The LFW Backpack

A luxury backpack is a must at London Fashion Week this season, and you will be hard pushed to find one better than this Whistles Portland edition – hot from the SS15 catwalk. In a versatile neutral tone with glossy silver hardwear, this practical backpack is spacious enough for all your show-hopping essentials, and will lend a contemporary edge to your LFW look. (Designed exclusively for London Fashion Week, it is available to purchase online here, and also in the two newest Whistles stores in Kings Cross St. Pancras and the Bullring in Birmingham.)

But it is what's inside that counts, right? Here is my wishlist of chic Fashion Week essentials. 

1. With rose-gold frames and mirror-shine lenses, these lightweight Linda Farrow sunglasses whisper understated luxury. They are £610.00 here.

2. A nourishing facial oil is a must for parched post-summer skin. Rodin's Olio Lusso is a cult product in fashion circles – the expert blend of 11 botanical oils will deliver a runway-worthy glow in no time. It is £97.00 at Net-a-Porter here.

3. My, my - what a stylish little camera you have. Launching in October, the new Olympus Pen E-Pl7 camera is designed with fashion folk in mind – it even has a 'selfie-mode'. It will retail for £499.00. 

4. Aptly called 'The Sophisticate', this Charlotte Tilbury eye palette of subtly smoky tones is perfect for on-the-go touch-ups. It is £38.00 from Net-a-Porter here.

5.This Zakynthos nail polish by NARS is the perfect neutral - the sandy shade feels more modern than blush-toned nudes and was the colour of choice for the 3.1 Phillip Lim show in NYC. It is £15.00 here.

6. Last but not least, this Smythson Fashion Week notepad is the only way to jot down your front-row musings. Far chicer than an iPad, the Runway Notes' notebook is £65.00 here.

Best in Beauty: Early April

I can't believe that my Easter holidays have been and gone and I am back to London today until Summer holidays. Yup. SUMMER.

Without risking sounding like a grandmother, WHERE has this year gone?

Oh to be young again.

Anyway, without further ado, here are my first best in beauty picks for this month- i'll do another batch towards the end of the month because i'm that much of a beauty junkie.

Hope you likey! 

My first picks this month have to be two of the finest mascaras of the moment. Stila is a cult label that last year saw a long overdue relaunch. While their nourishing, super-shiny lip glazes are particularly iconic, I must admit that I have heard nothing but great things about their Stay All Day mascara (£15 from Space NK here). It really is in the name on this one, girls, for this mascara supposedly does not budge all day long. I am thinking that this shall be one for my Summer beauty bag (back off panda eyes- just back off) and will keep you posted when i've tried it. If anyone has already just pop a little comment below.

My second mascara pick is one that I have been using for a little while and must say that I do swear by it for giving me super fluttery eyelashes in just a couple of coats. Don't be perturbed by that snazzy looking old tube, for this MAC False Lashes mascara is certainly a keeper (£18 here). While it is certainly not smudge (ahem - tear) proof, this glossy mascara is thick but not clumpy and is perfect for lengthening and volumising without too much hassle. I always curl with Shu Uemura Eyelash Curlers beforehand, of course. 

I shudder to think how much money I have spent in this lifetime on lipgloss. I go through it at the speed of noughts, and buy way more than I really should. I just love a good lipgloss, I do. I also am pretty pernickety about the glosses I go for, as nothing is more off-putting than an overly viscous or oily "gloss", it's got to be suitably sticky and preferably sweet. 

My favourite, month by month, is always the NARS lipgloss. It is thick but not gloopy and has just the right amount of pigment to remove any need for a base lipstick or colour. It is a little bit more expensive than your average Superdrug shot (£17.50 here), but it is also a big bit better. This Turkish Delight colour is a pale, powdery pink and is soon to be the latest addition to my ever expanding beauty bag. See ya in Selfridges... Or Space NK... Or Harvey Nicks. I'm not fussy. 

