Fashion International London Fashion Week SS/16 Day Two – Omar Mansoor

Posted on October 31, 2015 by Corinne Tuddenham-Finn

Omar Mansoor returned to the London Fashion Week Fashion International show (Amba Hotel Charing Cross), on day two (19 September 2015) with his 10th collection IMPERIAL ROMANCE featuring couture gowns inspired by the Russian Imperial Style.

With inspiration drawn from the peace post revolution, OMAR MANSOOR delivered an absolute gem of a collection for Spring/Summer 2016.

He took a subtle approach to his collection, via a palette of white and ivory, depicting three themes – the pre-revolution Tsarist autocracy, featuring Faberge imperial egg-inspired motifs, the rise of the revolution – communicated with military insignia and caps, and the end of revolution peace, indicated by the white and gold silk flower embellishment.

OMAR MANSOOR understands the kind of women he’s designing for.

His collection clung to the purity of form, ultimately focusing on basics with exquisitely fitted military jackets breaking up the sobriety.

OMAR MANSOOR worked the minimalist mood that’s making itself felt now; pared down and simple, but not to the point of severity, injecting his collection with just enough of a hip, young edge.

It showed in the mix of slight-shouldered jackets edged with tapework, worn over a lace dress or a silhouette-inspired evening gown; and in the judicious use of Faberge egg-inspired ornamentation.

Sharp-lapels, sandwiched white Lycra-blended lace and waist-defining jumpsuits showed a command of elegance gleaned from his lifelong obsession with couture classics.

OMAR MANSOOR has taken a look at the streets of modern Moscow and come up with a creative fusion of garments that address the twenty-first century in an imaginatively practical way.

Effortlessly constructed, various pieces seemed as though they had been blown by some zephyr onto the body, with savvy tailoring combined with turn-of-the-century militaria and revolutionary caps.

OMAR MANSOOR has a natural ability to marry sexy with just the right touch of sweet, with well-cut pantsuits, decorative paillette cocktail dresses trussed up with military details, appliques and flattering three-quarter sleeves.

The collection featured exceptionally beautiful white lace dresses, virginal without being revoltingly cute and pantsuits with wide flares draping just below the knee, sliced and folded to reveal more than they hid.

OMAR MANSOOR belongs to a superelite of fashion frontrunners who are leaving most other collections in the distance, a designer who can show fashion a good time, and you can’t help applauding that…

Omar Mansoor talks about his collection…

“In Russian history, the fashion revolutions always coincided with the greatest political changes; from Peter the Great to the Revolution of 1917 to Gorbachev’s Perestroika. The Revolution of 1917 made the Russian fashion adjust to the new Communist norms, which condemned everything ‘bourgeois’ and extraordinary. With the turn of the 20th century, the traditional Muscovy Rus style of heavy fabrics, elaborate gold and precious stone embroideries and female half-moon-shaped headwear kokoshniks made its comeback and won over Europe with Serge Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes. I engage these elements in my collection in a way that it attracts masses appeal. The primary colour is off-white, depicting post-revolution peace. The diffusion line includes both knee and full-length dresses and jumpsuits constructed using a range of fabrics from silk jersey, crepes to sheer nets, blended with Lycra, using insignias from pre-revolution social fabrics.”

Omar Mansoor is a London-based fashion designer, best known for his couture occasion wear. He dresses British actresses and International royalty and European aristocracy; Omar Mansoor is widely credited with re-introducing the fusion clothing into modern fashion. After attending London College of Fashion one of the prestigious Schools in UK, Omar was the first Pakistani to showcase at London Fashion Week in 2008, OM made its appearance at Royal Ascot, Bahrain Fashion Week and Top Model UK. Susanna Reid wore Omar Mansoor at the 2010 Academy Awards. The brand has been worn by a number of actresses on the red carpet including Miss United Kingdom Amy Guy.
www.omarmansoor.com

Images: Shane Finn (Visual Devotion)

www.corinne-modelling.co.uk

Corinne@frostmagazine.com

@ladycdtt

Have a LUSH Christmas and give back this Winter.

Posted on October 30, 2015 by Kesh

Whether you’re a customer of LUSH or not, everyone with a functioning nose who has ever walked down a high street cannot mistake the welcome and familiar fragrance of a LUSH cosmetics store. Well be prepared for the smell to turn festive just in time for Christmas when LUSH introduce their Winter Range.

