Tag Archives: Frost Magazine

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.

Frost Interviews: Jason Croot.

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1) How did you get into making films?

I guess it started 10 years ago I made a experimental short film then made a few more and then progressed into professional features

2) What is your background?
I started acting 10 years ago before that I have around 30 jobs I never could settle in one but I guess I use a lot of life experience in my films and acting

3) How did you get your first film off the ground?

Le Fear was a real world wind 3 weeks after coming up with the idea the film was in the can, it was a great experience and really made my love for film making grow much stronger, we were stuck in post production for a while then the film was picked up for distribution I’m awaiting the release date which will be great

4) You act, write and direct, which one is your favourite?
I really can’t pick between acting and directing, I would say acting is like my first love and will never end, film making was my bit on the side during the acting years but now has become my full time love affair

5) You will be making Le Fear, Le Sequel soon. What was the idea behind the film? I was walking to the supermarket one day and had this idea to make a film about a film, using my experiences as an actor I was on one film shoot and the sound guy was texting during a take, I put a lot of misfits together and it worked out well, Le Sequel is the follow up to the first film this time I’ve had longer to plan and develop the storyline

6) What are you up to at the moment?
I’m in the middle of co directing my fourth feature film Meeting Place the film is based in a restaurant and follows conversations of 80 different actors some of which play 2 characters it’s been a good shoot

7) Who are your favourite actors/directors?
I have so many but to narrow down some, Steve McQueen, Max Von Sydow, Peter Sellers, early De Niro,Pacino & Brando, Jean-Pierre Léaud, Gérard Depardieu and the wonderful Roberto Benigni, directors Olivier Assayas, Jim jarmusch, Ingmar Bergman, Martin Scorsese & Quentin Tarantino

8) What advice to you have to people who want to get into film?
I guess never give in no matter what and don’t rely on anyone but yourself

9) What is your favourite thing about the film industry?
Being on set as an actor or director and working it

10) And the least?
Recalls just bloody cast me ;]

Thank you for taking the time to read this find out more on me on IMDB http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2907429/

Downton Abbey, Scorsese's Broadwalk Empire Compete For Emmy Awards.

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Downton Abbey, Mad Men and Broadwalk Empire are all competing for Emmy Awards tonight. The Emmy Awards are the TV equivalent of the Oscars.

Mad Men have been nominated for outstanding drama series, for the fourth year in a row. Jon Hamm is also nominated for outstanding dramatic actor and co-star Elisabeth Moss has been nominated for best dramatic actress, Christina Hendricks and John Slattery are up for the best supporting actor/actress awards.

Kate Winslet and Hugh Laurie are keeping the British side up, Winslet is up for best actress in a mini-series for her role in Mildred Pierce, while the show itself is also competing for the mini-series award.

And Laurie is up against Jon Hamm in the outstanding actor category for his role as grumpy surgeon Dr Gregory House in the acclaimed drama House.

Downton Abbey – which returns to ITV tonight for a second series – is up for the best mini-series category, while Maggie Smith is nominated for her role as the Countess of Grantham. I have filmed a lot for Downtown Abbey, as a downstairs maid, so I am rooting for the cast and crew, who are all lovely.

And British actresses Eileen Atkins and Jean Marsh both received nominations for their roles in the BBC remake of Upstairs Downstairs.

Other shows with nominations are Glee – nominated in a few categories including best comedy – the medieval drama Game Of Thrones, serial killer drama Dexter and the US remake of The Office.
Martin Scorsese’s Boardwalk Empire is also tipped to win big at the awards.

The prohibition era drama is up against Mad Men in the best drama category, while Steve Buscemi is nominated in the same category as Jon Hamm, for the best actor trophy.

The awards, which will take place in Los Angeles on Sunday night, will be hosted by Glee actress Jane Lynch.

London Fashion Week 2011| Bolshie | Esprit | Paul Costello | Leutton Postle

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London Fashion Week 2011| Bolshie |Esprit |Paul Costello | Leutton Postle

I love London Fashion Week, so when my postman handed me a parcel which had lots of invites in an Outnet bag I got very excited. I headed to Somerset house wearing black (standard), flats (controversial) and my camera (which breaks!). Here is my run down so far.

