The Literary Look

London made lovely (again)

2012-01-03T13:20:00.000-08:00

You* live in London six years, you think you know it all. Yeah, you've made it home by bus from Acton to Limehouse in the early hours, been to hipster bars that barely exist, sample-saled your face off in scary warehouses. You're in on London's secrets and you're unnecessarily smug about it.
But then your* friend gives you the most adorable, most innocently written, most unpretentious book all about the city and you realise you're a bit of a twat. The best things about it aren't down the dark alleys, made valuable simply through their exclusivity. The best things are the parts, museums and buildings holding history, ever there - telling a story.
As The Ladybird Book of London says, "What could be better than a fine day at the Zoo, or the Zoological Gardens, to use the proper name?" What indeed.
It also notes St Paul's Cathedral was "designed by Sir Christopher Wren, and was finished in 1710".
Such a treasure - an inspired gift. My camera has taken bizarrely dreamy, soft focus pictures - strange but very fitting...

*By "you" I mean me. Or more specifically "I".

*By "your" friend I mean my friend, Cesca.

Winter 2011...

2012-01-02T14:40:00.000-08:00

Samba: Brazil-inspired fragrance

2011-09-05T08:41:00.000-07:00

L'Artisan Parfumeur is launching a Brazil-inspired fragrance next month that is sure to give the autumn months some zest. Batucuda is a combination of lime, fresh mint, Caipirinha and Brazlian vetiver. It will be available in the perfume creator's standalone boutiques, concessions and website from October 3 priced at £78 for 100ml and £55 for 50ml.

Lapinova

2011-09-05T07:22:00.000-07:00

My favourite Virginia Woolf short story is Lappin and Lapinova. Originally published in her last collection - The Haunted House and Other Stories - it is about newly married couple Rosalind and Ernest Thorburn. Although in love, there is a discomfort between them, a divide. She craves affection but his stiff upper lip seems to block warmth and spontaneity. Rosalind realises he has a way wriggling his nose that makes him rabbit-esque. Thus she nicknames him Lappin and creates a female counterpart for herself, Lapinova. They imagine a secret forest together where they can throw off their awkwardness and unite as their rabbit alter egos. She feeds him lettuce and says he is a King Rabbit - a "rabbit that makes rules for all the other rabbits". This unites them as a couple and she becomes dependent on it to communicate with her husband.
Until one day, Ernest decides he's had enough. Rosalind tries to entice him into being Lappin and coming into their make believe forest and he tells her Lapinova - her rabbit self - has been "caught in a trap, killed".

Woolf ends the story with, "So, that was the end of that marriage". Tomorrow, I'll be detailing how to get the look of Rosalind.

Paranoid handroid

2011-08-29T12:40:00.000-07:00

Since getting engaged, I've started taking handcare seriously. The diamond deserves more than chipped nails, I tell myself; the diamond should not have to put up with rough hands. And so, I've began compiling a list of heavenly hand products. At work, I keep a pot of fragrant Steam Cream next to my computer to ensure these 28-year-old fingers and palms don't look a day over 27. Just to be a little bit more self-indulgent, I have a second tin next to my kitchen sink to ensure that on the odd occasions I volunteer to wash up my hands aren't dried out by Fairy Liquid.
Twice a week, I use Champneys Softening Hand Scrub to slough off dead skin and before applying Nailtiques cuticle conditioner, pre-self manicure. And the nails. Is there anything worse than chipped talons next to a beautiful engagement ring? Having been in this situation, I can say no. It looks hideous, but who has time for a proper mani more than twice a week? For long-lasting nails, Orly has it covered. On weekdays, I go for the brand's Bonder Basecoat, a nude shade and Quick Deep-Dry Topcoat. And weekends? Gold at the moment, but I'll keep you posted.

A letter to rioters

2011-08-09T01:39:00.000-07:00

Your hands killed history last night.
They beat it, burgled it, burnt it.
Stole more than just a few dvds, tvs and i-whatevers.
Those buildings, those memories - they didn't belong to you.
But you've taken them.
And we're angry.
It's us against you now and you against them.
Muddying the idea, confusing the cause,
Forcing us to ask questions -
Where were the police? What now for us? Where was the government? Will this happen again?
- when there should only be one:
Why is Mark Duggan dead?
But it's all about you lot now.
We saw you tearing it up in your hoods and masks.
Destroying, drunk on greed.
Fires and fights flickered across our screens
As suited and booted read the ten o'clock.
We huddled in our houses
Clutching mugs with nervous hands
Until sirens grew louder
Smoke got thicker
Footsteps came closer
And your wolves were at the door
Carrying makeshift missiles
And bags of stolen trainers.

A proposal and a yes

2011-07-25T05:25:00.000-07:00

My boyfriend proposed to me on July 15 and this is our story. I'm not sure whether it's interesting to anyone except me, but here goes...
Simon and I met in 2003 when we were both working in a bar called Pivo. I was in third year at Stirling University and he had graduated two years previously. He lived with my best friend's boyfriend, had dreadlocks and was known for throwing amazing parties. I was really into books, wine and wished I could write poetry in French. Not exactly a match made in heaven, but for about six months we survived on chemistry until it fell apart. To his credit, Simon tried to get me back - serenading me outside me door, becoming a good friend and writing me a song for my 21st birthday. But I'm a stubborn lady and second chances have never been my forte so we didn't see each other for about six years...

Until last year, when we arranged via Facebook to meet at Latitude. We watched The Maccabees together in the sun with friends and I felt happier in that half hour than I had in a really long time. About a month later, he came to London to see me, told me he was in love with me and we've been together ever since.

And then. On July 15, we had been watching Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan at Latitude. He asked me to come on a stroll along the river and up to the forest. So we're walking along, and I'm thinking this is all pretty lovely, and the next thing I see is Louis from Admiral Fallow. I say: "Hello! I'm coming to watch you play tonight". He says: "Actually we're going to do a song for you just now Sara."

They started to play my favourite song of their's Four Bulbs and everything sort of started to move in slow motion. Simon got down on one knee, said some really lovely words and the next thing I knew I was crying and saying yes and had a beautiful ring on my finger. Platinum and diamond (just in case you were wondering) and currently being reduced to a size G. Apparently I have freakishly narrow fingers. Please excuse the chipped nails - in my defence, at least they're Chanel.

A very lazy year

2011-07-25T04:44:00.000-07:00

Okay, so it turns out leaving London has resulted in doing something I haven't done in years: nothing. Since I was approximately 15 I've spent life doing (in this order) extra extra-curricular, taking on second then third jobs, getting horrendously drunk and then hungover, going to parties eating all the canapes, doing dayshift, then nightshift, then dayshift again, dating, working, working, working...
Since moving to Suffolk, I've had one job, made new friends and hung out with my boyfriend. I've learned how to make chutney, had my first Brazilian blowdry and found crisps called Corkers. Simon has spoiled me with music, jewellery and home-cooked meals and I reckon if smug was a lady her name would be Sara. But it is time to step it up again, and thus The Literary Look is back...

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

2011-03-11T04:46:00.000-08:00

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

2011-03-11T04:19:00.000-08:00

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...

2011-03-07T14:36:00.000-08:00

...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

2011-03-07T14:21:00.000-08:00

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.

Brightness while the dark nights drag

2011-02-23T00:53:00.000-08:00

One look at LFW made me feel more warm and fuzzy than any other and that was the poppy lips at Temperley's London comeback show. Usually autumn/winter shows are plum pallette with a smattering of nude and scarlet when it comes to le pout. But the vibrant red at the English designer's show gave the more substantial designs of the colder season a lightness and youthful glamour that is sometimes absent in the a/w collections.

So, how do you get this look? Well, achieving a beautiful poppy pout in all in the prep. Exfoliate lips using a product like Daniel Sandler's lip exfoliator or if money's tight use a toothbrush to give lips a light scrub. The main thing before lipstick application to make sure kissers are as smooth as possible. Mr Sandler has also created a wonderful lip primer pencil which stops colour bleeding and makes lipstick smooth on like a dream.

If you don't have a primer, apply a quality, non-greasy lip balm like Lanolips ointment and leave this to soften the skin for a few minutes. And then, it's time for the main event: the wonderful poppy red.

I recommend Gay Geranium from Boots No. 7 range (see right). A designer friend - who knows a thing or two when it comes to fashion, rouge and style - bought it for me last year and wouldn't you know it? She predicted it would become a big deal round about now. It's matte, bright, long-lasting and easy to apply.
Like Temperley's beautiful models, keep the rest of your face fresh and don't overdo it with base, blusher or eye make-up. Primer is a must to achieve the enviable skin required to make this colour shine.
Then wrap up warm (because it's still chilly outside) and let your fashion-forward pout do the talking.
(Temperley London pics from www.elleuk.com)

The skinny on tea

2011-02-21T04:36:00.000-08:00

Like anyone who doesn't have naturally beautiful skin, I'll try anything to achieve a blemish-free dewy glow. Moisturisers, serums, masks - even those gag-inducing teas promising health and vitality. They might smell slightly vomit-esque but who doesn't find the idea of a detox in a cup alluring? But here's the thing - it's absolute nonsense. When it comes to your health and beauty, says one tea expert, you are better off drinking a mug on plain old builders', because only black, green and white tea are proven to have antioxidants in them. And these are the little things that fight free radicals. Free radicals damage cells and lead to premature ageing.

Bill Gorman, chairman of the British Tea Council, says: “Herbal infusions don’t have the antioxidants a cup of green, black or white tea does. There's no proof they have any benefits apart from being hydrating and warming. Black tea comes from the same plant as green and white. They have the same level of antioxidants and operate in the same way.”

Since moving to Suffolk, I've swapped champagne for tea and am currently spending my evenings with a pot of cha' and Anna Karenina. I got my teapot from a Chinese market in New York last summer and recently spent a fortune in Whittard on loose tea green, white and black tea with jasmine, rose and pomegranate. I'm a sucker for accessories and the ritual of it all makes it feel special. I'm sure my perfect skin will show up any day now...

Ballerina beautiful

2011-02-16T10:48:00.000-08:00

There is a performance venue in Ipswich called Dance East which has one of the most enchanting pieces of art I've seen in a while. It captures the delicacy, beauty and strength of dance and dazzles with colour and texture.

The light stretches from floor to ceiling and is constructed using real ballerina tutus sourced in Russia.

Dreamlike, inspired and completely functional in its simplicity, the sight of this piece on the town's waterfront made the rainy Suffolk day dissolve and my imagination come alive. Then, passing a newsagent's on the way home I saw this:

And this:

Both my stories, my face was a smug little picture all the way home.

