Cheek to chic

We used to work with make-up maestro Daniel Sandler back when he was a mere make-up artist and not the creator of his own maquillage empire. Even then he was the loveliest guy and his make-up know-how is second to none.

Our best buy from his range? These watercolour liquid blushes - now in two new shades - perfect for pepping up a pre-summer pale-face.

Going Forward: #7 Asos Accessories

It's official, Asos is set to be the go-to brand for accessories come autumn/winter. Our wardrobes are crying out for their shoes - a footwear fest of bubble-gum patents, rainbow reptile-skins (fake of course) and punky skating boots. Plus, how couture is this belt?! On the designer front (yes, Asos keep adding to the high-end brands) we spotted these beauties by Chie Mihara - her 'thing' is comfort meets quality' so these heels are actually good for you! Allegedly.

New shoes

The fifties revival has been in full flow for several seasons - witness all the prom dresses and big skirt action that's been going on for like, ever. But we prefer the more tomboy version we've been seeing: big plaid flannel shirts, quiffy hair-dos and baggy 501s (turn-ups optional). We're also noticing great strides in fifties unisex footwear, namely moccasin flats, Bass Weejun loafers and Topsider boating shoes. Cuteness! The one that's really rocking our world though is the brothel creeper. Vagabond have excelled with their offering for next season (that's only *counts*...one, two, three, four months away), perfect with super-skinny jeans although we'd love to see more brothel creepers worn with short pouffy cocktail dresses like the ones at Luella.

Meet Henry Holland and get a leg-up on the fashion industry ladder!

Graduate Fashion Week (from 8-12 June) is fast becoming a must-visit on the London fashionista calendar. In the past it's been something of a hit and miss affair but this year it's upped its game. It moves to a new venue in Earls Court and has added an Education Day on 12th June for 14-18 year olds who fancy being the next Stella McCartney/Paul Smith. Actually, it's not just for future fashion designers, if you're interested in fashion marketing, promotion, PR, journalism or styling, you'll also be welcomed with open arms. And get this, there will be a careers clinic hosted by The Clothes Show's Caryn Franklin where industry insiders like Elle editor Lorraine Candy and fashion-editor-turned-designer Henry Holland will give advice and answer questions. The only snag is it's not free (meanies!) but £15 is a small price to pay for the opportunity to network like crazy and wedge your foot in the notoriously hard-to-enter door.

River Island will be sponsoring GFW and have launched their own Style Insider micro site to accompany the event. Not only will it feature live blogs, videos and backstage gossip but there will be competitions galore to win freebies and gift vouchers.

Visit www.http://gfw.org.uk/gfweducation.html and www.gfw.riverisland.com for more info.

Tim Walker - spreading the love

We're big Tim Walker fans so we're pretty damn thrilled to know he's got an exhibition starting on May 9th at the Design Museum in London. Here's an homage to Tim Walker we did when we were at CosmoGIRL!

Make-up Ladies

It was only a matter of time before it happened. First it was celebrity fashion ranges, then came the fragrances, now it's the turn of celebrity make-up collaborations. We've already got Nicole from Girls Aloud doing her Jelly Pong Pong range for fair complexions and model Daria Werbowy has created a make-up collection for Lancome with proceeds going to Rio De Janeiro's Centro Espacial Vik Miniz, a youth arts-education organisation. Latest news? Even Dolly Parton is getting in on the act, telling Billboard magazine "I want my own cosmetics line." Come on MAC, snap her up!

In Praise of the Pocket Dress

This morning it rained like a bitch but we didn't care because at least the weather's warmed up which meant we could bust out our spring wardrobes AT LAST! And what would spring wardrobes be without dresses? In particular, dresses with pockets. We love a dress with a pocket, it gives us something to do with our hands and lets us do our favourite model walk. (What? You don't do model walks when you have pockets? What is wrong with you?!) In fact, when we do fashion shoots it's always the dress (or trousers, or shorts, or skirt or...) with pockets that gets picked because it makes the photographer and model's jobs easier...fact! (Belt loops help too, for that all-important model slouch.) We found these cute dresses with pockets on Asos.com, Topshop.com and Urbanoutfitters.co.uk. Which would you wear?

Pics: Urban Outfitters, Urban Outfitters, Asos, Asos, TopShop

We Can't Live Without...

...the new Carmex cherry lip balm. Some may say that lip balm's addictive, we say whatever, we still love stroking pout-perfecting potions on our lips. PS, talk about miracle product, it contains spf too!

