Aubrey England

I have just discovered this amazing new handbag brand. Designed by Isla Simpson, these stunning bags have all the class and sophistication of high-end designer brands (such as Anya Hindmarch) with far more manageable price tags (roughly £35 for a wallet, £100+ for handbags). I gauge the success of a bag by three main factors: 1) Is it leather? 2) Does it fit comfortably on my shoulder? 3) Does it look timeless? When I went to visit the Aubrey pop-up shop in Covent Garden, it would have been tricky to find a single piece that did not meet all three. I know I don’t technically need any more bags but by gads I want some of these.

Quintessentially Weddings

I popped along to 29 Portland Place for an evening of wedding networking. There were yummy champagne cocktails and martinis from Sparks and Ashton (champagne was literally on tap – amazing) and gorgeous canapés by Cinnamon Candy. Several cakes by the Little Venice Cake Company were on display. At first I thought they were too pretty to eat but greed got the better of me and a portion which began as a sliver ended as a block. Thanks for inviting me Weddings4Media!


Very much looking forward to seeing the upcoming book ‘The Secret Quintessentially Wedding Guide.’

Scratch Nail Awards

I went along to the Scratch Nail Industry awards on Sunday 20^th May. Held in Café de Paris, it was brilliant fun and there were lots of glam girls there! The event was hosted by Dan Lobb whose good looks had all the lasses aflutter. It’s great that this highly skilled industry is getting the recognition it deserves with a dedicated awards ceremony.

 Loved this outfit

 Dan Lobb

 Me

 Saz



Guess What I Love...

A touch Ariel the Little Mermaid and a whole lot lovely, this Guess necklace is just the thing I need to finish my luxe beach looks. I will actually be trying a bit harder this year, replacing my usual ratty sarong and vest with a white kaftan and oversized sun hat. I am going to Capri so style is of the essence. Turquoise against a tan is a match made in heaven.

Brand: Guess Jewellery

Price: £175

01604678940 / GUESS Stores

The Magic Big Boulder Upholder by Freya

For a long time now, the idea of wearing something strapless has been relegated to the drawer marked ‘Impossible and Nonsensical’ in my brain. All of the strapless bras I have encountered have sat feebly, atop my 34DD breasts. Everything jiggled around, seeming to giggle (or perhaps, ‘titter’ is more appropriate), “You think you can wear that strappy Roland Mouret number? You’ve got big boobies, lady it will never work.” The very idea that my big boys could be controlled by two nondescript, lightly padded cups has been pretty laughable to me as well as them. Entire days of tragedy/hilarity have been spent attempting to track something effective down. Even M&S, normally good for this sort of thing, let me down spectacularly. There was too much choice and not enough action. My friends, I am happy to report that those desperate days are gone. Initially unsure of the 3D-ness of it all (‘Boulder Holder’ sprang to mind), Freya’s ‘Deco’ strapless bra really does offer unrivalled support. It’s perfectly smooth and has ‘gripper elastic’ a terrifying-sounding, yet actually marvellous thing. Is it pretty? Hell no. It sits in the Spanx section of my underwear drawer (what I like to think of as the ‘Genius Section’). Does it work? Absolutely. I never thought I would report an evening of comfort in something strapless. I thought the term ‘strapless’ was synonymous with ‘hitching your bosom up all night long.’ 

This bra actually held me in place admirably and it was so comfortable that, for the first time ever, I will actually be using the straps included so I can wear it as a T-shirt bra during the day. It has a nude option too, ideal under a simple white tee or shirt. Gok Wan once said (and yes, I am quoting Gok) “A woman should have two types of underwear; Magic and Sexy.” Needless to say this falls into the former category. At the age of 27, I have finally unlocked that formidable section of my wardrobe deigned ‘unwearable’. The vintage Mouret is coming out, and so are the boob tubes. I will wear them for as long as is acceptable (35?), because now I can. Thank you Freya, you’ve done it again.

To experience more Freya amazingness, click here.

The Benefit Mascarathon

Benefit and Refuge have teamed up on ‘The MASCARATHON,’ a charity run from Scotland to London. Taking place from the 15th – 29th June 2012 the run will start at Edinburgh and stop off at Newcastle, Manchester, Birmingham, Cardiff, Oxford, finishing in Spitalfields, London. Caroline Flack will be kicking off proceedings by running the first two miles in Edinburgh. Awesomely, there will be a mascara ‘baton’ that will be passed from runner-to-runner every two miles.

Every two miles that each of the MASCARATHON runners complete will mark the two women a week whose lives are lost because of domestic violence.

It’s a worthy cause ladies! For more information on how to get involved, visit www.mascarathon.co.uk

Celebrity Fragrances; the Good, the Not-so-bad and the Downright Awful

 I have mixed feelings about celebrity fragrances in general. On the whole, I find them to be powdery, nondescript people-pleasers. If I find a nice one (see Madonna’s M) then I instantly panic; what if someone asks me what I’m wearing? Call me a scent snob if you like, but what if, instead of my usual ‘Narciso Rodriguez Her’ or ‘Prada Infusion D’Iris’ I have to say ‘A spritz of Madge.’ I suppose this is one to deal with further down the road. Firstly, the reviews.

The Good

According to the Perfume Store, Truth or Dare by Madonna ‘represents the dual forces that coexist in all of us.’ According to me, it smells really quite similar to Tom Ford’s Black Orchid. Similar, but in a tall white bottle with a more affordable price tag. It contains ‘carnal jasmine’ and yummy tuberose.

Truth or Dare by Madonna 30ml £25.00

The Not-so-bad

Oh I love the Kardashians. I love their glossy dark manes, I love their monosyllabic LA drawl, I love that they are able to convey more emotion in the flicker of an eyelid than most of us can with a furrowed brow. Now, I can confirm that I even quite like their scent. Heady, musky and yes, sexy, this is an evening fragrance that you won’t be afraid to spray with wild abandon.

Kim Kardashian EDP 30ml £22.95

The Downright Awful

Suffice to say, I do not have the ‘Bieber fever’. I have the opposite, whatever that is. Someone should have told him that copying a successful, non-celebrity fragrance (Mark Jacobs’ Lola, for the blind) will not necessarily result in a successful celebrity fragrance. Admittedly, I have not actually smelt this one, but I can imagine.

Justin Bieber Someday EDP 30ml £22.50