Miranda Coutts

Ingredients: Pure Rosewater Purified water Beautiful atomiser or bottle Method: Pour 50ml of pure rosewater into a sterilised bottle or atomiser. I prefer to use Persian or Turkish rosewater. Pariya makes a good Iranian rosewater. Fill the bottle/atomiser with about 450ml or 500ml of the pure water. Splash over skin after cleansing and before moisturising. You can use cotton balls to apply it. If you like, spray if on your skin throughout the day to invigorate and add a beautiful, refreshing, subtle perfume.

Let's have a date with Julie! Julie Newmar was born August 16, 1935 in LA, but her name then was Julia Chalane Newmeyer. Her mother Helen Jesmer had been a Ziegfield dancer (how FANTASTIC!). Julie Newmar has bought style and glamour to every role she has played. She was in a bunch of films in the 1950's including Seven Brides For Seven Brothers . Julie starred as the bombshell in The Marriage-Go-Round for which she won a Tony Award. In the 1960's, she was in Beverly Hillbillies and The Monkees . But the show Julie is most famous for is her role of Catwoman in the TV series "Batman", which she began working on for a dozen episodes in 1966. Dressed in her black, back zipped, vinyl bodysuit, Julie radiated intimidating sexuality. She stood 5 foot 11 inches tall (barefoot!) with measurements of 38-23-38. Praised as 'the sexiest woman on TV', she posed for Playboy magazine for May 1968 and September 1969 issues. Julie is once divorced with

It's a heatwave in the city. Although in theory, I should love this weather for frolicking on the beach like Annette Funicello, it's just not my kind of weather. I prefer to wear fine seamed stockings and pretty heeled shoes or little boots and coats with hats and leather gloves. This is a picture of Barbara Eden (Jeannie from the TV show I Dream Of Jeannie ). She's the one standing on the right. I just don't think it's glamorous for my sweatty legs to stick to my skirt. Sweat, in the wrong situation, is not at all sexy. Blow-drying our hair in this heat is a total disaster and complete waste of time, as is trying to keep our makeup in place. Not to mention the complete trauma of riding public transport. I won't even dare get started on peoples' hygiene, or lack thereof. Now I am really thinking about it, the only places that are really suitable for stifling heat like this is on a tropical island or a luxury cruise.

Today I'm reading the book "Tricky People" by Andrew Fuller. It's not a novel. It arrived by regular mail chosen and sent (tongue-in-cheek) by someone who loves and cares for my happiness. It's a book about 'how to deal with horrible types before they ruin your life'. A good thing for every bombshell to know as sadly, we all must deal with so many "horrible types"! "First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win." - Mahatma Gandhi

QUESTION: When is the best time to touch-up my face, adjust my dress and check my hair? ANSWER: In the powder room. We only apply chapstick in public. To avoid looking vein, make sure you don't constantly check your appearance in the reflection of a car/shop window or similar. If you feel the need to 'freshen' yourself, go to the closest ladies lounge. It is terribly incorrect to check your appearance in public. If your outfit needs adjusting, do this in private. You should aim to appear confident in the public eye, it's extremely attractive, plus you never know who can see you!

They called me and offered me the part!! I was cast in the latest musical production. Those rigorous auditions were worth it. It's a major role which requires a lot of line learning, dancing and a singing solo. How exciting! How much pressure... Oh!

Topic de jour is shoes. Every bombshell needs a pair of maribou trimmed mules. It doesn't matter which colour you choose (I have a low pair of black, and a high pair of cream, from New York) it is a necessary part of your footwear wardrobe. Even if you never wear them outside of your boudoir. As I've mentioned before, your toes must be well maintained with pedicures (check post archive) and the best pair of shoes you could hope to get your pretty little fingers on is a pair of cream, beige or skin coloured stilettos with a peep toe. I like a bare inner section as I like the arches of the foot, but that's me being choosy. These shoes are made to show off legs, as they blend into your skin and give the illusion of longer legs! They go with almost everything you can wear aswell. Walk around in them a little in the store to make sure they are comfortable and easy to walk smoothly in as the worst thing is to see a bombshell having trouble walking in her shoes. She'll just ta

Dionne Warwick sang Burt Bacharach's song "What the world needs now is love, sweet love" and I sing this song "What the world needs now is etiquitte, decent etiquitte". I think there'd be a lot of shocked mothers if they knew how their daughters are behaving when they aren't around. And I've seen a lot of mothers I'd be ashamed to know as well! Where has decency gone? 'Please' and 'thank you' never goes out of style. Pushing in front of people doesn't bring good karma. And smiling is sexy. When a pregnant woman steps onto your bus, offer her a seat and don't just sit there ignoring her like everyone else. If people used a little "class" the world would be a much sweeter place to reside within.

