I Want Candy

I Want Candy..

If there was an indication of the colour direction for this season, Christopher Bailey for Burberry Prorsum Womenswear Spring/Summer 2014 was it. An exquisitely executed collection in a melange of saccharine sugared almond pastel hues. The fabulously feminine draping and constant re-invention of the brand's signature trench evident in previous seasons were ever present. However, it was the interesting play on diaphanous, sheer textures married with clean lines and opulent jewelled embellishments that added the seriously covetable air of girly-freshness that will have these pieces flying off the racks and onto the backs of women of all ages.

FYI, if you need tips on how to rock fruit sorbet-chic, look no further than Paula Patton. Pictured above wearing Lorena Sarbu earlier this month at the Independent Spirit Awards, her short lemon shift dress featuring a delicate lace overlay and scalloped hem was sheer perfection. The nude courts, fresh dewy skin and subtle rosy hues on her cheeks and lips kept the overall tone subtle and sophisticated. Quite possibly "revenge" dressing at its best. "Robin Thicke who?" the world chimes in unison..

Sugared Almonds

If dressing like a snow cone isn't your idea of a good time, an easy way to tap into the pastel trend is with sugared almond coloured nails.

I often do my mother's nails on a Sunday as she goes to the cancer hospice on Mondays. Last Sunday, I thought I'd perk her up with some Easter-appropriate candy nails.

I raided my nail varnish stash (I have two boxes) and grabbed the colours pictured above.

Left to Right:

Chanel Nouvelle Vague, Topshop Play For Keeps, Topshop Daydream, Topshop Parma Violet, Topshop Zealous, Superdrug 2 In 1 Top Coat & Nail Hardener

You can achieve this look with any nail colours, using the brands of your choice. I like Barry M, Illamasqua, OPI, Butter London, Jessica and Dolce & Gabbana.

I primed her nails by filing and buffing them, pushed back her cuticles, then prepped the nails by wiping them with acetone-free nail varnish remover (this helps the varnish grip better). I did one coat of the top coat / hardener as a base coat, then followed by painting each nail with two sheer coats of colour (one individual colour per nail). I finished with another layer of top coat. It's Thursday and her nails still haven't chipped. To refresh the shine and extend the length of your candy-mani, I suggest applying another layer of top coat as and when needed.

Stockists:

Topshop Nails

www.topshop.com

Chanel

www.selfridges.com

www.harrods.com

www.debenhams.com

www.boots.com

Superdrug

www.superdrug.com

Bling When You're Winning

Bling When You're Winning..

I know I posted about Kabuki and myface.cosmetics not so long ago, but the legendary make-up artist (and Artistic Director for myface) has been wizarding up so much Kabuki magic of late, that I couldn't help but be inspired.

Not only is he the official make-up artist for Kylie's incredibly well received Aphrodite tour, he also created three "out of this world" looks for Katy Perry's E.T. music video.

The video is directed by one of my favourite image makers of all time, Floria Sigismondi. Floria has been responsible for a host of memorable music imagery, having directed Christina Aguilera's "Fighter" video, The White Stripes' "Blue Orchid" video (starring possibly my favourite supermodel Karen Elson), not to mention shooting the stunning artwork for the divine Siobhan Donaghy's "Ghosts" album. She also directed last year's cult film The Runaways, about legendary female rocker Joan Jett and the eponymous band, starring Kristen Stewart as Joan.

Sadly, the E.T. video features Kanye West, who despite his musical genius, really ought to be issued with a restraining order when it comes making any sort of public commentary, be it at high profile awards ceremonies or on Twitter. The artist formerly known as "nut job" has kept the world's Press (and no doubt his poor PR team) busy with memorable acts of lunacy, such as storming the stage at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards to interrupt Taylor Swift's acceptance speech for the award of Best Female Video, to proclaim:

"Yo Taylor, I'm really happy for you, I'm gonna let you finish, but Beyonce had one of the best videos of all time."

