Category Archive: Beauty

Apr 01 2013

Beauty: My Experience At The Chapel Islington

Just before fashion week, I know many moons ago, I was treated to a brand new hair-do at The Chapel in Angel. Normally I shy away from getting my hair done as I am a little on the nervous side with new peeps cutting my hair, I blame my Mum as when I was little I had the most awful hair cut done that made me run out crying, I was only 8 but it has stayed with me.

However, I had heard such amazing things about The Chapel that I thought I would be in great hands, and I most certainly was – there were no nerves, no tension – just an amazing hair cut and colour in an stylish setting – the interior of the salon is perfection. I loved the consultation couches, the handbag locker boxes, the large hanging mirrors, the relaxing fireplace, basically everything has been thought out for a great, stress-free, roomy experience – oh and I can’t forget the chocolates you get with your drink – they are delicious!!!

I was looked after by Salon Director, Georgia Denton (above), who was super cute with her pink-dipped blonde bob, I loved how she listened to what I wanted, didn’t want, and put together a little inspiration pitch to showcase her vision for my hair, which as I asked for nothing too drastic was a more modern look to my existing cut – equalling blunt bangs, heavy layers and straight across the bottom and I absolutely love it.

As well as a cut I was also treated to a fresh colour on my locks, normally I stay clear of colouring as I don’t like the up-keep but my natural dip-dye effect needed to go, so the colour specialist Danni came up with this glossy dark brown shade that is about two shades darker than my normal colour. I am just surprised by how a small change can make such a difference, I also think the Redken colour also helped as I have never seen my hair so shiny before.

I was at the salon for a good few hours, but unlike other places I have been over the years to get my hair cut, it didn’t seem like anyone was rushing to get me out of the chair, I was comfortable in front of the fire with a hot chocolate waiting for my colour to develop, and the staff were super friendly.

If you live or work in the Islington area then you have to check out this amazing hairdressers as I totally recommend that they will look after you and make your hair look better than ever. It was because of how good they were that it makes me sad I don’t live in London any more I know I commute in a lot, but I just wish The Chapel was in Cambridge.

As well as getting a great cut and a shiny new colour, I also got a boost in confidence because of all the amazing complements I got. It just shows that paying for a great hairdresser makes all the difference as I haven’t seen my hair cut keep it shapes for as long as this latest cut from Georgia – I think I need to start finding reasons to go to Angel!!!

The Chapel, 394-396 St John Street, London EC1V 4NJ. Telephone: 0207 5200 460.

**Fashionista Barbie was a guest of The Chapel, but they didn’t tell me what to write, it just so happens only positive vibes make it onto my blog**

Tags: Beauty, Georgia Denton, Hair, The Chapel, The Chapel Islington

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Mar 25 2013

Beauty: Chanel’s Movie Tribute

The red carpet and the iconic French cinema is the latest source of inspiration for Chanel’s up-coming beauty collection, Avant-Première.

This collection just oozes old-Hollywood glamour with its intense red, bold plum and divine pink shades, and I love that the line is all about matching your lips and nails with a corresponding hue.

But what caught my attention the most, other than the fabulous shades, has to be the amazing names of the Rouge Coco Shine lipsticks and Le Vernis nail colours that perfectly encapsulate the silver-screen inspiration behind the collection.

While the nail lacquers seem to be named after the red carpet with Starlet, Paparazzi, Cinema and Provocation shades, the lipsticks are more about the backdrop of the movie with names such as Interlude, Suspense, Fiction, Synopsis and Dialogue.

Collection Avant-Premiere De Chanel is available from April 5 and I can’t wait to try out the Provocation and Starlet nail varnishes!!!

Collection Avant-Premiere De Chanel from £18 for a nail polish.

Tags: Beauty, Chanel, Nails

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Mar 18 2013

Beauty: Nicki Minaj Pink Friday Fragrance

On Friday I attended the launch of Nicki Minaj’s first fragrance, Pink Friday at Selfridges, which comes in a OTT bottle, a statuesque-Barbie version of the diva singer with a touch of the classic Jean Paul Gaultier fragrance bottles, and with the deluxe 100ml size the bottle also comes with a Nicki Minaj necklace.

Like the star herself, I think there will be a lot of people loving this bottle and some will find it a little creepy, I think it is the gold head with pink lips that does it – I love it though especially as you have to pull her head off to spray on the fragrance!!!

