Friday 23 December 2011

Have a beautiful Christmas, from us...
















Just wanted to say:  Beauty Bible's signing off till the New Year - and sending you a (virtual) marshmallow wreath, to celebrate the holidays...
     We'd like to wish you a wonderful time, and we hope Santa delivers everything you've got your heart set on.  We'll be chilling with loved ones - and thinking of the 250 young women at Centrepoint, unpacking the beauty gifts we assembled for them last week.
     We're back on 3rd January.  Bright-eyed, bushy-tailed - and probably marshmallow-stuffed.
     But hey, what are New Year's Resolutions for...?


Wednesday 21 December 2011

Our favourite MAC collaboration yet


Ninetysomethings, rejoice.
     Because this is surely a landmark in cosmetics history:  MAC has teamed up with our favourite nonagenarian to create a range of colour cosmetics launching exclusively on-line, from January 12th.
     Some years ago, Jo found herself standing next to the most incredibly stylish white-haired most-definitely-not-a-'little-old-lady', in a Paris cashmere store.  For years, she wondered who the drop-dead- stylish stranger was.
     But in recent times, Iris Apfel - who once worked for Women's Wear Daily, helped redecorate The White House for nine presidents, is the subject of a book called Rare Bird of Fashion (photographs by Eric Boman) and still lectures on style - has gone on to blaze a trail and prove that older women need not fade away.
     And there's definitely no chance of that, with those showstopping red lips and nails.
     Iris, we salute you.  (And MAC too...)

www.maccosmetics.co.uk

Tuesday 20 December 2011

Oh Roja, how we love ya...


















Not least because of the rather wonderful, waft-me-to-paradise-with-a-single-sniff visual for his new Roja iPhone App.
     Roja Dove, the renowned professeur de parfums, has distilled 30 years of fragrance knowledge into a perfume guide in which he describes and categorises a scent, and nudges you in the direction of others you might like to try.  (Having created our own Beauty Bible Beauty Steals App, we appreciate what a lot of hard work has gone into this project.)
     OK, so the descriptions aren't quite as evocative as Jo's, on her (other) blog, The Scent Critic - but it's a must-download for devoted scentophiles and Roja fans (who are legion).  So far, there are 1000 fragrances listed on there, with more to come.
     Roja Dove Scent Selector is available now from the iTunes Store, price £2.99 (and you can of course 'gift' Apps, too.)
     And round here, with our limited-edition NEOM Christmas Wish candles flickering spicily, it's beginning to smell a lot like Christmas.

www.rojadove.com
www.thescentcritic.com

Monday 19 December 2011

Shops We Love: Alastair Hendy Home Store















We're sharing this with you in the wake of Mary Portas's lament for the Great British High Street.
     Because a few still exist.  And Jo happens to live on one.  In Hastings, on the south coast.  A baker (Jo's own Judges Bakery), a butchery counter - and now, somewhere you can find a candlestick.
     Because on Saturday, one of the most intriguing new (for which read: old) shops that we've ever delightedly stumbled across opened on Hastings High Street:  Alastair Hendy's Home Store, from the self-taught cook/photographer/author.  
     It's unlike anywhere we've ever shopped.  Like stepping back in time - because inch-by-inch, Alastair has spent three years up a ladder restoring the shop to what seems like Victorian glory.  (The sales staff even wear long aprons and black weskits.)  Except there are discreet bar codes and an electronic till, hidden in the mahogany counter.  
     You'll find vintage fire buckets.  And pinking shears.  Cosy woolly bedsocks (see above).  Churchy beeswax candles.  And just about every type of brush (er, except for hair) to satisfy anyone's inner Howard Hughes.  There are shiny reclaimed desks, and Mason jars, and that wonderful green 40s china your auntie used to serve you a Rich Tea biscuit on.  And if you needed an ounce of nails, Alastair's probably got one somewhere.  
     We haven't had a glimpse of the bathroom section yet - he's opening it room by room - but at a guess, we'd imagine:  linen towels, old-fashioned bath salt cubes, backbrushes...  Maybe those wonderful bath-racks, with built-in candlesticks.  (Well, a beauty editor can dream...)
     So Ms. Portas, get yourself an Awayday to Hastings fast.  
     Because truly, there's life in the high street yet...

