Festive Tipples: What To Drink At Christmas Part Two

December 23, 2016April 26, 2017Leave a comment

If you’re a hopelessly retro traditionalist like me, Christmas just wouldn’t be Christmas without a Snowball or two (or three). I don’t get why people don’t drink this more – it’s light, sherbety, and frothy, and you get to serve it with a maraschino cherry! You can buy packs of ready made Snowballs, or you can mix your own. Take one part Advocaat, three parts lemonade, and add to a glass. Mix in a tiny drop of the maraschino cherry syrup (this is my secret trick), a dash of lime cordial, and top with a toothpick adorned with cherries. Now drink it and make another one right away. Isn’t Christmas telly GREAT?!

Now, I’m sure I’m teaching grandma to suck eggs here, but I only really recently learned the perfect way to make G&T – well, the way I like it, anyway… remember clever Charlie and his recipe for homemade Pimm’s? He makes an excellent gin and tonic.

His secret is to add a third to a quarter of gin to Indian tonic water, then a big squeeze of lemon, plus a nice slice of lime. And ice – that’s important too. To be honest, I’d always missed the importance of these latter three ingredients, but they really do lift the whole thing and make it something special. (And good gin helps – Tanqueray is my favourite, followed by Bombay Sapphire, and Fever Tree tonic is a must!)

Perhaps not traditional at Christmas, but still one of my favourite drinks – Campari! It has a pretty festive colour, don’t you think? Campari is a bitter orange liqueur and the easiest way to drink it is with lemonade, soda water or tonic water.

If you’re hankering after something a bit stronger, try my new favourite cocktail – the Negroni! It packs a heck of punch! Luckily the recipe is simple, so even after you’ve had a couple you should still be able to whip up some more… You just mix equal parts gin, Campari and red vermouth, and serve over ice. Hic!

Finally, there’s a couple of really good sweet dessert wines that are perfect for this time of year – ice wine and Sauternes!

Both are super sweet, thick and syrupy wines perfect for pairing with mince pies, Christmas cake or Christmas pudding. (And Sauternes is delicious served with chicken liver parfait too!)

My favourite Sauternes comes from Fortnum and Mason (and was delivered in my Christmas hamper this year!) but ice wine can be a little trickier to track down. It’s made from grapes which have frozen on the vine, creating a super sweet taste, and is mostly produced in Canada and Germany. Funnily enough, the only place I’ve found it for sale is Lidl – but at £18.99 a bottle, this isn’t a bargain basement deal (and as I said, is absolutely delicious!).

What are your favourite Christmas tipples? Let me know in the comments!

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My Beauty Obsession: Why Charlotte Tilbury Is The Reigning Queen of Makeup

December 22, 2016February 9, 20184 Comments

Darlings, if you haven’t fallen under the magic spell of beauty goddess Charlotte Tilbury, then I don’t know where you’ve been these past couple of years. From cult beauty brand to mega makeup maven, with a beautiful boutique in Covent Garden, Charlotte Tilbury has waved her magic fairy wand over me and thousands of other fans, bringing her special blend of glamour to our beauty bags.

Charlotte’s positive mantra of self-love and confidence, and her ‘beautiful before, beautiful after’ tutorials give her brand a real old-school feminist vibe. Think Hollywood glamour, seductive boudoirs, and Marilyn Monroe singing Diamonds Are A Girl’s Best Friend in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. Charlotte calls on the star power of both old Hollywood (with her lipsticks like So Marilyn and Hepburn Honey: still my favourite colour), and new (with Kidman’s Kiss, Secret Salma, and the rest of her Hot Lips collection. This is a celebration of pure feminine power – I bet you didn’t think you could buy that in a tube, did you?

One of the things I love about Charlotte Tilbury is her ten makeup looks – ten core makeup wardrobes that create stunning looks in a variety of themes and moods, collected together so you can just buy the lot and know they all go together.There are five daytime looks, and five heavier evening looks.

The first look I bought was The Uptown Girl, a palette of shimmery greys and pearly pinks for the eyes, and the pink neutral lipstick Bitch Perfect, wearable everyday. Each look is demonstrated in a YouTube tutorial hosted on the site, and many of Charlotte’s lipsticks and eyeshadows are demo’d on a variety of skintones, so you can see how it’ll look on you. There are even suggestions for how to kick it up a notch for evening time (and for Uptown Girl, try switching Bitch Perfect for the bolder Amazing Grace.)

