HEY THERE STRANGER

Spot Print Skater Dress - River Island (£22)

It's certainly been quite a while since we last sat down and spoke. For one I jetted off to the big apple and basically had the time of my life (more on that to come), turned another year older (which royally sucked) and then came about a serious case of the holiday blues. Which then resulted in dying my hair darker, taking on the nickname Wednesday Adams and planning another holiday. Back to the present - with a growing list of things to ramble about, the blog is truly back on track and I cannot wait to share my holiday, beauty buys and fashion must-haves. Stay tuned..

THE BLOG TAKE OVER: Hannah's TOM FORD lowdown...

When it comes to spending considerable amounts of dosh on a make-up item, it helps to have a little brand breakdown to base your purchases on.  In 2011 when Tom Ford’s infamous make-up line launched, I jumped in purse first and tried various items across the whole range so feel I am pretty well informed to give you the TF make-up lowdown.

(Sarah's edit: ANGELS ARE SINGING)

 Eyes                                                                     

Golden Mink / Silvered Topaz / Titanium Smoke Eye Quads - (£62) / Brow Sculpture - (£34)

Starting with the Eye Color Quads, these are brilliant party palettes. Due to the mix of matte, shimmer and glitter shadows in each quad, I always opt for these when I fancy making a bit more of a statement. Golden Mink is probably my most loved Tom Ford Quad due to the extremely wearable tones. Perfect for people who prefer not to stray from neutrals, I find these shadows best suit me when I have a bit of colour. 

Silvered Topaz is a palette I reach for when I’m after a smokier eye without the standard blacks and browns. Comprised of dusty mauves, silvers and greys, this would probably be my second favourite of the four. Anyone who rocks a black smokey eye on a regular basis will probably need Titanium Smoke in their lives with a great mix of a matte black, grey and ice white glitters shadows.

Tom Ford’s Brow Sculptor in Taupe was the product that ended my long time affair with Rimmel’s eyebrow pencil. With a handy brow brush on one end, the product itself is a pencil, wax hybrid that adds great shape without looking fake and drawn on. The colour is also a winner for my medium brown hair as it is very cool toned without looking green or grey- not the easiest thing to find.

Another holy grail item for me is the Tom Ford Extreme Mascara in Raven. With its cone-shaped, natural bristle brush, this mascara adds equal amounts of length and volume that I haven’t been able to achieve with other brands. As for the ‘Extreme’ claim, nothing about my make-up style is extreme so don’t expect scary, spider like lashes here!

Ending the Tom Ford rave for a moment, if there was one product I would say save your money on it would be the gel liners, otherwise known as the Noir Absolute. Extremely dry and hard to apply, these just don’t compare to other much cheaper alternatives.

 Face                                      

Frantic Pink / Love Lust blushers - (£36)

Whilst everyone raves about the wonders of Nars blushers, Tom Ford swept in and promptly replaced Nars as my favourite blush product ever. With the creamiest powder blush formulation I have EVER felt and ridiculous pigmentation, it would be easy to be intimidated by these gorgeous Cheek Colors. 

Frantic Pink is quite comparable to Nars Deep Throat with similar peachy pink tones and glow inducing shimmer. Love Lust has more coral peach tones then the latter although with the same dose of shimmer it makes a gorgeous flush on slightly tanned skin. Whilst not a matte lovers best friend, there is nothing about these cheek colours that says chunky glitter although it is very easy to over apply and be left with clown like colour- one light tap of your brush into the product will definitely suffice!

 Lips                                                                      

Lip Colour Shine in Smitten - (£36)

Spanish Pink / Indian Pink 

Flamingo / True Coral / Aphrodisiac Lip Colors - (£36)

All five Lip Colors I have tried have been rich, opaque and creamy although my personal opinion is that the brighter shades look more flattering on the lips and are more worth the expense. Flamingo, True Coral and Aphrodisiac (L.E) all apply like a dream and wear well, whilst Spanish Pink and Indian Pink can sometimes sit in the lip lines due to the opaque formulation which isn’t as flattering.  If you are a lip product junkie and love a vibrant, pigmented lipstick, these are worth the splurge.

