Winter is nearly upon us so our thoughts turn to Spring/summer as London Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2011 begins. Even the weather warmed to the event as it went from crisp chilly days to end with blazing hot sunshine.
Early on Day one and opening the show at the BFC marquee catwalk was Paul Costelloe. Still sleepy, frantic shouting backstage put a smile on our bleary eyed faces.
PAUL COSTELLOE
Paul Costelloe Man SS11 collection has a defined palette of indigo blue, silver, white and scarlet. All taking inspiration from a midnight summer sky with silvery moonlight playing on the lake and the red of a fiery star.
The silver metallic gives the classic mac an updated futuristic look,....................
..................whilst the chintz patterned shirt worn with slim beige trousers has a retro feel.
Four buttoned suits and trousers are fitted giving a slim silhouette
Knee length tailored slim shorts look great with the white sleeveless linen jacket and white capped tee underneath, but are you ready to wear them to work with a shirt and jacket?
Especially when they are scarlet or chintz patterned. And yes it is no longer considered a fashion faux pas to wear socks and shoes with them.
At the end of the show, Costelloe's six sons strutted down the catwalk (albeit nervously) suited and booted..
Sometimes you don’t have to spend a fortune to look good and Tesco’s F&F Christmas collection proves that.
Tesco F&F clothing.Image by PRshots
Sharp tailoring is the key theme for the office xmas party with modish slim-fit suits featuring contrast piping on the lapels teamed with a skinny tie and shirt set.
The suit jacket is only £34 and trousers £15 – so you don’t have to worry about splashing a bit of wine on them, who cares if the suit gets ruined, just enjoy the festivities and for that money you can just go out and buy another one.
Tesco F&F clothing. Image by PR shots
For more relaxed and casual xmas parties get the F&F contemporary look by wearing their rich velvet blazer with faded jeans and their rock t-shirt.
Tesco F&F clothing. Image by PRshots
And on your way to the party jazz up Tesco's classic belted trench coat with a chunky scarf, a funky deerstalker hat or muted checked trilby hat and leather gloves.
Probably most mornings you don’t have a lot of time for your beauty regime other than a quick shower, shave and hair wash.
That’s OK and you’re forgiven because who wants to lose precious sleep so you can wake up earlier to start your ablutions? But although you may cut corners in your routine, you can’t really afford to cut corners in the products you use.
Melvita, the French organic beauty brand, have a solution with their new shampoo ‘Shower Shampoo’. This shampoo is extra gentle so can be used daily and can also double up as a shower gel – so no time wasted looking for two products and one less bottle to worry about.
This Shower shampoo is organic and sulphate free.
Now you may ask why sulphate free? Apparently most shampoos /shower gels/soaps etc. contain sulphate to help the product lather better but there are queries as to whether it is actually good for the skin and hair. So without compromising on quality and effectiveness, Melvita decided to forego the sulphate and instead use an abundance of alternative natural ingredients to gently care for your hair and skin. Admittedly you may not get as many suds from your sulphate-free shampoo but that’s a small price to pay for healthier hair.
This shampoo is also ideal to take to the gym
Shower Shampoo is not the only Melvita sulphate-free shampoo. They have a wide range designed for specific hair types such as oily, dandruff, dry, normal and chemically treated. So it is a good idea to alternate with the one for your hair type and the Shower Shampoo.
Melvita also have three new conditioners which are silicone- free.
Silicone-based conditioners coat the hair shaft but only give the illusion of health, unlike Melvita’s silicone-free conditioners which actually complement and further enhance the results of the shampoos by adding extra moisture and nourishment.
Where to buy
At the moment, the Melvita range can be purchased at Whole Food Stores, selected John Lewis stores and online from www.melvita.co.uk and www.lookfantastic.com. But as from November you’ll be able to browse through all the range in the first UK Melvita dedicated store which will be based in Covent Garden.
Specialising in knitwear, Am Golhar gained her expertise of high quality yarns such as alpaca and cashmere from Central St. Martins where she achieved an honours degree in Textiles.
Here she decided to blend her love of creating art through textures with her passion for fashion and created her own menswear range.
When asked why she decided to design knitwear for men instead of women, Am replied:
“Everybody always asks why menswear” (ooops) “But then why do men design for women? I really love men’s knitwear, it’s so fun and exciting and I have so many ideas. It’s a challenge to always create a textured menswear fabric that does not look feminine. I’ve always fallen in to menswear throughout everything I did, if I was creating a swatch it always seemed so masculine, whether in the colours or textures.”
Knitwear is not only restricted to the tops but knitted cable joggers as well, not the usual pair of trousers a guy wears you might say, but Am is aiming for the guy who loves fashion and knitwear and does not mind being quirky.
In her spring/summer 2011 (more details later) she has designed cooler three quarter length knitted bottoms and states “No one does this so why not? I had to”.
