Jo Malone: Sugar and Spice Launch

On Friday I was kindly invited to the Jo Malone Sugar and Spice Launch. An afternoon of sampling the new limited edition fragrance collection, papering at the tasting bar, sipping Champagne and indulging in Macaroons how was I to resist? Accompanying me was one of my closest friends Polly, who had no idea about attending until I told her over lunch before the launch. 

On arriving at the Brighton boutique we were greeted with glasses of bubbles and plates of Macaroons, created by Julien Plumart to accompany the scents of the Sugar and Spice collection. You can imagine the excitement of two girls at two thirty in the afternoon. 

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We were left to admire our surroundings of the candy colored afternoon tea inspired merchandising of the collection, before being whisked of to the tasting bar. 

Taking up our stools for more bubbles and Macaroons before being enlighten into the creation and inspiration behind the colognes. A French Master in Perfumery Christine Nagel, who spent years sampling the finest of deserts to select just five to transform into a cologne, bringing taste and texture through smell. 

We were introduced to each cologne in a very particular and strategic order which allowed us to savor the depths and fullness of each cologne. 

Firstly we were introduced to Lemon Tart, a tang of sparkling citrus fruits and verbena, contrasted with swirls of meringue and lemon thyme. This initially blew us away, you could almost taste the smell of that zesty tang you get when tucking into a fresh lemon tart. However this was nothing compared to what we were about to discover. 

Next we were to sample Redcurrant and Cream. This was heavenly, The sharp juices of blackcurrants  strawberries and raspberry's rippling through a creamy musk. For a second I forgot it was dull, grey and cold outside and instead was lost on a summers evening tucking into a summer fruits pudding. I now favored this over the Lemon Tart, it was more wearable and i'm such a summer girl.

This was quickly replaced by Elderflower and Gooseberry the most earthly and fresh out of the collection. Oozing with summer green juices from the gooseberries and lychees. So tender and feminine. This was nothing compared to what was to come with the final two colognes. However this was my favorite from the collection as I was unable to taste the smell as for me I couldn't wear something I could taste. 

I love Ginger and though ally enjoy baking a good ginger bread man and ginger biscuit. This presented something that I have never experienced before through the sense of smell alone. It smelt like my kitchen after opening the oven doors to a tray of freshly cooked biscuits as the smell of the melting caramel wafted through the ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon you could taste the buttery, crumbly texture with roasted hazelnuts, warmed by tonka beans and vanilla. 

It was hard to believe that I wasn't stood in my kitchen at home baking and that actually I was sniffing a small piece of card. The way this plays with your senses in incredible and finding something that does the same is going to be hard if not impossible. 

Finally we were presented with Bitter Orange and Chocolate, the strongest sent of them all which smelt the most edible out of them all. This was like having a Terry's Chocolate orange put under your nose dusted in dark chocolate coco power. The scent was incredible however for me to edible and not something I would wear. 

With our senses going crazy we slipped off our jewelry, rolled up our sleeves and indulged our hands and arms in the new colognes. 

Our hands and arms were massaged with our everyday moisturiser, Polly's being English Pear and Freesia and myself Blackberry and Bay. Our massages were finished off with a combination of Elderflower and Gooseberry and Ginger Biscuit. 

After our glasses had been topped up and every flavor of Macaroon sampled we left the boutique feeling truly pampered and relaxed, smelling divine and clutching our purchases ready for summer to finally surface.

Thank you to the Brighton Boutique for such a lovely event. 

The Sugar and Spice collection is available now in the boutiques or online at Jo Malone. But remember its limited edition and some have sold out online already. 

Julien Plumart is a French tea lounge serving traditional French cakes, pastries and Macaroon’s tucked in the Dukes Lanes in Brighton. Having opened just several weeks ago they have already well established them selves and serve some of the most amazing pastries and sandwiches I have ever tasted. Not to mention the most amazing and varied flavored Macaroons. I am a huge fan already and have made myself a regular. 

Happy Pancake Day.

So what better day to let slip to you my favourite breakfast recipe for the most healthiest pancakes I know than on pancake day itself. 

There's no need for milk, flour, sugar and the rest, just one egg and that one other secret ingredient..... A banana. 

Now you must be thinking how will that work and how will they stay together but trust me. If you've seen my numerous Instagram posts of variations of the recipe then you'll know it works and they come in at just 170 Calories a batch. 

So here you go... get the kettle on as they wont take you long (2 minuets prepping and 5 minuets cooking if that).

Step one:
Peel, dice and then mash the banana into a cereal bowl.
Doesn't matter what consistency you mash your banana too. It can be lumpy where you can tell its still banana or complete mush and look more like baby food.

Step two:
Crack the egg into the banana and mix together so the yoke is broken.

Step three: 
Heat a small amount of oil or margarine into a frying pan. Keep the heat on low as you don't want the to cook too quickly so they blacken on the outside before being cooked in the middle.

Step four: 
Here you have the choice as to whether you want mini pancakes or giant ones.
For mini use a large serving spoon and spoon the mixture into the pan or if you want giant ones pour half the mixture into the pan.

Step five: 
As the they cook and the edges lift slightly so the mixture isn't stuck to the bottom of the pan flip it over and lightly cook the other side. The first side will take longer than the second so be careful not to let them over cook.

Step six: 
Plate them up and garnish with what ever you fancy.
I always top mine with soya yogurt as its so light and keeps the Calories down and then with what ever else you fancy.

Here's some ideas:
- Forest fruits.
- Apple and cinnamon.
- Banana and honey.
- Layer them with jam.
- Grapes and coconut.

