Posts Tagged ‘house of fraser’

7 September 2010: 09:00

The return of Biba

The iconic British fashion label which defined the look of the 1960s and 1970s is back for 2010 at House of Fraser. Biba oozes glamour and decadence. It’s super-stylish with an added dose of British eccentricity.

And who could be the face for such a brand? It’s the ever stylish, quintessentially British Daisy Lowe!

Biba may be a heritage brand, but the new collection is definitely contemporary and on trend for A/W 2010. Look out for the eye-catching leopard print coat, the military jacket and the fluffy marabou jackets in pretty nude shades.

Left to right: Leopard print coat, £165 and bag £125; Military mid-length coat, £290 and bag £250.

The eveningwear collection is striking too. You’ll find decadent velvet gowns alongside sparkling embellished tunics. The mix of textures is fabulous, so mix and match between soft, fluffy faux furs and sequinned or silk dresses.

Left to right: Print dress £125; Fluffy jacket £175 and embellished dress £135.

Biba launches in House of Fraser on 9th September.

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31 August 2010: 09:00

Clinique Almost Bronzer

Beauty Review: Clinique Almost Bronzer

Price: £22
From:  Clinique – Debenhams, Boots and House of Fraser
What it claims to do:
Sheer bronzing duo protects with broad-spectrum SPF 15. Versatile formula lets you customize and build your bronze from sun kissed to suntanned. Provides a natural look all-year round. Long-wearing. Oil free. For all skin types.

Our reviewer says:
I have always tended to go for pink-coloured blushes over bronzers as I don’t really like the orange tint that many bronzers add to your face.  Clinique’s bronzer is by far the best toned bronzer I have ever used. I used the light/medium as I have quite fair skin but it is also available in a medium/dark which is perfect for highlighting your summer tan.

Final verdict
I highly recommend this bronzer. The duo colour allows for you to build up your colour to the desired effect and the bronzer gives you a lovely sheer bronze/gold glow.  As it’s so light you can highlight your face before applying blush for added colour.

Reviewed by Dearne

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18 August 2010: 09:00

Kiehl’s creme de corps

Beauty Review: Kiehl’s creme de corps

Price: from £15.50
Available from: House of Fraser

What it claims to do:
Super-enriched moisturising treatment for the body with Beta-Carotene for dry skin that needs extra care and moisture nourishment. It takes a little linger to soak in, but worth the wait! Since its birth more than 30 years ago, Creme de Corps has always been a favourite with almost 30 million ml produced a year! It is also known as “the secret backstage weapon”, being used on models’ legs to smooth and give high shine on the catwalk.

Our reviewer says:
A light-weight cream that glides on and sinks into the skin faster than I expected. Pleasant fragrance that is not too strong. I used it on a bad case of sunburn and it prevented peeling.

Final verdict
I really like this product and would certainly recommend it. I will be changing my body moisturiser to this one.

Reviewed by Sarah

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16 August 2010: 09:00

Video: how to apply false eyelashes

Let the Shu Uemura experts at House of Fraser, Westfield London show you how to apply false eyelashes. Jump on the trend and get fuller, thicker lashes easily with these top tips from the make-up pro.

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28 July 2010: 09:00

Best body butters

Westfield Five: body butters

Skin can get really dry in the summer months, especially on holiday when you expose it to harsh sun, sea water and chlorinated pool water. Keep your skin feeling nourished and moisturised with a rich body butter.

Soap & Glory The Righteous Body Butter
Smooth, creamy, and velvety. It contains shea butter and aloe vera to soften and soothe your skin.
£9.79 (250ml), Boots

The Body Shop cocoa butter body butter
Body Shop body butters have won a stack of awards, and rightly so. The thick moisturiser melts onto your skin leaving it feeling soft and silky. Choose from a range of yummy flavours, including the scrummy cocoa butter.
£12.50 (200ml) or £5 (50ml), The Body Shop

The Sanctuary Spa Essentials Skin Rescue Body Butter
A lovely rich moisturiser from the famous Sanctuary Spa which keeps skin soft and moisturised for hours.
£9.99 (300ml), Boots

