I Love New York!

Lexington Ave

I have always loved New York even before I ever saw it for real! I remember as a child seeing a picture of the Empire State building and deciding there and then that I would go one day! Countless visits later and here I am actually working here! Ok it's only for a couple of weeks but I'm having the experience and loving it. Maybe it's not for everyone but I am a city girl and I love the buzz ..  for me NYC has an energy like no other place I know.
Hurricane Irene came and went without too much of an impact on the city itself so I finally managed to get out of the apartment on Sunday afternoon and head down with the crew to check out our studio location in Queens. Apart from no public transport and most of the shops being closed you would have been unaware that there had been a storm if you didn't know better. It was slightly eerie as there was hardly any traffic on the roads and I had the quickest cab ride back into Manhattan ever. By evening the skies were clearing to reveal a beautiful sunset and by Monday morning a crystal clear day dawned with a sunrise to match! The city pretty much returned to normal very quickly.


Work has been good .. a lot of teething problems on the first day but as each day comes and goes it gets better.  We struggled with the lighting and heat in the studio on the first day meaning lots of blotting and powdering of faces but now the air-con is sorted (well as best it can be in a semi outdoor studio!) and it's a lot better! Heat and humidity have played havoc with the curly hair of one of our presenters but we've tamed that now with a great product I found by Sally Hershberger .. Hyper Hydration .. 'rehab for stressed out locks'.  At only $12.50 for 150ml it seems like a bargain to me!!   I'll let you know more about it as we go along and see how it performs over the next few days!


Our bus (which takes us to and from Flushing Meadows) dropped us back in midtown on Lexington and instead of getting a cab straight 'home' tonight I decided to walk the 40 blocks uptown while it was still light and warm.  I stopped into Bloomingdales and had a wander around the bag department .. did a little price comparison and a lot of drooling then the myriad of make up brands appeared before me!!  It really is make up heaven there!!  I was quite restrained and only allowed myself to buy some Kiehl's travel sized products .. Creme de Corps (my fave body moisturiser) and the Superbly Smoothing Argan Shampoo and Conditioner (also in 75ml sizes) .. they have obviously listened to their customer's suggestions!  So nice to have all your toiletries in containers under 100ml - perfect for your carry on luggage!!
When I came out of the store it was already dark, so I headed up Third Avenue, past groups of people and couples sitting in little restaurants, cyclists, yellow cabs beeping their horns and the odd enraged driver shouting obscenities at the workmen digging up the road blocking a lane and imagined that this would be what it would be like if I actually lived here .. not so different from London really!  For now I think I will just continue to visit and experience the best New York has to offer .. that way I hope I never get tired of it.

Day Two .. Solitary Confinement!!!

Hurricane Irene has now held me captive, on my own for nearly two days!! I can't imagine what it would have been like without tv, internet, email, skype, facebook, twitter etc etc .. how lucky are we in the twentyfirst century to have all these means of communication at our disposal!! I could probably even shop if I cared to - don't have to set foot outside the apartment. I can watch anything I like on tv .. (although as you can imagine I have hurricane watch on all the time in the background!) ... in fact I got through a couple of movies yesterday, read magazines, books .. physically talked to friends and family on the phone, Viber and Skype. Thanks to Irene I actually have had to have enforced downtime .. something I don't take the opportunity to do often enough. And I'll have to do it all again today!! 

My view

The wind is thrashing the rain onto the windows, howling around the building. Every now and then I hear little creaks which suggests how forceful it is at times but I get the sense that it is nowhere near as powerful and damaging as the tornados that ripped through some states earlier this year.
I'm also taking a rough guess that the planned visit to the studio and site this evening will probably not go ahead?  Not so much Flushing Meadows but flooding meadows perhaps!!

Watch this space ....

