Taking a little blog break...

You see, Sarah's on her honeymoon.
     Amy's on holiday.
     And annoyingly, Jo's broken her wrist.  (Again.)
     So we'll be reappearing here as soon as we can, but to ensure a regular beauty fix, do check out our daily Beauty Bible Loves blog, here, for all our latest fave raves...
     Would we let our beauty-hounds down...?
    

We're sure you wish Sarah every happiness...

The weekend has almost arrived.

     And tomorrow afternoon, what Jo and our friend Gill Sinclair at Victoria Health labelled Sarah's 'Big Fat Horsey Wedding' takes place.  

     Not unsurprisingly, Sarah's got better things to do than upload blog postings, so Jo and Amy have sneaked this one in.

     Along with a photo of what we're guessing the bridesmaids will be wearing. (We found it on our new social network guilty pleasure, Pinterest.  Also known as:  how to fritter away the rest of your life in a truly pleasurable, albeit entirely shallow, way...)

     So we'd just like to wish Sarah and Alex every happiness, from the rest of the Beauty Bible team.

     You so deserve it!

     And yes, we've packed hankies.  

     Er, and pony nuts...

And this is true shower power!

Yes, please.
     Oh, yes, pretty-please.
What we wouldn't give to be whisked to somewhere we could bathe, semi-al fresco, beneath a shower head like this.  (We're reliably informed it's one of Zucchetti's LED-illuminated shower heads.)
     Can Beauty Bible Bathroom Bliss get - well, more blissful...?
     Perhaps if George Clooney was just out of shot on the left.
     But otherwise, we're not sure.
     And with that thought, we wish you happy bathing.

PS  Normally we share a fabulous bathing interior - or in this case, exterior - just before the weekend.  But watch this space for a rather special posting, on Friday...!

What Jo did in Corsica...!

It's just a week to go till The Chelsea Flower Show - and there's one particular garden we're looking forward to visiting.
     It's the L'Occitane Immortelle Garden, where designer Peter Doyle has recreated the Corsican maquis, where a very special flower grows: 'Immortelle', a.k.a. the 'flower that never dies', which also happens to be the key ingredient in their Divine Cream - not just the top-scoring miracle product in our book The Anti-Ageing Beauty Bible, but the highest we've ever had in that category to date.
     So it made sense for Jo to follow the journey of Immortelle from field-to-jar:  from Corsica to Provence, L'Occitane's home, where it's transformed into powerfully anti-ageing skin treats, and where she also met the company's inspiring founder, Olivier Baussan.  You can watch Jo's little 'movie', here (and we'll let you know when Part 2 is 'live'.)
     Meanwhile for a bit of fun, do also check out the 'Explore the Garden' page:  click here to visit - then click on different features for a preview of what the garden will look like.
     Though what a picture can never convey is the amazing, aromatic scent of what's now become one of Jo's favourite plants...

www.loccitane.co.uk

Bathroomtastic!

Today's Beauty Bible Bathroom Bliss is for anyone who finds tiled bathroom floors a bit 'brrrrrrr'.  (That means us.)
     We're loving the polished wood platform.
     The Dutch Arts & Crafts dresser, for displaying lotions and potions.
     And who needs a towel rail when you have a distressed vintage chair to stack your white fluffiness on...?
     Have a wonderful weekend soak, wherever you're spending it...

Suds of change...?

As 'greenies' from way back, we travel with our own soaps.
     But even we're sometimes caught out and are guilt-struck by having to use those mini hotel soaps - which are technically designed for one stay, but in reality would last most people a week.
     So we're super-thrilled to hear about the Global Soap Project, set up in the States to collect and recycle soap from over 600 US hotels and counting, sending it to communities in the developing world (especially across Africa) who have sanitation problems, and little access to a commodity we all take for granted.
     A pat on the back, for sure, to hotel groups like Hilton, Wyndham, Marriott and more for getting with the soap programme.
    But what we'd really like, now, is for some enterprising Beauty Bible devotee to set up the UK arm of Global Soap Project...!

www.globalsoap.org

Thanks, waitress - and here's an extra fiver...

