Weleda Skin Food

We Brits love to talk about the weather. We are all aware that we do it and even though at times we make a concerted effort not to, invariably we start our conversations with a weather based statement.

Well it doesn't matter where you go at the moment, EVERYONE is talking about how cold it is. From shopkeepers, to gangs of kids, to my family and colleagues, we have a universal and ready-made conversation starter (and filler).

One of the things that haunts most people in this awful weather is horrid dry skin. Hands become scaly and painful, weird dry patches appear on our faces and our bodies (which we often forget to moisturise until the summer) are not looking pretty.

If you can relate to any/all of the above, then let me recommend the amazing wonder-cream/balm that is Weleda Skin Food. This all-natural moisturiser is intense, effective and really cheap. Victoria Beckham and Adele love it too so you'll be in good company if you buy a tube!

Here's how I use it:

Face: When my skin is REALLY dry I squeeze a tiny bit into my hands, warm it between my fingertips and then pat it lightly onto my face. It is really intense so you honestly won't need much. If you do this before bed, your skin will be gorgeous and soft by morning.

Hands: Smother on your hands before bed and wear cotton gloves while you sleep. Come morning, your hands will look and feel much better.

Feet: As with hands but wear socks! (obviously ;)

Body: Great for getting rid of dry patches on elbows etc.

I have also read that people use Skin Food on split ends, as a face mask, a cleanser, that it is great for soothing sunburn and that some men even use it to soothe the skin after shaving! It's the ultimate multi-tasker!

Bumble and Bumble Surf Shampoo and Conditioner

If you're a fan of Bumble and Bumble Surf Spray then I have a feeling that you're going to like their new Surf Shampoo and Conditioner. The idea is that it gives voluminous, sexy, beach style hair and is particularly good if it's thinner than it used to be. It should also make your hair look lovely even if you choose to dry it naturally without styling first.

My usual choice of shampoo is Aussie Colour Mate which works really well on my hair. I follow it with L'Oreal Elvive Full Restore 60 second saviour which is just INCREDIBLE! I absolutely swear by it and it was with slight trepidation that I swapped it for the Surf conditioner as I had a lovely night out with Chris planned and I wanted to look good. (He's seen far too much of me in my onesie recenty!)

After a couple of shampoos and a large squirt of conditioner, I decided that I liked the feel of the product and the smell was that kind of faux-oceanic scent that is fresh and makes you think of holidays. (It is currently below freezing in London so this provided some much needed in-shower escapism).

I dried my hair as usual but didn't apply any product (I usually use Argan oil on the ends and Batiste Big and Bouncy XXL Volume on the roots) as I wanted to see exactly how effective the shampoo and conditioner were. Well I can tell you that my hair looked very shiny  (in fact so much so that Chris even noticed it!) It also looked healthy and definitely had more volume than usual (not dramatically more but it was noticable).

I would definitely recommend these products as nice additions to your haircare collection. They're not Earth shattering, but definitely do what they say on the tin and give you an instant good hair day with very little styling.

A Letter to my Excess Hair

Dear Excess Bodily Hair,

You've been a part of my life for about sixteen years now and in that time I haven't really told you how I feel.

Well at the age of 32 I have decided that I might as well bite the bullet and be honest with you, so here goes.

First of all, a note to my pubic hair. A few years ago I tried to kill you with laser hair removal. I didn't feel at all bad about it. I mean why did you have to multiply at such a steady rate? I waxed you, plucked you and shaved you and still you insisted on reappearing within a matter of days.

When I lasered you away, I didn't miss you at all and for the bits of you that were left, I was extremely happy with your new shape and behaviour. For once in your life you were actually doing as you were told. The thing is that I'm now wondering if I went a bit far. When I get older will I be desperate to have you back? What if full on pubes become all the rage? Will I forever look like a 90's pubic throwback? Please God I will never have to resort to a murkin or some form of hair replacement therapy in the name of fashion.

