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19 November 2010: 09:00

Burt’s Bees hand creme

Beauty Review: Burt’s Bees Beeswax and Banana Hand Creme

Available from: Boots, House of Fraser

Price: £9.99

What it claims to do:

Hands, often exposed to heat, cold, dirt and harsh detergents, are one of the first areas of the body to show aging. Keep yours soft and smooth with our super emollient hand creme.

Our reviewer says:

In the winter, my hands can get so very dry. I become a bit of a hand cream addict. So many creams are ultimately disappointing, no matter how many promises they make to keep my hands soft, smooth and moisturised. Not so with this Burts Bees cream. It is super thick and really does leave my hands feeling so much smoother and looking more alive again. Beeswax and banana sounds slightly offputting, but the smell isn’t overpowering or artificial.

Final verdict:

I love this hand cream. I first discovered it on a trip to the US years ago, and was so pleased when I was able to buy it here. If your hands are prone to dryness, try it. I highly recommend it and always have a tub on the go.

Reviewed by Pippa

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18 November 2010: 09:00

5 best nail polishes for under £10

We’re big fans of painted nails here at Westfield HQ. We’re always up for trying out the latest shades and brands. We have even been known to try out a new polish at our desks (sshhh, don’t tell!).

If you’re looking for a new nail polish and you don’t want to spend a fortune, we’ve discovered some great brands which won’t break the bank. We recommend them for colour, easy application and they’ll last you for at least a weekend. Best of all, they all cost under £10. We reckon that some of these are equal to, if not better than, some of the much more expensive nail polishes around.

So if you like to update your nail polish to match your latest outfit, we suggest you give these nail polishes a go. They have great new season colours too. Look out for autumnal hues and this season’s nudes and steely greys in particular.

Left to right: Topshop Nails in Cloud, £6; Essie nail polish in Chubby Cheeks, Debenhams £8.95; Rimmel 60 Seconds nail polish in Pompous, Superdrug £3.49; Rituals nail polish in Late Night Ruby, £7.90; Max Factor Max Colour Effects in Red Carpet Glam, Boots £3.95.

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Categories: Beauty, Don't Miss, Product Reviews

17 November 2010: 09:00

Sixties style

Looking for a little retro inspiration? Step back in time with 60s-inspired pieces available from some of your favourite high street retailers.

There’s something wonderfully feel good about the 1960s. Ok, so it wasn’t all rosy, but they always seem such halcyon days. And the style is seeing a revival. After watching ‘Made in Dagenham’, we’ve fallen for the shift dresses, fabulous false eyelashes and beehive hairstyles all over again.

Left to right: Camel 60s swing dress, Warehouse £35; Diamante trim black shift dress, Topshop £55

The pieces are oh so flattering too. A shift dress can disguise a midriff that’s carrying a few extra chocolate biscuit induced-pounds! An A-line skirt skims over a curvaceous hip. And a big animal print faux fur coat will detract from anything else concealed within it!

Left to right: Animal print 60s tunic dress, Dorothy Perkins £29.50, Leopard print faux fur coat, Biba at House of Fraser. £165

The A-line skirt below ticks so many on-trend boxes. It’s mid-length which is bang on this season. It’s camel coloured – again another trend tick. Plus, it’s got that 60s vibe about it. We love it!

Left to right: Stripe top, Oasis £30; Midi-length A line skirt, Warehouse £45

Now, just grab your false eyelashes (we recommend you have them applied at Shu Uemura, House of Fraser) and start backcombing your hair into a beehive that would impress even Amy Winehouse.

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Categories: Best Buys, Fashion, Trends

16 November 2010: 09:00

Topshop mascara

Beauty Review: Topshop Mascara in Bitter Chocolate


Price: £8

Available from: Topshop

What it claims to do:
Super volumising mascara for false lash effect dramatically thicker and fuller lashes.

Rest the mascara brush at the base of your lashes and slowly pull through, wiggling the brush from side to side as you go to fully coat lashes. For full on lashes, coat both sides of upper and lower lashes, using as many coats as you need for dramatically thicker and fuller finish.

Our reviewer says:
I really like this mascara. It sets itself apart from the other mascaras which scream about giving you gloriously full eyelashes. The packaging is simple and effective.
It’s easy to use, easy to apply and it doesn’t clump. You can keep applying lots of coats to build up as dark or light a colour as required.
I really love the colour of the ‘bitter chocolate’ – it’s a really nice shade of brown giving a more natural finish than the usual jet black.

Final verdict:
The price point is good and I love it for being so simple but effective.
Overall, it gets a good all-rounder thumbs up from me!