The last product I have tried from the TF range is the Lip Color Shine in Smitten. A pretty peachy pink shade, this has a similar rich formulation, baring in mind it is supposed to be a sheerer product. I wouldn’t say this is my favourite lighter lipstick as it has quite a lot of glitter running through it that you can feel on the lips and it just generally feels a tad thicker than I would like.

 In Short...                                                               

So, that is my Tom Ford Make-Up Round Up. To sum up; cheek colors, eye color quads, mascara, brow sculptor and lip colors are a thumbs up, gel liners and lip color shines are a miss.

Have you fallen for the lure of Tom Ford make-up? What are your favourite products?

                                                           Read Hannah's blog here & watch her amazing YouTube channel here...

THE TAKE OVER: Hannah's EPIC London Burger Guide

Just when you thought London couldn't hold any more burger joints 10 new ones open up in the space of 3 days. OK - so that may be a slight exaggeration but you get my drift, London and burgers are kindred spirits. Actually, burgers and I are kindred spirits! I've eaten more in the last 18 months than I'd care to admit so I feel like I can safely recommend a place or two for you to visit on your next trip into the city.

Narrowing down the options is tricky, there are so many good places so what I've done is chosen the top 5 in terms of location.

 South London        

South London is my stomping ground, I've grown up here and I know the area pretty well. Despite the poor transport links and the unjustified assumption that it's unsafe (hello it's not the 80s any more) there are plenty of great places to grab a bite to eat. Choosing a top burger joint was actually quite difficult as there are at least 3 excellent places I can think of but I've gone with Honest in Brixton Village. It's small and you'll have to queue for a table but the wait is worth it, the burgers are simple yet delicious. Plus £8 for a cheese burger and rosemary salted chips is an excellent deal and don't forget to get a jar of their home made lemonade too.

 West London        

I haven't been to many burger joints in west London and I'm not even sure if you'd call Knightsbridge west London but hey ho I am going with Bar Boulud at the Mandarin Oriental hotel. This is the most expensive of my recommendations but it's worth it if you've fancy something a little special. This restaurant is a French bistro but there are 4 burgers on the menu that are all worth a try, saying that my favourite is the Piggy which is a beef burger topped with pulled pork, red cabbage, spicy mayo in a cheesy bun, absolutely bloody delicious. You'll have to pay extra for chips but at nearly £20 this really is worth it for a special burger occasion.

 Central London     

This was easy because central London is where you'll find my all time favourite burger joint, Patty and Bun. Nestled just behind Oxford Street and next door to Selfridges this burger joint will have you returning many many times regardless of the ridiculously long queue. Their classic cheese burger aka the Ari Gold is mouth watering delicious, cooked to perfection and ozzing with cheese and burger sauce you can not fail to love this. Order a portion of chips and chicken wings to share and you're good to go.

 East London          

Again this was an easy choice, Lucky Chip at the Sebright Arms in Hackney is worth the trek, even if you're a SW Londoner like myself. There is quite a lot of choice and they come up with fantastic specials including the much loved 'Life Aquatic Bill Murray Surf n Turf' burger. I love the 'Royale wit cheese' and with a portion of their cheesy chips and garlic aioli you're in for a treat.

 North London       

Dirty Burger, tucked away in a tin shed on the outskirts of Kentish Town is a great little takeaway joint. It's open late and is perfect for a quick bite after a gig at the Forum or at the end of a visit to the Southampton Arms. The choice is small but you really can't go wrong with a cheese burger and crinkle cut chips. Quick, cheap and very delicious, Dirty Burger is definitely a spot to check out.

                              Read Bow Dream Nation...

THE TAKE OVER: Lily's Skin Care Must Haves

Investing in skincare is something I find a little scary. Buying a pair of Louboutins, sure. But spending more than £10 on a face product is something that I've only done a handful of times despite the fact that my skin is something that I have no choice about "wearing" on a daily basis.

