My hair transformation at The Chapel Hairdressers

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Are you looking for a top-notch hair transformation? I was. A few weeks ago, I finally decided to do something about my hair to bring a bit of life and color back to it. My friend-Amy recommended The Chapel Hairdressers in London. Over the years, the salon has won over 30 business and consumer awards including being ‘Best London Salon’ (Islington) and ‘Best UK Local Salon’ (Tunbridge Wells). I decided to listen to my friend’s recommendation and give it a go.

History:

The Chapel is owned by  Amanda Dicker who decided to develop the unique Chapel experience a while ago. She started thinking about her own brand back in 1994 and during a sabbatical year to travel the world she experienced her ‘eureka moment’ that would later have a huge impact on her business. She realized the key factor that made one place more memorable than another, wasn’t its location or décor but the people and service it provided. She then decided to provide her clients with moments of great hospitality in the oasis of her salons. Amanda opened her first salon, Number 9 Colour & Style a year later. In 2001, Amanda was struck by the architecture of the old Baptist chapel that transformed Number 9 into The Chapel at Tunbridge Wells. Followed by the success, in 2007 a Victorian pub was converted into the Islington salon in London and in 2011 an old school house in Sevenoaks was a location for a third salon.

Location: 

The Chapel Hairdressers is located at 3 prestigious locations in UK: Tunbridge Wells (flagship salon), Islingon, Sevenoaks. In addition, international guests in Verbier can have their hair done in the stunning scenery of the Swiss Alps.

As I live in London, I decided to visit The Chapel located in the heart of London in Islington, just a stone away from a tube station.

Services: 

The Chapel‘s vision is to provide all its clients with the best experience possible. The salon vision is to assign the best expert stylists to collaborate in confidence on each guests new cut, colour and style using only the best hair products from the companies such as Redken, Kerastase, Shu Uemura, Olaplex and Purelogy.

Appointment:

I decided to refresh my hair color and when I contacted The Chapel a friendly receptionist invited me for a skin test which was scheduled for 48 hours before my coloring.

Before my skin test appointment started, the receptionist brought me a drinks menu. Whilst relaxing at the beautiful lounge, in no time I received some sparkling water and a mince pie. After a few minutes, I was welcomed by a friendly stylist – Sian. She listened about what I wanted to achieve during our coloring session. We had in-depth conversation devoted to understanding my individual requirements where she provided me with her expert advice and showed me some images of how my hair could look like. We agreed for me to have some highlights to brighten me up and bring out some natural color. After the consultation, Sian conducted a skin test and applied a couple of drops of hair colorant onto my skin.

My follow-up appointment was scheduled 2 days after the initial consultation. As soon as I arrived, Sian welcomed me and took me to the lounge to confirm my requirements and what I wanted to achieve.

In the meantime, a friendly receptionist offered me a drinks menu and as it was almost Christmas I decided to have some mulled wine. The Chapel has four areas for each stage of the visit Relaxation, Education, Service and Tailored treatments (REST). On ground floor there is a reception area, lounge, bar as well as a treatment area for washing, cutting and styling.

On the lower ground floor there is a washing / coloring area and a relaxing lounge.

We started my appointment by coloring so Sian took me downstairs and prepared: a gloss to bring out some richness to my natural darker tones and refresh them, as well as a solid lighter color to add some lighter tones.

Whilst Sian was applying the mixtures, we were talking about her background, Christmas and our holiday plans-it felt like we knew each other for ages. Once my hair colorants were applied, Sian invited me to relax at the lounge whilst my color was developing. In the meantime, she prepared a few ‘potions’ (Olaplex and Kerastase treatments) to minimize the negative effects of coloring and restore the health of my hair. After 20 minutes, when the color developed, Sian washed it off and applied the treatments to my hair. Once, my hair was washed, Sian took me upstairs to cut and style my hair. As I was going out after the appointment, she applied some loose curls to my hair. When she finished, I looked like a new me and my hair looked fuller, healthier and I really liked my highlights.

