Wishing away

Well it's that time of year again.  Selfridges have launched their Christmas windows along with half of the High St and the pumpkin spiced lattes are sat at my desk far too often.  If you need some ideas on what you buy for your fashionable friends or want ideas for your own presents then this may just help.  If Father Christmas could bring me anything here's what I'd love...

Jo Malone English pear & freesia cologne £42

My scent.  I adore everything by Jo Malone and the brand makes perfect presents.  If you stock up early they have beautiful Christmas packaging to make your gift extra special.  The dregs of my bottle are being used sparingly whilst hoping that someone splashes out for Christmas.

Calvin Klein logo tee in L £45

A classic!  And if you haven't already stocked up then the CK label should be on your fashion wish list.  I love the classic tees to pair with a dressy blazer.

Amber Sceats Chloe ring AUD $119 (around £55)

This Australian brand is one of my favourites and I could fill my whole wish list from their site.  If you sign up to their emails at the moment they will give you a ten dollar gift card.  They will ship your treats to the UK no problem.  Order early as the delivery takes longer being from Australia.

Lip Balm in Jupon Mulbery by & other stories £7

These new moisturising tinted lip balms are perfect for that post Christmas blues when the weather turns cold.  This Jupon Mulbery is the prettiest shade of plum.  They are good secret santa gifts too.

Pearl bead bangle by & other stories £29

A perfect mix of ladylike pearl and minimally chunky.  All this bracelet needs is a chunky oversized jumper.

Louboutin nail colour £36

No explanation needed.  Look at how beautiful this is!  The nude collection has a mix of beautiful everyday shades that you will never want to take off.

Topshop velvet boyfriend jacket £68

This oversized velvet blazer is so Parisian it hurts. Throw over a white tee with black jeans forever and ever.

Coach FOUND objects charm necklace £195

Coach is the brand of the moment and there is not one item I'm not coveting right now.  This silver found items necklace is bring back the charm thing in a BIG way.  In love!

Bomb!

Autumn is the time of year when my skin just freaks out.  All summer it's been glowing and blemish free (with the exception on the odd dull hangover treatment) and now 'boom', My skin literally hates me!  It hates the cold, it hates the heating and it hates the harsh wind.  My slap-it-on summer skincare regime just isn't going to cut it.  

A few weeks ago Time Bomb Skincare sent me over a few of their favourite products.  The brands main focus is to 'stop time on ageing' for women of all ages.  With their products protecting against loss of moisture, oil and collagen I decided to give them a go.  

I test out a LOT of skincare products and most are pretty nice.  Some products I really like and occasionally I try some that I adore.  The following products from Time Bomb I definately adore.  I was instantly impressed by how great my skin felt and within a week it was almost completely back on track.  I tried out the Take off time cleanser, the Complexion cocktail with a shot of Chlorophyll and the Powerball intensive moisturiser.  

Now regular readers will probably know my skin as well as I do however for those of you who don't here's a quick update to ensure the products that I recommend are right for you too.  I'd tick the 'Normal to Dry' box.  I suffer from slight dryness in the winter and get the odd blemish and a bit of redness.  I don't have any oily areas however my skin doesn't seem to like serums and these can create more blemishes.

My favourite of the three products is the Take off time cleansing cream.  This cleanser is soft and moisturising yet contains professional dermatological grade crystals that gently lift away that clinging top layer of skin.  It feels like a very light scrub.  I use it all over even to remove eye make-up and have has no irritation.  It's brilliant.  Just rub gently into damp skin and then remove with a muslin cloth.  

The second product is really unusual and leaves my skin feeling fresh and hydrated.  I have only been using the Complexion cocktail with a shot of Chlorophyll for a week and am already noticing the results.  This liquid gel like product detoxes, soothes and smoothes skin that looks rough, dry, uneven, broken-out due to stress, pollutants and unhealthy diets.  It's easy to apply as you just pop a bit on your hands and rub in.  The cocktail smells delicious.

