My goodness thank you so much for all of your input after last week's post. If you haven't been back to look at the comments on the tougher aspects of midlife and how to deal with them, do take a few minutes to read through them. They show that we're living through it in a completely different way to the generations before us and so we're having to work things out as we go along - but it's helped me [...]
Well hello, I promised a midlife lately - October catch-up today and as I start to type I'm wondering what I'm going to talk about because life since Greece has been all about work so it's going to be a bit rough and ready. I know from the survey that there are a few of you who don't like midlife lately posts, that you'd prefer me to focus purely on clothes and retail - I do understand so I [...]
Let's talk about hair. It's something I get more messages and emails about than anything else and it's been a while since I've covered it so I thought it was time for an update, especially as I've been trialling some new products. One of the things I've learned this year is that hair goes through some significant changes during menopause and so just as you think you've found your look, you have to keep moving it on. It's shocking [...]
Last week I talked about easy ways to update your wardrobe for Spring 2023, so today it's time for beauty because we all know how easily make-up can date you. By the end of March I'm always at my most lacklustre (probably an oxymoron but you know what I mean). This year it's worse than ever because of the crazy way my diary has panned out since the middle of January. There's been something exciting lined up for every [...]
I've had a few reminders that I haven't done a beauty post for a while so now feels like a good time. This month when we all feel a bit 'peely wally' as my Scots friends call it is a great one for refreshing beauty routines - and never forget the power of a free on counter makeover, it's a great way of learning new techniques and finding products that work for you. Just pick a brand you already like [...]
And so we have a big weekend ahead in the UK with a languorous four day break for the Queen's 70th Jubilee - whether you're a royalist or not it's hard not to admire her as a woman who's shown lifelong strength and dedication. Today's post isn't about the red, white and blue though, it's the last of my summer posts with John Lewis & Partners which always makes me feel a bit sad because next time I get together [...]
It's been a while since we've talked beauty and today I'm looking at the industry's ultimate grande dame, Estée Lauder. They came up in conversation with our friends John Lewis & Partners just after Christmas and I had to admit that while I haven't really used their products, I was enjoying a large sample of their new Advanced Night Repair formula that I'd discovered in my JL&P advent calendar. So, they suggested that I trial a few more of their [...]
So many of you have told me you've been waiting for the 'Christmas gifts for teens and young adults 2021' post that I'm starting it rather nervously. As always I tasked my troops with helping me but this year the first thing they warned me was that it might be the last time. You see at the moment 'new stuff' isn't cool; when you talk to millennials and Gen Z they're all buying vintage which is great... but it doesn't [...]
And drum roll... just like that it's time for the first of my Christmas gift posts. Today I'm taking you on a virtual shopping trip with me and showing you some Christmas shopping shortcuts at John Lewis & Partners. Over the next two weeks I'll have three more gift ideas posts including all kinds of things dedicated to: teens/young adults, men and women and I'll try to include suggestions that you might not have thought of before. I do have [...]
And just in case you didn't already think this year's whizzing past, today I bring you the last of the new Autumn drops. After this it will just be what I've been wearing and then, very soon we'll be moving into the sparkly season. So if you haven't worked out how you're going to dress most days from now until (let's face it) April - it's time. Today I'm working with John Lewis & Partners and I've put together a [...]
Well hello, it feels lovely to be blogging from somewhere other than my usual desk. I'm typing this on the Greek Island of Ios and if you've seen my Instagram Story today you'll know that it's blowing a gale - but it's a lovely warm wind so it doesn't feel too bad. I have a bit of a different post for you today, it's all about a new skincare product that I've been testing as thoroughly as I can. [...]
It's been ages since we've talked about beauty and I've had a few people asking me recently how I keep my skin glowing in summer. Well not very much changes in my routine, I have favourites that I buy again and again because they work. I've been invited to test quite a few new beauty products over the last months and I have strict terms for accepting samples. Brands have to understand that I will only recommend their new launches [...]
It's been a much quieter week here this week, we've been balancing our leap out of lockdown by being home-based again in a strange kind of exposure equation. It means I don't have anything exciting to report on but I have been trying out a few new things so I'll tell you about those instead with a cornucopia including a Stitch Fix review, some honest beauty recommendations and a singalong. Stitch Fix review I'm starting with a Stitch Fix review. [...]
Happy Friday everyone - yes it is Friday if you've lost track of the days. Actually I've had a really busy week this week, things suddenly seem to have taken off again although I don't know for how long and I'm not complaining - but actually I am a bit, I'd got used to having an empty Inbox! While we're on the subject of complaining I'm just going to do the thing I keep telling my boys not to by [...]
