Camel and Barrel

 

Dear friends. Exciting happenings last week. I was invited to an event by L’Oréal Paris. Before Covid, there were quite a few events, but I don't get invited to many nowadays because I'm not an influencer who sells things. I prefer to keep Is This Mutton a good reader experience, so I don't offer ads, paid-for links and sponsored content.

It was held at the former BBC Television Centre in White City, which is now home to upmarket apartments, cafes and offices. 

What to Wear?!    

I was in a bit of a dither about what to wear.  I was expecting the audience to be very young.  I decided not to be too colourful ("mad old trout") and wore a new pair of black barrel jeans  (Whistles) with a camel and black collared jumper (M&S, current).  My gold flats, according to Annemarie from YouTube channel @Myover50fashionlife,  are bang on trend with their pointed toe.

The latest barrel jeans - and virtually every brand is offering them - have a slimmer silhouette than the first pairs that we started buying in Spring. These are definitely more streamlined than my M&S barrel jeans. 

Lest you think I'm selling out on the colour front, camel is one of my good Spring colours and a perfect neutral. 

It turned out the event was actually aimed at older women. Amazing!  I'm so pleased that L’Oréal see the value in the older demographic. We actually account for the majority of sales in the beauty sector, but most brands persist in marketing only to young women, or, even worse, using young models to demonstrate "anti ageing" products. (Why be anti ageing?  You're dead otherwise). 

It was great to meet some ladies I follow on Instagram.  Here I am with Annemarie. 

About L’Oréal Paris

We're all familiar with  L’Oréal Paris. They've been around since 1909, with their first product being a hair dye.  

You might not know that the Groupe has four divisions representing global brands - 37 altogether.  These include hair giants Redken, Pureology and Kérastase in their Professional division.  L’Oréal Lux includes Lancôme, Yves St Laurent, Aesop, Ralph Lauren and Urban Decay. The Dermatological division has brands including three of my favourites, Vichy, La Roche-Posay and SkinCeuticals.

Finally the Consumer Products Division features brands like Garnier, Maybelline, NYX Professional Make Up, Essie, and of course L’Oréal Paris.  

Not surprisingly,  L’Oréal Paris is the #1 beauty brand globally. The significance, to me, is that this means they have access to scientists and laboratories and can invent innovative products that work.  All of their products have been vigorously tested and researched. 

What Happened at the Event

It started with a professional make-up artist showing us how to use some of the products that were in our goody bag. The two products that interested me the most were the Revitalift Eye Bag Instant Eraser and the Serum Le Duo. The latter is a similar product to Clarins Double Serum, but at a much reduced price.   

The eye bag eraser product really works: I've been watching countless videos on Tiktok including one where there's a very dramatic before and after on a woman who's probably in her 80s or 90s. The secret is to tap on a half-pea sized amount and wait for 15 minutes. 

After this we had a presentation on how to use Tiktok Shop. I was interested to see data that suggested that 12% of their audience is over 55. I have a Tiktok account but I haven't uploaded anything yet. I'm planning to do some quick book reviews, where I just talk for a couple of mins.  I'm too late to jump on the video bandwagon.  

My own preference is for long form content  (blogs).  I think the same is probably true for many of you, otherwise you wouldn't be here. However I am on Instagram, and remain reluctantly on Facebook because it hosts a couple of groups I'm in.

The event concluded with a panel discussion featuring women with big accounts on Tiktok. They shared their experiences and learnings. Below: the panel discussion members flanked by L’Oréal team. 

We then mingled and enjoyed afternoon tea. It looked delicious but I rarely eat at these bunfights because a) I'm afraid I'll spill something on my clothes;  b) I don't want to get anything stuck in my teeth. 

MUAs matched us to the right Skin Ink, which  L’Oréal describes as a Foundcealer. It can be used either as a foundation or a concealer (or both). I was matched to shade 100, Warm, but I found that I need a primer containing silicone as it pilled with the moisturiser I was using. Skin Ink has something called Fusion technology that bonds with the skin, providing undetectable, flawless coverage that lasts up to 48 hours. 

I was very impressed when I tried the Faux Brow Tint product. The colour supplied, Dark Brunette, is too dark for me now but I'll definitely be buying it in a lighter shade. It has a brush with two prongs  (they describe it as a 0.01mm double-brush tip) that perfectly mimics real brow hair.  And it really does stay put, unlike most brow products I've tried - for up to 48 hours apparently.  It's currently £11.99 at Boots. 

