Category: Lifestyle

Our dinner at the Grill Restaurant at Amba Hotel, London

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I visited Amba Hotel Marble Arch in London for the first time, a few months ago when I went there for my afternoon tea with my friend Sylwia. I had a lovely experience last time so I really wanted to go to The Grill restaurant for a dinner with my husband. We decided to book it for our second wedding ‘lunaversary’-yes, that’s right we are married for 2 months now. Time flies!

So let me tell you a bit about The Grill restaurant located at Amba Hotel.

Venue and location:

The Grill restaurant can be found on the first floor at Amba Hotel Marble Arch -just off Oxford Street in central London. It is easily accessible by public transport and the nearest tube station-Marble Arch is around 3 minutes away. It is perfectly located in the very heart of London’s glittering centre. If you decide to go to central London in order to get some gifts for the upcoming Christmas then you should definitely visit.

Times:

The Grill restaurant is open 7 days a week. Lunch and dinner are served from midday until 10 p.m.

Atmosphere:

We reached Amba Hotel Marble Arch at around 7 p.m. The atmosphere and staff were both pleasant. On our arrival, we were acknowledged by a friendly receptionist who then asked one of the waiters to take us to our table. The lights were dimmed, there was a relaxing music playing in the background and we were taken to sit at the candlelight table which provided a perfect setting for our romantic dinner.

The menu:

Once we were comfortably sited, our friendly waiter offered us to start our dinner with a glass of champagne. A few minutes later, we received a chilled glass of bubbly each and then we started considering what to pick for our dinner.

There were a lot of nice dishes to choose from so it took us a few minutes to decide what we would like to have:

Starters:

To start with I decided to have some cured Smoked Salmon with Horseradish crème fraiche and wild rocket. It was delectable.

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My husband had some classic Prawn Cocktail with tempura king prawn. It was presented beautifully and was very tasty.

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Mains:

For our mains we both selected the items from the charcoal Josper Grill.

I decided to have 35 Day Dry Aged Ribeye Steak with peppercorn sauce. As a side I decided to have some rosemary and Parmesan fries and buttered spinach. My main was simply delectable-steak was cooked to perfection (just as I like it) and sides complimented my dish faultlessly.

My husband had some British Lamb Cutlets with mint sauce. Again-his lamb was very tender and he loved it.

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Desserts:

As some of you know, I have a very bad sweet tooth so I decided to have a Pecan and Maple Syrup Tart with honeycomb ice cream. My dessert was mouth-watering.

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James decided to be healthier than me and had some fresh strawberries with clotted cream.

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Dress code:

The dress code at The Grill restaurant in Amba Hotel Marble Arch is smart casual. I decided to wear one of my pink Prada dresses with a pair of Jones kitten hills.

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Overall experience:

The Grill restaurant at Amba Hotel Marble Arch offers a welcoming atmosphere, friendly service and great quality food. I would definitely visit again. You should definitely go there next time you are shopping on Oxford Street if you wish to have a nice, reasonably priced meal.

In addition, The Grill restaurant will be running a special ‘seasonal’ set menu that will be available throughout December 2016 (excluding Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve)

If you are interested, than it will be served from midday to 10 p.m. and you’ll get a glass of sparkling wine on arrival, followed by a three-course meal for only £39 per person.

Website:

http://www.amba-hotel.com/hotels/united_kingdom/london/marble_arch/restaurants_and_bars/the_grill.html

Address: Bryanston Street, London W1H 7EH

I hope that you enjoyed reading this review!

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Pauline

Yankee Candle Holiday Party Showcase

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I recently attended Yankee Candle Holiday Party Showcase event in London.

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The new festive collection was unveiled at a contemporary event space in Soho in.

I was one of the first to see the 2016 Christmas collection first-hand. The new collection includes 4 new scented candles, advent calendars, candle holders, wax burners and some Christmas shades and trays.

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The limited edition of festive candles and fragranced consists of:

  • All is Bright
  • Festive Cocktail
  • Star Anise & Orange
  • Macaron Treats

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I hope you enjoyed reading this review!

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Pauline

 

My new Limited Edition Pandora Club charm 2016

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I love browsing the online stores. Last week, I was on the T.H. Baker website which showcases the best jewellery and watches and I came across some amazing new charms. Today, I would like to tell you about the latest addition to my Pandora charms.

