Beauty snippets: The Bling Ring, Jean-Louis Sebagh, Lisa Eldridge, Pinterest, YSL Baby Doll, Cosmetics A La Carte, Charlotte Tilbury, Into The Gloss, Bourjois
COSMETICS A LA CARTE COLOUR AND CULTURE EXHIBITION
This is turning out to be an exciting month for beauty. I would love to make it to the Chanel no5 exhibition in Paris but frankly, that ain’t gonna happen. More achievable is the Cosmetics A La Carte ‘Colour And Culture’ exhibition next week at 50 Redchurch Street E2. Celebrating forty years of the specialist cosmetics company (I’ve always wanted one of their custom-made foundations), the exhibition is only on for five days (22-26 May, 10-6pm) so rearrange that diary and schedule it in!
BEAUTY SECRETS OF THE BLING RING
Next month sees the release of The Bling Ring which has just premiered at Cannes. Style.com ran this great interview with the film’s lead make-up artist Roz Music, which reveals the fascinating process of researching beauty for movies. I like the story of Sofia Coppola wanting a specific shade of Chanel lipstick for one of the characters that was out of circulation (well it would be, wouldn’t it). Music had to track down the ‘Kensington’ lipstick in Paris but she should have just asked me, I have a spare right here! Watch the trailer for The Bling Ring below…
LISA ELDRIDGE’S #MYLISALOOK PINTEREST BOARD
I posted yesterday about Pinterest’s UK push but I’ve just discovered this. Lisa Eldridge has created a new Pinterest board to support Pinterest’s UK ‘Pin It Forward’ campaign and it’s absolutely genius. Eldridge invites her fans (and she has a lot) to send her pictures of their recreated looks from her beaut-orial videos which she then adds to the board Your Lisa Eldridge Looks. Now that’s what I call an ‘inspiration board’! Each pin then links to the original video, sending traffic to her Youtube channel. What a clever, creative and thoroughly engaging way to connect with your following.
Charlotte Tilbury’s House of Rock’n’Kohl comes to Selfridges
Another A-list make-up artist, Charlotte Tilbury is stirring things up at Selfridges. Selfridges is proving to be a leader in experiential retail and naturally, has spotted the ‘fashionisation’ of beauty. So next month (June 17th-23rd) it’s launching a week-long event with Tilbury where the influential makeup artist will host makeovers and panel discussions to look at beauty ‘in a broader cultural and social context’ (according to WWD). Plus, of course there will be an Eye Flick Bar from the queen of the statement eye.
Into The Gloss just ran one of their fab beauty profiles on Tilbury in which the main point that everyone jumped on was that Tilbury wears her make-up in bed. (Yes way!) “If I’m on my own, I won’t sleep in it, but my husband has never seen me without makeup,” says Tilbury. “At night, I take everything off my face and moisturise — because you have to let your skin breathe a bit — but then I put everything right back on again: a little under-eye brightener, then the eye goes back on, and maybe a little tint on the cheeks. My mother said to me, ‘You always have to keep the mystery alive…”
BOURGEOUS MAGIC NAIL POLISH REMOVER
Wow, how good is Bourjois Magic Nail Polish Remover? It makes doing my nails so much less of a chore. Just stick each nail into the bottle, twist left and right and done. Easy!
JEAN-LOUIS SEBAGH ON BOTOX, EXERCISE AND RUSSIANS
I’ve only just started reading System, the new magazine that celebrates fashion industry insiders and the workings of the business. For some reason I started with the interview with Pat McGrath and ‘Botox king’ Jean-Louis Sebagh. The first half is quite annoying as I keep reading stuff about people ‘needing Botox’. Please, nobody needs Botox! The second half is more interesting. Sebagh is dead against jogging as a form of exercise as he thinks it traumatises the skin by shaking out all the padding. On the subject of facial exercises he says, “the only exercise you should be doing is smiling all the time, if you can. And chewing.” Amen!
Sebagh also talks about why Russian women don’t respond to Botox. It’s quite an interesting theory. He says, “Botox is derived from the botulinum toxin which is food poisoning. During the cold war, the Russians had very few food supplies, so they used to receive expired cans of food from Europe. They used to eat out-of-date food, so they must have had a lot of food poisoning and become immune to the botulinum toxin. You can inject 10 bottles and they won’t react. Nothing!” Who knew?
I also can’t resist posting this 1990 photo of model Amanda Cazalet from System’s interview with art director Marc Ascoli. Look at that profile…
YSL BABYDOLL MASCARA
Finally, YSL has just launched its Baby Doll mascara which has had rave reviews from the bloggersphere. I’m not really a mascara obsessive, I’m quite happy with the subtle effect I get from my Clinique Naturally Glossy mascara, but I’ve given this a go and the effect is quite lovely for more dramatic coverage. Oh and the fragrance is delicious. Here’s a video YSL has released with Cara Delevingne whipping her hair and cavorting around the streets of Paris (there are high heels and skateboards involved). Ah youth…
Mood boosting nails from Kure Bazaar and disco nails from Yves Saint Laurent
Summer just doesn’t seem to want to kick in in NW10. I’m still wearing my woolly scarves and HeatTech which doesn’t do much to put me in an upbeat mood. But this is where the power of make-up really comes in as a mood-booster. I’ve been testing out these Kure Bazaar nail polishes and the colour palette is pretty impressive. My current favourite is Fabulous, a uplifting pink with just a hint of milkiness (third from the left). Kelly is another hot, tropical pink, this time with a subtle shimmer. Both shades are super-flattering on short nails and the added bonus is that Kure Bazaar is one of the new generation of non-toxic nail polishes that are emerging. You can buy them at Selfridges and KureBazaar.com.
