Tag Archives: Catherine Balavage

How to successfully shop the sales rail. {Fashion}

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Here at Frost we love a bargain. So we asked fashion advisers at John Lewis how to successfully shop in the sales. We hope this guide stops any post-purchase blues.

John Lewis Fashion Advisers will be tailoring their appointments throughout the end of December and January to accommodate customers who want to find gems amongst the sales rails. The expert Fashion Advice team will be on hand to share their secrets to sale shopping, helping customers find stand-out pieces which fit, flatter and function. Fashion lovers will be advised on colour palettes, staple pieces and how to get the most for their money.

Head of Fashion Advice Amanda Slader says: “The key to savvy sales shopping is planning rather than impulse buying. Sales provide customers with the opportunity to build up a staple wardrobe of basic and classic pieces, as these are always the best bargains. It is important to remember to make sensible choices, for example, choosing a timeless little black dress is a much better sale choice than a piece from last season’s trend. Size does matter when shopping the sales as customers shouldn’t have to compromise on a good fit for reduced price.”

Amanda’s ten hot tips for shopping the sales:

1. Take inventory. Before you leave the house and hit the sales, inspect your wardrobe and make sure you know what you have and what you are missing.

2. Be strategic. Make a list of what you are hoping to find in the sales and try not to get sidetracked.

3. Wear flat shoes and comfortable clothes. You are likely to be on your feet and in and out of fitting rooms all day so it’s important to be dressed accordingly.

4. Keep it classic. Aim to build a staple wardrobe. It’s important to remember that a little black dress is a future classic and a much better investment than last season’s statement trend. The sales are a great time to pick up other timeless classics such as a trench coat by Aquascutum, figure flattering day dresses by LK Bennett and a camel coat by Hobbs. Also be on the lookout for great basics such as a fitted pencil skirt and tailored jacket from Reiss, great fitting jeans or the perfect pumps.

5. Complement your existing wardrobe. Take into account the cut, colour, shape and style that suit you. Make thoughtful purchases that reflect your signature style; the sale is not an excuse to drastically change your look.

6. Try it on. If it is not a good fit then it is not a good buy. It is always worth asking if there are more sizes in the stockroom if yours isn’t available on the shop floor.

7. Be thorough. Try everything on before buying and have a look to make sure you are aware of any faults before you make your purchase. Unless you are willing to repair it yourself it is not a good investment!

8. Check the returns policy. If you don’t have time to try anything on it’s important to know if you can return or exchange the item.

9. Avoid the lunch hour. Lunchtime is shopping rush hour! To avoid stressful shopping it’s best to hit the sales before or after work and at the weekend.

10. Accessorise. The easiest way to update your wardrobe is by accessorising. Statement jewellery by Adele Marie and John Lewis Collection will make an outfit look on trend and bright bags by Ted Baker and Aspinal are good ways to breathe new life and colour into your wardrobe.

LAST MINUTE MAN. {Christmas Gift Idea}

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SELFRIDGES LAUNCHES SOS SHOPPING SERVICE FOR MEN-ONLY FOLLOWING NEWS THAT 80 PER CENT OF ITS CHRISTMAS EVE SHOPPERS ARE EXPECTED TO BE MALE

80 per cent of shoppers at Selfridges on Christmas Eve are expected to be men

He’s only had 365 days to complete it, however Selfridges, the world’s best department store reveals that for yet another year, 80 per cent of its male shoppers have left it to the final hour to purchase Christmas presents for their nearest and dearest.

Selfridges anticipates over 250,000 customers to start their festive shopping on Christmas Eve, and the majority of these to be men who rely on the expertise of sales colleagues to emerge laden with a gift selection that will bring tears of joy (instead of just tears), on Christmas morning.

With this in mind, Selfridges is to introduce a special 30 minute SOS shopping service for those men who are clueless to the art of Christmas present buying. Starting Saturday 18th December, and running until stores close at 5.30pm on Christmas Eve, Selfridges’ Gift Gurus will offer male customers an express 30-minute no fuss service – guaranteed to cater for all their last minute panic Christmas gifts.

The Gift Guru Express service will be available in all Selfridges’ stores nationwide. Customers are asked to go to Selfridges’ information desk, where the closest Gift Guru will be contacted via a radio-link and the 30 minutes starts from then. The service, which was trialled last weekend, was inundated with men wanting to take advantage of wrapping up their Christmas in one swift 30 minute session.