As we were leaving the lovely L’Oréal team ran after us with some biscuits.  Annemarie and I adjourned to a nearby hostelry, The Broadcaster, and had a catch-up. I ate my biscuit on the train (yummy).

Do you have any L’Oréal Paris products you swear by? Do tell in the comments. 

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DON'T MISS THE NEXT HELPING OF MUTTON

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Summertime Skin Care 

Tell Us About Scent 

Now it's time for #TuesdayTwirl, the link-up where bloggers can find new readers, and readers can find new blogs to read. To add your posts to the link-up, scroll down below the thumbnails to find the instructions. 

LAST WEEK'S FAVOURITES

Jill from Doused in Pink with her three shoe packing rule. 

Nicole from High Latitude Style with her one outfit to take you from work to a picnic. 

Alison from Midlife and Beyond with her summer time make-up finds for a glowy, natural look.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

What I've Got in Common with David Bowie

Dear friends. Some of you may recall that I am a Big Fan of David Bowie, and have been since the age of 11. 

He inspired one of my first blog posts back in 2006, at a different place.

I was intrigued to read that David was an inveterate recorder of his life. Thanks to the fact he kept literally everything - ticket stubs, menus and recordings of every show, the V&A will open a permanent exhibition at its new location in Stratford, East London. 

Reunited with an Old Favourite

 & #Tuesday Twirl

Dear friends. I told you recently how I love "stalking" clothes online.  I recently had a big success. I bought, on Vinted, a Laura Ashley skirt I had a few years ago.  I always loved it and the skirt actually wore out. The replacement is in pristine condition and cost me £8.

I wore it on Saturday to the annual Kettlewell Colour Club picnic in the park, which I organise  (although it barely needs any organisation except the date!). 

It works well with the lighter Spring colours in my palette. I wore it with the Kettlewell Pippa top in apple mint, and Rachel jacket in confetti, as it was a little cooler on Saturday (hooray!). 

Here I am with the other women analysed as Spring: 

Here's a pic from when I first had the skirt, in 2014. I loved the cashmere cardigan but it became very worn. 

So what else is new at Mutton Towers?  Well, I bought a pair of shoes last week. Oops. I wasn't supposed to be buying any more shoes (or boots).  I stumbled across a site that was new to me, Justin Reess. Well, brogue heaven!  I couldn't resist these shoes in a warm, bright green.  I love colourful brogues, and other quirky flat shoes because they add a bit of je ne sais pas to an outfit, now that I don't wear high heels. 

However, with my "one in, one out" policy I will now sell my other pair of green brogues, from Embassy London. They are beautiful but the green isn't bright enough to work well with my wardrobe. 

Do you have clothes that you loved a few years ago that you'd like to be reunited with? Do share in the comments. 

Sharing with these fantastic sites. 

DON'T MISS THE NEXT HELPING OF MUTTON

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A Rainbow of Colourful Summer Shoes 

What Happens at a Colour Refresh 

Hot Books for August 

Now it's time for #TuesdayTwirl, the link-up where bloggers can find new readers, and readers can find new blogs to read. To add your posts to the link-up, scroll down below the thumbnails to find the instructions. 

LAST WEEK'S FAVOURITES

How to  Style White Shorts Over 50 with Boho Chic Vibes by Kathrine from Kathrine Eldridge

Chocolate Tones by Jacqui from Mummabstylish.  Brown is very big for AW25. 

Pink and a Birthday Celebration by Jill from Grownup Glamour. Jill can't decide if  her pink coat is really "her."

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Hot Books for August

 

Dear friends.  Welcome to another round-up of book reviews.

My reading for August included four of my favourite authors: Colm Tóibín, K L Slater, Richard Armitage and Amanda Prowse.

There's also some interesting non-fiction with a new book after decades by style guru David Kibbe, how to age joyfully by a gerontologist, and some of the strangest ways to die in Tudor times. 

As always, most of my books were given to me in advance of publication by NetGalley or Amazon First Reads in exchange for a review.  I've indicated with an asterisk where I purchased a book. 

Yearning for Yellow

 & #TuesdayTwirl

Dear friends. Yellow - in particular butter yellow - has been the biggest hit of the summer, along with barrel jeans. 

I've always loved yellow: such a cheerful, vibrant colour, so today I'm sharing some different ideas for yellow. 

