House of Fraser Blog

My colleagues may be fooled into thinking I’ve had a few long sleeps, given up wine and stress and started following a macrobiotic diet. But they’d be wrong – I’ve simply had my first pumpkin peel at DestinationSkin and I can highly recommend it.

It certainly stings a little when it’s on – that’s the acid getting to work but it leaves your skin feeling nicely taut and baby fresh. For me, it out does any facial I have ever had for its immediate effect on the condition of your skin.

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So I’ve been thinking, if Kate Middleton were to call me up and say “I need your help, none of these fancy couture designers can help me find what I want, I want you to dress me head-to-toe in House …

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There are very few occasions in life that call for a hat, so if you are a hat lover, you’re probably a fan of weddings too. But if you are not usually a hat wearer, donning one for a wedding may feel intimidating. According to the master of British millinery Stephen Jones, the trick to pulling off a hat is wearing it with confidence and humour, and we couldn’t agree more. Here are a few more of our tips…

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I head down to our in store clinic for a little skin science ahead of the big day.

Without boring you about my not very serious (on the scale of things) skin issues, here’s a synopsis… It is fair to say my skin has been plagued by mild acne throughout my adult life. For some people, stress and emotion affects their stomach or zaps their energy – for me, every worry and hormone is marked by spots and blemishes. It is literally written all over my face.

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Wedding afficionados know that the minute daughters get engaged (Christmas, New Year and Valentine’s Day commonly), Mother’s begin their search for the ultimate Mother-of-the-Bride outfit. After all, the Mother-of-the-Bride will be standing next to her radiant daughter in countless photos – not to mention scores of young bridemaids and ushers, so it is no surprise the outfit search is a little bit stressful… but where to start?

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There are few things more important to throwing a memorable party than good food and wine. On the quest to find the perfect wines for my wedding, I caught up with Patrick Mallinson, from wine supplier Bibendum, for some expert advice.

What wines would you recommend for a summer wedding?

You expect it to be warm, so you don’t want anything too heavy or alcoholic. If the main meal is at lunch-time or early afternoon, then a softer lighter red wine with lower alcohol content would be best. If your meal is in the evening (after 7pm) then a more robust, medium to full bodied red would be fine too.

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Just a very quick post to share an exciting bit of wedding-related buzz. William and Kate’s official wedding website has now launched (yes, there is a more important wedding than mine on the horizon). On the 29th of April 2011 our own Prince Charming will tie the knot with his university sweetheart and we all get the day off to join the celebrations.

But will she post pictures of herself trying on gowns and shopping for the booze (watch this space) on her website… We will keep our eyes peeled! The official line is, “the website will be regularly updated with exclusive content, including photo galleries, features, videos and links to important information for visitors on the day.”

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Last night, four of my five bridesmaids and I embarked on our first bridesmaids dress mission. As they are all grown women of different shapes and sizes, we decided from the start that matching dresses was not the way to go and had been inspired by a real life wedding in Brides Magazine, to go for a range of bright colours.

Naturally the dresses we gravitated towards, late night shopping at House of Fraser Oxford Street last night, were not bright – the opposite in fact. These Coast dresses are like a little family – same DNA but very different personalities.

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Preparing for your wedding: Lesson one! You may become obsessed with all sorts of things you haven’t cared too much about until now…

Case in point – makeup application.

Sam, our brilliant fashion and beauty editor, will wax lyrical about this palette and that eye makeup trend. I on the other hand have got through life without going beyond the basics. My usual routine looks something like this: wash face, moisturise, add tinted moisturiser, cover spots, add mascara and a little Vaseline to the lips – ta da! But somehow this just won’t cut it for my wedding day. So I have enlisted the help of cosmetics genius Bobbi Brown.

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Yesterday was the day of the Biba bridal shoot – and as a soon to be married HoF staffer, I couldn’t resist heading over there to get a first look at the collection. In a cloud of white and cream chiffon and silk, the model looked absolutely stunning…

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