Welcome to our new look Space NK website and my very first online blog! With regular updates, I'll be keeping you abreast of all the latest news and happenings here at Space NK - latest discoveries, beauty must-haves and any interesting activities that I've been up to each week.

Our new Space NK website features a host of exciting additions to all the old favourites, including a wish list feature to ensure you get exactly what you need for that special occasion and an option to share your opinion on your favourite products and read what others have to say about them. Indulge your passion for beauty and click here to shop online at Space NK.

Having spent the previous weekend kicking back at makeup artist Sonia Kashuk's Connecticut home, I returned to London refreshed and ready to work.
I spent my first week back perfecting Space NK's windows for the Christmas season, which was a lot of work, but certainly a lot of fun. I can't give our Christmas plans away just yet, but let's just say you're in for a real treat.

It's good to know that even in the 21st century, you can still count on an evening of pure Surrealism in France.
When Nude founders Bryan Meehan and Ali Hewson (who's married to Bono) invited me to that evening's U2 show, I was naturally excited. But little did I know that meant I'd find myself dancing underneath the stars at the Stade de France alongside the likes of Penelope Cruz, Javier Bardem, Woody Harrelson and Lanvin's Alber Elbaz. The whole scene was wonderfully unexpected, with beautiful music and beautiful people - exactly how you'd picture the most incredible summer night in France to be.

Muscles hurt that I didn't even know I had.
After training with David Kirsch this week, it became painfully obvious that his famous clients, supermodels like Heidi Klum and actresses like Liv Tyler, weren't just born with gorgeous, sculpted bodies - they work at them. And hard. Kirsch's fitness regime is merciless.
Despite the pain, I fell in love with Kirsch's go-hard-or-go-home attitude. I don't tolerate working with people who slack off, and neither does he. (I pity the fool who tries to sneak in a lazy set of crunches under his watchful eye.)
The other reason I love it? It works. I've become stronger, leaner and more energetic than ever since taking his fitness regimen back to London and his dietary advice on board. Speaking of, his excellent range of energy-boosting supplements and protein drinks (the perfect meal replacement when traveling, when healthy food is not easily accessible) will be available at Space NK this January. Get ready to feel good.

Everyone's talking about Merci, the new concept store that's just opened in Paris' (very cool) Northern Marais district, and with good reason: The artfully designed space was created by Bonpoint's founders and houses a unique collection of clothes, home furnishings and limited edition fragrances, as well as its own florist and canteen.
I spent a few hours there this weekend with Merci co-founder Jean Luc Colonna to take it all in, spending a disproportionate amount of my time pouring over the Annick Goutal boutique. There the brand's fragrances (some of which are exclusive to Merci) can be decanted into chic, simple bottles, making the luxe scents easier than ever to own. Or if you're like me, refill. I can't get enough of Heure Exquise.

For the bank holiday weekend, I headed to the Amalfi Coast, a place I can only describe as paradise in Europe.
I was in such a hurry to get there that I forgot to pack my sun lotion. With all due respect to my hotel, the excellent Il San Pietro di Positano, I must admit their sunscreen wasn't an equal substitute for Institut Esthederm's. (But then again, so few are.) Fortunately, what Positano lacked in the luxury sunscreen department it more than made up for with its scenery, which I can only describe as something out of a dream.
The vegetation was so lush,; the colours so brilliant and the air so thick with the scent of jasmine, Positano didn't even feel real. Even the bumblebees seemed out of another world - they were bigger than any I'd seen before, having gotten fat on the pollen from Positano's endless varieties of flowers.
Wonderfully enough, the bees were the only ones gaining weight in Positano. The food was light (freshly caught fish was the order of the day) and long flights of rocky steps were unavoidable. The only extra baggage I came home with were a few souvenirs, including one of my favourite floral scents, Carthusia's Fiori de Capri, which I bought at the Carthusia perfumery on the Via Camarelle.

How's that for a warm welcome.
I arrived in Boston and was instantly hit with some unseasonably warm weather. So naturally. during a series of personal appearances at Space NK @ Bloomingdale's, customers were especially concerned with sun protection.
One of my top recommendations: NIA24 Sun Damage Prevention 100% Mineral Sunscreen. The mineral formula acts as a physical blocker, but it has Pro-Niacin that actually helps reverse sun damage. And because it doesn't leave skin feeling greasy or looking chalky - the two most common complaints about sunscreen - there's no excuse to skip it this summer.

