New Season Fashion Update - The Trends to Try for AW2011

Just when summer has finally arrived and we’re actually getting use of our maxi dresses and gladiator sandals, in the world of fashion, we should already be planning our winter wardrobes!

If the thought of investing in a whole new wardrobe for the new autumn/winter season is leaving you flustered and unsure, then fear not...I have put together a fail-safe guide to get you ready for the new fashion season!

It’s an exciting season ahead with trends ranging from the ever-popular 70’s trend, maxi skirts, bright and chunky knits, animal prints, polka dots and androgyny.

With so many beautiful pieces flooding into the high street stores already, you’re sure to be spoiled for choice, and with my AW11 Fashion Guide, you’ll know exactly what to invest it, which trends to embrace and which ones to avoid. 

First, colour! Gone are the days when dressing for autumn and winter meant opting for black and navy, this season, designers had a field day and the catwalks were awash with beautiful brights! Reds added a contemporary edge to classic camels whilst vivid primary shades broke up black and brightened warm autumnal hues. Burberry showed amazing bright military coats, and Jonathan Saunders mixed every beautiful colour under the sun. Fancy a dip into the colour trend? Why not paint your nails a gorgeous shade from the rainbow.

Burberry

Jaeger, Roksanda Ilincic, Jonathan Saunders

Of course, the other huge colour trend, and something a bit better for the less fashion brave out there, was the monochrome look. When colour wasn’t dominating the catwalk, black and white took center stage. Julien McDonald swapped his signature jewel tones for crisp whites and gothic blacks, and Giles and Louis Vuitton took the gothic inspired black into their collections as well.

Julien Macdonald

Louis Vuitton

Fancy a break from the femininity of summer? Another huge trend for AW11 is androgyny. Suits and oversized tailoring where sent down the runway by the likes of Stella McCartney, Dolce and Gabbana and Celine. Oh boy!

Stella McCartney

Dolce and Gabbana

Feeling brave this season? Try the most out there trend of the minute, photographic prints. Birds, bird cages, flowers, feathers, skylines, you name it as long as its colourful and digitalized, it’s on trend! Erdem and Mary Katrantzou showed the trend best with their bright and punchy mix of prints and colours.

Erdem

Mary Kantrantzou

Although the 70s were huge for the summer (and were still visible on a few AW11 runways), for the new season, it’s all about two time eras, the 40s and Victoriana. Gucci and Mulberry showcased the 40s trend beautifully with tailored coats and Peter Pan collars, and Temperley London and Meadham Kirchhoff brought the Victorian times right into 2011 with lace, ruffles and pearls.

Gucci

Mulberry

Meadham Kirchhoff

Finally, the texture trend is one to definitely incorporate into your life. Sequins, faux fur, velvet, lace and leather were shown all together at Etro and Fendi, creating stunning luxe looks that begged to be touched. If the thought of wearing several textures at once isn’t for you, why not mix a sequin hat with a faux fur waistcoat – a perfect and subtle nod to the trend!

Fendi

Etro

So there you go! I hope you enjoyed my little guide. I know I am most excited about trying out the texture trend this season. What about you? Which ones will you be trying out? Enjoy x

I Heart Simple!

I was very kindly sent a few samples from one of my favourite beauty brands, Simple, to try and review. Now I have uber sensitive skin, so I try to be really careful what I use. I don't like anything perfumed or overly complicated, and I have been using Simple facial wipes since I can remember, as they're fab at taking off make-up, and leaving your skin feeling really refreshed and soft. I even carry a travel pack around in my handbag!

I was sent to try out a number of products, including the Simple Facial Wipes and Light Moisturiser, which I have been using for a while as well, but I was thrilled to find out I had been sent a number of products I have never used, and have been meaning to try for ages. I've been testing them out over the last few days, and have come up with a little review of my absolute favourites!

