Tanning Time

The power of bronzed skin can make you feel and look a million dollars. For those of you wanting to add a little sunshine to your day, I have just the ticket.

With Dove Spa you can prepare for summer with a safe and natural looking tan without exposure to the sun’s rays. Using either Original or NEW Dark mist, a St. Tropez Spray Tan at Dove Spa ensures a beautiful, even, streak free tan. For a flawless, longer lasting tan we recommend regular exfoliation and daily moisturising in the week prior to your treatment to prepare the skin.

Until 30th June, Dove Spa are offering St Tropez for only £12. For longevity opt for three courses for £49 or better still 10 courses for £125.

For our Reigate readers head to 13 Church Street, Reigate, RH2 0AA, to indulge in the relaxing surroundings, while making the most of this brilliant offer. Call 0844 826 5998 to book or for other locations visit - www.dovespa.co.uk

Smashbox

Smashbox is a brand that was introduced to me by my mother a few years ago, when she brought me an eyebrow/eyeliner palette kit.  Ever since I’ve adored all the products, including the hero product Photo Finish. Until recently QVC was the only retailer but since 2011 Debenhams have been selling the range also. So why isn’t the brand readily available here in the UK and who is behind these fantastic products?

Smashbox was launched in 1996 by two LA brothers Dean and Davis Factor, the grandsons of make-up legend Max Factor, Smashbox cosmetics focuses on long-lasting products that are designed to give a flawless look, worthy of Hollywood stars such as Drew Barrymore and Charlize Theron, who are known to be fans.

Smashbox Cosmetics are part of a larger empire of the Factor brothers; Smashbox Studios is where the inspiration for the cosmetic line began. Smashbox Studios includes a modeling agency, a photo studio and a clothing line. The cosmetics arm of the business was sold to Estee Lauder in the summer of 2010, yet the brothers still remain at the helm.

Smashbox were the first brand to create HD make-up, their products are not only created for models on set or celebrities, but also for the woman in the street. Offering the same hardwearing durability, coverage and steadfastness in everything they have produced. Smashbox has successfully brought several niche products out of the professional sphere and into the make-up bags of the masses. The Photo-Finish Primer, for example, which goes on before foundation so that it will ‘cling’ to your skin and eliminate shine; of the Eye-Beam Liner, a double-ended pencil that lightens the corner of the eye, as well and the lower rim. These may sound like products for obsessive compulsives, but it’s surprising what a difference they make. In fact they are extremely practical, easy to use, quick and versatile.

Smashbox was really ahead of its time back in the late 90’s an with today’s demand for a more professional feel to make-up and customers wanting well-considered products that will enhance what they have rather than redrawing their looks. Smashbox is for everyday not just those special occasions, it has done all the fiddly bits, and created solutions to your beauty problems so you get the easy task of playing with it all!

So why isn’t the brand so big here?

Smashbox had something of a trouble start to its UK breakthrough. On the night of their launch in 1998, a Smashbox PR was allegedly drugged and raped by someone thought to be a friend of the Factors. No one was charged, however, in the ensuing furore, many beauty press sidestepped Smashbox giving it little coverage. With the beauty industry turning its back on the brand, it struggled to make its mark.

Perhaps with Lauder acquiring Smashbox and its distribution in Debenhams, the brand will be able to be recognized for the quality of the products rather than past events.

Ax

Maybelline Eye Studio Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner

Last year saw the launch of Maybelline’s Eye Studio Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner in Blackest Black, this April, Brown is added to the colour range.

The gel eyeliner is inspired by the hottest catwalk looks and helps you achieve that cat-eye effect, while allowing you to highlight and frame your own eyes with ease and precision.  The beauty of this eyeliner is that it is an oil-free formula that doesn’t smudge. While being water resistant it allows you to go about your business from morning until night and will last, if you can, for 24 hours.

The colour pigment is true and rich, due to the clear gel base and high pigment concentration. For those of you with sensitive eyes, it has been ophthalmologist tested and is completely safe to use with contact lenses.

The tiny pot (which will last you a long while) comes with a very precise eyeliner brush, enabling you to use small strokes across the lash line from the inner corner of your eye to the outer corner.

Personally, I found the brush to be a little too thick and have opted to use my Smashbox Cream Eyeliner Brush, as it has a flat edge that lets me literally press he eyeliner onto my lash line with out having to worry about being too heavy handed with brush strokes.

Smashbox Cream Eyeliner Brush

To enhance your own eyes, you can extend and thicken the line from the outer corner up towards your brow, creating a winged look, which has been popular for decades.

For me the brown is best suited for a fair complexion and I would say the black could look too severe for the day, yet perfect for a night out.

Maybelline Eye Studio Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner in brown is available nationwide this month, so keep your eyes open, it is not one to miss!

