Archive for the ‘Beauty News’ Category

STOP THE PRESS… the search for the perfect mascara is over, you can check that box, kick back in the comfortable knowledge that from now on lashings of naturally lustrous lashes are yours for the taking. No smudging, no flaking, no end-of-day dark circles AND it comes off in 2 seconds when soaked in warm water…

It is no wonder this has been the top selling mascara brand in Japan for over 10 years. We’ve been trying to get this brand for 2 years, d.j.v Beautenizer finally said yes to Cult Beauty launching it in Europe 2 weeks ago, and now it’s here.

There are only two products in the range, the original Fibrewig LX and their latest Volume Lash, one for beautifully alluring day lashes and one for a POWer-lash night look. It’s the mascara equivalent of finding a tall, dark, handsome, well-dressed man, an incredibly witty billionaire with an adorable mother and a love of animals…who is also straight and single! alexia inge

Dear Santa, I have been a good girl this year and was wondering if you could sort me out with this bedroom, I think it might help with stress relief…also please can I have the below drinks dispenser for the office…also stress relief…. oh and some sharks with lasers to discourage junk mail please. alexia inge

Just as the EU she so despised is crumbling around our ears, Maggie-mania is hotting up. The Iron Lady isn’t due to hit cinemas for at least a month, yet already the style nostalgia has started to permeate the fashion & beauty industries. Suddenly a boxy, shoulder-enhancing tailoring doesn’t seem quite so dated. Flesh tights, pearls and pumps (championed by the lovely Middleton sisters) seem somehow less mumsey, and what else is the crook of an elbow designed for if not a framed bag that would take out a Lib Dem at 40 paces?

From a beauty perspective Maggie was all about the bullet-proof barnet and the power lippy, no extraneously feminine trappings of eyeshadow or blusher and definitely no nail varnish. It is unlikely we will want to recreate the full hair-helmet, but creating a bit of volume and uniformity is definitely a trend to try.

Start by wash your hair with Sachajuan’s Volumising Shampoo & Conditioner, then run some davines For Wizards Body Mousse through your hair when wet and blowdry upside down while scrunching. Once dry, move the crown of your hair to the side, backcomb the under bits and then gently brush the top part back over with a boar bristle brush from Acca Kappa. Finish with a spray of davines Firm Hold Hairspray to keep it in place. alexia inge

Great news, we have a new Jouer product on board, hot off the press (as it were), the Liquid Shimmer Eyeliners have landed. In the video below Jouer founder Christina introduces the Liner better than I ever could (tops marks to the model at the end for the biggest cheesiest smile I have ever seen!)  alexia inge

A friend just told me about a brilliant event happening in London this Saturday in aid of chari-dee, ‘Dress for Success’, hosted by Jennifer Saunders, Betty Jackson and Sunday Times Style.

Working on the premise, ‘One wo-man’s Trash is another wo-man’s Treasure’, high-end bring & buy sales are rather exciting things.

The uber-cool readers of Style Mag will be bringing their boyfriend-never-liked, too small, too big, impulse-buys they no longer want to take part in this sale.

Harvey Nichols, Temperley London, Whistles, my-wardrobe.com, Matches, Mulberry, House of Holland and Astley Clarke will also set up special pop-up stalls offering exclusive one-off buys, brilliant Christmas gifts and stunning catwalk samples at discounts of up to 70%.

It’s on from 10am-1pm & 3pm-6pm; Entrance is £20 which all goes to the Charity. alexia inge

Style Fashion Bring & Buy, The House Of St Barnabas, 1 Greek Street, London W1. To book, call 0844 543 9806.

A world away from the 12 hour workdays and grimy, overcrowded tube journeys that we endure in London daily, Cult Beauty discovered a quiet, peaceful haven in Yalikavak on Turkey’s Bodrum Peninsula (4 hour flight from Gatwick) and we just had to tell you about it. It may be off our normal subject of beauty, but we came back looking about 10 years younger.

Where to stay:

We discovered a super-cool hotel called the 4 Reasons (sic) where we lounged by the pool and gorged on the exquisite cuisine. The adorable library nook is a treasure of perfect beach reads, having been contributed over the years by previous guests. It had me at Marian Keyes’s Watermelon. Chic, reasonably-priced and with only 20 rooms, it is private without being isolated.

