Butter London: no ordinary nail varnish that's for sure!

So last week I got to meet Nonie Creme, Founding Creative Director of Butter London at Claridges to learn more about this amazing brand! In an intimate chat, Nonie revealed her current and upcoming collection range which will all be revealed in due course :)

So I bet you're already wondering what it is that makes Butter London so special? In fact to be honest I came across this fabulous brand about 1 year ago and wondered why a brand based in the U.S named themselves after London? Well it all came to light as Nonie explained that she had previously lived in London for 15 years and during her team here she even managed to work with Vivienne Westwood!! Any who that’s a story for another day.

Below pic: Me with Butter London Founder Nonie Creme

What amazed me about this brand was perfectionists such as Victoria Beckham, Issa, and Calvin Klein have all enlisted Nonie to customise shades and in some cases to match the exact skin tone of each individual model for their New York Fashion Week Shows! I mean personally for me that says it all! Butter London however is not just relied upon by fashion designers, but also from women who are turning to a cheaper alternative to update their look. Nonie explains “While women on a budget may hesitate to buy a new dress or shoes, nail polish can be used as a less expensive way to update their look and keep in sync with fashion”. What’s also great about the brand is the fact that they are always on trend each season. The current season palette "reflects the luxe-grunge moment, and burst of new era, ‘dirty’ jewel stones prevalent on the Catwalk for A/W 2011."

At the end of our chat I was dying to try some of the colours. One thing about me is I am very fussy and particular about nail varnish because I am always on the go and don’t have the pleasure of sitting for ages waiting for my nail polish to dry. I have also always found that certain nail polish colours (such as black) take forever to dry so completely avoid those colours. Now what I found with Butter London was far from the above. Not only was one coat only needed but the way it dried so quickly amazed me! I was definitely impressed with this product and will definitely be getting some more colours!

Visit: www.butterlondon.com

Video launch for Egypt's Stronger single has arrived ...

Saturday will see the launch of Award Winning UK musician Egypt's new single 'Stronger' video launch! I can't wait to attend this not to be missed party and dance the night away to 'Stronger'!

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO THIS AMAZING TRACK!

Bisous xxx

InstantLuxe: A Fabulous New Shopping Website for Pre-owned Designer Luxury Goods!!

Last week, a fabulous brand new website called InstantLuxe launched in the UK which definitely got me excited so had to share it with you all :)! This brand new site is a fabulous shopping website for authentic pre-owned designer luxury goods. With the amount of fake stuff on the Internet these days, this is one place where you can be reassured that every second hand designer piece is authentic, how great is that??? InstantLuxe is basically the first and only dedicated secure online buyer-seller platform for authentic pre-owned designer luxury goods.

It is the largest platform of its kind across Europe, offering consumers access to over thousands of products, including bags, handbags, wallets, watches, jewellery and accessories from international luxury brands such as Cartier, Chanel, Dior, Hermes and Louis Vuitton.

What makes it unique is that it is the first and only e-commerce buyer-seller platform that works with a team of certified independent professional valuers, to give a guarantee of authenticity to every product sold online.

First established in the fashion capital Paris, home to luxury brands such as Chanel and Dior, InstantLuxe is now available in the UK, so we too can possess some of that French understated glamour and effortless chic, at an affordable price.

Below are just some of the items you can expect to snap up on the site!
Why not take a look around the site yourself? Visit - http://www.instantluxe.co.uk

I also managed to catch-up with the CEO and co founder Yann Le Floc'h for a quick exclusive interview ...

Enjoy! :)

Tell us a bit about yourself and how the idea of InstantLuxe came abouts?

I’m Yann Le Floc’h, CEO and co-founder of InstantLuxe, which I founded in 2009 in collaboration with Clément Le Chatelier. Until now, consumers who want to buy second-hand luxury branded products online really only have online auction websites to go to. With these they have no independent guarantee whether the product is genuine or not, “authenticity” is based on other users’ opinion, and consumers often run the risk of buying a counterfeit or an item at less-than-average quality. This is when we came up with idea of InstantLuxe. With the InstantLuxe brand consumers are guaranteed the authentic article, not to mention in good, if not new, condition. What makes InstantLuxe unique is that it is the first and only e-commerce buyer-seller platform that works with a team of certified independent professional valuers, who personally handle the product and give a guarantee of authenticity to every product sold online. Each buyer receives a certificate of authenticity and an InstantLuxe seal with their purchase.

What kind of items and price range can one expect to find on the site?

InstantLuxe is the largest online platform exclusively dedicated to pre-owned luxury goods in Europe with over 2,000 items online. This includes leather goods (luggage, handbags, wallets and purses) watches; jewellery (bracelets, earrings, necklaces, rings and brooches); and accessories (belts, glasses, scarves, ties, cuff links, pens) from international luxury brands, including Cartier, Chanel, Dior, Hermes and Louis Vuitton. Prices range from anything from £49 up to several thousands.

So how does it actually work?