On some of her tops the length is long: “I wanted to produce something oversized. All the vest tops are long and oversized – they are just fun and just comfy”
For her autumn/winter 2010 collection, Am took inspiration from body armour and focused on texture.
The shoulders of the tops are round and large to give a body armoured feel................
...........and the hoods and oversized knits resemble chain mail. Chunky and fine gauges are created by both hand and machine knitting, whilst the ladders and hole stitches were hand knitted.
Yarns used were alpacas/wools and cashmere giving a luxurious feel to these edgy designs.
Colours are muted in greys, browns, green, camel and taupes.
A few leather pieces – jogging pants (with a subtle diamond embossed pattern) and jackets complement the collection.
Am recently showcased her collection at Stitch, London’s dedicated trade show and for more details you can contact Am herself on info@am-golhar.com
The new Davidoff sport fragrance, Champion, is aptly packaged in a dumbbell bottle design of a dark cylindrical middle with silver metal weights at both ends.
photo from www.prshots.com for The Perfume Shop
But what’s the fragrance like?
Well it is designed to be fresh and masculine for the man who has sport as an integral part of his life alongside success and power.
Tall order for just one scent, so you decide.
The immediate top notes of lemon and bergamot are light and zingy giving a fresh fragrance.
Then the heart notes of Galbanum and Clary Sage along with the heavier masculine woody base notes of Cedar Wood accords and Oak Moss come through.
The bottle design is great and it’ll be one dumbbell you won’t mind carrying in your gym bag.
OK, it’s not just for men, but I had to get your attention and how else would you discover this new cleansing mousse?
Now some of you Prince Charmings will have your beauty routine down to a fine art but some of you may still be on the misguided path that soap and water is enough. So this blog is divided in to 2 categories:
JUST SOAP AND WATER GUYS
No you can’t use any old soap and no you can’t use your shower gel on your face.
You’re just stripping your skin of its natural oils which will leave it prone to spots, blackheads, redness, dryness and sensitivity, not to mention wrinkles. Yes I know wrinkles on guys can make them rugged and interesting looking, but you’ve got plenty of time for that look so let’s not help nature go down this path prematurely.
The way to great looking skin starts with using the right cleansing product i.e. one that says for the face on the bottle or package.
The new Decleor Aroma Cleanse is actually great for you beauty routine novices, because it is a 3 in 1 cleanser which means less beauty routine steps for you to follow!!
All you have to do is put a small amount on your hands, mix with water and wash your face with it and the following steps will happen automatically– simple.
Step 1 – Deep cleansing.
After washing wipe off with one of the damp cotton cloths provided.
Step 2 – Skin Polishing and Perfecting.
If you’re a soap and water guy you probably have never exfoliated. This cleanser’s ingredients of grapefruit, papaya extract and Japanese mulberry will gently slough away those dull dead skin cells for you.
Step 3 – Hydrating and Plumping.
Do you use moisturiser? You should, but for those who don’t at least the cleanser’s Neroli essential oil will help calm the skin and its Hydauronic acid can hold up to 1,000 times its own weight in moisture .
And just in case you feel embarrassed using a cleanser, the plain matt white bottle will ensure this mousse will sit unobtrusively along with your shampoos and shower gels.
Prince Charmings
You may put more emphasis on your moisturisers but if you don’t cleanse correctly and with the right product then all your hard work may be in vain.
Use a cleanser containing too much alcohol and like the soap and water guys, you could be striping your skin of its natural oils. This in turn may set the skin to compensate and produce more oils which result in spots and blackheads. Some cleansers are designed to use with their toners, so beware if not used with its toner it may leave a residue of grime behind.
The new Decleor Aroma Cleanse is for all skin types and no toner is needed. It is also paraben free.
As above the cleanser has 3 actions:
1 –Deep Cleansing
It deep cleanses and comes with 2 cotton cloths. Mix a small amount with water and wash the face. Then wipe off with one of the damp cotton cloths. This action helps exfoliate and buff the skin and ensures no residue is left.
2- Skin Polishing and Perfecting.
You probably do exfoliate and keep up the good work. This cleanser has gentle exfoliating ingredients of grapefruit, papaya extract and Japanese mulberry, so great to use in between your weekly exfoliation.
3- Hydrating and Plumping.
The nourishing Neroli essential oil and Hylauronic acid in this cleanser are not substitutes for your own moisturiser, but will just give a boost. Hylauronic acid is usually an ingredient found in eye serums and moisturisers to help reduce the appearance of wrinkles.
So guys – just because the bottle doesn’t say for men, don’t discount it.
And the full name?
DECLEOR HYDRA-RADIANCE SMOOTHING CLEANSING MOUSSE
At the moment, this product is only available on www.qvcuk.com until May 2011 when it has its worldwide launch
