Steel Magnolias: a nod to Julia Roberts Best Supporting Actress Nomination

Hilarious Performances from Olympia Dukakis and Shirley MacLaine keeps me coming back

Bluebell Moss

2026-02-03T10:12:00.0000000 2026-02-03T10:55:00.5130000

This is an old film I love and have seen enough times to quote from the screen. I’m a New Yorker but spent a few years travelling back and forth to Georgia for work and picked up a bit of a southern drawl along the way, a taste for pink lemonade and sitting out on the porch. I liked the humidity too and the insect crackle, so the southern ways when I left stayed with me in part, the Atlanta Braves are still my baseball team. You don’t have to be from the South to enjoy this movie or get it, I think it just may be that little bit funnier especially for someone like me, not from there but experiencing “The South” as an observer. I first saw the film whilst visiting, a southern belle recommended.

What a cast, Shirley MacLaine received a BAFTA Nomination for Best supporting actress as the hilarious Ousier Boudreaux a cantankerous old rich women with a big dog she struggles to control named Rhett.

Clairee Belcher played by the late great Olympia Dukakis, at age 58 when the movie was released in the late 1980s, comedic genius that lasted until 2021 when she died aged 89; “Well you know what they say; if you haven’t got anything nice to say, come sit by me.”

It is a line that lands every time I watch this classic film from so way back, 1989 gosh explains why I have seen it so many times. It’s a film so good you can just have it on in the background, like a favourite sound track to catch all the blooming brilliant lines in the script by American author and screenwriter Robert Harling also credited with First Wife’s Club 1996 and Laws of Attraction 2004.

For anyone from the South or has visited numerous times like me, this film captures the unique essence of the place, you can see why the confederates (the 11 states that seceded from the Union 1960) were so feared during the civil war, joking aside, the gentile nature guised in quick wit from tough made of steel women. Hence the name Steel Magnolias I presume. It’s a place with set in stone ways, racial tension that definitely is still present and everything has church and religion running through it whatever your denomination, three factors that come across in the film with tongue in cheek civility and the whiter than white cast.

It’s a star studded cast of fantastic females from Julia Roberts as Shelby, Sally Fields as her Mom, M’ Lynn, Dolly Parton as Truvy Jones who plays the town’s local beauty specialist at aptly named Truvys and her assistant Anelle played by Darrell Hannah, bespectacled and professional in equal measure, the devout Christian in the group abandoned by her husband yet committed to not let her “personal tragedy interfere with her ability to do good hair

Miss Truvy” married women are called Miss or Missy as a sign of respect.

Annelle meets bartender Sammy at Shelby and Jackson’s wedding, Jackson played by a very young handsome Dylan McDermott and there are some very funny scenes between Sammy (Kevin J. O’Connor) and Annelle usually centred around her rigid Christian beliefs and his colourful language “God Damn It” “Jesus Christ” when they get into a disagreement about simple things like Sammy keeping a beer or two in the refrigerator.

It’s a film about community and friendship and I think it’s these two recurring themes that have stopped it dating and kept it timeless and very funny.

There are famous guys in the ensemble too, Sam Shepherd plays Dolly parton’s husband Spud, Tom Skeritt is cast as Drum Eatenton

Opposite Sally Fields and Owen Jenkins, Shirley MacLaines love interest she barely acknowledges until the end of the movie is a super addition from Bill McCutheon, the contrast of this swaine to her belligerent quips makes for a memorable watch.

Aside from the clever very funny script tackling issues of family and most importantly friendship the film plays heavily to the quirks and peculiarities of life in the aforementioned states of America collectively known as the south, everywhere from North Carolina down through Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Texas, Virginia, Arkansas, Tennessee, and North Carolina especially for women. This particular story is set in Louisiana but it could be any one of the southern states for me.

The clothes, the big hair, the soft accents and rigid protocols guide the story of a diabetic girl, Roberts, marrying young and having a baby against the advice of her doctors and family. She’s a free spirit who doesn’t wish to be constrained by religion, protocol, tradition or what is expected as being the right choices for her, none more rebellious than cutting off all her hair in an act of defiance.

The conflicts are balanced by deep affection and wisdom shared between the women. Amongst all the laughter keep your tissues at the ready as this is a tear jerker it has to be said.

Even though the story doesn’t have your typical sickly sweet happy Hollywood ending for films in this genre, the harsh reality of life makes this one a keeper, actually based on a true story about the writers sister.

I can’t think of another movie that traverses through such horrific tragedy with enough laugh out loud lines delivered by tough as old boots women you barely feel the pain at all.

It’s a classic every woman should watch. Would men like it, urgh not so sure about that, the boys certainly take a backseat in this huge star studded cast of the strong female led cast.

I think guys would relate, in a way to women in their own lives but the connections made may be amusing but not necessarily complimentary.

Lady Cottingtons Pressed Fairy Book: Brian Froud and Monty Python’s Terry Jones on Victorian hoaxes & Cottingley fairies — an offbeat Christmas gift

A wickedly funny Victorian scrapbook pastiche: Terry Jones and Brian Froud’s Lady Cottington’s...

Bluebell Moss

2025-12-31T10:39:00.0000000 2026-01-02T11:06:33.8100000

Lady Cottington’s Pressed Fairy Book: Brian Froud and Terry Jones squeeze Victorian belief, hoax and hilarity into an offbeat Christmas gift I just wasn’t expecting.

Some Christmas presents feel as though they’ve fallen through time, trailing glitter and a faint smell of mischief. Lady Cottington’s Pressed Fairy Book is one of them. I love receiving books, all manner of books during the holidays in many way they are the very best gifts, a tradition started for the young with Thesauruses and dictionaries, and complete works of Beatrix Potter, Winnie The Pooh, followed on with adventures in Narnia, Nancy Drew, Ellery Queen, Emil and The Detectives and more recently Harry Potter. I secured the whole series in my twenties and devoured them.

