Givaudan's new iPerfumer App for your iPhone

Are you overwhelmed with the choices of all the new fragrances out there? There seems to be a new one on the market every day – didn’t know there were so many ways of mixing scents.

Before 2001, there were fewer choices and more of the block buster fragrances, the Super Models of the fragrance industry if you like. But after 2001 every designer and celebrity started to bring out their own fragrances. Great news - more choice. Bad news - how do you find the right fragrance for you? 

Well you can try the many testers in the stores. But your nose can only take so many different smells and really you do have to wear the perfume for a while to allow the heart and base notes to come through.  It’s going to be a long search.

Or you could go for the quick and convenient way of buying online but then you are really taking a risk on a new fragrance. 

In fact you’ll probably give up and stick to your tried and tested old favourites. And what’s wrong with wearing your old favourite? Nothing but sometimes you just need to get out of your rut and have a little fling with a new fragrance.  Partners, friends and colleagues will notice you smell differently and it’s a great pick me up.

How do you begin your search for this new fragrance?

Givaudan, the industry leading perfumery house, may have the answer to your problem. They have created a new free App called iPerfumer.  This is the first mobile perfume recommendation tool and will take out most of the guesswork to help users select their perfect fragrance.

It is also unique in how it helps you choose a fragrance you’ll like. Similar tools will recommend fragrances by asking questions on your lifestyle such as do you like the outdoors etc. However it then would assume that because you like the outdoors, you’ll like fresh scents.

iPerfumer actually asks you to rate the different scents usually found in perfumes:

Citrus; floral; chypre; fougere; oriental; and woody.
You give the number of stars by each or click on no preference. And if you don’t know what these scents smell like e.g.   chypre or fougere for instance (and who does?)  , then there is a help button next to it which will describe the scent and give examples of perfumes.

With this information the iPerfumer is then able to recommend the perfumes which have the scents you prefer.
The recommended perfumes are shown with a photo of the bottle and a breakdown of the ingredients in to top notes, the heart and the base.

You can also give ratings on a particular perfume you’ve used in the past and the iPerfumer will then give alternatives you may like. These ratings are then stored and collated to provide an average score so users can see the popularity of a particular fragrance.

You are also not limited to your own profile; you can set others for friends, relatives and partners – a great way of choosing perfumes for Christmas and birthdays.

With over 4,000 masculine and feminine prestige fragrances stored in its data base, iPerfumer is a great tool for those who love technology on the go and want to learn more about fragrances.

You can load iPerfumer from the Apple store and oh did I mention the App is free.

Glam Hair By Umberto Giannini

The new range Glam Hair by Umberto Giannini is all about making an entrance in a red carpet, big movie siren tresses way. There’s no chance of you quietly blending in to the background and why would you want to? With these products you have the means to create sexy glamorous statement looks and turn heads.

Wipe the slate clean with the new Ditch the Dirt Volume Shampoo in readiness for your Glam transformation. This volumising and repairingshampoo claims to strengthen even the driest, coloured and damaged hair. Loving it already

Plump up the volume even more with the new Plump and Sexy Volume Conditioner
Silk proteins condition and improve the softness of the hair, whilst bringing more volume without weighing the hair down. Now with our freshly washed plumped up hair feeling silky soft we’re ready for the next level of glamorous gorgeousness with the new Glam Hair styling products.





Create hair volume that explodes in to a voluptuous and luscious Hollywood statement style with the Sex Bomb Massive Mouse.
Or if you decide on a festival hair or rock-chic glamour look then go for the Grunge Glamour Tousled Salt Spray. This is for the perfect lived in texture with “just got out of bed” tousled waves. A look that says I don’t have to try to look gorgeous – I am.

You’ve almost completed your red carpet glamour look but think BIG for extra volume with the following:

Backcomb in a Bottle – this is your own little genie – you wish you could get the on trend backcomb look without wrecking your hair – well your wish is granted with this magical product - All you have to do is spray it on where you want the backcomb effect, jujj it and viola you have instant texture and volume!

Rock ‘n’ Roll Extreme Hairspray – this little guy likes to party harder than any other hairspray they know. Its super powers are gravity defying and volume holding well in to the next day. So when everyone else is losing their heads yours will be firmly in place.

You’d think that was it – you’ve got the Big glamorous movie siren hair with backcombed quiffs, huge bouffants, candyfloss curls or tousled waves. But there’s just another added extra to give a true carpet style star finished look:
The Glamour Puss Crystal Mist. Spray your hair with soft gold stardust and it’ll catch the light and shimmer seductively.

You’ve partied all night and now don’t have time to wash your hair in the morning or are just too lazy. Then Glam Hair’s Morning After Shampoo is just the thing for you. This dry shampoo now not only refreshes lank lifeless hair but helps creates a ruffed up style of its own. This one is also invisible so no nasty white powder residue that looks like dandruff.




Try them out and discover the product you just can’t live without. All can be purchased from Boots.

