Shop the trend: Bobbi Brown art sticks!

Exclusively to Selfridges, make-up geniuses at Bobbi Brown have developed a whole hoard of lip-liner come lipsticks in the form of their new ‘Art Sticks’ range.

Boasting an endless spectrum of colours, the new Art Sticks will provide your lips with that highly coveted matte finish, this season’s defining beauty look. My favourite has to be ‘Rose Brown’ which merges a magenta pigment with a more natural, nude colour for lips that scream catwalk beauty.

Much like the Clinique chubby stick that saw beauty obsessives flock to counters across the UK, the £19.50 Art Stick will revolutionise the way you apply lip colour and promises no-run-no-smudge wear. With one sweep of colour enough to last a whole day, will we ever need to buy another lipstick again?

The everyday moisturiser you'll soon swear by!

Whether you have an oily t-zone, dry patches or are prone to spots, we all know the struggle of trying to find a moisturiser that works well with our skin. But it looks like your search might be called short as I've discovered a skin saviour in the form of this Blissful Daily Moisturiser by wholly natural, organic skincare brand, Organic Surge.

Boasting an abundance of rich, skin perfecting hydrators and antioxidants, this velvety cream comes sans parabens and other artificial nasties that causes sensitive skin to play up.

I've also found that is provides a fantastic base for foundation, increasing staying power and minimising the patchy finish you’d get without using a moisturiser. And with a small price tag of just £9.50, you get a hydrator, primer and skin corrector all in one – what’s not to love?

To fit this little pot of cosmetics gold into your beauty routine, visit www.organicsurge.com

Nail rehab - 5 tips for repairing damaged nails

PHILLIP LIM AW14

Nails are bigger than ever this season with Gwen Stefani collaborating with O.P.I and Phillip Lim’s current fixation with modern nail art that is sure to induce envy amongst his contemporaries.

But somewhere down the line of religiously tending to our talons have we fallen into the trap of neglecting their health. Constant polishing, filing and gel or acrylic abuse all contribute to weakening both nails and the skin on our hands. So follow these 5 tips on how to ensure that your nails survive the winter.

1) Avoid flaky nails by making sure that you’re including enough Omega 3 in your diet. 

Found in oily fish, avocados and nuts and seeds, this super vitamin is scientifically proven to toughen up nails if takenregularly. You’ll even start to see improvements in your skin and tresses – exactly what you need when the cold weather hits.

2) Give your nails a break. 

Getting your nails done professionally is an affordable luxury, but acrylic infillsare doing more damage than you actually think. Your nails have to be roughened up a little for the acrylic to grip the nail bed which can lead to unevenness and discomfort. Instead, give yourself a home manicure with the new NAILKALE range from Nails Inc whichbeautifies nails and treats them too.

3) Invest in a cuticle oil. Banish unsightly cuticles bymassaging them with a conditioning oil. Acetone based removers tend to strip the skin of moisture so it’s important to rehydrate your fingers. Superdrug’s conditioning cuticle oil pen (£2.99) contains vitamin E to keep the skin around nail beds smooth, so there’ll be no temptation to pick at dead cells which can cause painful infections. 

4) Drink plenty of water. 

It’s such a simple treatment but at least eight glasses a day is enough to strengthen damaged nails. Nail guru Deborah Lippmann also encourages us to avoid applying products such as hand sanitisers directly on to nails as they have a drying effect that can lead to chipping. 

5) Ditch the nail file. Or learn a new technique! 

Many of us unknowingly weaken our nails by filing them down too much. Even though you may think you’re making them tougher by keeping them short, excessive back and forth filing will eventually lead to tearing and breakages. Instead, place slight pressure and file from the edge inwards to achieve your desired shape.

Christmas treats from The Body Shop! Never too early...

From personalised gift sets to adorable advent calendars concealing a different treat every day, The Body Shop UK will most certainly become your go to beauty stop this Christmas. Check out this huge advent calendar that greeted me at the press day last week. Although I must add that the purchasable ones are smaller...

                 

If only there was that much room in my house...

Not only has The Body Shop triumphed in the gift stakes this season but they have also revolutionised classic scents such as white musk by adding sensual twists like cinnamon and tabacco (yeah, that's right!). Their perfume gallery is as eclectic as ever right now as demonstrated by a magical scents tour at White Cube. 

                 

And a special thanks to the lovely PR girls who were on hand to supply us with chocolate coated strawberries and Xmas biccies. Definitely time to welcome the seasonal scoffing period.

Ethical beauty - Your guide to guilt free gorgeousness

Click the below link to read my latest article on ethical beauty for Amor Magazine UK!