First up, the Kind to Skin Moisture Boots Hydro Cream. This is my FAVOURITE! I get quite dry skin on my forehead for some weird reason, and so I was quite intrigued when I read the words "moisture boost." I applied the cream to my my whole face, and wow...immediately it felt hydrated and so soft. Not only that, the effects lasted all day. Normally my moisturiser tends to wear off after a few hours, but this kept going. It has extracts of Lotus Flower and has UVA protection, so it is perfect for wearing out in the sun. I LOVE this moisturiser!

Next, the Moisture Boost Hydro Mist - another fab product. I popped this in my handbag and spritzed it on my face whenever I was feeling a bit dehydrated or tired. It is so lovely - the spray is a really fine mist and gets absorbed instantly and leaves your skin looking really dewy and super soft. It's great as you can use it over make-up, and it really does leave you feeling refreshed and moisturised. Try this if you want an on the go solution to dry skin! 

Next I tried the Kind to Lips Intensive Moisturiser - again, a great product for the changing weather and chapped lips of the horizon! I applied this instead of my usual lip balm, and was so happy with the results. My lips felt so soft and smooth and you also get a lovely natural gloss effect! I'm going to keep using this, as I found when I applied it a few times throughout the day, my lips got softer and softer.

My final review is of the Kind to Eyes Eye Make-Up Corrector Pen. This is perfect for me as not only do I have sensitive skin, but I lurrrrrve playing around with eye make-up. I always wear eye-liner and mascara, and somethings eye-shadow, and although I consider myself to be somewhat of an expert(!) I do occasionally make make-up errors, so this product is a real essential! I tested it out by smudging some mascara and liquid eyeliner under my eye, and then applied the pen. It took a few strokes to get rid of the eye make up completely (but it was liquid eyeliner) but it definitely worked, and you can be really precise, as it is a pen, so you don't have to touch the make-up around the smudge. Perfecto! It also left my skin super soft.

Click here to view the whole Simple collection

Simple have also been working with celebrity make-up artist Caroline Frazer (who is also they skincare expert), on how to achieve the new season's top make-up trends. My favourite trend that she dissects is "Caramel Face." I was sent the info on what you need to do to create this look, and I thought I would share it with all of you! Enjoy x

The Look – “Caramel Face” – Seen at shows such as Matthew Williamson and Donna Karan. Caroline says: “Of all the A/W looks Caramel Face is probably the most wearable and easiest to re-create at home. It’s very sensual and romantic with lots of caramel shades and natural brows paired with soft fleshy lips. With a spotlight on buffed skin; it has nowhere to hide”.

Matthew Williamson

Donna Karan

How to achieve the look – “Start by prepping the base by creating fresh, healthy looking skin – take time to cleanse and tone, then moisturise with Simple Kind To Skin Moisture Boost Hydro Cream (Recommended Retail Price £5.99). Crammed full of Lotus Flower goodness, renowned for its moisturising properties, it will super hydrate and instantly refresh parched skin.

Next, apply your palette of soft toffee and butterscotch shades to eyes, cheeks and lips and blend blend blend. It’s all about working them into the skin so you don’t have any harsh or obvious patches of colour

Cheekbones – Opt for tawny matte cheekbones. It’s all about subtle hues rather than pops of colour.

Brows – Keep brows natural and tidy – slick with a little extra moisturiser and comb through with a clean tooth brush or apply a clear brow gel to keep unruly hairs at bay.

Eyes – To get that reflective look, use a creamy eye shadow with high pigment or highlight with Simple Radiance Brightening Moisturiser SPF10 (RRP £6.99) – its light reflecting particles will help to open up the eye. Finish with an intense shot of colour to lids.

Lips – Keep lips nude – you are only looking for a suggestion of colour so dab on a tiny bit of concealer with your finger tip and complete the look with a top coat of nude lip gloss or Simple Kind To Lips Intensive Lip Moisturiser (RRP

“Finally” says Caroline, “Finish off with a quick spritz of Simple Kind To Skin Moisture Boost Hydro Mist (RRP £5.99). It will create a subtle dewy sheen to skin and can even be used over make-up.”

