Category Archives: Life & Style

London Fashion Week Highlights | Fashion Shenzhen

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One of my London Fashion Week highlights was Fashion Shenzhen on 19th of September.

Shenzhen, Guangdong province, is not only the nation’s garment capital, with 3,000 garment manufacturers employing nearly 500,000 people, but also home to some world famous designers.

It was Fashion Shenzhen’s fourth appearance at London Fashion week, It was organized by the Shenzhen Garment Industry Association. I love the music, the clothes and the atmosphere.

Chinese Ambassador to the UK Liu Xiaoming attended and said that Shenzhen is actually not just a garment manufacturing base, but “well-positioned to be China’s fashion and creative capital”.

Xie Haiping and Deng Hao were the two designers at Monday’s catwalk at Vauxhall Fashion Scout in the Freemason’s Hall.

A one minute video of the highlights are below.

The Vauxhall Fashion Scout founder, John Walford said of the show: “It really is rewarding to see how this relationship has gone from strength to strength.

“This new exciting student exchange, Chinese collections in the UK and UK collections in China, becomes possible for the first time with the opening of the Shenzhen Fashion School next year,”

Frost Product Reviews: Axe Touch + Hold Hair Products

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Male hair products are usually uncomfortable to touch, hardening or becoming sticky when applied. I have not been impressed, however, I got the man in my life to try and test out an alternative: AXE Hair products. So, here are the results….

AXE Hold + Touch Cream Wax for thick hair: Feels good and smells delicious. It gives a good hold and doesn’t look too ‘wet’ as some products do. James said that the product looked very good, packaging was excellent and it was a very high quality product.

James said the same of all of the packaging. It looks really good. The packaging is slick and well designed. All of the products smell nice and leave the hair with a good texture and hold. They also have products for all different types of hair.

The AXE Hold + Touch spiking glue for normal hair is good for spiky hair, it holds very well and is not icky to touch. The AXE Hold + Touch paste for fine hair does not weigh the hair down too much. The products are specially designed for guys’ specific hair types.

The men I got to test the AXE Hold + Touch all loved the product. It does what it is supposed to without being sticky and it smells really, really good, I kept sniffing my boyfriends hair. Frost loves it. The best men’s hair products, according to my testers, and me.

London Fashion Week 2011: EMESHA

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Emesha Nagy is one of Frost’s favorite designers, her clothes are beautiful and eco-friendly. She has worked with Vivienne Westwood and Jasper Conran, and now is on the fourth of her own collection.

EMESHA’s mission is to source new eco-friendly fabrics and to produce quality garments that are sustainable in both manufacture and design, without sacrificing style.

EMESHA is fully committed to environmental and social responsibilities. The label was created using only natural, therefore biodegradable and recycled fabrics, which are free of harmful AZO dyes. The fabrics used are mainly sourced in the UK or come from end-of-line “upcycled” industry waste and so some of garments are available in a limited edition.

The EMESHA label is concerned with paying fair wages to the skilled workers who work hard to create the garments. “Having Hungarian roots, I have been devastated to see the decline of the apparel industry in Hungary over the past few years. When new countries joined the EU in 2007, many of the prominent fashion houses moved their production lines further east where costs were lower. This had a devastating effect on the local economy leaving many skilled workers
unemployed forcing those who remained in the industry to work long hours and lower their salary expectations to keep their jobs. Appreciating the skill and talent of these workers, I chose my homeland for the production of my collections. I am building my company to follow sustainable and ethical principles I am committed to fair wage production to reverse the downward economic spiral, and to draw attention to a huge issue within the European Union. This does not only happen in the fashion industry, and is visible in many other European countries. However fashion is what I know and this is where I can make a change.”

A vegetarian since her early teens, Emesha doesn’t use leather or fur in her designs.

The Only Way is Made in Alton

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Alton Towers Resort offers guests the chance to star in their own reality TV show

The Alton Towers Resort is today introducing a new service that offers theme park visitors 15 minutes of fame by giving them the chance to star in their very own reality TV-show. In the wake of the success of The Only Way is Essex, Made in Chelsea and Geordie Shore, the Alton Towers Resort is hoping its ‘Reality of Alton’ package* will prove a draw to guests hoping to emulate their reality TV heroes.

A first of its kind and available on request, guests can be followed around the park by a film crew who will record every element of their day, before editing the footage to create a one-hour ‘episode’. The cameras will follow the thrill seeking guests as they explore Britain’s Greatest Escape and experience the world’s first free fall drop coaster, TH13TEEN and face their fears on the intense vertical drop coaster, Oblivion before soaring through the skies on Air. Thought to be the ultimate home video experience, the Alton Towers Resort is trialling the bespoke and premium service until the end of the Theme Park season this November.

The personally tailored film also has a range of bolt-on extras including photographers that will tail the group around the Theme Park throughout the day, capturing their every move and red-carpet treatment including the option of adding a celeb voiceover to the footage.

