Muriel's Kitchen

A couple of days ago Harriet & I met up for a pre-work/gym breakfast. We had both been wanting to try Muriel's Kitchen in South Kensington for ages after spending many mornings ogling over the sumptuous looking cakes that they always present so beautifully in the window. 

After having a little peruse of the rather sexy looking menu Harriet decided on Eggs Florentine & I decided on Eggs Benedict...

   

My eggs were absolutely gorgeous with perfectly runny, orange egg yolks. I loved the cutesy decor complete with quaint chicken print plates that truly made me feel I was sitting in Muriel's actual kitchen.   

And of course I couldn't help myself eyeing up the mouthwatering selection of cakes and as if I wasn't full enough from the breakfast feast I walked out with a (gigantic) slice of red velvet cake which I ate later...and it was delicious!

Hope you enjoyed the post, and mainly the various food porn!

Have a lovely Sunday.

Izzy x

J.Crew Comes to the UK

This morning I happened to be across the road from the immense new J Crew store on Regent Street. Today is actually the first day the store was open to the public & the colourful gem-filled emporium beckoned me in from the rain & grey.

As I had a quick browse I couldn't help delving into the jewellery & cashmere rooms, yes whole rooms dedicated to trinkets & snuggly cashmere in every shade you could dream of. A beautifully decorated fashion-junkies dream, with modern-art lined walls & vintage sofas scattered about, it is a lovely place to kill some time.

A little pricer than the average high-street shop, it is definitely Christmas wish-list material & this beautiful charcoal grey duffle coat went straight to the top of mine. The slightly shrunken silhouette gives a smarter, modern update on the cosy classic design & I love the grey colour-way.

Colourblock Duffle Coat £350.00

The perfect coat to pair with my winter uniform of jeans & ankle boots (though I wouldn't say no to one of their jewelled necklaces either!)

Harriet x

Winter Skin Cleansing

I've been really enjoying Autumn this year. Getting up most days to crisp sunny weather, wrapping up in big tartan scarves & sipping hot chocolate on long dog walks. Unfortunately a downside to the dropping temperature is often that our skin gets quite abused & products that were fine for summer are no longer keeping up.

 

I have definitely noticed this in the last couple of weeks with my skin getting pretty dry on my forehead & cheeks. Taking this as my cue I have begun updating my skincare routine, making the transition into the winter months with richer more hydrating products.

First up; cleansers! I find using a rich cleansing cream or balm to be the most effective step in maintaining good winter skin. It preps your skin with a good amount of moisture & removes any dead skin or flakes that can make applying makeup later-on a nightmare!

So far I've picked up two new cleansers the illustrious Emma Hardie Moringa Cleansing Balm & the Naturally Radiant Brightening Hot Cloth Cleanser from Superdrug. So far I've been using the purse-friendly Superdrug option, anticipating the more potent Emma Hardie will be better served for when the temperature truly plummets.

So far I've been so impressed with the £5.99 Superdrug find. I've used (& loved) Liz Earle's Cleanse & Polish in the past & think that this holds its own against the multi-award winner. 

A thick, rich textured cream with a natural botanical scent it leaves skin feeling baby soft, clean & nourished. I don't ask much more from a cleanser!

It's also worth noting that I have pretty sensitive, combination skin, prone to redness & irritation. This doesn't aggravate my skin in anyway & actually feels calming & soothing. A big thumbs up from me, I'm very happy to find such an affordable & effective product!

I'll let you know how I get on with this in the coming months & also the results of the EH cleansing balm. 

What are your winter skincare must-haves?

Harriet x

NARS One Night Stand Cheek Palette

Its been a long time since I've been really excited about a new beauty purchase. So enamoured with this release I made a slight detour to my nearest Space NK the day it came out & got my hands on one before they even had them out on display. I've been pretty restrained with makeup purchases this year so I happily handed over the £45 without guilt.

I've always wanted to try NARS 'Orgasm' & 'Deep Throat' blushes, so to have them both in one palette, plus a bronzer, highlight & two bonus blush shades it was an easy sell for me. Each shade is right up my street, very natural & perfect for giving you a little helping hand creating that glowing healthy complexion.

