Hay Festival

This Summer Freixenet is sponsoring a series of literary events at the world renowned Hay Festival – The Freixenet Series.  To celebrate these diverse and interesting events we have put together a fantastic prize for one lucky winner (and a guest) to enjoy bestselling author Jung Chang talking to Rosie Boycott about the 25 years since her heartrending and unforgettable book was published.  In addition, the winner will enjoy rubbing shoulders with the other VIPs as Freixenet’s guest in the Graze restaurant for afternoon tea and dinner, as well as overnight accommodation in a funky ‘pod’!  With a copy of Jung Chang’s book and a bottle of bubbly too.

Jung Chang

We also have a second prize of a pair of tickets to hear well known essayist and philosopher Alain de Botton ponder ‘Religion For Atheists’, his new book.  With runners up prizes of Freixenet fizz and Jung Chang’s book ‘Wild Swans’ – so you can sparkle up your day as you relax with a great read!

Freixenet offers a little luxury for less.  Whether you choose the delicious Freixenet Cordon Negro in the iconic black bottle or the fresh and fruity, pink, premium Cava Freixenet Elyssia Pinot Noir, Freixenet is the perfect indulgence, with a Cava for every occasion!

Freixenet

(Full prize details included in ts&cs below)

www.freixenet.co.uk, www.hayfestival.com

To win simply answer the following question:

Beauty & The Dirt, Freixenet Series at Hay Festival Terms & Conditions

1. Promotion open to UK residents aged 18 and over, excluding employees of Freixenet their relatives or families, or anyone connected with the competition. 
You may be asked to supply official proof of age (e.g.; copy of passport/ driving licence/ birth certificate.)

2. Only one entry per person and one entry per household.

3. The prize: 1 x pair of tickets to Jung Chang’s Wild Swans event on Wednesday, 6 June 2012, 5:30pm at the Hay Festival, Hay-on-Wye, Powys, hosted afternoon tea and dinner at the Graze Restaurant Hay, accommodation (in the Grounds of the Baskerville Hotel in a double bedded room/pod) for the night of Wednesday, 6 June 2012, a copy of Jung Chang’s Wild Swans book and a bottle of Freixenet Cordon Negro. Guest must be aged 18 or over.

The Second Prize: 1 x pair of tickets to Alain de Botton’s event on Saturday, 9 June 2012, 11:30am at the Hay Festival, Hay-on-Wye, Powys, a copy of Alain de Botton’s book Religion For Atheists and a bottle of Freixenet Cordon Negro. Guest must be aged 18 or over.

Runners Up Prizes:  3 x a copy of Jung Chang’s book Wild Swans and a bottle of Freixenet Cordon Negro Cava.

4. Transport to and from the event, accommodation, meals other than those stated and any other costs or expenses related to attending the event are not included and are the sole responsibility of the winner and their guest.

5. Full prize information will be sent to the winner via email in advance of the event, tickets are to be collected at Hay Festival, and physical items e.g. books and Freixenet will be sent to the winner’s UK address within 28 days. The Promoter is not responsible for any loss or damage after dispatch.

6. The winner will be the first name drawn, by an independent adjudicator, by Beauty and the Dirt from all entries received with the correct answer and received before the closing date. 
The second prize winner will be the second name drawn, by an independent adjudicator, by Beauty and the Dirt from all entries received with the correct answer and received before the closing date.
 The three (3) runners-up will be the next three names, drawn by an independent adjudicator, by Beauty and the Dirt from all entries received with the correct answer and received before the closing date.

7. The winner will be contacted by email or phone as soon as practical after the draw date and due to the timing of the prize event must respond to such notification within a maximum of two days or risk disqualification and the award of the prize to an alternate entrant.

8. The prize is not transferable and non refundable. No cash alternative is available in full or in part.

9. The promoter’s decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.

10. The winner must be willing to participate in all reasonable publicity.

11. Promoter is not responsible for lost, delayed or corrupted entries howsoever caused.

David Gandy

I’m pretty sure that given the title, additional words would do little other than waste potential Gandy-oggling time. So on that note, I’ll leave you to simply enjoy the below workout as filmed for Men’s Health UK . . I know I will.

So wrong they’re right!? Let us know.

