Its that time of year

Its that time of year when perfect, gorgeous skin comes into focus and there aren't many woman who have perfect skin- most of us need to actively work at it (and can't rely on an army of experts and re-touchers to make us look gorgeous!)

So heres my ultimate guide to gorgeous, clear skin:

Step 1- Dermalogica Anti Bac Skin wash- this is an essential for anyone with oily, skin prone skin. It contains Triclosan to help inhibit bacteria on the skin's surface and Salicylic Acid dissolves dead skin debris to leave skin looking and feeling clear.

Step 2- Clearsil Deep Cleansing Toner- this toner helps clear and prevent breakouts, whilst tightening pores. It also works really well with the Dermalogica cleanser.

Step 3- Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Protective Recovery Complex Serum- applied morning and night on clean skin, this serum can help enhance the skins natural ability to repair UV and environmental damage. It also leaves the skin glowly and radiant!

Step 4- No7 protect and repair SPF 50+ anti ageing anti dark spot facial sun protection- this 5 star rated ultra sun protection has a patented complex to help skin prevent age spots, uneven pigmentation and ageing caused by sun exposure. The cream is moisturising, yet not greasy and the perfect base for make up. It also doesn't smell very much, nor goes streaky or chalky white on contact. Alternatively try Siana Anti Wrinkle Day Cream- this reknown day cream for £1.89 from Aldi has out performed well known creams such as cult classic Creme de la mer and Olay in product tests and Aldis sell a whopping 20,000 jars a week. This day cream contains bioflavone and co-enzyme Q10 as well as vitamin C and E and spf 4. Its light yet moisturising texture sinks into the skin and leaves skin dewy and glowy- a cult classic!

Step 5- Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Eye Recovery Complex- this lightweight serum-gel not only helps repair past damage but also prevent further damage to the delicate eye area. The gel also helps banish puffiness, dark circles and lines and wrinkles. I use this morning and eye and swear by it- its by far the best eye cream I've tried (a close second is Caudalie eye and lip contour cream)

Step 6- For a night cream, you can't beat Siana's Skin Kind nightcream from Aldi- this sister product to the re known day cream, it just as good and contains all the skin loving ingredients of the day cream with added vitamins and retinol complex to help skin regenerate while you sleep. Plus at a bargain £1.89, it leaves you free to splurge on other things!

Extra- and for those days when spots just appear without warning, try Clearsils Rapid Action Treatment Cream- this cream not only fights spots but reduces redness and used twice a day can clear up spots in 2-3 days.

And just because you can't forget the rest of you, my ultimate body lotion is Vaseline Intensive Rescue Moisture Locking Body Lotion- this hypoallergenic, fragrance free lotion moisturises the driest of skins and leaves skin feel soft and moisturised for over 24 hours. I use it every morning and my skin is still soft and gorgeous the next morning- my definite holy grail body lotion!

Purses at the ready!

If you haven't been to your local Matalan store, then now is the time! The newly added Et Vous range has arrived and my oh my is it good! The prices are fantastic for clothing that wouldn't look out of place at designers stores (and are much cheaper than Topshop and you get far superior quality!). My favourites and the things I bought:

- the brown wide leg turn up sailor pants- these delicious chocolate brown wide leg pants have sailor style button pockets and fit like a dream- all for £18! I wore them the evening I bought them and got so many compliments- I plan to wear them this summer with an orange tank top, flat brown gladiator sandals and a smile!
- the black sateen pleat front trousers- these again fit really well, are very long (anyone who usually needs longer length will be able to fit in them- mine need to be altered they're that long!) and the pleat front detailing creates a gorgeous wide leg yet flattering style- £22 and is the classic wardrobe essential
- the taupe ruffle neck tank- this taupe sleeveless tank is fantastic and has origami style pleated neck with ruffles around the front and back of the top and buttons up with 3 button detailing at the back- it goes from an average top to a high end piece and is comfy and stylish
- midnight blue satin pleated top- this midnight blue satin top has an elasticated hem and pleated neckline to create a voluminous shape- the colour is divine and looks amazing with jeans and the fit is just spot on. Its also available in sunshine yellow which is the perfect summer top
- black v neck tank with pleated neckline- this throw on black tank is gorgeous, the V neck shows off a great cleavage and the pleated detailing adds interest- this one looks great dressed up and down but i'll be wearing mine with full skirts and flat sandals!

These are just a few of the fantastic buys I got (all for a measy £77) but other mentions go to the navy blue gold button shift dress (so on trend it hurts), fuchsia pink ruffle blouse and denim sailor pants- if you can get to a matalan near you, i urge you to go and see if the Et Vous range is there- you won't be disappointed!

Dress of the month

This has to be my dress of the month- this La Petite Salope jersey asymmetric bubble hem dress with corsage is divine and not only that but it has a built in corset to give you an incredible hourglass shape. It even comes in two colours- nude and black, so you'll have one to wear for every occasion!

Pretty- its the name of the game!

Pretty-is what I for one want to be, whether its wearing 'pretty' make up or a pretty dress- just soft feminine pretty dresses, the kind you waft into a room in on a cloud of chiffon, organza, tulle or cotton, leaving women in your wake glaring enviously and a rather unflattering shade of green.

Erin Fetherson is the go to lady for pretty clothing- the New York by way of Paris designer likes elegant whimisical dresses and likes to wear silk cotton dresses by day and night with the highest of platforms by Miu Miu (this girl has taste! look at her with her white blonde hair, milky skin and gorgeous figure- not only does her dress suit her to a T but check out those shoes!) and began by designing couture, after studying as Parsons School of Design in Paris, then honing her craft under MIL who worked in the ateliers of YSL and Lanvin and switched to ready to wear in 2005.

