My Birthday Day 1 - London Zoo and The May Fair Hotel

So here's the first of many blog posts to show you lovely lot what I got up to for my 32nd Birthday!

On Friday 22nd February 2013 I turned the ripe OLD age of 32... I had a friend over for dinner and just relaxed.  But on Saturday 23rd February I planned to go to London Zoo and also the May Fair Hotel in London for afternoon tea.

I have always wanted to go back to London Zoo because last year I also went for my birthday but it rained heavily and we missed a lot of the park, so we decided to go back.  Here's my blog post all about the fab time I had and links to the various places I visited should you wish to visit too!

Now this blog post is quite photo heavy so be warned!....

Loving the cute tickets and map of London Zoo

Me posing with a rather large monkey!

Little fishy

London Zoo -


London Zoo or ZSL Founded in 1826, the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) is an international scientific, conservation and educational charity whose mission is to promote and achieve the worldwide conservation of animals and their habitats.

Their mission is realised through groundbreaking science, active conservation projects in more than 50 countries and two Zoos, ZSL London Zoo and ZSL Whipsnade Zoo.

I love London Zoo, it's a huge park with so much to see, and if you can get two for one tickets like we did then it cuts the costs down too.  One tip I would give you is to go in the summer time and take a picnic with you!

Next we decided to go to Liberty so that I could purchase some of their amazing stationery and also look at the gorgeous make up counters that they have there, it's an amazing store.  If you are planning a trip to London then I would definitely visit Liberty, it simply isn't like any other British store.

On the way back from the Zoo we took the underground to Green Park and went to see Buckingham Palace

The flag was up - meaning the queen was in!

We also stopped off at the Ritz on the way to the May Fair Hotel - I really want to go to the Ritz for afternoon tea, that's my mission in the next year!

Here is the beautiful May Fair Hotel where we were going for afternoon tea 

The Quince Restaurant also offer cocktails and Cupcakes at £19.50 per person.  A great idea if you are planning on getting the girls together for a night out in Mayfair.  (the cupcakes looked yummy too)

The Quince Restaurant at the May Fair Hotel is so gorgeous

Quince afternoon tea at the May Fair Hotel - simply yummy!

I asked for still water I got the BIGGEST glass - LOVE IT!

The May Fair Spa - We collected a brochure and I REALLY want to go!

Gorgeous decorations in the hotel foyer

As it was my birthday the day before they presented me with this gorgeous plate

The May fair Hotel (brief history) -

There are 5 star luxury hotels, and then there is The May Fair: an icon of expressive contemporary design, bringing together boutique attention to detail with grand hotel service. A legendary luxury hotel with a glamorous past, The May Fair was first opened by King George V in 1927 and offers over 400 luxury hotel bedrooms, including 12 of the capital's most memorable hotel suites, a discreet spa, a fine-dining restaurant and the quintessential London Casino.  

The Quince Restaurant -

Soulful, sensual and spirited, Quince is a luxe eaterie with an engagingly every-day feel, it is at once alluring yet warmly familiar.

Above all, the Quince experience is about sharing – about exploring flavours and textures together.

The Quince Afternoon Tea is priced at £29.50 per person and is well worth it, once you have gotten through the first 3 plates you can then order whatever you like again, and just sit in the gorgeous surroundings and feel thoroughly spoilt.  

I felt extremely welcome at the May fair Hotel, and I will definitely be going back there this year for dinner, or to even try out the spa.

We went through Red Letter Days for the afternoon tea at the May Fair hotel so be sure to check out their website for other offers.  It cost £59.00 for two people, and that's a great deal on the usual booking price.

If you are looking to treat a special someone then I highly recommend the May Fair hotel.

Check out my next blog post which I will also post in the next week, It's all about my trip to London Fashion weekend at Somerset House!

Let me know if you have any other Afternoon Tea recommendations? Have you ever been to the May Fair Hotel?

(all photos my own)

The Nail Polish Diaries - Seche Vite Review

So I caved in, I purchased the 3.6ml version of Seche Vite from Ebay for £2.99 with free postage and packing.  

The reason behind purchasing the small size of this top coat was purely to test the water.  

I have heard many people in the bloggersphere talk about this top coat with mixed reviews because of the ingredients, so I had to try it out for myself!

