iPad Primping: My Top Apps & Stella McCartney Case

Although I got myself an iPad two months ago, I’ve only just started to bond with it (whereas normal people can’t wait to rip their new purchases out of the packaging, I let them sit there for weeks until I have time to figure out how to really make it mine). It took me ages to settle on a cover for it, but now I love my new Stella McCartney Falabella case (which looks downright cool, rather than boring and techy). And I’ve been going a little bit nuts in the Apple store, downloading all manner of fun and games. My favourite thus far is Stella’s World, which unlike so many other designer brand apps (which can be flat and boring) is interactive and substantial.

All of this is making my bedtime blogging and Sunday morning lounging in bed a lot less clunky (for some reason the Clever Boyfriend is never very amused when my laptop slides of my lap and whacks him in the head), which can only be a good thing.I’d love to know what the more techy amongst you are playing with and find fun or helpful. But in the meatime, here’s my guide to the best of what I’ve come across thus far.

Miss B’s Top 10 apps (for iPhone and iPad):

Instagram – I am shamlessly addicted to Instagram (so much so that Glitter Guide listed me as one of their Top 10 People to Follow). It’s sort of like Twitter, but just for photos. I love getting glimpses into other people’s daily lives, and the cool filters make all your photos prettier (it’s what I use to make the photo collages you sometimes see on my posts).
Stella McCartney’s World – This is my favourite fashion brand app. You can watch the runway show, see behind the scenes of campaigns, play interactive fun and games that made me smile out loud, and see intimate family portraits from Linda McCartney’s photography archive (I love the ones of the Beatles in their heyday).
Elle Collections – Unlike most of the other ipad versions of magazines, this one is completely free. You can flick through the Editor’s trends and accessories picks for the season, see and watch the whole runway collections for the top shows in each city, and go behind the scenes at Fashion Week.
Mulberry - Given my love for Mulberry, of course I was going to like this. But the blog, catwalk shows and behind the scenes action are adorable.
Net-a-Porter - This site is my financial undoing, but mostly I use the app to see what’s new and read the weekly magazine and Editor’s tips.
Tweetdeck for iphone and HootSuite for ipad – The only way I use Twitter now, as it enables you to sort the people you follow into lists and categories. Super handy if you follow a zillion people like me and want to keep track of them all.
WordPress – For blogging on the go.
Asos – Shop the latest items and read the snazzy monthly magazine.
TimeOut London – I’d be a bit lost in London without Time Out; it is always filling me in on what’s happening, where to eat, where to go and what to do.
The Times – Mostly so I can read the Sunday Times Style in bed without having to leave the house to buy it when it’s cold outside.

Do you have a gadget or favourite gadget or app I should try?

Love, Miss B xx

Paris: Strolling the Left Bank

Last weekend, I decided to take an impromptu trip to Paris with a dear university friend for some soul-restoration (her) and a fun adventure (me). I still find it an enormous thrill to be able to hop on a train and arrive in France a mere two hours later (the first time I went to Paris back in 2003, it took me 33 hours to get there from Australia!); I got on a train shortly after breakfast and was at Gare du Nord in enough time to be able to stop by my hotel, cross the river and arrive at Boulevard Saint Germain by lunchtime.

There, I was meeting a fashion friend of mine for an afternoon of Parisian wanderings. Our first stop was to the tiny tables of the Cafe de Flore (that great bastion of French literary history) for the finest Parisian people-watching cafe au lait strong enough to fuel us for the rest of the afternoon. Afterwards, we strolled the charming little streets of the Left Bank, passing tiny galleries and even tinier boutiques. After a quick lap of the accessories and beauty hall at Le Bon Marche, it was on to Rue Guisarde for some vintage Chanel and Hermes treasure hunting (more on that later).

We stopped by the Hermes store (17 rue de Sevrès), worth a visit for the magnificent interior alone – the building used to house a swimming pool, and now has a charming florist at the front of the store (I love that if nothing else, you can at least buy some peonies at Hermes!). Afterwards, it was on to Shakespeare & Co (37 Rue Bûcherie), which has to be my favourite bookstore in the world. I stumbled upon it randomly on my first trip to Paris and always make a point of returning each time I’m in there; it always seems to be the most perfect Parisian moment, with the sun glinting of the Seine beside it, French musicians providing the sountrack out the front, poets loitering at the little tables, and various Americans-in-Paris and French literary types alike rummaging amongst the crammed shelves inside (a mix of second-hand and new volumes).

