Longing for the A-List Treatment

Wednesday, November 4th, 2009 | Celebrities, Fashion, Hair, Hot Topics, Make-up, Nails, Skin Care, Trends | No Comments

These could be yours! Amongst more A-list must-haves...

Ok so if you’ve made it to the blog via our lookfantastic homepage then you would’ve already seen the amazing prize that’s on offer throughout November right?

Undeniably it’s an ultimate opportunity to steal the limelight of the A-listers as you ensemble your new designer gear, splash the cash (well ok, vouchers) on fine wine, before soaking up the romance of Paris … and then when you arrive home to some fresh flowers every month from your adoring fans (admittedly we can’t promise the fan bit) you can set to work choosing yourself some delectable handmade furniture and accessories to stylise your humble abode. Steam up the bathroom, run a bath full of bubbles and indulge in a bit of relaxation with the latest edition of Glamour. Oh and you’re not finished yet…£300 worth of goodies from the lookfantastic site are yours for the taking to make sure you look top dollar as you step into L.K. Bennett to splash the vouchers once more!

The excitement of pulling a whopping £2500 prize together was so overwhelming that it slipped our mind that we couldn’t enter it ourselves! Doh! Oh well, I guess that’s more chance for you then… x

P.s. If you are contacted next month as the lucky winner of our competition and struggle to find someone to join you on the weekend to Paris, you can always contact me via this very blog…! xx

The power poise.

Thursday, October 29th, 2009 | Celebrities, Fashion, Hot Topics, Make-up, Nails | No Comments

Power dressing. pow.er dress.ing noun
A stylish and expensive clothing style, intended to convey the impression of assertiveness and competence. Predominantly worn by women.

Dallas basked in it, the Princess of Wales made it beautifully covetable and dear old Maggie Thatcher transformed it into the embodiment of ‘pow’. Its back, it’s a statement, it’s a point of view and ultimately it’s a point of power. This season’s trend is one of fiery force and I for one am diving in feet first.

Growing up in neon shell-suits (teamed with platform shoes) and sporting a poodle perm, my personal experience of the style ‘a-la-dynasty’ extended to watching in envy as my aunt appeared each year laden in copious amounts of plastic sequins layered over ice-pick shoulders. Luxe velvet party dresses teamed with a crimped mullet and tights so woolly her calves grew to the size of my thigh had me in bewildered awe. Yet throughout my bedroom bound Cyndi Lauper renditions and Thriller routines, I longed to use mums bottle of hairspray on my worryingly short fringe - secretly wanting to back-comb my way to Dallas glamour. Older, wiser (?) and raring to go, AW 09 has landed in my lap this month like the glacier cherry on my fashion cake. Sharp, strong lines, humongous hair, blocked bright colours, deliberately bold make-up, and fabulous amounts of crimson, chilli, and poppy rouge. Let the creations commence!

Vision Dita Von Tease harmonised with Anna Wintour and fresh, sexy Cheryl Cole. Think thick, matte 3D pouts paired with confidently rouge talons and razor sharp shoulders. Whether it’s an assertive swank around the office or a provocative schmooze to the bar, there’s no shying away this season, it’s gotta be big, it’s gotta have glamour and most of all it has got to ooze power. But hold your horses, and step away from the scarlet nail falsies; like many fashion proclamations, get it wrong and you’ll look like a 50’s ration-ista rather than an 80’s fashionista…

Pair poppy red nails and a chilli pout with monochrome tailoring or a fashion forward fuscia pink ensemble (exclusive to daring divas only!). Leighton Denny Nail Colour -  Viva La Diva is a super sassy red nail coat perfect for the bold and beautiful and works in perfect harmony with the new Duwop Private  Red Lipstick. Paying homage to the 70s colour changing lipsticks, this powerful pout perfector will effortlessly blend with your skin tone to create a provocative yet empowering ensemble. Lastly, precision is key so it’s just as well lip liners are back in town. Finale your new pout with New <ID I-Define Lip Liner - Rosie and leave the uber-glossy-glosser at home this season. Keep it bright, thick and mattified for maximum va va voom!

60s babies thought it was buried forever, but the rocking 80s is back with a vengeance to rear its ‘not so’ ugly head. Take a deep breathe…there’s no need to wince! We scraped the leg warmers and buried the neon shell suits at the back of mums attic (ready for AW10!?). Selecting only the best of the fashion beast, AW09 is your time to walk the walk and make a scarlet statement. Viva la raging rouge!

