Nail Art on Men - Yay or Nay?

Image via Models.com

Model David Agbodji is shown here sporting a $100 nail art manicure at the Fashion Fordward event in NYC. I think the nail art looks amazing (not $100 amazing though). But this isn't about the value of his nail art. what I'd like to know though is - are you for men sporting nail art or against?

Personally I don't mind this kind of nail art on a man as it isn't feminine. If he was seen sporting flowers on his nails though I might feel a little differently. Could nail art on guys be a growing trend or will it be restricted to the catwalk?

What do you think?

Spring 2012 Make Up

Spring makeup fully embraced the femininity trends that were ever present in the catwalk shows. The makeup had a 50s vintage feel but with a modern touch. I'm going to take a look at my favorite trends that we'll all be sporting next spring.

The Red Lip

This is one trend that never goes out of fashion. There's a red lip out there to suit every skintone. Pair with black eyeliner for a glam evening look or with just a couple of coats of mascara for daytime chic.


The Smoky Eye

While this isn't a daytime look it is perfect for a night out on the town. It fully embraces the rock chick aesthetic. Use plenty of dark grey eyeshadow, black eyeliner and mascara



The Metallic Eye

An easy look to master. Silvery shades are the order of the day. Just sweep across the upper lid just past the eyelid crease.



The Statement Lash

Statement lashes were all over the catwalk at the S/S shows. Whether you prefer super long lashes, curly ones or extreme ones - embrace the statement lash trend. Shu Uemura's feather boa lashes are perfect for this look.



The Glittery Eye

Gold or Silver glitter and lots of it is key to this over the top look. Precision isn't necessary. Apply lots over the upper eyelid and a dusting below if your brave. Finish off with lashings of mascara.

Star in a L'oreal Paris Casting Creme Ad

Hair is so important to our appearance. I'm always changing mine especially when I feel like a change of image. There are many celebs whose hair I envy but top of the list is Emma Watson's gamine crop and Frankie from The Saturdays short, sassy style.

So you've all seen the L'oreal Paris Casting Creme ads with Cheryl Cole rocking some super shiny, fabulous locks right? Well how would you like to star alongside her?

Well L'oreal is running a competition to find 3 girls to feature in their next L'oreal Casting Creme Gloss advert alongside the singing superstar herself. You can enter from the 31st October-27th November and L'oreal are looking for brunettes, redheads or blondes. Do you have what it takes? Are people envious of your fab locks? What are you waiting for? Go enter!

To enter visit http://handpickedmedia.co.uk/openx/www/delivery/ck.php?zoneid=781 and click on the application button which appears on the left hand side of the page, follow the steps to enter and upload a picture of yourself then ask friends and family to cast their vote from the 28^thNovember to 4^th December 2011.

The most popular brunettes, redheads and blondes will be shortlisted for a L’Oréal Paris Casting Day where you will receive a makeover by our hair & makeup artists in preparation for a live audition, in front of a panel of judges. This will be your chance to go in front of the camera and tell us why you love Casting Crème Gloss. And yes, you can even utter those famous words, "Because you're worth it!'

Disclaimer: Opens to female UK and ROI residents aged 16+. Entrants must register with L’Oréal Insider, colour their hair using Casting Crème Gloss and upload a photo on facebook. No purchase necessary. Closing date 27/11/2011. For full Terms & Conditions and to enter visit this page (http://handpickedmedia.co.uk/openx/www/delivery/ck.php?zoneid=781).

*Sponsored Post*

Glossy Box November Review

When I attended the Motel Rocks party a couple of weeks ago I was overjoyed to discover that we would all be receiving November's Glossybox. I've heard such good things about them so I was keen to try them out for myself.

For those of you who aren't aware Glossybox is a subscription package that sends you a box of 5 luxury beauty samples to try out every month for the price of £10 per month + postage & packaging.

I received my box on Friday and inside was the following:

Arbonne Ultra Hydrating Hand Cream 15ml (approx value £2.20)
Dead Sea Spa Magik Dead Sea Bath Salts 250g (approx value £1.37)
Illamasqua Freak Perfume 1.5ml (approx value £1.18)
Monu Revitalising Moisturiser 50ml (value £16.25)
Nail Rock Nail Wraps Full Pack (value £6.65)

The box and contents were beautifully packaged and presented as you can see and contained a card listing all the contents and a discount code for all the products.

