The Womens Room

Coming soon: I Don't Know How she Does It and One Day

  

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When our kids were little and we were struggling with the every day juggling of small children, jobs and relationships, Allison Pearson's portrayal of modern day motherhood, I Don't Know How She Does  was a breath of fresh air. Published 2002, it provided a witty, astute and heartfelt view of the chaos of trying 'to have it all', and made us feel a little bit better about hand decorating shop bought cup cakes for the school fair. 

In my mind it was very much a British book written by and about an English woman. So when I read that the film due out in September this year, is set in New York and stars Sarah Jessica Parker, I was more than a little dissapointed. Not that I dont like SJP, (I love Sex and the City) but for me, she is definatley not Kate Reddy!

Allison Pearson argues " that doesn't matter as it seems to be a universal feeling of juggling being a mum, keeping everyone happy, fulfilling yourself and still loving your children properly."

Mmm, we're not so sure! Perhaps we will have to forget we ever read the book to enjoy the film! And don't get me started on Anne Hathaway as lead character Emma, in one of our favourite books of last summer, One Day by David Nicholls. Somehow fake accents are just not convincing! 

Reader testers needed for Suti organic face oil

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Last week I met the founders of Suti, an organic skincare collection that attempts to harness the potency of flowers, plants and crystals. Suzannah Jenkins and Tina Steadman set up the small but growing range in October 2010 using Suzannah's extensive knowledge as an experienced homeopathy and aromatherapy practioner.

Both ladies are obsessively passionate about the quality of the ingredients they use in the range and claim it is so pure and natural, you can eat it. Suzannah has also been working with crystals in her practise and is impressed with the additional energy they can impart to products. She told us "I take the crystals -mostly clear quartz for purity- and place them under a full moon, which is very powerful and feminine. The crystals are then put into the production bottles of oil, where the energy is imparted into the plant oils. When the products are made, everytime someone wears or applies the products this energy transfers to the wearer." 

Now bonkers as this might sound, anyone who has been affected by the lunar calendar and goes a teeny bit emotional (in the nicest possible way) when it's a full moon (that'll be Jane and loads of our readers) or studied biodynamics and its effect on agriculture, knows there something in this full moon malarkey. So I am quite fascinated by the whole idea of using crystals to add an additional potency.

 I've been using the Rejuvenate Organic face oil for a couple of days and it soaks into my skin and softens it beautifully, it also smells divine. There are no preservatives or additives in the range and everything is organic, it is suitable for even the most sensitive of skins, look at the website to see the rest of the range.

So ladies (and men, if there are any who fancy the sound of it) we have two bottles of the Rejuvenate Organic Face Oil (which includes rosehip seed, evening primrose and argan oil and frankincense) to give away for you to test, in return for a few lines letting us know what you thought of it. 

Usual rules, leave us a comment below and tell us why your skin might need a pick-me-up, with or without the Moon/crystal quartz powers, and we'll pick two winners by the end of the week. 

Perfume review: Betrothal by Grossmith

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If we're not all too sick of wedding references, I've just been sent a sample of the new perfume from the hard working team at the British perfume house Grossmith, it's called Betrothal. 

Much like Grossmith's other three smells this new one, launched last week, is a proper perfume; a warm, rich, jasmine and rosy floral with a silky after glow. Really lovely. And very grown up. In fact I think maybe a bit too grown up for young brides, this is rather suited to more confident, mature brides, perfect for our market. 

Buying for brides, particularly 35+ ones, is tricky as often they have everything anyway, with firm views on what they will and wont let into the house. Buying perfume can be risky too, but this one is rather beautiful and could be a fabulous alternative to a cut glass decanter. I bet no one else will think of it.

I love the idea of scenting the happy occasion too, the bride could then wear the perfume on anniversaries to remember the day (if she doesn't adopt it as her daily perfume), smell and memory being so strongly linked. 

Of course what happens if there is a divorce I don't know, but hey! One step at a time.

Betrothal was launched at Roja Dove Perfume on the fifth floor at Harrods last Friday and will be at Fortnum & Mason and Les Senteurs in London by the end of the week. Ask for a sample bottle and go spray a bride-to-be.

We love: Fabio from Shan Rahimkhan Luxe hair collection

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Is it our age that makes us susceptible to the theatrical attention of hairdressers? We wrote about it before here, but I think there's a whole PHD to be written on the subject myself. And the more talanted the hairdresser, the bigger the pull.

As Jane said on Monday, we get invited to quite a few product events that are out of our fashion-comfort-zone nowadays and one of these recently was to meet Shan Rahimkhan, a super-star hairdresser from Berlin who regularly does Very Famous People's hair and was just back from doing Oscar up-dos. Sadly no one knows him from Adam here so drinks were set up to introduce him and his quite fabulous assistant Fabio to the press, and to talk about his product range.

There is no doubt Shan is brilliant, he twiddled a number of eminent beauty bloggers' hair into gorgeous chignons while explaining why a trip to Berlin would be wasted if you failed to to visit his Casa, Coiffeur and Cafe in the Mitte district. But where he is knowledgeable, discreet and quiet, his beautifully groomed and effusive assistant Fabio was anything but. "He's Fraank, from Father of the Bride' whispered Jane to me as we sat and watched, spell bound as Fabio tossed his marvellous (and VERY glossy) mane of hair, explained the product (lots of bamboo in it, silica helps gloss apparently) and handed hair grips to Shan. 

We were treated to a bottle of shampoo and conditioner from the collection each, but first Fabio inspected our hair, grimacing and tutting as he tested the texture with his hands in a rather cliche-hairdresser act that totally came from the heart and we loved it. Eventually he selected just the right one for us. we clutched our bottles and smiled up at him like a couple of smitten teenagers. There was certain amount of hysterical adulation at the wonder of Shan's skills too from our younger blogger friends who had their hair up-done, so perhaps it's just a girl thing..

Anyway, the range of shampoos and conditioners are nice, they smell gorgeous, and we were taken with the packaging design (practical but would look good on your bathroom shelves). The whole Shan Rahimkhan range is available on line at Harvey Nichols but you'll have to pop to Berlin to get a glimpse of Fabio.

