So after June deciding that the heavens will open and the rain will fall, the suns back and hopefully it might just stay this time, (fingers crossed) so it’s time to get the most important summer accessory out… the shades!

When it comes to sunglasses I always feel it takes me ages to find ones that actually look good on me. She shape, size and colour is always hard to get right. Here’s some of the celebrities fave brands and a few styles that I love and may have to purchase before my holiday!

Tom Ford

Cheryl Cole is a huge fan of Tom Ford sunglasses,  these oversized, gold sunglasses shine with the gold frames but hide the eyes from the rest of the world for privacy!

Here are some Tom Ford sunglasses that I love and that will go with almost everything.

These oversized sunglasses by Tom Ford have glossy black frames and slightly tinted lenses,  with a lovely knot detailing to the hinges. Big and bold!

Again following the oversize look, but with a much more round frame, I love the simple but classic look.

Marc Jacobs

These oversized sunglasses by Marc Jacobs have a dark-tint lenses and a really cute daisy design with a pearl to the arms.

These lip print frames look great with a plain dress/ top to show off the print!

Dior

Gwen Steffani loves Dior sunglasses, big bold and detailed are usually what Dior does best!

With their new range of bold and bright colour sunglasses these are sure to get you spotted on the beach, but bring back colour for those whose find the regular brown statement sunglasses boring!

Ray Bans

Or if all else fails go for the classic like Audrina Patridge… the classic Ray-Ban Aviators, with the gold frame and original style there’s no going wrong!

What designer’s collection do you love the best?

Love Kate x

Having a friend who works in the beauty industry has always meant I am hearing about the newest and best treatments around and one of the many treatments I love is false eyelashes.

Becoming a huge trend in the fashion world, it has now come to the point where even mascara adverts ‘fake it’ and use false lashes in their advertisements, because they know it’s the most effective way to add instant glamour! You can spend up to £30 on mascara, but if I am honest, the best mascara I have found isn’t mascara at all… it comes in the shape of false lashes.

From the natural to the totally crazy, false lashes are the way forward…

There are so many types, styles and effects you can create, here are the different options and styles that I have found work best for me.

Strip lashes

Strip lashes are applied to the eyelid just above your natural lash line, they are the quickest and easiest way to instant enhancement of the eyes. Just use your normal mascara underneath and then use the adhesive to apply these to your lash line! I’ve found the best way is to apply the glue to the lashes and wait 15-20 seconds until the glue becomes sticky, they are much easier to get in the right position then and stop the glue from getting everywhere.

There are so many choices of brands and styles on the high street but two brands that I love are Ardell and M.A.C. Ranging from £5-£10 you can think they are a little expensive but I make sure i look after mine and they last about 5 wears which isn’t really that bad.

Ardell lashes are 100% human hair, which means they have a more subtle lash line at the top of the lashes, this creates a more natural effect when applied and doesn’t leave a bold line which some lashes do.

For a natural effect try Demi Wispies from Ardel, they give a ‘wispie’ effect to give a natural look.

For nights out I either use M.AC or Ardell, try number 105, these are much fuller and longer to give a full flutter!

Applying a little bit of liquid eye-liner to blend the false lash line to your own lash line will make sure you can’t see the strip, but when removing, use a cotton ball soaked in make-up remover to slide the falsies off. You don’t want to be pulling your own eyelashes off! Ouch!

Individual Lashes

Individual lashes are used a lot by make up artists because they create a subtle, almost natural filling effect. Apply these to the base of your real lashes. They take a bit of time to apply and can be fiddly but they can last up to a week if applied properly and kept topped up. All you need is a steady hand, a mirror and a little adhesive. This means you can wake up in the morning and don’t have to apply mascara, and those extra 2 minutes can be used for your beauty sleep – amazing!

I find it easiest to start from the middle of your lash line, and working my way to the edges, use short lashes in the inner part of the eye and longer toward the outside to give a fuller look. If your natural lashes are quite short, use a combination of short and medium lashes. If your lashes are medium in length, use a blend of medium and long falsies to give the wow effect!

