Stop the lights! How super cute is this adorable Aran sweater for doggies worn by the equally adorable Charlie above!?! I love it and think Harry – my pooch, a mini yorkie dontyaknow (see him below) – would look quite dashing in one.

It’s one of many limited edition products, handmade here in Ireland, available on new online outlet Red Dog/The Store. Their ethos is great design ideas using the highest quality materials and the best that Ireland has to offer. What’s more all the products are unique to reddogthestore.com, so you can’t buy them anywhere else. If dogs aren’t your thing, then check out the ‘God Loves A Dryer‘ typographic tea towel. All these original products and more can be bought at www.reddogthestore.com.

Harry

Daisy & Bobby

By Ciara O’Shea
This Valentines don’t be caught on the hop. Indulge in some serious treatments, be it at home or in the salon, whether you have a significant other or not. I love using this time of the year to be shamelessly self- indulgent!

Tisserand Rose Pulse Point Perfume
Keep your perfume to hand in this super neat and discrete rollerball. It contains 100% natural hand blended ingredients. The scent is for anyone who likes interesting, spicy florals. Perfect for touch ups throughout the day, or night.
€12 approx www.tisserand .com

Steamcream Epris.
Not only is this intensely nourishing, lightweight cream a gem for keeping the skin glowing but it also looks too beautiful for words. The latest design features the motif “Coeur epris” French for passionate heart, against a red paisley embroidery design, in the midst of tiny hearts. Now if that doesn’t scream love I don’t know what does.
€13 approx. www.boots.com

Lanolips Lip Ointment
This balm will keep your lips soft, hydrated and ready for any/as much action as the day brings!
€13 approx. www.boots.com

Votivo Colour Collection – Redcurrant.
Let this lush candle fill your room with its unique blend of tart redcurrants and sweet vanilla. I love how, as the candle burns, the glass jar throws out a seductive red hue, filling up any room with romance.
€25 approx www.votivo.co.uk

The Organic Pharmacy, Cleopatra’s Milk Bath.
Organic Milk, Rose Petals, Jasmine, Ylang Ylang and Rose essential oils. Milk is rich in latic acid which gently exfoliates while rose petals floating on top of the water make this a bath to remember.
£25.95 www.theorganicpharmacy.com

REN – Moroccon Rose Otto Sugar Body Polish
This Rose smells surprisingly unisex, therefore a great gift for you both to share. The sugar gently exfoliates (and lightly foams) leaving the skin energized, silky and smooth. Try it, I dare you to not fall in love with it.
€36 approx. www.renskincare.com

The Body Shop – Coconut Shimmer Body Lotion
I love the smell of this and quite often layer it over my fragrance when I want to add a creamy dreamy femininity to my scent. I love how delicate the shimmer is, just enough to catch the light and make the skin sing.
€10 www.thebodyshop.co.uk

YSL – Palette Pink Celebration
As this is limited edition I suggest you get to the counter asap. It is a versatile complexion enhancer, I use it on the cheekbones, eyes, neckline and shoulders.The powder pink shade throws a satin Hollywood glow to the skin.
€53. From all good department stores.

Cowshed Horny Cow Body and Bath Oil
This oil can be used as a massage oil or run it in to a hot bath, both if you are really in the mood!. The romantic scent of rose absolute, patchouli and cinnamon is enough to get even the most tired of souls revved up for a romantic evening. You can even jot down the results in the very beautiful handmade red leather Cowshed Horny Cow Notebook.
€24 approx for the oil €45 approx for the notebook. www.cowshedonline.com

Estee Lauder – Sensuous Noir
This is an intensely seductive perfume. Deep dark midnight greens such as exotic purple rose, rose essence, jasmine and spiced lily have been woven with black pepper, vanilla and amber to give you a fragrance that demands attention after dark.
From €35. All good department stores.

