SANTA BABY

I am really rubbish when it comes to giving non-beauty related presents. I know everyone down to a T but only when it comes to beauty. For my lovely Iranian friend who I have known since I was 11, she loves fig toned lipsticks, a good bronzer and hair care which smells delicious. My two close university friends based in Bristol are both blonde English roses, they love great skincare and lots of pale pinks and pale icy eyeshadows-easy. However, this Christmas Filofax has come to the rescue with the perfect Christmas gift with their fabulous Limited Edition £40 Filofax Beauty Gift box. As well as containing a rather jazzy filofax, which comes in 3 styles, I love the snake skin (feels a bit dangerous and Robert Cavalli -love it) and a pink one. Each box contains a cleverly disguised perfume atomiser in the shape of a pen (very Bond girl), a mirror and a free beauty voucher worth up to £100, which you can choose a massage, facial, manicure, fashion makeover or your own photo shoot. Sorted.

Grab one now exclusively from www.filofaxgifts.co.uk

BIFA AWARDS 2009- GET THE LOOK- RED LIPS

A red lip can be a very daunting thing and can send a shiver up the spine of the most die hard beauty fan, who thinks Lady Gaga’s stage make up is day time look. Just remember to get a red lipstick which suits your skin’s undertones. If you have warm undertones (think Blake Lively) in your skin think tomato red and if you have more blue in your skin (think Anna Hathaway), try a cooler more raspberry red. Here, Rosamund's look is amazing with her MAC lipstick in Dubonnet. When wearing a strong lip it looks great when the rest of the skin is clean and neutral. However, don’t forget to sculpt the skin and carve out cheekbones and brow bones by dusting them with an iridescent powder, which suits your skin tone such as golds, silvers and bronzes.

BIFA AWARDS 2009- ROSAMUND PIKE

Here is Rosamund Pike with glowing skin and a red lip on the red carpet.

BIFA AWARDS 2009- GET THE LOOK- SMOKY EYES

To create the classic smoky eye seen on Eva Green at the BIFA awards, first of all don’t panic! Think of it as two lines -one close to the upper lash line and winged out a bit and a line on the bottom lash line. Once you have your two lines smudge and smoke them out and you have a great base for a smoky eye. The blacker and deeper the pigment of your pencil the better. I love MAC’s Smolder eye liner, which was also used on Eva, as it’s blacker than a winter’s London afternoon at 4pm and on my dark skin any other liner looks a bit grey and anaemic. If you want to get fancy and more dramatic like Eva’s look, try working MAC’s Scene and Carbon eyeshadows into your lids. I also like to go for a smoky molten bronze eye, metallic purple eye or navy to mix it up a bit. Keep lips fleshy and nude for a sultry look.

BIFA AWARDS 2009- RED CARPET READY

As I mentioned I attended the BIFA awards on Sunday, which was fab and both Eva Green and Rosamund Pike gave master classes on how to rock a red carpet look. MAC make up artists created the looks for the leading ladies, which both embodied two classic party looks of smoky eyes or a red mouth. I think it’s best to stick to smoked out eyes or a saucy mouth rather than have both. If you attempt both looks at the same time it can look a bit Helmut Newton, which is fabulous and very Italian Vogue but may be a tad out of place down your local Pizza Express at an office Christmas party.

R.E.S.P.E.C.T

How much do I love Aretha Franklin in this photo! Here she is singing in New York at the Christmas tree lighting ceremony at the Rockerfeller centre. Whether you're anti- fur or love vintage fur, you can’t deny this is a proper woman not someone trying to look or act 14 and a size zero. She is a woman who is super talented and known for her God given voice and is still performing around 50 years since her debut. She’s not famous for dropping her knickers, shagging an A- lister or leaking out her own sex tape. I have nothing but R.E.S.P.E.C.T for her as she is a woman embracing her pretty and body and I think she is beautiful.

