Fredericks, Islington

Yesterday was my two year wedding anniversary. I can't believe how quickly it's come around!

Chris and I were planning on having a nice meal at home to save money but that all changed when he won £1000 on a lottery scratch-card. Can you believe that? I NEVER win on those things and our friend Leif (who's very good with numbers) worked out that the chances of winning a grand are something like 1 in 14,000 so Chris was very lucky.

Anyway, we decided that instead of having a slap-up dinner at home we'd go back to our amazing wedding venue Fredericks and have the meal of our dreams, no expense spared.

It was so special to revisit Fredericks. It holds so many incredible memories for us and the food is exquisite. I started with the most succulent, juicy scallops I've ever eaten, followed by dover sole meuniere and strawberries three ways. We drank champagne and wine and had the most amazing night filled with beautiful memories and laughter.

As it was such a special occasion, I wanted to make sure that I was looking my best and after my shower I rubbed Thalgo Huile Sacree Polynesia all over my arms, legs and decolletage and was so excited with the results. This beautiful body oil smells of holidays, is wonderfully nourishing but best of all, it leaves your skin with an amazing golden sheen. My legs in particular looked all smooth and sparkly.

This stuff would look incredible with a tan!

If you're thinking of having a London wedding, then do check Fredericks out. We had the wedding of our dreams there.*

*This post is not sponsored and we paid for our meal :0)

How to look your best after a long haul flight

Being on a plane for a hours on end can be very dehydrating and leave your skin looking dry and dull.

Here are my top tips to help you look refreshed and beautiful after a long flight:

1. I never wear makeup on a long haul flight but wait until just before I land. I personally like to apply a good face oil before take-off which will hydrate and leave your skin glowing. My favourite is Nude Progenius. It contains omega 3, 6 7 and 9 and instantly absorbs. This miracle-oil is also great for reducing scars and leaves your skin looking incredible.

2. Always stay hydrated on a long flight. Try to cut back on the free G and T’s and drink lots of water.

3.  On the subject of water, I always take a facial spray with me when I fly. The cabin can get very stuffy and the spray will keep you feeling refreshed. L’Occitane have just released a gorgeous Angelica Hydration Facial Mist which retails for £10. You can of course keep things simple (and cheap) and buy a classic Evian Water spray for around £4.

3. If you’d like a great multi-purpose product to take on the plane, I recommend the Gamila Secret Rosemary Cleansing Bar. This 100% natural, luxurious handmade beauty bar uses a pure blend of plant-based ingredients, including 15 handpicked herbs.  It provides gentle & indulgent cleansing for the face, body, hands & sensitive sun-kissed skin. The Rosemary gives the skin an energy boost - much needed after a long flight! 

4. Long haul flights can be particularly uncomfortable for the ankles and feet due to the build of fluid. The night before your flight pop a Circulation Patch-It  (£3.99 from Holland and Barratt)  onto the soles of your feet to stimulate the key reflexology points to help support healthy blood flow.


5. Before landing is a good time to do a face-mask as it will re-hydrate the skin. One of my favourite moisturising face-masks is Energy’s Resonance Vital Renewal Face Masque .  This organic facemask is full of amazing ingredients such as broccoli oil for moisture and Californian mineral earth to aid toxin removal. The best thing is that you don’t need to remove it and can just allow it to sink into the skin.

So if you’re going on a long-haul flight this summer,  make it your opportunity to do a bit of pampering and start your holiday with glowing skin xx

Dr Bronner Organic Fair Trade Hand Sanitizing Spray

Dr Bronner are releasing their first new product in years this August. It's a hand-sanitizing spray and is 100% natural.

I've got the Lavender one in front of me now and the ingredients are wonderfully simple:

62% organic fair trade ethyl alcohol, water, organic glycerin and organic lavender oil

The thing I like about the spray is that it smells lovely and doesn't dry your hands out like other hand sanitizers can. The fact that it contains pure lavender oil also means that it has a nice relaxing fragrance. In fact, this is the perfect product to use in stressful/germ-ridden situations such as a trip on the London Underground on a hot day like today. 

