The London 2012 Olympics Goes Out With a BANG!

If we mention the Spice Girls, Take That, Pet Shop Boys, Fat Boy Slim, George Michel, Russell Brand and Eric Idle in the same breath, you will without doubt know we are talking about the 2012 Olympics Closing Ceremony line up.

On Sunday, the stadium was electric as the crème de la crème of British Talent gathered together to perform the greatest show on earth.  Closing Ceremony director, Kim Gavin, made sure the Olympics left London with a bang. With his recent works including Concert for Diana in 2007 and That That’s latest stadium tour he was sure to impress.

Intertwining the best of British music, fashion and stage design, the ceremony showcased performances spanning from Liam Gallagher to One Direction, Madness to Jessie J and Pet Shop Boys to Eric Idle, alongside stage design by Damien Hirst which provided the perfect catwalk for top British models, Naomi Campbell, Lily Cole, Georgia May Jagger and Kate Moss as they flooded the enormous Union Jack catwalk.

Focal points of the ceremony included holograms of John Lennon and Freddie Mercury, a street party performance from Madness, Spice Girls arrival from iconic light up black cabs and ‘dad dancing’ from Boris Johnson.

The incredible event came to an end with the symbolic extinguishing of the Olympic flame as Big Ben struck midnight, with each nation to receive one of the caldrons 204 petals. The extinguishing was accompanied with a surprise arrival from Darcey Bussell and by far our favourite performance of the night of Take That’s hit single, Rule The World.

 If like us you were following the event Twitter trend, you will have seen the waterfall of tweets that flooded the Internet. Twitter revealed that the spectacle generated more than 116,000 tweets per minute, overtaking Usain Bolt’s 200m final win!

And incase you can’t get enough of Team GB, yesterday Adidas released this brilliant video of Team GB athletes celebrating their success with their own version of Queen’s ‘Don’t Stop Me Now’. 

Shoes & Sharks...

As any fashion admirer will know, Christian Louboutin is the Adonis of sumptuous, sexy and sensuous soles. For our PG blogger Ellie, adoration of fashion is not contained to just Peppermint Glitter. Thursday was her birthday and the Christian Louboutin exhibition at The Design Museum was coming to an end, so what better excuse for a trip to London. With a Louboutin creation costing the indulger anywhere from £500, her visit was aspirational, although a girl can dream…

If unlike Ellie you haven’t absorbed every inch of information about Christian Louboutin, to give you an idea of where his design ideas come from, Louboutin had three sisters. The iconic Parisian shoe designer tailored his craft designing shoes for the dancers of the Folies Bergère in Paris, progressing to work at top French fashion houses such as Yves Saint Lauren and Chanel. Today, any A-List event attended by the likes of Lady Gaga, Joan Collins and Sarah Jessica-Parker would be incomplete without the flash of an iconic Christian Louboutin red sole. 

Celebrating a 20 year career of thinking outside the (shoe) box, The Design Museum exhibition explored all corners of Louboutin’s career. 

Passing the red neon Entrée lights and ducking under the arched entrance she stepped into a cave of creation and were immersed in a designer footwear nirvana! Bejewelled with black walls, red velvet curtains and theatrical lighting, the surroundings where quintessentially Louboutin.

Focal points of the exhibition included a mind blowing life-size hologram show of burlesque dancer Dita Von Teese. A hologram so real it was easy to believe it was truly her. Also, hidden behind thick black velvet curtains and displayed under bell jars, Louboutin's 2007 Fetish collection could be found. This area was easily bypassed yet a must see for the inquisitive and open minded among us. Outrageous like the rest of Louboutin’s collection, but is anything less to be expected!?

The exhibition cleverly avoided looking like a conventional shoe shop by displaying the shoes in inventive ways; from suspending them from hula-hoops and reflecting shoes into mirrors, to presenting shoes on a rotating fairground carousels and placed on podiums in an Alice & Wonderland fashion.

During Ellie's time in London, She also visited the Damien Hirst collection exhibiting at Tate Modern. She has always been intrigued by the controversial character of Damien Hirst. Like Louboutin the exhibition did not disappoint, but truthfully how could a life sized Great White Shark in Formaldehyde, a room in which one is surrounded by live butterflies and lifetimes collection of cigarette butts in a giant ash tray disappoint! The exhibition remains at Tate Modern until the 9th September, so if you find yourself on a rainy afternoon in London, love him or hate him, it really is a must.

Gorgeous Galibardy!

