Pret-a-Portea Tea at The Berkeley and The Chelsea Hand and Foot Spa

My bunions would never fit in a Louboutin so I did the next best thing and ate one!

My Mum and I had the most amazing time sampling the wonders of the Pret-a-Portea at the Berkeley Hotel on Saturday.

If you've never heard of it, this is an afternoon tea with a twist and is definitely one for the girls.
You're seated in the aptly named Caramel room and presented with a stunning range of cakes, biscuits and other sweet treats that are all based on the latest fashion fads.

We feasted on a Miu Miu bikini biscuit, a Dolce and Gabbana handbag cake and even a cheesecake based on a Valentino dress.  It was such a treat and you could keep ordering until you were truly stuffed (at this point you could ask for a very posh handbag shaped doggy-bag to take even more cakes home) so well worth the £39. If you fancy the perfect girly afternoon then you can book it here. (Make sure you book in advance as it does get very busy!)

Anyway, as we munched on cakes, I proudly showed my Mum my new ballet pumps. When it comes to shoes I often have to choose comfort over style as my feet are different sizes and just all-round odd! I was excited about said pumps because for once they actually fitted and looked good (or so I thought). According to my ever-honest mother they gave me toe-cleavage and showed my bunions (I didn't even realise that I had bunions for goodness sake!) After sulking like a teenager for a few moments I grabbed a Louboutin biscuit and ate it with gusto.

Anyway, on the subject of bunions, Louboutins and toe-cleavage, I had a lovely medi-pedi a couple of weeks ago. My first experience of the medical pedicure was at the wonderful Margaret Dabbs Clinic at 7 New Cavendish Street,  where my feet were totally transformed in less than an hour. This time around I trialled the Chelsea Hand and Foot Spa and here's what I loved about it:

1. While the service at Margaret Dabbs was phenomenal, it did feel more medical than pedical if you know what I mean. What I loved about the Chelsea Hand and Foot Spa was how utterly relaxing it was. The music, lovely surroundings and TV screen with images of the sea all served to help me forget that I was having an ingrowing toe-nail dealt with.

2. The service was GREAT and my feet looked fantastic. I was extremely impressed with Margaret Dabbs and I can honestly say that the results of my medi-pedi at the Hand and Foot Spa were not far off and it was a bit cheaper too!

3. I loved the fact that they made their own exfoliator out of olive-oil and coarse salt.  It was simple and effective.


If you do fancy giving your feet (bunion riddled or not) the gift of health and beauty then here's a link to the website.

Relaxing and Informal-I loved this place

Beauty Tips for Busy Women

Is it just me or does looking your best sometimes make you feel more empowered?

I don't know if this is a good thing to admit and it quite probably goes against all my feminist inclinations, but if I have a full face of makeup on and I feel half attractive then I can do anything. On days when I go say to the supermarket make-up free I tend to look fewer people in the eye and suddenly become a bit shy and retiring.

The only time when I am truly happy going au-naturel is in fact with my husband who claims to love me makeup free. Other people in my life are not so forthcoming. I remember meeting my Dad at a pub with no makeup only to be questioned for the next ten minutes about the state of my health. Another time, I was running late for a meeting and rushed in without my makeup on. My boss of the time scowled and said "What did you do with Nicola?" (Said boss also used to make copious comments about my boobs so perhaps I shouldn't have taken this too seriously).

The problem is that often there just isn't time to spend making yourself look incredible. It's hard enough working, keeping the house/your life together and if you're reading this and have kids then that takes things to a whole new level of crazy.

Anyway, I've decided to put together a Bonn Beauty list of things that I do to make me feel confident and beautiful when I'm really busy.

1. If I don't have time to do a full face of makeup (say when I get up at 2:15am for my radio show) then there are three products that I rely on to give me enough confidence to face my fellow early morning colleagues:

- Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturiser (rapidly rubbed into my face with my hands)
- Benefit Erase Paste (to get rid of my massive early-morning bags)
- Mac Haute and Naughty Mascara (a little goes a long way!)

No I don't look amazing when I wear this combo but I do look thoroughly acceptable and nicely fresh-faced which is just about enough for me!

2. Get a GOOD fake-tan

 When I'm brown I look so much better without makeup and my confidence levels soar!

The man I always go to for a really reliable spray-tan is James Read at the Sanderson Hotel. He is the best because he is totally thorough and the results are as natural as you can get. I always get asked if I've been on holiday when I have one of his tans which can only be a good thing.

James has just launched his own range of products which I tried last week and I am already a massive fan. (As are a whole load of celebrities including Jessie J and Vogue Magazine are raving about them!) The tan hardly smells, doesn't rub off on your sheets and contains loads of anti-ageing ingredients which is a real bonus. You can get hold of them here.

