15 December 2018

ALINAxCACTUS – the holiday capsule collection is here

I’m glad to share with you on the blog today the photos I took with Alex Matei and Cactus The Brand team for the new collection #ALINAxCACTUS. Press play, get in the holiday spirit and pick up Styling & Beauty tips along the way! Let’s celebrate.

#AcHolidaySeries

#AcHolidaySeries Styling Tip

Wear the navy costume with a pair of white leather shoes for a fresh styling. White is always part of the holiday landscape, but it’s often too little used. Maurice responded to a reader in the December issue of Elle magazine that a pair of white boots can make a winter outfit less ordinary. Of course, he was referring to a coat or a fur, and we’re talking about party outfits that can be adapted to an indoor set up. The white shoes from I.Am.Iza (a Romanian brand you need to follow) complete the mood and colors – pink, blue, dark green, silver – as if everything was taken out from a story.

#AcHolidaySeries Beauty Tip

These holidays leave your hair to rest, enjoy your natural texture. In order to achieve this, moisturize it well with an oil and always use heat protection before drying it. If your hair is very straight and you want to get volume and a little “move” get it in an up-do at the top of your head at night, at bedtime and use a spray with sea water or fixing agents. In the morning release the overnight arrangement and fix it with your fingers. For volume that lasts all day, forget about taping, try a volume powder that you just need to massage to the hair root to get a messy look.

#AcHolidaySeries Styling Tip

Always wear a matte black sock, 20 DEN on your party outfits. Black has an optical thinning effect on the foot against the nude jersey and takes all the outfit into a rock mood. I can not recommend a specific brand, the model I’m taking in the photos is from Wolford, Baneasa, but I also had good experiences with other brands – Calzedonia or Gatta.

#AcHolidaySeries Beauty Tip

#DollMeUp. The dusty blossom of the dress would have made me go to the classic nude lip approach – but that’s when I got out of the comfort zone and opted for an elongated cat eye in an electric blue hue. I’ve used Anastasiei Beverly Hills eye palette (nothing new about me) and two drops of the AMA Pigments miracle serum just to fix the entire look. If you don’t dare to do this for Christmas, then do it for New Year’s Eve. Glitter, wet lids, crazy colors, anything’s allowed.

It’s time to fight, for your right to paaaaartyyyy.

#AcHolidaySeries Styling Tip

This year dare to wear outfits that share the same color. All my holiday collection is inspired by the FW Wired Connecteurs micro trend that I developed in my trend book at Istituto Marangoni, following a palette of jewel-tones. One of my favorite looks in this collection is the one above, the velveteen green dress and fur in the same shade, over.

Photos by Alex Matei.

Don’t forget to watch my Instagram account @alinaceusan, where I’ve have prepared a set of mini-series of texts about the meaning of each picture in relation to #AcHolidaySeries, the hashtag we use year by year to mark the holidays. Happy Holidays babes, I’m waiting for your feedback with regards to the favorite piece of clothing from this the new collection. Also, keep your eyes on the blog and social media for the 10 days of giveaway.

You can shop the entire collection here.