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Prices:

The Chapel prices are calculated by time rather than individual treatments and they depend on the chosen stylist to create a more flexible bespoke service to its Clients. It also helps guests understand the cost of each appointment in advance. My highlights and cut appointment lasted 3 hours, by Sian told me that women’s cuts average an hour, while more complex cut and colour treatments can last 2-3 hours or upwards.

Final thoughts: 

I loved ever aspect of my hair transformation appointment at the Chapel. Although, it’s not cheap, the salon offers a personalized service and my hair looked amazing so it was worth every penny. In addition, whichever stylist you choose, they will be with you throughout the appointment to answer any questions you might have. I am already looking forward to visiting again and seeing Sian as she’s been wonderful.

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If you are interested in booking your hair transformation, please visit The Chapel’s website:

https://www.thechapel.co.uk/

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Pauline

Holiday destinations: Singapore

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I have recently returned from my honeymoon and today I would like to tell you about the first destination I visited-Singapore.

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Singapore is the world’s only island city-state that is based one degree north of the equator, south of the southernmost tip of continental Asia and peninsular Malaysia, with Indonesia’s Riau Islands to the south. It is known as a global commerce, finance and transport hub.

What I found inspiring is that most Singaporeans are bilingual. There are four official languages on the island: Malay, Tamil, Mandarin and English.

We decided to see what the city has to offer by taking a bus tour and although, it is a nice, modern city it doesn’t have much heritage.

There were 100s of shopping malls so if you are planning to go on a shopping trip then you could add Singapore to your destination list. The prices of most items are higher than in UK though so change the exchange rate before you splash your cash 🙂

 

The highlight of my visit to Singapore was our visit to the Botanic Gardens. They were beautiful and I had an opportunity to walk in the rain-forest that is located in the middle of the city.

Top places that you should go to whilst in Singapore are:

  1. Botanic Gardens
  2. National Gallery
  3. Gardens by the Bay
  4. Singapore Zoo
  5. Little India

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I hope you enjoy reading this post!

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Pauline

Shopping in Queens Centre– the most diverse borough in NYC

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As some of you know I love shopping. I was in New York City over the Thanksgiving period and as a result I was able to do some Black Friday shopping. The options on where to shop whilst in New York are all but limitless. New York has some of the best department stores in the world, including Saks, Bloomingdale’s and Macy’s and countless Fifth Avenue boutique shops. I was advised by my friend to go shopping in Queens Center and I really enjoyed it. I love shopping and for all the shopaholics among us, a destination filled with shops, boutiques as well as eateries to escape the busy hustle and bustle of shops sounds like the ideal day out. Well for me, it certainly was as I left my husband at the hotel after our breakfast and spent my day at Queens Centre. I ended up being there for 6 hours and came back with multiple shopping bags filled with goods from Kiko Milano, Gap and my beautiful new handbag and pouch from Armani Exchange in addition to some other bits and bobs. In addition, I also managed to collect almost 19,000 steps on my iWatch. Clearly shopping is not only good for your mind. I often go shopping to treat myself when I am stressed but what I also realized that it clearly made me more active on that day.

Stores: 

The Queens Centre has recently been renovated and offers its visitors an opportunity to shop in the modern, spacious surroundings. I discovered that Queens Center attracts nearly 27 million shoppers annually, compared to:
– 20 million visitors to Niagara Falls
– 17.4 million visitors to Disneyland
That is more than the combined, annual total number of visitors to: The Eiffel Tower (7 million) or The Statue of Liberty (4.2 million) so you should definitely check it out!

Everyone can find the brands they like in there ranging from a very popular JCPenney’s and Macy’s, Apple, A|X Armani Exchange, to all other known retailers such as TDisney Store, Hollister, MAC, Swarovski, Forever 21, H&M or Michael Kors. I went to many of these stores and managed to splash some cash on the goods from GAP, Kiko Milano, Armani Exchange as well as some small bits and bobs from the other brands. I was offered a first class suburban shopping experience in an urban environment.