As for the fragrance itself, I have to be honest I was really impressed with it, celebrity scents can be a little hit or miss, but I actually liked the extremely sweet and fruity smell, which reminded me a little of Juicy Couture’s scent, Viva la Juicy, with its top notes of Starfruit and Mandarin, mixed in with lotus and jasmine floral notes with vanilla and musks.

The fragrance is exclusive to Selfridges until April, and Minaj fans or Barbz as they are more affectionately known can also pick up a limited edition handmade couture design to dress up the 100ml bottle – there is ‘Duchess Pink’, complete with an ice cream cone on her hat, ‘Whip It Like Minaj’, a bondage leather look, as well as ‘Starships Minaj’ that features a hooded designed with a jewelled necklace, and a secret look called ‘British Pink’, which I had a sneek preview at and it looked very bling!!!

The scent is available in three sizes, 30ml – £24; 50ml – £30; and 100ml – £39. There is also a sparkling body lotion, £15, and a hair mist, £12.50.

What do you think of Nicki Minaj’s Pink Friday fragrance?

Tags: Beauty, Fragrance, Nicki Minaj, perfume, Pink Friday, Selfridges

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Mar 08 2013

Inside ‘& Other Stories’ In London

So after six months of anticipation speculation, a little confusion, and plenty of hype from the fashion crowd, H&M’s new high-end label, & Other Stories, finally launches in London today and last night I went to the preview, checked out the collections, picked up a few treats and generally became a fan in a matter of minutes.

Before I arrived I have to be honest I wasn’t sure what to expect, I know there have been a few teasers, but really what did they tell us other than it was quite similar to COS, I pondered the price ranges, which are closer to COS than H&M, and I was even asking myself whether the high street needed another H&M/COS spin-off. Basically, a lot of my hesitation about the brand had to be the name – why ‘& Other Stories’, which for some reason I have a hard time saying it always comes out ‘another stories’ or ‘other stores’ – it just didn’t have a fashion feel about it.

Last night all those hesitations totally went out of the window, H&M can call their stores whatever they want especially when they make make them like this. For me ‘& Other Stories’, which is being billed as a ‘one stop shop’ is more than just clothes, which to be honest wasn’t the main focus when I was looking around, this store is about all the added extras that make up a great look – the bits I love, the handbags, the jewellery, the incredible shoes, and I literally fell in love with the beauty emporium – more than 40 nail varnish colours, gorgeous skincare, cute make-up palettes and a body and bath range that I can’t wait to try.

As with the branding and the minimalistic approach to the marketing the store itself has a striped back industrial feel that I am calling warehouse chic. I loved the bare floors, the exposed walls, the white finishes, the scaffolding staircase, and the incredible lighting rigs acting as spotlights – as well as the graph paper lined counters, the glass cases and the mannequins.

But what caught my eye walking around were all the postcards featuring the products styled up – it was like one of my favourite fashion magazines had done a shoot with all my favourite pieces. They not only showcased the items in a different light, they inspired me to want to wear something news, and they highlighted the added extras – which for me is the pull of this new store.

Jewellery & Accessories:

As ‘& Other Stories’ is anchored around personal style rather than trends the jewellery and accessories really do have a prominent position in the store, which for me is amazing as I hate having to find the darkened corner to pick a new sparkle to jazz up an old look. From industrial heavy necklaces to dainty rings and adorable bow cuffs, having the jewellery and accessories dotted around the store mixed in with the ready-to-wear pieces really does help build an outfit.

Handbags:

As you know I love a good handbag but I find the high street lacks in the quality department, I am drawn to a number of designs in Topshop and Zara but the quality just isn’t up to the standards of my designer varieties, well I think ‘& Other Stories’ is going to become known for the place to buy a leather handbag that is made well, looks different, I loved all the scalloped edging, and is affordable. Bags I loved last night ranged from £55 to £195 – all leather, all beautiful, and all guaranteed to hurt my credit card!!!

Co-Lab:

So H&M has become known for their designer collaborations with the likes of Versace, Karl Lagerfeld and Stella McCartney, well ‘& Other Stories’ have decided to collaborate with a range of up-and-coming designers to enhance its own brand pieces. You have a gorgeous collection of leather embossed handbags designed by Los Angeles-based designer Clare Vivier (pictured above), I am in love with her yellow cross-body bag, super chic transparent brogues from Abigail Lorick Im, and incredible sexy lingerie from The Lake and Stars.

