The weather has all of a sudden gone from mild to bloody freezing down here on the coast, and I for one am embracing the cold weather by way of knitwear, eggnog lattes and central heating.
Something I’ve avoided wearing for a couple of winters now are tights - they just seem a tad frumpy, and as I reach for a pair of jeans most days, they aren’t needed. But, now I’m trying to get back into wearing cute dresses and skirts (and was fairly successful with this over the Summer months), I’m starting to dabble in throwing a pair of tights on, and as I’d rather not have a dash of hypothermia with my new-found love of dresses and midi-skirts, I’m going to have to get back into wearing tights for the next few months.
I’ve tried a few brands out over the last couple of weeks, and my favourites are from the Pretty Polly Curves range - perfect for my wide hips and bum, these have a matte look finish with a touch of cashmere.
Who said tights have to be associated with frumpiness? These ones are perfect, comfortable, and make me feel a little chic. I think throwing on a dress could become a common thing for me.
*Dress and tights were gifted by JD Williams. But all words and opinions are my own
From city to beach, Coney Island is a little break from the craziness of Manhattan. An hour on the Subway, and simple to get to, it's a perfect trip if you want to escape the intensity of city life.
Hotdogs from institution, Nathan's, Mai Tai's from Place to Beach, watching other tourists brave the rides and locals top up their tans on the beach. It's a great place for people watching.
I’ve lived in Brighton my whole life, and over the last few years, the restaurant scene has massively boomed. OctoberBest, Brighton’s premier restaurant festival is returning for its third year, bigger and better than ever.
Between 5 to 21 October, an extended selection of Brighton’s best restaurants will participate in the
festival, offering a variety of £20 menus, special discounts or one-off events featuring dishes
and dining experiences created especially for the festival.
festival, offering a variety of £20 menus, special discounts or one-off events featuring dishes
and dining experiences created especially for the festival.
OctoberBest reflects the quality, wealth and diversity of Brighton's restaurant scene, with stunning Sussex seafood at The Salt Room, The Urchin and English’s; flame grilled meat at The Coal Shed; and inventive small plates and fantastic wines at Fourth and Church and Plateau.
The festival will also feature gastropub dining at the recently refurbished Ginger Pig; modern European cuisine at Semolina; cracking Italian food at Cin Cin; and cutting edge vegetarian food at Terre a Terre.
Photo: XDB Photography
My favourite Brighton restaurants are all on the list, with highlights including a series of sold-out 64 Degrees pop-up events where chef and owner Michael Bremner and head chef Michael Notman-Watt will be going back to the roots of the restaurant to serve a menu that will illustrate ‘how it all began’; zero-waste restaurant Silo’s Ambrosia menu which chef Douglas McMaster says is ‘a twist on ‘the food of the gods’, championing wild ingredients, unknown ingredients and nose to tail that are often not given the attention they deserve’; and The Set’s Fill Your Wellie Boots menu that includes a selection of the restaurant’s creative small plates such as rabbit bao, carrot slaw, tofu, green chilli and Beef cheek flatbread, tahini, XO sauce, all with vegetarian alternative options. 
The Chilli Pickle are offering up a mysteriously titled The Nizams of Hyderabad, the ever-popular Bincho Yakitori have pulled out the stops with a generous offering of salmon sashimi, oxtail harumaki, grilled skewers, fried rice with kimchi and green tea ice cream with sesame cookies. Not to be outdone, The Gingerman are offering a sharing feast for two people of Lancing College Farm rare-breed pork Tamworth/Berkshire cross to include roasted loin, black pudding ballotine, confit belly, crispy croquette, crackling and accompaniments, and finally, my absolute favourite, Little Fish Market are offering a £20 tasting menu, that has been so popular it sold out on the day it went live.
An excuse, if any for a little visit to the seaside, and a total win for us Brighton residents!
For all the details of the offers and how to book go to www.brightonsbestrestaurants.com.
It’s here! Drunk Elephant is finally launching in the UK. Maybe you don’t know who Drunk Elephant is, but that’s fine as I’m here to give you the low-down on the brand.
