Category Archives: Life & Style

Buy the perfect fragrance gift without leaving the house {Shopping}

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The problem with internet shopping is that when it comes to smellies…you can’t smell them. So until someone invents smell-o-vision we’re going have to rely on experts. Trouble is the experts are in the shops, helping out people who’ve made the journey into town…or are they?!

Buying gifts can be tricky, but help is at hand for men this festive season thanks to the new Boots Ask The Girls service, which will answer all their gifting dilemmas. With dedicated staff in selected stores and hints and advice on boots.com to help men with present advice, Boots is the perfect place to get women a luxurious gift that they really desire!

An incredible one third (35%*) of women have been disappointed with presents and a further 15%* claim to have been upset or angry about their partner’s choice, so it’s important to get it right. If you think fragrance would make a great gift for your girlfriend, but need some advice,  join in the Fragrance Gift Ideas Live

Chat on boots.com on Thursday 9th December between 1pm-2pm. The chat will be hosted by Boots fragrance training manager, Rachael Turner, who has over ten years experience in the fragrance world. Rachael is in-the-know on fragrance trends, and she’ll be on hand to guide you through how to select the perfect fragrance.

To join in the chat, log onto Boots.com this Thursday at 1pm.

Oxfam + Maths Expert = Formula for a Happy Christmas!

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7,000 calories, three weeks off work, 15cm of snow and no more than 10 hours of shopping. These are four of the factors that make Christmas perfect according to Oxfam Unwrapped, the charity’s gift range, which has teamed up with maths expert Chris Green today to unveil its formula for a happy Christmas.

The full mathematical formula looks like this (click to enlarge):

Rick Lay, Oxfam Unwrapped campaign manager, said: “Christmas is the busiest time for Oxfam Unwrapped. Around 80% of the money we raise is given over the festive period, so we were really keen to find out what makes people happy at this time of year; what makes a perfect Christmas.

“It’s great to see that ultimately, happiness at Christmas comes down to quite simple things, such as enjoying time off work to spend with friends and family.”

Key ‘happiness factors’ include:

  • Number of calories consumed on Christmas Day (any more than 7,000 calories and you’ll be too stuffed to enjoy yourself)
  • Amount of time off work (just one day off boosts happiness by 70%, with three weeks being the optimum amount)
  • Centimetres of snow (15cm is ideal)
  • Family arguments (more than five and happiness levels plummet)
  • Number of hours spent trawling the shops for gifts (any more than 10 hours and shopping-induced stress sees happiness decline rapidly)
  • Miles driven to see friends and family (0 miles is ideal, with 500 miles generating a 40% reduction in happiness levels)
  • The number of gifts you receive has an impact on happiness (6 gifts gets you to optimum happiness levels), but….
  • ….most crucially, how many gifts you give (even giving just one present makes a huge difference to happiness levels, increasing Christmas enjoyment by 50%).

Chris Green, the mathematician who compiled the formula for Oxfam, adds:

“We conducted research into some of the key factors that people associate with Christmas and calculated optimum scores for each factor.”

What’s your score? For any like-minded boffins out there who want to work out the formula for themselves, this is what your scores mean:

< 50% Roll on January!
50 – 60% Frosty the snowman
61 – 70% Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas
71 – 80% You’ll be rockin’ around the Christmas tree
> 80% You wish it could be Christmas every day

“The good news is that most factors that impact on Christmas happiness are well within our control. Also, despite a lot of people thinking that Christmas is overly materialistic these days, as the formula shows, these types of things aren’t that significant.

“Most people will score between 50 – 100%, any less than 50% and it’s a case of ‘roll on January’!”

Rick Lay adds: “With the act of giving gifts topping the happiness factors, we hope that it will make people realise that Christmas is a time they can make a real difference to the happiness of others. A gift from the Oxfam Unwrapped range will not only make friends and family smile more, it will change the lives of people living in poverty all over the world.  Surely that’s got to mean a happier Christmas all around.”

How Gwyneth got her body back. Tracey Anderson reveals all.

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GET STRAIGHT TO THE POINT WITH THE WOMAN BEHIND HOLLYWOOD’S HOTTEST BODIES

Gwyneth Paltrow was asked to gain 20lbs for her upcoming movie Country Strong, in which she stars as an alcoholic singer. Fitness expert and Gwyneth’s personal trainer, Tracy Anderson, had the challenge of whipping the Oscar-winning actress into shape before her high profile appearance on the Country Music Awards, so put her on a specialised routine of dance cardio and weight training.

‘For this role in country strong they had her gain weight for it. That was tough for me because we’ve worked so hard on her body. [During filming] Gwyneth went down from six days a week of training to three and she ate everything in sight,’ said Anderson*.

‘It didn’t take her very long to lose it, only took her a couple of weeks. It didn’t want to be on her anyway. Extra weight isn’t something that she owned.’

