Velvet Manicure

I love love love the week before Christmas. Everyone is relaxed, happy and slightly tiddily and there is a feeling of festive anticipation amongst adults and children alike.

After contracting the miserable curse that is the Norovirus three Christmasses ago (it started just as the turkey was being served) I spend this week in particular constantly applying antibac and keeping well away from anyone who looks slightly green around the gills. I have definitely contracted OCD but it's better than contracting a yucky bug during one of my favourite times of the year.

 Anyway, with my current anti-bac obsession, it's important to also use a great hand-cream as that stuff is seriously drying. At the moment I'm loving Melvita Apicosma Creme Mains extra-riche. It smells good and I am impressed with how hard this little wonder-cream works. My hands feel softer than they have in a long time and all signs of dryness have disappeared.


Anyway, for the second year running, I'm doing a Christmas giveaway on London's Heart Breakfast. This involves knocking on someone's door live on air and presenting them with two Ultrabook laptops and £500. It's such a great prize and I can't believe how good it feels to make someone's Christmas! Just call me Santa's little helper ;)



          Crouching outside a house in my Heart jacket about to give someone a big Xmas surprise!

When I got back to Heart HQ this morning, feeling all warm and fuzzy after my giveaway, I was talked in to doing some hand modelling (why me I don't know as I have definite sausage fingers!) for the beauty section of  heart.co.uk. 

I had to model a velvet manicure and it is one of the weirdest things that has ever adorned my nails!!

 Please excuse my messy nails and sausage fingers!!

Velvet manicures involve painting your nails and then basically dipping them in a bag of fluff while they are still wet. Blow off the fluff and voila...you have velvety nails. 

I think mine look more dusty than velvety, but to the touch they feel soft and slightly fluffy. Kind of like a short -haired rabbit's nose.

Why anyone would have a velvet manicure is beyond me....but if you are a cosy type and find a good old classic gloss a bit too cold for this time of year, then why not get in the Christmas spirit and go for a far fluffier version!

Here's a link to the polish and "fluff" that was used in the picture xx

Wedding Cake Inspiration

A very quick one, but I had to share this with you.

I spent today at the most beautiful wedding in Brighton. My gorgeous friends Di and Cathy got married and everything about the day just worked. It was filled with love and warmth and took place in a cosy and rustic barn which was adorned with fairy lights and a huge Christmas tree.

Anyway, I had to show you this picture of their cake(s).

I love the idea of having four different cakes with something to suit every taste.

Unfortunately Chris and I had to leave before it was cake time as I had to go to work, but I will just sit here and salivate over the picture!

Valentino Master of Couture at Somerset House

I headed to Somerset House with Mummy Bonn today for a peek at the Valentino Exhibition.

Unfortunately I wasn't allowed to take any photos so I can't show you how utterly amazing it was, but I will try and put it into words....



The main part of the exhibition was set up like a catwalk, with some of Valentino's most breathtaking couture set up on either side. The dresses and and suits were works of art with some of the most intricate and beautiful stitch work that I have ever seen. The outfits spanned from the 1950's all the way to 2012, showing what a long and illustrious career Valentino has had.

There were so many dresses that my Mum and I fell in love with. We adored the Julia Roberts Oscar dress and a delicate pink one made up of  thousands of tiny flowers (this must have taken a seamstress months and months to do). I also fell totally in love with a black and white dress with a massive stripy bow on the back.

Once we had spent a considerable amount of time oohing and aahing over the exhibition we headed outside where we were met with the perfect Christmas scene

Sorry about the quality of the picture, it was an IPhone job, but how perfectly Christmassy is this ice-skating scene?

Having spent a while watching the fun on the ice, we headed to The Christmas Arcade which is a new luxury pop-up shopping mall which has transformed the West Wing of Somerset House and overlooks the ice rink.

The Christmas Arcade celebrates the best of British design selling winter accessories, jewellery, artisan furniture, gift sets and decorations from exclusively British boutique brands, and featuring over fifty designers and makers, including Handmade in Britain, Tatty Devine, Electrum Gallery and Monster Supplies.

Here are a few of our highlights of the Arcade:

My Mum and I have both put these beautiful candles on our Christmas lists..... I've been a good girl Santa, I promise!!

Mum got very excited about these gorgeous cushions. She's obsessed with pom-poms at the moment.

