New York Defeated by London in Best City Title

Have you heard the news? In a global contest of 30 most influential cities, London got the title of Best City in the world, knocking New York down from the top spot. The survey, called Cities of Excellence, now in its sixth year, conducted by PwC, uses 59 indicators to compare the entries.  Ease of doing business, health, sustainability, cost of living and education, are just some of the measures taken into account.

Shopping spree in Selfridges – I am wearing a Michael Kors dress and a fur gilet by Ducie;

shoes by Mascaro, and handbag by Michael Kors

If one of the benchmarks was `shopping` than the London`s standing would go through the roof, as Selfridges just received the prestigious honour of The Best Department Store in the World, for the third year running. This is the first time that this accolade has been awarded three times consecutively to the same store! The award is bestowed by The International Group of Department Stores – an association of international shops, with 30 members from 30 different countries.

Well done London!  And congratulations to my beloved Selfridges!

Perricone MD Blue Plasma = skin luminosity

This is the first time I am reviewing a product in my blog, but the super-cosmetic I am writing about really deserves my commendation. Perricone MD Blue Plasma is a non-acidic daily peel, which gets rid of dead skin cells, and by lifting off surface debris (no rinsing needed) reveals smoother and brighter skin.

I have been using it every night for just over a month and my skin has wonderful luminosity and inner-glow. I actually realised my face looked refreshed just after one use.
  
It must be rebalancing hydration levels because my face looks plumped up.  I am prone to redness as my skin is fair, so chemical peels are not my friends. This product however, doesn`t irritate my sensitive skin, and these days I only very occasionally use a more traditional exfoliating scrub.

The only downside is its faint odour - difficult to describe but it is not the most pleasant smell on earth. However, it fades quickly and the product clearly works wonders;  it gives me a soft, well-hydrated, radiant, clear, and glowing complexion.

Dr Perricone – you are a genius!

Selfridges Fragrance Lab Distils Personality into Scent

I was drawn to Selfridges Fragrance Lab`s promise to match their new fragrances, produced exclusively by `Swiss noses` from Givaudan, to my personality.  So I ventured, with eagerness, into `all-white` space on the ground floor, which acts as an entrance, and a reception area of the Laboratory.

`Lab technicians` are young actors; they were chosen for their artistic flair, intuition, and ability to `read` others. I am wearing a wool and fox-fur jacket from Anne Klein and a crocodile-skin handbag from Africa.

 

I was asked to store my belongings, including my handbag, in a locker, and sit on a shiny stool in front of an iPad, to complete a multi-choice questionnaire. It included images, from which I needed to choose my favourites, statements and questions about my age and my lifestyle. Pictures contained – for example -three different styles of architecture: modern, rococo and gothic. I chose rococo.

 

I was then given headphones and asked to listen to instructions from a mobile, while I moved from one room to another. Each was furnished with curiosities, for example a chest of drawers, which contained different scents. Other rooms displayed shiny objects, glass jars full of grass, fragrant books, and a wind machine, which emitted a faint aroma of something I couldn`t name. Coffee pots were placed in tiny corridors, between rooms.

 

The last room is actually one of Selfridges window displays, and here I met my very own `lab technician` who encouraged me to sniff various pots, some full of petals, others containing copper wiring. All had distinctive scent. After analysing my questionnaire feedback, and my preferred scent from the last room, he then presented me with a bottle of fragrance he thought matched my character best.  He described my personality as `a bold provocateur` and `champion of the avant-garde`. He said I was `an early adopter of new brands and trends`   - absolutely right! My fragrance was made by a Malaysian perfumer, Shyamala Maisondieu. She previously created men’s fragrance for Lanvin . My `technician` told me she married and settled in Switzerland.  The scent is synthetic and made of Benzyl Salicylate, Farnesol, Geraniol etc. and it smells a bit `metallic`.

 

All in all, it was a unique experience, and worth the price of my eau de toilette – just over £60 for a 50ml. bottle.  

 

Spring Decorative Fair, London Battersea Park

I met with a few friends in Sloane Square Hotel, which combines city-chic décor with truly enviable location, on the crossroads between Chelsea and Knightsbridge. I am wearing a backless vintage silk dress, which falls into a special category of `clothes that make you visible….shrinking violets need not apply!` ; I accessorised it with rabbit fur shoes from Singapore and a Dolce & Gabbana bag.

