The overwhelming vibe in the room of HELLO!'s Power List party, sponsored by L’Oréal Paris, was one of an uplifting, supportive sisterhood.
Friends new and old shared stories, laughs, battle wounds and congratulations before joining together on the Mazerine dancefloor as they united in mutual admiration for each other.
It was a joy to see Jenny Stoute grabbing Carol Vorderman to teach her the Candy dance, Kathy Lette push through the crowds to hug her ‘fellow Antipodean’ Natalie Imbruglia and tell her how amazing she was for speaking out about the menopause, and Davina McCall bouncing round the room like a Duracell bunny embracing everyone she could with boundless positive energy.
© Hoda Davaine
Friendship in midlife hits differently.
By this stage we are all carrying some form of baggage. And if you are lucky, there are women at your side who have seen you through every high and low and love you just the way you are.
Then there are those we have only just met, on a totally different level with no expectation, no competition, just a quiet admiration for all you have been through to get to this point.
Friends will forgive you your messy parts and celebrate your achievements, and will offer love and support no matter what you are going through. Because at this pivotal point in our lives we are all dealing with something - hormones, career, caring responsibilities, and more! - it is all a lot and as the Power List party showed, we are in it together.
“I don’t know what I’d do without my friends,” Natalie Imbruglia told me as her pal, hairstylist Tara Smith passed her a Cygnet gin cocktails on the rocks. “My girlfriends have outlasted any relationship with a man so I protect them at all costs.
“I love hard, which has been good and bad for me because I have high expectations from other people but I return it ten-fold.
“Women in my life like Tara, I would take a bullet for them. I think there is nothing like a bond of an old best friend.”
Judi Love agreed. “The power women in my life are my mum, a lot of people who brought me up, my daughter, my godmother - the ones who lived through life with me before all of this.
“I’m an everyday woman, I think women in general all have different stories, different complexities, so on the daily I think god, women are amazing.”
For Tess Daly, as she has been navigating her new chapter in her life and career, her girlfriends have been invaluable support.
“We’re there for each other - me and my girlfriends, we’re like a gang! And tonight’s gang is super inspirational. They are women who have achieved a lot in their lives and have refused to settle, and I admire so many of them," the 57-year-old former Strictly presenter says.
Protect at all costs!
Like Natalie said, you have to make sure you put in the effort and then you will recoup the benefits thousands of times over. Particularly at this time in life when there are so many demands on our time.
Toni Jones, Shelf Help founder and author of YOU (The Beginners Guide) says maintaining your social health is essential to good mental health, but can often be overlooked.
© Getty Images
She developed the S.P.I.E.S formula of making sure we hit a balance of looking after our Social, Physical, Emotional and Spiritual health, saying they are all equally important to pay attention to.
Social health she said “is the ability to form and maintain healthy relationships with others and society in general. It's an aspect of overall health and well-being that comes from connection and community.”
And there is science behind it. “People with strong social ties are less likely to have health problems, depression, or die early. Social health can also lead to higher self-esteem, greater empathy, and more trusting and cooperative relationships,” she says.
So the next time you feel guilty for booking in a coffee date and a gossip with your mates, and go to cancel because life is too busy - don’t. Friendship is just as vital a part of looking after your future self as going to the gym.
CREDITS:
Rachel Louise Brown @rachellouisebrownstudioIn
Partnership With @lorealparis Venue: @mazarinerestaurant
Set Design: @propped_up_ltd
Photographer 1st Assistant: @petrospoyiatgi
Digi Tech: @dani_rov
Retouch: Matt Ransom at Invisible Ink
Shoot Producer: @nathanhighamshootproducer
Creative Director: @bluebuxton