Very hot pants...

They’re not the sexiest of knickers.  Oooh, no.  

     But in every way, these are the hottest pants around:  a staggering 275,000 pairs were sold in just the first five months.  And their Facebook page (click here) got 21,000 hits in a week after Hotpants’ new designs were launched.

     The secret:  worn for a workout, they up your body temperature, increase perspiration and – apparently – make you burn more calories, as a result.  (The equivalent of a 60-minute workout in 30 minutes, so we're told.)  We sort of think of them as FitFlops for the bum.

     But Hotpants aren’t just for the gym, or your half-marathon training:  they recommend wearing them around the house.  Under your clothes.  For doing the chores.
     Lose weight while you dust, sweep and clean the windows...?  
     Now that is sexy.
    
www.zaggora.com

Find Zaggora on Facebook if you click here

Calvin Klein: third time lucky...?

We have been in this business for a l-o-n-g time.  And sometimes, we feel like we've seen it all before.
     And when it comes to Calvin Klein make-up, we kinda have.
     Jo actually remembers chatting casually to Calvin in the early 80s, when he came over to Brown's fashion boutique to launch his very first make-up collection, in its brick-red packaging.
     Then there was the silver-liveried incarnation, in the 90s.  We had some real favourites, in that range, before it sunk without a trace.  (Or maybe a smudge.)
     But soon, Calvin Klein cosmetics will be back, in its third incarnation (courtesy of Coty):  ckOne, a 130-product line launching globally in March, with an ad. campaign directed by the talented Fabien Baron.
     Here's your preview.  Personally, we can't wait to get our hands on it.  (And put it through its paces, with our Beauty Bible testers.)
     Fashion, fragrance, now faces.
     And fingers firmly crossed, this time.

It's a paraben amnesty...

We get a lot of e-mails from worried beauty-hounds about parabens.
     Beauty Bible's perennial answer is that despite the reams of bad press, the jury's still out about the long-term impact of these preservatives - and that other factors (diet, exercise, bad sunburn etc.) probably have a much bigger impact on individual cancer risk than parabens, in the concentration you'll find them in, in beauty products.
     But still, but still...
     For women who remain concerned, there's a radical promotion going on at Neal's Yard Remedies until Wednesday.  Take in your paraben-preserved products, and you'll get 20% off Neal's Yard's non-paraben products.  Which are also free of GMOs, silicones, synthetic fragrances, phthalates and nano.  (The last two definitely feature on our ingredient-anxiety list.)
     As amnesties go, it may not be up there with guns and knives.
     But if you want to ditch your conventional skincare and go green, this could definitely be your moment.
    
For your nearest Neal's Yard Remedies store, click here

Mirrors, mirrors, on the wall...

We're often struck (as we do our regular 'Through The Keyhole' into other people's bathrooms) of the decorative importance of symmetry.
     As in this bathroom (which belongs to designer Neisha Crosland, and showed up on the Everything Fabulous blog).
     The twin sconces.
     The pairs of linen towels, draped over matching rails, beneath a double basin.  (How we lust after one of those.)
     The double doors, beckoning us in.  (They're a gorgeous Chinoiserie design, FYI).
     So as the weekend draws nigh, it just remains to say:  hope you find yourself luxuriating somewhere equally gorgeous, in the next 48 hours.
     With love from the two of us.

www.everythingfab.com

Chantecaille's Reef Encounter

We've always applauded beauty companies that give back.
     And no, we're not cynical when brands do this.  Even in a small way. We share Big Chief Sitting Bull's philosophy (OK, so this is a bit deep for a couple of beauty editors, but here goes):  'We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors;  we borrow it from our children'.
     And the same applies to the oceans, of course.
     So:  good for Chantecaille for partnering with the Marine Conservation Institute, to help protect coral reefs - at risk due to pollution, over-fishing, global warming.
     The fund-raiser comes in the form of an exquisite Coral Reefs Palette, featuring perfect-for-now shades of shadow (and a pretty coral pink blusher).  It's a splurge, rather than a steal (at £73) - but to us, the 5% donation is still a beautiful gesture.
     And wouldn't it be nice to see the creators of mass-market make-up following Chantecaille's lead...?
     If every cosmetics brand did something, the world really would be a more beautiful place.
     So we're throwing down the gauntlet.
     (Or maybe the flipper.)
     Because we want to see our industry do just that.

Chantecaille:  www.chantecaille.com
To read more about the Marine Conservation Institute, click here

     

Our favourite Downton male...

... isn't Lord Grantham.  Or even Mr. Bates.
     Actually, it's our own David Downton, illustrator extraordinaire, who's put pen to paper and conjured up exqusiite images for (almost) every Beauty Bible we've ever written.
     So imagine the rosy glow of pride when Oscar de la Renta's delectable new Live In Love fragrance landed on our desk - featuring this pinktastic David Downton confection on the box.
     We can't remember another illustrator ever having his work showcased in this way.
     So that surely is the sweet smell of success...

www.daviddownton.com
    

Gel talk from O.P.I.

Beauty Bible had coffee with the glamorous Lena White last week:  nail guru, talon-spotter and the savvy manicurist-turned-businesswoman who introduced OPI nailcare to these shores, 29 years ago.
     Consequently, we are seriously excited about OPI's big news:  gel nails, which literally just launched in their Selfridges salon.
     Not just any old gel nails, mind.  A 'kinder' type that doesn't require acetone baths, for removal.  (That's what's put us off, up till now:  acetone can seriously trash the real nails, underneath.)  Indeed, you can even remove these gels at home, if you choose, rather than traipsing back to your manicurist.
     Though we predict you'll be happy to pay a return visit - after a full three weeks! - and have them done again.  A minute under the UV drier, and you're good to go.  (No more annoying dents or smudges as you wend your way home).
     Add to that a choice of 30 shades (see above - including top-selling classics like shimmery pale pink Princesses Rule and Malaga Wine).
     And we say:  gel manicures...?  Someone finally nailed them.

Find OPI on Twitter if you click here, and on Facebook by clicking here
www.lenawhite.co.uk
OPI at Selfridges - call 0207-318 3401