Yes. So I double (actually triple, but who’s counting now?) booked myself again. As a PA, you’d think I’d be better at this, but truth is, I spend so much time managing other people’s diaries that my own gets muddled.
This meant, that despite catching a glimpse of Sali Hughes at the Selfridges Autumn Beauty Event in the city, there was no way I could get to see her up close and personal at their event at the Trafford Centre.
So what does a girl do when she can’t? She sends someone who can. And so Keeley wedged her feet in my shoes for the evening.
And I drank gin and was quietly jealous.
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Selfridges beauty events are starting to become something I really look forward to. Charlie and I had an absolute ball at the #beautyproject over the summer which saw me spend a small fortune and discover a new love for Nars Cosmetics as well as realise that, despite the numerous scents Chanel offer, I really am a Number 5 gal. This week though saw the beauty events take things to a whole new level. Sali Hughes was in town.
Sali Hughes is a no nonsense journalist writing a regular beauty column for the Guardian Weekender as well as pieces for Grazia, Elle, Red and Cosmopolitan magazines as well as her own blog. Not only does she write regular articles for magazines she is also a mum of 2 and has just published her first book Pretty Honest. How she manages to do all this with such elegance and flair is truly astonishing. As a beauty blogger I am in total awe of her and then the invite of the year dropped into my inbox. Sali was coming to the Selfridges Trafford Centre store. Would I like to be part of a blogger’s Q&A before the Selfridges beauty event? Damn right I would!
Sali arrived wearing the most beautiful pair of shoes I have ever seen. I contemplating keeping my cool and asking all the right questions about her column, her book, her children. I just couldn’t keep my eyes off the shoes. Remember the Sex and the City episode where Carrie gets to go in the Vogue sample room to find the ‘urban myth of shoes’ Manolo Blahnik mary janes? They were better… they were the Christian Louboutin version… Sali reassured me that I was totally right to ask about her shoes and went on to say how important she feels it is to wear the things we often ‘save for best’. I think we are all guilty of doing this at some point in our lives; my Mum has a bottle of Chanel Eau Premiere that she feels is too expensive to ‘waste’ by wearing every day. I do practice this in so many ways having treated myself to a Mulberry bag a few months ago. With that in mind I was reminded of my own pair of Christian Louboutin shoes that have been worn 3 times in total but never on a pavement. Sali was so right when she said “by saving things for best we are sending a message to ourselves unconsciously that we don’t deserve nice things right now. That we are in rehearsal for a day when we deserve to live well and enjoy luxuries”. Use your luxuries, enjoy them and respect your lovely things the way they deserve to be respected. You’re worth it.
I asked Sali if she wears the same scent every day and she explained that she chooses her scent depending on her mood and what she is wearing. She did say, however, that if she has a big important day ahead psychologically she thinks “it’s a Chanel number 5 day”. She wore it on her wedding day, her father’s funeral, the final negotiations of her book deal and today, the beauty event. She called it her “backbone in a bottle”.
Sali talked about her book and how most of it was written in the early hours of the morning with one of her favourite chapters being the one about the importance of giving and receiving compliments. She explained how frustrated she gets when women argue when we say something nice to them.
She divulged that she wrote the book in her true style, as a journalist. She explained that the idea of writing a book where there was one deadline so far in the future was far too big and woolly so she sent chapters at a time to her editor instead. A true pro living the Pretty Honest strapline of her novel.
As we bid Sali farewell we headed down to the event itself where Sali gave four exclusive tutorials to the women of Manchester on lips, foundation and brushes, skins, serums and oils as well as eyes and brows. This was done in her no nonsense style and she answered questions from the ever growing audience to help people master these techniques she feels are so important to a beauty regime. There was the opportunity to buy Sali’s book and get it signed by the lady herself as well as fizz and chocolates for guests to enjoy.
As if Sali wasn’t enough there was so much going on from massages at Jo Malone, personalised tutorials at Clarins, an express lip service at Charlotte Tilbury to name just a few. Tickets were £10 which was redeemable against any purchase on the night but, and I am being totally honest, Sali’s tutorials were worth the entry fee alone.
Massive thanks to Sali for answering our questions and to Selfridges to inviting Charlie. Oh and to Charlie for managing to book herself early on so I got to attend in her place!
Keep your eyes peeled for the next beauty event at Selfridges, I’m not sure how they can top this one.
With thanks, as ever, to Selfridges for the invitation to both myself and Keeley.