Showing posts with label colourful. Show all posts
Showing posts with label colourful. Show all posts
Lush have some amazing products including shampoos, conditioners and shower gels, just to name a few. However, for the ultimate pamper session I can never stay away from a relaxing bath with the most amazing colours and smells that only Lush can provide.
Bath Bombs
Bath bombs are a huge favourite in the blogging world and as there are so many there is always something for everyone to love (and take pictures of). Some of my favourites include Blackberry, an original scent from Lush with the perfect blend of relaxing frankincense and bergamot oils; Avobath, an avocado and olive oil bath bomb with lemongrass, bergamot and rosewood and Yoga Bomb, a beautiful bath bomb containing olibanum and sandalwood oil with the relaxing bonus of cassie absolute.
Bath Oils
Luxury bath oils are another essential for a vegan pamper session. These products contain soothing shea and cocoa butter along with beautiful colours and essential oils. Two of my favourites are Ceridwen's Cauldron, a luxurious bath melt containing a walnut, tangerine, lavender and sandalwood oil plus whole oats to soften your skin after the oils have melted and also, You've Been Mangoed which includes mango and avocado oil to make the bath a soft but beautifully scented.
Massage Bars
Massage bars are another essential for the vegan pamper session to keep your skin soft and smelling great. There are so many to choose from depending on your mood and each has their own benefits. I have chosen the Dirty Bar which is a great unisex scented bar containing lavender, neroli, sandalwood and vegan dark chocolate. This has a deep scent that lasts throughout the day and keeps you relaxed unit you're going to bed. This will also be popular for your boyfriend or husband so be warned that some may go missing or alternatively you can use it on each other to finish your perfect pamper session.
Perfume
Lush have some beautiful Gorilla Perfumes available in both a solid and spray form. I chose the easily transportable solid perfume in one of my all time favourite scents - violet. This smells so soft and natural and would be perfect in your handbag on the go and also on the plane during a long haul flight. After finishing your vegan pamper session apply some to your wrists and neck to envelope you in a soothing scent.
Lush is great for vegan pamper sessions and for treating yourself to the ultimate relaxing evening. Let me know your favourites and recommendations in the comments below.
I recently made a very adult step in life and made an offer on a house....which was accepted! We are now in the steps of confirming our mortgage application, instructing solicitors and all of the other boring stuff that comes along with buying a house. This means there is also the fun stuff to plan like how we want to decorate, which settee we should buy and if we should get wood flooring or carpet - so many questions to be answered.
As someone who loves to travel and see new things I have been scouring Pinterest to find home decor inspired by travel and gather interesting ideas on how we should style our new house.
As someone who loves to travel and see new things I have been scouring Pinterest to find home decor inspired by travel and gather interesting ideas on how we should style our new house.
I love a good Halloween scary night or party and getting in the horror vibe whilst watching scary movies! I have always loved horror films, especially the classics like Nightmare on Elm Street and Halloween and now I am an adult I like to think of new ways to celebrate the holiday. This year I got together with my sister to have a double date movie night complete with decorations.
Decorations can be a nightmare at Halloween (see what I did there) and there is always so much in the shops to choose from - which can get expensive. There was only 4 of us for the evening so I thought I would try not to go too over the top whilst also having some quirky things to decorate the room with. Of course spiderwebs complete with fake spiders were a must to drape over lights, tables, mirrors and just about everywhere else it can stick to - although I said not over the top I did get 2 packs of the webs to make sure everywhere was covered!
I managed to find some great things this year that looked a bit different, starting with the glittery Happy Halloween sign from John Lewis. This looks great and can be hung from doors or windows or just propped on tables as part of the decor like I did. Sainsbury's had some great things which is where I got the bloody handprints and light up pumpkin from. These were reasonably prices and just gave that extra horror feeling - the pumpkin also came in a large size perfect for window displays!
Finally, I wanted to add a bit of luxury to the evening and thought what better than a colour coordinated Yankee Candle! Yankee Candle always bring out Halloween collections each year but I went with a Frankincense scent. This scent is actually quite warming with hints of cinnamon but also fresh and fruity undertones too. It is a burnt orange colour and adds that extra touch with an amazing smell to your Halloween evening in front of the telly. If you don't want to buy a candle you could alternatively buy some wax melts and a halloween melter which would look great too!
