VIDEO - Behind The Scenes With Example

This Example video shoot and could almost have summed up my Bank Holiday Weekend. I love the way that music makes you dance, laugh, cry, stay up all night and inspire you. I couldn't live without it...

Plus, Example is a bit of a lad and quite entertaining (in music and in general). Why not follow Example on Twitter for updates like this... "Inside Natures Giants is fascinating. Just when you think you know a camel really well you realise it's all been a lie".

FRAGRANCE - BOSS The Collection From Hugo Boss

 

The BOSS brand has various collections within it, some more affordable than others. For those who would align themselves with the more aspirational of these brands there is now a set of luxurious fragrances to match.

BOSS The Collection includes 5 new elite fragrances for men, a set of rare scents inspired by opulent fabrics used within the BOSS clothing collections. Each fabric has been paired with an elegant scent to create a high-end fragrance that smells amazing. The five fragrances are:

• Cotton & Verbena
• Silk & Jasmine
• Wool & Musk
• Velvet & Amber
• Cashmere & Patchouli 

Each fragrance comes in a 50ml bottle and retails at £110. The attention to detail in the packaging is second to none. Each chunky glass bottle comes in a beautiful drawstring pouch, made with the fabric that inspired its aroma. The pouch is then encased within a lovely box covered in the very same fabric. It really would make an amazing gift for the guy who thinks he has everything.

It's a clever idea for a range of fragrances and it reinforces the idea of HUGO BOSS as offering sought-after tailoring using rich quality fabrics like Italian wool, cashmere and silk, a heritage which spans more than 50 years. Each lavish fragrance relies largely upon a single but exaggerated note that has been selected to complement the fabric. I'll be saving some of these to use as an extra-special pillow spray as well as on myself.

I tested the fragrances in the order that was recommended, from lighter to heavier and have included my thoughts below...

Cotton & Verbena 
This scent feels very refined, crisp and clean smelling. Great for that after-a-shower freshness before going out. I feel like there's a slight citrus element to it too which is refreshing and awakening.

Silk & Jasmine
My favourite which I will be wearing myself even though I'm a woman. This actually smells delicious without being at all sickly. It's an elegant, grown-up fragrance and subtle enough to be worn in the daytime.

Wool & Musk
This fragrance feels rich, exotic and sensual. There's a comforting warmth to it that just makes me feel quite cosy, great for a date especially if you might be cosying up with your lady watching a movie.

Velvet & Amber
This scent is quite heady, deep and aromatic. The only way I can describe it is like a sherry instead of a wine, richer and more developed. This one is definitely an evening fragrance for bars or restaurants where your fragrance will be competing with lots of other smells.  

Cashmere & Patchouli 
This is the strongest of all the fragrances and demands a confident wearer who can take on the more intense scent. Again, this smells expensive in its simplicity, like it has been created with the best ingredients but just a select few of them for a truly rich and concentrated aroma. 

 

These exclusive fragrances are only sold in El Corte Inglés in Madrid, Harrods in London, and KaDeWe in Berlin, Germany. Or you can win one...

WIN THE CASHMERE & PATCHOULI FRAGRANCE, WORTH OVER £100

To enter you need to tell me is why you need a new fragrance, girls and guys can enter. It might be that you want the scent for yourself or to give as a gift. There are two ways to enter...

• Via Twitter - Tweet your entry using the hashtag #thestylepagiveaway 
• Via a comment - Leave a comment on this post along with some way for me to get in touch e.g. a Twitter or Facebook profile or blog (not personal email addresses)

Terms & conditions:
There will be 1 prize and 1 winner
UK and Ireland residents only
Maximum 2 entries per person (1 comment, 1 tweet)
Competition closes at 11.59pm on Saturday 3 September
Winner will be chosen at random

FRAGRANCE - Re:Fresh With Lacoste Challenge

 

LACOSTE Challenge has been around for a while, but new to the fragrance range this season is LACOSTE Challenge Re:Fresh. And what's different about this one you might ask? Well actually there is something a bit special about it. This one features a patented time-release technology which means your fragrance reactivates throughout the day for up-to-the-minute freshness.

Lewis Peacock (part of the fragrance creation team for LACOSTE) explains how it all works: "In a traditional fragrance, the top-note oils, responsible for the fresh initial scent, quickly evaporate from the skin after spraying. This can mean that you lose the first impression of the fragrance quite quickly. However, the Time Release Technology traps some of the top-note oils in the perfume, steadily releasing them in new bursts of fresh top notes over time. This allows the fragrance to smell fresher for much longer, as if you had just sprayed it on your skin."

