When a bag over your head just wont do

I am in a foul mood today. I woke up with an enormous cold sore, that despite liberal lashings of Zovirax, is still growing at an exponential speed.

So while I find a paper bag big enough to cover this mess (hey, if it worked for Victoria Beckham in the recent Marc Jacobs ads, it is worth a shot) , take a look at the trailer for the latest Harry Potter flick:



Now if only there was a spell to fix my fat lip...

MAC Loves Manish

Best known for his outrageously colourful designs, Indian designer Manish Arora has teamed up with MAC Cosmetics to create a limited edition colour cosmetics collection.

According to WWD, the line comprises a six-shade eye shadow compact, dubbed Eyes On Manish; two lipsticks; two hues of Lipglass, and two shades of Powder Blush.

The collection, which features packaging decked out in riotous colours, will be available in the U.K., the United Arab Emirates, France, Austria, Greece, Cyprus, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Thailand and Singapore from October for about one to two months.

*shakes fist* hello!! Australians love MAC too!! Hmpf.

Source: WWD. Pic: The Asian Today

Baby, It's Cold Outside

These shoes epitomise how I wish I was feeling today – Fun, warm, breezy, ready to party.

Manolo Blahnik – US$745 from Neiman Marcus

Instead, it is a freezing cold 10 degrees, raining & generally quite unpleasant – perfect doona weather. My hands are dry and my cuticles ache, all because I have neglected them and the constant air conditioning is sapping the moisture from my skin.

The most amazing hand cream I’ve come across has got to be from Sarah Priddy. It’s lanolin base deeply moisturises & keeps hands smooth and soft – I just need to remember to use it! A woman at work has bought 4 tubes because her husband keeps stealing it.

Bring on spring!

Win: A Visit to Jurlique Farm

Fancy yourself a bit of a eco lover? Tell Jurlique about it & you could win a trip for 2 to the Jurlique Farm in South Australia, $1000 worth of product or an online gift voucher.

From their website:

Simply share your own story of renewal. You can even supplement your text entry with photos, or even videos, which you can upload & share via our YouTube group. Examples of stories include how you have:

• Made efforts to renew nature and the Earth

• Renewed your neighbourhood or community

• Brought about renewal for yourself on a personal level

Winners will be selected based on the quality of submissions.

What are you waiting for? Open to residents of the US, UK, Canada or Australia. Entry is via the Jurlique website with the trip scheduled for the harvest season of January 2009. Competition ends 15 August 08.

Weekly Round-up

Jennifer Connelly joins Halle Berry, Jessica Alba & Elle McPherson as Revlon’s newest spokesmodel. People.

Jessica Simpson launches ‘Fancy’ fragrance – out August 15. Brandweek.

On10, famous for their retro Disney beauty products, launches the holiday collection in Sephora stores. WWD.

Givenchy launches Phenomen’Eyes revolutionary mascara with a patented spherical brush. Sephora.
NARS releases Super Orgasm Blush – like the original but packed with gold flecks & a concentrated base. Beauty & the Blog.

OPI creates a new nail collection inspired by the launch of the new 90210. Nylon Mag.

Wacky Wednesday: Fish Pedicures

Ever had the desire to have your feet chewed at by a fish? Toothless carp pedicures are making a splash in the US state of Virginia, with over 5000 people having tried the latest craze. Since the fish have no teeth, they only like to suck on the dead skin (live skin is too tough), making it a win-win for both your feet and the fish.

Even Diane Sawyer is getting in on the action, having a pedi on her morning show – check it out at Jezebel.

Pic via ncsuwxgrl

MOR Cosmetics On Sale

EDIT: The original address was incorrect, it is actually 33, not 22 Chambers Road.

For those lucky enough to live in Melbourne, this is your lucky week! MOR Cosmetics is hosting one of their legendary sales to clear their warehouses. Be prepared to bring your running shoes & bruise cream as these sales get ugly.

With up to 80% off MOR product lines, the sale usually includes at least a little bit of everything.

I’d be grabbing anything in the Cherry Blossom scent and the deluxe Spa range.

Thursday 24/7

10am -6pm

Friday 25/7

10am-8pm

Saturday 26/7 to Thursday 31/7

10am-5pm

Factory 3

33 Chambers Road

Altona North 3025

Grazia Launches in Oz

ACP Magazines launched the weekly fashion rag Grazia yesterday. Catering to those who need a weekly fix of fashion, celebrity & news, Grazia is a mixture of Harpers Bazaar and NW.

