For those of you who haven’t had a chance to visit us at Duke of York Square, our store has huge windows that flood the shop with light. We knew from the start that whatever we did, we wanted to bring it into the shop and incorporate some of the fantastic plant ingredients that we use in our range.

As always, botanicals inspire and drive all we do. Chelsea in Bloom gives us the perfect opportunity to share our passion for both our botanical and British heritage. And what better way than with a tradition that dates back more than a century? A celebration of community, street parties on the national scale date back to 1919 when they were held as ‘peace teas’ celebrating the end of WWI. The relationship between street celebrations and jubilees dates back even further to the 1897 Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria, when formal public street dinners were held in the Queen’s honour.

We’ve created a street party with a Liz Earle twist using the botanicals that power our range to decorate our flagship store with Union flags – the quintessential symbol of Britain. Inspired by the arches and crowns that spanned The Mall for the Queen’s Coronation in 1953, a pair of arches soar over our botanical jubilee tea party to support a beautiful floral crown, the symbol of the Queen.

The flower show and Chelsea in Bloom are like an ephemeral flower: over in a flash. So we couldn’t resist starting the floral explosion a little early on Saturday 19^th May and stretching it through Sunday 27^th May just to have a few extra days to share the excitement and our botanicals with you. Join us for drinks and treats, indulge in our signature hand and arm massage, or join me in a posy-making workshop to learn more about the botanical ingredients we use, their skin-friendly benefits, and walk away with a nosegay fit for a queen. Simply ask in store for more information, or call us on 020 7730 9191 to book your place.

I’m thrilled to let you know that our store is about to have what can only be described as a total transformation. Soon we will be opening our doors to reveal a much larger store, with lots more space for customer events and two brand new treatment rooms, so I really hope this will mean I get to meet lots more of you in the near future! Offering you fantastic customer service and a very personal shopping experience will, of course, still be our top priority.

Our Isle of Wight store was our very first store (and opened nearly 11 years ago). Our range has grown so much since then, we wanted to be able to create some more space for you to experience all our products and find out more about our botanicals and skincare expertise. The new-look store will have an ingredients bar where you can explore some of our hard-working naturally actives and a history wall to illustrate and celebrate our island heritage.

I’m particularly excited about the new treatment rooms that will be up and running in the near future. You’ll be able to relax in the expert hands of our therapists and enjoy one of our coveted facials – pure pampering indulgence!

Our store will be closed from 5.30pm on Saturday 5th May and we’re hoping to re-open by the end of May. If this is your local store, don’t worry you can still stock up on your favourite products by calling our customer centre on 01983 813 913 or by visiting lizearle.com.

I’ll be sharing news of our beautiful new store soon and hope you can get the chance to visit and discover the transformation for yourself.

For those of you who know the range well, your essential favourites have been included (I know personally that it’s one of your top requests for our special kits). We’ve also included some hard-working body favourites too. So you will find our iconic Cleanse & Polish – voted three times in a row as your beauty favourite in QVC’s annual Beauty Awards – as well as some hand and body treats.

As a busy mummy of two small girls, I’ve really noticed recently that my hands are really beginning to show the signs of ageing, with constant hand washing and exposure to all the elements whilst out walking with the buggy. This kit has some treats to help all of us protect our delicate hands. And it also contains another long-standing body product ‘hero’ – with its special unique aroma of summer. This kit, in fact, is a bit of a heritage offering in some ways.

Perfect for all busy people on the go, this kit contains heavenly aromas and hard-working botanical ingredients to help all of us with busy lifestyles achieve glowing, healthier-looking skin, top to toe. In total, we’ve chosen five full sizes and two travel-size products – a great offer for new customers to try out our botanical saviours.

Do tune in and join me throughout the day on Thursday 3rd May, with shows at midnight, 1.00am, midday, 4.00pm and 7.00pm. And save up your stories to share with me on air!

The CEW Beauty Awards celebrate their 20th birthday in 2012, so this year they created a very special category to mark the occasion. This highly coveted new award is for the ‘Most Revolutionary Beauty Product of the Last 20 Years’ and, as you might imagine, there were lots of very famous, highly advertised hopeful contenders gathered together in the room. You could have heard a pin drop as the results were read out – and then the shock of hearing the immortal words “…and the winner is… Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser!” Oh my goodness – what an amazing moment in our history. Not only are these awards recognised by beauty professionals, they are also voted for by the cognoscenti and leading lights in the beauty world. We’re so very thrilled (and a little over-excited, as you can possibly tell) to have won this incredible honour that I just had to write and share our news with you.

