TODAY SOME VERY SPECIAL GUESTS HAVE WRITTEN THEIR POSTS FOR OUR BLOG

Club wow is a women’secret member club that (unfortunately) currently operates only in Spain. The club has launched a competition asking wow girls to write a post related to fashion and topics of interest to women. We’ve received entries from girls that have their own blogs, girls that love writing or dedicated followers of fashion blogs. We’ll fill you in with the details of the prizes next week (Shhhhhhh! It’s a secret!), so watch this space, because we’re sure you’ll agree that they’re really fab!

Below is the winning post:

When I was a little girl, I would spend time flicking through fashion magazines, picking out the styles I liked best. The only condition was that I could only choose one style per page. And believe me, sometimes it wasn’t easy. Perhaps some of you played a game like this, with identical or similar ‘rules’. A little while ago, I was telling a friend about it and confessed that even now (at thirty-something) I still occasionally play the same game. She told me that one of her favourite childhood games was ‘I’ll have that’: she and her sister would flick through fashion magazines and try to be the first to slap their hand down on the prettiest style. “Of course!”, I thought to myself, “As I didn’t have any sisters, only an elder brother, I had to compete against myself, and that’s why I invented the rule”. This seemingly unimportant childhood memory brings a smile to my lips and has made me realise that deep down I’m still that little girl that was fascinated by lipsticks and foulards…and who would avidly devour the adverts in order to choose her favourite styles.

Raquel González

MYSTERIOUS AUTUMN IN YOUR LIFE

Autumn is a mysterious season. After months of wide open windows and hearts, the time comes when we are craving escape (preferably accompanied) to something cosy, in search of privacy, to wrap everything in a blanket of intimacy. To be at one with oneself. To look within and calm that frenetic mood that has gripped you throughout the summer. You crave staying in at home, enjoying chill out time reading a good book or watching a film.

We women have always been partial to extremes.

If you want to explore your more personal side, don’t miss out on women’secret’s inspiring latest collections. Enjoy an autumn of infinite secret stories, more sensual or more casual and playful, but always interesting, always très chic.

We invite you to discover our new collections.

HELLO HOLIDAYS!

Finally, the best bit of summer has arrived… how many times have you muttered “I need a vacation”? Well… Here they are!

Forget about September, meetings, the work that’s waiting for you, the e-mails piling up… All you need to worry about is relaxing, having a great time and regaining your energy.

Trips, excursions, days at the beach, romances, mid-week partying… everything goes when you’re on holiday. Do now what you haven‘t been able to do so far this year. Tire yourself out during the first week discovering a new city and spend the rest of the time resting and seeing all your friends.

But be careful, because in summer we all live very well, and it’s all too easy to gain a few pounds: ice cream is just too delicious.

Above all, the most important thing is that you don’t stay at home doing nothing, but make the most of your free time, which is what we have planned for this month. See you in September!

HEADING: A QUESTION OF TASTE

Aren’t these photos just delightful? They are so original, aren’t they? Perhaps they caught you by surprise? The choice and placement of each item of food or each flower used is surprisingly successful, as if it couldn’t have been any other way. The creations are strong, very strong, and the photographs have a spectacular realism.

If you would like to see the complete series, visit the website www.fulviobonavia.com, the series called A Matter Of Taste and Scent Of Flower.

SURPRISING SUMMER GAZPACHO

We love the warm weather. We spend the summer months longing for those two or three months of intense heat that we have each year. And when it arrives, we still love it! Despite our blood pressure taking a dive, sometimes sleep is impossible and we end up feeing very idle! And so to combat all this we propose a new take on the classic Spanish gazpacho (blended raw vegetables). Easy to eat and full of energy, as well as another typical Spanish summer recipe, ajoblanco. These can’t get any healthier!

