The Liner, The Clutch and The Wardrobe

Men wearing make up is nothing new. It was practically uniform for eighties New Romantics and Goths, and it has made its way onto numerous male faces ever since in the form of a multitude of trends. While any discerning metrosexual will be familiar with Jean Paul Gaultier's male make-up range, Monsieur, which features products such as eyeliner and bronzer, hoards of teenage Pete Wentz wannabes have been stuck nicking their mum's eyeliner. Until now that is...

This week, Superdrug will launch Taxi, a men's make-up range that currently comprises of 'Guyliner' and 'Manscara', both priced at £6.50, so that even boys to whom the Selfridges beauty counter seems like a far off planet can work that smoky-eyed look with a product that is unquestionably manly.

While I am sure there will be much outcry (probably from that bastion of forward thinking, The Daily Mail) of, 'Make up, for men? But no, call the police, the world has gone mad!' I personally think men should be able to conceal the shadow of a hangover lurking under-eye with the magical Touche Eclat just like women can, and I am a huge fan of a smudge of kohl on a man a la Russell Brand!

The thing that amuses me however, is how when cosmetics are being marketed to men, it seems to have to come with a big flashing light that says, 'this is a manly product, look it says so on the package, definitly NOT FOR WOMEN'! Is there really any difference between Guyliner and Ecriture de Chanel other than a big fat 'I'm not gay' stamp of approval?

Ah well, boys are simple, but then we didn't need Manscara to tell us that did we?!

There has been a lot of hoo-ha surrounding the launch of vibrating mascaras, and we can finally find out what all of the fuss is about following the UK launch of Estee Lauder's Turbo Lash at Harrods last Saturday.

The combination of the unique mascara formula and the vibrating brush create dramatic effects in lengthening, thickening, separating and curling, and aside from that, it is a novelty beauty gadget that I can't wait to try!

Pick one up for £28 exclusively at Harrods.

Have you ever felt like overhauling your beauty ways and going green but not known where to start? Look no further than The Green Beauty Bible by beauty experts, Sarah Stacey and Josephine Fairley.

This fully illustrated compendium tells you literally everything you need to know about eco-beauty from make-up, to diet, to skincare. Celebrities such as Jo Wood, Alicia Silverstone, Bobbi Brown, Liz Earle and many more offer pearls of wisdom on how to stay naturally beautiful in harmony with nature.

The book is broken up into easy to follow categories such as skin, hair, fragrance etc, each of which features 'Tried and Tested' chapters where Sarah and Josephine rate the best natural version of pretty much every staple cosmetic you can think of. Alongside this are masses of green beauty tips such as how to make your own scrubs, quick fixes for tired skin, and diet tips to make sure what you put into your body is as good as what you put on your skin.

The Green Beauty Bible is a truly wonderful book and an absolute must whether you want to go all out and make your own cleansers like Jo Wood, or just learn a little more about ways to be gorgeous and green.

MAC is probably the best high fashion cosmetics brand, not just because of their consistently on-trend and hard wearing products but also because of their extensive portfolio of fashion designer collaborations.

The latest sees them team up with Indian designer Manish Arora. The centre piece of the collection will be 'Eyes on Manish', a six-shade eyeshadow palette, £30 which will be packaged with Manish's signature use of vibrant and outrageous colours.

The line which also features two shades of lipstick, two of lipglass and two shades of MAC's wonderful powder blush and will be available in the UK in October.



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Good morrow young LCW readers. Apologies for my absence, I have been on my holidays and sadly the beach does not come with WiFi! I have however returned with beauty wisdom (and a tan to give Fake Bake a run for its money!) from afar.

If like me you have curly yet fine, frizzy hair, I'm sure you will have noticed that a simple dip in the sea can tame your mane into perfectly defined, non-frizzy curls thanks to the saltiness of the water. The same effect can however be recreated on your return to the sea-free urban jungle thanks to some clever marine inspired hair products.

