My one-post campaign: The importance of an inscription

Having left my book (The Road to Wigan Pier by George Orwell) in the office, I was at a loose end for bedtime reading when I finally stumbled home last night. As it was late and I had had three glasses of wine, I wasn't looking for anything particularly cerebral, experimental or dense. While I wasn't going to dash out in search of a Jordan-"penned" bestseller, I certainly wasn't in the mood for Milton, Chaucer or the like. And as I perused our huge bookcase in the kitchen I realised two things:
1. All of my favourite, most comforting books are from people I have loved/ love
2. They all have messages written on the inside of the cover.
The Crying Lot of of 49 by Thomas Pynchon has a love letter written inside from a Berlin philosphy phD student I spent two heady months with in 2004 drinking red wine and kissing. Three years later, a film-maker I'd met twice ran after my departing bus to Glasgow to give me a copy of The Cinnamon Peeler by Michael Ondaatje with a note that simply says safe journey home inside. And when I got my degree results, my Mum gave me copy of The Lost Art of Keeping Secrets by Eva Rice that says inside, Dear Sara, Well Done!!!, Love Mum and George(my stepdad). Although it is essentially just two words, every time I open that book I remember how excited and happy we were.
And so, despite not being the campaigning type, I have written this post as a plea to anyone who may at one point buy a loved/hated one a book: write a message inside the cover.
It doesn't have to be beautiful, or verbose, or even correctly spelled.

But books are personal things to pass on. They say something about who you are as a person. What you care about. Why you read instead of downloading an app (or something like that). And why you choose to share this with the recipient.
In recent years, I have received books with no inscription and they just don't mean as much. I can't remember why they were given to me. Birthday? Just because? Who knows. What I do know is that when I am an old lady, naturally wearing purple, I will pick up The Crying Lot of 49 and it will still make me smile.

Beauty gossip

It's not even midday - I've not even touched my coffee yet - and already I have some beauty gossip this morning. A new brand of nail polishes called Queen Bee is being launched before the end of the year. The seasonal 12-product collections will come in mass and professional ranges and prices will start at £2.50 and stop at approximately £6. It is still in the conception stages but will be made ethically, here in the UK.

Weekend beauty (almost)

Hair and Jerome's Hitchcockian heroine hair session in the Spittalfields branch of Leon was so popular that poor old me did not get her knackered locks coiffed to perfection. However, I did get some pictures of the stylists in action getting girls and boys ready for a glitzy night on the town (perhaps they were just sitting in with tea and whatever reality tv programme is taking over at the moment. But I prefer to think that everyone who left looking beautiful was definitely going dancing...)

While waiting in vain to get to the front of the queue, prior to our dinner arrangements, I read the Guardian Weekend magazine and Richard made a paper plane out of an East End Film Festival flyer. It was an impressive construction, hence the smug face...

Following this, we went to Green and Red in Bethnal Green Road to have dinner with Yana and Lena who are visiting London from Antwerp.

Yana (left) is a photographer and is currently reading a biography of Phil Spector. She said: "It's an interesting book. I understand he is a musical genius and an amazing producer but he is also a total creep as a person. Very controlling and manipulative."
Lena runs an art gallery and is reading a collection of poetry by Paul Van Ostayen. She said: "He plays with words and in some ways it is quite a surrealist text. His work is very visual and more than just words on the page."

Two minute book reviews from London Is Funny comedy night

At a comedy night in Brixton organised by London Is Funny, three of the five acts were kind enough to tell me what they are reading at the moment and why the books are good. The evening, hosted by MC Tom Webb, was a comical delight and a bargain - five acts for £7. Not too shabby for this lady...

Joe Wilkinson, headliner of the evening and former Hackney Empire Newcomer of the Year winner, said: "I'm reading a book on Budapest because I'm thinking about going there. I'm really enjoying it. I never realised how little I know about Budapest."

