Top 3 LONG-LASTING LIPSTICKS - Tweedie Beauty Awards 2012

GOLD – Lipstick Queen
This is a lipstick that deserves R.E.S.P.E.C.T. Rising triumphantly above bankruptcy, Tall Poppy Syndrome, and the candy coloured 90’s, Lipstick Queen has more staying power than Joan Rivers.  Visualise if you will; sex siren Marilyn Monroe with loose pin curls, natural makeup and sultry pout, singing “I want to be loved by you” in the classic movie Some like it Hot (1959). That’s how you’ll feel wearing Lipstick Queen. Have a buttery flakey croissant, creamy cappuccino and two Bellini’s for breakfast (go on, you know you want to)…. Movie star pout stays perfectly pert. Fast forward five hours; Lipstick Queen continues to stick around like your best friend in the world.  Not in a dry or clay-like way either. Melbourne-born, New York based founder, Poppy King (pictured) was recently quoted saying, “this season it’s all about a moisture rich format with rich pigment”. What she really means is big luscious lips, old Hollywood style are the boom. If red carpet make-up at the recent Cannes Film Festival is anything to go by, 1950’s glamour is making a huge comeback and Poppy is the name on everyone’s lips.

Poppy King is so committed to making the perfect pout; she lives, breathes and sells lipsticks. Nothing else. Now that’s focus in a world where beauty brands are beguiling us with vast head-to-toe product ranges; applying the logic that bathroom cupboard dominance builds loyalty (and bank balances). Lipstick Queen may not take up much shelf space but its sheer wow factor is like a movie set spotlight on your lips; highlighting natural va va voom with high high high quantities of creamy shea butter for lusciousness and pigment that almost tattoos your lips with colour that doesn’t fade, bleed or flake throughout the day. As Marilyn Monroe so eloquently said, “We are all of us stars, and we deserve to twinkle.” Wear Lipstick Queen and you’re well on the way.

Online stockists Kit Cosmetics  AU$32, Space NK USA($25)  and Space NK UK (£20)

SILVER – MAC Pro Longwear Lipcreme
If you’re looking for long-lasting lipstick with serious credentials in the professional make-up artist world, then look no further than MAC Pro Longwear Lipcremes (not the catchiest of names). It’s in 2nd place because wear time is six to eight hours, not the 10- 12 hours that you would get from Lipstick Queen. That aside, MAC rocks the pout. Unlike other fancier beauty brands, MAC take a low key, Gwyneth Paltrow (big MAC fan) approach to their lipsticks. Simultaneously classic and fashion-forward, with healthy dose of practicality. MAC Pro Longwear Lipcremes (the length of this name is bringing on RSI… they should just call it MPL²) are formulated with rich, intense pigments in 12 gloriously natural shades of pinks, plum, browns, reds and mauves; with fabulous names like Love Long Distance, Faithfully Yours and You’re Perfect Already! Very goop (Gwyneth's online magazine)

These pigmented pretties are unusually creamy for a long-lasting lipstick; gliding on easily to provide an even color without any real effort. Because of the slip and creaminess, they feel yummy on the lips, although slightly heavier than a normal lipstick. MAC only launched MPL² a few years ago, and before you could say “Put down that croissant” they were the lipstick of choice for lip-smashingly gorgeous attendees of the ponderously drawn out Oscars, BAFTA’s and international Fashion Weeks. Even Urban Apothecary loyalist, Angelina Jolie lasted the duration of this year’s Oscar marathon in MPL² Russian Red.  Just think...this is the lipstick that kisses Brad Pitt good night. Sweet dreams indeed.

Online stockists MAC USA ($40)


BRONZE – Estée Lauder Pure Color
One of the strongest cosmetic trends this decade is a seismic shift back to perennial classics and style. So it’s with the same amount of surprise registered around the world when Prince William and Kate finally announced their engagement, that we see 1960’s cosmetic icon, Estée Lauder at the winner’s podium for some of 2012’s biggest beauty awards; from New York to Paris, Cosmo to InStyle. Now before you start reaching for the Back Button because you’re far too modern to go anywhere near a brand loved by the Twinset and Pearls generation, it’s worth noting that the House of Estée Lauder has a family tree rivaling HRH The Queen. Fabulous brands such as  Bobbi Brown, MAC, Jo Malone, Clinique, Crème de la Mer, Lab Series, Tom Ford and Origins all bear the Estee Lauder family crest. At the top of the family tree sits 42yr old New Yorker, Aerin Lauder (Estée’s granddaughter). Like many younger generations inheriting a lifetime of legacy, Aerin has breathed fresh edginess and modernity into the Estée Lauder brand.

What’s all this got to do with long-lasting lipsticks you ask? Well…the launch of Pure Colour in 2010 was the turning point for Estée Lauders return to the world of glamour, style and fashion. Aerin Lauder (pictured) threw everything behind the development of Pure Colour, to make it one of the stand-out products of this generation. It worked. Pure Colour has won numerous awards  and sits in 3rd place for the Long-Lasting Lipstick Tweedie Awards only because it has a wear time of 5-6 hours. On all other counts it matches Lipstick Queen and MAC MPL². The rich range of colours is extensive; with 19 different shades of gorgeousness. If your preferred lip tones are nude pink to plum, then you’ll love Pure Colour. Then there's the yummy creamy texture which feels like there’s a built-in lip balm.

Because we don’t all have Angelina Jolie’s naturally pert, rose-tinted lips pre lipstick (why oh why not???), lipstick remains one of life’s little essentials. But who has the energy to put it on more than once a day? Twice at best. So I’m eternally thankful to Estée Lauder Pure Colour “Beige” for bringing barely-there classic New York style to my lips, with no need for a make-up bag and mirror on continuous standby.  Now if only I could make my hair look sleek with as little effort.