Or if you fancy being a little bit naughty or want them served as pudding:
- Peanut butter and banana.
- Raspberry and chocolate chips.

 Soya Yogurt with winter berries and honey.

(above and below)

Soya yogurt, sliced banana and peanut butter. 

Blueberries and banana. 

Blueberries, Grapes and coconut and vanilla Greek yogurt.

Melon, Strawberries, Blueberries, soya yogurt and cinnamon. 

Steamed apples, cinnamon and winter berries. 

What a better way to start the day.

Happy Breakfast

Chanel Has Delivered Spring To My Nails.

What better way to write a post on the beautiful new Chanel 2013 Le Vernis spring colours than snuggled up with two hot water bottles, peppermint tea, BBC Africa on and waiting patiently for my nails to dry.

First things first you'll never see my nails in anything other than Chanel.

With the winter starting to become too much for me and the need for summer to hurry up and get here the lovely girls at my local Chanel counter brightened up my winter depression by telling me the spring colours were soon to be out on 18th of January.

I had a couple of weeks still to get through so on getting home I instantly set out online to find out what these colours were. Unfortunately my excitement that carried me home quickly left me. Emprise and Fracas looked like last years Frisson and Distraction an Accessorise the same as the signature Rouge Noir.

From working within the fashion industry and knowing the upcoming trends it was not what I expected and thought they had played it far too safe with the choice of colours. I wasn't going to let it get to me and went with the thought that my bank card could do with the little saving. However that thought did not last long.

I was lucky to preview the new colours the night before they officially launched and left that evening with the colour Fracas at the top of my thoughts. A vibrant pink that was actually the exact tone I was after, not at all similar to last summers Distraction which has a coral tone to it an sines from pink to coral depending not he light. This was hot, vibrant, gorgeous pink.

The following day I gave in to myself (it doesn't take much) and found myself walking home from work clutching the small silk rope handles of a Chanel bag.

Nothing is more exciting than throwing your work bag down, cooking something yummy to eat knowing that upstairs there's a small white bow waiting to be undone that's holding together your latest purchase.

I snuggled down with the latest glossy magazines and set about manicuring my nails. On prepping my nails I realised I had painted one nail with Emprise while the girls wrapped up my purchase at the counter and now the more attention I gave the colour the more I feel in love with it and actually it wasn't at all like Frisson in the slightest. It didn't have that glitter shine going through it and it had more orangey tones to it than pink. It was pretty and girly so subtle and soft.
My nails were going to need this spring colour as well.


A girlie weekend approached and with my girlie Amanda we left the counter together both clutching a bag each (I am the worst person to go any where near a Chanel counter with, you will walk away with a small purchase or two).


Thank you Chanel for another beautiful collection of nail colours as well as some beautiful make-up pieces that will be making there way into my make-up bag before I know it.

One easy way to my heart is a small pot costing £18 in a pretty colour tied up in small white bag with black writing with black silk rope handles tied with a ribbon bow and you've won me over.

The trio of colours are available now at Chanel counters at £18 each, be sure to snap yours up soon though as they are selling out quickly.

shhhh!
But Fracas and Emprise are limited edition.

A Girly Get Away. Part 2.

I woke Sunday morning to utter stillness. The sun was pouring in through the gaps in the curtains, a warm breeze softly blowing through and the only noise was that of a Cuckoo. We sat in bed sipping on tea and gossiped some more until our tummies rumbled for breakfast. Craving fresh croissants we hopped out of bed threw on our summer dresses, scraped our hair on top of our heads popping on a splash of lippy as we raced out the front door grabbing the over sized sunglasses and headed out for breakfast. 

We wandered the food quarters in Blue Water eyeing up the fresh bread in Carluccio's, pastries in Café Concerto and yummy cakes at the ButterCup counter. By which point we had past breakfast and our tummy’s were going to need more than a single croissant to fill them.

We headed out onto the terrace of Cote and sat in the mid day sun with breakfast cocktails. Yes they have a specific breakfast cocktail menu, we ordered the Mimosa which was Blanc de Blanc brut with fresh orange juice.

Breakfast cocktail Mimosa.

Amanda ordered the smoked salmon with scrambled eggs and I the breakfast complet, which consisted of a pain au chocolate, yogurt pot and fruit salad. 

Brunch- Smoked Salmon and Scrambled Eggs, Breakfast Complet.

Feeling full and hot from the mid day sun and having not expected such lovely weather neither of us had packed bikinis so we headed inside on bikini mission so we could get home to spend the afternoon in the garden with the Sunday papers that were awaiting our return. 

10 minuets later we were heading back to the car each with a small H & M bag, stopping by Boots for the important sun cream and Carluccio’s to pick up food for dinner. 

We lay in the late afternoon sun reading the Sunday papers with a bottle of elderflower until the sun dipped behind the trees and we headed inside with slightly sun kissed skin to prepared dinner. Showered and dressed we pulled up the bar stools and sat down to salad and olive bread followed by dark chocolate and hazel nut brownies, Almond and Blueberry cake and strawberries and cream washed down with a cup of tea. 

Not wanting to really leave but with the evening setting and a 2 hour journey home needing to be made for work the following day I said my goodbyes and  headed for the train station. I sat on platform still with the sun shinning feeling completely relaxed and content. 

It was the best spontaneous weekend away and now as the sun sets on Tuesday were still coming down from the weekend but very much looking forward to the next. 

A huge thank you to Amanda’s lovely grandparents for inviting me to stay for the weekend.