iPerfumer

I was sent to a press event this morning for work (at The Ivy in London…my job is so hard!) hosted by Givaudan, the French perfume supplier. They’ve just launched a free iPhone app called iPerfumer and after having a quick play with it myself, I thought this might definitely be of interest to you lovely lot. In a nutshell, it’s a recommendation tool – you rate perfumes you love and enter in your preferences (I’m a citrus/floral girl myself), and the app recommends fragrances to you that you haven’t tried based on your profile. Dawn, by Sarah Jessica Parker’s Lovely Collection came in as a top recommendation for me, so obviously I went straight on the hunt for said perfume after the event to see if the tool was on to something. One spritz in Debenhams told me all I needed to know…Dawn by SJP is officially on my wishlist! Along with an iPhone, so I can actually download the app.

So, next time you fancy trying a new fragrance and you don’t have time to spray your way round House of Fraser with a headache, try iPerfumer.

Déjeuner sur l'herbe

Well isn’t this quaint? Jane stopped for a picnic during her French trip that even the Famous Five would be proud of. She wears an old dress from the Next Directory (do, do, do check out their latest collections) and it all looks good enough for a postcard. One question though, where’s the Pimms?

Breton on the Beach

I may or may not have mentioned this before, but clever-clogs Jane is writing a book about a year she spent living on a boat sailing from UK to the south of France when she was younger. She decided to use this particular French vacation as a chance to revisit the old haunts she used to frequent at the time which thinking about it, must be really strange – a lot must have changed in 35 years!

First stop was Camaret-sur-Mer in Brittany, and she stayed at the same hotel (Hotel Vauban) where she spent her 24th birthday! Jane totally embraced the moment and bought a traditional (and oh-so-on-trend) Breton top and enjoyed having the entire Camaret beach to herself one morning too. Check out the white Russell & Bromley pumps pulling the look together.

Globe-Trotter

When I got home from work today, (feeling all fuzzy from my post earlier) I went and caressed my Globe-Trotter for a bit and told it how beautiful it is and how much I love it. Then I decided you need to see it. It's one of the largest sizes you can buy, a going-away present from Dad before I went away for my gap year in New York. What a way to graduate from the Somerset farmlands to the Big Apple!



I absolutely adore everything about my Globey. I can fit everything in it when I'm moving my life around (and trust me, I've moved a lot). It fits shoes, books, clothes, jewellery boxes and as many bottles of girly lotions you could need. It's totally durable - to all those airport baggage handlers, I say, bring it on. Plus, isn't it fabulous?? I know they're expensive, but they're such an investment and so much classier than those Louis Vuitton cases, which are just boring to me now. Hope you like it as much as I do!

Outfit: Hat from Accessorize, playsuit from Liquorice at ASOS, jacket and shoes from New Look.

On Vaycay

Hi you fabulous lot,

Being the trendy little globetrotter that she is, Jane has jetted off to France yet again, so if posts are slow, I’m sorry!

Actually that reminds me, who here has heard of Globe-Trotter luggage? They’re classically designed, handmade pieces of luggage from England, and a bit of a tradition in my family. All of us have at least one piece of Globe-Trotter luggage and I for one love turning up at the airport with one, I always catch people admiring them. One of the great things about them is that they age well – Dad has three pieces he’s had for about twenty years and although they look all beaten up and covered in stickers – they totally scream of a sort of 1940’s, black and white romantic getaway adventure. All one needs is a steam train to run alongside and the picture is pretty much complete! The hard, ash-wood and leather frame will last forever, and they’re really easy to clean if you decide you want to keep the pieces scuff-free. I went to see Wild Target with the boyfriend at the weekend, and although the film itself was REALLY disappointing, I was stoked to see Emily Blunt carrying round a baby blue and white Globe-Trotter throughout most of the film! It’s one of my favourite versions – but you can buy pretty much every shade – from classic black, racing green and brown, to pink, orange, red and cream.

Emily Blunt in Wild Target with a beautiful Globe-Trotter!

Check out the collections and where to buy here.

In the meantime, I had a good flick through the spring/summer 2010 Next Directory catalogue at the weekend – there’s some seriously nice stuff in there for both young twenty-somethings like myself and the gorgeous forty plus girls, I highly recommend having a look! One can request a directory here, or browse the selection of goodies online at http://www.next.co.uk/

Happy Birthday Jane!

