Beauty Crime: City Grime

For those who work in the city, grime is an every-day occurance. That is why it is paramount to keep your skin in tip top condition. In doing so you will not only feel clean, refreshed and rejuvinated after a long day in the office and subsequent commute, the routine will also act as your insurance ticket against weathering and skin complaints.

Cleanse 

After identifiying which skin type you are (dry, oily, combination) you need to choose the appropriate products to match. For dry skin Clarins Gentle Foaming Cleanser is a steal at £10.95 inc delivery from feelunique.com, as the usual retail price is £14.00. During the current climate this may seem expensive - but remember you are paying for quality and Clarins is a well respected brand amongst industry insiders. Another alternative is Boots Botanics Skin Brightening Cleanser, which combines plant extracts of Sweet Maple, Billberry and Sweet Cane. At just £2.91 this can easily be picked up from your local boots store or online. 

For oily skin types there is Lancome Gel Pure Focus. The rich foaming gel uses micro-beads to deep cleanse the pores, and treats lastingly harmful effects on the skin. Retailing at around £18.50 the dermetologicaly tested cleaner keeps the face oil free for hours.

For those with combination skin types there is Cetaphil Daily Facial Cleanser. This removes sufrace dirt and also non invasive. It can be brought for the reasonable price of £6.96 from www.international.drugstore.com. Alternatively Natural Tea Tree Oil Facial Cleansing Pads are a quick and easy way to cleanse at the end of a long busy day. They can be brought for £3.73 exc shipping from www.puritanspride.com.

Exfoliate

It is important that your exfoliate regularly to maintain a fresh youthful glow and re-juvinate the production of collagen in the skin, as dead skin-cells clog pores. Those with oily skin should exfoliate three to four times a week whereas those with dry skin should only exfoliate 2-

3 times a week to achieve the maximum results. 

Some good exfoliants are as follows:

Elizabeth Arden Intervene 3 in 1 Cleanser, Exfoliater, Primer £18.00 www.debenhams.com

- This product gently exfoliates the skin leaving it feeling moisturized and healthy.

"Honey...Snap Out Of It" Scrub, Benefit £18.50 www.benefitcosmetics.com

- This honey and almond facial scrub smells delicious and leaves your with tantelizilng results. As well as brightening the complexion, and refining imperfections the scrub leaves your face tinglingly fresh.

Botanics Purifying Facial Scrub, £2.41 Boots

- Botanics facial scrub works with natural exfoliating granuals to leave skin refreshed, 

as the ingredients draw out impurities. 

Amour La Mode tip: Make sure that when you are exfoliating the water is not too hot as it can cause broken veins and skin irritation.

Moisturize

A classic facial moisturizer is Olay Original Active Hydrating Fluid. The Olay formula has a milky texture that instantly hydrates the skin and smooths fine lines, its non-greasy formula is perfect for all skin types.

The Body Shop's Jojoba Extra Rich Night Cream £9, is seriously luxe. Leaving the skin soft and supple (The Body Shop also has a day cream version). By using Community Trade sesame seed oil as well as jojoba and avacado oil the sensuous cream is perfect for very dry skin.

Amour La Mode tip: When applying moisturizer use a circular upwards motion. By massaging the skin you are stimulating the blood cells and tone the facial area.

Posh style

 

This is Victoria at her best. Demure and perfectly styled Mrs Beckham pulls of Audrey Hepburn glam with a modern twist. In the top photo she is wearing a dress from her own collection which consists of 10 dresses in all. Cut perfectly around the hips, thighs and bum Victoria has used clean lines and figure hugging shapes in her collection. Teaming the calf-length dress with every girls dream - a quilted Chanel, Victoria asserts that she is still....well..Posh.

The second photo is real glamour. I love the plunging V neckline on the beautiful dress. The tapered waistline balances the boldness of the fur bolero jacket. Posh is practically walking on stilts with sky-scraper platforms in a beautiful patent croc finish, which accompanies the dress nicely. Combined with signature sunnies this does not scream effortlessly cool, it does however scream class.

Fashion Moment: Stiletto

Swathed in white satin and velvet, Catherine De Medici floated down the isle towards her husband - the future king of France - in 1533. Bejeweled in a rose bodice the French court was captivated by the Italian bride. Petite in frame, Catherine wanted to make an impression on her French counterparts, and therefore wore the first ever-documented stiletto.

Derived from the Latin word 'stilis' which translates as 'slender dagger', the stiletto is a spiked heel - which when worn, elongates the legs, elevates the bust and protrudes the derriere. The stiletto is the ultimate optical illusion in achieving a smaller foot. It has similar ideology to the old Chinese practice known as the lotus foot. This is where the foot is bound causing severe deformities but is perceived to be beautiful, as the foot is only 4 to 6 inches long. This extreme example projects societies belief that small is desirable.

Erotica and fetishism are part of the stiletto's appeal. It goes hand in hand with dominance and submission. the shoe flirts with feminism and emulates power, confidence and authority. With masochism and sadism as the stilettos parents; the shoe becomes a material manifestation of psychological power.

After fading into obscurity between the ages, the modern stiletto made a re-appearance in the 1950s. The post war years saw a collaboration between 'it' designer Christian Dior and Roger Vivier who together re-defined the future of the heel. Decorated in elaborate pearls and beads, or constructed in fine silk, Vivier created the stiletto revolution.

The 60s saw Hugh Hefner make the shoe a staple in his bunny's wardrobe , and used a standardized 4 inch heel as regular attire in his infamous Playboy magazine. The stiletto was henceforth adopted by working girls and featured in the punk-rock rebellion.

More recently the stiletto has been taken to new heights, literally. In 1993 Naomi Campbell, wearing a tartan dress and raspberry feather boa, famously fell in mock-croc shoe boots with a 10 inch heel. Then for Prada's S/S 09 collection, towering snakeskin stilettos sent terrified models tumbling down the runway. They may not be practical, but they are terrific. 

Roger Vivier for Dior, Pink stiletto