Author Archives: Sophia Mead

FROST’S FAVOURITE: NAILCARE

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No matter how chic you look in your power dress, daring to bare to a chipped nail definitely eliminates sass points. If professional shaping and shellacs aren’t your thing, check out our High Street list of must-haves for manicured looking nails

Unicorn Nail Vanity Kit (£12.99)

A cutie mini vanity kit packed with the nailcare staples you need. Not necessarily the most professional to pull out pre-meeting but certainly pocket sized and, let’s face it, cute AF

Buy from: Thumbs Up

Nail Foundation (£15)

This priming basecoat a triple threat.Fortified with Hydrolysed Silk, it strengthens weak nails, promote healthy nail growth and acts as a banishing tool – ridding you of ridges and imperfections for a super smooth nail surface

Buy from: Look Fantastic

OPI Infinite Shine Nail Colour (£14.50)

Tis the season to get SUMMERY! As the weather warms and the sun tries to shine, we’re all about bright and bold. This OPI range is glossy and glam and has some brilliant pink hues (From Here To Eternity is our FAVE)

Buy from: Amazon

The Body Shop almond nail and cuticle oil (£8)

We know that cuticle oil splits the crowd – it’s an extra layer and usually forgotten BUT trust us, it’s worth the investment. The Body Shop offers a two in one pen which is packed with lovely scented, sweet almond oil. It softens cuticles and treats dry, brittle nails whilst helping your manicure last longer

Buy from: The Body Shop

FRIDAY FOCUS: VEGAN BEAUTY

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Our love for cruelty free beauty products is an all-year-long affair, so check out our top beauty picks below.

For the skin

Embryolisse CC Cream – £29.99

This skin perfector adapts to skin tone and offers a ‘second skin’ veil. It contains super ingredient Hyaluronic Acid which fully hydrates and will leave you with radiant skin

Daytox Vitamin C Serum – £29.00

The Daytox serum packs 10% Vitamin C (which is directly linked to giving you a radiant complexion). It also balances the skin tone and reduces dark spots

For the hair

Shea Moisture – 10 in 1 renewal Shampoo – £10.99

A superfruit beast that’s rich in antioxidants and nourishes, protects, hydrates and, imporatntly, smells absolutely fantastic!

For the body

Misguided Babe Power – £28.00

As part of the new Misguided eu de parfam range, its Babe Power scent has notes of grapefruit zest, sour cherry, pink pepper, crisp apple, pineapple and rhubarb

For the nails

Butter London Patent Shine 10x -£15.00

A range of varnishes available in 46 rich and beautiful colours. These products are chip resistant and leave a great gloss

ELICITE – THE NEW FINE WINE SITE YOU NEED TO FOLLOW

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Ever find yourself staring at the wine list and praying that you’re not the Chosen One when it comes to selecting the drinks for the table? The launch of Elicite offers a straight-forward, simple education to fine wines that will have you sounding like a sommelier in no time, as well as selling a range of exquisite wines and Champagnes for you to try.

Explore

No matter what you’re keen to showcase, whether it’s your knowledge of varying regions, appellation or food pairings, there are digestible videos, features and snippets that will bring your knowledge up in no time.

Experience

The ‘Shop’ section is a treat for the eyes and naturally, the palette. Prices vary hugely so whatever your budget, there’s something that you can be proud to bring to the dinner table. Magnums, bottles and full collections are available on the site.

Events

Yet to be updated on the site but keep your eyes peeled for bespoke events. The team are keeping deets close to their chest but we expect the events will be a classy and educational affair.

Check out the Elicite website to start your fine wine journey!

BLACK & BLUE STEAK RESTAURANT REVIEW

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As you’ll have come to learn, here at Frost we are suckers for a good steak and have found YET ANOTHER affordable London based gem.

Black & Blue is a chain of four restaurants in the city and you’ll have probably noticed those blue neon signs dotted all over the city that, for us, are becoming as iconic as the Golden Arches.