Her current spring/summer 08 collection is full of gorgeous dresses in neutral pastels, greys and light silvers, while her fall 08 collection is a gorgeous mix of black, velvets, florals and plums- what more could a girl want? (Selma Blair would look delicious in the grey grecian ruffle edged dress)

ITEC

Well after putting on weight, I actually found I needed a bra (theres a first for everything) and so found myself walking into the first shop I saw that sold underwear (you can tell im not picky!) which happened to be La Senza, which is harbouring what could be the best bra (IMO). I'm talking about the ITEC which for those of you haven't heard is La Senzas microfibre one piece bra designed to not only look invisble under clothing but is also seam, stitch and label free.

Not one to be sway by advertising and mumbo jumbo, I thought I'd try it on and as usual put it back for not fitting right/be uncomfy/looking horrid under clothes/all of the above but 4 purchases later I'm a convert and believe me the hype is worth it!

I ended up purchasing the padded plunge ITEC bra in both black and white which has concealed underwiring and smooth moulded cups with incorporated foam padding to boost cleavage and little scallop detailing and am over the moon with them- not only do they fit perfectly, they boost the bust (which for any other A cups out there is a big deal!), are invisible under clothing (only through the thiniest of my white tank tops can you see the white bra) and are comfortable from the get go. The straps are also thin enough to not be seen when wearing camis and spaghetti strap clothing and it gives a good, even shape through clothing. Not only that but La Senza had an offer which meant £10 off the total price of both bras. I also got the ITEC in lurex pink and silver (both were half price in store), which are just as good, although I don't find the fit as good, although I suspect its due to the fact it doesn't have the little scallop edging so doesnt fit as close to the breast and give an even 'join' when boosting the bust but theyre still fantastic and I cant complain for the price I paid!!!

(sadly i look like neither of these women when wearing my bra, so therefore I add the disclaimer 'wearing this bra does not make you look like theyre sickenly attrative models')

Overall, I would recommend these bras to anyone wanting to boost their assets, while getting a smooth, invisbile look under clothing without compromising on style or comfort. A word of wording to the larger busted lady, the straps are thin so if you do need more support, a different bra might be better. The US La Senza has expanded this range so fingers crossed they'll bring it over to us as they're created the ITEC bras without underwiring and in printed versions and less 'basic' versions such as various colours, embroidered and lace versions. The range also features matching bottoms in a variety of styles that are all seam free for no VPL- perfect!

Bonjour.........

I have a gulity pleasure to admit- french boudoir chic- if its french and bedroom related I'm 99% sure I'll love it, want it, need it and quite possibly obsess over it- yesterday was such a day when I was faced with an Orange Tree french style dressing table complete with mirror AND matching mirror 3 panel bedroom screen all in white with ornate style curves and gold 'aged' detailing- it was simply divine and i had to be pressed away from them! Today I'm still thinking about them and decided to look online and lo and behold I found some corkers:

From Benardout Interiors (http://http//www.benardout.co.uk) are these simply stunning beauties:

I'm imagining this first one with my assortment of glass perfumes bottles (the sort your meant to decant perfume into and use the glass topper to seductively apply your perfume to your wrists, nape of neck, bosom etc- mine are empty!) on top and a gorgeous little stool so i can sit and apply my make up in style- simply divine!

If dressing tables arent your thing, how about this 2 drawer french desk, topped off with this heavy carved mirror set into the wall above? The desk is so gorgeous I'm almost temped to ditch gthe laptop and bring back pen and paper!

These french chests are divine- the curved legs of the one of the left are a gorgeous design feature to an otherwise fairly plain shape and the heavy carved detailing on the right is just breathtaking.

And just because you cant confine french chic purely to the bedroom, this grape carved console would look fabolous in a large hall way or lounge (now I just need the new house to fit them in!)

The Lavendar Barn (http://www.thelavenderbarn.co.uk/) is full of chic french pieces including this gorgeous Chateau Louis Phillipe What Not (I'd put this is a bathroom to keep all my bits and pieces on- all decanted and put into gorgeous glass bottles and silver pots) and stunning dressing table- a huge must for me.

This Chateau lemi dune sideboard is a show stopper and is sure to be the focal point of any room, while this radiator cover will add a touch of french chic to any room without dominating it.

And finally this heavy carved armorie is divine and big enough to fit even the most generous stash of clothes (it may even fit mine!)

New In!

After being rudely awoken by an early morning phone call and without anything to do for a few hours I decided to hit the net and look at pretty things and as always Topshop was on my port of call (I don't often buy from there but every now and again they have some great pieces- just ignore the tween stuff!)

This sequin mini skirt is very Elle MacPherson (goddess of minis and flat sandals- she wears them even in Winter!) and would look fantastic with bronzed skin, flat sandals (something simply) and a basic white t-shirt





Because I adore all things ruffley, this dress is pure indulgence for me- its red, ruffly and just looks like fun to wear! It would look amazing with thick black tights and mary janes and a black trench coat






Speaking of coats, I love this waterfall frill front belted coat- the mustard colour is very on trend and adds interest to an otherwise neutral outfit, the full skirt is just adorable especially with dress and mary janes or t bar shoes for a retro vibe. the puff sleeves are gorgeous and the frill front makes it look very designer (but alot cheaper!)







And finally are these light grey t bar heels- the light grey colour is a fantastic year round shade and the ruffle front detailing is gorgeous and will add interest to any outfit (they'd look fabulous with a black tea dress and tights- let the shoes do the talking!)