8 March 2010: 11:12
Fed up with your hair but don’t want to sacrifice the length? Then you need to get a fringe! Fringes have been back in vogue for a couple of years, but the new trend for soft, layered fringes means this is one of the most wearable beauty looks of 2010!
As ever, those A-listers have already jumped on this trend bandwagon with stars such as Lily Allen, Rachel McAdams and Gemma Arterton all sporting the new soft fringe.
What’s great about this fringe is that it’s not such a full commitment as the blunt number seen a few seasons back, plus as these 3 ladies prove, it suits all hairstyles, hair colours and face shapes. It’s also one of those styles that look better the more grown out it is so need to book twice monthly appointments for a fringe trim! We’re booking our appointment now…
3 March 2010: 09:22
We’re all excited and feeling very nostalgic about Tim Burton’s new 3D take on Disney’s classic childhood fantasy, Alice in Wonderland!
To celebrate, Miss Selfridge, Swarovski, Folli Follie and Urban Decay have all collaborated with Disney to create a range of themed clothing, jewellery and accessories featuring all of your favourite characters including the evil Queen of Hearts, the ever-so late White rabbit, the Cheshire cat with his famous grin and Alice herself.
Don’t miss Alice in Wonderland screening in cinemas across the UK from 5th March!
Pictured: Urban Decay eye shadow box, £28, exclusively at Debenhams, Miss Selfridge tank priced from £18, Folli Follie bag £145, Swarovski Flower Garden necklace, £235, and Ace of Heart cufflinks £9.50 at M&S.
25 January 2010: 09:29
Here at Westfield HQ we get very excited whenever there’s a new limited edition beauty collection – and the new range from Estée Lauder, Michael Kors Very Hollywood Color Collection – is no exception.
Since this gorgeous new collection landed on our desks, we’ve been smitten with it. From the sleek beige packaging to the very glam colours, it’s a collection destined to make you feel like a Hollywood star – even if you live in Lewisham as opposed to LA!
According to Michael, “The inspiration for the Estée Lauder Michael Kors Very Hollywood Color Collection is iconic Hollywood glamour, both past and present, interpreted for everyday life.” And we can say that for once, the blurb is very true.
The Bel Air Beige range features a classic combo of beige and coral, with shimmery peach lips, cheeks and a smoky eye, while the Rodeo Pink range contains vibrant shades of raspberry, with the focus being on bold lips.
Our favourite item in this gorgeous new range though has to be the Estée Lauder Michael Kors Very Hollywood Shimmering Loose Powder. It may not make you look like Angelina Jolie, but we find the silky formula gives us a gorgeous glow, making us feel like we’ve just come back from an A-list holiday in the Bahamas.
It’s a fabulous range, which looks as good on your dressing table as it does on your face and we’re pretty sure it’s going to be a sell out. So, to make sure you enjoy a touch of Hollywood glamour at home, get down to your nearest Estée Lauder counter from 1st February!
18 January 2010: 14:32
You have to hand it to Heidi Klum – she’s a TV presenter, supermodel and a mother to four kids – yet she always looks amazing and full of energy. Well, now we think we may have unearthed the gorgeous German’s secret!
We’ve found out that she’s a huge fan of Rituals, a natural range of beauty products, with one of her favourites being their Energy Bubbles Moisturising Cream Bath. This gorgeous smelling bath soak containing Gingseng and Chinese peony, makes your skin feel instantly softer and silkier, so we can see why Heidi is a fan.
The good news for us equally busy non-celebrities however, is the price. It’s only £9.90, which means you can indulge in a little A-list luxury in the comfort of your own home without breaking the bank. Rituals products are available in Ritual stores throughout the UK, as well as in certain department stores.
6 January 2010: 13:11
Being such fashion forward types, we’re already thinking about Spring/Summer and what will be in vogue – well, it beats being cold and miserable!
