According to
Millie Mackintosh: The Top 5 Rules that Every Chelsea Girl Swears By
1. False eye-lashes, preferably the ones from
Millie's own range Mayfair Lashes
2. The quintessential tweed jacket (hmm, think
I'll stick to my Topshop leather jacket for now)
3. The classic black Chanel bag, preferably one
which will go with every outfit in your wardrobe (I'll get back to you on that
one)
4. An uber cute little doggy (now that is
something I do have! Say hello to this little cutey!
And finally
And finally
5. The Chelsea Blow-dry or as some might call it
The Piece de resistance. With cash to splash, it's no wonder that Chelsea girls
have all got stylish haircuts and pretty much nailed the art of sassy
hair-flipping.
Made famous by the Duchess of Cambridge and
now advocated by the cast of Made In Chelsea, this voluminous signature
blow-dry is sure to give the finishing touch to your look.
Ok, while I
may not have passed that test with flying colours, it didn't stop us having a
fabulous and fun-filled day in Chelsea last Saturday. You've no doubt worked
out by now that I am a serious hard-core fan of the show Made In Chelsea, much
to my father's disappointment (he claims it is total trash however I beg to
differ). In the midst of its 16th series, this Bafta award-winning reality show
follows the lavish lifestyles of a group of young socialites living in around
the postcodes of fashionable West London. I mean what not to love? With all the
parties, drama, bitching, stirring, screaming and break-ups, it's like the posh
version of EastEnders (except it's actually good) Yes it's staged, yes it's
predictable, but I bet even my Dad secretly enjoys it. So anyway, for my 17th,
my sister decided to give me a truly amazing experience that one could not put
a price on: a day in the life of a Chelsea girl. I'll just warn you now there
was sunshine, there was laughter, there was cheesecake, tequila and a whole lot
of juicy gossip. So without further ado, let's get straight into it.
On Saturday
morning, I rose bright and early, hoping to see sunlight streaming through my
window. However the gentle pitter-patter on the glass quickly confirmed it was
not a beautiful, sunny day at all; instead it was a damp, dismal and drizzly
day, or in other words average British weather. Messed-up hair, melted make-up
and soggy shoes were not what I had in mind. I just hoped the sun would show
its face when we got there.
Now for my
Chelsea outfit. Although my current wardrobe may not be decked out in Gucci or
in any other designer label for that matter (sigh), I can safely say that I
have the fashion statement of sparkle to make up for it. Selecting my
show-stopper, pink sequin skirt, I decided to play it cool by tucking in a
plain, white slogan tee (courtesy of Topshop) with my beloved leather jacket
over the top. For my make-up, I also kept it simple, going for a peachy blush,
neutral mochas and golds on my eyes, finished off with a nude lip. In terms of footwear,
I figured suede boots, while they looked good, would not mix well with puddles.
So instead I opted for black trainers, both practical and comfy for walking.
Last but not least, the ultimate accessory: my brand-new, shimmering cane which
my friend's stepdad who works in a garage, very kindly spray painted silver for
me and rolled in glitter.
Leaving the
house on time has never been mine or my sister's strong suit, something that my
Dad, being the only male in the household, has never quite understood. Inevitably,
we were late and inevitably our train was due in a matter of minutes. By this
point, panic levels were beginning to rise (primarily on my Mum's part) and the
gentle pitter-patter from earlier had increased to a torrential downpour. So
raising umbrellas over our heads, we made a run for the car and zoomed off.
As we parked
at the station, we could just see our train, pulling in on the platform. Armed
with umbrellas, we threw open our car doors, sprinted up the steps and towards
the ticket barriers, fast enough to give Usain Bolt a run for his money, all
the while complaining about the rain (me) and squabbling about who was to blame
for being late (my mum and sister). It was at the ticket barriers where the
drama really unfolded. Despite the fact my sister sailed straight through
without an issue, my mum's ticket wouldn't work for some reason. Now my mum,
she is the best mum in the world but bless her heart, that gorgeous woman does
not cope well under pressure. As opposed to calmly hailing the assistance of a
train official, she proceeded to force her way through the barriers, shrieking
over and over 'we have to get that train!'. The poor woman behind us in the
queue looked on with a hint of terror in her eyes, no doubt assuming we were
crazy.