Since then, I’ve purchased palettes for The Sophisticate, The Rock Chick, The Rebel and The Dolce Vita – a combination of gold, brown and deep, browny red, my ABSOLUTE favourite look, and one which I’ll wear any time, any opportunity I get. My most recent purchase was The Vintage Vamp, which is a glorious combination of pinks and reds. There’s just something addictive and simple about collecting makeup looks, and I think Charlotte completely nailed her themes and created a range of styles which will suit almost any lifestyle.

As far as lipsticks are concerned, although Hepburn Honey is my everyday go-to, I’ve actually purchased a ridiculous number of other colours – amongst which my favourites are Stoned Rose, Bond Girl, Secret Salma (actually a press sample!) and The Queen. The latter was a limited edition which was sold out, but given the popularity of The Crown on Netflix, they relaunched the shade! (Pictured above, from top centre going clockwise are Coachella Coral, Bitch Perfect, Nude Kate, Amazing Grace, The Queen, Secret Salma, Hepburn Honey, Stoned Rose and Bond Girl.)

If you’re a makeup novice, or you want to dip your toe into Charlotte’s world, or you want an everyday makeup look that’s easy to apply with great results every time (and easy to take on your travels), then Instant Look in a Palette: Natural Beauty is my number one recommendation. It’s currently available here as a limited edition. Inside the palette are three eyeshadows, two blushes, a highligher and a bronzer. You use all of these to create one, gorgeously understated and flattering look, which you can punch up and add to if you want to go bolder. It’s a massive favourite of mine, and works on so many complexions it’s unbelievable!

There’s even a new Instant Look In A Palette – Seductive Beauty, a limited edition version for £49 which has all the ingredients for a smokey eye and gorgeous cheeks! Yikes… that’s on my wish-list already!

This is my latest love – which arrived today along with Vintage Vamp! This gorgeous deep red clutch is actually storage for four mini makeup brushes! I just couldn’t resist – I wish CT would release a larger version that actually was a clutch you could fit a lipstick and a phone in, but for now this will certainly do!

Have you fallen under the spell of Charlotte Tilbury yet? Let me know what your favourite looks are in the comments below!

And even better, there are currently a few deals going on for special offers! If you spend £100 or more you’ll receive two red envelopes and an exclusive beauty surprise (enter LUNARNEWYEAR at checkout). If you spend over £75 you’ll receive two mini lipsticks in Kim K W and Secret Salma! And… if you use my link here for orders over £75, you’ll get £15 off and so will I!

Red is the colour: the ultimate Christmas bag from Ilex London

December 19, 2016January 3, 2017Leave a comment

If you’re still on the lookout for the perfect Christmas bag, can I please introduce you to this beauty, c/o Ilex London?

I love red accessories at the best of times, but there’s no denying that red is the unofficial colour of Christmas. It goes so well with metallics, especially gold, and it pairs beautifully with navy and white – just ask Father Christmas!

Now, while a smart little clutch might seem like the ultimate Christmas bag for parties and cocktail dos, I’m here for your wake-up call. You don’t need a red clutch, you need a red tote! Stuff it full of Christmas cards, hide your partner’s pressie inside when you’re shopping, cram your scarf in there for good measure. Take it to the works party and line it with tupperware to nick sausage rolls and quiche to eat later.

Take it to a carol service and throw the order of service in afterwards. Buy a pack of mince pies and mulled wine and retrieve them on a visit to a friend, and look like the most casually perfect and festive guest in history. Pair it with sequins and tartan and red suede high heels or black novelty slipper shoes.

Wear it with a black velvet dress, or a white shirt and jeans, or a navy skirt and cable knit jumper. Carry it to work, to school, to appointments, to parties, to friends and family – take it on Christmas day and Boxing day and NYE! Put your clutch INSIDE it and then you’ll never be without space for all the things we actually need at parties – your phone, spare lippy, extra tights, a mirror, your keys…

Have I convinced you yet? Nab your Harriet here for £205 (but if you sign up to the newsletter, you’ll get 10% off!) Also, check out the Ilex sale here, where there are a few bags in the same lovely colour red available!