Watermelon and mint gazpacho (4 servings):

• 600 g vine tomatoes
• 500 g watermelon flesh
• 35 g onion
• 40 g green peppers
• small clove of garlic
• 1 spoonful Olive Oil
• 2/3 tsp salt

1. Dice the onion and pepper. Add the garlic.
2. Dice the tomatoes and place in the food processor. Add the tomato, garlic, onion and pepper. Blitz until the mixture is smooth. If you prefer, pass through a sieve to make smoother.
3. Remove pips from the watermelon and add the pieces to the mix together with the salt, oil and vinegar.
4. Leave to rest for a couple of hours in the fridge, and it’s ready to eat!

* This recipe can be altered by adding mango and coriander rather than watermelon and mint, giving a much more intense flavour.

Coconut ajoblanco (4 servings):

• 126 g raw almonds
• 1 slice stale bread
• clove of garlic
• 150 g coconut milk
• 80 g ice
• 100 ml olive oil
• Jerez vinegar
• Salt
• Marinated salmon

1. Whisk the almonds, the bread soaked in water, the garlic and coconut milk. Once whisked, add the ice and crush.
2. Add the salt and vinegar to taste and the oil, and mix with a wooden spoon.
3. Serve well chilled, in small glasses, topped with the chopped marinated salmon for decoration.

SOAK UP THE SUN, BUT DON’T FORGET THE SUNSCREEN

Summer’s here at last! And it’s time to slip into that bikini and get that flattering bronzed glow.

First and foremost, take care not to get burnt and give it time: don’t lie out in the sun for long periods –all you’ll manage to do is to damage your skin and end up looking like an overripe tomato. And you know that that doesn’t look good on those holiday snaps.

If you don’t tan easily, we recommend you don’t overdo it with those bronzing oils (and if you must use them, then remember to use a sunscreen). There are a few natural remedies that will help you get a healthy glow: for instance, a month before you go on holiday, start drinking a daily glass of carrot juice – and if there isn’t time for all that, then simply drink it just before heading for the beach. But remember – you still shouldn’t overdo it with the bronzing oils… Don’t go overboard!

And, if you want to look after your skin, you should eat foods that are rich in lycopene, such as tomatoes, with antioxidants that can help to combat the skin ageing caused by the sun’s rays. Luckily, we always fancy a refreshing salad in summer, don’t we?

You should avoid exposure to the sun during the hottest period of the day (between noon and 4 p.m.), drink lots of liquid, take regular dips in the water – but make sure you dry yourself well afterwards, as the drops of water act like tiny magnifying glasses on your skin. Remember that you’ll catch the sun more in the water than on the sand, so be careful!

Last but not least, it’s essential to use a sunscreen. Forget last year’s cream – exposure to the sun means that it will have lost all its properties. Here at women’secret, tired of searching for the perfect sun cream, we’ve come up with our very own line for all types of skin and areas. You’ll find it in all our stores.

Follow these simple tips and enjoy the relaxing sensation of the sun’s rays on your skin. Have a great summer!

MUST HAVE COLOURS TO DRESS UP THE NEW SEASON

There are always some tones that mark the shift from summer to fall. Colours that flood the magazines and fashion

editorials and that become absolute must haves for the rest of us. And, out of the multiple trends we’re currently being

bombarded with, three tranquil tones stand out that will set the style for the start of the new season.

Make a mental note! There are three in all: dusty green, taupe brown and a sexy, dainty pink. Here are our suggestions:

DUSTY GREEN
Luxuriate with soft, delicate pastel tones – dusty aqua green is the hottest tone around this season.
Buy now.

TAUPE BROWN
Or how about this earth tone with a range of hues: a spring hit that’s still top of our list for fall.
Buy now.

SEXY AND DELICATE PINK
Go for pink in all its shades: from dusty rose to bubble gum pink and a final splash of cherry.
Buy now.

AUTUMN 2010 SEASON PREVIEW

You know that we have already begun the sale at womensecret.com, don’t you? This draws a line between the before and the after, because it means a time of change for the women’secret office. It’s time to show you what’s new for our autumn collections!

We’ve spent weeks preparing for the new season, and so we want to show a surprise or two. Our first offering of cross-season looks is Bedtime Stories, a sophisticated collection loaded with sensuality, and Chelsea Sunset, a collection with dual garments designed for when you are out on the street or for snuggling at home.