Bolshie

 

Rhiannon Jones presents her first LFW show and gets Bolshie. The 19-year-old couldn’t be cooler, her show was on the top floor of a Shoreditch car park.

 

Rhiannon is self-taught and her ‘Romantic Poverty’, show featured brash prints and had MIC Righteous rapping ‘It’s going get Nasty!’. She also had good goody bags, not that journalists care about that type of thing…ahem.

Paul Costello

 

Paul officially opened Fashion Week again this year, his collection was feminine, flirty. Had lots of ruffles, puff sleeves, voluminous dresses and flowing fabrics. Great colours of coral, pink and green. The collection was inspired by the 1962 Hollywood Classic ‘What Ever Happened to Baby Jane’

Leutton Postle

I arrived early to the Freemasons’ Hall (Vauxhall Fashion Scout’s) and was informed that they were running an hour late. However, the show was worth it. The Vauxhall Fashion Scout merit award is an internationally recognised launch pad for the most innovative designers, and Leutton Postle received, and deserved it. They graduated from Central Saint Martins, design duo Sam Leutton and Jenny Postle then showcased their debut collection as part of the VFS merit award. They have a beautiful couture knitwear collection.

The collection is a colourful array of patterns, with patchwork, fringing, mesh skirts, and multicoloured knitwear. Garments hung loosely over shoulders. Very original.

RCA & Esprit

 

I was overjoyed when I got my bright pink Esprit invite, and even more overjoyed when I arrived, it was the best London Fashion event so far this week. I had a spinach and beetroot cocktail (surprisingly nice), a Russian Standard (very strong!), design my own T-shirt and got the designer Kevin Lyons to sign it. The bonus is, Lyon’s likes my T-shirt. I also coloured it in, have a boogie, eat amazing canapés and check out their collection. Everyone is nice and having fun. Tops stars. They are big on wool and their collection is fun, fashionable and original. Frost loves.

 

I also went to the Esthetica Fashion Champagne Brunch, BFC Chairman Harold Tillman CBE and Gregory Barker, Minister of State Department for Energy and Climate Change were there. It was a wonderful event.

Keep coming to Frost for more London Fashion Week news and reviews, and follow us on Twitter at @Frostmag or me at @Balavage

Men Are Dirtier Than Women

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BATHS HAVE GONE DOWN THE PLUGHOLE

AND THE AVERAGE BRIT DOESN’T SHOWER DAILY

 

§       Men are the dirtier sex, but only just

§       Geordies are the cleanest, showering everyday

§       Welsh are the dirtiest with 10% showering just once a week

§       The traditional bar of soap has been replaced by a shower gel

§       One in 20 take a smartphone/ ipad in the bath with them

 

THE NATION’S love affair with a long hot soak in the bath has dwindled as the average Brit (28%) bathes just six times a year.

 

Shockingly, one in five of us have a bath just once a year.

 

And while showers are by far the most popular method of cleansing, even then we’re not squeaky clean, with the majority (52%) admitting they don’t take a daily shower, according to new national study* of the UK’s washing habits.

 

The survey of 3,000 men and women by adventurous shower and bathing brand Original Source revealed that the average Brit (30%) prefers to shower every other day, while 22% confess to showering up to three times a week.

 

When we do finally jump in the shower, we’re out just as quickly as we got in, spending a maximum of five minutes washing away the day’s dirt.

 

It may or may not come as a surprise that it’s the nation’s men who are the dirtiest with a massive 84% of those polled admitting men leave a lot to be desired when it comes to personal hygiene.

 

One in four women say they wished their partners washed more regularly and 10% of those have no qualms in telling them.

 

Meanwhile, 20% of men say their partners could also do with washing more often and 10% feel their female counterparts are more relaxed than them when it comes to personal hygiene.

When it comes to bathing, it seems our lack of time (33%) and worries over water and electricity/ gas bills (24%) are the main reasons for not taking baths regularly, while one in four see the bath as a luxury to be enjoyed as a treat.