If you’re looking for loud & proud ostentatious costume jewellery look no further than Galibardy.  The online independent jewellery brand comprises an eclectic mix of gothic inspired quirky and unusual pieces.

 Designers of Galibardy take inspiration from the most unconventional of sources. In their latest collection this includes medicine, take away food, fairy tales & animals - of course including dinosaurs. Featuring numerous skulls, bones and teeth, moving the more unconventional such as apples, stethoscopes, ram skulls, unicorns, dogs, coffee cups & balloon animals. 

Galibardy also designed an exclusive collection for Kelly Rowland throughout her period judging The X Factor. 

Gracing the pages of numerous fashion magazines from Company to Cosmopolitan with celebrities such as Rita Ora, Pixie Lott, Peaches Geldof, Lindsay Lohan & Fearne Cotton, Georgia Jagger dripping in Galibardy, the cheap as chips prices make it truly irresistible. 

Introducing the first DIY 3D Manicure!

Introducing the first DIY 3-dimensional manicure!

The inspiration for Ciate’s Caviar Manicure™ came about when Charlotte, Ciate’s Creative Director, was looking to create a 3-dimensional nails for a front cover magazine shoot and wanted to develop something feminine, indulgent yet delicately extravagant.

The finished effect gives nails an instant sophisticated look. Simply paint two coats of the ordinary nail vanish onto your nail, then sprinkle the pearls over your nail whilst the polish is still wet and finally gently press and compact the pearls onto the nail. After 15-20 minutes drying time your nails look dazzling!

Our favourite is the Rainbow collection as it brings back childhood memories of Jazzies sweets, making our nails look good enough to eat!

Available in three collections Mother of Pearl, Black Pearls & Ellie's personal favourite Rainbow priced at £18.

Love is a Many Splendid Thing

“In the past, when it came to selecting a partner the decision often came down to social adaptability and family values. In today’s day and age, one is faced with a plethora of choices. Our only guide, one might think, is love. But Eros has a very distinct knock.

Almost two thirds of couples in today’s society are issued from the same social class or are at the very least in the same social bubble (what they call “extended” homogamy). Endogamy (the choice of a partner that originated from the same geographic location), despite an increased amount of relocating, is still high. In fact, why shouldn’t it be? As many might have noticed on dating websites, the search for love is spontaneously directed towards an individual that has similar qualities. 

The choice of a partner for intents and purposes is predetermined; however, isn’t the concept of the ideal relationship grounded in it’s absence of discrimination? And aren’t couples that much more interesting when homogamy becomes abstract: Gainsbourg & Birkin, Monroe & Miller…

Beyond mere resemblance, couples also function because the individuals compliment one another, thus difference is a factor. The other must be close enough in identity but endowed with enough difference that the general outlook will bring coherence to the couple. 

Why is it that in between heterogomay (the union of two individuals from a different social background) and homogamy does the balance tip in favour of the latter? The answer is that each social class cultivates its own stomping grounds.

The choice one is situated somewhere within that societal sphere, between social determination and the strategy of each actor, all founded on a bedrock of sentimental intentions. The strident Eros, before aiming his arrow, must make it past a social labyrinth with the patient and determined air of an accountant.” 

The Iconic Denim Shirt

“The denim shirt is a throwback to iconic images of cinema: Brando’s chest, James Dean in ‘Giant’. It’s an item that can be found in men’s wardrobes and that women have creatively adapted.

The denim shirt originated with factory workers and cowboys. Its current form has a western cut, tailored and yoked with pearl buttons, and was conceived at the end of the 19th century for the rodeo. This item with pomp and grandeur never gets dirty and ripens with age.

The beatniks and the Hell’s Angels helped popularise denim in the uniform of rebellion. It was undoubtedly clothing made for rebels, and as we step into the next decade, denim grew in notoriety with George Harrison & Bob Dylan, followed by Faye Dunaway, Michelle Philips, Gainsbourg, Jane Birkin & Brigitte Bardot… The very essence of cool.

Today in homage of the muses of the past and the current 70’s revival, the denim shirt is back, tailored & sexy.”

The Kooples

If you have spent any time in London over the past few months you will be well aware of the fashion newcomers, The Kooples. Blazoned across the side of every bus & taxi from Kensington to Carnaby Street, the ad campaign featuring real life couples looking edgy, stylish & sophisticated is definitely unlike any others. The French label founded by 3 brothers - sons of the people behind the Comptoir des Cotonniers womenswear chain -  his & hers British hipster style. All Saint’s meets Savile Row.

