Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

I love to sleep. It's maybe my favourite thing. My boyfriend and I bonded over a love of napping and continue to enjoy afternoons in bed sound asleep together. However, until recently I never had much time to indulge in this, my favourite pastime, thanks to ambition and love of drinking on a school night and so have tried and tested many night creams. The cracks might be there on my face but there's no way I'm letting other people see them too. And so, Neal's Yard's latest product - Beauty Sleep Concentrate - was a must-try for me. Apparently it can aid sleep, repair skin damage and cover up the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles while you slumber.

My initial feeling towards this was scepticism – what makes Beauty Sleep Concentrate better than a quality night cream? Its 90 per cent organic formulation includes tri-peptide, an active ingredient which enhances collagen production so its anti-ageing claim is not an empty promise. Grapeseed oil and cocoa seed butter help keep skin moisturised overnight while the blend of clary sage, cypress, orange, patchouli and ylang ylang is a calming one.

So, I put on serum and then the Concentrate, as per the instructions. And then I go to sleep. For 12 hours. I emerge from bed with dewy fresh skin but then who doesn’t after a half a day in the land of nod?  Over the course of a week, I sleep between eight and five hours each night. My slumber is sound and I wake up with clear skin. So, will this product turn all of us into sleeping beauties? That is perhaps a promise to far. Considering the results, I would conclude it does the job of an expensive night cream for much less. To wake up with skin this clear, I would generally pay about £60. Becoming a morning beauty for half that price is an absolute bargain.
Beauty Sleep Concentrate by Neal’s Yard Remedies £30 (Pics from Vogue Japan, US and Korea.)

For you blue

At this time of year, when it is still light at 5pm, I think we all begin to emerge from our winter cocoons of swaddled knitwear and 100-denier tights. The memories of hazy nights spent sitting in parks and gardens until the sun goes down start to return. And with this rediscovery comes the longing for a brighter look.

Stow away your deep purples, plums and greys - it is time to make up for long days and be fresh. My initial inspiration for this season is Dirty Projectors's 2009 video Stillness is the Move. Yes, yes - I'm a bit late joining this hipster band wagon. But the ice blue eye of the wolf has got me thinking peepers lined in most beautiful sky are the way to herald the arrival of a new season. I love Inika Minerals for the vibrant colours and their longevity. Line your eye using Blue Topaz and add a smidge of Gold Dust at the corner of the eye and on the lower lid. Pixie Sparkle by Lily Lolo is will also result in eyes that pop. Beautiful blue - the perfect antidote to winter darks.

This week I'm wearing...

...Beauty Sleep Concentrate, Neal's Yard Remedies's big product launch of 2011. It promises to rejuvenate, plump and brighten the skin in the hours you're having 40 winks and assist slumber. Gimmick or goddess-maker? I shall report back on Friday...

Cup of tea, spot of eavesdropping

Last week I was in Sudbury to interview two models for a feature  on The Model Agency for the Evening Star. One was a glamour model who had seen it all and knew exactly the look she was after: Jordan before she became Katie Price. The other girl was 19 and just starting out. She was lovely but her naivete made me want to weep. Before I went to the studio, I stopped in at a cafe called Huffers for tea and cake. The couple sitting at the table next to me looked about 20-years-old and both worked at a local hotel. Being a typical journalist, I naturally tuned into their conversation. He had a job interview the next day.
She said: "How are you going to play it?"
He said: "I'm just going to be myself."
She said: "You need to be yourself but better. I need to get out of here."
Young love.