Author Archives: Sophia Mead

FROST’S FOODIE FAVOURITE – BIG EASY

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A taste of the Deep South and a damn good night!

Big Easy is a favourite across the London foodie scene. Good, honest grub and a relaxed atmosphere to match, these Bar B.Q houses and Crabshacks don’t disappoint and with three spots throughout London, you’re never too far away from a Big Easy style, belly busting feast.

Last month, we were invited to try out the renovated Kings Road hut – the home of the original Big Easy restaurant – and it didn’t disappoint.

Authentic, southern décor and melt in the mouth meats, there’s nothing not to love. We opted for the Bar B.Q Blowout for Two which basically means we got to try a bit of everything! All of the meats are cooked the traditional way – low and slow –  over wood. Included on this plate of perfection was Baby Back Ribs, Bar.B.Q Chicken, Chips, Pulled Pork, Cornbread Muffin, Coleslaw & Bar.B.Q Beans and Texas Hot Links Sausage. All for just £22.50 per person!

If you fancy having a food focus as opposed to a little bit of everything, ribs are an absolute highlight at Big Easy and the team take their rib rubs and sauces seriously. “Wet“ ribs are dry rubbed and sauced throughout their entire cook and the “dry ribs” are rubbed and cooked and are just sans sauce. On these, the rub and smoke work their magic to create a “bark” ensuring a crispy exterior with a succulent interior.

Happy hours and live bands make an appearance on the daily, as do fantastic foodie specials from bottomless fajitas (£20pp every Wednesday) to the Monday classic of the ‘Big Pig Gig’, offering diners unlimited Bar B.Q and a 2 pint stein of Big Easy Brew (£20pp).

To book a table at Big Easy Kings Road, visit the Big Easy website.

BEAUTY ESSENTIALS – THE NOVEMBER EDIT

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Despite this bizarrely warm and sunny November we’re having, the crisp air and subtle hints of Christmas are starting to come through so it’s time to make some changes to your regular routine. By this, we mean spoiling the skin, topping up the tan, gearing up the glitter and hydrating the hair.

Check out our November beauty must-haves below and thank us later!

 

Huda Beauty – The Nude Palette

If you haven’t heard about Huda dropping this latest launch, where have you been!? The beauty industry, and our Instagram feeds, are going wild for these 18 pigmented shades and it’s already sold out TWICE since hitting shelves in the UK just two weeks ago. The glitter formulas are absolutely mesmerising and will get you in the party spirit. Our favourite thing about this though, is the sheer number of looks you can create with different combinations. It’s a little more spenny than some but  trust us, it’s totally worth it.

Where can I buy? Feel Unique

How much? £56

Perfect for: EVERYTHING

 

Hairburst Volume and Growth Elixir

Anything that helps protect our locks in this weather gets the thumbs up from us but this fantastic elixir does so much more. Applying to wet hair helps to hugely increase the hair’s volume and also improves the quality and strength of each individual strand. You’d be lying if you said you didn’t see the results after your blow dry and this elixir leaves hair glossier after just one use. It has UV, heat AND pollution protection and the avocado and coconut actives leave the hair smelling super fresh too.

Where can I buy? Superdrug

How much? £23.99

Perfect for: Strengthening, volumizing and perfecting any hair type

 

Balmkind lip treatment

We do love this time of year but cracked, sore lips are not part of the desired winter wardrobe so it’s essential to be protecting your pout. Balmkind is a treatment balm that’s packed with Alpine Rose and Lysine (great for preventing and treating cold sores), as well as liquorice root. This concoction makes for an instantly nourishing and hydrating feel on the lips and to top it all, there is no petroleum in these tubes of goodness, meaning the protective barrier isn’t just artificial. Our favourite thing about Balmkind? It’s available in SPF20 (as well as non SPF) and protects against both UVB and UVA rays

Where can I buy? Balmkind

How much? £13

Perfect for: A super-soft and protected pout

 

Cocoa Brown By Marissa Carter 

An early Christmas miracle for washed out skin. This one hour tan uses accelerating ingredients to help it develop quickly and leaves you with a fast-drying, non-sticky, brown tan, all with Cocoa Brown’s signature Tahitian Gardinia scent. Super easy to apply when using the Cocoa Brown luxury mitt, you’ll have that festive glow in, quite literally, no time as it dries in seconds.

Where can I buy? Superdrug

How much? £5.99

Perfect for: A natural looking top up tan

 

Jolen Cream Bleach

Let’s be honest here, the last thing we want coming through on our flawless party pics is that ‘above lip shadow’. Hair removal can often be a bit too aggressive on the skin which is why bleaching is quite often the right route. Gentle on the skin, a light fragrance, great results and a budget friendly pricetag make it a great choice this season.

