Be Annabell*: 2011

Sunday

Get A Party Perfect Look with 17

Seeing as the party season is in full swing I want to share with you my tips on how to get a party perfect look with this seasons must have metallic shades from 17.

You've found the perfect outfit now all that's left is to create a smouldering make-up look. Its all about the shimmering eyes for Christmas and 17 have some gorgeous colours to choose from including the Trio Eye-Shadow in Enraged £5.49 and Trio Eye-Shadow in Vengeance £5.49.

Enraged - A trio of gorgeous glittering eye-shadows in warm caramel, rich gold and deep chocolate. Wear delicately for a daytime look or build up and layer the different shades for a modern take on the smoky eye. Finish off with statement lashes by layering up 17's Falsifeye False Eye Effect Mascara then add a golden glow with 17 Fast Finish Nail Polish £2.99 in Fury, a glittering gold with a slight iridescent finish.

17 Trio Eyeshadow in Enraged £5.49

17 Fast Finish Nail Polish in Fury £2.99

Vengeance - Move away from the classic grey and black smoky eye look with this trio of vampy shades - rich aubergine, taupe and muted silver. These deep colours will create a truly glamorous look, wear with 17 Fast Finish Nail Polish in Revenge £2.99, a stunning aubergine colour with a metallic flash. Finish with scarlet red lips for a look that will certainly turn a few heads.

17 Trio Eyeshadow in Vengeance £5.49

17 Fast Finish Nail Polish in Revenge £2.99

The 17 collections are available in Boots stores nationwide and online at www.boots.com

B x

Monday

David Baird & Paul Smith

I really enjoy hearing about how my friends and people I knew from uni are doing well in their careers and I couldn't be more happy for my friend David Baird. An extremely talented photographer David's career has taken off at full speed and he recently won the NME/Nikon Professional Photographer category award for his picture of The Subways (below).

David's latest project is one close to my fashion heart - he has created a series of limited edition prints to be sold by www.paulsmith.co.uk in collaboration with The Music Exchange and UK charity Framework

During a visit to The Music Exchange earlier this year, Sir Paul mentioned he was a fan of Iggy Pop and David – whose work is on display in the Music Exchange - arranged for a picture he had shot of the artist to be passed on to Sir Paul. He liked it so much that he suggested a selection pictures by David could be sold on the Paul Smith website in support of The Music Exchange.   Raising money for the homeless charity Framework, The Music Exchange has been displaying David’s work in their shop in the Chapel Bar area of Nottingham, since 2009, when they heard he was the resident photographer at Rock City.

David has spent the past 8 years photographing some of the biggest music acts in the world - of which I am very envious! As well as earning himself a job assisting acclaimed Rock photographer Denis O'Regan, he has covered events such as Live 8 and Download festival, with his images regularly making their way onto international newswires and into print across the globe.  

Having the legendary Paul Smith recognise his work is something that David is particularly proud of and said “When I heard he was an Iggy Pop fan, I knew I had to get a copy of one of my shots to him. Sir Paul is a real innovator for the creative industries, and somebody that I’m particularly proud to share an affiliation with through our Nottingham connections. To have him personally suggest that my work could be sold on his website feels really special. That picture of Iggy is my favourite as well. "

Six different limited edition images are available to buy on www.paulsmith.co.uk. The images are of Robert Plant, Shane MacGowan, The Specials, Motorhead and Iggy and the Stooges. The prints are priced at £100 and only 10 of each image are available. For each print sold 25% of profits will be donated to The Music Exchange.

The photos from the limited edition collection among others from David’s archive are also on sale in a special music pop up shop in a Paul Smith store in Fukuoka, Japan. The shop is also selling a selection of specially designed t-shirts, music posters and vinyl records supplied by The Music Exchange.

For more info on David Baird visit http://davidbaird.photoshelter.com/

B x

Sunday

Look 10 Years Younger in 40 Seconds with Nanoblur

When the beauty world starts raving about a new product I always want to see what all the hype is about so when everyone started talking about nanoblur I couldn't wait to get my hand on some to try. Hailed as the best new anti-ageing serum around it claims to visibly transform your skin in a matter of seconds. Crows feet, sagging, lines and enlarged pores are said to disappear in 40 seconds, and it's not just for the face, it can be applied to hands, neck or any other part of the body.

