Must buy item: Luella goes batty!

If you want to buy a piece of affordable designer gear, you can't go wrong with this batty t-shirt from Brit designer de jour, Luella.

Not ony do all the coolest celebs wear Luella (Lily Allen, Kelly Osbourne and Scarlet Johansson have all been spotted in her creations), but superheroes are now in vogue thanks to a forthcoming exhbition at the Costume Institute at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art. What's more, it's only 55 squid.

Ok, it's quite a lot for a t-shirt, but fairly reasonable considering it's designer, dahling! Get ready to sing... dinner, dinner, dinner, dinner BATMAN!

The Hills are alive at LA Fashion Week

On the news radar this week....

1. Lauren Conrad from Laguna Beach/The Hills 'fame' showed her first catwalk collection at LA fashion week. The clothes aren't bad but would she ever have got such a chance if she hadn't become a reality TV star first?

2. Harvey and Javine show off their baby. I hate this couple. I love Alesha Dixon (probably cos my hubbie signed her band MisTeeq). Poor girl must hate seeing these two losers flaunting the spawn of their loins. And what kind of name is Angel?!

3. Britney Spears get a sexy new makeover. Wish I could get me one of these?!

4. MTV presenter Emma Griffiths shows off her fashion credentials. I saw her at a press event the other week and she looks gorgeous in the flesh. Not too skinny either.

5. Is it just me or is Madonna finally starting to look her age? She's kind of bordering between yummy mummy and hip but failing. I hate the hair - it looks like it wouldn't move in a hurricaine, which could be quite useful in this weather we're currently having!

Behind the scenes: Fringe benefits and diet competitions

Just like every other celeb seems to be succumbing to the fringe - the latest of these being Rachel Bilson, so do all the fashion department. Every day, another girl comes in with a fringe. You may wonder why this annoys me so much... Well, I have a fringe and have had one for quite a while. You might say it's my look but now I look just like I'm on the fringe bandwagon - sigh.

On another gossipy note, I had an interesting conversation about the girls who work on one of our rival mags. Apparently all the fashion girls there are into competitive dieting. What the heck?! Why are women so silly?! For years, we've been trying to prove we're the better sex by working hard and proving we're as competent and as clever as our male counterparts. Surely competitive dieting just brings us back to square one and proves to men that we really are brainless bimbos.

Celebrity Style - Michelle Williams does Vogue

I've always had a soft spot for Michelle Williams, even in her Dawson's Creek days. In fact, I've had my hair cut like her several times (both DC and post-DC days) in an attempt to emulate her coolness. She's one of those rare stars who is indvidual, beautiful and real.

This month, she appears in the UK edition of Vogue and she looks absolutely stunning. I love this romantic look. As a fellow short hair wearer, she also always manages to make her hair look so different - I've got to get me some spangly hair accessories I think!

Obviously, she's been through a tragic time at the moment but she seems really level-headed (well, for a Hollywood star), so I'm sure she'll get through it and shine even more.

Guilty Pleasure Friday: Trannie pool parties and best in show!

These are some of the guilty pleasures I will be indulging in this weekend…

A trannie pool party at the Haymarket hotel

A DVD fest (as hubbie is working) consisting of Stomp The Yard, How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days and Pretty In Pink

Buying doggie beer for my dog’s birthday next week (yes, I’m not joking this stuff is real)

Watching Crufts on Sunday night to see who is crowned Best in Show

Going to Primark and TopShop just to touch, see and inhale the clothes as I’m still on my shopping ban

Must-buy item: Don't go breaking my Kiki

Having always been a fan of Elton John and Kiki's Dee uptempo duet, I was thrilled to find a shoe named after the Northern songstress! What's more, I think these gorgeous Kurt Geiger shoes would be the most versatile asset to your spring/summer wardrobe.

They're neutral but with a hint of colour (block colour is all the rage this season I'm told) and are high enough to be sexy but with a platform for ease of walking.