A.G. Hendy & Co. Home Store, 36 High Street, Hastings Old Town, TN34 3ER
www.alastairhendy.com (no doubt there'll be a proper website, in due course)
     

Friday 16 December 2011

Friday fabulousness













Normally, of a Friday, we encourage you to enjoy a little pampering over the weekend, featuring a gorgeous bathroom.
     But today's a bit special - because we spent yesterday organising some pampering for 250 young homeless women at Centrepoint's London hostels.
     Thanks to the generosity of the beauty industry - brands like John Frieda, Decléor, Ojon, Elemis, Mandara Spa, Nelson's, nurture, Revlon, Parfums Kenzo and many, many more - the Make A Difference Makeover team (which we're proud to have co-founded) gathered together at Centrepoint's London HQ were able to put together hundreds of a-m-a-z-i-n-g bags.
     If you'd like to turbo-charge to our efforts, do visit the Centrepoint website to make a little donation (And big thanks so much to Percy + Reed, the hairdressers, for doing just that - pledging £500 instead of sending out Christmas cards, this year).
     10 of us fell into bed tired but happy last night - but not quite as happy, we suspect, as the young women who'll be opening these on Christmas morning.
     To everyone who was involved yesterday, big thanks from Beauty Bible.  It's truly a beautiful thing.
  
www.centrepoint.org.uk
Find the Make A Difference Makeovers on Facebook to find out more

Wednesday 14 December 2011

If you go down to Borough Market today...







...  You'll discover Aesop's new 'punnet-sized' (as they put it) store.
     We've always bought into Aesop's philosophy.  As they put it, 'We advocate the use of our formulas as part of a balanced ife that includes exercise, stimulating literature and good food and wine.'  (And so say all of us.)
     This Australian aromatherapy-powered skincare range (which we've been fans of since they very first launched, oh, aeons ago) also has a reputation for creating funky spaces.  And this is entirely in keeping, with its haberdasher's counter, reclaimed wood floor - and basins, so you can try the products before you buy.
     Afterwards, as Aesop points out, you can revive yourself with a short black from Monmouth Coffee across the road, and/or nibble on a wedge of aged Cheddar from Neal's Yard Dairy.
     Appropriate setting for their latest store, then, for a range that's almost good enough to eat.

Aesop Borough Market, 5 Park Street, London SE1 9AB

Tuesday 13 December 2011

Something rather divine has happened...














Look closely.
     Look v-e-r-y closely.  And then, if you're us, do rather unladylike cartwheels around the office.
     Because what's at the very centre of this 'greenhouse' in L'Occitane's just-opened flagship boutique in New York's Flatiron District?
     Answer:  a giant blow-up of The Anti-Ageing Beauty Bible.  The reason?  To celebrate the fact that L'Occitane's Immortelle Divine Cream scored the highest mark of any 'miracle' product we've ever trialled - over 16 years of research - in our book, beating literally hundreds and hundreds of others.
     So the whole greenhouse is Immortelle-themed (immortelle being a Corsican 'wonder plant' you're going to be hearing much, much more about in 2012).
     We can't wait to see the store ourself on our next New York pitstop. It's very gorgeous generally.  And there were lines around the block on day of opening of customers.
     Who - like us - clearly think it's divine, divine, divine...

L'Occitane - www.uk.loccitane.com, or click here for the award-winning cream

     

Monday 12 December 2011

High(50)brow stuff from Mary Greenwell










A few days ago we told you about the first of a series of videos Jo's put together with make-up genius Mary Greenwell - which have already picked up some rave reviews.
     So we thought we'd alert you to the fact that the second segment of this five-part beauty masterclass has been posted on the High50 site (for those who believe that actually, age has its benefits) - and it's all about brows, which can become a real challenge as we grow older.
     If you've ever wondered how to shape a brow (or even 'snip' at strays with scissors), how you can lift a face with the right brow shape, dithered about brow-tattoing - and if you'd like to know why a green brow product may be best for you (yes, truly!) - it's all here.
     When the series is done, we'll have them all on our Beauty Bible website, too, joining our own line-up of what we consider virtually the only beauty VIDEOS worth watching on the whole darned internet. And if we sound biased, we suggest you waste a few hours on the main YouTube site looking at every teenager on the planet who owns a webcam and a lipstick.
     Mary Greenwell, they most definitely are not...
    

