Laced Up

The nail wrap thing is still going strong. We've had offerings from Bespoke Look Rebel Nails, to Gallo Wine scented Merlot ones, and having covered them in the mag (er, not those ones) on many an occasion, I thought I'd be a bit bored of them by now.

Seems not, I love how easy they are and since I am generally a bit  crap at my own beauty maintenance, anything easy is a winner.

I also love the ring finger manicure trend that is sweeping the industry - since I am slightly nail art shy, -so having eyed up these Sally Hansen Salon Effect wraps on my desk for the last four days, I tried them out and yes, do so love the effect.

Although I am very nearly 32. Too old for art?

 My dad will give me his verdict over a plate of pasta tonight. He is very aware of the state of my nails, finds chips abhorrent, trendy grey tones 'dead' and a mix of colours 'weird'. (I go home with test nails regularly - whereby I get a desk drop and try every single shade on every single finger). Who knew a 68 year old male could throw fear into my fingertip choices?

Other nails: Nails Inc Porchester Place

Introducing: LOOK MAKEUP! Yes you heard me right...

I am beyond excited to finally be able to tell you about this culmination of a project I've been working on throughout my illness, Look is launching its own makeup range!! (worthy of both those exclamations).

The very best thing about this range, and contrary to the opinion of a lot of cynics out there, is it is basically mine and Katie's dream makeup. As in we developed the range and worked on every aspect, but especially the colours and formulations, to get the makeup we want in our makeup bags, and we hope everyone else will want too. Much like Victoria Beckham did with her clothing range. I'm pretty sure that makes us the Victoria Beckham's of the makeup world, right? We used such intricate techniques as matching pantone references or bits of cardboard we quite liked. Really.

The Ashley Isham print that runs throughout the range (some more prominently than others) is a nod to our fashion standing in the magazine world and our readers (OK, and our) obsession with all things fashion. The pink is a classic LOOK love. The chunky packaging is value and aesthetics in one and the makeup is as the tag line says; designed, tested and worn by the beauty brains at LOOK magazine.

I feel a bit funny saying that, since I have read celebrities waxing lyrical about their own fragrances or ambassadors for ranges expounding the virtues of their 'favourite' lipstick, and not been entirely convinced. So I realise it sounds like I'm endorsing a product that happens to be born of my employers. BUT, having had the opportunity to develop it with pretty much a free reign, is like someone saying - here, take all these resources and make your absolute dream shoe. You'd be quite excited to get it on your foot? Yup, me too.

So, 30 mono eyeshadows, triple hit compacts, foundations (including a BB cream), primers, eye kohls, liquid liner,  lip duo's, glosses, lipsticks, bronzers, blushers, 30 nail polishes and entire looks in a box, complete with step by steps. A pretty comprehensive range, and happily a percentage from sales go to a cause close to my heart, Look Good...Feel Better

THESE are my picks for personal hero products. I have actually stolen the samples. Er, sorry LOOK team...

Oomph Lashes, in Blackest Black. Aside from having the cutest packaging in the whole range, this volumising mascara is the popular choice among the makeup artists I've forced it upon.

Loud Lips in Tangerine Cream. This is the Lara Stone of lipsticks. I SO love this shade. So far I am wearing it every day. I promise it wasn't me who made it sell out in Superdrug Westfield...

Nail Pop in Mink and Dusky. One is my perfect opaque candy pink (hard to come by in polish world), the other is I kid you not, the colour of my amazing cat Desmond. Desmond is my favourite colour, for nails, shoes, dresses, mushrooms, anything.

Nail Pop in Mink

Make Me Blush in Flush and Pinch. I love the cute names of these (um, I did name them), and the colours are very exciting on the skin. These two are good for pale people like me - just the right amount of glimmer - and I;m fussy about shimmer blushes fyi - to make cheeks look dewy and plump, and the colours are prrretty pretty.

Holiday Glow in Rio. It looks dark but I use it for contouring. Unusually matte and a perfect shadow shade for amazing sculpting skills, I wear under cheekbones, with the blush on my apples.