Another reason for finding your perfect red lipstick...
     Sarah just stumbled across a study (published in the International Journal of Hospitality Management and carried out by the University de Bretagne-Sud) which reveals that waitresses who wore red lipstick encouraged bigger tips from male patrons.  (Though not from females - surprise, surprise...!)
     Sounds sexist.  Maybe a bit controversial, too.
     But since red lipstick is all about enhancing a secondary sexual characteristic (the lips themselves), it's probably just hard-wired into men's DNA, in some way.  
     Fascinating, whatever.  And a good opportunity for us to share our favourite-ever red-lipstick-selection secret.  Which is to try shades on the pads on the inside of the fingertips, since they're are closest in colour to the lips themselves.
     So:  thanks to Mary Greenwell, for the kind of red lipstick tip everyone - not just waitresses - can take advantage of...!
     

Our blonde ambition...

... is for a dressing table like this.

     We bring you:  Jean Harlow at her Hollywood toilette.

     We're insanely jealous of the fringed dressing table.  And the matching pouffe!  And there's a woman who understood what good lighting can do for a gal.

     Not to mention the power of an ostrich-feather-trimmed negligée.

     Wouldn't ANY make-up or skincare feel more glamorous, applied at a table like this?  Even Oxy-10, for heaven's sake!
     Swoon, swoon, swoon...

It's time for a tiara...!

Actually we WILL be wearing tiaras this afternoon because it's - well, the closest Sarah's getting to having a hen party before her wedding later this month.
     Our friend the lovely Gill Sinclair from Victoria Health is very kindly hosting Sarah's 'Tiara Tea' and we'll be bringing along our own tiaras from a previous celebration...!  (Faux, not real...)
     However, if you don't happen to own your own tiara yet, you might want to slip into Selfridges between now and the Diamond Jubilee, where (aptly enough) they're opening a pop-up Tiara and Queen shop, showcasing a selection of fabulous tiaras - fake and genuine - at all prices.
     We adore tiaras because they're incredibly flattering, actually.  Can quite understand why HM gets hers out at any opportunity.
     And after all, we are on record as suggesting that to brighten your day, you even do the vacuuming while wearing one!
     Never mind for sipping on a cup of Lapsang or nibbling a dainty cucumber sandwich...
   
   
     

Cosmetic Executive Wonderwoman

If you read yesterday's YOU Magazine, you'll have seen the coverage of this year's Cosmetic Executive Women (UK) Awards, with 'gongs' going to names like Clarins, Balance Me, Estée Lauder, St. Tropez - 26 categories, in all, including Best British Brand for Molton Brown, and Most Revolutionary Beauty Product in the Past 20 Years for Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish.  (Now, there's a surprise...!)
     Do click here for the full coverage (and here for Liz's excited blog!)
     CEW - our industry's networking and mentoring organisation - wouldn't be what it is today, though, without its tireless President, Caroline Neville.
     So we thought we'd share yesterday's We Heart Sundays feature on The Urban Retreat Beautique's website, where this elegant, hard-working, eternally charming former PR executive - who, incidentally, it's almost completely impossible to say 'no' to - reveals her top health and beauty tips, alongside other secrets.
     We hope after last week Caroline's slipped off her Ferragamos and has her feet up today.
     Though we sincerely doubt it...!

www.cewuk.co.uk

   
   
   

Now this is REAL Bathroom Bliss!

As regular readers know, Friday is Beauty Bible's day for featuring swoonworthy bathrooms.  
     But this takes it to a whole new level.   
     Ignore the fact that the bath and the very bathroom itself seem to be constructed out of breezeblocks.
     Who wouldn't want to be topless in a tub with Steve McQueen and a bottle of wine...?  (You wouldn't catch us making a great escape from that scenario...)
     Happy Friday.
     And happy fantasising, from us.

The truth about lead in lipstick. (Definitively.)

We get lots of e-mails from women worried about lead levels in lipstick.
     As we've said before, beauty companies don't intentionally put it there as an ingredient, but lead contaminates many elements on the planet we live in (including the air - though much less so since unleaded petrol was introduced).
     We happened upon this brilliant chart the other day, which puts the risks into proportion, and actually compares lipstick levels to those in bottled water.
     The visual's a bit teensy-wee to read on our site, but if you're interested, here's the link on a rather good natural beauty site in the US that we stumbled across called Fig & Sage.
     Something to chew over, for sure...
    

