Last week, I packed up my desk at Marie Claire and huddled onto a busy homeward bound rush hour train for the final time. The idea: to freelance and focus on writing Madeleine Loves, hence the plethora of posts of late.
Jumping into the unknown has been a little stressful and the fear of failure a touch (okay more than a touch) terrifying. Yesterday, I spent a good hour procrastinating instead of planning and took a look back on my time at the magazine. It’s been an extraordinary year. Here are some of my favourite moments*:
Seriously: this happened. Charlotte Tilbury did my make-up. As you can probably tell from my face, hers is the brand to hit up if you want full on glamour.
On the right? Marie Claire Beauty Director Lisa Oxenham. On the left: David Gandy. That day at work was a trial.
This was a surreal shoot. We’d flown out to New York to shoot Maybelline model Marloes Horst. Outside, it was minus 15 while inside, it was sweltering (which probably served Marloes quite well, given that she wore this little throughout the shoot).
Since first laying hands on Laura Mercier’s Secret Camouflage, I’ve been obsessed with the brand. Having lunch at Claridge’s with the woman behind the brand? Wonderful – she’s passionate, engaging and extremely inspiring.
To shoot a bunch of beauty stories, we headed to the Seychelles (as you do). Here’s Beauty Director Lisa Oxenham, make-up artist Sonia Deveney and model Jessica Gomes on the beach at the Constance Ephelia Hotel.
I know – I look like a bit of a moron in this picture, but I genuinely couldn’t care less: Mary Greenwell is doing my lipstick for me.
More Seychelles bliss. This time here’s mega babe Nadine Leopold.
Sandy Linter is one of the best kept secret gems of the beauty world with a back catalog of extraordinary stories from partying with Andy Warhol to being mistaken for Debbie Harry in the 70s. I conducted an interview with her (and will write up some of it for this site) in New York and spent the entire two hours in her company riveted. At the end, she did my make-up, which was yet another pinch myself moment.
Last, but categorically not least, are these guys: (l to r) Lisa Oxenham, Alix Rentsch, Suzanne Scott, me and Anita Bhagwandas. Putting the fact that they’re excellent, warm, funny women aside, you couldn’t wish to work with a better – and more diverse in opinion – bunch of beauty boffins.
*Normal service to resume tomorrow – you know, reviews/news. Indulge me here.