Originally formulated to tackle concerns created by HD cameras that would highlight the slightest skin imperfections on Hollywood celebs, nanoblur uses an advanced form of optical prism technology to literally 'blur' any lines and flaws on the skin.

nanoblur

nanoblur - 10 years younger in 40 seconds?

nanoblur

The first time I saw the effects of nanoblur was on older skin (40yrs) and was shocked at how it transformed the area of skin around the eyes, it literally smoothed out the skin, the wrinkles were gone! Amazing! When I tried it on my face I was really impressed with the results, the lines on my forehead appeared more faint although the matt finish was clearly visible so if I were to use it regularly I would need to apply all over my face to avoid matt patches. I'd also advise anyone who has dry skin to mix nanoblur with moisturiser as it can dry out the skin.

I also tested it out on my Mum as I wanted to see the effect on deeper winkles (sorry Mum!) and although it did appear to smooth out the skin slightly it wasn't as effective as I thought it would be - although my Mum loved it so it must be doing something right!

Although I think it's a great product, for someone of my age (25yrs) it's probably not relevant, but it has got me extremely excited about what the future holds for anti ageing products. If advanced products such as nanoblur are being produced now, what can we look forward to in another 10-20 years?!

nanoblur is available exclusively at Boots stores nationwide and online at www.boots.com for £19.99.

B x

Monday

Daniel Galvin at The Corinthia Hotel

As soon as you step into The Corinthia Hotel in London you immediately get a sense of opulence and luxury so on my way up to the Daniel Galvin Salon I couldn't help but wonder how a hair salon would fit into such grand surroundings and what it would be like.

Opened in July this year the stunning new Daniel Galvin Salon oozes luxury and glamour like it's surroundings. A neutral space which relaxes guests and provides a hairdressing experience that allows you to forget the hustle & bustle of London going on around you. I was invited to try out a 'Veg' dye and blow dry, see the before and after below.

Before - Flat as a pancake!

After - Muchos Volume!

Daniel Galvin Salon at The Corinthia Hotel

I was really impressed by the friendliness of the staff and their hairdressing skills. I had a gorgeous blow dry that was finished off with rollers to create maximum volume, but because my hair is rubbish 20 minutes after stepping out of the salon it was flat as a pancake!! With the dye I opted to go just a shade darker to add a richness to my mousey brown locks. If I were to have it done again I would definitely go a lot darker, although there was a slight difference in colour I would have liked to have seen more of an effect. Over all I would definitely recommend the Daniel Galvin Salon at The Corinthia Hotel for special occasions and for those who like to be pampered in style! I came away feeling great and wanting to stay there longer.

Hidden behind a nearly invisible door just outside the Salon is possibly one of the best makeover rooms in the world - The Ultimate Makeover room provides high profile guests with complete discretion and an uber luxurious space in which to be pampered and preened. It contains two screens offering a choice of live TV or the pick of over 100 of the most iconic films to inspire and entertain guests. Specialist lighting that imitates everything from camera flashes to outdoor lighting insures that looks are created to suit particular scenarios. The room also works as a fully functioning office for those who wish to speak to family or agents whilst getting their hair done and with stylists and staff waiting on you hand and foot what more could you want?! If you've got a super star budget for a special occasion I definitely recommend trying this out and taking me with you!

The Ultimate Makeover Room

Have you been to The Corinthia Hotel or the Daniel Galvin Salo? What do you think?

B x

River Island Spring/Summer 2012

I popped into River Island's Spring/Summer 2012 press day last week. As one of my favourite highstreet stores I couldn't wait to get a peek at what they have to offer next season - they certainly didn't disappoint.

Trends include;

Miami - Over the top prints inspired by Latin America
Spring Break - Logo tees, printed shorts, this is a preppy trend with an edge
Prairie - Western inspired, fringing, crochet, a carefree hippy style.
Ethnic - A play on tribal patterns and embroidery
Purist - An androgynous take on sports luxe, monochrome tailoring mixed with pastels & metallics
Sugar - A very girly vibe, pretty pinks and pastels

I wanted to share my sneak peek with you all.... check out the pics (there's quite a few!!) Let me know your favourite bits, mine are the tribal inspired pieces, especially the tassel dress!

B x

River Island Spring/Summer 2012