After decorating the room we put the first Nightmare on Elm Street film on (not exactly a scary film in the 21st century but a classic) ordered some takeaway and enjoyed the atmosphere. For dessert I served Booja Booja Vanilla "nice-cream" made from cashew nuts and some dark chocolate broken on top.
If you are looking for a more low key Halloween evening with friends or family then why not recreate this night with your own decoration and personal touches! Horror inspired food and drink can always be found online and on Pinterest too.
Let me know what you have planned for Halloween xx
This post was sponsored by Ocean Finance as part of their #screamhomes campaign however all opinions are my own.
I was recently introduced to St Kitts Herbery through the gifting website The Bloggers Hangout. After browsing their website I was lucky enough to receive some a sample of some of their most popular scents.
St Kitts Herbery was founded by Susan & Paul Johnson in North Cornwall in 2001 and they opened their first store and workshop in 2003. They produce luxury toiletries using the finest ingredients and are made using their skills and expertise gained over the years. They make everything from shampoo and conditioner to preserves and chocolates. Just last year they opened their second store in Cardiff, Wales.
I received three of their bestselling scents as sample perfumes - Summer Rose, Mist and Rosemary & Bergamot. They are each distinctive and each have scents unlike any other perfume I have tried before.
Summer Rose
'Fruity, floral and fabulous. The divine scent of summer'
This perfume is feminine and floral but unlike other floral perfumes I have tried doesn't have that powdery slightly old person smell. This perfume is literally like walking through a rose garden and has a slight citrus lemon scent which makes sure this perfume isn't too sweet. It is light and definitely can be worn as a day to day perfume.
Mist
'Elusive, vivacious and light. Capture the moment. For men & women'
Ah Mist. This is a perfume which is light and not at all overpowering. It has a slight lemon and citrus note to it, the same as Summer Rose, but also has a fresh herb garden undertone. This scent is definitely noticeable but will have everyone asking you what scent you are wearing. It has a slight musk smell which means combined with the herbs and lemon this is perfect for both men and women.
Rosemary & Bergamot
'Our signature fragrance. Alluring, fresh and vibrant. For him & her'
This is the scent I thought I would love the most. I adore rosemary and bergamot and thought together in a perfume this could be amazing. It is amazing and has a slight spicy and typical masculine scent which is quite strong but doesn't come across heavy when sprayed onto skin. I would say this is more of a scent for men than women and reminds me of a scent my Dad would wear.
After trying all of the scents I decided to get a bit experimental and overlap them. As I really wanted to make Rosemary & Bergamot a scent that was less masculine and more feminine I initially applied Summer Rose over the top. This created a more subtle scent and the citrus notes in the Summer Rose scent brought out the bergamot in the Rosemary & Bergamot scent. My favourite combination was Mist with Rosemary & Bergamot. The fresh herbs and citrus notes of Mist meant that they both complimented each other so well and made the perfume more of an evening scent combined with the warm notes of Rosemary & Bergamot.
Overall, I would say that Mist could be my new signature scent and I have already been browsing the selection on their website to see what I should buy!
Let me know if you have tried St Kitts Herbery or will be now you have read this! xx
St Kitts Herbery Camelford, Cornwall PL32 9XH Tel: 01840 213 442
Twitter: StKittsHerbery
I received these perfume samples for review purposes however all opinions are my own.
Oaks is a new smokehouse restaurant in the city centre of Nottingham with a unique open grill kitchen. The decor is based around oak wood and although the restaurant isn't large it is beautifully decorated. Specialising in serving locally sourced meats and craft beers as well as delicious wines and cocktails; Oaks have also built their open grill from logs that were by-products of sustainable coppicing by the Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust.
We decided to start the night with Chilli Cooler cocktails - Ocho Blanco Tequila, Chilli, Agave Necter, Lime and Mint. This is a tall cocktail garnished with half a red chilli and surprisingly refreshing because of the lime and mint - a great start to the evening!