Wow Kanye, how gracious of you..

More recently, on the subject of abortion, he ranted on Twitter:

"An abortion can cost a ballin' n*gga up to 50gs maybe a 100. Gold diggin b*tches be getting pregnant on purpose. STRAPUP my n*ggas!"

Hmm, "getting pregnant on purpose"? Is it just me or is contraception as much the responsibility of the male as it is of the female? And as for his use of the "N" word, for an African American, he seems to be painfully unaware of the slave trade origins of that hideous word. I think he ought to spend some time with US Vogue's Andre Leon Talley, a man so cultured and eloquent, he could start his own finishing school for rappers.

Katy Perry is smart, amusing and has a charming coquettish streak a mile wide, so why collaborate with an unsavoury chap like Kanye? Katy, next time the record label suggests you collaborate again, please say no. On the plus side, in the E.T. video, Kanye is seen floating through space. If we're lucky, Katy left him there (without Twitter access).

Mass-censorship of Kanye aside, let's get back to the glory of Kabuki, and his fabulous looks for the E.T. music video.

Pictured above are Kabuki's sketches for the Alien and Faun looks. A quick Google search online led me to some fabulous tips from Kabuki himself on how to re-create these looks at home (though maybe best saved for Halloween or fancy dress parties).

The Faun Look

"Create graphic eyebrows with a flat angle brush (try the Illamasqua Eye Brow Brush) dipped in dark brown powder (try Illamasqua Powder Eye Shadow in Wolf). Fill in the inner brow and extend the line straight out into a thin spike."

"Use myface mymix foundation in medium 01 (also used for the base), applied with a flat brush to perfect the outline and to mask the real brows (try the Illamasqua Foundation Brush)."

"Fill in the lower inside eye with a soft black pencil (try the myface high def eye pencil in black). Blend into the lashes and taper off into points at the inner corners. Line the upper lash line with black liquid liner (try the Illamasqua Precision Ink in Abyss) and extend the line outward to mimic the line of the new brow."

"Use medium and dark brown powder as a shadow (try myface eyetouch/soulful shade trio in a whole latte love), sculpting the eyelid into the inner brow, and blend the lower line down in a graceful curve, following the bridge of the nose. Use myface r&b rouge blusher in sweet escape to soften the edges and the black liquid liner to sharpen the inner point (try the Illamasqua Precision Ink in Abyss). The lashes are curled (try Shu Uemura eyelash curlers), coated with black mascara (try the myface upload lashes mascara in black), with winged false lashes applied to the top lashes (try the "Nicola" lashes from the Eyelure Girls Aloud lash collection)."

"Create the faun-inspired spots on the forehead and cheekbones with a medium brown concealer, a dry consistency works the best (try the Illamasqua Concealer in CC 320). Start with the larger shapes and work outward to the smaller ones. With a myface high def eye pencil in brown (pictured above), outline the shapes. Use a white pencil (try the Illamasqua Medium Pencil in Elate) to continue the shapes under the outer eyebrow."

If all these written tips leave you confused, why not watch this hilarious You Tube tutorial from AndreasChoice (as posted on Twitter by Katy Perry). I'll post each of her tutorials after every corresponding set of tips from Kabuki:

A shot of a faun-hoofed Katy, hand in hand with her albino alien lover (of the moment male model Shaun Ross) in the closing scene of the video.

These hoof shoes from the late Alexander McQueen's final Darwin show could have been a great accessory choice for the final scene, saving on a lot of CGI expenses (had Lady Gaga's stylist Nicola Formichetti not already used them in her Bad Romance video).

The Alien Look

"Take a bright pink cream foundation (if you can't find one, try a matte lipstick such as Illamasqua's Lipstick in Atomic) and begin to fill in the temples, jaw line, cheekbone to under eye, and in between the inner eyebrow and eye lid. Use a fluffy foundation brush to blend the pink into the white cream (try the Illamasqua Highlighter Brush and white Cream Foundation in CF 100)."