Breakfast is by the pool, surrounded by bougainvillea and a perfect view. The 4 Reasons is big on small, luxurious details like the litres of freshly squeezed orange juice we devoured every morning (full of anti-oxidants, great for the skin and the hang-over).

Doubles start at 85 EUR per night. Book online through i-escapes or directly with the hotel on +90 (252) 385-3212.

Soak up the sun:

For a real insider’s view of Bodrum, head down to Magi Beach about a 5 minute walk from the 4 Reasons. Ask any of the friendly staff for recommendations on excursions and restaurants to find some true hidden gems. From boat trips to secret swimming bays to the perfect spot to watch the sunset, you can trust these guys to hook you up with the best Bodrum has to offer. To completely de-stress, I recommend just floating in the crystal clear water and drinking a full-fat Efes beer. jessica deluca

PAN AM is set to be a mile-high Mad Men, promising a hot, weekly, 60’s fashion & beauty injection into our lives. Based around the iconic, and now defunct airline, PAN AM will transport BBC2 viewers back to 1963, a highly glamorous era when the only inflight safety precaution was a bit of extra hairspray in case of turbulence.

An age when being an air-hostess was the most alluring occupation you could possibly have and it was seen as totally acceptable to weight the stewardesses before every flight to check they hadn’t slipped in their primary duty as totty….calm that internal feminist, see how far we’ve come and then enjoy the immaculately spot-on 60′s fashion and beauty.

Patricia Regan, the head make-up artist for PAN AM, worked closely with Chad and Scott, owners of 3 Custom Color, to create a working palette for the show inspired by the 1960′s stewardesses handbook that, amongst other things, required the gals to ‘Wear a defined eye and coral lips and cheeks’.

“My inspiration comes from extensive photographs of 1963—fashion, documentary, and people, as well as Pan Am history,” says Regan. “I try to combine the style of the past and with the tools of the present to give a fresh new look!” Here’s how she achieved it.

1) Apply a matte finish foundation and I love to use the 3 Custom Clarifying pencil on the inside step to really brighten eyes.

2) Brows are an important part of this look, brush and groom them to define natural fuller shape, fill in and extend a touch with a matching brow shade.

3) Apply eye shadow – in Cool Sky, Cool Celery – both used on Margot Robbie & Karine Vanasse or Warm Lilac – used on Christina Ricci & Kelli Garner – all over your eyelid to just above the crease.

4) Draw a line along upper lashes with either the black or brown Opaline Eyeliner.

5) Apply a couple of layers of mascara, for extra drama, try a couple of individual false lashes on outer corners!

6) Add a generous sweep of cream blusher on the apple of cheeks. Three Custom Color Lip & Cheek Stain in Poppy is the coral I chose for this 60′s look.

7) Finish with a lip balm over the top.

To check out the finished look, tune in to “Pan Am” Wednesday nights on BBC2 – alexia inge

Where I come from in Somerset, every spring and autumn we get gigantic flocks of black starlings swarming in these beautifully elegant patterns just before sunset. It is almost like they become another organism. This happens when the birds leave their feeding places and take flight before settling in for the night. I’ve never had the wherewithal to film them but the video above is a sweet, if a little amateur, example of this amazing natural phenomena. It is literally breathtaking. alexia inge

Murmuration from Sophie Windsor Clive on Vimeo.

Now that her exclusivity period with Estee Lauder is up – the artist formerly known as – Jo Malone is back and as expected her latest incarnation, Jo Loves, is quite gorgeous.

The master perfumer is known for her clean, pure, crisp, nature-inspired and infused fragrances, a far cry from the over-powering, artificial wafts that hit you walking down the high street. Jo has poured her heart and soul into this project. When we met up a couple of days ago I found myself feeling every bit as emotional and proud of the launch of her new perfumes as she does.

Each perfume has a unique smell and each has been given it’s own launch. The first to go on sale was “Pomelo”, Wednesday saw “Green Orange and Coriander” launch, today is “Orange Tulle” and then Friday welcomes “Gardenia” to the noses of the great British public.

Gardenia is my personal favourite. It is the perfect balance between a light, sensual floral smell, a creamy puff and something a little darker like rich velvet. I find it near impossible to use words to describe scents, much better to head down to her pop-up shops in Selfridges or South Audley St, London and smell for yourself.