Festive Tipples: What To Drink At Christmas Part One

December 16, 2016April 26, 2017Leave a comment

Welcome to part one of my festive drinks posts – I’m covering wine in this one, and I’ll be talking about spirits and cocktails in my follow up!

The question of what to drink with the dish of the day isn’t surely at the top of the list when it comes to party planning on Christmas Day – which is why it’s handy to have a couple of no-brainer options under your belt. Whether you’re the host or a guest, picking up a bottle of red and white to go with the meal is a sure fire recipe for success!

To pair with turkey and roast ham, pick up this Giesen Sauvignon Blanc for £8 from Majestic and Sainsbury’s – a pretty damn good price for a sweet, versatile white with gooseberry notes! This is the perfect bottle to pick up if you’re only bringing one with you – because turkey or chicken is sure to be on the menu. I also reckon it would be a great gift as well, especially if you pair it with a handwritten note with serving suggestions on it!

If you’re having darker roasts like duck or game (and we’re having duck and partridge this year!) you should check out Château Labadie, 2009 The Wien Society, £10.50. With its medium body, it’s a great partner for roasted meats of all kinds, making it a great way to spread a little Christmas cheer at the table. Rich and decadent, with a velvet mouthfeel, this went down a treat when we taste-tested it at my parents’ house for Sunday lunch!

But you know, mulled wine makes Christmas – yet I rarely drink it on the day. Instead, it’s served before carols or after a long snowy walk, to redden your cheeks and steam up your glasses. Huddled over a cup of mulled wine, inhaling the wisps of cinnamon and orange, snuggled in the candlelight with a cosy blanket over your knee – this is what Christmas dreams are made of! I absolutely love these super little sachets c/o Hotel Chocolat – bundles of festive joy you can chuck into the pot like a big witches brew, to steam and seethe while your guests arrive! Who needs scented candles when you’ve got these babies to hand?!

What tipples will you be serving with the big meal this year?

Samples of the products mentioned were provided as PR samples, all text and photos are my own.

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Hello Fresh: Meal Box Review (or: Don’t Worry About Dinner…)

December 15, 2016December 14, 2016Leave a comment

I’ve been a massive fan of meal boxes for a couple of years now, but even though the concept has been around for a while, companies like Hello Fresh manage to keep their offerings new and exciting. When HF contacted me about their upcoming Christmas range, I asked to test drive one of their boxes to review on the blog – and here’s what I thought!

The first meal was garlicky prawns with proper mini roast potatoes and walnut parsley pesto. Having spent years pretending I liked pesto only to be continually baffled when I just wasn’t that into it, I was a bit worried about how well it would go with prawns and roast potatoes. However, the combination of walnuts and parsley made this a far more subtle blend of flavours than the ‘punch you in the face until you give up’ blend of basil and pinenuts – and it went so well with both the prawns and the potatoes that I’m going to make this again! The pan roasted potatoes turned out beautifully (although I have to say I’ve always been really good at roast potatoes, because…they’re not hard to do!), and the tomatoes and prawns were succulent and moreish.

The second meal, spiced beef ragout with couscous and flaked almonds was spicy and gorgeous – as usual, it’s the small touches that elevate the final dish and turn it into something special. Adding in the toasted almond flakes gave it an extra dimension as far as texture is concerned, and the big juicy chunks of courgette were a lovely addition. The actual ragout was made with peppers and ras-el-hanout, along with beef and tomatoes, and it reminded me of the couscous restaurants we ate at in Marseilles. As with most box meals, these were combinations I hadn’t thought of to try before, which I love, because new flavours are one of my favourite things!

The final meal was my absolute favourite – as they say, save the best until last! This was pistachio and prune stuffed pork loin with mashed parsnips and mange tout, with a homemade chicken pan gravy drizzled over the top. The stuffing was a perfect blend of sweet and savoury, with a texture from the nuts and the added meaty background of sausagemeat, which was also added. I also really enjoyed making the gravy too – I’ve never made such a simple and easy gravy, so now I know what to do next time I’m hankering after a quick sauce!

