… a word from Amanda featuring Sephora

We’re slap bang in the middle of March – but where is Spring here in the UK? Usually, my part of the world is starting to bloom right now, but it’s nothing but grey, wet and miserable. The weather all across the UK is absolutely dire so far. BUT we do have Mother’s Day to look forward to this weekend, and I have a list of last-minute gifts that you can run out and buy that special “her” before Sunday lunch.

We’ve also seen the last of the 2023 big red-carpet events, with the Oscars closing the awards season. No punch ups this year but there was a new carpet colour. In this instalment I have a round-up of what was trending fashion-wise in Hollywood.

But let’s start with a (different) type of slap. Of course, I’m talking make-up.

And last week saw the opening of the first UK SEPHORA superstore at Westfield White City.

After a successful online-only run in the UK over the past few months, the world’s largest beauty destination landed with grand fanfare on Wednesday, 8th March. And non-Londoners fear not, there are more stores planned nationwide.

Make-up and skincare fans have a new beauty playground to visit, with Sephora stocking over 135 brands of cult products for those who know.

Sephora is owned by luxury goods group LVMH (what DON’T THEY OWN?) and the French ‘salon de beaute’ is 6,000 square feet of brands, including GXVE by Gwen Stefani, Fenty Beauty and Drunk Elephant. The space is home to a Benefit brow bar and lipbar, featuring a large array of colours and finishes. Express skincare treatments are available, as is a fragrance engraving service.

Sephora, which also sells online, is present in 35 countries with over 2,600 stores. We regularly visit the stores in Mallorca and Ibiza, much to my other half’s despair. Having a wife and teenage daughter who love make-up and beauty products doesn’t mix well with his credit card. Although as it was the exclusive London opening, we were given lots of freebies.

He queued with us and 1000 other excited females to get over the red carpet and into the store, which was like waiting to enter Coachella or Glastonbury.

My advice is go on a school day, maybe a Monday morning when it’s quiet, and grab all the DRUNK ELEPHANT products you can afford. That’s my brand of choice in 2023.