As many of you will know, Kim and I created our Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser back in 1995. At the time, our range included just four products (Instant Boost Skin Tonic, Skin Repair Moisturiser and Eyebright Soothing Eye Lotion), but we knew we were onto something special with this fresh herby blend, based on botanicals and sensibly priced. Although Kim and I have very different skin types (Kim’s is oily and problem-prone, mine is very dry and eczema-prone), we both achieved fantastic results using Cleanse & Polish from day one. Very quickly, neither of us could do without it, and we soon realised we had a hit on our hands when our early-days mail-order phones rang off the hook with constant orders. Fast-forward 17 years on and we still have just the one cleanser, which we now send from the Isle of Wight to over 100 countries around the globe at the rate of one every 19 seconds! Women of all ages, stages of life and shades of skin just adore our creamy, fresh, plant-based cleanser every bit as much as Kim and I still do. I can’t begin to describe how proud we are of our talented team, who continue to make it all happen – and how wonderful it is to now be sharing our beauty secret with women around the globe.

Here at Liz Earle Beauty Co. we send a report around the company every Friday, highlighting some of the lovely things that have happened during the week: from wonderful customer comments to landmark events, individual achievements and more. We call this our Happy Friday report and I always look forward to its arrival in my inbox. For all of us here today, it’s a Very Happy Friday indeed.

Spring is also the perfect time to get your hair in tip-top condition, ensuring that as the sun starts to make an appearance, your tresses also make a shining impression.

Our new Botanical Shine Treatment features a blend of red algae, cotton extract and sumac wax, specially selected to deliver more intense conditioning. Used once or twice a week, it’s the perfect shine-boosting complement to your usual Botanical Shine Shampoo and Conditioner.

To help you get the very best from Botanical Shine Treatment, I’ve answered some common questions below.

My hair feels coarser and more brittle since I have started to go grey. Can Botanical Shine Treatment help to improve texture?
Botanical Shine Treatment is ideal for coarser hair types, including grey hair. Grey hair is caused by a lack of melanin, the property that gives your hair colour. Hair follicles stop producing melanin as we age, and this process can occur earlier or later in life. Grey or white hairs are actually colourless and have a much thinner cuticle than naturally coloured hair. This means grey hair is easily damaged and can often appear frizzy and feel coarse if not properly moisturised and managed.  Thanks to its smoothing, taming formula which works to keep cuticles moisturised, Botanical Shine Treatment can help grey hair feel softer and more manageable.

Is Botanical Shine Treatment suitable for curly hair?
Botanical Shine Treatment is a high-performance product with a light texture – perfect for soft bouncing curls. Individuals with curly hair often find that it is thick and coarse, and they struggle to reduce the volume their natural curls create. Botanical Shine Treatment can significantly reduce the overall volume of unruly curls by smoothing the hair cuticle – this also makes hair reflect more light, thereby giving a greater shine.

How much Botanical Shine Treatment should I use per application?
A little goes a long way. Botanical Shine Treatment only needs to cover the hair shaft to work its magic, and the silky, light texture makes it easy to distribute evenly throughout the hair.

Squeeze a small amount (about the size of a 50 pence piece) onto your fingertips and rub them together before applying to the areas of your hair that need it. For example, fine hair with dry mid-lengths and ends but oily roots only requires Botanical Shine Treatment on the parched, coarser areas. If your hair is thick and dry from roots to ends, however, apply Botanical Shine Treatment all over. Short, fine and colour-treated hair may require less product, while long, thick hair usually demands more. Using a wide-toothed comb can help to distribute Botanical Shine Treatment through the hair. Leave on hair for 10 minutes, then rinse thoroughly. For an extra boost, Botanical Shine Treatment can be left on hair for up to 30 minutes before rinsing.

Would it make a positive difference if I wrap my hair in a hot towel after applying Botanical Shine Treatment?
Yes. Wrapping hair in a hot towel creates a warm, damp environment which helps to open the hair cuticle. Alternatively, you could use a shower cap under a hot towel and remain in a warm room during the application period. Any extra heat created will aid absorption and help to give enhanced results.

Should I use Botanical Shine Treatment after Botanical Shine Conditioner?
Botanical Shine Treatment is a new addition to our Botanical Shine haircare range and is designed to be used once or twice a week instead of your usual Botanical Shine conditioner. If your hair is extremely dry, however, you may wish to use Botanical Shine Treatment in place of your usual conditioner, until the texture of your hair improves. Botanical Shine Treatment is an intensive treatment and so there is no need to condition your hair first.