Aveda's still Lighting the Way

There's a week left of Earth Month.  As authors of The Green Beauty Bible, we've been taking our cloth bags to the grocery store, upcycling old jewellery and turning into fanatical light turner-offers.  (Even more so than usual.)  Hope you have, too.
     An easy-peasy way to show you care, meanwhile, is to buy an Aveda Light The Way Candle.  Every year, these are sold to raise funds for the Global Greengrants Fund, to improve awareness of the need for clean water around the world.
     $16 million's been raised in just five years, with over 26,000 individuals benefiting from wells and water infrastructure.  At the same time, 3,000 women have been trained in community environmental management.
     As for the candle itself:  soy-based, it smells gorgeously Aveda-esque, with its stress-easing blend of clary sage, lavender and lavendin, sourced in Provence.  And the glass container's made from the 100% recycled bottoms of drinks bottles.
     From the £16 price of each candle, £13.33 goes to the Fund.  (The other bit goes to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, in VAT.)
     Now, wouldn't it be nice if he did his bit for Earth Month, and threw the VAT into the pot...?
     That's just the kind of low-energy-lightbulb moment that could make a world of difference.  

Stockists/0870-034 2380
Find Aveda on Facebook - click here
Find the Light The Way Candle at www.aveda.co.uk by clicking here
     

You can't beat the blues...

If you get our drift.
      We're wallowing in this week's Beauty Bible Bathroom Bliss offering (courtesy of the Design Crew blog, a new bloglove of ours).
     Imagine climbing out of the cool blue ocean and straight into this tub (preferably infused with a slug of Aromatherapy Associates Deep Relax. Now, that really does beat the blues...!)
     Personally, we'd move the coffee table within reach.  And put something chilled and white on it.  (No, we're definitely not talking about a polar bear here.)
     What could be more perfect for the weekend?  So, from us:  have a great one, wherever you're wallowing...
     

Calling all perfumistas

Unashamedly, we're a team of iPhone devotees, here at Beauty Bible Towers.
     However, we do get pleading e-mails requesting news of Apps for those of you who are Android-lovers.
     To be honest, they're thin on the ground - but we thought you'd like to know that iPerfumer - the most useful perfume search App we've yet found - is now available for Android phones, too.  It's been tweaked so that it's easier to use, and also allows you to create a Wishlist for friends/family, which will certainly make it a surer bet that you get a scent you like when your birthday next swings around.
     The iPhone version also offers those new features.  (Download either version here.)
     Because we're reliably informed that there's no truth in the rumour that all Android-users simply wear Thierry Mugler Alien...
    
www.givaudan.com

Sarah's HFMA Health Journalist of the Year!

Cue rubbing of fingernails on collar, somewhere in Dorset...
     She's too modest to announce it herself, but the rest of us at Beauty Bible want to shout from the rooftops that Sarah (Stacey) has been awarded the HFMA's Health Journalist of the Year Award. (That's short for Health Food Manufacturers Association, and the award is seriously prestigious...)
     It's recognition, of course, for the weekly Health Notes Sarah writes for the Mail on Sunday's YOU Magazine (you can read them archived here, on our website).
     Past winners have included Dr. Sarah Brewer, Dr. Tom Stuttaford, Amanda Ursell, Jennifer Harper-Deacon and Michael van Straten, so she's in seriously good company!
     HFMA Chairman Martin Last praised Sarah's 'dedication, knowledge and support' as he presented her with her gong.
     Of course, we knew it all along.  But so lovely for Sarah to have it recognised...!
     And if she wasn't teetotal, we'd be insisting on champagne.
   
www.hfma.co.uk

Wall-to-wall gorgeousness

For Friday's Beauty Bible Bathroom Bliss, here's evidence that a sprauncier bathroom needn't break the bank.  (Thanks to The Decorista, for this.)
     Simply slap on a few coats of a Christian Dior-ish soft grey paint.
     Create a picture wall (the key is to use similar frames - and we've seen lots like this in Zara Home).
     Add a bold, patterned skirt to your pig-ugly basin, and hang a gorgeous mirror.
     Add a funky light...
     ... And invite your friends round for a loo-warming!

www.thedecorista.com

Minimalist wisdom from Laura Mercier

We couldn't agree more with this nugget from Laura Mercier, someone we've spent a lot of time with over the years (and someone we have a lot of time for...)
     Why, just this weekend, we were trawling through yet more rubbishy YouTube make-up videos, transfixed as a teen 'expert' smothered her whole face (every last pore!) with lavishly brushed-on foundation.
     Laura's wisdom, by contrast, is (as above):  that each of us should only use what we need.  Which means, in terms of foundation:  just a touch of base, judiciously applied on - say - redness, dark circles, uneven patches.  (Or Laura's legendary, bestselling Secret Camouflage concealer, if extra coverage is needed...)
     Now as it happens, each Sunday, a bulletin from The Urban Retreat Beautique plops into our inbox.  And this last edition featured a lovely interview with Laura about her fave raves.  If you click here, you can discover her favourite Sunday lunch spot, top health tip - and what's inside her handbag.
     Which turns out to be surprisingly little.
     But then, as Laura says, less is often more...