Home sweet home

2011-02-16T10:25:00.000-08:00

For the past seven weeks I've lived out of boxes as my boyfriend Simon and I waited to get the keys to our new flat. Initially we lived in his flat with his flatmate Luke, which was not so bad, but essentially a boys' abode and unfit for female habitation. Then we stayed at his mum and dad's house which was warm, had a full fridge and a cat called Cecil. All of these three things are incredibly desirable aspects of any living environment if you ask me. But, on February 13th we finally moved into our first place together in Churchman's Lofts, Ipswich. It turns out I really do have a lot of beauty products.

After unpacking we decided to make mussels. This is how it went.

I love my skin (but I also love vodka)

2011-01-10T05:28:00.000-08:00

January is traditionally the month of recuperation and abstinence - a self-satisfying purge, if you like, after enjoying yourself in December.
The only thing that generally concerns me at the beginning of the year is dreary looking skin. Grey and lacklustre with initial wrinkles making themselves known - terrifying.
Thankfully, there are two products that can regain much-missed sparkle and health easily and almost instantly.

The first of these does its work while you're sleeping - Le Baume by Yonka (approximately £50, but one tube lasts a long time and is thus good value). Apply a small amount over your night cream, have forty winks and wake up looking like a dewy-skinned princess.

I've been using this through the past two years of constant cocktail bingeing, smoking and very little sleep. Without it, I'm pretty sure I'd have shockingly bad handbag face. Second is Illuminating Primer by Natio (£12.26, Debenhams). This Australian beauty house launched its brand in the UK last year and is not only ridiculously affordable but it works. Use under day cream to moisturise the deeper layers of the skin and apply your regular moisturiser over the top. Regardless of what you've been up to the night before, make up will go on like a dream.
PS. The illustration on the book above is by Kat MacLeod, whose work I absolutely adore. Dreamlike and vibrant, I long for a piece of her art. See below for more beautiful drawings and multi-media creations.

Duck tales

2011-01-10T04:18:00.000-08:00

As a newly co-habiting couple, Simon and I decided to attempt a Sunday roast together. This was daunting because (a) neither of us have ever tried this before and (b) neither of us is known for our culinary skill. And rather than stick with plain old chicken, we decided to up the stakes. It is through this move I introduce you to Stanley ( tenuous Tenessee Williams link) the organic duck (see above). I had duck once in Barcelona when I was 21 and always assumed the closest I'd get to cooking it would be sitting near the kitchen in a restaurant.

In fairness, it was Simon who removed the giblets and worked out the timings but I feel I really shined when it came to the seasoning.

With Stanley in the oven, we started on the vegetables - and array of roasted potatoes, sweet potatoes, parsnips, carrots and sprouts.

I haven't peeled a vegetable in approximately ten years and, damn, it shows.

Somehow, the whole process came together and having an oven full of food made me feel like a disciple of Nigella.

Naturally, the boyfriend got stuck into the initial washing up (in a manly fashion, of course) - these hands ain't going near fairy liquid. Superstar.

And in an hour or so Sunday lunch was served! Check. It. Out. Not bad for a first attempt.

The co-habiting lark prevents me from licking the plate, but in terms of the taste factor, you get my point. Amazing.

With that ticked off, there was nothing left to do but enjoy the Sunday papers.

V for Vendetta (no. 483)

2011-01-05T12:38:00.000-08:00

And so, the moment my nails have been waiting 27 years for came this evening. It was simple, easy and the application barely required skill. Yes, that's right, tonight I applied my first ever coat of Chanel polish. The inky tones of number 483, Vendetta, will forever be the colour of my first foray into varnish by the Parisian fashion house.

Courtesy of my boyfriend's lovely sister Hayley - who has impeccable taste in all things fashion - I was at last able to experience beauty by Chanel. With its zero streaky and fast-drying formulation, the polish went on smoothly, didn't smudge and has a beautifully glossy finish.

And it came in the classic Chanel box embellished with the decadent black and gold ribbon (as pictured resting on said boyfriend's arm - he didn't enjoy or agree to this but was too tired to move). Ooh la la, j'adore.

Gothic kiss

2011-01-05T12:02:00.000-08:00

January has to be the darkest month of the year. No Christmas to look forward to - just its remnants on your skin - and an overhanging guilty feeling you've drank/kissed/smoked too much. Personally, I'd rather embrace this naughty twinge than go on a detox. And thankfully trends dictate that this is more than okay - check out Givenchy's latest campaign above. Not to mention the fact it evokes a huge beauty inspiration of 2011, the Jazz Age.

The first month of the year is all about dark lips so ditch your black eyeliner and fake lashes and let your pout take centre stage. I'll be working Growl or Diablo by Illamasqua. Fierce.

From the east end to East Anglia...goodbye London

2011-01-05T08:51:00.000-08:00

2011 ended with a huge step for me - I left London and moved to Suffolk. Ipswich to be precise, to live with my boyfriend and write for the East Anglia Daily Times and Evening Star.

Goodbye celeb-studded parties, au revoir liquid lunches of champagne and see you later bar-hopping round Shoreditch and Soho til 2am on a school night.

But it's not all bad - I won't miss the underground or being in a long-distance relationship for starters.

Helping me with my move was Lucas. He was able to pick up my couch with ONE ARM. I have never seen such an impressive show of masculinity. In addition, he shared his Christmas chocolates from Thorntons with me.

On the drive to Ipswich, street signs and heavy traffic made way for Wuthering Heights-style mist and countryside.

I painted my nails (Night Shade by Rimmel) and breathed a sigh of relief to be ending the year surrounded by the beauty of Suffolk.

Bleach my hair beautiful

2010-12-22T03:45:00.000-08:00

This is my friend, writer and trend forecaster Rachael Bridge. Usually she has baby blonde ringlets but recently she gave us all a super-dose of hair envy by biting the bullet and getting a pink dye job at Bleach in Dalston. Don't we all want to look like we've stepped off the set of Marie Antoinette a la Sofia Coppola?

The London salon in Kingsland Road - a pop-up inside WAH Nails - specialises in colouring hair using a rainbow-like spectrum and bold peroxide. If you want blonde highlights, this is not the place for you. But if you fancy dip-dying your hair aquamarine, it's time to make an appointment.

The colour fades out gradually over the course of a few weeks and Rachael's went from deep candyfloss to baby pink to a light rose peach. Although the shade changed, her hair still looked incredible. So, fancy looking particularly eye-catching this Christmas? Call Bleach. Or is 2011 the year you plan to change it up? Call Bleach. Having seen the results first-hand, I can vouch natural colour is so 2010.

Is it the woman or the rouge?

2010-12-21T08:49:00.000-08:00

Perhaps it is because Charlotte Rampling is incredible. Perhaps it is because when you find the perfect red lipstick, it will make you look amazing forever. But looking at the actress herself in the latest issue of Glass magazine makes me want to slick on my rouge and curl up on a battered leather armchair. And, that's not all there is to see in the winter 'Secret'-themed edition. Photographer Bill Silano, artist Zhang Xiaogang and architect Renzo Piano also feature. J'adore.

In my stocking, part 5: The perfect last minute gift

2010-12-21T08:40:00.000-08:00

After a brief hiatus due to a nasty fall on an escalator, The Literary Look is back with a last minute In My Stocking! Have you got all of your presents yet? I don't have a single one and am starting to get slightly worried. However, all is not lost because there is one key gift every lady will welcome: a beautiful scented candle. Winding down with a glass of wine and music after a hectic day, nothing soothes me more than lighting my Neom three-wick or a couple of Aveda alternatives. Enveloping fragrance from a burning candle is like balm for tired minds. It creates atmosphere and if you invest in a good one it will last for months So, here's my pick of the best scented candles out there. If you cannot figure out what to buy a loved one, any of this trio will most most welcome.

Complete Bliss - Morroccan Rose Blush, by Neom (£35). Not only has rose made a huge comeback in the scent stakes this year but the candle is made from vegetable wax and pure essential oils.

Holistic Silk's scented organic candle (£32.50). This divine jasmine and lavender fragrance will help you drift away into a world of your own, and its glass pot is a lovely little keepsake.

Amber-Spa Candle by Elemis (£25). Scented with vanilla, amber and mandarin this will be treasured by those who love a sweet scent fix.

Weekend beauty inspiration

2010-12-10T06:24:00.000-08:00

From Vogue Japan...work those pale lips. Get the look with MAC's matte lipsticks in Honey Love or Pink Plaid and have wonderful weekend.

In my stocking, part 4: Fragrance by Organic Pharmacy

2010-12-10T05:29:00.000-08:00

If I could have lived in any era other than this one, it would have been the modern period. I love the fashion, the literature and the art - as far as I'm concerned the girls of the 1920s-late 1930s got it right. And, if you know a special someone who's equally drawn to that Gatsby-inspired glamour look no further for the perfect Christmas gift for them. Organic Pharmacy's first range of fragrances evoke the modern age wonderfully. Not only are they good for the skin, the bottle is so Coco Chanel I feel like a Parisian flapper every time I take a spritz. This will be loved by the girl who still puts her make-up on at a dressing table wearing a beautiful kimono. Free from toxins, the rich quartet comes in Citron, Glam, Oriental Blossom and the currently revered Oud (£110 each). The latter is the ideal scent for heady winter's nights involving dancing, stockings and lots of red lipstick.

And the perfect accompaniment? A copy of an F Scott Fitzgerald classic from the Penguin collection of art deco-inspired newly designed covers. Tender is the Night is the masterpiece everyone should have.

The cold weather isn't so bad...

2010-12-09T08:20:00.000-08:00

The cold weather and I are getting on famously. Mostly because it facilitates my desire to wear my amazing fur hat Derek (as named by chocolatier Paul A. Young - I wanted to call it Coco, he said don't be stupid and thus a beautiful hat was christened a horrible name).

However, my enjoyment of the so-called big freeze goes deeper than its accompanying sartorial benefits. The drop in temperature means I can stay at home, curled up with a book and not feel guilty about the fact I'm missing something I promised ("I'll be there! I promise!") to attend.
And this is taking me beyond contentment, mostly because I'm re-reading my Roald Dahl collection.
Was there ever a children's writer with greater understanding of how to make you feel excited/ scared/ sore from laughter? You can imagine him penning every sentence trying to suppress giggles. At the moment, I'm tearing through his second autobiography Going Solo.
Dahl's descriptions of Brits in Africa and his own efforts to round up - upon instruction from the army - Germans at the beginning of the Second World War are priceless. ("I'm just the man who works for Shell!" he protests, having never been a soldier. "Don't let us down," says the ever-so-British sergeant.)

Yet the punctuating excerpts of letters to his mother remind you of the anxiety of separation and how precarious life was during WW2. Next I'm moving on to Revolting Rhymes (my personal favourite) and after that, Matilda - the only thing that put a smile on my face when I was living on a barge in Norfolk and had food poisoning.

