The Darker The Berry

The Darker The Berry..

I'm so glad my cover shoot with Portia Freeman was published today in the September issue of aMUSE Magazine. It was such a juicy project to get stuck into and I've been dying to post about the experience. Junior Fashion Editor Fran Mullin killed it with the styling. 

My favourite outfits of the day were the Marni sequinned look (oddly reminiscent of Daryl Hannah in Blade Runner), the Theysken's Theory printed chiffon gown (very Wallis Simpson), the Gucci jacquard ensemble with cape and boots (riding crop, mask and pistol optional) and the very-dapper Paul Smith suit (I want the tonal patent loafers).  

We had a great team with photographer Daniel Nadel, super-stylist Fran Mullin, celeb crimper Nadia from Foster London and yours truly doing make-up.

Our muse was top Brit model Portia Freeman, or as her Twitter page states "Mother. Wifey. Model." 

Wife of Kooks bassist Peter Denton, Portia has been shot by Testino, Meisel and Rankin, is the face and body of Charlotte Olympia shoes and has graced the catwalk for Chanel and Dolce&Gabbana.

Given her awesome fashion/rock pedigree, I wasn't sure what to expect. But no sooner had I Tweeted about shooting with her, then my make-up artist friend Kim Kiefer messaged me to say Portia was a lovely, gorgeous girl. That pretty much sums it up. I can't really say much more, other than that she is very down to earth, self deprecating and professional.

She has the most beautiful, lithe Bambi-like limbs, porcelain skin and huge expressive piercing blue eyes. She also has the cutest lap dog I've ever seen (handbag size).

Conversation veered from the joys of mobile beauticians to the health properties of coconut water (she guzzled the stuff and having seen her luminous skin, I may have to follow suit), good manners, Meisel, germs and her forthcoming reunion with Pete and their son at a festival in Portugal.

When you are afforded the opportunity to work with a model of Portia's calibre, you can see why only a select few earn the "Super" prefix. With every ensemble came a different character, facial expressions and body language. In the Theysken's Theory green printed chiffon gown she was channelling the icy poise of Wallis Simpson, while in the Marni jumbo floral paillettes she could have been plucked from the set of Blade Runner. The most laughs of the day went to Portia for her Dickensian mockney street urchin character, which she spontaneously assumed when wearing the androgynous Paul Smith suit. When she started slouching with her hands in her pockets, leering and shouting "alright darlin', can I get ur digits" It reminded me of Damon Albarn singing the Blur hit Girls and Boys (but in a totally good LMFAO way).

Portia loved the lip and nail colours I selected for her, see all the products I used to create her chic gothic look below.

Junior Fashion Editor Fran Mullin's mood boards for the shoot were a-ma-zing:

Fran's make-up inspiration focused on a plummy eye and nude lip and a nude eye and plum lip. I fused the two together for the shoot. They say enhance the eyes or lips but never both - but rules were made to be broken.

Marni jumbo floral paillettes "Totes Amaze"

The Look

Skin Prep

NuBo Velvet Cleansing Cream

Caudalie Beauty Elixir

Liz Earle Instant Boost Skin Tonic

Chanel Hydraserum

NuBo Eye Focus

NuBo Instant Lip Perfection

NuBo Voile

Base

Chanel Perfection Lumiere Beige

Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector Pearl

Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage No.2

Shiseido Natural Finish Concealer No.1

Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder

Daniel Sandler Invisible Veil Loose Powder

Highlight / Contour

NARS Multiple Luxor

NARS Bronzer Laguna

Eyes

NARS Eyebrow Pencil

DG Golds Eye Quad (white gold under arch of brow, inner corner of eye and centre of eye lid)

NARS Eyeliner Iceberg (waterline)

DG Blossom Eye Duo (left shade in crease)

NARS Lengthening Mascara

Magnifibres

Lips

DG Lip Pencil Dahlia

DG Lipstick Lust

Nails

DG Nail Lacquer Royal

Portia rocking the blush pink Lacoste shirt she arrived in (worn with blue skinnies and the cutest Charlotte Olympia fruity flats).