Katherine Duckworth, Head of Consumer Marketing at Alton Towers Resort said, “In the last year alone Katie Price and Kerry Katona have both visited the Resort as part of their reality TV shows, so we thought why not extend this to our guests at Britain’s Greatest Escape. By introducing this premium ‘Reality of Alton’ service we hope to give visitors to the Theme Park a real taste of what it is like to be a reality TV star while they enjoy the ground breaking rollercoasters and attractions that the Resort has to offer.”

For more information about the Alton Towers Resort or to book tickets and hotel packages, log onto www.altontowers.com.

Hand Dryers Help Out Environment

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We all know that climate change is becoming a bigger problem than most of us ever imagined. Deforestation is destroying the environment and making entire species extinct. It is a much better idea for businesses to invest in airblade hand dryers. They cut down on paper towel usage, and all of the hand dryers you could possibly want are at that site, and you can search for energy efficient hand dryers, automatic or push button hand dryers. It also has a 30 day no hassle refund policy.

You want to make sure you buy a good hand dryer, my favourite are dyson hand dryers, especially the dyson air blade hand dryer it really gets your hands dry quickly and effectively. Something not every hand dryer does. A brilliant investment. It is good to invest in a dyson hand dryer.

Hand dryers are tidier than paper towels as well. No scrunched up paper towel balls lying around. I reckon hand dryers are a great investment for businesses and the eco conscious.

IMDB: Using IMDB Resume and IMDB Starmeter To Boost Your Career.

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IMDB is a great resource, not only does it have a page on every movie and every film industry professional you can think of, it is also an amazing tool for an actor to promote their career.

IMDB has a resume section that you can join for a reasonable price. When you have IMDB resume you can add pictures to your IMDB, and of course your resume. You can also link your blog and your twitter to your page.

When people google you, it is usually your IMDB link that comes up first, so it is a false economy not to have it. If you do not have a project on IMDB (and you need one! Work for free for an IMDB credit is my advice) then you can still be on it if you get IMDB Resume.

People do lie on their resume, but I don’t recommend this, and do not list extra work unless you were heavily featured or had a line.

Even more important than IMDB Resume is the IMDB Starmeter. This is IMDB explaining what the Starmeter is http://www.imdb.com/help/show_leaf?prowhatisstarmeter

The Starmeter is important for actors and here is why: if you get a good starmeter ranking that means you are bankable. If people are searching for you then you will be offered movies and auditions. My starmeter has been as high as 6,000 and is usually between that and 31,000 on a bad week. Which is very good news and has helped my career. So, if your IMDB rank is not very good what can you do? I previously wrote about this in my personal blog http://balavage.wordpress.com/2011/07/25/charting-imdb-becoming-obsessed-with-starmeter/ and I am going to go into more detail here.

Step 1) This site is very good. http://www.karmalicity.com/b/?r=218 I know people who have done barely anything who now have good rankings, the site gives you publicity for your IMDB, Facebook fan page, YouTube and Twitter. It Is free so join now. The premium version is cheap and very good too.

Step 2) Make sure you have your photo on IMDB. Very important. Also put film stills and on-set photos on and modeling shots as well. If you want a photo, you can click the following link and go to add photos only: http://resume.imdb.com/

Step 3) Use social networking. Post your IMDB link. Add it to your email signature, your website, Twitter, anywhere you can think of. Share the films you are in, not just your IMDB page, every time a movie your in goes up, so do you.

5. Create an e-mail list. Only email when you have something to say. Do not spam people. Invite people to a screening, tell them of an award you won, an amazing job you just booked. Add your IMDB link into the email.

6) Get people to click on your IMDb profile (post the link on your Facebook or Twitter profiles, have it in your email signature, etc.)

7) Get interviewed and mentioned in TV guides and news articles.

This brilliant article has a run down of what the numbers mean and it says that a rank of 14,999 – 1,000: This is generally working actor territory and this about 999 – 1: You’re working. A lot. Good chance you’re repped by one of the big 5 agencies…or are about to be. Alternatively, you were recently on the cover of National Enquirer.

Give it a read.

I also recommend you get IMDBpro, and so does Harrison Ford, Blake Lively and Kevin Smith, if you are in the film industry, you need it.

To round up; IMDB is an amazing resource to help your career and I wish I had paid more attention to it earlier. Click on your friends links and put nice comments on their message boards. Keep coming back to Frost for more acting tips and career guidance. If you liked this article give my IMDB a click or post a message http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2952107/

The Gifts We Must Stop Giving: Ideas For Christmas

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Shop smarter, not harder, this Christmas
 