Avenues of Pleasure

& #TuesdayTwirl  

Dear friends. I quite often refer to "avenues of pleasure," usually in terms of them now being closed. I thought it was a commonplace saying, but it seems to have originated in the 70s TV comedy Fawlty Towers.  

Basil says peevishly to his wife Sybil, "That particular avenue of pleasure has been closed off." Sybil, who was referring to his love of horse racing and a cheeky bet,  replies "And we don't want it opened up again, do we Basil?"  "No, YOU don't," he mutters.

My 5 Avenues above seems to be mostly food or music related.  But these were simple pleasures that are now denied to me.  I recently bought a sandwich on a plane that was supposed to be cheese and tomato. But it was entirely ruined with a lavish sprinkling of rocket.  Reader, I cannot abide the stuff! Yet it appears to be on every salad or sandwich. I find the only salad I can guarantee to be rocket-free is a Caesar.

Sounds of the 70s was a pleasure for several years.  I looked forward to putting my feet up at 3pm on a Sunday to listen to Johnnie Walker.  It was also fun guessing his first song in the Facebook group dedicated to the show.

Sadly Johnnie died a few months ago.  Bob Harris, a well known veteran broadcaster, has taken over but the music has changed.  Whereas Johnnie played pretty much everything from the 70s, Bob leans towards artists such as the Doobie Brothers (a whole hour on them last week!), folk acts and obscure 70s tracks.

The Facebook group constantly has arguments about the music with some saying they love his choices. I don't;  he hardly ever plays any punk/new wave or glam rock, and to me, they were the 70s.  I refuse to be "educated" now on liking heavy rock or prog rock when I didn't like it back in the day.

Moving on to pop concerts.  Nowadays the venues like to keep the bars open during the performance to make more money. I loathe having to keep standing up to let people barge by with their drinks.

Cadbury's was taken over by a US firm a few years ago  (Kraft, who became Mondelez). They promised there would be no job losses but it wasn't long before the Somerdale factory near Bristol was closed and 500 were out of work.  

I'm convinced the recipe has changed,  except in the small number of bars described as "Dairy Milk".  The chocolate doesn't taste of anything now. 

Finally greyhound racing.  I recall some fun times "at the dogs".  It was a civilised evening out if you observed the racing from behind the Perspex glass of the restaurant.  Your bets were collected as you dined. I organised a team building event at Swindon races.  I went a few times to Wimbledon when I was with husband #1. 

We live fairly close to the Walthamstow dog racing track but racing ended in 2008, although the iconic neon sign remains. 

Today's outfit is the second of two Reiss dresses I bought in the sales recently.  It has a similar asymmetrical hem and drape  as the coral dress shown here. 

I wore it for our first trip to a new local restaurant called Gina. It's been getting great reviews and was featured in the Sunday Times no less. We loved the restaurant, the food, ambience and staff.  It's definitely one we'll be returning to. An avenue of pleasure that's firmly open, in fact! 

What avenues of pleasure have been closed to you recently? Do tell in the comments. 

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My Garden 

The Month before Lockdown, February 2019

TIME TO TWIRL!

Now it's time for #TuesdayTwirl, the weekly fashion and style link-up.  To take part scroll down to the heading How to Participate. 

LAST WEEK'S FAVOURITES 

Effortlessly Chic Summer Outfit for Women over 50 by Karin of Karin's Kottage.

What to Wear When You Don't What to Wear by Kellyann of This Blonde's Shopping Bag

Non-Fashion Post:  No, You May Not Pet the Dog: A Guide for Grown Adults Who Should Know Better by Amber of The Hungry Mountaineer 

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Heatwave Happenings: July

Dear friends. What a scorcher of a month. It was too hot for me. Temperatures in the 30s (90s) are fine when you're on holiday, with an air conditioned room. But in London, in houses built to keep in the heat? Nooo.  Fortunately it was a little cooler in the last few days.

It was a busy month with some fun activities.  I was turned into an "artwork" not once but twice.  I explored Bedford for the first time and went to Plymouth. 

Have a Gamine Summer Even When Fashion says Long and Baggy

 

Dear friends. If you favour neat, fitted clothes and hemlines at the knee or slightly above, you have been out of luck for the last few years.

Or have you?

I realised just a couple of years ago that I look best in gamine styles. Since then, I've built a nice little wardrobe featuring old and new finds, and accessories that help to pull the look together.