After a summer of sweat, suncream (summer, I love you, but this isn't a good combination for my complexion) and sleeping in my make-up a few too many times, I need to take action and get my skin looking its best again. I do try to keep up a skincare regime but sometimes life just gets in the way, having crisps for dinner and staying out until the sun comes up will always be more fun than a three-step skincare routine and being tucked up in bed by 10pm. Sadly, my skin definitely doesn't feel the same way.

Skyn Nordic Skin Peel - Marks and Spencers (£38.00)

Enter Skyn Nordic Skin Peel which promises me that I do have "amazing, transluscent, glowing skin" but that it just can't be seen because of the dull, flaky, broken-out skin currently covering it up. Sounds about right. The skin peel pads promise improved tone and texture by exfoliating and calming the skin. The magic ingredients are alpha hydroxy acid, papaya extract, willow bark, beta hydroxy acid and calming emollients. So far, so good. The pads need to be used 3-5 times per week after cleansing so the 60 pads should last me a while. The accompanying leaflet pretty much sums up my life - I usually don't like products that try to befriend me, but the tone of this range is spot on - I practically felt myself nodding along in agreement.

Be warned - these smell strong. Like, medicinally strong. Which makes me think that they must work. Swiped over my freshly washed face, these tingle - first hot then cold, it's a strange feeling, just below the point of it being uncomfortable but it quickly goes and my skin feels soft and tingly. The next morning, my skin definitely looks brighter and the broken-out skin on my chin looks calmer and in need of a less concealer than it did the day before. After a week of using these four times, I can definitely see and feel a difference. My skin is happier and I'm using less make-up - result.

At £38 this isn't a bargain product but, for me, its done as promised. Marks and Spencers Skyn Iceland Discovery Kit which contains all their other leading products, so if this doesn't quite sound up your street be sure to check the Fall Discovery Set a whirl, priced reasonably at just £16. Before I go - always, always use an SPF when using skincare that contains alpha hydroxy acids as it can make your skin more sensitive to the sun. 

Have you ever tried the Skyn Iceland range?

                                Read Lily Lipstick...

THE TAKE OVER: Katie's East London Adventure

Whilst Sarah is away living it large in the Big Apple, she very kindly asked if I would take a trip onto CGFB and say 'Hey' to y'all! Seeing as Sarah has recently started to discover the loveliness that is my local-Spitalfields, I thought I would continue the East London theme and bring you guys with me on a Sunday trip to Colombia Road...

As I'm tapping away on a Sunday and last night's cocktails are cetainly having a slight effect this morning, first stop has to be for street food in Brick Lane.

I love Brick Lane, it's a a delightful mish-mash of thrift stalls, vintage shops and plenty food to fill your bellies at (what more could a girl want?). Every time I visit there is always something new to be discovered. 

When I'm feeling particularly hungry, there is one stall that I especially make a bee-line for, The Rib Man. Proudly claiming to have the best ribs in London, I seriously cannot argue with Mark (the genius behind it all). 

Not only is there big portions involved, but Mark has invented the best chilli sauces around to go with the gelatenious slow cooked meat including 'Holy Fuck' 'Christ on a bike' 'Holy Mother of God' and the mildest  'Mother Inferior'. If spicy is your thang then do ask for sauce on top, it's amazing! If not then it comes smoothered in a BBQ sauce as standard, which is just as good!

After that naughty but delicious protien fix, my nutrition mind is telling me to go purchase some fruit. Opposite the Rib Man is the most amazing fruit and juice stall I have ever come across. I often pop along to fill my boots with Watermelon smoothies and fruit pots.

Now with juice in hand, off to Colombia Road we go!

To get there you walk north up Brick Lane, across Bethnal Green Road and follow the crowds through a really lovely residential area... and that is about as detailed as my directions will get I'm afraid (there's a reason why I didn't pass my driving test all those years ago- lack of internal compass and all that)...

 Now, a few tips on Colombia Road Flower Market:            

- Try to get there as early as you can on a Sunday, as most stalls sell out very quick and often sell out by 2pm.

