Wednesday 31 August 2011

A Great Perfume for Autumn - Tolu by Ormonde Jayne


Autumn is nearly upon us and it is time to start thinking of switching from your light flirtatious summer fragrances to the richer and sensuous autumn scents.
Instantly falling in love with Ormonde Jayne’s light floriental Ta’if after a Personal Perfume Portraits session with perfumier Linda Pilkington herself, I’m ready to change (just for the autumn/winter evenings) to the richer oriental Tolu, the second fragrance recommended to me.  
I must admit me and Tolu just didn’t seem the perfect match at first as the top notes of juniper berry, orange blossom and clary sage were just too heady and intense for me. However Linda did advise this perfume took a while to settle, and after a couple of hours I discovered I loved the smell. Then I couldn’t stop breathing in the soft powdery scent and spent all evening with my nose stuck to my wrist!
 Luckily Tolu has a long lasting dry down period so it is worth the wait of a couple of hours for the fragrance to settle.
Top notes: juniper berry, orange blossom and clary sage
Heart:  Orchid, Moroccan Rose and Muguet
Base notes: Tolu (Peruvian resin), Tonka bean, golden frankincense and amber

Tolu is also a favourite of designer Roksana Ilincic.

Available in Parfum, Eau de Parfum , Hydrating bath & shower crème, Essential bathing oil, Replenishing body lotion, scented candle and soon to come Sugar Butter Solid Perfume.

More details on www.ormondejayne.com

Limited Edition of Beauty Insiders Choice Winners Box


With so many beauty lotions and potions on the market all tempting us to buy them, which one do you choose? Well the online beauty club ‘Latest in Beauty’ allows you to buy a monthly beauty box which will contain standard sample sizes such as sachets and small vials for you to try before you buy.
And now they are launching limited edition themed bi-monthly boxes. The samples will be luxury travel sizes.
For their first themed box, they have teamed up with the Cosmetic Executive Women UK (the leading organisation for women working in the world of beauty) to create the:
Beauty Insiders Choice Winners Box

This beauty box contains some of the winning key products from the 2011 CEW Beauty Awards: 

Clarins Multi-Active Day Early Wrinkle Correction Cream (15ml tube) – voted ‘Best new everyday facial skincare- prestige category’
Batiste Dry Shampoo (50ml can) - voted ‘Best new hair care product- mass category’
Nivea for Men Q10 Revitalising Gel (15ml tube) - voted ‘Best new men’s grooming product- mass category’
Balance Me Rose Otto Body Wash (55ml bottle) - voted ‘Best new bath and body product-prestige category’ OR Balance Me Hydrating Rose Otto & Shea Butter Salve (15ml tube)
Plus small sample sachets of:
Dr Organic Rose Otto Skin Lotion voted ‘Best new everyday facial skincare product-mass category’
Lanolips 101 Ointment voted ‘Best new skincare treatment product –mass category’

The box is available to buy for £4.95 (RRP over £20) on www.latestinbeauty.com

For more information on the Cosmetic Executive Women UK go to their website www.cewuk.com

Beauty

Tuesday 23 August 2011

Krispy Kreme & Glamour collaborate again for 2 new Lipgloss Doughnuts

Last Feb, in the midst of London Fashion Week AW11, the glossy magazine Glamour celebrated its 10th anniversary by creating the  Glamour Glaze doughnut with Krispy Kremes. The flavours were hot pink strawberry and purple blackcurrant.
Just in time for London Fashion Week SS12, they've decided to bring out another 'collection' of Glamour Glaze doughnuts.
This time it's inspired by the Glitzy 70s with bright strawberry (Glamour Glaze signature colour) and new orange glaze. Both sparkle like lipgloss.
A single Glamour glaze doughnut costs £1.35 and will be available at a  Kripsy Kremes store for a limited period only. From  29th Aug until 2nd Oct.
www.krispykreme.co.uk 

Saturday 20 August 2011

HAIR TO STAY- NEW KMS CALIFORNIA... RELOADED


The professional hair brand KMS California is celebrating 35 years in the industry and to show that they are not resting on their laurels they’ve relaunched (or reloaded) themselves with new packaging and the introduction of 12 new products including a new sub line called Freeshape.


