Lancome's Special Edition Brush Set...

You may have noticed in my List of Loves on the side of my blog I have a piccie of a brush set. Well this is the very special Limited Edition brush set from Lancome's Declaring Indigo release that is available at all Sephora stores in the US exclusively...

I'm waiting and researching to see if Lancome will be generous enough to sell these over at the UK counters but I can't find a smidge of info on it! Sure I have all these types of brushes already but that's not the point!! The indigo blue dyed brush hairs are to die for and it's such a pretty set I can't stop thinking about it *blush*... Plus they come with a bag and when you're amassing makeup at the rate of knots this is always handy.

I'll keep an eye out every day for these beauties to see if they're coming out over here and if it's going to happen you'll find out here! I REALLY hope to see them in the UK, it would be rude not to let us have them, now wouldn't it, Lancome?! : P

NOTD - GOSH Nail Lacquer in Wild Lilac

My first Nail of the Day (NOTD) - how exciting!

This nail varnish caught my eye in Superdrug over a month ago - on each visit I kept trying to ignore it when I saw it lurking at me. Needless to say I couldn't push it out of my mind - it's such a gorgeous colour, a very candy-colour purple! It's a lot like MAC's Love & Friendship Limited Edition Nail Lacquer that came out in A Rose Romance collection this summer (see my old blog post!) but it sold out like hotcakes and alas I failed to get my little pinkies on *sniff*

But fear not my polish-loving-pretties - GOSH came to the rescue and at only £4.89 a bottle I think my saviour is an absolute bargain - take a look for yourselves...

Twiggy: A Life in Photographs Exhibition

I loved this exhibition - well and truly, it was also so fun to see some of the magazine covers that Twiggy has featured on and to see how they used to look back in the day!

The exhibition is fantastic because you learn as much about the photgraphers who captured those magical moments as much as Twiggy herself and in Twiggy's own words.

I even discovered that Bryan Adams the photographer is the very same Bryan Adams the musician! But my favourite photo of all on display, maybe because it captures Twiggy at her most natural and smily, is one taken by the late Linda McCartney it's a beautiful shot and Twiggy looks really full of warmth and happiness!

But there's really all sorts of amazing shots of her - one that particularly stood out was the one taken with David Bowie. You shouldn't miss this if you're in the area, especially as it's free, there's no excuse!

Speaking of Bowie, another exhibition 'Beatles to Bowie - the 60s Exposed' showcasing some of Britain's legendary musicians from the swinging 60s will be on display from 15th October to 24th January 2010. It's a must-see for music and pop-culture lovers alike and it'll be bringing me back to the National Portrait Gallery once again very soon : )

London Fashion Week - The Highlights

Ahhhh London Fashion Week. The closest I've ever been to its catwalks was when I was about 14 on a school trip to the Natural History Museum. I should have been more excited that we were about to see prehistoric bones and huge skeletal Dinosaur structures, but I'd just caught glimpse of a huge marquee... And there it was: London Fashion Week in all its shining glory! I gawped out of the school coach in awe and spent more time trying to get a sneaky view of

what was going on in there than concentrating on getting into the museum, haha!

My love affair with fashion has always been apparent since I first leafed through my mum's Vogue magazine and religiously sat down to The Clothes Show every Sunday evening from the tender age of five. My favourite day at playgroup was Friday because we got to dress up with all the pretty things in the amazing Dressing-Up Box : )

Fast-forward a couple of decades and this season London Fashion Week's catwalk extravaganzas were held at Somerset House for the first time. New venue, new season, new pretty things, hehe! Here are a few of my favourites from S/S 2010 courtesy of Britain's fashion capital...

Burberry

Again, like in many other catwalk trends for the up and coming summer, pastel colours seemed to be the pick of the season! My favourite thing about

the Burberry outfits this year is that there's lots of gorgeous floaty material all ruched, ruched, ruched - which seems to hug the body. I'm huge fan of clothes that flatter the curves a lady was given and this collection seems to fit the bill just nicely!

Luella

Coral reds seemed to make a regular appearance, as did bows, belts and polkadots - all very feminine and remind me of the 1940s on a day to a seaside town! In fact these pieces take me back to cute little black and white shots taken of my Nan in the

days when she was my age: she seemed so innocent as did all her friends all laughing and messing around in the seaside town (which was probably Blackpool back then!)...