A huge hit across the channel and stocking a collaborative collection by Pete Doherty & Abbey Watkins, the new kids on the block pride themselves in:

“bringing chic back to the streets, dressing men & women in sharp allure, with a style borrowed from icons of fashion and a love for vintage.”

“This franco-british elegance made for urban living has everything from dress shirts to party dresses, jeans to suits, shoes to jewels. The perfect playlist will offer inspiration and a state of mind that allows the somber thoughts of night owls to fall in love in the early hours of the morning.”

“The Kooples has chosen to side with Savile Row, that neighbourhood in London made famous for its tailoring. By teaming up with the master tailors Norton & Sons, The Kooples has created the hip neo-dandy with a tailored fit, narrow sleeves and snug shoulders. A London cut revisited by infamous ‘je ne sais quoi’ of the french.”

We definitely think they've achieved it with their All Saint's meets Marc Jacobs look. 

   

Shop the collection online at www.thekooples.co.uk or in stores across London (Selfridges, King’s Road, Carnaby Street, St Christopher’s Place, Marylebone High Street, Westfields, Hampstead High Street, Mayfair, Westbourne Grove, Brompton Road, St Johns Wood) & Manchester, Birmingham, Richmond, Liverpool, Guilford, Cheltenham, Bath & Leeds.    

Sunshine Secrets Shared...

False Tan Faux Pas? Guilty as charged! In the pursuit of a bronzed body, hands up girls who have suffered with the signs of cheap products? I’m sure the Peppermint Glitter girls are not the only ones!

As a general rule of thumb, always stick with mousse products. We find they give a much more even colour and are also easier to apply. Rule number 2. never apply false tan based product without a mitt!! If you've never tried one before, it's like discovering the supercharge button on a Bentley. 

We all know the holy grail of fake tan products is St Tropez, however at around £30 a bottle it doesn’t come cheap. So when we found a product at 10% of the price we were clearly skeptical of it’s results.

The similarly named St Moriz is almost identical in tanning results. It gives a deeper colour instantly, unlike St Tropez which has a greenish tone before developing. St Moriz also doesn’t have the biscuity smell of other false tan products which gives the game away.  It also only costs around £4 per bottle, so your only choice this weekend is a second bottle of Chardonnay or a bottle of St Moriz? We know which we'd choose!

All That Glitters...

As girls we have an innate magpie gene which draws us to everything bling & sparkly, agreed? So how do you rock glitter from the highstreet without looking trashy? Wearing sequins look to excess is so easily done as it's not always the most flattering fabric!

We find the trick is moderation; team small glitter elements with a simple yet sophisticated outfit such as the little black dress. Every girl has one and it’s impossible not to feel sultry, sexy & sophisticated in one.

So the delicious Christian Louboutins will speak for themselves, or for another look team the glitter eye makeup, flawless falsies with the gold sparkled nails together.

Although if you’re feeling daring enough to go for an all over glitter look. Avoid teaming tight and all over sequins in the same look; go for embellishment with tight & floating with all over sequins. To ensure you remain classy & sophisticated, go for muted or pastel tones. And to ensure an effortless elegant look keep makeup, hair and accessories subtle or plain. 

Hot Weather Hair Do's!

Alongside hot holidays & lush summer days comes the dilemma of what to do with long locks. If you’re anything like us, wearing long hair down is out of the question, as it becomes flat & curls drop, overall adding to the dishevelled look. Wearing our hair up is the perfect solution, cool & controlled.

But how to create the perfect creative updo?

Here, plaits are not just for schoolgirls. Besides, plaits are brilliant for emphasising highlights. Here are a few suggestions. The first a more casual everyday look, keeping fringes off the face, and the second perfect whether it’s an African safari, Pimms on the lawn or frisbee at the beach this look is always feminine and fresh, yet still sexy. 

Peppermint Loves Peppermint

At Peppermint Glitter we absolutely adore this influx of turquoise, peppermint & duckegg tones to our Spring/Summer wardrobes! It’s the perfect colour to brighten up these rainy days and oh so Breakfast at Tiffany’s.

We think this look is best achieved with subtle accessories! You can get the look on a budget with Collection 2000’s Button Moon for a bargain £1.79.

Or, if payday calls and you’re feeling indulgent, why not make a statement and splurge on this Yves Saint Laurent Arty gold-plated glass ring, available from net-a-porter at £180.