Can you use Botanical Shine Treatment on short/very short hair?
Botanical Shine Treatment is great for short hair and careful application is the key to success. Short hair has a tendency to be very flat, and if this is the case it’s important to only target damaged areas (usually the ends). Work this treatment into your hair with your fingertips, pinching it into the ends to aid absorption while avoiding the roots. If your short hair is thick or curly, you may wish to apply Botanical Shine Treatment all over.

My hair is very frizzy. What causes frizz and can Botanical Shine Treatment combat it?
Frizz is caused by a number of factors. Naturally curly hair is often frizzy and this is usually due to the condition of the hair cuticle (outer layer of hair). The hair cuticle is something like a tiled roof. On straight hair, the tiles overlap in a uniform manner along the shaft, which means the hair reflects light easily and appears shiny. The cuticle on a curly piece of hair, however, constantly has to deal with changes in direction as the hair curls back and forth. This can stress the cuticle and cause damage to the interlocking tile system. These irregular tiles do not reflect light, which makes the hair appear dull and possibly frizzy. Frizz can also occur in straight hair when the hair cuticle is damaged by chemical processes (colouring and perming) or excessive heat styling (blow-drying and straightening).  Botanical Shine Treatment aims to replenish your hair by smoothing the cuticle and giving a protective layer to the hair shaft – this leaves hair feeling supple and very shiny.

As a stylist for over 20 years, I’ve always enjoyed listening to customer concerns and answering their haircare questions. If you have a query about your hair type and which products to use, then please do get in touch by posting a comment below and I’ll be delighted to help.

Like so many gardeners, my green fingers grow itchy after a winter of low use: at the first green shoot I’m off out to the greenhouse to sow seed. Round, straight or shaped like a trombone, yellow, green, white or striped fruit…the choices are enormous and, in my enthusiasm, I invariably sow and grow way too many courgettes. By midsummer, having been served every conceivable form of courgette concoction, the family is in full revolt. In July a couple of years ago, my husband declared, “You can’t make me eat another mouthful of courgette in any format.” I love a good challenge, and set out to prove him wrong.

Taking my godmother’s recipe for chocolate banana cake, I swapped banana for courgette, tweaking the recipe to create a divinely moist cake with a green secret inside. Not only did it fool my husband, but it lures even the most vegetable-adverse of my nephews. Topped with a buttercream teetering towards ganache or a whipped cream cheese icing, it’s a grown-up answer to the chocolate egg.

You will need…

• 500ml or 250g plain flour
• 5g bicarbonate of soda
• 2.5g baking powder
• 2.5g salt
• 125ml unsweetened cocoa powder
• 115g unsalted butter at room temperature
• 250ml or 200g packed light brown sugar
• 5g vanilla extract
• 3 large eggs
• 500ml grated unpeeled courgette
• 170g dark chocolate (more than 70% cocoa) finely chopped

Preheat the oven to 160°C and grease a 10in (25cm) springform tin or line two 12-hole muffin tins with decorative cases.

Mix together the first five ingredients until completely blended. Remove one cup of the mix and set to one side.

Beat the sugar and the butter until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well between each one, and then stir in the vanilla. Gradually add the flour mixture, blending well until completely combined in a thick batter.

Toss the courgette and chopped chocolate with the reserved flour mixture to coat them, before folding them into batter until they are evenly spread. Pour into the springform tin or spoon into cases for cupcakes.

Bake the cake for between 40 and 50 minutes, (the cupcakes only take between 20 and 30 minutes), until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Cool the cake on a rack for ten minutes before running a knife around the edge of the tin and unclipping and removing the side. Place cupcakes in their cases to cool on a rack too. Resist the temptation to ice too early: cool cakes won’t melt the buttercream and wreak havoc.

Of course, the secret to this cake is the chocolate. The botanist in me delights in all of the high quality, single source options available with their distinctive tastes, and I use them in icings where their flavours shine. It’s all about the percentage of cocoa solids. This mix of cocoa mass and cocoa butter is what makes dark chocolate…well, dark.

I turn my nose up at anything below 70% and aim for above 85%. The higher the percentage of these solids, the less room for ingredients like sugar and hydrogenated vegetable oil, and the better it is for you, not only because there’s less of what you don’t need. Dark chocolate is rich in antioxidants, which when eaten can help to protect your body from oxidative damage – the human equivalent of rust.

To top it all off, the more chocolate we eat, the more cocoa butter there is to make Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser because cocoa butter is a by-product of making of cocoa powder. Does it get any better?