Obviously, Oaks is a meat focused restaurant and therefore I expected to have limited choice as someone who doesn't eat animal products. For starters I chose the Baked Olives with lemon and rosemary - a large portion of olives in a delicious lemon and rosemary olive oil. These olives were delicious and lasted throughout the meal due to the generous portion size.
For my main meal I chose the Portobello Mushroom, Avocado and Aubergine Burger. On a delicious soft bun this burger was amazing! Perfect amounts of each ingredient meant that I wasn't left with a pile of avocado at the end. Each mouthful was full of flavour and after a slight hiccup with some mayonnaise I truly enjoyed this dish. Served with my burger I chose to have the chopped salad which consisted of lettuce, tomatoes and radish; a little uninspiring but for those wanting a smaller meal the salad was a nice light accompaniment.
Dessert time! Well, before we start I should mention there are three desserts on the menu. Ice cream, cheese board or doughnuts filled with marsala cream.......nothing vegan or diary free! The team at Oaks were immediately catering to my needs though and after a few minutes wait a delicious selection of sorbets were produced (I imagine these were from Chino Latino next door). Flavours included Mango, Kiwi and Coconut and each were delicious and silky smooth. These are not on the menu but I think after encountering myself they may rethink the options available for dessert.
During this evening they also had a live acoustic singer performing in the bar area. With a carafe of red wine and enjoying the atmosphere this was an amazing way to spend a Thursday evening.
I would definitely recommend Oaks to anyone visiting Nottingham or wanting a more informal date or dinner with friends. Let me know if you have been to Oaks and where you would recommend for me to visit next xx
Oaks 2 Bromley Place NG1 6JG Tel: (0115) 947 7244
Twitter: OaksNottingham
I dined as a guest of Oaks however all opinions are my own.
We decided to start the night with Chilli Cooler cocktails - Ocho Blanco Tequila, Chilli, Agave Necter, Lime and Mint. This is a tall cocktail garnished with half a red chilli and surprisingly refreshing because of the lime and mint - a great start to the evening!
Obviously, Oaks is a meat focused restaurant and therefore I expected to have limited choice as someone who doesn't eat animal products. For starters I chose the Baked Olives with lemon and rosemary - a large portion of olives in a delicious lemon and rosemary olive oil. These olives were delicious and lasted throughout the meal due to the generous portion size.For my main meal I chose the Portobello Mushroom, Avocado and Aubergine Burger. On a delicious soft bun this burger was amazing! Perfect amounts of each ingredient meant that I wasn't left with a pile of avocado at the end. Each mouthful was full of flavour and after a slight hiccup with some mayonnaise I truly enjoyed this dish. Served with my burger I chose to have the chopped salad which consisted of lettuce, tomatoes and radish; a little uninspiring but for those wanting a smaller meal the salad was a nice light accompaniment.
During this evening they also had a live acoustic singer performing in the bar area. With a carafe of red wine and enjoying the atmosphere this was an amazing way to spend a Thursday evening.
I would definitely recommend Oaks to anyone visiting Nottingham or wanting a more informal date or dinner with friends. Let me know if you have been to Oaks and where you would recommend for me to visit next xx
Oaks 2 Bromley Place NG1 6JG Tel: (0115) 947 7244
Twitter: OaksNottingham
I dined as a guest of Oaks however all opinions are my own.
With floor to ceiling windows and large wooden furniture the open room is ideal for lunches or intimate dinners. On this occasion I chose to visit for Afternoon Tea and see what they had to offer.
Afternoon Tea at The Larder on Goosegate is £14.95 per person and includes a pot of your choice of loose leaf tea served in a china teapot with a china teacup. I chose the Earl Grey with Cornflowers and this was subtle but pleasant to go with the sweet and savoury items. Included on the stand is a selection of homemade sandwiches and cakes. Each person receives an Egg, Cress and Mayonnaise sandwich, a Red Onion Chutney and Cheese sandwich, a Beef and Horseradish sandwich and a Cucumber and Creme Fraiche sandwich. The finger sized crustless sandwiches were delicious and a much welcomed change to the usual ham and mustard.
