Slipping in with my summer posts just before summer comes to an end – I’m nothing if not reliably tardy! I still haven’t done my 2019 sunscreens roundup and I remember setting aside time at the end of April to write that… It’s fortunate that the majority of my summer best buys are actually even more useful…
I did a photoshoot for A Model Recommends (my beauty and fashion website) last week – it was an ad feature for a new clothing brand called AND/OR. I have to say that I was slightly terrified, because I am still very much in “postpartum” mode – there are still bits of black adhesive on my stomach…
This month can mainly be characterised by separation anxiety (mine) and growth spurts (baby’s). Last week I did a three day stint in France followed by a two day stint and I had worked myself up into such a state before I went for the first press trip that I considered flying the baby out with…
The “Cosy Night In” is a theme close to my own heart this year (it’s too much hassle to do anything else, quite frankly) and so I’ve picked out the ultimate presents for people who just want to chill. Preferably next to the fire. With a glass of red wine in hand. I’m following this…
It was bound to happen at some point. That terribly awkward “when are you due?” situation. A question that is fine if you’re pregnant, but really quite soul-destroying if you’re not. My own “situation” has just happened at the Tesco pharmacy counter, of all places. The poor pharmacist. I think that after I walked away…
My designated body parts for testing out dry skin creams are my shins. Without proper care, they go scaly and shiny and weird, and if I wear tights or jeans then the problem escalates and I might even get some itchiness. The latest thick, balm-like body creams for dry skin that meet my approval are…
Oooh, we all need a bit of zing and zest to get us through January, don’t we? Crap weather, dark, chilly mornings and a seemingly endless number of weeks until we get to anything exciting, calendar-wise. (What is the next good event after Christmas? The clocks going forward? When is that? Someone winch me up…
I’m on holiday! Thank God for that! One more week and I’m sure that my head would have exploded. This must have been the busiest “school year” of my life – even more hectic than last year, when I crazily decided to finish my MA at the same time as increasing my workload and negotiating…
Continuing along the whole “health and fitness” vein; some useful beauty products that I take with me to the gym. On video for your entertainment – and boy is it entertaining. Especially if you like the word “moist”, or want to have the mental image of me doing naked bending and stretching burnt into your brains for…
The launch of Aromatherapy Associates’ Deep Relax Balm is great news for me; I’ve often wished that I could enjoy the benefits of the Deep Relax oil blend without having to actually get into the bath or shower. It’s not always convenient to just hop into the tub when you need to de-stress (although I can’t recommend it highly…
I have been meaning to mention this for a while: be careful when using regular cellulite creams last thing at night. I find that they really keep me awake and then I sleep badly! It took me ages to realise that it’s probably the masses of caffeine that’s packed into many of the formulas. You…
Posh gift alert: anything that comes with a wooden honey utensil is posh in my books. A nice added touch! I think that the Almond Coconut Milk range is marvellous – not too ‘totally tropical taste’ as some coconut fragrances can be. There’s a fragrance, a body soufflé and a scrub, and a rather nifty…
There seems to be a rising trend for all things pomegranate – am I right, there, or is it just me? I have asked more than a few people recently about their fragrance and they have all been wearing Jo Malone’s Pomegranate Noir. Crabtree & Evelyn have launched a whole range of pomegranate-y things and…
I was looking forward to the ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’ when I showed this Crabtree & Evelyn set off in the upcoming Gift Guide videos, but then I saw that it was on offer at Escentual so I have quickly cobbled together a post! I have taken a quick snapshot of the vanity case with a…
OK, I’m trying very hard not to scream with excitement about this. There are many levels to my excitement and I shall now attempt to tell you all about them without getting hysterical. 1) Pai, one of my most favourite beauty brands, has launched two gift sets. YES GIFT SETS! With body products. I am…
Slightly surprising discovery of the week: Thierry Mugler’s Angel Body Cream. I’m actually surprised that I like Angel full-stop, because it’s nothing like the fragrances that I normally wear, but I’m even more taken aback by my love for this hulking great pot of body cream. It is HUGE! The box looks as though a small…
I have an unexpected lingerie casting today; I thought I’d share with you my quick preparation routine for getting my bod looking sleek ‘n shiny in a hurry! just waiting for the postman to knock… 1) Dinner the night before: easy on the wheat. I made a gorgeous Italian stew with aubergine, courgette, pepper, red…
Two shower gels have changed my mood over the summer holidays; the first, a grapefruit body wash from Love+Art, has made me feel happy and energised in the mornings. The second, ‘Moody Cow’ by Cowshed, actually helped relieve quite a heavy bout of anxiety! Love+Art’s body wash contains 100% organic essential oils – and…