J’aime Bien Le Shopping! French Beauty Haul
It might have been a short holiday; it might have been a family holiday; but we were in La Belle France, so obviously, there was going to be le shopping! Allow me to present: the French Beauty Haul … Never get a migraine in Disneyland Paris: you can’t find painkillers for love nor money! The upside […]
Professional Beauty Show at EXCEL London
There is something about February that makes my jaded old heart sing, and that’s the chance to troll around the Professional Beauty Show at Excel, London. Valentine’s Day? Pah – I SPIT on Valentine’s Day! Retail beauty products at wholesale prices: that’s what brings a spring to my step and a gleam to my eye, and […]
KUNG HEI FAT CHOI! Shopping in London’s Chinatown
Chinese New Year is one of my favourite celebrations: I love the emphasis on grub, decoration and MONEY! The Year of the Goat began yesterday, on the 19th of February, so hip, hip hooray for me, as I’m a Goat. The Belle and I met up in Chinatown to celebrate what we hope will be a happy, […]
Guy Bourdin: Image Maker at Somerset House
It may be Winter outside, but in my heart it is Spring – thanks to the colour-drenched, riotous retrospective that is Guy Bourdin: Image Maker at Somerset House. The exhibition has been running since November and closes mid-March; go see it as soon as you can, because you will want to make more than one visit. Entry […]
Goodbye To The Garden Pharmacy Of Earthly Delights: HELLO! To The Garden Online
The Garden Pharmacy in Long Acre closed its doors for the last time on March 21st this year, which means that London has lost an incredible independent shop. The Garden Pharmacy had been operating from the same site in Covent Garden for 29 years: it’s a fixture of London life, and the news of its […]
Christmas Give and Take – Child-appropriate Beauty Gifts
I have two guiding principles when buying gifts: (1) never buy anything that you wouldn’t like to receive yourself and (2) If you live with your recipient, the gift should be something that can be shared, borrowed or stolen. I see no need to relax these principles when buying for children, so here is my […]
Bloom Perfumery Spitalfields
Have you left your Christmas shopping a little late this year? Be not afraid, I bring you good news:Â Bloom Perfumery in Spitalfields stocks an amazing range of astonishingly lovely scent that will delight any adult on your list. The Belle of Brockley discovered Bloom earlier this year, and it is now one of my very […]
Queen Cosmetics: They Reign Supreme!
Although they were established 85 years ago, I only became aware of Queen Cosmetics  last autumn, when I found their Theatrical Cleansing Cream on the shelves at John Bell & Croyden. It’s quite difficult these days to discover something captivating and surprising quite by chance. Beauty brands spend a fortune on advertising and marketing, soliciting […]
Lipstick Queen Poppy King – She Rules Supreme!
I have been a Lipstick Queen: Poppy King enthusiast since the Belle of Brockley discovered her products in the early ’90s – Poppy King brought passion, matte red, and drop-dead glam to the beauty market at a time when ‘nude and natural’ was all the rage. Poppy King’s lipsticks were a ray of light in a dull decade, […]
Hermès Festival Des Métiers, London 2013 (Artisans All Around)
London’s Saatchi Gallery hosted the travelling exhibition Hermès Festival Des Métiers in May this year. The Belle and I had enjoyed last year’s Leather Forever at the Royal Academy – the focus then had been exclusively on bags and leather goods. Festival Des Métiers had a broader remit, and  covered scarves, ceramics, jewellery, bags and fashion. Here are […]