Once I’d had my literary fill, we strolled along beside the Seine, pottering about the really rather wonderful vintage bookshops (I love that these still remain here) that link the banks along the way for souvenirs of Paris. I picked up nostalgic French children’s books and vintage fashion magazines from the 40s, antique postcards, and the obligatory mini Eiffel Towers. We passed the lover’s locks on the bridge, and made for that petite charming island in the middle of the Seine, the Île Saint-Louis. Past tiny cafes, fromageries and antique shops we walked, and a quick stop at Berthillion (29-31 rue saint louis en l’ile) for the best ice cream in all of Paris (I had pear and apricot, both of which tasted as though they had been picked straight from a sun-drenched orchard in the south of France). As we crossed the bridge to the right bank, a French swing band played at the sun turned to molten gold low in the sky. It was such a perfect Parisian moment, we lingered on that bridge for so long, smiling to the sounds of the jazz music floating on the breeze.

Have you been to Paris? What are some of your favourite areas to visit in the city (or those you’d most like to go to)?

Love, Miss B xx

Beauty: Made-to-Measure Cleansing

A lot of you have asked that I feature tips on essential beauty routines, as well as the more complicated and fun things (of which there will be plenty). And because nothing will work without good skin as your starting point, it only makes sense to start with the most basic of basics: cleansing.

Recently, I was shocked to discover that so many of my girlfriends (whom I’ve always just presumed have the beauty routine down pat) are utterly clueless when it comes to a basic skincare routine; some wash their face with bars of soap or shower gel, another exfoliates with a scratchy loofah glove (please don’t ever do this!). I’ve taken it upon myself to re-educate them (after all, not everyone spent their early 20s loitering at beauty counters, reading every lifestyle magazine and pouncing on strangers with flawless skin to share their tips as I did…), and each one is having a beauty revelation on the improvement proper cleansing makes. Because even if we think we can skip proper cleansing while our skin is naturally young and well-behaved, I promise you will reap the benefits of a good routine later on.

So because cleansing can be a tricky thing (there are so many products to choose from), here id my guide to deciphering the main contenders you want on your bathroom shelf (ideally, choose one from each category):

1. Basic Cleansers: These are your everyday wonders. Use them each morning and after makeup removal (if applicable) in the evening. Normal to oily/combination skin types call go for a gel version, dry and sensitive for milk or creamy versions. Frothy, foam cleansers should generally be avoided because, except in very few situations, they are extremely harsh and will sap your skin of its lovely nutrients. I have used Aesop’s Fabulous Face Cleanser (my absolute favourite which has done wonders for my previously sensitive skin) every day for years and years, but also rotate with Jurlique (who do an excellent range of gentle cleansers for all skintypes), Nuxe and lately Clarins - all of which are all super.

2. Oil and Balm Cleansers: I only introduced these into my routine a year ago but oh, what a difference they make! Contrary to belief, oil cleansers will not make your skin oily. On the contrary; they are incredibly balancing and softening – hydrating dry skin, calming sensitive skin, and sorting out oily skin. Use them either alone once a day or before your regular cleanser to melt away makeup (because oil attracts oil, nothing gets off heavy makeup like an oil or balm cleanser). To use, massage half a teaspoon onto dry skin for a minute before gradually adding water (just wet your hands and massage in) until it transforms into a milk and washes away completely. I adore RMK (fantastic cult Japanese beauty brand – they were way ahead in the oil cleansing stakes) for their delicious balm (smells like rose petals) and oil cleansers, as well as my trusty Aesop for their Parsley Seed Cleansing Oil.

3. Makeup Removers: Anyone who wears makeup needs one of these (basic cleansers won’t do the job well enough, leaving you with clogged pores or sensitised skin). Choose either a makeup wipe or a cotton pad soaked in a removal solution. I swear by Aesop’s Remove (lasts forever, and because it contains only three natural ingredients, it is one of the few products of its kind that won’t irritate sensitive skin or sting delicate eyelids) to get all my eye makeup off. If you wear rather a lot of makeup which you don’t want ending up all over your wash cloths, then makeup wipes are also your friend (I currently have Nivea versions living in my bathroom – no need to spend much money here as it’s going straight in the bin after doing its job, so the only criteria is that it’s as gentle as possible). Just please don’t rely on wipes alone – they only exist to take makeup off, not do any cleansing.

Top Cleansing Tips:

Cleanse for longer than you think: whereas most of us wash it off after 10 seconds, try doing it for 1 full minute and notice the improvement in your skin clarity within a week or so.
Particularly when using an oil or balm, give your skin a good massage with the product to boost circulation and blood flow (which in turn improves cell turnover and brightness)
Go for products which are as gentle as possible and avoid nasty mineral oils (otherwise known as parabens or petroleum), strong chemical fragrances and skin-stripping detergents (ie. anything which foams a lot).

Do you have a cleansing routine or a favourite product? Don’t forget to keep your Beauty Wednesday questions and requests coming!

Love, Miss B xx