Lady Cottington’s Pressed Fairy Book for all its whimsy did take me back to my younger days, where and when my love of books began and yet it is not a children’s book.

First published in the mid-1990s, it is a cult object that masquerades as a prim Victorian flower‑pressing album—only the “specimens” aren’t geraniums but fairies, inconveniently squashed between the pages. The conceit is deliciously simple and sustained with such care that it becomes a small work of satirical theatre: a facsimile diary belonging to Lady Angelica Cottington, annotated in looping script and splattered (quite literally) with the remains of the Little People.

The pedigree behind the prank explains its longevity. Brian Froud, the English fantasy artist who helped conjure Jim Henson’s Labyrinth and The Dark Crystal and co‑authored the era‑defining Faeries with Alan Lee, provides the images: naughty, luminous, leaf‑skinned sprites who look like they’ve crawled out of moss and moonlight. The text is by Monty Python’s Terry Jones, whose particular blend of scholarly curiosity and impish humour turns the book into a send‑up of late‑Victorian propriety. Together, they create a faux artefact that looks and reads like something you might find in a slightly haunted country house.

A joke with history behind it.

The pun in “Cottington” is no accident. The book gleefully nods to the Cottingley fairies, the famous 1917 photographs of two Yorkshire girls posing with paper cut‑outs that convinced swathes of the public including famously Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, creator of Sherlock Holmes, that fairies were real. Those images, printed in The Strand Magazine and later disowned by their creators, are the apotheosis of a much broader Victorian and Edwardian appetite for marvels: spirit photography, seances, and cabinets of curiosity that blurred science with showmanship. Jones mines that cultural seam, parodying the era’s earnestness and credulity while never sneering at the human longing to believe.

Where the Cottingley episode asked us to look closely at photographs, Lady Cottington’s asks us to “feel” the pages: fake stains, imprints, and splodges become comic evidence. The book becomes a little museum of folly—a fictional hoax mounted so convincingly that it doubles as a satire of belief itself.

The art of being squashed.

Froud’s fairies have always been a touch unruly, all twiggy elbows and sly glances; here they’re caught in the act of being caught. Wings smear into iridescent blots; grins become Rorschach curls; bodies are rendered in watercolour so tactile you’d swear the paper is bruised. The joke is naughty, often literally so: these are impish, bare sprites with a bawdy streak, endlessly tormenting their human chronicler. That push‑and‑pull—between prim diary and indecorous subject—powers the book’s comedy.

Jones’s voice completes the illusion. The opening preface assures the reader, no fairies were harmed in the production of the work.

Presented as the private jottings of a well‑bred young lady who persists in “pressing” what she insists she cannot see, the captions and marginalia spiral from naïveté to wilful repression and back again. It’s Pythonic in its deadpan, but there’s also the historian’s ear for period tics and polite euphemism. The result reads like a Victorian hoax that has hoaxed itself.

Why it made a cracking Christmas present for me.

It’s tactile and beautiful: a high‑quality art object and a conversation piece for the coffee table.

It bridges fandoms: fantasy art aficionados, Monty Python devotees, folklore nerds, and lovers of Victoriana will all find a way in.

It’s genuinely funny: the gag holds up on a second, third, and tenth flip‑through.

It pairs well with other books too: gift givers could team it with Froud and Lee’s Faeries or an art book from Labyrinth for a themed bundle.

A few practical notes before you wrap it

Content: there’s whimsical nudity and cheeky innuendo; it’s not a children’s picture book. Think older teens and big kids upwards to grand and great grandparents who still love a cheeky giggle.

Editions: the book has been reissued over the years; later printings often reproduce the design flourishes nicely. There are also spin‑offs that expand the Cottington lore.

Availability: widely found new and second‑hand; a good‑condition copy with intact design features makes the best gift.

More than a novelty, Lady Cottington’s Pressed Fairy Book is a sly little essay on seeing and believing, dressed up as a Victorian keepsake. It skewers the era’s hoaxes while revelling in their theatre, and it does so with images you’ll want to linger over and lines that land like perfect asides. For the right recipient—someone who loves a beautiful book with a wicked wink—it’s the sort of present that gets opened before lunch and passed round the room until the pudding arrives.

It was probably the most looked at book in our home on the 25th this year and sparked a good deal of conversation and quick, clever and interesting debate that would not have otherwise never happened.

It took me back in time to the woods at the bottom of my childhood home where tree roots would be cleaned and brushed for the imaginary fairies that resided there and furniture, chairs and tables made from balanced twigs, and conkers and acorns, anything gathered with moss for cushions. I saw instantly the foundation for my love of interiors and passion to style and dress the rooms I reside in today. And why I am constantly drawn to the latest edition of Architectural Digest. This book is architectural in it’s it’s own way.

A tribute to my good friend who chose this weird and quite wonderful gift for me this year.

10 Best American Loungewear Brands Ranked by Price (Most Expensive First): Free City, James Perse, Lunya, Vuori & SKIMS

From Free City and James Perse to Vince and Lunya, Vuori and SKIMS: the best American...

Bluebell Moss

2025-11-06T13:48:00.0000000 2025-11-06T20:52:01.9600000

The 10 best American loungewear brands right now (ranked by average price, most expensive first)

Whether you live in sweats or just want something softer for off‑duty days, American loungewear still sets the tone for easy, everyday luxury. Below, eight standout labels ranked by their typical full‑price cost per piece (think hoodies, joggers and knit sets), with notes on fit, fabric and why they’re worth it. Prices are indicative and vary by fabric, capsule and season.

1) Free City

Typical spend: hoodies $250–$400; sweatpants $200–$300

Los Angeles to the core, Free City is all about small‑batch fleece, hand screen‑prints and saturated colour. The brand’s plush, brushed‑back cotton and distinctive graphics justify the cultish following—and the price. If you want statement loungewear that feels bespoke and breaks in beautifully, this is the apex.