Home Alone New York .. waiting for Hurricane Irene

Thanks to the threat of Hurricane Irene making it's way up the east coast of America my travel plans had to be changed so as to arrive a day earlier... and thank goodness as the airports here are all closing today and I would never have made it.
I started out having a leisurely day off yesterday, doing a few last minute things before getting packed for my trip.  I had most of my make-up kit organised as I had spent some time breaking it down into a smaller one (always difficult .. who knows what you might need right?) the day before.  I was still doing laundry when the call came in asking me if I could get on a plane asap.  Luckily I'm not one to panic and it does pay to be a little bit organised in advance for such eventualities.  I had spent days working out my pack list in my head so I got myself into gear and threw everything I needed (and more, just in case!) into the largest piece of luggage I have!  The baggage allowance is 23kg per piece and I think I just scraped in by the skin of my teeth!  Well now I'm bringing wet gear, boots etc when it's supposed to be hot hot hot - and I'm going to be here for more than 2 weeks!
My guardian angel was definitely on duty yesterday .. my cab picked me up in good time but it was raining and being a Friday AND a bank holiday weekend every man and his dog was trying to get away.  The traffic was horrendous and I almost resigned myself to missing my flight as it was the last one of the day. Then it was like the parting of the Red Sea .. the sun came out, the traffic eased and I arrived at Heathrow Terminal 5 fifteen minutes earlier than planned!  Sometimes things just work out.  I tried to check in at one of the self help booths but it wouldn't check me in .. an assistant came to help, did it all for me and upgraded me in the process!!  Result!!!  Quite made my day.

Peridot and Graphite

I really like Terminal 5!  Spacious, nice shops, restaurants and everything runs smoothly. And true to form I headed for the make-up counters to see what extra goodies I would 'need' ... couldn't resist another new Chanel nail varnish .. this time in Quartz. The sales assistant told me that Peridot is now sold out!! Quell horreur!!!  Glad I've got mine!!
Because of the upgrade I got fast tracked on to the plane .. found my little compartment with the chair that reclines to a flat bed.  Oh bliss .. I've always said as I've walked enviously past these before that one day I would have the experience .. now I've been spoiled.  Not to mention that your bags come through first on the carousel!  The immigration line was the shortest I've ever known (through in 5 minutes) and the experience is just so much more enjoyable.  I'll just have to work harder!!
I'm up early .. it's looking very grey and misty outside (it was still 24C/75F at midnight last night) and Irene is set to attack the city with force later today. The show I'm working on has been cancelled - for now anyway - and I will be stuck in my ivory tower (39th floor) on my own as my friends are away till Monday.  My phone is charged, I have supplies of food, torches, batteries etc. Let's hope the power doesn't go out otherwise I'll be doing my workouts on the stairs!!

Weekend shopping in Milano!

I've just returned from the annual girls' shopping expedition to Milan which began in the year 2000!  As usual the weather was hot and sunny - if slightly humid - but that never deters us from bypassing the last of the summer sales and concentrating solely on acquiring our new wardrobe from this coming winter's new collections.  Judging by the weather back in London at the moment it won't be long before I get a chance to wear my new things!! 


My journey began on Thursday morning with a slight delay of an hour and fifteen minutes when we were waiting to taxi onto the runway at London City Airport. Another aircraft had broken down and was blocking our exit so we just had to sit and wait just offside the runway until it had been checked and removed.  My connection in Zurich was tight but I managed to make my flight to Lugano with a few minutes to spare - no time even to stop for a coffee!  Lugano is only a 25 minute flight away, but I swear I could feel the speed this time .. it felt like we had been catapulted onto a roller coaster as we hit some clouds and bumped around for most of the journey and landed with a thud in Lugano as if we had been slammed to the ground by a giant hand.  But hey, we made it safely so I was glad to be getting off that baby and heading into the terminal to pick up my bag. Those small planes always worry me slightly but once you're on board you just have to hand over control of your life to the pilot and whatever the universe has in store for you.  I'm always grateful to land safely!!


(You may wonder why I go to Lugano if the ultimate destination is Milan.  I have a friend who lives there and Milan is an hour away.) 