Online stockists Estée Lauder Australia ($45), USA ($25) and Europe (£20)

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Top 5 highlights from Decoration + Design 2012

Plopp stool by Oska Zieta
Polish designer Oskar Zieta is the Tim Burton of furniture; adding whimsical, slightly surreal qualities to an industry that often takes itself a little too seriously. His signature piece, the Plopp BlowUp stool, may look like a prop from Alice in Wonderland when deflated, but add a little air from a standard bicycle pump and some mighty clever technology (earning Oskar Zieta numerous design awards) and voila! Surely this must be one of the coolest stools in the world (proof in point... its been featured in FastCompany and Wallpaper magazines). Available in a range of the yummiest powder-coated Pantene colours and loved even by Audi, who recently co-starred Plopp stools in a TV commercial to launch the lightly constructed Audi Q3.  As if that wasn’t cool enough, Zieta designed little felt slippers for Plopp, in case you don’t have under-floor heating. Plopp stools come all blown up and ready to go, but you can buy Plopp coat racks and ladders as flat packs. It’s like IKEA for the well heeled.
Australian enquires for Plopp stools to Laurent at Textura.com.au
(That's the charming Laurent, co-founder of Texture sitting on a Plopp)  

Cliques Couples by Ruben + Kosch
Cliques Couple lights have taken “intimate” design to a new level. Freshly launched at Decoration + Design 2012, these delightful opaque little LED people (approx. 15cm high) only light up when connected to each other. That’s the kind of true love I want in my bedroom. Nick, the clever young designer of Cliques, must have channeled Coco Chanel when the light bulb went off for this idea; because he designed a matching accessories range (reindeer antlers, halos, teddy bear ears) that add a touch of Classy and Fabulous. No crash over-styling for these Little Light People.  At $40 per person, they don’t come cheap (you have to buy a “couple” so they light up) but that’s the price you pay for Love. (Quietly singing “You light up my life” while writing this).  
Available at www.rubenandkosch.com from mid August onwards

 
Goose feather lampshades by Pluma Cubic
My new best friends at Textura, also debuted a celestial cloud of feathered lights. It seems the world, from Milan to Melbourne, is aflutter with feathers; Goose and Rooster feathers to be precise. Not surprising, given the gorgeousness of these handcrafted feather lampshades made by innovative German design house, Pluma Cubic. They’re the Dalai Lama of lightwear. Soft delicate beauties masking strong structures illuminate the age-old wisdom that there is “strength in fragility” (and vice versa). Each lampshade comprises anywhere between 2000-4000 goose (or rooster) feathers, concentrically positioned to accentuate the interplay between light and shade. The result is diffused lighting that would bring a smile to any room. Maybe not the lamp to light your way through Bill Bryson’s “A Short History of Nearly Everything”, but infinitely suitable for 50 Shades of Grey.   
Again… enquiries to Laurent at Textura.com.au

Tom & Jerry Stool by Magis
According to my furniture designer brother, Michael, one can never have enough stools. They’re so versatile; use as chair, step ladder, foot rest, telephone shelf or mooching central around the kitchen counter. Despite their perennial status, well designed stools don’t come around that often. Hence my delight at discovering the Tom & Jerry stool by Italian design house, Magis. Designed by German designer Konstantin Grcic, this multifunctional three-legged stool was launched at the 2010 Salone del Mobile in Milan. For a humble design house with no factories and an ethos of experimental plastic design, Magis sure does know how to create stool icons (think Bombo, Tam Tam, YuYu).

Now it seems that Gricic’s plastic and birch wood re-make of the humble workshop stool is becoming the must-have furniture piece of 2012. Rumour has it that Brad Pitt bought one for each of his kiddies. With such emerging star potential at its feet, surely it won’t be long before Pixar makes a Tom & Jerry movie.
Available online here or more details on Magis here

Vintage Industrial Lights by Tribe Design
With the average TV screen getting wider by the minute and home lounges turning into mini Cannes Film Festival screening rooms, movie studio lighting was as inevitable as Mel Gibson’s swear jar. Enter Stage Left…Tribal Design’s reconditioned studio lamps; so authentically fabulous, they’d catch even Peter Jackson’s eye. When it comes to vintage industrial lights, it doesn’t get much better than the lamps on display at Tribal Design’s stand.

Behold a stunning collection of different sized polished lamp heads, resting stylishly on reconditioned, untreated wood pedestals or suspended from metal chains. They even have original stage lights from Walt Disney Studios in Los Angeles. How Tribal managed to source such vintage treasures was pause for thought. That tested my brain for a few minutes until I got distracted with how glamourous it felt to be standing in the glow of spotlights that previously shone on live-action-in-animation legends, Gene Kelly (Anchors Aweigh) and Julie Andrews (Mary Poppins). If only these star-studded spotlights also came with a telephone number for Rita Wilson (co-founder of Playtone Productions), so I could finally get a movie deal (for “To Daylesford with Love).
Tribe Design Lamps can be bought online here

Rita Wilson or Tom Hanks… call me, maybe.

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PUGS, the style icon of 2012

Pugs have been the royal mascot of Britain since Wallis Simpson and King Edward VIII piled into bed every night with their six pugs (Disraeli, Davey Crockett, Black Diamond, Imp, Trooper, and Ginseng) and 11 tapestry pug cushions (later sold for $13,800 ).  However it seems Pugs do travel, with Pugmania now catapulting around the world. Finally a top notch trend of regal standing. The original Brit Pack; pugs are riding on the back of the fabulous pomp & ceremony of Queen Elizabeth’s Silver Jubilee and London Olympics.

With almost identikit similarities, Pugs symbolise the golly gosh posh British people; outrageously dry sense of humour, strong willed & opinionated, but rarely aggressive, adorable rather than natural beauties, aloof, and infinitely more royally connected than anyone around them.

