Are Friends Electric?

Are Friends Electric…

Cult make-up brand Illamasqua has pushed the cosmetic boundaries yet again with their Body Electrics make-up range – their first collection for the whole body. Inspired by the power of kinetic energy, the art of movement, the fluidity of the body in motion (their words).

The collection has an abundance of sumptuous textures, with the abundance of creams, powders and dry body oils to play with. As we’ve come to expect from Illamasqua, each product is hyper-pigmented and super-blendable with a mega colour pay-off. However, this standout collection features light-reflecting particles that “ignite the skin with intense colours and finishes, each product in the range has been created to accentuate the body’s every twist and turn to exquisite perfection, ensuring you exude a confidence that’s more than skin deep”.

Supported by an “expressive, avant-garde visual campaign shot by leading fashion image-makers Warren du Preez and Nick Thornton Jones”. Alex Box created the make-up looks while styling credits go to Dazed & Confused editor (and Gareth Pugh stylist) Katie Shillingford

My ever-present hawk eyes also noted that the model in the final campaign shot is wearing the Padded Bullet Bra and knickers from cult lingerie brand What Katie Did. Gwyneth Paltrow rocks the very same bra in the May 2010 issue of Vogue UK, shot beautifully by Mario Testino.

But I digress – back to the make-up! I was delighted to receive a bottle of the iridescent Illumine Oil in Pulse (a gorgeous bronze shade). This dry body oil is infused with pearlised particles, passionflower seed oil and vitamin E, giving you the maximum glow-factor teamed with a cocktail of skin-saving treats.

I visited the Illamasqua counter in Selfridges, London recently to play with some of the other products in the collection. I’m currently lusting after the Body Electrics Liquid Metal 4 Colour Palette. The Liquid Metal product has quickly gained cult status in the make-up world since its appearance on the scene in Illamasqua’s SS09 Sirens collection. Featuring Enrapture and Solstice from the SS09 Sirens collection, Phenomena from the AW09 Dystopia collection and Surge from the SS10 Body Electrics collection, this quad is guaranteed to sell out. With a luxuriously creamy texture, this multi-purpose wonder can be used on-the-go with fingers, or more precisely with a brush to create an array of shimmering make-up effects. Definitely a must-have.

To view the full collection, see the backstage shoot video and pics and to shop Illamasqua, go to:

www.illamasqua.com

The Beat Goes Ong

The Beat Goes Ong…

The cobbler Beatrix Ong first caught my attention when I spied her whimsical women’s shoes in the side windows of the Jaeger flagship store on London’s Regent Street. There’s something about the way she effortlessly fuses classic English style with a quirky edge that is so typical of London style. I became acquainted with her men’s line when I was shopping at Jaeger (her designs are merchandised alongside the Jaeger brands). A Beatrix Ong representative informed me that Jaeger’s chairman Harold Tillman had invested in the brand, hence its appearance at Jaeger HQ. Tillman is of course chairman of the British Fashion Council (and counts the quintessentially British brand Aquascutum as another standout brand in his portfolio). It was with incredible kindness that Beatrix Ong’s people granted me permission to wear the rather gorgeous Chaplin shoes when I was filming the pilot for the SMP show. I wore the Chaplin shoes with a navy “Micro Diamond” wool/silk mix suit from the Jaeger London SS10 collection – literally a sartorial style match made in heaven! I’ve swiftly acquired a mental shopping list of future purchases. My list has grown to three styles. I’m currently lusting after Chaplin in brown, Minghella in brown and Lean in Black from the Beatrix Ong SS10 collection. You know you’re in trouble when your virtual purchases have already been allocated wardrobe matches and outfits. Tragic. As if I needed further incentives to buy, I hear that GQ editor Dylan Jones is a fan. It's obvious that my fashion fate is sealed. I'd best make room in the wardrobe.

Minghella in brown - £280

Chaplin in brown - £250

Lean in black - £300

www.beatrixong.co.uk

London Calling

London Calling…

This is the Jaeger London suit I bought the hubby today. Cut from navy "Micro Diamond" wool/silk mix cloth, it's so gorgeous it would give Tom Ford tailoring envy. The subtle padding on the shoulder and nipped-in waist create an enviable "V" shape on the torso - a slick and masculine silhouette. I tried this on when I was filming the pilot for The SMP Show and fell in love. Naturally, when I went to the Jaeger flagship store on Regent Street last week, I found out that the company has sold out of the jacket in my size. If the blessed suit and I were not meant to be, then surely destiny intended it for my beloved? I had a 4pm meeting in town today, so I took the hubby to the store to try it on. The second the 38 Regular jacket slipped on my hubby's rather muscular shoulders, it was clear that the suit had literally been made for him. Hugging every contour of his body like silken armour, he morphed from "Matt my boyfriend" into James Bond - and I have to admit I was loving it. He asked if I'd look at him in the street if I saw him dressed like that. I told him I'd stalk him if I saw him dressed like that. Put simply, the suit is like fashion cat nip. Judging on the number of well-dressed men who made a bee-line for it when we were in-store, I'm guessing it won't be in stock for much longer. The cornflower blue Turn Back Edge Shirt was the perfect compliment to the suit, so of course it also found its way into our shopping bags. The black leather Paul Smith dress shoes the hubby was wearing really enhanced the black satin trim on the peak lapel - perfection!

www.jaeger.co.uk

Voodoo Child

Voodoo Child..