Joe & Seph's Gourmet Popcorn

Both new flavours are available from Harvey Nichols, Selfridges and Wholefoods £2.95 per pack, www.joeandsephs.co.uk

A Few Best Men

When David (Xavier Samuel) journeys to Australia to marry, Mia, the love of his life, he invites along his three best mates too. Having only met his bride-to-be, they aren’t too happy at the thought of losing their best friend to coupledom, especially on the other side of the world.  However weary they are at David getting married, they resolve to give him a proper send-off. After an out-of-control stag night the wedding day finally arrives and the trio of less-than-prepared best men end up giving a whole new meaning to the phrase ‘for better or worse’. The wedding becomes completely chaotic, with a deranged drug dealer, a cross-dressed sheep (!), a coked-up mother-in-law (Olivia Newton John) and possibly the most disastrous speech of all time. Will the couple survive their own wedding?

Check out the hilarious trailer for A Few Best Men, Starring Olivia Newton-John, and Xavier Samuel (Riley in The Twilight Saga: Eclipse) and catch A Few Best Men in cinemas 31 August 2012.

Omorovicza

If you have yet to be introduced to beauty brand Omorovicza, (where have you been?!) now is the time!

Having recently launched in Fenwicks, and as part of the store’s week long (12-19th May) celebration of beauty, the brand’s founder Stephen de Heinrich de Omorovicza is going to be appearing on counter this Friday 19th May from 12-3 pm, offering an insight into the brand as well as a personalised skincare consultation.

Hailing from Hungary, Omorovicza harnesses the ancient healing powers of Budapest’s thermal baths and, combined with a pioneering and patented delivery system developed by Nobel-prize winning dermatologists, offers a natural mineral, anti-ageing range of skincare and SPF enhancers.

And for those who already know, and obviously, love the brand, the next Fenwick’s Facial Event runs from the 4th- 10th June. An hour-long facial is £65, and redeemable against products on the day.

Fenwick of Bond Street, 63 New Bond Street, London, W1A 3BS, www.omorovicza.com  to book an appointment simply call 020 7629 9161 and ask for the Omorovicza counter.

What do these guys have in common?

Did you know that a lot of your favourite male Hollywood stars have a very sketchy past? We’re always gossiping about the leading ladies so we’re turning the tables today.

Here are a few things you didn’t know about the violent leanings of Hollywood’s Leading Men:

We’ll start off with the easy ones and move into ‘REALLY?!’ territory…

Mel Gibson: Caught on tape telling his ex that she deserved to be hit (when he allegedly knocked out her two front teeth.

Charlie Sheen: Charlie was always crazy, even before the ‘Winning’ days. In 1990 he ‘accidentally’ shot his girlfriend Kelly Preston in the arm.

Mark Wahlberg: Whilst filming in a Vietnam, Mark beat up a local with a stick(!), he was sentenced to two years in prison but only served 45 days.

Terrence Howard: The ‘Crash’ star was arrested for punching his wife in the face.

Jeremy Irons has some interesting views on children....

Matthew Fox (that guy from Lost): When a bus driver wouldn’t allow him on (for being drunk) he did the only sensible thing and allegedly punched her in the chest and stomach.

Alec Baldwin: Remember those leaked voicemails where he called his daughter a pig? Enough said…

Christian Bale: This guy’s clearly has a screw loose, do you remember his famous rant when a production hand blocked one of his shots on a movie? Other than that, his mother and sister pressed charges against him in London after an alleged fight in a London hotel.

Jeremy Irons: We’re not going to comment on this one, but here’s a snippet from an interview he did with The Telegraph about the ‘hysteria’ over pedophilia ruining parental relationships:

“Parental love is sexual. Children practise on their parents. Girls will flirt outrageously with their fathers because they are practising. But we should know that that is practice. Boys will flirt outrageously with their mothers in a different way…I remember when my son was 12 and he was like a god. He just went through that sort of golden time for about 18 months. I don’t have a daughter but they do the same…It is very difficult because children under 16 are immensely attractive.”

Nicholas Cage: Arrested for drunkenly assaulting his wife.

Sean Penn: Okay this one is Hollywood Legend but people quickly forgot all about it. During his marriage to Madonna he once tied her to a chair and beat her for hours and verbally abused her throughout the relationship. Google it, fascinating reading – unfortunately Madonna didn’t press charges against him as he was already under probation for another assault.

So, which one of these didn’t you know? Can you dish anything that wasn’t on this list?

Mr Love Ready For His Close Up

Yes, it’s true I made them change all the bed linen because I found the thread count unsuitable and the silk not soft enough – something about it wasn’t pure and it didn’t work for me. I have super soft fur, so the least they can offer me is the equivalent. No cat deserves polyester.

They called me Mr Love not because I’m demanding and selfish but because I am loving, always the first to come in for a cuddle, to put my paw on a tear . . . And that is exactly why for my official birthdays, yes I have two, no I am not a queen, I want to spread the Love.

My birthday list below will satisfy not just me but cats less fortunate than myself. A percentage of the fee for every item bought from my list will be given to Cats Protection via this purrfectly stress less organisation called Give As You Live.

If you buy this stuff from shops that are signed for Give As You Live – which is most of the good ones – they automatically donate so you don’t have to. All you have to do is give the love. Give me the Love and I spread the Love ….. Meow!

Give As You Live

To send up your own Give As You Live account and for more information head to www.giveasyoulive.com

As an existential psychotherapist, I’m visited by clients struggling with a wide variety of life-challenges. Difficulty sleeping seems as common a complaint as the London weather, but with potentially dire psychological and physical implications. In addition to the typical symptoms of low mood, agitation and impaired levels of concentration, research studies show that a lack of sleep on a regular basis increases the risk of developing certain diseases including obesity, hyptertension and diabetes. Promised cures for insomnia are aplenty, and range from consumption of prescription drugs and behavioural rituals, to hypnotic soundtracks and self-medication. Yet, for 30% of Britain’s adult population, the battle against sleepless nights rages on.

Sleep School - LaSource resort hotel

When I learned that celebrated sleep physiologist, Dr. Guy Meadows was hosting a week-long retreat for insomniacs on the island of Grenada, at the all-inclusive LaSource resort hotel, I was there. Dr. Meadows utilises a therapeutic approach based around the principles of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) which is parallel to my own manner of working with a wide range of conditions. ACT (pronounced ‘act’, rather than A.C.T.) is a variation of cognitive behavioural therapy, which in addition to traditionally addressing problematic thoughts and behaviours, emphasises the development of acceptance and mindfulness skills.

At ACT’s core is an existential foundation, that is to say the therapy is an inquiry into one’s primary values. Once identified, these values are then highlighted as incentive for behavioural change while at the same time, efforts are made towards tolerance of life’s challenges as a process to accept and work through. Dr. Meadows highlights that this acceptance is not a fatalistic resignation as some might assume, but rather a means of expansion, allowing permission to give up the struggle with our experiences, so that we can return attention to acting on our truest values.

The use of mindfulness skills to cope with painful thoughts and feelings is something recently adopted by western psychology, however mindfulness as a process has been present in various religious and spiritual traditions across thousands of years. In the context of working with psychological pain, it leans towards awareness rather than analysis, open-mindedness rather than preconception, and flexibility of attention rather than rigid focus.

Sleep School - LaSource resort hotel

The luxurious LaSource resort was an idyllic setting for the Caribbean’s first ever Sleep School. Perched on the southern tip of Grenada’s Pink Gin Beach, the property boasts an abundance of amenities and services. All 100 guest rooms have magnificent ocean views, and the Oasis Spa offers guests an assortment of daily complimentary spa treatments. The more active traveler can choose from a selection of watersports, tennis, volleyball or even take up boxing with Andy the resident Grenadian National boxing champion. Those who come to the island for a proper wind-down can do so with classes in tai chi and yoga, or sunset meditation on the white powdery beach. There is also satisfaction to be had for those wishing for something in-between: a fitness centre, 9 hole golf course, billiard tables, a choice of three pools and a whirlpool. Wifi can be found in the resorts public areas and the business centre, equipped with a 60-inch television, protects the techie from withdrawal symptoms of the modern world.

The sleep school itself is structured to take place over the course of a week. Rather than intensive seminars, learning is paced evenly across two hours a day allowing attendees to reflect and test out their new sleep strategies. The final two days, the doctor has drop-in clinic hours for those with further questions or needing a bit more one on one support in coping with their sleep difficulties.

Most of the patients who come to see Dr. Meadows do so only after years of suffering with insomnia, and attempting other treatments focused on symptom relief. His approach challenges the conventional perception of sleep as ‘a problem to be fixed,’ and instead directs attention to values guided action, ‘values-congruent living’. In the process, symptoms are naturally reduced, but the focus of the work is primarily to shift one’s relationship with sleep. Although it is impossible to get him to boast, Dr. Meadows in his efforts to assist insomniacs learn to sleep as natural sleepers do – without medication – has an 83% success rate. He emphasises that the right amount of sleep varies from person to person and across the lifespan. Dr. Meadows seeks to liberate insomniacs from rigid sleep routines full of rules to observe, that people who sleep well do not. He gives input as to what is typically effective sleep hygiene, but emphasies the need to hold such ideas only with an open palm.

Across the week in Grenada I had the opportunity to get to know Dr. Meadows, and observe his interactions with his family and clients beyond the classroom. This is someone who clearly embodies the principles of mindfulness, acceptance and committed action, and his enthusiasm for the process is contagious. It is only now, having returned to back to my own work at the Priory in London, I realize how much I’ve taken with me. The more I practice ACT in my own life, the better I am able to facilitate this work with clients.

See the website www.theamazingholiday.com to attend the next intake of sleep school at LaSource which takes place June 3-6 2012

Read more about Dr. Meadows www.thesleepschool.org and Dr. Nicole Gehl at www.hereandnowtherapy.com

Kuoni (01306 747008 or www.kuoni.co.uk) offers 7 nights on all inclusive basis at La Source, Grenada in a luxury room, including flights with British Airways from Gatwick with transfers in resort from £1689 per person, based on two sharing

Michael Kors SS12

Bronzing has come a long way since the deep, dark mahogany tans of the 80s, with the past few years hailing a flurry of foolproof, buildable and barely-there bronzers. From light-reflecting particles to superfine milled powders, a sunkissed glow to a two-weeks-in-the-Med tan tone, these clever new bronzers offer a range of textures, tones and tanning options.

Whilst not a new launch, Givenchy’s Mister Radiant £25 is perfectly on-point for the dewy glowing skin that swept the Spring Summer catwalks. A lightweight translucent gel packed full of tan and pearlescent particles, it glides over skin, blending seamlessly. As the beads are buffed into skin, either with fingers or a foundation brush, they burst to impart subtle matt and shimmer pigments for a made-to-measure radiance or buildable bronze glow. And if you love this – as I do – you’ll be thrilled to hear that this Summer, Givenchy have launched a limited edition body version! Seemingly on a roll with their bronze offerings, you may think that Givenchy’s Le Croisiere Healthy Glow Powder £32.50 is simply yet another updated-for-summer bronzing palette, but you’d be wrong. Because this is bronzing at its most high-tech. It acts like a powder, feels like a powder and looks like a powder, but is actually a talc-free baked gel. The soft-touch formula when buffed into skin is barely detectable until, when layered, it transforms into a gorgeously glowy sheen of colour.

A tan-in-a-can was as far from my idea of subtle modern bronzing as could be imagined. However, thanks to the masterful (and trustworthy) hands of make up artist Cassie Lomas, Bourjois’ Delice de Soleil Bronzing Powder Spray, £7.99 has now become a make up bag mainstay – and my summer skin is eternally grateful. Not to be feared, this super-fine, fast-drying bronzing powder, when sprayed at a 10 cm distance, blasts a fine mist of cocoa bean-enriched pigments onto the face (and body). Without the need for blending or buffing, it sets over the top of make up – without disturbing any base – for a radiance boosting and surprisingly long-lasting sunkissed complexion.

If you’re partial to a glistening golden skintone, it’s time to turn your attention away from classic matte powders and towards Becca’s Brazilian Bronzing Sheen £22. This multi-purpose cream-gel hybrid works to add a bronze glow to lighter skin or a glimmering shine to darker tones. Rich, glossy, with a subtle shimmer and packed full of anti-oxidants, applied all over the face, it gently boosts your tan tone and is a summer-skin must-have.

Burberry’s Healthy Sheer Summer Glow Powder, £32.50 has taken classic bronzing powders to a whole new level thanks to the quad of complimentary shades, packed full of light-reflecting particles and subtle hued pigments. But for those of you who just aren’t that easily convinced I have just two words for you. Cara. Delevigne. That flawless semi-sheer skin and perfect mocha-mink tan. Need I say more? Simply buff all four shades together for a buffed bronze highlight to skin, or opt for the two dusky tones for a light tan shade and the pink and champagne shades to highlight.

The new tin proudly bears the words “Happy and Glorious”.

Lyle's Golden Syrup

The new jubilee tin will be available for a short time only, £1, available nationwide

www.lylesgoldensyrup.com