On Thursday, every Londoner’s favorite clothing store will finally open its doors in New York: Topshop has arrived!  Honestly, I can’t believe it’s taken them this long to get the damned thing going.  Regardless, chic and cheap(ish) clothes are always welcome, especially in this economy.  The Soho Topshop will have the Kate Moss collections, as well as oodles of fabulous cuteness.

Back in Jolie’s infinitely more glamorous days,–when she hopped back and forth across the pond like some people commute from New Jersey to New York–Topshop was a frequent destination.  Now, not so much–I’ve put you on a time out, London, until I can afford all your delicious offerings!  But next time I’m in New York, at least I’ll be able to get the teensiest taste. 

Ahh, London. I do miss you.  Soon.

One of Jolie’s favorite travel experiences remains the week in her early twenties when she gallivanted around Italy by herself, visiting Venice, Florence and Rome, and having dinner with a new stranger every night (culminating in a wine-soaked dinner, conducted entirely in French, with seven Italian Carabinieri.)  When I look back on the trip, two things immediately spring to mind: huffing and puffing as I climbed the Duomo in Florence, and the glamour I felt nightly while using a newly purchased Clarins regimen.  I was only 20, and didn’t have very much money for luxuries like expensive beauty products, but there was something about how Clarins made my skin look and feel that convinced me it was worth it.  In Paris a few weeks back, I fell in love with Clarins products all over again, and have a new beauty obsession in the form of the Pure Melt Cleansing Gel, a soft, velvety cleanser applied to dry skin that completely rinses away all dirt, oil and makeup.  I’ve loved many cleansers in my day, but Pure Melt really takes the cake and I cannot recommend it highly enough.

I’ll be radio-silent tomorrow since I (and all of my anti-frizz products) am flying to Miami as Nivea’s guest to attend the Shay Todd fashion show.  Never fear, my dears, as I promise to bring back some swag for you in the form of a product giveaway!  The whole trip is bound to wreck havoc on my skin–I’ll be in Miami for, literally, 15 hours, with barely even enough daylight time to visit the beach or dip in the pool–and part of me is like, “Um…why did I agree to fly across the country for drinks and a party?”  Sigh.  I can never turn down a free cocktail.