After those two, I might pick up The Twits - although that particular story had a rather adverse affect on my childhood breakfast habits. The bit about cornflakes being stuck in a character's beard has resulted in a lifelong repulsion of the classic cereal.
The thing with books by Dahl is everyone has one they treasure. You can remember when you first cracked the spine, where you were and how you felt. Those books feel personal. Yes, you know millions of other people got to them before you, but it doesn't matter. Each reading feels magical.
And so, this is my prescription for the cold weather. Take a book - Esio Trot, Boy, The BFG - whatever one was your favourite. Add a cup of tea and a warm blanket. And enjoy a night of pure contentment in the literary companionship of the wonderful Mr Roald Dahl.

In my stocking, part 3: Rosy Beauty Balm by Andrea Garland

2010-12-09T03:12:00.000-08:00

There are some treasures you know will delight a special person as soon as you see them and Andrea Garland’s range of beauty products for the face and body are some of these. In particular, the Rosy Beauty Balm is a gift that can only delight - original and beautiful.

Formulated using organic shea butter, hemp seed oil and jojoba oil, it softens and balances the skin wonderfully.
Meanwhile, sweet almond oil and vitamin E tone and moisturise and Rose Otto, Palma Rosa and Rose Geranium protect and nourish. Apart from anything else, it smells incredible and rose has made a huge comeback this year, so this will keep both skincare-obssessive and fashion-loving friends happy.

But the very, very special thing about this product is every balm comes in a specially sourced vintage tin that has been sterilised and lined.
Remember the beautifully coloured and antique-like tins your granny used to keep her buttons, needles and threads in? Just like that. And this is the present that keeps giving. Once the tin is empty, trained aromatherapist Garland will refill it for a fraction (just £12) of the original price (£38).

Everything is going to be alright

2010-12-08T13:33:00.000-08:00

Last week my mum Isabel came to visit me. We wandered round London and had a grand old time. She had a really bad cold but put on a brave face like a good sport.
I was waiting for news that could be really good or really bad so - thanks to red wine - we were also able to pretend I wasn't in a state of teenage-intense angst.

Being very no nonsense and marvellous in general, my mum wouldn't let me get too self-indulgent and bought a very large hat to wear.

I like to think this was to cheer me up, but I do of course take into consideration the sub-zero temperatures and snow.

In between watching a gypsy band at the Royal Concert Hall and going to see a play, we went to the Tate Modern.

On a laissez-faire mission to see what there was to see, we started in the Poetry and Dream galleries on the second floor. A lot of the art was strange.

Most of it I didn't really understand without reading the placarded side notes. And some of it I just stared at without seeing it properly.

My mum said: "I hate modern art." I said: "I wish we'd gone to the Tate Britain."

In my stocking, part two: Silk eyemask by Holistic Silk

2010-12-08T04:47:00.000-08:00

One of my favourite scenes in Breakfast at Tiffany’s is the first meeting between Holly Golightly and Paul Varjack. He rings the doorbell, waking her, and she emerges from bed wearing a man’s white tuxedo shirt and a silk eye-mask. Oh the nonchalant decadence of it all! Ever since watching that film, a silk eye-mask has been on my wish-list.

It's perfect for the lady who loves luxe and sleeping late after dancing til dawn. Enter the Lavender eyemask by the glorious Holistic Silk. Observe the rich colour. Imagine how soft it is to touch. Picture the joy on a particularly hedonistic friend’s face as they unwrap such a soother. Available in 15 colours, the product is offered with and without scent and comes beautifully wrapped in black and gold. It costs £36.00 and an additional festive gift-wrapping service is available. Dream a little dream…

Christmas rebel nails for those on a budget

2010-12-07T04:47:00.000-08:00

Everyone in nails is in a state of delight over OPI's Shatter Top Coat, a product created in collaboration with Katy Perry. When applied over colour lacquer, the product splits to give the effect of a broken window. Dramatic? Yes. Eye-catching? Most Definitely. Will I be buying a bottle? You better believe it. However, at this rather financially difficult time when personal wants must be put aside to make sure there are presents under the tree, purse-friendly alternative versions with similar effects are always welcome. Ah, Barry M, aren't you a wonder? Instant Effects by the cheap and cheerful brand creates that same graffiti look for just £5.99. It only comes in black, but if you are looking for an antidote to festive red this has Christmas rebel written all over it. Paint it over a glitter polish for statement party talons.

In my stocking, part one: Style Me Vintage, by Belinda Hay

2010-12-07T04:02:00.000-08:00

And so it’s Christmas time. Personally, I’m nowhere near going shopping. The funds don’t roll in until mid-month plus I like the pressure of a tight deadline –typical journo.

But if you’re in a pickle over what to buy for a beauty-obsessed loved one, look no further than Style Me Vintage by Belinda Hay. The book is a step-by-step guide to achieving the most wanted looks, from a Brigitte Bardot beehive to a Rita Hayworth curl.

And if anyone knows how to create amazing tresses from times gone by it’s Hay. Owner of The Painted Lady salon in Shoreditch, she keeps east end hipsters looking retro for a living. From nails to make-up, cutting to colouring, her stylists are seriously skilled and the salon itself is a unique little gem.

Vintage styling makes it feel like visiting a decadent parlour from the 1950s, when as soon as the curlers were out and the lipstick was on you'd go straight out dancing with a highly unsuitable boy. Ideal way to spend the evening if you ask me... If you’re in need of a Christmas present, Style Me Vintage is the perfect stocking filler. And if you’re in need of party season glamour in the London area, pay a visit to The Painted Lady. Looking luxe has never been more fun.

Fairytale hair inspiration

2010-11-30T04:03:00.001-08:00

On a snowy day like today, I wish I could curl up in bed and read folklore. Then, I imagine plaiting my hair rural-Rapunzel style, putting my most ethereal dress on and going for a forest walk with friends. Sadly, I am in work with lukewarm coffee and a snow-ruined hairdo, but everyone needs dreams, right?

Pics found at Cartoon Styles - Kim Noorda by Jamie Isaia.

How to get The Literary Look: Bertha Rochester

2010-11-30T03:31:00.000-08:00

As a character, Bertha Rochester – also known as Bertha Antoinetta Mason - deserves her own eponymous book. Jean Rhys attempted to reinvent her identity with Wide Sargasso Sea, such was character's impact on the writer.

She is destined to be included in the mad-woman-in-the-attic canon of literary creations, but the first wife of Mr Rochester in Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre is an incredibly visual character. And despite being locked in the loft for insanity (spouse-diagnosed, naturally), she’s got chutzpah – imagine tearing the veil off your husband’s new fiancée on the day of her wedding? Quite right too, I say.

Upon noticing Bertha crouched in the corner for the first time, the only thing Jane sees is her “dark, grizzled hair, wild as a mane”. I don’t know about you but I’ve been trying to achieve wild hair forever. Maybe it’s a fondness of early Kate Bush or just a longing for volume. Either way Bertha is the perfect inspiration.

To get the look, you need mousse, volumising spray, large round brush, curling irons or small rollers, salt spray and hairspray.

Towel dry hair and apply the mousse all over, paying special attention to the roots.
Turn your head upside down and blast with a hairdryer on high heat.
Section hair and use the round brush to dry each part thoroughly. Applying heat to the roots for increased lift and pull tresses in an upwards direction with the brush.
Use volumising spray at the roots – Wella Professional’s SP product gives incredible results – and begin to curl hair with tongs. Pin each curl to the head. Alternatively set entire head in small rollers or heated rollers to get tight corkscrew curls.
Leave for 15 minutes and remove.
At this point you should have big hair, shiny and gorgeous. This is not the look we’re going for ladies.
Brush out the curls and backcomb at the roots to create disheveled tufts and messy volume.
Spray the salt spray liberally and scrunch into hair. Although usually used to create beachy waves, this product essentially gives visible texture – a must for this look.
Finishing with a light hairspray to hold – hair musn’t be rigid – and add messy black eyeliner, liberally.

Picture credits: Top two models - Alexander McQueen from www.style.com, third pic - Angelo Seminara from www.angeloseminara.co.uk

Beauty, illustrated

2010-11-29T06:56:00.000-08:00

Rene Gruau's fashion illustrations were beautiful, stylistic and are almost as synonymous with Dior as a capital D. Everything about his work was exaggerated to characterise the louche but glamorous and completely composed woman who was made to spritz herself with Miss Dior and sip champagne all night. His work is on show at London's Somerset House until January 9th.

Picture credits: Miss Dior, René Gruau, c. 1960, Private Collection, © SARL René Gruau, Miss Dior, René Gruau, 1971, Private Collection, © SARL René Gruau, Diorella, René Gruau, 1972, Private Collection, © SARL René Gruau

I dream of yellow

2010-11-29T06:32:00.000-08:00

Every now and again, a trend comes along that gives me a bittersweet pang - such is the life of a freckled, pale-skinned beauty lover. You might fall for a look, but there's still a good chance it will make you look hideous. A couple of weeks ago I suffered this wistful longing for the first time in a long time at the Kenzo retrospective in the V&A. As models stomped down the runway in a myriad of colourful prints, I thought three things:
1. Why can't I wear clothes that let me show off my bra?
2. Perhaps I could work a turban...
3. Yellow eye make-up is the way forward.
Models, made-up by MAC, had a bold sweep of banana across their lids. This wasn't a hint of lemon, this was uncompromising, the-sun-as-got-his-hat-on YELLOW. And I loved it.

Sadly, the most summery of the primary colours makes me look like I've got rosacea. But if you've got the skin tone, jump on this band wagon with spring in your step. I recommend Golden Rod or Chrome Yellow by MAC or Sister by Illamsqua for a completely matte finish. Apply a coral-toned cream blush to give the look that sweet 1950s touch if you're more vintage lady than high fashion. Add a healthy dose of black mascara and voila! My favourite look of 2011 so far. Oh to be one of you...

Rainbow Avant Garde

2010-10-28T02:44:00.000-07:00

When it comes to beauty, Japan is a zillion years ahead of us in the UK. Remember the hype last year when Selfridges started selling anti-ageing marshmallows? The Japanese must have been cackling into their sake - a beautifying sugar fix is nothing new to them. It's like someone calling Wine Gums innovative. Products-wise, beauty is more advanced and experimental.

But in terms of style, make-up and hair goes in a completely different direction. Subtlety is rejected while the avant garde is sought out and embraced. And to see what I mean, visiting the Barbican's Future Beauty exhibition is a must. Although it is primarily fashion-focused, the use of colour and shape is inspiring. After five minutes with the incredible creations on show you will want to shun this season's nude nails in favour of a hot pink or banana yellow.
In other news, this is Madina. She is friend of a super-cool Parisian journalist called Noreen I met on a press trip a couple of weeks ago.

We saw each other at an event the other night and Madina and I shared a cab to the east end. She moved to London from Cannes ten days ago, loves beauty and is working in a bar called Ruby Blue. She is currently reading a book called Le Gens. She says: "It's about different people's lives. A little bit of this, a little bit of that. I like it, but I like to read very much."