Guest Blog: Reddy to party by BritishBeautyBlogger

Tuesday, October 27th, 2009 | Fashion, Hot Topics, Nails | 4 Comments

One of the best things about winter’s forthcoming passion for raging reds is that at last we can veer away from freaky acid hues and insipid summer neutrals. There’s nothing more glamorous than perfectly manicured scarlet nails.

While nail trends have indicated a squared tip and a blunted look, I think to go all out rouge needs gorgeous ovals - long or short. Like Clara Bow lips, pillar box nails are the ideal little black dress accessory; it hardly needs another thing to create simple but deeply elegant style.

I’m loving the current crop of variations on the theme, from Leighton Denny’s Caught Red Handed, a fierce, blood shade,  OPI’s fiery, sparkling Dear Santa through to ButterLondon’s shimmeringly vampish Knees Up.

Don’t forget that the most sophisticated nails are nothing without soft and supple hands; ramp up the hydration with a good hand cream and drench your cuticles in nourishing oils to let your fingers do the talking all the way through party season.

Walking in a beauty wonderland

Friday, October 16th, 2009 | Hair, Hot Topics, Make-up, Men, Nails, Skin Care, Trends | No Comments

“Now Clarins, now Cowshed, now Tigi and Darphin, on Gucci, on Prada, on Juicy and Redken…Twas the countdown to Christmas and all through the night”…to cheesy? Ok I’ll quit.

Selfridges did it with 141 days to go, Harrods with an impressive 152 and lookfantastic with a confident and swanky 75. It’s inevitable that with less than three months before the turkey-laden day, it’s very on-trend to be utterly engulfed in an array of pre-season Christmas shops. Amongst the whiskey, shoe polish and cat food (yes, there are!?) gift sets, I have succumbed to the notion that there are in fact, gift ensembles for absolutely everything. And of course, not being one to disappoint, the LF Christmas Gift Shop offers no less than something for absolutely everyone.

Avoiding January bill blues has become one of my crowning feats in recent years. Rummaging around early bird Christmas collections during mid July may be frowned upon by some, but be forewarned - my ‘I’m-so-organised-face’ is always mildly smug as I fall in after my New Years Eve finale and realise I’m proudly debt free (ish).

I  also believe there is an incredible amount to be said for shopping in your jim-jams, especially when over zealous shoppers cram into each home store like sardines. I take guiltless pleasure in lounging around, swapping my tea with (festively) large amounts of Bailey’s, and watching my gift list gradually shrink with every ‘Add to basket’ click.

With this is mind, I have scoured through the gift-set merriment that adorns the LF Christmas Shop to bring you my personal top three yuletide goodies, because let’s face it; successful gift giving is the difference between receiving an item from your wish list and being handed a pair of (possibly used) peach, velour, fleece lined slippers…one size too small. So amongst our oh-so-fabulous collections I have found these beautifying bad boys for your browsing pleasure. Come all ye spendful (and thriftful) there’s something for us all!

Tweezerman Swarovski Slant Tweezer - Devine White. As white as freshly settled snow yet packing some dazzling-blingtastic punch, these uber glam tweezers are guaranteed to impress your glamour-puss compadreys.

Cowshed Bullocks Sponge Bag. Definitely a quirky stocking filling for your raging bull. Designed to pacify and relax in a flash, he can indulge while you get on with finishing the Christmas tin of Roses. Having the purple ones all to yourself!

Burt’s Bees Polka Dot Perfect Mani-Pedi Gift Set. Give hardworking Mum the gift of pretty pieds and plush pinkies this Christmas and you’ll no longer have to wince as she prepares the turkey with bare hands!

Finally, after living through some personal (brow raising) experiences, I would just like to note that when deciding on festive donations, you’ll never go far wrong with a few self indulgent beauty aides. Men, women, young, old, everyone loves a bit (or a lot) of me time, and a complimentary preening kit will always be welcomed with open arms.

On the other hand, a brand new top of the range, ultra fast folding, super light weight, remote control, ironing board for her, will probably be met with some deflated disappointment. Possibly even a strike - ironing or otherwise. Equally, buying him the same middle of the road aftershave your dad, uncle and dentist wears will only further him comfortably into ‘predictable’ mode. Spontaneous spa trips and lavish diamond gifts- cancelled.