The appeal of LUSH is not only in their lingering and innovative scents, we love them because they don’t test on animals, they’re 100% vegetarian their products are made fresh in store, and they practice ethical trading. In fact we learnt a lot about LUSH and we think you’ll be just as impressed as we are.

Like many other Fair Trade or Eco traders which seem to be on the up, LUSH can tell you exactly where the ingredients are coming from and where your money is going. The incentive has been dubbed The Sustainable Lush Fund or The SLush Fund which has the idea of moving their ethical buying practices beyond simply buying fair trade ingredients but to develop supportive partnerships with the communities that produce them. LUSH donate 2% of the amount spent on raw materials and packaging to the Fund, the money is then used to start sustainable farming and regenerative community projects. To date, the £1.2 million raised has supported the development of 32 projects in 19 countries.

Some of the materials attained in these communities can be found in some of your tried and tested LUSH favourites and also the gorgeous new LUSH products such as Moringa Oil in the Lush Gardener Cold Pressed Soap, Fair Trade Shea Butter in the Santa Baby Lip tint and Ylang Ylang Oil found in the Peeping Santa Bubble bar.

If that’s not enough convincing as to why you should shop at Lush this winter, here’s our round up of our Winter Top Picks;

LUSH Gardener; £4.50

This cold-pressed soap not only contains the refreshing scents of Bergamot and Sage, after use, the soapy water can be re-used on your prized flowers due to it’s aphid-discouraging ingredients. This is an absolutely cracking gift for any green fingered family members.

BIG BANG bubble bar; £3.75

A magical mix of 23 of LUSH’s finest ingredients including softening Avocado Butter, Zesty Grapefruit Oil and Refreshing Lemon Myrtle Oil. Luxury in a one fruity scented package.

Toothy Tabs; £5.95

With five different varieties to choose from, nibble one of these while brushing and you’ll give your teeth an extra bit of sparkle. Our favourite was the Bling variety these include Papain for that extra bling and Guarana seed for that extra buzz. Best of all, they’re suitable for Vegans.

First Snow sparkly dusting powder; £5.95

This sparkling powder leaves the skin looking like its been kissed by twinkling snowflakes and what’s more, the smell is just heavenly. This has to be our ultimate winter favourite and an essential stocking filler.

Santa’s Lip Scrub; £5.50

A moisturising cola-flavoured lip scrub that leaves your lips scrubbed and primed and welcome for kisses under the mistletoe.

And of course; you’re going to want all of your precious cargo wrapped up in one super, multi-functioning, Eco-Friendly…

Knot Wrap; from £4.50

Give two presents in one with the ultimate re-usable gift-wrap. LUSH Knot Wraps are available to wear, use and most importantly, display proudly under a Christmas Tree, so purchase one this winter for a loved one…or yourself.

For those of you looking for a ready to buy option, LUSH have got their most impressive gift box range yet for you to get your hands on this Christmas. From budget to premium they have got it fully covered;

Budget

Secret Santa; £9.95

Features our two favourite Christmas bath products the Dashing Santa bath bomb and the Peeping Santa bubble bar all tied up in a Santa Knot Wrap.

Mid-Range

Magic Carpet; £38.95

Wrapped in a beautiful Magic Carpet Knot Wrap, this gift set includes the best bits of LUSH including, Fairy Dust dusting powder, Gorgeous moisturiser and Pearl massage bar as well as a few other popular goodies!

High-End

Under the Mistletoe; £79.95

We cannot wait to crack open this one just in time for Christmas, this super-duper loaded gift set have 16 of LUSH’s best including old favourites such as Sex Bomb bath bomb, Ro’s Argan body conditioner as well as brand new soon-to-be favourites, Santa’s lip scrub, Snow Fairy shower gel and the super festive and sparkliest of them all, Five Gold Rings bubble bar.

Before we leave you thinking we haven’t given you any more reason to shop at LUSH, did we mention the LUSH Spa…?

