Connecting Women and Business

You can take the girl out of Grazia but you just can't take Grazia out of the girl, which is why I jumped at the invitation to join the team down at Westfield shopping centre earlier this week!

I'll let you make your own minds up about the biggest shopping mall in Europe because I was much more interested in catching up with the Grazia fashion team and picking upsome insider tips for Christmas party dressing (navy and black is the chic-est combination, and if you've got good legs don't be afraid to get them out!)

My favourite tip, and one that I have already successfully tried out, came from Mel Ricky, Grazia's Fashion Features Director. She very kindly passed on Giorgio Armani's advice for carrying clutch bags... arm outstretched behind you so the bag doesn't ruin the line of your dress. So now you know!

I think the most important thing to remember though, whether you're looking at wedding dresses or searching for the perfect party frock, is to be led by what suits you and what you feel comfortable in, not just by what is deemed 'fashionable'.

The LBD (little black dress) is the perfect example of timeless style. Update it every season with a statement necklace or new fabulous shoes and you have a fashion-classic that will last you a lifetime. When you're hunting for your wedding dress, think along similar lines - don't dismiss the classic, simple shapes as these are sometimes the most flattering and give you a wonderful base from which to inject your personality through your jewellery, shoes, hair.

Whatever you do, have fun and make sure you love love love your wedding outfit - you'll be looking at the photos for years!

It's been a week of fashion and beauty and what's not to like about that? I'm going to share a secret with you... Ecorium, a fantastic new beauty emporium in Canterbury and on the internet, is all about pure skincare with a clear conscience. I'm going to keep you posted about Ecorium as they have lots of things in the pipeline for brides-to-be and I think you should be the first to know...

But, in the meantime, if your skincare routine needs an overhaul to ensure you're looking your best on your wedding day I can think of no better way to start than with the natural, ethical and ecologically friendly product ranges at Ecorium.

So, if you're in Canterbury pop in and say hi to Niki and tell her I said hi too, otherwise find Ecorium on the internet. When you place your first order you will automatically be entered into their prize draw to win a skincare goody bag worth £100 - now that's my idea of heaven!

If you'd like to check if we're free on your wedding date for 'On The Day' wedding co-ordination so you too can relax and enjoy every second of your day or you just need an answer to a question that's driving you crazy, please get in touch with Magic Dust - we're here to help!

Until next week,

ps - you can get regular wedding planning advice from magicdust's regular newsletter, simply click here to subscribe (and don't worry, we don't give your details to anyone else - we'll only use them to send you the newsletter)