 

We are reading: The Anti-Ageing Beauty Bible

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I am a bit late to the party that is the Beauty Bible organisation that Josephine Fairley and Sarah Stacey have run for the last 15 years (that's how long they've been working together). When we received a copy of The Anti-Ageing Beauty Bible, I was not aware of the excellent books and website the two ladies work hard to maintain, and the phenomenal lengths they go to ensuring all the products they review get strictly assessed by their army of testers (over 8,000 of them in total, 'They are incredibly dedicated' Sarah told us).

If you don't believe the waffle from the beauty marketing campaigns, then this new book is for you. Jo and Sarah recruited 2400 women of over 35 to trial a whole range of anti ageing products and the book is full of the ones that the testers reckoned really did work. It's your beauty shopping list sorted really, from face creams to fillers, foundations to facial oils, lipsticks to the best whitening toothpaste...It's very convincingly done and is entirely centred on the concerns of the 35plus market. 

The book embraces age rather than showing you ways of beating it back, which works with what we are thinking at TWR on the whole subject of getting older. We don't yearn to be young, we just want to look fabulous and pretending we are 25 when we are not is just deluded. We want to look the very best we can at what ever age we are -forget the numbers- and the book does support this wholeheartedly, including some lovely quotes from the odd celeb, a few of our favs include;

'I've been living in this excellent body for over 60 years, I love it so much. As long as it doesn't get too fat, or too thin, doesn't break-I just think, "Thank Goodness!"' Joanna Lumley

'Attitude is everything' Diane Von Furstenberg

'Wrinkles don't scare me; they are a part of life and I will and do embrace them. But I look at surgery and that scares me' Christy Turlington

'When you are younger, you want to be perfect, but later you learn that perfect isn't really that interesting' Susan Sarandon.

'The only real elegance comes from the mind; if you've got that the rest really comes from it' Diane Vreeland

The only small criticism we have is the title. We're a bit fed up with the over-used term Anti Ageing, it sounds so negative and we did ask Sarah why the book is called The Anti Ageing Beauty Bible when it, rightly, embraces the idea of ageing and shows you how to do it well. She said they'd talked about it long and hard but felt that the book supplied the reader with whatever they might need to feel good about themselves, what ever their attitude to ageing. Hmm, may be we're just a bit ahead of ourselves on the terminology front.

With lovely illustrations by David Downton, this might make a good present to drop hints about for Mother's Day....or visit the Beauty Bible website which has regular beauty tips and product reviews for all ages. The ladies keep a good blog too.

The Anti Ageing Beauty Bible, Josephine Fairley and Sarah Stacey. £19.99 (available for £12.99 on this link)

Skin Science: TWR product review

You know it's good when you do this to the bottles to get EVERY LAST DROP out.

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Jane's review
Call me cynical but I honestly don't believe there is any difference between Ponds cold cream and Creme De La Mer. Well maybe a there's little bit of a difference, but quite frankly I would always rather spend my money on shoes, than moisturiser, so Boots No 7 Protect and Perfect is usually enough for me. I don't have great skin, but its not bad, and my skin care routine takes oh -  about five minutes usually, as frankly life's to short to spend too much time looking in the mirror - especially when the face that looks back at you doesn't look like the 25 year old you imagine yourself to be! 

So when Amanda and I were given a big bag of Skin Science face creams to try recently, I have to admit I was more than a little bit sceptical. Amanda had been frantically taking notes and nodding throughout the science bit of the presentation and I could tell she was already a convert. But being a designer, I have never really seen the point of science (or maths if I'm honest) so the lovely fresh faced Norwegian man presenting, had lost me at the word Spermine!! (TM)

I took the products home and smuggled them through the door, and when the teen spotted them I told her they were specially for old skin and would have a hideous aging effect on young skin, so she mustn't touch them.

I had never in my life had such expensive products and was secretly quite excited. I waited till the weekend and tried the Lunchbreak Lift facial. First was the liquid from the Bio Active Instant Replenishment ampule. I love an ampule - it sounds like it could potentially work miracles and it's tininess seems hugely significant!  Then came the Quick Lift peel off mask, followed by the 24 hour Protective Complex moisturiser. I looked in the mirror expecting to see Kiera Knightly, but instead saw the street drinker that lives on my High Street. My face had gone bright bright red and I was scared to leave the bathroom. 'Bloody Hell' said M.A.D, and I knew it must be bad cos he usually doesn't notice anything new about me! 'eeeeoooow' said the teen, causing me to run upstairs to hide! I was glad it was the weekend and I could spend the day on my bed, watching back to back episodes of Come Dine With Me.
The next day my skin was back to it's normal 'not quite so ruddy, but still quite ruddy', colour. 

For the next month I apply each cream religiously, when and how I am supposed to, in order to gain maximum effect. It helps that it is January and the weather is hideous, so I am not socialising much, getting lots of sleep and eating healthily. People start telling me I look well and when I look in the mirror, I don't see a 25 or even a 35 year old, but I do like the way my skin looks and feels. And dare I say it - I'm impressed!!! 

Two weeks ago I ran out of the serum and thought nothing of it, I still had plenty of moisturiser and felt confident it wouldn't make much difference. By day three I could virtually hear my skin screaming 'what the Hell have you done, get me that serum NOW, I am desperate here - I need a drink! It was red, flaky and horrible and had I not had loads of work on and put off by the trek to Harvey Nichols, I would have for the first time in my life spent £95 on a bottle of skin cream. 

My skin has calmed down and looks ok (but not as good as it did before) and I am managing with just the moisturiser, but I really don't know what I am going to do when that runs out. I may have to sell a member of my family!

(checking back on the notes, it appears that Jane might have used the products in the wrong order when her face went red, sometimes it's useful to read the instructions...#justsaying)

Amanda's review

Being given a giant size bag of very expensive beauty products was better than Christmas, well my Christmas anyway (regular readers might remember I got a foot massage machine from M.A.D....). The science lesson that we had from the charming Norwegian Geir Havard Kvalheim (Skin Science is his company) to explain why this stuff was so good was also terrific (he did explain why Spermine was so marvellous and what fish oils did but my notes don't really make much sense now I come to read them back, I think I was high on Spermine inhalation....). One thing I do remember was that he dismissed the idea that any cream could be anti-ageing or indeed turn back the hands of time, that's just not going to happen, he called what he was doing 'age management'. All any good cream can hope to do is make you look as good as possible and keep you that way and I did rather like this approach.

