Fashion Targets Breast Cancer

On Saturday 25th I co-hosted Loughborough University's first fashion show. With Loughborough Rag we hosted the show in support of Fashion Targets Breast Cancer, which was a greater success than I ever could have imagined! So here is the promo video for the event and hopefully soon I'll be able to link the videos from the show on here too. But for now click here to see the beautiful advert created by Tom Traies, using footage from the photo shoot I directed in Birmingham.

March Favourites

So it's been a while since I've posted on here. The last couple of months have been a little crazy with uni deadlines, lots going on in media filming and shoot wise, and FINALLY turning the big 2-1! So I thought I would rekindle my blogging love with my March beauty favourites.

Topshop Clueless Lip Crayon

 I know I’ve talked about this before but it was a new purchase then. I still think it is the perfect bright pink to brighten up these horrible dull days we’ve been having, and everytime I wear this, it gets so many compliments. Additional bonus, I’ve just gone from mid-blonde to dark brown and it still looks amazing!

Revlon nearly naked foundation in shell 130

I do love a new beauty launch and this foundation is great! It has a buildable medium coverage and I love that it doesn’t hide my freckles but masks dull patches. Seriously it’s great and I would highly recommend it, although perhaps try a sample first if you have quite oily skin as it leaves a slight dewy finish. The only downside to this is that the foundation doesn’t have a pump so you can sometimes pour a little too much out.

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balmstain in Romantic

Another Revlon product! I think Revlon have had such a great year in terms of new products. This is the second balmstain I’ve tried from the range and I can’t get enough of them. The sheerness of the balm is actually quite pigmented so the colour pay off is true to how the product looks, and the wear time is a few hours before needing to reapply.

Essie Nails Polishes in Tart Deco (peachy-orange) and Not Just a Pretty Face (nude)

So I’d quite like to know where the sunshine is. I guess we’ll be waiting a while so until then I have been loving on-trend bright colours on my nails to perk up my layers of winter clothes. Essie is slowly becoming one of my favourite nail brands and this peachy-orange colour brings life to fair skin, and I know it will look great with a tan come summer. Now get me on a plane to the Bahamas!

Neal’s Yard Rejuvenating Frankincense Firming Mask

I’d never tried anything from Neal’s Yard until I was given this mask as a gift and I’ve been so impressed with it. I love that it uses organic ingredients and doesn’t contain parabens or silicones so it doesn’t irritate the skin. It says you should wash it off, but I prefer to leave it on and let my skin fully absorb it. It also contains hyaluronic acid which helps skin retain optimum moisture levels and leave you with baby soft skin.

L’Oreal CC cream in Anti-Redness

There’s been some hype about CC creams in the industry for a couple of months now, so when L’Oreal released their CC creams in January I pretty much ran to Boots to try them. Honestly I wasn’t a fan of their Anti-Fatigue one, it was too orange for a cool-toned skin so it may look better on a warm-toned skin. However, the Anti-Redness version is really good. You don’t need a lot, I only use it on my cheeks and around my nose, but the difference a green toned cream makes on redness, is definitely worth the money, saving you from having to build up layers of foundation and concealer.

Benefit Hoola

As I quickly mentioned earlier, I have recently become brunette. After years of being more on the blonde side of ‘bronde’ I took the plunge and went dark. This has been a saviour in my make-up bag, warming up my complexion until the sun finally decides to make an appearance and preventing me from looking a little gothic while the colour still settles. I have loved this bronzer for years and if I had a beauty hall of fame, this would definitely be in it!

Garnier Summer Body

Sensing a theme this month? Hmm so it seems my desire to have a bit of a spring tan has taken over! This builds a light natural looking tan over a couple of days and since I’m not a huge fan of layers of St Tropez this early in the year, it will give me the perfect sun-kissed look for NASTAs (National Student Television Awards) in a couple of days.

Gucci Premiere Perfume

Last but not least my Gucci perfume. This was a Christmas present but for the last couple of weeks I’ve been reaching for this over my other perfumes and I’m loving it. It’s quite a heavy perfume so I wouldn’t recommend going overboard with it for the daytime, but it’s such a great scent for the evening.  Even boys have said ‘oh you smell nice’, which I think is nice as normally (well in my experience) they don’t really notice. Plus the packaging is gorgeous!

I love to know what products other people have been loving and trying, so if there is a product you think everyone needs to know about let me know! 

