22.99 for Carmen beauty facial sauna		16 for Clinique Pore Minimizer Refining Mask

Large pores are every woman’s worst enemy. They are the reason we can’t get that clear complexion we all crave. But, we found two great methods in this never-ending beauty battle: regular steaming or face masks.

Pamper yourself and have a steamy night ritual with a facial steamer. It’s a lovely way to unwind after a long day and to unclog both overstuffed pores and a stuffy nose. One good facial steamer on the market is the Carmen beauty facial sauna, available at Boots for £22.99. It has two heat settings and a digital timer for easy use. Or, you could save with one of the best pore masks: Clinique Pore Minimizer Refining Mask, £16. This mask removes debris and blackheads from congested pores and boasts an instant result for those of you chiconomistas who want to tackle the problem in one go. Whichever you chiconomistas choose, we hope you’re pore perfect in no time.

By Hannah Vickers

945 Christian Louboutin Guerriere 120 suede ankle boots		30 New Look Strap Peeptoe Bootie

Out of all autumn’s essentials, besides a trendy (and warm coat), you need the perfect pair of fashionable winter boots, for both day and night! This season, buckles are a key trend—they toughen up a girly outfit, and bring instant grunge to jeans or skinny trousers. They will update any outfit and keep you looking stylish for the winter season.  They’ve been seen all over the catwalk, with designers, such as Alexander McQueen, Burberry, and Balenciaga, all teaming these boots up with girly pastels and lashings of layers.

So why not get ahead of the trend and grab yourself a pair! Christian Louboutin Guerriere 120 suede ankle boots are a gorgeous pair of black-suede boots, with sky-high heels (red sole: check) at £945. Or go for the all-black temptress boots with New Look’s Strap Peeptoe Bootie, £30. Team them both with tights, such as Marks and Spencer’s opaque tights, £4, in grape or redcurrant or a pair of on-trend ankle socks to create an edgy look! Get some great over-the-knee socks in grey from Matalan, at just £2.50. So get buckled up this winter!

By Joanne Mason

£17.50 for Lancôme's Colour Fever Gloss in Bloody Black Cherry		£1.50 for e.l.f.'s Luscious Liquid Lipstick in Ruby Slipper

All over the catwalks, the must-wear shade for lips is stoplight red.  The only must-not-get-wrong task is finding the perfect shade. You know the red lipstick that makes your teeth whiter, gives you a big, bright pout and makes you forget about the horrors of feathering.  Yes, that rocking red shade.  If you’re not ready for really red lipstick, opt for red lipgloss or a liquid lipstick. They are the feather-proof way to gorgeous, not garish, lips.

Lancôme’s Colour Fever Gloss in Bloody Black Cherry, £17.50, sounds scary but looks lovely. Wear it light for day and layer it on for night. No matter how much you put on, this red lipgloss won’t leave that faded red ring, like most lipsticks. Available at all Lancôme counters. Speaking of lipstick, if you want a red lipstick that skips the bleeding, then go budget with e.l.f.’s Luscious Liquid Lipstick in Ruby Slipper, £1.50. It’s got the long-lasting wear of a lipstick and the non-bleeding beauty of a gloss. See, red lips can be really easy.

By Christina Caicedo

23 Chanel Vendetta		2.99 Barry M Vivid Purple

As much as we hate to admit to it, autumn has at last descended upon London with its crisp weather and slowly shortening days. Like some kids, we use to love going back to school as it meant seeing mates, a new start to the year, and a new set of bright Crayola markers.  Alas! There is a way to relive that childhood excitement with beautiful, invigorating nail varnish. Nothing lifts your mood like looking down at your keyboard and seeing bright fingertips. And one of this season’s hottest colours is deep purple!  Passionate and sexy, it will enliven any hand!

For the ultimate splurge in enjoyment Chanel’s Vendetta, £23, is a sparkling midnight purples with effervescent flecks of blue and red to help you shine through the long nights! Available at all Chanel counters. Or count your pennies and save big with Barry M Nail Paint in Vivid Purple, £2.99, at Boots. It’s a deep sultry colour in a quick dry base, suitable for natural and acrylic nails.

PS. If purple isn’t your idea of pretty, peek at our post on blue hues.