The Magazine

Honoured to be on the contributors page (beside Danish supermodel Helena Christensen no less). I must say thank you to Jaeger London for the clothes I'm wearing in my photo! I was chuffed to spot designer and stylist to the stars, Kate Halfpenny. The last time I saw Kate, we were sitting on a sofa with American supermodel Maggie Rizer in a suite at the Dorchester, watching the Royal Wedding live, filming style commentary for OK Magazine and BBC America (as you do).

Team Credits

aMUSE Magazine September 2012

Model: Portia Freeman at Premier

Photographer: Daniel Nadel

Styling: Fran Mullin

Photographer's Assistant: Ellie Byrd

Fashion Assistant: Luba Makar

Make-Up: Ian Brown using Chanel AW12 and Rouge Allure Renovation

Hair: Nadia at Foster London Hair and Beauty

          

Stockists

BECCA

www.beccacosmetics.com

Chanel

www.chanel.com

Dolce&Gabbana The Make-Up

www.harrods.com

Laura Mercier

www.houseoffraser.co.uk

Liz Earle

uk.lizearle.com

Magnifibres

www.magnifibres.co.uk

Nars

www.narscosmetics.co.uk

NuBo

www.nubobeauty.com

Shiseido

www.shiseido.co.uk

Back To Black - Behind The Make Up

Back To Black

Behind The Make Up..

The Skin..

Great make-up starts with great skin, which is why NuBo's cosmeceutical grade products are a permanent fixture in my professional kit. Loved by celebrities including Kylie and Pixie Lott. I've used their products on pop star / style icon Sunday Girl aka Jade Williams and presenter / model Zara Martin. It's also a firm favourite of Lisa, the gorgeous model pictured above. I recommend clicking on her photo to see the shoot make up close up. I had used NuBo products on her at a previous shoot (including their miraculous White Diamond Ice Glow Mask), leading her to post me a message on Facebook asking if I'd be using the "amazing skin care" again for this shoot.

To prep her skin for Back To Black, I first cleansed with the Cell Dynamic Velvet Cleansing Cream. I always take a few minutes to really massage this rich, creamy, rose-scented cleanser into the neck and face, removing with disposable facial sponges and warm water to gently exfoliate. Containing a tri-peptide, wheat germ and coconut oils, it leaves skin peachy smooth and plumped.

I spritzed her skin with Shu Uemura Lavender Depsea Water to tone and refresh, then pressed NuBo Cell Dynamic The Essence over her neck and face with my palms. This serum works at a cellular level, encouraging healthy and efficient cell function, converting toxins into water, offering essential hydration. It also creates an instant lifting and firming effect.

I tapped NuBo Cell Dynamic Eye Focus around the orbital bone, this eye cream not only tackles the causes of ageing, it also lifts, reduces puffiness and diminishes dark circles - ideal for frazzled models, celebrities and anyone who wants to cheat 8 hours sleep (that would be most of us then).

Next I massaged NuBo White Diamond Radiance Cream into Lisa's neck and face. This product is so silky on the skin, a little goes a very long way. Containing pro-vitamin C, "micronized" diamonds and propionic acid, there is nothing quite like it for instant dewy, luminous skin. It's my go-to cream for shoots, red carpets, special occasions and bridal clients.

On Lisa's lips, I applied a slick of NuBo Instant Lip Perfection SPF15, a silky hydrating balm containing collagen boosters and natural capsicum for a "bee-stung" pout.

Lastly, I soaked two cotton pads in Liz Earle Instant Boost Skin Tonic and lay them over Lisa's eyes as a 5 minute mini treatment. Containing extracts of aloe vera, cucumber, calendula and chamomile, as well as vitamin E and pro-vitamin B5, Liz Earle herself taught me this trick for instantly refreshing weary and puffy eyes.