I have again chosen Ardell for the best individual lashes, from short to medium to long, you can mix and match these for your own style

A little tip that I have learnt…if you curl your own eyelashes first the individual lashes will blend in much easier !

Semi-permanent lashes

Semi-permanent lashes are my newest find that I have tried and tested, they can be a little bit pricey but do last up to 12 weeks if treated correctly and topped up every 3-4 weeks. They are glued individually to the natural lash and therefore can last as long as the natural lash.

These have to be applied by an eyelash technician, which is why they can be a little bit more expensive but give a long but natural effect which again means you don’t have to wear mascara. For a full set you can pay about £40 and top these up every 3-4 weeks but on the whole they last for ages, a comment I did get was ‘I was going to ask you what mascara do you use?’ – Proving they don’t even look fake!

So girls get trying and testing to find out what you love best, either way make your eyes look beautiful.

Love Kate x

We LOVE this time of year…festival season! Isle of Wight, Glastonbury, Oxegen, V Festival, Leeds and Reading…we can’t wait for the amazing line-ups and of course the fabulous fashion! Here are a few ways to get the perfect celeb festival fashion for less!

Whitney Port looks fab in floral shorts! Get her look with our floral belted shorts and pair with a simple vest top and oversized sunnies!

Vanessa Hudgens is right on trend with her detailed crop top! Get her look with our floral crop and wear with denim shorts and gladiator sandals. If you’re not feeling brave, wear over a vest top and accessorise with chunky bangles!

So whatever festival you are going to, have fun and send us your style pics!!

Love Rare x

Here at Rare HQ last week we were all very excited about our staff sample sale, all our samples that hadn’t been used in our collection were available for us to buy for just £5, what a bargain! You can tell it was a very fun Friday

One of my lovely buys was this gorgeous navy embellished jumpsuit which I have had my eye on for a long time and finally got the chance to buy it! I’m going to style it with a gold/brown belt around the waist, some pearl/bead jewellery and some killer heels!

I’ve always loved the Jumpsuit trend but I was never sure it would suit me, being quite small I always find they seem too long or I end up looking like Aladdin, if the trousers are too wide!

So I looked for some tips to make sure that I didn’t have a fashion failure, or end up looking like a 21 year old wearing a baby grow! Here are some ideas to make sure you work the jumpsuit this summer, looking as fabulous as Rhianna does in hers. Jumpsuits are back to stay and the best thing about them? It doesn’t matter if you have forgotten to fake tan your legs, no one will ever know! More stylish than a maxi and with heels or sky-high wedges, a jumpsuit will make your legs look like they go on forever, no matter how tall you are. Perfect.

Wear a jumpsuit instead of a cocktail dress.  A block colour from head to tow looks polished and pretty, especially with the addition of the metallic jewellery, adding a blazer is the perfect way to help break up the look. Forget the LBD its all about the little black jumpsuit!

If you want to flatter your figure in a jumpsuit, you have to define the figure you have! By cinching the waist, this will create a lovely hourglass shape.

For night time go for luxurious fabrics like silk, lots of detail, like sequins and beads or wide leg trousers. If you are less than average height, ( like myself being very short)  stay away from the wide leg trousers and opt for tapered and skinny leg to add extra height!

Printed jumpsuits look amazing, but make sure you don’t over do it, a  print like the jumpsuit below is large but not too in your face!

A glamorous approach to a cover up on the beach, they look amazing over swimwear and give you almost full coverage so you don’t get burnt!

Get shopping the jumpsuit trend and ditch your favourite little black dress for your favourite little black jumpsuit!

What do you think of the jumpsuit trend?

Love Kate x

Holidays are a huge part of everyone’s summer, the not so lovely weather we have been having over the past two weeks has made me even more dedicated to come back with a tan, that for once isn’t out of a bottle and wont turn streaky after a few days!

I love going holiday shopping, building up the excitement and making sure I buy lots of cute beachwear that I can wear without using the sentence ‘I’m cold!’ I always find bikini shopping the hardest, so many choices and styles that I spend ages finding ones that I like and that suit my body shape.