If you’re too nervous to try next season’s fashion treats already though, why not dip your toe into Spring/Summer 2010 with some simple beauty updates? We’ve found our favourite looks from the catwalk shows, which will mean you’re one step ahead of the beauty pack.
First up is luminous skin. Great skin is something that never goes out of fashion but it appeared on several catwalk shows including the Calvin Klein Spring/Summer show. British make-up artist Pat McGrath created the glowing looks with CoverGirl cosmetics (not available in the UK) but we love MAC’s Strobe Liquid (£21) for that healthy, gorgeous glow.
To go with that glow, the big beauty trend for Spring/Summer is natural lipstick, as seen on the models at the Caroline Herrera show. We love L’Oreal’s Made For Me Natural range – it has a shade of nude suitable for every skin type, and is available from both Superdrug and Boots.
At the other extreme of the make-up scale, we’ll be sporting pink eye shadow as seen at the Galliano and Diane Von Furstenberg shows. It is a trifle scary, especially compared to the natural brown and greys, which have been in vogue for so long, but it definitely helps make a statement. Start off gently and add more colour as your confidence grows! Our favourite shade is Urban Decay’s Hot Pink (£13.50), available to buy from House Of Fraser.
Of course, beauty isn’t just about the face. There were lots of complicated up-dos and braids on the Spring/Summer catwalk, but our favourite hair trend is possibly also the easiest – and great for all hair lengths. Marios Schwab sent his models down the runway with slicked back hair, creating a strong, simple style. To achieve this look, choose a shine infused product such as MOP’s Glisten high shine pomade, £10.95, from Debenhams. A good comb is also essential for this look – we like Boots Salon Performance Tail Comb, a bargain at £2.10.
Finally, if you’re looking for a way to add a touch of glamour to your look, why not try some nail art? It’s huge with celebrities such as Katy Perry and Rihanna and is a great way to stand out from the crowd. If you can’t afford a trip to a nail bar such as Wah Nails, then do-it-yourself with these fabulous nail art stickers, £2.99 from Boots. Just stick on and go!
31 December 2009: 12:19
When it comes to party looks, you can’t beat a smokey eye! Sultry eyes are a favourite among celebrities as well with Cheryl Cole, Beyonce and Keira Knightley often seen sporting dark and delicious eye make-up on the red carpet.
It’s also a great way to take your make-up from day to night – just add a pair of false eyelashes, a touch of liner and you’re ready to go straight to the party.
Whether you choose smudged kohl or the more ’60s style liquid liner, the essential item needed for smokey eyes is liner. For the festive season, we’re loving Urban Decay’s glitter eye liner (£12), which is just perfect for that little bit of sparkle.
Eyelashes are also key. If you want to be more natural, make sure you not only layer on the mascara, but also curl them beforehand. Heating your eyelash curlers up with your hairdryer will add to their lusturous affect. Our favourites are from Illamasqua (£17.13), available to buy in Debenhams and other department stores.
No beauty conscious star ever steps in front of the cameras without their false eyelashes and neither should you! You can now even buy Cheryl Cole’s lashes as Eylure have teamed up with Girls Aloud to create their own range, (£4.89)! Cheryl’s are, in her words, “cool and ultra glamorous”. We can’t guarantee that you’ll look like the singer, but they will definitely help improve flutterability.
If you need help applying them, check out Lauren Luke’s tutorial on You Tube, or alternatively some stores do offer a service to apply your eyelashes for you.
So go forth and flutter – and just remember if you’re doing a strong eye, make your lips nice and neutral.
16 December 2009: 08:30
Red lips are a beauty classic, and are the perfect party accompaniment to a little black dress. They’re also a favourite with the A-list, with celebrities such as Dita Von Teese, Leighton Meester and Taylor Swift sporting bright red lips on the red carpet in recent months.
Some celebrities, such as Dita, wouldn’t be seen without their iconic red lips, which are a nod back to the days of Hollywood glamour when red lipstick was as common as wearing a hat and matching bag/shoes.