By Sarah Malter

18 Connock London Kukui Oil Wonder Balm		5 Champneys Moisture Miracle Rescue Balm

At chiconomise HQ, we’re all going a bit mad with the moisturiser. Already, we are starting to see scaly signs of the chillier weather: dry elbows, knees, hands and cuticles. And of course, the dreaded hangnail. Let’s be honest, we’ve all picked at a hangnail or maybe two and scratched the dry bits on our hands (when no one is looking or when we think no one is looking). Though, we all know that picking (and scratching) is so-not pretty. This autumn and winter, skip the scaly bits and the scratching and rub on a rescue balm. Your cuticles, elbows, knees and hands will beam with beauty.

Connock London Kukui Oil Wonder Balm, £18, packs a serious burst of moisture. Apart from the lush ingredients, such as Kukui oil, cocoa butter and beeswax, we also love how this balm just melts as soon as you put it on, giving dry hands, elbows and knees a second skin of smoothness. Buy this balm at Beautique.com , Harrods Urban Retreat and Fortnum & Mason.  Or save your money (and your skin from scratching) by rubbing on Champneys Moisture Miracle Rescue Balm, £5. Using cocoa butter and almond and lavendar oil, you can make dry cuticles, elbows and knees a thing of the not-so pretty past.

PS. If you’re looking for face balms, check out this post and stay smooth!

By Christina Caicedo

315 Wool-blend toggle coat		75 ASOS Wool Hooded Duffle Coat

The winter months are fast approaching, and the search for that perfect coat begins once again. We all want a coat that will keep us warm, and looks stylish. With so many options out there it’s difficult to decide which style to go for.
The duffle is back! It’s a style that returns year after year, and seems to be a go-with-everything coat. It’s a style that can be worn dressed down and layered up with a hat and scarf combo during the day, and transformed for the evening, worn open with a dress, for a glammed-up cool look.

 
Juicy Couture’s duffle, £315, is a deeper camel, with puffed shoulders to give the style a quirky finish. ASOS have done a similar style and colour at just a fraction of the price (£75.00). This style has a more traditional hood (great for the rain and keeping snug).

 
Camel is big this season. It’s all over the catwalk, and designers such as Chloe, MaxMara, and Hermes are embracing this season’s hottest colour. So invest now in this on trend, timeless piece, and you’ll be sure to not only top the style stakes, but also being such a practical colour, and style, you’ll actually get your wear out of it!

By Joanne Mason

22.50, Lancôme Ombre Magnétique in Black Macadam		12.15, Urban Decay Stardust eyeshadow in Void

Autumn’s makeup for 2010 has spoiled us with many shade choices for eyeshadows.  And we have been in a beauty buzz over the new smoky eye à la sparkly black eyeshadow. Thank goodness for that. Because, we are all tired of flat black eyeshadow in matte. Let’s get our sparkle on and dip into the black shadows.

Lancôme Ombre Magnétique in Black Macadam, £22.50, is gloomy black eyeshadow made gorgeous.  Injected with French dazzle, this sparkly black shadow gives eyes a sexy lustre. Plus, the blendable pearlised formula takes the work of out making this black eyeshadow wearable. To take the trend to you, blend it with the other two eyeshadows, Cherry Chérie and Urban Silver. Dip into the testers of the French Coquette line at Lancôme counters today. Now for the sparkly black eyeshadow on a budget: Urban Decay Stardust eyeshadow in Void, £12.15 (RRP: £13.50).  Because it’s light and sparkly, you look glam, not garish glittery.

Tip: Slide some silver eyeshadow in the inner corners. For the centre of the lid, apply some purple or cherry eyeshadow and then use the black eyeshadow for the crease and lower lids.

By Christina Caicedo

4.99 Goody Simple Styles Modern Updo Pin		2.99 Glitz4Girlz Pearlised Chocolate Maxi Linziclip

Flipping through all the September issues, it’s all about the updo, chiconomistas.  And we couldn’t be happier because of the beauty sleep benefits (i.e. not having to get up early in the morning to fuss over our hair).  While updos can take time, we got the hair accessories, a hairpin and linziclip, that’ll make doing a french twist a sinch.

Goody Simple Styles Modern Updo Pin for hair, £4.99 at ASDA stores nationwide, is the hot hair accessory that has many-pin power in one and puts the do-able in updos. (Peek at our post on the Updo Pin’s sister, the Spin Pin, to bun it like a pro.) Before you attempt a french twist with this pin in the morning, we suggest playing around with it when you have more time. Check out this clip on the Updo Pin that’ll have you mastering the twist in no time.  To updo your hair at a lesser cost, clip it with the Pearlised Chocolate Maxi Linziclip from Glitz4Girlz, £2.99.  With its hidden springs, it secures your hairstyle.