Bedtime Stories: A return to romance, with elegant black leading the colour scheme, contrasted with grey, nude or hints of taupe or spots taking inspiration from the wild. Trendy details, satin and transparent features. The sexiest corsetry sets, with suspender belts and tulle elements. For the evening, sheer nighties, the briefest of pyjamas with transparencies and a black cotton robe. And as a finishing touch: minimal slippers finished with a bow, and matching sponge bags with a fabric covered metal clasp, irresistibly sophisticated.

Chelsea Sunset: A meticulous look of this collection designed both for at home comfort and street style. Everything benefits from a delicate touch, with the softest, up to the minute colours: brown in all its hues, powder greens and off whites. The most exclusive, distinctive garments are included, as is a retro look, incarnated in the hat-box style sponge bag which would be ideal to use as an ornament. Or a tulle and brown cotton matching set which seems as if snatched from a forgotten era.

WHICH PHOTO SHOULD I POST ON MY PROFILE?

First impressions count, and today, that means social networking. Had that occurred to you?

That’s why the photo you choose to post on your profile is really important. Did you know that the first thing many companies do when they receive your CV is to look you up on Facebook?

According to an article posted on ChicaSeo these photos should:

• Transmit a sense of confidence. This means choosing a photo that shows the face and shoulders, looking straight at the camera and set against a white background.
• A photo taken by a professional photographer projects more professionalism and the idea that you take care of your professional and personal image. This type of photo also generally creates a greater impact than one of poorer quality.
• It should also transmit what you are in a credible manner. If sincerity is your strength, then this is what your photo should reflect. This will create a sense of complicity with the person that is looking at it.

An all on All Facebook featured the 30 most typical types of photos posted on profiles and analysed each one. Below are a few examples:

1. I’m a family man
In these photos, the dad poses with his kids, transmitting his commitment to them and his softer side.

2. I love my pet
It doesn’t matter what type of pet you have, they form an important part of our lives and so we opt to include them on our profile photo.

3. My career
People who are focused in their own sphere and for that reason post photos of themselves speaking at an event. Total commitment to their jobs.

4. I’ve got a boyfriend
Something lots of couples do at the start of their relationship is to publish a photo of themselves together – it’s a way of announcing that they’re an item in order to consolidate their relationship.

5. Background sky
These are photos in which you can only see the person and the sky in the background. Although this type of photo transmits a sense of calm, it’s always a good idea to have some kind of context in which people can situate you.

6. On holiday
Who doesn’t enjoy showing their holiday snaps? This is typical of people whose bodies are in the office but their mind is still on their latest trip.

7. My kids
Some proud parents choose to post a photo of their kids on their profile. The problem is that people who are looking for you won’t recognise you.

8. Me as a kid
The idea is to make you go gooey. This is a way of saying who you are but without actually showing the current you.

9. Passport photo
They’ve taken the first photo they could find on their computer. Practical people who don’t like wasting time.

10. No photo
Avoid this. It transmits a ‘don’t care’ attitude and a lack of confidence.

11. Group photo
A sociable person that likes to blend their identity into a group, as it’s unrecognisable for people that don’t know them.

So have you now decided which type of photo to post?

ALEXA MEADE: SHEER REALISM

Numerous artists aim for a maximum sense of realism in their works. But that’s the last thing on the mind of artist Alexa Made. In fact, she’s going for quite the opposite effect: she paints people and real objects to try and make them look like pictures.

Can you imagine visiting an art gallery and stopping to observe a painting of a girl that all of a sudden blinks at you? Or sitting on the bus, and a little old man who seems to have stepped straight out of an acrylic painting comes and sits next to you?

Amazing, isn’t it? We’ve posted some images so you really can believe your eyes.

Once again, this American artist has shown us that art is always reinventing itself and never ceases to surprise us.

If you’d like to see more, check out some of her works at http://www.flickr.com/photos/alexameade.