Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Thandie Newton reveals her unique style

Tue, 18 Aug 2009 10:03a.m.
Thandie Newton used to dress like a fisherman.

The 36-year-old actress grew up in the coastal county of Cornwall, south west England, and took fashion inspiration from the people she saw working on fishing trawlers.

She explained: “My mum’s wardrobe was always full of great stuff, as my parents lived in Zambia in the 70s. Later, when we lived in Cornwall, there was this whole fisherman thing going on. I used to wear gorgeous African batik skirts with a fisherman’s smock – that was my look!

“I think that’s one of the lovely things about fashion – it’s not just what’s in, but an anthropology of where you’ve come from.”

However, Thandie’s mother Nyasha was not always so enamoured with her daughter’s style.
Thandie used to love riffling through charity shops as a youngster, but Nyasha wasn’t so keen.

Thandie explained to Britain’s InStyle magazine: “When I was growing up, my mom was so sad when I was looking for vintage stuff – she thought it was because we couldn’t afford new things, but I had an instinct that that’s where you’d find interesting clothes on a budget.”

Thandie Newton says no to surgery

'Crash' actress Thandie Newton has vowed she won't have cosmetic surgery on her breasts because she is a mother.
Thandie Newton will never have a boob job. The 'Crash' actress - who has two daughters, eight-year-old Ripley and Nico, four, with her husband, writer Ol Parker - won't have cosmetic surgery to enhance her breasts because she is a mother. She said: 'I cannot believe how much I love my children. I fed them both and carried them in me. When I see women who have plastic surgery done to their boobs I think, 'How can you when they have fed your children?' ' Thandie has also revealed she enjoys dressing up in designer gowns to attend awards ceremonies and glitzy events - and her kids love seeing their mother in glamorous outfits. The 36-year-old British beauty added to Britain's Stella magazine: 'I love it. I love the dressing up bit. I don't shop that much but, when I do, it's great. 'My daughters like watching me get ready. They say, 'Mummy pretty', and all that. 'That is how fame seems to children. They think it is all glamour and glitz, but it is really hard work.'

Thandie Newton's mother protected her from racism

Wed, 19 Aug 2009 1:28p.m.
Thandie Newton has credited her mother with shielding her from racism while she was growing up in England - although her efforts strained their relationship at times.

The actress is the daughter of Englishman Nick and Zimbabwean Nyasha, who emigrated to Britain to work as a nurse.

As a result of her mixed heritage, the Crash star and her family were subjected to cruel taunting during her youth in the English county of Cornwall.

But Newton admits she frequently wasn't aware of the rude remarks because her mother worked hard to protect her from it.

She says, "I remember sensing that my mother was holding something back from me. I used to think I had done something wrong because she could be so distant. I knew there was something going on that I didn't know about, and, because I was a child, I thought it was my fault. It took me years to work out that she had actually been protecting me as a child (from) racism.

"It was Cornwall. I don't blame people. I don't think it was truly nasty, but there were comments, and my mother kept all that away from us and, to do that, she had to keep herself distant in order to be a barrier between us and them."

The 36-year-old struggled to understand her mother's distance, insisting it left her feeling deeply devastated: "She has explained it to me and of course I understand. There were times when I was so unhappy no one could reach me. It's like a madness."

But their relationship has since been patched up - and she's grateful for her mother's support: "My mother and father have always supported me in what I do, even when I have had my own distance from them."

Thursday, August 13, 2009

Thandie's secret

How Thandie Newton keeps her peepers wrinkle-free!

Her secret? Heal, an advanced healing gel from The Firm. Heal gel not only heals and softens scars and bruises, but it reduces swelling and inflammation, instantly soothing your skin.

Thandie Newton loves it so much she calls it an ‘elixir of life’ claiming that “a close-up after a 14-hour day is actually possible with Heal, it tightens the skin around my eyes immediatey".

This remarkable gel formula is the brainchild of a group of leading plastic surgeons and took three whole years to perfect.

It contains ten active ingredients that soothe, repair and reduce scarring, including arnica montana, a natural plant-based anti-inflammatory, healing peptides and signaline, which helps to regenerate the skin’s surface and boost collagen production.

Thandie Newton is not the only fan of Heal gel - Joely Richardson also can’t get enough of it saying, “I’ve come to love Heal. It’s like a protective layer that I wear daily now.”

Sounds like a medicine cabinet must

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Thandie My London


Thandie Newton - My London
Sylvia Mulder, ES Magazine
07.08.09 Home is...
Northwest London. I have been living there for a long time now, I really enjoy it.

Where did you last go on holiday?
I went to the Borgo Santo Pietro hotel in Tuscany recently, which was beautiful. One of my favourite family holidays was spent at the Carlisle Bay hotel in Antigua. Everything was right on the beach, so my husband and I could watch our two daughters play while having delicious food. The Cuixmala in Mexico was also heaven on earth. The girls released baby turtles into the ocean which they loved.

Which London shops do you rely on?
The farmers' market in Queens Park is incredible. I get my food for the week there. I also love Little Davis in the East End for ecologically responsible children's clothes. Start, in EC2, has a beautiful range of clothes, from Stella McCartney to Chloé. Everything there is wonderfully tailored.

What advice would you give a tourist?
Come in the winter when it's a bit quieter and not completely packed with tourists, so you can see the real London. It's the best time to visit the city, because the lights are on and you can spend a cosy night in the pub.

What's the best meal you've had in London?
I love the River Café in Hammersmith; I try to go there at least a couple of times a month.

What's your earliest London memory?
When I was 12 I got a part in the Royal Festival Ballet's The Nutcracker as one of the children. My whole family came from Cornwall for three weeks and I was performing every night and all the matinées. It was a dream come true.

What would be on your tombstone?
It's a really sad idea, so I'd rather not think about it.

What are you most afraid of?
Bees becoming extinct. There are scientific theories, which I'm a believer in, that claim that four years after bees become extinct, humans will, too, because bees are the key to the human cycle.

What are your guilty pleasures?
Watching Curb Your Enthusiasm in bed with a box of Baker & Spice chocolate cookies.

What would you do as Mayor for the day?
Oh, that's a never-ending list, but one thing I'd definitely do is make everyone do charity work.

What animal would you most like to be?
My mutt Maggie, because she gets to spoon my eldest daughter [Ripley] every night.

What was the last album you downloaded?
The album of this upcoming singer called Speech Debelle. It's fantastically lyrical; I love it.

What would you save from a fire? Other than my loved ones, I'd save my BlackBerry. It's so useful, and if there's a fire in my house I guess I'd need to call some people!

What makes you laugh?
The comedian Danny McBride. He's wonderfully self-conscious.

What are you up to at the moment?
I have a film coming out soon, called 2012, which is directed by Roland Emmerich. And next week I'm going to South Africa to teach an acting workshop at Oprah's girls' school. She asked me herself, so I'm really honoured.

Where do you shop in London?
Church Street in Marylebone, because it's like an interiors Walhalla. I absolutely love Alfies Antique Market. My favourite stall is called Dodo and it sells antique posters - I have several.

What do you like to wear?
At the moment I love my Georgina Goodman nude leather gladiator flats.

What's your favourite London pub?
The Chamberlayne in Queens Park. When my husband and I take the dogs for a long walk we usually pop in there for a cider, and the dogs can come in as well.

What are your favourite London discoveries?
Jivamukti Yoga came to Kensal Road a few years ago from New York and it is just a temple of self-love and energy.

Have you ever stolen anything?
I've stolen small change from my daughter's money box for parking. I will replace it, though.

Thandie Newton is the new face of Martini Rosato 'Stay Beautiful'.