Click here to sign up for The Urban Retreat's weekly update

Now find out what we're loving - every weekday...

Fact: the bit of our website that readers love the most is our We Love... section, featuring our fave raves.
     So recently, we had a 'eureka' moment. We may not be able to update our www.beautybible.com website every single day - but there are certainly enough gorgeous products around to fill an entire product-focused daily blog.  So that's just what we started.
     The name says it all:  Beauty Bible Loves.  Because it only features products we genuinely, truly and honestly love.  Haircare, bodycare, make-up, nails, and so on.  Of course, we bring to each review 45 years of experience, and our in-depth knowledge of the industry.
     And what's more, because we know from feedback that you really want to read about things when you can get your hands on them, we focus on new launches as they become available (not months and months in advance) - as well as long-term favourite classics we've 'rediscovered'.
     This blog you're reading - which has always been news- and trend-based - will continue, three days a week.  But on Beauty Bible Loves, we're sharing the love daily from Monday to Friday.  (Find it here.)
     Of course, we know only too well how hard it is to keep up with blogs. So our tip is to sign up to Bloglovin - the easiest way to access all your favourite blogs, in one convenient place.
     We very much love that, too...

www.beautybibleloves.com

And now, the egg-shaped bathtub...!

How better to wish our readers Happy Easter than - yes! - an egg-shaped tub, as this week's perfect example of Beauty Bible Bathroom Bliss.  (Courtesy of a quirky home site called Design Rumakhu.)
     Have a great choc-fest, from us.
     And watch this space for some very exciting new blog news...!
     We're calling it:  The New Blogging.

A beautiful mess...

How does your make-up drawer look...?
     Go on, be truthful.
     We have to admit there are times we're very glad The Make-Up Police hasn't descended on us lately.
     Spring, of course, is  the perfect time of year for a cosmetics clear-out.  And we wanted to share with you how one funky young woman organises her make-up drawer:  with empty berry boxes, and pretty pastel cups.
     It obeys the Law of Perfect Organisation:  like with like.
     And we'll bet it didn't cost the author of The Beautiful Mess blog, Elsie Larson, a penny.
     Just a rainy Saturday afternoon, maybe.
     For more rainy Saturday afternoon projects, do check out Elsie's blog, devoted to 'Pretty things to make and wear'.  It may be targeted at women a fraction of our age, but it's a cheerful, enchanting read.
     And it's certainly inspired us to roll up our sleeves and organise our lipsticks.  Which can only be a good thing.

For The Beautiful Mess, click here

PS  If you think we're having a bloggy moment this week, just you wait till next week...!

Kay Montano is now blogtastic...

Kay Montano launches beauty blog

beauty | media news

Kay Montano is one of Beauty Bible's Most Respected.  A fantastic professional, a generally gorgeous woman and truly a fount of all make-up wisdom.
     So we're delighted to bring you news of her new(ish) blog - subtitled 'Adventures in make-up and other stories' - where she showcases interviews (not just beauty goddesses but people like shoe designer Georgina Goodman), gives insights on how to become a make-up artist, and features her latest finds (on The Weekly Kaydar).
     We also love any make-up artist who features a Man Ray photo (of Lee Miller, see above) a 'splash' picture from the Indian Holi festival to illustrate a story on Spring Brights, and - yay!!!! - Sam McKnight's Sticky Gingerbread recipe!!!
     Because there's more to life than beauty, even for the most dedicated makeupophile. 
     There is, after all, also cake.

Just because we're full of the joys of spring...

... Couldn't resist sharing this extraordinary chandelier with you, 'upcycled' out of test tubes and filled with wild flowers, and designed by Pani Jurek.  (We found it on Trendland's deeply fab and groovy site.)
     What's it got to do with beauty...?
     It's beautiful, isn't it...?  (And we are the authors of The Green Beauty Bible, after all.)
     Have a lovely spring day...