(top left-right) Devotee highlight, Mistinguette blush, Orgasm blush

(bottom left-right) Laguna bronzer, Deep Throat blush, Goulue blush

Devotee is a warm champagne highlight with quite a glossy finish, it would double up as a fantastic brightening eyeshadow. Mistinguette the bright pink is a lot like MAC's 'Well Dressed', a cool toned pink that is far more subtle on than it looks in the pan, incidentally I've worn the MAC dupe almost every day for the last two years. Orgasm is the peachy pink shade with golden shimmer. On the bottom row there’s the famous Laguna bronzer which I've never actually owned having purchased the darker shade 'Casino' years ago during a tanned period. Deep Throat the paler peachier take on 'Orgasm' is my favourite so far, easy to wear & very flattering. Finally Goulue the berry pink is the most pigmented of the bunch & will be great for creating a rosy Winter glow.

The palette is a Space NK exclusive & judging by previous NARS limited editions it's sure to sell out pretty fast. Find it here & take care of your blush purchases for the next couple of years!

Ps. If you need some help justifying the £45 price tag, just tell yourself/ partner/ Mum that it works out at £7.50 per blush. That's much less scary isn't it :)

Harriet x

Deer Stalking

I don't know what it is about this time of year that makes me want to go on walks. A couple of Sundays ago my Mum and I decided it was perfect Autumnal weather for a stroll amongst the deer in Richmond Park.

I went suitably dressed in country-esq attire. I channelled my inner Scot with these tartan leggings and Arran Knit cream jumper both from Asos. I paired this with a bowler hat from H&M that I wear constantly at the moment and my Black Nike Air Max 1s. Perfect for a bit of deer spotting!  

I couldn't help taking some arty snaps (or at least attempting to) of the lovely chopped down trees and logs that scattered the landscape with their beautiful colours. 

In perfect timing, before it started to rain, we took shelter in the Cafe. I had a cream tea with an Earl Grey...delicious but almost heart attack inducing! Cue sugar coma!

We then rolled sleepily back into the car - a perfect day had. Hope you enjoyed the post!

Izzy x

Isabel Marant x H&M Wishlist

This is the first H&M designer collaboration I've coveted enough to contemplate getting up at the crack of dawn & queuing for just to get my hands on a few pieces of the fashion action.

The collection is typical of the effortless chic of the Parisian fashion house, with many of the key pieces paying homage to Marant's mainline bestsellers, (think a slouchy boy-meets-girl vibe, Navajo prints, fringing & classic tailoring).

Many pieces have already been pictured on a list of celebrities, in particular this sheer patterned dress (above left) seen on Rosie Huntington-Whitely is sure to be one of the first items people through the H&M doors make a bee-line for.

My shortlist (as sadly I have a budget) goes as follows;

 

 

(Top left- right)

Shoes- I adore these embellished pumps, I think they would look great with jeans if you're going out for cocktails or a slinky dress for Christmas parties.

Gold Tank- I wear these sort of tops all the time, really simple but smart enough to wear to a nice restaurant/ bar. Again you could definitely dress it up or down, a great item to have in your fashion arsenal for a last minute Christmas/ New Year outfit.

(Bottom left- right)

Sweatshirt- A great basic, I love the design & colours on this sweatshirt. Perfect to brighten up one of the all black/grey outfits I live in during the winter. 

Wool Cardigan- This snug cardi might be my favourite item, it's actually from the mens/teen boys collection (don't forget to check the teen range out as it has some gems in it significantly cheaper than the adult line) I fell in love with it after I saw it on model Alek Wek, I know I will live in this on chilled days with jeans & ankle boots.

View the entire collection here & put the 14th November in your diaries! I'm going to be braving the weather & the fashion crazed ladies that morning with Suzanne from i make it fashion so we can take it in turns to do hot chocolate/ coffee runs in the queue.

I'd love to know if you have your eye on any of the collection & if you'll be queuing up on the 14th!

Harriet x

Winter Style Inspiration (SATC)

I have pretty much every episode of Sex and the City sitting in iTunes on my laptop. Every now & then I'll go through a phase of watching a few episodes a day whenever I have a little bit of free time. I was having one of these very enjoyable & addictive series-bouts recently, reliving the wardrobes of the nineties/noughties and couldn't get over how relevant & wearable the outfits still are. My SATC style inspiration mostly comes from Carries's more casual layered looks, paired with the ubiquitous tousled curls & flushed cheeks.

These are my favourite Carrie looks for Autumn/Winter. I love how quite often she wears a neutral palette of black, sludgey greys & taupes but has a pop of colour coming out from her accessories, be it a bright red umbrella or purple scarf. Even though the series ceased filming almost 10 years ago you can spot many current trends for this seasons fashion in the images below.

    

       

I'll leave you with this little gem; Carrie & Samantha doing THE A/W13 trend circa 1999. Pastel coats SATC style.

  

What's your favourite SATC outfit?

Harriet x