The company, founded by Lynne Sanders in 1973, creates bespoke and ready to wear cosmetics in their London lab and took its first steps through the colour vibrancy of the 70′s, moving past punk and androgyny in the 80′s and 90′s to reach the current natural glow trends. In times of re-invention, recycling and creativity, where pretty much anything goes, what will the future hold?

The exhibition takes you through the company’s history and highlights, including the first nude lipstick for Princess Diana to bubblegum gloss worn by Lady Gaga; and in the literally hot preview(it was quite busy and the gallery was quite warm!), all was accompanied by champagne, that helped me keep cool, canapés and delightful mini-cupcakes.

What really grabbed my attention was the wall art. Really pretty, especially their timeline. The four centre-piece busts were also very interesting, the Princess Diana inspired being my favourite. That feeling that fashion, art and beauty go hand in hand was a constant throughout.

In the goodie-bag, a lipstick, in an appropriately red shade called Vintage. And and the offer of a complimentary custom blend cosmetic to be redeemed at their Motcombe St boutique. Nice touch.

Colour and Culture: Celebrating 40 years of Cosmetics à La Carte is on until the 26th May 2013, at 50 Redchurch Street, E2 7DP, from 10am-6pm daily. If you are in London, add this to your bank holiday activities to-do list!

Flávia starts my lipocavitation – with a smile!

I love a good body treatment but I usually have face ones more often. When I was invited by Flávia Azevedo at Body Wise Clinic to sample one of theirs I was chuffed – it seemed she read my mind, as I have been retaining a lot of liquid, and feeling a bit puffed up after changing medication.

The clinic is located in one of the business units above shops on the Queensway, a super central and easily accessible location. The petite clinic, pretty much the treatment room itself, is very clean and comfortable and the calming ambiance felt miles away from the bustle of the main road.

Flávia suggested the lipocavitation, a treatment known as the “non-invasive liposuction”. The machine has metallic pads like an ultrasound one, and it works pretty much the same way: by emitting strong sound waves that reaches the fat layer, breaking down the fatty structures into a something that our bodies can absorb and use as energy. Nice eh?

There are a few contra-indications to this treatment; those suffering from  fatty liver disease, some types of cancer, decompensated diabetes, high blood fat, renal insuffiency or women wearing copper IUD (for stomach treatments) should not do it, so Flávia asks about all these conditions beforehand.

She recommends that you follow some rules to maximise the treatment, such as not eating for an hour before and after the treatment, avoid alcohol during the treatment, especially 24 hours after (as the fat is processed by the liver) and not to wash the area at least for an hour after treatment, so the products can keep working.

She first asked what area concerned me the most in my body. After marking the region to be treated, I stepped onto the treatment bed for a real treat. She applied a warming product to the marked area, then a gel (similar to ultrasound gel). There is a discreet noise and you feel a tiny bit of vibration while she works the area. This goes on for 5 minutes on each treated area. After that, she applied radio-frequency for 10 minutes, which heats up the skin’s deeper layers, aiding tightening. After the treatment, the area feels quite warm and the skin goes slightly red and a tiny bit itchy from the all the stimulation, but it is nothing uncomfortable.

Flávia will recommend a tailored treatment to suit your needs, depending on how much and where you want to see reduction. Usually, a couple sessions a week are recommended, as well as a minimum of 48 hours between sessions, for better results. The typical measurement reduction is of about 0.5 to 1 cm per session; legs and waist areas usually show better results, with loss in arms being less.

After that, I had a great lymphatic drainage massage. This is no ordinary massage – it is a gentle, rhythmic massage to push the toxins and fat broken down by the previous procedure towards the lymph-nodes and subsequently into the blood stream, to be eliminated by the body. It is very good for circulation and those suffering from “heavy legs”; it also helps diminish the appearance of cellulite.

Following that, an “aesthetical massage”, which works at a fat level and not muscle. It is worth remembering that this massage does not eliminate fat, but helps to smooth the skin appearance and shape the body by helping to eliminate liquids retention.