What else is there to know? The face of the fragrance is tennis player Andy Roddick (pictured above) and he's been working with LACOSTE for 6 years, first on fashion and then moving onto the fragrance side. The fragrance bottle is inspired by a tennis racquet handle and is tactile and soft-to-the-touch. What do you think? On smelling the fragrance I'd say it's a great all-rounder that works for day or evening. It's fresh, zingy yet masculine... delish!

You can buy LACOSTE Challenge Re:Fresh at Debenhams, prices start from £20 for a 30ml eau de toilette so it's really reasonable.

EVENT - Sailing with Hugo Boss at Cowes Week

On Monday I was a very lucky girl indeed. With riots taking place across London I headed out to Portsmouth armed with an invite for Alex Thomson's racing yacht, sponsored by Hugo Boss. Having never really been sailing before I was excited, if a little apprehensive, but the thought of getting away from the city and watching some of the sailing at Cowes Week on the Isle of Wight was an offer too good to refuse.

Coming out of the harbour on the boat things were very relaxed. We had a go at pulling ropes and had a tour of the boat which is made of the same material as an F1 car. As we hit the open water things got a bit more exciting, at points the boat was banked at 40 degrees while I was clinging on to the high side of the boat for dear life. The power of the elements becomes clear when sails are raised and the wind catches the sail propelling it forward.

The boat is designed to be sailed by one person, and for certain races Alex goes it alone for 3 months which is just astonishing. The living and sleeping area on the boat is very basic and he has to train himself to sleep for 20 minutes every couple of hours in order to keep the speed of the boat at an optimum in order to get the best possible place in the race, which many boats don't finish. On the boat it seems like everywhere you step there is another rope, something to trip over - this sort of sailing is not a sport for the clumsy!

The boat itself is an Open 60, that means it's 60ft long, has smooth hulls to plane across any waves, and can reach speeds of up to 25 knots. On Wednesday Alex and his team came 3rd in the Artemis Challenge, a race at Cowes Week for charity. Celebrities get involved in this race too and Alex welcomed Ewan MacGregor as part of his crew, the course for which is a lap around the Isle of Wight. Zara Phillips also competed with another team.

Lloyd Images

While we were relaxing on the non-racing yacht (think Tanqueray gin & tonic, elderflower and raspberry trifle and a sun deck) we were shown this amazing photo of Alex and the Hugo Boss boat. When the keel of the boat is moved mechanically over to one side in order to keep the boat stable, the boat leans and the keel can actually come out of the water. For this amazing photo, Alex got dressed up in a Hugo Boss suit, and, from a small boat, jumped onto the keel as it appeared from the water. Brings a whole new meaning to the term 'wetsuit' right?

I really enjoyed my day sailing with Alex, his team and the Hugo Boss fragrance team. I was also given some fabulous new men's fragrances from Hugo Boss to try which I'll be reviewing for my next post... come back soon.

See a few more of my pics below...

 

 

SHOES - Diesel High Tops From Zalando

I was recently asked to give Zalando a try and being a shopoholic, I rarely turn down an opportunity. I've used quite a few different shoe websites plus online department stores and the thing I'm noticing more and more is the sheer choice available. Zalando, like other similar sites, has a huge range of brands available, from higher end designer styles to really affordable options too. The great thing about shopping online for shoes is that it's much easier to know your size and get a good fit. I find clothes can be more difficult to order online as I'm better trying them on, but shoes... I'll order shoes till the cows come home.

Armed with £100 to spend, I asked my boyfriend to choose a pair of shoes for himself.We had a good look together, I quite liked the Boss Orange sneakers and am also partial to brogues. He explored the Converse before settling on a pair of YUK high top sneakers from Diesel. I love the denimy grey colour of the upper and the white toe detailing. Most of the shoes in the collection have a slightly 'dirty' colouring and urban feel which I like too. There are a couple which have a more clean-cut feel and also a couple of pairs of deck shoes too.

But even if Diesel isn't your thing there are plenty more to choose from. Top brands include Levi's, Lacoste, Bench and Nike too, plus lots of formal brands if you need a pair of shoes for work, a wedding or nights out.

When it comes to service I was pretty impressed. Ordering and checkout is easy and they arrived really quickly too. I was sent a note to say when they'd been despatched too which is always useful. Only downside is that the website occasionally takes long time to load or times out. Perhaps a sign that there's more demand than they expect?