It’s easy to use to both buy and sell. Vendors place an ad free of charge online and buyers simply search and buy the product. When the sale has been made, the vendor sends it to InstantLuxe where we verify the authenticity of the product. If authentic, it is sent onto the buyer with a certificate of authenticity and the InstantLuxe seal. If the product is deemed to be a counterfeit, the buyer is refunded the entire sum of the purchase. The vendor then receives the payment from InstantLuxe, seven days after the buyer has received the product. InstantLuxe guarantees the payment of the sale, even if the buyer’s funds are blocked.

What has been the most expensive item sold?

The most expensive item sold so far is a Valentino Rossi Master Compressor - Jaeger Lecoultre Watch (Price: 15 600€)

Any future plans or expansions?

We are, of course, looking to expand and grow. For the near future we will be focussing on building the InstantLuxe brand in the UK. We will be telling you more about new developments to the site and other projects very soon – so watch this space!

www.instantluxe.co.uk

Bisous x

Loving the ensembles...

Whilst out and about today I stumbled across these two lovely fashion students, Sandii and Polly so had to snap them up!

Sandii
Dress: All Saints
Jacket: Topshop
Shoes: Topshop
Bag: Riess

........................................................................................

Polly
Jacket: Asos
Blouse: New Look
Skirt: Topshop
Shoes: Kurt Geiger

Meet Tanzanian designer Anna Luks...

A while back I met up with Tanzanian London based designer Anna Lukindo who is the designer behind the Anna Luks brand. Her designs I must say just simply blew me away!

I fell in love with her headgear and had to share some pics of myself wearing her headgear with you below :)

I love the vibrant colours used throughout her work!

For those of you who are yet to come across this talented designer and brand, Anna Lukindo is a stylist and a clothing designer who designs for the woman of today, for those with a free spirit, confidence, and who embrace uniqueness.

The label Anna Luks, began in her native Tanzania in

East Africa. A mother or two boys, Anna did her diploma in Fashion /Textile in Barnet College, and went further on to acquire a BA in Fashion Design from Middlesex University in 2010.

She claims that she has finally found her niche. Anna's signature work is inspired by ropes, and cords. She too experiments with textures and likes to play around with different kinds of yarns to create cords for her fabrics. Printing is vital in Anna Luks wears, she acknowledges that with printing, it allows her creativity, into a new level and sustains the sense of uniqueness and versatility in her creation.

Anna's work is far beyond the ordinary clothes designing. She has a laissez-faire approach to her work, and does not pay too much attention to lines, and allows her imagination to wander and ultimately produce a master piece.

Visit: http://annaluks.com/

Essex Fashion Week has arrived!

Today I headed down to Essex Fashion Week with the LGN Events team (www.lgn-events.co.uk ) to see what Essex really had to offer and meet the cast of 'The Only Way is Essex' (also known as TOWIE), the UK's answer to American reality hit series, The Hills! The show was hosted by TOWIE twins Adam and Simon Ryan.

I must say I am a fan of the show and refer to it as my guilty pleasure so was excited about the thought of meeting Nana Pat :)She was lovely, but

unfortunately I did not get to taste some of those famous sausage plaits she makes :( I know right!!!!

Below pic: Myself and Nana Pat

I definitely feel TOWIE is one of those shows you either love or hate! But I must say you gotta love it :)Overall Essex Fashion Week was much better than I had anticipated and offered something different and kept the crowd engaged at all times, drinks were flowing consistently throughout keeping everyone smiling.

Above pic: These two lovely ladies made us some mean cocktails!

Several TOWIE stars featured on the Catwalk included Lydia Bright Rose and Jessica Wright. Lydia looked Amazing I must say. I don’t think TV does her justice, she is stunning!

Above pic: TOWIES Lydia Bright Rose

Above pic: TOWIE'S Jessica Wright

Joey Bevan, Basildon based designer and stylist or as he refers to it himself Bas-Vegas, got to showcase some of his skills by creating a dress for Lydia Bright Rose in a matter of minutes on the Catwalk.

Below pics: Joey creating Lydia dress on the Catwalk

Joey is the owner of PoInTeD bRoWn ShOeS and everything in his collection is recycled and even has a Turkish rug in one of his pieces. His collection is all about encouraging ethical practices.Below are some more pics from the Event! :)

Above pic: Me and Jo Wood, who is actually originally from Basildon Essex

Above pic: Stylist Natalie James

Above: Guests at Essex Fashion Week

Enjoy!

Bisous xx

Link: http://www.itv.com/channels/itv2/itv2shows/theonlywayisessex/

National Beauty Blogging Event at the Professional Beauty Show

Last week I attended the National Beauty Blogging Event which took place in Excel London.
Bloggers were invited to preview the latest beauty launches from ARTDECO, Batise, Broadway Nails, Carita, Decleor, JOICO, Kiss Nails, Medik8, MONU skincare, Nailease, Natura Bisse, RMK, TanOrganic and Gentry Grooming Co. Being a beauty junkie myself you could just imagine my excitement!!! I had never come across a lot of the brands so was surprised to discover they had been around for quite a number of years and couldn’t wait to try them out.