2) James Perse

Typical spend: tees $70–$120; sweats $150–$250

James Perse delivers Californian minimalism at its most refined: garment‑dyed Supima cotton, softly structured jersey and cashmere‑blend knits that drape rather than cling. The palette is muted, the silhouettes relaxed, and the finishing impeccable. It’s a quietly luxurious take on everyday comfort.

3) Lunya

Typical spend: sets $180–$320; separates $90–$160

Designed for elevated downtime, Lunya is known for washable silk, temperature‑regulating knits and thoughtfully engineered details (flat seams, no‑twist waistbands). If your loungewear doubles as sleepwear and you’re partial to premium fibres that are easy to care for, Lunya overdelivers.

4) Vince

Typical spend: slouchy pants $140 - $160 ; Tees and comfy tops $70-$150

The designer origins of Vince are the coastal vibes of Southern California, an American contemporary clothing label headquartered in New York they began life in Los Angeles. Known for luxury basics, super high quality knitwear in recent years they have expanded the range to include gorgeous sweats, and comfy casual basics. Described as "quiet luxury" with no logos or external branding they remain one of my favourite on the higher than middle priced brands for loungewear.

5) The Mayfair Group

Typical spend: hoodies $110–$140; joggers $110–$140

Oversized fits, heavyweight fleece and affirmational graphics are The Mayfair Group’s calling cards. It’s street‑leaning lounge with a positive spin, often released in drops. Expect cosy, boxy silhouettes and a slightly weightier hand feel than your average sweat set.

6) Vuori

Typical spend: joggers $90–$120; hoodies $100–$140

The performance‑lounge hybrid. Vuori’s DreamKnit and technical fleece fabrics are soft yet robust, with four‑way stretch and excellent recovery—ideal for travel, light training or long haul days. Cuts are modern‑athletic; comfort is immediate out of the bag.

7) Sundry

Typical spend: tees and knits $70–$110; sweats $90–$140

Sundry channels sun‑washed, slightly playful SoCal energy. Think soft cotton blends, cheerful stripes and relaxed, feminine silhouettes. It’s easy weekend wear with gentle colour and a broken‑in feel, without tipping into novelty.

8) American Vintage

Typical spend: tees $45–$80; sweats $90–$140

Despite the name, American Vintage is a French label beloved for feather‑soft basics, slubby cottons and airy knits that pair perfectly with US casualwear. If you prize texture and simplicity at a fair price, its tees and sweat sets are everyday heroes.

9) SKIMS

Typical spend: ribbed separates $30–$70; cosy knits $60–$110

SKIMS brings inclusive sizing and smart fabric choices to lounge: buttery ribbed cotton, boucle‑style cosy yarns and easy mix‑and‑match separates. It’s the most wallet‑friendly on this list and excels at layering pieces that move from sofa to errands.

10) Helmut Lang

Typical Spend; sweats $100  and cosy jumpers $100-$200 

Whilst out of New York not Los Angeles, no loungewear list would be complete without including Helmut Lang, known for its minimalist utilitarian aesthetic, sharp tailoring and the pioneering role  it played bridging the gap between high fashion, street wear and subsequently loungewear. The fabrics selected are second to none for comfortable, quality and durability.

How to choose

- Fabric first: For cloud‑soft warmth, look for brushed fleece (Free City, Mayfair, Sundry). For drape and polish, try garment‑dyed jersey or cashmere blends (James Perse) or washable silk (Lunya). For versatility, Vuori’s technical knits are hard to beat.

- Fit and mood: Minimalist neutrals (James Perse, Lunya) versus graphic statements (Free City, Mayfair). Athleti‑casual (Vuori) versus fashion‑forward cosy (SKIMS).

- Value: If you want luxury feel at mid prices, Vuori and Sundry are sweet spots. For entry‑level, SKIMS and American Vintage deliver strong basics without the premium tag.

Method note: Ranking reflects average full‑price spend for core loungewear pieces from each brand’s current collections, excluding sales and limited collaborations.

Top 8 Blushes for Every Occasion: From Natural Daytime to Evening Glamour

Explore the Top 8 Blushes for Every Look: From Subtle Daytime to Bold Evening Styles

Bluebell Moss

2025-09-08T06:00:00.0000000 2025-09-08T07:36:26.1030000

My 8 Favourite Blush Products for Every Occasion: From Rosy Glow to Bronzed Drama

The article is for sunkissed girls who like to tan, don't use a lot of foundation but like to use a bronzer or blusher. I've tried and tested everything from cream to powder, shimmer to matte blush. These are my favourites. I have already written about Natasha Denona products separately probably the least well known here on my list but exceptional products, beautiful rich colours and exceptional coverage, a combo powder and cream palette I think is probably the most versatile blush pallete I own.

When it comes to creating the perfect makeup look, the power of a good blush cannot be underestimated. It’s not just about adding a pop of colour; it’s about framing your face, complementing your skin tone, and enhancing your natural beauty. Whether you're aiming for a subtle daytime glow or a bold evening look, having the right blush in your arsenal is key. Here’s a roundup of my eight favourite blush products that cater to every occasion and style.

1. Clarins Joli Blush

Clarins Joli Blush is a high-intensity pigment blush that brings a long-lasting flush to your cheeks. This lightweight formula is incredibly blendable and builds effortlessly from a subtle hint of colour to a more vibrant look. Enriched with plant extracts, it not only beautifies but also cares for your skin.

2. Dior Rosy Glow Blush

Dior’s Rosy Glow Blush is renowned for its unique formula that adapts to your skin’s moisture level to provide a customized rosy effect. This blush instantly gives your cheeks a fresh, natural-looking pop of colour that looks as if you've just come in from a brisk, wintry walk. It’s perfect for achieving that coveted, healthy glow.

