Archive for April, 2010

30 April 2010: 09:51

Pucker Up With Orange Lips

Lipstick is back for Spring/Summer and if the catwalks are anything to go by, the brighter, the better!

Prada sent their models down the catwalk with bright orange lips and it’s a trend that the celebs have quickly latched onto. We’ve spotted fashion forward celebs such as Agyness Deyn and Scarlett Johansson both rocking an orange lip – proving that it is a colour that suits everyone.

To wear it the Prada way, your lips must be uber bright and matte. Our favourite shade for this is Morange from Mac (£12.50). If you’re going mega bright, make sure your eyes are simple and understated – you want your lips to do all the talking with this look.

For a daytime look, try a soft coral shade such as Revlon’s Superlustrous Lipstick in Kiss Me Coral (£7.29). This can still have impact, without being too in your face. And if you’re too nervous to take the orange plunge totally, why not try an orange lipgloss like Bloom’s Tangerine (£12), which is a favourite with our favourite pop princess, Kylie.

Orange lips look just as good with a tan as they do on fairer skin – just play around until you find the right shade for you. And as with all bright lippie, make sure your lips are buffed and polished to perfection as bright colours show up any flaws.

L-R: Morange by MAC, £12.50; Kiss Me Coral by Revlon, £7.29; Tangerine gloss by Bloom, £12

No Comments | Email | Bookmark and Share

Tags: , , , ,
Categories: Beauty, Celebrity Style, Trends

28 April 2010: 16:35

Hot or Not? Crop Tops

Back in the ‘80s, you couldn’t move for crop tops. Madonna flaunted her tummy in cropped lace tops, Yazz went sporty in a cropped vest top, while Bananarama larked about in a uniform of cropped loose T-shirts and ra-ra skirts.

For those of us that lived through the ‘80s, it was one of those trends we were glad to see the back off. After all, unless you had a toned stomach, they really weren’t the easiest look to rock.

Imagine our ‘delight’ then when we clocked a plethora of cropped tops hitting the high street. From cropped logo T-shirts to glammed up lace versions, if you want to be top of the crops, there’s plenty to choose from.

This is one trend however that really should be left to the young – if you remember the craze from the first time around, you should probably leave it alone.

If you do want to persist with the trend, try a bit of double layering and wear your lace cropped top over a white body or, wear a cropped jumper over a long-line vest. There are also some more modestly cropped tops out there (like the floral number from Miss Selfridge, below), which will look great paired with a high waisted denim skirt.

Top to Bottom: Cropped jumper, £7, New Look; Soul Cal California Crop Tee, £14,99, Republic; Lace cropped top, £38, Topshop; Floral cropped top, £35, Miss Selfridge

So, what do you think of the cropped top trend? Is it wearable? And more importantly will you be flashing your abs this summer?

Comments(4) | Email | Bookmark and Share

Tags: , , , , ,
Categories: Fashion, Hot or Not, Trends

26 April 2010: 09:33

How To Wear… Cycling Shorts

The resurrection of the cycling short on this season’s catwalks was, at first sight, quite shocking. After all, the last time cycling shorts were on the fashion agenda, Kylie was dating Michael Hutchence, Take That were in the charts for the first time, and raves were the latest thing. Back then however, the look was sporty – party goers teamed cycling shorts with body-con dresses, oversized baseball jackets and hi-top trainers.

This time around, the look is thankfully much more sophisticated. Louis Vuitton and Prada showed in their Spring/Summer shows that cycling shorts are not as scary as they first seem. In fact, if you think of them as your summer leggings, you’ll suddenly realise a whole new potential in this sporty attire that you never previously recognised!

For a not-too-scary take on the cycling short look, team them with a long-lined vest and boyfriend blazer. Add a pair of fierce heels and you’ve got the perfect night-time look.

L-R: Boyfriend blazer, £20, New Look; Cycling shorts, £10, Warehouse; Sequin vest, £35, Oasis

If you’re a tad braver on the fashion front, why not copy Louis Vuitton and mix up your prints? We love these floral cycling shorts – add a floral dress in similar tones and some cute lace-up shoes and you’re good to go.

L-R: Amelia dress, £60, French Connection; Floral cycling shorts, £12, Topshop; Lace-up shoes, £35, Miss Selfridge

So, will you be fashion forward enough to try the new cycling shorts? Or do you think they should be resigned to the ‘90s? Tell us your comments below now.