- Prices will fall as the stall holders battle out, shouting out cheaper prices to get rid of their goods. It's terribly entertaining and if you don't have anything specific in mind you can come back with piles of flowers for next to nothing.

- Keep to the right and walk down one side, then turn around at the end and go back up again. It's                     the only way to see all that is on offer without causing serious human traffic hold ups (SO                                 annoying in such a small space!).

- Make sure to come along with cash- so you can purchase your  bargain blooms before someone else does!

This time I left with Morrocan Mint, an Edible Chilli plant, some awesome bright fuzzy shrubs, a few stems of blue Hydrangea and a bunch of Giant Dutch Peonies... not a bad haul for £20!

Colombia Road is such a gem, I highly reccomend a visit! It's the perfect destination for a Sunday stroll with the Boyfriend (he wont get out of not affording flowers this time ladies) or with your Mum/Grandmother/ Girlfriends/ Sisters. Then it's a 10 minute walk back to Spitalfields where you can get something delicous to eat and a bargain from the market. Perfect! 

So that's my rambling post! I hope it was enough to distract you all from thinking about Sarah - who no doubt is loving life as she get's some amazing products and eats some awesome american food! Not jealous at all. Ahem.

Lots of Love

xxx TTN xxx

                                                             Read The Trendy Nutritionist...

  

THE TAKE OVER: Elodie's Arm Candy

New season, new wardrobe, I hear you say? Well, while some people focus on the perfect pair of boots, sweater or go on a quest for the most snugly winter coat, I personally prefer to shop for the sparkliest pieces of jewellery to add to my collection - not that I don't already have enough pretty shiny things to hang around my neck or stack on my wrists, eh. But, diamonds are a girl's best friends, right?

Gold, silver, rose gold, hematite... Mix, match, have fun with it! And don't forget to add touches of colour, like this season's hue - that's pink for you and me - and emerald green. It is Pantone's colour of the year after all. And if you're still unsure what I am talking about, here are a few of my favourite pieces for Autumn / Winter :

Infinity necklace - Dogeared (£42.95) / Bow Leather Cuff - Mulberry (£125) /  Christina Link Bracelet - Stella & Dot (£40) / Monogram bracelet - Anna Lou of London (£50) / Eden bangle - Stella & Dot (£32) / Renegade Bracelet - Stella & Dot (£45) / Gold tone leather bangle - Marc by Marc Jacobs (£85) / Suzanne Cocktail Ring - Stella & Dot (£35) / Pink Stone Bracelet - Oliver Bonas (£14) / Monogram Necklace - Anna Lou of London (£52) / Love ring - Sydney Evan / Figi bracelet - Monica Vinader (£125) / "Please Return To" Pendant - Tiffany & Co (£225) / Watch - Marc by Marc Jacobs (£229)

On your mark, get set... SHOP! 

-Elodie x

                            Read Elle Yeah!... 

THE LUST LIST: RAY BAN

Lily in her Ray-ban Club Masters.

Hannah in her Black Wayfarers

Having been in awe of the retro looking Ray Ban's for a long while, I decided it was high time I drafted an ode to this iconic brand. Dating wayy back to the roaring twenties, when the US Air Force were reaching newer heights and subsequently in need of protective eyewear- in came the infamous Aviators. Top Gun anyone? Next came the cult classic wayfarers in '52, a style worthy of the Hollywood elite (as modelled by James Dean in Rebel without a Cause) they soon became a timeless classic. 

Effortlessly cool, never dating and seriously stylish - I want in. Having only ever owned one pair of sunnies (Marc Jacobs - amen for student loan) I've never felt the need to branch out. But the time has come. What style of Ray Ban do you wear? 

Aviators in Gun Metal (£109) / Gold Havana Wayfarers (£113) / Black Wayfarers (£125)

All Ray-Ban sunglasses from Optical Express.

Audrey wanted some Wayfarers too - I feel you sista!

Do you own any Ray-Bans? What are your preferred style?