craavef a s h i o n / b e a u t y / d e s t i n a t i o n / m u s i c / a r t / c u l t u r e

january, 2014

c o n t e n t s

1

pink: the new bold 2-3bambi 4-5james blake 6the xx 7alila villa, bali 8lake kirkpatrick, nz 9

2

3

Pink...thenewbold

Such a vibrant lip color can be pretty difficult to pull off, but if you’re bold enough to take the plunge, here are a few things to keep in mind...

• Keep it simple! With such a bright lip color, you’ll want to make sure you go easy on the eye makeup, especially if you’re planning on wearing this as a casual, daytime look.

• Though of course there is no “rule” saying you can’t wear bold lipstick during the daytime, if you’re having doubts, you may want to save this look for night, especially if you’ve gone with a brighter fuchsia shade.

• Wearing such a dramatic, in-your-face lip color isn’t something that everyone should attempt.Makesureyouhavetheconfidencetopullitoff,andifyou’renotcomfortablewearing it, don’t. There is no point to buying something just because it’s trendy if you feel absolutely ridiculous wearing it in public!

• If you’re looking to switch up your beauty routine and get out of your comfort zone (I don’t know about you guys, but I generally gravitate toward lipsticks that are all pretty similar), a hot pink shade is a great idea.

• Get your undertones right. When choosing a lipstick, you’ll want to select one with blue undertones if you have cooler skin, and if you have warm undertones, then you’re better suited for something more orange or red-based.

• Many people will tell you that fair-skinned folkcan’tpulloffbrightpinkshades,butthisobviously isn’t true (see Emma Stone above – flawless!).Ifyouwanttotrythislook,thentryit – you only live once! If it’s something that you want to wear and you like how it looks, don’t worry about whether or not someone else thinks it looks good on you.

• Manypeoplewilltellyouthatfair-skinnedfolkalways a good idea to actually try lipsticks before you buy them, since buying them blind is a bit of a gamble – you can never be 100% sure the color will suit you! So head to Priceline or a makeup counter and get testing.

m e e t b a m b i

Life, love and being a little bit feral: Bambi Northwood-Blyth smashes the model mould in her exclusive chat with Cosmo.How did you get your big break? “I was at a music festival and I’d just tried to get under a fence, so I had a huge scratch down my back, and that’s when I met [designer] Kirrily Johnston. She said she’d love me for a shoot, even though I looked like a feral. But I feel like that’s how I always look – minus the scratch, but a bit of a feral.”

You don’t look too shabby today! “Especially with these clothes from your new range. Tell us about it. B.BAM is like a cool girls’ gang, ’90s-range of clothing. The idea behind it is that it’s like sisters or friends hanging out, mixing and matching clothes.”

I hear your real-life little sister is part of the B.BAM gang.“Yeah,she’sflyinguptodoashoot with us. I’ve got a hotel room and I’m locking her, me and my friends in it. There’ll be no one from General Pants, no photographer – justusand300rollsofPolaroidfilmandheapsofdisposablecameras,andthenallthisfunstuff,like bubble guns, funny knicker underpants and confetti canons… And we’ll get room service, likepancakesandstuff.”

You’re engaged to fashion designer Dan Single. Did he have much say in your line? “I’d run things by him and ask what he thought, but Dan can be a bit fruity. Sometimes I look at his

collection and I’m like, ‘Yo, yours is more girlie than mine!’”

You were in the campaign shoot for Rihanna’s collaboration with River Island. What was thatlike? “Oh she’s amazing! She’s just, like,a chiller. She was all over the styling, like, ‘No no, no, I don’t want that s*** like that. It’s gotta be like this and this.’ I was just surprised how hands-on she was.”

What do you do for fun when you’re not busy working? “When I’m in a new place I like to bike around and discover new things, and I like to flickthroughmagazinesforinspiration.”

What’s your best beauty tip?“Always moisturise, cleanse and wear sunscreen on your face. Less is more. And do not touch your eyebrows! I used to wax mine when I was 15; it was not a good thing for me.”

What’s left on your life’s to-do list? “I want to make an eyebrow gel – one that’s not gluggy and doesn’t make it look like you’ve put hair gel in. Or, I’d really love to build a hotel in Sydney. I’d make a sick boutique hotel and have the penthouse. I love living in hotels!”

Do you live by a life motto?“‘To fall in love, there’s nothing else’, in the wise words of the

5

words by sam white

j a m e s b l a k e

words by lucy aberton

James Blake has been talking for less than four minutes, and he’s already described himself as “unbelievably happy” on two occasions.

So, what’s the difference between what you’ve learned about music in a technical sense, and what you’ve learned about music in an emotional sense? Well, I didn’t learn anything about music in an emotional sense by studying it. I learned that by feeling it, and by listening.