The middle tier featured Shortcake with Cream and Fresh Strawberries, Elderflower Pound Cake, Treacle Sponge and a Black Forest Gateaux Cupcake. The shortcake also had condensed cream on the top and incorporated in the middle which made this very sweet but delicious, the elderflower cake was lacking in flavouring and a little dry but the treacle sponge was moist and flavoursome. Finally, the black forest cupcake was a moist chocolate cupcake topped with cream, chocolate shavings and a black cherry, in the centre was a cherry jam. This was delicious and a large cake for an afternoon tea selection however the paper case did make it feel a little more cheap (sorry!).
I definitely enjoyed the Afternoon Tea at The Larder on Goosegate and would recommend it for anyone visiting Nottingham. They offer a wonderful range of homemade items and you can tell from the high quality that these are not store bought cakes. The wide range of tea is also a wonderful for those who want to try something different or who may be new to loose leaf teas. I am hoping to also return one evening to try their evening menu and wine selection.
Let me know if you have ever been to The Larder on Goosegate or have anywhere you would like me to visit on The Afternoon Tea Tour! xx
The Larder on Goosegate 1st Floor, 16-22 Goosegate NG1 1FE Tel: (0115) 9500 111
Twitter: LarderGoosegate
As the weather gets better we all want to sit outside with a cold drink and enjoy the sun whilst eating good food, right? Well, the sun came out and that's exactly what I wanted to do. After thinking about where to go I thought we should try somewhere new in the city centre and visit Jam Cafe in the Hockley district of Nottingham.
Perfectly situated on a sunny Heathcote Street but away from the hustle and bustle of the main shopping areas, Jam Cafe is a music themed eatery with an outside seating area - perfect for enjoying the sunshine. During the day you can enjoy a main meal and a drink then come back later on in the evening to enjoy live music, up-and-coming Dj's and local ales.
If you are ever there I would really recommend you stopping and have a nibble and a drink whilst talking to the friendly owner, Bradley, and his employees. This is really a hidden gem in the Hockley area of Nottingham!
If you like Gin then stop by between 14th August and 30th August to enjoy their Gin Festival 2015.
Jam Cafe 12 Heathcote Street NG1 3AA Tel: (0115) 9483566
Twitter: Jamcafe
A few weeks ago I got in touch with The Treat Kitchen to learn more about who they are and what they do. After emailing backwards and forwards with Jodie, the Marketing Assistant, she invited me to the store to take some pictures and pick up some gifts to feature on the blog and tell you all what I thought!
If you have been into the city centre of Nottingham you will probably have walked past The Treat Kitchen, it is hard to miss and shame on you if you haven't been in or at least stopped in awe at the colourful displays of tastey treats in the windows. The Treat Kitchen is an independent sweet shop which opened in September 2014 after the owners, Jess and Martin Barnett, returned from living in Australia for 3 years following the birth of their son Max. Whilst in Australia Martin worked for the countries largest retail group as confectionary buyer and Jess worked for RMIT University. The Barnett family have two confectionary factories in Nottingham and are passionate about using traditional methods of production such as copper pans and hand crafting sweets using their original recipes.
As a love for sweet treats has been in the family since the 1890's, Martin and Jess felt that there was a gap in the market for a sweet shop selling high quality goods in a modern and attractive setting. If you think of the usual old fashioned sweet shop you picture a wooden looking room full of plastic containers and a man or woman at a till waiting to weigh them out and put them in a paper bag, right? Well, that is the complete opposite of this sweet shop! The Treat Kitchen has huge glass windows, pastel and light wood decor and beautifully displayed jars and pouches of colourful sweets. The walls are white and the shelves are white and this really does make the products stand out! Jess and Martin also wanted to be resourceful and help the environment at the same time as providing amazing treats - this is why all of their products come in pouches, jars and glass milk bottles so when you have finished eating the delicious contents you can reuse the packaging for whatever you like, a pen pot or a makeup brush jar or even for smoothies?! We have all seen the amazing Pinterest boards with re-used glass bottles and jars.
