Tag: life and style

Hip sip: Bloody marys are so O.V.E.R, It's all about tomato-flavoured vodka shots these days, dont' you know? Photograph: Getty Images

Going up

Jigsaw men's coats Honestly, some of the best we've seen for autumn. From Harris tweed to crimson wool, there's a classic overcoat remix here to suit all ages.

Veep New HBO comedy by the master of the political lol-umentary, Armando Iannucci. With Julia Louis-Dreyfus starring. And we have to wait until June to see this? Sob.

The seafoam hem The only way to do asymmetry in 2012. See Stella's Nesbitt dress. The high street will be on to this look soon, surely.

Jessica Hynes Siobhan in Twenty Twelve rivals Edina Monsoon as the best PR on TV ever.

Beyonc's flat shoe wardrobe Thongs, leopard slippers and hi-tops. Don't go back to the heels, Bey, this is so much better.

Going down

Blue or green Extra gum Do keep UP. Raspberry and Lemon Smints bring the Jonathan Saunders SS 12 colour combination to your Sophie Hulme bag. Strawberry Extra is the bare minimum of handbag jazziness.

Long summer hems and heels It never, ever works. Trust us.

Retro pine-tree air fresheners Plug-in car atomisers are a thing now. See posh perfumier Illuminum.

Making bloody marys Sidestep the celery shopping with a shot of spicy-tomato-flavour Bloodshot vodka instead. Bloody mary in espresso-quick form.

Pucker up: luxury lip balms. Photograph: Observer

"More moisture is lost through the lips than through any other part of the face or body," NHS Choices tells me – forgetting, I imagine, those of us that wee. I'm not great with science. But chapped lips are horrid. Horrid. They make you want to lick them, which just makes them dryer. They make you want to pick at the dry skin, which just makes them bleed. It takes serious, steady application of a good lip balm to get them soft again – you'll probably have to try a couple before you find one that you really like. One that doesn't leave your lips sparkly, or white, or tasting of poison. My current favourite is Clinique's Repairwear Intensive Lip Treatment (21, clinique.co.uk), which looks like a lipstick but feels like being rescued.

Alternatively:
Sisley 39.50, 020 7591 6380
Carmex 4.49, boots.com
Suqqu 32, selfridges.com
Crme de la Mer 40, 0870 034 2566

The matchy matchy look:Jessica Biel, Rihanna and a Stella McCartney model show how it's done. Photographs: Getty; Mavrix/Xclusive

Yes, it's official - you're allowed to match your clothes again
Clashing patterns has been all the rage for what seems like an age - yes this week Fashion Statement rhymes. But Jess Cartner-Morley has just broken the news that in fact matchy-matchy is the new fashion compliment you should be hankering after. Firstly, from Stella to Whistles, there's been the surprise success of this season's pyjama set trend. Secondly, designers and the high-street are backing matching print top-and-bottom sets for next season too. This week Topshop's autumn/winter press preview was bursting with co-ordinating separates in all manner of textures and patterns. Oh and Wendi Deng got in on the act with a nail polish and cuff matching moment during Leveson.

Barjis Chohan's AW 2012 collection: "Young, fashionable Muslims are struggling to buy clothes from the Western, high-street shops" Photograph: Barjis Chohan

Muslim fashion is having a moment
Muslim fashion is worth 59 million globally. Vivienne Westwood proteg Barjis Chohan has just launched a fashion-forward, Muslim-focused line. Harrods are selling abayas. This week Sara Ilyas rounded up how Muslim fashion is having a moment while discussing hijab trends and what fashion labels are doing to target a modern Muslim audience.

ASOS Autumn/Winter 2012 key trends. Photograph: ASOS

There was a lot happening in the world of menswear
Singapore staged a men's fashion week, which Sue-Wen Quek had some issues with. The first London Collections Men schedule was released by the British Fashion Council. As Imogen Fox noted, there are a lot of Christophers (and a Prince) on board for this first men's London fashion week. Savile Row was once again in the spotlight: Charlie Porter thought it needed to "adapt its crafts to the modern world." Gustav Temple meanwhile, argued that there was no place for the likes of Abercrombie & Fitch on this hallowed street. And if this wasn't enough male fashion action then Simon Chilvers' roundup contemplated Russell Brand's select committee look, shoes, and a new knitwear neckline.

Helen Mirren on the catwalk at Dolce & Gabbana's autumn/winter 2012 show in Milan earlier this year. Photograph: Olycom SPA/Rex Features

Dolce & Gabbana made the Invisible Woman giddy
She was attending the first Vogue fashion festival and minding her own business, when suddenly the Invisible Woman found herself whisked off to interview Italian power duo Dolce & Gabbana. She loved them. They talked about older women, botox and chocolate. Obvs.