It sits in the luxury perfumes category (£95 for 100ml), alongside giants like Tom Ford. But what I will say is that you only need very little and it lasts well into the night. You are paying for a skilled and well honed nose with indomitable courage and an artisan approach to making the world a better smelling place. In a world of clones, you will have no problem standing out with a resonating smell of the best bits of nature in a bottle.

I am besotted with this delectable range. olivia inge

Cult Beauty Expert Annee de Mamiel has been receiving rather a lot of attention from seriously key publications.

The New York Times blog have just written this about her, see full article here: “To say that these oils have a cult following is to say that Miuccia Prada has a nice little dressmaking business — it is an understatement of colossal proportions.

Combining her training in traditional Chinese medicine, which holds that everything is seasonal, and her experience as a facialist, de Mamiel creates four limited-edition custom oils every year, each one available only during the three-month period for which it is intended.”

The FT How to Spend it Mag’s Lucia Van Der Post just published this:

If you want to see what all the fuss is about, the de Mamiel Autumn Oil is now available on Cult Beauty. alexia inge

The beauty world has become so heavy handed with Photoshopping that the Advertising Standards Commission has recently had to step in, with L’Oreal, Maybelline and Lancome all being read the riot act for their heavy-handed tampering with famous faces. They are not alone in this.

The biggest recent Photoshop fails were campaigns featuring Beyonce and Frida Pinto, which were heralded all over the internet with allegations that both had had their skin lightened by the magic brush of air!

The list of brands choosing to abolish all reality from their famous campaign-fronters, in favour of pore-less, line-less, colourless mannequins is endless. It’s getting silly!

We’re loving this faux campaign for Adobe Photoshop Day Cream, illustrating the level of artifice involved in putting together these campaigns using Beyonce, Gwyneth Paltrow and Madonna.

The Photoshop debate will always be something that fires up every few months. A little touch up to disguise a red blotch or spot does no harm but when a brand takes it to the extreme and the celebrity or model look completely unrecognizable as a member of the human species – that’s when the use of Photoshop becomes too much.

cate sewell

Cult Beauty’s resident lash and nail expert Teresa Smith just launched twin lash extension bars called I LOVE LASH in Spitalfields and Paddington, London. The studio specialises in Mink and Premium Silk Lash Extensions that can be glamorous and thick or light and fluttery in an hour.

The lash extensions are a unique cat-eye sweeping lash style, applied lash by lash and separated to preserve the health of your natural lashes. The extensions come in a wide range of thickness, curl and length, so after a short consultation they will be able to find the perfect look for your look and lifestyle.

Teresa’s also bought her nail expertise to I LOVE LASH so you can get both done at the same time. She’s got a vast collection of 50 gel polishes including Gelish, Shellac and Artistic Colour in her artillery.

I LOVE LASH opens this weekend. Prices start from £40, if you quote Cult Beauty when making your first appointment, you’ll receive 15% off. cate sewell

I’m exactly a week away from commencing my second quarter of life (yes, I will live to be exactly one hundred) and in a bid to stave off any semblance of maturity, have hit the bottle.

I’ll admit, it seemed pretty late in the day to be getting a dip-dye. The trend’s been around for so long that every man and his dog (within a three mile radius of Dalston) have two, three or even thirty tone hair. However, like most things, it’s taken a year’s worth of subliminal brainwashing to convince me that it’s a greeeeeat idea and so, (finally) here I am.

For those of you unfamiliar with Dalston, it’s probably not the first place that would spring to mind if you were in line for revamp. Unless you wanted a new tattoo – in which case, get yourself to Haggerston pronto! Bleach has been garnering a reputation amongst those-in-the-know as the place to be if you’ve a lust for reinvention.

In the same spot as good old WAH Nails (of which we at CB are HUGE fans), Bleach on Kingsland Road is unquestionably cool. The white space has walls lined with cuttings from only the trendiest mags, together with Polaroids of previous victims clients (Pixie Geldof’s a fan) to make a glorified mood board and provide hours of amusement when you’ve finished your book and are still getting yo’ hay-er did.

I was greeted by Matthew – elbow deep in violet toner but no less charming because of it – who sat me down and left me just enough time to slurp a coffee and  think about bolting make myself comfortable. I was armed with a picture of Abbey Lee Kershaw, the courage of my convictions and, um, not a lot else.