I really like that Flávia explained the procedures and what I would feel in detail, so there were no surprises. She told me about the main benefits, touched on secondary benefits but she didn’t create false expectations; many times she mentioned that measuring takes place before the course of treatments, in the middle and at the end, not after very session not to create anxiety. I asked her to measure me… and the reduction was, amazingly, more than 2 cm from one of the measured areas (and about 1 in others)!!!!

At the moment, there is a promotion until the end of May; six 30 minute lipocavitation sessions for £120. The normal price per session is £40.
For the all over the body (not face) lymphatic drainage massage, a single 50 minute sessions costs £40, but packages are available, at £175 for five sessions.

BodyWise Clinic is located at 54 Queensway, London, phone number 078 6831 9584 . You can get more information about the range treatments and the team on their website. You can also buy their treatments at Wahanda.

This super cute teaser video for the collaboration collection between the Lanvin designer Alber Elbaz and cosmetics brand Lancôme was illustrated by the man himself and ticks all the fashion and beauty boxes. 

With uber cute packaging gracing some existent hit products, as seen on these Style.com and Fashionista.com previews, the LIMITED edition (yes, you heard it) 9-piece eye make up collection is set to be a total (and quick) sell out. I mean, how gorgeous is this on the right??? Really???  <3

“It’s never just a piece of makeup. It’s something a bit deeper than that.” Well, Elbaz, I totally agree with you, sir.

On the 15th of June, when the collection hits the shops, don’t you all rush at once. Yeah, right.

I kind of regret having added the dark grey; it would have been just as nice in silver and blue,plus the darker colour was less pigmented than the others, so at one point I really thought it wouldn’t work…

Work it did, and I was pleased with the result. This time, I applied only one coat of the all white coat, and it worked fine – less time waiting to sponge and less layers of nail polish. I used a silver holo from ColorClub and blue (Apolo) and dark grey (Zeus) holos from Specialittá Hits “No Olimpo” range, applying the sponging technique.

Application, as mentioned, was a bit sketchy, but turned out ok in the end. The ColorClub holo takes aaages to dry. Durability, however, was fantastic: 14 days – yes you read it right – 14 DAYS with absolutely no chips (I skipped a week of doing my nails, partly for being lazy, partly because it looked so good I felt bad removing it!)

Rating:

I kind of had enough of this “transition” season going on for longer than it should… I just want to ditch the coat!!! Hurry up summer!

Outfit #1

Black and white striped shirt and leggings from H&M, black booties from Primark, necklace from H&M, rings from H&M and New Look. Lipstick MAC So Chaud.

Outfit #2

Blue watercolour pattern skirt and royal blue shirt from H&M, black court shoes from River Island, necklace from H&M, bracelets from New Look and Turkey (yes, the country), rings from H&M and New Look. Lipstick is Natura Pêssego.

Outfit #3

Snake print dress form H&M, mink court shoes form New Look, rings from Accessorize (fox), New Look (bow) and H&M. Lipstick is Revlon lipbutter in Tuttifrutti.

Outfit #4

Black skater skirt and black studded top from H&M, grey cap-toe court shoes from H&M, necklace from Primark, rings from H&M and New Look. Lipstick, MAC Ruby Woo.

Outfit #5

Black top and black and white maxi skirt from H&M, black platform sandals from Zara, blue stone necklace from H&M, bracelet form H&M, rings from Primark (blue oval), and Topshop (?). Lipstick Natura Pêssego.

And this closed what I thought it would be the beginning of she sandals season. I was wrong. Actually, I was a bit cold going home that day…

How are you coping with the extended rubbish weather?

Illustrator and designer Claire, based in Brighton, UK, specialises in hand crafted collage illustrations; the greeting cards are designed using hand drawn and digital processes and the jewellery, launched in 2012, is hand designed and laser cut.

