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Saturday, October 31, 2009

The Bold and the Beautiful


Beauty bloggers are taking over the world and that is a fact. After being ignored by PR companies for years, these same blogger now find themselves on the receiving end of VIP treatment; invites to press launches, free products as well as the occasional free trip. Didi is one of those bloggers who the make up obsessed turn to for advice on products. She has been running The Virtues of Beauty for just over a year and has built up quite a following. I touched base with her to find out the lady is behind The Virtues of Beauty. 

What made you start blogging?
I decided to start my blog after becoming obsessed with watching product reviews, makeup and hair tutorials and things of that nature on YouTube. That led to reading reviews on blogs and although I found them to be useful and I enjoyed reading what people felt about certain products, I wanted to try them out for myself; to see if what the reviewer had said was true for me. Especially being a woman of colour. I don�t really want to go into race, or to say that my blog is catered to a specific demographic because that�s not my intention, but I do feel that there is a lack of representation for women of colour, especially coming from the UK. You have people who are fantastic such as Erin from Scandalous Beauty or Brittany from Clumps of Mascara who do great reviews, but they are based in America. Some of the products they review aren�t available to you here and I remember in the beginning I�d buy/import those products just because they had received good reviews, but I soon found that not to be beneficial, so I decided to see what was on the market here, including products that aren�t targeted to women of colour and give my thoughts. 

Describe the concept behind The Virtues of Beauty?
To be honest initially there was no concept behind The Virtues of Beauty, I just wanted to create a blog that gave honest reviews, and pass on tips and tricks that I�ve learnt. 

How do you think bloggers have made an impact on the media? 
We live in a fast paced world and blogs are an easy way for the readers to find information and resources they want or need quickly. For someone who lives on their computer, I don�t have the time for traditional media. Blogs make it easier for me to keep up with the world around me � what�s hot and what�s not. Plus I like the feel of blogs, they tend to have a community feel to them; you�re able to interact with the author, ask questions specific to the post and get answers. However, there�s no pre-requisite to starting a blog and in some cases it shows through the standard of writing. As a blogger who has no formal training as a writer or journalist, I write my blog from a consumers� point of view - I'm not here to change the face of writing, as we know it. 

Beauty blogging seems to be the new thing in blogsphere so how do you keep your blog fresh? 
The blog is still in its early stages, and I�m still trying out different things, such as mini-series. But I would like to think that ultimately I keep my blog �fresh� with my style of writing, which is pretty much conversational. I like to think the reader is sitting next to me and I'm just chatting away to a friend. 

What do you do when you are not working on your blog? 
When I'm not blogging, I'm managing my own private training organisation which I run with my mum and when I�m not doing that I�m a freelance makeup artist and wardrobe stylist. 

Describe a typical day in the life of Didi. 
A typical day in the life of me is fairly boring. It would see me waking up at around 6.30am scrambling for my Blackberry (I�m a proud addict), checking my latest emails and/or messages; then it's a date with Billy Blanks and a great Tae-Bo workout, after which I get ready for work. Depending on my day and meetings, I'll either work from home or go into the office. My friends call me a workaholic and I've been known to work late hours, sometimes I don't leave the office until 11.30pm. 

Where do you source your stories from? 
Most of my posts are product reviews and so the source of my posts as such comes from whatever product I�m testing at the time. It can be products I�ve got an interest in or someone has asked me to review or I�ve been sent by a PR company. 

What are your favourite glossy magazines? 
I�ll pick up Look magazine without fail. I do like to flick through InStyle, Elle and Glamour and on the odd occasion Ebony and Essence. - Not sure if Colures is still in publication, but I have a couple issues and quite like the magazine. 

Name five blogs that you read religiously? 
I follow quite a few blogs but don�t really read them all religiously; rather I�ll read the latest posts that come up in my feed with interesting titles. Some blogs of note are Mad News, Harlem Loves, Toya Berry, Scandalous Beauty and of course London Fashion Trends. 

How do you see The Virtues of Beauty evolving over the next two years? 
Quite simply I don�t know. I started the blog with no real notion of where to take it or what I wanted it to be. Fleeting thoughts of it evolving into a reputable online lifestyle or beauty magazine have crossed my mind but that�s about it. 

You can follow Didi on twitter here.

Gucci Rush 2 by Gucci



I have been using this perfume since college and whenever I'll switch to another I kind of miss it - so I don't really plan of changing my choice of Scent.

Gucci Rush 2 by Gucci complements its first version, Gucci Rush by Gucci. It was concocted by Michel Almairac of the Robertet company and was able to create a fresh, flowery and woody scent which opens on an accord of rose, freesia, musk, palm tree, oakmoss and narcissus.

This perfume has a great smell, and it draws you lots of compliments. Before, I only wear it during special occasions but I quickly missed wearing it everyday so I put on a light spritz in the morning on my wrists and distribute it to the back of my knees, behind my ears, and on the base of my throat. I also re-apply it on special evenings after work.

Gucci Rush 2 in 2.5 oz normally costs $40 to 60$.


Alexander McQueen's Armadillos




The lucky girls down at Vogue got to try on the horrifically beautiful Alexander McQueen 'armadillo' python shoes, from his SS10 collection, and they're a whopping 12" tall. I'm guessing there is a rather large platform under the ball of your foot to ease walking, but even the most well-heeled Voguettes struggled to make it a few feet. The models from his show deserve some kind of award for not doing a Naomi...not even a tiny topple!

My Halloween 2009




Episode 12 Preview

Top 10 Unique Halloween Costume Ideas for Women


Halloween is just around the corner. Have you decided what to wear yet? Witches, lady devils, and vampires are the most popular choices, but why not try a different one this year? You can dress like a mafia princess, a corpse bride, or choose from Charles Dickens gown Halloween costumes.

I had fun searching for one of a kind costumes and I'm sharing 10 unique ones from buycostumes.com that will make you an eye candy for Halloween events.



Enchanting Cleopatra
Capture the hearts of the people and rule with beauty in this timeless Cleopatra costume. Gold trims and jewels completed the elegant look.



Lady Luck
It's all about the money, honey! The green dress, a 4 leaf clover, dollar boa, horseshoe, several rabbit feet, and off-shoulder dice only prove that luck is on your side.



Cute Clown
Be sexy and sassy and sustain a hearty smile in this polka dot mini dress with cute button puffs. Don't forget the wig and the red lipstick!



Harem Seductress
Dance your way to the crowd and seduce them all with this gorgeous costume. Deep blue green top and sheer pants, embellished with gold contrast trim, draped jewels, and veils - how sexy is that?



Tattooed Gal
This costume will catch everybody's attention with its screen printed faux tattoos all over. Pair with a wig and grab a macho biker for that tough entrance!


Glamorous Peacock
Show them who's the most beautiful in the animal kingdom by wearing this a peacock costume. Add lots of peacock feathers to make it more "cocky".




Voodoo Priestess
The fate of everybody is in your hands because you're a voodoo priestess. The red dress with slits and skull accents will guarantee you a fun filled Halloween curse.


Gypsy Goddess
Your night will be destined to be charmed with this fortune teller costume. Complete with an off-shoulder top, wide belt, layered skirt, and bandana top - you can easily predict fun Halloween.



Tokyo Pop Princess
Conquer the Orient with this modernized kimono. Add chopsticks in your hair and do your make-up the Japanese way and you're off to be on the limelight.




berlin: NIGHTMARE