Fast forward almost FOUR HOURS and I look like a shiny new ‘My Little Pony’ with the swishiest pink mane in town. Matthew concentrated the bleach on my lower layers, to create flashes of brighter colour that peek through the more muted top layer. He was also very careful to create a shade that wouldn’t jar with my natural strawberry (*ahem* ginger) tones and left tiny sections au naturel, to highlight the pink tint and give a sun-kissed holiday vibe.

All in all, I feel much better about my imminent birthday (and slightly like a superhero). The only downside is that it need to be very protective of my colour and have stocked up on masses of the brilliant Sachajuan Color Save Shampoo and Conditioner.

For inspiration and prices visit http://bleachlondon.co.uk/ – there are Bleach salons in Dalston and Topshop, Oxford Circus and if the SS’12 catwalks are anything to go by, I would make an appointment asap as this is one trend that refuses to dye a death… verity douglas

Check out how to create the coolest S/S 2012 looks by Cult Beauty expert Chloe Butcher on the How-To Tutorials below.

I know I keep going on about the Jouer Luminizing Moisture Tint, but I’m not the only one. Chloe seems to think the same as me. alexia inge

As usual the designers showing at Paris Fashion Week pulled out all the stops to bring the best fashion and trend setting looks for Spring/Summer. Take a look at cream of the crop…

It wouldn’t quite be Paris if there weren’t some drama thrown in. The usual culprits John Galliano and Jean Paul Gaultier were (understandably for the Galliano label) tame and low key – Vivienne Westwood, Issey Miyake and Viktor&Rolf were the main showstoppers this season.

Westwood gave her girls a haphazard look as inspired by an 18th Century painting, lead makeup artist Val Garland designed a childlike interpretation on the painting, using bright colours of pink, yellow and gold to highlight different elements. Hair was also fashioned with naive styles, messy and knotted in places – five varieties were created and each teased heavily to create wisps at the front of the hair. Meanwhile Issey Miyake was inspired by flowers and passed this look (literally) onto the hair and makeup. Although unwearable, the look at Miyake was very pretty, very girly and very unique – the hair was styled to look like a tulip to accentuate the petal like hair accessories. Viktor&Rolf went hot pink for spring by cutting out hot pink paper into eyeliner shapes and finishing with a coat of hot pink mascara.

You can easily pick and choose parts from the creative looks to make them wearable and friendlier to the normal person. If you fancy trying out the Viktor&Rolf look, Besame Cosmetics Enchanting Lipstick have pinks that can be built up to really raise the rose factor. Take a leaf out of Vivienne Westwood and Issey Miyake’s book and use a gold pigment on the lids and as a makeshift highlighter – Illamasqua Liquid Metal in Surge is perfect for this.

Natural looks have been a key feature at all the fashion weeks this season but Paris managed to take the natural look one step further by making it as minimal as possible. Stella McCartney was all about the fresh and beautiful ‘Stella’ girls – only a pink blush was used on the cheeks and a nude brown on the lids to bring some contouring to the face. Giambastia Valli gave the models a good break between all the heavy makeup – the look was all about the boyish beauty and gorgeous skin. Blusher and contouring was non-existent and only light foundation was used followed by a little powder to mattify the skin.

Balmain and Valentino also took the minimal look on board, Balmain kept the look barely there by only using a veil of foundation and powder to keep the skin looking polished. Valentino used soft pinks to contour the face and a soft gray for the lids but only to emphasize the natural beauty of the models.

For a lightweight look, even out skin with Alison Raffaele Reality Base Foundation which is a tinted moisturiser with medium coverage to help banish any dark marks. To get the polished finish like the girls at Stella McCartney, lightly dust Jouer Cosmetics Essential Matte Touch over the t-zone and any shiny areas to matte down the skin. Finally, finish the eyes off with a good slick of Stila Cosmetics Major Lash Mascara in Brown on the top lashes only for a little volume and Smith’s Rosebud Salve Mocha Rose Lip Balm for a moisturised lip.

Kenzo had a very 80’s beauty look, with big brows and plenty of brown tones on the lids and lips. The hair was a loose braid with a centre parting which was tucked behind the ears with only a few strands left in the front to sway when the models walked. The braid started almost halfway down the length and then was pulled at to get the casual looseness. Emanuel Ungaro opted for a low pony that was texturised to give the hair some volume, while Nina Ricci kept the ongoing feminine vibe of the brand with a flirty and feminine low tail along with extra volume at the crown.

