iblog

Rushda: I'd like to think I'm at least a little clued up about fashion, but I've never ever understood the mentality behind camping outside shops at ridiculously hours to be the first to grab hold of new clothing. If it's a sale and there's not much to go round, sure, if early buyers will get better deals, that's fine too. But why queue up forever in the freezing cold just to simply buy it first. As Lottie pointed out a while back about shoppers rioting in a new Primark, it was not as if the customers were actually gaining anything from getting such budget clothing early anyway. And now, the next thing in line is Topshop's new Kate Moss collection which will hit the streets on 1st May. Topshop is already taking various steps to prevent crowd control problems by allowing shoppers to buy online from 4.30am on the day. I really don't get the excitement over buying it early. I mean, surely any attempt at being unique in owning the first pieces will be clouded by the fact that only a few days later hundreds of other young women will be seen wearing the same thing.

Rushda: A recent poll of 3,000 Brits, conducted by fashion website missbutterfly.co.uk, has officially named Plymouth as the city where people dress the worst. Apparently in Plymouth over 40% of residents claim they don't care about what they wear and how they look. Conversely, London has been named the trendiest with most residents already having a complete new summer wardrobe. Interestingly, Leeds came out as the city where dwellers spend the most on clothes, and yet it is also one of the worst-dressed too. And surprisingly Cambridge where I live also came out as somewhere people dress badly. I'm really not sure if good fashion sense should be dependent on keeping up to date with the latest trends, but I suppose if someone doesn't care at all how they look, it's very unlikely they'll end up looking like the next catwalk model - oh wait a second...!

Rushda: Shakira, the highly popular singer and dancer, is actually planning to release a "Bollywood" music video. I put that in quotation marks because as an avid Bollywood fan I'm sceptical about whether Shakira will be able to manage it all that well. To say that something is "Bollywood dancing" seems to be fashionable for such ethnically-cool popstars, which is annoying as it isn't just a glorified version of belly dancing like many think it is. Shakira was encouraged by the fact that her video Hips don't lie won best choreography at the recent MTV awards, which I was quite surprised about given that all I can remember about the video is Shakira shamelessly wiggling her bum the whole way through. Shakira's hips probably don't lie, but sadly for her the truth about Bollywood dancing is that hip swinging isn't all there is to it.

Rushda: I must confess I don't normally wear much makeup, but one of my favourite kinds is eyeshadow - maybe because I'm a sucker for colours (I mean, unless you are very weird, no one can really wear yellow or blue lipstick!) or perhaps it's because eyeshadow is the only thing you can be a little more unique and creative with. Anyway, I've always found it tricky finding a nice one - some are too liquidy and almost all of them crease and come off quickly. I was therefore amazed when I tried a sample of MAC pigment which I was recommended by someone a while back. Though it's fast becoming the staple of rock-chick teenagers who are piling it on like in the picture, that hasn't put me off too much just yet. The colour is amazing and consistent and can be blended together in all sorts of cool ways. The best part is that even though the eyeshadow itself is ridiculously expensive (at about £15 per colour), you can get amazingly cheap "small size" pots off Ebay for about a pound each! Bargain!

Rushda: Curvacious Hollywood star Scarlett Johansson has recently been voted as having the sexiest body in the world, according to a major survey. This is not a new thing: only last year the actress topped the poll in the US version of FHM, and the lucky girl seems to bag flattering praise everywhere she goes. Others who have come high up on the poll predictably include Angelina Jolie, Beyonce and JLo. Well, as much as I hate there being a definitive "sexiest" given that people's preferences vary greatly and there are a lot of beautiful women out there who can't really be compared to each other, what is interesting here is that each of these women are a healthy natural weight. This should count as even more support for the view that totally thin isn't sexy and neither is excess chubbiness. I wish it was obvious to more people that a happy and healthy medium is what is preferred by the majority.

Caroline: If you are a parent on a budget it can be hard satisfying your children's desires for hi-tech trainers. Even if money is no object you may still baulk at paying some of the prices for the designer-labels in the shops. It's good news therefore that an American basketball star, Stephon Marbury, has brought out signature trainers in the States for $14.98. Marbury has made over $17million playing basketball this season and wears his own budget trainers. Since they were introduced in Aug they have proved so successful that he is bringing out another nine styles. Let's hope it's not too long before they are available here in the UK too.

Rushda: Many women have been sceptical in the past about so-called "age defying" creams, as most tend to be just overpriced moisturisers. But scientists have recently given one mediocre-looking brand a huge green light for being an anti-wrinkle cream that actually works. This No 7 Protect & Perfect Serum doesn't cost much at just over £16 but has had phenomenal success, even featuring on a BBC Horizon programme. Since then there's been absolute chaos in Boots as thousands of women have tried to grab a jar before it becomes too late. Indeed, all Boots stores have now run out of the cream with many eager women still trying to grab jars any way they can. What a business booster for No7, who have always been a average-budget makeup brand! And what a blessing for those who have spent years trying to find something that'll banish lingering lines! Glad it'll be ages (hopefully!) before I need one, but I'm comforted in knowing that the days of wrinkles may soon be long-gone.

Rushda: It's sad that some people can be put off from buying a book because of an ugly author. But it's almost horrific that this could be the case even with absolutely classic authors such as Jane Austen, who has recently been deemed by publishers to be "too ugly" for a book they are printing about her life. Wordworth Editions have now enhanced a famous picture of her by adding make-up, hair extensions and removing her night-cap, simply so that she looks acceptable for the book. Austen has been idolised by many for what actually counts - her writing talent, so it seems awful now that she could be insulted like this in order to appeal to more fashion-conscious young people. I'm sure I echo many people's views when I say that we want to see the real Jane Austen, who doesn't exactly need to be fit for the cover of Cosmopolitan. Let's leave the makeup for those who need it.

Rushda: I've always thought that trainers are the most boring kind of footwear. Either they remind me of cringeworthy P.E. lessons at school or, on the other extreme, they are the epitome of the geek-chic crowd who wear boring but oh-so-cool converse. Obviously trainers are essential for sport, but that's never interested me that much, being (and I shamefully admit it) pretty unathletic myself. Recent developments of trainers, however, have made even me tempted to grab a pair and that's quite impressive considering you can't actually do that much with a shoe. First you have NikeiD, which allows you to design your very own Nike trainer, from the type of shoe to the colours, to even having your name on them. Great for the trendy and fashion-conscious amongst us. Then, for those who prefer functionality over aesthetics, there's Adidas's new "intelligent shoe". This shoe contains a sensor, microprocessor and a motor which actually adjusts the sole after each stride and changes the cushioning depending on the running surface. Well well, I never knew trainers could be so exciting!

Rushda: It will be summer soon, and for many young women at university one of the best parts of it is the opportunity to splash out on a beautiful dress for the university or college ball. I admit that in a way there is something annoying about ball dresses - not only are they expensive but they are often cumbersome and impractical, and I sometimes envy the guys who can get away with putting on the same black-tie outfit year after year. But all the hassle for girls is worth it I think for having the excuse to dress in a really elaborate and beautiful way, which in my opinion is far better than donning the same penguin-suit like everyone else. Ball dresses are timeless and feminine and getting dressed up is all part of the fun. Now young women can all feel like Cinderella - except the fun won't end at midnight.