Purple Peccadilloes

Lulu's Rescue Mission Mineral Bath

2012-06-20T03:10:00.001-07:00

Lulu’s Time Bomb Rescue Mission Mineral Bath

It is always exciting when a favourite brand releases a new product, so all Lulu fans out there would have been very pleased indeed to hear of the recent addition to the Time Bomb stable –Rescue Mission Mineral Bath.

Created on a base of eight essential oils and five healing herbs, Rescue Mission Mineral Bath is designed to act as an all round pick-me-up. Lavender, Bergamot and Rosemary are employed for their soothing and relaxing properties, while Bitter Orange, Lemon, Lime, Grapefruit and Peppermint oils revive and refresh, leaving the potent mixture of herbs (Arnica, Comfrey, Calendula, Echinacea and St. John’s Wort) to de-stress, strengthen and give a bit of a boost to both body and mind. The combination is intoxicating, producing a sumptuous scent for a luxurious soak. A truly indulgent bathing experience.

Most of the ingredients are of natural origin, so it is slightly disappointing, and not a little surprising, to see that the foaming agent SLS plays a part in the recipe. To someone who likes their skincare as natural as possible it is a slight deterrent. But, if you like your baths bubbly, then it’s a compromise that you will usually have to make.

Relax, recharge and recover is the mission that this mineral bath has chosen to accept and natural ingredient nit-picking aside, it certainly manages to achieve it.

Lulu’s Time Bomb Rescue Mission Mineral Bath (£24.00/500ml) is available at QVC, http://www.lulusplace.co.uk

Love System Intensive Eye Serum

2012-06-20T03:07:00.001-07:00

Love System Intensive Eye Serum

It’s always in the summer months that I most often find myself reaching out for eye care treatments; all that squinting in all that sun leaves the eyes feeling sore and tired and the skin looking dreadful. There is an absolute wealth of synthetic serum’s, creams and gels on the market at present to help soothe and revive and keep your peepers sparkling, but if you prefer your skincare more on the natural side the selection is significantly reduced, so you’ll be pleased to read about Love System.

Love System is a natural, organic skin and body care range built upon holistic principles and Australian Bushflower essences. Designed to influence not only how you look, but also how you feel, the range employs powerful essential oils and top quality organic ingredients to produce natural, effective products that lift your spirits as they work.

The Love System Intensive Eye Serum harnesses the power of remedial Australian Bush plants, such as Old Man Banksia (uplifting), She Oak (female balance), Crowea (calm) and Five Corners (happiness) to repair your mood, while Rose stem cells and antioxidants get to work on your skin. The serum is designed to alleviate dark circles, redness and puffiness, while rehydrating the skin and reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

Being created from entirely natural ingredients, the scent is quite strong, more redolent of roses than bush flowers in my opinion, so it won’t be for everyone, but the results are pleasing. On application, eyes feel instantly refreshed and after a few days use the skin begins to feel firmer and look brighter as elasticity is improved and moisture restored.

Love System Intensive Eye Serum (£21.95/30ml) is available from www.planethealthdirect.co.uk.

©Purple Peccadilloes

Beyond Organic Travel Pack

2012-05-31T07:22:00.005-07:00

Beyond Organic Travel Pack

Regular readers will already be aware of Beyond Organic. Harvesting a wealth of beneficial natural ingredients, the Falmouth-based company has created a comprehensive range of impressively effective skin, hair and body care products free from all the nasty stuff that generally goes into high street beauty goods. Unlike many of their contemporaries however, they underline their natural ethos with a belief that it should take more than an organic label to generate a hefty price tag. This results-driven approach is more than evident in their timely summer release – the Beyond Organic Travel Pack.

Offering five holiday essentials, the Travel Pack is a little beauty saviour. Each item is packed with sumptuous high quality ingredients, from Gold of Pleasure oil, which is practically bursting with anti-ageing essential fatty acids, to Macadamia oil, which is the closest thing to the oil found in human skin currently known about, so is particularly absorbable and contains high levels of rejuvenating, nourishing and hydrating Vitamins E and A. Antibacterial Burdock, healing Comfrey, Rosemary, which is a very well known antioxidant and revitalising Seabuckthorn all play a part, with a plethora of other natural lovelies besides. The outcome is a Detoxifying Cleanser, Rejuvenating Serum, Rescue Salve (which will fast become a ‘handbag hero’, being a veritable cure-all for minor skin irritations from sunburn to insect bites), Moisturising Day Cream and Regenerating Night Cream to answer your every holiday need.

Being created from entirely natural ingredients, some of the scents won’t be for everyone – I must admit that Sea Buckthorn and Rosehip is a little too strident a combination for me – but as with everything in life it’s a matter of compromise. Personally, I’d rather put up with a transitory smell not to my taste than to pollute both my skin and environment with unkind chemicals. And, as the ‘transitory’ hinted at, once absorbed the scents tend not to linger, unlike their synthetic counterparts.

All in all, this is a pleasing and handy addition to the Beyond Organic stable and well worth a look for anyone who likes their skincare a touch on the natural side.

The

Beyond Organic Travel Pack is £37.49 and available from www.beyondorganic.co.uk.

Green People Hydrating Firming Serum

2012-05-31T07:19:00.001-07:00

Green People Hydrating Firming Serum

For fifteen years now, the good folk at Green People have been working to make natural skincare appealing to the masses, creating affordable, yet effective products free from all the unpleasant manmade chemicals so widely used in the beauty industry. From toothpaste to eyeshadow, their ever-expanding range covers pretty much everything you could wish for within the realms of skin-face- and body-care, all created from top quality ingredients and producing the desired effect. This April has seen the launch of their latest product and it is one that may catch the attention of more than just those who are interested in the greener lifestyle.

The Green People Hydrating Firming Serum is described as a ‘gentle facial toning gel for all skin types,’ which doesn’t sound all that impressive, but with the use of organic chamomile, seaweed, South American tara bush and rose geranium they have managed to create a gently moisturising serum, which has been proven to ‘reduce wrinkles by 7% and double the skin's natural collagen production’ with nary a paraben, petrochemical, phthalate, artificial colourant or perfume in sight.

The serum is light and non-greasy, easily smoothing on to the skin, generating a gentle dewy look on the face, neck and décolletage and leaving the skin feeling hydrated and refreshed. With none of the tacky oiliness one often associates with multi-action moisturisers, the Hydrating Firming Serum also works wonderfully as a makeup primer, effectively doing away with the need to purchase an extra product. After just a few days use skin will feel firmer, stronger and more flexible. The cleverest part for me however, is the creation of a product that genuinely caters for all skin types – the serum manages to feed my sensitive dry skin more than adequately, yet my Mum, who has a fairly oily complexion was also able to use it without any greasiness. This is an ingenious little product for an attractively little price. Well done, Green People!

The Green People Hydrating Firming Serum is (£11.50/50ml) and available from www.greenpeople.co.uk.

Steve’s Jubilicious Leaves

2012-05-31T07:17:00.002-07:00

Steve’s Leaves jumps on the royal bandwagon with a celebratory Diamond Jubileaf™.

Psst, I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but there are a few events happening in old Blighty this summer, and everywhere you turn the shops seem to be trying their best to flog you something else that makes you proud to be British. Somewhat disconcertingly though, many of these must-have items are a touch on the unhealthy side, so it’s good to be able to tell you about something fresh and natural, which won’t add inches to your Jubolympic waistline.

Steve’s Leaves have been gracing our supermarket’s salad bars for a while now, offering succulent sides that are grown to provide the optimum quality and flavour for us, while working to conserve and support the natural habitats of British wildlife. To celebrate the Queen’s jubilee, Dr Steve Rothwell has been working hard to create a special edition of his eponymous leaves, featuring Diamond Jubileaf™ Chard. Crisp and tasty and full of vitamin A and folic acid, the new Chard sports striking white veins and adds a satisfying tangy crunch to any salad, making it a fantastic addition to the Pea Shoots and Baby Leaves bag.

Packed with vitamins A, C and K, Chard is considered to be one of the healthiest vegetables we grow and has been widely eaten throughout the centuries and around the world. Harvested when young and tender, Chard leaves make for an ideal salad crop, while the more mature plants are delicious when sautéed with garlic and a teeny tiny bit of butter.

