ABC

ABC..

BB Creams, CC Creams - you'd be forgiven for thinking that the beauty industry has gone alphabet crazy and that your favourite cosmetics counter has turned into a scene from Sesame Street. So what exactly are these products? Are they functional? Do they work? Do we need them, or is this simply need creation marketing on a grand scale, another strategy to get the humble consumer to flex the plastic and boost those profit margins?

Hugely popular in the Asian market, BB Creams (Beauty Balms) are essentially a souped-up tinted moisturiser. Like that hot guy/girl you always seem to "accidentally" text when tipsy, they are your cosmetic friend with benefits, combining skin care with an SPF and skin-perfecting pigments. Providing a medium level of coverage, my only problem with these is that at present, they are only really available in fair to medium shades at best, meaning that anyone with a deeper skin tone is left in the shade. No-one wants to be the person refused entry to the club. So not cool. 

Off the back of these we now have CC Creams (Colour Correcting Creams), as seen above on Hollywood actress (and cult of Tom Cruise escapee) Katie Holmes in the Bobbi Brown campaign.

Bobbi says,"We created CC Cream for any woman who wants more even-toned, healthy-looking skin. Our formula colour corrects, illuminates and protects in one easy step. It's lightweight and blends seamlessly into skin so you instantly look fresher and healthier. Wear it under foundation every day or just when you need it. It's CC perfection."

One of the new breed of high tech cosmeceuticals, she adds "This colour corrector plus treatment hybrid takes a three step approach to evening out skin tone over time and works to prevent future signs of dark spots."

Available in three shades:

Pale Nude, a lavender pink tone ideal for pale skin tones.

Warm Nude, a natural peach tone ideal for medium skin tones.

Golden Nude, a warm golden tone ideal for deep skin tones.

I received a sample of the Warm Nude and have been testing it for the last week. To be honest, I was sceptical as to whether this would be a help or hindrance in my daily makeup regime. I always prep my skin with serum, an oil and moisturiser and follow with a primer before applying my base and concealer.

I used the CC Cream instead of primer and though not exactly earth-moving, I did notice a pleasingly subtle difference. The product has a gorgeous creme-mousse like texture and creates the same slip on my skin that a primer would, extending the wear of my base and ensuring product doesn't settle into any fine lines. Subtly pigmented with peach tones, it perked up my sallow complexion and was especially brilliant when smoothed over eye lids and under the eyes, counteracting discolouration in these areas, meaning I could get away with applying less concealer. I definitely looked perkier which is always a bonus in my book. If Clarins Beauty Flash Balm and Urban Decay Primer Potion had a love child (via a brief dalliance with sunscreen), it would be Bobbi Brown CC Cream, with the stellar qualities of both cult items fused in one product. You can even layer the product over make-up for a subtle highlight on the brow bone, cheek bones and cupid's bow. Win. I recently wore the product when I hooked up with a friend before a meeting in Soho. As we were walking along he said "Do you realise how many guys have checked you out?" To be honest, I was too engrossed in the conversation to notice but I'll say this much - CC is staying.

It is too early to tell whether there have been any tangible changes in the clarity of my skin but I do love the cooling feel of this product on application and the fact that it has an SPF of 35 is a welcome bonus. Forget "pram face", I've attended enough beauty seminars, lunches and launches over the years to know that UVA and UVB damage is the quickest route to a "prune face". It doesn't matter whether the sun is shining, these harmful rays are present even on cloudy days and will break down the collagen and elastin in your skin, resulting in lines, wrinkles, sagging, age spots and pigmentation, not to mention the risk of skin cancer. You know how photographs fade over time when exposed to direct sunlight? Your skin is no different. If you aren't already incorporating an SPF into your daily routine, then this is a supremely easy way to start.

If like me, you like the concept of fusing science and nature, this product (probably) has more natural extracts than your favourite green smoothie.

Not only does it contain the skin-plumping Sodium Hyaluronate, Trehalose and Glycerin, it also packs a punch with these goodies:

Brightening Cucumber

Brightening Apple

Brightening Scutellaria

Balancing Laminaria Saccharina

Plumping Barley

Plumping Wheat Germ

It's worth noting that I spent a fair bit of time analysing the listed ingredients on the product packaging. As a rule of thumb, the closer to the top of the list the ingredients are, the higher their concentration in the formula. If they are listed towards the bottom, then their contribution to the formula is negligible. These ingredients all featured in the top-to-middle sections, meaning that they haven't scrimped on this front. 

Product:

Bobbi Brown CC Cream SPF 35 - £29.00

Stockists:

Exclusively available at John Lewis and Nationwide from all Bobbi Brown Studios from 17th March

www.bobbibrown.co.uk

www.johnlewis.com

Young and Beautiful

Young and Beautiful..