Bumble and Bumble have created the amazing Surf Spray, which contains salt to help you achieve those messy curls as well as seaweed extract to nourish hair at the same time. GHD also do a Sea Spray which comes with all important UVA protection.

If you are feeling frugal though (which I am sure you will be having spent all your Euros on Sangria!) you can make your own! Simply get an empty spray bottle and fill it will mineral water and a tablespoon of good sea salt, and Voila! Home made Sea Spray. You can also add a teaspoon of your favourite conditioner if your hair is extra dry and keep that salon 'imperfect' beach look all year round.

This week, I have fallen completely, head over (now perfectly exfoliated) heels with Soap and Glory's Flake Away Spa Body Polish. With my holidays impending, I decided that some serious body buffing was in order, and now I just can't get enough of this scrub!

Flake Away is packed with sugar and ground peach kernels to provide plenty of exfoliation without being too harsh on the skin, while shea butter moisturises and nourishes the skin as all those nasty dead skin cells are buffed away. Peach and mandarin give it a gorgeous fruity scent which lingers subtly on the skin all day.

This treat of a scrub is available exclusively from Boots for a mere £5.99.

New Look has in the past always lurked towards the lower end of the high street, figuratively speaking, but it has recently looked like it is catching up with its catwalk copying competitors fast and their Autumn-Winter 08/09 collection seems to be further proof of this.

Tartan seems to be one of the dominant trends the high street have latched onto this season, Topshop and River Island having filled their collections with plenty of it, and New Look are in on it too. They have used it on the classic kilt pictured above £18, as well as on shoes for those who just want to give it a little nod without embracing it fully.

Structured sillhouettes filled this years AW catwalks and New Look have channelled the shape stylishly into the gorgeous monochrome coat £60, pictured above.

I have got a few pieces from New Look this Spring-Summer and been pretty pleased with them so I will definitely look forward to stocking up on their super-stylish yet bargalicious Autumn-Winter offerings!

Today I am bringing you lucky LCW readers a little treat with a sneak preview of River Island's Autumn-Winter 08/09 collection.

As was the case at Dolce and Gabanna and Henry Holland, tartan is high on the agenda with plaid skirts and jackets galore. I am a particular fan of the purple tartan kilt pictured above which will be priced at £29.99. Helped along by all the tartan, grunge is a prevailing theme with plenty of vintage style band t-shits and the zip detailed jeans, pictured above, that would give grunge queen Mary-Kate Olsen a run for her money.

Glamour was a dominant theme on the Autumn-Winter catwalks this year, and River Island have mixed it nicely into their edgy collection with a gorgeous emerald green satin blouse priced £29.99 and a cute vintage prom dress, pictured above priced £49.99 which will be perfect for bringing a bit of rock-chick chic to your Christmas party!

Here at The Liner, The Clutch and The Wardrobe, we are big fans of products that use as few artificial and chemical ingredients as possible. Nail Varnish is probably one of the worst offenders when it comes to using artificial ingredients and cheaper products often contain Formaldehyde. Yep that's the same stuff Damien Hirst used to preserved his cut up cow, do you really want to put that on your nails?

Nail Varnish mongers Butter London, who believe 'in colour, not carcinogens' have come up with '3-Free' nail products which are free of the three worst chemical cosmetic culprits, Formaldehyde, Tolulene, and DPT (Dibutyl Phthalate). This however, is not to the detriment of the nail varnish which comes in 45 high fashion, long lasting, boldly coloured shades. They also offer a wide range of nail and hand care products that are '3-Free'.

Visit the ultra-cool 'Anglomania' style website and get yourself hold of some!

I know you all can't wait until the launch of Vaseline's Rosy Lips Lip Therapy, but I may just have found something else to tickle the fancy of all you lip balm fanatics out there!

