So get me to the church on time

Maybe it’s the smell of freshly cut flowers or perhaps the scent of sugar covered marzipan, but I love a wedding.

I’ve been to traditional British quite formal, beachy Carribean, gorgeous and relaxed and even to New Age Spiritual..wasn’t sure what to expect but yes I cried buckets, it was beautiful.

A wonderful set of lashes is an essential item on any wedding to do list;

Top tips for any wedding planner number one-please tell the Bride to have her lashes done two weeks prior to the big day, we have heard such sad stories of  Brides with puffy swollen eyes who have decided to have  a full set of lashes done the day before have reacted and quelle horror, disaster strikes!

Once the full set has been done a couple of weeks before theWedding, the Bride has time to get used to the lashes and see if she wants any adjustments . One could always add a couple more the day before or a couple of knot free flares to accentuate the Audrey sweeep, so feminine and alluring. A set of fluttery lashes look beautiful in photographs and as you say ‘I do’ your eyes will look brighter, sparklier and just gorgeous.  Also you can have a good old cry and they stay looking reasonable…. perfect for me then!

Mother in Laws look elegant and refined with very natural barely there lashes, not too over done just thicker and healthier without looking like you are are wearing anything fake, and what would be the perfect gift for any bridesmaid? Yes a thank-you gift of a lash extension treatment. All girls love lashes and they could chose express with swarovski crystals and colour for the party lover, Mink for the elegant bestfriend and for the Tomboy a selection of strip lashes so she can try them at at home and see if she likes them with out being committed.

Hmm, so thats everyone then…well not quite. Male grooming is a growing trend and I’m sure many of the Celebrities we fall in love with have had a little something done.

Better go, got to get my fascinator on and watch the happy couple and the guests to see what they are wearing and more importantly have a good look at their lashes.

Best wishes for the future Kate and Wills have a lovely day.

Speak soon Miss Bx

Oh yeh, wait a minute Mr Postman….

I love receiving parcels, well post in general really.

 I like to write to friends on lovely crisp paper with a colour co-coordinated gorgeous ink pen…stuck in the old days or simply traditional? If you ask my friends they would agree yup that’s typical of me? A knock on the door… hooray it’s the Postman with a parcel for ME. There’s something very satisfying about slicing through the tape and rustling through the tissue paper. Even if I know what the contents are I always have a slight in-take of breath and a rush of surprise. Whether you are the sort of girl like me that folds up the bubble wrap and flat pack the box (in case I should need it one day hmm as if the other boxes I have collected are going to miraculously disappear). Or like my friend who literally takes a running jump and dives head first into the box and emerges covered in packaging clutching the prized goods. Instructions and receipts are dull dull dull so she just leaves them in the box and throws it away and will say when she has tried and failed to make sense of the products. ‘It doesn’t work- or I don’t know what I am supposed to do’. Will she ever learn, if she had bothered to read the letter and instructions she would know and life would be a lot simpler.

Here at HO we answer so many calls from girls that didn’t bother to read the letter until the day of training if at all. So we often have hurried mobile calls from girls on their way to training who say ‘Where am I supposed to go’ ‘Oh I forgot to patch test’ so crucial and believe me if you have a reaction you’ll wish you had remembered.

I do try to call you all and make sure that you have patch tested/practiced and you know where you are going but please Ladies make life easier for yourselves; Read the paperwork and have a stress free training day. Speak soon x

TRIBUTE TO ELIZABETH TAYLOR

STUNNING ELIZABETH TAYLOR “Intuitive and alluring screen actress who proved fascinating to the camera and the public long after her film career had gone into decline”

“Her greatest gift as an actress was her face. She was incomparably photogenic, with jet-black hair, so dark it seemed almost blue on screen, and eyes the deep purple colour of an aubergine skin. Her figure presented more problems for cameramen. Small, curvaceous and top-heavy, she had the bust of a much taller woman”. Quotes the times obituary…

Click here to see a gallery from childhood to her final years …It reminds us that life is a journey, in this industry, we are constantly struggling to ward off the signs of aging…..If you look at the photos, you will see that Elizabeth always had her eyebrows beautifully shaped, her eyeliner and mascara on and we have allot to learn from her.

Her eyes were her most stunning feature, her eyebrows in particular, can you imagine her with thin insignificant eyebrows? Absolutely not!!  So lets take a closer look.   Eyelash extensions were not available in those days as we know it, but Elizabeth knew how to make her eyes look good.  Lashings of mascara, black, black, black…. Lashes look even thicker if you add eyeliner, Elizabeth always had black eyeliner on, you can create the same look using our Enhance Shape Define black liner pen, it lasts for 24 hours and is definately no smudge!!

Eyebrows frame the face, with Elizabeth’s jet black hair and stunning eyes a well defined dark brow was essential and very much a trade mark for her….

Thank you Elizabeth for making our world more beautiful.

Have a wonderful day.

Alison

EMMA WATSON – THE NEW FACE OF LANCOME MAKING A DIFFERENCE AND EARNING A FORTUNE!

