The Foreskin Facial

by Amanda // April 5, 2018 // Comments off

Now I’m a sucker for 99% of new beauty treatments, with the exception of the most outrageous. And one new treatment doing the rounds in Beverly Hills has to be one of the worst.

The Foreskin Facial.

Hollywood actresses are gushing about this new creation by British-born New York facialist Georgia Louise, apparently responsible for their “glowing dewy” complexions. The facial uses cells taken from the freshly removed foreskins of new-born Korean babies.

How can foreskins produce such radiant complexions?

Foreskins contain epidermal growth factor (EGF), a cellular messenger that instructs skin cells to renew and repair themselves, resulting in stronger, healthier skin. EGF is also used to regrow and heal skin in trauma patients.

These facials aren’t available in the UK yet, but you can get botanical stem cells from flowers or apples in the form of BioEffect products, as well as Micro needling. Plant-made EGF has a significant effect on the thickness and density of the skin and depth of lines.

Microneedling creates tiny, induced injuries which initiate the building of new skin. There’s also a sheep placenta application, in the form of an overnight serum, but that’s another story altogether.

We all dream of boosting collagen and creating cheekbones, but how far will you go to get perfect skin?

Not that far, in my case.

A – Z Of Fashion Language

by Amanda // April 5, 2018 // Comments off

You’re a Basic Civilian, dahling. Those Zoris are so Of The Moment… ‘You’re totally rocking that Arm Party’ and ‘she’s so Lampshading…’

This is the official language of the Fashion Pack on social media. True insiders are using their own acronyms, words and phrases to exclude anyone not in the know.

So do you want to speak fashion?

Here is the A to Z of fashion lingo nonsense, to love or loathe in 2018.

Arm Party

An arm adorned with several big chunky bracelets. There are now web pages devoted to styling your arm with the correct bangles.

Basic

The ultimate insult. In fashion language, basic means to be utterly predictable. Think Kate Middleton. The term applies to women who still think it’s edgy to wear jeans ripped at the kneeand those who think Ugg bootsare still uber cool. Kate Moss famously called an Easyjet cabin crew member a ‘basic bitch’ whilst being escorted off her plane for being drunk.

Belfie

A belfie is a picture of your bum, taken from behind then posted on social media — ‘bottom’ and ‘selfie’. Think Kim Kardashian.

B.O.T.

That’s Bang On Trend! Say each letter individually, rather than ‘bot’ though.

Civilian

A person who is not part of the fashion world — i.e. normal. ‘Why is she at fashion week? You can tell that she’s just a civilian . . .’

D
Duck face

The deliberate pouty face to make lips look fuller and cheekbones more prominent during a selfie.

DRAZER

A ‘blazer dress’ — an Eighties double-breasted coat but is worn as a dress. Often bum-cheek short.

E
Everything

The ultimate compliment. ‘Dahling, that outfit is everything.’

Extra

So over-the-top as to be ridiculous. ‘Wow! Amanda looks a little extrain those heels today.’

F

Frow

The ‘front row’ of seats directly in front of the catwalk and the most desirable and exclusive place to sit at the shows. As used by A-listers, Vogue editors and (most recently) the Queen.

Fierce

Not angry — this means deeply cool. Think Beyoncé.

Groutfit

The all grey outfit. The grout fit has been celebrated as being chic, liberating and comfortable.

Hair Director

Don’t you dare call them hairdressers.They have a reputation for being fearsome divas, especially when addressed by the wrong title.I

Investment piece

Items of high fashion that increase in value, such as a classic designer handbags or piece of rare haute couture. Or “invest” in yourself by buying an item you believe will score you a job (or, rather ambitiously, a partner).

Jagged edges

Jeans need to be distressed or frayed at the hem to be on trend. “Jagged”, in other words.

Kicks

Never call a shoe a “shoe” in fashion. Kicks is a street culture word for trainers. It was apparently first used to signify shoes in 1897.

Lampshading

Sounds like a weird dating term but is used to describe someone dressed like a floor lamp. Your legs, in thigh-high boots, are the base and your baggy jumper the lampshade. Illuminating.

Mullet

Not the 80s footballer’s hairstyle or a type of sea fish, but an asymmetrical hemline where the hem is higher at the front or side than the back.

Nodel

An insult used in the fashion world to mean ‘Not Models’. Women who aren’t models, but get booked to be mannequins all the same. Often social media stars or bloggers.