So for the first time ever I had the luxury of the complete range of a product to use and it really was a treat. I piled on the Bio Active Stimulating Serum, Renewal Complex Moisturiser (night) or 24 hr Protective Complex cream (day) and occasionally threw in half an ampule of the Instant Replenishment Complex when I was going out and wanted to impress.

Keeping this up for a month or two was not hard and people actually started to say nice things about how well I looked. Most importantly I liked how it looked and felt too and much like Jane, when I ran out of the serum I felt a bit anxious and ended up forcing the top off to ensure the last drop went onto my skin and not in the bin. I did something similar to the moisturisers as they came to a finish too.....you know when you use a bit of brute force and sharp instruments to get the last drop out of a tube, it's a good product.

The only criticisms I have are; the little ampules are a daft size and design, they have to be tiny because the product goes off quickly, but you're only supposed to use half...well design it smaller then...it's tricky to use as it is.

Secondly, it doesn't smell of anything. This is entirely superficial, but if you are paying close to £100 per product, I want it to smell expensive...or at least very nice. Not of nothing.

Apart from that, it's terrific. Expensive, but terrific. And I am seriously considering buying both the Serum and the Active Renewal Complex Cream. What I really liked though, was the total treat of getting the whole lot....A real luxury that we'd rarely if ever treat ourselves to, but if you want to cheer some one up, buy them the entire package and wait for the hugs......

Sandy Lewis's review of the eye cream....(just to balance things up a bit we gave the eye cream to Sandy to check out)

Oh joy, another product testing mission. I could happily be employed full-time trying stuff. I take it very seriously, so forgive the blunt honesty.

The first thing to say about Skin Science Bio Active Eye Contour Complete Cream (phew) is that it drew my attention to using a cream specifically for the eye. Up until now, all forty six years, (well, not for the first twenty or so, obviously) I’ve slapped on bog standard face cream, lightly skimming over my eyes, doing my best to avoid but usually failing, to get any cream accidently nudging into my eye socket. This results in some stinging and an odd greasy blurring of vision which is particularly tiresome when trying to read at night. I’ve discovered this can be avoided by using eye cream. Simple really, but not something I’ve grasped until now.

The second comment I must make is the design of the container. I usually scoff at most product containment vessels, making scandalous remarks like ‘probably designed by a bloke’ or ‘I could have made a better job’. But this vacuum pump tube produced an appropriate amount of cream with no fuss right until the very end. When the last pump produced thin air, I cut the tube open and I’d say there was one more application inside, which I think is quite respectable.

That’s where my positive vibe dries up. This product was mega bucks and lasted me 3-4 weeks (twice daily applications). Not good. This product implied it was going to change the life of the skin surrounding my eyes, it failed to deliver. This product was underwhelming. Plus if I’d actually paid for it I would be miffed by the small quantity I got for my money. I’m off to Superdrug.

Details

All products are available exclusively at Harvey Nichols stores and on the Harvey Nichols website. They start at £60 for the Quick Lift Mask and go up to £120 for the Instant replenishment Complex ampules. Check out the website for all prices.

We love: Sophie Grigson at The Body Shop

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We met Sophie Grigson at The Body Shop's Earth Lovers press day last week, she was there to help us all understand how to make our houses and gardens a bit more eco friendly, and to shift some shower gel. We took the opportunity to ask her what her favourite herbs are, since there was a lot of herb stuff going on, and this is what she said.

Sophie's top tips for growing herbs:

'Pick them! They like being picked, people think they'll will upset the plants if they pick too much, but actually it makes them happy."

'Don't buy supermarket herbs and expect them to do well when they've finished, because they have been hothoused and forced, use them and throw them. You might be lucky and get a bit more out of them, but it's hardly worth the effort'.

'Think where they originate and treat them accordingly.'

What are your favourite herbs, Sophie?

'Coriander and mint, I can't live without them. we don't use mint nearly enough in British cooking, it's such an uplifting herb, it's a 'life is good' herb. One of my favourite teas is fresh mint and fresh rosemary, in the morning it really helps your brain reassemble.Try mint on a tomato salad instead of basil, it's every bit as good.'

I gave teenagesons the 100% biodegradable shower gel (first of its kind according to The Body Shop although it's not on the website yet) and it passed their stringent quality tests (doesn't smell too girly and isn't a weird colour). it's pricy at £5.00 a bottle, but if you want to save the planet, it could be the one for you.

Buy this: BaBylis Big Hair

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What did we ever do without Twitter to keep us up to date with everything from celebrity gossip, news, politics and trends, to who's walking the dog in the park? We've said it before, but it really is the modern day equivalent of gossiping over the garden fence, except you can do it with your favourite fashion and beauty journalists, bloggers, celebrities and of course your real life friends.

Women are particularly good at it, as talking and communicating is our thing. No matter how small or seemingly insignificant (within reason - there are some things you just don't share!) we can reduce it down to 140 characters and share it with our community, knowing there is someone out there who is listening (actually it's better than real life, cos I don't know about you, but no-one listens to me at home!!). We have two rules when twittering, it has to be informative or funny, a bit like a conversation.

So for those of you already on Twitter, apologies for this post, as you will already know about the BaBylis Big Hair dryer, as everyone was talking about it on Twitter like months ago (insert teenage voice!).

I only just got around to buying it last week as I am not a fan of blow drying, actually make that, I HATE blow drying and never, ever do it. I am always amazed when I come out of the hairdressers with someone elses hair and spend a lot of time swinging my sleek and shiny new helmet of hair around in a 'is that girl wearing Harmony hairspray' kind of way, but watching the poor junior stylist, twisting and turning that big brush for what seems like hours (is it just me, or does a visit to the hairdressers make you fidgety?) I know there is absolutely no way I am ever going to achieve that look at home. I'm sorry but life's just too short to spend so long on something that's essentially dead! 

