Tip Of The Day

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Quote Of The Day

David Pena Pics.

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Samantha Cameron Is Patron Of The GOSH Ball

The Prime Minister's wife, Samantha Cameron has been chosen as this year's patron of the Great Ormond Street Hospital Children's Charity Christmas Ball. "I'm delighted to lend my support to this special event that we hope will raise a substantial amount of funding for Great Ormond Street Hospital Children's Charity," Mrs Cameron said.

The Dickensian Ball which will take place at Harrods tomorrow, December 1st, was inspired by author Charles Dickens for his early support for the charity. The event aims to raise £500,000 of much needed funding for the children's hospital in order to buy a range of lfe-saving equipments, from defribillators to incubators. An extensive guest list have all already RSVP'd, including Liz Hurley and Tamara Ecclestone, who will all be asked to donate and pledge money to the charity.

We love Great Ormond Street Hospital for their life-saving work, and having saved the life of a child very dear to us, so we encourage all to help their charity. For more information on the charity and to donate, visit Gosh.org.

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Couture Diaries Is On Facebook!

Just a quick note to let all our glamorous readers know that we are now on Facebook. 'Like' our page for regular updates on posts or even just to leave your thoughts or let your friends know what you enjoy reading about! Click here for our Facebook page: Couture Diaries On Facebook 

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Is Your Bottom A Tomato Or A Potato?

Designers of the Wonderbum dresses have stated that women's bottoms all come down to 4 different shapes - the pear, the tomato, the potato & the nectarine!

Supermarket Asda's clothes line - George, has created a line of £20 Christmas dresses in a bid to cater for women of all shapes & sizes. George teamed up with bottom expert Dr David Holmes to conduct a survey of 18,000 females, which found that an astonishing 85% of women are unhappy with their derrieres!

Dr Holmes, who is a psychologist at the Manchester Metropolitan University has said: ‘In the 21st century the derriere shape has improved for some with modern exercise regimes and diets. For most, however, the effect of plentiful attractive food has taken its toll and the cartoon perfection of spherical derrieres has given way to softer, rounded tomato derrieres, the wider, flatter pancake shapes and the less defined potato rears.’ 

He further adds that he has already produced a scientific equation for the perfect behind, based on shape, bounce, firmness and symmetry. "The perfect female derriere has firmness to the touch and a resilience that prevents undue wobble or bounce, yet looks soft with flawless skin," - well that means all of us then!

So how do you define what shape you are? Here's a quick guide:-

The Tomato

Proportion of women: 45 per cent. Plump, round and squishy to the touch, the tomato is fast becoming the norm. It sits best in a tight structured dress which has a firming effect.

The PotatoProportion of women: 30 per cent. The second most common shape, this wide bottom is probably the least fortunate; lumpy in parts, it needs careful dressing and attention. A tulip-shaped shift hides a multitude of sins and will slim and elongate a wide behind. 

The PearProportion of women: 15 per cent. Narrower at the top and almost twice the size at the fullest part, this is trickiest to buy for and the best tactic is a distraction. A long maxi dress detracts from the lower region and a halter neckline accentuating the shoulders balances out the bottom. 

The NectarineProportion of women: 10 per cent. Full and round and pert in appearance. It stands out naturally and – lucky you – you can really show it off in a tight satin dress.

Fiona Lambert, of George, said: ‘Women should celebrate their shapes this Christmas. We’ve designed a range to suit every shape and size.’

The dresses are on sale now in sizes 8-20 from Asda stores.

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What Beauty Products Are In Victoria Beckham's Handbag?

Mrs Beckham recently told InStyle magazine her beauty must-haves that she always keeps in her bag:-• Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour cream.

• Chanel Vitalumiere Satin Smoothing Fluid Foundation with SPF.

• Rose Water (for spritzing on your face to hydrate).

• Pure Aloe Vera, which she slathers all over her face and body before travelling.

Simple, and great!

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Quote Of The Day

"Let me tell you something, Mister. If I had her money I'd be richer than she is" - Audrey Hepburn, Breakfast At Tiffany's. 

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Rumour Is...

We Spy with our little eyes and ears & rumour is...Will Tom Ford be designing a capsule collection for H&M?  Is Simon Cowell going to leave fiance Mezhgan for Cheryl Cole?Refunds galore at H&M - customers returning Lanvin t-shirts? - Our little spy was at H&M yesterday and reports bundles of leftover Lanvin t-shirts and a very rude shop assistant!  Touchee!