How do we love this? Let us count the ways...

Today:  a glimpse of rustic chic, for the latest bit of Beauty Bible Bathroom Bliss.
     Can't tell you how much we adore this.  From the distressed barn board walls to great-grandpa's gilt-framed portrait...
     The lantern, and the rusty urns...
     If we're not much mistaken, that's even a headless statue, on the left.
     And of course, invitingly, we really really really like the claw-footed tub.  (Thanks are in order to The Decorista for sharing this...)
     We're not sure we'd like to bathe here every single day of our lives.  But stylish, or what...?
     So we're soakin' it up.

www.thedecorista.com

End this salon scandal!

We're horrified.
     As most of you know, we're all for sustainability in the beauty industry. So naturally, we were appalled to discover that 70% of salons and spas in the Birmingham area are throwing away glass, plastic, card and paper, with the rest of their trash.
     Though the study only covered the Midlands, we've a hunch it applies to the rest of the country, too.  Indeed, it's estimated that each year, as much as 43 million litres of recyclable waste are headed straight from salons to landfill.
     And even when some salons do recycle, it's down to the efforts of their own staff, who take waste to recycling bins themselves.  (Illegal, in some places.  Though commendable, as far as we're concerned...!)
     Three cheers, then, for BeautyRecycled:  a non-profit campaign started by beauty therapists in the Midlands who are as outraged as we are.  They've put together a 'pink to green' pack which outlines how spas and salons can recycle.
     What Beauty Bible is asking you to do is put pressure on the hairdressers, the beauty salons and spas that you visit to do more to recycle.  And sign up to BeautyRecycled.
     Currently, the situation's rubbish.  But if we all join together to help bring out change, that would be a beautiful thing indeed.

www.BeautyRecycled.org
Twitter:     @beautyrecycled
Facebook:  Search for Beauty Recycled

Bravo for Caudalie!

We've been rather fond of Caudalie since we were first charmed by Matilde Thomas and her husband Bertrand, who were inspired to create their range by Matilde's farmily's vineyard, near Bordeaux.

     But they now deserve a serious pat on the (well-moisturised) backs for signing up to 1% for the Planet, an organisation whose members pledge to donate 1% of all takings - that's takings, not profit (and there's an all-important difference) - to environmental causes.  

     There are already 1,500 eco-responsible companies on board (and not enough beauty brands, in our humble opionion). Caudalie's packaging is already 50% recycled, they're working to develop sustainable sources of palm oil, and support reforestation of the Amazon rainforest.

     If that isn't worth raising a glass of Chateau Smith Haut-Lafite for, we don't know what is...!

www.caudalie.com

www.onepercentfortheplanet.org

The secrets of healthy ageing

So who's the geezer?
     That's our mate, health writer Jerome Burne, actually.  And he gets to star on our blog because we need to share news of a free talk Jerome's giving in London based on the wisdom in his new book - called, um, The 10 Secrets of Healthy Ageing, co-written with another chum of ours, Patrick Holford.  (We keep vitamin-powered company, us.)  
     As Jerome puts it, 'As part of grown-up life, there are various things you learn, whether it's looking after your finances, learning to cook or becoming a parent.  Maintaining your health and preparing for a healthy old age should be a similar life skill...'
     We couldn't have put it better ourselves (and that's essentially why we wrote our own anti-ageing oeuvre, of course).
     The free 'evening salon' is to be held in London on Monday 2nd April, and you can click here to book tickets via the www.high50.com website.
     And do say 'hi' to Jerome, from Jo and Sarah...!

Find The 10 Secrets of Healthy Ageing on Amazon, here

And now, the butch bathroom!