By Christina Caicedo

23.35 Moroccanoil Intense Hydrating Mask		5.99 Mark Hill's Intensive Conditioning Mask

After a summer of sun, beaches and pools, don’t let split ends and serious frizz be the only long-lasting momentos.  Moisturise that mad mane with a hair mask.  At the prices we found, you can forget about your regular way of masking damage, i.e. that post-summer ponytail, and get your hair back to its pre-summer shine.

Moroccanoil Intense Hydrating Mask, £23.35 for 250 ml, turns a ball of frizz into beautifully fabulous hair. Yes, you read that right: Moroccanoil is finally here in the UK.  Thank hair heaven for that. Using a slew of hair-saving vitamins and precious Moroccan Argan oil, this mask resurrects your hair in just 10 minutes. Just apply the mask to wet hair, rinse out and watch your hair go from lack lustre to luscious. It’s available at select salons  (call 0800 310 1133 or visit Moroccanoil.com for stocklists). The money-saving mask, Mark Hill’s Intensive Conditioning Mask, £5.99 at Boots, is the moisture-rich alternative to pretty hair for penny pinchers. Put a generous amount onto wet hair and leave it for as long as you can.

By Christina Caicedo

9.44 for L'Oréal Couleur Experte Permanent Colour		3.49 for Schwarzkopf's Palette hair colour

Autumn is just around the corner. So in the spirit of this season’s lovely colour changes, why not change your hair colour? Even if you don’t have time to go to the salon or want to avoid paying salon prices, you can still give your hair a pretty boost with a home hair colour in a box. It’s a budget way to beautiful change.

L’Oréal Couleur Experte Permanent Colour, £9.44 , Boots, gives your hair multi-tonal magic with a base colour and heavenly highlights.  In just two steps, you’ll be stunning. For serious budget beauty, change away with Schwarzkopf’s Palette hair colour, £3.49, available nationwide (call 0800 328 9214 for stocklists). The hair gurus at Schwarzkopf put all their professional expertise into making this home hair colour pretty. Whether you are the champion of colouring or a bit timid about tone change, Schwarzkopf has a colour blog for you, featuring video tips from British Colourist of the Year Anita Cox-MacMillan. It’s like having your very own colour coach!  She’ll dish out her best goof-proof secrets on how to get gorgeous hair colour.

21.40, Dermalogica Climate Control balm		12.50, Móa The Green Balm

Despite being beauty product pros, we’ve all had our little mishaps. You know the times when we exfoliated a bit too much, went a bit mad with the vitamin A cream or mixed products that should never mix?  Then, we spend time trying to cover the result of our really-should’ve-not-done-that actions: a really red, sore patch. Instead of braving your beauty blunder, find comfort with our multi-use, skin-saving balms. No matter what your budget or blunder, there’s a balm for you.

Dermalogica Climate Control balm, £21.40, soothes skin that is peeling, raw or irritated. Perfect protection for upcoming autumn and winter, this balm shields and moisturises your face with a beautifying barrier, made up of lemon extract, shea butter, oats and lavendar. You can even use it on your lips.  Now for the organic, multi-use marvel: Móa The Green Balm, £12. 50. This balm is our go-to hero for beauty blunders.  Not only does it comfort and heal dry, fragile skin, but it also soothes rashes, mild eczema, cuts, grazes, bites, burns, nappy rash, cradle cap and more. This balm’s many-use magic comes from its key ingredient, the harsh weather-resistant Yarrow plant from Iceland. So say goodbye to the sting of beauty blunders and autumn and winter’s bitter bite with a balm!

By Christina Caicedo

10, Steam Cream		4.29, Nivea Soft Intense Moisturising Cream

Having one moisturiser for your face, one for your body and one for your hands is way too much clutter in your bathroom cabinet (and might be asking too much of your wallet, as well). Clear the cream clutter and try one of our multi-purpose moisturisers for your face, body and hands. You really can have your three-in-one moisturiser, more space and more money, too.

Steam Cream, £10, is the three-in-one creamy treat for your whole body. Using steam, this moisturiser fuses all the delicious ingredients together, such as orange flower water, almond and cocoa butter, into a delightfully light texture that just melts into your skin. It is truly the dream cream. Available at boots.com, John Lewis, Liberty, Selfridges, asos.com, and Steamcream.co.uk. For money-savvy softness, smooth on Nivea Soft Intensive Moisturising Cream, £4.29, boots.com.  Infused with jojoba oil and vitamin E, you can get supple skin with this moisturiser, along with some savings.

By Christina Caicedo