I’m a skin care and mascara addict but when I’m on a shoot I love to ask the make-up artist for some tips - who knows better than a working professional!

Celebrity make-up Rachel Wood shares her Top 5 Beauty Trends for Autumn/Winter 08!

1- Brows, groomed but full, put away your tweezers and say hello Brooke Shields circa 1980 style brows to frame your peepers! Use one of the many fab coloured brow gels out there to keep them tamed but think more Jennifer Connolly then Marlene Dietrich when giving them shape.

2- Full on Colour for Lips, for this A/W I’m really into cream or satin textures that have vibrant colour rather than a metallic or shimmer that diffuses colour…save that gloss for the Spring. Hues of Cherry Red, Funky Fuchsia and Breakfast at Tiffany’s Orange add a bit of brightness to dull winter skin.

3- Glam Balm by Rodial- this all purpose wonder product has about a 100 different uses, love it for the models over worked dry skin back stage when working on the shows for Fashion week, it plumps up lips and I love it dabbed around my eyes when flying. Glam Balm rehydrates where you need it most. For make-up ideas add a touch of shimmery loose eye shadow pigment and blend on the eyes or cheekbones for glossy colour. (Hmm, I keep hearing about this product, it’s £62.00 but I just might  have to try it!)

4-Bad Gal Lash Plum- by Benefit. Plum and purples are huge this season and this mascara gives a touch of brightness to your eye colour plus the thick juicy brush that gives rock star lashes…I can’t wait till this new product hits the shelves!

5- Goth but not as we know it, moody mysterious eyes, subtle greys, blended black liner and put away the fake tan, skin: keep it pale and interesting!

I think there are so many great trends for this Autumn/Winter and Romantic Goth is one of my favourite. It’s so easy to incorporate into your wardrobe. I know people either love or hate ruffles but this trend isn’t so much about being girly as it’s more about being strong & sexy. You might already have something in your wardrobe that’s part of this trend. It might be a ruffle blouse or lace top - and it doesn’t just have to be black, it might be purple or even turquoise.

I love the new Dr Martens - Black Patent high-heeled boots only £75.00! They’re perfect for the romantic Goth trend.

Or would you rather pay £375.00 for these lovley Fendi short patent lace up boots?

I like a brand that has attitude and something to say. 55DSL can be quite cheeky, fun and provocative. This weekend they had a party in West London to celebrate Carnival!

I love advertising: images that are cheeky, that make you think, that push boundaries and that make you feel something. I know advertising is the dream, it’s aspirational and if it’s good you just might read it. I remember my mum complaining that Vogue had so many advertisements in it and I thought to myself that that was one of the reasons I loved to look at it!
55DSL Advertising:

It’s great to see a second issue of Zink Canada! I loved the first issue and I’m a fan of Zink international - which really is the Zink US edition and you can buy it at RD Franks but the Canadian version in only available in Canada!

The beret has been around for ages and has generally been worn in the military since the mid-20th century. Although military is not a big trend this season I think the beret will be great for this Autumn/Winter 08! I love this Chanel beret; I tried it on and it’s so cute!

If it’s a bit out of your price range just look for a beret at Accessorize they have loads of styles starting at £8.00. Customize it with a couple of cool broaches, badges or even flowers. This is a good opportunity to check out your what’s in your mum’s or grandmother’s jewellery box!

I seem to always have a love hate relationship with my mobile. I can leave the house forgetting my keys, money and all sorts of other stuff but I need to have my mobile. I recently got a new HTC Touch Diamond mobile at Vodafone. It’s nice and light, very thin. It has a large touch screen and it’s windows based. I love the fact that I can mo-blog and that I can receive e-mail. I can’t imagine life before mobile phones.
I don’t particularity like upgrading my phone as it always takes a bit of adjustment and I do feel attached to my old phone.

I’m not sure if my new phone is faulty but the predictive text doesn’t work and I’m still trying to figure out the camera settings…You might have noticed that the white balance is not working properly and my images look a bit yellow or orange or blue… Not great for a blogger or fashion stylist…The mobile does have a button for the weather which I really like & google maps are quite useful at times.

I don’t tend to customize my phone and I can’t attach trinkets or charms to this mobile - it’s suppose to be a business phone so I guess the makers assume you won’t decorate it.