Where can I buy? Boots

How much? £4.35

Perfect for: A painless, shadow free top lip

 

 

SUE RYDER OPENS ITS FIRST EVER POP UP, PACKED WITH CELEBRITY DONATIONS

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Charity crawlers, and celeb enthusiasts, look no further. For just one day only on Friday October 19th, Sue Ryder will be opening its pop up shop in Mayfair, with donations from famous faces including Eddie Redmayne, Kate Moss, Sam Smith and Daniel Radcliffe.

The temporary treasure chest will be hosted in one of London’s grandest auction houses, Bonhams, to help drive funds for one of the leading UK’s charities offering families palliative, neurological and bereavement care.

Top celebrity items will be sold via silent auction but customers can pop in and purchase a plethora of vintage goodies.

Oscar winning Actor Eddie Redmayne has donated a signed copy of his original script from The Theory of Everything, the biopic of Professor Stephen Hawking, who lived with MND for most of his adult life.

Eddie, who was awarded the Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of Professor Hawking said of the donation:

“It seemed a fitting tribute to the memory of Stephen, to donate my signed script from The Theory of Everything to Sue Ryder. The charity provides vital support to people living with MND and I’m delighted that funds raised from my donation will help to support people living with this and other life-changing conditions.”

Model and fashion icon Kate Moss, who has donated a signed copy of her coffee-table tome Kate by Kate Moss to the shop added:

“I regularly donate to my local Sue Ryder shop in North London and I’m delighted to be supporting the charity’s first pop-up shop.”

 

The store will be open from 10:00 am – 4:30 pm on Friday 19th October at Bonhams 101 New Bond Street, London W1S 1SR.

 

 

OUR FINEST FIVE: TESCO FINEST CELEBRATES ITS 20TH ANNIVERSARY

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Twenty years ago Tesco introduced its posh nosh range and is celebrating the anniversary this year by reminding us of just how deliciously opulent these goodies can be. To celebrate, we’re sharing with you our finest five – see what we did there?

 

The Finest snack…Tesco Finest Quadruple Chocolate Cookies (£1.59)

Buttery, chocolatey goodness in one beautiful cookie. There’s a mix of Belgian dark chocolate, Belgian milk chocolate and Belgian white chocolate chunks AND is if that isn’t enough, it’s half dunked into Belgian chocolate.

 

The Finest main… Tesco Finest Thai Green Chicken Curry and Coconut Jasmine Rice (£3.00)

We’re not usually fans of tray meals but let’s be honest, when you’re living the London life, cooking from scratch isn’t always the easiest so we’re keen to find a tasty alternative. This taste of Thailand is rich and full of flavour, topped with a coconut, lemongrass and green chilli sauce. With a side of prawn crackers (essential), you’ll feel like you’ve had a Deliveroo right to your door.

 

The Finest dessert… Tesco Finest Raspberry and Passion Fruit Cheesecake (£4.00)

Cheesecake – one of the real wonders of the world. This slow baked passionfruit cheesecake with raspberry sauce and raspberries with a seeded passionfruit glaze has a really delicate balance between the sharp bursts of passionfruit and the rich cream cheese centre.

The Finest drink… Tesco Finest Vintage Champagne (£25.00)

The party season is quickly approaching (hurrah!) and what better way to celebrate than with a brilliant bottle of bubbles. This one is ripe citrus flavours and a delicate mousse and is perfectly light and refreshing.

 

Tesco Finest Comte Cheese (£3.00)

Few things excite us more in life than a good cheeseboard. Whilst we’ll never turn our nose up at a good cheddar, we enjoy expanding our dairy horizons and this Comte is no joke. Made and matured in the Jura region of France, the nutty, butteryness is something to behold.

 

‘Silver Sliders’ encouraged to celebrate National Grandparents Day

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Move over Mother’s Day, we’ve heard about a new national day that’s deserving of a card, cake and right ol’ celebration – Nationals Grandparents Day!

Unlike most gatherings you’ll this Sunday, London’s iconic ArcelorMittal Orbit will be drawing in the ‘Silver Sliders’ and offering free (yes, FREE) opportunities for grandparents to Ride The Slide.

ArcelorMittal Orbit gives riders an exhilarating 40 seconds, as they speed through its 12 hair-raising twists and turns. Beats a roast at the local pub, right?

In case you were under a rock in 2012, the ArcelorMittal Orbit was built to be an ‘extra’ for the Olympic Games which were hosted in London but has since been transformed into the world’s longest and tallest tunnel slide in the world.

So, if you’re looking for a way to celebrate your grandparents this Sunday – do it with the slide!

Daring grandparents can have a go for free on Sunday 7th October between 10am and 5pm when they bring along a family member. All they need to do is book online and enter the code GrandSlide.

Friday Focus: GREEN TEA, INFUSE ME!

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What better way to kick off a Friday than with a splash of tea…?

