rant

Not quite beauty related but have to use this blog for all shouts!!
Reading papers this morning and noting that we are being called a nation of lazy people who have no inclination whatsoever to use our bank holiday productively.
So? We're being charged more to drive, petrol is up, food is up, energy is up - we all have fuck all to spend and we are being called lazy and dull in a roundabout way..
What the hell is wrong with sitting indoors when it is pouring with rain; we are being told to cut down on our carbon footprint, so again staying indoors can be no bad thing; we can all bond seen as Britain is a 'nation of broken homes' and play lovely games like Scrabble and Jenga (!!) and we don't have to sit and watch the news as we are too busy screaming at each other after your old grandpa started cheating at poker..when the the trussed up turkey newsreader pops up and tells us that the traffic is terrible, the weather is terrible and Britain is falling apart.
The only time we have any success or luck is abroad...
Is is any wonder so many people are sodding off to Oz and NZ?
We are charged ridiculous prices for EVERYTHING the only things that seem to be cheap and easily accessible are drugs, knives and booze.
The best way to keep our economy afloat eh?!
Our public transport is abysmal, young people have no money to buy their first homes and if they receive inheritance from an aunt they are taxed again, leaving them where they started.
The middle and upper class leaders have no idea how hard it is for the working class families and again wonder why so many people are claiming and living in council houses?
What's the point of working your arse off all week when the money goes on stupid taxes and you're left with just enough to buy fish and chips on a Friday night?
You may as well sit at home, have your bills paid, have a lovely size garden and be able to walk your kids to playschool cos you don't have anywhere to be.
I know what life I would choose!
I am a little wound up this morning, as you can probably tell and am fed up with the way so many people are treated in our country, while the leaders are swanning around in their fancy cars, suits and eating a decent meal when thousands of people are living below the poverty line and have no choice but to buy tinned food and not organic Notting Hill fodder.
I admire Delia Smith for attempting to communicate with them by offering up alternatives - she had the right idea.
We cannot afford organic, fresh and super food from Waitrose. Fresh peas to feed 4 people: £1.38 / Tinned peas to feed family of four FOR A WEEK - £1.10.
Can anybody see?

Beautiful new autumn Chanel collection

I must admit that when it comes to anything shiny and shimmery I am a sucker.

So when the new collection from Chanel landed on my desk, I was slobbering away like a big, hulky dog with a bone.

I am loving shade Kaleidoscope, so this new shade was heaven for me also.

(for some strange reason, looking at my screen as I type, the bottle is blue and not gold in the image...)

Imagine a palace filled with all the jewels imaginable and you have this wonderful gold.

mmmmm, heaven.

The new collection by Global Creative Director Peter Phillips, is sure to keep tongues wagging, so keep a look out!

Le Vernis Gold Fiction: House of Fraser, Boots, Harrods, Selfridges.

Turbo Lash from Estee Lauder

Wow! "Maximum volume, length, separation, definition and curling - all effects in one."

Can the new Turbo lash from Estee really do all these amazing things.

It would appear so.

This is what they say:

"A revolutionary breakthrough, the patent-pending TurboLash All Effects Motion Mascara™ combines an innovative formula and brush design with a unique micropulsing effect that allows the brush to penetrate deep into the lash bed and comb through lashes more quickly and effectively. As the brush gently works its way through the lashes, it expertly separates then saturates the lashes with the luxurious formula from root to tip."

The flashy lash gadget pulls lashes separate as it is oscillates at 125 cycles per second, powered by a button cell battery.

The TurboLash All Effects Motion Mascara™ is Ophthalmologist-tested, fragrance-free and safe for sensitive eyes and contact lens wearers, which is perfect for me as a sensitive eye kinda gal.

At a cool £28 you can invest in this bad boy and if so top up your regime or use this full time.

Available at Harrods.

Interview with designer Katie Rose

Interview with designer Katie Rose, currently in the midst of launching her new collection and tipped as the next big thing.

Katie is currently at Vivienne Westwood and has just returned from Poland where she showcased her new collection of knitted berets.

I myself have one of her beautiful mohair and Swarovski crystal berets and am always asked about it and where it is from - well now you know!

You can have hats custom made by Katie or browse her website for the latest range.

My inspirations:

Fashion inspirations wise I have always loved Vivienne Westwood. I saw her moc-croc platforms at the V and A at a Street Style exhibition in 1993; I was 8 and I fell in love with them! I love the way she takes things like orthopedic shoes and safety pins and creates something sexy and appealing from them. I also love Biba; Barbara Hulanikki was Polish like me, and she used the most amazing textures, prints and colours in her fabric. Ozzie Clark and Celia Birtwell's prints have always inspired me, I love the gipsy style patterns and floaty fabrics, also I think the dresses are very flattering and feminine.

My Icons: Again Vivienne Westwood because she broke out of a marriage and her job as a primary school teacher and was an enormous catalyst in creating the Punk movement in the 70's. This shows me that pretty much anything is possible if you have a courage and don't care what people think! A lot of people tell me my work 'isn't commercial enough' but I just think 'good!' because I don't want to please the general public, I just create things that I love. Its amazing to be working at Vivienne Westwood because I can wear what I want and feel natural. My other icons are Jane Birkin, Jean Seberg and Katherine DeNueuve for their style and beauty.

Beauty products: I love Bobbi Brown because their colours are so vibrant and glam rock! I love the ruby slipper nail varnish and the metallic eye liners. I love YSL lipstick 'Orange Fuzz' and 'Ruby Starlet'. They do really unusual shades such as peach and in between pink and red, they taste of peach and stay on for ages. I also love New York Red by Chanel which tastes of roses. I buy a lot of make up from Primark, they do glittery eye liner for £1 which is great!