Ok, they're not the cheapest shoe around but I think the price per wear will justify splashing out.

I've only got one whole month before my spending ban is lifted so I'm just crossing fingers and toes, these little beauties stay around until then!

Fancy owning a celebrity dress?

Here's this week's fashion and celebrity round-up

1. I attended an interesting event yesterday, which is a tie-in with the movie 27 Dresses. The movie by the way is hilarious - even if you don't like chick flicks, I recommend you go - and actually yesterday's event was also hilarious, although I don't think that was the intention.

Anyway, 27 very generous celebrities have given their dresses to 20th Century Fox to be auctioned in aid of The Lavender Trust. Yesterday at the press event, they held a catwalk show of the dresses, hosted by Mica Paris and attended by glamour model Danielle Lloyd (who looked reassuringly normal-sized for a celeb). I've heard many a rumour about what a diva Mica is in real life and even though I didn't see a hint of that yesterday, she was pretty rubbish as the host - she basically read (and very badly) the information off the cards.

However, the dresses more than made up for her poor reading ability, although I was peturbed to realise I probably wouldn't get even my thigh in some of them. Bidding has already started with Kylie's dress and carries on until the release of the movie on 27 March.

2. Don't follow Madonna's extreme exercise regime unless you want to look like a monster from the deep...

3. Kate Hudson is definitely not pregnant - if she is, it's going to be the size of a bean.

4. Why do pretty celebrities insist on having grotesque pouts? The latest to succumb to the trout pout is the once gorgeous model Saffron Burrows.

5. Just because you've got a lot of money doesn't mean you'll look individual on the red carpet as these three A-listers recently discovered!

Behind the scenes: Editors live the high life!

I don't have a lot of exciting behind the scenes goss to report this week. However, I have realised that being the editor of a magazine is a VERY good thing. In the last few weeks, my editor has been invited to number 11 to meet Alastair Darling, been on one of the best tables at the BRITS and more recently got to go to the NME awards.

If you go to any editor's office, you'll see plenty of pics of them with their arms around celebrities (one of the best I've seen is an editor with Eamon Holmes - it's pure cheese!). It makes me wonder how much work they really do. That's not fair I suppose as they do work, but it's just seems a lot more fun than us average joes. They boss everyone around, get free clothes and get glitzy invites.

Saying that, I am off to Sketch this afternoon for a launch but I'm beginning to think if I've been invited there, it can't be that cool a place anymore - ha ha!

Paris Hilton proves money can't buy taste - or spirital saviour!

I don’t normally like to have a got at how celebrities dress, after all, we’ve all made the odd fashion faux pas. However, I just can’t stop myself with Paris Hilton. Does this heiress ever actually look in the mirror? Just because you’re rich and can afford everything in the shop, doesn’t mean you have to wear it in all one go.

Coco Chanel one advised every well-dressed woman to remove one item before leaving the house. In Paris’ case, she’d have to remove several items!

Take this latest get-up – what’s with the fishnets and bad 80s shoes? Do they really go with that viriginal, summery smock? And let’s not even talk about the hairband and all those necklaces – sigh. But the worst bit about this outfit is surely the Buddhist monk she’s hanging out with! As far as accessories go Paris, this one is just one step too far.

A new haircut and is Katie Holmes pregnant again?

These are the small things that have been occupying my small mind this week!

The gossip about Katie Holmes being pregnant for the second time. I feel sorry for the poor girl - not only has she had to endure sex with Tom Cruise once more, but the tabloids keep going on about her piling on the weight when to me she looks like a pile of bones. Thank god I'm not a celebrity. I've also been reading about how her first pregnancy was fake - genius!

I'm getting my hair cut next week. I had really, really short hair this time last year so have been growing it slightly. However, slightly worried I am looking a bit dishevelled so think it's time to have a proper hair-style before I start looking like Kylie-doing-a-Helen-Daniels-from-Neighbours look! I'm really loving Natalie Imbruglia's hair at the moment - will it turn me into an Aussie sex kitten I wonder?!

