The Hangover Post

To kick things off; a massive happy New Year from both of us, we hope you guys had as much fun as we did! Alas, it's that time of year again & after a bit too much food, drink, partying then a bit more food we're not feeling our best. The detox begins & we're not just talking about the green food & mad exercise regime. It's time for a bit of TLC in your beauty regime as well! Here's a top products for giving your body a bit of a rest & time to revitalise:

Left to Right:

Aroma Salts - Stress Releasing 

For all the uni students out there you'll understand how stressful the Christmas holidays can be. The moral dilemmas you face are just too much: more booze or revision? It's a tough one we know. I got these as a present from my Mum for Christmas along with a Aroma candle. Most people who know me know I'm partial to a bath or two & for me it's the perfect way to unwind.

Origins - Clear Improvement

I try to use this face mask at least once every two weeks all year round to clear out my pores but I've definitely used it a lot more recently. It's a tad pricey at £22 but I think it's worth it. I especially like how it doesn't go rock hard on your skin & is really easy to wash off.

Elizabeth Arden - 8 Hour Cream

This is the holy grail product of all fashion & beauty bloggers. It does everything (well pretty much). It's perfect for this time of year when your skin needs a boost. You can use it on all sorts though, from shaping your eyebrows to giving your cuticles a bit of tender lovin' care. You also don't need very much meaning a tube goes a loooong way.

Lush - Mask of Magnaminty

If you're a regular reader you'll know we've raved about this facemask on Alice & Grace before. It's been a god send these past few weeks as the alcohol has taken it's tole on my skin. This may seem like a bit of a facemask overload but when teamed together the Origins & Lush masks work wonders on tired skin.

What are your post-New Years beauty must haves?

Alice & Grace xo

The Ultimate Christmas Wish List (Hint Hint)

Still not posted your letter off to Santa? Here's a few glorious things that every aspiring fashionista should have in her wardrobe/make up bag (hint hint parents)…

1. Topshop Diamond Jaquard Strap Jumpsuit, £55 ~ link

2. Benefit Brow Zing, £23.50 ~ link

3. Bimba & Lola Forget Me Not Earrings, £45 ~ link

4. Longchamp Le Pilage Backpack, £59 ~ link

5. Topshop All Yours Croc Boots, £80 ~ link

Lots of festive love,

Alice & Grace xo

December Beauty Essentials

With the party season in full swing I've invested in a few key pieces to keep myself look flawless (or as flawless as possible after a few glasses of fizz). Having tried and tested these products over the past few weeks it's safe to say I've found a few new beauty bag staples. 

1. Nip + Fab 'Sheer Make-up Fix', £15.99 ~ link

I usually use the beauty bloggers favourite Benefit Porefection but fancied a change (and to save some cash). To my pleasant surprise I actually prefer this primer to the slightly more expensive Benefit one; it comes out in a clear type cream, smells fresh and sinks into my skin quickly. I've also noticed it keeps my make up in place for much longer than the Benefit primer and I never get that awkward foundation shine - perfect for all those Christmas parties.

2. Topshop 'Glow' Highlighter in Polish, £9 ~ link

I love a good shimmer on a night out - it's uber flattering on pictures when you're slightly worse for wear. I've actually started using this highlighter during the day as well which I never used to. A light sweeping across the cheek bones and just under your eyebrows is all you need though; less is definitely more with this product. If you're into contouring this product will be perfect for you.

3. Kiko Cosmetics Foundation Brush, £14.90 ~ link

We've raved about Kiko Cosmetics on here before and when I saw this foundation brush for a purse pleasing £14.90 I couldn't resist. I've wanted to try this type of round brush for ages after they'd used it on me in MAC but couldn't bring myself to spend too much on one single brush. This brush has completely changed the look of my make up, I now need less foundation (saving me a bit of money in the long run) and have a much more even, flawless and long lasting base. If you don't have one of these already I seriously recommend you go invest…now!

Alice & Grace xo

Alice & Grace Love: Mallzee's New App

Regular readers might remember our feature on Mallzee a few months ago (if not take a little look here). Both of us loved the concept & things just got even better; you can now download their brand spanking new app straight on to your phone & have a personalised  shop on the go - fitting in fantastically with our hectic third year lives at the moment.