Friday morning we were up early and heading to the station to catch the train to Milan.  It's a lovely trip .. the track follows the shores of Lake Lugano, a beautiful body of water surrounded by picturesque mountains where you can camp, water ski, fish and sail .. then on to Chiasso, which is located on the border of Switzerland and Italy, Como and final destination Milano Centrale Station.  From there it's a quick Metro ride to the centre of Milan .. the cost only €1 .. a bargain considering what it costs just to ride a bus in London! 


Most European cities have almost everything that we have in England now due to the larger retail chains expanding onto every inch of the globe .. we're not interested much in these shops but only the one's which are still unique to Italy or parts of Europe.  It's much more fun to buy something that no-one else has so hopefully my acquisitions will be a little different from my friends' and colleagues'!


Managed to get hold of the new Chanel nail colours duty free in Zurich airport on the way home and I can confirm that they are absolutely stunning!!  I bought Graphite and Peridot .. gorgeous metallic shades with silver and gold tones .. the new long wear luminous eye shadows are also rather beautiful!  I also bought the Illusion D'Ombre in no. 4 Epatant .. it's a smooth as silk, soft sparkly luminous powdery cream which comes with a small angled brush to line above and below your lashes if you like - simply devine!!


Tom Ford also has a new make up collection!   My personal favourite is bound to be the new Brow Sculptor which comes in a pencil form not unlike the Smashbox Browtech to go.  The difference is that this pencil comes with a brush and a precision sharpener (more like a shaver) within the casing ensuring a perfectly fine application.  Can't wait to check out the whole range!  I already lurve his fragrances!


Back in rainy London .. it's always good to come home to something familiar!! Getting ready now for New York and trying to decide what to take .. I don't think I will get much time to shop on this trip! 


www.chanel.com
www.smashbox.com

The Hill that Breathes - Tuscany

It's a beautiful description isn't it .. the hill that breathes .. in fact it is a real place situated in the hills of Tuscany, Italy.   A friend of mine went there a couple of months ago and highly recommended it as she had a great time and met some lovely people. 

The Hill is essentially a centre for yoga and alternative holidays so I thought it may be an idea to think about if you are looking for a break away next year with something a little different in mind, particularly if you are planning to go on your own, although it would be just as well to go with a friend or partner.  The weeks run Thursday to Thursday and the nearest airports are Ancona and Bologna and they will arrange transfers .. Ancona is 90 minutes away and Bologna 2 hours .. or you could choose to go by train to Pesaro then take a taxi.  Hiring a car is also an option.

The courses provided this year included a week with the Barefoot Doctor, Yoga and detox (various styles of yoga to choose from) and F**k It weeks which tend to sell out months in advance!  In their words Realizing that things aren't so important; taking things less seriously; and making life more like a game and less like hard work (yes, saying 'F**k It').   

The holidays start from €895 per-person, per-week (see each holiday week for price) and the price includes shared accommodation, full board and classes.

There is a Day Out on a Monday for guests to visit the beautiful surrounding areas, when there are no classes.

Their website provides all the information you could possibly need from programmes of events to FAQ's and everything in between.


www.thehillthatbreathes.com

Home, heart and wanderlust

Finally!!  A beautiful day in London and I'm feeling better after a few days of being under the weather.  Spent the day doing a bit of shopping, gardening (well mostly sitting in it!) and baked an apple tart .. very homey for me!!! Since the summer has decided to kick in for a few days we're planning a barbeque with the neighbours tomorrow .. got to make the most of it while it's here.. you never know how long it will last!!  


Watched a dvd tonight .. 'Due Date' .. a very funny film but set me thinking again about my road trip in North America next year. All those long seemingly unending highways crossing hundreds even thousands of miles of country. Gets my mind working overtime trying to figure out which route I will end up taking. 


My trip around Europe some years ago took the best part of three months. There were initially six of us - all friends from school.  We bought two old VW camper vans, stocked them up ready to leave London in mid July.  The night before we left, one of the vans was vandalised and set alight .. could have been a hindrance but undeterred we all piled in the one van, bought two tents and headed off across the English Channel to Calais.  We travelled leisurely through France, Spain and Portugal and crossed the sea to Morocco in North Africa for a couple of weeks. Our journey then took us back to Spain, South of France (almost forgot Monaco) and Italy where the van eventually died on us and we all split up and went our separate ways. Three of us stayed together and we bought train tickets back to England, stopping off in Austria, Germany (for the Oktoberfest) and Belgium - returning to London flat broke.  It was an unforgettable experience and I'm so glad I did it.


