Fashion Tips | ShinyStyle

While summer could hardly be considered drawing to a close – I mean, it’s only July – it’s that transitional time of year for fashion when the new Autumn/Winter lines arrive, and we begin to idly plan what we’ll be wearing next season once the sun’s finally gone away. To prevent any of you ladies getting into a flap about what you should be buying for your autumn wardrobes when you still haven’t sorted out your wardrobe for your impending summer holiday, here is your Autumn wish-list, courtesy of Shiny Style.

Those whose summer diets haven’t really gone the way as planned will be happy to know that they don’t have to stress about body-con this year, as the maxi-dress will still be going strong once the holidays are over. Richard Nicolls’ collection is an example of how we should be rocking floor-lengths this Autumn/Winter. Trade in bright, summer-friendly prints and fabrics for something a little more luxe; think rich velvets, lace, chiffon and feathers. After all, winter is the party season.

However, if you’re looking for something a teensy bit more form-fitting, be on the lookout for more 1950s dress shapes in the shops this autumn. The full-skirted dresses as seen on the Louis Vuitton catwalks were sexed up with corset tops, creating the perfect balance between ladylike and sexy.

You should also get ready to dress for sub-zero temperatures as the hot trend for the upcoming fashion season is.. sheepskin! Perfect for cold winter weather, Phillip Lim showed us on the catwalk how to make sheepskin work for us: opt for leather jackets with a sheepskin collar and lining for an instant update on the biker-girl trend. Sheepskin will also be a strong presence in footwear once summer is past. Keep an eye out for workman’s boots with sheepskin this winter as seen on the catwalks of Burberry Prorsum – a coolier, grungier version of the shoe boot that will keep your tootsies warm all winter.Caramel and camel tones will continue to be stylish, as seen on the catwalk for Chloe’s ready-to-wear show. If you don’t want to go head-to-toe caramel, an easy way to incorporate the trend into your wardrobe is a tailored camel coat that will keep you snug during the winter.

Check the gallery below for this year’s A/W trends.

Tags: autumn winter, Louis Vuitton, phillip lim, sheepskin, Trend Alert
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Fashion Tips, Features, How to Wear

How to: buy the perfect bra

By laurenbravo on April 27th, 2010

Bra (left), £30, Monsoon.

You can’t build a house on bad foundations, and nor can you build a killer outfit without the right underwear. With 70 per cent of women wearing the wrong size, the nation’s breasts are in distress.

Not having a live-in Gok Wan to hoist ours up in front of a three-way mirror, it can be easy to forget all about them and let those bras fray, straps sag and our boobs spill over into unwelcome territory. Then there’s the fact that whatever our age, going for a bra fitting will always make us feel like a gawky 13-year-old, blushing beetroot while our assets are fondled by someone resembling Mrs Beeton.

But with underwear as outerwear a massive trend for summer, what better time to reclaim control of your chest? Start by going for a free in-store fitting (we love John Lewis and Debenhams for their motherly service and huge range of lingerie brands), or failing that, measure yourself using the guide below.

Measuring yourself:

Start by using a tape measure to measure all the way around your rib cage, under your bust, at the place the bottom bit of the bra would sit. Make sure it stays level all the way round, not slipping down at the back. Then look at your measurement in inches – it it’s an odd number, add five. If it’s an even number, add four. That’s your band size (otherwise known as “the unflattering bit”. But don’t be tempted to vanity size; most people who tell you they’re a 28F will be LYING).

Next, measure around the fullest part of your bust and compare it to your band size (the rib measurement + 4 or 5) to determine your cup size. If the bust measurement is the same as the band size, you’re a cup size A. If it’s one inch more, your cup size is B. Two inches more makes your cup size a C, three inches more makes a D, four inches makes a DD, five inches makes an E, and so on through F, FF, G and beyond. If your bust measurement is smaller than your band size, you’re probably measuring wrong. Or a boy.

Trying them on for size:

Wear something fairly representative of your wardrobe when bra shopping, so you can see what will work best under your clothes. If your wardrobe is an army of plain white t-shirts, don’t go shopping in a corseted cocktail dress and wonder why you only buy lacy half-cut balconettes. Also, don’t go to a fitting wearing an empire line dress, which you will then be forced to tie round your hips like an apron in an attempt to hide your modesty in front of the nice fitting lady (that was the voice of experience, in case you didn’t catch it).

When trying on bras, do them up on the loosest hook to make sure there’s room for inevitable stretch. Make sure the central band sits flat against your body, and that you can comfortably fit two fingers underneath the straps and back band. If the underwiring is digging into your armpits, try a demi-cut style that sits lower under your arms. Check for double-boob (too small on the cups), back-boob (too small on the band size, or bottom band too narrow) and belly-boob (straps too long or fabric too stretchy). A good bra should be like a building society – reliable, unlikely to collapse, and generates interest on your assets.

Bra (right) £7, Matalan

Different types of bra:

T-shirt

The most everyday of your everyday undies (excluding those knickers with the rip you save for ‘those days’), the humble t-shirt bra is a top drawer staple. If you wear t-shirts, that is. Made without a raised seam so it won’t show under clingy fabrics, this bra tends to be function over fashion, and often pretty uninspiring – however, figleaves.com comes up trumps with this subtly sexy nude number.