NuBo

Cell Dynamic Velvet Cleansing Cream - £28

Cell Dynamic The Essence - £200

Cell Dynamic Eye Focus - £180

White Diamond Radiance Cream - £80

Instant Lip Perfection SPF15 - £38

Shu Uemura

Depsea Water (Lavender) - £16.50

Liz Earle

Instant Boost Skin Tonic - £12.50

The Base..

To achieve Lisa's luminous golden glow, I first primed her skin with NuBo Voile in Shade 5 Tan, smoothing over the neck and face.

For her base, I went a a couple of shades darker than her natural fair complexion. In Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturiser Oil Free her natural match would be Nude, but for the shoot I used Fawn. I mixed it with a little Benefit Hollywood Glo (discontinued), a pearly pink liquid highlighter. A great alternative would be BECCA Shimmering Skin Perfector in Opal. After mixing together on the back of my hand, I buffed it into her skin with a synthetic foundation brush, starting in the central panel of her face, blending outwards, making sure I covered her neck, ears and decolletage.

Using a synthetic concelar brush, I applied Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage SC-3 where Lisa needed it, mainly around the sides of the nose, over the lips to neutralise her natural lip colour, and below the bottom lip. I mixed the concealer with a little NuBo Eye Focus to make a creamy concealer for under Lisa's eyes, gently pressing with the tip of my ring finger to blend seamlessly.

NuBo

Voile (Shade 5, Tan) - £40

Laura Mercier

Tinted Moisturiser Oil Free (Fawn) - £33

Secret Camouflage (SC-3) - £26

BECCA

Shimmering Skin Perfector (Opal) - £33

The Cheeks 1..

To enhance Lisa's cheekbones and create subtle warmth and luminosity, I buffed the NARS Multiple in Orgasm (peachy pink shot with gold) into the apples of her cheeks with a synthetic blusher brush. I contoured her face and created a golden glow by buffing the NARS Multiple in South Beach (shimmering golden apricot) below her cheekbones. To highlight her cheekbones, I blended Illamasqua Powder Eyeshadow in Slink, an exquisite champagne shimmer, along the tops of her cheeks, using a synthetic highlighting brush.

NARS

The Multiple (South Beach) - £29

The Multiple (Orgasm) - £29

Illamasqua

Powder Eye Shadow (Slink) - £15.50

The Cheeks 2..

I dusted a little NARS Blusher in Orgasm over the apples of her cheeks (over The Multiple in Orgasm) and swept a tiny amount of NARS Bronzing Powder in Laguna (over The Multiple in South Beach) below her cheekbones. Layering the products helped create the sheer, luminous, multidimensional skin finish you see in the shoot image at the top.

NARS

Blush (Orgasm) - £21

Bronzing Powder (Laguna) - £25

The Eyes..

I started by priming Lisa's eyelids with the NARS Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base.

I wanted the eyes to be a neutral shimmery minky bronze, so I used the neutral bronze shade from the Dolce&Gabbana Smooth Eye Colour Duo in Mystery, blending it with a natural bristle eye shadow brush from lash line to crease, smudging it beneath the lower lash line to create a halo of colour.

I pressed the Illamasqua Pure Pigment in Ore (rich russet bronze) over the centre of Lisa's eyelids with a flat synthetic eye shadow brush and blended a little Powder Eye Shadow in Slink on the inner corners of her eyes and her brow bone with a synthetic eye shadow brush to highlight.

Lisa has a feline eye shape, to open her eyes and really make them pop, I applied the NARS Eyeliner Pencil in Iceberg to her water line.

I filled in and slightly extended Lisa's brows with the NARS Eye Liner Pencil in Jodhpur.

I swept The Body Shop Brow & Lash gel through brows to groom and set.

To create a wide-eyed effect, I curled Lisa's Lashes with Illamasqua Eye Lash Curlers.

I finished her eyes with a light slick of Estee Lauder Sumptous Extreme Lash Multiplying Volume Mascara in Extreme Black, wiping excess product on the back of my hand before sweeping through upper and lower lashes, zig-zagging at the root then sweeping through to the ends.

