Launch of Rush Hair

It is so much fun to attend parties and events due to the work I do, and last night I had the pleasure of attending a glamorous party in Liverpool. The VIP launch of Rush Hair and Beauty was an exciting occasion to mark the opening of the first Rush Hair salon outside London. Housed in an elegant double fronted space at 11-13 Ranelagh Street in Liverpool city centre, the salon is perfectly located for having your hair styled before an evening out in the city or an afternoon of shopping!
The opening of the new salon heralds a very exciting time for the Rush Hair team as they continue to embark on their journey of expansion.This opening cements the reputation Rush Hair has built up over the last 21 years as one of the UK's most exciting hairdressing franchises.
The party was a thrilling occasion with delicious food, free flowing champagne cocktails courtesy of Levels and live music from the talented girl band Ego.

Celebrities such as the legendary footballer John Barnes, Big Brother star Mark Byron, Hollyoaks actors and model and celebrity Amanda Harrington were in attendance to enjoy the evening which included speeches and demonstrations of the luxurious styling treatments which will be offered by Rush.

Hollyoaks actors enjoyed the party.

Natalia Valenza with Big Brother star Mark Byron.

The new Rush Hair salon will employ over 50 staff from Liverpool and the surrounding area. Andy Phouli Chairman of Rush Hair believes the launch is a huge milestone for the company. The opening of the first Rush salon outside the South will mark an exciting new chapter in the career of Natalia Valenza, the proprietor of the Rush salon in Liverpool. This exciting career move is a milestone for the expert hair colourist and veteran stylist who has an impressive career history. 

Model and celebrity Amanda Harrington posed with the fun Rush photo frame! 

I had a lovely time at the party, enjoying the music and drinks whilst we chatted to guests and watched the styling demonstrations. I am looking forward to experiencing the Rush service soon, and the treatments offered at the stylish salon will include everything from a basic restyle to a full Brazilian Blow Dry.

Renowned stylist Lorraine McCulloch and guest enjoying the party. 

The goodie bags  at the party were filled with an array of treats, such as free treatments, champagne, Kérastase and L'Oréal products. Guests enjoyed soaking up the atmosphere of the new salon which is designed in a cool and minimalist aesthetic with large mirrors, leather seating and a spacious open plan feel. 

Natalia delivered a rousing speech to mark the occasion. 

Legendary Liverpool and England footballer John Barnes with Rush Hair bosses. 

Model Layla Flaherty with Natalia Valenza 

Delicious wine and cocktails to celebrate the occasion.

Luxury goodie bags. 

Live music from girl band Ego got the party started! 

 I had the pleasure of meeting  football legend John Barnes! 

It was a wonderful occasion and I enjoyed the party so much, as did all the other guests. Rush Hair will certainly be a very exciting addition to Liverpool and the bookings are flooding in for the luxurious treatments offered at the plush new salon. 

What do you all think, would you like to pop in to Rush Hair for a treatment? As always I can't wait to hear your thoughts and thank you so much for reading this post! 

Rush Liverpool

11/13 Ranelagh Street

Liverpool

L1 1JW

http://liverpool.rush.co.uk/

0151 601 8581 

Until next time,

Camille 

xo 

Autumn spicy vegetable stew...

Meal planning and prep is something I have really been slacking on lately, I think when you lead a busy lifestyle and you are rushing around for work in the day you can be so tired in the evening that making a healthy and hearty home-cooked meal is the last thing on your mind. I am lucky enough to eat some amazing meals in restaurants, but I also love cooking which is something I have neglected of late. Cue lots of unhealthy take-away meals or quick sandwiches and salads, which I buy on the go. I do not claim to be an amazing cook, but I love hearty and simple meals such as lasagne, casserole and tagine. My Mum is an amazing cook and she makes incredible stews, curries, casseroles, pies and cakes (the list is endless!) she has always inspired my love of cooking and baking.

I decided this weekend that there is no excuse, if I am determined to turn over a healthier new leaf this Autumn and Winter, then I will have to get organised and buy my ingredients no matter how busy I may be. Making healthy and delicious meals in advance which can then be frozen, will take a lot of stress out of day to day life. When I come home from a busy day, it will be great to know that I have a nutritious meal ready to heat up and enjoy. I have plans to resume my beloved one-pot dishes which I have always enjoyed making so I thought I would share them with you.

First up, I thought I would share with you a recipe I have loved for a long time, which is spicy root vegetable stew. I adore this simple and hearty one-pot dish, which has a good kick of spice and is so warming and tasty on a cold evening.

You will need:
A large non-stick stockpot
Knives
Peeler
Chopping board
Wooden spoon

Ingredients:
One onion

3-4 medium carrots

2-3 medium parsnips

One medium swede

2-3 large potatoes

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 bay leaves

1.5 litres vegetable stock 

2-3 tablespoons mild curry powder (depending on how spicy you prefer your food)

200g red lentils

Wash peel and chop vegetables. Heat the oil in the pan over a medium heat and fry the onion until softened, then throw the chopped vegetables in and sprinkle the curry powder and seasoning over the top. 

Stir thoroughly so that vegetables are coated in the curry powder, then pour the vegetable stock over the top. Stir again, then pour in the lentils. 