Steve’s Leaves Pea Shoots and Baby Leaves (£1.35/60g) are available from Asda, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Waitrose stores nationwide and online at www.Ocado.com.

Allotinabox

2012-05-09T08:11:00.002-07:00

Allotinabox

Despite spring’s false-start and the tumultuous weather of April, if, like me, you dabble at growing your own fruit and veg, now is the time to start planting if you want to get yourself a decent harvest. If you’re new to the whole GYO scene however, you might appreciate a little helping hand and I know exactly the place to find it.

Starting a veg garden from scratch can be daunting if you don’t know what you’re doing, but it really needn’t be; planting seeds, nurturing seedlings, then ruthlessly butchering their fruits is immensely satisfying and can be done in even the smallest of spaces. If you’re not sure where to start, the lovely people at Allotinabox have put together a series of seasonal kits to help you get underway and enjoy fresh and healthy vegetables and herbs throughout the year.

For £12.99 you can begin your growing foray with the Limited Edition Seasonal GYO Box, which comes complete with a handy little growing guide wheel, plant markers, jute twine for tying up your beans and peas, gorgeously scented Scrubs Up Soap and, of course, a selection of seasonal seeds and instructions. For £10.99 the Super Seed Box is also available, for those who wish to ditch the paraphernalia and stick with the really important parts. If handled correctly, each box should yield up to £50 worth of produce, and no end of pleasure!

The thought behind Allotinabox (which is surprisingly difficult to type, I might just add!) is ‘encouraging anyone anywhere to get growing’ – a premise I wholeheartedly support. Not only can growing your own food save you money and provide immeasurable gratification, but gardening can be great exercise, a fantastic way to get kids outside and away from the TV and computer (once you’ve all stopped reading The Culinary Guide, obviously) and can help our native insects – such as the humble bumble and beautiful butterfly – survive in what is becoming an increasingly hostile world. So, come on, do your bit; get out and get growing.

For more information visit http://www.allotinabox.com

Make Mine A Mojito...

2012-05-03T09:18:00.004-07:00

This review can also be found on www.TheCulinaryGuide.co.uk. Visit the site for in depth food, drink and travel features and news pieces as well as restaurant and hotel reviews and competitions.

Make Mine A Mojito...

I don’t care what the weather is doing; my calendar says that spring is officially here, so it’s time to start thinking about lingering summer evenings sipping long cool cocktails. It is fortuitous then, that Vacu Vin have launched this funky new range of bar side paraphernalia just in time for us all to start shaking our way to cocktail cloud nine.

The Vacu Vin set includes a Shaker (£14.95), Recipe Sticks (£7.95), Muddler & Tools (£12.95) and Party Friend Purple Ice Cube Tray (£5.49), in other words everything you need to make your own fruity and alcoholic concoctions, and all at a very affordable price.

The hefty glass shaker with its pliable lid and inbuilt strainer makes preparation a breeze (a Sea Breeze, if you’re really lucky... Or maybe a Bloody Mary, Amber Mist or Mojito). Measurements in millilitres and fluid ounces are clearly marked to help avoid the need for guesstimates – the enemy of all would be Cocktail Maestros – while the strainer removes the faff of messing around with an external filter, creating fresh, smooth drinks without the lumpy telltale signs of the novice.

I love the lingo that comes with mixing your own cocktails – where else do you get to play with tools with such wonderful names? Shaker, Muddler, Jigger... They are almost onomatopoeic, so perfect are they for their purpose, and ideal for the inebriated mind; ‘can you pass me the... the ... you know... the jigger, darling?’ The Vacu Vin Muddler, Jigger and Special Tongs are designed for use with tall glasses, allowing you to bruise, squeeze and generally abuse your ingredients into submission without too much mess or fuss and can be used alone, or in conjunction with both the shaker and the Recipe Sticks.

A clever little idea, Recipe Sticks, and one that I’ve somehow not used before. Ideal for single servings, each stick holds a sliding rubber cap which clasps the lip of any tall glass and uses notches to mark the measurement of each ingredient. The pack contains guides for six of the most popular dinks and should be enough to fuel any party.

And finally, the ice cube tray. I must admit that this is my inner child’s favourite part of the set. The silicone mould isn’t the easiest thing in the world to handle when full of water, but the ‘Party Friend’ shapes are great and will bring a smile to even the most serious of cocktail drinkers and kids love them... Obviously minus the alcohol. But the best part for me is that it’s multifunctional and can also be used for jellies, chocolates and even baking cakes, so offers hours of potential fun. Silicone is ever such clever stuff!

The Vacu Vin cocktail pieces are widely available from all good cookery retailers and online at www.amazon.co.uk. For more information visit: http://www.vacuvin.nl.

Lovin’ Summer Legs

2012-04-30T06:23:00.003-07:00

This piece can also be found on www.TheDetour.co.uk. Visit the site for fashion, beauty and entertainment features and news pieces as well as spa reviews and competitions

Lovin’ Summer Legs

With summer just around the corner it’s time to turn your mind to getting your lovely legs beach ready. I don’t know about you, but throughout the winter months laziness tends to stand between me and a good exfoliating regime, so come spring my knees are looking a little on the crusty side and my thighs, well just a hint of a tint of orange peel begins to appear. There are lots of theories behind the reasons we develop cellulite, covering everything from genetics to indolence and over-eating, but in truth no one really knows what causes that irritating dappled and doughy look, so it’s difficult to take treatments claiming to ‘cure’ it seriously. But, like everyone else, I’m a sucker for a feasible idea, and whether they actually combat the dreaded ‘C’ word, or just slough off dead skin cells and reveal a sparkling new complexion, I feel that a spring time exfoliation is never a bad thing. So, to set you on the road to reaching that beach body beautiful, we’ve been road testing a few of the best exfoliators and anti-cellulite treatments on the market, as well as one or two complementary products.

Scrub and Polish

Beauty Lab Peptide Tanning Pre-Tan Skin Polish (£18.00/ 150ml) – Packed with active ingredients, from smoothing and revitalising Ginseng, to anti-oxidising Grapefruit and Glycopure, that heady mix if Glycolic, Citric and Lactic acids, widely used to remove dead and dying skin cells and encourage new growth, Beauty Lab’s Peptide Pre-Tan Skin Polish pretty much does what it says on the box. The scent is a light and slightly unusual citrus, not at all unpleasant to use, while the polish itself is effective, yet surprisingly gentle – skin does not feel at all abraded, which is somewhat disconcerting during use as it doesn’t feel like it’s actually achieving anything, which thought is belied by the results; silky soft skin ready to take the world by storm! To complete the look, Beauty Lab Peptide Tanning Lotion is also available.

Beauty Lab Peptide Tanning Pre-Tan Skin Polish is available from http://www.beautylabshop.com.

Crystal Clear Crystal Body Polish (£32/150ml) – I’ve not come across Crystal Clear before, which surprises me because their range is pretty extensive and, going by the example of the Crystal Body Polish, both pleasant to use and effective. The formula combines a ‘special blend of anti-ageing ingredients’ (Honey, Grapefruit Oil, Sunflower Oil, and Matrixyl 3000 – a mixture of powerful peptides) with essential oils and ground garnet, with the aim of providing a microdermabrasion treatment, which will ‘leave your skin feeling smooth, supple and instantly revitalised.’ The scent is distinctively ‘spa’ while the product is one that actually feels like it’s working – the fine particles really do scrub, but in an agreeable way, rather like a good back scratch, that leaves the skin quietly singing and feeling utterly alive. During the course of a week, with daily use, I found that even the roughest patches of dry skin – knees and elbows – were exfoliated into submission and my whole body felt cleaner and smoother. This is not a product that promises miracles, but it does deliver all that it promises and I very much like it for that.

Crystal Clear Crystal Body Polish is available from www.crystalclear.co.uk.

