Beauty has made her own video with FRENCH CONNECTION for their new collection! WATCH IT HERE: http://makeascene.frenchconnection.com/watch/sd/1362157498407204#se9ms4JkfRs7hOZB.32
Urban Decay: Limited Edition OZ Palettes: For the launch of the new OZ The Great and Powerful film, Urban decay has made two limited edition palettes: The Theodora OZ Palette & The Glinda OZ Palette. If you like dark colours, but still like an edge than the Theodora palette is perfect with bewitching mauve purples, greens and greys eyeshadows, and a popping high red gloss for the lips. However, if you like a fresh peachy, goody angelic look, the Glinda palette offers perfect pinks, lilacs and peachy tones for eyes, and a perfect pout pink high gloss for lips. The textures are easily blendable and easy to use and to build for day to night looks. I’m all for the Glinda palette, but love the red gloss in the Theodora palette as it’s right on trend at the moment. Get them while they’re still here and available! £35 each at www.houseoffraser.co.uk
Paul & Joe: My favourite blusher at the moment for SS’13 is Number 05, ‘Gamine’ from Paul & Joe. Although appearing rather bright in the box, it lights up your cheeks with that perfect ENGLISH ROSE glow! It makes such a difference to any day look, you’ll be amazed; and it’ll be your best accessory yet this season! £12.50 for refills, box sold separately, £6 at www.asos.com
Azamay London, Mascarade Mineral Blush: This blusher was spotted on Taylor Swift at the Brit Awards! Always looking fresh, and beautiful, Taylor is in the know to use this secret weapon for Red carpet events! It creates a tanned but luminous look, as well as having anti-aging properties as well. Use some of the other faceted colours in the compact to light up the eyes too as eye shadows! Great for quick touch ups for staying fresh as a daisy! Available in a number of shades to suit your skintone, £22 at www.azamay.com
KIKO Make Up- Colours of World Collection for Spring: The new Spring Collection: Colours of the World from KIKO Cosmetics offers bright vivid colours to lift any complexion. As greens and blues are apparent on the catwalks this season, follow suit and light up the eyes lagoon like greens and blues in pigment loose eyeshadows, or kajal jumbo pencil liners. Interweaving blendable colours, the collection’s blushers offer a light lifting effect to any cheekbone-making you look flawless! One of my favourite products in the range is the long lasting lipsticks which are super as they have a non-smudge finish. Try 03 in the lipstick if you like fuchia reds or pinks. The collection is now available from £6.90-£16.90 at: www.kikocosmetics.com
Brainchild behind Aromatherapy Associates, Geraldine Howard, creates a very personal blend: Inner Strength. During her lowest points amidst her treatment for cancer, Geraldine found certain oils gave her courage, strength, and a positive frame of mind to continue her way on the path to wellness. The oil creates incredible surge of circulation, and uplifts your mood instantly. Containing: clary sage, frankincense, cardamom , rosemary, rose and vertivert, the oils clear mind and soul. Each bottle on sale£39/55ml, 10% proceeds to be given to Cancer Charity Foundation ATK, Holland. ATK is working on developing new cancer vaccination. To purchaseAromatherapy Associates, INNER STRENGTH:www.aromatherapyassociates.com
Launched 25 years ago to raise money to help provide shelter for the young & homeless in the UK Red Nose Day is coming up again March 15, 2013.
The cartoon ‘Dinosesaurs’ have appeared on Nail Rock, Body Rock (temporary tattoos) and Eye Rock…show your support as each sale of the £6.50 packs donates £1 to Red Nose Day! Exclusively at Claire’s: www.claires.com
If you’ve ever wanted to look into the secret world of, true Hollywood Golden Era icon, Greta Garbo, here is your chance. From February 15th through to March 19th, 2013, some of Garbo’s personal
items from her wardrobe and New York home will be on display at the Belmacz space: 45 Davies Street W1K 4LX.
The curators of the exhibit: Miss G, are none other than Belmacz designer Julia Muggenburg and fashion historian Browyn Cosgrave. The two ladies acquired the various pieces from a landmark auction of
Garbo’s possessions at Julien’s Auctions in Beverly Hills, California. To the world, Greta Garbo, was seen as the seductive, legendary, Swedish actress, who made 23 movies at MGM, and contributed to
the film studio’s heyday. Yet, Garbo, was in fact, an incredibly private person, known to be a bit of a recluse or ‘hermit around town’, of Upper Manhattan, and preferred to dress in mannish attire
when she was off-screen. (Hence, creating an androgynous chic, if you will.)
