Hotel Carducci 76, Cattolica, Italy

Hey!

After a really hectic couple of weeks, I have just been away for a gorgeous weekend in Italy, Gabicce Mare.

There's nothing like the sound of the waves crashing on the pebbles to really make you feel on vacation and relaxed.

Italy never fails to make me feel alive, from the vibrant people who warmly welcome you, to the incredible food it has on offer. I always think if you stay in a nice hotel, it absolutely brings out the very best of your vacation too.

 If you are going to the Emilia Romagna region, I cannot reccomend enough the luxurious hotel Carducci 76 in Cattolica.  The gorgeous hotel feels like a palace and was decorated by Alberta Feretti herself, so absolutely oozes of luxury.  It is a four star hotel, but absolutely feels like a 5 star,  I think it is important to remeber that Italy has a much stricter start rating than other countires and should definitely be taken into consideration.  Even down to the breakfasts, there was nothing I could fault with this hotel, and especially the staff made the stay extra special.

The gardens are full of palms and are maintained beautifully.  They lead on to a stunning pool with restaurant seating around it which makes for the perfect dining experience.  After the pool is the incredible beach front with views of Gabicce Mare to the right.

For information on stays see here - http://www.carducci76.it/camere/

Kurobuta Marble Arch, London Review

 Hello Sweeties,

For any of you planning a trip to London in the near future, I thought I'd introduce you to one of my favourite restaurants, that is also slap bang in the middle of London - Kurobuta Marble Arch.

This restaurant has a really trendy, chilled out vibe, matched by the Australian serving staff's silky accents and service.  It's great to go to a restaruant where the food is outstanding, unusual (a nouveux Australian BBQ take on Japanese cuisine) and yet with a chilled out vibe.  I mean, if I want to eat out at a restaurant, I don't want to be on edge about behaving properly and sitting the right way etc.

 We chose about 6 tapas style dishes to share, though pretty much everything on the menu was incredible. I think I'm going to have to say the sliders and sweet potato chips were my personal favourite (despite it not being the most exotic dishes on the menu, they were definitely incredibly tasty.

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 This place is definitely worth a visit, and a fabulous place for holding a large birthday party due to the fun and relaxed feel to the place, delicious food and practically  - they also have those  funky large tables so you can all sit together.

Have you ever been?

Review of Nimb Hotel - Copenhagen

I travel regularly to Copenhagen in Denmark regularly, and over Christmas I was lucky enough to stay in Nimb hotel. (http://www.nimb.dk/) 

Nimb hotel is located right next to the amazing theme park Tivoli, and exudes a lot of Tivoli's fun and warmth in its creation and design as well as a mix of strong Nordic influence.

Location wise, there's nothing better, you are right in front of the train station and there is a fantastic patisserie bar located right on the side.  You are also just a stone's through away from the shopping centre which has an amazing collection of shops which you can't find in the UK.  One of my favourite's being BIKBOK!

If you stay there, be sure to pop into the theme park Tivoli - it is like a magical garden with so much to see, from rides, to stalls to fabulous gardens.  It is perfect for the whole family and will leave you mesmerised.

The room was super comfortable, I absolutely loved the fabulous view over Tivoli as well as the comfortable bed.  A stay here is extra special and worth it for special occasions.  As you can see, even the reception exudes quality and style.  The whole stay, from the moment you walk in makes you feel special!

 Be sure to pop into the patisserie shop next door and try real Danish pastries!  They are so much better when they are authentically made and the cream inside them is absolutely moreish!

I love how Nimb hotel has a personalised bicycle in the reception.  Everywhere in Copenhagen, everyone goes by bike!  It is so strange but refreshing to not have the streets full of cars, but instead rows and rows of bicycles.

I absolutely would recommend Nimb hotel and a stay in Copenhagen for the chance to really explore and enjoy the magic of the city!

Essentials: Art Deco, Label.M and Batiste

This June, there have been three products which have been overwhelmingly used, to the point I would even describe them as Essentials. 

