Discovering Ireland

I made two New Year’s Resolutions this year. The first was to visit Scotland (I went to Edinburgh a few months ago) and the second was to visit Ireland. Happily, my housemate Laurel thought the same thing and was invited to go and review the rather marvellous Sheen Falls Lodge in Kerry. Even more happily, she asked me to accompany her.

We flew Aer Lingus into Shannon Airport and picked up our car. Then it was a few hours’ drive through some of the greenest countryside I had ever seen. The hotel was absolutely stunning and our room evoked a ‘Pretty Woman’ reaction (shrieking and jumping on the beds as soon as the Porter had left the room). Our suite was absolutely massive and overlooked the waterfall itself. There was a big balcony too which would be a lovely place to breakfast (what a hard life it is). After a quick dip in the Jacuzzi and pool, we got changed and headed down to the restaurant for dinner. A wonderful pianist played while we ate which gave a lovely ambience. The food was as stunning as the surroundings and I tucked in to a foie gras starter before embarking on a big, juicy beef fillet. Desert was eye-wateringly delicious too with a light espresso ice-cream cutting through a rich Chocolate Silk Cake (I was powerless to resist).

The next day we got up early to make the most of the good weather and went horse riding at Eclipse Equestrian and Activity Centre. It was so nice to ride in such a lush green setting and Sophie, who took us out on the hack was lovely. In the spirit of fitness, we even fitted in a quick bike ride when we got back to the hotel. After all the exertion, it would have been rude not to have a massage, so we surrendered to the expert digits of the Sheen Falls team. Feeling refreshed, it was off to the Wild Garlic restaurant for dinner. The food was astounding and very good value for fare which could compete with any Michelin-starred establishment.

It seems Ireland has even more to offer than just stunning vistas; it has culture and luxury pursuits in spades. I will definitely be returning. 

Holidays

I'm off to my favourite place in the world, Italy! I will be back in a couple of weeks, and in the meantime will be sunning myself in this Freya Swim Lindy Hop bikini (sunglasses are by h&m) and several others which I will tell you about when I am back.

Take care x

(I took the bikini for a quick trial in Hampstead Heath!)

Hackney Weekend (Sunday) was...

...EPIC! I saw Pro Green, Plan B, Lana del Rey, Jessie J, Enter Shikari, Tim Westwood, Dizzee Rascal, Florence and the Machine, Rihanna and Jay Z!

 Henna

 Friends

 Festie style

 Hotpants...

 ...more hotpants

 More friends 

 Tipsy-ness

 Awesome line-up

 Bit of rain

Lana in a red dress

A beautiful crowd and a sunny afternoon

How many ear cuffs are too many ear cuffs?

I love ear cuffs so much right now! Got this little set from ASOS.com. LOVE.

Making Life a Ritual

I first came across Rituals when I was given a hand cream sample outside Westfield in Shepherds Bush. It smelt so good; I wanted to buy the scent as a perfume. I was surprised to hear that Rituals offer everything from washing up liquid to loungewear. The brand encourages you to ‘Give special attention to turning everyday routines into meaningful rituals.’

Keen to find out more, I went along to the press day at the Soho Hotel last week. It was so fun, there were manicures and psychic reading and lots of cake! We were given some products to try out. I especially love the Intense Look Mascara and the Serenity Handwash, being pink, fits in a treat into my bathroom. It smells heavenly too.

The make-up range was a highlight; make-up artist Lou Page talked me through it and, with a celeb list that reads longer than your arm (she has made over the Spice Girls and Take That), she really knows her stuff. Lou was impressed with the Rituals face palettes for their separation of shades and flattering tones. She thought they were ‘Great for the festival season.’ I thought the Baked Eye Shadow palettes looked great and I am looking forward to trying out the jewel colours in Uptown Blue. The colours are all limited edition so you have to grab and stockpile when you find one you love! The best part? Rubies, sapphires and amethysts are all used in the cosmetics, as inspired by Cleopatra.

I’m dying to try the sparkly ‘Freezed Fantasy’ nail polish too – it’s a light gold shimmer that I reckon will work a treat on tanned toes. The lovely girls of Beauty Seen PR were telling me how it looked different on all of them, depending on their skin tone.

You can buy Rituals products in shops worldwide, department stores, airlines and hotels.

www.rituals.com

Must-read: Spiritual High

I managed to tear myself away from the 'Fifty Shades' trilogy to read something different; 'Spiritual High' by Lee Cooper.

On the front cover, this book is described as reading ‘Like the bastard love child of Graham Norton & Mystic Meg.’ This is a brilliant and fairly accurate description. Featuring lively characters and an even livelier plot, this is really worth a read. Aside from the humour that runs throughout, there are thoughtful moments and spine-chilling scenes too. You can’t help but get caught up in Cooper’s crazy world which includes midgets, transvestites and psychics. If you’re looking for something light and funny, with a sizzling undercurrent of wickedness, then this is the perfect read for you. 

P&G Summer Party

I went to the P&G Beauty and Grooming summer party last Wednesday with my housemate Laurel. It was held at Altitude 360, a venue near Westminster with incredible views of London. There were lots of beautiful guests in cocktail dresses, yummy sandwiches, canapés and drinks.