The spray will only cost £2.99 and will be available at Whole Foods as well as all other Dr Bronner retailers.

Medical Aesthetics Exposure Instant Glow Serum

I interviewed Margaret Dabbs a few weeks ago and her skin looked absolutely amazing. She was positively glowing and I had to ask her what her secret was.

It turns out that she swears by Exposure Instant Glow Serum. Whenever she has an event to go to and wants to look her best, she snaps open one of the little glass capsules, douses her face and decolletage in this wonder serum and reaps the benefits.

Well you know how much I love a miracle product! I was straight on the phone to Marc Armangue who is the brains behind this product as well as being an aesthetic physician.

Here's what he said:

The serum was originally formulated to assist skin healing following very agressive procedures we aesthetic physicians used to perform about 15 years ago, such as ablative lasers and TCA peels (trychloroacetic acid). The skin ended up "raw", since those treatments used to destroy the epidermis in order to force the skin to re-generate. The Instant Glow serum contains a proprietary combination of proteoglycans, ascorbic acid and vitamin F, to help on the tissue remodelation and soothe discomfort while protecting it. Try using it after a sunbathing day, with very inflamed facial skin, and you'll notice its benefits.

As my patients started to use the serum even after healing, they discovered that it had the almost immediate improvement results that happened to be ideal as a pre-event treatment. Therefore, it was named Instant Glow!

I've been trialling this serum for a few weeks and it is a sensational product. It really does give you an instant glow. I've been applying before I go to bed and when I look in the mirror in the morning have been quite taken  back by the improvement in my skin tone and general appearance.

This stuff doesn't come cheap but I recommend buying a pack and saving each precious ampoule for a really special occasion.

Elemis Frangipani Monoi Salt Glow

I was sent a pot of the new Elemis Frangipani Monoi Salt Glow yesterday and it has got me really excited.

Frangipani Monoi is one of my favourite Elemis scents  and I have been a fan of the body oil for years. For me it is the smell of holidays, honeymoons, exotic destinations and romance and I love to use it as a massage oil as well as an all over moisturiser which honestly leaves you smelling amazing. I recommend using it all over and forgoeing your perfume. It is an unbelievably sexy scent and is also great for your skin.

The new salt glow combines the beautiful exotic fragrance of Tahitian mono oil and frangipani flowers with mineral rich salts and hibiscus to cleanse and exfoliate and a coconut oil base which melts on contact with the skin and seals in moisture.

Using the scrub was such a luxurious experience. The heady smell, the great consistency and veil of moisture left on the skin combine to make a seriously good body scrub. It really will leave your skin glowing.

The Salt Glow is coming out in July and will retail for £36.50. My recommendation would be to run yourself a bath, put on some chillout music and imagine you're on a beach in Mauritius with the man of your dreams as you scrub your legs to silky perfection. 

Nataliya Robinson's Raw Organic Facial

It had to happen! I'd been waiting for this moment for at least three years and thought that I would take it very well when it finally came, but sadly I didn't.

Here's the thing....around three years ago I sat Chris (my then fiance) down and had a very important heart to heart:

- "Darling", I purred at him.

- "Yes my sweet", he whispered back (whilst looking deep into my eyes)

- "I need to ask something of you"

- "Anything, anything, you just name it", he said with wide eyes, his muscles flexing.

- "If my moustache ever needs doing will you please let me know? Don't say anything, just wiggle your finger over your moustache area and that will be our secret sign that I need to get the Veet out!"

With a solemn look he took my hand, nodded his head and threw me onto the bed where he....

OK, none of the above is how the conversation actually went, apart from the moustache bit which is 100% true. (I thought I'd try and make this decidedly unsexy situation a bit more palatable! Oh and I'm also reading a raunchy book which has somewhat influenced my writing ;0)

Anyway, earlier today Chris and I were on London's Southbank and giggling about something when suddenly he stopped and said that he needed to do something. I wondered what it could be...a second proposal perhaps??