For the video, click here
www.marygreenwell.com
For Beauty Bible's videos section, click here



Friday 9 December 2011

We're peachy-keen on this























There's something super-warm and seasonally welcoming about this bathroom - our Friday 'pampering inspiration' for you.
     We dig the etched glass doors.  And terracotta tub, and the plaster bas relief on the walls.
     All off-set beautifully with grey towels (so it's not totally, boringly matchy-matchy.  Plus:  when did you ever meet a man happy to dry himself on a peach-toned towel...?)  Oh, and is that a vase of straight-from-the-Folies-Bergère pale blue ostrich feathers, in a vase...? Decadent touch, that.  (So:  thanks to A Slice of Beauty's blog, for sharing this with us.)
     We'll be lighting a few candles of our own and sinking beneath waters aromatherapeutically-scented with our new bathtime fave rave, Aromatherapy Associates De-Stress Mind Shower & Bath Oil, this weekend.
     You might like to be the same.  Not least because behind a locked door, in a bathroon, is one of the few true escapes from Christmas madness, right now.
     And isn't that a peach of a thought?

To read A Slice of Beauty, click here

Thursday 8 December 2011

Salaam Bombay (Chanel-style)

Normally when our new site update's uploaded (as it is today - click here for all the excitement), we cut ourselves some slack, and don't blog.  We file our nails a bit.  Flip through magazines.  While away the hours checking out Facebook.  (That's the theory, if not the reality...)
     But here's the thing...  For 48 hours we've been swooning over the photos from the Chanel 'Paris-Bombay' show in Paris (for which our friend Sam McKnight did the hair, Peter Phillips the make-up).
     So when an e-mail pinged into our inbox from Chanel about 10 minutes ago, we decided to share this beautiful image - and the inside info on products used to create this smouldering look, from Peter Phillips, Creative Director of Chanel Makeup.
   Think:  lashings of Le Crayon Khôl in Black, and (Jo's favourite) Inimitable Intense mascara in Black, on lashes.
    Think:  Perfection Lumière, to create the flawless base (launching early next year), with a whisk of Joues Contraste in Brume d'Or on cheeks.  Think:  Rouge Coco Shine in Empreinte, for those soft rose-pink lips.
     What we also love, though, is the use of jewellery in the hair.  Why not use a necklace, for an up-do?  For slightly more accessibly-priced hair accessories, meanwhile, click here for the for the speedy Party Hair Know-How feature on our website.
     Because (alas) we can't all have a live-in Sam McKnight.


Wednesday 7 December 2011

It's a win-win situation















Gotta share this with you.
     Not least because of the glorious drawing illustrating Latest in Beauty's 12 Days of Christmas competition.
     Latest in Beauty, if you don't already know, is a way of trying products before you take out a second mortgage to buy them.  The brands featured in their stylish mail order beauty boxes (at various times) are really special - think Decléor, Estée Lauder, This Works, Olay, John Frieda, L'Occitane, Elemis and more.  We applaud brands which have the faith to allow customers to trial products, because it fits with our philosophy of not wasting money on stuff that just plain doesn't work.
     And following the successful Fragrance Discovery Box created by Latest in Beauty to mark Jo's recent scent article in YOU, we're working on something rather special with them ourselves.
     But meanwhile...?  On their site right now, there's that rather wonderful 12 Days of Christmas competition we mentioned, with prizes worth over £1,500.  And anyone who enters will automatically be entered into a draw for a bumper beauty hamper worth £500.
     Sadly, we are not allowed to enter.
     Gutted doesn't cover it.
     So have a go, on our behalf.  And we hope Santa's smiling on you.

To read Jo's Eau So You! fragrance special, click here

Tuesday 6 December 2011

Guildford gets a little more gorgeous






















Lucky little Guildford.  They just got their very own Liz Earle Naturally Active store, in this lovely Grade II listed building in the town centre.    
     There'll be treatments on the menu, next year, but for now it's a chance for the wannabe-smooth-skinned beauties of Surrey to dib, dab and spritz their way through this award-winning range.  (A staggering 220 awards, at the last count, according to Liz - and quite a few of them from Beauty Bible, of course, including for legendary Cleanse & Polish. Which several of our testers, over the years, have attempted to give a mark of 11/10...!)
     So if you live within striking distance - well, Christmas just came early.  And it may just be the most exciting thing to happen in this market town since they filmed The Omen, at the cathedral...

Liz Earle, 72-74 High Street, Guildford, GU1 3HE
    
     

Monday 5 December 2011

The gift of great hair



















Forget expensive jackets.  Or good coats.  Or even haute couture,
to be honest.
     At Beauty Bible we've long believed that the secret of looking really fab is great hair.  End of.  (You buy a designer jacket, and how often do you wear it?  But your hair?  You wear that every day...)
     So:  maybe your best friend/mum/goddaughter is a haystack head. Or maybe she has an arsenal of styling products and a relationship with her straightening irons that really ought to be announced in the engagement column of The Times.  
     But one thing we know:  if she's within a kirby grip's throw of Hershesons salon, she's bound to love one of these gift vouchers for Hershesons Blow Dry Bars (located at Westfield, Topshop Oxford Circus and One New Change, St. Paul's).
     Available for one, three, or six free blow-drys (prices:  £24-£144).
     Sure beats novelty slippers, in our book.  (Because who ever looked groomed in those...?)

