Trend alert – oversize

Trend alert – oversize !

This autumn the runways showed us dropped shoulders, long lengths and love crotched trousers.  Jill sander’s autumn/winter 2012-13 collection showcased pillow-sleeved jackets, sharp structured coats and flowing trousers.  This look is perfect for the tomboy trend lovers with a bit of feminine twist with the sparkles and heels. 

English Rose makeup essentials to help you work the trend.

English Rose makeup essentials to help you work the trend.

This look is perfect for those who desire an untouched and natural look. It’s all about the pinks and flawless skin ladies. It’s simple to achieve and feels refreshing on the skin. Keep those water bottles beside you – after all it’s important to work in the inside first then work on the outside. Here are the five essential products to help you with the outside.

      

  Achieving the flawless, velveteen complexion for this look is the essential. I suggest using Burberry Beauty Velvet Foundation, which could be brought at Harrods for £36

 

  Your look is never complete without several coatings of mascara! Well for this look it’s got to change as you only need to define your eyes with a coat or two of mascara. I suggest using Origins GinZing Mascara, £17 (out September) as it is vitamin-rich and lash friendly.

Adding a bit of colour to your cheeks, preferably pink, will help bring the look to life. Remember it’s important to look natural although you will be faking a flashed cheek.  I recommend using New CID i-cheek in Pink, £24

Lips Lips Lips! It’s important not to over-do the lips so pat the lipstick gently to add a subtle pink tone to your lip. I recommend using Paul and Joe Limited Edition Lipstick in Beloved and Case, £26.50.

The paradox of high street luxury

The paradox of high street luxury.

.... Disposable fashion may seem fabulous with prices that are often cheaper than a Grande Caramel Frappuccino at Starbucks, according to Vogue but there is no escaping its brutality

Affordable yet Designer; enough to blow fashion fans of their feet. Being able to afford Varscae, Marni, Richard Nicoll and Alice Temperly for a discounted price tag is enough to create long queues in front of H&M and Topshop. Disappointingly the hype of these collaborations usually overshadows the product.

With H&M announcing the launch of their very own luxury label called '& Other Stories' i have come to question whether it is possible to have high street luxury with affordable prices or not. Until this range hits the rails it is impossible to judge the quality of the garments; will it be made in the same sweatshops in Bangladesh, Turkey and China or in Fashion forward cities as Italy and France? 

Disposable fashion may seem fabulous with prices that are often cheaper than a Grande Caramel Frappuccino at Starbucks, according to Vogue but there is no escaping its brutality. As most people should be aware of, the consumer demands for 'cheap yet chic' has risen, making brands such as the Swedish fashion retailer, H&M, to promote 'high fashion, low cost' ethos for years by producing cheaper clothing even by the standards of fast-fashion. It’s a wonder as to how H&M manages to make a profitable business with price tags lower than a bottle of mascara. With endless hours of labor in these sweatshops its not yet possible for major labels to offer a 'living wage' yet still demand for mass production for their garments. However there has been little progress towards the payment of a living wage although Labour Behind The Label's 2011 report, Let's Clean Up Fashion has stated that the progress was not 'significant'. 

With the financial difficulties everyone has been forced into we have to think twice about what we spend our hard earned money on and being able to buy luxury items for less is a dream come true. It is not surprising that we dip into high street stores looking for designer knock offs at bargain prices and not worry about not being able to pay the bills. This new attitude towards fashion has made it possible for smaller business to survive as the demand for designer has dropped due to financial reason although it still is rather hard for new talents and business to survive the fashion market due to the likes of Sir Phillip Green and the constant hype Topshop receives by name such as Kate Moss and Nicola Roberts. 

For those who refuse to compromise between their consciousness and fashion, there are better alternatives such as up-and-coming designers like d.RA and Not Just A Label, where each garment is handcrafted. This is fundamentally about your consciousness, will you be willing to be a victim of fashion or be unique and not support the herd mentality of having 'designer labels'? 

Full Brows Are Not Just For Boys: The Tomboy Tend

Full Brows Are Not Just For Boys: The Tomboy Tend

Fashion is justifying the tomboy charm for fall/winter season 2012. Gelled sleek hair, busy Brooke Shields eyebrows, fresh minimal makeup and shape jaw lines with sky-high cheekbones will soon be the rage. Here’s a how to achieve this look guide:

For the brows, there’s no plucking, stringing, or bleaching for this season. It’s all about letting the inner boy shine through with full lush brows. All you need to do is tint your brows a few shades darker than your complexion. Now don’t panic, you won’t end up looking like a clown. Darkening the brows will not only create an impact, but it will also lighten your complexion, instantly giving you a fresher look. However for those who don’t have much eyebrows you could always use a nourishing brow oil to grow them out. As to those unwanted hairs around your brow you can always take the tweezers but use it sparingly. I’d suggest drawing a bold shape with white chalk and tweezing everything around it as there won’t be any mistakes then. To get inspiration, turn to starts like Lily Collins, Emma Watson and Brooke Shields - who have maintained a full yet gorgeous bushy-brow glow?  Remember strengthen your brows, not your lashes with brown mascara and eyeliner, keep the shape sharp.

Flawless skin is a must. Remember ‘less is more’ when trying to achieve this look. A plain face with flawless skin works best here. Work on getting your skin to look perfect without having layers of foundation. Work on your cheekbones and law line to sharpen them if of course you’re not naturally born with them. Highlighter is a must here.

Keep the masculine trend alive with the hair. There is no need to go extremes and cut your hair like the lovely Agyness Deyn to achieve the Tomboy Trend, hairspray, gel and some serious hair styling will be perfect. Sharp hair partnering and slicked hair or alternatively the quiff will be perfect when trying to get this look.

Sequins and lace should not be in your vocabulary. Sharp cut blazers, shirts and trousers are to be preferred. You’d have to be all over brogues and choose a small vintage satchel over an It bag. Take Coco Summer as your style muse.

There is no reason to go all butch, follow these guidelines to tame down high-kept looks and revert back to simpler look.

Go Purple!

Go Purple!

As seen in the autumn/winter 2012-13 runways the colour purple aka “grape” is one of the latest trending colours – Prada, Gucci and Christopher Kane having hues of purple ranging between red and blue; making it both a warm and cool colour. It has been a colour associated with royalty and nobility with its rich and deep tones. It’s a stunning colour that would be teamed with almost everything – from tones yellows to blues and reds as well as neutrals such as blacks, greys and beiges. No a beauty note, shades of purple could be used as blushers, eye shadows, nail varnish and lipsticks – look to Roberto Cavalli’s autumn/winter 2012/13 collection where washes of “grape” was used. So ladies, you may not be as lucky as Kate but you sure can feel like a royalty this winter.