So in a last ditch attempt to look groomed in a New York kind of a way (I made a resolution in the summer to become more high maintenance) I bought the Big hair thingy that all my favourite beauty bloggers/journos had been going on about on Twitter. And yes ladies I can truthfully say, it is fabulous. Its like (sharp intake of breath) someone else blow drying your hair! Ok you do actually have to spend a little bit of time on it. But because the brush rotates, it takes all that pulling and turning action out of the process and its actually quite relaxing. And it makes you hair look really sleek, and if you so require - really big. Slap on a bit of serum afterwards and you could be presenting Good Morning America.

The only problem is now, yes you've guessed it, it has mysteriously disappeared into the bowels of the teens bedroom.

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Reader review needed: Anyone have weak nails?

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We popped along to the OPI nail launch for new colours last week, and got given a couple of bottles of OPI Original Nail Envy and Avoplex Nail & Cuticle Replenishing Oil. Both Jane and I have strong nails so are useless as testers. Does anyone have weak and flakey nails they wish were stronger? If so they are both yours in return for an amusing comment and a dedicated period of testing and then a short review.

Can you fix weak nails when you are over 35 years old? The Nail Envy bottle does not say, so we'd like to find out. And I've always wondered if religious use of cuticle and nail oil was worth the effort. So ladies, anyone fancy a 'nail month?'. Leave us a good comment and the bottles are yours.....

Mid-life questions: Can you ever leave your hairdresser?

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Sitting at lunch with a couple of Grande Dames from the fashion industry, I casually brought up the subject of hairdressers, explaining that I was keen to write a post about how women of our age have often formed a water-tight bond with their hairdressers. Leaving your long term hairdresser, even if it means updating and improving our look, is very difficult, I have a friend who reckons if she had to chose, she'd leave her husband before her hairdresser.

Sure enough, it turned out to be a hot topic. Angela has been with André for 15 years and now has her husband going to him. Leaving him (André that is) 'would never happen' she said,  because he keeps her looking fabulous by making her update her look regularly (she does always have fabulous hair). 

Brenda is still pining for Charles Worthington, who she says is the nicest person in the world and used to be her hairdresser when he and she were young unknowns. He has now become stratospherically successful and expensive and Brenda likens losing him to being abandoned by a lover, "You feel bereft and rejected" she says, and she is still looking for the brilliance of that original first cut.

I love my hairdresser, who is local and practically has a 'lock down' on his appointment book of adoring clients, who know to book months in advance for important dates. My hair appointments are more about therapy and gossip than hair and his interest in fashion means I often learn stuff while being groomed. I can't ever imagine leaving him.

TWR reader Dinah has recently left hers and emailed to say "I wore a hat every time I went out after I’d been unfaithful to Gianluca (her fabulous but expensive hairdresser). Then I took the coward’s way out and told him via a Christmas card that it wasn’t him, it was me ... I have been going to him for over ten years and I always felt great after he’d done my hair – but considerably poorer. I justified the spending, figuring it was cheaper than therapy or botox. But then the last time I went to him I came out looking like a cross between Emma Thompson and Lynne from Neighbours. I wanted something a bit more edgy and a lot more cheap, so I booked in at Vidal Sassoon Academy, had my hair cut by a young Japanese student for £12 and was thrilled."

My sister mailed to say "Leaving a hairdresser would be like dumping a boyfriend, only worse. I’m not sure I have the guts. Very embarrassing ’it’s not you, it’s me’ kind of thing (clearly a theme here ladies...ed). I’d certainly have to lie, telling her I was moving to Outer Mongolia and then never leaving the house without a full wig and beard disguise."

"Funnily enough I had a conversation about this with my hairdresser- who comes to my home- how's that for intimacy-  the last time I saw him" said Lorna when I mailed her with the distracting question. "Sometimes, he says, you have to 'break up' because  a new hairdresser can achieve an improvement by virtue of not knowing you - ie the closeness  of a long relationship with a client can often be a barrier to that radical rethink which to your old hairdresser is a risk. I think we hate doing it because we fear the consequences and know we are in danger of falling victim to 'the grass is always greener' syndrome.  We also know that if it doesn't work we will probably spend an enormous amount of time searching for just what we turned our backs on."

Lorna does point out that the comparisons with leaving a lover are inevitable because it's all tied up with our self image inside and out. What we forget is that to most hairdressers it's not a relationship, it's just business. "If you were to make a mistake and ask to come back" she said "unlike an ex- they'd be only too happy to have you."

One thing hairdressers could learn to do is improve their conversational skills. Globe trotting Zelfa has the perfect excuse for moving on when she's fed up with her current hairdresser, she says she's out of the country, but she raises an interesting point, "I'm fed up with small talk" she said, "I want to talk politics or about something interesting, at our age we've moved through talking about the weather." 

Do you have a close relationship with your hairdresser? If you have left, what did you say? 

More Reader testers needed: Q10 Neck Cream

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Our recent readers reviews of the Jeanne Piaubert Radical Firmness Serum were so fabulously well written, witty and honest, we now have beauty companies queuing up to offer us fabulous products to test - well maybe not quite queuing, but definitely happy to send us samples!

Japanese brand DHC has just launched a new neck cream as part of its age fighting Q10 range and we have three tubes to give away. According to the press release, the miracle ingredient in this wonder cream is Coenzyme, 'which is found naturally in our skin and fights free radicals and promotes collagen, however these levels decrease over time which can cause skin to become thinner and more prone to fine lines and wrinkling.  The other key ingredient is alpha-arbutin, a technologically advanced skin brightener which helps minimize the hyper-pigmentation caused by sun-damage and helps the delicate skin on the neck to look brighter and more evenly toned'. 

Sounds good? Lets just see shall we. We know the Womens Room readers are an honest and down to earth lot, who are not afraid to say what they think. So if you fancy testing it out, leave us a neck related comment below, perhaps you'd like to tell us what or who, you are currently finding a 'right pain in the neck', or why your own particular neck deserves some pampering. Or you may even have a neck related poem or song you'd like to share?!!!
We will choose three winners and send you the cream in return for a short review. 