Bring to a boil for a few moments then reduce the heat to a simmer add the bay leaves, and cover the pan. Leave to gently simmer for about 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally to ensure that the lentils do not stick to the pan. Remove bay leaves before serving. 

Here are a few of the ways I like to serve this versatile dish: 

Simply serve it alone in a bowl, with a sprinkle of grated cheese and a slice of  rustic bread.
Serve with wholegrain rice and drizzle a little sour cream over the top.
Serve with stone-baked ciabatta bread and a selection of cheeses.
Serve with rustic style potato wedges and dipping sauces such as sour cream and chive and sweet chilli.
Serve with a jacket potato on the side, with a little cream cheese. 

Wine pairing: I served this with a fruity Australian rosé with plenty of berry notes. I find that this stew also goes well with a bold red wine such as Shiraz or Merlot. 

This simple and delicious dish makes a great main course served with side dishes, or a quick and tasty lunch served alone in a bowl. It is easy to make and it costs next to nothing for the ingredients, to make a giant pan which can then be frozen into portions once cooled. Voilà, a healthy and enjoyable ready meal which you can get out of the freezer after a busy day and make in to an amazing dinner in no time. Do you all have any amazing one-pot dishes which you can recommend for me? As always, I can't wait to read your thoughts and thank you so much for reading this post!

Until next time,

Camille 

xo 

Heavenly pizza at Urbano 32

You all know by now that I am lucky enough to enjoy some wonderful fine dining in the course of the work I do, and I feel truly fortunate to enjoy the amazing cuisine I am able to experience, but there are some days in life when only good old pizza can really tick the gastronomic box! We are of course talking wood-fired pizza for preference, which is always best devoured whilst having a long heart to heart with a good friend. That exact scenario was the one I was lucky enough to experience this week when I met up with my good friend Hana ( who has an amazing blog) we have been trying in vain to get together for a while but missing out due to diary conflicts, so we were delighted to finally get together on Tuesday for a much needed catch up.

We decided to go to Urbano 32 at long last which is an Italian restaurant described as pizza/bar/social, a place I have been keen to try. Urbano 32 specialises in amazing pizza baked in a clay oven at temperatures over 500c with a sourdough base. I was early to lunch and I was warmly welcomed by the friendly team and seated at a comfortable booth where I was served delicious infused water whilst I waited.

In between chatting at length, we managed to consult the menu and we both decided on tomato, mozzarella and basil pizzas despite being tempted by the amazing specials of buffalo mozzarella sandwich, fusilli rusticana and penne arrabbiata. 

The pizzas were astounding when they arrived, we marvelled at their sheer scale and I of course  took about fifty photographs before we even got around to trying the food! Oh my goodness, what a revelation! This is exactly what pizza should be like, rather than the stodgy and heavy American style pizza served up by many high-street brands, this was classic Neopolitan style pizza with a soft and doughy base and light, sharp tomato sauce which was so Mediterranean. The mozzarella was perfect and a single basil leaf was a delicious finishing touch. 

Of course, we were not contented with merely these planet sized pizzas (!) since it was a full catch-up session after not having seen each other for so long, we deemed that it was therefore an occasion to push the boat out, so we also ordered two sumptuous side orders of pan fried green beans, with breadcrumbs, butter & parmesan shavings and garlic and rosemary roast potatoes.

garlic and rosemary roast potatoes 

The sides were as deliciously irresistible as the pizzas and although  I am usually not keen on green beans these were the most wonderful I have ever tried, with an amazing crunch from the breadcrumbs and an extra touch of decadence from the parmesan. The garlic and rosemary roast potatoes were crispy and fluffy perfection, exactly what a roast potato should always be!

pan fried green beans, breadcrumbs, butter & parmesan shavings

You know the drill by now, and dessert time loomed without frankly even the shadow of a doubt that I would end up ordering something sweet to round off an epic meal. Luckily Hana felt the same, so we dived in with an order of amaretto tiramisu and a baked raspberry cheesecake. I sampled the tiramisu which was so sinfully rich and boozy. Sheer wow factor on a plate.! I meanwhile loved every bite of the baked cheesecake and the limoncello syrup elevated the dish to the next level! 

 Amaretto Tiramisu 

Baked raspberry cheesecake with Limoncello syrup

We washed our meal down with one or two glasses of excellent house white wine and plenty of laughter and good conversation. I always think the mark of a great lunch is when it lasts a couple of hours and this one certainly did! I had an excellent time at Urbano 32 and it was a lovely meal with friendly service and perfect food. The staff were very pleasant and could not oblige me quick enough when I asked for the WIFI code. It is just little touches like this which take a meal to the next level, and the wood fired pizzas will definitely have me coming back time and again. Urbano 32 certainly deserves its reputation for amazing pizzas and it is a fun and welcoming place to dine in Chester.

What do you all think, would you like to enjoy some wood fired pizza at Urbano 32 ? What topping is your favourite on pizza? As always, I can't wait to hear your thoughts and thank you so much for reading this post!


URBANO 32
32 Bridge Street
CHESTER
CH1 1NQ

http://www.urbano32chester.co.uk/

 01244 311487



Until next time,


Camille

xo

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