Golden Globes and SAG beauties

Favourite award looks so far. Images from www.marieclaire.co.uk

Award season is one of my favourite times of the year. Being a drama student I like to make predictions who I think will win what award, do I agree with the choice of recipient, who will make an overly long speech and so on.

I also like to think about what I would wear if I ever were to attend one of the ceremonies. Unfortunately I have a tendency to be a little clumsy, so I would probably end up having a wardrobe malfunction Jennifer Lawrence style if someone stood on my dress too. Hopefully I would style it out well like she did.

The beauty and fashion lover inside loves this season too! We start to see hints of the catwalk Spring/Summer trends such as Jessica Alba's matte neon lips and a nod to the 1990s fresh skin as sported by Marion Cotillard and Claire Danes, as well as future red carpet hits such as the 1940s inspired waves as seen on Amanda Seyfried and Megan Fox.

Ever since multi-award winner, and I expect soon to be an Oscar winner, Anne Hathaway cut her hair for the role of Fantine in Les Mis, I am excited to see how she will style her hair. Not that there was anything wrong with her previously long locks, I was just never excited by it, she was always hair safe in my eyes. Now though my opinion is changing. She looks young and fresh, there is more life in her eyes and we can see more of her amazing bone structure. Quite frankly I'd give Anne the Oscar for being brave enough to have her hair cut off live on set in one take! If that's not dedication to the role, I don't know what is!

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, right?

http://www.becauseiamfabulous.com

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, right? Whoever said that must have been the imitator. There’s nothing more annoying than finding something you love, debuting it in all its glory and then seeing a friend or an admirer wearing the exact same thing the next time you see them, or even worse if they look better wearing it than you do.

With the same trends being replicated in shops, from time to time you and a friend are likely to buy something either the same or very similar. I have friends that share a similar style to me, and I have others with completely different taste. My friends and I that have similar taste often gravitate towards the same colours, cuts and fabrics, so there have been occasions were two of us will turn up wearing pretty much matching outfits, completely unplanned. We laugh about it and joke ‘ooh I like your dress’ after all great friends shop alike! My best friend and I are so similar that we have an implemented rule that when shopping together if we both like the same thing, who ever saw it first gets to try it on first, and if they buy it the second see-er gets to borrow it. Handy, especially if you’re the same size.

It’s great when you have friends who have clothes that you love and can borrow, but occasionally you come across a style stealer. At school there was a girl, I’ll call her A, who copied a lot. There was a mix of styles and personalities in our group but A still managed to find a way to turn up in ‘what this old thing’ knowing very well that she had seen it on one of the girls before. I’d love to say she was subtle but she was always asking ‘where did you get that from?’ it got to the point where we would tell her it was from a different shop. There was another girl B, who would ring to find out what you were wearing to a party, and then turn wearing something suspiciously similar.

I know that sounds harsh, and it probably was, but style is very personal. So when someone starts to copy your exact clothes or even buying it in a different colour you can’t help but feel like they’re taking a part of you. Thing is A was a lovely girl and has one of the prettiest faces and a perfect hourglass figure, but what looked great on one girl didn't always look good on her. After years of us encouraging her to find her own style she eventually did. It took a few accompanied shopping trips but she looks great and like herself.

It’s not just girls who are bothered by it. I’ve overheard so many male conversations about what they’re wearing for a night out, trying to suss out if they should wear their check shirt or not, or who’s wearing a slogan t-shirt. I've even heard 'I can't wear my navy chinos, Tom wore navy chinos last week'. People want to look different and have their own identity.  

Imitation can be flattering, it’s nice to know people like things you wear, or a how you do your make-up. However, tread with caution if you want to try to copy their look. It’s like fashion trends, never go overboard just incorporate touches into your current wardrobe or look. If you think their styling is great, why not just ask them for tips, that’s the way to flatter a friend and I can guarantee they will be more than happy to help. If you’re a little shy of make-up, take your best make-up knowing friend to the nearest department store or Boots and spend an hour finding new colours or the right products for your skin tone. Shopping with friends is one of my greatest past-times, you encourage each other to try new things, play dress up, and sometimes you may even learn a thing or two from them. 

So no imitation is not the most sincerest form of flattery. Asking someone, or better being asked, to accompany a shopping trip, most definitely is. 

15 Minutes with Karl Willett

Hi guys,
Hope you're all wrapped up warm and cosy! I don't know about you but I've definitely had enough of the snow now. My road is like an ice rink and there's only so many times a girl can style out her 'trying not to fall over moves'!