Milly B’s pearls!

Monday, August 24th, 2009 | Hair, Hot Topics, Make-up, Nails, Skin Care | No Comments

As I promised last week I’m dedicating my final blog to the passing over of my most valuable hair and beauty pearls of wisdom.

Keeping it insightful and letting you in on a few little unknown gems, it’s taken years to collate this information so I hope you leave feeling blessed by your new found fountain of knowledge, courtesy of yours truly….

• If you can only ever afford just one skincare product, make sure it’s a moisturiser. Don’t be fooled into believing a moisturiser is just a moisturiser, it comes in all textures and sizes and its form can make a huge difference to your skin. For those with deeply dry skin, opt for a cream, its denser consistency will ensure greater hydration and will keep skin moisturised for longer. A lotion is lighter and delivers perfect hydration for normal to combination in the daytime. A night time moisturiser is designed for use as its name suggests. Usually thicker, they are fabulous at restoring your skin’s balance and REALLY do make a difference the next day. And why is a moisturiser the most important skincare product? As the clever species we are, we’ve invented the likes of air-con, heating, cars, yummy food, etc, all of which impact the environment and our skin. You’ll always be able to wash your face with water and an old fashioned flannel, but you can’t forgo a protective barrier and rebalancing tool that will keep your skin at its healthy best. If possible make sure your moisturiser has an SPF.

• Through all my well documented disasters on faux tanning I have come to one final conclusion, and you’ll be surprised to hear it’s not to give up and embrace the paste! Oh contraire. As Glamour’s Beauty Editor Alessandra can vouch, a gradual sunless tanner will never embarrass you. Faint enough that if you do miss a patch it won’t be so noticeable, Dark enough to leave a subtle glow after one application; easy and hassle free, it encourages you to build a natural looking tan, and then once achieved, its layered effect will last even longer…..oh and best of all it doesn’t leave a yellow angel on your bed sheets!

• Remember the Fairy ads that promised you softer hands and beautiful nails, encouraging us to deal with the washing up? Well once they got us we inevitably found out that they’d lied! However soft the bubbles are, they’ll always leave your skin parched and your nails soft, weak and vulnerable to breakages. Now women fear not, if I can plug one product in this blog it has to be my personal ‘lifetime achievement award’ product: OPI Nail Envy. A keen rider, domestic goddess and try hard gardener, there is very little time for my nails to recover and did I mention I used to bite them to the bone? This little gem has been my saviour. Rock solid and perfectly formed I’m confident that whatever I turn my hands to my nails will always survive.

• We pay so much attention to the condition of our skin and continually fret about the ageing process that happens before our very own eyes, we rarely consider the ageing process of our hair. The natural assumption would be to presume that the older you are the older your hair, but think again. Your hair has its own birth date, it starts growing from the roots and so naturally the lengthiest parts are obviously the oldest. So if your hair is a good few inches below your shoulders, then it will most likely be several years old (at least). You wouldn’t leave your skin unattended for so long (and this doesn’t include cleaning), so why would you leave your hair untouched. A quick trim will always leave it strengthened, and defying the age old myth that keeping your hair cut will make it grow stronger, what they actually mean, is keeping your hair trimmed will keep it stronger, so the longer it grows the less likely it is to snap off and so therefore it will appear to grow quicker! But you can help this myth along too by treating your hair and nurturing the ends. A reparative treatment for mature, damaged hair should be in every gals cupboards, no matter what the length - it’s still the first part of the hair to go.

• And finally….I’m a sucker for them but I still haven’t enough of them. Lipbalms! Who’d want to kiss a flaky, dry pair of smackeroos? Especially when keeping them moisturised and beautifully soft with an easy to use and usually rather tasty balm is so simple! And the secret to share: opt for a tinted one. Not only will your lips appear fuller, your teeth a little brighter, but in photo’s it can knock years off! Don’t think nude lips suggest youth, they scream lack of pash worthy pout, and the camera never lies!

So take what you will from my pearls of wisdom, they are all certainly tried and tested, but if I leave you with one final thought it’s that online shopping is one of the best forms of cost cutting and time saving you’ll ever come across. With all your favourite and best brands on board, plus we’re always recruiting more, even if you are unsure of the shade or type you want, don’t be afraid to try it on in store, but make sure you walk away and take a trip into the virtual store as you’ll be guaranteed to find better prices and shipping to your door!