George Ryegold is reading The Humans Who Went Extinct by Dr Clive Finlayson. He said: "It's about where humans really come from, it's brilliant. I like learning much more now than I did when I was at university. The pressure's gone and I can actually enjoy it."

Josh Widdicombe is reading John Lennon: The Life by Philip Norman. He said: "It's very well written and I'm enjoying it. But I'm really interested in John Lennon. If you're not interested in John Lennon you might not like it quite so much. But you might also really like it. The author knows his subject."

Beauty next season and lollipops

 This week I have been to three preview days for autumn/winter beauty collections. Essie are going to be releasing some cracking oranges and also a beautiful muted turquoise in their upcoming range. Meanwhile, Ruby and Millie's collection for teens, Scarlett and Crimson, continues to include items for those of us a little bit more mature than its target audience.
All of the products are less than £9 and the colours are perfect for festival-goers - blues, greens and a bit of sparkle. Also, gloss fans should note that the Scarlett and Crimson lipglosses and made in the same place as Dior's. Designer quality at a fraction of the price...

Off the beauty track, Alice Temperley's next collection is beautifully cut and has a surprising edge I didn't expect. Her pieces along with other designers such as Phillip Lim and Preen were on show at the Harvey Nichols preview. While browsing, us guests were given tea and lollipops (see below). Instead of boiled sugar on a stick, it was dalmation-inspired chocolate cake covered in white chocolate. Surrounded by next season's clothes and beauty with tea on hand, I couldn't have been happier.

Want to look like a Hitchcockian heroine...?

 The East End Film Festival begins today and as well as a plethora of new films and documentaries, there will be the opportunity to get your hair did like a Hitchcockian heroine as part of the event. From 5-9pm on April 24th, cinema-lovers can get the deadly but coiffed Grace Kelly look courtesy of boutique salon Hair & Jerome. The pop-in pop-up beauty corner will take place in the Spittalfields branch of Leon and is the perfect way to start your Saturday night.

What I read on tour: Admiral Fallow

Admiral Fallow are a Glasgow-based indie-folk band. Their new album, Boots Met My Face (out on April 26), has marvellous melodies and lyrics.

If you give it a listen, I'm pretty sure it will make your life better. At a time when manufactured swagger seems to dominate the mainstream, their songs are beautifully sincere.
They are touring the UK this month and revealed what they are reading to stay inspired.
Sarah Hayes, who plays the piano, flute and sings said: "Phil (drummer) has been reading The Butcher Boy, by Patrick McCabe. Written in an unusual style that makes for a compelling read, it's witty and funny at the same time as being breathtakingly horrific and sad. It is set in small-town Ireland and follows a young boy through poverty, loneliness and obsession, documenting his fluctuating mental state along the way.
"I've been reading Let the Right One In, by John Ajvide Lindqvist. I actually saw the film of this before I read the book, on the strength of some rave reviews.

"This was probably the wrong way round to do it, as the characters' appearances were indelibly etched in my head from the film and I couldn't imagine them looking any other way. Not my usual subject matter of choice, it's essentially a vampire legend with a difference.
"I found the film powerful and disturbing but strangely lacking in background and substance in parts. Luckily the book provides much more in the way of character study. I found it almost gratuitously gory in parts, and as a result it found its way into some pretty vivid dreams, but I did enjoy the story itself."
Louis Abbot, who plays the guitar and sings, said: "Kevin (clarinet player) has been continuing his love affair with Ian Rankin's Rebus series. Tooth and Nail, the third in the set sees D.I. John Rebus drafted down to the big smoke to help with the investigation and manhunt of the Wolfman.
"I've read a couple of Rankin's books as well and I’m a big fan. I remember when the TV. series starring John Hannah first hit the screens. Being from Edinburgh, I got a kick out of seeing the streets I grew up on there in glorious Technicolor and I think reading the books has a similar effect.
"I also like the way Rankin writes his protagonist. I've found myself stopping between sentences, admiring little lines and scribbling them down to come back to later for inspiration.