This small size is great to test the product out and the seller sent it to me really quickly which is a bonus.

I am VERY impressed with Seche Vite, I didn't know what to expect but after the first use it dried my polish really quickly and made my nail Polish last up to 5 days without chipping.  Now I have noticed some chipping recently because our dishwasher at home is currently not working so I am washing up everyday (and forget to use washing up gloves!) but other than that the top coat makes all brands of Polish last for longer than any other top coat I have used before.

It's claimed that Seche Vite is the world's finest top coat and the first single-procedure top coat to receive patent protection, which to me means that this top coat really is something special.

Seche Vite continues to set the standard for performance, gloss and durability. Its patented formula allows it to penetrate through the nail lacquer to the base coat forming a single solid coating over the nail plate for a much more durable finish which is guaranteed not to yellow. 

Seche Vite is unmatched as a top coat leaving the nail feeling stronger and more durable, it absolutely will not chip and creates the highest gloss of any product on the market today.

The size I purchased is great as a gift for someone or as a travel size.  And if like me you didn't understand what all the fuss was about it's a great trial size.

I have used this top coat for over a month now and I absolutely adore it, I still have loads in the bottle so it should last about two months I reckon.

Once I have run out of my trial size I shall be purchasing more Seche Vite from QVC as they currently have a Kit of Seche Vite top coat duo and clear base coat for £18.75 plus £3.95 postage and packing.   

QVC UK also offer various other Seche Vite kits which at the moment are all on wait list which is a really good sign.

Have you used Seche Vite before?

Any other top coat recommendations?

QVC - Nails Inc 7 Piece Fast Fashion Collection Review

Nails Inc 7 Piece Fast Fashion Collection

I was drawn in to purchasing this fab Nails Inc Fast Fashion kit from QVC a few weeks back, and I also opted for auto delivery meaning that I receive a new kit in March and also May 2013.
Each of these kits will have the same express nail polish remover but will have 6 new colours for me to enjoy :-)

Each kit Contains:

6 x nail polish (10ml) - polishes, easy to apply with a high colour pigment

1 x Express Nail Polish Remover (60ml) - remove nail polish by dipping and twisting your nails inside the pot that contains sponges pre-saturated with nail polish remover.

I found this remover really easy to use, yes you may have to stick your finger in there for a little while to let it soak the polish off, but it really does work well  and is great if like me you love to pick your nail varnish off when you are stuck in a traffic jam!

Colours:

Royal Botanical Gardens (pastel mint ) - is a new trend shade

I simply adore this shade, it can't help but bring a smile to your face when you wear it.  It's a beautiful green / turquoise colour that screams sunshine and happiness   

Shoreditch Lane (mulberry leather effect) - brand new effect

Henley (copper and silver holographic feather effect) - this is a brand new effect - this is such and unusual glitter effect, it goes on in a thick layer of multiple strips of glitter that make your nails look so cool!  If you haven't tried the feather effect from Nails Inc please do

Belgravia Gardens (coffee nude) - Self explanatory, a gorgeous coffee nude shade perfect for wearing neutrals and going with everything in your wardrobe.

Campden Hill Road (hot pink) - This colour is very stylish and muted.  I wouldn't say it's a hot pink shade more of a pastel.  It looks lovely mixed with the Royal Botanical Gardens shade above, and as you can see from the photo below it looks lovely on the ring finger too.

Lowndes Court (deep metallic royal purple) - finally this multidimensional shade is beautiful   I would love a handbag in this shade as it's wonderful on the nails.     

You can purchase the Nails Inc Fast Fashion Kit from QVC UK  for £30.25 with postage and packing of £3.95

What do you think of Nails Inc?

photos taken from QVC UK website all other photos my own

20 Random Facts About me - Tag

So I have seen this tag flying about bloggerville so I thought why not give it a go myself!

Here goes...

1.) My parents were going to call me Eden, now that name combined with my unusual surname would of been a mouthful at school!

2.) I am weird with fruit and veg, I only like strawberries, apples and oranges.  I could never eat a whole orange or any other fruit whole, I could only eat them if they were in a juice.  With veg I only like brocolli, potatoes, tomatoes (in sauces) and onions but my diet is rubbish so I take lots of vitamins to try and help me.