With love…..

All hail the A/W nail

Thursday, August 20th, 2009 | Hot Topics, Nails | 1 Comment

When the new nail colours for autumn / winter arrive in the LF marketing office, there is always a throng of activity as all the girls migrate over to where the action is in order to bag the best shades. This was certainly the case when the new OPI limited edition shades landed at LF HQ yesterday and even more so when we heard they were the most covetable, but not long obtainable Matte and Reflections Collections.

Six colours of OPI’s top sellers have been mattified, and I have to say I’m a fan of every single one! Alpine Snow may admittedly look a bit Tip-exy, but the Russian Navy looks better than its glossy counterpart. Four lacquers make up the Reflections Collection which launched very much with the party season in mind. Despite my aversion to glitter, they actually look great with the sun bouncing off them - so a winner for every season if you’re a fan of a sparkled nail.

We gave Linz the guinea pig treatment (partly because she had no nail varnish on, partly because she had no choice), take a look at the results…

My money is definitely on You Don’t Know Jacques Matte Nail Lacquer - it’s going to look fab for winter. Remember there is limited availability on these shades and they’ll be available for you to buy by the end of this week…

The future’s bright, the future’s…

Wednesday, August 12th, 2009 | Nails | No Comments

They say that orange nails are dead, but I beg to differ. They may well have been around the beauty block a few times, but no one seems to tire of them! OPI’s Brights Power Nail Lacquer never fails to jazz up an ensemble and what with the 80s ruling the catwalks this coming season, I think neon orange nails are set to stay.

Fancy yourself as our guest blogger?

Tuesday, August 11th, 2009 | Celebrities, Fashion, Hair, Hot Topics, Make-up, Nails, Skin Care, Trends | 1 Comment

We update you daily with our latest discoveries in the world of hair and beauty but this week I thought it’d be fun to mix it up and give you a chance to join our fabulous blogging team!

I’ve got 3 sample bags full of yummy Caudalie goodies to give-away. To see yourself on this very blog here next week send me a quick email to blog@lookfantastic.com with your name, address and explain in less than 50 words why you’d make a fab guest blogger for next weeks post! We’ll choose our faves and then send our chosen ones a sample bag of Caudalie’s dry skin saviours to review in a dedicated blog post next week!

Look forward to working with you!

No More Nail Envy!

Friday, August 7th, 2009 | Nails | No Comments

So, I’m ashamed to admit it, but I am, and always have been a nail biter… Now I know it’s a horrible habit and I really have tried all the so-called cures you can think of… Hypnosis, clear nail polish, wearing gloves - you name it I’ve tried it! My Mum used to smother my fingers in that horrible tasting stop’n'grow in a vain attempt to make me stop!

I’m not sure non-nail biters realise how debilitating it can actually be - have you ever tried opening a can of diet coke without nails?!  And I’m always envious of the girls in the office who get to try out all the amazing new season nail colours we have arrive here at lf HQ. So a few weeks ago I thought I’d bite the bullet, (pardon the pun!) no more making excuses, I was going to do it…. through sheer will power alone!

The first few days were tough (I really wasn’t aware how often I’d bite without realising!!) Facing facts I knew I needed a helping hand to get me on my way, so I tried OPI Nail Envy… What a fantastic product! Obviously, all those years of biting had taken their toll and my nails were very weak and would peel really easily.

Following the instructions I applied two coats to each of my nails and then repeated with a single coat every other day. After a week I removed it all and then started the process again. The results were amazing… My nails were growing at an alarming rate!

And now? I’m in possession of 10 strong and gorgeously manicured finger nails that I can finally be proud of! Let’s just hope I can keep it up!

The lookfantastic award winners

Monday, August 3rd, 2009 | Celebrities, Hair, Hot Topics, Make-up, Men, Nails, Skin Care, Trends | No Comments

It’s a hotly anticipated day today here at LF HQ, as this morning we’ve been privy to some highly insightful and informative information which we are excited to share…. This year saw us bring you the first ever lookfantastic awards, and today we’re thrilled to announce the winners!

Breaking down the winners so you can see what ‘you’ the customers thought and voted for, as well as what our panel of experts voted for as their must-haves and what they highly commend as well as highlighting the overall category winners.

Astounded by the sheer number of votes we received and taking from our expert’s opinions, we suggest if you haven’t got the winners in your beauty bag it’s time to stock up now!