Yes after sieving through celebrity photos from last week we happened to stumble over a noticeable trend that kept popping up on several celebrities! Each one seemed to be rocking the biker chic look and making it look pretty good, the leather jacket was obviously a must-have for these girls to complete their desired look. Check out the culprits below and see if you’ll be giving the biker chic look a go….
Charlize Theron looked great above whilst attending the Artists for Peace and Justice Haiti relief brunch on the 24th January. I’m loving the feminine yellow and black spotted dress and the leather jacket just completes her look so perfectly. Demi Moore also teamed a short leather jacket with puffed-sleeved, teamed with skinny jeans and a crisp white shirt, a classic and elegant take on the biker trend.
Last Tuesday Amelle Berrabah and Jade Ewan from (the ever changing!) Sugababes both demonstrated how to rock the leather look! Both girls looked great in their outfits, especially Jade in her three-quarter sleeves and cropped jacket, it really oozed coolness.
The day before we saw Eva Herzigova attended the ETAM Fashion Show in Paris, she is pictured here sporting her distressed leather jacket and over-the-knee boots (another key trend) along with a black shift dress. Personally I’m not so keen on the jacket with this outfit, however, Eva still manages to look good… surprise, surprise!
If you want to give the leather look a go, I’ve found a few you may be interested in…
To start we have the Caprice Fitted Leather Biker Jacket at €119 from littlewoods.ie. This is a black fitted zip up leather jacket, with a deep rib collar that can be turned down or zipped fully up to give it more versatility.
Next we have the Waterfall Soft Leather Jacket from AWear at €120. This black leather fitted jacket is really feminine and pretty with it’s frilled chest detail. You will definitely look the part in it and will spot many an envious eye whilst out and about in it too!
Lastly I found this Luxe Leather Jacket at Oasis for the bargain price of €94. This black 100% leather jacket is uber cool, this style has been spotted on the likes of Kate Moss to name but one in recent times. The blazer style jacket has great detailed sequins on the shoulders that complete the fabulous look.
So there you have it ladies, I’ll leave it up to you as to whether or not you will be investing in a leather luxury or leaving this latest trend by the wayside!
It’s only two months since Coleen gave birth to her son Kai and at a recent Cricket fashion show in Liverpool she unveiled her new bod! She was wearing a flimsy silk dress that ordinarily would not actually ‘show off’ her slim figure, but at one stage a gust of wind caught the dress and revealed just how toned and slim she now is!
Coleen had said during her pregnancy that she was ‘not planning on rushing into losing weight after the baby’ but, it is believed that she enlisted the help of a personal trainer and stuck to an intensive exercise and diet regime since the birth of Kai. She attended the fashion show with fellow wag Alex Curran, I’m presuming they were able to swap tips on baby weight and formula feeds!
I think she actually looks better than ever before and I love her dress, let me know what you think??
I don’t know about you but I actually find it quite hard to find a good exfoliator that will not only leave my skin beautifully soft but also take off patchy tan when needed. I have tried and tested SO many different ones and to be honest very little impressed me apart from two! I’ve chosen three to tell you about…
Yes to Carrots – Moisturizing Body Scrub
This body scrub did leave my skin feeling nice and soft but it didn’t make my patchy tan budge an inch! I know it’s only a minor annoyance but I found it very hard to actually squeeze out a substantial amount onto my hand in the shower. It’s a white VERY thick creamy texture and to be honest I felt very few grains in it, so I personally didn’t feel like I could really scrub off those dead skin cells… you know what I mean. I was quite disappointed in this product as they have done a lot of publicity with the Yes to Carrots products and I was dying to try some of them, however one good side to this product is it is Paraben Free (preservatives used in cosmetics).