As some of you might already know, I love my Pandora bracelet and I even wore it to my wedding in August so I was super excited when I saw the latest, iconic Pandora Club collection. I instantly ordered the Pandora Club Charm 2016 Heart Diamond:

https://www.thbaker.co.uk/pandora-club-charm-2016-heart-diamond-791912d

When I received my order, I was extremely excited to open my Pandora Box.

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My new charm is crafted from sterling silver. Its design is based on beautiful tiny beads and hearts that are adorned.

On the front side, this gorgeous charm has a diamond that is set in the centre. It looks very exclusive and would make an amazing gift for anyone.

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On the opposite side, the charm is engraved with ‘2016’, which is perfect as a reference point to which limited collection it was from. In addition, if you like it and you decide to order it then the person you gift it to will always know when it was gifted to her.

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This stunning limited edition, collector’s item would be a perfect addition to any Pandora bracelet. It looks amazing with all my other charms:

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You can order it from T.H. Baker a certified PANDORA retailer that was established in 1888 :

www.thbaker.co.uk

I hope you enjoyed reading this review!

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Pauline

Gremlins 2 screening at the Warner Bros headquarters in Holborn London

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I was invited to attend a special screening of Gremlins 2 movie at the Warner Bros headquarters in Holborn London on Monday 3rd of October.

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The event started at 6:30pm and all participants were encouraged to play with the new LEGO Dimensions new Story Pack content, Battle Arenas and playable characters Gizmo and Stripe from Gremlins.

My husband who sometimes turns into a little boy loved the expansion of LEGO® DIMENSIONS™.

The collection was launched last week on September 30 and introduced all-new, four-player competitive Battle Arenas, and exciting new packs based on entertainment properties including Harry Potter, Ghostbusters, Mission: Impossible, Adventure Time, and The A-Team.

If you were a fun of Gremlins (the film is about a young man who receives a strange creature called a Mogwai as a pet) then you will be super excited to hear that Gremlins will be joining the ever expanding roster of entertainment properties on the 18th November with the Gremlins LEGO Team Pack, which features Gizmo and Stripe as playable characters.

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The Gremlins Team Pack will also grant players access to the Gremlins Adventure World and Battle Arena.

Before the movie started we were also informed about the new, special edition HMV Premium Blu-ray Collection is available to buy exclusively at HMV, from October 3.

The collection includes 10 titles:

  • sci-fi classics: Logan’s Run, Soylent Green, Forbidden Planet, Them!, The Omega Man.
  • horror classic: The Shining.
  • horror comedies: Gremlins 2 and Little Shop of Horrors.
  • classic dramas: Diner and All The President’s Men.

These beautifully packaged combo packs (featuring Blu-ray and DVD discs as well as digital download) include director’s cuts and extended cuts never seen before on Blu-ray. Each title is packed with extras and comes with a set of highly collectable film cards. They are perfect as a gift.

The screening of ‘Gremlins 2: The New Batch’ started at 7:30 p.m. The story is a continuation of the adventures of the creature Gizmo and we were both looking forward to discover what is going to happen next in the lives of Gremlins.

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I am looking forward to watching some more of these classic movies!

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Pauline

Our stay at Hotel Balmoral in Paris

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As our honeymoon is planned for December, we decided to go for a couple of mini-moons before the trip of our lifetime to Asia.

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To start with, we decided to travel to the most romantic city in the world – Paris. We both love staying in centrally located, boutique hotels so the Balmoral Hotel seemed like a perfect choice for our luxurious mini-moon break.

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Location:

Hotel Balmoral is located just one minute away from the Arc De Triomphe and just around a corner Champs Elysées on a quiet street – Rue du Général Lanrezac between the renowned Avenue Carnot and Avenue MacMahon. We couldn’t have dreamt of more ideal location. It is situated in a characteristic Haussman-style street with blocks that were designed as homogeneous architectural wholes dating back to the 19th century.

A couple of years ago, in 2014 Hotel Balmoral was completely renovated by Michel Jouannet who is internationally recognised for his work on revamping the design of hotels, spas, restaurants as well as some work on residences of his VIP clients. I really enjoyed the chic and beautiful décor created by this interior designer that reflected the Parisian elegance.

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Service:

As soon as we entered the hotel, we were welcomed by extremely helpful and smiley Anne-Claire. I have stayed in many hotels but she was definitely one of the friendliest receptionists I’ve ever met and she made us feel at ease – almost like at our own home throughout our stay. Her customer service skills were exceptional. Once we checked in, we walked through a stunning lounge and were taken to our room by a friendly porter who dropped our luggage a couple of minutes later.