"With a royal blue cream make-up (try the Illamasqua Lipstick in Disciple) define the upper crease of the eyelid and blend outwards and upwards until it wings out the eye in a kind of Egyptian style. Set with powder as you did with the pink (try the pink Illamasqua Powder Eyeshadow in Virus and the blue Illamasqua Powder Eyeshadow in Sadist). Using the same cream, paint a blue border framing the face, making it look like a mask."

"Apply the myface diamonds&pearls blingtone to the upper lid and line the lower water line with white pencil liner (try the Illamasqua Medium Pencil in Elate), extending the line all the way to the edge of the brow. Paint a tapering line of electric blue liquid liner (try mixing the Illamasqua Powder Eyeshadow in Sadist with the Illamasqua Sealing Gel, painting on the with the Illamasqua Angled Eye Liner Brush) under the lower lashes and give it time to dry. Use the myface upload lashes mascara in black on the top and blue mascara on the lower lashes (try the Estee Lauder Sumptuous Extreme Lash Multiplying Volume Mascara in Violet). Apply 3/4 of a false lash to the middle of the lash line (try the Shu Uemura Partial Soft Cross False Eyelashes)."

"Fill in the lips with a dark violet eyeliner pencil and matching lipstick (or just use the Illamasqua Lipstick in Disciple again). Highlight the centre with metallic violet eye shadow, such as the myface blingtone in purple haze)."

Here is the AndreasChoice video tutorial from YouTube:

Loving the Chinese Ming Dynasty style nails.

Why not coordinate the diamonds&pearls blingtone Kabuki used on Katy's eyes for this look with the the corresponding nail colour shade, lil'bling in diamonds&pearls.

Perhaps Lady Deathstrike from X-Men 2 inspired the nail look from the video?

Or maybe they owe their origins to Lo Pan from Big Trouble in Little China?

Katy Perry's stylist for the video Carol Beadle, created the ensembles for the Alien and Tribal looks (the Alien look is pictured above).

She referenced jellyfish and amoebas as inspiration.

The late Alexander McQueen's Darwin collection also paid homage to the beauty of aquatic life.

The Tribal Look

"To create the bold red/orange rectangle around the eyes, I used tape to help mark off straight edges and a broad flat square brush (try the Illamasqua Lipstick in Flare and the Illamasqua Foundation Brush)."

"The eyes are decisively outlined with the myface high def eye pencil in black and black cream eyeliner (try the Laura Mercier Caviar Eye Liner in Black). The inner and outer corners are extended a little and squared off for a digital effect. Large orange Swarovski crystals (try the Sunset Hotfix Rhinestones from amourrocks.com) are used in the centre of the forehead and on the edges of the rectangle around the eyes, like bookends. Lash glue is the best way to apply them (try Duo false eye lash glue). I glued them ahead of time onto a fine orange mesh (try the "Tulor" orange tulle from cheapfabrics.co.uk) and applied it as one piece rather than individually."

"With a flesh coloured pencil (try the Illamasqua Medium Pencil in Hex), lightly sketch a geometric design onto the face. I made stencils ahead of time when I did it on Katy. However, they simply served as a guide; they were all done freehand. Using a light pencil will help cut down on mistakes. Then go over with a navy blue eye pencil (try the Illamasqua Medium Pencil in Please)."

"The lips are nude with a slight lavender tint (try filling in lips with the Illamasqua Medium Pencil in Hex and following with a dot of MAC Lustreglass in Flashmode applied to the centre of lips)."

