Michael Kors Gold Collection

I've had a love affair with Mr Kors for a long time. As I mentioned recently on my Instagram, I was a bag, wallet and watch girl long before he did THIS:



Which, of course, sealed the deal. Let's not all pretend you don't think Girls on Film isn't the best song ever made for ads, you know it is. *is literally playing Duran Duran on a loop now*

ANYWAY: these three fragrances are the latest addition to the Kors stable and do not disappoint for fans of the originals.

White Luminous Gold is pear/jasmine/amber.
Rose Radiant Gold is spice/floral/musk.
24k Brilliant Gold is mandarin/floral/woody.

All are exactly as you would expect, with satisfying, ridiculously heavy packaging.

Available now from Escentual.com priced from £39.00 - £79.00.



I'll be the one in the corner smelling fabulous dancing to Duran. Forever.

Michael Kors Beauty #SportySexyGlam

Yesterday I had possibly the best personal intro to a new range since I started the blog. Over lunch, with gorgeous company - *waves* - I was taken through the new Michael Kors Beauty range. 

Those of you that know me IRL will understand my love for The Kors. I don't generally go in for the whole designer 'thing'. Oh but I love Michael Kors. Love him. If he was a singer he'd be SLB*. If he was a guitarist he'd be Jimmy Page. You see my point...

He's larger than life, throw-it-all-out-there and doesn't take himself too seriously. And this collection is a reflection of him. It's fun, glamorous, sexy and gorgeous all in one.

GLAM

SEXY

SPORTY

Predictably my favourites from the Collection are the bronzing powders (£34). Huge, gorgeous pigment - no glitter.

#Glam - Beam - The deepest golden bronze.

#Sporty - Glow - barely any shimmer - traditional bronzer - if you use NARS Laguna? This one is for you.

#Sexy - Flush - I think this is my favourite - it has a divine pinky/coral tint that literally looks like a 'flush'.

The above is all three lined up together to show the difference - and the below is my beloved NARS Sin blusher - for scale - see? HUGE.

Lip Lacquers £23.00

Lip Luster £21.00

Six shades of Nail Lacquer - £15.00 each.

And as if that wasn't enough...guess who he's used for the ad campaign?

And he's a Leo.

*snaps fingers in a Z formation*

Michael Kors Beauty is available in Macy's in the US and launches in selected House of Fraser stores in the UK on 18th September. It's beautiful. Go get yours.

Next week: the Fragrance and Body Collection

*Simon Le Bon - obvs.

Empties continued. Clarins and Hampton Sun.

Unexpected bonus of having small children and their luggage allowance: we literally took 20/25 bottles of suncream/sun products with us on holiday. I figured 'now's a good a time as any to trial everything' - and we did. 

However, predictably there were some stand-alone winners.

Face:

When your teenage son says 'Mum where's that yellow face stuff?' you know you're on to a winner. The entire family used this day in day out. It lasted almost the full 2 weeks being used on 6 faces. 4 big people, 2 little people. I should have taken 2.

Kids - Body:

Full disclosure: Hampton Sun were one of my first clients. I love them like I love SLB* (well, almost). 

One day over lunch in NYC with the founders Grant and Sal (this is about as name-droppy as I get, stay tuned), I said 'I really LOVE using the 55 on the kids. It's so easy. Ooh! I know what you should do - you should make one JUST for kids. Literally whack the SPF to a 70 or something and write 'for kids' on the front. It'll be a sellout. Trust in the Hirons.'

And that dear readers leads us to the easiest SPF to use and with a whacking high SPF to boot.

If you've never been a fan of the thick, white, gloopy kids SPF's - this could be up your street. 

Trying to apply sunscreen to small, mobile people is like trying to herd cats. This is perfect. You just chase them down, say 'Make like Jesus on the cross' (apologies for the potentially offensive, politically incorrect instruction), and spray them back and forth, across the body and up and down. 'Turn around'. Repeat the action and the best part if you have boys, you can spray the entirety of their neck and the tops of their ears - the most forgotten about part on people's bodies. No need to rub in. You can literally spray them as they are trying to run away from you.

Perfect, genius. We used all of ours up the first week. I should've taken more.