If you feel you need a break from all the shopping, it makes sense to enjoy one of the eateries. In addition, you can also grab some chocolates from Godiva or a piece of cake from The Cheescake Factory to enjoy later.

Discounts: 

As I was in Queens Centre during the Black Friday the discounts were pretty hefty however if you decide to visit this great mall during other periods of the year then some special discounts are available to all out-of-town guests. When I went to the Concierge (that is located at the top floor of the mall) and provided her with my Business Card I received the Visitors Savings URL and the secret Password that gave me the access to the deals! You should definitely check it out!

Location & how to get there:

Queens Centre is located in the heart of Queens in Elmhurst in New York. Queens is a dynamic borough rich in Arts & Culture and can be described as the most diverse borough in New York City.  If you would like to experience live entertainment, music performances or art galleries then you should definitely add it to your travel itinerary whilst in NYC.

Queens Centre is easily accessible by public transport – I took a subway train to get there and it only took 35 min from Manhattan. It is well placed and a mass transit hub, at the intersections of Queens Boulevard, the Long Island Expressway and Woodhaven
Boulevard.

Opening hours :

These opening hours change during the special events like i.e. Black Friday when Queens Centre was open until 2a.m. but usually the Queens Centre is open until 10 p.m. at most days.

Address:

90-15 Queens Blvd

Elmhurst, NY 11373

Website: 

http://www.shopqueenscenter.com/

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Pauline

Tried and Tested: Needlite – a dose of daylight for your desk

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Did you know that corporations and individuals waste vast resources every single day from lack of daylight? I didn’t but researchers at the Interdepartmental Neuroscience program at Northwestern University in Chicago, reported that there is a strong relationship between workplace daylight exposure and office workers’ sleep, activity and quality of life. It doesn’t only apply to the workplace though. Have you noticed how we are normally happier and more efficient during the ‘bright’ summer months? In addition, research show that North Europeans suffer more from afflictions related to lack of light than Central Europeans. Light therapy is nowadays a widely known form of therapy in the Northern regions as it was proven that it boosts mood and performance. A recent study shown that the darkness of winter is worst and the respondents:

  • 54% believe that it has a negative effect on their quality of life;
  • 18% feel sad and depressed;
  • 20% are more tired and have less energy;
  • 8-12% suffer from designated winter depression.

Needlite is an innovative desk lamp with daylight which gives its users all the benefits of daylight including: more energy, better performance, mood and sleep. Needlite was launched in 2015 in the Nordic countries. The company founders discovered that all over the industrialized world people are spending more than 23 hours indoors per day on average in poor lighting all year round. Unfortunately, indoor light is just a fraction of daylight and normally it is of poor quality.

Needlite lamps are designed in Denmark and offer its users excellent work light all over their work-spaces. What’s great about them is that they are super easy to set and implement in addition to looking super modern and chic.

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Needlite lamps come as a set of two lamps to offer you a shadow-free desk lighting a a better distribution of light. A survey of Needlite users found that:

  • 55% experienced improvement in energy levels;
  • 41% experienced better focus;
  • 42% experience better mood;
  • 63% would recommend Needlite to others.

Summary:

I personally use Needlite at home and I love the concept behind this desk lights that recharge your energy, while you work. They expose its users to light high on blue wavelengths helping them to perform and feel better during the day. In addition, these modern desk lights use the energy efficient LED lights to save you some money long-term. I would recommend them to anyone who spends long hours indoors. I have been using Needlite desk lamps for over 3 months now and I am not only more energetic but I also sleep better so I couldn’t have asked for more. Needlite is not cheap but it is one of these investment buys that will benefit you for the years to come so it is definitely worth every penny!

For more information and to purchase please visit:

https://needlite.com/

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Pauline

Christmas Gift Edit

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As Christmas approaches, I started thinking about what to get for my friends and family. Chocolates and socks are a necessity but what else can you get to make the people you care about happy? As a result of my search, I put together a shortlist of products that I could consider for my closest family members-my husband, my parents and my sister. I hope you find my suggestions useful and if you decide to buy any of the items listed below then I hope that the person you get them for will appreciate them.

