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19
May 13

A Weekend at K West Hotel & Spa

I love living in London – the diversity, the noise, the culture; I couldn’t swap it for anywhere else. In fact I’m one of those Londoners who know very little about anything outside the M25 (shame on me).

To that end I’m making more of an effort to visit the many different neighbourhoods in London. First on my whistle-stop tour was Shepherds Bush in West London.

K West Hotel & Spa is a short hop, skip and jump away from Westfield London shopping centre and the perfect location for Mr 32 Boroughs and I to engage in a little retail therapy.

K West Hotel & Spa - Front Entrance

The hotel itself is a refurbished BBC building and the long narrow corridors are slightly reminiscent of office space. The difference ends there though; our room was large, plush and with one of the biggest beds I have ever seen. In fact I think all four members of my family could have quite comfortably fit in it!

bedroom

Our Junior Executive room had a Bose surround sound entertainment system, a 42” plasma screen television and a very comfy sofa and coffee table which contained the latest edition of In Style and Harper’s Bazaar.

We had a good old nose around the hotel; there’s K Lounge on the ground floor which is home to a bar and DJ (on Friday and Saturday nights from 10) where it’s not uncommon to find bands and celebrities from the nearby Shepherds Bush Empire.

One floor up is Kanteen; a restaurant serving modern British cuisine throughout the day. It is also where you can have breakfast and goodness the breakfast was good. Being pescatarian and gluten and dairy intolerant means eating out is often a chore but Kanteen not only had a lovely veggie option, they also had soya milk and gluten free bread available which trust me, isn’t often the case.

breakfast

After checking in at 3:00 pm, we settled in then went over to Westfield for an afternoon of shopping. We ended the evening with dinner at Meat & Wine Co which was lovely and ridiculously filling. Didn’t stop me from stuffing my face at breakfast the next morning though!

Even though there’s a buzzing lounge at K West Hotel & Spa; you can’t hear anything from your room and we were typical parents and had an early night!

After waddling back from breakfast, I went to the Spa floor of the hotel for a Russie Blanche Caviar Body Polish (divine). After being covered in mineral rich Russian salts, I had an invigorating body scrub, shower and then a massage with Russie Blanche detoxing body oil. My therapist Lyudmila concentrated on my crunchy neck and shoulders and although it hurt (in a good way) I felt amazing and refreshed at the end. The hotel has a relaxation room you can visit post treatment where you can lie down with a fashion mag and drink complimentary water or tea and/or eat fruit in a low lit room. You’re lying on a padded treatment bed so don’t be surprised if you find yourself nodding off.

k-west-spa

The Spa at K West Hotel was named ‘Best UK Luxury Hotel Spa’ at the World Luxury Hotel & Spa Awards in 2011 and for good reason; they offer a variety of unique treatments. Take the ‘Snow Paradise’ (a London first) where you stand on frozen ice and are in the middle of a light snow shower. I must warn you; visit Snow Paradise after the sauna (to aid cooling down) and not before!

You can also visit the ‘Sun Meadow’ for specialist light therapy to treat SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder). The spa has a hydrotherapy pool, sauna, dry flotation tank, aromatic herbal steam room and fully equipped gymnasium (Mr 32 Boroughs woke up at 8 and had a workout. I didn’t.)

We loved our mini break at K West Hotel & Spa and thoroughly recommend it for couples looking to get away from it all (work, kids, life etc).

K West Hotel & Spa (prices start at £125 per room per night)
Richmond Way
London
W14 0AX
www.k-west.co.uk

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17
May 13

Family Fun With Ribena Plus

During the last week of half term the kids and I went along to an event held by Ribena Plus. I have fond memories of Ribena; when I was little I wasn’t allowed tea or coffee (obviously) so to feel grown up, I was given a little teacup filled with hot Ribena. it’s funny, I make the exact same drink for my daughter now.

Blog2

The event was to launch some new Ribena flavours; Ribena Plus for Immunity Support with vitamins A, C and E and no added sugar in blackcurrant apple and peach, new red apple or new summer fruits and Ribena Plus for Healthy Bones with added calcium and no added sugar in Raspberry and Apple. They also presented their latest research that showed it only takes 12 minutes of quality time for parents to reconnect with their children after being separated while parents are at work and children are at school.

All the children present had access to workstations where they were given 12 minutes to perform tasks like making a fun T-shirt, indoor bowling or making musical instruments out of plastic cups and dried beans. It was a little like organised chaos at some points but all the kids present had a great time and the Ribena Plus team were totally unfazed by all the noise and mess.

ribena=plus

This thing I took away from the event was to use open ended questions with my daughter. Instead of saying ‘How was your day?’ which always gets a ‘Fine’ the makers of Ribena Plus advised asking the question ‘Tell me what the best bit of your day was’ as it guarantees an answer more than one word long.