Did you know that the word 'wanderlust' originates from the German words wandern (to hike) and lust (desire)?  ..source Wikipedia.. well I don't plan on hiking much but there certainly is the desire, a craving for travelling, seeing new places, meeting interesting people. I won't ever be one of those people who sit there at the end of their life saying 'I wish I had done that!'

London can be beautiful even in the rain!

Up with the larks this morning to get myself down to the US Embassy at Grosvenor Square to queue with all the other hopefuls for an I-visa.  It was a dull, misty morning with a fine spray of light rain in the air.  The walk to the underground evoked a hint of nostalgia for me (I rarely use the tube unless I have to) as it reminded me of days gone by .. the grey skies, the aroma of fresh coffee emanating from the various cafes and the smell of cigarette smoke from people walking in front of me!  Some things never change!  The tube was surprisingly uncrowded .. perhaps the school holidays have kicked in and people are away.   Coming out of Bond Street Station it was so refreshing to see Oxford Street devoid of people bar the few going to work and the occasional tourist ambling down the street obviously excited to be here.
The line at the Embassy was not too bad and thankfully I sailed through the security checks ... at the end of the process my visa for work in the USA was approved!!  Yippee!!!!  First stop the US Open Tennis championships at Flushing Meadows at the end of August.  I am really looking forward to it .. at least the weather should be a whole lot better than it is here!

Feeling slightly elated as I left the embassy and as it was still relatively early and quiet, I strolled into Selfridges and had a look at the Bobbi Brown make up counter where they have some lovely new tortoise shell eye palettes in colours that would easily take you from late summer to autumn. There are two to choose from .. sand and bronze .. I went for the bronze as the colours are a little richer for warmer skin tones .. The palettes are double decked so no problems fitting it into your make up bag .. nice and compact and at £48 good value for money!


To see Bobbi's video on how these shades can work for you, go to ....
www.bobbibrown.co.uk/cms/learn/video/tortoise_collection.tmpl
I predict that this is going to be a new fave in my make up kit .. or better still perhaps I will keep it just for myself!!!

Lake Constance: Switzerland, Germany and Austria all in one day!!!

Karen B. is on the razzle again .. here's another little trip she has just done!!

Yet one more hen's party (Swiss German style) that I attended with a difference!  Location - Lake Constance which is situated in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.   The German city of Constance (and the lake) is off the beaten track but well worth a visit during summer.  My day started in the Swiss city of Kreuzlingen, just a walk across the border into the City of Constance where I and my eleven companions took an excursion boat (not the standard ferry) to the small German town of Meersburg.  We meandered through the cobbled streets of this medieval town up to the Hotel Weisshaar.  What awaited us there was a magnificent view of the lake from the terrace and fabulous freshly made cakes.  (You may just have to have another cheeky little slice of the plum crumble!)  


From there it was a short walk down to the thermal baths where you pay by the amount of time you wish to spend there but we decided our fingers would look like prunes if we stayed longer than 3 hours!  There is a lovely warm indoor pool which leads to an outside pool where you can relax while your body is massaged by jets along the wall .... all of this and a view of the lake as well!!  Blissful!!!  An important point to remember though - in Germany saunas are usually mixed sex and bathing suits are not worn ..... keep this in mind when in Europe.

Throughout the day we saw a zeppelin flying back and forth over the lake.  Flights are available and prices for 30 minutes start at Euros 200 but unfortunately we didn't have time ..... oh well .. maybe next time!

