Jean Paul Gaultier at the Barbican; Big and Beautiful

I have never forgotten watching Jean Paul Gaultier’s appearance on the Generation Game. I was just a wee nipper and watched in awe as he taped swathes of bin bags to create the most beautiful dresses I had ever seen. Having suspected he was a brilliant designer, I followed his work over the years throughout fashion school and beyond, collecting memorabilia (Coke bottles!) and looking at photos. His genius is truly confirmed by his exhibition at the Barbican. Initially perturbed by the ticket fee (over £14.00!) I didn’t regret a penny when I entered the first room. Boring mannequins were replaced with slightly creepy talking statues and there were enough incredible outfits to keep even the most seasoned fashionista enthralled. My favourites included a leopard beaded ballgown and a gorgeous ribbon corset. Celeb spotters will love it; you can see Kylie and Madonna’s stage outfit along with pieces worn by supermodels, Dita Von Teese and many more. It’s not just about pointy corsets either; there are some stunning supporting sketches and a room dedicated to Jean Paul’s TV work such as Eurotrash and an appearance in Absolutely Fabulous. I didn’t know that he released a single either! It’s called ‘How to Do That’ and it came out in the late 80s. You can watch it in the same room. 

The Jean Paul Gaultier exhibition is as huge as it is brilliant; there’s plenty to keep you occupied for at least an hour or two. If it wasn’t so pricy, I’d go back. I think Londoners have it pretty good in general though -  most of our museums have free entry – so maybe I should stop complaining and start exploring more.

www.barbican.org.uk 

New Product Alert! Murad’s Essential-C Sun Balm SPF 35

Edging ever closer to 30, I have decided to take my sun protection much more seriously this summer, especially on my face. Fortunately, one of my favourite skincare brands, Murad, has just launched a handy ‘sun stick’ (Essential-C Sun Balm) with SPF 35. It comes in a handy little stick for quick, easy, spill-free coverage. I always burn on the top of my nose and under my eyes so I’ll definitely be keeping it to hand and applying as soon as the sun shows itself! I’m always quite paranoid about burning my lips, and it’s moisturizing enough to use as a lip balm. The new formula features a new ingredient technology, MuraSol™ Antioxidant Defense, a powerful blend of antioxidants which creates a protective barrier of free radical neutralisers to halt UV damage. SPF can only ever provide 97% protection against UV rays so MuraSol maximise your sun protection. It’s available in selected branches of John Lewis and House of Fraser and online at www.murad.co.uk at £19.50. 

Three is the Magic Number

Always bright and colourful, my style varies from teenage tomboy (I’m 28) to ‘more is more’ Italian glamour (lashings of leopard print and lots of gold) vintage and pretty much everything in between. How I dress for work depends mainly on what time I wake up in the morning and my general mood that day. 

I think my schizophrenic approach to dressing is summarised perfectly by the people I consider my current ‘style icons’, namely:

Sofia Coppola

Olivia Palermo 

Daphne Guinness

Anna Dello Russo

Alexa Chung 

Lana del Rey 

Audrey Hepburn

Gwen Stefani 

When I heard about fashion emporium Zalando turning 3 years old, I wanted to get involved and share some pictures to show how my personal style has developed over the years. Most of my ‘pre 3’ snaps were naked anyway, so you’re not missing anything there! I searched for hours for a marvellous photo from my teenage years. It was a shiny faced wonder in a fluro lime polo shirt. Skintight, naturally. When I find it I promise to share. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy my style life in photos. 

Happy birthday Zalando! 

Rocking pink satin for the big '3'

I've always loved polka dots...

...and a good hat

Dream dress

Logo tees have always been my thing

 And I've taken posing very seriously indeed

Quite want this playsuit now

18 year old Tudor Hall ladies

Ray Ban party

The good old Boombox Days

My favourite Boombox look

Love a bit of vintage glamour...

...and cobalt

...and a good hourglass dress

Getting more into nudes

A recent Coachella-inspired look

Future Psyclepath?

If the phrase ‘high intensity’ inspires excitement more than fear, then Psycle is the perfect exercise class for you. I had never been spinning before, so had little to compare it to, but it was very different to anything I had done before. 

I was impressed with the Psycle surroundings; everything about the gym felt modern and luxurious. The staff were friendly and helpful and the locker room had hair elastics (neon!) nice products and handy cosmetic essentials for you to use. I know it shouldn’t, but these little touches really help ease you in!