Now chin hairs and moustache, I'm afraid I 'm going to be a lot harsher with you. Aren't you mature enough not to play stupid games? Why every time I get you threaded or plucked do you insist on sprouting back almost instantly? Do you know how much threading costs? Do you know how painful it is?

I also want to know what the point of you is? When I found my first chin hair almost ten years ago I thought it was some sort of mistake. Twenty two year olds didn't get hairy chins! Well how do you think I feel now? If I left you to your own devices it scares me that you would lose all control and i'd look like I was growing a miniature beard. I am a very ambitious woman, but being a bearded lady just doesn't fit into my life plan. Why are you here? What purpose do you serve?

Oh and as for you moustache, do you know how annoying you are to remove? Veet gives me a rash, threading is ridiculously painful, waxing doesn't last and I absolutely refuse to bleach you as I'll end up looking all fluffy and odd. I do thank you for being quite thin and barely noticable to others, but I know that you're there and I don't feel at all feminine when I notice you.

Finally, a note to my pesky eyelashes. Why, when the rest of my body spurts hair at a rate of knots, do you refuse to get any longer? I promise you that I will never make any effort to remove you, but will cherish you and decorate you with all the latest mascaras and accessories. Is there anything that I can do to encourage you to play ball and grow for me?

All in all, excess hair, I think we have a very disfunctional relationship and I hope that we can sort things out.

I await your reply with anticipation

Yours

Nicola

Super Healthy and Delicious Ice-Cream

Chris and I sat down the other night and reflected on what we've been eating recently and the conclusion was that if we carry on in the way we are, we may well be obese by the end of the year.

It's been fun, in fact it's been marvellous. We've gorged ourselves on steak smothered in garlic butter at Sacre Coeur in Islington, lobster in garlic butter (definitely starting to see a theme here) at Burger and Lobster in Soho and we have taken to having afternoon tea on a Sunday which mainly involves munching on big slices of coffee and walnut cake "Just because it's Sunday".

So...what do two people who love their food and detest diets do to keep healthy and fight the flab?? They make things that taste naughty but are actually rather virtuous is what!

So ladies and gentleman, allow me to introduce you to a delicous ice-cream recipe that is easy peasy to make, dairy free and pretty darn healthy....I like to call it BANANAS IN DISGUISE.

This recipe was inspired by one of my favourite bloggers, The Londoner as well as Gwyneth Paltrow's new recipe book It's All Good.

Try it for pudding tonight....it's so delicious!

BANANAS IN DISGUISE

Serves 2

1. Chop up four ripe bananas, put the slices on a plate, cover in cling-film and freeze over-night

2. Grab the frozen banana slices from the freezer and put them in a blender. Add a couple of spoonfuls of Nutella/Maple Syrup/melted chocolate/chopped hazelnuts/cocoa powder

3. Shove the blender on full force and watch your frozen bananas turn into the closest thing to ice-cream you'll ever see

4. Eat loads in the knowledge that you are a virtuous and healthy eater.

Ben and Jerrys eat your heart out!!

Review of GLAMGLOW Tingling and Exfoliating Mud Mask

I'm doing a week of overnights on Heart at the moment which invariably leads to lack of sleep, bad eating habits and lacklustre skin.

Having heard a lot of good stuff about GLAMGLOW Tingling and Exfoliating Mud Mask I was excited to give it a go today and I can tell you that the results were amazing. I applied it, let it dry for fifteen minutes and then washed it off when I had a shower and hey presto..... sparkling, radiant skin!!

The mask, which contains French sea clay, volcanic minerals and green tea does exactly what it says on the tin..it tingles (in a good way) as it dries and exfoliates beautifully on removal.

Many A List celebrities are said to use this before they have photo shoots for instant great looking skin and it has been hailed  as "a facial in a pot". I wouldn't go that far, but it will definitely make your skin look gorgeous and give you a radiant glow.

GLAMGLOW Mud Mask retails for £49.50 for a fairly small pot HERE. This is quite a lot to pay but I would buy it and then save it for special occasions when you want your skin to look extra good.