Firstly, I wanted to get something special for my husband. He is going to get a few small presents and as he loves his roast dinners I decided to get him the ‘Christmas Roast Dinner Box’ from Ross & Ross. Ross and Ross is a small, multi award winning fine food company based in the Cotswolds. It specializes in Wedding & Event Catering and Handmade British food gifts.

The owners Ross Bearman and Ross Whitmill share a passion for great British food. They have worked in the fine food industry for over 15 years. Their website offers a range of fine-food gift boxes and last year they expanded the popular Man Box collection to include a cider variety in addition to launching The Homemade Curing Kit. I have previously bought my husband The XL Man Box from their website and he loved it so when I saw this limited edition Christmas Box, it was a no brainer and I bought it for him immediately. Christmas Roast Dinner Box has everything you need to make your Christmas dinner that extra bit amazing and more tasty. The box contains:
– Roast Potato Oil
– Pigs in Blankets Dust
– Roast Turkey Rub
– Brussel Sprouts Dust

For more gift ideas, please check their website:

https://www.rossandrossfood.co.uk/shop/

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What’s more, as we both love traveling I decided to get him the Adventure Map from Firebox. If you like scratch maps then the adventure map offers a new twist and is aimed at explorers who are willing to take risks or to try out new methods, ideas, or experiences.

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The Adventure Map features over 280 adventurous bucket list experiences, which can be uncovered as they’re completed. It is a perfect gift and I am sure that my husband will love it. What’s most important though we will be able to experience and share these experiences together-I cannot wait to decide where to go and what to do next!

If you would like to order your own Adventure Map then go to:

https://www.firebox.com/Adventure-Map/p7996

Secondly, I thought about my parents. I always get them a joint present that they can enjoy together in addition to their favourite perfumes. I recently came across The ‘Happy Linen Company’ that produces beautiful bedding exclusively designed for them. The business was founded at the beginning of 2017 by a team passionate about the unique prints and linens. The company offers a range of exclusive bed sets made from the finest blended cotton, 100% cotton flannels and fantastic children’s curtains. The goal of its owners is to establish an affordable, ‘go-to’ brand for bed linen. I decided to order a beautiful duvet cover & pillow case set with a Nordic inspired festive Scandi print. I love the fact that this set is reversible so my parents will get 2 great designs in one set. All Happy Linen Company’s goods are created using a blend of high quality natural cotton and polyester ensuring a soft, durable, easy care finish. Nobody can ever have too much bedding and my parents love changing theirs regularly so I am sure that they will be happy with it.

For more beautiful bedding, please check their website:

https://happylinencompany.co.uk

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Thirdly, I wanted to get something personal for my older sister. I have recently discovered Scrumpies of Mayfair-a British brand that got their name from going to ‘scrump’ apples from an orchard – a very unique British form of mischief. A range of Scrumpies knickers caters for every personality and each of 8 unique styles are named after a different apple. The brand was established by a married couple who retired from their careers as international lawyers to design these stylish knickers. I have instantly fell in love with their designs which only use the highest quality fabrics like British silk, French lace and Czech crystals. Scrumpies of Mayfair are a perfect Christmas gift and they come beautifully packaged in a blue box. Each of the boxes also contains a unique collectable charm which can be worn in many ways. How many charms will you collect?

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I decided to get a pair of Northern Lights knickers for my sister as they are very chic and elegant. They look absolutely perfect and I am sure that she will like them.

To purchase any Scrumpies of Mayfair’s knickers visit their website:

https://scrumpiesofmayfair.com/

In addition, she loves to watch box-sets and Netfix with a cup of tea whilst being wrapped up in a warm blanket so got her some traditional English tea, some shortbread biscuits to go with it and a super-soft blanket from Heat Holders. It will not only make a superb Christmas gift, but make the perfect addition to any home. The blanket comes in 16 colours and it is sized at 180cm x 200cm. I decided to get it in Cherry shade. What I like about Heat Holders blankets is that they have adapted their unique thermal technology to produce these luxury premium fleece blankets, which achieve a toasty 1.4 tog rating. In addition Heat Holders blankets are fully machine washable so easy to care for.