With a pug popping his flat podgy head out the side of your handbag, you’re automatically posh by association. Surely that’s what Kelly Osbourne and Mickey Rourke are hoping.  For the posh set, pugs are the fashionable chum that never strays. Valentino's pugs (pictured) are always paparazzi ready, dressed in his latest catwalk couture. While British upper crust comedian Jonathan Ross takes his chubby pug, Mr. Pickles, down to the local village pub each Friday for a pint together.

Somehow, these regal, unassuming little chaps have become a symbol of hope in troubled times. The fashion world agrees.

Back in May, twenty one designers including Valentino, Missoni, Versace, Roberto Cavalli, Emilio Pucci and Mary Katrantzou joined forces with UNICEF to help raise profile and funds for Bangladesh, by creating the first ever Pug Capsule Collection. Despite having to contend with plus-sized models, the sewing machine maestros whipped up some jolly good haute couture outfits that any pug would be proud to wear. The collection was subsequently auctioned on eBay.co.uk and raised oodles of cash for UNICEF. (See all the Designer Pugs here)

Now that pugs have their own couture wardrobe, they have become hot property. Even recently spotted on the catwalk of the L’Oreal Show for graduating students of prestigious design school, Central Saint Martins.  It’s not blatantly obvious why Natalia Mencej chose to have Rastafarian models holding pugs dressed in matching outfits; but that’s fashion for you.

Even if Pugs weren’t the hottest icon of 2012 (along with the Union Jack), I would still have fallen head over heels in love these pug cushions found in Topham Trading. Those adorable squished faces all wrapped up cosy in beautiful French knotted scarves make me smile even when I'm grumpy. Plus I feel suitably regal knowing that the cushions were made in France, using the same traditional tapestry and weaving techniques as Wallis Simpson’s pug cushions. Harpers Bazaar Interiors magazine recently commented that signature cushions have become “the nail polish of interiors” in these uncertain times. Relatively inexpensive but still luxurious treat that can make a much loved, much worn outfit look fresh again. My couch agrees.

Toodle LOo.

Pug Tapestry Cushions available from Topham Trading, 39 Albert St, Daylesford. +61(0)325348 3164

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5 Most Loved Nail Polishes

Like a beautiful handbag or necklace, nails contribute to defining your style. Whether getting nails done at a beauty salon, nail bar or DIY at home, the key to a perfect-looking mani/pedi is polish, polish, polish. There's something quietly glamourous about freshly-lacquered nails (that is unless you dig through your purse or do the dishes too soon before polish is dry and chip a corner of colour off … why why why???)

Color choice is  critical. It has to match your personal style and complement key wardrobe pieces. Beyond that, the color in the bottle has to be true to the way it will look on your nails, be a good value (read: not too expensive and lasts a long time), and since our time is no less valuable- per-minute than Gwyneth Paltrow's, we want nail polish to dry super fast (so you don't run into the aforementioned dipping-into-purse issue). Finally, it must be chip-resistant. In amongst this, Tweed Tea and Wellies believe that truly chic nails are those that are simple and not too showy. Ask any Parisian and they’ll say the same.


Think our standards are too high? Can one polish really be all of these things? Tweed Tea and Wellies has tried and tested many polishes over the years and come to conclusion that there are some beautiful nail polish brands out there. And some duds. So here’s our top 5 Most Loved nail polish list.

1.    Chanel Pearl Drop (Le Vernis range) -  pearlescent natural pink, perfect for the sophisticated simple nails. French women love this colour and effect as they will rarely put strong colour on their nails (trop Gauche). We love the little ball bearing inside the bottle to stop the product going gloopy. (Aside French Polish is so yesterday... French Pearl is very today)


2.    Revlon Nail Enamel -  rich, vibrant colours; our favourite range of strikingly sophisticated reds and pinks… passion in a bottle. Strong durability

3.    Lippmann Collection – the Nicole Kidman of nail polishes; extremely thin, classic colours, sophisticated and not overly accessible to the general public. The formula can be applied thinly (no goop!) and the regency bottle/ brush design prevents the application process from getting messy. Created by celebrity manicurist Deborah Lippmann with fans including Julia Roberts, Gwyneth Paltrow and  Sarah Jessica Parker. 

4.    Rimmel London 60 Seconds - this nail polish really does dry in 60 seconds. Incredible… a beauty product that actually does what it says. Beautiful range of colours considering this is basically one step up from a supermarket brand. And the price is extraordinarily good value. Good everyday nail polish.

5.    OPI Nail Lacquer Classics – Opi have nailed the manicure market. This is the brand used in about 90% of nail bars around the world (which is where you also buy them for at home touch-ups and DIY manicures). OPI are definitely doing something right. More colours than repeats of Friends, durable finish and (if used with Opi Top Coat), super fast drying.

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La Gaia adopts simple approach to skincare... VISIBLE RESULTS.

One of my favourite places on earth is the Department store Beauty Hall. In particular, the Tudor-walled beauty room at Liberty of London. All those pretty counters laden with skincare products screaming “Pick me!!!! Pick me!!!”  This must be how Angelina Jolie feels when she visits an orphanage. Do I stray into uncharted territory and take home a brand new bundle of joy; running the risk of clashing, gnashing and tears before bedtime? Is it time to add some excitement to the daily routine of my ever-expanding brood back at home?  Are my lips plump and hydrated enough? Such drama. Hype. Glamour. I love it!

Over the years (and countless counters), I’ve lived with one big, beautiful extended family of skincare. But sanity eventually prevailed and I settled down with my close-knit family of four; Eve Lom cleanser/moisturiser/masks (French), Shu Uemera deepsea water/serums (Japanese), Sisley Paris for pure pampering and Ren Clean Skincare for everything else (British). That was until two months ago, when my whole world got turned upside down.