Favourite hang outs: In London are anywhere that my friends are really but I absolutely adore Greenwich Park, Cafe Royal, BubbleGum in Deptford, The Amersham Arms, The New Cross Inn, Koko, Goddards Pie and Mash stall in Greenwich, The V and A, The National Gallery and The 100 club.

My style: Is eclectic. I wear a lot of vintage, prints, stripes, sequins, berets, I love to mix old and new styles together. I adapt a lot of my clothes, and accessorize with costume jewellery and vintage bags. I love my tassels on everything, I love high waisted jeans, shorts, skirts and dresses, and I love to change about 3 times a day! I was born in Hackney but grew up in Hastings which defiantly influenced me. Hastings is quite bohemian. Its full of artists, drunks, weirdos and musicians. A lot of friends are creative and very open. I did art foundation at Hastings College and it helped me to experiment.

A lot of things outside fashion inspire me. I take photographs everywhere. I love interiors of himes, things that people collect and the way they arrange things. I love the photography of Diane Arbus and Weegee. I love pre- Raphelite paintings especially Ophelia by Millet. I love films such as 'Belle De Jour' and 'Donkey Skin' and I am obsessed about collecting junk! My Polish Grandmother inspired my final collection. She has an obsession with hoarding because she lost everything in the war so she never throws ANYTHING away. She keep egg boxes, clothes, broken toys, bits of fabric. She was a dress maker so has a huge amount of amazing clothes and shoes from the 1920's till now. She still goes to bootsales and buys more. She has given a lot of clothes to me and I wear something from her house almost everyday. The problem is the house is falling to hits and one room has already burnt down and she has left it like that. I made a lot of my collection out of clothes from her house which were full of burns and holes, but it really produced something quite extraordinary and beautiful.

Favourite books: 'Whatever you think think the opposite' by Paul Arden'Kitchin' by Banama Yashimoto'The Alchamist' by P. Caleo.

Favourite designers: I have mentioned and artists Basquiat, Andy Warhol, Millet, Rubins and Pauline Botti and Freda Carlo.

Favourite food: Fish and chips and mushy peas, avocado, honey comb ice cream from The Ivy with hot chocolate sauce, my mums roast, moules and frites and a good old fry up.

Favourite films: Donkey Skin, Belle De Jour, Repulsion, Blow Up, Blade Runner, Walk the Line, The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, Breathless and Vivre Sa Vie Favourite wine; Pink champagne

Favourite songs: Me and Bobbi Magee by Janis Joplin, Tennessee Homesick Blues by Dolly Parton, Holy Rolla Novacane by The Kings of Leon, Black Dog and When the Levve breaks by Led Zepplin, Gone Gone Gone by Alison Krauss and Robert Plant, Hey Joe by Jimmi Hendrix, Wet Sand by The Red Hot Chilli Peppers, The nights too long by Sandy Rodgers, 20th century boy by T-REX

TV programmes: Desperate House Wives, Sex in the City and Top Gear

Dead or Alive table: Maralyn Monroe, Jimmi Hendrix, Andy Warhol, Johnny Cash, Elvis, Marc Bowlan, Pauline Botti, Edie Sedgwick, Eistein and my cat Pinky.

Shoes: over 120 only 3 designer and most of them vintage from my granny

Jewellery designers: The Great Frog, Hannah Martin, vintage Chanel and Johnny Rocket I also love native American Indian jewellery

Shoe designer: Vivienne Westwood

Handbags: I'm not really a hand bag girl but my must haves are an alligator clutch purse, a tasseled black leather shoulder bag and a fake book clutch bag

Trends I am loving: Are the maxi dress, orange nail varnish and floral print with goth style studs and black

Trend predictions: Are the round mirrored glasses that Paul McCartney wore will come back soon!

I would love to style Alison Krauss or Duffy cos they need help! And Johnny Depp, Robert Plant and Gwen Stafani because it would be fun, not that they need styling though.....Also Madonna cos she needs to to embrace old age and stop wearing leotards on stage!

Check out some of Katie's designs or have a beautiful hat custom made: http://www.katierosedesigner.co.uk

Elegant Touch's new designer nail collection

The boundaries of fashion and art have now collided: the new range of nails has landed.

Elegant Touch, known for their fabulous adhesive nails have launched Detail Therapy the first ever collection of faux pre-glued nails inspired by the hottest looks from the catwalk.
Elegant Touch has launched the range comprising of 24 styles, from Icicle which includes miniature diamantes, to Indian Ink, Henna-tattoo inspired nails in baby pink and black.

There are so many to choose from and even though I have never been a fan of the stick-on nail - it seems to tacky to me, these are amazing.

The convenience of stick-on nails, that actually last and look good. None of this cheapness that I had previously associated with them - just cute nails that are great if you're in a rush or need something a little different.

The pack of 24 lasts for ages, the nail sizes are great, the quality is second to none and the price of £8.49 ensures you can have fabulous nails on a budget.

I was also surprised to learn that Elegant Touch have hundreds of different nails and products in their collection and they are really good quality for a snip of what you would pay in a salon.

Love it!

Even celebrity make-up artist Claire Ray is fan, saying: "These are my secret weapons to disguise celebrities' bitten nails! "They're inexpensive, ideal for a quick solution when there's no time to go to the salon, and the catwalk inspired designs add instant glamour for any red carpet event".I'm sold!

www.originaladditions.co.uk

Call 0208 573 9907