Jubilee lunch

This week, my lovely colleague Laura (of Lost & Found fame, and always full of good ideas), proposed we had a merchandising department picnic-lunch on Friday, to celebrate the Jubilee and the end of work for [at least] four days.

It's truly amazing what you can do with 24 hours and a department full of girls who, in short, love food. We sabotaged a meeting room, stuck up some bunting and for a good hour forgot about our spreadsheets and dug in.

My homemade sausage rolls and asparagus twists got a good seeing to, addis a whole host of other British picnic treats - Quiche, cold meat, fresh bread, British cheeses, Victoria sponge (of course), fresh fruit - the list goes on.

If you're stuck for something to do over the long weekend, take note - grab your friends & a few bits from your local supermarket deli counter, spread out a tablecloth (or picnic blanket if the weather improves) and enjoy yourself!

The M&S Jubilee packaging got us in the spirit

Three of us in the office confess to a love of pork pies...
and yet we still felt we needed this many

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Review: Chanel Holiday

This week played host to one of my favourite days - pay day. It was also my last week at work before I hop over to France for a while, so I thought I should combine the two and treat myself to a little pre-holiday pressie, and what better than one of Chanel's latest Le Vernis offerings - Holiday - perfectly named for my impending jaunt across the channel!

A wonderfully punchy orange/red, this colour is just perfect for bright summer days and long, balmy nights. It fits with the majority of my summer wardrobe - it's brilliantly nautical with stripes, almost patriotic with blue and adds a punch to monochrome. I can also imagine it clashing brilliantly with some of my bright printed dresses. 

As with all Chanel polishes it goes on easily and provides full colour. I religiously always add two coats, but it looks fine after just one.

The pictures don't do it justice - I haven't managed to capture the orange half as well as I'd liked. This is more what it looks like in real life:

Isn't it beauts! What's your favourite holiday polish?

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Asparagus Twists

These puff pastry twists are quick & easy to make and are a new way to get the best out of the British asparagus season. Perfect for any Jubilee parties, picnics or lunches over the long weekend, these will be enjoyed by vegetarians & carnivores alike (tried & tested), and adding heaps of parmesan & freshly ground black pepper gives them a second dimension.

Will make 20-30, depending on how many asparagus spears you get per bunch. You'll need:

- One pack of ready-rolled puff pastry (you can make your own, but it's time consuming & pastry is one of the few things that shop-bought, isn't much different to home-made)

- two packs of asparagus

- fresh parmesan (never the pre-grated stuff, it's dry and tasteless)

- black pepper

- one egg

Preheat your oven to gas mark 7, (about 200°C), or a little lower if you're one of the lucky ones with a fan oven)

Start by unrolling your pastry onto a wooden board, discarding the hideous blue plastic wrapper. With a sharp knife, cut the pastry in half across the middle. Then cut into strips vertically, count your asparagus spears to determine how many strips you need.

Grate a pile of parmesan into the centre (as much as you like - the more the better) and then spread it around so it's evenly distributed across all the strips, & then grind black pepper over the entire sheet.

If by this point your pastry is a little warm (test this by trying to pull a strip off the board; if it sticks, its warm) then pop the board into the fridge for about half an hour. This makes it easier to wrap the spears without the pastry tearing. 

Prepare your asparagus by rinsing & drying, & then breaking the ends off. You'll then need to brush a little egg wash over both ends of each strip of pastry - this will help it stick in place once wrapped around the asparagus. 

Then just wrap the strips around the spears - the trick is to twist the spear, not the pastry, so the parmesan stays in place. They pastry strips will look too short to go around, but they'll stretch as you wrap them. I like to leave the very tips showing, to keep them looking pretty.

Give each one a coating of egg wash (this makes them a lovely golden brown colour), then assemble onto a baking tray.  

Bake for about 10 minutes, until they're the aforementioned golden brown colour.

I usually knock up a batch of Lorraine Pascale's incredibly easy sausage rolls while I'm at it - perfect for picnics, it'd be rude not to!

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Topshop's formal jogger; you complete me

For the last couple of week's I've been desperate for a pair of printed trousers, but haven't been able to find that illusive perfect pair.

They were either too bright, too dull, too busy, too sparse, too casual or too smart. I was beginning to think I'd never find any, and gave up hope of spending my summer days in printed glory.

