Is it just me?

Is it just me or is anyone else seriously OVER The Body Shop? Hugely successful in the '80s and '90s, I'm sure we can all remember going crazy over at least one of their products- be it collecting the animal shaped soaps, being desperate to receive a Body Shop Gift Basket at Christmas or slathering on their much-loved Body Butters- but in recent years The Body Shop has failed to wow. Yes, I'm sure that everyone still has at least one Body Shop item in their bathroom (please please don't let it be those weird little metal devices marketed as at-home blackhead removers- that's a job which should be strictly reserved for the experts to deal with) and I have been impressed by their continually strong customer service on the few occasions I have wandered in recently but on the whole, I've become increasingly disenchanted with the brand.
In many ways, The Body Shop's success was based on its pioneering attitude to beauty, for example introducing Community Trade long before everyone was talking about the Fair Trade movement and their much-missed Refill/Recycle scheme so I'm disappointed that they seem to have forgotten this and have shown little effort in realising our desires when it comes to beauty today. Everyone's talking about products which are free-from parabens, sodium laureth sulphate and the like so it seems incredible to me that The Body Shop have failed to pick up on this- it would have fit in so perfectly with everything that the brand should be associated with. Wonderful brands such as Yes To Carrots have shown that economic shortcomings needn't mean ecological ones and with the backing of L'Oreal's R & D department I can only hope that this is something which The Body Shop will address sooner rather than later.

Ooh La La!

My passion for all things purple this Autumn Winter was confirmed this week when the adorable Cafe Cuties collection from OPI arrived.

I'd been lusting after Louvre Me, Louvre Me Not (purple with a hint of shimmer) but was thrilled to find this set which contains 4 miniatures for just £1 more than the price I'd pay for 1 full sized bottle (let's be honest, has anyone in the history of beauty ever finished an entire bottle of polish?). It's a great way to sample a couple of additional seasonal colours, although the cute, teeny bottles make application somewhat fiddely- I miss my ProWide! I'm currently rocking Parlez Vous OPI on my toes- it's a fab transeasonal colour which is best described as a muted lilac-grey but my favourite in the set has to be the stunning, Eiffel for This Colour- a gorgeous, rich berry-brown which could almost be described as aubergine in some lights.

In my quest to find the OPI Collection De France shades, stumbling upon this set was a real surprise as the majority of sites only offer the single polishes... check out http://www.beautyexpert.co.uk/ who provide a fantastic, speedy service and see Scrangie's blog for swatches of the colours.

Girl Done Good- Again!

Can Samantha Cameron get any better?! As Creative Director of uber lust-have brand, Smythson, she continues to wow with the "Maze" collection- new for AW08. I was beginning to wonder whether we'd actually see any decent new bags this season to dream about (gasp!) but whilst juggling being a perfectly groomed working mother/ future First Lady (here's hoping, we could do with a style icon in Number 10 after years of having to stare at total frumps!), she found the time to come up with a really unique design which has seriously set my pulse racing! It's so hard to choose a favourite from a 1970s inspired colour palette which seriously rocks but I think my favourite is the gorgeous cassis (pictured above)- one of those colours which is so very "this season" but will come around again & again making this a justifiable investment.

M & S- I'm Impressed!

Marks & Spencer, that perennial of the British High Street & everyone's mum's favourite, has really picked up its game in recent years. Somewhat cleverly, M & S has revamped itself to appeal to new customers by introducing more fashion-led designs, segmenting its departments & responding to the "green" trend (as well as some rather snazzy ad campaigns) without compromising on quality & value for money so not alienating its loyal, existing customers. I'm lusting after this classic black dress with a twist from the Limited collection- it'll be perfect for work & with the addition of some funky accessories, will take me straight from the office to the bar!

Available at http://www.marksandspencer.com/

Here it is... my Number 1 Beauty Secret....shhh!

In beauty interviews, people are often asked, "What's your No.1 Desert Island Beauty Essential?" Well, mine wouldn't be a product but my ultimate can't-live-without-service... Eyebrow Threading by Browse London. Well-maintained eyebrows are essential to a groomed appearance and eyebrow shaping is regularly descibed as having "immediate face-lift" results due to its ability to instantly change your appearance.
Eyebrow Threading is an ancient Asian technique where cotton thread is manipulated around the hairs to gently remove them- it's an excellent choice for those with sensitive skin and is my personal choice as it doesn't pull the delicate skin around the eye area (as with other techniques such as waxing). I'm renowned within my group of friends for my ridiculously low pain threshold but even I can cope with this... it's a weird feeling which I find strangely relaxing! The best comparison I can equate it with is that feeling when you get a hair elastic caught on the tiny hairs on your arm.
In my opinion, Browse London offer the best service in the Capital. I'm quite a nervous customer when trying a new eyebrow therapist but trust these guys 100%. They do such a fantastic job and the service is unrivalled, in spite of the undoubtedly high footfall of customers they must see. Centrally located with a walk-in only policy & brilliant value for money, it's easy to fit a visit to the eyebrow bar into your routine so there's no excuse to be seen with anything less than perfectly groomed brows!

http://www.browselondon.co.uk/

Light Up Your Life- Tried & Tested Candles

Whilst candles aren't necessarily associated with Summer, the terrible weather we've been having has made me start thinking about Autumn Winter unusually early! I'm looking forward to indulging in long baths and making my home cosy with wonderfully fragrant candles. Here's a selection (in no particular order) of Tried & Testeds to help you choose....

