Buying a holiday wardrobe

Off to Cyprus on Wednesday! Part of the pleasure of a holiday, for me, is the leisurely showering and hairwashing after a day in the sun, and then applying a glimmering body lotion, just a little make-up and a new outfit: a pretty dress or a floaty skirt and top, accessorised with a cute little bag and sandals.

I not only book the holiday in January, when it gives me something to look forward to in the dark months, but I start buying clothes in the winter too. This silk blue top by Mandolin I bought at the Swindon designer outlet back in Jan/Feb. I love the teal colour.

The cream dress with the embroidery, left, was bought in Marks & Spencer, a snip at just £45. I have a bag (shown) and matching shoes from Monsoon which are the same soft coral solour as the embroidery. Next to the dress is a floaty skirt, £35 from Marks & Spencer.

In La Senza I bought two bikinis, both with shorts (more flattering than briefs): the cherry print, shown, and a red and white polka dot. I love the flip flops which go with the cherry print. On the back of the chair is a red cover-up, also from La Senza. Ideal for lunchtime or for buying an ice cream and not wanting to walk over in just a bikini.

I like to buy a new beach bag too. The basket shown is from Marks & Spencer (£15) and I bought a new bag charm from Boho Fashion Jewellery (£18).

Helena Rubinstein no longer sold in UK

I was very sad to learn that Helena Rubinstein has withdrawn from the UK. I didn't see any stories about it but saw an announcement on their website when I went to search for their fantastic Golden Beauty range of self tanners, by far the best on the market (compared to Guerlain, Estee Lauder and Dior).

I would imagine that differentiation was their biggest challenge. They didn't stand out from the other brands. I'm in marketing and I would have struggled to guess where they see themselves, who their target customer is, and their positioning relative to the other luxury brands. They obviously decided the UK was not a focus area some time ago and their promotional activity was virtually zero: a pity, when some of their products were outstanding (I lived in Germany a few years ago and used to buy HR a lot then).

They still seem to have a presence in many other countries including Belgium and Germany. So I wonder why the UK was a problem? It's been on the wane here for a number of years, and I was finding it increasingly difficult to buy HR in the UK.

Yet they're using Demi Moore as their muse, and with the over-40s the most affluent, cash-rich market and more likely to spend money on beauty products, I see a huge missed opportunity for HR. Please at least consider selling online from your worldwide site!

The brand has a terrific heritage: Ms Rubinstein was a very formidable woman, up there with Estee Lauder. It's a shame to see the brand silently disappearing from one of the world's biggest beauty markets without any sort of analysis or fanfare.

Universal Contour Wrap really works!

In the interests of research, ladies, and as desperation sets in (two weeks today before my holiday starts), I am embarking on a course of Universal Contour Wrap.

It's had rave reviews and you are assured to lose several inches after one treatment; after the optimun number of three you can even potentially lose a dress size.

Of course it's not real "weight," but some sort of detoxing product which probably rids your body of water and "toxins." It all sounds like mumbo jumbo from what I've read, but hey, everyone agrees it seems to work, and they guarantee the results for 30 days. You can read about it here.
I wasn't expecting it to be a pleasant or relaxing treatment. Most of the online reviews told about "freezing cold" and paint a picture of you being trussed up like a chicken with nothing to do for an hour.

On the contrary, I quite enjoyed my first treatment. First you strip off completely, with just a pair of delightful paper knickers on. A charming and capable beautician at Evie Adams, Woodford Green, first jotted down all my measurements; she then applied a pleasant smelling mud, and finally, the bandages, which are wrapped round you so that you resemble a mummy. It's quite tight but not horribly so. The bandages are warm at this point.

You then put on a ludicrous pair of trousers and a jacket that have elasticated ankles and sleeves. By covering up the "goo," you can then lie down on the couch and read for an hour.

After the hour, your measurements are taken again. And hoorah, I had lost eight inches including one off my waist and two off each leg (one inch from the top of the thigh). Well, I was very pleased with this - and my normally tight jeans were easier to pull on.

I've decided to commit to the other two sessions (a course of three is recommended for best results, at a week apart).

Another piece of good news. I have found a wonder waist cincher! The Esbelt corset from Brazil can apparently even encourage inch loss. I wore it for the first time yesterday and instantly lost about two inches from my waist. It was comfortable, and at the end of the day when I took it off, my waist remained smaller! So, very impressed with it, and the service from Brazilian Lingerie who were very quick and sent a complementary pair of fishnet tights. The waist cincher costs £27.

SmartLipo update: 5 weeks on

My last post on my SmartLipo was a fortnight ago: it's now five weeks since I had the procedure in two areas of my stomach and midriff.

I'm sorry to report there's very little progress. I still have hard lumpy deposits which are visible from the side and look very peculiar. They are a little smaller than they were, but I can't say my stomach looks any better.

Disconcertingly, I used a sun bed today and the lumpy areas did not tan! So they look even more peculiar, islands of white standing out like a beacon.

I'm getting quite gloomy at my chances of wearing a bikini on holiday in less than three weeks' time. I might, for the first time in four years, have to buy swimming costumes or tankinis. It's a depressing thought, particularly when you spent £3000 to improve an area you hate, and it now looks worse.

I've booked two Endermologie treatments which are supposed to help. These are offered free of charge (the first two) following the procedure, except for £20 to buy the garment that you wear during the treatment.