New Kid On The Block: aMUSE Magazine

aMUSE Magazine was completely off my radar until a fashion stylist friend of mine, Charlie Moore, brought it to my attention recently. aMUSE launched back in late April this year but it wasn't until this week that I came across my first copy outside Charing Cross Station. At first glance of the glossy cover I assumed I'd have to pay for a copy but it was free! My next thought was 'could this be a threat to Stylist Magazine?' There is plenty of room in the market for both and I'd happily welcome more. So what makes it stand out from other fashion magazines? Well, apart from being a free monthly glossy (massive thumbs up) it celebrates London women. This mag is exclusively distributed in London at major tube stations and is aimed at 25 to 45 year old London ladies whether new to the capital or born and bred. No mater how well you think you know this city there is always something new and exciting to discover here in fashion and lifestyle. 

So is it worth a read? Defo! I was really impressed with the content and the calibre of celebs that graced its pages. In this months issue (August) there are interviews with Agyness Deyn, Henry Holland (well the two do come as a pair!) Louise Roe and the elusive Kate Moss.

There are excellent shopping and trend pages with clothes and accessories that cater to all budgets whilst still sitting harmoniously together on a page. The main fashion stories are well edited expensive looking shoots, rivalling the likes of Elle and Vogue.

As well as fashion there are insightful and thoughtfully written articles, including Nick Cox's 'Man About Town' column, plus the regulars: reviews, travel, interiors, food and 'This Month's Muse' with a different celebrity 'Muse' every month. Make sure you grab your copy at a major London tube station every last monday of the month. If you can't get hold of a copy, wherever you are in the world, you can flick through every page online via the aMUSE website. Watch out for the their App launching this September, just in time for Fashion Week... 

Olympic Pink Casio

I must admit that I didn't really get excited about the London 2012 Olympics. Despite being a negative nancy my friends insisted I went to their house to watch the opening ceremony which was, I'm sure you'll agree, amazing! The next day I was in American Apparel and spotted this watch at the till, it's the same pink as the London 2012 Olympic branding, so to get into the spirit of things I decided to purchase it. I haven't worn a watch in years so I'm likening it to a bracelet that tells the time... Get the other colours from the Retro Colour Casio Collection on the Casio website. Casio F-91W-4AEF watch £20.00 from casio.co.uk. 

Samson & Coles: Whitstable Jeweller

I was in Whitstable (Kent) earlier this week, an impromptu visit only decided on Monday afternoon whilst having drinks in the sun in Camden Market. After managing to book a B&B for the night we raced home, packed in 20 minutes and headed to St. Pancras to catch the train. Whitstable is a quaint little seaside town which comes alive late July for the Whitstable Oyster Festival, which luckily coincided with our visit. The town has a strong arty vibe with plenty of galleries and exhibitions, this influence has rubbed off on every aspect of the town, each shop feels unique with merchandise having that hand crafted, one-off feel. One could spend alot of dosh buying one of a kind pieces that may not be seen again!

I was on the look out for a birthday present for my mother and was drawn in, like a magpie, to Samson & Coles by an eye catching, vivid green, bird brooch in the window. Samson & Coles is owned and run by Jewellery Designers Teresa Samson and Madeline Coles. As well as showcasing their own gorgeous designs (which they make in the workshop at the back of the store) they also stock great british designers like Alex Monroe and Heather Stowell. The bird brooch was designed and made by Melanie Tomlinson who specialises in metal work jewellery as well as sculpture, illustrations and dioramas. The brooch is hand crafted with the design screen printed on to the metal:

"The processes I use to create a piece of work are time consuming, but I enjoy experimenting with colour and its vibrancy when printed onto a metal surface." Melanie Tomlinson.

My mother has just started working at Great Ormond Street Hospital and I thought this was the perfect gift for her to wear to work,  children are captivated by bright colours and pretty designs, hopefully this brooch will give a moment of joy. I expect my mother to be known as 'the woman with the green bird'. Brooch 89x44mm, printed metal from £28.00 from Samson & Coles, 13 Oxford St, Whitstable, Kent, CT5 1DB, 01227 277985.

Stay safe in the sun

With the weather being so damn hot please remember to protect your skin and your head. I see so many people not bothering to cover their head, please protect your brain from overheating! I was in Whitstable, Kent on Monday and Tuesday and forgot to take a hat, it was scorching by 10am so I found the nearest beachside hat stall and bought this paper hat for just £10.00, a small price to pay to protect myself. I know we are in England, not Spain, but the sun is seriously dangerous so don't forget the suntan lotion. My mothers side is from Mauritius but even we can burn, I've been wearing Factor 30 since the sun showed up this week, no matter your skin tone always start off with a high protection factor. Look after your skin, prevent advanced ageing and the onslaught of skin cancer. A reliable lotion which I always swear by is 'Piz Buin 1 Day Long' (£12.99). It lasts up to 6 hours, is waterproof and never lets me down.

