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Luxury Lace...

Or pure madness?  

I'm all for luxury skincare, even though I tend to stick to simple organic products I'm not going to call anyone out on throwing down some serious bones in the beauty department if thats what floats your boat!

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But what do you make of this? it is Givenchy's Le Soin Noir face mask and here is what they have to say about it.

The most haute couture of masks, Le Soin Noir is a complete beauty renewal for the skin. Infused with the rejuvenating powder of vital black algae sap, this luxurious lace mask combines skin-firming and anti-ageing for a rejuvenated look.

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They cost £220.00 ($353.00) for four which lets face it is at the REALLY high end of the product spectrum, what do you think, are you enough of a beauty junkie to give this a go or is this just a gimmick for the super elite?

For the love of Vivienne

This should absolutely not work. at. all. But it does Oh man, it really, really does.  The hair styling is glorious.

The headpieces are literally a dream come true for an eccentric British country wedding.

And the make-up, wow, the make-up for Vivienne Westwood's SS13 Runway show is a sheer delight to take in. I always love the creativity at her shows but this time round she has blown her previous (incredible) looks out of the water.

In the words of Rachel Zoe. I die.

Setting the Tone: Night Sky

1) Absolutely beautiful office interior courtesy of Elle Decor.

2) Eye colour eyeshadow quad in Cobalt Rush from the king of luxury make-up Tom Ford. £47.00 ($75.00).

3) The forever lustworthy PS1 Satchel from Proenza Schouler £1,220 ($1,979). Cheap? hell no, fabulous? oh yeah!

4) Rodarte SS13 runway look created by James Kalidaros using Nars...perfection. Image from Harper's Bazaar.

5) Have a go at recreating the look at Rodarte using Chanel stylo yeux waterproof in Marine £19.00 ($30.00).

6) Ughhh (in a good way!) Le Labo is such a luxurious brand, I first sampled this in The Savoy Hotel in London whilst on a shoot with Duran Duran (rock and roll), it was in the bathroom and I squealed (not rock and roll!). Trust me if you fancy a treat this is a dream. Patchouli Body oil £41.00 ($67.00).

7) So the fabulous ladies at Bando have done it again, only this time better. Check out their black Label collection,   doesn't it remind you of Carrie Bradshaw's wedding headband/birdy thingy? Awsome.

8) Very cute swingy denim dress from ASOS.  Perfect for Autumn. £55.00 ($89.00).

9) If you struggle to get any sort of blow dry you attempt yourself to look half decent or hold for longer than 5 minutes, then give this a try Babyliss Pro 34mm blue lightening hot brush.  It creates such a super finish, although I wouldn't use it everyday as this bad boy can really kick out some heat which can also do some serious damage! £18.95 ($30.00)

The Dark Side

When September fashion week approaches here in London it always feels like the end of Summer.  I love Autumn in this city and even more than that  I REALLY love Winter trends.  With a huge stack of September issues on my desk one make-up must that really stands out this season is the dark lip.  

Just like the classic red lip there really is a very dark plum /wine/black cherry-ish shade to suit everyone, it's just a case of putting in a little research in order to find it.

My preference for working this look out like a supermodel is to pick a matte version, matte lipstick is a lot more user friendly in terms of smudging, bleeding and the dreaded lipstick on the teeth scenario.  It also looks incredibly chic and perfectly pulled together.

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Another option is to layer up more of a stain for a slightly softer look.   

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Tom Ford has undoubtedly made the uber luxe make-up market his own, and this lip colour in Black Orchid is a perfect example of how make-up can secure it's position as a key trend in any season.  It is covet worthy perfection which comes at a price £36.00 ($57.00) to be exact.

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And here is literally the exact opposite end of the make-up budget spectrum, a huge brand favourite of mine, Sleek.  Their version of this look is Cherry and costs a mere $4.10 ($6.49) but is by no means any less chic than the pricey heavyweight above.  I always say if you want to experiment with seasonal make-up trends go to Sleek as they are the perfect brand to play around with your look without throwing down a ton of cash.

 Have some fun on the dark side this Fall!

GaGa for GaGa

The September issue of Vogue is always the reserved for the heaviest copy, the most fashion and the biggest cover story of the year.  It has been much anticipated this time round as Lady Gaga was to be featured on the cover.  Styled by the cornerstone of US Vogue, Grace Coddington and shot by Mert & Marcus it is Amazing.

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Wearing a Marc Jacobs creation reminiscent of both a tropical fish and a big purple one with the most perfect make-up, she still looks a tiny bit kooky but a whole lot grown up and glamourous.

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And this hat, I can't even...I don't...It's Steven Jones, It looks like something from Sesame Street (if you added a couple of eyeballs) and I think it is perfection.  

These.Are.Paintings

These are by artist Harriet White, Can you believe they are oil paintings?