NARS

Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base - £18

Eyeliner Pencil (Iceberg) - £16

Eyebrow Pencil (Jodhpur) - £16

Dolce&Gabbana

Smooth Eye Colour Duo (Mystery) - £29.50

Illamasqua

Powder Eye Shadow (Slink) - £15.50

Pure Pigment (Ore) - £15.50

Eye Lash Curlers - £18.50

Estee Lauder

Sumptuos Extreme Lash Multiplying Volume Mascara (Extreme Black) - £22

The Lips..

I had already neutralised Lisa's natural lip colour, pressing Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage SC-3 over them.

I used a natural lip brush to apply several coats of Dolce&Gabbana Classic Cream Lipstick in Nude over Lisa's lips.

The finishing touch was a coat of Dolce&Gabbana Ultra-Shine Lipgloss in Caramel. The effect was a gloiously opaque, vinyl finish beigy nude lip, absolutely stunning.

Dolce&Gabbana

Classic Cream Lipstick (Nude) - £23

Ultra-Shine Lipgloss (Caramel) - £21

The Body..

To fake a golden glow and highlight Lisa's body, I first massaged Illamasqua Illumine Oil in Pulse (golden tan shimmer) over her skin. Containing Passionflower oil to hydrate, the pearlised particles create a subtle sheen. The scent of this product reminds me of Marc Jacobs Gardenia, it's rather yummy.

Using a synthetic kabuki brush, I buffed Illamasqua Liquid Metal in Enrapture (molten bronze) over Lisa's limbs, to further enhance her glow.

The final touch was a light dusting of New CID Cosmetics i-glow in Sirocco (champagne shimmer) all over her body, using a synthetic kabuki brush.

Illamasqua

Illumine Oil (Pulse) - £25

Liquid Metal (Enrapture) - £17.50

New CID Cosmetics

i - glow Compact Shimmer Powder (Sirocco) - £24

The Powder..

I pressed a tiny amount of Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder under Lisa's eyes to set her under eye concealer, using a flat synthetic concealer brush. This light diffusing miracle is great for tackling dark circles.

Throughout the shoot, I lightly powdered down Lisa's T-Zone with a tiny amount of Daniel Sandler's Invisible Veil Powder, using a large natural bristle powder brush to minimise shine in these areas. Finely milled, I love the barely-there texture of this translucent loose powder, plus it doesn't cake or flake.

Laura Mercier

Secret Brightening Powder - £18.50

Daniel Sandler

Invisible Veil Powder - £22.50

Stockists:

BECCA

www.beccacosmetics.com/uk

Daniel Sandler

www.beautique.com / www.danielsandler.com

Dolce&Gabbana

www.harrods.com

Estee Lauder

www.esteelauder.co.uk

Illamasqua

www.illamasqua.com

Laura Mercier

www.beautique.com

Liz Earle

http://uk.lizearle.com

NARS

www.narscosmetics.co.uk

New CID Cosmetics

www.newcidcosmetics.com

NuBo

www.nubobeauty.com

Shu Uemura

www.shuuemura.co.uk

To view the Back To Black shoot in it's entirety, go to:

http://diaryofafashionmister.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/back-to-black.html

Lights Camera Action

Lights, Camera, Action..

Yesterday I, and three other leading British style and beauty bloggers, had the honour of being invited to QVC, courtesy of the uber-successful natural skincare brand Liz Earle. I woke up at 8am and treated myself to a DIY mineral mud face mask and OPI manicure, wanting to look camera ready for the day ahead. The invitation promised us an exclusive behind the scenes tour of the QVC studios, a glimpse of Liz Earle and the resident QVC experts presenting live on TV, a meet and greet opportunity with Liz Earle herself, and personal presenting coaching from resident QVC host, Simon Biagi, and QVC Guest Excellence Trainer, Tina Halvorsen, together with our own QVC screen test. Talk about a once in a lifetime experience!