My rating for this product is 2/5
Clinique – Sparkle Skin, Body Exfoliating Cream
This exfoliating cream was one of my favourites, it leaves you feeling soft, refreshed AND gets rid of patchy tan. So basically it is an all-rounder that does what an exfoliator is meant to do! It has a green hue to it and plenty of small grains to really rub over your skin. After my shower I couldn’t believe how soft my skin felt and it actually had a lovely glow to it also. The only slight fault I had with the cream was it’s smell, but that’s a personal thing, it has a kind of menthol smell to it (as it’s in the ingredients) but it’s easy to squeeze out of the tube as it’s a kind of a gel texture rather than a cream. If you want to get rid of old fake tan or just want to re-buff your skin, give this exfoliator a go and you won’t be disappointed.
My rating for this product is 4/5
Body Shop – Moringa Body Scrub
I’m going to be honest with you I generally don’t shop in The Body Shop, but this Christmas I got a Moringa (yes, that is the correct spelling!) set which contained the Body Scrub. OH MY GOD….. Brilliant… I absolutely love it! It has a smell to die for, really fresh and zingy, it is filled with small grains that you can really rub into your skin. It’s a nice yellow colour and comes in a small round tub which means you can easily dip your fingers in and swoop out as much as you like! When I was out of the shower I smelt gorgeous, felt soft and was glowing…… sorry for blowing my own trumpet a bit! But that’s the effect this scrub will have on you, it will make you feel good about yourself and put a spring in your step.
Ladies it’s that time of year again…. to pull up your snowboard pants and throw your board over your shoulder… or on the other hand do what you do with your ski’s… yipee!!
As you have probably guessed I am indeed an avid snowboarder, I’ve been going to Val D’isere in France for the past seven years and absolutely love it. I was also in Mayrhofen in Austria last year for three weeks which I would also recommend. Once we get to our snow destination we are up at the chair lifts for 8.30am each morning and are usually the last to leave the mountain at 5pm!
So I thought I would put together some tips that might help you if you’re going for the first time or just some tips in general. One thing I must point out - you won’t win any fashionista awards on a snowboarding holiday so save that for Apres ski!
First things first, you’re going to need the right clothing! Skiing and snowboarding clothing used to be very difficult to find and expensive as it seemed that only the ‘elite’ went skiing, therefore very few shops stocked it! Now however, every second person seems to be going each year, so more and more shops are beginning to stock it thus reducing the prices which is always a good thing.
Obviously if it’s your first time going you don’t want to spend too much on the clothing incase you never go again (something is wrong with you if you don’t like it)!! Taking this into account you do have to be very careful when buying the cheaper ranges from the likes of Top Shop as sometimes these are not fully waterproof. If you are snowboarding you need to make sure that your gear is waterproof and of really good quality as you will most definately be spending a lot of your time on your bum! With skiing on the other hand you should remain more…. let’s say ‘vertical’, so it wouldn’t be as important to have really good ski pants on but, in saying this you have to take into consideration the wind chill factor (which can be bloody freezing), so there’s no point in getting something that will not keep you warm.
My advice is instead of picking up a pair of snowboard pants in Topshop etc, go to TK Max instead as it has many of the top named snowboarding/skiing brands for a snippet of their original price. You will get quality clothing that will keep you dry and warm on the top of any mountain! Other places that sell snowboarding/skiing gear are The Great Outdoors on Chatham St Dublin 2, Pamela Scott South William St Dublin 2, Snow and Rock Dundrum Town Centre, 53 Degrees North The Park Carrickmines or Blanchardstown. Personally if I’m looking for a new jacket or snowboard pants I’ll always have a look in TK Max first as it really does have great bargains. You can bag yourself a pair of Burton pants or a Quick Silver jacket for under €100 (above €369), you won’t be getting them for that if you head for the likes of Snow and Rock or 53 Degrees North! My favourite snowboarding brands are Burton, West Beach, Special Blend, Four Square, Bonfire and Quick Silver… to name but a few. I’m a ‘clothing junkie’ when it comes to the snow, having a collection of jackets and pants Eddie the Eagle would be proud of, I think I need to get my habit under control!
So what to pack on your week long holiday!