To create any of these looks, you’ll need a little root boosting – Sachajuan Hair Mousse is a lightweight mousse but will still give you that extra volume if scrunched into towel dried hair. The Ungrao ponytail needed to have a little texture and thickness to it so spritzing the hair with Phillip B Maui Wowie Beach Mist will help achieve the ruffled look. Nina Ricci’s ponytail was sleek and feminine so remember to finish it off with Rahua Finishing Treatment to keep the look flirty.

Red lips are like the LBD of makeup – a classic look that can never really go wrong and this was no exception in Paris. Christian Dior, Yves Saint Laurent and Jean Paul Gaultier all opted for the sophisticated lip. Dior models had a red applied before being blotted to create a fresh pressed quality a-la Betty Draper of Mad Men. YSL opted for a couture lip that relied on precise application of a metallic crimson colour which had a slight textured sheen to it. Finally Gaultier picked a highly pigmented red for the girls, finishing the look off with a clear vinyl gloss for ultimate shine.

Which shade of red usually depends on your skin tone and colouring but luckily we have DuWop Private Red Lipstick which adapts to your own skin tone so you never have to worry about looking too pale. For the Dior look, simply get a tissue and press lips against it a few times to get rid of the excess lipstick to achieve the fresh pressed Mad Men lip. Glaze the lips with KaplanMD Lip 20 Treatment Gloss to give the glossy look for the Gaultier and YSL lips.

Perfectly preened and polished blow dried hair can never go amiss on the runway. Chloe, Sonia Rykiel and Balenciaga all showed just how volumised and near-perfect hair can look with a little love and attention. Chloe girls had their hair washed with a volumising shampoo and conditioner to create the desired clean look, hair was then lightly tonged to get the sexy Chloe girl look. Rykiel was all about the blowdry for the show; hair was first volumised with the hairdryer and then tonged and left to cool. Before the show, the girls had all of the curls unpinned and brushed out so only the ends were left with a slight curl – the most gorgeous and luxe way to wear your hair for Spring/Summer. Finally the Balenciaga models had their hair dried in a smooth and sleek way to give a little bounce when they walked.

The Chloe girls had freshly washed hair before having it styled, the Tara Smith Feed The Root Shampoo and Conditioner are perfect for refreshing hair and giving it the necessary volume. Of course to get these looks you’ll need a hairdryer like EGO Alter Ego Hair Dryer and a barrel brush like Acca Kappa Kotibe Heat Resistant Barrel Brush to properly smooth out the hair.

Before blow drying, use Paul Labrecque Repair Style Hydrating LotionCorioliss Mini SXE Hair Straighteners from mid-length to ends and pin up until they cool. Once cooled, brush out the curls to get the soft effect like the Chloe, Rykiel and Balenciaga girls. Run a little Davines For Wizards No.10 Universal Polishing Coat through the hair to give a shine.

A lot of brands were featuring beautiful hair accessories this season too. Chanel models adorned the classic double C pearls throughout their wet-look elegant chignons while Yves Saint Laurent girls wore pretty ballerina buns with regal armoured gold headpieces around the base. Louis Vutton went girly for S/S with the scrapped back buns being finished off with a pretty sparkly headband or a tiara.

Under the accessories at Vuitton, Chanel and YSL, the hair looked natural and product free – aside from the wet-look chignon at Chanel. To make sure your bun stays in perfect place, run a little Sachajuan Spray Wax through the hair before putting it up. The spray wax will just give the hair a little more grip and staying power so you don’t lose the shape before the day ends. Cate Sewell

My sister Alexia Inge and her business partner Jessica DeLuca Moore have been shortlisted by Red Magazine for their Red Hot Women Awards in the Internet category. The Judging panel (pictured below) includes respected luminaries such as Sarah Brown, Lorna Clarke, Mirian Gonzalez Durantez, Anya Hindmarch MBE and Gillian Tett, ladies who know their stuff.

I am scandalously proud of them both, not only for having been proposed for this award and in such esteemed company, but for the nature of their work.

They have worked tirelessly to create a beauty sanctuary that is available to everyone, anytime, anywhere in the world. By opening the box of tricks that the Cult Beauty Expert Panel have laboured hard to learn, Lex and Jess have brought insight and honesty to our advertising-weary world. We now have a choice to either listen to marketing dictators who use fear to incite us to buy products that are modelled on Photoshopped fourteen year olds, or listen to the people on the inside with years of experience under their belts, showcasing beauty products that actually work for whatever concern you have.

There is a revolution happening – driven mostly online and by social networking – whereby consumers are understanding and focusing the power of voting with their purses. Anita Roddick of The Body Shop said “Business is the most powerful force for good, for social change and improvement in the quality of life”.

I am of course extremely biased being related to one nominee and great friends with the other, so I would like to add a little balance to this post by also mentioning some of the others shortlisted whom I think are also thoroughly deserving. 

Emily Johnston – editor & creator, Fashion Foie Gras, Sarah Curran – Founder & CEO, My-wardrobe.com, Helena Morrissey – Founder, 30% Club, Jane Cunningham – editor & creator, BritishBeautyBlogger, Sarah Burton – Creative director, Alexander McQueen, Claire Watt-Smith – Founder, BoBelle…good luck! olivia inge

Today sees the launch of The Body Shop’s new perfume campaign – White Musk Libertine, for which I am the Brand Ambassador. This job was all the more exciting because they wanted someone to encapsulate the idea of a 21st Century Libertine and thought of me!

I hasten to underline the 21st Century part and ask you not to confuse me with the 2nd Earl of Rochester for I am no more a debauched, immoral, lecherous, or wanton womaniser than Kate Middleton.

I am a free thinker, I follow my own inclinations and (generally) walk to the beat of my own drum. I encourage my friends to believe in the ability to better their lives, to be sexy in a chic, individualistic manner and above all to think freely without bias. I think this is what being a 21st Century Libertine is all about and this is why I loved the whole idea behind this scent. The Body Shop have focused on encapsulating this feeling of adventure and confidence by decorating your Vampire hot spots with their idea of how a Libertine might smell. And it’s a darn sight better than what I imagine was the scent of the rampant Earl…

The perfume itself is a sensual, sweet scent, a play on their first “White Musk”, which first launched in 1981 and which quickly became a Cult classic, now selling 2.5 bottles per minute. The Body Shop enlisted the Nobel Prize winning fragrance house Firmenich to design this fragrance. Dr Vincent Schaller used 65% rare musk which features in the top, middle and base notes, something that is unique to this perfume.

They’ve added floral notes of Sharry Baby Orchid and subtly sweetened it with Turkish delight and Chantilly Cream, whilst retaining their well-known code of honour by using cruelty free musk (a first back in 1981) and Organic Community Fair Trade sugar-cane alcohol. 30ml Eau de Parfum – £12, the 60ml Eau de Toilette – £14.

Here is a little video we made of me running around town being a Libertine minx to celebrate the launch. olivia inge

Milan Fashion Week always contains some delicious designer delights from fashion royalty like Prada to Gucci to Dolce & Gabbana, hosting some of the pivotal trends of the season. Like most beauty lovers, we looked at all the shows with hawk eyes to pick out the key make up trends for S/S 2012.

Fresh, Bronzed Skin

Minimalist, bronzed skin was another firm favourite in Milan. Missoni, Moschino Cheap & Chic and C’N’C Costume Natioanl presented the best fresh-faced looks with glowing, bronzed skin. Moschino Cheap & Chic paired the clean base with colour blocked eyes while Missoni opted for a slighty sweaty and disheveled take on the look; skin was made even dewier before walking the runway with a quick spritz of finishing spray. C’N’C Costume National contoured cheeks to give the models razor sharp cheekbones and highlighted all of the high points of the face to create luminous bronzed skin.

For a cheat’s golden glow, use Omorovicza Sunkiss SPF15 or Korres Watermelon Lightweight Tinted Moisturiser to even out skin and give a nice bronzed appearance. To contour the face, suck in your cheeks and dust Jouer Cosmetics Replenish & Protect Hydrating Bronzer Powder in the shallows and on all points where the sun would hit (nose, temples and chin) for a natural sunkissed look. Highlight cheekbones, brow bones and cupid’s bow with the organic RMS Living Luminizer to add a light catching glow.