Head to Toe perfection – Dylan Bradshaw
Left everything a little last minute? Let the team at Dylan Bradshaw sort you out. Champagne, chocolates, amazing blow dry, beautiful make over and an impeccable manicure will have you looking like an A-Lister in no time. Frankly, date or no date, this is too good an offer to pass.
€100. Dylan Bradshaw , South William St, Dublin 01 6719353

“ Be My Valentine” Massage package
Head to the Pink Emporium Dundrum this weekend where you can treat you and your loved one to full body massage’s, thus guaranteeing a blissfully relaxed and smugly loved up day will follow.
€119 The Pink Beauty Emporium 01 2157958

no!no! Skin
Important date coming up? You skin senses it and breaks out? , well I have a solution for such occasions. This device uses light and heat energy to reduce spots within 24hrs. Two 10 second treatments reduce inflammation and soothe the skin. A godsend.
€145 approx www.my-no-no.com

I’m all about coats at the moment and Burberry Prorsum’s raffia-trimmed cotton-twill parka is just to die for. Since spotting it a couple of weeks back, I’ve found myself on several occasions daydreaming about it, imagining myself lost in it’s lushness out in the cold. It looks soooo cosy!

Doing what they do best, Burberry’s modern interpretation of military has won them an army of devoted fashion fans the world over. This piece is no exception and is made from hardwearing cotton-twill so it will last donkeys. What’s more the raffia-trimmed hood is detachable making it very versatile. I personally don’t think I’d ever take the hood off, it’s the contrast of texture and colour of the bright raffia against the khaki cotton-twill that I love. It’ll only set you back €2,088.16…start saving NOW!

A new wave of Nautical for SS12 has arrived at Awear. It’s chic, sassy and reflects changes in their buying team with a new buying director having come on board. New Nautical is an updated fresh, fun & feminine take on the ever-present nautical trend. Lots of mixed up conversational style prints paired with clean silhouettes. The colour palette is quite vibrant but anchored by key shades of green, red & blue. Expect to see some big changes over the coming months from Awear in terms of the product itself and quality & fit. Pictured above: Print Skirt €30 Jade Top €30

Knit Jacket €40 Red Trousers €40 Print Blouse €35

Button Detail Skirt €35, Stripe Blazer €55, Peter Pan Top €40

Stripe Cardi €40 Dark Skinny Jean €26 Stripe Tee €18

Spot Palazzo Pant €35 Collarless Blouse €35

The first time I heard of Lana Del Rey was back in November. I had recently landed in Hong Kong where I was filming for a few days. My lovely friend ‘Jet lag’ joined me and I was waking up at 4.30am, bright as a button. So I decided I’d make use of the time and hit the hotel gym. Naturally I had it all to myself with the company of MTV Asia in the background. To my surprise, they actually still play music on MTV in that part of the world. A beautiful, somewhat vulnerable and enchanting voice started singing which turned out to be Lana’s debut single ‘Video Games’. If you’ve not yet heard of Lana, pay attention because I bet my wardrobe she’ll soon be EVERYWHERE.

The stunning 25 year New Yorker (real name Elizabeth Grant) has bee-stung lips a la Angelina Jolie, luscious locks and is pretty much flawless looking. It’s no surprise to learn that a massive agency like NEXT models have snapped her up to their books. It just remains to be seen what fashion house signs her up first to front their campaigns.

Check out the video to “Video Games” below. I’ve been playing it on repeat for weeks now and still love it. Her next single “Born To Die” is also there although it hasn’t gripped me yet as much.

Any thoughts on Lana, her music or style? Would love to hear ‘em!

@darrenken

After a 3 year break from acting, Academy Award winning actress Charlize Theron is back. Starring in Jason Reitman’s (Juno) hilarious black comedy Young Adult marks a welcome return. Playing the character Mavis Gary, a former prom queen who tries to win back her high school sweetheart (Patrick Wilson), undeterred by the news that he and his wife have just had their first child. Charlize describes it as the best working experience she’s ever had…

Q: What appealed to you about the Young Adult script?