At the moment LOOK Beauty is available in Superdrug in the new Westfield in Stratford, but they're rolling out to all Superdrug stores in October, with more lines added in November. Prices from £4 to £18

Loud Lips in Tangerine Cream

tangerine dream

Nail Pop in Dusky

Make me Blush in (top) Flush and (bottom) Pinch

Going Stella

There are a lot of things Stella that I tend to love. McCartney - of course, goes without saying. she loves sharp shoulders and chunky cable knit and all the animals for goodness sake.

Tennant, the supermodel - so much so that I drew her in charcoal 6 feet high for my A-Level art piece and, ahem, got an A thank you.

The name in general, I wonder if I can sway Dadjokes in that direction when the time comes to name my own (100% must be a ) daughter.

The beer, not so much - I'm more Corona with a hint of lime.

The perfume - maybe the most of all. I love white floral scents, I love girly rose most of all, and I love powdery musk - all of which are in abundance in the original EDP.  The new ltd edition Print Collection just tips me over the edge. Taken from McCartney's Spring collection, the three floral prints are out of this world, embossed onto cute handbag sized bottles (reassuringly heavy ones though) and are only £35 each in Boots.

The only downside is the choosing. And the fighting in the office over who gets the one with the bumble bee...The winner was fashion news ed Lucy Wood who also loves Stella to the point that she gets through a 100ml bottle, oh about once every two months. I have no idea what she does with the stuff, although I've heard those fashion types are prone to divaism; very pungent baths perhaps?

I Love Lip Mix

Mac professional do these amazing tubes of super bright pigment paint, which can be mixed to make an oil paint masterpiece worthy shade, most suitable for shows and editorials.

My extreme love of lipstick has seen me hoard a few of these over the years to make my own bespoke colour at home, but as with most pro products, they're more suited to shoots than every day wear. They're a bit drying - in fact, they feel a bit like real paint on your lips, but the effect is definitely worth it.

The new lip mixes on the beauty block though are absolutely wearable, ever so cheap (£4.99 a pop) and just all round amazing. Although I hate to undermine a well established and much loved product, by telling you about the bargainous alternatives, but on this occasion, well, I will.

Sleek makeup have launched Pout Paints. Yes, an almost direct rip off, but I can't help loving them anyway. They're non sticky, highly pigmented, long lasting, (i mix them on my hand and can't bloody get them off), and non drying.

Get the white shade, cloud 9 as your staple, then build the other colours around it to suit your taste. Available at Superdrug.

My colour is Mauve Over and Cloud 9
Katies is Lava and Cloud 9

The Future of Advertising

The beauty guinea pig trials continue in the Look office. Now that I'm back, lovely assistant Sam gets more gets regular requests (for 'requests' read 'demands'), to try out the slightly more unusual desk drops. This morning? Bespoke SCRATCH N SNIFF nail wraps. These are pretty outstanding without the added olfactory bonus. Wearable? hmm, maybe not so much, but for very far reaching and portable brand advertising, and novelty factor, they get a Look adorned thumbs up.

The smell verdict from Sam: 'fruity'.

Rebel Nails, from £5.99

Violent Lips

While the largest portion of our working day is taken up, well, working, there is always time alloted for trying out. Which technically falls under the work remit too.

Imagine our (my) delight when these lip transfers came in from Violent Lips. Not so much assistant Sam who gets her outstanding hard work and dedication rewarded with guinea pig duties.

The idea is this; Cut out lip shape (pretty much impossible), place on lip and wet back like those kid tattoos we all used to love (again, impossible), carefully peel off, and voila! Perfectly (!), crazily decorated lips. And teeth where Sam is concerned. it is wonderfully funny though...

 (Sorry Sam)

Lacquered Lipsticks

Dear Danielle Scutt,

The world needs a hair accessory made of rows of lipsticks. Maybe some dangly earrings, dangling lipsticks. Plus, and most importantly, a brooch with a bunch of grape-esque lipsticks. Available in Topshop you say? Duly noted.

Yours Sincerely,

 i love lipstick xxx