Her jewellery is very cute and very quirky, girly with an edge – the materials used, acrylic and cherry wood veneer, certainly contribute to that.

So delicate!

I got the lovely Summer Seaside ice-cream cone necklace in gold mirror, which costs £10 and a little flying bird pair of earrings, in a lovely metallic charcoal finish, which retails for a very resonable £6. I really like the length on the necklace chain. The finish is flawless and detail is incredible and you can choose different finishes for some of the designs.

They are very pretty and wearable, definitely unique pieces that will make you stand out from the crowd – and this is just a small sample of her range, which include the latest collection entitled Carousel.

So quirky and shiny!

You can browse Claire’s jewellery line (which contains necklaces, brooches, charm bracelets, charms, phone charms, and earrings) and her gorgeously illustrated greeting cards (she has an amazing offer available, but will also pick up commissions) on the Cat-a-Cake Creations site and you can buy online on her Etsy site. Oh, and everything is lovingly made by the seaside!

This post contains PR samples, however, this review is based on my own true experience with the products and reflects my honest opinion on them.

Gorgeous Kimberly shows off her make-up range

We all know Kimberly Wyatt – the blonde bombshell from the Pussycat Dolls and a star judge on Sky1′s Got to Dance programme. What we didn’t know (well, at least I didn’t know) is that Kimberly has a lovely make up range called Beautiful Movements Cosmetics, launching in June at Holland & Barrett.

The mineral make-up line, which consists of foundations, concealers, eye shadows, lip colours and blushers, is as pretty as it is good – it is free from parabens, animal products, synthetic dyes, fragrances and other chemicals usually present in cosmetics. To make it even better, it is cruelty free, not tested on animals, vegetarian friendly and approved by PETA and BUAV (that is the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection).

Mixing medium, foundation, lipgloss in cherry bomb and eyeshadow in aquatic

My very first impression was that, even though the line is mineral, it does not carry that dullness of mineral products already on the market (come on, you know what I mean!). On the contrary – and it is not just because Kimberly’s face adds that extra glamorous touch, it is also because of their fabulously vivid colours. Of course, the basic, nude colours are also present in the collection.

Before talking to Kimberly herself, I spoke to her business partner, Laura McCosmiskie, who is also responsible for skincare range Love the Planet. She told me BM Cosmetics have been selling online for more than 2 years, but they wanted to make sure the products delivered what they wanted, before hitting the streets. Plus, people really needed to physically try them, especially foundations. She highlighted that make up that is kind to the environment and the skin is paramount, as she suffers (like me and many others) from problematic skin and Holland & Barrett, being the health haven it is, seemed to be a natural stockist for the range. Her favourite product from is the Dewy Perfection finishing powder, a light diffusing powder that gives the complexion a soft focus effect! Nice!

Now, tell me….

During my short, but perfectly formed exclusive interview, Kimberly told me that she decided to venture into make-up because has always been a massive fan of make-up and loves the “artistic, creative side of creating a flawless face”. As she became more aware of what ingredients products contained, she found a big passion in wanting to make positive changes, not only as a consumer, but as a business. She describes the project as the perfect blend between a passion and wanting to make that positive change.

There are 37 products in the range. Look at all those colours!

Do I look pretty?

When asked about her favourite beauty look, she quickly replied natural, earthy tones for day with colourful lips, and darker eyes, with a more natural looking lip colour for the night – mentioning the range offers products to create both looks. She looked very natural on the day, wearing black eye liner with a flick. Very smiley and attentive, she came across as super nice and genuinely passionate about make-up, mentioning quite vivaciously how much she loves playing with make-up, the colours, the pigments and that natural make-up should not need to make sacrifices when it comes to those.

When asked about healthy habits, she said she tries to create as healthy lifestyle, and “beauty start from inside out, as cliche as it sounds”, praising fruit, vegetables and nuts in a healthy diet and regular exercise, as well as being aware about the “added extras” in products that we put in our skin. But we are all humans, and Kimberly, who is now based in London, confesses that her guilty pleasure is chocolate – actually, chocolate digestive biscuits!

