Guerlain

Guerlain is a funny one. The brand is as readily available as Lancome and seems to be featured quite regularly in fashion mags and blogs, but I have never felt any sort of affinity with the brand. I'm sure I have mentioned this before, as I have blogged about their 'cult' product Meteorites. Again, a product that has been recommended to me by family, friends and just about every beasuty journalist in town, however I still never bother to seek it out.

Why? Perhaps its because of the companies perfumery back ground; or perhaps because they are so successful in France they never really bother with decent campaigns in the UK. Perhaps this is all set to change with their Garden of Eden inspired latest collection... I promise to check it out and report back.

Boho Beauty

Ok, its cute, but is it really that practical and neccessary?[as my Mother would always say when I brought back yet another strappy black clubbing top aged 18...] This is how I feel about Chanel's new bohemian lip palette [part of their Spring/ Summer 09 beauty collection].

It's elegantly packaged, but to keep it that neat you would have to clean it with a Q Tip after every use.

The palette coontains 5 different colours [I don't know if these are existing shades or new for the line...] but they look like a nice mix and contain a very intriguing [to me] beige gloss shade that looks yummy. Shame it would end up all over the lovely black packaging as opposed to on my lips.

Chanel Bohemian Fantasy Lip Palette £30

New Season Lovelies

It's the time of year when the Christmas sales crap is finally finally being packed off the shelves and the hints of colour and new trends are being brought into our stores. Not that I can afford to shop, but its nice to see some bright and fresh looks in London. And on the web! net-a-porter [I haven't gushed about Net for ages, so no eye rolling please...] have brought in some right little beauties for my window shopping pleasure!! Above are my wish list pieces. Especially keeping a close on Preen from now on after their fabulous AW08/09 collection which was one of my favourites. Love the print, love the diaphonous volume and love the sheerness. Preen's S&M lace up dress is also gorgeous in a dramatic, unique way. I have never seen a front like it and I love love love! Not suprised it's already sold out on the site!

Also, how fabulous is the Philip Lim necklace? I love the tribal influences and victoriana-edge.

Loving the chiffon scarf by missoni, but really that is a silly price for a scarf that you are highly likely to leave on the tube. Reminds me of Monet's waterlilies.

TIBI's Maleka minidress is super hot too. And at £230, I would call it a bit of a snip too. When does monochrome and minis ever really go out of fashion? Also would look great come rain or shine! I also have shoes from All Saints that look exactly the same as the ones in the pic!

Preen Marina Printed Dress £790 Preen Cordula Lace-up Dress £600 3.1 Philip Lim Necklace £280 Missoni Chiffon Print Scarf £287
TIBI Maleka Minidress £230

I Just DONT GET IT

Harem pants... enough to give me [and quite possibly 99% of straight guys...] the recoiling shivers. I just don't understand how if they look that fugly [Yes, I said fugly, get over it...] on the hanger, how will they possibly look good on you?!

I'm sure my darling Michelle would argue me into the ground about how they can look good but she's a size 6, so she could wear a nappy and still look hot. Anyway, all the designers in the world [or so it seems] are determined to make Harem pants happen. I'm sitting in quiet protest in the road on this one, though, as I don't want a saggy crotch and flabby love handles, which these things seem to be heralding. Even if they are Alexander Wang.

Alexander Wang Silk Harem Pants £305

Patent Pending...

I spend a lot of time walking through the big, dominating cast iron front doors of Selfridges, past all the fragrances and into the beauty hall. After spending some time at the counter I will usually leave be passing through the fragrances, turning left, and heading towards the bag section. Wow.. 'bag section' sounds horrible... luxury accessory department. Thats better :)

Annnnywaaay, on Wednesday I passed, as usual, the Pierre Hardy *sigh* canvas bags and then lo! What is this I see?! Alexander McQueen patent bag? The 'Elvie' is his Spring summer extravaganza bag - expect to see swinging from the shoulders of fashionistas everywhere [I wish me too of course]. Just when I thought I was over patent....

Alexander McQueen Elvie £974

So Flossy, Flossy!

This ol' frizzy, fuzzy, backcombed candyfloss hair is here to stay, isn't it? First seen about two seasons ago in the couture shows it eventually filtered down to the RTW shows and even a few fashion forward high street stores were using the look in their campaigns. However, it seems to have risen back up to couture level - check out Dior's show, above.

How long until we are all wearing this look? Cheryl Cole rocked the look on a few episodes of X Factor using the trusty old crimpers and I've seen a couple of beauty girls in Selfridges having a go, too. It looks cool if worn with the right outfit and with the right amount of swagger ;)

I might have a go for a London Fashion Week party I'm due to attend... I'm gonna be using bucket loads of Redken Guts 10 to achieve a ridiculous amount of volume and pizazz.

Redken Guts 10 £11.65

In MY Opinion, Anyway....

So who does have rockin' hair, in my opinion? Well I have never been a fan of structured hair [with the exception of Rihanna right now...] probably because I like to wear quite structured clothes and make-up and thus prefer to have a softer look when it comes to my hair. If it was my choice I would have Giselle or Alessandra Ambrosia style latina tumbling waves everyday!

Hair depends on face shape, colouring etc and so that outlines my choices above.

Is any one else of the impression that Eva Longoria should never have had her gorgeous locks lopped off?! I don't see how she has that strong a face to pull of a sharp bob. Even when it is curled [as above] it looks pretty wrong.