If you are a working parent you will appreciate the difficulty in juggling all your work and home responsibilities and looking after your children; it often feels like there aren’t enough hours in the day to do everything well. While I hope I spend more than 12 minutes of quality time a day with my children; the suggestions the Ribena Plus team gave were really helpful and will make for some great activities during the next half term. For example with children aged 3 to 4 they said ask questions like: What are the names of the toys you played with today? Who is taller mummy or your teacher? Tell me about the best game you played today.

Although it feels like 100 years ago I do still remember being a teenager and my poor mother trying to get information out of me. Conversation tips from the Ribena Plus team for this age group include:

Tell me some school gossip I am all ears
Where are you off to with your friends this week
What project are you doing at the moment and can I help you with it?

I think these are brilliant!

They also gave out of a handy manual containing 30 activities parents can do with their child. The book was made by parents for parents and is meant to help us reconnect with our children while learning about their day. We are going to work through it for the next 30 days. You can download your copy at www.ribena.co.uk.

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14
May 13

The Beauty Edit: May

These beauties are at the front of my dressing table this month:

Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Even Finish Compact Foundation – £32
I have to admit this is my second time using a compact foundation. My very first foundation was MAC Studio Fix and I stuck with that for years before moving over to liquid. Now I’m a firm liquid user I couldn’t see myself going back to a compact. Bobbi Brown has convinced me though. I have the Long Wear liquid and the compact version of the foundation is perfect for applying makeup on the go with its sponge applicator and mirror. Walnut is a perfect colour match to my skin and it looks smooth and natural as it covers imperfections without looking cakey or masky.

bobbi-brown-compact-foundation

MUA Cosmetics Spring Collection – £4
You might think ‘do I really need another nude make up palette?’ but when it’s only £4.00 yes, yes you do! The MUA Cosmetics Spring Collection comprises a primer, fix mists and concealers but most were too light for my skin tone. The Undressed Me Too eye shadow palette contains 12 warm, classic shades that should suit everyone. Shades Naked, Devotion and Shy are perfect for highlighting the eyes, while the shimmery tones of Fiery, Lavish and Dreamy help give a more sultry effect. Use Tranquil, Exposed and Wink to contour and transform your day look into a sexy smoky eye. I keep Undressed Me Too in my bag so I have something on hand that I can use to update or totally refresh my look.

MUA

Good Things Total Wipe Out Cleansing Wipes – £3.49
Talking of refreshing my look; I love a good cleansing wipe. When I get home in the evening the first thing I do is use one to get all my makeup off. I need a wipe that gets all the makeup and London grime off my face without stripping my skin clean and leaving it taut and dry. Each Good Things Total Wipe Out Cleansing Wipe has aloe vera, vitamin E and Raspberry and cranberry extracts which makes it suitable for sensitive skins and it cleans and refreshing while hydrating the skin. They are also biodegradable (perfect for festivals) and free from parabens, sulphates, mineral oils and animal-tested ingredients.

wipes

Models Own Artistic Duo Polish – £6
Plain nails seem to be a thing of the past so it makes sense to sell the base and top coats together. Models Own have coordinated their bestselling colour polish and the most popular nail effects and created eight different colour combinations. I tried Jade Flakes – Jade Stone and Snowflakes; a jade green base coat with a silvery glitter top coat. It’s a lovely colour that really stands out against brown skins and I received quite a few compliments wearing it.

models-own

WEN by Chaz Dean 5-in-1 Cleansing Conditioner - Kit from £57
If you read this blog regularly you’ll know I’m somewhat obsessed with conditioner and hair treatments. My hair is thirsty; there’s no such thing as too much conditioner when it comes to my tresses. My latest find is from US stylist Chaz Dean. I love a good co-wash but with this cleansing conditioner, I use one product to get the benefits of five. The cleansing conditioner is crammed with a blend of herbs, botanicals and pro-vitamin B and is designed to replace your shampoo, conditioner, leave-in conditioner, detangler and intensive conditioner. Saving time and money, it doesn’t lather (it’s SLS free) but creates a smooth foam and gives your hair a good clean without being too harsh. The cleansing conditioner is part of the Sweet Almond Mint kit which has been specially formulated for dry, damaged and frizzy hair.

wen

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12
May 13

Kiehl’s Sunflower Color Preserving Deep Recovery Pak‏

For hair that smalls of apricot, flowers and sunshine, try Kiehl’s Sunflower Colour Preserving Deep Recovery Pak‏.