Ax

Jo Malone Parma Violet Tea Linen Spray

I love my bed, I adore crisp clean linen and that feeling on a Saturday morning when you wake up and realise that you don’t have to get up for work. You can turn over and doze off to sleep again, not before turning the pillow over to get the cold side. Bliss!

However, sometimes in fact most times, this doesn’t actually happen and even getting to sleep in the first instance can be a struggle. Stress of everyday life can get on top of you and churn over and over in your mind, preventing a calm and deep nights sleep, but I think I have found the solution. Jo Malone’s Parma Violets Tea Linen Spray.

This light linen spritz is a sophisticated blend of lavender, lime and parma violets. It delivers a crisp yet relaxing aroma that you can waft over your pillows before bed to help ease your overworked mind and help you drift off to sleep. For that added luxury, use this on napkins, tablecloths and towels too.

Like all of Jo Malone’s fragrances, this last for a long time, it had such staying power that often I wear this as a perfume, the scent is one that is quite moreish and I think, dare I say this about a linen spray, a little flirty.

This makes a lovely gift for those who have everything, or a nice alternative to wine or flowers for the host of a dinner party.

Ax

Zum Zum

With the arrival of Spring and the desire to become more healthy and active, I have decided to take Zumba classes. I'm not very disciplined and often lack motivation to do exercise (I have an alarm set on my phone to remind myself to do sit-ups every evening, I rarely do them and the alarm is swiftly turned off!). So when I saw Zumba classes advertised at my local community centre, I thought why not!

Zumba is a modern mix of aerobics, Latin-inspired, calorie burning. It offers a wealth of benefits such as;

• Dynamic core workout
• High calorie expenditure
• Easy, non-intimidating environment
• Weight-loss
• Positive self-image
• A sculpted body
• Exercise in disguise
• Stress relief

My class is on a Monday, which in my mind is a hideous thought, but in theory, I have my hours’ worth of cardio exercise done and dusted for the week.

To support this 'hard-core' regime I am making a conscience effort to take a longer walking route to and from work, including walking up and down the escalator, standing on the tube, and I have even added another alarm to really REALLY make me 'remember' to do my sit-ups.

So far so good, ok only two weeks into this fitness madness but I am enjoying the classes, the longer walks are more pleasant due to the lighter and Warner evenings and you know, sit-ups feel much more enjoyable when I have actually done them, that sense of achievement is quite powerful!

There are over 40,000 locations nationwide and many of them are at convenient times. Visit Zumbauk.com

So…Zum Zum!

Ax

24 Hour Big Hair

During my years of obsessing over big hair and volume I have heard of a number of volumising powders and ‘dusts’ that are designed to give you instant height on-the-go. I had always been a bit put off by them as I assumed that your hair would look as though it was laced with dry shampoo and leave a white, unsightly residue. But when I saw TRESemme’s 24 Hour Body Plumping Powder was on offer, I simply couldn’t resist.

TRESemme 24 Hour Body Sky High Plumping Powder

TRESemme’s 24 Hour Body Plumping Powder creates instant root lift. The lightweight powder absorbs easily, and doesn’t leave any ‘white’ residue in you hair as I had feared. The little bottle s small and light enough to throw into your handbag for use when every you need a lift. Simply part your hair into section where you want the volume most. For me I generally part my hair half way down and also about an inch from my parting, for a double hit. So sprinkle the powder onto the root and gently rub into the hair. You will feel the hair literally becoming thicker in your fingers. Its rather odd but the end result is simply brilliant. I have to say this little body bomb is actually addictive! I had intended to save it for nights out or use when my hair was getting too long and needed an extra boost between haircuts, but I’ve been using it everyday and cant get enough of it. I do have to say that TRESemme’s 24 Hour Body Plumping Powder is quite good value for money and a little does go along way.

Give it a go, I promise you wont be disappointed!

Ax

St. Tropez: The evolution of the tan – part 5

This is what St. Tropez’s Head Tanner Nichola Joss had to say on how the Red Carpet experience compares with fashion week:

“The intensity is different, there is always a short time frame, but with Red Carpet you’ll have one, maybe two people to work with so it’s a lot more personal, whereas at LFW you have 22 girls and they all have to look amazing. There’s a real team work ethic at LFW as the girls walk down one after the other, whereas with a celebrity they are on their own and need to be nurtured”.

Aside from the glamour of the catwalk and the Red Carpet, what tips does Nichola have for us mere mortals that want to self-tan? “When layering a product on, it can start to look flat and when this happens, it’ll look fake. It’s all about maintenance; you must exfoliate the skin. The myth about exfoliation is that it will make you lose your tan, but it actually brightens the skin and allows for the tan to fade evenly”.