Another product I am really keen to try is the Benefit Dandelion lipgloss (£14.50 here). If anyone has any feedback on it just let me know- I love the blusher personally for it's delicate touch of petal pink, so I can only imagine that the lipgloss is just as lovely. 

I featured these Urban Apothecary candles in my Mothers Day post a while back (after spotting on the amazing Discover and Escape) and I just had to feature them again because they sound SO delicious! I still haven't found an excuse to treat myself just yet, but don't they sound so lovely? Inspired by french macaroons (mmmmm...) these delightfully sweet candles come in an array of sugary scents that sound so very decadent. I felt as we edged into Summer, I should stay true to good old Great Britain and bring out the strawbs and cream! This luxury candle comes in a beautiful little glass jar which is perfect for storing trinkets once the candle is all gone. You can treat yourself here for £30. 

You know i'm off to New York this June, right? Don't know if i've mentioned...

Eep! I am so very excited to visit the Big Apple and on reading a book called The Stylist's Guide to NYC, I got even more excited about checking out some of the cities' big name perfumery stores such as Le Labo.

Le Labo scents are a tad expensive, but they are delightfully unique and can even have the labels personalised. What could possibly be a better souvenir? 

I think I shall be inclined to go for Jasmine. A light but floral Spring scent, this charming and distinctive scent is ladylike but still powerful. You can buy for £95 here or at Liberty (as per the one in the image)

Yesterday over lunch, my mother, sister and I spent a good half hour talking about our favourite nail polish brands, which made for a riotous old time for dad, as I'm sure you can imagine. 

While initially I flew the flag for Essie (I love Splash of Grenadine and Ballet Slippers- call me cliché!) and OPI, my mother plumped for Leighton Denny and my sister full on championed Butter London polishes. 

I must admit that my sister and I rarely agree, but on this one I could not argue. Butter London polishes really are quite fabulous and for Spring they have some delicious shades around. I just featured a couple of my favourites here- Fruit Machine, a poppy candy pink and Kerfuffle, a sugary soft coral. 

The polishes offer great coverage and don't go as streaky as other luxury polish brands tend to. Both these soft new interpretations of pastel shades would be great for the warmer months whether on your fingertips or tootsies. (both £13 at Butter London)

While skincare is not among the most girly or glamourous of beauty products, it is undoubtedly the most important, particularly if you suffer from skin problems like myself.

My skin is scarred from acne, dry in parts and oily in others, and also extremely blemish prone, so I spend my life in pursuit of a regime that will balance all of the above or, perhaps, make it all go away?

While this Eucerin DermoPurifyer hasn't quite cleared everything up, it really is helping. I have been using the cleanser (£9.18 here), toner (£9.18 here), concentrate (£9.50 here) and moisturiser/night here (both £9.18 here) every day and night for the past few weeks and I have noticed a great improvement in my skin.

My skin is nourished and no longer as oily, and spots are far rarer than they have been in the past. I have also been eating a far more nutritious diet since being at home, with more fats than I care to think about, which probably is a contributing factor, but I really would recommend this regime if you're a little conscious of your skin. 

Last but not least, a little touch of luxury from Anya Hindmarch. I really do wish I could call this make-up bag my own, but I think it's something I would need to ask for as a gift!

How adorable is it? This "Face Repair Kit" in soft metallic leather is £135 (here) but is perfect for carrying around all your favourite beauty essentials! 

How could you resist?!

Pursuit of Prettiness: Face of The Underground

I love living in London. I really, really do.

From the Christmas lights in Covent Garden through to the simple pleasure of sitting a taxi at night, driving by Park Lane and sighing at how beautiful the city of London really is.

I know that I sound smitten, but I really do appear to have fallen for London this year. I'm head over heels, but I think there may be trouble in paradise- London, you're messing up my skin something rotten.

I have never for one second thought of myself as having great skin but, trust me, it is at an all time low right about now... It is really rather dire: dry in parts, shiny in others, spots all over the shop and a serious lack of a glow, and London underground, I blame you.

But, why?