Balcony/balconette

Balconies will always be associated with romance and beauty, and their namesake bra is no different. It will lift and separate your god-given two, giving you a heaving, shelf-like bosom the likes of which Juliet would be proud to woo Romeo from. Classier than a push-up, and equally flattering to big and small boobs alike, balcony bras are an aesthetic winner. But be warned, they’re not the best option for jiggle-reducing. Or sport.

Check out the view from this Miss Ultimo balcony.

Longline

Vintage underwear has never been so hot (apart from when it was, well, new) and the longline bra is one of the chicest ways to bring a little pin-up to your underpinnings. They serve a great practical function too, by creating a smooth line right down to your waist, in a move I like to call “back boob begone!”. And if you don’t fancy donning someone else’s old bra, there are plenty of gorgeous new longlines to choose from in the shops – this FrostFrench number is a particular favourite.

Push-up

Like chilli sauce and glitter eyeshadow, push up bras are only to be used sparingly. We’re a long way from Eva Herzigova’s infamous Hello Boys campaign – these days it’s more a case of Coo-ee Boys, Over Here… Under this Smock Top and Military Jacket. But it’s still a rare woman who doesn’t have a boob-booster tucked away somewhere in her collection. For cleavage with class, try a Princess Tam Tam creation like this one from ASOS.

Minimiser

It’s the bra men will never understand the point of, but minimisers can be a saviour for girls who don’t always want to flaunt their wares. Under androgynous outfits, ruffled blouses and shift dresses, a good minimiser will streamline your silhouette and offer more support than Arsenal’s home terraces. This sheer bra from La Redoute is proof that minimising doesn’t have to mean mundane.

Tags: "bra size", bra, Brassiere, breasts, fashion, lingerie, shopping, underwear
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Fashion Tips

Get your shorts ready for summer

By alanamcverry on April 23rd, 2010

It’s only April, but I’ve already seen a few daring souls bare their pins in celebration of the coming summer months. Shorts are an item of clothing that can be done really well, or really horrendously. So check out these tips on this seasons best short buys for every budget.

(1) Renewal Military Shorts £35

Turn up shorts are the most flattering way to get away with bearing 90% of your pins. As long as you don’t buy them too tight, where they dig into your flesh. That’s really not attractive. These military style shorts are part of Urban outfitters urban renewal collection. So you can feel eco-friendly and stylishly summery at the same time.

(2) Cheap Monday Short Denim Belted Short £36

A pair of denim shorts is pretty much a wardrobe essential. Combining it with a high waist and turn ups gives a real fifties feel and will glam up your dressing down.

(4) Topshop swirl print shorts £38

Culottes are always great for summer, breezy, easy and much more feminine than their short counterpart. They also seem to be highly favoured by designers this season, with numerous styles on offer. For an affordable high street version,
head to your nearest topshop for these swirl print culottes.

(5) Topshop Lace trim cycling shorts £10

So, these maybe an item of clothing that only Alexa Chung can get away with. However, under a very short dress or skirt I think these would be a a great addition to an outfit, whilst also protecting your modesty when sitting in the various parks you’ll be touring this summer.

(6) See by Chloé bow print high waisted shorts £110

These are just adorable grey cotton jersey shorts covered in black bows. High waisted again for a flattering look. Note however, unless you are blessed with a smaller than average rear end, patterns on the bottom half might not do you any favours. So maybe ask an honest friend along before you pass your credit card over.

(7) Richard Nicoll Striped high-waisted cotton shorts £249

Carrying on the high waisted feel, but with a longer and more flattering cut. Plus with stripes going the ‘right’ way you will feel instantly transformed into the more sylphlike you that you always thought you were inside.

Also check out Alannah’s Tailored Twill shorts, for a more city chic version of this look.

(8) Uniqlo boyfriend colour shorts £15

Cheap and cheerful in a range of colours, these low rise, loose fitting shorts are a must for the summer.

(9) Chloé Roll up shorts £634
If price is no question, then these are definitely my favourite shorts available for purchase this season. And as a bonus, they’re pretty timeless. I can see them being taken out year after year, and still looking good. Really flattering cut, with turn ups and great complementary brown and beige shades. To not do my credit card any more damage I’ll be waiting for the sale on these, and wearing them in October, despite the cold, because I like them so much.

Tags: alannah, Alexa Chung, Chloe, Cotton, denim, high waisted, richard nicholl, shorts, TopShop, Uniqlo, Urban Outfitters
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Fashion Tips

Fancy a piece of biscuit? Beige clothing gets a revamp

By alanamcverry on April 20th, 2010

Beige has always had a rough time. The outcast of the colour family, used synonymously to mean dull, boring and OAP. Never seen for it’s positives, always castigated for what it lacked, colour. As if to prove my point, Thebeigesite.co.uk is a site primarily set up to incite mockery at the old. Under the tab ‘old person fashion’ it is stated “Beige is the most common colour for old peoples clothes although mix and not match is also popular”. To counter this slanderous activity on beige’s fair name, it’s about time we gave it a fair hearing. It seems designers this season agree with me, and beige has been refined, revamped and remodulated… and changed it’s name to biscuit. Three reasons to get involved are all subsumed under the inimitable Parisian style of 60s icons Anna Karina, Catherine Deneuve and Francoise Hardy. If you don’t know them, check them out to see some indisputable stylistic panache. Biscuit can only be worn simply, chicly and with clean lines. She’s a hard mistress, but when adorned correctly, she’s definitely worth it. Check out the gallery below for biscuit ensembles, and where to go for the best biscuit buys this summer.