Then the kids moved on to the same as their brothers and Dad:

Exactly the same concept, continuous mist, no CFC's (thus no ozone problems) - and comes in 15/35/55 so you can adjust downwards if you wish. 

The grown-ups moved down to the more traditional SPF30 in a lotion form by week 2 (the kids stayed with sprays):

And we finished up with the aloe mist - perfect for post-sunbathing instantaneous cooling off and the traditional after sun. Both lush.

All were used up, all were binned before we came home.

Moral of the story? 

Take more than you think you need.

Leave it behind, forcing you to buy fresh each trip. SPF degrades.

Reapply regularly - especially on small, very active children that are in and out of water. At least once an hour for us.

Don't forget the ears!

*SLB is Simon Le Bon. Obvs.

Clarins SPF30 is £18.00 and available on Clarins.co.uk and all Clarins counters.

Hampton Sun prices start at £30.00 and it is available at SpaceNK, Beauty Works West, and Net-a-Porter in the UK and Sephora, Skinstore.com, Space NK, Net-a-Porter and Blue Mercury in the USA.

Clarins was a PR sample (this year, but I've used it for the last 20 years).

Hampton Sun, as mentioned, are friends - but I wouldn't recommend them (much less work with them) if they didn't work. Honest. Bible. No payment made for the post and no affiliate links.

EF MEDISPA launch Biologique Recherche

Well thank the Sweet Baby Jesus for THAT. 

FINALLY. Someone has had the good sense to get BR into the UK!!!

I can exclusively reveal that EF Medispa in St Johns Wood is now stocking Biologique Recherché AND doing their facials. *faints*

What I don't know as of yet is if they will be stocking P50V - which is my preferred version and which the BORE-Ocrats in the EU had issues with - the crusty faced swines.

Needless to say I will be checking it out as soon as I possibly can and reporting back straight away, but let me just say this - yours truly couldn't be more excited if it involved Liverpool winning on Saturday, Simon Le Bon waiting on my doorstep and the Barefoot Contessa making me dinner.

EF Medispa

*If you don't follow me on twitter that last sentence will make absolutely no sense to you. WHATSOEVER. Apologies.

FOUR London - Review

Aah my hair. My over-processed-refuses-to-get-it-cut hair. My grey-since-the-age-of-19 hair.

Over the last year or so people had stopped saying 'oh your hair looks nice..' and started saying 'have you done something to your hair?' for which read: 'You hair looks odd/hideous/strange?'
My husband took to calling me a badger. Tres charmant.

My regular hairdresser of the last few years does his best bless him (love you Paul) - but he's faced with me every month saying 'No. that's not what I want - do this.' 'No. It doesn't need cutting.' 'No, you don't understand - I WANT it dark at the front and stripey on top.' I know he utterly despairs of me.

So when FOUR London offered to take me in hand I figured I would stop channelling Daphne Guinness on crack and go and see some colour professionals.

You know when someone really wants to say something like 'JESUS!' but they just say 'Okaaayyyyyy. Let's take a look.' That would be the lovely Charlie from FOUR.

The four Ladies from FOUR. Charlie on the right. Don't be fooled by the pretty face. She takes no prisoners.

Despite being booked in for highlights and a quick blow dry I ended up having a complete colour change. A total stripped-back-to-basics colour change. A five-hours-in-the-chair colour change. Numb bum anyone?

SO worth a numb bum. Have a look for yourself:

Much calmer, less two-toned, the colour is now more fluid throughout.

FOUR London is the brainchild of four friends who all met when they worked at Jo Hansford.They have over 40 years experience between them and it shows. During their career at Jo Hansford, as ambassadors for the salon, they travelled worldwide educating other hairdressers in the art of colour correction and highlight placement techniques.
They are basically - Specialists. Hardcore Specialists.

Whether your hair needs help, you're thinking of going into colour for the first time or are looking for a change - I can highly recommend FOUR. The salon is remarkably calm and relaxing, the teams are all at the top of their game and the results - for me - were exactly what I needed.

FOUR London is at:
62 Conduit Street, London W1S 2GB
For appointments call 0207 297 9600
www.fourlondon.com



*small print -  I was invited as a guest of FOUR London.