PHOTOS: Fashion @ Aintree Racing......The ladies and the not-so-lady-likes....

Racegoers vied to win the title of best dressed racegoer on Ladies Day at Aintree
The winner of the prestigious prize will get a luxury holiday worth £10,000 in the Dominican Republic

Despite the chilly weather, summery sleeveless frocks and open sandals proved popular with the style set

Big dresses aren't just for weddings! Some of the stars of Channel 4's My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding show off their race day finery at Aintree

Bling is in! The stars of My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding clearly enjoy going all out on days out as well as at their weddings, as these photos reveal

Flashing the flesh: This racegoer (left) has chosen a beautiful crimson colour but is flashing a little too much cleavage, as is this lady in a cream dress

High jinks: A pair of racegoers seem a little the worse for wear after a few glasses of wine as they enjoy their day out on Ladies Day at Aintree

And they're off! A pair of scantily clad racegoers flash a little too much cleavage as they cheer on their chosen horses to victory at Aintree

Enjoying themselves: A flock of colourfully dressed racing aficionados give the photographers a thumbs up as they stumble past the stands at Aintree

Racing fun: A pair of racing fans giggle as they inspect a photo while walking past the stands

Glamorous: A pair of racegoers show off their spangled outfits and skyscraper heels

Having fun: A lady in an eye-catching purple ensemble giggles as she enjoys the sunshine

That's not very ladylike! A pair of tipsy racegoers take inspiration from Miley Cyrus after having a few too many drinks during Ladies Day at Aintree

Bloomin' marvellous: A racegoer shows off her poppy print dress and cream fascinator, while another plumps for an ethereal ensemble complete with a parasol

In bloom: A racegoer opts for a stunning floral ensemble topped with an eye-catching hat

Matching: Everything in this lady's ensemble, from hat to shoes, is designed to co-ordinate

Short and sweet: A lady arriving at the races combines a white playsuit with bright accessories

 

Dressed to thrill: Colourful ensembles are an Aintree staple and this year's event proved no exception with racegoers opting for outfits in a rainbow of hues

Ladies Day: Queen Anne introduced the concept of Ladies Day in 1711 and, as these racegoers demonstrate, it remains hugely popular more than 300 years later

 

Having fun: Two racing aficionados, both of whom opted for co-ordinating cerise ensembles, relax as they enjoy the sunshine on Ladies Day at Aintree

Oh no! A racegoer shows off more than she bargained for thanks to an errant gust of wind

Yee hah! A lady clad in an emerald green dress puts her jockeying skills to the test

Ooops! One racegoer's skirt proved a tiny bit too short when she took to the dance floor

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Fight! A female racegoer gets involved after a fight broke out during the 2.30pm race when a male racegoer got a little too friendly with another woman

Looking good: Two friends show off their pretty ensembles as they arrive at Aintree

Weather warning: The wind gets the better of this racegoer's floaty gold gown

Gorgeous! A lady looks lovely in a flowing white dress teamed with coral accessories

Unusual: While many racegoers opted for pretty icecream shades and classic summer stripes (left), others plumped for bolder choices like this lady in a lace jumpsuit

Enjoying a drink: A female racing fan swigs from a bottle of sparkling cava as she and her friends enjoy the sunshine and wait for the first race to begin

Enjoying themselves: A group of elegantly dressed racegoers pose for photographers as they make their way onto the course ahead of the day's racing action

Tucking in: A pair of racegoers stop for a snack as they make their way into the Aintree racecourse, while another pair fill up while on the move

 

Bright: Summer hues such as turquoise and crimson are a staple at Aintree and contribute towards the wonderfully colourful atmosphere

Cheerful: A racegoer teams her jolly pink dress with a pair of minimalist black court shoes

Classic coral: A stylish racegoer proves matchy-matchy still has legs in this cheerful ensemble

Chic: A beautifully dressed racegoer shows off her elegant pink suit and sensible silver flats

Pretty: While platforms remain de rigeur at Aintree, not everyone is wedded to sky-high heels - as this group of smartly dressed racegoers prove

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Lady in red: A racing aficionado shows off her impressively large crimson headpiece, which was clearly chosen to match her scarlet coat and lipstick

Looking good: Fashion blogger Prince Cassius (centre) and two glamorous friends make their way into the Aintree racecourse for a day out at the races

Spectacular: A pair of racegoers go all out to win the £10,000 Dominican Republic holiday via a pair of incredibly elaborate architectural fascinators

Looking lovely: A group of smartly dressed racing fans demonstrate how to do racecourse chic Aintree style on Ladies Day at the Grand National Festival

In bloom: A racing aficionado shows off her black and pink skater dress and matching hat

Pretty: A racegoer demonstrates how fashion at the races should be done in an elegant outfit

