BACK TO THE FUTURE BEAUTY

As you all know I'm a film nut. Mama loves films and beauty and as it's been chucking it down, I've been looking at loads of movies at home all snuggled up. I love sci-fi and watched 'Total " consider it a divorce " Recall', 'The Fifth Element' and 'Bladerunner' the other day. All these films have amazing fantasy beauty moments in there, which I hope beauty companies will be inspired to create.

Back in the day I remember looking at Star Trek (yes I am a Trekkie I love the special effects make up and outfits and the way it allows you to look at our humanity through the guise of alien civilisations and the distance of intergalatic space) thinking my God could you imagine reading the entire works of Shakespeare off a tablet device like they did in Deep Space Nine in the 90s. I'm now writing this blog on my IPAD- job done people -  as Disney said, "if you can dream it you can do it". 

Anyway I'm dreaming of the day like in 'The Fifth Element' you can pick up a Chanel visor and hold it up to your eyes and it spray paints on a full eye look. For me that's one of the highlights of the whole film, I remember watching it for the first time and thinking OMG can you imagine......I also love the bit in 'Total Recall', where the secretary at the memory implantation centre - Total Recall - sits bored changing her nail polish by a flick of a computer mouse-like pen, which electronically changes the colour of your nails. We have magnetic nail polish - so how long will it be before we can paint our nails with a computer chip or something that downloads any colour or design you want? Lord have mercy it's so exciting...

I have thick Afro hair, which takes forever to blow dry and anyone with curly hair will know what I'm talking about when I say it's a pain the arm doing it. In 'Bladerunner', my fantasy beauty moment comes in the form of the replicant andriod lady, who is hiding out as an exotic stripper with a snake (stay with me) - anyway she goes from a full greased up slicked down ponytail to a full on Charlie's Angels Farrah Fawcett blow out  - just by stepping inside a full body blowdry pod.

Again my mouth was left open at the thought of just standing in a blow dry machine that can do that. I love beauty and I love to get my technie geek on and when they combine and collide I get very excited. Will all this technology in beauty, which I'm sure is coming, spell the end of make up artists and manicure bars? I don't think so. No matter how advanced we get with technology - to have a bespoke one on one experience with another human being will always be valued and that's what makes us human and not aliens or androids. 

You can't have a discussion on Madonna's nipple flash or whether Ri- Ri will really take back Chris Brown (allegedly?????) Saying all that I can't wait to see what the beauty future holds and what my baby twin girls will be doing when they are my age and I'm applying a liquid liner by hand, which they will roll their eyes up and say, "Oh mum that's so old school, get with the programme let us hook you up"! Bless!

MOLTEN METALS

Excuse me, how hot is it????? I’m sorry but I can’ t stand it when London gets this hot. One bit of sun and people think it’s acceptable to strip and flash their flesh. The amount of bellies and people’s bits and pieces in thongs out, is quite unsettling and that’s just the middle aged men (who quite frankly should know better). Also when travelling on public transport it feels like you're being punished in some dramatic yet creative Greek mythological way, for crimes you have committed but you can’t work out what those crimes are. You end up feeling like the guy from the amazing Korean thriller 'Oldboy', where you have the pleasure of being tormented trying to figure out your crimes, while caged and trapped- in our case in an underground broken down tube carriage, which is as hot as Hades. For me nothing beats a snowy day with Diptyque's Feu de Bois  candle burning in the background with that crisp cold scent in the air, that tickles your lungs when you breathe it in and it feels like you’ve just done a shot of something, as it snakes its way around your body. Ahhhhhh

The one good thing about these hot days is molten metals. I love metallic golds, bronzes and khakis that look like they've been forged in fire or as if you left a gold bullion bar out in the sun, it melted and then you smeared it across your eyes….FAB.U.LAS. These molten metals may feel very A/W my season of choice but their smouldering sexiness also looks great while out on hot sticky nights.