While we all try our best to keep up that polite exterior, most of us have some experience of forcing a smile upon receiving an unwanted gift. Novelty ties, ill-fitting underwear, naff toiletry sets – it seems we are a nation stuck in a never-ending cycle of buying for the sake of it, and receiving useless presents in exchange.
To support the launch of their new range of lifestyle gift experiences, powered by Time Out, Smartbox set out to find out more about the nation’s gifting habits.  They surveyed 845 people, up and down the country, and found that:
Receiving
·         Graciously accepting and quickly returning unwanted gifts is fast becoming the norm. 44% of people have returned a gift that was bought for them, with Londoners he most likely to do so
·         40% of people asked prefer to choose their own gifts
·         When asked to name the worst present received, the most popular response was an item of clothing (particularly socks, ill-fitting pants and hosiery)
·         It’s not all about the money. A whopping 84% said that an expensive gift would not mean more to them, with 95% claiming they’d prefer a gift that’s thoughtful, regardless of cost.
Giving
·         Despite the efforts of the eager 8.5% of the population who begin their Christmas shopping in January, 47% don’t feel their gifts are always truly appreciated
·         66% often spend more on a gift than they had hoped to, with a shocking 42% admitting they often spend more than they can afford.
Garry Barone, Head of Sales and Marketing at Smartbox UK, said: “We all know what it’s like to receive a gift we’re not too keen on, and I think if we’re honest, most of us have bought a gift that we knew wasn’t quite up to scratch. When you think about it, buying for the sake of it is a pretty pointless and sometimes costly exercise – particularly when it comes to Christmas. Our survey found that the average person buys for 10 or more people each year – and spends around £250.
“However, when it comes to receiving gifts, it really is the thought that counts. A Smartbox lifestyle gift experience gives you the best of both worlds. While you choose the themed Smartbox that best suits your loved one, they themselves are able to take their pick from up to 200 experiences detailed within.”
Smartbox is Europe’s leading lifestyle gift experience company. This year, they have joined forces with Time Out to offer an incredible range of gifts to suit every age, personality and pocket.
Unlike your usual gift cards and vouchers, each Time Out Smartbox comes in a quality gift box. The voucher comes with a glossy book featuring full details on each experience, making it really easy to choose. What’s more, the price is nowhere to be seen, so they never need to know how much you spent.
The booking process is easy as the voucher is activated on purchase.  All the recipient needs to do is choose what they want to do, where and when. They book directly with the experience provider and redeem the voucher on site. And with many of the packages available for two people, you can share the experience – bonus!
The Time Out Smartbox range includes:
·         Adrenaline (£119.95)
·         Adventure (£29.95)
·         Charming Getaways (£139.95)
·         Delicious Retreats (£199.95)
·         Gourmet Escapes (£269.95)
·         Table for Two (£59.95)
·         Tastings (£29.95)
·         Unusual Escapes (£89.95)
·         Zen & Spa (£59.95)
Also available:
·         The Michelin Star Dining Smartbox (£169)
Smartbox gift boxes are available at selected John Lewis, Butlers, Beales, Clinton Cards, Waterstones, Heal’s and Cargo stores. See website for full details & terms www.smartbox.co.uk.

London Fashion Week | Vivienne Westwood Red Label Spring- Summer 2012

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On 18th September 2011 Vivienne Westwood’s Red Label Spring- Summer 2012 catwalk show took place at the historical Smithfields Market, London.

The collection was inspired by a Degas Painting of young girls watching Spartans exercising and the ancient games- with classic cuts and tailoring all taken from the Vivienne Westwood archive collections. The chalk patterns from the painting influenced the strong silver palate through the collection with the ancient look somehow transforming into a space age Barbarella which was also reflected in the hair and make-up. Tropical wool from our classics and Price of Wales checks in cotton created sharp smart suiting looks.

The show also introduced the Rainforest charity, Cool Earth, and a campaign that is very close to Vivienne’s heart- a plan to save the most vulnerable Rainforest areas by 2020.

“Cool Earth has a plan to save the Rainforest.

If we don’t save the Rainforest- Forget it!

First we saved the Rainforest.

Will they ever know we saved the planet?”

Vivienne Westwood

The Spring/Summer 2012 Red Label Fashion Show also marked the launch of an ongoing partnership between Vivienne Westwood and Sony music, enabled with the support of the British Fashion Councils- Bazaar Fashion Arts Foundation. Communicating an important message about our world’s rainforests, a limited number of Vivienne Westwood designed MP3 players, a badge that plays music, were distributed to guests at the show containing a short recording from Vivienne herself and an excerpt from Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro supplied by Sony Music. This limited edition Playbutton acts as a teaser for a more extensive commercial collection to be launched in stores November/December 2011. The Playbutton is an innovative mix-tape of music that doubles up as a fun accessory. With all the typical functionality of a mini MP3 player, the Playbutton pairs the concept of a great album with the classic button for the perfect wearable way to listen to music. The Playbutton is coming soon to Vivienne Westwood stores worldwide and a select number of boutiques.

Sitting front row alongside the fashion royalty were celebrities Kelis, Pamela Anderson, Erin O’Conner, Tracey Emin, Jaquetta Wheeler, Portia Freeman, Zara Martin, Eliza Doolittle, Paloma Faith, and Sunday Girl.

Kelis (fresh from her fuax pas of accusing London of being a ‘racist’ city when she was actually insulted in Spain) chose to wear a silver blouse with a printed pencil skirt from the Autumn-Winter 2011 Gold Label collection.

Erin O’Connor chose to wear a blue wool suit with a light blue cotton shirt from the Red Label Autumn-Winter 2011 collection with silver sequin wedge shoes from the Autumn-Winter 2011 Gold Label collection.

Paloma Faith wore a Gerent sienna skirt with a Holes vest and Hunter arm warmers with sequin silver knee-high boots from the Autumn-Winter 2011 Gold Label collection.