Trying on Christy's Hats. There were so many to choose from and they were total bargains. I might get my Dad a Sherlock Holmes style one for Christmas!

One of our highlights of the Christmas Arcade were these beautiful robins. My Mum couldn't resist and is going to put hers by the Christmas tree.

They're such friendly little robins.

The perfect family!!

The Christmas Arcade at Somerset House is open until 6th January and is guaranteed to get you feeling wonderful and festive. It is the perfect place to find great quality gifts (and treats for you) that are that little bit more special than the stuff you'll find on the high-street.

Valentino Master of Couture is on until 3rd March and has to be seen to be believed!

Gorgeous clothes in Zara

Chris sat me down a fortnight ago and announced that we need to start saving money. These are the words that I have dreaded (I was expecting them) but I know he's right, namely because my shifts on Heart have decreased and he's started a new business. Here's how things have changed so far:


 - I'm no longer allowed to indulge in my Waitrose habit. We now do a weekly Asda online shop. I can't believe how much money we're saving by doing this. My favourite pesto chicken stew with parmesan dumpling recipe costs around £40 from Waitrose whereby that is pretty much how much a weekly shop from Asda costs. (Including the stew ingredients!)

 - Designer handbags are a thing of the past. Every time I walk past Mulberry on Bond Street I take a deep breath, squint my eyes and trot past without a sideways glance.

 - Virgin has gone. We can no longer rewind and pause our tv. On the up side, Chris can no longer watch Ice-Truckers and Pawn Stars.

 - I'm trying to make a few Christmas Presents. I have learnt that I am definitely not a jam-making kind of gal and my chocolate truffles are quite simply awful.

  Anyway, when a girl wants to save money but look designer, I think that one of the best high street destinations has to be Zara. I took a peek the other day and couldn't believe how expensive and classy everything looked. Here are a few of my Zara highlights.

My friend Chloe has this blazer and she gets SO many great comments about it. I love the shape of the shoulders.

Beauty journalist Alice-Hart Davis wore this to an event the other day and I thought it looked very Chanel!!

Such a cute outfit! Love the slogan on the T-Shirt (Le Fric C'est Chic)

These boots are fab and a total bargain!

I have bought a great dress for a Christmas party that I'm going to tonight. It looks so expensive but it only £39.99!!

Check it out here  xx

My Hair Crush

Introducing my gorgeous friend and colleague Sarah.....

I have had a crush on Sarah's hair for years and decided it was high time that I asked her what her secrets were so that I could share them with you (and then nick them for myself)!

Sarah working it Heart style!!

Look at those luscious locks!!

Me and Sarah outside the Heart studio

Sarah's tips for gorgeous hair:

- My hair is very thin but there's loads of it!

- Wash with Kerastase shampoo (The least sexy one in their range) it's called 'Bain Divalent for oily roots and dry ends'. Not sexy!

- I wash the barnet twice with this and make sure I rinse for 2 minutes I know it seems long but my hair looks dull and flat if I don't.

- Then squeeze out the excess water and put on a little bit of Kerastase Masque Nutri Thermique which is actually a treatment but bizarrely I find it light enough to use every day. You can leave on for 5 - 20 minutes and wrap it in a towel (it responds to heat) but I only every manage to leave it on for a minute each day and I rarely bother with the towel thing as conditioner all over my towels would mean more washing chores.

- As I said I only put it on the 'mid section and ends' then comb through with an Afro comb. It's true I'm not Disco Stu but a hairdresser from many moon's ago gave me this little gem and it's the best thing EVER! The condition improved ten fold as my hair used to snap off on the top and made me look like Pat Sharp in the 90's and that's all stopped since using it. It's much bigger than a big comb so won't tug or snap at your hair. If I don't comb the conditioner through, my hair looks useless and tangles when I blow-dry it.

- Rinse the comb in the shower then comb through the top trying to not to get too much conditioner on the top as it will weigh it down. Just a little bit delivered via the miracle comb.

- Once it's been on for 30" to 1 min then do the two minute rinse ting.

- Then I wrap it in a towel, put some slap on my face, then I comb it through with a brush (I know you're not meant to this but it works for me) Then I wrap it in a different dry towel (gets more moisture out) then put some more slap on.

