Diet Coke throws fashion party of the year for 30th Birthday

– Sparkling celeb-studded bash celebrates iconic brand and new Diet Coke hunk –

Last night saw the fashion fabulous crowd of Diet Coke fans gather at London’s Sketch to celebrate the brand’s 30th birthday. Guests including Pixie and Peaches Geldof, Pearl Lowe and Danny Goffey, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Laura Whitmore, Zoe Hardman, Jamelia, Ben Grimes, Jade Parfitt and the Made In Chelsea cast enjoyed a sparkling night that looked back at the brand’s dazzling 30-year history and also saw the unveiling of a new Diet Coke hunk.

The biggest surprise of the night saw pulses race when Andrew Cooper, the new Diet Coke hunk entered the room to the famous Etta James “I Just Want To Make Love To You” soundtrack. Back, and sexier than ever, the new hunk ad is set to become one of the most talked about campaigns, and men of the year.

Event host, Hilary Alexander treated guests to a journey across Diet Coke’s 30 years, talking through the exciting campaigns and collaborations that have helped the brand become a cultural icon. She also officially opened a specially curated three decades themed exhibition, which allowed guests to view some of the most exciting moments from the brand including celeb-led campaigns ‘Just for the Elle of it’ (1987), Whitney Houston’s Diet Coke advertising campaign (1988), Paula Abdul’s ‘There’s just one’ (1992), the first hunk Lucky Vanous’ test shots (1994) and Heidi Klum’s Oscar dress from the Diet Coke Heart Truth campaign (2009).

Quirky designer and stylist Patricia Field was there and showcased her limited edition range of ‘Diet Coke City Collection’ bottles. These follow in the line of previous campaigns such as Moschino, Karl Largerfeld, Jean Paul Gaultier and Diane Von Furstenberg, firmly cementing the brand as the ultimate fashionista accessory.

Music for the night saw style superblogger Bip Ling hit the decks, combining the ultimate party track favourites from the past three decades in a mega mix specially created for Diet Coke. VIP’s including Lilah Parsons, Jack Derges, Phil Clifton and Wretch 32, also enjoyed three-decade themed cocktails entitled ‘80’s Just For The Taste Of It’, ‘90’s Diet Coke Break’ and ‘00’s Love It Light’ all made using Diet Coke as well as decadent canapés.

Josephine de la Baume and Xiao Wen Ju Wearing Kenzo

Josephine de la Baume and Xiao Wen Ju Wearing Kenzo | 2013 Sidaction Gala Dinner

Stylish girl and other half to Mark Ronson, Josephine de la Baume wears Kenzo to the 2013 Sidaction Gala Dinner.

She is wearing Kenzo’s Pre-fall 2013 Raindrops Structured Boatneck Wool Jacquard Cocktail Dress.

The Best Television Shows On Right Now

We live in a golden age of television. Film and Television used to be completely separate, but now Martin Scorsese is producing Boardwalk Empire and movie stars frequent TV. The quality just keeps getting higher. Frost did a survey of our readers for the top television shows on right now, and here they are.

Breaking Bad

Breaking Bad is crack in television form, and aptly so as it is about a chemistry teacher who starts to sell meth after being diagnosed with lung cancer. It is by far one of the best things on television. I have never met someone who had a bad word to say about it.

Homeland

Like most people I was addicted to Homeland and I am already excited about the new series. Homelands big advantage is the chemistry between the characters. Brody, played by Damien Lewis, was supposed to be killed off in the first season but the chemistry between Lewis and Claire Danes’s Carrie was too good and he was kept on.

The Good Wife

One of the finest legal dramas. Julianna Margulies is brilliant as Alicia Florrick. The Good Wife is now in it’s fourth season and still going strong.

Game of Thrones

Game of Thrones is exciting and original. It is also not scared to kill of it’s lead characters. It is brilliant television and I am not just saying that because some of my friends are in it.

Boardwalk Empire

Boardwalk Empire is set in Atlantic City, New Jersey during the Prohibition era. It stars Steve Buscemi as Nucky Thompson and Kelly MacDonald as Margaret Schroeder. It is produced by Martin Scorsese and you can tell. Every scene is beautiful and the costumes are great. Has a great mixture of real and fake characters.

Dexter

The show about a serial killer who only kills other serial killers is genius. The next season will be the eighth and possibly last. All of the characters are amazing. Michael C Hall as Dexter is brilliant, and real life ex-wife Jennifer Carpenter plays his sister, Debbie. Who is possibly one of my favourite characters on television.


