It's vintage, darlings!

We do love a little bit of vintage.  (Although possibly not as much as our Beauty Bible Executive Assistant Amy, who sashays into work each day in the most stunning twinsets, pencil skirts and flouncy 50s frocks, accessorised by very grown-up pre-loved handbags).  If you love vintage, too, you'll want to know about the 'Live A Little Vintage' teas coming up at Dukes Hotel:  indulgent, yes, extravagant, definitely - but you'll be much more of a vintage expert when you leave.  (And with the delicious champagne tea with all the trimmings that's laid on, your zip may be a little tighter, too.)  At the vintage fashion masterclass hosted by Ooh la La! Vintage's fashion expert, Tara Munro, and vintage tailor Alice Prier, you'll learn the secrets of vintage glamour, listen to a talk on fashion through the eras - and there'll be a bespoke try-on session in the private boutique, to finish.  The timing for tea is 2-6 p.m. next Saturday 6th November 2010, and the price is £95 per person.  

Taking it to the next level, there's a 'Live A Lot of Vintage' package at the hotel, priced £265 per person, to include accommodation in a Duchess room (with all girly touches:  women's glossies, dressing table accessories, fresh flowers and chocolate brownies on arrival).  You'll also enjoy a Grey Goose Disco Inferno Cocktail in the velvety surroundings of the famous Dukes Bar, and take home a keepsake 'secret' diary address book of London's vintage shopping gems.  Dates for this are 6th November and also Saturday 19th February 2010 (when the next Vintage tea is staged, too).

Just remember to dress to thrill.

www.dukeshotel.com

The best advent calendar EVER...

Forget chocolate advent calendars.  Or those felt, home-made ones Martha Stewart's so keen on.  How we want to count down to Christmas is with this fabulous 24 Days of Luxury advent calendar - available exclusively from Selfridges, price £60 - which features a marvellous miniature make-up, skincare or fragrance item for every December day, from a range of L'Oréal luxury brands including Lancôme, Victor & Rolf, Kiehl's, Armani and more.  (The 'baby' Juicy Tube is too, too sweet for words.)  We know it's early (we haven't even heard the first playing of Do They Know It's Christmas? on the radio yet).  But indulge us, because we have a hunch this will sell out PDQ.  

So, all together now:  Dear Santa...

www.selfridges.com

A beautiful show...

The stunning B&W photo above - of a Royal Ballet ballerina preparing for pirouetting across the Royal Opera House stage - is by Mary McCartney from her new exhibition From Where I Stand at the Michael Hoppen Gallery in Chelsea.  Whether you love horses, still life photos, or a spot of celeb-watching (there are stunning shots of Kate Moss, Tracey Emin, Peter Blake and - of course - Mary's Dad Paul and sister Stella), there's something in this show to delight the eye.  Being long-time ballet-lovers at Beauty Bible, we especially enjoyed the backstage photos taken by Mary of the Royal Ballet:  a real insight into all the hard work and artifice it's so hard to imagine when you see a featherlight prima ballerina leaping like Tinkerbell into air...

Michael Hoppen Gallery, 3 Jubilee Place, London SW3 3TD/020-7352 3649
From Where I Stand is also available as a book, price £19.99 (find it here at www.amazon.co.uk
www.marymccartney.com
NB  There's also a Mary McCartney show at the National Portrait Gallery Bookshop Gallery, until 13th February 2011.

Lashings of advice from Sharon Dowsett

We may all have just retrieved our winter coats from the wardrobe but here in beautyworld there are green shoots already:  we're previewing spring/summer 2011 colours!  Yesterday Beauty Bible nipped along to Maybelline (one of 2010's 'Coolbrand' winners), where supertalented Sharon Dowsett was demo-ing their very new pretty shades.  (We're especially loving ultra-wearable Pink Brown, a sensational neutral introduction in the Maybelline New York Color Sensational Lipstick collection, and the Eyestudio Mono in Silken Taupe.  Also note The Eraser - a roll-on sponge foundation - because you're going to see more sponge-applicator foundations appearing in the coming months.)
     We thought we'd ask Sharon which of Maybelline's products was her all-time fave rave, and got the answer:  'Great Lash!  I used to bring it back from the States before it was available in the UK;  it never crumbles or smudges and leaves lashes looking beautifully conditioned as well as volumised.'  When it comes to shade choice, Sharon says:  'Brown is the flat shoes of mascara, black is the high heels.  Blondes in particular tend to think they should wear brown, but black looks better every time.' (Though Sharon's not averse to a touch of navy or even plum, on occasion.)  Although she's created covers for just about every magazine you can name and has a long-standing relationship with Chanel make-up, too (where she's taught at their Academy), Sharon doesn't have a website (she's working on it).  For a swoon - and inspiration - you can check out her portfolio at agency CLM, here.