All in all, I’ve been a repeat customer of meal boxes for a couple of years now for several main reasons: it saves waste, it gives you new ideas for techniques and flavour combinations, it saves time both in shopping and cooking time, and it tastes completely amazing. You don’t end up with half a packet of this or a third of a tin of that knocking around, and you don’t end up just bunging everything in and making giant portions. The one thing I would say is that the calorie counts don’t always seem to be right, and you do seem to end up using a lot of oil (but, of course, you can decide to use less!), but other than that, box meals like Hello Fresh are a smart way to save yourself hassle and guarantee a selection of fresh and tasty meals!

Hello Fresh’s current crop of recipes are designed to help you take on Christmas by introducing techniques essential to getting your lunch just right, which I thought was a great touch! As an experienced cook, I already knew the best way to make perfect roast spuds, but the recipe for the prune and pistachio stuffing was sooo good I’m going to have to bust it out on Christmas too! Find out more here!

Hello Fresh provided a box for this review – opinions and photos are my own.

Rye and Reason: Jackson + Rye Takes on the City!

December 12, 20162 Comments

In a brand new, cavernous space a short walk from Bank station in the heart of the City lies the latest branch of Jackson + Rye, a restaurant chain dedicated to bringing an authentic slice of classic East Coast Americana to London. You wouldn’t know it was brand new except for the slightly lingering smell of paint – the dim lighting, dark leather banquettes, distressed wood and cages of whisky make it look like it’s been here forever. I was invited along to the press night to sample the menu, and never one to turn down an offer of some good grub, I duly arrived on a gloomy rain drizzled night, stepping from the cold air into the dark, cosy warmth of the restaurant.

General manager Harry and his staff were helpful and extremely proud of their new space – hardly surprising when it’s so striking! The menu is a mix of classic all-American fare – some introduced to the UK long ago by chains such as TGI Fridays (hello buffalo wings), but there were a good number of recently trendy offerings like truffled mac and cheese, or more imaginative and original dishes like beetroot and curd, or crunchy Chorizo prawns.

It was tough to decide between the Blue swimmer crab cakes, the endive and pear salad or the New England chowder, but I eventually plumped for the latter. Main courses were a mix of burgers, steaks and BBQ and traditional entrees like buttermilk fried chicken, griddled steaks and eggs, some fish dishes and a couple of pasta choices – again, a difficult decision. I decided to give the Short Rib a go – I’m a sucker for a well-cooked beef rib, and always curious to see how well the BBQ sauce goes down.

Before all that, though, was a dish of spiced caramelised nuts – a mix of cashews, pecans and peanuts – and an Illegal Negroni (Mezcal, Antica Formula and Campari). The drinks here are strong and pack a punch – and the nuts were a perfect complement, although I always hanker after a blend of sweet and salty… these were very slightly spicy but definitely not savoury.

The starter of New England Chowder is served with scallop, clams, sweetcorn, leeks and potatoes in a smoked haddock cream sauce – a real rib-sticking winter dish. It’s served with a flourish as the rich stock is poured over the potatoes and seafood at the table. There’s the perfect amount of chowder for a starter – the salty rich soup balanced perfectly with the waxy potato and fresh clams – and it’s all topped with a plump, butter seared scallop, and studded with juicy, fresh pieces of corn.

The short rib is an 18-hour smoked beef short ribs with BBQ sauce and green slaw. The BBQ meats are prepared with spices and left to marinate before being smoked with British oak chips. Neither rib dish comes with fries (you can order them from the extras menu), instead being served with a fresh green slaw. The short rib is a thick, meaty slab with a fantastic aroma of smoke that’s apparent even before you dig in.

The meat has a beautiful, rich and smooth texture and is easily pulled from the bone. The result of the smoking is a springy, almost teeth squeaking texture and a bold and distinctive flavour. The green slaw is a genius addition and nothing like the herby coleslaw you might be imagining – instead it’s a crisp mix of hearty greens and cabbage and red onions and sliced gherkins in a sauce of yogurt and mayonnaise; a perfect foil for the rich umami ribs.

I also had to try the triple cooked fries – to be honest, these were overkill (and if you want to ditch the slaw and replace it with the fries you can), but I never like to pass up a triple cooked potato! These did not disappoint – well seasoned throughout with a crispy Shell and fluffy middle. Both my starter and my main course were so delicious I’m still thinking about them both days afterwards!

