Tag Archives: Life & Style

Handpicked Media release charity #HPMemory2012 book

Posted on by

Handpicked Media in collaboration with Blurb, the creative publishing
platform, has created a book showcasing memories of 2012. Curated via the eyes of Handpicked
Media’s blogs and websites it’s about capturing the mood of the nation in 2012 and all the incredible
but personal times that were had.

Frost Magazine has our own entry in the book and we have already ordered our copy.

Entitled ‘This is my #HPMemory2012, what’s yours?’ it is a snapshot of what they experienced from
new babies, and exploring new cities to iconic London events with the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and
London 2012 Olympics.

An ebook version can be bought for under £5 from http://store.blurb.co.uk/ebooks/361990-this-
is-my-hpmemory2012-what-s-yours, with a printed copy available for £25 via www.blurb.co.uk/
bookstore/detail/3872418. 100% of all proceeds from the book will go direct to When You Wish
Upon A Star, a charity that grants wishes for children living with life-threatening illnesses.

Callum Watt, Marketing Director of Handpicked Media says, “With the release of this book we hope
to capture a snapshot of 2012 and share people’s memories. It doesn’t stop there though; we
want to get people talking about their own memories on social media channels using the hashtag
#HPMemory2012.”

Teresa Pereira from Blurb says, “It’s been an unbelievably exciting and eventful year for the UK and
this book celebrates everything from the personal right through to the epic. What better way to
capture the highlights of the past year than with a beautifully designed book that can be shared with
friends and families and cherished as a lasting memento of 2012 for years to come.”

Win a Kobo Touch eReader & Top Christmas Reads

Posted on by

Frost Magazine is giving away a Kobo Touch eReader just in time for Christmas. As well as winning a a Kobo we have some excellent Christmas reads for you.

To win follow Frost Magazine on Twitter and tweet, ‘I want to win a Kobo eReader with @Frostmag’ or subscribe to our newsletter.

 

“A little before twilight one Christmas Eve, Gabriel shouldered his spade, lighted his lantern, and betook himself towards the old churchyard, for he had got a grave to finish before the next morning, and feeling very low, he thought it may raise his spirits perhaps, if he went on with his work at once.”

The Story of the Goblins who Stole a Sexton by Charles Dickens

 

The smell of a crackling fire, the taste of mulled wine and the words of a scarily spooky ghost story was a much loved Victorian tradition. Why not bring this tradition up to date by enjoying a cozily creepy evening curled up with Christmas ghost stories on the new Kobo Touch.

Kobo has a range of Christmas eBooks suitable for the period lover or the most contemporary tastes, but better still create the perfect ambience by lighting the Christmas candles and switching on the Kobo Touch (£79.99),

 

Tis the season to be eReading, revive the tradition with one of these five eBooks:

 

A Christmas Carol

By: Charles Dickens

Price: £0.99p

http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/A-Christmas-Carol-Complete-Text/book-SnkmJlwCAkez51O-iEH51w/page1.html?s=JBLgmSjsRUesEeG9OmRvkQ&r=3

 

 

 

 

The Old Nurses Story

By: Elizabeth Gaskell.

Price £0.72p

http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/The-Old-Nurses-Story/book-NS9-7hMb40S_f3Ql1p328A/page1.html?s=8A43YkPhvUK42Kp1L7O2Jw&r=1

 

 

 

 

The Ghost Story Megapack: 25 Classic Tales by Masters

By: Jerome K. Jerome, Mary Elizabeth Braddon

Price: 0.95p

 

http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/The-Ghost-Story-Megapack-25/book-gQ6cIOFi7EGsqFvoCoQCnA/page1.html?s=0XOZhsYtm0-NIEX0b9FBsA&r=1

 

 

 

Collected Ghost Stories

By: David Stuart Davies, M.R. James

Price: £2.27

 

http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/Collected-Ghost-Stories/book-izUIN2DR0OmBbO8NbCeWg/page1.html?s=ZIKGIPHeYEmn9QMmxEirQA&r=1