The Packaging – matt but bright colour blocks are teamed with glossy bold text in a clashing complementary colour.  There’s  yellow green with purple; deep raspberry  with mint green;  orange with bright blue and purple with yellow to name a few - All inspired by the catwalk colourways.

FREESHAPE - The New Sub Line
Colourway – Deep raspberry with a mid mint green lettering.
Here they combine technology with nature. This sub line concentrates on giving shorter styling times whilst providing a longer lasting style.
The key ingredients are Mirustyle which provides heat protection and the Rhodiala Watermint which is thought to help thermal stress protection whilst providing cooling and refreshing properties.
But it is the Thermopolymer KMS are excited about. This they say is more flexible than other polymers and so doesn’t cause the hair to become brittle. It works by solidifying instantly when heat activated which provides a better style retention.
Now I’ve blinded you with science (and myself) let’s get on to whether it produces the results.
The Two hero products in the line are:

FREESHAPE HOT FLEX SPRAY.RRP £15.95

Unlimited heat styling without damage for styles that last until the next wash
KMS Top tip: use on hair before blow-drying to set your style with heat activated technology.
As a woman who prefers to wash and blow dry her hair in the evening, but not actually style the hair until the morning, this is an ideal product.  As the top tip recommends, I used before blow drying so in the morning didn’t have to use again when straightening my hair. It does feel a bit strange not using an extra product in the morning, so you’re really trusting that it does do what it says. 
However what I could gauge was how my hair looked. Usually my thin but frizzy hair goes lank when applying heat protection products before straightening – this time it kept some of its volume because no extra products were used– great result here.



FREESHAPE QUICK BLOW DRY RRP £13
Speeds up drying time by up to 50% while protecting against heat damage.
KMS Top Tip: use your usual products then spray quick blow dry as a last step before blow drying.
I don’t spend a lot of time blow drying my hair because it is so fine it dries quickly, so I didn’t see much difference here. However it did seem a little quicker but we’re really talking about seconds rather than minutes.
Probably best for someone with thicker hair who has to spend hours blow drying it.








Other hero products across the KMS ranges are:

HAIRSTAY – STYLE BOOST RRP £14.50
Colourway: Cadet blue with orange lettering
A primer for the hair to boost the performance of your styling products and help your style last up to 3x longer.
KMS Top Tip: Can use on its own to enhance natural texture and boost body.
This has a very light citrus perfume and is fun to use. Give it a good shake then squirt.  On my 1st attempt the ‘foam’ bounced out of my palm – maybe I was being a bit too eager to try it out.  Now I say foam but it really looks more like suds. Once squirted out, it makes a crackling noise whilst it disappears in your palm to transform in to a liquid gel.
Smoothing the gel on I instantly felt my hair thicken and so it definitely gives more body.






NEW- HAIRPLAY DRY TOUCH UP RRP £14.30
Colourway: Yellow green with purple lettering
Instant conditioning on-the-go, simply use on dull hair to add shine and revive.
KMS Top Tip: perfect for reviving a lack-lustre fringe before a night out.
With fine but coarse hair I have to be careful with leave in conditioning products. Too much product and I can end up with lank and still frizzy hair. But any less had no effect at all.
So when I tentatively tried this I was quite impresses. I was able to spray on a little at a time and gradually build it up. Plus my hair felt soft and smooth. OK not as though I’d stepped out of a salon but a massive improvement for me.








Last but definitely not least is
HAIRPLAY – MOULDING PASTE RRP £17.30
No 1 worldwide bestseller within KMS range. Provides texture with a pliable hold.
KMS Top Tip: reactivate your style at the end of the day, simply wet hands and reshape.
This has a great smell of coconut and is great for adding volume.
I prefer to use it as in the Top Tip rather than as a styling aid after washing my hair. I find it’s great for scrunching the hair and getting that tousled look.  Probably works best on short hair for the more structured styles. 