Another bit of nail news comes from Yves Saint Laurent. I love YSL polishes – the colours and consistency are second to none, and of course you know I adore the gold casing. The way these La Laque Couture Tie & Dye duos work is quite interesting. Apply the main dense colour as your base coat (choose from signature Yves Saint Laurent shades of blue, pink, purple and orange), wait five minutes, then shake the shimmery topcoat and apply as many layers as you like depending on how intensely you want your nails to dazzle. They cost £18 per duo and are a cute idea for statementy disco nails – and let’s face it, disco is definitely cool again…
Oh and while we’re on a nail tip (LOL), I’ve just discovered Deborah Lipmann’s ‘The Stripper To Go’ a lavender-infused nail lacquer remover finger mitt. You get one mitt in a sachet which easily cleans ten nails in about ten seconds. Converted! Six sachets cost £14 so they’re not cheap but an excellent option for travel.
Buy it now: Chanel Les Beiges
This Chanel Les Beiges sample has been sitting in its box for weeks because I was too scared to use it. I’ve never used bronzers because I don’t know where to position them, but I finally couldn’t resist this sand-hued compact (a first for Chanel) and went for the plunge.
Verdict: Peter Philips has triumphed again with this elegant Healthy Glow Sheer Powder (with SPF15) which has barely perceptible golden specks that very subtly catch the light (I used shade 30). I’ve found the best way to use this is to be confident with the brush; swish it in a swooping figure-of-three type action along the side of the face from brow to chin, then a bit over the forehead and nose. The results are so impressive – a natural, outdoorsy ‘wellness’ effect.
I think this is going to be my hero product for the summer although the only downside is it’s quite heavily scented so that’s something to get used to. It’s selling fast but Selfridges currently has all the shades.
Beauty social networks ‘are a marketer’s paradise’…
I often trawl The Fashion Spot forums to research new fashion ad campaigns and magazine editorials but I’m not so well up on the beauty forums. The New York Times has an interesting piece on beauty review sites like She Said Beauty and Pampadour, which let consumers talk to each other about beauty products before they buy. Sephora’s beauty network, Beauty Talk gives its super-users advance info on new products which is a nice perk as well as a good way to keep them contributing to the site (unsurprisingly, Beauty Talk members spend more money on the site than regular customers). Read the story here…
Beauty bits: Michael Kors, NARS, Jo Malone London, Into The Gloss, & Other Stories, YSL, My Beauty Emporium
COMING SOON: MICHAEL KORS MAKE-UP
The Michael Kors machine is about to get even bigger with the announcement of his colour cosmetics line arriving in August. He already has a hugely successful fragrance market (the scented Michael Kors leg shine is one of my all-time favourite products), but this beauty line is set to send his stock even higher. Continue reading
Last chance: So Dior at Harrods
Gosh isn’t there a lot going on with retail right now? Online may be the all-powerful monster threatening the high street, but bricks and mortar stores are fighting back by ramping up the drama and excitement on offer.
This weekend is your last chance to get involved in the multi-sensory experience that is Dior at Harrods. Continue reading
Free goody bag: Cult Beauty’s ultimate gift with purchase
The beauty sample box phenomenon keeps on growing. (There are now even sites dedicated to swapping and collecting products.) Cult Beauty has its own take on the idea with its ‘goody bags’ which work as a tempting GWP.
From today* if you spend £50 or more, you can receive a swag bag of cult minis, including NCLA’s Peter Som nail wrap collection, 3ml Dr Lipp Original Balm and 3ml Aromatherapy Associates Deep Relax. Continue reading
Saint Laurent AW13: Courtney Love and Kim Gordon by Hedi Slimane
Complain all you like, I’m loving Courtney and Kim in Saint Laurent’s new ads. Even if Kim does look a little draggy. Also, I need to know who did her nails…
Beauty buy: Tom Ford Lip Color Shine
When it comes to Tom Ford, I find myself hopelessly conflicted. The Tom Ford Gucci years did nothing for me (I mean, those ridiculous feathered jeans!), ditto his recent women’s RTW. His menswear on the other hand is impeccable, and don’t get me started on the fragrances and make-up. Continue reading
Jo Malone London’s pop art Red Roses
What do we think of the new limited edition Jo Malone London Red Roses bottle? Created by new(ish) style editor, Charlotte Stockdale, it has a neon pink pop art-esque paint drip on the bottle which is certainly striking and a departure from your average Jo Malone London bottle design.
I’m a bit divided on this one. Much as I love Charlotte Stockdale, the classicist in me secretly prefers the traditional elegance of Jo Malone London. But I suspect the brand is keen to broaden its reach to younger (or ‘cooler’) customers and this is a good start. I will add that having seen the bottle in the flesh, it’s growing on me – the neon is a really bold contrast to the trademark JML cream and black.
What do you think?
The limited edition (only 300 bottles), hand numbered Jo Malone Red Roses cologne (£120) will be available from Selfridges from 1st April.