As the train
doors began to close, the barrier finally opened. Sloshing through puddles, we
pelted through and launched ourselves onto the train (shoes a little soggy, but
nonetheless in one piece) just in time before the doors snapped shut behind us.
Once on the train, all the stress ebbed away and squabbles were instantly
forgotten. We were on our way and Chelsea was about to not know what hit it.
In St Pancras
station, we started off the girlie fun with drinks on me at our favourite
smoothie bar Joe & The Juice. In addition to turned up loud, edgy music, this
juice bar chain is renowned for their refreshing and invigorating juices,
smoothies, shakes and more. As usual, I went for my favourite AvoShake which is
honestly the creamiest, most heavenly shake in the history of milk shakes (yes
it's green but like I say, don't judge a smoothie by its colour). My sister on
the other hand, went for Sex Me Up, an exotic concoction of passion-fruit and
ginger which is delicious in taste yet excruciating to order.
Emerging
from St Pancras, we were relieved to discover that the rain gods did actually
exist and had acknowledged our prayers (for once). Hallelujah, the sun was
shining! In fact, it was so hot that we had to take our jackets off!
Strolling in
the sunshine, we ended up at a pretty little café called Élan, tucked away in Knightsbridge.
Serving up bold, vibrant and wholesome flavours, this gem of a café and trendy
brunch spot embraces the philosophy of wellness, simplicity and above all
creativity. Inside, the light-filled space is festooned with flowers and
splashes of colour' making it one of the most Instagrammable locations in
London. If you are thinking of visiting Élan, it's important to note that they
do not take bookings and they are also extremely popular so be prepared to
wait. We had to queue up for twenty minutes but it didn't matter because in
that time I was able to decide what to eat. Everything from acai bowls to avo
toasts, just looked divine. Nevertheless, after much deliberation, my mum and
sister went for good old eggs benedict, while I went for a falafel, hummus and
tabbouleh wrap. Enhanced by the super speedy service, the food tasted
incredible and it was hands down the best falafel I've ever eaten.
During our
meal, my sister was describing to me the rows and rows of rich, decadent cakes.
As I've mentioned before, I have a rather major soft spot for cheesecake and no
matter how hard I try, I cannot resist the temptation. So, enticed by its
glistening, ruby hue, we chose to share a slice of their Red Velvet cheesecake.
With a buttery biscuit base and yummy cream cheese filling as light as a dream,
this was the perfect treat to satisfy my dessert cravings. An amazing meal and
stunning surroundings: Élan gets five out of five stars from me.
For our next
destination on the magical Chelsea adventure we made our way to, yes you
guessed it, the one and only King's Road. Stretching through Chelsea and
Fulham, this is probably the most swanky high street in London. Home to some of
the biggest names in fashion including Armani, Chloé, Tiffany and Kate Spade,
it's a total shopping paradise (or in our case window-shopping). Beginning at
the Peter Jones department store, we wandered round the vast handbag section,
trying to find my sister the perfect purse for her 21st. Then we found
ourselves gravitated to the sparkling Tiffany's window and naturally, we (or
should I say I) could not resist but to go inside. The King's Road Tiffanys is
not exactly on the same iconic scale of the world-renowned, fifth-avenue
flagship store in New York. That being said, we still had fun, admiring
glittering diamonds, earrings and necklaces.
Following
some retail therapy, it was time to head over to the Sloane Square Royal Court
Theatre where the real tour would commence. Every Saturday at 1:30pm, MIC
enthusiasts can meet here and embark on the official Made In Chelsea tour (yes
it is an actual thing). This two and a half hour walking tour takes you round
all the major filming locations featured in the show, whilst giving the inside
scoop on all the cast members' hang-out spots and behind-the-scenes info about
how the show is created. It was also a very enlightening experience, even for
the most dedicated super fans of the group, as our friendly tour guide spilled
all the beans on the secret Chelsea drama. We learnt that:
•
People go on
the show for the lifestyle, i.e. being invited to cool parties, not for the
amazing salary. Most cast members, apart from the originals, only get paid
around £50 per episode. Annually, that's less than a salary at MacDonalds.
•
Have you
ever noticed how often a newbie will join Made In Chelsea for a series (like
one of Jamie's million girlfriends) and then when it comes to the next series,
you're sat there like 'hang on a minute, where did they go?'. Well it's not
because they've vanished off the face of the Earth. Unfortunately, it's because
they've been cut. In the ever so slightly brutal world of Made In Chelsea, a
cast member is given one series to make a good impression. And if they're not
popular with the public, then they're out of the door faster than you can say
'sweet dude' (in the words of Proudlock, not me). My question is: why is Sam
Prince still on the show?
•
Jamie's
childhood dream was to start a sweet shop. Bit random. Here's the other part:
he wanted to start a sweet shop run by pretty girls. Now that sounds more like
the Jamie we know.
•
Hugo Taylor,
who actually came up with the concept of Made In Chelsea, once dated Princess Eugenie.
•
When Mark
Francis parents found out he was joining Made In Chelsea, they threatened to
disown him. Poor guy.
While I
don't want to give away too many spoilers, I will tell you my favourite stops.
First up
would have to be Jamie and Proudlock's offices. Now I will admit I have a
little bit of a crush on Proudlock and Jamie (and Mytton) so I was really
hoping we would bump into them. But what with it being a Saturday, the likelihood
of Jamie Laing and Oliver Proudlock working away instead of going down the pub,
was pretty much second to none. Hey ho. Inside this smart building, there
resides two successful businesses: Jamie's confectionary business named Candy Kittens
(which are stocked at Topshop if you were wondering), and Proudlock's trendy
fashion business called Serge Denimes. How cute is that? They're best friends
and they work in the same building.
My next
favourite stop would have to be standing outside a house. Yes, you might be
thinking 'er hello, what's the significance of some random house?'. Well I'll
tell you this wasn't just any old property. The landlord of this opulent abode
is none other than Mark Francis, also known as the king of Chelsea and the
poshest man to ever walk this Earth. Unfortunately, he doesn't live there
anymore (sob) and just rents the house out to tenant. Still, how cool would it
be to live there? My theory is that after joining the Made In Chelsea cast,
people realised where he lived and he was fed up of fans peeping through his
windows. We don't blame you Mark.
By this
point, we were well on our way to hitting 10,000 steps and so a well-earned
drink was in order. We stopped off for half-an-hour at the Phene Pub which was
amazing. Complete with a plush velvet lounge bar, library themed dining room
and beach bar terrace, this gastropub serves quality food and drink in a
luxurious setting. Notably, The Phene is run by Clive Watson, the father of
sisters Lucy and Tiff who were both popular stars on the show. Despite the fact
we did not eat here, the food looked and smelled delicious especially the
platters therefore I would recommend if you're passing. For a chilled glass of
wine, virgin Mojito and cranberry juice, £11 didn't seem like it would break
the bank which was another bonus.
Our final
stop (and the highlight of the day) was cocktails at The Bluebird café.
Consisting of a glamorous restaurant, bar and terrace area, the famous Bluebird
is one of the most heavily featured locations in the show and a popular
hang-out zone of celebs. We were lucky as we managed to get seats on the
beautiful terrace, perfect for a sunny day.
With
cocktails starting at £15 each, this is a treat and a half but worth every
single penny. While my sister and mum kept the Rosé flowing, I opted for a
King's Road Margarita. This pink cocktail, which matched the colour of my
skirt, is a magical elixir of passion-fruit puree, mint, lime and tequila. I got
my mum to order the drinks owing to the fact I was still scarred by the
experience aged 15 when I ordered a peach Bellini in a restaurant only to be
totally busted by the waiter and have a pint of beer accidentally thrown over
me (not my finest moment but I will say it ended in a very bad review on TripAdvisor
that's for sure). Anyway, when the drinks came and I accepted my Margarita, the
waiter looked me up and down, and you could just tell from his slightly
petrified expression, that he knew full well I wasn't quite 18. As he walked
away, he went over to speak to the manager and during the whole of their
exchange, they kept glancing over at us in this weird way. Truth be told, I was
all set for round 2 of being busted and having a pint thrown over me, yet to my
relief they did not call me out on it. Thank God.
All in all,
this was the ultimate conclusion to a fabulous day. I will undoubtedly be returning
to explore and dine at more of Chelsea's restaurants and bars. Even for a day,
being a Chelsea Girl is pretty damn awesome.
Have a
wonderful week and make sure to tune into Made In Chelsea series 16 on E4 every Monday at 9
pm. xx