3.) I am an eternal dreamer (typical Pisces)  I have a VERY short attention span and when I am not paying you my full attention I am likely to be thinking about something completely different, and not know what you have said to me.  

4.) I LOVE to write lists, most of the time I loose them and then wonder what I have forgotten about

5.) I cannot use any knife or fork that doesn't match and isn't from the same set = weirdo!

6.) I adore tea, I cannot go a day without just one cup in a large mug in the morning to get me going.

7.) I adore all animals especially cats, I think if I ever won the lottery I would build my own cattery, or re-homing centre because I love dogs too, in fact just all animals.

8.) I'm addicted to anything sparkly or studded

9.) I have never been on holiday with a boyfriend before! :-(

10.) I think high heels are beautiful but they hurt my back and feet so I am jealous of anyone who can wear them and still be comfortable

11.) I have the mentality where if it doesn't interest me then I won't take any notice of it!  I have a VERY short attention span! (I have said this before? LOL!)

12.) It's only been the past 4 years that I have eaten cheese, before I couldn't touch cheese because of some evil dinner lady at primary school WHO made me eat a whole pizza and it put me off it until recently.

13.) I get on with guys and girls, but guys better generally.

14.) I own way too many tops in my wardrobe and not enough bottoms meaning the ratio always fails!

15.) I am petrified of going under water, I can swim 15 metres but going under water is like my worst nightmare!! :-(

16.) If my nail varnish is chipped no matter how hard I try I WILL pick it off - grrr!

17.) My hair is not a naturally ebony coloured - I'm really a mousey blonde colour, I am very fair haired naturally.

18.) I'm addicted to everything cosmetic, body lotion, make up you name it I have it all, but I love it and am obsessed with trying out new things

19.) I can actually sing (but not professionally) and often belt out a good song when I'm driving LOL!

20.) I hate the cold and think that in a previous life I lived somewhere tropical.  The weather affects everything my back, skin, diet.  I definitely think I lived somewhere warm and sunny.

So there's 20 random facts about me, let me know in the comments if you have also done this tag so that I can see your responses! 

Thanks for reading.

Websites to Look Out For Volume 9 - The Sunglasses Shop

The sunglassesshop.com offer the biggest and best in designer eye wear.  

They stock over 90 brands and thousands of products.

They actually stock every single pair of glasses on their website to, meaning that whatever you choose it will be sent out straight away!

They offer a 30 day returns policy meaning that if you don't like your order you can send it back for a refund.

Sunglasses shop also supports eye charities in their work too, which I think is lovely to see.

The brands they stock are (to name a few) -

Prada Sport
Tommy Hilfiger
Ray-Ban
Chanel
Adidas
Celine 

For a full list of brands stocked can be found on the brand page, there are plenty to chose from!

I was lucky enough to be sent a pair of SXUC Savvy sunglasses to review for this post.  

They suit my face shape wonderfully and what I also like about the description of sunglasses on the site is the fact that they list the face shape each pair would suit, as well as your hair style.

I really liked how swiftly the sunglasses arrived, they were beautifully packages in a box which even said on the outside of it that it's contents were fragile and that the box had to be placed a certain way up.

Here's me modelling the sunglasses for you -

For £20.00 these sunglasses are a great bargain they have a black / grey variant to the lenses making them look very expensive!

About SXUC 

 SXUC started life in 2000, bringing inexpensive but well-designed products to the sunglasses world. Designed with one thing in mind - that sunglasses should be fun, SXUC is constantly changing styles, helping to bring to life the best in designer ideas at a fraction of the cost. But with all the same protection.

SXUC is close to the heart of the biggest designers, and its designers always have their fingers on the fashion pulse. Each season SXUC takes this knowledge and brings it to its designs so that everyone can have designer fashion style.

Don’t believe that because of the price the same attention to protection hasn't gone into these though. There’s UV400 protection as you would expect and attention to detail that has its roots in the biggest and best of designer frames.

SXUC full range 

Other brands which caught my eye on the sunglasses-shop are -

Oakley Sunglasses

Performance, technical brilliance and designer style is the Oakley way and this philosophy has resulted in some of the best engineered sunglasses and goggles on the planet. With over 600 patents Oakley is where physics meets art.

You must check out their full range above.

Ray-Ban Sunglasses 

The brand synonymous with sunglasses. Far reaching and with some of the most iconic frames in its collection the Ray-Ban heritage continues to keep it at the top in eye wear on a global scale. 

Thanks to Ray-Ban today we have the aviator and the wayfarer, two frames that transformed the way we see eye wear.  

Today, Ray-Ban continues to boasts an immense collection that mixes their rich heritage with fashion and glamour. The choice of sunglasses for musicians, whatever their taste or success. 

And lest we forget Ray-Ban's ability, unlike many other brands, to blend comfort and practicality with beautiful form.

I do not own a pair of Ray-Bans because I always think I am so accident prone I would break them, but one day I hope to buy a pair as I think they would suit my face shape.

Have you ever shopped with the sunglasses-shop before?

What do you think of the sunglasses I was very kindly sent?  Shall I buy a pair to do a give-away for you all?

Let me know in the comments section!

My 2013 Birthday Wish list

I turn the ripe (OLD!) age of 32 in February 2013, so here is my lust list.  

Now I'm not saying for my friends to go out and buy me all of these things - It's just what I would like to buy myself! (my poor debit card)

Diptyque Jasmin Candle £20.00 from Space NK 

I have been lusting after adding this beauty to my candle collection for well over a year.

This smaller portable size is a good start to my Diptyque candle collection.
It lasts 30 hours burning time, so I will get plenty of use out of it!

Emma Hardie Amazing Face starter kit from Beautybay www.beautybay.com is currently in the sale for £22.08

It contains everything to get you started on this range, and I am dying to try out the Moringa Cleansing Balm because I have heard amazing things about it, for dry skin like mine!

I was tempted to buy a kit from QVC, but I will have to do some research.  I really like the idea of having a cleansing balm, you never know it might be that good that my favourite Clarins cleanser will be made redundant!

The fabulous MakeupSavvy blog mentioned these amazing Chanel Nail Polish phone cases which can be purchased for Iphone 4 and Samsung Galaxy S 3 (which is my phone).  

The case can be bought from America (from Etsy) for around £23.00 but I adore the case soooo much!

I am so pleased that Fee (from makeupsavvy) brought my attention to these you can buy them by clicking 'Here' the link takes you to the Etsy shop, or you can search for "Chanel nail polish case" and it will bring up other Etsy shops that stock your case.

This Grey Melton Leather Look Biker Coat is right up my street!  

Not only does it have my favourite look - the PU sleeve, but I love how the black PU stands out against the grey fabric!  

Now this coat isn't cheap at £75.00 but I know I'd get tons of use out of it.  
You can find this coat by clicking 'Here' from River Island.  

I treated myself at Christmas to the small version of the Moroccan Rose Otto kit because I have always adored roses and I have heard amazing things about REN.  

The kit I bought was half the size of the kit above and I was not wrong in buying my first kit because I have found that I just love REN products, so much so I now want this larger kit because it has generous sizes of the items that I have been using for the past month!  The scent of Rose fills your bathroom and your mind, the bath oil turns the bath into a milky Cleopatra-esque bath that calms you and indulges you.

This kit is called the Moroccan Rose Experience Gift Set and it contains - 

100ml Moroccan Rose Otto Body Wash
100ml Moroccan Rose Otto Body Cream
30ml Moroccan Rose Otto Ultra-Moisture Body Oil
30ml Moroccan Rose Otto Bath Oil

All for £32.00 - so you can indulge in this beautiful set by clicking 'Here' and purchasing it directly from REN

Have you used REN Moroccan Rose Otto range before?  If you haven't then you must!

Black and stone panel dress From Dorothy Perkins 
Price: £20.00
Colour: black
Item code: 66759732

This will look great for my birthday, it's such a reasonable price and really flattering with the waist bar focusing all the attention on the smallest part of your figure.  

I would wear this with black tights, patent heels and feel uber special on my birthday!

I hope you enjoyed my little Birthday selection.  Here's to a fab birthday party with all my great friends. :-)

My First Ever PINK themed Give-away!! And the WINNER is!!

Hi Guys, 

Just an update for you on who my give away winner was....

Kirstie Vaughan!!

Kirstie I have tweeted you and emailed you.

Thanks very much for entering and thanks to all of my readers for their continued support.

Hugs

Claire

xx