A: It was really different. When I originally read it I thought that it was ballsy in the sense that protagonist learns a lesson but doesn’t necessarily make a change in her life. And it felt very real to me. It felt very human to me. Sometimes when I watch movies they can feel very unrealistic and the third act is always kind of like this ‘a-ha!’ moment for every character and I just don’t know those people in real life. And it was really nice to read somebody on the page that felt human to me, a woman who doesn’t go through this amazing ‘a-ha!’ moment. And of course the idea of Jason Reitman directing it was very appealing to me. I’m very director driven and to get the chance to work with him was really the thing that sealed the deal for me.

Q: Do you have to find something in a character like this that you can relate to?

A: Well there was a lot that I could relate to. She is a real girl, she is doesn’t feel like a movie person to me. So there was definitely a lot of her that I could relate to – that I’ve seen in other people, that I’ve seen in myself that didn’t feel foreign to me. I don’t know how to play ‘movie people’ or caricatures; I only know how to play characters that I feel I can ground in reality. I mean, if my feet are not grounded in something that’s real I don’t know how to play that. I don’t think I would be good at that so the only thing I can rely on when I say ‘yes’ to a character is the knowledge that there is something in there that I can wrap my head around and make real. So however kind of absurd she is and how big she is, or how outrageous and embarrassing and how cringing she is, there has to be something that is rooted in something real. And I have to say that I only succeeded in that because of my partnership with Jason Reitman on this film. I really couldn’t have done it without him because I feel that this character has to be paced correctly and you really can’t do that as an actor alone, you really need a director to guide you through that. So there were a lot of moments on set when Jason was going ‘I think you need to be a little bit more bitchy here..’ and you’re going ‘oh God, please no!’ and then you just end up doing it because I had ultimate trust in him and he never gave me any opportunity to not trust him. And I feel like the success of this film and this character is really because of him.

Q: High School is such a vivid time in everybody’s life and this character has idealised it…

A: It’s the idea that we can all relate to in our lives, whether it’s High School or some other time, that you are trying to fill the void with something and it’s usually with the moment that you think you were at your best, which sometimes isn’t the case (laughs). So this story could have taken place with other circumstances but I love the fact that this girl was so popular, she was what everybody thought that they wanted to be and yet as this character, Matt (played by Patton Oswalt) points out to her, ‘by the way, you really weren’t at your best back then..’ I think Patton has some of the most crushing lines in the film – because they are telling the truth, the truth of her world, that she is so disillusioned by. He just kills me in the film – there’s a line where he says ‘you weren’t at your best and I was at my best and you didn’t even notice me..’ There is a loneliness in that line that I think anybody can relate to, whether you relate more to Patton’s character or more to Mavis’s character. Human beings can suffer severe loneliness at any stage in their life and whatever that thing you try and fill that void, that loneliness with, tends to be the things that are not healthy for us and the things that are not truthful about us. But Patton kills me. That line where he says ‘guys like me are born to love girls like you…’ every single time that line just crushes my heart. It’s a great cast and the more we shot on this film the more that love story, between Mavis and Matt, became more evident, which I don’t think any of us really were aware of until we were doing the film.

Q: What could you see of yourself in her?

A: Oh my God, are you kidding me? (laughs). A lot! I mean, I think a lot of the things that she does that are so unflattering are things that all of us do to kind of get through the day, it’s really survival mode. The little lies and the way that she continually thinks that the grass is always greener on the other side and this idea that your life is so fantastic and how you project yourself to other people. With Mavis it’s extreme but there’s a truth in there that a lot of women recognise. And of course, there’s the loneliness. Mavis is very lonely, even though she wouldn’t admit to anyone, and I think every human being has experienced loneliness. There’s a lot of stuff in there that a lot of people are responding to.

Q: Why the three-year break from acting? Was that intentional or just the way it turned out?

A: It was just kind of just the way it turned out. There wasn’t anything coming my way that was blowing me away and also I started producing and developing a lot of television. So I was really busy and at the same time I was physically getting ready to go and do Fury Road so I was kind of off the market and belonging to Warner Brothers. And I was kind of sitting around waiting for the film to happen so I just started developing some stuff with HBO and David Fincher and with Ridley Scott’s company and so creatively I was really happy and busy but I just didn’t work as an actor.