Click here to buy the vouchers on-line


Friday 2 December 2011

Ten-four, rubber ducky...


































Decorating, we've observed, can sometimes get a little serious for its own good.
     So we were very happy to stumble across this stylish bathroom in on-line Rue Magazine, which is worth a cyberflick if you're a decor junkie, like us.  (There's an iPad verison, too.)
    We love the splashes of yellow, to brighten the monochrome colour scheme.  And the tufted bath mat:  imagine burying your toes in that, on a chilly morning.  But we especially like the duck:  a witty touch that transforms the decor from 'safe' to 'witty', in one webbed-footed bound.
     Happy Friday, from Beauty Bible.  And wherever you're soaking this weekend, have a relaxing one.
    

Thursday 1 December 2011

A plum of a make-up masterclass, with Mary Greenwell

















Great make-up videos are rarer than hen's teeth.  (Trust us:  we've spent hours in a darkened room narrowing down a useful selection for our own website VIDEOS section, and almost lost the will to live in the process.)
     As for great make-up artists, they don't come much more mega than Mary Greenwell.  Not only would most supermodels not get out of bed for less than $10,000, but they darned well wouldn't get out of bed if Mary wasn't going to be doing their make-up, either.  And Mary's list of stellar clients is still as long as your arm.
    So:  it is time to discover the first Mary Greenwell Makeup Masterclass, on www.high50.com.  (Say it 'High Five-Oh'.)  And yes, it's our very own Jo presenting this series (there will be five, in all, uploaded weekly).
     Mary's just brilliant at explaining what she does, sharing her pro's secrets and demo-ing in a way that's not only incredibly easy to follow, but inspiring, too.  Though essentially targeted at fifty-plus women (it's so easy to lose the plot, make-up wise, after un certain age), it's just as fascinating to watch a true pro at work whether you're 17 or 70.
     Mary's other great 'make-up' tip, FYI, is fragrance.  Fragrance...?  It's what she's always sprayed on models before sending them in front of the camera.  'I make them look beautiful, but fragrance makes them feel beautiful,' she says.  Few fragrances are destined to make a woman feel more beautiful than Mary's own debut signature fragrance, Plum - so can we suggest you check this out, too...?  (And to read Jo's blog about Plum on The Scent Critic, click here.)
     Meanwhile, as soon as we get a whiff that the next High50.com Mary Greenwell Masterclass is live, we'll let you know...

www.high50.com - click here for the Masterclass
www.marygreenwell.com

Tuesday 29 November 2011

The Campaign for Slow Scent












As we're always saying, scent-shopping shouldn't be rushed.  Ever.  You need time to stop, relax, explore.  And then maybe even go away again, before making up your mind.  (It's the enduring base notes in a fragrance which you really live with, and those don't unfurl for a few hours.)
     At Beauty Bible, we support the idea of Slow Food.  And Slow Travel.  And now we'd like to launch a Campaign for Slow Scent, inspired by the new Les Senteurs boutique, in Marylebone - because we cannot think of a nicer place for leisurely scent exploration.
     It's getting on for thirty years since Michael and Betty Hawksley opened their first shop, in Pimlico - and now the baton has been passed to their daughter Claire, who's heading up a truly knowledgeable team at this new temple to scent, tucked away behind Marble Arch.
     There are fabulous niche and independent fragrances showcased there, cleverly categorised - think:  chypre, floral, leather/tobacco, etc. - to help you take a short-cut to 'possibles'.  Fragrance houses include Frederic Malle, Mona di Orio, Juliette Has A Gun, Lorenzo Villoresi (the legendary Florentine perfumer), Parfumerie Générale, Serge Lutens, Annick Goutal...
     Oh, we could go on - but instead, we're going to urge you to find a decent window of time to make a scent pilgrimage of your own, just as soon as you can.
     Then enjoy taking it s-l-o-w, when you get there.  Because when it comes to finding a new fragrance, you really can't hurry love.

Les Senteurs store and Scent Salon, 2 Seymour Place, Marylebone, London W1H 7NS
020-7138 5842

Monday 28 November 2011

Liz Earle bottles it!