Here's the AndreasChoice YouTube tutorial for this look:

Here's Madonna sporting a similar look in her "Nothing Really Matters" music video in the late 90's. I call this her Geisha phase, as it is well documented that at the time, she was lobbying to get the lead role in the film adaption of Arthur Golden's best-selling novel Memoirs of a Geisha. The lead role of Sayuri was eventually won by Chinese actress Ziyi Zhang, who was supported by leading Chinese star Gong Li and Malaysian actress Michelle Yeoh. The lack of Japanese actresses cast in lead roles created quite a storm, given that the story is set in Japan, focusing on its legendary Geisha heritage.

The second clothing look stylist Carol Beadle created for the E.T. video, again, inspired by jellyfish and amoebas. Loving the Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon pose.

See the resemblance?

A shot of Katy cosying up to hot albino male model du jour Shaun Ross. Albino models are quite the trend of late, as Illamasqua featured a stunning female albino model in the campaign for their Spring/Summer 2011 Toxic Nature make-up collection.

Shaun doing his thing on the cover of Vogue Africa. This shot reminds me of a famous Diana Vreeland quote. Legend has it, that on first meeting Somali supermodel Iman, she remarked "now that's a neck".

myface.cosmetics

mymix foundation in medium 01 - £12.99

high def eye pencil in black - £6.99

high def eye pencil in brown - £6.99

upload lashes mascara in Black - £10.49

eyetouch/soulful shade trio in a whole latte love - £9.99

r&b rouge blusher in sweet escape - £9.99

blingtone in diamonds and pearls - £9.99

blingtone in purple haze - £9.99

lil'bling in diamonds and pearls - £5.99

www.myfacecosmetics.com

www.boots.com

Girls Aloud by Eyelure

Eyelure Girls Aloud Lashes Nicola - £5.36

www.boots.com

Shu Uemura

Eyelash Curlers - £20

Partial Soft Cross False Eyelashes - £15.50

www.shuuemura.co.uk

Estee Lauder

Estee Lauder Sumptuous Extreme Lash Multiplying Volume Mascara in Violet - £22

www.esteelauder.co.uk

Illamasqua

Eye Brow Brush - £18.50

Powder Eye Shadow in Wolf - £15.50

Foundation Brush - £26

Precision Ink in Abyss - £17

Concealer in CC 320 - £13

Medium Pencil in Elate - £13

Lipstick in Atomic - £15.50

Cream Foundation in CF 100 - £21.50

Lipstick in Disciple - £15.50

Powder Eye Shadow in Virus - £15.50

Powder Eye Shadow in Sadist - £15.50

Sealing Gel - £10.50

Angled Eye Liner Brush - £16.50

Lipstick in Flare - £15.50

Medium Pencil in Hex - £13

Medium Pencil in Please - £13

www.illamasqua.com

MAC

Lustreglass in Flashmode - £12.50

www.maccosmetics.co.uk

Laura Mercier

Laura Mercier Caviar Eye Liner in Black - £18.40

www.beautique.com

Amour Rocks

Sunset Hotfix Rhinestones "SS-30" (144 x 6.5mm stones) - £5.25

www.amourrocks.com

Cheap Fabrics

"Tulor" Orange Tulle - £1.99 per metre

www.cheapfabrics.co.uk

Going To See A Man About A Dog

Going To See A Man About A Dog..

Hailing from Leigh-on-Sea in Essex, Lee Stafford's passion for hair was sparked at home, where he used to cut and style the hair of his friends and family, in the comfort of his mum's living room. Naturally intuitive, he displayed a precocious flair for pinpointing which cut and style would best enhance their features and compliment their unique personalities. From there, he went on to work in London's trendy Kings Road, then overseas in the US, before returning home to Leigh-on-Sea to further hone his craft and expertise.

1998 was a pivotal moment in his career, when he won the title of Men's British Hairdresser of the Year, paving the way for him to open his second salon, in London's Soho. This was the catalyst for the public electing him to join the This Morning breakfast TV program as part of their elite team of stylists, bringing his artistic flair to the attention of the masses. In 2001 he launched his eponymous women's hair care brand, and in 2002 he was honoured with what is possibly his greatest achievement to date, the title of Most Influential Hairdresser of the Year.

