Purrr-fect Paul & Jo SS12 Makeup

Kitty lovers, this one's for you! Whilst there have been a number of kitsch make up launches of late (French Patisserie, Laduree) and a number candy coloured & themed ad campaigns (think LV and Mulberrys amazing SS12 campaign shot by Tim Walker as seen here) for SS12. Gotta say, I couldn't get enough of the cuteness overload when I first spotted this make up range by Paul & Jo Beaute. This year they'll be celebrating their 10th anniversary, I absolutely adore this years Cat motifs collection designed by cat lover Sophie Albou.

The range consists of, three Face & Eye Colour palettes (£19.50) in Siamese Please, Kittycat and Purrfect; three cat-shaped creamy Blusher Sticks £21) in Glamous Puss, Minou and Catfight; and Waterproof gel eyeliner, nail enamels, pressed powder and lipsticks. Via asos.com, Harrods and Fenwicks and in the US - Urban Outfitters.

What do you think? Creepy (lipstick heads) or cute? Or just plain pretty?

Barefaced beauty

I recently came across a rather interesting talking point via Grazia mag about whether you let your boyfriend/other half see you without make up, so do any of you? I love make up, no, really, I love the stuff but I can't say I was ever the kinda gal who felt the urge to wake up early, rush to the bathroom and administer a full face of make up or foundation at the least before stealthily getting back under the duvet covers. Brush teeth & wash face - yes, but make up, no.
According to a study carried out by UK beauty chain Superdrug, a large number of women don't feel very comfortable going completely barefaced in front of their other halves. Whilst a third doubt that their other half wouldn't have been that interested in them if they’d been make up free when they first met. Lastly, "the average woman won’t let their boyfriend see them without make-up, until at least two and a half months into a relationship". So, how long was it before any of you went fresh faced in a new relationship?

I am frankly lucky enough to admit, that Mr. Perseus is totally cool with my make-up free days, he actually prefers me looking more aux-natural, except for when we go out to play. That's when I like to reach for the make up brushes, experiment & get make up happy!

Do you ever leave home without make up on, even if it's simply for running some quick errands or picking up some bits from the grocery store? I've seen some women go to the gym in full make-up - I never did quite understand that, since you're likely to sweat it all off! Clogged up pores, shudder!
What about in the workplace? How do you feel about not wearing any make up to work? Would any of you dare go barefaced to the office?
I suppose, depending on where you work/situation or unless you visibly don't need make up (you lucky lucky thing!), I do think it's really important to represent yourself in the best light possible, you're in a professional environment, so looking groomed, polished or put-together is a must.
If i'm having a yucky day and looking a bit blah, I have to get some Beauty Flash Balm on, along with a little blush/bronzer, eyeliner and lipgloss before I head out the front door. And if I really wanna feel good in an instant, I apply a pop of red lipstick or my fave fuschia lippy 'Girl about town' by MAC.

What are your fave make up tricks that give you an instant feel good factor?
Fantastic shoot by Catherine Servel featuring Magdalena Frackowiak for Exhibition.
Styling by Catherine Newell-Hanson, Hair by Ashley Javier and makeup by Chiho Omae

via FashionGoneRogue

Beautylicious videos: How To...

Yes, it's another series of beautylicious videos, only this time I hope they're working and don't take too long to load, eek. With 2 of my dearest friends getting hitched next month, and me being assigned extra curricular Maid of Honour duties involving hair & make-up, I've been checking out some super cool beauty vids to make sure I have I haven't missed a trick.

It's one thing doing make-up on yourself, but doing make-up on someone else is a totally different experience. I've done make-up on both chums before and experimented a fair bit already, but wedding make-up requires quite a bit more attention. These are some of the cool beauty vids I checked out in my recce...

My fave being the Kim Kardashian ones, because you get to watch her make-up artist transform her from being normal gorgeous to super wow! It's not exactly wedding make up appropriate, it's more of "so this is what Kim looks like sans make up" video and "so this is how they do it"!
Oh and a brilliant video showing you how to get cheekbones to die for, aka 'Contouring'. Enjoy!

How-To get the perfect base, by Look Beauty Editor Sophie Beresiner - this is something that everyone should get right.

Get Kate Moss Cheekbones: Contouring by Look Beauty Editor Sophie Beresiner

This video is brilliant for accentuating and defining your cheekbone area and a fantastic follow up to the first video.