 

 

 

 

 

The Ghost Stories of Edith Wharton

By: Edith Wharton

Price: £7.91

http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/The-Ghost-Stories-Edith-Wharton/book-b-R0ZZRm-0KVjF-IStgRqA/page1.html?s=LENxW5IEXEGXE0LlRuMzKA&r=10

 

 

 

Top 5 Christmas Dresses

Posted on by

Christmas. The time of festive joy and parties. But what to wear? Well, what about one of these dresses at Bank Fashion I have chosen my Top 5, plus one for the very brave.

This maxi dress is perfect for winter, because you can wear thermals underneath!

This look is slightly demure, but classy and smart.

And this one is for the brave. Perfect if you really want to be noticed.

Sponsored post.

Team GB starlet Jessica Ennis admits ‘I’d love to start my own fashion label

Posted on by

Jessica Ennis has had quite a year, winning gold at the Olympics and becoming an idol for young girls everywhere. Now Jessica is branching out.

Speaking exclusively in City’s AM luxury magazine Bespoke, Olympic starlet Jessica Ennis said:

“I ADORE Victoria Beckham and Alexander McQueen…”

“I’d love to start my own fashion label…”

“I’ve been to two award ceremonies in the last two nights…”

You could be forgiven for thinking these were the words of a Hollywood starlet or seasoned pop star. But this is Jessica Ennis – the poster girl for the 2012 Olympics and contender for BBC Sports Personality of the Year, who, in the mind of the nation, wears lycra as a second skin.

Almost overnight she has become a focal point for the post-Olympics revival of Cool Britannia, as likely to be spotted in Stella McCartney as the new Adidas collection (which she is modelling the day City’s AM luxury magazine Bespoke caught up with her).

The change must be startling: one moment she’s a promising heptathlete, relatively unknown outside a group of loyal fans committed to the sport, the next, she’s an unexpected fashion darling.

So how is she enjoying the transition from tracksuits – and looking very good in them, mind you – to being dressed by some of the most sought after labels in the world? “It’s a brilliant position to be in,” she says. “It’s nice to have the option to pick and choose – it’s less stressful when you’re deciding what to wear.”

Her reinvention as a poster-girl has also given her design ambitions of her own and she confides that a collection is definitely on the horizon. “I would love to go down that road,” she says, “whether it’s collaborating with [a big sportswear brand] or doing the more fashiony side of things.”

With the amount of work coming her way, plus the prospects of further gold on the horizon, don’t expect Jessica Ennis, national treasure, unlikely fashion queen, to take her foot off the pedal for long.

The Lowdown on Molton Brown

Posted on by

Molton Brown are a quintessential British brand. They make classic and excellent products. And they do much more than just hand washes. The more beauty savvy of you will also know that they also make candles, fragrances and anti-ageing skincare. No more so was this obvious than at Vanilla in central London where Handpicked Media and Molton Brown showed a handful of beauty bloggers their new range of beauty goodies.

They have launched some new additions to their Fine Fragrance range and a new anti-ageing range to go with their candles, body creams, shower gels….

Their Fine Fragrance range has four different scents for four different continents.

Molton Brown do not test on animals and they are big on sustainability.

On the night I also had a hand massage. I highly recommend you go along to a Molton Brown store and get one yourself.

The truth is I love Molton Brown. They make me proud to be British. I love their new range and old classics.

Jessica Ennis, Andy Murray Make Who’s Who

Posted on by

Who’s Who in 2013?

The new edition of Who’s Who is out with some exciting new entries. Including some of Britain’s brightest athletes.

The 165th edition of Who’s Who brings together over 33,000 autobiographical entries from people of, influence and interest in every area of public life. Featuring just over 1,000 entries new for this edition, Who’s Who 2013, published on 3rd December 2012, celebrates the achievements of British Society. An invaluable research tool and a unique way of measuring social change, it is the longest established and most comprehensive general biographical reference book. An invitation to appear in Who’s Who recognises lasting distinction and influence. An entry in Who’s Who is for life.