The day also involved different speakers coming in to give talks and further insights into all things beauty-ful :)

The event was a whole day event starting with expert advice by Celebrity Make-up artist Daniel Sandler. For those of you who have never come across Daniel Sandler, he has basically beautified a selection of A-List celebrities who have included Twiggy, Myleene Klass, Naomi Campbell, Rachel Weisz, Kristen Scott Thomas and Kate Moss.

Below pic: Daniel Sandler the man himself

Later in the afternoon Gavin Duffy from the Irish Dragon’s Den gave a talk on his investment in TanOrganic, a 100% natural, organic, odourless tan with no artificial / synthetic colouring! Yes you read right!!! A woman mentioned she nearly divorced over the smell of the current fake tan products she was using as her husband could not take the smell!! It just shows how important the odourless feature of TanOrganic is!!!

Gavin also spoke of the importance of beauty blogging and told us a funny and insightful story about the first advert they ever ran for TanOrganic but that’s a whole other post LOL.

Below pic: Gavin Duffy's mystery advert lol

My tired looking self (The effects of Fashion Week) also managed to get a quick snap with the lady behind TanOrganic (Below pic)

To close the event a short film entitled ‘All Walks Beyond the Catwalks’ by Fashion and Style Guru Caryn Franklin and Debra Bourne was shown. I first met Caryn at a fashion business meeting I was invited to by the British Fashion Council with regards to raising the profile of select designers. She was so lovely and passionate about the lack of broad representation within the Fashion Industry, so it was nice to see Caryn continuing to promote her belief by putting together “All Walks Beyond the Catwalks’. The film basically talks about how they feel we are bound by stereotypes exemplified by the Catwalk ‘ideal figure’. They see ‘Beauty through Diversity’ and wish that the leaders of fashion would recognise this is their choice of imagery in the future.

Below Pic: Caryn’s presentation

I managed to have a quick catch-up with Caryn and you can just feel her passion and how much she is putting in to help diversify the Industry. Find out more about her film at www.allwalks.org

The Brands:

As I mentioned earlier in the post there were so many fantastic brands on display that I had never come across previously so it was great getting a full insight into their products. Below is a quick read on some of them:

ARTDECO
It was the first time coming across this brand and I must say the quality was just fantastic! ARTDECO was founded by Helmut Baurecht in 1985 and is Germany’s No.1 Make-up Brand and available in 88 countries worldwide. The brand is adored by celebrities including Hayley Tamaddon, Michelle Keegan, Holly Willoughby and Fearne Cotton.

Batiste
Batiste Dry Shampoo is the perfect product for all you busy bees out there constantly on the go. Why? Because it is a shampoo with a ‘no water needed’ formula! It basically banishes oily roots, giving lifeless hair the quick make-over it needs. Just a few sprays are needed to refresh your hair and leave it full of body and texture :)

Broadway Nails and Kiss Nails
OMG I went crazy over this brand as nail art is my new thing at the moment! Yes unfortunately I have become a bit obsessed with this craze :) and if it was not for my poor nails being damaged from a terrible fall I recently had (yes very embarrassing) I would have got them done there and then. Kiss Products are the world’s largest manufacturer and distributor of professional quality nail products. Their kits are all easy to use and enable you to achieve salon results at home! I will be testing out my kits very soon so keep visiting to see the results. I am so excited about testing out their nail products that I think I will need a whole day!!

MEDIK8
Medik8 are Europe’s leaders in solution-based cosmeceutical skin care product development. What I liked about this brand was the fact that it gives results without the irritation.

NAILEASE
This product was another one of my favourites!! Being someone always on the go and notoriously known by friends and family for having chipped nails I had to immediately give praise to the genius that came up with such a concept!! Watching the brand representatives quickly demonstrate simply blew me away. This is a great product for girls on the go. They are basically 100% dry nail varnish strips which can be applied to your fingertips in a matter of minutes for a smudge free, long lasting manicure.

Nailease also launched on the 28th February in 300 boots stores with prices starting from only £5.99!!!

Monu Skincare
I absolutely fell in love with this brand!!! I have very dry skin and the instant results I got by using just a small amount said it all! I mean it really lasts and moisturised my skin to the fullest. It has not left my dressing table since, I can ensure you that much :)

RMK
RMK is a leader in the Japanese beauty industry and has been the top selling Make-up Artist Brand in Japan since its debut 12 years ago!!! I had never come across this brand previously and the high quality was definitely apparent!!

So I had to have a quick coffee before dashing home and that’s when I bumped into Amy Childs of TV show ‘The Only Way is Essex’. Those that know me can imagine my excitement as that show is seriously one of my guilty pleasures and Amy is my favourite character :)

Below pic: Amy Childs at the Professional Beauty Event



I will be trying out my goody bag products and give you the full 1/1 on them very soon...

Bisous xx

Link:
www.professionalbeauty.co.uk