Today is a very special day peoples – Jane’s 59th birthday! She celebrated yesterday with my twin bro and as I (sadly) couldn’t make the party due to work commitments (I’m officially the World’s Worst Daughter), she sent me these snaps wearing her present from Moi. It’s a totally cute pink floral Warehouse number, and I knew Jane would appreciate having something she can layer up, dress down/up and feel so feminine in. Warehouse also has some stunning jackets and accessories that would look gorgeous with it - I strongly advise checking it out!



Jane with my twin bro' Simon - he's a blogger too! http://www.simon-pearce.co.uk/blog/

Congrats on seeing out another year Mum, I’m sure I won’t be the only one to say it but you don’t look a day over 40! Jane is forever putting her looks down to the plates of raw veg she finishes off every day, but there just aint no denying the girl has style too.

Big love X

Vision in Green Plus Piers

Ugh. I’m hungover today. You won’t believe the party I got to go to last night. My girlfriend totally pulled some strings with her PR friends and got us into Piers Morgan’s First News party in Studio Valbonne! Everyone who knows me will be sick to death of hearing it, but I love the man. I have all his books and I make funny noises when he appears on the TV, so I was beyond hyperactive all evening. Unfortunately, Piers left before I could present myself for a chat…in hindsight that may have been a good thing judging by the state I was in – within a second I would have started licking his shoes.

Image courtesy of LIFE

Meanwhile, Jane has been looking mighty fine in a green ensemble - Z-Brand cotton shirt, Isabel De Pedro hook and eye blouse, with Russell & Bromley wedges and she’s keeping a Brora cardigan handy as the weather has reverted back to being utterly PANTS. Why am I not in the least bit surprised?

Razors Suck

Don’t get me wrong, I truly love being a girl. I love the preening, the dressing up, and being able to flirt your way out of sticky situations, but making time to shave one’s legs only to promptly cause unsightly little cuts on your otherwise perfectly pampered pins, will never cease to irritate me. My schedule is pretty rammed of late, I do not have time to sit over the bath with three tissues stuck to my shin waiting for the over-dramatic bleeding to stop before I put on my white skinny jeans. And yet, this is normally how my regular hair removal sessions end up because I find waxing far too messy and epilating far too time-consuming when you have to concentrate so hard on finding those stubborn little blonde hairs in between painting one’s nails, fake tanning, applying a face mask, or any of the other really important things I love doing. Phew.

I’ve often considered lasering, but it just seems like a rather expensive option given you can buy a pack of five razors for two quid these days. Admittedly I’m more likely to inflict pain on myself with the razors, but I’m a sucker for a bargain (or maybe I just love moaning?).

Image courtesy of http://www.skinandhealth.com/

So when I got wind of a laser treatment that starts at just £70, I got excited. The Lumenis system not only promises to banish hair forever, but it also brighten the skin, tighten wrinkles and diminish the appearance of veins with something clever called IPL technology - that’s actually cheaper than I originally feared laser treatments would be, and in the grand scheme of things, value for money if a girl can forget shaving/foundation for the rest of her fabulous life.

You will only need 4-6 sessions with the Lumenis wands, and treatments are pain-free and quick with people behind the brand promising us we’ll be in and out during our lunch breaks which certainly fits in nicely with my flustered existence. Plus, celebrity fans include Elizabeth Hurley, Britney Spears, Cameron Diaz, Salma Hayek and Rachel Stevens - and anything good enough for those glamazons has got me interested!

Closeup of the handpiece of a Lumenis One Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) machine. Image by DR PETER CROUCH

If any of you worry about you facial thread veins, wrinkles, scars or stubborn hair, this could well be the answer at a fraction of the price most clinics charge. Treatments are available at locations across the UK, check out this website for more information including where to find your nearest centre and a full list of treatments. I’ve definitely got my eye on the laser hair removal if it means I can finally wave goodbye to my weekly fight with the razor. Where do I sign?

To Raunch!

Demonstrating that even she has rauched out on occasion a la Kylie, Jane sent me this photo of her and her pals at a fancy dress party. My eyes are burning slightly...but I guess you lot need to see this for case in point - plus she won Best Dressed that night! Of course.



I seem to have come down with some sort of bug, so sorry if the content isn't up to much at the moment, mission Get Better is well and truly in operation....x

To Raunch or Not to Raunch?