Tags: Alexa Chung, Angelina Jolie, Anna Karina, biscuit, Catherine Deneuve, Chloe, fashion, Françoise Hardy, Paris, penny loafers, ruth holliday, trench, Urban Outfitters
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Fashion Tips, Features

Spring 2010 trend: the five key pieces you need in your wardrobe this season

By laurenbravo on April 18th, 2010

Denim

Not since Van Halen were in the charts has denim been so hot. That’s a lie – it wasn’t hot then, but it is now. And it’s a hardworker this year, popping up in shirt form, shorts form, skirt form, dress form and top form. Make sure you’re on top form by keeping it light (snow-wash is the new indigo) and teaming it with florals or lace.

On the catwalk: despite its connotations of Americana, the Brit pack lead the denim revolution. Look to House of Holland (Henry’s SS ’10 collection for Levi’s was full of great structured pieces, while Pixie Geldof’s rocking some great denim in his new line for Debenhams), Twenty8Twelve and Stella McCartney, with Chloe and Dolce and Gabbana also turning out some fab denim looks.

On the high street: we hardly need to tell you where to shop for denim (‘everywhere’ would suffice, and make our job a lot easier) but particular ports of call should include New Look for denim bra tops and dresses, H&M for a massive range of shorts and skirts and Urban Outfitters for shirts worthy of a country crooner.

The key piece: a denim dress with a structured, bra-shaped bodice. Those underwired cups inject a little sex appeal into a prairie-girl classic.

Loud lycra

Legs just won’t look right this season unless they’re sticking out the bottom of some wildly coloured leggings or cycling shorts. You may have been steering clear of the shorts since failing your year 6 cycling proficiency, but we say it’s time to reconsider – under full-skirted sundresses they’re a great way to play down primness, under denim they bring a sporty, Fresh Prince of Bel Air-ish vibe, and under a massive t-shirt you’re… well, your Mum in the early 90s. But hey, bravery is always rewarded.

On the catwalk: DKNY achieved a fantastic feat, in making cycling shorts work for the office, with sharp blazers and demure wrap dresses. Donna even layered pink lycra shorts under black tailored shorts, in a move reminiscent of those trouser-skirts we all used to wear when we were 12. But much more appealing.

On the high street: Henry Holland wins once again, with a nice little range of coloured cycling shorts in his H! range for Debenhams, while American Apparel, as ever, is the obvious go-to for spritely sportswear.

The piece: A pair of fuchsia cycling shorts look great on tanned or pale legs, and add a sporty twist to summer florals. The bike is optional, but we’d like one with a basket on the front.

Something nude

You might not be feeling bikini-ready, but there’s another way to bare all, with this season’s palette of flesh tones. They have a reputation for being hard to wear, but the most difficult part of the process is discovering which nude is the nude for you. It’s a little bit like choosing the right foundation. For blondes and fair, freckly types, choose rosy and peachy shades and steer clear of anything too pale for fear of looking like a vanilla Minimilk. For tans and olive skins, ivory and buff look fab, while black and Asian skins can get away with almost all shades, but look particularly good in caramel and biscuitty colours. Yum. The way to keep nudes looking fresh for 2010 is to wear them in luxe fabrics, like silk and lace, so the effect is more boudoir than ladies who lunch.

On the catwalk: Chloe was at the forefront of the nude revolution, with their oh-so-chic collection of camel blouses and slacks. Chanel and Valentino also dished up neutral shades, while Alexa Chung sported a sweet toffee-coloured skirt suit to host a recent Mulberry party.

On the high street: Zara is always a safe bet when looking for grown up design, and they’ve delivered a great selection of muted shirts, shorts and blazers to take you from boardroom to beach in style. Meanwhile Topshop is like a candy store full of sweet, sugary nude pieces.

The key piece: A silky or sheer pussy bow blouse, in a barely-there shade, is a great sexy-prim playoff to team with your shorts.

A shirt

There are two types of shirt dominating the shops this summer, and they sit at opposing ends of the androgyny spectrum – there’s the oversized boyfriend shirt, and the crisp preppy shirt. The first should be big enough to wear as a dress, with rolled-up sleeves and maybe a few paint splatters here and there. Tartan lumberjack shirts had their day last year, but there’s still definitely a place for denim, brushed cotton and checked specimens. Meanwhile, the preppy shirt should be in a pretty, sorbet shade and worn like a showjumping champion, starched within an inch of its life and tucked into trousers or skirt with a skinny belt.