No Comments | Email | Bookmark and Share

Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
Categories: Fashion, News, Trends

22 April 2010: 10:01

Get Cheryl Cole’s Lashes

Here at Westfield HQ, we’ve always had a soft spot for Cheryl Cole, especially her immaculate make-up. This is one girl you can’t imagine going barefaced in the gym! She does the smokey eye and nude lips look really well and now we’ve discovered the secret behind her gorgeous lashes – L’Oreal’s Telescopic Mascara.

Yes, for just £9.99 you too could have lashes as flutterable as Cheryl’s! She said of the mascara ‘I discovered it one day and that was me sold. If I get my hair and make-up done, my eyelashes and eye brows are two things I always do myself’.

So, we’re sure that Cheryl will be dashing to the shops to snap up L’Oreal’s latest wonder mascara, Telescopic Explosion – well actually as she’s the face of L’Oreal, she’ll probably get it for free, but we’re sure she’s going to love it still!

It has all the attributes of the regular Telescopic Mascara but comes with a small, globe-like wand, which allows you to get into the corners easily and ensure your lashes are truly gorgeous all over. Snap it up now for £9.99 from Boots, Superdrug and all good beauty counters to give your peepers the Cheryl Cole treatment.

L-R: Cheryl's favourite L'Oreal Telescopic Mascara, £9.99; The new version, L'Oreal Telescopic Explosion Mascara, £9.99

No Comments | Email | Bookmark and Share

Tags: , , , , ,
Categories: Beauty, Celebrity Style

21 April 2010: 09:52

They Call It Mellow Yellow!

Amid a sea of pastels, nudes and tropical brights, one of the micro trends we spotted on the catwalk this season is yellow! From muted pastel shades to bright canary yellows, adding a touch of this sunshine colour will definitely inject a bit of summer into your new season wardrobe.

At first glance it may seem a difficult colour to wear, but if you’re not brave enough to don a canary yellow dress, which looks amazing on darker or tanned skins, then why not try a soft lemon shade? It’s very on trend – pastels are tres chic don’t you know – and suits blondes and fairer skin. If that still seems too overwhelming, dip your toe in this mellow yellow trend by trying out some yellow accessories. We love Kenneth Cole’s bright yellow tote (below), which will add a touch of summer to any outfit.

To ensure you don’t look like a corn on the cob however, avoid the top-to-toe yellow look and instead break it up with shades of grey or cream. If you’re really daring, you could also try the colour clash – pale yellow looks fab with red, while a bright yellow outfit highlighted with fuchsia pink accessories will definitely get you noticed.

We’ve picked a few of our favourite pieces below – snap them up now and we guarantee you’ll have a bright summer, whatever the weather outside!

L-R: Kenneth Cole bag, £49, House of Fraser; Lemon cutwork skirt, £25, Dorothy Perkins; Dress, £55, Monsoon; Pleat neck top, £14, New Look; Wedge sandals, £85, Carvela

No Comments | Email | Bookmark and Share

Tags: , , , ,
Categories: Fashion, Trends

19 April 2010: 09:43

Indulge In Fifties Glamour

The sun is out – well kind of – and it’s time to think of updating your shades for 2010. There are lots of styles still out there such as the ’80s wayfarer or the John Lennon style round sunnies, however, we’ve got our eyes on the new cat eye sunglasses.

Designers such as Alexander Wang and Prada showed their own version of these iconic shades on the catwalk and now the look has filtered down to the high street.

Harking back to the ’50s, these cat eye shades add instant glamour and sophistication to any oufit and are the perfect accessory to all the ladylike pastel shades out there. We’ll certainly be sporting a pair to the fabulous Grace Kelly exhibition at the V&A – we can just see the movie princess wearing these in the South of France!

Unlike some of the wackier sunnie trends (the big round glasses, the bug eye glasses), cat eye shades are really wearable and suit all faces. From the true authentic winged ’50s numbers to the more ’80s looking cat eye, there’s a pair of sunglasses out there that will make you look retro fabulous.

And it’s not just us that have given these winged lovelies a fashionable seal of approval – we’ve spotted the likes of Diane Kruger, Jessica Alba and the oh-so-fashionable Mary-Kate Olsen sporting them.

So if we’ve tempted you to dip your toe into a bit of Fifties glamour, check out our favourite cat’s eye shades available on the high street now!

Top: Two tone sunglasses, £16, Warehouse; Tortoiseshell Rayban sunglasses, £145, Next. Bottom: Brown sunglasses, £30, French Connection; Pink sunglasses, £12, Therapy at House Of Fraser

No Comments | Email | Bookmark and Share

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,
Categories: Celebrity Style, Trends

16 April 2010: 10:19

Hot or Not? Satchels

It may have been a few years since you considered toting a satchel, but it’s time to banish those school memories as the satchel is the bag of 2010.

