I worked on Oxford Street, and at least once a week I'd routinely make a pilgrimage in homage to this Grande Dame. I would usually make my way first down New Bond Street, well away from the throngs of the main shopping drag, to the multi-level flagship store on Conduit Street that housed all three of Westwood's labels - Gold, Red and Anglomania. Then, after about twenty minutes of torturing myself there with things my beauty counter salary couldn't really afford, I would make the agony complete by heading across Berkeley Street, round the Square and up to her intimate and achingly beautiful Davies Street boutique. Sometimes I would reverse the order, starting at Davies before moving on to Conduit Street, but I would never fail to hit both locations. 




What I think I love most about my Auntie Viv is that she seems to incorporate everything I've ever idolized into her design aesthetic. Her nod to 17th and 18th century fashion history of boned corsets and bustles, her ubiquitous use of plaid, her moderately offensive t-shirts and safety pinned trousers designed as though it were a thumbing of her nose at mainstream society. And it would seem that Westwood's desire to shake things up shows no signs of abating; she has become quite active politically with regular and passionate campaigns for human rights and nuclear disarmament. And though it cannot hope to compete with her own sizable contribution to fashion history, the legacy will live on with her son Joseph, the founder of luxury lingerie brand Agent Provocateur. 


Although Westwood has no formal fashion training, having studied art and worked as a
 primary schoolteacher, her way of cutting clothes to best flatter and celebrate the female figure seems almost instinctive. And that would be the true female figure, with boobs and bum, and not that of a twelve year old anorexic boy. For me, she represents living, breathing proof that a woman can be or do anything and still be sexy, regardless of her age or lot in life. 


And so with that in mind, I ask you: what's not to love??

Beauty Icon Wednesday: Going Ga-Ga for Gaga

Name: Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, born March 28th, 1986 in New York City. You would know her better as Lady Gaga

Known for: outrageous stage ensembles, often bizarre taste in headwear and sometimes edible fashion choices






Ahhh, Lady Gaga. 

The name alone conjures up all sorts of theatrical imagery, doesn't it? Not to mention controversy. Lady Gaga is following closely from the playbook of the pop icons that came before, most notably Madonna, where the cardinal rule is any press is good press. You may be wondering exactly why it is that she's featured here on Beauty Icon Wednesday. Gaga is more Leigh Bowery than Vivien Leigh. She doesn't exactly fit the mold of what most people would define as beautiful. But that's precisely why she's been included. Because she represents, albeit in a rather contrived performance art sort of way, a different idea of what it means to be beautiful. Something more than the cookie cutter blonde hair and blue eyes that is so prevalent on stage and screen these days. 


It's not like what Gaga is doing is all that original - Madonna, Cher and even David Bowie and Boy George had all done it even before she was born. And although I can admit she's quite talented, especially when compared to most of the drivel that counts as pop music, to be truthful I’m not that big a fan of her music. Sure, I loved the song Paparazzi from her debut album and watched the video on an almost constant basis, but there may have been other contributing factors - chief among them being Alexander Skarsgard and those blond triplets that comprise Swedish hair band Snakes of Eden. I’m only human, after all. 


No, what I really admire about Lady Gaga is that she's not afraid to make herself 'ugly' should the situation call for it. And for any woman to have the - for lack of a better word - balls to put on a meat dress and mirrored gimp mask in the name of art earns her a place on my Icon list.


Regardless of whether I understand it or not.