From outside of the hotel, we took a shuttle to Battersea Park, for the Spring Decorative Fair to check out fabulous textiles, board games, antique and contemporary decorative furniture, art, and all manner of curios. All stylishly displayed, and promising to make your home even more desirable and comfortable.  

I love this decorative room divider showcased at Brownrigg @ Home Ltd stand, and will copy this idea in my West-African penthouse.

I almost parted with a vast amount at Sandy Stanley`s jewellery display, for this beautiful ring, but eventually my `head` took over my `heart`s` desire, and I left it behind for another fashionista, with deeper pockets than mine.

We were happy for our afternoon to be stolen by endless displays of rarefied taste and high-end pieces that would make an ideal stage for the drama of life.  Here are my favourite finds:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hot at 100 – Selfridges` Beauty Project

On Thursday evening, I participated in the launch of Selfridges` Beauty Project – a six weeks extravaganza of beauty treats, debates, and product launches. I am wearing a leather top from SuperTrash, and a skirt from Marc Cain. Ring bought in Ras Al Khaimah (UAE).

We were spoiled on the night with limited edition discoveries, live music, vodka cocktails, makeovers, and exclusive gifts, to make us all feel gorgeous.

Models of all ages sashayed down the escalator, displaying varied looks, and proving that anyone can look fabulous. You just need to put a small effort and adorn your face with a big smile.

The topic for Thursday`s discussion was `How to look hot at 100`, and focused our attention on inspirational women whose style is ageless. So what was in their modern style lexicon? Facial aerobics and positive thinking were some of the `secrets` that kept them looking attractive.

I enjoyed the vibrant atmosphere and am looking forward to participating in the forthcoming events, as part of the Beauty Project.

 

bareMinerals` no-makeup makeup

It wasn`t the first time that I took a couple of my girlfriends to experience bareMinerals` make-under. We were spoiled by the brand`s make-up artists at the Selfridges counter, with a generous offer of colourful cupcakes, delectable bubbly, and the opportunity to gossip.

Here, we are sharing the spotlight with the master-make-up-artist, who was behind our transformation. I am wearing  a royal-blue dress by Michael Kors and a crocodile-skin bag from West Africa.

To start with, our makeup was taken off, and our skin analysed. We were then re-made with great attention to detail, using specialist products from the brand`s extensive range. bareMinerals offers both, makeup and skincare, which is free of preservatives, fillers, or binders, and aims to - as they say - `perfect and pamper`.

A dewy, youthful and dazzling skin has always been on my lust list.  

Cuckolded Husbands throughout the Centuries at the Wallace Collection

Laughter and gasps of surprise interrupted the dignified silence of the Wallace Collection when Gabrielle Verrall – one of its art experts - embarked on telling a story of cuckolded husbands through the centuries.  She showed us this paining, made by Boucher in the mid 18 century France; it depicts two lovers – Venus and Mars, and – on the right hand side – there is Venus` husband, Vulcan who entrapped the cheating pair in a golden net – visible above their heads. He hoped to humiliate them in the eyes of other gods. With a typical twist, aroused by the sight of her naked flesh, the gods - Neptune and Mercury - fell in love with Venus and become her lovers, which – of course - humiliated and enraged Vulcan. The glints of gold and sombre colours of Mars` armour are like opposing sides of human nature, where frivolity and jealousy can equally enrich and destroy our relationships.

With a promise of more delightful stories to come, we gathered around another Boucher`s masterpiece – The Swing.  Commissioned by Baron de St. Julien as a portrait of his mistress, the painting - as Gabrielle pointed out - alludes to the illicit affair between a jolly Madame, and her lover, who is hiding in the bushes, in the bottom left hand-side of this most iconic work of the French Rococo. He admires his mistress` legs….  and maybe more than just her legs….while her unsuspecting husband pushes the swing.

Gabrielle also took us to see a portrait of a well-known adulteress, and images of tragic lovers, and disgraced husbands, all portrayed by famous painters.

Her usual restrained elegance, exhaustive knowledge of art, and infectious sense of humour, made Gabrielle`s stories pulsate with life. Full of drama and examples of immorality, her tales left lasting impression. I, and I am almost certain the other members of her audience, realised that the human nature has not changed one bit through the centuries!