 

28% of us go all out when it comes to taking a bath, splashing out on bubble bath, candles and music. 39% of us see the bath as the perfect place to unwind with a good book.

 

Worryingly, one in 20 of us even take our smartphones or ipads in the bath with us to keep updated with work and social networking, proving that clearly we’re a nation that never fully switches off.

 

And while we may not bathe as often as we like, 69% of Brits say there’s definitely still a place for a bath in the home and wouldn’t consider buying somewhere that didn’t have one.

 

When it comes to cleaning ourselves, it would appear that the days of a traditional bar of soap are long gone with just 18% choosing this form of cleanser. The rest prefer to lather up with a shower gel or cream.

 

Original Source senior brand manager, Annie Anstey, said: “It was quite a shock to discover that most Brits don’t shower every day – even the women. And it’s a shame to hear we can no longer afford ourselves the time to take a bath. A long hot soak is one of the easiest and most cost effective ways to relax, which should help to ease away the worries of the day.

 

“We are now a nation of shower enthusiasts however, and the main reason is that taking a shower is so much quicker, more efficient and more economical in terms of how much water we use and how much it costs to heat that water. But we’d like to remind people to leave their smartphones and gadgets at the bathroom door… they definitely don’t benefit from a good soak!”

 

 

 

 

Sarah Harding Turns Red For London Fashion Week Debut.

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CELEBRITIES INCLUDING KELIS, ALESHA DIXON AND KIMBERLEY WYATT TURN OUT TO SUPPORT SARAH HARDING AS SHE TAKES TO THE CATWALK FOR THE LOOK SHOW AND CAUSES SALES FLURRY

AT WESTFIELD STRATFORD CITY!

Stunning Sarah Harding showed off her new catwalk skills with her debut modelling performance at the Look Magazine Show at Westfield Stratford City as part of London Fashion Week.

 

Sarah stole the show, showcasing a selection of outfits by Warehouse and Miss Selfridge whilst the gorgeous Dionne Bromfield gave a stunning performance of ‘Yeah Right’. Both performances were watched by a celebrity crowd including Kelis, Kimberley Wyatt, Laura Whitmore, Nicola Stapleton, Parade and Alesha Dixon.

 

The ‘Sarah Harding’ effect worked with crowds flocking as word got out about Sarah’s appearance with the doors to the centre actually having to be closed at one point for fear of overcrowding.

 

Look, the UK’s biggest-selling weekly fashion magazine, staged its groundbreaking fashion show during London Fashion Week. The show celebrates high street fashion and unites the most popular and iconic brands on Britain’s high street today.

 

The Look Magazine Show is the first and only magazine event to be part of the London Fashion Week calendar and the only fashion show open to consumers. This season’s exciting show was also streamed live on Facebook, allowing even more consumers to be a part of the excitement.

High street brands showcasing their latest collections included Miss Selfridge, Urban Outfitters, Next, Monsoon, Forever 21, New Look, River Island, Warehouse, Office, H&M, Mango, Oasis and Dorothy Perkins with hair styled by Toni & Guy.

 

Look Magazine’s presence in Westfield Stratford City will last into early next week with their pop up lounge situated on the ground floor. Bloggers are invited to visit the lounge and be part of the Q&A sessions hosted by well known bloggers and journalists taking place over the period.

 

The event also celebrated the launch of Look’s Style Search with Westfield Stratford City competition, a six-week search for the most stylish male and female visiting the new shopping and entertainment centre. Galleries of the most stylish shoppers will feature on www.look.co.uk.

 


Westfield Stratford City opened to great reviews this week with approximately **** people visiting the impressive shopping centre in the first 5 days of trading. With over *** retailers and 70 food outlets, it offers the ultimate shopping experience.

 

Ali Hall, Editor of Look, says: “The Look Show has become an established part of London Fashion Week and readers absolutely love it. This season’s event at Westfield Stratford City has been bigger and better than ever and its really great that Sarah Harding chose the show to make her debut catwalk appearance.”

 

This Month’s Magazines, September Part 2: Sarah Jessica Parker Takes Red, Instyle Turns 10.