Best Mascara-The Five Best Mascaras

Out of all the beauty products that I trial mascaras have got to be my favourite. When I find a mascara that really works I get incredibly excited...particularly when it is one of the cheaper ones on the market!!

When I look for a good mascara, I want it to be lengthening, volumising and non-clumpy. I also want it to stick in place without giving me horrendous panda eyes.

Here are my top five mascaras at the moment:

1. EYEKO SKINNY BRUSH MASCARA

£15

Available HERE

10/10 - Best for volume, length and lash health

I LOVE this mascara and I'm not the only one! Adele, Emma Bunton and a whole host of other celebrities swear by it. The brush clings to every lash and lengthens beautifully. After a few coats, your lashes look long, volumised and not at all clumpy.The formulation contains vitamin B which aids growth and this mascara hardly budges so is great for lower lashes too!

2. BOURJOIS VOLUME CLUBBING MASCARA

£7.99

Available HERE

9/10- best for massive, volumised lashes

This is a fantastic mascara and I love the price too. It is incredibly volumising and I always get comments when i wear it. (Most recently from a makeup artist). If you like having massive lashes then this is the mascara for you!

3. YVES SAINT LAURENT MASCARA VOLUME EFFET FAUX CILS FALSE LASH MASCARA

£23

Available HERE

8/10-best for women who love wearing false lashes

This is a real classic and makes your lashes look huge and doll-like. The only reason I haven't given it a ten is that it is quite expensive and tends to dry out rather quickly. Other than that, this is one of my favourite mascaras ever!

4. LANCOME HYPNOSE DRAMA

£22

Available HERE

9/10-best for big, thick lashes with little smudging

I love this mascara. The brush grabs on to every one of your lashes and after a few coats builds up beautifully for a dramatic look.

5. MAX FACTOR FALSE LASH EFFECT MASCARA

£10.99

Available HERE

9/10- best for dramatic, non-clumpy, volumised lashes

I always end up going back to this mascara. After a couple of coats your lashes will look good and after a few more they'll look incredible!! This mascara will give you huge, fanned out lashes and the price is so good!

Kimberly Wyatt Beautiful Movements Cosmetics Launch

I've just had a very glamorous night at the launch of the rebrand of Kimberly Wyatt's mineral makeup range, Beautiful Movements Cosmetics.



The night took place at The Sanctum Soho Hotel and the paparazzi were out in full force.

Once inside I was led to the very swanky bar downstairs where glamourous journalists, bloggers and celebrities sipped on turquoise cocktails and champagne in tall black glasses whilst feasting on mini-burgers and cupcakes.





The DJ played brilliant tunes whilst excited guests had their makeup done.






Kimberly herself looked absolutely beautiful and spoke passionately about her brand. Beautiful Movements Cosmetics is cruelty free as well as being free from nasties such as parabens and other harmful chemicals.






So far, I particularly love the Mineral Blush in Peachy Glow which is a great summer shade and the lipgloss in Jewel is the perfect suit-all colour whilst being lovely and moisturising. All the products I've tried are of a good quality and it's great to know that they are good for my skin.

I interviewed Kimberly about the range a few days ago just before the Got To Dance semi-finals and here's what she said:

My Current Wishlist

It's neither Christmas nor my birthday but just in case anyone is planning on buying me an impromptu gift or doing something very nice for me,  here's my current wishlist  :)

Neom Complete Bliss Moroccan Rose Diffuser

John Lewis

£35



I love anything from Neom but my absolute favourite thing is their Complete Bliss Moroccan Rose scented Diffuser. The smell is so natural that it is like having your nose buried in the largest, most perfect rose,  fresh out of the garden. Everyhing in the Neom range is organic which is always a plus! Here's the link just in case you want to treat yourself .

 Short-Sleeved Skater Dress

ASOS

£22

I have this dress in navy with long-sleeves and it is ultra flattering and makes your boobs look great! This one will be great for the warmer months and I love the colour! You can find it in a variety of colours here.

Closet Wrap Front Tulip Dress

ASOS

£34.95

Yet another gorgeous ASOS dress. I love the bird print on this one and think it would look fab with a cardi and boots in the winter as well as making the perfect summer dress. Here's the link.