Q: How do you look back on your own High School days? Do you look back on that time with affection?

A: Yeah, I mean, I think I look back the same way that everybody does – with affection, embarrassment and cringe-worthy moments mingled with pure hatred (laughs). I think it’s conflicted. And I think High School is a conflicting time for any teenager, right?

Earlier this year (2011), Charlize finished the science fiction thriller Prometheus for director Ridley Scott and has just wrapped on Snow White and The Huntsman, starring with Chris Hemsworth and Kristen Stewart.

Young Adult is on general release from February 3, 2012.

Niall Breslin, better known as ‘Bressie’ from The Blizzards, is setting hearts a flutter across the nation in his role as a mentor on RTE’s The Voice of Ireland. London-based Bressie also works as a music writer and producer with 19 Entertainment and recently released his solo album. The Mullingar man also has a penchant for style…

Describe your style in five words?
Anything that will fit me.

What’s your beauty essential?
I sweat at the thought of sweating so I have these aluminum chloride wipes that kinda help.

What item could you not live without?
High Top trainers and Nudie jeans.

If your house was on fire and you’d only time to save one thing, what would it be?
My vintage 1968 fender telecaster…..oh and my mum.

What’s top of your fashion wish list at the moment?
A Burberry Trench? Purely cause I could sell it on eBay and buy some reasonable priced clothes with my profit!

Best style tip?
I think too many people wear clothes that don’t fit their shape. I think its important to wear clothes that compliment your body shape.

Favourite highstreet designer collaboration?
Uniqlo and Jil Sander for their very simple lines and modern shapes with classic tailoring. This was an amazing collaboration.

Who is your ultimate style-crush?
I like quirky looks but I look slightly remedial in them. Andre 3000 always looks slick.

Worst shopping experience ever?
My worst was in TK Maxx at Clapham Junction in London on December 22nd with a hangover liable to kill most people and dropping my iPhone on the escalator and watching it dis-integrate.

Best high street store or boutique?
Best has to be All Saints and Galvins menswear in Mullingar. For the record the worst is Debenhams or TK Maxx.

Finally do you have a man bag and if so what’s in it right now?
Yep I do. I’m learning French at the mo so my Rosette stone book.

Last night’s red carpet at the Golden Globes was a relatively safe affair. No one shocked or really pushed the boat out with the usual procession of gowns on show. There were some stunners though and here are our favourites. Starting with Charlize Theron who looked AM-AZ-ING wearing Dior couture.

Angelina Jolie channeled Old Hollywood glamor in a white Versace gown with pops of red, matching her lipstick to her clutch.

Star of Modern Family Sofia Vergara look stunning in a blue strapless Vera Wang fish tail gown.

Glee’s Lea Michele looked HOT in a silver slinky, embroidered Marchesa dress.

Justin Timberlake’s fiancé Jessica Biel looked demure in a vintage style Elie Saab gown.

Sarah Michelle Gellar was a bit more adventurous with a blue and white abstract gown by Monique Lhuillier. It’s not going to be everyone’s cup of tea but love the fact she was a bit more daring in her choice.

Uggie, the dog from ‘The Artist’ takes home the award for Best Dressed Male!

The new Mulberry day bag is really quite similar to the Alexa and previous Mulberry day bags. But it is different and as far as we’re concerned that’s good enough for us. If you want to examine it, the main difference comes in the hardware i.e. there’s more of it for a slightly more utility feel. We’ve particularly fallen for the grass green lizard style….swoon!

If the likes of a hot pink suit, which featured in the initial Versace for H&M collection in November, didn’t quite do it for your sartorial tastebuds perhaps this second installment might. Called the Cruise Collection (basically meaning it’s designed with lounging around a pool in mind) it’s a lot more toned down in comparison. The trademark Versace prints are still featured on most pieces of the line but in a far less conspicuous way – making it a collection that’s much more versatile and wearable. Denims, shirts, shorts, t-shirts, and jackets all feature as do dressing gowns with a distinctive yet simple motif. If this collection tickles your fancy, you’ll be happy to know it hits stores on January 19th.

