Monthly Archives: January 2014

let me entertain me

27th January 2014
I used to be guilty of buying every fashion and lifestyle magazine going. These days I only seem to buy or read them when I’m off work for any length of time- be it holiday or when I’m off sick.
With a long period of sick leave ahead of me I’m actually kind of looking forward to having a chance to indulge in some of my favourite publications, my problem being that for the first three weeks at least I shall be largely housebound.
You can imagine my delight when I discovered Unique Magazines- the online newsagents can’t you? My discovery of which is really rather timely. Right now there are some great discounts at Unique Magazines covering some of my favourite titles such as psychologies (yep, I love it!) on a three issues for £3 deal…HELLO guilt free subscription. I’m also eyeing up Vogue at £15 for six issues and a couple of the crafting titles as well to give myself some inspiration- I’m desperate to master knitting and get back in to cross stitch. Of course one can’t forget Hello Magazine, my ultimate guilty pleasure.
I’m going to be on a budget so will probably just have to pick one title to begin with, although after my sick leave has ended and I’m back on full pay I may treat myself to another one or two.
Which magazine should I go for to keep myself occupied, I’m thinking a weekly edition such as Look (which I used to buy without fail) at £15.99 for 13 issues is a sound investment. A regular delivery to my door, plenty of eye candy in the form of new season style AND a reunion with an old favourite.
Which magazines do you buy without fail?

Posted in wish list

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Bringing Back Summer with heidi klein

27th January 2014
In the depths of January it can feel like Summer will never arrive, or ever happened at all. When the folks at heidi klein offered to send me one of their Coconut Beach Candles, promising to bring back the smell of Summer I was all for it. I’m a sunshine girl; I’m at my happiest with bare arms and sun kissed skin and for me the scents of Coconut and Vanilla are the ones that take me back to those glorious light filled days.
The candle is gorgeous and has a real luxury feel to it which makes for instant feel good factor. Sitting in front of a floral scented tea light just isn’t the same. At £36.00 you’d expect something of decent quality and that’s exactly what you get, the way it was packaged made me tempted not to even light it, althoug the smell permeating through the gift wrap soon convinced me otherwise.
The candle is scented with Coconut, Vanilla, Jasmine and Marine- basically everything I love about the summer. It’s not too heady, just delicate and balanced, my bedroom felt like a den of calmness and I could feel my mood instantly lift.
Made from virgin beeswax and developed by Miller Harris you can buy the candle online at www.heidiklein.com or in store (see online for details and check out the amazing swimwear too!)I’ve really been enjoying this candle on the dark evenings post work. Things have been a little bit stressful and busy in my world of late; hence the lack of outfit posts, or indeed anything at all personal. The sunshine filled scent of this candle coupled with a mug of tea and some chocolate/sweets/biscuits has provided the perfect cure for the tougher days. That and face time marathons with Ben. Can’t be beat.
What scents instantly lift your mood?
I couldn’t resist a cheeky last minute edit of this post to share with you THE perfect Monday song, which Ben introduced me to yesterday. I’ve discovered so many new bands and artists since being with him, it’s great!

Posted in review

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New Year Skin Resolutions- a guest post by Emily Hinton