On the catwalk: Chloe was a great example of how to get shirty in style, while Céline can always be relied on to bring some French finesse to a wardrobe staple.

On the high street: Go back to basics at Banana Republic, Cos and the United Colours of Benetton, or hunt for slouchy boyfriend styles at Beyond Retro or Urban Outfitters.

The key piece: A blue chambray shirt that can be worn loose over a dress, or tucked in, cowgirl-style.

Sturdy shoes

Ladies, I’m pleased to announce we are almost coming to the end of the era of masochistic footwear. Almost, but not quite. Heels are lower and slightly less ridiculous than in recent years, but this summer will be a final fling for the stompy shoe. We’ve talked about clogs until we’re just about ready to jump off a windmill, but this round-up just couldn’t be written without giving rustic footwear a mention. So stilt up one last time, with some chunky wooden platforms, espadrilles or cork wedges. They’ll give your calf muscles a workout, and look a darn sight more attractive than fit flops.

On the catwalk: Burberry and Chanel ruled the catwalk stomp comp, with weighty wedges and massive mules.

On the high street: Kurt Geiger have the cutest clogs around, and we love Aldo and Office for fierce wedges with buckles and rope detail.

The key piece: Studded leather mule wedges, fresh from the fashion rodeo.

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Fashion Tips, Features

How to wear: the New Boho

By laurenbravo on April 11th, 2010

Lauren Bravo writes:

When I was 14, dressing, as it is wont to do at that age, fell into two camps. You were a Townie or a Grunger. That was the choice. Trackie top or a Nirvana hoodie. End of.

My friends decided, as right-on, proactive kind of women, that we deserved more choice. So we invented a third option (I’d like to think Emmeline Pankhurst would have been proud). That option was Boho. We put teeny plaits in our hair, we wore floral-sprigged gypsy tops and corduroy loon pants, we made each other necklaces out of beads. We were the revolutionaries of Davison High School for Girls. Peace.

But the result of our bout of fashion adventurousness is that, like a lot of things you overdo when you’re 14, any mention of boho since has made me shudder. When Sienna Miller did her bit for the cause, with her floaty skirts and Uggs, I looked the other way. When maxi dresses returned with a swishy vengeance in 2007, I bought them and hacked the skirts back to a vampish length.

But when Marni’s models took to the Milan catwalk for S/S 2010 in their floaty dresses with mismatched cardigans, leggings and flat sandals, I felt something. A twinge, deep inside, that seemed to say ‘you’re ready again’.

It should be easier this time round. For starters, there won’t be a bully to follow me round on non-uniform days shouting ‘freak’ until I cry in the hockey cupboard. And this time round, the clothes are so much more enticing. This isn’t the same old boho; this is the new boho.

Part of the problem last time, and the time before, and perhaps every time hippie fashion has emerged since its inception in the ’60s, is that it was so anti-fashion. With its wafty silhouette and high comfort factor, it quite literally lacked edge. There was no oomph, no pow, no whiff of the alpha fashion female. But this time, boho has toughened up its act. It’s about throwing a tailored jacket over the hippie-drippy florals, or teaming a peasant dress with a pair of shoes that say ‘never seen a field in my life.’

Where previous incarnations of the boho babe languished in meadows like a Flake advert, 2010′s is more active. She’s a cowgirl. She cracks a whip, she climbs hills, she milks things. And every once in a while, she tarts herself up and goes to a hoedown. Even better, this time round the look is far more applicable beyond Glastonbury. It can be transferred from the field to a Hoxton bar, to the office, to winter, even.

So what does the new boho look like? There are three key words: Stomp. Swish. And Smoosh. Firstly the stomp has to be there, and most likely in the footwear department. The softly-softly fluff of the Ugg doesn’t cut it anymore – this time the look comes with a newfound utility vibe, which means army boots, Doc Martens, clunky sandals or clogs. Something that could do some damage to a cow trough. See River Island’s Spring/Summer ’10 collection, above left.

Next there’s swish. This means, as with old boho, that there should be a fabric surplus big enough to make a ration book blush. But thankfully it doesn’t need to be in the old standards, smock tops and gypsy skirts, but instead with tiered dresses, long shirts, petticoats and layering. Maxi lengths still have their place for those who can carry them off, but for the rest of us there is a strong case for leg-bearing. The key is contrast. If one element is voluminous, the other should be fitted. Take last season’s body con dress and sit it back with a floaty top or a slouchy denim shirt, then tie a scarf round your head and go feed the chickens (or go to Tesco, whatever).

Lastly, there’s smoosh. Because the reason boho has such enduring appeal, season after season, is that it lets us be messy. And not artfully messy, in that choreographed, laquered-over, catwalk way, but genuinely a bit sluttish. It’s the easiest and cheapest way to boho up an old outfit; ditch the hair straighteners and load up on dry shampoo, pile on some mismatched jewellery, cart your tatty old holdall around instead of an evening clutch. Dress sharp, then smoosh it up a bit.