I find it very difficult to chose a new phone - I hope I’m not the only one!!

London is a great city for lingerie, there are so many styles and it’s all quite playful. I went to the Playful Promises Press Day; they were featuring their own lingerie Playful Promises, Kiss Me Deadly and Fairy Goth Mother. Kiss me Deadly has great vintage/retro inspired pieces. Their garter belt straps are just a little wider making them not only more practical but quite sexy. Lulu and Lush is a new label created by Fairy Goth Mother - they have a shop in Spitafield market and they were showing off some very girly filly knickers! Playful Promises who also sells in Top Shop has a selection of zodiac satin knickers and some great swimwear covers ups.

What is lingerie without cake? These girls looked great; they are from Betty Blythe Fine Food Pantry. I love there matching black and white dresses!

And a little burlesque dancing to accompany an afternoon tea! I really like garter belts and love them for shoots but it’s not something I tend to wear in everyday life. I have a friend who prefers hold ups to tights and on occasion she adds a garter belt so they don’t fall down. A garter belt is one of those very sexy and functional accessories.

At this event there was a table full of tempting ribbons, bows, feathers, lace and lots of great haberdashery. You could sit and customize a waist cincher, garter belt or frilly knickers - how fun! Customization has become so important in fashion. Adding a bow or a ribbon here or there can really make your garment unique and special. Stylist spend quite a bit of time customizing garments for shoots and videos. I also like to over dye things. Do you ever customize your own clothing?

Julia Hederus showed her new collection for K-Swiss at their space in east London last night.

One of the things that I love about London is how a party or event spills out onto the street- somehow it just make it very festive.

Yes, let’s get ready and start thinking about summer 09. Sportswear in general is a best seller. You might feel it’s to casual - but there are lots of ways of creating personal style. I love this ad of Julia: the model looks so cool and chic.

My assistant and I were on our way to Top Shop where she’d been spotted by 2 girls from Elle Street Style looking for cool trendsetters. They thought Sana looks like Chloë Sevigny! How cool is Sana - she even has one green and one blue eye and they are so beautiful and of course she’s very on trend with her moccasins! Kellydeene Skerritt is the Elle street style photographer who took this photo.

This is Kellydeene, Sana and another Elle street style trendspotter.

What summer trend did you indulge in?

Accessories can change everything. I love gloves and wish I could wear them all the time - even in the summer. Nina Peter make beautiful unique gloves that are very wearable. I always want to get my moneys worth when I buy a pair of leather gloves. Nina Peter and Gregor Pirouzi have been making gloves since 2003. The glove is a pratical item even a nesessity and it’s a great starting point to create an outfit with. I know people often create an outfit starting from a dress or top - but try an accessory you never know what will inspire you!

My visit to Istanbul was great but way too short. The shoot day started at about 9am and I returned to my hotel room around 2:30am. It was a long but successful day. Sometimes it doesn’t matter how long you spend at a shoot when you get the right results you just feel so happy!
I spent some of the morning at Harvey Nichols and the rest of the day at the studio. I’d never worked with the team before so you never really know what it’s going to be like - fortunately it was great. I felt like I’d known & worked with this team forever and I can’t wait to go back! The Turkish are very warm and hospitable - so kind!!! We had several people from Harvey Nics, the advertising team, production and the creative team and lots of assistants -so quite a few people.
Things that I like about Istanbul - tea in glass cups without milk, lots of nuts & fruit at the shoot and the women are quite feminine and sexy - they all seem to be pedicured & manicured.

This is a picture of the hallway of the studio.

Our hair and make team were so sweet. I don’t speak Turkish and they didn’t speak very much English - that what’s great a about photography you don’t need language to have the same vision just lots of tear sheets & mood boards!

Once the shoot has been published I’ll tell you more about it and show you some images.

Amelia’s Magazine is a very cool independent magazine. It’s takes a lot of work for a magazine to do things on their own terms! That’s why I asked Amelia’s magazine - fashion industry insiders for quotes to use during my Viktor & Rolf fashion talk at the Barbican.

In your opinion, what’s the best way for someone to create their own distinct personal style?

Amelia Gregory, Editor, Amelia’s Magazine

For me the only people who have a distinct personal style are those who have absolutely no regard for what other people think about the way they dress, it being merely an outward expression of a strong personality and a creative mind. They are unlikely to follow trends, instead preferring to find their own way of dressing in a sea of similar looks – this, somewhat ironically, means that they are likely to kickstart the very trends they steer clear of.