We have male readers.
     Truly, we do!  (In fact, we'd like to dedicate this post to Jason Ellis, who we don't know from a bar of Bronnley, but who 'Likes' our every Facebook posting.  Which is much appreciated, Jason!)
     So for once, we thought we'd share with you a distinctly male bathroom (as found on www.desiretoinspire.net).  To illustrate the divide between the sexes, as much as anything.
     Where is the pile of fluffy towels...?
     The shelf for cosmetics?
     Er, the cosmetics...?
     And the deep, inviting tub to soak in...?
     As you can tell, this industrial-chic space is not exactly to our taste. But the world would be boring if everyone was the same.  (And we've slightly enlivened it, in our imaginations, by imagining Michael Fassbender swaggering virilely towards us across the concrete...)
     Have a wonderful weekend.
     In which the only drenching you get is in your own shower room!

www.desiretoinspire.net

A better, bigger magazine

Beauty comes in all shapes and sizes.
     So we welcome the first print edition of SLiNK - subtitled 'Styling your curves and fashioning your life'.
     In other words, it's not for the size zeros of this world, but stands up for the many curvier and gorgeous women out there, with fashion stories, beauty, travel and (naturally!) a recipe or two.  (We believe life's too short not to enjoy food.  End of story.)
     Interestingly, it's also available in several different formats, to fit our different and ever-changing magazine-reading lifestyles.  You can get it for your iPad, as a .pdf or - for good, old-fashioned bedtime browsing - for the first time as a real-life glossy magazine!
     It's a big improvement on what's been available previously.
    
www.slinkmagazine.com

Nutrition rocks!

We've waited a long time for a headline like that.
    Even though as far as Beauty Bible is concerned:  nutrition does absolutely 'rock'.  We are what we eat.  And we know from talking to oh, just about a gazillion women over the years, that a woman's skin is what she eats, too.
    Funny,  then, that we still often encounter glazed expressions at the mention of the word.
    But f you've ever been in any doubt that nutrition can be fascinating, useful - even life-changing! - then you might want to attend one of the upcoming Nutrition Rocks Saturday workshops at the so-sexy St. Martin's Lane Hotel, pictured here.  They're led by Hala El-Shafie (she is, among other things, nutritionist to Meg Mathews and Davina McCall, as well as being resident nutritionist on ITV's This Morning), and are all about encouraging women to eat better for health.  (And develop a more positive body image, at the same time.)
     What's more, the workshops bring together celebrity make-up artists and fashion stylists to add a distinctly groovy edge to proceedings.
     In other words:  if you find yourself sitting around discussing Black-Eyed Peas, it's as likely to be the band as a form of protein-rich
dried pulse...

www.nutrition-rocks.co.uk

Dates are:

Saturday 14th April
Saturday 5th May
Saturday 3rd June
Saturday 23rd June
Saturday 22nd September
Saturday 20th October
Saturday 17th November
Saturday 1st December
    
     

Give a Helping Hand (Wash)

Love it when this happens.
     Initial supplies of Trilogy's Helping Hand Wash - which raises funds for Child's i-Foundation - sold out, you see.
     Happily, they've got their - er, hands - on further supplies.  And so can you.
     It's the latest in a series of 'beauty-gives-back' projects that Beauty Bible applauds.  All net proceeds from this wash go to the Foundation, which runs projects for abandoned babies and vulnerable mums in Uganda, placing children in loving homes.  (Have a look at the website, here. We kinda defy you not to well up.)
     You've got to hand it to Trilogy for this simple, effective idea.
     Not to mention the simple, effective product.

Find it at www.lovelula.com if you click here
  

A Pukka way to better health

We are great believers in the concept of 'positive health'.
     Meaning:  it's not about waiting till something goes wrong physically or mentally, but working every single day to be the healthiest each of us can be.
     Sebastian Pole, of Pukka Herbs, not only shares that philosophy - but has now distilled his years of wisdom into A Pukka Life.  (Sebastian is a trained practitioner in Ayurveda, Chinese Medicine and yoga, with a clinic in Bath.)
     It covers everything from food to relationships via spiritual wellbeing and the importance of 'stillness'.  (Stillness. Even saying the word makes us feel a bit calmer, on a crazy day...)
     We think you'll find it positively inspiring.

Find it on Amazon by clicking here
  

Rule Victoriana!

For all our 'junketeer' readers:  how often have you walked past a Victorian mirror like this - actually the top of a dresser, we think - and ignored it...?
     But look what can be done with a lick of white paint, and some vintage accessorising.  We found this on the Desire to Inspire blog - a new interiors 'find' or ours which we follow through Bloglovin - and are now on the look-out for something similar, ourselves.
     Looks fab, eh, with the heart prints, and the 'salvaged' basin...?
     We're pleased to share it as our little corner of Beauty Bible Bathroom Bliss, in the run-up to a relaxing weekend.
     May you be perfectly pampered, wherever you are.