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For more information and to purchase visit www.heatholders.co.uk

I hope that this review will give you some ideas and help you to come up with a perfect gift for your dad

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Pauline

 

Dinner at Grande Hotel do Porto restaurant in Porto, Portugal

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A few weeks ago, I was with my husband in Porto, Portugal. During our stay we visited lots of different bars and restaurants and today I would like to tell you about our dinner at the Grande Hotel’s D. Pedro II Restaurant.

Location:

Grande Hotel do Porto is located on a famous shopping street- Rua de Santa Catarina. The restaurant is located at the quiet area of the hotel-away from all the hustle and bustle of the main street.

Atmosphere:

The D. Pedro II Restaurant offers its dinner a space where guests cross daily with local clients and passing tourists that when strolling by Santa Catarina Street can’t resist the temptation to come inside

The hotel has an exclusive décor and some beautiful pieces of art are visible throughout the communal areas. Many famous guests have stayed in this property. The restaurant is named after D. Pedro II – the former emperor of Brazil, who found refuge here during the fall of the Monarchy in that country. At the time, the royal entourage took up the entire first floor of the Hotel and stayed here for a while.

The menu:

Antonio-our waiter brought us our menus in no time and that’s when we discovered that the restaurant offers a great selection of dishes. Both myself and my husband are a massive foodies so we were looking forward to our meal.

To start with, we received a complimentary amouse brioche – a glass with some smoked haddock.

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I then ordered a stuffed Portobello mushroom with truffle and vegetables cream and quail egg. It was really tasty.

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My husband ordered some smoked ham cantelloni with arugula in pesto sauce, gratinated brie croutons with honey. He enjoyed it and finished it in no time.

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For our mains we both decided to have a fish. I ordered some bream fillet with olive cream and roasted peppers composition. It was mouth watering!

My husband had some braised salmon with bread crust and chard sautéed in garlic sauce. Not only his main was presented nicely, it tasted even better.

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Dessert is always my favorite part of any meal and I had some beautiful creamy coconut cake and fruit composition. It was delicious!

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My husband ordered a cheese board with a nice selection of cheeses and finish his meal with a glass of traditional port.

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Overall experience:

We both had a nice time at the D. Pedro II Restaurant. The restaurant serves tasty food and offers a great, friendly service. It is also very conveniently located so I would definitely visit it again

Website:

For more information and to book visit:

http://www.grandehotelporto.com/en/restaurant-bar/d-pedro-ii-restaurant/

Address:

Rua de Santa Catarina 197,

4000-450 Porto, Portugal

I hope you enjoyed reading this review!

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Pauline

 

Dinner at The Artist Bistro in Porto, Portugal

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Last week, I was with my husband in Porto in Portugal. On our last evening, we booked a table at the popular local restaurant – The Artist Bistro. It was definitely the best meal we had whilst in Portugal.

Location:

The Artist Bistro is located inside The Artist Hotel. The hotel is based in a former art school and provides a contemporary and comfortable environment, inspiring and developing the skills of the current students of the Hotel and Tourism school who work there. It is just around a corner from a famous shopping street and commercial area of Rua de Santa Catarina. The metro closest station (Campo de Agosto) is just a few minutes away.

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Atmosphere:

The Artist Bistro is inspired by the artistic heritage of the building which has previously hosted an Art School. The decoration of the restaurant is classy and elegant.

All art visible in the restaurant is made up of pieces from previous students of the old school Soares dos Reis.

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The dinning experience at The Artist Bistro is designed to socialise with the art one can see, smell, taste and feel. The atmosphere of the restaurant is warm and inviting. We were welcomed by Katia who was attending our table through the night. She was really friendly and professional. Quiet jazz music was playing in the background…

The menu:

Do you like surprises and trying new things? If you are quite open to the new experiences and you like being surprised then you will love The Artist Bistro. The key aim of the Head Chef – Hugo Dias is to surprise his dinners with a unique experience of sampling some great locally sourced food.