It's games night on Saturday night! My friend K and her boyfriend M are coming over to mine and the hubby's for a games marathon! We've got everything from Guess Who to SingStar, but who will take home the coveted trophy I wonder. Can anyone else recommend any other great board games to play?

I've been feeling poorly all week and had to miss out on some fun nights including last nights' NME awards, so it was with great pleasure I saw these photos of Kate Moss and Kelly Osbourne very drunk. They not only look like I feel at the moment, but it also goes to show that no-one can look gorgeous all of the time.

See you next week!

Must-buy item: Lovely lemon!

This is THE dress that I want for the wedding I'm going to in August. It's got a very Marilyn Monroe feel to it. It's from Miss Selfridge and costs a bargain £45.00.

I'm planning on adding red shoes and a red handbag to create the perfect Wisteria Lane Desperate Housewives look. So Bree!

Is Kate Hudson pregnant?

Here's the news on my radar this week...

1. Kate Hudson has started wearing baggier clothes while off duty. Nothing strange there you might think, it's certainly what I do on a weekend. For poor Kate though, it's sent the rumour mills into overdrive - is she pregnant? Or perhaps she likes to feel comfortable when not squeezing into red carpet frocks?!

2. Speaking of pregnant celebrities, Nicole Kidman was spotted drinking wine at the Oscars. Shock, horror indeed. I had one friend, who has had 3 healthy babies, who had a glass of wine a night.

3. Last night I felt a tremor in my bedroom but it was nothing to do with my lovely husband - ha ha! I was one of the few peeps to feel the recent UK earthquake. I was actually alerted to it by my poor dog whimpering - if that hadn't happened, I would probaby have slept through it all!

4. Get the Oscars look by plumping up your lashes. Full eyelashes was a popular beauty look with A-listers such as Heidi Klum and Anne Hathaway. For once an easy to copy red carpet look - hurrah! My favourite mascara is Urban Decay's Big Fatty mascara, which plumps up my blonde weedy eyelashes to Twiggy proportions!

5. And finally... summer is well and truly on the way. Well it must be if TopShop have got their first delivery of Havaiana flip flops in. I live in these during the summer. Bring on the sunshine!

Behind the Scenes: Beauty sale alert!

Today I experienced my second beauty sale. For the uninitiated out there, a beauty sale is when the beauty department sell off all their samples and freebies to the rest of the staff. Items cost from 50p to £5.00 but generally it's a great place to get a bargain.

I experienced my first one last year and to say I was shell-shocked was an understatement. Imagine a jumble sale full of eager grannies desperate to get their hands on some second hand tat. Add in the energy of youth and a few very bony elbows and you get the idea. It was every woman for themself. Armed with huge bags, everyone pushed and shoved until they got what they want. I managed to get a few prime bargains but wasn't overly impressed.

My friend C works on another magazine and she often gives me bags full of freebies - stuff like Dior, Bobbi Brown, Clinique, Estee Lauder. The list goes on. Here however, the goodies up for grabs are more likely to be found on the shelf of Superdrug and looking at the state of some of them, right at the back of the dusty shelf as well. So where is all the good stuff going? All I'm going to say is that the beauty editor, who doesn't get paid that much, is always turning up in new clothes, including a few nice designer items...

Who was best dressed at The Oscars?

Excuse me for not posting yesterday, but I was off ill. Thankfully a helping of Murder She Wrote has helped me back to work (lil ole Jessica Fletcher is actually quite a style icon...). So the annual red carpet-fest of the Oscars is over.

Yesterday This Morning tried to recreate some of the dresses but it just looked like they'd put bits of fabric over evening dress... which is exactly what they did. Anyway, here's my selection of the good, the bad and the downright ugly.