3. Chanel Joues Contraste in Rose Initiale (Shade 72)

Chanel’s Joues Contraste in Rose Initiale is a timeless classic in the beauty world. The powder is finely milled and incredibly soft, offering a buildable blush that ranges from a gentle flush to a more defined colour. The shade Rose Initiale is a versatile pink with a subtle shimmer that works beautifully on a variety of skin tones.

4. MAC Extra Dimension Blush

For those who love a blush that offers both matte and shimmer options, MAC’s Extra Dimension Blush is a must-try. This hybrid blush combines the smoothness of a cream, blendability of a liquid, and finish of a powder with long-wearing colour and prismatic reflections. It’s ideal for creating multidimensional looks.

5. Sheertone Shimmer Blush by MAC

MAC’s Sheertone Shimmer Blush is perfect for those who prefer a sheerer application. Available in a variety of shades, this blush has just enough shimmer to add a glow without being overpowering. It’s buildable and the sheer texture makes it almost impossible to over-apply, making it ideal for blush beginners.

6. Natasha Denona Bloom Face Glow Palette

This palette by Natasha Denona is a true workhorse, featuring four versatile products that can be used on cheeks, lips, and even eyes. The Bloom Face Glow Palette includes creamy and powder blushes that range from demure to dramatic, allowing for endless creativity in your blush application.

7. NARS Orgasm

NARS Orgasm deserves a spot in every blush roundup for its iconic, universally flattering shade. This peachy-pink blush with a golden shimmer gives a natural, just-flushed look that complements every skin tone. The formula is finely milled and blends like a dream, perfect for day or night. On a side note the Nars Velvet Matte Lip Pencil, I loved shade Do Me Baby (I believe now discontinued and replaced with an inferior in my opinion ten-shade lineup of Powermatte High-Intensity Lip Pencils) so if you can find one of the old Velvet Matte pencils from Nars, combines as a perfect pinky berry shade for cheeks.

8. Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush

For those long days that turn into nights, Tarte’s Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush is an ideal companion. This long-wearing, fade-free formula minimizes oil around the cheeks and helps keep your complexion flawless throughout the day. The range of shades and the matte finish make it a great choice for both subtle and bold looks.

Conclusion

Whether you’re a makeup novice or a seasoned pro, these eight blushes offer something for everyone. From the natural, adaptive colour of Dior Rosy Glow to the dramatic flair of the Natasha Denona Bloom palette, each product promises to enhance your makeup routine. Remember, the best blush is one that feels like a natural extension of your beauty. Experiment, blend, and find your perfect match to express every facet of your personality and style.

Proenza Schoeler storm thick sole sliders slippers are the bomb

Awesome comfy super stylish sliders I cannot take off. They go everywhere with me as comfortable...

Bluebell Moss

2025-08-29T07:55:00.0000000 2025-08-29T08:18:14.1470000

I found this little known brand in Neiman Marcus and treated myself to this pair of clumpy slides I absolutely love for quite a few reasons.

They are called the Proenza Schoeler storm thick sole sliders slippers you can find right now on sale on Farfetch right now for over half off regular retail price $477. There’s one pair left in a size 39 and I’d recommend you grab them otherwise you’ll have to search the secondhand market places but I don’t imagine many people will be giving up these beauties.

If you are short they give you great height and I love love love the clumpy Japanese style, perfect to wear at the beach and suit the California lifestyle. I’ve styled them with leggings and dresses, have been great when I am working, I take a lot of portraits at the beach and I’ve had no problems getting down in the sand or clambering over rocks or up in the canyons. They look great and are super versatile. The main factor is comfort when I am on my feet all day. I haven’t travelled in them yet but they will be my go to shoes, not sneakers. The next time I fly.

They are soft kid leather lined so no blisters from day one and so great for walking, they almost cling to your feet as they come really high up, so don’t slip or slide.

The engineering is absolutely fantastic and if you don’t like black and can find them they made a navy and beige, taupe creamy pair too.

The rise of quiet luxury, with a focus on simple

Minimalist design, quality and craftsmanship is bucking the fast fashion trend as consumers move away from lots and often to a much more sustainable approach of buying one thing you love, then wearing it and keeping it forever. And American luxury fashion retailers from NY brands you’ve probably never heard of like Proenza Schuller, Khaite and Los Angeles based Co collection are commanding eye watering prices for staple garments shoes and accessories.

My only worry now is how the hell will I remember the name and how do i replace them once I've worn them to death. I might just have to buy that last remaining pair on Farfetch myself.

Agua De Jardin is my favourite Boy Smells Candle

Followed by Cameo, Nimes and Herbaceous from Boy Smells 2.0

Bluebell Moss

2025-08-15T11:41:00.0000000 2025-08-15T13:28:54.2370000

Pimento berry coconut water fig leaves and jasmine petals are a hypnotic combination of fragrance I absolutely love in the Gorgeous agua de Jardin candle from Boy Smells.

Don’t get me wrong I’ve never bought a bad Boy Smells candle from the candle company started in Los Angeles to offer heavily scented candles that cater not just to women but to everyone who appreciates a beautiful scented environment.

Personally I am very sensitive to smell. I love walking into a shop or hotel where this attention to detail is paid and it’s becoming more and more apparent it’s important for businesses to incorporate scent and scented products to their offering.

Whilst an official collaboration has not yet been announced I know Boy Smells candles owner Matthew Herman has met with the June Hotel in Malibu, I go there quite a bit to photograph my clients, and I happened to bump into him quite by chance and told him I was a massive fan of Agua de Jardin especially and a customer since they launched in January 2016. The goal for founders Matthew and his partner David Kien was to create "genderful" products to be enjoyed by everyone and they began with six beautiful fragrances that quickly became very popular with celebrities like musician, actress and model Grace Jones and musician Kasey Musgraves.