For pudding I went with my waitresses’ recommendation of pecan pie with the Ritterhouse Bottled in Bond 100 Rye. Jackson + Rye’s list of whiskies, bourbons and ryes is a sight to behold, intelligently constructed and a great read to boot. The liqueurs are ordered according to flavour profile and the Ritterhouse I had was from the section called Pancake Parlour – promising a rich, viscous drink with notes of maple and banana, a great pairing with the pecan pie.

The dessert was homemade – a reassuringly familiar jellied like textured base topped with crunchy, caramelised pecans on a crispy pastry base. It came with a rich caramel ice cream and a bourbon and maple syrup sauce. Divine! I have to say, it tasted exactly like it does when I make it at home, which makes me wonder if my love of it is just a massive humblebrag…

If you fancy a decent helping of Americana, served with sophistication rather than a hefty squirt of cheese from a can, I heartily recommend Jackson + Rye. The broad yet classic menu is full of modern twists, the cocktail list is fantastic, and their liquor can’t be beaten. Every course I had met my expectations, and I don’t think you can beat their chowder or their short ribs! There are multiple locations across London, and you can find them and view the menu here: www.jacksonrye.com.

View images taken during my review by clicking below. My meal was complimentary but my photos, views and opinions are my own.

Finally Organised! My Love for Stackers

November 30, 2016November 30, 20164 Comments

This might be a familiar problem for some of you: storage. More to the point, intelligent, expandable storage. Until recently, I didn’t think such a thing existed for jewellery. My collection was relegated to fancy boxes and knick-knack trays and spread all over the house. If I wanted a pair of earrings, it was potluck as to whether I’d find them. I actually lost a necklace and a pair of earrings I loved for two years and only just found them, tucked away neatly inside a washbag in a drawer I haven’t been in for a loooong time.

I’ve only started collecting jewellery properly in the last few years. Before then a pair of novelty studs was about as far as I’d go to jazz up an outfit – these days I have some beloved pieces I always wear, and loads of lovely little baubles I wear in rotation. Items like these classic Ulu earrings from Shelley Silversmith are practically irreplaceable as far as I’m concerned – most of my pieces have a story or a meaning to me beyond just going with an outfit, or something that caught my eye in a shop. If you’re spending a lot of money on jewellery, it’s usually an item you obsess over for days, and research thoroughly before buying. So where to store your precious items?

Enter Stackers! I couldn’t believe it took me so long to find this perfect solution for jewellery storage, but since I’ve found it I’ve become obsessed – and it’s really lovely to see my entire collection in one place, too. Just as with your wardrobe, there are classic must-haves with jewellery (pearl bracelet, diamond studs, etc), and trends or styles you may not even have realised you followed until you really step back and take a look at what you keep on buying. Having everything in one place not only helps you organise yourself and stops you losing things, and but it also makes it easier to curate your collection as well.

The great thing about Stackers is that you can house as small or as large a collection as you like, and you can add to it as your collection grows. Because I’m such a hoarder, I knew I had to go for the Supersize (the range is also available in mini and classic), and as everything in my bedroom is white or green, I selected the white with stone interior. Just like a jewellery shop window, my collection is now on display – and doesn’t it look gorgeous?! The range is also available in mink, vanilla, purple, soft pink, black, cream, red, duck egg, and dove grey with either mint, coral and antique rose.

As I get new items, I love to rearrange everything, and since I first purchased my Stackers, I’ve already added to it a couple of times as I’ve unearthed old treasures and bought new ones. In my stack I’ve got the lidded supersize stacker, £39.95 (which also comes in rose gold… ahhh, £41.95!), with a 41 section stacker and an 11 section stacker (both £29.95), which is much deeper – and holds a hidden secret…

Inside, you can hide the perfect travel companion – a cute little matching travel box, which you can store ready to use whenever you need it.I asked Stackers if they’d be kind enough to send me the travel box and the 11 section stacker so I could show you how they work – and they were so lovely that they did! Before, when I travelled, I’d tuck my jewellery into makeup bags or zipped sections of my handbag – with earrings getting tangled and strands of necklaces getting all tied up. Then, when I arrived at my destination, there was nowhere to put my things, or a way of checking everything at a glance. Now I have my own travelling jewellery wardrobe, and I love it! I’ve already used it twice – once on my flight to Japan to keep all my pieces safe while I slept (blissfully!), and once on a weekend away with my friends to the country.