Others such as Taylor Swift are red lipstick converts. Taylor was introduced to the classic look on the cover shoot for Allure earlier this year, and she loved the look so much, she begged uber make-up artist Gucci Westman, to give her a tube of her own!
Fellow red lip lover Scarlet Johansson says “I’m a huge believer in the power of lipstick, especially red – it’s like instant glamour in a tube.” It’s the beauty essential you should ALWAYS carry in your bag as it can brighten up your face, glam up your look and make you feel very confident – not bad for a small tube of lipstick.
Once you’ve found the right colour for you – and we really recommend you visit a beauty counter to get the perfect shade – application is key to this look. The Hollywood look is back in vogue now so line your lips first, then fill in with your chosen shade using a lip brush. Then blot, blot and blot some more for that perfect glam look.
We’ve rummaged around in our favourite red-lipped celebs to find out what shade they’ll be wearing under the mistletoe this year…
(L-R) Queen of the red lips, Dita Von Teese, adores MAC's Russian Red, £18.50;Cheryl Cole favours Max Factor’s Lipfinity in Charming, £9.99; Gwen Stefani loves Guerlain Kiss Kiss Lipstick in Exces de Rouge, £33
17 November 2009: 10:30
Don’t worry – popstar and style icon Cheryl Cole hasn’t suddenly gone all philosophical on us. The deep we’re talking about refers to her fabulous nails!
While watching The X Factor the other day, we spotted Cheryl’s gorgeous deep violet nail colour and immediately set off on a search for a similar hue. It’s a great colour for this time of the year – dark enough to be sultry and glam, but different enough to stand out of the crowd.
The best match we’ve found is Nail Inc’s Belgrave Place. This deep inky violet colour thankfully doesn’t come with the A-list price tag though and can be picked up from House Of Fraser and Debenhams for just £10.50. So stock up now and come the festive season, you can have nails as starry as Cheryl’s!
6 November 2009: 17:30
A key trend for this season, the eighties dominated the catwalks with bold shoulders, neon brights, and flamboyant patterns.
It’s one trend that has filtered quickly down to the high street and now thanks to Elizabeth Arden, it’s reached our dressing tables as well.
Elizabeth Arden have taken their iconic 8 hour cream formula and produced a fabulous new retro-looking collection, which is just so right for now. The Eight Hour Cream Skin Protectant and Eight Hour Lip Protectant Stick still contain those skin restorative abilities we’ve come to know and love, but now they’ve got a brand new season look!
Taking inspiration from the bright colours of the ‘80s, we love this fun packaging, which takes us back to the days when we’d jump around our bedrooms singing Madonna songs into our hairbrushes!
This cool range (priced at £17 each) is available nationwide from Boots and selected department stores from 16th November.
28 October 2009: 15:52
In times of recession, it’s been proven that women spend on small luxuries like lipstick and pampering sessions, such as facials or manicures. We may not have as much money as we used to, but we still like to look nice! Not so long ago, it was fairly unusual to go and get your nails done but with the advent of places like Nails Inc, getting your nails manicured is something to fit in around your shopping.
Next time you decide to get the pro treatment however, don’t make do with a regular file and polish. This season, nails are becoming more spectacular. Some of our favourite designs include the infamous double Chanel C, leopard print and crystal-studded, however, the look we’re really hankering after at the moment is a favourite with burlesque beauty Dita Von Teese – the half moon manicure.
This 1920s nail trend invented by a manicurist at MGM Studios has had a revival thanks to the return of burlesque. We love the simplicity of it, yet the cute half moons makes it stand out from the regular polished crowd!
Make like Dita and mix a deep red with gold half moons (we love Maybelline’s Deep Red and Mavala’s Gold Diamond), or copy Dior who sent their models down the catwalk with a striking purple and white combo.
This is one manicure however that is probably best left to the professionals – unless you have a very steady hand of course!
