Archive for the ‘Beauty News’ Category

Oh Tom Ford. Not content with making me long to be a sexy secretary and back-comb my hair on a daily basis, you’ve now gone and thrown a lipstick-shaped spanner into hopes of my bank balance ever being above zero. Why-oh-why-oh-why would you turn your talents to something as lust-worthy as lip wear? Just as I was getting the hang of tying those pesky knots in my purse strings…

Style Suggestion: Wear with best “come hither” expression and a plunge bra. verity douglas

I remember the first time I went to Paris Fashion Week as a very green Fashion Design student, frblehmgrh years ago. I hadn’t known elegance like that existed (or lack of body fat), so different from the creative rag-taggle melting pot of London.

Austerity, and the resurgent focus on the classic wardrobe essentials, have overshadowed the Autumn/Winter 2010 season, to the detriment of the inspirational creativity these events are all about.

The creative teams in Paris showed little divergence from this 90’s inspired, grungy minimalism. Thank GOD for the ageing enfant terribles, Galliano and Jean-Paul Gaultier, enduring rather like the band who played on as the Titanic sank…

Ok, so I have had my moan, but ultimately this whole circus is about SELLING. From a real woman’s perspective the beauty on the catwalks will come as a great relief. “Finally, something I can identify with and actually wear”, I hear you shout. Paris had this in abundance. Beautifully crafted ‘natural’ looks with matte, tonal skin and facial feature enhancement built-in. Tiny hints of easy-to-wear colour flashed out in the form of either haphazardly berry-stained lips or accents of warm orange, red and pink eyeshadows.

Hairdressers will be worried to see such a prevalence of un-brushed, grown-out looks throughout the fashion weeks. However, they need not cancel Christmas just yet because blond appears to be back, a more honeyed version, but it was everywhere. (below clockwise from top left: Emanuel Ungaro, Balmain, Stella McCartney, Viktor & Rolf, Issey Miyake, Valentino, Givenchy, Dries Van Noten)

And just when you thought it was all so sensible, there came a little hint of a tint of 60’s Air Hostess…alexia inge

(Above clockwise from top left: Lagerfeld, Nina Ricci, YSL, Rochas, Lanvin, Chloe)

Its not often a trip to the de-fuzz-u-lators can be classed as a fun day out, my pain factor is especially high in these sensitive areas. However, waxing is becoming more bearable with the advancement of treatments such as the Chocolate Hot Wax and the use of Australian Lycon wax which, although slightly more expensive, actually makes for an easier ride. Lycon wax uses the finest resins, natural ingredients and aromatherapy oils. It works by shrink rapping itself around the hair, it doesn’t stick to the skin so when it is removed it pulls the hair from the very root, thus preventing breakages and lessening the speed of growth.

The other day I went to “Strip” in Notting Hill to see what all the hype was about. The decor is that of a boudoir, friendly and girlie, aside from the waxing they also sell very pretty designer undies. My therapist, Louisa, was utterly charming and perfectly  informed. She made the whole ordeal fun and was relatively quick. These moments with strangers can be rather embarrassing, even if you are used to getting your kit off (occupation hazard), but Louisa made me feel like I was an Empress in new clothes. The wax used was the Lycon Chocolate Hot Wax which can dig up hairs as short as 2mm. I thoroughly recommend it as do my fellow models and slebs. By Olivia Inge

I will forever associate bright eyes with Art Garfunkel and Watership Down – all those terrifying rabbits frothing at the mouth and keeping me and my contemporaries awake at night. (Whoever thought that film was a good idea has never met small children)…However, a blossoming surgical technique could be just the thing to rid me of my nightmares, or at least banish the sleepless blood-shot aftermath.

First developed 13 years ago by a doctor in Korea, this eye brightening technique is just beginning to hit the mainstream. Blood-shot eyes are not only unattractive and ageing, they’re also a tell-tale sign that you’ve been up to no good (a breath mint won’t counteract these bad boys). Luckily, with a little help from your friendly neighborhood eye clinic, no-one need ever know about that fourth shot of tequila, as you waltz into work with brilliant white peepers.

The surgery takes between five and twenty minutes per eye and basically involves peeling your eyeball like a grape (yuk!). This removes the outer membrane that contains those all too delicate veins and capillaries, and encourages a new, clear membrane to grow in its’ place.