Jessica Biel also fell into the trap of 'going blonder makes you hotter' old wives tale... she is a latino looking lass... and blonde should be done only in carefully measured highlights, not with a peroxide bottle! Check out the pic of her in the 'Soft and Romantic' bit against the 'Oh dear...' bit to understand what I mean!!

I've also noticed a bit of a pattern... pretty much every single Victoria's Secret model is featured on this list!!! hmmm... guess I like bed head hair ;)

She Bangs

Forget getting fat/thin, becoming a 'muse', flashing 'private parts', hanging out with Paris[ite] Hilton or being pictured getting smashed/taking drugs it seems the latest why to grab some headlines for yourself is getting a fringe cut. A lot safer than some of the above points, but not always a wise decision. See Jessica Alba and Keira Knightley, above.

I have never been a fan of the full on fringe; probably because at 16 I got myself one and spent the next six months furiously growing it out. Why? Aside from the half an hour every day you spend trying to get it to look right [hairdressers make it look sooo effortless!] but a touch of humidity in the air and you look like a candy floss, a touch of rain and you get a stupid cow lick and overuse of hair straighteners and it sticks out straight in front of you and refuses to change that shape unless you wash it again. Plus, I don't think it looks paticularly nice with long hair like our dear little celebs Jess and Keira.

Luckily, I think Jessica agrees with me because the photo of her grown out fringe is so much more natural and flattering.

Couture Torture

Even though the world [apart from China, it seems...] are in the torturous grip of a recession, the couture shows were out in force and bigger, brighter and more luxe than ever.

To me, couture clothes tend to go from borderline ridiculous to absolutely frickin' insane, so I tend to look for hair and make-up trends that will eventually filter down to high street looks so I can keep ahead of the so-called fash-pack. That said, I can still see the above gold-lame number being toned down and worn by a starlet at the Oscars.

Anyway, I'm loving Christian Lacroix's hair styles here. Part chinese dynasty [hmmmm.... anything to do with the aforementioned anti-recession issue?!] part colourful troupe dancer, the coloured, glossy locks were dramatic yet suprisngly elegant.

www.girlmeetsdress.com

ohmygodohmygodwow. Ok, slight overeaction, but funny how I should see this website the day I realise I have nothing to wear for a 'big do'. I'm going to have to start going out a bit more once I move to Vauxhall [this weekend - yay!] so I can see whats going on and whats hot and whats not and just generally have a good time.

I have had the biggest sausage casserole in the world for tea tonight and am so bloated I can hardly move, let alone picture myself wearing one of these babys, but what a brilliant concept for a site. Borrowing a fab dress [that if you bought you would only wear about 3 times any way...] and then returning it after your done and starting all over again! Prices seem to range from about £30 for two nights and go up from there, which could be deemed expensive, but for big events, I think its worth it. Plus you get to wear all the hottest dresses and feel a million dollars without actually spending that amount. So yes, its worth it.

From a marketing point of view, the London Lite feature was fab [got me blogging didnt it?!] but the website could do with some work. I'm thinking more Net-a-Porter less ASOS [sorry 'chelle...] and some of the dresses I wouldn't, frankly, be seen dead in. They have a niche, now they have to go for it and not try and satisfy all tastes by being boring, but pinpoint a target consumer with a more focused collection. I would suggest going for the fashion student/20s/30s woman who wants to work different looks [such as sculptural/tailored/unique cuts/ unexpected colours...] looks with out actually buying something into it. It all looks a bit safe right now.

So where to wear the above? Flat Racing season [sad, I know] will soon be upon us and I will have time to whittle my waist down to a perfect size 10 by that point and I have my eye on the above ones for Ladies Day! Elle style awards party in a couple of weeks [hint hint to the boss...] and I'm sure more fun and fabulous events to follow, so I'll keep you updated!

PPQ Deline Dress [black halter and printed skirt] £46 for 2 nights

Philip Lim 3.1 [Purple wool dress] £107 for 2 nights

Counter Looks

Above is a compilation of looks I have been wearing on counter for Illamasqua over the past month. I'm loving the coloured eyebrows look!! The top left pic is my new hair colour and so you can compare it to the older pics with the duller colour hair [and split ends!!]

Recession is just Depressin'!

With the UK officially in a recession, now more than ever its time to cut back and start saving. Or so we are told. I, for one, will continue to buy things that make me feel good until they literally have to chop my fingers up to stop me from entering my pin. I will, however, perhaps start to be pickier and save where I have been previously splurging.

Hair

OK, I love my hair products, I'll admit it. But I think I have enough to last for a little while, and I have just discovered Sally Hair and Beauty on Shaftesbury Av. which sells huge bottles of products for wholesale prices. I am still using my Aveda Shampure [which never seems to run out!Yay!] and Umberto Giannini hair mask, which I am really really liking and will use Aussie instead of Kerastese and Redken although I am dying to try Philip Kingsley Elasticizer which must have the PR machine in top gear because I can't seem to stop reading about it! Will save it for birthday.

Body

I bought a Fake Bake the other day for £25. Not a good start, I know, but I will only apply once a fortnight instead of once a week so it lasts longer. Will also exfoliate with Wilkinson-bought exfoliating gloves as opposed to actual body scrub and use Boots Botanics body oil [which costs less than a fiver] as my after-shower body treat. When I can be bothered. Also stopped using Venus razors and using disposables, which seem to do a similar job, although its not so kind on the environment. Can't win 'em all.

Skincare

The one place I will not cut back on, but have recently updated with REN moisturiser and Elemental Herbology cleanser, so will hopefully not have to worry about this sector for a while. Also liking Simple Facial Scrub which costs about £3.99 so that's nice and cheap, too. Face masks are running down though and I've heard good things about Nude's Miracle Mask at a wallet busting £37.19 so will need to work out a way of justifying that.