I was so nervous on my way to QVC headquarters at Marco Polo House in Battersea, a stone's throw from Battersea Power Station, that my hands were sweating. In hindsight, I suppose it was half excitement at the prospect of the day ahead, and half terror of doing a screen test. I really shouldn't have worried so much, as the Liz Earle and QVC teams were the loveliest bunch of people you'd ever care to meet. From the moment I walked into reception, I was received by the female receptionist with such a warm welcome, she even complimented me on my signature fragrance, asking what it was, to which I replied; "Czech & Speake No.88". After a friendly chat about the events that lay ahead, I spotted my friend and fellow blogger Priya Sonn of "www.beautywowza.com" sitting in the reception's seating area. She introduced me to Candida from "www.hellcandy.com", who was sitting beside her, and after we had become better acquainted, Ronke Adeyemi of "themusingsofondolady.blogspot.com" soon joined us and we were all chatting away like old friends.

We were soon met by Andrea Kengelbacher, the in-house PR and Social Media Manager for Liz Earle, together with other members of the Liz Earle and QVC teams, who led us upstairs to the QVC cafe and seating area. Andrea and I have had a friendly e-mail relationship going on for a few months now, but we had never met, so it was lovely to finally meet face to face. One thing I immediately noted about the entire Liz Earle team is that they are not only incredibly warm, they all have amazing skin too! After a little investigating, I found out that when they receive their pay slips each month, they also get a batch of complimentary Liz Earle products (they also get to test out all the new products before they launch, so it's no wonder they are all glowing ambassadors for the brand). They also told me that the Liz Earle headquarters on the The Isle of Wight is a resolutely eco-friendly building. It is powered by geothermal energy, uses rainwater collected from the roof for its conveniences, and even has "smart lighting" that switches off when there is no one in the room. In a recent blog feature about Liz Earle Naturally Active Men's Skincare's 5th Anniversary, I had mentioned that the brand was "green by name and green by nature", and this information only served to highlight that fact. In fact, it was a case of significant milestones all round, as the brand was also celebrating its 15th Anniversary of partnering with QVC.

We were encouraged to take advantage of the hospitality on offer (a yummy selection of pastries and refreshments), and take advantage we did, soon joined by the delightful QVC Guest Excellence Trainer Tina Halvorsen. Though a veteran of television, Tina really seemed to be quite ageless in appearance. She had barely a line on her face, with a smile that melted away all our nerves and eyes that twinkled with warmth and vitality. Her hair and make-up had been done immaculately and she was dressed to the nines, she truly represented all that you'd expect from a seasoned media professional. She introduced herself, asking us all our names and asking us if we'd been to QVC before (none of us had), before whisking us away for a magical, behind the scenes mystery tour of the QVC sets.

First stop was the production crew area, where staff were busy booking models for upcoming segments, there were rows of model cards lining one wall, which reminded me of my years as a stylist and style & grooming editor! Next up was a prep room, where little trollies are loaded with all the products used for each segment. She told us how products like Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish would be pumped in advance, so that when they were demonstrated by the presenters and models live on TV, there would be no embarrassing moments (such as the product not coming out). It's amazing how much detail goes into the production work. They even have sheets of paper with timings allocated to each product, so that the presenters and producers know exactly how much "on air time" each product will get, so the segments run like clockwork. While in this room, we were introduced to QVC hosts Miceal Murphy and Charlie Brook, who were busy prepping for their own upcoming live segments.

After chatting briefly with Miceal and Charlie, we were introduced to two resident chefs who were busy prepping food for the kitchen segments. It all looked delicious and very tempting, but alas we had to move on, as next up was an exclusive look at a live segment with QVC host Debbie Greenwood, who was presenting a slot on Bearpaw Boots (similar to Uggs). She was channelling Pocahaontas in a rather fetching black wedge boot with fringing (the Bearpaw Sundown Tassel Wedge Boot), and within minutes of saying hello to us, she literally had to grab her handbag on the edge of the set and run to another set for a different segment (this really gave us an insight into how crazy the pace can be). Ever the professional, she breezed off set as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