- Once I'm ready I'll put on 'tigi catwalk your highness root boost spray' (another embarrassingly named product). I spray it into my hand first then rub it in the roots. If I spray it directly then I get too much on my hair.

- Comb through. 

- Then I get Kerastase  Elixir Utime oil and put a little bit through the mid lengths and ends, comb through. It's amazing this stuff and lasts forever.

- Then rough dry the ends and blow-dry using a mid size round bristly brush.

-Once dry I put dry shampoo on straight away! Odd I know but it makes it bigger. Little bit of back combing  (with a brush) underneath, L'oreal Elnett Hair Spray and I'm off!

It's a bit of a palava but been doing it for so many years it's like brushing my teeth now.

I get it cut every two months by the lovely Adam at Sergio Giannasso on St Martins Lane in Covent Garden.

He is a jedi of hairdressing and can do your hair in like 10 minutes!

Flowers By Kirsty

One of my best friends Kirsty recently left a long and illustrious career in radio to indulge in another passion of hers and boy is she good at it.

Kirsty trained as a florist when she was younger and has started the most beautiful company called Flowers By Kirsty.

What I think makes Kirsty stand out from so many florists is her eye for colour and creative flair. She just has this knack of putting together the most extraordinary combinations of flowers and making them work.

I recently accompanied Kirsty to the New Covent Garden Flower Market in Vauxhall. She helped me choose flowers for my Mum's birthday and then made them into the most gorgeous bouquet.

If I was a slightly better behaved blogger I would have taken numerous pictures of the flower market  and bouquet making process with a high quality camera, but being naughty I got over-excited and only remembered to take a few snaps.

Christmas goodies at the flower market

So many beautiful flowers and such vibrant colours

Kirsty working her magic

The finished product

gorgeous!!

A very happy Birthday Mummy!!

Kirsty does weddings, baby showers, all types of events and her most recent project is a bright pink Christmas display for Tana Ramsay's beauty salon. 

Check out more of here work HERE and on her FACEBOOK PAGE

Proskins GOLD Anti-Oxidant Effect Leggings

Christmas is well and truly on the way and I'm feeling very excited.

Last night was spent sipping on mulled wine, eating baked apples with cinnamon, sugar and butter (yum)  and putting up our Christmas tree. What do you think?

Whilst galavanting around the house like an overexcited Christmas elf, I kept stopping to roll my leggings up and feel how super-soft my legs were even after a mere two hours of wearing them.

The leggings that I've been wearing (pretty much solidly since I got them yesterday) are Proskins Gold and they are pretty miraculous. 

At first glance, they are a pair of nice-fitting, shiny leggings that go with pretty much anything, but when you start to analyse the science behind them you realise that there is a lot more to them.

The threads of the leggings contain a combination of 24 Carat gold particles and hyaluronic acid. If I understand correctly, the gold particles help to carry the acid to the lower dermis of the skin. As humans we produce our own fair share of hyaluronic acid which is highly anti-ageing, but as we get older, the amount we produce diminishes, leading to a lack of collagen in the skin. The fact that the leggings deliver the acid at a deep level, means that the effect is two-fold. Not only are you getting added hyaluronic acid, but it helps the body itself to make more of its own.

There have been numerous studies that conclude that these leggings really do have an anti-ageing effect on the skin. In the video below, you'll see a woman who has been wearing a Proskins Gold glove on one hand and nothing on the other. The gloved hand is wrinkle free and when pinched, the skin bounces straight back which is far from the case on the other hand.

Additional effects of the leggings include:

Sports Compression Technology: The controlled compression helps to rid the body of toxins and cellulite. The leggings are also great for protecting you from DVT on a flight.

Silver Anti-Bacterial: This keeps the fabric clean for extended wear

Unique Yarn Technology: The anti-ageing effect of the leggings is guaranteed to last for more than 100 washes and there is proof that it lasts for the lifetime of the leggings.

Moisture Management: Keeps the body cool, dry and comfortable. Great for exercise and beauty journalist Alice Hart-Davis swears by using them for hot yoga as they keep her cool and sweat free.

These leggings are a joy to wear and the fact that they keep your body moisturised is a massive bonus (no more applying lashings of expensive body lotions each morning). The anti-ageing effects mean that your legs will look fantastic and the fact that they also help get rid of cellulite makes them every girl's best friend!!

Proskins Gold leggings will be available in the New Year and retail for £145.