Liz Earle Naturally Active Skincare boats amongst their gorgeous line of natural cosmetics, Sheer Pink Lip Shimmer. The luxurious lip balm is made from the same formula as the classic Superbalm which is enriched with avocado oil, and vitamin E. Soothing Lavender and Chamomile soften lips and keep flaky skin at bay while hazelnut oil and shea butter thoroughly nourish lips and keep them free of painful cracks.

The essence of the Sheer Pink Lip shimmer though is the added tint and shimmer, allowing you to add a subtle amount of colour and shine to your look without having to go for a full on gloss. Perfect for that effortless 'no-make up' look we are all coveting this season! The product can also be used on cheeks as a subtle highlighter.

Liz Earle Naturally Active Skincare are all about getting the best out of natural ingredients so the balm is free of petroleum and scented with fragrant neorli esscence. Perfect for all you chemical conscious beauty junkies out there!

Following a tough and heated competition over the last twelve weeks, Alex was crowned the winner of the competition and dubbed Britain's Next Top Model in last night' s tense finale.

She beat off stiff competition from Catherine and Stephanie who came second and third respectively. While flame haired Catherine has a unique and stunning look, her shots were always more suited to high fashion, whereas Alex nailed this style as well as having a more universal commercial look. Similarly, Stephanie's gorgeously seductive features created some wonderful beauty shots, but didn't translate as well to the catwalk, an area that Alex also mastered proficiently.

Having entered the competition as an awkward teenager, hiding behind straggly hair extensions, Alex made the biggest journey in blossoming into a true fashion model. The shot that seemed to clinch the deal was a striking one of her reclining from a trapeze and looking like she stepped straight out Vogue!

Alex's prize includes a contract with Models 1, a Max Factor campaign and a six page spread and cover with Company magazine, so it looks like we will be seeing plenty more of her soon!

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While Jean Paul Gaultier opted for striking blood red lips, and Chanel worked sultry, smoky eyes, Givency went for a more natural look at the Autumn-Winter 2008/9 couture show last week.

Luigi Mureno smoothed models hair back into what he described to WWD as an immaculate, fine textured 'ponytail de luxe', which revealed pale peachy skin and barely there make up.

Now all of us must have spent hours trying to cultivate the 'natural' look with masses of make up no doubt, but I would say that the key is in using only a few carefully chosen products.

• First of all, prep skin with a good quality tinted moisturiser such as Laura Mercier's classic one, then focus on making individual features look flawless.

• Illuminate eyes with a highlighting pencil such as Benefit's Eye Bright which will give the same definition to the eyes as an eyeshadow whilst maintaining a natural look. A simple slick of mascara will add the final touch to your 'naturally beautiful' eyes.
  

• Frame your face by keeping eyebrows groomed and defined. I am a huge fan of Urban Decay's Brow Box which comes with brow colour as well as finishing wax to keep brows extra slick.

• Finally, add a natural, rosy glow to lips and cheeks with Benefit's rose tinted Benetint Lip Balm.

Sometimes in the morning when I apply moisturiser, illuminator, sunscreen and foundation, I am left feeling that perhaps my beauty ritual has become somewhat excessive, let alone time consuming. But then all of the above are essential for achieving a naturally dewy, red patch free complexion.

It looks like adding a luminescent glow could get a whole lot easier with the forthcoming launch of Laura Mercier's Illuminating Tinted Moisturiser. The formula is the same as that of the legendary Laura Mercier tinted moisturisers, but with the addition of micronised pearls (all together now.. 'oooooh') which catch the light and leave your face all dewy and glowing without creating any unwanted shine. The product also contains SPF 20, which in my opinion should be mandatory in all skin care products, so that's one more step you can avoid when applying make-up.

Illuminating Tinted Moisturiser is not available just yet, but I promise to keep you posted!

Beauty has so far been bold at this week's couture shows, and John Paul Gaultier's Autumn/Winter show was no different.

Models wore their hair piled high, but what was most striking were their vibrant red lips. Bright colours have been huge this Spring /Summer, so just-bitten, cherry red makes the transition to Autumn perfectly.

