Wearing Your Heart On Your Sleeve
Did you know that heart disease is the biggest killer of women in the US and the UK? Sorry to start on such a depressing thought, but in a world of fashion and beauty charity bashes, it's important that Heart Truth exists, just to let you know that fact.
Of course Heart Truth is also a full on fabulous event and I was invited backstage by Bobbi Brown. Bobbi sponsors the event and even created a Heart Truth lip colour palette in a delicious range of reds. Joss Stone, Ana Ortiz, Sara Ramirez, Heidi Klum, Liza Minnelli and Molly Sims were amongst the A list who took to the catwalk wearing gorgeous red gowns, and I got excusive backstage access as Bobbi Brown helped them to look their best for the day.
"Heart disease runs in my family, my father at fifty had a bypass and I am now fifty," Bobbi Brown told me. "But I never thought heart disease could affect women, could affect me, so for me it is a personal message. And of course it is great to meet all of these famous women that I admire and to get the chance to make them look even more beautiful."
Some like Heidi Klum matched their red dresses to their red lipstick, but for Bobbi it was more a case of making each woman look as beautiful as possible. "There are no rules backstage except that I want each woman to look glamorous in her own unique way. I am using my usual palette of neutral shades, each look customised to each face."
Bobbi and her team made up Grey's Anatomy actress Sara Ramirez, Ugly Betty's Ana Ortiz and Cheryl Hines from cult comedy Curb Your Enthusiasm, before first lady Lauren Bush opened the event and the stars took to the catwalk. Each star then walked the runway in their own unique style, from musical legend Rita Moreno, who shimmied to the iconic West Side Story music, to dancing Sara Ramirez, petite Lisa Rinna who strutted her stuff, through to the professionals Heidi and Molly. But the final surprise of the show was when the first lady of showbiz Liza Minnelli, in vintage Halston, turned the catwalk in to her very own stage with a rousing rendition of New York New York, that had every one standing to applaud.
"I have my son with me," Bobbi told me afterwards, "and he can’t believe he is in the same room as all these famous women, he finally realises that I am not a loser," she joked.
Bobbi Brown Heart Truth Palette $40 exclusive to the show and from www.BobbiBrown.com, contains four lip shades Mauve and Kir Lip Shimmer both £14, Cranberry Lip Sheer £14 and Stopes Lip Color £14 which are available in the UK visit www.bobbibrown.co.uk.
For more information visit www.hearttruth.gov
Posted by Nadine on 13 March 2008 - Comments (4)
Tags: Celebrity
Calling All Beauty Experts!
I spent an afternoon last week at The Princess Alice Hospice in Esher chatting to staff and patients as well as the local papers to try to get more beauty experts to volunteer their time. Why, you might ask, does a hospice need beauty therapists, hairdressers, make-up artists, as well as complimentary and massage specialists? Because there is nothing like being pampered to lift your spirits and make your day.
Look Good Feel Great is a new initiative at the Hospice and so my good friend John Scott and I offered to help raise awareness of the good cause. We joined two beauty therapists from The Beauty Salon in Hinchley Wood, who offered mani and pedis, as well as Keliagh who, as well as working as part of the Day Hospice Team, is also trained as a make-up artist.
But we need more volunteers and so I am putting a call out to all of the beauty companies and their teams, many of whom I know read this blog. It's a great chance for trainee make-up artists to practice and help out, and for trained complimentary therapists, hairdressers and beauty therapists to work with the Day Centre patients many of whom are coming to terms with illness and simply want to ask advice, be pampered and to look and feel better about themselves.
And to the big beauty brands out there, I am sure you could volunteer some trained make-up artists and hairdressers for just a day a month. The look on the patients' faces is worth the time and effort alone.
If you would like to volunteer time, staff or product donations you should call Julian O'Kelly or Keliagh Parsons on 01372 461802. Princess Alice Hospice is a registered charity and with limited NHS assistance over 75% of its funding is raised through voluntary donations and fundraising.
Posted by Nadine on 28 February 2008 - Comments (2)
Can Can and Kissing At This Morning
It has been all leg and lips on This Morning and this past week I have presented two beauty tried and tested product trials. First up a group of models tested the latest long lasting lip colours for me, and then a group of high kicking and whooping Can Can dancers tested instant fake tans.