But I have to say I was very disappointed in the products chosen. I hardly class the dead sea bath salts or the nail wraps as a luxury product. Also the Illamasqua sample was the same size as the perfume samples that you can often get for free at some perfume counters. Even though the Monu moisturiser was full size I wasn't especially impressed by that either. I've used it for a few days but it has left my skin under hydrated. I suffer from very dry skin and this product just isn't up to the job so I'll be sticking with my Kiehl's one.

I had such high hopes for the Glossybox but was left very underwhelmed. I love the concept though so I think I'll try out Be Unique and Boudoir Prive and see if they suit me better.

Do you subscribe to Glossybox? What did you think of November's box?

Art and Beauty Collide - Natural Couture Collection

Berkeley Square cosmetics have done it again. You all know I'm a huge fan of Berkeley Square's collaboration with The Royal Ballet but they've now collaborated with the iconic V & A museum for an Art themed collection.

The range is inspired by legendary photographer John French. Their new collection features his photography on the packaging. It fuses beauty, fragrance and art to create a luxury range of beautiful looking, scented body products.

To those not in the know John French was a London photographer who rose to prominence in the 50s and 60s. His photographs have become iconic images of the time. I guess you could describe him as the David Bailey of his time.

All the products in the range are gentle to your skin due to the absence of harsh chemicals that can be an irritant to skin. It comes in 3 fragrances - white bergamot, white amber and white miguet. Products in the range include shower cream, body lotion, hand and nail cream, body butter and an eau de toilette. Gr

Lipcote - Lipstick Saver

Hey lovelies!

It seems no matter how expensive or 'long lasting' a lipstick is, on my lips they never last. I spend a lot of the day eating or drinking so they wipe off quite easily. But last week I attended Britain & Ireland's Next Top Model Live and had a lip service from the lipcote ladies.

Lipcote worked a treat and my lippy stayed put all my day. Not bad for a product that costs under £4. Before then I hadn't used Lipcote since my teens. They even have a lovely vanilla scented one now!

Lipcote is 50 years old now, can you believe that? It's easy to apply too. Yes it tingles a little at first but that subsides after a few seconds. Surprisingly, it doesn't contain any chemicals it's all natural ladies.

I took part in a Lipcote party tonight where we all made our own custom colours and shared the results. Check out my kit and the colours I created below.

For best results apply lipliner all over your lips, then apply lippy using a brush, blot, apply another layer of lippy then finish off with a coat of lipcote for lips that last.

Lipcote is available at Boots and Superdrug priced at £3.49

*this is a sponsored post arranged via Handpicked Media but all opinions are truthful and my own*

Berkeley Square Cosmetics Collaborates with Royal Ballet

Berkeley Square (the cosmetics brand) have gotten together with The Royal Ballet and principal dancer Olivia Cowley to create a bodycare collection. The new range includes a body cream, hand & foot cream, muscle soothing gel and a bath and shower creme.













The products have a delightful soft scent and work really well. The hand and foot cream is a particular favorite of mine. My feet took a battering in all the press day madness but this cream really rescued them. I applied a thick layer to both feet before bed, put on some socks and awoke to soft feet.

The range was designed to be used by The Royal Ballet dancers and to also be used by today's modern woman. Many of us have demanding lifestyles and need products that can deal with that. The range is intended to ease the stress on your skin while also being soothing and moisturising. It's a premium range that includes soothing materials menthol, seaweed extract and aloe vera as well as ingredients vitamin e and arnica which are vital for skin repair.

The range is priced from £12-£18.

It is available from The Royal Ballet shop and other stockists listed here.

My Favorite Asian Beauty Discoveries

Hey lovelies!

I've been a busy bee lately but things have settled down now so I finally have time to blog. Yay! Well last week I attended an event and got chatting to beauty blogger extraordinaire Zoe of London Lipgloss. Obviously the conversation drifted onto beauty products and my fondness for Asian ones in particular. She suggested I do a post on my favorite Asian ones as most people know so little about them so here it is. I introduce my favorite Asian beauty products. Enjoy!