My book (To Daylesford with Love) was being featured at a Lifestyle Expo in Melbourne… so I popped by to sign books, meet the press and be generally supportive. Public duties over and out, there was time for a wee exploratory amble around the exhibition hall.  Nothing jumped out and grabbed me, until the Hepburn Bathhouse and La Gaia skincare stand drew me, almost hypnotically, to its warm, open arms.

Christina Laing- Herbert

Instantly, I was wrapped in a reassuring familial embrace by Australian naturaceuticals brand, La Gaia (meaning Mother Earth), its founder, Dr Jean Laing and daughter Christina. A refreshing breath of fresh air in the jungle of Beauty products. There’s no glitz, glamour or hype to this product. No cosmetics surgeons. No fancy packaging. Dr Jean Laing is the epitome of glowing good health and youthfulness (mentally kicking her), with just the minimum of makeup. Skin envy aside, few can argue with her simple “health and beauty are inseparable” scientifically-proven philosophy. Just wish I knew what this really means, beyond drinking 3 litres a day; because it seems virtually impossible to decipher the (literally) millions of beauty products claiming scientific, natural or organic genie-in-a-bottle skin innovations and transformations. Not unsurprising then that Dr Jean ,the founder of yet another skincare regime, believes that women can be guilty of using way too many different types products on their skin (oh dear, is 3 too many?). Seeing my slightly glazed (and let’s be honest, somewhat skeptical) look, Jean took me and a handful of La Gaia products to a quiet corner. Apparently, it was time to jump into the deep end and talk pH, active ingredients and what science has really proven.  Starting at Ground Zero.

When it comes to looking young and healthy, the scale we should be worried about tipping has nothing to do with weight. For the last 25 years, scientists have been adamantly that our skin is the best visible signpost of youth and vitality, with pH levels determining the direction.  Hence the reason most skincare companies use the marketing catch-phrase “pH balanced” somewhere in their brand story.  The definition itself doesn't help much: pH stands for pouvoir hydrogene (power of hydrogen). Jean explained that you don’t need to be a scientist… just a balanced human being. The scale, devised by a Danish chemist in the early 1900s, ranges from 0 (most acidic e.g. battery acid) to 14 (most alkaline e.g. drain cleaner). Pure water is 7pH. Perfect skin is between 5pH -6pH, with changes (up or down) in our skin’s pH occurring almost hourly due to stress, weather, diet, even washing hands. Long story short. Deviate too often or too long from around pH 5.5 and you’re in for a world of aging.  Keep skin around 5.5pH and its stays plump, bright and firm." Looking in the mirror, I suspect my skin’s going through a mid-life crisis, however in the infamous words of Mark Twain, “If it is a Miracle, any sort of evidence will answer. But if it is a Fact, proof is necessary.”

Eight weeks on… I’m not only a convert... but evangelical about La Gaia naturaceuticals. (It was difficult saying goodbye to Eve, Shu & Ren, but a brighter future beckoned). Compliments from friends (and in one instance, a complete stranger) started within two weeks.  “Your face looks so fresh and bright” and “Your cheeks look really young and flawless!” Seven words every woman wants to hear.

How La Gaia achieves anti-aging VISIBLE RESULTS isn’t exactly a secret. They use only the SEVEN scientifically proven ingredients that effectively reduce aging and balance skin pH; Vitamin A (e.g. Retinol), concentrated Antioxidants (e.g. vitamins A, C & E), Alpha-Hydroxy Acids –AHAs (e.g. glycolic acid), Hydroquinone, Copper Peptides and Quartz. Now almost every skincare brand is using one or all of these ingredients… so why is La Gaia different?  Now this is the important part…. La Gaia is only skincare brand in the world that formulates these ingredients in concentrated doses so that they are optimized for pH balance and anti-aging properties.

Apparently it’s simpler than we realise. There’s no need for different products for different skin types, times of the day/night or sections of the face (dry, t-zone, oily, combination, night cream, neck, decolletage etc)… that’s just marketing cleverness to get us to adopt more brands for our bathroom cupboards. We just need to ensure that our skin (face, body, hands and lips) always has a well balanced pH… then good things will naturally follow. If brands like Palazzo Versace, Etihad (best airline in World Travel Awards 2012) are peeling away the glitzy hyperbole and working with the beautifully simple (and good value) La Gaia…. then it’s true… the world really is paring back to natural beautiful simplicity that works. All the rest is simply very expensive fluff.

In the pursuit of thoroughness, I found one other skincare brand in the world promoting a similar pH ethos to La Gaia naturceuticals. Interesting Dr Cohen’s pH Advantage cosmeceutical range are medical strength products based on the principle that optimal pH level for skincare is 3.0. After consulting with skincare specialists, I learn this highly acid pH level is consistent with chemical peels. Dramatic instant results yes, but goodness knows what it does to your skin after prolonged use. And not cheap at AUS$135 for 50ml.

If I had to name just four La Gaia Superstars, they’d be Tone (seriously hydrating gel that the skin slurps up, creating instant hydration and firming), Amethyst Masque (leave-on super rich treatment that’s like an instant facial), C-Serum (adds to the plumped-up effect beneath rose quartz Nourish moisturiser or Amethyst masque) and Balm (so rich and nourishing, am positive my lips are only days away from being stand-ins for Angelina).

The French philosophy on beauty is simple; skincare lasts a lifetime, while makeup lasts a day. So when Marionne De Candia (featured in List of Top 5 world-class facialists, Net-A-Porter magazine, June 2012) says, “Stop overcomplicating with so many products; listen to your skin” and chooses La Gaia over every other brand in the world… I sat up and listened. It’s that simple.

