BEAUTY

PANTENE CONFIRMS EVERYONE WANTS HAIR LIKE GISELE'S

This week Pantene confirmed the Brazilian bombshell's mass hair appeal, by making her their latest U.S. brand ambassador. While she's fronted the brand in her native Brazil for years, this is her first American hair campaign. She will be promoting their new Damage Detox haircare system in commercials and print advertisements. This news follows another successful year for the supermodel, after starring in top fashion campaigns from H&M to Louis Vuitton.

KONKO FASHION

At Long Last, Prada Adds A Little Diversity To Their Ad Campaigns With Malaika Firth

Maybe, just maybe 2014 will be the year the fashion world falls face first into the diversity that it has been so desperately lacking in the years past. 

Following a call for diversity in high fashion, Prada has implemented the appearance of a black model in their latest ad campaign for the second season. For the Fall 2013 campaign, Prada cast 18-year-old black model Malaika Firth — the first black model to appear in a Prada ad since Naomi Campbell in 1994, yes that is 20 years ago, two years before Malaika was even born.

Malaika is back for her second round as she is featured in Prada’s Spring 2014 campaign donning looks from the designer brand’s latest collection. Shot by Steven Meisel, the Prada ad features a cluster of female models in a number of the collection’s loudest looks, that apparently look good on every skin tone.

What are your thoughts on Malaika’s inclusion? I'm here for it!

It's already a Happy New Year somewhere! Midnight strikes across the globe as millions hail start of 2014 with dazzling celebrations

Sportsmen in Allahabad, India light candles to celebrate New Year's Eve at Madan Mohan Malviya Stadium

The biggest party in the world is underway with bright fireworks bursting into skies across the globe as midnight strikes and nations hail the start of 2014. Exploding fireworks sprayed from Sydney's iconic opera house and harbor bridge as the world began ushering in a new year. More than one million people crammed the Sydney Harbor foreshore on a warm summer night to watch Sydney's renowned annual pyrotechnics show, which appeared to live up to its billing as the city's most extravagant. And for the first time in more than a decade fireworks launched from four sails of the Sydney Opera House.

In Hong Kong the harbour provided the focal point much like Sydney harbour three hours earlier. A bright spray of fireworks erupted from the water at the same time as rockets burst above the city creating a stunning spectacle of red and white light. Closer to the edge of the International Dateline, New Zealand bid farewell to 2013 two hours before Sydney with fireworks erupting from Auckland's Sky Tower as cheering revelers danced in the streets of the South Pacific island nation's largest city.

Gearing up for the New Year, students in China use light pens to welcome 2014

Young Chinese students at a middle school in Hanshan county, Anhui province, line up to form 'Happy 2014' to celebrate the New Year

As midnight struck in New Zealand a fireworks display erupted over the city as thousands danced in the streets below

Tokyo tower in Japan as 12am strikes and the crowds celebrate the start of the Year of the Horse

LIFESTYLE

Khloe Kardashian Says She Needs A “Nice Fresh Start” Following Divorce

Khloe Kardashian has packed her bags and she is strutting right away from the drama of 2013. With a divorce in the works from Lamar Odom, Khloe has had one of those years you’re happy to bid good riddance to.

The youngest Kardashian sister was tapped to be featured on the UK magazine’s cover in an ice blue dress, but she was really out to shine in the back road shoot for her full spread. Check out some of the snaps below and a few quotes from  Khloe.

On why she is looking forward to the new year: 
‘I love the new year, new beginnings. I need a good fresh start; I’m excited for this year to be over with.’
You only live once so let’s make that one time perfect. We can’t fix our mistakes and imperfections, so let’s have fun. You get what you give out in life.

On regrets:
‘I don’t regret anything about my life. My life has made me who I am at this moment and I’m very happy with who I am. No matter if it’s great, disgusting, beautiful or ugly; it happens and it makes you you. Life is about how you process things.’

On her 30lb weight loss: 
“I’ve worked very hard on my body so I think now I can sex it up a little! My 2014 mission is to wear a crop top with jeans. I’ve never done that so it has to happen one day.”


On Kris Jenner saying she needed a nose job…at 9:
“Words are the most powerful weapon; they can leave scars forever. She didn’t mean harm, but when I was around nine I overheard my mom telling her friend I needed a nose job. I was shocked; I hadn’t even thought about it. I’ve grown into my face but I’ve had makeup artists tell me, ‘You should get a nose job.’ I’m so happy that I never have.”