Yon-Ka Phyto-Gel Exfoliant (£35.70/200ml) – Well, having looked at the celeb’s (J-Lo, Kylie, Jennifer Anniston, Madonna, Victoria Beckham and Eliza Doolittle, to name but a few) favourite, Yon-Ka hand cream earlier this year and found it counterintuitive (surprisingly dry for the purpose), but effective, I was curious to try another product in the range. The Phyto-Gel Exfoliant is more in line with expectations; an uplifting, zesty shower gel with obvious – but not abrasive – ‘diatoms and jojoba pearls,’ which work to scrub away impurities and dead skin cells while hydrating the epidermis left behind. All in all, I have to say that I like it; Rosemary, Sage and Citrus oils rejuvenate, cleanse and provide a stirring scent, while Sweet Almond Protein, Algae Extract and Castor Oil moisturise and protect, the finished result being a feeling of alertness, a willingness to face to world that is often hard to come by and skin that feels beautiful both inside and out. The tagline of Yon-Ka is ‘the alchemy of pure wellness,’ the mixing of modern technology with holistic principles, as such over 70% of Yon-Ka products are comprised of more than 90% natural ingredients.

For more information, or to purchase Yon-Ka Phyto-Gel Exfoliant visit www.yonka.com or call 0207 518 8370

Lulu’s Bombshell Body Revealing Body Cleanser (£12.75/200ml) – This one is perhaps aimed at the slightly older beach babe and designed to ‘gently lift and remove the dull, dry top layer of skin,’ while a blend of revitalising and moisturising ingredients pamper the freshly revealed skin below. Bombshell Body Revealing Body Cleanser is made up of exfoliating beads and micro-crystals, luxuriantly coated in a mixture of mineral- and protein-rich green and red algae, silk amino acids and essential oils, which work together to soften, smooth and renew your tired outer layer. Lavender and Rosemary, both known for their rejuvenating and antiseptic qualities, play a large part in the product, not least in the scent, so if, like me, you’re not a fan of lavender, this won’t be the exfoliator for you. That said, the results are gratifying; skin is left looking clear and bright and feeling super soft, so it does everything that it claims in the most gentle of ways and at a bargainous price.

Lulu’s Bombshell Body Revealing Body Cleanser is available from www.lulusplace.co.uk and www.qvc.co.uk.

KORRES Body Scrub (£12.00/150ml) – Being Korres, this one makes no grand claims about slimming and firming, it simply uses lovely natural ingredients to remove dead skin cells and improve circulation, leaving skin soft and supple and ready to face the world. Bamboo and Jojoba beads do all the hard exfoliating work, while a ‘multi-mineral combination’ of Sodium, Magnesium, Zinc and Manganese deeply hydrate and restore the skin. Vitamin-rich Wheat, soothing Aloe Vera and protecting & moisturising Shea Butter also all play their parts. The deliciously scented Basil Lemon is my favourite in the line, but a light and summery Watermelon – rich in vitamins A, B6, C, lycopene, potassium, fibre and free radicals (those lovely little fighters of environmental ageing nasties) – is also available. All Korres products are created from homeopathic premises and free from parabens, silicones, phthalates, synthetic scents and dyes, mineral oils and animal products, and as such are a complete joy to use.

KorRES Body Scrub is available fromwww.korres.com and www.amazon.co.uk.

Green People Sensuous Sugar Scrub (£19.95/245g) – I like Green People; I personally share their ethical viewpoint and all the products I’ve tried so far have been pleasing, so I was pretty sure that I would find something positive to say about the Sensuous Sugar Scrub. What I wasn’t prepared for though, was to fall in love! Now, I’ll admit that it is something for a superficial love, based largely upon the wonderful scent that gently caresses your nostrils the second you peel back the lid – a light mixture of citrus and rosemary with a slightly coconut-y base – but once I’d stopped inhaling and started scrubbing I found that there was more to this little pot of goodness than a fabulous aroma. Created from a blend of cane sugar crystals, moisturising Shea Butter, healing Rosehip, anti-oxidising Pomegranate and much more besides, this is a fairly dry scrub, which is initially difficult to handle, but manages to spread itself a long way. The sugar crystals are quite coarse and leave your skin feeling slightly glowing, not unlike the less indulgent spa treatments, while the essential oils get to work feeding your parched epidermis, removing the need for a moisturiser later. The overall result is wonderful and the knowledge that you’ve attained beautiful skin without the use of parabens, phthalates, petrochemicals and artificial fragrances is even better.

The Green People Sensuous Sugar Scrub is available from www.greenpeople.co.uk.

Fight that Cellulite

Fushi Really Good Cellulite Oil (£19.95/100ml) – Fushi’s RGCO works on the premise that cellulite is, if not caused, at least increased by poor circulation, so they set about harvesting a powerful mix of simulating, circulation-enhancing ingredients. Triple-infused Gotu Kola rubs shoulders (or thighs) with Green Coffee bean, which is known for its diuretic properties, nourishing, vitamin E-enriched Wheat Germ Oil, cleansing and anti-oxidising Grapefruit and detoxifying Sweet Birch. This combination is designed to enhance lymphatic drainage, help strengthen connective tissues and prevent collagen binding with fat cells, all of which works towards reducing the appearance of cellulite. Being made from 100% natural ingredients, the oil smells fantastic and is a real pleasure to use, so it seems impossible that it can be doing any good, but... It surprisingly does. Using RGCO alone is not going to give you svelte thighs, but it does really seem to improve skin tone, so with time and a little bit of effort your legs should be beach-ready. Fushi’s body care products are also pleasingly free from Parabens, Petrochemicals, SLS, PEGs and synthetics.

Fushi Really Good Cellulite Oil is available from www.fushi.co.uk.

Proskins Anti Cellulite Leggings (£50) – Now, I know what you’re thinking and yes, I have to agree that £50 is actually a lot of money for a pair of leggings, but no matter which way you look at it, Proskins are no ordinary leggings; no, no, these are…Super Leggings! Caffeine, Retinol, Ceremides, Vitamin E, Aloe Vera and Fatty Acids all lurk within the weave of the fabric – made from a ‘patented microencapsulated yarn’ – creating a pair of comfy trousers which work to reduce your wobbly bits even while you’re sat on the sofa, watching telly and eating a bag of crisps! Obviously, the results will be better if you don’t partake of the junk food, but that’s not the point. Apparently clinically proven to ‘reduce thighs by 2cm after 4 weeks of 8 hours a day wearing,’ Proskins have attracted celebrity fans in the form of Danni Minogue and Mel C, and employ the above ingredients to increase lymphatic drainage, improve circulation, flush fluids and toxins from the body and leave the skin feeling smooth and healthy. Now, I only have one pair and I’ve only had them for a fortnight, so I’ve not been able to put the Proskins claims truly to the test, but I must say that they are incredibly comfortable to wear and my skin has been feeling both firmer and nicely hydrated. As for the girth, well... there is perhaps a small reduction, but I’m not yet prepared to put it down to the leggings. But, as the Proskin’s goodly properties last for around 100 washes, further trials will continue and I’ll get back to you on that one.

Proskins Anti Cellulite Leggings are available in three lengths from http://www.next.co.uk, http://www.clothingattesco.co.uk and http://www.proskins.co.uk.

Caudalie Contouring Concentrate thighs / hips / buttocks (£25.50/75ml) – 100% glamorous and 100% natural is the claim made by Caudalie for their slimming and firming range. The natural bit isn’t up for dispute; a quick glance at the list of ingredients confirms a sumptuous range of actives including the ever-reliable Rosemary, Grape Seed, Sunflower and Lemon Oils as well as the less common Juniper (antiseptic, diuretic, detoxing), Pelargonium (healing, balancing, reduces excessive oil and helps complaints such as psoriasis) and Cyprus (improves circulation, reduces fluid retention, heals). As for the glamorous, well the simple scent and feel of this product checks that box very nicely – this feels like an indulgence, which is pretty good going for a £25 product. The main remaining question is; does it work? The aim is to increase lymphatic drainage and filter excess fat to reduce cellulite and improve the appearance and skin tone of the treated areas, as well as – here’s the big statement – reduce your thighs by up to 3.8cm. Hmm. Despite being largely made from oils, the Contouring Concentrate is not the slightest bit greasy, it can be applied either in or after a shower and seems to be absorbed in moments (perhaps I just have thirsty thighs??), leaving skin feeling hydrated and smooth, with none of the tackiness one associates with oils. Skin immediately looks and feels healthier after the first application and after a week’s use my thighs did appear firmer and my behind a little less wobblesome! Time restraints prevent me from running the full 28 day trial recommended, but those two factors alone endear it to me and I shall be sticking it with it for the duration to see if there are wonders to behold!