Just a quick post this morning. It's a link to my interview I did last month for Label online at the Clothes Show, with the fashion theatre stylist, Karl Willett. He was one of the most genuine and most down-to-earth people I have interviewed, and gave some great advice for aspiring stylists wanting to make it in the industry. Click here to read my chat with Karl as we discuss everything from styling Paloma Faith to singing at the Olympics closing ceremony!

Hope you like it. Until next time.
Chloé x

Girl About Town

One of my favourite trends is having a colour overhaul. I have loved the dark vampy lips from the past season, and my staple going out look has been a block berry colour lip and barely-there eye make-up.  But this spring it’s all about pink. Fuchsia, cerise, hot pink and magenta are all on the wish list. Same bold statement, different bold colour.

Bright pink lips adorned the runways at Dries Van Noten, Missoni, Giles, and Richard Nicoll’s S/S 13 shows. This trend is definitely in my top three of the season. Bright colours can perk up a fair skin tone adding luminosity to dulled winter skin, and come summer they will look beautiful with a golden tan.

It’s a fun and playful trend so keep the rest of your make-up fairly minimal, a touch of nude or light gold on the eyes will complement the lip, but try to avoid the eyeliner you may end up looking a little Avril Lavigne circa 2004.

Below are some of my favourite bright pinks. I’ll be honest, not all five may work for you in the exact same way as me because I have quite fair skin, blue-green eyes and what can only be described as ‘bronde’ hair. I’m in between going from blonde to brown. However, I hope that there is at least one that appeals to you or you find a different shade from the brand that is perfect for you.  

Mac Amplified Lipstick in Girl About Town £14

I had to start with my ultimate pink! The pigmentation is amazing, goes on effortlessly, lasts all night and it even smells great. The blue undertones in it make it a great colour for pretty much every skin tone and not many lip colours can make that claim. It’s such a bold and feminine colour that makes you walk with just a little more confidence and is the perfect accompaniment to an outfit. I honestly think that Girl About Town is one of those products that every girl should have in her make-up bag.

   

 Revlon Colorburst Lipstick in Fuchsia  £7.99

My initial reaction when I saw this was ‘Wow that’s such a good dupe for Girl About Town!’ It’s got a hint of shimmer to it so is the perfect colour for a night out with the girls, or push it into your lips with your fingers to get a stain for an understated daytime look.

  

 Topshop Lipstick Crayon in Clueless £7

I’ve been really impressed with Topshop’s make-up range over the last couple of years, and I’m pretty much in love with Clueless. It’s so pigmented yet really soft and easy to apply. Some heavily pigmented colours can be quite hard but this just glides on like a little dream! It reminds me of Lancome’s In Love but at a fraction of the cost. Valentine’s Day is just around the corner and this is the perfect shade for the most romantic of celebrations.

 YSL Glossy Stain in Golden Fuchsia (number 14)  £22.50 

Ok so I know that it’s a little pricey, but for me it’s one of the best make-up investments I’ve made. They’ve had mixed reviews because of the texture and consistency, some people think it’s quite drying, but I think if you prep well then you should avoid that problem.  The trend leans more toward brighter poppy toned pinks, but this is more berry-toned. I think it’s amazing for night, but if you’re feeling brave wear it in the daytime. I love a simple outfit dressed up with a beautiful lip colour. Blot it and layer to get a matte finish or one layer to get a glossy look.

  Revlon Lip Butter in Sweet Tart £7.99 

Sweet Tart is a beautiful hot pink but the consistency is on the sheer side so it’s perfect for making the trend much more wearable for daytime. Lip butters for those who aren’t too familiar, I think are the lip equivalent of a BB Cream. They’re not a tinted lip balm, nor a lipstick, they’re in between. They have the glossiness of a lip balm but similar colour pigmentation to lipstick.  The buttery texture also gives your lips a little TLC, which is perfect as lips need to be in good condition to pull of this eye catching look.

New Year, New Expectations

This post is a link to an article called New Year, New Expectations which I wrote for Label Online, (I am the editor of the Style section) and is in response to MP Jo Swinson's plea to magazines not to advertise miracle detoxs or diets in their January issues. I personally don't believe that magazines should be entirely responsible for the unrealistic expectations we have all at some point place on our bodies, but let me know what you think. It's been up for a while but I thought I would put a link to it on here as well.