Mono-mania: A stylish racegoer opts for a black and white ensemble and a pink clutch

 

Lovely: Wedges, as worn by this pair of racegoers (left) offered an alternative to platform heels. Cream and white proved particularly popular (right) with the style set

GIRLS JUST WANT TO HAVE FUN! THE LADIES OF AINTREE EXPLAIN WHY THEY LOVE RACE DAY SO MUCH

From raceday stalwarts to first time visitors to Aintree, visitors to the Grand National Festival are united by their love of racing and their plans to enjoy the day out. Here some of Aintree's racing fans explain why they love it so much:
Kerri, 24, Liverpool
This is my third time here and it is a girl's day out. We started planning it in the new year and we got up at 5am. We've been on the booze since 8am and plan to get smashed.
Leanne, 19, Manchester
This is my first time here and I am so excited. I could hardly sleep last night. I have never had a bet before and might do later if I see some colours that I like, but I am more into the fashion.
Rosie, 19, Newmarket
This is my third year here and for me the racing the highlight. The fashion is very important and elegance is key. I prepare months in advance but don't go down the self-tanning route - pale is beautiful. I don't want to look like an orange. I wish I had worn a coat though as it is freezing.
Emma, 27, Chester
I have been up since 6am getting ready and have had four spray tans this week. We had our first drink at 8am and are hoping to get lucky - with the fellas and the horses.
Sindi, 25, Toxteth
This is my second year here. I couldn't come last year as I was in Magaluf on a hen do but that was less fun than when I came here two years ago. This is my first day off since New Year's Day as I run my own cake making business and I have borrowed this outfit from my mum. She is with me today but I hate her coming as all the lads crack on to her. My stepdad won't talk to us when Aintree racing is on as he says we're a disgrace but we are both as bad as each other.
Emma, 44, Windsor
I have been coming here for at least 15 years and while I adore the first-class racing I also love the sights and sounds of the Liverpool people. This is a racing and fashion extravaganza and I think everyone likes to make a special effort on Ladies' Day, but being a southern softie I dress for the weather.
Amy, 21, Anfield
We were up at 6am to start getting ready and had a champagne breakfast at 8am. We had a spray tan yesterday and my dress is from Topshop. I love the dressing up and the glamour. I don't know how to bet but my stepdad said to back Tony McCoy as he is an OK rider.
With thanks to the Aintree Racecourse newsletter

Big day out: Colourfully dressed ladies make their way onto the course on the second day of the Grand National Festival race meeting

Colourful: A cheerfully dressed group of racegoers show off their take on summer dressing as they arrive at a rainy Aintree for Ladies Day

Dressed to the nines: A racegoer arrives in a bold dress embellished with pretty silk rosebuds while another keeps it simple in a coral frock and straw hat

Now that's what you call a hat! A racegoer in a vast fascinator and fur lined boots

Sparkling style: A racegoer opts for a floor-length glittering gown and a cosy fur wrap

Flower power: A racegoer arrives in a black and white skater dress teamed with red accessories

Hats you win: A pair of ladies with their eyes on the £10,000 Dominican Republic holiday prize show off their feathered and ribboned headgear as they arrive

Looking fabulous: A lady clutching a pint of beer shows off her elegant turquoise fascinator, while another seems to have been inspired by the racing action

Place your bets! A trio of racegoers show off their elegant frocks and fascinators while checking the form as they prepare to place their bets on Ladies Day.

Stalwart: Danielle O'Hara is a regular at Aintree and looked lovely in her coral pink dress

Cosy: A racegoer plumps for a cosy knee-length fur wrap teamed with a bright red hat

Looking good: A racegoer's blond Rapunzel-like locks are set off to perfection by her lilac outfit

 

Stunning: A lady shows off her incredible feathered fascinator, while another shows off a spectacular gingham, lime, yellow and black creation

Stunning: A group of beautifully dressed racegoers show off their hats, including one incredible botanical creation festooned with lifelike silk flowers

Enjoying the day: A pair of smiling racegoers arrive for a day out at Aintree

Dressed to impress: Racegoers show off their elaborate updos and lavishly embroidered frocks

Dramatic: A racegoer shows off her slashed floor-length frock and gunmetal fascinator

Fierce competition: With a £10,000 luxury holiday in the Dominican Republic at stake, racegoers upped the ante on the fashion front

Dressed to thrill: A group of cheerfully dressed racegoers show off their collection of fabulous frocks and light-hearted comedy sunglasses

 

Looking good: Racegoers beam as they arrive for a day of racing at the Aintree racecourse in Liverpool. Today's highlight is the Melling Chase

On their way: A group of racegoers pick their way across the course to the stands ahead of the racing action, which today includes the Melling Chase, at Aintree