Green tea is the elixir of skincare in our opinion. To name just a few, it has the benefits of fighting UV damage, contains anti-ageing properties, reduces inflammation and is perfect for sensitive skin which is why we’re seeing it pop up more and more in the cosmetic and beauty industries. We’re giving the rundown below of our favourite green tea infused products.

 

L.A.B 2 BRUSH KITS

A UK first, this range is infused with calming Green Tea powder. With super high quality synthetic fibres and ultra plush bristles, this range provides beauty junkies with a completely flawless finish without any added guilt. Each brush is anti-microbial, meaning they can stay fresher for longer and is permanently infused with ‘good for you’ ingredients and a unique cocktail of vitamins and antioxidants including vitamin C and E.

GLO SKIN BEAUTY – CONDITIONING MIST

This conditioning mist is a refreshing and hydrating toner that soothes the skin.  Hyaluronic Acid (a new big contender on the beauty scene) is used to attract and maintain moisture in dehydrated skin and there’s chamomile which will support the skin’s natural barrier.

The chamomile also provides antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties making this ideal to help clear skin. This skin toner calms, smoothes and balances the complexion.

 

BEAUTYPRO REJUVENATING COLLAGEN MASK WITH GREEN TEA EXTRACT

Facemask. One of our favourite words. Whether it’s a sheet mask, bubble mask or mud mask, few things beat that refreshed and relaxed feeling that comes post face mask rinse.

The BeautyPro collagen mask is a dual-function mask which rebalances oily t-zones, hydrates dry areas and diminishes fine lines and wrinkles.

It’s a 15 minute treatment that’s suitable for all skin types. What more could you need!

ELIZABETH ARDEN GREEN TEA HONEY DROPS BODY CREAM

Drench your skin in lustrous moisture with Elizabeth Arden Green Tea Honey Drops Body Cream. It’s a super hydrating, all-over body cream, ideal for dry skin.

Green Tea Honey Drops Body Cream from Elizabeth Arden is infused with a blend of real honey and fragrant green tea extract, to help calm and condition your skin. It helps lock in moisture, leaving your skin silky smooth and beautifully scented.

We feel refreshed already!

 

FUJI GREEN TEA HAND CREAM

Perfect for on-the-go hydration, don’t leave home without this hand cream. Infused with the refreshing scent of Fuji Green Tea, the light, gel-cream formula absorbs quickly, helping to soften and protect your hands. Dreamy.

DAYTOX – THE NEW KID ON THE BLOCK

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Detoxing. Reminds you of hard work, right? It includes sacrifice, deprivation and most importantly, dedication.

Enter, Daytox.

We’re all for a new skincare range which makes life easier and Daytox claims to do just that. The products gradually help to detoxify the skin and restore its youthful, fresh appearance while promoting the skin’s natural detox process too.It also protects the cells against free radicals, which accelerate the ageing process.

The skincare range includes:

  • DAYTOX Peel- Off Mask, £20
  • DAYTOX Volcanic Mud, £20
  • DAYTOX Facial Tonic, £10
  • DAYTOX Vitamin C Serum, £29
  • DAYTOX Rich Cream, £26
  • DAYTOX Eye Wonder Serum, £24

The DAYTOX skincare range is available from Waitrose and Ocado

 

HEAD TO HAKKASAN FOR CHINESE GOLDEN WEEK

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Yesterday saw the start of the Chinese National Holiday, Golden Week. The seven day festival celebrates travelling at a prime time in the country but for those in London, there are still plenty of ways to get involved.

Top of our list? Taking a trip to Hakkasan, two of Central London’s Michelin star Chinese restaurant.

Hakkasan is embracing the holiday and has launched a limited edition, exclusive eight course golden menu. Guests will walk through a ‘river of gold’ as they enter and the menu incorporates gold dim sum and a gold dessert. Scrummy.

A highlight of the exclusive menu is the Golden dim sum trio which begins the eight courses, featuring a crispy lamb puff, chilli crab dumpling and har gau covered in gold leaf.

Also gracing the golden menu is Crispy suckling pig with spiced soy sauce and steamed black kingfish fillet with saffron sauce in addition to Salted egg yolk fried rice. The Golden Week menu finishes off with a Touch of Gold, an exclusive black and gold dessert featuring poached kumquat, sesame crumble, black sesame tuile and a Venezuelan chocolate foam. YUM.

Fancy some liquid gold? Try the Golden Week cocktail, featuring Diplomático Planas white rum, pomelo, lemon and five spice, topped off with Louis Roederer Champagne and sprayed with gold mist.

Whilst Hakasan’s golden menu isn’t something to try on a budget break, it’s definitely worth splashing out for at £88 per person. (Keeping in tradition with China’s lucky number eight) for parties of two or more.

It’s available at both Hakkasan Hanway Place and Hakkasan Mayfair until 7th October.