Most fragrances are as divisive as Marmite.  But we haven't met a woman yet who doesn't fall for Liz Earle Botanical Essence No. 1.  (And that includes most beauty editors.)
     So if you're looking for a goof-proof scent choice for a friend/relative this Christmas, this uplifting creation - which is 98% natural - is an excellent place to start.
    But to make it even more alluring, Liz Earle is offering a complimentary engraving service (initials on the cap, words on the side - within reason!) at various locations.  (That's Liz Earle the brand, not Liz Earle the person. She may be the living embodiment of Superwoman as far as we're concerned, but she's sensibly leaving this to the professionals.)
     The dates and times are below (click on the locations for the full addresses).  Just engrave them in your diary, and pop along.

Liz Earle flagship store - Saturday 3rd December, 10 a.m. - 7 p.m.
     Sunday 4th December, 11 a.m. - 4.30 p.m.

Liz Earle store, Leeds - Saturday 10th December, 9 a.m. - 6 p.m.
     Sunday 11th December, 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Fenwick of Bond Street - Thursday 1st December, 10 a.m. - 8 p.m.
     

Friday 25 November 2011

Vanity vignette























There are upsides and downsides to sharing life with a partner.
     A downside:  his grooming stuff, which often makes a takeover bid for the the shelf over the basin.
     So, for Friday (when we like to peek inside a beautiful bathroom on your behalf), a solution.  (With thanks to Sacramento Street, an American interiors blog.)
     Take one mirrored tray.  Place on back of cistern.  Neatly arrange all his lotions, potions, unguents (plus a framed photo and maybe something butch and botanical).
     Be generous, while you're at it, and give the whole darned lot a good wipe.
     Saves on 'bathroom rage', we promise.  And if it all migrates back again?
     Repeat the process.
     And file under:  'Love is... tidying his moisturisers.'

www.sacramentostreet.com

Thursday 24 November 2011

Pale and very interesting









Suddenly, we're all about Christmas.  (Well, Sarah's not:  she's jetting off to Australia tomorrow on hols.  For which those of us left behind will try, grudgingly, to forgive her.)
     Since mirrors, however, come under the beauty 'umbrella' (er, try putting on your make-up without one), we're showcasing some rather stunning examples here from another new website, Pale & Interesting.
    In fact, it's the website of a glorious new shop in Rye (but a mascara wand's throw from Jo, actually) which has been opened by uberstylist Atlanta Bartlett.  Atlanta has written many a glorious interiors book that we're sure you've seen.  (Think:  The Relaxed Home, At Home With White - and Pale & Interesting.  Which means this is actually the website of the book of the shop...)
     Pale & Interesting (the site) has really lovely things.  Even with our powers of description, we can't put it much better than that:  sparkly tealights, divine cushions, glasses we have our eye on for the Christmas table - and the aforementioned mirrors.  Everything, in general, is pale (white, dove grey, with splashes of colour).  And yes, interesting.
     We cannot recommend a cyber-mooch too highly.
     Or better still, a visit to the real-world shop.

www.paleandinteresting.com, 96 The High Street, Rye,
TN29 9TL/01797-344077
www.atlantabartlett.com

Wednesday 23 November 2011

Once upon a time...

... Long, long ago in the dim and distant early days of Beauty Bible, we used to take brainstorming speed-walks together, around Notting Hill.
     And stop to basically lick the windows of The Cross, which was one of the first 'lifestyle' boutiques to mix interiors and clothes and jewellery and beauty in what was/is basically a completely irresistible way.
     For whatever reason, it's taken them till now to enter the wonderful world of the web.
     But we say:  better late than never.  And if - like us - you've already vowed not to face the madness of Oxford Street* again before Christmas (*substitute name of local shopping centre/high street/mall as required), you'll have fun checking this site out for pressies.
     We're loving the cashmere embroidered eye mask, among other treats.
     So if Christmas shopping gets you all cross...  Just log on, and get thee to The Cross!

www.thecrossshop.co.uk

Tuesday 22 November 2011

Get a whiff of this...























We may seem slightly candletastic at the moment.  But it's that time of year.  (Who has tealights flickering in July...?  Except for weddings.)
     So:  always on the lookout for great sources for great smells, we were pleased to stumble into the new home fragrance department at the seriously spraunced-up Peter Jones on Sloane Square yesterday:  a dozen or so delectable (and fairly accessibly-priced) brands (think Max Benjamin, Votivo, Compagnie de Provence, Archipelago etc.)
     If you're searching for scented candles for gifts, we encourage you to have a sniff around here:  they're displayed beneath glass domes (à la Cire Trudon), which you lift - and then insert nostrils into the dome, to give a much better idea of the candles' scent than smelling the wax itself.
     It's home fragrance heaven.