Lancome always choose incredibly well, and Emma Watson as their new ambassadoress is a perfect choice.  Her short haircut is perfect for showing off mascaras.  I don’t know exactly how many mascaras lancome have produced in history, but it is allot, it seems that every year there is a new one.  This tells us that women desparately want longer thicker eyelashes.  I know from experience that when I’ve done a set of lashes, tidied the clients eyebrows and added a bit of lipstick, the client is totally transformed.  From that point of view we are in the right business….

I also find it fascinating how much money you can earn as a Hollywood star:   A quote from the Times 4th February 2010:

“Harry Potter star Emma Watson has been named Hollywood’s highest paid female star.

The 19-year-old was ranked above the likes of Cameron Diaz, Sarah Jessica Parker and Angelina Jolie in Vanity Fair magazine’s list of Hollywood’s top 40 earners.

Watson, who is also the youngest on the list, was ranked at number 14 overall. Watson’s 2009 earnings are recorded at $30 million (£19 million), having bagged $15 million each for her two most recent outings as Harry Potter’s Hermione. Watson’s actual earnings are likely to be millions of dollars higher, however, as the list does not include earnings from other sources and the actress has secured a lucrative advertising deal with the Burberry fashion label.”

Its hard to believe that instead of running around in Harry Potter films, she has become a beautiful young woman who cares and wants to make a difference.  What a great role model.

“I wanted to help People Tree produce a younger range because I was excited by the idea of using fashion as a tool to alleviate poverty and knew it was something I could help make a difference with.” Emma

We also as a company are trying to make a difference with my project in India, I personally sponsor six children at the orphange and A H Francis regularly donates to the mission. It costs just £10 per month to feed, cloth and send a child to school, that is less than you would spend on a couple cups of coffee and a cake at Starbucks, please help and sponsor a child:  contact me alison@ahfrancis.com.

Have a great day.

Alison

GEL PAD TIP FOR EYELASH EXTENSIONS

We are constantly striving to give you the best products and service and we regularly send out hints and tips, but if you subscribe to our blog, you won’t miss anything!!  So here are some useful tips for using gel pads:

Sometimes the gel from the pads comes away, to avoid this,  simply remove a few centimetres of gel with an applicator stick as shown. This is great if you have clients with sensitive eyes.

TIP 2

Ever have trouble getting the gel pads to sit comfortably on the clients eyes?  Depending on the shape of the eye and cheekbone, the gel pad sometimes need modification so that it lies flat.  Marie, our sales manager and trainer, came up with the idea to create a fan by cutting the pad so it opens and smooths out….Its a revelation!!!!

If you have any questions or frustrations, please let us know, we have a wonderful creative department who are working round the clock looking for solutions to improve our products and training.

Have a wonderful day.

Alisonx

KATE MIDDLETON’S NO STYLE QUEEN ‘VIVIENE WESTWOOD GIVES HER VERDICT ON PRINCE WILLIAMS FIANCE`

There she is again, Viviene Westwood….outrageous as ever, it seems that Kate will not be wearing a Viviene Westwood dress to marry William!!!

Well whatever Kate wears for her wedding will be beautiful I am sure.  After all, she is young and beautiful and does not need that much help!!!

It seems that fashion has taken a turn for the more natural look, a look that we promote with our 007 mink lashes.  You can’t really imagine Kate Middleton with the fake Jordan look, she is definately Miss Natural personified.

I love Kate’s look despite Viviene Westwoods comment, I think she is lovely, very dignified and seems to be handling the media invasion very well.

After all the natural look is always in fashion.   It plays upon your best features and makes you look as nature intended – Only Better! Everyone can create this style easily by just giving the eyebrows a good shape and a bit of extra definition, enhancing the eyelashes and giving the lips a slightly fuller look.  You can achieve natural definition using Enhance shape Define pens which give you 24hr water and smudge proof colour.

On the other hand you could take ‘natural’ to the other extreme!!!  We were not sure if this would take off, so we stuck with the lashes!!  We do however have something very, very exciting coming so watch this space!!!!

Have a great day.

Alison

“I too command the wind sir”

At a friend’s 40th birthday party Last night I was reminded of Kate Blanchett’s performance in Elizabeth: The Golden Age……She potrays  strength in an incredibly feminine way, she had all that on her shoulders, yet she remained beautiful and dignified.  My friend (lets call her Elizabeth here) said she had a surprise for everyone!!!!

As we arrived at this rather lovely restaurant in Italy we find a stunning table setting good enough for a queen.  My first thought was, wow, this is going to be a great party….but where is the host?  Whilst people continued to arrive, I noticed that everyone was looking around for Elizabeth, but she was nowhere to be seen….As we all sat down, the lights were dimmed and all of a sudden – rather load – ‘Here comes the bride’ music….Total confusion waved through the guests, where is the man, where is the man, I hear in the background, I did not even know she had a boyfriend at the moment!!  Elizabeth floated in, in the most beautiful wedding gown, hair tumbling down in curls I did not know she had, and flowers to die for.  But, where was then man….

There was no man, in true Elizabeth I style, she married herself……She read out her reasons for doing so, above all self acceptance, commitment to live in the present and be authentic to who she is.  I felt touched by her courage and dignity…….I left that party feeling humble myself, repeating a mantra in silence, ‘I accept myself….I accept myself….I accept myself’..