26th January 2014
New year new start. I bet you have heard that a few times right?! Why not apply this saying to your skincare routine too! Our skin is complex, and ever changing – which means it is important to keep your skincare routine updated.
Here are some great ways to keep your skin looking fresh and glowing for 2014…
January – H2o
Drinking water is a great way to keep the skin looking fresh and hydrated from within. Try drinking the recommended 8 glasses a day to ensure you have radiant skin
February – Moisture moisture
In the cold winter months especially, it is vital to moisturise the skin. Using a good moisturiser will help keep your skin supple and help prevent from breakouts
March – Lusicous lips
Do not forget to pay attention to your lips in the winter. Cold weather can dry them out and make them flaky and sore. Use a protective lipbalm such as Vaseline to help protect your lips against the cold and a moisturising lip balm to help put the moisture back into chapped lips
April – April showers
Make an effort to turn down the temperature from super hot in the shower. Very hot water is very drying on the skin and can leave it looking red and patchy. At the end of your shower turn the very hot water down to help keep your skins natural moisture locked in
May – 3 is the magic number
Cleanse, tone and moisturise. You have heard it all before. But that’s because it really works. The tried and tested 3 step skin routine is a fab habit to get into. Your skin will love you for it!
June– Swapshop
Swap your heavy foundation for a lighter BB cream. BB creams are a wonderful combination of primer, foundations, moisturizer and serum. So not only is it quicker to get ready – it leaves your skin looking fresh and glowing. It is also perfect for the warmer summer months due to its lightweight feel
July – Sunny days
Always use a moisturiser or beauty product with an element of SPF. This is such an important aspect of summer make up. SPF rays can damage skin and make it age prematurely. Pay a bit more money for products with a good amount of SPF in.
August – Soapsuds
Never use a bar of regular soap on your face. The skin on your face is very delicate and needs specially formulated products. Always use a product which has been designed for the face
September – Out with the old
Throw away any old make up that is over 1 year old. Eye make up should be changed at least every 6 months. Make up comes in to contact with your skin on a daily basis and your skin is full of bacteria. This build up over a time can leave your make up covered – so if ever you need an excuse to buy more make up here you go!
October – Relax
Apply a face mask once a week. Not only is it a great way to grab some me time but your skin will love you for it.
November– Scrub up
Always use a facial exfoliator to help buff away dead skin cells. Not only does this leave your skin feeling soft and looking great, it helps to promote new skin cells to grow which keeps you looking fresh
December – Gently does it
The skin under your eyes is very delicate. Always apply under eye cream with your fourth finger to ensure you apply little pressure.
Follow these new years skin resolutions and your skin will love you for it.
The Salon Look offers a fantastic range of salon products, the majority of which aren’t available on the high street. Straight from the salon floor, qualified beauty stylists and therapists are there to answers all your beauty questions. www.thesalonlook.com
*Duly noted. I must take better care of my skin and will be attempting to stick to these!*

Posted in beauty

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Something Sweet

25th January 2014
Way back before Christmas I had a package arrive from Pidy, a manufacturer of ready to fill pastry cases and veggie cups. I had the best of intentions to get a post up before the festive season ended but with one thing and another I failed.
Still, this didn’t work out so badly as one afternoon, craving something sweet yet light I pulled out the box of pastry spoonettes and got to work.
With January being the month of resolve I decided I wanted to make something on the lighter side. In the end I cooked up a punnet of fresh apricots in the microwave (using this recipe as a base) and let them cool. Once cool I placed a teaspoon of fruit in each case for a sweet but not naughty little snack plate. Of course if you wanted to make these more virtuous you could use a natural sweetener in place of sugar but I personally prefer the taste of the sugar. You could also add some greek or plain yoghurt to these for more texture and taste but I think they work perfectly as they are. I’ll be making these again, perhaps next time with plums or berries…or a selection of whatever is in the fruitbowl. Cooked fruits are a family favourite and although soft fruits work best, apple and pear are great as well as many of the dried fruits available (try prunes, I promise they’re good!)
Each pastry case contains only 16 calories so each spoon probably comes to less than 50 depending on what else you add. The contrast of the crispy pastry and the soft, sweet fruit works perfectly…a bit of a deconstructed jam tart perhaps? You can also warm the cases through in the oven but I decided to skip that step.
I am yet to come up with fillings for the rest of the range I was sent, which included a pack of Beetroot Veggie cups for which I am thinking houmus or something similar. At the moment the cases are available to order from Amazon but I expect it won’t be long before they roll out elsewhere.
What would you have filled them with? And what suggestions do you have for the Beetroot Cups?
Thanks to food PR agency CLIP Creative and PR for the samples

Posted in food, review

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Hello Valentine: Lola & Grace

25th January 2014
Lola & Grace have fast become one of my favourite brands for jewellery since discovering them via twitter. Their 2014 Valentines collection is an absolute showstopper and I couldn’t resist sharing it with  you in case you wanted to drop some hints or treat yourself (after all, we should love and spoil ourselves).
Crystal Heart Pendant – £24.90
Long Stud Heart Pendant – £44.90
Crystal Heart Set – £44.90
Pavé Crystal Heart Set – £49.90
The collection will be available from Lola & Grace stores and online
I suggest leaving this page open on your browser for your true love to see! I own a couple of pieces from Lola & Grace and they truly are stunning, even the simpler designs make a statement and if I wasn’t on a self imposed shopping ban until April I’d be ordering the Crystal Heart Pendant for myself.

Posted in jewellery, valentines

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