Now you may be thinking that the sweets aren't any different to what you find in your local Sainsbury's? You are mistaken! Every single sweet has been chosen to reflect the enchanting world of confectionary and the theatre that goes along with it. Supporting other local businesses The Treat Kitchen have traditional sweets with a twist. The hard boiled sweets and rock (including Nottingham Rock) is made at the Barnett families factory and all of the Gourmet Fudge is made in-store and comes in a mouthwatering variety of flavours. Fancy some chocolate? Well then why not try the locally made Gourmet Chocolate Pizza's made with the finest Belgian milk, dark and white chocolate? Or how about some hard boiled sweets resembling family favourites by Tilleys Sweets...Lemon Meringue Pie flavour or Banoffee Pie anyone? Making the windows and shelves colourful is made easy by the 36 different flavours of Jelly Beans available in pouches and bottles all with one flavour in - no more half eaten bags as you will like all of the Jelly Beans you buy! Finally, if you don't want to be completely unhealthy or have to watch your sugar intake The Treat Kitchen also stock Stockley's Sugar Free goods which use naturally occurring sugars so there is no compromise on taste! With 300 varieties of different treats you could easily spend all day filling you arms with months, ok weeks, of sweets for you and your family.
I was lucky enough to be given a sample of a few different products they stock including some traditional favourites. I am a big fan of Jelly Beans and as The Treat Kitchen supply The Jelly Bean Factory ones I knew they were going to be good. Raspberry Jam and Cinnamon (my ALL TIME favourite) were in my bag of goodies and they both were so good. I was also lucky to be able to try the Barnett family's Nottingham Rock which although tastey was lacking a little something, with a slight citrus sweet taste I had to keep reminding myself I was eating rock and not a plain hard boiled sweet. The Treat Kitchen have recently launched a range of Radioactive Sours - a delicious hard boiled sweet covered in malic acid which really makes you squirm for about 30 seconds. After the sour taste has gone you are left with a delightful sweet underneath - I received the Watermelon flavour and they were amazing! Sweetshop classics cannot be forgotten even in a modern environment therefore you are still able to buy your pink shrimps, fizzy cola bottles, chewy milk bottles, torpedo's or even aniseed balls. I got a pouch of foam bananas and although I am not a big fan of banana they really were delicious.
Finally, the big ending to this delicious roller coaster ride is the Gourmet Fudge! The Treat Kitchen have 30 flavours in their collection but rotate 12 flavours at a time on their amazing display which is right in front of you as you enter the store - it seriously grabs your attention before anything else. A small taster of Salted Caramel and Raspberry and White Chocolate was in my bag of treats and they were so creamy and moreish that I was disappointed when I had eaten them. The Salted Caramel was creamy but lacking salt however, the Raspberry and White Chocolate flavour was amazing it was the softest fudge I have eaten and truly tasted like I was eating chocolate not a bar of fudge.
Everything in The Treat Kitchen has been thought about down to the last detail and they even do themed ranges for holidays such as Father's Day and Valentines Day. A range of Strawberries and Cream flavoured goods were also on display for Wimbledon!
Thank you to everyone at The Treat Kitchen for gifting me with the lovely sweets - I will definitely be back!
For all of my readers you can get 10% off your online orders when you type in the promotional code 'ELLIE10' at the checkout.
This cannot be used instore but don't worry you will not miss out as the fudge cannot be purchased online so you get the added treat of being able to buy this in person rather than have it delivered.
The Treat Kitchen, 21-23 Wheeler Gate NG1 2NA Tel: (0115) 941 1661
Twitter: TreatKitchen
The Treat Kitchen, 21-23 Wheeler Gate NG1 2NA Tel: (0115) 941 1661
Twitter: TreatKitchen
I received gifts from The Treat Kitchen for review purposes however all views are my own
It was my birthday at the beginning of June and I thought what better way to spend it then to go to a luxury hotel for the night and have dinner?! I love, love, love hotels (who doesn't) and having recently finished University I felt that a little break was just what I needed.
Hambleton Hall is owned by Mr & Mrs Hart who also have the Hambleton Bakery's, Hart's Hotel and Hart's Restaurant in their collection. If you have been to London you may have visited their restaurants ran by Sam and Eddy, their sons, Quo Vadis, Fino (now closed) and Barrafina. Located by Rutland Waters it is easy to get to via train or car from everywhere and only took us an hour via two trains from Nottingham. Originally opening in the 1980's Hambleton Hall is a large country house hotel featuring 15 bedrooms, a restaurant, bar, drawing room and heated outdoor swimming pool. With beautiful grounds and next to the quaint town of Oakham it is a lovely retreat away form the hustle and bustle of busy cities.
After arriving at the hotel and checking in to our room we decided to take a stroll down by the lake and walk alongside the sheep and lambs whilst the weather was being nice to us (this didn't last though and we managed to be on the way back to the hotel with umbrella in hand when the heavens opened!). Time to dry off and have a tea and coffee in the drawing room; as this isn't supplied in the rooms. Personally I really liked this as it encouraged us to see more of the hotel and be in the company of other guests rather than hidden away in our room...although it was so nice that this wouldn't have been a problem at all. Loose leaf tea and a cafettiere of coffee with some homemade biscuits really was added luxury instead of a tea bag and instant coffee, the small things really do make a difference.
Time to head back to the room and really take a look around and get the camera out. We had a Standard Room on the top floor which was the Treetops room - named so because of the view of the trees across from the entrance of the hotel. Each room is individually decorated and named according to it's view and each has a large bedroom and bathroom to go with. I didn't see any of the other rooms but to say ours was a Standard room it was much better than any other Standard room I had been in. The bedroom was large and had a small hallway in-between that and the bathroom. In the wardrobe was a walking pack with maps and granola bars and instructions of where to find the wellingtons to wear for walks around the countryside. The bathrooms was the biggest I have had the privilege of using in hotels with a large bath and separate walk in shower there was probably room to dance in there and two people to actually get ready at the same time. The walls in the bedroom were covered in high quality fabric and the bathroom floor was marble - pure luxury.
We changed for dinner and headed to the bar for a pre-dinner drink and canapés before being shown to our seat. I had a Bramble Cocktail and the canapés included a parmesan windmill and a beetroot macaron with goats cheese. The Sommelier had also introduced himself after our order was taken to recommend a bottle of wine to go with the dishes we had chosen, given the choice of two we decided with a very nice French red.
Starters were served and we were blown away with the Michelin Star quality of food in front of us. I went with the Seared Scallops served with Lapsang Tea Puree and Escabeche. The Scallops were cooked to perfection and the puree provided a slight smokey and flavoursome accompaniment which went beautifully with the light flavours of the Scallops.
For the Main Course I chose the Roast Goosnargh Duck served with Cucumber, Plums and Black Beans. The Duck was, again, cooked to perfection and the sweet plums with black beans and cucumber made the meat taste divine. The portions were not huge but with the amount of flavour we received we were both quite full after our Main Courses and had to hold off dessert for thirty minutes. We decided to try something that sounded light and fruity after our previous courses so we both chose English Strawberries with Champagne Jelly, Sorbet and Pistachios. It arrived on what could only be described as an Oyster dish with amazing flare and attention from every other table. We still managed to devour this and we were then ready to head back to our room to relax. The wine suggested was beautiful and paired well with each course.
We arrived back to our room to find that the turn down service was one better than any other. Our clothes that we had wore during the day and thrown on the bed were folded and put in the wardrobe, our phones were on each side of the bed and everything had been picked up off the floor and put neatly on the side. Some people may find this intrusive however we appreciated the extra touches and were surprised at the effort taken for a service that can easily be forgotten about.
After an amazing night sleep in the huge bed we were in it was time to order breakfast to the room. As Hambleton Hall is part of the collection with the Hambleton Bakeries all of their breads and cakes are made fresh and delivered from the bakery just nearby. All produce is also sourced locally and the quality shows in the taste. I ordered some Loose Leaf Tea, a Tea Cake, a Manchet, Grapefruit Juice and Eggs Benedict. Everything was amazing and I was very satisfied with not a bite-full left on the plate. Time to relax in the large bath and get ready to go home we were very disappointed to not be enjoying another night of luxury.
We very much enjoyed our stay, the staff and food were amazing and we couldn't fault anything about Hambleton Hall - hopefully we will return again one day! Let me know what your favourite hotels are in the comments below!
Hambleton Hall, Hambleton, Oakham, Rutland LE15 8TH Tel: 01572 756 991
Twitter: Hambleton Hall Hotel
Dinner, Bed and Breakfast was a complimentary gift however all opinions are my own.
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