Pure(ology) inspiration

2010-10-28T02:23:00.000-07:00

Last night I attended the UK launch of all-natural hair-brand Pureology at the Soho Sanctum hotel in chilly London (total side note but it has the nicest loos I've seen in ages). As Ilamasqua is on the same street I turned up a little bit late with my mind on make-up but I wasn't distracted for long.
Jo Fairley, co-founder of Green and Black's and beauty journalist extraordinaire, was the guest speaker and after a bellini and some yummy canapes with the girls from Redken, we sat down to listen to her amazing story.
A choice quote was, "I always tell people to invest in their hair because you have to wear it everyday."
She also said a postcard she once saw picturing a man about to jump off a diving board had always helped her make decisions. It said, "If you don't do it, you'll never know what might have happened." Good philosophy. And as for the products, well so far so good.

I tried the Pureology masque this morning, which is enriched with shea butter and avocado. Technically is is best used on coloured hair to see the benefits but it can be used on all types to quench dryness and make tresses glow.It has the consistency of melting fudge crossed with butter and coats the hair like a dream. My hair is glossy and uber-smooth as a result and post-blowdry this morning my flatmate Lorna said it looks "like glass it's so shiny". Love a peer endorsement.

Once upon a time...

2010-10-27T09:36:00.000-07:00

Fairytale and folklore have long been my favourite genres. Where else would an old lady be allowed to have a house made of hobnobs? And what other type of writer would let their protagonist potentially sleep for so long? Beauty should be magical, should make us imagine, should come from inspired minds rather than celebrity endorsement.

So, imagine my excitement at the Aveda Colour Roadshow when artistic directors revealed this season’s trends are based on Little Red Riding Hood and Marie Antoinette?

That combination of other-worldly recklessness and exponential decadence made me want to leave first just to get a headstart on backcombing my hair. Models in vintage Alexander McQueen sashayed down the catwalk showcasing huge hair-ups stained with flamingo pink and muted purple.

Nonchalant tufts escaped the 3-D structures of candy-floss texture adorned with haphazard embellishments. Beautiful boys had dishevelled volume coloured with pale blue.

I sipped on my champagne and thought god bless Aveda.

Philosophy (minus the head-scratching)

2010-07-23T05:26:00.000-07:00

A friend who works for publishing house Gallic was kind enough to send me a selection of books a couple of weeks ago. And since starting the first one I have not been disappointed. Hector and the Search for Happiness by Francois Lelord is a joyous little page turner. A novella, it documents the title-mentioned protagonist's journey to discover what results in personal contentment. He goes via strip clubs and prostitutes to get there accompanied by a selection of rather unhappy companions and after each event he deduces how happiness and unhappiness were derived from the situation. Now, I know this sounds like it would be the most tedious piece of pseudo-philosophy but it is actually incredibly charming and quite enlightening. I love Hector - he's not trying to be clever, just content. Like all of Gallic's books, this is a translation from its original French and I have to say c'est tres super.

Clarisonic: The saviour of a summer-ravaged face

2010-07-23T04:52:00.000-07:00

I've been getting into electrical beauty this summer, basically because spending so much time in fields without showers and an increasingly relaxed attitude to drinking during the day is taking its toll. Mainly on my face. This does not please me. Enter the Clarisonic. This machine is a wonder, it is a chargeable device with a brush-like head that you massage your face with for approximately two minutes in the morning and/or evening. All you need to do is distribute a small amount of the Clarisonic cleanser on the head with a little bit of warm water and off you go. Smoother, post-facial-like skin in minutes.

A secret worth sharing...

2010-07-23T04:39:00.000-07:00

On a stroll through Brixton this week, my friend Francesca and I found this amazing cafe - directly across the road from Brixton Bookmongers (excellent second-hand book shop with a very friendly dog).

Burning Bread sells wholesome food and a variety of organic ciders in relaxed and pretty setting. And best of all - it is really, really affordable.

We both had Spanish tortilla which came with a huge salad and two pieces of toast and two glasses of still cider. The bill came to about £12. As festivals appear to be bankrupting me this summer, this delights me to no end. I wouldn't normally write about food, etc, but Burning Bread is a secret worth sharing...

Tarting up while you travel

2010-07-08T09:03:00.000-07:00

When I was a little girl all of our holiday destinations were reached by car or bus. The first holiday I ever went on was in 1991 when I was eight. We went to a caravan in Maybole, Ayr (see above – beautiful beach) in my mum’s navy blue Mini and entertained ourselves on the journey by wailing along to our favourite cassettes. At that point, we were really into soundtracks.

Take Me To The River from The Commitments (“You stole my money, and my cigarettes!”) was a particular favourite as was It Must Have Been Love by Roxette from the Pretty Woman tape. These days, holiday travel for me is extra time to do all the things I didn’t do prior to setting off. As my family/boyfriend/friends will testify, for me journey time is along about the nails. Because some people get funny about varnish on their seats, if you are also in the habit of tarting-up while travelling, you need OPI’s Drip Dry Drops. After painting your nails, use the pipette to squeeze a couple of drops on each nail and in less than five minutes, hey presto, they are dry. Summer magic.

A bookish man

2010-07-07T07:53:00.000-07:00

This is Harvey Nichols's latest window exhibition at its London store. The concept behind the display is making everyday items less like background material and more visible to the accustomed eye. Interesting...

Two minute book reviews from London is Funny

2010-07-02T09:42:00.000-07:00

The cackle-inducing Dan Antopolski and Andrew Lawrence previewed new stand-up shows ahead of their Edinburgh Festival airing next month at a marvellous London Is Funny event in Brixton last night. Compered by Johnny Freeman, pictured with the two comedians, it was a night of new material that included a rap about a laser and why people with pale skin shouldn't go to Australia...

Dan Antopolski (pictured, right) will be at the Pleasance Ace Dome from August 6-30 with his show Turn of the Century. He is reading Another Country by James Baldwin. He said: "It's a fantastic book about jazz musicians, I absolutely love it."
Johnny is reading An Apology for Idlers by Robert Louis Stevenson. He said: "It's just a little book but the irony is my own laziness is stopping me from finishing it."

Andrew Lawrence (pictured, right) will be at the Pleasance Courtyard with his show The Too Ugly For Television Tour from August 4-29. He is reading a book on modern history. He said: "It's fine, maybe it's alright."

Wuthering Heights: The Musical - An extraordinary work of unintended comedic genius

2010-06-30T06:41:00.000-07:00

When in New York, the opportunities to see world-class theatre are exponential. Fancy an edgy fairytale with a catchy score? Get yourself to Wicked! Want to see some SERIOUS treading of boards with a celebrity thrown in for good measure? Feast your eyes on Fences with Denzel Washington, but of course.
The options are overwhelming. Or they were until the must-see run of Passajj Productions's Wuthering Heights: A Romantic Musical at the Mint Theater began this month.
An example of what an adaptation of a wonderful novel should never be, this is Bronte on crack. Heathcliff is a swashbuckling, hands on hips, Cathy-yelling, cartoon of the brooding character readers hate to love. Hindley, with his one permanently cocked eyebrow, is the best pantomime villain I’ve seen in years. And Cathy, oh dear me Cathy, is so absurdly mental it’s a wonder she didn’t get locked in the attic at birth.
If that’s not enough to have you rolling in the aisles (as many openly were by the second half) the lyrics themselves are comedic genius in their sheer randomness. “I love you like the thunder loves a hill!!!!!!!!” wails Heathcliff. “Heeeeaaathclifff!!! Heeeeeeaaaathclifff!!!!! Heeeaaaaathclifffff!!!!!” yells back Cathy.
In truth, Wuthering Heights: A Romantic Musical, is simply the result of a severe misreading of the novel. Director Matt Gutschick has given British Yorkshire moors the credit of being extremely culturally progressive in the 1800s. As a result, the actors do not adhere to the expected Northern burr but liberally pick and choose accents as the play goes on. Joseph, played by the wonderfully named Chuck Muckle, begins as an Irishman but slowly becomes more Jamaican as the second act continues.

Meanwhile, the other actors float between American, Irish, Scottish, English and Indian. It’s hugely engaging.
“Take me seriously, take me seriously!!!” they demand as they belt out number after number relentlessly. “But we can’t!” says the audience with tear-filled laughing eyes, “you’re playing Cathy/ Nelly/ Edgar with five different accents! It's impossible!”
Despite my criticism, I have to applaud the play. To make a comedy out of a novel synonymous with the tragic and miserable gothic period, although unintended, is an astonishing achievement. Bravo to everyone involved – and please, don't stop here. There are so many other classics to make light of. Do Frankenstein next - I’d make the cross-Atlantic journey just to see what a man-made human would sing and say.

New York in pictures

2010-06-29T08:18:00.000-07:00

1. New York underground on the way to my sister's flat in Brooklyn

2. My mum trying to get in touch with said sister on our arrival - the rain was warm and relentless

3. Yellow cab and yellow cab and yellow cab and....

4. The Beets playing by Hudson River

5. Brooklyn Bridge

6. New York beauty and actress Miss Jennifer McVey

7. Street book table with every Walt Whitman title imaginable

8. Inside Forever 21 on my 27th

9. Macy's beauty hall

10. Street book table in Williamsburg

11. The marvellous Carlene Thomas-Bailey and sister-extraordinaire Emma McCorquodale

12. Mosaic on the underground outside the Natural History Museum

Where will it all end?

2010-06-29T08:06:00.000-07:00

Jetlagged and drained, I saw this book while waiting for my connecting flight in Dublin Airport earlier this week. The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner: An Eclipse Novella by Stephanie Meyer. I unashamedly enjoyed the Twilight Saga. My flatmate and I went halfers on the four books and tore through them in a way we haven't since discovering Mallory Towers as youngsters. But this is getting too much. What was once a triumph for Meyer (the content is not to everyone's taste, granted, but sales of 17million copies of the four-part saga deserves applause) appears to have become a cash cow. I don't know about everyone else, but my Twilight fatigue has reached an all-time high.

Sleeping beauty with Holistic Silk

2010-06-21T03:15:00.000-07:00

Before I go to sleep at night I put up to six products on my face: cleanser, toner, serum, moisturiser, eye cream and sometimes a nourishing oil, such as Anne Semonin's Apricot Kernel. However, all of this preening and applying will not do as much good as it could with the wrong pillowcase. Yes, my fellow beauty addicts, youth and radiance requires more than lotions, potions and the odd avocado. The fabric of some pillowcases can not only leave unsightly creases on your face but can also soak up the products you have put on it. And while I'm all for sharing, I don't want my sponge-like sheets to look younger than me.