Make up

Oh, please, I work for Illamasqua so no problems there!! Only allowing myself to buy two new products a month from any other brand.

Sorted!

Leak!! Scarlett for D&G Cosmetics!

I assume that the lipstick in the corner is the packaging. Looks very Elizabeth Arden to me. Hope its more exciting than that! Nice photo of Scarlett, though hardly groundbreaking.

Either Way, Lancome wins

Interesting post from The Beauty Counter blog at http://www.style.com/. Both Kate Winslet and Anne Hathaway, favourites for the Best Actress Oscar this year, have contracts with Lancome. Anne is the face of 'Magnifique' [very average perfume...] and Kate is the face of 'Tresor' [a bit better than Magnifique but not as nice as Hypnose...].

Previous winners of the Oscar include Nicole Kidman [Chanel], Charlize Theron [Dior], Hilary Swank [Guerlain] and Reese Witherspoon [Avon]. Interesting point. Halle Berry is the face of Revlon, but never been associated with a perfume. I can only assume [and hope] that this is because she is under some sort of contract with Revlon and thus couldn't be the face of a rivals perfume and not because she is of ethnic origin. When looking at all the big brands, only Beyonce has a deal as a perfume spokesperson and technichally she is mixed race anyway.

Interesting...

Review: JLT Hairdressers, Eastcastle Street.

JLT is a really funky looking salon and looked very busy on the Thursday evening of my appointment [it had been dead when I initially booked...]

I was quickly offered a seat and a drink, even though I was half an hour early and Ben my hairdresser was quick to welcome me. One of the assistants asked me if I wanted a drink. Thanks to urbanpath.com, I already knew that they offered wine, so I asked the girl to tell me what they had available: orange juice....water...tea....coffee...wine "STOP! Yes I'll have one of those, thanks..." They were quick to refill and the wine was very nice and cold.

Ben set about picking up the red hair colours and mixing them, which was partly nice to see because he had obviously remembered what we had discussed the previous week and was partly embarassing for me because I had changed my mind! Back to the blonde, I said! I'm not quite ready to let it go yet....

So he set off to work examining my hair texture, colour and natural tendency to frizz and curl, and explained how he would incorporate the natural curl into the colour. So far, so good. Plus the wine was kicking in after a hectic day boxing up to move offices at work, which was good. Ben is a really lovely chap and we go on well. He was very attentive and the whole place was very professional. He used three different colours and used a variety of techniques for putting them in [although he didn't freestyle paint onto individual curls like we had discussed. One thing that's annoying about talking to a hairdresser when they are working is they 'forget' certain things...] I also discovered he has worked for some top, top hairdressers and cut Jude Law and Leo di Caprios hair amongst others! I also love how hispassion comes through; he dances around you with the scissors and colours and is so artistic so I love him for that!

Had my hair washed by an assistant who was very good, but spent half the time compalining to another assistant that was due home, so she left in the tratement and got someone else to wash it out which was a bit unprofessional I thought, considering how much I was paying. The second assistant was dreadful, I had to ask her to rinse it out more as I could still feel the conditioner on my head and I got a 30second, limp head massage which I was annoyed about considering I had read that JLT give good massages as part of their customer service, and I really could have done with one! Ben then spent about twenty minutes cutting my hair, which in all honesty is the best cut I've ever had, looking back. After the blowdry, though, I was a little disappointed in the colour. It had obviously birghtenend up my hair, but not in a paticularly notciable way. As I was there quite late, I was asked to pay before he had finished and the total was a shocking £167. Luckily I had the 20% off colour voucher, but it still came to £137 and Im not sure if it was 100% worth it, because of the colour.

It's been a few days now and whilst I have to admit it looks a lot healthier and brighter, it's not overly different to what it was and looks almost one colour as opposed to three. I might even go back and ask him to put in a few lighter tones as that was a lot of money to pay for colour that isn't overly there . However, Ben is a lovely chap and other than the hair wash the whole expereience was very satisfying.

An Unfortunate Incident...

Stella time! I love Sundays [and yes I am aware that I bang on about that every Sunday...] so I can stay in my pyjamas all day and lounge about and do what I feel like. Slightly different format today after arriving back late from last nights shenanigans, so when I got back I got straight in to the PJs to catch up on lost time! However just as I was sitting down on the sofa to read, I heard [and felt] a huge split up the back of my bottoms! Ahhhhh my lovely penguin bottoms are now baring my ass to the world! I was unfortunately not wearing paticularly nice underwear and my little cousin made a big song and dance about my "smelly old granny pants".

Point taken.

I have now decided it is time to update the ol' underwear draw. Last time I did that was about a year ago, apart from the odd set of 'cute' knickers from Miss Selfridges that fall apart after two washes.

My most lust-have brands? Sexypantiesandnaughtyknickers.com have some fresh, fun pieces, for un-Myla like prices [definitely a good thing!] For sensual [and a beautiful website...] I'm loving Vannina Vesperini and Damaris is playful but very, very sexy. I especially love their 'spherical' range; a funky take on polka dot. I am really feeling the waist corset! All made out of silk chiffon for the ultimate in luxury, too.

However, the award for oh-my-god-i'd-sell-a-kidney-for-that-collection goes to Kiki de Montparnasse. The website indicates three categories; Loungewear, Lingerie and Boudoir. So far, so intriguing.

