ALEXANDRA SHULMAN'S NOTEBOOK: The potions have arrived - but are they magic?
Sam McKnight, the hairstylist famous for tending Princess Diana 's crop, threw a magnificent 70th birthday bash recently. And what a swell party it was as the fashion industry of the past four decades crammed into the Berkeley Hotel in Knightsbridge.
Despite many of the guests themselves heading for that particular landmark birthday, nobody looked a day over… shall we say 45?
That included my friend Charlotte Tilbury, the flame-haired beauty magnate who took one look at me and said she was going to send over some of her products to help with my own appearance.
Now, when someone in the beauty world as savvy as Charlotte speaks, you listen. True to her word, a vast array of potions has arrived promising me the pellucid skin of Lila Moss and the party glam of her mum Kate.
The bathroom shelf is now rammed full. There's Magic Cream Light (I'd heard Tilbury's Magic Cream is a go-to for make-up artists, so I was thrilled to receive a pot of that), Magic Serum Crystal Elixir, the Super Radiance Resurfacing Facial, Radiant Skin Rescue Essence, Superfusion Facial Oil … I could go on.
Charlotte – who, as anyone who's seen her in the flesh knows, has not a single line on her face – clearly thought I was an emergency case. She may be right, but I need an instruction kit. Should the Magic Elixir be applied before the Magic Cream? Does the Rescue Essence go on after the Eye Serum?
My face is the result of refusing to have any of the tweakments or treatments available nowadays to hold back time. It carries its fair share of wrinkles, dark spots, dry patches and saggy areas.
Even though I spent years working in fashion and beauty, my lack of dedication to face products – let alone cosmetic interventions – definitely shows when I'm with a crowd who are more committed to looking ageless. Letting nature take its course is relatively rare in the industry.
But I'm going to approach Charlotte's generous gift in the spirit of an experiment and see if magic really is available in her array of tubes. That's if I have the patience and dedication to work out what goes on where and when.
Gone are the days when it was thought a simple pot of Pond's cold cream was all the well-dressed face needed.
No wedding will outdo Venice itself
Despite many dire warnings of Venice sinking under the weight of tourists, the city is still sensationally beautiful.
So it's no surprise Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez – who can have anything they want in the world – are planning their wedding festivities there next week.
Their mega-yacht Koru will be moored out in the lagoon and every water taxi in town is being commandeered to ferry guests from the hotels (the Cipriani, Aman and Danieli) to the palazzi and restaurants. My own visit to Venice last week involved two celebrations.
We joined the crowds on the quaysides cheering on the Vogalonga parade of 2,000 rowing boats, large and tiny, manned by doughty souls as they traversed the canals and lagoon in the baking heat.
And we were guests at the publication party of Love From Venice – the story of the now 93-year-old Gill Johnson's summer as an au pair for the Venetian Brandolini family – hosted by her former employer, 98-year-old Contessa Cristiana Brandolini d'Adda.
The party was held in the beautiful gardens behind the high wall of the Palazzo Brandolini – an excellent example of Venice's hidden treasures. Diane von Furstenberg also keeps an apartment there.
So it's no surprise Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez (pictured at the Vanity Fair Oscars after-party in March) – who can have anything they want in the world – are planning their wedding festivities there next week
Word has it that the Belgian fashion designer and Bezos pal will be entertaining wedding guests, who will arrive via the canal gate under her building (imagine a less threatening version of the Tower of London's famous Traitors' Gate).
My advice to anyone attending the Bezos bash is to dial down. Ditch the Manolo heels, the water taxis and gondolas and instead walk at early light through the open campi and small alleyways of the city.
Glamorous as the wedding festivities may sound, no amount of Kardashians and Trumps will be anything like as magical as the milky green water of the Grand Canal and its tributaries as daylight breaks above the city before the crowds swarm in.
How can I devour a novel and lunch?
While in Venice, I spent a very happy lunch alone in the company of a salad, an Aperol Spritz and a Graham Greene novel. The only flaw was not really having mastered the art of reading and eating at the same time.
Having to put down the book every time I took a mouthful somewhat spoilt the flow.
I'm sure there is a trick to this and would be delighted to know the answer.
A new benchmark for pure selfishness
Back in London and on to more mundane matters. What on earth has happened to park bench etiquette? Park benches seem to have turned into flexible working units, where the whole area is taken up by one selfish person (usually a man) plus his laptop and backpack. Benches are intended to be communal spaces, not commandeered for use as a free outdoor WFH office.