Now my hair is coloured I have to pay extra special attention and care to treating it well. As my hair isn’t relaxed, my struggle isn’t too hard but I’m always on the lookout for conditioning treatments that can nourish my hair as well as preserve my colour.

kiehls-sunflower-colour-preserving-pak

 

Kiehl’s Sunflower Colour Preserving Deep Recovery Pak is a paraben and silicone-free conditioning treatment for coloured hair. It works particularly well in repairing chemically processed hair so would work well for those whose tresses are relaxed.

Key ingredients include:

Sunflower Seed Oil which helps to nurture and condition dry or damaged hair, Apricot Kernel Oil, an ingredient known for its soothing and moisturizing properties and Vitamins B3, 5 and 6 to provide condition and shine while protecting hair fibers from oxidative damage.

For the best results use it every time you wash your hair which in my case is once a week. After shampooing, apply a generous amount all over your hair, concentrating on the areas that need TLC. In my case that’s the ombré ends. Leave on for as long as you wish (I left it on all day) and then rinse out for silky soft and nourished hair. It’s important you rinse properly as any leftover treatment will make your hair sticky and hard to style.

I pretty much drenched my hair in the Kiehl’s Sunflower Color Preserving Deep Recovery Pak and I’d hardly made a dent in the tub so it should last ages. I love the smell and the condition if leaves my hair in. If your hair is coloured, and especially if it’s relaxed, this is a conditioning treatment you should try.

Kiehl’s Sunflower Color Preserving Deep Recovery Pak – £25/250ml

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10
May 13

Ojon Rare Blend Deep Conditioner

I am a huge fan of Ojon as their products work so well on curly and Afro hair.

When I read about the new Ojon Rare Blend Deep Conditioner I knew it was something I had to get my hands or should I say hair on. Anyone with Afro hair, but especially those who have treated it with colour or chemicals needs to use this product.

photo

The conditioner contains three butters and seven oils which are known for their nourishing and shine enhancing properties. I like to know what I’m putting on my hair and if you do to, take these ingredients in:

  • Ojon Oil penetrates the hair shaft to repair and seal the cuticle and helps to build up hair’s natural resistance to future damage.
  • Indian Kokum is rich in essential lipids, is known for its nourishing properties and is traditionally used to hydrate skin and condition hair.
  • Brazil Murumuru Butter contains oleic acid that helps retain moisture in skin and hair and gives a healthy shine to damaged or over-processed hair.
  • African Shea Butter is high in vitamins A and E and provides essential nutrients that help strengthen and hydrate hair.
  • Rouge Oleifera helps protect while reducing flyaways and adding shine and manageability.
  • Tahitian Monoi Oil adds shine and protects hair from both heat and environmental factors.

The conditioner itself looks a bit like Cadburys Creme Egg filling; it is a two colour product – the ivory colour is to soften the hair and the amber colour is to nourish, repair and condition.

You can use it daily but I like to use it as a deep conditioning treatment. When I had my hair coloured at Daniel Galvin, the colourist told me there is no such thing as too much conditioner for coloured hair. With that in mind I applied the Rare Blend Deep Conditioner in the morning and washed it out in the evening.

My hair felt amazing afterwards. My tangle teezer glided through my hair with ease and my hair looked, felt and smelled wonderful. I love this product, as anyone with curly or Afro hair knows; shampoo we can be flexible on but when it comes to conditioner we need the good stuff. Ojon Rare Blend Deep Conditioner is the good stuff.

In clinical studies the conditioner reduced friction force and improved ease of combing by 98%. Curly girls will love that statistic!

Ojon Rare Blend Deep Conditioner – £29/150ml

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05
May 13

Label M Advanced Pro 28mm Tongs

I’ve long envied those girls with their loosely waved and perfectly styled hair and wondered if it was a look that could work on my hair.

My friends always say that long hair is wasted on me as I usually wear it off my face and up in a ponytail. Now I’ve added colour to it I am making a conscious effort to wear it down more so I thought I’d try about the new Label M Advanced Pro 28mm Tongs to add some movement and body to my hair.

labelm Advanced Pro Curling Tong 38mm LMELCT38

The tongs features include:

Tourmaline and Ceramic Technology for 100% static free results
LCD digital display indicator and ready light
Built-in microcomputer
Fast heat up & heat restoration
Adjustable temperature control from 80-210°C (I use it at 180)
Safety stand and cool tip
Rubber coated soft touch handle

I started by parting my hair from side to side in four sections to make it easier to work on. I then took each section and parted it down the middle so each side had 2 sections of hair. I then divided those 2 again and curled each area away from my face. This is the size of the curl the tong gives.

daniel-galvin-finger-painting (2)

I looked like a poodle afterwards (not the look I was going for) so once I’d let them cool I raked through them with my hands and this is what it looked like.