La Gaia products available for purchase online here

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7 Top Tips for Beautiful Roman Blinds

BEFORE (above) & AFTER (below)

Our In-house couturiere, Melinda Ross, says Roman Blinds rock! They elongate windows and rooms (especially those without high ceilings), fit difficult window shapes, have brilliant thermal qualities (if made and placed correctly), the flat construction means that much less fabric (1/3) is needed than curtains,and even inexpensive fabrics can look posh.

There are a number of variables to consider with roman blinds. What effect you’re hoping for (focal point or blending in), weight of fabric, patterns or plain.

Whatever you decide, rest assured that you are among the interiors elite by adding roman blinds to your décor. They feature frequently in the pages of Maison Côté Sud, Harper’s Bazaar Interiors, Elle Decoration… and now in my dining room. Brrrrrr no more (see before & after shots... what a difference some fabric makes!!!) While you’re pondering on the idea, here’s Melinda's 7 top tips for the most beautiful Roman Blinds.

Conservatory Roman Blinds (Decorex London 2011)

1.    Make blinds slightly wider than the window architrave, to maximise thermal qualities
2.    Ideally blinds should be hung above the window architrave, so that when pulled open they don’t cover the window. This elongates the window and optimises light in your room
3.    If you’re choosing a plain pattern or solid colour, choose textured fabric as it adds the illusion of luxuriousness – otherwise blinds will look too flat and “cheap” even if they’re not!
4.    For the best thermal qualities (warm in cool climates, cool in soaring heat) have three fabric layers: front facing fabric, bumf interlining for extra insulation (with added benefit of added weight to blinds making them look posher!) and UV Block lining on the back. Europeans always make their roman blinds with the 3 layers; not only for room insulation but also to protect furniture and artwork. 
5.    The ideal distance between batons is either a slimline 15cm or wide/dramatic 30cm; both providing the generous equivalent of curtain puddles in their different ways.
6.    Invisible stitching adds the final touch of poshness. Visible stitching interrupts the elegance of the fabric, particularly with un-patterned fabric, whereas invisible stitching lets the fabric have the whole limelight.
7.    Use a simple looped acrylic chain pulling mechanism and sit it flush against the window architrave.

My Roman Blinds made by Topham Trading, 39 Albert St, Daylesford  |  (03) 5348 3164

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Top 5 Spa Holiday trends of 2012

Being the marketing consultant for Healing Hotels of the World, has me spending much time in, around, and thinking about spas resorts.  You’d think in such a precarious financial world that spa holidays would have fallen to the bottom of Must Have/Do lists (along with fine dining, anything by Versace and overly ostentatious jewellery/cars/wardrobe). Quite the reverse actually. Spa Holidays are trending as one of the treasured treats of stressed and weary recession survivors. Sort of like their “I Will Survive” remedy to heal past ills and lessen future pains. With some much needed relaxation thrown in for good measure.  The one notable difference from the glory days of the 80’s, 90’s and early Noughties is that the glitzy pampering resorts are struggling, while destinations that deliver immediate, visible results are going from strength to strength. It seems that the world is finally putting Self Love on the priority list. Multi-tasking by merging time- off-work with taking-the-time to improve overall well-being, specific health issues, anti-aging, stress reduction and weight loss… to name just a few.

So jump into your PJ’s, pour a cleansing merlot and read on.

  

DETOX RETREAT
It seems everyone these days is just finished, in the middle of or about to embark on a detox retreat. Favoured by celebrities across the land to jettison them into shape for red carpet moments.  I’ve even created a 50 day DIY Detox (Hippo Be Gone) for when your body is weighing you down. Some may scoff at the dullness of spending precious holiday time on a detox retreat; but what’s not to love about a speedy shift from lifeless and tired, to feeling lighter in body, clearer in mind, visibly rested face and more energised than you have been in years. With the delicious perk of losing at least half a kg in weight a day. Detox retreat doesn’t necessarily mean sack cloth, mung beans and thrice-used tea bags.  Hotel Lanserhof (Tirol, Austria) is internationally renowned for its cleansing/purification and detoxification programmes, with gorgeous Austrian finesse and design.  Three to seven days of “Energy cuisine,” swimming in pools overlooking snow tipped Alps and every possible scientifically proven anti-aging/anti-stress therapy under the sun … then BOOM… purring like new.

Following along similar design aesthetics and ethos is Adler BALANCE Spa Resort (Ortisei, Italy). Adler BALANCE applies an academiv approach to detox using five pillars (diagnosis, diet, special treatments, psychological wellbeing, and exercise) to get you back in tip-top, energizer bunny condition.  With Alder tucked in foothills of the Italian Alps, once you’ve sprung to life, amble down the hill to the gorgeous belle époque village for a celebratory carafe of Chianti.  Life is all about Balance after all.   

GREAT WONDERS OF NATURE
Hippocrates believed that nature is the best healer and spending time surrounded by nature is powerfully therapeutic. The world is definitley coming back around to Hippocrates way of thinking and heading for the hills. Or caves, in the case of Grotta Giusti Natural Spa Resort (Tuscany, Italy). Hundreds of feet underground in a 130-million-year-old cave; natural ponds of clear hot thermal waters, and a constant output of beneficial vapours restore tensioned bodies back to their natural vim and vigour.. The spa hotel is housed above the Grotta; in a 19th century villa formerly owned by Italian poet Giuseppe Giusti. Legend has it that Giuseppe creativity and long life (for that time) was attributed to his exceptionally rugged good health. There’s definitely something in the water.