Forget Sienna, Nicole and the Rachel Zoe zombies – the new boho has icons of its own. Look to Zooey Deschanel and Vanessa Hudgens (right) in Hollywood, and Brit musical madames Natasha Khan (aka Bat for Lashes) and Lucinda Belle. Or even better, forget the celeb worship altogether and take your inspiration from films and TV. Mix up Katherine Ross in Butch Cassidy with Katherine Ross in The Graduate, and you’re pretty much there.

And the very best thing about the new boho? This time it comes without a side of pretension. Sienna’s sister Savannah Miller, co-designer of the sisters’ Twenty8Twelve range, once described a ‘true bohemian’ as “someone who has the ability to appreciate beauty on a deep level, is a profound romantic, doesn’t know any limits, whose world is their own creation, rather than living in a box”. I think it’s someone who can wear a tired skirt without looking like a Walton. I’ll let you decide which definition you prefer.

Tags: boho, Boho-chic, fashion, shopping, sienna miller, summer, Vanessa Hudgens
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Beauty, Fashion Tips

Tried and tested: foundations of the future

By laurenbravo on March 28th, 2010

When did shopping for makeup turn into a science lesson? The secret to a flawless face used to be water, fresh air and eating apples while frolicking in the middle of a cornfield; now, there is a positive laboratory’s worth of fancy-pants formulas waiting to take our skin from nice to NASA-approved.

The upper end of the cosmetics market has long been home to mystifying science-baffle, with all their ‘nanotechnology’ this and ‘kelp minerals‘ that. But now the effect is leaking onto the humble high street, and one trip to Boots is like double A-level chemistry all over again.

So here at ShinyStyle, we’ve done your homework for you with a round-up of the new, space-age and downright fruity foundations on the market. There are ‘photochromatic pigments’ doing battle with blue sapphire and ginger extract in a bid to make us look like Zooey Daschanel. Textures are getting exciting too, with mousses, creams, minerals and ‘soufflés’ all competing with the traditional liquid as the best way to give good face. But does the most futuristic blurb necessarily mean the best results?

Revlon PhotoReady Makeup – £12.99 for 30ml – 6/10

They say: “Get poreless airbrushed skin in any light. Photochromatic pigments bend and reflect light to erase every flaw.”

We say: This has a nicer texture than most liquid foundations, but still felt a little sticky while drying. As for the ‘photochromatic pigments’, there was a radiant shimmer but the colour tended a little too dangerously towards the oompa loompa for our tastes.

Loreal Matte Morphose – £9.99 for 30ml – 8/10

They say: “A transformation you can see and feel, with a 12hour luminous matte finish. Pores and wrinkles look smoother.”

We say: Yum. With its lovely moussey texture, this self-proclaimed ‘soufflé foundation’ made us think of dessert (but be warned, it doesn’t taste as good as it looks). The colours all looked a little dark, but went on smoothly and blended beautifully well on the skin. Somewhere between foundation, powder, concealer and pudding, it gave particularly good coverage under the eyes.

Max Factor Second Skin – £13.99 for 30ml – 5/10

They say: “Now you can create a finish so flawless it’s virtually undetectable even to the professionals…Second Skin uses clever multi-tonal pigment technology to smooth over and blend flawlessly into your own natural complexion in seconds.”

We say: Now, we don’t know about you, but if we wanted our makeup to be ‘virtually undetectable’, we just wouldn’t bother buying any. More a tinted moisturiser than a foundation, this was beautifully silky and slipped on nicely, but the ultra-sheer ‘second skin’ effect was a little too much like our first skin (the one we’re trying to cover up in the first place). Only the flawless need apply.

Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation – £9.99 for 30ml – 4/10

They say: “Gives you 70% more radiance and a flawless complexion for up to 16 hours. With ‘fruit therapy’, including apricot for radiance, melon for hydration, apple for antioxidants and ginger for energy.”

We say: Hmm, does this count as one of our five a day? Despite all the science claims, the only fruity grounds this foundation delivered on was looking orange. It felt sticky going on, and the finish was powdery and unsubtle. Think we’ll keep the fruit for eating, thanks.

Boots 17 Hide and Chic Anti-Fatigue foundation – £5.99 for 30ml – 2/10

They say: “Energises and brightens your skin.”

We say: Sadly, the cheapest of the bunch was also the most disappointing. Far from brightening skin as promised, we found our pores looked clogged and cakey. There was even a worrying return of our old teenage nemesis, the tidemark. Best left on the 17 year olds.

Maybelline Dream Creamy foundation – £7.99 for 14g – 9/10

They say: “Our new cream-whipped foundation for 100% baby smooth perfection. The combination of rich hydration in a lightweight formula blends seamlessly for 100% smooth perfection for a foundation that stays looking fresh all day.

We say: Maybelline dish up baby-fresh beauty for those of us who maybe aren’t born with it. Like couture for your face, this was cool and lightweight but its creamy solid-to-liquid texture gave reassuringly good coverage. In short? Lush.

Rimmel Match Perfection – £8.99 for 30ml – 7/10

They say: “Adapts to your skin colour and texture, with blue sapphire pigments for true colour. Give a natural flawless finish.”

