…. that’s what it is when you can’t wait to try Liz Earle’s new fragrance and you find there is a waiting list of 8000 people who got there before you! Luckily, it is now available in John Lewis stores nationwide. It combines natural ingredients, as you’d expect from the lovely Ms Earle, so I can’t wait to get my hands on it. Oh, and it uplifts you too. We could all do with some of that.

Botanical Essence Eau de Parfum £39.50

http://uk.lizearle.com/products_details.php?range=97&groupid=631

The lovely Carolyn has allowed all readers of Feel Fab at 50 a 15% discount on her wonderful range of clothing which I featured in my recent e-zine and blog of October 7th.  Go to www.drapiere.com and enter FF15 as your discount code and HURRY, offer ends on December 25th.

Luxury department store, Nordstrom, one of my favourites when I go to the US, has finally opened its on-line doors to us here in the UK – hurrah. Renowned for strong customer focus – and you all know how I place so much value on that particular aspect of service – it’s now offering it’s website to 30 countries in 11 currencies.  So if you want something a little different for your Christmas presents here’s the place to go.

http://shop.nordstrom.com/C/6025407/0~2377475~6025407

I have just come back from running some fabulously successful workshops aimed at women in business. Following on from a series of full day programmes featuring motivation, inspiration and values in both personal and professional life, I was asked to talk on being authentic in your clothing choices. Your choice of attire is like a jigsaw. All the pieces need to fit. One missing, and you can find yourself out of alignment (and out of favour maybe), without fully understanding why.

On this occasion, I decided to go with my gut instinct and deliver a session using Fashion Feng Shui®. Many of us get confused with foreign sounding titles as we’re not quite sure how anything Eastern relates to our world so I  decided not to mention it in my synopsis of what was being covered as I wanted delegates to come with receptive and open minds.

The results were astounding. The feedback I received from every participant was just amazing and I know all of them have had insights beyond what you would expect from a 2 hour session.

It proves that just clothing someone to suit only their body shape and colouring just isn’t enough. This is why many TV make over programmes fail. The woman looks good enough in her new clothes but reverts to type a year later because her basic values have not been addressed.

Fashion Feng Shui® is about creating a wardrobe that continues to  Fortify, Fulfil, Flatter and Function on every level –  you, your essence, your intentions and your appearance. After all, your wardrobe is your most intimate environment so it needs to fully embrace every aspect of you and your lifestyle – consistently. When it does, you’ll want to wear everything you own and rarely be left with clothes left hanging on the rails.

It might sound ‘double dutch’ but it truly works. Ask any of the ladies on the programme, many of whom had their ‘image done’ in the past with less than lasting results.

For more details go to the fabulous Evana Maggiore’s site www.fashionfengshui.com, where you can watch a video or buy the book  to find out what it entails. You also have the opportunity to answer a short questionnaire to find out more about yourself. You can, of course, also drop me a line.

…. you are really going to laugh at this, but I spotted this in a magazine and instantly wanted it. Then, I realised how old I must be getting! Take a look. Isn’t it divine?  It’s even got pockets for your feet and they have one available in grey, so I can look good while I’m reclining. What is this saying about me I wonder?

If you want one too – http://www.easylife-group.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductID=499 £19.99 in brown too.

Time to get the girls together for a night of gifts, glamour and glitzy looks. Join me at the next big ESP Perfect Ten event with Sue Ryder Care on November 19 – it’ll be Glamour Galore!

Glamour Galore will be a girls night out to remember. Leave the boys at home and forget the high street stress at this special shopping evening at Thorpe Hall. It’s a great girlie night out where you can shop ‘til you drop and pick up some great gifts or treats for yourself, many of which you just won’t see on the high street.

While you’re there you can put your feet up for some pampering and grab a quick manicure or get your eyebrows waxed.

ESP magazine is right behind the night and has made it one of their Perfect Ten events – a series of events celebrating ten years in business. This fantastic night will also raise vital funds for Sue Ryder Care.

New Face of ESP Tori Bradshaw and the ESP girls will be modelling some great fashion looks from Westgate Department Store, ball gowns from Rhema by Design and some vintage fashion from the Sue Ryder store. I’ll be on hand to fill you in on the best looks for you and how to wear the latest styles. The night will be compeered by ESP’s Wickedly Perceptive columnist Sarah Tempest.