Topshop Unique

Also my favourite highstreet retailer, Topshop hosted their very own fashion catwalk event this year 'Topshop Unique'. The lovely Kate Moss was there with Sir Phillip Green, both very excited to launch, along with guests - a very preggers Jourdan Dunn, my favourite girl-nextdoor-lady Alexa Chung and many more. Handbag.com got some great exclusive footage of the event, the clothing and some s

neaky backstage chinwagging with those involved.

Check out the video here!

i.d Bare Minerals - Now in the UK!

I've been meaning to post about this for the past month or so! i.d. Bare Minerals - the U.S. mineral makeup brand that's taken over the beauty industry in America by storm is now over in the UK. I was on a visit to House of Fraser when a really glamourous counter in an unused space, with a massive TV screen caught my eye - lo and behold it was Bare Minerals!



I skipped over to their stock - all of their products are seductively laid out - little jars of mineral eyeshadow, blusher and so on are all sprinkled out for you to take a sample for yourself. I didn't notice a beauty consultant or sales assistant nearby which was partly refreshing because it meant I could browse in peace, but partly a little confusing because the range is so new over here that if you haven't heard of them already then you might have a fair few questions. But it maybe because they're recruiting so I'm going to wait and see...


If you haven't heard of Bare Minerals, or Bare Escentuals - their beauty line - then here's a mini rundown of what they're about:

• Started in San Francisco Bay, U.S.A. founded by Leslie Blodgett with a view to seeking out real women with real skin problems across the country to serve as beauty spokesmodels for her inspired makeup line.


• The company specialises in mineral-based cosmetics from foundations to blushers and much more! The products claim to be free of any preservatives, fillers, or binders and Bare Escentuals describe their range as "problem-solving cosmetics that perfect and pamper the complexion".


• For £15 they offer starter kits for fair, medium and dark skin tones with a selection of each of their products: 2 shades of SPF 15 foundation, Mineral Veil, Warmth All-Over face colour and a mini Flawless Application brush.

A friend of mine (author of Anderra) has tried their products and loves them because unlike some cosmetics mineral products don't clog the skin!


I'm still in line to try them though and haven't got round to buying any of their range, but I will definitely be sampling some in the near future - I'll show you all what I get my hands on and let you all know my thoughts soon : )

If you haven't a Bare Minerals counter near you (yet!) then their products are also available online at these sites:


http://www.lovelula.com/

http://www.glowgirl.co.uk/

http://www.magicminerals.co.uk/

Happy Birthday Twiggy!

Today Twiggy (nee Lesley Hornby), aka Britain's first supermodel turns 60. If you don't know who she is you will most likely have seen her pictured somewhere (if you search for her I'm very sure you'll recognise her). I've always loved Twiggy, from her super massive false lashes and elvin looks to her awesome style - she epitomises the days of the swinging 60s in London!

To mark her milestone birthday Twiggy has released a book called (funnily enough) 'Twiggy: A Life in Photographs' - documenting 140 pages of the beautiful photographs spanning her amazing modelling career. She has had the fortune to work with some of the best photographers in the business such as Solve Sundsbo, Steven Meisel and Mary McCartney.

In addition to celebrate the supermodel's birthday and fantastic career, The National Portrait Gallery is opening an exhibition of the same name showcasing some of the best shots ever taken of the model (come actress!) It debuts today and runs till 21st March next year! I'm going along to see it next week, I can't wait and if I can I'm going to try to take some piccies (I still can't find out on the website if flash photography is prohibited!), but failing that I'll let you guys know what it's like.

If you're in the area, you should swing by as the exhibition is not to be missed! Go to National Portrait Gallery's website for more details!

Then & Now: Twiggy with Kate Moss, Britain's latest icon!

Under Review: Too Faced Primer

Last week I was asked if I could review a face primer - the new Urban Decay Complexion Primer Potion that minimises the look of pores in an instant... Well I did some research and I thought it would be a hit considering the success of their Primer Potion for eyes! Slowly but surely I realised that maybe that wouldn't be the case...

As it's not so easy on the wallet as well I didn't want to burst in and buy this stuff without a few decent reviews... I haven't tried this stuff on my face so I can't vouch as to whether it minimises the look of pores, but instead I did try it on the back of my hand and I can tell you this:

I wasn't a fan of its texture - this stuff is very greasy and it takes a while to soak in. In my opinion a good primer should be easily absorbed into the skin and needs to be light - you don't want it to create a super greasy sheen or your foundation will slip-slide all over the place. That's the whole point of foundation primer - to act as a barrier between your skin's natural oils and your foundation so it lasts longer - not to create oil! Funnily enough, this is unfortunately one of the bad things I'd heard about this product before I even tried it for myself.