We say: Why do advertisers always think the way to sell to women is to tell us that there are jewels in our cosmetics? If we had a pound for every ‘pearl-infused’ conditioner and ‘diamond technology’ facial we’ve been offered, we’d have enough to buy some actual jewellery. But annoying faux-tech blurb aside, this was a pretty good performer. It was sheer but not too sheer, didn’t look powdery or orange on the skin, and gave lovely natural coverage.

Boots No.7 Essentially Natural Mineral foundation – £13.00 for 40ml – 8/10

They say: “Lightweight hydration for a healthy-looking finish.”

We say: Cool, nicely textured and lightweight to wear, this actually did what it said on the tin (or tube, whatever). Not the sheerest of coverage, but skin looked flawless and felt moisturised and peachy.

Tags: Beauty, boots, Cosmetics, L'Oreal, Max Factor, Maybelline, Revlon, Rimmel, shopping, skin care
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Fashion Tips, Features

How to: be a customising queen

By laurenbravo on March 17th, 2010

1 comment

The old adage goes, a stitch in time saves nine. And a stitch in the right place might just save you a lot of money and shopping hassle. With celebrities from Eva Longoria and Rachel Bilson to Tilda Swinton and Nicole Kidman all admitting they like to kick back with some sewing, now might be the time to rediscover your inner 50s housewife, and learn how to customise your clothes.

Now, when we say ‘customising’, we’re not harking back to DT lessons at school, when you would turn a pair of jeans into a ‘funky’ denim skirt with the addition of some pink sequinned mesh and a flower corsage made out of zips. No. The proper, grown-up art of being able to alter garments – I’m tempted to call it seamstressery – is a skill well worth learning.

Think of all the times you’ve bought a gorgeous dress, probably for too much money, then relegated it to the back of the wardrobe after a couple of wears because it just doesn’t fit quite right. Then think of all the stuff you’ve nearly bought, but had to put back at the last minute because it was that bit too long, or big, or had a neckline that made you look like your Great Aunt Hilda. Wouldn’t your wardrobe be in better shape if you could only take to it with a whizzy needle and a bit of know-how?

So here are our top-tips for becoming a customising queen:

Get back to school: If there isn’t a dressmaking relative or friend handy to teach you the basics, sign up to learn it from a pro. Where better than London College of Fashion, which offers a 9-week basic sewing skills workshop for £380. Sign up here, or search for classes in your area. We also love DIY fashion blog Threadbanger, for on-trend sewing tips and tutorials.

Wind the bobbin up: There’s a lot you can do by hand, but for speed, accuracy and the sheer joy of having a new toy to tinker with, get yourself a sewing machine. At upwards of £100, buying them new can be quite a hefty investment so check out eBay for some second-hand bargains. Alternatively, Cooper Sewing Machines have some great discount deals.

Stock up: A sewing kit like this one provides a great stash of needles, pins, buttons and thread in every colour you’re likely to need. As a rule, try to use cotton thread on natural fabrics and polyester thread on man-made. Think of it like not mixing grape and grain, if that helps you.

Don’t get scissor happy: Remember, you can always take more off, but once it’s off it’s pretty tricky to reattach again. Unless, y’know, you’re going for the Raggedy Ann look.

Beware of the shrink: My particular failing is taking dresses up when I’ve only just bought them, then putting them in the wash to find they shrink to indecent proportions. After a few years of attempting to stretch out doll-sized clothes with an iron, I’ve learned: wash first, sew after.

Don’t get precious: If you go the whole hog and get an overlocker, good for you. But otherwise, don’t stress out over finishing your inside seams. Nobody’s going to see them (or nobody who’s looking at the craftsmanship, anyway…).

Pin, pin, pin: It’s easy to get impatient and jump straight in with the machine. But relying on guesswork is a recipe for disaster – if you have time, it pays to pin, try it on, tack (loose hand stitches), try it on again and then sew. I have ruined more dresses than I’d care to admit by being slapdash (let’s not mention the one I tried to sew while I was wearing it).

Viva la vintage: A lot of people shy away from vintage shopping because, appealing though the garments are on the hanger, they just don’t quite fit right (lots of people shy away because of the smell. I can’t help with that.). But learning your way around a needle and thread can open up a whole new realm of shopping – love the fabric but hate the shape? Want to wear that maxi as a mini? Start small with things that only need a little tweaking, then progress to full-scale overhauls. The best bit: when someone asks where you got it, you have the most irritating answer in the book… “Oh this old thing? It’s vintage, but I altered it myself.” Translation: “You can’t buy one. Nur nur.”

Show shoulder pads some love: One of the easiest ways to revamp a lacklustre garment is by adding or removing these babies. In vintage dresses and jackets they’re usually fairly easy to cut out, bringing the garment forward several decades in a few seconds – just find the three stitch points and carefully snip loose. Then save them to sew into tops that need a little oomph (or put them down your bra for a low budget chicken fillet effect).

It doesn’t have to mean forever: As Sinatra once sang, a lady is allowed to change her mind. And so is a seamstress. If you forgo the machine and stick to loose hand-stitching and big hems, you can change up your clothes to suit your mood and your outfit. Take up skirts to wear mini with tights in winter, then take them down again in summer when your legs see the light. I have a jacket that gets longer or shorter week on week, according to what I’m wearing underneath it. It’s like a fabric-based outlet for your pre-menstrual mood swings. Just stay away from the scissors.