If you want a body like Gwyneth, forget so-called celebrity workouts this New Year – get straight to business and the body you want with the expert behind the most sort-after A-list figures. ITV Studios Home Entertainment presents personal trainer Tracy Anderson’s latest workout, The Tracy Anderson Method: Total Cardio Workout and offers you VIP access to the exercise secrets that transformed stars such as Gwyneth Paltrow, Courtney Cox and Shakira.

Shift the Christmas weight

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THE TRACY ANDERSON METHOD: TOTAL CARDIO WORKOUT will be available to own on DVD from 27 December from

With News Of A Royal Wedding: Amazing Wedding Venue.

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News of a certain engagement today will get many thinking of their own special day and Amazing Retreats can offer a venue to make you feel like royalty! From a Scottish Castle, which has played host to many a celebrity bash, to country manor houses and even a fort in the Solent, Amazing Retreats has secluded wedding venues aplenty!

Ackergill Tower, Amazing Retreats’ flagship property, is a perfect location for a romantic wedding, overlooking clear blue sea, atop a secluded white sandy beach, combining the very best service with a stunning backdrop. The castle has played host to celebrity weddings and can offer seclusion and privacy, away from prying eyes!

With 27 individually styled bedrooms, Ackergill Tower can welcome up to 52 guests who can stay in discreet luxury, enjoying all that this unique venue offers in complete privacy. It is also easy to reach, being just five minutes from Wick Airport, which benefits from the services of two airlines, or a two hour drive through stunning countryside from Inverness, the highland capital.

Ackergill Tower from the airwedding outside Ackergillbride and bridesmaid on lawn

Helen McKenzie Smith General Manager for Ackergill Tower says: “Ackergill would be a stunning venue for the latest royal wedding, and they would be in good company! Newlyweds who have been fortunate enough to be married here leave with lingering memories of a dream wedding come true. We also work with some of the best in the business, including Stephen Seedhouse, who provided the stunning floral creations for Madonna’s wedding and when in London was florist to Princess Diana. With our experience and connections, we can help organise a stunning wedding in just over six weeks!”

If a castle isn’t to your taste then Amazing Retreats’ extensive portfolio offers smaller, intimate and unique venues to enjoy wedding receptions.

Spitbank Fort, The Solent

One mile out to sea from Portsmouth harbour, Spitbank Fort can host a party of up to 60, with 10 bedrooms for overnight stays. The Fort offers Sun decks, hot tub, gym, museum, lighthouse suite, pump house with fresh water pumped from 400 feet below the sea bed. Currently undergoing refurbishment, Spitbank will be available from August 2011, why not be one of the first to experience nautical nuptials in the Solent?

Plas Cilybebyll in South Wales

Sleeps 18 in the main house and 4 in the separate Bakehouse. Plas Cilybebyll comes complete with a luxurious indoor swimming pool, three acres of grounds and a hard tennis court.

The Mill, Bedfordshire

Sleeps 18 in 9 bedrooms in contemporary luxury. With a fully-stocked recreation room, underfloor heating, surround sound and set in six acres of riverside.

Morley Hall, Norfolk

Sleeps 10 in 5 bedrooms. A three storey Elizabethan moated house on its own garden island.

Beaucastle, Worcestershire

Sleeps 14 in 7 bedrooms. A fairy tale Arts & Crafts castle with views from the Tower across Worcestershire. Set in 12 acres of gardens with views of the Worcestershire countryside.

By Catherine Balavage

Lanvin and H&M present a High Street Haute Couture Show in NY {Fashion}

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The 18th Nov, Sofia Coppola, Andie MacDowell, Emma Roberts, Leelee Sobieski, Anna Sui, Tory Burch and Alexander Wang, among other guests, came out to celebrate the collaboration of the Lanvin for H&M collection and to enjoy show stopping designs by famed Lanvin artistic director, Alber Elbaz, at The Pierre hotel. The haute couture creations, which were customized pieces from the Lanvin for H&M collection, made their way down the catwalk with the help of famed models Asia Chow, Pixie Geldof, Dree Hemingway, Olga and Anna Dello Russo. Guests arrived on the red carpet, which was the landmarked Pierre Hotel façade recreated with NYC styled graffiti, and then they entered the hotel which was swathed with flowers, trees and greenery. It was a runway show that guests will not soon forget.

The long awaited Lanvin for H&M collection will be sold in around 200 stores worldwide. It will be launched November 20 in US and Canada, and on November 23 in the rest of the world. “It’s such a fantastic experience to see how creatively Alber Elbaz uses his designs to form a couture experience for our exclusive fashion show in New York. Working with this incredibly gifted designer has been like an ongoing fashion moment, and we’re thrilled to offer his masterpieces to our customers.” Margareta van den Bosch, creative advisor at H&M. Alber Elbaz, artistic director at Lanvin, has created the women’s collection with an extraordinary ambition for H&M, bringing the codes of the house to make every single piece identifiably the work of Lanvin. For women there are dresses of breathtaking cut and joyful colour, as well as pieces full of Parisian glamour and accessories with playful “joie de vivre”.