Drunk Elephant is the brainchild of Tiffany Masterson. Launching in 2014, and sparking a brand-new category of skincare that she calls clean-clinical. Not only is Drunk Elephant an incredibly effective skincare line, the brand is committed to using only ingredients that either directly benefit the skin’s health or support the integrity and effectiveness of our formulations. You won’t find what they call the “Suspicious 6” in their products (heads up, these are; Essential Oils, Drying Alcohols, Silicones, Chemical Screens, Fragrance/Dyes and SLS,) making them, in their opinion, appropriate for all skin.
However, it’s not been exactly easy to get your hands on their products unless you live in the US (I've been smuggling it back from Sephora for a while), my first experience with DE products was when I visited Sephora on a trip to the US at the beginning of the year. Yes, the price point of the products is on the high side, but I promise, they’re totally worth it, and with it being the fastest-growing skincare brand in Sephora’s history, and remains its best-selling skincare line, you know it’s got to be good, right?
I’m definitely not the first to preach about the brand, and as I’ve been lucky enough to road test some of their products over the last few months, I thought I’d share my Favourite Drunk Elephant products on here.
In the past when I’ve tried a number of products from the same beauty brand, there are usually some real winners that have me recommending them to anyone that will listen, and some that didn’t have me jumping for joy. With Drunk Elephant I can honestly say that all the products I’ve tried so far have all been winners…
T.L.C. Framboos™ Glycolic Night Serum
12% AHA/BHA
This night serum helps refine and resurface skin to reveal a smoother and more radiant looking complexion. I use this serum every other night before bed, mixed in with my Protini Peptide Lotion.
C-Firma™ Day Serum.
(15% l-ascorbic acid a.k.a. vitamin C, 0.5 ferulic acid and 1% vitamin E)
Packed with vitamin C, this will brighten and firm skin instantly. It’s got the power to shield skin from environmental aggressors such as pollution. This is in my everyday skincare routine, and I honestly can say I can’t live without it now! Plus, the airtight packaging ensures that the ingredients stay effective for longer. Super clever, right?
Virgin Marula Facial Oil
I use this twice a week, usually when I’m having an at-home facial. This oil in its purest form is rich in omegas 6 and 9. It’s high in antioxidants, which help moisturise, nourish and rejuvenate skin. A total cult product from the brand, and worth the price.
Protini™ Polypeptide Cream.
This moisturiser is brilliant. It’s loaded with skin firming and hydrating amino acids, alongside antioxidant plant extracts and emollient, non-irritating plant oils — It’s a shot of protein for your face. The high level of peptides and amino acids help to improve the skin’s tone, texture and firmness, too.
I use this morning and night, mixing it in with either my C-Firma Day Serum or another serum I may be using.
Lala Retro™ Whipped Cream
A whipped moisturiser containing a blend of six African oils to lock in moisture and brighten skin. It’s an all-purpose rescue cream. I find this quite heavy on my skin, so I save it for when I need some super moisture added — usually when I’m travelling. I think this will come in handy even more in the super cold months as well.
B-Hydra™ Intensive Hydration Serum
Think of this as a cool glass of water for your thirsty skin. This product is ultra-hydrating, replenishing nutrients, visibly brightening and improving the appearance of skin texture and tone, whilst delivering intense skin hydration throughout the day. I use this when my skin needs a super dose of moisture — mainly when I’m flying! The travel sized product of this is perfect for taking on flights with me, and mixed with the LaLa Retro Whipped Cream they are the super couple of moisture for your skin.
D-Bronzi™ Anti-Pollution Sunshine Drops
I LOVE this product! Fairly new to the DE family and to my skincare stash, this gives you a lovely bronzy colour and natural glow. Think of it as a suntan in a bottle, but without the sun damage, or even the fake tan smell. I put one pump of this into my moisturiser, and I don’t wear foundation or a tinted moisturiser on top. I’ll definitely be using this a lot in the cold winter months when my skin is pale and I’m craving some holiday sun.
PSA: "D-Bronzi™ is a mixer and is way too concentrated to be used alone, Add a drop or more to any of your serums, moisturisers, sunscreens or the DE Virgin Marula Oil for an all-over sunshiny glow on face and body.”
There you have it; the low-down, the 411, the in-the-know.
I’m totally drunk in love (couldn’t resist)
Launches 3rd October.
The days are getting shorter, temperatures are dropping and the air is becoming drier. Autumn has well and truly arrived!
But while cosy jumpers, central heating, pumpkin spiced everything and hot chocolates might be on the horizon, the cooler climes don’t necessarily mean good news for our skin. Autumn is the best time to refresh and repair your skin by correcting any summer damage and preparing your complexion for winter with the help of your skin care.
But while cosy jumpers, central heating, pumpkin spiced everything and hot chocolates might be on the horizon, the cooler climes don’t necessarily mean good news for our skin. Autumn is the best time to refresh and repair your skin by correcting any summer damage and preparing your complexion for winter with the help of your skin care.
Getting the hydration your skin needs is even more important when the weather cools down, and the central heating goes on. I always find that going out in the cold, and then being indoors with the heating on, can really zap the moisture out of my skin. Luckily, there are a whole host of skincare products specially designed for this purpose.
Below are a few little Autumn skincare tips for ensuring your skin is in tip top condition ready for the months ahead. If you travel a lot like I do, then take a peek at my in-flight beauty skincare regime post for tips on what to use and do when traveling
Cleanse
I never change up my cleansing - no matter what time of year it is. This step, and the products I use rarely change, with me taking my makeup off with Micellar water, and then going in with a double cleanse.
Exfoliate
After hours in the sun your complexion can begin to look dehydrated and sallow, so it’s important to get rid of the dead damaged cells. This way, your skin will be prepped to absorb more moisture and improve the effectiveness of nourishing products.
Moisturise
The heatwave we had this Summer (it feels so long ago now!) can cause serious dehydration so the moisture needs to be strengthened before the dreaded winter rears its head. If you have dry skin already you really need to knuckle down that hydration to stop your skin from getting flaky, so opt for a cream specifically designed to prevent moisture loss. Ingredients like hyaluronic acid are perfect for locking in extra hydration, so look out for products with this in.
For those with oily skin, applying a heavy cream can feel a little too much. But that doesn’t mean you should skip this step in your skincare routine. Try a light moisturiser instead, with an oil-free formula. This means your skin will still benefit from additional moisturising come winter.
Lips
The effects of the sun's rays combined with the onset of biting cold weather (adding in office / shop aircon and heating systems to this as well) can leave you with dry, chapped lips so investing in the right lip balm is key.
As lips lack the waterproofing outer layer that skin has they’re so much more sensitive to moisture loss. When purchasing a lip balm, look for ingredients like Beeswax and shea butter which will prevent and repair chapping.
There you have it - a little skincare update for Autumn, and I think I've just planned the perfect night in for you- I'm thinking sofa, blankets, a cosy jumper, candles and all the skincare for the best at-home pamper evening.
I have a couple of other skincare posts coming to the blog VERY soon, so look out for them!
I have a couple of other skincare posts coming to the blog VERY soon, so look out for them!
“Heavenly Bodies” is the largest exhibition ever offered by the Met’s Costume Institute and was organized by its curator, Andrew Bolton. It runs from its dedicated downstairs hall to the Byzantine and medieval galleries and into the Lehman Wing; it then continues at the Cloisters, the museum’s serene home for religious art in Upper Manhattan. Most of the designers here were or are Catholics, including historical figures like Elsa Schiaparelli, Cristóbal Balenciaga, Christian Lacroix and Yves Saint Laurent, and active designers like Jean Paul Gaultier, John Galliano, Raf Simons and Maria Grazia Chiuri.
“Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination," is on until October 8th at The Metropolitan Museum of Art and The Cloisters.
One of my favourite things to do in NYC is walk the streets. Every corner is full of colour and talent.
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