Tags: "Sewing machine", clothing, Craft, London College of Fashion, sewing
Posted in Fashion Tips, Features | 1 Comment »

Beauty, Fashion Tips

The recessionista’s top 10 DIY beauty tips

By laurenbravo on March 11th, 2010

3 comments

Young woman holding strawberry, close-up, portrait

The economists can talk about green shoots as much as they want – all we know is no matter how much we scrimp and save, we still can’t afford Crème De La Mer eye balm.

So we’ve been rolling up our sleeves, and experimenting with ingredients we can source from our very own kitchens… avocado hair masque? Carrot cleanser? Peanut butter facial? You might smell like a sandwich, but you’ll be glowing with the radiance of a girl who’s saved her pennies.

1) Washing-up Liquid Detox Shampoo

Detox shampoos are one of those products we’ve never quite understood the point of – until we heard this tip. To strip away product build-up, pollution and the various other nasties that stop your hair shining, lather up with some good ol’ washing up liquid once every few weeks. Make sure you follow with a good conditioner though, or your locks could turn slightly brillo pad to match.

2) Dairy-licious Bath Milk.

If you’ve ever fancied yourself as an Egyptian princess, take a leaf out of Cleopatra’s book and add a carton of full cream to your bath water. According to experts, the dairy will calm skin’s lipids while the milk proteins help maintain its elasticity. Asp optional.

3) Strawberry Exfoliant

Cut a strawberry in half and rub the juicy side all over your face, let it sit for a few minutes then rinse with warm water. The fruit acids work as a natural exfoliant, stripping away dead skin cells and giving your complexion a brightening zing. Whether you eat it afterwards is up to you (we won’t tell anyone).

4) Talcum Powder Hair Refresh

Does anybody still use talcum powder? Its popularity may have waned sometime in the mid-90s (when people realised that using a towel then standing still for 30 seconds did more or less the same job), but we bet you still have some knocking around somewhere. It’s a great low-budget dry shampoo for those days when a little extra time in bed is just more appealing than washing your hair. Work it into the roots, leave for a few minutes, then brush out and swish like a pro.

5) Oat and Honey Face Mask

Goldilocks had some issues. Perhaps if she had given up on trying to eat the porridge and dunked her face in it instead, the bears would have been wowed by her soft skin and not felt the nedd to chase her into the woods. Perhaps. Back in the real world, try mixing up oats, water and a dollop of honey, spread it on your face, leave for 10 minutes then rinse. Not to dry, not too greasy, but juuust right.

6) Lemon Tan Corrector

Here at ShinyStyle, we’re still on a mission to convince you all that pale skin has the fashion edge. But if you must bust out the fake bake, avoid the congealed-gravy look by rubbing half a lemon over your knees and elbows after application. The acid is supposed to break down the tanning chemicals. You can also try whitening toothpaste, astringent toner, or just GOING EASY ON THE FAKE TAN IN THE FIRST PLACE.

7) Camomile Tea Rinse for Blondes

My mum used to use this one on me when I was about six. And once, Sean Deacon told me during PE that my hair looked really shiny. What more persuading do you need? Redheads can try cranberry juice, while beer and vinegar work well on everyone (the question is: pub or chip shop, which would you rather smell of?).
Haemorrhoid Cream on Under-Eye Circles

This one has been recommended by beauty editors and make up artists the world over, so it’s worth trying out. The ingredients work to reduce capillaries in the skin, shrinking those telltale morning-after bags. Of course the price you pay is in embarrassment having to ask for it in Boots (we like to pretend it’s for an aunt).

9) Toothbrush Exfoliator

An old toothbrush has a million beauty uses. Use it to brush away dry skin on your lips and face, or to groom your eyebrows into place with some Vaseline.

10) Beetroot Juice Lip Stain

This one reminds me of using red Smarties as a lipstick and nail varnish in primary school. Vampy purple lip stains have been all over the catwalks for the last few seasons, and while we can bet that the models at Dior hadn’t been feasting on beetroots (though it’s always nice to see them eating), nobody will know the difference on you. Unless you top it off with a mustard dressing, that is.

Tags: "money saving", Beauty, beauty tips, Recession, Shampoo, skin, skin care
Posted in Beauty, Fashion Tips | 3 Comments »

Beauty, Fashion Tips, Features

How to do a perfect DIY pedicure

By lotte on November 9th, 2009

When’s the last time you paid for a pedicure? What with the unfortunate combination of peep-toe boots being in fashion and a recession going on, more and more of us are opting for a home pedicure over going to a salon. Professional pedicures usually cost about £20, and since most of us have a lot of the items you need for one at home, or can buy it all for under £10, it seems a bit silly to waste your money. It’s also a relaxing way to spend forty-five minutes – especially since you get a foot soak out of it.

Although you might not be planning to bare your toes in public much until the party season, it’s always nice to get out of bed in the morning and admire your own feet. So here are some essential tips for a successful DIY pedicure. Follow these steps for feet to be proud of, even if you won’t be showing them off during the day.