Caudalie Contouring Concentrate is available from www.caudalie.com and selected Boots outlets.

Finishing Touches & Little Helpers

Caudalie Draining Organic Herbal Teas (£10.00/20 sachets) – If you’re looking for something a little extra to help you gain the perfect beach body beautiful, Caudalie may just be able to help. Caffeine-free, so great for all you detox-ers, the Draining Organic Herbal Tea is a beautiful blend of five organic plants – red vine, blackcurrant, cinnamon, blueberry and orange zest – selected for their detoxing and diuretic properties. I prefer to use them to make a hot drink, but they can be used cold as a reviving fruit punch. It’s hard to tell if they have any real effect in terms of weight loss and water retention, but they do taste great and are much better for you – in terms of both toxins and calories – than a latte, so it can’t hurt to add them to your beach-ready routine.

Caudalie Contouring Concentrate is available from www.caudalie.com and selected Boots outlets.

Parissa 2 in 1 Roll-On Body Sugar (£19.99/140ml) – Of course, the final part of readying the body for summer exposure is the one that we all hate; hair removal. If you’re brave enough to attempt the deed at home, then Parissa have a great range available to help you. Sugar-based, rather than wax, to make sure that all you lose is your unwanted hair, rather than your freshly primed skin, the 2-in-1 Roll-On just needs to be popped in the microwave and applied – it couldn’t be simpler. The two applicators are ideal for covering all parts of the body and, best of all, should it all get too much, you can chicken out and rinse the sugar solution off with warm water – no harm done. Simple, effective, with a built-in get-out clause!

Parissa Azulene Oil (£8.99/60ml) – And finally, once you’ve buffed, scrubbed and shaved yourself to within an inch of decency it’s worth smoothing the skin over with a good, soothing moisturising solution. Azulene Oil is designed to prevent in-growing hairs, razor burn and irritation from sullying your lovely legs. With ever-reliable chamomile as the main active ingredient, it does a wonderful job at calming skin, leaving it soft, healthy and ready to show off.

Parissa products are available from Boots, www.boot.com, www.amazon.co.uk and Sainsbury’s stores nationwide.

My Face: My Choice

2012-04-27T08:32:00.000-07:00

This piece can also be found on www.TheDetour.co.uk. Visit the site for fashion, beauty and entertainment features and news pieces as well as spa reviews and competitions

My Face: My Choice

Like many women, as I’ve aged I’ve come to associate a high price tag with a high quality when it comes to my cosmetics. This is perhaps not surprising in my line of work – I often get to play with fabulous products I’d never be able to afford myself – but every so often a brand comes along which proves to be the absolute exception to the rule and I have to now put my hand up and admit to following in the path of many a celebrity chickybabe (Gwyneth Paltrow being among the number) and jumping on the myface bandwagon.

Described as a ‘foolproof colour collection for the 21st century,’ myface comprises three complete makeup ranges designed for specific skin tones – fair, medium and medium/dark. Each assortment offers complimentary cosmetics to complete your perfect look, covering everything from foundations, concealers and powders to blushers, eyeshadow and nail polish. Each product is fashioned to bring out the best of your natural attributes, while providing an almost tailor-made colour scheme specifically for you. And yet, for all of this, the most expensive item within the range is £12.99, which instantly sets my snobbish little brain into a cynical cycle.

Now, I’m not what you might consider to be of classic appearance and I don’t fit well within any of the myface profiles – I may be ivory skinned, but I am fair in no other way – think Twilight vampire pale with Anne Hathaway hair (without the great styling!) and dark blue eyes, a celeb comparison for which I’m struggling to find, so the baby pinks and soft browns suggested to suit my skin tone by the myface website would not be my natural choice. Still, I like a good kit to play with, so I thought I’d give them a go.

I based my selection on the Fair 01 foundation and moved on from there, blithely picking all the recommended accoutrements before plonking myself in front of a mirror. While not perhaps a look I would have imagined working for me, I was actually pleasantly surprised by the result: a softly glowing complexion with subtle, gentle highlights. The foundation is thin and buildable without being watery or greasy and covered my skin well (although it would possibly not fare so well on blemish-prone or greasy skin), providing a sound base for the other products to glide on to. The effect is light and natural, leaving you looking fresh and clean without being ‘made up’. While not ‘pretty’, the simple yet effective packaging allowed for a quick and flawless application, with only the eyeshadow causing any pause – like most others, it required some working before use, but everything else went on like a dream. Most pleasingly of all however, is that it seems to be pretty smudge resistant – sitting in front of a computer all day, I have the terrible habit of resting my face on my hands while I think and yet I was still patch-free at the end of the day, which is impressive for any makeup brand.

myface cosmetics start at £5.99 and are available from Boots and online at www.myfacecosmetics.co.uk and www.amazon.co.uk.

Love myface? Share your thoughts!

Broadway ImPRESS Nails

2012-04-14T02:54:00.005-07:00

This piece can also be found on www.TheDetour.co.uk. Visit the site for fashion, beauty and entertainment features and news pieces as well as spa reviews and competitions

Get Ready To ImPRESS...

Every woman has some kind of problem with their nails; if you’re not a biter you’re a picker, or your nails are weak and flaky, or you work with your hands so your nails are always broken, or when varnishing you struggle to stay between the lines, or like me a couple of your nails are a weird shape and not even a professional manicurist can help... Even though nobody else ever notices! Every woman has something, which is why we spend millions of pounds on products each year, trying to make our fingers look pretty. This spring Broadway Nails have launched a fab new product to add to your nail care armoury – ImPRESS.

ImPRESS are the UK’s first ever ‘press on polish’. Pre-loaded with adhesive, all you need to do is choose your shade and design, pick out the right size, remove the tab and apply on top of your natural nail – et voila; Beautiful manicured-looking nails with minimum fuss at a minimum cost. The press-on nails last up to seven days and are available in 24 styles and with no glue to ooze, foils to faff with, or drying time to take into account – this is the fasted way to fabulous fingertips currently available. And what’s more, they are super simple to remove, leaving behind no nasty residue or damage.

Ex-Pussycat Doll, Nicole Scherzinger, is already a big fan of ImPRESS and is recently quoted as saying ‘I love that they are incredibly easy to use... My schedule is so hectic it’s nice I can take them with me on the road and have a beautiful salon perfect manicure in minutes with no drying time or mess! They stay looking perfect for a week without chipping like nail polish. Plus they are super shiny, just like a UV gel manicure – a look I love!’

Broadway ImPRESS nails available from Boots and www.boots.com at £7.99 for plain colours and £8.99 for patterns.

Grate to Plate

2012-04-14T02:50:00.003-07:00

This review can also be found on www.TheCulinaryGuide.co.uk. Visit the site for in depth food, drink and travel features and news pieces as well as restaurant and hotel reviews and competitions.

The Great Grate to Plate

Allow me, if you will, to introduce my favourite new kitchen appliance – Grate to Plate, the most recent addition to the Judge Kitchen Essentials range.

Now, I have my suspicions that I was perhaps something of an odd child, but I have very clear memories of long drawn-out acts of warfare between my sister and me over who would grate the cheese when Mum cooked spaghetti carbonara. Looking back, I realise that my sister wanted to do it for the far more normal reason of being able to sneak-eat bits of cheese, but for me it was all about the grating... And I’m afraid to admit that not much has changed. I love graters for the same reason that I love paper shredders and electric pencil sharpeners; it’s the reduction of the whole into less than the sum of its parts... It is for this reason that I always get unreasonably excited when a new grating implement comes on to the market, and I have rarely found a utensil that has given me more pleasure!

Super simple to assemble, use and clean, the Judge Grate to Plate comes complete with three interchangeable blades to answer all of your grating needs, covering fine, course and slicing cuts ideal for fruit, veg and, of course, cheese. The clever build allows non-slip, suction-cup feet to keep the grater steady, while the handle keeps fingers well away from the sharp blades and allows food to be prepared with the minimum effort – very little force is required to turn the handle and even trickier food stuffs, such as ginger and coconut are sliced and diced within seconds.

Although the body of the Grate to Plate is not dishwasher safe, the blades are and the rest is very simply cleaned in warm water, while the collapsible legs allow for more convenient, space-saving storage.