Preface by Arianna Huffington

Arianna Huffington, President and Editor-in-Chief at the Huffington Post Media Group, is a new biographee for the 2013 edition. She has written this year’s foreword, in which she considers the ways in which technology is rapidly transforming the media.

Olympic Idols

Included for the first time in the 2013 edition is Heptathlon darling, Jessica Ennis, who won gold at the 2012 Olympic Games. At just 26 years old, her impressive resume includes an Olympic gold, two World Championship medals, two World Indoor Championship medals, a European Championship medal and a Commonwealth Games medal.

Double Olympic gold medallist, Mo Farah makes a welcome entry this year, as does professional tennis player and Olympic gold medallist Andy Murray. Born in 1987, Murray is the youngest non-hereditary new entrant.

Entertainment

Presenter and journalist, Gabby Logan is a new addition to Who’s Who 2013. She represented Wales in rhythmic gymnastics at the 1990 Commonwealth Games, before carving out a career in broadcast where she recently presented at the 2012 London Olympic Games.

Included in the 2013 edition is author and Times columnist Caitlin Moran, who was named Critic of the Year and Interviewer of the Year at the 2011 British Press Awards. She lists her recreations as ‘hair biggening, cava, eyeliner, The Struggle’.

Comedian and songwriter Tim Minchin, who composed the music for Matilda the Musical is included in Who’s Who for the first time, as is fellow comedian Richard Ayoade. Richard starred in The IT Crowd and has directed music videos for the Arctic Monkeys and Super Furry Animals, amongst others.

Cooking Sensations

Two star Michelin chef, Michael Caines is a new biographee for the 2013 edition. Head Chef at Gidleigh Park in Devon and Bath Priory, Michael appeared in Celebrity Masterchef 2011 and is one of Britain’s most acclaimed chefs. He is joined by Nathan Outlaw, another South West based chef, who enjoys ‘collecting cookery books’. Star Wars fan Nathan is a two star Michelin chef who has two restaurants at the St Enodoc Hotel, in Cornwall.

Family Connections

The Mayor of London Boris Johnson’s brother Leo, Partner of PricewaterhouseCoopers Sustainability and Climate Change and sister Rachel, Editor-in-Chief of The Lady, are new names for 2013. Boris, another brother Joseph and father Stanley are already in Who’s Who making them one of the most successful families in the yearbook.

Another well-connected new entrant is Rachel Wolf, Director of the New Schools Network, who began her career as a researcher for Boris Johnson and whose mother and father are both already in Who’s Who.

Trivial Pursuits?

Lord Haskins, former Chairman of Northern Foods and Express Dairies plc, has updated his recreations to include ‘only-in-emergency harvest tractor-driver’, while Zai Bennett, Controller of BBC 3, and a new entrant for the 2013 edition, reveals his pastimes to include ‘impersonating primates for baby daughter’.

Writer and broadcaster on architecture and design, Thomas Dyckhoff’s recreations include ‘gluttony, staring out of the window, butchery and pie-making’ and Antonia Romeo, Director General of Transforming Justice at the Ministry of Justice, enjoys ‘Star Wars, Lego’. Host of Radio 2’s The Art Show, Claudia Winkleman, is another welcome addition to the 2013 edition. She lists her recreations as ‘sleeping, cuddling and bothering the children’.

Who’s Who in Numbers

4.5 tonnes – the weight of Who’s Who if all the UK’s inhabitants were in it (the weight of an Asian elephant!). It would be 94 metres thick, which is the height of the O2.