Happy Halloween! Will you be dressing up as a black cat? A witch? A sourceress? We do love dressing up, don't we? And we adore treats! I love Halloween. I love pumpkin too!

Standing up for what we believe in is vital for Bombsells. We've always been creatures of great passions. This year, I'm supporting womens cancers by hosting a chartiy function! That's it kittens, I'm raising vital funds for research. I'm decorating in pink (for girls), organising the guest list, sending out invitations, assessing caterers, managing thank-you gift bags... it's endless! I've also just got a call-back for that show I auditioned (tough audition) for. Not liking the wait. Not liking it at all. Not a patient girl...

Right now I'm busy singing and dancing and learning a monolog. Yes folks, it's true. It's time for Ms Larue to tred those boards again. So what if I'm not a good singer, was Marilyn? Was Audrey? So maybe I can't dance either, could Barbara? Could Elizabeth Taylor? What I lack in talent, I'll make up in style (oh God, I hope).

I love reading. Bombshells love reading. Right now I'm reading Friendly Enemies by Delia Salvi. It's about maximizing the director-actor relationship. A lot of my own thoughts are written in this book. I don't think it has taught me much but it's quite good to read. It's about techniques, communication and trust.

This is a thought I've been having lately... It's really important to have as much clear, natural light as possible in the bathroom and the dressingroom. It helps when applying accurate makeup, seeing colours clearly, co-ordinating your wardrobe and many other things that you might not have thought would need fantastic lighting.

This is a natural exfoliant you might like to try at home. It's going to help reduce bloating, cellulite, uneven skin tone and it will improve your circulation! It works wonderfully if you have dry, flaky skin or are going to apply a tan or just want a routine exfoliation for your body. You will need: * A big cup of finely ground coffee. I like the bags of coffee grounds that my local Starbucks give away as fertiliser for the garden. * One large lemon * A big cup of everyday fine white sugar * A tablespoon (or 2, or 3) of olive oil Method: In a large plastic or melamine bowl, mix one cup of coffee with one cup of sugar, queeze the lemon into it and add oil to make a lovely moist consistency. Step into a warm shower and scrub all over your body to make it feel silky smooth.

The most iconic pin-up girl of World War II. Many soldiers went to their graves holding pictures of this particular bombshell with the "million dollar legs". Her name, Betty Grable. She was born in St Louis, Missouri in 1916, the youngest of 3 children. Her mother (who was pushing Betty into performing) was the genius who decided to bleach Betty's hair platinum blonde. This iconic photograph was taken in 1943 by Frank Powolny. In 1943, Betty was the top earning female actress in Hollywood, and stayed that way for 7 years! She made $300,000 a year. An animal lover as all bombshells are, she missed a very important meeting with Sam Goldwyn because her beloved dog was ill. It cost her a highly coveted role in the film "Guys And Dolls". Something lovely to note about Betty is that she was very supportive of newcomers to the silver screen such as Marilyn Monroe. She was heard telling Marilyn "Go and get yours, honey. I've had mine!" She worked on stage

My toe nails are always painted red. But lately my fingernails are painted with this polish, Vendetta by Chanel. I've never ventured into the realms of dark polish before. Usually I stick with bombshell ballet pink or a classic french manicure. But this polish looks suprisingly good on short nails! Note: dark colour nailpolish looks dreadful on chipped, unmanicured nails.