My favourite piece from the loungewear section is the 'Caftan de nuit' with its delicate layers of chiffon and seductive drapery. The lingerie section is crammed with classic pieces; the 'muse corselette bra' is really lovely and the 'Ingenue' range goes to show that pure lace does not have to look slutty and/ or cheap [which it certainly isn't at $200+!] The Boudoir section is disappointing though. It doesn't seem to fit in with the ethos of the brand thus far, and with items such as leggings and boyfriend shirts, I feel it is a bit unneccessary. Kiki is kinky, though, and they also sell other, er, 'personal' items for behind closed doors ;) check out the website if I have stirred some interest in you!

http://www.kikidm.com/

Kiki de Montparnasse

Caftan de Nuit $550

Muse Corselette Bra $260

Muse Demilune Thong $150

Ingenue Soft Bra $195

Ingenue Boy Short $250

Damaris

Dahlia Bra £73.50

Dahlia knicker £77

Spherical range from £57.40

Vannina Vesperini balconette bra £89

sexy panties and naughty knickers:

Flirt underwired bra £42

Flirt brief £21

Grace knicker £26

Stila Is ill-a

Tragic post name, sorry I'm pretty tired! Stila are having problems. All the staff at Selfridges have been told they only have a week left to work and so Stila is reverting back to its American roots and will still sell there.

Personally, I have never been a huge fan of Stila. There was Lipglazegate about a year ago where I bought a product from Stila and then complained about it and never heard anything back, which is poor and shabby customer service.

The convertible colours are nice, but are basically a cream blusher with a fancy name. The concealers are poor, the mascara is clumpy [I tried Mega Lashes today and wasnt overly impressed...] and the website is poor. Also, they use animal hair in their brushes which [unfortunately, because they are very good quality brushes] goes against my ethos! The website is rubbish too. They say in the 'About Us' section say:

"created by a top make up artist..." without actually saying who this artist is. Whats the point of that?! If you've got a good name behind you, bloomin' advertise it! Pat McGrath at D&G cosmetics, Alex Box with us at Illamasqua, Bobbi Brown etc... I think Stila were telling porkies.

Oh well, C'e la vie Stila.

Dilemmas

Aaahhh I don't know what to do. There are several things I want to do but not sure which is best...

1. didn't get a lot of sleep last night so just go to bed and recuperate

2. Watch Burnley vs Tottenham. Tottenham were 4-1 up in Carling cup after first leg and some how some how Burnley are turning the tables. Its extra time and then the possibility of penalties and that will take aaaageeesss. Bloody good match though.

3. Update my blog. Which is technically what I'm doing now. So I guess no.3 won!

Through The Mugler Glass...

Miroir Miroir!

Dare the Metamorphises is a new colour collection line from Thierry Mugler. Not sure where this is launching and what the packaging etc will be like, but I will be reporting on it as and when I know! The focus I wanted to discuss was the perfumes. There are five, all under the Miroir Miroir title.

Three of the five are floral scents, comprising of:

A Travers le Miroir/ Through the Looking Glass [fabulous name!] an aromatic, quite masculine floral scent with notes of tuberose.
Dis-moi Miroir/ Mirror Image - More of an intense floral scent with lily and feminine orange blossom notes.
Miroir des Envies/ Mirror of desires - described as a 'an addictive floral' by head nose Christine Nagel with jasmine oils.

Miroir des Vanities/ Mirror of Vanity - is an aromatic woody, spicy scent with liquorice and vetiver and finally
Miroir des Secrets/ Mirror of secrets - described as a 'bittersweet aldehydic' by the perfumer Domitille Bertier with notes of patchouli and musk.

So, there you have it, the collection to end collections. Each scent was assigned its own 'nose' to create a powerful, juxtaposing collection. The art-deco like bottle is stunning, I must say. I love the internel spike in the bottle, sophisticated and minimalist as its most beautiful. I would like Through The Looking Glass, as I like the name and think it will look lovely next to my Prada!

Thierry Mugler Miroir Miroir scents from £59 for 30ml

What Makes MAC Purr?

Hello Kitty and MAC have joined forces to add yet another mattel-esque collection to the brand. MAC appeals to those who love to play with makeup [and play with kittens!] so the collobaration makes sense on that level. Plus, with the chinese and japanese economies booming when everyone else is in talks of a recession, why not add one of the most popular brands to the beauty market? I'm sure it will sell like hot cakes over there.

According to press reports, there will be two lines: Hello Kitty Colour Collection and Hello Kitty Kouture. This is obviously a technique to aim at a younger end of the make up market, as Dame Edna and the recent collaboration with golden oldies such as Raquel Welch may have alienated [albeit briefly...] the younger consumer.

Launches in the UK in March.

Blonde or Red? That is the question

I have been pondering going red ever since I picked up the latest copy of the Toni and Guy magazine a few months ago. There is a stunning picture of a girl with a similar pale [boohoo] complexion to mine and with green eyes with gorgeous, silky copper/rust coloured hair that I'm kind of craving. I am still liking my hair at the moment though, as the highlights and all over semi have grown out quite drastically but have a sort of giselle-like lived in quality right now. It looks kinda cool and is of course low maintenance.

I have been looking at good , reputable salon and urbancity.com has been sooo helpful in finding sufficient reviews.

