RikRak at the Ham Yard

I recently stayed at the Ham Yard Hotel which is perfectly located right in the heart of the hustle & bustle of London’s theatre district. It is just minutes away from New Bond Street, Regent Street, Carnaby Street… and as the list goes on, I think you can tell it is the ideal place for shopping. The Ham Yard is part of the Firmdale Hotel group which is renowned for giving guests an experience filled with luxury and style from start to finish.

FullSizeRender-1.jpg

If you stay at the Ham Yard, you MUST try the afternoon tea as it is simply delicious. Another recent purchase, due to the Ham Yard giving me the chance to discover a sudden love for another type of tea, is the Bourbon Vanilla loose leaf tea. I couldn’t leave without finding out how to order this for myself. It is from mycupoftea.co.uk and I really recommend it.

edit afternoon tea.jpg

One of the things I love most about staying in a hotel is discovering the products they use. I think you can tell a lot about a hotel just by looking at the products that they leave in your bathroom for you to enjoy.

RikRak is Firmdale’s exclusive in-room bath collection. We were given soap, shampoo, conditioner, body wash and body lotion. So of course, I had to try them all.

I could tell that the hair products were gorgeous but when I didn’t have enough time to blow dry my hair (as I was in a rush for dinner), it would normally be a recipe for disaster as my hair dries flat naturally, but it didn’t. In fact, I think my hair looked the best it has done for a long while. What made it even better was that the products were lavender & eucalyptus scented. They are my two favourite smells put together. After I had tried these (and loved them), I started to think how soothing the scent would be to fall asleep to. It was almost like someone knew what I was thinking as when we returned from dinner, I found a lavender eucalyptus pillow, linen & room mist waiting for me to use. It is safe to say that I slept very well that night.

IMG_2285_Fotor.jpg

Just before we checked out the next morning, we realised that there was a RikRak wheatgrass bay candle in our room which we could choose to purchase. After smelling the stunning scent through the packaging, we decided not to miss out on this. I have been burning this candle ever since I returned home as I await the arrival of my full-sized RikRak products which I ordered as soon as I could.

IMG_2265_Fotor.jpg

IMG_2219_Fotor.jpg

img_2210_fotor

 

 

 

 

September Favourites

It seems to me that every month I somehow manage to find something new to be obsessed with…and when I say ‘new’, I mean it could have been around for ages but I have only just discovered its true worth.

As September has gone by SO quickly (I literally feel like I blinked and summer was over), I thought I would write a little post and chat you through the things I have been loving the most this month. As I have been loving a lot of different things, it was difficult for me to find just one category to put them in. So feast your eyes upon a bit of everything and maybe one or two will be in your list of favourites next month.

1. Sleep Well Balm

When I’m struggling to wind down this is the first thing I reach for. In actual fact, I don’t fall asleep now without applying a small amount of this to my pressure points. It makes me feel calm and relaxed instantly…and I never understood the whole ‘counting sheep’ concept. There is something so soothing about the smell of lavender. When I was younger I always used to put a couple of drops of lavender oil on my pillow every night to help me fall asleep, so when I heard about this (AND the deep sleep pillow spray which I have also been loving, but this balm is more of a newfound love), I couldn’t wait to get my hands on them. The balm is also so easy to keep with you in your purse or handbag. If stress starts to get the better of you while you’re out and about then this is super easy to quickly apply and will help you feel much calmer. It’s perfect for travelling as well (an essential for an over night flight).

Version 2

2Oribe Shampoo for Magnificent Volume

A couple of months ago I was in Space N.K on an unintentional shop, (we all know how this is going to end), when I came across this brand. I think it was the super luxurious packaging that initially attracted me to take an interest in it. All I had to do was open the lid and the smell sold it to me instantly. I knew I needed it in my life if my hair was going to end up smelling THAT good. Thankfully, I loved it and it does exactly what it says. I always look for as much volume and bounce as possible when buying a shampoo and this definitely does that. Sadly it is on the more pricey end and I did feel guilty spending that much on a shampoo… BUT you only need the tiniest amount as it is super concentrated and goes a long way.

shampoo

3. Arbonne Shape It Up Brow Pencil (Medium Brown)

I usually use a brown eyeshadow and an angled brush when it comes to my brows (pencils used to scare me). BUT after trying this for the first time I was completely hooked. The brow pencil glides on so smoothly which makes it really easy to apply. It also comes with a brow brush on the other end which means that blending is a lot easier and you can brush through your brows before starting too. The colour is perfect for my brows (not too dark and not too light).

IMG_1787_Fotor.jpg

4. Fortnum & Mason Hot Chocolate

I used to drink a lot of hot chocolate (I am a chocolate addict after all), but I soon started to find it slightly too rich and redirected my love towards tea. After receiving the ultimate Fortnum & Mason hot chocolate as a gift, I rediscovered my love. It was a colder night and my friend and I were having a night in. We were in the mood for a hot chocolate so I reached for this and we went all out. On the tin it says… ‘For a more luxurious experience in a saucepan heat 120ml of milk, 40ml of cream and a drop of vanilla’. It was heavenly. Honestly. The downside is that I’ve been completely spoilt now and will only want this one as it really is divine.

hot choc.jpg

5. Dior Addict Lip Glow Color Reviver Balm

I was so intrigued about this product when I first heard that it creates a completely unique shade on each person’s lips. It does this by bringing out your natural lip colour by reacting to the moisture level of your lips. I purchased the pink shade straight after trying it as I loved the colour it turned my lips (a rosy pink shade). I use it as a lipstick as I love how it gives such a natural, glossy look but you can also use it as a lip primer. It is soo moisturising and I absolutely love the packaging – a typical dior look -so girly!

img_1781_fotor

6. Pana Chocolate

If you hadn’t noticed already, I’m obsessed with chocolate. I have such a sweet tooth and chocolate is my weakness. But, along with loving chocolate, comes the feeling of guilt. SO when I heard that there was a healthy chocolate out there which supposedly tastes amazing too, I couldn’t order it fast enough. I ordered three different flavours to try; Mint, Coconut & Goji, Sour Cherry & Vanilla (there are lots more but I thought I’d try these flavours first). I wasn’t sure how an organic, vegan, raw chocolate with no refined sugars could actually taste good but I promise you it does. I absolutely love them and they are the perfect alternative to a normal, unhealthy chocolate bar…AND you don’t have that horrible guilty feeling afterwards…which is a pretty good bonus. Essentially all that’s in them is cacao powder, coconut oil and dark agave. The mint flavour is my favourite and I definitely recommend it. The packaging is so cute as well (I love the little mascot on the box). I will definitely be ordering more of these soon!

7. Bridget Jones’s Baby

I waited SO long for this to come out and when it did I was in that cinema straight away. In my opinion, it was the best one so far (and that’s saying something)! Renée Zellweger is still amazing and I definitely wasn’t complaining about the new addition… Patrick Dempsey. I haven’t watched a film in such a long time where my (non existent) abs ached afterwards from hysterically laughing so much and this definitely achieved that. All I’m going to say is… hospital revolving doors. If you’ve seen it you’ll understand. And if you haven’t then what are you waiting for?!

This leads me into another one of my favourites…Vue cinema in Cambridge. The new seats are AMAZING. They have completely revamped them. It’s literally like having your own comfy reclining sofa with a foot stool, head rest and a table for your popcorn. It really is the best… although sometimes you can hear the occasional snores as people have dozed off.