Finally the Powerball intensive moisturiser is light yet rich.  It soaks in perfectly and leaves skin soft and fresh.  Even though it is intensive the cream is light enough to use morning and night and doesn't leave skin greasy.  Thank you Time Bomb for sorting my winter skin early.  I think I have found my staples. 

All available at Selfridges and selfridges.com.

Take off time cleansing cream £25

Complexion cocktail with a shot of Chlorophyll £24

Powerball intensive moisturiser £36

I'm a firm believer that you can never have too many delicate lace bras and this beautiful sports inspired beauty confirms that nicely.  Just add your husbands fresh white shirt and a collection of dainty necklaces and you're good to go. 

Bra £25 via & other stories

Backgammon

Dipping into a big seasonal trend is an easy way to update your wardrobe.  However if you're anything like me you will shy away from the larger price tags on these pieces.  Boredom is the main reason I end up avoiding prints and bold styles after too many mistakes in the past resulting in wardrobe tantrums.  

Read any editorial and a 70s print shirt is in its top five seasonal must haves.  A boxy, oversized fit steers it away from the trend and creates a fresher silhouette.  I adore this silky tile print shirt that reminds me of a backgammon board I owned as a child.  I'm not sure I ever considered it a great print at the time and in fact I'm not sure I ever fully understood how to play either.  If you're still undecided about over the knee boots then these suede look low block heel beauts should convince you.  Perfect over jeans or with a shift dress and only £35! They will fly.  

Print shirt via boohoo.com/over the knee boots via boohoo.com

Warm light

Leather vs pleather trousers is a serious debate.  Pleather has itself some pretty good features and benefits. Firstly the cost.  Who hasn't purchased a pair of Zara's skinny pleather leggings for under thirty pounds and wondered 'How do they do this?'  Then there's the fact that the material usually has some stretch which improves the fit.  

But leather.  That butter soft, cow scented black delight.  It may stretch in time and never fit properly again.  It may also cost a small fortune.  But I love it.  My recent favourite is the sporty jogger style with its slightly loose fitting leg and tapered ankle.  For easy morning dressing simply grab trousers, throw on a classic white shirt and add a blazer or knit depending on the weather.  Easy peasy.

Leather trousers by Maje/Shirt by Urban Outfitters/Knit by Zara

Weekend wearing

Weekend clothing should be comfortable, a little laid back but by no means less stylish than your weekday wardrobe. As the days are getting shorter, darker and colder we have to re-think those go-to outfits that have got us by all summer. Stocking up on those essential, classic pieces now means that later in the year you can refresh a look cheaply and easily. A classic shirt looks as good with flares as it does under a dress or with a check mini shirt. A pair of beautiful black boots can be styled with cropped trousers or a midi to show a little leg and create a modern silhouette. Check out my favourite pieces to take you throughout the Winter and beyond. 

I adore the monochrome contrast cuff and collar detail on this Equipment shirt.  Keep colours running throughout your outfit for a slimline look.  Indigo or Navy are nice alternatives to black.

Equipment shirt via Trilogy/Paige bell flares via Trilogy/

Daniel Enthusiasm boots/Accessorize WOW bag

Higher leg ankle boots are having a moment and create a lean, long leg. The simple buckle detail and block heel means these Jones boots are as good for work as they are for a pub lunch.  If paring with paler colours add in a black belt or mini bag to balance out the look.

Alexia Chung for AG Jeans sweat via Trilogy/Topshop pleated skirt/

K&S Lancer boots via Daniel footwear/Zara mini bag

A foodie recommendation

Do you ever go through a phase where you love an item so much that you gift it and recommend it to EVERYONE? For months it gets purchased and wrapped time and time again. Well recently it's a book that I scooped up a few months back whist browsing the beauty department at Libertys. It was a bit of an impulse buy but I have never regretted it. Dale Pinnock, also known as The Medicinal Chef, is a leading nutritionist who focuses on heathy, easy cooking. His book 'Healthy Every Day' has inspired many, many meals in my Kitchen. I realised the only people I hadn't yet convinced to snap up this book was you!