But first, do ditch that brown mascara.  NOW...!

Chocalicious...

Nibble.  Dribble.  Slurp.   Mmmmm.  Those are the sound effects as the Beauty Bible belles work our way through the new Green & Black's Ultimate Chocolate Recipes cookbook (published by Kyle Cathie, price £16.99).  Some of you may know:  Jo (with her husband Craig) founded Green & Black's, back in 1991. For this beautifully-photographed book, Jo tapped friends and Green & Black's fans - from Sharon Osbourne to Delia Smith via Lulu and Mary McCartney (whose chocolate rice pud has to be tasted to be believed) - for scrumptious contributions.  And absolutely nobody said no - except Twiggy, who said:  'I'm not a great dessert cook, and the only thing I can think of to do with the wonderful Green & Black's is to eat it!'

You can find it on Amazon here.

PS  If you love chocolate (duh!), you'll also want to know that Green & Black's is currently talent-scouting for a Taste Assistant, who'll work with Head of Taste Micah Carr-Hill.  It's a tough job, but someone has to come up with new flavours, travel the world sourcing ingredients, test the recipes etc.  (Oh, and be paid £35,000 to do it...)  The final five applicants will take part in a 'Taste Challenge' next year (applications close on 14th December 2010).

Interested in applying?  Just click here.

Meet 'The Beauties'

Last night, Beauty Bible watched Harrods turn pink (for Pink Ribbon month), and then defrosted at a little soirée with Elizabeth Hurley.  (Who told us we should be feeling sorry for her, pressing the 'on' switch wearing no tights and a skimpy, one-shouldered pink dress. Well, Elizabeth, we actually did...!)  Just outside the Georgian Restaurant, though, we spotted a wonderful photographic exhibition by our friend Evelyn Lauder.  It's called 'The Beauties' and should you be feeling a) philanthropic and b) in need of something gorgeous for your bedroom wall, get down to Harrods Fourth Floor pronto (the exhibition is in place until 24th October).  'The Beauties' are Evelyn's collection of vintage ceramic lady head vases, in which she's popped a few pretty blooms.  (In 'Haughty Hetty', above, we spotted one of the heaven-scented Double Delight roses that Evelyn grows on her roof terrace overlooking Central Park - which just happens to be Jo's favourite rose, too.)  The prices are from £410-550 framed - but all proceeds go to Evelyn's nominated cancer research charities, including the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (founded by Evelyn) for their UK research programmes, including those at Breakthrough Breast Cancer and the Royal Marsden Institute of Cancer Research.  As Evelyn explains, 'At once elegant and playful, head vases join two of my loves:  the beauty found in nature as seen in the flowers, and the beauty that we create through style, attitude, and - of course - make-up.'  We think they are a simply gorgeous way to support Pink Ribbon.

www.evelynlauder.com

Om, sweet om...

As regular readers know, Jo recently skipped off to Italy for a Yoga break - which was just what il dottore ordered, after a particularly frenzied few months hurtling towards our deadline for The Anti-Ageing Beauty Bible.  And we thought you should know about her destination: The Shanti Centre, in the beautiful hills of Abruzzo (two hours from Stansted to Pescara).  The centre's been opened by lovely Yoga teacher Stephanie Bosanko, with her gifted foodie partner Rupert Fox generally responsible for the scrumptious food.  But the week Jo was there, Roo shared meal-prepping with Hayley North, a Brighton-based Scaravelli yoga teacher who came up with a sublime menu based on foods for this transitional time between summer and autumn:  nourishing stews and soups, delicious smoothies (many based on nut milks or green veg - much more delicious than that sounds!), and even a raw chocolate brownie on the last night.  The 'autumn cleanse' included five-and-a-half hours of classes a day with Hayley (including 7 a.m. Qigong), a mountain hike and a day at the beach, and Jo returned home feeling positively Tigger-bouncy.  In between, Jo experienced some of the best massages she's ever had, from Stephanie (Thai and Swedish styles) - and that's saying something;  there are beautiful walks nearby, too, as well as a sauna on-site.  The Shanticentre just published its timetable for 2011 - see link below - with extremely reasonable prices, making it the perfect yoga destination in particular for anyone on a budget (a week is from just £395 including meals with the current 'early bird' booking discount, but not including Ryanair flights).  Yoga bunnies, get clicking.

www.shanticentre.com

www.hayleynorth.com