OTT

Over The Top. Frequently found in the fashion industry.

Pelvage

Pelvis cleavage. This happens when a dress is slit so high it shows off a bony pelvis. Sans panties.

Quilted

Someone wearing an enormous puffy jacket that makes it look as if they’ve left home in a duvet is quilted.

Raglan

A sleeve style, where one single piece of fabric runs from the wrist to the neck without a shoulder seam. Think bomber jackets and T-shirts.S

Shoefie

A shoe selfie to be Instagrammed, admired and hash-tagged.

Sliders

A type of sporty sandal which slips onto the foot and is ideal for beach to bar, in Ibiza or Mallorca.

Toe cleavage

The edge of your toes showing, when you’re wearing heels. Think Louboutins – which are particularly low-cut so show off said cleavage.

Unitard

Skin-tight garment, which covers the body from neck to ankle. Hard to wear if you have any body fat. So that means 99% of us can’t wear one.

Vent

Not an expression of anger, but a split in a garment which allows you to move — for example, at the back of a pencil skirt.

Wristlet

A small clutch bag with a loop of fabric which can be worn around the wrist, to go hands free.

X-ray fabrics

Sheer fabrics with a translucent effect. Look great on girls in their 20s. Less great in your 40s, though if you want to wear see-through chiffon, be my guest.

Yolo

You Only Live Once. Should I wear red and pink? ‘Yes, obviously. YOLO.’

You

As in ‘it’s very you’ when describing someone’s outfit. Beware, this is an insult and very cutting.

Zori

A traditional Japanese sandal, which is said to be the direct ancestor of the flip-flop. World War II soldiers brought them back to the U.S. and they were re-designed in bright colours in the Fifties.

… a word from the Editor & Blogger

by Amanda // March 30, 2018 // Comments off

Happy Easter Everyone.

Whether you’re celebrating Easter, Passover or just a long bank holiday weekend, it’s still the most calorific time of the year.

My parents came to visit a couple of weeks ago, armed with bags full of chocolate eggs – meant for the family to enjoy this weekend of course. But, sadly they’re long gone. The temptation was too much for me. But looking at the positive, now the fridge is empty, I feel I have done my family a huge favour by saving them the agony of all those calories.

Easter also means DIY, so in order to combat the chocoholic demon inside, I am going to dig up the garden and part-build a drive. That should help burn off the Terry’s Chocolate Orange egg.

I’m just back from a glorious few days in Mallorca where the temperature was edged over 21 degrees – it was so lovely to feel the summer season a mere touching distance away.

Pre-summer diet is ON!

Onto this week’s instalment of Amanda Zips It Up, and we check out the history of the ultimate Easter Bunny – the Playboy Bunny, as celebrated by Kate Moss recently. Plus we decide how old is “too old“ for Leather Skinnies and take a look at the designer trainers copies flooding the high street.

Skinny Leathers – How Old Is Too Old?

by Amanda // March 30, 2018 // Comments off

Let’s be honest, you’re pushing your luck in a pair of leather skinnies post 40.

But a trend is trend.

Rosie Huntington-Whiteley never misses a trend. Every time the 30-year-old model is spotted out and about she’s dressed head to toe in every up to the minute “must-have” item.

She wears leather trousers in a big way. She’s already snapped up the orange £3,050 Givenchy versions and she’s also bagged Saint Laurent’s £565 high-waisted style.

Actress Lupita Nyong’o also loves a bit of leather. Not for the feint-hearted, Lupita pulled off a double leather ensemble that not many people could get away with.

Fellow leather lovers include Jessica Biel, and the gorgeous Julianne Moore, 57, who proves that you can wear them post 50.

So as long as you’re not ‘squelching’ or ‘squeezing’ into a pair of leather skinnies, and as long as you play them down, you can be proud.

I’ll wear mine all the time… right up until the last minute.

The Designer Trainers Copy Takeover

by Amanda // March 30, 2018 // Comments off

I love Zara’s £29.99 pre-folded trainers – even though they look more than suspiciously like the £450 Gucci pair.

Perhaps designed specifically for ‘taking the bins out’, they feature a ‘soft heel’ you can fold down, enabling their spontaneous use as slip ons

Gucci’s ‘Ace sneaker‘ also features a ‘soft leather heel’ that can be worn folded down, as well as having a stripe down the side.

There is a large volume of imitation high-end fashion trainers on the high street right now.