Since Boy Smells candles are designed, developed, and hand-poured in Pico Union, Los Angeles I’d imagine it’s only a matter of time before we see an official hotel collaboration announced.

If you want to try a boy smells candle for yourself they are made from 240g of a mixture of beeswax and coconut oil, paraben free for a beautiful long lasting richly scented burn.

The pop shop Boys Smells store in culver city opened in 2022 was one of my favourite stores to visit in LA. And whilst other locations have been explored for a flagship in Silver Lake and the arts district on the eastern edge of downtown the beautiful candles are available at retailers around the city including NK Space.

A 240g candle which gives you approximately 50- 60 hours burn costs a great value $38 and I can guarantee a long slow clean burn with these candles and a lasting fabulous fragrance whichever one you choose. I absolutely love all of them but like I say my ultimate favourite is Agua De Jardin

Balenciaga L’Edition Mer was my everyday favourite fragrance now discontinued and very rare

Balenciaga have sadly discontinued all their fragrance collection

Bluebell Moss

2025-08-03T09:13:00.0000000 2025-08-08T17:54:13.8230000

All Balenciaga perfumes have been discontinued. Sadly for me as Balenciaga L’edition Mer is my all time favourite fragrance. And from time to time I find my self searching secondary market places to see if I can turn up a bottle. I have one full new 50ml one left I refuse to open and one with a third left in it I use sparingly and only on special occasions as I know replacing it will be impossible short of a miracle.

Balenciaga L’edition Mer is described as Aquatic fragrance with Lily of the valley and sea notes and this could not be more accurate.

I don’t recognise Lily of the valley in the scent especially but the fragrance does immediately take me to the sea. It’s sort of bitter which doesn’t sound great but I love it, reminding me of walks on the shoreline collecting shells, it has that distinctive sea air smell, that is almost like salty sea weed in a strange kind of way. I know I am not selling it.

Lily of the valley was the very first perfume I ever remember smelling so although I cannot expressly recognise it in Balenciaga L’edition Mer it could be the reason I was instantly attracted to this perfume. I bought a bottle in TK Maxx without even smelling it about 8 or 9 years ago which probably indicated it wasn’t very popular even back then as the release date is published online as: as late as 2015. And there’s absolutely no information when it ceased to be available. Probably because it didn’t do very well at launch.

The house of Balenciaga used to be a well known perfume brand. It has a long history with fragrances being produced as far back as 1947. I don’t know if L’edition mer was a limited release but it seems to have disappeared almost as fast as it was released along with all the other Balenciaga fragrances being no longer available by 2024.

Balenciaga stopped selling fragrance altogether sometime in 2024 when its license with big French brand Coty established in 1904 and responsible for many of the big brand fragrances we recognise through partnerships with Calvin Klein, Gucci, Burberry and Tiffany, expired. I seem to remember my earliest memories of squirting perfume, the Lily of the valley experience was by Yardley of London, an actual perfume house.

It’s funny to think how all the big fashion houses selling perfume, Chanel no. 5 a historic partnership and subsequent feud between Gabrielle Chanel and the Wertheimer brothers, who financed Parfums Chanel and effectively owned the production and distribution rights to the perfume, are done on license deals and the perfume is almost always created and then made manufactured and often financed by someone else. In the case of Chanel no. 5 it was created by French Russian chemist and perfumer Ernest Beaux. Perfume sales are often the ultimate in consumer marketing experience.

From time to time I see a bottle of Balenciaga L’edition Mer pop up in a secondary market. There’s a bottle on EBay at the moment I’ve kept my eye on with a very high price tag over $300. It’s been there a while so even ardent fans like me aren’t prepared to pay that much for a bottle.

It would be so good if as luxury fashion houses struggle with declining sales they’d consider bringing fragrances loved and lost back into the forefront.

It’s a way women who can’t afford couture can have (or feel like they are having) a little more affordable taste of the elegance and style a brand like Balenciaga evokes.

There were over 30 Balenciaga fragrances listed on Fragrantica website with some other websites saying as many as 45 Balenciaga fragrances have been released since 1947 so I wonder how many other people are left wishing their favourite would all of a sudden be re released.

Surely it would be possible for someone else to take these iconic beautiful perfumes and bring them out again as limited editions for a short period of time so customers of old can stock up on what they love.

Just an idea.

Hermes De Jour and Hermes De Jour Absolut

The difference is subtle but distinctive

Bluebell Moss

2025-07-18T07:37:00.0000000 2025-07-18T09:38:08.9630000

I have a few favourite fragrances and I rarely change. I like what I like and the fragrance I choose is usually determined by what I am doing, for example I wear one type of fragrance to play volleyball at the beach, another to shop and Hermes De Jour I would wear to travel, Hermes de Jour Absolut always in the evening maybe to the theatre or out for a cocktail or to listen to jazz.

It’s a favourite fragrance that is stronger than the usual scents I choose. I remember when I first bought it I was afraid of having wasted my money, of getting buyers remorse. Like I said I don’t often change or step out of my comfort zone but this heady musky scent has become a firm favourite, maybe because it is so different from the lemony fresh scents I usually lean to.

Hermes de Jour and Hermes de Jour Absolut are distinctive, the same yet different, absolut more eastern, it reminds me of an Arabian souq, except more fruity and floral in base than musky and oud.

It’s hard to describe, it definitely has a tinge of citrus, sour grapefruit maybe which sounds horrible but whenever I spray it it always takes me away, makes me think of adventure why I like to wear it to travel I guess.

For me it’s stepping away from my comfort zone which means I can really smell it and it lasts and lasts. Strong enough to smell the remnants on clean hotel sheets the next day.

It is unusual when you first spray it. Why I wasn’t sure when I first purchased but let it settle and it’s one of those fragrances you get addicted to, you want to keep smelling.