Readers Reviews: Jeanne Piaubert Radical Firmness Serum

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So, how are we all doing? All presents bought and wrapped? Turkey/nut roast ready to go? Relatives quietly enjoying a sherry in the front room? No? Join the club.

While you wonder what on Earth possessed you to invite the whole family for Christmas day or say 'yes please!' to the fourth glass of wine/champagne at Christmas drinks yesterday evening, take heart, there is life after Christmas. 

You might need a pick-me-up after the festive madness has thoroughly worn you down, and with impeccable timing we bring you our Readers Reviews of the Jeanne Piaubert Radical Firmness Serum....Do you remember we asked for volunteers to try out this (quite expensive) face serum and comment on if it was any good? Well the comments are in! These are the unedited reviews from our three brave testers Sandy, Steffi and Linda......

From Sandy

"At 46 I now have to brace myself before I look in a mirror. So I felt like I’d been delivered the elixir of life on a chilly morning last month. Although when I opened my box of Jeanne Piaubert’s, Radical Firmness and having been born a natural cynic/master of sarcasm, I confess I was ready to scoff.

Kick off was not great. I immediately predicted the top heavy, skittle shaped bottle would be trouble, and I was right. I’m now forever knocking it over and just waiting for it to take out one of my cats on its next launch.

The instruction leaflet was almost impossible to read, the text being so minute. I even hiked up my prescription by a couple of notches by borrowing my husband’s reading glasses, but it was still irritatingly difficult to decipher. Relatively unfocused too, particularly when it came to any suggestions of when to actually apply the serum. (Nightly? Twice daily? Under makeup? Moisturiser on top?)So I went with TWR advice from a previous post and applied nightly, sealed with moisturizer.

The only thing I did pick up was the ‘top tip’ of saying ‘U’ and ‘X’ as a daily face gym. I now get side glances from my two sons, clearly fretting that I’m two signatures away from being sectioned.

HOWEVER, once I got to the actual product, things started to dramatically improve. First off, it smells lovely. Very important in my house. My family never hold back from remarking ‘what’s that smelly muck you’ve got on your face?’ Secondly, it’s thick and creamy, so not a drop is wasted on unintentional flicks, marvellous texture actually. Once applied, an encouraging ‘tightening’, or ‘firming’ feeling was immediately noticeable and still apparent the next morning.

Three weeks on, my skin appears plump, and dare I say it, youthful. Enormously happy about that. Other people have noticed too, namely husband and father. That in itself is quite remarkable. And what’s more remarkable, night by night my skin has just got better and better. I feel rather like I’ve been upgraded from budget economy to upper-class. Like wearing matching silk lingerie with hand sewn Italian lace, rather than pants from a value six pack and an old washed out bra that you wear because it’s comfy.

I shall feel wretched when the bottle runs dry, as I know my financial health will not allow me to replenish. But if I did have the cash, (a scary amount, let’s face it) would I splash out? – Oh yes- yes, yes indeed."

From Steffi

"I chose the twice-a-day option ie. mornings and evenings. I wanted it to show me all it could do, no half measures. Without a doubt the serum brings an instant "tightness" to my skin when it is applied and after having used it for just over 2 weeks (if I´m not mistaken), there also seems to be a plumpness or rather a firmness to the touch. 

Whilst my skin is definitely heading into maturity, I would probably not use it too much at the moment (at 42) but rely on it more and more over the coming years and definitely in my 50´s. 
My skin is notoriously difficult but in good condition and therefore I could probably get a away with using it every now and then rather than twice daily at the moment. 
I would definitely recommend the serum. Definitely! As a botox and cosmetic surgery hater, I´m a total product junky and love it that there are potions like these that also give us good results without resorting to extreme, unnatural measures."

From Jill

"Clutching the slim French bottle of Radical Firmess Serum from the postman  I immediately locked myself in the bathroom for a private long hard look in the mirror!
Figuring that the 53 year old face looking back could only look better after a month of trialing this luxury product, I cleansed with my regular hot cloth cleanser, and applied a generous dollop onto my face..... The instructions did not say how much to apply, but the pump dispenser does give measured doses.  The serum felt lovely- smooth, silky and sank into my skin instantly.  It says you can use with a moisturiser or on it's own, however, my sink felt 'tight' after using it, which must be the lifting effect.  I therefore always used a  moisturiser on top and my skin felt soft and smooth.  The effect felt like the old egg white trick, used by myself as an experimental teenager! (And us! Ed)
 
Did it dramatically or should I say Radically lift my face? Well, it certainly did not make me look younger or give me a drastic non surgical lift (which for nearly £100 some folk might expect) but it did make me feel smooth and cared for which is the effect expensive cosmetics seem to have on some people.
I paid attention around the jaw/jowl area, but I feel losing weight may shift a double chin, not a serum.
Have I had compliments about my radiant skin?  Have the 11 year old children I work with passed comments on my  wrinkle free new look? uhhhh no, but then perhaps I hang around with the wrong crowd, where personal compliments are a bit thin on the ground!
 
I have been enjoying using this lovely serum, it certainly has improved the texture of my skin, but I don't see any real 'lifting' results sadly.  It has made me be more disciplined in my twice daily cleansing and applying serum and mosituriser routine, which is not bad thing. I will continue to use a serum under  moisturiser in future, but finances in my household won't run to this particular one, so I shall use it down to the last scrapings and then look out for a quality lower priced one. Suggestions ladies on a postcard please..............."

 

So there you have it, proper, no nonsense comments from TWR readers who have actually tried it! Sounds good doesn't it? It is expensive, no doubt at all, but there's joy there in those comments.....

This is clearly the Rolls Royce of serums price wise, so does anyone have a cheaper alternative serum they've been using that they've been happy with? We've been using the Estee Lauder one Sonia Juttla recommended and it's great, but we'd love your comments on what else is out there! 

Jeanne Piaubert Radical Firmness Serum £95, is available from the Urban Retreat at Harrods (0207 893 8333) and from www.beautique.com in the new year. Is it too late to add it to the Christmas list?