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Rooms:

Hotel Balmoral has 50 elegant Bedrooms and Suites as well as 2 Prestige Apartments. We stayed at the Prestige room no. 35 on the 3rd floor.

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Our room was spacious, bright and stylish. It was perfectly equipped with Air-Con, flat-screen TV with 50 satellite channels, minibar, hospitality tray with coffee and tea as well as Nespresso coffee machine and safe.

Above our bed, there was a huge, modern painting by a French artist-Arnaud Franc.

The Room had a lot of storage space and we both had a separate wardrobe to store our clothes in.

Our room featured a typical Parisian French window leading to a mini balcony with drapes and sheers to help us to create a romantic atmosphere at the end of the day and reduce any noise from the street. Our king-size bed was extremely comfortable and after a day of sightseeing we felt asleep almost immediately.

Bathroom:

Our bathroom had a modern décor with a grey and white colour scheme. It had a bath and a double washbasin, which I prised as we didn’t need to fight for sink space. I definitely need to redesign my bathroom in London and get a double washbasin fit in. It also had a make-up mirror and heated towel rail. In addition to soft towels we were also provided with some slippers and bath gowns which were made from the Egyptian cotton-perfect for lounging in before and after our sightseeing.

Facilities:

The reception desk is open 24 hours.The hotel has a huge lobby area leading onto the street and to the garden where you can sit down and relax.

Breakfast is offered for a surcharge and provides a selection of cold and warm dishes to choose from.

During the afternoons and evenings, the breakfast room is transformed into a bar serving a selection of hot and cold drinks as well as some wines, champagne, spirits and beer.

Overall experience:

We both really enjoyed our stay at the beautiful, chic boutique Hotel Balmoral. From day one, we could see that the hotel not only had chic, designer interiors but the service was of great quality. Its original features dating back to 19th century worked perfectly with its  contemporary yet elegant décor. Our room had all that we could ask for and provided us with comfort away from our home. The location was perfect and service was faultless so I would definitely recommend this hotel to anyone who plans to travel to Paris.

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Website:

For more information and to book visit:

http://www.balmoral-paris-hotel.com/en/

Address:

6 Rue du Général Lanrezac, 75017 Paris, France

Phone: +33 1 43 80 30 50

Hope you enjoyed reading this review!

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Pauline

Bringit delivery app

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Do you live or work in central London? Do you struggle to cook or get out of the office for lunch? If you are too busy or slightly lazy I would like to tell you about the new food delivery service for Londoners.

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From time to time, my work gets so busy that I do not have time to go out to get my lunch and I end up having a ton of food when I return back home. I recently heard about a new food delivery service called ‘Bringit’ and decided to give it a go. Bringit gives you an opportunity to either order your takeaways or groceries (from chains such as Tesco, Waitrose, Sainsbury’s or Dacha) from the places close to your location as well as from independent restaurant and stores in your area. As soon as you enter your postcode you will see a comprehensive list of restaurants and shops that you can order from.

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Your delivery charge will be based on the distance from your home or work and starts at £2.95. I decided to order some lunch using Bringit app on Tuesday after the bank Holiday’s break. There was a good selection of restaurants and fast-food chains to choose from.

What I like about Bringit is that you can order a cheap lunch from KFC or something more extravagant like a meal from Caviar House & Prunier so it caters at all budgets. Some of the restaurants that collaborate with Bringit and were located close to my office were:

  • Nando’s
  • Burger & Lobster
  • Caviar House & Prunier
  • Gaucho
  • Giraffe
  • Wagamama
  • Maverick
  • McDonald’s
  • Subway
  • Iberica
  • Leon
  • Crussh
  • Abokado
  • Krispy Kreme
  • L’Eto

I ordered my lunch from Leon. I love their salads but as I was busy and the closest Leon is 15 minutes’ walk from my office, I thought that it would be a great opportunity to order my lunch using Bringit.

The experience:

After I placed my order, I received a text confirming my scheduled delivery time. A minute later, I got another message, this time from my driver – Erick – to let me know that he is on his way to collect my order. His mobile phone was also included.

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When I checked my Bringit App, I could clearly see what the current status of my order was and where exactly was my driver.

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My lunch arrived, as requested, on time at midday. A friendly driver called me as soon as he was in my office building so I made my way downstairs to collect it.

Overall experience:

It was a great, quick delivery service that gives anyone opportunity to order from many local cafes and restaurants. If you are too busy to go out and grab your lunch then you should order it using Bringit. I will definitely use this service again!

Hope you enjoyed reading this review!

X

Pauline

Tried and tested: Timeless Truth Travel Mask, JimJams chocolate spreads, Lilash serum

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This week I would like to start with a review of a great travel mask I tried on my flight to Warsaw recently. As some of you know, I am obsessed with trying new products that help me to make my skin look radiant and fresh. I do not like flying at the best of times and I normally have a glass of Prosecco (or two) before I get on the plane so as a result my skin normally looks dull and tired when I land due to loss of hydration and the cabin Air-condition that sucks out any hydration from my skin… When I saw this mask I was intrigued and as I normally sleep (after my Proseccos) I wanted to try it. We all know the rules: drink plenty of water and slather on the moisturiser in-flight. But now all you need is a Timeless Truth Sheet Travel Pack.

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This mask set is a 3-in-1 system designed with the busy traveller in mind and is split into 3 sections:

Section 1 – Make up remover – Oil based

Section 2 – Deep clean – Water based

Section 3 – Hydra fibre moisturiser mask

The Hydra Fibre sheet mask from section 3 acts as a barrier to the skin, penetrating and sealing the moisturising, nourishing ingredients deep into the skin, whilst adding that layer of protection from the dry air.

Results:

The mask should be applied for 20min but I ended up sleeping in it for almost an hour. When I landed my skin felt soft, hydrated and my complexion was glowing. I was impressed and will definitely get this masks for any future flights.

Website:

The Travel mask is currently on offer (£13 for a set of 2) and you can order it from:

https://ttmasks.co.uk/product/summer-madness-travel-packs/

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Secondly, I need to tell you about my latest food discovery. I love Nutella but I was concerned with the amount of calories I was consuming on my pre-wedding diet. I decided to try some JimJam chocolate spreads. JimJams are the award winning creators of a range of reduced sugar jams and chocolate spreads. Mother Kellie Bath wanted something healthier for her children so, with her husband Kevin, she launched a range of healthier spreads.

Their Chocolate spreads contain 83% less sugar than others, and their jams boast a high fruit content with 35% less sugar than competitors.

In addition, their Hazelnut Chocolate Spread and Blackcurrant Jam have already won Great Taste Awards.

I decided to try JimJams 83% Less Sugar Milk Chocolate Spread  and JimJams 83% Less Sugar Hazelnut Chocolate Spread. They were simply delicious and provided me with a healthier and less calorific alternative to Nutella.

Website:

You can read a bit more about these spreads on JimJams website:

http://jimjams-spreads.co.uk/

If you wish to purchase them and try them for yourself them they are available from the Tescos, Holland & Barret, Ocado amongst some other retailers.

Price:

JimJams chocolate spreads are very affordable and cost £2.59 for a 350g jars.

What’s more, today, I am starting my 90-days trial of the Lilash serum. I have read so many great reviews of this product so I decided to give it a go and commit myself to applying it every day for a period of 90 days. The results of this eyelash treatment that I saw on Lilash website were simply amazing. The before and after pictures as well as some testimonials convinced me to try it.

The 3 months eyelash treatment costs £60.79 so I will let you know if this eyelash serum works and share some before and after photos with you so that you can make an informed judgement and decide whether or not it is worth to invest your money in this product.

If you wish to read about the serum then you should visit Lilash website:

http://www.lilash.com/shop/

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I hope that you enjoyed reading this review.

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Pauline

Dinner date at Reform Social & Grill Restaurant at The Mandeville hotel

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Last Saturday, on our return to London, we went out for our first dinner date as a married couple. I recently visited the Mandeville Hotel so really wanted to check out its restaurant-‘ Reform Social & Grill Restaurant’. For this special occasion, I wore a classic white dress from Coast with some Jones hills and accessorised it with some silver white gold jewellery and my favourite Chanel handbag.

Location:

Reform Social & Grill Restaurant is located at The Mandeville Hotel, just behind the famous shopping street-Oxford Street. It is 5 minutes away from the Bond Street station and is conveniently situated in the center of Mayfair.

Atmosphere:

We booked our table for 8p.m. and arrived just a couple of minutes before. A concierge, took our umbrella (surprise, surprise-it was raining) and showed us where we needed to go. When we entered the restaurant, we were acknowledged straight away and welcomed by a friendly waiter. My new husband mentioned that we just got married a few days before and as a result we were given a great table in the corner of the restaurant that offered us a romantic setting.

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Service:

We were served by a few different staff members who were all professional and attentive. One of the staff members-Italian waiter made our experience extra special by being very friendly and his smiley face made us feel comfortable and welcomed straight away. As soon as we sat down, the chief barman-Maciej- brought us a complimentary glass of champagne to celebrate our first outing as a married couple, which was really kind touch and made our evening just a little bit extra special.

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The menu:

Reform Social & Grill Restaurant serves a great British cuisine with a twist.

Starters:

To start with I decided to go for some Crispy South Coast Squids that were served with some lemon and garlic mayonnaise and my husband-James chose some Hendricks Gin Salmon with tartare garnish. Both of these dishes were lip-smacking.

Mains:

There was a great choice of mains but we decided to try the selection from Reform Social’s ‘Josper Grill’ menu. I had a Rib-Eye Steak which cooked to perfection and my liking (medium). It was served with a side of some garlic mash and a mushroom. It was simply delectable.

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James had some minted lamb cutlets with mint yogurt and some coriander which were also very tasty. In addition, we ordered some green beans which pleasantly complimented our mains.

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Desserts:

Some of you might think that it was a weird choice however as soon as I looked at the menu, I decided to order Reform Social’s signature dessert – sweet Yorkshire Puddings selection. Who said that Yorkshire puddings are simply reserved for your Sunday roast? They were simply marvelous and I loved every single bite of these delicious puddings. The sweet selection of puddings was heavenly and included:

  • Chocolate and Carmel Yorkie;
  • Sugared Yorkie that was filled with clotted cream and jam ;
  • Banana and Custard Yorkie.

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My husband was less adventurous and chose some vanilla and chocolate ice-creams which were satisfying but boring if you compared them to my dessert.

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Overall experience:

We both had a lovely time and very really pleased with the food we chose. Reform Social serves some extraordinary, nicely presented food and is reasonably priced. Service was great, location is perfect so if you are around central London then you should definitely check it out! We finished our evening with some die-for cocktails that were prepared for us by Chief Barman-Maciej.

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Website:

For more information and to book visit:

http://www.reformsocialgrill.co.uk/

Hope you enjoyed reading this review!

X

Pauline

I am getting married today!

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This day I will marry my best friend,

the one I laugh with,

live for,

dream with,

love.

~ Author Unknown ~

We got engaged last year and I’ve been counting down the days to our wedding for ages but for some reason I couldn’t really sleep yesterday. I decided to write this quick update for all of you as I simply cannot believe that I am getting married today! I’m sort of having little heart attacks over here-in a good way but also in a totally overwhelmed and stressed out sort of way. I’m not anxious at all about ‘being married’ but about how the wedding will go. After months of preparation I hope that all our guests will have fun and enjoy this most important event in our lives.

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Today is a day when I will say ‘I do’ to my soulmate and my Prince Charming-James. We have been together for over 4 years and have lived together for a while now so I am sure that he is the person I would like to spend the rest of my life with. I love him with all my heart and cannot wait to call myself ‘his wife’. He makes me complete and I simply unable to imagine my life without him.

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Pauline

Image Consultant Suggestions: Work wardrobe shirts from Hawes & Curtis

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“Life is not about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.”

An impression can be formed in as little as 5 seconds. It’s all about your personal brand and style and how this impacts your professional image.

As some of you know, I am a certified image consultant and my objective is to guide, coach and empower my clients using the science of Image Management which in turn helps them progress towards their goals and eventually, succeed. I help to evaluate the style and offer advice and recommendations, tailoring a plan to enhance the confidence and personal power. Starting from this week, I will be sharing with you some styling suggestions.

Are you looking to revamp your work wardrobe? This week, I would like to tell you about the Hawes & Curtis offering.

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Hawes & Curtis is a British heritage brand founded by two tailors Ralph Hawes and George Frederic Curtis in 1913. It currently has 29 stores in the UK and you can also browse and order from their website.

Hawes & Curtis offer great quality shirts that and their ranges are suitable for various shapes and sizes. I am a fan of timeless fashion so I loved the look of their White Fitted Shirt with Frill Detail and decided to get it. This beautiful fitted shirt is designed with frill details on the front panel. It is really chic and elegant. It features single cuffs and is made from a high quality cotton.

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I really enjoy wearing it to work with a skirt or black trousers and heels as it is very stylish and it doesn’t look boring as most of the workwear shirts do. In addition, you can always wear any workwear shirt with more casual attire such as a pair of trousers. It looks wonderful with jeans so if your office, like mine, has a casual Friday’s culture then you could try to pair it with some jeans and either some flats for comfort or heels for some added glamour.

Hope you enjoyed reading this review!

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Pauline