Plus anyone with large pores usually has the skin characteristic of combination to oily skin. You don't want oily, greasy products going on your face if you suffer from this skin trait. It might be okay for those of you with dry skin of course, as it may provide a barrier for your skin to stay nice and moisturised especially during the colder months. But I can't see this withstanding the heat in summer and I can't see it agreeing with my skin - which leans toward the oily side.

Second of all, it's not colourless - it's white. Because it doesn't absorb very easily it ends up leaving a white cast on your skin when you've spread it over your face. This isn't a good look. Primers need to be discreet - they either ought to be transparent so that they don't affect the colour of your skin at all, or they can have a peachy/creamy hue to enhance the job of your foundation without making it look darker. My skin is pretty fair so I don't need to have a white wash over it haha!

All in all I found it to be too thick and greasy - the white sheen it created on my skin wasn't flattering so I wouldn't dare put it on my face. Sadly I think Urban Decay have unfortunately missed the mark with this one, which is a shame because I think a lot of us had high hopes for this product considering its predecessor! There is also a brightening version available but from the product description I can tell that this would be better suited to anyone with drier complexions...

But I never like to disappoint - my work here is not done! My aim was to find a winning product, so instead I'll be reviewing a close contender to Urban Decay's face primer - Too Faced's Primed & Poreless Face Primer.

So watch this space as I'm going to buy some of this and give it a go - I'll get back to you with the results very, very soon!...

Emma Watson - Fashion Designer To Be??

A couple of days ago after seeing Emma Watson in a Burberry print advert (looking gorgeous and very sultry may I add) I thought to myself I wouldn't be surprised to see her become a fashion designer once her Harry Potter days are done and dusted after the final film eventually hits the Box Office.


I guess if you've got a bit of spare cash, some fashion savvy and a few useful contacts, why not?! I would, haha!

But apparently her PR people say it's just not gonna happen and have quashed any suspicions among us that she will ever do such a thing. But you know what they say... No smoke without fire. And besides if it buys her more time to educate herself before going for it too soon then so be it. I still reckon we'll see her with her own line one day - even if it's in 10, 20 or even 30 years time!

The more I see of her the more I realise she just looks the part. People everywhere have noticed the stir she's causing in the fashion scene and I (plus pretty much the rest of the world!) finally realised she's become the true lady when she rocked up to the latest Harry Potter premiere this summer in a GORGEOUS frock... Only to find out it was an Ossie Clark number. Me - jealous? Pfft, no!

Also check her out in this snap from her latest Teen Vogue shoot - she's truly stunning!

500 Days of Summer & One Film of Wintour

Today's post was originally just going to be about the up and coming Vogue docu-film - The September Issue, but I'm also going to be touching on a completely different film later on...

Firstly however for those of you who don't already know, The September Issue follows US Vogue Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour on what she does at Vogue HQ and how she does it. In this instance it's preparing for one of the magazine's most important issue in the fashion industry's calendar!

This film was shot during the lead up to Vogue's 2007 September issue that weighed in at just under five pounds, making it the single largest magazine ever to be published! Before it was documented, Anna, whose career with Vogue spans 20 years, had never once allowed a film crew through her doors to see how she operates, making this film even more of a must-see for fashion addicts the world over.

In a nutshell, the documentary shows us her daily responsibilities as one of the fashion industry's most influential figures, such as accepting and even dismissing the latest labours of love from the biggest names in fashion; as well as her working with models, photographers and the writers who help her discover and eventually showcase what the world will be wearing for the next 12 months...

It also takes a close look at Anna's 'delicate' working relationship with Creative Director Grace Coddington, how they can sometimes come to blows, but also how they learn to accommodate each other's respective opinions and input.

As you can imagine, Anna Wintour inspired the character Miranda Priestly, from the film The Devil Wears Prada, however the first difference you'll notice between Anna and Miranda is that Anna doesn't need to flap her arms in the air, shout, scream or storm around to make her presence/annoyance/disappointment felt! Nevertheless I'm looking forward to getting the opportunity to see what goes on behind closed doors in the fashion world...

The film will be coming out in a limited number of cinemas tomorrow, I've yet to find out which ones in particular in the UK, but failing that I'll wait until it comes out on DVD to see it. I'll post more details as soon as I hear!