God I love me some Kylie Minogue. She showed up to the amfAR New York Inspiration Gala at The New York Public Library yesterday in this hawwwt Jean Paul Gaultier lil’ number and I can’t stop gawping at her super fly…everything. I really admire women of her age who look this good and aren’t afraid to show it off (not that I particularly want to see my own Mummy Jane in stockings or handcuffs but I’m sure she could if she so wished…). There have been some rumors flying around about a facelift too, but personally I think she’s just been looking after herself, she’s always had amazeballs cheekbones. Having said that, I jolly well want her surgeon’s number if she has yielded to the scalpel.

Admittedly, Kylie’s position as a celebrity darling certainly helps her case in the red carpet hit or miss debate – would you be able to wear something like this to anything other than the amfAR New York Inspiration Whatsit, one of Elton John’s throw downs or a burlesque fancy dress night? I think not. Kylie is no average Jo. And she’s is attending said events with a handwritten invitation and complimentary entourage so I guess papp-stopping outfit is a given. I’d like to think all the equally gorgeous 40+ girls out there aren’t afraid to follow suit, but I don’t suppose it would be that simple. It might be a bit awkward to turn up at the next Christmas work do flashing yo’ suspenders, no matter how old you are. No amount of “Yaaah yaah but it’s so Gaultier darrrrhling!”s could make that any less uncomfortable. So, do you make like Kylie and risk feeling a little over exposed? Or do you give in to the premise that anyone over a certain age has to hide their knees and dress in beige, while the teenagers continue to abuse their ability to flash their lovely young thighs with denim skirts and vomit? Jane and I are big believers in moderation, wear what you think suits your shape and figure but don’t, by any means, shy away from flaunting what you’ve looked after so well. Cover up your chest when your thighs are on show and vice-versa. Embrace high heels. And you know what, go to the odd Moulin Rouge fancy dress party, get out your hold-ups and party like a rock star - as I say continually, you only live once.

Time Out to Admire: Ann Summer’s Sexy Skin Gradual Tan

So Jane’s taking some time out from outfit snapping today while I wax lyrical about an awesome beauty buy I’ve discovered. Don’t let the title scare you off...(I realise the words “Ann Summers” are usually associated with visions of PVC leotards, elephant thongs and some very creative replicas of the male genitalia) - this product really surpassed my expectations and I have even considered phasing out my obsession with L’Oreal Sublime Bronze – which trust me, is a big part of my life!

Ann Summer’s Sexy Skin range hasn’t been out for long, it hit shelves in April of this year just in time for those summer months. I recently attended an Ann Summer’s press event for work and was introduced to the Sexy Skin goodies alongside their new A/W10 lingerie collections. It’s the smell that won me over first of all – one of the major drawbacks of slathering yourself in fake tan is that lingering biscuit scent. It makes a girl feel like a stale cornflake, which isn’t cool and certainly not sexy. So thank the retail heavens, there’s finally a product out there that smells good. In fact, it smells fantastic – like coconuts, pineapple cocktails and your favourite tropical suncream scent all rolled into one tube. I had to physically stop myself from tasting a bit.

Obviously the most important factor in the fake tanning stakes, is the end result. I simply will not let myself turn orange – I don’t care how good the stuff smells. One of the great things about gradual tanning lotions, is you can easily control the colour, and therefore stop before the situation gets too…erm….tangerine. Ann Summer’s Sexy Skin Gradual Tan dried super quick (much like a normal body lotion) and I noticed a definite glow within a few hours after my first application. I built the colour up on my body over three days using once after my daily shower, and also used it on my face at night after my cleansing routine. I loved the shade, a really natural golden colour and not at all streaky. So, basically, I highly recommend Sexy Skin Gradual Tan, particularly for those who deliberately avoid all the fuss that comes with a fake tanning session. This is just like using a body lotion that smells great…and the gradual build up of a natural bronze hue is just a bonus! Get on it ladies, at £8 it’s more expensive than the heavily revered Dove tanning cream, but I much prefer this product.

The Sexy Skin range also includes a Gold Shimmer Spray, Pre-Tan Exfoliator, Body Bronzer powder and a tube of Instant Tan Lotion – I’m yet to try either of those but I shall certainly let you know when I do! If you’d like to get ahead of me, or try out some of the Sexy Skin Gradual Tan, get hold of the products here.

Customise Yourself

Hey all,

Long time no speak (again, oops!), hope you had fantastic bank holidays! Jane went to a tango tea dance recently, and chose to wear this gorgeous dress that she customised herself with brown buttons. Loving the amber beads and tan wrap belt bringing it all together. So cute!



The outfit was teamed with her beaut Comme il faut dancing shoes…these babies can usually only be ordered online, so if you’re a regular mover, get on it here!