Stockings. During the second world war, soldiers used to use stockings, or "nylons" as the ladies used to call them, as a lure for dates! NEVER wear stockings with runs in them. Always keep a spare pair in your handbag or clutch. Tights with a gusset are your last alternative as they just aren't sexy at all. Bombshells are at heart traditional creatures and will usually opt for stay-ups or stockings used with a pretty garter and suspenders/garter belt. The colour stockings of choice are usually flesh colour, tan or sheer black(smoke). The garter belt will help keep your stockings up and are just exquisite under a skirt. Never to be worn under trousers. I like fishnet stockings. Many years ago, these stockings (as well as the thong) were regarded as atire for call girls and dancers but not anymore! I sometimes like to wear micro-net (tiny weaved fishnet) stockings. They are also quite resilient to laddering. Seamed stockings are just fabulous. Again, during war time when s

When we travel, most people like to buy little momentos of their adventures. Some people even like to keep a collection of souveneirs. It might be little spoons with the name of the towns etched into the handles, tshirts with the town's name on it, tea towels, adorable little snow globes or fridge magnets. Since I was teen aged, I've been collecting lingerie sets. Everywhere I travel, I return with a new set! A wonderful reminder of my time away. I have a Dior set from Agent Provocateur in Broadwick Street in London, a La Perla set from my visit to New Zealand, a diamante thong Patricia Field (famous stylist) herself sold to me in her shop in New York city and even a grass hand-weaved bra from the remote islands in the south pacific. Each item in my prized collection is individualy boxed and cared for in the finest possible way. Bombshells love their undergarments and know that to keep them in pristine condition, they should be hand-washed in mild detergent specifically designe

It's my girl friends' birthday tomorrow and I'm excited to be going to breakfast with her and her boyfriend. She's chosen to meet at my favourite breakfast place. I really love going out for breakfast and brunch!

This week is National Breast Cancer Awareness Week. I hope you all regularly check for any abnormalities in your own breasts. If you don't feel comfortable checking yourself, have your doctor give you regular breast examinations. And if you are over 40, or have a family history of women with breast cancer, inform your doctor and have regular mamograms. It's so important as everyone's lives have been touched in some way by this awful, non-discriminating disease. I'm delighted to be wearing a little touch of pink this week to show my support for the cause and to help raise awareness of breast cancer.

In this image, Donatella Versace plays backgammon with her dog. It's by Steven Meisel.

Look after your skin. Gloves are important if you like to drive as the back of your hands are so vulnerable to sun damage. Invest in a pair of driving gloves and you won't regret it in future years when you don't have liver spots. Protect your skin, it's an incredible organ! Wear hats and over-sized sunglasses whilst in the sun, not only are they so chic to wear, they'll protect you from premature wrinkles. If you prefer to be tanned, use a self-tanner in the form of a spray, a milk or a gel. There are some fantastic self-tanners on the market. I like Lancome's self taning milk. Or if you prefer, have your beauty therapist do a spray tan on you. Just make sure it's not too orange as that can look so odd. You should use a cleaser, a toner, a serum and a moisturiser/eye cream daily to keep your face at optimum condition. For the body when it comes to moisturising, I recommend Kiehls Creme De Corps. http://www.kiehls.com/_us/_en/home/index.aspx and for cleansing v

You're a bombshell. Of course, know your best angles and are ready for the photographers' lenses. And you always like to be ready for your close-up! Enjoying the camera and having fun with it is a bombshell's pleasure! You know that if you position your body side-on to the camera and twist your shoulders forward, it makes you look fabulous. Barbra Streisand is famous for knowing which lighting is best for flattering her features. This gives her a reputation of being 'difficult' and 'high-maintenance', but it's really just her being professional, experienced and watching out for her best interests. It's lovely to be relaxed whilst in front of the camera and not 'stiff'. Feel comfortable with having your picture taken. I love action photographs and unposed 'shots'. However, when it comes to having to 'pose', this picture illustrates my own usual angle. From experience, it works well. I came across it by accident. My friends lik

I've done her makeup a few times when she was in town for department store parades. She was still in school when I first met her but she hasn't changed. She's lovely. Her boyfriend Orlando and her like my favourite beach and often stay at an apartment across the road from it. I think her auntie lives nearby. Last time I saw her she was wearing a leather jacket by designer White Suede, which I was coveting. I never did buy myself one...