"Keeping it Scottish, I started Irvine Welsh's Crime while on tour. Having recently read its predecessor Filth I was compelled to get the follow up. I've never laughed out loud more in my literary life than when I read the former.
"The main character Bruce Robertson has got to be one of the most horrendous men ever created.
"The story is told through the eyes of 'Robbo' - racist, chauvinist, sociopath and Hearts fan (**sharp intake of breath**) - and a tapeworm somewhere in his gut. It's a violent and grim take on the apathy of a Detective Sergeant in the Scottish capital."

Sweet beauty collection - straight out of Hackney

On an outing to preview a few beauty collections last week, I made a discovery I think is going to light up my summer: Andrea Garland's divine range. An aromatherapist, she has created a six-product range for the face and body - made with all-natural products - in Hackney, East London. Using potent ingredients such as ginger, geranium, jasmine and rose, the lotions and potions are uplifting and effective. The Floral Body Cream is my new beauty saviour and the product labels, illustrated by Andrea's husband, are quirky and make you smile every time you pick up a pot. They make perfect little presents, but if you're selfish like me, buy them for yourself and enjoy a daily treat.

From Mary to Marilyn (via Nick Hornby)

With one hour to go until the weekend, I had started feel like this day would never end and could only go further downhill.

It started with a rubbish journey to work (Limehouse to Camden by bus) ruining a perfectly good book (High Fidelity by Nick Hornby). Then a fight with some selotape left my nails chipped and a present badly wrapped. I was starting to feel entirely frustrated. And then, a present landed on my desk. The Ombre Rose L'Original Dusting Perfume by Jean-Charles Brosseau, with powder puff. I feel transformed from Mary Doll (wife of Rab) to Marilyn Monroe (erm, not the best role model, but that woman sure knew how to be a siren). Classic glamour; good start to the weekend.

Magical...

Luzinterruptus are a light-based street art group from Madrid who lit up a New York street with literature this week. They attached a light to 800 books and this is the result. I wish they would come to London....

Unlikely inspirations for summer nails by OPI

In between its summer and winter collections, OPI will be launching three mini ranges to keep manicure lovers in a fresh trend. The first of these will be Shrek Forever After, inspired by the upcoming third film in the skewed fairytale series. Being a pale-skinned creature, I sadly cannot take advantage of these fierce yellows but those with a more fortunate complexion should jump on this bandwagon during the summer months.

Second, is the four-lacquer Pink collection. I'm not going to insult your intelligence by describing the shades available in this range but it's perfect for the bridal season or for those who want to add a discreetly fruity colour to the nude pallette dominating fashion for the next two seasons.

Finally, there will be the Summer Flutter collection, which is also a four-polish range inspired by butterflies. It focuses more on coral tones - a rollover trend from 2009 - but also includes a popping electric blue.

Two minute book review...and a new arrival in London town

Carlene is a journalist and is currently reading From A to Biba by Barbara Hulanicki. She said: "It is a good read because you learn about Biba and how the writer and her husband started it, but also about fashion in the 1960s. Back then there wasn't a British high street like there is now - it was all department stores and shops selling clothes for older women. Barbara Hulanicki really changed this by opening Biba. There are also celebrity anecdotes in there and I really love that too."
After two glasses of wine and chatting about the book and Carlene's imminent move to New York, I went to Euston to pick up my old school buddy Chris Stewart.

He was selected for the BBC Talent Pool programme and as a result has moved from Glasgow to London. Chris read Facebook on the train here, but redeemed himself when opening his suitcase revealed a selection of marvellous titles including Great Expectations by Charles Dickens.

Hatter-mad glitter glitter glitter

The perks of being a beauty journalist are undeniable and I was once more thanking my lucky stars as I spent Friday afternoon at the OPI Alice in Wonderland pop-up bar in Harrods. As I was going to a friend's gypsy-inspired birthday celebrations at the Proud Galleries in Camden that evening I went for the 'Mad as a Hatter' multi-glitter lacquer. My nails looked like a disco-ball after two coats and I was mesmerised by my own hands all evening. The pop-up bar is open until April 16th and customers who buy the OPI set inspired by the Tim Burton film will receive a free shape and polish.

