CHANEL: YOU LOOKIN' AT ME?

I love it when the worlds of Beauty and Film collide and it’s happened again with Chanel. Today Chanel announced a really exciting collaboration with the Oscar winning director Martin Scorsese, who has produced some of the most iconic and visceral films of our times with ‘Goodfellas’, ‘Taxi Driver’, ‘The Departed’ and ‘Gangs of New York’. Marty (that’s want his hard nut friends Bob De Niro and Leo Dicaprio call him) is set to direct the latest commercial for Chanel’s new men’s fragrance launching September 2010 with the French actor and rising star Gaspard Ulliel. I can’t wait to see what they do, perhaps Gaspard can pistol whip someone across the face with the new bottle of cologne. Have it!

LADY GAGA- M·A·C ATTACK

God bless Lady Gaga and all who sail in her. I love the fact this lady pushes the boundaries of her beauty and fashion boxes and I love this look where she is literally dripping in pearls at the amfAR gala last week in New York. She looks like a modern day Miss Havisham crossed with one of those creepy undead sea pirates serving with Davy Jones from 'Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest'. I love it! La Gaga is the new M·A·C Viva Glam, www.maccosmetics.co.uk, spokesperson along with Cyndi Lauper and I’m so glad she didn’t disappoint with this look at the M·A·C sponsored event. Now don’t try this at home kids but if you want to recreate the look for say, an evening meeting your potential mother-in-law, job interview or an evening down the pub, it took make up artist Billy B an hour and a half to create using M·A·C white micronized airbrush formula avec pearls and the look was designed by artist Terence Koh. Bravo.

CHANEL HYDRAMAX + ACTIVE NUTRITION LIP CARE

As you all know I am a huge Chanel fan and I also am a bit of a lip balm fanatic, as there is nothing less appealing and uncomfortable than cracked up dry lips. So I’m not ashamed to say I did let out a little squeal of delight when this new Chanel Hydramax + Active Nutrition Lip care, £26, www.chanel.com (that’s Chanel speak for lip balm) landed on my desk. It’s a really nourishing product without any sticky tackiness. The balm helps to soothe, plump and protect the delicate skin on the lips with rose wax, cottonseed oil and ceratonia PFA, the key ingredient in the HYDRAMAX +ACTIVE range, which helps to boost the skin’s own natural hydration mechanisms. Apart from that, the Barbie sized dinky packaging is fabulous, smells of white peaches and berries but not too much, as I can’t stand over perfumed products and will look chic when being pulled out of any handbag. Look out for it when it launches on the 23rd April. Chanel you are class all the way! 

FAREWELL ALEXANDER MCQUEEN

It was such a shock to hear of Alexander McQueen’s passing today. I am such a huge fan of his work and his talent, vision and his genius will be missed. It feels so odd that we will never see another theatrical show, another set of ideas and his take on the world. Any art is about ideas, expression and soulfulness and McQueen’s work screamed originality and excellence. I loved McQueen’s hard-edged S&M approach to romanticism and for me he belonged in a romanticism trinity along with John Galliano and Vivienne Westwood some of my other favourite designers. The world has lost an interesting, creative and talented soul. RIP.

REVLON'S VALENTINE'S DAY

I saw the fabulous Andrea Fulerton celebrity nail expert and spokesperson for Revlon, www.andreafulerton.com today. I love Andrea and apart from being really talented and wicked company she’s super fun and a cracking lass.  Andrea works with all the A-listers such as Penelope Cruz, Lilly Allen, Sienna Miller, Kim Cattrall, Victoria Beckham and I was lucky enough to have a manicure with her. Over a cuticle clean up Andrea told me she had done Jessica Alba’s nails in preparation for tonight’s Valentine’s Day premiere. Guess what colour Alba went for? One of my favourite shades Valentine, a really cool toned and sexy 50s pin up esque red, which was very fitting. Jessica Alba rocked her nails and updo on the red carpet and looked fierce. Well done and thank you Andrea!