On Monday 20th January something rather fortuitous happened. I received an e-mail from a high profile beauty industry insider saying "would it be possible to book a makeup session with you on the coming Saturday at 7pm? You are the best makeup artist I know and I always admire your work". So far so normal, I am a make-up artist after all.

As flattered as I was by the kind words and booking request, the only spanner in the works was that I hadn't worked in about a year. Last year I endured some serious health issues that nearly killed me. I was hospitalised for two months, three weeks of which were spent in intensive care. I was attached to several machines as I had suffered organ failure following major surgery on my legs. I was unable to walk and at one point it looked like I either wasn't going to pull through or that I'd have to have my legs amputated. So far so gruesome. So needless to say, I was somewhat nervous at the prospect of wielding my magic make-up brushes, given that I'd been in recovery up until December 2013.

Despite a serious case of jitters, I felt like this was the Universe's way of telling me to scrape myself off the floor and once again utilise the creativity that I've been blessed with. So I e-mailed the client back and said I'd be delighted to do the job. It turns out her daughter was attending a special birthday party and the make-up booking was for her. So I liased with her and discussed what sort of look she wanted. She said she wanted something "relatively sophisticated and not too out there" which was music to my ears as chic, glamourous beauty is most definitely one of my fortes.

So on Friday 24th January, I grabbed my make-up brushes (well some of them..I'm quite possibly the Imelda Marcos of make-up) and set about shampooing and conditioning them with my Aveda Shampure set (the most heavenly shampoo and conditioner) that infuses hair with one of Aveda's original aromas - a calming mix of 25 pure plant and flower essences. You just know Gwyneth Paltrow would approve. And besides, look after your tools and they'll look after you! I layed out my brushes flat on a towel to air dry overnight then edited and repacked my make-up kit to include everything I'd possibly need for my client the next evening. All my homework completed, I popped on Baz Luhrmann's The Great Gatsby and lost myself in Prada, Tiffany and F Scott Fitzgerald before indulging in some much-needed beauty sleep.

On Saturday 25th, I couldn't get Lana Del Rey's Young and Beautiful out of my head. She wrote the haunting track for Daisy Buchanan's character in the film and I spent most of Saturday listening to her album of the same name online. 




I'm very much inspired by films and music and I've no doubt a little Gatsby magic went with me to the job. The weather was vile, I can't abide the incessant drizzle in London, least of all when I have a make-up case to wield around town. So I went "back to black" and channelled my inner rocker, donning a layered black leather, denim and cotton jersey ensemble (very Rick Owens I thought and super practical for surviving the urban deluge). More of the look in a subsequent post.

So I headed to the client's house in Kensington Palace Gardens (aka billionaire's row). I've only been on the road twice before, once to the wedding of glamourous author and family friend Kathleen Tessaro at The Orangery (her tome Elegance was a New York Times best-seller). The only other time was for an event at the steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal's house (the only time I have ever seen a Monet Water Lilie painting in a domestic setting). I got to High Street Ken an hour early, so stopped by Pret to grab a sandwich and hot chocolate. I was wearing a black sweatshirt emblazoned with a huge silver foil print Ethiopian Orthodox (Coptic) cross, a gift from one of my relatives. In my fit of nerves, I'd imagined my friend Laura singing Carrie Underwood's Jesus, Take The Wheel and figured I could do with some spirit, hence opting to wear him on my chest. I don't drive but I had no problem with the lord taking my wheel in the metaphorical sense. A beautiful Ethiopian barista served me and noted my t-shirt, asking me if I knew where it was from. I surprised her when I said "my mother is Habesha". Habesha is the generic term that people from my mother's country use to refer to what was once known as Abyssinia. I took this little exchange as a positive omen. Like Luke in Star Wars I had opted to use the force and apparently the force was with me.

This is a little make-up face chart that I made using the colours / products I used on my client. It's not the best. I did a couple when I trained at Dolce & Gabbana, NARS and MAC but that was a while ago now and I'm most definitely out of practice - but it gives you an idea of the overall look I designed.

Thanks to the wonders of the internet, my client had e-mailed me a photo of herself "sans maquillage" to give me an idea of her facial structure and colouring, so I already had an inkling of what I hoped to create for her. She had the most gorgeous alabaster skin, high cheekbones and feline eyes - so I definitely wanted to enhance those features. 

I started by prepping her skin with NuBo's Cell Dynamic Velvet Cleansing Cream. This is my "go to" cleanser for clients and models because it plumps the skin up with peptides and calms with essence of rose. It helps of course that it smells of roses too, I always think that beauty ought to be a sensory experience.

I always have Caudalie's Beauty Elixir in my kit. I like to liberally spritz it over the face and neck after cleansing to hydrate and tone the skin prior to applying moisturiser. I also spritz the make-up at the end to keep everything dewy and radiant. This is another product that smells divine and it has a fantastically freshening effect on the complexion.

