Britons are prouder of their history, NHS and army than of the Royals.

Posted on March 11, 2012 by Catherine Balavage

While 2012 celebrates the Diamond Jubilee and London hosting the Olympics, it is history that makes people most proud to be British.

A survey commissioned by Channel 4 from Ipsos MORI found that more people (45%) are proud to be British due to the country’s history than they are because of the Royal Family (28%). And more people cite the NHS (37%) and the armed forces (36%) as a source of pride than they do the Royals. British sports teams come in at a lowly 10%. Bringing up the bottom of the table is British business, with only 4%.

Overall, which two or three of the following, would you say makes you most proud to be British?

1. Our history (45%)

2. The NHS (37%)

3. British Army / armed forces (36%)

4. The Royal Family (28%)

5. Our culture and arts (24%)

6. Our system of democracy (22%)

7. Having a free press / media (15%)

8. British sports teams (10%)

9. Our position in the world (5%)

10. British business (4%)

Timed to coincide with, Make Bradford British, a documentary series exploring what it means to be British, the survey also found that a ‘good sense of humour’ (45%) topped the poll when people were asked what are the best characteristics of British people, followed by friendly (34%) and tolerant to all sections of society (30%).

But while being funny may be the best British characteristic, of those surveyed, half (50%) said the worst was drinking too much. Ignorance of other cultures (33%) and complaining too much (23%) were also cited. And a fifth of respondents thought the worst characteristic was being lazy (20%).

Tea topped the poll not only as people’s favourite drink (38%) but also what they thought was the country’s national drink (65%) proving that we are a nation of tea lovers.

While fish and chips is seen as the national dish by four in ten Britons (41%) just one in ten (9%) say it is their favourite food. Roast beef and Yorkshire pudding tops the poll as the nation’s favourite dish (33%).

And while 15% enjoy a curry as their meal of choice, only 8% think it’s the national dish.

Make Bradford British continues on Thursday 8 March at 9pm on Channel 4

Going Blonde For Spring?

Posted on March 8, 2012 by Catherine Balavage

Kate Middleton may be a brunette but the allure of being blonde will never go away. Think Marilyn Monroe, Kate Winslet, Gwen Stefani , Debbie Harry and Madonna.

Before going blonde you should make sure you choose a shade that suits your skin tone. I once went platinum blonde. It really wasn’t a good look, I am too pale to carry it off.

If you have dark hair (mid-dark brown or black) you will need to strip you hair of its colour with a prelightner, and take your wardrobe and make up into consideration. Your hair has to suit your lifestyle.

Think of your eyebrows too, Madonna may have had black eyebrows and blonde hair in the 80’s but that wasn’t a good look then, and it isn’t now.

Also think of your roots, it you are low maintenance doing your roots a lot might be a bit much, so don’t go a very pale blonde.

The video below let’s you know everything you need to know about going blonde. It has advice on what kind of blonde to go for, how to protect your hair, and how long you should process your hair for the type of hair you have. All with no expensive hairdresser, but using Garnier Nutrisse Crème hair colour instead.

Lyndell Mansfield gives you her top tips in the video.

This post was sponsored by Garnier Nutrisse Crème hair colour.

MILLIE AND MANUKA DOCTOR

Posted on March 4, 2012 by Catherine Balavage

Made in Chelsea star Millie Mackintosh is supporting Manuka Doctor, innovators of the UK’s first ever Purified Bee Venom skincare collection, on their stand at this year’s Vitality Show.

On Saturday 24th March between 10am and 1pm Millie will be offering skincare advice to show visitors in support of her favourite skincare range.

Millie, brand ambassador for Manuka Doctor and a huge fan of natural beauty, suffered with acne in her teens and knows what it feels like to still get the occasional breakout. The heavy make-up required for filming and constant parties and events, means Millie needs something highly effective in cleaning the skin. Being a make-up artist she also understands how hard it is to keep skin looking clear and healthy.

“As a make-up artist I come across so many products and brands – I also get sent a lot of products to try – my absolute favourite at the moment is Manuka Doctor. I really like their ApiClear range. The Foaming Cleanser, Skin Treatment Serum and Moisturising Lotion are all really good for balancing troubled skin.” Millie Mackintosh

Millie’s not alone, since Manuka Doctor’s launch at the end of last year, hero products from the range have completely sold out through Holland & Barrett stores nationwide. Other celebrity bee venom fans include Kate Middleton, Victoria Beckham, Kylie and Dannii Minogue and Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall.

Manuka Doctor’s ApiClear range is specifically designed to help balance troubled skin. Purified Bee Venom (PBV™) works alongside New Zealand Manuka Honey, known for its anti-bacterial qualities, and Propolis, to help eliminate the causes of blemishes, nurture cell regeneration and renew damaged skin cells.