Christmas wish list: Ormonde Jayne's Gold Creme

The festive window at the new Ormonde Jayne store

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There's a nice new shop in Sloane Square for perfume lovers, Ormonde Jayne, the perfumery created by Linda Pilkington. It is the second stand alone store for the brand, which has also recently opened an outlet in the Harrods perfume hall. For the opening last week the store had a festive Christmas window that made us feel quite deck-the-halls-ish with its pretty, suspended ribbons and baubles.

Owner Linda Pilkington is fiercely passionate about the quality of her products, as are most of the perfumers we mention here, the shop experience is about as far from the blind-panic-duty-free-perfume-purchase as you could possibly get. I love listening to the staff describe the perfumes, they use lovely words and evoke enviable emotions, a bit like the wine trade really. 

I know it's all marketing, but you do feel they are very knowledgable about their product, which I always like. 

For the party season, Linda recommends her new Gold Crème, a sparkly creme for your shoulders and décolleté which is also lightly perfumed with either  the Orris Noir or Ta'if fragrances. it's £56 for a pot, which probably makes it cheaper than a new party dress.

You can purchase online, and our US readers might like to know that the brand will ship to the States, as Ormonde Jayne is currently not available for sale anywhere over there. If you want a smell that no one else has then this might be worth thinking about.

Linda says the discovery set at £42, which has a small bottle of each of the fragrences available, is a good place to start and a nice gift too. 

Ormonde Jayne, 192 Pavillion Road, Sloane Square London.

Also in Harrods and The Royal Arcade, 28 Old Bond Street, London.

and of course, online

The Gold Creme 

We love: Grossmith perfumes

 

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When Amanda's MAD decided he wanted to retire early and become an artist, I tried to think positive thoughts about him being happy and creatively fulfilled and not 'Oh dear, I wonder if this means less money for clothes?'

I was lucky, when Amanda Brooke's husband Simon reached 50 something, he decided to resurrect the family perfume house, pretty much from scratch, with all the hard work and new learning curves that entailed.

Simon discovered through his interest in genealogy he was related (great, great grandson) to the founder of the English perfume house Grossmith. After buying up antique samples of what remained of the perfume on eBay and some serendipitous meetings with distant relatives (one of whom still had the original book of perfume formulae) he and Amanda thought they had the makings of something special, so bought back the company name. Through hard work, giant amounts of research, learning and masses of enthusiasm, they have successfully reinvented three of the original best selling scents.

There are many reasons why I want them to do well. Firstly, Grossmith has worked really hard to keep as near as possible to the original formulas, going for (expensive) natural or very good quality synthetic materials. With many of the big brand perfumes (frequently headed up by some celeb we're supposed to want to smell like) keeping the cost of what's in the bottle as LOW as they can get away with, or alter the original formula to get the same smell with cheaper ingredients, it's rather fabulously old-fashioned to think of the quality first. 

Because of this, the perfumes lasts and lasts. The sillage (as the waft of smell you leave in your wake is known in the trade -sounds a bit farm like, doesn't it?) is mightily impressive, and it's due to the quality of the ingredients.

Secondly, these are really original, beautiful smells. They are old school, heavyweight proper perfumes, deeply sexy (all three are floral orientals), rich, exotic and really stir the memory when you first experience them. You can't feel ambivilant about them, you will either find them too dramatic, or you'll fall heavily for them (as I have for Shem el Nessim).

The oldest perfume Hasu no Hana was created in 1888, Phul Nana in 1891 and Shem el Nessim in 1906 and all three sold across the world for years, gaining royal warrants (Queen Alexandra) and many fans. Indeed when Shem el Nessim was invented, the perfumers in Grasse (with whom the family worked) were so impressed it started a trend for this type of oriental floral and the Guerlain classic L'Heure Bleue, which was born in 1912, is heavily influenced by the style.

The unusual names date them, Hasu no Hana, which is the scent of the Japanese lotus lily, was invented in 1888 when Japan was just opening up to the West, Shem el Nessim (1906) is named after an Egyptian spring time festival when Edwardians were heading down the Nile for the first travel cruises and Phul Nana, created in 1891, celebrates India when the English considered it and all its wonderful treasures their own.

(For anyone watching Downton Abby, I reckon Lady Mary would have worn Shem el Nessim and Lady Cora maybe Phul Nana, both would have been available).

The perfumes are available at very few stores in the UK (which makes me love them even more), The Roja Dove perfume boutique on the fifth floor at Harrods stocks them, check the website for a closer stockist, but if you are struggling them email Amanda and Simon (under 'contact us') and they will help.

They are slightly different prices because the ingredients in them cost differing amounts, with Hasu no Hana £125, Shem el Nessim £115 and Phul Nana £100 for 50mls. If you are feeling particularly flush, or you have rich relatives needing help with Christmas suggestions the beautifully decorated Baccarat crystal bottle of the perfume is yours for £6000.

 
Some of the original packaging, bottles and ledgers from the Grossmith archives

Reader testers needed: Méthode Jeanne Piaubert

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Last week it was

books and TVs we were giving away, this week its beauty serums, we're working hard for you here on TWR.....

We have been kindly offered three bottles of Méthode Jeanne Piaubert's Radical Firmness Serum to test and comment on. So we need three readers who are prepared to sacrifice their wrinkles for a few words. As you know we are concerned you don't feel the need to all turn to cosmetic surgery and develop Women on Fifth complex ( see yesterday's post), so this should help keep things natural.

Méthode Jeanne Piaubert is the best selling range in France's Sephora stores (which are so much nicer that the Sephoras that popped up her a while ago). This new firmness serum promises all sorts on the press release, African papyrus to tighten the dermis (isn't that paper?) Japanese lily to 'enhance cohesion' and a revitalising of your fibroblasts ( I'm sure if I knew what these were, I'd agree that mine need a revamp too). Marvelous eh? Wonder if it works. 