500 Days of Summer

I saw this film today and it's so sweet I just had to blog about it : ) Zooey Deschanel who plays the lead character, Summer has such a gorgeous wardrobe in this film, it's very pretty and feminine, quite like her outfits in another of her latest films Yes Man with Jim Carrey. Zooey often plays quirky characters with a lot of personality and I think that her dress sense both in real life and onscreen goes really well with that!

The soundtrack's also so beautiful and I found the film to be really inspiring - like all great films, I'll be thinking about it for days to come...

It's not your average rom-com, a lot of people are celebrating that because the film doesn't end in quite the same fashion that usual romantic comedies do. But I don't think that's really the reason as to why it's so alternative. It reminds us all of the kind of loves and relationships each and everyone of us have encountered.

It's also because I found the lead characters more relatable - they're not your typical Sandra Bullock or Matthew McConaughey with high-flying jobs and lifestyles. Summer and the male lead character Tom, played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, both work at a greetings card company. Instead of the usual rom-com wining and dining stories at fancy shows and dinner parties, they do the things that everyday people do - see bands, go to the pub, take walks - so it feels a little more real to believe their story and feel the way they feel!

Also for more outfit-goodness, check out the Official 500 Days of Summer film website to take a look at a very cute retro dance video (also starring Zooey and Joseph) to the song "Why Do You Always Let Me Stay Here?" by She & Him (in which Zooey Deschanel is the vocalist!)... *swoon*

www.foxsearchlight.com/500daysofsummer/

My First Video Shoot! : )

Oooh I'm so excited!! I recently did makeup for the casting sessions that were held for a promotional video. The video shoot's due to be held this weekend and I can't wait for my first opportunity to do makeup for video : )

Right now that's all I'm saying about it, but stay tuned as I'll reveal all in due course...! Once it's finished and all ready for release, I'll show you guys the final results to A. Help do my bit for the promotion (of course!) and B. To show you what I did, hehe! It's also a really great concept, so the video will look really funky when it's done : )

A/W Makeup Trends 2009

With the chill of autumn on our doorstep, let's face it September makes or breaks summer for good! I'm still clinging to the hope that we might have 2 more weeks of a Golden September, but until then and after (if it ever comes!) it will most definitely be "Bye bye summer" for 2009...

That said - it's not all doom and gloom! Autumn and winter mean more accessorising (hats, scarves, gloves, tights and booties), layering (jackets, cardigans, wraps and knitwear galore) YAY and also makeup - whether it be your eyes, lips or even nails - can be taken up a notch in terms of colours and strength/depth, HOORAH! So the colder months needn't be boring, and they ought not to be seeming as all that colour and the excuse to wear more clothes will help lift your mood on the rainy, cold walks to work : )

Today I've been looking at the new trends for makeup this A/W and what's hot on the catwalks this season...

It's All About Brows, Brows, Brows!
Over the years people have realised how important a well groomed and defined brow really is to complete a look! I never used to fully understand how it could make a difference but trust me it does. If you haven't tried defining your brows, be brave and give it a go. You'll wonder how you ever managed without it before.

A well groomed and defined brow can take years off a face and transform it all at the same time. This year shimmery golds were brushed through the brows to add more impact to the overall eye makeup. It may sound severe, but the end effect is stunning, opening up the eyes and adding a new dimension to the face.

Of course you might feel this all to be too much if you've never even touched your brows with a brow definer brush or pencil, haha! I'll be giving a tutorial in the next two weeks on how to define your eyebrows so watch this space...

Red Lips
This winter the lips are 1940s inspired, rich red and strong! Plus it's all about the detail - lips are going Geisha-style with a sharp contour on the Cupid's bow. A red lip needs to be done carefully, so make sure to apply concealer/foundation to the lip and powder so you have a great base, then get to work with a red lip liner all over the lips and finish off with your red lipstick of choice.

Smoky Dramatic Eyes
And we're not just talking black - blues and sparkling greens are among this year's colours of choice for that impactful look. I'm in love with Aaron De Mey's creations that he demonstrated for Lancome.

The new Artistic Director has also developed his third makeup collection for the brand called Declaring Indigo which made its debut on the catwalks this season and will be hitting our stores very soon! He's even had input into other areas of Lancome's business such as the way its products are presented instore...

He gave models a smoky eye using sapphire blues and emerald greens but advises to use very little foundation to keep the look fresh and youthful.

Aaron De Mey, whose Lancome range Declaring Indigo is out in stores soon!