Today we joined forces with Eve Michael, a transformational image coach that I met in Southern California, to host the Beauty Workshop segment of her East Coast programme for 20 of her clients. What a fabulous day. Five of our top Space NK makeup artists, the Greene Street Soho team and I spent over an hour with each lady tailoring personal skin, hair and body regimens, and first demonstrating and then teaching them how to reapply for themselves, new make up looks appropriate for their individual lifestyles - workplace, casual downtime and also how to "amp it up" for evening events or special dates.
New friends made, names and phone numbers exchanged, we met some incredible personalities. It really was gratifying to be able to work with such an inspiring group of women and watch the delight on their faces when they discovered what they were able to achieve for themselves given the appropriate products, the right education and a desire for self-improvement.

This evening I was lucky enough to be invited to see HAIR at the Al Hirschfield Theater. I was too young to have appreciated its musical charm first time around in 1967 but what a treat to revisit the sights, sounds and smells of that era. The passion and raw energy of the cast playing the young Americans on their quest for love, peace and pacifism during the Vietnam war was incredible - I went to bed that night humming "Let the Sunshine in".
I would have loved to have seen the Public Theater's 40th-anniversary concert that was staged at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park. At the end of the show the heavens opened and drenched both the actors and audience who stormed the stage to dance with them in the curtain call - what a New York moment.

Decided to swap London for sunny South Beach over the Easter break. Imagine how great it would be to be able to go for your morning run alongside the Ocean on an ongoing basis.....one can but fantasize! Managed to score a great haircut with Oribe, session stylist par excellence, whose fabulous haircare line we are launching in the Autumn and had an expensive trip to the Design District where my Summer wardrobe was seriously boosted between Marni's fab new store and the exquisitely curated Tomas Maier boutique a few doors away at 170 NE 40th Street (think fabulous fragrances from Diptyque and Acqua di Parma, Tomas Maier's signature sexy swimwear and superfine cashmere knits, covetable ceramics, Tom Binns jewellry, Repetto pumps, K Jacques thong sandals in 10 different hues, delectable Jamin Puech bags and the best selection of photography and design books I have seen outside of NYC). We made a pretty good new discovery on the food front too - Michael's Genuine Food & Drink just around the corner in Atlas Plaza which serves the best heirloom tomatoes and burrata salad I have ever tasted - so good in fact that over a 6 day period we went there twice!

What a waste of a Saturday due to aircraft technical issues. These were the scenes around the departure gate for my 12.25pm flight to Gatwick from Bologna when a further 2.5hr delay was announced at 2pm - after much shouting and screaming 5 airport officials armed with proscuitto baguettes and bottles of water managed to calm a very vocal, disgruntled mob. This was only temporary - it got considerably worse around 4.15pm when the flight was cancelled. Luckily I just managed to grab one of few remaining seats on the 6.45pm which got me back to Central London at 10pm - an altogether hideous end to an otherwise inspiring trip.

This weekend the Space NK Product Development team made its annual pilgrimage to Bologna to check out new componetry, see what European suppliers and manufacturers are focused on and to discover interesting new beauty tools and accessories from the Far East. For me the highlight was Cosmofflab's evolving workshop, a welcome new addition focusing on key trends for the upcoming seasons - India (yes, the love affair continues with this land of immense beauty and gorgeous colours), Theatre (when economies are tough everyone is upping the ante in the appearance stakes - it's no coincidence that red lipstick sales are soaring!), Dream (escapism through beliefs and mysticism - when we do not understand where things are going, beliefs offer an important guide), Vegetables and Fruit (an explosion of colour and form, a concentrate of life, the simple gifts of nature that keep us all healthy) and Technology & Design (the ceaseless influencers across all areas from formulation development and product execution, through to innovative approaches to digital and mobile marketing). Much food for thought for tomorrow...

Tomorrow I am speaking on the Women Entrepreneurs' Panel at the Cosmoprof Beauty Trade Fair in Bologna. With 1.5 hours to kill before rehearsal pick up from my hotel, I thought I'd escape and check out the fabulous shops in the colonaded cobbled stoned streets around the Piazza Maggiore. Totally scuppered, I forgot that everything worth checking out is shut until 3.30pm so I have had to content myself with window shopping. I think I have found the best handmade Easter eggs I have ever seen in an artisinal chocolate store called Roccati, via Clavature 17A - check these out. The upside, I guess, is that at least I have been saved the calories!