Tip 1: Make sure you get rid of any nail varnish left over from the summer holidays.
You need to start with a clean foot, so use a cotton wool pad soaked in nail polish remover and clean off all leftover polish really thoroughly.

Tip 2: Have a nice relaxing foot soak.
Fill up a bowl with warm water and some essential oil, like lavender or peppermint. You can soak your feet for just five minutes, but if you’ve had a long day, you’ll probably want to leave them in there for more like half an hour. The more hard skin there is on your feet, the longer you’ll need to soak them for.

Tip 3: Use cuticle oil, one foot at a time.
Take one of your feet out of the water, dry it off and cut the nails straight across with clippers. Then massage in some cuticle oil, pushing back your cuticles with a wooden cuticle stick (to get rid of any dead skin stuck to your nail). Put that foot back in the water, and do the same to the other foot.

Tip 4: Scrub away at the dead skin.
Use exfoliator, concentrating on the bits of your feet that have the most callouses. (Not pleasant, I know.) Then, after you’ve rinsed off all the little scratchy bits of exfoliator, use a foot file to get rid of any stubborn areas of hard skin. Make sure you file in one direction, like when you file your nails, and don’t scrub too hard – we know you hate that dead skin, but if your foot goes red you’re doing it wrong.

Tip 5: Apologise to your feet for all the exfoliating by massaging them with foot cream.
Try one that’s intensively moisturising. If you really want to treat your feet, use a foot mask beforehand.

Tip 6: Add some festive nail polish.
Before painting your nails, go over them again with nail varnish remover to get rid of any oils leftover from the footbath. Then apply a basecoat, two coats of polish, and a topcoat (use toe separators if you want). Go for a dark nail varnish shade, like black, navy blue, grey or burgundy for toenails that go with everything, or try a brighter shade of pink or orange if you’re planning on wearing a lot of black this winter.

Tip 7: Don’t put your shoes on straight away.
Remember to let the varnish fully dry before getting dressed! Or you could end up with socks that are stuck to your toenails.

Tip 8: Enjoy your new, beautiful feet.
To keep your varnish looking as fresh as possible, you can apply a coating of clear varnish every three days (although this is optional). Most salons recommend having a pedicure once a month, and once you’ve got everything you need for a DIY pedicure, there’s nothing stopping you from doing it that often at home, too.

Tags: beauty tips, beauty treatments, DIY, nail varnish, Pedicure
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Accessories, Fashion Tips

Be a brolly belle, coordinate your umbrella with your outfit

By Andrea Petrou on November 9th, 2009

You may be wondering why we’ve featured a fashionable umbrella gallery. We know what you’re thinking; an umbrella is a an umbrella right? It doesn’t matter what colour it is as long as it does the job. Well that’s where you’re wrong.

Many years ago, having an umbrella that matched your outfit, or had some fashionable connotations was just as important as having the right bag or shoes for an outfit.
Although this trend has simmered out over the years (unless you live in Japan, which has carried this trend on) many of us still find it important to do this.

We give you a few tips to ensure your umbrella makes as much as a statement as the rest of your outfit.

Tags: coordinate your umbrella, how to accessories an umbrella, match an umbrella to an outfit
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Beauty, Fashion Tips

Get the right hair colour

By Andrea Petrou on October 29th, 2009

It’s happened to nearly every one of us. We’ve gone to a salon for a hair colour expecting to come out with a gorgeous shade of brown only to find its more gothic black than the Eva Longoria colour we asked for.

And other times that shade of blonde is more straw than the strawberry blonde we were dreaming about. We don’t t think this is anything to be ashamed of, after all, you have to have one colour mishap to ensure perfection.

However, once too many times and it’s time to change your hairdresser, or look for a few simple tips on how to change this. We spoke to Schwarzkopf Colour Ambassador, Anita Cox McMillan to give you a few tips for achieving the perfect hair colour.

Tags: hair colour, How to get the perfect hair colour, perfect hair colour
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Fashion Tips

DIY hair removal options

By Andrea Petrou on October 26th, 2009

3 comments

Unless you’ve been blessed with extremely fair and fine body hair, you’ll know all about the trials and tribulations we girls have to go through to achieve baby smooth fuzz free bodies.

Unlike men, who mainly have the option of shaving and er, shaving, there is a whole new market dedicated to offering us girls a range of hair removal options, which are more painful, or long lasting than others.

We have a look at what’s out there.

Tags: DIY Hair removal options, Hair removal options, hair removing tips
Posted in Fashion Tips | 3 Comments »

Beauty, Fashion Tips

Choose the right brush to achieve the perfect blow dry

By Andrea Petrou on October 26th, 2009

1 comment

We touched on which brush styles achieved specific looks for a certain hair style but we think this advice is most definitely important enough for its own post.

After all, without the right tools, you may struggle to get the look you want.

Working again with Schwarzkopf Professional Ambassador Aaron Blondell, Assistant Art Director at John Carne Hairdressing, we’ve put together detailed information about each brush type and what it can do for your locks.