Tricky Trend: Making the most of the midi

I'm not a huge fan of the new midi length, it's pretty hard to carry off if you're pint-sized like me. Yet when Roselle, the make-up artist on a shoot last week pitched up in a cotton print calf-length skirt, I thought, 'oh...midi-length! Here's a non-frumpy way to wear it!' Roselle teamed hers with stack-heeled knee-length boots and a fitted knit top, very seventies-sophisticate, very next-season D & G. Well, I have the boots already - black pebbled leather with a four-inch heel - and the skirt worked because it's fitted over the hips before flaring out. Getting this look right is all about proportion so if you're short you need some lift in your boots and if the skirt has volume then the top half needs to be sleek. Fabric weight plays its part too. A heavy fabric like tweed or tartan will add bulk to ample hips while something lighter and floaty (silk, crepe) will skim over curves. For me it's a nod back to the Charlie-girl style of the seventies so I'd like to try it in dark indigo denim with white stitching. I'd wear it with a sleek scoop-neck Lycra top (oh hang on, they didn't have Lycra in the 70s did they? Oh well, let's pretend) and a black plaited belt. Plus perhaps a beret and a vintage saddle bag from Urban Outfitters. Surprisingly, a skirt in this shape is better on curvy hips that straight figures as it needs something to hug - now how many trends you can say that about?


Navaz

Pics: D & G autumn/winter 2008 from www.vogue.co.uk

Going Forward: #6 The New Vans?

Call off the search, we've found the new Vans! KEEP is a new brand from LA which makes casual kicks in fab colour and print combos. These alpine high-tops are making us long for a weekend in a ski-lodge enveloped in a plaid blanket toasting marshmallows and sipping hot chocolate round a roaring fire. The added bonus? They're 100% animal-friendly vegan.

Going Forward: #5 Too-cool Keds

Wow, Keds are really going for it big-time. We were bowled over by their gold sneakers at the a/w preview, while these wedges left us practically speechless - too, too clever!

Going Forward: #4 PASTEL PLAIDS

Ok, plaid is going to be the Big One for autumn, so no surprises there. But we spotted a micro-trend at Aussie surf brand Insight last week...pastel plaids! We're loving this girly take on the lumberjack look.

Going Forward: #3 JUST SAY NO

Ok, Levi's stop it now. You're just being too trendy for your own good and we will never, ever wear these ugly-as-sin jeans. So there.

Going Forward: #2 NOT JUST JEANS

We've noticed that the traditional denim brands are branching out from 101 ways with jeans. Wrangler impressed us with this too-cute bib-front frock at their a/w 08/09 preview while Levi's showed the most adorable shortalls and knitwear.

Bubbling under: Are cords due for a comeback? Skinny cords showed up at Wrangler, Howie's, Made in Heaven and Antik Batik.

Going Forward: #1 SHAGGY FURS

Shaggy furs are expected to come round again for next autumn. Antik Batik is doing real fur gilets for the luxe layered look while Fornarina mixes denim-look with (fake?) fur for a more youthful spin on the trend.

Going Forward

We've spent this week traipsing the streets of London checking out the new autumn-winter collections. Check back in a couple of days when we've uploaded our photos and observations...

Donna & Navaz

Cancelling Kate?

Is Kate Moss about to be elbowed off her pedestal as the Rimmel London girl? The Daily Mirror reports that Alexa Chung and Gemma Arterton are rumoured to be in the running to take over the title. Lily Cole, Agynes Deyn and Daisy Lowe have already been screen tested and rejected so far.

Meanwhile, newly launched in France is KATE MOSS, a 300 page unofficial biography by French journalist Francoise-Marie Santucci. Paul Smith hosted the launch of the book in Paris on Wednesday.

Henry Holland continues his quest for world domination

We never wore Henry Holland's T-shirts but we have to say we think he has a face for telly, this presenting gig he did for Vogue TV is rather hilarious, no?

A+ for Asos

Asos.com is getting better and better and I'm not just saying that because I'm shooting for their magazine! We attended the high summer preview and the new collection is big on embellished summer dresses (dress them up or down blah blah blah) and romantic hot fuchsia very reminiscent of last summer's Rodarte. And if you're not over wacky prints yet, have a good ogle at these Eley Kishimoto lovelies which will be on sale from May.

Navaz

Waiting for Spring

It may be officially spring but that doesn't mean the bitter gales and showers storms are anywhere near abating. So all those wafer-thin floral frocks and barely-there blouses are going to have to wait a wee while longer. Why do designers even bother to have seasons? Climate change has made things so chaotic surely it makes more sense to load on the layers all year round? Looking at next autumn's shows, the go-to layering piece seems to be the humble poloneck (or turtleneck if you're a stateside reader). Missoni got the look totally nailed with their smart teal-n-tan take on seventies working-girl layers (and they've even done sunglasses for autumn!). Get in there now with a jersey poloneck from American Apparel, just the thing to go under a flirty flouncy frock until summer comes round.