With three locations across London and five other Spas nationwide, LUSH Spa will ensure you will leave with the ultimate blissed out vibes. You can check out a selection of their treatments here as well as product info and online shop;

https://www.lush.co.uk

Tolkien- An Illustrated Atlas by David Day Reviewed by Frances Colville

Posted on October 30, 2015 by Margaret Graham

If you have a Lord of the Rings or Hobbit fan amongst your friends or family members, this little book could just be the perfect Christmas present. It looks fantastic (in both senses of the word) and it’s reasonably priced. The sort of book you could read right through and examine in great detail – or simply dip into when you have a spare half hour.

Designed as a companion to Tolkien’s books from The Hobbit through to the Silmarillion, there is a satisfying mix of illustrations, genealogies, chronologies and maps. An unofficial book, not authorised by the Tolkien estate, it was never intended to be a substitute for reading the original books and you won’t find any complete stories. But you will find a wealth of information which will make following the books themselves more straightforward and arguably even more compelling than they already are. Be careful though if you already possess the Tolkien Encyclopedia or World of Tolkien or the Tolkien Bestiary as some of the information included in those books is repeated in this new one.

Even if you are, like me, not someone who knows your orks from your ents and doesn’t particularly care about the exact time-line of the development of Middle Earth, you will find much to like in the artwork, the varied fonts and the colour and feel of the pages on which this book is printed. The faux leather cover is a work of art in its own right – much more interesting than it sounds. And as far as I can tell, not being an expert on the subject myself, the author David Day knows his stuff.

Tolkien-An Illustrated Atlas is published by Cassell and is available in bookshops now.

Warwick Rowers Launch Their 2016 Calendar

Posted on October 29, 2015 by Frostie

It’s that time of the year again, and the Warwick Rowers are back to tempt us with their biggest ever range of naked athletic eye candy. As well as a stunning 2016 calendar with both full page pictures and monthly planners, there are no less than three new films, shot in England, Spain and the US, a massive range of bonus downloads with over 2000 images, and a limited edition coffee table book that has sold out half its edition already – despite a price tag of over £200!

The calendar, which was shot on location at a beautiful English country house and a stunning Spanish villa, marks a step change for the sexy sportsmen. Tristan, making his second calendar appearance, explained:

“After six years of working with strategically-placed oars, we wanted to do something slightly different. So we imagined what an ideal summer might be like, with the racing season over and college out of the way. That’s how we found ourselves playing croquet and drinking Pimm’s at an elegant country house in England, then working on our all over tans at an incredible villa near Marbella. Not like our real summers, sadly, where we were doing internships or working at the local supermarket.”

As has become a tradition, the calendar launches with a hot new video that is free to share. Last year’s video has been seen by over six million people, and the boys are hoping that this year’s video will prove equally popular. Tom, whose ex-rower grandfather encouraged him to sign up for both the sport and the calendar, joked:

“We haven’t quite broken the internet yet, but we think it’s safe to say that every year we add a few more cracks!”

Butt jokes aside, there is a serious side to the project, too. The calendar has become famous for its association with Sport Allies, a charitable initiative to challenge homophobia in and through sport. Sport Allies’ review of the existing research has shown that LGBT students who take part in sport at university are 50% less likely to take part in team sport (NUS survey), but that students who take part in team sport are more likely to go on to lucrative careers in leadership roles (Cornell study). In a joint statement published in the calendar, the Warwick Rowers and Sport Allies address this finding:

“Sport can and must play a better role in our society. We believe that sport should be an opportunity to discover and fulfill your potential as an individual, whatever your sexuality and wherever you sit on the gender spectrum. That is why the vision of Sport Allies is to see “a world where sport is a leader in celebrating difference”. “

As well as contributing funding to Sport Allies, the Warwick Rowers hope their calendars will help get that message of inclusion out there. The laid back theme of this year’s calendar has allowed the rowers to show how comfortable they are with their bodies, their gay supporters and with each other. As the rowers themselves say in the video:

“For the 2016 calendar, we want to show the kind of men we aspire to be. Men who are not afraid to embrace people of every gender and sexuality, and to show our affection for each other. Because we think that’s a message that everyone needs to hear.”

All Warwick Rowers goods, including their new 2016 calendars, films, bonus downloads and limited edition book, are available to purchase now at warwickrowers.org.