Grazia was originally published in Italy in 1938 and is now published in 9 countries.

At 170 pages, it is thicker than I thought it would be. I wonder if that is launch issue specific, or if we are to see that every week. You’ll find around 50 pages of fashion while beauty is only covered in 20 or so.

The Kate Moss cover certainly doesn’t entice me to purchase it again, but I can see the appeal – actually, no I can’t. But, I’m not interested in celebrities at all. If it was just a fashion & beauty mag, I would be more excited. If Vogue was weekly, I would be a happy, happy girl.

Being the first issue, they are forgiven for the superfluous use of the word exclusive on the cover:

EXCLUSIVE! Elle Facing Up to Uma

EXCLUSIVE! Fashion Fabulous Nicole’s Epic Wardrobe

EXCLUSIVE! Jodhi ‘Why I Walked Out’

MADONNA Her brother talks to us... exclusively!

Will I purchase it again? Maybe, but I don’t think it will be a regular purchase.

Grazia is available weekly for $5. For more information visit Grazia online.

How To: Apply Eyeliner

When it comes to applying eyeliner, I suck. It winds up everywhere, from my eyebrow to my chin and rarely does it actually line my eye.

Thankfully, Marie Claire has come up with a handy hint - apply it in 3 stages. Who would have thought it would be that simple?!

Check out the video below & come back and tell me how much easier that was.

RIP: Marcs' Mark Keighery

After a long battle with cancer founder of Marcs, Mark Keighery, lost his battle last night with his wife and 2 sons by his side. He was 53.


The Marcs brand holds a soft spot in my heart as it was one of the very first 'adult' pieces of clothing I ever bought.

Read more in the Daily Telegraph

I Have No Words

I was horrified to read this morning that Sarah Jessica Parker had her mole removed.

I have a mole on my face, not dissimilar to the one Cindy Crawford has on her top lip (mine is on the opposite side), and while I have considered removing it, it has always been for health & safety reasons rather than aesthetics.

It has caused such an uproar, with just about every online gossip site posting about it, including mainstream media websites. Why? The immediate thought that comes to mind is her award for allegedly being the unsexiest woman alive.

It has been reported that SJP was (understandably) hurt by the Maxim ‘award’, with people coming out all voicing their opinions on ‘the mole’. No wonder she felt pressured to have it removed.

Firstly, the people at Maxim have obviously never seen the 60 year old woman near my house that wears boob tubes and channels Mimi from The Drew Carey Show in the makeup department.

Secondly, shame on the haters who are obviously so perfect that they can judge her.

While I don’t like a lot of her movies, you can’t dispute that she has an amazing life from such humble beginnings. She grew up bitterly poor and despite being one of the most well dressed women in the world, she created a ultra-cheap clothing brand for US retailer Steve & Barry’s (which unfortunately looks like it will be filing for bankruptcy shortly), called Bitten.

I think the Bitten clothes are cool

Where was I? Oh yeah, the mole. I just wanted to say that I hope she had it removed because she wanted to, rather than felt pressured to by the media.

End rant.

Sneak a Peak

I mentioned a few days ago that Clinique were introducing a line called Redness Solutions, that wouldn’t be out until the end of the month.

If you want to get a hold of a sample early, visit Clinique Online and with any purchase you can receive a 15ml travel sized sample of either the Soothing Cleanser or the Daily Relieve Cream.

Simply enter Red1 for the cleanser or Red2 for the cream at checkout.

Happy shopping!

REVIEW: MAC Volcanic Ash Exfoliator

I know it has already been sold out just about everywhere, but I seriously love MAC Volcanic Ash Exfoliator.


I visited Vanuatu as part of a cruise with my family when I was 8. My main memory of the holiday was that I got coral cut & was no longer able to swim in the pool, which put a serious dampener on my ability to hang out with the cool kids in the deep end.

When you open the jar, it really doesn’t entice you to start putting it all over your face – it looks like my friend’s 5 year old has made a runny mud pie. It also smells funky – a little bit like clean dirt if that is possible.

It only lightly foams, turning the black sludge into a dark grey colour when you massage it into your skin. The sugar crystals dissolve slightly leaving the volcanic ash to do its thing.

The results however, are spectacular. My skin is soft, clean and it isn’t left tight like most foaming cleansers. It also works really well on reducing the Keratosis Pilaris on my upper arms. It is probably best to use in the shower, just so you don’t get black bits everywhere.