Covert Affair

Season Three of Covert Affairs was my favourite yet. Piper Perabo plays the CIA operative who falls in love easily. Season three had you on the edge of your seat. A show that has come into it’s own.

Revenge

Trashy TV at it’s best. It is like Dallas, but with a grudge.

Whitney

Hilarious comedy from comedian Whitney Cummings. It may not be well known in the United Kingdom but it deserves a wide audience for its cracking scripts that leave you laughing so much it hurts.

The Killing

I have to admit I have not seen this yet but promised to put it in as everyone else I know loves it, and is jealous that I have never seen it and have it to look forward to.

Suits

Brilliant legal drama now in its second season. On the run from a drug deal gone bad, Mike Ross, a brilliant college-dropout, finds himself a job working with Harvey Specter, one of New York City’s best lawyers. The relationship between Mike and Harvey is brilliant and, like The Good Wife, it has a strong female lead as one of the partners in the law firm.

The Big Bang Theory

The show is now the most watched show. It is funny and smart and the characters of the awkward physicists are likeable, lovable and rich in depth. Endlessly watchable.

How I Met Your Mother

Getting ready for its ninth and final season, where we will finally find out who the mother is. It is both popular and a cult classic. Ted searches for the woman of his dreams in New York City with the help of his four best friends. The cast of Josh Radnor, Jason Segel, Cobie Smulders and Neil Patrick Harris are all brilliant.

True Blood

Sexy, naughty, violent. In a world where vampires have “come out of the coffin”, Sookie Stackhouse, a telepathic waitress, discovers a new world of different creatures when she meets Bill Compton, a vampire.

Mad Men

A drama about one of New York’s most prestigious ad agencies at the beginning of the 1960s, focusing on one of the firm’s most mysterious but extremely talented ad executives, Donald Draper. This show is a big hit and the costumes have sparked a thousand fashion trends.

Sherlock

A modern update finds the famous detective and his doctor partner solving crime in 21st century London.
Benedict Cumberbatch is brilliant as Sherlock. The last episode of the last season was endlessly debated.

Downton Abbey

Beginning in the years leading up to World War I, the drama centers on the Crawley family and their servants. This was a runaway success on both sides of the Atlantic, making huge stars of all of the cast.


Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23

Chloe is a New York party girl with the morals of a pirate who bullies and causes trouble for her naive small town roommate June. Krysten Ritter and Dreama Walker are brilliant and James Van Der Beek sends himself up beautifully.


New Girl

After a bad break-up, Jess, an offbeat young woman, moves into an apartment loft with three single men. Zooey Deschanel is deserving of her own show.


Suburgatory

A teenage girl moves from the city to the suburbs. Jane Levy is brilliant and sarcastic, the script is amazing. Witty and brilliant.

Agree or disagree? Comment below.

Government Urges GPs To Cut Pain Relief For Women Giving Birth

A lot of things make being a woman seem unfair. Periods, unequal pay, the biological clock, having your breasts stared at. But life is unfair and you just get on with your life. I mean, there is only a certain amount of time a person can stress over things, but yesterday I read something that I think is worth stressing over. Whilst reading the March 2013 edition of Easy Living magazine, in an article entitled, ‘How Can That Fit Through There?’, I read the following:

“In August 2012, new guidelines were drawn up for GPs, urging them to encourage mothers-to-be to have a natural labour with as little pain relief as possible in a bid to save the NHS money – given that an epidural costs £200.

Frankly, if the NHS needs to cut things then a women in the worst pain imaginable trying to push a baby through a 10cm hole is not the most humane choice. If men gave birth, would these ‘guidelines’ have been put through? I don’t have children, but I have been in a relationship for three years and it is on my mind whether or not to have them. This piece of information is not encouraging. I doubt any of the taxpayers money was considered when it came to Kate Middleton and her morning sickness (and neither should it).

If women stopped having children the world would stop. We need to be given more respect for the ordeal of being pregnant for nine months and then giving birth. Childcare is also expensive. Maybe this is the governments answer to the population crisis? Anyway, it feels like an attack on women and completely inhumane. If someone gets drunk and falls over do they get pain relief? Yes, and they should. I don’t want to live in a country where a doctor will see someone in pain and not give them pain relief. If the government really wants to save money why don’t they cut the £400 per month food allowance MPs get while families rely on food banks to feed themselves. Or the money to pay their rent and mortgage. Most of the population does not get paid expenses on these things.