Firstly NO HEELS! You always know the snow virgin in your resort as she will be tottering/skidding about in her 6 inch stilletos, short skirt and quivering with the cold. Ski holidays are totally relaxed therefore you need to go with the flo. What you need to pack:
1) 1 pair snowboard pants
2) 1 snowboard jacket and I would recommend bringing another casual jacket for the evenings because usually your ski jacket will still be wet by the time your going out in the evening. If snowboarding try to get a jacket with a ‘snowskirt’ at the bottom, this is a tight band that you pull closed before zipping your jacket up and it prevents snow from going up your back or front if you fall, a great little bonus!
3) Ski socks – a pair for each day, if you don’t fancy doing any washing on your holiers! Get proper ski socks as they will come up to your knees and will protect your legs from your boots rubbing against your skin. If you want to splash out you can get proper snowboard socks which have added padding in areas that your boots will dig in to. (above from 53 Degrees North, €27)
4) Thermal vest – this will keep you dry when you perspire and keep you nice and toastie, again you can pick these up in TK Max for a fraction of the cost in other shops.
5) Gloves – SNOWBOARDERS BEWARE! If you are going snowboarding not only will your backside be in the snow a lot but your hands too! Each time you need a break you will generally sit down on the slope and your hands will be resting in the snow and helping you to get up and down on your board. Therefore it really is of utter importance that you invest in a good pair of gloves. I guarantee you if you buy a really cheap pair before you go, you will end up on the second day of your holiday buying a proper pair in the resort! There is nothing worse than being cold and wet up the mountian for hours. Personally I went for Level gloves which have an inner glove too for extra warmth, try and get gloves with Gortex as this is the closest you will get to being waterproof. DON’T put your gloves on a radiator after a day on the slopes as this will render their waterproofless! You can place them near the radiator or above it but do not place directly on the heat itself as it will damage the Gortex.
6) Neck Warmer – another must have, it does what it says on the tin! Just pull it over your head and it keeps the chilling wind at bay especially on the freezing chair lifts.
7) Hat – Obviously don’t forget this item! Make sure to get a hat that pulls down over your ears to keep you warm. There are plenty of great hats out there to keep you looking cool and will keep you warm, I have a cute Analog hat that keeps me nice and toastie.
Other than the above necessary items, you should just pack maybe two pairs of jeans, some nice tops as it will be warm in the pubs and clubs, a good pair of boots, remember obviously not suede or toeless! Warm casual gloves a must, scarf, warm casual jacket, hat and need I say it again…. NO 6 inch heels! Remember to bring your iPod to listen to whilst you whizz down the mountain and you may want a little something in a hipflask if your planning on spending a full day up there!
Safety Gear!
Ok so you may be a first timer or you’re just looking for tips in general, well check out this section as it could save you from sitting on a pillow at your desk for the next 6 months! If you haven’t already heard skiing and snowboarding are quite dangerous sports activities so my advice is to take precautions! I am in fact speaking from experience as 3 years ago I arrived home from my holiday in a neckbrace, with a broken bone in my neck! Apart from having a few creaks and twinges now and again I’m back to normal, well as normal as before the accident! There are a few items of safety that you can get before you go so I’ve listed them below:
1) Impact Shorts – A MUST HAVE…. if you are snowboarding! From our first year snowboarding we all had our shorts, they are brilliant. They are basically padded so when you fall on your bum… which you will do 100′s of times they protect you and your coccyx….. thank god!
2) Knee Pads – Again if you are going snowboarding I really recommend you get a pair. You will fall on your knees and sometimes they will take your whole body weight which let me tell you will hurt! If you don’t have the money to invest in a proper pair some people just wear skateboarders knee pads which essentially will do the same trick. (pair pictured from Snow & Rock)
3) Helmet – They say you should wear a helmet when on the snow at any time, just look at poor Natasha Richardson who died whilst skiing on the baby slope last year. If you are brave enough to venture into the snowparks for some jumps and tricks many of these now state that you must wear a helmet there. You can get pretty cool helmets now, particular brands I like are Smith, Red, Bern or Protect and if you get a plain helmet you can put stickers on it or do a little artwork to make them more individual. You can expect to pay about €70 upwards for your helmet.