Here’s hoping you can find a tub in a MAC store or via eBay.

Auto Pilot Turns 5

To celebrate the 5th birthday of his famed Auto Pilot range, Napoleon Perdis has teamed up with rocking Aussie DJ Sky Nellor.

Nellor, a former model has been living and working in New York for the past 14 years and is huge on the celebrity party scene.

If you are looking for cheap Napoleon products, Sephora is clearing their stock so get in quick!

pic via Napoleon Perdis

The Feel-Good Factor

I'm trying to get back in the habit of treating my body a bit better & I started this weekend with a beauty-filled weekend extravaganza!

Saturday saw me drag my sister (willingly) to Oxford Street to hit up every beauty store we could find (only 12!). I'll review each store in the coming days.

On Sunday I went with a friend to see Mamma Mia & get manicures. If you only go to see Amanda Seyfried's skin, it is worth it. Seriously, I don't know how she gets flawless skin like that, but I wan't a slice!


Our manicures were only $20 quick jobs, but it really reinforced my theory that it can lift your spirits. I happily look at my fingers now rather than biting and picking at them.

There really isn't anything better than being pampered - it always perks me up. I almost forgot that The Boyfriend was away!

pics via Christina Fitzgerald & tribute.ca

Say Goodbye to Redness

Clinique is introducing a new range called Redness Solutions which is supposed to calm red skin by being 'extra gentle, oil-free, soothing, comforting, allergy tested & fragrance free' - basically everything that all Clinique products are based on...

The range includes:

Redness Solutions Daily Relief Cream
Instantly calms skins with Rosacea. Relieves visible redness, soothes to cool discomfort. Oil-free.

Redness Solutions Soothing Cleanser
Extra-gentle, non-drying cream-gel melts away makeup, impurities. Helps calm redness, irritation.

Redness Solutions Urgent Relief Anti-Itch Cream
Rushes to soothe reactive redness. Quickly calms flare-ups of visible redness, itching, irritation.

Redness Solutions Daily Protective Base SPF 15
Extra-gentle UVA/UVB protection for skins with redness. Oil-free makeup primer with corrective tint.

You can take the Redness Quiz on the US site to find your specialised product - I seem to have persistent redness (which is true) :(

Clinique Redness Solutions is due in Australian stores in the last week of July.

New Artistic Director For Lancôme

Lancôme has appointed New Zealander Aaron De May as their new Artistic Director. The acclaimed makeup artist studied painting and art history at Whitecliffe College, has worked previously for MAC and on celebrities such as Celine Dion and Pamela Anderson.

De May, whose bold, edgy work is a far contrast to that of his predecessor Gucci Westman, who moved to Revlon earlier this year.

Lancôme says:

Aaron De Mey, a truly avant-garde artist, has become an unavoidable personality in today’s world of make-up.
He has a passion for painting and excels in the mastery of pigments and textures - an incredible talent he uses so well in his make-up techniques.
This gifted make-up artist enhances every woman he touches with a perfect alliance of audacity and elegance.
An original and unique style, boundless creativity… One thing is for sure: Aaron De Mey really knows how to create amazement.

Visit his website here

Let Them Eat (cup)Cake

Seeing as though the money raised is going to a admirable charity, I think the RSPCA's Cupcake Day is a perfectly acceptable reason to break a diet.

Plain angel with cream cheese icing is my favourite. Double chocolate with chocolate chips, chocolate icing in a bowl with chocolate sauce & chocolate ice cream would be The Boyfriend’s preference.

Go on - feel warm and fuzzy on the inside from eating too many cupcakes & donating all that dosh to helping those who can't speak for themselves.

I can’t wait to see what my favourite food blogger creates over at Not Quite Nigella – she is a baking master.

If you can’t bear the thought of your pooch giving you sad puppy eyes when you are scoffing down your cupcakes, download the recipe and bake them their very own batch of Pupcakes!

RSPCA Cupcake Day - Monday August 18. More details available on their website.

Cheekbones To Die For

Check out these babies from the Bobbi Brown Mauve Collection:


Other than a healthy dose of blessed genes, there are ways to fake traffic stopping cheekbones, and it all comes down to contouring. Elke Von Freudenberg, leading makeup artist and beauty blogger has created a detailed guide to achieving faked contours here.

Bobbi Brown's Mauve Collection is available in the US and won't be in Australia until January 2009.