Oh no that is not what it was at all! He did the bloody moustache sign!!!!! He had remembered it for all these years and was waiting for the perfect moment and today it came.

"Oh my God", I shrieked. "Is it awful? Have you been looking at it all day? Do you still fancy me? Shit! Do I look like a man?"

He looked at me as if I was crazy. Men are simple creatures you see. Ask them to do something and they will. He was just doing as I had asked and felt very proud that he had remembered.

I am of course very grateful to him as having looked in the mirror, my moustache is definitely more visible than usual. Bloody excess hair!! However, I've definitely decided to keep these things from Chris in the future. My Grandma always said a woman should maintain an air of mystery (i.e never pluck your nipple hair/do your tache/go to the loo in front of your husband) and even though he assures me that I am just as sexy with or without a bit of a moustache, it just didn't feel right having my husband proudly doing the moustache wiggle at me.

Anyway, talking about being unsexy, here is a picture of me having a facial made of 100% natural and edible food-stuffs:

The stuff on my neck is not baked beans but is in fact chopped (and squished) apricot and my face-mask contains honey, yoghurt, oatmeal and a plethora of other organic goodies.

My Raw Organic facial was performed by the amazing Nataliya Robinson who works from the most beautiful little boutique spa room in Knightsbridge.

Nataliya explained to me that our body ejects many toxins through the skin and if we clog it up with loads of synthetic and chemically loaded beauty products then the toxins can't escape, leading to a very unhealthy body both inside and out. By detoxing the skin from time to time by using totally natural and organic products, we are giving our skin a toxin free treat and allowing a thorough elimination of all the bad stuff, through our pores!

I wouldn't say that the Raw Organic Facial was the most relaxing thing I have ever experienced (It was a bit smelly and messy) but it was an amazing thing to do. Nataliya imparted loads of knowledge and advice, some of which has totally changed my views about skincare. The effects of the facial were also pretty incredible. Having been scrubbed with sugar, moisturised with honey and enjoyed the benefits of the likes of goat's yoghurt, lemon and avocado, my face was very happy indeed. In fact, I was absolutely glowing and the picture of health.

Nataliya's facial has the potential to be life changing. I love making homemade beauty products and believe that they can be more powerful than a lot of the shop bought stuff and Nataliya will help you come up with brilliant recipes tailor made for your skin-type.

The Raw Organic Facial is £100 (£130 with acupunture). Nataliya also does a whole load of other treatments including Acne and Anti-ageing. I can't recommend her highly enough. She is so knowledgable and passionate about what she does.

Baby Chicks

My gorgeous sister Amy is a primary school teacher and I was invited to her school concert last night which was really impressive. I couldn't believe how enthusiastic (and in tune) the choir was and there was a 7 year old who played the piano like an accomplished adult.

Anyway, the thing that got me most excited was the tank of new-born chicks that live in one of the class-rooms. The tiny creatures were so funny and sweet. One minute they would be merrily chirping away and the next they would all fall asleep as one big feathered mass.

Please excuse the awful quality, but here is a video of the sweetest little family of one day old chicks that I ever did see x

Goldfaden MD Bright Eyes

I am SO excited about Goldfaden MD. It's the first organic and natural skincare brand to be developed by dermatologists which means that the products are good for you as well as being high-performers.

Doing a late night radio show means that I constantly suffer from dark circles under my eyes and other than using a good concealer, there's not much I can do about it. Upon using the Bright Eyes Radiance Concentrate I noticed an instant improvement. The thin skin under my eyes looked tighter and somehow brighter. The effects were pretty instant and I was seriously impressed.

The concentrate contains soy peptide, vitamin K, Rice Bran Extract, Organic Red Tea and Jojoba Oil which  work together to hydrate and firm the under eye area.