What I read on tour....

Jon Hopkins is a musician and composer who has performed with artists such as King Creosote and Imogen Heap as well as releasing solo albums and writing film scores. He said: "I am currently reading Nocturnes by Kazuo Ishiguro. I have just finished Bad Science by Ben Goldacre."

Yes, she was a beauty - but do we really need to know what Audrey would do?

Over the course of the bank holiday weekend, I had two Audrey Hepburn-related conversations relating to books and beauty:
1. At the Positive View photography exhibition in Somerset House.
2. In Waterstone's.
The former featured photos of the actress looking spectacularly beautiful. Feline and petite, with perfectly proportioned features, images of Hepburn remind us of what real beauties looked like, before Botox, etc, came along and homogenised faces, freezing them beyond expression.

Pre-surgery, pre-Photoshop, the Roman Holiday star is flawlessly beautiful. My friend and I were mesmerised by the pictures.
A trip to the latter led to me stumbling across a copy of the book What Would Audrey Do? by Pamela Keogh. I read about this a couple of years ago and managed to block it out of my memory. I assumed people would have more sense than to buy such a text. Wrong...

Before I launch into a rant on the plastic bandwagonism of this book, I just want to say I love Audrey. I love Breakfast At Tiffany's. If I could transform my face to look like one other person's for one whole hour, it would be her's.
But faced with a difficult situation, would I want to know what Audrey would do? Certainly not. The actress reportedly battled with anorexia and depression. Her first husband Mel Ferrer was said to have controlled her and had a fierce temper. Her second husband Andrea Dotti cheated on her for much of their 12 year marriage.
So, if in a pickle over a relationship or body image, would we really benefit from knowing what Audrey Hepburn would have done in the same situation? As there is a strong chance she would have starved herself and put her head in the sand, I think possibly not.

What I read on tour...

Johnny Lynch, also known as The Pictish Trail, said: "I'm currently reading Muiscophilia by Oliver Sacks. Makes me want to get struck by lightening, so I can play music better."

Accesorize launch nail varnish collection

Stepping away from questionably designed bags and the like to produce a line of nail varnishes is Accessorize. The high street retailer has launched a seven-product line of brights that, from the pictures and descriptions, sound perfect for summer. And, at only £4 per bottle, they are also a bargain. However, being a dedicated OPI fan, I'm reserving judgement until the samples arrive and I can see for myself. I shall report back.

Books to read (and avoid) when sick

After spending the past few days in my bed, ridden with flu and self-pity, I have realised some books make you feel semi-comforted when sick, while others make you long for strong sedatives.
Of the former category, Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh does the trick thanks to the writer's irreverent humour and witty turn of phrase. The first section of the book in particular – where Sebastian Flyte is still carrying around Aloysius the bear, introducing himself to Charles Ryder by being drunkenly sick through his window – is particularly comforting.
Meanwhile, anything by Jane Austen is equally easy on the eyes and mind when you are nursing spring flu, as is Amsterdam and On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan.  Death and the Penguin by Andrey Kurkov is equally entertaining – despite being a translation, the humour of the book transcends language.

I’d veer away from anything by the Brontes – in particular Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights. All of that angst does not a peaceful mind on the road to recovery make. Nor does any book by Vladimir Nabokov. I know it’s currently fashionable to be reading anything by he of Lolita fame, but one page of Pale Fire will put you off his work for life. So don’t attempt it when you are feeling poorly.
I picked up Eeeee Eee Eeee by Tao Lin at one point but couldn’t really follow it, what with all of the medicines I was liberally helping myself to. In saying that it is definitely a book I’ll return to – it is about confused animals trying to talk to confused humans. This results in the deaths of Elijah Wood and Salman Rushdie (obv).