Summertime Skin Care

 & #TuesdayTwirl

Dear friend. It's time for another beauty update where I share what's working and what isn't.  Everything was bought by me, so you can rest assured you're getting a frank and honest view.

At 64, I'm well aware that creams and potions don't turn back the hands of time. But how about the latest LED and RF (radio frequency) devices?

I Defy You Not to Find a Book for July!

 

Dear friends. I'm guilty of saying this every month, but my newly published selection of reads in July is absolutely stellar! 

There's a welcome return for best selling writers Joyce Carol Oates and Louise Candlish;  a chilling alpine adventure;  a story of a female entertainer turning the tables on a critic, and 100 delightful walks across Britain featuring secrets and treasure. 

All the books were rated by me as 4 out of 5 this month. 

Coral Dress Stalked and Bagged

 And #TuesdayTwirl

Dear friends. Stalking clothes is a fun pastime. It starts when the drops happen, and if you're lucky, your chosen items end up successfully bagged in the sale at half price.

Summer Hits and Misses

AND #TUESDAY TWIRL

Dear friends.  Sharing today what I've been wearing on repeat, including the most flattering dress ever. And two surprise "misses", the dresses I will move on.

Chastised by a Chatbot: June in Review

Dear friends. I'm back with a review of last month. June was predominantly about our annual trip to the idyllic Greek island of Skiathos. There was also a seaside meetup with friends, various fitness activities, wildlife and daily observations. 

6 Women 12 Dresses

 And #TuesdayTwirl

Dear friends. Today's post is a celebration of the dress. Some amazing women share their favourites. 

Styling Barrel Jeans

 And #Tuesday Twirl 

Dear friends.  They're the sell out sensation that are surprisingly flattering. I'm talking about barrel jeans, having seized what seemed like the last two pairs in M&S recently. 

I tried barrel jeans a few months ago from a different brand but didn't like them. Now I love them, and will show you today how I've been styling them.

The Hottest Girl at Burn Camp by Krystal Evans

 

Dear friends.

Publisher's Description 

When Krystal Evans was 14, the house that she shared with her mother and sister burned down. Narrowly escaping by breaking a window and jumping out head-first Krystal suffered burns, smoke inhalation, and the unimaginable tragedy of losing her sister.

This is a spellbinding story of growing up poor living with a mentally ill mother, and having a wolf for a pet (really). From the indignities of being rejected from a summer camp for burn victims, to putting up with a succession of her mother's increasingly shady friends and partners, Krystal and Kale's childhoods were marked by adult chaos, inappropriate behaviour, and never knowing what the next day would bring.

But, writing with joy, skill and candour, we witness Krystal growing as a person from the ashes of disaster into the confident, funny, and (reasonably) well-hinged adult, mother and comedian that she is today. 

My Thoughts

Not many autobiographies live up to such hype in a publisher's description, but this one does.  It helps that there has been a lot of drama - good and bad - in Krystal's life.  She has plenty of jaw-dropping incidents to relate.

UK-based Krystal has turned tragedy into the strongest and most powerful form of comedy, creating a one-woman show which has been seen by some of her US based family, and lauded by the critics. 

Her mother, Tracy,  left her father for good when Krystal was one year old. A pattern developed where Tracy would start relationships with unsuitable men and then move somewhere else. 

Tracy's relationships were always very volatile. On one occasion she was admitted to a psychiatric ward but left without telling anyone and took her two daughters away and wasn't contacted or traced for two months. Krystal was exposed to a lot of grief and sadness with her mother but she remained resilient, with people often asking how it was she was so "normal."  But to her, the life she led was her day-to-day reality. She writes about Tracy with mostly kindness. Her mother was abused by her father, as were her siblings. She had also not received a proper mental health diagnosis, although Munchausen's Syndrome was identified not too long ago. 

At one point Tracy married a 91 year old man, ("the mummy of Tutankhamun"), having been persuaded by her mother who said he wouldn't last long and she could have his house.  The relationship lasted 8 weeks, with the marriage annulled. 

Incidents of mania led Krystal to assume the role of adult. She dialled 911 after her mother started screaming and saying she could see tigers and animals crawling up the walls. Her medication was changed, but a few days later she drove too fast and their car crashed. "For me and Katie, life was increasingly like being in the back of a car climbing a steep hill, not knowing what was just over the crest."