A recent trial into the antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects of Purified Bee Venom against acne inducing bacteria, conducted by Dr SangMi Han and published in the Journal of Medicinal Plant Research[i] (2010), proved Bee Venom to be an effective alternative treatment for antibiotic therapy for acne. Try the ApiClear Treatment Serum (£18.99 for 30ml) to provide an antiseptic solution for inflamed troubled skin.

Manuka Doctor’s Purified Bee Venom is the result of a unique patented purification process that removes any unwanted particles after it’s been collected from the bees. The venom is extracted using a safe process that ensures that the bee’s lifespan, well being and performance are not affected.

The Manuka Doctor range of Purified Bee Venom products is sold exclusively through Holland & Barrett stores nationwide and online at www.hollandandbarrett.com.

Prices range from £3.49 to £49.99.

The Hunt For Prince Harry

Posted on February 6, 2012 by Catherine Balavage

Channel 4 film follows ‘Harry Hunters’.

Since the marriage between Kate Middleton and Prince William, Prince Harry has been thrust into the spotlight as the most eligible bachelor in Britain. Third in line to the throne, the remaining handsome Prince has become an object of desire for girls across the globe. A brand new Channel 4 documentary, First Cut: The Harry Hunters is set to follow five girls who are determined in their quest to snag their very own Prince Charming.

The film follows 21-year old American friends Cassie and Whitney who grew up in rural Iowa, watching Disney movies and dreaming they would one day marry Prince Harry. They know that to achieve your dreams you have to be prepared to go the distance. Cassie and Whitney have done their research and have a plan – to hit his favourite haunts – from Polo clubs to exclusive Mayfair nightspots.

However, they have strong competition from the ‘queens’ of the social network in East London. School friends Joy and Jade know Prince Harry’s whereabouts at any time, day or night. Twitter is their medium of choice – whether Harry’s partying in Croatia or flying Apache helicopters, they will know within seconds. 16-year old Joy even has an engagement ring for the Prince when the right moment comes to propose.

And finally 14-year-old Flora who hangs out in Chelsea, London and avidly reads the newspapers to know what Prince Harry is up to each week. However, she is determined to impress her teenage heart-throb by working hard at school in her hopes to become an intelligent Princess.

Channel 4 Commissioning Editor Aysha Rafael says: “The Harry Hunters shares the romantic age-old dreams held by thousands of young girls around the world. They fantasise of fairy tale dresses, extravagant royal weddings and for that special day when they finally meet their Prince Charming.”

First Cut: The Harry Hunters is directed by first time producer and director, Emily Hughes and is executive produced by Emily Renshaw-Smith and Peter Dale.

First Cut is a collection of original and bold documentary films by up and coming first time directors and part of Channel 4’s continuous commitment to nurturing new and diverse talent. It first launched in 2007 and now in its sixth year and is commissioned by Aysha Rafaele.

Golden Globes 2011. George Clooney and Meryl Streep Win.

Posted on January 16, 2012 by Catherine Balavage

Ricky Gervais hosted the Golden Globes for the second time, despite his controversial first effort.

However, the Los Angeles Times says this time Gervais was “surprisingly subdued”. In 2011, Gervais shocked with comments about the Hollywood elite. It lead the Hollywood A-lister to comment on the jokes being “mean-spirited and mildly sinister”.

Gervais said the Globes were to the Oscars what US reality TV star Kim Kardashian was to Kate Middleton – “a bit louder, a bit trashier, a bit drunker and more easily bought, allegedly”.

The Los Angeles Times noted that the British fared well.

Downton Abbey won best TV mini-series and Kate Winslet won for lead actress in a TV mini-series or movie, for Mildred Pierce.

They also said: “When Idris Elba took to the stage to accept the award for lead actor in a miniseries for Luther, one did begin to wonder how many Brits it takes to screw in a Golden Globe.”

Meryl Streep also swore in her acceptance speech and looked shocked when she won. A full list of winners is below.

MOTION PICTURES
– Picture, Drama: “The Descendants.”
– Picture, Musical or Comedy: “The Artist.”
– Actor, Drama: George Clooney, “The Descendants.”
– Actress, Drama: Meryl Streep, “The Iron Lady.”
– Director: Martin Scorsese, “Hugo.”
– Actor, Musical or Comedy: Jean Dujardin, “The Artist.”
– Actress, Musical or Comedy: Michelle Williams, “My Week With Marilyn.”
– Supporting Actor: Christopher Plummer, “Beginners.”
– Supporting Actress: Octavia Spencer, “The Help.”
– Foreign Language: “A Separation.”
– Animated Film: “The Adventures of Tintin.”
– Screenplay: Woody Allen, “Midnight in Paris.”
– Original Score: Ludovic Bource, “The Artist.”
– Original Song: “Masterpiece” (music and lyrics by Madonna, Julie Frost, Jimmy Harry), “W.E.”