The accolades don't stop there (you might want to take a deep breath for this), The Fellowship of Hairdressers named him The Best British Hairdresser of 2004. He won Best Salon Design in the 2005 British Hairdressing Business Awards. 2006 was a double-whammy, he was named as Celebrity Hairdresser of the Year by the National Hairdressing Federation and Hairdresser of the Year in the Hair Magazine Awards. And he's done all this while juggling high-end editorials for leading publications such as; Harpers and Queen, The Sunday Times Style, Elle, Tatler and Vogue.

When he wasn't stacking up the trophy cabinet, he was busy with TV projects, such as BBC 3's Celebrity Scissor Hands and The Weakest Link Celebrity Special.

He has a host of celebrity clients to boot, but ever the gentleman, he won't kiss and tell (kudos to him), saying:

"I dislike name dropping. I'm committed to creating a good look for any client, whether A-List, B-List or shopping-list. I care about what I do, not who I do".

When I was invited to meet him this morning for the exclusive Press launch of his hot new product line, "Lee Stafford ArganOil from Morocco", at London's trendy Sanderson Hotel, he was as down to earth as his quote suggests. The select group of guests were a cross section of bloggers and leading editors, and he treated us all with warmth, humility and respect. Whether it was calmly answering a barrage of probing questions that would have had the Dragons Den entrepeneurs squirming in their seats, or staying behind at then end of the breakfast to answer further questions and pose for photographs, he did it all with warmth and good grace.

As a child, my grandmother always told me "manners maketh man", so he's definitely a winner in my book. His humble attitude reminds me of the famous poem "If" by Rudyard Kipling, specifically the line; "If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue, or walk with Kings - nor lose the common touch". I honestly couldn't describe him more succinctly than that, he is the very embodiment of those words.

Rich in antioxidant and conditioning Vitamin E and nourishing essential fatty acids, Argan Oil (native to Morocco) is derived from the kernel of the Argan Tree, extracted via a cold-pressing technique. Lee's unique formula fuses this precious oil with Dimethicone, a fabulous conditioner for hair and the scalp, that also gives the product a super-silky texture. Lee's top tip is to rub a couple of drops of the oil between your hands, applying to wet or dry hair. For best results he suggests massaging it in after shampooing but before applying conditioner, as this is when the hair shaft is open, allowing the product to really penetrate and do its job. This product is ideally suited to colour-treated and processed hair. It's also a must for older women, as the hair loses its condition with age and needs extra TLC.

Lee gave us an exclusive preview of his new liquid-to-powder Dry Shampoo spray for brunettes, available in two shades, explaining that regular dry shampoo, given its white colour, takes longer to blend seamlessly into brunette hair. Always seeking the best in haircare solutions for his clients, he wanted to bring colour-specific Dry Shampoos to the market, as they blend into hair instantly, where as a traditional dry shampoo needs to be carefully blended (not particularly practical if you're in a rush). The Mid Brown shade is pictured above. Dry shampoos are great for reviving greasy locks, and for adding essential volume to finer hair, while the directional matte finish (Lee's top tip for future hair trends), is going to be the "next big thing".

Pictured above, the Dark shade.

My placemat, with Lee's motto, "Have fun, look wicked, smell beautiful" underneath (well, I did try my best).

The stunning roses, peonies and scented candles were all colour coordinated to match the packaging of Lee's new product line, definitely helping on the "smell beautiful" front.

Not your cookie cutter Press event, that's for sure.

Make mine a (fruit) kebab please mate.

Me with the charming Mr Stafford at the end of the breakfast.

They say every dog has its day. I couldn't think of a chap more deserving of their success than Mr Stafford.

Nourishing Miracle Oil - £11.99

Dry Shampoo Mid Brown - £5.49

Dry Shampoo Dark - £5.49

www.boots.com

www.leestafford.com