Kim Kardashian herself & make up artist show us how to get the Smoky Eye look, with Stephen Moleski
Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Lastly, Part 4, et voila!

via Youtube

Thank you so much everyone for stopping by and taking time out to leave a comment, they always make my day and even chuckle a bit (I know how funny some of you guys are!).

Have a Fantastic weekend lovelies!

Looking good: Summer Hair & Beauty Looks I love

Cameron Diaz looks uber hot via Look

Sometimes, with all this heat, I just want to scrape my hair up into a messy bun, lucky for me this is becoming more possible as my hair is finally growing out from a long bob length! Phew!

image via Metro

I have always loved Sarah Jessica Parker's messy high bun look in the SATC series, and although I can't recreate this look on myself... yet, I hope some of you can. I can just about manage Cam's look above.

Anyhow, I stumbled across these fabulous videos via Grazia - which can be re-created in a jiffy. They're bloody brilliant if i might say so and they're less than 6 minutes long! Check it out!!!

Hair: Glam messy bun




p.s You can probably pick up a sponge doughnut from Hondos Centre or Claire's Accessories in Athens.
Otherwise in Boots, Superdrugs etc in UK.

Make-up: Summer Aqua Smoky eyes
I have a penchant for turquoise or aqua make up... This look is easy as chips! Love it!



I dare you not to try these looks and look super duper glam after! You'll have to let me know how you get on - show me some picture love girls!

Friday Best 110610

Question: I gotta ask, who are the amazing hair and make-up duo that work their magic on Zeta Makripoulia of 'Dancing with the Stars, Greece'? Do you know who styles her?

Each week she rocks a different kinda look and she looks every inch a starlet. Check out some of the different looks below and the anonymous guys who do their creative thang-do any of you know who they are? They are seriously awesome!

Every since I came over to Greece I have long admired the talent of Hair and Make-up artists - all the TV presenters here look fabulous and the glossies have slick made-up spreads!

I want this dress!!!!

Sexy hair? Check, Sexy frock? Check, Do I look stunning? Check!
Images via Antenna

It's that time of the year again - Graduate Fashion Week! I used to go every year (when i could escape work) to check out the new talent. River Island have been the main sponsor of this event for the past 6 years now, showcasing all the top Fashion Insititutes across the UK. Check out the winners & more info here and see Kelis (where has she been all this time?) wearing the Graduate Fashion Week designs here.

Images via River Island

Newsflash!
Business of Fashion's exclusive interview Natalie Massenet on launching Mr. Porter - yes, menswear is going to be available soon! Click here for the whole interview and story.

Make!
Most of you already know Maddie of Wardrobe Recycle, she is one talented lady if anything and could probably whip up an amazing dress if she was given a black bin liner!
Click here for her SATC 2 Revisted post where she makes a very cool cutaway dress in a few easy steps!

Buy!
Katerina @ Fashion Algorithms and Alecca Rox recently posted about online shopping - Pink Caro and the 20% discount code.
Tex @ Fashion Butter sure made good use of that code and bought herself a stunning draped, full length, jersey s - she looks every inch the Grecian Goddess all at the bargain price of around 26 euros after a original 60% discount and 20% discount at checkout - check her out here she looks amazing.

Join!

Image via IFB

If you don't already know about the Independent Fashion Bloggers (IFB)or haven't signed up yet and have a Fashion Blog - do it now!
I was recently left a comment from Cara@IFB - promptly reminding me of their fabulous existence and what they do, see here for more info.

I don't nearly write enough about fashion though, it's not intentional... but having had some interesting experiences over the past 11 years in this industry, I could share some industry info with you all (from Buying, Styling, Visual Merchandising, Public Relations etc etc) if you're interested in getting a career in fashion.

I'm not sure how it all works here in Greece though, my experience is purely based on a semi typical route into fashion in the UK... So drop me a comment if you'd like to see the odd post about the world that is fashion!

Ciao Bella & Have a fab weekend!

x.o.x.o

Kafes me tin Eleni

I'm not usually a morning TV person, but today I had the time to catch up with some bits and bobs after the rush of Easter with the TV on in the background. I was instantly wowed when i flicked on Alpha channel, what a great dress?! This is Eleni Menegaki rocking a rather cool figure hugging contrasted edge bound strapless dress. I have no idea who it's by (a little help here pls) but she looks really good in it! Ok, it's a little risque for morning TV ("Coffee with Eleni"), but most of the female morning TV presenters (in Greece) always show either a bit of leg and lots of cleavage. Eleni however is working her magic in a more cool, classy way. Love it!


