EOS Lip Balm

 

I'm some-what late to the party in discovering these eye-catching lip balms after seeing them around the blogosphere for several years. Intrigued by the shape & the claims of super-soft lips, when I came across the tubs of coloured EOS eggs in the Selfridges beauty hall I knew that I had to try one.

After a quick sniff of the testers I went for  the 'Sweet Mint' Tiffany-blue option. It's a cooling (slightly lip-tingling) minty balm with a subtle, sweet scent. To me it smells like Christmas. At £5.99 they aren't extortionate & you get heaps of product for your money. The smooth spherical packaging & balm is a different spin on the usual pots/tubes/sticks of lip-balm found on the market.

In terms of lip moisturising abilities they fare pretty well, not the best lip balm I've ever tried but it keeps your lips nicely soft & hydrated for a couple of hours. They contain 100% natural ingredients, paraben-free & packed full of vitamin E & shea butter. The sweet minty flavour is even sweetened with Stevia(a no-nasties natural sweetener)! 

Seeing as Christmas is right round the corner, I think that these would make a fun stocking-filler or secret santa gift for any beauty-junkie you might know. Find them here (with free delivery) or if you're based in London I recommend checking them out in the treasure trove of Selfridges Beauty Halls.

Harriet x

Healthy Scones at Le Pain Quotidien

You don't normally associate afternoon tea with being healthy. Pastries, cakes & sandwiches with white bread are the usual offerings you expect to find on the menu. However Le Pain Quotidien have turned this typically un-healthy treat on its head with some of their surprisingly clean snacks. 

A few days ago after a blustery outdoors workout I was craving a big mug of mint tea to warm up & headed to LPQ to re-fuel. My workout buddy was going for their spelt toast with homemade jam & whilst I wasn't planning on ordering any food I couldn't resist this gem when I saw it on the menu. 

An organic spelt & quinoa scone with ricotta & rhubarb jam.

A healthy spin on a traditional cream tea without losing any of the delicious taste factor. If anything knowing something isn't so bad for me actually makes me enjoy it more. Spelt is a fantastic wholegrain that provides slow-release complex carbs, quinoa is packed full of protein, ricotta is a lighter alternative to cream without all the saturated fat (around 12% fat versus 60% in clotted cream) & the homemade rhubarb jam is tart rather than sweet. A pretty good post-workout meal with a good mix of the carbs, protein & sugar your body needs to replenish tired muscles & energy supplies. A pot of fresh mint tea made the perfect healthy accompaniment.

Although it is definitely a healthier option, it is pretty filling & I struggled to finish the whole scone. I definitely won't be heading out for one of these every workout(!) but as an occasional treat after a particularly gruelling session it's not bad! It is worth noting that although they aren't entirely gluten-free as they contain spelt flour, some people who are gluten intolerant can eat spelt without digestive issues.

London doesn't have many restaurants & cafes that offer healthy options like baking with spelt & quinoa so it's a great to know such an accessible chain has these cleaner, lower-glycemic options available! The next items crying out to be tried are the organic chia seed coconut milk pudding & raspberry crunola (an uncooked, gluten-free mix of sprouted buckwheat, golden berries & seeds) parfait with cashew butter.

Harriet x

Loving Winter

Things that are making me happy this November;

1. Flowers

I normally think of flowers as a summer treat, this probably has a lot to do with my obsession with peonies, bluebells and forget-me-nots. Out of my pastel comfort-zone, I have discovered some very pretty winter blooms that have been brightening up my house recentlty. An in-expensive bunch of flowers is one of those simple pleasures that always puts a smile on my face.

2. Dog Walks

Sometimes having such a big energetic dog can be hard work, rain or shine he needs roughly three hours of walks a day. All the crisp, sunny weather we've been having recently has been perfect for lovely long dog walks. I've been really enjoying layering up with lots of knitwear and a cosy scarf, discovering new walks with him. Coming back home with rosy cheeks, slightly numb hands feels satisfying and all the fresh air makes you feel so good in what can be quite a depressing month with the newly shortened days.

3. Cosy Pyjamas 

 

I love pulling on a pair of pyjama bottoms like these when I'm just around the house or in for the evening. This tartan pair happen to be from Primark and cost just £4! They are so soft and cosy, and for the price I didn't feel guilty buying a few different designs.