Modern Pulled Back Hair

The main focus on the runway was definitely the makeup, so hair was pulled back in a modern and stylish way to really showcase the looks. Dolce & Gabbana had a Sophia Loren inspired French twist to give a classic sexy style, while Bottega Veneta opted for a messy wet-look chignon to help accentuate a relaxed, poolside vibe. Fendi and Jil Sander girls sported a similar tucked under look, Fendi opted for a backcombed deluxe version while Sander picked a slicked backed style.

The perfect styling product to create the messy D&G and Bottega Veneta looks comes in the form of Sachajuan Ocean Mist; a formulation somewhere between hairspray and sea salt spray that gives hair a (just had a rumble in the jungle) texture and grip for the style to stay in place.

Tara Smith Rock On Hard Hold Styling Gel is your number one tool for creating the Jil Sander slicked back look, make sure to tame any fly-aways at the back of the head by smothing through with a small comb that has been spritzed with the gel. The Fendi backcombed deluxe requires a lot of backcombing and a bit of mousse to give the hair a helping hand; Davines For Wizards No3 Universal Body Mousse is perfect for giving the hair some body without making it too sticky to work with.

Natural Pouts

A natural lip can never go amiss, Marni, Blumarine and Etro were just some of the designers who sported the natural lip. Etro twisted the natural look by adding a caramel tint to the lips, while Blumarine opted for playful soft pink. Marni girls had barely there tones to allow their unusual eye look and birds nest hair to shine through.

Pop a little bit of  BECCA Sheer Tint Lip Colour in Estella to perfect the natural look with little effort.

The Luxe Look

It wouldn’t be Milan if there wasn’t some high-maintenance luxury thrown in for good measure. Versace kept it glamorous and gorgeous as usual with the essential Versace blowdry and flawless makeup. Salvatore Ferragamo had a look inspired by Jerry Hall on holiday in the 80’s – sexy, glam and expensive! Hair was swept to one side and given a luxe wave while makeup featured slick gold across the lids for the ultimate luxury look.

To re-create the Ferragamo waves, wrap hair around straighteners with a curved edge like the Corioliss C2 Hair Straighteners to make large soft waves all down the hair. Remember to part your hair above your temple to get sweeping hair across the front for full on Jerry Hall. Keep the waves in place all day with a light spray of Sachajuan Hairspray Medium Hold to keep your hair frizz free and in place.

The volumising blowdry can come straight from the runway to your hair with just some simple tools. Roughly dry hair with EGO Alter Ego Hair Dryer, when hair is nearly dry grab a large barrel brush like Acca Kappa Kotibe Boar Bristle Barrel Brush. Start on the bottom layer, wrap your hair around the brush and roll it up inwardly to your roots. Using the hairdryer nozzle, work your way down the hair shaft to create a smooth texture to hair and also creating volume at the roots. Continue throughout the hair until you have done every strand. Finish off with Sachajuan Shine Serum to create a supermodel shine.

Rocker Smokey Eye

Smudgy dark eyes are always a key look; sultry yet edgy. DSquared2 girls had sparkly, messy eyes inspired by festival makeup while Moschino opted for smudgy black eyes with black liner and shadow blended together for the extra smudge effect. Pucci had Gypsy inspiration mixed with a little 80’s Madonna to create a dramatic bronzed eye with black liner to give it a bit of an edge. A nice touch to the Pucci makeup was the bronze lip balm that was used – a nice pop of colour yet still moisturising for the models’ lips. Just Cavalli diffused the rocker look with a navy lash line and glittery lids to channel a boho rocker.

The makeup artists at Moschino felt the girls needed a little wake up so they massaged oil into the skin before makeup application to get rid of any puffiness and bring the skin back to life. Work de Mamiel Summer Facial Oil into the skin first thing in the morning to rejuvenate and freshen up your complexion.

The eyes need plenty of black liner and shadow along with lots of finger smudging to get the rocker look. The essential kit for this includes Stila Cosmetics Smudge Pot and the Balm Shady Lady Palette to get the right mixture of shadow and liner smudging. The lashes also need to be carbon black; Peter Thomas Roth Mascara To Die For is perfect for getting the blackest lashes – add a little oomph with Eylure Tokyo Lash to get a bigger flutter.