According to scientists, the reason behind men’s last minute panic Christmas shopping, compared to female’s more considered approach, is down to a woman’s love of spending hours browsing in shops while men prefer to be in and out in minutes, reflecting their primitive past when women foraged whilst men hunted and gathered.

Selfridges’ Gift Guru, Ena O’Neill said: “Last minute man does his desperate shopping in the final hours of Christmas Eve. He comes in and asks to be shown the most expensive fragrance and just goes with that. The trick to productive gift buying, even for those who have left it to the final hour is to prepare a list. Don’t be afraid of asking questions, to find out what people actually want, what size they are, and any dislikes. I am always amazed at how many men are petrified of shopping. Last weekend we had many grab-and-run male shoppers who admitted disliking the gift buying experience, but left the store with a a huge smile after their 30 minute, hassle free shopping session.”

Anne Pitcher, Buying & Merchandising Director at Selfridges said; “For some men, shopping at this time of the year can be quite a stressful and daunting experience, especially for those not accustomed to gift buying. Our Gift Guru Express service is targeted at these men specifically, and provides them with a productive and effective service, all keeping within the festive spirit”

Selfridges’ Top Ten Gift Guru Express Gifts (jewellery):

1. Chanel J12 watch in blue from £2,750
2. Boucheron Four Gold Ring, £2,160 without diamonds, £4,390 with diamonds
3. Theo Fennell Skull Ring in silver, from £250
4. Missoni Toy Watch £385
5. Natalia Brilli gold watch bracelet £205
6. Lanvin glass pompom necklace £1,115
7. Yves Saint Lauren arty cuff £595
8. Georg Jenson fusion white gold ear studs £895
9. Hermes Enamel bracelet £375
10. Tiffany Praseolite cocktail ring £635

Selfridges’ Top Ten Gift Guru Express Gifts (beauty):

1. Bare Escentuals make up box £500
2. Benefit Dolls House £400
3. Chanel No 5 soap box set £30
4. Nars Kabuki Box Bowls £95
5. Lancome Exclusive Juicy Tube gift set, £30
6. Bobbi Brown Deluxe Beauty Trunk £350
7. Jo Malone Pomegranate Noir Collection £259
8. Vivienne Westwood Naughty Alice 50ml gift set, £50
9. Supersized Chanel No. 5 £800-£3,000
10. Creme de La Mer Globetrotter £950

The Art of No-Expense Gift Giving { Christmas gift ideas }

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This year the average holiday shopper plans to spend £441.99 on holiday-related expenses, with £332.77 for gifts alone, according to the National Retail Federation’s 2010 Holiday Consumer Intentions and Action Survey. Whether your budget for the holidays is higher, lower, or right in line with the national averages, you should always try to stay within the limit you set for yourself. If you find you’ve maxed out this year’s gift budget, yet still have people left to check off your gift list, the art of no-expense gifting may be your best option.

Money Management International (MMI) offers insight into the art of no-expense gifting with three ideas that won’t put you over your holiday budget.

Give free printable gift certificates. Great gifts don’t have to cost a lot of money. Free printable holiday gift certificates allow you to offer an experience or an act of service while still giving the recipient a wrapped gift. Free printable gift certificates are actually great to give all year long.

Give homemade treats. Give your loved ones a heartwarming treat from the oven. Bake homemade sweet bread, gingerbread cookies, or mini raspberry cupcakes. Deliver the treats in festive containers. Your family and friends will be pleasantly surprised with the edible delights. For recipe ideas download the free Cheap Eats eBook.

Give a regift. A regift is a gift you’ve received that you pass along to someone else. While there are some cringe-worthy regifting tales, there are also some heartwarming regifting stories. Visit Regiftable.com for ideas and stories that will help you select an appropriate regift that the recipient will appreciate.