You can now be surprised by selecting one of 3 sampling menus:

  • Myth 5 experiences
  • Musa 7 experiences
  • Bistro 9 experiences

What all of these menus have in common is that they change on a daily basis and they offer dinners a combination of unforgettable flavours. At the beginning of the meal, we were asked if we had any allergies and whether there were any ingredients we really didn’t like. Our waitress took notes and explained that every course we’ll  receive will be a surprise-we could only choose what type of main dish we wanted to receive (fish/ meat / vegetarian). The really unique think about this restaurant was that we didn’t know what we will have for any of the courses!

We decided to try a Musa – 7 course dinning experience. Each dish was beautifully presented and made from fresh seasonal foods.

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While sipping some crispy white wine, our first course arrived- oysters with some red onions.

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We finished them in no time and the waitress brought us some mouth-watering mushroom soup with some olive oil, croutons and chives. It was delicious.

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From the next course onward we were surprised with different dish each. We received ‘Samosas de Artist’. We decided to play a game and identify the ingredients of our samosas-a great way of having fun whilst enjoying your meal. My samosa was with goats cheese with pumpkin and my husband received a samosa with a chicken and chorizo filling.

Next, we received some vegetable brioche with some potatoes, carrots, peppers, balsamic vinegar, courgettes which were all baked with egg. It was really enjoyable.

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Moving on, I received caramelized scallops with a cauliflower mouse-they were divine.

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My husband, on the other hand, got an octopus with a lime foam with breadcrumbs and site salad. It crackled like a sea because of the foam popping up.

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Following on from our great seafood dishes, I received some green beans stew based on a traditional Portuguese sausage and bread in a rich tomatoes sauce.

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My husband got some pork belly, crackling with balsamic vinegar.

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Before our main dishes were served, our waitress brought us some lemon & vodka sorbet to clean the palette. It was really refreshing.

At the begging of our meal I decided to have a fish main and I received some beautifully cooked sea bass paired up with an appetizing vegetable puree.

My husband decided to have a meat main and he received some quail with roasted carrots, potatoes pure in a port sauce with some figs and rosemary. It was the best quail he has ever eaten-extremely tender and cooked to perfection.

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If you read my reviews regularly then you will know that a dessert is always my favorite part of any meal. I received a delectable chocolate brownie with large pieces of nuts and some vanilla ice-cream.

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To finish off his meal my husband received a pear that was boiled in port and paired up with some raspberry ice-creams.

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Overall experience:

We both had an amazing time at The Artist Bistro. As I like surprises and trying new food, I was delighted with the concept of discovery. The restaurant serves delicious food with a twist. In addition to food, the service was great and the restaurant is conveniently located so I would definitely visit it again.

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Website:

For more information and to book visit:

http://www.shotels.pt/restaurantetheartistbistrot/en/home

Address:

 Rua da Firmeza 49,

4000-099 Porto, Portugal

I hope you enjoyed reading this review!

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Pauline

 

The House Ribeira Hotel in Porto, Portugal

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Last week, I was with my husband in Portugal for 4 days. This time we visited a picturesque city of Porto and stayed at the trendy House Ribeira Hotel which was transformed into a modern hotel from an abandoned ballet school and theatre.

Atmosphere:

As soon as we entered this trendy, boutique hotel we felt welcomed and the front desk staff were extremely accommodating. As we had a very early morning flight and arrived at the hotel at 10a.m., we dropped our bags and took some advice from the receptionist who recommended for us to take one of the bus tours. When we came back to hotel, around 5p.m. on that day we were welcomed with a glass of Port wine whilst filling in the paperwork-a really nice touch that made us feel appreciated and welcomed.

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The hotel is addressed to a modern, urban audience that seeks not only a great place to stay during their travels but also the authenticity of this marvellous city.