Superga® His 'n' Hers

Ooooh my Superga's have just arrived via My Wardrobe! I have been on the look out for great summer shoes and these are they! I've tried 'Toms' but they are really un-sexy and 'Converse' are sooo over. These Italian beauties are fresh yet classic, the new sneaker complete with cult celeb following and ad campaign fronted by Alexa Chung. You can select near enough any shade under the sun from their website, I selected flattering and leg lengthening nude (Superga 2750 Cotu Classic in Camel £45.00) and the boyfriend went understated in dark blue (Superga 2750 Cotu Classic in Navy £45.00). If you are looking for something more edgy go for some fashion forward 'Flatforms' from Superga's design collaboration with House of Holland. Prices ranging from £55.00 to £70.00 (images below).

Images www.superga.co.uk

Urgent Delivery: Heatwave Essentials

Just when you thought it wouldn't happen it appears that summer has finally arrived. The weather has been so pants recently I haven't bothered to buy anything summery, but, with temperatures set to soar to 30 degrees in London this week it's time to take action and sort out a suitable wardrobe and fast. The warning signs came late so if, like me, you've been caught short of time - do it online. Many high street chains and online boutiques offer same day delivery, or if you order today, guaranteed delivery on Monday. Oasis, Warehouse and Karen Millen offer 90 minute delivery nationwide, NET-A-PORTER offer same day delivery 7 days a week in London if you order by 10am and Selfridges offer delivery between 7pm and 10pm if you order by 4pm within and around the M25. Here is a capsule closet to suit all budgets that will see you, at least, through the mini heatwave. Go for dresses and all-in-ones to save time trying to match separates.

Images from Oasis, Warehouse, Karen Millen, NET-A-PORTER and Selfridges.

All Saints Summer Sale

The All Saints Camden store always poses a problem, I have to walk past it and cannot seem to go by without popping in. I had the boyfriend with me so knew there was a ticking time limit. I rushed downstairs to the 'Archive' section and within minutes had tried on the 'Simplicity Top', a sleeveless shirt made from 100% finest grade A silk in black (£52.50 down from £75.00). A perfect 'bum coverer' with the ideal level of transparency which even I would wear sans vest. To my shock the boyfriend was well up for a bit of shopping, he left me in the basement and headed up to the menswear floor. I was very impressed by the time I found him, he had pre selected pieces he liked to present to me, gave a full explanation of why they were suitable and even modelled everything. Well the man does have good taste, he narrowed down the selection to the 'Loures Jacket', a waxed cotton quilted classic in a dark olive green (£87.50 down from £175.00) and a pair of 'Cannon Chino' skinny fit cotton chino's in vintage blue (£45.50 down from £65.00). Perfect transitional pieces for this on/ off weather. Sizes still available online at www.allsaints.com. Images from the website.

Cooling cotton calico

I was in St Ives, Cornwall, on Tuesday wearing a long sleeve woollen dress, black opaque tights and over the knee flat boots when the sun decided to come out. Caught off guard, getting sweaty and frustrated I refused to carry on the day until I had slipped into something cooler. Help came in the form of aptly named 'Rock The Boat', women's fashion boutique on the waterfront facing beautiful coastal views. I picked out this cute and girly Swallow print dress (£29.99) by Run&Fly, very fitting as we had spent the previous day watching Swallows swooping for bugs in Padstow, impressed by their speed and precision. Every time I wear this I'll think of them. The store doesn't have a website but is on Wharf Road, St Ives,TR26 1LF.

Bert's tooth of wisdom

Of all the lovely gifts I received for my birthday this was the most unusual... The friend who gave it to me was poetic in giving a gift for someone now older and wiser! I don't recall my wisdom teeth coming through and felt I missed out on some sort of initiation into adulthood (although happily dodging the excruciating pain). I will wear this around my neck as a reminder that I have finally come of age. Bert Industries Brass Handcast Wisdom Tooth Necklace £95.00 from www.bertgilbert.bigcartel.com

Happy Birthday to me!

