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

Beauty is only skint deep

Monday, November 2nd, 2009 | Hair, Make-up, Skin Care | No Comments

Fact - purchasing a red lipstick mirrors the psychological effect of purchasing a designer dress (albeit at a snip of the price). It may not satisfy the adrenaline-fuelled exhilaration experienced in the way that spending half a month’s wages on a single item does, granted, but guilt-free smugness levels will be at an all time high, guaranteed.

Loath to kick our beauty habit, us women are constantly looking for ways to get extra value for our money. Whether it’s more Beauty Flash for your cash, more spritz for your spend or more plumping for your pound - beauty products are something we are not willing to forgo, financial crisis or not.

Compare forking out hundreds on a pair of shoes to £15 on the latest mascara and it doesn’t seem like such an indulgence at all. Work out the cost per application and the price tag seems perfectly manageable.

We’ve taken a few of our bestsellers and tallied up their Cost Per Use (CPU), proving that you can indulge in your favourite beauty treats after all…

Product: Clarins Beauty Flash Balm
Cost: £25.00
Uses: 60
CPU: 41p

Product: Redken All Soft Duo
Cost: £18.55
Uses: 30
CPU: 61p

Product: Benefit BADgal Lash
Cost: £14.50
Uses: 90
CPU: 16p

Product: Elemis Pro Collagen Marine Cream
Cost: £75.00
Uses: 60
CPU: £1.25

Product: Neom Refresh Candle
Cost: £15.00
Uses: 20 hours
CPU: 75p per hour

Product: Kerastase Ciment Anti-Usure
Cost: £14.20
Uses: 30
CPU: 47p

Product: ghd IV Styler
Cost: £93.99
Uses: 1,500
CPU: 6p

Product: Yves Saint Laurent Touche Éclat N°2
Cost: £17.85
Uses: 180
CPU: 0.09p

Product: Tweezerman Slant Tweezer in Leopard Print (with a lifetime guarantee)
Cost: £20.00
Uses: 2,000
CPU: 0.01p

New hair idol alert

Monday, October 26th, 2009 | Celebrities, Hair, Hot Topics | No Comments

It’s official. I have a new hair idol. She might be the obvious choice given that she makes up one quarter of the X Factor judging panel (and no I’m not talking Cheryl and her unfeasibly voluminous bouncy barnet), it’s Dannii Minogue’s ‘do I just can’t get enough of. I mean who would have ever thought a bob could be so versatile! It puts my pathetic morning fight with the blow-dryer to shame.

We’ve had 20’s bob Dannii, 80’s quiff Dannii, washer woman Minogue (she was out last night), cutesy peek-a-boo fringe Dannii, tousled bob Dannii, pony tail hair extension Dannii, hair piled high Dannii, 20’s pin curls Dannii - and these are just from the live shows!

Admittedly I wasn’t a fan of last week’s random hair extension (rat tail springs to mind), but we’re all prone to the odd bad hair day, right? Luckily adding shine as mirror-like as Dannii’s is simple with a spritz of something glassy, like Goldwell Brilliance Radiant Star Shine Spray.

Do you think Dannii manages to pull off her different looks?

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.

Oops we did it again…

Thursday, October 1st, 2009 | Hair, Hot Topics | 4 Comments

It was a hotly-tipped hat trick for the LF team at Tuesday nights Hair Magazine Awards as we scooped Best Online Hair Care Retailer award in our third consecutive year, making a place in the Hair Magazine’s esteemed Hall of Fame.

Making up the panel of the Hair Awards were none other than 200 of you, the readers, a VIP panel of hair and beauty journalists and celebrity hairdressers, along with a group of probing mystery shoppers. Decisions were based on performance, usability, results and value for money - all areas which LF shined, earning us our winning place!

Here at LF we make every effort to ensure your shopping experience is second to none, so we’d like to take this opportunity to thank you for voting for us and hope you continue to share your love for hair products with us x

Diamond Dreams

Tuesday, September 29th, 2009 | Hair | 1 Comment

You’ll be forgiven for thinking that by the title of today’s post I’ll be sharing my ideal wedding proposal.

Yesterday I walked proudly up the aisle in rehearsal for my role as chief bridesmaid at my cousins wedding this Saturday. Just a few weeks ago I was jumping with excitement when my best friend Hannah announced her 2011 wedding date. With a house move to keep myself occupied and plenty of dress shopping to look forward to with Hannah, I’m happy without my own diamond ring … (well, for now)!

The title of today’s blog is in fact the name of TIGI’s latest addition to their S-Factor range. An ultra luxe shampoo and conditioner. Noting last week that my hair felt drier than usual, and noticing the dreaded frizz had raised it’s ugly head, I spoke with the experts (it’s great having them here to hand!) and asked for a remedy!

Both the TIGI Diamond Dreams Shampoo and Diamond Dreams Conditioner are infused with diamonds, champagne, cashmere and pearls. Admittedly, (although not sure if I’m allowed to say), I did wonder if this was a marketing gimmick, but I am pleased to stand corrected. Apart from the alluring scent, it was picked up by my fashion conscious colleagues that my hair was looking silky and shiny, the “just cut look” apparently! I guess that was thanks to the multi-dimensional shimmer, I read it would add depth and richness to my natural hair colour and to my delight it did!  Aside from the impressive shine these diamonds leave, the way my hair feels is much improved too. Softer, but without being flyaway, it’s easier to style. I’ve been using it for just a week and it’s already on my favourite list.

Looking forward to a frizz free hair day this Saturday, I guess diamonds really are a girl’s best friend!

Blown out of proportion

Thursday, September 10th, 2009 | Hair | No Comments

When Redken stopped by LF towers to introduce their new styling product, we were all er, Blown Away (sorry). Moving swiftly on, Blown Away (09) is an essential styling tool if you want to create the seasons structured styles as seen on the AW runways.

It’s a protective gel with a jelly like texture, that boosts blow-dried hair, infusing natural shine, all-day style memory and frizz-control, so it’s perfect for creating up ‘dos that require a bit of shape or for smoothing and controlling frizz on hair-down days. What’s more, Blown Away (09) helps protect your hair from heat damage (an added bonus to any styling product!)

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…..

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!

Up, up and stay!

Tuesday, August 4th, 2009 | Fashion, Hair, Trends | No Comments

For a while now I’ve been finding myself a little bored of my style and toying with the idea of getting my locks chopped for a funky new ‘do. And when I finally pluck up the courage, up-do’s are everywhere!

A quick and easy hair fix!

I’ve had long hair for as long as I can remember and thankfully I hadn’t stepped into the salon before re-discovering the endless possibilities of long locks!

For example, today I turned up to work in a bit of a rush with my hair down and within the time it took for the kettle to boil, I transformed my look effortlessly with a quick plait.

With my new found passion for long hair, I’ve also ‘discovered’ some great styling tools! Amongst them the backcomb brush, hairspray and kirbygrips! Ok ok, so hardly newly discovered, but it’s safe to say I’m more than chuffed with the inspiration I’ve gained from the upping trend of cheeky twists, chignons and the 40’s roll, and I will not be taking the chop!