I switched my beautifying regime round for three weeks and really saw the benefits of embracing softer, natural and more skin friendly ingredients.

http://issuu.com/amormaglondon/docs/amor_20th_issue

Follow me on Instagram to see the latest in terms of brand new beauty buys and make-up shots: Jacqueline_kta

FASHION EXCLUSIVE: Is The Cambridge Satchel Company set to collaborate with Vivienne Westwood?

I've always been a little bit in love with the bags from The Cambridge Satchel Company which is why I was excited to find out that a huge designer overhaul could be on the cards for the brand.

Speaking exclusively to me, founder of the brand, Julie Deane, revealed that she is ‘attending meetings’ with queen of fashion, Vivienne Westwood, which could inject the clean cut bags with the element of grunge that Westwood is famous for.

Her own lines of handbags have been complete sell outs in the past and she’s a dab hand with a piece of tartan and a handful of biker studs, so we’re looking forward to seeing what Viv can bring to The Cambridge Satchel Company who have a huge following from celebs such as Fearne Cotton and Alexa Chung.

Vivienne recently worked alongside ASOS to produce a range of ethical bags in wearable tribal prints where each purchase helped impoverished women in Africa, and it seems that fashion brands are still clamouring to get a piece of her.

I'm keeping an eye out for more details so watch this space for more news on the rumoured collaboration!

Marc Jacobs Beauty lands in London!

It's the beauty collection we have been anticipating for months, which is why I was beyond excited to learn that Marc Jacobs Beauty will officially land in stores this summer!

Last week I was granted a sneak peek at the collection which includes a gorgeous array of twelve new lip vinyl’s in colours such as ‘Kissability’, ‘Boom Boom’ and our favourite summer time hue, ‘Heart Shaped.’ What’s more, each gloss is infused with a tingling, plumping formula, essential oils and antioxidants to provide you with irresistibly kissable lips.

Also new to the collection are the six shades of gel eye crayons which glide effortlessly onto eyelids so you’ll have perfectly pretty peepers in seconds. I'm championing the aqua shade ‘Introvert’ as the new go-to colour for A/W14.

The highly coveted set of ‘enamoured’ nail varnishes are already available in store which seek to recreate that nail salon worthy glossy finish without chipping or smudging. I absolutely loved the neon pink shade in ‘Shocking’ which is set to brighten up an otherwise damp summer.

Which products will you be rocking? Let me know @j_kilikita

Avoid a fake tan faux pas and invest in my pick of the best bronzing products!

The sun is out which means it’s time to get your pins out, too! But if your only dread is looking pasty in your new summer dress, never fear. The beauty team at AMOR has rounded up the best quick and easy fake tans to leave you looking bronzed and beach ready.

 

1)      Madame LA LA Tan, £36

This handy tan comes in mousse form which means it’s less likely to leave streaks and more likely to provide you with even coverage. It’s perfect for light skinned beauties as the colour is subtle but just enough to make an impact.

2)      Garnier Ambre Solaire Face Brozing Cream, £6.99

Don’t forget to tan the most vital area of your body to avoid a mismatch catastrophe! This cream allows you to build up colour in just 7 days. What’s more, no streaks are guaranteed!

3)      Brownberry Clear Sunless Tanning Spray, £30

It’s a bit on the expensive side but this tan is scent free which means you won’t be given away by that biscuit-y fake tan smell. It’s clear contents means it is simple and quick to apply.

4)      St. Tropez Instant Tan Face & Body Lotion, £8.05

Beauty obsessives around the globe swear by the St. Tropez brand as its ingredients are gentle yet effective. A failsafe tan.

5)      Fake Bake Beyond Bronze Airbrush Self Tanner, £20.49

Fake Bake is also one of those reliable tanning brands that beauty editors go back to every summer. This product evens out skin tone and conceals blemishes, all whilst providing you with that perfect airbrush effect that every girl covets.

Virtual cosmetics: L'Oreal's new make-up app!

If you thought BB creams and HD brows were advanced, then take a look at L’Oreal’s brand new make-up app that allows you to try products before you shell out for them. From lipsticks to blushers, ‘L’Oreal Make-up Genius’ is made for iPhone or iPad users and lets you choose from over 300 different colours by turning your screen into a virtual mirror.

By simply using a snapshot of your face, the clever app leaves you to apply different products like you would in a mirror. Refreshingly, it works on all ethnicities and allows for 400 lighting situations, so you can determine whether that lipstick shade in fuchsia really does suit you or not.

A spokesperson for L’Oreal praised the app, revealing that it’s certainly set to revolutionise the way we buy make-up: “With this, they can scan the shelf and see the products on them and even move around to see different angles. It’s all about instant gratification and we provide that [versus online shopping].”

The price of the app is yet to be revealed but we’re sure that you’ll save a good deal of money if you know what suits you indefinitely, instead of spending your pay-packet on a hoard of cosmetics that you haven’t yet tried out!