It all started when Mulberry produced their gorgeous Alexa satchel. Named after TV presenter and model Alexa Chung, this bag, produced in a variety of finishes, has kick-started the satchel trend on the high street. If you want the real deal, you’re going to need to pay out around £700, but fear not, this new it-bag can be found on the high street for a whole lot less!

This is one fashion area where your man can come in handy, as satchels have long been a staple in their wardrobe, and men’s departments have some great authentic looking leather satchels out there, starting from as little as £99. However, if you want something a little more girlie, check out M&S, Topshop or Hobbs who have all created our favourite it-bags.

From top to bottom: Metallic satchel, £35, M&S; NW3 satchel, £179, Hobbs; Pushlock satchel, £45, Topshpo

They’re so adaptable, and will look as good at work as they will at festivals – that handy long strap means you can wear them across your body, leaving your hands free for that essential beer!

Take some notes from Alexa, and keep the rest of your outfit casually slouchy – throw it on over a parka and floral dress combo, or team it with your double denim.

So will you be going back to school and picking up a satchel this season? Or do you think they should remain in the school playground? Don’t forget to let us know your comments!

Comments(2) | Email | Bookmark and Share

Tags: , , , ,
Categories: Celebrity Style, Fashion, Hot or Not, Trends

14 April 2010: 12:54

Steal Whitney Port’s Style

We recently spooted The City star Whitney Port out and about in a pair of fabulous Giuseppe Zanotti skyscraper heels. These gladiator style bejewelled lovelies would set you back a whopping £570, however, we’ve managed to track down a very similar looking pair on the high street that won’t break the bank! And would you believe it, but they’re from good ole M&S.

These fab replicas retail for the much more reasonable £49, which leaves with you plenty of dosh to splash out on the rest of your Whitney style outfit.

To copy Whitney’s style, you need to get those legs out so choose either some cute tailored shorts or a body-con skirt. Then all that’s left to complete the Whitney look is a fashionable frenemy like Olivia Palmermo and a fabulous job…

Which would you buy? The real deal Guiseppe Zanotti sandals (left) £549, or these M&S sandals (right) at £49

No Comments | Email | Bookmark and Share

Tags: , , ,
Categories: Celebrity Style, Spend Or Save

12 April 2010: 12:27

Spend or Save? Sports Luxe

The Sports Luxe trend is big news this Spring/Summer with designers teaming soft jersey fabrics with denim and silk for a casual, glam look that not only looks good, but is comfortable too. And we all love a trend that’s comfortable here at Westfield HQ.

New York designer, Alexander Wang is high on our radar at the moment and the young designer has made some serious waves in the fashion world with his Sports Luxe look. His easy-to-wear designs are being snapped up by fashion lovers from New York to London and beyond.

The key to working the sports luxe look is by striking the perfect balance between athletic style and glamour chic – no sweat required for this look. Keep it fresh and soft by choosing muted shades like grey, caramel and beige. And you get extra fashion points for swapping your trainers for sky-high heels!

While the quality of Wang’s fabrics are divine, jackets in the collection start at £545, so you can imagine our surprise when we spotted these very similar jackets in Topshop starting at only £45! Team one of these lovelies with slouchy sweats and peep-toe high heel boots and you’ll have nailed the look – just don’t try running on a treadmill…


Clockwise: Alexander Wang denim and black jersey jacket £545, Topshop denim and black jersey jacket £48, Topshop denim and grey jersey jacket £45, Alexander Wang suede and grey jersey jacket £945.

Comment(1) | Email | Bookmark and Share

Tags: , ,
Categories: Best Buys, Spend Or Save, Trends

1 April 2010: 08:47

Summer Preview: Next

Next have just released a sneak preview of their high summer collection, and we thought we’d share it with you. Yes, we know the weather is bleaker than a storyline on EastEnders, but the thought that spring and summer are on their way is keeping us going.

We can’t wait to ditch the opaques and pull on a ruffle denim dress (£35) with bare legs, and put our heavy winter coats away in favour of a cute floral trench (£45).

There’s something for everyone this summer at Next, including you boys – we’re particularly loving the dapper 3-piece suit. So take a look now and get your summer shopping list started…

No Comments | Email | Bookmark and Share

Tags: ,
Categories: Fashion, News