Cate Sewell

As the fashion parade move onto Milan, lets have a look at some homegrown beauty trends. London and New York shared a lot of similarities in the beauty stakes, but London took first place with its cool British edge.

Plaits were used on a variety of catwalks in London but Danielle Scutt and Ashish did it best, putting a slight twist on the everyday style. Scutt toughened up the soft makeup with an armor-tight French plait, while Ashish went whimsical with a windswept braid, pink glitter on the lids and sharpened it with black lipstick. French plaits are difficult to do to yourself, but using the Davines Texturiser beforehand helps keep the sections in place while you twist them together. It really helps hold the messed up, tousled style too without looking too grunge.

The essence of cool at LFW is always Christopher Kane and Burberry, classic styling and always effortless. This year both ofthe top designers focused on a youthful and pretty look with velvety skin. Burberry opted for a tulip pink lip while Kane had a natural taupe on the lids and a pink stain on the lips.

The perfect foundation for the natural looking makeup is Perricone MD’s No Foundation Foundation, a lightweight coverage that also makes your skin to glow through naturally. To keep the skin velvety like the Burberry models, dust on some 3 Custom Color Translucent Face Powder to mattify.

Meanwhile at Giles, the girls were made to look like they’d all been enjoying a little tipple before the show. Cheeks were wine flushed and the lips were ‘red wine’ stained with the rest of the look kept simple – gorgeous! Erdem also sported a red lip this season in the form of a bright red lipstick to ‘show that the Erdem girl is wearing her heart on her mouth instead of her sleeve.’

Stain the lips and cheeks with Besame Cosmetics Enriched Lip Glaze in Cherry Red by dabbing and blending with fingers to create a light colour. Then blot the glaze onto lips to create the stain. To be an Erdem girl, pick up the 3 Custom Color Century in Red Palette to create the perfect red (in fact you can completely hedge your lipstick bets with this palette!).

Worn in looks are always a must in London; no one does the grunge look quite like the British. Roksanda Ilinic and Holly Fulton lead the way for the grunge revival but made it a little more polished and worn in. Ilnic took its main influence from Kate Moss in the 90s for a polished ‘day-old’ look while Fulton made the models into ‘trashy lush girls’ with worn in eyes and feathered brows.

Holly Fulton was all about smudged smokey eyes, it couldn’t be easier to recreate this look with the Stila Smudge Pot in Black – use your fingers to apply it all around your eye and then blend it out. The Ilnic eyes featured a good dose of eyeliner too, the Balm Pick Up Liners are perfect for defining the eyes and creating the little feline flick.

It wouldn’t be Fashion Week without a few unique hairstyles – the most fun of the looks came from Mulberry while Topshop Unique went all Elizabeth Taylor in Cleopatra. The extra large Bardot-inspired beehives at Mulberry were modernized with candy coloured extensions – go big or go home! Meanwhile Topshop Unique covered the front of the models’ Alexander Wang style hair with gold leaf to create the ethereal look as influenced by Liz Taylor’s version of Cleopatra.

The Mulberry beehive involves a lot of backcombing (and a little help from extensions) to create the gigantic look; prep hair with the Davines Texturiser then after styling set with Davines For Wizards No7 Crystal Fixactive Lacquer.

Eyes were the main focus at Fashion Week, the easiest of facial features to accentuate and create a whole variety of looks with. Unconditional created dramatic bronzy eyes, Vivienne Westwood Red Label changed her models into neo-neon nymphs while Marios Schwab opted for fuzzy feline eyes.

To get the dramatic bronzy eye, layer the lid with Illamasqua Liquid Metal in Enrapture and smoke it out around the edges with some of their Pure Pigment in Fervent. Create the feline eyes from Schwab with the Prestige Cosmetics Liquid Eyeliner in Black to get a precise line on the top and bottom lashes.

Cate Sewell

I just received Gwyneth Paltrow’s latest GOOP newsletter to find that her make up artist created her flawless complexion look for the EMMY’s using the brilliant Beautyblender make up sponge (can you spot it’s brilliant pinkness in the backstage pics above?). I’m addicted to mine and it makes almost any foundation look good. For the foundation to stay looking good, that’s down to the brand you choose.

Face Atelier Ultra Foundation is the one Madonna makes everyone use for her tours as it doesn’t even budge through one of her dance routines and they are TOUGH. alexia inge