Enter geniuses Holistic Silk with their problem-solving, anti-ageing pillowcase. Created using vegetable-dyed silk, the gentle fabric is all smooth fibres and therefore does not snag skin and cause wrinkles, creases or bedhead. Fairly made in the Himalayas by Tibetan refugees, the product also comes with a pouch of lavender to tuck into the case to aid sleep.

Apart from the fact it doesn't absorb your night cream, I love sleeping on the Holistic Silk anti-ageing pillowcase. It arrived wrapped in tissue and ribbon and it's gold and embroidered - oh, the Holly Golightly decadence of it all! And, the company has a whole range of products made to make you feel beautiful and rejuvenated. My next purchase will be the lavender eye mask - I think 2010's beauty obsession has officially arrived...

Red Dust Road by Jackie Kay

2010-06-21T02:51:00.000-07:00

Trumpet by Jackie Kay was the second book on my reading list at university. Because she too had studied English literature at Stirling and was still close to then head of the department and all-round incredible woman Professor Angela Smith, Kay read us students from her debut novel.
I still feel lucky I was in that lecture hall in 2001. Not just because I loved Trumpet, but I respected the author. She had what appeared to be a life in which she didn’t let anything stop her. Her writing was (and is still) brave, attacking the kind of issues with a vigour and creativity many first time novelists would go nowhere near. She seemed strong, talented and inspirational – the perfect role model for an 18-year-old aspiring writer.
So, tomorrow before I board a plane to New York, I will be airport shopping for her latest book Red Dust Road. I wanted to snap it up when it was released earlier this month, but decided to save it for a special occasion (such as being in the air for eight hours) and read it without interruption.
It is the story of her search for and journey to meet her birth parents. Kay was brought up as the adopted Nigerian child of two Glaswegian communists, John and Helen Kay.

The former worked for the Communist Party and the latter was the Scottish Secretary of the CND – they threw raucous parties, socialised with interesting people and by all accounts I have read, Kay had a marvellous if unconventional childhood.
However, this did not curb her longing to meet her birth parents – a nurse from the Highlands and a handsome Nigerian man who met and fell in love at the dancing in Aberdeen.
This is not the first time the writer has written about her identity. Her 2001 collection of poetry, The Adoption Papers, also addressed the space between the family she loved, the inheritance she couldn’t explain and the loneliness she felt following racist verbal attacks.
In general, Kay’s writing is wonderful and if her autobiographical prose does not appeal, her creative fiction most likely will.
Start with Trumpet, move on to Wish I Was Here and then pick up Darling. But if you are at a literary loose end and do need a book for a long journey, perhaps give Red Dust Road a try. I may not have read it yet, but like all greats, you don’t need to crack the spine of their latest book to know it will soon be one of your favourites.

Fish + feet = bizarre pedicure (not for faint-hearted)

2010-06-17T04:33:00.000-07:00

Being a beauty journalist, I am dedicated to trying out new treatments. As a result, I’ve had wraps that reeked but took off inches. I’ve had facials that are painful enough to bring a tear to a glass eye. I’ve had spray-tans that left me looking - according to a good, if honest-to-a-fault friend – “zebra-tastic”. It’s a tough job, etc.
I’m always willing to try something new and even though some procedures unnerve me, none have ever actually made me feel nauseous. Until now.
The fish pedicure at Aqua Sheko, although admittedly beneficial, is enough to turn an iron stomach. Clients submerge their feet in a tank of Gara Ruffa fish that suck away at their hard skin to leave the skin smooth and callous-free.
Arriving at the Kensington salon this week, I had a tight knot of dread in my stomach. What if it really hurt? Also, I’m extremely ticklish. What if it was just too ticklish to bear?
Thankfully, my therapist was equipped to deal with nerves and soothed me with assurances that the sensation is initially odd but is quite enjoyable after you get used to it.
After a foot-cleanse, she led me to one of the tanks. Looking at those little brown swimmers swishing round, just waiting for my feet, I almost backed out.
Thankfully pride forced me to gulp back my fear and I climbed into the waiting chair. Gingerly, I put one foot into the fishy water and in an instant they were swarming round my foot. Amongst other things I thought, oh. My. God.
The sensation is relentlessly ticklish but completely bearable. And although I couldn’t look down at first – a copy of Vogue shielded me from the carnivorous view – the treatment became more normal as time went on.
The feeling becomes more like a therapeutic tingling than an uncomfortable tickle. After 30 minutes, my therapist gave me an exemplary foot massage and left my feet feeling fresh, de-stressed and ready for the summer.
Admittedly, I am not a convert to the fish pedicure. I would have it again but it will not usurp the traditional method at my favourite salon. Much as I pride myself on being adventurous when it comes to beauty, I prefer my pedicures sans fish.

Beauty secrets of stars at the Glamour Awards 2010

2010-06-09T02:25:00.000-07:00

Last night I was lucky enough to be at the Glamour Women of the Awards and in between cocktails I had a chat with some of the celebrity guests to find out their beauty must-haves. My first port of call was host of the evening James Corden. The Gavin and Stacey star said: “Dermalogica changed my life. Honestly – I’m a metrosexual man. My girlfriend told me to start using it and it has made such a difference to my skin.”

Next, I managed to catch a radiant Denise Van Outen before she left to get back to newborn baby Betsy. She said she loves Sisley products.
The very charming rising grime star Tinie Tempah said he loves The Body Shop. “I use their tea tree oil,” he said. “It’s great for your skin.”
In the naughty corner is X Factor runner up Olly Murs who said he uses no products at all. “I’m a soap and water man,” he said. Naturally, I told him exactly what he should putting on his skin to look even better.
And I can reveal Florence Welch, of Florence and the Machine, has bleached her eyebrows. The camera shy singer lifted her fringe to reveal blonde brows.

“They really suit redheads,” she said. She has been going to Myla and Davis, a salon in south London, for years and credits the stylists there for her gorgeous hair.

Also spotted at the awards was Pixie Geldof who has amazing skin, Twilight actress Anna Kendrick who is tiny and has beautiful hair, and Christine Bleakley, who has the most toned arms I have ever seen.
After a glass of champagne, I headed home to hang up my heels and get some beauty sleep.

Smitten with a mitten

2010-06-08T06:18:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I met Jane Iredale, founder and owner of the eponymous mineral make-up collection. We talked about trends (red-lipstick is always fashionable - find the right red and you can wear it every day), why the Twilight craze is over for make-up and fashion and the fact other mineral make-up brands do not faze her. When I was leaving, she gave me her Magic Mitt product - a salmon-coloured glove that claims to take off all your make-up without cleanser.

Yeah right, I thought. This will fall flat on its towelly face confronted with my trowelled-up visage! There's no way it will get off my mascara! I proclaimed. No way!
I stand corrected. I don't know how the technology actually works, but you wet the glove with warm water and rub it all over your face. The mascara removal takes a little bit more force but it does leave your eyes clean after a couple of minutes. Don't get me wrong, I won't be ditching my cleanser for this, but the Magic Mitt is mighty impressive stuff. Perfect for nights when one too many jars and much-too-much dancing leaves you incapable of co-ordinating cleanser-to-cotton-wool action.

Les cheveux

2010-06-04T07:40:00.000-07:00

These pictures dropped into my inbox today and I love them. They are from the people who run the Boisbuchet workshops - a project run by the Vitra Design Museum in Germany, the Pompidou Centre in Paris and C.I.R.E.C.A.

They have been running an arts summer academy at Domaine de Boisbuchet in south-west France since 1996 led by designers, architects and artists.

This year the group are using human hair as their working and inspirational raw material. The main goal is to research, design and build a project by using cutting, shape, fixing, weaving, teasing, textures and colour. These pictures are the results so far. J'adore.

Nu beauty

2010-06-04T05:21:00.000-07:00

Last night, London Metropolitan University's Fine Art students displayed their best work in East London gallery NO:ID. Some of the pieces were really beautiful and the best thing about it all was the lack of pretense and posture. Plus the drinks were cheap, the people were sweet and there was live music. I took some snaps of my favourite bits to share with you.

In Treatment, by Harry Bauer

Our Bricks, by Josephine Allison

Multipass by Jo Boxall - I loved the writing on this piece, in particular the first two lines: "I got down off my horse one day. Maybe that was my first mistake."

Paper Lace, by Marina Ard

Above is a singer called Kate, who had the most amazing voice. My friend thought she sounded like a female Jeff Buckley. Below is Calum from the Lonesome Cowboys From Hell with Sadie, the band's biggest fan.

Love thyself (and others); bathe in Neom Luxury Organics

2010-06-03T07:28:00.000-07:00

My friend Francesca and I have long been convinced the solution to all of our problems is a long bath scented with a generous dose of Neom Real Luxury bath oil.

So, when the UK company got in touch last week to say they had created gift-sets I was literally overjoyed. It might sound like an over-reaction, but seriously, presents for all occasions are sorted from this moment on. Because when it comes to packaging, scent and achieving glowing soft skin, Neom just cannot be beaten in my opinion.

The hand lotion and wash set is available in two varieties - Real Luxury and Complete Bliss. The former is formulated using lavender, jasmine and Brazilian rosewood and the latter with Moroccan blush rose.
The third box – the Organic Lifestyle Pamper Kit – includes a mini bath oil set, body oil, body wash, lotion and a candle. All of the products are from the Real Luxury range. Divine.

How to get the look: The Great Gatsby era moustache

2010-06-02T06:11:00.000-07:00

To get a 1920s Great Gatsby-esque moustache, you need a close, clean shave after allowing facial hair to grow for two to four weeks. During this period in American high society, the beard disappeared and it was all about a smooth face and thin, groomed moustache.
For purists, 1920s actor Warner Baxter is good inspiration (see above). Also, Dolce and Gabbana’s Spring/Summer ad campaign is reminiscent of this era, albeit a modernised version of the facial hair styling (more rugged, less rogue - see below).

Those who fear the thought of their own hand holding the razor, should visit a skilled barber. I recommend any of the chaps at Gentlemen’s Tonic in Mayfair.

However, those with confidence should:
1. Avoid shaving first thing in the morning. Your skin has to wake-up and the fluid that collects in the skin during sleep has to recede to minimise puffiness and ensure the closest shave.
2. Exfoliate with a mild scrub to take away dead skill cells. I recommend Jason Shankey Expert Exfoliating Face and Scalp Scrub.

3. Make sure stubble is wet with warm or hot water before massaging shaving foam into the face.

4. Use a sharp blade and shave in the direction the hair grows on your face. A blunt blade will cause cuts, rash and redness (very un-Great Gatsby). Shave the whole face, apart from the upper lip.

5. Apply a moisturiser to soothe and protect the face. The Refinery’s Shave Oil smells and feels good without causing any irritation.
After shaving you should be left with everything you need for a 1920s moustache on your upper lip.