NEVER GIVE UP: Jane Cable On Organising a Charity Litfest

Posted on October 28, 2015 by Jane Cable

Author and Frost contributor Jane Cable writes her final blog about organising a charity litfest in aid of Words for the Wounded. The big weekend finally arrived… but was it a success?

I am sitting on the floor of my study counting the money. For the second time. My husband, a chartered accountant, has already done it once but I don’t really believe he’s got it right.

In front of me is £793 in cash. We’ve raised £100 from the auction, which leaves us just short of £900. Bugger. But then I remember one of our Chindi Authors giving a cheque directly to Words for the Wounded founder Margaret Graham so I’m claiming that too. What a spectacular result.

Especially as less than a week ago I was wondering if we should cancel the lunch. Was it really worth asking Elizabeth Buchan to travel down from London to speak to twenty people? Could we even ask Woodies to close their doors on a Saturday lunchtime for so few?

Naturally my marvellous Chindi Authors’ partner in crime Christopher Joyce talked me around because within a few days we had bookings for 34 and I had no qualms about making the final arrangements. Books to sell were collected together, Mason & Mason Wines dispatched an appropriate number of bottles and final directions were sent to our guest speakers. We were on our way.

Of course things never do run entirely smoothly and Matt from Woodies Brasserie was left to cope alone when his waitress phoned in sick. He made coffees and teas, set out the wonderful buffet, poured wine and collected dirty plates and bowls; just one of the people who finished the weekend deserving a medal.

Another was Elizabeth Buchan who spoke with such passion about the history and characters behind ‘I Can’t Begin to Tell You’ that we sold every copy within minutes of her sitting down. And then there was W4W trustee Jan Speedie, a quiet yet reassuring presence throughout Saturday. Not to forget various burly rugby types in the Park Tavern on Saturday night who pushed notes rather than coins into our collecting buckets. Or the waitress at breakfast in Carluccios on Sunday morning who looked after us so well and took her tip in books left on the swap table.

The main reason we raised so much money though, was Margaret Graham. Both at Woodies and the Park Tavern she spoke eloquently about how the money raised by W4W is used. We felt we came to know the family of the tetraplegic who now has a dog to increase his independence. We understood the importance of providing a garden for the mother of a soldier who was brutally murdered by extremists. It hit home how lucky we are, our lives having been unaffected by massive injuries capable of stripping away every hope and dream. Or at the very least forcing a radical rethink.

For these wounded service personnel giving up isn’t an option. However hard it felt at the time, what we did to raise funds to help them was tiny compared to the mountains they will have to climb every day for the rest of their lives. I think that’s the biggest lesson I’ve learnt from organising a charity event: start it because you can; finish it because you have to.

Learn more about the work of and how you can support…
Words for the Wounded: www.wordsforthewounded.co.uk

A Lesson from Auschwitz Theatre Review

Posted on October 28, 2015 by Paloma Kubiak

‘Vermin’, ‘parasite’, a ‘flea’ that needs to be exterminated. Those are the vile words that are shouted at the Jew who weeps and repents his actions on the stage.

For we the audience of A Lesson from Auschwitz at Churchill Theatre in Bromley are the next generation of Nazi SS soldiers being brainwashed to treat the victims of the holocaust as worthless sub-beings.

An intimate production by Brother Wolf, the play consists of just two actors: the intimidating Rudolf Höss, played by Eric Colvin as the Nazi soldier, and Abraham Könisberg, portrayed by James Hyland, who barely manages to stand on his feet.

He wears a chalkboard around his neck, etched with ‘Ich Bin Zurük’, meaning he’s an escapee.

Unfortunately, he is now to be punished and made an example of in-front of the roomful of trainee Hitlerites.

It makes for uncomfortable viewing, as the lesson from Auschwitz is actually 25 lashings against the prisoner’s blistering back.

And with each rise and fall of the whip, we’re told that showing sympathy towards the prisoners is a sign of weakness, how no Jew is spared – women and children won’t leave the camp alive and how a ‘genius’ has developed a deadly gas substance which can kill more than 2,000 people per day.

Even better, the healthy Jews will build the contraptions ie the showers, which will ultimately kill their own kind – it’s ‘political hygiene’ at its finest.

The rest, as they say, is history.