TELEVISION
– Series, Drama: “Homeland,” Showtime.
– Series, Musical or Comedy: “Modern Family,” ABC.
– Actor, Drama: Kelsey Grammer, “Boss.”
– Actress, Drama: Claire Danes, “Homeland.”
– Actress, Musical or Comedy: Laura Dern, “Enlightened.”
– Actor, Musical or Comedy: Matt LeBlanc, “Episodes.”
– Miniseries or Movie: “Downton Abbey (Masterpiece),” PBS.
– Actress, Miniseries or Movie: Kate Winslet, “Mildred Pierce.”
– Actor, Miniseries or Movie: Idris Elba, “Luther.”
– Supporting Actress, Series, Miniseries or Movie: Jessica Lange, “American Horror Story.”
– Supporting Actor, Series, Miniseries or Movie: Peter Dinklage, “Game of Thrones.”

PREVIOUSLY ANNOUNCED
Cecil B. DeMille Lifetime Achievement Award: Morgan Freeman.

Photo: Capital M.

Frost's Guide to Twitter

Posted on January 13, 2012 by Catherine Balavage

In the past few years twitter has entrenched itself into our everyday lives. It is how I found out Kate Middleton was to marry Prince William, and that Christopher Hitchens had died. Twitter is now how most people get their news. It is also a brilliant marketing tool. No matter what you do with your life, you can improve your career and be in contact with people from all around the world. So here is a guide to getting and keeping followers, with a few facts thrown in.

Go for quality, not quantity.

Some people may have thousands of followers, but they may be spammers or may have paid for them. (Buying followers is against twitters terms and conditions.)

Try to not get upset when people unfollow you

It is usually not personal. Maybe you retweet too much, maybe they are just following too many people. It has nothing to do with you as a person. Just unfollow them back, unless they are incredibly interesting.

Add your photo and professional details to twitter. People are more likely to follow you if they know a bit about you.Brevity is the soul of wit and even more important on Twitter. You only have 140 characters to get your point across. It is a good skill to have.

Twitter has more than 100 million global active users according to Twitter CEO Dick Costolo

Think of all of those people you can be connected too! The internet has made the world more democratic, and twitter has played it’s part in that.

Hash tags

Which is this: # (to get a hash tag on a Mac Alt + 3 = #) This creates, in twitters words, a ‘global conversation’ that everyone can follow.

Put a follow button on your blog or website

Remember, you can only direct message people who follow you, and they can only do the same if you are following them.

Interact with people.
Follow people. They might follow you back. You can follow 2,000 people initially, more if you have over 2000 followers.
Be worth following.
Have a good avatar. A picture of yourself is good.
Have a good bio. Keep it short and interesting.
Post interesting stories. Add links to articles you enjoyed reading.
Add yourself to directories like Wefollow.com
Get your friends to follow you.
Add your twitter to the signature in your email.
Don’t worry if it seems to be taking a while. You’re twitter will grow.
Be interesting- That is the most important thing. If you are interesting people will follow you.
Have a niche; tweet about a specific thing. You can grow your business and become an expert in your field.
Join Klout.
Don’t buy twitter followers. This might look good but what you want is engaged followers.
Don’t constantly retweet.
Don’t tweet all the time. If you clog up someone else’s feed then they will probably unfollow you.
Don’t be offensive. Have your opinion but respect other peoples.
Respond to people.
Follow other people in your field.
Tweet regularly. Three times a day is fine.
Remember that things came across differently in print. Sarcasm and humour can be taken seriously.
Watch out for spam. Change your password and don’t click on links from people you don’t know.
Be relevant.
Don’t try to please everyone. You have to have an opinion or you will not be interesting.

Of the 100 million global active users, half of them log in daily. “We had 30% of our monthly active users login in every day at the beginning of the year. Now it’s over 50%,” Costolo revealed.
200 million tweets a day in June 2011.
There are one million registered twitter apps. 750,000 developers
People who joined Twitter in 2011 include Nelson Mandela, Joe Biden, Zac Goldsmith, Salman Rushdie, Rupert Murdoch and the Pope.