Feel Closer With Nivea!

It's always nice to start your day with a press release that really makes you smile!

How's this for a cute idea; one of my favourite beauty brands, Nivea, has launched a fab competition called "Closeness in Motion." It is essentially a film competition where students at the London Film Academy were asked to come up with 60 second films to show how they interpret closeness today. It's a lovely idea as the subject is completely subjective the the individual, so the films can be about anything - whatever they feel closeness means to them...It's now down the the top 10, and Nivea really want people to support the film students, and vote for their favourite video.

 

Like the sound of it? Here's what you do, and good news, by supporting the competition, you will automatically receive a free goody bag packed with Nivea...erm...goodies! Sweet! Simply watch the films and rate your favourite. Tres simple! You'll also be in with a chance to win a London Film Academy weekend course, and an overnight stay in London for two!

Check out their facebook site for more info, at the moment, it looks like the favourite is "Treasured" by Frederica Arevalo - a really sweet and powerful movie. I'd love to hear what your favourite film is! Enjoy x

 

http://apps.facebook.com/feelcloserapp/

 

Today's Obsession

Just a quickie...I wanted to share the amazing purchase I made today.

One of the trends for AW11 that I am going to be heavily channelling this season, is the Navajo trend. I love the colours, textures and substance of this trend, and the fact that you only have to wear one Navajo inspired piece to make your whole outfit look fresh and ultra on-trend.

That being said, I found the most amazing scarf from Next - not my normal shopping destination - but I saw this scarf on Fashion Foie Gras a couple of weeks ago, and knew that I had to have it! I love the rustic colours and pattern, and will be teaming it with chunky knits and tan boots to create a fun winter look.

Here's the scarf if you fancy getting yourself one, at only £16, can you afford not too?? Enjoy x

Find Lily Pebbles at Wesfield and Win a £100 Voucher!

A bit of shameless promoting here, a lovely friend of mine, Lily Pebbles, who runs the blog; What I Heart Today, is involved in an amazing competition with Westfield (Shepherd's Bush).

From today until Sunday, Westfield's Car Boutique is back, and to celebrate, they are giving away 5 x £100 vouchers to reader's of Lily's blog, to spend in their shops!

Here are the details:

This Saturday 1st October between 12.30 and 1.30pm Lily will be in Westfield 'hiding' and waiting for you to find her. She will be tweeting clues on Friday night and Saturday morning, but mainly between 12.30 and 1.30 on Saturday. All you have to do is follow her on Twitter so that you can read the clues on #wihtwestfield to find her. The first 5 people to find Lily will win a £100 Westfield voucher to spend on whatever you like.

 

So there you go - check out What I Heart Today and good luck! Enjoy x

A Make-Up Moment...or Two!

I suddenly realised that I don't do enough beauty and make-up posts, so I decided to rectify the situation - after all, I love make-up almost as much as clothes, and love learning about the season's latest trends, and hearing about exciting news in the make-up and beauty world!

So, be prepared for a few beauty related posts over the next few days!

One thing I love discovering is new and very affordable brands, who care about how their product looks, works, the packaging and the affordability. I remember last year when Primark released their own make-up range which looked almost as good as Benefit on the outside, and believe it or not, actually looked really great on too.

I was sent some samples to try out from Tesco's Barbara Daly range (which I have never tried but always wondered about) and from Wilkinson (yes the bargain-ness homeware and hardware store) who have just launched a range called Rebel. The first thing I check is the brands packaging. The Rebel range is colourful, fun and very girly. I was a bit surprised when I was told the range was by Wilkinson, but their PR assured me they’ve done make up and beauty products for a while but this year they have relaunched each different category which are all bench marked against the top brands.