The menswear collection designed by Lucas Ossendrijver, menswear designer at Lanvin, encapsulates the label’s complete vision of how men should dress. It’s a whole new wardrobe of covetable updated classics, with tuxedos made for daywear and jogging pants adding a whole new sporting twist. Sofia Coppola said of the collection, “I think Alber

Elbaz is great, I love what he does at Lanvin, it’s so girly and playful and confident. It’s so cool he’s working with H&M, it

makes it so accessible to all kinds of young people to be able to afford it and wear it”. And Andie MacDowell said, “I think it’s genius. I’m a big fan of Lanvin. I can afford Lanvin and my daughter can afford H&M, and now my daughter’s going to have the opportunity to have a little bit more pizzazz.” Looks from the haute couture show along with five original signed sketches from Alber Elbaz went up for auction on www.lanvinforhm.com. All proceeds from the auction will be donated to UNICEF, as part of H&M’s “All for Children” project. The online auction will end on November 26th at midnight CET.

Blackberry PlayBook vs iPad on Web Fidelity {Gadgets}

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Back in September, RIM announced it was venturing into the tablet market with BlackBerry PlayBook. Matthew from RIM has made a short video demonstrating Blackberry Playbook vs the iPad when it comes to browsing the web.

On the video, Matthew quickly runs through a series of comparison tests with a PlayBook and iPad (running iOS 3.2.2), which demonstrate three things: the speed of the PlayBook Browser, its support for rich Flash content, and the performance of open web standards like HTML 5 on the PlayBook.

I Just Threw This On- Cape trend AW10-11 {Fashion}

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The word ‘Cape’ conjours up images of masked super heroes. Thankfully the underwear-over-tights look hasn’t become fashionable, the cape was spotted at fashion weeks world wide and hugging celebrities in print.

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If your arms are nice and toasty inside your cape then you may have to find a willing gentleman to carry your shopping. Wear them long and tailored instead of a traditional coat, knitted as a scarf replacement or caplets to bring your key pieces up to date…Once you get over the question of what you do with your arms there are so many options and here are just a few:

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(above left) Next Black Cape, £40. Simple, smart and a great piece if you want to try the trend subtly.

(above centre) Miss Selfridge Vintage Lace Cape, £25. Sling on over a lbd for an up to date Christmas Party option or try with something black, long and ott for the gothic lolita in you.

(above right) Next Feather Cape, £25. Get the feather trend look without going overboard and nail the cape trend all in one piece.

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(above left) Reiss ‘Candy’ Stitch detail black cape, £195. Leave people thinking “How did she do the zip up?” with this cleverly cut cape with front slits for your arms.

(above centre) Cooper & Stollbrand for Asos.com, £200. Wear it with jodhpurs and boots for an instant countryside look.

(above right) Genevieve Sibayan for Asos.com, £80. Does that name look familiar? That’s right…it’s my design (plug plug). I like their styling or wear it over a staple black coat for an instant update.

Tea, cake and friends are the key ingredients for a FestiviTea Party

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For a second year running The National Autistic Society (NAS), the UK’s leading charity for people affected by autism, are asking people to get together during the festive season and raise money for charity by throwing a FestiviTea Party.

FestiviTea Parties are a chance for friends, family and colleagues to get together during the festive period and share tea, cakes and laughs whilst raising money for the National Autistic Society. They can be held anywhere and at anytime, whether it’s at home, work or even the local community hall. You can make your FestiviTea Party as big or small as you like, and how you raise the money is also up to you. Guests can buy tickets, make a donation, or pay for the cakes and biscuits you bake!

Christmas can often be a stressful time for many families, however it is especially difficult for the half a million people affected by autism; they can often become confused and frightened by sudden changes of routine, unusual foods and new social activities. The NAS relies on donations in order to provide support and services for those affected by autism, and every penny raised really does make a difference.

Jane Asher, President of The National Autistic Society and famous for her cake baking said: “A FestiviTea Party is a great way to have fun and raise money for charity at the same time. I love baking cakes, especially at Christmas time, and if you have children it’s a great activity to get them involved in too. But don’t worry if you’re running out of time: you could always ask some friends to help out, or even pick up some ready-made supplies from the supermarket. Christmas is the perfect time to gather friends together and give something back to your community, and every penny raised from FestiviTea Parties will go towards helping the half a million people affected by autism in the UK.”

Autism is a serious, lifelong and disabling condition, but the right support at the right time can make an enormous difference to people’s lives.

All funds raised through FestiviTea parties will be used to support NAS services including Advocacy for Education service, Befriending scheme, Parent to Parent support service and help! programme.

· £20 – will mean we can provide specialist one-to-one befriending support for one person with autism or a member of their family for a month

· £50 – will mean ten more people getting the understanding and help they need through our telephone support

· £100 – will help pay for a full diagnosis of a child at our internationally respected and renowned NAS diagnostic and assessment centre

· £200 – will mean one more adult meeting others, doing things, going places and feeling less isolated for a year at a NAS social group

To find out how to organise your own FestiviTea Party, visit: www.festivitea.org.uk or order a pack by calling 0845 180 0426.