While some might argue that no-expense gift gifting is cheap, Cate Williams, Vice President of Financial Literacy at MMI, disagrees. “No-expense gifting is really about giving a gift the recipient will value and appreciate,” Williams added. “While not spending money on a gift is frugal, the thought and consideration the gift-giver puts into giving a gift the recipient will appreciate keeps the gift from being cheap.”

www.MoneyManagement.org

The Modern Girl’s Guide to Fabulousness by Bethanie Lunn {Book Review}

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Last week the two editors of Frost Magazine found themselves sat in a book club in the lounge of the Radisson Edwardian Bloomsbury Street Hotel. Part of their book club initiative, we lounged in the sumptuous surroundings, warmed up with coffees served with mini cheesecake bites (always a winner) and talked to first time author Bethanie Lunn about her book ‘The Modern Girl’s Guide to Fabulousness’.


Described as “an A-Z guide on fun things to do, exciting places to go, what to wear, where to dine, shop and beautify”, Bethanie has tried and tested everything in the 253 page guide which covers all things fabulous across the country. She’s covered everything from the best cocktails, the most exotic hotels and secret boutiques to llama trekking. There’s hints and tips on every subject imaginable and even a tip on something you never thought you’d want to do with half an orange. An incredibly thorough and unique book covering everything you never thought you would want to know in witty detail.
Order The Modern Girl’s Guide to Fabulousness by Bethanie Lunn on Amazon UK

Young People In Politics: Ben Mallet Interview.

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It takes a lot for me to be impressed by people, Ben Mallet scores on this point. He is smart, passionate and obscenely young ( Still in his teens!). Ben is one of life’s doers, and, I am almost certain, will one day be Prime Minister. Keep an eye on him.

Why did you go into politics and why conservative?

I got involved with the Conservative party from quite a young age, not because I was a political anorak (I would hope), but because I’ve always thought its really important for young people to take an interest in decisions being made by governments, that are going to affect people of my age, later on.

How do you think we get more people involved in politics?

I think the key to involving young people in politics, is acknowledging that the majority of young people are already interested in politics, just not the politics that we see on BBC Parliament.

If you were to ask one of my friends, “What do you think of the Coalition government?” then I would happily bet that they’re eyes would glaze over and they would have lost interest before you’d even finished the question. Where as, if you were to ask “What do you think of the Coalition government’s policy to increase tuition fees?” then you would get a completely different reaction- probably one involving a pretty lively response.

To give another example, I was at a Kingston council meeting last week and the Lib Dems decided that they were going to launch a motion stating their opposition to the rise in Tuition fees. The audience was mostly made up of local teenagers coming to hear the debate and three even got up to speak!

It’s all about making politics RELEVANT to young people.

Tell me about setting up the Richmond park CF
Richmond Park Conservative Future is a real success story, although not just my own. So many people worked to make RPCF what it is today- not least Zac Goldsmith.

Our underlying principle, as I’ve just stated, is making politics relevant to young people. As a result, we held Summer & Christmas parties, inviting loads of local teenagers to come and quiz Zac on what he stands for, as well as enjoying themselves. Combined, over 350 people came to these events. We’ve also held discussions with local politicians and events at the local universities.

We also teamed up with a local autism charity to hold a sponsored Fun-Run in Richmond Park, raising hundred’s of pounds for a really great local organisation.

How did you get involved with Zac Goldsmith

I first met Zac when I volunteered to work in the local association office- he had just been selected as the parliamentary candidate and was looking to really launch his campaign locally.
I got involved because Zac wanted lots of young people to get involved- and so the ball began to roll.

You got new 180 members at The Kingston Fresher’s Fayre. How does that feel?

I feel very humbled by it. It was a total team effort and there was a lot of effort involved. The explosion of young people’s engagement in local politics we witnessed wouldn’t have happened if it hadn’t been for the energy displayed by Zac or the campaign team. I am honoured, however, to have acted as a catalyst.

Why do you think there is a stigma to being a Tory?

This is a question that a lot of people ask me- the truth is that the Conservative party has always had some “Marmite” tendencies- you either love them or you hate them. As a result there are some areas of the country and some groups of people who will always hate the Tories- for what they did decades ago that haven’t yet been forgiven.

The flip side of the coin is that there are some areas of the country and some groups of people who love the Tories.
The Conservative party is one of the oldest political parties in the world and so it’s history ultimately plays a big part in the party’s perception today.

Why are you a Tory?
I think its all about trust. When you strip off all the political party slogans, logos, PR machines and spin doctors, it all comes down to how each party treats people.