The Rebel range includes some really fun (and ultra affordable pieces). I was sent a lip palette, an eye-shadow palette and some bath fizzes (one of my favourite things in the world). In terms of the whole range, the lip palettes come in really pretty colour combos, pinks and reds, in sweet boxes complete with a lip brush and a mirror - very handy for popping in your handbag., and at £1.50 (yes...£1.50) you can't go wrong really!

Next, a whole lipgloss set containing 5 double ended lipglosses for £3. The colours range from soft pinks to fire engine reds, bronzes and golds to deep berries. Basically, a colour for every mood. The gloss goes on smoothly and only a bit sticky, so much better then I was expecting for the super cheap price tag.

They also do a gorgeous 9 colour eyeshadow set which again holds all the standard colours - grey, black, blue - and also has some zingy colours like pink and yellow. It's not the best colour selection, but it's great for playing around with and having fun with your eye make-up, and again, for £2, what's not to love??

My favourite item from the collection has to be the vanity kit. This cute little kit comes with a sweet clasp and suitcase style handle, and inside is everything from lip glosses, lip and eye brushes, eye pencils, shadows, eye shimmers...and of course a little mirror to make sure your look is perfected. This massive kit is £15, and will make a brilliant present for any make-up loving girl.

The Rebel range will be hitting stores in October, so make sure you grab yourself the whole collection (trust me, everyone can afford it!)

Next up is the Barbara Daly range from Tesco. As I said before, I've never tried her range, but have wondered about it, so I was really pleased to be sent some samples to try. I was sent a gorgeous eye shadow palette, called the Bon-Bon range, which consisted of four colours - metallics and browns - perfect for my dark eyes and pale skin! This little kit is a bargain at £6.75, and the colours go on really well, and only start to crease after a few hours ware. Not bad for that price! 

I was also sent a couple of nail varnishes, one in a vampy dark indigo blue, very AW11, and the second in a beautiful light mink colour - perfect for those days when you don't know which nail colour you feel in the mood for, and very sophisticated too! I dont have images yet, but I will post them as soon as I do. I was also sent a skin primer, which I haven't used before. I know you can use these underneath make-up or alone instead of foundation. I don't normally use foundation, so I was quite keen to try this out, and I was really happy with the results. The primer went on smoothly and felt very light, and just left my skin looking really smooth and seemed to eliminate the shadows under my eyes! Yay!

I was really happy with the Barbara Daly samples that I was sent, and I will definitely be stocking up on her products when I nip into Tesco to do my weekly shop. Incidently, Tesco are also working with ultra fabulous, celeb hairdresser Denise McAdam (who kicked off her career styling Grace Kelly - not a bad name to add to your CV!). Tesco and Denise have created a series of webcasts to teach watchers how to "get the look." I've had a look at a couple of them, and have put a link to one below, which shows you how to make your hair go from work hair to party hair - essential with the holiday season fast approaching!

Enjoy x

Chambord Teaches Fashionistas How to Pose Like a Pro!

I was sent something very interesting by Chambord black rasberry liqueur (not the actual drink - the lovely PR folk behind the drink!) who will be making a return to London Fashion Weekend (that's this weekend people) and will be bringing with it a touch of French chic to London's buzzing fashion scene.

Chambord are the spirit sponsor of the main bar - so expect lots of yummy cocktails on offer - and they will also be hosting the Chambord Platinum Club Lounge. Now why am I getting so excited about a berry flavoured liqueur I hear you ask (especially when I hardly ever drink). Well, Chambord are bringing with them leading fashion photographer Fabio Affuso, who will be teaching the stylish guests how to find their "fashion face." Affuso will share his expertise in the lounge, showing fashionistas how to strike a model-worthy pose and to ensure that you always look your most chic in photos! I like!

