Vintage decadence

Something a little 'different' for today's beautiful bathroom.  (You know we like to share those with you, on Fridays.)
     It's pink, it's black, it's vintage - and it's courtesy of a wonderful blog that we follow (through the fabulous Bloglovin) called The Paris Apartment.  The blog's author is a vintage dealer based in Florida, who specialises in romantic interiors, and is author of a fab book called The Paris Apartment:  Romantic Décor on a Fleamarket Budget (available at Amazon if you click here).  
     Claudia Strasser (Mademoiselle Paris Apartment herself) found this image in a 1925 catalogue of the show where the phrase 'Art Deco' was first coined.
     And to soak up more of her 1925 discoveries, click here.
  
PS  Throughout August, Beauty Bible will be scaling down our blog postings a little.  Like you, we'll be soaking up the sunshine (or soaking up the rain) - Sarah in Australia, Jo in (hopefully sunny) Hastings.  Term will 'restart' a little way into September.  But do stay (occasionally) tuned between now and then, though...

School's in, for the summer...

Face it.

     You’ve got a drawer-ful of make-up.  Lipsticks, foundations, blushers, mascaras.

     But can you apply it like a pro…?  Do you know your most flattering shades and how to make the best of your features?  And (if you really must), do you have a clue how to recreate the latest ‘celebrity looks’…?

     If the answer’s ‘no’, you’re not alone. 

     So:  we’re thrilled that starting tomorrow (28^th July) and on Thursdays and Fridays until 1^st September, Superdrug is offering 30-minute Summer Beauty Classes, in-store.

     They’ve even appointed a ‘Headmistress’, their Beauty Director, who’s set the ‘curriculum’, in tandem with top make-up pros.

     Unlike real school, though, attendees will also get a goodie bag to take home.

     Maybe the Education Secretary should think about that, if he really wants to get attendance figures up…?

To book a Beauty School place, enquire at your local Superdrug store or book online at www.superdrug.com/rsvp

Dior fragrances' new look (and New Look)

It’s atomisers at dawn, at Selfridges. 

     Because just across from the Chanel Les Exclusifs fragrance boutique, Dior now have parried with their gorgeous Maison de Parfums, an echo of the House of Dior on Paris’s Avenue Montaigne. 

     The stars of the show can be discovered in La Collection Privée:  10 amazing scents, inspired by the fragrance house’s legendary heritage, from zestily fresh Milly-la-Forêt (as perfect an eau de Cologne as you’ll ever find), to the exquisite bouquet of white flowers that is 
New Look 1947.

     And if you’re bewildered by the selection, you can book in for a bespoke consultation to find your perfect Dior perfume.  One of their (delightfully scent-obsessed) expert consultants will lead you by the nose through phials of ingredients, ask you to share your favourite scents – and give you a secret ‘shortlist’ of spills, to smell.  Then you find out which Dior fragrances you'll most enjoy wearing...

     Having had it done, we’d say it’s pretty uncanny.

     Services are entirely complimentary, and include the Dior Mother and Daughter Fragrance Treat, Dior Brides Signature Fragrance Indulgence – and The Perfect Dior Fragrance Gift Discovery.  (We suggest booking the man in your life in for this, between now and Christmas.)  There’ll also be exclusive events for customers in the Selfridges department. 

     We have to say:  it’s scent heaven.  (And heaven-sent.)


To make an appointment for your consultation, call the counter 020-7318 3942.

To read Jo’s critiques on three scents in La Collection Privée, visit www.thescentcritic.com.  Or…

Click here to read Milly-la-Forêt

Click here to read Vétiver

Click here to read Ambre Nuit

Our man at Claridges…

David Downton is the artistic genius who’s so fabulously illustrated our Beauty Bibles since – well, the year dot.  We adore his work.  We’ve even saved up to buy a few David Downton originals for our own walls, over the years.  

     So we’d like to congratulate David on a spiffy new ‘gig’:  the first-ever ‘Fashion Artist in Residence’ at the überglamorous Claridges Hotel for a year.  David will be drawing some of their stellar guests, and the portraits will be displayed. 

     Erin O’Connor (pictured here) and the divine seventysomething supermodel Carmen Dell’Orefice have already dropped in to clink glasses and offer their congratulations.  We’d like to add ours.

     In fact, we’re very much hoping David will invite us up to his suite, to see his etchings.

