UK-based guest blogger Jo-ann Fortune reports on the top beauty trends from the London Fashion Week (LFW) runways. To celebrate all things British, we’re also offering one lucky reader the chance to win a 50ml bottle of Vivienne Westwood Boudoir perfume. All you have to do is LIKE Beyond Beauty Basics (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Beyond-Beauty-Basics/97980029268) on Facebook and tell us your favorite London Fashion Week trends in the comments below! A winner will be picked Friday October 21st at 3pm EST. (US participants only, winners must respond to winner notification email within 24hrs to claim prize).

Lips
Affording women the power to change their look or make a statement on a budget, lip colour has been prominent on the catwalks throughout the recession, and looks set to get even brighter in s/s12. While models on the Erdem, Christopher Raeburn and Jasper Conran runways sported more conventional red bee-sting lips, Ashish went gothic with deep mauve and Mary Katrantzou’s models made their mark with blue and green pouts. Look out for highlighter bright shades.

Cheeks
Blush is back! Rosy pink cheeks graced the LFW catwalks, with models on the Issa and Meadham Kirchoff runways promoting pretty peach highlights as a statement beauty style to complement their candy coloured dresses. If this look is a bit too girly for you, you could always take a leaf out of Danielle Scott’s book and perfect the tribal trend with a bold block of colour under one eye. Did someone say Nelly?

Eyes
Three big eye make up trends came out of the LFW shows last month: sultry Sixties style, colour pop and metallic. Models on the Bora Aksu, House of Holland and Holly Fulton catwalks showcased heavily kholled eyes with rich red shadow for smoky effect, while Clements Ribeiro and Meadham Kirchhoff went for bold colour pops in pink, green and blue and Vivienne Westwood dramatic shimmer eye colour which exploded out onto brows and cheeks.

Nails
Mirroring the beauty press and pop world’s current obsession with nail colour, the LFW stylists made sure that their looks were bold and bright right down to the details. Issa and Holly Fulton went for paint in one of s/s12’s hottest colours, coral, while the latter again borrowed from the aqua palette for turquoise nails. Riffing on the nature trend, Vivienne Westwood’s models sported green talons in a spectrum of lush summery shades.

So if LFW beauty looks are anything to go by for next summer, it’s time to invest in some statement make up!
All images courtesy of MPDClick.com

How many of you go shopping for clothes with your friends? Now how many ask your friends what they think about those new pair of shoes you just spent your paycheck on? Looks like a lot of hands are up out there. Well, it’s no mystery that many fashion brands are stepping up their game on how they engage with their fans on social networks. Fashion by itself is a social agreement, and so businesses are now reorganizing around people.

Now that Facebook is moving away from using FBML, the language previously powering customizations on Fan Pages,  brands are migrating their content with the transition to iframes, which gives developers and businesses a huge boost in the richness of web sites and applications. We are already seeing some beautiful creatives and landing pages from the fashion world that activate engagement and encourage interaction. For some fan pages, it takes a “Like”-ing before you get access to their exclusive content, but that doesn’t stop us from wanting to check out that true social experience. So here’s our Top 5 Fashion Brands that do it right when it comes to their Facebook Fan Page, showcasing some fun promotions and highlights worth sharing with our friends!

1. Victoria’s Secret

2. Lacoste

3. Michael Kors

4. Theory

5. Ann Taylor

This Valentine’s Day take part in kicking off Schick Quattro for Women‘s partnership with Katy Perry’s California Dreams Tour 2011! As an official partner, Schick Quattro for Women is inviting Perry fans to check out their Valentine’s Day themed Facebook page where you can send to your loved ones and friends fun and flirty Katy Perry themed V-day e-cards! Inspired by messages from her most popular songs, these cute cards can be shared on (not one, but many of) your Valentine’s wall(s).

The “Dare To Be Spontaneous” promotion is offering updates and the chance to win some great prizes to its Twitter followers at @QuattroforWomen and @KatyPerry.

Schick also ensures young women with one REALLY smooth shave with their new Schick Quattro for Women Trimstyle, now with Jojoba and Acai berry in the conditioning strips for healthy looking skin. This convenient razor also comes with a waterproof, battery powered trimmer to help keep you ready for any spontaneity- now THAT’s pretty awesome! So make sure to check back with us as we might just dare YOU to be spontaneous for a chance to win some… hmmm maybe Katy Perry concert tickets? Well, you’ll just have to wait and see!

You’re in the mood to shop aren’t you? Of course you are because retail therapy brings a smile to anyone’s face. We all deserve a few treats and when they’re on special offer even more so. However, since most of us don’t have platinum cards and bottomless pits of money, we’re going to have to make do with the basics – the basics of making yourself feel good. Simply translated – all manner of delectable bath, body and face products, from lotions and potions to eye shadows and tints. So if you’re planning to splurge a bit, here’s the list you’ll need to consult.

Body

Amazing Grace Perfumed Buffing Wash by Philosophy
A long-lasting creamy indulgence that smells perfect and not overpoweringly flowery. It’s usually ideal for sweet 16th birthday presents, but would definitely go down well at Christmas too.

Chocolate truffle crème body wash by by Laura Mercier
The clue is in the name… Chocolate truffles minus the calories – this is what winter is all about.

High-intensity hand cream by Bliss
This is what spas in New York swear by – it’s a heady and heavy slap of macadamia nut oil, which is very easily absorbed. These creams double up as handy 60th birthday ideas for your loving grandma.

Face

Detox clay mask with rosemary and honey by Chantecaille
This deluxe and expensive goo works wonders on reducing the size of pores, without drying out your skin. A must for winter.

Action red lipstick by Dior
The starkness of winter demands a bit of colour and what better than a brownish bright red lipstick?

Crème de Rose moisturiser by Terry
If vintage is your thing, this is the cream for you. The scent of rose is mild and fragrant, and the moisturiser itself is delicate and not oily.

Hair

Moisture velvet nourishing shampoo by Shu Uemura
Cold air kills hair, but to its rescue comes Shu Uemura’s luxury shampoo. This does wonders for split ends, without making your scalp greasy.

Masquintense by Kérastase
The world swears by this rich shampoo that never fails to deliver. If there’s just one product you must buy, this is it.

Rejuvenating oil by Philip B
Oil treatments aren’t that common, but it’s something you should consider the next time you’re at the spa, or spending a long cold evening at home. This is a combination of almond peanut and sesame oils to be applied to the ends for some extreme deep conditioning.