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This Month’s Magazines, September Part 2: Sarah Jessica Parker Takes Red, Instyle Turns 10.

Keira Knightley is on the cover of Marie Claire looking gorgeous. She tells Marie Claire that ‘Jealousy is the only emotion that has no positive side to it’ and tells of her tomboy ways by saying; ‘I didn’t wear skirts until I was 14. I hated them’.

There is a lot of Autumn clothing and shoes, a fashionista dream. Natalia Vodianova gives her style list, Robert Cavalli tells the secrets of relaunching his fashion label, 18 beauty secrets supermodels swear by, Catwalk beauty section, Is your body better than you think? A good article that shows women are usually in better shape than they think they are, The history of the vibrator, Faces of addicted women, how drugs destroys looks.

Love at first site or slow burn?, Amy Winehouse remembered, How a good ‘To Do’ list can change your life, Article on teaching women how to be good mothers, Tom Hardy interview, Mentors, Jordan AKA Katie Price interview, little white lies; are they okay?, Surviving domestic abuse, Annie Lennox, Hollywood stylists, Jessica Chastain, Anna Faris, Eva Green, Adele Parks, Scarlett Johanson tells her beauty rules, 24 hours to better skin, Staying in with Alex James, Diary of an emotional eater, Breast cancer awareness month.

It is Instyle’s 10th Anniversary and Diane Kruger is on the cover. It is a beautiful cover, with Diane in gold. Diane is interviewed inside. Diane on her style: “I don’t have my own stylist. And I like to be a little different – in LA, everyone wears the same dresses. I think my background as a model helps, because I like experimenting and I’m not afraid of fashion or what other people think of me. What you wear is one of the only things about yourself you can manipulate.”

There are a lot of wonderful articles about the history of Instyle, comments from Instyle cover girls, 10 years of style crushes, when we were 10, What I have learnt about style, party people, are you too old for your moisturiser, The easy way to perfect skin, Emma Watson on beauty, top ten celebrity homes, Eliza Doolittle.

The New Power List, 100 people to watch and all under 25. Diana Vickers talks style, 15 minutes Viktor & Rolf, Georgina Chapman’s Top 10 party list, Blake Lively is Instyle’s beauty crush,

There is a High Street Style special; guest edited by Daisy Lowe, Gemma Atterton is interviewed and talks about being okay with being a size 10, she says: “I don’t have to be skinny”, Jessica Szohr interview.

Sarah Jessica Parker takes the cover of Red. She is interviewed inside and tells Red that ‘I don’t read anything about me. I’ve never googled myself. I don’t have the constitution for it”.

There is a very good article on Tamara Mellon, and she shows her wardrobe, prepare for wardrobe envy. She is on the Red fashion power list alongside Natalie Massenet amongst others.

Two writers debate whether or not it’s good to settle, Isabel Ashdown talks about her fathers alcoholism, The women behind the Outnet talks to Red, the rise of the middle class drug addictions, What I’D save in a fire, Does career plus kids mean compromise?, The denim detox, How making little differences can change your life, What I see when I look in the mirror (Includes Jane Fallon, a brilliant author), KT Tunstall tells of the soundtrack to her life, Joan Collins interview; she announces she has never had plastic surgery, How to make peace with your hair, Pie recipes, The baby recession: Red’s annual fertility survey, cooking with apples. What is your fertility sell-by date?, An end to eye bags, Boot camp for the soul, Eva Green’s best things in life.

PART ONE IS HERE

Christina Hendricks at "I Don't Know How She Does It" Premiere, Girl Crush alert!

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In the Frost office our girl crush radar went off the charts at the site of the refreshingly voluptuous Christina Hendricks at the premiere of “I Don’t Know How She Does It” in Vivienne Westwood. We only have one word: WOW!

Christina Hendricks wears Vivienne Westwood Couture at the “I Don’t Know How She Does It” premiere in New York

13th September 2011. American actress Christina Hendricks attended the “I Don’t Know How She Does It” premiere in New York last night. Christina chose to wear a salmon silk satin Cocotte dress from the Vivienne Westwood Couture collection.