If you would like to trial a bottle of this (and it retails at £95 so it's a pretty cool give-away ladies) please leave a comment saying why you need firming up and the best three will be sent a bottle each. All we need in return is a few words on what you thought of it after you've trialed it for a couple of weeks. Your chance to say if one of these fancy creams actually works.

looking forward to your comments!

 

Le Labo's perfumed note pad, and a home made version

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Being something of a perfume and stationery geek, when I heard the French perfume company Le Labo (which makes one of my favourite rose perfumes, Rose 31) made a note book impregnated with scent, I just had to find out more. Any excuse to nip to Liberty really, where the perfume is sold in the UK.

Pictured above, it really is lovely. The cover has a masculine feel, with metal rivets bonding the charcoal card cover and there's a sturdy elastic which wraps around the open end (essential for one of my working note books as I am always sticking things to pages which then fall out). Inside the pages are brown-paper-coloured and have ridges embossed in them which hint at looking like music paper. Each book has an individual serial number printed on the inside cover.

And then there's the smell...The note book is scented with Santal 26, a smokey, leathery perfume that is one of Le Labo's best selling interior smells. The paper, which is entirely recycled, is lightly scented with perfume when it is made and the cover is also steeped in the smell, so you can scratch and sniff (or scribe and sniff perhaps) to evoke a fragrant atmosphere as you work. At £30 each this is a special present, but rather a lovely one. I'm definitely giving these away as Christmas gifts. It doesn't seem to be for sale via Liberty's website, but there's plenty in store.

And then I got to thinking....

When I wrote about Avery a while back, I stuck the scented feathers the store uses as perfume testers in my little black note book and ever since the pages have been dreamily scented with Black Afgano and Narcotic Venus. So I thought I'd have a go at making my own perfume note books, using a Moleskin Volant double pack (pink, ruled lines and £9.95 for two, pictures below and also bought at Liberty) and some samples of Grossmith's lovely smells that I have been using for research on the brand (more of this company in a future post). 

I sprayed about one quarter of the sample onto the pages of the note book with one hand as I flipped the pages from front to back with the other. Worked a treat. I now have fragrance-personalised note books. I'm not sure how long the pages will keep smelling for, but the ones in my current working note book are still going strong and the feathers have been there since mid June. I'm thinking we could go into business here.....

Sonia Juttla helps out: part two- bronzers, lipstick and kohl

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Where were we on the lovely Sonia? Oh, yes, here.

When Sonia mentioned bronzers, I almost told her not to bother, it's another one of those products that just wasn't around when I learnt how to do my make-up routine aeons ago and I didn't much like the sound of it. I mean, I equate bronzers with Victoria Beckham ish tan levels and Jordan-style subtlety, not for me AT ALL.. "That's what lots of people think!" said Sonia incredulousy, "but applied to the right places it does wonders for older skin and really adds warmth and depth". 

The trick is to be very careful about where you place it, and how. The one Sonia recommends is the Guerlain Terracotta one (£32.50), but use any brand, just avoid muddy shades and anything too orange. Aim instead for biscuity shades. get a good fat brush, which you swirl around the colour, tap to remove the excess powder, then softly brush on at the edges of the face in a figure of three (backwards three for the left hand side). Start at the temple, curve out around the eye and back in just below the cheekbone, then curve out again and sweep down the outer edges -just above- the jaw line. Don't go too close to the eye sockets as it can make you look tired, you are just tracing the outer contours of the face.

Well surprisingly...it definitely does something -very very subtly- it sort of warms you up. And the REALLY clever trick Sonia suggests is to hide any flabbiness under the chin, sweep a brush from left to right under the chin and it disguises it. Clever. I am now a fan.

Lipstick. Jane isn't going to like this, but Sonia reckons strong red can be a bit ageing, so advises looking for approachable reds, not so full on, but still full of interest. For anyone who's stopped wearing lipstick, she suggests easing yourself back in with a lip stain, it's easier to control the colour and if you feel brave you can layer up the applications and go for a more intense hue. I haven't bought this Laura Mercier  (£16.50) one Sonia says is good yet, but I already want to try it from the picture.

The trick here is to add a sense of fullness to your lips by building up the colour in the middle of the lips, (don't fret about the outer edges) finishing off with a touch of gloss to the middle too. That way your lips look much fuller and plump. This works well if you use a matt lipstick (very now according to Sonia) then blott and add a touch of gloss to the middle, then press your lips together. 

Finally, Kohl. Essential in my make up tool kit, actually it's about the only thing in my tool kit (before I met Sonia) I am still dragging the pencil around the upper and lower lids from corner to corner, as I've always done. But Sonia reckons this is making my eyes look small and because my skin has changed (got more soft and crepe-y) the effect is less long-and-lean line, more mountain-range-cycle-path....Instead, we are to draw a soft line from the outer eye just for about one cm, on the lids close to the lashes,towards the centre, but don't go all the way to the other side. This makes the eyes open up more by drawing attention to the outer edges, making them appear bigger, and it adds definition to the outer eyes. Whack on a layer of mascara and you are good to go.

Sonia's starting her own blog soon, but until then, anyone have any other make up issues they want to ask her? 

Skin care & beauty tips: Sonia Juttla helps us out

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We recently found ourselves in the back of a taxi (a Green Tomato Cars taxi, as this was after the Timberland event) with the style and beauty writer Sonia Juttla. Sonia is a complete beauty geek and has been obsessing about beauty products and make up since she was small. She is also wise beyond her years when it comes to make up tips, having spent her youth working behind make up counters and offered up her services to TWR without me even having to twist her arm behind her back. Honestly.

In fact, Sonia was so incredibly knowledgable about what products to use and tips to try with older skin, that the blog is going to have to be divided into two (or even three) posts, one today and one Thursday, to cover all her advice. We're starting with skin care. 

Sonia's advice on skin care is simple, she thinks you should keep to a minimum spend on clensers -don't splash out on anything expensive, too perfumed or excessively drying, use a good moisturiser (she thinks the Olay range is excellent) and our investment should be in serums, the new magic product to help repair skin.