Eat clean

Many experts believe cellulite is caused by an accumulation of toxins in fatty tissues, so reducing your overall fat intake is possibly half the battle. Lower the amount of processed food, alcohol, caffeine, sugar and saturated fat in your diet. Instead, opt for fresh fruit and vegetables, whole grains, live yogurt and high-quality protein.

Foods rich in vitamin C can be particularly beneficial, as they help to keep your connective tissue strong and reduce the dimpling effect that can form when fat cells enlarge. Tomatoes, citrus fruits, kiwi fruit, blackcurrants, strawberries, peas, peppers and broccoli are all good sources of vitamin C.

Get moving

Regular exercise not only minimises fat build-up and boosts your blood circulation, but also stimulates your lymph flow, which will help to rid your body of unwanted toxins that can contribute to cellulite. Sitting cross-legged for long periods of time can constrict blood flow, another leading cause of cellulite, so try to avoid this where possible.

I’ve recently discovered the ‘Power Plate’ at my local gym. This innovative training device delivers a gentle vibration while you perform squats – excellent for encouraging healthy blood flow to your bottom and legs!

Brush up

Just a few minutes of dry-skin brushing every day can help shift stubborn cellulite and promote healthy-looking skin. Start with the soles of your feet and work in an upwards motion towards your heart, using brisk sweeping strokes, really focussing on those problematic areas when working with the body brush. If body brushing feels a little abrasive at first, follow each brush sweep with a firm stroke from your other hand. This will help to soothe your sensory nerve endings and calm the skin.

As a little reminder to follow this cellulite-busting regime, keep your body brush close to your shower, so you really can’t miss it before stepping in. Give your skin an extra boost by turning your shower to cold for a few seconds before you get out – this is great for boosting circulation.

Massage

A circulation-boosting massage is fantastic for helping skin feel firmer and more toned. We created our deliciously scented Energising Hip and Thigh Gel with 15 invigorating botanicals to help improve the skin’s appearance. Massage daily into your hips, thighs, legs and stomach working from your knees upwards, using firm circular stroking movements. This will give your blood flow a boost, bringing oxygen and nutrition to your cells and instantly enhancing how efficiently they work to eliminate waste.

To minimise cellulite on particularly problematic areas, apply a deeper massage technique. Using the knuckle part of your hand, with hand clenched, perform circular upward and outward movements (Form a ‘knuckle’ by interlocking your hands and use a circular upward and outward movement); this is great for the hips, thighs and bottom. Another useful tip is to create a light pounding effect on the outer thighs using clenched fists, working alternately. This instantly stimulates the area and helps to break down any build-up of waste.

Smooth success
Feel skin-confident from top to toe with my quick and easy insider tricks.

Décolletage
Buff away dead skin and boost radiance by exfoliating your neck and chest, either daily as part of your Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser regime, or weekly with our Gentle Face Exfoliator. If your skin is sensitive, you can add one pump of Cleanse & Polish to Gentle Face Exfoliator to make the formulation more creamy and comforting. Follow with Superskin Bust & Neck Treatment, our precious serum packed with a potent blend of botanicals, and your skin will look and feel rejuvenated.

Arms
Regular exfoliation is your first defence against ‘bumpy’ arms, and dry-skin brushing for a few minutes each day can make a real difference. Our Energising Body Lotion delivers great results on areas that are rough in texture and dry – apply daily in sweeping circular upward movements.

Feet
Before bed, slough off rough, dead skin with our Foot Scrub, then treat tired feet to a massage with a generous layer of Superbalm. Finish with our Foot Repair Moisturiser, before slipping into a pair of clean cotton socks for simply gorgeous feet come morning.

Firstly… wow!! Lots of exciting things have been happening while I’ve been running around after my two girls! The launch of Liz Earle Colour was such a thrill, as I know our teams have been working hard with this special project for a number of years. (It’s wonderful that so many of our top customer requests have been fulfilled – men’s, fragrance, haircare, treatments, and now colour too). Perfect to return from ‘growing’ my little family, to a growing Liz Earle product family! Time certainly doesn’t stand still here.

Believe it or not, it’s been a decade since Orange Flower Botanical Body Wash entered our lives, back in March 2002. To call this simply a ‘body wash’ doesn’t do justice to its luxuriously gentle, skin-softening nature. So much more than a wash, this versatile cleanser can be used for an aromatic shower or a brimming-with-bubbles bath foam (I know many of you regularly use it for both). Its benefits are legendary with Liz Earle fans – kind, natural-foaming bubbles that don’t strip (thanks to no sodium lauryl sulphate), making it perfect for those of you who suffer with sensitive skin. It’s gentle enough to use on children too.