So, yesterday I turned 30! My boy took me out for a lovely day around town. We started off at Cafe Boheme on Old Compton Street for a spot of lunch, pan seared Sea Bass with wilted spinach and a glass of champers then weaved our way through Soho towards Oxford Street to hit the shops. I was on a mission to find a dress for my party on Saturday night, but it being the summer sales, I was hugely put off by the crowds plus it was peeing it down. I wasn't being my usual self and I couldn't find anything, everything I tried on made me feel, dare I say, older!? I know 30 is not old but it's the first landmark birthday that really hits you. My search for eternal youth took me to American Apparel (there is nothing like mingling with leggy dancers in skin tight outfits to make you feel closer to youth and vitality). I wanted to get a fierce and sexy dress and it came in the form of their 'Cotton Spandex Jersey Tube Dress' a steal at £22.00. Despite being skin tight its actually slimming and lengthening as its a block of colour. Being so risqué with the style I decided to play it safe with colour and went for black. I've got a gorgeous nude silk, floaty floor length shirt to put over it with massive nude heels. Red nails and lippy will be the icing on the birthday cake. Later in the evening we decided to hit the town again, this time in our native North London, we popped in to The Southampton Arms for a swift Cider and Roast Pork Bap then went on to the main event, Argentinian Rib Eye Steak at Camden's La Patagonia. Needless to say I'm heading to the gym this evening to try and get into that dress! Dress images www.americanapparel.co.uk

The holy grail of liquid eyeliner leads to 'Vital'

I am on a constant mission to find the ultimate liquid eyeliner, you'd think by 2012 someone would have cracked it, right? A few weeks ago I  sent out a Facebook message asking friends to recommend the best, despite this excellent information and feedback I still wasn't sure. I had just run out and was passing SpaceNK so popped in, I explained to the make-up consultant that I have naturally oily skin and everything slides off (especially in summer), she recommended 'BY TERRY Ligne Blackstar' (£25.00), this was so popular it was out of stock for a few weeks. As a temporary measure she suggested 'Eye Canvas' by Laura Mercier, this is a great product that even works on my slippery skin, its a little pot of heavy looking concealer that you apply to the entire upper lid and stops liner and shadow sliding, and it works! I still wanted a decent eyeliner so eventually went back to purchase the 'Ligne Blackstar', for the first week it was great, then it was downhill from there, not sure whether my pen was faulty but it is now driving me nuts and I have to shake it like a nutter to get the ink to the nib. Whilst on a shoot on Tuesday I complained to the make-up artist, Philippe Miletto, he got me to try out 'Vital Waterproof Dip Eyeliner' and then guess how much it cost... it was £1.99! He purchased it from a cosmetics shop on Stroud Green Road in North London's Finsbury Park! I've tracked it down online so that you don't have to schlep there, it can be purchased from Cosmetics Fairy for only 99p! It works!

Best of British : Tusting Bags & Luggage

It was a breath of fresh air to get out of London yesterday and into the green pastures of Turvey, Bedfordshire. I was there working on a shoot for British heritage brand, Tusting, styled by Charlie Moore, photographed by Robert Harper with creative direction from Gillian Tusting. Most of the shoot took place in historic Turvey House, an opulent, neo-classical house decked out in 18th and 19th century English and continental furniture and paintings in exquisitely decorated grand rooms. The House and gardens were the perfect backdrop for models Max and Alyssa (model shot from Push PR) who portrayed a young, wealthy couple on a very british weekend jaunt to the country. The shoot was showing off Tusting's new collections, classic designs in eye catching colours. The brand rightfully prides itself on being 100% British (many brands claim to be but manufacture outside the UK). All of their handcrafted leather luggage and bags are designed and made in their Buckinghamshire workshop, which lies close to the original tannery founded in 1875, the business remains in the family, handed down through 5 generations. Their timeless bags are must have pieces that scream quality and would be pride of place in any wardrobe. You can buy online, or if in London, head to Selfridges from today to check them out as part of The Big British Bang, celebrating all things British. My Tusting fav's are below.

Images from my iPhone 4S, Push PR and Tusting.co.uk

Scrubber

I have been using exfoliating gloves for years and, although I enjoy looking like Michael Jackson in the shower, I have been informed that they are a waste of time. Recently I went for my first ever bikini wax at a salon, I've been sorting myself out for years but who has that kind of time when a professional can do it quicker and more efficiently? My salon of choice was Otylia Roberts, "The woman who brought the phenomenon of the Brazilian wax to the UK" (Vogue UK) and naturally I went for a Brazilian (when in Rome...) The service was excellent and gave a long lasting finish, I highly recommend! Whilst at the salon my 'Hair Removal Technician' asked my exfoliation routine, I proudly told her that I frequently used the gloves, to which she gasped and insisted that I switch to sugar scrub. Ashamed and feeling naive I rushed to John Lewis post wax to locate a sugar scrub. After spending ages looking for a  scrub I found this 'Moroccan Rose Otto Sugar Body Polish' by REN. It's £32.00, money well spent in my opinion and it only contains natural ingredients with added 'Theophylline from Paraguay tea and caffeine from kola nut boost microcirculation to energize, revive and tone the skin'. Coincidentally it is amongst InStyle Magazines Best Beauty Buys 2012 (I must have good taste). I went home to try it out, after body brushing I massaged it into my skin then rubbed it off in the shower, my skin has never been so smooth, ciao ingrown hairs!