So as my countdown (and most peoples) will have started lets talk bikinis! The Spring / Summer 2011 catwalk was full of ruffles, patterns,and bandeau tops, giving full beach side glamour with bright colours and cut out shapes that were more daring than ever.  If it’s Ibiza or America… Egypt or Zante,  that you are jetting off to, get your bikini on and for once put the coats and jackets in the back of the wardrobe!

One shoulder

One-shoulder swimwear styles are a great way to combine the sexiness of shoulder-baring bandeau styles with the practicality and versatility of strappy suits. They are great for a full coverage swimsuit but adds a little twist and have been all over the catwalks for this summer.

Team with plain accessories in a metallic colour, such as gold to work two trends at once, perfect!

Patterns

Solid-colour swimwear is always a classic look to go for, but many people prefer something a little more fun and exciting when buying a piece of swimwear. Fortunately, patterned swimwear is always a big trend each year with styles ranging from simple, two-colour patterns to crazy prints and bold pieces. But as I said there’s so much choice on the high street, you almost feel spoilt!

If you’re not up for just keeping to  one swimwear trend, you can incorporate patterns into one of your other favourite trends,  like cut out styles or strappy bikini styles.

Cut out

Cut-outs are a swimwear trend seen in many forms during the 2011 collection shows and it seems this year the more daring and exciting the better! You might come home with a few dodgy tan lines but they look amazing!

If you love the cut-out trend but feel you’re not sure it would suit your body shape, choose styles with cut-outs down the sides of the suits, this gives a much more flattering shape, creating slimming lines that that will slim your middle and give you a more defined-looking waist.

Metallic

If you will be catching the sun’s rays by the pool or enjoying the sands and blue seas of a tropical beach, metallic swimwear is a way to ensure instant summer glam, shimmering your way into a top summer trend.

I love this gold halter swimsuit, simple but but gorgeous if you want a little more coverage than a bikini and compliments a tan beautifully!

Bikini or Lingerie?

If you’re looking for a bit of a daring swimwear trend or searching for something that will give you that “wow” factor on the beach, take a hint from your underwear draw! Many designers showed swimwear during their  shows that closely resembled lingerie styles, using lace, padded cups and French knickers.

So get choosing your favourite swimwear trend this summer.  if you just can’t choose, buy one bikini in each style, problem solved…and don’t forget the sun cream!

Love Kate x

As Radio 1’s Big Weekend in Carlisle kicked off the festival season in style, I can’t wait to party with the rest of the festival lovers this year. Being such a fashion follower I always thought that festivals and camping would not be for me… I mean where do you plug the straighteners in!?? So two years ago I thought I would give the festival scene a go and bought a ticket with a few friends to the biggest dance festival in the UK, Creamfields. Since then I’ve not looked back and have become a little festival obsessed… I can’t wait to rock my wellies with the rest of my friends at V festival in August.

I thought I’d make a festival fashion must have list to make sure that  you can look hot even without having a shower for 2 days! Here is my top fashion accessories to pack in your back pack this summer!

Headbands

Headbands have come back into fashion over the past few years, either floral, feathers or plaited, wearing them gives an instant festival look, and even when your hair is looking less poker straight after two days without washing, they bring a focus point to the headband rather than your hair! As you can see, celebrities love these too, my favourite are the floral garland headbands.

Denim Shorts

We cannot always trust the English weather but for me denim shorts are a must have for the festival look. Ripped, highwaisted or bleached they look great with wellies and give you that rock chick look. Kristin Cavelleri has gone for the ripped denim style while Vanessa Hugens has chosen to team with a crop top.

Wellies

The bolder, brighter and bigger the better when it comes to wellies, it doesn’t matter if they don’t match your outfit, this is the point! I love these Leopard print wellies which I think I might have to invest in for both V festival and Creamfields.

Knee Length Socks

Knee length socks are a saviour if the weather decides to turn and the festival becomes some sort of mud bath, saving your toes and feet from mud! They look great with the bright wellies that you have just purchased and will keep your legs warm if you do decide to wear those denim shorts, they are both practical and fashionable!