Apart from being beautiful this book if filled with super healthy recipes that are quick to whip up including the Blooming bean burgers and Immuno-falafels. I thought I would share one of his easiest and most delicious with you. The best thing is this healthy supper can be made entirely from a few things in the larder. It's delicious.

Lycopene-boosting tomato and white bean soup

Serves 1

Olive oil
1 large red onion finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic finely chopped
1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
200ml veg stock
1 x 400 tin cannellini beans, drained
1 sprig fresh parsley

Heat a little olive oil in a pan, add onion and garlic and cook on a low heat for 4/5 minutes. Add tomatoes, bring to boil then reduce heat and simmer for 8 minutes.

Add stock and small knob of butter, transfer to blender or use hand blender and process. Season with salt and pepper.

Once smooth, return to pan and add the cannellini beans. Heat through and sprinkle with parsley. Serve hot.

See, super easy. Now dig in.

The Medicinal Chef - Healthy Every Day

The Longest Leg

This week Autumn has definitely hit down and the leaves are turning to a burnt amber.  It's the time of year that I unpack my winter wardrobe and add a few new pieces into the mix.  These Topshop boots may be the perfect over the knee style with their skinny leg, block heel and matt leather finish.  In the depths of winter they are basically like wearing trousers under your dress!

Black Thigh High Boots £110 at Topshop

Un week-end a Paris

With the weather being the perfect mix of bright blue skies and crisp air this really is the ideal time for a trip to the city of love and berets.  Last weekend I popped over for a few days to lap up a little culture and a few too many delicious pastries. It's always tricky to know what to visit on a short trip, even if you have visited somewhere many times before, so I thought I would run through what I got up to for any of you who may be looking for ideas.

 I'm not someone who thrives on overpriced fancy restaurants on a regular occurrence and when away from home would far rather experience a city with the locals. Paris is flooded with beautiful restaurants and it's not tricky to get a good bottle of Pouilly Fume either.

We stayed North in the beautiful boutique hotel B Montmartre in the 18th arrondissement. This is about a twenty minute walk from the River Seine. The hotel is pretty and classic with shutters that let in the morning sunshine and a quiet hidden courtyard to enjoy a good book and a strong coffee.

On the first full day the sun was beaming and the city was buzzing. We started with a walk down to a small corner cafe for a breakfast of pastries and freshly squeezed orange juice. Then after eyeing up plenty of beautifully dressed Parisians and working out how I could work each look we spent the morning strolling along near the river.  This takes a fair amount of time when you insist on browsing every store from Chanel to Sephora, photographing every unique window display and rummaging little book shops to stock up on beautiful editions and botanical prints.

If you haven't visited the Louvre since you were small enough to slide down the sides of the glass pyramid and get away with it then it's a must. Room upon room is filled with objects that as a child bored you mindlessly and today with blow your mind. Hours were lost in the depths of this incredible museum where you will find an entire castle moat, rows of Egyptian sarcophagus some including mummified bodies and a few rooms filled with beautiful mummified cats. Mine had better watch out as they would make rather nice book ends. If that's not enough in the huge gallery sits the Mona Lisa which is breathtaking.

The following days were filled with a visit to the Hermes Pop up exhibition on the River (AMAZING - a digital dream), a trip to Musee D'Orsay (the classics all in one place), an afternoon exploring south of the River (Interior boutiques and Antiques galore), far too many visits to the boulangerie (sweet tooth) and a constant flow of coffee or vino.

If you're planning a visit or are in the city for Fashion Week ensure you take and hour, sit at an undersized table on the side of a busy street, order an oversized glass of wine and just watch the world go by ... Parfait.