I was walking down Greater titchfield St on Monday, cursing the stupid bus that wasnt taking me to Soho but up to Oxford Circus instead, when I happened upon JLT on Eastcastle street. A huge, imposing-but-in-a-good-way salon that was light, spacious and pretty funky. I had to have a little gander. I went in and the colourist offered me a consultation. I liked what he was saying, he had some great ideas in terms of techniques and the colours he showed me looked good. Probably the best consultation I have expeirenced, so I booked in right away. £165 in total for cut and colour. ouuuuuuchhhh. So I thought twice, and went to Toni and Guy today for a similar consultation. Not so thought provoking, pretty standard consultation but the cost would be £120. A significant difference, really, but same old same old T&G.

After looking at reviews on the above website, I saw a discount voucher for JLT. Must be a sign! 20% off for first colour clients. So that takes the price down to the T&G level and after reading the reviews of the place [40+ reviews with an average rating of 4.5 stars out of 5] I have decided to go ahead with the booking.

I have alsol decided to keep red on hold until September when:
a. Its my birthday, so its nice to have a change
b. Itll be approaching winter and red is more of a autumnal colour.

Check back here on Saturday for my follow up report, unless of course I'm either:
a. Showing off my flowing locks in town
b. Hiding on the duvet eating copious amounts of Ben and Jerrys because I look so hideous.

Laughter Line

Space.NK [I will shut up about it when they start going dodgy products which is highly unlikely, so get over it...] has scored brownie points with me yet again. They sell their own brand products in store, but never being one for own brand [ASDA's own brand sausages anyone?Eurgh thought not] products, I have never tried them before. However, give me some spanking new packaging and a beautiful looking containers and you're half way to selling me something, so I tried the aptly-named 'Laughter' perfume whilst in store this morning.

Yummy. Kind of like Clinique 'Happy' but without the sometimes overpowering fruity smell, this is a really nice scent.
"Created by world-renowned perfumer, Christopher Sheldrake, who worked closely with Nicky Kinnaird to encapsulate cherished memories of her formative years in the Southern Mediterranean where the sun drenched orange groves sweep down to the sea." [www.spacenk.co.uk]

I liked how it lasted a long time and adapted well to my skin as opposed to just smelling nice straight out the bottle. There is also a hand and body wash/ lotion etc for those who want to take it to the next level. I'm considering the candle.

Space.NK Laughter 15ml £19.57

D&G Make Up

It's official. Dolce and Gabanna are going to bring out a make up line [sooo wish I had done this for my final year project just so I could a. gloat and b. see how well my vision would have matches theirs. I was going to do it anyway once I graduated but it took a back seat as I chilled out for a bit and then job hunted etc... oh well...] Pat McGrath has helped with the colours and will be promoting it all at the catwalk shows, I suspect.

And they are going to get Scarlett Johanssen to model for the advertising and the plan seems to be to launch in Selfridges in February. Exciting times...

Spring Crush

New season, new fashion crushes! Carlos Miele is definitely heading the list of collection-I-would-sell-a-kidney-for thus far into the season [early days yet, my friends, early days...]

Above is a little sneak peak into some of my fave pieces. The brazilian celebrated the use of chiffon as a fabulous, romantic material for billowing hemlines which I am just adoring right now. Splashes of colour and intense blues were the main story but the dresses were toughened up with dark, sultry make up and chunky, gladiatorial style heels that just don't seem to ever go out of fashion.

Rise of the Cult Product IV - 'Angel' by Thierry Mugler

Continuing in a similar vein to the last post, I thought I would pinpoint the very marmite-like [love it or hate it...] 'Angel' by Thierry Mugler for this cult product post.

Origins - 'Angel' by Thierry Mugler is one of the most famous perfumes of the modern era. In 1992 a certain Mr Mugler worked with Clarins on a set of fragrances.

Why Cult? According to Wikipedia, Angel is the biggest selling perfume in France.

My views - I find the chocolate notes sickly, and a girl I used to dislike at school because of her irrepressible tendency to steal all the boys I fancied used to wear it so you are more likely to find me wearing a bin liner on my head and chopsticks up my nose than this perfume. I think the packaging is a bit naff and the fact that I seem to smell it on 13 year olds in Ugg boots and velour trackies on the high street doesn't up its credibility factor for me. That said, its a cult product and even if it is bitches-who-knick-ya-boyfriends and 13 year old Uggers who wear it, at least the product is selling!

Another Bag Bites the Dust

Oh goddamit, I go and spend a small fortune on getting my nails done, fake bake sorted [YAY btw...] headphones, rent, food shopping, cleanser [see below...] and flipping dinner with my friends and my Louis Vuitton bag goes and bloody breaks just a few days after my big patent hold-all gives up on me. Great. So now I have to spend money on getting a bag!! And this is sooo not a good thing right now because I don't have time to make an educated choice.

The Pierre Hardy bag is too expensive, apparently the Marc Jacobs one looks like "something you could buy in the market for twenty squid, darling" and now I'm freaaaking out.

Answers on the back of a postcard, please.

The Urge to 'Erbal

Not the shampoo! No, the latest herbal brand is Elemental Herbology which I discovered today in Space.NK and have been hoping to check out since I read about it in some magazine article at some point [when you read as many beauty pages as I do they all become one and the same!]

Anyway, I saw, I read about, I smelt, I was cajoled by the sales assistant, so inevitably I bought. My excuse is that my beloved shu Umeura purifying oil has about two weeks supply left, so I bought the Cool&Clear Facial Cleanser [see above.] The smell is an intoxicating apple/lavender blend and I have just tried it. Granted, I wasn't wearing a lot of makeup today but it still seemed to remove everything pretty well and my skin feels very calm and smooth, but without the moisture of the Shu oil.