I'm early this week so apologies to everyone who tells me that my post is part of their Friday wind-down routine, I'm juggling again and so it was now or never. So it's a Friday cornucopia today (on a Thursday... confused? yes me too) with a mixture of clothes, beauty - and... a chance for us to meet. At last! More about that at the end of the post. Hush mid-season sale - recommendations I'm going to start with the [...]
I have mixed feelings about seeing the new deliveries starting to arrive for Autumn because it's hard to say goodbye to a summer that hasn't even started and yet I'm ready to give up on summer clothes. I suspect it's going to feel like a long winter for us in the UK this year, kicking off with everything Brexit but let's not dwell on that. The farmer in my genes (good job this isn't a podcast!) tells me there's a [...]
Today's post was prompted by a reader who wrote in a little while ago saying she'd like to know which products are my absolute beauty essentials. She described them as the ones that are so important to me that I can't travel without them. It popped back into my head when we were in France and I'd done my usual thing of packing random travel sizes of samples that I'd saved from beauty boxes and advent calendars. It's something I [...]
As you know, over the last few months I've been starting the journey towards going grey with the team at the Josh Wood Atelier in London. I still have about 50% of my natural blonde and brown in my hair so I won't be completely grey for a few years yet however I'm no longer trying to conceal the transition. Instead I'm allowing the strands of silver to shine though in all of their glory. My first appointment was at [...]
I'm trying not to mention the weather but... I am finding myself glad that we have a couple of escapes to the sunshine booked (although last time I looked, it was even raining in Turkey). Anyway I'm working with M&S today and the focus is holidays. We've spent enough time on here planning holiday wardrobes so I thought I'd look at last minute travel buys, the little extras that make all the difference. I love doing posts like this because [...]
It's a cornucopia post today and a bit of a long one so you might want to pour that cup of tea / glass of wine before you start. I've been testing a lot of beauty products over the last few months and a few have made my 'must tell readers about...' shelf. So I'll start with those and then move on to menopause followed by a bit of a midlife melting pot. By the end of it there should [...]
I've been compiling Mother's Day gift posts for as long as I've worked in retail and as always, this year they're everywhere. So when Marks and Spencer approached me to put one together for them, I pushed back. But then they asked me to go beyond the clichés and do it with a difference and after spending some time looking through their site, I felt that I could. So, today I'm thinking about Mother's Day and the gifts that you [...]
Last week we looked at the trends for SS19 and established that it's a quiet season. There are no big changes and so a lot of our clothes can carry over quite happily from last year which is good for both our bank accounts and the environment. In a season like this though you tend to find that the detail of your outfit becomes the focus. So today I want to have a quick look at some of the simplest [...]
I know I don't usually post on a Thursday but my schedule's a bit topsy turvy at the moment. I have some heavy marketing projects that are keeping me busy and given that we're running a business in the shadow of Brexit (or are we?) I'm not complaining! I'm also halfway through reading all of the feedback to the reader survey so in addition to feeling buoyed by lots of heart-lifting comments (thank you so much), I have some conflicting [...]
And just like that the A/W season's over and the sales are beginning. As retailers start to announce profit warnings it's clearer than ever that it's been one of the worst trading periods on record and so there are going to be some dazzling markdowns. While I've been having a clearout, I've made a point of looking at the pieces I wear on repeat and asking myself why. As part of this process, I've been struck by the fact that [...]
As promised, today I’m bringing you the follow up to my trial of Perfect7® Renewal Advanced skin supplements which contain Ceramosides™, proven to help reduce the appearance of wrinkles in 60 days. The day after returning from our long holiday in Turkey, I headed back down to London to have my skin retested by a skin analyst. It was good to catch up with the other bloggers who were taking part in the trial and we were all on tenterhooks [...]
Before we hit the party season full on, I just want to tell you about a project I've been taking part in since summer. You may remember that all the way back in June, I seemed to be travelling up and down to London every week. At the time I mentioned that one of the trips was based around something scientific and as you've probably gathered, the picture above was taken on the day - I can't believe I had [...]
I've had so many requests for both this post and tomorrow's gifts for teens that I'm feeling the weight of expectation! I've been compiling retail Christmas gift posts since 1993 and I have to say that this year has been the hardest. Why? Because as with partywear, retailers are being very careful with their inventories this year and they're sitting on the safe side to ensure that they're not left with lots of stock to clear at a loss on [...]