If you see someone hovering nearby, the correct behaviour is to shove your paraphernalia out of the way and smile welcomingly. Not stare right through them, while you continue to boom boringly into your smartphone.
Do tall women sell themselves short?
A new investigation into short man syndrome concludes that it leads to more jealousy and competitiveness than you find in taller guys. Is that why short men also love tall women?
For evidence, see countless couples including Rod Stewart and Penny Lancaster, James Blunt and Lady Sofia Wellesley, and Jamie Cullum and Sophie Dahl. Perhaps tall women are a status symbol?
What it doesn't explain is why tall women so often fall for short men.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
18 minutes ago
- The Sun
Love Island ‘bully' row as Toni and Shakira turn on Emily in massive argument
LOVE Island fans have accused some of the stars of bullying after an explosive row in the Casa Amor villa. American Islander Toni and Emily clashed in fiery scenes with the former accusing her costar of being nosey on the ITV reality dating series. 4 4 Toni - who arrived as the first bombshell of the series - gets annoyed after hearing a conversation between Emily and Conor. The row then started after Emily accused Toni of talking behind her back and was warned by Meg that Toni had said she was being "nosey" and described her as "Little Miss Sunshine." Toni was also seen talking about Emily to Shakira, who agreed with Toni's views. Following their row, an exasperated Emily said she thought Toni was "just trying to cause a problem," and "she's f****g nuts." But viewers watching at home accused the Islanders of bullying due to the many instances of gossiping about Emily without her knowledge. "Toni wanted to be the IT girl so bad and is now just trying anything to stay relevant causing problems when Emily hasn't done anything wrong, when actually she just looks like a bully," wrote one Love Island fan on X, formerly Twitter. Another added: "You all love Toni but last year you all hated Jess saying she was a bully?!?!?!" A third wrote: "Toni is like a school ground bully, poor Emily her and Shakira are 2 b*****s." And a fourth posted: "How can you call Toni a bully for that when Emily happily begs it w the bully trio." Toni hasn't had the easiest ride in the villa, and on Wednesday night she was almost dumped from the villa. New islander Harrison was faced with choosing between Toni and Malisha, after they both found themselves single in the latest recoupling. They both then went on a date with Harrison, before he chose Toni, meaning Malisha went home. It was a shaky night all round for Shakira on Friday's episode as she chatted to Harry who admitted being unsure about his relationship with Helena. Love Island 2025 full lineup Harry Cooksley: A 30-year-old footballer with charm to spare. Shakira Khan: A 22-year-old Manchester-based model, ready to turn heads. Megan Moore: A payroll specialist from Southampton, looking for someone tall and stylish. Alima Gagigo: International business graduate with brains and ambition. Tommy Bradley: A gym enthusiast with a big heart. Helena Ford: A Londoner with celebrity connections, aiming to find someone funny or Northern. Ben Holbrough: A model ready to make waves. Megan Clarke: An Irish actress already drawing comparisons to Maura Higgins. Dejon Noel-Williams: A personal trainer and semi-pro footballer, following in his footballer father's footsteps. Aaron Buckett: A towering 6'5' personal trainer. Conor Phillips: A 25-year-old Irish rugby pro. Antonia Laites: Love Island's first bombshell revealed as sexy Las Vegas pool party waitress. Yasmin Pettet: The 24-year-old bombshell hails from London and works as a commercial banking executive. Malisha Jordan: A teaching assistant from Broxbourne, Hertfordshire, who entered Love Island 2025 as a bombshell. Emily Moran: Bombshell Welsh brunette from the same town as Love Island 2024 alumni Nicole Samuel. Shea Mannings: Works as a scaffolder day-to-day and plays semi-pro football on the side. Remell Mullins: Boasts over 18million likes and 500k followers on TikTok thanks to his sizzling body transformation videos. Harrison Solomon: Pro footballer and model entering Love Island 2025 as a bombshell. Departures: Kyle Ashman: Axed after an arrest over a machete attack emerged. He was released with no further action taken and denies any wrongdoing. Sophie Lee: A model and motivational speaker who has overcome adversity after suffering life-changing burns in an accident. Blu Chegini: A boxer with striking model looks, seeking love in the villa. Their chat might lead to a rekindling of their relationship with a preview of Sunday's episode showing the pair snogging enthusiastically. Love Island continues tonight at 9pm on ITV2 and ITVX. 4
Telegraph
19 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Prince of Wales plays with new puppies in birthday picture
Kensington Palace has released a picture of the Prince of Wales playing with his new puppies to mark his 43rd birthday. The photograph, taken in Windsor by the Princess of Wales earlier this month, will no doubt be appreciated by all animal lovers who have lost their own pets. The Prince and Princess of Wales were left deeply upset when their beloved cocker spaniel Lupo died unexpectedly in 2020. So there was reason to rejoice after the couple announced that Lupo's replacement, Orla, has now given birth to puppies. The Waleses have now posted a photograph of Orla and her tiny brood. The Prince and Princess of Wales were given Lupo as a wedding present by the Princess's brother, James Middleton.