The new look and the new sub line Free shape will be available as from Sep

Wednesday 17 August 2011

BBS - Beg, Borrow or Steal Jeans now in House of Fraser

The premium denim line, Beg, Borrow or Steal, has launchied its AW11 collection which is now available from House of Fraser. The latest style to their collection is 'Kimberly':
Kimberly
 This dark denim skinny flare is the signature style for the Autumn/Winter months. The price is £60 (in House of Fraser) and is also available in black.
Kimberly black
This style is great for both the pear shape and the top heavy. For the pear shape the flared bottom will balance out your wider hips and for top heavy the flares will balance your bottom half with your broad shoulders or larger bust. It's a win win situation.

However if you ar not into the flares, then BBS have 3 other styles:
Carrie
“Carrie” the skinny jean (as shown above), This mid blue range is £65 in House of Fraser. Also available in grey and dark blue.
“Sienna” the boot cut, and “Kelly” the straight fit.
Across the range, the denim is lightweight and soft. Two tone stitching is used and the distressed and faded look is achieved by manual whiskering.

Available from http://www.houseoffraser.co.uk.  

Sunday 14 August 2011

The UnderCover Job of Ryder & Rowe's Art Deco Style Lingerie


I couldn’t resist an invitation to attend the preview of a new lingerie brand at 123 Bethnal Green Boutique.  It sounded so civilised, offering tea and cakes in the Bunker Cafe, but was it an undercover job? I had to investigate further.
Shop window of 123 Bethnal Green boutique.
Arriving at the boutique, the prime suspects were in full view as life size lingerie model illustrations shamelessly looking out of the windows. But you could tell that they were a bit sketchy and you could read their minds like a book.
Beautiful & the Damned soft cup bra and culottes
 F. Scott Fitzgerald books to be exact, with the suspiciously innocent looking ‘Beautiful & the Damned’ as the ring leader. 
Beautiful & the Damned in navy and ivory
Walking in to the boutique, I searched the premises and found Naomi Ryder alone upstairs with her lingerie booty. I decided to question her about ‘Beautiful & the Damned’ which will be the first range to be stocked in 123 Bethnal Green boutique..  
Beautiful & the Damned playsuit
She readily spills the beans and explains they took their inspiration from the 1920’s and F. Scott Fitzgerald. The design is of art deco silhouettes in a range of soft cup bra, culottes, camisole and dress jacket s. The basic colour palette is navy and ivory but every season they will be aided and abetted by other hues. This summer season it is the seemingly demure ‘Shell ‘pink in plain and a seagull print disguise.  
She then gives me names of her partners in crime – Dennis Nothdruft and Alison McCann, which surprises me as I was expecting just one partner, the elusive Rowe. But no, there are two Rowes and the plot thickens as I discover they used that name because by coincidence both their grandmother’s were called Rowe.
Tender is the Night navy chemise
 How did they devise their dastardly plan to bring irresistible lingerie on to the streets?  They had everything covered; Dennis draws up the designs and brings the plans to the table; Alison with her vast experience of the lingerie world knows the ropes and has the contacts; and Naomi? Well she admits as a textile designer she is able to meticulously bring the designs together.

