L'OREAL EXLUSIVE: Hugh Laurie is the new face of Men Expert

He is known as grumpy Dr House throughout the world and it's a part that has made him the highest paid TV star in an American drama series, but today Hugh Laurie is cast in an unlikely new role, as the new male face for L'Oreal Paris Men Expert products.

He joins fellow Hollywood stars Gerard Butler and Patrick Dempsey, who are already ambassadors for L'Oreal Paris.

"At first I thought it was a mistake, but then I realised that L'Oreal wasn't looking for models but for people with strong personalities, who are worth it...and who aren't afraid to proclaim that using cosmetics can be a very masculine decision after all," he said, speaking earlier of his appointment.

The men's grooming business has grown significantly over the past two years, with British men now spending more on skincare than ever before.

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Cheryl's New Hair

And now it’s Smoky Hair!It’s Cheryl Cole’s 28th birthday today (30th June) and to celebrate, her famous lustrous chocolate locks have been transformed into a ‘smoky quartz’ asymmetric bob. L’Oreal Paris colour experts used a £6.12 home colourant to get the look, which they say can be copied at home, though they do point out that everybody’s base colour is different - so don’t expect it to look exactly the same shade. If you’ve previously dyed your hair or have dark hair they suggest pre-lightening with L’Oréal Paris Perfect Blonde then applying Casting Crème Gloss 8304. For Blondes they recommend Casting Crème Gloss in shade 8304. ‘This look is the smoky eyes of hair, it’s the perfect dark blonde infused with sparkles. Fab for the summer!’ says Amie Wilson, the L’Oréal Paris Colour Expert who coloured Cheryl’s hair. Casting Créme Gloss, £6.12, is a semi-permanent conditioning hair colourant that lasts for up to 28 washes and is available at Boots and Superdrug and stockists nationwide
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Kate Beauty Latest

Did she or didn't she do her own make-up? The beauty world is still buzzing with rumours about Kate Middleton's bridal make-up look. We now know that the bridal party had what Clarence House confirms is 'Make-up artistry assistance' from a Bobbi Brown make-up artist on the day.

But they won't confirm who had the help - or the exact products that were used on any of the faces.

Instead, they have sent round suggested face plans of looks they would 'suggest' for the Royal bridal party, whilst stressing that these are only suggestions.

We will never know the truth - but the lipstick they suggested for the bridal look - Bobbi Brown's Lip Color in Sandwash Pink - could well be the very same lipstick that was worn by the bride on the day.

I believe that, because I have been wearing this very same shade myself since I first received a sample. It is the most perfect, barely there rose pink and you can wear it every day - whether you are shopping in Waitrose or gliding down the aisle at Westminster Abbey.

This, I predict, will be one of this summer's hottest lipsticks. Best to buy it now - as they are sure to sell out fast.

ANNE HATHAWAY OSCAR HAIR

Anne Hathaway, co-presenter at last night's Oscars changed her outfit eight times during the evening and changed her hair style to match each one.

But the one thing that did not change throughout the night was the colour of her hair, which looked unbelievably glossy.

Marie Robinson, stylist to the stars and Pantene Pro-V Colourist Ambassador (right) reveals the secrets of Anne's look.

 “We enhanced Anne’s existing shade rather than giving her a new colour as we wanted to make it glimmer and shine more under the stage lights. I enriched her natural hair with a gloss colour so it would be a shiny chestnut brown. I then added various shades of gold and caramel specifically on her crown and around her face to add a pop of color to her beautiful pale complexion," she explains.

And does she have any tips for the rest of us non-red carpet brigade, who may be wanting to enhance our colour before a big event?

"It’s always a good idea to dye hair a few days or a week before event so there is still time if a few tweaks need to be made. It’s also good to know how you will wear your hair for the event so you can make sure highlights are appropriately placed for the hair style," she adds.

BRITs SPA GOSSIP

Last night at the BRITs, the stars were queuing up for Decleor treatments at the exclusive backstage spa.

In addition, the stars were given specially designed boxes of products - so even if they didn't pick up an award, they had something to take home with them.

Stars who took advantage of the treatments on offer included:

Tinie Tempah, who came for a Decleor massage to help his jet lag; Win Butler from Arcade Fire, who had a back massage before collecting two awards and Peter Andre, who requested a foot massage - badly needed after standing on the red carpet for hours on end.

