Women's Spring Fashion...feminine! Sensual! Romantic!

 

Uncomplicated sun dresses in monochromatic shades of white will be popular this spring - when the chic female silhouette takes a delicate sure-footed step forward - into a welcome feminine direction.

The stylish ensembles will be marked by delicate floral prints - that are see-through on occasion and layered - and inclined to float on sensual fabrics that are a delight to the touch and a feast for the eyes.

Under a romantic full moon, the sensual female will also be inclined to don simple - yet distinctive - designer frocks that flow freely over a body adorned with a precious eye-catching bauble or two to exalt the features.

If you're a gal without the stylish ability to pull the look off on your own, saunter down to Robertson Blvd. in WeHo, and take a gander at the offerings in the window at Chanel for fashion tips.

Solids in vivid bold colors - such as blood-red and ultra-marine blue - will lead the way, also.

In addition, stripes of a different color - polka-dots, too - will surge forward with stylish flair when the first buds of the new season break through.

In a nutshell, fashionistas are forecasting a 70's influence, sure to transform the doldrums of a long drawn-out winter into a bright and cheery season come the end of March or the beginning of April.

And, don't forget accessories such as - pastel-colored sashes, pretty silk scarves, coy little hats sitting askew just-so on the head - to spark up a dash of individual style

http://www.thetattler.biz/

Christmas Gift Guide: For Mums, Aunts, Nanas and every woman in between!

I've loved reading all the fabulous Christmas gift guides over the past month, and I'd hoped to have mine written weeks ago. However, much like my own approach to Christmas shopping, here I am on the last minute, but hopefully fellow disorganised souls will appreciate a bit of last-minute guidance. Just make sure you don't all rush out and deplete supplies as I still need to buy these for my family and friends!

This first installment contains gifts for the more mature lady, although the majority of these gifts would be suitable for women in their mid to late 20s and beyond. Where my friends and family don't guide me on what they want, I tend to buy treats and the sort of things that people wouldn't always buy for themselves, although as a beauty blogger, that concept is a little alien to me, as I buy everything I want! So, here's my little edit of what I think will make lovely gifts, and I've tried to keep it on the reasonable side in most cases, but do forgive me where I apply a bit of 'luxury license'. It is Christmas after all.

The White Company White Cashmere Candle, £28

I absolutely love scented candles, especially in winter. It's so nice to cosy up with a good book and a mug of hot chocolate, while a candle envelops you in a soft glow and fills the room with a beautiful fragrance. The new White Cashmere range at The White Company is a combination of fresh, zingy, and ever so slightly masculine vetivier, with warm, spicy cardamom. I absolutely love this clean yet rich scent, and think it's the perfect spring fragrance. Definitely the kind of luxury we should be spreading at Christmas!

Prada Infusion D'Iris Bath Salts, 500g, £34


These baths salts come in a gorgeous pale green presentation box, the salts beautifully bagged inside, and the delicate silver scoop sitting on top. It smells of white flowers and talcum powder, and makes for a decidedly decadent bathtime. If you really feel like spoiling them, throw in the scented drawer liners. Totally over the top, but it makes getting dressed on those chilly winter mornings just about bearable.

Chanel No.5 Eau de Toilette Refillable Purse Spray, £58 (Chanel counters nationwide)
I got this for my Mum last year and she describes it as her favourite Christmas present ever, which makes me very happy. As always with Chanel, this comes beautifully boxed (and it can be gift wrapped at the counter for the time-poor amongst us) and contains three 20ml refills and one sleek and sophisticated black container with a pop-up gold push button spray. It's so lightweight and practical that it's perfect for carrying around in your handbag, and is more glamorous and infinitely more practical than decanting your beloved fragrance into a fiddly atomiser. Several fragrance companies have caught on to the idea so if your Mum isn't a No.5 fan (although I'm yet to meet anyone who isn't), shop around and you may find something similar.

Liz Earle Ultimate Christmas Hamper, £163.25
Ok, so this is where my festive indulgences meet their peak price, but considering how much you get, this gift makes for exceptional value. It contains a whopping 16 full size products, and is tailored to skin type, meaning you can buy a hamper with perfect products for normal/combination, dry/sensitive and combination/oily skins. If you have a stressed-out, busy female relative who loves a bit of indulgence but doesn't always treat herself, then this may just be the perfect gift. Otherwise, it's for the woman who has everything, but just doesn't have any Liz Earle products. You can read my many, many rave reviews of the Liz Earle range if you like to do your research, but rest assured, you can't go wrong. There are plenty more gorgeous Christmas gifts from Liz Earle ranging from a fantastically afforable £8.25, so check them out here if you're looking for anything from a small stocking filler to the above hamper, which, let's face it, is more of a 'bathroom filler'!

I'd love to know what you'll be buying this Christmas and I hope my little edit is helpful!