Peter Jones, Sloane Square, London SW1 8EL (enter via Symons Street for the Home Fragrance department)

Monday 21 November 2011

All the fun of the Midwinter Fair


We’re going to let you in on one of Jo’s little secrets.
      For the past few years, she’s done much of her gift-shopping at a Christmas fair organized by a local Kent-and-Sussex glossy called The Wealden Times.
     Why?  Because in several (heated) marquees, erected in a walled garden at Bedgebury Pinetum (just off the A21), you’ll find all manner of covetable goodies:  antique, vintage, hand-made – but all super-stylish.  Basically, it’s like the Country Living Fair used to be, in its early days, before so many well-known names muscled in.
     The only challenge, in fact, is not buying one gift for yourself for every present you snap up for someone on your list.  (Ahem.  This is a challenge Jo has so far failed to rise to…)
     There are some delectable beauty stands, including a ‘pop-up’ of beauty editor Karena Callen’s Violetta boutique, which is worth a visit in itself.  
     Of course, on our own site right now you’ll find a run-down of all the beauty goodies we’re coveting ourselves.  (Find it here.)  But we do know that (strange as it seems) not everyone thrills to a bath oil, or a body cream, or a lipgloss trio – and would instead prefer a worthy-of-Mr. McGregor garden trowel, a ‘pre’-loved’ book, a crisp white nightie, a gourmet indulgence or a cuddlesome cushion.  (Plus:  there’s always something very heart-warming about supporting local producers and ‘makers’.)
     So if the Weald’s local to you, make a date:  from the 24th-26th November.
     Just be prepared to wrangle Jo for the silver dessert spoons she’s got her eye on.

The Wealden Times Midwinter Fair - admission £7.50 on the gate or £6.50 via advanced booking (see website below or call 0800-294 9011 to book)

Thursday 24th November – 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Friday 25th November – 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Saturday 26th November – 9.30 – 4.30 p.m.




Friday 18 November 2011

Gray chic for a Friday























It might seem weird to feature a grey bathroom when it's been pretty grey outside.  (Or as novelist friend Maggie Alderson puts it:  'The lid's on').
     But grey is eternally chic and we've rather fallen in love with this bathroom.  (It came to us from Elle Decor, via a blog we enjoy called Sacramento Street.)
     Just shows that you don't have to go for 'contrast', for a great look. We're loving the velvet-covered chair, on which to pat oneself dry.  The botanical paintings and the giant sprig of greenery.  The crackle-framed mirror.  (Though yes, we'd appreciate stepping out onto a squidgy white bath mat, rather than a slate floor...)
     It probably belongs to a chap, we think.
     But one we'd like to get to know better.
     So:  wherever you're wallowing, have a great weekend from all of us at Beauty Bible...

Thursday 17 November 2011

Do you believe in beauty from within...?






















Then do you fancy becoming a 'face' for Imedeen...?
     We're pleased to spread the word about their model search because Imedeen is the skin supplement that first showed us:  these really work.
          Just click here for more info about how to enter, which includes coming up with 100 words about how you embody the spirit of 'Beauty From Within'. The prizes include a year's supply of Imedeen, a set of stunning professional photos and - the juicy bit - a trip to Copenhagen.  You don't need to have taken Imedeen before (though we'd say:  if you do, you've probably got a head start on the skin front).  No need for previous modelling experience, either.
     In all, they're looking for three new 'faces' - one each in their 30s, 40s and 50s - to represent the range in 2012.  And after nine finalists have been selected, there's a public vote.
     Very 'X Factor', that.
     Without the public humiliation, of course...
       
www.imedeen20.com
  
  
  

Wednesday 16 November 2011

Enjoy a day of good scents


















Some of you may know that Jo is somewhat 'scent obsessed'.  And even writes a perfume blog, The Scent Critic.          
     So if you're as much of a 'fragranceaholic' as Jo is, you might want to know about a special day being organised by The School of Life (the rather wonderful venue/college set up by philospher Alain de Botton near Gray's Inn, in Central London).  A Day of Good Scents includes a little scent 'walkabout' led by futurologist Dr. Morgaine Gaye, and sessions with Dr. George Dodd (a fascinating 'smell scientist'), Sissel Tolaas - an internationally-renowned 'odor theorist and smell missionary'...  (Click on the tinted words to read more about each of them.)
     Oh, and Jo herself will be hosting an afternoon session, leading you on an olfactory exploration that uses scent to help you delve deep into your memory and imagination.  Her session will also explain how a very simple daily exercise, carried out for a few weeks, can actually help turbo-charge your sense of smell permanently!
     Ticket prices are £150 for the whole day to include all activities, catering and getting from A to B during the 'scented walkabout'.  It all adds up to a truly fascinating, sense-drenching day, and Jo hopes to see you there.
     And maybe smell you...!