For the lip colours I chose a range of glosses and lipsticks that could stand up to eating chocolates, drinking champagne, napkin dabbing and kissing a handsome male model series of tests over the course of the morning's show.
- Max Factor Lipfinity Colour and Gloss £8.99 scored four out of five, lasted brilliantly and although the gloss came off on glasses and the handsome male model's lips, the colour stayed in place through thick and thin.
- Maybelline 16 Hour Wear Superstay Lip Colour £7.99 is, like the Max Factor gloss, a two step colour and then top coat gloss and again it lasted extremely well, with the gloss coming off on the napkin, but not the colour. It also scored four out of five.
- Revlon Colorstay Soft and Smooth £7.99, is a more traditional single coat lipstick with lots of pigment and it looked and felt fabulous on, but simply didn’t last, coming off on glasses, lips and napkins. And so it scored just one out of five.
- Estee Lauder Double Wear Lip Duo £17, is a lip stain with a glossy top coat. The stain worked well and the top coat ensures your lips aren't dry, but it simply didn't last as well as the two step lip colours, leaving behind a little gloss and a little colour on glasses, lips and napkins. We scored it 2 out of five.
The truth is that the most long lasting colours tend to be very drying on the lips, which is why the two part products work well as you can top up the gloss throughout the day. But for an everyday lipstick with extra staying power, that feels good to use the Revlon lipstick is worth trying; just don't expect it to be non transferable.
Can Can Tan TanNow when it comes to fake tans most of us want instant, natural non transferable colour so we can go out and look good within minutes of applying it, and then a long lasting effect when we wash it off at the end of the day. We put five of the latest formulations to the test on some high spirited Can Can dancers and marked them for colour, streaking, smell and staining (where the dancers got to rip off their white bloomers). Here are the results:
- St Tropez Ultimate Tan Aerobronze £17, gave a pretty sheen to the skin but had no immediate colour, simply didn't develop in the three hours of the show and smelt very strongly of DHA ((Dihydroxyacetone, the tanning ingredient) - so scored a poor 18/40
- Fake Bake Airbrush £25, an easy to use spray gave a natural instant one week in the sun colour, didn’t come off on clothing, was streak free and had no nasty smell - so it scored a whopping 38/40
- Sun Laboratories Express Liquid Tan £20, also gave a good natural colour but left marks on clothes and wasn't as easy to apply as the spray - so it scored 29/40
- California Tan Tinted Self Tanner Spray £19.99 gave a great colour without streaks but left marks on clothing and smelt too perfumed and of DHA - so it scored 26/40
- Ambre Solaire No Streaks Bronzer Mousse £9.99, was the cheapest and gave a very strong colour that didn't streak at all, but it did leave stains on clothing and smelt a little of DHA - so it also scored 18/40
I was very impressed by the Fake Bake Spray, but also know that the St Tropez Aerobronze does give a great colour given the chance to develop. I was impressed by the Ambre Solaire for the price, but be warned it will rub off on white and light clothing.
Posted by Nadine on 22 February 2008 - Comments (3)
How To Look Good Naked
The eagle-eyed among you will have noticed that I have a new profile picture. It was taken by Mike Owen, the man who took the iconic portrait of The Spice Girls when they reunited, although now he is just as well known in front of the camera for talking women into being photographed nude in Channel Four's How To Look Good Naked. "Well Gok does most of the hard work", he told me, "I just make them look as beautiful as possible on the day". He certainly managed that with me.
Obviously he is a great photographer, and has worked with every celeb from Kylie to Keira, but he also has this wonderful "lens-side" manner that makes you truly feel beautiful if only for a few moments in front of his camera. Although with two very good looking, young male assistants I am now in complete awe of the women who strip bare in his studio. Way to go Gok.
My shoot was a more covered up affair, and was organised by Johnson's to celebrate the launch of their new Holiday Skin Light Glow Body Lotion; a lighter version of the original, ground breaking best seller that gives a more subtle glow to skin and is perfect for paler bods or for use right now with the upcoming winter to spring equinox.
It certainly took care of my winter legs and forced me to get ready early for a season of shorter skirts and cropped trousers instead of panicking last minute and attempting to cover up my dry shins.