I initially decided to do this 'make-up that doesn't melt in the heat' review in anticipation of our forthcoming holiday but with the sun continuing to blaze down on us in the UK, I've had perfect testing conditions at home. You see last year when we went away, it was all a bit of a frantic rush to pack. I was annoyed with myself for forgetting a few important things and subtle make-up that would withstand the heat was one [...]
I was in a meeting with the team at John Lewis a little while ago and our conversation moved on to beauty. I explained that I always find the niche beauty brands to be the most interesting. I like the fact that they dedicate themselves to specific concerns and weight their investment towards research rather than marketing. The irony of course is that this low scale marketing makes these companies difficult to find. So my favourite part of the John [...]
Hello, it's good to be back - I feel as though I haven't blogged for ages so I'm going to make up for it with a long post. As you know, I spent a few days in London last week so I thought I'd do a "working in London - what to wear" post and of course tell you all about the UK Blog Awards 2018. By the way none of this trip is sponsored but I'm going to add [...]
I'm short on time today, we have a pre-Easter rush on in the office and it's all hands on deck. So I'm bringing you a spring smörgasbord - small new season treats that will begin the journey towards warmer weather (I'm convinced it's just around the corner). I'm starting with gelato colours which, along with their bolder Crayola colour counterparts, are dominating the new collections. If you're worried about looking like a fondant fancy, the best way to incorporate the [...]
Wow - what can you say about the weather that hasn't already been said across every news channel?! As I type, Storm Emma is blowing in from the sea. There is nothing to shelter us from the coastline and so the winds are whistling around us like something from a horror movie. In all of the years that I have lived here, I have never known the snow to fall so incessantly. So, I decided it was time for one [...]
A few people have asked recently how I've been getting on with the No7 Restore and Renew Serum that I reviewed last year here. As you know, I'm often sent products to test but I only feature the ones that I believe have made a difference. Because I am always trying something new, it isn't often that I then go out and replace a product when I've finished it. However, I have done with the Restore and Renew Serum. The two [...]
Hello! We're back from our amazing adventure in Transylvania and I have so much to tell you. However today I must crack on and catch up with the work that I've missed so I'm forcing myself to stay away from the photos until I have more time. In the meantime, I have a post about how to keep your complexion glowing in midlife. I've been putting it together since I included this picture a couple of weeks ago and was bombarded [...]
It's hard to believe but we've arrived at the post where I reflect on my chic buys of 2017- the pieces that I've worn over and over again. It's trickier this year because I've been experimenting more. As you know when a brand gets in touch with a gifting opportunity, I try to step outside my comfort zone and play with a look that I wouldn't risk my own budget on. This means that there has been less of an opportunity [...]
Gift ideas for women over 40. This is an important post. Why? Because quite a few of my friends' husbands shop from it so I feel a huge sense of responsibility. So, chic Christmas gifts. Ideas for the woman who doesn't really need anything but would quite like a little something to open on Christmas Day. Before I go on, I have a couple of apologies to make. Firstly if you read via Bloglovin, I have been having some compression [...]
As we wait for the sales to finish and the new season stock to arrive, I'm covering some new topics. Back in January, we were discussing midlife symptoms - both physical and emotional and since then, I've been keeping an eye open for solutions to some of the problems that were raised. The results of the survey that we did showed that 27% of Midlifechic readers are having problems with thinning midlife hair. It isn't something that I have experienced [...]
I'm bringing you something a little different today. This week, No7 have asked a number of bloggers of different ages to tell a story. It's the story of beauty in our families and the lessons that have come down through the generations. We are all publishing our posts today so you may see a few different ones around. We'll then be holding a live Twitter chat and you're invited to join in - I'll tell you more about that later. My beauty story Like [...]
I had such a horrendous time trying to get down to London through Storm Doris yesterday that I can't quite think straight today. So I'm bringing you one of those posts that pulls together all of the things I've been meaning to tell you about for a while. Actually I think beauty and books are a lovely combination for a thinking woman's weekend! Tried and Tested Beauty Products Now, I'm planning to write a full post on skincare for women over 40 next [...]
I first got into an expensive skincare habit when I was editing Selfridges' magazine. Every day another bag of something fabulous would land on my desk in the hope that I would review it so I tried just about every luxury brand. Of course in those days I didn't really need it - my skin was youthful and I've never had any problems with my complexion other than slight dryness but I was happy to anoint myself with it anyway. Since then [...]
I don't often do beauty posts but there are a few things I've been using recently that I wanted to share with you. I don't know about you but I'm feeling like the very cliché of a midlife woman at the moment: exhausted. Work has been relentless since I came back from holiday in August. Because my department is new, there is no path to follow, so I never know what is coming next. My new girl enthusiasm has meant [...]