Plus her make-up is damn good, my camera phone shot doesn't do much justice but her eye make up is very reminiscent of the 60's Greek actress (whose name has now completely escaped me) and has been applied with precision.

Lashings of mascara - check.
Eyeliner - check
White liner on the inside rims of the eye to make the eyes appear wider - check
Highlighting the inner corner of the eye with white or light coloured shimmer colour -check.
Highlighter/concealer under the eyes - check
Glossy lips - check
Rose tinted blush - check.

Those are the basic steps to looking like a Greek Goddess - Eleni, you rock!

Beauty: Priming Power

You gotta love Benefit for launching this product, available at House of Fraser -£19.50
Did I mention they have a special 2 day 25% discount thingy on selected brands happening online from midnight this Wednesday?
Get your plastic ready kids.

Shopping list: Beauty

I love all things to do with fashion & beauty. With beauty, the stuffs gotta work and be at a reasonable price. That said I don't and paying for something that produces effective end results and is simply amazing, than opting out for something cheaper and not so great. Given a comparison, beauty in Greece comes with a whopping price tag. I haven't quite gotten used to and neither found the ideal equivalent to Rimmel or should I say 'high street' beauty & make up. My supplies are running low ladies, which inevitably suggests a flying trip to the UK soon. Yippee!!! I've already started drafting up my initial list of beauty goodies I want & need. I don't know about you, but these products have never failed me and depending on budgets these are some of the most amazing, really works wonders beauty products. This one sensational product doesn't really fit into any particular category purely because it does everything - my best friend & I used to carry a tube everywhere!!! Elizabeth Arden's 8 Hour cream - great for chapped Lips, glossy cheeks, soothes scrapes (& burns) and you can mix with powder eye shadow and create a oil slick kinda look.

Face/skincare:

Simple Vital Vitamins Night cream - in the morning my skin feels soft, what a delight. I also love the Clarins Multi-active Night/Day cream, Clarins Beauty Flash Balm (£26.50) for those emergency days and the Olay range of day creams with SPF. My mum used to use the Olay Classic care beauty fluid - 100ml religiously and has great skin (but i might put that down to genes). After they changed the brand name from 'Oil of Ulay' to 'Olay' the scent and the actual lotion seems to have changed too. I'm not loving it so much now. Have used Lancôme and also Estée Lauder too, they're ok for me but why pay more when you can get something that works just as well? I've got some Dr. Nick Lowe anti ageing creams I bought before to use next, so will report on that another time. I don't really buy into the anti-ageing cream stuff but I am reaching the age where lines are showing. Right now I just make sure I slap on the SPF everyday & try (being the operative word) to eat well to prevent further damage. Greece is getting sunnier by the day now and getting a sun tan just isn't a priority anymore. Not when you know that 10/20/50 years down the line you'll end up looking leathery - think the lady from 'There's Something about Mary' (shudder).

Make-Up: I love to play so much and experiment on my girls.

Lips:

Cheap & expensive glossies in tubes are great as long as they don't have an overly sticky consistency, which i find that this is the case with Lancomes Juicy Tubes (but I just so love the smell and yummy colours). You do get super shiny lips though.

I love Pout's Lip plump - in clear, i have no idea why they've shut down but i miss their gorgeous girly products - they absolutely rocked the lips department. Equally good in the plumping department is 'Sexy Mother Pucker' which you can buy at Boots for around £8.
Other amazing Lip glosses i adore are: L'Oreal Glam Shine Lip Gloss - £8
Benefit Lip gloss in 'Kiss' - it's a very soft shade of pink - £14
Also love the Dior lip gloss sticks too. Very delicious.
Mac lipstick in 'Girl about town' - i love this hot pink colour - £12.50
Love Mac for their vibrant variety of Lipstick colours and also YSL lipsticks.

Eyes:

I could go on forever on this section but maybe another time. I have short eyelashes, and as a kid growing up I wanted so badly to have my friends eyelashes which were like 12mm long. What's a girl to do but try every kinda lash extending mascara?