We visited the Waterloo branch which is nestled in one of the station arches and the atmosphere hits you immediately. A soft hum of live jazz from the skilled artist near the bar, deep and rich coloured furnishings and low lighting make Black & Blue the perfect spot for date night.

The food menu is loyal to what you expect to see at a steakhouse. For starters, you can choose from soup, wings, skewers, tortilla chips or prawns and all cost between £6.50 and £9. We went for the crispy chicken wings with salt and lime and the king prawns with garlic butter. The batter on the crispy wings packed a brilliant punch and when drizzled with the lime – heaven! The portions were also generous which, for the low price, was a great surprise.

Somebody say steak? Obvs. Let’s be straight here, B&B serves a beautiful steak. You can choose from a Flat Iron, Ribeye, Fillet or a Cote de Boeuf (which comes for one or two share) and each comes with an indulgent sauce of choice. The steaks are hung in the traditional way and aged for up to 28 days and the flavours reflect the TLC that B&B gives up front. Rich, meaty and fairly priced. If you’re not wanting to succumb to steak (we don’t judge.), you can sample one of their burger, ribs or something from the chargrill menu. The chicken breast, mushroom, cream and thyme sauce VERY nearly swayed us!

Black & Blue also knows its wines and has strong selection to choose from. The Domaine Luquet Macon Blanc Villages, Burgundy, may be the priciest bottle on the menu at £38 but the crisp, dry flavour is just divine. As a bonus though, any bottle of wine is half price on Sundays and Mondays so maybe save on splashing out on then!

Visit the Black & Blue website to make a booking.

 

LOST BOYS PIZZA – MIXING MODERN DAY FOOD WITH AN 80s CULTURE

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Where can you pay homage to some of the greatest movie moments from the 80s whilst feasting on the latest foodie trends AND enjoying a full on Absinthe bar? Camden, of course!

Lost Boys Pizza recently opened its second branch in this tourist hotspot and serves up charcoal based pizzas in a down and dirty setting.

There’s so much to chat about with this place but we’re going to focus on three things – the food, the drink and the vibe…

The Food

So, charcoal pizza. Don’t get us wrong, we were a little apprehensive at first but it turns out that the taste barely differs to your standard crust (it’s just a bit smokier) but it does feel much lighter on the gut – meaning less guilt all round… hurrah! Lost Boys take a twist to their pizzas so there’s no traditional margerita or Hawaiian pizza here. What you will be treated to though, is an array of really reasonably priced dishes (avg. £8.50) with funky names (Santa Carla, Ready Pizza One and Fangs For The Memories) and even funkier tastes (in a good way).

The Drinks

One of the things that really makes this place stand out is its Absinthe packed lair. The first Absinthe bar in London town, here you can try variants of the strong stuff whilst getting a full education on its history and the best way to take the liquor. And no, it’s not straight from the bottle on a Greek street corner.

The Vibe

No matter where you look, there’s a nod to a retro movie. Black and white posters, actual costumes from top film sets (we won’t give away the surprises) and a playlist that will have you wanting to don your Doc Martins, you’ll leave wondering what this modern day madness is outside.

LUNA CINEMA PARTNERS WITH NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM

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If you’ve not yet attended a Luna Cinema event in London, now’s the time to try! Hosting an array of springtime screenings in the iconic main hall, cinemagoers can catch their favourite film, grab a free bag of popcorn and settle under the, erm, skeletons to watch a flick.

Hitting the big screen in London are:

A Quiet Place – 9th March

The Jungle Book – 10th March

The Greatest Showman  – 10th March

Bohemian Rhapsody – 11th March

A Star Is Born – 11th March

Night At The Museum – 12th March

Jurassic Park – 12th March

Tickets are also available for Leeds Castle in Maidstone Kent

All tickets cost £27.75 per person and a bag of popcorn is included in the price. A pop up bar will serve drinks at an additional charge

For more information, visit the Luna Cinema website

KEEPING IT PIN-TASTIC WITH LITTLE ONES

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It’s a fine line –  bulking out your home with toys that keep the little ones thriving without completely destroying that minimalist, Scandi styled space. We’ve pulled together our top three places to buy brilliantly inspired yet beautiful toys for little ones – meaning your house is still perfectly Instagrammable and you have a happy camper in the mix!

