Top Bird loves: Stephanie Simek jewellery

Back in the fledgling days of Wee Birdy, I came across jewellery designer Stephanie Simek and her delicately playful sterling silver eyelash necklaces. I especially loved the sweet single eyelash with the freshwater pearl tears (US$35).


Stephanie has since added to her collection with a seemingly fragile speckled quail egg pendant, lined with 23k gold leaf (US$125).



Her latest piece is this rather sweetly subversive powder necklace (below), which features a pearlized Turbo Cinereus shell filled with a sparkling mineral powder (US$95). The idea is that you tap the shell whenever you want to dust your decolletage with a light sprinkle of shimmer powder. A sterling silver funnel is also attached to the clasp for decoration and refilling. (It's a kinda innocent spin on the "secret stash" vial necklace worn by Sarah Michelle Gellar's character in Cruel Intentions, don't you think?)



You can also customise the necklace by re-filling it with your favourite shimmer powder. (I like Becca's Loose Shimmer Powder in Angel or Nymph.)
www.stephaniesimek.com

What to take home Wednesday: Claridge's candles

If the ultimate souvenir serves to remind your senses of an authentic (and specific) sense of place, then you’d be hard pressed to do better than Claridge’s eponymous Black & White collection.

In fact, in The Goddess Guide (a Wee Birdy favourite), author Giselle Scanlon says she “can’t leave Mayfair without visiting Claridge’s to pick up a bottle of their signature musky bath oil – in its elegant Art Deco bottle, with the lid shaped like the hotel’s bathroom taps.”


The collection’s black and white packaging reflects the classic glamour of this historic London institution, as well as the foyer’s grand marble floor.

I especially love the candle’s evocative floral top notes of Turkish rose and Indian jasmine, with warm, woody-Oriental undertones of Russian wild coriander and agarwood bark. The entire Black & White collection is available exclusively from Claridge’s Flowers & Gifts stall (just inside the Ballroom entrance).


Claridge’s Black & White Candle, £32 (250g)
Claridge’s Travel candle set, £18.50 (2 x 50g)

Claridge's
Brook Street
Mayfair
London W1K 4HR
Tel: 020 7629 1508

Click here for a Wee Birdy map.
Nearest tube: Bond Street

(p.s. for the ultimate in bathroom luxury, make sure you check out the Ladies just to the right of the front entrance.)

Photography by Paul Raeside, courtesy of Claridge's.

What to take home Wednesday: Smythson books

I’ve been harbouring a secret girl crush all year. Her name is Nancy and she’s a bag. Her last name is Smythson, maybe you’ve heard of her?


Just look at her sitting there in all her cute and quilted glory. And her large retro-style clasp is quite heavenly in a Jackie O kinda way. But at £750 for her small version, she doesn’t come cheap, so for now she will reluctantly remain on my crazy-dreamin’ wishlist.

But apart from being so damn good-looking, there’s so much more to like about young Nancy here, not least because of her fine pedigree.

Smythson is synonymous with stylish bespoke stationery and quality leather goods, and is steeped in a rich London heritage dating back to 1887, when Frank Smythson opened his first store at 133 New Bond Street.

The brand is also famous for its covetable leather diaries and notebooks in fashion-forward colours and tongue-in-cheek titles, like the Blondes, Brunettes, Redheads address book from the 1950s, and more recently, Me, Me, Me; Therapy Notes and Seduction Notes. Handsome and practical!

Trademark features of a Smythson book include “featherweight” pale blue watermarked pages; supple leather binding and gold or silver-stamped cover titles, which can be personalised for an extra fee.

The Beauty Bible, at £40, makes a stylish London souvenir. It's bound in soft grained lambskin leather and includes indexed sections for make-up, skincare and hair, diet, exercise and treatments.


Smythson
www.smythson.com

40 New Bond Street
London
W1S 2DE
Telephone: +44 (0) 20 7629 8558

Click here for a Wee Birdy map.

Opening hours:
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday 9.30am-6pm
Thursday 10am-7pm
Saturday 10am-6pm

Nearest tube: Bond Street, Oxford Circus, Green Park

What to take home: Penhaligon's Bluebell Bath Oil

Penhaligons Bluebell Bath Oil 200ml, £35.

An oldie but a goodie. And heading into a dreary old October in London, this “essence of Spring” will do well to remind me of walking in the Devon countryside in April and stumbling upon a heavenly carpet of bluebells.

In Ruby Country, Devon. April, 2007.

The Bluebell bath oil is Penhaligon’s number one cult beauty product. For the ultimate bluebell experience, layer with the delicate floral eau de toilette. I love the old-fashioned glass bottle and matching wee ribbon.

Penhaligon's Bluebell Eau de Toilette Spray 50ml, £50.

Penhaligon’s has been around since 1891, and in this time it has earned itself a couple of royal warrants. One of its oldest fragrances is the citrus-y Blenheim Bouquet for blokes – apparently Winston Churchill was a fan.

Penhaligon’s Blenheim Eau de Toilette Spray, 50ml, £45.

For Penhaligon’s store locations, click here

Penhaligon's London stores:

Covent Garden
41 Wellington Street
London WC2

125 Regent Street
London W1

132 Kings Road
London SW3

16 Burlington Arcade
London W1

20A Brook Street
London W1

Click here for a Wee Birdy map.

London Fashion Week Trend Alert: Lavender

It’s London Fashion Week and a new “it” colour has emerged on the catwalk.
It was all about lavender at yesterday’s Spring/Summer 08 collections, where it made an appearance in Peter Jensen’s fabulous patent shoes, and on Danielle Scutt’s swimwear. Armand Basi’s show was predominantly an ode to lavender, with models draped in a subtle wash of this fresh and pretty hue.

Peter Jensen

Peter Jensen

Danielle Scutt

Armand Basi

Can't wait 'til Spring 2008? Add a splash of lavender to your look right now:

O.P.I nail lacquer in Mod Hatter, £8.

Estee Lauder Pure Color Eyeshadow in Iris Pearl, £14.

Penhaligon's Lavandula Heritage Candle, £45.

Vale Anita Roddick

Brazil Nut Body Butter 200ml, £12, is one of my all-time favourite products from The Body Shop, and a tribute to its inspirational founder, Anita Roddick, who died tonight in the UK. I met Anita at a Body Shop launch in Sydney a few years ago and she was not only smart and clever, but funny, warm and engaging. She had a major impact on the way we shop for beauty and was a pioneer in ethical business trading. Anita, you’ll be sadly missed.

Street style: Charlotte at the Hayward Gallery

A wee birdy told me that Charlotte, 35, is wearing a blue dress from Topshop, coat from Primark, red shoes from Office, and handbag from a market stall. Her red lipstick is by Nars in Rouge D'enfer.

Street Style: Leigh at Tatty Devine

Leigh, 25
A wee birdy told me that Leigh is wearing a white shirt from TK Maxx, a black vest she's had since she was little, a gold hummingbird necklace from a friend, a belt from a jumble sale, a vintage skirt and shoes from a car boot sale. Her saucy red lipstick is from Mac. Try these shades from Mac for a similar look: Russian Red (pillarbox red), Lady Danger (a vivid coral-red), and Ruby Woo (a bluish red).