MERCI BEAUCOUP LAURA MERCIER

Last week was very exciting as one of my favourite make up artists Laura Mercier was launching her S/S colours at the Dorchester with an array of new products. Laura works with a dazzling number of A-list super stars such as Sarah Jessica Parker, Liv Tyler, Sienna Miller, Angelina Jolie and Jessica Alba. Meeting ladies like Laura is why I love the beauty industry as she is ballsy, outspoken, talented with lots of integrity and creativity.

The last few times I have met Laura I have asked her to please go darker with her colours and I’m so pleased she has extended her range with her light weight sheer coverage foundation Tinted Moisturizer SPF 20 by 3 shades with Bisque (for light to neutral complexions with pink and yellow undertones), Caramel (for light tanned and olive complexions) and Mocha (for darker skin tones with yellow and red undertones) with a plan to add 2 more darker shades! I’ve always wanted to use this tinted moisturizer but until the Mocha shade there was just nothing to cater for my skin tone. The mocha leaves a dewy finish without leaving an ashy film on the skin, which you often get on darker skin tones when SPF is in the product.

Laura’s iconic Secret Concealer, £18, www.lauramercier.com, has now also been extended to 6 shades and now caters for Asian and Black skin tones. The three new shades are No. 4 for medium skin tones with light golden undertones. No 5 is great for medium to deep skin with neutral/rose undertones and No. 6 is great for darker skin tones with rich caramel undertones.  It’s great for concealing dark circles and is packed full of vitamin E and A to protect the fragile skin around the eye area. The new Under Eye Protector in orange/yellow, £18, is also a genius new product and is also excellent for Asian skin tones as hereditary dark circles are often a problem for this skin tone. The creamy colour corrector won’t cake or slide off but helps to cancel out grey and purple imperfections before your concealer and foundation goes on.

I’m really excited about the new line extensions as it’s my personal beauty bug bear that many companies (you know who you are) don’t cater to Asian and black skin tones. I have heard all the excuses under the sun such as there is not enough room on the shelves in store, the colours for darker skins don’t sell well (that’s because there is always only a token dark shade, which suits Beyonce or Halle Berry and nobody else). The funniest one I have heard as to why there are no dark shades is that the company is not sure if the market is right in the UK for darker skin tones- er take it from me there are legions of cash rich and ignored beauty mad Asian and Black women in the UK. Extending the range was obviously very important to Laura as she said, "it means the world. It is an achievement that should have been done a longtime ago. When the range was first created we had dark shades included and then they were taken out and I have been fighting to get them back ever since. They make the line complete".

Congrats Laura on the new shades and thank you x

ESTEE LAUDER BRONZE GODDESS 2010

What the hell is up with the snow? If like me, you are over it have a look at the new Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess 2010 collection and think happy Spring/ Summer thoughts. As usual the limited edition Estee Lauder collection was bang on and will have people in a frenzy, when it launches across Estee Lauder counters in House of Fraser from 29^th March 2010 and then nationwide from the 26^th April 2010 while stocks, www.esteelauder.co.uk. Keep an eye out for the new Limited Edition Bronze Goddess Liquid Eyeshadow in Ultra Violet, Aqua Flash and Molton Bronze, £15, which you can use as a liner for a peek a boo hit of colour or as a creamy eyeshadow. It’s lightweight and metallic and doesn’t have that tacky feeling you get with some creamy eyeshadows. Another shout out has to go to the Sumptuous Waterproof Bold Volume Lifting Mascara in Rich Black, £18, which is actually a kick ass volumising mascara first and water proof mascara second, in that while being great in all humid and wet conditions, it lifts and makes lashes look long and luscious.

Another must have is the Limited Edition Bronze Goddess Solid Perfume Pendant, £55 (you know what I’m like I love a solid perfume), which is a gorgeous piece of jewellery in its own right, which will go with all your floaty summer dresses. However, the statement orb also contains the Bronze Goddess classic fragrance, which smells of holidays with its sun soaked, beachy, coconuty, creamy sun lotion esque notes but it is actually built around golden amber notes. Have fun bringing out your inner Bronze Goddess!