     Literally, in this case…

David Downton's website is www.daviddownton.com, or click here

It's curtains for bathrooms

     If you're tight on space but have always wanted an en suite bath, here's a Friday inspiration for you - the latest in our series of beautiful pampering spaces.
     Here, this flat's owner has curtained off a corner of an L-shaped room, plumbed in a tub - and hey, presto!  A seriously soak-worthy nook.
     What we also like, here:  the brown velvet upholstered chair.  (Just drape with  towel when sitting to dry yourself/apply body lotion/self-tanner.)  The rolled towels, in the country store basket, within easy reach.  And the eminently copyable bath rack:  take a plank of driftwood, for stowing soap/sponge/pumice etc.
     Then just prop up a gorgeous picture that you'd like to sit in the bath and stare at.  And do just that.
     Once again, we're grateful to the fab decorating blog The Decorista for this - a must-visit for inspiration whether you're doing up a corner of your bedroom, or a whole house.
     Happy pampering, you beauties.

The Decorista - click here

Hail to halal, vegan cosmetics!

     More power to Miranda Bond’s beautifully-moisturised elbow.  She’s the dynamo behind Inika, the glam Aussie eco-brand which started with mineral make-up (made of Australia, not just in Australia, they like to boast) – and is now a full range of colour cosmetics.

     Inika’s big Down Under.  It’s well-loved here, too.  But interestingly, where this collection’s really going down a tropical storm is the Middle East, because the whole lot's certified 100% halal by the Australian Federation of Islamic Council.  (Since every veil-wearing woman we’ve ever known has turned out to be impeccably made-up, under their burkha, so this is a very big market indeed.)

     What’s more, the whole Inika range is also certified cruelty-free and certified vegan, by the UK Vegan Society.  Bunny-lovers, dairy-avoiders - and any beauty-hound, actually - should check out the range, including this fab Bronzing Essentials Kit (complete with stripy summer tote), which you can find here.

     It’s free from everything, basically.  Except glamour.

www.inikacosmetics.co.uk

Face Time with Brooke Shields

We don’t mind if you’re (occasionally) unfaithful.

     There are some terrific blogs out there, and we consider it our duty to alert you to interesting postings.

     One that’s worth watching, we think, is the New York Times’s ‘T’ Magazine blog, which includes occasional Face Time interviews with, yes, famous faces.  It’s basically an on-line snoop through their bathroom cabinet/make-up bag, with beauty philosophy and health wisdom thrown in.

     We were definitely taken with this interview with Brooke Shields (by Tina Turnbow, who also took the picture).  Beautiful woman, Brooke.

     Think she's a little, um, overdone, here...?

     That's because she's made up as Morticia Addams, for The Addams Family Musical, on Broadway.  (A rather over-excited Jo has tickets for this in October, when she'll be in New York herself.)  Brooke talks about how spinning, yoga and dancing keep her in shape.  'Then there is this workout routine called "being in a Broadway show"', she adds, 'which is the best workout ever.'  (Not one we're ever likely to be able to try, alas.)

     Brooke also lets on that she's a fan of Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream.  And lots more.  And there's a run-down of make-up must-haves, should you wish to recreate the rather wonderful, uber-vampy Morticia 'look', yourself.

     Faithfully, of course...

   

To read Face Time, click here

     

     

Feel better about your crowded class...

Been to yoga this morning?  (We love an 8 a.m. class, ourselves.)

     Almost knocked your neighbour out with your extended toe, in Reclining Twist?

     Well, we thought you'd like to see this photo of a real-life yoga class, staged in New York's Times Square, with hundreds of students resting in savasana (Corpse pose).

     Actually, we've been to classes in L.A. and London which are almost this crowded. 

     Indoors.

     So in future, if you ever feel that you 'need more space' in a yoga studio, meditate on this photo.

     We think you'll instantly feel like you have all the room in the world, for your practice.

     

A really simple (clever) idea

Nowadays, cosmetics come 'date-stamped':  in teeny-tiny writing on the outer packaging, there's a little symbol on skincare (and make-up) which says how long a product will keep, after opening.
     The challenge is:  can any of us really remember...?
     Not us, for sure.  (Hard enough to keep up with the current flurry of birthdays, never mind when we first dipped a finger in an eye cream...)
     So, a clever suggestion from Real Simple - the very excellent US magazine and website, which is all about simplifying and organising and generally living a meaningful life.  (We're regular readers.)
     When you first use a product - foundation, moisturiser, mascara and more - affix a little sticker to the bottom and write the date on it.  That way you can track the month and year, and ditch products when they're past their 'use-by date'.
     We'd go further, suggesting that you also note down the number of months that a product's said to be good for by the manufacturers.
     Better safe than pink-eyed, eh...?

Real Simple is at www.realsimple.com

Blissful bathrooms. (A continuing series...)