THE GOOD
1. Marion Cotillard - she's my current fashion crush and for good reason. She's individual without being ugly (take note Tilda Swinton). In this beautiful dress she looks like a mermaid who's come ashore for the day - beautiful.















2. Helen Mirren - I just pray that I look half as good as Dame Mirren when I'm her age. She dresses age appropriately but without being a frump, plus she's not scared of wearing bright colours.














3. Johnny Depp and Vanessa Paradis - they have to win the cutest couple award. Quirky without being too OTT, these two just look gorgeously retro. Sigh!
















THE BAD

1. Tilda Swinton - When she's not shocking middle England with her interesting love life, she's shocking everyone with her clothing! Nearly every magazine has criticised poor Tilda for her choice here. While I wouldn't have minded seeing her wear a little bit of slap, her dress isn't that bad. Yes, it's a bit shapeless, but Tilda would look downright odd if she wore anything too normal.














2. Renée Zellweger - the dress wasn't bad but what is that hairstyle all about?!


















THE UGLY
1. Julie Christie - I really want to like what Julie wears. She's still so attractive and has a great figure, but for some reason she thought she would go out wearing a red lampshade. Teaming it with those pink elbow length gloves makes me wander if she got dressed in the dark.

Long-haired celebrity children and Essex night outs

These are the guilty pleasures I'll be indulging in this week:

1. Ogling cute celebrity babies! My favourite just has to be Ryder Hudson - if I ever have a little boy, he's having long hair! Other faves include Seal and Hedi's kids, Gwen Stefani's Kingston (just voted most stylish baby on the planet) and the gorgeously blonde Shiloh Pitt-Jolie. She's going to be GORGEOUS when she's older.

2. Dancing away my cares to Mark Ronson. I'm off to see the hip producer tonight. Am excitedly trying to work out who will appear on stage with him! Last time he played in London, Tim Burgess did a guest spot. Would love that to happen tonight. I would however wee myself if Robbie turned up but since he's become Brian Blessed's look-a-likie, I doubt this will happen.

3. Binge drinking in Essex! I hate the rise of binge drinking and normally I'm a wine with my meal kind of lady but this week has been the LONGEST week ever so I'm going to let my hair down on Saturday night in my best pal Pip's hometown. Watch out Leigh-on-Sea!

4. Working out what to buy this spring. My ban will be over in April (not that far away now) so I'm busy putting together a wish-list for spring. So far, these gorgeous Kurt Geiger sandals and this poppy skirt from TopShop are topping the list.

Must-buy item: The Pippa jean

I love these TopShop jeans way much. It's not only because they are named after my best friend, but they also feel fabulous on. Yes, they may not look much in the photo, but the denim is soft, stretchy and very forgiving. In fact, I've had to go down a size in these - wooo!

They also come just to the ankle, which is very spring/summer. I'm going to team them with a cute gingham top and French Sole ballet slippers for that 50s startlet off-duty look!

Breakdancing Beckhams and Marc Jacobs bags!

The stories that are on my radar this week include…

1. Cruz Beckham’s breakdancing debut. Not only can this little fella really dance, but he also seems to adore the spotlight – bless.

2. Marc Jacobs has designed a new bag that is – shock, horror – nasty. I am big fan of his bags and in fact purchased one in New York last year, but this new bag on a bag is just foul. Expect to see lots of cheap and nasty imitations soon.

3. Lindsay Lohan recreates Marilyn Monroe’s famous last sitting photos. Oh my god, why did she even try? Marilyn is not only one of the sexiest actresses ever to walk in Hollywood, but she was actually also very talented. These pics just make me want to hurl – how dare she even try to measure up to Ms Monroe. Can you tell I’m a big Marilyn fan?!

4. One shoulder dresses are the way to go if Hollywood a-listers are anything to go by. I remember when this trend surfaced 5 years ago – I loved it then as you can flash some flesh without revealing too much.