I love the fact that while I’m not using it, I can keep it stowed away neatly, and still usefully storing things. The travel case has four small compartments and one large one, with a helpful dividing wall to keep everything separate. The travel box is priced £12.95 in a variety of colours – I won’t be parted with mine!

Check out the Stackers range here, and the supersize collection here.You can see the range of travel boxes here.If you’re finding it all a bit overwhelming, they’ve even made a handy tutorial complete with video here.

You can even purchase home accessories like storage for eyewear, or jewellery wraps, or a handy pocket for the side of your bed, here. I’m currently campaigning for Stackers to release a makeup storage solution – because it’s half as good as their jewellery one, it’ll revolutionise my collection!

Do you have a Stackers collection? Tell me about it in the comments!

While I’m not

Got Your Advent Calendar Yet? My Favourite Picks For 2016!

November 29, 2016November 30, 20161 Comment

If you haven’t picked up your advent calendar yet – don’t worry, there’s still time! While some of the more popular calendars are sold out, there are still some fantastic options out there. Here are my favourites, still available to purchase!

Yankee Candle Advent Calendar, £21.49

Available from Amazon, this calendar contains 23 tea lights plus one votive for Christmas Eve. Even though there are 24 different slots, there are actually only seven fragrances, which are new for this year. The calendar is double sided, so you can get tealights from both sides of the calendar!

Inside are All is Bright, Festive Cocktail, Christmas Cookie, Macaron Treats, Snowflake Cookie and Star Anise & Orange. You’ll get around six hours of burn time from these, and 15 from the Christmas Eve votive! Check out this list on the Yankee candle page for information about all of the scents.

Check out this link to pick up the advent calendar now! It’s a great way of filling your house with some incredible, festive scents!

Ciate Mini Mani Month, £50

I get a Ciate advent calendar every year – I just can’t resist! This year, the new thing seems to be advent calendars made of boxes, rather than cardboard door, and I love it. It’s so much neater than the windows, and it’s like opening a present every day in December!

Inside is not just plain nail varnishes, but a nail file, toppers and nail treatments as well! I love getting these because it gives you a chance to try colours you might not have tried before – and I also like to have a variety of colours on hand for fancy dress parties as well. Sometimes you can find an unexpected favourite in a colour you wouldn’t have tried before – or you can get the perfect match for an outfit for a party! Face it, it’s basically a treasure trove.

I really love the layout and design on this – and the colour scheme of blue, purple and gold with the London skyscape images. Ciate is such a great brand – you know these formulas are going to be long lasting and easy to apply. Inside this calendar, there’s four new and exclusive shades, plus one full size bottle on Christmas eve.

Cheeky Advent Calendar, £50

As an alternative to the Ciate nail calendar, how about this one from Cowshed featuring 24 different colours from the Cheeky range? If you’ve had the Ciate calendar for a few years in a row, you might want to branch out and try something a bit different, which still focuses on nails.

The colours here look really bright and vibrant, and I can’t wait to try out a new brand for my nails. (I love the teal and hot pink colours!) Check it out here.

Marks and Spencer Beauty Calendar, £35 (with £35 spend)

This is probably the one I’m most excited about – with contents worth over £250, this is probably the best beauty calendar on the market.

The M&S beauty hall has seriously gone from strength to strength over the past few years, and this calendar contains a fantastic selection of products from all across the range, including makeup and skincare.

Just like the Ciate calendar, the items are contained in small boxes which are opened every day to reveal the present – some of which are full size items! To purchase the calendar, you first need to spend £35 in the beauty, home or fashion departments. If you don’t want to spend the £35, then don’t worry – you can buy the calendar for £250… (Yeah… no. I had absolutely no difficulty whatsoever picking up £35 worth of bits and bobs in store – the monogrammed glasses were pretty amazing for a start!)

There are some available online but I saw loads in store too. So, don’t buy one for a rip-off price on eBay before you’ve checked to see if your local store has stock…

Hotel Chocolat Calendar, £12.50 (c/0)

Really though, it wouldn’t be Christmas without an advent calendar filled with chocolate! And if you want the best, you have to go to Hotel Chocolat – my favourite chocolate shop on the high street!

