It's that time of the year - summer is coming to an end, the chagim are just around the corner and a new academic year is about to begin. In fashion and beauty terms this means change, and a good one at that. Here's our favourite finds that will lift your post-summer mood in no time at all.
If the shoe fits
Budding Cinderellas (and princes too!) should head straight to the new Step2wo concession in Fenwick, Brent Cross, for a footwear make-over. With qualified fitters on-site and a huge choice of brands such as Ugg, Dr Martens, Geox, Armani, Hunter, Skechers, New Balance, Converse and Timberland, plus its own Step2wo brand. Your little ones will have the most stylish and comfortable tootsies at school as well as at shul. (Sizes from baby up to adult in some styles.)
The label to know
Former Ted Baker womenswear designer, Jodie Fleischman launched her new label this month in Topshop, Oxford Circus and online. The Tori Michaels range consists of beautifully cut clothes that give a clean and flattering silhouette in muted tones. Fleischman’s designs look top end but are surprisingly affordable for a working wardrobe. Prices from £50 to £185.
Message in a bottle
Who better than Mr Tom Ford to know the meaning of elegance and style? November sees the launch of a new and lighter alternative to the original Black Orchid fragrance. The eau de toilette, £64 for 50ml embodies the same drama, darkness and sensuality of its predecessor but with a lighter floral twist. The bottle will look fabulous in your bathroom but more importantly ensure you smell what can only be described as chic and expensive. So it’s no surprise there’s a hefty price tag to match. Well worth saving up for.
Buzz off!
On a recent family holiday, I was spritzing all 26 Corins, (including babies, children and two pregnant women) with Mrs White's Unstung Hero, from £15, a natural mosquito, wasp and bee repellent. Unlike all the other ghastly and medicinal-smelling sprays, Unstung Hero has a pleasant lemon tea scent that doesn’t leave you coughing and struggling for breath after application or leave a sticky residue on your skin. A household essential! Available at www.roullierwhite.com
Second skin
We should all be bowing down to make-up guru Charlotte Tilbury for her latest must-have product, Magic Foundation, £29. Packed with anti-ageing ingredients including a mushroom extract (that in French medicinal legend was highly sought after for the elixir of life) that transforms skin to a flawless and weightless canvas. It’s no wonder it took five years to produce.
The beauty sister act
Hungarian sister duo, Krisztina van der Boom and Anita Puluczkai have recently launched DryBy London, this hair blow-dry and nail bar based in the West End’s Mortimer Street, isn’t just another beauty hangout in town, but instead a space of calm, tranquillity and first-class treatments. The idea behind the launch is to make it possible (and accessible enough) for women in town to make a ritual of blow-dries and nail treatments after work (open until 9pm) and weekends too. So, book yourself a babysitter and get some well-deserved grooming in the diary. www.dryby.co.uk
The time saver
We’re reclaiming our weekends thanks to the shirt-tastic guys at TM Lewin. This month sees the launch of the non-iron shirt. Too good to be true? Using a new “baked in” technology that banishes nasty post-wash creases but without the loss of luxury of a really great shirt. You just wash it, stretch it out a little, hang it to dry, and then wear it. You will be amazed by the results. There is a choice of 34 luxury twill non-iron options in three different fits at £39.95. God bless TM Lewin!
May the force be with you!
The beauty sector loves a collaboration, but never before has there been such an exciting match as with Max Factor and the latest Star Wars film, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens. The limited edition Star Wars inspired make-up will be in two categories: the light and the dark side (naturally!) created by brand ambassador and make-up extraordinaire Pat McGrath who gives us a small clue of what’s in-store, “metallics are popular again this season and fit perfectly with the film”. Mirroring the film’s theme of a powerful and influential force, the looks are designed for women to take inspiration and explore their own “light and dark” sides.