Modaface and other makeup iPhone apps


Amsterdam, The netherlands -- I have recently been experimenting and looking into women focused apps of which there are not many. The modaface apps, although the best I have tried for putting on makeup, was difficult to use and after several times trying. I can not say that it is something I would use on a regular basis. However, not because they don't build great apps, as I said, they were the best I tried so far, but because I don't think the augmented reality is yet there from a technical point of view.

For example, the base (foundation) that made my skin look better, was a lighter color than I could ever wear in real life, however from a photoshop perspective it made me look better in the photo. Also, there was no concealer to hit my spots (yes too many dairy products and Beijing pollution). However, in the make up app and the beauty app were nice to use for the eye shadow trials. This was the best feature of the app and the blush. The eyeliner was a disaster and the mascara did not match up very well. I thought the positioning poi's worked best, because with the makeup app by modaface, I had to hold my iPad too close and at a downward angle to have my eyes line up in the eye circles. Also, the most impressionable eye makeup was the darker colors. What made it interesting was to see WHERE to place the makeup colors. This was really the point that gave me value that could teach me how to do it on my own.

The hair trials were a total disaster as you can see because they kept the face shape of the superstar (and I question if they have permission to use those superstar photos) and of course there was no short red hair or long for me!

Overall I think virtual makeup and clothes have a long way to go, but for sure modaface is the best app I've seen so far keep my attention.

Modaface and other makeup iPhone apps

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Look #1 of the Outlet App by Net-a-Porter


As we lean into 2012, with savings on our minds, I turn my thoughts more and more into the Chinese way of sharing and making money circulate, I see more and more places where brands could reward their fans with points through promoting the products that they love and stand behind to others who can use them. In China, affiliate word of mouth promotion is a great business model that keeps the money circulating. As my company business manager said to me, "I don't mind to make a little money but from many sources." The same principal was presented to me by my social media partner regarding blogging in China, when he said, "We have an automated tool that spits out a lot of blog posts across many blogs returning a few clicks from every page."

My plan for 2012 is to focus on affiliate fees as I have seen this working very well in China on sites like Douban. It is my recommendation to Sina Weibo and RenRen to charge a small percentage on each transactions for ecommerce but let the setup integration be seemless and free for verified users to connect their online stores to their Weibo (Chinese twitter) accounts. I suggest Twitter to copy cat China with photo montage and ecommerce, along with allowing me to become voluntarily verified.

I plan to bring greater connectivity between content and ecommerce and help influence marketing flourish in the growing age of the economics of free that we are moving into in 2012. I am preparing a manifesto on what needs to be done for women in tech.

Yes, it's happening again, I'm testing another Net-a-porte app. This one is cool too if it can be posted to my blog and have the items be connected to the real items and I could earn an affiliate fee as a promoter.

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I’ve been Karlified in 2011




I've been Karlified. I admit it, after meeting with the digital girls from Net-a-Porter in London, I have to admit I was curious enough on my iPad to try out the Karl app. On the second day of Christmas I donned my shades and put on a Chrisp Karl shirt to wish you a Happy Holiday season.

Karl by Karl Lagerfeld is available exclusively at NET-A-PORTER.COM from January 25. Prepare for the release by Karlifying yourself.

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Girls in TechCrunch


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Beijing, China - TechCrunch Disrupt Beijing Event - Women in Tech Coverage
I recently had the pleasure of being invited to the TechCrunch Beijing event on October 31-November 1st. It was quite epic as the French decided to participate in their favorite pastime and strike at the airport. I waited a lovely 8 hours until my flight, having woken up at 5am with no alert that there was a strike. I arrived half way through with a big luggage to the event. Trying to hide it behind the reception, I quickly made my way into the hall to listen to the presentations half asleep.

I quickly woke up as I saw a stunningly beautiful woman on the stage interviewing one of the speakers named Sarah Lacy. Confident, savvy, and with a dark red lipstick with long hair, she announced that she had just had a baby and had none the less left her family to attend to the TechCrunch Disrupt event.

During the break, I went to say "Hi" to some of the speakers and as I was over in the press section I started to see other beautiful, savvy, women walking around with clipboards and official TechCrunch badges. I approached one of them only to find she was not at all fierce and intimidating but rather lovely, kind, and helpful. As I thanked her for their invitation, I also mentioned how excited I was to have so many fashion focused topics to write about for 360Fashion Network's tech section. It was a surprize as 360Fashion Network has been so long the lone duck in that sector. She smiled at me and said that I should talk to another beautiful, sexy, woman typing furriously at her laptop who manned the fashion news on TechCrunch.

