Monday 16 March 2009

Ssssshhh - Liz Earle has a secret...


Well, lots of secrets - and they’re all in her new book (already a major bestseller!) As Liz’s old, old (but not old-looking!) friends we were of course there to raise a glass of champagne with her at the Liz Earle Naturally Active flagship store at Duke of York’s Square in Chelsea. (Do go. It’s beautiful. And the facials are swoonworthy.) Seen here: a smiling Liz, with her business partner and friend Kim Buckland - and Kyle Cathie, who is our (and Liz’s) publisher. If you love the skincare, the book is a must-read - and for our April Beauty Bible site update, we’re thrilled to have 10 signed copies to give away. Meanwhile, if you want a ‘taster’ of her secrets? We like this one: ‘I’ve heard several women say that their previously large pores have closed, over time, with the application of clay-based masks,’ explains Liz (whose pores are as perfect as the rest of her) on p. 129.

Friday 13 March 2009

Discovering fragrance with Roja Dove


You’d have to be a beauty hermit not to have heard of Roja Dove. Does anyone in the world know more about fragrance? Probably not, which is why beauty editors hang on his every pearl of perfume wisdom. So: to breakfast at The Wolseley, to hear about the new website he’s worked on for World Duty Free: www.discoverfragrance.co.uk. The idea: it helps you choose an addition to your ‘fragrance wardrobe’ appropriate to your travel destination. (Currently, mostly cities – from Marrakech to Cape Town, Paris to Rome – but holiday hot-spots being added soon.) He’s spot-on: a fragrance that you love to wear to dinner here might be too crisp for a naughty weekend away, or too heavy or cloying for a business meeting. (In Japan, a spritz of Opium or Shalimar is actually an insult to their traditionally fragrance-less culture.) The site’s simple but clever. Give it a go. At the very least, it’ll explain in a bit more depth – thanks to Roja’s expert insights – about some fragrances you may not know, and at best, you may find a new perfume ‘love’. (Which they hope you’ll pick up in World Duty Free next time you’re heading for a foreign metropolis.) Of course, Beauty Bible couldn’t resist asking Roja for his best-ever fragrance tip, before we parted company. He took a few more sips of his frothy Wolseley cappuccino, and declared: ‘Never judge a fragrance by its bottle.’ Another pearl. Thanks, Roja. (Because he’s right about that, too.)

Monday 9 March 2009

Organic beauty finalists













To Bristol (the Soil Association’s offices) - the third time we’ve been asked to judge the annual Soil Association Organic Beauty Awards. Pictured here: Sarah, with SA’s Feona Horrex, after a slather-a-thon during which we both tried literally dozens of contenders (including - wait for it - an intimate lubricant! Which actually made it to the shortlist because it’s so innovative, and such a change from the highly chemical options out there.) Once we’d whittled down the contenders to 14 - including Jigsaw’s delectable Hand Lotion, Essential Care’s soon-to-be-launched coconut body scrub (like a Bounty bar in a tub) and facialist Lucy Russell’s sublime rosewater spray - the products are to be put through their paces, Beauty Bible-style, on three teams of 10 panellists recruited via the Soil Association offices. (Including one team of mums - and babes - to judge the baby category). We’re as anxious to hear the results as any organic beauty-hound out there - and will e-mail you all with news of the winners on Monday 6th April, after the awards are given out at the Natural Products Show gala dinner. Watch this (organic) space.