Sophie Ellis-Bextor goes back to her disco roots with sparkly eye make-up as she celebrates 31st birthday. As a singer most famous for her disco sound, Sophie Ellis-Bextor is no stranger to a bit of glitter. But she took it to the extremes last night with some dramatic eye-makeup for her 31st birthday party. The Murder on the Dancefloor singer decided to layer purple and gold glitter on to her eyes get her into the party spirit.
Arriving at London's famous Groucho club for the celebration last night, Sophie hid her blue dress under a knee-length coat, but seemed more than happy to point out her stunning makeup. While Sophie decided to co-ordinate her eyes and her shoes, she did obey the cardinal makeup rule by keeping the rest of her face plain and simple, ensuring the attention was entirely on her glittery eyes.
Clearly in the party mood when she arrived at the Groucho club, Sophie had celebrated her birthday with a dinner with family and friends at the Maddox club earlier in the evening. She also unveiled her dress - a flattering strapless black and blue dress cinched in at the waist with a yellow belt.
But while some celebrities use birthdays as an excuse to slap on some fake tan, Sophie followed in the footsteps of Girls Aloud's Nicola Roberts by embracing her porcelain complexion. (You're allowed to laugh here, cos Nicola followed Sophie by embracing her pale complexion, and Nicola has said it herself. This was such a joke!)
She said recently: "I think fake tan would be the worst idea. I'd look ridiculous so I'm never going to try. I'd worry that I'd become addicted to it and not know when to stop. But I've come to accept my pale skin."
And here's an article about Sophie in The English Home magazine
(thanks to Paul for the find, and Renzo for actually typing out the whole thing!)
AT HOME WITH SOPHIE ELLIS-BEXTOR
The singer, model and mother tells Niki Browes about her eclectic English style and why London will always be home for her.
With her delicate porcelain features, Sophie Ellis-Bextor is unmistakable both as the award-winning pop star and the face of Rimmel London make-up. Sharing her west London home with husband Richard Jones (bassist with pop band The Feeling) and their two sons Sonny, aged five, and Kit, aged one, she's gearing up for the release of her new album Make A Scene this summer.
Where do you live?
Chiswick. We've lived here for just a year. Before that, it was the Portobello Road. The two are more similar than I'd imagined. Chiswick is a beautiful part of the city, full of bars and cafés and there's lots of open space. I'm a big fan of London parks and like the idea of greenery next to the metropolis. The only thing that's missing is the market, which is the heart of Notting Hill.
Can you describe your surroundings?
It's in a place called Bedford Park. When it was built in the late 1800s, it was popular with supporters of the Arts and Crafts movement, like William Morris and John Ruskin. As they were designed for artistic types, the houses have loads of light and the rooms are very big. I feel very lucky to live here.
What word describes your interior style?
Kitsch, which I think is a rather British trait. I'm a big fan of colour and see it as a celebration. I'm not afraid to take risks at home. I treat my interior as I do my clothes - if you get it wrong, you can always go back to how it was before.
Do you have a garden?
We do and it is lovely - although I'm not at all green-fingered; we have someone who looks after all of that. It sounds a bit hippyish but we had a naming ceremony for the children because we're not really religious. At the ceremony, the children got a tree each, which are now planted in the garden.
Can you see yourself living in the countryside sometime in the future?
I have only ever lived in London, though I grew up in St Margaret's which is just outside of Richmond; Chiswick is about as far from the centre of town that I'll ever go. I find it comforting to see black cabs and bus stops from my window. And the thought of buying a house in the country for weekends seems too decadent for me.
Where do you find interior treasures?
I'm something of an eBay addict and the site is responsible for quite a lot of junk in our house. I like to see what I can find and put in words such as "funfair". I got a "Roll Up! Roll Up! Roll Up!" sign from that search. Another find was a great big vintage Perspex ice-cream cone, which must have been an old promotional device.
What about the high street?
I mostly shop online for things for the home. Or should I say "window" shop. I'm always on the Heal's and Conran Shop websites, filling up my basket only to have to empty it again, because everything I've chosen is far too expensive.
Do you own anything that's inherited?
My grandfather gave me a picture of Queen Victoria that used to make me cry when I was little because she looks so stern. In our home, it is on a wall pasted in London Toile wallpaper by Timorous Beasties. From a distance it looks like classic toile, although closer up you can see it describes contemporary urban scenes and features modern architecture such as the Gherkin and the London Eye. It is a good contradiction to the austere royal portrait and helps to remind me about the diversity of London living.
What treasures would you try and save in the event of a fire?
I am not very sentimental about things but, if I had to choose, it would probably be a pair of gold shoes I bought from Hamburg. I wore them on a really good early date with my husband, have had some great nights out in them and have also taken them on tour. They represent happy time for me.
What does home mean to you?
My second baby, Kit, was born nine weeks early, weighing just under three pounds. When we brought him home, all that mattered was the four of us. It made me realise that, while it is lovely to have nice things, home is your family. Nothing else really matters.
Is there very much evidence of your career in your house?
Absolutely not. We have a studio above the garage and keep awards and the like in there. It seems a bit wrong to keep them in the house, a little bit naff even. But then that's probably very English of me, that element of not wanting to show off.
What would probably surprise us most about your home?
If I told you that how messy I am was a theme running through every speech at our wedding, would that give you a clue? I take after my Mum [former Blue Peter presenter Janet Ellis] and am much more like her when it comes to my interior taste - her house is very Bohemian; my Dad's house is very tidy.
Are you tidy when it comes to organising the toys?
We are lucky in that we have got room to have a designated playroom for the kids - plus all of their stuff. When you have children, you have to take a deep breath and embrace the plastic and tat that they love. I am not afraid to put the children's paintings on the wall. In fact, I wouldn't have it any other way.
Who has the most say in your interior style - you or your husband?
I think it's fair to say neither of us. Richard has great taste and I respect his opinion. If anything, it's he who reins me in every now and then if I want to do something especially "out there".
What do you believe no English home should be without?
A great kitchen where you can cook the most traditional of British meals: a Sunday roast. Tucking into a roast while catching up on the weekend papers is hard to beat.
Sophie Ellis-Bextor's new single, 'Bittersweet', is released on 2 May, by Fascination Records.