6th – where Who’s Who would have come in the medal table if it had been a team at the London Olympics (12 golds, 4 silvers)

80 – the number of jumbo jets it would take to transport everyone in Who’s Who

91 – the age of the oldest new entrant in Who’s Who 2013, Professor Yoichiro Nambu, Emeritus Professor at the University of Chicago

Who’s Who 2013

Published by A&C Black, 3rd December 2012

Hardback £235.00

Print-and-online edition £325.00 (available from Oxford University Press, visit www.ukwhoswho.com

James Read On Launching His Own Self Tanning Range and Self Tan Tips

Posted on by

James Read has launched a brilliant and stylish self tanning range. The range is beloved by celebrities and beauty writers alike. Read on to find out how he launched his brand to success and to learn his top tanning tips.

Tell us about the brand.

The brand has been out for eight months now. It launched in Vogue, since it has been out it has been in Vogue four times already this year alone. For a brand to get in Vogue four times in one year is pretty amazing. It has been in The Sunday Times five times this year, it has been in every monthly, It is the most written about self tanning brand. It has had the most press.

I have worked with a lot of celebrities around the world. They all use it. Mariah (Carey), Lady Gaga, Lara Stone. Jessie J used it for the Olympics. Ellie Golding and Rita Ora use it.

It has been a real labour of love, it took two years to develop. The packaging is all based on the 1970s. I was born in 1976. It is quite retro. The 1970s was all about gold.

I wanted something iconic that stood out on the shelf. We wanted something that people would be proud to have on their bathroom shelf. I wanted people to look at it and think, ‘That is amazing’ rather than just hiding it away. We wanted it to look nice and stylish.

We came up with a new concept, we have the liquid, the gradual tan, we have the BB cream which is a bestseller, It comes in a pen tube. It gives a really nice natural colour, and it has a BB foundation in it as well.

The liquid tan is really nice and natural. We have new products coming out and new products being made all the time. The thing with the BB is that we wanted to do something that had never been done. We don’t want to just bring out the same things every year. We are coming up with ideas and evolving it and stepping outside of the box.

We are bringing out things that actually had never been done before. We think of what we want, I speak to my friends and I do research. We love to incorporate skincare and tanning into one.

We are launching in America in January and then Australia in March.

Top tips for tanning.

If you want to layer on tan then apply it the same day. Don’t do it the next day. If you apply it the next day you get build up on your skin and it can get too dark.

This is a good trick: before you put tan on your face get a moisturiser and then put the moisturiser on your face and neck. The moisturiser will stop the face getting too dark. If you are applying tan on certain areas, like you hands and feet, always use excess tan from the arms. These areas go too dark.

One thing that people do is they wash their hands after a couple of hours. Don’t wash your hands for at least eight hours or you will get that tanned body, white hands look. You want it to all match.

A good one that I always tell people is to rub an ice cube all over your face to seal your pours and then you put the tan on. It stops your pours from blocking. It seals the pours.

James Read Self-tanning range is available from QVC

Blemish Balm Gradual Tan for Face Medium 25ml

Liquid Tan Medium 250ml

Gradual Tan for Face Medium 50ml

 

500 Shakespearean Sonnets | Book Review

Posted on by

I am a fan of poetry. So much so that I have made a film about poetry this year. So when I got a chance to review a book called 500 Shakespearean Sonnets I was quite excited. The book is already critically acclaimed. The Herald Scotland said about it, “Shakespeare managed to write 154 – Smith has penned more than three times that number. …splendidly contemporary… a tour de force”

High praise indeed. This book of sonnets is a diary in verse form from a man seeking to understand his own conflicted nature in this highly-praised new book of self-discovery from award-winning author, Ryan J-W Smith.

Ryan obviously has talent. The sonnets are incredibly well written. I have my own personal favourites, as I am sure you will have too. He has managed to be prolific but not skimp on quality. After an introduction Ryan goes into the sonnets. This book can be read in a few ways. It can be read through cover to cover, or you can just dip in and out when the mood takes you. Either way it is a poetic achievement. A great gift for any poetry lover in your life. Stunning stuff.

How many has he written now!? Check out Smith’s ‘Sonnet Blog’: www.sonnetblog.com

500 Shakespearean Sonnets: the Diary of a Poetic Quest for Truth