3. Turn to Clarins

When I have absolutely no time I pat on loads of Clarins Flash Beauty Balm. It is enough to give me a nice glow and look a little bit less like a sickly ghost.

I'd love to hear your tips for looking good when you have little/no time. Email me at nicola@nicolabonn.com xx

Filming With Pixiwoo

Very quick one this morning although I have SO many things to tell you about in the coming weeks including:

- An incredible medi-pedi to get your feet healthy and beautiful
- A very easy-to-apply and long-lasting liquid eyeliner
- My review of Rapidlash
- The most relaxing and inspiring facial I've ever experienced
- Why I love Mama Mio Products

Anyway, yesterday I did some filming for the beauty section of heart.co.uk with my favourite make-up artists (and the most successful beauty vloggers of all time) Pixiwoo. We were talking about a new service from Boots No.7.  I'm not allowed to tell you what it is YET but as soon as I can I will. What I can say is that I reckon it's going to totally revolutionise the way we choose our makeup and quite possibly the beauty industry as a whole. Very exciting stuff.

It was fab to catch up with the girls who are incredibly down to earth for two sisters who are known all around the world. They really are as lovely as they come across in their videos! I was also lucky enough to get a makeover from Nic which was a real treat.

In other news I was very excited to see that Melvita has come over from France and is now available in John Lewis. Melvita is a range of organic and really beautiful face and body products. Definitely worth a try. I particularly love the smell/texture of the Gelee Fraiche Desalterante.

Anyway, promise I'll write soon at more length and with some great recommendations for you xx

What happens during a Colonoscopy?

When Chris and I had been together for a year we had a lovely little chat. It went something along these lines:

Me: Chrissssssss

Chris: Yes?

Me: What do you love about me?

Cue long list of romantic sweet nothings

Me: And what would you change?

Chris: What kind of a question is that? Nothing of course.

Me: But if you HAD to change something

Chris: Well......am I going to get in trouble for this?

Me: JUST SAY IT!

Chris: You have no stopper!

And there it was. The thing that most freaks out my husband. I say TOO MUCH.

Now I'm not talking about revealing peoples' secrets here or going on and on for hours. I'm talking about my inability to keep my own personal issues private. I'm a sharer and am happy to talk about my experiences with those who are willing to listen.

So, it was with trepidation that Chris asked me whether I was going to go into the details of my colonoscopy on my blog. My response was naturally of course I bloody am. If it can help/amuse/calm you  then why the hell not?

So here goes...The Bonn Beauty Guide To Surviving a Colonoscopy

1. I needed a colonoscopy because I had loads of symptoms that were freaking me out including slight anaemia, tiredness and quite strange bowel symptoms. Being slightly (understatement) neurotic I somehow managed to talk myself round to thinking that I had colon cancer. The specialist assured me that the chances of a 31 year old woman having colon cancer were exceptionally rare but he wanted to do the colonoscopy to rule everything out.

2. A week later I was sent an exciting looking parcel in the post which turned out to be two packs of something called Moviprep. This is an ultra-strong laxative which you mix with a litre of water and drink the day before the procedure and then again on the actual day. I hated everything about that package and hid it away!


3. My procedure was on the Friday at 4pm. From Wednesday morning to Thursday lunch my diet consisted of:

Rich Tea Biscuits
Eggs
White bread
Cheese
Ice-cream
Jelly

REALLY bizarre but no fibre allowed in the run-up!

4. Thursday at 4pm was when the fun really started. It was Moviprep time.

Now let me give you a few home truths about this stuff...

 If you go online you will read all sorts of horror stories about it tasting unbearable and making people sick.

This is simply a load of rubbish. It is totally manageable. A bit salty yes but not unbearable.

Here's my top hint:

Buy two one litre bottles of non-alcoholic ginger-ale. About 4 hours before you need to start drinking the Moviprep mix it with a bottle of the ginger-ale and shove it in the fridge. When it's time to start, drink it glass by glass (one litre works out as four medium sized glasses) every fifteen minutes and do so with a straw. The ginger-ale really counteracts the taste as does the temperature.

5. Usually the Moviprep doesn't take too long to work. I was waiting in trepidation for NINE HOURS!! Chris found the whole thing quite amusing. I tried dancing, rolling around the floor and jumping but still nothing was going on. I started panicking and thinking that it hadn't worked but at 1am my stomach finally did what it was meant to.

6. The effect of the laxative is NOT like having a stomach bug. It is absolutely fine as long as you're near a loo. There's no pain, just a gurgly feeling in your stomach.