 

 

 

Sienna Miller's New Nail Favourite

No Red Carpet look is complete without perfect nails - and since we are now officially in the Awards season - lovely looking hands are very much part of the picture.

Nubar's new shade Organza, just launched as part of their Spring Collection, is a metallic frosty white - flattering on any length of nail - and has just been named as Sienna Miller's new favourite.

"I love Nubar's pearly shades, especially the new Organza as it is perfect for spring," she says.

Eco-friendly and free from formaldehyde, pthalaltes, toluene and carcinogens, Nubar has a growing celebrity following and it looks like the list is growing. Fans include, Dannii Minogue, Alexandra Burke, Abby Clancey, Dianna Vickers and Kelly Brook.

Nubar's Organza Nail Lacquer, £8, beautyshed.co.uk

 

M&S; New Nail Polish

I wouldn't wear blue or yellow lipstick either, but Magic Lips (left) is a clever new lipstick that works with the ph of your lips to go every shade of pink, from bubblegum to magenta.

At £5.49, (ultraglow.co.uk) it's the perfect affordable cheer-up treat, not to mention a great talking point when you pull it out of your handbag.

But even better value are these sets of four mini nail polishes from M&S. They go into stores next week and there are three colourful collections to choose from - Pastel Mix, Lagoon and Brights.

The polishes are fast-drying and chip-resistant and allow you trial bold colours that you might normally shy away from. M&S Essential Colours Mini Nail Collection, £5 (from January 31st, at M&S stores.)

 

FAKE TAN

James Read, who is widely quoted in the Daily Mail's beauty pages as one of the UK's top self-tanning experts, has found another reason why faking a tan is best.

The self-tan expert, who lists Lady Gaga and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley among his celebrity clients, is currently enjoying a winter holiday on Langkawi Island in Malaysia.

But despite covering himself in his favourite Sisley sun cream with a high SPF, he didn't realise how strong the sun was and managed to get a bad case of wind-burn on the first day of his break.

It left him with a lot more than a red face - not a good look for the man who calls himself The Tantalist.

He spent the night smothered in aloe vera gel (which as we all know, is a great natural skin soother) and plans to spend the rest of the holiday doing what he does best - with a spray-on tan, courtesy of one of his favourite brands, L'Oreal's Sublime Bronze Express Pro Spray, £15.51 (boots.com).

 

 

Happy New Skin

 

This is the perfect time of year to start a new skincare regime and judging by the number of new super serums launching this month, we are going to be spoilt for choice.

The first big skin story of 2011 is L'Oreal's Youth Code Serum - which already looks like being the first sell-out sensation of the year.

Since it went on sale in Superdrug, it is selling over 100 bottles a day. It contains the same active ingredient (Bio-lysat) as Lancome's best-selling Genefique serum, but at £24.99 for 100ml is more affordable than the Lancome version, which costs £77 for 50ml.

When L'Oreal launched Youth Code Cream last January (the Mail called this 'Gene genius in a jar') it was a huge success. The serum is ten times more concentrated in L'Oreal's patented Pro-Gen technology than the Day Cream.

I predict another hit - so  start using it now and you'll have a more youthful bloom by Valentine's Day.

 

 

CURLY CAT!

 

Looking just like the fairy on top of the Christmas tree, Cat Deeley, has unveiled a curly new hairdo, courtesy of the US celebrity stylist Danilo.

Cat, who is an ambassador for Pantene, has returned home from LA to film the second series of So Think You Can Dance.

If you want to be a Copy Cat, Danilo, (whose clients also include Lady Gaga and Gwen Stefani) suggests three easy steps to doing this yourself at home.

First, wash hair with (he suggests Pantene Pro-V Aqua Light Shampoo & Conditioner, both £2.19)

Next, part your hair in a side parting and apply a leave-in treatment (Pantene Pro-V Aqua Light Leave-In Treatment, £3.99) before blow-drying, using a large, round brush, drying hair away from the face to achieve a little root lift.

Finally, set your hair by using medium-sized curling tongs, pin in place and leave to cool for 5 -10 minutes. Then gently release to reveal gorgeous curls.

I think curls are the way to go this Christmas – your style will look good longer, which is a must if you are staying away from home and don’t have your normal hairdryer with you.