Location:

The House Ribeira Hotel is superbly situated in the centre of Porto’s downtown area. The river is only a minute away by foot and there are lots of restaurants and cafes nearby. The nearest station (Sao Bento) is only 700m away. The main square is only around 15 minutes walk from the hotel and the shopping district and the famous Rue Santa Caterina street is around 10 min walk from the hotel.  Most other key attractions (i.e. Alfandega do Porto, Luis I Bridge, Port Wine Cellars, Palacio da Bosa) are within walking distance making it a perfect place to stay whilst in Porto.

The Francisco Sa Carneiro Airport airport is around 20-30 min from the hotel and the taxi costs around 30-40 Euros.

Facilities:

The House Ribeira Hotel has only 56 rooms spread over 6 floors. The hotel’s design is meant to make you ‘feel like home’.

This theme is visible everywhere, starting from the reception, moving to the bar and breakfast area and ending in the rooms. If you like a modern, funky look then you will love the sitting in one of the multifunctional areas located at the opposite sides of the reception.

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They are furnished with a mix of bench seating, with some interesting cushions and colourful stools, which create a modern, vibrant and colourful look.

Next to reception, there is an open refrigerator stocking a selection of 24/7 ‘grab and go’ packaged sandwiches, snacks and fruit juices. Nice when you just need to get a quick snack on the go.

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Daily breakfast service is available from 7:30a.m.-11a.m. and the cafeteria is open from 1p.m. -11p.m.

Room:

We stayed in a premium room located on the forth floor . Our room was equipped with a private bathroom, interactive TV,  mini bar with a selection of soft drinks and wine, safe, air conditioning. There was a free Wi-Fi available throughout the property. Our bed was comfortable and the room had a simple, modern design. There was a walk in wardrobe as well as study desk with 2 chairs.

Our bathroom had a contemporary, open-plan design with glass-panelled toilet and shower cubicles. Some basic toiletries were provided.

Overall experience:

Although, we were in Porto for only 3 nights, we had a great stay at the House Ribeira Hotel. The hotel has a perfect location, staff was extremely friendly and our room was comfortable and  modern. I would definitely recommend it to any travellers who enjoy chic looking surroundings and like to feel like home whilst away.

If you consider visiting Porto then you can book your stay at The House Ribeira hotel through Booking.com. In addition, if you book your accommodation via this referral link, you’ll get £20 in cash.

Address:

Rua do Infante D. Henrique 26,

4050-492 Porto,

Portugal

Website:

http://www.shotels.pt/thehouse/home

I hope you enjoyed reading this review!

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Pauline

Tried and Tested: Bio Essence Jelly Make-up Remover

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This week, I would like to tell you about the new launch a Miracle Bio Water make-up remover from Bio Essence. We all know the importance of a proper cleansing routine – the lack of one will lead to outbreaks, puffiness around the eyes, formation of fine lines. Taking off make up has never been so easy. If you are looking for a gentle make-up remover that is quick to use, gentle and effective then you should look no further.

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Bio Essence Jelly Make-up Remover swiftly removes make-up whilst at the same time soothing and deeply moisturising your skin. Thos cleanser is paraben and colorant free. Ulinke many cleansers that leave your skin dry, this Bio Water cleanser has an ultra mild formula which soothes and moisturises the skin and it does not strip your skin of it’s natural moisture. It is suitable for use all over your face, around eyes and lips.

I really like it’s jelly texture which cushions the skin against friction between hands and face to prevent wrinkles and skin sagging.

How to use it:

I simply use 1 pump of this cleanser onto my hands and then rinse it off with water. Bio Essence Make-up Remover ‘melts’ the make up but doesn’t leave any sticky or oily residue and it has a non-greasy formula.

Result:

If you are looking for a natural, paraben free make-up remover should definitely try this Bio Essence Jelly Make-up Remover. My skin not only looks fresh but it also feels hydrated and looks radiant. I will definitely try some more products from this range.

I hope you enjoyed reading this review!