For me, it’s also the scent that makes it a year-round winner for uplifting the senses. Those ‘clean’-smelling pure essentials oils just waft you away to a field of flowers, all with a fresh citrusy overtone – heaven! Of the seven pure essential oils in this clever, great-for-all-the-family formula, I love the subtle hint of lavandin and sweet orange – it reminds me of holidays, the children’s bath time and my precious ‘me-time’ showers, all in one go.

Customers regularly tell me that they now regard Orange Flower Botanical Body Wash as their ‘Instant Boost Skin Tonic moment in the shower or bath’ – a great description of the refreshing experience of using this award-winning body wash. I know many of you have shared your own anecdotes about this shower gel and bubble bath before, but please do share again here. We’d love to hear why you love this birthday beauty. A decade of heavenly bubbles – that’s really something to celebrate.

Happy Birthday, Orange Flower…and happy soft skin to all of us!

Until now, that is. Botanical Essence No.1 captures the floral splendour of those early offerings, translating them into a fragrant bouquet that will still be fresh and unique each time my mother reaches for it. We’ve gathered Californian lemons, Sicilian bergamot, French high altitude lavender, and Turkish damask roses into a vibrant, sparkling, sensuous handcrafted fine fragrance. And, with 700 precious pumps in each bottle, my mother will be able to bask in my appreciation for months to come.

The Victorians used posies as floral text messages, expressing secret sentiments in a complex, nuanced language called floriography. It was possible to have an argument or express your love in great detail within a single bunch of flowers. In fragrance terms, we describe Botanical Essence No.1 as a fresh, citrus floral that really lasts. Floriographically, the bitter orange means sweetness and the lemon zest, generosity; the heart notes of lavender, Damask rose and rose-scented geranium communicate devotion, gratitude and grace; while the Texan cedarwood offers up succour and protection.

However you chose to interpret Botanical Essence No.1, our first fine fragrance makes the perfect gift, to celebrate and flatter that special someone on Mothering Sunday, or just because.

This year for our anniversary shows, we have our team of experts sharing their different expertise with you, as well as Liz herself, sharing her botanical research stories and those wonderful pearls of wisdom from her years of research and writing about beauty and health. I always watch Liz’s shows, as I learn something new every time – it just shows how much depth there is to our range, and that you can continue to glean new snippets even after years of working here and knowing the range inside out myself. And we’re always learning new ways to use from you too!

Early days
As an old-timer here, I can still remember the very early days when we were all based in one room on the Isle of Wight, and we still only had a handful of products. Our relationship with QVC has continued to grow into a supportive friendship and somehow we manage to cover much of the range in our hour-long shows – quite a feat! The wonderful team at QVC work so hard to help support us as we prepare and plan kits for you, and their advice and support backstage and off-air is more than half of what makes the shows so enjoyable to watch. We are thrilled to be celebrating 16 years with QVC this month – a very special friendship for us, and still such a unique way for customers to discover skincare too.

Our very first QVC show was just cleanse, tone and moisturise – can you believe it?! Our shows for this anniversary will be underlining why these three clever steps can transform your skin, so actually very little has changed since day one. Tune in, even if you know our three steps well – we will be going ‘in-depth’ into why they work so well, from the ingredients (Liz & Jennifer) to the beauty benefits of botanicals (Liz), to how they work in daily life (Jenny), to sharing customers’ own tales (me). And of course, don’t forget that Mother’s Day is just around the corner. We’ll unveil some great gift ideas to treat your own mummy to some TLC, the Liz Earle way!

Tales of the unexpected
What I love most on air is hearing your stories – please do call in to QVC during any of our shows! Phone us to share your unusual tips on how to use a particular product; remind us of an anecdote about how you introduced a friend and their reaction; reveal your own must-haves and describe how they fit into your life. Do tell us your stories  about how you discovered the range and what it means to you. It really isn’t ‘scary’ – it just feels like having a phone chat, as the voices all sound very normal. (You don’t have to watch the TV whilst you do it!) Did you know that the QVC team also call you back, so you don’t have to hang around? The best testimonial call that I ever received on air, was a wonderful lady who loved Cleanse & Polish so much that, when she woke up after major surgery, the first thing she said to her husband was: ‘Where’s my Cleanse & Polish?’ She had us in stitches!

Our anniversary shows will be on throughout the day on Monday 5th and Tuesday 6th March, with Liz, Jennifer, Jenny and me (you can view the show times on our website). We hope you can join us and Happy Anniversary to us and QVC!