Thirty-five global heads of state use Twitter
In 2011 Twitter had 65 million Tweets a day. They have over 200 million Tweets per day.
Twitter accounts are rarely hacked but Twitter advises the following for security of your account;
Use a strong password with at least 10 characters and a combination of letters, numbers and other characters for your Twitter account. And use a unique password for each website you use (email, banking, etc.); that way, if one account gets compromised, the rest are safe. A personal email account that’s compromised is the second most likely way an intruder gains access to Twitter accounts.
Use HTTPS for improved security on Twitter.
We recommend linking your phone to your Twitter account. Doing this could save your account if you lose control of your personal email and/or password. Here’s how to do it.
If you think your account has been compromised, visit our help page for compromised accounts to find out how to fix it quickly.
Twitter post regularly about safety and security at @safety.
Twitter CEO Dick Costolo said Twitter has 100 million global active users, of those 100 million global active users, half of them log in daily. “We had 30% of our monthly active users login in every day at the beginning of the year. Now it’s over 50%,” Costolo revealed.
Twitter had 200 million tweets a day in June 2011.
Do not unfollow people right after you follow them. Wait five days or Twitter might think you are a spammer.
Half of Twitter users log in every day.
55% of Twitter users are mobile users.

Forty percent of Twitter users do not Tweet, or haven’t Tweeted in the past 30 days.

Frost’s Top People to Follow

Frost Magazine, Obviously.

Me!

Movie Scope

Hillsborough Documentary Maker

Nancy Bishop

Rupert Murdoch

War Horse Review

Posted on January 9, 2012 by Catherine Balavage

Frost has been privileged to see Steven Spielberg’s new film War Horse . Adapted from the hit West End play, which was in turn adapted from the 1982 War Horse book by Michael Morpurgo. It tells a story of a boy and his horse against the backdrop of World War I. The story also tells the little-known and often forgotten story about the horses used in World War I, most of which died.

Spielberg has made the impossible thing: a war movie that kids can enjoy. This film plays to Spielberg’s strengths, it may be a war movie but there is no blood and guts in sight. This is an epic, sprawling film with a cast of thousands. This is Spielberg at his best and is certainly one of his best films. It will take an incredibly tough person not to get caught up in this spectacular film. The acting is amazing from Peter Mullan and Benedict Cumberbatch, to the film debut of Jeremy Irvine (his only other acting experience was as a tree onstage!).

War Horse is cinematic perfection, with not a note out of place. Everything from the score to the costumes and sets are spot on. I will stop going on in case I make you sick, as long as you go and see it.

[Frost would also like to say happy birthday to the Duchess of Cambridge. The former Miss Kate Middleton was at the premiere last night, along with Steven Spielberg and Joey, the horse from the film, She turns 30 today.]

MOST POPULAR FASHION SEARCHES OF 2011

Posted on December 23, 2011 by Catherine Balavage

SHOPSTYLE REVEALS MOST POPULAR FASHION SEARCHES OF 2011

Royal Wedding boosts best of British

ShopStyle.co.uk (the fashion site that brings together Britain’s favourite brands and stores under one digital roof) today reveals the most popular label and item searches of 2012 and shows that when it comes to fashion, we’re very patriotic. Five of the top ten most searched for designers in 2011 were British. The prominence of Ted Baker, Burberry, Vivienne Westwood, Alexander McQueen and Paul Smith show that when it comes to fashion, Britain’s style-aware are loyal to our own shores.

The penchant for all things British significantly increased across 2011 thanks to Catherine Middleton’s much lauded style choices including Alexander McQueen for her wedding dress. ShopStyle.co.uk saw an enormous 100%*[1] increase in traffic the day of the wedding as women flocked online to find Middleton inspired dresses. And dresses stayed in the Top 10 searches across the year as women were influenced by Catherine Middleton’s elegance and classic style.

Alexander McQueen jumped into the top 40 search terms as it was revealed the bride’s wedding dress was designed by the iconic UK fashion house. The only other designer to move into the Top 10 this year was Ralph Lauren leaped fuelled by his TV appearance on Oprah.

The maxi dress is still eternally popular topping the list of the most searched for items in 2011, joined at no.1 of most popular labels by Diesel.

Shannon Edwards, Managing Director and VP Europe for ShopStyle believes 2011 was the year when fashion took Catherine Middleton to its heart. She says: “From the Royal engagement announcement the fashion world was in love with Catherine’s classic elegance and sophisticated, adoptable style. The Royal Wedding was an incredible event for fashion and began our adoption of all things British, from designer labels to high street stores. It will continue into 2012 as we look forward to the Jubilee celebrations and the Olympics.”

Boasting over one million users each month and over 2000 UK and international fashion brands, ShopStyle.co.uk’s Top Ten of 2011 are as follows:

Frost Magazine

Books and Lifestyle

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