Then there’s 5th Century troglodyte caves in Cappadocia, (Turkey); originally carved into an ancient Byzantine monastic retreat and now home to one of the world’s most extraordinary natural spa wonders. Imagine doing early morning yoga in the 1000year old paved courtyard of Cappadocia’s Gamirasu Cave Hotel & Spa or jumping into a moonlit Jacuzzi on your cave cut-out terrace? Now that’s extreme de-stressing.  Comprised of six beautifully restored and integrated cave houses, all 18 rooms in the Gamirasu are designed in harmony with the natural fairy chimneys.  Add in visible-results spa therapies and healing cuisine, and before you know it, the spa resort isn’t the only bright shining natural beauty.   

HEALING WATERS
There’s been so much talk for years/centuries about the curative powers of soaking in mineral water, but have you ever felt the effect? It’s quite miraculous. Not so long ago, I crawled into a 100% mineral water bath at Hepburn Bathhouse (Hepburn Springs, Australia), all worn out and sceptical; jumped out as bouncy as a new born baby.  It was quite extraordinary; the effect lasted about a week. The long term marvelous effects happen when you soak repeatedly over a few days! Each source of mineral water has its own curative properties; Hepburn Bathhouse is super healing for joint, muscle, or digestive issues. Sail a little further across the water and you’ll discover healing haven, Como Shambhala Estate (Bali, Indonesia).  A natural spring, considered to be holy, runs through the Estate’s ground and into every shower, pool and glass of water. Sounds (and looks) heavenly. 

For the Europhiles, it doesn’t get much better than soaking back to life in the world’s oldest thermal springs at Petriolo Spa Resort (Tuscany, Italy).  Imagine resting your stressed and tired body in 43°C water of the mountainously high Petriolo pool;  looking out across untouched Tuscany while absorbing ancient healing qualities of this mighty famous water.  Almost worth getting stressed.  I love how the Italians (and French) do “healing water” so stylishly. I wonder if all that healing hydration is what brings out their passion for life?

RAW FOOD
 “Let food be thy medicine” Hippocrates, Father of Medicine

Don't let the unappetizing name fool you: raw food is the new, deliciously gourmet sensation. Gordon Ramsay put a Raw Bar into his newish London eatery, Bread Street Kitchen. Venus Williams relies on Raw Food to keep her Wimbledon form.  And Claridges of London is a satin ribbon away from opening a pop-up Raw Food restaurant (28th July – 6 August 2012)  in collaboration with prominent forager, René Redzepi, who also just happens to be 3x winner of best restaurant in the world at the ‘World's 50 Best Restaurant Awards’ (2010, 2011 and 2012).  

Ti Sana SPA Retreat (Arlate, Italy) sits at the forefront of this trend; with their “live food” cleansing philosophy now achieving national treasure status after being awarded best luxury wellness/medical spa in World Luxury Spa Awards (2012, 2011). The Ti Sana philosophy is founded on the belief that a pure enzyme-rich diet, complemented by positive thinking and non-invasive therapies, are essential elements on the path to optimum health. So devoted are Ti Sana to the wellness powers of raw food, there’s even epicurean-inspired spa treatments, such as Fish pedicures. The results are quite extraordinary but I’m more of a rose petal bath and paraffin wax girl when it comes to feet. Feet-nibbling fish aside, any spa retreat that promises gastronomical food AND weight-loss is going to be high on my MUST VISIT list.

GASTRO- SPA
With the sluggish economy, people are dining out less often and more casually. However during holidays, a little gourmet goes a long way, so gastro-spa resorts are the raising their credentials and profiles by adding celebrity and infamous chefs into the mix. Not one to shy from a good spa and unseasonably good produce, Gordon Ramsay is leading the pack; joining forces with Castel Monastero (Tuscany, Italy) to open a spa restaurant and cooking school. Gordon and pupils go to the local market in the medieval hilltop village of Monastero d'Ombrone, see what's in season, and cook simple flavoursome fare together.  After lunch and siesta, soak up some seriously relaxed vibes in an infinity pools that you could live in forever, and then wander across the cobbled courtyard to 1000 square foot spa complex houses in two beautiful old Tuscan buildings. Wise people say that our well-being is positively influenced when the eyes and the heart are lit up with the same peace. In which case, Castel Monastero must be the Peace Corps of Wellness.

Alain Ducasse, macarons and a little French miracle

Carolyn's Lorgues salone, painted by J Lacapiére 1995

Vive le croissant, Pastis 51, foie gras, Roquefort Société and national pride. Memories of my life in Lorgues (Provence) come flooding back every 14th Juillet.  My favourite home was a 12th century village house, on the top floor, in what would have originally been servants’ quarters. Crammed with doll-sized features, blue shuttered windows, 400 year old terracotta tiles, low beamed ceilings and doors, it was the macaron of apartments.

Lorgues

I’ve loved everything French since the age of 13, although never imagined it would lead to anything because I was seriously BAD at speaking French. Even after six years studying the language… still BAD. Enthusiasm apparently isn’t enough….as proven by a letter from Waikato University (NZ) strongly encouraging me to stop international marketing and focus solely on brand marketing. One Degree, eight year at Unilever and Kraft and 15 brands later, I was over in France for work … and never left. (oh and finally became fluent in French!)

Mother and Father couldn’t understand what made France so special or why on earth I'd put my career on hold for a Provencal sabbatical, so eventually came to see for themselves. I was determined to make sure everything was picture perfect.

So excited about their arrival, I forgot to tell Father to double duck his head upon entering the macaron-scaled house with its 5foot high doors. BANG! Servants of yesteryear must have all been shorties.  Being 6’4 tall, Father looked like a giant extra on the Hobbit set. Walk to the bedroom… BANG! Back into the lounge…BANG! Father was not loving France and this just after 3 hours on French soil.