Saying goodbye to our London elephants

Is anyone else missing those fashionista elephants who invaded London earlier this year? They certainly brightened up the city and showed us a thing or two about style.

Just to reminisce here are  a few of our favourites.

Dahlings you can’t ignore the designer elephants now can you?
Here we see outfits designed by Paul Smith and Ralph Lauren. 

Paul Smith went for a bold outfit of his  signature colours and stripes....

................whilst Ralph Lauren went controversial with a little red number embellished with periwinkles and green foliage. Was he capturing the London punk look?

Accessories maketh the outfit as these well dressed elephants show.

The little black number is brightened with a few bejewelled embellished anklets.

The matching gold anklet and necklace enrich this multi coloured outfit.

This nude coloured macramé cape (a trend to look out for this autumn) tones down the red and white patterned outfit.

 Large statement earrings make this plain blue outfit striking.

Some fashionistas showing us how to wear the big summer trends this season.

Matching accessories to your outfit is out as this Oxford Street elephant shows. Lilac outfit with lime green and orange accessories – a bold statement but definitely on trend.

Lace is a big summer trend this season and this fashionista wears it with a hint of eastern promise. Also loving the gold nail polish.

The vintage look is in and this Covent Garden elephant looks great in yellow and white polka dots.

Floral prints are a big hit this summer, whether ditzy or a larger design. Wear in light shades and chiffon fabrics for a cool look as this South Bank elephant shows.

Pastels are the colours to wear, especially pink and white. This Berkeley Square elephant ensures her ethereal look does not fade in to the background  by adding drama with her smokey eyes

Graphic prints are a good alternative trend to the floral prints. This Carnaby Street elephant is going for the retro look.........

.................whilst this Kensington High Street elephant is in to the more graffiti look.

Metallics are in. Wear gold for warm complexions and silver for cool. This fashionista has also added texture (another big trend) by mixing matt and shine.  

Bringing a touch of exotic adds glamour as the Leicester Square elephant showed with her touch of Bollywood .

A few of the elephants decided to bring style to our sporting events this year.

During Ascot our fashionista elephants outshone everyone in their daisy fascinators

A Spain football loving supporter on to a winner here in Hyde Park.

And at Wimbledon, taking lawn tennis to the extreme, whilst others.........

-------are all strawberried out

Here are some styling tips we can learn from our fashionistas

Vertical stripes will make you look slimmer

Wearing one colour head to toe is also slimming and it doesn't have to be black as this pretty in pink Covent Garden elephant models.

When wearing prints you need to consider your body scale. If you have a Iarge body scale then small prints will only make you look larger and vice versa. This Sloane elephant can wear a large print with confidence.

But like all fashionistas we sometimes have our off days and make fashion faux pas. Here are some of theirs.

Remember what looks good on someone else doesn’t automatically mean it’s going to look good on you.

Pandas look cute and cuddly, but on this poor elephant it just looks wrong.

Leave midriff revealing clothes to the young and slim. There are better and more flattering ways to show off your curvaceous figure.

Don’t wear a wide belt if you haven’t got a waist, it will only emphasise your tummy.

Animal prints are a summer trend which will last in to the autumn/winter,but not a good look when you wear them all over, keep to key pieces and you'll get a stylish look.

And not forgetting the boys,  here’s a few of the male elephants who just wanted to show us how much they loved London by dressing the part.

Wearing a Union Jack flag over your shoulders is not a good sartorial look, but this elephant looks kinda cute.

Everyone loves a guy in uniform – although we think someone should have told these elephants it doesn’t usually include a Bobby............

........... or a Chelsea pensioner.

This elephant is going for the intelligent and vintage look in his Sherlock Holmes attire.

An elephant in all black is usually a good look but not as a Taxi!  Drive on; we’ll wait for the ferrari

Now this elephant fared better in white as all the girls gave him a kiss goodbye.

Goodbye we’ll miss you all.xxxxx

New TKMaxx Flagship Store at Charing Cross Road, London

TKMaxx's new flagship store has opened at 120 Charing Cross Road, London.

The VIP preview night saw the staff dancing away on small podiums whilst modelling the clothes. Some near the windows had the passer bys looking bewildered or amused as they watched the dancing from the outside.

Champagne flowed as we were allowed to roam around and try the new stock. The first floor was the womenswear (handy for the champagne and canopies)
New fashion department Mod Box took a third of the space with their hot trend of the month “Varsity”.

Gold Label (expensive designer gear even with the TKMaxx discount) took a double rail. Saw a fantastic Jill Sander black jacket, but alas had to put it back when I saw the bargain price of £299.


The first floor was dedicated to shoes, handbags, lingerie, beauty products and kiddies wear. To get over the shock of picking up a £450 Mui Mui handbag (why am I attracted to the most expensive??), I sat down whilst the pamper girls gave me a mini manicure and make-up.

Feeling refreshed and with a new glass of champagne I climbed up to the top floor to find the men's section ranging from shoes, accessories,sports tees to smart suits.