As you know, we love to bring you a gorgeous bathroom for the weekend.  And this so-glamorous example is courtesy of a favourite interiors blog, Everything Fabulous.   
     A few details caught our eye, here.  Mostly, the clever idea of a walk-in glass-panelled double shower, behind the bath.  The mirrored table with silver-potted orchid, next to the bath.  And the scented candle.  Just dim the halogens and bathe by flickering candlelight.  While soaping yourself with a big, squishy natural sponge.
     And drying yourself on a monogrammed towel.  Naturally.
     Lots of ideas to steal, even on a budget.  (Trade tiles for marble, and start from there.)
     Besides, what's wrong with dreaming?
     Isn't that what baths are for...?

PS  For Everything Fabulous, click here.

Self-tanning: a laughing matter. (Official.)

In a sea of dreary press releases, sometimes there's one that really makes us smile.  Laugh out loud, even.  Oh, OK, then:  snort our decaf cappuccinos out of our nostrils...!
     The names of the tanning products from so-affordable Anatomicals did that for us, this week - so we thought we'd share with you the 'Tan Commandments' their PR company, Sparkle, sent to us.
     So: enjoy.  (Actually, the 'commandments' are jolly good in themselves, and worth following.)
     And to find Anatomicals Tanatomicals products themselves - including Because Only Bacon Should Be Streaky self-tanner - click on the link below.
     Us?  We're still mopping the desk.

Click here to find Tanatomicals on-line at www.asos.com

How to find your nearest facial. (And blow-dry.)

Ever been stuck in un unfamiliar city and needed a blow-dry?
     Arrived in Cornwall and realised, to your horror:  you just didn't get round to that bikini wax...?
     Or simply wanted to find out which hair/beauty/spray tan salons are when you're travelling?  (Or, come to that, what may be around the corner from your home/office that you didn't know about...)
     mylocalsalon is a free App with an easy-to-use interface which lets iPhone or iPad users track down beauty treatments.  It's not 100% comprehensive, but it's certainly a starting point, when you're on unfamiliar territory.  (New locations are being added all the time, we're told.)
     And a definite bonus:  when you do find a salon, you can book via the App.  So there's no need for your entire commuter train carriage to hear you fixing a time for your Brazilian...

Find it at the iTunes store here

PS  Have you downloaded our own bestselling Beauty Bible iPhone App, yet?  Beauty Bible Beauty Steals is priced £1.79, with regular free updates, bringing you the affordable products that our testers really rate - and letting you buy, at the swipe of a finger.  As one happy reader put it:  'The only App I've ever paid for, and worth every penny!' Find it here

It's cocktail hour at Trevor Sorbie

Nothing like an iced cocktail on a hot summer's day.

     So we thought you ought to know that when you book any hair treatment at Trevor Sorbie's salons this summer, you'll be treated to a complimentary cocktail.  

     At Covent Garden, it's a Cosmopolitan.  Hampstead has a Martini on offer.  (Shaken or stirred?  It's up to you.)  In Manchester, you'll cool down with a Mojito.  And what else but a fruity Sea Breeze would be sip-tastic at Trevor Sorbie's Brighton salon...?

     Now, we're constantly encouraging readers to go for regular shine-boosting treatments.

     Just never thought of bribing you with alcohol.

     So:  clever Trevor.  (Though if you're teetotal, like Sarah, we're sure they'll mix you up a 'mocktail'.)

www.trevorsorbie.com

Have an Appy picnic

     Grab your SPF and head outdoors.  

     Because we believe that all food tastes better outside, we want to tell you about this fab Great British Picnics iPhone App - free to download - which has almost everything you need for the perfect picnic.  Except the food.  (And even then, there are recipes for Blanket Banquets.)

     You'll be pointed in the direction of Great British Picnic Spots, from family feasts to romantic retreats.  (You can also upload your own recommendations.)

     At the swipe of a finger, you can check on the weather.

     There's a Farm Shop Finder, so you can pick up the freshest local bits and pieces on the way.  And much, much more...

     So:  now who says life's no picnic?

Find the Great British Picnics App at the iTunes Store - just click here

     

Mirror, mirror...

Enjoy the latest in our series of bathroom inspirations.  Because it's Friday.  Because yet again, we've fallen in love with a gorgeous bathroom interior.  (Courtesy of The Decorista's blog.)  And because girls can dream...
    Here's what we're loving.  The inlaid mirrors, hung over the windows rather than on the wall.  (Find similar at Graham & Green.)  The faux bamboo chest of drawers, converted into a double basin.  (A good carpenter and plumber can do this for you.)  We even like the sinuous brass statuettes on the bathroom counter.
    Oh, and the pouffe.  Adore a velvet pouffe!
    But even if your own bathroom is more Homebase than haute couture, we wish you a pamperingly gorgeous weekend, from Beauty Bible...

