Firmly inserted in the Notting Hilly Billies black book of beauty, Scin has now opened in Great Portland Street and is causing a similar frenzy amongst nearby residents. Offering all styles of treatments and packages, Scin’s candy store appeal is also backed up with adept and helpful therapists, who even add extra assistance if you’re in a hurry and request for it.

Joining almost every beauty salon in London, Scin uses Ren products which are organic and, with science and mineral technology, manage to boost the skin’s natural repair and renewal. For their facials, they use Ren or Dermatologica and it’s all the usual – deep cleansing, masks, steaming, extracting – but with an unusual attendance to exactly what you want, resulting in your facial being adroitly sculpted to suit you.

With the uniform polished, white-washed walls and candlelit therapy rooms, there’s nothing specifically different about the salon, it’s the treatments and the therapists which sets it apart. With already a wide selection of facials, massages and packages to choose from in Notting Hill, the Great Portland Street salon offers an even more diverse selection.

Like most salons, there seems to be a connection with the limited time schedule that most people have available in which to beautify themselves. Yet, another perk to Scin is that they have packages for the beauty gluttons, which incorporate facials, massages, pedicures and hydrotherapy treatment lasting between one and two and a half hours. I managed to try out their Ren facial while at the same time having my nails buffed and glossed. The success lies behind their effortless efficiency and easy treatment adjustments which manage to accommodate any client and make the whole treatment personal.

One word of advise, with Virgin employees already clocking the new arrival it might be wise to pre-book…

222 Great Portland Street
London
W1W 5QP
020 7387 4762
www.scin.uk.com

Does the anti-love story look set finally to surpass the fairy tale love story? With Twilight’s implausible success, followed by a Hollywood latch-on to anti heroes, this September Marc Webb is about to join the bandwagon with his 500 Days of Summer.

Openly admitting ‘this is not a love story,’ the film centres around Tom Hansen (Joseph Gordon Levitt) and Summer Finn’s (Zooey Deschanel) off beat and tumultuous so-called relationship. While for Tom it is love at first sight when meeting Summer, she on the other hand, is a part-time misanthropist, who refuses to believe in relationships, boyfriends, disparaging that real life always gets in the way. After another split, Tom reflects the past turbulent 500 days spent with Summer and through the advice from his two best friends and his younger sister Rachel (Chloe Moretz) Tom comes to a decision as to what he will do.

Rarely does a film manage to pull off capturing falling in love without resorting to twee-ness or falliable plots. Here, however, with the combination of skilful casting and delicate and acute writing, the film is touching and comic, emphasising  just how wrong films such as He’s just not that into You can get it.

500 Days of Summer is released 2nd September

Ever thought celebrities have it easy?  Not this time.  Now it’s their turn to do some work!

A new club night at London’s indigO2 is inviting the public to get up close and personal to their idols in a totally unique way.

In a clubbing first, partygoers will see their favourite stars working the door, serving the drinks, spinning the tunes and even performing on the night!

Kicking off with a Big Brother special, the first event – on Saturday 5th September – the team has already secured many of the show’s past housemates and winners to act as staff.

Party goers are now set tho be the VIPs being waited on hand and foot by the stars!

“It’s no fun when celebrities are holed up in the VIP section of a club. We aim to turn the tables around completely and get them away from their free champagne and VIP treatment and get them working for you’’

With a target audience of 18-30 year-olds, CelebriParty have future planned events include evenings hosted by the casts of Hollyoaks, Skins and Shipwrecked.

The stellar team behind CelebriParty comprises of Justin James (Hed Kandi & Ministry of Sound), Joey Haines (celebrity producer) and Marnie Sirota  (freelance producer on shows from Big Brother and I’m a Celebrity Get me out of here to Hell’s Kitchen).

The CelebriParty event launches on Saturday 5th September 2009 at 10pm – 3am.

Tickets can be purchased from www.celebriparty.com/tickets
£12 advanced ticket price
£15 on the door.

Shop till you drop.

If you haven’t started saving your pennies for some serious shopping on the 1oth September then you will definitely be missing out. Why? Because it’s Fashions Night Out, Vogue’s global celebration of fashion. In 13 cities from New York to Milan, London to Shanghai, all the major fashion cities around the world, Vogue is organising a very special night of shopping. In London, designer shops, boutiques, department stores and high-street brands are all joining in to provide an extraordinary evening in London’s West End.

Vogue fashion director, Lucinda Chambers, has designed a limited edition T-shirt just for the event. Illustrated by Martin Welch this T-shirt is a must have and will be available to buy at participants stores at the event. 100 per cent of the profits from the T-shirt sales will go to the UK charity Crisis who help the homeless. It is a very fitting charity to be supporting as many of the the UK’s homeless make their bed at night on the steps or in the doorways of the shops that will be participating on the 1oth September.

So, put the date in the diary and start saving your pennies. It’s going to be the night to shop. 

For more information on the event check out www.vogue.co.uk/fashionsnightout

or www.fashionsnightout.com to see what’s happening in the other locations worldwide.

Fashion’s Night Out, September 1oth, London’s West End

Gone are the days when you just book a treatment at the hairdressers … in a dry, skinny, extra shot, hold the syrup grande kind of a way, leading salons are tailoring their treatments to the specific needs of their clients’ locks – just as facialists and coffee chains have been doing for time! 

My newest discovery is Paul Edmonds’ super swish salon on Brompton Road.  Paul is offering discerning clients a range of four new tailored treats:

Nourishing Clay – from the Alborz amountains in Iran, no less, which adds moisture and condition

Hydro Resin – replenishing and volumising plant resin drom the root of the Katera plant adding shine and volume to dry or damaged hair

Ultimate Protein Rejuvenate – a restorative protein for dry damaged overly processed hair for renewed vitality (that was me)

Collagen Infusion – a restorative for damaged ends with collagen to boost and  plump hair follicles for added moisture and strength

My Ultimate Protein did the business and the crowning glory is ready once again to withstand a few more months of abuse. 

The salon is gorgeous and deceptively vast – with a warren of private rooms for beauty treatments and even better a lower ground floor where you can still get a signal on the Blackberry and yes, they do cappuccinos as well! 

Celebrity fans include Imbruglia, Gina McGee, Julie Walters, Colin Firth and Emma Thompson whom you NEVER see having a bad hair day!

Treatments £40-£60
Paul Edmonds, 217 Brompton Road, London, SW3 2EJ
020 7589 5958
www.pauledmonds.com