Label M Advanced Pro 28mm Tongs

It’s big but not too big and my hair has that swingy TV bounce. My hair holds a style pretty well so save from a couple of sprays of my Elnett Heat Protection Spray it should stay like this for at least a week.

I’ve tried barrel tongs before but I find the lack of a clamp means the curls just don’t look right (or maybe I’m just not very good!) I like the size of the curl the Label M Advanced Pro 28mm Tongs give and think its perfect for those with short to medium length hair.

Label M Advanced Pro 28mm Tongs – £44.95

 

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01
May 13

Bumble and Bumble Straight Shampoo

I’ve always heard good things about bumble and bumble (Bb); the range is a firm fixture at Fashion Week and was used at the Burberry Prorsum show last year.

Bb Straight Shampoo is the first ever sulphate-free cleanser from bumble and bumble. Sulphate is known to irritate the scalp, strip the essential oils from hair and cause the hair to dry out which can lead to breaking and damage meaning it isn’t very good for colour treated and /or Afro hair.

Bb straight shampoo

Bb Straight Shampoo is a mild formulation that helps to reduce frizz and flyaways. Better yet, it is paraben free so perfectly safe for use on coloured or chemically treated hair.It contains patent-pending Concern-straight Technology which unfurl sand calms hair, increase manageability and reduce frizz.

I love this shampoo. I often find sulphate free shampoos so very different from ordinary ones; they do clean the hair but they don’t leave it feeling as soft and smooth. I know that’s not necessarily a bad thing and that it’s probably chemicals leaving a nasty film on my hair but sometimes I do miss the soft feel of an ordinary shampoo.

Bb Straight Shampoo is so moisturising I had to check I hadn’t used the conditioner instead. That’s how good it was! While it doesn’t lather as much as a shampoo with sulphate, it does bubble, a little goes a long way and it leaves the hair clean but not stripped and so deliciously soft. It also smells good.

Bb Straight Shampoo is part of the ‘Straight’ range which is comprised of a conditioner and a blow dry cream.

straight

Bb Straight Shampoo - £23/250ml

 

 

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01
May 13

Summer Beauty Favourites

Look outside the window; summer is officially here.

With that in mind I am throwing caution to the wind and preparing myself for warmer days and balmy nights. Like me, your body has probably been cocooned under jumpers thick tights and a winter coat. It’s time to shake off the shackles of winter, and prepare your body for some exposure. This is a list of what I am using in the hope that summer will be hot and long:

Bioderma Sebium Micelle Solution
Bioderma is the product of the season; beauty bloggers, fashion editors and beauty editors and make-up artists all rave about this product so I was anxious to try and see if it lived up to the hype. It does. After washing my face instead of toner I use this product and I’m surprised at the amount of dirt on the cotton wool pad. It gives your face an extra clean without stripping away any of your natural oils and as I use the one for combination skin, it has a great job of keeping my T zone oil free. There’s a reason a bottle of the solution for sensitive skin is sold every six seconds worldwide.

Radical Skincare Instant Revitalising Mask
This mask contains antioxidant multivitamins A, C, E and beta-carotene which will help to maintain the health of your skin. It sloughs away dead skin and leaves you with a bright and clean complexion. Use it once or twice a week on clean dry skin, leave on for a few minutes and wash off for baby soft skin.

Cath Collins Lily Fandango Eau De Toilette
Summer calls for a light fruity fragrance and I really like the citrus and green notes in this perfume. It’s sweet without being overpowering or sickly and its oriental base notes add a slight sultry sophistication.

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This Works Perfect Heels Rescue Balm
Summer calls for flip-flops and sling backs and as your feet have probably been stuck in boots for the past six months, chances are your heels are cracked and your feet are dry. Get your feet ready for exposure with this rescue balm. For best results, exfoliate your feet first and then massage the balm into your heels and all over your feet before bed.

L’Occitane Summer Cherry Moisturising Gel
Once the Sun is shining your limbs in particular are going to be bare, so get them ready by slathering this moisturising gel all over yourself after your bath or shower. It smells great, is easily absorbed and leaves your skin feeling hydrated.

Barry M Textured Polish Range
These colours shout summer and pastels are all the rage this season. In my opinion they aren’t as textured as the nails inc ones, but at only £4.99 a bottle, they are cheap and cheerful and do the job well enough.