Personally, I think I’ll stick to the old eye drops (the thought of having my eyeballs “peeled” scares me more than the rabbits). But, if you’re made of sterner stuff and are a chronic sufferer of discolouration, this could be an avenue that’s well worth exploring. So far, approximately 13,000 procedures have been successfully carried out in LA, and where Beverly Hills leads…the rest of the world follows. See below video for some before and afters.

Coming soon to a clinic near you. Keep your eyes peeled. (HA!) verity douglas

Source

In the words of Paris Hilton, Winter is sooo last year, Spring is totally hot right now! The nights are shortening, but it is still proving difficult to maintain energy levels and avoid the seasonal lurgies pinballing around our offices.

We have found a great solution, a daily effervescent bodyguard against illness, that also provides all the B vitamins and minerals to boost your energy levels through the day, called Emergen-C.

Unlike most Vitamin C products, which provide C in the ascorbic acid form (up to 90% of which usually passes directly through the body not providing any benefits), in the case of Emergen-C the Vitamin C comes in the form of Mineral Ascorbates that your liver recognises and body instantly absorbs. This means that not only do you not have to take this at the same time as food, it is pH-balanced so won’t upset your stomach and is a much more effective anti-oxidant shot than most products on the market. alexia inge

Instead of the usual primped, professional poser, this Monday’s choice is inspired by film of the moment, Alice in Wonderland and the star who stole the show, Johnny Depp. His portrayal of the Mad Hatter, a character emblazoned on the national consciousness since childhood, was perfectly played.

He was not without help though, a special mention has to go to the brilliant make up department who enhanced his feline features enabling the perfect hallucinogenic gingerness that defined the character. His eyebrows were mesmerizing!

And just because this is Male Model Mondays we felt it was only fair to pillage the archives to find an image of Depp before he insisted on only playing deranged beings, where the only muscles flexed were the ones used to crack those demented smiles… alexia inge

The brilliant artisan perfumer Le Labo (co-founded by Cult Beauty expert Fabrice Penot and Edouward Roschi) has just opened a stand alone store in London’s Marylebone, adding to their already distinguished portfolio of New York, LA and Tokyo and Colette in Paris. The interior is brilliantly finished and the atmosphere is slick, New York cool without the attitude. But what will blow your senses are the elaborate and explicit aromas.

Le Labo is the antithesis of the one-dimensional world of modern, celebrity obsessed perfume. The scents take up to 2 years to create, working directly with the perfumer, rather than sending them a brief based on market research and ingredient decisions based only on cost!

The Le Labo mission is to create a sensory thunderbolt on opening one of their perfumes, rather like serious Haute Cuisine, every perfume they make feels like a journey around your scent and taste buds. When I met up with Edouard he told me that good perfumers tend to be gourmands in all aspect of their lives with appreciation for fine wines and food, which makes sense, you wouldn’t want to see a celibate sex therapist. When you buy your Le Labo Fragrance it is blended on the spot, and comes with a best before date a year ahead of creation, which means you never get a wallflower bottle that has been sitting at the back of a cupboard slowly souring.

I fell in love with OUD 27, it’s the sort of perfume that makes you feel like drinking whiskey, wearing 4inch spike stilettos and wrestling bears, made with sensual Agarwood, Cedar Atlas, Incense, Patchouli, Black Pepper, Safran and Gaiac. Le Labo don’t use ANY animal derivatives so this is a perfect brand for Vegans too. alexia inge

28A Devonshire Street, (Marylebone Village) London, W1, For more information about Le Labo check their website.

There is something in the hair! Is this possible, can wet-look hairgel be making a comeback? If rocked in the Helmut Newton way, this could work… (looks above from left – Bottega Veneta, Dsquared2, Marni.)

So what is the standout look from Milan this season? Imagine the quintessential Italian signora, but more D&G than C&A. All flawless matte skin full, burgundy lips and long hair locked into a bun at the nape of the neck. Then imagine she has just scrubbed her whole villa – yes the Dolce woman does the housework in full make up, and a corset. This is the look, lips stained haphazardly, low slung bun (LSB) with bits escaping and a slightly wet-look texture, balanced against a flawless matte complexion. (from left – Dolce, Alberta Ferretti, Haute, Marni, Missoni)

The make up, while a little more interesting than London, was pretty mechanical. Smoky neutral eyes, matte complexions with eyebrows taking centre stage. (below clockwise from top left – Armani, Cavalli, Etro, Blumarine, Cavalli, Bottega Veneta)

Then, almost as an afterthought, came a counter-trend marrying – or maybe just having the lovechild of – the 60’s Barbarella and 90’s Grunge looks. So looks like it’s time to get teasing and lock up your shampoo! alexia inge

Looks from left: Pucci, Cavalli, Rochas, Versace.