Once Debbie had dashed off to her next segment, we were ushered through to watch Liz Earle hosting a live segment, with one of her gorgeous in-house models demonstrating the Cleanse & Polish ritual. It's really quite remarkable that these models will literally cleanse and polish their skin all day, yet their skin never looks red or raw, quite the opposite, they seem to age backwards, as if by magic, literally glowing from within like a human light bulb (as good a reason to snap up the product as any I'd say). We even got to stand inside the producer's room and watch her talk to the hosts via their ear pieces, orchestrating live calls from Liz Earle customers. One caller admitted to having been an avid fan of the Liz Earle range for 15 years. 15 years! How amazing is that? Talk about brand loyalty. She said that after trying Liz Earle, there wasn't any other skincare regime she would use, and even talked to Liz about a recent segment she'd watched, where Liz had extolled the benefits of mixing Cleanse & Polish with the Brightening Treatment Mask, for a DIY at home illuminating treatment with a difference (the camphor oil in the Brightening Treatment causes blood to rush to the surface of the skin, imparting an instant glow). Last stop on the tour were two of the "at home" sets, designed in a similar vein to traditional living rooms, used to showcase home wares and electrical goods such as cameras. After our enlightening whistle stop tour, Tina led us back to the QVC cafe and seating area, where Simon got to know us all a little better, with Liz Earle herself joining us straight after her live segment, for a personal meet and greet and photo opportunity.

Here's a lovely shot of myself and the other bloggers in the QVC cafe seating area, joined by QVC host Simon Biagi. Pictured left to right is: Candida, Ronke, Priya, me and Simon.

The team had laid out a gorgeous continental breakfast spread for us, with bespoke Liz Earle mini chocolate muffins on sticks, shaped like mushrooms, coated in icing rendered in the signature Liz Earle duck egg blue, with a miniature blue rose on top. We were also treated to tea, coffee, pastries, juice, mineral water, fruit smoothies and champagne. I'd already had poached eggs for breakfast, as I'd wanted to fuel up for the morning ahead (kick off was 10:30am), so I stuck to the delicious fruit smoothies and mineral water. I was asked to do the honours and open the champagne, and as lovely a gesture as it was, I rarely drink alcohol (especially with the prospect of being filmed in a couple of hours). Similarly, the notion of eating pastries left me with dread, as tempting as they were, as I was concerned that I'd end up with flakes of pain au chocolat and croissants between my teeth (not a good look for photos, let alone TV). Watching one of the stunning in-house Liz Earle models doing the Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish routine live on the plasma screen didn't help with my nervous anticipation, she made it all seem so effortless.

I couldn't help but act like a complete tourist while we were sat upstairs. The team kindly allowed me to take as many snaps as I liked, so I was busy clicking away with my digital camera. The scale of the QVC building is just spectacular. The first thing that struck me about the architecture was the amount of natural light, courtesy of the glass atrium. It really is a magnificent structure, it made you feel so small. In terms of ambience, all the natural day light really boosted your mood, there was such a sense of optimism.

The QVC motto: "Engage, Enrich, Embrace", truly communicates everything that Tina taught us about the QVC presenting style. Both she and Simon explained that the primary demographic of the TV channel is older women who watch in the comfort of their homes, so it is paramount that the hosts have a warm manner, just like a friend. Simon even added that to many of the viewers, the hosts really are like friends, as the viewers will watch them for hours, day in and day out, as if the hosts were sitting with them in their own living rooms, having a cosy chat. The enrich part refers to the sharing of knowledge and expertise. All of the hosts are seasoned in their craft and areas of expertise, whether they come from media or performing backgrounds. Embrace refers to the warmth with which they deliver their commentary, it's all about relating to the viewers on a personal level, hence Simon teaching us the importance of approaching hosting as if you were talking to a friend.

Liz Earle, apparently Britain's best kept beauty secret (not anymore, the secret's out!)