This comes after Topshop launched a pair of £38 trainers that look strikingly similar to Balenciaga’s £595 Triple S sneakers, seen on celebrities such as Bella Hadid and Hailey Baldwin.

So whether you’re wearing them folded or normally, why pay designer prices when you can look just as good putting the bins out in Zara or Topshop.

A History Of The Playboy Bunny

by Amanda // March 30, 2018 // Comments off

So, we’re not talking about the actual ‘Easter Bunny’, but a ‘Bunny’ of sorts, yes the Playboy Bunny. In recent years, Kate Moss reigned as the 40^th Anniversary Bunny, which gives this role a somewhat prestigious and bona fide place in the fashion ranks.

But where did the Playboy Bunny originate and how does it sit in today’s PC world?

The Iconic Playboy Bunny was a waitress at a Playboy Club. Bunnies at the original Playboy Clubs, operated between 1960 and 1988 and were selected through auditions. They received training, and wore a costume called a “bunny suit” inspired by the tuxedo wearing Playboy rabbit mascot. It consisted of a strapless corset teddy, bunny ears, black stockings, a bow tie, collar, cuffs and a fluffy cottontail.

The Playboy Bunny outfit was the first service uniform registered with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. The costume itself was created in 1960. First unveiled publicly in an early issue of PLAYBOY’S PENTHOUSE, it made its formal debut at the opening of the first Playboy Club in Chicago on the evening of February 29, 1960.

The Playboy Bunnies were waitresses who served drinks at Playboy Clubs. There were different types of Bunnies, including the Door Bunny, Cigarette Bunny, Floor Bunny, Playmate Bunny and the Jet Bunnies (specially selected Bunnies that were trained as flight attendants. They served on the Playboy “Big Bunny” Jet). To become a Bunny, women were first carefully chosen and selected from auditions. Then they underwent thorough and strict training before officially becoming a Bunny. Bunnies were required to be able to identify 143 brands of liquor and know how to garnish 20 cocktail variations. Most dating or mingling with customers was forbidden.

The uniforms were custom made for each Bunny at the club in which they worked. Whenever the club was open there was a full-time seamstress on duty. The costumes were stocked in two pieces, the front part being pre-sewn in different bra cup sizes such as B or C cup. The seamstress would match the Bunnies’ figure to the correct fitting front and back pieces. Then the two pieces were sewn together to fit each person perfectly.

There was a woman in charge of the Bunnies in each club, called the “Bunny Mother.” This was a human resources type of function and a management position. The Bunny Mother was in charge of scheduling work shifts, hiring, firing and training. The Club Manager had only two responsibilities for the Bunnies – floor service and weigh in. Before every shift the Manager would weigh each Bunny. Bunnies could not gain or lose more than one pound (exceptions being made for water retention.

Playboy Enterprises required all employees to return their costumes at the end of employment and Playboy has some costumes in storage. Occasionally costumes are offered for sale on the Playboy Auction site or on ebay.

“PC” the whole concept may not have been, but as a landmark item of “work uniform” fashion history, the outfits deserve credit and fond memories.

… a word from the Editor & Blogger

by Amanda // March 22, 2018 // Comments off

Hurrah! It’s Spring 2018, following this week’s Spring Equinox, which apparently signals the “official” commencement of the season.

Following last week’s second visit from the dubiously named Beast From East, we were stranded in Mallorca for 5 hours, unable to fly home to Gatwick due to the wrong type of 3 snowflakes on the runway. In late March.

OK, I know some of you are sniggering and wishing you could have the same complaint. But it made me think – what the hell does one wear during these crazy freezing-cold springtime weeks, just moments away from the Easter holidays – which for me psychologically signals the start of summer.

Well, here’s someone who has it spot on – and it’s not only a guy, but an Arsenal player.

Hector Bellerin, the Premiere League’s most maverick dresser.

The Arsenal defender was in the chilly spring sunshine wearing a bright green, baggy track top, white hoodie, light blue jeans torn to shreds and a chunky jeans chain. I presume his St Patrick’s Day tribute – A Fear of God number, which sells for over £700.

Ballerina was first seen at London Fashion week and he revealed himself to be something of a maverick then. He’s absolutely all over fantastic coats and bright trousers. He wore a coat with golden PJs to a premiere early last year, before turning up to a GQ Style party with bright red trousers and a tartan red coat.

