From Louboutin make-up to naked lifeguard bus tours...

• Beauty
• 05 May 2012
• by Alex Zagalsky

Here is the latest news from the world of fashion & beauty... we don't know what we are more excited about, the relaunch of Paris's most avant-garde label or Mr. Christian Louboutin's new foray into beauty...Arm yourselves with the info so you can prepare yourselves for the waiting lists! 

Beauty 

Marks & Spencer may not be the obvious destination to indulge your latest make-up lustings, but check out the store's debut Limited Collection cosmetics range, including these fun bronzers. Look out for the lipstick in Candy pink, it's already creating a buzz on the blogosphere. Launched May 12.

If you like these, you'll fall in love with Paul & Joe's new Shakespeare-inspired beauty range, Midsummer Nights, which features all sorts of pretty, delicate things including the adorable shimmering pressed powder called Fairy below, with pastel butterfly pattern.  The collection will be available at Asos this week apparently (we can't see it there yet, but keep trying over the weekend!)

John Lewis's new beauty hall in Oxford Street reopens this week after a multi-million pound refurbishment. The new look was modelled on the idea of a town square with the premium cosmetic brands positioned like houses around a central area. So now when you say you are going home, you can say it to mean Chanel, Dior and the new Jo Malone shop!



Speaking of grand scale projects, the Crown Prince of Sexy Shoewear, Christian Louboutin, has just announced that he is branching out into beauty - the collection will be released late 2013. We are dreaming of the packaging already, black gloss with an underbelly of Louboutin red, we hope!

Diamond Jubilee paraphernalia is becoming ubiquitous, everyone is jumping on the Royal bandwagon, and Vaseline has joined the brigade too, although we do quite like their little Union Jack pouch, complete with mirror and just big enough to fit your little pot of Lip Therapy. £3.99 from Superdrug and Sainsbury's. 

Lanvin's Jeanne Couture fragrance (the fashion house's first in four years) is selling at a scary rate on beauty counters. The pretty purple bottle with matching neck ribbon ( a nod to designer Alber Elbaz's bow tie) is a spicier, sexier version of the original scent with top notes of raspberry and violet, and a base of cedar and musk. It was launched last week, and is already a best seller. It's £55.50 for 50ml, we work that out at about 50p a spritz, not bad for a piece of Lanvin!

Fashion 

In case you may have forgotten (unlikely unless you live on another continent!) the Olympics are coming to town and sportswear is getting the Team GB make-over. We loved the Stella McCartney Adidas range, but who can afford the £100 price tags?! River Island have also collaborated with the brand and will be launching the collection in stores on May 20. Not every piece is gold medal worthy, but we do like the white hoodie below!

If you're in Regent's Street this weekend and want to catch some alternative sights, head to the new Gilly Hicks and Hollister flagship store which opens its doors on Saturday - obviously the clothes are preppy cool, but the salesboys aren't bad either, and invariably they walk around with their tops off. We know chasing 17-year-olds is a tad seedy (Caroline Flack you know we mean you) but a bit of ogling is fine! Oh and apparently the store is celebrating its launch with a 'hot lifeguard' bus tour, with loads of topless guys chucking free Gilly Hicks underwear into the crowds...bizarre! 

La Petite Salope, which specialises in sexy bodycon dresses, has just launched an e-commerce site. The name is deceiving, the label is an East-end operation with all pieces manufactured in the Capital. We love this Vest Dress in bright coral, £590. Very Victoria Beckham!


 
New York's Metropolitan Museum is currently hosting Schiaparelli and Prada: Impossible Conversations, a celebration of two labels with a similar vision from very different eras. Elsa Schiaparelli was a friend of the Surrealists and her designs were notably avant-garde and imaginative. There are many aesthetic and aspirational similarities between Elsa and Miuccia, but perhaps Prada has a competitor on the horizon… It has just been announced that Maison Schiaparelli, which closed its doors in 1954, is to reopen in Place Vendôme in Paris this July. Its new ambassador will be Farida Khelfa, a former muse of Jean Paul Gaultier, Thierry Mugler and Azzedine Alaïa. We wonder if the label will one day reissue the famous lobster dress (below) created by Elsa in the 30s in collaboration with her close friend Salvador Dalí. Anna Wintour wore a similar version to the Met Ball last week by Prada! Maison Schiaparelli will focus its first collection on accessories, so maybe a lobster handbag awaits!