The new year heralds a new breed of super stylish chaps. We reckon 2012 will see these five reign supreme in the sartorial stakes. Move over Beckham, these are the rising stars of mens style for 2012…

Douglas Booth
This young actor has gone from modelling for Burberry (alongside Emma Watson nonetheless) to becoming the breakout star of the BBC1 Dickens Drama Great Expectations. He’s been cast opposite Hailee Steinfeld, in the role of Romeo in the latest film adaptation of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. On the red carpet his style is youthful, louche and with a healthy sprinkling of colour.

Michael Fassbender
Kerryman, Michael Fassbender has had an incredible year with more than half a dozen films under his belt in 2011. The rising star looks set to go stellar in 2012. With chiseled good looks and a penchant for wearing three-piece suits on the red carpet, Fassbender looks genuinely at ease in everything he wears and this is the key to his style.

Tom Brady
American football player and three-time Super Bowl champion, Tom Brady, recently became the new face of UGG Australia. Did we mention he also happens to be married to Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bündchen? Now, while sheepskin boots are most definitely NOT on our most-wanted list for 2012, we reckon Brady will be huge in 2012 with his cool take on classic Americana.

Justin Theroux
This American is not only super stylish but also super talented and counts actor, director and screenwriter (he wrote the screenplay for Ben Stillers Tropic Thunder and Iron Man 2) on his CV. This year will see him co-star on the big screen with Jennifer Aniston in ‘Wanderlust’, who he also happens to be dating. With a penchant for rockin a trilby and a beard, Theroux does laid-back-cool like no other.

Tom Cullen
This Welsh lad’s breakthrough performance came in 2011 when he starred in the critically acclaimed Brit Indie film ‘Weekend’. The movie collected numerous awards including the Audience Award at SXSW, with Cullen picking up the Award for Best Actor at the Nashville Film Festival as well as Most Promising Newcomer at the British Independent Film Awards. At 27, he’s got a mature classic look beyond his years with a suave sense of style.

Our Best Dressed of 2011

1) Ryan Gosling
Gosling definitely tops our list for the best dressed men of 2011 and we’d bet our bottom dollor that he’s going to continue his reign on the best dressed lists for 2012 and most likely bag himself an Oscar along the way (have you seen Drive? Amazing movie!!). Check out Ryan’s style over here.

2) Tom Hardy
Tom Hardy first hit my radar only a couple of months ago when he appeared alongside Leonardo DiCaprio in Inception. He now appears to be EVERYWHERE and the 33-year-old English actor also has a lead role in the third Batman movie The Dark Knight Rises. See why we love his look here.

3) Chris Evans
Just have a look here…nuff said!

@darrenken

Baby-faced star Leonardo DiCaprio has solidified his status as one of Hollywood’s most talented (not to mention Hot!) actors with intense roles in films such as The Departed and Inception. He’s currently filming the The Great Gatsby in Sydney with Tobey Maguire and Carey Mulligan. Style wise DiCaprio is ever dapper when on duty favouring monochrome black or navy two piece suits. Off duty he opts for a laid-back casual look.

One of the terms often banded about in fashion is minimalism, which just so happens to be one of this season’s key looks. Minimalism, basically translates into a clean-cut look consisting of muted pieces encapsulating the sartorial trinity of fit, function and style. This look is all about staple pieces and is traditionally characterized by subdued colours, sophisticated cuts and a general air of sleek understatement.

The easiest way to create this look is to opt for a single coloured tone-on-tone outfit or classic monochrome. Make sure to keep the clothing slim-fitted and the materials high quality. Key pieces are fitted pants, shirts and sweaters layered with streamlined outerwear and accessories in materials such as patent leather. If you’re on the hunt for key pieces Zara have some great, deconstructed blazers; hit Massimo Dutti for accessories; Arnotts is hard to beat for key separates. Their menswear department has really upped their game over the past couple of seasons and this year saw the arrival of iconic shirting brand Arrow (you may have spotted their ad campaign fronted by Transformers hottie Josh Duhamel).