4) Back Protectors – Snowboarders, you really only need to get one of these if you are a more advanced rider. They are great for protecting your back if you are going to be going into the park and doing rails etc.
5) Gloves with wristguards – Again if you are snowboarding, the first rule of thumb is… if you’re going down… keep your elbows and hands into your chest! Do not try and lessen your impact with your hands as the most common injury with snowboarders is broken wrists. You can get gloves with wristguards to protect your wrists, however these are generally on the pricey side but worth the investment.
Don’t go snowboarding or skiing without travel insurance, we use Get Cover (www.getcover.ie) each year as it’s the most reasonable for what you get. If you plan on going off piste this covers you too, as if you’re not covered for off piste your friends will have to drag you back to the run before calling for help as you will not be covered if you leave the designated skiing areas.
I hope you find some of the information above helpful and if you have any questions feel free to ask below in the comment box. I’ve attached a link below for you to look at and I hope by the time you’re back from your holiday you will have perfected the Rodeo 1080…… I only wish I could say it was me on the clip, maybe this year I’ll perfect it myself!
We recently showed you how to dress a ‘pear shaped‘ body, now it’s time to give you tips on how to dress an ‘apple shaped’ body.
What is an apple shaped body?
If you have a wide torso for example a full bust, waist, hips and upper back and yet you have relatively slim thighs and upper legs, you are a classic example of an ‘apple shape’. Apple shaped women tend to look ‘top heavy’ as they tend to be bigger up top and slimmer on lower half. There is most definitely a trick to dressing your body and bringing the eye away from your problem areas, read on to find out how!
You have to accentuate your best bits and for you it’s going to be your great cleavage and your slim legs. In saying that there are do’s and don’ts you should abide by:
Dressing you top half:
* Avoid anything that is too tight (it will draw too much attention to your bust), or anything too baggy (which will in fact make you look bigger than you are). Your best option is to go for fabrics that skim your body, preferably knits and wovens with stretch for a better fit. A slightly heavier fabric will always hide unsightly lumps and bumps too!
* You should always go for V-neck, boatneck, turtle and mock necks and shirt collars as they are the most flattering necklines for your shape.
* Use your ‘best bits’, show a little cleavage (now I’m not recommending that you turn into the next Jordon!), just maybe wear a pretty cami under a top or cardigan.
Dressing your bottom half:
* Top trick: you can balance out a top-heavy figure with an A-line skirt, this will give you the look of a waist and more of an hourglass look.
* Choose flat-front, never pleated, pants that have a lower rise than the natural waist.
* Always make sure to wear jeans that have pockets on the rear and front because if you are heavy on top this will disguise any tummy problems, while back pockets can help define a flatter rear common to top-heavy women.
* Avoid wearing skintight jeans or tight pencil skirts etc as this will only make your top half seem bigger again.
* Again show off your assets, if you have nice legs wear shorter (an inch above the knee!) skirts. As this will draw people’s attention away from your top half.
Another tip is to avoid mixing and matching too many different colours, choose monochromatic outfits as they will give the illusion of longer legs.
No matter what you think, don’t cover up from head to toe, as by showing a little skin whether it’s bare arms or shoulders this will be much more flattering.
If apple-shaped Catherine Zeta Jones can look this good, I’m proud to be a part of the ‘Granny Smyths’ family!!
This is a classic pear-shaped body…. now lets tell you how you should dress it!
Bottom-heavy
I’m sure you have all heard of the term being pear-shaped, this is if your hips are wider than your shoulders and your thighs are round. There are particular ways you can dress if you’re pear-shaped that can highlight your positive area such as a delicate upper body, a shapely waist or toned shoulders and arms. I’ve put together some tips for dressing that may help you feel more comfortable with your own body shape;
Dressing your bottom half:
1) Trouser waists should sit somewhere below your natural waistline for a better looking fit and a straight or slightly boot cut leg is the most flattering style you could wear. Stick to plain dark colours as these are more slimming compared to patterned or light- coloured trousers. There is no point in wearing trousers with big pockets on the hips or rouching etc as this will add to and accentuate your lower half making it look bigger.