Last night a little bird told me that the heavenly genetic freaks better known as the Victoria’s Secret Angels have all been handed their pink slips, and not in the lingerie sense. Apparently the ’smalls’ company is not renewing any of the high octane contracts that made these models so famous. Can you imagine being there for the first time they are able to taste chocolate again after years of eating tissues… Were they getting too big for their white PVC booties? alexia inge

Illamasqua has linked up with Selfridges to kick off a competition Dulux-stylie. Rather like the Labor party (now they are starting to brick it about the election) Illamasqua are providing civilians with a platform to have their say. Unlike the Labor party this say is based around finding the perfect nail colour, something unfortunately more relevant to most women’s daily lives than most of the policies currently spinning around the media. Illamasqua want us to write to them and tell them what our perfect nail colour would be in no more than 50 words, illustrated with an image or photograph. The prize, two people will see their dream colour created and sold exclusively at Selfridges in London, Manchester Trafford and Birmingham from October 2010. Entries can be submitted via email by the 14th March to competition@illamasqua.com.

Mine would be that colour wet, white sand goes during a particularly pink sunset, a cold, blue-pink, putty colour. alexia inge

Whilst idly browsing, looking for the next Male Model Monday, I discovered a really interesting Model called Max Rogers who is ripping up the scene in Europe at the moment, he is a strange cross between Aragon, Jesus and Worzel Gummage and we’ll be featuring him next week (Andres won that bettle this week!). Anyway while looking through his portfolio I found the photos below from Italian Vogue, shot by Steven Meisel with Karl Templer styling. A riot of texture and humour. I just can’t understand why British Vogue is so tame in comparison when it is published in the most creatively batty design capital in the world. alexia inge

A slight move away from the usual stills format as we wish to whisk you away to a balmy shore far, far away this freezing Monday, you can almost taste it when watching the video. This is Andres Velencoso during the making of the Allure Homme Sport for Chanel by the brilliant Bruce Webber. I have nothing else to say except, Nice Boat!

Zzzzzz ngg zzzzh huh! what? Oh yes, beauty on the catwalks of London. Usually so wacky the looks make your eyes bleed, this season was as bland as a beige twinset. Very little to be said really, flawless matt skin, camel, caramel, taupe, greige, cream, toffee, tan, stone, fawn – are you asleep yet – tones. Light brown or no mascara, strong Natalia Vodianova-style eyebrows, contoured blusher with a hint of peach on the apple and basically a couple of seconds to run a brush through the model’s hair before they made their entrance, was there something good on TV?

In fact the only looks of real note were created by MAC’s Gordon Espinet for Vivienne Westwood (pictured below). Inspired by Irving Penn portraits, Gordon used contouring shades to trompe l’oeil and give a dramatic, stylistic, cartoonish quality to the girls. This is a little extreme but contouring is a serious art, once mastered this technique can enhance and beautify a face making noses appear smaller, cheek bones higher, lips bigger and faces thinner. MAC do a two-tone compact from their Shape & Sculpt range and Stila do a trio to help you pull off the right tonal colour play so you don’t look like a renegade paintballer who just went feral. alexia inge

The only other purveyor of fun and optimism was the lovely Alex Box at House of Blue Eyes (pictured below), using Illamasque to create Hindu Gods that just got back from Burning Man.

While reading The Stylist on the tube this morning I came across a brief piece about a brilliant idea, a shining example of how big companies can transcend the cynical world of Corporate Social Responsibility schemes and actually do some good (called ColaLife). This project, based in Uganda, is the brainchild of development worker Simon Berry. He noticed that while children were dying from the lack of simple medications like re-hydration salts, the fizzy drink companies seemed to have no problem getting through to even extremely remote areas. The solution, fill the unused space between the crated bottles with medical supplies, brilliant! alexia inge

While the Nicole Farhi show was a riot of black patent and pillar-box red, the girls themselves were pretty much a blank canvas. Make-up artists used a palette of neutrals to give models that low maintenance 90’s look that has been dominating the Autumn/Winter shows.