On my nails I’m loving Chanel’s new Nail Polish in Delight, it looks like I’ve dipped my nails in a very expensive gold leaf. I love the fact it looks a bit rose gold against my dark skin rather than that angry Dictator’s wife gaudy gold gold – you know what I mean. Tom Ford’s latest Spring/ Summer Collection is also rocking the look with their shimmering chocolatey Burnt Topaz nail Lacquer and Cream Color for eyes in Illicit, a delicious burnished red, which screams glamour and has a touch of studio 54. I’ve also been slicking on Maybelline’s Color Tattoo a gel eyeshadow, which really doesn’t budge (fab if you are indeed on the tube or dancing on a table with a cocktail in your hands) in Eternal Gold or On and On Bronze.

To create even more sexy heat and smokiness around the eyes to make your molten metals pop the genius that is make up artist Charlotte Tilbury, who can be seen back stage at fashion week told me once to put some warm chocolate brown liner on the lower lash line, as this creates a hot-ness that Brazilian girls naturally have and it really pulls the look together. I love Clinique's Quickliner for eyes Intense in Intense Chocolate, as it's not ashy on my skin and has a deep rich cocoa colour. Give it a go for a smoking hot look.

P.S I love this shot from ‘Oldboy’,  he looks like he’s about to go nuts and lose it, like he’s been stuck on the tube for hours but it’s uncanny my hair looks like this after sticky weather. Nice.  

THE BODY SHOP - BEAUTY WITH HEART

Whenever I think of The Body Shop I get a warm fuzzy glow inside. We have all grown up with this very sincere and British brand that not only has loads of heart and a social consciousness. Their recent campaigns in helping to stop sex trafficking as well as helping communities around the world is what beauty is all about feeling and being beautiful from the inside out. On top of all that the products also really deliver and have iconic status, such as their lip smacking Body Butters to the fruity shower gels such as Fuzzy Peach and Green Apple that take me straight back to the 6th form in school listening to Blur and Oasis in the common room. Other happy Body Shop memories I have was when I meet my husband in the first year of university at 19 and I saw that he had their Passionfruit Cleansing Gel in his bathroom - I thought yes I can date this man - 15 years and twin baby girls later - the thought of it still makes me smile.

So last week when I was invited to attend and also filmed with my production company Couture Communications, www.couturecommunications.com at The Body Shop's massive global launch to announce their first ever Brand Ambassador Lily Cole I was beyond excited. The launch was held to celebrate and talk about their new Beauty with Heart Campaign, which Lily will be heading up and it's a movement inviting us all to - "Look Good, Feel Good and Do Good"- it was very inspiring. The launch was held at the Old Sorting Office in WC1 in the heart of London and was literally huge as the 120,000 square foot space was turned into a mad Willy Wonka style fun playground with all things The Body Shop. I had loads of fun playing in the Look Good room at the Shimmer Cube wall where you could custom make your own eyeshadow palettes with the help with the fabulous Chase Aston, The Body Shop's celebrity make up artist. At the Feel Good room there were hand massages with the wide array of different body butters and in the Do Good room we learned all about the campaigns and work we all can do to help make a difference. Well Done! Take a look at the film below to get a sneak peek of the launch.

BOBBI BROWN POT ROUGE FOR LIPS AND CHEEKS

I didn't think Bobbi Brown's Pot Rouge for Lips and Cheeks, £18, www.bobbibrown.co.uk could get any better but it just did! This iconic multi-use cream blush, which can also be used on the lips, for a pigment rich yet balmy stain, has had a facelift, so to speak with new handbag friendly packaging. The Pot rouges now come in a sleek compact with a mirror - perfect for touch ups. One of Bobbi's favourite tricks is to add a fresh pop of blush to the apples of the cheeks at 4pm, when you not only feel like you're flagging, but your make up might be too. I'm loving the Chocolate Cherry and Raspberry shades, which looks great and very natural on darker skin tones. Calypso Coral looks amazing on sunny Cameron Diaz-esque blondes, English roses should grab the Power Pink shade while Pale Pink and Uber Beige looks beautiful on most skin tones. Kate Middleton is rumoured to be a Pale Pink blush fan. Now the sun is shining, cream blushes will add a touch of Spring/ Summer to your make up look. Enjoy!