www.desiretoinspire.net

Campaigning for a bald Barbie

Just want to add our voices to a rather wonderful campaign.
     Now, we're big fans of Barbie.  (At least, Jo is:  she owned one of the first-ever Mattel dolls, thanks to her New York-based grandparents.)
     Over the years we've watch the world's No. 1 doll morph through many incarnations.  Rock Star Barbie.  Hawaiian Barbie. Rocket Scientist Barbie.  (OK, we're making that one up...)
     But the one we want to see right now is Bald Barbie.  Yes, really.
     We have many, many friends who have lost their hair over the years, either through chemo or alopecia.  So we're totally behind the campaign organised by Jane Bingham (who lost her hair through chemotherapy for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma) and her friend Beckie Sypin (whose own daughter lost her hair) to persuade Mattel to produce a doll that can be given to children struggling with hair loss after treatment.
     It could be produced, they suggest, with a range of accessories such as wigs and scarves.  (And it can be done:  Jane and Beckie were inspired when Mattel produced 'customised' bald barbies for two individual child cancer sufferer.)
     So far, Mattel's resisting the pressure.  But we've signed the petition at change.org to persuade Mattel to go for it.  (And wouldn't it be nice if they also used the doll to help raise funds...?
     Will you join us...?

Sign the e-petition here
  
      

For all you birds of paradise...

Regular Beauty Bible followers will know that teal lips and white eyebrows really aren't our thang.
     But we've always had a sneaking admiration for followers of Illamasqua make-up, who basically consider themselves walking works of art.  (And they are!)
     Well, Illamasqua - now owned by Joe Corre, who's the child of Vivienne Weswood and Malcolm McLaren - has a brand new website with some extraordinary how-to videos.  There's everything from 'Galaxy' nails to their BMX Warrior look (think Leigh Bowery-meets-Marie Antoinette) - which are works of art in themselves...
     And what we would say is that in amidst the kingfisher eyeshadows, the peacock-feather-esque false lashes, the violet blusher and the forest green lipsticks (you've got to love a shade called Apocalips!), there are some seriously wearable 'finds'.  We're raving, for instance, about their new Neutral Palette, which could become the Little Black Dress mainstay of anyone's make-up bag.
     Illamasqua is fun.  It's frivolous.  Just think of it as Dali does make-up, rather than Bobbi Brown.  And besides, wouldn't it be boring if everyone was the same...?

www.illamasqua.com

brighton

For some months the beauty world's been abuzz with news that ubercolourist Josh Wood has a new 'atelier' - in Holland Park - and now we know why half the famous heads in London are making a bee-line for W11.
     With permission from her usual colourist - Susan Baldwin at John Frieda - Jo was 'unfaithful' last week.   Stepped inside the Atelier's discreet black glass frontage, through the inner doors (very Get Smart, those ) to the industrial-style space (see above) - which is filled with plenty of the daylight that's necessary for great haircolour - and placed herself in Josh's expert hands.
     The result?  Brilliantly buttery blonde highlights from Mr. Wood, a terrific blow-dry from Marilyn (and a world-class manicure from the nail technician, which lasted a full week without chipping).
     For Jo's end-of-winter 'thirsty' hair (it's all that central heating), Josh prescribed a scalp exfoliation treatment, and a mega-moisture boost.  (There's a lot of 'fried' hair at this end of winter - and if you don't believe us, look around...)  We very much like the fact that the salon's not aligned to any one brand, cherry-picking the best for every individual, from ranges which span Wella to Léonor Greyl.
     Very definitely an 'A-list' experience.
     And haven't you got to love a man who wears desert boots like these...?

Josh Wood Atelier - 6 Landsdowne Mews, London W11 3AN/020-3393 0977 (that number may look weird for London, but it's right)
www.joshwoodcolour.com


     

A beautiful thought for a Monday...

What can we add?  We can only nod, smile, and agree.
     And tell you that this is available as a poster, via Etsy - absolutely our favourite site for unusual hand-made gifts.  (Well, the ones we don't find at the lovely local shops we are both lucky enough to have on our doorsteps...)
     A bientôt!

Find it here at Etsy

In the pink for the weekend

As the creators of a series of rather pink books, we were probably always going to love today's Beauty Bible Bathroom Bliss offering, which we stumbled upon at www.housetohome.co.uk.

     But we're taken not only with the sexy colour of the walls.  (NB  Pink is a super-flattering colour for complexions, should you find yourself holding court in the bath.  Which, in a bathroom like this, you probably ought to...)