Bombshells are by their very nature entertainers. They are the women that people just have to watch. So when she entertains with a function, it must be in true bombshell style. It makes no difference if she's a politicians wife living on a huge estate or a single girl in an old walk-up apartment down town, she'll entertain in her signature style. You must start with a theme and even if it's just a token, always use your signature colour. Generally we love abundance. So go overboard with the flowers (your signature flower would be good). Have someone bring food, or come over to make something. Or hire a caterer (and let your kind neighbour pick up the tab). No need to mention that your nails, makeup and hair are always immaculate. Parties are your time to be on show, time to shine. If it's a 'black and white' themed party, you'd most likely turn up wearing red. If it's a halloween themed party, you'll likely be a glamorous ballerina. No ugly pumpkin c

Daylight saving starts tomorrow and I just know I'll be late for any appointments. It's difficult enough to keep track of time when we aren't frantically winding our clocks back and forth. This is extremely frustrating. I had such a lovely night tonight though, I've just returned from the Italian Film Festival where we discussed Valentino and Chanel and sipped on a lovely prosecco. Now I do hope I've wound my clock forward correctly...

This morning I was at my hairdressers' reading a GQ magazine when I read an article about Katherine Jenkins. It's amazing where one can find inspiration! She's a welsh singer. Mezzo-soprano to be precise. It appears to me that she is very popular in Britain, USA and Australia (although it's new to me). Not only can she sing but Katherine can also speak French, German, Italian and Russian.

It's Nataile Wood!

We bathe. Whenever we feel like pampering ourselves, which is regularly! It's a solid bombshell tradition. All bombshells adore bathing. It could be in the bath tub, an rustic outback water trough, the beach, a river, an Australian billabong, beneath a tropical waterfall, a therapeutic mineral bath, the jacuzzi, a secret lagoon or a natural spring deep in the winderness. It could be anywhere, it's still a bombshell tradition. Although we do prefer a controlled atmosphere for the ultimate bombshell ritual. I like to use a rather large natual sea sponge whilst bathing. They aren't easy to come by so if you see one, get it. My english bombshell grandmother always used one and it was so luxuriously soft. I highly reccommend it. Here's a site on sea sponges http://www.puresponges.co.uk/?gclid=COzF8_a7kZ0CFQkwpAodTWwj1g If it's suitable, fragrance your bath with a little oil or bubbles scented with your signature or maybe an aromatherepy blend to help you relax. Never rus

Bombshells Jayne Mansfield and Fran Drescher with their pooches. Bombshells love all animals. You simply cannot be a bombshell if you do not adore all creatures great and small. In fact, the bombshell will usually have numerous photographs of themselves with their pets (or cute little animals) in their homes, purses and on their facebook page. They may travel with them, accompany them on shopping trips and the bombshell may even have morning tea at the local french cafe with their little pooch. If it's a horse, you'd be likely to see them take a morning ride along a pristine white sandy beach, or feeding them fresh apples in the sun-dappled meadows. Bombshells are universally known to be animals advocates and often stand up for their rights and ethical treatment of them. This can be a topic of controversy as the bombshell is often seen draped in the comfort of furs, maribou, feathers, etc. The point is, the bombshell herself could NEVER personally harm an animal. The extent a

This is Ben. He runs up my street every week. It's such a lovely street! His mother lives at the end of my street. Actually I have worked with him several times. That was before he was famous for his drug-addict phase, and the football. Oh, and Pierre Toussanit, the talented photographer behind these pictures is an old work colleague of mine.

Thank God for men! x

In December 1955 Prince Rainier of Monaco gave this breathtaking engagement ring to Grace Kelly...

In my imagination, the magnificent medling photographer Mr Yunioshi (played by Mickey Rooney), who lived upstairs from Holly Golightly in Breakfast At Tiffanys would use these Louis Vuitton chopsticks to eat his sushi. They would make a great gift. They cost upwards from $400.00.

All of the members in Drew's family starting from her great-grandparents were wonderful actors. Drew is a chameleon like so many bombshells. I've known her in the media all my life and Drew and I have gone through many similar things at the same age. I've read her books and seen many interviews about her. She's interesting and that's a good thing! She's a film producer, actress, model (currently Covergirl cosmetics and Gucci jewelry) and a film director. She's marvelous. Drew began her acting career at only 11 months old in a TV commercial. Her own film production company is named Flower films. This bombshell isn't afraid of making mistakes. She just falls off her horse, dusts her dress off, and re-mounts! I remember that her favourite flower is the daisy.