The moment I got to meet Liz Earle herself. Just like her team, she glowed with health, definitely the perfect poster girl for her own brand. Being something of a style hawk, I couldn't help but notice her tiny Balenciaga purse, the zips, tassels and distressed leather were a dead give away. Throughout the day, my own attire was a source of much amusement, as I'd inadvertently co-ordinated my navy Jaeger London suit with Liz's navy jersey shift dress and heels! My Oxford blue Turnbull & Asser shirt also seemed to tone in with the duck egg blue of the Liz Earle banner we posed in front of (it must have been subliminal).

After the meet and greet with Liz, it was time for us to pair up and go to another studio for our very own QVC screen tests. Candida was first up, followed by Priya. Ronke and I chatted away merrily with Simon and Andrea, talking about everything from our media backgrounds to garra rufa fish pedicures! Once Candida and Priya were done, it was time for Ronke and I to hit the studio ourselves, with Ronke doing her segment first, followed by yours truly. It was great being last up, as I had the opportunity to watch Ronke do it all first. I listened carefully to the advice Simon gave her, soaking it all up like a sponge. Once Ronke had worked her TV magic, it was my turn to have my 15 minutes of fame (ok, so maybe it was more like 5, but you can humour me). Andrea and her colleague from Liz Earle kindly agreed to photograph me in action, hence the great action shots. Here, you can see me being wired up with my microphone by the very adept camera man. Simon made me feel so comfortable. I was super nervous at first, but he encouraged me to think of the conversation we had upstairs in the cafe, and to pretend the camera wasn't there, as if he and I were just having a cosy chat. He told me to smile, and to let my natural personality and experience shine through, which put me in the right frame of mind to tackle the daunting task at hand.

Once the camera man had slipped the mic pack inside the inner pocket of my suit jacket, and had clipped the microphone to my jacket lapel, he set to work placing the ear piece inside my right ear, so that I could receive instruction from Tina while I did my screen test.

Going back to the aforementioned colour co-ordination, my lavender Falke cashmere socks matched the Liz Earle banners in the background. I hadn't even noticed but it made the Liz Earle girls chuckle!

It's a good thing I'd had the opportunity to watch the Liz Earle in-house model doing a demo of the Cleanse & Polish earlier, as when it was my turn, I'd picked up the little tricks of the trade (I was also grateful I'd taken the initiative to give myself a manicure prior to arriving at QVC, so my hands looked good for the close up shots). Lisa was talking to me via my ear piece while I was doing my hosting, telling me that I had a lovely smile, and to smile more, which seems odd at first, but it all links back to the QVC motto: "Engage, Enrich, Embrace".

Here you can see Simon and I in the camera monitor, this is the view the camera crew get when they do the filming.

Here's me, flashing a genuine smile at the end of the screen test, you can see Tina on set, giving me the thumbs up for my performance. I felt so relieved that I'd done a good job, with Simon jokingly asking me; "are you sure you've never done this before". Both he and Tina were so kind about my debut turn as a QVC guest host, with Tina saying that I had a trustworthy manner about me that would resonate with the viewers at home. She was impressed by my beauty knowledge (maybe it was my tips on facial massage and microcirculation, I knew the beauty geek in me would be a good thing one day). She added that I was funny and that something about me shone on camera. I don't say this to blow my own trumpet, in truth I was extremely flattered by the praise, especially as both Simon and Tina are both highly respected experts in their field, so to be acknowledged by professionals of their calibre, truly warmed my heart, and made me feel like the decade I've spent honing my own knowledge and expertise has been worthwhile. I was honoured when Tina said they'd be delighted to have me back as a guest host at some point (and I really hope she meant it, because for me it would be a lifelong dream come true).

And here's my QVC screen test, I hope you all enjoy it as much as I did. I want to thank the entire Liz Earle and QVC teams for their overwhelming warmth and hospitality. With a special mention for Andrea Kengelbacher, who gave me this once in a lifetime opportunity, and last but not least, to the lovely Simon Biagi and Tina Halvorsen, for being the best coaches a chap could have wished for. I hope I have the privilege of working with you all again. For me, it would be an honour.

Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser - £13.25

www.lizearle.com

www.qvcuk.com