Style: The dream factory

It sounds like a hen night (or hen day) without a wedding as an excuse, with lots of drinking, dancing, and hunky men (firemen I'm told, and lots of male models) gyrating both on the catwalk and on the health and fitness stage. You can even have your problems solved by a top agony aunt, find out how to become a fashion editor, an author, or be talent-spotted for a career in modelling. If that doesn't appeal, just bring a large bag and fill it with cosmetic freebies, go for a dance in the clubby bit, or put your best smile on for celebrity hairdresser Nicky Clarke and he might just do your hair. (His waiting list is six months, you know.) No, it's not the Clothes Show Live, it's The Cosmopolitan Show - its much bigger and more sexually aware sister.

Cosmopolitan is the world's biggest-selling women's magazine (25 million women around the world look at it every month - one million in the UK alone), and it has been brought to life, for the third year running, at Earl's Court.

If it sounds tacky, that's because it will be. It will also be trashy, glamorous, and fun - if a bit of self-indulgence is your thing. (It was 60,000 women's thing last year.)

There are 10 catwalk shows every day on the hour, a fashion bar where the Cosmo fashion team will hang out to answer questions, and a workshop section where those famous "Are you Confident?", "How can I improve my love life?" and "I feel left out, how can I belong?" questionaires can be lived out in person with experts such as Arabella Weir, Fast Show comedienne and author of Does My Bum Look Big in This?

Louise Atkinson, the magazine's deputy editor, thinks it's an excellent day out. "Everyone makes a real effort to dress up," she says, but is also aware how useful some of the more personal workshops can be. "Irma Kurtz is doing an Agony Workshop everyday [at 3.45pm], where people ask questions about their problems. Last year, everyone was too intimidated to ask them aloud, so, this weekend, they can write them on a bit of paper, it's much easier." That's just the tip of the iceberg. There are loads of things to buy, from clothes to make-up, cars to win, and even careers advice. According to the Cosmo girls, the most commonly asked question is, of course, "How do I get into magazines?"

The Cosmopolitan Show, Earl's Court, Warwick Rd, SW5 (0990-205205) 10am- 6pm, today to 4 May

COMPETITION

You, too, can be a Cosmo girl for the day. Or, if you aren't one already, turn up bare faced and with clean hair, and get yourself transformed! Bring this copy of The London Eye to Earl's Court on Monday 4 May, present it on the door and get two people in at the price of one. The normal ticket price is pounds 14. See you there!