Nichola’s second top tip is about application, “When tanning, you should use a tanning mitt. Put the product onto the mitt and then apply to the body. It helps you achieve a sheer application and there isn’t as much of a tendency for build up”.

So there you have it, follow these simple rules and you too can look Red Carpet gorgeous.

K x

St. Tropez: The evolution of the tan – part 4

St. Tropez’s Head Tanner Nichola Joss continues talking about the evolution of tanning.

So what else is coming up next? St. Tropez has been making a natural progression into the skincare market with the introduction of its sun tan lotion and the Naturals collection in 2011. There are also developments taking place in anti-ageing skincare and the brand is looking to move into this market in the future.  Exciting times indeed! 

For autumn/winter 2012 Nichola is working on two shows, both of which happen to be her favourite designers, “I’m very lucky; I love Erdem and Roksander Illincic’s collections so working with them every season is fantastic”. Nichola has also worked with Stella McCartney in Paris and is gutted to be missing out on her return to London for a special presentation this season, but unfortunately this clashes with the Oscars, where Nichola is also in high demand.

In part 5 tomorrow: Red Carpet vs Fashion Week.

K x

St. Tropez: The evolution of the tan – part 3

The innovative illuminator products are also big favourites for St. Tropez’s Head Tanner Nichola Joss, “The most inspirational product is the violet illuminator. It defines all different skin tones from very dark to very light. I use it A LOT! Make-up artists also use the product on the face so it gives that really great finished look”. The violet illuminator was created especially for the Erdem show six seasons ago for spring/summer 2010, “He didn’t want a dark tan as the collection was really light, but he wanted a skin finishing product that gave really ethereal-looking skin”. The bluey-pink tone created by the violet illuminator has proved popular at LFW; Roksanda Illincic has also used the product in her show and it was mixed with the rose illuminator for Henry Holland.

How on earth do you go about coming up with something like that?! “It’s all about having a good relationship with the designer and them trusting you”. Nichola explains, “I’ve worked for so many years backstage that you gain a trust with the designers. We work with them really closely, looking at samples and pieces from the collections, and then we just have to sit down and get really creative!”. The illuminator was quickly developed for the consumer market and a brand new one is due to hit shelves around April/May, “I chose to work with St. Tropez because I believe it sets the trend for the tanning market”.

In part 4 tomorrow: What else St. Tropez has in store…

K x

St. Tropez: The evolution of the tan – part 2

The tanning industry has gone from strength to strength in the past few years. People are talking about it, unashamed to admit they are using the products, especially since the dangers of the sun and sun beds have become more widely know, “Everyone understands it now” St. Tropez’s Head Tanner Nichola Joss says, “and St. Tropez has developed such great wash-off products that it doesn’t transfer onto the clothes and won’t affect any of the designers’ pieces if they use the models later in the day. It’s nice to have a presence backstage alongside hair and make-up. Models now understand that it’s not just about what’s on the face, it’s about the whole package. The products make everything look finished and give that polished look”.

Perhaps the reason for the industry’s change of heart is down to the evolution of the products created by St. Tropez, “They’ve really come on in leaps and bounds and are now so sheer and beautiful. The wash-off mousse is my favourite tanning product to use without a doubt. It absorbs the quickest, it dries the quickest and gives a great finish to the skin whilst allowing for an illuminator to be applied on top”.

In part 3 tomorrow: innovative products makes St. Tropez a trend setter!

K x

St. Tropez: The evolution of the tan – Part 1

Tanning has come a long way since it began as a messy way of creating a flat and orange look.   The popularity of sunless tanning rose during the 1960s after links were made by health authorities between exposure to the sun, and other sun tanning methods, such as sunbeds or tanning beds, and the incidence of skin cancer.

St. Tropez is one of the best tanning brands on the market; a self-tan brand, specialising in self-tan, skin finishing treatments and bronzing cosmetics which was estabslihed in 1996.  St Tropez has a range of 30 products which include cosmetics, self-tanning products, skin perfecting & finishing products.

Over a mini series of posts this week, find out what St. Tropez’s Head Tanner Nichola Joss has to say about how times have changed when it comes to fake tan.

Nichola Joss actually started out as a nail technician and has worked at London Fashion Week for 12 years. She started working with St. Tropez six seasons ago and admits that at first people sceptical at having a tanning brand in elite world of beauty backstage, “The first time I did tanning backstage was for Julien Macdonald about six years ago. We had to use theatre make-up and everyone was like ‘get that tanning girl out of here!’”.

In part 2 tomorrow: the fashion industry’s change of heart to fake tan.

K x

New Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream

I have previously posted about the wonder that is Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream and just how amazing it is.  Well for other avid fans, I have some exciting news; Elizabeth Arden is introducing a new fragrance free version of its classic Eight Hour Cream.