Which to choose, absolut is definitely the stronger of the two but the fragrances are two sisters you can wear together or build with Hermes de jour like the name in the day and then Absolut as your top up when the sun goes down.

They retail for about $85 for 30ml, (1oz) $125 for 50ml (1.6oz), the absolut version is $160 on the Hermes website for 50ml (2.8oz) which is a bit more than I’d usually pay for my fragrance but this one is worth it. They also do an 85ml size at $210 which gives a saving when you have decided you are definitely in and Hermes de jour is a keeper. And also a bigger refill for the same price.

Next time you pass the perfume counter have a spray then walk around for a bit and see how it settles on you. And if you can escape it’s allure.

Heads up ladies I just got 2.8oz that’s the big one 85ml at Off Saks 5th Avenue regular price $160 bucks for only $111.00 a 30% discount. It says for a limited time. Not sure how long it will last. That’s for Hermes de Jour the weaker one not Hermes de Jour Absolut, Eau de parfum which is the higher price point of $210 for 125ml 4.2oz. This option is the refill though. It is sold out on the Hermes website but you may find it elsewhere if you shop around. I found it in stock at Nordstrom.com

I have also found the 1oz 30ml Hermes de Jour refillable for $62.00 regular price $85.00 on ecosmetics.com so you can definitely save money at the moment shopping online.

It a bit confusing with all the options but when you break it all down

the Hermès website and other retailers give you all the information you need.

Jour d'Hermès Eau de Parfum is available in 30ml, 50ml, 85ml, and 125ml refill sizes.

Jour d'Hermès Absolu Eau de Parfum is available in 30ml, 50ml, and 85ml sizes, with a 125ml refill option as well.

Don’t wear your Anine Bing Baseball cap to the beach

Less than a year old and the colour is already gone

Bluebell Moss

2025-06-17T06:42:00.0000000 2025-06-17T07:23:17.6270000

I bought two Anine Bing baseball caps pretty much at the same time, maybe one month apart. Yep they were both black when purchased. I am a little bit pissed although I do love the LA based athleisure brand that combines relaxed California lifestyle with Scandinavian quality and Nordic simplicity.

I’ve bought four of her hats, including the Anine Bing Nicks bucket hat at $80 now completely sold out everywhere and have honestly been really happy with the fit and comfort and quality in the most part, except for the one that’s bleached out obviously, of course the one that’s looking pretty trashed happens to be my favourite. So I’ve actually worn them both about the same. The difference is when I wear them, the one that’s bleached out I wear to play volleyball. The baseball caps are great, a luxury though at 60 bucks. Expensive for a baseball cap.

My one issue, the cap I play volleyball in at the beach, has completely lost it’s colour now brown it began life as black, the same as my other one. The bummer, I prefer the simpler logo of the cap that is now completely bleached out. That’s just a personal preference.

Don’t get me wrong I still like and wear the cap on the left, just a bit disappointed for $60 for a brand born in the sunshine state the fabric dyes used aren’t a little bit better. I’ve never got it wet so not sure why it’s happened except worn it at the beach in the sunshine.

When I look inside it’s still completely black.

The hats are made in Turkey, where the quality does tend to be better and fashion labour exploitation not China something I like although for reference made in the USA I’d like even better.

All in all very happy with the comfort and fit and definitely enjoy shopping the Anine Bing flagship store close to my neighbourhood on Melrose.

The sweatshirts are super comfy too.

There are a lot of dupes around of this cap so if you want to be sure goods are authentic I recommend shopping in store or on the Anine Bing website direct from the brand.

Replica Fragrance from Paris for California Girls

It’s alternative and different understated style

Bluebell Moss

2025-06-06T07:45:00.0000000 2025-06-07T12:59:44.4370000

They come in two sizes, a small one to check things out 30ml at $70 and a big one 100ml for $165.

The thing I like most about this fragrance line is it’s sort of non fragrance. A big step away from the heady, musky oud fragrance of very fashionable and popular Creed or Tom Ford.

With names like “after the rain” “sailing day” “beach walk” and “springtime in the park” these scents are atmospheric reminders of the things we do that bring us pleasure, a reminder to get out of reminiscing about the past or worrying about the future but to get into the moment instead.

I like the philosophy of the fragrance story as much as the fragrances themselves, each one a small step away from the previous one but not so dramatic you’ll love one and hate another. The most difficult part of buying a bottle of Replica is to decide which one you like the best.

I am currently wearing when the rain stops that said I like quite a few of them, why the ensemble offering, a small taste of all of them is good option for the undecided,

Where you can get a memory box, aptly named of all 10 fragrances in 12ml samples for about $50.

It’s a great way to start, layering and experimenting you can create a unique personal concoction or decided which you love the most before investing the big bucks.

The packaging is clean and simple and aesthetic I like, a little medical, or little historical, heavy glass bottles with type written labels give an old apothecary vibe, again less is definitely more here.

They are atmospheric reminders of happy times with dates and provenance and I get that. I am very sensitive to scent and get an enormous amount of pleasure from this one of my five senses. Whenever I encounter a scent garden I always take it in and at the beach all the magnolia jasmine honeysuckle family of white flowers thrive in the Californian climate. These notes are ever present in this gorgeous fragrance suite.

But the very best thing for me about this subtle fragrance line, the quality and power to hold and give lasting enduring pleasure.

How many scents can you put on for dinner and still smell distinctly in the morning and this quality alone makes Maison Margela Replica perfumes worth the money.

Rodial Instaglam Compact Deluxe

Highlighting powder

Bluebell Moss

2025-03-25T07:15:00.0000000 2025-03-25T11:56:50.5200000

Living in Southern California and having more olive skin I don't wear that much make up. For work I slap a bit on then on the weekends its more beach lifestyle. I haven't actually found a bronzer I really like most I've tried are too orange or too fake tan looking. As an asian its pretty easy for me to look weird if I am the wrong color and I think most brands make their range for Caucasian skin and caucasian skin tones.

