Hit or Miss: Rihanna

Rihanna was at House of Fraser on Oxford Street today to unleash her fragrance Reb’l Fleur on the UK market (good timing, what with Xmas fast approaching).

Rihanna at House of Fraser

She wore an Antonio Berardi top and trousers with nude Christian Louboutin pumps.

The NY times said she looked like she was wearing Sesame Street’s Rosita (ouch!) and we think they may have a point.

Rosita from Sesame Street

There’s a lot of fluffiness going on with that top. We also think slim fitting pants would have been more flattering.

What do you think – did RiRi get it right or wrong?

Steal her Look: Rihanna

Rihanna is on the cover of the August 2011 edition of Cosmo Magazine wearing a top by Mara Hoffman and a pair of Aryn K shorts.

For a similar look the magazine recommends these LOVE shorts which have been reduced from £30 to £15! They have been selling like hot cakes (such is the power of RiRi) so grab yours now while you can!

Future Proof Your Wardrobe

Unlike the celebrities featured here, most of us don't have designers begging us to wear their clothes, so in an effort to be fashion forward, we feature here ladies who are wearing key looks for Autumn/Winter 2011/12. Sorry to get you thinking about Winter already!

The next time you go shopping, see if any of these looks are in the shops already and how you can marry them up with what you already own. Unless you have a massive disposable income, chances are you buy a few key pieces each season and make them work with your current wardrobe. Some of these trends simply carry on from Spring/Summer so purchase carefully and you'll be able to easily wear them through to later in the year.
 

Dolce & Gabbana Fall/Winter 2011

Zoe Saldana in Dolce & Gabbana

DSquared2 Fall/Winter 2011

Rihanna in DSquared2

Jourdan Dunn in Gucci Fall/Winter 2011

Eva Mendes in Gucci

Naomi Campbell in Versace

Versace Fall/Winter 2011

Beyonce in Marc Jacobs

Marc Jacobs Fall 2011

 





While we're at it, who do you think looked better - the celebrity or the model?

Shop her Style: Rihanna

As holiday season approaches, not all of us want to bare all in an itsy bitsy bikini. If you haven’t been working in preparation for the two weeks of the year when your body is on show, there is still time (and we recommend using Elainea Emmot to whip you into shape) or you can take a leaf from Rihanna’s book and wear a black swimming cossie.

Once the reserve of your Mum or pregnant ladies, you can still look chic in a one piece.

Mango. £32

DVF. £176

Pistol Panties. £66

Warehouse. £28

Seafolly. £86

Topshop. £34

Who Wore it Better? Rihanna vs Kylie

Both ladies wearing a Spring 2011 Emilio Pucci backless dress. RiRi got there first and was seen in hers last year while Kylie wore it last week to launch her latest tour. Who do you think looked better?

Rihanna gets our vote. Kylie seems too petite for a dress this busy.

Rihanna and the Coconuts

Not content with selling millions of records, having her own perfume, being the face of Nivea and generally being very rich, Rihanna is now the face of coconut water Vita Coco. With Madonna and Red Hot Chilli Peppers' Anthony Kiedis as investors in the water brand, we’re sure it will be flying off the shelves.

Madonna said: “'Rihanna is a natural fit for the Vita Coco brand and I'm so happy to have her on the team.”

Personally, we can’t stand coconut water – we tried it numerous times in the West Indies and really tried to like it, but no. That said, it is high in potassium so would make a good sports drink. There are even reports of coconut water being used as an intravenous hydration fluid in some developing countries where medical saline was unavailable. Multipurpose then!

Vita Coco costs from £2.05 for 330ml to £4.65 for 1 litre and is available online and in store at Holland & Barrett.

Rihanna: The New ‘Skin’ of NIVEA

Rihanna has been announced as the 'skin' of NIVEA skincare and poses naked in its 100th anniversary ad campaign.

Launching in May, in addition to adverts, the campaign comprises sponsorship of Rihanna's upcoming LOUD tour in the US and Europe and will give fans the chance to interact through NIVEA and Rihanna owned social media channels.

Steal her Look: Rihanna in ‘Who’s That Chick?’

Guest post by Kemi

The inspiration for this look was Rihanna in the video for her song Who’s That Chick? where she wears bright yellow, hues of green and brown and girly hot pink lipstick and blush.

Rihanna

I used Stargazer glitter eye dust in pink and yellow. Normally I’m not a fan of powders or glitters unless the product is pressed, but these eye dusts by Stargazer are pigmented - lots of bright colour! The powder is loose so one benefit is more colour pay off.

A quick tip - use a little at a time because it has a bright colour. Put a generous amount of loose translucent powder under the eyes. Using a medium sized applicator brush, dip into the Stargazer glitter powder and tap off the excess (this is very important). Once you’re happy with colour on your lids, use a fan brush to wipe off any fallout of extra glitter on your face. If you’re going for a fun girly look I highly recommend these products.

Bright colours look great on skins with yellow and orange undertones which covers the majority of black and mixed skins of all colours and shades. Use a black powder to create smoky eyes and the yellow to make the eye bright and fun.

