Miranda Coutts

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...