The Hotel Chocolat advent calendars come in a variety of flavours, including dark, white, caramel, and milk. Check them out here. You can even get a couples version for £26 which is such a lovely idea! Hotel Chocolat makes such gorgeously high quality chocolate, and the pieces are just the right size to be dainty yet satisfying.

So, those are some of my favourite advent calendars this year – all tried and tested by yours truly. Have you picked up one for yourself? Let me know what you selected in the comments!

Get Into The Knit: Favourites This Week

November 26, 2016November 25, 2016Leave a comment

Since a new Next store opened up the road from me, I’ve spent many a happy evening browsing the racks to bulk out my wardrobe – and my kitchen! Next have some great on trend knits this year – I especially love these three! And who could resist a cute doggo?!

I am loving all the Boston terrier / pug merchandise around at the moment (pro-tip, upwards ears are usually Boston terriers or French Bulldogs, downwards ears are pugs. I would like a French Bulldog please, Santa!). I *had* to snap up this adorable J. Crew x Net-A-Porter Breton top in the Regent Street store when I saw it!

Check out those sequins!

I’ve found myself in London a lot recently for work, and luckily I’ve had plenty of time to window shop, too. My favourite place is rapidly becoming Regent Street, followed by a detour for Fortnums and a dash up to Bond Street.

Shopping in designer stores is very much a case of look and don’t touch for me – which makes things pretty easy on the wallet. Still, I’m not quite sure how I managed to walk away from an embroidered kitten with a levitating crown…

I’ve also resoled two of my favourite pairs of shoes – my kitty flats from Charlotte Olympia and my rose gold Ferragamo flats. If you take your shoes into most designers they’ll send them off to be repaired for you – I prefer to go through the brands I purchased from to make sure everything goes smoothly, but it can be a huge hassle to get back into London to pick them up again!

Charlotte Olympia is fairly reasonable (£25) and quick – and they will even pop your shoes in a canvas tote bag as well! Plus, you get to look at their gorgeous shoes while you’re there… try to resist if you can! (But how can you?!)

Meanwhile, Ferragamo is far more expensive (£45 for a resole of my admittedly abused flats!) and takes a lot longer, because apparently they ship them all to Italy to have them repaired by one woman… (The sales assistant could have course been a bit off the mark here…)

I’m hoping that the new soles last me a loooong while – but to be honest, I’ve worn these non-stop for months, so it’s worth it. (A note, though – I had my patent flats soled as soon as I purchased them and it was just £25. Maybe cheaper as they hadn’t been worn yet – and rubber soles are much more durable than leather. If you’re going to wear your flats daily I’d always recommend getting them soled right away!)

One of my favourite Christmas traditions is to pick up new decorations every year, especially ones that have a meaning or mark an occasion. My husband and I picked these up from Liberty’s Christmas floor when we visited during my birthday weekend – I love the fact that they accidentally matched even though we bought them separately!

Of course, while you’re in Liberty’s, you’re obliged to look at their gorgeous fabrics – and if you’re me, curse yourself for never really learning how to sew properly! I’d love to whip these up into something amazing, but sadly I have no talent in that department!

Another place I love to visit in London is Abeno Too, just by Leicester Square. It’s a tiny Japanese restaurant with tabletop cooking as a speciality. Okonomiyaki is the main dish, but you can get noodles and pancakes and even seasonal dishes like this gorgeous aubergine starter. If you’ve never tried okonomiyaki you have to go – it’s one of my favourite Japanese dishes and it’s so delicious! It’s a savoury batter heavy with cabbage and topped with a sauce that tastes a little bit like HP (but not exactly – I hate HP Sauce but I love this! It’s quite similar to tonkatsu sauce if you’ve tried that before), plus Japanese mayonnaise and seaweed and bonito flakes. It’s cooked in front of you on the hotplate, and it’s a fun and enjoyable meal out!

And, finally, these are the accessories I’ve been wearing non-stop! My Canadian tartan scarf from eBay, my past season Givenchy SVG 773 sunglasses, my Monica Vinader siren earrings that I got for this birthday just gone, my vintage Japanese pearl necklace my parents got me for my 30th birthday, and my beloved Hermès enamel bracelet. Believe it not, this is rapidly becoming one of my best value items if you break it down to cost per wear – it’s been on my wrist non-stop since I got it!