My head started spinning, asking what was going on here--there seemed to be no men heading up the TechCrunch Beijing event--I was finally surrounded by beautiful, smart, techy women! So hats off to Mr. Arrington, who as baggy-eyed as he is from lack of sleep, bad diet, and surely the attacks he's gotten recently from the industry, for hiring such accomplished, successful, beautiful, smart, women to man up his portal and work within his organization. For this, he's done an great job--I can even find it in my heart to forgive him for calling me a clown on TechCrunch reviewing my Anina Dress Up Game and insulting my CMO for wearing an above the knee skirt (Go Arrington for painting a positive image for women and supporting them in such a crude way--sarcasm). So how does it come that he has had such a change of perspective, a revelation to hire so many wiked girls?

I'm really happy not to be alone and wish those beautiful women to come again soon to Beijing and meet the fantastic techy Chinese CEO's and entrepreneurs over here. I hope they will also be at Le Web this year to meet again. Thank you also for having so much great food for our tech portal with all the fashion focused start-ups! Bravo! Keep going!

Read the reviews of the event here.

Posted in 360fashion, blogging, CHINA, tech news, Web/Tech | Comments Off

Girls in TechCrunch


011120111016_1

Beijing, China - TechCrunch Disrupt Beijing Event - Women in Tech Coverage
I recently had the pleasure of being invited to the TechCrunch Beijing event on October 31-November 1st. It was quite epic as the French decided to participate in their favorite pastime and strike at the airport. I waited a lovely 8 hours until my flight, having woken up at 5am with no alert that there was a strike. I arrived half way through with a big luggage to the event. Trying to hide it behind the reception, I quickly made my way into the hall to listen to the presentations half asleep.

I quickly woke up as I saw a stunningly beautiful woman on the stage interviewing one of the speakers named Sarah Lacy. Confident, savvy, and with a dark red lipstick with long hair, she announced that she had just had a baby and had none the less left her family to attend to the TechCrunch Disrupt event.

During the break, I went to say "Hi" to some of the speakers and as I was over in the press section I started to see other beautiful, savvy, women walking around with clipboards and official TechCrunch badges. I approached one of them only to find she was not at all fierce and intimidating but rather lovely, kind, and helpful. As I thanked her for their invitation, I also mentioned how excited I was to have so many fashion focused topics to write about for 360Fashion Network's tech section. It was a surprize as 360Fashion Network has been so long the lone duck in that sector. She smiled at me and said that I should talk to another beautiful, sexy, woman typing furriously at her laptop who manned the fashion news on TechCrunch.

My head started spinning, asking what was going on here--there seemed to be no men heading up the TechCrunch Beijing event--I was finally surrounded by beautiful, smart, techy women! So hats off to Mr. Arrington, who as baggy-eyed as he is from lack of sleep, bad diet, and surely the attacks he's gotten recently from the industry, for hiring such accomplished, successful, beautiful, smart, women to man up his portal and work within his organization. For this, he's done an great job--I can even find it in my heart to forgive him for calling me a clown on TechCrunch reviewing my Anina Dress Up Game and insulting my CMO for wearing an above the knee skirt (Go Arrington for painting a positive image for women and supporting them in such a crude way--sarcasm). So how does it come that he has had such a change of perspective, a revelation to hire so many wiked girls?

I'm really happy not to be alone and wish those beautiful women to come again soon to Beijing and meet the fantastic techy Chinese CEO's and entrepreneurs over here. I hope they will also be at Le Web this year to meet again. Thank you also for having so much great food for our tech portal with all the fashion focused start-ups! Bravo! Keep going!

Read the reviews of the event here.

Posted in 360fashion, blogging, CHINA, tech news, Web/Tech | Comments Off

Le Web Dec. 7-9th, 2011 SoLoMo Theme


Screen shot 2011-11-12 at 12.03.25 PM

This year has already proven to be a big year in Fashion and Technology, with all the young women pitchers at 500 Startups this year, TechCrunch Beijing featuring fashion apps and companies, I am excited to see what Le Web will present this year for fashion, women, and technology services. Not to be missed, get your ticket now.

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Le Web Dec. 7-9th, 2011 SoLoMo Theme


Screen shot 2011-11-12 at 12.03.25 PM

This year has already proven to be a big year in Fashion and Technology, with all the young women pitchers at 500 Startups this year, TechCrunch Beijing featuring fashion apps and companies, I am excited to see what Le Web will present this year for fashion, women, and technology services. Not to be missed, get your ticket now.