I spent a most enjoyable couple of hours yesterday at the Design Museum at Shad Thames, SE1 going through the shortlisted projects, many of which demonstrated a growing emphasis on sustainability and efficiency.

My favourites included; Westminster Academy in West London where the light and airy architecture, materials and integral graphics have created a truly inspirational workplace � just watch the video and hear the pride and excitement in the pupils� voices describing their groundbreaking school.

Prada�s captivating Trembled Blossom animated short film that by the end cleverly dresses her wood nymphs in the Summer 08�s collection � originally conceived as an in store animation this demonstrates how media advertising can impactfully be switched from print to online.

Tokujin Yoshioka�s Venus Natural Crystal Chair relies on nature to produce the final result � a fibre structure is submerged in a water tank providing ideal conditions for crystals to grow. The shape of the chair evolves as the crystals multiply. March Studio�s retail concepts for Australian beauty brand Aesop, use surplus material from retail and consumerism as shop fitting materials � a combination of cardboard outers and packaging used for shipping was utilised to create a �market stall� typology where the product rather than the fit out dominates the retail space. I left the museum with a copy of Kenya Hara�s amazing new book, Designing Design, which outlines his philosophy as Creative Director of Muji having overseen the design of many waste minimising products through rethinking the design process and removing unnecessary details. A compelling read that really makes you think.

My big takeaway from this week's in store events at Harvey Nichols Knightsbridge, Hampstead, Northcote Road and Chiswick was that many of you are young Mums with small children and whilst you do not have much �me� time you still want to look healthy and radiant... in 5 minutes flat. The easy solution is Chantecaille�s Just Skin tinted moisturiser (mineral based with spf) to even out skin tone, By Terry's Touche Veloutee to banish any signs of tiredness around the eyes, and Lipstick Queen's Oxymoron in Honest Politician applied with fingertips as both a lip and cheek tint. A couple of coats of a brown-black mascara (looks warmer and more natural) and there you have it, polished perfection for the school run!

In NYC last month, I met with Chloe Lonsdale, founder of the fabulous MiH jeans that combine their authentic London heritage with only one goal - to provide the most perfect fitting, bottom enhancing, leg lengthening jeans around. Jeans are in Chloe's blood and indeed many of her lines are inspired by the archives of her godfather's Made in Heaven '70s jeans label that used to be worn by all the coolest girls from Jane Birkin to Farrah Fawcett.

Yesterday was my investiture at Buckingham Place where HRH Queen Elizabeth II presented me with an MBE for services to the Beauty Industry.

What an amazing experience steeped in British tradition from start to finish with the Lord Chamberlain, Yeomen of the Guard, Household Cavalry members and Gentlemen Ushers all in attendance in full ceremonial dress. Some three hundred relatives of the honour recipients were gathered together in the Palace Ballroom to witness the ceremony, throughout which the Orchestra of the Irish Guards played beautifully � just as I began to step forward towards The Queen, they struck up Mozart�s Divertimento in F Major K247 1. Allegro and I felt I was almost gliding up to the dais and the much feared curtsey became automatic.� The ensuing Press interviews and photo shoots went by in a flash and by lunchtime I wanted to pinch myself to make sure the whole day was not some fabulous dream.

So who were my fellow honourees? �Olympic Gold medal winners James DeGale (boxing) and Paul Goodison (sailing), inspirational Paralympian Gold medallists Sascha Kindred (swimming) and Mark Bristow (cycling), interior designer par excellence Kelly Hoppen, along with some amazing Military and Civil Service members, and others who have done truly brilliant work in the fields of Research and for Charitable concerns.

Whilst I was the one on the day to receive the honour, I feel that my family, friends and colleagues at Space NK all deserve recognition for their unfailing support and efforts in helping me build the Space NK brand over the past fifteen years. Thank you all for the incredible journey thus far�

I have spent a most enjoyable last few days on the road, meeting customers in some of our stores, listening to their key concerns and offering one-on-one advice on the best products to address their needs. It has been fascinating and I cannot wait to continue my journey round the UK meeting more of you.