Two words of advice:

Use LOADS of Zinc and Castor Oil Cream on your bottom to stop it stinging and get some baby wipes to use instead of plain old loo roll.

7. The next morning I repeated all this again from 8am and it all happened far more quickly so that by the time I had to leave the house at 2pm I was fine.

                                                      Pre-Colonoscopy Nervous Face!

The Procedure:

I hate hospitals with a vengeance. I was incredibly nervous before the procedure and made Chris' life a nightmare as he stoically accompanied me. I informed the specialist that he better look after my bottom (highly embarrassing) and was on the verge of tears for hours before the whole sorry affair.

The reality is that it really was OK.

Basically, you are put in a pair of baggy shorts with an ultra-fashionable flap at the back for easy access and a gown. The specialist gives you a pain-killer and sedative which instantly relaxes you and before you know it the whole thing is over and you're munching on a sandwich.

SOME people feel slight discomfort. I felt absolutely nothing and was chatting away during the proceedings whilst watching it all on a screen.

The message that I want to really get across to you is that whilst this isn't something that anyone would choose to do, it is NOTHING to be scared of. If I can manage it I promise you can. So, if you've been putting it off for ages, get it booked in!!

Oh and by the way, I've just got plain old IBS :0) x

Help Look Good Feel Better Raise £10,000

I recently discovered the charity Look Good Feel Better and was absolutely bowled over by the work that they do.

This charity is all about making women with cancer feel good about themselves by giving them self- confidence and empowerment.

The idea is that for a few hours you can forget about the illness, the loss of hair and everything else that comes with the Big C and actually have some me-time. Make-up artists and wig-specialists are on hand to advise and teach groups of women how to look their best. The work-shops are fun, hands on and most importantly uplifting. It's incredible how empowering it can be to look a bit like your old self and the advice received is invaluable.

Anyway, I was recently told about a campaign that they're doing with Lancome in order to raise much needed funds to keep the charity running. All you need to do is click on a Facebook page and you could help raise £10,000 for this incredible charity.

Here are the details. Please please click as it will really make a difference.

Help Look Good...Feel Better raise £10,000

Look Good...Feel Better (LGFB) - the Beauty Industry’s Charity - which helps ladies combat the visible side-effects of their cancer treatment has been given the opportunity to generate £10,000 in donations and are calling for your help to achieve this target.   

Lancôme has created a ‘Share a drop of Confidence’ fundraising initiative on its Facebook page and will donate £1 to LGFB for every person who ‘likes’ the Lancôme’s Experts Services page – up to £10,000. The page can be found by clicking herehttp://www.facebook.com/LancomeExpertServices/app_230169603771181

Look Good...Feel Better runs free skincare and make-up workshops in 63 hospitals across the UK with the aim to greatly increase women’s self confidence and self esteem at a very difficult time in their lives.   

Sarahjane Robertson, LGFB Executive Director, says:  “This is a wonderful opportunity for LGFB and I’d like to thank our long standing friends atLancôme.  It will only take a moment so please do help us achieve this target.    £10,000 will help us extend LGFB’s incredibly valuable service to more women struggling with their cancer treatment.”

Please help LGFB achieve this target and visit the Lancôme Facebook page now ... and remember to ‘share’ the page with all your Facebook friends, family, colleagues .

Emma Hardie Amazing Face Natural Lift and Sculpt Luxury Cleansing System

Today and tomorrow are not going to be good days. At this moment I am munching on a rich tea biscuit with relish as it's the last thing that I'll be eating until Saturday.

Without going in to too much sordid detail, I have somehow been talked into having a colonoscopy. I HATE hospitals and procedures but equally, it's best to investigate things when they need investigating and people go through a lot worse.

As this is a beauty blog, I am not going to chat about what my bowels will be experiencing for the next two days, but I will instead implore you to watch this hysterical video of Billy Connolly which just about sums it all up.

Anyway, not even a Dr going where the sun don't shine can detract from my excitement about my latest beauty find. Just as I thought I'd found the ultimate cleanser in Ren No.1 Purity Cleansing Balm, another one came along that just beats every cleanser that I have ever used hands down. Emma Hardie Amazing Face Natural Lift and Sculpt Luxury Cleansing Serum is just sensational. You pop a bit of the balm (which contains a list of beautiful botanical products) in your hand and warm it up a bit and then mix it with a sprinkle of the rosehip exfoliating seeds which come in a separate pot. After that you massage away into your skin and remove with a cloth (half flannel and half muslin). The effects are outstanding. My skin has never glowed like this, my spots and scars have totally faded and I have had comment after comment about my skin (including from my husband Chris). This is my new hero product and I thoroughly recommend it! xx