INVESTMENT LUXE

Mulberry jewelled Lily bag (£850): Every season, my pulse quickens as the new bags arrive in the windows at Mulberry. I’m currently dreaming of finding this gorgeous midnight suede bag (I love the coloured gems and the chain strap) under my tree. I’d wear it with a pretty dress for parties, or slung over jeans for day.
Jimmy Choo glittery Tyler ipad case (£260): I’ve just got myself a shiny new ipad (for blogging on the go), and this glittery pouch will make it look like a Christmas present every single day!
Louis Vuitton leather agenda (£225): Despite the fact I am constantly overcommitted, I love the idea of starting the year thoroughly organised. and in the age of digital overload, isn’t there something lovely about putting pen to paper each day?
Miu Miu crystal necklace (£290): My love affair for Miu Miu shows no signs of slowing down, and their new-season jewels are just fabulous. Like the Mulberry bag, this multi-coloured collar would work as well over a plain black tee as it would with your most fabulous party dress and just screams ‘party!’.

EVERYDAY LUXURY

Whistles feather hem dress (£265): The perfect ‘happy dress’ for winter, if you ask me. Wear it on Christmas Day, on New Year’s Eve, on a romantic date, to after-work cocktails, or just when you’re feeling sad and want to be feeling fabulous.
Kurt Geiger glittery Lucille flats (£80): Amazing heels may be the ultimate footwear luxury, but I personally love the idea of my everyday run-all-over-town flats being twinkly and special too.
Tiffany sterling silver twist bow necklace (£225): My sister gave me a Tiffany heart necklace years and years ago, and even though my fashion tastes may have changed since then, I still treasure it to this day. You’d be hard pressed to find a girl who wouldn’t be thrilled to find a little blue box under her tree, and their silver pendant charm necklaces (starting at £80) are whimsical and adorable. There are countless pendants to choose (from lucky charms to Eiffel Towers), but this bow is my favourite.
Mulberry Bayswater key ring (£95): Even if you can’t afford the actual bag, this golden key ring would be the most adorable little treasure to pull out of your bag each day (and bonus points for being cute and practical).

SMALL LUXURIES

Jo Malone large Pomegranate Noir candle (£38): Any Jo Malone candle will make your house smell instantly more welcoming and luxurious. I’ll admit they’re not cheap, but they last for hours and hours (40, to be exact) and are simply incomparable to cheaper imitators. I dare you to choose going out vs staying in once you’ve lit this!
Viktor and Rolf Flowerbomb perfume (from £46.50): Who doesn’t love getting perfume for Christmas? This is a delicious heady floral, and is a universal woman (and man) – pleaser. Will last for months and months and make all your wintery layers smell delicious.
Wolford Bunny Dot Tights (£32): Like beautiful lingerie, there is something so divine about beautiful stockings. These will make any black dress feel a bit fun at Christmas. Although I warn you, you won’t be able to go back to buying bargain 3-pack tights after trying Wolford!

STOCKING STUFFERS

Whistles clover stud earrings (£15): These are adorable, lucky and a bargain! What’s not to love?
Chanel Rouge Allure lipstick (£23.50): A classic Chanel red lipstick or gloss is the ultimate in small luxuries.
Deborah Lippmann glittery nail polish (£14-£18): With glitter, crushed diamonds and 24k gold flakes, Deborah Lippmann’s polishes are outrageously fabulous! I promise this will make fingers look twinkly and happy on even the greyest of post-Christmas days.
Dior Creme de Rose plumping lip balm (£19.50): Because it smells like rose petals, softens winter-ravaged lips, and looks like it belongs on a Hollywood starlet’s dressing table.


We loved the heavy black evening look that the make up artists at Giorgio Armani in House of Fraser did for the Harper’s BAZAAR event at The Village recently.  If you missed it, check out all the action from the night here.  So we went behind the scenes of the show and asked make up artist Eoin Whelan to show us how it’s done and his tricks of the trade.

Starting with the black eyeliner pencil all over the eye he then uses an eye brush to smudge before adding the Eyes to Kill eyeshadow in pure black.   He makes it solid and it’s good to see even a professional (and award winning too we’ll have you know) make up artist cheats with the basic shape and then cleanses to sharpen it out.   Another trick is using two mascaras. Eyes to Kill classic followed by Eyes to Kill excess which adds super volume. Love it.

So here’s the scoop (excuse the pun) on the Scoop Sensitive Man range: it’s a 100% natural, fairtrade grooming range for men.  The range is comprised of a shaving soufflé (£15.50), exfoliating face mask (£25) and moisturising calm balm(£25) and includes shea butter, cocoa butter and avocado.  The essential oils of patchouli, sandal wood, rose, jasmine and carrot oil have antiseptic, skin firming and de-stressing properties.  There’s also olive oil and calendula extract which deeply nourishes skin and deliver anti-inflammatories to soothe during and after shaving, providing a total skin care experience in one.