To hydrate and plump, I smoothed a couple of pumps of NuBo's Cell Dynamic Day Performance SPF 20 over the face and neck. I can't get enough of this lightweight yet uber-plumping and silky moisturiser as it really primes the skin for make-up and protects against urban aggressors. A smooth canvas is essential to creating beautiful make-up. Cosmetics can only do so much.

Post moisturiser, I smoothed a couple of pumps of NuBo's Cell Dynamic The Essence Bio-gold over the face and neck. This super-serum repairs, lifts, firms and plumps - a total "must have" for red carpet radiance.

The extremes of cold weather outdoors and central heating blazing indoors tends to reek havoc with the lips. To ensure my client's smackers were prepped to perfection, I slathered them generously in NuBo's Instant Lip Perfection SPF 15.

My canvas nearly complete, I applied Chanel's Le Blanc De Chanel sheer illuminating base with a foundation brush over the face and neck. This decadent  primer is the secret to that sought-after film star glow.

As my client was going to supper then out dancing, I knew I needed a base that would go the distance. I often use Chanel's Perfection Lumiere Long-Wear Flawless Fluid Makeup SPF 10 on celebrities for editorials as it photographs beautifully and remains immaculate even under intense studio lights. With foundation I usually blend shades together to create a bespoke match for the client. In this instance I used three, 10 Beige, 20 Beige and 12 Beige Rose.

I never go anywhere without my Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage. I have all the shades and to this day think that there are hardly any brands that can touch it in regards to coverage, blendability and longevity. I used SC-2 with a concealer brush on my client after foundation to correct areas of redness on the cheeks and nose and for minor imperfections (she had virtually perfect skin - more so after this little gem). I also adore this for cleaning up the lip line when doing a bold lip, which is exactly what I did on this occasion.

One thing most of us can relate to is dark circles. I adore By Terry Touch Expert Advanced, it's like Harry Potter in a make-up pen. I blend it under eyes after applying eye makeup to banish "sleepy hollows". It is also fantastic blended over eyelids to correct discolouration, on the brow bone for an instant eye lift and as a highlighter on cheekbones, down the centre of the nose and along the cupid's bow to enhance the perfect pout.

After concealing, a lightly dusted the tiniest amount of Laura Mercier's Secret Brightening Powder along the T-Zone, over the lids and under the eyes. I kept the rest of the face devoid of powder as I knew I'd be using highlighting and bronzing powder to lift and sculpt those areas. There is nothing more ageing than excessive powdering - it is the enemy of a youthful, dewy complexion.

I blended the two lightest shades of Hourglass' Ambient Lighting Palette over the brow bones, down the centre of the nose, along the cupid's bow and across the cheekbones to lift the face. It is the secret to skin that looks as if it is lit from within.

I contoured under the cheekbones, into the hair line, down the sides of the nose, through the crease of the eye sockets, along the jaw line and down the sides of the neck with NARS Laguna Bronzing Powder. There's nothing quite like it for sculpted sophistication.

My client had very fair brows, so I used MAC Fling Eyebrow Pencil in little feathery strokes to mimic the hair growth, define and frame the eyes. I brushed through with a brow grooming brush from Daniel Sandler to blend and keep everything flawless.

I applied the NARS Eyeliner Pencil in Iceberg to the water line to open up my client's eyes. It is brilliant on fair complexions and especially to create a fresh "wide-eyed" ingenue look on more feline / almond eye shapes. 

I knew I wanted to sculpt the eyes but keep to a sophisticated neutral palette, so I blended the NARS Eye Shadow in Edie in the inner corners and across the lids to open up the eyes and really make them "pop".

I blended NARS Lola Lola Eye Shadow through the crease and along the outer edges of the lower lash line to contour, sculpt and add warmth. My client had stunning blue eyes and this rich, earthy brown shade really enhanced them.

For extra intensity, I further enhanced the crease with a little NARS Eye Shadow in Mekong, and again, smudged a tiny bit along the outer edge of the lower lash line. I didn't bother with liner as my client had recently had semi-permanent black liner tattooed along her upper lash line and didn't need it. 

I curled her lashes with my Shu Uemura Eyelash Curlers (or instruments of torture as she endearingly called them), again to really open up the eyes for maximum flutter.

I "zigzagged" one coat of NARS Larger Than Life Volumizing Mascar through the top lashes from root to tips, then turning the wand vertically and using what was left to lightly enhance the fine lower lashes.

Using a little Duo Lash Adhesive on the back of my hand, I applied some individual false lashes to the outer corners of the top lashes to enhance the client's dreamy cat eyes, finishing with an extra slick of mascara once the glue had dried.