Shoes:

Another hot draw to ‘& Other Stories’ is going to be the footwear department on the second floor, filled with edgy sculptural pieces, black mules with chunky heels, vibrant flats, and to-die for wedges and ankle boots. There was so much to choose from – but these were my favourites – I need these bright wedges in my life for summer!!!

Beauty:

Finally but certainly not least is the beauty department and probably one of my favourite aspects of this new store. It is unusual for a high street brand to place so much on the beauty but ‘& Other Stories’ have put together a beauty section to rival any department store. Centred around the philosophy that ‘every look starts with a healthy skin’ this section has everything you could need make-up, skincare, bath and body products, brushes, nail varnishes, the list is endless and all products are presented in minimal packaging that is just divine.

Sorry for such a long post but as you can see there is lots to see in the store and if you are interesting in seeing more of the collections head on over to my Facebook page as there are over 100 piccies from last night’s event. Plus head back over the weekend as I will be doing a more detailed review of the beauty offering which I can’t stop gushing about!!!

If you are in London head on over to the store on Regents Street – and don’t forget to let me know what you think of the new brand from H&M.

**All pictures taken by me, Fashionista Barbie**

Tags: & Other Stories, And Other Stories, Beauty, Fashion, H&M, Jewellery, London, Regent Street, Shopping

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Mar 05 2013

Beauty: The WAH Nails Experience

As you may have gathered if you follow me on Twitter is that my Mum was down for the weekend, hence the lack of blog posts, and we generally did lots of fun, touristy things in London like going to art galleries, enjoying afternoon tea, a spot of shopping, you know Mother/daughter fun, and I also took my Mum to get her first real nail art. We tried it up North, but a flick and a diamante crystal doesn’t quite count, I wanted her to have a full-on crazy experience so I took her to WAH Nails in Topshop.

Granted I think going from a flick to full-on craziness at WAH Nails might have been a little too much, watching my Mum’s face as she looked at the giant menu of options which included having nails decorated with bananas, ‘pows’, skulls, and happy faces, was hilarious – she was a little overwhelmed to say the least.

But the beauty of nail art and especially somewhere like WAH Nails is that they basically let you have what you want, whether that is just one statement nail, a couple of different designs mixed together, or full-on magic – you choose your colours and the design.

I was toying with the idea of getting the pop art ‘pow’ design on every nail, or the fade away leopard print something bold and a little OTT, but I decided to go for something more subtle, more me, which meant pink, bright pink, and a statement print, and in WAH Nails standards might seem a little boring – but I just love that it was still fun, bright, but not straight off the menu!!!

Choosing my varnish was hard, they literally have a wall full, and lines and lines of pink shades, but I finally opted for OPIs ‘Feeling Hot, Hot, Hot’ a gorgeous neon pink that would work perfectly with black ‘Poison Ivy’ nail art. I could have had the design on all my nails, and I saw some that had and it looked amazing, but I just wanted my thumbs and a vine of poison ivy on my ring fingers and I think it came out beautifully.

My Mum was a little terrified by the concept of a print, smiley faces, peace signs and basically everything on the menu, well that was until I suggest branding her nails with her initials. We both like things to be symmetrical and well with her initials being SS it was kind of perfect to have them drawn on her thumbs and I think the deal was sealed when she found a deep purple shade for the base, which in some lights looks black. I just love how the ‘SS’ design really stands out against the bold colour.

What do you think of our tame WAH Nails? Would you have been more daring?

Tags: Beauty, Nail Art, Nails, OPI, Topshop, WAH Nails

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Jan 19 2013

Award Season: How To Achieve Anne Hathaway’s Flawless Make-Up

Each award season my fascinated with the red carpet grows, not only with regards what the likes of Jennifer Lawrence, Kate Hudson and Nicole Kidman are wearing, (if you missed my earlier post check out the trends of the Golden Globes here), but also with their make-up as each year it seems to get more and more refined and flawless.

One of my favourite looks of this year’s Golden Globes had to be Anne Hathaway, who not only looked gorgeous in Chanel Haute Couture but she also complemented her gown with a flawless complexion, which her Chanel make-up artist Kate Lee described as wanting her to “appear as if lit from within”.