Mrs Rodial is different and especially this instaglam compact which when I tried to find the current price (it was about 50 bucks) had been reduced on line to 26 bucks but completely sold out on the rodial website.

Don't despair like most discontinued product (and it might not be discontinued just stock disruption after the pandemic) you can usually find things, make up and beauty products on other beauty sites or secondhand sites.

The reason I love this compact, it's the perfect healthy glow. No other make up required for outdoor healthy lifestyle. I dust a little on the apple of my cheeks and if I am wanting to look extra a little of the sparkly shimmer color on my eyelids.

Rodial Instaglam Compact Deluxe is the instant face pick me up. the name is perfect, truly instaglam.

I chose color 02 which is a warmer peachy shade more suitable for my skin tone 01 is brighter, whiter and more sparkle.

I define and highlight my features with this creamy textured highlighting powder. It's not a cream though. The warmer ice shade adds luminosity to my asian skin tone and is also perfect for creating a strong strobed look should I wear more make up in the evening on a night out. Soft powders and refined pearls are blended together for an easy blend creamy powder with a subtle iridescent finish. I always apply along the tops of my cheekbones, down the ridge of my nose, (makes it look slimmer) and above the cupid's bow on my lip. The highlighting powder can also be applied on eyes and décolletage area to give an extra lift to natural, sunkissed or foundation covered skin.

When I looked online to see if you can still get the Instaglam range of compacts from Mrs Rodial I noticed along with the highlighting compact there is also a contouring cream compact which looks identical packaging box and everything.

I haven't tried the contouring powder but I can see someone making a mistake thinking they'd got the highlighting compact and ending up with something completely different. The Instaglam contouring powder came in two shades, normal and dark and again completely sold out so you gotta search if you want it.

Natasha Denona Bloom Face Glow Blusher Palette

Depth of colour make up

Bluebell Moss

2025-03-25T06:54:00.0000000 2025-03-25T08:12:17.0730000

In the US we don’t see this brand so much. Why I decided to sing this clever make up artists praises. It was sold the gorgeous nude palletes and a few lipstick shades at least and then sold out in Nordstrom and again bits available here and there in Sephora. Definitely feels like it wasn’t on my radar until last years trip to Europe where I purchased this bad boy.

I don’t have to say very much here. You’ll know what I mean the minute you try this make up range on your hand. How the colours slide on and build but don’t crack. Ingenious.

I paid about £40 which is about 52 bucks which hey you’d pay for one blush colour from other brands. In here I got two strong blushers and two contrasting glow shades for cheeks and eyes and decent sizes too.

This is all well and good I know with make up it’s all about whether you like the colours, many a make up mishap when you try something in store and it looks great you get it home and it looks like something from the set of Halloween.

I am writing this because amongst all the hype and marketing this make up is noteworthy. It’s incredible quality and lovely to apply. The colours really build and you do feel like you are working with a different kind of paint.

I am completely sold on Natasha Denona and her very interesting technical background. She has a very different scientific approach to pigment and how it reacts with the light which for me shines through in the beautiful product suite.

I am so glad to have discovered this make up artist make up range.

Move over Charlotte Tilbury and Bobby Brown there’s a new kid on the block.

Airpod Earbuds for IPhone 2nd Generation

The hardest thing I’ve ever bought

Bluebell Moss

2024-10-08T11:04:00.0000000 2025-03-25T14:40:12.1000000

I was sitting in my hair salon Meche in BH (8820 Burton Way Beverly Hills, CA 90211) and my stylist Adrian is happily blow drying my hair and talking to another client at the same time. I didn’t notice the little bits of white, like two little plastic hooks in his ears. I know everyone knows about AirPods especially commuters but we don’t see them in LA so much, everyone on the freeway.

Neat I say, and he proceeds to tell me about how they work and how much they cost him, about $300 if I remember rightly.

It took me a while to start thinking about buying a pair of AirPods myself, it was a lot, would I use them really, could I buy them secondhand, all the questions you ask yourself before making a big purchase.

There are lots of different versions, all with differing features and price tags. I ended up reading a few editors choice reviews in PC Mag and PC World and decided on 2nd generation pro’s as the version I was going to buy. The ones before and the ones after seemed to have some issues for users and the feedback for 2nd generation was better.

When I started researching buying a pair secondhand, refurbished I was catapulted into the world of dupes, fakes, the prices ranged from $40 up to 250 bucks, a mega spread and the people selling on EBay more shark like than the sharks everyone swims with in Hollywood.

It is hard to buy tech when you don’t really buy tech. I found out the dupes have a problem with the noise cancelling feature, which I read can cause problems to the ear drum and in extreme cases complete lack of hearing so as I was navigating the fakes on EBay I just told sellers I had a hearing impairment and it was imperative I didn’t buy a dupe.

This stopped two sellers selling to me who had previously told me they could guarantee the AirPods were authentic. And the third cancelled my order before shipping it.

In the end I found a business that refurbishes authentic product with serial numbers and guarantees refunds for any unhappy customers. The person here told me to look out for the small writing on the back of the AirPod case as the replicas, or reps as some people call them don’t have this.

I ended up paying $50 for AirPod pro 2nd generation (would have been between $280 and $300 new) refurbished.

They work like a charm, no problems whatsoever installing, connecting to my phone, plug and play literally.

It’s a very neat little product. Has to be said I do use them on my bike and skating however no where near as much as I thought I would. Very useful gadget for anyone. Great for hairdressers though and anyone who needs hands free talking/listening.

Christine and The Queens

Full Of Life Song

Bluebell Moss

2024-09-11T14:47:00.0000000 2024-09-11T15:13:45.2500000

Has this ever happened to you. You fall in love with a track on a commercial and then you are plummeted into a whole new world.