Created 82 years ago, this is the first time that the formulation has ever been changed. It offers all the benefits of the original skin protectant and the same balm texture but without the polarising scent. This all-in-one cream can be used on cracked lips, dry elbows, eyebrows, cuticles, insect bites, windburn or works as a gloss for lips, lashes and cheeks and even to add a sheen to hairstyles.

To go alongside the new launch, the brand introduces new packaging showcasing a brand new silver tube, with its iconic '8' pattern featured on it.

Priced at £25, new Eight Hour Cream Skin Protectant Fragrance Free will be available nationwide from April.  I for one can’t wait to pick this up!

K x

Penhaligon’s - My New Obsession

For those of you who detest visiting perfume shops for all the sweet, candy scents available on the market, you must must must must must….get your nostrils round this scent. I introduce to you Juniper Sling, an intoxicating new fragrance from the famous Penhaligon’s is inspired by the most iconic and atmospheric of spirits: London Dry Gin. This must be why I like it (I’m partial to a cheeky G&T from time to time!) Created for Penhaligon’s by Master Perfumer Olivier Cresp, Juniper Sling is a playful, chilled and mysterious homage to the Bright Young Things of London’s roaring twenties. When I first smelt this scent I felt intoxicated, in a romantic, ‘cant-get-enough-of-this way.

Designed for enigmatic boys and girls, Juniper Sling is a crisp cocktail shot of gin with the freshness of juniper, cool measures of angelica and brandy and a beating libertine heart of black pepper, cardamom, soft leather and orris. A delicious foodie base of brown sugar, black cherry and amber add sensuality to the scent.

Penhaligon’s Juniper Sling - £110 for 100ml EDT

My beloved tipple has been transformed into a complex and compulsive skin scent that I recommend applying liberally and drink in! This is going on every ‘wish list’ I get to write, as it is a timeless aroma that will grow with you and make you feel rich, chic and full of mischief!

The formula…

HEAD NOTES
- Cinnamon, Orange Brandy, Angelica, Juniper Berry

HEART NOTES
- Cardamom, Leather, Black Pepper, Orris Wood

BASE NOTES
- Brown Sugar, Black Cherry, Vetiver, Ambrox

Ax

Spring Nails From Chanel

To me nail varnish trends start and end with Chanel, regardless to any other external influences, Chanel is nail colour God.

Chanel April, May and June

So this season the three must have colours are APRIL, MAY and JUNE, rather easy to remember, perhaps a little unimaginative, but I don’t care! They are lush, juicy colours with pastel pink tones, perfect for perking up dull skin and adding a flash of colour to a drab wardrobe. Working well with blacks, browns, greys and this seasons pastel shades how can you go wrong? A sharp cost at £17.50 so if you can’t justify spending that much on a nail varnish, colour match with brands such as Mavala, Essie and Revlon for a more affordable yet quality alternative.


P.S - Boys, this makes an AMAZING last minute Valentine's Day present!!!

Ax

Lashings of Lashes

Everyone would like eyelashes that look long, full, fluttery but not fake. Over the years I’m sure you or someone you know has endeavored with false strip lashes to achieve the Bambi eye look, and we all know it’s not easy to get the lashes in the right place, not to mention keep them on your eyelids for more than a few hours.

This is where The Powder Lounge comes in. Located on the 2^nd lower ground floor of Topshop, Oxford Circus, London, these lash experts are here to help you get ‘the lash look’ with easy and convenience. The Powder Lounge offers a plethora of services including strip lash application for FREE when you purchase one of their many strip lashes. They also offer semi permanent lash treatments one of which I tried called Holiday Lash.

Holiday Lash is a semi permanent lash extension treatment that is designed to last for about 2 weeks. The individual flare lashes are for me the best time saver in the morning! You don’t need to wear mascara when you have these and that also saves time at night when getting ready for bed. The real beauty of these is when you are actually away; they are designed to allow you to wear them while swimming, or lying on the beach.

Below is a picture of my eyelashes before having Holiday Lash applied (please note my lashes are curled in this image, so they do actually look longer than they actually are!)

Before Holiday Lash

Unfortunately, I’m not actually going on holiday but have been wearing these Holiday Lashes for a week now and they really are fantastic! I’ve not had to scrub my eye make up off every evening or spend ages applying mascara, eyeliner and what not in the mornings. In addition, they look so beautiful! I feel much more confident with these lashes, I feel I can pop to the shops without a full face on just because my eyes look brilliant without any effort.

Below are images of Holiday Lash after application - such a difference!

After - Eyes closed

After - Eyes open

For those of you who wear contact lenses or have sensitive eyes, Holiday Lash will NOT cause you any problems. Designed for use with hypoallergenic adhesive these ultra soft lashes are the most natural way to have the lashes you’ve always dreamed of.

Ax