It’s hard to find anything enjoyable about this play given the bleak subject matter, and in all honesty, I was relieved it was over after just an hour.

But Hyland, the SS soldier, was convincing as the dominatrix and Colvin pulled on all the right emotions.

We’ve all heard the tales of horror and survival from the camps, but what was different about A Lesson from Auschwitz was how it flipped the norm so it was told from the side of the Germans.

However the tales of death and destruction in Nazi-occupied Poland are retold, the lessons from Auschwitz must live on today so that history never repeats itself.

In commemoration of the 70th anniversary since the liberation of Auschwitz, the play’s dedicated to all the victims – those who were murdered and those who survived.

Discover bagsy Make-Up. Your Handbags New Best Friend.

Posted on October 28, 2015 by Kesh

British-born bagsy started out big, working for global beauty brands. From all of their expert knowledge they decided to take the best of the market and curate a perfectly designed capsule collection that’s easy-to-choose and easy-to-use. The products are effortlessly fuss-free and stand alone as individual, clever formulas presented in iconic, compact packaging and a colour palette to compliment any shade of skin.

We tried out some of bagsy’s top picks for darker skin tones and here’s how we got on;

First up Pretty Cheeks blush £16;
Shade; Velvet Coral.

With it’s high pigmentation, this is designed to perk up your complexion whilst still appearing soft and subtle. This creamy blush is so light and almost feels like a layer of mousse across your skin without looking too ‘caked’ on. I absolutely loved the texture of this and it was so easy to apply with its dome-shaped design. This lasted all day on my skin and instantly gave me a little face lift and a softer appearance. It’s convenient to apply on the go and this really has become a staple in my make-up bag. This has been a stand out colour of any blush I have tried in the past, with just the right balance of glow and radiance, the Velvet Coral gave my face an instant lift and also enhanced my contour routine.

Ray of Sunshine bronzer £18
Shade; Medium Dark

This matte bronzing powder compact is effortless, luxurious and gave a natural radiancy to my skin. I’ve always had difficulty selecting certain bronzers as many brands tend to have a lot of sparkle pigments in them which can look like i’ve swept a big line of glitter across my face, but this bronzer was designed to give you an effortless glow and to even out skin tone, which is just what it does. The packaging is chic and bagsy’s nice little touches such as the quotes they have chosen to print on their products/packaging will never fail to make you smile.

Wow Lips lip pencil £12
Shade; Killer Heels

The Wow Lips collection as with all of the bagsy range, is presented in a smart box with a few striking and highly pigmented colours to choose from. This chubby lip crayon is long-lasting and really moisturising as well as giving good coverage. This was my favourite product out of the collection as it really was such a high quality and lasted most of the evening with very little touch-ups. The formula used to make Wow Lips contains nylon and spherical powders which is why this brand new make-up bag staple has a serious comfort-factor as well as stunning coverage.

The bagsy range is available to buy from Feelunique.com and launched into Debenhams stores nationwide October 2015.

http://www.bagsybeauty.com

Spa Technologies UK Flower Peel Review

Posted on October 28, 2015 by Frostie

We reviewed Spa Technologies UK new Flower Peel. This is a gentle peel that really does the job. It made skin brighter within days and glowing when used longer term. This great peel has a lasting effect on skin. The ingredients are natural and even sensitive skin can use this peel. This flower peel is impressive: a great product that genuinely improves skin and combats fine lines. Frost loves.

Spa Technologies UK are delighted to announce the launch of their exciting new Flower Peel to their growing, all natural, seaweed based skincare range.

Anne Gray found of Spa Technologies UK says,

“There is nothing out there like the Flower Peel, the texture, the ingredients and the results are stunning. Our unique Flower Peel works on all skin types for anti-ageing, acne and sensitive skins.

The main active ingredients of the Flower Peel are:

Hibiscus Flower Acids, Green Tea, Laminaria Algae, Hyaluronic Acid, Flower (Pyruvic) Acid and Seaweed Based Gel.

“These actives help to thicken and strengthen the skin around the eye so help to diminish crows feet. Fine lines boost collagen to firm our skin and also help with uneven skin tone and improve acne scarring. Our Flower Peel is rich in essential fatty acids for skin repair.”