Ok, so the Grate to Plate may not seem a revolutionary idea, but it ticks all my boxes – simple and efficient, offering hours of grating fun! Now, where did I put that parmesan...

The Judge Grate to Plate is £13.20 and available from all good cookery shops and departments, for more information visit www.judgecookware.co.uk.

Kings & Queens Bath & Body Collection

2012-04-10T03:29:00.001-07:00

This piece can also be found on www.TheDetour.co.uk. Visit the site for fashion, beauty and entertainment features and news pieces as well as spa reviews and competitions

Skincare Fit for a Queen...

Inspired by the ancient skincare secrets of the most iconic royals and nobles of the distant past, the Kings & Queens collection has been formulated from natural ingredients to transform your daily ablutions from humdrum affairs to occasions full of sumptuous pampering and glamour.

From Tsar Peter of Russia and his love of aromatic tobacco at a time when the substance was highly illegal, to Queen Isabella of Spain who was so very fond of cinnamon that she financed Christopher Columbus’ search to find a new route to the land of Ceylon, where the spice was grown, and thus inadvertently discovered America, history is peppered with examples of world leaders doing all that they can to get their own way. It is this determination to fully grasp opulence that made the ancient royals who they were, and now that the ingredients are available to all (goodness, Isabella would be shocked at the wanton abandon with which I now sprinkle cinnamon on my toast of a morning!), the people behind Kings & Queens have created a range to make you feel like royalty.

The line consists of shower gels, body milks, body butters and soaps, with each one being built upon a base of herbs, spices and milks favoured by the long lost aristocracy and telling tales of rebellion, indulgence, debauchery and more.

With eleven scents to choose from, there should be something to suit everyone in this range. My personal favourite is the Nefertiti Honey Collection. Wife of Pharaoh Akhenaten, Nefertiti was known by many titles – Hereditary Princess, Lady of Grace, Lady of all Women, Great of Praises, Sweet of Love, to name but a few – and was the mistress of all Egypt from around 1350BC. Renowned for her great beauty – the literal translation of her name is ‘The Beautiful Woman Has Arrived’ – she would bathe regularly in honey, showing great foresight as honey is now scientifically proven to hold anti-ageing properties, as well as antibacterial.

For the Kings & Queens collection, the honey is blended with a mix of pomegranate, known for moisturising, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, healing blue Egyptian lotus and antimicrobial malachite extracts. All of these ingredients have been used for centuries to create the most indulgent and effective skincare possible and to exhibit the status of the users, being symbols of royalty, glory & eternal life and harmony respectively. The result today is a collection of toiletries gourmanderie in scent that leave the skin feeling luxuriously soft, pliable and healthy.

The Kings & Queens collection comprises Body Butter (200ml/£8.00), Shower Gel (300ml/£5.00), Shimmering Body Milk (200ml/£7.00) Body Milk (200ml/£7.00) and Soap (185gm/£4.00) and is available to buy online from www.BathandUnwind.com and www.NivenandJoshua.com.

Healey’s Cyder

2012-04-10T03:25:00.004-07:00

This review can also be found on www.TheCulinaryGuide.co.uk. Visit the site for in depth food, drink and travel features and news pieces as well as restaurant and hotel reviews and competitions.

Healey’s Cyder

Growing up in Herefordshire, one of the cider producing capitals of the UK, the scent of warm apples evokes for me a perfect autumnal evening; strolling back from the shops with a pink sky overhead, a slight nip in the air and the first coils of smoke curling up from the older houses chimneys. The scent is warm and pleasing, slightly intoxicating to young senses, while adults read it as a sign that winter is fast approaching. The taste however, is something different entirely; it speaks of warm days and long evenings with lightly beading glasses. For me, cider is the taste of summer.

Family-owned and based in Cornwall, Healey’s Cyder Farm is a true artisan business, employing traditional methods and a sharp attention to detail to create a range of some of the finest ciders you’ll ever taste.

Healey’s Classic Reserve Cyder – limited release (750ml/£7.62) – Matured in oak whiskey barrels for up to three months, and made from the very best brews the company produces, this is about as good as cider (or cyder, if you prefer the Cornish spelling) gets. Light and fruity with an amazing aroma, this is a crisp, thirst-quenching little number ideal for sipping around the barbeque on a warm summer’s night. At 8.4%, this is the strongest from the Healey’s cellar, which may have something to do with the storage, which infuses the drink with a balancing bitterness preventing the sweet fruit from becoming too overpowering.

Healey’s Cornish Rattler (500ml/£2.37) – ‘It’s cloudy, it’s cyder, it bites,’ is the tagline that Healey’s have gone with for their modern cider take. Now, I’m not so sure about the cloudy bit, slightly hazy would probably cover it better, but it certainly is cyder and although the bite doesn’t involve fangs it is noticeable. The aroma is lighter, less fruity and a good indicator of the taste, where apples mix with a slight bitter note, creating a perfectly quaffable blend. What’s more, Rattler lacks that classic bottled artificial aftertaste that lingers in the mouth like a bad smell with so many of its contemporaries. So, if you like a lighter cup with citrusy notes, then this could well be the drink for you. Healey’s Pear Rattler (500ml/£2.37) is also available, with a slightly lower alcohol content it’s one for the longer nights.

The fruit used by Healey’s is picked by hand, a traditional press is used, each batch is tasted and ‘tweaked’ by Healey’s head brewer, allowing the recipe to be altered to match the sweetness and tannins of each crop, while a bespoke copper lurks in the barn to produce Cyder Brandy, and in 2011 Healey’s created the first whiskey to be produced in Cornwall for more than 300 years. This is great example of a great British business doing well in a most difficult climate.

Healey’s Cyders are available in selected supermarkets and can be purchased online from www.healeyscyder.co.uk.

Pig Goes Pop

2012-04-10T03:23:00.001-07:00

This review can also be found on www.FamilyFunGuide.co.uk. Visit the site for in depth toys, food, travel and home entertainment and news pieces as well as reviews and competitions aimed at the modern family.

Pig Goes Pop

It’s April and whether planning an Easter break, a summer holiday, or a simple staycation, all parents will be mulling that dread question – how to keep the kids entertained? Long journeys usually represent their own special kind of hell and rainy days at home a variation on a theme, so portable games that involve more than one child can be an absolute blessing. Allow me, if you will, to introduce Pig Goes Pop.

During the last few years Drummond Park have found a growing place in the consciousness of parents everywhere, with games like Dino Bites going down an absolute storm with kids of all ages, and Pig Goes Pop is proving to be equally successful.

With all pieces packed safely away inside Pig’s tummy, this is the ultimate in transportable porcine play! Ideal for car, train and plane travel, as well as in the home, the aim of the game is to feed Mr Pig as much as possible without him going pop! The rules are simple and easy to follow, so no need for parental involvement (although Pig’s expanding belly is quite a sight to behold and you’ll probably find yourself being drawn in!), and yet it’s surprisingly good fun. Players merely roll the coloured dice, feed Pig the corresponding burger and help him chew his meal by pumping his head. With each pump Pig’s girth increases until his buttons can take the strain no longer.

Pig Goes Pop is currently the UK third most popular game and was a winner at the 2012 Toy Industry Awards.

Pig Goes Pop is £19.99, suitable for 2-6 players aged 4+ and available from all good toy retailers, including www.amazon.co.uk. For more information visit www.DrummondPark.com.

I LOVE UK

2012-04-10T03:16:00.002-07:00

This review can also be found on www.TheCulinaryGuide.co.uk. Visit the site for in depth food, drink and travel features and news pieces as well as restaurant and hotel reviews and competitions.

I Y UK

In case it has escaped your notice, 2012 is a bit of a big year for the UK. We’ve already celebrated the 200^th anniversary of the birth of Charles Dickens, June sees the Queen’s 60^th Jubilee, then July brings the attention of the world with the opening of the Olympic Games, followed by the Paralympics in August and September... If that lot doesn’t make you feel patriotic, then nothing will! There are many ways to get involved in the spirit of the whole thing, but for foodies the must-do event is the Big Lunch on Sunday 3^rd June; an open invite to all across the land to participate in a neighbourly feeding frenzy, or street party as it’s more commonly known.