Melinda Neunie, Fashion and Beauty Editor, Amelia’s Magazine

It’s impossible to create a self-image using preconceived ideas. Your discomfort can be seen through even the most expensive of designer gowns, should you attempt to construct a persona that doesn’t belong to you. People that are noted for their distinct personal style are often those whose clothing is almost an accessory to their personality or attitude to life.  To a genuine trendsetter, that bold pair of fuchsia heels isn’t used to denote wealth or forward thinking style, they’re merely the best footwear to compliment a love for all things bright and colourful.

I just arrived at my hotel as we’ve finished shooting & are all packed up. It’s 2:35am & I’m being picked up at 5am. Ohh the bed looks so cozy & is calling my name. Cat nap!

Istanbul is beautiful at night! The cafes are full and children are playing in the square. It reminds me a little bit of Barcelona. It’s relentlessly hot & muggy.

Just arrived for a shoot!

I want all of these outfits!!

Susanne Ostwald from Leipzig, Germany and Ingvar Helgason from Reykjavik, Iceland are the duo behind Ostwald Helgason. I love Leipzig - it’s such a cool city and the number of hair salons is astounding. I love Iceland too, there are so many interesting designers coming out of Iceland at the moment. It only makes sense that these two designers would do something impressive together.

Anyway back to these clothes!! The are so interesting and eclectic but so wearable. I’m not a girl who changes clothes to go out at night - a one dress a day girl - and these looks would be so great!

Are you practical shopper or impulse buyer? How do you shop?

Stockist:
Kokon Tozai
57 Greek Street
London - W1D 3DX

Beyond The Valley
2 Newburgh Street
London - W1F 7RD

I’ve spent the past couple of days looking at models. It’s so hard to find the perfect model - it’s all about casting and the right model is 80% of the work.

Summer is slow so everyone’s away. But really there are so many talented models. It can be really hard for a new designer to chose - who is going to be the face of their brand, is this face is going to sell the collection? It’s a lot of responsibility & pressure for a model. There are other things that influence your casting: the brief, the budget and scheduling. The model booker can make a huge difference; they’re usually quick and can send you a selection of models within minutes and if someone you like isn’t available they might be able to recommend someone else.

I’m always choosing models as part of team decision. It’s quite fun to chose a model for ones own project. When I did my fashion talk at the Barbican I wanted to have a model. I think it’s difficult for a model to stand in front of a live audiences and be comfortable.

Alys Hale from Storm Models was perfect, she looked great in the clothes and she was really fun and personable. People always think it’s just about how the model looks but her personality and attitude really count!

I carry stuff all over London and my portfolio can also be very heavy - so I’m considering getting a trolley. I think all the old ladies who use trolleys are quite smart. They didn’t start using the trolley just because they got older but because it was more practical - the shops didn’t always give out plastic carrier bags. M&S charge 5p per bag and a plastic bag takes a 1,000 years to decay.

I’m loving this Orla Kiely Multi Stem Foldaway Shopping Trolley £199.00. It’s a bit expensive but at the same time it can last you a life time. The outside is 100% Cotton with PVC coating so it’s easy to wipe clean. One of it’s special features is that the wheels can fold up so the bag can be carried!

This is a Kipling Shopping Trolley from John Lewis and only is £42. Love the pattern and the price!

This Tug Lifestyle Trolley is quite fancy but it’s on sale for £148.94 from £355. It also has a Teflon coating on fabric and has a side umbrella pocket.

Would you use a trolley?

I want a pair of  Coco Rose ballet shoes. By day, I’m a flat shoe girl usually running all over London but at night I love high heels, I never feel quite dressed in flats. Of course after a night of gallivanting and dancing I’m desperate to take off my heels. These shoes come in their own little compact case so they fit nicely into your handbag and the case converts into a shoe bag so you can carry your shoes home!

I recently met a fashion merchandising student who had graduated from university; she’d had never been in a fabric store and had no basic sewing skills. I know that you don’t have to be an expert sewer or pattern maker to be a designer or a buyer and maybe it doesn’t matter if you don’t know anything about fabrics to be a fashion merchandiser, but wouldn’t you want to?