I am in lust with Bobbin Bicycles. I can't stop thinking about buying myself this little puppy for my birthday. (Plus a red cape. And a straw basket.) And I already have a bike...and I NEVER ride it. I used to ride my bike in Chicago all the time. Sigh.
Still lusting.
Small Redy. £250.
Bobbin Bicylces
Clerkenwell
Blogs about cycle chic...
London Cycle Chic
Copenhagen Cycle Chic
Oh man, this book--The Secret Life of a Slummy Mummy by Fiona Neill--made me laugh out loud. And I don't have kids. And I'm not married. But I could so relate. Or at least imagine relating. One of my favorite lines? When her oldest son asks, "Mummy, is this a gray area?"
Along with looking in my closet and thinking "Man, do I have a lot of moisturizer," I also sometimes think, "Wow, I have a lot of face masks. A lot of OLD face masks." Surely, I am not alone.
So I used Origins' Drink Up face mask yesterday and remembered how much I like it. It's very wet-feeling. Almost like a nightcream, but you're supposed to wash it off. Truth be told, I didn't. And my skin still loves me.
Have you ever looked at the shelves in your closet and thought, "Man, I have a lot of moisturizer." Yup, that's me. So I'm trying to use it all. As soon as humanly possible. So I can buy some more.
I like this stuff. A lot. It's really smooth and soft and has a nice cocoa smell.
3 tubs for $23.97 at Amazon.com
(Can't seem to find it in the U.K.)
It's no secret that I have a thing for purses. I really can't resist the ones at Bagman & Robin in Exmouth Market. The other day, I went in and bought a bunch of small wallets, just to keep on hand as gifts. (A good hostess always has random gifts at hand.)
Get yours before I make a bat cave joke.
Bagman & Robin
47 Exmouth Market
EC1R 4QL
Tel: 0207 561 9865
I don't know what was wrong with me this weekend, but I was just tired and more than a little homesick, which is odd given that I've lived here for four years and haven't been homesick in ages! To get my mind off my troubles, I decided to treat myself to a facial at the Mandarin Oriental Spa. (If you're going to do it, you might as well do it right!) And oh my. Was it fantastic. Words cannot express. I've already booked a return visit!
The Age Defying Facial (80 minutes)
£150. Yes, you read that correctly. It was painful.
66 Knightsbridge
SW1X 7LA
+44 20 7838 9888
I either get manicures all the time and look fantastic, or my nails are a mess. There is no happy medium for me. This is because manicures and pedicures in London are way too expensive generally. But I'm excited to have found California Nail Bar in Hampstead. For £34 quid, Julie and I got manis and pedis and I even had some green tea. It was lovely. I'll be back.
California Nail Bar
78 Heath Street
London NW3 1DN
Tel: 020 7431 8988
So there's a lot of competition in the beauty blog space. It took me three sessions to go through these sites and summarize them for you. I think what it's taught me is that I want to stay away from Glam Ads and that I want to diversify my content a bit more...I am a sucker for beauty products, but I'm not sure if I could offer unique enough content. Hmmm. Much to ponder.
Afrobella: I LOVE the design of this site. The imagery in the left column is very clever. Must keep in mind for my own redesign! Glam and Google ads in effect. Strong about page. Nice personal feel.
Tia Williams: Not digging the scroll box on the home page. Once you get to the main blog, it's much better. Glam ads, Google ads, and Amazon affiliates are all in effect. Strong content...good, personal product reviews.
All About the Pretty: Great banner. Love the overall look and feel. Fantastic content. Would like larger images. This is a really great blog full full of personal product reviews and newsy bits about new products. Glam and Google ads present, as well as some affiliate programs.
Lipstick, Powder & Paint: Nice banner. Good content. Strong About page. Could be a tad more personal?
A Girl's Gotta Spa!: Another blog with really strong content in the Beauty category. Love the review of Freeze, which I've been very curious about. Great banner. Strong product reviews and contests! Glam, Google, and affiliate programs in effect.
Beauty Addict: This is a very slick, professional looking blog. I find it amazing that there's just one woman behind it. Glam and Google ads present, as well as BlogAds again. Great About page.
Kiss & Makeup: Online magazine with multiple authors. A Shiny Media property. A lot of Google ads.
Delush: I LOVE this site. This is the site I would have created if I could clone myself. Love the lipstick kiss ratings. I love how all the reviews are very neatly categorized. I really like the personal nature of the reviews. Love the bios on the left of the site...I like to know the brains behind the buzz! Real ads.
Beauty Anonymous: A pretty comprehensive and frequently updated make up blog. Would like to see a better About page. (They are anonymous, but perhaps they could be more coyly so.) Lots of affiliate programs.
The Scented Salamander: Interesting concept--all perfume reviews! Lots of Glam ads and some Google ads. There's a lot here. Lots of scrolling.
We Love Beauty: This site took forever to load for me. Real advertising. Very professionally done. Very magazine-y.
Elke von Freudenberg: Great tips from a real makeup artist. This is an old-school blog.
Jack & Hill: I like this blog. It's personal and professional. I like that they write, "Ads for things we actually like" in their left nav. Well done.
The Organic Beauty Expert: Good content--focused on natural and organic beauty products--but too many of those Snapshot widgets (the rollovers that show you what you'll get if you click on a link). Too much clicky-clicky noise as I was exploring. Glam ads.
55 Secret Street: Cute blog, somewhat akin to what I'm doing here. Fashion and beauty content. Glam ads. Google ads. I like her About page, where she explains how she was tired of finding cool things, but dealing with editors who didn't "get it."
Now Smell This: Another perfume blog. Perfume is a hard topic to write about online! Well-targeted ads and affiliates. Nicely done. Love the About page...impressed by the number of contributing writers she has!
Sugar Shock Beauty: I think this is a really well done beauty blog with a touch of celebrity style. Very frequent updates. Would like to see a better About page.
Another day, another purse. I seriously am starting to think I've got a problem. I picked this beauty up at Comfort Station on Cheshire Street, off of Brick Lane. It wasn't cheap, but remember...I'm worth it.
Comfort Station
22 Cheshire Street
London E2 6EH
+44 20 7033 9099
Blogs that love Comfort Station...
Laura's Plog
Sweet Home London
Erasmusa
I so do NOT need another purse. But I bought this particular purse at the U.K. Grand Opening of Banana Republic the other day because it's not just a purse...it's a laptop bag! Oh God, I think I can justify anything...
Banana Republic doesn't seem to have a UK Web site fully up and running yet, but you can see the bag on the U.S. site.
Blogs that love this bag...
styled.seattle
Sigh...that's all I can find.
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