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Absolutely incredible don't you agree?

All Sewn Up

Intricate braiding and up do's are having a real moment right now, so Aussie hairdresser Kevin Murphy has released a little kit that is perfect to give those styles a helping hand.

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A little sewing kit comprising of 3 linen threads and a pair of needles which is ideal to weave through a few plaits resulting in a messy, pretty, casual style.  

However, I'm not sure if you have ever attempted blindfolded cross stitch, or lights out embroidery but 'back of your own head hair sewing' seems a little tricky.  Perhaps this is one of those follicular experiments that you attempt with a friend.

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Still it's a great idea for  all you long haired lovelies!

Half Drag

Leland Bobbe I could not be more in love with your work.

This series of portraits called Half Drag - A different kind of beauty, works for me in so many ways.  Not only does it illustrate the sheer super power of make-up and highlight the way in which one can absolutely transform their looks using incredible creativity and artistic skill.  It also screams at the viewer that beauty can be totally unconventional but staggering none the less.

Have a look at the rest of this mesmerising portfolio here.

Illustrated

Celebrated fashion illustrator Julie Verhoeven's work has been a regular fixture in editorial features and advertising campaigns for many years.  It is beautiful imagery in a style distinctly her own although many have tried to emulate her aesthetic.

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Well now it's her turn to have a MAC collaboration, and this is one that almost everyone will find useful.  Encased in one of her gorgeous illustrations is a little kit to create a lovely neutral smokey eye.  It contains three really useful eyeshadows including Carbon (the black...obviously!) which is definitely a  must have in every make up bag as it is so multipurpose.  It also contains two mini brushes perfect for blending and smudging,  a mini zoomblack zoom lash mascara and a technakohl liner in black.  All this for only £39.50.  Awesome!

Bad Girls

My go to look to add drama to any occasions is 50's Pin Up and it has been for years.  There is something unbearably gorgeous about a woman dressed up to the nines in the classiest way possible.  Using just a couple of elements from this era you can find a look that suits you.  Its not necessary to go for the hair, the make up and the ball gown all at once.  

Just the eyeliner and perfect red lip with relaxed natural beachy hair is very casual yet looks beautifully groomed.

These Ladies have obviously had their take on the Pin Up looked amped by a make-up artist for the shoot but they do serve as some awesome inspiration don't you think?

If you don't fancy embracing the whole shebang, just try the classic red polish manicure I guarantee you will feel sexier the second your fingertips are dry.

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I am a make-up junkie.  I have products in my kit and in my personal collection ranging from two pound q-tips all the way up to La Prairie and Creme de La Mer, so I definitely sing the praises (or not) of items from a very broad price range.  

That said, sometimes its lovely to splash out on a couple of items that just make you feel like you are pampering yourself.  So in the spirit of the Pin Up girl go and have a test of these at your local beauty department and give yourself a little treat.

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Medal Winning

London is of course all about the Olympics right now.  Forget the opening ceremony that received  mixed reviews, forget the empty seats at all the events debacle, forget the ultra embarrassing flag mix up on day one, its all about the manicures!  

If you look closely beyond the incredible bodies and unparalleled sporting prowess, you may just spot the ladies representing their nations on their nails.  The olympic ring manicure may be a little too literal for my taste, but I love these...

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Butter london have released this awesome Heavy Medal collection, with gold, silver and bronze to choose from.  what a great way to show your support without ramping up the tacky factor!

3 - Dot Liner

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Sometimes you stumble across an image that totally sums up your mood.  This incredible mixed media work called Original Ombre Pink Peach Moon 1 by Adam Collier Noel is so beautiful and serves perfectly to inspire.  I'm very jealous of the lucky duck who snagged this to hang in their home!

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This is so cool (in theory) it is the soon to be released Clarins 3 dot liner.  I have read mixed reviews about how people are using this product.  Some are saying it is for the novice to carry out a winged eyeliner whilst exercising mega caution, as in, drawing the whole line using a series of three dots and then filling in, not good practice and likely to end in an uneven shambles.  The other more realistic and exciting use is to work the product in the series of dots right in between your lashes, really thickening up the look of the lash line.  Then for more depth add your liquid eyeliner (see how to do that really easily here) on top resulting in very sultry eyes...you'd hope!

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Another gorgeous product from upcoming the Autumn/winter 12 collection from Clarins is this limited edition colour accents face and bush palette, perfect for highlighting and contouring and adding a rosy glow to a wide variety of complexions.

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And if it is as sunny where you are as we are in London right now (I am currently shooting at a really hot and sticky location), make some of this incredible Watermelon Agua Fresca.  It is unbelievably refreshing and really delicious, recipe here.  Or you could try these grown-up slushies that look equally as delicious but slightly more fun, recipe here!

Have a chilled day guys!