The first time it happened to me it was the Paloma Faith track used for the Skoda ad

Make Your Own Kinda Music which to be fair was extremely catchy even if it did sound a bit like a theme tune to a 1980’s TV show.

Fast forward to the Amazon Prime advert. I am not an Amazon Amazon Prime customer after all the hullabaloo about labour exploitation here in the US. A friend of mine worked for Amazon annd boy did he have stories so I wasn’t surprised at all when Chris Smalls launched the Amazon Labour union in NYC in July 2022, 2600 people voted overwhelmingly to join him.

But the new commercial advertising Prime days with the girl buying plants, planters, watering cans all from Prime of course for her apartment got my attention, well the music anyway.

The haunting cover played cleverly over Bach’s pacobel Canon in D perhaps unintended or I am the only one who hears that, not sure, made me go in search of the track which I am currently playing on repeat.

I am clearly behind the 8 ball as this French tour to force in the music world is already critically acclaimed and there I was lil old me thinking Amazon had taken an unknown artist and given them a big lift.

Do download it if you haven’t heard it and do let me know if it gets you too and if you can hear the Bach behind the melody.

Highcliff Marriott Hotel Bournmouth

An American at the seaside

Bluebell Moss

2024-07-09T11:37:00.0000000 2025-06-07T14:01:49.5830000

I had to go to Bournmouth for a business photo shoot and client storyboard meeting so got a room at the Marriott and stayed at the Highcliff Hotel Bournemouth UK 🇬🇧 for three nights June, 24 which is unlike any other US style Marriott I have ever stayed in but not in a bad way. The only thing I will say coming in early off a transatlantic flight I didn’t get into my room until after 4pm arrived at 9am and the hotel wasn’t full so would have been good to be able to have a sleep straight away.

The hotel itself was very English for an American through and through brand managing to combine the convenience and amenities of the large corporate chain interspersed with British charm.

The outdoor heated pool was a really luxury dipping in on more than chilly mornings definitely made up for an ocean dip even a hard core New Yorker couldn’t face. The views from up there reminded me of another cliff top

Property Eden Roc on the Cote D’Azur.

FYI if you are expecting Marriott standard food my recommendation would be to eat somewhere else but beds comfy and staff friendly. It’s an old building with a few noises in the pipes but gorgeous sea views from my room and if the service seems a little chaotic I am told that’s all part of the British charm.

I absolutely loved going in and out using the old fashioned revolving door like the one in “The Graduate” movie.

FYI for anyone who is a smoker, the whole property in non smoking so no lighting up even outside in the grounds or on the property. Closed circuit TV everywhere so don’t try it.

Pasadena Civic Auditorium

Bluebell Moss

2013-10-02T08:52:00.0000000 2016-07-21T08:56:32.9700000

The Civic has played host to Broadway musicals, world class ballet, symphony orchestras and celebrity speakers as well as the Prime Time Emmy Awards, and the People's Choice Awards.

The main floor of the Pasadena Civic has 1,922 fixed seats with 98 installable orchestra pit seats. The loge seats 560, the upper balcony seats 449 for a total capacity of 3,029.

Located on the second floor, the classic Gold Room provides an unforgettable setting for smaller meetings, receptions, or dinner parties of up to 300 guests.

The Pasadena Civic, as part of the Pasadena Center, is the perfect blend of the old and the new. It stands as a lasting symbol of the quality and beauty of this great city.

www.thepasadenacivic.com

Images thanks and credit to Alan Light

VERY BEAUTIFUL THEATER

There are not many theaters in So. Cal that give you what I call the European experience. That old world magic when you climb the stairs of this beautiful and grand old building.

I love dressing up and this venue you don't feel uncomfortable going a little OTT although it is not mandatory.

The last time I was lucky enough to go it was to see the Nutcraker and our seats were fantastic, six rows back from the front. The seats were very comfortable since the refurb/renovation in 1997 and to see the ceiling murals well worth the ticket price alone.

This venue is iconic, not so well known as the Walt Disney Concert Hall in downtown LA but I loved visiting this special building.

The schedule is mixed from symphony, ballet, opera for the 3000 seater auditorium and ticket prices start around $20 so don't be put off thinking tickets are out of reach.

If you want to make a night of it (and money no object) try dinner at the Langham, Huntington Spa Hotel afterwards, very romantic.

Hollywood Bowl

Bluebell Moss

2013-07-07T08:17:00.0000000 2016-07-21T08:20:10.2300000

THE BEST OF LA FOR MUSIC LOVERS

I once saw a little novelty box of cards, 50 things you should see once before you die. The Hollywood Bowl didn't make the cut which to my mind was a mistake as I cannot think of anywhere in the world quite like it for music lovers.

It is a large tiered amphitheater located off N. Highland set in Hollywood in a kind of canyon thats lends itself to the most wonderful accoustics. I went to see Josh Grogan perform for the 4th last week and as usual we had a wonderful night. There is a wide program every year to suit every taste and budget. I've sat up in the Gods, right at the back for as little as $2 with wine, cheese and crackers and had a posh picnic in one of the orchestra boxes where you can pay over the odds, sometimes 100 bucks or more for popular artists.

The real beauty of the Hollywood Bowl is it doesn't matter where you are to hear the music and soak in the excitement and ambiance and of course, experience the spectacular post show fireworks the Bowl is so well known for. Over the years I have seen Hollywood veteran Ann Margret perform, soprano Charlotte Church, Bob Dylan and watched tribute shows to Henry Mancini, Blake Edwards and countless visiting muscians and conductors usually accompanied by our very own LA Philharmonic.

Everyone should go at least once. You will never forget the whole experience.

Phil Spector

Bluebell Moss

2013-06-08T16:33:00.0000000 2016-06-13T16:34:41.4470000

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