Her fave product from the range is the silky Mixing Medium Prime & Create, which can be used alone, as a primer and also mixed with the powder, to create a cream consistency foundation, blusher or eyeshadow. Luckily, I got a sample which I have been using.

After the interview

Catch that light, accentuate that shadow

We finished with her telling us what her best beauty tip was: contouring. “Pay attention to the contours of your face and bring out the natural beauty using that”. Watch the shadows in your face and then use highlighter and darker shades to highlight and contour, enhancing what you already have. “Bring out your natural beauty, instead of creating a mask of make-up”. Well, I cannot disagree, that is a hell of a good tip, for more than one reason. Write it down ladies – this comes from someone who always looks good!

And to top the interview off I had to embarrass myself and ask for an autograph for my other half, who is a fan. Ah, boys….

The goodies I’ve been trying!

I took home a few goodies to try – and trying I have been! review will come very soon!

You can buy it from Holland & Barrett in June. If you cannot wait, head over to the Beautiful Movements website to browse the range and find out more about the brand.

This week I had a wedding to go to, and was wearing a red (surprise!) dress, so decided to match my nails.

I used Colorama Black as base on all fingers except the ring one, where I applied the gorgeous Barry M glitter in red (seen in full glory here) as an accent. I used the same red to do the French mani on the black ones.

I love it, really. The glitter tips just looked so pretty (the Barry M glitter polish is amazing!), and the black was so glossy (Seche Vite topcoat used!). Application was fine; two coats of each polish were applied. Durability was good; by the 6th day the glitter started to wear off from the tips, but a good run nevertheless.

Rating:

Big fat hair. Something that, for me, a person with fine hair, was always an unattainable dream.  To add insult to injury to my limp strands of hair, luscious, voluminous locks proliferate around me, everywhere I look. The cheek!

Since taking Roaccutane for the second time, I noticed a visible thinning in my hair. Although in quantity it seems ok, it is finer than it’s ever been.

Anyway, I have to resort to products to lift those roots and create that glamorous effect in my locks.

I came across this Lee Stafford root boost a while ago and have been using regularly. The consistency is of a firm-ish white mousse that dissolves well, and you apply it in a very controlled manner, thanks to the little straw nozzle (which I love, as too much product tends to weigh a lot in my hair, leaving it looking greasy), straight to the root of towel dried hair, rub with fingertips and style.

It really gives roots that oomph and sought after lift, changing the whole look. It holds, especially if combined with a bit of back combing. As you don’t need a lot, the bottle also goes a long way.

So, if big, fat hair is for you, this product will certainly make you happy. In the UK, you can buy it from Boots for £6.99. See the whole range and where to buy around the world on Lee Stafford’s website.

This post contains PR samples, however, this review is based on my own true experience with the products and reflects my honest opinion on them.

This flakie, suspended on a sheer light orange base is from Risqué, a Brazilian brand, and it is called Cobertura Encantada – enchanted coverage, in free translation, and it really is. I used on top of a gorgeous dark-ish orange, with a very discreet metallic sheen, called Garota Verão, from Colorama – and I have to say, this one needs to be worn alone, it is beautiful.

The glitter flakes, even on an lighter colour, shifted subtly from gold-green to orange-light red. I really liked it. Most of the time, they were just very shiny vivid gold, as seen on the pictures. I couldn’t quite capture the shifting . I saw some pictures of it over black and it is amazing… but I am sooo tired of wearing flakie over black; they end up looking quite similar…

Application was alright; smooth. I used two coats of Garota Verão (could have done with one, really  - it is very pigmented), and three of the glitter topcoat – it is not the most saturated flakie I have ever seen, but three coats created a good coverage.

Durability was ace and I was very happy with this one, nothing too exceptional, but nice. Overall, a good combo!

Rating: