Lola Tate

There are times, gentle reader, when a massage is not an...

Wed, 19 Oct 2011 09:59:00 -0400

There are times, gentle reader, when a massage is not an indulgence; it’s a basic human necessity. No, really.

After a rather trying flight home from Rio my poor shoulders were crying little tears of disbelief and sadness. They’d carried the weight of the world, across the world! I did rather overdo it on the souvenirs front. There was nothing for it but to place a desperate call to the Lush Spa in Leeds and hurry in for a treatment. You’d have done the same thing.

Lush are known for creating beauty products with an English, eccentric twist, and the spas are no different: there is no panpipe music, no sterile white room, no spray-tanned therapist. Instead you feel like you’re visiting the home of a dear friend. A slightly free-spirited dear friend who possibly dabbles in white magic. Vintage teacups, jars of mysterious tea labeled “Peace”, “Perspective” and “Esteem” line the walls; there are even flying ducks! It’s delightfully retro and instantly reassuring.

I chose The Good Hour treatment: a sea shanty-themed deep tissue massage that promised to stretch and manipulated my muscles as if they were the ropes of a ship. I was also promised the music of Captain Pugwash, a sea biscuit and rum. How could I refuse?

After a necessarily sensible consultation about my aches, pains and medical history, I was led around the store hand-picking the elements of my treatment – a seaweed bath ballistic, frozen eucalyptus jelly discs and a peppermint massage bar (Magic Muscles? I would love some of those!) before returning to the spa for the big event.

When I was invited into the treatment room it was mysteriously bathed in green light, a bath ballistic and dry ice “sea” bathed my feet, and the creaking of the boat and birdsong surrounded me…gosh! I half expected Jack Sparrow to emerge from a corner.

All of Lush Spa’s treatments have music composed for them and the sea shanties of the Good Hour were entertaining, and created a truly unusual and immersive experience. The massage itself was comprehensive; my therapist found knots and aches in muscles that I didn’t even know existed and used stretching and pressure pointing techniques to magic them away.

As the treatment progressed, I melted into the bed and the shanties became more and more intoxicated until, finally! The distinctive theme song of Captain Pugwash really is used. Amazing.

Although I was sad that the massage itself ended, the final part of the treatment, when I poured my now-deliciously-floppy body into one of the kitchen chairs for a rum-spiked tea, a ships biscuit (ok, two) and a natter with my lovely therapist was the perfect transition to the rather flat Real World.

You have never been anywhere quite like the Lush Spa, and until you do, you really can’t say you’ve ‘experienced’ a massage treatment. Check them out – I truly don’t believe they’ll ever have a one-off client.

Treatments start from £40, visit their website for details of other treatments, videos, interviews with the spa team and lots of lovely photos and music.

wetheurban: David Koma Spring/Summer 2012 Absolutely gorgeous....

Tue, 20 Sep 2011 19:07:29 -0400

wetheurban:

David Koma Spring/Summer 2012

Absolutely gorgeous. David Koma’s beautiful SS12 collection was shown today at Waterloo station in London. His trademark pieces, sculptural dresses with metal embellishments were there (as usual), but also what looked like aztec-cut-outs tops and trousers. Nice touch David! What’s been YOUR favorite collection this London Fashion Week season so far?

I always look forward to the Topshop Unique show and while I...

Mon, 19 Sep 2011 06:49:23 -0400

I always look forward to the Topshop Unique show and while I wasn’t crazy about the gold caps and hoodies, I loved the length of their skirts! Somewhere between midi and maxi (mixi? Madi?) and though they were for the most part hobblingly long, they still have plenty of movement.

You don’t see the best of them in these photos so watch the stream here

Spent the dying days of summer in the park. Happy that I finally...

Sat, 10 Sep 2011 17:19:00 -0400

Spent the dying days of summer in the park. Happy that I finally got to wear my Whistles skirt, which has been hanging on my rail for like 3 months. Amusingly, just out of shot were a bunch of people having a digital photography class who were highly unamused by our improvised iPhone photoshoot.

Skirt: Whistles, T-shirt: vintage, Jacket: H&M, Boots: Topshop.

I would love my working day to look like this. Usually in my...

Wed, 07 Sep 2011 16:05:06 -0400

I would love my working day to look like this. Usually in my world, there’s more coffee, way more pyjamas and way way more crap on the desk.

(my work pyjamas are pretty cute though)

there’s something just so adorably cute about a...

Wed, 07 Sep 2011 15:38:36 -0400

there’s something just so adorably cute about a leather/knitwear combo. Also about Barbara Palvin.

Rookie Magazine

Wed, 07 Sep 2011 15:34:56 -0400

Rookie Magazine:

I love Tavi - I don’t always agree with her opinions but there’s something so inspiring and infectious about reading a blog written by someone who honestly and hopelessly loves what they’re writing about.

The fact that she’s now started an online magazine aimed at teenage girls, guiding them through actual adolescence, not the cookie cutter, CoverGirl, Teen Vogue version of adolescence that’s dreamed up by marketing executives, is fucking awesome.

Her (and her team of writers’) vision of high school, is realistic, current, but influenced by the same things that got me though high school in the late 90s - My So-Called Life, Hole lyrics, plaid shirts and chipped nail polish, Jeffrey Eugenides.

I never thought I’d say this, but it honestly makes me wish I was still in high school and believe me I was out of there like a bat out of hell!

Red hair, red lips. So wrong it’s right. I’m not a...

Sun, 04 Sep 2011 18:53:07 -0400

Red hair, red lips. So wrong it’s right. I’m not a red head at the moment but i still have the complexion for it so I love my really jammy blue reds.

If you’re scared of the intensity of lipstick, don’t bottle it and go for a gloss, dab the lipstick on with your finger, blot, then apply a teeny bit of a mineral oil-free lipbalm.

My favourite red lipsticks: Lime Crime in Retrofuturist, MAC in Russian Red, Nars in Jungle Red

Photo

Sat, 03 Sep 2011 16:05:05 -0400

Into The Gloss - IMG Model Prep Love Into The Gloss, Love...

Sat, 03 Sep 2011 08:02:06 -0400

Into The Gloss - IMG Model Prep

Love Into The Gloss, Love behind-the-scenes-modelling info, Love OrganiceYourLife. Therefore this post=BIG LOVE

Nylon Blogs - Best Dressed….Madonna? I was skeptical as...

Fri, 02 Sep 2011 14:40:56 -0400

Nylon Blogs - Best Dressed….Madonna?

I was skeptical as hell when I read this headline - Madonna is, well, sort of scary looking these days. But I have faith in Nylon and rightfully so! She looks pretty damn good actually. I’m going to pretend this is Drew Barrymore instead though, this outfit is much more Drew don’t you think?

Kevin Murphy - ombre hair using eyeshadow Anyone that’s...

Fri, 02 Sep 2011 14:14:58 -0400

Kevin Murphy - ombre hair using eyeshadow

Anyone that’s seen me knows I love my hair matte and textured! I have my hair ombre-ed from a mid-brown to peroxide at the moment which is a fantastic base look but I’ve been bleating about wanting pink tips for ages. Thing is, I hate washing out Manic Panic or Directions semi permanents - they’re never quite as semi as you think they’re going to be are they? so when I saw Kevin Murphy’s Colour Bugs in British Vogue recently I knew I had to have them!

Having said that, are they out yet? NO! I have to wait until December for the Colour Bugs themselves, but in the meantime I am ALL OVER this DIY option from Kevin’s podcast of using loose eye shadow to get the same effect.

Do any of you want to try this out? send me photos if you do!

Rockstar hair and makeup I love a good nose through people’s...

Fri, 02 Sep 2011 13:49:58 -0400

Rockstar hair and makeup

I *love* a good nose through people’s beauty products, especially when it’s not your standard model/actress but someone like Ke$ha who looks like she alternates between sleeping in a tour bus and a bin. Sorry Ke$ha, I love you really. I’m amazed that Ke$ha uses MorrocanOil on her hair and still keeps it that textured and if you scroll back through that slideshow you can find out which exact shade of orange eye pencil Hayley Williams uses. yay!

Holiday reading…

Fri, 02 Sep 2011 07:23:00 -0400

Holiday reading…

August is fuelled by black coffee, nectarines and almonds.

Fri, 19 Aug 2011 00:00:05 -0400

August is fuelled by black coffee, nectarines and almonds.

Managed to slice my hand open yesterday so the quality of my...

Thu, 18 Aug 2011 13:25:02 -0400

Managed to slice my hand open yesterday so the quality of my workmanship isn’t stellar, but I love this lavender/marigold Frenchish manicure.

This week I’ve mostly been channeling Patti Smith- blown out, second day hair, a nude lip and...

Thu, 18 Aug 2011 11:58:47 -0400

This week I’ve mostly been channeling Patti Smith- blown out, second day hair, a nude lip and a smokey eye with a stripped down, tailored rock-chic look.

I am in NO way emotionally ready for this. I know it’s not...

Tue, 12 Jul 2011 17:04:32 -0400

I am in NO way emotionally ready for this. I know it’s not the absolute end of series because I have still not been to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, and there will doubtless be other publications (*cough* I would LOVE a prequel *cough*), but it’s a huge milestone and we do have to say goodbye to the actors. I keep crying every time I even think about it so god only knows what’s going to happen when I actually have to watch my favourite characters die.

In short, I will be an emotional wreck for the rest of the week. My apologies.

http://theaudacityofcolor.com/

Tue, 12 Jul 2011 10:01:06 -0400

http://theaudacityofcolor.com/

Video

Mon, 11 Jul 2011 12:27:21 -0400

Lola Tate

There are times, gentle reader, when a massage is not an...

wetheurban: David Koma Spring/Summer 2012 Absolutely gorgeous....

I always look forward to the Topshop Unique show and while I...

Spent the dying days of summer in the park. Happy that I finally...

I would love my working day to look like this. Usually in my...

there’s something just so adorably cute about a...

Rookie Magazine

Red hair, red lips. So wrong it’s right. I’m not a...

Photo

Into The Gloss - IMG Model Prep Love Into The Gloss, Love...

Nylon Blogs - Best Dressed….Madonna? I was skeptical as...

Kevin Murphy - ombre hair using eyeshadow Anyone that’s...

Rockstar hair and makeup I *love* a good nose through people’s...

Holiday reading…

August is fuelled by black coffee, nectarines and almonds.

Managed to slice my hand open yesterday so the quality of my...

This week I’ve mostly been channeling Patti Smith- blown out, second day hair, a nude lip and...

I am in NO way emotionally ready for this. I know it’s not...

http://theaudacityofcolor.com/

Video

Rockstar hair and makeup I love a good nose through people’s...