Category Fashion and Beauty

Perle Noire, sometimes nicknamed the "Black Pearl" is a burlesque dancer from Dallas, Texas. She's performed all over the world to America to Japan. Referred to as "the reincarnation of Josephine Baker", she took some time out from her busy schedule to have a chat with us.

To someone who doesn’t know what burlesque is, how would you describe it?
Burlesque is one of the oldest forms of theatre. Imagine a opulent, fantasy land featuring dancers, magicians, comedians, fire eaters, puppeteers, and strip tease artist. That’s burlesque! It’s a spectacle.Read On...

Everyone has some sort of insecurity about their face or body, from thinking they have unsightly scars or bad skin; we all suffer from bouts of poor self-esteem. Walk into a shop and look at the selection of magazines, on the cover will be a celebrity looking stunning–thanks to good lighting and some tricks in Photoshop–and on the same front cover will be an article relating to how terrible a celebrity looked when caught going to the corner shop without a scrap of make-up on.

Magazines like that have always struck me as being a big hypocritical, on one page they’re saying how well a skinny celebrity looks better since she put on a few pounds, then on the next page will be criticising one celebrity for not shifting the baby weight fast enough...

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It's been a while since our last beauty jargon article, but they're back! And this time it's all about keeping your skin soft, silky and cared for.Read On...

Those famous Katy Perry Twitter pictures would argue a big fat YES, but how much can a bit of foundation and mascara really transform a person?

We live in a society, whether we like it or not, where appearance really does matter. Cheryl Cole isn’t exactly so successful due to her vocals! People are taken more seriously when they make an effort with how they look. First impressions really do count, and don’t expect to be invited back for a second interview if you’re looking pale and pasty. We’ve all seen celebrities without make up and felt better about ourselves, because phew! They don’t all look like goddesses first thing in the morning, like the media would have us believe...

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When you wake up in the morning–or the afternoon, I’m not here to judge–the first thing you think may be more along the lines of “I hope I have some clean pants”, rather than “I hope I get a compliment on my cravat today”, but is the way in which we dress important? In some situations, it’s appropriate to whip out your waistcoat and dust off your brogues, and dressing to impress is a concept that most people are probably familiar with...

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The Oxford English Dictionary says this about flappers:

Flapper. noun. Informal (in the year 1920’s) a fashionable and unconventional young woman.

The word was in use as far back as the sixteen hundreds. The word “flap” was slang for young prostitutes in 1631.  It evolved through the years to be used to describe not only very young prostitutes, but also for very lively and forward girls in their mid-teens. In the early 1900s the word “flapper” was also used to describe young female acrobats performing on stage. The Times carefully described the term “flapper” in the mid 1900s as a young lady who has not yet been promoted to long frocks.

The word “flappers” also became to be used to describe young, independent women after the First World War (1914-1918), when young women and girls were...

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You don’t have to work for a cosmetics company to look amazing, nor do you have to spend a fortune.  There are products in your cupboard that you can use to make you look gorgeous, and there are ones that will cost you no more than a couple of pounds.  It’ll make you never want to spend a fortune on cosmetics ever again…

Exfoliating:

Salt

Salt has an abrasive quality to it, meaning that it helps to scrub away dead skin cells and rough skin.  Salt water also has an antibacterial quality to it, so if you’ve got any cuts on your feet, it will help.  All you need to do is soak your feet in a bowl of warm salt water for a little while.

Sand

Take your shoes off (or wear some flipflops) and stroll along the beach...

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There are some things that everyone, everywhere should own.  They don’t cost a fortune, but some of them can work miracles.

E45 Cream
There’s an E45 cream for almost everything.  It’s also been medically tested and is therefore great if your skin is sensitive.  It doesn’t smell, but it does moisturise incredibly well.

Hand Cream
Hands can get dried out from many things, including washing dishes, hand gel and the weather.  It’s best to have some hand cream and use it on a regular basis, even when your hands seem perfectly moisturised (you want to keep them that way, don’t you?).  And yes, E45 does come in hand cream form.

Foot Cream
Feet are often one of the driest parts of a person’s body (along with hands, knees and elbows), but they’re also one of the hardest working...

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It’s no secret that shampoo is nasty stuff. Every new product that comes out boasts about its wonderful moisturisers, and lists all the “great” ingredients that will fortify your locks (and you don’t know what half of them mean). And you get sucked into it, but your hair has the same flat, boring look as before, and it’s not looking any healthier.

So… stop using it.

About three months ago, I went “poo-free,” as it’s called. I simply stopped using shampoo. In researching how to deal with my thick, wavy hair, I discovered that I don’t need it—that a simple mixture of baking soda and water should do the trick.

The benefits of going poo-free?

It’s better for your hair...

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We’ve had eyes, lips, hair removal and perfume, and now it’s the turn of our faces…

Quick Flick:
Apple
Primer
Foundation
Concealer
Bronzer
Blusher
Highlighter
Yellow Powder

Apple
The apple of your cheeks is the puffy part that forms when you smile.  The section that people like to pinch when they pinch your cheek.

Primer
Primer goes underneath your make-up and acts as a base. 

Foundation
Foundation helps to give you an even skintone and covers up mild blemishes.  To test to see if it’s the right colour for you, you can use the inside of your arm.  If you can see the edges of it clearly, it’s the wrong shade: it should blend perfectly. 

Concealer
Concealer is used to cover up darker blemishes such as spots and under eye bags.  One with light reflecting pigments works best.

Bronzer
Bro...

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