1.   Use the width of your mouth as a guide – the length of the moustache should not go beyond this.
2.   Use moustache scissors to style from this point.
3.   You are not going for a pencil moustache but a thin version of the English shape which starts in the middle of the upper lip and is more curved than the pencil - whiskers should be kept short and brushed to the side.
4.   To maintain the shape apply a small amount of gel to moustache.

I'm starting a revival...

2010-06-01T06:43:00.000-07:00

While at my parents' house in Scotland, my Mum was clearing out boxes and boxes of books that have languished in our attic since the 1990s. Before taking them to the charity shop, she said I could have anything that took my fancy. As a result, I have discovered a new literary love: 1970s trash glam high-drama, not-trying-to-be-clever novels. They are AWESOME.
From my mum's collection, I have selected a number of sagas (these were big news in the seventies, it seems), some romances and a few power-struggle-in-a-glamorous-setting novels. All of which have a tanned woman with a Farrah Fawcett flick or voluminous hair-do on the cover.

One of the reasons I have fallen in love with these books are the fearless coverlines at the time. Check out the one on The Women's Room : "This novels changes lives". Wow. How does it change lives? Does it have to? What if I don't want it to?
My first foray into the 1970s trash glam high drama genre is Abingdons by Michael French, described on the cover as "a simmering mixture of ambition, greed, betrayal and sex in the world's most glamorous department store".

In the first two chapters, I have read about a sinister faceless villain - bent on destroying Abingdons - and a kind-hearted model, who is sick of posing in swimwear, but has to pay for her sick mother's medical costs and has no choice but to pull on those onesies and smile for the snapper.
The shameless drama is addictive. Get thee to thy parents' attic and rummage. Alternatively, the bulk of my mum's collection will be available at a Gourock charity shop within days for your reading pleasure.

The bank holiday weekend in pictures

2010-06-01T06:11:00.000-07:00

1. Train tracks somewhere between London Euston and Warrington Bank Quay.
2. The blue cloud-dotted sky on Friday morning.
3. Change at Lancaster. The man with the red cross on his t-shirt was going to someone called Daz's stag do. Also met two phD English students going to my old university, Stirling, to attend a conference on transgressive literature.
4. Travel reading: The Informers by Bret Easton Ellis.
5. On the way to The Haven at The Lodge spa in Loch Lomond with my Mum. I was having the La Sultane de Saba Ayurvedic Journey treatment and she was having the brand's Moroccan Ritual facial.
6. Had a flick through my mum's car reading staple - Stramash - the 2004 collection of short fiction by students on Glasgow University's creative writing course.
7. There were bluebells in the grounds of the spa, which overlooks the loch.
8. My mum and I, in the sun, post-spa, sans make-up.
9. Loch Lomond
10. The view from my parents' kitchen window in Gourock, Scotland.
11. My cat Cleo.
11. Back in London, went to see Richard Herring live at the Leicester Square Theatre with my friend Calum, who is reading How To Talk Dirty And Influence People, by Lenny Bruce. I took a picture of him in a non-plaid shirt to prove he does actually own something that is, in fact, not plaid.

Beautiful Books

2010-05-23T13:50:00.000-07:00

Having waxed lyrical about Persephone Books, I decided to treat myself to one of their beautiful books after work yesterday. I chose To Bed With Grand Music by Marghanita Laski - a novel first published in 1946 about sex and promiscuity in London during wartime.

I haven't started it yet but look how marvellously made this book is? Check out the stylish gun metal grey sleeve, and the printed inner cover. The high-quality paper and free bookmark that comes with every book. Beautiful craftsmanship to make your bookcase smile.

Festival nails

2010-05-23T13:38:00.000-07:00

I was speaking to the people at Orly last week about my busy festival schedule this summer and they surprised me with a little package to keep my nails in good nick while I'm drinking too much cider in a mucky field. They sent me three colours (from left to right) - School Orange, Luxe and Retro Red. While the gold will be perfect for Bestival and Sonar, the coral and orange will fit right in at Green Man and Latitude.
PS: First festival of 2010 was All Tomorrow's Parties (ATP) last week in Minehead. It was curated by Pavement who were amazing as were The Walkmen, The Fall and Camera Obscura. A new band to check out are The 3Ds. For the first musical weekend of the year, I opted for Rumples Wiggin' from OPI's Shrek collection. Nails were not looking so hot by the time we were driving home - surely the sign of a good weekend...

Improvised philosophy and wine with Robert Rowland Smith

2010-05-20T07:27:00.000-07:00

Last night I learned three things at a night of improvised philosophy, led by Breakfast With Socrates writer Robert Rowland Smith:

1. We're all mad
2. Colour is a myth
3. There's no such thing as reality

Held in Clerkenwell Tales bookshop, the night resulted in discussion about psycho-analysis vs philosophy, David Cameron, Margaret Thatchter, Sigmund Freud and Immanuel Kant. It sounds like an odd way to spend a Wednesday night, but it was actually surprisingly fun.
And afterwards, I got to spend five minutes with Rowland Smith. At present he is reading David Mitchell's The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet because he has been asked to speak about it on BBC2's Review Show tonight.
He is also reading Solar by Ian McEwan and said: "I'm enjoying it, but I like McEwan as a writer anyway. I read his first book when it came out and have continued to follow him."
Speaking about why he wrote Breakfast at Socrates, he said: "I'd written academic books - heavy weight academic book - but I wanted to write something more accessible that anyone could enjoy."
To write he revealed he needs music on in the background and it needs to be loud: "I usually go for Led Zepellin or Bach. I know it sounds like quite a contrast but they both made music that's actually very structured."

In defence of The Driver's Seat

2010-05-19T07:05:00.000-07:00

Reading book reviews has never instigated personal fury in me. Even when critics pan a text I love dearly, I can still concede everyone deserves to voice their opinion and often, they make a good point.
However, reading Sam Jordison’s review of The Driver’s Seat by Muriel Spark posted on The Guardian’s books blog made me throw the previous assertion in the bin. Some people should perhaps keep their opinions to themselves.

Guaranteed, the novella – shortlisted for the Lost Man Booker prize this year – will not suit everyone. The protagonist Lise is mentally ill and out to die in a painful and perverse way. She’s lost all regard for social graces and is scarily erratic – not to shock, but because she doesn’t care. In a sense, she’s went mad with boredom and loneliness.
Now one of Jordison’s main gripes is Lise’s presence is “frequently excruciating”. It is. All of that hysterical laughter, sobbing and self-destruction is a bit of a pain in the neck. But unlike, Jordison, I don’t believe it would stop Spark gaining new fans – a huge percentage of literature’s much-loved characters are equally intolerable. And surely such characters are the solution to the bland raft of books dominating popular modern literature?
Virginia Woolf’s war veteran Septimus Smith in Mrs Dalloway is frightening, mad and cruel in equal measures but this does not halt sales of Orlando or To The Lighthouse.
Gordon Comstock in George Orwell’s Keep the Aspidistra Flying is incomprehensibly self-pitying, but as he decides to sink down into the sewers of London’s sub-class and live in squalor, do readers abandon Orwell? Of course not.

Jordison goes on to comment that The Driver’s Seat’s other characters are “not much easier”. If you want so-called “easy” characters, read chicklit. Or Danny Wallace. Otherwise, why should a character be easy? Literature should be a challenge and throw up questions and narratives that step outside of the mainstream box of “he said she said – isn’t that character just like my best friend/boss/mother/ex-boyfriend”.
The critic says the events in the book are not convincing and I can admit the situation is quite absurd. But I doubt Spark set out to write an everyday scenario. It is a disturbing tale of isolation, empowerment and ultimately self-destruction. Very few will recognise themselves in the protagonist or secondary characters.
Jordison makes a point, but I’m just not sure how much he grasps the content of text and his argument is poor. “She's just too daft” he says of Lise, in his concluding paragraph. I rest my case.

Bat your lashes

2010-05-10T14:05:00.000-07:00

Eyelashes are big news in beauty right now and are going to be a growing trend as the summer continues. However, if the thought of extensions makes you squeamish, but you still want Twiggy-style lashes that last, I was given the best top tip at an event last week that works for everyone. Prior to curling your lovely lashes, heat up your lash-curlers with a hairdryer. Curl those eye-enhancers and voila! Eye-opening lashes, curled to lasting perfection. For optimum results, Ruby and Millie's eyelash curlers are the best I've used.

Tried and tested: Elemis Modern Skin Facial

2010-05-10T13:48:00.000-07:00

Today I went on a jaunt to the cosy little nook in central London that is the Elemis Dayspa. Off New Bond Street, tucked away in Lancashire Court, the beauty haven is relaxing enough to make you forget you're in a busy city and I was invited to try out their latest facial, the Modern Skin.
It aims to tackle and repair the damage caused by stress, pollution and too many late nights. I had high hopes the promised results weren't just optimistic PR-speak.
Arriving at the spa, the staff were lovely as always and let me relax in one of the much-cushioned chairs before starting the treatment.

To begin with, this is not a facial for those who like to keep their imperfections at arms' length. The facial starts with a complexion analysis report in which you stick your head in a white machine and it takes a picture. This is replicated six times and shows where on your face you have: spots, wrinkles, texture problems, large pores, UV spots and porphyrins. Terrifying. It turns out I've got imperfections EVERYWHERE (see above).

Anyway, the therapist took me to one of the sleep-inducing treatment rooms and explained the facial process. Then with me wrapped in a couple of cosy blankets she started the treatment with a cleanse and tone. This was followed by an exfoliation, two mineral-based masks and a stimulating face, head and neck massage. One hour later, my skin was smoother and balanced and I'd even had a 20-minute nap. If, like me, you've got a pre-summer beauty regime or you just fancy treating yourself, I highly recommend this treatment. It's relaxing and gets results. The perfect combination if you ask me.

Constantly sick writer seeks beauty quick fix

2010-05-08T13:32:00.000-07:00

Having had two nasty viruses in the space of one month, looking in the mirror is not much of a joy at present. I have tired eyes, pasty skin and dark circles - the three worst accessories a person could possibly be saddled with.
Recognising this and knowing it's going to take weeks of clean living before my appearance is up to scratch again, I decided I needed a quick fix - also known as a spray tan.
And lucky for me the people at The Beauty Lounge in Kingly Court were happy to help. I left the salon looking lightly tanned and healthy thanks to their fantastic therapists and Fake Bake.

Things began to look up the moment I left. To begin with, I encountered for the first time cake and coffee shop C'est Moi.
Dazzled by the colourful confectionary like a sugar-addicted magpie, I went into a daze and somehow left with the biggest berry muffin anyone has ever had the joy of stuffing their face with.

And then, strolling down Carnaby Street, there was a band playing in the window of the Lee store. My, what a pleasant-sounding racket they were making! Sort of indie-country-rockabilly, the quartet were fun to watch and nice enough to treat us Saturday observers to some interesting music.