One of the best selling Goldfaden MD products is their Sun Visor which is a paraben and chemical free SPF 20 which can be applied over your foundation. It is non-oily, doesn't smear and contains anti-oxidant organic red-tea.

Goldfaden MD products are available at SpaceNK with the Eye Concentrate retailing for £48.

Benefit Stay Flawless-15 Hour Primer

Just a heads up that Benefit are launching a brand new, long-lasting primer tomorrow. It has had amazing results in tests and apparently your foundation literally will not budge when you use it.

I like the fact that it comes in a stick formula too so is quick and easy to apply.

I'll test it for you ASAP but I have a feeling it's going to be a good one. Costs £24.50 x

Organic Pharmacy Collagen Boosting Hydra-Diamond Non-Surgical Face-Lift

I don't care how much my face sags or how deep my wrinkles are, I can categorically say that I will never have a surgical face-lift. I'm petrified enough of surgery as it is and the idea of willingly having my face stretched and stapled makes me feel sick.

However, when it comes to other, less invasive treatments, I'm your girl. I mean why would anyone say no to a treatment that promises to give similar (if a little more short-lived) results to a face-lift but with none of the pain or extensive healing time?

The Organic Pharmacy Collagen Boosting Hydra-Diamond Non-Surgical Face-Lift is a high-tech and chemical free facial with a number of important stages. First off you have an fruit acid peel which is swiftly followed by a hydra-diamond exfoliation. Next comes the application of lotions and potions containing collagen actives which penetrate deeply following the exfoliation. Finally, the skin is toned and lifted with a pain-free micro-current.

To be honest, I was so relaxed during all of this that I didn't have a clue what was going on. All I can tell you is that I was beyond happy with the results. My skin was absolutely glowing and looked brand new if you know what I mean?

What I most loved about this facial was that it was totally chemical and pain free and yet the results were fantastic. Who says you need to suffer for beauty? They advise that you do a series of six facials for maximum benefit but one is enough to make you glow for a good few days. I particularly recommend this facial to women who usually opt for chemical peels. Give your skin a break and go for this much gentler option. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised by the results.

PS The Organic Pharmacy also sell the most gorgeous range of products. I'm absolutely in love with their Rose Plus Brightening Complex. It is a beautiful and light serum that really does do what it says on the tin and makes your skin look bright and glowing and also smells delicious. I've been applying it under the Double Rose Rejuvenating Face Cream which is suitable for all skin-types and is very hydrating.

Phlem-Gate!

At the ripe old age of 32 I'm pretty proud of the woman I've become. I know my mind, I chase my dreams and I think that I'm pretty strong.

So why is it that I still manage to turn to jelly when I'm in an important (possibly life-defining) meeting with a powerful alpha-male type?

Yesterday may well have been one of the lowest points of my career. I had a meeting/interview with a big TV exec and dressed in my lucky red Reiss dress and lashings of mascara, I sashayed into the building brimming with self- confidence. I was ready for this....my whole life had been building up to this moment.

With my heart beating I exited the lift and met the man who was destined to be the undoing of me. He was tall, good-looking and utterly petrifying. He gave me an "I really haven't got time for this" look and led me into a tiny meeting room where he raised an eyebrow and said...."So tell me a bit about yourself".

Now this I can do. This is my speciality. I gave him my most devastating smile, took a deep breath and embarked on the story of Me. A minute later and this guy was bored, I mean seriously bored. I could see it in his glazed eyes.

My story was interrupted just as it was getting to the bit where I played a pig in a radio drama (a particular career highlight don't you think?) and the question that he asked me next was where it all went wrong. It involved me demonstrating an in-depth knowledge of an aspect of the show and even though I'm a massive fan, had been researching the meeting for days and couldn't have been more prepared, I went totally and utterly blank. My brain was refusing to play ball (the fact that I'd only had two hours of sleep after an overnight shift wasn't helping) and I looked like a total and utter fool.

