Michelle Mason Street Party Collection for Linea, House Of Fraser

Spotted this cute, everything you need, afternoon tea collection from London based illustrator and product designer Michelle Mason exclusively for Linea at House Of Fraser. 'Street Party' is a porcelain dinnerwear range which features colourful tea time treats; cupcakes, jellies, pots of tea, fancy cakes and swags of bunting across teapots, cake stands, sugar bowls, creamers and teacups and saucers.

My must haves from the collection are the cake stand and tea pot £20 each.

Don't you think these are just perfect for the Diamond Jubilee and Olympic Celebrations this Summer?

Biba Launches Beauty Collection

Last year Biba relaunched its iconic fashion label and this year sees the launch of Biba Beauty a capsule collection of wearable makeup.

The inspiration for the makeup is from the original Biba theme of 1930's glamour and comprises of the following products.

Biba Lip Palette £24 
Luscious and indulgent lip colours in five luxurious shades.

Biba Baked Eyeshadow Palette £26 
Velvety soft mineral eye shadows in opulent shades of molten metal and precious jewels. Use a dampened
brush for intense long wearing colour.

My favourite has to be the Biba Face Palette £34  

Six luxurious eye shadows in gorgeous shades I would use, a rich oyster pearl highlighter and a dewy pink blusher.

All encased in striking Biba packaging.

Also included in the collection is a lipgloss ring, a trio of nail varnishes and false lashes!

Biba Beauty makeup is going to be available exclusively at House of Fraser stores from the 1st October 2011

My Lovely New Compact Mirror!

I have been looking for the perfect compact mirror for some time and now I have found it ..

I am in love dear readers .

It may not be the tiniest of items but it is surprisingly light and slim. It is small enough to fit in the palm of my hand but big enough to be of real use as a mirror. For so long I have used my phone as a mirror but now I  am proud to bring this out.

The make is Model Mirror. This design is available exclusively to House of Fraser stores in their wonderful Apothecary Section. It features 8 battery powered LED's and resembles a dressing room mirror  - so cute.

I think the black with gold lips design (called Good as Gold) is really sleek although it comes in 3 other exclusive designs. The lights come on with a push of a button on the side, but you can use it without the lights if you prefer. The best way to use it is to shine the lights on your face while looking into the bottom mirror. The top mirror has a 2x magnification, scary stuff haha.

It comes in a beautifully soft Chamois Leather pouch that protects it from being scratched in your handbag and also cleans it!

My 'Model Mirror' costs £22, the other designs cost £19.

Battery included.

What do you think? Great gift idea?

NOTD - featuring Deborah Lippmann Nail Polish

Deborah Lippmann  is considered one of the best manicurists in America. She has many celebrity clients including Renee Zellwegger and Gywneth Paltrow.  Deborah has created a range of 45 polishes inspired by her clients and these are worn by many celebrities for events and cover-shoots. I couldn't wait to get my hands on them and adorn my nails in her polish.

This is a more accurate picture of the shade

Today I am wearing Supermodel Nail Lacquer £14 - A pretty coral red (you will need to use at least 2 coats of this to get the colour in the bottle) and on top I have coated with Today was a Fairytale Nail Lacquer £18 - this is a fabulous glitter polish - you only need to swipe it over the nail and you are rewarded with a gorgeous glitter effect with the additional bonus of larger glitter dots. It apparently contains Virgin Diamond Powder for added glitter and shine. I cannot wait to try this with black nail polish as I think it will be stunning!

The red went on like a dream, so easy to apply with an excellent brush.

I am also looking forward to trying out Sarah Smile - created with Sarah Jessica Parker and Boom Boom Pow - a gold glitter shade containing 24k Gold Dust.

What shades have caught your attention from the Deborah Lippmann range?

Deborah Lippmann Nail Polish is available to purchase from House of Fraser stores in the Apothecary Emporium and online at http://www.houseoffraser.co.uk/

House of Fraser Apothecary

One of my favourite department stores is House of Fraser - I have been shopping there for years. When I was working in London I would often pop in and browse the cosmetic counters and never quite be able to resist purchasing something, other times I would enjoy a fabulous lunch in the Albert Roux Cafe which sadly isn't there any longer :-(

These days I am more likely to pop into House of Fraser in Lakeside or Bluewater but the stores are just as enticing.. and even more so now they have launched their new Apothecary section. This section is an oasis of calm amongst the hustle and bustle of the store. I managed to escape into it when doing Christmas shopping and was able to take the time to explore the brands and products. I was like a child in a sweet shop, everywhere I turned there was something tempting on offer.

The concept is to make the Apothecary a beauty destination which will offer a mix of contemporary, classic, niche and global brands, across cult and everyday products.

House of Fraser say that the Apothecary will be staffed by fully trained advisors who care about their customers and recognise that traditional practices are as relevant and desirable as new technology.

As I visited late one evening, the section wasn't manned so I wasn't able to put to the test this claim. Nevertheless I enjoyed mooching about and spotting brands that I hadn't heard of.

Exclusive to House of Fraser are the following brands - Deborah Lippmann nail polishes - something I am keen to try soon , Electric Body skincare and Cereria Terenzi candles. New to House of Fraser are MOR, 3LAB, Hissyfit and Trilogy. They have also created their own range called Apothecary.

Two brands that really drew my attention were MOR and the Lip Nectar priced £16 

Such cute packaging, really different, it had shelf appeal. I have the marshmallow version.

I was expecting this to be smelling all sweet and sugary but it actually smells of peppermint. It is pink in the tube but comes out clear with tiny flecks of gold and pink. It is a really glossy gloss and it gives a slight tingle on application - Nice pout!

The second brand to catch my attention was Body America's Vermont Va Va Voom Face and Body Scrub £7 & Bath and Shower Foaming Mousse £7

I love the attractive, retro designed packaging and the idea of a product containing Green Apple, Maple and Blueberry is appealing.

These products are paraben free and contain organic ingredients. Suitable for all skin types.

The Scrub is an incredibly gentle cream with the actual scrub bits very fine. The foaming mousse is a liquid that is transformed into a mousse by the pump bottle.

Both products had a very pleasant, apple fresh scent. I found them to be enjoyable and fun to use with no drying effects.

I recommend taking a look at this brand and visiting the Apothecary either in store or online at www.houseoffraser.co.uk