Arriving home for a Saturday night with flatmates, films and cough syrup, I felt better than I have since March. And plan Make Me Pretty Again Despite Continued Illness (MMPADCI, if you will) has only just begun...

The charming Persephone Books

2010-05-08T13:05:00.000-07:00

Going to Kensington is a bit of a necessary evil for me. I hate it like George Osborne probably hates council estates, but like him, my job requires that I go anyway. And every week after my Saturday shift moonlighting at a newspaper off the high street, I feel intense annoyance as I try to make my way to where ever I'm going.
I don't know whether it's the organic food, or maybe the languid attitude towards life only the exceptionally rich can afford, but the people literally lounge up the street. Perhaps this is what happens when you don't get enough E-numbers, because I literally cannot move that slowly - especially as a person perpetually running late.
Anyway, off the high street on Kensington Church Street where one can charge up the road at a speedy pace, there is a literary delight.

Persephone Books is a dream of a book shop. A tiny labyrinth of a library, the texts go from floor to ceiling and are all printed by the company.
They specialise in neglected 20th century female-penned literature and produce books that are absolute treasures. The staff are super-friendly and you can browse their 88 titles listening to classical music.
They also produce a seasonal magazine, organise events and still find time to run an awesome book shop.
Forsake Waterstones and best-seller lists, fellow booklovers. Go to Persephone.

David Mitchell talks about his new book (and compliments my nail varnish)

2010-05-06T07:59:00.000-07:00

The very charming David Mitchell took the time to have a Q and A session last night in Foyles on Charing Cross Road ahead of the release of his new book, The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet (out on May 13).
The author, whose best known works include Ghostwritten, Cloud Atlas and Black Swan Green, was self-deprecating, engaging and even posed for a picture. As he patiently waited for my camera to work, he said he really liked my nail varnish which I was obviously and transparently overjoyed about. “I’ve never seen one in that colour before,” he said. “It matches your jacket perfectly.”

Anyway, enough about nails. Talking about writing the book, he discussed two of the central characters. Title character Jacob and the villain of the novel Lord Abbott Enomoto. About the former he said: “He’s very noble. I wanted to write an uncool protagonist which is quite rare by the standards of modern literature today."
About writing the latter, he said: “Evil is very difficult to write. You have to be careful not to fall into that Dr Evil character of ‘I’m evil because I’m evil’.”
He spoke at length about the writing process, and said he thought it is easier to write in your twenties because you tend to have less responsibility. He also talked about when he started writing in his “monastic” twenties. At the time, he worked as a tutor in a Japanese university. “It was slowly closing down and I had next to no students. I had a little office with a tiny window and no distractions so for three or four years I just taught myself how to write.”

Attendees were also interested in his musical tastes but he confessed he doesn’t follow popular music too closely. “I’m one of those people who didn’t get into The Smiths until the 1990s,” he said, apologetically.
“Music is important to me,” he added. “I listen to it less now because I have two noisy kids but I do listen when I work. It’s usually either instrumental or verbal, in a language I don’t understand.”
And speaking about the writers he reads, he listed Anton Chekhov as his favourite saying, "he's the only writer I'd eagerly run into a burning building to save."
He also said books by Michel Faber and Joseph Conrad were the most-treasured on his shelf. “Heart of Darkness is like The Turn of The Screw, there’s not one duff sentence.”

Drink yourself beautiful

2010-05-05T06:32:00.000-07:00

"The beauty-nutrition revolution is here!" screams Functionalab's website. Now, I'll be honest - I didn't realise we were waiting for one, but at the same time, this supplement brand are quite an interesting one for beauty geeks.
My editor went to its Harvey Nichols launch last week and even she was impressed (that's quite a feat). Basically, Functionalab creates drinkable supplements to boost and optimise EVERYTHING. Want to make your tan last longer? They have a supplement to do this. Feeling like it's time to turn back the clock? Bottoms up comrade. Eaten too much of late? I'll have mine on ice. Seriously, whatever your aesthetic gripe is, Functionalab have created a supplement to sort it out.

The concoctions are made with natural ingredients and selected actives such as blackberries, white tea and vitamin E. Although nutri-cosmetics have been kicking about the industry for years, Functionalab may be the brand that sticks - the packaging is inspired (old-skool test-tube-esque bottles) and the descriptions of the products are not scarily sciencey.
My editor saved me one of their potions to sample from the launch and it didn't even taste too bad. A little bit sweet with blueberry and pomegranate, it was palatable and supposed to be anti-ageing. At 26, I'm hoping any difference won't be too dramatic...

PS. On a self-enforced detox for the next month abstaining from wheat and alcohol and without hangovers to contend with, I have too much energy not to paint my nails every night. This week's shade of choice is Orly's Country Club Khaki from last year's Prepster collection. Picture taken by my friend Kate, on our lunchbreak in the tea aisle of Sainsbury's in Camden.

My one-post campaign: The importance of an inscription

2010-04-29T04:27:00.000-07:00

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

2010-04-28T02:35:00.000-07:00

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)

2010-04-26T01:34:00.000-07:00

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

2010-04-23T02:18:00.000-07:00

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

2010-04-23T02:00:00.000-07:00

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...?

2010-04-22T07:49:00.000-07:00

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

2010-04-19T02:44:00.000-07:00

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

2010-04-19T02:15:00.000-07:00

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)

2010-04-16T09:10:00.000-07:00

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...

2010-04-15T03:50:00.000-07:00

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

2010-04-15T03:44:00.000-07:00

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

2010-04-12T06:15:00.000-07:00

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

2010-04-12T06:05:00.000-07:00

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....

2010-04-09T07:44:00.000-07:00

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?

2010-04-06T07:07:00.000-07:00

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...

2010-04-01T08:01:00.000-07:00

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

2010-04-01T04:30:00.000-07:00

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

2010-04-01T04:20:00.000-07:00

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).

Literary Icons: Richard Colburn's who and why

2010-03-24T04:09:00.000-07:00

Richard Colburn is the drummer for Belle and Sebastian.

1. Who is your ultimate literary icon and why? My literary icon is Christopher Rush. He was born in the Fife fishing village of St Monans in 1944. He read English at the University of Aberdeen, and taught English in Edinburgh for 30 years. His semi autobiographical A Twelvemonth and a Day was published in 1985 and was selected as one of the 100 Greatest Scottish books ever.

A Twelvemonth and a Day was also made into a film in 1988, Venus Peter. He has twice won Scottish Arts Council Book Awards, and was short-listed for the McVitie's Prize for Scottish Writer of the Year.
I'm obsessed with where I live(east neuk of Fife). It's completely magical. It's a group of five fishing villages within a distance of around ten miles along the east coast of Fife. All the villages have harbours, and they specialize in different catches. It's very reminiscent of Cornwall. They are ancient villages, and they have special powers.
Christopher Rush wrote a few books on growing up there in the 1940s and 1950's. When you read his books, he makes you believe you're there, like every good writer should. Every character is real, and still alive. He gives the places an Alice in Wonderland quality. His writing is very poetic, and very dreamlike.

2. If you could emulate the style and pastiche of any character in literature who would it be? Francis Begbie, from the book Trainspotting, by Irvine Welsh.

Two minute book review...

2010-03-24T03:35:00.000-07:00

...from my friend Anna Whatley's Twilight-themed birthday party in Brixton. The lovely lady is an actress and is reading the fourth book in Stephanie Meyer's Twilight saga, Breaking Dawn (naturally). She said: "I don't know where to start - it's just amazing. There are lots of twists and turns and it is just a fantastic story. It's good to see how it turns out with Edward and Bella and how it all ends. All four books are just really good."

After two vodka jelly shots with eyeballs in, I was a bit scoofed and had a grand old time. Everyone was dressed in suitably vampiric attire and Anna had decorated her flat with lots of Twilight-esque touches such as red apples and massive pictures of Robert Pattinson's head.

Sadly I didn't have fangs so just bared my teeth for most pictures. Looking at this one of me and my friends Jo and Kelly now, I'm not sure this was the best idea...

Erb Thai Spa comes to Urban Retreat

2010-03-24T03:03:00.000-07:00

A quick note to say Erb Thai Spa has launched at Urban Retreat in Harrods. At the press event yesterday, I experienced the Body Revival massage and it is quite incredible. I've had some bad massages in my time - to name one - at quite a famous spa - in which the therapist told me it was my fault her pressure was too hard. But this was divine. I was a bit stressed at the time because my little sister thought she had went into labour (false alarm, poor little mite is still carrying her soon-to-be son) and it was just the ticket. Also, the oils smelled so lovely I was complimented all night last night while drinking too much red wine in London Bridge. Erb Thai Spa at Urban Retreat. Go.

Tried and tested: SPC Active Facial Glow

2010-03-22T14:30:00.000-07:00

You know you're somewhere deserving of its five stars when you show up rained on, with a rash on your face, and the doorman still looks delighted to see you. Technically, the poor fellow should have shielded his eyes and asked me if I was lost. But I was at the Baglioni in Kensington, and such behaviour would just not do. They were so nice to me you'd think I was Princess Bea. Or at least a Geldof.

Anyway, I was there to visit the spa which now offers treatments and products by the divine Stoke Park Club also known as SPC. Formulated by and for the Buckinghamshire hotel and spa, the range for the face and body is made using rose, kiwi and ginger to name but a few ingredients that leave your skin looking marvellous and smelling delicious.
I had the SPC Active Facial Glow treatment and it certainly did what it said on the tin. As mentioned, I arrived with a rash on my face. I can't explain how this happened, it is a mystery. All I know is that, as a very vain person, I was not pleased. A rashy face does not an attractive lady make.

After explaining my distress to the understanding therapist, she told me to relax and not to worry - lots of people get rashy faces and anyway she would fix it. And that she did.
The facial is a deep cleanse and exfoliation followed by lymphatic drainage and a facial massage to reduce puffiness. The therapist then performs a relaxing scalp massage while a face mask gets to work.
Being practically narcoleptic, I was asleep for half of this. However, the parts I was awake for were blissful, and waking up the following day, the rash had disappeared. Just. Like. That.
Amazing facial, gorgeous products and a beautiful spa.

Budapest spa experience: Part 2

2010-03-19T08:33:00.000-07:00

After an afternoon spent in genuine Hungarian baths, we decided to indulge ourselves and go somewhere a little bit more luxurious: Omorovicza.
This spa, found in Budapest's Andrassy Ut, is a little beauty. With its sparkling chandeliers and marble floors, you instantly feel like you are somewhere special.

I had the spa's signature facial while Sonia read Vogue from every country and continent (the relaxation area is AWESOME if you are a magazine fan) and the results were impressive.
Both deep cleansing and relaxing, the spa's eponymous products got the city grime off my face and the Hungarian massage performed by the very skilled facialist put me straight to sleep.