The Labour party doesn’t trust anyone. It doesn’t trust me to not be a racist or a nutter, so it imposes ridiculous political-correctness and health and safety laws. It doesn’t trust doctors, teachers or even the police to do their job, so it imposes layers of bureaucracy, targets and by-laws. It doesn’t trust my community to make decisions themselves so leaves the power with bureaucrats in Whitehall and doesn’t trust businesses to work effectively, so imposes heavy regulations and red-tape. And to fund all this centralization, they have to ask for huge amounts of tax on everything from Income to Bingo.

I believe that the Conservative party does trust people. Michael Gove’s plan to allow parents, communities or organisations to set up their own schools is one example of this. Another example is Andrew Lansley’s plans to give more power to doctors, or Eric Pickle’s policy to radically decentralize power to local councils. The Prime Minister’s Big Society is all about trust.

Thank you Ben.

Nathan Love and Barry Sonnenfeld give Esquire a Very Digital Christmas.

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Nathan Love Delivers “A Very Digital Xmas” Animation and Illustrations for Esquire Magazine and Director/Contributing Editor Barry Sonnenfeld

NEW YORK — Award-winning animation studio Nathan Love (www.NathanLove.com) is delighted to share news of its recent contributions to the December issue of Esquire, the leading men’s lifestyle magazine, for its holiday gift guide feature presented by contributing editor and world renowned filmmaker Barry Sonnenfeld.

“The guys at Nathan Love took on a project that I thought would be impossible to pull off and turned it into a great experience,” said Darhil Crooks, Esquire’s art director. “Their enthusiasm about every aspect of the ‘Xmas with Barry’ showed through in the final product. They were able to take something that Esquire has been doing for years to another level.”

“2010 has been a breakthrough year for our studio, and this project is another example of our expansion across all media,” began Joe Burrascano, Nathan Love’s executive creative director. “After starting out four years ago as a pure 3D character animation studio, we’ve now grown into a true, full-service production company. More and more agencies and brands are coming to us to handle high-profile projects that include live-action, animation, and/or VFX, and our audio division has been booked all year.”

“Producing this holiday animation for Esquire allowed us to explore more of the world of traditional 2D animation and illustration for print,” added Mike Harry, Nathan Love’s executive producer. “Collaborating with Esquire’s art director Darhil Crooks was a great experience, and working with filmmaker Barry Sonnenfeld was both an honor and a lot of fun. We hope our enthusiasm comes through in the feature, and invite everyone to please stay tuned-in as our adventures continue.”

For this project, Burrascano served as creative director, working alongside Mike Harry, animation director Robin Steele, designers Sigmund Lambrento and Jessica Namnum, animator Stieg Retlin and music composer and sound designer Drew Skinner. The challenges presented by Crooks and Sonnenfeld called for Nathan Love’s crew to deliver a full-page print layout introducing the feature story, as well as three more partial-page layouts, miscellaneous illustrated images of the famous director and his dog Lucky, numerous props and items related to the story’s content, and a :70 animated film showing Sonnenfeld and Lucky putting the featured holiday gifts to use.

The film was also finished and optimized for mobile delivery, to take full advantage of Esquire’s international cross-platform distribution, which includes print, online and mobile editions, as well as its new iPad App launched in October.

“This was our first time working with Robin Steele,” Harry explained, “and his experience working as a Disney animator taught us all a lot about traditional animation. Robin and Joe both have a great sense of comedic timing, and they had a great time collaborating together. They set up the gags to unfold in one, static scene, and let the madness ensue.”

Key artistic tools for the artists at Nathan Love included original illustrations and Adobe Creative Suite, and for the animated content, Adobe After Effects.

Please visit www.esquire.com to check out “A Very Digital Xmas” and the December issue of Esquire.

About Nathan Love
Break out the crayons and beer, because Nathan Love is ready to play! This world-class animation studio is known for creating memorable characters, detailed worlds and engaging narratives, making it a party and inviting your whole crew. Driven by a passion for storytelling, their creative, technical and production capabilities are constantly evolving. Equally at home creating sensational 2D and 3D animation, the studio’s talents span all aspects of project creation and production. They are creators of commercial campaigns, original films, super-fun web content, video game projects, merchandise and more. Besides their extraordinary craftsmanship Nathan Love is also fun and inviting to work with, enjoying daily collaborations with leading creatives, live-action and CGI directors, sound designers, composers, web developers and other artists. So next time you’re dreaming-up a project, drop your briefcase and join the fun at www.NathanLove.com.