Expect to see the unit installed on the 1st December 2011!

Available from: House of Fraser

Price:£17.50

What it claims to do:
Intense colour and high gloss polish designed to be a real nailcare product, it respects the fragile nature of your nails. The original formula ensures rapid drying and lasting hold. LE VERNIS has an original formula, exclusive to CHANEL, composed of special resins. 

Review:
I don’t go for dark colours on my nails preferring to go for pinks, oranges and nude shades as darker shades tend to make me think of teenagers experimenting with that gothic phase but, as a teenager I didn’t experiment with Chanel.  The blue satin is so dark in the bottle it looks like black, but when on the nails the colour (which requires just one coat) is a deep, dark midnight blue with a delicate pearlescence that makes it feminine, but bold.   For me a nail polish is meant to complement your outfit but I found myself wanting to dress to match the mood of the nails.  The shade is strangely empowering and just beautiful.  I can’t recommend it enough to those who want something special in their make up box.

Final verdict
This is my go to power colour.  For important days when you need to exude confidence turn to Chanel.

Reviewed by Anna

Reiss celebrate their 40th anniversary with their new anniversary collection and a gorgeous matt black SLK 200.

French Connection filled their white CLS class with little bags of popcorn and discount offers as well as offering the opportunity to win The Dress.  We love French Connection’s new campaign.

There were plenty of people crowding around Onitsuka Tiger’s car as they filled their boot with shoes which punters had to ‘fish’ out with a fishing hook to win whatever prize was concealed within origami in the shoe.

Meanwhile, over at  DKNY Jeans a T-shirt featuring their facebook fans as featured in Glamour was on display by their New York Cab themed Mercedes Benz.

Some of the beautiful colours from the new make up brand all the way from Milan KIKO Cosmetics.

Drawing inspiration from the original Biba themes of 1930’s Hollywood Glamour the collection comprises of a Lip Palette, Eye Palette, Face Palette, Nail Polish Collection, Eyelash Collection and Lip Gloss Ring.  The collection will be available in House of Fraser from October.

Biba Lip Palette £24
Luscious and indulgent lip colours in five luxurious shades. Custom blend the lip colour for a unique style all of your own.

Biba Baked Eyeshadow Palette £26
Velvety soft mineral eyeshadows in opulent shades of molten metal and precious jewels. Use a dampened brush for intense long wearing colour.

Biba Face Palette £34
Six luxurious eyeshadows, a rich oyster pearl highlighter and dewy pink blusher to create alluring and sensuous looks- perfect from dawn unto dusk.

Biba Lipgloss ring £15
This chunky cocktail ring will draw admiring glances with its nod to the iconic Biba logo. The lid slides to one side to reveal a shimmery pink gloss for the perfect pout! It can also be used to adorn your bag as a charm.

Biba Nail Varnish Trio £21
Nail polish is the ultimate finishing touch to any look and these three stand-out shades will add a little something to every outfit.

Biba Luscious Lashes £18
Biba lashes are sure to make a statement. Two pairs- one show stopping evening pair and one for a more natural day look will ensure that you are never overlooked.

The new cosmetics range Look Beauty, the range will be sold in 200 Superdrug stores nationwide, and raise money for Look Good…Feel Better, the national cancer charity helping women with visible side-effects of their treatment.

Available from: House of Fraser/Debenhams and Boots

Price:£23.50

What it claims to do:
Benefit You Rebel is a defiantly different tinted moisturiser. Will leave your complexion healthy and protected with a hint of colour. It contains antioxidants, aloe vera and allantoin for soft, supple skin all year long. Contains SPF 15+.

Review:
I’ve never used a tinted moisturiser in my life, preferring a medium – full coverage foundation instead. After recently spotting this product on many blogs I decided to give it a go for lazy weekend days when I’m only pottering around my local neighbourhood and for days when I just don’t feel like looking so ‘made up’. It comes in two shades (You Rebel and You Rebel Lite) and I find that it blends into my skin really easily, providing a nice glow that tends to only come about from a primer such as Clairns Flash Balm.

Final verdict
I will be definitely buying this again. I can’t believe I didn’t discover it sooner! If you have blemishes or spots you can always cover that specific area with a concealer or higher coverage foundation.

Reviewed by Dearne

House star Olivia Wilde stars in Cowboys and Aliens coming to cinemas this Friday.

Emma Stone stars in Friends with Benefits which is out in cinemas from September 9th.