CLEANSING

The underground poses all sorts of threats to the skin, but, first and foremost, it's all rather dirty! I am sure we are all a little bit guilty of not cleansing our face and neck as much as we should do, and living in London this is something of a cardinal sin. As Rodial expert Hana told me, face wipes just wont cut it, you need to invest in a really great cleanser which will work to cleanse deeply and remove all of those horrible little germs that plague the tube. By all means, use wipes to remove make-up, but all that 3-in-1 talk is just not on... When living in London, or any major city, cleansing is key. See below for my pick of peachy clean cleansers.

1. Rodial Glamtox Cleanser £50
2. Bioré Ice Cleanser £3.49
3. Soap and Glory Face Soap and Clarity £6.99
4. Bliss Triple Oxygen Cleansing Foam £24
5. Eve Lom Cleanser £40

MOISTURISING

In terms of temperature, the underground is a little bit of a nightmare. This isn't just darn inconvenient, but it is also rather detrimental to your skin. It's ridiculously warm one minute and bitterly cold the next, which has a drying effect on the skin. Of course, the obvious thing to do is to moisturise, moisturise, moisturise. Check out my lovely enriching picks below.

1. Elemis Fresh Skin Super Boost £18
2. Decléor Hydra Floral Moisturising Cream £39.80
3. Rodial Dragon's Bloody Hyaluronic Moisturiser £45
4. Estelle & Thild Neroli Face Cream £29.50
5. NIP + FAB Moisture Fix (my pick!) £18.50

PRIMING

The underground also has a charming tendency to completely destroy my make-up. I find myself constantly reapplying after long tube journeys, mainly due to the environmental factors. The secret is... A good primer! It really does make such a difference.

1. Revlon Photo Ready Primer £11.99
2. Smashbox Photo Finish Primer £22
3. MAC Prep + Prime Skin £19.50
4. NIP + FAB Sheer Make-Up Fix £14.95
5. Benefit The POREfessional £23.50

TLC-ing

Finally, though, you've got to give yourself a little bit of pampering at the end of the day. Whether it's an everyday skin treat, or a weekly masque, London skin certainly needs a little bit of TLC.

1. LUSH Catastrophe Cosmetic Mask £5.95/tub
2. Bioré Deep Cleansing Nose Strips £7.99
3. Rodial 5 Minute Facial £28
4. Malin + Goetz Detox Face Mask £29
5. NIP+FAB Scrub Fix £11.26
6. Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate £36

Pursuit of Prettiness: Photo Face

Models Backstage at Dolce and Gabbana SS13
Image from Catwalking

Photographs are my worst enemy. I am truly, disgustingly unphotogenic and it really does bring me down. Everything from head to toe looks a million times worse when captured on camera in my case, and over the past week things have worsened.

It appears that I have turned into some sort of ghost. Whenever the unforgiving flash of my friend's iPhone goes off, my face suddenly glows a bright white, contrasting dramatically with my dark He-Shi tan. It is not, NOT a good look.

I won't post the photos, but if you are a friend of mine on Facebook you may have been unfortunate enough to have caught a glimpse of Shona the clown, clad in a little red dress with bright Ruby Woo lips and a chalky complexion to rival the cast of Twilight.

I have to point the finger at my foundation of choice. I have been using the Estée Lauder Maximum Coverage foundation for a few years now and I love it's mask-like effect, purely because it covers EVERYTHING. I have since come to realise, learning the hard way, that it is a) two shades too light for my skin tone and b) totally wrong for my skin type.

I knew, to avoid any more Facebook photo embarrassments, that I should invest in a shiny new foundation and I have since made a new friend: Revlon PhotoReady Make-Up (available from Boots for just £9.99)

Available Nationwide £9.99

I bought it almost impulsively, swayed by it's promise of a flawless photo finish, but I am very glad I did. The foundation provides a satiny, airbrushed base with a fantastic buildable coverage. I also indulged in the matching concealer which blends seamlessly with the base and gives that extra bit of polish to my less than perfect skin. Revlon also offer a PhotoReady primer which I am very keen to try, primarily to see whether it boosts the staying power of the foundation

It blends like a dream, it covers beautifully and it is the first foundation I have worn that isn't mask-like, but still provides adequate coverage without the addition of powder. 