Pretty: A racegoer cuts a striking figure as she wafts across the racecourse in a full-length peach dress ahead of the first race on Ladies Day at Aintree

Getting into the Aintree spirit: A pair of policemen chat to a pair of glamorously dressed racing aficionados as they wander around near the racecourse

Sky-high: A group of racing fans show off their skyscraper heels as they arrive, armed with a bottle of cava, for a day at the races on Ladies Day

The Superman technique! Jockey Tom Cannon takes a tumble but manages to miss the hooves of his mount King Edmund during the Community Topham Steeple Chase

Riding to victory: Bay gelding Holywell ridden by Tony McCoy, surges over a fence to triumph in the Betfred Mobile Mildmay Novices Steeple Chase on Ladies Day

Hurrah! A racegoer waves her ticket in triumph as her horse thunders to victory in the Top Novices Hurdle on Ladies Day at the Grand National Festival

And they're off! Runners thunder down the track in the Top Novices Hurdle which was won by Josses Hill (right); a gelding ridden by Barry Geraghty

Packed: An aerial view of the crowded stands at Aintree taken as the throng of racegoers cheer on their runners in the Top Novices Hurdle

#dailymail

Fresh faced Lupita Nyong'o reveals herself as a Lancôme ambassadress

Lupita Nyong'o is without a doubt Hollywood's most feted star of the year - Kenya's president even described her as 'the pride of Africa' after her Oscar win for Best Supporting Actress in the movie 12 Years A Slave.
And it seems that beauty brands are keen to snap up a piece of the Lupita magic - the actress has just been unveiled as the new brand ambassadress of Lancome.

The French beauty giant hand-picked the 31-year-old and said in a statement today: 'Her instinctive and sophisticated talent and one of a kind beauty, both delicate and strength-exuding, has taken the world by storm.'
Scroll down for video

Stunning: Lupita Nyong'o has just been unveiled as a Lancome ambassadress where she joins the likes of Lily Collins and Julia Roberts

Speaking about the Mexican-born, Kenyan actress, the brand said: 'She is an outstanding example of a natural beauty; confident and simply true to herself, she embraces life with freshness, citing happiness as the most attractive form of radiance.'
Lupita, a graduate of the Yale School of Drama who starred in several productions in Kenya before landing her breakout role alongside Brad Pitt, said: 'I am truly honored to join the Maison Lancôme, a brand with such a prestigious history and that I have always loved.

'I am particularly proud to represent its unique vision for women and the idea that beauty should not be dictated, but should instead be an expression of a woman's freedom to be herself.'
Lupita is in good company: Julia Roberts, Kate Winslet, Penélope Cruz and the recently appointed young actress Lily Collins are all Lancome ladies.

Hand-picked: Speaking about the Mexican-born, Kenyan actress, the brand said: 'She is an outstanding example of a natural beauty; confident and simply true to herself'

Lupita will be seen from this summer in campaigns shot by star photographers Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott.

'Both talented and committed, true to her African beauty, and showing a great curiosity and open-mindedness in her career choices, Lupita is by essence the Lancôme woman,' said Françoise Lehmann, General Manager of Lancôme International.
'A strikingly beautiful and intelligent woman, serenely but strongly living her life her own way, Lupita has this special kind of aura both enlightening and deep.'

WATCH VIDEO BELOW:

 

Lupita Nyong'o reveals herself as a Lancôme ambassadress

Talented: Lupita Nyong'o won best supporting actress winner for her role in 12 Years a Slave (left) and celebrates with Brad Pitt at the Film Independent Spirit Awards (right)

Lupita shot to stardom after receiving an Academy Award in the category of Best Supporting Actress for her moving portrayal of Patsey in Steve McQueen’s acclaimed film 12 Years a Slave. This makes her the fourth Academy Award-winning Lancôme ambassadress.
Her performance also won her many other prestigious awards worldwide, including the Screen Actors Guild Award, the Independent Spirit Award, NAACP Award, as well as the 2013 Hollywood Film Awards' New Hollywood Award.



#dailymail

Happy 6th wedding anniversary, Beyoncé and Jay Z! ...Their love story

The 44-year-old megastar was seen carrying his beloved daughter Blue Ivy, two, through Manhattan with a stylish Beyonce for some quality time together to celebrate their sixth anniversary.

Shawn Corey Carter and Beyoncé Giselle Knowles first clapped eyes on each other in 2001 but it wasn't until a year later, when they collaborated on hit track Bonnie & Clyde, that sparks really started to fly. Bey was still a teen at the time - Jay was 12 years her senior.
“I was 18 when we first met, 19 when we started dating. There was no rush. No one expected me to run off and get married,” the pop stunner later said.
And that's exactly what they did - took it slow and built a friendship before falling in love.
“We were friends first, for a year and a half, before we went on any date, [we were] on the phone for a year and a half. And that foundation is so important in a relationship. And just to have someone that you just like, is so important. And someone that is honest."