Reviewed by Julie

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15 November 2010: 09:00

The strike of midnight

Winter’s drawing ever closer. Days are getting shorter and darkness is descending earlier and earlier. This translates into fashion too. Move on from the early season grey palette and embrace midnight blue this winter.

Midnight blue (or indigo) makes a classy alternative to black or charcoal grey. Look out for gorgeous party dresses -  a refreshing change for an LBD (that’s a little blue dress!) – alongside everyday wardrobe staples.

We reckon nobody does it better than Reiss this season too.  Check out our pick of their midnight blue pieces.

Left to right: Sweetness indigo lace dress, £195; Liberty lace fitted midnight blue dress, £169

Left to right: Fitted Crombie coat, £285; Indigo cape, £275

Left to right: Deep Pacific sheer lace top, £95; Deep Pacific sheer shirt, £79

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12 November 2010: 09:00

New Clinique colour collection

Landing on Clinique counters today is the new Holiday 2010 collection. It’s limited edition, so we suggest you grab yours quickly.

We’ve got our hands on the Strawberry Fudge Holiday Compact and we’re  not letting it go! It’s a great palette for eyes and cheeks with really pretty shades. There’s a trio of eye shadows and a soft pink blush too.

Sweep the blush across your cheeks for a healthy spot of colour – as if you’ve just been outside in the snow or maybe you’re glowing after a Christmas kiss!

The eyepalette contains a pretty pink, but also offers rich chocolatey browns for more definition. Finish off your eye make-up with the High Lengths mascara, also nestled in the handy little compact.

Finally, there’s the NEW Vitamin C Lip Smoothie Antioxidant Lip Colour. The Strawberry Bliss shade will give your lips a delicate pink gloss, ready for you to pucker up under that mistletoe!

Look out for the new collection on Clinique counters in House of Fraser, Boots and Debenhams

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11 November 2010: 09:00

Olivia Palermo for Mango

Mango has done it again. The latest celebrity to model their collection is the ever-stylish Olivia Palermo. As if that wasn’t enough to whet our appetite, her gorgeous boyfriend has got in on the act too.

Johannes Huebl and Olivia Palermo have to be one of the most super cute couples around right now, so we have to admire Mango for signing them up to model the winter collection. They follow in the oh-so-sexy footsteps of Hollywood siren and Mango model, Scarlett Johannson who made the AW10 Mango collection all the more desirable.

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Categories: Celebrity Style, Fashion, News, Trends

10 November 2010: 09:00

Behind the scenes at our Christmas shoot

Wondering how we created the stunning images for our Christmas campaign? We take you behind the scenes at our photoshoot where you can  hear from the prop stylist and creative team who made it happen.

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9 November 2010: 09:00

Shu Uemura Balancing Cleansing Oil

Beauty Review: Shu Uemura Balancing Cleansing Oil


Price: £27
Available from:  House of Fraser
What it claims to do:
A two-in-one cleanser and makeup remover.  A light, refreshing cleanser and makeup remover that thoroughly cleanses the skin without disrupting its natural balance, leaving it purified and blemish-free. Leaves skin smooth and protected without stripping it of its natural oils. shu uemura’s #1 selling Cleansing Oil. Suitable for all skin types.

Our reviewer says:
I have read a lot about the benefits of cleansing with oil lately, especially for those with oily/blemish prone skin like myself. Most people believe that oil-based cleansers and beauty products  are bad for oily skin. The truth is that it has now been proven that oil dissolves oil, and cleansing with oil can actually balance your skin. I use Shu Uemura’s hair oil and it’s amazing. so I was keen to try their skin care oil.

Final verdict:
This is an excellent cleanser and removes make-up effectively while leaving skin soft and hydrated. I highly recommend this cleanser for anyone with dry or irritated skin as it’s so gentle, yet effective.  It is quite pricey, however you only need a few drops to massage into your face before it emulsifies and you wipe off with a face washer.

Reviewed by Dearne

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8 November 2010: 10:36

Strictly Fashion Lives

We couldn’t help but notice the eye-catching dress that Tess Daly wore on Sunday night’s Strictly Come Dancing results show. It was none other than the dress from our Fashion Lives AW10 campaign.

This fabulous dress caught our eye back in the summer. The Evangeline feather dress is available from Whistles for £350. We teamed it with an Aviator jacket and shearling-lined boots to give it a more edgy feel. We love the mix of textures – strong, structured leather with fluffy feathers.

Tess wore her dress in a more elegant way and added bold, strappy black heels. In Whistles AW10 campaign, they chose platform sandals and opaque black tights to accompany the dress.

It would make a wonderfully dramatic Christmas party look. How would you wear it?

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Categories: Celebrity Style, Fashion, Trends

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