He obviously impressed the FASH PACK because he was then invited to the 2017 GQ Men Of The Year Awards at the Tate Modern. His incredible tuxedo raised plenty of eyebrows as he looked a match for any of the models on show.

I love his ever-increasing confidence. He is entirely at ease with himself wearing Gucci slippers too, and for that I can only salute him.

Onto this instalment of Amanda Zips It Up, and we check out how plastic is used in fashion, plus give you a special feature on Sunglasses for Ibiza 2018. Because if you want really want to start feeling the summer coming on, then a pair of Balearic Sunnies will just about guarantee that.

Enjoy.

The Chanel Bucket Hat – Definitely Maybe

by Amanda // March 22, 2018 // Comments off

Remember Liam Gallagher ‘avin it large’ in his plastic-bucket hat during Oasis’s 90s heyday?

Little did Liam know that decades later, fashion Gods Chanel would take inspiration and re-produce their own version, to create the ultimate fashion accessory of the 2018 season.

An embarrassing rain cap.

Enter: The Chanel Plastic-Bucket Hat.

During this unpredictable period, between our seemingly never-ending winter hibernation and what will hopefully be a summer of sorts, it’s a safer bet to focus more on accessories than on clothing. But if you fall victim to this trend simply because it’s Chanel, then shame on you, because they look ridiculous.

I understand it’s a Chanel hat, it’s expensive and I suppose it will still be a statement piece that’s weather-appropriate in our unpredictable climate. Plus, if you choose a sensible shade, it might go with everything in your wardrobe…

But it’s ugly as hell.

Go ‘mad for it’ at your peril.

The Designer Plastic Bag

by Amanda // March 22, 2018 // Comments off

Now, I get the whole ‘plastic trail’ thing and understand that reusing one’s ‘bags for life’ is valuable in curtailing that trail – as long as you remember to take them out shopping with you.

But what about a fancy fashion plastic carrier bag? You can now buy a plastic shopping bag at posh Céline, but it’s going to cost you.

The bag made its ‘debut’ on Céline’s SS’18 catwalk show by Phoebe Philo – her penultimate for the brand. Among tailored capes, pleated skirts, and structured leather bags, was a clear plastic bag, with the familiar Céline logo on the front. It was a play on the kind of shopping bag you might grab at Tesco, certainly not typical of the Céline boutique itself, which includes paper shopping bags nearly as gorgeous as the goods that lie perfectly packed within them.

As Phoebe is not known to tease the fashion crowd, you’d better believe that baby was going to be for sale – eventually. What a way to bow out of a 10-year career at the helm of the label. With a plastic bag.

From now until May 29, you can get your hands on this very special shopping bag from Céline, though it certainly comes at a price. Ringing the tills at an eye watering £450, the iconic clear bag might be an investment piece, and is certainly a worthy conversation item.

For God’s sake look after it, if you are mad enough to purchase one.

Alternatively, trusty old Amazon offers a personalized plastic bag service at a fraction of the price.

Ibiza & Mallorca Sunglasses

by Amanda // March 22, 2018 // Comments off

It’s the most wonderful time of the year. No, I’m not referring to Christmas. It’s Spring/Summer 2018, which means not long until Ibiza kicks off and it’ll soon be time to absorb those (thus far, barely there) sunrays.

Counting down to imminent Balearic holidays in Ibiza and Mallorca, it’s time to invest in a pair of sunglasses (or two). Although we have our timeless classics, like Rayban Wayfarers or Aviators, there are plenty of new shapes, colours and brands on the block.

Ibiza has a certain ‘image’ when it comes to sunnies. More boho than Mallorca, Ibiza is all about the cool mirrored aviators or colorful cute heart shaped hippy / John Lennon shapes. Mallorca is more about big, flash, diamanté high-end designer offerings, which blend in with that super yacht.

But first, we need to find a “good” pair.

First of all, you’ll need sunglasses that block harmful UV-A and UV-B rays. It’s important to appreciate that not all polarized shades have UV protection: Polarized lenses will shield your eyes from the sun’s glare, which is great n’all, but has nothing to do with UV protection.

Opt for sunglasses that are comfortable and appropriate for where you’re going. Make sure the frame is not too tight, but instead comfortably snug. You don’t want to be running after your sunglasses in case of sudden high winds.

Of course, design is of paramount importance too. Investing in a classic style, like the aviator or the wayfarer, is always a good idea, but they aren’t cheap, so here are a few ideas to get the juices flowing.