On the night of the debut of this exhibition, in February, all the items had gone on silent auction, to raise support for ‘Magic Breakfast’, in London. Some of the pieces show the deep contrast of
Garbo’s character off and on screen, such as the cooking apron-she probably wore to entertain her guests at home (suggesting her warm nature to those she knew) to the modernist jersey ski cap,
created by Stephen Jones, for the exhibit, inspired by Garbo’s character in Soviet spy title: Ninotchka. Don’t feel though, that perhaps you can’t get a bit of Garbo style yourself, as there is
a pair of brogues, by Manolo Blahnik, on display, that will be available to order soon! The exhibit is definitely worth a visit, as opportunities like this is rare, and promises to be a unique
experience. Admission is free of charge and the Belmacz space is open each day from 11-6 Monday-Friday. For more information email: gallery@belmacz.com or call 0207 629 7863.
Beauty Says: There is no joy, like the joy, of finding a firming product that will give you instant visible results. Many firming products leave you a wee bit deflated both inside and out! Fear not, ladies, I’ve found some fabulous Face & Body Plumpers to bounce you back and get you ready for swimsuit season. You can say after some of these- in the department of skin care 101 you are: A FIRM BELIEVER!
Ceramides are one of three lipids or fat found in the skin; and are the kind of lipids that act as moisture magnets for our skin. Over 20% of the stratum corneum or outer layer of the skin is made up of ceramides. Young skin makes plenty of ceramides, and hence, that is why it always looks hydrated and plump. Over time our skin looks dull and dry as we age, because we lose production of ceramides. With the loss of ceramides, we also lose facial volume and our face can look slack or simply put: aged. Thankfully, you can replace ceramides into the skin by using moisturisers which contain them. (Another nifty fact about ceramides moisturisers is that clinical tests have shown they also help treat conditions such as eczema.)
At the forefront of Ceramide products is Elizabeth Arden who offers a full range of Cermamide products. I’ve noted two below that can convert anyone to believing in firming products again instantly:
Elizabeth Arden -Ceramide Lift & Firm Day Cream SPF 30: This cream gives instant plump and ‘oomph’ to the face upon first application. I usually know if the product works or notice the first difference in my cheeks. You can actually feel the cheeks plump up after 10 minutes! This is not however, one of those gimmick products that when you don’t use it the effects go away. Instead, you will find the overall visible improvements with using this product. The texture of this product is also gorgeous as it is velvety soft and smooth. With SPF 30 too, what more could you want in a firming cream? £55, 50ml at Peter Jones, Sloane Square call 0207 881 6418
Elizabeth Arden-Ceramide (GOLD) Youth Restoring Capsules: This product is not only a serum for the face, but a multi-functional product. You can use it as a serum, a booster for the day, pop it on before a flight to prevent dehydration, and on the chest & décolleté as well. (I got a top tip from a consultant, that if you pop this on your breasts it will give them some extra oomph as well!) The texture may feel a bit oily at first, but if you continue to massage it in until completely absorbed you will find that it is incredibly soft. Best yet, it is easy to travel with and there is no waste, as each little capsule measures a proper dose. I usually use them as a night treatment or after masks, and just pop it on without moisturiser on top. With being so versatile, you can work this into any other products you are currently using or without interrupting your normal skincare regime. The effects are as the Day cream: Instant LIFT OFF! The only thing you’ll be counting down is how many you’ve got left in the bottle! They come in 30, 60, 90 pieces (and also do capsules for the eyes) from £33 at Peter Jones, Sloane Square call 0207 881 6418
If you want to incorporate firming in your skincare regime and you want more instant results a firming serum is the obvious choice. I suggest choosing a firming serum, to start rather than a cream or any treatment product as serums contains no oils and go deeper into the layers of the skin, hence, if you notice a turnaround, you will notice is sooner rather than later.
BLISS SPA introduces: FIRM BABY FIRM (serum): I recently took part in a trial of Bliss Spa’s new launch product: Firm Baby Firm-a dual action lifting and volumising serum for thirty days. At first I was dubious, as I am, with the hundreds of products I trial. However, after about seven days of use, I found an improvement of a more plumped out and lifted jawline and cheeks. It literally looked like the skin had plumped from the inside out! Upon analyzing the ingredients I noticed that it contained cell-targeting peptides. It also has a five patented technology not to mention, gardenia phyto stem cells that boost the making of elasticity and collagen. Get it back to baby firmness £55/30ml at:www.blissworld.co.uk
Hydration is a key when it comes to trying to firm, lift or replace facial volume. The bad news is that it doesn’t matter how much water you drink during the day, as it helps very little, in terms of getting improvements to the face. Just using a hydrating cream or moisturiser may not help either, as the hydration will not last. The key to finding a hydrating product is one that can continuously give water to the skin.
Filorga: Hydra-Filler: This moisturiser has a built in reservoir when it comes to hydration. It’s a smart moisturiser that has two high and low molecular weight hyaluronic acids. This means they can in effect increase the skin’s reservoir capacity. Not only does it do that, but it also has a film-forming effecting acting as a micro-filler. In simple terms, it limits water loss to the skin, and reinforces the barrier effect while also making lipids for the skin. The result? Pretty perky skin! £45, 50ml only at: www.marksandspencer.com
Skyn, Iceland: Firm eyes are just as important to a complete looking firm face. SKYN Hydro Cool Firming Eye Gels are a great quick fix to getting firm results fast within the eye area. Pop the eye masks on for 10 minutes and see the eyes restored. Their secret is a hexapeptide technology. I recommend these masks for the great value as well as long lasting hydration. £25, 8 pairs of eye gels only at: www.marksandspencer.com
Love Your Skin-London: Collagen Moisturising Gel:One of the key reasons I love love love this body product is that it’s OIL FREE! The water-based gel leaves the skin soft and not oily, and you are able to dress immediately. Containing a collagen protein, and Evening Primrose to plump and redensify the skin-it’s one serious firming gel. Aloe Vera cools and soothes the skin, so this is a great one to use in heat or hotter weather as well. Best of all, you can use it on the face as well. £16.99 at: www.lys-london.com
Dr. Ceuticals: Tummy Tone: For those who want to tighten and don’t like sit-ups, maybe Dr. Ceuticals’ Tummy Tone can help you tighten up your belt! The product has been clinically proven to be able to slim down waistlines and reduce fat storing cells in 28 days. I’ve been using it for a week while now, twice daily, and noticed a difference in the sense that my flesh around the middle feels tighter and firmer. The secret weapon in this product is brown seaweed which goes to directly target retained fat cells. £19.99, 150ml at www.drceuticals.co.uk
NUXE: Firming Cream, Anti-Aging, Tightening Effect, Crème Fondante Raffermissante: This has become one of my favourites in the department of body firming, as it has dual-action and also lifts! Their secret is Brazilian Mimosa, and Oat sugar which firms, while Kigela Africana and extracts Flake Rye help to strengthen the skin mesh and lift. The texture of course, is smooth, but the smell is gorgeous as it smells of orange, jasmine and almond oils. £33.90, 200ml www.feelunique.com
Lola & Grace: Lola & Grace has some great earrings that could add some sparkle to Mum’s wardrobe, and so affordable you can splash out and take her to tea as well! £35-£50 www.lolaandgrace.com
Shavata, Brow Arch Package: Groom mum well on this day with a mother, daughter package for brow arches at Shavata. In just 15 min, get super tamed brows by threading, and enjoy a glass of bubbly with her too! £25.50, to book: www.shavata.com
Per-fekt Skin Perfection Gel: Give Mum Perfect flawless skin in an instant with Per-fekt Skin Gel. Easily enhancing her natural beauty, and colour and a great alternative to normal foundation or primers! Loved by Hollywood A-listers, treat mum like a star! £49.50 at www.beautybay.com
Aromatherapy Associates, Mini Bath & Body Oils set: Spoil your mum if she’s a lady on the move….she’ll appreciate this lovely box of 9x3ml oils to relax with in the evenings. Give her inner joy with Aromatherapy Associates! £30 for set of miniatures at: www.aromatherapyassociates.com
Liz Earle, Energising Body Lotion: Want to be a smooth operator to mum? Then nothing beats Liz Earle’s Energising Body Lotion with damask rose, and sweet orange oils. £18 www.uk.lizearle.com
Ragdale Hall, Temple Balm: Mum’s a hectic lady that needs to calm moments. Get her this temple balm to soothe her nerves! £4 www.marksandspencer.com
Tea for 2 at CANTEEN: Get some special just you and mum time and lounge at CANTEEN with high tea for 2: Smoked salmon, cucumber sarnies, cakes, scones, tea & fizz for just £19.99! Book at your nearest CANTEEN now: www.canteen.co.uk
DL & Co., Forbidden Fruit Candles: Treat mum to this collection of crisp apple candles. Striking in appearance it will lift her up any day of the week! £69 at www.dlcompany.com
Kindle Pink Python Clutch: Whether she’s putting her Kindle there, or she’s just going out on a lunch date, give mum serious style with his Python Clutch! £49, http://www.gift-library.com/Pink-Python/pid-w1nyweo90002pnk
LUSH Spa: Give Mum the most LUSH-u-rious experience at LUSH Spa, Kings Road, and the Comforter Exfoliating Treatment. She’ll be in heaven with warm chocolate scrub, hot body serum massage, and be uplifted and nourished both inside and out! £65, one hour treatment, to book e-mail: kings.rd@lush.co.uk
Swarovski: Want to be the sparkle in Mum’s eye? Consider these lovely pieces from Swarovski! She’ll be bragging to all her friends, that she got the gift from you! £70-£100 www.swarovski.com
Elemis Spa Day out at Harvey Nichols: Do a girlie day out with mum at Harvey Nichols and get 2-for-1 package which includes: 2x3 course lunch at Seasons Restaurant, 2x Elemis Facials, and 1x complimentary Elemis gift for £100 (package worth £150). Elemis voucher valid for 6 months to use. Call 0207 201 8584 or e-mail elemis_hnlondon@hotmail.co.uk to book now.
Baume & Mercier, Linea Watch: For the woman who has always made time for you…give her this luxury watch from Baume & Mercier. Linea watch comes in a variety of colours, and have loads of elegance! £1420 available at www.thewatchgallery.co.uk
Their story begins over two thousand years ago, when Budapest was known for its spas or baths and the healing properties that were found within Hungarian waters. The mineral-rich healing waters were prized, and hence in the 1920s, Budapest was named ‘The International Spa’ city.
In the 1800s, the Omorovicza family built their Racz spa upon a site of a medieval healing spring. Nearly two hundred years later, Margaret and Stephen de Heinrich de Omorovicza (their decedents) were relaxing at the Racz spa, and were amazed by the effects of the healing waters on their skin. They were inspired and hence, thought what it would be like to offer a range of products that harnessed the power of these waters-this is the beginning to the Omorovicza range or brand of products today.
Although the healing properties of the mineral waters were well-known, there presented a problem with the delivery system to penetrate deeper within the skin. This problem is mainly caused by the limited bio-availability of minerals. Working alongside, a Nobel-prize winning Laboratory of Dermatology in Hungary, Margaret and Stephen developed a patented delivery system that reconfigured the molecular structure of the minerals. This system is the key to their products, known as, Hydro Mineral Transference.
Over the last decade, I have worked with many spa lines and or products. Very few, however, have deserved the praise or hype, as although they feel or smell lovely, or give you the feeling of the spa, they deliver minimal visible difference on the skin. I recommend the Omorovicza products as you can see rather noticeable results. I tested the products after a swimming session at the pool. The chlorine waters often leave my skin, dry and dull, having stripped much of the natural oils during the swim. I used three products for my trial: The Thermal Cleansing Balm, Deep Cleansing Mask and The Instant Plumping Cream.
Thermal Cleansing Balm(£46, 50ml): This product turns around the assumption that using a mud-based product will leave you with an uncomfortable tight feeling. In fact, it leaves your skin incredibly soft, and firm. The smell is also unlike traditional mud-based products, smelling of seaweed or clay as it has a beautiful orange blossom scent that lifts the senses! I especially liked the fact that it removes all make-up with ease as well. My skin definitely looked radiant after the cleansing, and squeaky clean- it was well-conditioned, and replenished.
Deep Cleansing Mask(£57, 50ml): I was glad to open the cleansing mask to realise it was not another black mud mask staring back at me. The mask was slightly tingly and warming, and upon taking it off I saw an incredibly radiance and luminescence to the skin. The smell was also not overpowering, but subtle, with hints of aromatherapy oils. This is also packed full of nutrients as it is made from Hungarian Moor mud which is rich in calcium and magnesium carbonates.
Instant Plumping Cream(£105, 50ml): I’ve used many firming or plumping creams in my time, and the true test to see if it indeed plumps is only if the plumping effect is instant. The area to truly feel this is in the cheeks. I’ve only known one other product that truly does this (which I’m currently using) and I was pleasantly surprised by this cream. At last I found the culprit ingredient in the cream to be omega ceramide 6 which retextures the lipid matrix-meaning that it restores elasticity and gives it that oomph! Aside from that, it also of course, has hyaluronic spheres, and plenty of peptides. Top tip: A little goes a long long way with this product, use it sparingly! It is so creamy and smooth, and you feel the drench of hydration straight away.
My verdict is that the products definitely restored my skin after my swimming session, and I was pleased with the visible results! With Winter still lingering, Omorovicza products could not just give you a glow, but true skin glory!