Tourtour

To distract the parents from this head banging dilemma, we set off for the soaring heights of perched village, Tourtour (village dans le ciel). Considered one of the most beautiful (and highest) villages in France.  At this point, I should mention that it’s spring (April) and Mother had packed clothes accordingly. Spring in Provence is the gentle precursor to summer; endless sunny blue skies, average temperatures 18°C - 25°C, and wild poppies gently waving a final farewell to winter. Or so it has been for the last 50 years. Until today in Tourtour. It snowed! Bitterly cold wind gusts practically tripping up anyone brave enough to walk outside. Mother was wearing light linen trousers and shirt… not exactly what you want to be wearing in a snow storm.  Looking at her soaked to the skin, shivering and shaking from the cold, I wonder how best to mention that my heating back at the house is broken. Now both parents not loving France.

Domaine St Donat, Lorgues

A desperate phone call to dear friend Belinda Goldschmidt, and before long we’re relocated to her magnificent  (high ceiling) villa, Domaine St Donat.  Normally booked a year in advance for seasonal lets, this one week Belinda had an empty house and graciously handed over the keys and a pile of extra blankets.  You’d think that three reception rooms, five en-suite bedrooms, and two outdoor dining areas would be too big and rambling for just the three of us, but Mother and I were as cosy as cats in cashmere, rugged up in front of a roaring wood fire with a glass of local Rosé. Father headed off to take a bath to try and warm up.  As if the day hadn’t been traumatizing enough, Father then slipped in the bath.

Fast forward three hours and we’re all lined up before the doctor. Cracked ribs and concussion (Father), laryngitis (Mother) and migraine (me).  Now seemed as good a time as any to mention the French-Guadeloupian boyfriend. As Napoléon said, “It's just one step from the sublime to the ridiculous.”

Moustiers Ste Marie

For the next few days we sat safely in the lap of luxury at Domaine St Donat; nursed back to life with the help of pain chocolate, baguettes and rillette. There are few things in life more deliciously therapeutic than French food. Incredulously, it had an almost amnesic effort on Father, who near jumped for joy at the mere mention of macarons.

Once spirits were back in normal range, we bundled up and headed to Moustiers-Sainte-Marie for lunch at Alain Ducasse’s fabled La Bastide de Moustiers. Aside from being famous for Sisteron Lamb (hand reared and prepared by Ducasse himself), this 17th century village has been featured in countless magazines for its pretty streets, fine faïence and dear I say… miracles.  Since the Middle Ages, pilgrimages have been climbing the long, steep, stone-paved path up to the Notre-Dame de Beauvoir chapel perched high in the mountainous peaks above Moustiers. The chapel walls covered with plaques by thankful recipients of miracles, big and small. We set off on the path to redemption with slightly lower expectations and full happy tummies. So much huffing and puffing, but that was just Mother and me.  As incredulous as it may seem, Father ran up the last 500 metres. Not a man to run anywhere, let alone with six cracked ribs up a 45° incline. Mother still hadn’t regained her voice but maybe it’s just one miracle per family.

At Nice airport six days later, Father said “vive le almond croissant.” That was good enough for me.

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In-House Couturière on … CURTAINS

As Dorothy said at the final curtain call of The Wizard of Oz, "There's no place like home." I hear you, Sister! After the must traumatising or tiring of days, home wraps me in a huge heartwarming cuddle, even before the first glass of wine is poured. I love my fortified castle of kaleidoscopic cosiness with furnishing treasures from a mish mash of eras, collected from a life zigzagging across borders and continents. World of Interiors feature-spread it is not!

Tweed Tea & Wellies meets Cirque du Soleil

In the  living room alone, there’s a George Kovacs Arc Floor Lamp c1970, French slat armchair c1800 (its twin in the dining room), oversized crewelwork upholstered armchair, hot pink velvet upholstered Queen Anne armchair (its twin in my bedroom), Téo Jasmin tea ceremony cushion, hand-painted faïence lamp from the Provencal perched village, Moustiers-Sainte-Marie, antique brown leather sofa, original tiled fireplace c1890, and an oversized patterned hot pink velvet ottoman, only marginally smaller than the average London apartment. Each piece beautiful in its own right... but collectively just a rotating stage and some high-wire acrobats away from being the latest set for Cirque du Soleil. And I love it!

The curtains however are my bête noire. Like the hopeful young things rejected on Britain's Next Top Model for being 10cm too short, unfashionably thin and just plain dull… my curtains are seriously lacking Star Quality!  If that wasn’t bad enough, they worse heat retention qualities than Emilio Pucci pajamas (although nowhere near as stylish). I can almost hear you shouting at the computer, “Get NEW curtains then!!” Believe me, I would... but potential post-cognitive nervousness prevails. Next to the sofa, curtains are a room’s centre of gravity. Make the wrong decision and that’s one big elephant sitting in your room. Much easier to be a cowardly lion and live with a donkey.

Then winter arrived and now my horse's derriere is freezing. Enough's enough. I have to open the window and kick that short, thin donkey out once and for all. After a quick mental flip through my Rolodex of Style, I realised there were only two people who could help me through this milestone. Interior designer and textile specialist, Melinda Ross and the entire European race. Quick credentials check.

Melinda has been working in the textile industry for almost 30 years, and as such clicks her ruby slippers three times a year, landing in Europe to attend design exhibitions; Maison et Objet (Paris), Decorex (London) and Milan Furniture Fair. Like the main international fashion shows, these are the high profile catwalks for furniture, fabric and homewares to showcase their latest and greatest. Travel envy to one side, Melinda's quintessentially elegant style, close relationships with Europe's best textile mills and encyclopedic knowledge of interiors history make her the Queen of Curtains.

Naming Europeans as curtain aficionados is hardly "Quelle surprise!" With vast, drafty castles on every hilltop, European silk mills and ateliers interwoven with history and centuries of Royal Courts swagged in voluptuous fabric....suffice to say, ther’ is couture in them thar’ curtains.