ROSE ELIXIR

Like a doctor, I often get asked personal questions especially skincare and make up recommendations. That's the power of beauty. It really breaks down social barriers. You can be chatting to a stranger at a function or cocktail party about the weather or falling house prices and the next minute you are telling them their perfect foundation shade is Punjab by NARS, which they scribble on a napkin. I love the universal language of beauty. Someone recently asked me for a good skin brightening product to help fade pigmentation and hydrate combination skin, which had turned dry and flaky with the bad weather. I am loving Cosmetics a la Carte's Rose Elixir. This light oil is packed full of organic rose hip oil, grape seed oil and skin protecting vitamin E, which is rich in essential fatty acids and helps to deeply nourish tired, dull and dehydrated skin. Many women with combination skin like me can get dehydrated, which is a lack of water in the skin rather than having a dry skin condition. I really loved using this oil and found it even faded a new scar I had on my hand really quickly. Grab a bottle for glowing skin.

BIFA AWARDS 2009

Here I am with Best Actress winner Carey Mulligan for her performance in 'An Education', which was stunning. She was so excited, down to earth and lovely. She is being tipped for an Oscar nod.

BIFA AWARDS 2009

Bond girl Gemma Arterton was really warm and presented Sir Michael Caine with his Variety Award.

BIFA AWARDS 2009

I met Rosamund Pike who was nominated for Best Supporting Actress and looked flawless. She was very cool.

BIFA AWARDS 2009

I have 3 loves in my life beauty, history and film. Last night I was able to mix 2 of these loves as I was invited by MAC to the British Independent Film Awards held at The Brewery near the Barbican. Talented MAC make up artists created the make up looks for Rosamund Pike and Eva Green (who looked like goddesses) and MAC also sponsored the best actress award.

I was so excited to go and be on cheerleading duty as my husband had been nominated for Best Short Film, which he produced and stars Sir Derek Jacobi and Rupert Evans. The night was very relaxed, low key and fun. Daniel Day Lewis and Michael Caine were both honoured with achievement awards and received a standing ovation. I saw Daniel Day Lewis crying, when a poem written by his father celebrating his birth was read out before he received his award. I love him even more. I wanted to shout “stay alive and I will find you”, a hot immortal line he said in the fantastic movie ‘Last of the Mohicans’, (which my husband calls girl porn). However, I bottled it and used my inside voice instead. I did also meet Stephen Frears a legendary director who discovered Daniel Day Lewis 25 years ago and cast him in, ‘My Beautiful Laundrette’ and also presented him with his award. Frears also directed ‘Dangerous Liaisons’ one of my favourite films of all time. Check out the powdered wigs, peach stained lips and rouge, its 18th century beauty always captivated me. He was lovely and really warm and funny. I told him this film really inspired me and brought lots of beauty to my childhood, it was really embarrassing but heartfelt. Thank you MAC x

SOLID FRAGRANCES

I’m a huge fan of solid perfumes, as there is something sensual and ritualistic about rubbing your pulse points and décolleté with the fragrance loaded balm. With the Christmas party season in full swing, slinging a solid fragrance in your handbag and slicking on some perfume will make you feel totally pulled together and groomed even if you have come straight from the office. I am loving Diptyque’s new solid perfume in Philosykos. This warming perfume is inspired by Greece and uses all of the fig tree from the roots, bark and fruit laced with white cedar. If you like deep woody, heady fragrances you will love this. It drives my husband nuts as it reminds him of his childhood which was filled with fun summers spent running around pine forests and figs trees in Menorca, where his family have a second home.

I am also a massive Miller Harris fan as she really does capture a mood or location in a bottle in a unique and complex way. Check out her Geranium Bourbon Solid balm made from 100 % natural oils, which was inspired by an English garden after the rain. The blend of Turkish rose, cassis berries and lemon geranium will leave you feeling sophisticated and comforted and also slightly smug as other people won’t be able to work out what you are wearing.

For sheer fabulousity I have to say I also really like the Marc Jacobs LOLA solid perfume ring. This cocktail ring will look great with any party outfit but also reveals a secret stash of solid perfume with top notes of fresh ruby red grapefruit, pink peppercorn, peony and base notes of creamy and warm vanilla, tonka bean and musk.

Grab a solid fragrance for a touch of glamour…….

LOTION, POTIONS & ME - AND ME

Hi guys,
I had the honour of being asked to reveal the contents of some of my faourite beauty products for the brilliant Bag Spy on the LOTION, POTIONS & ME beauty blog. It was really fun to sit down, pet and write about my most die hard beauty essentials. Please check it out with the link below to see what's in my beauty stash.

www.lotionspotionsandme.blogspot.com/