We are not ‘all in this together’, some of us have a great deal more pain to bear.

Bon Jovi Announced as First Headliner for Brand New Festival

AEG Live & The Royal Parks reveal exciting new Summer event for Hyde Park, London:

Barclaycard British Summer Time

28th June – 7th July 2013

Bon Jovi Announced as First Headliner: Friday 5th July*

Frost Magazine will be the first in line for the new music event from AEG Live and The Royal Parks, the Barclaycard British Summer Time, a ground-breaking new event for 2013, to be held at the greatest outdoor venue in the world – Hyde Park.

Barclaycard British Summer Time, a totally unique and world class event for London, will give music fans throughout the capital the chance to see many of their favourite headlining and supporting music artists play over back to back weekends in ticketed events.

Bon Jovi are today named as the first headline music act for Barclaycard British Summer Time. More high profile acts will be announced in the coming weeks.

In what heralds a totally unique event offer for London, each live music-packed weekend will be linked by a midweek programme of diverse entertainment, accessible for all to enjoy. From Monday to Thursday, the entire Barclaycard British Summer Time site, saved for the main stage, will give visitors the chance to get involved with smaller, more intimate events offering film, music, literature, sport and a specific family day that will expand the Barclaycard British Summer Time experience to genuinely appeal to the whole family.

Jim King of AEG Live and Event Director said:

“After a great deal of planning and hard work, we are so proud to announce what will no doubt be an incredible event for London. Barclaycard British Summer Time takes everything we have learned indoors at our other venues – in creating the amazing experiences at The O2 – and shares it within the world’s greatest outdoor venue, Hyde Park. We literally started with a blank canvas and in Barclaycard British Summer Time, we have created what we believe to be the ultimate in Summer events – fantastic music, great food, drinks, farmers markets, theatre, film – and much more incredible entertainment across a full 10 days. The list is endless!”

Across Hyde Park, there will be four themed zones within the Barclaycard British Summer Time site, each with its own specially designed installations and entertainment, high quality restaurants, bespoke salons, pubs, cocktail bars, cafes, bistros and independent food stalls. AEG Live has made a multi-million pound investment and a five year commitment to ensure this is a truly unforgettable experience and the attention to detail in the design of these areas stops at nothing short of excellence. AEG is also committed to working with the natural surroundings of Hyde Park to ensure an environmentally-friendly footprint and has commissioned an internationally respected team of ecologists to advise on the planning and construction of Barclaycard British Summer Time.

Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust Host Girls’ Night Out For Cervical Cancer Prevention Week

Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust, the UK’s only dedicated cervical cancer charity, supported Cervical Cancer Prevention Week (20-26 January) in style with the ultimate girl’s night out last night. I went along with Frost writer and fellow actress Paola Berta. I had a great chat with sexpert Tracey Cox and uber glamourous showbiz journalist Zoe Griffin. TOWIE’s Lauren Goodger looked amazing in a studded leather jacket and black leggings.

I had an abnormal smear in 2010 so it is a cause that is very close to my heart. Girls’ Night Out host Zoe Griffin and author, Tracey Cox, shared their experiences of cervical cancer and cervical abnormalities with a celebrity audience to raise awareness of this preventable disease and urge more women to attend their cervical screenings.

Over 60 guests, including Embarrassing Bodies’ Dr Dawn Harper, Made in Chelsea’s Lucy Watson and TOWIE’s Lauren Goodger, joined the party. All guests were treated to goody bags with thanks to Lucky Voice, Vita Coco, Butlers in the Buff, Beverly Hills Formula, Walkers Sunbites, Blue Nun, Lauren’s Way and Ferrero Rocher.

Frost’s editor Catherine Balavage is in the pink, third from left.

Every day nine women are diagnosed with cervical cancer and three lives are lost to the disease. Cervical screening can help reduce these numbers and Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust urges more women to attend as statistics show a worrying downward trend in cervical screening uptake. The cervical screening programme saves 5,000 lives each year in the UK yet 20% of women are not attending their test, and for girls aged between 25 and 29 this figure drops significantly to 1 in 3 – a worrying statistic as cervical cancer is the most common cancer in women under 35.