So after twenty years as a beauty ed I know have the secret to how to look good naked (ok, make that how to look presentable naked), a sharp razor, Johnsons Holiday Skin Light Glow and Mike Owen.
Visit mikeowenphotography.co.uk.
Posted by Nadine on 15 February 2008 - Comments (6)
Tags: Skin care Cosmetics Fashion Celebrity
Bafta Beauty
There are high maintenance and low maintenance women and, much as I try to be the former, inevitably I leave it all too late, fail miserably and become the latter. I realise this every time I am invited to a red carpet event and Sunday night was no exception at the Baftas.
Luckily I was invited by the King Of The Red Carpet Nicky Clarke, so at least my hair looked good courtesy of his team backstage at The Dorchester where Sunny blow dried and Velcro rollered my hair to within an inch of its fragile life.
That said it was DIY all the way for my make-up, complete with Laura Mercier False Lashes, and nails thanks to the brilliance of Leighton Denny's two coat manicure-in-a-jar Stunning Nail Polish. Whilst the A List were surrounded like bees to a honey pot, the beauty editors had more of a make do and mend mentality. I helped Hannah Betts in to her peacock feather titfer and was even sewing one of the other beauty journalists, Lesley Thomas, in to her Vivienne Westwood corset dress at one point. She joked that we should start a new site called wearenotdivas.com just to destroy the myth about beauty eds.
But I had managed to borrow a gorgeous amethyst silk Grecian number from Amanda Wakeley; a dress hot off the catwalk but roomy around the bottom. I felt that all I needed was Brad Pitt in a toga to finish the look, but settled for Eddie Izzard and Jonathon Ross clumsily treading on the fluttering train.
On the red carpet I saw Keira looking a little washed out in grey Valentino (why, I ask, as she is signed to Chanel?) Emily Blunt in a gorgeous one shoulder crystal embellished turquoise Marc Bauwer dress, Tilda Swinton in Dior Couture (taking mini steps on to the stage and joking that it was difficult to walk in) and Jessica Biel in a form fitting black Dior strapless dress. I personally loved Kate Hudson's gold Dior dress, and was even more impressed that her hair was held in place with a rubber band; way to work the high maintenance and low maintenances looks together.
Sienna's red lips looked great, but I didn't recognise Jessica Biel with her new blonde hair – let's hope it's just for a role and she reverts back to her beautiful brunette soon. There were rumours that Emily Blunt had matching turquoise contacts to go with her dress, but in fact it was just her eyeshadow, while Tilda Swinton looked like she didn't have a scrap of make-up on, yet still she commanded the stage with her presence and intelligence. Oh and there was a lot of side swept hair which looked ok on the red carpet but tended to look dishevelled at the end of the night. I loved Jessica's style courtesy of The Nicky Clarke team and Kate Hudson and her understated plait.
Next stop London Fashion Week.
Posted by Nadine on 13 February 2008 - Comments (0)
I Need To Go To Silicone Rehab
It's true I am addicted to silicone. No, not the breast type, don’t be ridiculous, but the beauty type. I realised this when I accidentally detoxed my hair of silicone when I swapped shampoos and conditioners and found that I could not get a brush through my tangled web. My hair felt like squeaky, scratchy candy floss when I rinsed it clean and, suffice to say, it ended back in a ponytail within minutes.
All day I was puzzled until I looked at the ingredients on the shampoo and conditioner and realised they had no silicone in them.
Now silicone has, in the past, had a bad rap from some people. Back in the days of wash and go shampoos it could leave your hair gritty and greasy, but not today. Now it is as essential to my hair styling routine as my Mark Hill Straighteners and my paddle brush. Without it my hair actually suffers from Bipolar beauty, one minute it is perfectly behaved, the next it is uncontrollable and deserves to be torn from the roots. Except that now I have realised that silicone is all that keeps me from the beauty edge. It is my equivalent of an SSRI.
And it's true of my face too. You might not realise it but Dow Corning, who make the aforementioned silicone breast implants, also license silicone in all its many guises to cosmetics companies so they end up in non sticky deodorants, conditioners and shampoos, serums and make-up.
