Tales From The Chair - April

Your monthly round up of everything I’ve been discovering and sharing with clients, straight from the salon chair . . .

Kicking off this month’s Tales with a local discovery, The Abercorn Arms in Teddington. This pub was taken over by Big Smoke Brew Co. late last year and what a gem it is! We first visited for drinks earlier this month on a Friday night and ended up staying for dinner too (great burgers and amazing wings!) and then back we went at Easter for a Sunday roast and that too was faultless! When it comes to rating a pub, this one ticks all of the boxes. There’s a wide selection of drinks on offer, the food is great, the team are super friendly and welcoming, there’s a decent sized outdoor space, good tunes and general good vibes! A very welcome addition to the neighbourhood and our new favourite local!

Local Baker Jess of Richmond Bakes will be hosting her first ever stall at Teddington Traders Market on Saturday 14th May, save the date and pop down to sample some of her delicious brownies! To make space for new products and ingredients and with new market equipment to invest in Jess has launched a ‘one time only’ £10 box sale this week with orders being dispatched on Wed 4th May. To contribute to the ‘gazebo’ fund and enjoy some tasty treats at the same time why not buy a box?! These limited edition ‘Lucky Dip’ boxes will be filled with six brownies in six individual flavours- and you won’t know what you’re going to get until they arrive!

It’s that time of year when our attention turns to the arrival of sunshine and inevitably I get asked about my favourite facial SPF. Heliocare Advanced SPF 50 Gel sunscreen is my holy grail, I wear it every single day ( important because UVA rays - the ones that age our skin - are present as log as there is light not heat, so basically 365 days of the year!) I cannot recommend it enough! It’s a light weight, hydrating gel cream texture that smells of apricots and dries to a slightly dewy (but not greasy) finish and provides a great base for make-up. At £21 it wont break the bank and has added anti-oxidants and DNA repair enzymes to protect skin health. Give it a try!

I’ve been asked by a few salon guests recently for a hair brush recommendation for blow drying. This barrel brush is the one that I have in my kit and I use it all of the time. For me it’s the perfect size and has a good grip to the handle.

I’ve also been recommending Klorane purifying dry shampoo with nettle. In my opinion it’s the best dry shampoo out there. A little blast of this at the roots right after a blow dry can help to ward off oil and make your blow dry last longer. Similar to powdering your nose before it turns oily. You can buy it from plenty of online beauty sites such as Look Fantastic and it’s also stocked a few doors down from the salon at Springfield Pharmacy.

I’ve been discovering some great little jewellery finds on Etsy lately. I ordered these sweet little gold dagger huggie hoops with 18ct gold plate from Silver Rain and these spike huggie hoops with 18ct gold plate from Michelle Lee Studio. Both SUCH great quality and amazing value compared to some of the more well established fashion jewellery brands out there. So nice for gifting!

Over to you. . .

Everyone knows I love a bakery! When Corina recently told me that she travels all the way from Richmond to Notting Hill just to seek goodies at buns from home, I immediately added it to my ‘must visit list’ Thanks Corina!

Milly recently reminded me about A Little Bird, an insiders guide to London. You can sign up to their newsletter to stay in the know with a weekly email landing in your inbox at 11am every Thursday. Thanks Milly!

Aisling tipped me off on a gorgeous place to stay in Shropshire. Rest + Wild provide off-grid cabins in the beautiful British countryside. In Downton, Shropshire, the site comprises of 4 luxury hideaways, set apart for ultimate privacy, overlooking rolling hills, each complete with an outdoor bath, wood burner, fire pit, kitchen supplies and walking maps. It’s now high on my list of staycation destinations and there are more sites coming for 2022. Thanks Aisling!

Thanks for reading, I hope you discovered something new!

Hx