September 2003: The pair attend the Women's Semi-Finals at the US Open

Following the release of Bonnie & Clyde it wasn't long before rumours that the couple were involved romantically began whirling around, though they always remained tight-lipped about any romance - and would do so for years.
But despite never publicly acknowledging they were lovers, they regularly popped up courtside at various basketball matches, fashion shows and other fancy A-list events.
It wasn't until 2004 that they made their very first red carpet debut as a pair at the MTV Video Music Awards in scary matching outfits they've probably tried to erase all memory of.           
Understandably, the world went a little bit wild about it all.


In 2007 the Drunk In Love singer stepped out with a whopper of a sparkler – a $5million, 18-carat Lorraine Schwartz-designed whopper to be precise - on her engagement ring finger. And again, the world got very excited.
They then tied the knot in a private ceremony at their Tribeca home in April 2008. Cue mega-million pound magazine deals to add to their already enormous fortune? Not for these two.         
A year later in 2009 Forbes ranked the savvy business duo as Hollywood's top-earning couple. The lovers and savvy business duo also made more than any other celebrity couple last year.

In 2004 hip-hop's first couple made their first red carpet appearance

In 2010, after years of tours, features films, and hit records, Beyonce announced she wanted to take a break to focus on hubby Jay, while also hinting that she was keen to start popping out little mini Jay and Beys soon.
“I did it for my sanity, my life, my relationships, my nephew, my husband, my sister and my friendships,” she said of her career break. “I can decide I want to have kids. I can be the mother I want to be."
Seven years after they made the red carpet debut at the MTV VMAs, they were back with some other very exciting news – the singer was expecting the couple's first child.
Glowing in a floor-skimming red gown, the mum-to-be proudly showed off her growing baby bump to snappers - and Twitter exploded.
Bey's bump even broke the social media site's record for most related tweets per second.

The bump that broke Twitter

Later she said: “I didn't want a crazy picture or gossip story to break the news, so I decided to say nothing and proudly show my baby bump.”
Following the baby news the pair gradually grew more and more comfortable with PDAs. They were even spotted on double dates with high-profile pals Chris Martin and Gwyneth Paltrow. And since the birth of their first bubba Blue Ivy Carter in January 2012 in New York, the once notoriously private pair have become even more open about their love for one another.         
In an official statement released after Blue's birth, the rapper and Beyonce announced: “Her birth was emotional and extremely peaceful, we are in heaven. We are thankful to everyone for all your prayers, well wishes, love and support.”
In late 2013 the singer then surprised the world with a visual album and also released a string of video features where she spoke candidly about home life for the very first time.           

2011: The look of love

In one clip she declared: “Nothing feels like my child singing “mummy”. No, nothing feels like when I look my husband in the eyes, nothings feels like when I'm respected, when I get on the stage and I see I'm changing people's lives.”
And as she took her sell-out Mrs. Carter World Tour around the globe, she continued to treat us all to an intimate look at family life with a steady stream of candid behind-the-scenes pictures of the pair stealing smooches and gazing lovingly at each other.
Meanwhile Jay was making his own public declarations of love. When he picked up his Grammy for Holy Grail, the Justin Timberlake collaboration, he pointed to his wife in the crowd and said, “I want to thank God, I mean a little for this award, but mostly for that and all the universes for conspiring and putting that beautiful light of a young woman in my life.”
Moments later he gave a shout-out to his mini bundle of joy: “And I want to tell Blue that look, Daddy got a gold sippy cup for you!”
Awwhhhh!

iam.beyonce.com

Jay Z: The doting daddy

#mirror.co.uk  

Michael Schumacher 'showing signs of consciousness' following horror ski accident

Michael Schumacher is showing "signs of progress" following the horrific ski accident which has left him in a coma for more than three months.

The 45-year-old is showing "moments of consciousness and awakening", according to his agent Sabine Kehm.

The racing legend has been in an induced coma since suffering serious head injuries in a skiing accident.

"Michael is making progress on his way. He shows moments of consciousness and awakening," Ms Kahm said in a statement.

The seven-time world champion remains in intensive care in Grenoble Hospital in France but his family recently said they remain “confident” he will wake from his coma.

A friend rubbished reports that his wife Corinna, 45, is spending £10million to build a medically-equipped suite at their home in Switzerland because doctors have warned her his chances of recovery are negligible.

The friend said: “Michael will be moved to a rehabilitation clinic at some stage, however not at this stage.

“We are confident Michael will wake up. Therefore why would we need to build facilities for a vegetative man at his home.

“This would imply that his case is hopeless.”

#mirror.co.uk