The key to getting this look right is to use a good quality, highly pigmented red lipstick, and to line lips especially carefully to create a cleanly framed pout. Chanel's Le Crayon Levres in Roux gives a perfectly precise finish and comes with a handy brush to help blend the colour into your lips. When it comes to a good red lipstick, I have never found anything better than MAC's Russian Red, which provides incredibly intense, long lasting colour without drying out your lips.

While the Credit Crunch may be taking its toll on the actual collections at the couture shows this week, bad economy doesn't need to have an effect on beauty. The pieces shown at Chanel were perhaps a little more subdued than we are used to at a couture show but the hair and make up was really up to standard. Models wore sleek, helmet-like bobs, and sexy smoky eyes, both of which created a dramatic and glamorous look.

The presence of these styles at the Chanel show is further confirmation that we can expect beauty looks this Autumn that are far more striking than the whimsical, loose plaited, rosy cheeked look we have all been embracing this summer.

MAC's new Cult of Cherry collection with its deep, earthy tones, will be perfect for creating a gorgeous smoky eye look with a touch of colour. Similarly, the rich chocolate tones of the Nars Autumn/Winter collection will allow you to embrace the sultry eyed look with a little more subtlety for daytime.

I am not normally a huge fan of Vaseline Lip Therapy as I find it to dry out my lips a little, but if anything is going to change my mind, it will be their new Lip Therapy: Rosy Lips.

I absolutely LOVE Rose scented products and Rosy Lips is perfect for adding a touch of subtle pink to lips and even cheeks. I have had a long time love affair with Benefit's Benetint Lip Balm for adding a rosy glow, but since I have never really found that to be any more moisturising than cheaper lip balms such as Carmex, the £14.50 price tag may seem a bit steep compared to the mere £1.49 Rosy Lips will set you back.

The addition of rose and almond oil also make it more nourishing than the original formula so you will probably find that it dries lips out far less.

Rosy Lips is a definite cult product in the making, and will be available at Boots, Superdrug etc next month.

Don't you just love it when you have a bath with a Lush Bath Ballistic, and the whole house fills with the wonderful scent of Lush? The only problem is I am increasingly rarely getting time for baths, and the aromatherapy qualities of shower gel just don't cut it.

Lush however, genius as ever, have come up with the Emotibomb, which fizzes in the bottom of your shower and fills the bathroom with a cloud of vapour so that you can get an aromatherapy fix even when you're in a rush.

The Emotibomb is available in four varieties including, 'Too Drunk', to breath away a hangover, Lavender scented 'Up the Wooden Hill' to help ease you into sleep, 'Up you Get', which provides an awakening citrus blast, and the bluntly titled 'Sex in the Shower', for, you know.

I tried Up you Get for myself this morning, and it didn't half make the bathroom smell citrussy, and did indeed leave me feeling slightly more awakened than normal. My only complaint is that because you throw it on the shower floor to work its magic, you're not left with the scent on your skin as you are with a Bath Ballistic. But hey, you can't have everything!

The acronym ASOS has developed such a name for itself in online shopping, that I often forget it stands for As Seen on Screen. The screen it would seem though has a huge impact on what people are buying after it was reported today that ASOS have seen a 95% profit increase since the release of the Sex and the City movie back in May. There might be a credit crunch on, but I guess we all just had to get our hands on a studded waist belt like the one Carrie wore for most of the film!

Now that the SATC cash cow has all but dried up and passed out, ASOS are showing us how to look as vintage and whimsical and Kiera Knightly and Sienna Miller in The Edge of Love. The floral tea dresses and vintage lace blouses, not to mention the festival friendly wellies that the pair wore in the film are perfectly on trend for summer, so what better excuse could we have to emulate everyone's favourite English beauties?

I love the bow-backed pleated trench they are recommending, and I will definitely be getting myself a Sienna-esque straw trilby for my holidays! ASOS even have screen beauty covered with a wealth of recommendations for achieveing the glamorous 1940's look seen in the film.