The packaging is simple yet sleek and very gorgeous next to my REN and FCUK products that it now takes pride of place with. The texture is a gel/oil which lightly foams on contact with water [as opposed to a milk like the Shu] and is wonderfully fragrant. I tried some of the moisturising lotion on in the store and that smelt even more lush, but at £36 I had to draw the line!

I'll be reporting back on this product in a few weeks to let you know how I am getting on.

Elemental Herbology products are made sans peptides/ parabens/ mineral oils etc and focus on using fresh marine and botanical ingredients. A similar philosophy to REN then, which is good.

...Oops, forgot to pick up Space.NK's Spring and Summer catalogue. Looks like I'll have to pop back in the near future... damn :P

Cool&Clear Facial Cleanser £25

http://www.elementalherbology.com/

Getting My Spend On!

Pay day is coming up... so I need to get cracking on finding some suitable, refined [but gorgeous] office wear.

I'm totally loving whistles at the moment... check out the outfits above! I love the subtle smoky colour of the fitted pleat front dress. The camel coloured cardigan is an interesting piece too and pure cashmere. Deluxe.

Cashmere cardigan £120
Pleat Front Dress £110

Look Books

On my Uni course we were constantly asked to come up with Mood boards and Look Books to showcase ideas and to prepare us for projects. I loved this part as it meant I got to source images and inspirations from as far and as wide as I could muster. I wish I had known about this website for all my trend forecasting projects!

http://lookbook.nu/new

is a website that encourages its users to put up pictures of themselves and what they are currently rocking. It features a whole host of people from 14 year old Lolita style Harrajuku girls to middle aged italian men with a penchant for luxe suits and sharp tailoring and includes some pretty cool photography and styling ideas.

Golden Globes Part 2

R


Sorry, not all pictures would fit on one post... so continuing on...

Eva Mendes looked strange in a white Dior gown but was definitely rocking the accessory of the show with her stunning necklace, and her hair and makeup looked regal yet soft.

The two Brits who really wowed on the red carpet were of course the two Kates; Beckinsale and Winslet. Beckinsale's fabulous J Mendel gown was a pure white colour with some subtle but intricate detailling, but I wish she had given me more to write home about in regards to her hair and makeup.

Kate Winslet was without doubt my favourite lass on the carpet! Not only did she rock a stunning Yves Saint Laurent gown that she was just born to wear, but she gave us a vintage acceptance speech with lots of blubbering and strange jokes. Awww. Bring on the Oscars!!



RIP- Heath Ledger. Justly won a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor.

British Dominance at The Golden Globes

2008 was a good year for British entertainment [other than that financial issue of course...] We showed the world [and Australia] we can win medals at the Olympics, the sports world was set alight by talents such as Andy Murray and Lewis Hamilton, Brit pop and Urban music thrived, Aggy and Jourdann flew the flag on the catwalks ...

2009 seems to be starting well, too! The Golden Globes, the first serious awards show for the year was dominated by British talent with Sally Hawkins, Kate Winslet, Slumdog Millionaire, Colin Farrell, Danny Boyle for Slumdog Millionaire and Tom Wilkinson taking home gongs as well as nominations for Emma Thompson and Hugh Laurie among others.

So who won in the fashion stakes? Most of the coverage I have read about is focusing in on J Lo and Eva Longoria. I personally think J Lo looked like typical J Lo, so no suprise there, and she erred on the side of bacofoil with her gold lame dress. Eva longoria looked gorgeous [and certainly squashed those pregnancy rumours...] in a red column dress, but it was again playing it safe. Personally I think that Hayden Panettiere looked stunning in a Gianfranco Ferre number and lovely Ferragamo clutch whilst Amy Adams also looked amazing in a spectacular Oscar de la renta dress with wispy hair and romantic makeup.

Melissa George was wearing Giorgio Armani Prive that was stunning from the waist up but had an odd thigh split. There are some dresses that shouldn't have a split and this was one of them. if it had been more column like, Renee Zellwegger's, I would have voted it the dress of the awards. Renee's typical Herrerra number looked OK, but her hair spoilt it. Not too sure what she was trying to do there!

Most suprising look of the show? Drew Barrymore looking positively adorable in a John Galliano for Dior gown with a gorgeous burgundy clutch. Who knew that baby blue and burgundy went together so well?? I thought she looked wonderful.

Lip Balm Saga Post III

Lip Balm saga continues... this time I have been using Keihls lip balm. I have always admired kiehls as a brand, as they know their consumer and they have a strict code of conduct in terms of what they will and will not endorse. Brad Pitt has seen fit to produce a limited edition product with them [see an earlier blog post for more details on this...] and many of their products are considered 'cult'. Hell, I might even do a Cult Product post on their Silk Groom hair cream or their Ultra Facial Cream.

Unfortunately, I was less than impressed with their lip balm. The first thing that annoyed was the fact it contains an SPF of 4. I mean, 4... what is the point?! If your going to have to taste the unmistakable taste [and smell] of an SPF, make it worth my while and make it at least a Factor 10... otherwise just don't bother and give me a pleasant taste!

It reminds me of the Jordan [as in Katie Price...] liposuction saga. A 21 year old, size 6 Jordan decided [pre I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here...] to have a bit of suction work on her thighs. What ever possibly made her want to spend £4,000+ , a lot of time off in hospital and what I can only assume as pretty horrific pain beggars belief. Pointless. Anyway, I think Ive hammered my point home enough!

The second thing that bugged me about the balm was the size of the tube. Not small enough to be discreet in my bag and not large enough to look at home on my vanity unit. It's the little things that irritate me, OK!