Clinique Deep Comfort Body Butter
Rich, luscious and intense, this luxury body butter leaves skin super-soft and feeling nourished.
£20.50 (200ml), House of Fraser

Korres Quince Body Butter
Smooth and moisturising, this body butter will leave your skin feeling nourished and supple. The fruity scent livens up your senses and lifts the spirit.
£11.26 (150ml), Boots

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27 July 2010: 16:36

Whitney Port in summer florals

Summer dressing and floral prints seem to go hand in hand. This year’s no exception. We’ve spotted some rather stylish celebs in cute floral dresses this week – Cat Deeley, Eva Longoria Parker and Whitney Port, to name but a few.

We love Whitney’s dressed down look here. It’s slouchy, relaxed and casual with her simple embellished flipflops. She’s kept her hair loose and tousled for a style that looks effortless (even if it took an age to put together).

If you want to adopt the romantic floral look, check out some of these sweet, ditsy dresses.

Left to right: Roseprint dress, Miss Selfridge at House of Fraser £40; Sophie tea dress, Oliver Bonas £69; Romantic floral dress, Warehouse £30 now £25.

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8 July 2010: 10:03

Benefit instant brow pencil

Beauty Review: Benefit instant brow pencil in dark

Price: £14
Available from: Debenhams, House of Fraser and Boots
What it claims to do
Creates soft, subtle, long-wearing definition in an instant.

Our reviewer says
It does absolutely what it says. I got married recently and a lot of my time was spent panicking about my stray, fairly non-existent brows. I discovered this pencil and it has transformed my eyebrows so they finally frame my face. It comes in two shades and I love that it’s a lovely soft brown and not a harsh black. My small criticism is that I have to sharpen it too often.

Final verdict
A great product and one I’ll be sticking with!

Reviewed by Susie

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24 June 2010: 12:56

Festival chic

It’s that time of year again. Festival season is upon us. With Glastonbury this weekend and Reading/Leeds, Big Chill, Bestival, Latitude and so many more yet to come, it’s time to sort out your festival wardrobe. And now is such a good time to shop with the summer sales in full swing. You could pick up some brilliant bargains!

Right now, the sun is shining and people are smiling. Festival dressing is so much easier when it’s warm and dry. But looking good is made trickier by the camping and festival shower situation. Our advice is to aim for cool, comfy and relaxed styling.

Go for slouchy vest tops teamed with cute shorts or leggings. Add fringed or buckled ankle boots or Gladiator style flat sandals.

Festival fashion

Left to right: Denim boyfriend shorts, Uniqlo £14.99; Felicity Gladiator sandal, Schuh was £29.99 now £20; Festival print vest, Republic £16.99; Mint ticking stripe short, Miss Selfridge at House of Fraser £25; Mai fringe bootee, Office £60 now £30; Black Logan cutout T-shirt, H! by Henry Holland at Debenhams £14.

Work the prairie look with ditsy print dresses and playsuits in florals or checks. Dresses can be long or short but remember that maxis may trail in the mud. Layer it up with a cropped denim jacket, crochet cardigan or relaxed denim shirt. Layers are the secret for festival dressing, you never know when those clouds and chilly breezes are going to come along.

Left to right: Cropped denim jacket, Dorothy Perkins £42; Floral playsuit, Next £20; Paisley print maxi dress, New Look £35 now £28; Denim shirt, Oasis £38 now £20; Cream crochet cropped cardigan, Miss Selfridge at House of Fraser £32.

Embellish and accessorise! Add some sparkle to a simple vest and tee combo with an embellished waistcoat and some tribal jewellery. Load up on chunky bracelets. Top it off with your must-have hat and don’t forget your sunnies and sunscreen.

And if the weather does turn rubbish – it is Britain after all - don’t forget your parka and wellies.
Festival fashion

Left to right: Embellished waistcoat, River Island £24.99; Straw trilby, Next £5.50; Floral printed bangles, Accessorize £10; Black oversized sunglasses, Marks and Spencer £5; Batwing parka, Warehouse £55.

Need more inspiration? Steal Alexa Chung’s festival style!

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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

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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

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