1) Diptyque Baies Candle- one of the bestselling candles from the famous French brand, this candle is the perfect choice for a gift as the scent is so popular the recepitant is sure to love it. Fantastic room-filling, sophisticated fragrance with up to 60hrs burn time.

http://www.diptyqueparis.com/

2) Ei8ht Captiv8 Candle- Ei8ht is a relatively new brand run by 2 fantastic, friendly girls. I'm loving this candle which is wonderfully scented with sweet Bulgarian Rose & Blackcurrant Leaves & beautifully presented in an indulgent purple pot. The candle offers a delicate room-filling scent & is the perfect way to treat yourself- simply light & accompany with a luxurious bath.

http://www.ei8ht.com/

3) Judith Michael & Daughter Tomato & Blackcurrant Candle- A signature candle from Judith Michael & Daughter boutique in Primrose Hill. The candle is 100% natural with effective room-filling fragrance and is a really unusual scent which I've totally fallen in love with! The scent is very fresh and would be a good choice for a couple's home as it isn't so overpowering as to be offputting for men.

http://www.judithmichael.com/

4) Natural Magic ReBalance Candle- 100% organic candles loved by celebrities such as Sienna Miller & Gwyneth Paltrow, the popular ReBalance candle combines Mandarin, Cinnamon & Clove oils for a scent which reminds me of Christmas. The perfect eco choice!

http://www.neomorganics.com/

5) Jo Malone Lime Basil & Mandarin Candle- Jo Malone is one of those cult brands which us girls adore but men will never understand! Lime Basil & Mandarin is one of her bestselling scents- a fresh, citrus combination which is used in products from perfume & body lotion to guest soaps & candles. This is the ideal choice for "cocooning" (enveloping yourself in your favourite scent).

http://www.jomalone.co.uk/

SPECIAL OFFERS THIS MONTH

Here's a round-up of special offers this month- go on, treat yourself!

http://www.boots.com/ is offering a free No.7 gift worth up to £31 when you spend £20 or more on No.7
http://www.lookfantastic.com/ is offering a free Fake Bake the Face Bamboo Buffing Polish worth £10.50 when you buy Fake Bake the Face Self Tanning Lotion
http://www.renskincare.com/ is celebrating the Olympic success by offering a free Glycolactic Mask worth £28 when you spend £28 or over- but hurry, the offer ends at midnight tomorrow!
http://www.amaraspa.co.uk/ in Fulham is offering a free St.Tropez Body Polish, Moisturiser and Beach Towel when you buy a course of St. Tropez Spray Tans

Stay tuned for more.... x

Bathroom De-Clutter

I decided to have a bathroom blitz this week. I have so many products yet only tend to use my favourite tried & tested ones so used this as inspiration to clear out the clutter. Some products "go off" and should be discarded within a certain timespan after opening- the others, I've offered to friends or taken to the women's refuge. I'll be drip-feeding my fave products on here so keep watch!

Birthday Fun

It was my birthday this week and I decided to celebrate with a Seven Deadly Sins themed party. Rather than full-on fancy dress, I chose a dress code of "fabulous with a hint of a sin". For my own sin inspired outfit, I went for ENVY & enjoyed getting dressed up in a beautifully cut LBD with metallic green eyeshadow exaggerated around my eyes. Such a strong colour really requires good staying power- there would be nothing worse than just a few lines of the colour sinking into the creases of my eye with the rest of the colour rubbing off! I've found that URBAN DECAY EYESHADOW PRIMER POTION (£9.50) is a wonderfully effective product which gives even the cheapest eyeshadows all-night-long staying power. Check out this link to buy...
http://www.hqhair.com/code/products.asp?PageID=578&SectionID=557&FeaturedProduct=5203&pID=2
I invited my friends to join me for themed cocktails and canapes before heading to a club...Classic Champagne Cocktail for PRIDE, Bloody Mary Bites (marinated cherry tomatoes) for WRATH, Risotto Stuffed Mushrooms for SLOTH, Asparagus Spears wrapped in Parma Ham for ENVY, Vodka Jellies in Gemstone shapes for GREED, a selection of mini Cupcakes for GLUTTONY and Strawberries with a Chocolate & Grand Marnier Dipping Sauce for LUST along with pink Sea Breeze Cocktail.
I've always found that choosing a theme helps in the planning of a party as well as adding a fun element... here are some other ideas to inspire... Best of British, Black & White, Academy Awards, Las Vegas... why not let me know what fun party themes you can come up with?

Got it nailed...

The weather outside might not reflect the fact that we are in a high Summer month which means that I'm starting to consider my AW08 wardrobe in greater detail than ever. Whilst I've always been one to plan in advance (don't want to miss out on the best bits!), this is one of the first seasons that I've planned my look from head to toenails. This year, I'm getting very into the trends for different nail colours each season... when we were experiencing good weather (for all of 2 minutes), I was loving a slightly pale orange colour with a hint of coral for my toes- absolutely fabulously flattering against sunkissed skin & gold gladiator sandals- whilst for Winter, I'm looking forward to indulging in the new greys and purples. I'm particularly looking forward to seeing the new offerings from Chanel (rumoured to be bringing out a gorgeous silver-grey)& OPI (whose AW08 collection takes inspiration from Paris)- I'm just deciding which one to try first!