When a fellow Glossy raves about something I tend to take note. These are, after all, women who know their thing, they’ve been around the world a few times and sniffed and sampled more creams, unctions and teeny, tiny serum packets than I’ve stumbled gently out a cocktail bar. And when the rave comes from the stratospherically fragrant Santa Montefiore , you not only take notes, you get your lardy arse off the sofa and actually make the goddamn appointment at The Organic Pharmacy stand in Selfridges . I mean, have you seen her photo? Can you imagine how stunning she is in the flesh? Whatever she’s having, so am I!
Four days later I am, slightly the worse for red wine and solving the world’s unsurmountable problems from the night before, sitting on a small white spiny stool in Selfridges talking to Margo Marrone, a naturopath and co-founder of the Organic Pharmacy, about my skin.
Now as Glossy regulars will undoubtedly be aware, it is not something I look after particularly well. But Margo didn’t mind. Actually, Margo was just about brilliant about just about everything. My fondness for sunshine. My dearth of toner-usage. My occasional fagging. My sporadic use of night creams. Frankly, my inability to follow any regime at all. Margo sat there and nodded away like some terribly wise sage, taking notes and being interested.
In fact, Margo was so kind and interested I went on. Normally when I’m handed one those boring questionnaires about your life and style, or indeed in my case, my lack of both, I tend to lie. Do I take exercise? Yes all the time, I love yoga. I’m a dogging addict! Do I drink more than three litres of water a day? Christ, you can’t keep me away from the stuff. Do I sunbathe? Hell no, not since the long hot summer of 1976. Do I smoke? How very dare you! Do I drink? This doesn’t just happen, you know. And so it goes on.
MORE GLOSS: Imogen Edwards-Jones on having regular facial peels
But Margo was good, Margo was incisive with her questioning, Margo is perhaps a shrink in a naturopath disguise. Anyway, we talked about my lack of sleep, my son always waking me up, and my terrible addiction to coffee. She suggested some Calc Carb for him and some Nat Mur 6C for me to help us both sleep and then she got to the reason I was there: my bespoke Elixir Cream.