After our pampering it was back to Constance by boat for an aperitif and a bite to eat.  There are plenty of restaurants to choose from.  To end the day we had a tour of Constance by the Night Watchman.  (At one time the town of Constance had a bigger population than Berlin and Cologne.)  This walking tour takes 1½ hrs and is Euros 6.50 per person and it is taken by a local historian.  The night watchman was responsible for telling the time (before clocks) and getting people up in the morning (6am), putting out fires and was also the local policeman.  As this role was a lowly role he was not allowed to live in the city.  If he fell asleep during his watch the local towns people took a dim view of this and would kill him (as they did to a night watchman in Bern, Switzerland).  He was not allowed to do his rounds with people (unless he was collecting the dead) so took animals for company.  The most popular animal (or bird) was a goose as it appears to sense danger ahead of time.  There were lots of other little interesting stories and some explained how certain German phrases originated.  Unfortuantely this particular historian only spoke German but it gives you a taste of what is available on a cultural note in some European cities/towns for a very reasonable price .. and usually the guides are multilingual.

Train to Constance:

- from Zurich  http://fahrplan.sbb.ch/bin/query.exe/en?OK#focus

- from Munich  http://www.bahn.de/i/view/GBR/en/index.shtml 

The Thermal Baths  http://www.meersburg-therme.de/
The Night Watchman http://www.konstanz.de/rathaus/medienportal/mitteilungen/00717/index.html

Zeppelin tours over Lake Constance http://zeppelintours.com/#/ways-to-go-flying/4522525175

Vintage inspiration

I would like to share a piece that was written by my friend and colleague Sharon for her blog friendsofbettie.blogspot.com a while ago. She runs the Vintage Hair Lounge in Southampton which specialises in vintage hairstyling and barbering.  If you are interested in brushing up (no pun intended) your hair skills they also run weekend courses in vintage hair styling for camera .. contact www.vintagehairlounge.com for more information.

"With new Besame stock on display at Vintage Hair Lounge this week, it's about time we told the story of the influence these beautiful vintage inspired cosmetics have had on the development of the Vintage Hair Lounge brand and vision.

Tinks Reding introduces Besame

Back in 2007, when I (Sharon Holloway) was a fellow Hackney resident with tv and film make-up artist Tinks Reding we often shared our thoughts of the future, and over a drink one day Tinks enthused about developing a professional make-up store with a glamorous vintage feel. Besame, she told me, was the brand leader of vintage make-up products, and she'd seen it in the States and fallen in love with it. She was determined to bring it to the UK. I listened intently, went home, and googled the Besame website. I too fell in love with the brand, but no matter how hard I tried, including pacing up and down through Selfridges who were rumoured UK stockists, I couldn't find a single Besame product anywhere in London to actually look at."

Subsequently Sharon went on to import and supply this wonderful brand to the UK and now uses it extensively for photo shoots and films as well as selling it to the public at the salon.

For product information go to www.besamecosmetics.com

Plans heating up for August!

Shopping in Milan

Summer is in full swing (well kind of) and as August is fast approaching I'm fixing my travel plans already .. I also had some great news today regarding more travel but I'll let you know that all in good time!!  In a few weeks I'm heading to Lugano, Switzerland for a long weekend and throwing in a girls shopping trip to Milan, Italy for the fun of it!  After a few hours pounding the pavements it's so great to sit at a sidewalk cafe with an espresso and later indulging in a glass or two of prosecco before dinner.  By then sadly, the end of the summer season will be in sight but the gorgeous new winter clothing collections will be in the stores.  It's a good time to go and grab those things that sell out quickly or that may never be available in your town. Last year I scored a Max Mara cube coat that I had seen online and coveted .. it wasn't even on display in the store but I asked if they had it and voila! tried on and bought in a nano second!  By the time winter had started it was out of stock everywhere, not to mention more than £200 more expensive in the UK!!!  It was my favorite coat last winter .. and I really needed it with the freezing weather we had!   This year I probably won't be so extravagant but you never know .. depends on what's out there!  But the highlight of my jaunt to Milan is visiting the make up shops .. namely Sephora and Kiko .. I can't wait to see what treasures lie in wait to fill my little shopping basket!  


http://www.sephora.com/
http://www.kikocosmetics.com/