If you’re thinking of joining the Big Lunch, or even just throwing a little Jubilee tea party of your own, then it is, I think, important to look the part, which is where the good folk at Premier Housewares can help. To mark this most momentous of years, Premier have launched three lovely cookware collections - I Love UK, The London Collection, Cool Britannia - so you can serve your party snacks with style.

It is, of course, all a matter of personal taste, but for me the I Love UK set really stands out from its competitors. The collection comprises a full range of afternoon tea tableware - tea pot (£13.49), sugar bowl & milk jug (£7.49), mugs (£4.49 each), and cake stands (£8.49-£13.49) - as well as helpful accessories, such as bunting (£18.49), cupcake cases (£1.49-£2.49) and coasters (£4.49/4). Lightweight for ease of use, each piece is hand painted and therefore unique, adding a charming rustic feel to the range, while the large rounded handles are comfortable to hold.

So there you go; if you feel like adding to the festive atmosphere and taking a break from all the financial doom and gloom pop to your nearest cook shop and brighten your tea with the best of British.

The Premier Housewares Jubilee collections are available from www.Amazon.co.uk and selected cook shops. More information about The Big Lunch is available from www.TheBigLunch.com.

Judge Jubilee Cookware

2012-04-10T03:07:00.004-07:00

This review can also be found on www.TheCulinaryGuide.co.uk. Visit the site for in depth food, drink and travel features and news pieces as well as restaurant and hotel reviews and competitions.

Judge Jubilee Cookware

No matter where you turn just now there seems to be someone else jumping on the Queen’s Jubilee bandwagon (or royal barge, as the case may be), so after some long hard thought, not wanting to seem taciturn or unpatriotic, we at The Culinary Guide, decided that we may as well leap aboard ourselves and review a few of the products designed to tempt and tease our tightly stretched wallets in this most rightly royal of years.

First up is the Judge Jubilee Cookware range. For more than a century, Judge have been developing their unique brand of cookery and kitchen paraphernalia, building knowledge and experience while fostering creativity and innovation, which has made them into one of Britain’s top kitchenware manufacturers.

Fashioned from satin-finished stainless steel, the Judge Jubilee range seamlessly combines attractive design with brilliant functionality; safe and comfortable ergonomic oven-safe handles and a thick thermic base, ensuring high performance and even heat distribution on all hobs, make certain that the performance lives up to the name. The range includes every pot and pan the modern chef could need, covering milk pots, lidded saucepans, non-stick frying pans, sauté pans and large stock pots. Although sturdily built, the range is not prohibitively heavy, so ideal for home use and with a 25 year guarantee any part of the range that you buy now should still be happily doing its thing when the Queen celebrates her Diamond-Sapphire Jubilee in 2037... You never know, it might just happen!

The Judge Jubilee Cookware range is available from all good cook shops, for a full list of retailers please visit www.judgecookware.co.uk. Prices begin at £17.00.

Easter Eggstravagance with Fortnum & Mason

2012-04-05T06:13:00.001-07:00

This review can also be found on www.TheCulinaryGuide.co.uk. Visit the site for in depth food, drink and travel features and news pieces as well as restaurant and hotel reviews and competitions.

Easter Eggstravagance with Fortnum & Mason

If you’re really wanting to make an impression with your eggs this Easter look no further than Fortnum & Mason. Always a brand of distinction, the recent royal visit has really brought the store fully back into public consciousness and their enticing range of cakes, confectionary and fresh foods are now known to be fit for a Queen, so where better to look for Easter treats for those who really matter to you?

This year, as every other, the range of F&M Easter eggs is extensive and although they won’t quite suite every pocket – prices range from £12.50 to £125.00 – they will surely suit every taste.

Sticking to the royal theme, one of my favourites from among this year’s collection is the beautifully designed Jubilee Marc de Champagne Truffle Egg (£37.50/227g). Filled to the brim with deeply indulgent truffles, handmade and infused with ‘an intense alcohol distilled from champagne grapes,’ the thick milk chocolate shell is rich and smooth and sure to make a lasting impression on its lucky recipients, royalist or otherwise. This is a classy egg, no matter which way you look at it!

One of the things that Fortnum & Mason do really well throughout the store is please the eye, and with this year’s Easter assortment they have excelled themselves. While much of the range is clothed in packaging designed by none other than Vivienne Westwood, it is the hand decorated confectionary that really stands out. Handmade and hand decorated with handmade sugar flowers, each egg in this collection is unique; a perfect piece of edible artwork for your nearest and dearest. Full-sized milk, white and dark chocolate versions are available, but if you’re looking for something that offers a little variety why not splash out on Three Beautiful Decorated Eggs (£45.00/270g). This trio is made from the finest quality chocolate and filled with chocolate shapes that will tickle even the most particular taste buds.

The full Fortnum and Mason Easter range is available from the London Piccadilly store, or visit www.FortnumandMason.com.

Godiva Easter – Or how I learnt to stop sharing and start hiding my chocolate stash.

2012-04-05T06:05:00.005-07:00

This review can also be found on www.TheCulinaryGuide.co.uk. Visit the site for in depth food, drink and travel features and news pieces as well as restaurant and hotel reviews and competitions.

Godiva Easter –

Or how I learnt to stop sharing and start hiding my chocolate stash

If there is one word in the chocolatier’s lexicon which produces a Pavlovian response in me, it is Godiva. Many many years ago I happened across an epiphanic chocolate experience – a smooth milk truffle lovingly embracing a lightly salted whole macadamia nut and the taste... Oh! The mere thought sets my salivary glands all a-tingle! Sadly, Godiva no longer produce this most wondrous of cocoa creations (my whole family still mourn its passing!), but they do still produce a full and glorious enough range of truffles, pralines, creams, fruits, caramels, liquors, bars and more to excite even the most pernickety of palates and for Easter, well, they’ve really rolled out the big guns.

As we all know, the egg is the traditional gift of choice for Easter and Godiva certainly have plenty on offer, from the modestly priced Small Wrapped Eggs (£7.00/100g), to the decidedly decadent Nougatine Easter Eggs (£150.00 for half a shell with 1.3kg of chocolates of your choice/£200.00 for a full shell). For me however, much as I appreciate a finely crafted smooth and creamy shell, it is what lies inside that really attracts my attention. So, if you were thinking about it, don’t worry about splashing out on an egg for me this year (unless you were considering one of the whopping Nougatine jobs!), I would much rather have a nice big Godiva Easter Box.

Available in two sizes (16 pieces/£17.50, 6 pieces/£9.00), the Godiva Easter Box, embossed with a beautifully bright spring bouquet, looks almost as good as the chocolates within it taste. The assortment includes a little bit of everything, from my predictable favourite Serti Macadamia, where salty macadamia pieces mingle provocatively with smooth sweet white chocolate, to the more traditional Coeur Lait (milk chocolate praline heart) and the Lune Passion, a dark chocolate shell filled with a silken white chocolate and passion fruit ganache. These are not frivolous bits of confectionary to mindlessly munch, more morsels of gastronomic excellence to savour with raptures of delight, so I need hardly say – these are not for the sharing.

You can find Godiva boutiques at at 141 Regent Street, W1; 150 Fenchurch Street, EC3; Harrods Food Hall, Knightsbridge, SW1; Selfridges, W1A; 17 Russell Street, Covent Garden, WC2; and online at www.godiva.be.

Divine Easter

2012-03-30T07:30:00.005-07:00

This review can also be found on www.TheCulinaryGuide.co.uk. Visit the site for in depth food, drink and travel features and news pieces as well as restaurant and hotel reviews and competitions.

Here’s Hoping Your Easter is Simply Divine

If you’re one of the growing number of people who like their confectionary to come with a clean conscience, then there’s really only one place to look for your eggs this Easter – Divine. As well as being free from all the artificial gubbins that have a tendency to make kids hyperactive and do no great things for our insides, Divine are, of course, the pioneers of fair trade. All of the ingredients that go into producing their delightful products are ethically sourced, while all the packaging is recyclable and as much as possible is made from recycled material. Most important of all however, is that the chocolate tastes mighty fine!