Ash Trainers

Outnet.com

SALE!!

I have wanted these for SO long and they're now on sale on Outnet.com!! You can get a pair of my favourite maroon ones here for £88 down from £160.

Caitlin Moran

Not for sale

Having read her amazing article on modern day feminism in Style Magazine this morning, I have decided that I would LOVE to have lunch and a good old natter with Caitlin. I think (hope) we'd get on very well indeed.

A trip to Patti and Bun



Forget wining and dining, I'm just desperate for a big, juicy burger from  Patti and Bun.

Behind the Scenes at The CEW Demonstration Evening

I've been desperate to share with you the craziness of the CEW Product Demonstration Evening.

Imagine the scene.....

Hundreds of women
Thousands of beauty products
Only one bag to fill with said products

Here's a video showing my experience of this crazy, exciting night..... xx

International Women's Day

In celebration of International Women's Day, Cherry and I spent Thursday evening at Vogue House for Glamour Magazine's Oxfam Get Together.

The lovely ladies at Glamour had totally raided their cupboards and were selling beauty products, designer clothes and shoes for amazing prices with all the proceeds going to the women that Oxfam supports around the world.

There were a ridiculous amount of beauty products on offer. My best purchase of the night was a stunning rose bath oil from Lay Back and Think of England

Cherry and I bumped into Gemma Cairney and the gorgeous Jo Elvin who is the editor of Glamour. Gemma and Cherry recently went to Africa with Oxfam and met some incredible women, all of whom have been helped by Oxfam's work.

 A raffle was announced and Gemma bought about 40 tickets.....

 ...it's easy to understand why when you see the prizes that were on offer. Look at those Louboutins!!

It all paid off when Gemma won no less than three times. Being the lovely girl she is, she put back two of her prizes but went away with this gorgeous Smythson handbag.

Oxfam Get Togethers are SUCH fun! Who not hold one yourself?? All the details can be found on the Oxfam Website.

Review of Manuka Doctor Apinourish Restoring Night Cream

OK...here's the deal...I have a ridiculous amount of beauty products in my house at the moment. They have in fact taken over my entire office and left me feeling giddy with excitement and Chris feeling a little bit stressed at the lack of space!

Just some of the products I brought home with me!

It all started last Wednesday when I went to one of the biggest events in the beauty industry calendar...the CEW Demonstration evening.

This is a chance for people in the industry to fill a (massive) bag with beauty products, take them home, test them and then vote for their favourites for the annual CEW Beauty Awards.

I am taking this process very seriously and am testing products like crazy. I will of course share all my findings with you right here as I go and I'm going to start right now by telling you about my absolute favourite so far..........

Introducing Manuka Doctor Restoring Night Cream which has an ingredient list that dreams are made of:

- Bee Venom, Manuka Honey, Propolis Extract and Royal Jelly.

- Cocoa Butter: Helps to reduce skin dryness and improve skin elasticity whilst adding a rich and creamy texture to the formulation

- Shea Butter: Renowed for its skin soothing and replenishing properties

- Olive Oil: An oil rich in oleic acid used for the gentle treatment of skin to help keep it moist and supple

- Rosehip Seed Oil: Has been found to have excellent skin healing, regenerating and rejuvenating properties due its natural retinoic acid content, a derivative of Vitamin A

- Blackcurrant Seed Oil: Contains a balanced profile of essential fatty acids  Omega 3, Omega 6 and Omega 9 which moisturise and nourish the skin promoting a healthy appearance

- Avocado Oil: A fast penetrating oil known to be highly moisturising and nourishing.

But who cares about ingredient lists?? What we really want to know is does it work?? Well the answer is a resounding YES! I have been applying this to my face and decolletage every night for a week and I have noticed a definite improvement to the quality of my skin. I've been waking up every day with a real glow and my skin looks fresh and plump. The fine lines on my forehead have also started to diminish slightly. I have chatted to a few friends who have also been testing it and they have said the same.