The death of her sister Katie in a house fire is recounted in heart breaking detail. At 14, Krystal herself seriously injured, was the one who called the emergency services and her grandparents while her mother lay crying. Krystal spent two days in intensive care followed by three weeks in a children's burns unit before being released into her dad Steve's care. She was shown how to apply thick makeup to cover the burns on her face so that she could return to school.

At the "Burn Camp" of the title, Krystal was one of several teenagers sent to a summer camp for kids with burn injuries. Her mother was to be a counsellor. Unfortunately this did not go well:  her mother was supposed to offer support to burns victims in a safe space, but she kept telling her own story and sobbing, expecting the youngsters to give her support instead. After Tracy got involved in a food fight with two 12 year olds, she and Krystal were forced to leave. 

Krystal discovered a love for Scotland following a three-week holiday with a Scottish boyfriend called Stuart.  She returned to New York and married Stuart within 3 months of meeting him in order to get a visa. She didn't tell her parents, figuring they would have a "proper" wedding in a few years' time and tell them them. 

Stand Up Comedy Starts

In 2014 she and Stuart settled in Scotland, opening a restaurant, and she was tempted to try stand-up at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Instead she convinced herself it was too attention seeking in the way her mother had been. But she continued to keep a document in her drafts folder that contained joke ideas.

Her first performance at The Stand Comedy Club in Edinburgh came a few weeks after the birth of baby Sonny. She was so nervous she barely made it on stage, but had the audience laughing from the first joke (about sushi being sold at Boots). From then she began honing her craft, leading her to develop a one-woman show based on her traumatic upbringing.  

Another baby later and she was on her way to Edinburgh Fringe 2020.  The lockdown started, and with it Krystal began to experience fear and depression. She started therapy over Zoom with a psychiatrist specialising in extreme trauma. She was encouraged to write down her thoughts about Tracy, the fire and the loss of Katie.

In 2022, a neurosurgeon called from the US to say Tracy, who by now had been diagnosed with Munchausen's Syndrome, was in a coma and probably didn't have much time left.  Krystal suspected she was probably faking it, and two days later, Tracy recovered. 

Her book ends with a trip back to Washington state and a visit, for the first time, to her sister's grave. She was horrified to find it was tiny, and abandoned, and had been funded by her grandparents who couldn't afford much. "I felt as though my 6 year old sister had been here, cold and alone, up this hill for 22 years; I imagined her being sad that no one had visited her. I was deeply ashamed." 

This is a powerful memoir that can make us laugh or cry, or both at the same time. Highly recommended. 

Thanks to Anne Cater from Random Things Tours, Octopus, the publisher, and the author, for the opportunity to read an advance digital copy of The Hottest Girl at Burn Camp, in return for an honest review.

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About the Author 

FOR MORE MUTTON 

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Bare by Lorna Tucker 

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Books for Summer

 

Dear friends. As I was collating this month's round-up it crossed my mind they were all be perfect for holiday reading. There are, as always, some remarkable female characters (and writers). I read most of these in the dark months of winter, thanks to NetGalley and the publishers providing advance digital copies. I've indicated with an asterisk any books I bought myself. 

A note on the ratings. I no longer include books that I didn't enjoy, to which I would have to give a rating of 3 or below. You can be assured that the 4 and 5 star reads I feature were enjoyed with gusto.

Holiday Packing Ideas and Tips

 And #TuesdayTwirl

Dear friends. It's part 2 of my summer holiday posts and this time I'm focusing on what to take, plus a few of my lifesavers. 

I'm headed for a relaxing holiday in Greece. Days will be spent on the beach, reading, swimming and listening to podcasts.  Evenings, we'll take the water taxi into the nearby town and go to our favourite places for dinner.  

There'll be no sight seeing.  We've been to this island several times and have done all the sight seeing.  A lot of you will hate our mega relaxing type of holiday, but I love it, particularly after all the recent cycling.

Holiday Outfits: Breaking the Rules

 Introducing #TuesdayTwirl

Dear friends. I'm back with a style post and new link-up. It's been six months since the last Wow on Wednesday, and I've been missing it.  So today #TuesdayTwirl is born. 

For style bloggers it's a chance to feature latest fashion and beauty posts, and for readers it's an opportunity to find more blogs from like-minded women.

Today I'm sharing a few of the outfits I'll be taking to Greece in a few weeks. I'm also doing 3 things that older women are often told, in clickbait articles, not to do.  Wearing bright colours;  wearing a shorter hemline, and baring my arms.  Who cares about rules?