I did like the World Aids Day significance, the packaging and the fact that it says "temporarily helps to relieve dry and cracked lips..." as opposed to "plumps and gives amazing shine and lustrous gorgeous beestung lips"... Honesty is always the best policy with me. I'm not expecting miracles, just something that is comfortable to use and relieve the sore lip feel I have been getting of late. I don't want to look like a fish. If I did, I would get collagen.

Final score? 8/10. The size and the SPF factor aside, this is a really good balm.

Philosophical Days

I have a wedding to attend in March and am looking for a suitably romantic, summer feel dress for the occasion that will then carry me through the race days on the calender: Ladies Day at Newmarket, Ascot and Epsom. I am in serious consideration for a Philosophy by Alberta Ferretti dress.

My favourites are outlined above. Far eastern prints, subtle and muted colours in flattering, beautifully light fabrics and unexpected embellishment was the name of the game.

Bag hunt!

My dream accessory of the season? This gorgeous gorgeous Pierre Hardy bag. Yes, it would fit my laptop in. No, my bank account doesn't stretch that far. I can't find the actual bag on the internet anywhere [?!] so it's like a bigger version of the above and with a navy instead of cream background. I will take a pic on mobile and update!

Marc Jacobs also has a lovely bag at a more reasonable £348 that I am highly considering. Although one of my colleages at Illamasqua has told me "it looks like a market bag" so that hasnt helped the love! I would appreciate feed back!


Pierre Hardy £990
Marc Jacobs £348

Stylish Sundays

Lots of magazine reading this Sunday, as I was on the train to and from Manchester [I do not wish to discuss the football... so I wont!] and so I managed to get through InStyle, Observer Woman, Look magazine and Style, so lots I want to discuss!

I'll start with the Observer Woman. I have never really read this magazine as I am not a fan of the Observer, but was pleasantly suprised with the fashion coverage. Firstly, they noted that the Mulberry Bayswater bag in Red is a really hot bag. I am looking for a new bag, and am looking to make a good, classic investment. The Bayswater was definitely on my short list until I realised it wouldnt fit a lap top in it. Crossed off the list, but still a gorgeous bag. The magazine also listed some trends that will be important for 2009 and although images were kept to a minimum, the journalism was very good and offered plenty of suggestions on how to channel these trends.

Style magazine is one of my favourite Sunday magazines because it is more innovative in style and content than any of the others [although I still think Stella makes a better read...] Style does, however, offer interviews with people that I might actually read; this week was Cate Blanchett. This week also offers a rather dated "Ten Steps to Perfect makeup" from Bobbi Brown and the usual product reviews. Nothing ground breaking there, either it must be said, although quite interesting to see yet another reference to YSL's Palette d'Artiste, the PR team are working over time on that one.

Look magazine was just a cheap pick up, but I was pleasantly suprised with the fashion ideas it gave me and the amount of "yea, I would buy that" high street items it offered. Top of the list was the above Esprit graphic print silk dress [shame its in silk, if it was something harder wearing I would quite possibly pick it up...] at £54. Also loving Faith's half price shoes for £30 above. Definite bargain. They rock a trend that will be constantly coming back in fashion.

A MAC-nificent Incentive

MAC have always been pretty clued up about future trends, and that has included environmental awareness which has been the buzz word in beauty for several seasons now. MAC offers an incentive whereupon if you return 6 empty [and clean!] pieces of packaging to the store, you can choose a free MAC lipstick in a colour of your choice. Simple, effective marketing that makes everyone feel that little bit better.

The Days are Getting Longer, That Can Only Mean One Thing...

... its Spring time baby!

Front cover of this Sunday's Stella is so pretty... I am loving the tea dress with knee highs and a cute colourful beret look at the moment. It's that transitional time of year for me; Im still rocking the tights/ kneehighs/ knitwear trends that are keeping me nice and warm, but I'm on the search for pieces that will ease me into the Spring time trends. So what are they? Here are my predictions from some top trends this Spring/ Summer [as well as some designers who are channelling them] Check out my moodboard above for my personal wish list items!

Harem pants - Ralph Lauren YSL Elie Tahari Jeremy Laing

Cut outs - Henry Holland YSL Roberto Cavalli Prada Jil Sander Alexander Wang Rodarte

Fringing - Jil Sander Alberta Ferretti Ashish Balenciaga Elie Saab Julien Macdonald Alexander McQueen Alberta Ferretti

Clashing , Bold Motifs- Marni Alexander McQueen Louis Vuitton Erdem Luella

Stomach Baring - Prada Ralph Lauren Alexander Wang Rodarte Proenza Schouler

Halston and Helmut [ie jumpsuits and 90s style clean tailoring] - Derek Lam Marc by Marc Jacobs Alice Temperley Stella McCartney Proenza Schouler Philip Lim D&G Karl Lagerfeld Bottega Vaneta Halston

The Updated Legging - YSL Nicole Farhi La Perla Alberta Ferreti Burberry Jil Sander

and the colours of the season...

Orange - Lanvin Louis Vuitton Giles DVF Bottega Veneta Pollini Dior Marni Christopher Kane Alice and Olivia

Blue - Emporio Armani Aquascutum Gucci Marni Alberta Ferretti Sophia Kokosalaki Celine

Rise of The Cult Product: Youth Dew By Estee Lauder

I went for a perfume this time!

Origins - "Time is not on your side, but I am". So spoke the great Estee Lauder in her 1985 memoir. This was literally translated into one of the best selling perfumes of all time; Youth Dew. Originally a perfumed bath oil, created in the early 50s, it settled on the skin and lasted longer than many synthetic fragrances of the time.