Performance is of primary consideration when it comes to skincare. If that can be achieved through naturally derived ingredients, fantastic, but results must be visible. Eve Lom's cleanser is of universal appeal to all age groups and skin types due to its multi-tasking abilities - eye make up remover, cleanser, toner and exfoliant all-in-one, and everyone who uses it becomes addicted to Eve's muslin cloths.

People are becoming much more aware of hyper-pigmentation and we often discussed Caudalie's Vinoperfect serum to be used under any moisturiser and always with sunscreen over the top. In fact, at long last, people do seem to be much more mindful of the harmful effects of the sun, much talk of wearing hats and year-round use of sunscreen - NaturaBisse's spf30 being a hit with sportier customers as it doesn't tend to migrate when you are exercising and doesn't leave a tell tale white film upon application.

The eye area is the biggest concern for most (myself included) - puffiness, dark circles, fine lines and wrinkles all being discussed at length. Here I speak from personal experience, Zelens Intensive Triple-Action Eye Cream changed my life, along with Terry de Gunzberg's Touch Veloutee. Dr Marko Lens' (the Zelens creator) balm-like cream visibly improves the eye area from first application and By Terry's wonder wand lifts and brightens from the very first sweep of her cleverly designed brush.

Ms de Gunzberg is clearly once again set to take the beauty world by storm with this weeks introduction of her anti-aging Crème Opulent and its companion colour adjusting foundation Eclat Opulent and bronzer, Bronze Opulent. Judging by the reaction of those who have tried it they are destined to become the "home companion" to many Light Expert users!

I have just finished an interview with US Elle on the curative powers of seawater and seaweed. Other people's interest in the content of our conversation got me thinking that there is a lot more to share on this subject, so here goes.

Derived from the Greek word for sea "thalasso", thalassotherapy is the therapeutic application of seawater, mud, sand and algae. Its benefits have long been recognised and enjoyed in Europe, particularly by the French who popularised the concept and where thalassotherapy centres have been in operation for over a century.

Seawater is a rich and balanced composition, offering all of the elements necessary for cellular life. Seaweed has an exceptional capacity to store the classic four minerals; sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium along with iodine, iron, manganese, zinc, copper and many others, in quantities up to fifty times more concentrated than the surrounding seawater.

The term seaweed is loosely applied to the many plants growing in the oceans. They are not weeds at all but marine algae, and are divided into 4 main groups - green, brown, blue and red algae. It is the brown algae that are most commonly used in thalassotherapy and cosmetic products and in particular laminaria digitata and fucus vesiculosis.

Brittany, in the north west of France, is home to over 1,200 species of seaweed in a 400 square mile area. Some 90% of the known seaweed species on earth are represented here. Over 85% of the seaweed used in European thalassotherapy treatments is harvested from this coast where the waters of the Atlantic Ocean meet the English Channel producing some of the purest algae in the world.

In order to utilise the mineral content of seaweed to best effect, the cells of the plant must be micronized to release the nutrients they contain. This process further concentrates the mineral content of the extract.

Although micronized seaweed is a renewable source, all harvesting is carried out under license from the French government who set out strict quotas on the tonnages involved to ensure that we do not deplete this unique supply of seaweed that is oxygenated and nourished by some of the most vigorous tides in the world.

The reason that body treatments using algae are so effective is that the composition of minerals and trace elements found in seawater is almost identical to that of fluids in the human body, so skin will respond quickly and effectively. As all cells absorb nutrients, it is possible for essential minerals to be absorbed by the skin, provided it is presented with a sufficiently high concentration.

Seaweed has been used for centuries by the Chinese for curing burns and rashes and by the Polynesians for treating wounds bruises and swelling - the high iodine and sulphur amino acid content lend anti-inflammatory and disinfectant abilities. It also reacts with protein in the skin to form a protective gel on the skin's surface reducing moisture loss due to evaporation.

Seaweed improves the healing of sunburn due to its calcium and silicone content. It is also reported to improve blood circulation in the skin, one of the reasons it is an essential part of any body contouring programme. It is important to remember that our lymphatic system has three main functions; removal of excess fluids from body tissues, absorption of fatty acids therefore transportation of fat to the circulatory system and production of immune cells.

Some 10 years ago, I went on the first of many trips to the Thalassotherapy Institute at St Malo in Brittany, where after 5 days of successive "cures" using their proprietary seaweed based bath soaks, poultices and massage creams I left feeling totally detoxed and rejuvenated.