London Fashion Week ended with a walk on the wild side, courtesy of the "Monkeyana" show from A Child of the Jago. The brainchild of Agent Provocateur founder Joseph Corre and Simon "Barnzley" Armitage, the label takes its name from the eponymous book by Arthur Morrison. The venue, the A Child Of The Jago shop on Great Eastern Street shares the ominous Victorian physical environment described in the book.

A Child Of The Jago (the label) was conceived as a backlash against "the spiritual environment" of the world at present, specifically "the creatively corrupt homogeny represented by the menswear status quo". The press release goes on to lament "the attrition of craftsmanship since Britain's bygone days as an industrial power".

The title for the show was "Monkeyana", coined after Corre found a rather menacing print featuring two monkeys dressed in Victorian garb. The larger is depicted grabbing the smaller with one hand, a bundle of sticks clutched firmly in the other. Incidentally, the print found its way onto the cover of the show's program. It also popped up in the collection appearing on a series of neck scarves.

The front row fashionocracy quota was met (if not exceeded) with Mama Corre (aka Dame Vivienne Westwood) and her husband Andreas Konthraler (the brand's creative director) taking prime position. If the arrival of the Queen of Punk wasn't enough to get the flashbulbs and camera phones flashing, in slunk none other than Miss Janet Jackson. With style and pop icons comfortably seated, the show commenced, the sound of folk-rock echoing around the building's vast vaulted ceiling.

The show was produced by John Walford and Luke Foy and featured an army of beyond-scrumptious male models (unanimously agreed by pretty much everyone I spoke to) from AMCK, D1, Models 1, Select and Storm. Though it must be said, there was one female model whose finely sculpted sphinx-like features and gazelle-like limbs reminded me of that uber of 90's uber-models, Nadja Auermann.

Fashion politics aside, the clothes themselves were on the whole surprisingly wearable. Italian-style slouchy tailoring underpinned the wilder styling elements, such as the "op art" Bridget Riley-esque monochrome "dazzle" prints, initially designed to camouflage Navy vessels in World War I. Slouchy trousers and jackets draped in heavy tweeds and gangster-style frayed wool pinstripes were at odds with the homely Fair Isle knits and Native American Indian fringing and embroidery that adorned capes, hats, lapels and cuffs. The colour palette was equally eclectic, with murky olives, khaki, chocolate and grey punctuated by flashes of rich blue, burgundy, primary yellow and red.

Chemko & Co styled the models' hair, with styles falling into two camps, clean and groomed versus punk-grunge. The lead hair stylist described the latter "do" as Rockabilly meets Gangs Of New York. In human terms, this translates as heaps of Bumble & Bumble Thickening spray worked into the roots. To get the look, separate hair into sections with a comb, back-combing at the roots and spraying with thickening spray. Blast with a hot hair dryer, working fingers through the sections to create mega-volume and heaps of texture. Keep hair slick and clean at the sides and long on top (quiff), securing in place with plenty of L'Oreal Elnett hairspray.

The make-up for the show was sponsored by Illamasqua. Senior make-up artist Francesco created "bandit" make-up, inspired by the concept of gunpowder residue and soot left on a rebel's face whilst wearing a scarf to conceal his identity.

He and his team started by creating a flawless matt base on the models' skin, by working the Cream and Rich Liquid foundations in shade 210 into skin, before finishing with Powder Foundation in 210 (medium complexion with neutral undertones) for a super-matte finish. A darker bronze shade of Powder Foundation (320) was used to subtly contour and sculpt the face. The mask-like smokey eye effect was created by first creating a base with the smudgy black S.O.P.H.I.E. pencil, drawn close to lashes. The Blending Brush 2 was used to stipple a series of bruise-like Powder Eye Shadow shades around the eyes. Francesco and the team used Fallen (matte deep violet purple), Gimp (matte slate grey-black), Drama (matte deep slate grey), Incubus (matt deep charcoal grey) and Jules (matte warm milk chocolate) to create the look.

A special mention goes to the male model rocking the Frank N Furter Rocky Horror-style black glitter lips and orange false lashes (accessorised with black fishnet stockings and a peaked leather biker cap previously worn by Kate Moss). Anyone wanting to "get the look" can snap up Illamasqua's orange lashes (Number 12) and apply the black S.O.P.H.I.E pencil to their lips, finishing with a dusting of the Pure Pigment in Android (shimmering charcoal black) mixed with a little Sealing Gel.

Francesco suggested finishing the punk-glamour look with strong "power brows", using the angled Eye Brow Brush to work the Eye Brow Cake or Powder Eye Shadow (used wet) through the brows. To intensify the smokey eye look, he suggested mixing one of the darker pigments with Sealing Gel and drawing it close to the lashes like eye liner for extra definition and drama. Their hero matt deep scarlet lipstick in Box also gets a mention. Named after Illamasqua's artistic director, legendary make-up artist Alex Box, it's a one-shade-suits-all wonder that defies beauty trends. Take heed from Box herself and use the angled Eye Brow Brush as a lip brush, outlining the lips with the fine edge of the brush, before using the flat side to fill in the lips for a seamless scarlet pout.