Yay for Revlon!

Pursuit of Prettiness #4

This week's 'Pursuit of Prettiness' is based on my horrible, horrible skin. Any readers who, like me, live in London will have noticed the effect that the big city has on the skin- and it ain't pretty!

As with all things skin care, it's tricky to generalise- some people find city life to dry their skin, others see it breaking out and the lucky ones, like yours truly, get to experience a delightful mix of both! This leaves my skin blemished around my hairline and chin, but horribly dry around my nose and forehead.

Combined with my poor diet, stress and terrible habit of leaving make-up on overnight, my skin has gone from bad to terrible, and I have been at a loss for a while. It's a vicious cycle of breakout > caked make-up > clogged pores > more spots and it is not easy to combat. I have, however, found a way to keep my skin looking far brighter and clearer for summer.

Firstly, I remove make-up and cleanse twice with Clearasil foaming wash until my skin is squeaky clean. One wash to remove dirt and the other to clean deep into the pores. I then apply a little Dermatalogica scrub around my nose and forehead to eliminate dry skin and I then pat my skin dry. This is the perfect base for the essential tool in my pursuit of prettiness: moisturiser.

I have had a real love/hate relationship with moisturisers all my life- some seem harmless but leave my sensitive skin stinging, while others absorb instantly but do next to nothing to my skin moisture levels. I think, however, I may have found one that does the trick.

There are numerous moisturisers out there for oily skin, but the new Herbalife Nourifusion multivitamin moisturizer for normal to oily skin is the best I have tried (£20.20). The SPF15 wonder cream is nourishing and smoothing with vitamins A, C and E, and it sinks in straight away with no greasy or clogging feel.

Apply it morning and evening to notice a huge improvement to problem skin without worrying about oiliness. I suggest applying to dry areas and using the old faithful Sudocrem on inflamed or problem pimples!

Find where to buy Nourifusion online here.

Right Bonnie Beauty

Last week's holiday, to the remote Scottish isle of Arran, was a lovely and relaxing trip. All we did was eat and go on the occasional walk, but it was certainly a breath of fresh air from the hustle and bustle of London. 

The week was supposed to be a bit of a detox but was, in fact, a retox fuelled by Creme Eggs and greasy Lorne sausages (google 'em if you're not Scottish- the square sausage is quite the marvel...). However, this week shall be my return to healthy eating, and I have kickstarted it with a mammoth pamper session with my new beauty treats.

Arran Aromatics is a Scottish company that is mostly known for staid soaps and candles, but they do offer so much more than that! I stocked up on some gorgeous beauty booty, including hand creams, scrubs and a sweet and syrupy honey shower gel. Here, however are my two favourite picks which I had to share with you! 

The Sea Mud Mask

Anyone else who is unfortunate enough to suffer from acne will know how horrible it is. No matter how hard you try to cover up unsightly pimples and scarring, those pesky spots will always reek havoc with your beauty regime. 

After some advice from the lovely Harriet- a budding beauty journalist and fellow blogger (read her beauty blog here), I have turned to Canadian make-up brand Cover FX to correct my problem skin. The foundation and medicated primer have left my skin in tip-top condition, and I am keen to keep it up!

Skincare is super important, and a weekly face mask is a treat that every girl needs. This natural and gentle sea mud mask is one of my new favourites. It is purifying and leaves skin smooth, bright and clear. The perfect accompaniment to a luxurious bubble bath and a stack of new magazines!

The Mineral Salt Scrub

Bikini season is just around the corner (sorry to remind you!) so why not start getting your skin smooth and supple a few months in advance? This soothing and balmy scrub is the perfect way to get your skin looking good as new. 

I used it today and my skin feels so velvety and glowing! The perfect base for my favourite Laura Mercier body souffle- oh, the delights of being back home!

Just get yourself to www.arranaromatics.com quick as all products are 3 for 2 until the 11th of April!