Is Jennifer Lawrence America's New Sweetheart?

There's hardly been a day gone by in the last two months without Jennifer Lawrence cropping up in the headlines just for being lovely. So Luxe Models want to know, has she claimed the crown of America's Sweetheart?

She smart, funny, popular and seems like a genuinely kind person. She's sweet and wholesome and apparently appreciates her fame and the fans who support her, as well as being extremely attractive and funny! It seems she has it all!

However, former holder of this unofficial title, Julia Roberts, has spoken out on MTV this week to say that she feels J-Law is a little too "edgy" to be a Sweetheart. Julia, who decided to put her acting career on hold when she started a family a little over a decade ago said that while she thinks Jennifer Lawrence is great, she's just too cool to take her title. Could this be the green-eyed monster taking hold?

Both actresses have won Oscars, though Jennifer won hers at a much younger age than Julia. And while, at 22 Jennifer Lawrence was portraying one of the best examples of a young female heroine in The Hunger Games, Julia shot to fame playing a skanky prostitute who falls in love with a rich business man in Pretty Woman.

Julia Roberts also stated that she never enjoyed the fame she gained and didn't like being placed on a pedestal by her fans. Jennifer Lawrence on the other hand seems to want to use her fame for good, to encourage and help her young fans to realise that they can be strong young women too.

J-Law, we salute you!

Luxe Models on the Return of the Bands

It was announced this week that hip 90s girl band All Saints will be returning next year to support Backstreet Boys on their UK tour. Can you believe it readers?? Not just one but two helpings of pure 90s brilliance under one roof known as “an undoubtedly extortionate ticket price”! Since the girls still hold the crown as the UK’s second best girl band of all time (sadly the Spice Girls pip them to the top post), Luxe Models think this is great news! (Great, and yet slightly strange, since Melanie Blatt claimed the band would never get back together. She said, “never” folks, meaning “not ever.” You’d think after their hit single “Never Ever”, Melanie might have looked it up if she wasn’t sure on the meaning.)

Of course, it comes just a week after the news that McFly are teaming up with Matt and James of Busted fame to form the guitar toting, exceptionally-named super group “McBusted”, which, if this writer is anything to go by will have produced floods of happy, happy tears from the eyes of anyone who was a teenager in the mid-to-late-00s! Y’know, because Busted were what we went to school for, right? Not lessons or exams or human growth, but to discuss the shape and style of Charlie’s eyebrows, right? Just me? Sadly neither Charlie nor his ultra-appealing eyebrows will be joining the line-up this time around, but the fun is sure to be there in huge amounts if their performance on Children In Need last Friday is anything to go by.

Anyway, anyway, anyway, Luxe Models have noticed that there seems to be a growing trend lately of bands that went their separate ways re-forming to tackle the charts once more. So what, we ask, is with that?

In recent years we’ve welcomed back That That, who split in 1996 only to reform in 2005 to produce one of the best Morrison’s advert songs in known history; Blue, who went on hiatus in 2005 and re-emerged to a hugely unsuccessful Eurovision attempt, and of course The Spice Girls who, following their “indefinite hiatus” in 2000 got back together in 2007 to take part in a comeback world tour, which turned out to be a major flop. Guess we just don’t have the energy to slam our bodies down any more, ladies. Sorry.

So what do we think? Are these has-beens coming back in an attempt to make a quick buck? Or do they miss the thrill of the stage, the scores of squealing fans baying for their wailing high notes? Or have they simply realised that they spent all their time at school singing in the toilets and styling their eyebrows instead of earning some viable, transferable job skills?

Well, whatever it is, Luxe Models are super pleased to have them back, because, despite the sarcasm, we can admit these bands have knocked out some cracking tunes that still have the ability to get us up on the dance floor when the mood takes us!

Luxe Models on the Return of the Ballet Pump

Luxe Models are pleased to see that the humble ballet pump has recently been turned into a

high-fashion must-have after designer Hedi Slimane for Saint Laurent included a huge range of these darling flats in his latest collection.

A former favourite with the Beatnik Generation, the ballet pump has become something of a staple amongst commuters who then change into what many would call a more uncomfortable heel during working hours.

Slimane has recently directed two films which feature his entire range of 12 shoes. Both films take the pump back to its roots in dance, featuring Gracie Van Gastel and Lida Fox in various dance situations. The films show off how edgy and chic the ballet pump can be.

This designer has a great instinct for cool and his seal of approval is the perfect endorsement for cute flats. Since 2008, where they peaked at 6.5 inches, the intensity of high heels has been dropping with every passing season. More modest heels like those featured in Whistles Nico Style have been enjoying the trend this season with a lift of just 1.5 inches.

Nick Kirkwood, who at one time pioneered the huge party heel has far more flats in his spring collection this year and is gently phasing out the spindle-thin stiletto. Christian Louboutin also claimed that “comfort was not his focus” but recently featured a brogue/backpack combination in his latest collection.

While the team here at Luxe Models love a good heel, we would wholly welcome some fashionable flats to see us through a long day at the office!

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Luxe Models on Martine McCutcheon's Sexy New Figure

Luxe Models were pleased to see former soap star Martine McCutcheon has reveal her sleek new shape this week after losing two stone. The 37-year old actress gained a lot of weight after contracting post-viral fatigue syndrome, which lead to ME, a debilitating disorder that leave the sufferer feeling exhausted, as though they’ve done a huge amount of physical exercise. Rest doesn’t really relieve the feeling and the illness can also involve joint pain, sore throats, headaches and concentration problems.

Martine has said that as her condition improved, she was able to lose the weight through a balance of diet and exercise. She also started to take anti-depressants to improve her mental well-being, which may have been compromised by her diagnosis with ME. The Love Actually star said that she lost all her muscle tone through a lack of exercise and her skin became dry and loose. ME affects hormone levels within the body and sufferers often report periods of bloating and weight gain or extreme weight loss.

She has been plagued with ME for around seven years and said that it left her with feelings of self-loathing. While she has admitted that she doesn’t think she’ll ever be super skinny, she’s feeling much happier about her body shape since she has improved her fitness. She and her husband, songwriter Jack McManus are now hoping to start a family.  

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