Every now and then I get the opportunity to style a fun project, like The Nokia Tube Dance. Parts of the dance are quite easy to learn and it’s kind of contagious: I find myself dancing around the house a bit more lately! There was lots of talent involved on this project. Britain’s Got Talent star George Sampson was great to work with. As most of you know he’s an amazing dancer but he’s also a really nice guy. I got to dress Keith Lemon (AKA comedian Leigh Francis) in gold and he does look a bit cherub-like, you can’t resist him – he’s totally charming! I love VV Brown, she has a great voice and she’s just so beautiful – and of course she has great style!!

See the dance at http://www.nokiatubedance.com

George Sampson hanging out back stage.

Keith Lemon chatting with the lovely VV Brown,

Dancers : Christian Alozie, George Sampson and Adrian Gas.

Keith Lemon and George Sampson having a Dance Off!

Me and Golden boy Keith Lemon!

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I love London. I love London’s fashion, I love London’s architecture- I even love the new mayor of London! But above all I love London’s markets. Any free day I have you will often see me strolling along in Spitalfields or down Portabello.

The creative raw talent that permeates the stalls is addictive. I have recently started working on Sundays in the Sunday Up Market for the sustainable jewellery brand ‘Leju’. We sell fantastic creations made from Vegetable Ivory.

There is such a team morale surrounding the market – everybody helps everybody. It’s fun and fascinating to be part of this really tight community of creatives. At this time of year, thermal undies are an essential, but lattes, the buzzing market environment, banter from my neighbours and the odd wacky customer keeps the cold away.

The selection of items available in the market is astounding, from alternative accessories to vintage/young designer clothing. Sundays, its tough to keep my hand in my pocket and remind myself I’m there to earn and not spend!

Give it a try…walk through Spitalfields reaching Sunday Up and invest in some considered fashion pieces from London’s young designers en route.

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 Wouldn’t it be cool to be so fabulous that a designer names a handbag after you? Think the Stam bag, and of course Hermes has both the Kelly and Birkin bags. Well now, NK Henry is having a contest to have a bag named after you.

Write on NKHenry Facebook’s wall- "Why NKHenry should name a bag after you".  The winner will receive a NKHenry bag named after them, which will debut for their Fall/Winter ‘09 collection.

The contest ends February 3rd 2009.

Stam Bag

Kelly Bag

Birkin Bag

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I often find that at the end of a work day – my clients or models always look fab but I don’t get a minute for myself… which results in a rather messy looking makeup artist! So I thought with the very busy Fashion week looming and a hectic end of January work schedule that I should find a few ways for a touch of instant easy glamour that won’t need a touch up.

So first stop was Blink – a little grooming bar in Selfridges- they are also in House of Frasier and Harvey Nicks. I went in for a set of eyelash extensions- The treatment only took a half an hour- what bliss- gorgeous full lush lashes- no mascara, waking up to flirty peepers and not having to worry about eye makeup down my face at the end of a shoot day. They last for about 2 weeks. The therapist gave me a choice of lengths to choose from. I decided on the medium length. I was very pleasantly surprised at how natural they looked- like mine but fuller, blacker- pure gorgeous. Blink also offer a full threading service for those brave enough.

Next I decided my eyebrows needed a good once over. I truly believe that if you have lovely shaped brows it doesn’t matter what makeup you wear, even if its nothing at all- you will look polished. I went  over to the Bliss counter where I had an eyebrow wax that was very gentle. What was exceptional about this service that the money I spent on the waxing was redeemable against any Bliss purchases; Bonus!

Finally on my way home I picked up my favourite fake tan- Piz Buin Moose. I find this product easy to use with lovely results- caramel brown rather than typical tango orange. And it’s a reasonably priced product.
Now that that’s all done – I can concentrate on my work!

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I met Jessica at a fashion party. It was one of those rare parties where everyone was very friendly and just chit chatting away. Jessica looked so fabulous I just had to speak with her and when she told me she was the Managing Director of Cult Beauty, I was so excited, as I love all the tips and product information on the site, that I had to interview her.

What got you interested in the beauty business?

JD – As early as I can remember, I was getting in trouble for raiding my mother’s makeup bag. At 10 I was already practising putting on mascara and liquid eyeliner, however, mom wouldn’t let me out of the house with any makeup on until I was about 16. I love the girliness of it all, the unabashed femininity of the industry. To me, it is the women’s equivalent of football.

Talk us through your CV.

JD – British Airways hired me out of graduate school and I got my online start in the travel industry. After Sept 11, jobs were seriously hard to come by, so I took a role at an investment bank. I specialised in large-scale web implementations at financial services companies until I left to start Cult Beauty.

How did Cult Beauty come about?

JD – Honestly, I personally was sick and tired of falling for inflated promises of very mediocre products and I didn’t trust in-store sales staff to have the expertise or incentive to give me good advice. Living in London, I had access to top stylists to cut my hair, and they would recommend products they had used on their clients on the red carpet or magazine covers. This is quite geeky – but I understood how to capture and consolidate that information and present it on the web so that it would be available to everyone. It was just how I wanted to buy beauty products – no advertising, no commission-incentivised sales staff with minimal training, just real information from the top stylists and beauty experts in the industry.

What is in the pipeline for spring and autumn 09?

JD -  We’re bringing some gorgeous brands over from the US and also exploring beauty in Brazil.

What is the hardest part about starting an online business?

JD – Getting the corporate brands to take you seriously. Many of them still view the web as eBay, so convincing them that the web can be glamorous is difficult.

How are you finding business in the current economic climate?

JD – It is hard to say, as we are so new that this is the only economic climate that we have operated in. We’re gaining customers and readers every month, and a large proportion of our customers come back.

What is the most simple change that retailers can make to improve their online store?

JD -Get rid of the 0870 phone number!

I like your browse by celebrity feature. Do you have a celebrity following?

JD -We do and it is so exciting to see the names on our order list. And then you get their family members ordering too, and you know that someone who doesn’t have to pay for products has actually recommended us! It makes me think we are getting it right.

Do you have a favourite product?

JDM – I have so many, but currently my can’t live without product is Alison Raffaele Reality Base Foundation.

How does Cultbeauty.co.uk stand out from other fashion/beauty websites?

JD – The whole premise is that everything on the site is a star – a product that really works and that will truly delight, like a beauty hall of fame. Other sites offer a huge selection, but we really filter out all the dross. We’re trying to get behind the advertising, and empower women by editing out the hyperbole and lies of greedy corporations.

How many hours do you work per week?

JD – It varies, but generally between 50 – 60.

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