Enter Topshop and their poppy printed 'formal jogger' - busy print, but monochrome to keep it toned down, jogger shape (drawstring waist, always a winner) but polyester to stop them from looking too casual, turned up at the bottoms for a carefree summer feel. I could go on, but I've already been far more gushing than one should ever be about a pair of trousers.

Top, Trousers & Shoes | Topshop

Perfect with many an item already in my wardrobe - heels, loafers or sandals, white tee, coloured blouse or black leotard, at just £35 they provide multiple outfit options at, in my eyes, a pretty amazing price.

Topshop Co-ord Poppy Print Joggers | £35

I've since found they also offer them in a coloured, Navajo-style print, and am tempted to purchase these too when payday finally comes around - now I've dipped my toe into the pool of printed trousers, I'm ready to take the plunge!

Morph Native Joggers | £35

What items are next on your summer shopping lists? Next on mine - the Statement Necklace.

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Summer in the city

After a long, rain-sodden spring, the sun finally came out last week, turning what had been a pretty miserable London into a glorious hive of sun-related activity.

Everywhere you look, people are getting together and making the most of the soaring temperatures; family rounders tournaments in the park, friends gathering for post-work cider, and practically everybody you encounter is in a fabulous mood.

Here's how I spent my week in the sun - how did you spend yours?

Work lunches in Cavendish Square are an absolute must

Oxford Street's ready for the Jubilee

A post-work cider in the park

Admiring the newly renovated Cutty Sark

Pre-eurovision party bubbles

Leon Raspberry Lemonade is a summer afternoon must

Admiring the view from Greenwich park

 The Hilton Skybar terrace - 'top of the hill living' indeed

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Burberry Brit White Capsule Collection

This week, Stylist's daily email Emerald Street invited all its readers to a shopping evening at the Burberry Brit store in Covent Garden, where they unveiled their new White collection.

A slick evening filled with champagne, canapés & an in-house dj, we mosied around the store eyeing up the spring collection. Unfortunately, none of us were in the market to be making any purchases, but their tasseled leather key fobs definitely caught me eye.

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OOTD: for the first real sunshine of 2012

This week has been, in short, glorious. The sun has been out & in turn, so have we - spending every free second in that small patch of sun-filled grass might seem a little silly, but after the spring we've had my goodness we deserve that vitamin D.

Working in an office can become a little [more] depressing when the wether turns good, but, ever the optimist, for me it means lunch in the park, money's worth out of my sunglasses & a chance to wear my most beloved summer outfits.

Dress | H&M - Belt | H&M - Bag | NW3 by Hobbs - Shoes | Topshop
My favourite summer accessory - Raspberry Lemonade | Leon

The maxi I picked is now two years old - an oldie, yes, but a goodie. My absolute fav (and completely copied from a friend - she knows who she is), it's perfect for working a head-to-toe print without being overwhelmed by colour.

What items do you rush for as soon as the sun comes out?

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A weekend in the country

Last weekend, after one hell of a week at work, I was able to spend the weekend at my parent's home in Bollington, Cheshire. It's the perfect place to get away from the city & relax for a weekend but, ironically, I only ever manage a visit when I have people to see or things to do.

It was rare, then, that I got to spend a weekend there doing as close to nothing as is probably possible. Apart from a birthday lunch for my Granddad, the biggest event in the calendar was the nap I had afterwards. Or maybe the evening spent guessing 'whodunnit' watching Gosford Park.

Sadly, I don't live here.

We also managed a walk before Sunday lunch (a beautiful leg of lamb courtesy of Mother Simon), and wandering through the fields and around the streets of the village I grew up in made me realise how connected I am to it, and that despite all those teenage years of wishing I was somewhere better, cooler, busier, I'm completely in love with the place and am happy I grew up there. I always took for granted the quiet, and the space, and the way in which it's almost impossible for me to feel stressed while I'm there.

...or here

I returned to London relaxed, revitalised and felt ready for anything, and as it proved to be such as effective way of recharging my batteries I've promised myself I'll make more time to spend there. No excuses.

...or here.

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Review: Clarins Lotus Face Treatment Oil

Since I was about 14, I've been using the same sorts of products on my skin. I've had oily, blemished skin for as long as I can remember, and to combat it I began using anti-oil, anti-regreasing, anti-blocked pore, anti-spot solutions day in, day out. I was never faithful to any specific brand or range - they never worked well enough for that - but I was faithful to the idea that stripping oil from your skin is the way to go.


A few weeks ago, I was stopped in my tracks when I learnt that actually, it's the exact OPPOSITE way to go. After yet another recommendation from Sali Hughes, I started researching Clarins facial oils. These apparent wonder products are the first thing ever made by Jacques Courtin-Clarins and remain unchanged in formula today. According to Sali, their Lotus facial oil is perfect for re-balancing combination skin - desperate for a solution to my problems, I headed to my nearest beauty hall to seek the advice of those super-groomed, red-jacketed oracles.

I was horrified to learn that, although oily, my skin was incredibly dehydrated. Prodding and pulling my skin, my consultant showed me how what I thought were open pores on my cheeks were actually lines due to dryness. Horrified, I made a few purchases and ran home to slather myself in moisture as quickly as possible. 


Since changing up my skincare I've seen some dramatic changes - although I suffered an initial 'change-of-products breakout' I'm through the worst of it and my skin is hardly oily anymore. Even as I write, I haven't had to re-powder all day; pressing my skin in its most problematic areas it's matte and soft. I didn't think it were possible, but it seems I've finally found my perfect skincare routine. 

It sounds almost laughable, but the concept of moisture was so foreign to me that I had to write myself a little running list to keep in the bathroom drawer.


Morning:

Clarins Gentle Foaming Cleanser with Cottonseed | the perfect way to create a squeaky clean base in the morning

Boots tea tree oil toner | the one 'anti-oil' product I just can't get rid of; removes grime your cleanser didn't

Clarins hydra-quench intensive serum | a glass of water for your face, this is so intense I've downgraded it to a weekly treatment rather than a daily dose of moisture

Clarins beauty flash balm | The ultimate instant beautifier, I can't get ready without it

Mac tinted moisturiser | as my good friend Orla once described it (whilst slapping it on during a bus ride with a hangover) "I don't look like I'm wearing make-up, I just look better"


Evening:

Botanics soothing eye make-up remover | a gentle, effective (& cheap) way to remove every trace of mascara whilst soothing the eye area
Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish | use at the end of the day with a towelling or terry cloth to wipe away the day's grime & makeup, as well as the day's stresses

Another dose of tea tree oil water

Clarins Lotus face treatment oil | as already mentioned, life changing

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Review: Nails Inc Neon & Nude Collection

By now, you've probably gathered I'm pretty obsessed with nail polish. Like many people feel about shoes, you can never have a fat day where your nails are concerned. When my nails are painted to my liking, I feel a million times better than when they aren't - prepared, pulled-together, a little more polished (really, no pun intended).

Top of my list for this season then was Nails Inc's Neon & Nude collection - a set of 6 mini polishes, three to take on the current trend for neon talons, and three to tap into the eternal chic of nude nails.

The shades (l-r)
Porchester Square | a wear-with-anything nude-grey
Cadogan Square | an incredibly sophisticated caramel
Jermyn Street | a lovely dark taupe
Portobello | a punchy neon orange
Notting Hill Gate | a brighter-than-you'll-believe pink
Westbourne Grove | a less showstopping, more stop-the-show, neon orange/yellow

I tried Notting Hill Gate for the nelly.com launch (it clashed brilliantly with my mint peplum) and wore Porchester Square all weekend long - its the PERFECT nude for spring. Unfortunately, Westbourne Grove (although lovely-looking in the bottle) comes out more of a faded yellow-orange and although a strong colour is surprisingly see-through (one person even asked if I'd painted it over a French manicure).

I'm desperate to try Jermyn Street, but cannot open the bottle for love nor money, so will have to take it in to the South Molton Street store & see what they can do. Cadogan Square is a wonderful rich caramel colour, sophisticated and subtle. I wore it solo for a day, and last night turned it into a half-moon mani with my new Barry M foil effect gold polish (which I highly recommend, and is part of Superdrug's amazing 3 for 2 across cosmetics offer) which received a LOT of positive attention in the office this morning.

Provided I can swap my unopenable Jermyn Street for one I can actually use, I'll be happy with my purchase - yes, Cadogan Square was a let down, but 5 out of 6 isn't bad!

What's top of your spring nail polish list?

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