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Audrey Hepburn Voted Best Beauty Icon Of All Time!

Audrey's done it again! Skincare brand Olay conducted the 'Big British Beauty Poll' last week, and our ultimate style icon Audrey Hepburn won the title of 'Best Beauty Icon of All Time.' We agree, and so do 20,000 of the rest of British women who voted for her! Well, it just goes to show that you don't need all the hair extensions & plastic surgery in the world to be a beauty - classic always reigns supreme!

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The Queen Visits Abu Dhabi Mosque Shoeless!

The Queen is on a five-day trip to the Persian Gulf, and she arrived in Abu Dhabi last night to meet Islamic Students. As soon as she & Prince Philip stepped off their flight, they were taken to the famous Sheikh Zayed Mosque, the largest in the country.

The Queen then proceeded to take off her shoes, and walk on the largest carpet in the world, which was hand-stitched by 1,200 Iranian women and at 35-tonnes, took a breathtaking 2 years to complete!

The Queen, wearing a gold brocade coat embroidered with Swarovski crystals, also covered her hair with a hat and shawl as a sign of respect. 

She was accompanied by Prince Andrew and Foreign Secretary William Hague & his wife in the visit which is the first in 31 years.

The Queen's next stop is Oman. We wonder if she'll come back with a tan?

William Hague & Wife.

William Hague & Wife Given Tour Of Mosque.

Queen Removes Shoes Before Entering Carpeted Area.

Sheikh Zayed Mosque, Abu Dhabi.

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Couture Diaries Must Have: MAC Pink Friday Lipstick!

We're so excited, we might, err, umm, glee? Well, enough of that, but there is serious excitement here over the new Limited Edition Pink Friday Lipstick at MAC! The satin pink lipstick, donned the ultimate super girlie baby pink hue is a result of a collaboration between MAC and Hip-hop star Nicki Minaj.  Nicki launched the new shade in New York , and now it is available to buy in the UK, yay! But, to make everything even more excitemento, the lipstick will only be available to buy on Fridays, and only for the next four Fridays - from 26th November, yikes! So, hip-hop down to MAC or Selfridges each Friday to get your hands on the covetable lipstick, or alternatively, visit MacCosmetics.co.uk or Selfridges.com while stocks last!

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Quote Of The Day

"Nothing is more honourable than a grateful heart." - Seneca

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Beyonce: 'Why Did God Give Me This Life?'

We look at Beyonce, and think - she's a famous singer/clothes designer, she's married to a famous rapper/clothes designer/label manager, has more money than she can count, lives in a mansion and is world-famous, so what more could she want?  

But apparently the 29 year-old singer is at times, not very happy with her life. 

Seen wearing no make-up, she speaks very openly about how lonely she gets while on tour, in her new documentary entitled 'I Am World Tour' which airs on Thursday as a special.

Beyonce, ranked as the ninth most powerful woman in the world by Forbes, turns the camera on herself, and is seen shedding tears as she ponders: 'Why did God give me this life?'  About this clip she says that it was the hardest clip to show in the documentary, stating: 

'There was one moment I was in China and I was in this huge suite and I looked out the window and there were just thousands of people walking and I couldn't believe my life,' adding: 'I guess I was a bit lonely and I wanted to talk to someone so I opened up my computer and I just talked.'

She further adds of her decision to star in the documentary: 'I wanted the fans to be able to see what I see. It's a lot of things I reveal about myself that I could never give to a director.'

Beyonce, who has sold more than 11 millon albums worldwide, is also seen in the documentary wearing traditional Egyptian coverings whilst visiting the Pyramids in Egypt. 

A special preview clip - aired in the U.S. today -  shows Beyonce pondering as to why she is so successful: 'Sometimes its overwhelming. Why did God give me my talent, my gift, my family. But I know you're not supposed to question God. Only God knows. And I don't take it for granted.'

She also talks a bit about the pregnancy rumours, stating she is not pregnant, but would like to be in the near future: 'One of the reasons I haven't had a child yet is because there are certain things I want to do before I focus on being a mother. I'm not there yet but I'm close.'

We always admired Beyonce for keeping quiet about her personal life and thoughts, but this is a surprise indeed! Her statements have upset many, and that it is definitely understandable. She has everything a woman could possibly want, but is still unhappy, and so is just goes to show, the grass is not always greener on the other side! What do you think? ...