4. Red Cups

I don't know why but the red Christmas cups at Starbucks make me so happy! I know I'm not alone either judging by the pictures/tweets flooding my social media ever since the infamous red cups arrived. My winter drink of choice is a peppermint mocha, far from sin-free but less sickly sweet than some of the other seasonal options. I discovered them last year right around Christmas-time so they bring back very festive happy memories. Heaven in a cup.

5. Christmas Lights

In the last couple of weeks most of the Christmas lights have gone up around London and our city looks so pretty. My favourite lights are the ones around Sloane Square where subtle twinkling snowflakes adorn every tree, and Covent Garden, which I mentioned here and is so Christmasy it could be re-named Christmas Town.

6. Berry Nails

I have always preferred darker nail polishes, especially of the deep berry/plum/red variety. La Moss by Butter London has made a welcome appearance on my nails this week, I'm so impressed with the colour pay-off and consistency that I can see it being my go-to shade for the rest of the winter season. The application is so smooth and easy, pretty much opaque after one coat (almost black after two) it is a perfect vampy red. With a Seche Vite topcoat I haven't had a single chip in four days.

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Let me know if you're enjoying winter & feeling festive already!

Harriet x

Life Lately; Borough Market, Covent Garden & Shake Shack

I love reading these kind of day-in-the-life posts on other peoples blogs so thought I would give one a whirl & share a lovely day I had around London earlier this week.

Having started my day very early with a sunrise workout near London Bridge, I found myself with a free morning in what had turned into one of those gorgeous low lying sun-filled days with bright blue  skies.

Being around London Bridge means one thing to me, Borough Market & Monmouth coffee. We arrived at the market just as it was setting up & it was really relaxing to wander around without all the hustle & bustle of the crowds.

We grabbed a couple of cappuccinos & sat on the benches outside Monmouth making the most of the sunshine.

 

The stalls that seem to open the earliest are the fruit & veg sellers. I was in fruit heaven & would have bought a whole baskets worth if we had been heading home straight after.

Instead I got some delicious antioxidant packed blueberries to have as a post-workout snack. 

We were heading into Covent Garden to pick up something from the Apple Store & since it was such a beautiful day we decided to walk. It's only about thirty minutes from London Bridge & a beautiful route along the Southbank, across Blackfriars Bridge, past Somerset House & onto The Strand. Doing things like this really makes me appreciate living in London as normally I would just jump on the tube & miss out on seeing how beautiful the City can be.

 

I can't get enough of those autumn colours! I have developed a slight obsession with the changing leaves this year.

After queuing for a lifetime at the genius bar, we left the Apple Store feeling like we deserved some lunch. There was one place I've been wanting to try out for a while, & seeing as I had already done a workout that day... It seemed a good time to try Shake Shack.

Located inside the piazza of Covent Garden market, the whole place was looking extremely Christmasy with huge red & silver baubles hanging from the arched ceiling of the market. 

 

The frozen custard & shakes sounded (and looked) amazing but I wasn't feeling quite indulgent enough for one that day. I love idea of the little doggy section on the menu! I might have to return before Christmas & buy Ajax some red velvet dog biscuits.

 

We both went for the shack-made lemonade, Daniel ordered a triple SmokeShack whilst I got a single ShackBurger & fries. The burgers looked very appetising with lots of fresh salad poking out of the bun & overall we both really enjoyed them. My only complaint would be that the cheese sauce is a little artificial tasting. The chips were really good, super fluffy inside, light & non-greasy. For me Shake Shack doesn't compare to Honest or Patty&Bun for a really amazing burger but it did have the advantage of being a lot less filling & without the queues of Honest & P&B it's better for a quick bite to eat.

To walk off our lunch we had a long wander round the markets & up to Seven Dials. Covent Garden is probably the most Christmasy place in London, they really go to town on the decorations & you just can't help getting in the festive spirit after spending an afternoon here.

After lots of window-shopping & planning Christmas presents we hopped on the tube home in time to walk Ajax just as the sun was setting & the sky turned the most wonderful shade of pink.

Harriet x

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