www.theschooloflife.com 

Tuesday 15 November 2011

Farewell to a wonderful woman























Can we tell you how very, very sad we are to hear that Evelyn Lauder has passed away...?
     She is one of our all-time beauty heroes.  It may have been her mother-in-law's name on the Estée Lauder packaging, but Evelyn - wife of Estée's son Leonard - played a hugely influential role within the Lauder empire, from dreaming up the name 'Clinique' to having a say on just about every fragrance and skincare product launched.  (When we'd visit her office, she'd get us to dip, dab and spritz and tell her what we thought of new creations.  Such fun!)
     What's more, Evelyn came up with the idea for Pink Ribbon Week, to promote breast cancer awareness, which has become one of the beauty world's all-time phenomenons.
     A more gracious woman it's hard to imagine.  Despite her hectic schedule (she once told Jo she and Leonard had eaten at home on Fifth Avenue about five times in the last decade, because every night was a business dinner), Evelyn never failed to drop a hand-written line to thank us for something we'd written, or a book we'd sent.  When we think we're too darned frantic to dash off a thank-you letter, we always think of Evelyn - and reach for that fountain pen.
     She had that knack of making everyone - family, co-workers, beauty editors - feel special.
     And did we add that she was a spectacular photographer, too?  As she once told us, 'It's the single thing in my life that gives me the most creative satisfaction.'  You can see a blog posting here that we did about 'The Beauties', Evelyn's collection of vintage ceramic lady head vases, or see more of her exquisite photographs here, on her website.
     The (pink) lights in beautyland are a little dimmer, today.  We'll really, really miss you, Evelyn.

www.evelynlauder.com
     

Monday 14 November 2011

Our flickering fancies...





















Mostly, the candles you'll find flickering in Beauty Bible's offices are the brilliant mood-shifters from NEOM.  (Fact:  we believe that offices should be as nice to work in as your home, and provided all the Health and Flipping Safety guidelines are met, why not light a candle or two...?)
     But we have to admit to falling just a little in love with Dior's new candle:  perfect for now, with a smouldering, smoky, fireside fragrance that conjures up bonfires and crackling logs and roasting chestnuts. Basically, autumn/winter in wax form.  (Exclusively available in person from their Maison de Parfums in Selfridges).
     Just add a faux fur blanket. a complete series of Freesat recordings of Downton Abbey, a mug of Green & Black's Hot Chocolate - and suddenly, the fact it now gets dark at teatime doesn't seem nearly so depressing...

PS  Even more cheering:  don't forget NEOM's candles are now available to you at a 5% discount via Victoria Health, provided you click through from our main www.beautybible.com website (discount will be deducted at checkot automatically).  Even we can't wangle a discount at Dior, malheureusement...!

Friday 11 November 2011

More big ideas for the small room























We'd love to open a loo door and find this (which comes to you via
A Punch of Color, one of our fave interiors blogs).
      Geometric-print gilded paper, and an etched Venetian mirror.  A Chinese desk that's been converted into a basin.  (A good plumber/
carpenter can insert pipework and sanitaryware into all manner of furniture finds, if you just ask.)
     Liking the Chinoiserie embroidery on the hand towels, too.
     The flowers.  We adore flowers in a loo.
     And oh, that jaunty horse...!
     Beauty Bible would simply add a divine soap and hand cream, for the perfect powder room.
     So, could this be the weekend you ditch the pile of old Grazias, the Giles Annuals and the wellies from your downstairs lav, and go
glam, too...?
    
    




Thursday 10 November 2011

Meet Bloggy Brown!
















We’re sure you can imagine how much we’re looking forward to having breakfast tomorrow with one of our all-time make-up heroes, 
Bobbi Brown, on a rare visit to the UK.
     But as a consolation for the fact that sightings of Bobbi on these fair shores are so infrequent, we’ve basically been stalking her every move on her new blog, Everything Bobbi (which we’ve also added to our ‘blogroll’ of fave sites, right).
     It has tips.  And wisdom.  (Which Bobbi has in spades.)  And showcases real, inspiring women that Bobbi encounters;  Bobbi shares our philosophy that you don’t have to be a supermodel to be 
fah-bu-lous.  So we especially love her inspiring ‘Diverse Beauty’ section, spotlighting women of all shapes/sizes/races/ages.
(Because my, do we wish there was more of that around...)  
     She calls it:  'A blog based on truth, beauty and being amazing' - and it feels almost like sitting next to her over a latte and a muffin
     Though we’ll report back after tomorrow when we’ve done just that, of course...