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LCN Polish Strip Off Base
Using this reminded me of being a teenager; does anyone else remember when peel off polish was all the rage? Simply paint on instead of basecoat, apply your usual nail polish and when it comes to removing simply peel it off. It really is that easy. It even works underneath textured nail polish which even with normal remover can be really difficult to get off.

Tresemme Platinum Strength Leave In Conditioner
This leave in conditioner is perfect when you’re washing your hair in a hurry. Instead of using my usual conditioner I just washed my hair, added a generous amount of this leave in conditioner and styled as usual. My hair felt healthy strong and shiny. If you are one of those people who washes your hair in the gym, or washes your hair frequently during the week this leave in conditioner will help speed up your routine.

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30
Apr 13

Hay Fever Relief From The Organic Pharmacy

I recently read that Professor Kennedy of the National Pollen and Aerobiology Research Unit has predicted the worst conditions for hay fever as a sudden pollen surge is expected in the next few weeks.

Because of the late spring/summer this year; conditions are ripe for a terrible summer for those of us that suffer with hay fever.

My daughter has hay fever and I usually just take a swig of the generic Piriton she gets on prescription but this year I’m going to be more proactive and treat myself to the Hay fever Kit from The Organic Pharmacy.

Organic Pharmacy Hayfever

The Kit contains:

Sneeze-away Tincture – a soothing combination of Chamomile, Elderberry and Nettles (add drops to water and drink)

Hay fever Pills – a natural homeopathic combination treatment of Euphrasia, Allium Cepa, Nat Mur, Arsen Alb and Histamine working together to combat hay fever and ease itchy eyes, nose and throat, streaming eyes, running nose and sneezing (suck one three times a day or one every 15 minutes during a hay fever attack)

Quercetin & Vitamin C Complex – a hi-tech formulated complex pill which reduces the symptoms of hay fever (3 a day before meals)

Mixed Pollens & Grasses Pills – A chemical-free formula that desensitises pollen and grass allergies during the worst months (suck one three times a day)

I like the idea of treating myself naturally this ‘summer’ – my Mum did it last year and although her symptoms are usually worse than mine, she found these products very effective. If you are a fellow sufferer, give yourself a natural remedy this season.

Hay fever Relief Kit – £37.96

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30
Apr 13

Imagine Spa at Hilton Heathrow Terminal 5

There are few things in life I like as much as a spa day, so I was very happy to go and try out the Imagine Spa at the Hilton Hotel in Heathrow Terminal 5.

It takes less than an hour to get there on the tube from central London and once you’re there you won’t care how long the journey took, you will just relax and let the stresses and strains of life slip away from you.

I went with my sister-in-law who is seven months pregnant and we both planned to do nothing more than relax. She went for the Mum-to-Be massage and a Prescriptive Facial. If you have ever been pregnant you will appreciate that sometimes, mum to be massage can consist of little more than gentle stroking which really is not what you need. My sister-in-law had doubts about whether this massage would be any good but thankfully she loved it. It was firm but not too firm and she felt loose and limber afterwards. The highlight for her was the prescriptive facial. It was so good she fell asleep during it. She said they really paid attention to her changing skin and treated her face accordingly.

Treatment room

Treatment room

I had a Deep Tissue back massage and a body exfoliation. When they say deep tissue they mean deep tissue! My therapist, who couldn’t have been any more than a size 8, worked and pummelled me like I’ve never been pummelled before. I had so much tension and so many knots in my back but she worked and worked and got rid of them. I was very impressed. The body exfoliation involved her massaging scented salts into my body, showering them off, and then massaging me with oils until I was smooth and lubricated. It took all my strength not to fall asleep on her treatment table.

After our treatments we had a brief rest in the relaxation area before heading to the kitchen for lunch. Being a spa, everything was healthy and delicious. We both had smoked salmon salad for lunch and fresh fruit with beautiful lemon sorbet for dessert. There is free water, tea and coffee on hand throughout the day which we certainly took advantage of.

Relaxation area

Relaxation area

After eating we headed down to the wet and thermal area and spent some time in the spa, steam room, mineral water, and hydrotherapy pool. To our surprise we spent almost 2 hours in this area. Time flies when you are relaxing. After almost 5 hours in the spa, we begrudgingly peeled ourselves away and headed back into London.

Wet area

Wet area

The wet area of the spa is small but perfectly formed and the therapists are very knowledgeable and on hand for whatever you may need.

I think the Imagine Spa at Hilton Heathrow Terminal 5 is perfect for couples or friends looking for a day of relaxation.

www.imaginespa.co.uk

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