Missha BB Cream

As you all know BB creams have recently becoming big news in the western beauty world. But none of the European ones I've seen even come close to their Asian counterparts and Missha Perfect Cover BB Cream is my favorite of the lot. Hides blemishes, gives complete coverage and its brilliant for your skin. This one comes in various shades and is suitable for even dark skinned girls like me. Hooray!

Fiberwig Mascara



This mascara is a true miracle product. It's superior to any western one that you will ever have tried. It coats the lashes in little fibres so it not only separates them but it also significantly lengthens them. It is truly false lashes in a tube. Amazing!

Dollywink Liquid Eyeliner

Not only is the packaging super cute but this product is also simple to apply and very long lasting. The product looks a little like a felt tip pen so application is just a case of drawing on the liner. No fiddly knibs or wonky eyeliner lines.

Missha Luminous Colour Lipgloss



This is my perfect lipgloss. Non gloopy, sheer and no stickiness. It comes in a lovely variety of colours in truly feminine and girly hues. The packaging is classic and beautiful too.

Palty Hair Dye



This is sometimes called bubble hair dye as it bubbles up so you end up with twice as much mixture than you start with. This is the hair dye to end all hair dyes. Especially for all you dark haired lovelies who want to go lighter without wrecking your hair. These dyes are made to turn your hair lighter without the need for pre-bleaching. I used it to go from dark brown to a very light brown. It doesn't damage hair either, my hair felt softer after using it. As you can see here.

So there you have it guys these are my top Asian beauty finds. All of these are top sellers in Japan. And i can totally see why. Try some out your best bet for purchasing them is sasa.com

Tell me which one is at the top of your beauty wishlist in the comments?

Japanese Skincare Brand Forlle'd has Arrived!

As you'll probably know by now I'm a huge Japanophile. I'm a sucker for Japanese fashion AND beauty. So I'm generally quite clued up about Japanese brands. So I was overjoyed when I heard through the grapevine that Forlle'd were coming to the UK. For those who don't know Forlle'd is scientifically based skincare from Japan. They aren't like most skincare ranges though who claim to be scientifically sound but actually aren't. This range is formed from the work of Japanese nobel prize winner Koichi Tanaka. I won't delve into all the scientific stuff as it'll most likely bore you if your not a geek like me. But I will tell you that Forlle'd products go beneath your outer skin layer so it's skincare that's more than skin deep. The range contains hyaluronic acid which is responsible for preventing infections and allergic reactions and helps skin retain moisture. It also is responsible for skin regeneration and the prevention of the signs of ageing.
Forlle'd is basically a facelift in a bottle. The range consists of face washes, lotions, serums, eye cream and sunscreen.
Forlle'd is available from Sherron Holder-Culver @ Stephen Price which is located at 3 Jubilee Place, Chelsea, London, SW3.

Vivo Cosmetics Launch

 

Last night I was lucky enough to be invited to the launch of new cosmetics line Vivo. The range is a celebration of colour and comprises of pearl eye shadows, matte eye shadows, trio eye shadow palettes, baked shimmer palettes, mascaras, pencil & liquid eyeliners, concealer kits, brow kits, lipsticks, lipglosses, primers, highlighters and even false lashes. The range is truly extensive and the colours are divine. I really like the packaging too as it’s very sleek and professional looking and the squeezy lipgloss tube applicators are a work of genius. It’s hard to believe that everything in the range retails at under £6!!!

There was even a make up artist on hand to show us some great looks using Vivo makeup. I watched intently as my awesome new blogger friend Katy had her face made up (seriously guys this girl is hilarious, she had me cracking up for most the night).

My favourite pieces in the range have to be the primer, ultimate brow and eye kit, the baked shimmer palettes and the ultimate base concealer kit (perfect for a dark skinned beauty like me as it’s a palette so you can mix the 3 colours to produce your perfect shade). I’ll do a swatches post soon I promise!

The range will be sold exclusively in Tesco stores from September 2011.