You can't hold a candle to Roja (well, you can)

Roja Dove, Professeur de Parfums...  We are not worthy, we are not worthy...
     He's taught us more about fragrance than any other 'nose' we've met.
     He's helped to transform the fragrance landscape, reviving interest in niche brands at his Haute Parfumerie in Harrods.  (Any day now, we'll also have some other Big Scent News from Roja.)
     And now, he's launched the most divine scented candles ever to fragrance the air in the Beauty Bible offices.
     We'll grant you, they’re (slightly) an arm and a leg, price-wise – but we’ve found the scents waft so powerfully that after even a few minutes, these candles have pumped scent into a room’s furthest corners, and can be extinguished.  (The wax burns evenly for ‘at least 45 hours’, Roja promises - though, actually, we think that’s a serious understatement.)

     What we also very much like is the spiffy gold lid.  (That fluff that gathers on an unlit candle’s less-than-attractive, wouldn’t you agree…?)

     As for the scents themselves?  Our first love was Neroli, closely followed by Jasmine (both incredibly authentic).  But we’re also swooning for the more ‘grounding’ fragrances – Vetiver, Patchouli, Labdanum – which are generally harder to find in candle format. 

     And if the man in your life/house ever whinges about the girliness of scented candles, he might just – thanks to Roja – find those worthy.  Of a flicker of interest...

    

At Harrods and www.rojadove.com

Don't just eat your greens. Apply them...!

Gotta show you this.  Never seen the like.  An entirely 'fresh' approach to anti-ageing, you could call it.
     What you do is buy a pot of Biotherm Skin.Ergetic Anti-Fatigue Concentrate.  Then, when you're ready to start using it, take off the original pipet/cap and screw on the 'broccoli' bit, which is contained in the white cap.
     Click the cap to release the potent botanicals, shake - and you're ready to apply this face-waking serum.  Actually, this D-I-Y 'booster element' features a powerful blend of active ingredients derived from botanicals:  not just broccoli, but apple cells, soy extract and some citrus-derived AHAs, for a formulation that's 99% natural.
     We have a hunch you'll be seeing more of these 'two-step' products, where you activate the actives yourself, to keep them fresh and maintain optimum potency.  
     Just remember:  you still find it in the beauty department, not on the fruit and veg counter.

At Biotherm counters or www.boots.com, by clicking here

A Grand (Central Station) idea...

To all our American readers:  Happy Independence Day.
     We're all for independence.  It's one reason we like Aesop, the botanically-inspired beauty brand which ploughs its own furrow.
     Great-looking stores.  Innovative product ingredients.  (We're rather taken with their new Parsley Seed Cleanser.)  Very eco.  And always surprising us with intelligent quotes on their press releases.  (The latest, from Buckminster Fuller:  'There is nothing in a caterpillar that tells you it's going to be a butterfly.')
     Another Aesop plus-point:  they're always thinking outside the (recycled) box. Which is why, if you commute to Grand Central Station (or you happen to live within sniffing distance, in NYC), you might want to check out their Aesop kiosk, which opened on 1st July in the Graybar Passage, so that you can pick up your skincare along with your New York Times.
     Now that's what we really do call beauty-on-the-go...

www.aesop.com

Kiehl's on wheels at this summer's festivals...!

Tent.  Wellies.  Denim shorts.  Sunscreen.  Pasmina.  Flip-flops.  The ready-for-any-meteorological-action festival packing list grows ever longer...
     But if you're Cornbury-bound this weekend - or planning a trip to any of the festivals listed below - you can leave everything but your toothbrush and toothpaste at home, sponge-bag-wise.
     Because Kiehl's has collaborated with the lovely Lily Allen and her Lucy in Disguise label to create a  special edition canvas tote bag - part of a kit that also offers travel sizes of five iconic products, includng Crème de Corps and   Ultra Facial Moisturiser SPF15 and Lip Balm #1.  
     Even more excitingly, wannabe-festival-beauties should look out for the Kiehl's Airstream:  one of those so-covetable silver caravans, which the New York brand's converted into a beauty haven.  Think:  shiatsu massages and express facials.
     No mud treatments?  We guess that depends on the forecast...

Festival schedule (you can click on any name to read more about each festival):

Cornbury:  July 1st - 3rd
Lounge on the Farm - July 8th - 11th
Port Eliot - July 20th - 24th
Camp Bestival - July 29th - 31st

PS  If you prefer to watch your festivals on a 37" TV screen from the comfort of your sofa, meanwhile, you can also find the Fresh-tival kit and tote on the Kiehl's website:  www.kiehls.co.uk, or click here.  And on the website, you also have the chance to win a year's supply of Kiehl's:  click here to enter.