Following this, Sonia and I admired my newly fresh-looking skin and headed for a walk along the Danube, where I considered abstaining from alcohol for the rest of our trip after two purifying spa trips...

...but there were more cons than pros to this idea so we made our way to Szimpla Kert (too-cool-for-skool bar where people sit in empty bath-tubs) to drink all of the Hungarian wine. There were smiles all round.

PS. We saw this gorgeous little book stand on Erzsebet. Sadly, all of the book were in Hungarian or German and neither of us can speak either. Still, just another noteworthy little charm in the city of Budapest.

Budapest spa experience: Part 1

2010-03-17T08:54:00.000-07:00

On a recent sojourn to Budapest, my first port of call was the public baths. Now, I've heard some pretty stomach-churning stories about these places. Stumble into the wrong one, and you may be faced with scarily poor levels of hygiene. Find a good one, and you will stay in that much-populated water for the duration of your trip.

The one we found was a combination of these two categories that, thankfully, veered more towards the latter.
The Szechenyi Baths was the first thermal spa on the Pest side of the city and opened in 1881. Found at the end of Andrassy Ut, the main draw of this facility is the large open-air heated pools and fountains.
When we visited last Friday, it was minus three outside and the prospect of hanging out in a bikini was not really appealing to me.
However, once you get over the freezing cold dash from the changing rooms to the water, those five minutes risking hypothermia are completely worthwhile.

Heated to perfection, the baths contain fluoride and metabolic acid, along with calcium, magnesium, hydro-carbonate, sodium and sulphate. According to the Hungarians, this combination is effective at curing degenerative illnesses of the joints.
While I don't have any of those, I was pretty stressed out when I arrived in Budapest and two hours in the Szechenyi sorted me out a treat. If you can get over the many amorous elderly couples floating past (my friend Sonia thought they were married couples still in love, I suspected this was a location famed for affairs - with neither of us speaking Hungarian we'll never know who's right), the outdoor baths are a joy.

The indoor ones feel a bit like human soup and the smell was too much for my weak stomach. The saunas are undoubtedly good for the skin, followed by a good scrub down with ice chips from the ice fountain.
But bear in mind you are most likely to be thigh-to-thigh with generously proportioned Hungarian men. I'm okay with such proximity, but Sonia lasted 90 seconds before fleeing to the open air. Like her, you may find the winter climes preferable.
www.szechenyibath.com/

How to get The Literary Look: Part 3

2010-03-03T10:38:00.000-08:00

And so, after quite a lapse, the next Literary Look has been decided. The character of Tess from the 1891 book Tess of the D'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy will be the next How To.
Now, before purists get offended and exclaim she would have been a bit of a hag, all things considered, we will be creating her look pre-being screwed over by Alec D'Urberville (swine) and Angel Clare (spineless - the real villain in my opinion).
Lovely make-up artist Heather White, assistant director of make-up artistry for Daniel Sandler, will be detailing how one gets the perfect skin and blush of a rosy-cheeked country maid.

Fairy Tales revisited (Carter, not Christian Anderson)

2010-03-03T10:16:00.000-08:00

Given the title of this post, you would be within your rights to assume I'm getting into that revisiting your childhood trend that's capturing Shoreditch at the moment. I wish. Sadly, I overdid it with Brothers Grimm and Hans Christian Anderson as a child and they have nothing left to give me.
Angela Carter's Book of Fairy Tales, on the other hand, are back on my reading list following a five-year hiatus. After buying the book for my flatmate earlier this week, I started reading the collection of stories again, and my, are they good.
A radical writer and fierce feminist, Carter is better known for The Bloody Chamber and The Magic Toyshop. But in my opinion, her fairytales are sharper and skew the archetypal female character from this genre so often blamed for encouraging little girls to dress up as brides rather than brain surgeons.
The tales are inspired by folklore of countries across the globe and feature rogueish maids, enchantresses and bad, bad girls. Rescued princesses do not have starring roles because more often than not, the female is at the sinister epicentre of the story, rather than playing the poor victim part.
Don't get me wrong - I wanted to be Thumbelina as much as the next little girl in my childhood. But as a 26-year-old woman, I'd rather be one of Carter's rascals.

Trapeze artists, Fyfe Dangerfield and Wings of Desire: The enchanting Secret Cinema

2010-03-01T07:52:00.000-08:00

Last night I attended one of the best events I've been to since moving to London four years ago. This post veers slightly off the books and beauty theme, but it was so so fun it would be criminal not to write about it.

For those who don't know, Secret Cinema is a film, music and fancy-dress monthly clandestine event held in unlikely locations across London. Attendees receive emails throughout the month with clues about what the next film will be and are given slightly esoteric direction on how to dress.

Wim Wenders's Wings of Desire was screened last night and the dress code was 1980's Berlin bohemia. Wearing heavy eye make-up, red lipstick, a mink hat and black and gold lace dress, I felt less like a tired Londoner and more like a pixie with questionable sense of style.

The night kicked off with circus-style performances, before lovely Fyfe Dangerfield sang a few numbers accompanied by two violinists. A trapeze artist flew through the air in a bejewelled leotard, while an opera singer in a dramatic ballgown showed off her enviable pipes. The film, which was ripped off by Hollywood when it was turned into City of Angels1998, was magical to watch. The cinematography was beautiful and the female lead, Solveig Dommartin, had an incredible perm. Also, it featured a young Nick Cave (best Australian EVER) and the Bad Seeds, which alone would make the night a good one.
The bar area had been turned into a 1980s Berlin dive and a live cabaret act played until the early hours.

Dancing the night away, my friends and I noticed there were a lot of cool cats at Secret Cinema and took some pictures just for you...

Two minute book reviews...

2010-02-26T12:32:00.000-08:00

...from the Kings Cross Social Club last night

Sarah (left) is a hairdresser. She is reading Chocolat by Joanne Harris. She said: "I would definitely recommend this. It's quite mysterious and I like the way the main character is a bit of a psychic and really against religion and the far right.

Yasmin is a graphic designer. She is reading a collection of short stories for adults by Roald Dahl. She said: "His style is timeless. You could read this book in 20 years time and it would still be relevant."

Dimitri is a gardener. He is reading Survivor by Chuck Palahniuk. He said: "It's like reading grunge music."

Andreas is creative developer. He is reading Love All the People by Bill Hicks. He said: "It's good, gives you a lot of food for thought."

Folk musician John Stammers played some beautiful songs at the venue in Britannia Street.

And new garage blues band Old Boy caught everyone's attention. It was their first gig and my, were they good.

The sound guy, who's name I sadly didn't pick up, had manificent facial hair. Despite being a girl, I had serious 'tache envy.

Two minute book review

2010-02-25T12:05:00.000-08:00

Elle Korhaliller is a London-based stylist and writes the wonderful blog, Oh Elle. She gave me tips at a blogging workshop in Topshop earlier this week and is reading Paris to the Moon by Adam Gopnik. She said: "I bought this book because I went through a real Paris phase recently - I was obsessed with the place. I thought it was going to be really mushy but it's not at all. It's very historical. I don't think it's all factual but I'm definitely learning more about the city."
http://ellekorhaliller.co.uk/
ps - apologies for the poor quality picture - doesn't do the girl justice!

Tried and tested: Decleor Slim Effect range

2010-02-24T07:28:00.000-08:00

As it’s pre-bikini season, an avalanche of anti-cellulite products has descended on my desk. I can’t swing a cat (or office equivalent) in here without hitting a pot of cream/gel/serum promising to make me marvellous before stripping off on the beach. However, my favourite – launching this week – is Decleor’s Slim Effect range. A three-product collection, it comprises of a Draining Contouring Serum, a Localised Contouring Cream and a Draining Massage Balm. While the former two should be used during the day, the latter should be applied prior to sleeping. Each helps to break down fat cells by eliminating water and toxins.
Naturally, the idea of gaining smoother skin while sleeping is an appealing one. Having been through the uncomfortable processes of vigorous dry skin-brushing and micro-dermabrasion, results without pain would be a novelty. In addition, the fact each product smells delicious - containing lemongrass, geranium and rosemary - is also very persuasive. I’ve spent more hours of my life covered in mud and algae in the name of beauty than I care to tally up.
So, do they work? After using them for two weeks, my skin definitely looks better. The products are extremely moisturising and, I think, combined with exercise have given my skin a better appearance overall. Alone, I’m not convinced they would turn dimpled skin into its smooth counterpart.

In saying that, I love these products. LOVE them. They keep your skin moisturised all day, even when faced with air-conditioning and freak February snow. Use with exercise and come summer you’ll look just peachy.
The Slim Effect range is available now at spas and salons nationwide including House Of Fraser, John Lewis and Decleor. Prices start at £38.50.

Beauty trends report from London Fashion Week

2010-02-23T07:34:00.000-08:00

In between drinking champagne and taking in shows, I caught up with MAC to find out what the trends for spring/summer 2010 will be. While some are not too different to 2009, a couple have got me quite excited indeed. First of the latter category is lavender. That's right, purple will be adorning your face like it's 1989 (and Dallas is still a popular soap opera).

The beauty house's Lavender Whip lipstick will capture this look perfectly if/when the snow ever goes away and Blighty has sunshine once more. Like last year, MAC also predicts coral will be a staple of the summer make-up bag as will brights - pinks and reds - that really pop.

Backstage at Marios Schwab, I was lucky enough to get a sneak preview at the beauty trends in the pipeline for autumn/winter 2010. For nails, industrial grey will be the flavour of the winter months as will the most naked nudes - not a pale pink but a colour that really blends into the skin. The polish for Schwab's show was mixed from three different lacquers and applied by Kinetics. But to get a head start on this trend, OPI's Give Me the Moon is a good alternative until next season's nail collections hit the shelves.

Natural make-up and brows will be the over-arching theme of beauty this winter, so throw away the heavy slap you might haul out when the winter months hit. Everything is to be beautifully light and radiant with harder touches in the form of a strong eyeliner or messily smoky eye, as seen at Jena.Theo. For eyes at Schwab's show, one of the backstage tricks was to slick the models eyes with lipgloss to create a sheen more durable and shinier than vaseline. Make-up artist Petros Petrohilos said he was trying to make the models look like 'really beautiful mannequins'.
For the body, celebrity beauty therapist Nichola Joss said bare legs are going to be huge this winter. A light colour will suffice for this season - orange is never in fashion and certainly won't make its debut at the top of the beauty charts in 2010. So forget ditching your bodycare regime as soon as those dark nights start to close in - this winter, skin needs to have a beautifully satin look. St Tropez's instant self-tanning mousse will be a must.

In addition to the pics from backstage at Marios Schwab above, take a peek at some images below from Vivienne Westwood, Louise Goldin, Jena.Theo and Topshop (antlers by Emma Cook)...