Their clinical studies shows that the Flower Peel is:

9% more hydrating than lactic acid and non-irritating

20% greater cell renewal compared to other AHA’s (Alpha-Hydroxy Peels)

30% greater anti-wrinkle activity compared with AHA’s

There is a gentle exfoliation without the irritation that is normally associated with alpha-hydroxy peels.

Like other Spa Technologies UK products the Flower Peel nourishes and feeds the skin – doing more than just a quick fix.

“Using the Flower Peel daily you will see within days healthier, brighter looking skin with great improvement on lines around the eyes.”

Alpha hydroxyl acids have dominated the skin care market now for the past two to three decades introducing ever more powerful acid complexes to exfoliate skin.

The promise was to stimulate new cell growth leaving a smoother more youthful skin. Many skin care companies embraced AHA’s and retinols in the fight against wrinkles and aging skin.

However in the rush to differentiate themselves in the marketplace, companies added greater concentration of AHA’s to their formulas ranging from 5 and 10% in the beginning to 70% and more with the promise that more is better.

The problem with this approach is evident to us: Over exfoliation leads to over-processed skin; and this can lead to irreversible skin damage.

Now out of South Africa comes a new generation of AHA’s extracted from the Hibiscus Flower. These ‘flower acids’ are more than acids.

They are a highly complex pure extract of the hibiscus flower comprising a wide variety of acids as well as powerful antioxidants.

The result is a multi-functional ingredients that gently promotes exfoliation while nourishing the skin with protective antioxidants with anti-inflammatory properties to strengthen the skin’s support matrix and firm the skin.

Spa Technologies UK recognised the need for a less invasive approach to skin regeneration by creating a strong flower acid peel within a seaweed polysaccharide delivery system.

The result is a peel without the burn with the objective of skin firming.

Here is a breakdown of the unique phyto-chemistry of Flower Acids.

Bio-Complex of alpha hydroxyl acids—Phytic, Pyruvic, Mandelic and Azaleic which provide a gentle exfoliation while stimulating collagen synthesis

Polyphenols are powerful antioxidants. Tee et al. 2002 assessed the antioxidant properties of Hibiscus by comparing its activity with those of BHA and b-carotene

Anthocyanins (deep purple pigment in the flower) are a major component of hibiscus that reduce oxidative stress on DNA and act as a sunscreen in absorbing UV rays (Duhn et al, 1997)

Compared to conventional AHA’s, flower acids from hibiscus are:

50% more hydrating

20% greater cellular turnover than AHA’s and salicylic acid

30% reduction in appearance of wrinkles by inhibiting elastase and hyaluronidase breakdown of connective tissue

Anti-Inflammatory properties exhibiting an absence of the ‘burn’ (Levy and Goldschmidt 1979)

Ironically this has been somewhat problematic in convincing clients of its efficacy.

The lack of a burning sensation leads some to assume that the product is ‘not working’ as it should.

This is a misconception.

The pyruvic acid being a second generation acid exhibits greater keratolytic properties similar to the properties found in salicylic acid.

This acid dissolves proteins responsible for cell adhesion due to its higher keratolytic effects more effectively than lactic acid.

Moreover, as these acids are formulated into a seaweed polysaccharide base extracted from Laminaria and Fucus algae, the non-irritating benefits are enhanced.

The Flower Acids of Spa Technologies UK augmented by the marine algae polysaccharides have numerous applications in the treatment of blemishes and helps relieve the symptoms of rosacea, eczema and psoriasis to calm inflammation and restore stronger, more youthful looking skin.

The Spa Technologies range contains no animal products.

www.veganbeautyskincare.co.uk/product/flower-peel-30ml

£25 for 30ml.

Frost Magazine

Books and Lifestyle

Monthly Archives: October 2015

Fashion International London Fashion Week SS/16 Day Two – Omar Mansoor

Have a LUSH Christmas and give back this Winter.

Tolkien- An Illustrated Atlas by David Day Reviewed by Frances Colville

Warwick Rowers Launch Their 2016 Calendar

NEVER GIVE UP: Jane Cable On Organising a Charity Litfest

A Lesson from Auschwitz Theatre Review

Discover bagsy Make-Up. Your Handbags New Best Friend.

Spa Technologies UK Flower Peel Review

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: