‘What A Melon’ launch party

July 10, 2016July 11, 2016Leave a comment

I was invited to attend the launch party of the ‘What A Melon’ drink last week.

Location:

The day-party was held on a rooftop beach called Brixton Beach Boulevard by the Brixton Food market. The venue is conveniently located just off Popes Road in Brixton-just a few minutes’ walk from the tube station. The rooftop space has been transformed into a 1980s playground of music, street food, cocktails and sunshine!

Drink:

Watermelon water from What A Melon has mouth-watering taste of summer that’s packed full of rehydrating electrolytes. A delicious alternative to coconut water, it’s just the water from a watermelon with a fresh squeeze of lemon. It is 100% natural and doesn’t contain any added sugar, water, artificial ingredients or preservatives.

Party:

A famous DJ-Groove Armada was playing while we were sipping some summer cocktails based on What A Melon water. It was a lot of fun, dancing and entertainment! There was also a photo-booth so we took a few crazy photos:

All guests could also enjoy some complimentary drinks. There were a few different cocktails to choose from:

Miami nice – Definitely my favorite cocktail as it was refreshing and sweet. It was made of vodka, what a melon water and a handful of mint on ice.
Melon-rita – a classic margarita with a gorgeous splash of what a melon water.
The G m’T – G & T with a splash of what a melon water and some cucumber.

Dress Code:

Dress Code was Watermelon Fresh so I decided to wear one of my summery Moschino dresses and paired it with a pair of colourful sandals from Kurt Geiger.

I hope you enjoyed reading this review!

Pauline

Lovely afternoon Tea at Amba Hotel Marble Arch, London

July 8, 2016July 8, 2016Leave a comment

As promised, please find another review of my Afternoon Tea experience listed below. Last week, I visited Amba Hotel Marble Arch in London.

Venue and location:

Amba Hotel Marble Arch is located just off Oxford Street-a buzzy shopping district in central London. It is easily accessible by public transport and the nearest tube station-Marble Arch is around 3 minutes away. After a shopping trip with one of my friends (Sylwia) we decided to unwind during a relaxing afternoon tea.

Times:

Afternoon tea is served at the Grill restaurant, between 2pm and 5pm daily.

Service:

We were served by a few different staff members who were all professional and friendly. They all looked very chic and classy. One of the staff members-Kelvin made our experience extra special by being very attentive and welcoming. His customer service skills were simply excellent.

Atmosphere:

We reached Amba Hotel Marble Arch at around 2:15 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 waitresses to take us to our table. There was a soft, relaxing music playing in the background which was enjoyable and soothing after our shopping trip.

The menu:

Our waitress took us to a table and asked us if we would like to start our Afternoon Tea experience 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 from an excessive tea menu. We both decided to have a pot of green tea.

Our tea arrived in no time and was followed by a beautifully presented stand of the sweet and savoury treats. We started with a range of finger sandwiches including some salmon, egg and cucumber savoury bites. We then moved to a selection of delicious cakes, pastries and macaroons. Subsequently, we had a delightful, homemade scone each which was accompanied by some homemade strawberry preserve and some Devonshire clotted cream. All cakes were simply wonderful.

Dress code:

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

Overall experience:

What a great way to start our afternoon! The Grill restaurant at Amba Hotel Marble Arch offers a welcoming atmosphere in a beautiful surroundings. I would love to visit again try some lunch, dinner next.

You should definitely go there next time you are shopping on Oxford Street as it will help you to relax before you hit the shops again.

Price: £35 per person for an Afternoon Tea with a glass of Champagne

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

Address: Bryanston Street, London W1H 7EH

I hope that you enjoyed reading this review!

Pauline

Etta French Jewellery Candles

July 6, 2016July 7, 2016Leave a comment

I am a very girly-girl and I love scented candles therefore I would like to tell you about Etta French Jewellery Candles today. I have recently received Etta French candle as a gift and the beautiful fragrance was just the beginning…

Etta French Jewellery Candles are amazing as a gift as they combine the best of fragrance and jewellery in one sumptuous package:

Fragrance can transport us to our happy place.
Jewellery can make us feel special and sentimental.

I would consider them to be a thoughtful gift for yourself or a friend which encapsulates everything you love: perfume, jewellery and the element of surprise. As the candle burns down, your house will not only smell lovely but you will also discover a secret silver packet containing a piece of quality, stylish jewellery, designed and sourced by luxury independent jewellers Pearl & Queenie.

On another note, every candle is hand poured in the UK, using 100% natural plant wax and a blend of exquisite fragrance to infuse your home with luxurious scent. What’s more, Etta French candles are both sustainable and kind to the environment as they are free of petroleum-based paraffin wax, animal or beeswax, they are clean burning, long lasting, free of chemical additives, and not tested on animals.

Scents:

The initial collection has six scents to choose from:

Bluebell
Violet and Sweet pea
Wisteria & Orange blossom
Rose, Saffron & Vetiver
Pomegranate & Mint
Nutmeg, Orange & Cinnamon

Price:

Etta French is all about celebrating luxury at an affordable price. All candles cost just £37.50 and last for up to 50 hours.You can currently get 10% discount (valid for the whole of July). The discount code is ETTABLOGJUL16.

Website:

http://www.ettafrench.com

Getting ready for a summer ball

July 1, 2016July 11, 20163 Comments

I was invited to attend a summer ball at the Porters Park Golf Club last week. I wanted to look my best so I spent my afternoon preparing for that event.

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Face:

I have recently bought a mineral-rich PRISTINE Beauty Dead Sea Mud Mask from Amazon.co.uk so it was a great opportunity to try it and check if it really works. According to the producer, the Pristine Dead Sea Mud Mask helps to:

• Purify the pores as a natural skin cleanse.

• Promote clearer skin and reduce the frequency of blemishes.

• Remove excess oil to combat shine.

• Minimise enlarged pores.

• Diminish the appearance of wrinkles.

• Address blackheads.

PRISTINE Beauty Dead Sea Mud Mask contains Vitamin E and is based only on natural and organic ingredients. Furthermore, it is a cruelty free vegan so it protects your complexion and the planet at the same time. I have a combination skin and enlarged pores so it seemed like a good idea to try it before the event as mask promised to deeply purify and provide anti-aging benefits.

The mask has a nice, creamy texture. I applied it for 15 minutes and then once it dried I rinsed it off with some warm water. My skin was soft, looked radiant and I could see some instant and noticeable results. The mask gave my skin a fresh, healthy glow and my pores were less noticeable. In addition, lines from under my eyes looked visibly smaller.

The only unfavourable feedback I could give was about its packaging. It looks very simple and unappealing but then again mask offers instant results and a great value for money. One pot of the mask (250ml) costs only £16.90 and it will definitely last you for a few months. I would recommend that you use it 2 to 3 times a week to see a long-term improvement.

You can get it from Amazon.co.uk: https://www.amazon.co.uk/PRISTINE-Dead-Sea-Mud-Mask/dp/B01FLUGRYG

Mask

Make-up:

I decided to wear my favourite ‘smoky eyes’ make up with some soft beige lipstick.

Hair:

I added a lot of volume and after decided to do some soft curls to get a soft look.

I hope that you enjoyed reading this review.

Pauline

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Pauline

Asian-inspired Afternoon Tea at Buddha-Bar Restaurant, London, Knightsbridge

June 27, 2016July 4, 20161 Comment

As promised last week, I will be sharing with you reviews of my Afternoon Tea experiences throughout the summer. Today, I would like to tell you about my Afternoon Tea at the Buddha-Bar.

Venue and location:

Buddha-Bar is located in the prominent, upmarket area of London Knightsbridge. It is easily accessible by public transport and the nearest tube station is Knightsbridge which is just 2 minutes away.

Buddha-Bar was the winner of Best Restaurant Bar in 2014, 2015 & 2016 at the London Club and Bar Awards. I have visited it once before for cocktails so when I found out that the Buddha Bar was serving Afternoon Tea, I decided to book it and check it out. I was accompanied by my fiancé-James.

Service:

We were served by Annie who was professional and friendly. When we sat down, she explained what was included in our Afternoon Tea experience and asked us whether we would like to start with a glass of champagne.

Atmosphere:

The atmosphere and staff were both welcoming. On our arrival, we were acknowledged straight away by a friendly receptionist. All staff that we had contact with were helpful and had a positive body language.

As soon as you enter, you are surrounded by impressive interiors and you feel like you have just arrived in an oasis of calmness. I was impressed by the floor to ceiling crystallized dragons and the signature Buddha artwork located on the ground floor which was absolutely stunning.

The menu:

Once we sat down at the table, we were welcomed by our waitress-Annie. We had a glass of champagne each and then we received an excessive tea menu. I decided to have a pot of Jasmin tea while James had some Chamomile tea. Our Buddha-Bar afternoon tea included a selection of sweet and savoury Asian inspired, mouth-watering treats. To start with we received 4 savoury treats which were all full of aromatic flavours:

Duck hoisin steam bun sandwich – definitely my number-one savory dish.
Tuna tartar on toasted fennel bread.
Vietnamese vegetables summer rolls.
Crispy wonton cod and prawns.

As soon as we finished them, our waitress cleaned our plates and a couple of minutes later we received a set of 4 sweet treats:

Pistachio macaroons
Chilli chocolate mousse
Passion fruit and mango tart
Green tea cheese cake

All our snacks were beautifully presented and I am sure that a lot of consideration was put into preparing them.

Dress code:

The dress code at the Buddha-Bar is smart casual. I decided to wear my Monsoon Summer fuchsia dress accompanied by some Carvela heels in the same colour and my beloved Pandora jewellery.

Overall experience:

Buddha-Bar offers a great food, atmosphere in a beautiful surroundings. I would definitely visit Buddha-Bar again and I would love to try their lunch, dinner or one of their masterclasses next. You should definitely go there next time you are in Knightsbridge area when you want to unwind and relax.

Price: £53 for 2 people

Website: http://buddhabarlondon.com/

Address: 145 Knightsbridge, London SW1X 7PA, United Kingdom

I hope that you enjoyed reading this review!

Pauline

SlimKitten 7-Day Morning and Bedtime Teatox

June 19, 2016June 27, 2016Leave a comment

Last week, I decided to try SlimKitten 7-Day Morning and Bedtime Teatox to detoxify before I start my diet.

SlimKitten’s Morning and Bedtime Teatox is based on 17 highly nutritious natural herbs only. According to the producer, after 7 days you should: ‘Stop feeling bloated, feel refreshed and awake, reduce sugar and carbs cravings and boost your immune-system.’

SlimKitten’s complete Teatox system contains daytime tea bags and night time cleansing tea bags:

7 days’ supply of Daytime teabags;
4 Bedtime Cleanse tea bags (one for every other day).

Result:

I love drinking herbal teas and SlimKitten 7-Day Morning and Bedtime Teatox has helped me to kick in my healthy regime and prepare for my diet. On another note, I feel lighter and my skin looks more radiant. I liked the taste of both teas and would recommend it to anyone who wishes to try an affordable TeaTox.

Price:

£8.99 for a 1-week supply of the product.

You can order it from:

https://www.getnutriplan.com/products/slimkitten-morning-and-bedtime-teatox

I hope you enjoyed reading this review.

Pauline

The BB Bakery Sightseeing Afternoon Tea

June 17, 2016June 27, 2016Leave a comment

It’s warm, it’s sunny and the season for catching-up over some tea has started 🙂 Over the next few weeks, I will share with you some reviews from my recent Afternoon Tea experiences.

This week, I would like to tell you about an amazing Afternoon Tea I had on the BB Routemaster Sightseeing Bus.

I moved to London 13 years ago but then again I love discovering new sights and wonders of this city. As soon as I heard about the opportunity of combining an Afternoon Tea with a sightseeing bus tour around the marvels of London I decided to give it a go.

The Route:

Together with my friend-Magda we booked the afternoon slot leaving from the Victoria Coach Station , Gate 0, at 5p.m.

Our vintage Routemaster bus drove around Central London and we were able to see some of the City’s greatest places of interest including:

The London Eye, Big Ben, The Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, St James’s Park, Buckingham Palace, Hyde Park, The Royal Albert Hall, Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square, Harrods and many more.

The Atmosphere:

The atmosphere on the bus was a warm and welcoming. Our hosts were two lovely French attendants-J.C. and Marie Antoinette. We were sited at the upper deck (table 9). Each table is secluded enough to feel intimate. We had a great view of some of the City’s most beautiful monuments and other tourist attractions.

At the beginning of the tour, our friendly server offered us a hot drink from a large selection of the teas and coffees. Our tea arrived in a wonderful BB Afternoon Tea Bus’s cup.

The menu:

Our High Tea was accompanied by a selection of mouth-watering, sweet and savoury delicacies including:

Macarons
Mini Cupcakes
Sweet Pastries
Scones
Sandwiches
Mini Quiche

They were arranged attractively on the stand. A highlight for me was a deliciously moist quiche and a small salmon canapé.

Duration:

The London sightseeing tour lasts approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes (depending on traffic). We were back and ready to re-join the hustle and bustle of Central London at 6:30 p.m. .

Price:

The BB Bakery Sightseeing Afternoon Tea is £45-48 per person. In my opinion it is worth every penny as it combines both sightseeing and a divine afternoon Tea experience. You can buy vouchers for this experience on:

http://shop.bbbakery.co.uk/

Overall experience:

I loved every minute of our 90 minutes BB Bakery Sightseeing Afternoon Tea. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who is visiting London and wishes to have a more exclusive sightseeing experience. I would love to try some more Afternoon Tea experiences from BB bakery.

I hope you enjoyed reading this review.

Pauline

Non-surgical face lift treatments

June 4, 2016June 5, 2016Leave a comment

As some of you know I am getting married in a couple of months. As all brides do, I want to look my best and this is why I decided to look into non-surgical face lift treatments. As we grow older our facial muscles naturally start to lose tone and elasticity. Non-surgical procedures are quickly gaining in popularity as a means of improving facial appearance by restoring the three-dimensional contour of the face without the need for surgery.

I would like to share with you a feedback on 2 treatments I recently tried.

First of the treatments I tried was CACI Non-Surgical Facelift.

CACI Facelift is a non-surgical solution to combat loss of muscle tone using CACI micro current facial toning therapy.

It is a painless cosmetic treatment and is commonly referred to as “facial toning” or “the non-surgical face lift”.

During my 1 hour treatment session all 32 facial muscles were gently worked on by a trained therapist using a series of specific movements. Soft cotton tipped wands were used on my face to transmit the micro current energy to the facial muscles to restore tone and elasticity.

Results:

I booked 3 sessions. After my first treatment, my face felt tighter however it was difficult for me to see a visible result. When I finished my 3 sessions, my facial contours looked lifted but still there was no massive improvement.

My beautician mentioned that the results vary according to the individual and a course of twelve treatments is generally recommended and only then I will see a visible results.

Price:

£60 per treatment

Location:

CACI treatments are very popular nowadays so there are lots of different beauty spas offering them. I had my treatments done at The London Tanning And Beauty in Wigmore street.

http://www.londontanningandbeauty.co.uk

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The second treatment I tried was ChinUp Mask which is designed for home use and its main aim is to diminish all sagging skin from underneath the jaw.

I was seriously ‘wowed’ by this mask which promises the visible results after just one use. The 30 Minute Non-Surgical Face Lift Trial Pack reduces fat cells and restores the skin’s natural elasticity. This revolutionary set features a tape measure to monitor the progress made through frequent use. Fine lines and wrinkles are also eradicated, leaving the skin soft, supple and youthful.

Vitamin E – Conditions, protects and revitalises the skin.
Corum 9235 – Promotes the reduction of fat cells in the chin area.
Q10 Coenzyme – Diminishes wrinkles, fine lines and sallowness.
Skintronics – Lifts and firms the chin by converting fat cells into stabilised fibrous tissue.

Set Contains:

Chin Masks x 2 – Targets fat cells and firms the chin area.
Chin Band x 1 – Aids and secures the effects of the chin mask.
Tape Measure x 1 – Take measurements of the chin area and witness noticeable results.

Results:

My chin was lifted and I am seriously impressed by the results I achieved in 30 minutes. I would definitely recommend it.

Price: £29.99 for Firming & Contouring Trial Pack

You can order it from the libbie boutique page:

http://www.libbie.club/shop/customer/offers/ref/Paulina.Lopuch/

Hope you enjoyed reading this review.

Vitality Westminster Run-a healthy start of my birthday celebrations

May 31, 2016May 31, 2016Leave a comment

This year I decided to start my birthday slightly different than usual so I entered to run the 2016 Vitality Westminster Mile that took place on Sunday 29 May 2016.

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Throughout the day, there were a series of races for runners of all ages and abilities. 2 weeks before the race I received my final instruction booklet that included some basic information about the race as well as the IPICO Sports Tag. I attached the timing tag to my shoe before my run in order to record an accurate time I managed to complete my race in.

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The Start line

My race started at 10:20 a.m. and I ran it as a part of the Vitality wave ‘Pink’ team. As it was my birthday I decided to wear something slightly more glamorous than my regular gym attire. The Vitality Westminster Mile course started on The Mall and headed towards Admiralty Arch before a right turn into Horse Guards Road following the perimeter of St James’s Park. The course then turned right again into Birdcage Walk. The second half of the race took me past Wellington Barracks before the final right turn into Spur Road and the Finish Line in front of Buckingham Palace.

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The Finish line

The race Finish Line was on Spur Road, facing the magnificent Buckingham Palace. Once I crossed the finish Line, one of the marshals removed my timing tag from my shoe. I then received a goody bag containing my medal and some nutritional items before I returned to my fiancée.

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Overall experience:

I decided that I want to lead a more active lifestyle back in April and this event was definitely a ‘healthy’ start of my birthday celebrations. I run a mile in 7:37 and I was second in my age group so not a bad result 😉 Following on from this experience I am now committed to run a 5k in a few months’ time. Who knows, maybe I will run a marathon one day!

Hope you enjoyed reading this post!

The Vogue UK Festival 2016

May 27, 2016May 25, 2016Leave a comment

The Vogue 2016 Festival ran for 2 days on Saturday 21^st and Sunday 22^nd of May 2016. As I had some other commitments on Saturday I decided to attend it on Sunday. The event was run in partnership with Harrods and over these 2 days there were a lot of amazing speakers and designers who shared their ideas and participated in some interesting debates. This year’s impressive line-up of speakers included: Alessandro Michele, Domenico Dolce & Stefano Gabbana, Kim Kardashian West, Charlotte Tilbury and Jenny Packham.

Venue and Theme:

The event theme was Vogue’s 100^th anniversary. The festival was split between two venues: Vogue World venue which is located on the East Albert Lawn in Kensington Gardens and at the Royal Geographic Society which is located directly opposite. I took a train to High Street Kensington and both venues were only 10 minutes’ walk away.

Vogue Masterclasses

Throughout both days of the Vogue Festival, at the additional fee (£40-80), all participants could attend a range of ‘Super tutorials’ with the best in the industry giving insights into the beauty and fashion.

Vogue World Festival Beauty Hall

The Vogue Festival presented some remarkable styling sessions from Vogue’s own fashion and beauty editors. In addition, there were lots of brands offering their signature makeovers i.e. Bobbi Brown, Tom Ford and Kérastase.

All attendees were able to get a digital copy of Vogue Cover with their photo on it. I love mine:

After a great afternoon at the beauty hall I was on my way to check what the Vogue Shop had to offer. You could find lots of the official Festival merchandise and collaborations including Dolce & Gabbana, Levi’s, Christopher Kane, J Crew and more.

There was a really stylish ‘Vogue Cafe’ on site serving some basic refreshments and some pastries:

Ticket price:

Ticket prices varied from £25 for a one day entry ticket to £1000 for a ‘Gold Ticket’ that offered inclusive all-weekend access to every talk at the Vogue 100 Festival. In addition, each ticket included a 12-month subscription to the iPad and iPhone edition of Vogue.