This Easter Divine have added two brand new products to the range; the kids Beano-themed Easter egg from the ever-popular Dubble (£4.00/110g), and the distinctly grown up luxury Divine Dark Chocolate Egg (£10.00/260g), which comes complete with Divine’s bestselling Ginger & Orange Chocolate Bar. Made from 70% cocoa, the egg is rich and smooth and lingers teasingly on the tongue, while the zesty tang of the Ginger and Orange awakens the mouth from its chocolate-induced stupor.

If dark chocolate is not for you, then you still have the praline mini-egg filled luxury Milk Chocolate egg (£10.00/260g) and the small White Chocolate Egg (£3.00/55g) to choose from, not to mention a range of enticing Divine gift sets.

For more information on the Divine Easter range visit www.divinechocolate.com/shop.

Harrods Easter

2012-03-26T04:26:00.001-07:00

This review can also be found on www.TheCulinaryGuide.co.uk. Visit the site for in depth food, drink and travel features and news pieces as well as restaurant and hotel reviews and competitions.

Harrods Easter

Spring is here and Easter is fast approaching, so naturally thoughts turn to all things sweet, spicy and chocolaty, but this year why not try something a little bit different? Rather than reaching for the common and supermarket brands cast your eyes over all that Harrods has to offer – your taste buds could be in for something of a surprise.

If afternoon tea on an Easter theme is your thing, forget your Simnel cakes and traditional current hot crosses, if you want a real savour sensation cut yourself a slab off one of Harrods Gruyère and Chive Giant Hot Cross Buns (£4.95 each). The aroma alone is enough to send your salivary glands into overdrive, but toasted and covered in butter the taste is incomparable. The rich gruyère is impeccably balanced by the tang of the chives, managing to perfectly emulate the spicy sweet partnership of its conventional counterpart with a savoury flavour that is all its own.

As one might expect, Harrods offers a veritable feast of chocolate eggs to celebrate the season of Christian rebirth, with prices ranging from the supremely affordable standard Choc on Choc egg (£4.50) to something rather more decadent from Pralifino (£48). For me however, the one that really stands out is the Harrods exclusive White Chocolate Egg with Dried Fruit (250g - £24.95). Handmade and decorated, this beautifully crafted piece of confectionary looks almost as good as it tastes. The chocolate is silky, creamy and deeply calorific, while the aesthetically pleasing dried strawberries and raspberries offer a flavourful contrast that awakens the mouth from its sweet sweet stupor. If your tastes don’t run to white chocolate there is a milk and nut variant available, as well as a deep dark chocolate and orange peel option.

For a gorgeous alternative to the full-sized egg, look no further than Lucky’s gourmet filled Humpty Dumpty’s (60g/£6.00). The milk Valrhona chocolate of the Duke of Nutting Hazel melts smoothly away to reveal an inner shell coated with a delectable hazelnut and praline filling. If you are a fan of Nutella – and who isn’t? – you will devour this little egg in moments. The range is said to be inspired by Lewis Carroll’s Alice... novels and successfully introduces a touch of wonderment to the palate.

If you’re looking for a little sweet treat for adults and littlies alike, Biscuiteers proffer a beautiful range of Easter-themed biscuity lollipops (45g/£4.50). Handmade in the UK by Harriet Hastings and her husband Stevie Congdon – they of Lettuce fame – the Biscuiteers lollipops provide a delightful any-time snack without the peril of sticky fingers. The Easter range includes traditional chicks and bunnies as well as the wholly patriotic Union Jack Egg Lollipop, ideal for this most nationalistic of years when Britain is full of the Olympic and Royal Jubilee spirit. The Biscuiteeers mission statement is a simple one – ‘why send flowers when you can send biscuits instead?’ – the sentiment of which I couldn’t agree with more!

The full range of Harrods Easter products can be purchased from the Food Hall of the iconic Knightsbridge store in London, while selected items are also available online at www.Harrods.com.

Where will you buy your Easter eggs? Share your thoughts! :)

Paul Mitchell Awapuhi Wild Ginger

2012-03-21T07:48:00.000-07:00

This piece can also be found on www.TheDetour.co.uk. Visit the site for fashion, beauty and entertainment features and news pieces as well as spa reviews and competitions

Paul Mitchell Awapuhi Wild Ginger

Paul Mitchell is one of those names that seem to have been around forever, but unlike most of those other brands that I used to spend my teenage babysitting money on, Paul Mitchell has managed to maintain its edge of affordable exclusivity. Avoiding the naff trap, the brand has grown from a $700 three product enterprise, to a multi-million dollar award-winning, trail-blazing business with an international fan base and a strong ethical stance. January 2012 saw the launch of two magnificent new products within the Awapuhi Wild Ginger Collection and I’ve been lucky enough to try them out.

Paul Mitchell Awapuhi Wild Ginger Hydromist Blow-Out Spray 150ml £17.95 – The original Awapuhi products first hit our shelves more than 30 years ago, but in an intimate melding, where ‘tradition met technology’ the Wild Ginger range was born and it’s like nothing you’ve ever used before. As someone prone to frizz – or pompom head, as my friends kindly refer to it! – the lowly hairdryer has never been my besty, even professional stylists struggle, often leaving me to meekly slink away with a hat pressed firmly to my head following a cut and colour. Keeping that in mind, I must admit to some scepticism when reading the Awapuhi hype. The Hydromist Blow-Out Spray has a two surprising ingredients tucked up its sleeve however; Honey and Caster Oil. Now, Honey alone is not necessarily a good thing to have in a hair care product – it may be a natural humectant, which means that it holds on to water molecules and stops moisture-loss, but being a sticky substance it’s not overly conducive to soft and silky locks (that’s not to say that it’s lacking in the styling department). However, when you combine it with deeply moisturising and highly absorbable Castor Oil, which actively works to coat the hair shaft, sealing the cuticle and locking in moisture, you’re on to something of a winner. The Hydromist smells gorgeously zingy, with none of the unpleasant chemical undertones one usually associates with styling products, and works like an absolute dream. While the Castor Oil and Honey combo get to grips with the frizz, lightweight conditioners protect the hair from heat damage, creating a light hold with a non-sticky, healthy-looking finish for all styles. Awapuhi Wild Ginger Hydromist Blow-Out Spray also offers UV and colour protection.

Paul Mitchell Awapuhi Wild Ginger Hydrocream Whip 200ml £21.95 – While the key ingredients in the Blow-Out Spray are Honey and Castor Oil, it is the current darling of the skin- and hair-care industries , Argan Oil, that struts its funky stuff in the Wild Ginger Hydrocream Whip. Rich in essential fatty acids, Vitamin E, Phenols, and Carotenes, Argan Oil has been embraced by the beauty business as a parent reaches for a long lost child. It hydrates, it protects and most importantly, it repairs dry and damaged skin and hair, apparently even working wonders on psoriasis. In the Hydrocream Whip Argan Oil takes on the roll of conditioner, helping treated hair to look healthy and full bodied, while the Awapuhi helps to lock in moisture and produce a stunning salon shine. I am something of a reluctant mousse user, having grown up in the 80’s and 90’s, those eras of the crunchy curl, but the Hydrocream Whip has a soft, almost untreated finish, leaving hair looking glossy, sleek and full of volume with nary a frizz in sight. One final word to the wise – a little Whip goes a long way! Don’t be tempted to overdo it – Hydrocream Whip hold easily lasts for a full day and extra product will only drag your hair down, giving that lovely ‘I’ve not had time to shower today’ look, whereas when used sparingly you’ll have beautiful tresses for as long as you need.

The Paul Mitchell Awapuhi Wild Ginger Collection is available from salons nationwide. For more information visit www.paul-mitchell.co.uk.

Do you have a fave Paul Mitchell product? Share your thoughts!

Botanical White

2012-03-17T04:12:00.001-07:00

This piece can also be found on www.TheDetour.co.uk. Visit the site for fashion, beauty and entertainment features and news pieces as well as spa reviews and competitions

Botanical White

Attaining that all-American whiter than white smile has become something of a preoccupation for us Brits during the last decade. There was a time when we didn’t really think that much about it – as long as our teeth were our own, we were relatively happy. But as we became more aware of our deficiencies in this department, which are quite obvious when compared with the beaming fluoride-enhanced grins of the Americans and Australians gracing our TV screens, we began to feel self-conscious and turned to dentists and peroxide-touting home kits to help us. However, in 2011 an EU directive put an end to such shenanigans, banning the sale of peroxide-based whitening kits throughout the UK and Europe, so is it time to return to stained gnashers and turn our backs on pearly whites? Nope! Botanical White fortuitously enters stage right…

Despite the lack of public awareness, Botanical White has actually been on sale for more than 8 years. Peroxide free – so consequently free from the unpleasant side effects associated with teeth whitening – Botanical White uses a unique blend of natural ingredients that have been discovered to be easily absorbed by tooth enamel, the upshot of which is naturally whiter teeth.