To create the look, Chanel and Kate Lee have released the make-up used and how to achieve this flawless, elegant look, everything from the skincare to the shade used on her lips.

First Kate prepped Anne’s skin with Chanel Hydra Beauty Serum followed by Chanel Base Lumière Illuminating make-up base, and then used Chanel Vitalumière Aqua Ultra-Light Skin Perfecting foundation to keep the skin looking radiant, and then a small amount of Chanel Perfection Lumière was applied where needed.

Then a “light sweeping touch” of Poudre Signée de Chanel Illuminating Powder was used on Anne’s cheekbones to “illuminate her bone structure”, as well as along the clavicle and over the shoulder blades. Then on the apple of the cheek, a pale peach blush was used to contrast the lip colour.

For Anne’s eyes, Kate defined her eye socket with Chanel Soft Touch Eyeshadow in Fauve, which she describes as “a delicious grey/lilac shade”, on the lid and along the base of the lower lashes. Then her lashes were curled and given a coat of Chanel Inimitable Waterproof Mascara in Noir, and to make her lashes look luscious a selection of lashes were added for a “customised shape”.

Finishing off her look, and my favourite bit, “the perfect pink for a perfect pout”, Kate applied Chanel Rouge Allure Luminous Intense Lip Colour in Seduisante.

As red carpet make-up goes, this is simple, but so, so elegant and I love it – I have put together the key pieces from the look below so why not try it out yourself.

[Image: courtesy of Chanel]

Tags: Anne Hathaway, Award Season, Chanel, Golden Globes, Kate Lee, Make-up

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Jan 17 2013

Award Season: Beauty – How To Get Golden Globe Worthy Pins

Lea Michele in Elie Saab

One of the biggest trends at this year’s Golden Globes was a thigh-high split, with stars including Lea Michele, Miranda Kerr, Rosie Huntington-Whitely, and Eva Longoria embracing the trend and adding a touch of glamour to the red carpet with their smooth pins.

But how do these beauties get thigh-high split worthy legs? Well I’ve been chatted with Venus and Braun Beauty Nathalie Eleni to find out her tips on achieving smooth legs worthy of a red carpet.

miranda kerr Zuhair Murad Award Season: Beauty How To Get Golden Globe Worthy Pins %tag

Miranda Kerr in Zuhair Murad

De-Fuzz: First step is by achieving smooth, hair free skin, which means investing in a Braun Silk-épil 7 Epilator, which according to Nathalie is the best tool for long-lasting hair-removal as it “gently removes hair directly from the root as short as a 0.5mm” and it can be done ahead of the main event.

But what if you have missed a spot, which happens to be all the time, don’t worry Nathalie says, “for last minute touch ups on the night, I always make sure I carry a Venus razor in my kit bag”.

Exfoliate: Once legs are hair free then you have to get your scrub on, yes I am being literal, I can’t recommend exfoliating legs more, especially during winter, and Nathalie agrees, “concentrate on your knees, exfoliating them to remove dry skin and ensuring you use a rich body cream to prevent any gray tinges or discolouration”.

I love: Soap & Glory, Flake Away, £7 - as well as making my legs super smooth it smells incredible.

Tan: Showing that much leg means that pasty white is probably not the best idea, so now that your skin is all prepped you can add a summery glow, Nathalie suggest “using a subtle, self-tanning mousse which can be easily applied with little or no fuss at all”.

I love: I am not great at self-tanning but I do love a glow on my legs and my favourite has to be St.Tropez Perfect Legs, £10 - it easy to use and when I get a little close it blends really well.

Next, to help create the illusion of beautifully long, celeb-worthy legs, use a gold-based illuminating cream. Nathalie suggests massaging “from the top of your legs, down to the shins to lengthen the appearance and enhance their shape”.

I love: Soap & Glory, Glow Lotion, £5.50 – which not only smells great but adds a subtle shimmer to your pins.

Imperfections: If like me you are covered in bruises, Nathalie says “hide any imperfections by dabbing on some concealer and finish with a light dusting of bronzer. Go for a soft, shimmery powder that is couple of shades darker than your natural skin colour. Use a lighter coloured shimmer for your shins, dusting gently down the front of your legs for a celebrity sheen”.

Four easy steps to great legs – now how do I go about getting a red carpet worthy gown to go with them!!!