5. Fancy buying something truly originally? Then check out this fabulous site All Things Original – you’ll make sure that your home or your clothes are truly unique.

Behind the Scenes: Bad skin and bad attitudes!

The one thing I’m learning quickly about the fash pack is that they take fashion VERY seriously. Having worked in the celebrity/entertainment sector for so long, this is very odd. Obviously celeb journalists have a fascination with A-listers, but they also take the piss out of them and their job. Fashion peeps are very different and seem to think they are above this – their job is very important.

So it made me laugh out loud when the beauty editor (who I really don’t like) rushed into work today, even though she was meant to be on holiday. Why? Well she’s got a chance to be on the TV! Hilarious. They are soooo serious about their craft yet they aspire to be celebrities themselves.

Aside from this titbit, the other gossip I heard this week is that Jaime Winstone has very bad skin. This comes from one of the writers who saw her in Vivienne Westwood’s show. Quite frankly, this surprised me as I’ve actually partied with the wee Winstone and not only is she lovely, but she has glorious skin when I met her. Perhaps the toll of partying with Lily Allen and the London jet-set has taken its toll?

Sexy Scarlett Johansson flaunts her curves!

When it comes to Hollywood starlets, I like mine on the Marilyn Monroe side of things i.e. curvy, sexy and confident. When Scarlett Johansson burst onto the scene, I was soooo excited - and I still am. For me, she embodies what a film star should be about - glamour, beauty and brains.

She looked fabulous at the premiere for The Other Boleyn Girl in a purple plunge front dress. Scarlett is one woman who not only knows how to dress well for her shape, but also embraces it. I love the fact she flaunts her curves.

Somehow she even manages to make Natalie Portman look quite ordinary in this pic - and having interviewed Ms Portman, I can tell you she is equisitively beautiful, so that's no mean feat.

If there were more role models like Scarlett and Charlize Theron around and less like the extremely angular Victoria Beckham, we'd have a nation far less obsessed with getting into the mytical size 0.

Guilty Pleasures: Unsuitable celebrity crushes

Today’s post is inspired by a confession from a fashionista I met the other day. She looks so cool – the kind of girl who would hang out with model-of-the-moment Agyness Deyn – so I was kind of surprised when she quietly admitted that she had fantasies of romping with… Tony Blair?! Eh?! I was gobsmacked. Apparently she felt he was powerful but with a cheeky glint in his eye. So this got me to thinking of who would make it into my top five unsuitable celebrity crushes…

1. Gary Barlow – Ok so he’s all growed up now and looking very handsome in his M&S finery but I’ve fancied from the days when he was the dungaree-wearing chubster of Take That. Why? I admired his talent and his singing voice, found his lack of dancing skills adorable and thought it highly amusing that he spent his popstar not on fast cars but antiques. He’ll always be my number 1.

2. Trevor Eve – but only in Waking The Dead. There’s just something so powerful about this character that I can’t help having fantasies that involve handcuffs…

3. William Petersen – yet another TV copper (well I am married to a real-life policeman so it makes sense I suppose). I love CSI – the special zooming effects, the cheesy opening music, the storylines. But I particularly love Gil Grissom. Yes, he’s getting on but you just know he was movie-star handsome in his younger days. It’s the power thing once again!

4. Ed Norton – perhaps not so guilty a crush but the guy doesn’t have typical movie star god looks. I’ve met him and he’s very petite as well but very sincere. I love sincere men. And forget Brad Pitt in Fight Club (I think he looks like a monkey) – Norton is hot, hot, hot.

5. Christopher Plummer – I’m blaming my obsession with The Sound Of Music on this one. I think I watched it a hundred times one summer holiday. Oh Captain Von Trapp was so commanding and handsome and he blew that whistle good! I went to see the stage version the other week and it just wasn’t the same without Mr Plummer – sigh.

So who are your guilty crushes?!