2) A-line skirts that go down to your knee are perfect for you, as they draw attention away from the problem areas.
3) Avoid anything too tight on your lower half, try to get clothes that just skim your bum and legs and fall to the ground as this will generally be a lot more flattering.
Dressing your top half:
1) You have to be careful when wearing your tops, avoid them being too baggy as this will make you look big all over, and if you wear a skintight top you will look out of proportion and it will draw attention to your bigger lower half! What’s the answer… wear fitted tops that show your shape but not skintight. Tops with a v-neck, buttons or some detailing around the neck will draw peoples attention up top – which is what you want!
2) When wearing a jacket you need to make sure it does not end at your widest point i.e your hips! You are better off to wear a jacket or coat down to your mid thigh area, as this will also hide your problem areas.
3) Another idea if you are really conscious of your derriere is to wear a cardigan, also down to your thighs, you can wear this over your tops and it may make you feel more comfortable. Always leave your cardigan or jacket open as the vertical lines are a trick to make you look slimmer. If there’s a tie to the cardi loosely tie it at the back to it slightly tappers the cardi at your waist.
Princess Beatrice showing us pear-shaped… at its worst!!
Francois Nars, Founder and Creative Director of NARS Cosmetics has designed a collection for Spring 2010 that was inspired by Catherine Deneuve‘s role as Lucille in La Chamade. It features spring-perfect soft and light shades of nudes, pink and peaches and purple for nails. Purple nails are another alternative to this season’s trend of pink nails, personally I prefer the purple, great toe colour!
“I love Catherine’s makeup look in this movie,” said François Nars, who chose supermodel Amber Valletta (above) for the campaign. “It’s very sophisticated and bourgeois in a Parisian ‘16th Arrondissement’ way. She is the perfect reference for this collection, and apropos for spring, a time to embrace color and get noticed.”
For the moment you will have to rely on Brown Thomas or House of Frasier for buying NARS as they don’t deliver to Ireland yet through their site but they intend to “very soon”.
As you can see from the picture above the NARS Cruising Lipstick- €25 is a subtle, sexy pink lipstick hue and is said to provide a sheer natural long-lasting color.
NARS Lip Gloss- €25. Easy Lover-Serious luster meets sexy color in this ultra-sheer hot pink lip gloss. Again, pink is the colour for everything beauty related for 2010.
Ophelia- This high-shine strawberry nectar lip gloss is described as ‘deliciously sweet and seductive’, I’ll have two!
NARS Purple Rain Nail Polish – €18. This intensely gothic purple is a bright and audacious shade destined to become a modern classic, move over Chanel!
NARS D. Gorgeous Single Eyeshadow – €23. This dusty lilac powder eyeshadow yields just a hint of glimmer, a great subtle colour if you are toning down the eyes and pumping up your lips.
NARS Camargue Duo Cream Eyeshadow – €34. Named for the deep, dancing, sun-cast hues found in the French river delta, this pairing of golden moss and sienna, with multi-colored reflections comes in a soft-blending, glistening cream eyeshadow formula. This colour duo is great for enhancing blue eyes.
NARS Kuala Lumpur Duo Eyeshadow – €34. Like its Malaysian city namesake, this perfectly harmonized gold infused rose and boysenberry pairing is influenced by contrasts—rich and subtle, traditional yet modern.
NARS Glitter Pencil – €28. This bright sky blue, silver glitter-infused hue delivers powerful, vibrant color that slides on smooth and remains creamy for blending. It’s also a great colour to use with brown eyes.
You can get your mitts on any of the above gorgeous items from the end of January at Brown Thomas and House of Frasier.
Lashes are the new spray tan! Last year you wouldn’t leave the house without your spray tan now you can’t step out without a full set of lashes so here’s some ways of achieving the look from home…
1) If you have a traditional brush wand you can improve lash separation while applying mascara by moving the wand in a swift, zig-zag direction from the lash root to tip instead of using one sweeping motion.