So as women in an industry where we are under constant scrutiny from our clients and peers, take a moment to just look in the mirror and say ‘I accept myself’.

To finish, a clip from Elizabeth in one of her most glorious moments.  Enjoy…

ST VALENTINES

Love is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies.
- Aristotle

I was thinking, what my blog would be this weekend, when someone posted this rather nostalgic video so I thought I would share:

Apparently the custom of choosing a sweetheart on the 14th February spread through Europe in the Middle Ages, and then to the early American colonies. Throughout the ages, people also believed that birds picked their mates on February 14!

The ancient Romans celebrated the feast of Lupercalia, a spring festival, on the 15th of February, held in honor of a goddess. Young men randomly chose the name of a young girl to escort to the festivities. With the introduction of Christianity, the holiday moved to the 14th of February. The Christians had come to celebrate February 14 as the saint day that celebrated the several early Christian martyrs named Valentine.

Whatever the history……St Valentines to the contemporary world is a time to celebrate love, an inspiration to find love, or simply to appreciate love.  This is another video that I would like to share, it is the most beautiful Rumi poem I have every heard…I hope you like it!!

Young love is a flame; very pretty, often very hot and fierce, but still only light and flickering. The love of the older and disciplined heart is as coals, deep-burning, unquenchable.
- Henry Ward Beecher

Have a wonderful weekend.

Alison

(some information sources from inventors.com)

Vivienne Westwood – the ultimate style icon?

QUOTE FROM THE TIMES:

“The doyenne of British fashion, now 69, on Malcolm McLaren, saving the planet – and her fortysomething husband’s hot body

To be perfectly honest with you – and I have no reason to lie – I’ve no idea if Dame Vivienne Westwood is totally nuts or a genius, if her work is barmy or high art, if she is overestimated or underestimated, or any of those things”.

They say she is magnificent, I loved Deborah Ross’s commentary, very insightful and no surprise.  I admire Vivienne for her originality and even more her obliviousness!!!  How amazing it must be to  create whatever you feel like, however outrageous, be famous for it, and make a fortune!!!!  There is allot to say about being authentic!!!

Making a fortune…..just how does one do that….In a previous blog I mentioned the book Rich Dad Poor Dad which talks about attitude and being able to think outside the box, something that Vivienne certainly does.  The other thing she does is take risk, to move on in life, one has to be able to calculate risk, be courageous enough to take that leap, and ignore negativity from friends and family….I have had allot of criticism from people in my circle, but, to date my risks have mostly paid off!!

So in true Vivienne style, we are preparing to launch something very special that has never been done before….we are very, very excited so watch this space and keep an eye on our website and the press!!!!

So, back to Vivienne what of her makeup?   Not many at 69 could get away with that blood red lipstick, only Vivienne!!!!  It somehow really does work, whenever you see her, she always looks totally outrageous, but I always find myself envying her style and wishing I had a more interesting wardrobe.

Next shopping trip…..OUTRAGEOUS!

Have fun.

Alison

IMATS INTERNATIONAL MAKEUP ARTISTS SHOW

This is makeup’s biggest weekend and we are very excited about being at the IMATS.   The International Make-Up Artist Trade Show—better known as IMATS—will bring world-class make-up talent to the UK this winter, and the press is already taking notice.   Check out the impressive media coverage by clicking on this link .

We will by showcasing our new brand ENHANCE SHAPE DEFINE and giving away goody bags.  Of course if you want your lashes done, we will be doing lashes on the stand.  We would love to see you if you can make it.

check out the IMATS VIDEO

WHERE?

Alexandra Palace in Wood Green near London will host this year’s International Make-Up Artist Trade Show (IMATS). Alexandra Palace is situated in North London between Muswell Hill and Wood Green (Alexandra Palace Way, Wood Green N22 7AY). It is well served by all forms of public transport and is easy to reach by underground, road and rail. There is also ample on-site parking free of charge.

For more information, visit www.alexandrapalace.com.

Directions

By Underground
Wood Green, on the Piccadilly Line, is the nearest London Underground Station. It connects via King’s Cross to the Circle Line on which main British Rail Stations are located. Journey time from Piccadilly Circus, for example, is 20 minutes. The frequent W3 bus service runs from just outside Wood Green Station to the Palace entrance. For more direction information, visit www.journeyplanner.tfl.gov.uk.

By Rail
Alexandra Palace has its own British Rail Station, fittingly called Alexandra Palace Station. It is located at the Wood Green entrance to the Park.

A regular train service runs from Kings Cross, changing at Finsbury Park for Alexandra Palace Station or direct from Moorgate Station.  Please check the  National Rail Web site for more information. There is no weekend service from Moorgate Station.

By Road
Alexandra Palace is one mile from the North Circular (A406) and 5 miles from Junction 2 on the M1 Motorway. Junction 25, the nearest access to the M25, is just 8 miles away. An easy route from the city is the A10 then west onto the A109. From the West End take the A400 to Archway via Camden Town. Then the A1 and follow signs to the Palace.

Check this link for further details