Finally surfacing from all the rummaging around, I spied a few celebrities - Julie Peasgood (a regular on the Alan Titchmarsh show) in the beauty section and Zandra Rhodes queueing at the till point.

Written by Karen Grace, personal shopper for www.frumpytofunky.com

New for 2010 from Eau Thermal Avene

New for 2010 from Eau Thermal Avenue are the following products:

Tolerance Extreme Range.

Great news for those with hypersensitive and allergic skins, Eau Thermale Avene has improved its Tolerance Extreme range with a pioneering tube technology called D.E.F. I.2 (Depositif Exclusive Formule Intacte)

Now I hear you say -how does that help sensitive skin, it has nothing to do with the actual ingredients?  Indirectly it does because the new flip cap opening is devised with this new technology which prevents air oxidisation and contamination of the ingredients, therefore ensuring we apply a pure bacteria free cleanser or moisturiser every time.

How does it work? Well the system works by allowing you to flip the cap, squeeze the tube and the product to flow out. Nothing special there – but what is special is that it doesn’t allow any air or any of the product to flow back in the tube, so keeping what’s left inside sterile and bacteria free. 

This means Avene no longer has to package their product in the three day mono-dose vials to keep everything sterile, now with the 50ml size tubes we have the flexibility of using the product as and when needed.

The Tolerance Extreme range includes a no rinse cleansing lotion and a soothing anti-irritating cream for the face and neck.  The products are formulated with a minimum of pure and safe ingredients to minimise the risk of irritation or allergic reaction, and are free from preservatives, parabens, fragrances and emulsifiers. This is then manufactured and packaged under sterile conditions. So it’s good to know that with the new tube technology all this hard work would not be in vain once the tube is opened.

New Sensitive Skin Suncare Range

 Also improved this year is the newly reformulated specialist range of sunscreens enabling those with hypersensitive or allergic skins to benefit from paraben and alcohol-free sun care products which are water resistant and offer a long lasting UV protection.

SPF range from 20 moderate protection to 50+ very high protection, depending on your skin type and the strength of the sun. For extremely sensitive or intolerant skin there is the SPF50+ White High Protection Cream which is a fragrance free 100% mineral screen with no chemical filters.

Eau Thermale Avene has something else to celebrate this year – its 20^th anniversary.

First launched in France in 1990, it reached the UK in 2000. All products are based on Avene thermal spring water which is renowned for its therapeutic properties. (apparently discovered around the 1730’s when locals noticed a horse with a severe skin disease had cured itself by drinking and rolling in the waters).
The water’s low mineral and salt content is ideal for sensitive skin and its high silica content soothes and softens the skin.

 

Speedo bring out new Sculpture Shapeline swimsuits

Summer is here and all thoughts turn to holidays – you can visualise yourself tanned and toned walking along a sun kissed beach. But can that turn into reality? The tanned part is easily rectified. Even if you have pale freckled skin there are so many fake tanning products on the market to suit everyone. The toned part, well that’s a different matter.

Speedo may be the answer to your prayers with their new Speedo Sculpture Shapeline range- “swimwear made by real women for real women” and “providing the nearest thing to the made-to-measure swimsuit”.

They have designed three styles to help accentuate your assets and hide the areas you are not happy with. All styles have all over firm control shaping support and back fastening inset bras which come in dual cup sizes available from 30B to 34G. They range from size 10-20, come in 2 colours: classic black and deep pink and 2 body lengths- long (black only) and regular. Each have their own additional zoned control panels plus smart seaming placed in the right areas to create a more balanced shape.

Bust Shaper (Natasha).

This style is designed for the top heavy figure where the bust is fuller and the chest/shoulders are bigger than the bottom and hips. The cup-sized inner bra gives extra lift, support and definition and a scooped V-neckline flatters the bust. The smart seaming is the vertical seaming down the front which draws the eye down to the lower half of the suit and then to the diagonal seams on the hips.

Waist Smoother (Madeline)

This style is for the straight or hourglass figure where the hips and chest are equal in width. Here the emphasis is on the waist with additional controlled zone to flatten the tummy and sides. The placing of the diagonal seams draws the attention to the centre.

Tummy and Hip Sculpture (Maria)

This style is designed to complement the pear-shaped figure. The top is a bandeau style with removable straps and with a lightly padded cup-sized bra, whilst additional control zones around the tummy and hips flattens and gives more support. All seaming is on the top half so drawing the eye upwards away from the bottom and hips.

To find the best shape and size it is recommended you have a professional fit assessment at one of the stores as you may find that you are a different size to your regular clothing.

And don’t panic when you struggle to get in to your recommended size – this is normal due to all the firm control support in the fabric. Persevere and you’ll be well rewarded once you’re in a snug but figure flattering suit. I’m told that for all you swimmers it feels great when swimming but for all those who just like to rest and stroll on the beach, you will no longer need your colourful sarongs to hide behind, just walk tall in your new Speedo Sculpture Shapeline.