Beyonce Shows Off Ring & Tattoo @ Jewellery Launch

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Quote Of The Day

"The French are glad to die for loveThey delight in fighting duelsBut I prefer a man who livesAnd gives expensive jewels""Diamonds are a girl's best friend." - Marilyn Monroe  

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Design Your Own Polo Ralph Lauren Shirt!

Polo T-shirts. Selfridges Pics.

If like us you love all things Ralph Lauren, then get yourselves down to Selfridges London to have a specially designed Polo Ralph Lauren t-shirt tailored to your own tastes! The Ralph Lauren Menswear department is offering a complete personalisation service which means you get to decide on the fit, colour and logo of your Polo t-shirt, which we think will make the ultimate thoughtful gift for the man in your life! To add a touch of couture, you can also get three initials embroidered exclusively onto your t-shirt! A 'design-your-own' Polo t-shirt costs £95 for the small pony logo & £110 for the large.You're welcome!

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Oprah Wears Victoria Beckham

Ooh La La, it seems Victoria Beckham's clothes label has an ever growing fan base. Oprah Winfrey s the latest celeb to be seen in one of Mrs B's designs, and to give credit where it's due - it s certainly one of the more flattering dresses Oprah has worn. Just goes to show Victoria knows what she's doing! We actually think it looked better on Oprah than the actual model on the catwalk!

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Finally! Lanvin For H&M Is Here...& Gone!

H&M Regent St This Morning. Vogue Pics.

The fashion story of the year finally came to life this morning and was sold out in a matter of hours. The collection went on sale online at HM.com from 7am and an hour later the site crashed due to overcrowding. The store doors were opened at 9am and over 200 people (the first of which had queued from 8:45pm last night!) went in in groups of 30 under the eye of very tight security. As we predicted, all is sold out and already items are on eBay for double the price they sold at! To those who managed to get their hands on a piece - congrats, and to the rest, it's off to eBay!

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Tip Of The Day

"Wear in your new boots this Winter by adding some Vaseline to the inside of the back of the shoe to prevent rubbing." 

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Quote Of The Day

"I don't know who invented high heels, but all women owe him alot." - Marilyn Monroe.

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Exclusive Preview: Sneak Peek At Victoria Beckham's Handbag Line!

We were so eager to find out what Victoria Beckham's first ever handbag line would be like that we scored an exclusive sneak peek. Victoria teamed up with famous accessories designer Kate Hillier to produce the bags, each said to represent a 24hr day in the life of Mrs Beckham. View in full glory below, (although some of them are a bit on the boring side, we love the travel tote which was supposedly designed for hubby David!) Tell us what you think > is it really what all the hype makes it to be or do you think it's nothing special at all? Personally we have a few faves - including the 'Everyday' bag and the big travel tote which is gorgeous simplicity. But for the price range (upto £8.950!) we think a few are not worth it all. According to Instyle magazine, Victoria has said 'A Beckham can replace your Birkin.' Can it really? We'll just have to wait and see....

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Because Every Girl Needs A Shoeperhero!

Who needs Batman or Superman, when there is 'The Shoeperhero!' He arrived at the launch of the Shoe Galleries at Selfridges in September, and he certainly is a hero like no other! Here's what Selfridges.com says about him on his 'About Me' page:-

Blocmedia Pics.

The Shoeperhero or Shoep as some like to call him, is a superhero like no other.He spends his days and nights fighting crimes against shoes - fixing cracked pavements, broken heels, and soothing blisters, as well as listening to the shoe stories of women across the globe - and granting their shoe wishes too.Whether you're desperate for a pair of new season sling backs or need to be carried home in your too-high, but too gorgeous to take off gladiator heels, he's your man.In any shoe crisis he'll come to your rescue when you don't know who else to turn to.

Boo-hiss to all you other so called superheroes! Enter the world of Shoeperhero here: Shoeperhero

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Beauty Tip Of The Day

"Want beach wave curls in your hair, but can't get the right wave angle with your straighteners? No problem - just curl your hair the night before and sleep on it and in the morning you'll have the perfect messy natural beach look!" 

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Quote Of The Day

"It's odd to have acquired this style icon tag because everyone in Shoreditch dresses the same." - Alexa Chung 

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We ♥ The New Chanel Riva Nail Colour ♥

Chanel Riva. Selfridges.com Pics.