However, unlike the cadaver-esque looks we’ve witnessed so far (the brief at David Koma was to make the girls appear “drowned”), at Farhi, the look was far more to the right side of “healthy” with skin that seemed to glow from within. Gone is the dewy (sweaty) gleam of yester-season – the new aesthetic is far more deliberate. Think ‘ladies-what-lunch’ but only ever get their foundation done before catching little Clementine enjoying a lipstick lunch. Argh! It’s all about creating the perfect canvas then forgetting the paint. Being half-way to immaculately “done”, then not bothering to brush your barnet. It’s the answer to every working woman’s prayers! verity douglas

Cult Beauty’s Alexia and Olivia Inge took some time out of the stacked LFW schedule to pop in on their friends at T5M.com, who have been reporting live from Fashion Week with continuous updates and interviews, to talk emerging beauty trends from the catwalks.

To watch more, visit Live from Fashion Week

Say what you like about Tom Ford, he knows how to spot talent. Spaniard Jon Kortajarena, 22, has been collaborating with Tom for a while now, recently traversing that perilous ravine separating models and actors, for Tom’s Oscar nominated A Single Man. It is noted in his Wikipedia entry that one of his pastimes is sunbathing, but no mention of where he does this… So err Jon, could you let us know please?? Obviously just so we can tell you in person how dangerous it is for your skin…bad male model!

As New York closes and the fashion lighthouse moves its glare London-wise the two beauty trends that stood out from the creative haze of the runways were Beauty Grunge and Eye Shadowlands.

– a time of unwashed hair, brutal, minimalist make up, doc martins and massive shapeless jumpers – makes an unusual muse for a beauty movement, but with a few key updates the look will be pretty fun to rock this winter:

-You skin must be flawless and matt – more heroine than heroin…

-Feminise the look with a peachy or schoolgirl pink blusher.

-Unless you are very brave, or live in East London, there should be an either/or situation with grungy hair and make up. Although it is an inspiration for the trend, avoid rocking the whole Alexander Wang Look (pictured right) if you ever want to pull!

-Lips should be neutral, or blanked out with concealer, but if that is making you look like an extra from the Living Dead, tone down your eye make up and roughly stain your (well moisturised) lips with a dark cherry/wine colour.

-Wear this look with sleek, feminine clothes to contrast. The key to Beauty Grunge (as show below from the Zac Posen, Altuzarra, Jil Stuart and Proenza Schouler shows) is to imagine you were perfectly made up for the evening, and then stage dived into the centre of a Nirvana mosh pit…

and then had a slight altercation with a hedge on the way home…

Eyeshadow is back, in a big way. Maybe in reaction to the many retakes of the ‘Winehouse Liner’ that has dominated the last few seasons, but this A/W its time to get shading. No more just lingering on the lid, the canvas just become a whole lot bigger.

Unless you are going for the full evening rock chic, this look is best done in a matt, tonal blend with areas like the insides of your eyes and brow bone highlighted with an antique metallic sheen. But remember, say after me….I must I must, blend the dust!! alexia inge

Clockwise from top left: These are looks from Marchesa, Oscar De La Renta, Diane Von Furstenberg, Derek Lam, Alexander Wang, Badgley Mischka, Tracy Reese, DKNY, Rodarte, centre: Donna Karan.

According to the NY catwalks, statement eyebrows are still a strong trend throughout 2010 as illustrated by influential designers Thakoon, Rebecca Taylor, Monique Lhuillier, Herve Leger and Jason Wu below. For this look you need to hold back on the plucking and shape by tidying rather than taking hair from the body of your brow. If you have dark hair a clear eyebrow gel will hold this look easily. For everyone else a pigmented eyebrow powder applied with a brush will not only define, but add a little volume to the mix. alexia inge

Little needs to be said about this lipstick look from Nanette Lepore’s NY show, other than it can join lilac lipgloss and pipe cleaners for eyebrows (British BeautyBlogger’s favourite bugbear) in Room 101 until it learns to behave like a proper beauty ENHANCING cosmetic. Which, lets face it, is the reason we buy the stuff! alexia inge