You can find the Manuka range here. If you have an allergy to bee stings then best do a skin test first as this product contains actual bee venom. The best news is that it isn't too expensive. The night-cream is only £24.99! 

Let me know how you get on with this as I'm really starting to think that it is something of a miracle product.

Review of The Pig Hotel, Brockenhurst

I wanted to do something really special for Chris' birthday this year and decided that I'd try to seek out the country's cosiest and most romantic hotel, a place where we could cuddle up by a fire place and luxuriate in a massive bed with crisp white sheets.

After  doing extensive research, it was my friend Nayanah who came up with the best recommendation. She had been to The Pig Hotel in The New Forest with her husband Leif and apparently it was the perfect combination of romantic, cosy, eccentric and had  the most incredible food! Oh and Chris' nephew calls him "The Pig" on account of him doing a great impression of a snorting piglet which always ends up in peals of laughter from children and adults alike, so the name was perfect too!

Chris and I fell in love with the place as soon as we stepped through the door. Highlights include:

1. The lounges which had open fire-places and massive sofas for sinking into whilst reading the papers and drinking delicious coffee.

2. The staff who were just the friendliest and most amenable people ever.

3. The food. Oh the food!! It was PERFECT! Everything on the menu is either sourced from their own beautiful kitchen garden or from a maximum of 25 miles away from the hotel. It is local, fresh and delicious. I have never eaten juicier or more beautiful scallops and Chris' chocolate and salted caramel pot was apparently the best thing he has ever eaten. Oh and breakfast was just amazing, highlights including the eggs which were just laid by the resident hens and the honeycomb which I spooned onto cinammon cake.

4. The romantic swing for two, the cute little quails, the five pigs, the walled kitchen garden...

5. The little garden shed which doubled up as a beauty treatment room- genius!

6. Our cosy room and massive bed and the plate of freshly made biscuits and cakes waiting for us upon arival.

To be honest, the only way I can really show you how gorgeous this place is is through the power of image. Here are some photos taken by my gorgeous husband xx

If you fancy booking a room at The Pig, the number to call is 08450779494. Don't tell too many people though :) x

Feeling Cosy

It's meant to get much warmer next week and while most people are probably celebrating, I 'm a bit sad really as I love snuggling up at home when it's freezing cold outside. I can quite happily spend hours sipping on hot chocolate, watching movies, reading books and luxuriating in long, lavender scented baths.

In order to celebrate the final few days of the hibernation season I have compiled my comprehensive guide to all things cosy...

1. In the winter months you'll find me in my Just Sheepskin Boots. They're cheaper than UGGS and just as good (if not better). I've been living in my Tall Classic Sheepskin ones this winter which are £140. (The equivalent UGGS are £200). I also bought Chris a pair of slippers for his birthday (not very sexy I know but I am in hibernation season so cut me some slack here!)

Here are our ultra-warm and cosy feet-treats:

2. My ultimate cosy bath-time treat is Elemis Quiet Mind Relaxing Bath Elixir. It smells so good and gets me feeling all sleepy before bed-time.

3. As we've already established,  hibernation season is not about looking sexy and I can mainly be found lounging around the house in my onesie. Onesies keep in the warmth and are great if you have big windows that let in a constant flow of cold air into your lounge like I do. My onesie is ancient and a bit worn out but I've got my eye on this one for next winter.

4. In the cold months I keep my body cosy and soft with lashings of Lanolin Lovely Lanolin Triple Buttermilk Body Balm. This gorgeous cream contains milk and medical grade lanolin and will make your skin feel ridiculously soft.



5. For really cosy and soft hands, my ultimate treat is Protect Your Lovely Hands from "Yes Nurse". This amazing hand-cream is made by two sisters who are also nurses. They were sick of their hands being all rough and dry after a long shift so created this absolute wonder of a cream. It's only £5.49 and is really fantastic!

 

Hope you enjoyed my cosy guide. Obviously a lot of these items can be enjoyed all year round. As for me, it's time to get the fake-tan out and start preparing myself for Spring x