Grand Hyatt Hotel Tokyo: A Review

November 25, 2016November 25, 2016Leave a comment

Do you ever stop and pinch yourself and wonder how you got so lucky? Stay at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Tokyo, and this will become a familiar feeling indeed. Less famous than the Park Hyatt, which was the location for much of Scarlett Johansson and Bill Murray’s movie Lost in Translation (which I’ve also visited thanks to Sega, who were promoting a new Sonic game and wanted to buy me a drink), the Park Hyatt is just as luxurious, and is in a really amazing central location, just 40 minutes walk from Harajuku or Shibuya, and right in the centre of Roppongi and Omentsando, the Champs-Élysées of Tokyo (or is Champs-Élysées the Omentsando of Paris?).

I honestly couldn’t recommend the Grand Hyatt enough if your budget will stretch that far – I can’t think of a better location for a hotel in Tokyo, that has this level of luxury and customer service. Waking up every morning to a view of Tokyo Tower from my room, in my second favourite city in the world (sorry New York, you’re third, and London is simply tops), was an unbelievable experience, and so I had to write a post about it so I could share even a fraction of the delight with you all!

As I was visiting for business, I didn’t have a great deal of time to spent searching for places to eat – cue lots of room service. I treated myself to a Japanese breakfast on my second day, and just like everything at the Grand Hyatt, it was an exercise in understated luxury from masters of the craft.

The breakfast, like the rest of the room service meals I ate, came delivered on a small wheeled table, where you could dine at your leisure before calling room service to come and take the whole thing away when you were done. As you can see, I had an incredible array of small dishes to select from, from grilled fish and tempura, to pickles, seaweed, tofu, simmered dishes and more. The breakfast also came with miso soup and steamed rice – absolute essentials to someone like me who usually lives on onigiri, pickles and miso soup in salaryman hotels when staying in Japan.

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For those of you with an insatiable curiosity about the nitty gritty of the hotel room, I filmed this guided tour of every single drawer and cupboard the room had to offer. Every detail was meticulously thought out, from the cotton yukata and lint roller, to the divine toiletries from June Jacobs, and the addictively comfortable memory foam pillows. I have to say, though, if I could have popped anything from my stay in my bag to spirit it home for future use, it would have been the charmingly retro alarm clocks (of which there were two in my room!)

Back to the room service, though – of which, don’t forget, I was a veteran by the time I left… There is a reassuring mix of European/western style dishes, and traditional Japanese ones, but no matter what I selected, the meals exceeded my expectations. I ordered foie gras and crème brulee, both of which were silky smooth and luxurious – and I also ordered a salmon teriyaki set for dinner, which was tasty and authentic (and would you expect anything less?!).

Of course, just like the room rate, with the Grand Hyatt, everything is priced according to the standard at which you would hold the product – and this standard is set incredibly high. The price of the breakfast was on average £28, whilst the crème brûlée worked out at around £12 – the sort of price you would expect from a high-end restaurant in London.

And when you’re eating your meals in such incredible surroundings… how can you have much to complain about?!

Of course, the Grand Hyatt also has a wealth of exceptional restaurants to try as well. I only got to try one, which was Roku Roku – the sushi place. Just you would expect from the exclusive price and location, the food was mouth wateringly exquisite, and well worth the price. Roku Roku was a revelation – a tranquil and authentic place to try exceptional sushi, prepared with love and the highest of skill by the team of chefs who worked in the dining room – providing an enchanting spectacle!

I have to give a huge shout-out to the concierge service at the hotel, too. Before I arrived, I put them to good work tracking down some hard to find items that I just had to get hold of as souvenirs for friends and family. Without exception, the concierge service was professional, discrete, friendly and incredibly helpful, finding the items and providing me not only with the shops to purchase them, but printed out maps to help me find them too! And, my request for a western style teapot and teacup were fulfilled, and waiting for me upon my early arrival to the hotel. (Yes, the hotel rooms have a hot water kettle, plus cups, teabags, milk, sugar and a fully stocked mini-bar – plus a convenience store across the street which carried both full-fat and semi-skimmed milk, for all your English-tea drinking needs… Or is it just me who worries about these things…?)

I’m dying to go back to the Grand Hyatt – or stay in another of the chain to see how it compares! Let me know what your favourite hotel is, and which city you’d like to stay in the most the next time you go on holiday!