After months of patiently waiting, it finally arrived. It arrived on an ordinary Thursday, when I least expected. When I first saw it I wasn’t quite sure it was it. It wasn’t until I saw those three words GUINNESS – WORLD – RECORD that I immediately knew. That’s right folks, Purple Lab is officially in the books as the record holder for the Largest Speed Dating Event in Guinness World Record History.
Guinness World Record!
Every season, fashion designers have a look book, a book that’s curated to perfection, showcasing the collection. It’s not something beauty brands would typically do. Being that I’m such a fashion girl at heart, I was a little jealous! I wanted one!
Today we launch our look book (the cover image is above)!
So I asked some of our favorite bloggers and F.O.P.L. (friends of Purple Lab) to strike a pose. We turned my apartment into a photo studio.
The kitchen was the Dolce Gusto coffee and muffin “craft station” as they say on movie sets.
I have a pile of WWDs stacked up to my knees. I can’t quite find the time to go through them all but yesterday, I stopped dead in my work-tracks when I noticed the cover of Monday’s issue.
The makeup! I die! It was calling my name!
It was an image from Dior’s resort 2011 collection and the eye, which may be hard to really tell in the photo, was deeee-vine! A gray winged cat eye just below a pink liner that started at the corner of the eye by the nose.
Yesterday was a nonstop meeting marathon with beauty editors. Eight of them to be exact. They’re called desk sides (Last week, I wrote about how Sharon made this happen here). It’s when you bring your products to the editors at their desks, which makes their lives a lot easier.
This is Sharon getting our presentations ready.
Looks are everything with these things. You have about 10 to 20 minutes, 30 if you’re lucky, to make a good impression.
The spring runway – and even many fall runways – were stalked by glamazons sporting a fresh-faced, natural, no-makeup-makeup look. Have you noticed? So we put Ashley, one of our multi-tasking mavens, to the test and create the look herself.
Meet Ash:
She is an all-natural kind of girl to begin with (not to mention the most amazing singer ever – full on jazz vocals a la Norah Jones).
Armed with Silk Sheets luxe foundation infused with silk, Luxury Squared under-eye concealer and highlighter, collagen-packed Cheek Implants in Backstage Pass (ripe, delicious peach with golden undertones), Lashionista Modelista and Huge Lips Skinny Hips in Worship Kate, she turned herself into an exact replica of what Stella McCartney’s models looked like on the catwalk. (Love Stella, BTW.)
You know we have a new liquid liner/mascara duo called Lashionista Modelista. Both are full of growth-enhancing peptides and conditioner. And the shade After Dark has diamond dust in the liner (Modelista). You know I love a good diamond (I’m an Aries, after all).
We were insired by Bridget Bardot and did some playing on Friday to create the ultimate smokey eye look.
While After Dark is more black than bling, I wanted to bring out the sparkle of the diamonds and create a steel gray look worthy of Studio 54. Halston, not required.
Here’s the step by step:
My last post, I talked about how some of the negative remarks – not even on the products, but about me as a person – were hurtful and upsetting. I received so many beautiful comments that I am so thankful for – all full of support and appreciation.
And I have now fully, 1000000% let it all go.
No need to have that bring me down.
When I created Purple Lab, my first thought was all about women, to build a brand that could be aspirational and inspirational, to have fun, to laugh, to offer something with serious ingredients and a nice side of cheekiness, and most importantly, to empower.
The best thing about partnering with HSN – I’m living my dream.
The down side - other people have something to say about it and not always so nice.
I don’t think every product is for every person. And I don’t expect the entire planet to live and die for Purple Lab, though I do wish they would! But I never quite expected to see some of the comments that have been popping up on forums and on my AOL blog, Beauty Blab.
One person said I looked like a short, fat Farrah Fawcett in my jumpsuit.
Not a moment of rest since HSN went down. We’re in the midst of planning the next group of shows for the April, for which I’ll be bringing contest winner Jessica Harlow with me! (I’m meeting her this week – so excited!)
Plus, the manic manufacturing phase for Pearlesque Show has begun. Below, a comp of the design for the componentry.
Sharon and I are furiosly planning PR and marketing – desk sides with the major magazines, adding content to the site, starting to shoot how-to videos, and a special initiative for Pearlesque Show’s launch (cannot give deets yet – but it will be fierce).
You don’t understand. I NEVER stay up late. I don’t go out. I don’t drink. I don’t do coffee. I like to be in bed NO later than 11p.m. When I heard I’d have a 2a.m. slot on HSN, I immediately panicked. How would I make it?
Lots of sugar-free Red Bull (I know it’s poison, but I had no choice). Lots!
First of all, for the slot, I got decked in purple Proenza Schouler sequins and skinny Current/Elliot jeans. Six inch heels go without saying. Hair, kind of Farrah’d out for the night.