On North West’s confidence:
“Kanye is such an awesome dad, and he’s so opinionated and passionate. North is only five-and-a-half months old but you can see she has opinions and a strong personality already,” she says. “I’m kind of nervous to see what she’s like when she’s older but I think she’ll be incredibly confident because Kim and Kanye are.”



The complete issue will be on Newsstands Jan 2nd.

LIFESTYLE

Age-progressed celebrities as senior citizens with Miley looking a little 'over-twerked'

Leonardo DiCaprio

They are some of the most recognisable faces in the world. But can you spot the celebrity behind the laughter lines and mass of grey hair? These A-listers work hard at looking their best, employing nutritionists to craft calorie-counting diets and personal trainers to put them through grueling exercise regimes to try and stop the clock on the dreaded ageing process.

Meanwhile some take more drastic measures, resorting to a little nip and tuck on the surgeon's table.
Image manipulation experts at Worth1000.com peered into the future and gave us a glimpse of what the years may have in store for these well-known faces.

Miley Cyrus 

Emma Stone

Madonna

Angelina Jolie

George Clooney 

KONKO FASHION

Anita Quansah London’s “Silhouette of Power” Collection Lookbook

The collection features a limited-edition series of big, elaborate and bold statement neck pieces that have ‘African’, ‘Art’, ‘Beauty’ and ‘Bold’ written all over it. According to the designer, Anita Horsfall, “I had so much fun creating these handmade pieces. The jewelries are all designed with the articulated armor like look in mind, harnessed with power, dominance, and with finished looks filled with elegance and grace with an illusion of ease and comfort with lavishly trimmed frills, flounces and feathers with that of intricate, decorative hand beading.”

Her SS14 collection features beautiful fabrics, semi-precious stones, faceted crystals, shells, chains, feathers, beads of various sizes and much more sourced from Africa and India.

See more beautiful pieces below

Versace Resort 2014 Collection

Sailor pants and swimsuits are Resort standbys, but trust Donatella Versace to put her unique spin on them. She started by swapping predictable navy and white (not a very Versace combo) for candy colors like lime, orange, pink, and aqua, and accenting the collection's marinière stripes with tiny floral prints.

These Versace collection blows my mind away, I love, I love, I love. 2014 will be a colourful year.

See more of the collection below.

LIFESTYLE

China's Giant Frozen Castle Built Entirely From ICE

These pictures show an enormous frozen castle - built entirely from ice - created for the 30th Harbin Ice and Snow Festival. The remarkable tower, which is at least 26 metres high and measures around 20 storeys, is one of the main attractions at the festival - which sees thousands of tourists flock to the city of Harbin, near the China and Russian border, every year. In this series of photographs, workers can be seen chipping blocks of ice from the nearby Songhua River for the tower, before dragging the 551lb blocks towards the site.

Soon after, one worker is pictured putting the blocks in place, before pouring water on them to freeze them together. Another can then be seen polishing the work to give it an amazing finish. According to event organisers, 10,000 people were employed to complete hundreds of ice and snow sculptures at the event - some areas of which are already open to the public.

Some measure more than 26 metres tall and 117 metres wide. Overall, the whole site is well over 600,000 sq metres. All in all, about 180,000 square metres of ice and 150,000 square metres of snow will be used to complete all the works. In the evening, some of the structures are lit up in a beautiful light-show display. Visitors to the area have already been enjoying horse-drawn carriage rides across the frozen river. Harbin's festival is one of world's four largest international ice festivals, along with Japan's Sapporo Snow Festival, Canada's Quebec Winter Carnival, and Norway's Ski Festival. It starts annually on January 5 and lasts usually to the end of February, weather permitting.

These pictures show an enormous frozen castle - built entirely from ice - created for the 30th Harbin Ice and Snow Festival.The remarkable tower, which is at least 26 metres high and measures around 20 storeys, is one of the main attractions at the festival - which sees thousands of tourists flock to the city of Harbin, near the China and Russian border, every year. In this series of photographs, workers can be seen chipping blocks of ice from the nearby Songhua River for the tower, before dragging the 551lb blocks towards the site.

Visitors to the area have already been enjoying horse-drawn carriage rides across the frozen river. Harbin's festival is one of world's four largest international ice festivals, along with Japan's Sapporo Snow Festival, Canada's Quebec Winter Carnival, and Norway's Ski Festival. It starts annually on January 5 and lasts usually to the end of February, weather permitting.

Music Meets Runway 2013

Ituen Basi

Tribal was the theme for Ituen Basi's collection as the pieces had tribal print, African illustrations and the shredded multicoloured ankara fabric – an Ituen Basi must. I for one love the head to toe ankara number. 

See more pictures below.