Something for nothing...the InStyle fashion hunt!

Now, i'm going to start this post with a disclaimer: I have never read a copy of InStyle magazine. Not because i've heard good or bad things about it, it's just never been on my fashion magazine radar. Interested to hear your thoughts? Here's a preview of the latest issue if you haven't seen it either!

Anyway, all that could change this week, because InStyle are hosting a fashion hunt, social media stylee. And all you need to win are a copy of the latest issue of InStyle, a twitter account, and a generous portion of good luck!

Sorry to all you guys in the regions, but the event is London-based. All you have to do is find the location of the InStyler, who will have a hamper of goodies to give out to the first person to find them and show them their InStyle July copy. There will be obvious clues on their website, twitter page and facebook page. (They're going social media crazy!) For example, if the InStyler was in Selfridges, they would tweet a picture of a yellow selfridges bag etc. Each day of the 5 days will be themed. Here is the list of themes from the press release:

Day1: Monday 7th June: Fashion Selfridge’s day: Oxford Street's most iconic store is kicking off our InStyle Fashion hunt by offering £500 to spend on the contemporary Fashion floor on the 3rd floor. You can win £500 to spend on designer brands on that floor including Alexandra Wang, Marc by Marc Jacobs, MCQ, Markus Lupfer and many more.

Day 2: Tuesday 8th June: Jewellery day: we have fabulous jewellery pieces to be won including an Alex Monroe peacock feather necklace, Erickson Beamon crystal embellished earrings, Zoe & Morgan tiger necklace and Monica Vinader black onyx nugget cuff.

Day 3: Wednesday 9th June: Handbag day: We are giving away designer handbags from Missoni, DKNY, Armani Exchange and GUESS, so get ready to win these fantastic summer fashion gems.

Day 4: Thursday 10th June: Beauty Day: Pamper yourself by winning beauty product hampers from Givenchy, Benefit, Versace, Burberry, Ruby& Mille, Topshop Make up, Nails Inc, Neil’s Yard, Cowshed, Leighton Denny, Charles Worthington, Fake bake, Field of Flowers and many many more.

Day 5: Friday 11th June: Fashion & Fashion Voucher day: win a luxurious fashion shopping spree of £500 to spend at my-wardrobe.com in addition on this day we are also giving away fashion items from J brand, Converse, Agent Provocateur and Mover Aderdeen.

Day 6: Monday 14th June: Fashion & Fashion Voucher day: £500 to spend at Jaeger.co.uk, in addition you also have the chance to win an Ovale Poncho and a Matthew Williamson studded python print belt from the Matthew Williamson Spring Summer 10 collection.

Day 7: Tuesday 15th June: Watch day: the final and last day of our Fashion Hunt we have three fantastic watches from Zadig & Voltaire for you to win.

So if you're going to be around central London next week, why not shove a copy of InStyle in your handbag, follow InStyle on twitter, and give it a go? I will be working on location about 10 yards from Selfridges on Monday, so I think I might buy a copy of the magazine and try my luck: I want to give it a read any way, now it's on the radar. It makes me feel dirty to think there's a fashion magazine I haven't at least tried!

Love, Tor xx

Sex and the City 2: The Movie review

Last night my sister and I went to see the new Sex and the City movie. I was looking forward to it, but apprehensively: every single review i'd read had been awful, so I didn't want to expect alot. I think that is the way to approach the film, because with my low expectations I actually found I had a great time!

In a recent interview SJP decribed the film as "a romp" and that's exactly what it was: I laughed out loud several times (usually at Samantha) I despaired at Carrie's hopelessness (and at the sometimes wince inducing plot) and I left the theatre feeling somewhat fulfilled. Some parts of the story were cut off too quickly, and the storyline that lead them to the Middle East in the first place was thin and patchy to say the least. But if you suspend your disbelief and accept it for what it is then I think you can still have a good night out with "the girls" (Isn't it ridiculous to call women in their 50s girls!?) The film franchise will never live up to the TV series for me, but in whatever way its nice to watch characters you love grow and develop, even if it isn't in the way you would've chosen for them.

The fashion though, was fabulous: it felt like some scenes had only been added as set pieces for Patrica Field to show what she could do. The big gay wedding (between two characters that hated each other - did I miss something?!) and the trekking across the desert on camels (yes, I felt your collective sigh) were costume high points, but plot-line low points. (Although Liza Minelli was incredible and we left the cinema still singing Beyonce because of her!) The scene where Miranda and Charlotte have a heart to heart about motherhood is touching, and could have been made much more of: the dresses they wear in that scene are fantastic too! SJP wears ALOT of Halston (predictably) and this actually means that for me she isn't the best or most interestingly dressed character in the film: look to the other ladies for your sartorial inspiration!

Speaking of the fashion, you might remember aages ago I showed you my Carrie Bradshaw-style Fabfrocks name necklace. Well Carrie still wears hers all the way through the latest film, and if you're still thinking of getting your hands on one (your name not Carries, unless you're a super-fan!) then I still recommend mynamenecklace who made mine. They're also started doing them in Arabic Script: yet more inspiration from the Sex and the City franchise! I wish i'd remembered to put mine on yesterday, but as we went straight from work we didn't get to dress up and do our homage to Bradshaw: next time (and there will be a next time: I predict that this franchise isn't dead yet!)

Have you been to see the film yet? I'd love to know what you think!
Love, Tor xx

I can't imagine a life without...perfume

I was suprised to discover i've only written about fragrance once or twice before: i'm a complete fragrance addict, and a spritz of a really good perfume can really brighten up my day. Last Thursday I left the house without putting any on, and didn't realise until i'd got to the ground floor of our block: I had to turn straight back round and apply some perfume, or my day would've been spoilt!!

I love sweet and feminine fragrances: I think my tastes are still a little young and girly. I read somewhere that your fragrance tastes mature as you get older because your sense of smell is continually changing, which is why people in their 40s+ tend to like musky fragrances and younger people like sweeter ones. Perhaps I have an immature nose! I love Anna Sui (almost every single fragrance, although I have a soft spot for flight of fancy) Vera Wang Princess, and the latest edition to my reportoire is Marc Jacobs Lola, which was a Christmas gift from my parents that I have since replaced, because I totally fell in love with it! Before it was discontinued Nina Ricci Les Belles de Ricci was my signiture scent, and I haven't found it's replacement yet: I wear a different fragrance every day, and they each make me feel different things.
I do want to secure a signature fragrance though, one you can smell and immediately associate with me. And as much as I love the Gwen Stefani perfumes, I think i'm a little old to be buying perfume based on the fact I like the doll on the bottle! I read in one of my many bridal magazines (sorry more wedding talk!) that you should buy a new perfume to wear on your wedding day, that way whenever you smell the scent it whisks you back to that day. I think this is a really good idea, especially if, like me, your sense of smell is strong and does help evoke happy memories.

So I need to find a wedding day scent. And I want that wedding day scent to become my signature scent: but I don't know where to even begin with finding it! When you walk through a perfume counter the smells are so overwhelming they all merge into one, and just end up giving me a headache! So i'm turning it over to you guys (you've always helped me out before!) What's your favourite perfume? Do you have any recommendations for a scent you could wear every day and never get bored? I need a new perfume anyway, so it would be nice to combine both shopping trips, and have a sense of purpose around the perfume counters for a change! All suggestions gratefully received!!

Love, Tor xx