BEAUTY QUEEN

I thought I lived a pretty glitzy existence... until this weekend. My New York hen do proved to be possibly the most fabulous extravaganza ever. My gang of Manhattan girls have more glamour credentials that Carrie et al ever did - including a make-up artist, NBC TV exec, Vanity Fair photo editor, Lucky fashion editor, Madewell stylist, Anthropologie beauty buyer and Us Weekly News Director. We were all dressed to the nines (a navy Stella frock, messy bun and fucshia lips for me) and ready to celebrate.

First stop: Beauty & Essex, a newly-opened restaurant that on first appearence looks like a pawn shop, but step through the door in the back and you're transported to a vast, cavernous eating spot complete with a sweeping spiral staircase, giant glittering chandelier and a free champagne bar in the bathrooms (Yes, seriously. Only in NYC.) We had a table in the centre and a continual supply of sharing platters including lobster tacos, salt and pepper shrimp, tuna sashimi, pork spring rolls and salt and vinegar fries. The desserts (coconut mousse, macaroons, molten bread pudding, layered devil's food cake) were impossible to resist and the pink champagne went down a treat. The best thing of all? There was no bill at the end!!

Next stop was Boom Boom Room, the impossible-to-get-into bar with 360 degrees views at the top of the Standard hotel. Crazy-expensive cocktails were worthy of every delicious sip (I had the lavender lady - lemony vodka trimmed with lavender sugar) and the views were staggering (also staggering: the news that Mad Men's Jon Hamm was drinking in a nearby bar and so wrecked that his girlfriend was requesting water!).

At 2am a slightly smaller group hit The Box - the hip, sleazy cabaret joint on the Lower East Side. Thanks to another hook up, we had the best table in the house and an endless supply of champagne. We watched acts so racy I can barely voice what they were doing, then danced for three hours straight (alongside some True Blood actors), and staggered home around 5am.

Crazy, glitzy, cool. If only I could always be this fabulous!