The Beauty Hall's Big Foundation Survey!

Ladies, it's time for a rant. It's not often that I feel like having a good moan, but tonight is one of those nights, and it's one thing in particular that's getting on my nerves: foundation shades, and notably, how hard it is to find one that matches my skintone.

So, let me give you the back story. Firstly, my skin is pale. It's the kind of pale that often renders me a glowing white shape under flash photography; the kind of tone that would make Snow White look like she'd spent a healthy summer on a yacht in St Tropez. Yep, that pale! Over the past two months, I've been stealthily swatching and sampling various brands, both high and low end, and the results are dire.

Looking at the vast majority of 'designer' brands, even the lightest shades are too warm for my skin tone, with NARS and Illamasqua supplying the only shades that vaguely match. And popping into my local branch of Boots to grab at bottle for under £10? Forget about it. I knew I wouldn't be the only one, so I spoke to friends to find out about their experiences. The results confirmed my suspicions, and each of the girls I asked had a similar story to tell: pale girls, Asian girls, black girls whose various skin tones never seemed to be the ones replicated in those pretty beauty counter bottles. They came to the unanimous conclusion that chemist/drugstore brands just didn't carry anything suitable, and many - including me - couldn't even find a close match with brands that sell foundations for upwards of £25. I know we can't all expect to find a perfect match with every company, but how can it be that, in this day and age, many of us don't see our beauty represented on the counters across the world?

We shared stories about how the palest amongst us have been matched with warm beige shades, told by the MUA that 'this will warm your skin tone', when the rest of our bodies are lily white and we didn't ask for our skin tone to be changed. Darker skinned friends had been offered shades that were too light, or had the wrong undertone, which left them feeling annoyed that they hadn't been listened to, and frustrated that so many brands were still getting it wrong.

I've very recently had a great experience with NARS, buying their two palest shades after the MUA showed me the quantities to mix to preserve my naturally pink undertone, whilst keeping the shade as light as possible. Much better than the Chanel MUA who said, 'you should conceal the pink tone to your skin so you have a neutral base to work with.' Judging by her orange face, she wasn't really an advocate of natural beauty, but it's not the greatest strategy for making your potential customers feel good.

So, I've created a little survey as I want to know what your experience is. It would be fantastic if you would take five minutes to complete the survey by clicking through to the link at the end of the page. Please invite as many people as you can to complete this, as I think it's so important that the beauty world understands the needs of so many of its customers. We want to spend our money, but you've got to supply us with the right products!

To complete the survey, click on the following link http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/GG7VM56

Image courtesy of sheknows.com

If you can't beat 'em, join 'em

After last night's winter-themed post, I have decided that I need to shut up and put up: as the saying goes, 'you can't fight City Hall'. Yes, I felt like the only way to go with my makeup today was forth into the sunshine, hence I am a walking pallette of gold and bronze. See below: hello, sunshine girl!
I looked in the mirror this morning and saw that the freckle party has well and truly begun, and that there's no point in having a face full of cool-coloured makeup when I've got the ginger brigade running rampant on my face. I started thinking about 'summer chic' and as I'm not quite the natural, surfy, boho babe who always looks so effortless in the warm weather, there seemed only one way to go: Riviera Glam. The photo has washed my brows and eyes out slightly, but they're both quite strong today. The lipstick is Chanel's Bali, which is where I'd like to be for the rest of the month: guess the lipstick is the best some of us can do!

To create this warming, sunny look, I used:

-Maybelline Pure Liquid Mineral foundation in Cameo
-Body Shop Tinted Glow Enhancer in 2
- MAC eyeshadow in Era
-Bourjois eyeshadow in Marron Glace
- Jemma Kidd I-Silk in Vintage
- Rimmel kohl pencil in Brown
-MAC Blush Creme in Lillicent
-Maybelline The Falsies mascara in Black
- MAC brow pencil
- Chanel lipstick in Bali

What are your favourite summer products?

Chanel Outfit

Images: Vogue Spain 

PS: Many many thanks to Katrina from Pugly Pixel for the gorgeous japanese tape freebie 

Chanel Saves the Queen?

London MaDnEsS!

Chanel has gone british with their new cosmetic collection where Peter Phillips has created a limited edition british inspired collection featuring the Union Jack (their flag). The collection is called London Madness and coincides with the opening of their new counter in Oxford Streets Selfridges.

London Madness Pearly Banner highlighter ~ Ivory, Gold and Silver with the Union Jack on it's surface

RRP: $90

Rouge Allure: Enthusiast ~ A bright, fresh red

RRP: $50

Le Vernis: Enthusiast ~ A bright, fresh red to compliment Enthusiast lipstick

RRP: $39

Available at Myers Chanel Make-up Studio in Sydney from June 21st

Call (02) 9900 2944 to get your hands on it today!