DARLING, it's waxing, but it's chocolate waxing, so it can't possibly hurt. Just lie back now and think of a Milky Way. 

American reality TV person Olivia Palermo made the paps' night this week when she was given a gigantic pair of scissors (or maybe she is only 2ft tall) to cut the ribbon on Harvey Nichols 22,000 ft concept store.

Beauty Bazaar is the UK's first one-stop store for all things bright and beautiful and there was, au naturellement, a huge soiree.

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The hottest silver ticket in town as WAGs, soap actors and media folk grabbed an all-to-rare opportunity (these days) to glug never ending champers from Hollywood-style saucer glasses and reminisce about the old days when swishy launch parties were once a week in da Pool. 

But all agreed that none were quite as glammy as this, and it would be rude not to strike a pose and vogue among the mascara counters in this “Global Beacon of Beauty” under the discreet but watchful eye of burly security men.  

Liverpool_One_Ice_Bar_Beauty_Bazaar35Daniela Rinaldi (pictured on the left, right), Harvey Nichols' beauty director, told Liverpool Confidential earlier this week that Liverpool and its undisputed reputation for stylish women made it a prime target for the first store of its kind. So sure are the Harvey Nicks people that they've spent millions on the Manestys Lane store (Rinaldi won't be drawn into how many, but it is “many, many”). 

Austere times never kept a river city girl away from a bit of bling and it is well documented that when the economy goes into the red, sales of rouge lipsticks soar. 

So we have three floors of treatments, beauty products and therapies and a cocktail bar too, which means you can quaff prosecco while you're having a hi-brow.  

There's a James Read tanning studio, with Dulux-style colour charts, and a Medi-spa for something a bit more serious. There are showers on the top floor – an area that has its own lifts – of the elevator sort.

Attack of the 10ft chocolate barAttack of the 10ft chocolate barConfidential hit the party after first dropping by to the launch of Liverpool ONE's ice world.



This is far more glamorous than previous Christmas efforts on Chavasse Park – in fact it's pretty damned impressive on a national scale. 

Hundreds of people took to the magnificent outdoor skating rink while our operatives did the sensible thing and hung out among the frozen sculptures in the ICE bar. 

This is a sort of Eden Project type dome of drinking, but with sub zero temperatures. 

However, there was no frosty reception. Instead, vodka shots came in glasses crafted from real ice.

Punters are told to wrap up warm if they want to survive, but not our Liverpool girls. They may be glamorous, they will always be sleeveless, but thanks to Harvey Nicks they will never be blue.

"I heart your colour. I see you've gone for the 'Weekend Away' rather than 'Barbados Fortnight' on the tanning chart this time. You look fabulous!"

Pictures of the night below.

Olivia