Why a Cult Product? Like most cult products, it had a loyal celebrity following, even in the 50s and 60s. Gloria Swanson and Joan Crawford wore the spicy Bulgarian Rose scented concoction and its Cult Product status was cemented by a reinvigoration by the master of fashion Tom Ford a few years ago.

My views -It's very strong [even the toned-down Ford version...] and very spicy, which isn't really to my taste, but I imagine it was completely different to anything was available for many years, so that is how it got its cult status.

Estee Lauder Youth Dew from £38.95

Where o Where is My Dream Lip Balm?!

Lip balm hunt continues. The situation is getting marginally better and at work yesterday I popped over to the Clinique counter to try their coveted Superbalm Lip Treatment. Too glossy for me. I like a balm that is easy to work over; that gives a semi matte finish and thus helps to hold on to lipstick and glosses as opposed to encourage them to slide off.

The balm is non offensive in terms of taste and is easy to apply, but is basically like a gloss/balm which may suit some, but not me.

Hunt continues.

Ps - tried the Creme de la Mer again after wiping off the Superbalm and am still madly in love with it, but must must must find cheaper alternative if I am to make rent this month!

Clinique Superbalm Lip Treatment £8.81
Creme de la Mer The Lip Balm £34.26

Hair Flair and Beauty

'Beauty to suit your budget'. Hmm. I should have seen the warning signs, but on the motorway service station last week I decided to pick this mag up and see if it would be in any shape or form reminiscent to Allure. I was seriously wrong.

The December/ January issue [seriously, what is a December/ January issue?!?] features the lovely Emma Griffiths on the front, but thats about it in terms of interest. Some of the make up looks are quite cute, with a Dior inspired look on pg. 11 but the general 'how to' of make up and hair application is poor. I mean, on page 24 there is a picture of a red head model with severely crimped hair 3/4 of the way up her head. She looks like a Christmas tree.

The reader make overs are pretty hideous and uninspiring too. This is basically a Superdrug magazine and I parted with £2.50 for it, so this is just a WARNING to those who want to know about this. If you want your money's worth read allure on line. I am seriously considering a petition to get them to at least deliver to the UK if not create a UK version.

To Oval or Not to Oval?

One of my New Years Resolutions [hereafter referred to as NYR, sounds less concrete to me for some reason...] was to quit biting my nails. To help, I'm going to get some nails done again. Everytime I go to the [admittedly cheaper...] asian nail shops, I am always greeted with a look of suprise when I ask for a rounded nail as opposed to a square nail. It seems that 99% of people who get their nails done where I do [Croydon, for reference, so maybe its not too much of a suprise...] have a square nail applied. I have always wondered if I was being unfashionable by choosing a rounded nail however, Leighton Denny, one of the most sought after manicurists and nail expert in the business [he has won the Nail Technician of the Year award four times] has said in an interview with Vogue that oval shaped nails are where its at for 2009. He even called the square nails 'low-rent' which was perhaps a bit vicious, but makes me glad I have been choosing the ovals for all this time!

Celebrating the Art in Rodarte

Rodarte is loved by celebs such as Keira Knightley and Kate Bosworth, but the pieces look especially look good on ethnic girls, such as Jourdan Dunn who modelled for the fashion house for their New York show. Hoooow gorgeous does this multi coloured piece look on her?! Its a beautiful cut and the dress manages to look sexy, daring, exotic yet luxurious and ultimately wearable all at once. Loving the flame orange theme continuing into the make up, too.

Wang-ling His Way Back Into My Dreams

Alexander Wang just keeps getting better and better. His New York Fashion Week collection was superb. He stepped away from the grungy, rebel look of AW and stepped into brighter territory. The 80's trend is apparently going no where, and this was mimiced in the body-con feel of the show. The jackets were loosely tailored and casually slung on, boyfriend style, and the shorts and skirts were short, short, short.

My favourites definitely include the white body con dress [if the 80s aint going anywhere, then Im gonna keep lusting after it!] and it seems that the gap between breasts and belly button is the new erogenous zone in fashion. Move over, shoulders! Prada seems to be channeling this too.

2009 means Spring Time!

There are only two occasions when I buy Elle magazine. And that is the Runway Edit issues in January and September.

I adore devouring this edit to see what is going to be big and what is going to be worn come Awards Season [ie BAFTAs, Academy Awards etc...] and I'm always left with the same thought... really?! Looking back on the Autumn/ Winter edit I can see the key pieces that were picked up and frequently seen on our favourite celeb clothes horses but back in September I was probably thinking the same thing as I am right now, so I will spend the next few blogs dissecting the key 'trends' for Spring according to Elle and commenting on my fave designers and the pieces I like.

Happy New Year!

New Years Resolutions as follows:

1. Blog more often! Keep up with the stories and trends as much as possible.

2. Try and visit a YSL counter where the counter staff don't look an almost neon-shade of orange

3. Stop biting nails so can wear the fabulous Illamasqua and Opi nail colours that have suddenly caught my eye.

4. Try and pull of yellow eye shadow. Thats a tricky one...

5. Give up smoking. Completely, 100% no beating-about-the-bush. 'Social Smoker' doesn't cut it when you are being 'sociable' 5 or 6 times a day. Hmph.

6. Try and incorporate Yoga into daily routine again. It makes me feel better, good for keeping fit and promotes better sleep and gives me hard abs. Whats not to like?!

And lastly... have some good ol' fashioned fun!!!