I don't use the word 'essential' lightly either, they say that the average woman has 70 products in her bathroom, but only uses 14 of them daily.  And the three products which I'm going to talk about today, definitely fall into that second category, as not a day goes by without me using them.

They are: 

1) Art Deco - Skin Perfecting Make-up Base

2) Label M Therapy Age defying Radiance Oil

3) Batiste Heavenly Volume Dry Shampoo

THE ESSENTIAL PRODUCTS IN ALL THEIR GLORY

REVIEWS

1) Art Deco - Skin Perfecting Make-up Base £16.59 available (here)

This is an incredible light primer which goes under makeup.  I love this product as it is silicone free but smoothly goes onto the skin and minimises pores.  It also keeps make up set in place all day while at the same time providing a more even finish to your makeup - which is of course the main reason I use it every day!

It is definitely a brand to try as it has a nice over all finish compared to other brands such as Benefits POREfessional which can be a bit too thick.

2) Label M Therapy Age defying Radiance Oil £25.50 available from Look Fantastic

As you can see there is only about a third left of this product.

I don't know where to start on this product, as there are so many reasons to love it.   Firstly, the smell is divine, which is a must have with a finishing hair product.

Secondly, it smooths frizz without leaving any greasy residue at all.  I use this product after blow drying to give my hair a silky feel, and it absolutely does that nourishing the hair completely, so it looks and feels great.

Thirdly, this product lasts months, even if you use it every day like me.  It just takes one small push of serum to work through the whole hair.  I absolutely would recommend all girls to try this miracle Radiance Oil.

Incidently this product is from Look Fantastic - a heavenly website with a really great variety of beauty must haves which you don't find on the highstreet and has a great range of high quality products.

3)  Batiste Dry Shampoo Heavenly Volume £3.99 from Boots and Superdrug 

Ok, I might not use this every day but it definitely is a hair essential.  This is the perfect rescue remedy if your hair is looking limp and needs a real pick-me-up.

This product has the dual purpose of boosting and volumising the hair as well as making grease disappear.  An absolute handbag must have.

So that's my round up of my absolute 3 essential products...and a picture of me today using all three!

Have you tried any of these products, what do you think of them?

Nouveau Lashes with Ultra Bond Strip

There's something about Summer and super long lashes.  I think it's because as we get a natural warmer tan, less face makeup is needed, but it's still great to glam up by focusing on the eyes.  I've been using Nouveau Lashes to feel great this summer.  

They have a beautiful natural look as you can see in the photo below, and are long enough to cover the entire lash line.  They also don't scratch at all like other brands, I think because it has such a light and flexible strip, unlike the more rigid ones out on the market.

To help it to stay in place, a god send is Ultra Bond Strip, this doesn't dry out after multiple uses and the best things is at a whopping 10g, it has enough for many (hundreds?!) of applications.  This means you can keep reapplying your lashes and you know you'll have enough, fresh bonding glue. The glue also keeps the lashes in place without them lifting up in the corners.

I also personally found that the Ultra Bond Strip  is very sensitive and doesn't cause irritation which is perhaps the number one thing I look for in a lash glue.

Why don't you have a try?

Ultra bond and nouveau available from: nouveaulashes.com

OOTD Moschino Black Leather Bag with Max Mara Camel Coat

Hello my chicas!

Here is my outfit of the day!

It hasn't been the best June weather-wise here in London, so I've had to wrap up warm!

I am absolutely in love with my new purchases- a gorgeous black leather bag my Moschino (available from www.moschino.com) and a camel coat.

I've seen a few Victoria's Secrets models wearing similar coats recently so I had to get one.  They are great for this chilly weather which isn't too cold, but definitely weather for a coat.

They look sophisticated and classy, but still edgy.  Mine is from www.maxmara.com.  They are a little bit pricey, but I see them as an investment piece, as they will never go out of fashion.

I matched the bag and coat with Zara jeans and Bertie brown leather boots.

Moschino bag....if you hadn't noticed!