 

Hape

The selection of wooden toys from Hape are a firm Frost favourite. Retro in appearance but advanced in stimulation for little ones, you get the best of both for a modest price. Our personal favourites are the gorgeous pound and tap bench, the rotating music box and most of all… the SOLAR SYSTEM JIGSAW. A jigsaw of beautiful colours that will, when done right, look like a purpose built mosaic in your living room. Check out the Hape site for more details.

       

After Noah

This family run business is cuteness to the core. Packed with traditional looking toys, its box of ABC building blocks and wooden jungle animals will help with your little one’s learning AND your house still looking like a Pinterest board – winner!

 

Mulberry Bush

Dancing alligators, Mr Mushroom hammer pegs and Bernie’s Ride On Bus are three of our favourites from Mulberry Bush. The site features tonnes of brands which are playing in this space and is dedicated to retro looking wooden toy which are BEAUTIFULLY crafted.

VALENTINE’S INSPO – EXPERIENCE GIFTS

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Struggling to decide what to get the other half for Valentine’s Day? Turns out ANYTHING will do as 22% of guys don’t expect a gift, vs 93% of us high maintenance women… awks.

If you definitely want to land in his good books, the Hut.com survey found that his top gift would be an experience, followed by accessories and fashion led pieces.

Check out below for some ‘experience inspo’ – we’ve pulled out the top things you can do together (because it’s your day too!)

Budget buying – Under £50

Extreme Solent 60 Minute RIB Taster – £17.50

One for the more adventurous amongst us. Sixty minutes on a James Bond style RIB boat… what’s not to love! You can purchase via Virgin Experience Days

Comedy Club pass – £20

This offer from Buy A Gift is a great way to spend an evening letting loose with each other. The price tag also means you could probably get a dinner too… or at least treat him to a kebab on the way home!

Three course meal for two and a sparkling cocktail – £49

Based in Camden Market, Shaka Zulu is a packed with 20ft high statues and tasty South African cuisine. Available via Virgin Experience Days, you can head to Roundhouse or any of the many Camden bars to carry on the party.

Slightly splurging  – Under £100

Hotel Chocolat Tasting Experience  – £50

Sweeten him up with this one. You’ll spend two hours in heaven. Well, talking about and tasting chocolate… so it’s practically heaven! Included is a glass of prosecco, a goodie bag and a 10% off voucher. Available via Into The Blue at Leeds and London locations

Peaky Blinders Bus Tour – £56

By order of the Peaky… erm, you know the rest! Pick up this deal through Very’s website and head to Liverpool for this four hour tour. Get closer to the cast’s stories and visit nine of the show’s most iconic locations.

Marvel Avengers Interactive Experience – £63

For the gamer in your life, this Groupon offer trains you to be S.T.A.T.I.O.N agents and learn the Avengers back story.

Lavishing him with luxury – Under £200

Lovers Leap Bunjee Jump – £120

Not for the faint-hearted, this bunjee jump will see you catapult your way towards the ground from 160ft high… rather you than us! Currently 33% off via Red Letter Days and available at multiple locations

Eden Project Private Guided Mediterranean Tour for Two – £115

Bringing it back a notch… this Cornwall based tour will take you on a scene setting tour of California, the Med and South Africa. Plenty of quality time with one another in a relaxing environment… bliss! Tickets available via Red Letter Days

Indoor Rock and Ice Climbing – £115

Head to the Highlands of Scotland to enjoy this one. Two and a half hours of heaving yourself up a wall with an ice pick / your bare hands. What’s not to love!