To compliment my client's killer LBD and skyscraper Louboutins, not to mention her crimson manicure, I filled in her lips entirely with NARS Lip Liner in Jungle Red, slightly over-drawing the lip shape to cheat a fuller pout. Filling in the lips with a colour-coordinated liner before applying your lippy is the way to make your lip colour last all day / night and can be done in any shade.

The final touch was a slick of NARS Semi Matte Lipstick in Jungle Red. I blotted the colour after the first application, then applied a second coat (both with a lip brush to really push the pigment into the lips). I left her the lipstick to take in her handbag just in case she needed touch ups. Red lipstick is super glamourous when done right but with all bold lips, it can be high maintenance. Plus I knew there was supper and drinks (and possibly kissing) on the horizon.

A final spritz of the Caudalie Beauty Elixir was the "piece de resistance" to keep everything fresh and glowy. My client looked gingerly into her mirror to see the end result and said "I look like someone from The Great Gatsby". 

"Is that good?" I asked and she replied "it's amazing!"

Skincare

NuBo Velvet Cleansing Cream 100ml - £39

NuBo Cell Dynamic Day Performance SPF 20 30ml - £120

NuBo Cell Dynamic The Essence Bio-gold 30ml - £200

NuBo Instant Lip Perfection SPF 15 - £38

www.nubo.com

Caudalie Beauty Elixir 100ml - £32

http://uk.caudalie.com

Makeup

Chanel Le Blanc De Chanel Sheer Illuminating Base - £31

Chanel Perfection Lumiere Long-Wear Flawless Fluid Make-Up SPF 10 - £36

www.debenhams.com

Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage SC-2 - £26

Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder, No.1 - £18.50

www.johnlewis.com

By Terry Touch Expert Advanced - £32

Hourgalss Ambient Lighting Palette - £56

http://uk.spacenk.com

NARS Laguna Bronzing Powder - £26

NARS Iceberg Eyeliner Pencil - £16

NARS Edie Shimmer Eyeshadow - £18

NARS Lola Lola Shimmer Eyshadow - £18

NARS Mekong Shimmer Eyeshadow - £18

NARS Larger Than Life Volumizing Mascara - £18.50

NARS Jungle Red Lip Pencil - £16.50

NARS Jungle Red Semi Matte Lipstick - £18.50

www.narscosmetics.co.uk

Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler - £20

www.shuuemura.co.uk

MAC No.30 Lashes - £10

Duo Lash Adhesive - £10

www.maccosmetics.co.uk

Coco For Chanel

Coco For Chanel..

My impossibly chic moles at Chanel have shared some terribly exciting news regarding the new Coco Mademoiselle advertising film, directed by Joe Wright and starring leading British actress and Hollywood beauty Keira Knightley (the face of the fragrance since 2007). The fragrance currently holds the title of the UK's best selling fragrance (well you wouldn't expect anything less from Chanel would you?)

Photographer Andrew Cooper is responsible for the alluring shot of Miss Knightley (pictured above) taken from the filming of the hot new advert. Chanel have sent me an exclusive teaser of the film to share with you all. Hopefully, it will satiate your appetites until the full film debuts on www.chanel.com from Monday 21st March 2011 (in all its 3 minutes and 20 seconds glory).

As if all this weren't exciting enough, the brand have created a suitably tantalising and forward-thinking event to be held at Selfridges, London, to celebrate the launch of the fragrance. From Tuesday 22nd March - Wednesday 6th Apri 2011, a giant sized Coco Mademoiselle fragrance bottle will be housed in the world-famous Selfridges Beauty Hall (the largest luxury department store beauty-dedicated space in Europe). Measuring 5.5 metres high, 4.5 metres wide and 2.5 metres deep, the bottle will house a miniature cinema room, showcasing the new Coco Mademoiselle advertising film, together with a short "making of" film, showcasing exclusive, never seen before, behind the scenes footage.

This unique Chanel cinema will invite customers into the enchanting world of Coco Mademoiselle, replicating the decor featured in the advert (including the beautiful De Gournay hand painted gold wallpaper). Selfridges customers will then be invited on an interactive journey, navigating between the cinema, the Chanel Make-up Studio and the Chanel Fragrance Boutique, receiving luxury tokens in exchange for answering questions about the legendary Gabrielle Chanel. The token will include a luxurious Chanel music box (I'm imagining it's going to be Chanel 2.55 handbags at dawn - better get swotting up on Gabrielle folks!)

If all this weren't enough to give you the Chanel shakes, the site will retail an exclusive 200ml Coco Mademoiselle Eau de Parfum (complete with exclusive gift wrapping service, naturally).

I don't know about you, but I can barely contain myself. Is it any wonder I'm perpetually COCO for CHANEL??

www.chanel.com

www.selfridges.com

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