Not only has this made the whole tailor-made shopping experience even easier you can also connect with your Facebook which means no time wasted filling in questionnaires & forms (& therefore gaining some valuable extra shopping time, perrrfect). Just like the website you can pick & choose your preferred styles & brands as well as asking your friends what they think before purchasing or simply buy straight from the app.

Our favourite bit? Just like before the app is completely free. You can download it here! Mallzee have really grown as a company in the past six months & you can really tell, especially on the app. Lets be realistic, anything that makes shopping easier for us we're in.

It fits in perfectly with our other shopping apps...

Check out the new app & let us know what you think…

Alice & Grace xo

Guess Who's Back, Back Again

You'll all be relieved to know we've been reunited at last after a rather hectic start to third year involving a lot of interning & editing! 

We put together our favourite looks for winter, although we seem to be stuck in time warp of the 90s and 70s; what can we say, we love a bit of nostalgia-we are historians after all! If there's one piece of advice we can give you when in Newcastle is to wrap up. Temperatures have plummeted & we have to stay looking fabulous..ahem. Here we're sporting our current obsessions (scrunchies & statement hats obviously) in Jesmond Dene, ultimate beauty spot in Newcastle - graffiti & all…

Scrunchie: American Apparel, £4.50

Knitted Dress: Missguided, £14.99 

Denim Jacket: Topshop, £55

Necklace: gift

Tights: Marks & Spencer, 5 for £ 3.50

Ankle Boots: River Island, last season

Bag: Zara, £79.99

Hat: Primark, £8

Turtle neck: H&M, £5

Tank top: H&M, £15

Cape: Cejon, £40

Leather jeans: Primark, £10

Boots: Primark, £15

It's good to be back,

Alice & Grace xo

Behind the Scenes: The Courier Christmas Shoot

As you might have noticed we've been a little quiet lately…sadly this is due to third year woes and dissertation deadlines but we're back on form with loads of exciting things coming up!

This week we were both working on The Courier Christmas fashion shoot which was really exciting and slightly wet (Newcastle isn't famous for it's fabulous weather). We were shooting at the ice rink at the Centre for Life which was getting us in the Christmassy mood. 

The theme was all about wrapping up in winter with the ladies sporting smokey eyes and nude lips. Here's a little sneak peak from behind the scenes…

Make Up: Safiya Ahmed & Amy Macauley

Directors: Fran Stephenson, Bex Finney & Amy O'Rourke

Models: Hannah Bullimore, Sara Macauley, Holly Shuttle, Paddy Walsh & Peter Thompson

Behind the Scenes: Kathy Davidson

Watch out for the shoot in print near Christmas!

Alice & Grace xo

Diary of a Fashion Intern: Part IV

I'm sure you'll all be deeply saddened to hear that my time as a fashion intern has come to an end... although on a more positive note I'm back in Newcastle & reunited with my partner in crime Bex aka Grace! This can only mean one thing; there will be some fantabulous posts coming very soon from Alice and Grace! (I can almost hear the cheers from here...).

As sad as I am that I'm no longer living the high life in London (did I mention I met Gok Wan?) part of me is actually relieved. Shock horror! Interning is extremely hard work & I recommend really thinking about whether you're ready to committing to the work load before applying. If you get a bad reputation in one magazine or newspaper it can make it ridiculously hard to get another internship within the same media company.

However (and that's a big however), I haven't been put off of my dream career in the process of this blood, sweat & tears regime...okay, there was no blood. But in all seriousness it's taught me a lot about the industry & the amount of work that goes into a magazine. Something I admittedly never thought of when I picked up a copy of Look in my local Tescos every week. 

For all you keen bean supporters (I know you're out there somewhere...) if you pick up this weeks copy of Look & flip to the High Street Catwalk page then look at the teeny weeny credits down the right hand side you will see yours truly! That's right, I dressed those lovely ladies & enjoyed every single second of it. 

I'm famous!! (In the small print world...).

Kathy xo