We all need a little treat now and again and the women’s lunches at Pennyhill Park Hotel are the perfect excuse to spoil yourself a little without feeling too guilty.

The meals offer more than just food, however, as each one features a guest speaker who will divulge some of their extensive knowledge in their area of expertise.

These special lunches are held every six weeks, covering topics as varied as manicuring and martini making, chocolate, breadmaking and the history of underwear.

The latest lunch featured Wendy Elsmore, fashion adviser to the stars and style consultant on ITV’s This Morning programme.

Accompanying Wendy were celebrity make-up artist Kam-anza Amihyia, the hairdresser and art director of Balmain, Jason Smith, and Tony Cullen, also a leading hairdresser, giving their top tips on how to look good across the years.
Wendy and her crew turned out to be quite a draw, attracting around 125 women of all ages hoping to glean some fashion insider information.

But lunch wouldn’t be lunch without some food and after being greeted with a champagne reception, the women tucked into a sophisticated three-course meal that included a delicate minted pea soup and roast fillet of sea bream with saffron mash, followed by a pannacotta pudding.

It was all washed down with water and/or wine, as well as coffee and petits fours to finish.

Wendy and her team had chosen four women to demonstrate how a change in hairstyle, make-up and clothing could dramatically improve anyone’s appearance.

The message behind these makeovers was to emphasise Wendy’s belief that there is no such thing as the perfect person, but that we all have the ability to look fantastic.

First up was Marika who at 31 had a beautiful complexion and a youthful figure. A pretty girl, her hair had been lightened, waved and then thickened using clip-on extensions made from a new fibre that ‘remembers’ its style.

To keep a fresh look, she had a gentle make-up applied that reflected the colour of her lilac jacket and co-ordinating dress.

Marika’s cute yet smart jacket came from Topshop and Wendy said: “The key to style is to buy everywhere. Expensive clothes might not always be the right choice and the high street is now very good at translating designer looks.”

After Marika came Ali, a busy mother in her 40s. Jason and Tony had given her a funky style and had slightly darkened her light blonde hair which they explained had been too draining on her skin tone.

Turning to Ali’s make-up, Kamanza extolled the virtues of using a primer under foundation and adding a little radiance with a highlighter brush such as YSL Touche Eclat.

“A primer is a light liquid that you put on after moisturiser but before foundation and it acts as a barrier between the two,” she said.

“If you use a primer, your make-up will keep fresh all day and you can just touch up as needed with your radiance brush.”

Ali looked great in jeans, a white shirt and a shaped cardigan and Wendy explained that simple pieces can look great if they’re the right ones and fit your lifestyle.

“Lots of people think you shouldn’t wear jeans as you get older, but this is completely incorrect,” said Wendy. “The only thing I would say is that you should wear a darker shade. They can look great and it’s worth spending quite large sums on them if you find a pair that fits well — you will get your money’s worth.

“It’s also worth remembering that the fashionable high-waist jeans are a lot more flattering than low-rise ones. They will give you a good shape and will also appear to lengthen your legs.”

Wendy’s next volunteer was 57-year-old Hazel, a lady with a hectic and high-powered working life but who did not want the severity of a suit for the office.

Being a little older, Hazel’s hair needed to complement her mature appearance and Jason and Tony achieved this by softening her style and adding a little light to it.

Then subtle make-up was applied which picked up her brown eye colour. “Simple can be more effective,” said Kamanza.

Turning her attention to Hazel’s clothes, Wendy explained that although Hazel wanted to pick up on this season’s trends, she didn’t want anything too high fashion and her outfits had to be suitable for her job.

To meet these requirements, Wendy chose an ethnic print blouse with a safari style skirt and a short cardigan, all very much of the moment.

“I have chosen easy to wear items which flatter Hazel’s figure,” said Wendy. “A V-neck is great for elongating the body and for the lady with a full bust.

“And if you’ve got a good waist, like Hazel, then accentuate it with a belt.”

Last to go was English tutor Andrea who at 62 needed to revitalise her image. Her previously rather untidy hair was cut into a neat sleek bob to let flattering light under her chin, but the colour was left untouched.

Jason said: “Andrea’s hair is completely grey but it’s a fantastic, strong colour so all she needs to do is bring out the shine and glossiness. She can do this with specific products and also by using a soft hairbrush.”

As with Marika, Andrea’s eye shadow colour co-ordinated with her green shirt. “I have used a bit of metallic shadow on Andrea,” said Kamanza.

“Contrary to what most people think, this is fine on more mature women if they have good skin.

“Andrea has quite small eyes, so I have put a light colour on the lid and then opened up the eye by using a darker colour above the socket.”

Wendy had dressed Andrea in black cropped trousers and a long, loose, green shirt with a cropped black cardigan over the top.

“If you’re thick in the waist or short, don’t wear a belt or you will draw attention to these features,” said Wendy. “The idea is to give the impression you have a perfect body even if you don’t.”

For anyone wondering where to start their search for a new, stylish look, Wendy advised that the high street was as good a place to start as any.

“The high street has changed so much over the last three years,” she added.

“Now you can look good whether you spend a lot, a little or something in between, so don’t be fooled into thinking you have to spend a lot of money to look amazing.

“But remember, ultimately it’s all about you. There is a definite move away from the image of perfection that we’re used to because it’s unrealistic and idealised.

“Don’t look at other people — take the pressure off yourself and make the most of what you have.”

For details of forthcoming lunches at Pennyhill Park call 01276 471774.