About Esquire
Esquire (www.esquire.com), published by Hearst Magazines, was the winner of the 2010 National Magazine Award for “Profile Writing.” It is the most-honored monthly magazine in America with a total of 14 awards over the past 13 years. In addition to its U.S. flagship, Esquire publishes 22 editions around the world.

DEATH RACE 2 ON DVD {Film}

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Get ready for the drive of your life when Death Race 2 comes to DVD and Blu-ray on 27th December 2010 from Universal Pictures International Entertainment. Death Race 2 is a must-see adrenaline pumping, car crunching, action packed prequel to Death Race (2008), starring Luke Goss (Tekken, Hell Boy II: The Golden Army), Sean Bean (Lord of the Rings, Red Riding) and Ving Rhames (Mission Impossible Trilogy, Piranha 3D).

In the not too distant future, the United States economy is in decline and violent crime is spiralling out of control. In an attempt to regain power over the growing criminal population, a vast network of for-profit, private prisons has opened up. But rather than solving society’s problems they have created a lawless subculture run by gangs, killers and sociopaths.

On his arrival at Terminal Island Prison, convicted cop-killer Carl Lucas (Goss) finds himself thrown into the spotlight as a ruthlessly ambitious television personality, September Jones (Lauren Cohen; Van Wilder 2: The Rise of Taj, Supernatural), launches the ultimate reality show, Death Race, with him as her star driver. The brutal prison yard demolition derby pits the already violent and uncontrollable prisoners against each other in heavily reinforced and seriously dangerous armed vehicles. The prize is freedom; but will anyone survive to enjoy it?!

With the stakes so high the prisoners will do anything they can to win, and as a series of death-defying races take their toll on Lucas, his transformation into notorious Death Race driver, Frankenstein, begins. As the brutality of the race increases, Lucas is left so horribly disfigured by the violence he begins to wear a terrifying iron mask to hide his scars and a legend is born.

Death Race 2 is all action from start to finish with terrifying races and fights to the bitter end in state of the art high-definition on Blu-ray.

DVD and Blu-ray Special Features

· Feature commentary

· Deleted scenes

· Deleted shots montage with optional introduction with director Roel Reine

· The Race Begins: The Evolution of the Death Race

· Cheating Death: The Stunts of Death Race 2

· Fast Cars and Firearms: The Cars of Death Race 2

Send Love and Laughter on the Move this Christmas. {Technology}

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Send Love and Laughter on the Move with New Me to You and Violent Veg E-Card Sender Apps

Sending a text message or email to say Merry Christmas or Happy Birthday is a nice enough way to show someone you’re thinking of them, but lets face it – it’s not very exciting. Revolutionise your message sending while you’re on the move with the launch of the Me to You and Violent Veg iPhone e-card sender apps, which allow you to instantly send a card via email and add your own personal touch.

The new Me to You and Violent Veg iPhone apps are available to download from the App Store today (10th December) and 20th December respectively, with birthday, Christmas and New Year messages to kick start your card sending frenzy. All you need to do is go to your App Store app, search ‘Me to You’ or ‘Violent Veg’, and click to download. Each app is £1.79 and contains 10 cards that you can send as many times and to as many people as you like. You can even download a LITE version to trial the app for free.

To show that special someone how much you care pick one of the beautifully illustrated e-cards from the Me to You birthday, New Year or Christmas apps. As well as being able to send e-cards, you can also watch the Tatty Teddy story, view your sent e-cards and buy new e-cards from the app.

If you want to keep them laughing all the way, send a personalised card from the Violent Veg birthday, Christmas or New Year app. You can share the hilarious vegetable-based humour gags in an instant plus find out more about the Violent Veg characters and even view a video of how the Violent Veg gags are created.

Both apps are the perfect way for letting family and friends abroad that you’re thinking of them if you have missed the postal deadline. Send a personalised e-card from any of the apps and across the other side of the world your nearest and dearest will instantly receive your message of love or laughter.

Further iPhone apps will be launched in 2011. More for more information on Me to You and Violent Veg visit www.metoyou.com and www.violentveg.com