Madonna launches her first fragrance Truth Or Dare. Photograph: Kevin Mazur/WireImage

Cowell and Madge
Not together. Can you imagine? No, no, no. The world couldn't cope. Instead this week Ask Hadley dealt with why Simon only appears to have two outfits. And perfumer Stephen Nilsen lifted the lid on working with the Queen of Pop on her first fragrance. Cue tales of 8ft high black steel walls and bitching about musk. L.U.V Madonna!

Laura Mercier's Under Eye Perfector

My under-eyes are the colour of stagnant water. After really memorable nights they are even darker, like stagnant water with Ribena poured in. I need help. Some concealers are too dry for the eye and make you look congealed. Some are too dark – you want a shade or two lighter than your foundation, one you can apply in light layers. The ones that click up into little brushes are good, but I like Laura Mercier's Under Eye Perfector (18.50, spacenk.co.uk), which comes in two highly pigmented shades and makes you look like you've had your full eight hours.

Alternatively…

Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer Kit 23.50, bobbibrown.co.uk
Clinique Airbrush Concealer 16, clinique.co.uk
Givenchy Mister Light Concealer 21.50, 01932 233824
Rodial Glamtox Eye Light Pen 35.90, asos.com

Tom prepares to trim his brother Patrick's curls. Photograph: Patrick Kingsley

The other day I was at the watercooler in the office when the deputy fashion editor swept past. "Nice haircut," she said. I swelled with pride. Not just the narcissistic kind – at last! Follical validation from a respected analyst of haute couture! – but fraternal pride, too. For this haircut was not just any haircut. It was a haircut by my brother.

For the past 12 months, Tom and I have cut each other's barnets. You may wonder why I'm sharing this information – we can't see what the fuss is either – but it seems to amaze enough people to demand some sort of demystification. So here goes.

Once a month, I pop round to Tom's flat, we watch The Apprentice, and then out come the kitchen scissors. One time I tried to watch The Apprentice during the haircut itself, but this ended badly. Tom is very dexterous but he needs direction, something I was unable to provide while watching Suralan and co. Facilities in the bathroom, or occasionally the kitchen, are limited. We have a small mirror, a towel, and a vacuum cleaner. "Would you like product in that?" is simply not a question we have the resources to ask.

The shebang all started when we were home last year for Easter. My curls were on the shaggy side, so Tom – always a pragmatist – whipped out the scissors and waved them at me. A tradition was born. From Tom's perspective, the arrangement saves him a bit of money. For my part, I get my hair cut by someone who does exactly what I say.

There have been a few bumps. Quite literally: I'm always leaving divots. In fact, in technical terms, I am a terrible hairdresser. I don't see this as critical – if your hair looks all right from a distance, who cares about a few bald spots? – but on occasion Tom has complained. One time it got so bad that he actually sacked me and employed a professional barber. It cut me deep – hoho! – but he soon came crawling back. He could take only so much chit-chat about where he went on holiday.

DIY haircut tips

▶ Go slow. I tend to hack away like the grim reaper in a plague year. But for best results, only trim a little bit at a time.

▶ Cut at an angle, rather than horizontally – and if you do make a divot, it'll be easier to cover up.

▶ Apply water for easier trimming. But hair shrinks slightly as it dries, so you'll need to cut more conservatively than you think.

▶ When the hair is the right length, reduce its weight by cutting almost vertically from the root. Don't close the scissors completely.

▶ If you do make a divot, don't shorten everything else to compensate. You'll make it worse.

Tangy tub: soak it up with Philosophy's pink grapefruit bubble bath. Photograph: Observer

I have approx two baths a year. Which is not to say I am filthy. It's not to say that, no. I am clean. Clean enough, anyway. But for me, baths only come into their own at times like this; times when the sky is as dark as a mood and the only good place to be is submerged in perfumed water. Bubbles you need: lots of bubbles. And a podcast playing, telling you stories. And a towel on the radiator. For the listening I'd recommend the New Yorker fiction podcast; for the towel I'd recommend one that's been through several washes and has a bit of fight left in it, and for the bubbles I'd recommend Philosophy's Blushing Pink Grapefruit bubble bath (14, boots.com) which is gorgeously unsweet. Now go – bathe.

Alternatively...

Chanel 60, chanel.com Weleda 8.95, weleda.co.uk L'Occitane 19, asos.com Laura Mercier 31, selfridges.com Rituals 9.90, johnlewis.com MOR 40, houseoffraser.co.uk Jo Malone 38, jomalone.com