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Pauline

Dinner at Forelles Fine Dinning restaurant in Fishmore Hall Hotel

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During our recent stay at Fishmore Hall Hotel we decided to book a table at hotel’s Forelles Fine Dinning restaurant. As we are both massive foodies and the restaurant is among the best places to eat in Ludlow, we decided to check it out.

Location:

Forelles Fine Dining Restaurant is located in Fishomore Hall Hotel that is only a mile away from Ludlow.

Atmosphere:

We booked our table for 7:00 p.m. We were greeted by a friendly waiter who took us to our table and made us feel welcomed.

The restaurant has a welcoming decor featuring simple beige chairs. Each table displayed a candle and a rose to add a bit of romantic atmosphere for its dinners. There was lots of natural light coming through the large French windows giving dinners opportunity to relax whilst admiring the beautiful countryside. The relaxing music was playing in the background.

The menu:

Forelles Fine Dinning restaurant offers classically based, modern British cuisine and welcomes both residents and non-residents who can choose from two menus; a three course A la Carte menu, as well as a six course tasting menu with the option of pairing each dish with an accompanying wine.

The menu at Forelles Restaurant offers a nice selection of dishes that are all built around the best produce from the area. The Head Chef-Andrew Birch provides his diners with a high quality, traditional cuisine with a twist that is based on a fresh and locally sourced ingredients from producers from all over the Shropshire Marshes.

We started our evening with some wine and we  some complimentary bread, olives and nuts.

We decided to try a six course tasting menu. As we weren’t sure which wine to go for, we decided to go for the accompanying wines.

To start with we received some signature Orkney hand dived scallops with some cauliflower, apple and ham hock croquette. They were divine. Our sommelier brought us a glass of unoaked Chardonnay Australian (2016) white wine. It offered a rich and creamy mouth feel that lead to soft tropical fruits and orange zest on the palate.

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Secondly we received some Isle of Wight tomato with black olive crumb and some goats curd. It was mouth watering and accompanied by some Pinot Noir, Whitehaven (2016) wine. This delicate petal rose brimmed with refreshing crushed strawberry, cherry, watermelon notes that lingered.

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Thirdly, some Gigha Halibut was served. It was definitely my favorite course. It was cooked to perfection and accompanied with some sea vegetables and spiced seafood bisque. Absolutely perfect combination! Our sommelier presented us with a glass of Gavi di Gavi Italian wine (2015) that had aromatic, zesty notes with apple, lime and kiwi. It was juicy with a citric and mouthwatering feel creating a refreshing, satisfying finish.

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Next, we had some corn fed duck breast with some smoked potato puree, carmelised shallots and hispi cabbage. It was flavorsome. For this course we received some Saumur Champigny Vielles Vignes French wine (2014) – a medium bodied red with a winning combination of plump black fruits and a refreshing dryness on the palate.

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Moving on, it was time for two sweet courses. As I have a bad sweet tooth, I was looking forward to trying them. First of all, we received some lavender cremeaux with raspberry meringues and raspberry sorbet. It was delicious. Our sommelier brought us some Chardonnay Navarra (2012) dessert wine of intense gold colour. It was deeply complex with notes of tinned pineapple, apricot, quince, orange peel and rosemary honey.

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The last course was ‘chocolate delice’. A rich dark chocolate dessert accompanied with some sorbet based on black cherries and ice cream, which was scrumptious. Our sommelier brought along some Black Muscat, Quady Elisim wine (2014) with a rose-like aroma. It was very intense on the palate and full of fantastic rich velvety fruit.

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Overall experience:

We both really enjoyed our fine dinning experience offered by Forelles Restaurant. If you wish to try some superb Shropshire’s cuisine then I would recommend trying one of the Tasting Menus with the accompanying wines. All dishes were delectable and presented beautifully, in addition to service which was flawless so we couldn’t have asked for more. We cleared the plates in no time which is always a good sight.

Address:

Forelles Restaurant at Fishmore Hall, Ludlow, Shropshire, SY8 3DP England

I hope you enjoyed reading this review!

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Pauline