Tell me about your creative process. How do you approach songwriting? I will very often start with some chords or a vocal, and then construct around that. I’ll insulate that with some sort of chords that will harmonize it, and from there I take a step back to see what I’m really working with. Have I got something melodic? Can I expand on it before throwing a beat in there? Does it need a bassline? It all branches out from there.

Where do you do your best thinking or your best work? I normally do my best work when I’ve had a lot of time to kind of vegetate at home. When I’m not really in contact with anyone, that’s when I do my best work.

Lastly, on a more personal level, I’ve read that you sometimes feel that you come off a bit toow seriously at times, but that you’re actually a very outgoing person. If your energy were bottled, what drink would it be? I’m shit at this! [laughs] But truthfully, any seriousness that comes offininterviewsisreallyjustbecausemydelivery can be very dry. And also because for some reason people think that when they interview me, they have to ask these very high-brow questions, and then I’m stuck answering them in these serious terms. That’s where I end up sounding like a pompous twat!

6

t h e x x

words by jess goodwin

There are some critics who don’t know quite what to do with The xx. These writers can appreciate the quiet lure of soft-stepping, minimalist arrangements, the far-reaching appeal of unadorned lyrics. They know music intimately.

Tell me about the London apartment you guys recorded Coexist in. What drew you to working there? Have you visited it since? We don’t own it anymore, which is a bit sad. It’s based in the area where we alllive:aresidentialplaceaboutafiveor10minute walk away. It’s a space of our own. I think it was exactly what people expect of us – all the walls were soundproofed with black velvet and there were candles everywhere. It was very boudoir-ish ... We’d record (all day) and then I’d go to sleep there, wake up and record again. I managed to stay in the studio for four and a half days without leaving once.

The song writing process between you and Romy has been maturing over many years. Are you at the stage where it feels completely natural, or is there still a difficult element in sharing lyrics so simple, but personal? I never feel like IhavetowritetofitinwithRomy’smindframe. She never explains what she is

saying in her writing, but I think I have some pretty good ideas.

If you could spend a month somewhere, after all the touring, where would it be?RightnowIcoulddowithanothermonthinmyflat,makingitabitmoreofahome.

What would you be doing if you weren’t making music?Iwasworkinginacoffeeshop at a tennis club before we got signed. I hated it so much. I’m very grateful to be here; I’m not even sure where else I would be. I applied for Art College, but my portfolio was pretty appalling.

Who would play you in a movie and what would their catchphrase be? I would love Tom Hardy to play me – I think he is incredible … I’m not sure if I’ve got a catchphrase; I think it would just be a general silent nod. I’m not much of a talker.

7

8

• Set on limestone cliffs with full panoramicviewsofthewildIndianoceanwithaninfinitypool that really does look as though it would sweep you over the edge if you dared swim close enough, Alila is visually spectacular and every other detail to follow is just as wonderful.

• Alila is tucked away in what feels an eternity

from the village feel of Bali’s Uluwatu. This is a place where secrets are made and kept, where stars relax and remain hidden and where every guestisashighprofileasthenextaccordingthe the ridiculously attentive team.

• The very best thing about Alila isn’t the grand villas all set to face the clifftop, with theirown pool and huge king size bed, it’s not the complementary yoga class each morning from 9am (if you can manage to get up in time) or the sunset cabanna for cocktails that really do taste that much better than at home).

• The best thing about Alila is something that you don’t have to be a resident to experience: the Warong which is one of two resteraunt offerings for traditional Balinese food thatcannot be superseeded.

alila villa - uluwatu, baliPerfection lies in the places we least expect it. Set with infinity pools and outdoor decks, you literally feel like you’re on top of the world...

9

alila villa - uluwatu, bali lake kirkpatrick, new zealand

• ThereissomethingspecialaboutNewZealand.Before we left, we were sent a handwritten itinerary drafted by friends detailing the stores and streets they grew up on. We folded it and carried it pretty much everywhere, had it annotated by locals and Air New Zealandhosties.

• Everyone had their own something-specialthey wanted to share with us. In Auckland, that something was falling in love with the HotelDeBrettandcoffeewithKarenWalkerather Takapuna Department Store.

• InRotorua, itwasManukahoneyeverything,and the geothermal mud at Hell’s Gate that Helena Rubenstein wanted for her own butwas told it was “staying put”.

• AndinWellington,itwasthatfamiliarfeeling,like you knew which way the light falls and where to find the coffee that fits your handbest(CaffeL’affare).There,itjustmadesense:thefishstraightofftheboatatChaffersDock,hotchipswithtrufflemayoatTheLibraryBarand the white ceramic jugs at Martin Bosley’s restaurantwith‘NewZealand’etchedingoldtrim.

Peace is what awaits you at such a beautiful place like Lake Kirkpatrick. The glassy reflection is nothing but a setting for relaxation...