I headed downstairs in to the Bunker Cafe and found more lingerie booty – this is their latest summer 2012 steal and was inspired by the English Riviera. 
Playsuit in Riviera Map print
Their plot to win me over just with tea and cake (you know the very yummy and gooey chocolate brownie cake) nearly worked but I fooled them by just eating the cakes and not drinking the tea – ha!  With a clear head and a chocolate filled tummy, my powers of detection discover the collection wasn’t just inspired by the English Riviera but Agatha Christie’s English Riviera.
Brixham baby doll and thong
There is the Brixham range of a soft cup bra, thong and baby doll in seagull print shell silk chiffon with a silk satin trim; and the Torquay range of a soft cup bra, culottes, camisole, dress jacket and playsuit in the classic Beautiful & Damned style but in shell and the seagull print.
Agatha tea dress
But the mystery doesn’t stop there as Agatha pops up herself as a floaty raspberry silk chiffon tea dress (with silk satin slip) in the seagull print.  What’s happening? This isn’t lingerie!
Jane empire line dress
Then Jane (Miss Marple) arrives to solve the problem as a silk satin empire dress with the Riviera map print on the skirt and a navy bodice. She deduces that Ryder & Rowe are introducing a new womenswear collection for SS12.
Tuppence summer dress
And not to be left out, Tuppence (of the Tommy and Tuppence detective duo), well she puts her two penny worth in with a racier silk satin structured satin summer dress with spaghetti straps and in a green and yellow beach hut print.

 To reconfirm my facts and findings, I retraced my steps and climbed back up to the top floor and spy Dennis and Alison. I hear them plotting, today available exclusively at 123 Bethnal Green Boutique, but soon the world! –will no one be safe?  Alison sees me and explains that they chose the art deco style for a feminine look without being too girlie. 
This Side of Paradise ivory playsuit
Their story matches with Naomi’s, but the evidence is clear for all to see – gorgeous delicate pieces in smooth silk satin and silk tulle that no ‘bright young thing’ could resist.



Friday 12 August 2011

Forever Unique AW11 Collection on the Spirit Catwalk at Pure London


This may be forever Unique's AW11 collection but it is not actually ready to buy until end of Aug on their website  www.foreverunique.co.uk. 
So here's a sneak preview of their glamorous and fun loving evening dresses:

Chandra – a bright and bubbly magenta pleated prom dress with tonal embellished crossover waistband and criss-cross open back. Fully lined with wired hem and layered net underskirt. Fabric- polyester £250
Other colours available red, black and green



Noreen – this black jersey maxi dress just in front of Chandra is more of the classic Grecian Goddess design with a gathered bust and diamante encrusted 3D twist strap detail and open back. (straps actually twist together at back)Fully lined with bra cups. Fabric – polyester £300
Also available in emerald

Jami – pleated animal print chiffon dress just behind Chandra has a double layer detail, satin bound neckline and gunmetal jewel encrusted chain link strap to shoulder. The asymmetrical design adds to the jungle look. Has a double wired hem. Fabric – polyester £190
Also in jade or purple animal print

Cass – black maxi dress mixes youthful fun loving bandeau top and its large sparkling gold sequin embellishments with the more feminine floaty classic chiffon skirt. Fully lined with bust cups, detachable straps. Fabric polyester £275
Camilla –black jersey pencil dress just behind Cass is more of the bold power dressing style with ruched hip panels and 3D tonal embellishment to padded shoulder and structured peplum. Fully lined. Fabric- 95& nylon and 5% elastane. £300
Seen here with a bold statement necklace.
Other colour available is red.

Forever Unique's styles give you a choice for any type of special occassion

Thursday 11 August 2011

Iron Fist -not just pretty feet

Think Iron Fist and you think footwear decorated in street art designs and bold colours.
But it's not just footwear that gets the Iron Fist treatment and here's a few from their Spring/Summer 2012 collection on the Spirit catwalk:
This tee dress may be all feminine flowers, stripes and sequins but the addition of skulls in the print gives it more of an sexy tattoo look..

But it's not all tattoos, just plain old glam appears as a gold jacket over a LBD.
Or go for black lacy shorts or black sequined shorts worn with a love heart tee.

Wednesday 10 August 2011

Vila keeping fresh on the Spirit catwalk at Pure London

Vila the Danish young fashion label goes for the feminine and natural look.
For the summer it's the fresh nautical navy stripes with a touch of sunshine orange in the horizon.
Lacy navy dress with colour block orange jacket - a great combo
Different shades of blue and orange maketh a stunning stripe sun dress
And for those of you who like the softer shades there's pale blue teamed with nude.
Bags by Owen Barry


LinkWithin

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...