With field trips to castles now a 15,000 flight away, Melinda was appointed my In-House couturier.  "Get some couture curtains up now!!" I yelled (in my head). But wait. First a road trip to Melinda's Ballarat home to decide between French pleats, Pencil Pleats or Eyelets. I always thought eyelet finished curtains were the antithesis of  luxuriousness, but Melinda's curtains tell a different story. Grand billowy fabric falling from over-sized metal eyelets into sumptuous fabric puddles are the epitome of how the classics are traversing modernity. Okay that decision made. Oh and puddles please!!  Next stop, Melinda's Daylesford showroom, Topham Traders, to view her stunning range of pre-made curtain (who has the time to wait 4 weeks to get curtains made?!). This must be what Anna Wintour feels like sitting on the front row of Fashion Week; torn with indecision over which moment of fabuousness to put on the next front cover of Vogue. Sensing we were in for the long haul, Melinda popped on the kettle, pulled up a cushion and walked me through details of the latest curtain trends coming out of Europe.

Romanticism (1712 - 1864)
Romance is back! Well thank goodness… my love life has been seriously dull over the last few years and is desperately in need of some poetic justice. It does seem ambitious to expect one’s curtains to act as the fabric equivalent of Match.com, but if the Style Aficionados of France, the world’s most romantic nation, say so… I’m there.

Topham Traders, Valentino, Van Gogh

The return to the Romanticism Era for inspiration in interiors (and fashion) is a natural response to the uncertainty and unpredictability of the world we live in. A reaction not dissimilar to Europeans subconscious quest for reprieve from the over-intellectualised, scientific vernacular of the Enlightenment era (1633 – 1792), the greed of the First Industrial Revolution (1750 – 1850) and political intensity of the French Revolution. With seemingly simplistic insight, the Romanticism movement reminded the world of the importance of emotion and beautiful aesthetics, using the symbolism of Nature as its heroine. It’s interesting how life goes full circle, and the reminders that were needed two-three hundred years ago are just as relevant today.

Flayosc, Provence

As new centuries and eras came and went, the French held on to their Romantic side. To my delight, I discovered this first hand within weeks of moving to Provence. Back then international bank transfers were positively archaic, my money got lost somewhere between NZ and France. There I was at Christmas time in the little village of Flayosc, with no furniture, bare cupboards and snow barricading my front door. So I stood on the Juliette balcony overlooking the village square and shouted “Au secour! Au secour!” Not great for first impressions, but desperate times, desperate measures. Finally the local baker and his wife came to my rescue.  An hour, two hot chocolats and a mountain of butter-crisp croissants later, in the local café, I shared my dire financial situation with Monsieur and Madame Baker. Their subsequent advice was priceless, “If you’re down to your last 10 Francs, spend it on flowers, not baguettes. Flowers will give you more hope.”  Two days later the Bakers arrived at my doorstep with six dining chairs and a Van Gogh Poppies & Butterflies print. Their heartwarming generosity and kindness is forever embroidered in my memory.

So it's not surprising that with Romanticism causing a revolutionary hubbub in the interiors world, French fabric houses are leading the charge. Even Valentino is turning his couture gowns into a tribute to the Great Love In. As if introducing me to a date with destiny, Melinda opened the antique armoire full of French Romanticism-inspired curtains, with an arm waving flourish. There tucked inside  all with warm intimate colour palettes, embroidered detailing and floral accents. Its like Van Gogh himself had a  hand in weaving together these romantic settings. I do love a little Romance. Also in the back of my head is Mother saying, "Hurry up with the Romance. We're not getting any younger!"

Renaissance (1453-1650)
If there’s one period throughout time that deserves a curtain call, encore and flowers, it’s Renaissance. The blockbuster era of over-achievement; let’s see…Christopher Columbus discovered America, Michelangelo painted the Sistine Chapel and William Shakespeare wrote his way into history. With all these Type A personalities dominating the limelight, it would be easy to overlook one of the fashion and fabric world’s most influential icons; Anne Boleyn (1501-1536). Forget her snippy and controlling ways; this girl was one seriously fashion-forward A List Celebrity. Her most gutsy move; mixing classic Tudor heavy baroque brocade and beading with delicate metallic silks… in one garment! The Royal Court must have been aghast at such audacity, but Milanese silk mills saw the vision. Prago. Prago. Prago. Et Voilà! Metallic threaded silks are immortalized as a symbol of Renaissance style.

Topham Traders, Anne Boleyn, Dolce & Gabbana AW 2012

Now history is repeating itself with elaborate Renaissance–inspired fabrics inheriting this year’s diamond tiara of glamour.  On international catwalks across Milan, Paris and London, models donned richly embroidered black capes, metallic silk brocade, jeweled headbands and tapestry shoes.  The crowning glory being Dolce & Gabbana’s sumptuous autumn 2012 collection. A medieval affair filled with art inspired tapestry, elaborately embellished brocade, heavy jewels, thick gold embroidery and all the lavishness of the Renaissance infused with D&G’s signature sleek and sexy aesthetic.

Equally as noble, Alice Temperley and Caravan AW 2012 collections were just a Tudor castle away from Renaissance decadence at London Fashion Week. Models wrapped in Renaissance paintings transformed the catwalk into an elaborate meandering museum. I’m not sure about wearing a modern museum piece, but having one framing my windows sounds wonderful. Renaissance curtains might not be Romantic, but they certainly have sex appeal.

So which curtain style will turn my home into a castle? Am I a Renaissance girl or deeply Romantic? Such a difficult choice, but I've finally decided to channel my inner royal and go all Renaissance. New curtain rods go up next week then the Coronation. So that's curtains pulled on romance then.

Theresa... will you EVER be bridesmaid?

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