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A Model’s Plight: Chasing Down Tearsheets


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Getting new photos in a models' book is one of the most important things to the career and evolution of the fashion model. The book is like a CV, showing all the work experience and "level" of the model. Clients looking at the model's book can understand if this model is a working model, if she/he has enough experience to handle the job, and of course, what they look like on camera. 

Many times models travel to a country and stay for 3 months, and then return to their hometown or move on to another market, leaving their past agents to collect any photos/tearsheets that they maybe have done, but had not published during their time in that country. This can often be a nightmare as agents have a new batch of girls coming into the country and have already forgotten about the last model. As their business is on turnover, they are not concerned with "the last batch", unlike in markets such as Europe, where the models may return periodically, Asian markets often have the models leaving and not returning again. So the question is, how does the model manage to collect their tearsheets?

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First, as a model, try to get as much information about the client, the name of the client, or photostudio as possible. We all know it's not professional to take the contact information of the client, photographer, etc and may make your agent mad if you do so--they may think that you will work with them directly. However, in markets such as Asia, I would recommend most definitly to get the telephone number/email of the assistant, photographer, or the photostudio, and then if your agent doesn't follow up, I most certainly contact them. For example, I have been chasing these photos here for 6 months because I knew the shooting was so successful and great photos. Asking my agent repeatedly, he got no results for whatever reason. I finally asked him to give me the contact of the client so that I could try. The client finally gave me 3 photos from the shooting for my book.

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Persistance. The only way is to keep asking your agent. Keep it in their mind--they have so many girls to take care of you will need to send them a reminder. If this is not successful, then go for the client and write them a sweet note thanking them for the job and asking if you could receive any beautiful photos from the shooting. If they were to ever ask you to work with them directly, you can simply refer them back to your agent for any job booking. This way you avoid any conflicts and return the client to your agent for work matters and you still get the photos for your book.

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Models Should Support Young Designers


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(Models viewing the ESMOD Beijing Mobile Event Guide sponsored by 360Fashion at the Fitting)


Many times in my career when I started, I worked for free for this exhibition of that upcoming designer, or this editorial for that big photographer. As I progressed in my career I had less time due to bookings, and passed through a period where I was no longer doing free things for anything, that's called the money making period: when you are hot, you have to grab it all. Then you come to the top of the piramid and you are financially stable, with your clients, and booking less but for more money. This is the stage where it's time to start your next life projects and thinking, and to give back. Never forget the exposure that xyz designer/event/magazine/photographer gave to you when you started, and now it's time to lend your name to support with attention, contacts, and notoriety the next generation.

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I know some models just want to go to they gym or laze around in the sunshine (never!) all day dreaming lazy dreams of beauty, but it is in these moment that I promise you we are actually thinking, planning, diving deep into the soul to know what we are to be doing. 

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So it is with great pleasure and honor that I participated in the ESMOD Beijing graduate class of 2011 fashion show. Let me tell you! The quality of the designs were stunning. I have a few pieces that I would love to buy and I like all my outfits (of course since I"m the princiapal model I got my pick). The whole fitting was so super professional and many of my model friends from the New Silk Road Modelling School greeted me with "Anina!!!" and we instantly hugged (even though we cant really talk to eachother there's that model-bond). Sitting on my friend's lap I show her my photos I'd been snapping during the fitting of her and the other models. We laugh and she QQ Weibo's me and another girl Sina Weibo's me (there are so many social networks in China). I still cant write in Chinese....at least they can read my English.

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It's fun the imagination of the graduating class's imagination. Some highlights to entice you to stay tuned. You can see the article written, but it's in Chinese. The fashion show was covered by the whole Chinese media as ESMOD is a very prestegious school from France. 360Fashion are the proud sponsor, with the ESMOD EVENT GUIDE MobileMags fashion app you can download from the gallery and check out all the designers directly in your mobile phone!

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CREATE & INSPIRE at Lane Crawford Beijing


Attending events is an important part of modelling--being seen and seeing who's who. Yesterday in Beijing there was a big event for the launch of the new Bazaar ART magazine and everyone was there. Lane Crawford events are like going to a fashion, luxury Disney Land, where everything you want to dream up is possible. Even if you are not booked for the fashion shows it's great to find out what parties and events are happening because people from all over the country attend and you never know what interesting people you are going to meet. Open your mind, put on your heels, and have a reason to dress up! Don't stay too late otherwise you can't get up for your castings the next day, but do stick around to make some new friends. If you don't know who to talk to, just pick out the most fashionable bright people in the crowd and pay them a compliment on their outfit--ask them who is the designer, what they do, and how they like the event. You'll be snapping photos and making friends in no time!

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