Plaits/Waves

Wavey hair is a festival fave for an easy casual but girlie look. Wearing your hair in a plait for the first day will allow you to have loose waves the next day, perfect!

My Number one must have…

If there was only one thing I could take to a festival… this would be it. After not being able to wash your hair for two or three days you realise how horrible you feel if your hair looks a mess, so girls invest in some of this and have fresh washed hair all weekend, an easy way to cheat and look fab!

So these are my top tips for festival fashion, lets just hope it doesn’t rain after we put all this effort into our style! Who’s going to a festival this summer?

Love Kate x

American actress, singer, record producer, dancer, television personality, fashion designer and television producer, there is not one thing that Jennifer Lopez cannot conquer!  Having a great year she was named the new judge on Amercian Idol and has even just been named People’s most beautiful woman 2011. J.lo I think its fair to say everyone is very jealous of your life!

Jennifer has come a long way from being ‘Jenny from the Block’ and now even has gorgeous twins to look after! One of the most fabulous looking Mum’s  in Hollywood, J.lo has great style, great hair and a gorgeous smile, so it comes as no surprise that the whole world wants her looks and wardrobe. Her style has always been about the glamour, the sparkling accessories, long hair and floor length dresses. The thing that I love the most about J.lo is her figure, she’s one woman that is happy to admit she loves her curves and so does everyone else!

J.lo can pull off just about anything and I’m sure youll agree that even in a bin bag she still would make ‘most glamorous’ lists! Being able to make it about all eyes on her, It’s all about knowing how to do red carpet glam perfectly. Wearing a Roberto Cavalli Couture blush pink silk organza strapless gown above she makes sure all eyes are on her!

This amazing lace and bead dress is both elegant and feminine but shows off her amazing figure. With a messy up-do she knows what suits her body for a stunning angelic look.

Since becoming the new judge on American Idol, ratings have increased and J.lo has brought the glitz and glam back into TV. I love her Leopard Print boots she is wearing for the American Idol interview above which are the statement piece in her outfit! Always having the long wavy hair and a glowing tan gives her instant Hollywood beauty.

On the set of American Idol again she opts for a prima ballerina up-do and huge heels, even making casual look glamorous.

Even a day out at the beach proves she is just a natural beauty with a stunning family. J.lo how do you find the time for all this! A real American Beauty.

What do you think of J.los style?

Love Kate x

Rare launched their jewellery collection last week, with a range of necklaces, earrings, bracelets and accessories there is something that will compliment your outfit for any occasion. Here are some of my favourite pieces.

The gypsy drop earrings will look good for both casual daytime and night time glam!

I love the large flower corsage, it will make any dress look instantly summery!

What do you think of Rare’s new jewellery?

Love Kate x

As the whole world watch a fairytale come to life, the Prince married his Princess on Friday and all eyes were on the royal couple. Wearing the dress that has had everyone talking for months, Kate Middleton didn’t disappoint making every girl jealous in her Princess perfect day!

The guests didn’t disappoint either, bringing lots of glamour and style to the wedding, with some more interesting accessories than others! Here’s what they wore.

Princess Beatrice in an amazing creation by Philip Treacy. Matching all in beige to give a head to toe look!

Mirian Clegg looks stunning wearing this colourful creation, complimenting her hat with bright red lips.

Tara Palmer-Tomkinson matches her diamond-shaped Philip Treacy hat to her royal blue outfit. Her dress shows off her amazing figure, she is one lady who has her whole outfit matching perfectly for a show stopping look.

Sophie of Wessex mixes flowers and feathers for an eye catching hat.

Earl Spencer’s daughter and her intricate hat was my favourite, the colours looked lovely with her skin tone and complimented her dress beautifully.

Victoria Beckham brought the glamour to the wedding with a slick pony and a navy blue dress and accessories.

Even the public joined in with the wedding, wearing hats that could put any celebrities to shame!

What did you think of the Royal wedding style?

Love Kate x