Those of us stuck in a cleanse/tone /moisturise or soap and water routine we learnt at twenty, often with the same old products may have missed the advent of serums, which when used at night, can work hard to soften and plump...well within reason of course, but every little helps. The one Sonia has been wear testing -along with her mum, is Estée Lauder's advance night repair and both of them reckon it's very good. I bought some to try and it is fab. Not cheap (about £50 a bottle but you don't need much) but after two weeks I have noticed my skin is much softer and vaguely nicer looking.

Sonia's tips on using are as follows....cleanse, then gently rub five drops of the serum into your skin and leave for five minutes to dry. The put your moisturiser on top to seal in the goodness and sleep tight. Once a week (no more on our age of skin) exfoliate, and the serum will work even better.

Then we all need to get a highlighter cream.....I had to confess to Sonia that I had no idea what this was, which she says it not that surprising as women our age often get stuck in our old make-up routine ruts, stop learning about new products and miss out on whole categories of new things, like highlighter creams. 

Older skin often struggles to look bright and fresh, and learning how to apply highlighter cream can be a really useful trick to liven up tired skin, it's a great tool for adding definition to the face, another problem as we get older and our skin softens.

According to Sonia, there are two ways to use this (and we are using MAC's Strobe Cream £21, here.....), firstly, if your skin is looking like death warmed up after a late night, or is just generally hideously dull, put a small blob on your fingers and smooth well into the cheeks, forehead and nose before applying your foundation. Sonia says it can look a little scary at this point, but keep going.....apply your foundation as normal and viola! perked-up skin!. Try not to get too addicted to this (easy once you've seen the results), try sleeping a bit more too.

Secondly, it works as a general skin pick-me-up, AFTER you have applied your foundation, apply a wee bit to your finger and run a line down your nose -smooth in slightly -and put a small touch on your cupid bow above your top lip. Then, another tiny blob on your finger and run a V shape from just above your eyebrow (the outer edge, away from your nose) to the centre of your temple and back down above your cheek bone, finishing just a smidge in from the start of the eye....I hope that makes sense. It makes everything look a little more awake, and I now find myself doing this every day....which is amazing since I'm very lazy.

So go practise ladies and tell us how you get on. On Thursday we'll be covering what on earth you do with a bronzer and how you probably need to re look at the way you are applying your kohl......

The older ladies of perfume: 40+ fragrances

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Last post on perfume for a while, promise. 

While we had the hugely knowledgable Roja Dove cornered (poor lamb) at the Harrods gig, we asked him what his favourite 40+ perfumes were. And here they are....

Quelque Fleurs. Houbigant (origin 1912, making her 98 years old)

"Parfums Houbigant is the oldest French perfume house, founded in 1775 and provided Marie Antoinette with three tiny vials of perfume to tuck into her bodice 'for strength and courage' as she went to the guillotine, which just shows how important fragrance can be in lifting spirits. Quelque Fleurs is the mother of all floral bouquets, it's the defining reference for them and is almost the perfect floral."

Mitsuoko. Guerlain (1905, making her a grand dame of 105 years)

"If you speak to a bunch of perfumers they will tell you this is the most perfect example of the perfumer's art and the pride of the House of Guerlain. The woman who wears this is single minded, uncompromising and strong while remaining very feminine. She can't stand 'wishy-washy'." (Spookily, this almost perfectly describes a friend of mine who wears it).

Bal a Versailles Jean Desprez (1962, making her a mere 48 years old)

"Bal a Versailles was inspired by the mirrored ballroom of Versailles, evoking luxury and grandeur. This perfume can only be worn by a woman, not a girl, someone who is confident in her womanliness. The most famous wearer of the perfume is Elizabeth Taylor, and for me she perfectly evokes the type of woman who should wear this, who is assured of the effect she is having and is very comfortable with it."

We've ordered all of these (from Amazon and Fascination Perfumery ) and can't wait for them to turn up so we can check them out. If anyone already wears any of them, do let us know what it is you like about your scent, and what sort of memories it evokes.

More perfume stuff: Roja Dove talks to TWR

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SO, back to perfume. Roja Dove (this is actually pronounced Roger....since this is what MAD is called he's thinking of changing his spelling) is an encyclopedia of information on perfume, there's not much he doesn't know about smell. he took time to chat with TWR at the Perfume Diaries exhibition at Harrods and answered a couple of questions on what happens to perfume on older skin.

TWR does age (ours, not the perfume's) effect the way scent performs?

RD Absolutely. After the menopause, women's skin tends to produce less natural oil, so the skin is drier. Perfume oils need natural skin oils to stick to it (he describes it as being a bit like velcro, one bit needs the other bit to perform properly) in order for the perfume to stay around, if there is less oil, it can't grip as well to the skin and the perfume evolves differently. It moves through its phases of top notes, middle and then base notes much faster, which is why older women often notice their usual perfume now smells a bit different on them. Instead of taking maybe 10 hours to get to the base notes, now it might only take two, the scent's life has speed-ed up. 

TWR Oh no! Can we do anything to improve this?

RD It's essential that you use an acid balanced PH shower/bath gel, which wont strip the skin of those oils (RD says many do), one close to 5.5 is fine. And then you need to change the way in which to apply moisturiser to your skin.....

TWR We do?

RD Remember perfume is alcoholic in its base, you wouldn't put your facial moisturiser on before your skin toner (also alcohol) because the toner would strip it off, well the same goes for perfume, apply it to clean skin and then put your body lotion on top. That way your natural skin oil blends with the perfume oil, allowing the moisturiser to carry on the good work. 

So now you know....

Roja also recommended buying a bland natural moisturiser base and adding a few drops of your own perfume to create a body lotion that adds another layer of your perfume to the skin. TWR commented that she used a body lotion with another smell, "That way you'll probably create something HIDEOUS!" he exclaimed, with a dismissive flick of the hand. 

The brand Roja recommends is Neals Yard, which does a good range of Baseline products, mild natural basis which you can add scent and other stuff to, they also do a good PH balanced shower gel too. TWR has ordered hers and will report back on the bathroom alchemy as it happens. 

Roja Dove groupies (me) or anyone just wanting to find out more about perfume should read his book, The Essence of Perfume, that formed the skeleton of the Harrods Perfume Diaries exhibition.