Loyalty...

In the big things in life, I am pretty loyal, one of the those people that sticks to what they know and once some thing is good, couldn't see the point of changing it. I'm still completely hooked on my significant other, still live in the same flat since we were married, drive all our cars until they die, holiday in the same place Summer and Winter, worked in the same job for over a decade.
And yet it stops there, for every day things I really couldn't care which cornflakes I eat,  what mayonnaise accompanies my salad or which washing powder my clothes smell of, truth be told I positively enjoy change and trying the new and the different. Perhaps it is precisely because I am so constant elsewhere that I don't look for regularity in the mundane.
I was thinking about brands and loyalty at the weekend, we were rushing to get to a big party a few hours away from home and everything had to be done quickly and efficiently, it was only the fun stuff like clothes and make-up that was required, but I was interested in how my inner dilettante reached for particular individual brands to which I thought she was immune.
It went something like;
bath products: don't care, will use whatever the hotel has on offer
shampoo: ditto
Body moisturiser: any emollient is fine by me even sunflower oil does the trick if necessary, but when unsure of possible improvisation opportunities it has to be Neom Unwind Body Oil, it is really refreshing and I find it very uplifting before a long night out.

Fake tan: complete convert to one which is still to launch and I have been sampling for a friend, this is my only 'must', but still can't reveal the name as I don't think it is finalised. The product is nothing short of miraculous, a totally natural two week holiday tan that evens skin tone, hides wrinkles and wears off like a real tan.
Lipstick; As long as it is nude don't care which brand, prefer a rich one but always have lip gloss to shine up anything a little lack lustre again vaseline will do
Mascara; recently these have been coming free on the front of magazines and I am quite happy with all of them although if pushed I quite like the Bourjois white and black one where you extend first and then cover with black
Foundation; don't really bother because of fab fake tan, but do like a dusting of Bare Minerals, when it's a big night out, I know there is no chance of removing make up at night and leaving vitamin C powder on my skin would seem positively virtuous.

I am a rubbish blogger and forgot to take any pictures of the Bedouin tented village that was created in the grounds of this place...

I think I just got carried away with how magical the evening was.
It was a great excuse to dress up (in my nearly Versace and Jimmy Choos), snog under the stars and drink too much, like being 18 again...

ball gowns on the beach

I've always struggled with basics as I find shopping for them so dull. On the other hand, I have a huge oversupply of ball dresses as the possibilities are so much more interesting when buying them, and somehow they always seem better value for money, although on a cost per wear basis that is nuts (just call me Emma Bovary). The maxi dress is very much 'in ' this year and I wondered if any of these could be passed off as beach wear.

Matthew Williamson top for Nikki Beach not so much maxi, but anything else would be like wearing a Burka.

Versace inspired dress, I think not, this is a little over the top for day wear even in St tropez.

This is actually a wedding dress from Monsoon, but I think with the basket bag is OK for lunch at 55.

I bought this Temperley one with the bag at Bicester last week.

Lunch at Coworth Park

I couldn't wait to return to Coworth park after the dinner and and spa day.

It is dog friendly and with 100s of acres of polo fields the perfect place to while away the hours.

We met for coffee on the terrace overlooking the grounds, walked the dog for a couple of hours and then visited the Barnyard, the more rustic of the restaurants for lunch, after a bit more dog walking and a look around the spa which my companion had not seen, we returned to the main house for a post lunch coffee in the conservatory.  It was a perfect day and great way to catch properly on all the news that we had not shared over the last few months.  Coworth is definitely an occasion and demands a suitable outfit.

I have been unearthing some long forgotten treasures from my wardrobe and selected this Blumarine coral embellished silk and cashmere top (that I bought but could never fit into), very old Zara silk trousers, Versace shoes from Bicester from about 10 years ago, a (new!) Temperley bag, bought during last week's trip to Bicester and a new purse picked up from Wilbur and Gussie on Ebay.

The view from the terrace...

Gorgeous interiors in the loos...

Covetable interiors in the drawing room, I just want to move in...

The swan table should be the height of bad taste, but even this works brilliantly in the scheme....

The mini country village that houses 'The Barnyard' restaurant, all very Marie Antoinette...

We had potted trout to share to start and then I had goat's cheese brioche with mushrooms and mixed leaves and my companion had beetroot, walnut and mixed leaves plus a large sparkling water and it cost £29, which is not bad for a full day's entertainment! 

Perfect day, looking forward to another excuse to visit.

Corporate day out 2...