Bowled over by the experience I sought out the same expert formulators that created the professional products used in the Institute to make both a seaweed bath soak and bathing crystals for Space NK, adapting them for home use without compromising on the results.

The marine salt together with the laminaria seaweed in our Spa NK Seaweed Bath Crystals make taking a bath a particularly revitalising experience and softens even the hardest of water. Our standout detox product, the Spa NK Seaweed Bath Soak is addictive. A relaxing 20 minute soak helps stimulate the lymphatic system to filter toxins from the body, whilst the mineral and trace elements help tone and recharge the body and balance the skin. Just remember to drink lots of water afterwards to help flush the toxins through.

Another effective body contouring tip is to use our specially textured Japanese Body Wash Cloth or a body brush to dry brush your body each day prior to bathing - use long sweeping strokes in the direction of the lymph flow, towards the heart, from the fingertips to the shoulder and upwards from the feet.

It is truly amazing how something so simple to do, can be so good for us. If we spend just a little time on ourselves we really can make a difference to how we both look and feel. Time to sign off now and indulge in that soak in the tub...

It's funny how sometimes things created independently in totally different parts of the world come together at a particular moment in time.

It feels like one of those moments with our new Champaca fragrance created by celebrated perfumer Azzi Glasser. This addictive, sexy floral Oriental with its warm floral heart of lily of the valley, osmanthus and vetiver in an intriguing base warm creamy amber, precious woods and black musk brings back memories of an inspirational trip to Rajasthan in India. Visiting white marble Palaces in majestic lakeside settings against a backdrop of rolling verdant green hills. For me, Champaca embodies all that is fabulous about India. Having worked on this scent for the best part of two years little did I imagine that it was going to launch in store at the height of Slumdog Millionaire mania. I saw the film the weekend it launched in early December in NYC. I stayed up all night to see director Danny Boyle take home his much deserved Oscar and was delighted to witness, live, the sheer delight of the child actors on stage at the Kodak Theatre receiving the ultimate film accolade, the award for Best Picture, having been flown in from Mumbai especially for the occasion. I have since downloaded the Slumdog soundtrack, dabbled further into music from RD Burman and Ravi Shankar and cannot wait to book my return ticket to go and explore further...

These are exciting times for make up at Space NK. The new season's colours have just hit our stores, London Fashion Week has started and everyone is focused on getting on trend with the best of what Spring fashion has to offer. Bright orange clothing can hold until the weather gets warmer, for now let's focus on pinks, all shades of green, cobalt blues, graphic black and white combos, textured metallics, reptile print leathers, sarouel pants, African tribal prints, florals and big statement necklaces.

Beauty is moving on too - now is the time to get together your new make up wardrobe - I have absolutely converted to red lipstick with different tones and pigment densities for different occasions - Lipstick Queen's Red Saint and Sinners are lifesavers, Nars' Dolce Vita velvet matte chubby pencil when I'm feeling low maintenance and his Jungle Red lipstick when the event calls for it. Apricot blush now looks right, on cheeks, highlighting and sculpting better contours the face and eyes look best framed by a well-defined brow and a subtle flick of eyeliner.

Beware of parking restrictions around the Tate Modern. This proved to be a very expensive gallery visit...

If you are expecting to see some of Rothko's brighter earlier works - forget it. This exhibition focuses on his late works and the Seagram murals in particular which never infact made it to their intended destination, The Four Season's restaurant in NYC in the late 1950s. Instead they were gifted to the Tate where they have been displayed in an "immersive environment". Personally I think the show wasn't a patch on last summer's exhibition in Rome which led you through his developmental periods as an artist and really made it easy for you to appreciate his fabulous colour palette. Arriving back to the car to find a parking ticket slapped on the windscreen, I felt as if I'd have been better off watching Andrew Murray's Madrid Masters victory on the television.

Managed to escape for an hour to check out the exhibition of American painter Elizabeth Peyton's work at the Sejima + Nishizawa/SANAA designed museum which looks like a scupultural stack of boxes.

The show was a personal walk through of Who's Who of NY popular culture of the '90s - with subjects ranging from Marc Jacobs, to Jarvis Cocker and Kurt Cobain alongside many of Peyton's friends and acquaintances. These intimate figurative portraits capture many of her subjects at times in their lives when they stand for their own ideals - I wonder who she will feature for the next decade?