So, what are these magical natural ingredients? While Sodium Bicarbonate (or baking soda to you and me) might be expected, having been used as a cleaning agent in many toothpastes for years, some of the other constituents are mildly surprising. Pomegranate Extract, that well-known anti-oxidant, apparently also boasts antibacterial properties, which help with tooth whitening as well as general tooth and gum care, while soothing and healing Aloe Vera is used to keep teeth and gums healthy and calming Chamomile Flower Extract is packed with anti-inflammatory flavonoids for happy gums. The final active is a great whack of Vitamin D, which works to prevent infections that can lead to tooth decay and gingivitis. All of that sounds pretty impressive really, but not massively conducive to losing the stains on teeth regularly attacked by coffee, red wine, nicotine and all the other bad things that many of us put into our mouths on a daily basis. The key, however, seems not to be the use of any particular ingredient, but the use of them all together.

The claim is that Botanical White can lighten tooth discolouration by up to 11 shades and for up to two years, without the sore gums and sensitivity brought on by carbamide peroxide. Well, I’ve not had two years to test the latter claim, but the former does have some credence. On opening the box, the kit appears rather alarming, containing guards and syringes filled with different colour fluids, but the instructions are clear and to the point and after the initial experiment everything feels rather intuitive. Results are not immediate, I’ve been using Botanical White for about three weeks now – I admit, not religiously – and although I wouldn’t stretch it to ’11 shades’ of improvement, I have noticed a real reduction of staining from my 5-a-day coffee habit, which for a natural solution is pretty impressive.

Botanical White is made in the UK and available for £44.99. For more information visit: http://www.botanicalwhite.co.uk.

Clinique Happy in Bloom 2012

2012-03-16T09:35:00.002-07:00

This piece can also be found on www.TheDetour.co.uk. Visit the site for fashion, beauty and entertainment features and news pieces as well as spa reviews and competitions

Clinique Happy in Bloom 2012

My goodness me, it must be spring – the latest incarnation of Clinique’s Happy in Bloom has found its way on to my dressing table. With a bright new look to match its bright new scent, this fizzing floral fragrance blends its distinctive mix of lily of the valley, white freesia and mimosa with subtle fruity undertones and a light green accord suggestive of freshly mown lawns and new tennis shoes.

The 2012 limited edition Happy in Bloom variant perfectly encapsulates Britain in spring time, evoking thoughts of cool fresh air playing over blossom and the sense of joyous expectancy as the quietened country prepares to leap into life once more. The composition is somehow fresh and vibrant without being brash, retaining a delicately soft base of warm amber and white wood, which lingers gently throughout the day. The effect is very feminine; I am woman, hear me purr.

Presented in true Happy style in the tactile curvy bottle decked out in the latest Clinique design –bold and bright this year – this perfume spray is sure to put a spring in your step and a song in your heart, whatever the weather.

Top notes: Fruity, Yellow Plum, Green, Water

Heart notes: Freesia, Lily of the Valley, Mimosa

Base notes: Amber, White Wood.

Clinique Happy in Bloom 2012 is £25.00/30ml and available from all Clinique counters nationwide. For more information visit www.clinique.co.uk

Does Clinique make you happy? Do share your thoughts! :)

Guerlain Shalimar Parfum Initial

2012-03-16T08:58:00.001-07:00

This piece can also be found on www.TheDetour.co.uk. Visit the site for fashion, beauty and entertainment features and news pieces as well as spa reviews and competitions

Guerlain Shalimar Parfum Initial

Guerlain’s original Shalimar was created in 1925 as a sort of ode de parfum encapsulating the great love story of Emperor Shahjahan – he of Taj Mahal fame – and his young wife Mumtaz Mahal. The scent was sweet and sultry, mingling Vanilla with Bergamot and citrus notes and wrapping them around a warm floral heart; a scented emblem of undying love. Shalimar Parfum Initial, credited to Thierry Wasser, takes the solid foundation laid out by its predecessor and adds an altogether modern twist which belies its baby pink exterior.

This is no simple gourmand perfume, however. Rich and silky, Shalimar Parfum Initial boosts its classic Vanilla, Tonka Bean and White Musk base with a luscious woodsy undertone of Vetiver and Patchouli, the Jasmine and Iris heart notes mingle seductively with fruity tones, while the Bergamot is joined by zesty Orange and a green accord evocative of freshly cut grass. The composition shies away from the overtly floral grandeur of Shalimar and focuses more on the oriental origins; it is warm and well-heeled, feeling almost calorific in its intensity, managing to subdue the senses in a way that is not at all unpleasant.

Beautifully presented in a Jade Jagger designed flacon, Guerlain’s Shalimar Parfum Initial, in no way embarrasses its forebears.

The only bone I have to pick with this scent is the marketing campaign – I can never quite see what nubile nudity has to do with selling perfume and as stunning as nymph-like Natalia Vodianova might be, pictures of her skinny little bottom don’t make me think ‘Ooh, I mush just pop out and buy some Shalimar...’ BUT, as bones go, that’s a very small one, so I shan’t hold it against Guerlain.

Top notes: Bergamot, Orange, Green notes

Heart notes: Fruit, Rose, Jasmine, Iris

Bottom notes: Patchouli, Vetiver, Vanilla, Tonka Bean, White Musk

Guerlain Shalimar Parfum Initial is available in three sizes, starting at £37.00/40ml. For more information and a list of stockists visit: http://www.guerlain.com/int/en.

Terre Exotique Trappeur Cooking Kit from Harrods

2012-03-16T07:03:00.001-07:00

This review can also be found on www.TheCulinaryGuide.co.uk. Visit the site for in depth food, drink and travel features and news pieces as well as restaurant and hotel reviews and competitions.

Terre Exotique Trappeur Cooking Kit from Harrods

As the seasons change so does my diet, and as we’re moving into spring I am wanting to leave behind those stodgy winter suppers and experiment with some lighter, fresher flavours... Which is where Harrods latest must-have cookery set comes into play. The Terre Exotique Trappeur Cooking Kit contains everything the home gourmand needs to revitalise their pantry and put some zing into spring cookery.

Complete with a recipe book full of mouth-watering ideas, the Terre Exotique Trappeur Cooking Kit boasts an exciting range of spices, glazes and condiments that will add a touch of wow to even the most humdrum of ingredients. From the warm, smoky-flavoured Viking Salt, with its onion, curry and black pepper mix, which is just as ideal for jazzing up an omelette as it is for seasoning flavoured bread, to the Herbes Sauvages de Crete (Wild Herb Mix to you and me), which combines those spice rack staples basil, thyme, rosemary, oregano and marjoram to delicious effect, adding a distinctive Mediterranean feel to veggie sauces, meaty marinades and everything in between. The Huile D’olives Influence Scandinave is a light and tempting blend of olive, fennel and dill oils with lemon extract, which adds a delicate citrus tang to white meats, fish and rice dishes, as well as working wonderfully as a simple dip, while the Melange Canadien is an interesting mix of sugar, garlic, onion, pink pepper corn and maple sugar, perfect for adding a touch of interest to any fish dish. I wasn’t really sure that I would find a use for the final ingredient, Pink Peppercorns, but when crushed they add an excellent and distinctive flavour to vegetable soup, and although I’ve yet to try this, I am told that they are capable of transforming vanilla ice-cream into a dish fit for the gods.

Beautifully presented in a leather and cloth roll, which would look perfectly at home in the backpack of an upmarket hunter, the Terre Exotique Trappeur Cooking Kit makes for an ideal gift for any foodie, not to mention an inspirational kitchen treat for yourself.

The Terre Exotique Trappeur Cooking Kit is £25 and available from Harrods Knightsbridge, London, as well as online at www.harrods.com.