You’ll be seeing my verdict soon too on their facials, as I’ll soon be reporting on this…watch this space. In the meantime, if you’re looking for a REAL SPA product to invest in (with serious results), and not something with just a spa-like feel, why not try some Omorovicza? Get these products, and the full range at:www.omorovicza.com
In 2011, Anke Domaske made headlines in the world, for being this century’s’ ‘Real-life Rumpelstilskin’-spinning milk into cloth and literally taking fashion forward. In 2011, Domaske’s textile company, Qmilk, was awarded The Fashion and Textile Award for Innovation, and the fibre, ranks within the top fifty of the best innovations of 2011.
The fibre is spun from milk protein known as casein. It takes six litres of milk to make one dress and equates to a worth of 150-200 Euros. More impressive though, is that by making cloth this way, it is today’s green technology in fashion; as it only takes two litres of water, and one hour of processing time versus say, a fibre like cotton, which takes over 10,000 litres of water to process in make the same amount of fabric. The result is a smooth to the touch, cloth, rather similar to silk. Compared to other fabric it is also attains more strength in colour and brightness as the milk protein casein forms crystals that can emphasise refraction. Casein is produced from raw milk that may not be used, by law, for consumption. This means, that it is a rather sustainable source when it comes to farmers and suppliers alike. Furthermore, it is 100% biodegradable, from start to finish and in its life-cycle.
There are also apparently health benefits, when it comes to wearing the Q-milk fabric, as tests have shown it has a slight UV protection for the skin, is ideal for sensitive skin, can regulate body temperature and encourage blood circulation. Spinning protein casein is not entirely a new technology though, as this technique was used during WWII, to make threads when resources were scarce. The technology has not been brought to the forefront nor commercialised until now. Domaske has started a new green revolution and truly allowing fashion to move forward with the Q-milk fabric.
Of course, all you fashionistas, will be asking me about style. Let me now tell you that Domaske also has implemented serious style using Q-milk fabric. Her Mademoiselle Chi Chi line (Mcc-Style), known by the likes of celebs such as, Micha Barton and Ashlee Simpson, has now incorporated Q-milk fabric plus serious fashion styles. Is there anything this white gold thread cannot do for us? Bad news is, there’s still a bit of waiting time before production goes full steam ahead-waiting time: probably at least a year till you can get a milk dress….watch this space:www.mcc-style.com
Bagged popcorn can be a real downer, as it usually is not fresh, and doesn’t have that fresh pop cinema feeling to it. The flavours can be a bit boring too often only coming in butterscotch, sweet, or just plain salted. I’ve often been disappointed even at the cinema, purchasing, ready packed version, and then when biting into the kernals, only to find that they bite back with a chewy, deflated feeling-meaning, that it was old or aged popcorn.
Recently, I’ve discovered the joy of eating ready-made popcorn from the bag, in the form of Kracklecorn (this is the popcorn processed in a special method) by Portlebay Popcorn. Brought to us, by the wonderful people, that also brought us, Burt’s Potato Chips, the flavours are exciting and make this traditional funfair snack truly magical again! Popped in small batches, by hand, the pop corn is gently ‘wet’ a little by rapeseed oil. This is the key to how they lock in the crunch with this ready-made popcorn, as usually others just dry pop in hot air, and that’s why you often open a bag of chewy or polystyrene-like popcorn. Portlebay also, add some raw cane sugar, which goes brittle straight away in the high temperatures. This is how they add that ‘CRUNCH’ sensation and then savory seasonings are added. The flavours truly turn popcorn on its head, with flavours like Wasabi & Sweet Ginger (they like to call this a POP SUSHI), Crispy Bacon & Maple Syrup, Chilli & Lime (I highly recommend this flavour), Applewood Smoked Cheddar(an edgy and not overpowering pungent cheesy flavour), and original Kracklecorn (sweet + salted, the best of both worlds). Kracklecorn is probably one of the most innovative flavours, because no one can fight another to say they didn’t get sweet or salted! Truly a sweet, eerr…salted compromise!
My personal verdict for coming in 1,2 & 3 are: Chilli & Lime, Crispy Bacon & Maple Syrup & Wasabi & Sweet Ginger! This popcorn is incredibly moorish, so make sure, you’ve got enough to go around! And just to prove how fresh, and how the people at Portlebay take great care in making this product, each bag is marked with the name of the person who popped it and on what date. True fanatics of snack no?
Portlebay Popcorn comes in 25g bags and 125g bags. Get some Kracklecorn in with that Friday night film at: www.portlebaypopcorn.com, available nationwide in Delis and Farmshops 79p, 25g packs, £2.79 125g packs.