ELIZABETH ARDEN 8 HOUR CREAM PARTY AND NEW LAUNCHES

Last night on the 8th (get it 8 for 8 hour cream) Elizabeth Arden celebrated their truly iconic handbag staple loved my millions of women around the world. A sultry New York night was re-created at the fabulous Grade II listed townhouse 29 Portland Place, otherwise known as my fantasy home, with a New York Jazz band and a rather impressive 7 ft ice sculpture of the statue of  Liberty. The townhouse was packed full of celebs such as Holly Valance and her engagement ring- teardrop and it's so huge it could land planes with a delicate wave of her hand, Tamara Ecclestone, Trinny Woodall, Zara Martin and Tolula Adeyemi. We nibbled on mini waldorf salads and drank cosmos, as it was announced that after 82 years of the formula of 8 hour cream not being changed a new fragrance free version in new packaging is being launched, as well as a new handbag size version (genius). The distinctive fragrance I feel is a bit like marmite you either love it or hate it- but it's great there's a choice now. I chatted to super sweet and very well brought up Amber Atherton from Made in Chelsea (her skin is ridiculously plump and glowy) who said she loved the original scent, as it was really comforting as her mother and grandmother both use 8 hour cream.

I also caught up with the lovely Rachel Singer Clark, Elizabeth Arden's celebrity make up artist who created Holly Valance's make up look for the night. Holly looked really fresh and glowy and Rachel gave me her insider tips as she uses 8 hour cream twice on the lips, once before she puts any make up on to hydrate and then again afterwards to add a gloss. She also uses 8 hour cream to tame brows and on eyelashes before curling them for added bend.

It was fabulous night and here's to another 80 years of 8 hour cream!

RODIAL 'BEAUTIFUL' AWARDS 2012

Last night I was lucky enough to attend and film at Rodial Founder Maria Hatzistefanis'- Rodial Beautiful Awards at the Sanderson Hotel with my digital production company Couture communications, www.couturecommunications.com. The Sanderson was packed with wall to wall celebs such as presenters and winners Yasmin Mills, Julian Mcdonald, Kelly Hoppen, Zara Martin, Elle Mcpherson, uber make up artist Charlotte Tilbury and Whitney "The Hills" Port. I got to chat to Whitney and interviewed her, she looked amazing in Julian Mcdonald. I had to fight the urge to chat to her like I knew her as I lovvved "The Hills" but I resisted the urge. She showed me the contents of her bag as she loves Rodial's Glam Balm.

I also chatted with the ridiculously warm and funny Yasmin Le Bon who won an award for Classic Beauty. The woman looks amazing and natural and is super cool. I asked her if she did Voodoo to keep herself looking so good! I also met the legend that is Elle Mcpherson, who didn't disappoint as well as being everything you would imagine and more she was stunning, switched on and fabulous. When we took a photo together she went into full on supermodel mode and was busting some looks. I was totally blown away she's a true icon (p.s. having your picture taken with Elle Mcpherson is not for the faint hearted people).

I also chatted to Kelly Hoppen and asked her how she kept her curls looking so glossy and defined and soft, all the ladies reading with curly hair will know what I'm talking about and she told me her secret was Kevin Murphy products, www.kevinmurphystore.com. I love Kevin's Leave-in.Luxury conditioner, which is fantastic and nourishing for frizzy, thick hair.

Thank you Maria for a wonderful evening!

WHAT'S IN MY HANDBAG.COM

Hi guys,
While I was filming backstage in Milan I was really honoured to be interviewed for What's in my Handbag.com. Check out the full interview and the inner workings of my handbag on the links below!

http://www.whatsinmyhandbag.com/bag/156

http://blog.whatsinmyhandbag.com/2012/02/day-in-lifeateh-jewel.html?utm_source=Ateh-Jewel&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=ateh-jewel