Face

Cream Foundation in 210 - £21

Rich Liquid Foundation in 210 - £21

Powder Foundation in 210 - £21

Powder Foundation in 320 - £21

Eyes/Lips

S.O.P.H.I.E. Pencil - £12.50

Powder Eye Shadow in Gimp - £15

Powder Eye Shadow in Fallen - £15

Powder Eye Shadow in Drama - £15

Powder Eye Shadow in Incubus - £15

Powder Eye Shadow in Jules - £15

Pure Pigment in Android - £15

Sealing Gel - £10

Number 12 False Lashes - £12

Tools

Blending Brush 2 - £23

Eye Brow Brush - £18

Shop Illamasqua at:

www.illamasqua.com

Shop A Child Of The Jago at:

www.achildofthejago.com

Me, Me, Me..

Me, Me, Me..

This two page SS10 catwalk trend feature was published in the South London Press' Time4Me Magazine today. I'm like a kid at Christmas in the run up to a piece of work being published. You can't put a price on that thrill you get from seeing your thoughts in print.

Click on the link below to read the feature:

http://content.yudu.com/Library/A1mys5/TimeForMeSpring2010/resources/28.htm

The LA Bouquet

The LA Bouquet..

The SS10 catwalks at Valentino, Versace and Christopher Kane were awash with the prettiest pastel hues. At Valentino in particular, one model was reminiscent of a delicate Monet waterlilly, cocooned in diaphanous lavender silk chiffon. Where the catwalk leads, the cosmetics industry follows. Dolce&Gabbana Cosmetics and Lancome have released floral-inspired collections, with the former launching its Roses Lipstick Collection with a campaign fronted by Scarlett Johansson. Lancome meanwhile, have enlisted Elettra Rossellini to front their Spring campaign. Ellettra's mother, Isabella Rossellini, was of course the face of Lancome between 1982 and 1992.

However, over in LA, the female stars of Desperate Housewives are going potty over the Valerie Beverly Hills make-up collection. The founder, Valerie, is a make-up artist of legendary skill. Her make-up artistry is matched by her instinct for fabulous products. There's no glittery ad campaign or thundering fanfare (they don't need them), just genuinely gorgeous products that feel divine on the skin and visibly enhance your natural beauty.

To list my (many) favourite products from the collection would be like popping the champagne cork before the guests arrive. Given that love is in the air with the approach of Valentine's day, I'll let you in on a little secret about the Rose Blush. Valerie worked with the finest Italian pharmacists, micro-milling rose petals thousands of times to produce this exquisite powder. The precious pigment is moulded into the shape of a rose in full bloom, encased in a gorgeous compact.

A touch of pink blush on the apples of the cheeks is the swiftest way to add a romantic flush to a lacklustre complexion. The "apples" are the fleshy part of your cheeks. A great trick is to look in the mirror and smile. The fleshy, rounded part of your cheeks are the apples.

If you've a fair complexion, I suggest applying a touch of the Rose Blush in Movie Star (soft matte pink). It's worth snapping up Valerie's super-soft goat hair Kabuki Brush - it's a dream for applying powder, blusher and bronzer. Dab the brush gently into the compact, tap off the excess before applying on the apple of the cheeks, blending outwards in circular motions along the cheekbones, up towards the hair line. This adds dimension to the face, sculpting the cheeks for a sophisticated, contoured effect. Olive skin tones should opt for a deeper pink such as Snow White, which imbues a rosy flush worthy of a Jane Austen heroine.

Valerie Rose Blush - £35
Valerie Kabuki Brush - £35

www.victoriahealth.com

La Vie en Rose

La Vie en Rose..

It seems that love is in the air at Dolce&Gabbana Cosmetics. The latest addition to the uber-luxurious make-up range (and just in time for Valentine's Day), is the new Roses Lipstick Collection. This deluxe and oh-so-pretty selection of five seductive shades comes with an old Hollywood-style campaign, fronted by A-List beauty Scarlett Johansson. Each shade takes its name and hue from an actual rose, these include: Scarlett (classic blue red), Baby Darling (pastel peach), Fascination (rose pink), Magnifica (oxblood red) and Shine On (golden caramel). Scarlett is the only Classic Cream finish, the others are Shine. The best-sellers at the Dolce&Gabbana Cosmetics counter in Selfridges are currently Baby Darling and Fascination - both are on re-order with a waiting list that grows by the day. Scarlett (as worn by Miss Johansson in the campaign), is due to arrive on counter imminently, dozens of customers have their name down in anticipation. Whether you want to opt for vintage Hollywood glamour with a knock-out red, or channel this season's hot trend for pretty pastels, there's a shade for everyone in this stunning collection. The question is, can you resist not buying them all?

The Roses Lipstick Collection is priced at £20 per lipstick.

Dolce&Gabbana Cosmetics is available at Selfridges, London - 0207 318 3022