Robert Music, Director of Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust, said: “The focus of Cervical Cancer Prevention Week 2013 is to raise public awareness by providing information about the causes of the disease and ways to prevent it. With the exception of a dramatic rise in 2009 following Jade Goody’s battle with cervical cancer, since 2002 figures[1] have declined year on year culminating in a 3% drop in screening uptake to 78.6% over the past 10 years. The more we can do to stress the importance of this life saving test the better.

“This year we have also focused on symptoms awareness and early detection as a study[2] we have commissioned shows that women are more likely to seek medical attention with common ailments such as a cough and cold, rather than with symptoms like abnormal bleeding which include bleeding in between periods or after sex.

“Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust is thrilled to raise awareness of Cervical Cancer Prevention Week with the help of some friends and I would like to take this opportunity to thank our partners for their support.”

Paola Berta and Catherine Balavage

Author Tracey Cox added: “I was diagnosed with cervical cancer when I was 30 and had two cone biopsies as a result. It was picked up early, so I was lucky. But if I hadn’t been screened, I wouldn’t have made it to 32. It was an incredibly frightening experience and one most women can avoid if they get regular screenings. I’m delighted to be supporting Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust important work in raising awareness and I’m constantly nagging friends to be vigilant about getting screened on a regular basis. It saved my life and it can save yours too.”

Author and celebrity blogger Zoe Griffin of livelikeavip.com said: “I was diagnosed with cervical abnormalities, but early detection meant I could treat the problem. When I opened the envelope giving me the all clear I felt a huge relief. It is essential that people attend their cervical screening test so that, like me, abnormalities can be treated before they turn into cancer.”

Dr Dawn Harper said: “Cervical cancer is a preventable disease thanks to cervical screenings so it’s absolutely vital that women keep up to date with their invitations. There may be nicer ways to spend your time but the test is painless and should only take around five minutes. I would encourage anyone who is overdue their screening to make an appointment now. Don’t put your health at the bottom of your agenda.”

For more information on Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust visit www.jostrust.co.uk

“Les Miserables” sends French town bookings soaring

The French town which provides the backdrop for the tragic and powerful musical, “Les Miserables” has seen a huge 366% increase year on year in hotel bookings since the release of the film this week. Hotel booking specialist LateRooms.com reports the rise for its hotels in and around Montreuil Sur Mer, the setting for much of the early part of Victor Hugo’s novel. The small French town in northern France is where protagonist, Jean Valjean, played by Hugh Jackman, serves as mayor of the city and is also hometown to the tragic heroine, Fantine, played by Anne Hathaway in the cinematic adaptation.

“It is fantastic to see our hotels in and around Montreuil Sur Mer receiving such a staggering increase in bookings from the success of “Les Miserables.” commented Lynda Matthews, Offline Marketing Director for LateRooms.com. “The film is one of the best loved musicals of all time, and we are pleased people are taking the opportunity to go and see where the famous story started!”

Vanessa Paradis is the face of Conscious For H&M

Frost Magazine favourite Vanessa Paradis is the face of Conscious, as H&M launches Garment Collecting

Vanessa Paradis is the face of Conscious at H&M this spring, wearing pieces in the campaign that are both on-trend and also more-sustainable. It is all part of H&M’s ongoing commitment to a more sustainable fashion future, showing that the best fashion can be made from Conscious materials.

The actress and singer wear pieces as a ruffle-edged yellow sundress, as well as an embellished zip-up utility jacket worn with botanical print trousers. The pieces are part of a collection full of optimism for spring, with romantic styles like a floor-length dress alongside sporty shapes such as a cropped jumpsuit and a tropical print T-shirt dress. There are accessories too, such as ankle-strap heels, and the entire collection is made from more sustainable materials, such as organic cotton, recycled polyester, and Tencel.

The full women’s collection will be available in H&M stores worldwide as well as online from end of March, alongside Conscious collections for Men – blazers, chinos, Ikat print shirts and shorts – as well as fun prints for kids and babies.

Vanessa Paradis says, “I like being part of something like the Conscious collection at H&M. I try my best to shop consciously, and vintage is very much part of my wardrobe. I love the style and it works in an eco-friendly way because I like to use and reuse old clothes.”

Coinciding with the campaign will be the launch of a Conscious garment collecting action at H&M. Customers will be able to bring any unwanted garments from any label to selected stores, and in return for each bag receive an H&M voucher, to a maximum of two bags per customer per day. H&M is the first store to encourage garment return on this scale, in an effort to prevent clothing from going to landfill.