Displeased with my attempts at 'corporate chic' see post a couple below. My man wanted me in full on Queen Mother glamour. I love the Queen Mum, she is like the perfect granny of the era, finding this picture made me feel very sentimental and nostalgic...

The guidelines are everything must match and nothing that makes any strong reference to fashion (Kate have you been using the same references?)

The dress is Anne Klein and the coat Karen Millen (a recent purchase from ebay for less than a fiver!)
The shoes are rather moth eaten from Versace in Bicester Village (when it used to be cheap in about 1998). They cover my bunions but unfortunately not the cable sized veins in my feet.

What kind of goddess are you?

I have been helping my friend with her new range of skincare and cosmetics, it has required a little research into the history of Roman and Greek mythology.  I studied classical civilisation at primary school, it was one of those courses that didn't lead to an O level or further study and my only memory is of hot, balmy Friday afternoons, listening to stories and feeling both somnolent and excited about the forthcoming weekend.  A combination of feelings that seems unique to childhood and I would give anything to feel again now.  With the help of endless information from the internet, it has been quite a fascinating study.

Which goddess type do you manifest? Broadly there are four differing categories and we move between them all at any given time.

Type 1
My appearance is important to me.
The life that I plan for myself in my head is (sometimes) more fantastical than reality.
Relationships with admirers are important to me and building an entourage of people who want to be with me, or want to be me seems to happen easily.
I enjoy shopping and always wear makeup, I love beach holidays and visit spas as often as time and finances allow me to.

Type 2
I have a lot of inner strength and I am the person that people come to if they have a problem.
I put others before myself and actively seek out birds with a broken wing that I can help and heal.
I am  not the centre of the life that I plan in my head, I tend to focus on what I can do for others.
I enjoy cooking and crafts and would love to have time to look after a proper vegetable garden and keep chickens.

Type 3
I am self reliant and do not need other people.
I would rather be on my own than in a bad relationship.
I am pragmatic and adapt to life as it happens rather than planning and living in the future.
I enjoy self help books and the idea of reaching my full potential.  I like yoga and would love to go on either a sailing or a mountaineering holiday.

Type 4
I am quite private and don't like to show weakness or vulnerability.
I have very clear ambitions and like to plan a strategy to achieve them.
I like to get recognition for my achievements.
I enjoy challenges and showing how resourceful I am.
I like to run and would like to train for a marathon, I enjoy rowing either in open water or on a static machine. I would rather take a series of short breaks visiting some of the most beautiful cities in Europe and beyond than spend two weeks sitting on a beach.

Which one are you?
Have you guessed which goddesses these are?

Type 1 is Aphrodite (in Marchesa above);
Aphrodites are bold, confident and active pleasure seekers.  They feel no guilt in looking after themselves and enjoying their lives.  Aphrodites exude charisma and people are drawn to them for their positivity and the joy that it is to be around them.
The Roman counterpart was Venus, Aphrodite was born when Cronus cut off Uranus' genitals and threw them into the sea and from the foam rose the goddess.

Type 2 is Demeter (in Salvatore Ferragamo)
Demeters are kind and loving, but their selflessness can lead to self-neglect and an underlying resentment to others as they become a victim of their own goodness.  Everyone wants to be with them when things are difficult, but they are not always involved in the good times
The Roman counterpart is Ceres, Demeter is the goddess of the harvest, who searched tirelessly for her daughter Persephone when she was taken by Hades to the underworld. Persephone becomes bound to Hades for most of the year, but Demeter manages to get her back during the Spring and Summer, hence the seasons as we know them.

Type 3 is Artemis (in Versace)
Artemises are creative, spirited and a little wild.  They attract people to them because they are independent and do not actively court followers. They won't be tied down and flourish on the unexpected.
The Roman counterpart is Diana, there are conflicting myths around Artemis, overall she defended the sanctity and purity of real love and would settle for nothing less herself. She was the goddess of hunting and an early feminist, as the goddess of childbirth, young girls and preventing disease in women.

Type 4 is Athena (in Marios Schwab)
Athenas place as much importance on their careers and ambitions as they do personal relationships and their family.  Their confidence can be seen as arrogance and they attract only the very strong, who can measure up to them, or the very weak, who need them.
The Roman counterpart is Minerva, she is the goddess of wisdom, strategic warfare, mathematics, law and justice.  The Parthenon in Athens was built in honour of her. Athena was born of Zeus and Metis, Zeus feared the strength of the offspring of his union with Metis, he tried to destroy Metis by consuming her, but it was too late, Athena had been conceived and was born fully armoured from his forehead.

Which goddess type do you manifest most regularly?