Your body is freezing cold but your mind is lazily sunbathing away in sunny St Tropez. Yeah, yeah, whilst that would be tantastic, Chanel is here to inject some real St Tropez trimmings into our cold days with the arrival of their new nail colour - Riva! Inspired by the glamorous destination, the Chanel Cote D'Azure Collection 2011 was presented earlier this year and will be available to buy exclusively at Selfridges from 25th November. It's such a gorgeous Summery Sky Blue shade that it will be sure to cheer you up and add some gorgeous colour to your frozen-blue fingertips!

According to Selfridges.com, Chanel's Director of Make Up, Peter Philips created Riva to complement the mint greens, bright pinks, sky and navy blues that were featured in Karl Lagerfeld's elegant catwalk pieces. 

The limited edition shades are always known to sell-out faster than you can get the shade down, so we'll be seeing you in the queue bright n early then ; )

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The Kellydoscope - 4 Meter Hermes Bag @ Selfridges!

The Kellydoscope @ Selfridges. Selfridges.com Pictures.

All you oversized handbags should hide away in embarrassment - the Kellydoscope is here! Standing at an impressive 4 meters tall, the Hermes Kelly bag stands in 'The Wonder Room' section in Selfridges, London. The bag is made to be every inch the same as a real Kelly bag, which is named after Grace Kelly - Movie star & Princess of Monaco (just in case you weren't already in the know!) Exclusively featuring Hermes' leather & toile fabrics, it even has a life-size side door which you can walk into to see what it's like inside a handbag (*faint*). Once inside you can sit in a specially designed booth to watch a film of it's owner's journey and feel the motion of the bag as it moves.So what are you waiting for? Get down to Selfridges - on show between Friday 19th Nov - Tuesday 30th Nov! It'll be handbags at dawn if you don't get there early - just sayin!

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Tip Of The Day

"Sew some suede or leather elbow patches onto a tweed or even ordinary jacket or cardigan for the English Eccentric look that's big this season, or even just to look a bit posh!"

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Quote Of The Day

"My look is attainable. Women can look like Audrey Hepburn by flipping out their hair, buying the large sunglasses, and the little sleeveless dresses." - Audrey Hepburn 

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Professor Loses 2 Stones By Eating Cakes & Doritos!

Mark Haub On A Convenience Store Diet

A professor claims he lost nearly two stones by eating cakes, sugary cereals, biscuits and crisps for ten weeks! Go on, do tell!Mark Haub said that on the ‘convenience store diet’ his ‘bad’ cholesterol also dropped by 20 per cent and his level of triglycerides, a form of fat, by 39 per cent, according to the Daily Mail.

Professor Haub – who lost 27lb, going from 14st 5lb to 12st 6lb – teaches human nutrition at Kansas State University in the U.S.

He carried out this experiment to prove that in a bid to lose weight, pure calorie-counting matters more than the nutritional value of a meal.His usual day consisted of having one deep fried Twinkie cake every three hours, Doritos, Kellog's Pops & Oreo cookies. He also had a daily shot of double espresso, with his final meal of the day being a protein shake with a can of green beans and a multivitamin pill. Thus cutting his daily calorie intake down to 1,800 from his usual 2,600! During the ten week diet, the professor's BMI went from an overweight 28.8 to a normal 24.9, whilst his body fat fell from 33.4% to 24.9%!On being questioned as to whether he thought his diet healthy or not, he simply didn't know and said:‘These foods are consumed by a lot of people.It may be an issue of portion size and moderation rather than total removal. I just think it is unrealistic to expect people to totally drop these foods for vegetables and fruits.’Before embarking on this diet, Mr Haub says he was a healthy eater, with his diet including wholegrains, fibre and fruit.‘I wish I could say the outcomes are unhealthy. I wish I could say it's healthy. I'm not confident enough in doing that. That frustrates a lot of people. One side says it's irresponsible. It is unhealthy, but the data doesn't say that,’ he said.‘It is a great reminder for weight loss that calories count,’ said Dawn Jackson Blatner, a dietitian from Atlanta, Georgia. Either way we're delighted with the news!! Guilt-free Doritos snacking! Yay!

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Prince William & Kate Middleton Are Getting Married!