Simple yet luxurious footwear finishes off the look. The new BASS footwear capsule collection at Tommy Hilfiger is just the ticket. Centred around the iconic “Weejuns” penny loafer that has been a timeless classic since 1936. Available in pony skin, full suede, polished leather or traditional wool plaid, they are certain to put a very gentlemanly finish to your minimalist look.

New indie film Melancholia has alerted me to the adorable Kirsten Dunst once again, and despite her copious and somewhat unnecessary on-screen nose-nuzzling with my future husband Alexander Skarsgård- I still find her lovely and more importantly terribly stylish.

When she’s not chilling with Jason Schwartzman at a fashion show front row or strolling through New York City with Sophia Coppola – she’s acting as muse for fashion power houses, Miu Miu and Rodarte. Fashion is in her blood, Dunst is one of those actresses who is utterly exquisite and yet always wears her delicate beauty with humour. She never takes herself too seriously and this is never more evident than in her fashion choices. Even on the red carpet, Dunst takes the more unpredictable route – preferring conversational print dresses with peter pan collars to the typical sexy-backless dress that so many other A-listers rely on. But more than anything I dig Kirsten’s casual style. Yes, I said dig.

She combines laid-back basics with a nonchalance that others can only envy, like the Rodarte tee she adorns with a simple black skirt (above) at yet another front row. Achieve a similar look with Holy Molly’s Molly Ringwald tee ($44) which has a suitably 80’s feel, team this with the gorgeous voluminous Peter O’Brien high waisted skirt at Arnotts (€165). Layer this with a subtle black Zara blazer with shiny navy lapel – so chic and only €69.95 and team it all off with these masculine KG brogues – the light grey tone and blue sparkle elevate them from ‘just brogues’ status – plus they are on sale for €80 at the moment!

By Siobhan Lam

Dublin-born Gillian Quinn is a TV producer, model and wife of Sunderland Chairman and former Irish international player Niall Quinn. Most recently, Gillian has starred in RTE’s reality GAA show, Celebrity Bainisteoir and is currently the face of Newbridge’s Whitewater Shopping Centre along with her daughter Aisling and mother Margaret.

Five words that describe your style ?
Tight, practical, sexy, daring and black.

What’s your beauty essential?
Anti-wrinkle cream

What item could you not live without?
All the above!

If your house was on fire and you’d only time to save one thing, what would it be?
After kids and animals, my iPhone.

Most desired fashion item?
A pair of leather trousers, I’ve settled for a pair of pvc jeans from Bershka in Whitewater for €25.

Best style tip?
Dress to flatter your figure and accentuate your best points.

Favourite highstreet designer collaboration?
Kate Moss for Topshop.

What’s in your handbag right now?
Filofax, purse, keys, iPhone, lip balm and peanuts.

Style-crush?
I don’t have one as my tastes are too varied.

Worst shopping experience?
Worst: When I was pregnant and there was no fashionable maternity wear available. I lived in two pairs of Mothercare jeans, enough said!

Best high street store or boutique?
French Connection

Favourite place to shop?
I try to shop local so, Naas or Whitewater Shopping Centre in Newbridge.

Your travel essential?
A pashmina.

Worst fashion moment?
I have one everyday dropping the kids to school.

What era of style do you heart most?
Fifties as it’s very flattering to a woman’s figure.

Finally, what do you want your style to say about you?
I don’t have a style, I just dress in whatever I want, whenever I want. I don’t take clothes too seriously.

Gillian is taking part in the Whitewater Shopping Centre ‘Style Clinic’ live interactive fashion event this weekend. The event will show how the latest trends can be worn by each generation and will give tips and advice to the audience on appropriate styling for different shapes, sizes, and ages, right down to how you to accessorise your garments for different occasions.