To cut a long story short, after trying (and failing) to bluff my way through the rest of the meeting, (never ever bluff in an interview...It makes things 100 times worse) I coughed and some phlem landed on the table. There was actual phlem on the table!! He could see it, I knew that he could see it and all I could focus on was hiding it so I cupped my hands around the area and gave him a look of embarrassed desperation.

The meeting was over soon after phlem-gate. There was no hand-shake (which isn't surprising considering) and I'm pretty sure that I won't be on his TV show any time soon.

And now for the beauty bit.... the one thing that didn't let me down in this whole sorry affair was my mascara. After a morning of hayfever, little sleep, embarrassment, flying phlem and phoning Chris for a good old cry-laugh, my lashings of Lancome Hypnose Star Mascara were still perfectly in place. Thanks Lancome...having panda eyes would have added insult to injury!

Bliss Triple Oxygen Instant Energizing Mask

Sometimes there just isn't time to do a proper, sit down and relax for twenty minutes face mask.

If you are so busy that face masks are the last thing that you have time for, but know that you really should be doing them, then this is the product for you.

Moisten your face with a bit of water, apply the mask, enjoy the foaming sensation and remove after five minutes.

The mask left my skin revitalised and bright. It was like an energy drink for the face and I was seriously impressed! This is the kind of mask that I would use before a special occasion for a guaranteed quick-fix glow.

My Hair Tips

I have been such a naughty blogger and haven't updated for a whole week. Will you forgive me?

As I've been so bad, I thought I would write an extra special post all about my favourite hair products, hints and tips.

Hope you enjoy it xx

 

I have fairly flyaway and fine hair but lots of it. My hair does have a tendency to get a bit greasy, especially around the fringe so I wash it every day without fail and have been for as long as I can remember. Until fairly recently I hadn’t coloured my hair for years, but I’ve now started having natural looking highlights put in at the start of the summer.

Luxury Shampoo and Conditioner:

I am absolutely obsessed with Jo Hansford Everyday Shampoo and Conditioner. No other shampoo and conditioner make my hair look shinier and feel more soft and silky. I also love the fact that they are mild enough to use every day and that Jo is a colour specialist so they are built to protect and maintain my highlights.

Good Hair Day

Bargain Conditioner:

One of my favourite conditioners on a budget is L’Oreal Elvive Full Restore 5 60 Second Saviour. This really perks up your hair if it is looking a bit dull and lifeless and is also great for damaged ends.

For Protection:

When I’m styling my hair I always spray some of Daniel Galvin Junior’s Organic Head Heat Defence and Shine Spray first. It contains Aloe Vera and organic orange oil and is only £4. I love it!

Styling:

One of my favourite ever styling products is the Babyliss Big Hair Styler which is a hair dryer and styler in one. The brush rotates really cleverly to give lots of volume and shine. Whenever I use this product I get comments. It makes you look like you have literally “just walked out of a salon” and is a hair secret of many a beauty journalist and celebrity.

Argan Oil:

Everyone is talking about Argan oil at the moment and for good reason. It gives amazing shine whilst protecting the hair. I swear by Jo Hansford’s Illuminoil. As well as Argan, it contains Jojoba, Almond, Karanja and Pomegranate oil. I rub some in my hands and apply it to my ends while my hair is still damp. I tend not to apply too far up as my hair will get greasy, but if you have very dry hair, use this all over.

I also love Earthly Body Marrakesh X Leave-in Treatment and Detangler which is an Argan and Hemp Oil Spray and is really fantastic and affordable.

Bad Hair Day

Dry Shampoo:

I am a big fan of dry shampoo. I tend to spray little bit of Batiste Dry Shampoo for Brunettes on my fringe after blowdrying to keep it from getting greasy. Never too much though as the white residue isn’t a good look.

I also spray Batiste Big and Bouncy XXL Volume under my roots for incredible volume.

Cut and Colour:

Daniel Galvin Junior is the man I trust with my highlights. I also get my hair cut by either Joseph or Tom at Daniel’s gorgeous London salon.