Finally, after 8 years of courting, Clarence House announced today that Prince William & Kate Middleton are to be married sometime in Spring/Summer 2011 in London! Reportedly, Wills asked Kate's father for his daughter's hand in marriage (how traditionally sweet!) before popping the question last month whilst the two were holidaying in Kenya.The couple who are both 28, are said to appear in public for photographs later today, where the future Princess will show off her engagement ring for the first time! They will then proceed to broadcast their news with their first ever television interview together tonight.Clarence House said: 'The Prince of Wales is delighted to announce the engagement of Prince William to Miss Catherine Middleton.'Prince William and Miss Middleton became engaged in October during a private holiday in Kenya. 

'Prince William has informed The Queen and other close members of his family. Prince William has also sought the permission of Miss Middleton's father. Following the marriage, the couple will live in North Wales, where Prince William will continue to serve with the Royal Air Force.'

A spokesman at Buckingham Palace said: 'Both the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh are absolutely delighted for them both.'

If Kate decides to follow in the footsteps of her predecessors, her ring will most likely be made from a nugget of Welsh Gold. The custom was initiated by the Queen Mother in 1923 and has been used for Royal brides since. The Queen Mother's wedding ring, the Queen's in 1947, Princess Margaret's in 1960, the Princess Royal's in 1973, Diana's in 1981 and Camilla's in 2005 were all made from the same nugget, reports Daily Mail. 

Well, we hope she will be a peoples' Princess like Diana, she certainly has big footsteps to follow in!

Congrats to them both! 

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Quote Of The Day

"Fashion could be more relevant. It needs to be understood rather than just consumed." - Stefano Pilati (YSL Head Designer) 

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Maison Moschino Handbag!

We blogged about the new Maison Moschino Hotel in Milan which we love (read here), and so we were delighted with our latest find - the Maison Moschino Handbag! How cute is this bag??  Aptly shaped in the style of a vintage house, with on trend colours, what's not to love here? The red 'door' on the front of the bag actually opens up to reveal a mirror (*swoon*) and the little gold clasp at the top is reminiscent of a chimney.

When it opens up it looks even more like a vintage house, with perfect detailing and gorgeous leather, it's unfortunate we can't live in it! The bag is a one-off vintage find, so if you do miraculously manage to get your hands on it, we're sure it will give your wallet and cosmetics purse a good "home"! There's only one thing we can say: "Dah-ling I want!"

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Emma Watson Wears First Ever Burberry Bespoke Trench!

Harry Potter star and face of Burberry, Emma Watson was spotted today wearing the first ever Burberry Bespoke Trench (the service that Burberry is offering which we blogged about here). Watson, who was in the US for the premiere of the final Harry Potter movie, tweeted whilst in Heathrow yesterday : "That's London done, now off to New York! Wearing my favourite trench that Christopher Bailey @Burberry designed for me. Love it! x"Burberry told Grazia that  Chief Creative Officer Christopher Bailey gave his now BFF Emma, the custom-made coat as a gift for her premiere - lucky her!  They didn't comment on how much of the design was Emma's or Bailey's but it suits her pixie hair cut well! Personally we don't like the leather sleeves, it kinda detracts from the whole Burberry-esque trench feel, making it look a tad cheap? It's just our opinion...Watson sported a matching Burberry bag from the Storm collection, was that a gift too? Probably...

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Google to Launch Fashion Site!

Search engine Google is to launch a fashion website named BOUTIQUES.com. Reportedly, the site will work in a similar way to their search engine, but will allow shoppers to save items and looks they adore in their own personalised online boutique. According to Vogue, Sarah Jessica Parker and Katie Holmes have apparently been approached by Google to start up their own personal boutique in a bid to attract other users to do the same.

So how is it different to their current search engine you may ask - well for starters the site will feature a live data feed from it's retail partners, meaning all stock is up-to-date, with latest pictures and items, making the site look like a upper-end boutique rather than a search engine. 

Several designers have already agreed to set up their own personalised virtual store, including Oscar de la Renta and Marchesa (we love!)

So keep your eyes peeled, BOUTIQUES.COM is set to open up it's virtual doors on Wednesday!

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Kelly Preston is NOT in Labour!

Despite rumours on the Daily Mail website and in the Metro newspaper today, it is revealed that Kelly Preston is not in labour! Rumours became rife when it was reported that John Travolta cut his trip to Australia short to fly back to the US to be in time for his wife's labour. But despite these rumours, their rep said: "this story is 100 percent false. She is not in labour. John is in route back to the U.S. as was always the plan for him to return this weekend." We say - silly headliners - get in the know like us ; )

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