In the Chambord Platinum Club Lounge, guests receive a complimentary Chambord and champers, and a canape reception, while practising how to pose like a pro. Sound fun? Well, it's going on from now until Saturday, so if you fancy a fashion tutorial, here are the times to head down:

Today - between 1pm - 2pm and 9pm - 10pm

Saturday 24th - between 12:30pm - 1:30pm and 2:30pm to 3:30pm

If you can't make it, but want to know how to pose like a pro anyway, check out these top tips from the master:

1. The most important thing is to relax and feel good about yourself. If you feel fabulous you will look fabulous too!

 

2. Everyone feels most comfortable with one side of their face, and most likely that is their better side. Discover your better side and make it shine!

 

3. Light is very important too. Position yourself so that the light shapes your face and is onto your best side.

 

4. Some people love to pucker their lips and brows, but don't overdo it. It can look good with some faces, however, if you do it all the time soon your pictures will look all the same.

 

5. The best models are the ones who can offer different expressions and emotions trough their facial and body language. Try to offer to the camera something different all the time, don't get locked in one expression.

 

6. Remember to have fun!

Enjoy x

Very.co.uk Excited About Fearne Cotton's New Collection!

I was very excited to be contacted by the lovely Jessica at Very.co.uk last week, who filled me in about all the amazing things coming up at Very. To start the ball rolling, she very kindly let me choose something from the website, and being a bit of a fan of Fearne Cotton's ranges (both fashion and make-up - click here to read a previous review) I decided to choose something from her new AW11 range.

I looked through the collection and immediately fell in love with pretty much everything. I very nearly opted for a gorgeous fishtail sequin dress, but decided to go for something that I can wear over and over again, so I chose her simple yet uber stylish Jersey A-line Swing Dress. This chic little number will look fab worn with tights and boots, or through a furry gilet over the top and some heels to create a sexy evening look, or team with a fair isle knit chunky cardigan, a knitted scarf and some ear muffs for a cute winter look. Like I said, loads of possibilities. I got the dress this morning and cannot wait to start styling it up. I'll upload some images shortly, but in the meantime, here's a picture of the dress:

I've been through the collection and have made a wish list of what I want...as I said, it's a really gorgeous collection and I think there are pieces that would suit everyone, whatever their style or taste! So, here is my edit of Fearne's AW11 collection at Very.co.uk! Enjoy and more to come! x

Bow Detail Sequin Tunic Dress £99

Striped Faux Fur Jacket £79

Fishtail Sequin Dress £79

Longline Tuxedo Jacket £59

Indiana Laced Ankle Boots £40.50

California Multi Strap Sandals £40

Print Jersey A-Line Dress £39

Checked Tartan Cape Coat £75

Vintage Print Maxi Skirt £39

So what do you think? Will you give Fearne's range a go? x

Meadham Kirchhoff SS12 Show

Time for another SS12 show update!

Today's obsession is with quirky label Meadham Kirchhoff who have really made it big over the last few years. A few jobs backed, when I worked in the world of fashion PR, I worked with the designers behind the label, and it was all lace, Gothic and deconstruction - cool but not very adaptable (and it seems that's what they intended). So I was in complete shock (and joyous rapture) when I saw the SS12 collection and how gorgeously fun and kitsch is was.

Happiness, fun and cutesey-ness (is that a word) is what I felt when I saw the collection. The runway was adorned with arches of candy coloured balloons, and a group of Courtney Love lookalikes stormed the runway en masse and applied lipstick, before breaking into dance! Sound surreal? It gets better. The models then came, strutting their stuff followed by a group of school girl ballerinas, then a cake was revealed with yet more models showcasing the collection.

The whole show celebrated what it is to be a girl  - not a woman - because isn't it more fun to be girly??

As for the collection; think check button-downs, vintage cartoon appliqués, fluffy pastel marabou coats, and little shifts and sculptured dresses with a wedding cake theme executed in broderie anglaise. Knee-high socks and cute sandals, candy coloured make-up, candy floss wigs and more colour and fun than I've seen in a long time. I must own this collection, and next season I am definitely working my inner 7 year old! Enjoy x

images from style.com