2) Make sure to coat your inner lashes as well as your middle and outer corners, if you miss out the inner lashes it can make your eyes look closer together or narrow. Try and think of your lashes as a fan – a middle, outer side and inner side, this will really open up your eyes and flatter your eye shape.
3) Dab the tip of your mascara on a tissue before you use it to get rid of the glob that tends to form there. This will keep you from getting uneven, gloopy product distribution, especially on your shorter lashes.
4) If you use lash primer, particularly a white one, wait 10-30 seconds for the primer to dry before applying your mascara, otherwise your mascara can end up looking diluted and not as dark.
5) If you are applying a few coats of mascara to your lashes for a more dramatic effect, make sure not to let the previous coat dry as it will make it look clumpy.
6) Mascara generally lasts about three months, but the biggest sign that you need a new mascara is when it stops performing like the day it did when you first got it.
7) If it’s time to throw out your mascara, you can recycle the wand by cleaning it thoroughly in makeup remover and then reusing it as a very effective lash separation brush or a brow brush.
If you are thinking of buying a new mascara see our previous post where put several to the test.
Yes, it’s still FREEZING! Can you believe the weather? I spent the day yesterday snowboarding in Wicklow, now there’s a sentence I didn’t think I’d write! As it is set to last for another couple of days I’ve jotted down four of my top tips for buying a coat suitable for your body shape…
Coats for pear shaped figures:
The trick here is to draw attention away from your hips, get people to look up! So balance a bigger bottom half with an oversized collar because the extra fabric will draw peoples attention to your neckline and balance out your shape. Littlewoods have this great coat with large collars, the neckline is still open enough to knot a scarf underneath to change the look.
Coats for big busts:
Zip it! There is nothing worse than seeing a person in a top or coat with buttons stretched and looking like they’re going to pop at any moment! Find yourself a coat with a zip as this will close easier and look an awful lot better.
Coats for Small Chests:
Get plaid, animal print or something with a design! Having a design on the coat will draw attention away from your small chest. If you want to ‘pump up the volume’ up top, get a double-breasted coat, it will get the illusion of a larger chest. Awear are carrying this animal print, a trend that doesn’t seem to be going anywhere.
Coats for Curvy Bodies:
Debenhams Jasper Conran Trench Coat, €109.
Belt up! A good trench coat with a belt will define your waist and instantly slims, so check out this Jasper Conran trench perfect to ‘trim and slim’ your look! Keeping wrapped up doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice your style, just work with what you have and enhance or disguise where needed.
Heidi Klum, (mum to four children!) is set to launch two maternity lines in February, Loved by Heidi Klum and Lavish by Heidi Klum. They will be sold on www.peainthepod.com (great label for maternity wear) and on www.motherhood.com, both of which will deliver to Ireland. Lavish will be more higher end and Loved will be more affordable to most! Heidi is following in the footsteps of Nicole Richie who also has a line of maternity available at ‘pea in the pod’.
Heidi only gave birth to her last child three months ago and looks incredible as usual already! Ms. Klum was on the red carpet many a time during her four pregnancies and looked absolutely stunning in each photo, so she obviously knows what she’s talking about when giving us advice in the ’rounded bump department’!
“I experienced fashion challenges during my four pregnancies and combined my knowledge of what works in terms of style, comfort and practicality to create these lines”, says Heidi. She goes on to say “Being pregnant shouldn’t stop you from being fashionable and feeling great about your changing body… it’s an exciting journey”. Now I don’t mean to be sceptical but I’m sure with all Heidi’s money and contacts she was able to get pampered on a daily basis to keep herself feeling so good during her pregnancies…. there definitely was no sign of ‘Klum Kankles’ at any stage!
Both ranges will be on sale online and in stores from the 12th February.
Other than the above necessary items, you should just pack maybe two pairs of jeans, some nice tops as it will be warm in the pubs and clubs, a good pair of boots, remember obviously not suede or toeless! Warm casual gloves a must, scarf, warm casual jacket, hat and need I say it again…. NO 6 inch heels! Remember to bring your iPod to listen to whilst you whizz down the mountain and you may want a little something in a hipflask if your planning on spending a full day up there!
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