I don't envy models

I had to have my photo taken yesterday & not long after the photographer started directing me to lift my head, move my legs & open my mouth just a little more, then a little bit less, I came to a realisation - I don't envy models.

Sure, it might look glamorous (I'm the first to admit that I looked nothing like Miranda Kerr in the picture above), but I found it to be a bit of a chore. You don't get to choose how you look and you have to hold ridiculous poses in order to make a good shot, of which, most get sent straight to the recycling bin.

The one part I did like about it was getting my hair & makeup done, I only wish I could get a blow dry every day!

Are there any models out there who can talk about their experiences?

pic courtesy Portmans

REVIEW: MAC Tendertone Lip Balm

The Good:

• The colour range is pretty - from the hot pink of 'Hot N' Saucy' to the almost white of 'Tread Gently'. The range suits those who like pinks though.
• Feels like a run-of-the-mill lip gloss, but with an extra shimmery kick.
  

The Bad:

• It's heavy - the solid glass jar weighs down my handbag so it really needs to be a stay at home gloss.
• The smell! It is a sickening 'strawberry-kiwi' scent that smells a lot like kiddies medicine.
• Colour payoff is minimal.

The Verdict: if you are looking for a minimal colour gloss in a pot, give this a try.

Haircuts: Is expensive better?

I've been getting my hair cut and coloured for years in the city, at a cost of around $300 a pop for a cut & foils. It's expensive, however I can justify it by saying that unlike clothes and shoes, I wear my hair every day. It is a MASSIVE part of your look and I always feel like $million when I have nice hair.



The incredibly knowledgeable girls on the Vogue Forum were raving about a salon in Parramatta (western Sydney) called Perfect Quick Cut & I thought it would be a good time to test out the theory - are expensive salons worth the extra $$?

The good:

• The senior stylist worked on my hair from start to finish. She did all the foils & the only time I was passed onto an apprentice was when I had my hair washed.
• The colour looks great - I was a bit concerned that she didnt use a toner, but there is no brassiness.
  
• The blow-dry was fantastic, I was flipping my hair around Westfields amazed at how good it looked.
  
• The Boyfriend, who never usually notices that I get my hair done said "Hot hair!"

The bad:

• Not as friendly as the usual salon - very little was spoken between myself and the hairdresser for the whole 2 hours.
• It was a bit squishy. There was very little room to move.
  

The verdict:
Despite it taking me an hour's drive - I think I'll be back! The best part - with my extra $200 burning a hole in my pocket, I decided to hit up MAC and get myself a mini haul.

pic

Yet another celebrity scent...

Kim Kardashian - famous for, um, something, is launching her own fragrance.

Kim says “It has always been a dream of mine to start my own perfume business, since I love to mix fragrances together and come up with new and different scents!”

Are you sure Kim that it isn't because you want a slice of the $1 Billion celebrity scent market?

Due in stores by next May for Mother’s Day. It will be available in the U.S., Germany, England, Australia and Japan.

Beauty Bully Wins Next Top Model

At the Australia’s Next Top Model finals last night, Demelza Reveley shocked many watchers buy taking out the crown. A surprise to some? Obviously not too many as she was voted the clear winner by the voting public.

I know modelling is a fickle industry, but what does it say when the perpetrator of meanness is rewarded? I am glad to see that she apologised last night, but it shouldn’t have reached the point it did in the first place. Too many girls are reaching adulthood scarred by bullies from their younger years.

Granted, Demelza was the most attractive out of the two, with Alex tainted by the fish lips saga. Last year’s winner Alice Burdeu is not traditionally ‘super beautiful’, but makes a striking model. Vogue Australia was so impressed with her winning photo shoot, they chose to put her on that months cover – a massive coup for a newbie on the modelling scene. Since Vogue’s editor Kirstie Clements voted against Demelza specifically because of her ‘behavioural issues’, it will be interesting to see how she is portrayed in the future edition of Vogue.

What do you think of the outcome? Who would have been your choice for Australia’s Next Top Model?

pic

The end of eBay-ing unwanted perfumes

A huge blow to those who use eBay to sell luxury items today with a Paris court ordering eBay to pay €40 million to Louis Vuitton owner LVMH in damages. Of which, €3.25 million is to be paid to the perfume brands Christian Dior, Kenzo, Givenchy and Guerlain.

eBay is now banned from advertising the perfume & cosmetics brands on their website.

For those of us who like to get rid of our excess & unwanted beauty products via eBay, what does it mean for us? Well, it looks like we will need to find an alternative means – any ideas?