Slightly nervous, I wobbled my way down the stairs to the studio. Before each class you are assigned a bike number (I was 10) and I was marginally horrified to find myself front of the class. This was handy as a beginner, but it was easy for instructor Ruth to see when I was slacking (a fair amount of the time). The lights are low, with funky disco lights and loud, amazing tracks. I find music really helps when I exercise, and those pumping tunes helped me get through what I found to be a rather rigorous class. Psycle is ‘a total body workout on a bike’ and is designed to ‘physically and mentally transform your body’. Their blog is fab, well worth a browse: http://www.psyclelondon.com/blog

I can easily see how Psycle could become completely addictive – I prefer my exercise short and sharp so it suited me down to the ground in this respect. Each class is 45 minutes long. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t find it extremely difficult at the time (I could be fitter, if we’re honest) but I didn’t ache too much the next day and felt really great afterwards. In short, Psycle lives up to the hype. Give it a try! 

Top Tips for Beginner Pscylists 

-You don’t need a padlock – the lockers are self-locking
-Take water, you’ll definitely be needing this
- You will be given Psycle shoes, take these off before you go into a studio downstairs. Much safer
-There are towels in the locker room, but you don’t need to take one downstairs; these are also provided on the bikes. 

-The Itsu opposite offers half price food half an hour before closing time; you can have a tasty, healthy meal after your workout (I did!) 

www.psyclelondon.com

76 Mortimer Street
London
W1W 7SA

VICHY Dermablend – High Coverage Alert!

With the recent focus on BB, CC and all the other creams in between, you’d be forgiven for thinking ‘high coverage’ has become a censored phrase. The recent trend for dewy, ‘natural’ skin is fine for those born with a flawless complexion, not so cheery for anyone with a less-than-perfect base. When I was younger, I suffered with acne, and would have given anything to know about or have access to a product like Vichy Dermablend. I could bang on for ages about how well it covers, but I think this video featuring Zombie Boy (of Lady Gaga video fame) pretty much says it all. It’s worth a watch, if only to marvel at how fit he is without the tattoos (very). 

It’s also worth noting, that when I went to the Dermablend launch last week I had just handed my notice in at work. Feeling shaky and strange after so many years in the position, I decided three champagnes were exactly what I needed to calm my nerves. Post Vichy presentation, I continued my celebrations into the night. The next morning, the horrifying realisation of another workday was overshadowed only by the dark circles around my eyes. Panicked, I showered, moisturised, applied under-eye moisturiser, used my normal foundation and patted my Dermablend Corrective Stick sample around the eye area. The results were astounding. I followed up with the setting powder and repeated the process, mimicking the technique international make-up artist xxxxxxxx used to cover up a model’s tattoo at the presentation. The bags had completely disappeared! The only thing the stick didn’t manage to erase was my headache. Emboldened, I used the same product on my T-zone and achieved the most flawless base of my life. Incredibly, the results stayed true to their ’14 hour hold’ claim, and my circles and spots remained covered all day, even after a lunchtime gym trip (a desperate bid to raise my energy levels for the afternoon ahead).

Dermablend Corrective Stick 4.5g (RRP £15.00)

I haven’t tried it yet, but I feel like the new ‘Total Body Corrective Foundation’ is going to have similarly triumphant results. I occasionally suffer from body acne on my chest and back, but it’s nowhere nearly as bad as it was when I was a teenager. If it covers the way I saw in the demonstration (and there’s no reason why it shouldn’t) then I think it will cover my little white acne scars seamlessly. The product is water, sweat and rub resistant; great news for the summer. I look forward to wearing strapless and halterneck styles with confidence and my hair off my back for once. I’ll trial this one for you and let you know how I get on. I’m definitely going to put some on my legs too – It’s recommended for covering up varicose veins, scars, tattoos, stretch marks and other imperfections. 

Dermablend Total Body Corrective Foundation 100ml (RRP £29.75)

It goes without saying that if your skin is less than perfect, you’ll want to cover it to the best of your ability. Vichy offers affordable solutions with their Dermablend range and you can get it in Boots. My only criticism would be that the colour range isn’t enormous, but this was raised in the presentation, and they’re promising to expand it depending on the success of the range. 

www.dermablend.co.uk