Wednesday 9 November 2011

A Pukka way to massage your face











Yesterday, we told you about a rather fab festival of facials.
     But if you're anything like us, with a too-busy life, a salon facial is generally relegated to the realms of:  Dream.  On.  Darling.
     But to celebrate the launch of their rather fab, chic-packaged skincare, Pukka Ayurveda (famed for their herbal remedies and delicious teas) told us about a super-effective facial massage that's easy to do.  Right now.  At your desk.
     Click here and you'll be taken to the page with full instructions on how massaging different points on the face can have a (trust us) near-miraculous effect at restoring vibrancy and glow, relieving stress or getting you back into balance when life feels out of whack.
     We've said this before - and we'll say it again - but facial massage really is a key anti-ageing secret, too.  (Probably our No. 1 age-defying beauty tip, actually.)  And this is as clear a guide as we've ever seen.
     Meanwhile, do click around to check out the skincare, while you're there.
     You can get to the home page, here, too.
     (Only shouldn't that be the 'Om' page...?)

For Pukka Herbs skincare, click here

Tuesday 8 November 2011

It's a Festival of Facials!














We love a good facial.
     Note:  we love a good facial.
     What we at Beauty Bible don't love at all are superficial facials (where the therapist's hands do little more than tickle the skin), which have us wanting to leap off the couch, throw off our origami-ed towels and head screaming for the door.
     So, the challenge:  how to find a good facialist...?
     You could go by word of mouth.
     Or you could go by the rollcall of fabulous therapists currently starring in Urban Retreat's Festival of Facials, on the 5th Floor at Harrods.
     There are treatments from NuBo, Carol Joy, Beauty Lab and Omorovicza all taking place over various weeks up to 24th December. (Hmmm:  quite who has time for a facial on 24th December, we're not sure;  we're rather more likely to be steaming our faces over pans of red cabbage, as per usual.)
     But perhaps the cameo appearance on the facialist roster that we're most excited about is the uber-gifted Antonia Burrell (you can read about Jo's facial with her here), who'll be in residence from 21st - 28th November.
     To book, call below.
     And maybe this will the year you arrive at the office party looking radiant and glowing, rather than ravaged and washed out...

To book, call 020-7893 8333 or visit www.urbanretreat.co.uk

Monday 7 November 2011

Make-up’s last chance saloon












Longing for a lost Lauder lipstick…?  Sobbing over a discontinued shade from Estée’s signature brand…?  Thinking wistfully of a foundation from the aforementioned make-up line that you basically can’t live without…?  Or wondering what on earth you’re going to do now that the skincare you’ve relied on has been trumped by a new ‘improved’ version…?
     Well, before you go into a total decline, we’ve one last suggestion that might just help you track down a much-loved product/shade/skin treat that’s disappeared into the ether.  Don’t tell a soul, but Estée Lauder has a Gone But Not Forgotten service, which scours their warehouses for Lauder stock. 
     Just call, and the Estée elves get busy sleuthing down any remaining items they may have tucked away after a product’s been withdrawn.
     We’re not making any promises.  And we’d hate you to be disappointed.  Plus:  the chances are obviously higher with products that have only recently disappeared from the Lauder counter, rather than those from dim and distant make-up history.
     But really, what have you got to lose by calling them – except your pallor/stubby lashes/fine lines…?

Estée Lauder Gone But Not Forgotten – call Customer Service on 0800-074 6905

Friday 4 November 2011

A warming winter wallow

We actually know someone with a bath like this, in a painstakingly-restored and decidedly wonky 14th century house.  (He's a stylist, FYI.) He has discreet taps that fill the metal tub - although even so, we're not sure how comfy a soak it offers.  (Found this on Slices of Beauty, meanwhile.)
     What we do like here, though - our latest BF (Bathroom Friday) offering to you - is the crackling log fire.  Long for one of those, to keep us all toasty, post-bathing.
     And the stool.  Ideal to keep a book, a tub of scrub, even a glass of wine within reach.
     Something to plan, for the weekend?
     Have a lovely one...

To visit Slices of Beauty, click here