I remember the first time I dabbed my finger tip into a volatile silicone technology blusher from Lancôme and cooed over the velvet cream to powder texture.
And it continues to amaze me. My most recent make-up discovery has been the new generation of silicone cream to powder foundations. Max Factor Miracle Touch looks like a gunky cream in the pot and turns to the softest, velvety, slippery powder on your skin, as does Urban Retreat's scary looking creamy Smart Base and Benefit's Some Kinda Gorgeous - but don't be put off with the way they look, you have to feel them to believe. I realised this when I spent the day on counter at Selfridges for a Look Good Feel Better charity event and I used the Benefit base on every single one of my readers; and it suited them all.
"Silicone has revolutionised foundation technology", Sue Habicht-Britton, a senior scientist for Max Factor told me. "It gives a flow to a foundation that means that it glides over the skin, blends seamlessly and then as the silicones evaporates because of the warmth of the skin, the leave behind the colour in place for a soft focus finish".
So who needs silicone detox? Not me.
Try:
- Max Factor Miracle Touch £11.95, in six shades
- The Body Shop Flawless Skin Protecting Foundation £14
- Benefit Some Kinda Gorgeous £19.50
- Urban Retreat Smart Base £19.95, also has an inbuilt toning blusher
- Lancôme Color Ideal Compact £30
- Giorgio Armani Modelling Compact Foundation £45, tel: 020 7201 8687
Posted by Nadine on 18 January 2008 - Comments (7)
A Sad Note
... to my memories of the great Mr Shu Uemura. It was announced yesterday that, very sadly, he died on December the 29th. And so a moment’s silence and pause for reflection to remember a truly great beauty pioneer. Without him we would not have Eyelash Curlers, Cleansing Oils, Depsea Waters, the softest make-up brushes and a stunning array of colours. The world would have been a more dull and grey place without his artistic influence.
Posted by Nadine on 09 January 2008 - Comments (2)
Tags: Skin care Cosmetics Hair Celebrity
Ahh Shu!
I hate back basins. You know, those excruciating ten minutes whilst you have your hair shampooed and, horror of horrors, your scalp massaged by some Saturday girl or boy who thinks they are a Reiki Master because they had a half day training one evening at the salon. Even the most high tech, chair goes flat, padded edged basin is in essence a prescription for a trip to an osteopath. So in all my years as a beauty journalist little fills me with dread as much as an invitation to a hair "spa".
I can understand why salons strive to make hair colouring and cutting a more Zen like experience, but really they should give up and get back to what they are good at. This is transforming my hair in as little time as possible so in turn I can go back to pretending that I wake up looking that way. So I was intrigued by Shu Uemura’s new Art Of Hair venture.
I say intrigued because like any beauty addict I know that Shu Uemura is a by word for great beauty, and having met Mr Uemura once I was inspired by his knowledge, style and ability to calm a room simply by entering it. In fact it was a little like that scene from Kill Bill where Uma's Thurman's character is made to see the error of her arrogant Western ways when she is tutored by her Master atop a Japanese mountain. Except instead of Mr Uemura teaching sword play, he teaches brush work. Within seconds of meeting him I realised that this was no ordinary beauty expert. Here was a true guru. But having mastered brushes, colours and even skin care, can Shu Uemura do hair care? And more importantly can they really turn a back basin experience in to a hair spa?
So I had the Shu Art of Hair Ceremony at The Daniel Hersheson Salon at Harvey Nichols. I say ceremony because it is inspired by the Japanese Green Tea Ceremony, complete with faux lacquer whisking bowls, brushes and mystery. But, as with any spa experience, the success is truly reliant on two things, the quality of the therapist and the ambiance of the spa.
Therapist Chico Shigeta is a Parisian based Japanese lady who prescribed a treatment for damaged hair (no surprise there) and then set about my upper body with a strength that belied her size. First I had a Scalp Cleansing Oil treatment applied, then a brilliant scalp massage worthy of a destination spa, cleverly done, not at the basin, but in an extra luxurious salon chair. I was shampooed and conditioned then given a neck and shoulder massage that left me feeling quite light headed and very relaxed. My only complaint was that this all took part in a busy, chatty and vibrant salon. If only they had thought to put the entire experience into its own mini spa room, they would have had to pour me from the the chair. If this takes off then be sure that's what they will do.