Kate Moss Style - A Review

Just under a month ago you may remember me saying I'd bought this book and was relishing reading through it! Well I finished it the other day and the verdict?...

I LOVED it! I didn't want to put the book down, so much so it was a little sad when it came to the end, haha! Here's a bit of a rundown of some of the topics covered in the book that I enjoyed learning... *If you really don't want to know because you want to read it first then please look away now...*

From Angela's meticulous research, one thing's for certain - you really do learn a lot about Kate Moss' history, her background, where she grew up, how she was discovered and how she discovered the world of fashion and the fun and creativity behind dressing up, dressing down and behind the lens!

As you read through you find out more and more about the influential figures that she has met, lived with, grown up with and is still friends with to this day - from her everlasting friendship with hairdresser James Brown to even her famous relationships with Johnny Depp and Pete Doherty...

It's unbelievable to think her career began at the sweet age of 14! Kate's face even then caught many an eye and since then the fashion industry, photographers and designers alike haven't looked back...

My favourite thing about this read is that you get a real insight into Kate's very own flair, passion for fashion and eye for a bargain/special and rare pieces. Shopping and looking around for the right outfit seem to come to her like a sixth sense which I find both enviable and admirable!

I certainly have realised that she has a very strong sense of style, no matter how many labels she could or supposedly should wear, she certainly has no fear of standing out of the crowd and damn straight - she's a reason for us ladies to be proud to be British!

As a result she's become the ultimate style icon of our time, she has set numerous trends and I highly suspect she will do for years to come, despite her career nearly spanning 20 years, she shows no sign of fading, tiring or even really ageing!

And equally she's became a muse for many a photographer, fashion designer and label, and of course someone we all look to when dressing ourselves - her influence is everywhere even if you don't realise it. She wore leggings just before they hit the catwalk, now you can seem them everywhere all over the highstreet, on every celeb around and in many different styles.

Do you remember slouchy suede boots? Yup, she began that trend since she wore them on a night out and got snapped in them. I remember having a pair myself a few years ago and I had no idea it was Kate who propelled them to the popularity that they gained!

Angela's book has certainly opened my eyes to how amazing Kate is, I really admire her panache and sense of adventure when it comes to getting dressed. I've certainly always shared her belief that getting dressed is half the fun (if not all the fun!) - I enjoy the getting-ready part to any night out as much as the night out itself!!

If you're at all intimidated that Kate Moss Style might be full of fashion terminology and scary levels of detail that you won't be able to keep up with - don't be! Angela takes you through very gently, naturally and in fact this book has given me a thirst for more fashion books like it! It's really educational without being overwhelming or patronising.

Of course whilst I could talk and wax lyrical about this book in far more detail, I won't because if you haven't read it and want to I'd be spoiling your fun. If you're even slightly tempted to pick this up then I encourage you to give it a go, it's a must for any coffee/bedside table : )

In terms of new reads to get my teeth into, the books I now have my eye on are "What I Wore Today" and "Model As Muse" and well all many others in between because each time I go into Foyles I can't help myself haha!

New Favourite - Benefit BADgal Lash Mascara

It was love at first stroke - for my mascara of course!!

I got a free sample in Glamour magazine - "Little Bit BADgal" and have been using it for over 2 months now...

The wand is absolutely massive, wider than any other mascara wand I've seen/used before! It was a bit intimidating at first in fact because I didn't think I'd be able to control the application too well and might poke myself in the eye! But the moment I used it I thought it was AMAZING! It was actually very easy to use from the word go, I had no problems with control or application at all.

Yeah, it retails a little on the pricier side, but it doesn't clump, flake, smudge or run and well for me, it just seems like it was made for my eyelashes, haha! The thicker wand means that you can get right to the base of the lashes and coat the lashes quickly and effectively. The bristles are great because the mascara doesn't seem to cling to them in the same way that some mascara wands do which in turn cause clumping and unwanted excess product coating the lashes!

I'm VERY impressed with this product, I haven't had a sample that's encouraged me to eventually buy the product in a long time! But I'll be definitely buying the full-size version of this beauty as soon as my sample runs out!

If you don't have curly/long lashes this stuff's a godsend and if you do, well you'll just have lovely, luscious lashes that blow the boys away when you wink or blink! : )

You can find Benefit's BADgal Lash mascara at any Benefit counter near you or here.

Edit: You can now see images to go with this post - as you'll see the brush is huuuuge! : )