Daily Mail
24 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Inside the secret tunnels under London where 'Ian Fleming dreamed up James Bond in WWII'
In central London, just off the bustle of High Holborn, there is a nondescript blue door. Commuters who walk past it on their way to Chancery Lane station will note the bright red and yellow signs adorned to it. The warning that 'trespassers will be prosecuted' is perhaps the giveaway that this is not your typical storeroom or building entrance. Instead, as MailOnline's exclusive pictures and video reveal, it is the gateway to a network of tunnels with a fascinating history. James Bond author Ian Fleming is believed to have worked in the sprawling complex in his role in naval intelligence during the Second World War. This labyrinth is thought to have inspired Fleming in his creation of the lair of gadget chief Q for his novels. After the war, the network - which lies around 100feet below the ground - was expanded to house a telephone exchange that routed calls between the Kremlin and the White House during the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962. The complex was later sold to British Telecom (BT) and had a licensed bar installed for workers to relax in. Around 30 years after the site was mothballed, MailOnline was given a tour by current owners The London Tunnels Company, who are in the process of raising around £150million to re-develop the site as a tourist attraction. The development will include the re-opening of the bar, as well as a memorial to the victims of the Blitz and various displays paying homage to Fleming and the world's most famous fictional spy. James Loxton, director of investor relations at the London Tunnels, told MailOnline: 'We are going to create an attraction that is three things in one. 'Firstly, it is a huge immersive experience. Secondly, it will be a selection of permanent and temporary exhibition spaces. 'And thirdly, it will have the world's deepest bar under a capital city.' Planning permission for the project has been granted by Camden Council. The complex - officially known as the Kingsway Exchange Tunnels - was built between 1940 and 1942 and initially intended to be a deep level shelter for Londoners seeking refuge from Nazi bombs. But by the time the network was completed, the threat from bombing raids had largely subsided as Hitler gave up his ambition of forcing Britain to surrender. The initial footprint was two 1,250ft-long tunnels that were just over 18feet in diameter. Had they been used as a shelter, the Kingsway tunnels could have housed around 8,000 people. Instead, the Special Operations Executive (SOE) - created on the orders of Winston Churchill to 'set Europe ablaze' - moved personnel in. Fleming - who closely collaborated with the SOE and other clandestine units - was among the staff who worked down there, according to Mr Loxton. He said: 'He was working in these tunnels from 1944 to 1945 and this is where he came up with the idea of James Bond. 'So you know you see Q in all the Bond movies? He's always working in an underground lair? Well, this is where he got the inspiration.' Fleming's first Bond novel, Casino Royale, was published in 1953. The author is known to drawn significantly on his wartime experiences when writing his books, which were first adapted for the big screen in 1962 film Dr No. After the war, the Kingsway tunnels were used until 1949 by the Public Records Office to store documents on around 15 miles worth of shelving. The complex was then handed over to what was then the state-owned General Post Office, which turned it into a telecommunications hub. The expansion was carried out from 1952 and completed in 1954. Four additional tunnels were built in a north-south direction. Much bigger than the originals, they are around 280 feet long and 24 feet wide. The update means there is space makes to accommodate what is hoped will be nearly 50,000 visitors a week in the complex's new guise as a tourist attraction. As well as the bar area, which is still fitted with tables and chairs from when it was last operational, there is an infirmary and a well that could have provided fresh water had it been needed in the event of a nuclear attack. And occupants were protected by thick metal blast doors, including one that was - according to the stamp on it - repurposed from the Royal Mint. The first transatlantic telephone cable, known as TAT-1, ran between Oban in Argyll and Bute and Clarenville in Newfoundland. The sale to BT went through in 1981. As well as the bar, a canteen, kitchen and games room were installed for workers. The site had largely been mothballed by the early 1990s but was used as part of the Government's top secret Pindar bunker facility until the middle of the decade. In the years since they have been out of use, the tunnels have been broken into by urban explorers, a fact evidenced by graffiti that has been sprayed on walls. BT put the tunnels up for sale in 2007 and they were finally bought by the hedge fund-backed London Tunnels Company for around £10million in 2023. The re-development plans were approved by Camden Council last year.