What's working for me are:

Max Factor's Master Piece Max Mascara - £10 - This rocks! Clinique High impact Mascara - £14.50 - This is really good and the wand doesn't clog up to much too. Rimmel Extra super lash mascara w/curled brush - £5 - I also wanted to have curled/upwards lashes too, so i bought this in hope. It's a good all round mascara for everyday use but there are better mascara's. Bourjois Volume Glamour - £8 - Have used this over and over again - tis pretty good.
Someone's just bought me the Dior Showcase Extase mascara - will report back on this another time and also Maybelline Colossal mascara - £7 with it's rubber wand.

Eye shadows

Love YSL, Bobbi Browns Shimmer wash range, Mac for colour and staying power, Shu Uemera - Iridescent colour crayon set - my lovely friend bought this gift from the states and they can be crushed and blended using the finger and has great staying power. I love that you can use the sticks as a high lighter, eye-liner and eye shadow too.
Benefit's Show Offs - £12 Super shimmery product for eyes, lips and cheeks.

Rimmel soft Kohl Eye Pencil - £3 - I cannot live without this product, it's inexpensive and incredibly effective. Easy blending too.

Foundation:

I don't really use foundation anymore, living in a hot climate just doesn't do any good whatsoever, either that or the fact that I'm much more comfortable in my own skin now. In the past I've used L'Oreal's True Match Foundation - £10 or Bobbi Brown - where the colours were matched perfectly to my skin tone.

Concealer

It's worth splurging here mainly because you want to cover up big time and have good staying power! Mac - Moisture cover concealer - £12.50 - doesn't dry out the spot in question. Rimmel Stay matt concealer - £5 - provides a much thicker cover but colours available are not so great which is where Bobbi Brown comes in. Her Creamy Concealer is amazing as is the Corrector (for under the eyes/uneven skin tone) both £16.50. Talk about saving the day...

Bronzer/Blushers

Hmmm, I love bronzers, they transform me from scary, pasty ghost into a glowing human being. I was also bought a gorgeous hot pink cream blush from Milan years ago and all I can say is that it changed my life. Carrie Bradshaw eat your heart out girl! An orange or hot pink cream blush added (by finger tips) in a sweeping upwards motion on your cheekbones/upper apples of your cheek area - mind you only need a little can just give you that healthy, rosy look. Most of my cream blushers and hot coloured powder blushers are from Hong Kong from either Sa-Sa or Bonjour.

I love and religiously use Rimmel's Natural Bronzer - £5.50 but am currently using one by Marbert (at Harrods - i bought this on sale for a fiver-bargain!!) There are a great range of iridescent, shimmery bronzers/blushers out there with varying shade in one set, so as you sweep along you get a highlighter and a deeper colour-depending on what you look you're going for. Bobbi Brown, Dior, Givenchy amongst a few others have excelled in this department.

Highlighters:

Benefits High Beam - £17.50 - I luuuurve this product for adding a swift bit of shine to your cheekbones, under the brow and a few other places... There are more inexpensive versions out there, this is just one 'splurge' product i love to use. I also love H & M (yes as in the fashion chain) for their Shimmer Powder in Gold which I use on the eyes and cheeks sometimes - it's really shimmery! I bought it for around £3-4.

Face cleansers:

Clarins One step Cleanser - £17.50 - I always pick this up at the Duty Free for a lot less, this removes all the nastiness and make-up on your face leaving it soft and smelling wonderful. A cheaper version without the frills but also amazing? Simple Conditioning Eye Make-up Remover - £3 - mainly for the eyes note! Problem skin - I know breakouts are the worst thing that can possibly happen, especially around the time of the month amongst other things. Clean & Clear Deep Cleansing cream wash - £3 or Clean & Clear Blackhead scrub - £3-4. To be honest i can't remember which one rocked it, but it was the one that exfoliates well, leaving no shiny skin and also felt tingly.

Body moisturiser:

Palmers Cocoa Butter Body Lotion - £3.50 - Holy Bananas this is my can't live without product ever! It's cheap, smells so yummy you want to eat it, leaves the skin feeling properly soft and re-hydrated and is simply Wow. I've used this product for like 16 years and counting.

Also need to get more of The Sanctuary's Body Moisture Spray - £5.50 - this is also amazing, smells amazing and leaves the skin super soft. It's not too oily either.

Oh my god, this post is like an essay and i haven't even added images yet. I'm officially a beauty junkie, yikes!