To create the rest of the look, create your canvas. Use a foundation of your choice (see my post on faking natural beauty for more info). You might think it weird that I’ve done the eye make up first but this is a trick of the trade - most make up artists do the eyes before they apply foundation in order not to mess up their hard work!


Use a Primer. I used the 17 Photo Flawless Primer from Boots which creates a smooth surface on the eyelids to apply and blend eye shadows. It also allows makeup to last all day all night! At only £4.99 you can’t go wrong. Tap a 5 pence coin size amount onto your lids all the way up to your brow and blend with your finger.

For your base use a neutral colour, brown, beige, gold matte without shimmer. This is just to create a layer so that the brighter colour shows more. I used Benefit’s ‘Dandy Brandy’ velvet eye shadow.

Use your applicator brush to apply the bright glitter eye dust on the lid from the inner corner. I used bright yellow ‘30’ eye dust. If you want a pink girly look use the glitter eye dust in ‘106’ or ‘107’ which is a bright fuchsia colour.

Apply the darker colour with a smudge brush or blender brush (black or brown) at the crease and gently blend outwards in an A shape. This should look soft and not a harsh or sharp line. (Unless you want a lot of drama!)

Apply mascara and liner brush to draw thin lines following the shape of your eye. If you want a retro look, do a 50’s inspired flick for a girly touch. I used Bobbi Brown Gel Liner as it’s long lasting and very easy to use regardless of your drawing skills!

Apply fake lashes for more girly drama! I used thick lashes with cubed feathers by Stargazer ‘60’.

Stargazer Fake Lashes are £5.00 and each pot of eye dust is £3 and available to buy at www.stargazer-products.com.

Remember you can always email me with any questions at askkemiaboutbeauty@gmail.com.

Rihanna in Rolling Stone Magazine

Rihanna has a heart-to-heart with the folks at Rolling Stone and gets her booty out in the process. Check out that derriere on the cover!

She says of her relationship with Chris Brown:  “I put my guard up so hard. I didn't want people to see me cry. I didn't want people to feel bad for me. It was a very vulnerable time in my life and I refused to let that be the image. I wanted them to see me as, 'I'm fine, I'm tough.' I put that up until it felt real.”

She also discusses her difficult childhood, how she feels about the endless rumours on her love life and what the infamous single S&M means to her.

Watch her behind the scenes at the Rolling Stones shoot.




The full interview is in Rolling Stone magazine, out now.

Fashion at the 2011 Grammy Awards

The Grammys were held in Los Angeles last night and once again, the fashion did not disappoint.

Sticking with the music for a bit, some of the winners were:

Best Contemporary R&B Album – ‘Raymond V Raymond’, Usher
Best Rap Album – ‘Recovery’, Eminem,
Best R&B Album - 'Wake Up!', John Legend and the Roots
Best Rap Song - 'Empire State of Mind,' Jay-Z and Alicia Keys
Best R&B Song - 'Shine,' John Legend and the Roots
Best Dance Song - 'Only Girl (In The World)', Rihanna
Best New Artist - Esperanza Spalding

Needless to say, Lady Gaga stole the show by arriving in a giant egg!

Lady Gaga arriving at the Grammys

Moving on, Rihanna must have friends in high places as she arrived in a John Paul Gaultier gown that was only on the catwalks of Paris last month! Nice. We also much prefer her new sleek hairstyle over the Sideshow Bob creation she had been sporting.

Rihanna in Jean Paul Gaultier

Jean Paul Gaultier Spring 11 Couture Show

For her on stage performance with Eminem, she wore a Christian Dior dress from his Autumn/Winter 2010 collection.

Jennifer Lopez certainly made an entrance in an itsy bitsy Emilio Pucci minidress and Christian Louboutin studded heels.

The ever slimmer Jennifer Hudson in a Versace gown.

Nicki Minaj in a leopard print Givenchy Couture full catsuit and ‘how did it stay up all night?’ hairpiece.

Kim Kardashion (with gravity defying boobs) in a Kaufman Franco gown and nude Christian Louboutin courts.

Naya Rivera (from Glee) in a short at the front, long at the back gown.

Ciara in a long but actually not-much-material Emilio Pucci 2011 Spring Collection dress.

Glee’s Jenna Ushkowitz in a classic nude strapless dress with black overlay.

Janelle Monae in her signature angdrogynous style with Dolce & Gabbana black satin trousers, sequin blazer and white shirt.

Amber Riley in an unusual embellished strapless gown, with odd gold shoulder detailing.

Monica in an overpowering formal black gown.

Esperanza Spalding rocking a natural 'fro.













And last but not least, cheer up Faith!

Shop her Style – Rihanna

Rihanna was spotted at a LA Clippers basketball game last week wearing this Topshop t-shirt. She teamed it with a pair of J Brand Hi Rise jeans for a nice not-trying-too-hard look.

We’re firm believers in spending a bit more on jeans, as they’re items that you probably wear the most and they can last for years. These J Brand jeans look good on a slim pear shape like Rihanna. And teamed with a t-shirt that we can all afford (only £20!) she is a good example of mixing high and low end items. Well done Rihanna.