     Of course, we're also crazy about the reclaimed copper tub.  But mostly, about the giant plaster foot, which is just so stylish.

     Even if it could use a jolly good Margaret Dabbs medi-pedi.

     Have a great weekend...

www.housetohome.co.uk

The ultimate gift with purchase...?

As regular readers know, we don't usually bother featuring Gifts With Purchase on this site.
     Unless something seriously sexy lands on our desk.
     In this case, with a bit of a thud.  
     The treats tucked into this special limited edition Harvey Nichols make-up bag are (illustrated by Will Broome) are almost too numerous to mention - but highlights include generous travel sizes of Eve Lom Cleanser, Lancôme Visionnaire and Clarins HydraQuench, ESPA 24-Hour Replenishing Moisturiser, Trish McEvoy Eye Base Essentials, YSL Shocking Mascara.  The finishing touch?  A swoosh of Elemis Pro-Radiance Hand and Nail Cream, and a dab of L'Eau de Chloé.
     OK, so you've got to splash out £110 to get your hands on it - but maybe you've some favourites you can stock up on...?
     If so, then get yourself to Harvey Nix from Monday 12th March or find it on their website, also from Monday.
    And it's a while-stocks-last item.
     Which they may not, for very long, looking at this.

www.harveynichols.com

Fancy a Menopause Holiday?

Yes, you read that right.
     And we mean a holiday focusing on the menopause, rather than a holiday from it.  (Alas...)
     We thought you might like to know that the lovely Grayshott Spa is offering a series of Menopause Retreats with the renowned Maryon Stewart, expert in natural alternatives to HRT.
     During this five-day escape you'll learn about foods, exercise, supplements and herbal remedies that can all ease symptoms.
     And of course, being Grayshott, there's a pamper factor:  supportive (and blissful) spa treatments.
     It's suitable for anyone who's hitting perimenopause, in the run-up to menopause, as well as women of un certain age...  The price is £1490 per person, all-inclusive, based on two sharing (although single supplements may be available...)
     According to a recent survey, 91% of women following Maryon's Natural Menopause Plan™ felt significant improvements in their symptoms, within a few months.
     You can also read Maryon's Top Tips for a Healthy Natural Menopause on the Grayshott blog, here...

www.grayshottspa.com
  
     
     

Truly the people's hero product...

Of course there's MORI.  And National Opinion Poll.  But one poll we're always interested in is the result of Dr.Hauschka's annual survey of their customers' No. 1 Fave Rave.
     And - cue drumroll! - here it is.
     Though we're not surprised.  This luscious moisturiser crams the extract of over 1,075 rose petals into each tube - and it smells like it!
     So:  look out for the special gold sleeves announcing the elevation of Rose Day Cream to 2012 Hero Product status.  (And do read the reviews on their own website, here.)
     A beauty hero, indeed.

www.drhauschka.co.uk

Teal tales (in aid of ovarian cancer research)

Teal is one of the hot nail colours du jour.  
     And this month, OPI's Teal The Cows Come Home delivers a little extra feel-good factor:  £1 from the sale of each bottle of this gorgeous shimmering turquoise will go towards Ovarian Cancer Awareness.  This is an illness which is very often misdiagnosed (or even undiagnosed, until it's advanced, which is why ovarian cancer used to be known as 'the silent killer...') 
     Ovarian cancer support network Ovacome also just launched their BEAT campaign:  a useful acronym to help identify symptoms.  ('B' is for bloating that's persistent and doesn't come and go;  'E' is for eating less and feeling fuller;  'A' is for abdominal pain that you feel most days, and 'T' is for:  Talk to your GP.) 
     Find the special bottles of Teal The Cows Come Home at John Lewis or Selfridges or directly from www.lenawhite.co.uk.
     Even if you're not brave enough to paint it onto your fingernails then it's an instantly cheering shade for toes.  Cocooned as they still are under Wolfords.  What we would say is that while we never usually advise painting daring shades like this on fingernails if you're over, oh, about twenty-three, it does give out the message:  I care about this, a bit like a red AIDS awareness ribbon...
     And about that quid?  Every little helps towards the cause.  (And you get to show your fingers - or at the very least, those toes - are on fashion's pulse.)

www.lenawhite.co.uk
www.ovacome.org.uk