Chase PR AW12 Press Preview: Brand Watch

I went along to Chase PR’s press preview. They have some brilliant brands and I picked out some brands to watch.

Butterfly Twists. This are great fold-able shoes and boots. Perfect to have in your bag to whip out when the heels start to hurt.

Daniel Hechter – Crease proof tailored suits. A brilliant idea. A range for travellers and commuters.

Sebago shoes. Most of the brands are using the patriotic colours of red, blue and white for the Olympic/Jubilee year. Sebago have a great new range of shoes.

I love Cat footwear. They also do heels and boots now.

These glasses go dark in the sun and become sunglasses – so cool.

Storm – the only British watch brand. They do great watches and jewellery.

Energie have some great colourful jeans and Christmas type jumpers.

Gok Wan also has a new line of shapewear out.

Red or Dead have great clothes – lots of lace- and some really awesome shoes. Including some green sequined ones. I like!

Miss Sixty. A lot of clothes have a grown-up vibe. Influences from Mad Men and Pam Am. There is a definite vintage vibe. As well as coloured denim.

Patagonia

Bright, coloured waterproof coats.

Geox has a brilliant range of breathable shoes. They stop your feet getting too hot.

And of course...Paul Costelloe. A designer legend.

Boots Summer Show

Boots Summer Show on Wednesday 29 Feb 2012.

Decked with sun-loungers, sombreros and coconut shelled piña coladas, the garden conservatory at the Barbican Centre was transformed into an oasis of tranquillity for the Boots Summer show.

The giant health and beauty retailer showcased its new range of products for summer 2012 with lotions and potions for work, rest and play.

With temperatures set to sore mid year, Boots’ new range provides functional yet appealing cosmetics and travel accessories whether you’re in an emergency or simply want to add a bit of glamour to your evening.

Highlights from the tropical event include the sweet-smelling self-tanning lotion, the highly glittered nail varnishes and the gorgeous 17 bronzing powder.

But here’s a summary of what you can expect in-store and online from May/June onwards.

Make-up

With its own range of make-up (17 and No.7), Boots has had to up its offering to the already populated cosmetic counter.

This year it seems to be all about getting a sultry, shimmering glow to the face and body and the new range is guaranteed to add a sparkle to your dull cosmetics bag.

The 17 Instant Glow Bronzing Powder (£5.49 for 20g) is striking in terms of its looks; a leopard print design of multi-toned powder within an embossed palette. As well as adding warmth to the skin, the speckles of gold dust illuminate the face.

My favourite product from the summer preview was No 7 Stay Perfect glitter top coat (£8 for 9ml) which, unfortunately, is only on sale between 16 May – 10 July.

In either gold or silver, the nail varnish is perfect on its own or as the pièce de resistance on top of a bold statement colour.

Soltan Beautiful Bronze (£5.99 for 125ml) is the perfect medium for women who want to enhance their skin tone in a quick and affordable way. While promising to moisturise your skin and add a deep, rich tone instantly, this self-tan also leaves your skin smelling sweetly, unlike other tanning products. Another bonus is that you can wash it all off after you’ve dazzled and danced the night away!

Sun, Swim and Gym

This range is aimed toward both active women and those who prefer to relax on the beach and have a dip in the sea.

Our hair is exposed to UV rays, chlorine and salt and Boots has developed an intensive shampoo (£3.05 for 250ml) and conditioner (£3.59 for 200ml) that hydrates hair strands, leaving your bob sleek and shiny. It’s handy enough to pack into your gym bag or take with you on your summer holidays.

Another sure handbag favourite is Mark Hill’s Holiday Hair (£4.49 for 50ml) which adds nutrients to the scalp to stop it drying out and it’s especially good for coloured hair, preventing it from fading too quickly.

Food and Dieting

The Shapers products include a variety of not too naughty but nice snack bars and flavoured water packed with vitamins.

Under 100 calories each, the raspberry and white chocolate, and the rocky road crispie (55p for 24g) will be included in the Boots healthy meal deal options along with sandwiches for the weight-conscious. Perfect for women on the go.

Travel Medicine

I have to say, I was very excited about the Boots Pharmaceuticals Repel products for when you’re on your travels.

The bite and sting relief patches provide soothing remedy to bites and stings with its hydrogel pads, preventing you from scratching and irritating the infected area further.

But Boots hasn’t just thought about the necessary pills and pads for vacations away, it’s also come up with novel Allergy and Hayfever melt-in-the-mouth tablets (£4.99 for 14 one-a-day tablets). With millions of people suffering from Hayfever, these instant tablets should help you make the most of summer, rather than having to hide indoors once the pollen counters begin to rise.

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

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.

Republic Launches Shoe Collection {Fashion}

Highstreet retailer Republic are well known for being the one-stop-shop for brands such as Bench, Diesel and Firetrap.  But, mid-November 2010 will see the launch of their first shoe collection, from designers Miso and Crafted.

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Day time footwear comes in the form of ankle boots with studs and shearling details, biker boots and ballerina pumps.  Night time brings stilettos with bows, and pumps with jewels.

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If you can’t wait for these great shoes in store go online at republic.co.uk where you’ll get free delivery on all orders over £50 until Sunday.

 

 

Crafted Clog Boot £59.99

Miso Bow Back Shoes in Red £34.99

by Tamar Kendall