Organiser Jackie Page from Sue Ryder Care told ESP – “We’re really excited about the night and hope it’ll grow and become a trademark event for us. There was a great feeling at the first one last year, this will be bigger and will be a great girly night out, something different. We always want to encourage new people to Thorpe Hall and hope that people who come to our events will want to become supporters of Sue Ryder Care and the hospice”.

There’ll be coffee and cup cakes by candle light and it’s all held in the beautiful Thorpe Hall in Peterborough. It’s on from 6pm – 9pm and admission’s just £2.50 on the door including a glass of mulled wine to get the evening off to a great start!

For more details or to have a stand at the event please call Jackie on 01733 330060. See you there!

www.suerydercare.org

If you were hoping to grab a bargain at tomorrow’s H&M /Jimmy Choo collection’s first day of opening at the Oxford Street store, you might be in for a let down.

Already anticipating shopping fever, H&M have offered to give the first 160 customers a window of shopping so that no-one is hurt in the anticipated crush. After that, it’s a free for all. Worth it if you can get there though as the collection, which is Tamara Mellon’s first foray into clothing, looks fabulous. Expect to pay more than normal though. Shoes start at £49.99 rising to £179.99, bags £17.99 – £174.99 and clothes £29.99 – £149.99.

This is so exciting for any one of us who spends lots of time, effort, money and angst at the hair salons. GREY is IN. Yes, grey hair is in vogue, edgy and fashionable.

Models with silver tinted hair were spotted on the catwalks showing for Giles Deacon and Proenza Schouler. Daphne Guiness is an inspiration with her white hair and black streak as are Sarah Harris from Vogue and Kristen McMenamy, ex super model. According the the Telegraph, it was Katie Shillingford, the stylist, who grabbed the most positive attention. She tipped her coloured grey head of hair with navy blue – exquisite.  See photo.

I can’t boast, but obviously I am cutting edge here, having dyed my mousey locks grey for a number of years so obviously way ahead of my time – only kidding. But what great news for us. Perhaps less so for our hair stylists who make their money from the products they use and not their cutting skills, but they’ve had it good for a long time now so time to celebrate.

I LOVE my heels. As someone with very short legs, high heels have been my saviour for more years than I care to admit, balancing out my body and providing the allusion of pretty good legs. Take it from me, I DO waddle in flats and my bottom sits just above my ankles from the rear view so not great.

So it is with great trepidation that I learn that killers heels are dead and gone. I suppose this is fashion for you – what goes up must come down, a bit like the price of stocks and shares.

So for those of you who are fashion forward and also mightily relieved at the news, here is what you should be looking for:

Kitten heels – I admit, these are cute and sexy and great for those of us who are small framed or slim and tall. Kitten heel boots look good under boot cut trousers and elongate the shortest legs because of their pointy toes.

The Flat – great for all shapes and sizes unless, like me, you have very short legs.

The Mid Height Heel – the podiatrist’s favourite. Apparently a half inch heel is better for your legs than a complete flatty. Wear as a court shoe to show off your legs to their best advantage.

The Ankle Boot – wedge soles, cowboy heels and heavier soles mean we can walk without the worry of falling over – like I did a few weeks ago. These are particularly good news for heavier legs.

All the above are from  a selection at M&S  www.marksandspencer.com

A new experiment, taking identical female twins and examining how their differing lifestyles have affected their looks, makes fascinating reading – and provides BIG warnings if we want to remain youthful. The photos of 7 pairs of genetically identical twins were featured in the Stella Magazine this Sunday. The difference that smoking, sunbathing, alcohol, divorce, weightgain/loss and stress make on how we look is irrefutably documented in crepy skin, sagging jowls, heavy wrinkles, discolouration, hollow cheeks and baggy eyes on one twin but much less so on the other, who has had led a healthier lifestyle.

AND if that wasn’t enough, take a look at the warning above – that should do it. Gosh, am I glad that I gave up the cigarettes and sunbathing – just the coffee and wine to go now!