And so yet again I salute you Mr Uemura. Not only for the concept and execution of The Art Of Hair but also the great products. I now have a new must have hair product the White Tea Polishing Milk £18; the perfect before, during and after blow drying milk that leaves hair smooth without weighing it down. And, at last, a range of shampoos and conditioners that are so beautiful they sit side by side with my skin care and make-up.
Shu Uemura Art Of Hair Ceremonies are available at Daniel Hersheson Salon, Harvey Nichols London, Tel: 020 7201 8797 and Charlie Miller Salon Edinburgh, Tel: 013 1524 8356. Prices start at £25. Visit www.shuuemuraartofhair.com.
Posted by Nadine on 07 January 2008 - Comments (4)
Tags: Hair
Best In Beauty For 2007
As usual at this time of year I want to tell you all about my favourite beauty finds of the past year. So much lands on my desk every day that it can be hard to sort the beauty wheat from the chaff, but the past twelve months have seen some great beauty buys launched.
I have to try hundreds of beauty products every year, and if they make it in to my make-up bag, onto my bathroom shelf or dressing table and stay there, then I know they are worth your hard earned money.
Here's my round up of the best buys of 2007.
- L'Oreal Paris formulated the first mass market mineral foundation with their True Match. I really like it but find that it works best with a good quality kabuki brush. I am still using Susan Posnick Colorflo, teamed with some ID Minerals mineral make-up. The latter is great for a first thing in the morning face, but for on the go skin Susan Posnick is the best easy to carry around mineral base.
- Bobbi Brown launched Eye Brightener this year a little tub of concealer for the eye area which conceals dark circles and uneven pigmentation without settling in to lines or creasing.
- Max Factor Miracle Touch is an amazing silicone technology foundation that looks like a cream compact but melts to a super fine powdery finish and really marks a revolution in make-up.
- My hair styling routine was made easier with Babyliss YouCurl, a straightener with a T design so you can wave and curl hair with ease. I personally use it to give a blow out look, in other words smooth, sleek hair with a blow dry bend and body. It is also ideal for smooth fringes.
- Olay Regenerist are about to revolutionise home microdermabrasion with their brilliant MicroDermabrasion and Mini Peel Kit which hits counter in January. An ingenious two step system it first exfoliates with super soft particles and then is neutralised with a second step that actually produces a moisturiser to help hydrate the fresh skin.
- Model Co Lip Illusion Kit is actually the best neutral lip liner around. It is the perfect natural lip shade and is so creamy it can be worn just over the lip line to give the appearance of slightly larger lips, yet it stays in place and never bleeds. Twice recently I have been asked if I have had my lips done, but no, it is just this clever liner teamed with a pink lip gloss.
- Tria home hair removal laser. It works; yes really. So for everyone who wrote to me to ask if it is worth it? My answer is yes. This home hair removal laser has a small head so it can take a while to clear a large area like your legs, but honestly I am getting smoother by the day. Visit www.tria.co.uk
- Kerastase Ciment Thermique is a leave in conditioning balm with a difference, it is activated by the heat from dryers and straighteners or tongs, and if you use a little more than recommended it gives great day old staying power to hair without ever being sticky or greasy.
- Clinique Redness Solutions Urgent Relief Cream hits counters January and is the ideal emergency cream for winter red, itchy or tight skin. It's loaded with plant extracts that sooth and calm inflammation and antioxidants to help protect your skin from the ravages of life.
Finally I want to send a huge thanks out to three London spas and salons for looking after me this year. To the great team at Leighton Denny in Harrods for the endless perfect mani/pedis, they are so good they grow out. And to the team at Groom Selfridges who do the best medical pedicure around. Finally to John Frieda on Aldford Street. I am often asked to recommend salons and this is the best for that expensive Manhattan blow outs and they have the most talented team colourists especially Benna who battles my roots every six weeks and makes me look like the natural blonde I wish I was.
HAVE A HAPPY AND BEAUTIFUL NEW YEAR!
Posted by Nadine on 27 December 2007 - Comments (2)
Tags:
Happy Holidays!
Posted by Nadine on 21 December 2007 - Comments (0)
Tags: