What I am loving lately...

It’s funny because when I was growing up I was such a tomboy. When other girls were already buying make up, I was still going out horse riding and just enjoying country life. It was not until I left home to go to Leeds University aged 18 that I really developed an interest in makeup and beauty products. Now I am still a tomboy at heart but I love to look as glam as possible for my job and especially for a night out. When I go home for the weekend I let my skin have a breather and I don’t usually wear much make up. I think now I am getting older I find looking after my skin really pays off and every so often I like to share with you some of the products I like at the moment. 

I love the Garnier Micellar Water, it removes all my make up in a few moments and leaves my skin clean and refreshed. There is also a sensitive version too. Primark is a store where I love to pick up beauty goodies and I bought a Manuka Honey hand cream lately which is divine and perfectly handbag sized. I always buy their anti-bacterial hand wipes too which are so handy and the sweet vanilla and coconut candle is a lovely everyday candle to burn especially now autumn is approaching. 

Oh my goodness, my poor hair is so frazzled and dry from my obsession with ombre that lately I have begun to despair. I get lots of compliments for my ombre hair and I just love it, but the only downside is dry and damaged hair from the regular bleaching. In light of this straw hair scenario (!) I have been trying as many different shampoo and conditioner combinations as possible. Recently, I invested in the Garnier Ultimate Blends Honey Treasures ‘strength restorer’ range and I just love it. The honey scent is addictive and the shampoo works to a rich lather which is gorgeous. I use the 1 minute treatment to restore my hair then apply the matching serum before blow-drying. Whilst my hair is not yet restored to the texture of silk, I have noticed a vast improvement in how glossy and manageable it has become. Result! 

I am so lazy when it comes to moisturising my body, and I have found just the alternative to spending ages slathering on cocoa butter and waiting for it to sink in to my skin. Recently I invested in the Vaseline Spray and Go body moisturiser with oat extract.  This sinks straight in to your skin and there is no faffing around waiting for it to dry, which can only be a good thing when you are busy! The Gilette Venus with Olay razor is my go-to razor. It leaves skin silky and the Olay moisture bars lessen the need to use a separate gel. 

I get through a lot of eye make-up remover, due to my addiction to wearing lots of Maybelline mascara! Lately I have been loving the Boots Essentials cucumber range, and I invested in the eye make-up remover gel, facial toner and eye gel. These are absolute bargains, gentle on skin and have a nice cucumber fragrance. I use the toner after cleansing and I love the eye gel which has made a difference to my tired under eye area.

I just can't get enough of the Twinings Lady Grey tea at the moment, this tea is really vibrant and awakening with zesty orange and fragrant notes, in fact I’m off to make another cup after I finish this piece! If you love chocolate (and frankly who doesn’t ?!)  I suggest you run to the store this instant and treat yourself to some of the Lindt Hello my name is Salted Caramel. I think  treating yourself to some  relaxation time is so important when you lead a busy life and what better way to relax than to sit in the garden with some chocolate, a cup of tea and  a good book. Lately I have rediscovered Barlen Pyamootoo, a talented  writer from Mauritius who writes very evocative prose. I love his book Bénarès which I studied when I was a student at Université de Caen in France, so it holds great memories for me. 

So that is everything from me for now, please tell me what you have all been loving lately. As always, I can't wait to hear your thoughts and thank you so much for reading this post!  

Until next time,

Camille 

xo 

At the Hollows...

I love to find new places to eat and I was recently fortunate enough to check out at the Hollows, a fairly new eatery in Hoole, Chester. The Hollows aims to bring back a convivial style of dining which allows people the chance to really relax over a meal, engage in a conversation and take their time truly savouring the experience of eating out. The menu has an emphasis on the popular small plate style of dining and there are many mouth-watering options available on the menu which is split into sections for meat, salads, vegetarian/vegan and fish.

The Hollows is a stylish restaurant which is decorated in a cool way with eclectic and bohemian furnishings such as chandeliers, feature wallpaper and hand woven floor rugs.

As soon as you walk in, the enchanting ambience of the restaurant engulfs you and your eyes are immediately drawn by the large oyster bar where oysters are served fresh to you. There was a pleasant hubbub in the restaurant when we arrived, with diners seated by the windows which had been thrown open to let the air in on the warm and sunny evening. 

Delicious aromas of food filled the air as we settled at a cosy table and took our time perusing the menu with the help of our lovely waitress who was on hand to talk us through the menu. We were advised that we could order a few small plates to start off with then order more later on, or that we could order everything at once. We decided to order everything at once because we were tantalised by the delicious options on offer! 

I enjoyed a crisp glass of Italian Novita Trebbiano whilst we nibbled on fresh bread with oils and decided what to order.

First to arrive was a delicious portion of toasted hazelnuts with paprika salt which were a piquant delight. Next we feasted on seared Halloumi, with a prune and herb pesto followed by carrot, coconut and lime with violet potatoes, which was a sensation.

Halloumi

Carrot coconut and lime 

The toasted focaccia, tomato and pepper tapenade was topped with scrumptious mozzarella and this was a dish I could have happily eaten all night! The combination of bread and cheese is hard to beat and this was just delicious with freshly baked focaccia and mountains of mozzarella! 

Focaccia

We had spied poutine on the menu and I loved the Hollows spin on this classic French Canadian dish, which consisted of chicken with crispy potato, roasting juices, spring onions and Gruyere. This was an inventive take on poutine and it was lighter than the usual poutine dishes I have tried due to the use of lighter roasting juices rather than a thicker gravy.

Poutine

We found room for sesame and honey glazed chicken wings, which were juicy and sweet and there was a nice chilli kick to them which was lifted by a zing of fresh lime juice.

Chicken Wings 

Patatas bravas with alioli was yet another inventive dish, with a lovely spice to the bravas sauce which was given a refreshing injection of flavour from the alioli and spring onion. 

Bravas 

You can’t come to a restaurant as good as The Hollows and not be intrigued by the desserts, and I chose well by ordering dark chocolate, coconut and Bacardi pave with coconut cream, which was rich and decadent.

My dining companion enjoyed a lovely white chocolate and Chambord panna cotta with honeycomb and crème fraiche.

After so many wonderful goodies, we were extremely lucky to be treated to an additional dessert of red wine poached pear, caramelised almonds, liquorice ice cream and lemon crème fraiche compliments of the talented Chef Parth Bhatt. Thank you Parth for treating us to this added dessert which was simply a revelation, I am now addicted to liquorice ice cream!  

We had an amazing evening at the Hollows and we adhered to the whole ethos of the restaurant by taking our time over the meal, soaking up the atmosphere and chatting whilst we enjoyed the sumptuous food. I  could see that so much thought had been put in to the creation of each dish, and everything was sublime from the flavours to the presentation. I would recommend at the Hollows to anybody who enjoys delicious food in a relaxed and cosmopolitan environment. The staff were all extremely friendly and helpful and they welcomed us like old friends and made us feel so at ease. It was a superb evening and I felt as though I had been transported to le Marais district of Paris, such was the relaxed and European feeling created by the food and the setting.

What do you all think, would you like to settle down for an evening of small plates, excellent wine and animated conversation at The Hollows?  Which of these dishes would you eat first?

As always I can't wait to hear your thoughts and thank you so much for reading this post! 

at the Hollows 

20 Charles Street

Chester

Cheshire

CH2 3AZ 

01244 310245

www.atthehollows.co.uk

Until next time, 

Camille 

xo 

Afternoon pampering...

Hi everyone, I hope that you are all well. You know those times when everything in life gets so busy that you feel almost that you do not have a moment to yourself? Well that is how things have been for me lately and although I have enjoyed being so busy writing and travelling here and there, it was the perfect timing yesterday when I was able to go for an afternoon of luxurious pampering at Beauty and Holistic Lounge. The salon is located on the historic Water Street in Liverpool, just a stone's throw from the Town Hall, so it is the ideal spot to head to for some pampering when you have a night out in the city planned! I was booked in for a blow dry and a shellac manicure so I headed along looking forward to relaxing.

I was warmly welcomed and offered a choice of drinks before I was given a tour of the salon by the lovely co-owner Lisa. Beauty and Holistic Lounge is stunningly decorated with chandeliers, crushed velvet booth seats and luxurious themed rooms which offer a choice of treatments such as chocolate scented waxing!

There is a variety of treatments on offer at the salon such as waxing, spray tans, HD Brows, non-surgical facelifts, hair colouring and styling. I was so impressed by the range available and I think that I will be popping in frequently from now on!

My treatments started off with a blow dry, my hair was washed and conditioned with luxury L'Oreal salon shampoo and conditioner which felt so soothing and smelled amazing. I could have happily drifted off to sleep I was feeling so chilled out! Next it was on to the blow dry itself and I could not wait to see what the results would be. My hair is naturally wavy but over the years I have become expert at blow drying it straight at home. I have never had the famous 'curly blow' which is so popular in Liverpool, so I decided to choose that, because I always wear my hair straight usually.

I watched captivated as my experienced stylist expertly began to section off my hair and blow dry each section in to a soft wave using special ceramic brushes which are left in your hair momentarily in order to hold the style.

 Bit by bit, my dry and unruly hair was transformed in to a silken mane which would have impressed Rapunzel herself... all I needed was a handsome prince! My stylist and her colleagues complimented my ombre hair, but I explained that the only down side to ombre hair is that my hair feels dry and damaged from the bleaching at the ends. Nevertheless, I was thrilled by my soft and bouncy locks after the blow dry, my hair went from straw to silk, what a result! I will definitely be back again soon, my hair was so full of volume and I felt like I was ten years younger which is always a good thing!

The stunning finished blow dry.

The finished hair and nails.

Next it was time to get my nails done, so I chose a beautiful vampy dark red colour similar to the Chanel Rouge Noir everyone went crazy for years ago. I was given a Shellac gel manicure which is so good because it lasts for two weeks without chipping, smudging or fading. I have never had a gel manicure before and the technician talked me through every step whilst I sipped a lovely cup of coffee.

 I was thrilled with the effect and it looked so glossy, rich and pretty. I just could not wait to show off the results! I just cannot recommend Beauty and Holistic Lounge enough, the staff were so friendly and helpful and they made me feel really welcome and chatted to me throughout my treatments. I was delighted with the results and I left feeling years younger and thoroughly revitalised by such a wonderful experience.

What do you all think, would you like to relax and enjoy some pampering treatments at Beauty and Holistic Lounge, and would you have your hair dried in to the famous 'curly blow'? 

As always I can't wait to read your thoughts and thank you so much for reading this post! 

Beauty & Holistic lounge

8 Water Street, 

Liverpool, 

L2 8TD

   

0151 227 4727

www.beautyandholisticlounge.co.uk/

Until next time,

Camille 

xo 

Beautiful jewellery from Zuso Clothing...

Hi everyone , I hope that you are all having a good day. Every now and again I love to share a fashion and style post with you all and I was recently sent some beautiful jewellery from Zuso Clothing* which I just could not wait to share with you. The set I received was a necklace and earrings. I will be incorporating the earrings in to another upcoming outfit post, but last night I had the chance to wear the necklace to a party at The Botanist in Chester. These are bold statement pieces, which look so pretty because they are set with large iridescent stones which seem to change colour as you move. I decided to pair the necklace with a few items I love, a long dress and sleeveless blazer from River Island and a simple clutch bag from Primark. Zuso is such a fresh and directional clothing boutique and it stocks a wide range of cutting edge designers so that Zuso customers are always at the forefront of fashion. The hot labels available from Zuso include Lavish Alice, Neon Rose, Unique 21 and Dahlia. 

I just love how these beautiful pieces sparkle and how pretty the stones are. I think if you wear statement jewellery like this with a simple outfit, it can look really stylish and chic. I think statement necklaces are such a great trend and they can make even a t-shirt and jeans look really dressed up. I am loving the current trend for sleeveless blazers so I would recommend throwing a sleeveless jacket or blazer on with your statement necklace to make your outfit look even more pulled together.

The Zuso team analyses fashions and selects the best stock from global labels to remain on-trend. All the labels are handpicked and there are so many gorgeous pieces in the online store.  Check them out as there is something every fashionista will want to own!

I am looking forward to styling the earrings which match this necklace, I think they will look amazing with red lipstick and sleek hair, so watch this space for me featuring them in an upcoming outfit! I love the fact that Zuso is bringing boutique, designer fashions to fashion lovers and best of all the prices are affordable and the items can be ordered at the touch of a button and delivered quickly which it makes it ideal for when you need to find a cute outfit for a special occasion! 

 

The perfect accessory on a night out is a Zuso necklace...and a large glass of Pimms!

So what do you all think, how would you choose to style a statement necklace like this and do you own anything similar? I love the way some great jewellery can lift an outfit to the next level and I can't wait to wear this necklace again because I got so many compliments on it the first time I wore it. There are some stunning pieces on the Zuso store, such as capes, co-ordinates, printed shorts and dresses, which are perfect for a night out or to wear during the day. 

So that is everything from me for now, as usual I can't wait to hear your thoughts and thank you so much for reading this post! You can check out the amazing pieces Zuso have to offer at zusoclothing.com

Until next time,

Camille 

xo 

*Disclaimer

I was sent these items on a complimentary basis for review purposes, all opinions expressed herein are my own and honest.